Five Towns Jewish Home 11.03.22

hen I was in high school and we had a day off, we knew we would be heading into the city. In those days (and I hope I’m not dat ing myself too much!), there were no cellphones, so I would say goodbye to my mother in the morning, hop on the train on Avenue M in Brooklyn, and meet up with my friends. We’d stop by TKTS in Times Square for tickets to a Broadway show, choose a restaurant to eat lunch, and go shopping before heading to a show. I may or may not have called to check in with my mother during the day (she wasn’t always home), but it wasn’t necessary. A trip to Manhattan in middle of the day for a group of girls was safe. There was no need for a parent to worry.

These days, it’s a different story. A friend of mine recently told me that her children took the A train into Manhattan a few weeks ago. Coming home, the train was diverted and couldn’t stop at the Far Rockaway station, and they had to take an Uber to get home. It turns out that a man was murdered at the Far Rock away stop and police were investigating. That’s not something that a parent living in New York wants to hear.

I remember filling out my voter registration years ago. When I asked which box to check – Democrat or Republican – the answer I was given was to fill in the “D.” You see, the frum community used to vote Dem ocrat down the line, all the time.

But frum voters have come to realize that the Democrat Party has failed them – numerous times and in so many ways. Now, as educated voters, we think twice before filling in the circles on the ballot on Election Day. We look at each candidate and consider what they represent.

When an incumbent is on the ballot, it makes it easy for us. In fact, we don’t have to think about what they represent. Their actions tell us all we need to know: do they represent our values? Do they have the best in terests of our community in mind? Do they stand up for our community? Are they here for our community? Have they been a friend to our community?

Part of my job is to meet with politicians from time to time. I like Rep. Lee Zeldin. When I’ve met with him – before the governor’s race – he was always gracious and educated about the issues that affect our community. When I interviewed him during the pri maries, I hardly believed that I was speaking to the possible future governor of New York. After all, a Re publican barely has a chance in the deep blue state of New York. But it seems that New Yorkers are smarter than certain politicians think they are. And the gov ernor’s race has become not even about Zeldin. It’s about murders at train stations and stabbings in the streets. It’s about criminals walking off with mounds of items from store shelves and bodega owners be ing held up in broad daylight. It’s about the revolving door of repeat offenders plaguing our streets.

As a member of the frum community, perhaps even more importantly than crime is the fact that the Democrats are unashamedly targeting our yeshivas. Our yeshivas are our oasis in a swirling sea of deprav ity; Albany wants to sink our children into the muck of liberalism and wokeness.

Still, as educated voters, we shouldn’t vote blind ly. We need to remember that certain politicians have been there for us and have stood up for us, courageous ly bucking their party’s line. In particular, Assembly woman Stacey Pheffer Amato of Far Rockaway, a Dem ocrat, has been a consistent friend to our community. She deserves our vote in this upcoming election.

Each year, around election time, we’re told that this election is “the most important election” of our lifetime. Perhaps I’m getting older, but this time, I truly see that so much is at stake.

It’s so easy to vote – there is early voting, and voting on Election Day is a breeze. I urge you to take the ten minutes out of your day to vote. And when you do, make sure to remind your friends and family to vote, too.

Your vote can change the future for you and for your family.

Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

Yitzy Halpern, PUBLISHER publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com

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JEWISH THOUGHT

Rabbi

& FITNESS

Dear Editor,

Last week’s Navidaters column pre sented a question about an unwelcome shadchan keeping tabs on a couple who met at a singles event that she organized. Believe it or not, I had a similar situation with my husband. We met at a wonder ful event put together by fabulous ladies from Invei Hagefen in collaboration with Gateways. My husband and I met “organ ically,” at the event and although we had no intrusive shadchanim badgering us, we did feel that we had no obligations to wards the organizers. I am now ashamed of my attitude. It displays a lack of ha karas hatov and menschlichkeit. At the time, we asked a rav about shadchanus and we were told that shadchanus WAS owed since the relationship came to frui tion because of their event.

When in doubt, or having a difference of opinion, a rav can settle a hashkafic or halachic disagreement. I’m surprised no body suggested that this couple ask da’as Torah. An objective rav can look past the emotions that lend to personal bias, keep parties from harboring blame, and set the tone for a marriage and beyond.

Hatzlacha to the daters and huge yasher koach to everyone helping singles!

Shani Gerlitz

Dear Editor,

Having just returned from a Tishrei visit to Israel, I especially enjoyed read ing Rafi Sackville’s entertaining article on his personal survey of why people love Israel.

From my three-week experience after a COVID-induced leave of absence from Israel, I can better appreciate why Israel has often ranked very high in surveys of

the world’s happiest country.

Personally, being in a country which celebrates Jewish Holy Days is a huge bonus compared to being in Brooklyn, where one occasionally comes out of shul to dodge cars, buses, scooters, bikes, mo torcycles, people, etc. When I visit Israel, I am not aware of TV, radio, muggings, antisemitism, murders, newspapers, and other incidences of today’s American society. I am happy that I took a hiatus from my “work” as an Election Coordina tor. Yes, it was odd having two days of yom tov, when many others observe only one day. As I was in Brooklyn for the last days of Sukkos, Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah, I came to realize that two or maybe ten days of yom tov simply do not compare or make up for a single day in Aretz. To my mind, that came to be a major realization for me of what I love about Israel.

When I forgot to bring my Rav Kol to ride on the bus and train, without think ing, Israelis used theirs to pay for my ride (I did offer to compensate them). Why we have such antiquated systems to ride on public transportation is way beyond me!

Coming into Israel and leaving Israel was a pleasure beyond belief at Ben Gu rion. Both leaving and returning to the U.S. was a nightmare, with huge crowds roaming around with little thought or any direction of how to accomplish get ting a flight or getting out of the airport. Incompetence was everywhere. I asked one information person why, at the ter minal I arrived at, the signs for public transportation were hidden! Of course, I know New York, so that is not surprising. What can one reasonably expect from a

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Third World Country like the U.S.?

Although this was at least my seventh visit to Israel, this was the first one, when,

without any prompting, I was repeated ly asked, “When I am making aliyah?” Personally, I have never seen a place with so much construction of new high-rises. To be truthful, my niece who works for

Nefesh b’Nefesh told me that for aliyah to be successful, one needs money, a place to live, and Ivrit. However, I believe that money, money, and money are the three things that will make Aliyah successful! LOL. Many I discussed this with agree with me.

In any event, I am looking forward to soon returning to Yerushalayim, b’Ez rat Hashem! Just at the Kotel for birkas Kohanim, Hoshana Rabba and Hakhel, as well as at the Machaneh Israel Shuk,

l’havdil, the energy cannot be duplicated, and I have experienced much in the U.S. including Woodstock, Mardi Gras, Times Square, huge Washington Rallies (MLK, etc.), parades in DC and Broadway, 770, l’havdil, etc. etc.

Thank you, Mr. Sackville.

Dovid Sabghir

Dear Editor,

We all know the major formula in life on how to create a path. One must assess what they are good at and what they like and pursue that. I recently heard a rav speak and he gave more in-depth under standing of this formula.

A person may be good at a few things and divide up their time to address these few interests. They might feel that they could accomplish more with such a mindset. However, he notes, pursuing such a path will leave someone with a less than satisfactory result. We all have a major strength and must put all of our energy into that.

I remember once being at a seminar and one professional after another stat ed that specialization is key. The reason specialization is so important is because of impact. You’re more likely to have an impact when you put all of your strength into one thing. The Talmud notes that, in Heaven, Yitzchak is our advocate to ex plain away why we accomplished so little in our lives. However, this is all relative. He certainly won’t explain away why we didn’t put our full energy into something and “try” to garner an impactful result.

Yehuda Kochi

Dear Editor,

On the bottom of your ballot, you will be asked to vote yes or no on creating a state bond which will amount to $4.2 bil lion. Subject coverage should be utilized for capital improvements regarding clean water and clean air. It also should restore natural resources to reduce the impact of climate change.

The USA has more clean water and clean air than the superpowers China, India and Russia; they spent less and we surpass them with presumptuous amounts of money over and over again!

Remember, two months ago, Con gress approved The Inflation Reduction Act which set aside nearly $370 billion for climate and energy-focused projects.

The inflation goes through the roof, and we continue allotting money!

The proposal can only be answered with a NO!

Heinz Mayer Garden City, NY

Trial for Protesters in Iran

Authorities in Iran have announced that they will hold public trials for at least a thousand of the protesters detained in the country for their participation in an ti-government demonstrations following the death of Mahsa Amini. Amini had been arrested by the “morality police” for improperly covering her head; she died in police custody. After her death, pro tests swept the country.

The mass indictments, which will put at least 1,000 people on trial, marks the government’s first major legal action aimed at quashing dissent since unrest erupted over six weeks ago following the death of 22-year-old Amini on Septem ber 16.

During the protests that swept the country, at least 250 people are believed to have been killed; 14,000 were arrested.

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency quoted judicial officials as saying that a thousand people who had a central role in the protests would be brought to trial in Tehran over their “subversive actions,” including assaulting security guards, setting fire to public property, and other accusations.

“Those who intend to confront and subvert the regime are dependent on for eigners and will be punished according to legal standards,” said Iran’s judiciary chief, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, indicating that some protesters would be charged with collaborating with for eign governments. Tehran officials have repeated unsupported claims that Iran’s foreign enemies have fomented the un rest.

“Without a doubt, our judges will deal with the cases of the recent riots with ac curacy and speed,” he underscored.

Lula Wins in Brazil

Voters in Brazil on Sunday ousted President Jair Bolsonaro after just one term and elected the leftist former Pres ident Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to replace him, election officials said, a rebuke to Bolsonaro’s far-right movement and his divisive four years in office.

The victory completes a stunning political revival for da Silva — from the presidency to prison and back — that had once seemed unthinkable.

It also ends Bolsonaro’s turbulent time as the region’s most powerful lead er. For years, he attracted global atten tion for policies that accelerated the de struction of the Amazon rainforest and exacerbated the pandemic, which left nearly 700,000 dead in Brazil, while also becoming a major international figure of the far right for his brash attacks on the left, the media and Brazil’s democratic institutions.

More recently, his efforts to under mine Brazil’s election system drew par ticular concern at home and abroad, as well as worldwide attention to Sunday’s vote as an important test for one of the world’s largest democracies.

Without evidence, Bolsonaro criti cized the nation’s electronic voting ma chines as rife with fraud and suggested he might not accept a loss. Many of his supporters vowed to take to the streets at his command.

Yet in the hours after the race was called, far-right lawmakers, conservative pundits and many of Bolsonaro’s sup porters had recognized da Silva’s victory.

Da Silva, 77, a former metalworker and union leader with a fifth-grade edu cation, led Brazil during its boom in the first decade of the century, leaving office with an 80% approval rating.

This was the first time an incumbent president failed to win reelection in the 34 years of Brazil’s modern democracy.

Still, da Silva won with the narrowest margin of victory for that same period, signaling the deep divide that he will confront as president. He won 50.90% of the valid votes, versus Bolsonaro’s 49.10% with 99.97% of the vote counted Sunday night.

14 “I will govern for 215 million Brazil ians, and not just for those who voted for me,” da Silva said in his victory speech Sunday night, reading from pages held by his new wife, whom he married this year. “There are not two Brazils. We are one country, one people, one great na tion.”

Bolsonaro spent much of Monday holed up at the presidential offices, meet ing with top advisers and Brazil’s minis ter of defense. At least some of the advis ers urged the president to concede, but it was not clear if he had yet reached a de cision on what to do, according to three government officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss pri vate meetings.

Bolsonaro’s silence was unsettling for Brazil. He has consistently claimed, without evidence, that the country’s elec tronic voting system is rife with fraud and that the left was planning to rig the vote. As a result, millions of his support ers have lost faith in the integrity of their nation’s elections, according to polls, and many have said publicly that they are prepared to take to the streets at his command.

On Monday, some were not waiting for any cues from Bolsonaro. Supporters, often led by truckers, set up at least 236

road blockades across 20 states in Brazil, according to the federal highway police, snarling traffic on several important highways.

Still, the widespread demonstrations that many had feared could quickly fol low the election results did not occur.

The response from Bolsonaro’s allies was clearer. Former and current govern ment ministers, right-wing lawmakers and prominent conservative pundits all accepted da Silva’s victory, albeit be grudgingly. (© The New York Times)

Power Outages in Ukraine

The latest assault came on Mon day, when a massive barrage of Russian cruise missile and drone strikes hit Kyiv, Kharkiv and other cities, knocking out water and power supplies in apparent retaliation for what Moscow alleged was a Ukrainian attack on its Black Sea fleet.

In Kyiv, some 80% of consumers in the city of 3 million were left without water because of damage to a power fa cility on Monday. By Tuesday, water was fully restored as well as some power. Kyiv region governor Oleksiy Kuleba said that 20,000 apartments in the region re mained without power.

The unpredictable rolling blackouts are increasing as the government scram bles to stabilize the energy grid and re pair the system ahead of winter. The cuts add another layer of angst and uncertain ty to a population already struggling with the stress of nearly nine months of war.

damage are serious,” Kyiv region Gov. Oleksiy Kuleba said in a Telegram post. “It is necessary to prepare for emergency power outages for an indefinite period,” he said.

Ukrainians are trying to deal with this new reality. Residents are stocking up on heaters, blankets, warm clothing, and power banks to charge electronics. While most say they’re willing to bear the brunt of the blackouts for the sake of the war, the frequency and inconsistency of the outages are draining.

Starting Tuesday, the government plans to change the schedule of the Kyiv subway to include longer wait times to save energy.

So far, Russia has destroyed about 40% of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, affecting 16 regions, according to the Ukrainian government.

To try to ease people’s burdens, ener gy companies are publishing daily sched ules of when neighborhoods won’t have power. But it’s not consistent, especially as strikes intensify. Last week, a power station in the central region was dam aged, causing an emergency shutdown and prompting the government to warn citizens of tougher and longer outages.

“Unfortunately, the destruction and

Looking at the winter up ahead, Ukrainians are bracing themselves for the inevitable bitter cold that is sure to descend upon the country. Temperatures could drop to minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit).

140 Killed in Bridge Collapse

At least 140 people were killed after a century-old pedestrian bridge collapsed in the western Indian state of Gujarat

on Sunday evening, sending hundreds plunging into the Machchhu River, offi cials said.

Rescue workers scrambled to pull victims from the river. Video footage released by the Gujarat government showed small boats working through the night to help with the search and rescue and pulling bodies out of the water. The office of the district collector in Morbi, the district where the bridge collapsed, said 170 people had been rescued so far.

private company that runs the bridge and sells tickets for passages across it re opened the span to the public before the holiday season without the proper safety checks. (© The New York Times)

Iran to Russia included about 450 drones, officials said, which the Rus sians have already used to deadly effect in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials said last week that they have shot down more than 300 Iranian drones.

About 350 people were on and around the bridge, a major tourist attraction, at the time of the collapse, said Brijesh Merja, a minister in the Gujarat govern ment. A large number of those who died were children, women, and older people, according to officials.

The bridge collapsed four days after it was reopened to the public and about seven months after the start of renova tion work. Built in 1880, during the Vic torian era, it is about 755 feet long.

Video broadcast by local television channels showed people swimming to a portion of the bridge suspended in the water, with more than a dozen struggling to cling to the edge as they waited to be rescued. Children and women could be heard crying for help.

The collector’s office said that in ad dition to the national disaster response force, teams from the Indian army, navy and air force were on the way to help with the rescue, which was complicated as night had fallen and the river was dark.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is from Gujarat and was in the state for a three-day visit, announced cash com pensation for the families of those killed or injured.

The bridge was particularly busy over the weekend, as the Hindu festival season drew a larger number of tourists and families to the recently reopened at traction. Local media reports suggested that the bridge was over capacity when it snapped. The Morbi district is home to thousands of factories that make ce ramic tiles, bathroom products, and wall clocks, and dozens of migrant factory workers were on the bridge when it fell.

Attention has shifted to whether the

Iran to Send More Missiles to Russia

This new expected shipment would mark a significant increase in Iranian support to Russia’s war effort. Officials say the missiles will be delivered before year’s end.

Drones have played a significant role in the conflict since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late Feb ruary, but their use has increased since the summer, when the United States and Kyiv say Moscow acquired drones from Iran. In recent weeks these Iranian drones have been used to target critical energy infrastructure in Ukraine.

Iran is preparing to send approxi mately 1,000 additional weapons, includ ing surface-to-surface short range ballis tic missiles and more attack drones, to Russia to use in its war against Ukraine.

The shipment is being closely mon itored because it would be the first in stance of Iran sending advanced preci sion guided missiles to Russia, which could give the Kremlin a substantial boost on the battlefield.

The last shipment of weapons from

The Iranian drones are known as a “loitering munition” because they are ca pable of circling for some time in an area identified as a potential target and only striking once an enemy asset is identi fied. They are small, portable and can be easily launched, but their main advan tage is that they are hard to detect and can be fired from a distance.

U.S. envoy to Iran Rob Malley spoke out strongly against Iran supplying the drones on Monday.

“We know that those drones have been used to target civilians and civilian infrastructure. And we know that Iran, in the face of all of this evidence, keeps lying and denying that it’s happening,” Malley said.

The U.S. is “looking at everything that we can do, not just with sanctions” in order to disrupt the Iranian weaponry from going to Russia, Secretary of State Tony Blinken said last week.

Iraq Gets New Government

being ushered in after the U.S.-led inva sion.

The new prime minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, presented his list of Cab inet ministers to parliament more than a year after elections that were meant to produce a new, reformist government in response to sweeping protests.

The new government embodies a sys tem put in place after the 2003 invasion, which allots key roles for specific sects and ethnic groups and allocates govern ment ministries to the most powerful po litical parties, which have routinely used those ministries to enrich themselves.

Lawmakers approved al-Sudani and his Cabinet choices in a closed session.

On Thursday, al-Sudani pledged to fight corruption that has devastated the country, work to repair ties with the gov ernment of the semi-autonomous Kurd istan region of Iraq, and build an econ omy that would create jobs and improve public services.

“Corruption that has affected all as pects of life is more deadly than the co rona pandemic and has been the cause of many economic problems, weakening the state’s authority, increasing pover ty, unemployment and poor public ser vices,” he told parliament. He did not set out specific measures his government planned to take.

Stampede in Seoul

It was supposed to be a festive eve ning, throngs of raucous youngsters dressed as zombies, princesses and super heroes converging on one of Seoul’s most popular nightlife districts for their first restriction-free Halloween celebration since the pandemic began.

Late Saturday evening, they crowded into bars and nightclubs pumping out the latest K-pop hits and spilled out into the tight alleys that wind through the city’s Itaewon neighborhood.

Iraq’s parliament approved a new government on Thursday that was more than a year in the making but that per petuates an almost 2-decade-old politi cal system that has been blamed for en demic corruption and dysfunction since

Influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, an Iraqi nationalist who has re sisted Iranian influence, emerged from elections last year with the biggest single bloc in parliament. But after months of negotiations failed to form a coalition government, he ordered the resignation of his 73 members and in August an nounced he was withdrawing from pol itics.

Al-Sadr’s withdrawal opened the way for a rival political bloc made up mostly of Iran-backed Shiite parties to take con trol in a coalition with Kurdish and Sun ni political parties.

Iraq has become one of the most cor rupt and nontransparent countries in the world, according to independent watch dog groups. In the most recent scandal, $2.5 billion has gone missing from gov ernment funds in a scheme involving tax checks issued to companies submitting fake documents. The Interior Ministry this week said it had arrested a key sus pect as he tried to flee the country.

The endemic corruption and lack of basic public services and jobs sparked protests three years ago that led to the resignation of the government and the holding of early elections last year. (© The New York Times)

As the night grew more frenetic and the mass of revelers swelled, many of them crammed into an alleyway barely 11 feet wide, in a bottleneck of human traffic that made it difficult to breathe and move. There were few police officers around, and from within the crowd came

calls to “push, push” and a big shove, ac cording to witnesses. Then, they began to fall, a tangle of too many bodies, com pressed into too small of a space.

In the end, more than 150 people, most of them in their 20s and 30s, died, crushed under the surge of the crowd.

The tragedy — one of South Korea’s worst peacetime disasters — and ques tions about the authorities’ responsibili ty to manage the crowd has marred the image of South Korea, a thriving tech

nology and pop-culture powerhouse that is chronically prone to man-made disas ters. It has also added to political woes of the country’s beleaguered president, Yoon Suk Yeol, already suffering low ap proval ratings with a growing number of people out on the street demanding his resignation.

As the sun set on Itaewon on Sunday evening, a mournful and subdued atmo sphere suffused the neighborhood. Police closed the streets to traffic in the area,

where shuttered bars and restaurants put up signs of condolences. On the side walks, impromptu memorials of flowers and liquor formed makeshift shrines to the victims.

In briefing after briefing Sunday, of ficials, including the president and the Seoul mayor, Oh Se-hoon, vowed to do everything they could to make South Ko rea safer. But they offered little explana tion for the lack of crowd control, what went wrong in the Itaewon alley, and why

the country has had recurring disasters.

On Sunday, the home minister, Lee Sang-min, admitted that police were un derprepared.

“The crowd this year was not wor risomely bigger, compared with past years,” Lee told reporters. “But our police forces were scattered to various protests across the city.” (© The New York Times)

Bibi is Back

We knew that he couldn’t be gone for good, and this week, after other attempts at victory, it seemed to the Israeli public that Bibi is back.

As ballots were being tallied on Wednesday from Tuesday’s election, all signs pointed at a resounding comeback for Benjamin Netanyahu and his rightwing bloc. With the results tentatively in, you could almost hear the resultant sighs of exhaustion from an Israeli public that had been put through five elections in less than four years.

But good things come to those who wait. With some 86 percent of the votes counted, the bloc of parties loyal to Net anyahu was predicted to win 65 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, a comfortable ma jority.

Still, the numbers will be shifting in the coming days as “double-envelope” ballots need to be counted.

Bibi’s bloc is set to include his Likud party, charedi parties Shas and United Torah Judaism, and the far-right Reli gious Zionism party led by Bezalel Smo trich, which includes Itamar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit faction.

Perhaps the biggest victor in the elec tion was Ben Gvir, who had come from a fringe party and is now a leader in a party representing around 10% of Israeli voters.

Ben Gvir vowed to be part of a “com pletely right-wing” government but add

ed: “I want to say that I’ll work for all of Israel, even those who hate me.”

And, of course, Bibi is the biggest star of all – a comeback kid who is current ly on trial in three corruption cases. The public, though, doesn’t seem to care and wishes to end the political stalemate that has plagued the nation for the past few years.

As of Wednesday morning, it was still unclear if the left-wing Meretz party and the Balad Arab party would enter the Knesset, as both were barely managing to hold onto the 3.25% minimal elector al threshold. Meretz was predicted to get 3.19% while Balad was at 3.01% -- with those numbers, both parties will not be in the next Knesset. If Meretz and Balad get their coveted numbers and if Labor holds onto the 3.57% they have now, then Bibi’s majority bloc may be uncertain. That scenario seems to be very unlikely, though.

Ayelet Shaked’s Jewish Home party received a dismal 1.17% of the vote this election, with many voters angry that she joined the current government that oust ed Netanyahu last year after 12 years in power.

Ronen Hanania, HY”D

birthday later this week.

“My dear husband was such a good person who enjoyed helping others. Ev eryone loved him, everyone,” she said. “He was such a good person to me and my son. I can’t accept it, I have nothing else in this life, only my son. Thank G-d, at least he was saved. I have nothing. I’m worth nothing. My husband will live on, he won’t leave me. His birthday is on Wednesday, we’ll always be together.”

Daniel, who was wounded in the same attack and witnessed his father’s death, called on Israeli lawmakers to ensure such an incident never repeats itself.

“I can’t believe that I’m standing here. G-d gave me a miracle. Dad, you died while doing G-d’s work and I will keep living while doing G-d’s work,” he said. “I call on the Israeli government to do ev erything to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Lawmaker Itamar Ben Gvir was among the politicians to attend Hana nia’s funeral.

“‘The bounder, the bound, and the al tar,’ that is our story,” Ben Gvir said at the funeral, citing a Rosh Hashanah prayer. “That is Ronen’s story and the story of the Jewish settlement of Kiryat Arba — of terrorists’ bullets flying past us, some times hitting their target.”

In a separate incident on Sunday, a Palestinian driver plowed his vehicle into Israeli soldiers at two locations south of the West Bank city of Jericho, injuring five of them before being shot.

Lapid Tours Karish

On Motzei Shabbos, Ronen Hanania and his son Daniel were shot while visit ing a convenience store located between Kiryat Arba and the adjacent city of He bron. When they returned to their car to leave, Muhammed Kamel al-Jabari shot at the two; a bullet entered Ronen’s head and he eventually died in his son’s arms.

The terrorist then opened fire on medics and settlement security guards who arrived at the scene to help the pair. Three people were wounded in the at tack.

A quick-thinking security officer used his car to ram the Hamas terrorist and kill him.

On Sunday, Ronen was laid to rest in Har Hamenuchot in Jerusalem.

Hanania’s wife, Merav, said her late husband was meant to celebrate his

Days after Israel signed a maritime border agreement with Lebanon, Prime Minister Yair Lapid toured the Karish natural gas field to view the production process that kicked off last week.

During his visit to the gas rig off Is rael’s northern coast on Sunday, Lapid proclaimed that the field contains Israel’s “energy and economic future.”

“Producing gas from the Karish field will lower energy costs in Israel, will turn Israel into a regional energy supplier, and will help Europe deal with the energy cri sis,” Lapid said.

The prime minister noted that the

natural gas from Karish will help lower the cost of living in Israel, a key issue ahead of Tuesday’s election.

Lapid received a briefing at the site from Shaul Zemach, the Israel country manager for Energean, the London-list ed company extracting gas from the Karish and Tanin fields. Energean began production at Karish on Wednesday, a day before the signing of the Lebanon-Is rael deal in Naqoura.

With the beginning of production,

Karish joins Tamar and Leviathan to be come Israel’s third offshore field provid ing natural gas, with each connected to the mainland by separate infrastructure.

Before the recent maritime border agreement was reached between Israel and Lebanon, the terror group Hezbollah — which launched drones toward Karish in July — had threatened attacks if Israel proceeded with gas extraction in the dis puted area.

The maritime border deal went into

effect on Thursday evening after a cere mony at a UN base near the border.

Massive Voter Turnout

Out of Israel’s 6.8 million people who are eligible to vote, authorities said that as of 4pm on Election Day, 47.5% percent had come out to vote – the highest figure

at that time point since 1999.

This is the fifth time that the country has come to a vote in less than four years.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who start ed the day with a visit to the grave of his father, a noted cabinet minister and jour nalist, voted at the polling station near his Tel Aviv home.

“Go and vote today for the future of our children and the future of our coun try. Vote well and good luck to us all,” the premier said, invoking the name of his party Yesh Atid (“There is a future”).

President Isaac Herzog, voting in Jerusalem, said that every voting slip would make an impact.

“It is an enormous privilege to par ticipate in the process of free, clean and equal elections. Billions of people around the world do not enjoy this privilege,” he said. “Without a shadow of a doubt, all votes have an impact. Anyone who thinks his or her vote does not matter is wrong,” Herzog added.

Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu cast his ballot in Jerusalem, accompa nied by his wife, Sara, and urged every one to exercise their “great privilege.”

The opposition leader claimed to be worried about a high turnout in “leftwing” areas but said he hoped to “end the day with a smile.”

Most surveys in recent days gave the Netanyahu-led bloc 60 seats, meaning the smallest shift in favor of the oppo sition leader could enable him to form a coalition and return to power, with the support of the far-right Religious Zion ism party and the two Haredi parties, Shas, and United Torah Judaism.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz called on voters to cast their ballots for the par ty they see as the most capable, rather than the largest. The National Unity par ty leader is considered a third potential prime ministerial candidate, after Lapid and Netanyahu.

“We do not want more incitement or more division. We want more unity, more security, more reconciliation between people,” he said, voting near his home in the central city of Rosh Ha’ayin.

“In my opinion, these elections are not about the big party, they are about the party that is most capable against in

citement, against division, and in favor of unity,” Gantz said.

All Israeli citizens age 18 and up on election day have the right to vote for their representatives in the 25th Knesset.

Immigrants who complete their cit izenship registration at least 60 days before today are also eligible to vote, in cluding about 45,000 new Israelis who arrived this year before the end of Au gust.

UN: Israel Can’t Have Nuclear Weapons

Energy Nancy safeguards, in realizing the goal of universal adherence to the Treaty in the Middle East.”

It further called on Israel “to accede to the Treaty without further delay, not to develop, produce, test or otherwise ac quire nuclear weapons, to renounce pos session of nuclear weapons and to place all its unsafe guarded nuclear facilities under the full scope of Agency safeguards as an important confidence-building measure among all States of the region and as a step toward enhancing peace and security.”

On Friday, the First Committee also approved with 170 votes – including Iran – a call for a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East. Israel was the only country that opposed the text. Four countries ab stained: the United States, Cameron, Co moros, and Tanzania.

In a debate on the matter earlier this month, Israeli deputy ambassador to the UN Michal Maayan said the NPT is only as relevant as the level of compliance and is not a remedy for the “unique security challenges” of the Middle East.

nel 12, Zelensky said he couldn’t “under stand” Israel’s position nor its refusal to supply Ukraine with air defense sys tems even as he lodged multiple requests for such weaponry over the past eight months with successive Israeli prime ministers.

“We are fighting against [a] new big union, Russia and Iran, and now I hope that Israel will help us, and will strong[ly] react to this,” he said, adding that according to intelligence by Ukraine and other countries, Russia has acquired some 1,500 Iranian attack drones.

Ukraine, Zelensky said in the “Uvda” interview, doesn’t “need any mediators –we need partners, friends,” a reference to former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s early attempts back in March to liaise be tween Moscow and Kyiv.

The Ukrainian leader said his first ask of Israel at the beginning of the war back in late February was for radio systems, “because Israel produces [high] quali ty radio systems,” followed by requests for aerial defense weapons such as the Iron Dome. His latest appeal was for Is raeli-developed drones, after Russia be gan using Iranian-made suicide drones across Ukraine with devastating effect.

“Russians don’t need mediators –they want someone to [buy] time and I think they saw in Bennett such [a per son]. They used him [to buy time]. He wanted to make peace to stop the war, but he couldn’t. He gave some medical equipment, he gave a [field] hospital,” Zelensky said, expressing his gratitude and describing Bennett as “young” and “with a lot of energy.”

He also acknowledged that Bennett and other officials were “angry at me for [criticizing Israel] publicly.”

On Friday, the United Nations Gener al Assembly’s First Committee declared that Israel must dispose of all its nuclear weapons and place its nuclear sites under the International Atomic Energy Agen cy’s purview. The resolution passed by an initial 152-5 vote.

The five nations that opposed Friday’s resolution on the “risk of nuclear prolifer ation in the Middle East” were: Canada, Israel, Micronesia, Palau, and the United States. Another 24 countries abstained, including European Union members.

The annual resolution submitted by Egypt to the UNGA in New York was sponsored by the Palestinian Authority and 19 counties including Bahrain, Jor dan, Morocco and the United Arab Emir ates.

The resolution largely targets Israel, which is believed to be one of only nine nations to possess nuclear weapons. Is rael has never admitted to having such weapons.

The resolution notes that Israel is the only country in the Middle East and one of the few among the UN’s 193 member states, which has not signed the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty (NPT).

Iran, which is a signatory to the trea ty, is believed to be on the path to devel oping nuclear weapons. Despite this, the resolution did not mention Iran.

The resolution reaffirmed “the impor tance of Israel’s accession to the NPT and placement of all its nuclear facilities un der comprehensive international atomic

“Four of the five cases of serious vio lations of the NPT took place in the Mid dle East since its entry into force,” she explained.

“For decades now, Iran has been rapidly advancing its illicit nuclear pro grams and currently possesses large quantities of highly enriched nuclear material,” Maayan charged. “The exis tence of undeclared nuclear activities in Syria remains relevant and worrisome, as well as the open questions related to the nature and operational state sow the specific sites and materials within Syria.”

Lastly, Maayan explained that it’s im possible to speak of a regional security architecture around the nuclear issue in a situation where Middle East countries do not recognize Israel’s right to exist.

“Some actors in the region claim that a comprehensive security architecture can be initiated in the Middle East, with direct engagement with Israel, with out recognition of Israel’s right to exist within safe and secure borders, without reducing regional tension and the build ing of the necessary trust and confidence among regional states… This position is untenable,” Maayan stated.

Zelensky Can’t “Understand” Israel

In a long, wide-ranging interview with investigative show “Uvda,” which aired on Monday night on Israel’s Chan

Zelensky said he has even tried en listing Washington’s help in pressing Israel to provide military aid to Ukraine, though he did not go into details.

“Yes, I asked,” Zelensky told hosts Ilana Dayan and Itai Anghel in response to a question about whether he asked the U.S. to lobby Israel on Ukraine’s behalf.

The Ukrainian president told “Uvda” that only recently did Israel agree to pro vide the requested radio systems.

But the Iron Dome was a different sto ry, he said.

“I was talking with three prime min isters of Israel already,” he said, indi cating that he had also raised the issue before Russia invaded his country earlier this year. “I don’t understand Israel… I had meetings and I asked so many times, each of them to help us. It doesn’t mean just to give money or military. [It means] to choose the right side,” the Ukrainian leader said.

While providing humanitarian as sistance, Israel has maintained a strict policy of not providing military aid to Ukraine since Russian troops invaded on February 24, including systems that could help it intercept Russian missile and drone attacks.

Israel is concerned about providing aid in Ukraine and angering Russia and Iran, which operate in Syria. To that end, Israel cooperates with the Russian mil itary, which largely controls Syria’s air space.

Zelensky noted that the war his coun try is fighting is only emboldening Iran.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. At the time, U.S. President Joe Biden offered to help Zelensky and his fami ly escape the country. Zelensky told the President that he needed ammunition –“not a ride.”

Ukraine today, asserts Zelensky, has “already won the war.”

“Now only the world can lose this war, can lose Ukraine.”

If Russia uses nuclear weapons, as it has threatened to do, “it will be a loss for the world, that it didn’t give [Putin] a strong, straight, direct message. It will be a loss for those countries that wanted to be mediators.

“I don’t compromise with terrorists. If we will not stay, you will see another war. If we will not be strong, the world will get World War III,” he warned.

Judge Blocks Merger of Random House and Simon & Schuster

A federal judge on Monday blocked a bid by Penguin Random House, the big gest book publisher in the United States,

to buy one of its main rivals, Simon & Schuster, in a significant victory for the Biden administration, which is trying to expand the boundaries of antitrust en forcement.

intense competitiveness in the publish ing sector runs contrary to its mission to ensure fair competition.”

The victory is a notable one for the Justice Department. Judges have ruled against several of its previous challeng es to corporate deals, including United Health Group’s purchase of a technology company. In a statement Monday, the Justice Department hailed the ruling as a win for authors and readers.

ter spoke in support of the deal, arguing that the merger would benefit writers, because combining the publishing hous es would lead to cost savings, allowing the company to spend more on books. (©

The New York Times)

Egg Farm Infected with Bird Flu

addition, five backyard flocks have been infected. Because the virus is highly con tagious, all birds on an infected farm are killed and disposed of to avoid the spread of the disease.

Iowa has been hardest hit with bird losses at more than 13.3 million this year – and those numbers were taken before the latest farm was found infected.

Nationally, more than 47.7 million birds have been affected in 43 states.

The judge, Florence Pan, who heard the case in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, said in an order that the Justice Department had demon strated that the merger might “substan tially” harm competition in the market for U.S. publishing rights to anticipated top-selling books.

Penguin Random House and its par ent company, Bertelsmann, said in re sponse that they planned to appeal.

In a statement, Penguin Random House called the decision “an unfortu nate setback for readers and authors” and argued that “the Department of Justice’s focus on advances to the world’s bestpaid authors instead of consumers or the

“The proposed merger would have reduced competition, decreased author compensation, diminished the breadth, depth, and diversity of our stories and ideas, and ultimately impoverished our democracy,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the depart ment’s antitrust division.

The trial was a test case for the gov ernment’s new, more aggressive ap proach to curbing consolidation. It was closely watched by the literary world for what it revealed about the inner work ings of the industry and about the effects of consolidation on publishing, which has already been significantly reshaped by mergers in recent years.

Industry luminaries, among them powerful literary agents and bestselling authors, testified. Executives from Pen guin Random House and Simon & Schus

Iowa agriculture officials said on Monday that another commercial egg farm in the state has been infected with bird flu, the first commercial farm case identified since April, when a turkey farm was infected. This most recent case affects a farm with about 1.1 million chickens.

Iowa has had 15 commercial farms infected this year, including turkeys, egg-laying hens, and other chickens. In

Most of the Iowa cases were during the spring migration of wild birds in March and April with one reported in early May. The virus hadn’t been detected again until a backyard flock was infected on Oct. 20 and then the latest infection was confirmed on Monday.

The virus can spread through drop pings or the nasal discharge of an infect ed bird, which can contaminate dust and soil.

“We have been preparing for the pos sibility of additional outbreaks and are working closely with USDA and produc ers to eradicate this disease from our state,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “With migration ongoing, we continue to emphasize the need for strict biosecurity on poultry farms and around backyard flocks to help prevent and limit the spread of this destructive virus.”

ELECTION NEWS FLASH

The Jewish Community of New York is Enthusiastically Looking Forward To A Political Earthquake, With A Bloc Vote of 250,000 Votes Jewish residents from the broadest variety of communities are jumping on board | Thousands of Jewish votes have been cast through ab sentee ballots | Additional thousands have already voted in early voting locations

New York, N.Y. – The Jewish community of New York has embraced the news that “Ichud Klal Yisroel” has successfully united all Orthodox commu nities throughout Greater New York to create a powerful vot ing bloc of 250,000 votes.

Many were surprised to hear the significant number of 250,000, never before realizing what we can accomplish when we unite with a common goal.

Many people have expressed two reasons for their desire to get out and vote for the first time. The most significant rea son is the threat to our educa tional system. The second rea son is that they never realized what a strong influence their vote can have.

We close with a fervent prayer that our unity should produce desirable results for Klal Yisroel.

The Secular Press, Including The Infamous

New York Times, The New York Post, And Newsmax, Have All Reported That A United Jewish Vote Can Determine The Outcome Of The Election

This Sunday, October 30, the New York Times again discussed the importance of the Jewish vote in the current election | Two races in which the Jewish vote can determine the result are being closely followed nationwide

In the current election for Governor of New York, the Jew ish vote carries greater impor tance than ever due to the tight race. All the general news and media outlets report that the Jewish vote can determine the election’s outcome. This past Sunday, the New York Times ran an article about the united Jewish bloc vote, underscoring the importance of voting.

The first of the two tight races is the one for governor of New York, where Congressman Lee Zeldin is running against incumbent Kathy Hochul. She took over Andrew Cuomo when he resigned in disgrace after unfairly demonizing our community during Covid.

Last week, Congressman Zeldin rose in the polls making it a very tight and suspenseful race, surprising pollsters and politicians since New York is a blue state with twice as many registered Democrats as Re publicans. And yet, Republican

candidate Zeldin is running almost even with incumbent Kathy Hochul. According to current polls, 200,000 votes can determine the outcome of this race.

The second race garnering nationwide attention is the race for Congress in the new 17th district, which includes Monsey and its surrounding areas.

The Democrat candidate is Sean Maloney – Chairman of the Democratic Congressional campaign committee – who is responsible for ensuring that Democrats keep their seats in Congress. Maloney is running against Republican Assembly man Mike Lawler, represent ing Monsey in the Assembly. Maloney ranks sixth from the top among Democrats in Con gress and is running in this district since he lost his seat due to redistricting.

Assemblyman Lawler is a close friend of the Jewish com munity in Monsey. In the last two years, he has forged close relationships with the Monsey population, where he is very pop ular, and with community activ ists, mosdos, and organizations. Thousands of Monsey residents are expected to participate in the election, which a united Jewish vote will largely determine.

And Assemblyman Mike Lawler For Their Strong Stance And Willingness To Fight The Decrees Against Our Educational System

When other politicians either remained silent or voted against our interests, these two fought to protect our rights to our children’s education

Albany, N.Y. – When Klal Yisroel was hit with a slew of decrees attacking our educa tion system several weeks ago, we were essentially thrown to the wolves. At the same time, the liberal leftists celebrated a victory and made biased and derogatory statements about the Torah chinuch of our chil dren.

Numerous politicians who, until then, pretended to be our friends suddenly fell silent and in and not wanting to of fend their liberal colleagues, did nothing to defend us in the face of baseless accusations.

Governor Hochul also chose not to get involved or offer her opinion on the matter, plac ing the blame entirely on the board of regents.

Congress Lee Zeldin, how ever, along with Assemblyman Mike Lawler, and several additional elected politicians, came out with statements that strongly condemned the ed ucational decrees. They have taken every opportunity to

Klal Yisroel Will Show Its Appreciation To Congressman Lee Zeldin

defend our system and values and denounce the state’s unac ceptable decisions, and prom ised to put up a relentless fight to protect our rights. In recognition of their friendship and loyalty, thou sands of Jewish community members will vote for Zeldin and Lawler on Election Day.

only 24% in the city. However, in the current race for gover nor, all polls show more than 35% -- good news for the Zel din campaign, with good prospects of winning.

public debate he had with Governor Hochul.

For The First Time

In Twenty Years, A Republican Stands A Good Chance Of Winning The Race For Governor Of New York Polls are showing 30+% for a Republican in New York for the first time New York, N.Y. – Although New York is widely recognized as a blue state, this is due main ly to the population of New York City, who are the majority of voters in the state. However, upstate and Long Island have a sizeable Republican base.

Political observers note that politicians with solid support from outside the city need only 30-32 percent of New York City votes to win the election.

Current polls show that Lee Zeldin has more than 30% in New York City. The latest Quinnipiac poll gave him as much as 37%, which gives him a good chance of winning. To explain these numbers, in the last two mayoral elec tions in New York City, Re publican candidates had 28% despite campaigning only in the city. In 2009, the Repub lican candidate for Mayor had

Rabbonim and Roshei Hayeshivos from all over New York strongly support Zeldin for Governor Many Rabbonim have made public statements in support of Congressman Zeldin and are imploring the public to vote in favor of our children’s education Rabbonim from across the spectrum of communities –including Williamsburg, Boro Park, Flatbush, Monsey, Far Rockaway, Queens, Crown Heights, and more – have come out in a rare show of unity support of Congressman Zeldin and his race for Gover nor of New York.

After the decrees against our education system were fi nalized recently, Congressman Zeldin strongly condemned the regulations and promised to prioritize this matter as soon as he took office and re turn the right to educate chil dren to their parents.

Congressman Zeldin made this promise publicly. He ham mered the general media and wrote a letter regarding the success rate of the Yeshiva sys tem, which he thinks should be similarly implemented in public schools. He has also discussed this in the primary debates and well as in the only

In a general race for gover nor or mayor, rabbonim and roshei hayeshivos leave the de cisions to voting committees and don’t usually endorse or support specific candidates. This year is different, with many rabbonim and mechan chim endorsing Republican candidate Lee Zeldin for gov ernor.

The single motivating factor is the chinuch of our children, the future of Klal Yisroel, and the continuation of our genera tions, which is our number one priority. With one candidate insisting it is not her problem and another promising to fight for us and return the rights to the parents, we have only one obvious choice.

We continuously pray that the large-scale effort of thou sands of our community mem bers should bring the desired results to ensure the future of our generations.

Shock and Outrage: Yeshiva Arugas Habosem of Williamsburg is the first victim of the new educational decrees

The Stated Education Com missioner, who works directly under the governor, accuses Tzelemer Yeshiva of not com plying with state education regulations

It did not take long for the effects of the educational de crees to be acutely felt. After a few weeks, the state education department targeted the Tzele -

mer Yeshiva in Williamsburg as non-compliant with state requirements. This came after the city education department said the Yeshiva is compliant. Not satisfied with the city’s de cision, the state gave the Yeshiva 60 days to implement the necessary changes to satisfy the state’s requirements.

Klal Yisroel is anxiously fol lowing these developments and hoping for a positive outcome.

We now have an opportu nity that we cannot afford to miss. Invest in our future by voting for the candidate who supports our cause and pro tects our Mosdos HaTorah.

The C.D.C. Voted to Suggest That States Add the Covid Vaccine to the Schedule of Mandated Vaccines For Children To Be Allowed to Go to School

Governor Hochul says she is seriously considering it | Republican Candidate Lee Zeldin says “Not under my watch!”!

The C.D.C. recently voted to add the Covid vaccine to the list of mandatory vaccines for children. The vote is not con clusive, and every state will make its own decision. Governor Hochul says she will seri ously consider it. Republican Candidate Lee Zeldin imme diately announced that he will not allow it and will leave the decision to parents – another good reason for every respon sible parent to vote in the cur rent election.

Addressing Affirmative Action

court’s six-justice conservative majority was sharp and skeptical. “I’ve heard the word diversity quite a few times, and I don’t have a clue what it means,” Justice Clarence Thomas said. “It seems to mean everything for everyone.”

In general, two themes ran through questions from the court’s conserva tives: that educational diversity can be achieved without directly taking account of race and that there must come a time when colleges and universities stop mak ing such distinctions.

The court’s three liberal members put up a spirited defense.

Best Places to Retire

So which place ranks #1 for retire ment? Lancaster, Pennsylvania, nabbed the top spot this year. According to U.S. News, the city “offers a balance between natural and commercial spaces that residents appreciate. Expansive farms rub elbows with manicured suburbs, which lead right into the bustling city.” Despite the wonderful amenities, U.S. News points out that retirees may notice a slight odor in the air, as the smell of farm animals, the local Kellogg’s plant, Mars Chocolate North America, and the world’s largest chicken barbecue add their own aromas to the mix.

The Supreme Court on Monday ap peared ready to rule that the race-con scious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina were unlawful, based on questioning over five hours of vigorous and sometimes testy arguments, a move that would overrule decades of precedents.

Such a decision would jeopardize af firmative action at colleges and universi ties around the nation, particularly elite institutions, decreasing the represen tation of Black and Latino students and bolstering the number of white and Asian ones.

Questioning from members of the

Justice Sonia Sotomayor said, “Race does correlate to some experiences and not others.

“If you’re Black,” she said, “you’re more likely to be in an under-resourced school. You’re more likely to be taught by teachers who are not as qualified as others. You’re more likely to be viewed as having less academic potential.”

The court’s decisions in the two new cases — Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, No. 20-1199, and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina, No. 21-707 — will probably land in June. (© The New York Times)

Looking to hand in your briefcase and put work behind you? The average age for retirement in the U.S. is 65 years for men and 62 years for women. But don’t think that retirement looks the same every where in the country.

To identify the best places to retire, U.S. News analyzed data for the 150 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. to assess how well they meet Americans’ retirement needs and expectations. In cluded in the data were the happiness of local residents, housing affordability, tax rates, and health care quality.

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s capital, starred in spot number 2 on the list. Residents enjoy hiking the Appalachian Trail, camping, and biking. It’s also with in easy driving distance of Amish coun try, Gettysburg National Military Park and Hersheypark.

Pensacola, Florida, and Tampa, Flor ida, came up next on the list, with York, Pennsylvania, rounding out the top five.

Naples, Florida; Daytona Beach, Flor ida; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Allentown, Pennsylvania; and Reading, Pennsylva nia, rounded out the top ten.

of being falsely accused of murdering an iconic figure,” Nick Paolucci, a spokes person for the New York City Law De partment, said in a statement.

“Based on our review,” Paolucci said, “this office stands by the opinion of for mer Manhattan district attorney Vance who stated, based on his investigation, that ‘there is one ultimate conclusion: Mr. Aziz and Mr. Islam were wrongfully convicted of this crime.’”

Paolucci and David B. Shanies, a law yer for the two men, said the settlement will be split evenly between Aziz, who was released in 1985 and is now 84; and the estate of Islam, who was released in 1987 and died in 2009 at 74.

The Innocence Project also collabo rated with Vance’s office in the investiga tion that led to the vacating of the con victions.

Shanies said New York State had reached separate $5 million settlements for each of Aziz and Islam’s estates.

The settlements came less than four months after the lawsuits were filed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn. (© The New York Times)

Can Caffeine Affect Your Baby?

NY to Pay $26M for Wrongful Arrests

New York City has agreed to pay $26 million to settle lawsuits filed on behalf of two men whose convictions in the 1965 assassination of Malcolm X were thrown out last year after a judge found “serious miscarriages of justice,” according to the city and federal court records.

The two men, Muhammad A. Aziz and Khalil Islam, each spent more than 20 years in prison after their hasty ar rests and a trial that relied on question able evidence in one of the most notori ous murders of the civil rights era.

Their exonerations in November — Islam’s was posthumous — came as alle gations of racism and discrimination in the criminal justice system were again prompting national protests and politi cal debate.

The throwing out of the men’s con victions came after a 22-month investi gation by the Manhattan District Attor ney’s Office, then led by Cyrus Vance, and the men’s lawyers, which found that prosecutors, the FBI, and the New York Police Department had withheld key ev idence that probably would have led to acquittals had it been presented to a jury.

“This settlement brings some mea sure of justice to individuals who spent decades in prison and bore the stigma

For those who are pregnant, new re search is suggesting that sipping a cup of joe in the morning may not be the best way to start your day.

According to a study published on Monday in JAMA Network Open, children who were exposed to small amounts of caffeine before birth were found on average to be shorter than the children of people who did not con sume caffeine while pregnant.

Children of parents who consumed

caffeine while they were in the womb were shown to be shorter in stature at age 4 than those whose parents did not — and the gap widened each year through age 8, according to lead author Dr. Jes sica Gleason, a perinatal epidemiologist.

“To be clear, these are not huge dif ferences in height, but there are these small differences in height among the children of people who consumed caf feine during pregnancy,” Gleason, who is a research fellow at Eunice Kenne

The American College of Obstetri cians and Gynecologists currently rec ommends limiting caffeine consump tion to less than 200 milligrams per day while pregnant.

A mug of caffeinated tea typically has about 75 milligrams of caffeine, a mug of instant coffee has about 100 milligrams, and a mug of filtered coffee

has about 140 milligrams. Chocolate has about 31 milligrams of caffeine.

Amazingly, the differences found in the most recent study were found even in the children of parents who drank less than half a cup of coffee per day while pregnant — well below the cur rent guidelines.

Still, it’s not clear whether this study effectively shows causation be tween maternal caffeine consump tion and child height, according to Dr.

Gavin Pereira, a professor of epidemi ology and biostatistics at Curtin Uni versity in Australia.

“The correlation observed in this study can be explained by the existence of a common cause of both caffeine consumption and growth restriction e.g., poverty, stress, and dietary fac tors,” said Pereira in a statement to the Science Media Centre.

U.S. Releases Guantanamo’s Oldest Prisoner

The United States has released the U.S. military’s oldest prisoner of the war on terror, a 75-year-old businessman who was held for nearly two decades as a suspected sympathizer of al-Qaida but was never charged with a crime.

Saifullah Paracha, a former legal res ident of New York, was one of Guantána mo’s most unusual and better known “forever prisoners.” Military prosecutors never sought to put him on trial, but re view panels considered him too danger ous to release until last year.

His transfer, in a secret military mis sion announced by the Pakistani govern ment on Saturday, culminated months of negotiations to arrange his return. The Pentagon declined to comment. It was not known if Biden administration offi cials imposed any security restrictions on Paracha, but a lawyer swiftly released a photo of the former prisoner sitting in a McDonald’s in Karachi, Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday that it had “com pleted an extensive interagency process to facilitate repatriation of Paracha” and that it was “glad that a Pakistani citizen detained abroad is finally reunited with his family.”

dy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, not ed.

At Guantánamo, Paracha stood out among the predominantly younger Mus lim men, most of whom were captured in their teens and 20s by Afghan or Pa kistani militias and turned over to the United States as presumptive foot sol diers of al-Qaida or the Taliban.

He was captured in July 2003 at age 56 in an FBI sting operation in Thailand.

Paracha was held first at a U.S. mil itary prison in Bagram, Afghanistan, where he had a heart attack, his lawyers said. Rather than send him to the secret prison network run by the CIA, the Bush administration moved him to Guantána mo in his 14th month of U.S. detention.

“Saifullah should never have been in Guantánamo,” said Clive Stafford Smith, a human rights lawyer who has been visiting him at the prison since 2005. “Because he was the oldest person there, I constantly feared he would have his fourth heart attack and die there. So I am so happy that he is finally going home.” (© The New York Times)

“The Bird is Freed”

those who repeatedly violate its rules, raising the possibility that a number of previously banned, controversial users could reemerge on the platform.

Earlier this week, Musk visited Twit ter’s San Francisco headquarters to meet with employees. He also posted an open letter to Twitter advertisers, saying he doesn’t want the platform to become a “free-for-all…where anything can be said with no consequences.”

Musk, a prominent and controver sial Twitter user, became involved with the company earlier this year when he built up a more than 9% stake in its shares. After announcing he had become Twitter’s largest shareholder, Musk accepted and then pulled out of an offer to sit on the company’s board.

Musk then offered to buy Twit ter outright at a significant premium, threatened a hostile takeover, and signed a “seller-friendly” deal to buy the company that involved waiving due diligence.

“This is not a way to make money,” Musk said in an on-stage interview shortly after making an offer to buy Twitter. “My strong intuitive sense is that having a public platform that is maximally trusted and broadly inclu sive is extremely important to the fu ture of civilization.”

Musk also pledged to “defeat the spam bots or die trying,” referring to the fake and scam accounts that are often especially active in the replies to his tweets and those of others with large followings on the platform.

confirmation of the challenges facing policymakers and further evidence that their aggressive efforts to constrain the economy are taking time to have a signif icant effect.

The Fed’s preferred measure of in flation, the personal consumption ex penditures price index, climbed 6.2% in the year through September, in line with the increase the month before, the Com merce Department said Friday. After stripping out food and fuel, which can be volatile from month to month, prices in creased 5.1% over the past year, a brisk er increase than the 4.9% in the year through August.

Both of those inflation measures are rising faster than the 2% rate that the Fed targets on average and over time.

As central bankers try to predict when inflation will slow, they are watch ing for any sign that the labor market is loosening and that rapid wage growth is moderating. It would be difficult for in flation to decelerate with pay climbing at the pace it has recently. Companies facing heftier labor bills generally try to pass at least some of those cost increases onto consumers.

The employment cost index, a quar terly inflation measure from the Labor Department that tracks changes in wages and benefits, climbed 1.2% from June to September, matching what economists in a Bloomberg survey had expected.

black adhesive tapes. The work does not bear Mondrian’s signature, likely be cause he had not considered the piece finished.

Last Thursday, billionaire Elon Musk completed his $44 billion deal to buy Twitter and summarily fired CEO Parag Agrawal and two other executives.

After initially agreeing to buy the company in April, Musk spent months attempting to get out of the deal, first cit ing concerns about the number of bots on the platform and later allegations raised by a company whistleblower.

Musk appeared to acknowledge the takeover in a tweet Thursday night say ing, “The bird is freed.”

By completing the deal, Musk and Twitter have avoided a trial that was orig inally set to take place earlier this month.

In addition to Agrawal, Musk on Thursday fired CFO Ned Segal and policy head Vijaya Gadde. Musk also fired Sean Edgett, Twitter’s general counsel.

Musk has said he plans to rethink Twitter’s content moderation policies in service of a more maximalist ap proach to “free speech.” The billionaire has also said he disagrees with Twit ter’s practice of permanent bans for

Inflation Continues to Rise

That index picked up 5.0% on a yearly basis, down slightly from 5.1% in the pre vious report. In the decade leading up to the pandemic, that figure averaged 2.2% yearly gains, underscoring how rapid to day’s rate is.

“The level of wage growth is still very high, even if it is moving in the right di rection,” said Laura Rosner-Warburton, a senior economist at MacroPolicy Per spectives. “It’s probably putting upward pressure on services inflation.” (© The New York Times)

Mondrian, born in the Netherlands, was one of the most acclaimed artists of the 20th century and co-founded the Dutch De Stijl (The Style) abstract art movement.

The piece had been on display at the Mondrian exhibition at Germany’s Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen K20 museum in Dusseldorf since 1980. But now, an art historian is saying that the piece has been on display upside-side down.

“The thickening of the grid should be at the top, like a dark sky,” curator Susanne Meyer-Büser told The Guard ian newspaper and asserted she is “100% certain the picture is the wrong way around.”

Furthermore, Meyer-Büser charges that Mondrian would have laced the strips of tape over one another from top to bottom — a method that would have been too challenging had he worked the other way. A photo of the piece in Mon drian’s studio shows it displayed the cor rect way.

And yet, despite the revelation, the museum will not be turning the painting to display it properly. Because the tapes are “extremely loose and hanging by a thread, if you were to turn it upside down now, gravity would pull it into another direction.

“And it’s now part of the work’s story,” Meyer-Büser said.

And that’s the bottom line.

Super Sushi

Economic data on Friday brought troubling news for Federal Reserve offi cials who are trying to rein in the fastest inflation in decades: Prices are still ris ing quickly. Wages are rising rapidly, too. And the strong consumer demand that is helping to fuel the inflationary fire shows little sign of letting up.

The data, from two separate gov ernment reports, wasn’t a surprise and included hints of progress. But it was

The Art of the Matter

It’s an upside-down world – or at least it was for 75 years for a painting by Dutch artist Piet Mondrian.

“New York City 1,” created in 1941, is a grid-like mix of blue, yellow, red, and

A pair of TikTok chefs broke a Guin ness World Record by assembling a 7-foot, 1-inch sushi roll – and broke an other record in the process.

Nick DiGiovanni and Lynn “Lynja” Davis teamed up once again in Boston to assemble the massive sushi roll. The giant appetizer contained 2,000 pounds of rice, 500 pounds of salmon, 500 pounds of cucumbers, thousands of nori sheets, and millions of sesame seeds.

46 In the process, the pair also broke the record for fastest time to fillet a 10-pound fish, achieving the feat in 1 minute and 0.29 seconds to nab the record from famed chef Gordon Ramsay.

restaurant purely for canine customers.

Dogue, which rhymes with vogue, opened last month in the city’s trendy Mission District.

For $75 dollars per pup, doggie din ers get a multiple-course “bone appetite” meal featuring dishes like chicken skin waffles and filet mignon steak tartare with quail egg.

foodies. I guess he is too, now.”

In defending the high price tag for puppy chow, Massarweh notes that he spends hours cooking and prepping for his service. He said that a similar menu for humans could cost up to $500 in the expensive city and the ingredients he uses are not cheap. Doggie dishes, though, can taste a bit bland to human palates.

Hey, every dog has its day.

Marcus Floyd is the designer for the shoes. He collaborated with VisitLex, Lexington, Kentucky’s public tourism agency, to highlight the Breeder’s Cup, a series of equestrian races held in Lexington on November 4 and 5.

“Their initiative was to bring aware ness to the Bluegrass state, like Ken tucky as a whole,” he said.

The pair then broke the record for largest sushi roll (width) when the final product was measured at 7 feet and 1 inch wide.

Lest the fish go to waste, the sushi roll was then donated to a Boston homeless shelter.

Sounds like there are lots of good fish in the sea.

Doggie Dinners

In San Francisco, dogs are living the good life.

Recently, a dog owner and classically trained chef decided to open a fine dining

It also includes a mimosa and a baked treat for the pup’s human.

Rahmi Massarweh is the master mind behind the eatery. He says that on a recent Sunday, Dogue hosted three fur baby birthday parties simultaneously.

“I wanted to celebrate him. He is so special to me. He’s my four-legged child and this is the perfect place to do a re ally nice celebration,” one customer said as her 11-year-old miniature dachshund Mason enjoyed a bowl of mushroom soup with slices of chicken breast. “We’re

$1,200 Horse Sneakers

Floyd is a self-described longtime “sneakerhead” and had previous expe rience with shoe design and modifica tion. Still, making sneakers for horses is not easy, and he attended a four-day intensive program called The Shoe Sur geon’s SRGN Academy to learn how to deconstruct and reconstruct popular sneakers.

Each pair of sneaks takes around 17 hours to construct. Floyd buys a regular pair of sneakers and then deconstructs them. Then, he reassembles them for his four-legged customers.

Own a horse? Does it need fancy footwear to show off at the barn? Con sider purchasing Adidas’ newest kicks for your animal. These horse sneakers will make your horse the talk of the farm – although it will cost you: $1,200 to be exact.

The VisitLex horse sneakers will be auctioned at the Sneaker Ball, a fund raiser event for charities in central Ken tucky, on November 12, said Floyd. Go ing forward, he plans to donate 10% of all proceeds from sale of the shoes to lo cal nonprofits through the Sneaker Ball. What do you say to sneakers for hors es? Yay or “neigh”?

Around the Community

If I Could Talk to the Animals

When Parshas Noach comes around, so do the animals come to visit the Early Child hood Division of TAG. The kid goats love being fed by our eager kids, though some of the goats fed themselves on shrubbery and

flowers. Everything was just “ducky” as the girls took turns holding them. It was quite a sight watching the cow MOOVE around the yard giving rides to our talmidos. The talmidos and many of the moros thorough ly enjoyed having the parsha come alive.

Celebrating Rosh Chodesh

This past Friday was week 7 of FM Home Loans 5 Towns Flag Foot ball. We had another great week of intense, fun, and competitive games. Next week, we begin playoffs.

In the Pre-1A division under the di rection of Rabbi Jeremy Fine, the boys practiced their offensive skills and truly are on the road to becoming rockstars.

In the 1st grade division, the Gi ants defeated the Broncos with Max Schwartz’s amazing fast running and catching. And the Jets defeated the Pa triots.

In the 2nd grade division, the Vikings defeated the Eagles. The Jets defeated the Broncos with Andy Spira’s all-star touchdown. And the Giants tied with the Patriots.

In the 3rd and 4th grade division, the Seahawks defeated the Vikings with Aron Fox’s insane TDP. The Falcons de feated the Packers. The Raiders defeated the Panthers. The Jets defeated the Tex

ans. The Dolphins defeated the Steelers with Isac Bernstein’s amazing 2 touch downs. The Broncos defeated the Com manders. The Giants tied with the Ea gles. The Saints defeated the Patriots.

In the 5th and 6th grade division, the Seahawks defeated the Panthers. The Eagles defeated the Broncos with Michal Boriskin’s excellent interceptions. The Packers defeated the Vikings. The Steel ers defeated the Dolphins. The Giants defeated the Patriots with Yaakov Schat tner’s amazing, consistent flag pulls. The Saints defeated the Falcons. And the Raiders tied with the Jets.

In the 7th and 8th grade division, the Texans defeated the Broncos with Hunter Margulies’s insane far catches. The Ea gles defeated the Jets. The Commanders defeated the Vikings with Yonah Her man’s game winning touchdown. And the Giants defeated the Patriots.

Stay tuned to see who will win the FM Home Loans Super Bowl!

The Student Council of the Stel la K. Abraham High School for Girls prepared an exciting pro gram to welcome the month of Cheshvan on Wednesday, October 26. Presenting an entertaining and hilarious video, the Student Council introduced this year’s theme – Around the World – showcasing

various sites, with the Amazon Rainfor est as their initial destination.

The SKA entire student body enjoyed a delicious breakfast in the gym with teachers and administrators. The spirit ed dancing to the sounds of joyful Jewish music was a great way to start the new month!

More Than 150 Communities Across the Globe Expected to Unite in Remembering Rabbi Sacks, zt”l

In advance of the second anniver sary of the passing of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, zt”l, more than 150 Jewish communities and day schools from six continents are expected to join together in a global day of learning and Torah conversation, on November 13 and 14. The intercontinental commem oration, being called “Communities in Conversation,” will be inspired by the renowned leader’s teachings and his pas sion for learning through dialogue.

“As we prepare to mark the second anniversary of the passing of our dear Rabbi Sacks, zt”l, his words, and his mission to inspire deeper conversations on what Judaism means to the individ ual remain just as relevant on his sec ond yahrtzeit as they were when he first spoke them,” said Rabbi Sacks Legacy Chief Executive Joanna Benarroch. “In his memory, we will bring communities and schools together to learn and to dis cuss, sharing his wisdom and his teach ings with each other and with the world.”

Thus far, communities and Jewish day schools across Israel, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Austria, Australia, Bahrain, Indonesia, Kuwait, The Netherlands, Mexico, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have registered to host commu nal learning sessions around this year’s

yahrtzeit.

The event, this year themed “From Optimism to Hope,” offers participants the opportunity to discuss the writings and philosophy of Rabbi Sacks on the subject. Through curated videos and source sheets, designed to prompt con versation, individuals and groups will learn more about Rabbi Sacks’ philoso phy of the differences between optimism and hope and understand its application to their own, Torah-filled, lives. Much like the presentations given by Rab bi Sacks, the multifaceted lesson plan is geared toward spurring discussion among learners of all ages and all reli gious backgrounds.

“My father learned from books, from text, from laws, history, and from world events. But mainly, he learned from peo ple,” said Gila Sacks, explaining the in spiration for the event. “He would seek out people to learn from, from every possible path of life, and he would do this through conversation – through talking and listening. For him, conversation was a defining and spiritual act, a way of opening ourselves up to something be yond the individual, a training perhaps, for opening ourselves up to G-d.”

For more information or to participate, visit: www.rabbisacks.org/yahrtzeit.

HAFTR HS Holds Its Club Fair

By Kaitlin Pollack

Extracurriculars in HAFTR High School are inclusive of everyone’s interests, and students are often encouraged to take charge by creating new clubs and teams that do not yet ex ist. HAFTR’s student body recently par ticipated in its annual club fair, which was held on Thursday, September 22. This activity allowed students to re search and choose from a large selection of student-run extracurriculars within the school. With over 40 choices to select from, students are able to cultivate their hobbies and passions with like-minded peers in a “non-academic” setting.

Student leaders and faculty advisors advertised their clubs with cleverly dec orated posters and handouts that were displayed around the gym and represent

ed the clubs’ and teams’ features.

Based on their varying interests, fu ture participants were given the opportu nity to join clubs that appealed to them. Options include globalization, chessed, book club, college bowl, public speaking, medicine and public health, math team, feminism in film, sports management, YACHAD, and plenty more. HAFTR High School’s extracurriculars offer students unique outlets to express their ideas and foster their hobbies in a productive man ner. Students and faculty are eager to be gin these programs and commence with new initiatives and activities.

HAFTR High School will hold its an nual Open House for prospective fresh men and their parents on Sunday, Novem ber 13, at 10 am. All information regarding the Open House and application can be found on our website at haftr.org.

Siyum Hagadol at Mesivta Shaarei Chaim

This past Thursday evening, Mesiv ta Shaarei Chaim held its annual Siyum Hagadol Zichron Yerach miel, which was held in memory of Richie

Jedwab, a”h. It was the yeshiva’s privilege to hear divrei chizuk v’zikaron from Rab bi Ari Pruzansky, Rosh Yeshiva Chemdas Hatorah, a close friend of Richie, a”h.

STEAM Education at HANC

In HANC’s Elementary School in West Hempstead, STEAM explo ration can be found throughout the classrooms and on every class level. In the sixth grade classes, Mrs. Aimee Gold enberg, HANC Elementary’s Ed Tech Co ordinator and Computer Science teacher, has introduced a program in engineer ing that enlightens children about the complex process by which an Amazon order is fulfilled and shipped. The Am azon Robotics Fulfillment Center Tour introduces the students to the incredible step-by-step process through a series of interactive videos that were filmed in ac tual Fulfillment Centers across the coun try. The Amazon tour guides explain the process and enable the students to not only observe the systems in action but provides them with a practical educa tion on how hardware, software, robots and people interact to create a delivery system that operates as efficiently as pos sible. As they view the series of videos, the children discover how once an item is ordered, there are various algorithms

that are utilized to determine where the item is stored, which Fulfillment Center is closest to the purchaser’s home, and then the robots take over to move the storage pods to the “pickers” to prepare all of the items for shipping. Along this journey, the students are presented with challenging questions to see if they can determine how this all works. This pro gram is an excellent tool for exposing young children to practical software and engineering solutions to solving modern day challenges.

“Introducing students to the world of technology at a young age is something that is so important,” explained Mrs. Goldenberg. “I hope to inspire them to explore new opportunities in the STEAM field in the future.”

In the third grade, Mrs. Mindy Leh mann’s classes read a wonderful historical fiction book about the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge called “Pop’s Bridge” by Eve Bunting. After reading this imag inative story, the children read about dif ferent kinds of bridges such as suspension

Chanukah Art and Writing Contest

The International Synagogue at JFK Airport is sponsoring its An nual Nationwide Art and Writing Contest for kindergarten through high school students. The art entries should be an original drawing or painting on unlined paper of any size. The more colorful, the better. The writing of 200-

500 words should be on the topics of “My Greatest Hero/Heroine” or “Why I Love Chanukah” or “My Greatest Present Ever.” Attach a sheet with: your name, address, parent’s phone number and email address, school name and grade. Categories are K-2, 3-8 and high school. Three grand prizes of $200, 3 $100

His son, Brian Jedwad, said Kaddish, and one of the yeshiva’s bais medrash bochurim, Aryeh Leib Green, said the hadran on Mesechtas Kesubos.

The siyum was followed by a beautiful seudah at which each of the many mesay mim received a set of seforim.

bridges, arch bridges, and beam bridges. They also watched video clips from actual engineers about how to construct a bridge using a truss that combines triangles and squares together to make a sturdy bridge. Utilizing the knowledge that they had gained, the students were given a plan ning sheet to sketch out the bridge that their crew would make out of toothpicks and marshmallows. Each crew selected one plan that they liked the best and be gan constructing their bridge together.

Through teamwork and ingenuity, some groups created multiple level bridges and others even drew cars, roadways, and water. The bridges were all very creative and the results were truly amazing. As evidenced by the smiles on their faces in the culminating photos, the children thor oughly enjoyed this learning experience.

In kindergarten, the students are ex ploring the five senses in science class with HANC’s creative science teacher, Mr. Jonathan Eisenkraft. After a prelim inary exploration of the sense of touch, the children combined dishwashing soap

and cornstarch, and they were surprised to discover that the combination of mate rials produced a reaction which created a soft dough, similar to playdough. They then utilized their own creativity to create objects from the dough they had made. It was a fun, sticky way to explore reactions, textures, and senses all in one project.

ArtScroll certificates, 3 prizes of $50, 3 family admission tickets (up to 8 for NY, NJ and PA residents) to The Crayola Fac tory in Easton, PA.

All winning entries will be displayed at JFK Airport, Terminal 4, 4 th floor at The International Synagogue and its website. All entries must be received

no later than December 8, 2022 at The International Synagogue, JFK Air port, Terminal 4 – room 461.037, Ja maica, NY 11430. Writings can also be emailed to office@internationalsyna gogue.org.

For information, call 718-656-5044.

Anthony D’Esposito Visit Rambam

Community involvement and good citizenship has always served as a cornerstone to Rambam‘s educa tional program.

“Our goal has always been to raise committed bnei Torah who exhibit ex emplary middos and concern for oth ers,” said Rosh Mesivta, Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman. Political involvement is an important component of this endeavor. Advocating for positive change in the community necessitates political in volvement.

Thanks to the efforts of alumni par ent Dan Plaut, Anthony D’Esposito and Rambam connected. Arrangements were made to have him address the stu dents and share his thoughts on his cur rent campaign to serve as a congressio nal representative of the Fourth District. Current Congresswoman Kathleen Rice decided a few months ago not to contin ue her tenure in Congress. D’Esposito, a Republican, is running against Laura Gillen, his Democratic opponent.

Rabbi Friedman repeatedly men tioned that all candidates would be wel come to share their viewpoints and that those who vote should research and ex amine the positions of each candidate before casting their ballots. As HaGaon, Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, wrote years ago, “The most fundamental responsibil ity incumbent upon each individual is to register and to vote.”

Some of the questions that were posed by both faculty and students and were answered adroitly by candidate D’Esposito who has a decorated back ground in law-enforcement appear below

as a synopsis:

Question: On what specific issues do you differ from your opponent?

Answer: My opponent and other Democrats tend to focus on the issue of abortion…I believe Republicans are the party of common sense and are address ing issues of crime and inflation which is at the forefront of everybody’s mind.

Question: Where do you stand in sup port of Israel?

Answer: There is no doubt that Isra el is one of the best allies of the United States. We have to do everything we can to support the Jewish state. I pledge to work in a bipartisan manner to ensure that Israel has everything it needs mili tarily to protect its people.

Question: What are your thoughts on the southern border and illegal immigra tion?

Answer: I visited the southern border and was appalled by the situation there. Illegal immigrants and drugs are coming into our country. Many of these are cases of illegal immigrants who end up in New York, and I’m told that there are close to 40 hotels in New York City which are filled with illegal immigrants.

Question: Weren’t those who sent the illegal immigrants to New York and other sanctuary cities sent by Republicans?

Answer: That is true. However, we have to look at the core of the problem. The reason they even got in is because of the lax immigration policy that is cur rently in place under the Biden adminis tration. My opponent has not spoken out against this policy and even supports it!

Israeli Real Estate Event – All the Info Under One Roof

Thinking about buying property in Israel?

You might be considering Ali yah in the near future or further down along the line. You might want to pur chase property as an investment and/or a vacation home. Either way, you probably have a lot of questions.

Get all the answers and more at the Great Israeli Real Estate Event, taking place this year in two great locations: in Brooklyn, NY, at the Williamsburg Hotel, on 96 Wyeth Ave., on Sun. Nov. 13 from

10:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.; and in Teaneck, New Jersey, at Congregation Keter Torah on Tues. Nov. 15 from 4:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

This is your chance to take advantage of the biggest, most comprehensive Is rael real estate event of the year, where you will gain knowledge and information from seasoned experts on all the issues that are important to you. Professionals will tell you everything you need to know about: buying for housing or investment, taking out a mortgage, legal issues, Ali yah, communities, moving your assets,

retirement communities, and more.

Get the inside story about the Anglo communities across Israel, including many projects Jerusalem and a large variety in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Modiin, Givat Shmuel, Raanana, Neve Daniel, Efrat, Motza, Haifa, Ma’ale Adumim, Ashkelon, Netanya and more—not only where it’s most worthwhile to buy, but also, the character and nuances of each city, town and community. There’s noth ing more valuable than information, and it’s all here for the taking!

Real estate expert Gidon Katz, who has been marketing Israeli real estate to Jews abroad for 25 years, notes that the dollar is now higher than it’s been in many years. “Take advantage of the op portunity to make your purchase when the dollar is strong!”

Don’t miss this real estate event of the year. Light refreshments will be served, and participation is free. Make sure to save the date and register for the day and location that works best for you at: https://realestateisrael.org

Meng Commemorates $233K She Secured For Ohel in Kew Gardens Hills

U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens), New York’s senior member of the House Appropriations Com mittee, announced this week that she recently visited Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services’ residence for the developmentally disabled in Kew Gar dens Hills, Queens, to commemorate the $233,000 she secured for upgrading the site.

The building, which opened in 1978 and is located on Kissena Boulevard, is a residence for ten adult men with de velopmental and intellectual disabili ties. The money will be used to overhaul its kitchen and bathroom facilities, and make them more accessible, particularly for older individuals and those with mo bility issues including residents who use wheelchairs.

Ohel was founded in 1969 to provide foster care placement for Jewish fam ilies, and since then, it has grown into a full-service agency that meets the so cial and emotional needs of more than

23,000 individuals from all communi ties.

“The updates to our kitchen and bath room facilities will go a long way toward improving the lives of our residents,” said Ohel Chief Executive Officer David Man del. “We are deeply grateful to Congress woman Meng for obtaining these needed funds, and look forward to continuing to work with her.”

“As New York’s senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, I’m proud to have secured this important funding that will go toward upgrading key parts of Ohel’s Kew Gardens Hills location,” said Congresswoman Meng. “It is critical for these rooms to meet the current needs of its residents, providing them with the necessities they require, and that includes modernizing and im proving the mobility of the kitchen and bathroom facilities. These much-needed renovations will make it easier for those residing here – now and in the future –to use these areas, which in-turn will en

hance their quality of life. I look forward to the project beginning soon.”

During her visit, Meng met with Ohel officials, the residents of the site, and several of their family members. The

residents also presented Meng with an oversized thank you card they made to express their gratitude for the funding. The Congresswoman secured the money in a recent federal spending bill.

Thank An Officer Program

Assemblyman Ari Brown (R-Ce darhurst) spearheaded a pro gram with local elementary school students to show the communi ty’s appreciation for the Nassau County Police Department (NCPD) wherein the students wrote thank you cards to police officers. Dubbed the “Thank an Officer” program, Brown matched four elemen tary schools from the 20th Assembly Dis trict with NCPD Precinct 4.

“This program was designed to help unite the community, and I am so im pressed with the outstanding craftsman ship and thoughtfulness the students put into these cards,” said Brown. “Our

police work very hard to keep our com munity safe. It’s often an unappreciated job. I am pleased we could remind them how much our community values their dedication and protection while at the same time also familiarizing kids with law enforcement and bringing the com munity together. Thank you so much to the teachers who facilitated this project and of course all the students for their wonderful work.”

Participating elementary schools in cluded #8 in Oceanside, #3 in Oceans ide, West Elementary in Long Beach, and HALB Elementary 523 in Woodmere.

Ateres Eitz Chaim enjoyed an inspirational davening led by Shlomo Ashvil in honor of Rosh Chodesh MarCheshvan. Following Shacharis, the Yeshiva hosted a mesiba with music and a lavish breakfast for talmidim and baal habaatim. In the afternoon, talmidim enjoyed a trip to Dave & Busters.

The HALB Lev Chana children loved meeting animals last week in honor of Parshas Noach

Touro University Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary with Gala and Convocation

Touro University will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary with a gala and convocation on December 4, 2022, to be held at the Marriott Marquis in New York City.

Touro was founded in 1970 by vision ary educator, sociologist and rabbi Dr. Bernard Lander to perpetuate the Jewish heritage, as well as to serve the general community in keeping with the historic Jewish commitment to intellectual in quiry, the transmission of knowledge and service to society. Today it is Amer ica’s largest private institution of higher and professional education under Jewish auspices, serving 19,000 students at 35 schools across four countries.

“Over the years, we have grown ex ponentially in terms of our academic offerings and research capacity, but we remain as committed as ever to our mis sion to support, serve and strengthen the Jewish community,” said President Alan Kadish, M.D.

In addition to its 50th anniversary, Touro is celebrating its new university status, a singular accomplishment. Uni versity status is awarded to academic institutions in recognition of the breadth and depth of degree programs offered. Touro students are pursuing undergrad uate, graduate, and professional degrees in such fields as medicine, law, dentistry, psychology, business, education, Jewish studies, and other health science areas and disciplines.

At the gala, Touro will honor several individuals who led the university’s ex pansion, impact, and innovation over the

past 50 years.

Dr. Alan Kadish is President of the Touro University System. He is a prom inent cardiologist, dedicated teacher, re searcher, and scientist and experienced administrator. Alan Kadish, M.D., has developed Touro into one of the largest healthcare educational systems in the U.S. and under his leadership, Touro continues to prepare a new generation of scholars, entrepreneurs, and profession al leaders.

Dovid Lichtenstein is an entrepreneur, real estate investor, and a Touro Univer sity board member. He is the founder and CEO of The Lightstone Group, one of the largest and most diversified privately held real estate companies in the United States. He has authored several volumes entitled Headlines, which highlight con temporary issues in Jewish law, based on his weekly podcast, Halacha Headlines.

Dr. Robert Goldschmidt joined Tou ro in 1974 and has served in many ca pacities, including his current roles as Touro Vice President for Planning and Assessment and Executive Dean at Tou ro’s Lander College of Arts & Sciences in Brooklyn. He also serves as the Touro College Accreditation Liaison to the Mid dle States Commission on Higher Educa tion (MSCHE).

Hon. Shelley Berkley is Senior Vice President of External Affairs of the Touro University System. She previously served as CEO and Senior Provost of Touro’s Western Division, where she was admin istrative and academic head of the Ne vada and Northern California campuses

of Touro University. Prior to that role, Shelley served the State of Nevada in the United States House of Representatives from 1998 to 2013.

At the gala, the university will present an honorary doctorate to Dr. Albert Bour la, chairman and CEO of Pfizer. During his more than 25 years at Pfizer, Dr. Bour la accelerated the company’s transforma tion to become a more science-driven, in

novative company. Under his leadership, Pfizer delivered a safe and effective vac cine for COVID 19 in just eight months—a process that typically takes eight to ten years— without compromising quality or integrity. A year later, Pfizer delivered the first FDA-authorized oral antiviral treat ment for COVID 19.

For more information or to reserve tick ets, please visit 50.touro.edu/gala.

Top (l to r): Dr. Alan Kadish, Dr. Albert Bourla. Bottom (l to r): Dovid Lichtenstein, Dr. Robert Goldschmidt, Hon. Shelley Berkley

Bais Yaakov Five Towns Open House

Bais Yaakov Five Towns’ second annual open house was held this past Sunday at their beautiful new campus in Lawrence. Over 100 people were in attendance, eager to learn about the current success of the school and their growth vision for next year and be yond. The hanhala emphasized their student-centered approach, focusing on developing a strong sense of self and a deep pride in being a bas Yisrael. After an exciting

video presentation featuring the current nursery, kin dergarten, and Pre-1A classes, the parents were invited to tour the state-of-the-art classrooms that will include first and second grade for the 2023-2024 school year. For applications and to find out about our upcoming local Five Towns open houses, please reach out to our office: 516-500-BY5T or visit BY5T.ORG.

Talmidim of Siach Yitzchok enjoyed a seudah in honor of Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan

Letter to the Far Rockaway Community

From Richard Altabe

We are all understandably upset with the state of af fairs in both Washington and Albany. We are angry and ready to “throw the bums out!” However, we have to be careful this election cycle to make sure we keep those elected officials with a robust record of supporting our causes and our is sues.

I can personally attest to the fact that Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato has been a vocal supporter of our yeshivos, especially during the fight over substantial equivalen cy. In my own efforts the past seven years to advocate at the State Edu cation Department about this issue, Stacey has stood beside me, opening doors and giving me access to mem bers of the Board of Regents and the commissioner of NYSED. She has written many Op Ed’s supporting

yeshivas and she speaks with pride about the level of education at “her” yeshivas here in Far Rockaway.

I also know personally of the many individuals who have been helped over the years. Her office is always open to all of us, and she has helped us all navigate tough government is sues. We cannot afford to lose this incredible community leader and re source!

We need to understand that as a member of the Democratic confer ence in the Assembly (where Demo crats outnumber Republicans 10743), her voice matters greatly. She has the capacity to influence pro posed legislation and to keep the rad icals in her conference in check.

No matter how you vote in this election, please be sure to support our Assemblywoman in the way she has supported us over the past seven years.

Sailing Through Parshas Noach

Donning sailor hats, the Pre-1A boys at Yeshiva of South Shore boarded the Miss Princess V boat in Freeport last week. Two zebras, two giraffes and two tigers joined us on our trip.

The boys learned that this boat is big

and has two levels, but Noach’s Teiva was much bigger, had three levels, and did not have an engine.

Throughout the week, all the children built their own teivas, explored with wa ter in their raincoats, learned all about animals, and created a rainbow of fun!

HANC’s ECC Gets Moving A One-of-a-Kind Israeli Art Exhibition in NYC

Aspecial pop-up exhibition will feature 60 of Israel’s leading ce lebrities and government leaders photographed alongside soldiers to gen erate awareness of PTSD and to secure employment opportunities for Israel’s wounded war veterans. The first-of-itskind art exhibit will debut in New York City on November 17.

The Gallery in Soho will display var ious portraits of combat veterans in the all-new exhibition. The exhibit, which at tracted some of the most famous people in Israel, will be presented in New York City from Nov. 17-20. The PTSD art exhi bition features Israeli leaders, including former Prime Ministers Benjamin Ne tanyahu and Naftali Bennett, as well as Netflix’s “Fauda” stars Rona-Lee Shimon and Tsahi Halevi, pictured with combat veterans.

Along with the exhibition, SOS IS RAEL will host a separate event to raise awareness for combat veterans with

PTSD. The event aims to institutional ize new rules and procedures, as well as to pass laws to support combat veterans with PTSD, both in their personal and professional journeys.

The exhibition will open in New York on November 17 at 6:30pm. 470 Broome Street, New York, NY.

In honor of Parshat Lech Lecha, the talmidim in HANC’s Early Child hood Center in West Hempstead engaged in a week full of transportation exploration. Traveling by foot, the chil dren went for a long walk, examining all of the beautiful changes in nature that the season of fall brings to the neigh borhood. What else did we do with our feet this week? One little 3-year-old boy from Morah Shani’s class responded, “We painted our feet with blue paint to go from Charan to Eretz Canaan. Then we took toy cars from our center and saw the difference in the prints that a car makes from those that our feet make. I loved it!” The focus then turned to loco motion and exploring the HANC Trans portation Showcase and all of the many ways people can move from one location to the other. The children were excit ed to try out all of the different modes of transportation, including “riding” in a bus, riding on the “HANC train,” soaring on an airplane, and propelling themselves into the sky in a rocket ship. Along the way, the children learned songs about the different forms of trans portation and had so much fun as they traveled along the way.

To further enhance their learning, the talmidim had the opportunity to create all sorts of art projects in class relating to

the parsha and transportation.

The most spectacular experience this week was the visit from the West Hemp stead Fire Department. We were so hap py our own nursery bet student Lucy Fruchter’s dad came as a firefighter with their big shiny red fire truck to the ECC for all to see. The children learned about fire safety and even had a chance to go inside the truck and have their picture taken. At the conclusion of the program, each child was presented with a firefight er helmet as a reminder to always stay safe. HANC wishes to thank the West Hempstead Fire Department for their visit and for their tireless efforts to keep everyone in our neighborhood safe.

MTA Freshmen and Seniors Learn Together

This week, MTA ninth graders got their first taste of a special pro gram that pairs twelfth-grade talmidim together with a ninth-grade counterpart. The pairs meet several

times throughout the year to learn to gether, and the relationships become one of mentorship and guidance as the twelfth graders share their experiences and insights with their chavrusas.

Around the Community

Rain Stops: Noach’s “Ark” Docks at YCQ

An Interview with Morah Shirley Pourad-Kaikov, Director of Student Activities K-5

What activities did the children have the opportunity to experience?

The children were able to experience all different types of animals in the Tei vah. There were snakes, llamas, bunnies, goats, and fish. The students especially loved meeting Poochi the Monkey. Fol lowing the monkey show, where they watched her perform several tricks, some students were allowed to give Poochi a coin and watch her put the coin in the tze dakah box. The children pet and fed the animals. The students especially appre ciated the connection between the story they learned in class about Noach and his Teivah and what they saw for themselves.

How did the weather affect the event?

Though it didn’t rain for forty days and forty nights, we knew there would be no canceling this activity despite the rainy day. The children really got to feel

what it was like when Noach and the ani mals boarded the Teivah.

What types of animals did Noach bring?

In addition to Poochi the Monkey, there were snakes, llama, bunnies, goats

and fish.

How do you think this event impacts the students’ understanding of the parsha?

Our younger students learned about the rain and that Noach had to choose

and take at least two of each animal onto the Teivah. During this program, the stu dents got to see what the Teivah might have looked like by climbing aboard a smaller, model Teivah, in addition to meeting and petting many different spe cies of animals.

Pina Chama (Warm Corner) in Migron Dedicated in Memory of Howard Rhine, a”h

On a cold wintry night in Israel, four soldiers are on patrol pro tecting the Israeli citizens as they sleep in their warm beds. The hour is nearing 2:00 a.m., and they have been on patrol for six hours already. They are tired and cold.

And then, in the distance, they see a warm glow coming from a small build ing. They move closer and realize it’s a small oasis, a “Warm Corner” (Pina Cha ma) built just for them.

They enter the building and are em braced by the warmth. They warm up with a bowl of hot soup and a nice cup of coffee, a fresh cookie to quiet their hun ger. Afterward, they continue their patrol refreshed and with renewed energy.

Yashar LaChayal has 31 such Warm Corners for soldiers and is in the process

of building two more. These Warm Cor ners have a major impact on the soldiers. It raises morale to know that there is a place for them to come and rest and have a cup of coffee and a piece of cake during their patrols. It rejuvenates the soldiers and helps them continue to carry out their duties in the best way possible.

Six years ago, the Young Israel of Holliswood donated a beautiful new Warm Corner in Migron. Migron is a small community located next to a ma jor junction in the Binyamin region, just a few miles north of Jerusalem. Because of many terror threats in the area, a large number of soldiers guard the junction, and the Warm Corner was no longer big enough to accommodate them. Yashar LaChayal decided to cre ate a larger Warm Corner so that it could

continue to serve the soldiers in the area in the best possible way.

This past Sukkot, Yashar LaChayal opened the new Warm Corner in Migron, thanks to Carol and Judah Rhine and all the generous supporters, family and friends who dedicated the Warm Corner in memory of Judah’s brother, Howard Rhine, z”l.

Howard’s legendary devotion to the State of Israel, especially the IDF, was ex emplary. One of his most treasured proj ects was producing a card printed with the Prayer for IDF Soldiers. These cards are used throughout the Jewish world. How ard was a true friend to Yashar LaChay al, “Straight to the Soldier,” and was ex tremely passionate about its mission.

The Warm Corner is also named after Dror Weinberg and Dagan Wertman, two

Rebbetzin Yael Marcus Addresses Shevach

On Monday, October 24, Shevach High School launched its popu lar Chesed program, under the direction of Shevach Assistant Principal, Rebbetzin Chani Grunblatt. The theme this year is “Chesed Yesovivenu - We’re On a Roll With Chesed.” The multi-pur pose room was decorated beautifully with associated artwork and expressions such as “Chesed Around the Clock” and “You’re Always a Winner With the Wheel of Chesed.” The Chesed “roll” models who headed this exciting event were Shevach seniors Gitty Howitt, Nataly Natanov, Batya Orbach and Nechama Schwartz. Shevach Menaheles, Mrs. Shulamith

Insel, opened the event with words of inspiration on chesed derived from Par shas Noach. She relayed that the reason Noach and his family remained in the Teivah for one full year was because a new world, as it were, was created at that time. It was a world of giving and kind ness, displayed by the care that Noach gave to the people and the animals in the teivah. And, indeed, our world is built on chesed. All of us are part of this building process when we personify this middah in our commitment to chesed throughout life. It is an essential part of the “new” world order.

Guest speaker Rebbetzin Yael Mar

cus then spoke passionately about the importance of chesed in the life of both the giver and the receiver. She described chesed as a boomerang. When you throw it away from you, it really comes back to you. Similarly, chesed goes on and on, until it eventually comes full circle. And the giver is also a receiver as the action enhances one’s middos, and one becomes a different person as a result of that com mitment to what is good.

Rebbetzin Marcus delivered both in spiration and practical applications of doing chesed consistently, throughout life. In practical terms, Rebbetzin Mar cus mentioned the value of giving a com

officers in the IDF who were killed in the line of duty. Both soldiers have family living in Migron who attended the opening cere mony. The ceremony was festive and inspir ing. The entire community, the head of the Binyamin Regional Council, the mayor of Migron, and many soldiers serving in the area attended this joyous occasion.

Soldiers were so excited to walk into the new Warm Corner and see the beau tiful room. They were so appreciative of all the supporters from the United States who provided them with such a nice place to relax during patrols, which is so crucial for them.

The soldiers will continue to com memorate Howard’s legacy when visiting the Warm Corner during their daily work protecting the State of Israel.

pliment (yes, giving), lending a listening ear, visiting the elderly even for just a few minutes, and similar small acts of com passion. With personal anecdotes, she drove home the point that no one ever loses out by sharing of their talents and time with others. Givers become receiv ers as they interact and learn from each other

The morning ended with an origi nal Chesed theme song, followed by an amusing song-video produced by the se nior Chesed heads. All would agree that their goal of engaging the Shevach stu dents in this invaluable aspect of their lives was definitely accomplished.

Around the Community

Rav Shlomo Amar, Former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Visits HAFTR

Last Friday, HAFTR had the priv ilege of receiving a visit from the former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Shlomo Amar. The Chief Rabbi was also joined by local leaders Bruce Blakeman, Nassau County Execu tive; rabbi Shalom Axelrod, Rabbi of the Young Israel of Woodmere; and Rabbi Shay Schacter, Rosh Bais Medrash of the Young Israel of Woodmere.

Rabbi Amar was danced into the HAFTR Hawk’s Nest gym by eighth grade students led by Rabbi Yis roel Moshe Siff, HAFTR Middle School

Coordinator of Student Development, where he was greeted by a crowd of 900 Kindergarten through 8th grade HAF TR students and faculty, all of whom were singing “yamim al ye’mei melech ,” led by HAFTR’s Mashgiach Ruchani, Rabbi Asher Klein.

Joshua Gold, HAFTR’s principal, opened the event by welcoming the Chief Rabbi and remarking that “at HAFTR we believe in instilling in our students the importance of living a life that is guided and informed by Jewish values and hala cha. One way in which these values are

inculcated is through Talmud Torah but providing students with strong role mod els and leaders who demonstrate and per sonify these values is an invaluable part of the equation. To this end, having the opportunity to welcome a Gadol HaDor such as Rabbi Amar is a major zechut for our yeshiva, particularly on the yahrzeit of Rav Ovadia Yosef.”

Rabbi Amar was then presented with a citation from County Executive Blakeman, who formally declared Oc tober 28th to be Rabbi Amar Day in Nassau County. Following this, Rabbi

Amar addressed the highly engaged crowd and shared how inspired he was to see so many students together with their rebbeim and morot, learning To rah in Yeshiva, and doing so with sim cha. Rabbi Amar shared a bracha with the Yeshiva to continue to be success ful in raising students with a love of our Torah and mesorah. Rabbi Amar closed by leading the packed house in a responsive recitation of the Shema, providing a fitting culmination to what was a truly impactful and inspiring event for all involved.

Photos by Gabriel Solomon for Jerry Meyers Studio

Veterans Day Ceremony

Our veterans served America with honor and devotion, pro tecting the ideals of freedom, equality and opportunity, which unique ly make our country the greatest nation on Earth. It is with deep respect that we come together as a community to express our immense gratitude and sincere ap preciation for our great veterans.

On Friday, November 11, 2022 at

11:00 AM, the Village of Cedarhurst in conjunction with the Lawrence-Cedar hurst American Legion Post 339, will commemorate Veterans Day at Andrew J. Parise Park.

The program will pay tribute to the Veterans of Post 339 and to all the men and women now serving in the American armed forces around the globe.

Chai Lifeline December 5 National Gala Celebrates “An Evening of Heroes”

Chai Lifeline will celebrate its 2022 National Gala on Monday, December 5, at Pier Sixty in New York City. The program, titled “An Eve ning of Heroes,” will highlight the critical work of Chai Lifeline, the Jewish com munity’s leading children’s health sup port network, and benefit families living with serious illness, crisis, and loss.

The inspiring event will feature world-class entertainment, including renowned mentalist Oz Pearlman and a special musical performance by sing er-songwriter Yonatan Razel.

Bari and Daniel Erber will serve as Guests of Honor for their longtime com mitment and friendship to Chai Life line. The Erbers recently dedicated The Happiness Center at Camp Simcha, Chai Lifeline’s overnight summer program for children with life-threatening and lifelong illnesses. The Gala will also recognize The Steven A. Greenberg Charitable Trust for its philanthropic support and pay tribute to Pam and Joe Lubeck and family, who will establish The National Volunteer Leadership Initiative at Chai Lifeline.

“The Gala is an exciting opportunity for the community to celebrate the im portant work of Chai Lifeline and the he roes who make it all possible,” said Rabbi Simcha Scholar, CEO of Chai Lifeline. “We hope you can join us for what prom ises to be a wonderful evening.”

Chai Lifeline provides critical sup port to more than 6,000 families around the world through more than two-dozen critical programs and services, including case management, counseling, crisis and trauma interventions, home and hospital respite care, meals delivered to hospitals and homes, transportation to medical ap pointments, Big Brother & Sister volun teers, i-Shine afterschool programming for children living with illness or loss, insurance advocacy, emergency financial assistance, and its medically-supervised Camp Simcha summer programs.

To reserve a seat or a table at the Gala, donate, or place a journal ad, please vis it www.chaidinner.org or call 212-6996658.

Petting Zoo Comes to IVDU

Parshas Noach was taught extensively in the classrooms at IVDU 5 Towns, with our rebbe and teachers teach ing the students across all classes about the animals that Noach brought onto the Teiva. In order to bring that experience to life, IVDU 5 Towns had a petting zoo come to school, where the students were able to feed and touch the animals. The children

got to experience firsthand what Noach had to do, keeping busy and taking care of the animals’ needs.

At IVDU 5 Towns, the children gain a tremendous amount learning in the class room, but it is equally important for them to gain the knowledge while experiencing things hands-on outside of the classroom as well.

Former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel and current Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem Rav Shlomo Amar meeting with the rabbanim of Great Neck last week as a guest of Harav Eliyahu Ben Haim

Chesed at SKA

Keeping Current in YOSS

Chesed opportunities took up much of Thursday, October 27, when all the grades of the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls experi enced different ways of giving back to the Jewish community.

The eleventh grade did the ultimate chesed shel emes when they volunteered at the Staten Island-based Hebrew Free Burial Society which buries Jews who have no funds. After learning the halachot the day before of the importance for caring for Jewish burial grounds, the girls raked hundreds of leaves to clean up the cemetery. They also said Tehillim for the neshamot of those who were buried there.

SKA seniors brought their enthusi asm and packing skills to Knock Knock Give a Sock, an organization that raises awareness about the homeless and do nates much needed socks. Socks are one of the most requested and least donated items at shelters; the organization has given out over one million pairs of socks.

The tenth graders divided into groups to share their energy and abilities with three different dynamic organizations in

Brooklyn. One group showed off their cu linary skills at Masbia, a non-profit soup kitchen providing hot nutritious meals for hundreds of New Yorkers in need of food. At Bobbie’s Place, where brand-new children’s clothing is available for free to families in need, the SKA girls assisted in setting up the merchandise and prepar ing the store for customers. The clients of Otsar, a social service organization for adults and children with developmental disabilities, enjoyed the visit from the SKA Sophomores, who crafted art proj ects and happily danced with them.

SKA freshmen had a wonderful time doing their chesed as they prepared de licious baked goods for the next day’s Bake Sale to be held on Friday, October 28, with the funds going to the Friend ship Circle. Thank yous go to SKA facul ty members Mrs. Shira Englander, Mrs. Jorge Mallin and Mrs. Yafa Storch for the generous use of their kitchens.

The SKA students understood what a difference their chesed made to others. They realized, too, how the more they give, the happier they felt. Chesed at SKA is an integral part of the school!

Mr. Richter’s fifth graders from the Yeshiva of South Shore en joy learning about current top ics around the world. Every Friday, the boys work together in learning centers, reading and analyzing articles in “Time for Kids.”

Each learning center is designed to teach the boys to work collaboratively, which includes both listening and discus sion skills. Each group reads and debates the articles assigned and then presents their findings and opinions backed by facts, of course! This past Friday, conver

sations about recent Nobel Peace Prize winners, the significance of insects, and the possibility of lakes on Mars could be heard throughout the classroom.

The presenters used their team notes and newly gained knowledge to share their insights with the class. Boys then had an opportunity to ask ques tions related to each article. These new skills are preparing the boys for what lies ahead in middle school. It looks like we may have some candidates who will be ready to join the Middle School Debate Team!

DRS Wildcats Win MDY Pre-Season Tournament

DRS defeated North Shore 34-22 in the Championship game of the Elliot Torkieh Memorial Magen David Yeshiva pre-season tournament. The week-long tournament featured 12 teams from the MYHSAL competing for the title. To win the championship, DRS had to win five games in a row. They defeated Flatbush, Magen Abra

ham, Hillel, host MDY, and North Shore. Team co-captain Stephen Olshen was DRS’s high scorer, averaging 15.4 a game, and Alex Millstone added 11.4 per game. Other big contributors to DRS’s victo ries were ball handler and floor leader Ari Saffra and co- captain Isaac Solomon who, along with Shuey Bernstein, domi nated on the boards.

At the Aish Kodesh Annual Hilula for the Aish Kodesh of Piasezcna, zy”a, on Motzei Shabbos with music by R’ Yosef Karduner and R’ Eitan Katz

Photo credit: Dov Emerson

Chai Lifeline Crisis and Trauma Response Expands its Global Network

Addressing the growing need for mental health first-responders in Jewish communities around the globe, Rabbi Dr. David Fox, Director of Chai Lifeline Crisis Services, recently traveled to London to train local educa tors and communal leaders in trauma re sponse. In recent years, Chai Lifeline has been instrumental in working with com munities around the world in the wake of all types of disasters, attacks, tragedies, and traumatic events.

A highly respected forensic and clini cal psychologist, rabbi and dayan, Rabbi Dr. Fox’s methods are based on the latest research in emotional psychology and specifically oriented for the cultural and behavioral needs of Orthodox Jews.

Over the course of several days, Rabbi Dr. Fox held training intensive sessions with members of the Crisis In tervention and Trauma Support (CITS), a coalition of London-based agencies and organizations in the religious com munity formed to collaborate in the field of crisis support. Understanding the

JSL Week 5

JSL Juniors

The boys continue to develop their skills in our Juniors division and are showing tremendous improvement from the start of the season!

K/P Hockey: Avi Langer made some incredible plays on defense & Yehuda Schwartz scored with 1 minute left to give ARG the win!

1st Hockey: Mordechai Kirschner made incredible saves in goal to give his team a hard-fought 4-2 win!

K/P Soccer: David Mashiach of ARG played an amazing game in net. Simcha Day Camp beat Hewlett Auto Body 7-4. Ariel Avigdor made the play of the game with an amazing sliding save to keep SDC in the lead!

1st/2nd Football: Shua Paull of The Rebbe’s Choice could not be stopped on Sunday, scoring 4 of the 5 touchdowns to give his team the 5-4 victory! Shua was spotted eating The Rebbe’s Choice her ring during his pregame warmup.

JSL Basketball League

3rd Grade: Aaron Walkin of Maiden baum drew the contact and still scored the basket in an impressive play, ulti mately leading his team to a 12-8 victo ry over ARG. Shua Greenberg of Island

respect and position held by rabbanim and dayanim in supporting community initiatives, Rabbi Dr. Fox also met with members of London’s Hatzola and Kes her and spent hours answering halachic and other questions at a Melave Malka session.

“We know that we need to be increas ingly prepared for all types of traumas that can affect our families and commu nities because the impact of a singular event can have long term effects even years later,” Rabbi Dr. Fox explained.

“At Chai Lifeline’s Crisis Services, we have been on the ground with all sorts of personal, family and community trag edies in recent years and see it as our personal responsibilities to ensure that those lessons are being applied for the benefit of other communities around the world.”

Following the in-person courses, Rabbi Dr. Fox will remain in touch with all the participants and will serve as a consultant and supervisor for continued training or specific cases.

“The very nature of tragedy is that for the most part it arrives without any no tice as we’ve seen in the cases of terror and antisemitic attacks, natural disas ters, building collapses as well as person al tragedies that affect individual families and communities,” explains Rabbi Sim cha Scholar, CEO of Chai Lifeline. “Our goal is to further expand the Jewish com munity’s largest global network of local

mental health first responders who are ready and available when these disaster strikes and able to implement the critical responses in times of trauma.”

To reach Chai Lifeline Crisis Team, contact its 24-hour Crisis Helpline at 855-3-CRISIS (855-327-4747) or email crisis@chailifeline.org.

Roofing came back from his injury a week ago and scored most of his team’s points!

4th/5th Grade: Alpert Financial remains undefeated, with another big win Sunday! Ezra Rosman was clutch down the stretch for them, hitting im portant free throws. Dovi Cohen of Carving Block made some nifty moves on offense, fueled by amazing pastrami and ribeye steak from Carving Block! They would go on to defeat 925 Sterling 18-12.

6th-8th Grade: 5 Towns Pediatric Dentistry stayed strong to the end in their hard-fought win over 5 Towns Orthodon tist. Moishe Jacobs led the charge with 15 points and some clutch free throws at the end of regulation. Paradigm’s offense shined against Wieder Orthodontists, scoring 71 points! Reuven Lapidus made the play of the game when he faked out the defender with a mean crossover and score!

JSL Hockey League

2nd/3rd Grade: Nesanel Teitlebaum, playing goalie for the first time in his young career, shut the door on Elegant Lawns’ offense, allowing zero goals in Paradigm’s 6-0 win!

4th/5th: Game MVP Dovid Balter scored a hat-trick, leading Town Appli ance to a 6-4 victory over 5 Towns Pe diatric Dentistry. 925 Sterling, infused with new life by the addition of Gavriel Levine & coach Charles Levine, won their first game of the season! Gavriel, the di vision’s youngest player, scored 3 of the 6 goals.

6th-8th: Hunter Zeitlin was a brick wall for 5 Towns Orthodontics, leading his team to a 7-3 victory over 5 Towns Central. BayRock Insurance held on 5-4 over Wieder Orthodontics.

JSL Men’s Basketball

Three-time champ PIP Printing coast ed to another victory Sunday night, win ning 67-47 over Westwood Realty. Yitzi Weider continued his JSL dominance, with 21 points! The Rebbe’s Choice led by captain Dovid Winter narrowly defeated Home & Stone 48-40. Ikey Cohen of Is land Roofing made seven 3’s but his team fell 61-47 against Team Maidenbaum.

Game of the Week

No winner could be decided in a tough contest between ARG & JNT. Tied at 2-2, the game went into shootouts where both goalies made incredible saves.

Swag Alert

The boys at LWA received their FM Home Loans sweatshirts this week!

Men’s players received Nike FM/JSL hats. The custom card magnets by FM and Maidenbaum are being printed this week!

Basketball Fun Fact

10 JSL boys will get to play on the court at Madison Square Garden before the Knicks game on December 4!

For more information or to sign up for Winter, go to 5tjsl.com

Cedarhurst Snow Removal Improvements

Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato Nominates Far Rockaway Yeshivas For Security Funding

The Inc. Village of Cedarhurst and the business improvement dis trict (BID) have once again collab orated on another amazing pilot project that is expected to benefit our resident, merchants, and all who patronize our business district. The BID and the Village Board have equally assembled funding to purchase a new piece of equipment: an enclosed snow throwing machine with a rotating broom to clear the sidewalks during snowstorms.

The Village will have its employees clear the sidewalks of snow during a

snowstorm, saving the merchants end less time. The merchants will still be re sponsible for clearing their doorways and salting their sidewalks. This new piece of equipment can also be used to clear sidewalks around the park, Village Hall, and parking lots. It is expected to be a time saver, helping the Village clear snow more efficiently.

A gathering of Village officials and BID representatives took place on Friday, October 28 at 9:30 AM in front of Cedar hurst Village Hall.

Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-South Queens) sub mitted paperwork to nominate numerous yeshivas in Far Rockaway for funding to improve security and ensure the safety of the students. The Assem blywoman has been credited as a re nowned advocate and fighter for yeshi vas, receiving the praise of many from the community.

Pheffer Amato fiercely advocated for funding that could go towards certain projects – with security and safety for Yeshivas being a key focus.

“The Yeshivas in Far Rockaway are educational powerhouses with students excelling in countless subjects. Yet there is sadly a great deal of bigotry, antisemi tism, and false reporting in media outlets about the schools and what they do, and that is unacceptable,” said Assembly woman Pheffer Amato.

She continued, “Through this capital investment in security, we are ensuring that the schools are fortified to the high est degree of safety. I want every parent and family to know that when their chil dren attends a yeshiva in Far Rockaway, they are not only getting a remarkable education but will also do so in a safe and protected environment.”

Children at Shulamith ECC learned about Parshat Lech Lecha in a hands-on way by attempting to count grains of sand, as Hashem promised He will make the children of Avraham Avinu as many as the dust of the earth.

The HALB Middle School Robotics Team had their first meeting last week. Students are working on building a robot to compete in the CIJE Robotics Competition later this school year.

SHS Senior Shabbaton

HALB Launches Peer Mediation

By Esti Scharf

This past Shabbos, the seniors of Shulamith High School had their Senior Shabbaton.

Our Friday night meal was held all together in Shulamith, and it was filled with warmth, great energy, and achdus. Towards the end of the seudah, each girl got up to give a toast to the whole grade, reflecting on the past four years together. I really enjoyed this because it got us all to reminisce on the great memories we’ve had over the years.

On Shabbos morning, we had the privilege of going to the Young Israel of

Woodmere and hearing the beautiful davening, followed by divrei Torah from Rav Shlomo Amar. We then all went to our incredible hostesses’ houses for the Shabbos lunch meal. To end off the amazing Shabbos, the whole grade had seudas shlishis together, hosted by the Cywiaks. We played some games as a grade and heard a beautiful musical ha vdala.

This Shabbaton was a mix of emotions for me, because it was our last Shabbaton as just a grade, but I’m so glad that I was able to spend the past four years with my amazing grade and am able to say that these were the best four years of my life.

Conflict resolution is an important life skill whether you’re an adult or a child and providing the skills to work through conflict at a young age is a gift HALB is able to give their students thanks to a non-profit called Creative Re sponse to Conflict. Last year, HALB re ceived State Funding to be able to bring Creative Response to Conflict into the El ementary School. They observed classes, gave important feedback, and provided training to HALB staff. At the end of the school year, they Introduced Peer Media tion for grades 3-5.

Beginning in June 2022, 11 boys and 11 girls (current 5th graders) sat through several days of training on how to be me diators to their peers. The goal of this program is to give students the skills to help their peers and younger students navigate conflicts during the school day. In total, our Peer Mediators participat ed in 18 hours of training where they learned important mediation skills in cluding active listening, non-judgmental

behaviors, confidentiality, validation and reflecting back. An assembly last week for 3rd through 5th graders kicked off HALB’s Peer Mediation. All mediation will take place with an adult present, with the goal that the adult is simply there to supervise while students handle and resolve the conflicts between their peers.

Preschool students at Lev Chana used experiments to learn about rain and evaporation

the Community

Talmud Yerushalmi to Begin New Cycle of Daf Yomi on November

Talmud Yerushalmi and Talmud Bavli were contemporaries. Both were being created at the same time, the Bavli in Babylonia and the Yerushalmi in northern Eretz Yisrael –but there was a big difference between them. Jews of Bavel were relatively free and rarely persecuted. Their communi ties flourished, and so did their great To rah academies. When the distinguished sages – the Amoraim of Bavel – deter mined that the Talmudic period was end ing, Ravina and Rav Ashi organized and edited the hundreds of years of schol arship into the Babylonian Talmud, the Talmud that has been studied by Jews everywhere to this day.

Not so the Talmud Yerushalmi. Eretz Yisrael was under the crushing, bru tal, despotic rule of the Roman Empire, which is why the sages of the Talmud moved to the relative obscurity of the north. But even there, they were perse cuted so mercilessly that the academies were forced to close and the sages dis persed in about 450 C.E. The scholarship of the North could not be properly edit ed and most of the handwritten manu scripts were destroyed. Remarkably and sadly, Rashi – the premier commentator – never saw the Talmud Yerushalmi!

But Hashem has pledged that the To rah would never be forgotten – and so the Yerushalmi survived and nearly all the manuscripts were discovered. But,

thanks to Roman Jew-hatred and cruel ty, many of the texts were riddled with errors and the material was often not well organized and difficult to follow.

As a result, for nearly sixteen centuries, only accomplished scholars were able to decipher and understand this priceless, seminal companion to the Talmud Bavli. It was like a great repository of gold and jewels locked in a safe without a known combination.

In 1980, at the Knessia Gedolah, the Mo’etzes Gedolei HaTorah adopted the initiative of the Gerrer Rebbe, the Lev Simcha zt”l, and instituted a Daf Yomi cycle of Talmud Yerushalmi. Although many people started studying with this new cycle, due to the difficult language and style of the Yerushalmi, it largely re mained a closed book to most people.

Then, 25 years later, the pioneering Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz, zt”l, the visionary Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein, the trail blazing Mesorah Heritage Foundation, the brilliant team of scholars and editors that produced the Schottenstein Editions of Talmud Bavli, and many generous dedicators joined to seize the opportu nity to unlock Talmud Yerushalmi and make it available to every Jew desiring its vast riches.

So it was that the historic editions of the Schottenstein Talmud Yerushalmi in Hebrew and English came into being after over sixteen years of intense schol

arship. The Jewish people will forever be enriched by this Torah masterpiece.

Rabbi Zlotowitz predicted that the Schottenstein Yerushalmi will go down in history as ArtScroll/Mesorah’s great est achievement.

Already, many thousands of people all over the world have begun the seri ous and satisfying study of Yerushal mi, something that would have been unthinkable for them just a few years ago.

Now that this treasure is available for all people, thousands are ready to enthu siastically begin the 11th cycle of Talmud Yerushalmi’s Daf Yomi on November 14.

The Mesorah Heritage Foundation will be distributing Yerushalmi Daf Yomi calendars for free, laying out the days of a 5-1/2-year Yerushalmi Daf Yomi cycle based on the Oz V’hadar page layout as used in the Schottenstein Edition In ad dition, due to increased demand, the Me sorah Heritage Foundation will soon be releasing a compact size of the Hebrew

Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, remarked that because Talmud Yerushalmi has his torically been a “limud yasom,” an “or phaned area of Torah study,” those who learn Talmud Yerushalmi earn a great zechus.

For the past seven years, CAHAL has been fortunate to have Mrs. Fraydie Sauber as an outstanding Morah. Having taught grades 2-8, Mrs. Sauber is currently teaching a 2nd and 3rd grade class at BBY and loves her girls! She is passionate about teaching Limudei Kodesh and particularly loves teaching Chumash and crucial foundation skills. Mrs. Sauber enjoys watching her stu dents make progress at their own levels, as she teaches each girl and focuses on what each individual student needs. Mrs. Sauber is an “out-of-the-box” teacher and uses role play, dress-up, and interactive games to reinforce lessons. Creativity and patience are Mrs. Sauber’s specialty, and her students are fortunate to have a morah with these wonderful qualities.

Mrs. Sauber has a Master’s Degree in Education and Special Education. She lives with her husband and children in Far Rockaway.

and English Schottenstein Yerushalmi, similar to the compact size Schottenstein Talmud Bavli, which is so popular among Talmud learners across the globe.

TJH Centerfold

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“When they call the roll in the Senate, the sena tors do not know whether to answer ‘present’ or ‘not guilty.’“- Theodore Roosevelt

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“Talk is cheap – except when Congress does it.“ - Cullen Hightower

“The reason there are two senators for each state is so that one can be the designated driver.” - Jay Leno

“The Democrats are the party of government activism, the party that says government can make you richer, smarter, taller, and get the chick weed out of your lawn. Republicans are the party that says government doesn’t work and then gets elected and proves it.” - P.J. O’Rourke

Congressional Sound Bites You Gotta Be Kidding Me!

“Congress is so strange; a man gets up to speak and says nothing – nobody listens—and then everybody disagrees.“ - Boris Marshalov

“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies.” - Groucho Marx

“The only difference between death and taxes is that death doesn’t get worse every time Congress meets.“ - Will Rogers

“I have come to the conclusion that one use less man is a disgrace, that two become a law firm, and that three or more become a Congress.” - John Adams

A busload of politicians was driving down a country road when suddenly the bus ran off the road and crashed into an old farmer’s barn.

The old farmer got off his tractor and went to investigate. Soon, he dug a hole and buried the politicians. A few days later, the local sheriff came out, saw the crashed bus, and asked the old farmer where all

the politicians had gone.

The old farmer told him he had buried them.

The sheriff asked the old farmer, “Gosh, were they ALL dead?”

The old farmer said, “Well, some of them said they weren’t, but you know how them crooked politicians always lie!”

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Congressional Elections Trivia

1. The closest election in Senate history was decided on September 16, 1975 when Democrat John Durkin was declared the winner of the New Hampshire race, defeating Republican Louis Wyman by a slight margin of how many votes?

a. 2 b. 78 c. 195 d. 734

2. Two U.S. Presidents have returned to Congress after leaving the presidency.  One was Andrew Johnson. Who was the other one?

a. The Donald b. Abraham Lincoln

c. John Quincy Adams d. James A. Garfield

3. How did South Carolina Congressman Preston Brooks react after Senator Charles Sumner (R-MA, not to be confused with Sen. Charles Schumer) declared on the Senate floor in 1856 that Democratic Senator Douglas of Illinois was a “noise-some, squat, and nameless animal . . . not a proper model for an American senator”?

a. He put forth a bill proposing rules of etiquette for all those delivering speeches from the podium

b. He proposed a bill to impeach Sen. Sumner

c. He challenged Sen. Sumner to a dual

d. He snuck up behind him and hit him with a metal cane until he was unconscious

4. The word “senator” is derived from the Latin word “senex,” which means what?

a. Leader b. Listener

c. Lover of mankind d. Old man

5. The mid-term elections feature races (in some locales) for which of the following offices?

a. Drain commissioner b. Tree warden c. Fence viewers d. Prothonotary

6. In order to be eligible to serve in the House of Representatives, what of the following three qualifications must one meet?

a. You must be at least twenty-five years old

b. Have been a citizen of the United States for the past seven years

c. Be an inhabitant of the state they represent d. Be able to show up to work for a maximum 1/3 of the year, love to hear yourself talk, think you are the best thing since sliced bread, be self-depreciating enough for people to think you are so normal but not too much that people lose respect for you, speak out of both sides of your mouth, promise that you are going to change Washington, get embroiled in good financial scandals, make laws that drive people crazy, etc. (Do I sound cynical? OK, let me clean that up. Note: Obviously, this does not apply to everyone…just most of them.)

7. In 1994, the Republicans took control of the House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years. Who led the so-called “Republican Revolution” and became Speaker of the House as a result of that victory?

a. Tip O’Neal

b. Newt Gingrich

c. Tom Foley

d. Dennis Hastart

Answers:

1. A

2. C- The other presidents listed were all killed in office. John Quincy Adams returned to the House of Representatives for eight terms and Andrew Johnson returned to the Senate for one year before he died.

3. D- I guess Washington bickering isn’t a new phenomenon

4. D- Yep, how predictable

5. All 4- The description of each position is pretty much exactly what the title of the position is, except that “prothonotary” is simply—actually, not simply— Pennsylvania’s way of referring to the chief clerk of the courts.

6. A through C (but D usually fits the bill as well).

7. B

Wisdom Key:

6-7 correct: You are a complete prothonotary!

3-5 correct: You know enough to do OK at a cocktail party (because why not talk about something that is guaranteed to offend somebody?)

0-2 correct: You are still smart enough to be in Congress! (The bar is quite low.)

Jews Love to Complain, But What are We Doing About It?

By Jonathan Katz

It goes back all the way to yetzias Mitzrayim and the time we spent together in the desert all those years ago. Our people love to com plain about the conditions that we find ourselves in. While there was little in dividuals could do to remedy the water situation in Marah, we live in a time and a place where we have a voice and the opportunity to express ourselves in a way most of our grandparents and the generations before them never dreamed possible: We can vote.

That being said, our community typ ically doesn’t turn out when given that chance. While the reason often given is “I live in New York, my vote doesn’t mat ter” that couldn’t be further from the truth when it comes to local elections. Take the most recent Hewlett-Wood mere School Board election – roughly one in three eligible votes were cast in this past May’s school board and bud get vote. While that was a big increase, approximately 33% from the prior year, and we did finally elect a representative from our community, there is broad based outrage about rising school taxes and lack of services and representation for nonpublic school students compared to District 15. The budget passed by a mere 309 votes!

We have the numbers to sway elec tions, and officials notice. Case in point was the last Nassau County Executive election in 2021, which was decided by fewer than 6,500 votes in an off-year election that saw less than 30% voter turnout in a County of almost 1 million registered voters. A more than 50% in crease vs. 2017 in turnout from the Five Towns most likely swayed the election for Bruce Blakeman over Laura Curran.

Going back to just prior to the on set of the COVID pandemic, I helped to start the HALB Political Awareness Council with the support of our Board

and with other motivated parents. The mission is simple: 1) Identify the issues that impact our Yeshiva that can be ad dressed by local and state politicians and educate our parent body on those issues; 2) Meet with both local elect ed officials and candidates for office to express our cares and concerns; 3) Maximize voter turnout to ensure these issues are being addressed by our elect ed officials.

In the time since, we have met with police and county officials to secure crossing guards to keep our students safe, we were added the Nassau County Health Department’s COVID-19 school task force, and we have been hosting a series of Town Halls and Fireside Chats with incumbent and challenger candi dates in the weeks leading up to Election Days to raise awareness on key election issues. This year, the Young Israel of Woodmere joined our efforts as Rabbi Shalom Axlerod recognized the impor tance of voter education and turnout.

Over the last two years, we have

had town halls or fireside chats with candidates and incumbents for almost every race in our community, including Bruce Blakeman, Laura Curran, Todd Kaminsky, Kathleen Rice, and many others. This year, we spoke with An thony D’Esposito, Laura Gillen, Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Ken Moore, Ari Brown ,and Michael Delury to ensure HALB and YIW families were well in formed of critical issues ahead of Elec tion Day. Invitations to participate were circulated to most shuls in the neigh borhood as well. The discussions were nonpartisan and questions to the can didates were both direct and objective, aimed at addressing issues critical to each race.

There is also a constituency from HALB, and other yeshivot in our com munity that have been working closely with the OU’s Teach NYS, which is a nonpartisan, single-issue grassroots movement devoted to advocating for government funding and resources for nonpublic schools. These efforts have

led to more than $5 million in STEM funding over the last three years for Long Island and Far Rockaway yeshi vot, with the annual allocation set to rise in the coming years as well as ex panded security funding. This is real money that has had, and can continue to have, a real impact on tuition costs. Wouldn’t we like to have our state leg islators fighting for issues and dollars that directly impact our community’s livelihood and wallets? It’s not an im possibility, but we need voter turnout, and better yet voter engagement, to even begin to consider that.

In the current election on November 8, residents of the Five Towns will be voting on Governor (Hochul vs. Zel din), U.S. Congressman (D’Esposito vs. Gillen), State Senator (Canzoneri-Fitz patrick vs. Moore), State Assemblyman (Brown vs. Delury), and a few other local officials. Issues on the ballot in this election include religious freedom in our yeshivot, local tax policy, zoning/ overcrowding, roads and traffic, crime and policing, and the criminal justice system. These are the things that argu ably impact our daily lives even more than the national issues.

I encourage others to join us in these efforts – whether it be leaders at oth er local yeshivot, yeshivos (sometimes the difference between a “t” and an “s” can seem pretty big), shuls or any other community organizations. To be some what cliché, we know this will be a mar athon and not a sprint, but we need to start somewhere.

Please remember to vote on (or be fore) November 8 so our elected offi cials know that our community’s needs should be their priority.

Also, feel free to contact me at jona thankatz4@gmail.com if your local in stitution would like to join these efforts in a more organized way.

Torah Thought

Parshas Lech Lecha

By Rabbi Berel Wein

There is much comment and many different interpretations regard ing the first two words of the second verse of this week’s Torah read ing. The second word “lecha,” “for you,” seems to be somewhat redundant in the construction of the sentence. Rashi therefore interprets it to mean “for your benefit and good.” The L-rd instructs

Abraham to leave his homeland and family located in Mesopotamia, in order to achieve the greatness that is inherent within him, as the forbearer of nations and the founder of the Jewish people.

There is an alternative interpretation of the use of this second word “lecha” in the verse that has always fascinated me. Travel can be a very broadening and

entertaining experience. The travel in dustry the world over is bourgeoning as people crave to visit unseen shores and exotic locations. So why would the travel of Abraham and Sarah from Mesopota mia to the land of Canaan be considered by Jewish tradition to have been such a challenging test of Abraham’s faith on the Almighty? He simply was embark ing on a travel experience and was one of many such travelers in his time and world.

The answer lies in the fact that the word “lecha” implies permanence. Abra ham, you are never going to return home to Mesopotamia again. You are not a visi

dispersal. Even countries where Jews resided for centuries, such as Spain, Ger many, Poland, etc., eventually no longer would accommodate our presence. We were always a positive part of any na tional society we found ourselves in but at the same time we were always the odd man out.

But somehow, we were able to survive this enormous test and challenge be cause we always believed and knew that eventually we were going to go home. We prayed for it to happen, and we struggled against all odds and enemies to make it happen.

This belief of the return to Zion and

tor, a tourist, a traveler, but you are now a refugee, an alien, and a non-citizen. And such a status in life is truly challenging and potentially dangerous. So, unlike the interpretation of Rashi, the word “lecha” has a certain ominous characteristic to it. Abraham and Sarah were to be tru ly challenged by this travel experience. They were not going on vacation.

Abraham’s descendants, the Jewish people, have shared this test and chal lenge with him over our long history. We always were insecure and homeless during the long night of our exile and

Jerusalem sustained us in our darkest hours. It transferred us in our minds, though not in the minds of others, from the status of tolerated but unwanted aliens into mere visitors and sojourners who have a legitimate and permanent home elsewhere. This is the feeling I have every time I present my Israeli passport for inspection when I travel to a foreign destination. I am no longer a pariah, a refugee but merely a visitor, a tourist, perhaps even an honored guest. The chil dren of Abraham have returned home. Shabbat shalom.

We were always a positive part of any national society we found ourselves in but at the same time we were always the odd man out.

Parshas Lech Lecha

I Only Have Eyes for You

By Rav Moshe Weinberger

Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

This is like a Shabbos Sheva Brachos for the entire Jewish people because if you count the blessings Hashem gives Avraham at the very beginning of the parsha (Bereishis 12:1-3), there are seven blessings. We must understand how the covenant of Avraham Avinu relates to our covenant with G-d and the covenant between a chosson and a kallah, a husband and wife.

The Midrash (Bereishis Raba 46:9) teaches, “If your children uphold cir cumcision, they will enter the land, and if not, they will not enter the land… Thus Hashem said to Avraham Avinu, ‘And I have given to you and your seed after you…’ (Bereishis 17:8) on condition that ‘And you shall guard My covenant’ (Id. at 9).” The Tur at the beginning of his discussion of the halachos of bris milah (Yoreh De’ah 260) teaches this concept as well, stating that in the merit

of the covenant of milah, Hashem en tered into a covenant with us to give us Eretz Yisroel. But this is very difficult to understand. There are very few mitz vos that even the most non-observant Jews try to keep, but bris milah is one of them. Yet Eretz Yisroel is not truly in our hands in the way that it should be. If almost all Jews try to observe this mitzvah, why don’t we have a true hold on Eretz Yisroel?

It must therefore be that there are two aspects of the mitzvah of milah. Chazal did not say, “If your children uphold the mitzvah of circumcision…” They say, “If your children uphold cir cumcision.” We see that one aspect of milah is the mitzvah to physically per form the act of circumcision. That is over in a moment. The second aspect of milah is our obligation to uphold our covenant with G-d to which we commit ourselves with the mitzvah of milah.

This is the lifelong mitzvah of “And you shall guard My covenant.”

The act of circumcising the flesh is merely a signature, a sign of our con sent to the obligation to uphold a life long covenant. Yet we do not merit en tering Eretz Yisroel just by performing this act.

We can understand this with an analogy. Reuven signs a contract ob ligating him to repay a certain sum of money to Shimon over a period of time. But as time goes on, Reuven never makes any of the payments under the contract. When Shimon approaches him about this, he answers, “That’s my signature on the document. I have ful filled all of my obligations by signing. I stand by my signature but that does not obligate me to do anything further!”

We can all see that Reuven’s claim is pa tently ridiculous. The whole point of a contract, a covenant, between two par

ties is that the parties fulfill the obli gations outlined in the agreement over time. A signature is not the end of one’s obligations. It is only the beginning. A signature without the intent to fulfill the obligations embodied by that signature is a completely empty gesture. Similarly, circumcision is the “sign of the covenant between Me and you (Bereishis 17:11).”

It is our signature, obligating us to fulfill our obligations to Hashem over time. It is only a sign of the covenant, but it is not the be-all-to-end-all of our fulfill ment of the covenant itself.

These two aspects of the mitzvah of milah are reflected in the two blessings we say at a bris. The first bracha thanks Hashem for sanctifying us with his mitzvos and commanding us “regarding circumcision.” This bracha relates to the one-time physical act of circumcision. The second bracha thanks Hashem for our obligation “to bring [the child] into

the covenant of Avraham Avinu.” The first element relates to a mitzvah that is over in a moment. But guarding the “covenant of Avraham Avinu” involves changing how one views his entire life. It is a life in which one is always con scious of not desecrating the sanctity of his covenant with G-d.

In the words of the Seforno (on Bereishis 17:11), the bris is an “eternal reminder to go in His ways like the sign of a master on his servant.” Through the covenant on our flesh, Hashem whispers to us at work, on the train, in the street, and while we are sitting at the comput er, “And you shall guard My covenant.” Guarding the covenant means always looking for ways to sanctify everything associated with the part of the body on which Hashem has sealed His cov enant with us. If we live a life in which we guard the sanctity of the covenant, it is a completely different life. It is a life with which we merit to enter into Eretz Yisroel, into the palace of the King, the land of true life.

This type of covenant exists in the relationship between a husband and wife as well. The first Mishna in Kiddu shin says there are three ways one can betroth his wife, but our custom is to use a ring for betrothal. In explaining this (Even Ha’Ezer 27:1), Rav Moshe Isserles, zt”l, the “Rama,” writes, “And therefore we have the custom to betroth with a ring and the reason is explained in the Tikunei Zohar (5).” Although he was a great kabbalist, the Rama almost never quotes the Zohar in his emenda tions to the Shulchan Aruch. We there fore see that the ring has a very deep significance. The Sefer Hachinuch, how ever, offers a simple explanation (Mitzva 552). By using a ring, the wife always carries something with her to remind her that she is a married woman. If her husband used money to betroth her, the money would be spent right away and nothing would remain to remind her of her special relationship with her hus band.

Marriage is a covenant. The chasu na, the wedding ceremony, is the ini tial act of entering into the covenant, but it is only the beginning. Marriage is a commitment between the chosson and kallah in which they tell each oth er, “And you shall guard My covenant.” We see the ring serving as a reminder of the connection between two sides in other places as well. The Mishkan, the resting place of the Divine presence within the Jewish people, contained

beams, kerashim. And each beam had rings. The word for beam, karash, has the same letters as the word for connec tion, kesher. A ring is used to remember the connection between a husband and wife and between the Jewish people and Hashem. The last prophet in Tanach even says in his last prophecy (Mala chi 2:14) that marriage is a covenantal relationship: “She is your companion and the wife of your covenant.” A life in which one remembers and guards his covenant with Hashem and with his wife is completely different from one in which he views his bris milah and his wedding just as bygone events from his

that if one counts each word of these pe sukim starting with the thumb on each hand, the word “Hashem” is always as sociated with the forefinger except for the last time, when the word “gold” is associated with the forefinger. It is like the kallah, when she holds out her fore finger, is pointing to G-d, saying ,“Re member your relationship with Hashem and with this gold ring that you are giv ing to me, always remember your rela tionship with me.”

Everywhere a Jew goes, he must ask himself whether he is upholding the covenant of Avraham Avinu. If a wom an at work starts talking with him and

who was also an orphan. But this boy was blind from birth. The girl’s surviv ing parent was completely against the match, but the young woman said that if the Gra suggested it, the match must be G-d’s will, and so she agreed to the match.

Despite her family’s opposition, the wedding went forward, and the Gra went to officiate. As he was holding the cup of wine, ready to start the brachos, the Gra stopped and turned to the chos son and said, based on the Gemara in Kiddushin (41a), “It is forbidden to betroth a woman without seeing her.”

past, mitzvos he long-ago checked off of his to-do list.

Every morning a Jew wraps his tefillin strap around his finger like a wedding ring and says, “And you are betrothed to Me forever. And you are betrothed to Me with righteousness, with judgment, with kindness and with mercy and you are betrothed to Me with faithfulness.” Hashem is reminding us, “We are committed to each other. Re member to guard My covenant!” That covenant is forever. We use a ring to re member it because a ring is round and has no end, just like our commitment to G-d and our covenant with our husband or wife is forever.

The Sefer Chupas Chasanim is very worthwhile to learn before a chasuna. He explains why we have the custom that the chosson puts the ring on his kallah’s forefinger and why the ring is made of gold. He quotes the following pesukim (Tehillim 19:8-11): “Hashem’s Torah is perfect, restoring the soul, the testimony of Hashem is trustworthy, making the simple one wise. The laws of Hashem are straight, gladdening the heart. The commandment of Hashem is clear, enlightening the eyes. The fear of Hashem is pure, standing forever. The judgments of Hashem are true, altogeth er just. More desired than gold and fine gold and are sweeter than honey and the dripping of honeycombs.” He points out

telling him all of her problems, what is he thinking? Is he thinking, “I am a married man. I am in a committed re lationship with my wife and with G-d”? Is he ensuring that he is upholding the covenant when he looks at his computer, iPhone, or Android device?

Our efforts to guard the covenant with G-d truly sum up our goals in life. We want Hashem to be able to say about us at the end of our lives, “And You found his [Avraham’s] heart faith ful before You (Nechemia 9:8).” As the Malbim explains on that pasuk, “After all of the tests with which Avraham was tested and which he passed, his heart was found to be faithful.” He guarded his covenant with G-d despite all of his tests and all of the difficulties.

One of the most well-known stories of the Vilna Gaon, the Gra, took place in front of the entire community and was so famous that it was recorded in the city records of Vilna. While the Gra’s whole life was Torah, the one practical mitzvah he was involved with was en suring that orphans, boys or girls who had lost one or both parents, were able to get married. He involved himself in making matches, and the only time he left his home was to officiate at the weddings of these orphans. One time, he made a match between a beautiful young woman who had lost one of her parents and a very talented yeshiva boy

Under the circumstances, the halacha is that a blind man may marry a woman without seeing her. But despite his obvi ous knowledge of this exception, the Gra still said what he said. Everyone pres ent was flabbergasted and began crying at the pain the chosson must have felt hearing the Gra’s words. But the Gra took the young man’s head and turned it toward his bride. He opened his eyes and the chosson was able to see his kallah’s face. While everyone was over come with emotion, the Gra told him, “This did not happen because of me. It happened in the merit of your kallah’s faith. You are meritorious in that the first thing you saw in your life is your kallah’s face. May you always only see her.”

There was an old song from a pre vious incarnation, “I only have eyes for you.” That is how we must approach our commitment to Hashem and our wives and husbands. As we live a life always working to fulfill our covenant with Hashem, we say, “I only have eyes for You, Hashem.” And by guarding our covenant with G-d, we also guard our covenant only to have eyes for our hus bands and wives.

In the merit of each of us upholding the covenant between the Jewish people and Hashem and the commitment each between every chosson and kallah, may we merit to truly return in the fullest way to Eretz Yisroel and the ultimate re unification with Hashem and with each other when we will experience (Yirmi yahu 33:11) “the sound of happiness and the sound of joy, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride” with the com ing of Moshiach, may it be very soon in our days.

Rav Moshe Weinberger, shlita, is the found ing Morah d’Asrah of Congregation Aish Ko desh in Woodmere, NY, and serves as leader of the new mechina Emek HaMelech.

Everywhere a Jew goes, he must ask himself whether he is upholding the covenant of Avraham Avinu.

Delving into the Daf Not Saying Hashem’s Name in Vain

By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

The Gemara in Nedarim (7b) says, “Rav Chanin said in the name of Rav: Whoever hears the utter ance of the Divine name [in vain] from his friend has to excommunicate him. If he doesn’t, he himself should be excom municated.” The Ran there references the Gemara in Temurah (3b) that says that someone who says Hashem’s name in vain has violated the pasuk, “Hashem your G-d, you shall fear” (Devarim 6:13).

The Gemara says further that saying Hashem’s name in vain causes a person to become poor. In fact, the very first Mishnah in Nedarim also is a lesson in the severity of saying Hashem’s name in vain, according to Reish Lakish.

The Mishnah says that kinuyei ne darim are valid formulations of a vow.

According to Reish Lakish (Nedarim 10b), to prevent the possibility of people’s saying Hashem’s name in vain, the Sages invented new words to be used in the for mulation of a vow. Originally, one could have said, “This loaf of bread should be forbidden to me like a korban [sacrifice].” However, that would lead to a possibility of people saying “korban l’Hashem” since that is the text of a pasuk in the Torah. Then people may delete the word korban altogether and only use Hashem’s name, thereby uttering Hashem’s name in vain. To preclude that possibility, the Sages encouraged the use of other words that are not associated with Hashem’s name. These words are called kinuyei nedarim.

The severity of saying Hashem’s name in vain notwithstanding, a rebbi, a morah, or parents can teach children how to say brachos using Hashem’s name. The Shul chan Aruch writes (O.C. 215:3), “It is per mitted to teach children blessings with their correct formulation even though the children will be reciting the bless ings in vain.” One might have assumed that only the child may utter Hashem’s name in vain, but the Chofetz Chaim says that this is not so. The Mishnah Berurah writes, “And even the rebbi is permitted to mention the Divine name in order to

teach the children the blessings, because we have an obligation to learn with them to train them in Torah and mitzvos.”

When instructing a child how to say a bracha, a parent is therefore permitted to say Hashem’s name. However, the Eishel Avraham writes that it is best that if the child already knows Hashem’s name, the parent should just say the first syllable

It is interesting to note that one shouldn’t necessarily answer amen to the bracha that a child recites. The Shulchan Aruch writes that if a child is reciting a bracha for practice, one should not an swer amen. However, if the child has al ready reached the age of chinuch and he is making a bracha in the proper time, one should answer amen. The Mishnah Ber

ly around the age of six or seven).

There is a prohibition of saying an improper amen. Since a child below the age of chinuch doesn’t really know why he’s making a bracha, it is improper to say amen – which is tantamount to approv ing what the reciter said – because the child doesn’t really understand what he is saying. However, the Shemiras Shab bos Kehilchasah quotes HaRav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, zt”l , as saying that just as one has a mitzvah of chinuch to teach children to recite brachos, one has a mitzvah of chinuch to teach children to say amen. Therefore, one should say amen to a five-year-old’s bracha. Rav Chaim Kanievsky suggests that the Mish nah Berurah agrees and was only saying that in a situation where the five-year-old will not hear the amen, one should not say amen. For example, if someone heard a five-year-old reciting a bracha in an ad joining room and the five-year-old won’t hear the amen, one should not answer amen.

Rav Shlomo Zalman used to say “uhmey” or “uh me ” after a bracha recited by a young child (who had not yet reached the age of chinuch). He would leave off the nun, reasoning that the child wouldn’t re alize. He therefore satisfied both objec tives: he didn’t recite an improper amen, and yet he still fulfilled the mitzvah of chinuch. (Orchos Rabbeinu, vol. 3, p. 223)

and have the child finish the rest. If this tactic does not work, however, it is fully permissible for the parent to say Hash em’s name. Likewise, HaRav Moshe Fein stein, zt”l, wrote that one is permitted to say Hashem’s name if it is necessary such as when teaching an adult ba’al teshuvah how to recite a bracha.

urah comments that from the Shulchan Aruch’s wording, we can derive that if a child below the age of chinuch recites a bracha, we should not answer amen even if it was recited in the proper time. The age of chinuch in relation to brachos is when a child is able to understand that he is making the bracha to Hashem (general

The Ohr L’tzion advanced a different innovative solution to answering amen to a child’s blessing when the child is below the age of chinuch. One can say the pasuk of “Baruch Hashem l’olam amein v’am ein.” He should say the first part of the pasuk silently to himself. He should then say the last two syllables “Amen” out loud when the child finishes his bracha!

Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow is a rebbe at Yeshiva Ateres Shimon in Far Rockaway. In addition, Rabbi Sebrow leads a daf yomi chaburah at Eitz Chayim of Dogwood Park in West Hemp stead, NY. He can be contacted at ASebrow@ gmail.com.

It is interesting to note that one shouldn’t necessarily answer amen to the bracha that a child recites.

It had been three years since we had been in Poland. I had been going there on a regular basis to daven as the shliach tzibbur for the Yomim Nor aim. The first time was in 1979 and was basically a one-time event on the occa sion of the reopening of the only remain ing prewar synagogue in Warsaw, the Nozyk Shul. I went again during 1989 and 1990, but from 1997 through 2019, I only missed going three times because of special circumstances. Since the Yo mim Noraim of 2020 and of 2021 took place during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, it also precluded me from officiating there during Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. In fact, the shul was limited to a small minyan during both of those years.

When I received the call from Po land’s Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich during this past summer asking me to return and lead the tefillos, I was en thusiastic. I missed the shul, the mis pallelim, and the many friends that we made over the years. Pesi, who accompa nied me on most of those journeys, was equally excited at the prospect of giving of ourselves to the congregants to make their davening more meaningful and in

The Wandering Jew Return to Warsaw Part I

By Hershel Lieber

spirational. I realize that I am far from the best baal tefilla and surely am not a trained chazzan, but the members of the shul know my nusach, enjoy the niggun im that I blend into the machzor’s piyu tim and feel very comfortable with my rendition of the special tefillos during those Days of Awe.

We immediately accepted the chal lenge to continue a tradition that was started over thirty years ago. I do not get compensation for my davening, and I would not have it any other way. What we do take back home is the feeling that our presence made an appreciable dif ference for many people and added con siderably to the spiritual atmosphere of the High Holy Days.

We arrived in Warsaw on Thursday, four days before Rosh Hashana. Arriv ing from the States on Erev Rosh Ha shana, which this year was Sunday, was practically impossible. We spent a re laxing Shabbos before the serious tone of the Yimei Hadin penetrated into our consciousness. During our early years of going to Poland, food was a problem. We would have to take along almost every thing for both the yom tov and weekday

meals; the kosher kitchen that was ad ministered by the Joint was not up to a standard that was comfortable for us. A number of things happened that changed this equation. For the past twenty years or so, there is kosher shechita in Poland under the hashgacha of the best kashrus organizations in Israel and Europe. A small portion of that meat is sold to lo cal Yidden who keep kosher. Imported kosher products in small quantities are available in two stores in Warsaw, and more recently, food can be ordered and delivered from Antwerp or Vienna. The kosher kitchen in the kehilla has a very conscientious mashgiach and the cook is a Shomeres Shabbos. There is also a restaurant called Kosher Delite under the hashgacha of Rabbi Landau of Bnei Brak. Furthermore, we are friends with a number of families that are Shomer Torah U’Mitzvos and feel very com fortable eating at their homes. This is a far cry from when we had to bring in canned meats and all the trimmings to have a half-decent seudah. We still take along some tuna cans, cheese, crackers, and nosh to have in our room. We shop at the nearby Hala Mirovska market for fruits, vegetables, and drinks. The bot

tom line is that we do not go hungry!

The most common question that we are always asked when we return is, “How many people came to shul?” The answer is technically easy to give. Be tween the men on the lower level and the women on the balcony, there were numbers ranging from ninety on the first night of Rosh Hashana to two hun dred-plus for Kol Nidrei. During the other tefillos, there were anywhere be tween forty and seventy congregants. To be honest, during the ‘90s, there were more people on the first night of Rosh Hashana and there were bigger numbers during Shacharis on all three days. It’s true that some of the older people passed away, but every year there are newer and younger people attending as part of their desire to connect to their Jewish heritage. This should have brought up the numbers considerably. Yet, it didn’t. There are a number of reasons that the Nozyk Shul did not witness a continuous growth.

First and foremost was the opening of three other places for Jewish services in Warsaw. Beit Warszawa, a liberal synagogue, had its start in 1999. Chabad became active in 2005. Ec Chaim is a

With Danny Kaufman

With Rabbis Michael Schudrich and Yitzchak Rapaport

Pesi and Hershel with Rabbi Michael Schudrich

Progressive synagogue that was found ed in 2010. In addition, quite a few seri ous individuals and families left Poland and settled in well-established commu nities that have a larger Orthodox pop ulation with all its amenities. Another factor that stunted the shul’s growth was that during the early years, Nozyk was the one and only address to connect with other Jews socially and culturally. Over the years, other organizations such as the JCC, Hillel, the reinvigorated TSKZ, and the new popular Polin Muse um bring Jewish culture and creativity to Warsaw’s Jewish residents outside of the framework of a shul. Warsaw’s famed Jewish Cultural Festival is only one example of how one can feel Jewish outside the walls of a synagogue.

Erev Rosh Hashana was complete with the traditions that we perform year after year at home. About twenty men were at the minyan where we said the long Selichos and davened, which was followed by Hatoras Nedorim. This year, we all managed to sign the ‘Pruz bal’ documents to allow us to collect un paid loans. In the afternoon, I went to the mikveh, we dressed for yom tov, and

arrived early at the shul.

On the first night of Rosh Hashana, we ate by Piotr (Tzuriel) and Marysia Kowalik. His mother Czeslawa was there too. We got to know Piotr and his wife

them as they were growing up. Piotr, who started his journey to Judaism and made great strides towards an Orthodox Jewish lifestyle, was already married at the time. Marysia was more cautious but

Lauder Morasha School in Warsaw and ran an annual program called Makom Torah, which I attended twice. A few years ago, he was hired as the Educa tional Director at the famed Polin Mu seum of the History of Polish Jews. His home is truly permeated with Yiddish keit, and their level of strict observance is truly reliable.

during the mid-nineties at the Lauder Summer and Winter Retreats. During that period, we met Piotr’s brother Dawid and their mother as well. The two brothers who grew up in Wroclaw (formerly Breslau) were attracted to an Old Testament-based Christian church where they were indirectly exposed to Judaism. Only later did they find out that they were, in fact, Jews. Their mother withheld this information from

made her decision to join the fold after careful consideration and an extensive Torah based education. Piotr, who chose Tzuriel as his Jewish name, became in volved with every aspect of Jewish life. Besides attending the Retreats, he is still a regular at Nozyk’s daily minyan and became a respectable baal teffilah. His voice is very pleasant, and he sings and plays the guitar at many Jewish pro grams. He taught for many years at the

The seudah included all the tradi tions associated with a Rosh Hashana meal. Wine, round challahs, honey, ap ples and an assortment of the fruits and vegetables that are traditionally used as simanim. Piotr was even able to obtain a fish head, and we wished each other that during the coming year “we become the head and not the tail”; we should be blessed with a life of significance instead of settling for an irrelevant existence.

To be continued…

Hershel Lieber has been involved in kiruv activities for over 30 years. As a founding member of the Vaad L’Hatzolas Nidchei Yisroel he has traveled with his wife, Pesi, to the Soviet Union during the harsh years of the Communist regimes to advance Yid dishkeit. He has spearheaded a yeshiva in the city of Kishinev that had 12 successful years with many students making Torah their way of life. In Poland, he lectured in the summers at the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation camp for nearly 30 years. He still travels to Warsaw every year – since 1979 – to be the chazzan for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur for the Jews there. Togeth er with Pesi, he organized and led trips to Europe on behalf of Gateways and Aish Hatorah for college students finding their paths to Jewish identity. His passion for travel has taken them to many interesting places and afforded them unique experi ences. Their open home gave them oppor tunities to meet and develop relationships with a variety of people. Hershel’s col umn will appear in The Jewish Home on a bi-weekly basis.

With Breslov Chassidim who returned from Uman via WarsawAt Hatoras Nedorim. Piotr Kowalik is on the right

With Antek who learned in Israel and is now part of Chabad

Hala Mirowska Market

At the famed Nozyk Synagogue

We immediately accepted the challenge to continue a tradition that was started over thirty years ago.

World Builders

Empowering Communities in The Aftermath of Disaster

By Gavy Friedson

Cape Coral, Florida, - On Septem ber 18, just after Hurricane Fiona made landfall in Puerto Rico, I re ceived a phone call that would drastical ly change the next few weeks of my life. I was about to embark on not one, but two, major relief missions on behalf of United Hatzalah in order to provide much-needed aid and assistance to residents of Puerto Rico following the damage caused by Hur ricane Fiona. As Fiona was dying down, and the relief mission in the Island territo ry was well underway, I and the rest of the organization, kept a watchful eye on Hurri cane Ian as it approached Florida. Once the hurricane made landfall over the islands to the west of the panhandle and in the area of Naples and Fort Meyers, it was decided that a second mission needed to be dispatched to assist in Florida and that I would once again be at the helm.

I am extremely proud of what we man aged to accomplish in Puerto Rico. Most of the team members didn’t know each other prior to the mission, but we worked seam lessly together unified by the common goal of helping others. Our team was made up of EMTs, social workers, and psychologists who volunteered to put their busy lives on hold in the middle of the holiest period of the Jewish calendar and fly to a foreign country thousands of kilometers away. They left their families for the sacred pur pose of helping to save lives and heal peo

ple’s emotional wounds in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona, and we accomplished a lot and touched a lot of lives.

We intervened in poor communities that had yet to receive any outside assis tance in the wake of the devastating de struction of the hurricane. We went from house to house, distributing food and hu manitarian aid to families, treating them psychologically, and providing them with basic medical care. We also met with local first responders and police officers, who were understandably exhausted and over whelmed. We not only provided them with treatment, but we also provided them with training and tools that they could use in order to continue helping themselves and others suffering from similar emotional and psychological stress and exhaustion. That was the force multiplier that we al ways look for when undertaking these missions. How to build a larger network of assistance so that when our mission is over, the people we are helping can con tinue to help themselves in a sustainable fashion for the long term.

We were sent as representatives of United Hatzalah, but we also felt that we were representing the State of Israel and the values of its people, who are always ready to help when disaster strikes any where around the world. It was heart warming to see these communities’ sud den love and recognition for Israel due to

our activities and the assistance that we provided them. For us, it was a relatively small thing. For them, it meant the world just knowing that people came from a for eign country to help. It showed them, in the most fundamental way possible, that they were not alone and that other people cared about them and worried about them. Many of them told us about their desire to visit Israel one day.

I wish to thank Rabbi Mendel Zarchi and his wife Rachel who run the Chabad Jewish Center of Puerto Rico for hosting our team and connecting us with people all over the island. I also want to thank Levid Ortiz who runs the organization PR4PR, without whom our mission would not have been the success that it was.

I had to leave Puerto Rico directly to respond to Hurricane Ian in Florida. Thanks in part to my experience in Puer to Rico, as well as previous disasters that I responded to, which include Hurricane Irma in Florida, I am well prepared for the current relief mission. I am likewise confident that our team in Florida will be able to use the organization’s accumulated knowledge and techniques that have been field-tested time and again to empower in dividuals and communities who need our help in the aftermath of the hurricane. We have already met with a few dozen people here and helped them cope with their cur rent situation, after having lost everything.

Our work is to mentally and psychologi cally fortify them so that they can begin to rebuild their lives. It is some of the most difficult work that I have ever had to do.

The greatest tools at our disposal are show ing the people affected that they are not alone and that they can regain control of their own situation. It isn’t easy, but if done properly, these two simple things can help prevent the already dire situation from be coming overwhelming and debilitating and those are things that can lead to an acute traumatic reaction which we want to avoid at all costs and severely harm a person’s mental health.

On the eve of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, I do not see anything more be fitting than to be out in the field, helping people and saving lives.

Gavy Friedson is a volunteer EMT with United Hatzalah who lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife. He serves as the organization’s Direc tor of International Emergency Management and has responded to several major disasters including Hurricane Irma in South Florida in 2017. Most recently, he led the team’s relief mission to Puerto Rico following Hurricane Fiona and led the relief mission to Florida in response to Hurricane Ian. He wrote this arti cle earlier this year, before Yom Kippur, as he went to Florida to help those in need.

Delivering water in Anasco, Puerto Rico

Gavy coordinating relief efforts with local civilian air patrol in San Juan

Teaching emergency disaster relief techniques and psychological first aid concepts to paramedic trainees in San Juan

DECISION 2022

Tracking the Hot Races

Battle for the House - The Race to 218

In the House of Representatives, the Democrats currently outnumber Republi cans 220 to 212, with three vacancies. 218 seats are needed to gain the majority.

All 435 House seats are up for reelection.

Since the Civil War, the sitting president’s party has lost, on average, 32 seats in the midterm elections. In 2010, after President Obama’s first two years in of fice, the Republican Party picked up a net total of 63 seats in the House; in 1994, after President Clinton’s first two years in office, Republicans picked up 54 seats in the House. Heading into Election Day, Real Clear Politics (using an average of all relevant polls) has 228 seats safely in the Republican column; 174 seats safely in the Democrat column; and 33 seats as toss-ups. If Democrats win 14 of those toss-ups, they gain control of the House. As such, it’s a pretty safe bet that the Republicans will control the House of Representatives for the next two years.

Battle for the Senate - Battle for 51

The Senate is currently split 50-50 (since two Independents caucus with the Democrats); Vice President Harris is the tie-braker, giving the Democrats the majority. Republicans would only need to pick up one seat to gain control of the Senate. Although controlling the House will give the Republicans some power, controlling both chambers of Congress will be a total game changer for them. However, picking up that one seat may not be so easy despite a probably red wave. According to the Real Clear Politics outlook, there are currently 48 Senate seats that are safely Republican and 45 that are safely Democrat. There are 7 toss-ups which are too close to call, but in most of them, the Democrat has a slight lead. The Republicans will have to win three of those toss-ups to gain the majority. Considering the stakes, it is highly unlikely for all of the races to be sorted out on election night.

Pennsylvania Senate

John Fetterman (D)

v. Mehmet Oz (R)

(Clear Politics Average: Fetterman +1.5)

(Latest poll: Oz +3)

Perhaps no race in this country reflects the growing divide more than this one in which a far left radical is facing off against a Trump-backed conservative. The major side show in this race is health –not because the Republican candidate is a surgeon whose had a TV show for decades, but because John Fetterman suffered a stroke a few days before he became the Democrat nominee.

Although Dr. Oz has sought to talk about the issues and contrast himself with Mr. Fetterman’s radical policies – such as letting murderers out of prison – Fetter man has been absent from the campaign

trail, despite his campaign claiming that he is fit to serve. The only time that the voters got to see him, other than during a few scripted brief appearances, was at the “60 Minutes” debate last week, when he assured the voters that his doctors told him that “I am fit to be served.” Before the debate, Fetterman’s camp tried to set the expectations as low as possible, but Fetterman managed to turn out a perfor mance that was even worse than expected. Although Fetterman still leads slightly in the polls, that lead has been evaporating, and Dr. Oz is picking up steam. Even so, the fact that this is a close race highlights how sometimes it’s not about the candi dates but about the D or R that comes af ter their names.

“I do support fracking. And I don’t, I don’t. I support fracking, and I stand and I do support fracking.” Mr. Fetter

man when asked at the debate to explain his shifting position on fracking, a critical issue in a Pennsylvania

“I’m a surgeon; I’m not a politi cian. We take big problems, we focus on them, and we fix them. We do it by uniting, by coming together, not di viding.” - Dr. Oz summing up his candi dacy at the debate

Georgia Senate Herschel Walker (R) v. Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) (RCP Average: Walker +1.4) (Latest poll: Walker + 3)

In January 2021, Raphael Warnock (D) won a Special Election to finish the term of a Republican senator that retired due

to ill health. Although Georgia has histor ically been a red state and a Republican was expected to win that Special Election race, then-President Trump – who was upset at the way Republicans in Georgia handled the 2020 presidential election count – laid political-mines that were too much for the Republican candidate to overcome. That, combined with a growing African-American demographic in Geor gia, propelled Warnock, a pastor in a large African-American church, to victory, de spite being out of step politically with the majority of the Georgia electorate. Now, Warnock is running for a full-term.

Identity politics has largely been taken out of the equation because the Republi cans are running Herschel Walker, an Af rican-American who is considered royalty in Georgia: He was a star running-back at University of Georgia, where he won a National Championship in 1980 and the

Heisman Trophy in 1982, before becom ing a star in the NFL. Despite his pedigree and being Trump’s candidate in a tradi tionally red state (last presidential elec tion aside), Herschel’s personal character has been called into question in this race. As such, Walker may not be able to run this one into the end-zone.

Even if Walker comes out ahead on election day, there will likely be a runoff election in early December – in Georgia, if the winning candidate doesn’t get 50% of the vote, there is another election. (As of now, the polls have Walker getting a bit under 48% of the vote.) If there is a runoff election, and the outcome will determine which party has a senate majority, an unprecedented amount of money will be poured into that runoff race.

“I’ve never pretended to be a police officer.” Sen. Warnock at the last debate,

referencing a claim by Walker that he has worked with law enforcement and the FBI in the past

“You have a prop! You’re very well aware of the rules. Please put that away!” Debate moderator when Her schel Walker pulled a badge out of his pocket

“It’s not a prop. This is real.” Walk er, in response

– who stumbled into the job after her predecessor resigned in disgrace – does not believe that crime is an issue, though. In fact, despite a 30% increase in mur ders last year and a rise in almost every other category of crime, Hochul declared that those who claim that crime is on the rise are “master manipulators” and “data deniers.” Equating concern about being pushed in front of a subway cart with Jan uary 6th is not going to endear Ms. Hochul to anyone. Even so, it is a tall order for a Republican to win in the bluest of states, although judging by the amount of Zeldin lawn signs one may conclude that it will be a blowout. Remember, though, 1,000 Zeldin signs on public property only means that he has at least one enthusi astic staffer.

The last Republican to win the New York governor’s race was George Pataki. In 1994, when he won his first term by defeating Mario Cuomo, Pataki lost New York City 70% to 30% but still won the race because he won almost every coun ty outside of New York City. Zeldin’s best route is to follow that path and sweep the out-of-New York City vote. Even if Zeldin doesn’t win every county outside of New York City, he is likely to run up his num bers in Nassau and Suffolk County, which may give him some cushion. Within New York City – where people are fed up with crime – if Zeldin could get close to 35% of the New York City vote, he will be the next governor of New York .

“What are we, halfway through the debate – she still hasn’t talking about locking up anyone who commits any crimes.” – Rep. Lee Zeldin

“I don’t know why that’s so im portant to you.” – Gov. Kathy Hochul in response

2020 and remains popular there. Ryan has been painting himself as an inde pendent-minded Democrat. He has been distancing himself from Pres. Joe Biden and has declared that he does not believe that Biden should run in 2024.

“This great replacement theory was the motivator for the shooting in Buffalo, where that shooter had all these great replacement theory writings that J.D. Vance agrees with.” Rep. Tim Ryan, at the last debate, ac cusing J.D. Vance of believing in fringe theories

“This is disgusting. Here’s exact ly what happens when the media and people like Tim Ryan accuse me of engaging in ‘Great Replacement Theory.’ What happens is my own children, my biracial children, get at tacked by [losers] online and in per son because you are so desperate for political power that you’ll accuse me, the father of three beautiful biracial babies, of engaging in racism. We’re sick of it.” – Vance, in response

Arizona Governor

Kari Lake (R) v. Katie Hobbs (D) (RCP: Lake + 3.8)

New York Governor’s Race Kathy Hochul (D) v. Lee Zeldin (R) (RCP: Hochul +7.3)

This race is about three things: Crime, crime, and crime. Gov. Kathy Hochul

Ohio Senate Race

J.D. Vance (R) v. Tim Ryan (D) (RCP: Vance +2.0)

This race can be summed up as insid er v. disrupter. Democratic congress man Tim Ryan has been in Congress since 2003 and even ran in the Democrat presidential primaries for a minute. JD Vance is an Iraq War veteran, venture capitalist, and bestselling author of Hill billy Elegy, which has been turned into a Netflix movie. Vance was propelled to the nomination by winning the endorse ment of Donald Trump, who won Ohio in

This race seems to be all about the past – the 2020 presidential elections. Ms. Lake has riled the Democrat estab lishment and the media by not abiding by their rule that nobody is allowed to question the integrity of the 2020 pres idential elections. Lake, a former TV re porter, has repeatedly echoed Trump’s claims that the 2020 elections were sto len. Ms. Hobbs, who is the Arizona Secre tary of State, has been one of the leading voices in Arizona defending the results of the 2020 elections. Congresswoman Liz Cheney, who has become one of the titular prosecutors of anyone who chal lenges the results of the 2020 elections, is running ads in Arizona urging people not to vote for her fellow Republican. In response, Lake penned an open letter to Cheney, who is despised by many Repub licans, informing her that her ads have had the opposite effect and have resulted in a fundraising boon for Lake.

“My team tells me your commercial should add another 10 points to our lead! I guess that’s why they call the Cheney anti-endorsement the gift that keeps on giving,” Lake said.

TJH Speaks with Anthony D’Esposito, Candidate for Congress, NY-4

By Susan Schwamm

Anthony, you’ve really been gear ing up for the elections. How has that been going?

It’s really been going great. People always say, “Oh, it’s election season. Things get busy.” During my tenure on the Town board, I try to treat every year, every day, like it’s election season. I al ways try to get to as many places and meet as many people as I can. When people have events or there are things going on in the community, for the peo ple who are putting the events together or are being honored, that’s the most important thing to them that day. It’s important to them; you’ve got to make it important to you. And now I’m just doing it on a little bit of a wider scale.

though, is that the issues really remain the same, whether you’re in the Five Towns or whether you’re in Levittown, whether you’re in Floral Park or Rose or in Uniondale. The issues that bother or concern people the most are the cost of living, the inflation issues, and crime.

to get our fuel back in check, and put money in people’s pockets.

This year is unique because we’re not dealing with partisan issues. It’s not Republican issues. It’s not Democrat is sues. We’re dealing with American and local issues. You hear it from every walk of the district.

What do you tell people when they complain to you about rising prices?

I am confident that help is on the way. I think that come January 1, you’re going to have an opportunity to have a balance of power in Washington, DC, and not have our Capitol controlled by one party. The Republicans have put out a plan called “Commitment to America.”

Back in 2021, I won my last re-elec tion with 70% of the vote. I’ve told peo ple I didn’t win with 70% of the vote be cause I only depended on Republicans and Conservatives. I got 70% of the vote because Democrats and Liberals and In dependents and Republicans and Con servatives supported me because they see me as a common sense candidate. And I think that’s what’s going to carry through to November.

What’s important to note is that 98 percent of the district is the Town of Hempstead. As you know, for the last 112 years, the Republicans have kept control of the Town of Hempstead. We won Town of Hempstead townwide elec tions in 2021 by over 50,000 votes. It’s clear that people aren’t voting by par ty line. They’re voting common sense. They’re voting candidates that they feel they have a connection to and they trust and deliver for them.

Do you feel that the Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade will move voters to vote for your op ponent?

For the past few months, you’ve been crisscrossing the Congressio nal district, which is larger than your district as a councilperson. What have you been hearing from people in the district? What’s on their minds?

The Congressional district is not only larger than my Council district, it’s also larger than the Town of Hemp stead, which is the largest town in the nation. It’s a big congressional district. It covers a lot of area.

What I’m hearing from residents,

It’s based on an economy that’s strong, a nation that’s safe, a future built on free dom, and a government that’s held ac countable. If we can find a way – which we will – to reach across the aisle, we’re going to find a way to maximize produc tion of reliable, cleaner, American-made energy and work on cutting the permit ting process time in half to reduce re liance on foreign countries. That will help us to see our numbers start to go down. We also need to strengthen the supply chain and dependence on foreign nations, especially China. Those are all ways to put things back on our shelves,

In the Fourth Congressional Dis trict, what’s the make-up of Re publicans versus Democrats?

After the redistricting, it is a “Dem ocrat plus four and a half” district, which means that Biden won in the dis trict by about four and a half points. It’s changed so many times with the redis tricting debacle, but that’s the number that they’re at now.

The actual numbers of Democrats vs. Republicans, I believe, is around 55/45, with 55 percent being Democrats.

It will definitely sway some voters, but I think it’s also going to ignite the fire of a lot of other voters who realize that the Supreme Court’s decision only said that it’s up to the states to decide when it comes to these issues. Here in New York, nothing’s going to change. Women’s reproductive rights are still protected. At the end of the day, when people are heading home at night and putting food on their table for their families, they’re concerned about how they’re going to continue to do that. They’re concerned about how they’re go ing to heat their homes, put gas in their cars, and get to school.

sowners are concerned about keeping products on the shelves, making sure that local restaurants have the ability to keep things on the menu, because they just can’t afford to keep things in stock. That’s the stuff that matters to the voters on Long Island.

the NYPD have to deal with every day on the streets of New York?

You mentioned small busines sowners and their struggles. What about the struggle for busi nessowners to find employees? Nobody wants to work anymore. What can we do on a federal level to get America back to work?

I think that we need to provide in centives especially to small businesses. We saw that during the COVID-19 pan demic, there was so much help provid ed, or at least attempted to provide to lo cal businesses to keep places open to get people back to work. There needs to be a focus on workforce. This isn’t just get ting back into action from a pandemic. Quite frankly, the lack of employees is a pandemic of its own. We need to focus specifically on getting people back to work. We need to sit down with cham bers of commerce and local business organizations throughout the nation, but specifically here on the East Coast because I think it’s something that is a driving force of a lot of businesses un able to keep their doors open. There’s opportunity for us to provide resourc es, education, funding, and incentives to get people through the door of local businesses and put those gloves on and get to work.

It’s a travesty. But it’s a travesty that was avoidable, and it’s a travesty that was created by the Democrats, the woke agenda, and the radicals both in Wash ington, DC, and here in New York. As we saw last year, people are tired of it, and people are sending a message, and that message is going to continue in 2022.

Take the example of Todd Kaminsky, a sitting senator who was a hard worker, who had $3 million in the bank when he decided to run for DA. The Republicans

thrown in front of trains, assaulted on the trains. Just the other day, a para medic on duty was stabbed to death in broad daylight.

Sometimes, people say to me, “Well, Anthony, you keep talking about the city. That’s not a federal issue.” It is a federal issue because when I travel to Washington, DC, and speak to people from Middle America, they say, “Oh my G-d, you’re running in New York. That’s AOC land, right?” They think AOC rep resents all of New York. We need to start sending a message that there’s a louder

dren to school in the city. It’s what they are dealing with on an everyday basis.

The fact that we’re letting criminals control our agenda is ridiculous. Just a couple of weeks ago, I was in a CVS in Franklin Square, and I saw a gentleman walking out of the store with an armful of items, and I looked at the cashier. She shrugged her shoulders and said, “Yeah, we don’t stop them. We have been told by CVS Corporate that we don’t engage anyone who’s shoplifting. We just let them take the stuff and walk out.”

This is the New York that we’ve cre ated. We’ve created a place where we go to work every day to pay our bills and put food on our table and we’re just go ing to allow people to walk into stores and take whatever they want? There are so many things wrong with that. How long are stores going to be able to stay open under a rule like this?

The crime issue is out of control, and the people who right now have the pow er in Albany and in DC fan the flames of this each and every day, whether it’s Nancy Pelosi, whether it’s AOC, whether it is Hochul and the state Democrats.

Speaking about Washington, there’s so much partisanship right now. How would you move legis lation forward in the House while having to work across the aisle?

You’re a retired NYPD detective. Yes. I was on the force for 16 years.

What do you say when you see videos of what police officers in

ran a career prosecutor of 32 years who was virtually unknown in politics, and she won that election in a county where Democrats outnumber Republicans by over 50,000 votes. If that’s not Nassau County sending a message that they are tired of being governed by these far-left liberals and taking their orders from New York City, I don’t know what it is.

That message from voters is going to continue, because crime hasn’t stopped. We’ve seen over the last month people

voice and there are representatives that are going to stand up to that.

Secondly, the city issues are Long Is land issues because hundreds and thou sands of people who live in the Fourth Congressional District travel to New York City or one of the five boroughs each day to work. Whether they’re cops, firemen, EMTs, whether they drive a bus, whether they are in labor, wheth er they work in office buildings … they travel into the city, they send their chil

Firstly, I am confident that espe cially with this seat being flipped from Democrat to Republican, we will take the House and put Republicans in the majority.

I have a unique background, and I think it’s one that right now voters on Long Island appreciate. I’m a former chief of the fire department. I was a New York City detective. I’m not some body who’s a career politician. I worked my entire NYPD career in Brownville, Brooklyn, which is probably one of

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top three most violent square miles in New York City and probably one of the most top 10 violent square miles in the United States of America. During my entire career, I worked in a team-based atmosphere, and I sat in cars with men and women who grew up in different places, grew up in different economic backgrounds, went to different schools, practiced different religions, had differ ent color skin, and definitely, without a doubt, had different political ideologies.

But in all the work that I did over those years, my life depended on them, and their life depended on me. And we went out every single day. I had a great career in the NYPD. I had over 600 arrests. I removed hundreds and was part of con fiscating over 1,000 guns off New York City streets. And we did it safely. We did it respectfully.

So you see, I have the ability to work with people and understand people and talk to people. I mean, I’m the only per son in this race that has sat across from criminals and got them to admit to mur dering or killing or shooting or stabbing someone to death. That takes an ability of patience, that takes the willingness to work. And I’m going to take that same willingness to work, the same willing ness to get the job done, and bring it to Washington, DC.

days and bringing a victory to Nassau County in Long Island. And then, once we get to Washington, we’ll focus on the next election.

What do you do to relax?

Sometimes it’s nice to just go out for a quick run or kind of veg out on the couch and watch a meaningless TV show, but like you said, there’s not much time for relaxation these days,

polls?

All the advertising and campaign ing is important. But there’s nothing like the good, old, personal touch, and that’s something that I’ve been taught.

Tip O’Neill wrote the famous book called All Politics is Local where he ref erences one of his first times running as an older man. He went home that night and visited his neighbor and said, “I didn’t make it this time,” and then he asked her, “Did you vote for me?” And

that’s going to be their voice in Wash ington, DC. And I say it often, Long Is land is very different. We are not a farright or a far-left community. We’re a very moderate community. We want safe streets, we want affordable living, and we want a good quality of life. And that’s something that I’ve delivered during my six years on the Town board. Over the last four, we’ve either lowered taxes or held the line on taxes. We’ve increased resources. We’ve taken great strides against the BDS movement. There are things that we’ve done on a local level that municipalities from throughout the country look at us and say, “Wow, they are really a step ahead of everything and anything that we can think of.” That is what I want to continue to bring to DC as a member of Congress.

Do you feel that politics has be come much more divisive?

Absolutely. Let’s not just point the finger at far-left Democrats because there’s plenty of far-left conservative Republicans that have also fanned the fire. There’s guilt on both sides. But I think that there’s going to be a real ref erendum sent across America this year, similar to the one that was sent across Nassau County in 2021.

When you get to Washington, is there any specific legislation that you’d like to work on or any com mittees you’d like to join?

Just based on my background, I’d love to be considered for Homeland Se curity, Oversight, perhaps the judiciary. I definitely want to join the bipartisan SALT Caucus so we can hopefully get rid of the SALT caps and at the very least fight for it.

2024: Trump or DeSantis?

I don’t know, to be honest with you. Right now, my focus is on the next few

that’s for sure. I like to read. Right now, I’m in the middle of reading Ambassa dor Friedman’s book, Sledgehammer, to try to brush up on some Israel foreign policy relations, which has been inter esting because there has been a lot of lo cal mentions, including the Five Towns and Rabbi Wolowik from the Chabad of the Five Towns.

she said, “No, I didn’t.” He said, “What do you mean? I’ve known you my whole life. You babysat my sister.” And she said, “You never asked.”

How do you get people to the

That’s an important message. I think that’s why you need to be out there day and night and you need to shake those hands and talk to people. And most im portantly, it’s not just emotion. You need to really interact and engage people so that they know that you’re the person that they can trust. You’re the person

I’m a boots-on-the-ground type of guy. This is my life. I wake up doing this. I go to bed doing this. And I think that having that boots on the ground, being at those ribbon-cuttings, being at the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, it gives you a better idea of what’s going on in the community. In the police de partment, we had a saying that you al ways drove around with the windows down. Whether it was freezing cold or 100 degrees out, you wanted the windows down so you could hear and smell the streets. And that’s exactly what you need to do as an elected offi cial. You need to be in the community so you could hear and smell the streets and know the issues that matter. And I think that that’s what we’re lacking right now. I think that during my tenure as fire chief from 2016, during my entire tenure as a member of the Town board, I could probably count on one hand the amount of times I’ve seen our current member of Congress at an event. And I’m not talking holistically. I’m talking about community events where people want to see the people who represent them. I think that’s something that is going to change, and I’m going to be that person that’s on the ground. I’m going to be the person that’s accessible, whether it’s social media, whether it’s out on the streets, whether it’s having a staff that engages the community, all of that stuff is important and it’s all the stuff that I’ve done. And I think that is what’s going to bring the voter turnout in November.

TJH Speaks with Laura Gillen, Candidate for Congress, NY-4

By Susan Schwamm

Laura, this is an exciting time for you because you were Town Super visor a few years ago. Now, you’ve tossed your hat back into the ring. How does that feel?

It feels great. I loved the work that I got to do as Supervisor of the Town of Hempstead. I believe in public service. I believe government jobs should actu ally be focused on public service, which is helping the people who elect you and helping residents, whether it’s by saving money, by helping them get access to re sources they need, and by helping them in their everyday lives. I feel that there are some people in public service who think it’s more about handing out contracts and jobs to family and friends. Certainly, that’s what I found when I got to the Town of Hempstead, and I was on a mission to change that.

I’m really excited about the opportu nity to get back into public service again and go down to Washington and work for the residents of this district and really bring some very positive, tangible results back home.

I’m the only candidate in this race who never voted to raise taxes. My op ponent voted to raise taxes repeatedly. I also found ways to cut a lot of waste and contracts that hadn’t been put out to bid in decades and we were not getting the best value for our residents. I cut a lot of unnecessary expenditures and really reined in and brought some fiscal sani ty to the Town of Hempstead. You would see at board meetings, I would routinely speak out against expenditures that my opponent would put forward onto the Town agenda that were not in the bud get, and he would vote repeatedly to just ignore the budget and just pay for things that we hadn’t accounted for, mostly sala ries and raises and promotions, just add ing to the already overburdened payroll at the Town of Hempstead.

in their family. I also started a middle camp at Camp Anchor. That’s something that I’m very proud of as well.

You mentioned fiscal responsibility and sanity. I love that term. I’m sure that when you’re speak ing to a lot of your constituents, probably foremost on their minds is the economy. When they go to the grocery store, their bills are 25% to 30% more than last year. What could you do when you get to Washington to help Americans who are feeling the squeeze?

always speak out for what is best for the people who live in my district.

When you were Town Supervisor, what were certain things that you did that you felt really made a dif ference in your constituents’ lives?

Before I had gotten to Town Hall, un der the Kate Murray and Anthony Santino administration, taxes had gone up over $99 million just during their two differ ent administrations. When I got to Town Hall, taxes went down.

In addition to reining in those expen ditures, I also started improving the IT infrastructure of the Town. I cooperated with the US Attorney’s office and with the District Attorney’s office to root out corruption. There are two ongoing inves tigations – I think they’re still ongoing – into alleged nefarious activities going on in the Town. We passed ethics reform, which I think was really important, to try to root out some cronyism and nepotism.

We expanded Camp Anchor, which is a camp for special needs children and adults. That was a priority for me. We had a lot of people on the waiting list, and I wanted to get more campers off the waiting list and into the camp because it’s such an incredible resource for those families who have special needs members

This has always been a priority of mine. I am a mother raising four chil dren. I go to the grocery store, and I see those same bills that you do, and I know that we have to get those costs under con trol. Again, you need creative solutions to solve these kinds of problems. That was something that I did. I have on the record for doing it in the Town of Hampstead.

For example, just looking at different contracts, re-vetting them, getting better deals – that’s what I did in Hempstead. So in Washington, that’s the same kind of approach that I’m going to do. I’m going to roll up my sleeves and get to work and look at how we can prevent price gouging to the extent we see price gouging. We saw a lot of that after COVID. It’s strange because the Democrats had passed mea sures to avoid price gouging and the Re publicans voted against it. I’ll never be someone who just goes along party lines. If it’s going to hurt my residents, I will

You spoke just briefly about gas prices on a federal level. People have been saying that the Demo crats have contributed to the crisis by shutting certain gas lines in the U.S. What do you say about that? Energy costs are a concern. I’m very happy that the price of gas is going down. But again, an important thing to know is this is something that I even looked at when I was Town Supervisor. I brought a program to the town called Community Choice Aggregation, which would allow the Town, the municipality, to go out into the markets and negotiate for better ener gy rates for their residents and potentially bring savings to their home energy bills. I put forward this legislation, and An thony D’Esposito killed it. If it had gone forward, we would have been negotiating in around March or April of 2020 when energy was trading almost at a negative value. The price is based on published national grid rates. Based on their public rates, the residents of the Town of Hemp stead who would have opted into the pro gram would have enjoyed probably ener gy bills that would have been 50% lower now. Now, they’re paying twice as much on their energy bills directly as a result of Anthony D’Esposito. And that’s what we need to stop in Congress. People who just want to play partisan games and care about party more than they care about people. I’ve always shown that I put the

people that I represent first.

When I was Town of Hempstead Su pervisor, I was just fighting in the name of good government. I didn’t care what party anybody who worked in the Town was. I just cared about getting good things done. And that’s the same kind of attitude that I’m going to bring to Wash ington, where we desperately need peo ple who are not partisan hacks, who are just all about party; we need people who will go down there and do the work and stand up against their party. For example, the “Squad” and their policies on Israel, I will never go along with that. I will fight against The Squad. I don’t care if they’re in my party if I don’t agree with what I think is in the best interests of our coun try and the best interests of the people that I represent.

Laura with her family

Rep. Kathleen Rice – whose seat you are running for – always stood up for the community she represent ed, which we always appreciated, especially with regards to the Iran nuclear deal and Israel. Speaking about The Squad, do you feel that the Democrat Party has become a little too to the left in accommo dating people like The Squad?

I’ve seen some things that I don’t agree with within my party, and I’m the first to call them out. For example, I’m on the record when I was Town Super visor, at the time they were passing the cashless bail law, of speaking out against it because I thought it was rushed and I thought it posed a risk of putting danger ous people out on the streets. So, I have stood up to my party.

And when it comes to Israel, I am hawkish on Israel, and I believe that Is rael is one of our nation’s most important allies, and I will always stand up for it. I’m very fearful of a nuclear Iran. And so if a deal is presented to me, I certainly will take an extremely aggressive look at it and talk to people in the community, with members, say, for example, of AI PAC, and get their perspective on it. And if the deal doesn’t have real teeth in it for real enforcement that I think will be ef fective to keep Israel safe and keep the world safe, then I would not support it.

Attorney’s Office and with the District At torney’s Office when I was the Town Su pervisor and cooperated with them fully in terms of investigations that they were conducting. I think we have a crisis, a lit tle bit of a crisis, with mental health right now. A lot of the crimes that we’re seeing sensationalized in the paper are crimes that are being perpetrated by people with serious mental health illness. We need to make sure that we’ve been funded here to get those dangerous mentally ill people off the streets and into treatment so that they can lead better lives and our commu nities can be safer.

I also think that a lot of the violence that we’re seeing in the streets is gun vi olence, and we need to get guns off our

in West Hempstead, where an employee at a local supermarket opened fire and killed three people with a semi-automat ic weapon.

guns off our streets. And that’s something that I’ll work for as well.

You’re an attorney. Let’s talk about Roe v. Wade. Is this going to be an issue that will help you in the election?

Let’s talk about another important concern on voters’ minds. Aside from the economy, people are concerned about public safety.

I’ve always been a supporter of law enforcement. I have worked with the US

streets. I have a very aggressive gun safe ty plan that I intend to put forward and move in Congress when I get elected that will hold gun manufacturers accountable. I’m a mother of four, and there’s nothing scarier to me than the thought of another mass shooting in our schools, at parades, in our malls, or in the movie theaters. We’re not safe anywhere anymore be cause of the scourge of gun violence that we see here on Long Island – we saw it

I’m ready to take on the NRA. And this is not anti Second Amendment. If you want to be a lawful, law-abiding cit izen who wants to obtain a hunting rifle, that’s one thing. But we need to have an assault weapons ban. We have to get weapons like AR-15s, military assault ri fles off our streets along with high-capac ity magazines. There’s no reason why any person needs to buy those things. I am all in favor of banning those weapons to make sure that our communities will be safer and to support other legislation like universal background checks and waiting periods. Waiting periods protect us from people who might, on an impulse, go buy a gun and commit violence, like domestic violence, and it also protects people who are depressed and might go and commit suicide. This is just common sense, good legislation that will help make our com munity safer.

We also have to get more aggressive about the sale of gun parts where you can evade background checks and get ghost

It’s something that people thought would never happen. They kind of thought the law was settled on this issue and that the parameters of Roe would stay in place. And now we’re talking about a national abortion ban with no excep tions that’s been proposed and that will happen if the control of the House and the Senate flips. That’s a really big concern for people. These are issues that are human rights issues. A woman should have the autonomy to make her own health care decisions. I’m someone who’s experienced difficult pregnancies and risks. And this issue really resonates with me, as with many other women who know what that’s like and who know that they need to have that decision made between them and their doctors, and the government has no business getting involved in what could be a highly charged emotional and health care decision.

In your district, do you think that will help turn voters to vote for you as opposed to your opponent?

I think people are very worried about this, yes. And I think that they want someone who’s going to defend individ ual autonomy over health care decisions, so yes.

Do you feel that the Supreme Court needs to be changed or there needs to be adjustments made in the Supreme Court?

I think that it’s disturbing when a Court becomes too politicized. I think the reverence that people have held his torically for the Supreme Court is being eroded because they look at it as a par tisan legislative body instead of kind of an impartial adjudicator of the law. We’ve seen gamesmanship with refusing to have hearings on justices. There’s too much partisanship that has become involved in the Supreme Court. What is the per fect solution? Maybe term limits. I don’t know if I favor adding additional jus tices, because when will it end? One side will get control and they’ll add justices, then somebody else will add more when they’re in power. But I think that it’s un fortunate that it seems like the Supreme

Court has become politicized instead of an impartial arbiter of the law.

Around 27% of Congress is female. What does that mean for you?

I don’t know the exact percentage. But I know, with the loss of Carolyn Maloney, and I think there’s only three female con gresswomen in the delegation from New York, we need more women involved in public service, because I think when we have a perspective that’s unique and that’s important for people to bring to govern ment.

We know about certain issues. Af ter one of the mass shootings, I was re searching bulletproof backpacks for my children because when I grew up, you went to school, you were safe. I feel like women have this perspective. We go to the grocery store. We send our kids to school. And I think that perspective is really im portant.

Another thing I think that’s also im portant that I bring to Congress is private sector experience. That helped me a lot in my role as Town of Hempstead Supervi sor, because I’ve had a varied career. I was a litigator at the highest level of practice in Manhattan. My legal background brought a lot to bear on my duty as the Town Su pervisor. I worked in an entertainment agency. I’ve had a number of different jobs over my career, and I think having a rich professional background will help you in your government service. That’s really important instead of just being a career politician.

because that kind of gives you perspec tive. The work that I’m doing is really im portant. I really believe that I’m the right person for this job and that I will do the best job advocating for the people that I represent. But it’s also important to know that I’m raising a family. And that brings you back down to earth because you can talk about what’s going on in school, and that kind of relaxes me and makes me say, the job is important but so is my family.

Speaking about children, what are your thoughts about education and government dictating how and what private schools should be teaching students?

I think there’s certainly a valid place and an appropriate place for some re ligious schools, if that’s what parents choose to do. But I think that we have to make sure that people who graduate from schools have certain basic compe tencies so that they can be able to go into the workplace if they so choose and have a certain set of skills and a certain edu cational degree. I think that’s important just to protect those children. But I do be lieve that if people want to send their kids to schools to study a particular faith and

would be discussed in certain classes that they were giving to the kids. And I’m pretty sure you could choose to not send your child if you didn’t want your child to go to that information session. With that situation, you have parental influence, be cause you could preview what was being said and you could make the appropriate choice that you thought was right for your family.

just young people; it’s also senior citizens. I’ve had some of my kids’ friends lose their parents to suicide. I want to make sure that people who live in this district and people who live across the country have better access to healthcare to prevent these tragedies from occurring.

When you get to Washington, are there certain committees that you’d like to join or certain leg -

I’m also looking at – when you’re a freshman member, you can’t always get on the high-profile committees – but home land security is an issue that I would be very interested in being on because being in New York, I think we are in a position where that’s a real concern for us because we are a target city. And so that’s some thing where I would like to be advocating to make sure that our city and my constit uents are safe.

Do you feel that being a mother has helped you become a better politi cian for your constituents?

Yes, because I think it’s a good expe rience. The kitchen table issues that peo ple are worried about right now are the same issues that I’m concerned about. You know, I own a home. I pay property tax es. I don’t believe my opponent pays any property taxes – he doesn’t own a home. I have the same concerns that the people in my district have who are raising families here, just like me. We talk about these is sues on the lacrosse fields or at school ac tivities. My son goes to parochial school.

enrich their educational experience with a faith set of instructions as well, certainly that’s something that I respect.

islation that you want to push through?

You spoke about social media with regards to mental health. Should Congress tackle the subject of so cial media or violent video games? Is that something that we should be regulating on a federal level?

It’s a tough question, because we have to counterbalance that with First Amend ment rights. So it’s always like a needle that you have to thread very carefully. But I do think when we see threats and we see really aggressive bullying conduct, that’s something that we want to try to get off social media.

With four kids and all your obliga tions, what do you do to relax?

I try to spend some time with my fam ily and my daughter and talk about what’s going on in school or talk about what’s go ing on at the football game with my son,

What about teaching children about certain issues like “gender identity” or other issues that go against parents’ values?

There are certain concepts that I be lieve should be taught to children at a cer tain age. I remember when my children were in fifth or sixth grade, they called the parents to a meeting to find out what

I mentioned in terms of public safety, mental health is a really important issue to me. So that’s something that I do want to work on. I feel like we have such a crisis right now where we have so many kids –maybe some of the aftereffects of COVID, but just with social media – who are ex periencing mental health issues. Unfor tunately, last week, it was heartbreaking – a young man in my son’s school took his own life. We have got to stop this. There’s a real crisis going on. And it’s not

To be honest with you, I’m trying to think if it’s best addressed at a federal lev el, because it could be uniform, where we could have people being bullied from out side their state if it was a state law issue. But I am very sensitive to First Amend ment concerns as well.

Laura, I enjoyed speaking with you and hearing your common sense, practical, feet-on-the-ground in sights. We wish you much luck on Election Day.

Lighting the menorah with Rabbi Perl

TJH Speaks with Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Candidate for State Senate

By Susan Schwamm

Patricia, you’ve been involved in Malverne politics, but some peo ple may not have heard about you. Tell us just a little bit about you and your background.

I’m a lifelong resident in the Village of Malverne. I’m an attorney and a CPA. I’m a mom of four. I’m partners with my father – who is 88 years old – in my law practice for over 20 years. After working in the city for big firms and then having children, I just wanted to be closer to home.

Because I’m also a CPA, I started do ing a lot of tax work. In my firm, I do es tate planning, estate administration, real estate, some estate litigation when it does come up, tax work.

I became a village trustee back in 2011. My husband, Jim Callahan, was the commissioner of emergency management and deputy mayor on the village board in Malverne. He passed away very suddenly after a very brief illness in 2011. At the time, I was a single mom with four chil dren under the age of 11. Patti McDonald, the then-mayor, appointed me to fill his spot on the village board.

been doing that since July 2011. In full disclosure, at one point, I did take a brief step off the board to take care of my fam ily. I needed to be home a little bit more at the time for my kids.

My experience on the village board really led me to realize that, on a vil lage scale, on a small scale, you can do so much grassroots. You can get things done and monitor what is going on. Our budget in Malverne is about $17 million. I was the budget director, worried about bonding and financing and balancing budgets and getting grants. I know that I could take that experience to the state level to help us.

mise. But when you have only one side speaking, you get that one side to an ex treme, which isn’t good for anybody. We need more balance in Albany. That has to happen. If you elect more people that are Democrats, they’re just going to keep doing what they’re doing.

decisions. New York predated that and already passed the Women’s Health Act. That protected a woman’s right to have an abortion up until the point of birth. And if the baby, through an attempted abortion, is actually delivered, they’re allowed to kill that baby. That, to me, is inhumane. But there’s nothing I can change about that. That’s the law.

When you get to Albany, the chanc es of us still having a Democrat Senate is going to be very, very strong.

That was probably so overwhelm ing at such a raw time.

It was very, very challenging. But as a mom, it gave me something to do outside the house that was about me and giving to others.

In our village board, we have a may or and four trustees, so everybody gets assigned departments. Eventually, I became the budget director, the deputy mayor, and the police commissioner. I’ve

What other skills would you take to the state level?

I’m a strong advocate. I’m not afraid to stand up and say what needs to be done and when things are wrong. My budget skills are very good. Obviously, being an attorney, I know how to draft legislation.

I have a number of things on my mind that I’d like to try to pursue at the state level. Right now, cashless bail has creat ed such havoc in our communities. It’s made our communities unsafe and pro duced a lack of support for the police. All of this has come from the top down. Our leadership doesn’t promote that.

This is coming from the governor, our state senators, the State Assembly. It’s all one-party rule right now in New York. One-party rule is never good. We all probably tend to be more toward the middle when you bring everybody to gether. That’s where you have compro

Yes, but I feel very confident that we’re going to elect four out of the five senators from Nassau County. We are very, very strong. Jim Coll’s a great can didate. You never know what can happen, but I believe Jack Martins, Steve Rhodes, and Alexis Weik will win, along with me winning this seat. And this will happen even if there are more Democrats in this district.

This is Democrats’ way of deflecting away from the real issues that are affect ing our everyday life like the economy, inflation, the price of gas, the price of groceries. There’s a spending problem in New York. There’s a crime problem in New York. And this is their way of taking people’s attention away from that. It’s the only issue they have.

How would you be able to push any legislation through by being a minority in the Senate?

Do they all vote?

A lot of people are not necessarily vot ing party lines this time, because they’re not focused on party politics. They’re fo cused on common sense politics as well.

The Democrats are making Roe v Wade a big issue on the campaign trail. What do you say to that?

The New York State legislation is se cured that a woman’s right to have an abortion is protected. That’s already on the books. What the recent Supreme Court legislation said is that it’s delegat ed to the states to make their individual

One of the things I pride myself on is that I am willing to work with anybody. I am a very reasonable, professional per son that is not going to allow politics to affect what is best for our constituents. The mayor in Malverne is currently a Democrat. The mayor prior to him was a Democrat. I’ve always worked with them for the betterment of our constituents. That is why I believe that with reason able people – and yes, there will be peo ple that are very far left that we won’t be able to talk to – we will be able to work together.

Some other of the elected officials have told me that it’s really important to work with the other side to get things done. Sometimes even if you don’t put

your name on it, if someone else’s name is on it, it will pass. That’s what I hope to do – work with the other Long Island senators to do what’s best for Long Island because right now, the control has been focused on New York City. Long Island is very different than New York City, and we need to do what’s best for us.

The list of crimes that are out there that you cannot set bail for, that also has to be adjusted. For instance, how incon sistent is it that they’re arguing about gun laws, yet if you are arrested with an illegal gun, you cannot set bail? How cra zy is that? It’s inconsistent.

Malverne is around 8,000 people strong, but your Senate district is pretty wide and diverse. How are you going to be the best advocate for the whole Senate district if it’s so big and not necessarily cohesive?

Well, within my district, there are certain similarities. I’m spending time in each of my communities to try to learn about their concerns. With regards to the Five Towns, I’ve been meeting with constituents. I recently was at the Law rence Country Club when they had sort of a rally, to try to educate myself about the issues that are affecting the constituents. I’m heading to HALB now for a press conference. I’ve been running around tirelessly speaking to people, learning about their issues. That’s how I will be in the senate – traversing the district to talk to constituents.

Working with everybody, getting to know my communities, and getting to know what they need is part of my job because I’m supposed to represent them.

The criminals know that they can get away with it. Do the crime, not have to spend time, and then it’s a revolving door right now – and they know that.

The law should be tweaked, from what I know, and I do speak to DAs, law school classmates that are working in the DA’s office. Was there a need to ad just our system prime to the law? Yes. But I think they went too far, because they didn’t have to consult with the other side to come up with a balanced law.

what the constituency needs. And I be lieve that he will just rubber stamp what’s going on. We already have one-party rule. We need balance, and that’s why I think Republicans should be elected this year to create balance because it will allow whatever agenda Democrats are pushing to have to be softened, to bring it more toward the middle because that’s what we need – we need some compromise.

funding, probably, from the state to fix the problem. So the state senate could allocate funds to it.

You’re a busy mom, and you’ve been working and busy with the community for so many years. What are your secrets for a bal anced life?

You mentioned people who are suffering from mental health is sues in connection to crime. What could the senate do about that?

When you’re looking at the future of New York State, do you think that it has gone too far and that the pendulum is going to start to swing back? Or do you think that we’re going to keep on going the direction of AOC and Tlaib and their cronies?

I think that this election is critical.

Mental health is a critical issue to our gun issue. With regards to school shootings, behind every person that has used an illegal gun to conduct a mass shooting, there’s a mental health issue. We need to address mental health. Our teens have suffered terribly from COVID. Our teachers have suffered terribly from what’s gone on. We need to focus on providing mental health assistance in schools and for our community, in gen eral. There needs to be allocated more funding to mental health issues. Granted, I have not analyzed the budget of $220

I think asking for help from the peo ple that support you is so key so that I can focus on the things that need to be done by me. It is challenging, but I think that becoming involved in politics is so important. Our way of life is being chal lenged. I can’t watch the news anymore or read the newspaper without being up set by what’s going on.

It sounds a little corny, but you’re a people of faith, so you’ll understand. G-d blessed me with having a law degree and being a strong advocate. I have to use those tools to help my community, be cause if I just sit at home and complain, I’m not doing what G-d wants me to do He didn’t give me these skills for me to sit home and scream at my TV.

And certainly, when the opportunity came up to run, I paused. Do I have the time? How am I going to do this? I’m so busy. But my husband – I am remarried now – is very supportive. My children are very proud of me.

What’s on their minds?

It’s inflation, the economy, and crime. Those are the things that people are talking to me about all the time.

What can be done about the cash less bail system?

There was a number of problems, but one of the critical pieces of the law, I think, was removing the discretion of judges. If there is a repeat offender who’s a violent offender, who’s mentally ill – there could be a number of differ ent circumstances – we’ve taken away judges’ discretion to make a judgment about that circumstance. That, to me, is so wrong. And as an attorney, I think it’s unconstitutional that the legislature has limited the authority of the judges. We elect judges based on their qualifica tions. We want them to make judgments and protect our communities, but we’ve handcuffed them. There has to be discre tion to set bail for people that are repeat offenders.

Last year, we saw that with the election of the Republicans in Nassau County. This election is also going to show that the pendulum is continuing to swing back toward the middle in New York.

billion, but I have to believe that there’s a way of reallocating funds so that we could address the mental health issue because I think that will help with so many other issues.

You don’t really have too much free time, but what do you do in your free time?

I try to exercise. I watch “Friends.” I love to go outside. I love to go for walks, take my dogs out, spend time with my kids. I think that as a family we always tend to eat. There always seems to be a celebration to go out.

Your opponent is also relatively unknown in the community. Any reason why people should vote for you over him?

If you vote for him, he will side with the agenda that has been laid out from the Democrats that is pro-city, pro-crim inal, not supporting the constituents of this community. They’re not listening to

What could the state senate do to deal with the issue of the 878 so residents can get in and out of town safely and efficiently?

I’m aware that there’s a problem, al though I honestly am still learning about the details. As I learn the details, I will hopefully come up with some solutions. My understanding is that we need more

My grandfather came here from Sicily before World War I. And then, back at that time, they offered citizenship to for eigners if they fought in the war. So that’s how my grandfather became a citizen. He got injured in World War I and came back and raised his family here. But my father tells me the stories about how Ital ians were persecuted at that time – es pecially an immigrant who didn’t speak the language. So I always respect people that are sort of the underdogs because you have to stick with your family. You have to stick with your community and persevere for the sake of your family.

My father went to the Coast Guard Academy so that he could have an edu cation. He’s a self-made man in my eyes, because my grandparents didn’t even go

110 to high school, and yet he went to law school and has a law practice. So I tell him all the time, “You’re my success sto ry. You’re the reason we’re all here.” And I’m so proud of that.

What are some of those character istics that he passed on to you and to your kids?

He works very hard. He’s kind, and he’s thoughtful. He’s the kind of person that if you needed new shoelaces and you said, “Dad, I think I need new shoelaces,” the next day, it’s on your pillow and you wouldn’t even have to bug him or remind him.

And you’re one of six kids.

I’m one of six, yes.

And the other thing that he did, which I found fascinating, coming from an Ital ian background, is he always supported me and my sisters to do anything that my brothers could do. There’s no gen der difference in our family. And that’s why I think I’m as successful as I am because my dad always said, “You can do anything you want.” I think those are qualities that take us far. Who thought I

could be a senator? Well, look at me now. And the funny thing is I was pursued to do this. I was requested to run. I wasn’t going to put my hat in the ring, but I got a few phone calls to say, “Please come, and we need you to do this.” I was very flattered by that, and I also thought about the fact that if I’m elected, I will be Bruce Blakeman’s senator. I will be Chairman Cairo’s senator. I will be Anthony’s D’Es posito’s senator. It just made me think, “Holy cow, you guys really want me to be a senator. I’m going to be your senator.”

I’m humbled by it, but I need to work hard and have to earn this.

many people have right now, I have discovered.

I agree with you.

And that’s something I try to pass on to my kids. I am one of six. I had my pa per route when I was in seventh grade when we could have paper route, and I babysat and I worked in my church rec tory, and I did what I could from the time I was a kid to work hard. That’s what car ried me through. And that’s something I’m going to bring to the senate for my constituents.

There are 63 senators. Right now, there are 43 Democrats and only 20 Republi cans. We are hoping to bring that number very close to the balance.

How are you getting out the vote?

I am walking door to door throughout the district as much as possible. We are putting up lawn signs to bring awareness to the fact that there’s an important elec tion. There are mailers going out. There’s are TV ads going out, because I think it’s very important that people come out and vote. People have to reach out to the kids that are maybe at yeshiva who are not at home. I’ve gotten absentee ballots for my kids who are away at college. We have to make sure that communities know that it’s an important election and you have to vote.

That’s what we are constantly telling people: “Tell five friends.” And those five friends will tell other people. Tell them this is an important election. We’re at a crossroads. We need to vote this year.

What’s the makeup of the senate now?

That’s a characteristic that not

Every seat is up every two years.

Patricia, it’s been a real pleasure speaking with you. Best of luck on Election Day.

TJH Speaks with Paul King, Candidate for Congress, NY-5

By Susan Schwamm

Paul, this is your first foray into politics. What do you do for a liv ing?

I’m a managing partner at a consult ing firm. I like to say I’m a professional problem solver. Business process im provement is the discipline. But one of the parts I always talk about is the key to what is systems thinking.

People are always saying, “The sys tem is broken. It’s unfair.” And people are right a lot of the time, but few people have skills in fixing systems, and that’s why the government might throw mon ey at the fire as opposed to the fuel.

How long have you been doing that?

Close to 30 years.

You mentioned problem solving as a skill you would be bringing to the government level that you’ve learned along the way. Anything else, based on your work expe rience, that you feel you would need in Congress?

Oh, definitely. And certainly, this is just how life works out. Everyone thinks they have a plan. Then G-d brings you through in a totally different way. So, at a skill level, in addition to problem-solv ing, building consensus and compro mise is critical when you’re solving big problems. And I’ve had to do that with clients over the years. And frankly, I

work with a lot of very, very smart peo ple, so getting them to agree all the time can be difficult. Facilitating consensus is something that’s helped me as a civ ic leader, and I’m sure it’ll help me be cause I want to work across the aisle in Congress to get things done.

Let me just add one thing, though. With all the various clients I’ve worked with – hundreds in different industries – I’ve picked up a variety of skills. At the time I didn’t understand how relevant they are. For instance, just one example, I worked with an organization called Michigan Virtual a few years ago. It was before the pandemic. They helped K-12 schools with virtual education, distance education, homeschooling, and other related things. Having taught remotely in the past and then having this expe rience with a client that does distance education, I see what can work in help ing parents help their kids in the lower grades because if your son or daughter is falling behind in the reading because they’re not picking up in the classroom or they’re not getting essential math skills, by the time they are 8, 9, or 10, they might be really behind the curve.

That’s one example of an experience I had that was unrelated at the time to me running for Congress, but it helps me see solutions.

rience. What made you decide to jump into the race now?

My wife and I are worried about the future. We’ve got grandchildren. I think, in hindsight, the country has been go ing the wrong way with the divisiveness for a long time. And that leads to bad government policy, when it’s always us against them – whether it’s Democrats and Republicans or they start playing us off each other because religion or race. You kind of break down the moral core of the country. You don’t move together in the same direction. We’re feeling that now with policies that have given us all this crime and inflation.

I also think that so many people in the progressive movement don’t believe in the American Dream, which is just central to the American story and to so many families’ hopes and aspirations. And they’re undermining it with poli cy, and they’re also undermining it by spending money that our grandchildren and great-grandchildren are going to be burdened with the debt. It’s undermin ing our neighborhoods, undermining opportunity for the future, and under mining working-class people. People like Gregory Meeks, who I’m running against, who are supposed moderates, they’re just going along with the pro gram so that they can stay in power.

implement in order to get on the Republican ticket?

Last year’s election was very import ant in my district for city council. Joann Ariola ran against a young progressive woman who means well but has really bad ideas about how we should run the government. People in my neighborhood realized that this was a danger to us, so we helped Joann. It was the first time I actively helped out in a campaign. Just by observing, I got to learn a few things but also got to know Joann Ariola, who’s a key player in the Queens Republican Party. When I knew I wanted to run for Congress, I went to her, and that was very helpful. But also, like I said, you never know what G-d or dumb luck brings into your life. One of my clients is the National Review.

That’s interesting.

I’ve gotten to know their leadership pretty well. So I was able to go to them and explain, “Here’s what I’m thinking – my first time getting into politics at 58.” They had some advice just from their experience around the country. And then they put me in touch with a consultant they know just to give me some help getting off the ground, and figuring out, frankly, “Do you really want to do this?” That helped point me in the right direction.

You’ve been doing this for so many years, and you’ve gotten so many different levels of expe

When you decided that you want ed to run for Congress, what was the process that you needed to

They asked you, “Do you really

want to do this?” Well, has the reality been different than what you envisioned?

For the most part, the reality of the day-to-day experience has been better than I hoped.

I like to believe in people and have faith that most people are basically good. And what I found as I traveled around and I went into different neigh borhoods, different ethnicities, that when you break through and talk to people – even people who at first look at you like, “What are you doing here?” – we have so much in common when it comes to our values and our goals. We might have different ideas about how to solve society’s problems, but once we’re talking, we can find common ground. That part’s been uplifting. And that’s been the day-to-day experience with regular citizens and voters. Most peo ple have been ultimately open to talking about things and sharing, and that’s been a great experience. Whether I’ve done enough of that to translate into victory on November 8, I’m not sure. But I will take the good experience with me and build on it.

When you speak to residents out there, what really is on their mind?

The issue that comes up the most is definitely crime. Some neighborhoods more than others talk about it, but ev eryone’s talking about it. And in places like, say, South Jamaica, it’s crime with an emphasis on gun violence.

While we’re trying to talk about these American Dream concepts that I like to talk about and building for the future and making sure everyone has a fair chance at the American Dream, we tend to come back to, “I want to do that, but I’m afraid for my children’s safety. I can’t even get them back and forth to school and feel comfortable.” And in flation gets into that, too. It’s like, “I’m having a hard time making ends meet, so I can’t put money aside for the future because all of a sudden I can’t afford my groceries.”

As a problem solver, I like to think of things both in terms of short-term and long-term. Short-term, if you’re bleed ing, you need to put a Band-aid on. But the solution isn’t to give people a life time supply of Band-aids, and that’s what the government often does and spends a lot of money on. The solution is to fix the root causes. With crime, prac tically, from the federal level, there are

two important things we could do, and we’ve got a situation here in New York City and right here in Rockaway in 101st Precinct where they’re short 50 officers. We have too many guns and not enough police officers. They’ve been struggling in Washington to get consensus in the Democratic-controlled House to help cities hire and train new police officers, because it’s not just a New York City problem. With Republicans taking over the House, that is something we can do quickly, because the police forces have been really ravaged by a variety of fac tors the last few years. We need more good police to assure public safety.

In general, the police officers need to know that society, that the government, that citizens have their backs while they’re out there protecting our backs.

At the same time, I’m hopeful that as a Republican from the big city, as opposed to a Democrat from the big

city, I can negotiate with some of my colleagues to the south about the Iron Pipeline, the guns that are sold too eas ily and then moved up the I-95 and then end up on the streets in New York City.

journalism. I’m always trying to find the facts, and I’ll source from seven dif ferent places to try to figure out what’s going on. I even check in on the BBC and even Al Jazeera sometimes just to see what perspectives are being put out there because there’s just not enough objectivity in our journalism anymore.

The district that you’re running in is a pretty diverse district.

Well, in Queens, we like to brag that it’s the most diverse place in the world, and my district certainly reflects that.

Do you feel that people now are more or less educated in terms of politics as opposed to 20, 30 years ago?

I don’t think I have a good basis for comparison. I don’t know. I think people are more up on the hair-trigger issues that the media are always screaming about. If you go to some neighborhoods, everyone’s talking about January 6 be cause that’s the big focus. Other people talk a lot more about the open border crisis. I think it depends on what cable news outlet people are listening to.

I have always been interested in the news, and I have a small background in

And I’ll be honest, I’ve learned that it’s changed more than I realized. As I get out into neighborhoods where there’s the Guyanese population, Sikh popula tions have grown quite a bit –different immigrants, which I guess has always been the story in New York and Queens. There’s always a new group of immi grants coming in every decade or two. In terms of redistricting, in some ways, it was unfortunate that I lost some of Nassau County. I even had a little bit of Inwood but now we don’t have any part of Nassau. But I picked up places like Ozone Park, a little bit more Richmond Hill, which is closer to home for me.

How do you think you’re going to actually come through with a vic tory on Election Day?

In my district, it’s probably eight or nine Democrats for every Republican. But we do have a strong base in certain areas. And the old adage goes, “Turnout is everything,” at least in those areas. And then having walked the district for more than nine months now, there are many neighborhoods that traditional ly would be at least light blue neigh borhoods that Democrats would win that I anticipate winning outright just because people are upset about crime and inflation and quality of life. They’re worried about their neighborhoods. Winning those neighborhoods on top of my base in Rockaway gets me in the game. In some areas, people have been voting the same way out of loyalty, in Meeks’ case for decades, and their lives aren’t improving. I think enough people are saying, “Hey, we need to step back. Try something different. This guy’s got a different message. Let’s give him a chance.”

With former Congressmen Bob Turner and Peter King

be like a little trickle or a tsunami?

It’s going to be big. I won’t go as far as saying it’s going to be a tsunami, but most importantly, I think Lee Zeldin is going to win for Governor of New York because we just can’t survive four more years of Kathy Hochul, and I think his victory is going to help everyone. It was going that way anyway in a lot of districts, but I think we’re going to, hopefully, take all four Long Island seats and obviously mine as well. And I think Joe Pinion is going to be right there on the Senate side, and I think we’ll pick up in the assembly and state senate to the point that we’ll break the supermajority. So instead of having this one-party domination, may be there could be actually some governing going on.

what it thinks is right.

Do you think Putin was embold ened because Biden is in office as opposed to Trump?

I think Putin was emboldened by Biden’s weakness and the weakness of his team.

What are your favorite places in New York where you like to hang out?

Citi Field.

I’ve been a lifelong Mets fan, and my daughter works there now. She’s out on the field doing entertainment, shooting the T-shirts into the crowd, working with Mr. Met.

Do you think the U.S. government is doing too much or too little for the conflict in Ukraine? Is it a conflict we should not be involved with?

I think it’s a conflict we have to be in volved with. I understand that people get frustrated when we spend money over seas and we have so many needs here, but if we allow the Russians and the Chinese to run over smaller nations, then they’re going to keep on going. That’s the history of the world. We sometimes forget that there was a lot of history before we were born. Aggressors and bullies will keep pushing.

I think it’s a fine line. We should not have any boots on the ground in Ukraine, and I think it’s up to Congress to actual ly have an open debate about how much money we are willing to spend. I’m not complaining about what’s been done so far in terms of any particular action; it feels like the administration is doing

When I’m not running for Congress, usually I’m on my bike. I’m not a big-time bicyclist, but I just like to have a camera with me and bike to places just to get away from work and enjoy nature a little. We have a lot of natural opportunities for nature here in Rockaway and if you go over the bridge into Brooklyn or into Broad Channel. So that’s a nice personal diversion for me. And my wife and I like to go out to dinner here and there from time to time.

Do you see a lot of people doing early voting this year?

Yes. I think early voting is definitely growing. Personally, I like being with the citizens on Election Day, just as a fellow citizen and going out to vote then.

Paul, we wish you a lot of luck on Election Day.

Teen Talk

By Rebbetzin Sori Teitelbaum

Dear Teen Talk,

I have been friends with a group of friends since fourth grade. We are in eighth grade now. We really understand each other and enjoy spending time together.

Recently, I have noticed that two of my friends have been talking in a certain way about themselves that makes me feel a bit weird. They are always making comments like, “Oh, I’m so fat” or “I can’t believe I said that. I’m so stupid” or “My family is such losers.”

I know that you are going to say that it’s because they don’t have self-esteem, and maybe that’s true, but I’m finding these comments annoying be cause they’re always putting themselves down.

So I have two questions for you:

First of all, what should I say when they make these comments? When I tell them, “Oh, you’re really smart/ fit/cool, etc.” it seems to go over their heads. And plus, I’m not their therapist.

Is this something they will grow out of? Should I not be friends with them anymore?

Please help. Thank you.

Thank you so much for sending in your ques tion. You seem very mature – your questions were articulate and it is clear you have been thinking a lot about your quandary and how to proceed. I will do my best to guide you here.

It is quite common for friendships to be test ed as children mature. It seems you are going through that difficult challenge right now. I know the proper way is to answer the questions you presented in the order they were presented. Allow me please to answer your second ques tion, though, before your first. DO NOT end the friendship! What does friendship mean? A friend is someone who you can talk to, have fun with, laugh with, cry with, and who stands by you even during difficult times. I remember when my youngest son broke his leg at the age of 6. It was the end of May, when the weather was beautiful, and all his friends were out side playing and riding bikes after school. Yet his best friend gave up

playing outside and came to visit my son every single day after school. It was so special to see a 6-year-old understand what it means to stand by your friend even in challenging times. Your friends are struggling, and now is not the time to

teenage years are a scary time, and everyone deals with the challenges and intense peer pres sure in their own way.

The power of negativity is a very strong force. It is interesting to note that young children are

walk away. And NO, it’s not something they will necessarily “grow out of” but rather something you can help them “grow into.”

For whatever reasons, your friends seem to be calling for attention. You are right; it certainly could be their low self-esteem and lack of sufficient self-confidence that is causing them to act this way and say these negative remarks about themselves. I will let you in on a secret: even the most self-confident people need validation and compliments! The

inherently very positive. But the power of neg ativity begins to develop during the teen years and continues through adulthood. Not only that, but a child’s self-confidence also begins to dwin dle as he ages. There was a Harvard study that tracked a group of children from kindergarten all the way thru college. Eighty-five percent of the children had a high sense of self at the age of 5. By the time this same group of children graduated college, only 15% still had a high sense of self. What happened? Maybe it’s peer pressure, maybe

Teen Talk, a new column in TJH, is geared towards the teens in our community. Answered by arotating roster of teachers, rebbeim,clinicians, and peers (!), teens will behearing answers to many questionsthey had percolating in their mindsand wished they had the answers for.

I will let you in on a secret: Even the most selfconfident people need validation and compliments!

it’s teachers, maybe it’s parents. It is probably a combination of all three that leads to a less self-assured individual.

We are reading the story of Yishmael and Yitzchak now in Parshas Vayeira. Sarah Imeinu tells Avraham to send Yishmael away because he is “metzachek.” There are many interpreta tions for this word but one of them is “negative deflation.” Sarah was fearful of Yishmael’s neg ativity piercing through and bursting Yitzchak’s positivity, like a tiny prick deflating a whole balloon!

So don’t drop your friends! I am sure you

Are you a teen with a question?

If you have a question or problem you’d like our columnists to address, email your question or insight to editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com , subject line: Teen Talk.

heard of the glass half-full concept. ally say there are two options: it is either half full (positive) or half empty (negative). But here is another option – that the glass is filled to mid point. So now what? One needs to analyze it!

So when your friends make a comment like “my family is such losers,” instead of saying, “No they are not,” process the comment! Say, “That must be so hard for you! Let’s talk about it and figure out why you feel that way.” Validate their comment in the fact that you are hearing them but help them reframe their thoughts in a more

productive way. More often than not, when we process things out loud with a friend who lends a listening ear, we see things for what they REALLY are and not what we “emotionally” see them as. You will be able to help your friends in a way they cannot succeed alone. By being a good friend, you will actually allow them to look inside of themselves, see the positive in them and all around them, thereby growing into positive people!

Don’t think of yourself as their therapist –you are just being a good friend!

Rebbetzin Sori Teitelbaum is the rebbetzin emeritus of Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst. She recently retired from teaching at HAFTR middle school and high school in the Five Towns. She is a well-known speaker and is involved in all aspects of the community. Rabbi and Rebbetzin Teitelbaum recently made aliyah and live most of the year in Ramat Beit Shemesh.

Dating Dialogue What Would You Do If…

Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters

Dear Navidaters,

I have a complicated dilemma. I am a 22-year-old girl and have been in the “parsha” for three years already. (I started dating at 19.) I date periodically but never went past a fourth date. However, there is a boy who I really like, and I tend to think about him a lot. The problem is he’s my cousin.

Now, to give a drop of background, I come from a yeshivish background where talking to boys outside the shidduch system is a big no-no. That being said, I never really speak to him except at family events. I am hesitant to pursue this because:

1. Our parents (mine and his) are not really on the best of terms. There’s a lot of water under the bridge.

2. Being that we don’t really have a relationship outside of family events, I don’t know what his feelings are. (I do feel that he likes me, but I could be reading things wrong.)

My question for the panel is: should I try to pursue this shidduch? And if so, how should I bring it up to my parents in a way that they won’t shoot down the idea right away?

P.S. I know there can be medical issues regarding cousins marrying each other. However, this letter is to seek advice on how to bring it up in the first place.

Thank you.

-Perel*

is not

to diagnose or otherwise conclude resolutions to any questions. Our intention is not to offer any definitive conclusions to any particular question, rather offer areas of exploration for the author and reader. Due to the nature of the column receiving only a short snapshot of an issue, without the benefit of an actual discussion, the panel’s role is to offer a range of possibilities. We hope to open up meaningful dialogue and individual exploration.

The Rebbetzin

Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

Perel, you are wise to ask for guidance in this matter because it’s a delicate one.

Two suggestions for putting this on the table involve others that you trust and will be totally honest with you when you ask them to bring this up with your par ents and/or his parents. Another criteria is the ability to keep quiet and not dis close sensitive information (like the fact that you instigated this). Your objective is to elicit their opinion and input. Hopeful ly, they will be able to act as well as advise and informally make the suggestion to your parents or his.

One is an older member of the family who is wise, diplomatic, and gets along

with both families. S/he will know the family history and how to handle each party. S/he may want to think this over and wait for the right opportunity to ap proach one set of parents whom s/he feels might be more amenable to hear her out.

The other is someone much younger in the family who is in the dating parsha. S/ he can casually say to one of the parents while trying to come up with a shidduch idea for your cousin: “I’ll bet X would go for someone like Perel” and pretend that it’s a spur of the moment idea.

These people will have to be careful and follow scripts they come up with on their own.

There are probably other creative ideas, but I know these have worked with people I know.

Remember to introduce your idea in a way that feels comfortable for you. Be open to hearing the reaction of the peo ple you approach. If you want them to be

diplomatic, you should be honest AND diplomatic, too, in this sensitive situation.

This is indeed a complex dilemma, and I understand your hesitancy to bring it up with your parents. Cousins marrying each other is not a new concept in the Yid dishe world. In the “alte heim,” they did it all the time! There are two people I know who married their first cousins – the idea is not so foreign.

The bigger issue you present is the drama between families. You fear that the water under the bridge will get in the way. I truly believe, when something is presented the right way and with the

proper intention, it will be received as such. My hope in your case is that the water under the bridge will not impede on your parents’ decision whether to give the green light. It could actually be that this particular simcha could bring the families together.

When you bring up the topic with your parents, look out for three things: tone, emotional regulation, and logical reason ing. Your tone should be even-keeled and gentle; your emotions should not be high

The Shadchan Michelle Mond

If you want them to be diplomatic, you should be honest AND diplomatic, too.

strung; and talk from logic rather than hyper-fixation on emotions.

IYH with this in mind you will be able to have a good conversation about getting the shidduch off the ground.

Hatzlacha!

The Single

Tzipora Grodko

Dear Perel,

I struggle to share my thoughts knowing there’s a huge medical risk at stake. I will say that it’s natural to feel unfamiliar feelings of warmth towards your male cousin, since it seems to be the only male-female relationship you have in your life. Understand that it’s natural to feel more comfortable with a man that you have history with, rather than with a stranger on a shidduch date (not the most romantic experience in many instances!). Don’t misinterpret your feelings towards your cousin as something exclusive but

rather natural under the circumstances.

Lastly, the simple reality with any un answered questions is, you won’t know until you ask.

The Zaidy

My first reaction to your letter was to remind you of a quote from Shake speare’s Romeo and Juliet:

My only love sprung from my only hate!

Too early seen unknown, and known too late!

Prodigious birth of love it is to me, That I must love a loathed enemy. (Act 1, Scene 5)

In the play, this is what Juliet says af ter she, from the Capulet family, discov ers that the man she’s fallen in love with is Romeo, who is a Montague, her family’s sworn enemy. But then I realized that it’s proba

Pulling It All Together

The Navidaters

Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

bly considered heretical to mention “Ro meo and Juliet” in today’s yeshiva high schools.

If you “really like” your cousin and “tend to think about him a lot,” you need to find out if there is any potential, recip rocal interest on his part. If you fail to resolve these feelings, it might hamper your ability to successfully connect with any other potential partners.

So, a practical suggestion would be to call a mutual relative or friend. Ask that person to please find out, discretely and confidentially, if your cousin might be in terested in dating you.

If he is interested, the next step would be to have a discussion with your parents. Remind them that family feuds usually have foolish and regrettable origins and that the Aharon Hakohen was much be loved because of his ability to resolve dis putes and feuds. And tell them, “Mom and Dad, with that in mind, I hope you will understand when I tell you that my cousin and I would like to go on a date.”

And make sure to pre-emptively allay their concerns about medical issues, by quoting an April 4, 2002, article from The New York Times:

“Contrary to widely held beliefs and longstanding taboos in America, first cousins can have children together with out a great risk of birth defects or genetic disease, scientists are reporting today. They say there is no biological reason to discourage cousins from marrying.”

Further, you may wish to remind them, that today, pre-marital genetic test ing (see JScreen.org or DorYeshorim.org) is readily available and accessible.

Finally, hope that your parents aren’t fixated on the fact that the romance be tween Romeo and Juliet did not have a happy ending!

Dear Perel,

Thank you for writing into the column! Your email prompted me to do a little first cousin attraction research, and as it turns out, you most definitely are not alone. This is more common than most people may realize.

I want to be very clear that as a thera pist I do not tell people what to do, rather

help clients explore all potentials and possibilities. I know you men tioned that you are aware of medical issues regarding cousins marrying each other. I am not a doctor, but I did become curious and researched medical complications of cousins marrying each other and the

research I came across is conflicting. I suggest you do a deep-dive into research on implications for the children of first cousins so that you are fully informed and aware before you bring it up to your parents.

With regard to bringing this up to your parents, I think you need to be brutally honest and just go for it. In general, when speaking with someone about a difficult topic, it is always a good idea to listen to their concerns and validate them. When people feel heard and understood, they are more likely to be able to hear and un derstand you. Acknowledge that this may be uncomfortable for your parents and

ask them how they feel about the idea. Before you have this conversation with them, you may want to write down bullet points to help keep you focused.

I can feel your discomfort due to the sensitive nature of the matter, and yet, there is no way around what it is you need to say. Ask them to set up a time to speak. This is a heavy conversation and isn’t one to have while your mom is making dinner and your dad is setting the table.

Deep breaths. You’ve got this.

All the best, Jennifer

Jennifer Mann, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist and certified trauma healing life coach, as well as a dating and relationship coach working with individuals, couples, and families in pri vate practice at 123 Maple Avenue in Cedarhurst, NY. She also teaches a psychology course at Touro College. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 718-908-0512. Visit www. thenavidaters.com for more information. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email JenniferMannLCSW@gmail.com. You can follow The Navidaters on FB and Instagram for dating and relationship advice.

When people feel heard and understood, they are more likely to be able to hear and understand you.

Dr. Jeffrey Galler

School of Thought

By Etti Siegel

Q:Dear Etti,

My 10-year-old daughter comes home from school very upset every day since school began. She has so many issues to share, so much is not working out for her! Should I call the school? Should I speak with the teacher? I know school just started, but shouldn’t I jump on this right away, so it does not get any worse? Her seat is in a bad place, she is not called on very often, she says the teacher doesn’t give clear instructions, and there is so much writing.

To Call or Not to Call – That is the Question

A:Dear To Call or Not to Call,

It must be hard for you to see your daughter come home upset every day. We want our kids to have a pleasant day at school! Before we discuss calling the school, let’s unpack what you write is happening when she comes home.

It looks like she is seeing the world in a pretty negative way. Also, while it sounds like she is complaining about everything, I noticed you mentioned only one teacher, and I am guessing she is in a yeshiva and has two teachers.

So, we are left with a few questions. Is everything going well in the other teacher’s class? Is she struggling in both classes? Is there something about the class she complains about that is making her anxious (such as difficulty in a specific area of learning)? Is writing hard for her (mak ing this an OT question)? Is your daughter simply having difficulty adjusting to school? Third grade to fourth grade can be a big jump. And finally, is your daughter having trouble regulating her emotions and feeling drowned by negative feelings?

Teachers will tell you that we start with the simple questions first. Is your daughter getting enough sleep? Is she coming home hungry (because she doesn’t like the lunch or lunchtime was so many hours ago)? When she does homework, is she struggling with reading or compre hension in any areas? These could be the underlying issues that are affecting her day. Having a set bedtime, having a protein with breakfast, eating lunch, having filling/healthi er snacks that she likes, and checking on academic aptitude would be good places to begin.

Dr. Laura Markam, author of Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids, says there is a four-pronged approach: Help her with her emotions

Help her manage her mind and perceptions

Reframe your own attitude so you can support her

Strengthen your relationship with her

Here is my take on Dr. Markam’s four points: Children struggle with emotional language. Being upset can be a catch-all word and might really be frus trated, disappointed, tired, hungry…but with only basic emotional words to choose from, your child might use the simple terms of upset and sad. Encourage her to tell you what happened, and then help her frame the situ ation better, giving her more emotional vocabulary. “You were disappointed not to be called on for the first question? You must have felt relieved to finally be called on for the third question, though.”

(There is a three-part-process to helping your child with emotional regulation that is a larger than the scope of this article: learning to identify what they are feeling, understand what the trigger was, and giving them the tools to handle those emotions on their own. Helping normalize feelings make them less scary and more manageable. Chil dren pick up on our emotions, so modeling the appropriate behavior is crucial to children learning how to respond to their own feelings. Most importantly, if children feel safe sharing their feelings, they are more likely to learn to reg ulate and deal appropriately with their feelings.)

Help her think like a teacher, to allow her to see another perspective without diminishing her feelings. “You really wanted to be called on. The teacher has so many students. How can she make everyone happy in this situation? What would you do if you were the teacher?” She will hopefully

see that she was called on finally…or is called on some days and not others as the teacher rotates through the class.

Reframe your own at titude. Instead of being a mama bear protecting her cubs, see if there is a rational explanation you can think of for what your daughter is telling you. Of course, later, when your daughter is asleep, you can continue fact-finding by reaching out to the teacher (not the WhatsApp group or the principal) and neutrally ask how your daughter is doing and explain the ways that she is having a hard time adjusting. Most teachers appre ciate the extra information. They will know to give your daughter some extra TLC.

Most importantly, find ways to strengthen your rela tionship with her. Can you spend a few minutes wrapping up her day with her before she goes to bed? Can you take her with you on errands? Maybe invite her to keep you company when you cook dinner. If you can share a few things you are each grateful for before she can just un load, you might find the negativity shifting over time and become more balanced.

Of course, we are assuming this is all regular child moodiness. If it seems more serious, please turn to a men tal health professional for advice.

Wishing you and your daughter a happy and productive year!

Mrs. Etti Siegel holds an MS in Teaching and Learning/Educational Leadership and brings sound teaching advice to her audiences culled from her over 35 years of teaching and administrative experience. She is an Adjunct at the College of Mount Saint Vincent/Sara Shenirer. She is a coach and educational consultant for Catapult Learning, is a sought-after mentor and workshop presenter around the country, and a popular presenter for Sayan (a teacher-mentoring program), Hidden Sparks, and the Consortium of Jewish Day Schools. She is a frequent contributor to Hamechanech Magazine and The Journal for Jewish Day School leaders. She will be answering your education-based questions and writing articles weekly for The Jewish Home. Mrs. Siegel can be reached at ettisiegel@gmail.com.

-Etti

Encourage her to tell you what happened, and then help her frame the situation better, giving her more emotional vocabulary.

Parenting Pearls

Kids Have Feelings, Too

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

Shortly after the Holocaust, a newly widowed survivor was financially struggling to raise her two young children in America, her new home. In a community of predominantly poor families, she was still the neediest. She worked exceptionally hard, but as a new immigrant without another breadwin ner, she was still unable to provide the basic necessities.

Her little boy’s cheder rebbi would distribute weekly an envelope for each child to bring home to be returned with a few coins from the parents to cover the cost of lunch for their child. Not wanting to embarrass this young wid ow who couldn’t afford even those few coins, the rebbi didn’t give her son an envelope. Each week, every boy but this one received an envelope to bring back with money. His mother probably never even knew about the envelope, and she was saved from the shame it would have caused. Knowing this widow, my Bubby, she probably would have tried to further deny herself the little nourishment she had in an attempt to provide her son, my father, with his lunch money.

It’s easy to see the sensitivity the

cheder rebbi showed to this young wom an – fresh from the ashes of Europe – by removing the pressure for those coins.

There is just one problem. Over 60 years after those envelopes were distrib uted, that little boy, now a zeidy himself, still remembers the embarrassment and pain of never getting an envelope. I’m

of pain can last. I’d like to think that if those adults had realized the shame that little boy would experience six decades later, they would have found a way to give him an envelope in class and per haps intercept it before he left for the day or simply include a nachas note in side.

mayim. Her hard work and dedication have been rewarded with generations oskim b’Torah u’vmitzvos. May her ne shama have an aliyah.

Children are Not Adults

Children are smaller than adults, less verbal, and don’t process the world the same way we do. Often, we uninten tionally do things that can embarrass those little people we love when we don’t appreciate the depths of their feelings. It’s easy to assume that kids don’t really notice the things we say or do, but they can be surprisingly perceptive.

not here to judge the actions of the rebbi or hanhala and the decisions that were made back then during a time we can’t fathom. It just struck me as an incredi ble example of how aware and sensitive a child can be to what’s going on around them as well as how long those feelings

My Bubby’s (Bina bas Avraham) yahrtzeit is the 12th of Cheshvan. It’s worth taking a moment to acknowledge the dedication my Bubby had to her family and the mesiras nefesh she un derwent – especially as a single mother – to raise her children into yarei Sha

I once brought my daughter to visit the dermatologist. The doctor confirmed the spot was benign, baruch Hashem, and he took some measurements to have as a baseline should it ever change, chas v’shalom. He patiently explained the reasoning behind leaving it alone and not removing it. At the end of the appointment, he looked at my daugh ter and playfully told her she could “go home and not come back” – she looked absolutely terrified. She had heard the discussion but did not understand any thing that was said. Instead of realizing

Often, we unintentionally do things that can embarrass those little people we love when we don’t appreciate the depths of their feelings.

SERVED OUR COUNTRY, READYTO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY

126 she was being told to go home because her skin was completely fine, she was alarmed, assuming something was ter ribly wrong. After a brief explanation using child-friendly language, she hap pily went on her way.

Children, more than mere observers to their surroundings, lack the full abili ty to verbalize and process what they’ve experienced. Often, the confused child experiences their feelings even deeper than the adults due to a lack of under standing and coping ability.

Using Gentle Speech

I’ve been very surprised by the way I’ve heard people speak to, or in front of, children. I don’t think the parents mean harm, but benign intentions can still have negative consequences.

I won’t deny that kids can do an noying things. They may be adorable, but they somehow get themselves into trouble at the wrong time (although, I don’t know when the right time for trou ble is). They interrupt conversations, create loud background noise, and run their trucks over adult feet and rising challah dough. These can certainly be an opportunity to menchanech a child; we don’t need to permit poor behavior.

But, speaking rudely to a child or calling them “annoying” or any of a number of negative adjectives is not chinuch.

We also need to stop and think which tone we’re using when respond ing. If our tone is impatient, then our child will still feel like a nuisance. Even if they’re getting in the way, we can still redirect them using a method that re spects their feelings.

Many parents are concerned that if they don’t say something, their child will never learn and, after all, the job of parents is to mechanech their child. Sadly, too often, well-intentioned par ents can misinterpret “telling their child off” as chinuch.

Our children will absorb our mes sage better when they’re not pained by our words. We can more effective ly get our point across when we speak gently or firmly but lovingly. Chinuch is teaching a child the right way to be have; speaking disrespectfully to a child or venting our frustrations at them isn’t educational.

Rather than “stop bothering me” when a child interrupts a phone call, we can calmly but firmly tell them “it’s not appropriate to interrupt someone” or “I’d be happy to speak to you when

I’m done but now isn’t a good time.” Both give information and a lesson for the child to learn without resorting to negative language. Some kids may need more help and direct instruction in un derstanding when it is and isn’t a good time, but this, too, can be done with patience.

Kids are Listening

We also need to be cautious when speaking in front of children. I had a few sons before my first daughter. I can’t tell you how many people would say in my boys’ presence, “You must really want a girl.” How must this have made my boys feel? Other parents with only one gender of children have told me they’ve received the same comments and they, too, didn’t appreciate it.

As a homeschooler, I often have par ents tell me, “I would never want to be home with my child all day” – in front of their child. I don’t expect any partic ular parent to home-educate their child, but I cringed thinking of what must be going through that child’s mind. Chil dren should at least think their parents want to spend time with them even if we know that adults also need time to themselves.

In the above examples, the adults didn’t intend to hurt a young person’s feelings, they just weren’t thinking of how a child would perceive their com ment. Sometimes, we need to think even more carefully to make sure our message won’t be misinterpreted by the young people in our lives.

Like everything else in life, we need to think carefully before speaking or do ing an action to ensure our result will reflect our intentions.

Children, being newer to the world, are no less hurt by negative comments. As the adults in their life, we have the opportunity to teach our precious prog eny the correct way to speak – with derech eretz and respect – serving as an example for them to follow. May we always be the role model we want them to exemplify.

Sara Rayvych, MSEd, has her master’s in general and special education. She has been homeschooling for over 10 years in Far Rockaway. She can be contacted at Rayvy chHomeschool@gmail.com.

Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato

has been supportive of our Yeshivas throughout her service in Albany. She has been the most consistent and loudest voice opposing the state’s effort to regulate our schools. She has been there for us from day one, loudly proclaiming that “her schools” are far more than substantially equivalent to public schools in her district . On behalf of the entire community, we thank you and look forward to working with you for many years to come !

Thank You,

Combating Cholesterol

By Aliza Beer MS, RD, CDN

Cholesterol is a waxy fat substance found in most bodily tissues and is involved in the structure of cell membranes. Cholesterol also plays an im portant role in the production of hormones such as estrogen, testosterone, and adre nal hormones. Additionally, it is involved in the synthesis of bile acids, which en able the body to digest and absorb fat and fat-soluble vitamins. Cholesterol is needed for your body to produce vitamin D from sunlight, which enables your metabolism to work efficiently.

Cholesterol is essential for many of the body’s metabolic processes, however consuming cholesterol in the diet is com pletely unnecessary as the body produces all the cholesterol it needs. The liver, as well as most cells in the body, produce cholesterol, and it is carried in the blood by lipoproteins. Cholesterol has two major transport systems in the blood, which in clude low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). LDL cholesterol is termed “bad” cholesterol, as it transports cholesterol to the arter ies, where it can collect in the walls of the arteries. High levels of cholesterol in the arteries may result in the build-up of a plaque, known as an atherosclerosis, which

may block blood flow and result in a heart attack or stroke. HDL cholesterol, known as “good” cholesterol, helps remove excess cholesterol from the cells. It absorbs cho lesterol and returns it to the liver, where it is converted to bile salts and expelled from the body.

Measuring Cholesterol in the Blood

A lipoprotein panel measures levels of cholesterol in the blood and includes total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL choles terol and Non-HDL. Total cholesterol indi cates the total amount of cholesterol in the blood, including both LDL and HDL cho lesterol. A normal total cholesterol reading is anything less than 200mg/dL; a read ing above this would be considered high. LDL cholesterol should be below 100mg/ dL, and HDL cholesterol should be 4060mg/dL. HDL cholesterol levels may be higher; however, a reading below 40mg/ dL increases your risk for developing heart disease.

Non-HDL cholesterol is your total cho lesterol minus your HDL – this includes LDL and very-low density lipoproteins (VLDL), which carry triglycerides and other types of fat to your tissues.

Individuals at risk of developing high cholesterol levels should perform blood tests more frequently, and this should also depend on your age, family history and other risk factors.

Risk Factors for High Cholesterol

While certain risk factors for develop ing high cholesterol are often within our control, others such as age, gender, family history and race are not. Cholesterol levels typically rise with age; women post-meno pause tend to have higher total cholesterol levels compared to men of the same age. LDL cholesterol levels also may rise in women during menopause. High blood cholesterol is also hereditary, as your genes partially determine how much cholesterol your body will produce. Additionally, Af rican American individuals tend to have higher blood cholesterol levels.

Controllable risk factors for high cho lesterol include diet, weight, physical ac tivity and smoking. Cigarette smoking en ables LDL cholesterol to remain attached to the artery walls and lowers HDL choles terol. Being overweight and physical inac tivity may also result in higher LDL and lower HDL cholesterol levels. Your diet also

impacts your cholesterol levels. Foods high in saturated fat are typically high in cho lesterol, and these should be consumed in limited amounts in order to mitigate high blood cholesterol levels.

Diet and Cholesterol

Animal products such as full-fat dairy and red and processed meat, as well as fried foods, are typically higher in satu rated fat and tend to raise cholesterol. Ex amples of full-fat dairy products include whole milk, butter, cheese, and full-fat yo gurt, which are high in saturated fat and sodium. Individuals should try to consume low-fat dairy products that are high in pro tein such as Greek yogurt, low fat cottage cheese, or milk (1% milk). Red meat, such as steak, beef roast, ribs, and ground beef, tend also to be high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Focusing on lower-fat sources of animal protein like lean bits of beef or lean ground poultry is preferable.

Due to their high oil content, fried foods typically have a higher saturated fat and cholesterol content. While the egg yolk contains many vitamins and minerals, it is high in cholesterol and should be con sumed in moderation. One large egg has around 186 mg of cholesterol in its yolk.

130 Most healthy people, however, can con sume eggs throughout the week, such as for breakfast, provided they maintain a healthy diet that is not high in other sourc es of cholesterol. If your cholesterol levels are a concern, then minimizing the yolks and consuming more egg whites may be a better alternative. Additionally, consuming baked goods often such as cakes, biscuits and pastries also may raise your choles terol levels.

How to Combat High Cholesterol

Diet and a healthy lifestyle, which in cludes regular physical activity, are essen tial to combating high cholesterol levels. Different foods may work to lower choles terol in various ways. Foods high in solu ble fiber bind to cholesterol in the digestive system and help to remove it to the body before it reaches your circulation. Polyun saturated fats work to lower LDL choles terol directly, and certain plant sterols and Stanols prevent the body from absorbing cholesterol. Additionally, consuming foods high in omega-3 fatty acids is helpful to reduce triglyceride levels which increase LDL cholesterol levels in the blood.

Those looking to lower their cholesterol should consider the following:

1. Replace full-fat dairy with low-fat dairy products that are higher in protein.

2. Replace butter for polyunsaturated or unsaturated fats, such as olive oil.

3. Consume foods rich in fiber, such as oats. A bowl of oatmeal or Fiber One for breakfast are good sources of soluble fiber, and adding fruits such as blueberries and strawberries also helps!

4. Include heart healthy fats such as nuts, seeds, and legumes.

a) Beans are high in soluble fiber, and they are highly versatile. Kidney beans, lentils, garbanzos, and black-eyed peas are all great choices. Add these to your salads or combine with warm rice and roasted vegetables.

b) Consuming 2 ounces of nuts, such as almonds, walnuts and peanuts, daily may help to lower your LDL cholesterol levels – just be mindful of your portion because they are also high in calories.

5. Focus on including more fruits and vegetables.

a) Apples, grapes, strawberries, and citrus fruits are high in pectin, a type of soluble fiber.

6. Add more whole grains in your diet, such as whole-wheat pasta and bread.

7. Soy-based products, such as tofu and soy milk, help to lower LDL choles

terol.

8. Fatty fish are great options. Con suming fish 2-3 times a week can lower LDL by delivering LDL lowering omega-3 fats, which reduce triglycerides in the bloodstream and are heart protective.

a) Salmon, sardines, tuna, maceral, and trout are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

9. Consume liquid plant-based oils such as olive and avocado oil or others over butter, lard, or shortening when cooking to help lower LDL Cholesterol.

10. Regular exercise increases HDL levels, while reducing LDL levels.

11. Stop smoking.

Great Menu Options

Breakfast:

• Oatmeal with strawberries, chia seeds, ground flaxseeds, cinnamon, and almond butter.

• Whole-wheat toast with avocado, lox, and tomatoes.

• Low-fat Greek yogurt with mixed berries and whole-grain granola.

Lunch/Dinner:

• Poached salmon salad with sweet po tato and lemon dressing.

• Steamed ginger tofu with brown rice and vegetables.

• Roasted eggplant with tahini and chickpea salad.

• Grilled chicken salad with lentil soup.

Snacks:

• Nuts and unsweetened freeze-dried fruit.

• Blueberry oat cupcakes.

• Carrots and hummus.

• Apples and peanut butter.

Before making drastic changes to your diet, it is important to consult with your primary care physician and a registered di etitian to advise you on a dietary approach that will best suit your needs. While cer tain foods such as eggs are higher in cho lesterol, the egg yolk also contains many important vitamins and minerals and therefore eliminating such foods from your diet may not be advisable. Consuming a healthy diet with foods in moderation is the best approach to remain healthy and keep your cholesterol levels low.

Aliza Beer is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in nutrition. She has a private practice in Cedarhurst, NY. Patients’ success has been featured on the Dr. Oz show. Aliza can be reached at alizabeer@gmail.com, and you can follow her on Instagram at @alizabeer.

In The K tchen

Nili’s Limoncello

By Naomi Nachman

I am writing this recipe from Venice, Italy. I just finished working for a company called Kosher River Cruises in Italy. I was the scholar-in-residence on their river boat cruise teaching cooking classes. Italy is magical in the fall with perfect weather (baruch Hashem) as we took in the Jewish heritage sites, ate delicious food, and drank Italian cocktails.

I had never tried limoncello before – a classic Italian cocktail. Seeing as I love lemons, I knew this cocktail was for me. One of my friends, Nili Laiman, shared her recipe with me so I could make it as well. It takes time to get the real lemon flavor, but it’s totally worth the wait.

Ingredients

◦ 750 mls 95% proof vodka

◦ 6 lemons

◦ 1 cup water

1 cup white sugar

Preparation

Peel the lemons using a peeler (try not to get any of the white pith).

Combine the vodka and lemon peel in a large glass pitcher or jug, cover the pitcher, and let it sit for five days.

Mix the water and sugar in a small pot and bring to boil. This is called simple syrup. Make sure the sugar has dissolved. Cool until you are ready to use the mixture in the next step. (You can do this in advance and leave it on the fridge.)

After five days, add simple syrup to the vodka/lemon mixture and return it to the fridge for two weeks.

Strain the vodka mixture from the lemons, and then pour the liquid into a glass bottle and store in the fridge.

Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet.com or at (516) 295-9669.

Notable Quotes

Who doesn’t love a yellow school bus, right? Can you raise your hand if you love a yellow school bus? Many of us went to school on the yellow school bus, right? It’s part of our experience growing up. It’s part of a nostalgia, a memory of the excitement and joy of going to school to be with, you know, your favorite teacher, to be with your best friends and to learn. The school bus takes us there.

- Vice President Kamala Harris at an electric bus plant

No one deserves to be assaulted. Unlike Nancy Pelosi’s daughter who celebrated my assault, I condemn this attack and wish Mr. Pelosi a speedy recovery.

- Tweet by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) who was brutally assaulted several years ago by a neighbor who didn’t like his politics, resulting in five broken ribs and a collapsed lung, referring to Nancy Pelosi’s daughter’s tweet at the time that she “endorses the attack” and that “Rand Paul’s neighbor was right”

The perpetrator in this violent crime against Paul Pelosi is a mentally ill, drug addicted illegal alien…who takes hallucinogens and lives in a hippie school bus in Berkeley with a BLM banner and a pride flag out front. Take those uncontested facts and let them rattle around your brain for a moment until a recognizable pattern emerges. What does this sound like to you? If you guessed, this is obviously a textbook case of homegrown right-wing extremism, well, then, obviously, you’ve been watching a lot of cable news.

– Tucker Carlson, Fox News

“Say What?!”

The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important for the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence. There is currently a great danger that social media will splinter into far-right wing and fa- left wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide our society…

That is why I bought Twitter. I didn’t do it to make more money. I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love. And I do so with humility, recognizing that failure in pursuing this goal, despite our best efforts, is a very real possibility.

- Elon Musk explaining why he bought Twitter, shortly after declaring in a tweet, “The bird has been freed”

I watched this one guy, Jesse Watters or something on Fox News. What he’s been saying about Paul Pelosi the last five, six months, mocking him consistently. Don’t tell me that’s not aiding and abetting all this. Of course it is.

– Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) blaming Fox News host Jesse Watters for the assault on Nancy Pelosi’s husband

Let’s set the record straight: Paul Pelosi got drunk and nearly killed someone with his car, and then the Napa County DA made it go away. We reported that Paul Pelosi got special treatment and mocked him for trying to bribe officers

- Watters, in response

So, let me ask you a question: Who is more at fault here? The governor who didn’t deport the deranged drug-addict felon who thinks he is [Yushkah] or the news guy who fairly covered Paul’s DUI case? I think we both know the answer.

- Ibid.

Wait for San Franciscans to call for a ban on Assault Hammers

- Victoria Taft,

And, of course, they’re going to try for their 499th time, or whatever the number is — they’re still determined to eliminate the Affordable Care Act. And, by the way, if they do, that means — not a joke, everybody. That’s why we defeated it in 2018 when they tried to do it. We went to 54 states.

- Pres. Joe Biden while campaigning for John Fetterman

I feel like at a minimum, the San Francisco Police Department has egg on its face because even under the most generous story to Paul Pelosi and to the San Francisco police, they were in the house when this guy attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer. I’m not sure how that happened. How do you have police officers on site and an 82-year-old gets attacked with a hammer in front of you when you have a gun as a police officer? It’s one of the many questions here. As you point out, there are security cameras all over that house. You can see them from the outside where they turned on. If not, why not?

She’s the Speaker of the House.

– Megyn Kelly

I’ve heard the word “diversity” quite a few times, and I don’t have a clue what it means. It seems to mean everything for everyone.

Oh dear, she’s done.

These are master manipulators. They have this conspiracy going all across America trying to convince people in Democratic states that they’re not as safe. Well, guess what? They’re also not only election deniers; they’re data deniers.

- Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) on MSNBC claiming that New York does not have a crime problem

– Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on Monday during oral arguments about affirmative action in college admissions

- Kellyanne Conway on Hillary Clinton campaigning for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul

I’m not a member of the good ole boys club. So, no, I don’t have 107 sheriffs who want to be able to take Black people off the streets.

- Georgia’s Democrat governor candidate Stacey Abrams at a debate responding to over 100 sheriffs endorsing her opponent

Everyone’s going through different things. We all have our unique challenges in life. We’re all humans. We do the best we can do.

– Tom Brady, on his weekly podcast addressing his recent divorce

We don’t trust this country in terms of meritocracy… Blacks are underpaid compared to White counterparts. And so when you look at it from that perspective, and of course, people look at me, I’m not talking about me even though, I got news for you, I am underpaid compared to some people on television what they get paid, but that’s a subject for another day. I ain’t apologizing for that to a … soul. I am underpaid. Having said all of that, it ain’t about me.

- ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who makes $12 million a year as ESPN’s highest paid onair talent and who is one of the top 10 highest-paid broadcasters in sports

He has a point. I mean, Fetterman does have something in common with Churchill and FDR. None have made a coherent statement in a long, long time.

– Gregg Gutfeld responding to MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell comparing John Fetterman to Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt after Fetterman was unable to string together two words in his debate

Political Crossfire

Putin Demands We Listen To Him The U.S. Should Take Him Up On It

By David Ignatius

The need for more diplomacy be tween Russia and the United States is screamingly obvious.

But it should focus on preventing a cat astrophic conflict between the two coun tries, rather than a fruitless effort to halt the Ukraine war.

The Ukraine conflict, for all its hor ror, simply isn’t ripe for a diplomatic settlement. Ukraine is advancing on the battlefield, and Russia, for all its nuclear saber-rattling, is in disarray. A defiant Ukraine wants to regain all its territory, while Russia refuses to withdraw. So, there’s no middle ground, for now.

When you have an insoluble problem, enlarge it. That’s a familiar management formula, and it has some validity here. The United States shouldn’t (and couldn’t) dic tate a settlement to Kyiv; instead, it must maintain the flow of weapons, reliably and patiently. But it should find new channels to convey that the United States doesn’t seek Russia’s destruction and wants to avoid direct military conflict.

A shaken Russia seems weirdly eager to communicate these days, too, although it’s been sending a twisted and misleading message. The latest example was Thurs day’s speech by President Vladimir Putin. He repeated his usual grievances with the West, but his other theme was that Russia wanted a version of dialogue.

“Sooner or later, both the new centers of a multipolar world order and the West will have to start an equal conversation about a common future,” Putin told an annual foreign-policy forum in Moscow. The Biden White House should forget the bizarre details of his view of reality: Take him seriously; answer his message.

An example of Russia’s recent commu nications binge – and a good U.S. response –was the barrage of allegations about an alleged Ukrainian plot to build a radio logical “dirty bomb.” To most Western analysts, this looked like a bogus Kremlin

pretext, perhaps to justify Russian use of tactical nuclear weapons. That assessment seems likely to me, too. But it’s also possi ble that Putin really believes it and thinks he has evidence.

The Kremlin pushed every messag ing button it had. The Russian minis ter of defense called his U.S. counter part, twice, and along with the British, French, and Turkish defense ministers. The chief of Russia’s military staff deliv ered the same message to his Pentagon peer. Russia raised the issue with the U.N. Security Council. Putin himself re peated the charge.

What did the Biden administration do? Sensibly, while rejecting the allegations, it moved quickly last weekend to encourage an investigation by Rafael Grossi, the head of the U.N.’s International Atomic Ener gy Agency. To facilitate Grossi’s travel to Ukraine, top White House and State De partment officials called their Ukrainian counterparts. In 24 hours, the Biden ad ministration found an international forum to defuse this crisis (at least momentarily) and address Russia’s loud complaint.

This model of crisis communication

needs to be replicated in every area that could lead to – let’s just say it – World War III. I think that Putin is a liar and a bully, and I hope the Ukrainians keep hammering Russia on the battlefield. But the United States also has an abiding national interest in avoiding a direct war with Russia, as President Joe Biden has said repeatedly.

Some rules of engagement have emerged over eight months of bitter war. To convey the U.S. desire to avoid direct conflict, the Pentagon keeps its planes away from Russian airspace and its ships outside Russian waters. Biden has told Ukraine that our support is strong but not unlimited. Kyiv wanted a no-fly zone and Army Tactical Missile Systems that could potentially target Russian cities. Biden said no to both.

Kyiv appears willing to take escala tory risks, especially in covert intelli gence operations, that the United States doesn’t support. According to an Oct. 5 account in the New York Times, U.S. in telligence concluded that Ukrainian op eratives were responsible for the August car-bombing that killed Daria Dugina,

the daughter of a Russian ultra-national ist, and warned Kyiv later that it strongly opposed such attacks.

There’s more that Washington should communicate to Moscow – about what it will and won’t do – through subtle chan nels. In the run-up to this conflict, Putin was demanding security assurances from NATO. Diplomats should resume that discussion. Biden should reiterate offers to limit placement of missiles, share in formation about military exercises, and avoid escalation. Let’s recall that such mutual security assurances were the formula for resolving the Cuban missile crisis. The secret deal was: we’ll withdraw our nukes from Turkey if you remove yours from Cuba.

Deterrence is inescapably part of the Russia-U.S. balance. Russia knows that if it attacks the United States directly (or uses nuclear weapons), it will pay a severe price. That applies also to the outlandish threat Wednesday by Russian Foreign Ministry official Konstantin Vorontsov that commercial satellites aiding Ukraine could be “a legitimate target for a retalia tory strike.”

The flip side of this deterrence mes sage is that the United States doesn’t seek Russia’s destruction. Nuclear powers can not afford to humiliate each other. Putin may lose the war he so foolishly began, but that’s not this country’s fault. We can’t save him from the consequences of his folly.

More diplomacy makes sense – if it’s properly focused. The United States shouldn’t try to bargain now over the endgame of the Ukraine war. That’s Ky iv’s prerogative. Even if the United States wanted to impose a solution, it couldn’t. But it’s time for urgent talks about how to keep this terrible war from becoming something vastly worse.

Political Crossfire

Biden Slips – and Exposes the Truth About the Inflation Reduction Act

By Marc A. Thiessen

President Joe Biden’s latest gaffe – claiming, in a moment of con fusion, that Congress had passed his student-loan forgiveness plan – has provided Americans with an additional moment of clarity just before the mid term elections: It has forced the Biden administration to admit that the Infla tion Reduction Act does not reduce infla tion, voters’ top concern – and was never intended to do so.

In a forum with NowThis, a left-wing news site, Biden said of his student-loan forgiveness plan: “You are probably aware I’ve just signed a law that’s be ing challenged by my Republican col leagues…. What we’ve provided for is if you went to school, if you qualified for a Pell Grant, you qualify for $20,000 in debt forgiveness. Secondly, if you don’t have one of those loans, you just get $10,000 written off. It’s passed. I got it passed by a vote or two.”

No, he didn’t. He enacted stu dent-loan forgiveness by executive fiat –unilaterally spending up to $1 trillion of taxpayers’ money in an unconstitutional assault on Congress’s power of the purse. The president of the United States is ap parently completely unaware that his plan was never submitted to Congress, never received a vote, and was never “signed” into law.

Put aside the obvious concerns this raises about Biden’s cognitive fitness for office. The White House could have just admitted the obvious: the president mis spoke.

Instead, his staff compounded the blunder by trying to explain his fumbled words, issuing a statement claiming Biden was not confused at all. To the con trary, it said, “the President was referring to the Inflation Reduction Act, which re

duced the deficit by hundreds of millions of dollars, creating room for other crucial programs.”

Please, no serious person believes that spin. But even if we did, the clarifi cation only makes things worse. Because

the Congressional Budget Office, and Moody’s Analytics all found that the In flation Reduction Act will have virtual ly zero impact on rising prices. But the White House insisted it would, in fact, bring inflation down, because the mas

But now the White House admits that it never intended to use that mon ey to curb inflation – the intent was to spend it.

In fact, Biden did so almost imme diately after signing the Inflation Re duction Act into law. Within days, he announced his massive student-loan forgiveness – a plan Penn Wharton esti mates will cost between $605 billion and $1 trillion, while the nonpartisan Con gressional Budget Office puts the price tag at about $400 billion. None of that is paid for. It’s all deficit spending.

So right after claiming credit for re ducing the deficit by $275 billion, Biden announced a plan to unilaterally spend perhaps two or three times that amount. According to the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, that spending will “boost near-term inflation far more than the IRA will lower it” and thus “wipe out the disinflationary bene fits of the IRA.”

until recently, the White House was claiming that the Inflation Reduction Act cut the deficit by hundreds of millions of dollars in order to...reduce inflation.

Now, we learn, that was apparently never the plan.

The Penn Wharton Budget Model,

sive climate and clean-energy spending in the law was offset by even larger tax increases – which purportedly reduced the federal budget deficit by $275 billion.

And, as the White house explained in a fact sheet, “reducing the deficit will help fight inflation.”

Now, in trying to cover up for Biden’s slip, the White House has unintention ally acknowledged that this critique is entirely correct. The administration never planned to use the $275 billion in deficit reduction to address the issue that is the biggest concern to voters; it was intended as a slush fund for spend ing on “other crucial programs.” So first, officials misled the American people by calling their climate spending bill the Inflation Reduction Act. Then they mis led the American people about Biden’s student-loan gaffe – and inadvertently admitted to their first lie.

This is the problem with serial dis honesty: it gets hard to keep your false hoods straight.

So right after claiming credit for reducing the deficit by $275 billion, Biden announced a plan to unilaterally spend perhaps two or three times that amount.

Political Crossfire

How China Lost America

By Thomas L. Friedman

When future historians look back on 2022, they will have a lot to choose from when they ask the question: What was the most important thing that happened that year? Was it Brexit, Chexit, Ruxit or Trumpit?

Was it the meltdown of the world’s sixth-largest economy, Britain, fueled in part by its reckless 2020 exit from the European Union? Was it the dement ed attempt by Vladimir Putin to wipe Ukraine off the map, which has decou pled Russia from the West – what I call Ruxit – creating havoc with worldwide energy and food markets? Was it the near-total infection of the Republican Party with Donald Trump’s Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen — Trumpit – which is eroding our democ racy’s most cherished asset: our ability to peacefully and legitimately transfer power?

Or was it China’s drive under Pres ident Xi Jinping for Chexit – an end to four decades of steady integration of China’s economy with the West, an end symbolized by the abbreviation popu larized by New York Times colleague in Beijing, Keith Bradsher, to describe where Western multinationals today think about putting their next factory: “ABC – Anywhere But China.”

It’s a tough call. And just listing them all together only tells you what a hinge of history 2022 has become. But my vote goes to Chexit.

We’ve had four decades of U.S.-Chi na economic integration that hugely benefited American consumers. It led to new export opportunities for some Americans and unemployment for oth ers, depending on the industry they were in. It helped raise hundreds of mil lions of Chinese out of extreme poverty. It tamped down inflation and worked to prevent any great-power wars.

On the whole, we will miss that era now that it’s gone, because our world

will be less prosperous, less integrated, and less geopolitically stable. But gone it is.

As The New Yorker’s China expert, Evan Osnos, pointed out in October: “In 2012, 40% of Americans had an unfa vorable view of China; today, more than 80% do, according to the Pew Research Center.”

If China had a democratic govern ment, someone there right now would surely be demanding to know, “How did we lose America?”

America is not blameless in the ero sion of this relationship. Since World War II, we had never had a geopolitical rival that was our near-peer both eco nomically and militarily. We’ve never been comfortable with Beijing’s rising challenge, especially because China was not propelled by oil but by its savings, hard work and homework – i.e., a will ingness to sacrifice to achieve national greatness, with a strong emphasis on education and science. That used to be us.

But much more of this is on Chi na. To appreciate how badly China has

lost America, you could start with this question to Beijing: “How is it that you had the biggest, most powerful lobby in Washington – and it didn’t cost you a penny – and yet you blew it?”

I’m referring to the U.S.-China Busi ness Council and the United States of America-China Chamber of Commerce. These powerful business groups, repre senting America’s biggest multination als, energetically lobbied for nearly four decades that more trade with China, and investment in and from China, was a win-win. So did the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China.

Today, these lobbies have gone most ly quiet. What happened? It was the cul mination of four trends.

The first started in 2003, shortly af ter China was admitted into the World Trade Organization (thanks to Ameri ca), when the leading advocate for mar ket reforms in China – Prime Minister Zhu Rongji – stepped down. Zhu wanted U.S. companies to be in China because he believed that Chinese companies had to compete with the best at home to compete effectively in the world.

But Zhu was opposed by China’s many inland provinces, which were dominated by state-owned Chinese in dustries that had no interest or ability to compete globally the way China’s coast al provinces could. And they became in creasingly influential.

When China joined the WTO and won immense tariff-free or reduced-tar iff access to Western markets, it prom ised to sign on to a WTO side agree ment on government procurements that would have limited China’s ability to discriminate against foreign sup pliers when making huge government purchases. But China never signed it. Instead, it kept steering its tremendous state buying power to its state-owned industries – and continued subsidizing them as well.

Way too many Chinese industries just copied or stole intellectual prop erty from Western companies that had built factories in China. The Chinese in dustries then used their protected do mestic market to gain scale – and then they competed against those very same Western companies at home and abroad – AND got subsidized by Beijing.

As I explained in a 2018 column: Even when the U.S. protested to the WTO — as happened when China un fairly kept U.S. credit-card companies out, then lost the arbitration case at the WTO — China still slow-walked making good on a 17-year-old promise to open up to them. By then, Chinese compa nies, like UnionPay, so dominated Chi na’s credit-card market that U.S. com panies, like Visa, were left with crumbs. Any wonder that EU exports to China today are only slightly larger than those to Switzerland?

Which is why many U.S. and Euro pean companies went from looking the other way at China’s market manipula tions, because they were still making money there, to complaining to their governments – but asking them not to

complain to Beijing for fear of retalia tion – to looking today to expand their supply chains to anywhere but China. Even Apple is now diversifying produc tion to rely more on Vietnam and India.

“The U.S. business community loved China – there were always tensions, but there used to be a sense of opportunity and partnership. For China to turn the business community sour on China took hard work, but China did it,” Jim Mc Gregor, who lived in China for 30 years as a business consultant and wrote three books on the subject, told me.

No wonder a U.S. business executive who had long worked in China remarked to me after Trump started his trade war with Beijing that Trump was not the American president America deserved but he was the American president Chi na deserved. Someone had to call the game from our side.

Now Xi has done the same from his side. As Joerg Wuttke, president of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China, put it in an interview, Xi’s election to an un precedented third term on a platform emphasizing Marxism and ideology over markets and pragmatism “shows me that the opening up of the Chinese economy is not going to continue.... We

have to assume that China is setting it self apart from other countries and will build a counter-model to the liberal, market-oriented model of the West.”

The second trend dates back to the aftermath of Tiananmen Square in 1989, when the Chinese Communist Party leadership sought to dampen the democratic aspirations of China’s youth with a fire hose of hyper-nationalism.

off-putting: Instead of importing effec tive Western-made vaccines to keep the pandemic at bay, China is relying on a “zero COVID” policy that uses lockdowns of whole cities as well as all the new tools of a surveillance state: drones, facial recognition, ubiquitous closed-circuit television cameras, cell phone tracking and even tracking of restaurant patrons, who must present

mRNA vaccines – require big, com plex global supply chains, because no country can be the best at each one of their increasingly sophisticated compo nents. But such supply chains require a huge amount of collaboration and trust among partners, and that is exactly what Xi has squandered in the last de cade.

Xi’s belief that China can be the best at everything alone is like believing that China’s basketball team can always de feat the world’s all-star basketball team.

Color me dubious. But also color me worried.

Which leads to a third trend: a much more aggressive Chinese foreign policy that is trying to assert dominance across the whole South China Sea, frightening China’s key neighbors, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, India, and Taiwan.

But the last trend may be the most

a QR code to be scanned and recorded.

It feels like a Xi strategy for pre venting both COVID and freedom from breaking out.

What Xi fails to grasp is that all of the most advanced technologies of the 21st century – like semiconductors and

I confess, I don’t like to use the term “China.” I much prefer “one-sixth of humanity who speak Chinese.” It captures the true scale of what we are dealing with. I want to see the Chinese people thrive; it’s good for the world. But they’re going down the wrong track today. And when one-sixth of humani ty makes a wrong turn in our still very connected world – China, for instance, still holds almost $1 trillion of U.S. Treasury debt – everyone will feel their pain.

© The New York Times

If China had a democratic government, someone there right now would surely be demanding to know, “How did we lose America?”

Her es

Ranger Heroes in World War II

By Avi Heiligman

Ranger units have been part of the American military dating back to the colonial period be fore the United States even became an independent country. The term “rang er” has been used to describe irregu lar army units, and these units were involved in several conflicts including the Revolutionary War and the Civ il War. However, these units were all temporary and were disbanded after each conflict. During World War II, an American general saw the need to cre ate a unit similar to the British Com mandos, and by the end of the war, six battalions of Rangers had been formed. The Rangers were now a permanent unit within the American military, and many of the Rangers fought with bravery and distinction during the war. Here are sto ries of some of the Rangers who fought in battles from Normandy and battle fields in Western Europe to Cabanatuan in the Pacific.

The mission for Rangers at Norman dy was to destroy the coastal guns that had the potential to wreck havoc on the beaches and the ships protecting the landings. Two-hundred Rangers under the command of Lt. Col. James Rudder from the 2 nd Ranger Battalion were to scale the cliffs of Pointe Du Hoc. They brought rock climbing and grappling equipment along with ladders donated from the London Fire Department to

scale the 100-foot cliffs. Six large Ger man guns were quickly destroyed as they were left abandoned by the Ger mans. The Rangers then ran into heavy resistance, and the battalion became isolated for two days. Eventually, the German resistance broke down. In to tal, nine Ranger companies landed on Normandy at Omaha Beach.

The destruction of five of the six large German guns at Pointe Du Hoc was credited to First Sergeant Leonard

er Ranger, located five of the six guns. They were camouflaged in an orchard, and with thermite grenades, Lomell disabled two of the guns. He bashed in the sights of a third gun and soon the other two were destroyed as well. These guns could have easily wrecked more havoc on the landing beaches, but due to Lomell’s actions, the Rangers became the first unit to achieve their objectives during the landings. Lomell was awarded the Distinguished Service

huge margin, Lomell personally led the attack, and due to the speed at which he led his men, the position was taken by the Rangers. Despite being wound ed, Lomell and two dozen men held the heights against repeated and de termined German counterattacks. For his defense of the heights, Lomell was awarded the Silver Star.

The 6th Ranger Battalion was orig inally formed as a field artillery unit and by mid-1944 had completed Rang er training under the command of Colo nel Henry Mucci. They first saw combat during the invasion of the Philippine Islands and were the first to raise an American flag in the Philippines during the campaign. In early 1945, they got word that hundreds of Allied prisoners of war were being held in the Cabanat uan POW Camp.

Lomell. The Brooklyn native was with Company D of the 2 nd Ranger Battalion and like the other two Ranger compa nies could not locate the German 155millimeter cannons as they had been moved in the pre-invasion bombard ment. Lomell then saw marks on the ground that indicated that heavy ma chinery had passed over it recently. Af ter a quick search, he, along with anoth

Cross for his part in destroying the guns on D-Day.

Lomell received a battlefield com mission and became a second lieu tenant while staying with the Rangers. During the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest in December 1944, his unit attacked a German position on a hill that had prov en too difficult for regular army units to take. Although outnumbered by a

These POWs were captured in 1942 during the first months of the Japanese assault on Allied territory and had to endure a brutal 60-mile forced march known as the Bataan Death March. Af ter almost three years, the Americans had come to the islands, and the 6 th Rangers were chosen to lead a rescue mission. Urgency in planning the op eration was paramount as the Japanese were likely to execute the prisoners if they felt that the camp would be over run by the Americans. For the task, Mucci selected Company C command

All Rangers were given the chance to back out of this dangerous mission, but no one did.

US Rangers climbed 100-foot cliffs on D-Day Rangers preparing for patrol in Germany in 1945

ed by Captain Robert Prince and rein forced by the 2nd platoon from F Com pany led by John F. Murphy as well as a contingent of Alamo Scouts. All Rang ers were given the chance to back out of this dangerous mission but no one did. They provided intelligence, route security, and interface with the civilian population.

The Rangers left for the mission two days after the Alamo Scouts. The Rangers and Scouts watched the camp as they prepared to attack which began on the evening of January 30, 1945. The Japanese guards were distracted

by a P-61 Black Widow fighter that flew a prearranged flyby. The ground attack soon began, and the whole prison com pound erupted into small arms fire after the Rangers fired on the guard towers and barracks. A bazooka team from F Company ran up the main road to a tin shack which the scouts had told Mucci held tanks. Although Japanese soldiers attempted to escape with two trucks, the team was able to destroy the trucks and the shack. While this was happen ing, the attackers started to round up the POWs for evacuation and prepared them for the trek back to American

lines. Thirty-five minutes after the at tack began, the Americans together with the POWs began to leave the camp.

About 12 hours after the assault on the camp, radio contact was made with Sixth Army. Trucks were requested to meet the force. A few hours later, the Rangers and prisoners returned to American lines, and the POWs were able to receive medical treatment. The mission was a complete success as all of the prisoners were rescued.

“Rangers Lead the Way” is the motto for the unit, and it showed their tenacity and bravery while invading Normandy

and rescuing prisoners in the Philip pines. Many Rangers were awarded medals and citations for bravery under fire. Their legacy continues today with the 75 th Ranger Regiment.

Avi Heiligman is a weekly contribu tor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comments and suggestions for fu ture columns and can be reached at aviheiligman@gmail.com.

It took Rangers 30 minutes to free hundreds of American POWs

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WOODMERE

Great Home on a Cul-De-Sac, SD #15, Features 4 Bedrooms, 3 New Full Bathrooms, Gas Heat, Central Air Conditioning, Renovated Gourmet EIK w/2 Sinks, Granite Countertops, New Stainless Steel Appliances Leading out to a New Deck, Elegant Formal Dining Room, New Flooring, Moldings, and New Wood Bannister Leading to the Bedrooms, Spacious Master Bedroom Suite w/Jacuzzi Tub, Sep Stall Shower, and a Large Walk-In Closet. Generously Sized Den Leading Out to a Magnificent Backyard With a New Pergola, Great Home for Entertaining, High Hats Throughout, New Front Walkway Leading to a Nice Front Porch, New Front Windows Close to RR, Shopping, Houses of Worship. P.O.R. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

HEWLETT BAY PARK

Six bedroom home in highly desirable Hewlett Bay Park on 3/4 of an acre with an inground gunite pool and tennis court, en-Suite bathrooms and bedrooms on both floors, 1st floor Master Suite with steam shower and Jacuzzi tub, Eat-in Kitchen, with SS appliances, 2 sinks, 2 dishwashers, double oven, formal living room, formal dining room, den with fireplace. Close to railroad, shopping, and houses of worship. SD#14. Great house for entertaining. Park-like Property. P.O.R. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE JUST LISTED

Spacious 5 bedroom 4 bathroom split level in Saddle Ridge Estates Well maintained home , renovated eat –in-kitchen , formal living room and dining room, den, central air conditioning, hardwood floors, high hats, master bedroom with a custom bathroom and Jacuzzi tub, close to all $995k

Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE: NEW TO THE MARKET

Well maintained 4 bedroom home on a cul-de-sac in Old Woodmere SD#14. Features central air conditioning, gas heat, eat -in -kitchen with stainless steel appliances, very spacious den, 2 car garage, hardwood floors, high hats, magnificent yard with an in-ground saltwater pool, close to the railroad, shopping and houses of worship. Open House Sunday November 6 11:00-12:30Pm 1045

Wales Pl. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

NORTH WOODMERE NEW TO THE MARKET

Bright and sunny 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms split level home. Features central air conditioning, gas heat, solar panels, eat in kitchen with stainless steel appliances, formal dining room and living room, den, finished bsmt with playroom and 2 additional rooms, master bedroom –fbath and 2 walk in closets, custom window treatments, new garage door, alarm, IGS, hardwood floors, 200 AMP service, gasline BBQ, new insulation, close to schools, shopping and so much more.

Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

HEWLETT BAY PARK

Prestigious Center-Hall Colonial in Hewlett Bay Park, Set Back on Private Property. This Stately Home Features a Grand Entry Foyer, Formal Living Room, Formal Dining Room, Chef’s Kitchen, Large Den, Master Bedroom suite with Sitting Room + 2 Baths (His & Hers) and Loft and Additional 3 Bedrooms + Bonus Rooms. Exquisitely Manicured Park-like property. Award Winning School District #14. Too Many Features To List. Will Not Last! P.O.R. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

Spectacular 5 bedroom, 5 bath renovated home in SD#14 with in-ground pool & pool house, lot size 111 x 107. Formal living room & dining room, magnificent kitchen with SS appliances, tremendous den with fireplace and 4 skylights, vaulted ceiling, LED lighting, master suite, new CAC, new roof. Outside totally redone with Stone and Stucco. Backyard with new pavers, park-like property, sandbox, great home for entertaining. Close to all. $1,499,000

OPEN HOUSE

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6 1:00-2:30PM 562 SUNSET DR Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516.298.8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

HOUSES FOR SALE

LAWRENCE

Exceptional turnkey Mediterranean Colonial style home and beautiful manicured corner property. This home features exquisite architectural details with six meticulously designed spacious bedrooms and four full baths, open layout that allows comfortable living and entertainment. Large dining room and living room with gas fireplace. Beautiful updated kitchen with stainless steel appliances attached to Butler’s pantry, huge closet space and storage throughout. Park like backyard, hardwood herringbone floors throughout. Water filtration system and ground well for sprinklers. A must see!

P.O.R. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

Classifieds

CEDARHURST

HOUSES FOR SALE

NORTH WOODMERE

WOODMERE

SALE

WOODMERE

Beautifully maintained Split Level home in the heart of Woodmere. This home boasts 4 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths, Eat-in Kitchen, Formal Dining Room, Living Room, a Finished Basement, and an office. Beautiful and spacious Backyard. Great location, SD#14. Close to all. Price Reduced $899k. OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6 11:30 -1:00PM 918 EILEEN TERRACE

Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

Magnificent Bright & Sunny furnished 6 Bedroom, 5 Bath Home Prime location in Cedarhurst Features Dream Kitchen With Granite Countertops, Two Sinks, Two Ovens, Two Microwaves, Formal Dining Room With Washing Station, Formal Living Room. Smart Home, Radiant Heat, Speaker System, Timers, Cameras Inside + Outside, Master Bedroom Suite With Jacuzzi Tub + Shower. Two Large Walk-in Closets, Central Air Conditioning, Gas Heat, Two Car Garage, Great Corner Property, Large Side + Backyard, Finished Basement, Close To All. A Must See. Close To Shopping And Houses Of Worship. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

This is a Spectacular Home Rebuilt From the Ground Up in 2010. Features Inground Heated Saltwater Pool. Unique Beyond, Very Artistic. Designed by a Well-known Interior Designer. The House Was Knocked Down & Rebuilt. It has Steel Columns, Exposed Vents & Duct Work. Custom Door - Super Thick, Entry Foyer is Laser Cut Acrylic Tile, Custom Closets Throughout. Steel Bolder Sep. the LR & DR. DR has a Custom China Closet, Bar has a Swarovski Sink, Custom Scavollini EIK, Very European the way the Drawers Open + Cabinets Open Upwards. Countertops are Caesar Stone & Appl. are a Wolf Oven w/6 Burners, 2 Miele Ovens, and Built-in Coffee Maker. 1 Miele Dishwasher + 2 Fisher Paykel Dishwashers. Thermador Refrigerator w/Ice Maker. Double Sinks Plus a Veg. Sink, Walls are Painted w/Venetian Plaster. Office w/High Ceilings & Terr. Overlooking the Pool. Magnificent yard, MBR Suite w/a Spa Bath & a Huge WIC. MBR has Missoni Tiles. All Pella Windows & Doors. Home has Cameras, Alarms, IGS and So Much More! Mark Lipner

Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

APT./CO-OP FOR RENT

WOODMERE

House rental Move right into this 4 bedroom colonial in the heart of Woodmere, with spacious rooms, hardwood floors, a finished basement, and a spacious yard. Close to railroad, shopping & houses of worship $4,500 monthly Mark Lipner

Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE/HEWLETT NECK

House Rental Magnificent 6 Bedroom Home. Formal Dining Room, New Gourmet Kitchen W/High End Appliances & Cabinets, Large Living Rm & Den, 3 Car Attached Garage, Hardwood Floors, Sd#14. 5 Bedrooms On One Level, Fabulous MBR Suite W/ New Bathroom. gas heat. central air conditioning, long driveway, parklaike property,& So Much More. Call for details Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

1 bedroom apartment, elevator building, eat-in kitchen, full bath, hardwood floors, plenty of closet space. Ceiling fan in bedroom & kitchen, laundry room in the basement. Close to the railroad, shopping, and houses of worship $179k Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@ bhhslaffey.com

Woodmere New to the market beautifully maintained bright and sunny 2 bedroom 1.5 bathroom co-op on the top floor in an elevator building with a private storage room. Renovated eat -in-kitchen with granite countertops, lots of cabinets, 2 renovated bathrooms. 2 spacious bedrooms with ceiling fans and air conditioners. hardwood floors, high ceilings , close to the railroad, shopping and houses of worship. Call for a private showing.$429K Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

Totally renovated bright and sunny 1 bedroom corner unit apartment with a washer/dryer. Features quartz countertops, ss appliances, recessed lighting, bathroom with chrome fixtures, close to the railroads, shopping and houses of worship. Call for details Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

HEWLETT

Totally renovated 1 and 2 Bedroom, Apartments with washer/dryer, kitchen with quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances. Recessed lighting, hardwood floors, storage in basement. Close to RR, shopping, and houses of worship. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457

mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODSBURGH

Magnificent 2K sq. Ft. Co-Op. 3BR/2BTH, EIK, LR, DR, W/D in Unit, GAR, 2 STOR UNITS, ELEV, NEAR ALL $775K 516-846-1032

Classifieds

classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com • text 443-929-4003

APT./COOP/CONDO SALE APT./COOP/CONDO SALE APT./COOP/CONDO SALE

HEWLETT

Bright and sunny 2 bedroom 2 bathroom co-op, elevator, doorman building, in ground pool storage, card room, indoor and outdoor parking, washer/dryer in the apartment, renovated kitchen with granite countertops, ss appliances, master bedroom with en-suite bathroom, formal living room and dining room, close to all $479k Mark Lipner

Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE Beautiful & Spacious 2 Bedroom Apartment Across From The Golf Course. Elevator Building, Updated Kitchen, Gas Cooking, Granite Countertops, Washer/Dryer In Unit, High Ceilings, Great Closet Space, Storage in Basement, Close To RR, Shopping & Houses Of Worship.$349K

Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

HEWLETT

Hewlett 3 bedroom 2 bath co-op with central air conditioning, terrace, wash-er/dryer, hardwood floors, recessed lighting, magnificent kitchens, ss appliances, l/r, d/r, close to the railroad, shopping, and houses of worship. $300k Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

CEDARHURST

1 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment, elevator building, eat-in kitchen, spacious rooms throughout, laundry room on-premises, garage parking, close to all Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

CEDARHURST

1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, totally renovated private entrance , central air conditioning, hardwood floors, washer/dryer, garage parking, dishwasher, recessed lighting, private playground, close to railroad, park, shopping and houses of worship. Call for more details

Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457  mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

Move right in!! 2 Bedroom Apartment, Elevator Bldg in SD #14, Pre War Bldg, Pet Friendly, Laundry Room in Basement, Wood Floors, New Windows, Corner Apartment, Beautiful Renovated Kitchen w/SS Appliances, 3 A/C Units, Close to RR, Shopping & Houses of Worship. A must-see! $199k

HELP WANTED

DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT

A multi-tasker needed for general office work. The ideal candidate is someone who is detail-oriented, responsible, and can take ownership. Looking for someone who is eager to learn, and expand his/her skill set while possessing the ability to work independently and as part of a team. Experience with Excel required. Five Towns location. In-office position only, not remote. Please send resume to 5tpart.timecareer@gmail.com

MDS REGIONAL NURSE:

5 Towns area Nursing Home management office seeking a Regional/Corporate level MDS Nurse to work in our office. Must be an RN. Regional experience preferred. 2-3 years MDS experience with good computer skills required. Position is Full Time but Part Time can be considered. Great Shomer Shabbos environment with some remote options as well. Email: officejob2019@gmail.com

Classifieds

classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com • text 443-929-4003

HELP WANTEDHELP WANTED

NEWSPAPER LOOKING FOR someone with a Minivan or SUV who can work late Wednesday evening or early Thursday morning on a weekly basis throughout the year, delivering newspapers in Brooklyn. Please email gabe@fivetownsjewishhome.com or call (917) 299-8082

A YESHIVA IN QUEENS is looking for an experienced part/ full time secretary, 2-year-old morah, kindergarten morah, kindergarten morah assistant and Pre-1A English teacher for the 2022-2023 school year. Nice and timely pay. Please email resume to mshelt613@gmail.com or call/text 718-971-9799.

CHANGE LIVES. STARTING WITH YOURS!

Seeking men and women ABA providers for after school hours in Queens, Far Rockaway, Woodmere, West Hempstead. talent@encoresupport.org 718-304-9977 ext 126

BOOKKEEPER

Excellent growth potential, Frum environment, Excellent salary & benefits. Email resume to: resumetfs1@gmail.com

THE STOP AND ROLL FAMILY Is looking to expand our customer service staff! Perfect for someone looking for a flexible job or a second income. *Please send me a text or whatsapp if you are interested in setting up an interview. * Contact: Benjy Schreier 13479929241

SPECIAL EDUCATION SCHOOL IVDU 5 Towns in North Woodmere has openings for a social work/ psychology internship. Our warm and professional environment will allow you to gain experience and hands-on training. You’ll have the opportunity to train in social skills, play therapy, provide counseling, and conduct research. The internship meets the requirements for graduate students in mental health programs for fieldwork, practicums, and internships. Email resume to seplowitzs@ou.org.

LOOKING FOR A DRIVER

Business looking for someone that has a large van or sprinter that can work a full day on Wednesdays on a weekly basis throughout the year in Brooklyn. Please do not call if you do not have a large van or a sprinter 347.992.7411

THE GURAL JCC EARLY CHILDHOOD Center in Lawrence is looking for full-time & part-time teachers and per diem & permanent substitute teachers to work with infants, toddlers or preschoolers. Interested and qualified candidates, over 18 years old, please call (516) 239-1354 or e-mail JCC. Nursery@GuralJCC.org.

THE IVDU SCHOOL

of the Five Towns, a special education school in North Woodmere, has an opening for a substitute Special Education Teacher for a Maternity Leave coverage, starting in December. Enjoy a competitive salary, and an excellent work environment. Email resume to seplowitzs@ou.org

ASSISTANT TEACHER

CAHAL is seeking an afternoon secular studies Assistant Teacher in a girls’ Bais Yaakov in Far Rockaway. Send resume to shira@cahal.org or call 516-295-3666

PARAS & TEACHERS ASSISTANTS

Wanted: IVDU 5 Towns in North Woodmere needs teachers assistants and paras for the 22-23 school year. Besides having a competitive salary + benefits, you’ll have access to excellent workplace culture and professional development. Attn: graduate students obtain hours for BCBA and Special ed fieldwork requirements. Send a copy of your resume to seplowitzs@ou.org

5 TOWNS BOYS YESHIVA SEEKING ELEM GEN ED TEACHERS

Excellent working environment and pay. Only lic/exp need apply. Email resume to yeshivalooking@gmail.com

MISC.

GEMACH ZICHRON YEHUDA

In memory of R’ Yehuda Aryeh Leib ben R’ Yisroel Dov. We have a library of books on the subjects of loss, aveilus, grief, & kaddish. We have sets of ArtScroll Mishnayos to assist with finishing Shisha Sidrei Mishna for Shloshim or yahrtzeit. Locations in Brooklyn, Far Rockaway, & Lakewood. Email: zichronyehuda@yahoo.com

CAR FOR SALE

2013 Hyundai Sonata limited leather seat

1 owner , 32k mileage , sunroof , keyless

Asking 14,500 car located in Far Rockaway Call 516-534-7331

Your Money Tax Breaks to Get Charged Over

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

On September 21, 1893, the Duryea brothers road-tested the first gasoline-powered American car. They never could have guessed how their horseless carriage would define the 20th century. Automobiles transformed our landscape into a patchwork of strip malls and suburban cul-de-sacs. Detroit’s “Big Three” supported an apotheosis of blue-collar employment that let a highschool graduate raise a family on a single income – and retire with more security than today’s doctors and lawyers. Car culture even penetrated American song –where would Bruce Springsteen be with out highways jammed with broken heroes on a last-chance power drive?

One hundred twenty-nine years later, the climate has allegedly changed, and fossil fuels are a liability. In 2004, Tes la Motors rolled out the first street-legal electric car with enough range to be more than a novelty. Today, electric vehicles command 5% of the market for new cars and trucks, and Reuters estimates that by 2050, over half the vehicles on the road could be electric. Electric carmakers have spurred revolutions in solar energy and battery technology. Even pickup fans have long dreamed of a truck they could plug into their house. But how many of

them guessed that when the power goes out, they’d be able to plug their house into the truck?

Uncle Sam is all in on electrification. In 2008, Washington offered the first electric vehicle credit limited to 200,000 electric vehicle sales per manufacturer.

In August, the Inflation Reduction Act recharged that $7,500 credit for Amer ican-assembled electric cars. Eligibility

pockets or backing the wrong horse like Solyndra.) There’s even a $4,000 credit for used electric vehicles costing up to 25,000$

Unfortunately, there’s one big buzz kill to the new credit – it’s nonrefund able. That means if your regular tax bill, minus any other credits, is less than 7,500$, you lose the difference. You can’t even carry it forward to future years. That

That won’t save you anything now, but it will save you tax when you sell again later.

Alternatively, if you have money in a traditional tax-deferred IRA, you might convert enough of it to a Roth IRA to ab sorb the credit. This will eliminate future tax on the amount that you convert today, plus all the tax you would have owed on your future growth on it.

(Just as an aside, do you have one of those insufferable friends who won’t shut up about his Tesla? It’s always a him, not a her. Just casually ask him to “remind me again, you drive one of those little Pri uses, right?” and watch him deflate right before your eyes.)

tightens in 2023 — taxpayers earning up to $150,000 ($300,000 for joint filers) will be able to claim it for sedans costing up to $55,000, or trucks and SUVs up to $80,000, so long as battery components meet specific sourcing and manufactur ing rules. (Structuring the incentive as a tax credit gives grounding to lawmakers who don’t want to be seen shoveling more money into Elon Musk’s already bulging

turns tax planning upside down for some electric car buyers with low tax bills. The challenge becomes finding a way to increase your taxes for the year you buy the car.

So … do you have appreciated stock in a taxable brokerage account? You can sell it – realize that gain to increase this year’s tax – then immediately buy it back. (Wash-sale rules don’t apply to gains.)

Here is this week’s bottom line. For over a century, buying a personal vehicle has been a personal choice with no IRS consequences. Electric vehicle incentives have changed that for many buyers and give you yet another reason to call us be fore you act. The good news is we’re here, and we’re ready to help!

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.

Reuters estimates that by 2050, over half the vehicles on the road could be electric.

ach

I Cannot Tell a Lie

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

Doing laundry used to be simple: scrubbing board, ocean, agitate, done!

I do not tell a “lye”!

In other words, the only enhance ment, after years, was soap made from lye – that is, if you could afford it.

And then came the washing ma chine…and everything changed.

A whole new market opened up!

Clean enough was just not good enough. What a body of water plus a good arm could accomplish was just not the standard anymore!

There was suddenly a whole complex assembly line of items put in place for the ceremony of doing a wash.

First, there was the advent of laun dry detergent. Then better ones, and more effective ones, and deeper clean ing ones. Then there were whiteners added in. And whiteners for the whit eners and color safe whiteners that were not even for white clothing.

Oh, and then they introduced, for our “oh so fragile” bodies, clothing

softeners, and then they pushed better softeners, and then softeners for the softeners. As if our clothing would act as sandpaper and scrub off our anyway renewable skin.

And then, finally, delicious fragranc

As soon as everyone was convinced this was the way things had to be done, a new era came about: Back to basics.

Fragrance-free, all-natural, go green, anything closer to nature was in.

All the products you were trained to

So now there’s a new conflict to wor ry about. Can we use what we got use to or do we need a whole new set of prod ucts?

Let me say this: Honestly, I’m glad if I have a clean pair of socks to start my day. Who wants conflict over laundry? Personally, I’m thinking of going out to purchase a good old trusty scrubbing board. Anyone else in? We can meet up at the ocean!

Seriously, I cannot tell a “lye” – it’s better to keep things fresh and clean be tween people and then to fight over how to keep the laundry fresh and clean.

es were brought on board! More and more heavenly aromas were added to accompany our clothing out of the wash. As if our presence had to be announced glowingly and flowingly, from a mile away, as we sailed into a space.

The market kept exploding with all kind of additives to make laundry clean er and fresher. And then…

use had to be traded in for what was now in vogue.

For years and years, you would walk by a house and experience the pleas ant scent. You’d stop and think, “Ahhh love that fresh smell of clean laundry. Delicious!” Now it’s: “What are they thinking, letting those fumes pollute the atmosphere?”

Rivki Rosenwald is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist working with both couples and individuals and is a certified relation ship counselor. Rivki is a co-founder and creator of an effective Parent Management of Adolescent Years Program. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or at rivkiros enwald@gmail.com.

Anyone else in? We can meet up at the ocean!