Five Towns Jewish Home 1.12.23

few weeks ago, my son wasn’t feeling well. We realized that he was really sick when he came home after Shabbos and went straight to bed…no Dor L’Dor, no raffles, and no pizza. It turned out that he had a strep throat and had to stay home for a few days.

My son is in fifth grade in Yeshiva Darchei Torah and started learning Gemara this year. He’s a conscientious student and was concerned that he would fall behind while out sick. My husband assuaged his concerns by learning the Gemara with him.

One night, my son’s rebbe called to check in on my son. But the rebbe wasn’t just concerned about the antibiotics doing their job. At the end of the call, he asked if my son was well enough for him to come over the next day to teach him the Gemara.

I saw the light shining in my son’s eyes when he heard that his rebbe wanted to come over to our home to go over the Gemara with him. He felt so special, so loved, so valued.

The next day was Asara b’Teves. And, despite fasting and the myriad things that a rebbe has on his plate, the rebbe came to teach my son what he had missed. When I opened the door, he was holding a Slurpee and a bag with a chocolate Danish and sour sticks – proven cures for a strep throat from a rebbe to his talmid.

They learned together for 20 minutes. I listened from the other room while I was doing work. I heard the rebbe ask questions, give answers, explain. I heard the concern that he had in making sure that his talmid was able to master the lesson. More than that, I felt the connection and devotion of the rebbe towards his talmid.

The devotion that a rebbe has towards his talmid is not something to be taken for granted. It takes effort, and energy, and a certain sensitivity to be able to connect to each boy in his own way. Having had two sons in Darchei, I can attest that the yeshiva is a model for rebbeim who have that special dedication towards their talmidim.

It’s been fifty years since Reb Yisroel Bloom, z”l, launched Yeshiva Darchei Torah for the families of Far Rockaway. That first year, it was housed in the Agudah in Far Rockaway, two rooms for the small group of boys who were the first class of the new yeshiva. Today, the yeshiva has thousands of alumni around the globe who are proud of their Darchei chinuch.

When talking to Darchei students and alumni, it always amazes me how they each feel a personal connection and closeness to the Rosh HaYeshiva, Rabbi Yaakov Bender, shlita. “How can one person have such a close relationship with so many people?” I wonder.

But the truth is, I know the answer.

Recently, while driving carpool, I overheard a Darchei student telling his friend that it was his birthday that day and that he was bringing doughnuts to school. As kids do, they were calculating how many doughnuts would be left over for the birthday boy (because, of course, on your birthday the best way to celebrate is by eating four doughnuts). When counting his classmates and friends, the birthday boy included Rabbi Bender in the count.

I was incredulous.

“You’re going to bring a doughnut to your rosh yeshiva?” I asked.

The boy looked at me and, with an equal amount of surprise, said, “Of course! Any time I have a birthday or make a siyum, I always go to Rabbi Bender’s office… He loves when I come!”

This is what creates warm feelings, unforgettable memories, and a true love and appreciation for Torah and Yiddishkeit.

We often hear from the first post-Holocaust generation how school was hard for them as American boys being taught by hardened European teachers. Even so, they persevered. But today, our children are being educated in the most beautiful way with a serious Torah education combined with understanding rebbeim and positive, uplifting messages about Yiddishkeit. Despite the world becoming a darker place in many ways, the exceptional education that our children are getting is a light in the darkness. Our community is not only growing physically, but Yiddishkeit is flourishing in a way that many of our grandparents would never have been able to imagine when they came to this country.

As we stand on the doorsteps of the ultimate geulah, we are fortunate to have yeshivos like Yeshiva Darchei Torah and other outstanding yeshivos and schools in the Five Towns illuminating the torch of Yiddishkeit for our children.

Yitzy Halpern, PUBLISHER publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Yosef Feinerman, MANAGING EDITOR ads@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Shoshana Soroka, EDITOR editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com

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Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

Partly Cloudy Sunny

HEALTH & FITNESS

Dear Editor,

If you can please print this, that would so helpful.

I want to remind the community that people need to be very careful while driving at night. Many of the roads in our community are not fully lit, and there are bikers who don’t always have lights on their bikes, creating a hazardous situation. Since it gets dark early in the winter, there are many more cars on the road.

I just witnessed an accident where someone was making a right turn and didn’t see the biker who was biking into the street.

Please be careful.

Thank you.

A Reader

Dear Editor,

I read your beautiful article-story titled, “Light From Within: An ordinary Jew who killed a terrorist,” in the December 22 issue of The Jewish Home newspaper.

I remember the story when it happened and that Yoram was arrested, and I also heard that he was eventually released. However, I did not know many details of the story, neither did I know anything about Yoram himself, and I wondered what was up with him. I was therefore relieved to read about his amazing emunah and spiritual strength that kept him going through his and his family’s very difficult time.

Ronit, I wish to compliment you on

that extremely powerful and well-written story. Your writing really conveys Yoram’s feelings and his great resolve to stay strong throughout the terrible ordeal he was going through. I came away greatly inspired by Yoram and his family. Yoram’s great trust in Hashem comes through so passionately in your writing.

How blessed are the Jewish nation to have such people as Yoram and his family in our midst and how fortunate are we that you have decided to bring the story to light so that others can learn from their greatness.

Thanks again for that amazing story, Moshe Lubart

Dear Editor,

To the parents whose son keeps on falling for pretty girls in this week’s dating column: I understand that you are concerned that he will end up marrying the only girl who continues to date him and proceed to the chuppah.

What would be so wrong with that? It seems that your son is not a complicated, complex individual. Perhaps he just needs a nice, sweet girl who he enjoys spending time with.

If you are concerned that he will end up marrying someone who is not so nice, well, then, make sure that he date this young lady for a really long time. During that time, her looks won’t be as striking and her personality may come out – for good and for bad.

that

your husband meet this young lady; call your references – again – to ask for information and ask pointed questions about middos and personality.

Sometimes, dating isn’t complicated. Sometimes, it’s about two young people who enjoy each other’s company. And yes, perhaps, the girl is pretty. Is that such a bad thing?

Sincerely,

Golda Roth

Dear Editor,

My son is on break from swimming lessons. As a substitute, he likes to practice holding his breath in the bathtub by dunking his head. In his recent practice, he told me that he was scared to put his head under the water because there was too much water. I told him that the pool where he takes lessons has even more water and he does it. He affirmed that and dunked his head for five seconds.

When I thought about it, I also thought that our guf always says it “can’t do it,” as it’s so attached to the physicality of the world. But there’s a counter to that. The neshama is totally spiritual and is connected to the Divine. The neshama is already plugged into total spirituality, a default that has the natural power to overcome.

I recently heard an interview that Charlie Harary gave a while ago. He said that every Jew is like an F-16 with the Torah as a manual. He says if we realize how great we are, then there’s nowhere we can’t fly. Besides plugging into our spirituality, we should also use our strengths to reach epic heights.

Steven Genack

Dear Editor,

I cannot agree with you more that the Jewish world – and Israel – has a social media problem. So often, I read newspapers and listen to the radio and shake my head. How are they getting it so wrong? I ask myself. But then, I dismiss their rhetoric because I know they’re spewing lies. But the danger is when people who don’t know the full story are being told

that this is the full story! They come away thinking that all Jews are a certain way or that Israel is doing this and that to the Palestinians. This is certainly dangerous and horrifying.

Our community leaders must stand up against this. They must speak out against these lies. Not everyone listening to these lies are evil; they just want the truth. Show them the truth, explain to them, show them the facts, and hopefully, they’ll be ambassadors of truth as well.

You raised very good points, as always.

Scott Wieder

Dear Editor, Keep Those Letters Coming...

Congratulations to my fellow 2022 Letter to the Editor writers. Surveys reveal that “Letters To The Editor” is one of the most widely read and popular sections of any newspaper.

It helps to have a snappy introduction, good hook, be timely, precise, have an interesting or different viewpoint to increase your odds of being published. Many papers welcome letters commenting on their own editorials, articles, or previously published letters to the editor.

Let us thank those few brave souls who are willing to take on the establishment and powerful special interest groups in the pages of your letters to the editor section. They fill a valuable niche in the information highway.

I continue to be grateful that the many newspapers that afford both me and my fellow letter writers the opportunity to express our views, as well as differing opinions on issues of the day.

Please join me along with your neighbors in reading the Five Towns Jewish Home. Patronize their advertisers; they provide the revenues necessary to keep them in business. This helps pay to provide space for your favorite or not-so-favorite letter writers.

Sincerely, Larry Penner

Longtime Reader and Frequent Letter Writer

Make your voice heard!

Be part of TJH’s weekly poll. Email the editor to be included in the weekly poll at Editor@FiveTownsJewishHome.com

“We will not allow democracy to slip out of our hands,” da Silva said on Monday evening. “In the name of defending democracy, we will not act in an authoritarian way with anyone, but we also will not go lightly on them. We will investigate and find out who financed it.”

Iran Condemns Charlie Hebdo Caricature

Storming the Capital in Brazil

Da Silva has accused Bolsonaro of inciting and encouraging the rioters. Bolsonaro was in Florida at the time of the attack and was briefly hospitalized on Monday after complaining of pain related to his 2018 stabbing injury.

“Peaceful demonstrations, within the law, are part of democracy. However, vandalism and the invasion of public buildings like today’s acts, and like those practiced by the left in 2013 and 2017, are an exception,” Bolsonaro wrote in a statement on Sunday.

On Sunday, thousands of supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the country’s Congress, Presidential Palace, and Supreme Court in the nation’s capital of Brasilia. Brazilian President Lula da Silva has vowed that those who participated in Sunday’s events will be facing consequences.

As of Tuesday, Brazilian authorities have arrested a total of 1,500 people who were involved.

Nevertheless, da Silva has named him personally responsible for the attack, though no formal investigation or charges have been made.

“He didn’t just provoke this or encourage this – he’s still encouraging this via social media,” Da Silva asserted on Sunday.

Several Democrats in the U.S. have called for Bolsonaro’s extradition out of Florida.

Iranian officials have condemned the French magazine Charlie Hebdo and closed a research center affiliated with France after the satirical outlet published caricatures of the country’s religious clerical leaders amid civil unrest.

The images were published in the magazine’s recent issue around the anniversary of the 2015 shooting at the Paris office of Charlie Hebdo, which had, at the time, published a controversial cartoon of the Prophet Muhammed. Twelve people died in that shooting.

The publication’s latest illustrations depict Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other members of the clerical regime executing protestors and

engaged in inappropriate scenarios.

The political cartoons were solicited by the magazine in an open call that closed at the end of December. On its website, the outlet called for caricaturists “to support Iranians who are fighting for their freedom, by ridiculing this religious leader from another age and consigning him to historical oblivion.”

The magazine wanted to publish the images in solidarity with protest demonstrations that have roiled the country following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody. Amini had been arrested by the modesty police for failure to fully cover her hair.

Since the protests over Amini’s death began in September, thousands of demonstrators have been arrested, and hundreds have been killed, according to the Human Rights Activists’ News Agency. Two protestors detained for alleged links to the death of an Iranian officer during the demonstrations were publicly executed last month after closed trials.

In a statement published on Sunday, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said that freedom of speech should not be used as a “pretext for insulting” religion. The ministry called on France to “hold to account the perpetrators and sponsor of such instances of

14 spreading hatred.”

Iran’s foreign ministry closed the French Institute for Research in Iran as its “first step” in responding to the offensive images.

France’s foreign minister, Catherine Colonna, defended freedom of the press in her country, saying that under the country’s legal system, “blasphemy does not exist.”

Plastics to Be Banned in England

passed a ban on these products.

Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said the move would help protect the environment for future generations. According to government figures, 1.1 billion single-use plates and more than four billion pieces of plastic cutlery are used in England every year.

Each person in England uses an average of 18 single-use plastic plates and 37 items of plastic cutlery every year, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, while just 10% of those are recycled.

Similar bans have already been made in Scotland, while single-use plastic straws, stirrers and plastic stemmed cotton buds were already banned in England in 2020.

Scotland introduced a ban on businesses using a range of single-use plastic goods in June last year. Laws for a similar ban in Wales were approved in December and will come into force later in 2023.

Mali Pardons Ivorian Soldiers

United Nations acknowledged procedural “dysfunctions” in a note to the Malian government and admitted that “certain measures have not been followed.” But Ivorian authorities denied that the soldiers had been sent to disturb public order, and denounced their detention as hostage-taking.

Single-use items like plastic cutlery, plates, and polystyrene trays will be banned in England, the government has confirmed. It is unclear when the ban will come into effect.

Scotland and Wales had previously

This latest measure in England does not, however, cover items found in supermarkets or shops. The government said it would address those by other means.

The military junta that controls Mali pardoned 49 Ivorian soldiers and suspended their prison sentences, ending a diplomatic dispute that highlighted the growing isolation of the West African country and its strained relations with its neighbors.

The decision, announced late Friday, came a week after the soldiers, who had been detained nearly six months ago, had received sentences of 20 years. Mali had accused the soldiers of being mercenaries, but the government of Ivory Coast said they were in Mali to support a nearly decade-old United Nations peacekeeping mission of 15,000 members assigned to protect civilians from armed groups.

Months of negotiations and a mediation led by the president of Togo ensued, but on December 30, a court in Bamako, Mali’s capital, convicted 46 soldiers of crimes including conspiracy against the government after a closed trial that lasted a day and a half. Three female soldiers, who had been arrested and later released, were sentenced to death in absentia because they did not appear in court for their hearing.

On Friday, however, Mali’s military leader, Col. Assimi Goïta, revoked the sentences of all soldiers, Col. Abdoulaye Maiga, the government spokesperson, said in a statement read on national television.

“This gesture demonstrates once again the attachment to peace, dialogue and pan-Africanism,” the statement said of Goïta’s move, a claim that is at odds with Mali’s recent attitude toward its neighbors and international partners.

Inside Bamako, much of the population believes that the Ivorian soldiers were mercenaries, Doussouba Konaté, a civil society leader in Mali, told The New York Times in December. But abroad, most diplomats and analysts repeatedly questioned the legitimacy of the detention.

After the soldiers were arrested, the

Mali’s relations with some West African neighbors and international partners have soured since a military junta seized power in Mali in a coup in 2020 and overthrew civilian leaders in a second one, in 2021. In August, French troops left Mali after a nearly decade-long military intervention intended to restore order in the country, which has been battling a terrorist threat in an increasingly unstable region. (© The New York Times)

Boat Smuggling Rifles from Iran to Yemen

According to the U.S. military this week, U.S. Navy forces recently intercepted a fishing boat transporting over 2,000 AK-17 rifles from Iran to Yemen.

The vessel, which was crewed by six Yemeni nationals, was sailing through the Gulf of Oman on January 6 when it was caught, U.S. 5th Fleet said in a statement. A team from the patrol coastal ship USS Chinook discovered and boarded the ship with support from fellow Cyclone-class patrol ship USS Monsoon and the guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans. The ship was carrying 2,116 AK-47 assault rifles.

The vessel was traveling along a route historically understood to be used for the transfer of lethal aid to Yemen’s Houthi rebels — a violation of a UN Security Council resolution and international law, 5th Fleet said.

Iran is the main backer of the Houthis, who have fought a devastating years-long civil war against Yemen’s internationally recognized government. The bloody conflict has previously been characterized by experts as a proxy war between regional

foes Iran and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia supports the Yemeni government.

Over the past few months, U.S. forces have intercepted several vessels transferring lethal aid from Iran to Yemen. In November, 5th Fleet seized a “massive amount” of explosive chemical material that can be used to fuel ballistic missiles. A few weeks later, it recovered more than 50 tons of ammunition and rocket parts.

The recent shipment “is part of a continued pattern of destabilizing activ-

ity from Iran,” Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, who commands US Naval Forces Central Command, US 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces, said in a statement.

“These threats have our attention. We remain vigilant in detecting any maritime activity that impedes freedom of navigation or compromises regional security,” he added.

The Quest to Build the Perfect Grenade

An array of mostly unremarkable items stretched across two wooden tables on the far side of a cramped workshop in eastern Ukraine: double-sided tape, gloves, Allen wrenches, a soldering

iron, 3D-printed plastic, ball bearings, a digital scale. Next to them was a German DM51 fragmentation grenade.

They were all important ingredients for Ukrainian troops trying to piece together a puzzle: How do you create a grenade that weighs next to nothing but can be dropped from a drone and destroy a roughly 40-ton Russian tank?

“War is an economy. It’s money,” said Graf, a stout, bearded Ukrainian soldier in charge of his unit’s drone team. “And if you have a drone for $3,000 and a grenade for $200, and you destroy a tank that costs $3 million, it’s very interesting.”

Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly a year ago, technological advancements on the battlefield have mostly centered on both countries’ increased use of small, remotely operated drones and their growing importance in almost every aspect of the war.

Now Graf and his team, who have become experts at killing Russian troops with munitions dropped from the air, are trying to raise the drones’ effectiveness to the next level: by using them to deliver what they consider the perfect grenade.

The challenge is building that grenade.

The tinkering in Graf’s workroom is another example of how Ukraine’s military has adapted as the war progresses, creating advantages in the face of the Russian army’s superiority in troop numbers and long-range weaponry.

The grenade, Graf said, should weigh around 1.1 pounds, the maximum weight a DJI Mavic 3 drone can carry without its flight being significantly disrupted.

To get the grenade closer to the desired weight, his team has been using a 3D printer to try to make a lightweight casing that can hold the explosives needed to penetrate a tank’s armor. The painstaking task involves experimenting with grenades of differing designs, clasped in a vise in their workroom, and operating around the explosive mechanisms to fine-tune them.

Despite the risks, Graf and his team continue to tinker in their workshop teeming with different kinds of explosives, edging ever closer to the elusive tank-killing grenade. Currently, they

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Founded by Rabbi Zechariah Wallerstein zt”l

It’s not about what you do next year,

IT’S ABOUT WHO YOU WILL BECOME.

You are ready for the real world, not for another year of school.

You are ready to learn as much about yourself as the curriculum.

You are ready to live inspired, connecting learning and life.

You are ready for a meaningful relationship with Hashem. YOU

ARE READY FOR BNOS BINAH.

18 have a munition that they say can penetrate Russian armor, but it is around a half-pound too heavy. (© The New York Times)

12, 2023

Daughter of Ex-Iranian Pres. to Go to Jail

Tehran’s public prosecutor on charges of “propaganda against the system,” statealigned news agency ISNA said. She was arrested and transferred to Evin prison in September.

Iran has detained a number of high-profile activists in recent months, including writer and poet Mona Borzouei, singer Shervin Hajipour, and Iranian football player Hossein Mahini, as anti-government protests rocked the country.

Over the past decade, Hashemi has been jailed several times for making anti-government statements and participating in protests. She spent months in prison after a 2012 arrest for making anti-government statements.

China and Taliban’s Energy Agreement

while another Chinese state-owned company is also reportedly in talks with the Taliban to operate a copper mine in eastern Afghanistan.

The deal comes as Chinese nationals have faced increasing security concerns as the country strengthens its ties to the Taliban, including an ISIS-K attack last month on a Kabul hotel popular with Chinese businessmen. The attack killed at least three people and injured another 18, including five Chinese nationals, and came despite assurances by the Taliban that security is “guaranteed” for Chinese citizens and other foreigners.

The daughter of former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has been sentenced to five years in prison in Iran.

The verdict against Faezeh Hashemi, who is a known Iranian activist, is “not final,” her lawyer, Neda Shams, said in a tweet. “The client is still in prison and there are other cases against her,” Shams added.

Hashemi was indicted last year by

Hashemi’s father was a revolutionary who fought the Shah’s regime and its Western-leaning social and economic policies but pushed for liberalization and privatization programs when he became president a year after the end of the IranIraq war.

Rafsanjani died in 2017 at 82.

At least 41 protesters have received death sentences in recent months as officials attempt to crack down on the swell of angry public sentiment across Iran that has spread across the country since the arrest and subsequent death of Mahsa Amini.

The Taliban is cutting its first major energy extractions agreement since taking control of Afghanistan in 2021, agreeing to a 25-year pact with a Chinese company to drill for oil in the country’s Amu Darya basin.

“The Amu Darya oil contract is an important project between China and Afghanistan,” Wang Yu, the Chinese ambassador to Afghanistan, said at a press conference in Kabul.

The Taliban’s agreement is with China’s Xinjiang Central Asia Petroleum and Gas Company and is set for 25 years,

Some observers believe such attacks on Chinese nationals are likely to continue, pointing out that Afghanistan’s ISIS offshoot has taken issue with China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims.

The Taliban has continued to look to China, which has not yet formally recognized the Taliban government in Afghanistan, as a friendly trade partner to tap its vast reserves of resources.

Afghanistan sits on reserves of natural gas, copper and rare earth minerals estimated to be worth over $1 trillion, which remain untapped amid decades of war and turmoil in the country.

EHK: Liberal Movements Don’t Represent All of Diaspora Jewry

Keren Hayesod and the World Zionist Organization, that criticized the new Israeli government led by Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu.

The highly unusual letter issued by these four entities stated that “it is our duty to share with you our deep concern regarding voices in the government on issues that could undermine the longstanding status quo on religious affairs that could affect the Diaspora. Any changes in the delicate and sensitive status quo on issues such as the Law of Return or conversion could threaten to unravel the ties between us…”

In response, Eretz HaKodesh chairman Rabbi Pesach Lerner, in a letter to the prime minister, informed him that “these comments that have been made to you do not represent the voices of all Diaspora Jewry.”

political discourse against the government, headed by you.”

The release of the letter critical of Prime Minister Netanyahu highlights the egregiousness of these groups that have aggressively tried to portray their voice as being representative of the greater Jewish community, when, in truth, there are hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of Jews whose values are very different from those associated with these organizations that claim to represent Diaspora Jewry. It was for this very purpose that the Eretz HaKodesh movement was founded, aimed at giving a voice to the Jewish community that is loyal to Torah and mitzvos.

Rabbi Lerner’s letter to Netanyahu was co-signed by Eretz HaKodesh delegate and member of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency Stephen L. Rosedale.

success. Despite the fact that they do not live in Israel, these Jews have their eyes on the Holy Land and stand by it… They visit the country very often, participate in economic investments in Israel, donate to our country’s institutions, send their children to study here for many years, and feel that they are an integral part of Israel’s fabric and existence.”

Eretz HaKodesh – the recently formed and recently elected Charedei party within the WZO and Israel’s national institutions – expressed its strong opposition to a letter issued by the Jewish Agency for Israel, and signed on by Jewish Federations of North America,

“We wish to bring to your attention, as members of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency,” Rabbi Lerner wrote, “that the letter that was sent to you was issued without any discussion amongst the members of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency or between the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency and the national institutions. We deeply regret that the voices of Diaspora Jewry were used to express a position in Israel’s

“As representatives of the Eretz HaKodesh movement, which represents thousands of Jews in the Diaspora, we hereby share with you the true stance of many of the members of the Jewish communities in the United States and all over the world, who share in the joy of the establishment of a strong national government,” wrote Rabbi Lerner and Mr. Rosedale. “They, like us, support your coalition and pray for the government’s

“Yes, there are issues relating to religious and state affairs in the State of Israel that need to be discussed. We hope that we will be invited to be part of those discussions,” added Rabbi Lerner and Mr. Rosedale. Rabbi Lerner and Mr. Rosedale went on to request “a joint meeting as soon as possible with rabbis and prominent community leaders from the United States and across the world who will depict for you our strong bond and commitment to the State of Israel as a Jewish state that is a home for every Jew in the entire world.”

“This is the first time that I can remember that any person or group, within these institutions, has spoken up so loudly in defense of Torah and mesorah,” commented a longtime member of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency. “Eretz HaKodesh is definitely a game-changer within Israel’s national institutions.”

IDF Arrests Lions’ Den Terrorist

Younis, an Arab Israeli, was convicted of terrorism offenses for the murder of an Israeli soldier in 1980. He was freed from Hadarim Prison, north of Tel Aviv. The murderer, now 64, was feted by throngs of supporters who sang the Palestinian national anthem in his home village of ‘Ara in northern Israel.

“Every prisoner’s story is the story of an entire people, and I am proud to be one of those who sacrificed for Palestine,” Younis said.

Israeli forces on Tuesday morning arrested a member of the Lions’ Den terrorist group during an operation in Nablus.

Troops detained Palestinian Wasim Zaher Estitiyeh, 26, a member of the terror organization who perpetrated recent shooting attacks in the area, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.

Gunfire was heard in the area although the troops apparently did not come under direct attack, the army said.

The security forces arrested an additional 15 Palestinians in counter-terrorism raids across Judea and Samaria.

During a raid in Ya’bad, 12 miles west of Jenin, Palestinians targeted troops with an explosive device, and in Anata. 2.5 miles northeast of Jerusalem’s Old City, riot dispersal methods were used as Palestinians threw Molotov cocktails at soldiers.

The Palestinians were arrested over suspected involvement in terrorist activities and are being questioned by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency).

In 2022, Judea and Samaria saw one of its most violent years in the last 15 years, with 285 terrorist shooting attacks compared to 61 in 2021, according to an IDF report.

The defense establishment is deeply disturbed by the Palestinian Authority’s lack of sovereignty in areas of Samaria such as Jenin and Nablus, which became centers of terrorism this year, the document continued.

Thirty-one Israelis – 24 of them civilians – were murdered by terrorists in 2022, compared to four in 2021. (JNS)

Longest-Serving Terrorist Released from Prison

Karim Younis, the longest-serving prisoner jailed for security-related offenses, was released from prison Thursday after serving 40 years behind bars.

“Forty years have passed as if they were nothing, because we consider this to be one of the main pillars of the struggle,” said Younis, who was carried through the village while holding a Palestinian flag and with a black and white keffiyeh wrapped around his shoulders.

Cousins Maher and Karim Younis murdered Cpl. Avraham Bromberg in 1980. They had offered the soldier a ride as he was heading home from his army base in the Golan Heights, then overpowered him, shot him in the head, and stole his weapon. They left Bromberg on the side of a road where he was found and brought to a hospital. He died days later.

Maher and Younis were arrested two years later and sentenced in 1983.

Maher is due to be released in two weeks. Both murderers were given life sentences that were commuted in 2012 by then-President Shimon Peres to 40 years.

Bromberg’s sister, Adah, told the Israel Hayom daily on Tuesday that the situation was “unbearable” and that the family had believed the terrorists would spend their entire lives in prison.

“Who would have thought that I would be in a situation like this? I am distraught and unable to function. It is unthinkable that such people should walk among us, laugh, and enjoy themselves. It’s a catastrophe. We don’t know what to do. It takes me back to the day Avi [Avraham] was murdered,” she said.

Stripping PAFunded Terrorists of Citizenship

A Knesset panel on Monday approved the fast-tracking of legislation to revoke the Israeli citizenship and residency of terrorists who receive a salary for their crimes from the Palestinian Authority.

The Knesset’s House Committee, headed by MK Ofir Katz (Likud), authorized an expedited process of voting the bill into law, which can now take place within two weeks.

“For years, we’ve become accustomed to having an entity [the Palestinian Authority] receive funding from the State of Israel while it maintains an official price list: ‘Murdered a Jew? Here’s a stipend. And if you’re an Israeli citizen, you’ll get more, depending on how many people

you’ve killed,’” said Religious Zionism Party lawmaker Simcha Rothman, who drafted the bill along with Likud colleagues.

“The bare minimum we can do as a moral country is to revoke their citizenship and residency,” he added.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Sunday instructed Israel Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai to open a probe into what he views as internal failures that allowed

public celebrations to be held last week for an Arab terrorist released from prison upon completing his prison sentence.

Karim Younis, an Arab Israeli jailed for murdering Israel Defense Forces Cpl. Avraham Bromberg in the Golan Heights in 1980, was freed from jail last Thursday and received a hero’s welcome upon his return to the northern Israeli town of ‘Ara.

“[These] are celebrations of incitement and explicit support for terrorism, and it’s unacceptable for such events to happen in our home. The State of Israel has no place for [them],” Ben-Gvir said in a statement. “I will do everything in my power to prevent these occurrences until a law is passed on implementing the death penalty for terrorists,” he added.

He also directed police to enforce an existing ban on the flying of Palestinian flags in solidarity with terrorist groups.

Earlier Sunday, Ben-Gvir announced the cancelation of a regulation implemented by the previous government that allowed all lawmakers to meet with jailed Palestinian terrorists.

Ben-Gvir said that he took the step after “concluding that these visits resulted in incitement and the promotion of terrorist actions.”

The policy will now revert back to that of the past when only one legislator from each political party was permitted to meet with imprisoned terrorists, and under “appropriate supervision.”

Israel on Sunday also transferred 138.8 million shekels ($39.5 million) of revenues collected for the Palestinian Authority to the victims of terrorism and their families.

At a press conference, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said, “We promised to fix this, and today we are correcting an injustice. This is an important day for morality, for justice and for the fight against terrorism. There is no greater justice than offsetting the funds of the Authority, that acts to support terrorism, and transferring them to the families of the victims of terrorism.”

Israel’s Security Cabinet last week ap -

24 proved several punitive measures against the Palestinian Authority in response to what it described as Ramallah’s ongoing “political and legal war” against the Jewish state.

12, 2023

The move came a week after the U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution calling on the International Court of Justice to “render urgently an advisory opinion” on Israel’s “prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of Palestinian territory.”

The P.A. pays monthly stipends to Palestinians, and/or their families, for carrying out terrorist attacks against Israel. In 2021, the P.A. paid out an estimated 512 million shekels ($157 million) as part of this “pay for slay” policy.

Asked if the move would strengthen P.A. rival Hamas, Smotrich said, “The group weakening the P.A. is the P.A. itself, which chooses to be involved in and encourage terrorism and the murder of Israeli citizens.”

In response to a question regarding the possible economic collapse of the P.A., Smotrich replied, “As long as the Palestinian Authority encourages terrorism and is an enemy, what interest do I have in helping it exist?” (JNS)

Cows That Are Spies?

A Palestinian village elder fabricated a story about Israeli livestock participating in spying activity, which the official Palestinian Authority daily news outlet Al-Hayat Al-Jadida published as reality, according to a report by Palestinian Media Watch.

ber 27, “These are recruited and trained cattle, as on the neck of each cow they hang a medallion with an eavesdropping and recording device on it, and sometimes cameras, in order to monitor every detail in Khirbet Yanun large and small.”

The Elder added that “settlers release herds of wild boars” to destroy Palestinian crops. (JNS)

Montes was approached by Cuban intelligence recruiters while studying for a master’s degree at Johns Hopkins University. By the time Montes joined the DIA the next year she was already a recruited Cuban spy, according to the FBI.

“On the neck of each cow, they hang a medallion with an eavesdropping and recording device on it, and sometimes cameras, in order to monitor every detail” in the village, the elder said.

The P.A. daily further claimed that a Palestinian village elder spotted Israeli cows that are actually “recruited and trained” spies.

Rushd Morrar, a Khirbet Yanun village elder, told Al-Hayat Al-Jadida on Decem-

U.S. Releases Cuban Spy

A U.S. citizen convicted of spying for Cuba was released from federal prison on Friday after more than 20 years behind bars.

Ana Belen Montes, 65, a former Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) analyst, was one of the most senior U.S. officials ever proven to have spied for Cuba. She had begun working for the DIA in 1985 and eventually became the agency’s senior Cuba analyst.

Montes was arrested in 2001 and was charged with spying for Cuba. She pleaded guilty the next year for conspiring to commit espionage and confessed to revealing the identities of four U.S. undercover agents to Cuban authorities. She was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

“The most notorious spy for Cuba’s communist regime in American history will now be free. Sadly, the people

12, 2023

26 she used as an excuse to betray her own nation remain anything but,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said. “[H]er treason against the U.S. accomplished nothing for the Cuban people. On the contrary, by helping the criminal Castro regime, Montes strengthened the Cuban people’s worst enemy,” he added.

First Vaccine for Bees

Biotech company Dalan Animal Health, based in Athens, GA, gained approval for its prophylactic vaccine to protect honeybees from American foulbrood disease — an aggressive bacterium that can spread quickly from hive to hive.

Honeybees play an essential part in about one-third of the fruit and produce Americans eat. Populations have dramatically declined in recent years due to the increasing pressures of climate change, habitat destruction, pesticide use and disease.

The vaccine contains dead Paenibacillus larvae, the bacteria that causes the illness.

The approval is an exciting step forward for beekeepers, noted California State Beekeepers Association board member Trevor Tauzer, and paves the way for more vaccines aimed at controlling harmful viruses and pests.

“If we can prevent an infection in our hives, we can avoid costly treatments and focus our energy on other important elements of keeping our bees’ health,” Tauzer said.

on to produce worker bees with inherited immunity against that pathogen.

Evidence suggests that immunized worker bees could pass immunity to their sisters over time, similar to mothers who transfer immunity to babies while nursing.

Assault Weapons Ban in IL

bill now returns to the House of Representatives for a final vote. The House had backed a version of the measure last week.

The bill comes in response to rising violence, including a mass shooting that killed seven in the suburb of Highland Park on the Fourth of July.

“I’m done with the NRA having its way when it comes to mass shootings,” Pritzker, a Democrat, said in his inauguration remarks. “Why do we allow anyone to easily purchase a rapid-fire, high-capacity weapon that can kill dozens of unarmed people in under a minute?”

After long deliberations, lawmakers reached a deal that includes an immediate ban on manufacturing, selling, importing, or purchasing a range of assault weapons. The legislation also bans attachments that increase the rate of fire of semi-automatic weapons.

Illinois lawmakers approved a bill that will ban the sale and manufacturing of certain assault weapons in the state.

Hoping to stem the global decline of bee populations, scientists have come up with a vaccine targeting the bacteria that is to blame for the dwindling numbers. The serum should be available late this year.

If you think that giving a shot to a bee would be nearly impossible, you would be correct. The company will be incorporating the vaccine into royal jelly, a sugar feed given to queen bees, who then go

The state’s Democratic-controlled senate passed the legislation by a margin of 34-20 on Monday after deliberations that started on Sunday. Governor J.B. Pritzker pushed for the ban in his inauguration speech in the afternoon. The

“After continued negotiations between the leaders, stakeholders and advocates, we have reached a deal on one of the strongest assault weapons bans in the country,” senate President Don Harmon said. “Gun violence is an epidemic that is plaguing every corner of this state and the people of Illinois are demanding substantive action.”

Longer

“so this is good news. It means that we have a lot of flexibility in terms of creating our own healthy dietary patterns that can be tailored to individual food preferences, health conditions and cultures.

According to a new study, if you eat more of the right foods, you can reduce your risk of an early death for any reason by nearly 20%.

People who more carefully followed any of the healthy eating patterns — which all share a focus on consuming more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes — were also less likely to die from cancer, cardiovascular illness, and respiratory and neurodegenerative disease.

The results of the study were published on Monday in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

People often get bored with one way of eating, study coauthor Dr. Frank Hu said,

“For example, if you are eating healthy Mediterranean, and after a few months you want to try something different, you can switch to a DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet or you can switch to a semi-vegetarian diet,” said Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology and chair of the department of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “Or you can follow U.S. dietary guidelines and create your own healthy eating plate.”

The study followed thousands of men and women over the course of 36 years.

Hu and his team scored participants on how closely they followed four healthy eating styles that are in sync with current U.S. dietary guidelines.

One is the Mediterranean diet, which stresses eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, fish and a high amount of olive oil.

The next is called the healthful plantbased diet, which also focuses on eating more plant products but gives negative points for all animal products and any alcohol.

The Healthy Eating Index tracks whether people follow basic U.S. nutritional guidelines, which stress healthy, plantbased foods, frown on red and processed meat, and discourage eating added sugar, unhealthy fats and alcohol.

The Alternate Healthy Eating Index was developed at Harvard, and uses the “best available evidence” to include foods and nutrients most strongly associated with a lower risk of chronic disease.

“We explicitly included nuts, seeds, whole grains and lower consumption of red and processed meats and sugar-sweetened beverages,” Hu explained. “A moderate consumption of alcohol is allowed.”

Those who adhered to these diets showed an approximate 20% reduction in morbidity.

The study also found reductions in risk of death from certain chronic diseases if people improved their diet over time, Hu said.

“It’s never too late to adopt healthy eating patterns, and the benefits of eating a healthy diet can be substantial in terms of reducing total premature deaths and different causes of premature death,” he noted.

Hu shared, “People also have a lot of flexibility in terms of creating their own

healthy dietary pattern. But the common principles — eating more-plant based foods and fewer servings of red meat, processed meats, added sugar and sodium — should be there, no matter what kind of diet that you want to create.”

Biden’s Classified Docs Found in Private Office

Several classified documents from President Joe Biden’s time as vice president were discovered last fall in a private office, Biden’s attorneys acknowledged on Monday.

Attorney General Merrick Garland has asked the U.S. attorney in Chicago to investigate the matter.

Biden’s lawyers say they found the government materials in November while closing out a Washington, D.C.-based

office – the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement – that Biden used as part of his relationship with the University of Pennsylvania, where he was an honorary professor from 2017 to 2019.

Fewer than a dozen classified documents were found at Biden’s office. Federal officeholders are required by law to relinquish official documents and classified records when their government service ends.

“The White House is cooperating with the National Archives and the Department of Justice regarding the discovery of what appear to be Obama-Biden Administration records, including a small number of documents with classified markings,” Richard Sauber, special counsel to President Biden, said in a statement. “The documents were discovered when the President’s personal attorneys were packing files housed in a locked closet to prepare to vacate office space at the Penn Biden

Center in Washington, D.C. The President periodically used this space from mid2017 until the start of the 2020 campaign.

On the day of this discovery, November 2, 2022, the White House Counsel’s Office notified the National Archives. The Archives took possession of the materials the following morning.”

The classified materials included some top-secret files with the “sensitive compartmented information” designation, also known as SCI, which is used

for highly sensitive information obtained from intelligence sources.

The discovery of the materials comes as special counsel Jack Smith is investigating former President Donald Trump for potentially mishandling classified records at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Federal investigators have recovered at least 325 classified documents from Trump as part of their inquiry.

McCarthy Wins Speakership –Finally

It took 15 rounds of voting for Kevin McCarthy to clinch the position of House speaker – a major victory for the California Republican that elevates him to a powerful position leading the GOP majority in the chamber.

To secure the gavel, McCarthy had to chip away at opposition from a bloc of hardline conservatives in what became the longest contest in 164 years. To win over critics, McCarthy and his allies made a series of concessions to conservatives – a move that frustrated moderates concerned the concessions may make it harder for the new GOP majority to effectively govern.

The speaker election unfolded over a series of days – beginning on the first day of the 118th Congress – and highlighted divides between conservatives and moderates. The final hours before McCarthy was elected were punctuated with chaotic and tense moments on the House floor with lawmakers on the edge of their seats waiting to see how a handful of remaining holdouts would vote.

McCarthy was forced to implement certain concessions in order to win the speakership. Among the concessions he was forced to implement was that any member can call for a motion to vacate the speaker’s chair. This is significant because it would make it much easier than it is currently to trigger what is effectively a no-confidence vote in the speaker. Conservatives pushed hard for this; moderates are worried it will weaken McCarthy’s hand.

At the home of MR. & MRS. YUSSIE OSTREICHER 184 Wildacre Avenue Lawrence, New York 11559

on SUNDAY JANUARY 15TH 2023 at 9:30 AM

Guest Speaker

RABBINICAL COMMITTEE

Rabbi Naftali Jaeger Rabbi Yehoshua Kalish Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky Rabbi Chaim Mordechai Katz

COMMITTEE

Barry Bokow

Alex Edelman

David Friedman

Berish Fuchs

Shabse Fuchs

Yitzchok Ganger

Danny Gerber

Yussie Gross

Heshy Grunberger

Noson Josephy

Mendy Klein

Michael Lopiansky

David Lyons David Malek

Benny Mandel

David Mandel

Usher Mandel

Hillel Moerman

Chesky Newman

Ari Ostreicher

Dovid Ostreicher

Rabbi Simcha Lefkowitz Rabbi Uri Orlian Rabbi Yaakov Reisman Rabbi Shmuel Rodkin

Ephram Ostreicher

Yussie Ostreicher

Tzvi Perl

Mutty Ribowsky

Sender Schwartz

Shya Hersh Schwartz

Yitzchok Steg

Rabbi Yankel Rubin M'Sulitza

Rabbi Dovid Spiegel

Rabbi Mordechai Stern

Rabbi Moshe Weinberger

Yoav Taub

David Vegh

Robby Vegh

Shalom Vegh Yaakov Vegh

Dov Warman

Moshe Weiss

Rabbi Yosef Zakutinsky

Eli Wilamowsky

Shlomo Wilamowsky

Zvi Wilamowsky

Shulie Wollman

Kenneth Zitter

32 He was also forced to agree that efforts to raise the nation’s debt ceiling must be paired with spending cuts. This could become a major issue in the future when it is time to raise the debt limit to avoid a catastrophic default because Democrats in the Senate and the White House would likely oppose demands for spending cuts.

He also has to move 12 appropriations bills individually. Instead of passing separate bills to fund government operations, Congress frequently passes a massive year-end spending package known as an “omnibus” that rolls everything into one bill. Conservatives rail against this, arguing that it evades oversight and allows lawmakers to stick in extraneous pet projects.

Seventy-two hours will be given to review bills before they come to floor. And members will have the ability to offer more amendments on the House floor.

Storms Saturate California

Heavy storms have been battering California this week, forcing thousands to flee their homes and leaving one person dead.

Tens of thousands of people also lost power due to the severe weather.

Moderate to heavy rains were expected to continue to hammer much of California on Tuesday as a fresh low-pressure system barreled toward the state as part of a “parade of cyclones” that prompted a string of rescues on Monday.

One person was killed when a vehicle was overtaken by water. A child went missing after floodwaters swamped a vehicle.

Moderate to heavy rains were expected across much of California through Tuesday, while several more feet of snow were expected to accumulate along the Sierra Nevada. The heavy rains are expected to worsen the ongoing flooding and prolong the risk of flash flooding and mudslides across the state.

The flooding came five years to the day after heavy rains hammered a Montecito “burn scar,” killing nearly two dozen people.

The severe weather also forced the Santa Barbara Airport to close due to flooding.

California has faced deadly severe weather for days, with at least six people having died since New Year’s weekend, including a toddler who was killed after a redwood tree fell, crushing a mobile home in the north of the state.

Nearly all of California has seen higher than average rainfall totals over the past several weeks, with totals 400%600% above average values, according to the weather service.

The recent severe weather prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency last week.

Biden Visits Border

But as he arrived in El Paso, he found himself under siege from all sides.

Democrats and human rights activists condemned his new enforcement plan as a “humanitarian disgrace.” Republicans blasted his delay in coming to a border they say is “wide open” to illegal immigration. And Mexican officials –who are preparing to welcome him to a summit of North American leaders Monday – warned that his proposals would cross a “red line” for them.

President Joe Biden on Sunday made his first visit to the southern border since taking office, arriving at a city swamped by migrants amid a historic surge in illegal immigration and anger from both parties about how he is handling it.

In a brief visit to El Paso’s busiest crossing and a migrant services support center, Biden acceded to demands by Republicans that he make the trip he had not taken for two years.

The number of migrants apprehended trying to illegally cross the 2,000-mile border with Mexico has hit record highs. In the 12 months leading up to last October, the Border Patrol encountered 1.7 million migrants trying to cross illegally, the highest number since 1960. Officials said overall crossings had dipped some during the holiday season in December, but they said they expected the numbers to rise again quickly in the coming months.

The surge in migrants has reached deep into the United States. Cities as far away as New York and Washington are struggling to provide services to the growing numbers who are arriving, some at the behest of Republican governors in Florida and Texas, who have bused or flown the migrants out of their states.

In El Paso, a record-breaking swell of

34 migration from across Central and South America has made the city one of the most vivid symbols of the decades-long breakdown in America’s immigration system.

12, 2023

On Sunday, Biden met with Border Patrol officers, members of Congress and local officials at the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry, El Paso’s busiest crossing, which is set to receive $600 million from the president’s infrastructure law. He also made an unannounced stop along the 18-foot border wall that separates El Paso from Juárez, Mexico, talking to Border Patrol agents as he strolled along a dirt road on the U.S. side. (© The New York Times)

enough to solve staffing shortages.

Although tentative deals had been reached in recent days covering nurses at several hospitals, including two new agreements late Sunday evening, talks with Mount Sinai hospital on the Upper East Side in Manhattan and at three locations of the Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx failed overnight.

“After bargaining late into the night at Montefiore and Mount Sinai Hospital yesterday, no tentative agreements were reached. Today, more than 7,000 nurses at two hospitals are on strike for fair contracts that improve patient care,” the New York State Nurses Association said in a Monday statement.

the same raises at other hospitals, it said its major complaint at Mount Sinai and Montefiore is that nurses were being overworked and facing burnout after three years of working on the frontlines, battling the pandemic. They say the hours and the stress of having too many patients to care for is driving away nurses and creating a worsening crisis in staffing and patient care.

Chicago is Top for Traffic

NY Nurses Strike

More than 7,000 nurses at two major New York City hospitals walked off the job Monday. The nurses are tired of staffing shortages that they are saying are causing widespread burnout and hindering their ability to properly care for their patients.

They say they are working long hours in unsafe conditions without enough pay – a refrain echoed by several other nurses strikes across the country over the past year. The union representing the nurses said an offer of 19% pay hikes isn’t

Hundreds of nurses and supporters were out on the picket line in front of Mount Sinai early Monday, filling two city blocks, with the number of pickets continuing to grow throughout the morning. The picket line spilled out onto the street, sometimes blocking traffic. At Montefiore, picketers chanted, “Safe staffing saves lives.”

Both hospitals criticized the union for going on strike rather than accept offers they described as similar to those the union accepted over the past 10 days at other hospitals in the city.

Although the union has agreed to

Think the Van Wyck gives you a headache? Chicago drivers have it worse. The Windy City now has the ignoble honor of being the city with the most hours wasted in traffic, with the average driver losing a precious 155 hours to traffic.

The dismal record is up around 50

percent more as compared to 2021, according to INRIX’s global traffic scorecard released Tuesday.

Boston and San Diego saw delays per driver increase by about 70 percent in 2022. The tally of wasted time was up 89 percent in the Washington region, including Maryland and Virginia, soaring from 44 hours of delays in 2021 to 83 hours in 2022.

During Covid, most cities saw a drop in traffic, as many commuters worked from home.

In Seattle, Baltimore, Providence and Washington, average time stuck in traffic is down by one-third or more compared to before the pandemic, according to INRIX. Congestion delays in Chicago are up 7 percent, while Miami’s delays were up 30 percent.

The company’s scorecard ranked 295 U.S. urban areas largely on the average delays faced by drivers, with slight adjustments based on population.

Data from the Federal Highway Administration showed vehicles in the United States traveled about 39 billion miles in the first three quarters of 2022, representing a 1.6 percent increase compared to a year earlier.

Sesame is Major Food Allergen

food allergens list means foods containing sesame will be subject to specific food allergen regulatory requirements, including those regarding labeling and manufacturing.

The FDA conducts inspections and sampling of food products to check that major food allergens are properly labeled on products and to determine whether food facilities are preventing allergen cross-contact, according to the agency’s website.

Plane Tails

of $1,000 in vouchers.

“We were delighted the rescue organization decided to name these three adorable kitties after airlines, including ours,” Frontier said in a statement. “Underscoring the plight of animals is near and dear to us.”

The “Plane Tails” program is an example of the airline’s commitment to animal welfare. Each aircraft is decorated with an animal on its tail, many of them from threatened or endangered species.

Sesame has joined the list of major food allergens defined by law, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The change, which went into effect on January 1, comes as a result of the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education and Research Act, or FASTER Act, which was signed into law in April 2021.

The FDA had been reviewing whether to put sesame seeds on the major food allergens list – which also includes milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans – for several years. Adding sesame to the major

Before the FASTER Act, the FDA recommended food manufacturers voluntarily list sesame as an ingredient on food labels in November 2020. The guidance wasn’t a requirement and was intended to help people with sesame allergies identify foods that may contain the seed.

Under regulations before the 2020 recommendation, sesame had to be declared on a label if whole seeds were used as an ingredient. But labeling wasn’t required when sesame was used as a flavor or in a spice blend. It also wasn’t required for a product such as tahini, which is made from ground sesame paste. Some people aren’t aware that tahini is made from sesame seeds.

Adopting an adorable feline may send you flying high.

Frontier Airlines has offered free vouchers to people who adopt one of three kittens named Spirit, Delta, and Frontier from the Las Vegas Animal Foundation.

A representative for Frontier Airlines said that adopters who take home Spirit or Delta will receive two vouchers valued at $250, for a total of $500 in vouchers “per pet parent.” The person that adopts the kitten named Frontier will receive four vouchers valued at $250, for a total

“We were more than happy to provide a little extra incentive to encourage the adoption of these three precious kittens,” the airline said.

The Animal Foundation, a Las Vegas-based nonprofit, said that the three kittens arrived at the facility at the end of December. The kittens had been found in north Las Vegas.

The tiny felines are just around two weeks old and are currently staying with a foster family. Once they’re six weeks old and weigh at least 1.5 pounds, they’ll be ready to be adopted to their forever homes.

“It’s unusual to have a litter of kittens in the shelter this time of year, so when we had these three itty bitty fluff balls arrive at The Animal Foundation, we knew we had to give them special names,” Kelsey Pizzi, communications manager

at the Animal Foundation, said. Sounds like they really sweetened the kitty with this promotion.

2 Men, 7 Continents, 4 Days

Education is ageless.

That’s the lesson that we learn from Joan Donovan, an 89-year-old Florida woman who recently celebrated receiving her master’s degree.

Hot Dog!

And the competition is fierce: in past years, less than 1% of applicants were selected.

What could help you “ketchup” to the competition?

Ideal candidates are “outgoing, creative, friendly, enthusiastic, graduating college seniors who have an appetite for adventure and are willing to see the country through the windshield of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile,” says the company in an online job posting.

This job is a real wiener.

Ali Irani and Sujoy Kumar Mitra were on a mission. The Indian men set out from Antarctica on December 4 and managed to visit all seven continents in just four days.

They completed their whirlwind journey in Melbourne, Australia, on December 7.

The total time spent dashing between continents? Three days, 1 hour, 5 minutes, and 4 seconds.

The men beat the previous record of 3 days, 14 hours, 46 minutes, and 48 seconds, which was set by United Arab Emirates woman Khawla AlRomaithi in 2020.

Despite their exhilaration, the record-breakers said they do not expect their title to last. As passionate travelers, they believe that records are made to be broken.

“Today we might be successful in breaking a record, tomorrow someone else will break our record,” Mitra told Guinness World Records.

And now, dear reader, can you name all seven continents?

The graduate donned a cap and gown for a private graduation ceremony outside her Florida home to celebrate earning her degree in creative writing from Southern New Hampshire University.

The octogenarian said she graduated high school at age 16, but her family didn’t have the money to send her to college. Although she took some post-graduate courses at the local high school, when she got married, her education fell to the wayside.

Since then, after her children had grown and moved out of their home, Donovan went back to school for her associate’s degree. Determined to keep going, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree from a four-year university at age 84.

“Then I said, ‘Why not keep going?’” Donovan queried.

She determined she wanted to earn her master’s in creative writing, but her college didn’t offer a program. She ended up enrolling in SNHU’s online program to pursue her goal.

“I was afraid to try college,” Donovan said. “So I say, ‘Try things.’ If you fail, try it again…but just keep trying.”

Wise words that we’ll take to heart.

Oscar Meyer recently announced that it is recruiting the next class of drivers for its iconic Wienermobile.

The year-long “Hot Dogger” gig is available for recent college graduates. Each driver selected will visit over 20 states in the hot-dog-shaped vehicle, travel more than 200,000 miles, serve as an Oscar Mayer spokesperson at over 200 events per year, and document their journeys on social media.

Seeking this position that will earn lots of condiments? Better apply soon. There are a total of 12 Wienermobile driver positions available for 2023.

A bachelor’s degree in public relations, journalism, communications, advertising, or marketing is a plus.

Frankly, the role may be meatier than it appears on the surface. In addition to driving the Wienermobile across the country, drivers will also act as brand ambassadors for Oscar Mayer, organizing promotions and representing the company’s meat products in interviews and at events.

The full-time role comes with a “competitive salary.” To top it off, expenses, benefits, and team apparel will be covered by Oscar Mayer, although the food is decidedly not kosher.

Don’t be a sauerkraut. Apply today.

Around the Community

Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato Sworn in For 4th Term

Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-South Queens) was sworn into her fourth term as a member of the New York State Assembly earlier this week. The Assemblywoman, who represents communities from Ozone Park to Howard Beach, and across the Rockaway Peninsula from Breezy Point

to Far Rockaway, has been credited as a champion of women, public employees, senior citizens, and veterans due to her successful and often historic legislation. Her office has also received tremendous praise for its commitment to residents of the district and has been responsible for resolving well over 6,000 constituent

cases since 2017.

Pheffer Amato was met by applause and a standing ovation in the Assembly chamber when it came time to seat her. The full Assembly voted unanimously to seat the Assemblywoman.

“I am honored to return to the Assembly and fight for the people of the

23rd Assembly District. I love my community and am committed to ensuring that their voices will be heard! My sleeves are rolled up and I look forward to continuing to solve problems, bring resources to the people, and pass legislation that helps New Yorkers,” said Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato.

Yeshiva Ateres Eitz Chaim Open House

Chai Lifeline Ramps Up Crisis and Trauma Response Volunteer Recruitment

Yeshiva Ateres Eitz Chaim had their open house this past Sunday and will iy”H have a follow up in March, as the Yeshiva prepares to enter year three. Prospective parents heard from Rabbi Gedaliah Oppen, Rosh Yeshiva; Rabbi Boruch Oppen, Menahel; Mr. Ted Stricker, board member; and Mr. Mica Lader, parent of Naftali.

Yeshiva Ateres Eitz Chaim provides

an opportunity for talmidim to have success b’ruchniyus, by building relationships, a love for Torah, and growing as a ben Torah and Yirei Shamayim. As well as b’gashmiyus, every student graduates with a resume that is full of pride and accomplishment. The resume includes work experience from their internships, professional references, life skills, community service, and work ethics.

BYAM High School Happenings

In the wake of recent tragic events, Chai Lifeline has been working closely with Jewish communities across the U.S. and around the world to train and recruit local volunteers in crisis and trauma response.

“A singular traumatic event can have a long-term impact on our children, families, and communities for years to come,” said Rabbi Dr. Dovid Fox, director of Chai Lifeline Crisis Services. “Sadly, many tragedies in recent years—from illness diagnoses and sudden deaths to natural disasters and the war in Ukraine— have brought this issue to the forefront.”

The need for Chai Lifeline’s Crisis Services has grown significantly. In 2022, Chai Lifeline led 2,317 crisis and trauma interventions to more than 10,000 people. Now, Chai Lifeline is ramping up its volunteer recruitment efforts to better serve Jewish communities.

of the community, and understand the cultural, religious, and emotional background of those they serve,” said Rabbi Mordechai Gobioff, MSW, Chai Lifeline national director of client services. “Our team is made up of members from across the Jewish spectrum—from Chassidish and Litvish to Sefardic and Chabad, we serve each community with sensitivity to their specific needs.”

Volunteers offer immediate support following crises, guiding, and supporting community leaders, rebbeim, and educators in how to address children, families and those impacted by trauma.

The volunteers undergo a rigorous onboarding process and receive ongoing training and support to ensure they are equipped to respond effectively.

Last week, child Holocaust survivor Mrs. Ruth Follman captured the attention of BYAM H.S. students as she unfolded and shared her personal narrative of survival in Hungary at the age of ten.

For the students, it’s a “live” history lesson, (many had never met a survivor) imbued with massive doses (courtesy of Mrs. Follman) of both emunah and bitachon and tremendous gratitude to her parents, a”h, who secured a hiding place for herself, her brothers, and parents. Mrs. Follman concluded her fascinating real-life account with a bracha for each person present.

Enrichment experiences such as Mrs. Follman’s true-life account are an important facet of BYAM HS extended curriculum.

As midterms are rapidly approaching, Mrs. Sokoloff, principal at BYAM HS, is dedicated to ensuring a non-stressful environment preceding and during midterm exams. Teachers were instrumental in laying the groundwork for “study challenges” and “study calendars.” Additionally, the students participated in a “Pre-Midterms” workshop, led by our inhouse social worker. The students were provided with a plethora of practical study tips and guidance. The “Pre-Midterm” folders distributed to each student were aimed at reducing test anxiety and helping the students acclimate, navigate, and achieve success in their very first high school “midterm exam” setting. It is yet another example of BYAM HS enriching the total student high school experience.

“Chai Lifeline’s Crisis Services has more than two decades of experience responding to all forms of personal and communal tragedies, providing immediate support, clinical interventions, trainings, and resources to those impacted by trauma,” said Chai Lifeline CEO Rabbi Simcha Scholar. “There is a serious need for mental health first responders in our community and we must be prepared to respond effectively.”

Chai Lifeline’s Crisis Services have provided families, schools, shuls, camps, and community organizations around the globe with an unprecedented level of resources and services in the aftermath of a tragedy. Starting in the first few hours after a crisis occurs, Chai Lifeline’s trained paraprofessionals support the affected families and facilitate community responses.

“The Crisis Services volunteers are uniquely suited to address the needs of the community as they are members

“Ideal candidates for volunteer training are motivated adults seeking to work under the supervision of licensed mental health professionals to address their communities during times of crisis,” said Dr. Fox. “They are screened carefully to ensure they have a level of inspiration to work in a supportive and compassionate, yet structured manner.”

The Crisis Services team currently includes more than 150 volunteers in communities around the world. Volunteers are made up of rebbeim, educators, clinicians, social workers, community leaders, and dedicated people who want to make a difference in their communities.

Volunteer trainings have recently taken place in Lakewood, Monsey, Brooklyn, Deal, Monroe, Miami, Detroit, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Montreal, Antwerp, and Melbourne. Additional trainings are planned for Chicago, London, Toronto, and Buenos Aires. If you would like to learn more or apply to become a volunteer in your community, visit www.chailifeline.org/crisis or email mberkowitz@chailifeline.org

A Winning T.E.A.M. Up Daniel Tamir Visits HALB

This year’s T-AG E-ducators A-nd M-others TEAM UP event, took place on January 4 in the home of Mrs. Aviva Gerstel and featured a special “Ask the Rabbi “format with the new Assistant Dean of TAG, Rabbi Yehuda Deutsch. The delicious soup bar and dessert table are always a hit, and the recipes cards were a great take home item, along with the handy green whisk. The TEAM UP committee, Naomi Newman,

Tovy Adler, Brachi Kaplan, Shani Hildsehaim, Shevy Moser, Devora Rotberg and Rachelle Tepper, certainly deserve much credit for organizing such a popular event which has many mothers attending.

By answering questions sent in by the mothers, Rabbi Deutsch was able to address many timely topics that affect chinuch today and offered not only an understanding of the issues but also provided helpful suggestions as well.

HALB Middle School students had the opportunity to hear words of inspiration and encouragement from Daniel Tamir. Daniel has journeyed from playing professional basketball in both Israel and Europe as a non-observant Jew to living a Torah observant life -

Kosher Tech Expo

Hundreds of men and women from Far Rockaway and Five Towns attended the cutting-edge “Kosher Tech Expo” on Sunday, January 8 in the Ballroom in the White Shul.

There has been growing demand in all corners of the community for information on products and means by which adults and children can meet their needs for communication, work, and recreation in a safer and more productive manner.

Over a dozen vendors of cutting-edge “kosher technology” demonstrated, explained, and sold their kosher products – including internet filters, Smartphones; flip phones, Waze devices, tablets, and music players.

In addition, experienced TAG (Tech-

We Were There

Shulamith School for Girls is excited to commence our annual eighth grade Holocaust program, “Ha’yinu Sham, We Were There.” Our program is a multigenerational exploration of our history and stories of the Jewish nation’s survival. Our eighth grade students will research, learn and explore the history of the Holocaust. The program will culminate with the eighth grade students creating a Holocaust memorial book archiving their families’ stories during this period. Students will

style in Los Angeles. He currently runs a basketball program and combines lessons gleaned from basketball with Torah and opportunities for personal growth. Daniel believes that small but consistent micro-changes over time yield tangible and lasting results in ball and in life.

nology Awareness Group) techs advised dozens of families on the best way to filter their phones, computers and laptops in a manner that meets their needs.

It was an incredible opportunity for people to become aware of their options, see and learn about them, and actually purchase them,

All those in attendance were highly impressed by the array of options and professional presentation of the products.

For additional information or to schedule an appointment at the TAG office conveniently located in the White Shul, please visit our website, www.SmartConnectionsny.com.

have three pages in their book to chronicle their families’ legacy and stories of survival. Each student and their family will receive a copy of this book, and we will archive the Ha’yinu Sham book at Shulamith School for Girls.

The goal of our school is to teach, remember and memorialize our Shulamith family heroes in our homes, hearts, and the very fabric of our school. Students will be led through this educational program by our program creator and coordinator Mrs. Rina Korman.

Having a Meaningful Fast at SKA

Asara B’Tevet became especially meaningful for the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls students who voluntarily stayed after school to hear a shiur from Rabbi Shmuel Diamond about the significance of the fast day.

The students then packed Shabbos Bikur Cholim boxes for LIJ Hospital, making chesed one of their priorities for the day. The learning and chesed were dedicated for the zechut for the refuah shelaima of Ruchama Chana Bat Chava.

Harav Hagon R’ Binyamin Carlebach, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva Mir Yerushalayim, spoke in Mesivta Shaarei Chaim on Friday

The children in Lev Chana excitedly prepared for their siyum on Sefer Bereishit

YOSS Launches New Mishmar

HANC HS Principal Visits Alumni Studying in Israel

This past week, YOSS seventh and eighth grade talmidim brought the sweet sound of Torah learning to Congregation Bais Ephraim Yitzchok (CBEY) with the launch of their new Mishmar. This extra learning program, under the direction of Rabbi Yehuda Neuman, eighth grade rebbi, gives talmidim the opportunity to “go to the Beis Medresh and learn at night,” an ideal that will remain with them for the rest of their lives! Each week, after the chavrusa-learning, there is a dvar Torah from a local rav, followed by the traditional Mishmar fare: cholent and kugel!

As these young men grow up, this Mishmar will serve as a part of their foundation of limud HaTorah for years to come.

Recently, Rabbi Eli Slomnicki, principal of HANC High School, visited students in their respective Yeshivot and Midrashot throughout Israel, demonstrating to our alumni how important they are to the HANC family. Maintaining close relationships with alumni is greatly emphasized at HANC and is one aspect of school that truly stands out.

Rabbi Slomnicki wrote in a message to the HANC community about his Israel visit, “I was inspired by the dedication our alumni have for limmud haTorah. I

had the pleasure of visiting our shana aleph alumni in their yeshivot/midrashot and saw firsthand their commitment to growing as bnei/bnot Torah.”

A highlight of the trip was on Tuesday, December 27, when members of the Class of 2022 were reunited and treated to a delicious dinner at Piccolino’s in the heart of Yerushalayim. The students spent time reminiscing, and each student shared a brief message about their own growth or a dvar Torah they prepared, making the reunion a reflection of what an aspirational HANC student and alum is.

A Magical Menorah

Mitchell Fogel, from Lawrence, NY, a student in the HAFTR Lower School, was the winner in the National Young Israel Chanukah Menorah Building Competition. Mitchell built his menorah out of plumbing parts from Lowe’s.

Mitchell, a proud member of the Lawrence-Cedarhurst Young Israel, was super excited about the competition and told everyone he met over the last two weeks of the contest about his menorah and to make sure to vote for him.

Orthodox Union’s NCSY Aspire

Almost 400 Jewish teens from the United States, Canada, Chile, and Mexico ushered in the New Year at a retreat in Connecticut devoted to Torah study and religious growth as part of Aspire: Yarchei Kallah, a learning experience for public high school students organized by NCSY, part of the Orthodox Union (OU).

Billed as a Shabbaton on steroids, Yarchei Kallah included singing, dancing, Shabbat onegs, lectures, learning sessions and opportunities for teens to cultivate relationships with peers, advisors, and educators.

NCSY, an international youth movement, offers a range of innovative, informal Jewish education programs and retreats that foster positive Jewish identity and connection to Israel.

“Yarchei Kallah is a high for participants that cements in many cases their relationship with Judaism, with Torah-learning and with NCSY,” said Rabbi Aryeh Wielgus, regional director of New Jersey NCSY and this year’s Yarchei Kallah director. “It really propels them to the next step [in their commitment].”

The event took place Dec. 28-Jan. 2 at the Stamford Hilton. Workshops were devoted to topics such as The Song of Prayer, an exploration of the Book of Psalms and The Song of Hate, a powerful probe of antisemitism and the tools

to respond to it. Educators from Yeshiva University, Touro University and Israeli institutions of higher learning led a number of sessions.

Teens at Yarchei Kallah said they learned of the event through their Jewish Student Union (JSU), NCSY’s network of public high school Jewish clubs. About 40 yeshiva students who hold regional and national NCSY leadership posts also took part in the retreat.

Highlights also included a keynote address by American-Israeli Ultra-Orthodox marathon champion Beatie Deutsch; musical performances by American Belz Hasidic vocalist Shulem Lemmer and TikTok’s hottest Jewish boy band, Miami Boys Choir; and a New Year’s Eve party set in a space emulating New York’s Times Square.

Rachel Camhi, 18, came from Chile. She said she left the retreat with many new friends and a deeper appreciation for her Jewish heritage.

“Yarchei Kallah is an amazing, unique opportunity that you won’t find anywhere else,” Camhi said. “I met awesome people from around the world and learned a lot — everyone learned from one another. I saw other people connecting with themselves and it showed me that I can connect, too. We are all Jewish, that’s what makes us a family.”

Mitchel Aeder Elected as 18th OU President

Last week, Mitchel Aeder began his term as the 18th president of the Orthodox Union (OU), the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization. Aeder takes over from Mark (Moishe) Bane, who served as OU president for the past six years.

At the OU’s biennial convention on January 1 in Woodmere, N.Y., convention delegates elected Aeder unanimously. At the same time, the delegates elected other lay leaders to fill various positions. Long-standing Orthodox Union board member Yehuda Neuberger was elected as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Aeder has served on the OU’s board since 2000. He has been the chairman of Yachad, the OU department that provides services to individuals with special needs, and the Youth Commission that governs NCSY, the OU’s youth movement that provides 30,000 Jewish teenagers with programming to help them develop a positive Jewish identity. Most recently, Aeder served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the OU.

Professionally, Aeder was a corporate tax partner for many years at PricewaterhouseCoopers prior to his 2021 retirement. Aeder and his wife, Dr. Lita Aeder, live in Queens, N.Y.

The role of OU president is a two-year term. Bane, elected to three terms as head of the international organization, achieved far-reaching and historic accomplishments that achieved transformational change. During the pandemic, he oversaw the OU’s continued growth, facilitating the purchase of the OU’s new headquarters in downtown New York City. Under his careful direction, the OU revamped its professional leadership structure; expanded its offerings; added board members; and created three new departments: Torah Initiatives, Women’s Initiative and Impact Accelerator. Other notable initiatives under his leadership include:

PC2020 – During the pandemic, the OU’s Project Community 2020 (PC2020) engaged teenagers, college students and

you know?

Torah New York – In 2017, the OU began an annual day of Torah learning at Citi Field in New York, the largest event of its kind in North America. The event drew thousands of participants who participated in dozens of classes led by world-class scholars.

Ukraine campaign – During the crisis in Ukraine, the OU created a fund and also worked with partners to establish medical supply and kosher food distribution centers in Eastern Europe.

India campaign – In May 2021, when India was experiencing a skyrocketing number of Covid cases, the OU launched a twoweek emergency campaign to raise funds for much-needed oxygen concentrators.

Newly instated Orthodox Union President Mitchel Aeder stated, “It is a great honor to work with the OU’s extraordinary professionals and engaged lay leaders. I am humbled by the opportunity to partner with them in leading this great institution. I thank my mentor and friend, Moishe Bane, for his visionary leadership and look forward to his continued involvement in the OU.”

Outgoing Orthodox Union President Mark (Moishe) Bane said, “It has been a distinct privilege to serve as president of the OU, an organization that has been a backbone of the Orthodox Jewish community for 125 years, providing critical support and services to our community. I depart knowing the Orthodox Union is in good hands under Mitch, who has contributed so much in the two decades he already has dedicated himself to the organization.”

Yachad members by offering them recreation combined with Jewish learning and volunteer opportunities to support local communities.

Did

In 2011, the Atacama Desert in Chile received nearly 32 inches of snow thanks to a rare cold front from Antarctica.

Around the Community

Munkacser Rebbe to Visit Lawrence this Sunday

The multitudes that typically walk past the bustling intersection of Boro Park’s 14th Avenue and 47 th Street are accustomed to the imposing building of the Munkacser Beis Medrash. The iconic edifice has been a Chassidic landmark for over four decades and is a familiar sight to many. But while many pass without an additional glance, an occasional more discerning passerby may pick up the faint yet powerful reverberations from above. Looking up, just past the “Binyan Menachem Ostreicher” letterings on the facade of the building, comes the robust sound of Torah learning; a sound that resonates echoes of the past, yet holds the promise of an eternal future.

Yeshiva V’Kolel Chaim V’Shulom Zichron Tzvi is a crown jewel of the Munkacs Torah institutions specifically, and a source of pride to the Torah community at large. Commonly referred to as “a chiddush” in the world of Chassidic kollelim, its avreichim are known to be of a rare caliber, and the level of iyun and lomdus is famous for being highly exceptional.

The Kollel is led by the Munkacser Rebbe’s son-in-law, Harav Yosef Horowitz, shlita. Rav Horowitz leads the kollel with a unique devotion, with his weekly shiur being widely acclaimed for its breadth and depth of the sugya. The Roshei Chaburah, Harav Leibel Cisner, Harav Yaakov Yosef Katz and Harav Chaim Eluzer Horowitz, are each renowned talmidei chachamim and do much to increase the overall stature as well as individual learning of each of the yungerleit. Harav Moshe Green, a veteran talmid chochom, serves as Shoel Umeishiv in the morning. An additional notable feature of the Kollel is the two-pronged learning track of either Gemara and halacha offered in the afternoon seder. Enhancing the halacha track is the noted dayan Harav Yitzchok Eizik Spitzer who delivers shiurim to that chabura

The Munkacser Rebbe has shown great connection and appreciation to the Kollel. Occasionally, the Rebbe personally visits the Kollel and delivers a shiur. On a more constant basis, the Rebbe is known to show much interest in the

progress of the Kollel’s limudim as well as all aspects of the success of this notable makom Torah.

Of particular note is that this year’s breakfast marks a decade since the Kollel has been renamed “Zichron Tzvi” in memory of the legendary R’ Hershel (Tzvi) Ostreicher. The Ostreicher family’s connection with Munkacs spans back to the era of the previous Munkacser Rebbe, the revered Minchas Eluzar, under whom R’ Hershel’s father, R’ Menachem Ostreicher, a”h, served as one of the Roshei Kehilla.

Befittingly, Mr. and Mrs. Yussie Ostreicher chose to dedicate the Torah edifice that is Yeshiva and Kollel Chaim V’Shulom as an everlasting memory to R’ Hershel. In doing so, they have combined two of R’ Hershel’s greatest values, Torah learning and Munkacs, into “Zichron Tzvi,” assuring a relationship for eternity. R’ Yussie’s relationship with the Yeshiva and Kollel is more than just a commemoration of the past though, but rather a recognition of its vibrant and intensifying future. As such, R’ Yussie

is continuing his tradition of hosting the Yeshiva’s annual Lawrence breakfast.

The reception will take place in R’ Yussie’s home at 184 Wildacre Avenue in Lawrence, NY, and is set to begin at 9:30. The Munkacser Rebbe is expected to attend and to address the event with Divrei Torah. The Rebbe’s coming to the Five Towns is seen as both a privilege and an opportunity for all. Rav Yosef Zakutinsky, rav of Mevakshei Hashem in Lawrence, will enhance the program as a guest speaker.

The Five Towns community at large, and friends of Munkacs and R’ Yussie Ostreicher in particular, are looking forward to show respect and appreciation for this most notable mosad of Torah.

Students at Shulamith ECC constructed ice sculptures and made homemade ice cream in a bag

Shevach Student Gain a Deeper Appreciation of Tefillah

On Shabbos, Parshas Vayigash, Shevach High School enjoyed a beautiful and uplifting Shabbaton at the Lakehouse Hotel. The girls were inspired by the theme of “Shifchi kamayim libaich nochach p’nai Hashem,” with many renowned speakers who brought to life the meaning and importance behind tefillah.

Shevach Menaheles Mrs. Shulamith Insel introduced the theme of the Shabbaton. She shared beautiful messaging focusing on how tefillah is truly a relationship with Hashem, emphasizing that we can ask Hashem for even the most seemingly trivial things in our lives. Sought after speaker and mohel Rabbi Paysach Krohn shared many captivating stories and insights on how to make tefillah your own. The Rosh Hayeshiva of Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim, Rabbi Akiva Grunblatt, highlighted the unique connection that women have to tefillah and the enormous impact that it can have.

Rabbi Avraham Swerdloff, Maggid Shiur in Yeshivas Telshe Riverdale, elaborated on how we can use both the words of tefillah and our own words when we daven.

The Shevach girls as well, after each meal, delivered thought-provoking divrei Torah. A highlight of the Shabbaton was the eagerly awaited Teachers’ Panel, in which the teachers and principals shared personal thoughts and life experiences pertaining to the Shabbaton theme. As Shabbos drew to a close, the girls also enjoyed a Student Panel, in which seniors shared their thoughts and tips on making tefilla more meaningful.

The Shabbaton was truly motivating. In the words of a Shevach junior, “The Shabbaton really impacted me, especially the workshops which taught me a lot about the power of tefillah.” A freshman commented, “The Shabbaton was an opportunity for me to spend time with my teachers and friends, while at the same time focusing on how we can grow in tefillah and strengthen our connection to Hashem.”

In addition to being inspirational, the girls had a blast with fun activities, engaging workshops, and enjoyable games. Everyone had the opportunity to connect with teachers and friends throughout the Shabbos. On Motzei Shabbos, the student body was treated to an exciting activity by “Dance with Confidance,” where they had fun with trampolines, hula-hoops, and more. The night ended with an uplifting kumsitz and a beautiful melava malka.

The Shevach students all enjoyed taking part in this meaningful Shabbaton and were sad to leave the Shabbaton behind, but the inspiration they gained will last a lifetime. Yasher koach to the dedicated staff who helped make this Shabbaton happen, in particular: Mrs. Shulamith Insel, Mrs. Devorah Kovitz, and Mrs. Debbie Meltzer. Kudos also to the Shabbaton heads, Sara Bracha Delman, Shilat Gavrielov, Sarah Esther Grey, Aby Pinkhasov, and Elisheva Yusopov, and to the G.O. heads, Eliana Deil, Esther Greenfield, Aviva Robinson, Chana Tova Kasirer, and Ella Marcus, for all their hard work. The girls surely can’t wait for Shabbaton 5784!

Scenes from the Shalsheles Melava Malka at Siach Yitzchok

Around the Community

Yeshiva Gedola and Mesivta of Carteret Breakfast

On Sunday morning, January 8, the home of Aryeh and Goldie Platschek was filled with supporters of the Yeshiva Gedola and Mesivta of Carteret for a beautiful breakfast. The Rosh HaYeshiva, Harav Azriel Brown, opened up by thanking the hosts and co-hosts Rabbi Dr. Zev Brown, Rabbi Zvi Bloom, Mr. Nachum Futersak, Mr. Ari Munk, Mr. Tzvi Perl, and Mr. Yitzchok Steg. He then spoke about the close connection our community has with the Yeshiva. Aside from the many talmidim, the community has been very kind supporters since it’s very inception in 2006. He expressed his sincere gratitude on behalf of himself, his partner Rosh Yeshiva, Harav Yaakov Mayer – another Far Rockaway native – and the entire Yeshiva, before he introduced his father, Harav Moshe Brown, Rav of Agudah Israel of West Lawrence.

The Rav began with the nachas he gets to witness of the Yeshiva’s talmidim developing into true talmidim chachomim and bnei Torah. He then quoted the Gemara’s story of Raban Gamliel and Rav Yehoshua who were on a ship together. Raban Gamliel marveled how Rav Yehoshua was such a massive talmud chochom while being so poor. Rav Yehoshua pointed out that there are other great chachomim who have even less. Pondering this thought, Rav Yehoshua committed to try to correct this. When they got back to land, he approached those chachomim, Rav Elazar Chasma and Rav Yochanan ben Gudgida, and offered to

make them into Roshei Yeshiva, however, they refused the respectful positions. Upset, he asked, “Do you think I’m offering this just for respect? I’m offering you real hard work.”

Rav Brown then detailed some of the difficult work that the Roshei Yeshiva have to be responsible for. He then quoted the Gemara that calls rabbanim “Malchi Rabbonon” – Kings. The Gemara in Nedarim defines a Melech Yisroel, a Jewish king, to be someone whom everyone derives pleasure from them but they don’t derive pleasure from the people. They are solely there to serve the people. Why was Yehuda worthy of the kingdom? Because he had that quintessential middah of being willing to give himself up for others, as seen by the story with Binyomin. However, the Gemara in Avodah Zara points out that a non-Jewish king is exactly the opposite, constantly looking to be the beneficiary. This is why being Roshei Yeshiva is hard work. It takes so much responsibility, with such a commitment to selflessness – day and night – to continuously give to their talmidim and others. From guiding talmidim and parents, to being there in times of need, to fundraising, to preparing shiurim, and so much more. Even when the Yeshiva is on break, they don’t get a break.

He lauded the tremendous opportunity we have to be supportive of such selfless talmidei chachomim and all the Torah they teach and ended off with a beautiful bracha to the Roshei Yeshiva and all those who support the Yeshiva.

The talmidos of BY5T experienced a beautiful and heartfelt tefilla on Asara B’Teves as they davened at their very own Kosel Hama’aravi.

The BY5T hallway was transformed into a mini Kotel plaza, and the girls were whimsically transported to their very own version of the Makom HaMikdash!

Throughout this month, the girls have been bringing in mitzvah notes from home, working hard to add their very own bricks to the Beis Hamikdash Ha’Shlishi.

BY5T talmidos experienced another special treat this week: the girls had the opportunity to dance with Morah Sasha Frankel to celebrate her engagement to

Yossi Hecht. Mazal tov!

BY5T registration is open for the 2023-2024 year. For an application, please contact, 516-500-BY5T or visit BY5T.org.

A Meaningful Asara B’Teves at BY5T Chagigat Chumash at Shulamith

Avery exciting simcha took place in the Shulamith auditorium this past Sunday as the Shulamith second graders received their very first Chumashim! Every girl truly had her moment in the spotlight. In the weeks before the event, music teacher Morah Rena Greenberg and 2nd grade teacher Morah Naomi Hollander and her assistant, Morah Eliana Duftler, taught the girls the songs and accompanying choreography.

Parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents were delighted by

the presentations, which featured songs about the seven days of Creation and songs thanking Hashem for everything we have. The girls performed in fluent and flawless Ivrit. Mrs. Elka Ginsparg, principal, addressed the audience, speaking about the importance of thriving on Torah and the beauty of learning Chumash.

Shulamith second graders are ready to continue learning Chumash with their brand new Chumashim. Mazal tov to all the Shulamith families on this special milestone!

Mercaz Academy Conducts Hands-On Mitzvah Workshops

Mercaz Academy was delighted to welcome Rabbi Dr. Elliot Grossman and Rebbetzin Chaya Teldon for hands-on mitzvah experiences as they taught the fourth, fifth, and sixth grade boys how to tie their own tzitzit and the girls to bake their own challah.

The boys learned all about the mitzvah of tzitzit. Rabbi Dr. Grossman taught them the text from the Torah requiring tzitzit and explained all the ins and outs of the halachot of tzitzit, both on a tallit and on a tallit katan. Each student received a new begged, and Rabbi Dr. Grossman helped the boys complete the garment by tying on the tzitzit.

Because performance of the mitzvah requires special intent, the students expressed their intent to perform the tying to fulfill the mitzvah of tzitzit and got started with the very particular tying

requirements. They were fascinated to learn that Sephardim and Ashkenazim have different customs regarding the style of the knotting, and they broke into two different groups to learn the appropriate customs for their own family’s tradition.

Meanwhile, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade girls were enriched with practical tips and spiritual insights while baking challah with Mrs. Chaya Teldon, co-director of Chabad of Long Island. Mrs. Teldon joined Mercaz students to explain the mitzvah of taking challah and the lessons to be learned from what might appear to be just a loaf of bread.

Mrs. Teldon spoke of the connection between challah and mahn (manna), the nourishment provided by Hashem to the Jewish people in the desert for forty years. The significance of each component

of challah was examined as well. She cited the standard seven ingredients of challah – flour, water, oil, salt, sugar, yeast, and eggs – as representative of the seven days of the week culminating in Shabbat. The girls kept all of these ideas in mind as they added their ingredients to their bowls and kneaded the dough. Mrs. Teldon made a batch of challah with enough flour to say the bracha on the mitzvah. Visiting alumna Sydney Wetstein performed the mitzvah of separating a piece from the dough – she said the bracha and took the challah, removing a lump of dough from the bowl to be burned later.

Mrs. Teldon also shared some more earthbound guidance, showing the students how best to knead the dough, sprinkling more flour when necessary, and directing when it was time to start shaping the challah.

YCQ to Host 82nd Anniversary Dinner

The Yeshiva of Central Queens community is eagerly anticipating YCQ’s 82nd Anniversary Dinner, which will, IY”H, take place on Motzei Shabbat, February 25, 2023, at Old Westbury. The theme of the dinner will be “Remembering Our Past, Celebrating Our Present, and Building Our Future.”

Three outstanding individuals who have wholeheartedly devoted themselves to YCQ are being honored and recognized for their efforts. Valerie and Alex Olsen are the esteemed Guests of Honor, and Mrs. Esther Lowinger will be receiving the distinguished Educator Award. Additionally, tribute will be paid to the legendary Rabbi Menachem Rottenberg, z”l, who served as YCQ’s Executive Director for over thirty years.

Valerie and Alex Olsen have dedicated their talents to the growth and development of our Yeshiva. Valerie, who graduated YCQ in 1992, followed in the footsteps of her illustrious mother, Marilyn Schwartz, who was very active in the Parents Association. Valerie was elected president of the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) in 2018. During her tenure at the helm of the PTO, she introduced many new programs that have since become staples of the PTO. The Challah Bake, Family Fun Day, and Parents’ Night Out, as well as the revival of the Winter Carnival, were all implemented under her leadership.

Mrs. Olsen also worked to overcome the challenges that were faced during

the pandemic, by partnering with the administration to provide support for the parents, students, and teachers. Alex, an architect by profession, provided his sage advice and expertise as a volunteer consultant for numerous renovations made to the YCQ building including the facade project, the front entrance, and most recently, a significant HVAC upgrade. Valerie and Alex are the proud parents of Max (’22), Aiden (‘24), and Viviana (‘29).

“Valerie and Alex Olsen are both individuals who embody the idea of hakarat hatov,” remarked Julie Faska, the current PTO President. “They understand the value of their communities and do everything within their power to assist the school and shul communities in growing and improving; always a helping hand, the first to volunteer, and the last to leave. The example they set for their children and their peers is exceptional,” she added.

Mrs. Esther Lowinger, who has been associated with YCQ for over thirty-five years, will be receiving the Distinguished Educator Award. She began her career as a math teacher and continues to be an expert instructor in conveying to her students a thorough knowledge of the subject. She also trains her students in perfecting their study skills and pursuing excellence in their course work.

Mrs. Lowinger’s commitment to the students of YCQ has mostly recently

shone through in her role as Acting Assistant Principal in the Junior High School. She addresses children’s concerns and helps build their character and middot tovot. Her children, Melissa (’02), Steven (’05), and Zachary (’12) are all proud YCQ alumni, and her grandchildren are currently YCQ students.

“Mrs. Lowinger has been a tremendous asset to the YCQ community,” said Rabbi Mark Landsman, principal of YCQ. “Throughout her tenure in our yeshiva, beyond her ability to bring life to the material she teaches, she has fostered a sense of responsibility in each of our students. She serves as a role model for both students and faculty alike, and we appreciate everything she has done, and continues to do at YCQ.”

Beginning in 1963, Rabbi Menachem Rottenberg, z”l, served as Executive Director of YCQ. Across the thirty plus years of his leadership, he oversaw the construction of both the elementary and Junior High School buildings. Rabbi Rottenberg was instrumental in transforming YCQ into the flagship Orthodox elementary school it is today. Under his watch, the school educated hundreds of students, an accomplishment which has earned him the eternal gratitude of parents – past, present, and beyond.

“Rabbi Rottenberg had a profound effect on turning the Queens Jewish community into a major Torah enclave with dozens of shuls and Yeshivot,” said Rabbi Yaakov Lonner, YCQ’s Executive Director,

The students completed the program not only with a great deal of new understanding of these mitzvot, but with a new pair of tzitzit to wear that they actually created themselves for the boys and for the girls, two challot, one to keep and one to give to someone who wouldn’t otherwise have one.

who worked very closely with him. “Rabbi Rotenberg had a large following of parents and alumni because they appreciated his selflessness, devotion, and sincerity with no motive for personal gain.”

To recognize Rabbi Rottenberg and his dedication to the yeshiva, the entrance to YCQ will be dedicated in his memory and inaugurated as Shaar Menachem. It is a fitting tribute to Rabbi Rottenberg who opened the doors of success for so many.

“Following in the spirit of our honorees, we ask the community-at-large to demonstrate its gratitude for what the Yeshiva does for the children and the community,” said Israel Glaser, Chairman of the Board.

If you wish to make a reservation to attend the 82nd Anniversary Dinner, or to submit a dedication in the Journal, please visit ycqdinner.com or call 718793-8500 ext. 300. Participation in the grand raffle can also be made at the same link. The raffle prizes include: a grand prize of $10,000, an Israel vacation package valued at $3,600, and an Apple iMac package valued at $1,500.

YCQ hasn’t merely educated the children of our community, the banaich, they have created bonayich, builders. Since its inception, YCQ has helped mold bnei and bnot Torah who are changing the world. The dinner is a critical opportunity to join together and enhance our partnership to support the Yeshiva of Central Queens and the future of the Jewish people.

Siyum at Lev Chana

Last Friday, Lev Chana kindergartners and 4-year-old Nursery all joined together to celebrate Siyum Sefer Bereishit with a beautiful story from Rabbi Eli Herzberg, a rousing game of Jeopardy, and, of course, delicious Torah cookies!

Chag HaSiddur at HANC

The first grade students in HANC’s Samuel and Elizabeth Bass Golding Elementary School in West Hempstead were filled with great excitement in anticipation of their spectacular Chag HaSiddur. As the children marched in and took their places on the stage, it was evident that the audience was in for a special treat. The first grade students performed magnificently, dedicating their commitment to Hashem and tefillah and beautifully expressed their appreciation for everything that Hashem has given them. In addition to their individual speaking parts, which they delivered with confidence and pride, the children sang melodious songs of praise for Hashem, accompanied by the music of

Mrs. Kari Levine, HANC’s talented music teacher and a proud HANC alumnus.

When the children completed their performance, Mrs. Michal Wasser, Assistant Principal, stood up to address the audience.

At the conclusion of their play, each child was called up to receive his/her first siddur. Due to the generous sponsors, each siddur was adorned with a leather cover that was personalized with each student’s full Hebrew name. As the children stepped forward to receive their siddurim, which were presented by Rabbi Ouriel Hazan, Head of HANC West Hempstead campuses; Mrs. Barbara Deutsch, Associate Principal, and Mrs. Michal Wasser, Assistant Principal,

as well as their classroom teachers, the excitement that they felt was apparent in the glow on their faces. The children couldn’t wait to begin to daven with their new siddurim.

This collaboration was a source of true nachat for so many parents, grandparents, siblings, friends and teachers of these very special students. May the children’s tefillot continue to reach straight up to Hashem, and may they always bring nachat to all that they encounter in their lifetime. Mazal tov to all of the HANC first graders and to their extended families. HANC takes great pride in launching our first grade students on their journey to lifelong tefillah.

A few weeks ago, the first graders at Gesher wrote letters to U.S. soldiers in honor of Veteran’s Day. They were in for a huge surprise when each student received a detailed response from an army captain!

MTA Annual Dinner of Tribute

On Thursday night, January 5, 2023, MTA celebrated its Annual Dinner of Tribute at Congregation Ahavath Torah in Englewood, New Jersey. The night was a celebration of the Meaningful Moments of the MTA experience for both the current talmidim and the tens of thousands of alumni who have benefited from all that MTA has to offer.

This year’s honorees included Eva (‘90) and Mordy Rothberg, the evening’s Guests of Honor, as well as Dr. Johnathan Halpert (‘62) and his son Rabbi Yehuda Halpert (‘93) as well Aryeh (‘17) and Ezra (‘23) Halpert; three generations of the Halpert family who were honored as the Legacy Family. Rabbi Chaim Axelrod was awarded the Faculty Award for his years of dedication to MTA.

MTA Head of School, Rabbi Joshua Kann, began the program with introductory remarks. While welcoming all in attendance to the dinner Rabbi Kahn stated, “Tonight is a special celebration.

It is a celebration of our yeshiva community, a community in which each of you play an important role. It is a celebration of our honorees, who together represent our parent body, our alumni, our talmidim and our rebbeim, faculty and staff.” The night truly was a celebration with

L’Chu V’Nelcha

This past week the Far Rockaway/ Five Towns branch of L’chu V’Nelcha was privileged to hear from Mrs. Linda Nathan, who gave a meaningful shiur on the topic of “Racing towards the end goal, but is it really yours?” This coming week, we look forward to hearing from Rebbetzin Tziporah (Heller) Gottlieb from Eretz Yisrael, who will iy”H be speaking Monday, January 16. LVN this

a festive mood throughout an evening accompanied by delicious cuisine and fantastic company. The evening’s theme, Meaningful Moments at MTA, highlighted the moments that come to define the MTA experience. Rabbi Kahn addressed the moments related to the evening’s honorees “... tonight is one of those moments that inspires us, defines us and unites us. These same characteristics are true of our honorees – they inspire us, they define us, and they unite us.”

The program also included video presentations that highlighted the commitment and accomplishments of the honorees. As attendees listened to the interviews with the honorees and their families, they also heard testimonials about the high level of Torah learning and the stellar academic experience as well as the incredible extracurricular activities that round out the MTA experience.

Head of School, Rabbi Joshua Kahn, shared, “The video presentation perfectly captured our honorees. The commitment of the Rothberg family to our yeshiva knows no bounds and the video conveyed Mordy’s complete investment in the growth of MTA. Anyone who knows the Halperts knows of their century-old relationship with Yeshiva University High Schools, if you did not

yet know them before this evening you surely know of it now from the inspiring video. To think that three generations of Halpert men have all walked the halls of MTA and have all transmitted the values of MTA so successfully to their families, their legacy is one that exemplifies what the MTA experience is all about.”

that talmidim forge with their rebbeim and teachers. The success of an MTA talmid is directly linked to the incredible love and care each faculty member feels towards their talmidim. We genuinely feel that our talmidim are like our ‘children.’”

week will take place at Shaarei Emunah, 539 Oakland Avenue, Cedarhurst, NY, at 7:30 pm. We invite all post high school/seminary girls from the community to come for a night of inspiration with Rebbetzin Gottlieb. Looking forward to greeting you! To sign up for updates via email, or to sponsor a shiur, please contact lvnfarrockaway5t@gmail.com.

The faculty honoree, Rabbi Chaim Axelrod, was asked to discuss what being a rebbe means to him and his inspiring recorded response garnered a standing ovation at the conclusion of the video presentation, a true testament to the success of MTA and its fantastic rebbeim and faculty who go above and beyond for their talmidim.

Rabbi Kahn remarked, “The MTA experience is built upon the relationships

The evening’s event saw records of both attendance and fundraising broken as close to 400 people were in attendance. The yeshiva dinner, one of several fundraising events throughout the year, brought in a total of $480,000 in one evening, a 25% increase from last year’s dinner total. This increase resulted from a parallel 25% increase in dinner attendance, a sign of the deep commitment to the yeshiva and its success on the part of the MTA community.

Mazal tov to the HALB first graders on receiving their very own siddurim

PJ Day at HANC Snowflake Snapshot at YOSS

Winter began on December 21, but we haven’t seen snow yet. Mrs. Berenholz’s second grade class at Yeshiva of South Shore loved reading Snowflake Bentley. As a boy, Willy Bentley used a microscope and camera to photograph snowflakes. Our snowflake fascination continued as we made snowflakes by drawing them, cutting and folding paper into stunning flakes. We even designed edible snow-

flakes. Our class loved solving math puzzles made out of snowflake shapes. Poetry expressed our knowledge of these marvels of nature.

“I’m a tiny water droplet, way up high, above the atmosphere/I catch a speck of dust and grow unique patterns as I fall to earth.”

Let’s all admire the symmetry of the snowflakes when they fall.

JSL Winter Season Begins

The JSL Winter 2023 season officially kicked off on Sunday. There was a wealth of talent on display, making for some great matches. The league was also delighted to welcome Mr. Brecher, the owner of FM Home Loans, who came by to watch his grandsons, Joseph Feldman and Judah Jacobson, play. The FM Home Loans winter swag item will be announced soon!

JSL Juniors

The JSL Junior league picked up right where they left off last season, showing off the skills they acquired during the previous season. With the help of fantastic coaches, the Juniors are continuing to improve. In K/P Soccer, Joseph Feldman had a remarkable performance, netting a hat trick to lead his team to a 4-2 win. In K/P Hockey, Shimmy Greenspan scored a hat trick, but his team ultimately fell short in a 5-4 defeat after Daniel Hammer scored the game-winning goal with just 12 seconds left in the game. In the 1st grade Hockey league, Charlie Rosenblatt scored a hat trick.

Hockey

The hockey preseason got underway this past Sunday, allowing the players

to become familiar with their teammates and practice their skills. There is a wealth of talent in the league, and it promises to be an exciting season. In a defensive battle, JNT beat Elegant Lawns 1-0 with a goal from Aryeh Levine, and Shlomo Greenspan earned a shutout in goal. 5TownsCentral tied 2-2 against Alpert Financial, with goals from Meir Abbittan and Shmuel Schreiber for Alpert Financial and Willie Farber for 5TownsCentral. Meat + Board edged out a 3-2 victory against MoldPro, thanks to a late goal from Shimmy Orlian. Town Appliance had a dominant performance, scoring three goals in the first minute on their way to a 7-4 win over Posh Home + Bath, with Yitzchak Polansky scoring four goals. In 4th/5th, Autoclick beat 925 Sterling 3-2, with goals from Shmuel Zeidel and Moshe Berg. In 6th-8th, JNT beat Wieder Orthodontics 8-1, and Marciano Dentistry had a strong start in their game, ultimately winning 7-6 after 5 Towns Orthodontics scored five goals to make it close. Meir Fireworker was named MVP for his double hat trick performance, scoring six goals, including a beautiful breakaway goal. Aaron New-

HANC’s Early Childhood Center in West Hempstead focused on learning about Hamalach Hagoel last week. The children learned the song, and prepared wall hangings that they would take home at the end of the week to remind them to sing this precious song each night before they go to sleep. In keeping with the theme, the yeladim and their teachers had an amazing pajama/weekly Shabbat assembly. Dressed in an assortment of pajamas, including Paw Patrol, Mickey Mouse, and tie dye, and carrying their favorite stuffed animals and Squishmellows, the classes came together in the auditorium for a Shabbat assembly like no other.

Our very own Rabbi Ouriel Hazan, Director of HANC’s West Hempstead campuses, joined the assembly. As he looked around the room, he noticed something unusual. “Something is different here! What is it?” To the delight of the children, he “realized” that everyone in the room was dressed in pajamas! As luck would have it, he brought a bathrobe with him and immediately joined in the fun. Rabbi Hazan read the children a bedtime story, The Pajama Game, and added a new Shabbat ending to the story.

Hearing all of the yeladim and their teachers singing together was truly an emotional moment. The children then received a HANC squishy pillow that said “Dream Big” on it, which they all enjoyed. No pajama party would be complete without some special treats. Each child received a delicious donut and a cup of milk as a “bedtime snack!”

It was a fun and memorable way to reinforce the beautiful custom of singing Hamalach Hagoel each night and was surely an experience that they won’t soon forget.

man from BayRock Insurance also had a strong game, scoring a hat trick, including an impressive behind-the-back goal. Basketball

Basketball evaluations were held this past Sunday to create fair teams for the upcoming season, and there is a lot of talent to be found. It looks to be a very competitive season. Both divisions have expanded to 6 teams this season. In the 3rd/4th division, Max Edery scored 12 points in his team’s win. In 5th7th, Shmuel Weiner and Aiden Carucci scored six points each. Yoni Shaffman

had a great block from behind, and Marc Feit had an amazing shot from half court. Men’s Basketball

In the final game of the regular season, Extreme Vent Cleaning mounted a 2nd half comeback from 17 points down to defeat Westwood Realty and earn a spot in the playoffs, eliminating Westwood from playoff contention. The Rebbe’s Choice, captained by Dovid Winter, emerged victorious in a 53-51 game, Winter himself leading the game with 23 points. The first round of the playoffs is set for this Sunday!

Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein Appointed as NYS Assembly Assistant Majority Whip

On the first day of the 2023 legislative session, NYS Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie announced the appointment of Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein as the new Assistant Majority Whip of the New York State Assembly.

“I am proud to have appointed Assemblymember Simcha Eichenstein to serve as Assistant Majority Whip for the Assembly Majority,” said Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. “He is a valued member of the Assembly and will be an asset to our leadership team. It is critical to me that our team be representative of the communities we serve, and I look forward to working with Assemblymember Eichenstein to lead New York forward in the term ahead.”

As Assistant Majority Whip, Assemblyman Eichenstein will focus on bringing together our diverse and multifaceted communities throughout New York State.

“I am honored to have been appointed as Assistant Majority Whip and want to thank Speaker Heastie for entrusting me to carry out the duties inherent in this position,” said Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein. “As always, I am committed to advocating for my constituents who have put their trust and faith in me by giving me the privilege of representing them in this great chamber. I will do

my best to fulfill my responsibilities and will continue to work tirelessly on their behalf.”

Assemblyman Eichenstein continued, “I am committed to working together with all members of the State Assembly to ensure a better and brighter future for all New Yorkers. Only by working together as a unified force can we successfully accomplish our goals for the people of this great state. Together, we can achieve greatness.”

Family Mitzvah Morning

Acts of chesed are at the core of the Young Israel of Jamaica Estates. At this month’s Family Mitzvah Morning, 40 mugs were decorated and filled with coffee and snacks for local hospital healthcare workers at Northwell Health. Parents and grandparents had fun making crafts with their children. Special thanks to the Hertan family for sponsoring in memory of Sharon’s father Bernhard Samstein, Reuven ben Yosef, a”h.

If you’d like to sponsor or attend future mitzvah mornings, visit www.yije.org.

HAFTR Hosts 37th Annual HAFTR Invitational Scott Satran Memorial Tournament

The 37th Annual HAFTR Invitational Scott Satran Memorial Tournament kicked off at the Nassau Coliseum on Tuesday, January 3 with a HAFTR vs. HANC Varsity showdown. This opening event featured a Girls Varsity, a Boys Varsity, and an Alumni game. HAFTR won all three games.

The event was a meaningful one on multiple fronts. Students from both HAFTR and HANC got to play in the same arena as the Nets while also doing some good in the world. The event raised money for the Israel ParaSport Center, an incredible organization that is a pioneer in the world of sports rehabilitation. The Israel ParaSport Center harnesses the power of sports to “strengthen body, spirit and mind.” Between games, audience members were invited to play wheelchair basketball with some pros from the Israel ParaSport Center. Audience members left this family-friendly event feeling incredibly inspired.

The tournament continued at HAFTR on January 5 with yeshiva day schools from across the East Coast. The program included a Shabbaton at HAFTR in ad-

dition to the games. Each year, it gives participants the opportunity to forge new friendships and celebrate sportsmanship. For this reason, the tournament is dedicated in memory of Scott Satran, a former HAFTR student. Scott Satran, as remembered by his brother Robbie, “cared about people – young, and old alike; he was able to relate to every age group. Scott was everyone’s buddy, confidante and most of all, friend…”

Magen David Yeshiva took home first place in the tournament’s championships on Sunday night, followed up by our very own HAFTR in second place.

Thank you to our HAFTR parents for coming together to host 180 boys from visiting schools for this incredible event. This event was also made possible through the generosity of sponsors. A huge thank you to Annette and Rob Satran, Diane and Ed Satran, the HAFTR PTA, Melodie and Marty Scharf, Jenny and Joey Hoenig, Janine and Cal Nathan, Simmy Thall, Jumpshot NCSY, Dave’s

and Co.,

Pizza, Ad

Traditions, Holy Schnitzel, and Joseph Lichter DDS.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie with newly appointed Assistant Majority Whip Simcha Eichenstein on the Floor of the NYS Assembly during the first day of the 2023 legislative session

Bagel With an Extra Side of Cheese

Why did bagel lose the election?  Because he was subject to a schmear campaign.

What do ghosts put on their bagels?  Scream cheese.

What is a Jamaican bagel called?  Cinnamon.

What food should you eat when traveling by air?  A plain bagel.

Why did the bagel feel sad?  It was empty inside.

Jimbo goes to a restaurant and buys a small juice carton. On the side, he sees a peel-off prize sticker. He opens it and yells, “I won a motor home! I won a Winnebago motor home!”

The waitress replies, “That’s impossible. The biggest prize is a stereo system!”

The man insists, “No! I won a motor home!”

The manager hears the ruckus and walks over.

Why was the bagel so lazy?  It was slow to rise.

Centerfold You Gotta Be Kidding Me!

Why did the bagel go to the bar?  To get toasted.

What happens if you eat a bagel standing on one leg?  You get a balanced breakfast.

What did the bagel dough say to the lonely baker?  It’s nice to be kneaded.

He says, “You couldn’t possibly have won a motor home, because we didn’t have that as one of our prizes.”

The customer insists and hands the manager the sticker, which says, “Win a Bagel!”

Bagel Trivia

In honor of the January 15, National Bagel Day, a holy day

1. According to Guinness World Records, the largest bagel ever, which was displayed at a 2004 fair in Syracuse, NY, weighed how many pounds?

a. 234 b. 868 c. 1,045 d. 112,928

2. Midtown Bagel in Gibraltar offers a 24-karat edible gold-painted bagel, delicately topped with gourmet goat cheese, black truffle slices, truffle dust and 24-karat edible gold flakes. How much does it cost?

a. $350 b. $1,000 c. $4,500 d. $12,000

3. The word bagel comes from the German word “bougel.” What does that word mean?

a. Dough bread b. Bracelet

c. Morning sandwich d. Circle

4. What unique item did Canadian astronaut Greg Chamitoff take with him for his 6-month stay on the International Space Station in 2008?

a. A Naki Radio b. 18 sesame bagels c. A bagel maker

d. A tuna bagel with lettuce, onions, and tomatoes

5. How do bagels get their golden exterior?

a. After they are baked, they are sprayed with a gold foam.

b. They are dipped in boiling water for approximately 3-5 minutes before being placed in the oven.

c. A mixture of raw eggs and a touch of mustard is spread on them.

d. After they are taken out of the oven, they are placed in a machine which is similar to a tanning machine.

Riddle Me This

6. What does a “bagel” in tennis refer to?

a. When a player wins all major tournaments in one year b. When a player wins a set 6–0 c. When a tennis ball gets a dent in it and is no longer usable d. When a round continues for 12 minutes or more

Answers

1-B 2-B 3-B 4-B 5-B 6-B

Wisdom Key

5-6 correct: If you were in Gibraltar, I’d have you join me for my Sunday morning breakfast at Midtown Bagel. Would be a golden breakfast!

3-4 correct: Not bad but not great— like a plain cream cheese bagel.

0-2 correct: You are certainly as intelligent as a bagel hole.

You’re sitting down for breakfast and realize you have four bagels left. You know you’ll run out in four days, so you cut them in half. How many bagels do you have now?

Answer: Four

Parshas Shemos

By Rabbi Berel Wein

The Torah leaves us basically unprepared for its description of the events that are recorded for us in this week’s parsha. When we last left the family of Israel at the conclusion of last week’s parsha of Vayechi, the Jews found themselves comfortable, affluent, protected, and settled well in the land of Goshen.

The Torah does not describe to us the process by which this situation so radically changed into becoming a slave state for the Jews. It only tells us of a new king who didn’t know Yosef and, for reasons not explicitly mentioned in the Torah, became a hater and persecutor of the Jews.

The Torah seems to indicate that this is almost a natural state of affairs – to be expected. The Egyptian exile begins on a high note, deteriorates into abject sorrow and attempted genocide and ends with miraculous redemption. The Torah does not dwell upon any motives for the occurrence of this pattern of events. What did the Jews do wrong? Why was the Pharaoh such a hater? What were the economic or social factors of the time that allowed for such a dramatic worsening of the Jewish position in Egypt?

blindly in human history. And, particularly in Jewish history, that the attempts of historians and sociologists to explain these irrational events and behavior patterns are really useless.

As has been often pointed out, all subsequent Jewish exiles – Babylonia, Spain, France, Germany, Eastern Europe, the Muslim Middle East – all seem to eerily conform to this original Egyptian template. As usual, the Torah leaves us with

who, at this time, is still a pagan. Hardly the resume that one would expect for the leader of Israel, the greatest of all prophets and the teacher of all human kind.

Where did his holiness and greatness stem from, how was it developed, who were his mentors and what were his experiences over those long decades of separation from his people? The Torah gives us no clue or answer to these questions. It effectively points out that greatness of-

more questions than it provides answers for. In effect, that is why the Torah is called the Book of Human Life.

We are also unprepared to recognize the savior of Israel in the person of Moses. We are told how he was miraculously saved from the crocodiles of the Nile by the daughter of the Pharaoh and raised in the royal court. He sympathizes with the brutalized Jewish slaves, defends them, and is forced to flee from Egypt.

We hear nothing regarding Moses for the next sixty years until he reemerges as a shepherd in Midyan, married to the daughter of Yitro, the local religious chief

tentimes

and from people and leaders who operate outside of the usual establishment circles.

All of life is a mystery and certainly the Jewish story remains in its base an inexplicable one. This sets the stage for everything else that will now follow in the Torah. It is why the Jewish people, when accepting the Torah pledge to G-d that “we will do and then perhaps try to understand,” if we wish to understand first, we will never come to do. The Divine hand guides us, but it is never subject to our rational thoughts and explanations.

Shabbat shalom.

From the Fire

Parshas Shemos

Being a Man, Doing for Others

By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

The Torah (Shemos 2:11) tells us what it means to be great. It tells us, “And it was in those days that Moshe grew up and went out to his brothers, and he saw their suffering.”

The Ramban on this pasuk explains what it means that Moshe grew up: “And Moshe grew up [lit., ‘became great’],” meaning that he grew up and became a man. At the beginning, it says (ibid., at 10), “And the child grew up,” meaning that he grew up to the point that she did not need to wean him [i.e., he weaned himself]… And afterward, he grew up and became a man of intelligence. And the reason the pasuk says he “went out to his brothers” is because they told him that he was a Jew and he wanted to see them because they were his brothers. And when he gazed upon their suffering and toil, he could not tolerate it and therefore he killed the Egyptian…

The Torah is teaching us what it means to be a man, a person of intelligence and responsibility. When someone transitions from being a child to being an adult, what does that mean?

When Moshe heard that he was a Jew, what was the first thing he did? He went out to his brothers to see their suffering. That is what defines a Jew.

Rav Yitzchak Volozhiner, in his introduction to Nefesh Hachaim, quotes his father Rav Chaim Volozhiner, zt”l, as teaching that “this is the entirety of man. He was not created for his own sake. Rather, [he was created] to benefit others.” That is what it means to be a great person, to truly be a Jew. That is the essence of maturity. A child is wrapped up in his own world, living

only for himself, for his own enjoyment and benefit. The most important aspect of maturity is “to benefit others.”

When the Torah begins listing the generations from Adam to Noach, it begins (Bereishis 5:1), “This is the book of the generations of Man.” The Alshich points out that the word “book” in this pasuk seems superfluous. Every other time the Torah lists out someone’s descendants, it usually says, “these are the generations of…,” without the word “book.” In addition, if the word “book” refers to the Torah, is the pasuk saying that the whole Torah is there to recount the generations of Man? Is the Torah just a genealogy book? Rather, the Alshich answers that the pasuk must be teaching us that a person’s main offspring, the “generations of Man,” is the Torah that he learns and teaches and the mitzvos that he does. The Alshich explains:

The primary offspring of tzaddikim are the good deeds and the

Torah he learns, as the Zohar says, that [the brother of] a Torah scholar who dies technically should not have to have a levirate marriage with [the Torah scholar’s] wife because the Torah thoughts he has learned are his descendants, like Ben Azai who [never married but] “gave birth” and multiplied light. Man’s “book” is the Torah [he has learned]. That is the [true, inner] offspring of Man. The Bnei Yissaschar (Derech Pikudecha, M”A 1:26), expresses this beautifully when he writes about the mitzvah to be fruitful and multiply as follows:

It is possible to fulfill this mitzvah to be fruitful and multiply at all times and at every stage in life by “giving birth” to new concepts in Torah as the mekubalim wrote about… This is a person’s primary fulfillment of the mitzvah to be fruitful and multiply, but Hashem commanded us to also fulfill it on a physical level as well. In this way,

[Torah] concepts will increase exceedingly because every person who is born will have an intellect to grasp new concepts…

One might have thought that when a person is too old or too young to have children, or if he is unable to have children, that he cannot fulfill the mitzvah to be fruitful and multiply. But the Bnei Yissaschar teaches us that this is not true. A person’s main offspring is the Torah he has learned, the novel Torah thoughts he has brought into the world, and the mitzvos that he has done. In addition, the Ben Ish Chai, zt”l, explains that the connection between the first mitzvah in the Torah (to be fruitful and multiply) and last mitzvha in the Torah (the mitzvah to write a sefer Torah) is that through the first mitzvah in the Torah, we bring more Jews into the world who will fulfill the last mitzvah, the mitzvah to learn Torah.

Every person is therefore like a Sefer Torah. That is why the pasuk calls the Torah, “the book of the generations of Man.” His descendants themselves are the “book,” the Sefer Torah. This is because a person’s mitzvos and Torah are his main progeny in this world.

The sefer Taam V’daas (Bereishis) relates the following story from which we can see how tzaddikim in recent times viewed their mitzvos as their true “book” they wished to bequeath to the world: It once happened that Rav Chaim Ozer, zt”l, visited Rav Elya Chaim Meisels, zt”l, in Lodz. As a gift, Rav Chaim Ozer gave a copy of his sefer, Achiezer, to Rav Meisels, who was very happy to receive it and immediately began perusing it to enjoy Rav Ozer’s novel Torah insights. Rav Ozer then asked Rav

Meisels, “When will we merit that his honor will also author a book?” Rav Elya Chaim answered him, “I already have a book.” Rav Chaim Ozer asked if he could see it, so Rav Elya Chaim brought him to a closet and brought out a large accounting book full of receipts, documents, and records of others’ debts he had paid on behalf of Torah scholars, orphans, and widows.

Rav Elya Chaim told Rav Chaim Ozer, “For the time being, this is my book. It is called ‘The Book of the generations of Man.’ For now, I do not have time to write a book as his honor has.” He did not answer Rav Elya, but it is related that some time later, just before Rav Chaim Ozer’s passage into the Next World, he told the great Rav Yosef Mishkovski, zt”l, “Now I understand what Rav Meisels was saying. The primary book one writes in life which he brings with him into the eternal world is the good things that he has done.” Although Rav Chaim Ozer certainly valued his Torah beyond measure and helped poor people as well, he understood the depth of mitzvos and chessed as man’s progeny in the world on a much deeper level through Rav Elya Meisels’s example.

A person’s primary progeny, the main book he is expected to write, and the defining greatness of a person is the good that he has done. It is what comes from “doing for others” and going out to see his brother’s suffering in order to do something about it. The main point of each mitzvah that a person does, ev-

The Gemara (Yuma 86a) teaches this beautifully:

It was taught [in a Braisa]: “And you shall love Hashem your G-d,” [meaning that] the name of Heaven should become beloved through you; that you should read, review, and study under Torah sages and your

has studied Torah, see how beautiful his ways are, how proper are his actions!” Regarding such a person the pasuk (Yeshaya 49:3) says, “And He said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel in whom I am glorified!’”

When a Jew is a mensch, when everyone can see that he is not just living for himself but is living for others, his entire life sanctifies G-d’s name. His Torah and mitzvos and what he has done for others becomes more important that any sefer he could write. That is Moshe Rebbeinu’s book, called “And Moshe grew up and went out to his brothers.”

With Hashem’s help, may we merit to truly “grow up,” to become great people by thinking about what we can benefit others and by living for the Torah and mitzvos we can bring into the world.

ery word of davening he says, and every word of Torah he learns is not just to think about how he himself benefits from it. Rather, he should do it in order to “benefit others,” either directly or indirectly through the merit of his Torah and mitzvos.

discussions and dealings with every person should be refined. What will people say about him? “Fortunate is the father who taught him Torah! Fortunate is the rav who taught him Torah! Woe is to people who have not studied Torah! So-and-so who

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

When a Jew is a mensch, when everyone can see that he is not just living for himself but is living for others, his entire life sanctifies G-d’s name.

Delving into the Daf Of Arrows and Annulments

By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

The Gemara relates two short and cryptic anecdotes. (Nedarim 76b) The first is that Chiya the son of Rav would shoot arrows and examine them. The second anecdote is that Rabba the son of Rav Huna would sit and stand. The Gemara does not offer any more details on these stories.

Why was Chiya shooting arrows? Why would Rabba sit and stand? The Rishonim grapple with these stories and try to explain them based on context. It is remarkable that the disparate explanations of these stories lead to major differences in practical halacha.

The Gemara discusses the right that the Torah granted a husband. He may annul some of his wife’s vows. Typically, a person has to go to a sage (or a beis din) to have their vows annulled. However, a husband may annul the vows of his wife on his own if the vows cause his wife affliction or if they are the type of vows that interfere with their relationship. Still, this special right is limited by Scriptural decree to one day. The Gemara records a dispute how to reckon that one day. The anonymous opinion of the Mishna is that the husband may only annul vows on the halachic calendar day on which he hears about them. If he hears his wife express a vow at night, he may annul the vow until the next sunset. If he hears his wife utter a vow in the afternoon, he may still only annul the vow until sunset. However, Rebbe Yose the son of Rebbe Yehuda and Rebbe Elazar the son of Rebbe Shimon are of the opinion that the husband is granted 24 hours to annul the vows. So, if he hears his wife express a vow in the afternoon, he may annul his wife’s vow until the same time the next afternoon.

The Rosh suggests that Chiya held of the latter opinion. A husband has a full 24 hours to annul his wife’s vows. Chiya heard his wife express a vow. However, he did not want to annul the vow right

away. This would lead to laxity in making vows. He therefore decided to wait until the end of 24 hours, necessarily causing his wife to honor her commitment for a day. However, he did not have a digital clock to check the time on the following day. Therefore, Chiya shot an arrow into the wall. He memorized the

the same spot and ascertain when close to 24 hours have passed. According to these interpretations, the conclusion of the Gemara is that a husband has 24 hours to annul his wife’s vows. However, most Rishonim reject this view. They are of the opinion that a husband may only annul his wife’s vows on

That is called a pesach. However, some Amoraim are of the opinion that one can simply relate to beis din that he has general regret that he made a vow. For example, he can say, “I only made the vow because I was in a bad mood.” It is much easier to permit a vow using this controversial latter standard. The Gemara is relating that Rabba and Chiya permitted vows using the lax standard. Therefore, they even permitted vows while they were otherwise engaged in other activities such as shooting arrows. Rabba would not stop what he was engaged in to permit vows. If he was sitting or standing while occupied in something, he would not stop because he needed to permit a vow. Permitting vows does not require much concentration if general regret is acceptable.

Still, according to the last opinion, why was Chiya shooting arrows? The Meiri explains that he was attempting to shecht birds in mid-flight and render them kosher. Still, others opine that, according to this explanation, Chiya wasn’t really shooting arrows. The Gemara was saying that since he was using the lax standard for hataras nedarim , the process took as long as it takes to shoot an arrow.

The accepted halacha is in accordance with this latter opinion. Therefore, a husband can only annul his wife’s vows on the halachic calendar day he hears about them. There is no need to shoot an arrow into the wall.

position of the shadow caused by the sun shining on the arrow. His makeshift sundial would let him know on the next day the time to annul the vows.

Rabbah was of a like mind. He also did not want to annul the vow of his wife right away. He instantly stood up and noticed the position and length of his shadow. Tomorrow he could stand in

the halachic day he hears about them. The anecdotes of Rabba and Chiya are to demonstrate a totally unrelated point. When one approaches a beis din to annul his vows, there are two possible options one may utilize. Certainly, one can tell the beis that if he would have thought fully about the consequences of his vow, he never would have made it.

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 Hempstead, NY. He can be contacted at ASebrow@gmail.com.

His makeshift sundial would let him know on the next day the time to annul the vows.

The Wandering Jew Eretz Yisroel November 2022

Part II

By Hershel Lieber

In a sense, we were free this Friday night from any chasunah-related obligations. Though this was the aufruf Shabbos, no family seudah was scheduled for Friday night. This allowed us to choose where to daven. I suggested that we go to Boyan, and everyone agreed. The main Bais Hamedrash was only about a ten-minute uphill walk, and we arrived about ten minutes before the Rebbe came in to daven. The gabbaim were extremely welcoming and assigned Heshy Daum and me to the front table facing the Aron Kodesh. Mechel and Ezriel sat right behind us. We soon observed the entire oilem standing up and realized the Rebbe had entered the shul and was making his way to the front. The Boyaner Rebbe, like many Rebbes of the Rizhiner dynasty, davens in a separate room behind a closed door with an opening to enable him to hear the shliach tzibbur. I realized that I should either approach the Rebbe now or I would not have any other opportunity. I stepped out of my place and was followed by Heshy, Mechel and Ezriel. I approached the Rebbe as he reached the front of the shul and stuck out my hand to “nem Shalom.” The Rebbe reciprocated and then asked me my name. I answered the Rebbe, and I added that I was once with the Rebbe for a Shabbos in Lugano, Switzerland. The Rebbe smiled, and I am convinced that he truly did remember.

In November of 1999, Pesi, I, and our friends Beryl

and Esther Jachimowitz were in Lugano for a few days. We found out that the Rebbe and his Rebbetzin and one gabbai would be at the Gefen Hotel with us for Shabbos. I was looking forward to meeting the Rebbe of so many chassidim in a private setting.

Thursday evening during Mincha-Maariv at the main shul we had the opportunity to meet and greet the Boyaner Rebbe. He was extremely warm, and we were privy to observe his humility. Although the Rebbe has thousands of chassidim throughout the world, he sat humbly amongst the small group of mispallelim and listened attentively as the Biala Rebbe, the shul’s rav, gave a Mishna Berura shiur between Mincha and Maariv. On Shabbos, we did not walk to the shul and spent the entire time at the hotel. We had exactly a minyan of ten men including the Boyaner Rebbe. On Friday night, I davened kabbalas Shabbos at the amud. When the Rebbe thanked me, I mentioned that my son, Mechel, had asked me on erev Shabbos to inquire from the Rebbe about a story concerning the Rebbe’s ancestor, the Rizhiner Rebbe. The Rebbe told me to meet him the next day a half-hour before Mincha and we could discuss that story. I am still in awe of the experience of spending about twenty minutes sitting alone in discussion with the Rebbe.

After Mincha, I asked the Rebbe’s gabbai if the Rebbe would join the other nine men for Shalosh Seudos.

The gabbai said that the Rebbe was here for a rest and would prefer to eat privately with his family. I persisted and insisted that he tell the Rebbe that we would love to have him join us. I was a bit surprised that his gabbai actually acceded to my request but was not at all surprised that the Rebbe accepted my invitation. That seudah was so special, in that we all sat together, talking, eating, singing, and sharing divrei Torah in a completely relaxed atmosphere – almost like with friends.

Back to this Shabbos in Yerushalayim. After kabbalas Shabbos, the Rebbe stepped up to the bimah and collectively wished everyone “Gut Shabbos.” At that point, I was really glad that I had approached him earlier when he walked in. We went back home and had a beautiful Shabbos seudah. The food from Goldie’s was delicious and overabundant. The zemiros and divrei Torah added the requisite spice to propel this evening into a spiritual affair. Mechel brought a very potent bottle of Kirshwasser, which literally added to the evening’s spirit. We sang, talked, and laughed for a very long time. We were tired and knew we were in for a long day the next day, so we went to bed soon after. Mechel, on the other hand, still went with Ezriel to the Belzer Rebbe’s tisch.

Shabbos morning began very early for us. The aufruf took place in the main Gerrer Bais Medrash where

The almost completed new Gerrer Bais Hamedrash The Gerrer Rebbe, shlita

The Boyaner Rebbe, shlita The Boyaner Shul on Rechov Malchei Yisroel

davening begins at exactly 7:30. I felt sorry for my sonin-law Moishy and the chosson Yisroel Zev that the Gerrer Rebbe, shlita, was away in Arad and would not be there for this special occasion. This was a partially the reason that the aufruf was planned for Yerushalayim and not in Lakewood. I guess a Rebbe also needs to get away sometimes; whenever he would go away, it would have an impact on some people. There were five other aufrufs in Ger that Shabbos, and they were all affected by the Rebbe being out of town.

We arrived on time at the Bais Medrash on Rechov Yirmiyahu. The building is extremely large to accommodate, at times, over ten thousand chassidim during yomim tovim and other events. The interior was never really finished and has a sparse and empty look. Different from most shuls, which are ornately decorated with fine details adorning the sanctuary, Ger looks very utilitarian where the main goal is to accommodate the throngs of mispallelim. Right next to this building is the new bais medrash, which can accommodate even more people when it will open up officially. I understand that the new Mikdash Me’at will look a lot prettier.

Davening in Gur with its distinct style was not new to me nor to Heshy Daum. We both davened for nearly forty years in the Gerrer Bais Medrash Yagdil Torah and were quite comfortable with its nusach. Mechel

grew up there as well. There was an hour’s break between Shacharis and leining for the purpose of learning. Mechel and I had just started the new cycle of Talmud Yerushalmi together, and this was an opportunity to forge a bit ahead. Leining commenced and was highlighted by six aufruf aliyos including Yisroel Zev’s. The shower of pekalach accompanied by Gerrer niggunim brought an atmosphere of joy for the oilam. Pesi told me later that in the Ezras Noshim signs were held up to identify which chosson was getting an aliyah so that his family could participate in the throwing of the pekalach.

The simple kiddush of cake and schnapps was set up downstairs with six distinct tables where the chassanim sat with their parents, grandparents and mechutanim. Then began a procession of almost the entire oilam passing by table after table to give l’chaim and mazal tov to the baalei simcha. This parade of handshaking took almost a full hour, but I felt very good from the many good wishes and brachos that were given by the entire tzibbur.

The kiddush was followed by an aufruf seudah sponsored by Moishy and Faigy for the entire family and the new mechutanim. They rented a section of a first floor apartment in the Schneller Buildings complex where a caterer set up elegant tables and served generous portions of delicious traditional Shabbos food. Moishe spoke well, and we sang zemiros between courses. Needless to say, this beautiful seudah brought the two mishpachos close together in anticipation of the upcoming chasunah.

Shiffy, the kallah, is the daughter of Rav Menachem Gershon Schwartz, a noted melamed in the Gerrer Talmud Torah. His father, Rav Boruch Dov, is also prominent in the field of chinuch. Shiffy’s mother is the daughter of the well-known rav and darshan HaRav Avrohom Schorr. I spent the seudah sitting at the side of Rav Boruch Dov, and we established an amiable relationship that carried forward throughout the simcha period. I was able to discern the fine characteristics and noble middos that both he and his son Menachem Gershon possess. Their genuine smiles and their respectful demeanors added to my enjoyment of being in their company. I know HaRav Avrohom Schorr

from the years we davened together at Yagdil Torah. He spoke there very often and during one period gave the Shmiras Halashon shiur on Shabbos. There were a number of occasions that I approached him with halacha questions which reinforced our relationship.

When we returned to our apartment after the meal, we barely had an hour to take a nap. After davening Mincha, we walked over for Shalosh Seudos to Rav Avrohom Shmuelevitz and his family. I got to know the Mirrer Rosh Mesivta of Yerushalayim, the son of Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz, when Mechel took us there on different occasions when we were in Israel. Mechel’s inlaws, Yossy and Gitty Ostreicher, are very close with the Shmuelevitz family, and Mechel ate there many times while he was a bochur learning in Brisk. For this seudah, we were joined by Heshy, Debby, Mechel, Azriel and the Ostreichers. Both Rav Avrohom and his wife were great hosts, and we shared meaningful conversations and divrei Torah. After Maariv at the local Chabad shul, we returned for Havdalah, sang Hamavdil, and took a video and photos. We rushed back by taxi to our apartment since Pesi and I still had a big program scheduled for Motzei Shabbos.

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 Yiddishkeit. 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. Together 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 experiences. Their open home gave them opportunities to meet and develop relationships with a variety of people. Hershel’s column will appear in The Jewish Home on a bi-weekly basis.

After Havadalah at Harav Avrohom Shmuelevitz. Rav Avrohom is seated with his son (l) his son-in-law (r) Standing (l to r) Heshy Daum, Ezriel Lieber, me, Mechel Lieber and Yossi Ostreicher

The interior of the present Gerrer Bais Hamedrash

Sitting with the mechutan’s father Rav Boruch Dov Schwartz

R-L Our son-in-law, Rabbi Pesach Moshe Grossman, the mechutan, Rav Menachem Gershon Schwartz, and the chosson Yisroel Zev

Israel Today

Democracy Day

By Rafi Sackville

History and civics teacher Yevgeni stands in front of a class of juniors on Democracy Day, which commemorates the 27th anniversary of Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination. He begins the lesson by explaining that he wasn’t born into a democracy. The Russia he grew up in allowed no freedom of speech or expression. By way of comparison, he wants the students to recognize why they shouldn’t take their personal freedom of speech for granted. Many of them do.

He asks them about their understanding of stereotypes and racism. Their answers, mainly cliched, don’t really get to the heart of the matter, which is this: people aren’t born hating others because of their color or creed. They learn to hate. If we can teach people to hate, we can teach them to love as well. After all, it’s easier to love than to hate.

Yevgeni explains how we develop stereotypes and how there will always be people who are “different” to us be it by skin color, ethnicity, or by our own skewered stances.

It reminded me of an occasion when I was teaching in Reut-Maccabim, which today stands on the edge of Modiin. It was in the early 1990s. I was dressed in black pants, a white shirt, and sneakers. My tzitzit were out, and for all intents and purposes, I looked somewhat charedi, even though I wasn’t.

The school building had not yet been completed, and my 11th graders were assigned to learn in a caravan adjacent to the street. As I was teaching, a group of yeshiva students walked by. They were dressed exactly like me. My students, all of whom were secular, suddenly raced to the window and began chanting, “Dosim Dosim” (religious, religious). When I asked them why they didn’t chant that to me, one of them casually replied, “But Rafi, we know you.”

The story is pertinent, because at this point Yevgeni divided the class into

groups. He put up a slide which showed 14 boxes each depicting diametrically opposed groups within Israeli society. Students were assigned the task of choosing any two groups and trying to find common ground between them, to develop a form of reconciliation.

Sample couplings were Jews and Arabs, the Left and Right, Center of the country and the Periphery, Ashkenazim and Sephardim.

It is one of the features living in Israel to be exposed to clearly delineated different, cultural, and political groups. The distinction is more amorphous in New York, where the melting pot of society is unlike Israel. In Israel, we are mostly forced upon each other, whereas America is large enough to afford people the space and comfort to assimilate within their own cliques to the exclusion of other groups.

The classroom debate was lively and telling. The students were like a microcosm of society; some groups succeeded, while others failed to find common ground.

After Yevgeni’s lesson, the students gathered on the outside basketball court where we held a ceremony in honor of the

late prime minister. By noon, students were back in regular classes, where I’m quite certain their minds had long wandered onto other things.

The ceremony was a mixture of songs, short speeches, and prayer. The weather was warm. Students were asked to sit in the sun. Some students claimed they would wilt under the “harsh” conditions. Some moved off the court and under the shade of the one tree next to the court. It wasn’t mid-August, nor was it oppressive. The irony was not lost on us because those seeking the shade were mainly seniors, the same students who next year will begin their military service where the conditions any month of the year are difficult. Order was quickly restored by the principal, who gathered these wayward exiles and returned them to the proper places among the general school population.

I looked out across the court and reflected on our youth, how they would soon enter the adult phases of their lives and be given the opportunity to exercise their right to vote. Rabin’s commemoration came days after Israel had elected Binyamin Netanyahu as the country’s next prime minister.

Regardless of one’s political belief, the recent Israeli election was a model of democracy in action. The campaigns were civil, albeit noisy in places. Polling stations were quiet, and the results were accepted across the political spectrum. The only beating of breasts was among the losers who, in retrospect, faltered due to self-inflicted wounds; the liberal left’s failure was not pinned on faulty election machinery or voter fraud or on conspiracy theories. What they didn’t do was blame voting machines, or elections workers, or Maricopa County officials.

The system worked the way it was supposed to. The results speak for themselves. After cracks in the fabric and integrity of recent America elections, Israel, the country more often berated throughout the world for its supposed lack of democracy, deserves a pat on the back.

Israel is far from perfect; the world reminds us so on a daily basis. As educators, we do our best to instill our students with a proper and befitting notion of democracy. Our syllabus allots us 10 daily minutes before the start of the first lesson to address the issues of the day. I have raised topics ranging from road rage and social responsibility to accepting other people’s views of the world.

It is ironic that our current juniors weren’t born until the 10th anniversary of Rabin’s death. Even more ironic that many of my juniors back in 1995 probably have juniors of their own today.

I am hopeful that, despite our best efforts as educators in a world of misinformation, despite the relentless barrage of online violence, the messages we want our children and grandchildren to learn about historical events – messages we don’t want them to forget – are efforts that will not be wasted.

Rafi Sackville, formerly of Cedarhurst, teaches in Ort Maalot in Western Galil.

Democracy Day

Where the Netanyahu Government Differs From Its Predecessor

The new government is prepared to stand up to the Biden administration when necessary

By Caroline Glick

With the swearing-in of the latest Netanyahu government, Israel will embark on a new course in foreign policy—and just in time. For the past year-and-a-half of the Bennett-Lapid-Gantz government, Israel’s foreign policy ceased to be independent. In the days and weeks before Naftali Bennett, Yair Lapid, and Benny Gantz formed their coalition, they committed themselves to a policy of “no surprises” for the Biden administration. The promise, which became the basis for the government’s actions in the months that followed, meant that under their stewardship, Israel subordinated its foreign policy to the White House. It took no action of which the administration disapproved and either supported every administration policy or avoided taking any steps to substantively undermine President Joe Biden’s actions in the region, whether in relation to Iran or the Palestinians, Saudi Arabia, or Lebanon or elsewhere.

As the Biden administration aggres -

sively pursued its strategy of realigning the U.S. away from Israel and the Sunni Arab states by legitimizing Iran’s nuclear weapons program and enriching the regime through nuclear diplomacy, Israel stood on the sidelines. It occasionally clucked its opposition to the contents of the deal being negotiated, but it supported the Biden administration’s slavish, indeed fanatical commitment to strategic appeasement of Iran in exchange for temporary and substantively insignificant nuclear concessions on Iran’s part.

In August, Iran seemingly ended the negotiations when it rejected the U.S.’s European-transmitted “final offer” and came back with still more demands for U.S. concessions. Iran’s key demand was for the U.S. and the International Atomic Energy Agency to close the U.N. nuclear watchdog’s investigation into three nuclear sites that Iran had failed to declare. Iran’s failure was a material breach of both the 2015 nuclear deal and of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Trea-

ty, of which it is a signatory. Iran also demanded that Biden’s restoration of the U.S. commitment to the 2015 deal be binding on future U.S. administrations. Since there is no way for Biden to legally agree to Iran’s second demand, and acceptance of Iran’s first demand would involve the destruction of the NPT, which has formed the basis for global non-proliferation efforts for the past 50 years, the Biden administration tried its hand at holding out for a better offer. Negotiations were suspended.

Bennett and Lapid insist that the failure of Iran’s ultimatum in August was their doing. But no one takes them seriously, with good reason. Throughout the months preceding Iran’s rejection of the administration’s “final offer,” Bennett and Lapid could barely get Biden to take their calls. When emissaries like former National Security Advisor Eyal Hulata were dispatched to Washington to speak with Biden’s underlings, they weren’t praised as allies standing with the Biden administration despite

its hostile policies. The administration officials barraged them with demands for concessions to the Palestinians. Hulata and other senior officials, like Bennett, Gantz and Lapid themselves, were hard-pressed to find anyone in the Biden White House, Pentagon or State Department to talk with about Israel’s concerns over the administration’s capitulation to Iran.

A month after Iran ended the negotiations, regime forces in Tehran murdered Mahsa Amini for failing to wear her headscarf in the manner dictated by the regime’s misogynist regulations. Amini’s death sparked the freedom revolution that has been ongoing for more than a hundred days.

The force and staying power of Iran’s young revolutionaries caught the Biden administration by surprise. Rather than recognize that the events on the ground in Iran represent the first viable prospect for regime change since the Islamic revolution of 1979, the administration has treated it as a regret-

table distraction. Instead of supporting the revolutionaries and helping them to bring down a regime that has been waging war against the United States for 43 years, the administration diminishes the significance of events on the ground and steadfastly refuses to walk away from its strategy of appeasement and capitulation to the regime as it murders and tortures its young opponents.

The administration insists that the nuclear talks are on the back burner. But a report at MEMRI.org revealed that the talks are actually heating up. On December 26, Iranian Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee member Javad Karimi-Ghodusi told an Iranian news outlet that European and Iranian negotiators met at a summit in Amman, Jordan, earlier this month. There, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, his deputy and Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri, French President Emmanuel Macron, and the E.U.’s High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell moved forward with the nuclear talks. The Biden administration was not physically present in the discussion, but according to Karimi-Ghodusi, it was partner to the agreements reached.

At a press conference after the meeting, Amir-Abdollahian said, “An opportunity was created to discuss additional issues connected to the nuclear talks.… We informed [Macron and Borrell] that if they respect our red lines, we are willing to take the final steps in order to arrive at an agreement.”

Karimi-Ghodousi said that, in Amman, the Biden administration and the International Atomic Energy Agency acquiesced to both of Iran’s chief demands. They will close the IAEA’s investigation of the three nuclear sites that Iran failed to disclose, and the Biden administration will make its economic concessions binding on its successors at least in the commercial arena.

Israel is aware of the situation. Recently, Haaretz reported that the IDF General Staff has concluded the administration is still committed to reaching a nuclear deal and that the Pentagon supports this position. Rather than stand up to the administration and make clear that continued appeasement of the regime makes absolutely no sense both in light of the regime’s nuclear capabilities and the revolution on the streets from one end of Iran to the other, the now former Lapid-Gantz government continued toeing Biden’s line until it finally left of-

fice last Thursday.

The most prominent institution promoting the administration’s position in recent weeks and months has been IDF intelligence. Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, who heads the Military Intelligence Directorate, and his head of research Brig. Gen. Amit Sa’ar wholeheartedly supported Lapid’s decision, two weeks before the election, to agree to a Biden administration-dictated gas deal with Lebanon—which Iran controls through its Hezbollah proxy. Under the terms of the deal, Israel surrendered economic and territorial waters to Lebanon along with the natural gas field located in those waters. Israel’s capitulation put billions of dollars in gas concessions into Hezbollah’s hands and gave Iran-Hezbollah a foothold in the eastern Mediterranean.

As for Iran itself, on Dec. 4, Sa’ar’s department held a conference on the freedom revolution that they invited Reuters to cover. Sa’ar said that the revolution is doomed to fail. His statement was reported prominently in the Iranian and U.S. media. It demoralized the revolutionaries and justified the Biden administration’s refusal to support them.

Recently, Israel Hayom reported that, as Netanyahu and his ministers put the final touches on their coalition deals, IDF intelligence determined that it is in Israel’s interest to initiate a new nuclear deal with Iran for the U.S. and Europe to advance. The message was clear: As far as the outgoing government and its allies in the IDF are concerned, Israel’s foreign policy should continue to be subordinate to the Biden administration. As a consequence, the thrust of Israel’s policy towards Iran should be capitulationist rather than confrontational.

This brings us to Netanyahu and

his national security team. All senior members of it—from Defense Minister Yoav Galant to Foreign Minister Eli Cohen to Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer—are unified in their belief that Israel’s foreign policy must be independent in general and towards Iran in particular. While Netanyahu and his team are eager to work with the Biden administration where possible, they have no compunction about opposing the administration when necessary. Where Bennett, Lapid and Gantz opted for subservience to Washington, Netanyahu and his team believe that Israel’s foreign policies should be directed towards the unswerving pursuit of the national interest.

Over the course of the campaign, and in a steadily escalating fashion as he prepared to return to office, Netanyahu has spoken enthusiastically about the prospect of reaching a peace agreement that will formalize Israel’s relations with Saudi Arabia. Those still sub rosa relations were the foundation of the Abraham Accords.

The rationale for a Saudi deal is overwhelming for both countries. Leaving aside the economic potential of such an agreement—which is massive—the strategic implications are a game changer. An Israeli-Saudi normalization agreement, like the agreements Israel concluded with the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan in 2020, is a means to withstand the Biden administration’s realignment away from America’s allies and towards Iran. By strengthening its bilateral ties with the Arab states bordering Iran and other key states in the region, Israel expands its strategic footprint and is capable of developing defensive and offensive capabilities by working in cooperation with likeminded governments. By working with Israel

openly, Saudi Arabia sends a clear message to Iran and its people that Saudi Arabia will not be cowed into submission by the regime that is currently brutalizing its youth.

Netanyahu has already made a statement in support of the revolutionaries in Iran. At this point, with most experts assessing that Iran has crossed the nuclear threshold and has enough enriched uranium to produce up to four bombs per month, it is obvious that Biden’s nuclear diplomacy has nothing to do with nuclear non-proliferation.

There are only two ways to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear-armed state—direct action targeting Iran’s nuclear installations and regime change. Netanyahu’s willingness to stand up to the Biden administration and stand with the Iranian people and Israel’s regional partners makes regime change more likely and direct action against Iran’s nuclear installations more likely to succeed.

Over the two months since the Israeli elections, the opposition and its supporters on the Israeli and American Jewish left have stirred up hysteria by claiming that the most significant distinction between the Lapid-Gantz government and the Netanyahu government centers on social policies related to non-religious Jews. This claim is false, and maliciously so. The Netanyahu government has no intention—and never had any intention—of curtailing the civil rights of non-religious Jews. Their goal is to expand civil and individual rights, by among other things, placing checks and balances on Israel’s hyper-activist Supreme Court and state prosecution.

There are many differences between the previous government and the Netanyahu government. None of them have to do with civil rights. The main distinction is that the Netanyahu government has made securing Israel’s national interests its central goal in foreign and domestic policy. Its predecessors were primarily interested in getting along with the hostile Biden administration, under all conditions. Netanyahu and his ministers will work with the Biden administration enthusiastically, when possible. (JNS)

Caroline Glick is an award-winning columnist and author of The Israeli Solution: A One-State Plan for Peace in the Middle East .

Where Bennett, Lapid and Gantz opted for subservience to Washington, Netanyahu and his team believe that Israel’s foreign policies should be directed towards the unswerving pursuit of the national interest.

Speaking Truth to Power

A Discussion with Dov Hikind About His Advocacy for the Community

By SuSan Schwamm

For 36 years, Dov hikind represented Brooklyn’s assembly District 48, speaking for a large segment of the frum community in the areas of Boro Park and Midwood. Although he stepped down from office in 2019, Hikind is far from retired. Currently living in Woodmere, NY, Hikind is a vocal advocate for the Jewish community, often speaking at rallies, on TV, and on talk shows to highlight injustices or concerns regarding the Jewish community. clad in a leather jacket or sweater and a knitted yarmulke, hikind is unabashed about his sounding the alarm on antisemitism or worrying trends that threaten the community.

In a recent wide-ranging interview with TJh , hikind spoke about his years at the JDL advocating for Soviet Jewry – which included arrests in moscow and Ottawa, his time in albany as the only yarmulke-wearing representative, and the uptick in antisemitism felt in the country today.

Assemblyman Hikind, your wife, Shani, told me that you met in the JDL office in 1973.

That’s true. I had just come back from Russia, where I went there to protest for Soviet Jewry. I was involved in the JDL [Jewish Defense League]. Back then, I was out on the streets doing what no one today ever does, because when you believe, when you’re fighting for something, you do whatever you have to do.

You’re a nice Jewish boy from Williamsburg. How did you get involved in the JDL?

I was in Torah Vodaas at the time. And I began to read in the newspapers about Soviet Jewry. I wondered: What is that all about? No one in yeshiva ever spoke about it. There were 3 million Jews being spiritually annihilated in the Soviet Union. Why was no one in an uproar about that?

It still really bothers me to this day. Back then, we would demonstrate against autopsies. The yeshiva would close down, and everyone would join those protests. But I used to think about the 3 million Jews in the Soviet Union who couldn’t practice their Judaism and couldn’t leave.

I saw what the JDL was doing. They were doing things that rock the boat – things that Jews don’t usually do.

One night, there was an all-night vigil outside the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, because the next day, a Friday, Rabbi Meir Kahane was going to be sentenced for violating parole. I remember I was out on a date that night. I took the young lady back to the Bronx after the date, and I came back to this all-night vigil and stayed there the whole night so I could get into court the next day.

What happened in the court that Friday really influenced me. When Rabbi Kahane appeared in front of the judge, Judge Jack Weinstein, who was always a mensch, I expected him to be repentant. Usually, if you appear in front of a judge about to be sentenced, you say chatasi, you say, “Look, I made a mistake.” But Rabbi Kahane did just the opposite. He told the judge – I’ll never forget this – “One day, all of us, including yourself, will have to face the Judge of judges.” And he basically said that he had no regrets doing what he did.

I was one of the few people who got into the court that day and I heard what he had to say. It blew me away.

I was also influenced by my parents being survivors of the Holocaust. My mother went to Auschwitz in 1944 with her mother and other members of the family; they went straight to the gas chamber. My father was in forced labor camps. And in the beginning, my parents really never spoke about it, but the Holocaust and what they went through was part of my DNA.

Rabbi Kahane would say that we’re supposed to care for each other, right? The words are very nice, but if you don’t do anything, it’s all dishonest. So I got

involved – and I mean, day and night I was involved. I lived Soviet Jewry. I literally lived outside the Soviet Mission on East 67th Street. I chained myself to the Soviet Mission with 10 other people and got arrested for a Jewish cause. Whoever heard of such a thing?

I used to say that Hashem can only be proud if Jews are getting arrested fighting for their people.

I even got arrested in Ottawa at the Russian embassy there. We went to Toronto first to speak there and spent Shabbos there. We didn’t even know anybody. We just met people on the street. They invited us for Shabbos. After Shabbos, five of us went to the Soviet Embassy in Ottawa, the capital of Canada, and we got

Now, these days, how often do we watch these videos that come out and you see four guys standing, watching another Jew getting smacked in the face and no one is doing anything? That’s not a mitzvah.

I know we’re in golus. But there is something wrong with Jews not defending themselves. Then we get a reputation the Jews are easy targets. Remember, the antisemites come into Jewish communities. These incidents aren’t taking place when a Chassidic man in walking into another neighborhood and getting attacked. They’re happening in Boro Park, Crown Heights, Williamsburg. The perpetrators are not afraid. And also, of course, there are no consequences, but that’s another story.

So you’re suggesting we should fight back against these perpetrators.

Look, I know what it takes. It takes someone to say the kind of things that need to be said. We need to stand up. We need to fight back. I do a lot of radio shows – Sid Rosenberg on ABC and Joe Piscopo. Literally, I’ve done Sid Roseberg every week for the last four weeks. And I say the things I’m telling you. On Sid Rosenberg, I said, “Jews have to start learning how to defend themselves the way we did in the old days.”

arrested. I went inside with somebody. Two other people chained themselves outside the embassy, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrested us. All this was done for one purpose: to bring attention to Soviet Jewry. Let my people go.

I started learning karate and using nunchucks. The biggest problem is fear. If you get rid of the fear, you can do anything, but if you’re afraid, you do nothing.

What did you need to learn karate for?

I was involved in fighting for Jewish poor. This was one of the issues in those days. All the money from the federal government was going to everyone but poor Jews. And there was an image that Jews were all rich, right? There was a lot of antisemitism in those days, but JDL stood up. JDL didn’t run from the antisemites.

How did you keep up the drive to be involved with Soviet Jewry when you almost didn’t see anything coming out of those efforts?

It’s so interesting what you’re asking because people used to say in those days to people like me – I was, what, 19, 20 years old – “You really think you’re going to make a difference? I mean, you’re talking about Soviet Union, the USSR, the United Soviet Socialist Republic. You think you can make a difference?” But one of the things Rabbi Kahane used to say, and it’s something I have never stopped saying to this day to people out there because very often people will do nothing because they can’t see how it’s going to make a difference… The answer to that is that that’s not the Jewish way of thinking. We have a responsibility to do our acharyus. We have a responsibility to do our part, whatever that is, for each person in their own way. Maybe I can do more, maybe you can do less, but everybody can do something. Doing nothing is not an

“I chained myself to the Soviet Mission with 10 other people and got arrested for a Jewish cause.”

With Benjamin Netanyahu and Ehud Olmert

With Holocaust survivors at a Chanukah event with President Trump at the White House

80 option. Rabbi Kahane used to say that our responsibility is to do our part. The rest is in the hands of the Ribbono Shel Olam.

The truth is, because of what JDL did – we used to go to Soviet cultural events and disrupt them because how could people enjoy these events when Soviet Jews were suffering – establishment groups were forced to do things for Soviet Jewry. They would organize annual marches in Washington and that was because they felt pressure because the JDL was raising awareness for Soviet Jewry.

In 1973, Alexei Kosygin, the prime minister of Russia, was coming to meet with President Nixon. I’m always looking for that extra thing that I can do. And I said to myself, “What can I do that’s a little more than what I’ve been doing?” I raised the money, and seven of us, one young lady and a bunch of other people, we said that we’re going to Russia. We worked with an organization, Al Tidom, that was involved in bringing siddurim, tefillin into the Soviet Union. When we got on the plane to go to Russia, the seven of us sat in seven different locations on the plane so no one would know that we were together. We figured the KGB would never know that we were together. We wanted to go to Moscow and protests at Lenin’s Tomb.

We took along pillowcases. Why? Because we wanted to make signs. How do you make a sign? You can’t take a paper with you. So we took these white pillowcases and figured that we would just cut them open and we would write “Free Soviet Jewry” on them. That was our goal. We had a plan to do the “extra.” We didn’t think of how dangerous it may be.

When we got to Moscow – I’ll never forget – it was the only time in my life I was in Moscow. But I didn’t get too far because the KGB arrested us at the airport. How they knew about us, I don’t know. But they literally separated us and took us to what was called a detention hotel.

Were you frightened?

From what I remember, it’s a very long time ago, 1973… Was I frightened? I don’t think I was frightened.

My parents had no idea where I was going. My mother always used to say to me when I was involved in different things, “Far vus di, Why you? Let someone else do it.” But I would say, “Ma, you went through what you went through, and I have to do whatever I can for other people.” But for her, it was very difficult. I mean, the FBI, when I was not around, once came to the house. It terrified my parents.

What I was doing at the time was non-stop. It wasn’t like, “OK, I’ll see you in six months, we’ll demonstrate again.” It was constant.

How did your involvement in the JDL lead to you running for office?

I ran in 1977 and then I lost, but I was elected in 1982.

When Shani and I met, we never, ever discussed running for office. By the way, my field – my BA, my MA, I studied a lot towards my Ph.D. at the City University – is all in political science.

I never thought about running for office. But someone came to me in those days and said to me the following, “Dov, if you run for office, you’ll be able to continue doing the things that you care about as an elected official.”

common with Republicans nowadays.

I ran 18 times in 36 years, every two years. I used to get the Republican line very often – the Democratic line, Republican line, and Conservative line. I used to get more votes on the Republican line than the Democratic line.

When I was in politics, I was involved in so many things. Israel, Gush Katif, fighting antisemitism, standing up.

You were the only frum Jew in the Assembly, no?

Shelly Silver was also a frum Jew. Put it this way, I was the only one who wore a yarmulke, that’s for sure. And I didn’t do it because I was more religious than any other person. I always believed that I don’t take off my yarmulke for anybody. I’m a proud Jew. Anywhere in the world Shani and I go, I don’t wear a cap. I wear a yarmulke. And we travel a lot. I don’t let the antisemites be victorious by catering to the antisemite.

And I can tell you that, baruch Hashem, I think that in my career, I’m proudest of that, to this day, people know that if you came to us, we would do everything in the world to help you beyond the call of duty. That was our motto. The people that I hired knew that it wasn’t just going through the motions. You had to do everything possible to help.

I’m also very proud of always being there to speak out and stand up. I was a Democrat, but it meant nothing to me, and it doesn’t mean anything to me today – nor does being a Republican mean anything to me. I follow my heart. How can I be a loyal Democrat? I used to think of Franklin Roosevelt and what a disaster he was for the Jewish people – and he was the ultimate Democrat in the 20th century. We have a lot more in

I supported Republicans often, which in politics is probably the worst sin you could commit. With Rudy Giuliani, I was literally the only Democratic elected official that supported him back in 1988 when he ran against David Dinkins and lost, and then he won four years later. I used to do the opening act for him to a lot of Jewish audiences as a Democrat. And then with Al D’Amato as well. I was there for him in 1991 when he won – they didn’t have the results till 12:30 at night, and I was on stage with him. The only other person was his mother. He ran against was Bob Abrams, who was the attorney general at the time. But that was the period after the Crown Heights Riots when Jews were beaten up. I used to say to anyone who wanted support: “Where were you during the Crown Heights Riots?” I said this to Attorney General Bob Abrams, whose kids went to yeshiva, and he was running against Al D’Amato. I said, “Where were you when Jewish blood was being spilled?” I got no answer. I supported Al D’Amato. The following year, I supported Giuliani. And the following year, Pataki. And I asked Cuomo, “Where were you? You were the governor. What did you do?” And of course, I knew what he did. Nothing.

You

“We took these white pillowcases and figured that we would just cut them open and we would write “Free Soviet Jewry” on them.”

Speaking out for the community

82 changed so much so drastically in those 36 years. What are your reflections on that?

12, 2023

In Albany, things have changed dramatically in the last four years because when I left Albany, the Republicans controlled the Senate. With all this sickness of radical progressive policies, the Assembly would vote for it because the Assembly was very liberal, Shelly Silver was very liberal, but the Senate was Republican, so they would always stop it. But now, both the Assembly and the Senate are overwhelmingly Democrat.

Bail reform, which is a disaster for the people of the State of New York and for the Jewish community, is because of this radical progressive legislature, even though most people are not that progressive. But everybody’s afraid of them. They run the show.

acts of hate in New York are being perpetrated by minorities. We did a study and noticed that 70% of all hate crimes are perpetrated by people who are black, not white supremacists. De Blasio always used to talk about white supremacists in New York. It’s almost unheard of that you hear white supremacists indulging in hate towards Jews here in New York. Other parts of the country, it’s another story, but it’s mainly blacks here. No one wants to talk about it. No one wants to face it.

But things have gotten out of control. It’s an avalanche of hate, and where’s it leading to? What’s going to be? Nobody knows.

What’s going on with Kanye West and Kyrie Irving and on and on and on, this hate being spread. These people have tens of millions of followers. And if you

need to talk about, first, is Jews learning how to defend themselves. We have a reputation that you can walk all over us and nothing is going to happen. That’s not a good thing. It’s time for tough Jews. It’s time for Jews to learn how to defend themselves through karate and other means. But I don’t see anyone out there today that can lead this charge. I, at least, talk about it. I, at least, talk about where the hate is coming from, but no one else is.

Is there any way you think that New York is going to swing back?

I don’t think so, but there may be one last hope, and that’s the presidential race in 2024.

You supported Trump?

Only the second time around. I had a problem with Trump the first time. I didn’t support Hillary, either. I voted for Ryan.

I came up with a video saying that I’m voting just because I could not vote for Trump because of his behavior, the way he treated people, insulting people, denigrating people, I just couldn’t deal with it. I said to myself, “Is it OK to support someone like that?”

During his four years in office, he was the best president ever for Israel, no question about it. So, I supported him when he ran again. In fact, there’s a video you can find where his son, Don Jr., said it was the best video that anyone did for his father because I was honest. I said I had problems with him, his behavior, but he’s been a great friend, so I supported him. But all that has changed now completely. I don’t support him now.

You believe that 2024 may swing things around in New York.

I recently spoke to Christine Pushaw, one of the top aides to Ron DeSantis. I told her that I think De Santis could actually win New York in 2024. Zeldin lost by just five points, but he helped the Republicans become the majority because Republicans won four seats that could have gone to the Democrats only because of Zeldin. If someone like DeSantis was the candidate of the Republican Party, it could have a ripple effect big time, I believe.

Other than that, I don’t see any hope. Antisemitism in the last few years is really on the rise in the state. If you go back to four years ago, that’s when things suddenly started happening.

Where do you think it came from?

I remember someone just asked me the same question on Fox. There’s hate on the political right, white supremacists, and all the rest of it, but almost all the

look on social media, basically most people agree with them because what these people are talking about, the white supremacists and these black individuals who are preaching all this hate now, they have one thing in common: it’s their hate for Jews. It’s literally all the same tropes – Jewish power, Jewish control of banks, of the media… Both sides are saying the same things. David Duke and Louis Farrakhan could really get along very, very well because they talk about the same thing: the Jews have the power, the control. We’re the communists. We’re the capitalists. We’re everything. You didn’t get the job, it’s because of the Jews, you know that, right? Whatever went wrong, your landlord, he happens to be Jewish, it’s the Jewish people. It’s not your landlord who happens to be Jewish, right? It’s out of control. It really is.

What can we do about it?

Look, I’m not sure. But some of the things that we

There was just a conference at the White House recently, but it was a total joke. It’s a total joke because they themselves, the Democrats, they have a problem with Tlaib and Omar and AOC and Cori Bush and on and on, who are supporters of BDS, which is an antisemitic movement. They talk about antisemitism. But they are part of the problem in the Democratic Party. And now you have the Republican Party with a guy like Trump inviting Kanye West after he said terrible, terrible things against Jews. This is a guy who’s supposedly our friend inviting an antisemite to have dinner with him. What kind of ridiculous craziness is that?

Trump says – whether I believe him or not – that he didn’t know who this guy was. The guy’s sitting at the table; Trump still has Secret Service protection. He has staff. Nobody checked? And how come he didn’t say anything afterwards? How come he kept silent after he had the dinner?

This is scary stuff. I think Trump is more dangerous now than Tlaib, Omar, the whole group put together.

Really?

Yes. Because he was a former president. And because he has an unbelievable following in the country. Donald Trump, with his silence, is legitimizing these people, and that becomes especially dangerous.

Yes, Trump was good to the Jews, but now we have to stand up and speak out against this.

We did a report recently which got some national coverage. We looked at three years of antisemitic acts and what happened to the perpetrators. We came up with the fact that nothing happened. There were almost no consequences for people attacking Jews.

So that’s something that we can petition our elected officials about and show them that bail reform is not going to work. At least under bail reform, certain acts should not be included. Why can hate crimes not be included?

We recently published this book, “A Brief and Visual History of Antisemitism.” It’s such a beautifully put-together book and so easy to read. But the reason why it’s so important to read this book – and I’m hoping that many local schools will use it as part of their curriculum – is because our kids need to know the facts. They don’t know our history, our basic history. There are so many problems on college campuses. I shudder to think about the average Jewish student confronting some Palestinian or some Jew who is radical-left and being able to deal with the facts. By the way, we have the facts on our side. The history, the facts of what happened in the 20th century with the Arabs, the Palestinians, the facts are there. How did the word Palestine even come about? It was called Judea. We know it goes back to the Romans changing

Speaking on the floor of the Assembly

the name, etc.

Educating our people is so important. Our kids are smart. They’re very smart. They become doctors and lawyers and they’re very successful, but it’s about the Jewish people. They need to know their history. It’s an amazing history and a very sad history on many, many levels.

Which makes it so hard to read about.

Yes, nothing has changed. Everything they said about Jews 1,000 years ago, 500 years ago, 200 years ago, it’s the same thing right now. It’s mamish the same words. Jews are clannish because you won’t let your daughter date my son. I’m not Jewish, but you think you’re better than me. Could you come for dinner? You can’t, right?

Remember, we can also do better. We should have better relationships with our neighbors. We’re supposed to be an example to the world, right? And especially if you’re wearing a yarmulke. Especially if you’re identifiably Jewish.

At the same time, I recently re-read one of Rabbi Kahane’s books about the pride in being Jew. We need to be proud that we’re Jewish, that we’re part of this amazing club.

Let me tell you why. And we could talk about all the difficulty we had in the past, but the fact that we Jews are still here today doesn’t make sense.

It’s a miracle.

If you study your history, it makes no sense for us to still be here. And not only are we here, but baruch Hashem, we have a State of Israel. And yes, I mean, it’s crazy what goes on there, but look at that country. The whole world wants to be friends with Israel. The technology, the brain power… This is the Jewish people.

What’s special about the Jewish people? It’s one thing. What makes us successful? One thing. We’re not better than anyone else. It’s called education.

Is that it? Really?

That’s it? No, but we push our kids to succeed. This is our success. We’re not smarter than anyone else. But when your emphasis is education, education, education, you’ll be successful. When they’re little kids, they’re studying aleph-bais. Where else do you have something like this? That’s the secret. You could do the same thing, but you need parents, and you need a background and a foundation, right? You go into a Jewish home, who does not have a Shas? Who does not have books? Studying, reading. It’s what I did my whole life. Whether you are a secular Jew or you’re a chassidic Jew, it’s all about education.

Well, perhaps we can take it a step further, but I would say it’s not just education in terms of knowledge, it’s also education about our values and giving that over to the next generation.

Well, that’s where Torah comes in. It’s how we treat each other. I always say Judaism is our relationship

with Hashem, with G-d, and our relationship with each other. And I always say that Hashem wants us more to treat each other the right way. That’s really the essence. We had a Bais Hamikdash that was destroyed because of sinas chinam.

One of the things I saw all my life is I tell people, don’t be judgmental. Don’t try to protect Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Hashem does not need your help because in the world that we live in your way is the better way. That’s not your business.

Lashon hara, rechilus, don’t worry about what others are doing. Think about yourself and become a better person. That’s the essence of life.

It was horrific. And I said to Dovi, “Are you willing to talk about it on the radio?” We used to do the show live. This time, I told him we would tape the show in advance. And he agreed to come on.

That was the beginning of me being publicly involved. Hundreds of people came forward to see me –men and women. I hired additional people. Shelly Silver, G-d bless him, gave me money for more staff. We were the first ones to talk about this, and people said to me in those days, “Forget it. You threw your career away.” A lot was being covered up in our community, and people weren’t happy that I was talking about it.

I learned so much about sexual abuse – why people don’t come out and talk about it right away. What did I know about sexual abuse? No one ever sat down and talked to me about it. But what I listened to and what I witnessed and the things we tried to do to help people – that was the most important thing I did, without any question.

You were in the Assembly for more than three decades. What are a few things that you could say really defined your career?

There are a lot of things… In general, I thank Hashem that I was able to, to a great extent, stay true to who I was and what I was all about because it wasn’t easy. There were times when I would endorse Republicans and the leadership of the Assembly would call me in and warn me and tell me that people wanted to take action against me. Can you imagine that I supported the opponent of the Governor of New York, Governor Mario Cuomo, and I was a Democrat in the Assembly? But I did it for a real reason that had to do with the Jewish people – it had to do with the Crown Heights Riots.

I think the thing I’m most proud of is being the first person in the Orthodox community to talk about sexual abuse, as I did. I had a radio show for 15 years, and I would bring people onto the show. There was a young man, Dovi, one of my son’s closest friends. He used to come to our Shabbos table a lot. One time, he said to me, “I’d like to talk to you after Shabbos, if possible.”

He was like 18, 19 years old at the time.

After Shabbos, he came over and he shared with me the sexual abuse that he went through perpetrated by a prominent man in the community and in yeshiva.

You and Shani are very involved in so many things. What do you do to relax?

It’s very simple. Read. Go to my night table, you’ll see. I read. Finish. Next book. Next book. I read only nonfiction.

Shina and I go to Israel a lot. I love Israel – I’ve been there 120 times. We have a home there. I’d like to go back tomorrow, and I just came back. I love Israel very much, but if I didn’t have books, I would go crazy.

By the way, what I read gives me heartache because the stuff that I read is devastating. I’m reading a book now by Goldhagen about the Catholic Church. I read about the antisemitism, the hate. I torture myself sometimes reading these types of books, so in between reading books that are like this, I’ll read a good book about John Wayne. The books that I read are mainly reviewed by the Wall Street Journal. It’s the one paper we get here.

If I’m not reading, I’m learning Rabbi Sax. Look over there. There are five of his seforim over there. If I learned Torah the way Rabbi Sax presents it when I was going to yeshiva, I’d be a rosh yeshiva today, probably. He brings it alive. Torah is beautiful, but you also have to have the right teachers.

“We need to be proud that we’re Jewish, that we’re part of this amazing club.”

Dating Dialogue What Would You Do If…

Dear Navidaters,

My older single friend got engaged recently, and we have had them over together many times. I noticed when she is around her chosson, she does not really act like herself or the “her” that I used to know. She was a staunch liberal who had very strong political views. The guy she plans to marry is a staunch conservative, and when he talks politics, topics that she used to be vehemently against, she smiles, laughs, agrees as if she never had the completely opposite views. She also acts wayyy more religious around him than she actually is – or was until she met him.

To be honest, it seems like she is putting on a very good show in order to get married to him, but I’m actually worried for him. I have tried talking to her about it but she denies it, claiming that he’s everything she’s been looking for. She does not explain her drastic change in opinions and behavior, merely denial. Is there anything I can or should do as a friend, or just sit back and accept her and wish the best for them?

Disclaimer: This column is not intended 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.

Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters

The Rebbetzin

Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S. You are a caring, observant friend who has already brought matters up.

I think no further direct intervention is in place. However, when you talk about marriage, the upcoming nuptials, settling down or related topics you can talk about negotiating differences, communication, and authenticity in things that really matter to a couple in a mild fashion. In other words, gently bring up the core ingredients in marriage. Differing politics don’t necessarily derail a marriage or a relationship. Remember the famous James Carville and Mary Matalin, the Washington power couple with opposing politics. People can agree to disagree.

Similarly, differing levels of religiosity can be negotiated even among frum couples.

Nonetheless, the comment that “he is everything I am looking for” indicates

shopping for a resume. I don’t blame you for wondering if she gets what a relationship is about: accommodating, respecting, and sharing a commitment to the relationship.

Talk about this when it’s appropriate. Harping on the politics and frumkeit levels is not the way to go.

The Shadchan

Michelle Mond

Ihear your predicament. I can understand why it seems to you like your friend is putting on a show in order to get married. Consider, however, the following: people change and grow in ways we might not be able to understand. Life circumstances change us. Experience makes humans re-think previous positions. Sometimes, a mid-life crisis or mid-life inspiration can do the same. Can it be that her chosson has in-

spired her to become this kind of person? If so, is that a negative thing? People have a pintele Yid that, when touched, sometimes ignites a bright flame.

I personally was at the chasunah of two Polish Neo-Nazis who became frum Yidden (a story for another time). What I would like you to consider is the prospect that she is not faking who she is in order to get married, rather she is forming who she is.

Now, to address your concern for her chosson. You worry that he will wake up and realize he married someone who was not who she claimed to be. Her chosson is a big boy and has dated her and made his decision to marry her. If you have no prior connection to him, I don’t see how it could be your place to say or do anything. Right now, you can wish the couple well and be happy for your friend.

The Zaidy

Dr. Jeffrey Galler

Pulling It All Together

The Navidaters

Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

Would you be as concerned if your friend used to be more conservative and more observant but has now become more liberal, more “woke,” and more closely aligned with your own views?

Please consider the following, regarding your friend’s opinions

about politics and religion:

1. A person’s worldview is hardly ever permanent, stagnant, and inflexible. Perhaps she has evolved and shifted and is now more politically conservative and religiously observant than she used to be. Or,

2. Intelligent, loving couples learn how to avoid fighting over differing opinions. In a conscientious effort to create and maintain shalom bayis, perhaps she is trying to be less opinionated and more accommodating to the views of her life partner.

In either event, why in the world are you so very “worried for him,” instead of being deliriously happy for her?!

You sound like you really care about your friend. Please don’t be offended, because this is going to sound harsher than I intend. Albert Einstein is reputed to have said, “Two things are infinite, as far as we know: the universe and human stupidity. And, I’m not quite sure about the universe.”

Dear Concerned Friend, Thank you for writing into the panel. Watching your friend seemingly lose herself to find a man is a very difficult experience for a caring friend, such as yourself. You’ve been a good friend and voiced your concern. The fact that you could share this and she did not get offended or attack you in her defensiveness is a testament to the quality of your friendship.

You have done your part. She vehemently denies this and states she is herself and she is happy. The only thing left to do is to make your own decision as to whether or not you choose to spend time with the happy, conservative couple or not.

When friends have sudden changes in their personalities, be it because they’ve

made changes for a man, or for any other reason, and it does not feel authentic, it can leave us not only scratching our heads and trying to find our friend again, but once the reality settles in for us, to grieve the loss of the person we once knew and loved.

I believe your work now is to try to accept your friend as is, and check in with yourself and be honest with yourself if this is a relationship you feel comfortable

continuing. You may want to give it some time to see how you feel around her. You may become closer through this process and find that you love the new version of your friend – or you may find the opposite. Whatever you do, do not do it in haste. Good friends are hard to find.

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 private 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.

Can it be that her chosson has inspired her to become this kind of person?

Sincerely, Jennifer

School of Thought

By Etti Siegel

Q:Dear Etti, I am dreading the upcoming winter vacation. We have to “do something” because everyone else does. Every year, I plan a trip. We all pile into our minivan with snacks and more snacks, games and music and story CDs…and yet the bickering and fighting doesn’t stop. When we get to the motel, there is more arguing. We have lots of fun, but overall, it just gives me a headache.

The crazy part is how nostalgic the kids get when they recall past trips. They are totally happy to go to school and share where we went on our latest budget road-trip.

Can we make the fighting stop?

Tired of vacation and it didn’t even start yet, -Harried Mom

A:

Dear Harried Mom, Hmmm. This is not really a school-related question, but I will share with you some school-related stories, hoping they impart some school-related wisdom, and perhaps it will help you with your dread of vacations.

Story #1:

I bumped into a former third-grade student one day. She was walking with a few of her children. She introduced me as Mommy’s favorite teacher. Curious, I asked her what she remembered from so long ago. She thought for a minute.

“Nothing specific,” she finally said. “I remember we sang a lot, and I loved coming to school because you made everything interesting and fun, but I don’t remember any details.”

I guess she felt bad, because she closed her eyes for a moment and wrinkled her forehead, thinking back, and then announced, “I remember something! I remember you dislocated your arm and had to wear a sling!”

Story #2:

My job as a coach means that I usually teach a class as a way to model different teaching strategies for the teacher who is in the room observing. I am not a substitute teacher. But when I heard a few teachers were running late because they were stuck in traffic, I volunteered to cover two classes to help the school out. I was immediately sorry. The children from two classes were all crowded into one classroom, I did not have the luxury of preparing a lesson that would be more fitting for the situation, and I was on my own. I did the best I could,

staying upbeat, positive, and as normal as possible in the untenable situation I was in. I taught, asked questions, some children were inappropriate and silly, and I just kept teaching. The class was almost over when the teachers showed up, and I shooed them away to go get drinks and put their bags down, as I knew five more minutes would not matter.

The following week when I arrived at the school, the best possible reaction happened in each class. It was the reaction of a class that did not recall the craziness of the week before – it was a non-reaction. Everything was normal.

Both stories can apply to your question.

In my first story, my former student could only recall the one event that stood out. Being happy, learning a lot, and being in a warm and loving environment left her with a feeling, but the fact that I wore a sling left her with a memory. It was something different. So she remembered that detail.

In my second story, because I acted calm and did not act different than usual, I studiously avoided creating a memory. Though it was a wacky day, it was over so quickly, and they did not remember it. The non-reaction was what happens when a memory is NOT created. Had I been frustrated, upset, or acted in any way that was different than my normal way of interacting with the class, it would have created a memory and possibly doomed

me for the remainder of the year, as some children might have decided to try to make me lose my cool again, or something of the sort.

You mention that your children have wonderful memories of your past trips. That tells me that you are staying calm and not making a big deal of the squabbles, even though that behavior disappoints/ annoys you. That is smart, because it is not creating any memory of those uncomfortable parts of your trip. As you can see from your children’s recollections, they only focus on the actual places you went and the things you did as a family.

So keep doing what you are doing. Maybe include the children in planning for the trip; decide who will sit where, what snacks you will eat when, and what games you will play during the car ride before the trip. Perhaps that will minimize the fighting.

Even if it doesn’t minimize the fighting, staying calm will help make sure to not create any memories of the arguing part of the trip.

And remember, vacation will be over soon. They will all go back to school. And then you will get a necessary break!

Try to enjoy. This time, when you are all able to vacation together, passes very quickly!

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

Being happy, learning a lot, and being in a warm and loving environment left her with a feeling, but the fact that I wore a sling left her with a memory.

Cautious Judgement

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

“M

ommy, he was playing with it, and now it’s not working,” my daughter informed me as she handed me the device. I will admit that I was upset. In honor of Chanukah, I had purchased for the family one of these kosher devices that played music and stories.

The kids – particularly the little ones – were really enjoying the stories, and I

had warned them not to touch the player to avoid breaking it. As you can imagine, my warning had gone unheeded, and they had been unable to hold themselves back from pressing the buttons and turning the dials.

It was brand-new, and I hurriedly emailed the company explaining the issue along with the steps I had taken, such as restarting it and resetting the

factory settings. It wasn’t long before I received an email back telling me there was a bug in the system and reassuring me they would have it fixed soon. I quickly realized that my children weren’t at fault and that it must have been something affecting the main server on their end. This was confirmed when minutes later the device was once again happily singing songs.

All of the original evidence pointed to the little ones being guilty. After all, they had been playing with it, and that’s exactly when it stopped working. Despite the incriminating facts, they were completely innocent of the breakage (but not innocent of disobeying their mother).

Often, we think we have all the facts, and we rush to judge but there may still be missing information or another explanation. While it was appropriate for me to reiterate that Mommy had forbidden them from playing with the sensitive electronics, it would’ve been wrong to accuse them of breaking it.

We need to be exceedingly careful when dealing with children since they are naturally sensitive to our comments. We can’t accuse someone that is innocent of a crime, even if they’re guilty of something else. Even more so, if I had wrongly accused them of breaking the device, then it would have detracted from my gentle rebuke that they had disobeyed the “no touching” rule. For the record, “no touching” rules are very difficult for children.

Here, I will mostly use examples that involve children breaking things, using items without permission, or fighting with each other since those are the most common scenarios. But, responding with forethought and sensitivity – and only

after careful deliberations – applies to all times we are called upon to judge a child’s behavior.

Proceed With Caution

My younger kids wonder how I can usually figure out who snuck off with my phone. For some reason, they don’t realize that I will make the connection between the video they just took of themselves and the person who ran off with the device.

My little ones act shocked that I knew it was them who colored on the wall. It wasn’t that hard to deduce since they had scribbled their full name on the drawing (and I recognized their handwriting).

Usually, the guilty party isn’t so obvious, and in most cases, they don’t leave their face in a video or handwritten name as evidence. We need to proceed with extreme care before accusing a child of a wrong. Like most words, once said, we can never take them back. Of course, we need to be mechanech our children and correcting them is a part of that, but we must never blame them for something they didn’t do.

We need to avoid knee-jerk responses. It’s too easy to see something is damaged or messed up and blame the closest child. We may be angry, we may be upset, but that’s our cue to slow down and stop before doing something we may regret.

It’s not uncommon that one child will do something wrong and then run away before the evidence is discovered. Too often, the first child to find it is the one that is blamed. Other times, it’s the child that was unfortunate enough to be standing nearby when the parent walked in. It’s very hurtful to a child to be yelled at or blamed for something they had no part in.

It’s always possible that whatever hap-

pened was truly an unavoidable accident. A number of months ago. I saw a little boy fall, and in the process, he smacked into something that broke loudly (he was fine, baruch Hashem). Hearing the crashing glass, someone else quickly came in and yelled at him for the damage. I had a hard time calming down the adult and explaining that the child wasn’t at fault. The little boy didn’t need a scolding, but he certainly needed some compassion after such a scary situation.

We also need to make sure there really was a culprit at all. One day, I couldn’t find my keys in my purse, and I knew my little one had been playing with them recently. I was very frustrated, and all my attempts to get him to divulge his hiding spot went unheeded. A few minutes later, I found them in my purse – despite having just looked there. When something breaks or goes wrong, we immediately assume it was caused by someone, but that isn’t always the case. Similarly, while it’s not the most common scenario, there are many times something occurs without human intervention. I’ve had glass dishes break, seemingly on their own. Afterwards, I was able to ascertain that the room was empty when the dish fell off the counter.

Sibling Squabbles

Too often, a child runs in crying, pointing the finger at the child that hurt them. Our natural inclination is to sternly rebuke the accused one. But it’s worthwhile to gather the entire story first. A mother received a call from the school that her little boy had hit one of the girls. He was being punished for the infraction when someone decided to ask him why he had done it. “What did you expect me

After further inquiries, it came out that he had been hit as payback after he had given his sibling a very nasty bite that left a painful mark. Hitting is definitely wrong, but it was self-defense in this particular situation.

Kids – especially younger ones – only see their side of the story. They can be convinced of their innocence but that doesn’t make it the complete truth. Only after having all the information can we

want to avoid similar arguments from recurring in the future.

It’s important to point out that even between siblings it’s possible to find bullying or one child manipulating another. Parents should be aware and take note if there is a pattern of fighting consistent with bullying. Additionally, one child can manipulate another, so it seems like the manipulated party is the guilty one when they’re really being set up. While it’s unfortunately too common for siblings to argue, we need to keep an eye out for these extra unhealthy patterns and deal with them appropriately.

to do when she kept calling me fat?” was his simple reply. While this young man (now a grown one) certainly shouldn’t have used his hands, it would be wrong to think the little girl was innocent after she had spent weeks taunting him before he snapped.

A different little boy ran to his mother, crying that his brother had hit him.

attempt to be mechanech the correct party. My experience is that in many cases of fighting, they’re both guilty and it’s not so easy to tease out the facts. Besides knowing who is responsible for each aspect of a quarrel, we also want to find out the root cause of the fighting to see if it’s something that could have been prevented. Whenever possible, we

We know that only Hashem judges alone, and as human beings, we will never have the full story. As parents, we are frequently called upon to judge a situation and provide appropriate chinuch to match. May Hashem help us with this awesome task as we do our best to raise each holy neshama Hashem has loaned us.

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 Rayvych Homeschool@gmail.com.

It’s too easy to see something is damaged or messed up and blame the closest child.

As we embark on 2023, there is no better time to take charge of our diet in order to guarantee a happy and healthy new year. “We are what we eat,” so making sure our body is well nourished with adequate nutrients is the best way to thrive. With optimal nutritional practices, engaging in regular physical activity, and maintaining a healthy weight, 2023 will be a success!

Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of fuel, and ensuring we consume enough carbohydrates as well as the right carbohydrates is critical to having enough energy. Food sources of carbohydrates include bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, and cereal. It is important to focus on whole wheat products that are high in fiber in order to promote a healthy bowel. Fiber helps to prevent and relieve constipation, as well as preventing high cholesterol levels and maintaining satiety. Select whole wheat or whole grain bread over white bread and whole wheat pasta over white pasta. Refined products (non-whole wheat) have had the bran and germ re -

Healthy Habits for the New Year

By Aliza Beer MS, RD, CDN

moved during the milling process. The bran contains the majority of the fiber, and the germ contains many vitamins and minerals. Refined grains are digested more quickly and may cause a more rapid spike in your blood sugar, whereas whole wheat products are digested over a longer period of time and help to increase satiety.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that healthy individuals consume 5 or more single ounce servings of carbohydrates per day depending on age and gender, and at least half of these should be whole grains. Examples of a one ounce serving includes 1 slice of bread, ½ cup cooked rice or pasta, or 1 cup of ready to eat unsweetened cereal.

Protein has many important functions in the body, such as cellular growth and repair, muscle contractions, and hormone and antibody production. In order for the body to perform all these functions, it is critical to consume adequate protein. Most healthy individuals should aim to consume 0.8g/kg of protein, and this

increases for athletes as well as with age or injury. Protein can be found in meat, fish, dairy and eggs, which are the most bioavailable sources of protein, as well as plant-based sources such as lentils, pea, soy, nuts and seeds. While a high protein and low carbohydrate diet has become fashionable, ensuring you consume both protein and carbohydrates is critical as less energy can be derived from protein. Adding salmon or chicken to your whole wheat pasta or chickpeas and nuts to your salad is a great way to maintain adequate protein levels.

Fats are often demonized, however, consuming heart healthy, unsaturated fats is important for energy production, cellular growth, and to provide insulation, as well as to protect your vital organs. Heart healthy unsaturated fats also help to prevent the buildup of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and lower blood pressure. Oily fish, such as salmon or sardines, avocados, nuts, and seeds are all great sources of unsaturated fats. It is important to focus on unsaturated

fats and to limit trans and saturated fats to protect your body from the buildup of cholesterol and to protect your heart health. When cooking, use olive oil, avocado oil, or flaxseed oil over coconut oil or butter which are higher in trans and saturated fats.

Fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber and antioxidants which helps to support our overall health and functioning. The most colorful fruits and vegetables contain more antioxidants and help to protect the body against inflammation. Examples of these include berries, beets, carrots, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes. When preparing fruit and vegetables, it is important not to remove the skin as the majority of fiber is found there, and this helps to add texture and flavor to your meals. Try to prioritize eating fruits and vegetables instead of juicing them or blend them with the skin on to gain maximal nutritional benefit. Apples with low-fat high-protein Greek yogurt or carrots with hummus are great snacks that

contain both fruit and vegetables as well as proteins. Why not also add pomegranate seeds to your salad or berries to your oatmeal in the morning?

It is important to consume meals and snacks often throughout the day to remain satiated and to maintain constant blood sugar levels. Going for longer periods of time without eating will increase hunger and may cause you to consume a greater quantity of food, while making less mindful choices later! Skipping meals slows down the metabolism, which causes us to burn fewer calories and may lead to weight gain in the long term. Additionally, skipping meals may result in headaches or a feeling of fatigue and weakness, due to a lack of fuel. If weight loss is the goal, then it is recommended to eat small frequent meals.

Preparing healthy meals and snack options early on in the week is a great way to make certain you will eat well throughout the week and will not devour the first thing in sight because you are too hungry to wait and cook. Chopping up fruit or preparing a salad or fish that you can quickly heat up is a smart way to remain healthy. Focus on snacks that contain whole foods such as carrots and hummus or a green smoothie instead of chips or

granola bars that are high in high fructose corn syrup. These types of snacks are heavily processed and tend to be high in sodium as well as saturated and trans fat. Frequent consumption of these foods may lead to adverse health effects and the development of chronic disease.

egg white omelet with whole wheat toast. Beginning your day with a healthy breakfast is a great way to ensure you remain satiated and have enough energy to get through the day.

Engaging in physical exercise regularly is critical to promote health and pre -

per week and spend less time sitting. Examples of moderate intensity activity include a brisk walk or gardening. Vigorous activities include running, swimming laps, or tennis. An inactive lifestyle increases the risk of developing chronic disease and participating in regular physical activity helps you to live longer and stronger.

To guarantee a successful 2023, make sure you adequately nourish your body by consuming enough fiber, fruit and vegetables, as well as heart healthy fats and proteins. Try to limit added sugar and sodium from your diet and engage in regular physical activity. Additionally, try to maintain a constant intake and keep your fridge stocked with healthy snacks and homecooked meals. These choices will help you to live longer and stronger. wishing you all a happy and healthy 2023!

Breakfast is a meal that is often missed; however, studies have shown that skipping breakfast is directly correlated with being overweight or obese. Eating a healthy breakfast kickstarts your metabolism and helps to maintain steady blood sugar levels throughout the day, as well as cholesterol. Start your day with a warm bowl of oatmeal with berries or an

vent weakness, as well as for maintaining a healthy weight. The American Heart Association recommends that healthy individuals should engage in 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week or a combination of both. Individuals should also engage in strength training activity at least 2 days

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

While a high protein and low carbohydrate diet has become fashionable, ensuring you consume both protein and carbohydrates is critical as less energy can be derived from protein.

Fd for Thought

A Tasty Triumvirate

Tempura NYC, Spiced NYC, and Snooker NYC

By Nati Burnside

There are certain things that just come along with keeping kosher. In fact, most of the time, these things don’t even phase us anymore. In many situations, we’ve become accustomed to the “inconveniences” that come with our customs.

And while this has been the case for pretty much forever (just ask your parents or grandparents about how few things used to be kosher), it seems like we are just starting to reach a point where the kosher consumer is able to get a taste of what it’s like to not be limited by the restrictions of our dietary directives.

I was invited to the three-headed monster that is Tempura NYC, Spiced NYC, and Snooker NYC to get a taste of what the average person has access to in New York City. But I’m not talking about food in this case – I’m talking about experience. Let me explain…

Tempura is a sushi restaurant with an amazing bar, some dairy menu options, and a dazzling set-up on a rooftop with a retractable roof. Using a few simple steps, the restaurant can convert from being inside to outside in about 15 minutes. They have heaters for the fall and spring months, and the clear roof and walls allow for an outdoor vibe while fending off harsher weather in the winter and summer.

Spiced is a meat restaurant with very reasonable prices for waiter service in Manhattan and an interesting ambiance

of string lights, a massive wine wall, and hanging fabrics that are sometimes used as curtains.

Snooker is a fairly modest pool hall that includes a few pool tables, air hockey, and a couple of arcade games.

The thing that makes this unique is that all three places are owned and operated by Ralph Mohadeb, and they work together in concert. While playing pool at Snooker, you can order food and drinks from a restaurant upstairs. From Sunday to Thursday, the Spiced menu (including drinks and sushi from Tempura) is used, while Saturday nights feature the Tempura menu. Snooker can also be rented out for private events in which either the dairy or meat menu could be used.

So what’s good at Tempura? I’d recommend starting off with The Krispy. This appetizer consists of perfectly textured rice patties topped with a balanced combination of spicy tuna and avocado. Another interesting item is the Spicy Tuna Cigars. On the outside, you would mistake them for Moroccan cigars, but the inside is a slightly creamy spicy tuna filling. Both of these are great items for a group of friends as the individual pieces make it easy to share amongst a group.

In terms of sushi, there is a great selection of specialty rolls in both regular and tempura styles. For those who want a truly raw fish experience, the Rolls Royce Roll is filled with spicy kani and avocado and

Tempura NYC

Dairy - Sushi Bar - Waiter Service

Sunday - Thursday: 5pm - 11pm

Saturday: 2 hours after Shabbat - 12am

TempuraNYC.com

topped with a colorful selection of yellowtail, salmon, tuna, and additional avocado. If you’re looking for that added step, the Magnum Roll was one of the best bites of sushi I’ve had in a long time. It’s an oversized maki roll with spicy tuna, salmon, avocado, cucumbers, and jalapeño. The spicy mayo and sweet sauce drizzled on top gives it an impressive look that matches the sweet and spicy flavor profile it’s aiming for.

While you could head down to Snooker to have some fun after you go to Tempura, the other option is to go straight to Snooker from the start and order off of the Spiced menu while you play pool.

Spiced is most famous for their Chef Platter, which allows you to choose any six of their nine appetizers and have them served on a wooden lazy susan. This could be dinner for two people or a great way for a group to start a night. They also have a few types of flatbreads and tacos that really fit with the vibe of the pool hall.

If you’re looking for more of a restau-

Spiced NYC

Meat - New American Cuisine - Waiter Service

Sunday-Thursday: 5pm - 11pm SpicedNYC.com

hard to eat while trying to sink the eight ball in the side pocket.

One unique offering is the Wellington Burger. That’s right, it’s a burger (with caramelized onions and mushrooms) that’s wrapped in puff pastry. The flavor is what you’d expect, while the texture is really quite an accomplishment. The burger remains very juicy as it’s contained inside the dough, yet somehow the casing doesn’t get soggy and provides a sturdy outer shell for you to hold.

These days, the kosher-keeping public is fortunate to have more options than ever. That said, we shouldn’t take it for granted. A pool hall where you can order a platter of fleishig appetizers to share with your friends as you play? Make sure you check it out. It’s the only place where it’s possible that you’d rather be waiting for your turn at the table than currently playing the game.

Snooker NYC

Sunday - Thursday: 5pm - 11pm

Saturday: 2 hours after Shabbat - 12am SnookerNYC.com

rant experience, Spiced has that as well. Some of the menu items, like the burgers, steaks, entrees, and salads, would prove a little

◦

In The K tchen

One Pot Pasta and Meat Sauce

By Naomi Nachman

◦

I am trying to keep my cooking (and the mess that goes with it) to be as simple as possible, while also giving my

family some good, old-fashioned comfort food. The “one-pot wonders” fall under that category, and this one is a real winner. I used to love it when I came home from school and this would be simmering in my mother’s kitchen.

◦

◦

Ingredients

◦

1 medium onion, chopped finely

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 pounds ground beef

4-5 cups water

◦

6 tablespoons tomato paste

◦

24 oz. jar crushed tomatoes

◦ 1 tsp oregano

½ tsp dried basil

◦ ¼ tsp black pepper

◦ 1 box favorite pasta

Preparation

1. In a large skillet with tall sides, add onions, and garlic, and sauté until soft.

2. Push the onions and garlic to the side and add ground beef; cook until beef is browned; use a wooden spatula to break apart beef while cooking. Drain off fat.

3. Add water, tomato paste, crushed tomato, oregano, basil, and black pepper; whisk well to combine ingredients; bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes on low.

4. Raise to the boil and add pasta and gently incorporate it so sauce covers it. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 20 minutes or until pasta is cooked through and sauce has thickened. Stir every 3-4 minutes while simmering. Add water to the bottom if the sauce starts to dry and stick to the pan.

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.

Lisa Levy: Transforming Businesses

This column features business insights from a recent “Mind Your Business with Yitzchok Saftlas” radio show. The weekly “Mind Your Business” show –broadcasting since 2015 – features interviews with Fortune 500 executives, business leaders and marketing gurus. Prominent guests include John Sculley, former CEO of Apple and Pepsi; Dick Schulze, founder and Chairman Emeritus of Best Buy; and Beth Comstock, former Vice Chair of GE; among over 400+ senior-level executives and business celebrities. Yitzchok Saftlas, president of Bottom Line Marketing Group, hosts the weekly “Mind Your Business” show, which airs at 10pm every Sunday night on 710 WOR and throughout America on the iHeartRadio Network.

On a recent 710 WOR “Mind Your Business” broadcast, Yitzchok Saftlas (YS) spoke with guest, Lisa L. Levy (LL), author of “Future Proofing Cubed” and founder of Lcubed Consulting.

* * *

YS: Tell us about your work refining processes for corporate businesses.

LL: I started my career in IT project management, where everything was about getting things done, implementing new systems, solving problems with technology, but it didn’t really always work. I started to wonder why we have all these great technology solutions when they don’t actually solve real problems. I started to understand that technology enables process. If you don’t know what your process is, technology can’t do anything to help except make bad happen faster. People need to know what they’re doing and how to do it.

I came up with the equation: “people + process x technology = strategic results.”

It’s a sequence of events that absolutely has to happen. That was the catalyst for me leaving corporate. I wanted to take that model to the market because it also breaks silos. I was watching executive teams bring in consulting groups to build their best version of their business process, and the next group brought in a different consulting team, and another consulting team, and all they did was reinforce silos in corporations. And that slows everything down.

Do you find that in smaller corporations, there sometimes is no process?

Yes. Adaptive transformation is all about taking the four best practices from the big corporations: project management, process performance management, internal controls, and organizational change management. These are all important things in large corporations, and more

often than not, they are absolutely missing in smaller businesses. But they are just skills and capabilities, things that anyone can learn. So, we build it into the culture of the company, across all functions and all roles. It really sets a foundation for doing things differently.

How do you set the stage for business transformation?

One of the things that I like to do with my clients is ask them a question that’s hopefully going to make them just a tad bit uncomfortable. “Are you willing to consider breaking everything?” How people respond to that question tells me a lot. Laughter is my favorite response because it’s a disruptive question. I want to start a dialogue about truly being disruptive within your business, being willing to challenge the status quo so that we can make a positive impact. If they say the way their business is functioning today is good enough, they may not be the client I

want to be working with, and I may not be the consulting group that they want to do business with.

Being able and willing to consider thinking differently is the secret that I’m looking for when I ask my first question. It sets the tone for business transformation because it means they’re willing to consider the possibilities.

Perhaps you could share a story of a company that you took on this journey of transformation.

There was a group that came to my team asking to improve their customer journey. This was a group delivering services to a large base of customers, and they had never once really considered the customer. I said, “What’s your process?” and they handed me this beautiful, one-page visual process that said in a few easy steps, “Here’s what we do and how we get you the services that you need from us in 16 weeks.” It looked great, there was no jar-

Lisa Levy

gon. Any person who picked it up would understand and expect that, in 16 weeks, they were going to get this service.

I said, “OK, how do you do it?” and six different leaders brought out Visio flowchart after Visio flowchart, and walked me through step-by-step, checklist by checklist, everything that went on. And then when they were done, I said, “OK, how often do you all communicate with each other?” They never did. There was nothing in any of their documentation that talked about team one handing off to team two, let alone referencing interaction and communication with their customer. And I said, “I want to talk with the team of people who do this work day in and day out. Bring them into the conference room with a big whiteboard, and let’s just start understanding what happens day-to-day.”

After this work effort, when we started thinking about it from the perspective of what the customer wanted, that 16 weeks’ worth of work turned out to be about four. And their customers were so ecstatic, because all they needed was to get to this service in the fastest way possible and to have communication along the way. Once this group started to be customer centric and made decisions about how they did things that were based on their customer, instead of creating checklist after checklist, it all became so much easier. When everybody’s busy but nothing gets done, that is a great sign that there’s an opportunity to make a change.

What are some companies missing when they want to scale, but it just isn’t happening?

In business language, we use the terms “scaling” and “growing.” They mean two different things, but they support each other. Growth is about increasing our percentages. We want to increase profitability. We want to increase revenue. We want to mitigate and minimize our operating expenses.

Scaling is about putting a process in place around controlling that growth, so that you’re doing it with purpose. And with that, you have the opportunity to have growth cycles, and while you’re experiencing one, you’re planning and preparing for the next. It ties in and really requires leadership to foster innovation and having an ongoing influx of ideas of what could happen six months from now, so that we’re really constantly moving towards the future.

Can you unpack the term “adaptive transformation”?

We talked earlier about “business

transformation,” and one of the things that can happen with those kinds of phrases is it feels like you do it once and you’re done. The reality is transformation should be continuously happening. Adaptive transformation sets the tone that this is an ongoing experience. It’s those four key best practices: project management, process performance management, internal controls, and organizational change. This is a foundation of building skills and capabilities that need to be instilled in everyone. This isn’t a leadership level exercise. And it isn’t something that you just put on an indi-

drome. Could you expand on that idea?

It’s so prevalent everywhere. As we start to understand and ask questions about what’s going on in an environment, I’m looking to get to that answer of “that’s the way we’ve always done it.” Because that tells me that what they’re doing is being done mechanically. It’s not on purpose. So, that is that little trigger that says there’s an opportunity to improve. They don’t know why they do the work that way. So, they’re basically you know, robots. Jim trained Sally, who trained Mary, and so on, and it just sort of happened.

putting checkpoints in places so that you can distribute decision making across the organization. Not everything has to roll up to one decision maker if you have the right internal controls that let a team say, “We’re going to try this and see what happens. And if it doesn’t go, right, we know what that stopping point is.” It’s really decentralizing some control across the leadership team and pushing it out to the operational levels and knowing that there are specific points in time where a check is required, and you need board approval. But up until that point, you, as a leader, can do what you need to do to run your business.

How does this kind of transformation translate into dollars and cents over time?

vidual or a small group. Everybody in the organization should understand this. Because when we get to that point where we have that stream of ideas coming in, this is how we move it forward.

Project management means we can plan, work, do it, and get to an end state. Process performance management means I know where my work comes from, I know who I give it to, I know what value it adds to my customer. Internal controls are those points that we look at in process where there’s risk to the organization. We want to measure and make sure that we’re mitigating those risks. When those controls fail, we need to improve the process. So, it’s just a set of triggers that we can use to make sure that we are being good stewards of people’s time and energy. Finally, organizational change management is where we take our people on the journey to understand that change is inevitable. If we try to prevent that, our businesses are going to fail. Organizational change is about getting people to understand and embrace change, and to know why it’s happening.

Large corporations across the world use all of these things. With adaptive transformation, our whole goal is to empower everyone to be able to participate in these processes.

In your book, you talk about “That’s the Way We’ve Always Done It” Syn-

And there’s so much waste that comes from that – time, money, people’s energy. Everybody’s busy, but nothing’s getting done. And that’s one of those opportunities for me to really help businesses shine.

What’s the best step a company can take to make sure that they are future-proof?

The first and most important thing is to understand that there is no perfect process. Throw out that entire idea. What you need to focus on is getting to 80% correct and investing in ongoing, continuous improvement. The secret to all of this from that process perspective is that it’s only actually a process if it’s repeatable. So, if you have an employee who is so essential that the business would not survive without them, you don’t have processes in place that are repeatable. So, that is the number one place to start. Not to diminish this great employee in their superhero cape, but to make sure that they have the support so that they can take a vacation. So that they can win the Powerball and never come back, and you’ll be just fine.

Could you expand a little more on the importance of internal controls?

It’s about trying to mitigate risk to a company and wanting to make sure that the processes are working. It’s not about having an auditor or somebody who is looking at the financials and understanding all of the nuances. It’s about

Let’s take it apart and look at a couple of pieces. Regarding productivity, you can do the same amount of work with fewer people. And you can move the other people to new things, which drives revenue. Looking at effectiveness and efficiency, we’re still using the internal resources, the dollars that we spend, the tools that we have, to do more. To scale and grow. To have new clients and customers coming in without having to hire people to throw at them because the processes are designed to embrace that. From a profitability perspective, we talked a little bit about the idea of scaling and growth. If we’re having growth cycles and planning for the next one with innovation, we’re bringing new products, services, lines of business, it hits everywhere. But also, right underneath all of that are the people who are doing the right work for the right reason. That impacts the customer satisfaction you generate and creates raving fans in your customers and employees who want to do more.

“When everybody’s busy but nothing gets done, that is a great sign that there’s an opportunity to make a change.”

Notable Quotes

“Say What?!”

If you use water cannons in Jerusalem [on charedi protesters], I expect you to do the same in Tel Aviv.

- National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir ordering police to crack down on anti-government demonstrators who block roads and use the same tactics that they use against religious Jews that do the same thing

There are two whiners standing on the sidelines and trying to incite a rebellion in Israel.

- MK Tzvika Fogel talking about former Prime Minister Yair Lapid and former Defense Minister Benny Gantz riling up anti-government protests across Israel

I am turning to you – elected officials and citizens of Israel from the entire public and political spectrum – show restraint and responsibility. We must calm the spirits and lower the flames. We have no other country

- Israel’s President Isaac Herzog

How that could possibly happen, how anyone could be that irresponsible?

- Pres. Joe Biden on “60 Minutes” in September, when asked about Trump having taken classified documents with him after he left office

People know I take classified documents, classified information seriously. When my lawyers were clearing out my office at the University of Pennsylvania, they set up an office for me, secure office in the Capitol. For the four years after being vice president, I was a professor at Penn. They found some documents in a box. You know, locked cabinet, or at least a closet.

- Pres. Joe Biden when asked about the bombshell revelation that he has classified documents in his possession after being vice president

And I was briefed about this discovery and surprised to learn that there are any government records that were taken there to that office.

– Ibid.

When is the FBI going to raid the many homes of Joe Biden, perhaps even the White House?

- Former President Donald Trump on social media after it was disclosed that Pres. Biden wrongfully kept classified documents after he was vice president

We all know that Trump is a liar and a thief. We know that. So it’s not that big a jump to say that he obstructed and he lied. We don’t think Biden is a liar and a thief, so we give him the benefit of the doubt.

- The View’s Joy Behar explaining the difference between Biden wrongly holding onto classified documents and Donald Trump doing the same thing

Your visit to our southern border with Mexico today is $20 billion too little and two years too late. Moreover, your visit avoids the sites where mass illegal immigration occurs and sidesteps the thousands of angry Texas property owners whose lives have been destroyed by your border policies.

– From a letter that Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott handed to Pres. Joe Biden when the President visited the southern border

Even the city you visit has been sanitized of the migrant camps which had overrun downtown El Paso because your Administration wants to shield you from the chaos that Texans experience on a daily basis.

– Ibid.

Your open-border policies have emboldened the cartels, who grow wealthy by trafficking deadly fentanyl and even human beings. Texans are paying an especially high price for your failure, sometimes with their very lives, as local leaders from your own party will tell you if given the chance.

- Ibid.

When you finish the photo-ops in a carefully stage-managed version of El Paso, you have a job to do.

- Ibid.

Deputies DID help them with their belongings and DID give them a ride, but it wasn’t to the airport … it was to the Polk Pokey. And they are welcome to stay there all weekend long. The Polk Pokey is much better than New York anyway.

- Social media post by the Poinciana Sherrif’s office after two suspects who robbed a store inexplicably called 911 and asked for help moving some stuff along with a ride to the airport to catch a plane to New York

Who won the game?

- The question that Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin asked doctors when he regained consciousness several days after collapsing on the field due to cardiac arrest

You, President Biden, you are the first president of the United States in a very long time that has not built, not even one meter of wall. And that we thank you for that, sir.

- Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to President Joe Biden at a joint press conference in Mexico City

We should call today what it is, a day of infamy.

- CNN’s Michael Wallace on January 6, comparing the riot at the Capitol two years ago in which the only death was an unarmed Trump supporter (a Capitol police officer had a stroke the following day and died) to the tragic attack on Pearl Harbor which resulted in the deaths of 2,403 Americans

Well, I think it is a human right if your family is being persecuted. I thought it was a human right for, you know, Jews in Germany to be able to go — to get to escape and get help where they could.

– Pres. Joe Biden at a press conference last week comparing immigrants to the U.S. to Jews fleeing the Holocaust

I guess the secret would be don’t go to bed mad.

- Robert Schaum, 102, of Pennsylvania, talking to a local TV station upon his and his wife’s 80th wedding anniversary on December 26, disclosing the key to their marital longevity

Maybe the right person for the Speaker of the House is someone who doesn’t want it so bad.

- Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) who led the charge against Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s House Speaker bid

After 15 rounds of voting, McCarthy pulled off the impossible — he got people to watch C-SPAN for an entire week.

- Jimmy Fallon

I can’t even imagine what McCarthy was going through. It must have felt like sitting outside Applebee’s and waiting four days for your disc to buzz.

- Ibid.

At this point, McCarthy is so unpopular, even Southwest Airlines feels bad for him.

- Ibid.

McCarthy was like, “I’m just glad it didn’t go to a 16th vote. That would have been humiliating.”

- Ibid.

They want us divided. They want us to fight each other. That much has been made clear by the popcorn and blankets and alcohol that has [gone on] over there.

– Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) during the marathon voting for House Speaker, accusing Democrats of cheering on the Republican infighting

Phrases such as “going into the field” or “field work” may have connotations for descendants of slavery and immigrant workers that are not benign.

- University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work’s explanation of why it is banning the word “field” and requiring that students use the word “practicum” instead

In his forthcoming book, Prince Harry claims that Prince William once knocked him to the floor during an argument about Meghan. Apparently, the fight happened at the Buckingham Waffle Palace.

— Jimmy Fallon

George Santos was sworn in today. Yep, it’s odd when a congressman holds up his right hand to be sworn in, and everyone’s like, “You know what? Don’t bother.”

— Jimmy Fallon

The New York Times wrote about Gov. Hochul’s inaugural address, “Gov. Hochul hopes to make New York safer.” What a stupid headline – that’s like saying, “After killing his ex-wife, OJ hopes to make his new wife continue to live.”

– Greg Gutfeld, Fox News

Political Crossfire What Strange Things Does 2023

Have in store?

Take this quiz and find out

By David Ignatius

What a wild ride in 2022! War and upheaval – and that was just in the Republican Party. But as New York Times columnist William Safire once wrote in a yearend “Office Pool” quiz, when it comes to making bets about our crazy future, “Nostradamus himself couldn’t score over 50 percent.”

So, in the spirit of my late friend Safire, place your wagers for 2023. My picks are at the end.

- - -

1. At the end of 2023, the endgame in Ukraine will be:

-A stalemate, with neither side winning

-A negotiated cease-fire -Russia pounding Ukraine with newly mobilized troops

-A Ukrainian counteroffensive that pushes Russia out of its territory

-Russian movement of mobile tactical nuclear weapons into Crimea

2. Russian President Vladimir Putin will end 2023:

-In a dacha outside Moscow isolated from the world

-Preparing to run in a rigged election in 2024 following a humiliating defeat by Ukraine

-Looking for a 2024 successor such as Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin to keep him out of jail -Dead

3. Time’s Person of the Year in 2023 will be:

-Volodymyr Zelensky for a second year in a row -President Biden -2024 dark-horse presidential candidate Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo

-Ukrainian Army commander and military hero Valerii Zaluzhnyi -Ukraine mediator and U.N. Secretary General António Guterres

4. The game-changing weapon of 2023 in Ukraine will be:

-NATO helicopter gunships -German Leopard tanks -American high-powered microwave systems that make drones fall out of the sky

-U.S. ATACMS missiles that can reach targets inside Russia -Russian tactical nuclear weapons

5. The eeriest technology development of 2023 will be:

-An AI system that wins the Defcon “Capture the Flag” contest, the world’s premier hacker competition -A Rand Corp. report showing how a rogue biologist could create a virus that

kills billions

-An AI successor to AlphaFold that can predict how a gene inserted into a cell will affect the organism

-Terrorist pursuit of an AlphaFold model that could create a smallpox weapon that kills 90 percent of those infected

-Evidence from the James Webb telescope that we are not alone in the universe

6. Iran in 2023 will be rocked by: -Continuing popular protests that bring down the regime

-A leadership transition after the death of Iran’s 83-year-old supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

-A powerful earthquake -Israeli strikes on its nuclear facilities

-A Biden administration announcement that the 2015 nuclear agreement is

dead, triggering Iranian nuclear escalation and Israeli response

7. North Korea’s Kim Jong Un will mark 2023 by:

-Taking bets on how many more times Washington will warn that a seventh nuclear test could come “at any time”

-Writing a note to his daughter’s teacher explaining she didn’t do her homework because she was viewing a missile launch

-Offering to host a LIV Golf tour event at Trump Club East in Pyongyang

Demanding a review copy of the latest Inspector O novel by James Church, in which the North Korean detective searches for the bones of Prince Potemkin, which disappeared from Kherson in October

-A seventh nuclear test

8. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s biggest problem in 2023 will be:

-A Covid-19 death toll by June that exceeds 1.5 million people and the resulting internal instability

-Worries about a declining popula-

tion that, according to U.N. forecasts, will by 2079 have more people outside working age than within it

-The emergence of Japan and South Korea as potential nuclear powers after North Korea resumes nuclear testing

-A pro-Chinese separatist movement in Siberia

tizing Kids Benefits Us All,” by Adam Benforado -“Poverty, by America,” by Matthew Desmond

-“Unscripted: The Epic Battle for a Media Empire and the Redstone Family Legacy,” by James B. Stewart and Rachel Abrams

ditional 2 to 3 percent to bring inflation below 4 percent by year’s end -Fed tightening produces a wave of defaults in the leveraged loan market -A bipartisan bill to regulate cryptocurrency - - -

9. The must-read book of 2023 will be:

-“Never Give Up,” by Tom Brokaw

-“Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity,” by Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson -“A Minor Revolution: How Priori -

10. The biggest economic surprise of 2023 will be:

-A stock market boom that follows resolution of the Ukraine war

-A market sell-off triggered by Taiwan invasion fears

-The Fed raises interest rates an ad-

My picks: A negotiated cease-fire; In a dacha outside Moscow isolated from the world; Volodymyr Zelensky for a second year in a row; American high-powered microwave systems that make drones fall out of the sky; Every answer is possible; A Biden administration announcement that the 2015 nuclear agreement is dead, triggering Iranian nuclear escalation and Israeli response; A seventh nuclear test; A Covid-19 death toll by June that exceeds 1.5 million people and the resulting internal instability; “Never Give Up,” by Tom Brokaw; Fed tightening produces a wave of defaults in the leveraged loan market AND a bipartisan bill to regulate cryptocurrency.

(c) 2022, Washington Post Writers Group

When it comes to making bets about our crazy future, “Nostradamus himself couldn’t score over 50 percent.”

Political Crossfire

Biden’s Unsentimental Foreign Policy Strategy

By David Ignatius

Heading into the new year, I asked national security adviser Jake Sullivan for a “net assessment” of where the Biden administration stands on foreign policy. Sullivan’s report card, not surprisingly, was positive. He thinks Biden is achieving the basic goals he set when he took office in 2021.

The intriguing part of Sullivan’s answer was how he described the new template for policy – a world in which the post-1945 global structure is changing fast. What matters now is fluidity and adaptability, as the United States seeks to work with amorphous “middle powers” in addition to traditional treaty allies.

“The old Cold War construct of blocs is not coherent,” Sullivan argued. “Countries don’t want to choose, and we don’t want them to. Rather than trying to divide the world, we are seeking an affirmative agenda – infrastructure, climate, food security and digital rules.”

The term “net assessment” is itself a relic of the Cold War, but it’s still a useful tool. For its creator, Pentagon strategist Andrew Marshall, it was about weighing the Soviet-American strategic balance, “net” of each other’s offsetting strengths and weaknesses. Marshall would use this formula to calculate deterrence – and estimate what the balance might be after a nuclear exchange. This was the grim science of doomsday.

Today, net assessment is more about spotting trends and future prospects –and making an unblinkered assessment of the relative positions of the United States and its adversaries in what has become a genuinely multipolar world. “It’s 2022, not 2008,” Sullivan told me in late December. The corollary for national security advisers is that where the

United States has less power to compel outcomes, it needs better strategy to achieve its ends.

Sullivan argues that Biden has achieved the three national security goals he initially set: rebuild the U.S. economy and rejuvenate the middle class; revive NATO and other global alliances; and withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan to focus on current threats, rather than the day after 9/11.

The economy is “significantly healthier and more competitive” now, Sullivan contends, thanks to bipartisan spending on infrastructure, semiconductors, electric vehicles and other advanced technologies. “We are building the economy of the 21st century,” he said. Maybe so. But inflation, triggered at least in part by Biden’s 2021 spending spree, blew away the price stability that had lasted for a generation, and the middle class is still treading water.

Biden has succeeded dramatically in bolstering American partnerships abroad. NATO is stronger than it has been for a generation and is about to add Finland and Sweden; Japan is becoming a serious defense partner; South Korea’s cooperation with the United States and Japan is better than it has been in years;

and India is moving toward a strategic partnership through the Quad (the United States, Japan, and Australia).

Biden’s final goal, withdrawing from Afghanistan, started off as a strategic disaster. But the dire forecasts about what would follow have mostly proven wrong. A miserable, misogynistic Taliban regime runs the country, but the world looks the other way – and there hasn’t been a massive outflow of refugees or a new spasm of terrorism. Indeed, al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has been killed. It’s also easier now for the United States to support Ukraine. “If we were still fighting in Afghanistan,” Sullivan noted, “it would be a very juicy target for the Russians.”

Biden’s foreign policy pragmatism often goes unremarked, but this administration shows strikingly little interest in the idealists’ perennial dream of remaking the world in our image. Take Latin America, where the CIA waged covert wars for three decades to stem leftist influence. Today, nearly all the region’s major countries are leftist-led. “We have to take Latin America as we find it,” Sullivan argued, and “maintain effective constructive relations.”

Pragmatism sometimes means ac -

commodating the authoritarian “middle powers” that hedge their bets between us and a rising China. Biden’s fist-bump opening to Saudi Arabia blew up in his face. But with the United Arab Emirates, say, or many African countries, Biden seems willing to leave tricky questions – such as whether those nations will deepen ties with China – in suspended animation.

Biden wins high marks on Ukraine, from me at least, for providing military support to help repel Russia’s invasion without triggering World War III. Biden doesn’t have an honorable end game yet for Ukraine. But I’m betting that through steadfast support for Kyiv, he and the Ukrainians will find one by the end of 2023.

“The president is not out looking for a fight,” Sullivan says. “But as [Vladimir] Putin is finding out, he will not back down to bullies and will help free people when they are under attack.”

The crouching tiger on the global landscape is China. Here, Biden has been helped not so much by his success as his adversary’s mistakes. When Biden took office, policymakers seemed convinced Beijing’s rise was inevitable. That sense has eroded, thanks largely to the failure of President Xi Jinping’s “zero covid” policy and rapid slowing of the Chinese economy.

Biden begins 2023 with the wind at his back on foreign policy. He has made new friends and confounded old adversaries. He has made mistakes, as with the Saudis, and many key issues remain unfinished, but the genial octogenarian has adopted an unsentimental foreign policy – for the world as it is, rather than as we would like it to be.

Political Crossfire

Don’t Cut Defense or Aid to Ukraine, Mr. Speaker. The Gipper is Watching

By Marc A. Thiessen

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has long kept a giant portrait of Ronald Reagan hanging behind the desk in his U.S. Capitol offices. Let’s hope he feels the Gipper’s glare searing the back of his head now that he has cut his deal to win the speaker’s gavel. If McCarthy agrees to cut defense spending or support for Ukraine –as a newly empowered minority of House Republicans is demanding – it would be a betrayal of everything that Reagan stood for.

We still don’t know the full extent of the concessions McCarthy made to secure the speakership, but CNN reports that Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. – leader of the “never-Kevin” rebellion – says he relented only because McCarthy gave up so much that Gaetz “ran out of things I could even imagine to ask for.” McCarthy reportedly agreed to hold discretionary spending to fiscal 2022 levels, which would mean $75 billion being cut in defense spending. And Gaetz tweeted that in his fight to stop McCarthy, “Biggest loser: Zelensky. Biggest winner: U.S. Taxpayers.”

Reagan would be appalled by this. His defense buildup – the largest peacetime military expansion in history – was one of the great achievements of his presidency. Reagan’s policy of “peace through strength” brought us victory in the Cold War without firing a shot. Today, as China and Russia have locked arms to wage a new Cold War against the West, conservatives should be pushing to increase, not cut, defense spending.

Similarly, we must follow the Reagan playbook when it comes to confronting Russian aggression and deterring China. When Reagan took office, in the wake of the Vietnam War, Americans had no appetite for sending U.S. troops to fight in distant lands. But Reagan knew we still had to push back on Russian aggression,

so he forged the Reagan Doctrine, which recognized that there were courageous men and women across the world willing to fight their own wars of liberation. All they needed were U.S. weapons, training, intelligence, and financial, diplomatic, and humanitarian support. By providing that assistance, Reagan helped freedom fighters from Central America to Africa and South Asia liberate their countries from the grip of an expansionist Soviet Union – without committing American ground forces to every global flash point.

That is precisely what the United States is doing in Ukraine. In the wake of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Americans once again have no appetite for sending U.S. troops to fight in faraway lands, so we are supporting a new generation of freedom fighters in Ukraine who are willing to fight our enemies for us. Their success will strengthen deterrence from Europe to the Pacific and make it less likely that we will have to deploy American troops to defend NATO allies or respond to a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

The problem is not that we are doing too much to help Ukraine; it is that President Biden is slow-rolling military aid to Kyiv – dragging out the conflict and delaying Russia’s defeat – out of a pathological fear of provoking Russian President Vladimir Putin. Biden has blocked Poland from transferring Soviet-era MiG-29 jets to Ukraine and waited more than nine months to give Ukraine just one Patriot air-defense system, allowing Putin to shell civilian neighborhoods and destroy critical infrastructure. Despite Ukraine’s begging for months for armored vehicles, Biden only approved 50 Bradley Fighting Vehicles last week – and still refuses to send M1 Abrams tanks. After months of Ukrainian pleading, Biden finally delivered game-changing High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), but when they arrived, the Ukrainians discovered they had been secretly modified so they couldn’t fire long-range rockets – and Biden still refuses to give Ukraine long-range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles.

Biden is forcing Zelensky to fight with one hand tied behind his back. Conservatives should be pushing the president to do more, not less. Instead, some Republicans are acting like the liberal Democrats of Reagan’s day, who fought to cut aid to the Nicaraguan Democratic Resistance (a.k.a. the contras) and other freedom fighters and opposed the Reagan defense buildup. These self-proclaimed conservatives are channeling their inner Ted Kennedy instead of their inner Reagan.

They are a minority, both within the House Republican caucus and the country at large. According to a survey conducted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, 65% of Americans want to continue to arm Ukraine – including a 55% majority of Republicans. And a December poll by the Vandenberg Coalition found that 67% of Americans support increasing defense spending to keep pace with China – including 87% of Republicans.

So, what is McCarthy going to do? After finally allowing McCarthy to assume the speakership, Gaetz retweeted a supporter who declared: “McCarthy may hold the gavel, but Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert hold the real power in the House. Kevin McCarthy is a Speaker in Name Only.” Is that true? Who runs the House? McCarthy and the Republican majority who supported him throughout last week’s standoff? Or Gaetz and a handful of isolationists who want to hold the entire GOP conference hostage to their minoritarian agenda?

The vast majority of Republicans support Reaganite policies of increasing defense spending and standing with Ukraine. Will McCarthy win one for the Gipper, or capitulate to a small band of know-nothing isolationists?

Reagan is watching.

UNRWA: Paving the Road to Conflict

By Larry Domnitch

When UNRWA (United Nations Relief Work Agency) was formed In December 1949, it was supposed to temporarily tend to the needs of the approximately 600,000 Arab refugees of the Arab-Israeli war of 1948 in refugee camps. Since the founding of UNRWA, the number of “refugees” have increased to a staggering 5.7 million, according to UNRWA, and according to PASI, the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs, that number is 6.7 million. The refugee camps of the past have become cities. In Judea and Samaria, two million of those refugees reside. Other lands in which refugees reside include Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.

Other than providing aid, are there other agendas of UNRWA?

It appears that UNRWA-run refugee “camps” (cities) are perpetuating enmity towards Israel. Confrontation with Israel is taught in their schools, which have adopted the anti-Israel curriculum of the Palestinian Authority in violation of UN principles of peace and reconciliation. UNRWA school textbooks contain many examples of indoctrination against Israel and also contain veneration of terrorists. Textbooks omit recognition of Israel, and school maps omit the existence of Israel. Schoolbooks exclude any connection between the Jews and the land.

It also appears that refugees are being primed for combat. UNRWA summer camps actually give young “campers” paramilitary training, preparing for future war with the Jews. The goal is the “right of return,” that is to bring Arab populations to cities and towns like Lod, Ashdod, Jaffa, and Ashkelon, which were populated by Arabs who left or fled in 1948 when Arab armies attacked the newborn Jewish state and

whose leaders assured them that they would return to their homes when the Jews were defeated.

UNRWA is an agency which was supposed to be supervised by donor nations and Israel. That includes managing its school curriculum, which continues to indoctrinate and incite conflict seventy-five years after the establishment of Israel.

The advocacy group UN Watch enumerated on how teachers in UNRWA schools express support for terrorism and Palestinian terrorist groups and indoctrinate students to violence. On July 15, 2022, Hillel Neuer, director of UN Watch, tweeted that UN Watch has “easily identified 120 UNRWA teachers, school principals and other employees who praise Hitler, glorify terrorist attacks and spread anti-Semitism.” UN Watch decried the “exploitation of children as child soldiers” as a “form of child abuse and a violation of international law.”

William Deere, the Washington, D.C., advisor to UNRWA responded that

“UNRWA is an agency fully committed to upholding UN principles and values and has a zero tolerance for hate speech and incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.” UNWRA by its actions tells a very different story.

Realizing the extent of incitement in UNRWA schools and summer camps, the Trump administration cut U.S. funding to UNWRA in 2018 for lack of “accountability.” The Biden administration has resumed funding but only under the condition that its education curriculum is for peace.

Israel’s Ambassador to the United States and the UN Gilad Erdan called for “countries to freeze contributions until UNRWA teachers expressing support terror are fired.” But the funding continues.

In 1967, following Israel’s victory in the Six Day War, when the IDF took control of the Arab populations of Judea and Samaria and Gaza, school textbooks used by Palestinians rejected Israel’s existence and incited violence. But then, placed under Israeli administration of

COGAT (Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories), new textbooks were implemented.

However, the signing of the Oslo Accords on September 13, 1993, which would give the Palestinian Authority control over education in territories which they administered as a result of the agreements, saw a steady deterioration in the curriculum. Incitement to violence against Israel again abounded in what was supposed to be the beginnings of a process of reconciliation. With the OSLO Accords came the deterioration of UNRWA-sponsored institutions, as anti-Israel propaganda proliferated in the territories.

Since Oslo, donor countries have not demanded accountability. Journalist David Bedein, who heads the Israel Resource News Agency and is the author of UNRWA Roadblock to Peace, stated that when he posed the question to thirty-five of the sixty-seven nations which fund UNRWA, as to how they track the funds and where they are going, “they replied that they rely upon the rigorous oversight of UNRWA.”

Today, UNRWA facilities prime tomorrow’s generation for conflict. UNRWA should be seeking real solutions to what was the rejection by Arab nations of the partition of the land in 1947, according to UN resolution 181. Their leaders’ statements denying culpability belies their agenda, which is to allow perpetuation of conflict and the continued hope by Palestinian Arabs to flood Israel with descendants of refugees.

Larry Domnitch is the author of The Impact of World War One on the Jewish People , by Urim Publications. He lives in Efrat.

The “Lucky O,” the Most Decorated U.S. Destroyer in WWII

By Avi Heiligman

Developed in the late 19th century, destroyers quickly became an integral part of world class navies. Destroyers are designed to be fast, maneuverable ships to escort bigger ships and are armed to fight against threats such as enemy aircraft and submarines. Many World War II destroyers were decorated for their war records, but one destroyer in particular has a war record unmatched by any other American World War II destroyer.

The USS O’Bannon (DD-450) was commissioned in June 1942 and was named after Marine First Lieutenant Presley O’Bannon. In 1805, O’Bannon led a small detachment of seven marines, two navy midshipmen, and fifty mercenaries on a successful attack of a fort in Derna, Libya, near Tripoli. His force was observed as it “pass’d through a shower of musketry from the walls of houses, took possession of the Battery.” O’Bannon was the first American to raise the Stars and Stripes (American flag) over foreign territory during a time of war.

After a quick training session, the destroyer O’Bannon sailed for the South Pacific. She sailed with an escort carrier that was delivering much needed planes to the recently captured Henderson Field on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. They joined a much larger convoy that was bringing supplies, ammunition, and food to the marines and soldiers that at that point had been on the Island for two months. As the O’Bannon reached Guadalcanal, she sighted and fired on a Japanese submarine that had been lurking in the area. The destroyer kept the submarine away from the convoy until they had passed safely through the area.

A few days later, a group of fifteen Japanese torpedo bomber aircraft was seen approaching the convoy, and the O’Bannon shot down four of the enemy planes. Other ships shot down all but one of the remain-

ing aircraft, and intelligence later learned that the flight’s intention was to attack and destroy Henderson field and stop the American resupply mission. The O’Bannon was heavily engaged at the confrontation on November 13 at Ironbottom Sound where she attacked the Japanese battleship Hiei. The battleship was so badly damaged from the O’Bannon’s fire that American planes attacked her the next day, forcing her to be scuttled. The American naval and ground forces were able to repel Japanese attempts to destroy Henderson Field and other targets, and in early 1943, Guadalcanal was secure.

O’Bannon carried 17 anti-aircraft guns, 10 torpedo tubes, and .38 caliber deck guns but on April 5, 1943, it didn’t need any of those when it came across the Japanese submarine RO-34. The destroyer opened fire on the enemy, but the sub pulled in too close to the O’Bannon that her deck guns couldn’t hit it. According to legend, the crew threw potatoes at the submarine so they could buy time to get within a reasonable distance to use her guns. The American destroyer had crept up to the Japanese sub that the sub’s crew didn’t know that they were there and thought the potatoes were grenades. Commander Donald MacDonald later claimed that no potatoes were thrown, but he did say that they were so close that the ship’s cook could throw a potato at the enemy. This sudsy story continued as the submarine dived but was soon sunk by depth charges. There was a plaque at the Maine Maritime Museum that cited the incident, but the plaque mysteriously went missing in the 1970s. The destroyer also downed two enemy planes on April 5.

Later in 1943, the O’Bannon continued in the Pacific in support of landing, escorting convoys, and executing patrols and participated in the bombardments of Japanese strongholds. In July, she was with the USS

Strong (DD-467) when the latter was struck by enemy torpedoes and put herself in harm’s way by firing at shore batteries. Due to this maneuver, enemy gunfire ceased to fire on the Strong, and another destroyer was able to rescue her sailors.

The O’Bannon was a combatant during the Battle of Kula Gulf off the coast of Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands. The Japanese lost two destroyers, but the American light cruiser USS Helena was sunk. A week later, the O’Bannon took part in the Battle of Kolombangara, and a Japanese cruiser was sunk in the engagement. Following the battle, the O’Bannon was sent to Vella Gulf to guard against Japanese troop landings and other enemy activities. She sank two submarine chasers, several barges, an armed boat, and a gun boat while on patrol. The Japanese soon decided to evacuate their troops at Vella Lavella, and the O’Bannon and five other American destroyers were there to intercept the enemy. The smaller American naval force attacked and destroyed a Japanese destroyer, but the American destroyer USS Chevalier (DD-451) was struck, and her crew had to be rescued by the O’Bannon after the call to abandon ship was sounded.

The O’Bannon had suffered battle damage and underwent repairs at Tulagi before heading back to mainland U.S. for an overhaul. In 1944, she was back in the Pacific mainly escorting convoys and bombardment operations. In October 1944, she escorted reinforcements for the landings at Leyte in the Philippines and was present at the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

In 1945, she operated in the Philippines area on escort and bombardment duties. Together with three other destroyers, the O’Bannon sank Japanese submarine RO-115 in January. In June and July, she escorted a group of aircraft carriers as they launched air operations against the Japanese home

islands. The war ended in August 1945, and the O’Bannon was chosen with two other highly decorated destroyers, the USS Nicolas (DD-449) and the USS Taylor (DD468), to escort the battleship USS Missouri (BB-63) into Tokyo Bay for the surrender ceremony.

The O’Bannon was placed out of commission after the war but was converted into an escort destroyer in 1949. She served a tour of duty during the Korean War and escorted carriers at sea. Once she reached the area of operations, the destroyer escort was active in firing on enemy strongholds, gun emplacements, ammunition dumps, and other targets of opportunity. During the Vietnam War, she was still active and participated in escort operations and shore bombardments. In one operation, she rescued the crew of a downed American plane.

The end of the road for the O’Bannon came in 1970 when was decommissioned and sold for scrap. She participated in three wars while never losing a sailor in battle. The “Lucky O,” as she was nicknamed, was the most decorated American destroyer in World War II earned 17 battle stars as well the Presidential Unit Citation. She also received three battle stars for her performance in the Korean War and two more during the Vietnam War in addition to a host of other citations, medals, and ribbons.

Admiral William “Bull” Halsey summed up her war effort: “The history of the Pacific war can never be written without telling the story of the U.S.S. O’Bannon. Time after time, the O’Bannon and her gallant little sisters were called upon to turn back the enemy. They never disappointed me.”

Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comments and suggestions for future columns and can be reached at aviheiligman@gmail.com.

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SERVICES SERVICES

PEACEFUL PRESENCE STUDIO

Men’s private yoga, Licensed Massage & Holistic Health Guidance

436 Central Ave, Cedarhurst

Info. & free video training www.peacefulpresence.com 516-371-3715

GERBER MOVING

FULL SERVICE MOVING

Packing Moving Supplies

Local Long Distance Licensed Insured

1000’S Of Happy Customers Call Shalom 347-276-7422

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All areas call Max Flam 718-444-4904

HANDYMAN AVAILABLE

For big or small jobs, Sheetrock, carpentry, painting, electrical, plumbing, install & repair appliances Call Ephraim at 347-593-4691

MANAGEMENT STAFF WILL ASSIST you with: * Obtaining Medicaid and Pooled Income Trust

* In-home Assessments, Individual and Family Counseling

* Securing reliable home care assistance

* Case and Care Management services Dr. S. Sasson, DSW, LCSW (718) 544- 0870 or (646) 284-6242

HAIR COURSE:

Learn how to wash & style hair & wigs. Hair and wig cutting, wedding styling Private lessons or in a group Call Chaya 718-715-9009

ZEVIZZ WOODTURNING JUDAICA

Challah knifes, batei mezuzah, besamim holder, kiddish cups, havdalah candle holders, yad for sefer torah, pens, stenders, bowls and more  952-356-2228

HOUSES FOR SALE HOUSES FOR SALE

WOODMERE - OLD WOODMERE

3 bedrrom 2 full bathroomsSD# 14

Features LG living room with fireplace, den, large dining room, kitchen and dinette area, high ceilings, hardwood floors, primary bedroom plus sitting area plus 2 additional bedrooms, full basement, alarm, sprinkler, close to all. $759K Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-845 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

DON’T GET STUCK WITH A TWO STORY HOUSE YA KNOW, IT’S ONE STORY BEFORE YOU BUY IT BUT A SECOND STORY AFTER YOU OWN IT!

Call Dov Herman

For An Accurate Unbiased Home Inspection

Infrared - Termite Inspection Full Report All Included NYC 718-INSPECT Long Island 516-INSPECT www.nyinspect.com

WOODMERE

Charming Colonial on beautiful tree lined street in the heart of Old Woodmere. Home features 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, kitchen, dining area, living room, full basement. Relatively new heating system + hot water tank. Large & beautiful backyard. Great for entertaining. Close to all. $676K Mark Lipner

Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

HEWLETT

Luxurious Exquisite 6 bedrooms, 6.5 bath home situated on approximate 1.8 acre property in prestigious Hewlett Bay Park. Formal Living room and dining room, library, chefs Eat-in Kitchen, extraordinary great room leads out to veranda. large Gunite built-in pool + pool house with full bath, large slate patio, impressive sprawling property, school district #14 Hewlett-Woodmere. Close to all. P.O.R. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

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classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com • text 443-929-4003

HOUSES FOR SALE HOUSES FOR SALE HOUSES FOR SALE

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

Spacious 5 bedroom 4 bathroom split level in Saddle Ridge Estates Well maintained home 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. Call for a private showing. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

NORTH WOODMERE

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 –fbth 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. 899K Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-2988457 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

Beautiful, brick, colonial boasting 5 bdr 3.5 Bth in pristine condition. Excellent location, near all! Move right in! RCUSA 516-512-9626

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 Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516.298.8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

HOUSES FOR SALE

CAN’T AFFORD YOUR PROPERTY TAXES?

MORTGAGE? Must sell for any reason? Call for FREE Consultation. Call now 212-470-3856 Cash buyers available!

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 $879k. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

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

CEDARHURST

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

MOLLER REALTY GROUP

Far Rockaway Corner Lot for Sale 40x100. Approved Plans. Legal 2 Family Ask $600k, Motivated Seller Call or Text 516-506-3347

NORTH WOODMERE JUST LISTED

Move Right Into This Beautifully Maintained and Updated Three Bedroom, 2.5 Baths Large Split Situated on an Oversized Park-like Lot Overlooking the Pond. Home Features naturally bright lit rooms with a Ground Level Den Leading to Patio, With Another Lower Level With Partially Finished Basement. Hardwood Floors Throughout Updated Kitchen With Granite Counters in School District 14 and Close to all Houses of Worship. $949k Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

New to the market move right in 8 bedrooms 3 full bathrooms on a lot size 57x112. prime location features eat in kitchen with 2 sinks, new stainless steel appliances, gas heat, hardwood floors, possible mother daughter with permits, close to the railroad, shopping and houses of worship. OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY JANUARY 15 12:00-1:30PM 8 WOODMERE BLVD. N. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

NORTH WOODMERE

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

CEDARHURST

Move Right In. Totally updated 2BR, 2 Bath, Apt. on the 1st Floor. Private Entrance, CAC, W/D in Unit, Kitchen with SS Appliances, Hardwood Floors, Recessed Lighting, Freshly Painted, Great Courtyard, Parking $95/Mo. Close to Railroad, Shopping, Restaurants, Cedarhurst Park + Houses of Worship. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-2988457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

LAWRENCE

Extra Large One Bedroom Renovated Apartment In Prime Lawrence. EIK With Granite Countertops Renovated Bathroom. Sunken LR, Dining Room, Close to All, Transportation, Shopping, Worship.$285k or rent $2,500 monthly Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@ bhhslaffey.com

HOUSE FOR RENT

WOODMERE

Move Right In. Renovated 8 Bedroom Colonial, Prime Location in SD#14 - Old Woodmere. Smart Home, Camera System, New CAC System, AG Pool, Large Eat-in Kitchen with Pantry. Finished Basement. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-2988457 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

JERUSALEM RENTALS

Luxury five-bedroom, 3-bathroom beautiful duplex apartment in Arzei HaBirah available short term and Chagim.  Call Rivka 972-58-768-5783 or e-mail rivkat1696@gmail.com for details.

FAR ROCKAWAY

Spacious very nice 3 bedroom/ 2 bath apartment for rent. 908.415.5004

APT./COOP/CONDO SALE

CEDARHURST

Move Right In. Totally Updated One Bedroom Townhouse Apartment on the First Floor. Featuring 1.5 Bathrooms, Central Air Conditioning, Washer/Dryer in the Unit, Kitchen With SS Appliances, Hardwood Floors, and Recessed Lighting. Freshly Painted. Super on Premises. Underground Parking is $95/month. This spacious rental is managed by a responsible landlord. Great Courtyard. Close to the Railroad, Shopping, Restaurants, Post Office, Cedarhurst Park + Houses of Worship. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516298-8457 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 No Brokers

LAWRENCE

Spacious 2BR, 2 Full Bath Apt with an enclosed terrace in the heart of Lawrence. Well maintained & manicured building. New hardwood floors, updated Eat-in Kitchen with gas stove. warming draw, dishwasher & microwave. New windows on the enclosed terrace & one of the bedrooms. 3 New A/C Units & New Refrigerator. Close to shopping, transportation, library, schools, and houses of worship. $339K Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

HEWLETT

Hewlett House 1 Bedroom Co-op. Unit Includes 1 Parking Spot + Storage Unit, W/D Outside of Unit. Close to Shopping, Schools, Houses of Worship, Restaurants + Parks. Prime Location in the Heart of Hewlett. $109k Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@ bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

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 $168k 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

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

Classifieds

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

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

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, 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

SALE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

INWOOD

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

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

Storefront/Office for LEASE: Bayview Ave corner Lawrence. Street parking 600+SF - Available immediately. Minyan Call/Text/WA Owner: 516-206-1100

INWOOD OFFICE + Large Parking LOT FOR LEASE: Bayview and Lawrence. Available immediately. Minyan Call/Text/WA Owner: 516-206-1100

ISLAND PARK FOR SALE or LEASE: 2 Stores ~1600SF; one leased to restaurant one perfect for owner-user - across from LIRR $549K obo - Call/Text/WA Owner: 516206-1100

HELP WANTED HELP WANTED HELP WANTED

SIACH YITZCHOK

SEEKING

Additional assistant teachers for General Studies. Wonderful opportunity to observe great teachers, work one-on-one with students, and gain some classroom teaching experience. Send your resume to Email teachersearch11@gmail.com

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

HELP WANTED

BOOKKEEPER

Excellent growth potential, Frum environment, Excellent salary & benefits. Email resume to: resumetfs1@gmail.com

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.

YESHIVA DARCHEI TORAH MIDDLE School is seeking to hire teachers in all secular subjects for grades 6-8.  We offer an excellent working environment and salary; Monday-Thursday, 2:30-5:30 PM.  Interviews are being held now.  Candidates should have prior teaching experience.  Please send resume to mhorowitz@darchei.org

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

LEGAL SECRETARY

Boutique litigation and real estate law office in the 5 Towns seeking a legal secretary. Duties include assisting attorneys with files, preparing legal documents, keeping attorney calendars, interacting/corresponding with clients and basic managerial office tasks. Candidate should be responsible, detail oriented and able to work closely with attorneys.  Office experience preferred but willing to train. Interested applicants should please either call (516) 295-0707 or to cell (516) 810-7001.  Please also send resume by fax (516) 295-0722 or by email to paulmsod@gmail.com. Position available immediately.

BAIS YAAKOV 5 TOWNS

Is currently looking to hire experienced Morahs for Limudei Kodesh/Chol for September 2023. Excellent pay, warm environment.  Please send resumes to apply: Rplutchok@BY5T.org

YESHIVA OF SOUTH SHORE

Looking for assistants and a long term elementary permanent substitute teacher. Afternoon hours, excellent working conditions,, competitive pay.  Please send a resume to monika@yoss.org.

BAIS YAAKOV IN FAR ROCKAWAY

Seeking General Studies 8th grade teacher. Email resume to teachingpositions1@gmail.com

IMMEDIATE OPENING

ELA teaching position for Gr. 5. Mon.-Thurs., afternoon hours. Far Rockaway/5T area. Competitive salary, warm supportive environment. Teachersearch11@gmail.com

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

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

MISC.

Approximately two years ago, a man’s watch was left in one of the bathrooms on the first floor at 445 Central Ave in Cedarhurst New York. If this is your watch, and you can provide an accurate description of it, please reach out to: Michael@paradigmcre.com.

Your Money Sunshine, the Best Disinfectant

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

Last week, after years of legal battling that reached the Supreme Court, the House Ways and Means Committee released six years of former President Donald Trump’s taxes. Now, I write these weekly columns to make people laugh, not start political fights, so I’m not going to say a single snarky word about what’s inside those returns. If you’re looking for that particular fight, tune in to your favorite cable news network, grab a bowl of popcorn, and enjoy the fireworks.

However, the Committee’s move does raise legitimate questions about taxpayer privacy. Richard Nixon was the first president to release his returns in the wake of various scandals that wound up burying him. Since then, it’s become a tradition and a norm for White House candidates and officeholders to share their information. But there’s never been a law mandating it, despite efforts in several Congresses. This would all come as a surprise to taxpayers 100 years ago. Back in that more innocent time, Congress thought the publicity would help fight cheating. “Secrecy is of the greatest aid to corruption,” said Nebraska Senator Robert Howell. And so, for 1923 and 1924, they made tax payments public records. Newspapers gleefully reported exactly how much various robber

barons paid, including John D. Rockefeller (over $7 million in 1923), J.P. Morgan ($98,643.47), and Charles Schwab ($29,494.38). Sadly, not everyone appreciated that much transparency, and when President Calvin Coolidge took office, he took away the punch bowl on the reasoning that publicizing taxpayers’ addresses made them more vulnerable to scammers.

(That low rate revealed that most of his income came from capital gains.) Amazon founder Jeff Bezos averaged $832 million/year and paid an average of 23.2%. Yet in 2008 and 2011, he paid nothing at all – and in 2011, he claimed $4,000 in child tax credits.

On the hedge fund side, Citadel manager Ken Griffin earned $1.7 billion per year and paid 29.2%. At the time, his

November 1, the government publishes everyone’s tax data. The New York Times has dubbed it National Jealousy Day, and reporters line up in pre-dawn gloom outside the Tax Administration’s office for the 8 AM “grand reveal.” Ilkka Paananen, CEO of videogame developer Supercell, took first place last year, with €58.7 million in earnings and €21.7 million in tax. Ilkka Teppo, CEO of Supercell competitor Reworks, placed second with €46.3 million in earnings and €15.7 million in tax. Fans argue that the transparency helps avoid inequality and gaming the system, while one cynic dismissed it as “a sort of Lutheran purgatory.”

Today, we don’t have robber barons. But we do have tech billionaires and hedge fund managers. In 2021, the investigative journalists at ProPublica published information from leaked tax returns covering thousands of the richest Americans over 15 years. Microsoft founder Bill Gates topped the list from 2013-2018, with $2.85 billion per year and an effective tax rate of just 18.4%.

flacks argued that ProPublica’s figures understated his true tax bill by omitting state, local, and foreign taxes. Since then, Griffin has moved from Illinois to tax-free Florida and sued the IRS for unlawfully disclosing his information.

What would it be like to release tax information publicly in today’s instant-news environment? Look no further than Finland. Every year on

What do you think? Would you be willing to bare your own tax data to your family, friends, and professional colleagues if it meant getting a peek at theirs? Or are you happier controlling your financial image the old-fashioned way with your house, your car, and your wardrobe? Either way, we’re here to help you pay less in 2023 and beyond!

Allan J Rolnick is a CPA who has been in practice for over 30 years in Queens, NY. He welcomes your comments and can be reached at 718-896-8715 or at allanjrcpa@aol.com.

The New York Times has dubbed it National Jealousy Day, and reporters line up in predawn gloom outside the Tax Administration’s office for the 8 AM “grand reveal.”

Life C ach

Power Up for Vacation

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

The Florida influx has begun. If you really want a tan, one toasty day in the summer should do the trick. So why waste a whole week doing what you can do in a day?! But I suspect there may be more to your Florida vacation.

Perhaps it’s those awesome restaurants everyone’s heard about. Alhough, who even gets in if they didn’t reserve months in advance? All summer you can sashay right into them, but yeshiva break week?! Best of luck!

Plan in advance or hang out at Publix – those are your choices.

You may be coming for the great walks on the boardwalk. But don’t hold your breath. Those are long gone. The wood you see now is still on the trees. Today, the boardwalk is made of cement or hard sand. It isn’t bad. But those sentimental days of splitting boards and tiny splinters are only a distant memory.

Then again, you may be a swimmer and that’s fun to do…if you’re out early, of course. Because with all the new

building going on, most pool areas can’t locate the sun by 1 or 2 in the afternoon. Oh, it’s there, but you’ve got to go out to the beach to find it.

Of course, the beach can be grand, especially the ocean, as long as you don’t get one of the seaweed, stonefilled, shell-ridden, jelly fish days.

There are malls to visit. Boating to enjoy. Palm trees that are beautiful and swaying. Areas that are hopping and popping with new energy.

Yes, Florida can be a great “getaway” from the cold and uncomfortable. And when your visit far south seems hackneyed, you can always take a ride to Or -

the vacation a vacation. What comes your way, that’s a crapshoot, as they say. But what you make of it? Well, that’s in your hands. There’s always something else to do or at least another way to look at it.

Remember, even the Florida residents can say, “Oh my gosh, so many people taking over our state” or “Isn’t it great to have visitors? It’s a boom to our economy!”

Wishing you all a great vacation wherever you go – best weather, best time. But mostly, best attitude – because that’s in your power!

Now, I know I seem to be focusing on the negatives – and I am. But, hey, there are amazing positives, too. Some weeks the ocean is like a beautiful, glossy river – calm and inviting. The walking paths are soothing and vibrant. The restaurants are tasty and social. The weather is warm and embracing.

lando and try another form of entertainment with torturously long lines – the negative view – or creatively fun rides – the positive view.

You see, the point is wherever you go, there’s risks and rewards. Positive and negative experiences.

Your job is to make sure you make

Rivki Rosenwald is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist working with both couples and individuals and is a certified relationship 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 rivkirosenwald@gmail.com.

Your job is to make sure you make the vacation a vacation.