Five Towns Jewish Home 2.9.23

Dear Readers,

Some people don’t enjoy going to mother-daughter or father-son programs at their children’s schools. I, for one, welcome the opportunity. Sure, it’s hard to leave work in middle of the day (I know I’m lucky that my job allows for me to be able to step out for a bit), but when you step into the halls that your child walks each day, you get a sense of what takes place within its walls. You hear the singing and the davening; you see the brightly decorated classrooms and the smiles on their teachers’ faces. You begin to understand what it would be like to spend your days in the building.

Today, I had the privilege of attending my third grader’s Shemoneh Esrei performance. Seeing those young girls sing so purely about davening was so heart-warming. Their teachers prepared them so well – not just with practicing the motions and singing the songs but also about understanding what each bracha is about. I know that those songs that they sung and the lessons they’ve imbibed this morning will carry them for many years.

As parents, we are a given a monumental task. Our job is so multifaceted – and every aspect is so important. There is so much that is needed to bring up children these days. We’re busy with the physical aspects – making sure they’re clothed and fed, their laundry is done, and the house is clean. We want to help them

academically, clarifying concepts that they’re taught in school and doing homework with them each night. We want them to be emotionally healthy and grow up to become confident, secure individuals.

But the list does not end there. As frum Jews, our responsibility is to transmit to our children the mesorah that has kept our nation intact throughout the millennia. We try to impart those lessons in our homes by modeling the chessed and kindness that we wish to instill within them. From the time that they’re young, we’re demonstrating through our actions the beauty of Yiddishkeit. They see us say our brachos, sing zemiros at the Shabbos table, light candles before Shabbos. But we need help in providing a full Torah education to our children, and the schools that we send our precious children to are our partners in this mission. We ask that they help us to inculcate our children with the proper values – values that are so rare (and are getting rarer) these days.

And so, when I enter the doors of my children’s schools, I offer a prayer of gratitude for all the mechanchim and mechanchos and for all their effort and love that they pour into my children. Together, with Hashem’s help, we are raising another generation of Jews devoted and dedicated to Yiddishkeit. Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

Yitzy Halpern, PUBLISHER publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com

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Friday, February 10 Parshas Yisro

Candle Lighting: 5:05 pm

Shabbos Ends: 6:07 pm

Rabbeinu Tam: 6:37 pm

Shabbos Zemanim

Partly Cloudy Partly Cloudy

Dear Editor, I am writing to urge the community to go out and vote on the referendum for the February 16th special election for the sale of the Number 5 building to Shulamith School.

As a parent of several alumnae, one current student, and the spouse of a teacher, Shulamith needs to have a home of its own. This building is a school and has been used by Shulamith for many years already, and it needs to remain a school building.

We do not need more luxury residential housing, which will add to traffic, and place a further burden on our already strained infrastructure such as garbage collection, water and sewer, and emergency services. Once this building is developed, it will be impossible to have it revert back to a school. There is a limited amount of commercial space in the 5 Towns, and to find another location that will be suitable for over 500 students will simply be impossible.

Shulamith is educating the next generation of our female leaders, and it is important that we all come out to support their need for a permanent building. Sincerely,

Binyamin Lipsky

Dear District 15 Residents, On Thursday, February 16, we will have the opportunity to make a lasting difference in our community. There will be a Referendum on the sale of the former Number 5 School, now home to Shulamith School for Girls.

I have watched Shulamith grow since the school moved to the Five Towns from Brooklyn 22 years ago, a small school with only 22 students. Fast forward to 2023, there are now over 700 students

from K-12th grade. Shulamith has moved around over the years, existing in three different small locations.

As the school grew, it was apparent that a larger space was needed. Eight years ago, the opportunity arose for Shulamith to rent the Number 5 School building. It has been a wonderful home for Shulamith, a safe and nurturing space for its students to learn and grow.

By voting YES on Thursday, February 16, we can ensure that Shulamith can finally own and make it a permanent home, with the resources necessary to continue providing quality education for young girls in our community. Your vote will also ensure that the property remains a school and is not handed over to developers.

The vote will take place from 7am10pm on Thursday, February 16, in the Lawrence High School, 2 Reilly Rd. Please join me in voting in favor of Shulamith on this important issue.

Sam Gross

Dear Editor,

I would like to urge everyone to watch a new five-part docu-series called “Never Again Is Now Global” by Vera Sharav, an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor. No matter your political affiliation, nationality, or religious level, this groundbreaking documentary will touch you, educate you, and empower you. If Ms. Sharav felt it important enough at her age to spend a year or so of her life traveling the globe to conduct the interviews necessary to produce this monumental work, it behooves each of us to take the time to watch the finished product. Each part is approximately one hour and can be viewed for

Continued on page 10

Continued from page 8 free at https://live.childrenshealthdefense.org/chd-tv/events/never-again-isnow-global/ Debbie

Meisels

Dear Editor,

For those that are spending (literally) thousands of dollars on Moose Knuckles coats, please be aware of what the logo on your coat is displaying/advertising. I’m not even talking about the ridiculous amount of money spent, or the pathetic attempt to fit it just because everyone else is buying them.

I’m referring to the crassness of the brand name and logo. Do yourselves a favor and google what it means and what the logo is.

Signed, Tznius is Multifaceted

Dear Editor,

Every week, I look forward to reading your “note to readers,” and this week you did not disappoint. In fact, I think more people should write and talk about this phenomenon. Our generation is becoming a mindless one, forgetting how to think for themselves. They brainlessly listen to those who hawk their products and ideologies.

And look at who are our “leaders” on social

media. Are those people who you feel should be role models for our next generation?

If more people took a step back and spent more times off their phones and more time with their minds, thinking about their priorities, then I think they would remember how to think for themselves.

Sincerely,

P. Laurent

Dear Editor,

My son recently said to Alexa, “I love you, Alexa.” Alexa responded that she really appreciated that.

One could make the argument that if a machine that has no feelings can verbalize appreciation for love (though it’s programmed), then certainly we can show appreciation as well for any good done to us.

Steven Genack

Dear Editor,

Something is missing from the Long Island Railroad East Side Access to Grand Central Madison. There is only one waiting room with only has a 29-seat capacity plus 7 stools for WiFi connections. There are no benches on platforms, mezzanine or Madison concourse to sit while waiting for your train.

When it comes to disposal of newspa-

pers, beverage containers, garbage or other waste, there doesn’t appear to be any options for recycling. Are riders supposed to carry all of this to street level before being able to throw out? Many enjoy visiting a newsstand to purchase a paper or periodical. I didn’t see any potential newsstands or newspaper vending machines.

No retail space has opened to date. How much lost revenue will be incurred until all retail space is occupied? Ten years after the original completion date of 2013 as promised in the 2006 Federal Transit Administration $6.3 billion Capital Investment Grant Full Funding Grant Agreement (which capped the federal share at $2.6 billion) and $5 billion over budget, not including $1 billion more for the cost of financing for a total of $12.6 billion, LIRR commuters deserve better.

Sincerely,

Larry Penner

Dear Editor,

The fascination of change in the political arena is evident from patterns in modern American history, whether that was Bill Clinton as the “comeback kid,” George Bush’s promise of restoring “the integrity of the office,” Barack Obama’s “yes we can!” Donald Trump’s “drain the swamp” mentality, or even Joe Biden’s message of “getting the adults back in charge.” Getting rid of the status quo has a taste of liberation and hope for restoration. Time after time, promises were made, but promises weren’t kept; that was until Donald J. Trump came down that historic golden escalator.

Donald Trump was and is a reaction to the constant failures of Washington, D.C., of both parties refusing to defend the interests of their voters. Trump answered the call, and as we all remember to much shock, Donald Trump became the 45th president of the USA. Trump did a lot of what he promised, including cutting taxes, deregulation, appointing conservative judges and justices, defending American interests first, exposing the bureaucracy and the “deep state,” making substantial progress in peace in the Middle East, and many other accomplishments, however, to say that he did all that he promised and that he continues to live up to the standard he fought for in 2016 would be a lie.

I was one of President Trump’s first supporters in 2015. Yeah, you read that correctly, 2015! I still am a supporter of President Donald Trump, but just because I support Donald Trump doesn’t mean that I support “Trump 2024.” The Donald Trump that I fiercely defended in the face of much opposition from family and friends in 2015/16 was someone that sincerely did not care what political consultants, politi-

cians, or even party members would think, say or do. The Donald Trump of 2023 is unfortunately not that. The present Donald Trump is someone who supports a classic establishment failure to lead the Republican National Committee. The Trump of today supports the establishment’s pick for Speaker of the House without question or resistance. In addition, many of the problems that our movement and country face today are ironically Trump-related. Furthermore, Trump’s political influence in the GOP has for years been incredibly dominant and powerful, but many times he endorses the same people that in the past or even later backstab him and more importantly, his voters. Trump told us in 2016 that we would “win so much, that we are gonna get sick of winning” to the extent that Trump said jovially, that we would call the White House and ask Mike Pence to stop the winning. I am proud of what was accomplished in the Trump White House, but as a Trump Republican, the disappointment of what Trump has become has set in.

As a Trump supporter, I am disappointed with the leader of my party, Donald Trump, the man that I put so much hope in and trust in.

The 2024 election is quite some time away, and things may change, but I think it is time for a new leader of our party who will fight for all the things that the Trump of 2016 fought for. A full primary awaits, but at this point, Ron DeSantis is that leader.

Ron DeSantis has been a leader in so many issues against the establishment on both sides of the aisle, from Covid to education to immigration to even the way he governs. Ron DeSantis clearly has an understanding of the game of power and it would do so much good for the country to get a taste.

Donald Trump will always have a special place in my heart. His candor, humor, and controversies are what make his brand real. Ron DeSantis is his own person with his own style, but as much as we have to hold Trump to account, DeSantis must also be faced with tough questions in the primary. A primary makes the best candidate for the party. It isn’t a coincidence that in 2016 or in 2020, the GOP/Democrat primaries were huge and divisive, but they produced the next presidents of the United States.

The state of our union is in a horrendous mess, despite what Joe Biden says in his address. The country needs a populist, working-class Republican party like the one Trump 2016 fought for. Trump is owed credit for building the foundation, but it’s time to build the building. May the best Ron or Don win!

Sincerely,

Donny Simcha Guttman

Thousands Killed in Earthquake in Turkey

One of the strongest earthquakes to hit the region in a century shook residents from their beds at around 4 a.m. on Monday morning, sending tremors as far away as Lebanon and Israel.

In Turkey, at least 2,921 people were killed and more than 15,800 others injured, according to Turkey’s head of disaster services, Yunus Sezer.

In neighboring Syria, at least 1,451 people have died. According to the Syrian state news agency SANA, 711 people have died across government-controlled areas, mostly in the regions of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia, and Tartus.

The “White Helmets” group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, reported 740 deaths in opposition-controlled areas. Much of northwestern Syria, which borders Turkey, is controlled by anti-government forces amid a bloody civil war that began in 2011.

Every day it seems like the death toll in Monday’s earthquake rises dramatically. As of Tuesday, more than 7,000 people were reported to have been killed after a devastating 7.8-magnitude quake ripped through Turkey and Syria, leaving chaos and destruction on each side of the border.

Since the initial quake, whose epicenter was 23 kilometers (14.2 miles) east of Nurdagi, in Turkey’s Gaziantep province, the surrounding areas felt a series of aftershocks, one of which measured 7.5 in magnitude.

Rescuers are desperately attempting to locate survivors amidst the rubble in the freezing cold. A host of countries have sent aid – including Israel

which sent dozens of rescuers to aid in search and rescue.

After the quake, buildings were still collapsing from the tremors. Famous landmarks were flattened.

Monday’s quake is believed to be the strongest to hit Turkey since 1939, when an earthquake of the same magnitude killed 30,000 people, according to the USGS. Earthquakes of this magnitude are rare, with fewer than five occurring each year on average, anywhere in the world. Seven quakes with magnitude 7.0 or greater have struck Turkey in the past 25 years – but Monday’s is the most powerful.

Entire buildings have been crushed, with metal rods scattered across the streets. Cars have toppled over, while bulldozers work to clear the debris. Gaziantep Castle has been heavily damaged.

In neighboring Syria, the situation appears to be dire. More than 4 million people rely on humanitarian assistance in the region of northwest Syria where the deadly earthquake struck, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The majority of these people are women and children. Along with the devastation from the earthquake, Syrian communities are battling an ongo -

ing cholera outbreak amid a harsh winter with heavy rain and snow over the weekend.

Eyewitnesses in northwest Syria said that the conditions in northwest Syria are “terrifying” in the aftermath of the quake, leaving “entire families dead” and “survivors sleeping on the streets in the freezing cold.”

The quake damaged several archeological sites in Syria, according to Syria’s Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums (DGAM), including Imam Ismail Mosque and the Shmemis Castle in the Hama Governorate, and the 13th century Aleppo Citadel.

Recycling Setback

Despite global efforts to recycle, the world is churning out more plastic waste than ever before.

The second Plastic Waste Makers Index, compiled by the philanthropic Minderoo Foundation, found the world generated 139 million metric tons of single-use plastic waste in 2021 – 6 million metric tons more than in 2019, when the first index was released.

The additional plastic waste littering the planet over those two years is equivalent to one kilogram more per person on the planet.

In recent years, governments around the world have announced policies to reduce the volume of single-use plastic, banning products like single-use straws, disposable cutlery, food containers, cotton swabs, bags and balloons.

In July, California became the first U.S. state to announce its own targets — including a drop of 25% in the sale of plastic packaging by 2032. In December, the UK extended its list of banned items to include single-use trays, balloon sticks and some types of polystyrene cups and food containers. Bans are also in place in the European Union, Australia and India, among other places.

But all these efforts are falling short. And all that extra plastic being pro -

duced will most likely end up in landfills and beaches than recycling plants.

Last year, the United Nations Environment Assembly, the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment, agreed to create the world’s first-ever global plastic pollution treaty.

Elían Gonzalez in Cuban Congress

his post in the 470-seat National Assembly that meets several times a year to discuss proposed laws, which the body usually votes unanimously to approve.

On Thanksgiving Day 1999, González, then six years old, shot to fame after he was rescued from the Florida straits.

His mother and nine other people who were trying to make their way to American waters drowned after their rickety boat capsized in high seas. It seemed miraculous that Elían survived and he was sent to distant relatives in Miami who vowed to keep him in the United States.

Back in Cuba, though, Elían’s father, Juan Miguel, fought to bring the boy home. Cold War politics soon dominated the fight over his custody as Cuban leader Fidel Castro led massive demonstrations on the island demanding Elían’s return.

Elían Gonzalez, the Cuban boy whose custody battle made headlines worldwide and dominated a Cold War narrative two decades ago, has been nominated to serve in the island’s National Assembly. The 29-year-old will be “representing the most worthy of the Cuban youth.”

González’s nomination all but secures

The case became a new flashpoint in the already boiling feud between supporters and opponents of Castro’s revolution.

As the two sides fought out the high-profile case in court, U.S. immigration officials decided to put Elían in the custody of his father, who had traveled to the United States to press for his son’s return. But Elían’s relatives refused to hand him over. Armed federal agents stormed their home in middle of the night and seized the boy.

Rioting broke out in Miami as many in the Cuban-American community reacted angrily to federal agents taking the boy.

Elían was reunited with his father and following more court proceedings – ending with the Supreme Court rejecting the Miami relatives’ efforts to get him back – father and son flew home to Cuba.

Cuba’s government celebrated Elían’s return with a massive demonstration.

For years to follow, he was surrounded by government bodyguards, and said later that they became some of his best friends during his childhood.

Cuban leader Fidel Castro was the guest of honor at Elían’s seventh birthday. Images of Elían and Castro celebrating were first shown on the island’s state-run TV and then transmitted around the world.

“I don’t profess to have any religion, but if I did, my G-d would be Fidel Castro. He is like a ship that knew to take his crew on the right path,” González said in an interview with Cuba’s staterun media in 2013.

González often said Castro was like a second father to him.

A Mobster Making Pizza

After the arrest of Matteo Messina Denaro, 60, police found that, while on the run, Italy’s most wanted mobster had expensive tastes, dressing in designer duds, and favoring expensive perfumes. When he was taken into custody at a clinic in Palermo, Sicily, he was wearing a watch estimated to cost about $35,000, prosecutors later said.

Life on the lam was less glamorous for Edgardo Greco, 63, a lesser-known mobster linked to the Calabrian ’Ndrangheta crime syndicate, who was arrested on Thursday. French police captured him in the early hours in St.-Étienne, a city in east-central France, as he was going to work for his night shift in a pizzeria, where he prepared dough, tomato sauces, and pastas.

Greco had been living in a small apartment in the center of the city. “A modest lifestyle, not glitzy at all,” said Lt. Col. Dario Pini, commander of the Italian carabinieri unit whose investigation led to his arrest.

Greco was convicted in Italy of the 1991 murder of two members of a criminal organization during what prosecutors described as a “mafia war” between competing gangs in the city of Cosenza, in the Calabria region of the country. Greco eluded capture when a warrant for his arrest was issued in 2006, but he was later convicted in absentia. A European arrest warrant was issued in 2014.

Tracking down Greco was not easy, Pini said. Often fugitives give themselves away when they contact close relatives, but Greco was not in touch with his wife and two sons, who live in Austria, or with relatives in Calabria, Pini said.

Investigators got a break late last year when, plumbing the internet for images of people who looked like Greco, they came across two articles. One, from 2014, showed a man whom they matched with Greco “to 95%” accuracy. They also came across a July 2021 interview in a

St.-Étienne newspaper announcing the opening of an Italian restaurant, Caffè Rossini. Its owner, Paolo Dimitrio, said in the interview that his goal was to “create an elaborate Italian cuisine, only with fresh and homemade products.”

Comparing photographs they had of Greco, investigators determined that Dimitrio was, in fact, the fugitive mobster. (Incidentally, Caffè Rossini went under a few months after opening. “COVID didn’t help,” Pini said.)

Armed with the photographs, Italian investigators looped in their French colleagues, and Greco was arrested as he was beginning a shift. (© The New York Times)

Pakistan’s Former Pres. Dies

Pakistan’s former President General Pervez Musharraf died over the weekend

in Dubai; he was 79 years old.

Musharraf had seized power from Prime Minster Nawaz Sharif in a military coup in 1999. He appointed himself president in 2001, while remaining head of the army. He continued to lead Pakistan as president until 2008.

marred by controversy, and he was accused of widespread human rights abuses and oppression.

Musharraf became a key ally of the United States following the 9/11 terror attacks, and he tried to become an indispensable figure in combating Islamic extremism. But his time in power was

In November 2007, Musharraf declared a state of emergency, suspended Pakistan’s constitution, replaced the chief judge, and blacked out independent TV outlets. He said he had to implement those measures to stabilize the country and to fight rising Islamist extremism. But the action drew sharp criticism from the United States and democracy advocates. Pakistanis openly called for his removal.

Under pressure from the West, Musharraf later lifted the state of emergency and called elections, held in February 2008, in which his party fared badly. He stepped down in August 2008. In 2019, he was sentenced to death in absentia for high treason. The ruling was later overturned.

Musharraf had been living in Dubai since March 2016, when Pakistan’s Supreme Court lifted a travel ban, allowing him to leave the country to seek medical treatment there.

S. Korea to Blame for Vietnam War Massacre

This week, a South Korean court ordered the government to pay 30 million won ($24,000) to a Vietnamese woman who survived a gunshot wound but lost several relatives when South Korean marines rampaged through her village during the Vietnam War in 1968.

The Seoul Central District Court dismissed the government’s argument that it was unclear whether South Korean troops were responsible for the slaughter in the village of Phong Nhi in central Vietnam.

The court also rejected the government’s argument that civilian killings were unavoidable because the South Korean troops were dealing with Viet Cong guerrillas who often blended with villagers. The government’s lawyers were also unsuccessful in invoking a statute of limitations.

The ruling for Nguyen Thi Thanh, 62, marks the first time a South Korean court has found the government responsible for mass killings of Vietnamese civilians

during the war and could potentially open the way for similar lawsuits. During the Vietnam War, South Korea was ruled by anti-communist military leaders and sent more than 320,000 troops to Vietnam – the largest foreign contingent fighting alongside U.S. troops.

The South Korean government has never officially acknowledged responsibility for civilian massacres linked to South Korean soldiers in Vietnam, which some experts say were possibly responsi-

ble for thousands of deaths.

According to U.S. military documents and survivors, more than 70 people were killed and around 20 others were injured when South Korean marines allegedly fired at unarmed civilians as they swept through Phong Nhi and the nearby village of Phong Nhut on February 12, 1968. The action came after least one South Korean soldier got struck and injured by nearby enemy fire.

Subsequently, U.S. Marines and

South Vietnamese militia provided medical treatment to villagers who fled as South Korean soldiers continued to shoot inside the villages.

U.S. Marines later entered the villages and found piles of bodies in different areas, many burned or buried in ash. One U.S. soldier took photos which were used as evidence during Thanh’s trial. Thanh, who awaited the ruling in Vietnam, said she was “overjoyed” by her court victory.

“I think that the souls (of those who died in Phong Nhi) were always with me and supported me,” she said in a video message translated by her legal team. “I am overjoyed because I think that the souls can now rest easy.”

Wildfires Sweep Chile

At least 270,000 hectares of land have been consumed by wildfires that have been sweeping through south-central Chile over the past few days. Even more concerning is that at least 26 people have been killed by the forest fires that firefighters are struggling to hold back and which are raging due to the hot and dry weather the country is experiencing.

So far, 2023 is the second worst year in terms of hectares burned after the socalled “fire storm” that hit the country in 2017.

The state National Forestry Corporation reported that as of Monday morning there were 275 active fires, of which 69 were currently in combat.

“Unity to face the tragedy, unity to rebuild ourselves,” President Gabriel Boric wrote on Twitter.

Chile is in the grip of an over decade-long period of dry weather, which the World Meteorological Organization called a “mega drought” last year. The heat wave and strong winds have caused a rapid spread of the flames during the Southern Hemisphere summer season.

Other nations have been sending aid and support to Chile to battle the fires.

The fires have not affected the mining industry in the world’s top copper producing nation, with mines located mostly

in the north of the country, but they have hit Chile’s agricultural and major forestry sector.

Annual Amnesty in Iran

an regime has a “documented history of making lofty declarations about releasing political prisoners and not following through.”

“What we expect is that some will be released while many others, especially prominent political prisoners who’ve been unjustly jailed for years, will remain imprisoned,” Ramsey said.

“This is a PR stunt that has no grounding in reality by a regime that has lost legitimacy amongst its people. The political repression, the imprisonments after sham ‘trials’ led by kangaroo courts, the criminalization of dissent remain,” she continued.

It’s annual amnesty time in Iran and large numbers of prisoners are going to be the beneficiaries of the government’s “largesse.”

The nation said that it will pardon or commute the sentences of thousands of prisoners as part of an annual amnesty, as approved by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

According to semi-official Tasnim, the amnesty does not apply to those sentenced or facing charges of “espionage for outsiders, direct links with the foreign intelligence services, murder or intentional injuries, as well as vandalism or arson attack on governmental, military and public sites” – all charges regularly levied against protesters and foreign nationals imprisoned in Iran.

Referring to protesters, Chief Justice Gholam -Hossein Mohseni -Ejei said, “a number of convicts jailed following the recent riots in Iran had been deceived into wrongdoing under the influence of the enemy’s propaganda campaign” and have “asked for forgiveness,” Tasnim reported.

At least one Iranian human rights organization dismissed the move as “propaganda.”

“The #HypocriticalPardoning of protesters by Khamenei is an act of propaganda. They used their selfright to protest and their arrests and sentences are not justified. Not only should all protesters be released, but in the path of justice, the trials of the perpetrators and agents of repression is also a universal right,” Iran Human Rights said on Twitter.

Similarly, a New York based NGO, the Center for Human Rights (CHRI) in Iran, described the move by Khamenei as a “PR stunt” with “no grounding in reality.”

The deputy director of the CHRI, Jasmin Ramsey, noted that the Irani -

Khamenei made the announcement ahead of the 44th anniversary of the “victory of the Islamic Revolution” marked on February 11. It is customary for Khamenei to grant amnesty to some prisoners to mark this occasion.

Fatal Landslide in Peru

At least eight people were killed and five more are missing after landslides triggered by heavy rains in southern Peru swept through the town of Secocha in Peru on Monday. Twenty other people were injured in the disaster.

Located on the banks of the Ocoña River in Camaná province, Secocha is one of the areas that was suspected to be affected by the swollen river after heavy rains swept through the area.

The government has sent healthcare workers and medications to help with the rescue and recovery. The Peruvian army has also deployed helicopters to the region, transporting humanitarian aid, drinking water and sandbags to the emergency site.

“Search and rescue efforts continue,” the Ministry of Defense said in a tweet that called out misinformation surrounding the landslide. With some media reports setting the death toll as high as 36, the ministry wrote it recommended that members of the public “obtain information from official sources.”

Peru is also being rocked by strikes, which started in December when

then-President Pedro Castillo attempted to dissolve Congress ahead of his third impeachment hearing. The move led Congress to overwhelmingly impeach Castillo, who has since been detained on charges of rebellion and conspiracy.

His former vice president, Dina Boluarte, was sworn in as Peru’s first female president that same day.

The demonstrations against Castillo’s detention have continued for more than two months, with protesters calling for Castillo’s release, Boluarte’s removal, the dissolution of Congress, new elections, and a revised constitution.

Israel Aids in Earthquake Disaster

with the forces there and to try to save lives,” Cohen told the delegation shortly before takeoff.

After landing in Gaziantep, the delegation planned to meet up with an IDF Home Front unit operating nearby and join in their efforts.

The vice president of operations for United Hatzalah, Dovi Maisel, who has taken part in many missions to disaster-stricken sites over the years, stressed to the volunteers the significance of their efforts.

“In the midst of this horrible disaster, you may feel small in such a big event, but believe me that your impact is enormous. This is true for you as individuals, for the organization and for the flag of Israel on your shoulder,” he said.

In addition to the United Hatzalah volunteers, a team from Israel’s national search-and-rescue unit was on the flight, bringing the equipment needed for the delicate, complicated and dangerous work of excavating people from collapsed or collapsing buildings.

A small group from the IsraAID organization, including trauma experts, also traveled to Gaziantep on the United Hatzalah flight with a number of water purification systems. The delegation planned to assess the needs on the ground in order to determine what other help was needed going forward, a member of the group said.

A group of physicians and psychotrauma specialists from Israel flew to southern Turkey on Tuesday to aid in rescue efforts after the devastating earthquake that shook the area and killed thousands of people.

The flight was organized by the United Hatzalah emergency response organization and was scheduled to land in Gaziantep, one of the cities hardest hit by the tremors.

Earlier in the day, a larger delegation of roughly 150 people from the Israel Defense Force’s Home Front Command landed in the city of Adana to begin operations there and in surrounding areas.

The United Hatzalah delegation was led by Yossi Cohen, a reserve officer in the Home Front Command. This was Cohen’s first time leading such a delegation. The other two dozen or so volunteers on the trip also had ample experience in search-and-rescue missions around the world. Many of them took part in rescue operations on the Ukrainian border last year following Russia’s invasion in February, as well as the deadly earthquake in Nepal in 2015.

“Our primary mission is to join up

The earthquake death toll had passed 7,000 people in both Turkey and Syria as of Tuesday afternoon. The toll was expected to rise, as rescue workers searched mounds of wreckage in cities and towns across the area.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel also plans to send aid to Syria, including tents, medication, and blankets. Syrian sources have vigorously denied requesting aid from Israel, and IDF spokesman Ran Kochav told reporters that the military was not involved in potential aid to Syria.

Israel considers Syria a hostile state, and the two do not have diplomatic ties. However, during the neighboring country’s bloody civil war, the IDF carried out a massive humanitarian operation to aid Syrian civilians.

Bibi: We’ll Keep on Building

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a call by the Biden administration to temporarily freeze construction in Judea and Samaria and

halt demolitions of illegal Arab structures in those territories as well as the eastern part of Jerusalem.

However, while Israeli officials stressed that these activities would not be stopped completely, ad hoc concessions would be made.

According to Axios, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the request during his visit to Israel last week, in a bid to de-escalate tensions amid rampant Palestinian terrorism.

Washington reportedly asked that Jerusalem “pause” the actions for several months, and also requested that the Palestinian Authority fully resume security coordination with Israel and postpone any additional steps against it at U.N. institutions and other international bodies.

P.A. chief Mahmoud Abbas announced on January 26 that Ramallah would cease security cooperation following an IDF raid in Jenin in which nine people were killed during fierce clashes.

The decision by Israeli security forces to conduct a large-scale counter-terrorism operation in Jenin during daylight hours was unusual, reflecting the urgent need to prevent a major terror plot from moving ahead.

That plot, according to security sources, involved a Palestinian Islamic Jihad attack against Israelis to be carried out in the immediate future.

In a meeting days later with CIA Director William Burns in Ramallah,

Abbas reportedly relayed a four-part message: 1) Intelligence cooperation with Israel continues; 2) the P.A. will continue to work to prevent acts of terror; 3) security cooperation with Israel will be renewed to calm tensions; and 4) he cannot condemn the recent attacks in Jerusalem as doing so would be “political suicide.”

On Monday, Netanyahu reportedly intervened to delay the demolition of an illegally constructed building in eastern Jerusalem due to American pressure. The large building houses 100 persons and is located in the Wadi Qaddum section of Silwan/Shiloah, an Arab neighborhood in the Israeli capital’s southeast.

The illegal structure has been slated for demolition for years, but the demolition has been put off amid an international outcry.

Axios also reported that during his meeting last week with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, Netanyahu said he would not suspend all building across the Green Line, but that the amount of construction would be “much less” than what is being demanded by various coalition partners.

Earlier this month, the Israeli government asked the Supreme Court for a four-month extension for submitting its response to a ruling demanding the implementation of demolition orders against the illegal Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar.

It was the ninth time the state has requested a postponement.

The legal battle over the issue began in 2009, when Israeli NGO Regavim filed its first petition against what it called “the Palestinian Authority’s flagship outpost in the systematic takeover of Area C” of Judea and Samaria. The encampment is built on state land belonging to the city of Ma’ale Adumim, east of Jerusalem.

While the Supreme Court has rejected the residents’ appeal and upheld lower courts’ rulings ordering Khan al-Ahmar be evacuated, previous governments, including those led by Netanyahu, have asked for and received deferments. (JNS)

A New Community in Israel

Israel, and especially those near the border, have been pummeled over the past 15 years by Palestinian rocket fire.

In 2005, Israel uprooted 8,600 Israelis living across 17 locales in Gaza as part of the Disengagement from the enclave. The Strip was soon thereafter conquered by Hamas in an internecine war waged against the Palestinian Authority’s ruling Fatah faction.

used by the terrorist group to produce and store chemicals used in the missiles’ manufacture.

Twelve additional projectiles were fired from Gaza as Israeli fighter jets conducted the strikes, according to the military. Eleven exploded in open areas or mid-air, and one fell short in the Strip.

power in the eastern Mediterranean. It maintains a significant naval and aerial presence in the Mediterranean and enjoys an historic role in Lebanon. Macron was instrumental in getting the Israel-Lebanon maritime deal done last year, and France has shown signs in recent weeks that it may be working to expand its influence in the region.

Israel’s Cabinet voted on Sunday to establish a new community along the border with the Gaza Strip.

The future town, to be named Hanun, will be located in the Sdot Negev Region and eventually be inhabited by some 500 families.

“The establishment of the community is further evidence of the resilience of the [citizens living in the] ‘Gaza envelope’ and the power of the State of Israel. We’re proud to build up the Land of Israel and we’re proud to strengthen settlement in all parts of our land,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The new community had received preliminary approval back in 2020.

Cities, towns and villages in southern

Since then, Israel has fought four wars against Hamas, in 2008-2009, 2012, 2014 and 2021, along with numerous smaller conflicts including against Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Late on Saturday night, Israeli air defense systems downed an unmanned aerial vehicle over the Gaza Strip.

The IDF did not provide further information regarding the operators of the drone, and notably did not conduct retaliatory strikes against Hamas military assets in the Gaza Strip, which has long been Jerusalem’s policy following rockets attacks and other violations of Israeli territory.

The incident comes after the IDF conducted strikes in Gaza overnight Wednesday in response to an earlier rocket fired by Palestinian terrorists. The IDF said that it struck a Hamas weapons manufacturing site and another facility

Bibi Visits Paris

While Macron met Netanyahu in Paris, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna flew to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. France is a major arms supplier to both countries, with Riyadh becoming the biggest purchaser of French weapons in 2020.

War of Words

Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. Following their meetings, Macron blasted Iran’s “headlong rush” to develop its nuclear program.

Netanyahu urged France to back enhanced sanctions against Iran and to increase deterrence against the Islamic Republic and its proxies during talks with Macron.

Macron noted “that Iranian support for Russian aggression in Ukraine exposes Iran to sanctions and increasing isolation,” according to the Elysee.

The meeting was the first between the two leaders since Netanyahu returned to power late last year.

Before taking off for Paris earlier Thursday, Netanyahu said that the focus of his conversations with Macron would be “our joint efforts to stop Iran’s aggression and its drive toward a nuclear weapon.”

Macron drove the conversation in another direction and pressed Netanyahu on rising violence between Israel and the Palestinians, urging Israel to avoid “any measures that could fuel the spiral of violence,” the palace said.

He also stressed France’s commitment to the “historic status quo at the Holy Places in Jerusalem” and its firm opposition to settlement building.

Macron’s office said before the get-together that the French leader would also “reiterate the need for all sides to avoid measures likely to feed the cycle of violence” between Israelis and Palestinians, while offering “France’s solidarity with Israel in the face of terrorism.”

France – a permanent member of the UN Security Council – is an important

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night harshly criticized what he said was a “growing wave” of threats directed at himself and other officials, after a leader of the anti-government protests appeared to call for his assassination.

“It seemed that all boundaries had been crossed by threats against elected officials and myself, but this is not the case, because we have now heard and seen an explicit threat to murder the prime minister of Israel,” said Netanyahu in a statement.

Netanyahu’s remarks came after former Israeli Air Force pilot Ze’ev Raz wrote on Facebook on Friday, “If a prime minister rises and assumes dictatorial powers, he is a dead man, it’s that simple…. There’s an obligation to kill them.”

Raz, who flew one of the fighter jets that bombed Sadam Hussein’s nuclear reactor in Iraq in 1981, has long been a figurehead in the anti-Netanyahu protest movement.

“I know that there is a debate over what endangers democracy, but this is not something that is subject to dispute – this truly endangers democracy,” said Netanyahu on Saturday.

“I expect the law enforcement and security officials, who spoke out so clearly and sharply during the tenure of the previous government about phenomena that were much less serious, to come out – with the same severity and clarity

– against this. I expect the law enforcement officials to take immediate action against those who are inciting to murder, and I expect the leaders of the opposition to speak out as vigorously and as strongly as I did,” he added.

In response, police said on Saturday night that they had opened a probe into Raz on “suspicion of incitement and threats.”

Raz was questioned by police on Sunday.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said, “I instructed the police to treat incitement that comes from left in the same way as if it came from the right. If a ‘hilltop youth’ [in Judea and Samaria] had written similar or even less serious things than he would have been arrested and placed in a detention center.”

Tens of thousands demonstrated in Tel Aviv on Saturday night for the fifth consecutive week, ostensibly against the government’s judicial reform plan.

The proposal includes changing the way judges are selected so that the Knesset members will have majority say on the Judicial Selection Committee; passing an “override clause,” a law that would give legislators the power to reverse, or “override,” the Supreme Court when it strikes down laws; abolishing the le -

gal justification of “reasonableness” by which the court can cancel Knesset decisions; and empowering ministers to hire and fire their own legal advisers.

Netanyahu has rejected as “baseless” claims by critics that the reforms would mark the end of the country’s democracy, and vowed to implement them “responsibly.”

“The truth is that the balance between the branches of government has been violated over the past two decades. This unusual phenomenon does not exist anywhere else in the world – not in the United States, not in Western Europe and not during Israel’s first 50 years of existence,” said Netanyahu. (JNS)

This is not the first time that China has sent a balloon to check out its nemesis across the ocean. Saturday’s balloon appears to be the fifth Chinese surveillance balloon detected over the continental United States since 2017, according to John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council.

Chinese Spy Balloon

On Saturday, the United States fired a missile to destroy a Chinese surveillance balloon that could be seen flying over the U.S.

Three of those balloons crossed into U.S. territory during the Trump administration, and there was one previously during Joe Biden’s presidency. But each of those incursions “was for brief periods of time, nothing at all like what we saw last week.”

Donald Trump and several of his former intelligence chiefs have disputed the idea that surveillance balloons flew over the U.S. during his presidency, saying they were never briefed about anything like this.

Kirby appeared to confirm this Monday, telling reporters that the three

breaches were only discovered after Trump left office.

“We have reached out to key officials from the previous administration and offered them briefings on the forensics that we did,” said Kirby, and will “walk them through what we learned.”

Kirby also revealed new information about the balloon itself, including that it had propellers.

“This balloon has the ability to maneuver itself, to speed up, or slow down and to turn, so it has propellers ... that allow it to change directions,” he said.

Flying 60,000 feet in the air, he said that the balloon did not have a steering system like a car or a plane.

The balloon itself was massive, about 200 feet tall, and the payload attached to it was similar in size to a regional jetliner, weighing more than 2,000 pounds.

China, on the other hand, has downplayed the balloon, saying that it was an errant weather balloon that had blown off course and then continued blowing off course directly across the entire United States.

The decision to shoot down the balloon was “unacceptable and irresponsible,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said at a news conference in Beijing on Monday.

On Monday, the U.S. military was still gathering debris from the balloon in shallow waters off the Carolina coast.

Republicans have been critical of the Biden administration for not shooting down the balloon earlier in the week. Kirby, in response, said the time during which the balloon floated over the continental United States presented the military and intelligence agencies with “a terrific opportunity” to collect intelligence.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken was set to visit Beijing prior to this incident. That trip has been indefinitely postponed after the episode.

In the coming days, Biden administration officials will deliver a classified briefing on the balloon to members of the so-called Gang of Eight, the Republican and Democratic leaders of both the House and Senate, and the top two members of the Senate and House Intelligence committees.

Ilhan Omar Ousted from Committee

A divided House on Thursday ousted Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., from the Foreign Affairs Committee over past

comments about Israel that were widely condemned as antisemitic. It was a 218211 party-line vote, with one Republican member voting “present.”

Republicans cited six statements that Omar, 40, made while in office that “under the totality of the circumstances, disqualify her from serving on the Committee of Foreign Affairs,” said Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.).

cannot be an objective decision-maker on the Foreign Affairs Committee given her biases against Israel and the Jewish people.”

The committee’s chairman, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), said he supported the resolution, telling reporters that Omar’s “worldview of Israel is so diametrically opposed to the committee’s.”

“I don’t mind having differences of opinion, but this goes beyond that.”

Omar was born in Somalia and is one of two Muslim women in the House. She and other Democrats insist that her ouster has nothing to do with her worldview; instead, they say that Omar was singled out because she was female, Muslim, and a person of color.

In 2021, Omar compared Israel to terrorist organizations like Hamas and the Taliban during a Foreign Affairs Committee hearing and decried America’s Middle Eastern ally as an “apartheid state.”

Omar defended herself on Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” by saying she was unfamiliar with “tropes about Jews and money.”

“I certainly did not or was not aware that the word ‘hypnotized’ was a trope. I wasn’t aware of the fact that there are tropes about Jews and money. That has been a very enlightening part of this journey,” she said.

“All members, both Republicans and Democrats alike who seek to serve on Foreign Affairs, should be held to the highest standard of conduct due to the international sensitivity and national security concerns under the jurisdiction of this committee,” Guest noted.

The actual resolution, proposed by Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio), read: “Omar’s comments have brought dishonor to the House of Representatives. Omar clearly

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DNY) called the vote “an extension” of the “disgusting legacies after 9/11 … the targeting and racism against Muslim Americans throughout the United States of America.”

“When you push power, power pushes back,” Omar said in her final statement before the vote, adding: “My voice will get louder and stronger, and my leadership will be celebrated around the world.”

The vote to remove Omar followed the move by GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to block Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell, both of California, from the House Intelligence Committee — as well as the removal of GOP Reps. Paul Gosar of Arizona and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia from their committees by Democrats in the last Congress.

“When a resolution was brought up to deal with this last time, she [Omar] never apologized,” McCarthy (R-Calif.) told reporters after the vote. “They changed the resolution to say anti-Semitism is wrong.”

“We’re not removing her from other committees,” McCarthy added. “This is nothing like the last Congress where you move somebody from all committees.”

Miller’s resolution cited a tweet by Omar from February 2019 implying that American lawmakers who support Israel were paid by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee — saying it’s “all about the Benjamins” — as well as a statement she made weeks later decrying “the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country.”

The following month, Omar downplayed the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, telling the Council on American-Islamic Relations that the organization was founded because “some people did something and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties.”

U.S. Trade Deficit Rose in 2022

The overall U.S. trade deficit rose 12.2% last year, nearing $1 trillion as Americans continued to purchase record volumes of foreign products, according to data released Tuesday by the Commerce Department.

The goods and services deficit reached $948.1 billion, up $103 billion from the previous year.

Exports of goods and services rose 17.7% to $3 trillion, outpacing the growth of imports, which rose 16.3% to $4 trillion. Exports were buoyed last year by strong growth in U.S. energy shipments abroad after Europe cut many economic ties with Russia, as well as a recovery in the U.S. travel sector following the pandemic.

Trade between the United States and China also continued to grow, despite rising tensions between two of the world’s biggest economies that were further strained last week by the discovery of a Chinese spy balloon flying over the United States.

The United States has been bringing in a smaller share of its imported goods from China in recent years, in part because of tariffs and other restrictions on trade. But overall U.S. trade with China reached a record last year. The U.S. trade deficit with China also grew to $382.9

billion, although it did not surpass previous records.

In December, U.S. exports fell slightly from the previous month to $250.2 billion, reflecting a slowing global economy. Imports edged up to $317.6 billion.

Economists and politicians have varying views about how much the trade deficit matters for the health of the U.S. economy. Some economists point out that the trade deficit tends to grow when the U.S. economy does, and Americans are more able to buy the goods and services they want from abroad. But many also worry that sustained trade deficits can result in lower employment and economic growth in the United States.

Regardless, when the Commerce Department calculates the gross domestic product, its measure of economic growth, it adds exports to the national figures for government and private investment and spending, and subtracts imports.

In the fourth quarter of last year, weak exports of goods weighed on the gross domestic product, even though imports also decreased. (© The New York Times)

NYC Buses Migrants to Canada

But the migrants are taking Canada by surprise.

Quebec immigration minister Christine Fréchette told reporters in Montreal that the development was “surprising.”

She said it highlighted the need to “solve the problem of Roxham Road,” referring to an unofficial border crossing south of Montreal used by thousands of asylum seekers every year.

“I think it makes the urgency of the situation even more apparent,” Fréchette said, adding that Canada and the U.S. were negotiating to update the Safe Third Country Agreement.

helping build the Republican Party in Texas into the dominant political force it is today and for being the man governors went to when they needed to clean up troubled state agencies.

Whittington and others were hunting with Cheney on the sprawling Armstrong Ranch in South Texas on February 11, 2006, when Cheney, while aiming for a bird, struck Whittington, who was 78 at the time. The accident wasn’t publicly reported until the next day when the ranch owner called the local newspaper – the Corpus Christi Caller-Times – and told the paper what had happened.

Not all migrants like the Big Apple. According to NYC Mayor Eric Adams, some migrants who had been bused to New York want to head elsewhere and he is helping them to cross the northern border to Canada.

“Some want to go to Canada, some want to go to warmer states, and we are there for them as they continue to move on with their pursuit of this dream,” Adams said.

According to the New York Post, migrants in New York City are being given free bus tickets to Plattsburgh, NY, about 20 miles south of the Canadian border. From there, they pay taxis and shuttles to take them to Quebec.

The treaty, signed in 2002, requires migrants to make an asylum claim in the first country they enter, whether it is the U.S. or Canada. But it only applies at official border crossings, which Roxham Road is not. This loophole allows the migrants arriving from New York to have their asylum cases heard by Canadian immigration authorities.

New York City has an ongoing migrant crisis, as states on the southern U.S. border bus newly arrived migrants to America’s most populous city.

In a January visit to Texas, Mayor Adams told reporters there was “no room in New York” for the migrants.

Days before, he had released a statement saying his city had welcomed 40,000 asylum seekers since last spring, providing them with food, shelter, and other resources.

“We are at our breaking point,” the statement read. “Based off our projections, we anticipate being unable to continue sheltering arriving asylum seekers on our own and have submitted an emergency mutual aid request to the State of New York.”

Cheney “Target” Dies

Whittington was sprayed with birdshot pellets to his face, neck and chest and suffered a minor heart attack due to a pellet near his heart. When he left the hospital about a week after the accident, he said, “Accidents do and will happen,” and apologized to Cheney, saying he was “deeply sorry for everything” Cheney and his family had to deal with after the incident.

Cheney was criticized for breaking a cardinal rule of hunting – that someone holding a gun should make sure they know what they are firing at before pulling the trigger – and for not immediately going public with what happened.

Of course, Cheney became the butt of many jokes. Speaking with Fox News after the accident, Cheney said it was “one of the worst days of my life at that moment.”

He said that the accident happened after Whittington had stepped out of the hunting party to get a downed bird in deep cover. Although Whittington was dressed properly in orange and the upper part of his body was visible, he was standing in a gully with the sun behind him.

“You can’t blame anybody else,” Cheney said. “I’m the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend.”

Ohio Train Derailment

It’s been seventeen years since he made headlines as the embattled hunting partner of then-Vice President Dick Cheney who was hit by Cheney when the veep hit him instead of a bird he was hunting. This week, Harry Whittington, 95, died.

Whittington was long known for

On Friday night, a train consisting of three locomotives and 150 freight cars that was headed from Illinois to Pennsylvania derailed. About 50 cars left the

tracks, 20 of which carried hazardous materials. The derailment caused a massive fire that has forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes in the immediate vicinity of East Palestine in Ohio.

By Monday, residents of the village were still not able to return to their homes after the controlled release of a toxic chemical from the cars. Officials were draining vinyl chloride, a chemical that they said was unstable and could explode.

Scott Deutsch of Norfolk Southern said that small, shaped charges were being used to blow a small hole in each rail car. The vinyl chloride would then spill into a trench where flares would ignite and burn it away.

Prior to the controlled release on Monday, officials worried the five derailed cars carrying vinyl chloride might hurl toxic fumes into the air and shoot “deadly shrapnel” as far as a mile away.

One rail car in particular had been a focus of concern because its malfunctioning safety valves had prevented the car from releasing the vinyl chloride inside, a Columbiana County Emergency Management Agency official and a Norfolk Southern spokesperson noted.

The evacuation later expanded into

two states. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro had ordered evacuations for a 1-mile-by-2-mile area surrounding East Palestine, a village of about 5,000 people near the Pennsylvania border.

This followed the evacuations that took place just after the massive inferno began Friday night.

Vinyl chloride can make someone pass out or die if they don’t get fresh air. The man-made chemical used to make PVC burns easily at room temperature; can cause dizziness, sleepiness and headaches; and has been linked to an increased risk of cancer in the liver, brain, lungs and blood.

Despite the weekend’s incident, rail travel is recognized as the safest method of transporting hazardous materials in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration.

“The vast majority of hazardous materials shipped by rail tank car every year arrive safely and without incident, and railroads generally have an outstanding record in moving shipments of hazardous materials safely,” the administration said.

Koch Network Will Get Involved in Politics

The only other candidate expected to get into the race soon is Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, whose allies, despite her work as the U.N. ambassador under Trump, have cast her as a change from the past.

It remains to be seen how successful the Koch group will be marshaling resources behind a single candidate, or if Charles Koch will donate significantly himself. But at minimum, the development is the latest indication that traditional aspects of the Republican ecosystem are less fearful of Trump than they had been. (© The New York Times)

The donor network created by billionaire industrialist brothers Charles G. and David H. Koch is preparing to get involved in the presidential primaries in 2024, with the aim of turning “the page on the past” in a thinly veiled rebuke of former President Donald Trump, according to an internal memo.

The network, comprising an array of political and advocacy groups that have been backed by hundreds of ultrawealthy conservatives, has been among the most influential forces in American politics over the past 15 years, spending nearly $500 million supporting Republican candidates and conservative policies in the 2020 election cycle alone. But it has never before supported candidates in presidential primaries.

The potential move against Trump could motivate donors to line up behind another prospective candidate. Thus far, only the former president has entered the race.

The memo went out to the affiliated activists and donors after a weekend conference in Palm Springs, California, where the network’s leaders laid out their goals for the next presidential election cycle. At various sessions, they made clear they planned to get involved in primaries for various offices, and early.

“The Republican Party is nominating bad candidates who are advocating for things that go against core American principles,” the memo declares. “And the American people are rejecting them.” It asserts that Democrats are responding with “policies that also go against our core American principles.”

The memo’s author is Emily Seidel, CEO of the lead nonprofit group in the network, Americans for Prosperity, and an adviser to an affiliated super PAC. But the principles sketched out in the memo are expected to apply to some other groups in the network, which is now known as Stand Together.

Trump’s early entry into the race, in November, has largely frozen the field.

Close Call

Just 100 feet – that’s how close a Southwest passenger jet and a FedEx cargo plane came to each other on Saturday at the main airport in Austin, Texas, before a pilot told Southwest to abort its takeoff.

Controllers at Austin’s international airport had cleared the arriving FedEx Boeing 767 and a departing Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 jet to use the same runway, but the FedEx crew “realized that they were overflying the Southwest plane,” Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said.

The FedEx pilot told the Southwest crew to abort taking off. At the same time, the FedEx plane aborted its landing to help avoid a collision, the Federal Aviation Administration has said.

“I’m very proud of the FedEx flight crew and that pilot,” Homendy said. “They saved, in my view, 128 people from a potential catastrophe.”

The Austin airport is not among the 35 airports nationwide that use Airport Surface Detection Equipment, or ASDE, to notify controllers of potential disasters and to prevent collisions at airports.

The NTSB in 2018 recommended improvements to the technology and has classified the FAA’s handling of the matter as an “acceptable response.”

That system, Homendy said, played a role in preventing a runway collision last month between taxiing and

departing aircraft at New York’s John F. Kennedy airport.

“Air traffic control in this situation can see the FedEx plane on radar. They cannot in Austin see where Southwest is on the ground,” Homendy said.

The Battle of the Robots

Like ChatGPT, which was released publicly in late November by AI research company OpenAI, Bard is built on a large language model. These models are trained on vast troves of data online in order to generate compelling responses to user prompts.

“Bard seeks to combine the breadth of the world’s knowledge with the power, intelligence and creativity of our large language models,” Pichai wrote. “It draws on information from the web to provide fresh, high-quality responses.”

Microsoft, which has confirmed plans to invest billions in OpenAI, has already said it would incorporate the tool into some of its products – and it is rumored to be planning to integrate it into its search engine, Bing.

more, Maryland, the FBI said.

On Monday, Google unveiled a new chatbot tool named “Bard” in an apparent bid to compete with the viral success of ChatGPT.

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and parent company Alphabet, said in a blog post that Bard will be opened up to “trusted testers” starting Monday, with plans to make it available to the public “in the coming weeks.”

Google has been the go-to source for online searching for years. In fact, it has become a verb: “just google it.” But now, observers are saying that Google’s online search is facing its most significant risk in years. In the two months since it launched to the public, ChatGPT has been used to generate essays, stories and song lyrics – and to answer some questions one might previously have searched for on Google.

ChatGPT’s success has forced Google to declare a “code red” for it search business. In a tweet last year, Paul Buchheit, one of the creators of Gmail, forewarned that Google “may be only a year or two away from total disruption” due to the rise of AI.

The underlying technology that supports Bard has been around for some time, though not widely available to the public. Google unveiled its Language Model for Dialogue Applications (or LaMDA) some two years ago and said this week that this technology will power Bard. LaMDA made headlines late last year when a former Google engineer claimed the chatbot was “sentient.” His claims were widely criticized in the AI community.

In the post this week, Google offered the example of a user asking Bard to explain new discoveries made by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in a way that a 9-year-old might find interesting. Bard responds with conversational bullet-points. The first one reads: “In 2023, The JWST spotted a number of galaxies nicknamed ‘green peas.’ They were given this name because they are small, round, and green, like peas.”

Bard can be used to plan a friend’s baby shower, compare two Oscar-nominated movies, or get lunch ideas based on what’s in your fridge, according to the post from Google.

Neo-Nazi Targets Power Grid

“Sara Beth Clendaniel and Brandon Russell conspired to inflict maximum harm on the power grid, a key component of our critical infrastructure,” said Thomas Sobocinski, a special agent of the FBI Baltimore field office.

“Russell provided instructions and location information. He described attacking the power transformers as the greatest thing somebody can do.”

Clendaniels said doing so “would probably permanently completely lay this city to waste,” according to the indictment filed in federal court.

The arrest follows a series of attacks on power substations in various parts of the country. In early January, two men were arrested in the state of Washington after attacks on four power substations using high-powered weapons that knocked out power for around 15,500 homes and businesses in December.

On January 17, another North Carolina power facility was damaged by gunfire.

In February 2022, three men with neo-Nazi ties pleaded guilty in Columbus, Ohio, to plotting to use rifles and explosives to damage power infrastructure in various locations.

In 2021, five men who allegedly had white supremacist beliefs were charged in North Carolina with planning similar attacks.

Monday’s indictment described Atomwaffen as a “violent extremist group” that has targeted racial minorities, the Jewish community, the government, and critical infrastructure.

In recent years, the group changed its name to “National Socialist Order,” the filing said.

Democrats Overhaul Primary Calendar

The co-founder of neo-Nazi group has been arrested after authorities determined that he had set his sights on targeting public electricity facilities.

Brandon Russell, who helped found the notorious Atomwaffen group in 2015, was arrested in Florida. He has previously been in jail for possession of bomb-making materials.

Sarah Beth Clendaniel, a woman he met online, was arrested in Maryland where she had also spent time in prison for armed robbery.

Guided by Russell, Clendaniel had planned to acquire a gun and to attack five electrical substations around Balti-

Upending decades of political tradition, members of the Democratic National Committee voted Saturday to approve a sweeping overhaul of the Democratic primary process, a critical step in President Joe Biden’s effort to transform the way the party picks its presidential nominees.

For years, Democratic nominating contests have begun with the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, a matter of immense pride in those states and a source of political identity for many highly engaged residents.

But amid forceful calls for a calendar that better reflects the racial diversity of the Democratic Party and the country — and after Iowa’s 2020 meltdown led to a major delay in results — Democrats endorsed a proposal that would start the 2024 Democratic presidential primary circuit on February 3 in South Carolina, the state that resuscitated Biden’s once-flailing candidacy. It would be followed by New Hampshire and Nevada on February 6, Georgia on February 13 and then Michigan on February 27.

It’s a calendar that in many ways rewards the racially diverse states that propelled Biden to the presidency in 2020.

But logistical challenges to fully enacting it still remain. And resistance to the proposal has been especially fierce in New Hampshire, where officials have vowed to hold the first primary anyway, whatever the consequences.

New Hampshire, a small state where voters are accustomed to cornering candidates in diners and intimate town hall settings, has long held the first primary as a matter of state law.

The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee has given New Hampshire until early June to work toward meeting the requirements of the calendar, but some Democrats in the state have made clear that their position is not changing.

DNC rules demand consequences for any state that operates outside the committee-approved early lineup. That state would risk losing delegates in the nom-

ination process — New Hampshire, for instance, could go from 32 delegates to 16 should it buck the lineup, which could make delegate-hunting contenders question the time investment.

Georgia Democrats have also received an extension until June to work toward hosting a primary under the new calendar lineup, but they face their own logistical hurdles.

Meantime, Nevada, South Carolina, and Michigan have met the committee’s requirements for holding early primaries, according to a letter from the leaders of the Rules and Bylaws Committee.

(© The New York Times)

Every Dog Has Its Day

World Records said, has broken the nearly century-old record for the oldest dog ever. That was set by Bluey, an Australian cattle-dog who lived 29 years, 5 months between 1910 and 1939.

“Bobi is 30 years 266 days old as of February 1, 2023. He has lived his entire life with the Costa family in the rural village of Conqueiros, in Leiria, Portugal,” the Guinness statement said. “Bobi is a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, which is a breed of livestock guardian dog with an average life expectancy of 12-14 years.”

Bobi’s age isn’t the only miracle of his life. He was one of several puppies born in an outbuilding belonging to the Costa family. But it was decided not to keep them.

“Unfortunately, at that time, it was considered normal by older people who could not have more animals at home...to bury the animals in a hole so that they would not survive,” Leonel Costa explained.

He said his parents quickly removed the puppies but left Bobi behind by mistake.

According to the Costa family, Bobi was never chained or attached to a leash and has always roamed the farmland and forests near the Costa home. The dog has always eaten human food rather than standard dog food.

That’s ruff.

Too Much Food

He added: “I don’t really find it funny yet, but I can laugh with people a little bit. It’s a lot of money and it kind of came out of nowhere.”

Mason ordered jumbo shrimp, salads, shawarma and chicken pita sandwiches, chili cheese fries and other foods that one Grubhub driver after another delivered to their Chesterfield Township home.

In fact, Chase sent Keith a fraud alert declining a $439 order from Happy’s Pizza, although a $183 order of jumbo shrimp went through.

For now, the family’s refrigerator is bursting with grub. The family also invited some neighbors to share in the bounty.

The biggest lesson of it all? Don’t let your kid play on your phone when you’re not around.

Smell That?

Every dog has its day, and this animal sure has a lot of them.

Bobi is now the world’s oldest dog ever, with an age of 30 years and 266 days old.

The Portuguese canine nabbed the record from a 23-year-old dog named Spike who was crowned the world’s oldest living dog in January.

Even more than that, Bobi, Guinness

A Michigan family is going to be eating well over the next few days after their six-year-old did the food ordering without considering the costs.

Mason Stonehouse was playing on his father’s phone on Saturday night before going to bed. But instead of playing a game, Mason unwittingly ordered loads of food from the Grubhub account on his father’s phone, amassing $1,000 worth of food to their home.

Keith, Mason’s dad, did not realize what had happened until the doorbell started ringing.

“This was like something out of a ‘Saturday Night Live’ skit,” Keith quipped.

The sweet smell of green chile roasting on an open flame could best describe fall in New Mexico. Now, one state lawmaker says it’s time for everyone to wake up and smell the chile.

Sen. Bill Soules and other lawmakers want to make the aroma the official state smell.

The state’s official question is “red or green.” Chile is one of the state’s official vegetables. The aroma could just be the next step in cementing this adoring relationship.

New Mexico produced more than 60% of the U.S. chile pepper crop in 2021 and is home to Hatch, an agricultural village known as the chile capital of the world for the unique red and green peppers it has turned out for generations. The famous crop is also used in powders, sauces and salsas that are shipped worldwide.

Legislation recognizing roasted chile as the official aroma passed its first committee on Tuesday, and supporters say it’s not likely to fire up much debate — other than lawmakers sharing their own stories about how they can’t go a day without eating it, from red chile lattes to smothered breakfast burritos to plates of enchiladas and tamales infused with the peppers. Makes “scents.”

Around the Community

Tu B’Shvat at Gesher

On Monday, February 6, Yeshivath Gesher held their annual Tu B’Shvat celebration, honoring the mothers and grandmothers of the Gesher family. To commemorate this special event, grandmothers and mothers joined their children for an exquisite Tu B’Shvat art display, where each class created beautiful masterpieces using different modalities of art. Families then had opportunities to engage in interactive projects together, all centered around fruit, flowers, and the shivas haminim. Some of the sta -

tions included: A taste test of the shivas haminim, bead making, photo booth/ picture frames, a raffle, and (a personal favorite!) opportunities for children to make their own edible fflowerpotsand edible trees.

In preparation for this event, each family had an opportunity to fill out an individualized family tree, including family photographs. The family trees were on magnificent display alongside the art show, perfectly tying together the underlying theme of trees, family roots and Tu B’Shvat. The roots and

legacies of our parents are the bedrock of our Gesher family, which b’ezras Hashem, with care and cultivation, will be future seeds for the growth of our children.

“Ilan Ilan ba’ma avarechecha…” Our bracha to our Gesher families is that as your children continue to blossom and develop, they will grow upward and outward from their family roots and continue to carry the lasting legacies of their parents and grandparents. It is truly special when teachers, parents, and grandparents are able to share in

this family nachas together!

We want to thank the parent committee for helping to spearhead this event and making sure that every detail was attended to. Special thanks to the Mench, Reigal, Greenblott, Nathanson, Rosenblatt, and Schreier families. Additionally, we would like to thank Janet Spector for sponsoring this event.

Also, a very special thanks to Morah Shoshy Schmukler, whose artistic talent and inimitable style gave the event a memorable aesthetic and heartwarming touch.

Referendum to Sell the Lawrence #5 School

By Chaia Frishman

For over 22 years, Shulamith School for Girls has been an institution that anchors our community. Educating young women from preschool through high school, Shulamith is responsible for creating mainstays of our community, boasting alumni that continue to give to the next generation of the Five Towns and beyond.

With over 700 students and growing, finding a school space for these girls has never been simple. Yet mediocrity was never an option. Until eight years ago, the school had been renting in multiple locations throughout the Five Towns. Thankfully, District 15 had decided to rent out the #5 School, and for the first time, the entire elementary school was able to be under one roof. The school has paid over $600,000 a year in rent and has been

lovingly cared for by Shulamith all these years. Any renovations have been the responsibility of Shulamith, and they have maintained the beauty of the school both inside and out and have made many enhancements at their own expense.

Two years ago, the Lawrence School District announced that they were going to sell the Number 5 School because of changes in demographic. They wanted to use the proceeds from the sale, coupled with money acquired through Sandy relief, to service the other public schools in the district. While it would seem obvious to offer the building to its eager current tenants, regulations require that the sale go through proper procedures, and a listing agent was hired, who had multiple inquiries to purchase the building. There are district rules and regulations. A public school building can’t just be sold to the highest bidder. The decision needs

to be voted on and go to a referendum, which is being held from 7AM-10 PM on Thursday, February 16 at Lawrence High School at 2 Reilly Rd in Lawrence, NY. All District 15 residents are encouraged to go out to vote.

It cannot be emphasized enough. The alternative to Shulamith buying this building is deeply concerning. There is talk that instead of Shulamith getting the deal, the sale might go to a property developer. This has posed a real threat to the home of our precious daughters and the entire community. Do we really need another luxury apartment complex? Our priorities must lie with the future leaders of our community. Being that the sale of the building to Shulamith is not definite, we implore every member of the community, Shulamith parents and our neighborhood friends and supporters who are District 15 residents, to come out in

droves and vote!

Shulamith has always been a good neighbor to all the surrounding homes of the school. So much is riding on the result of this sale, and a positive outcome will only come with the collective efforts of our community. Please be part of the solution and encourage your friends and family in District 15 to come out on February 16th and choose Shulamith, choose our future,by voting in the referendum at Lawrence High School, 2 Reilly Rd, between 7 am and 10 pm.

The talmidos of the Ganger Early Childhood of TAG enjoyed making delicious projects with fruits in honor of Tu B’Shvat.

The Yeshiva Darchei Torah Middle School is working on their current “middah of the month,” Yiras Shamayim. Rav Pinchas Daniel Weinberger, rav of Bais Tefila of Inwood, Rosh HaYeshiva of Nishmas HaTorah and a Darchei Torah parent, addressed the boys after Shacharis this week.

Talmidos celebrating Tu B’Shvat at Shulamith

Around the Community

JSL Week 4 Recap

Week 4 of the JSL season by FM Home Loans in the books! There were some great plays, amazing finishes, and loads of fun. The regular season is heating up and the competition is fierce. This week Basketball MVPs were awarded special JSL/FM Home Loans mini basketball hoops!

JSL Juniors

K/P Hockey: Home & Stone jumped out to an early 3-1 lead, but Gourmet Glatt stormed back, scoring 3 straight goals. Home & Stone tied it up late and then with 10 seconds left in the game Jack Mirzoeff scored the game-winner to give Home & Stone the victory!

K/P Soccer: Shua Sod of ARG played an amazing game Sunday, scoring the game winning goal to win 3-2! Ariel Stefansky made some incredible saves for Future Care Consultants

1st Grade Hockey: 4 Seasons jumped out to a big lead early on but ARG came back to tie it at 4 apiece. However, ARG was able to hold on for the 8-6 victory. Island Roofing scored early and often Sunday. They jumped out to a 5 to 1 lead and never looked back. They went on to win 10 to 4 against Built by Nate.

Basketball

3rd/4th: Judah Hess of Built by Nate was ice-cold from deep Sunday, scoring multiple shots to give his team the 20-10 victory. Dov Cohen played aggressively, helping Town Appliance beat Island Roofing 13 to 8. Joey Malkin had an amazing steal leading to a fast break layup. ARG beat Posh Home + Bath 23 to 14.

5th-7th: Shane Obadiah had 15 points in Five Towns Orthodontics win on Sunday! Yakov Levine made some incredible tough finishes to the basket to lead Wieder Orthodontics to a 33-18 victory over Molly’s Jewelers.

Hockey

2nd/3rd: JNT put on an offensive clinic in the 3rd period, winning 9-4 against Elegant Lawns. Dovid Schwadel scored a HAT TRICK for Elegant Lawns. Meat + Board and Alpert Financial battled it out with some amazing defenses & great goaltending with Meat + Board pulling ahead to win 3-1! 5 Towns Orthodontics clung on to a 2 to1 lead late into the 3rd, and went on to get 2 insurance goals by well executed team passing to seal the deal and take the 4 to 1 victory over Moldpro.

4th/5th: The last game of the day was an epic one! 5 Towns Orthodontics had the lead for most of the game and had a commanding 7-4 lead with 6 minutes left to go. However, Posh Home + Bath, led by JSL Superstar Gavriel Levine, scored 4 straight goals to give Posh the 8-7 victory. Marciano jumped out to an early 4 to 1 lead, but in the 3rd period, Netanel Kirschner scored 4 straight goals in under a minute to take the lead for good, sealing the victory for Autoclick 7 to 5 over Marciano.

6th-8th: Bayrock Insurance scored early and often Monday night, as they remain undefeated on the season. JNT blew things open late in the game versus Wieder Orthodontics to win 7-3!

Game Of The Week

925 Sterling & Town Appliance battled it out for 1st place, and what a game it was! 925 Sterling was down 4 to 2 with under 5 minutes to go in the game when they scored two goals, including an incredible side shot to tie it with about a minute left sending the game to OT! Town Appliance won the shootout to remain undefeated and claimed the top spot in the division.

Game MVPS

Balter, Yitz; Mirzoeff, Jack; Sod, Joshua; Malkin, Joseph; Hess, Judah; Obadiah, Shane; Levine, Yaakov Noam; Schaffran, Yoni; Eis, Mordechai; Levine, Gavriel Zev; Kirschner, Netanel; Alishaev, Elli

HALB Celebrates Tu B’Shvat

On Monday, children from 3-year nursery in Lev Chana through 8th grade in HALB celebrated

Tu B’Shvat. Whether they tasted dried fruits, planted seeds, or baked cookies, they got to enjoy the excitement of the

holiday. Thank you to the Ivrit teachers for making it such a fun and memorable day!

Chai Lifeline Names Drs. Scott Moerdler and Joe Oved as New Co-Medical Directors of Camp Simcha

Following a nationwide search, Chai Lifeline, the leading children’s health support network, is pleased to announce the appointment of Drs. Scott Moerdler and Joe Oved as the new Co-Medical Directors of Camp Simcha, Chai Lifeline’s world-renowned summer program for children with cancer and other blood disorders.

“Drs. Moerdler and Oved are both highly qualified and experienced pediatric oncologists who share a commitment to the mission of Chai Lifeline,” said Rabbi Simcha Scholar, CEO of Chai Lifeline. “We are confident that under their leadership, Camp Simcha will continue to provide the highest level of medical care and support to our campers and look forward to the positive impact they will have on our children and families.”

Drs. Moerdler and Oved are no

On Monday, February 6, 500 people came to school after hours to attend HAFTR’s Tu B’Shvat Family Learning Night. The night kicked off in HAFTR’s Hawk’s Nest with pizza, French fries and self-guided family learning on the topic of making brachot. It was heartwarming to see children learning vibrantly with their parents.

Around 7 p.m. everyone made a Bracha Achrona together, led by a group of HAFTR students. Attendees were each given a beautiful HAFTR Al Hamichya card dedicated in loving memory of Irving Braun, z”l.

The crowd then moved to the lower school gym to celebrate a Siyum for

strangers to Camp Simcha, having both previously served as members of Camp Simcha’s medical team. Dr. Moerdler, of Riverdale, NY, serves as a pediatric hematologist-oncologist at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, and is a former Camp Simcha counselor, division head, and assistant head counselor. Dr. Oved, of Allenhurst, NJ, serves as a pediatric hematologist-oncologist and bone marrow transplanter at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Drs. Moerdler and Oved succeed Drs. Peter and Laurel Steinherz, who have led Camp Simcha’s medical program since its inception.

“We express our sincerest appreciation and hakaras hatov to the Steinherzes, the founding medical directors of Camp Simcha, for their decades of leadership and dedication to our children,” said

finishing Sefrei Shemot and Vayikra. Rabbi Asher Klein sang and played on his guitar, while lower school students started up some impromptu simcha dancing with boys dancing with HAFTR Principal, Josh Gold, and girls dancing with HAFTR Lower School Assistant Principal, Tova Zucker. After the Siyum, all 500 guests played a game of Panoply to put their brachot knowledge to the test. At the end of the game, Rabbi Klein walked the audience through the answers to each question, encouraging them to shout out the right response. It was beautiful to see so many people, young and old alike, shouting out the names of brachot belonging to each type

Rabbi Scholar. Camp Simcha has been providing life-changing experiences to children and teens with serious illnesses and their families for over 30 years. The program offers a safe, nurturing, and fun environment for children to be children, while receiv-

ing top-notch medical care and support. To learn more or to make a donation, visit www.campsimcha.org.

of food.

The night finished off with prizes and a raffle. Families left inspired and happy.

The event exemplified HAFTR’s commitment to fostering a love of Torah among the community.

The children at HALB Lev Chana had a super fun time shopping at Seasons for items beginning with the letter S

Bat Mitzvah Chessed Projects at HANC

The Bat Mitzvah season in HANC’s Elementary School in West Hempstead began with two extraordinary chessed projects that stemmed from personal experiences.

When someone she was close to was undergoing treatment for cancer, Leah Haar noticed that the hospital blankets felt uncomfortable to her. Someone then bought her acquaintance a “Comfy,” which is a big sweater made of soft, microfiber material. This made all the difference, and she wore it every day when she went to the hospital for treatment. At that moment, the idea for Leah’s Bat Mitzvah project was hatched. If Leah could raise money, she could donate Comfy sweaters to all the other children in the hospital so they could be more comfortable when they went for their treatments. With tremendous determination, Leah began taking on babysitting jobs and started a GOFUNDME page to raise

money. When Leah had raised enough to purchase one hundred Comfy sweaters, she presented them to Cohen’s Children’s Hospital, where they were rapidly distributed. She continued raising money and had raised enough for almost another hundred sweaters. When the owner of the company heard about her project, he not only provided her with the remaining sweaters to fulfill the order but also sent her an additional hundred sweaters to give out to the children battling cancer. The owner was so impressed with her efforts, he arranged for a Zoom meeting and told her that he not only wants to fly out from Arizona to meet her in person, but he wants to get involved and publicize her project as well.

Chloe Hamada chose to do a project in honor of a family she is close to who lost their baby shortly after his birth. Chloe invited her classmates to her home, and together, they assem-

A Busy Week at YCQ

The YCQ Debate Team took home three awards at a competition on the topic of government funding for college education hosted by YCQ at the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills. Michael Zavulun and Elianah Aminova were the First Place Team, Michael was also awarded Second Place Speaker, and YCQ was the second place school overall.

Coach Mr. Miles Ehrenkranz remarked, “This win marks yet another successful accolade for YCQ’s debate team, as they follow up on last year’s impressive victory.” Coach Ehrenkranz praised the team members for their hard work and dedication, noting, “Tuesday’s results demonstrate the immense talent and dedication that this team embodies. I am so proud to coach this team, and the results are the reward of their hard work and effort.”

The debate team’s successes have been a source of pride for YCQ, and this recent tournament victory cements their

bled mini bags with beanie hats, socks, teddy bears and stuffed hearts. Each bag included a personalized note with a motivational message, welcoming the babies into the world and letting them know they are loved. Chloe invited her rabbi, Rabbi Elon Soniker of Congregation Anshei Shalom, to give a D’var Torah for this special occasion. Chloe decided to personally deliver the bags to Mercy Hospital’s Neonatal NICU for the babies who are there, to send messages of love and encouragement. She met some of the

Debate Team Wins Big

reputation for excellence in the debate circuit. The team will undoubtedly continue to be a formidable opponent for any school that dares to challenge them.

On Thursday, February 2, YCQ, in partnership with Teach NYS, welcomed State Senator Leroy Comrie who visited and toured the school.

Due to recent redistricting in the state senate, Senator Leroy Comrie now represents Kew Gardens Hills and YCQ. The Senator has been in office since 2015 and previously served as a member of NYC Council from 2002-2013.

As a proud member school of Teach NYS, YCQ has benefited tremendously from their ongoing legislative efforts and program support in many areas. YCQ is grateful to Teach NYS and Senator Comrie for all their support.

Sounds of Torah can be heard throughout YCQ long after school is dismissed. In addition to the Mishmar programs that happen each week, a group of

approximately 20 JHS boys meet every Monday night with Rabbi Ophie Nat to learn Mishnayot. After eating dinner, students learn b’chavrusa amongst each other, and then Rabbi Nat concludes the evening with a shiur.

The special club is by invitation only. Students are chosen by Rabbi Landsman and their rebbeim from the previous year, and learn completely l’shmah, without any external incentives. This year, students are learning Mesechet Bava Metzia. The program functions in a 3-year cycle, learning Bava Kama, Bava Metzia, and Bava Batra. Students who join in 6th grade will complete and master the three masechtot by the time they graduate.

There is a major siyum at the end of the year where parents are invited to “shep nachas” from their boys. Each student presents a Mishnah and when the evening has concluded, the entire masechet has been summarized.

Rabbi Nat noted how Rabbi Lands -

NICU doctors, and when the nurses saw the bags, they were thrilled. Each bag was then presented to parents who had babies in the NICU. This tremendous act of kindness and thoughtfulness helped raise the spirit of those families, and the entire project was dedicated in memory of the precious neshama of the baby who passed all too soon.

HANC is so proud of the girls for their sensitivity and creativity in bringing comfort and hope to others who are experiencing difficulties in their lives. May they continue to bring nechama to others and find even more opportunities to do acts of chessed.

man believes that the shiur and group of young men are the crown jewels of our after-school programs, and it wouldn’t surprise him if these boys go on to being great rabbanim, leaders, and even gedolim in our community.

Of course, Rabbi Nat wholeheartedly agrees with this sentiment. “Personally, it’s a great zechus for me to be the one chosen to lead this incredible group of young men. I’m so proud of everything they have accomplished,” he said.

Rabbi Avrohom Kleinkaufman, shlita, farhered the fifth grade talmidim at Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island

This past Monday, Tu B’Shvat, the talmidim of Siach Yitzchok heard divrei Torah from the Menahel, sang a few niggunim, and then walked to the Menahel to receive a fruit.

OU EVP Rabbi Moshe Hauer Meets with President Isaac Herzog

Orthodox Union (OU) Executive Vice President Rabbi Moshe Hauer and OU Israel’s leadership recently met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog where they discussed the need for increased unity between the State of Israel and American Jewry.

The meeting, which took place on January 22 at President Herzog’s official residence in Jerusalem, also included OU Israel President Stuart Hershkowitz and OU Israel Executive Director Rabbi Avi Berman.

Rabbi Hauer affirmed President Herzog’s potential to increase unity amid increasing tensions between Israel and some American Jews, which are exacerbated by factors such as misinformation about the state of Israel and the Israeli government. He also noted the need for more dialogue, listening and inclusion.

President Herzog shared his familiarity with the OU’s myriad initiatives in Israel and internationally that lend assistance to a wide range of the Israeli population.

OU Israel offers programs such as The Pearl and Harold Jacobs Zula Outreach Center (The Zula) in Jerusalem, which provides emotional assistance and direction for at-risk teenagers; Jack E. Gindi Oraita clubs, a network of 20 youth centers in development towns across the country; and OU-JLIC, which enhances Jewish life on campus at Reichman, Tel Aviv, and Bar-Ilan universities.

At the meeting, President Herzog praised the OU for its contributions to education and its help in building Jewish identity. The OU’s support, the president added, helps enhance his country’s efforts to continue fostering dialogue and unity between Israel and the United States.

The OU delegates thanked the president for his work on behalf of the Jewish people, and President Herzog presented Rabbi Hauer with a book written by the president’s grandfather, Rabbi Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog. Inside the book, “Heichal Yitzchak,” the president inscribed a note

stating the gift was a mark of friendship and appreciation. Rabbi Hauer was the first person to receive the newly printed book.

GrowTorah Gardens Sprout at Moshava Ba’ir Day Camps Across the Country

Gardens may grow inch by inch and row by row, but, for the first time this summer, Moshava Ba’ir day camps will “turnip the volume” by launching GrowTorah gardens at 5 of its summer day camps, including a new garden at the new Moshava Ba’ir Long Island on the HANC Uniondale campus. What better way to celebrate Tu B’Shvat this past week than with the new partnership underway.

GrowTorah creates gardens in cooperation with Jewish organizations to help children explore Torah lessons and Jewish values connected to nature and land stewardship. Learning Torah in the garden helps children dig into the complex relationships between humans, their fellow creatures, and the earth, fostering new and personal connections through hands-on experiential learning, and delicious vegetables they’ve grown themselves.

“Integral to our movement’s mission is to create experiential education that connects our campers and staff to Torah v'Avodah in new ways,” said Rav Shaul Feldman, Executive Director of Bnei Akiva of the US & Canada and founder

of the Moshava Ba’ir day camp network. “Agriculture is an integral component of Bnei Akiva’s founding mission – part of our slogan and even embedded into our semel [logo], and this is a really special opportunity to have our campers experience it first-hand in a tangible way.”

At each Moshava Ba’ir, GrowTorah will train a local staff member to be the GrowTorah educator, teaching them gardening skills and providing curriculum resources for garden lessons about the upcoming parasha and camp-wide tochnit (educational theme), based on what’s growing in the garden.

If this sounds like a dream job, GrowTorah is recruiting for this summer: young adults interested in working as the Moshava Ba’ir garden educators should apply to their camp of choice and note that they’re interested in working specifically as the GrowTorah educator.

A special component of this program will be that each GrowTorah Educator will participate in GrowTorah “Inchwormship.” The Inchwormship will help develop a professional pipeline by training and supporting experiential Torah educators in more communities who

have the resources to teach about Jewish values through an environmental lens.

Bringing GrowTorah gardens to the Bnei Akiva summer camps is like coming full circle for Yosef Gillers, founder and co-executive director of GrowTorah. Gillers grew up in Bnei Akiva camps from a young age and worked at multiple Jewish summer camps across North America before launching GrowTorah. The first GrowTorah garden began at Moshava Ba’Ir in Paramus, New Jersey, in 2014 as a pilot program, and the organization grew from there. This will be the first summer that GrowTorah will have gardens across the rest of Moshava Ba’ir summer camps, bringing the garden experience to the wider Bnei Akiva community.

"We absolutely love working with Moshava Ba'ir and the whole Bnei Akiva family,” said Gillers. “It's truly an extension of GrowTorah. Our missions align seamlessly, and this partnership makes perfect sense. It brings us into new communities and deepens our impact in communities where we're already planted."

Last year, GrowTorah gardens donated hundreds of pounds of produce to local food banks. This summer, with

new gardens popping up at all Bnei Akiva day camps, that number is expected to increase even further, with baskets of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and beans set to nourish hundreds of people in the community. And kids across the US & Canada at Bnei Akiva day camps will get a chance to dig into the earth and uncover new ways to learn Jewish values, one garden at a thyme.

Pheffer Amato Joins New York State Education Committee

YSZ HS Girls Participate in CIJE Hackathon

Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer

Amato (D-South Queens) was appointed to the New York State Assembly Committee on Education and is known for being a firm advocate for parents in for public and non-public schools and has often spoken out on the importance of school choice.

Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato is a mother of two public school graduates and served as the Parent Association President at her children’s school. In addition, the Assemblywoman worked for the NYC Board of Education as a paraprofessional for several years. During her time as a legislator, she has led the charge to stand up for non-public schools on all fronts. Last year, she successfully negotiated funding to non-public schools throughout the State of New York that granted a historic $58 million for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) curriculum.

With the start of the new legislative session, Speaker Carl Heastie announced the appointment of Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato to the New York State Assembly Committee on Education.

“I’m honored by this appointment and graciously thank the Speaker. Through this Committee I will bring the voice of my constituents forward and will only further work to ensure that public and non-public schools have an ally. I will stand up for our schools, public and non-public, and work to create the best educational opportunities for the children of our State,” said Pheffer Amato.

Rabbi Yeruchim Silber of Agudath Israel said, “Assemblymember Pheffer Amato has proven to be one of the best friends of the Yeshiva community in Albany. We are confident she will be a powerful voice on the Education Committee advocating for all students including yeshiva students.”

Gan Chamesh Tu B’Shvat Fair

The children at Gan Chamesh enjoyed a natural, beautiful experience at the Tu B’Shvat fair this week. The hands-on experience helped them gain a deeper appreciation of Hashem’s natural world.

Yeshiva Sha’arei Zion High School for Girls competed in an intense day of problem solving, coding, engineering, and marketing challenges at the CIJE Tech’s annual Hackathon. The competition challenged students to plan a solution to address a problem faced by poverty-stricken villages in Africa. The girls chose to focus on water supply and created two distinct companies: Water Waze and UV Clean.

Freshman contestants created UV Clean, a company that would create UV clean stations near water supplies to purify water, while sophomore students created the company Water Waze that would transport water from clean water sources via rovers or drones to people’s homes using GPS technology.

The girls built and coded their first prototype and presented it to the audience. They also created a brand and logo for marketing. The girls explained why their product could help the lives of people in need. Students remarked about how this program challenged them to think deeply about others and appreciate their lives that are filled with such privilege.

Leanna Kataev, the spokesperson for Team Water Waze, remarked, “I take my

morning routine for granted. I use water to brush my teeth, wash my face, and make a cup of coffee. There are teenage girls in this world who need to trek hours and carry real weight just to bring home water to their families.”

Reena Suionov echoed that sentiment, adding, “The day gave me an opportunity to appreciate what I have and the power of my friends. Each of us contributed differently to the team. Some of us worked on the marketing and message, while others worked on the engineering and prototyping.”

Captain Naomi Mordukhayev remarked, “I learned how important it was to strategize about what role everyone should play on the team. We truly harnessed each other’s strengths to work together.”

Reena chimed in, “It’s amazing what we were able to create as a team in six hours of focused work!”

Daniela Ibragimov shared, “We may have left the school building, but we certainly spent the day learning! We were challenged to think on our feet, research a problem, plan for solutions and work on public speaking. This was real life learning.”

The

Five Towns Premier Rehab and Nursing Center “Go Red Day”

The Five Towns Premier Rehabilitation and Nursing Center hosted a special Go Red Day on Friday, February 3, promoting education on health and prevention of cardiovascular disease in women. Employees, families, and residents dressed in red to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease, which is the number one killer in women.

Go Red Day is designed to be a catalyst for change. Join us at the Five Towns Premier to make healthy lifestyles today that lead to healthy tomorrows.

If you would more information about the Five Towns Premier, please call our admission department at (516) 3749300.

Tu B’Shvat at BYAM

Excitement was blooming in BYAM preschool this past Monday. In honor of Tu B’Shvat, our

youngest grades were treated to a Shivas Haminim carnival. Each one of the Shivas Haminim had correspond -

ing activities for the girls to participate in a hands-on, exciting and relevant way. The dried fruit chocolate

dip at the end was by far everyone’s favorite activity!

Mesivta Ateres Yaakov Annual Dinner: “Reaching New Heights”

Mesivta Ateres Yaakov will celebrate its annual dinner on Wednesday, February 15 at The Sands of Atlantic Beach beginning at 7:00 PM. The entire community is encouraged to participate in this important annual event and pay tribute to the Mesivta, its hanhalla, rabbeim and faculty, as well its distinguished honorees. This year, the Mesivta is honoring Mr. & Mrs. Hudi and Orit Newman as Guests of Honor, Mr. & Mrs. Moishie & Ruchie Bergstein as Parents of the Year, Mr. Gene Sullivan and Mr. Charles Marchica of Bank United as Visionary Partners, and they will be celebrating the 10 year reunion of the graduating class of 2013.

MAY’s reputation as a premier makom Torah in the Five Towns community is recognized throughout the greater Jewish community. MAY has perfected its signature blending of a serious, demanding Limudei Kodesh curriculum with a rigorous, challenging General Studies program, while enveloping students in a warm, caring environment and yet always striving to “Reach New Heights” year after year. Each talmid is embraced by the Mesivta from the moment he enters with a steadfast commitment to his personal growth, academic success and simchas hachaim. Every talmid becomes acutely aware of this relationship between him and his Mesivta and realizes that this relationship does not end after four years of high school. “Rabbeim for Life. Education for Life. Torah for Life.”

Guests of Honor: Mr.& Mrs. Hudi and Orit Newman Hudi and Orit, beloved members of the Kew Gardens Hills community, are most known for their incredible warmth and love of helping others. Their love for their family and Yiddishkeit ex-

tends well past the doors of their home. They are parents of two MAY talmidim – Eitan (Class of ‘20) and Gabi (Class of ’23) – and also parents of Tamar who is currently in Meohr seminary, Avishai (HANC), Noam (Tiferes Moshe), and Odele (Shulamith). Hudi is in healthcare and was a member of Hatzlah of Queens. He is quietly involved in numerous charities and gives his heart to them all as well as his time. He is an active member of the Young Israel of Queens Valley and learns the Daf daily with Rabbi Stefansky. Orit is the heart of their home and spends her days giving to her family and friends. She shares her time out of the house with parents of children who are ill and shares of herself to support anyone who is going through a difficult time. Hudi and Orit are passionate about their children’s success, both in yeshiva and beyond, and are active supporters of Mesivta Ateres Yaakov and its mission. They are dedicating their honor at the MAY dinner to the recent loss of Hudi’s beloved mother, Mrs. Pearl Newman, a”h.

Parents of the Year: Mr. & Mrs. Moishie and Ruchie Bergstein

Moishie and Ruchie are role models for their children and their peers alike. They are dedicated to the growth of their children and very proud parents of three MAY students, Shmuley (Class of ’23), Nati (Class of ’23) and Shimee (Class of ‘19) who is currently learning in Rabbi

Senter’s yeshiva in Israel. Their home is filled with kindness and chessed and are dedicated to their children’s success. Moishie is the president of Metronome Energy, is an active member of his shul, and is known for his easy and warm character. Ruchie is a proud mother of four who puts her all into her family and is an active member of the Five Towns community at large. The Bergsteins are known for their mentchlechkeit, who are raising their children to be upstanding members of the community. Their love of chessed and Yiddishkeit is felt by all, and people are naturally drawn to them.

Visionary Partners: Mr. Gene Sullivan and Mr. Charles Marchica of Bank United

The Mesivta’s partnership with Bank United began in late 2017 during the construction of its new expansion project. Gene and Charles were invited down to

the Mesivta for a site visit, and after a heartfelt conversation with Rabbi Yaffe, a partnership for a bright future for Mesivta Ateres Yaakov was formed. The success of the project was largely in part because of two dedicated individuals who share our vision and wholly support our efforts to reach new heights.

Celebrating the Class of 2013

The graduating class of 2013 epitomizes the values and hashkafa of Mesivta Ateres Yaakov. A decade later, they are involved in successful careers in the professions of their choice. Doctors, lawyers, accountants and businessmen together with mechanchim and other klei kodesh round out the diversity of this particular class. Many are married and have started families. While some have moved to other communities, their feelings of closeness and connection to the Mesivta remain.

The Mesivta takes pride in the successes of the class of 2013 and are honored to be celebrating their 10 year reunion at this year’s dinner.

For more information, to make reservations or dedication opportunities, contact the Mesivta’s office at (516) 374-6465 or dinner@ateresyaakov.com.

Communicating at YOSS

Our first graders at Yeshiva of South Shore have been exploring the science behind communication! One of the most favorite activities was exploring ways to send a secret message to someone far away. In this culmi-

nating lesson, Secret Signals, students practiced using light to communicate information. Teamwork was essential in building a device that solves the problem of communicating at a distance. They sent secret messages to one another us-

ing light and colored markers. The boys were so creative in their thinking. They conferenced as a group, agreed on “secret codes” (colors that represented specific words), and then shone flashlights and glow sticks through col-

ored circles to communicate. Some boys were dancing, some were hopping, and some were even singing, all depending on the decoded message they received. It was a fantastic experience, and the boys learned a lot about communication!

Revocable Living Trust Or Irrevocable Trust: Which One Is Right For You?

By Monet Binder, Esq.

You’ve probably heard you need a trust to keep your family out of court and maybe out of conflict in the event of your death or incapacity. And, if you haven’t, you are hearing it now. If you own any “probatable” assets in your name at the time of your incapacity or death, your family must go to court for permission to access them. If you aren’t sure if your assets are “probatable,” contact us to discuss.

But you may need clarification about whether you need a revocable living or irrevocable trust. More and more people are coming our way asking for an irrevocable trust, so this article is designed to help you learn the difference so you can be prepared to have a conversation about the right kind of trust for you and your loved ones.

What Is A Trust?

A trust is an agreement between the grantor of the trust (that’s you) with a trustee (someone named by you) to hold title to assets for the benefit of your beneficiaries (whoever you name to receive your assets). When we break it down in its simplest form, it’s that straightforward. It’s an agreement.

Now, the terms of that “agreement,” called a “trust agreement,” can vary sig-

nificantly, and that’s where we work with you to clarify the terms that you want between the trustee and you, for the benefit of the people you name as beneficiaries.

With a revocable living trust (RLT), prepared for use during your lifetime and after your passing, you will be the “grantor,” the “trustee,” and the “beneficiary.”

So, for all intents and purposes under the law, nothing really happens when you retitle your assets to the name of your RLT, while you are living and have the capacity (ability to make decisions for yourself).

With an RLT, once you become incapacitated (which is determined as per the instructions in the trust document) or in the event of your death, the trust becomes irrevocable, and the person or persons you’ve named as successor trustee steps in to control the assets held in the name of the trust for the benefit of the beneficiaries named in the trust. If you are still living but incapacitated, you would remain as the beneficiary. If you pass away, then your named heirs would be the beneficiaries. At that point, the trust may distribute outright to your beneficiaries or be held in continuing trust – protected from creditors, future divorces, future lawsuits, and even estate taxes (if the trust is drafted properly) – if your trust terms provide for continuing protection.

You could indicate in the trust agreement that you want your beneficiaries to “control the trust” but that you want the trustee to continue to hold title to the assets, to protect the assets, while giving the beneficiaries nearly full control and use of the assets. This is a bit tricky, so don’t try it at home without support. But, if you want to provide this kind of benefit and protection to the people you love, be sure to talk with us about building a Lifetime Asset Protection Trust into your plan. It’s highly worth it if you’ll pass on anything more than what your children will immediately spend upon your death.

Now, let’s clarify what an irrevocable trust is and where it might fit into your plan.

An irrevocable trust is also an agreement between a grantor and a trustee to hold the property for a beneficiary. Since it is irrevocable, it cannot be changed. There are some exceptions to this, but for the most part, that is the case. If you put your assets into an irrevocable trust, you cannot then take them out of the trust and return them to yourself because the gift to the Trustee to hold the assets for the beneficiary is irrevocable. An irrevocable trust can remove assets from your name and protect them from future lawsuits or future growth in your estate, which removes them from your estate for estate tax purposes. We will

recommend irrevocable trusts when we are preparing your estate for the potentiality that you may need long-term nursing care that you would like covered by Medicaid without decimating your family’s inheritance, or on the other end of the spectrum, if you have an estate that could be subject to the estate tax or that could be at significant risk of lawsuits.

Never choose a type of trust without working with a lawyer who understands you, your family, your assets, and your goals. When you meet with us for our Planning Session, we’ll look at your assets, family dynamics, personal desires, and how the law will apply to all of it. Then, together, we will decide on the right plan for you -- whether to include a trust or not, whether that trust should be revocable or not, and how long it should last for the people you love. Contact us today to get started 718.514.7575.

Monet Binder, Esq., has her practice in Queens and Brooklyn, New York, dedicated to protecting families, their legacies and values. All halachic documents are approved by the Bais Havaad Halacha Center in Lakewood, under the direction of Rabbi Dovid Grossman and the guidance of Harav Shmuel Kaminetsky, shlita, as well as other leading halachic authorities.

Morah Deena Schwartz’s 1st grade CAHAL class at TAG enjoyed celebrating Tu B’Shvat this week with fun apple creations

Celebrating Tu B’Shvat at Shulamith ECC

YOSS students displayed their artwork at the Woodmere-Hewlett Gallery 1 Exhibit

A Tu B’Shvat Seder at HANC ECC MAY Rabbeim Visit Talmidim in Eretz Yisroel

On Tu B’Shvat, the HANC ECC classes celebrated with a beautiful Tu B’Shvat Seder, with Tu B’Shvat music from Israel, led by PTA President, Or Guy, who grew up in Israel. We made the bracha of Borei Pri HaGafen over four cups of white and red grape

juice corresponding to the four seasons of the year. Each cup of grape juice for each season was followed by a different bracha for different food that grows in the season. It was a perfect opportunity to review our brachot and celebrate the birthday of the trees!

Recently, rabbeim from Mesivta

Ateres Yaakov made their annual visit to Eretz Yisroel to “check up on their investments” in their respective post-high school yeshivos. 12th Grade rabbeim and Israel Advisors, Rabbi Yehuda Orlansky and Rabbi Yonason Sprung, embarked on a whirlwind of activity that filled their schedule while in Israel.

Straight from the airport they began visiting the many yeshivos attended by MAY alumni. Their talmidim were eagerly waiting for them and showered them with ear-to-ear smiles and warm embraces. Each talmid sought to “impress” their rabbeim with their achievements and accomplishments, their notebooks and libraries. It was truly a fitting welcome to Eretz Yisroel.

If that wasn’t enough, talmidim also had a surprise leil shishi get-together with their beloved General Studies Principal, Rabbi Sam Rudansky, as well as veteran rebbi, Rabbi Leiby Wolf.

The week-long trip was a non-stop excursion from yeshiva to yeshiva; over 20 different yeshivos in all, over 100 talmidim, from the early hours of the morning – davening Shacharis together with various yeshivos – until way past midnight. The MAY rabbeim met privately with each talmid, their roshei yeshiva, mashgichim and current rabbeim to ensure that each talmid’s needs were being met and that their particular kochos were being properly cultivated. The trip also gave the rabbeim an opportunity to “scout” each institution for MAY’s current and future talmidim. This is necessary since new yeshivos continue to emerge annually and even established yeshivos revamp their programs.

The culmination of the trip was the Shabbos spent together with almost 100 talmidim in Yerushalayim. Mesivta Ateres Yaakov alumni of all ages gathered for a Shabbos of chizuk in the Zhviller hall in the Beis Yisroel neighborhood and spent, what many talmidim referred to as, “the best Shabbos they’ve ever had” together with their rabbeim. The entire weekend was saturated with inspiration. The enthusiastic tefilos, the leibedik meals, and the heartwarming divrei Torah and learning in between was the perfect mix of ruchnius and gashmius.

Reflecting on the Shabbos, Rabbi Orlansky commented, “Our talmidim are each unique and each is progressing at his own pace along his own path towards his own goals. We were really inspired that the deep-rooted camaraderie from Mesivta has continued B”H, and that they continue to be proud of each other’s accomplishments. Not only did each of the bochurim respectfully listen to their fellow talmid’s words of chizuk and divrei Torah, they often made reference to each other’s remarks and made a point of both raising and praising each other when they could. Rabbi Sprung and I are so proud of who they are and who they continue to become.”

The Shabbos left all in a reflective state of mind, more focused on their goals and confident of their ability to overcome all forms of adversity. In addition to mentally and emotionally equipping them for the future, it also reminded them of the solid foundation that unites them and which prepared them for who they are now – the formative years of nurturing and growth at Mesivta Ateres Yaakov.

MTA Alumni Reconnect With Friends and Rebbeim

An Epic Siyum

While current MTA tamidim enjoyed a refreshing break over winter vacation, former talmidim learning in yeshiva in Eretz Yisrael were visited by the Head of School, Rabbi Joshua Kahn, and 12th grade mashgiach/Director of Israel guidance Rabbi Avraham Shulman. The visits allowed the alumni to hear from Rabbi Kahn and Rabbi Shulman and to fill the rabbis in on their progress and growth in yeshiva. After several days of the rabbis trav-

eling around to see the alumni in their new yeshivas, many alumni gathered in Yerushalayim for an uplifting Shabbaton, reconnecting with friends and tapping into that MTA energy they enjoyed while talmidim in high school. As we always say, an MTA talmid is a Lion for Life, and the annual trip to visit the alumni is just one of the ways the yeshiva ensures our alumni continue to feel like talmidim of MTA.

MTA Welcomes Talmidim of Yeshivat Mekor Chaim

The Parsha says, “Vayishma Yisro, Yisro heard.” Based on what Yisro heard, he changed his entire life. Yisro was the world’s most revered priest. He was the equivalent of a pastor of a mega church with thousands of adherents and disciples who had everything imaginable at his disposal, yachts, luxury cars, planes, and vacation homes.

The Zohar asks: What was so exceptional about Yisro? How come others didn’t also leave their previous lives behind? After all, the pasuk says, “Shamu amim yirgazun.” It wasn’t just Yisro who heard. All the nations heard about the miracles that occurred and were utterly shaken.

The Zohar answers that indeed, everyone heard. However, Yisro didn’t merely hear; he listened! Everyone can hear but very few actually listen. Here’s

the story of another person who didn’t just hear the truth but actually listened and acted:

Last Thursday, a miracle transpired in Flatbush. A young man did the seemingly impossible. David attended Edward Murrow public high school and is now becoming a pharmacist. After tremendous sacrifice and dedication, he finished the entire Maseches Taanis.

He came to BJX the first time almost four years ago. With a lot of love, guidance, and support, he transformed his life – made his first siyum – and is now a budding Torah scholar. Mr. Effy Landsberg, a devoted BJX mentor and busy CEO, spent countless hours learning with David and lovingly walked him through the Masechta and through life, Daf by Daf, step by step. David’s siyum is a simcha and milestone for all of Brooklyn and especially Flatbush.

Extra Ruach at MTA Friday Night Tisch

Every year, one of the major highlights of the MTA experience is the arrival of exchange talmidim from Yeshivat Mekor Chaim. An added energy pervades the halls of MTA when the talmidim of Mekor Chaim join the yeshiva at the beginning of the spring semester every year. Coming from a completely different educational system, the MC4, as their lovingly known, bring a unique and refreshing perspective to the talmidim of MTA.

On Monday morning, the 11th grade

welcomed the MC4 with a grade breakfast where MTA talmidim had the opportunity to hear from Rabbi David Rabinowitz, the menahel of Yeshivat Mekor Chaim, a great privilege. With lively Thursday night kumzitses, leibidik dancing, and an overall zest for their learning and their opportunity to experience New York Cit,y the MC4 come for a short while but leave a lasting impact – an impact that deeply affects the MTA talmidim and greatly enhances their experience at MTA.

This past Shabbos, MTA talmidim and rebbeim gathered in Bergenfield, NJ, for a tisch to elevate their Shabbos with some MTA energy. This tisch was unique, as the MC4, talmidim who have joined MTA as part of an annual exchange program with Yeshivat Mekor Chaim in Kfar Etzion, also participated. The MC4 have already brought

the halls of MTA to life with their infectious ruach and their excitement for the opportunity to experience NYC. On Friday night, they ran an unforgettable tisch with uplifting singing and inspiring divrei Torah.

The Mekor Chaim exchange program is one of many opportunities that set the MTA experience apart.

Practicing Medicine Half a World Away

How should pre-med students from the United States react to a hospital in Thailand that hires its all-female nursing staff based on a beauty contest? And should they have ethical concerns about an in vitro fertilization clinic in Bangkok that refuses to treat infertile couples of different religions?

Twenty-six students from Touro’s Lander College for Women (LCW) and Lander College of Arts & Sciences (LAS) debated these and other questions during a midwinter break trip to Bangkok, as part of a two-week course in bioethics. The three-credit course, Biomedical Cross-cultural Educational Program (BioCEP), provided the students with a first-hand look at a wide variety of hospitals and institutions to learn how culture can impact ethical decisions in medicine, dentistry, and biology.

Accompanied by Dr. John Loike, a professor of biology and bioethics and the founder of BioCEP, the students were introduced to a number of compelling ethical questions, including when life be -

gins; the nature and limits of informed consent; the treatment of so-called “orphan” diseases; and the use of deception in research. Having the students confront these issues in person, rather than in theory, was one of Dr. Loike’s many objectives for the course.

“Part of the experience is for the students to appreciate and respect the diverse cultural values in medicine and science,” he said. “Gaining an appreciation for this international diversity is critical for pre-med, pre-dent and pre-health students, and I wanted to instill in the students an appreciation and respect for the diverse cultural values people have in medicine and science.”

Learning New Perspectives

Over the course of the two weeks, the group visited multiple hospitals and met with healthcare staff to gain a better understanding of people with whom they shared many professional interests, but have very different backgrounds, and who face challenges the American students hadn’t encountered previously. Among those were the Yanhee Hospital

DRS Rebbeim Reunited with Their Talmidim

for Health and Beauty to witness some of the surgical innovations to enhance patients’ appearance and beauty, and the Hospital for Tropical Medicine to learn about the ethical challenges in treating Dengue fever and malaria.

Naomi May, a senior at LCW, said she was fascinated by a lecture they heard at the King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital about cord blood, which is the blood left over in the placenta that contains hematopoietic stem cells.

“These stem cells are so important, as they can be used to treat many serious diseases, even cancer,” said May, who hopes to be a nurse in a delivery and labor unit.

Students also had the opportunity to hear from Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health about the ethical challenges in developing universal health care and about the difficulties in establishing clinics in rural areas of Thailand.

allows students abroad to “gain practical experience and enhance their understanding of the world through cultural and social immersion.” The Institute provided the group with a Thai representative, Marisa Chung Vinitketkumnuan, a former Buddhist monk, who joined the students on field trips and taught them about Thai culture.

Students stayed at hotels next to the five-story Chabad-Lubavitch of Bangkok Center, which provided meals for their two Shabbatot in Thailand and where they davened, joined by more than 500 Israeli tourists. Dr. Loike lectured the students each night on Chabad’s sky roof lounge overlooking the Bangkok landscape, and they also heard meaningful shiurim about halachic challenges of living in Thailand from the Director of the Chabad House, Rabbi and Rebbetzin Wilhelm.

Every year, a group of esteemed rabbeim from DRS including Rabbi Kaminetsky, Rabbi Storch, and Director of Israel Guidance Rabbi Avi Weber, visit our alumni studying in nearly 20 different yeshivas in Israel. The purpose of this visit is to reconnect with the alumni and continue to strengthen the Rebbe-Talmud relationship that DRS is known for.

The annual visit provides a unique opportunity for the rabbeim to connect with former talmidim, to hear about their experiences in yeshiva, and offer guidance and support as they continue

their journey of growth and learning. The rabbeim take great pride in visiting each and every student, documenting their experiences, and using that information to better serve future students in their decision-making process.

DRS has a long-standing tradition of encouraging its students to spend a year learning in Israel after high school, and this visit serves as a testament to the success of this program. With 96% of alumni choosing to study in Eretz Yisroel, it is evident that the experience is both transformative and enriching for our graduates.

“My thoughts before the trip were that patient autonomy was the most important tenet of medical ethics, and any decision made AMA [Against Medical Advice] must be due to their personal beliefs,” said Shira Davis, a psychology major who is a senior at Touro’s Lander College for Women. “Now I understand the pervasiveness of misinformation and lack of medical care that can lead to patients making such decisions.”

Collaboration Across Cultures

Dr. Loike founded BioCEP to enable students to discuss, assess, and reflect on the ethical questions they encountered in Thailand. The program was facilitated in conjunction with the Knowledge Exchange Institute, an organization that

Although the educational aspect of the program is its primary purpose, they still managed to squeeze a little fun into their time abroad. The highlights included the beautiful underground aquarium that housed a saltwater lake containing sharks and sting rays and an elephant reserve where they bathed elephants by hand. They also visited a Red Cross snake farm, where the head veterinarian showed them how king cobras are milked to develop anti-venom serum.

Before coming home, they met with 30 undergraduate students at Mahidol University to learn about innovative online science education, and to build cultural bridges with some of their Thai counterparts.

In Private Meeting with Secretary Mike Pompeo, Dirshu Takes Battle Against Antisemitism Against the Visibly Orthodox Community

By Chaim Gold

“There are those who advise us [as a result of increasing antisemitism] that Orthodox Jews should hide their Orthodoxy, they should not be so visible and [they should] just blend into society and that will minimize the increasingly violent attacks against visibly Orthodox Jews. I ask, is that the progressive definition of freedom? Is that what great Americans fought, lived, and died for? So that its citizens should have to hide from who they are?!”

Those were the passionate words of Rav Dovid Hofstedter, Nasi of Dirshu, in a private meeting last week in New York City with former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Rav Hofstedter came to New York City to participate in an event with Mike Pompeo to raise the alarm on behalf of the Torah observant community about the increasing antisemitism that they are experiencing. During that meeting, Rav Hofstedter emphasized that in some ways, the current antisemitism is different than the garden variety bigots from the lower echelons of society, in that it is coming from the higher echelons from academia and institutions of higher learning.

During their time together Rav Hofstedter and Secretary Pompeo discussed both the attacks on faith communities and especially on education, as well as the mainstreaming of antisemitism in universities and among some in the intelligentsia.

“Should Jews hide their Judaism in an attic and store it away?”

Rav Hofstedter then cited a chilling study that shows that the majority of Jews on university campuses are afraid to openly show or profess to being Jewish because of fear of reprisal.

Pompeo agreed with Rav Hofstedter that when it comes to standing up for one’s faith, there was no room for compromise, and he told him that he attributed this to the secularization of American society and the progressive, post-modern ideals being espoused. “Don’t ever underestimate their efforts to speed American decline,” he said.

“ThereAre Some Things That Are Not Subject to Compromise!”

The event also featured a speech to a large New York City audience of influential leaders given by former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. It is clear that one who recently authored a book entitled, Never Give an Inch, about his experiences as chief diplomat in the Trump White House, is one of America’s rising conservative political figures.

In his public remarks delivered at the event, Mr. Pompeo related that before the event, he had the privilege of having a lengthy meeting with Rabbi Hofstedter wherein Rabbi Hofstedter shared his concerns on the rising level of antisemitism especially coming from the left and the unprecedented assault on Jewish education led by the New York Times, which is seeking to criminalize some of the teachings of the Torah.

Pompeo remarked that as a diplomat he was constantly looking for compromise and ways to find common ground, even with adversaries, but he emphasized, “There are some things that are not subject to compromise. Our relationship

with G-d, our morality and the security of the Jewish community both here in America and in Israel. Those things must be preserved at all costs, and we cannot ‘give an inch’ when it comes to those deeply held values.

“Similarly, when it comes to the deep and close relationship that the United States has with Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, there is absolutely no room for compromise. When it comes to preserving the values of our country here at home, how we will educate the next generation of Americans that this is a great country, is not a subject to compromise.”

A guest speaker at the event, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, gave a riveting speech about netzach Yisrael, the eternal nature of the Jewish nation.

“Jewish history is not only about survival, but also about triumph! We have undergone so much: Inquisitions, pogroms, the Holocaust and so much suffering and destruction. Throughout our history, however, we have not only survived but rebuilt. My parents and my in-laws both experienced the horrors of the concentration camps where they lost everything, where their lives were shattered. They came to these shores penniless but nevertheless had the strength to rebuild. They rebuilt their lives, their families, their communities and institutions of Torah learning.

“This was the foundation and the inspiration behind the establishment and building of Dirshu, a Torah organization that promotes Torah learning because Torah learning is the foundation of our

lives and our moral compass.

“Despite all the pain, the horrors, the death, and destruction, we have survived and thank G-d we are flourishing.”

Rav Hofstedter then got to the climax of his speech invoking what is incumbent on us as the Orthodox community to do to address this issue.

“It is important and critical that we have leaders who have a clear understanding of the issues facing our community and that have a firm moral compass, but it is also incumbent upon us!

“Particularly for us, the Orthodox Jewish community, who by virtue of our visibility are the primary recipients of the latest outbreak of violent acts of antisemitism. We must stand proud and stand tall and [we must] wear our Judaism on our sleeve and stand proud of what we are, who we are, and what we stand for.”

He continued by addressing the wokeness that is now going after religious Jewish education and is trying to make our educational values another victim of cancel culture.

“They insist that we cannot educate our children according to our beliefs. This kind of conduct echoes that of the darkest communist regimes.”

Rav Hofstedter concluded that we need leaders in this country who will not replicate the errors of the past.

Bi-Partisan Advocacy on Behalf of the Torah Community

In truth, Dirshu and Rav Dovid Hofstedter’s efforts to network with politicians who share our values is not a new

L-R: Rep. Don Bacon, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, Rep. Henry Cueller, Rep. Daniel Meuser, Rep. Bryan Fitzpatrick at the Caucus Meeting 2022

Rav Dovid Hofstedter meeting privately with Secretary Mike Pompeo

Mother-Daughter Learning at Shulamith Mercaz Academy “Flies to Israel” for Tu B’Shvat

Abeautiful and heartwarming event took place this week at Shulamith. Mothers and daughters learned together at the Matan Bat Mitzvah program’s inau -

gural session. The program, led by Morah Ariela Fine, is sponsored by the Bennet family in memory of Judy and Allen Bennet, a”h.

B’Shvat Tisch at Yeshiva Ateres Eitz Chaim

Tu

Yeshiva Ateres Eitz Chaim celebrated Tu B’Shvat with a lavish tisch.

Rabbi Gedaliah Oppen, Rosh Yeshiva, delved into the deeper meaning of “ki ha’adam eitz hasadeh – because man is a tree of the field,” comparing the similarities of the growth and individuality that Hashem created in man and trees and how each talmid can reach their potential. Rabbi Oppen also discussed the halachos of Tu B’Shvat, the shivas haminim, and brachos.

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development. Over the past few years, Rav Hofstedter has expended great effort in forging a bi-partisan caucus from both the Republican and Democratic side of the aisle to decry antisemitism and religious bigotry against Orthodox Jews from the right and the left.

The inaugural event of the caucus two years ago had the participation of congressional stalwarts such as Con-

gresswoman Kat Cammack of Florida (R), Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania (R), Congressman Henry Cuellar of Texas (D), Congressman Don Bacon of Nebraska (R), Congressman Brian Steil of Wisconsin (R), and Congressman Dan Mueser of Pennsylvania (R).

In conclusion, perhaps Rabbi Dovid Hofstedter put it most succinctly when he told Secretary Pompeo that it is all about values.

Mercaz Academy is usually located in Plainview, New York, but on Tu B’Shvat, the elementary school managed to fly itself to Israel to celebrate the holiday. Students were astonished to find that, when they entered the main hallway, it was lined with double rows of seats and a center aisle, just like an airplane – and at the front, the El Al Airlines boarding safety video was being screened. Rabbi Fogel announced the quick trip to Israel, assuring everyone that they would return by lunchtime. He further explained that no English would be spoken when students disembarked the plane.

It was a remarkably smooth and quick flight to Israel, seeming to go by in a matter of minutes. The Mercaz Academy students were greeted by new sights and one familiar face when they landed. Bracha Brandler, a sixth-grade graduate who moved to Israel over the summer, appeared on the screen to lead a tour of the real Machane Yehuda shuk. Leaving the airplane, students immediately found a bank distributing shekalim, and they stocked up for their journey to Machane Yehuda.

“Every nation is based on its values. Those values build nations and reflect its aspirations. The values of the great nation of the United States – many of them values that are rooted in the Torah – are under assault and attack. This has been going on for years. Basic values upon which this great nation was built such as deep respect for religion, for human dignity, honesty, charity, compassion, and empathy, have been under attack for years. These attacks undermine the very foun-

Real Israeli vendors – native Israeli, Hebrew-speaking Mercaz parents – shouted for customers as students wandered the narrow “streets,” buying pickles and olives, “chips” (French fries in English), dried fruit (including dates, figs, and raisins to represent the seven Israeli species) for Tu B’Shvat, juices, and Bissli. Nursery and Kindergarten students visited with teachers. First graders were accompanied by fifth and sixth graders to serve as chaperones and interpreters, while second, third, and fourth graders negotiated prices, counted change, and enjoyed a real Israeli shuk experience on their own.

Students enjoyed the airplane ride (“I loved the video!”), the festive atmosphere, and the delicious food, but “the best part for me was being with my Abba,” said Ayla Mordechai, whose father, Roee Mordechai, was manning the olives and pickles stand.

Mercaz Academy thanks our PTA, our parent volunteers, Rabbi Moshe Rubel, Morah Carmit Akhavan, and Morah Levana Gil, for arranging this wonderful Tu B’Shevat morning for our students.

dations upon which America was built,” exclaimed Rav Hofstedter emphatically.

“A country that does not combat hate and antisemitism is not America! A nation that does not fight for religious freedom and to allow those institutions that promote religion and religious teachings to flourish, is not America! A nation that does not stand by its friends with devotion through thick and thin is not the United States of America!”

Did This Ever Happen To You?

By Rabbi Fishel Schachter ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications

Rabbi Fishel Schachter knows what happens in our lives. The little annoyances and the big challenges. The happiness and the angst. He knows what happens to us – because it often happens to him as well! And when “life” happens – the vanishing parking space, the bored kids on vacation, the last minute pre-Shabbos misadventures – he knows what we should do. Learn a lesson of Hashgachah Pratis. Think of a story that enhances our emunah. Discover an insight that puts everything in a different – more positive – light. Remember to thank Hashem for everything. And, of course, smile and find the joy in His plans for us.

In his new book, Did This Ever Happen to You? published by ArtScroll/Mesorah, Rabbi Schachter, a popular speaker, columnist and storyteller, combines practical advice in chinuch and middos development with anecdotes and stories that are always engaging and often laughout-loud funny. Did This Ever Happen To You? touches on topics ranging from seeing Hashgachah Pratis in our lives to mitzvos such as hachnasas orchim and giving tzedakah; from strengthening our bitachon to outlooks on tefillah.

No one tells a story quite like Rabbi Schachter, and in Did This Happen To You? he uses stories as an incredibly effective (and often funny!) means of guiding us through whatever challenges we are facing. So open this book and be prepared to laugh ... and to learn.

The following is an excerpt from this absolutely entertaining and uplifting new book.

Expectations

A while ago, a friend of mine asked me to prepare a speech for him. Interestingly, he happens to be a successful, bold businessman, yet for some reason, he melts with fear when it comes to public speaking. Just the thought of standing on a dais in front of a crowd gives him palpitations.

He was going to have to introduce his own son at his bar mitzvah, and it gave him no peace of mind, so he asked me to write him a speech.

“What message do you want to bring out?” I asked him. “What would you like to achieve with this speech?”

“I would like to just survive this!”

“Oh, come on!” I said. “All you have

to do is introduce your own son. You survived raising him, didn’t you?”

“That I could do — public speaking I can’t.”

“You need siyata diShmaya for both.”

“Listen, I just want you to write out a script for me.”

“But your son’s bar mitzvah is a year from now! Are you going to spend a year rehearsing?”

“No, I will take off time for davening, learning, and other absolutely necessary things… By the way, my wife says I should start with something humorous.”

“Just repeat this conversation.”

“Don’t be funny!”

I understood that my charge was to write a straightforward, uncomplicated, entertaining anecdote for the father of the bar mitzvah boy. Knowing that sometimes it’s complicated to make things uncomplicated, I decided to pen a light joke.

This is what I wrote:

People were lined up to give a bar mitzvah bachur his presents. He got three sets of Mishnah Berurah, one set of Mishnayos, and then someone gave him a brand-new umbrella.

“Why did you give him an umbrella?” asked a guest.

“Because that is something I know he will open!”

Then I would go on to say, “…but our bar mitzvah boy opens his sefarim,” and so on.

Well, my friend liked it and probably practiced the speech for the whole year. When the big night arrived, he seemed so comfortable that he must have decided to adlib a little.

“I want to start,” he began, “by telling you all an amazingly funny joke!”

I suddenly had a sinking feeling in my stomach. First, it wasn’t such an amazingly funny joke. Secondly, when you raise the audience’s expectations of hearing a funny story, it automatically isn’t so amusing.

As if that weren’t bad enough, this is how he presented the story:

“There once was a boy who got an umbrella for a present, and he opened it!”

No one laughed. Even those who would have laughed just to be polite did not do so because they didn’t realize that that was the joke.

Now, any even half-baked speaker knows that if a joke falls flat, you lick your wounds and move on. My poor friend couldn’t figure out why no one laughed

and did “chazarah”: He repeated his words of wisdom.

“You don’t get it?” he asked the guests pathetically. “They gave the boy an umbrella so he could open it!” I tipped my hat over my face and shook my head in disbelief. At last, he had the sense to move on and introduce his son. The son’s pshetel proceeded without a hitch and all went well from that point onward.

“Why didn’t people laugh at the joke?” he asked me when I went over to wish him a final mazel tov and say goodbye.

“Honestly?”

“Yes, tell me the truth.”

“They didn’t realize it was a joke.

“People laugh when something surprises them. By informing them beforehand that you were going to say something funny, you eliminated the element of surprise. When you expect something to be very humorous, it is a tall order to get you to laugh.

“The way to get people to at least giggle is to catch them with an unexpected punch line. Opening the umbrella was supposed to be the last line, not the opening one.”

It occurred to me afterward that this is an important lesson in general. What makes us smile is experiencing something pleasant that we may not have anticipated. Imagine this scenario: Suppose, right after lunch, Mr. Rosenberg gets a call from his bank. “Mr. Rosenberg,” begins an apologetic bank officer, “there has been a serious bank error. The bank owes you an extra 50,000 plus interest.”

Still reeling from the phone call, he gets a call from his boss. “Mr. Rosenberg,” the boss says, “I would like to offer you a raise, a promotion, and a two-week vacation to ensure you will be rested up for your new position.”

On his way home, Mr. Rosenberg’s son’s rebbi calls to say he doesn’t think the boy needs a tutor anymore. This is followed by his landlord calling to discuss a reduction in his rent. Finally, his phone rings once more.

“Mr. Rosenberg?”

“Speaking.”

“Did you put in a ticket for Split the Pot at last night’s Chinese auction?”

“Yes.”

“Congratulations! You won $25,000.”

Now we can expect our friend to step over his threshold in a fairly good mood that evening. It was a day of unexpected delight.

A different scenario plays out for his neighbor with the same name, whom he meets as he dances happily into his house. The neighbor does not look happy, to say the least. The neighbor got a call right before lunch from the bank to inform him that they are prematurely calling in his loan.

“But how can you do that?”

“Mr. Rosenberg,” said the bank officer, “please check the microscopic print of the third footnote on page three, paragraph four, of your loan application. You will see that the bank reserved that right. I am sorry, Mr. Rosenberg; it was a pleasure doing business with you.”

Poor Mr. Rosenberg didn’t have much of an appetite for lunch, and then his boss summoned him. The boss gave him a long, hard, penetrating stare, and slammed his pen down on the desk as if to accompany what he was about to say with a drum roll.

“Mr. Rosenberg,” he began, “I am going to need you here an hour earlier each day and you will have to stay an hour later. We would have liked to compensate you for this, but considering your poor performance and the many complaints against you, you should just be happy we are holding on to you. For now!”

With trembling hands, Mr. Rosenberg starts his drive home. His phone rings. “Mr. Rosenberg?” He was tempted to deny it. “This is your son’s menahel. I am sorry to inform you that your son is suspended until further notice. It’s the third window he broke this week! Please come in to see me as soon as you can so we can work this out.”

Tu B’Shvat At SKA Special Children’s Center Annual Max Harari Midwinter Trip

The Annual Max Harari Midwinter Trip 2023 was a huge success, an 8-day trip of love and friendship, with singing, dancing, and warmth. The trip allows parents to spend quality vacation time with siblings; it is planned and orchestrated down to the last detail, including addressing all medical needs. The annual event is a highlight of the year for participants, leaving them with warm memories long after their return. A huge shoutout to our amazing staff and volunteers who made it possible!

The “New Year of the Trees” was celebrated in true SKA style on Monday, February 6, with a shiur, seder, plantings and food! Reflecting on the natural world and participating in environmental activities made Tu B’Shvat at the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls so meaningful.

“What do Trees Have to Do with Me?” was the topic of the well-attended shiur given by Mrs. Elisheva Kaminetsky, SKA’s Principal, Judaic Studies. Connecting Tu B’Shvat to our identity as Jews, Mrs. Kaminetsky explained that just as trees have their roots enabling them to grow, so do we as Jews have our roots in the Torah, empowering us to progress in our emunah. As trees are resilient, so are we as we weather difficul-

He decided to leave his phone in the car, only to hear his house phone ringing as he walked in.

“Did you put in a ticket for Split the Pot at last night’s Chinese auction?”

“Yes, I did.” Finally, some good news! “Did I win?”

“No, but your check bounced, and there is a $25 bank fee.”

Now, if he were truly a tzaddik and well-versed in Shaar HaBitachon of Chovos HaLevavos, he would be dancing together with his neighbor. But that is a very tall order. If he is like most people, chances are that he is sitting at the table with his head down. In a best-case scenario, he is praying for a better day tomorrow. At worst, he is thoroughly depressed.

What about all the other days in their lives — or ours? Days that have both ups and downs. Days that have both promising news and disappointments. Most of the days in our lives will fall in between

ty challenges with emunah in Hashem. Refreshing fruit sorbet rounded off the inspiring session.

The SKA students then joined Rabbi Shmuel Diamond in the auditorium for a detailed Seder in honor of Tu B’Shvat. After Rabbi Diamond explained the symbolism of the fruits and nuts particular to this chag, the girls said the bracha on each item and enjoyed the seder fare.

Dean of Students Shira Englander then led a hands-on planting activity with the girls followed by yummy yogurt fruit parfaits, after which Morah Rikki Fishbein held delicious cooking sessions relating to Tu B’Shvat foods with aspiring chefs.

Tu B’Shvat at SKA was a real spiritual connection to the environment.

the two extremes. So what happens to us at the end of the day? Are we content and do we smile amiably at those around us? Or are we discontented and revert to don’t-bother-me-now mode?

It really depends on our expectations. If we laugh when there is an unexpected twist to a story, we are happy when things work out better than anticipated. But here’s the point: What do we anticipate?

The more we assume is coming to us, the less likely we are to be happy on that day. When things work out well, there is no surprise. When things don’t pan out the way we think we are entitled to, we are distraught.

The more children are led to believe is coming to them, the less likely they are to be happy. I always stop my kids when they say, “I need a soda,” “I need a bicycle.” You need? Really? Or you would like to have a soda, or a bicycle? The more we “need,” the harder it is to laugh. The less we expect, the greater the surprise.

I heard from a son-in-law of Rav Avigdor Miller that he once told his daughter, “Do you know I thank Hashem that you found such a wonderful shidduch?”

“But Tatte, I’ve been married for more than twenty years.”

“Yes, and I have thanked Hashem every single day all these years.”

The less we take for granted, the easier it is to smile and to cause others to do the same.

Article Continues from Previous Page…

A Tribute to Adira Koffsky, a”h

By The Central Faculty

The Central family mourns the loss of one of its own in Adira Koffsky, a”h, a graduate of the class of 2022. Our grief is deepened by the fact that Adira was such a recent graduate, one who contributed so much to the Central community during her time here – her sharp intellect, her artistic drive, and most strikingly, her unreserved warmth and friendship. Our admiration for Adira is deeply felt, for Adira was truly her own person, through and through. She lived by her principles in a way that was rare for someone her age, navigating a wholly genuine life – a rare, precious thing in an individual of any age.

Among other things, Adira was an accomplished member of Central’s performing arts community, a Broadway devotee who could often be heard humming in the hallways. Her senior portrait in the 2022 Central yearbook is accompanied by a quote from the musical Hadestown: “Let the world we dream about be the one we live in now.” Adira’s tremendous voice and acting range were absolutely crucial to the success of Central’s plays, as well as the success of Central’s Envision Shakespeare troupe. When she served as the student director of 2022’s production of Macbeth, she proved to be a dedicated – and unflappable – guide for the troupe’s players

as they prepared for regional competition. This was meaningful work for Adira. She was an excellent steward of the arts, and she saw the hidden talents and capabilities in others and made an effort to encourage these gifts. Her remarkable sense of composure served her well as she took on the responsi -

have brought emails and memories from classmates, describing how Adira’s curiosity and deep reflections took class discussions in exciting and unexpected directions. She was a thoughtful, deliberate speaker and an adventurous thinker, even in the face of big philosophical questions. She was also fearless enough

humor. Her personality has been described by more than one faculty member as “effervescent.” She freely shared her creative endeavors, her hopes and dreams, and her great love of her family with her instructors.

bilities of direction. Every aspect of the production – from the largest plot turn to the smallest background detail – earned Adira’s care and attention. In response, the cast’s respect and affection for her were beyond measure and resulted in a deep bond that extended past her graduation from Central. Her friends feel exceedingly lucky simply to have known her.

Adira’s subtle leadership could also be seen in other arenas; the recent days

to ask these questions aloud. This habit bolstered her peers – made them a little braver, a little more open, a little more willing to ask their own questions. She also formed strong relationships with her teachers, who remember a bright, inquisitive student who, despite her remarkable composure, was also in possession of a keen wit and sense for timing – there were many class periods that were made more pleasurable with the help of Adira’s robust sense of

One of the greatest losses here is the loss of Adira’s potential, which was immense. She was devoted to a life of the mind. She was a voracious reader whose vast vocabulary made her an asset when playing word games. She was also a writer, one who had already begun a joyful and ambitious practice. As a senior, she was already at work on a novel, and she dreamed of publication. She wrote with passion, with enthusiasm, and with a sense of vision older than her years. Her art brought her obvious joy and a connection to the world around her. But perhaps even more important is the human contribution she made to the Central family. Adira was unafraid to live life on her own terms, but she was also unafraid to express warmth and support when it was needed. Both those who were close to Adira, and classmates who did not know her as well, remember the offer of a ride home when stranded at school or kind words where they were needed.

Adira was an indispensable member of our family, one who contributed something singular and special.

She lived by her principles in a way that was rare for someone her age, navigating a wholly genuine life – a rare, precious thing in an individual of any age.

Riddle me This

In medieval England, a man was imprisoned and locked in a room at the top of a really high tower. The room had only one tiny window. The prisoner found a piece of rope but it wasn’t long enough to reach the ground, so he cut it in half and was then able to escape.

How?

Answer: He divided the rope vertically, not horizontally.

Money Man Mahomes

$ When he was a child, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was nicknamed “showtime” because he was so athletic and incredible at sports.

$ Mahome’s father played in the MBL for 11 seasons.

$ Mahomes was drafted as a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers

$ In July 2020, Patrick Mahomes signed a $503 million, 12-year contract, which remains the biggest contract in all of U.S. sports.

$ During the throwing drills at the 2017 NFL Combine, Mahomes’ passes clocked at 60 mph, tied for the fastest pass ever recorded at the NFL Combine.

$ Mahomes is a part owner of the Kansas City Royals.

$ Mahomes holds the record for the most-double digit comeback wins by any quarterback in a season in NFL history.

Fly Like An Eagle

!The Philadelphia Eagles’ logo is the only logo in the NFL that faces left. (Well, it depends on whether you look at it from the player or fan’s perspective, I guess.)

!There is an “E” hidden in the neck feather on the Eagles’ logo. (Even the Eagles try to hide their association to the Eagles.)

!In 1962, the Kennedy brothers – including then-President JFK – were going to buy the Eagles for $6 million. But then the Cuban Missile Crisis took place and when the dust settled on that, the team had already been sold to someone else.

!The Eagles merged with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 1943 season due to a shortage of players caused by World War II. (The Steelers must still be traumatized by that!)

!The Eagles played in the first-ever televised NFL game which took place on October 22, 1939. There were no commercial breaks. (How did people live without Flo annoying them every two minutes?)

!In Veterans Field, where the Eagles played until 2003, there was a courthouse and a jail in the stadium for unruly fans. (Doubt they had a jury, though!)

!In 2002, Eagles safety Brian Dawkins recorded a sack, a fumble recovery, an interception, and a touchdown in one game. (He did that all while holding a Philly cheesesteak in one hand – OK, that part’s not true.)

You Gotta Be Kidding Me!

Moishele walks into his boss’s office.

“Sir, I’ll be straight with you, I know the company is struggling, but I have over three companies after me, and I would like to respectfully ask for a raise.”

After a few minutes of haggling, the boss finally agrees to a 5% raise, and Sam happily gets up to leave.

“By the way,” asks the boss as Moishele is almost out the door, “which three companies are after you?”

“The electric company, water company and phone company,” he answers.

Torah Thought

Parshas Yisro

By Rabbi Berel Wein

It is well known that there is a difference of opinion as to whether Yisro’s arrival in the camp of Israel in the desert occurred before or after the revelation and granting of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Even if we say that Yisro arrived before the momentous event of Mount Sinai and that the Torah is recording events in a chronological manner, it still is difficult for us to understand.

Why is it that this most important event in Jewish history as outlined for us in the Torah is preceded by a rather mundane description of Yisro’s arrival and reception in the camp of Israel? Would it not be more effective to highlight the revelation at Sinai immediately at the beginning of the parsha? And this appears to be especially true since the parsha goes into great detail and some

length in describing the circumstances and experience of the revelation at Sinai. Why is there such an apparent emphasis on Yisro and his arrival? And this question certainly is even more difficult if we adopt the opinion that the revelation at Sinai occurred before the arrival of Yisro. It almost seems that by recording for us the entire story of the arrival of Yisro, the Torah somehow diminishes, in emphasis and focus, the narrative regarding the revelation at Sinai itself. If there ever was a stand-alone event in Jewish and in world history, it certainly would be the moment of the revelation and granting of the Torah at Mount Sinai. So what is the story of Yisro doing being involved in

The Torah indulges in great detail in describing the reception that Yisro received. Simple courtesy extended to a stranger is the basis of the Jewish value system. It is what separated Abraham from Sodom. The Ten Commandments and, in fact, the entire Torah itself cannot be understood or appreciated without a grounding in this basic idea of the worth of the human being and of the necessity to honor, welcome, and help of one another.

That is why we are not to be murderers, robbers, adulterers, lying witnesses, or people of greed and avarice. The Talmud places great emphasis on the small things in life that make for a wholesome

the immortal narrative of the most seminal event in human history?

We are all aware of the great dictum of the Talmud that proper worldly behavior precedes the Torah itself. The order of the subjects in this week’s parsha reinforces this idea clearly and cogently. The Torah records for us the politeness, courtesy, respect, and sensitivity extended to Yisro by Moshe and Aaron and the Elders of Israel and all of the Jewish people when he arrived in their midst.

society. It records for us in great solemnity that one of the great virtues of the leading scholars of Torah of its day was that they greeted everyone, no matter who that person was, in pleasantness.

This value is emphasized over and over again in the writings of the great men of Israel, throughout the generations. Therefore, the welcome to Yisro must perforce precede the law of the Torah itself for it is the value upon which the Torah itself is based. Shabbat shalom.

The Talmud places great emphasis on the small things in life that make for a wholesome society.

Parshas Yisro Mending Our Vessels

By Rav Moshe Weinberger

Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

When Hashem gave us the Torah on Har Sinai, He was our Rebbe, our Melamed, and He brought us into His “yeshiva” in order to give us the Torah. Every morning, we refer to Hashem as “the Teacher of Torah to His people, Israel.” As the pasuk (Devarim 4:5) says, “See, I have taught you ordinances and statutes.” We learn many of the principles of chinuch, educating our children and ourselves, from how Hashem gave us the Torah. For example, the Torah teaches that the manner in which Hashem gave the Torah was (Devarim 5:4) “panim b’panim diber Hashem imachem, Hashem spoke with you face to face...” From this we learn that a rebbe or morah must engage directly with his or her students and not in a backhanded way which is not truly directed at who the students are and what they need.

Rav Yaakov Galinsky, zt”l, one of the last great maggidim, quoted a fascinating Midrash from Koheles Raba 3:15:

The Jewish people were fit to be given the Torah as soon as they left Egypt. But Hashem said, “The radiance of their health has not yet returned to my children. They have just left the slavery, mortar, and bricks, and they cannot receive the Torah immediately.” This is comparable to a king whose son has just survived a serious illness and people begin to say, “Your son should go back to school.” [The king answers,] “The radiance of my son’s health has not yet returned, and you say that he should go back to his school?! Instead, let him take it easy for two or three months with food and drink in order to recover and afterward, he can go back to his school.” So, too, Hashem said, “The radiant health of my children

has not yet returned from the slavery, mortar, and bricks from which they just left. Shall I give them the Torah?! Instead, let them take it easy for two or three months with the maan, the well, and quail, and afterward, I will give them the Torah. When? In the third month [Sivan].

We learn a fundamental principle of education from this Midrash. One can only act as a vessel to receive the Torah if he feels like a “mensch,” with a sense of dignity and wholeness. Otherwise, he is a broken vessel, and a broken vessel cannot contain the light of Torah.

We can see this principle illustrated through several stories. Rav Galinsky relates that although he was never in a concentration camp, he lived in a displaced persons camp in Berlin immediately after the War. At that time, once the War was over, the enormity of what everyone had been through and what they had lost began to sink in. The camp was in a constant state of mourning. The sounds of crying, groaning, and weeping came from all directions at all hours of the day

and night, “Everything is lost!” “Everyone was killed!” “There is no point in living!” The brokenness of our people at that time stood out in stark relief when, one day, a young man came to Rav Galinsky and asked him to officiate at his marriage to young woman in the camp. It is known that a number of weddings took place at that time in the camps, but this was the first one and Rav Galinsky was taken aback. When he asked the young man if his kallah, his bride, would cover her hair, he responded that he thought so, but that he did not even have a little piece of cloth to use as a tichel, a hair covering. This was the state of the brokenness of our people at that time. They managed to find a piece of cloth and they held the chasunah, although everyone in attendance had only the torn clothing on their backs to wear for the occasion. Reporters even came to cover the “crazy” Jews who were trying to build a new life after losing everything.

Our people were broken after the War. When I was little, I would look at an album of pictures taken shortly after

the War in America of my parents and the family members who had survived the concentration camps and managed to come to America. I was taken aback by the fact that none of them wore yarmulkes and that the women did not dress in an Orthodox manner. I asked my father to explain this. Sighing, he tried to explain to me that it was very difficult after the war to rebuild a life of Shabbos, kashrus, yarmulkes, and the like. It wasn’t that they lacked faith or had any great theological questions because of the Holocaust. Really, it was a case “they have just left the slavery, mortar, and bricks and they cannot receive the Torah immediately.” Everything and everyone they had, including their sense humanity, had been taken from them. They were broken vessels and needed time to come back to themselves in order to regain their ability to receive the Torah. The “radiance” of life never returned to them.

As a child, I was once at a friend’s house and his non-frum uncle, who was a survivor, was visiting. He asked me what we were learning in yeshiva. I told him that we were learning Bava Metzia. He asked what page were on, and when I responded, he put his arm over his head to cover it, since he had no yarmulke, and began to recite the page of Gemara I was learning by heart. My friend asked why he didn’t just wear a yarmulke, and he responded vaguely that we simply did not understand. Some people were so broken that they were never able to heal and re-receive the Torah.

Dovid Hamelech summed this up when he said (Tehillim 116:7-8), “Return, my soul, to your rest because Hashem has dealt generously with you for You have rescued my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling.”

One’s soul can rest only after it has been rescued from death, tears, and stumbling. We can only receive the Torah after Hashem’s children have returned to a state of health.

It is well-known that when the Satmar Rav first came to Williamsburg after the War, there were very few survivors from Hungary who were able to join him. He began giving a Gemara shiur, and at that time, there were only four or five people in attendance. They were learning Chullin, and as soon as he began giving the shiur the first day, he started telling stories of tzaddikim and giving chizuk. The second day of the shiur, he again started the Gemara but continued telling more stories. The third day, after telling a few stories, he started asking people how they were doing, whether they were able to find jobs, and the like. Finally, on about the fourth day of the shiur, one of the men asked him, “Nu, Rebbe, the Gemara?”

The Rebbe answered him, “Does your Gemara have a daf alef, a page one?”

“No,” the man answered, “No Gemara has a daf alef.”

The Satmar Rav then explained, “Do you know what daf alef of the Gemara is? Feeling like a mensch. Having a little chizuk. Having someone ask, ‘How are

you doing?,’ ‘Did you get that job interview?’ That is daf alef of the Gemara.”

These broken Jews around the table needed to begin with daf alef.

This is a great principle in educating our children, other people’s children, and even ourselves. It is brought in Chayei Moharan (432) that Rebbe Nachman taught not to push children too much because you don’t know what a boy or girl is going through in life. Many children grow up in difficult environments. It is very hard to push a child to do his or her homework if there is a divorce, some sort of abuse, or a serious illness at home. Rebbe Nachman continued, “It is impossible to explain this matter properly but it is clear to those who are wise and is extremely important for teachers and so too in many other areas. This is a great principle: Do not push yourself more than is appropriate in any matter, rather it should be gradually and patiently.”

We see that Rebbe Nachman teaches that even with our own growth, we must not force ourselves to grow until we fulfill our own basic human needs. I know a morah in a girls’ high school who told me that the school keeps a very private file of

issues that girls are dealing with at home so that their teachers can keep this in mind in school. They will know if a girl’s home has some serious sickness, divorce, abuse, or any other serious disruption in her life so they can take this into account when working with the girls.

Rav Galinksy related another story from shortly after the War. Many of the survivors who made their way to Eretz Yisroel settled in Bnei Brak. The residents there found two apartments for a group of orphan girls in one apartment building. Because all of these girls had lost their entire families, the apartments were constantly filled with sadness, mourning, and tears. Finally, one of the girls became a kallah, got engaged. She was the first girl in the group to get engaged, and the Shabbos before her chasunah, during her “Shabbos Kallah,” the girls broke out into song and began singing zemiros together for the first time. One of the neighbors ran down to the Chazon Ish, zt”l, complaining, “It’s kol isha, a woman is singing! We should protest!” The Chazon Ish asked him who was singing, and he answered that it was the orphan girls in the apartment. The Chazon Ish answered, “They’re singing!? They’re finally singing! Let them have a little joy! You can take a

Shabbos walk in order to avoid hearing them, but the girls must continue singing.” Their “radiance” was finally returning after all the years of misery.

When teaching other people or even trying to learn and grow ourselves, we must realize that a person must be a “mensch,” must heal and have human dignity in order to become a solid vessel to contain the Torah. Torah which is poured into broken vessels will only spill out. We must build our children and ourselves up so that we will be able to receive and hold onto the Torah. That is why Chazal (Avos 3:20) say, “Im ein derech eretz, ein Torah, without the way of the earth, there is no Torah.” People must have their basic human needs met, must be able to smile, must have the “radiance of their good health” back before they can truly receive the Torah.

May Hashem fill all of our needs and make us proper keilim, vessels, so that we may fulfill our ultimate purpose of receiving, learning, and fulfilling the Torah.

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.

Delving into the Daf Where Is Rashi?

By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

Daf Yomi learners relish when the daf that they learn relates to their daily lives, but that is somewhat difficult with this particular tractate, as nezirim seem hard to find. Some suggest that perhaps for this reason Tractate Nazir wasn’t studied regularly in ancient yeshivos and that is why the text of Nazir is not consistent with other tractates of Shas. Certain phrases are employed differently than elsewhere in the Talmud.

The Rosh often makes note of this in his commentary. For example, on 19b, he writes, “Shitas nazir meshuneh.” We find the same phenomenon in regard to Tractate Nedarim. Another similarity between the two masechtos is the lack of Rashi’s commentary. In regard to Nedarim, it is almost universally accepted that the commentary printed with the Vilna Shas and labeled as Rashi was not written by Rashi. In relation to Nazir, the authorship of the commentary printed in Rashi’s place is a matter of some dispute. Some say that it is certainly not Rashi, while others say it is at the very least based on Rashi’s commentary. Many opine that it was written by Rashi’s son-in-law. Rashi’s commentary is the standard one used when learning any Gemara, but in these two tractates, students tend to use other commentaries in place of the one printed as Rashi.

Kinnah 22 recited on Tishah B’Av was written in response to the massacre of Jewish communities in France. Many eminent scholars and Tosafists were killed in those attacks. The Kinnah laments, “Who will now interpret the nazirite vows and who will arrange the laws of oaths?” The second half of the rhetorical question is readily understandable. The author is lamenting that there aren’t scholars left of great enough caliber to decide matters pertaining to vows. However, what was the intent in the first half of the question? Was there a community of nezirim in France?

After the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, nezirim have been virtually unheard of. There have been anecdotes of someone

who unwittingly uttered a nazir vow and had to become a nazir, but those instances are extremely rare.

Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, zt”l, offered a novel interpretation of that verse in the kinnah. He said the author is lamenting that there is no one left to explain Tractates Nedarim and Nazir. The student of the Talmud needs a replacement

program, which was officially sanctioned by the government, ended. However, the government declared that anyone who had previously purchased this army exemption may still use it. Furthermore, the cards were not restricted for use by the original purchaser; the right was transferable to a new owner. Therefore, the price for these exemption cards on the open market sky-

When it came time for the young man to present himself to the army for conscription, he did not immediately present the card. Instead, he submitted to an army physical. Indeed, he failed the physical and was freed from his army obligation. The enterprising young man, realizing his windfall, attempted to sell the now superfluous exemption card on the open market. His brothers, however, argued that the profits should be split evenly. They argued that the card was only offered for his personal use and not as an added inheritance. The youngest brother reasoned while that may have been the intent, once it was given to him it was his to dispense with as he saw fit.

They agreed to ask Rav Yosef Rosen, known as the Rogatchover Gaon (Rogachev, 1858-Vienna, 1936) to decide their dispute. He said the dispute may be readily resolved from a passage in Nazir (24a). The Gemara discusses the case of a husband who provided his wife with an animal to use for her required korban, and she sanctified the animal. But in the end, the vow that necessitated the sacrifice was void. Rava says that the animal was not sanctified because she cannot sanctify an animal that isn’t hers! The husband provided the animal only for her personal need; once it has been determined that she no longer needs it, it reverts to him.

for Rashi for these two tractates. Sadly, the author laments after the massacres that there is no one left of the caliber to write a similar commentary.

However, even though there are (almost!) no nezirim nowadays, there are still relevant halachos that can be learned from this masechta. At times in Russian history, there was mandatory conscription into the national army. However, for the right price, one was able to purchase a “Get Out of the Army” card. At some point, this

rocketed as they were becoming exceedingly rare and were no longer offered for sale by the government.

A man with several sons owned one such exemption card. He passed away with instructions that the exemption card should go to his youngest son. One can possibly conjecture that this was the weakest son and the father thought he most needed the exemption. The family followed the father’s wishes and gave the exemption card to the youngest brother.

The Rogatchover argued that the same can apply to the exemption card. The father only offered it for the youngest son’s personal use. Now that it has been determined that he no longer needs it, it should revert to the brothers’ shared inheritance. The young man accepted the analogy and relinquished his personal claim.

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.

In these two tractates, students tend to use other commentaries in place of the one printed as Rashi.

Over the years, we have been to Canada many times. Montreal and Toronto were the destinations that we went to most often. Though we explored tourist sites in those cities, our trips were for the most part related to simchos or other obligational visits.

My first trip to Canada was in 1967 before I got married when I traveled there with my friend Motel Bergman to take part in the World’s Fair Expo 67. Many years later, I journeyed with Pesi to the provinces of Ontario (Toronto), Quebec (Montreal), Nova Scotia (Hali-

The Wandering Jew Canada and More Part I

By Hershel Lieber

fax), and British Columbia (Vancouver and Victoria). Ever since my mother, a”h was in Quebec City and sent us postcards from there, I developed a desire to tour the capital city of this French province. At the same time, we could visit the two neighboring provinces of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. This past summer, in August of 2022, after the Covid epidemic subsided considerably, we took this two-week journey and enjoyed it immensely.

The driving time between Lakewood, NJ, and Quebec City is about ten hours,

so we decided that we will make two overnight stops on the way. Our first stop would be in Albany, NY, and the second night we would spend in Montreal.

We left Lakewood on Monday and were looking forward to the upcoming journey. After spending a night in Albany, we made two stops which were somewhat nostalgic for us. Both Saratoga Springs and Lake George brought back memories of the times we were there well before we even knew each other. We also recalled the trip that we took there with our own children when they were very young. We

strolled Saratoga’s well-manicured Congress Park, where the fountains gushed with natural geyser water which was available for drinking. We also arrived within two minutes of the departure of the Minne-Ha-Ha steamship for a twohour cruise on Lake George.

Then we headed for an overnight stay in Montreal. Our son-in-law Volvi Feldman, whose business is located there, took us out for a sumptuous dinner at the upscale restaurant, Chops. The next morning, after Shacharis and a hearty breakfast at District Bagel, we began our

Chateau Frontenac

three hour drive to Quebec City.

Quebec City is one of oldest European settlements in America, and its fortified city walls are a rarity in the Western Hemisphere. The relatively small population of half a million residents allows the cosmopolitan metropolis to retain a provincial and relaxed atmosphere. The French language and culture add to the

feeling of being on the other side of the Atlantic. The cafes lining the sidewalks with its authentic French cuisine (not that we could eat anything) reminded us of our stays in Paris. Many buildings with their stone exteriors and decorative ironwork facing the tree-shaded streets make strolling the city truly a gratifying event. The numerous picturesque parks,

some adjacent to the Saint Lawrence River, are great places to unwind and meditate. This was our image of the city we were going to explore.

Our stay at Hotel Chateau Laurier was in a great location – about a seven-minute walk to Parliament, ten minutes to the Citadel, twenty minutes to Old Quebec, Chateau Frontenac and Palace

Royale, around the corner from Plains of Abraham, and, most importantly, five minutes away from Chabad. Thursday was our first full day in Quebec, and we walked for hours on end to soak in the ambience of this charming city. We took a self-guided tour of the massive Parliament building and then started our descent to the Lower Town. We descended

Cruising on Lake George

At the Garrison

our hotel room, and then we started to get ready for Shabbos.

Similar to many of our excursions, we reached out to Chabad to help us regarding minyanim, davening, and kosher food. Quebec City was not an exception, I spoke to Rabbi Dovid and Rebbetzin Devora Leah Levin long before we left

and some Israelis, as well as some locals. The tish resounded with a babble of languages including English, French, Hebrew, and Spanish. Everyone introduced themselves and had to relate some significant life experience. I offered my 1979 “Arrested by the KGB” story which kept the listeners in suspense throughout my

ers. When everyone left the table, we sat and schmoozed with Levins and then we formed a minyan for Mincha.

After a short nap in our hotel room, we took a walk in the Plains of Abraham park where the numerous sections of flower beds resembled a botanical garden. We then returned to Chabad for Shalosh Seudos where we continued our conversation with the rav and rebbetzin and their children. We played Chabad geography as I related the well over forty shluchim that we had the pleasure to connect with over our years of traveling. Rav Dovid even invited me to join him at the upcoming Kinus HaShluchim.

After Havdalah and the traditional photo taking session, we returned to our hotel and started to make plans for the next leg of our journey, the Canadian Province of New Brunswick.

To be continued…

by riding the funicular instead of walking the winding streets to reach Dufferin Terrace and the Chateau Frontenac. That general area is magnificently quaint, and we were especially overwhelmed with the interior of the Chateau, which is a luxury hotel boasting Old World charm. Walking the narrow cobblestoned streets with its enchanting shops and unique dangling signs was an exciting treat in itself. The walk back was a lot more difficult since we were hiking uphill. We stopped for an hour at the Museum of Civilization before heading back to our hotel.

Friday was another day of continuous exploration. In the morning, we took a walking guided tour of the Citadel, a historic army base. This was followed by an hour-long sightseeing tour on the upper level of an open air coach. We saw a lot of the same places as the previous day but with a narration explaining the historic significance of the sights that we were seeing. We returned and ate our lunch in

for our trip and made arrangements to join them and their guests for the Shabbos seudos. We would also daven with them at their shul which was located in their house one long block from our hotel. Aside from Chabad, there is only one other Orthodox synagogue in the city.

I finally met Rav Dovid on Erev Shabbos when I went to the pristine mikvah that they built for the locals as well as for guests. We arrived a bit before Shabbos so that Pesi could light candles there, and we joined a group for Kabbolas Shabbos sans minyan. Rav Dovid said that it is rare that they do not have minyan, but during the summer when people are on vacation and the universities are closed, it can occasionally happen. The seudah was beautiful, the food plentiful and delicious, and the company was eclectic. We met a frum family from Argentina

recitation. We sang zemiros, drank a bit of vodka, and shared our lives with the other guests. Rav Dovid and Rebbetzin Devora Leah are great hosts, and he treated us to divrei Torah from the Rebbe, zt”l.

As we retraced our steps back to the hotel, we passed the open restaurants and bars lining both sides of Grande Alee with their blaring music and the loud chitter-chatter of the patrons. The contrast to the lofty spiritual level of the Shabbos seudah that we just experienced at Chabad was very apparent.

Shabbos morning we had well over a minyan. I got an aliyah and was the shliach tzibbur for Mussaf. What started as an elaborate kiddush culminated with a full seudah. Pesi related her “Leningrad earring smuggling story” which elicited oohs and aahs from the listen-

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.

Gardens facing Quebec’s Parliament

A quaint street in Quebec’s Lower Town

Funicular descending to Quebec’s Lower Town

Many buildings with their stone exteriors and decorative ironwork facing the tree-shaded streets make strolling the city truly a gratifying event.

With Rabbi Dovid and Rebbetzin Devora Leah Levin

The Craft of Aging Gracefully

By Rafi Sackville

Over 40 years ago, in an effort to help me develop a creative side to myself I didn’t know existed, I was steered into doing an apprenticeship first with a jeweler and then with a graphic designer; I showed little predilection in either field. The jeweler was situated within spitting distance of the Old City. He was an old man, who said little and gave me directions by example. I’d sit at a wooden desk that looked and felt like a relic from the Ottoman period and, file in hand, spent day after day filing settings for rings. My boredom was eventually matched by the graphic artist’s insistence that I spend my time observing more than doing.

Then, on a windy evening towards the end of winter, I found a large piece of leather outside Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem. It felt wonderfully malleable. It was soft to the touch on its outside but rough inside. It appeared a contradiction of sorts. Sharpening a butter knife and a fork, I turned the discarded scrap into a shoulder bag. I recollect proudly walking around in a sweater I had knitted from raw wool that I had spun myself and the bag slung across my shoulder.

Since then, I have made hundreds of leather items from bags and shoes to wallets, megillah cases and tefillin boxes. I’ve accumulated more tools than I can shake a stick at. Leather craft has granted me an outlet that is both therapeutic and creative.

In America, it was easy to purchase leather hides, the tools and paraphernalia necessary, but here in Israel the businesses are not centralized. Leather hides are not where one can buy hand tools and machinery. Furthermore, purchasing leather online is risky; it’s always best to physically inspect it first.

Then there is Eldad. He’s an artisan living on Kibbutz Afek in the Zevulun Valley in Western Galil. There he built a large workshop he proudly calls Omanya, where he runs lessons in leather craft. He is set up to teach up to twenty people at a time. There they make all kinds of leather projects, from keychains to face masks,

from sandals to shoulder bags.

Eldad is an engaging and excellent teacher. He is a mixture of humor, expertise, and patience. He guides without imposing himself on his students. Most importantly, the workshop exudes an atmosphere of happiness.

Eldad provides more than classes. He buys and sells leather and hand tools. Moreover, he has the room to house large

Officially, I have one more year to fulfill until I reach the age of retirement. Up until this point in my life my chosen profession as a teacher has been fulfilling. The happiness I find in class and among young people in general has lent teaching the feel of a hobby; maybe that’s what is meant when we describe people who thoroughly enjoy their work as having the feeling of not really working. I’m still not sure I’m ready

noise was so loud I was forced to leave the classroom and stand in the hall. I thought it a total waste of time, until one little chap told me it was the best half-hour of his life. He stood next to me waving a malformed and unrecognizable piece of leather in his hand; he had pounded it into pulp.

To my mind, the lure of retirement is like the call of sirens: dangerous. Unless one is totally prepared for retirement and is sensible and self-aware enough to know how to deal with the sudden inundation of free hours that are a retiree’s lot, leaving the workforce can be devastating.

Israel is no different than any other country in this regard. Only take into consideration the difficulty many olim from Russian-speaking countries face. Many make Aliyah at an advanced age having spent their working lives without any pension plan. Once they retire, they will be lucky to have more than $1,000 a month to live off. People my age oftentimes discuss the dire situation of such immigrants as a comfort for having a pension plan in the first place.

I’d want nothing more than to remain active in my later years. I perish the thought of sitting at home doing nothing. There’s a yeshiva up the road which offers a course for retirees that I’m looking forward to joining. There are the occasion columns I enjoy writing. Finally, there’s the lure of my craftwork that is reassuring as my time in the classroom comes to an end.

machinery, which offers small artisans like myself services such as stamping and cutting pieces of leather.

It’s a great service, especially knowing Eldad is only an hour away. His workshop is right next door to the kibbutz cowshed. The irony isn’t lost on anyone; one is hit by the smell of leather goods inside coupled uncomfortably with the wafting shock to one’s olfactory glands coming out of the cowshed. Add to that sounds of bovine bellows wailing in through the windows and the experience is totally “leather.”

to retire, but it’s something that I cannot ignore; the issue needs addressing sooner, rather than later. I’ve seen so many people retire and then flounder. I want to remain active and enterprising.

I have thought about opening a small workshop, but memories of running a leather activity in Darchei Torah’s summer camp still give me pause. I was approached at the 11th hour to teach a group of sixth graders. I outfitted them with pieces of leather, rubber mallets and stamps. For half an hour, they pounded away until the

I’d mostly want to concentrate on making items like megillah cases and tefillin boxes, like those pictured here – something that will keep me occupied and, more importantly, allow me to be creative and imaginative. And when I need to buy and punch leather pieces, and when I am short of hardware, I have the comfort knowing that Eldad is only 45 minutes away by car.

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

Add to that sounds of bovine bellows wailing in through the windows and the experience is totally “leather.”

Israel Today

Neve Yaakov’s American Roots

By Rafael Medoff

News reports about the Neve Yaakov synagogue massacre have characterized that Jerusalem neighborhood as an “Israeli settlement” located in “predominantly Palestinian East Jerusalem.”

Visitors to the area might be surprised, however, to discover that Neve Yaakov actually is a major urban community with more than 30,000 residents, not at all resembling the stereotypical “settlement” of trailer homes on a windswept hilltop. And far from being some recent foreign implant, Neve Yaakov’s origins reach back nearly a century, to an era long before terms such as “Palestinians” and “East Jerusalem” had even entered our vocabulary, at least in the way they are understood today.

A two-paragraph news brief in the Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s Daily News Bulletin on January 1, 1924, announced the laying of “the corner-stone of a new Jewish colony in Palestine” by the Mizrachi religious Zionists, in an area just north of Jerusalem’s Old City section. The new neighborhood would be known as “Kfar Ivri Neve Yaakov,” after the founder of the religious Zionist movement, the late Rabbi Yitzhak Yaakov Reines. Rabbi Meir Berlin (later Bar-Ilan), president of World Mizrachi, spoke at the founding event, as did Sir Gilbert Clayton, Civil Secretary of the British Mandatory government.

The new community was located on sixteen acres of land purchased from local Arabs by the American wing of the Mizrachi movement, today known as the Religious Zionists of America. Loans from the movement’s longtime treasurer, Baruch H. Schnur, helped make it possible.

Richard Kauffmann, the renowned German Jewish architect, was retained to design Neve Yaakov. Kauffmann would also become known for designing the cities of Afula and Herzliya, a number of neighborhoods in central Jerusalem, and the residence of Israel’s prime minister.

The role of American Jews in the purchase and development of land in British Mandatory Palestine is a little-known but significant chapter in Zionist history. During the early 1900s, American Zionists in various cities established local “Achooza” groups to advance these efforts. (In Hebrew, achooza means “holding,” as in real estate holdings.) The St. Louis and Chicago Achooza branches established the towns of Poriya (1910) and Sarona (1913); the New York branch founded Ra’anana (1921) and Gan Yavneh (1931).

An American Zionist brochure in the 1920s, offering half-acre plots of land in Neve Yaakov for $150 apiece, emphasized the value of the investment and the opportunity to build a new life, but most of all appealed to those who “want the Holy Land to be in the hands of the Jewish people.”

Neve Yaakov encountered hardships similar to those endured by other Jewish communities in Mandatory Palestine during the 1920s and 1930s. Palestinian Arab terrorists attacked the neighborhood in 1929 and again during 1936-1939. The British authorities did not connect the town to the national water supply until 1935; another four years passed before it was hooked up to the electricity grid.

Despite these hardships, Neve Yaakov prospered, and by the 1930s boasted a population of more than 150 Jewish families. Neve Yaakov’s farmers became a major source of dairy products for the rest of Jerusalem, and its schools and summer camps attracted students from around the country.

Details concerning the makeup of the community’s population are fragmentary, but it is clear that at least some American Jews not only bought land in Neve Yaakov but settled there as well. The April 1927 edition of Palestine Pictorial, a Zionist advocacy magazine, included a photo of an Orthodox couple kneeling in a field, with the caption, “Springtime Has Come in Palestine: American Jews in Kfar Ivri [Neve Yaakov] planting seed in their garden. Every year sees an increasing number of well-to-do Jews from America settling in Palestine.” Several histories of preWorld War II American Jewish aliya mention the Zelig family, from Philadelphia, living in Neve Yaakov in the 1930s.

The neighborhoods ringing Jerusalem to the north, including Neve Yaakov, were frequent targets of attacks by Arab forces during the 1948 War of Independence. More than a few British soldiers joined in the assaults. During the defense of Neve Yaakov on March

10, Haganah fighters captured two Englishmen who were wanted for their role in carrying out an anti-Jewish terrorist attack on Ben-Yehuda Street in Jerusalem earlier that year, murdering 58 passersby and injuring 200 more. The pair, George Ross and Godfrey Stevenson, were tried by the British authorities for desertion, not terrorism, and then allowed to “escape” to Egypt.

The rapid approach of the Arab armies forced the residents of Neve Yaakov to flee for their lives. On May 17, a New York Times correspondent reported that the Arab troops entering Neve Yaakov included “eight British deserters and one German former paratrooper”—another peculiar feature of the 1948 war.

During the nineteen years of Jordanian occupation which followed, the Jews of Neve Yaakov were not allowed to return, or even to visit. Nor were they ever paid compensation for the destruction of their homes, farms, and property.

After Israel recaptured the area in the 1967 war, the Jordanian policy of barring all Jews was reversed by Israel’s Labor government, and Neve Yaakov was rebuilt. Eventually it became one of the eight “ring” neighborhoods forming the outer perimeter of Jerusalem, along with Ramot, French Hill, Pisgat Ze’ev, Talpiot Mizrach, Ramat Shlomo, Gilo, and Har Homa. Decades removed from the stereotypical settlements of yesteryear, these communities, with their modern apartment buildings, schools, stores, and hospitals, have come to constitute an integral part of Israel’s capital.

Dr. Medoff is founding director of The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies and author of more than 20 books about Jewish history and the Holocaust. His latest is America and the Holocaust: A Documentary History, published by the Jewish Publication Society & University of Nebraska Press.

What Will Become of a ll the Memories?

transmitting the tragedy of the holocaust to the Next Generation

By Malkie Schulman

Thefirst personal contact Tova Rosenberg, creator of Names, Not Numbers, Inc. – Holocaust Oral History Film Documentary project, had with a Holocaust survivor was when she met family members for the first time in Israel.

“I come from St. Louis and there weren’t too many survivors there when I was growing up,” Tova shares. “Certainly, no one that I knew had a number on their arm.”

Tova majored in European History, and as part of her graduate studies at Hebrew University, she studied the Holocaust era with renowned Holocaust scholar, Professor Yehuda Bauer. This was her first in-depth exposure to the Holocaust.

Upon finishing her degrees, Rosenberg became an Adjunct Lecturer at a College of Education in Israel and trained Israeli teachers to teach in the Jewish Educational systems in the Diaspora. Tova had been a Day School principal and is currently Director of Hebrew Language and Special Programs at Yeshiva University High School for Boys in New York. Over the years, she has constantly sought experiential projects that would leave a mark on students and motivate them to want to learn, whatever the subject, not necessarily the Holocaust.

Tova’s quest for hands-on learning became focused on Holocaust studies 19 years ago when, as principal in a Central Pennsylvania Day School, she received a letter from the State inviting her school to apply for an intergenerational grant.

“That was when the idea for an experiential Holocaust documentary project first came into my mind,” Tova says. “On my faculty, I had a computer teacher who made film documentaries.”

These two factors – the funding and expertise –were the catalyst for Tova’s vision of first-hand learning through having students personally interview Holocaust survivors and then produce an oral history film documentary about it.

Thus began the Names, Not Numbers, Inc. project. For nearly 20 years now, together with husband, Dov Rosenberg, Tova has been actively spreading her worthy work throughout the U.S., Canada, and Israel.

Bequeathing MeMories

Shockingly, in a 2019 study, polls showed that 66% of Millennials could not identify Auschwitz as a concentration/death camp and 31% of all Americans

believe that 2 million Jews or fewer were killed in the Holocaust.

In the famous words of George Santayana in The Life of Reason, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Names, Not Numbers is about educating today’s youth about what happened in the Holocaust, in all its horrific detail, so that the world community will remember and make sure it never happens again.

“Our strongest hopes,” shares Tova, “especially,

lay in our youth because they are tomorrow’s leaders. They are the ones who can be inspired to stand up to and act against oppression and ultimately act forcefully to prevent prejudice, hatred, anti-Semitism and further attempts at genocide.”

Names, Not Numbers offers an integrated, multidisciplinary curriculum, combining research, specialized interviewing techniques, documentary film tools, and editing. Throughout the project, the selected students work with professionals – journalists, newspaper editors, filmmakers, and Holocaust scholars.

“Our program,” Tova explains, “is furnishing young people with the proper tools to succeed in education and in life. These are the tools of effective journalism, film capture and portrayal, and tools of interviewing and meaningful research.”

Names, Not Numbers is a project which bequeaths the memories, stories, and lessons of the Holocaust to students and inspires future generations to combat anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred and intolerance.

Rabbi Yoni Fein, Head of School at Brauser Maimonides Academy in Hollywood, Florida, is an enthusiastic proponent of the program. He comments on the many ways his students have gained from the project.

“The students learned new skills, connected disciplines, learned about themselves and their heritage, connected that history to their world, and took on global responsibility. All the while, they built relationships with survivors and learned to capture perspective and articulate a point of view.”

Students, educators, and survivors who have participated in this program remark on the title – Names, Not Numbers. Each Holocaust victim, they say, were entire worlds before the Nazis attempted to reduce them to mere numbers. As one Holocaust scholar commented in a lecture to participating students, “The number six million means nothing to me. It only means something when I see it as the number one – six…. million… times.”

Tova points out, “The interviews with the Holo -

caust survivors show that we honor their stories, as well as value the importance of passing them down to the future generations.”

Academic book learning cannot be compared to experiential, hands-on learning, especially when dealing with a topic like the Holocaust. Virtually every student walks out of their interview session with the survivor a different person. Through speaking to and hearing the stories directly from the survivor, they have now become the closest you can get to knowledge of what went on during those years. They know that and feel that in the deepest sense.

“Our goal is to get the student to be the ‘witnesses

shares Tova.

“One of the preliminary steps is reaching out to survivors to explain the project to them and ask if they’re interested in participating. If they are interested, we ask them to send us a short bio about their life before, during, and after the war. The next part of the program consists of prepping the students. Each school offers sessions about the timeline of the Holocaust and historical detail of this era.”

Concurrent to the history lessons, the students are learning how to conduct an oral history interview and how to produce a documentary. In fact, two documentaries are being produced simultaneously. One is of the survivor’s story and the other one is the students’ testimonials both before and after the survivor interview.

“From day one,” says Tova, “we are interviewing the students to obtain their insights and reflections. We ask them what they are learning from the project and what they want to do with their newfound knowledge in the future.”

to the witnesses,’ to carry on the legacy. We want them to clearly understand that wars do not begin with guns; they begin with words,” maintains Tova. Through the interview process, the students learn where hateful words can lead and why it’s so important not to allow hate to flourish. They learn how damaging it can be to keep silent when vicious words and actions are exchanged. They learn the truth of Winston Churchill’s remonstrance: “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph in the world is that good men do nothing.”

a shared history

There are a number of phases to the program,

In the oral history documentary, the viewers only see and hear the interviewee. They don’t see the student interviewer, and they don’t even hear the questions that the interviewer is asking. This means that the interview questions must be phrased in a way that the viewer will understand the interviewee’s response without knowing what the question was. The student interviewer learns to elicit the survivor’s story without using names they wish the survivor to use.

The students are learning history through the people who have lived through it. They learn about life before the war. The idea is to get the survivor’s memories activated from 80 years ago (or more).

“To obtain a complete and accurate picture of what happened to them during the war, we have to know what they lost from before the war,” shares Tova.

Tova will often encourage the students to ask the survivor to describe their Pesach seder before the war. Recalling happy occasions with family members is a great way to jog the memory. Discussing the Pesach

“My voice is fading and soon will be heard no more; it’s up to you kids to make sure the world does not forget.”

Tova Rosenberg

seder accomplishes both. Where did your grandfather sit at the table? Where did your grandmother sit? What food was served? The survivor will visualize his relatives at the table, he will smell the food being served. What melodies did you sing? Can you sing it for me?

“The stories and memories these survivors share are priceless,” contends Tova. “In one interview, I recall,” continues Tova, “a student asked the survivor what his favorite subject in school was. He answered that he did not like parshat hashavua. ‘What did you do then during the lesson?’ the student asked. ‘I drew pictures of the parsha that my rebbe was discussing.’ Later on, in the interview when the survivor shared his experience leaving on the Kindertransport, the student asked, ‘What did you take in your suitcase with you?’ ‘My drawings from parsha class,’ the survivor answered. After the war, the survivor went to New York. ‘What did you bring with you to New York?’ asked the student. ‘My parsha drawings from cheder.’”

Another interviewee brought her doll with her to Theresienstadt (concentration camp). Her doll made it through all the war years and today resides in a glass case in a Washington, D.C., museum. Often the survivors bring pictures and artifacts to the interview.

“The students are mesmerized,” says Tova. “History becomes alive. It’s not just a picture in a book. They understand that they’re sitting across from heroes who lived through this historical period.”

Tova admits that all the stories mesmerize and inspire her as well. Personally, she shares that one of her most inspiring stories was when, at the end

of an interview, the student asked a Polish survivor of various concentration camps from 1939 to 1945 what he did on the day he was liberated. The survivor responded, “I went to a movie.” The eighth grade interviewer was astute and understood what he had been taught that as a good journalist, his job was to follow up on interesting comments of the interviewee even if he hadn’t prepared for it. So, he pressed

An important question the student will ask a survivor is – “What is your message to my generation?” Every survivor, of course, will have a different response. Some will say, “Your job is to teach the world (about what happened).” Another will say, “Philanthropy is the most important, to give back to the Jewish world.”

It’s interesting to note, observes Tova, that about one-fifth of the students participating in this project are not even Jewish. Nevertheless, the participating public, private or Catholic schools feel strongly that children from all walks of life learn about the Holocaust and get a chance to speak to a survivor. In the words of Mr. David Abbott, principal of BELL Academy in Queens, NY, “The question we, as educators, often ask ourselves is how we can engage students in such controversial topics of hate, discrimination, and racism. One thing we can say for certain is that ignoring the past, and not confronting the painful realities of today, will only permit feelings and attitudes fueled by hate, to flourish. We need to empower, we need to educate, and programs like Names, Not Numbers is an effective way to engage our students in experiential learning on such important issues.”

Steven Spielberg, Academy Award Winning Director, agrees. Speaking to the students at Manhattan Day School in New York, he notes, “I’m inspired by these students in their outreach and compassion. Together with the survivors, each one has become a teacher of history that must be remembered. It is also so gratifying that you – in your own way – have shown us that this and future generations will not stand aside when they have a chance to tell a story that can make a difference for the good of all of us.”

The other participants of the Names, Not Numbers project are students in day schools and JCCs of all affiliations across Canada, the United States, and Israel. Occasionally, a public school will collaborate with a day school on the project.

“I find it particularly inspiring,” shares Tova, “to see minority students in public schools so involved in a Holocaust project.”

After the interviews are finished, there is a final community event to showcase the work that was done by the survivors and the students. The students talk about what they’ve learned from their experience, and they present the survivors with a gift. Hugs are exchanged and pictures are taken together.

“I love watching the intergenerational connection that’s been formed,” says Tova.

further and asked, “What movie did you see?” And “why did you choose to go to a movie?” The survivor responded that before the war his favorite activity was going to a movie so now that the war was over, that’s what he wanted to do.

“This survivor went through hell from the very beginning of the war to the very end of the war,” shares Tova, “yet he hadn’t lost his joie de vivre, and at the first opportunity to do what he liked best, he did.”

Besides for the warmth and love that’s in the room at the final event, sometimes there are surprises as well.

“We have had more than once that two survivors at the final event will discover after watching the documentary and hearing other survivors’ stories that they were in the same concentration camp or on the same ship coming together to the United States. That will also be very moving,” she shares.

“ the number six million means nothing to me. it only means something when i see it as the number one – six…. million… times.”

Tova helping a student prepare for the interview

“At one event,” she continues, “a group of students interviewed a man who had liberated Buchenwald concentration camp. Another interviewee, a survivor of Buchenwald, was present at the final event. He stood in front of the audience and read aloud a poem in which he thanked the liberator for what he had done.

“Now that was an incredibly emotional moment!”

a transforM ative e xperience

Initially, at the advent of the project, the students may experience trepidation. Many have never met a survivor before, and they’ve certainly never produced a documentary, so their concerns are quite normal, maintains Tova.

Another important aspect of the interview and something the students are concerned about is what to do if either they get overwhelmed by the stories and/or the survivor breaks down in the retelling.

“In our experience,” Tova discloses, “the students usually remain calm, but sometimes a survivor will break down and then we teach the student to pause, wait and show empathy before moving on. We also explain to the students that if the survivor breaks down, it’s not because of something they said/did wrong; it’s just from the pain of re-living their story.”

Which, of course, begs the next question. Why would any survivor be interested in being part of a project like this?

“In fact, most of the survivors we speak to are very interested in sharing their story,” says Tova. “But it wasn’t like that 19 years ago when we started this project. Now, the survivors are cognizant of the fact that they’re the last generation of survivors, and if they don’t pass on their story, who will? Today, telling their story has become a mission for them. They understand that they are passing the torch to these kids.”

As one Holocaust survivor poignantly commented, “My voice is fading and soon will be heard no more; it’s up to you kids to make sure the world does not forget.”

Nevertheless, often it comes with a price to pay. Some survivors share that after the interview, they have a week of sleepless nights because of nightmares they experience.

“We find that both for the survivors and the students, the experience is transformative,” says Tova. “The survivors just want to hug the kids and the kids feel the same. After the interview, the survivors view the students like their own children. It’s no longer just their personal family that is telling their story but their ‘new’ children as well.”

Chaim Weiser, a Holocaust survivor, wrote after the final event, “I am forever grateful for being chosen alongside such distinguished guests. Not a day goes by that I don’t cherish the wonderful experience. I cannot imagine a more urgent undertaking that will

perpetuate to the world the memory of the great tragedy that befell the Jewish people.”

Tova will direct the project coordinators to tell the students from every group to call and wish the survivor a good Shabbos every Friday even if the survivor is not religious. Before holidays, Tova will also encourage the participants to call. Sometimes, she shares, they hear that the survivor receives food through the Meals on Wheels program, and they ask if they can be the ones to deliver it. If a survivor passes away soon after an interview, the students will pay a shiva call.

One recurring theme is the awe the students feel for the survivor that after all they’ve gone through, they can still be happy.

“And a comment we hear over and over,” shares Tova, “is the feeling of how can we complain about anything? Our problems are so trivial compared to what these people have gone through. There’s more of a sense of being grateful for their lives, even with all its imperfection.”

Truth to tell, admits Tova, she is also in awe of these heroes. Every survivor has an inspiring story to tell, she claims, but the fact that they can pick up their lives and move forward is truly awe-inspiring.

Perhaps more than anything, though, is the sense of inspiration and motivation these young adults feel now that they so deeply understand what apathy and silence can do to humanity when morality goes astray. The memories of the survivors, their stories and lessons of the Holocaust inspire the students to strive to combat anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred and intolerance.

At the culminating event for a public high school in Miami, one of the students spoke to the audience and said: “Understanding history, respect for humanity and intolerance of hate are timeless lessons. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to learn directly from living survivors. As young students and the future leaders of tomorrow, we need to continue to share a story that cannot be forgotten and we must make sure an event like this never happens again.

“Ladies and gentlemen, our lessons today are the hope for tomorrow’s world.”

naMes not nuMBers in nuMBers

• To date, over 7,000 students in several countries from grade 8 through college have successfully interviewed, filmed, and edited the testimonies of over 4,000 survivors and World War ii veterans.

• The more than 550 documentary films produced by the project have been viewed by over 150,000 people and are archived in major museums and academic institutions in the united states and israel.

• DESCRIPTION OF achieveMents and aWards:

Names, Not Numbers was the Premiere film of the Miami Jewish Film Festival in 2020.

one documentary appeared on over 260 ABC affiliates from OctoberDecember 2020.

Names, Not Numbers won the 2021 Wilbur award from the religion Communicators Council (RCC), recognizing the work of individuals that communicate about values and themes with professionalism, fairness, respect, and honesty. past winners include Morgan Freeman, Oprah Winfrey, The New York Times, etc.

tova rosenberg received the Baumol award from yeshiva university for the Names, Not Numbers project in 2006.

For more information, visit www.namesnotnumbers.org.

By Mindi Werblowsky, LCSW

Dear Teen Talk,

I am a freshman in a local high school. I am considered a good student who makes good grades, and I don’t cause trouble.

There is a kid in my grade that, for lack of a better term, is socially awkward. She doesn’t have any friends, she doesn’t seem to understand social cues at all, and honestly she says things that are just blunt and rude and does not seem to be sensitive to other people’s feelings.

Teen Talk, a new column in TJH, is geared towards the teens in our community. Answered by a rotating roster of teachers, rebbeim, clinicians, and peers (!), teens will be hearing answers to many questions they had percolating in their minds and wished they had the answers for.

The issue is that as one of the “good kids” I have been asked to try to befriend her and even to have her in my room at the school Shabbaton. I know there is a concept of chessed, but this girl is just mean and no one wants to be around her. Even if we are nice to her, she doesn’t fit in and now none of my friends will want to be in my room either.

What can I do?

-Stuck between a Rock and a Hard Place

Dear Stuck,

This sounds like a really difficult position to be in, and I can relate because I was often in the same position when I was in high school. I really appreciate you writing in because I think this brings attention to a very important difficulty that a lot of kids your age are facing.

Firstly, I want to address the concept of chessed that you mentioned. Doing chessed is a foundational aspect of who we are as Jewish people. It is not something to take lightly and sometimes it involves doing things that are uncomfortable. I can guarantee you from both a personal and professional perspective that stretching yourself in the area where it is the hardest for you will bring you the most growth overall. You are always going to face challenges in life. And the more you stretch your “resilience muscle,” the easier it will be for you to get through those even more difficult challenges later on.

But now I also want to add on something from a professional perspective that may shed some light on this and possibly change your perspective. It is very difficult to look at someone who is “socially off” and says blunt and even rude things and have compassion for that person. But what if you were to learn that the same person who you somewhat dislike has a diagnosis that causes them to behave this way?

In recent years, I have been seeing many teenagers in my office with different presenting symptoms which have turned out to come from them being improperly diagnosed or never diagnosed. And what we are seeing is that after we send these kids for appropriate testing, the diagnosis is coming back that they have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This may sound surprising. The general public views autistic kids

as children who can’t speak, who don’t make eye contact, who attend special needs schools, and who have shadows. But that is really not representative of autism at all. The reason the diagnosis is labeled ASD, is because it is a spectrum. There are kids with autism who are very, very high functioning – so high functioning that they have never even been diagnosed. They can be very smart and do well in school. In fact, they often have tendencies to excel in computers, math, or sciences. But the way high-functioning autism would present in school would be very similar to that “socially awkward” kid. They may not be able to pick up on social cues, they do not know how to chat about everyday, non-important things. They do not always understand the concept of empathy and that something blunt may hurt someone’s feelings. Very rarely are these kids actually mean. They just do not understand feelings in the same way that we

do. They may think if they tell someone that their dress is ugly that they are doing this person a huge favor so that they won’t wear an ugly dress again and get teased. They see the world in black and white concrete terms, and the gray nuances are often too hard for them to understand.

So where does this leave you?

While I hope that every child who presents with some of these difficulties is getting the appropriate diagnosis and resources to help them, that is not always the case.

Are you a teen with a question?

If you have a question or problem you’d like our columnists to address, email your question or insight to editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com , subject line: Teen Talk.

Sometimes, it falls under the radar. But perhaps you can change your perspective and realize that your classmate is not mean, rude or just socially off; she is struggling with ASD and struggling to belong in a world that is so different for her than it is for you. Even without the actual diagnosis, perhaps you can look at this girl with a dif-

ferent viewpoint, with more compassion and realize that she is hurting and scared because she is living in a world that does not make sense to her.

And maybe befriending her in the limited capacity you can, and even rooming with her, won’t seem so bad.

Wishing you the best of luck!

Mindi Werblowsky, LCSW, is the clinical director of Madraigos.

What Would You Do If…

Dear Navidaters,

As the married friend of a single 29-year-old girl, I’m growing increasingly worried about her. In her low 20’s, she just wasn’t ready for marriage and that was totally OK. In her mid-20’s she consistently chased after the wrong guys and avoided the guys that actually would have been good for her. Essentially, she liked the “bad boys” and didn’t find the nice guys very appealing. Now, in her late twenties, she’s taken on a bit of a snobby persona, and while she still professes that she wants to get married very badly, I feel that she’s actually further away from reality than she was a few years ago.

To date, she has not had any long-term dating relationship, either in the shidduch world or meeting guys her own. And the guys she seems to like tend to dump her almost immediately. I feel like she doesn’t understand herself at all, and even though she is in therapy, it doesn’t seem to be working.

I’m too scared to tell her any of this for fear that she’ll get angry at me and not take my words to heart. She has a hard time with criticism, and she often perceives that she’s being criticized when nobody is actually attacking her at all! I’m told she’s been getting a reputation as a snob and “holier than thou” from outsiders, and I’m having a really hard time defending her reputation lately. I love her and want what’s best for her, but I’m frozen in place... what do I do?

Sincerely,

A Friend Indeed

Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters

The Rebbetzin

Rebbetzin Lisa Babich

Hi “A Friend Indeed,”

I hear your concerns and really understand your fears and what you are conveying. I think the first thing you need to realize is you don’t need to feel that this responsibility is all on your shoulders. Hashem can guide her on the right path, and you don’t need to feel its fully in your control. She also is a person with free choice at the end of the day who has to make her own decisions and live with the consequences – whether good or bad. I start with that because I sense a heavy weight you are carrying when sometimes we need to let go of a situation and the lack of control that we have in it.

That being said, I do feel that there is a kind way to help guide friends without it sounding critical. You can offer her some

amazing resources and tell her you heard these resources have really helped people shift their perspectives. Two such books that come to mind are “I Only Want To Get Married Once” by Chana Levitan and “Marry Him” by Lori Gottlieb. There are also incredible dating coaches out there and perhaps suggesting one of them to her can be helpful.

Bottom line, this situation does not fall entirely on you, and as a friend, you can help guide her to the right places so that an “outsider” can be direct with her and tell her all the things you wish you can say.

The Shadchan

Michelle Mond

Thanks for taking the time to ask a great question.

You are a good friend and have the best intentions of helping out. I am sure this is not new to you, but I will say it nonetheless. Not all singles want their married friends to come and “save” them. It can not only feel uncomfortable but patronizing and out of place. From what you write, I venture to say you are not the right delivery person for dating advice. You mentioned that communicating with her will lead to anger in addition to ignoring your comments altogether. You also mentioned that she does not take criticism from friends very well. Many people have a hard time accepting criticism – are you completely innocent of that yourself? Do you know how badly she wants to get married? Do you know how hard it is getting rejected time after time by the guys she actually likes? Do you know how hurtful it is for someone going through an obvious challenge to get unsolicited advice? Why conjure up theories about why

she is still single, or what kind of guys she is running after? Even if it is true, she will not change unless she wants to change. This is her life, after all. Work on your friendship with this friend whom you love. Get closer and bond over other things besides her singlehood. Find ways to chill together and build memories. If she asks you for advice, you may then give it in a loving way.

Do you feel like you need to walk on eggshells around her so she will not be mad at you?

The Single Tzipora

Grodko

Dear Friend, I’m struggling to answer your question as I have many points I want to share.

Firstly, it is extremely difficult to be an “older” single in the Jewish community. Please consider that your friends “snobbiness” or “holier than thou” attitude is most probably the simplest expression of pain, loneliness, and self-preservation amongst all the inappropriate, rude, and harsh judgments and comments that people make towards her. I share this because I don’t think

further steps can be taken without having extreme compassion for your friend and noticing the pain she’s likely in.

Secondly, this is your friend’s process. You may need to exercise patience and support while she takes this journey of growth. Sometimes details may seem to indicate that THIS is the reason why someone is single when, in reality, it just may not be the right time.

Lastly, with extreme compassion and kindness, (once again) approach your friend and ask : how can I be a good friend for you while you’re navigating through the struggles of dating? She may respond by asking you for advice or appreciate that you are there when she is ready. It’s very difficult for

Pulling It All Together

The Navidaters

Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

Hi Friend Indeed, Ooooh... you are in such a tough situation. Without knowing your friend and solely based on your perception of things, it seems like your friend may be somewhat of a “difficult” person. And until she will allow herself to see this or until she wants to see it, all the therapy in the world will be of no avail.

I’m wondering if she is making her dates feel the same way you do...scared to be real and honest with her because of her defensiveness and anger. It can be very difficult for the people who love difficult people because true intimacy cannot be had. If you can’t share how you feel with your friend, on a general day-to-day basis, I’m wondering how

you are man - aging in this relation - ship. Do you feel like you need to walk on eggshells around her so she will not be mad at you? I know you aren’t writing in about your friendship, but I just wanted to check in with you and see how you’re doing in the friendship.

I cannot tell you what to do, but we can explore together potential outcomes and how each outcome might make you feel. Every friendship is different. In my opinion (which is not fact), when you are very close with a friend, we can’t necessarily come out and bluntly state a criticism, but we can certainly offer

someone to integrate unsolicited advice if they didn’t ask for it, even if it’s from someone they love. Communicate and exercise patience as you create a safe setting. She’s lucky to have such a caring friend.

The Zaidy

Dr. Jeffrey Galler

My granddaughters are currently very busy, teaching me how to effectively communicate with millennials and GenZ teenagers, through the use of texting abbreviations.

Consequently, I have learned that “LOL” means laughing out loud, “IDK” means I Don’t Know, and “IMO” means In My Opinion.

So, my unequivocal answer to your question is “MYOB” – Mind Your Own Business. No one appreciates unsolicited advice.

Your friend already understands that she has a problem and is seeing a therapist. Your only role here is to be a good friend, a good listener, and a good example of proper, adult behavior.

concern, conversation, and an invitation to explore what it is you are seeing. You can ask a good friend if it would be welcome or alright to share something that has been weighing on you because you genuinely love her and want what’s best. It is true that some friendships cannot withstand this, and this kind of concern is just not welcome. If it isn’t welcome, that can be OK too as long as we respect the wishes of our friend and it lands well on us.

Should you decide to say something, your friend may very well not take well to it because she interprets feedback and concern as criticism. She may pull away from you or turn against you or end the friendship. When people do not want to see something (denial), they can shut down, gaslight you and turn the tables on you, or become overtly aggressive.

Alternatively, she also may be appreciative. Let’s not forget that as a possible outcome.

Your other option is to say nothing at all, which a lot of people might choose as well.

Should you say something to your friend in a kind and gentle manner, and she “turns” on you, then she was not a true, lifetime friend. Lifetime friends value and cherish each other, and welcome feedback. She may not like what you have to say, and she may even think you were “wrong” for sharing your concerns with her, but she will love you just the same and come to realize you truly were acting in her best interest out of love. Just my two cents.

You are a good friend, indeed!

Sincerely,

Jennifer

Jennifer Mann, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist and certified trauma healing life coach, as well as a dating and relationship coach working with individuals, couples, and families in 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.

You may need to exercise patience and support while she takes this journey of growth.

Asking Children to Take Sides

By Etti Siegel

She is sitting on my couch, and she casually mentions, “I just don’t know what to do about Chani’s behavior in school. She is so bright. She questions the teacher and can be rude sometimes, well, according to her teacher. Could it be that her teacher is not experienced enough to deal with kids who need enrichment?”

Seems like a good question, and a great conversation starter, except for one fact. Her daughter is in the room! Playing not too far from where we are sitting!

Two moms are doling out French fries to their children in the pizza shop and I overhear, “And his Rebbe said… so ridiculous. I’m going to have to write him a note to tell him we disagree.”

Some men are in the shul foyer getting on coats, and as they absentmindedly hand their sons their outerwear, they continue their conversations with each other, the merits and drawbacks of the Yeshiva’s new policies. Their sons are listening…

We might not always be on the same page as the rebbe, the teacher, the school, but discussing the issues where children can hear them?

When a school and parents are working together, all children, preschool through 12th grade, thrive. Teachers have the best intentions, but they are human and fallible. Parents want what is best for their children, and they do not mean to place their children in a difficult position. But what is a child to think when he/she hears the parent disparage the adult in school?

Dr. Leonard Sax is the author of The Collapse of Parenting. He states, “Twenty years ago, if a kid was caught cheating at school, that kid would be disciplined, but he or she would likely face more severe discipline at home. The teacher would notify the parents, who were likely to withhold privileges, perhaps grounding the child for cheating. Today, when a student is caught cheating, it’s not unusual for parents to swoop in like attorneys, demanding evidence and mounting a defense.”

Some children do block out the noise and respond well

to school despite the parent’s loudly voiced complaints. Most children, though, subconsciously, or consciously, take sides. Like children caught in the middle of parental disharmony, the child will feel disloyal to the parent by liking the teacher and act out in school as a way of showing loyalty. According to research by Kelly and Johnson (2001) on the Alienated Child, children suffer when having to choose between adults in their lives. They can become anxious, depressed, overwhelmed, and confused. Some develop a sense of entitlement, often seen as chutzpah by authority in school, and end up fulfilling the parental prophesies of the school not treating the child right.

Other children develop somatic complaints. They have aches and pains that stem from discomfort of being in a classroom that their parent disapproves of.

Parents mean well. They rush to defend their children for many reasons. Some have flashbacks to their own childhood and are determined not to let their children suffer as they did. Others excuse their children because of a psychiatric diagnosis (“she can’t help it, she has ADHD. He can’t help it, he has anxiety) but they are hurting their children. Others just shrug it all off and say, “Kids will be kids.” Undermining the teacher or the school is never good for a child. The child must go to school for ten months each year and work with the adult in the front of the room. Being encouraged to misbehave (a message a parent sends when disagreeing with said adult) or being allowed to misbehave by not taking the school’s complaint seriously and working towards a resolution or a behavior plan is causing a child undue pain, as he/she is doing what they are doing because they think it pleases their parents.

Teachers need to approach parents as the allies they are and advocate working together on issues. Parents need to know that it is in their child’s best interests to show children that misbehavior in school will have consequences at home. Good middos and derech eretz should be more important to all parties than tests and assignments, as they are better predictors of life success and a child growing up

to be a wholesome adult.

A story comes to mind, and it illustrates how children overhear conversations and act upon them.

A little girl, let’s call her Sara, entered my class one morning, and announced to the class, “My mother says you are not the right teacher for me, and I am probably switching to another class. But don’t worry, I will still be with this class for the afternoon.” Sara then proceeded to her seat and got out her materials for the day’s learning.

I was so confused. As far as I knew, Sara was doing fine, we had a good relationship, and I had even spoken with the mom once or twice to let her know how well her daughter was doing.

When I met with the principal later in the day, she told me to discount it.

“I was on the phone with Sara’s mother already, twice. It seems she was in school yesterday to pick up her daughter, and she saw some papers on the floor near her daughter’s desk. They were from your class and partially filled out, and she decided that you must not collect or mark sheets and were incompetent. I reassured her, without even talking to you, that there was a very reasonable explanation, that you hold your students accountable, and you are an excellent teacher.”

Those sheets? Since I do not like to throw anything away that can be reused, I keep extra copies of papers in a pile on the corner shelf that the children can use to color on or play school with. Her daughter must have taken some of the papers after my class was over, and those were the sheets near her desk.

The little girl? For a while, Sara had attitude. She was suddenly snide, not as quick to join the class in activities, and overall different than the happy-go-lucky little girl she had been before. It took a month or two, but slowly I saw Sara become acclimated again and happy to be in my class. And the mom? We never discussed it. But she sent me a gift-wrapped soap at the end of the year, so I guess we were okay.

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.

Creating Meaningful Conversations

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

Last week, I mentioned the importance of connecting to our children. The first step is to make time when we focus exclusively on them, as mentioned in the last article. The next step is to talk with them, thereby creating a closer connection. For many parents, this sounds far easier on paper than in

practice. They may feel unable to speak to their child, or their youngster replies back with only one-word responses. Some parents may not even get words – just grunts or shoulder shrugs – as an answer. Oneway conversations can be very lonely.

I’d like to share a few techniques that will hopefully assist parents in opening

the conversation and encourage children to return more meaningful responses. This article will not be specifically addressing difficult discussions but simply the everyday conversation that creates a loving bond between us and our precious children.

Our Full Attention

Our children should have our full attention when we spend time with them. Life can be very busy, but, when we want to have a meaningful conversation, our children should not have competition.

Parental phones and our other electronic devices should be away. Putting it down isn’t sufficient because we’ll still see the flashing screen. Kids know when we’re waiting for a text or otherwise distracted. Reading, work-related material, or anything not needed should also be placed aside.

Our children should see we’re excited to be with them. A little enthusiasm on our part can go a long way in showing just how much we enjoy their company.

Add Some Fun

It’s a mistake to think we need to feel mesiras nefesh when bonding with our children. Both kids and adults like to have fun, and we should enjoy spending time together. We’re often so busy with our many daily tasks that we can easily forget to just enjoy our child’s company. Sit back and relax with your youngster. They’ll open up more when the setting is comfortable and natural.

Choose an activity to do together that will interest both of you. Any game, craft, or activity will work to create a calmer, less stiff environment. It can be much easier to communicate when we’re doing something with our child and not simply staring at them.

Not all children become automatic conversationalists in these settings. It can help to choose an activity that necessitates communication. Cooperative games will naturally require conversation more than chess or similar activities. Coloring a large picture together will encourage more discussion than separate drawings. Building a puzzle or model together will also require lots of coordination and communication.

Taking children out of the house provides a change of scenery and is a natural conversation starter. Pointing out the sites around them and anything funny you see can help bring out the shyest of conversationalists. Even the grocery store can be a great opportunity to share a joke and a little talk. Adults are often surprised by how much interest the food aisles can generate in kids.

There’s no need to go in with a preplanned agenda; let the conversation follow the natural flow. Don’t be nervous if the first time doesn’t go as planned; some children need a few attempts before they open up.

Humor

Like adults, kids appreciate funny comments and situations. The younger

kids enjoy simple silliness, while the older children have begun to understand jokes and humorous comments. Seeing kids develop a sense of humor is one of the entertaining parts of parenthood. Adding some humor is one way to add some joy and bring out our child’s smile.

It’s important to remember that kids often don’t understand sarcasm. We don’t want to accidentally make a comment or joke that our child will misinterpret and think we’re making fun of them.

Praise

Children, too, benefit from being complimented. There’s so much our kids do right that it’s a shame to not focus on the good. Unfortunately, it’s too easy to notice only when they err.

Including some praise in our conversation can show our children we appreciate the many aspects of their personality. In addition to good behavior and middos, we can recognize anything from a good move in a game to coloring within the lines.

Praise is most meaningful when it’s sincere. Taking a moment to appreciate their action before we compliment can make our praise more powerful.

Often, we throw out generalized com-

pliments – “great job,” “nice work,” and other nice but essentially meaningless comments. Generalized compliments are still nice to hear but they don’t say what was so special nor do they show

nose into a tissue and not your sleeve” is a meaningful compliment to a preschooler that is just learning hygiene but offensive to a teenager who will think you’re mocking them. Additionally, if we over -

go well?” These are closed ended questions and our child can easily respond with a quick – and often meaningless –answer. Their day may have been “fine,” “OK,” “good,” or whatever, but the conversation is over.

A therapist once taught me the open-ended question technique. “What was your favorite part of the trip?” “What would you like to do differently next time?” These all encourage a more thought-out response and a real, more meaningful answer. Additionally, the responses naturally lead into further discussion. By putting a little thought into how we ask questions, we can turn a quick answer into an enjoyable conversation.

what made that accomplishment unique. Whenever possible, we want to make our words targeted to the behavior. “That was a skilled move. I never saw it coming.” “I like the color combination. You made the sea come alive.” This demonstrates their accomplishments are real and our praise is sincere.

We certainly don’t need to be stingy with our kind words, but we don’t want to praise things that will come off as being silly or inadvertently offensive. For example, “You remembered to blow your

do it – praising every step they take and move they make – then it comes off as overkill.

Keeping The Conversation Going

Many adults have experienced the frustration of asking a question – hoping to share a conversation with their child – only to receive a single word answer or shoulder shrug in response. The conversation was over before it started.

“How was your day?” “Did your exam

Communication is part of the glue that cements our relationship with our children. Our children naturally want to be close to us, even if we need to make a small effort in starting the conversation.

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 RayvychHomeschool@gmail.com.

A little enthusiasm on our part can go a long way in showing just how much we enjoy their company.

Living with a Leaky Gut

By Aliza Beer MS, RD, CDN

Leaky gut syndrome is a digestive condition where there is an increase in permeability of the intestinal lining, which allows bacteria and toxins into the bloodstream, causing an inflammatory response. While it is not an official medical diagnosis, numerous symptoms may occur which may dramatically impact quality of life. Symp -

toms may include chronic diarrhea, constipation or bloating, fatigue/confusion, poor skin health, and joint pain, as well as widespread inflammation and nutritional deficiencies. Although there is no cure for leaky gut syndrome, symptoms may be managed through lifestyle interventions, including nutrition, which may reduce its impact.

While there is no one specific cause of leaky gut syndrome, certain conditions, drugs, and lifestyle choices may increase intestinal permeability. Factors include poor nutrition, alcohol consumption, infections, autoimmune disorders (IBD, Celiac disease, Lupus), diabetes and stress. Eliminating or managing these risk factors through protecting your gut health may help to eliminate or lessen the impact of leaky gut syndrome.

Probiotics, the “Good Bacteria”

Probiotics (or good bacteria) may help to reduce symptoms associated with leaky gut. Leaky gut is often correlated with an imbalance of gut bacteria. The makeup of the gut microbiome is closely related to the gut barrier integrity. Introducing healthy gut bacteria into the digestive tract can help to heal intestinal permeability. Probiotics are effective in that they simultaneously work to reverse leaky gut and improve digestive health, while reducing the body’s inflammatory response.

Sources of probiotics include supplements and food. Supplements may be beneficial when attempting to populate the gut with numerous types of bacteria. While foods that we consume may contain one or two types of bacteria, for individuals with severe leaky gut they may additionally benefit from supplements. When consuming supplements, ensure they are clinically approved, such as Culturelle, and are not high in additives that may further insult your microbiome. Select multi-strain probiotics and combine this with an anti-inflammatory diet for the best results. Probiotics are best kept refrigerated.

While supplements may enable for a more immediate diversity and greater control over the types of bacteria being consumed, they lack the nutritional benefits of whole foods. Many whole foods, such as probiotic yogurt or kefir, tempeh, sourdough, fermented foods (kimchi, miso, sauerkraut), as well as certain cheeses (swiss, cottage, edam) contain probiotics. These foods also contain many other important nutritional properties such as protein and antioxidants which contribute towards a healthy diet. When purchasing probiotic foods, ensure the bacteria are alive at the time of consumption. This may be challenging due to storage, however, here are a few tips. Do not assume yogurt contains live probiotics; instead, read the label and select those that say live or active cultures. Pasteurization typically kills bacteria so choose unpasteurized products. Select pickles made without vinegar, as these do not contain probiotics.

Prebiotics

While probiotics are beneficial bacteria found in certain foods or supplements, prebiotics are types of fiber that feed friendly bacteria in the digestive system. Feeding the positive gut bacteria enables these bacteria to multiply and produce additional gut healing compounds. By enabling good bacteria to flourish, it helps to control the acidity of the stomach to further fight off the “bad bacteria” in your microbiome.

Prebiotics foods are typically high in fiber such as fruits, vegetables (with the skin), whole-grains, nuts and legumes. A diet high in simple sugar and fat and low in prebiotic fiber increases intestinal per-

meability. Prebiotics may be easily added to your diet by adding berries to your yogurt or not peeling the skin off your carrots. Select whole-wheat bread over white, and add some chia or flax seeds to your salad. These small steps can help improve the health of your microbiome.

FODMAPS Diet

Adopting a low FODMAP diet may reduce gas production, which may alleviate the digestive discomfort brought by leaky gut syndrome. FODMAPS are made of fermentable carbohydrate proteins of plant-based foods, that when metabolized by the gut increase gas production and cause intestinal dysmotility. Fructose, lactose, and polyols are examples of FODMAPS. Examples of foods high in FODMAPS are dairy-based products, wheat products (cereal, bread, crackers), beans and lentils, some vegetables (artichokes, asparagus, onions and garlic) and some fruits (apples, cherries, pears, peaches).

The low FODMAP diet is a temporary eating plan that is restrictive, however, it may help to determine which foods contribute towards symptoms. While some may cause symptoms, others may not, and keeping a food journal to identify the types of foods that trigger symptoms will

enable you to customize your diet to best improve the quality of life.

The low FODMAP diet works by first stopping to eat certain (high FODMAP) foods and then slowly reintroducing them to determine which causes issues. Lastly, once you are able to identify which cause issues, you can avoid them! The elimination period should range from two-

may include eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and zucchini. Examples of fruits to eat are grapes, oranges, berries, and pineapple.

Foods to Caution

Avoiding certain foods may help to improve your gut health. Foods that have been shown to cause inflammation may

switches such as ensuring the bread is not high in sugar and that the yogurt is a Greek yogurt high in protein and low in fat can go a long way to improve your gut health. Select plant-based oils such as olive oil or avocado oil over coconut oil or sesame oil. These are lower in saturated fat and are higher in unsaturated heart health fats which are anti-inflammatory. Overall, while there is no one cure for leaky gut, being mindful about the foods that we eat can go a long way to eliminating symptoms and improving the quality of life. Consume a diet that is low in processed/high fat/sugar products and focus on fiber. Include more prebiotic and probiotic foods and figure out which foods are most triggering for your symptoms. Implementing these changes are the best ways to eliminate the symptoms of leaky gut and improve your overall microbiome health.

six weeks, and it is critical to work with a dietitian who can help you effectively manage this.

When following a low FODMAP diet, foods should be based around protein such as eggs, meat, fish, certain cheeses; switch cow’s milk for plant-based milk such as almond milk and include grains such as rice, quinoa and oats. Vegetables

promote the growth of unhealthy bacteria. Foods that may trigger symptoms and promote the growth of harmful bacteria include processed meats, baked goods, artificial sweeteners, alcoholic beverages, refined oils, and foods that are high in added sugar or fat. When selecting products at the supermarket, be sure to read the nutrition facts label. Making small

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

Keeping a food journal to identify the types of foods that trigger symptoms will enable you to customize your diet to best improve the quality of life.

Fd for Thought Diller

By Nati Burnside

Alittle over a century ago, the Lower East Side was home to around half a million Jews. At the time, it was the largest Jewish community in the entire world. But if you fast forward to the present day, you’ll find the area to be mostly missing the Jewish culture that started it all in America.

I say “mostly” because there are a few things left on the Lower East Side to mark what once was. There are several historical synagogues, and the Lower East Side Tenement Museum can show you what it was like to live in the area long before there was even such a thing as a kosher restaurant.

But if you happen to be visiting one of these places, or you’re one of the remaining Jews in the area who keeps kosher, your options for food are going to be pretty limited. All under the supervision of the son-in-law of Rav Moshe Feinstein, there’s a small kosher market, a bakery, a cafe in a hotel lobby…and two places on the corner of Grand and Essex Streets.

The first place is The Pickle Guys. As you might imagine, they sell pickles. But they also sell pickled pretty much everything you can imagine. From apples to asparagus and from mangos to mustard seeds, they pickle it. They’re the only pickling place left in what used to be called the “Pickle District.”

Next door, they decided to double down and open Diller. The snack shop is a modest place, but the flavors are anything but.

When I was invited to check out Diller, I was impressed with the ingenuity of their menu. While they do have a few things that you might expect, they’ve also invented some truly great creations that can be paired with a wide array of sauces to really punch up the flavor.

Their signature item is Fried Pickles. Diller gives you a nice thick slice of sour pickle that retains its crunch after being fried. The crispy rice panko breading and the Diller Sauce (yogurt-based with dill

and garlic) really bring this iconic bite together.

The pickles are great, but don’t skip the Fried Mushrooms. Pickled mushrooms are coated in that same awesome breading and fried to perfection, and the result is a crispy outside and a very juicy inside that makes for a great mouthfeel.

I’d recommend the Roasted Onion Aioli for dippage.

Last up in our fried appetizer adventure is the Okra Rice Balls. A nod to the Little Italy neighborhood to their west, Diller’s arancini are filled with gumbo-spiced rice, pickled okra, and pickled sweet peppers, and they are stuffed with enough cheese to get a great pull if you want one. The unique flavor is one you won’t forget. While they recommend the Sriracha Aioli here, try the Death Sauce if you think you’re up to it.

For your main course, try either one of the sandwiches. The Beyond Burger comes on a potato roll with cheese, caramelized onions, bread and butter pickles, and their chipotle aioli. Every element of this burger pitches in to make a final product that will have you questioning if you should order another.

Their new Chick’n Ranch sandwich is an interesting take on the recent trend of fried chicken sandwiches. Sure, it’s not actual chicken, but this delicious combination of muenster cheese, marinated tomato, pickled carrot and cabbage slaw, and ranch dressing would be a noteworthy version even in the non-kosher world. For those who prefer imitation chicken to imitation beef, this might be the way to go.

In terms of your potato-based options, you may have to make an impossible choice (pun intended). Diller makes Brined Fries. I’m not sure why nobody previously tried this. If you think about it, good fries are soaked in water and salted. Why not combine those steps? The result is a unique texture that is topped with house seasoning after being

fried twice. You can’t go to Diller without trying them.

And yet, my favorite item on the menu is the Loaded Tater Tots. For most of us, every tot we have ever consumed has been baked. Change that. These super crunchy tots are topped with Impossible meat, a cheese blend, Chipotle Aioli, and a trio of pickled veggies (red onions, sweet peppers, and sweet chili peppers). There are so many tastes and textures that you’ll be amazed at the accomplishment that is this dish’s creation. It’s a huge portion that is basically a whole meal, and if it was the only thing that you ordered, it would be worth it.

Lastly, Diller makes their own drinks. If you’re a little more adventurous, may-

be try the Pickled Pineapple Lemonade. How often are you going to drink something that has cinnamon, cloves, rosemary, and red pepper in it? But if that doesn’t sound like your bag (and they literally come in bags), go for the more tame watermelon version.

If you’re ever down on the Lower East Side, make sure to stop in to Diller and get yourself a snack. Or a whole meal. And make sure to stop in next door and get some stuff to take home.

The real pickle is the one you get yourself into while trying to decide what to get.

Southern Fried Chicken

Meat / Yields 6-8 servings

By Naomi Nachman

Ingredients

“Buttermilk” Brine

◦ 4 cups soy milk

◦ 4 Tablespoons lemon juice

◦ ½ cup kosher salt

Coating

◦ 4 cups of flour

◦ 1 teaspoon of baking powder

◦ 1/4 cup onion powder

◦ 1/4 cup garlic powder

◦ 1/4 cup paprika

◦ 1 teaspoon oregano

◦ 1 tablespoon kosher salt

◦ 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

◦ Canola oil, for frying

◦ 6 pieces pargiyot

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine soy milk, lemon juice, and salt, stirring well to combine.

Add chicken to brine; marinate in the refrigerator overnight or up to 24 hours.

When ready to cook, remove chicken from brine. Discard remaining brine.

Meanwhile, prepare the coating: Combine flour, baking powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, salt, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl; stir to combine.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven to 360°F using an oil thermometer to ensure correct temperature has been reached.

Working in batches, dredge chick-

en pieces into the flour mixture, patting gently each piece with the flour so it’s really well-coated. Shake chicken so that excess flour falls into the bowl. Immediately place well-coated chicken into hot oil.

Fry each piece for approximately five minutes until it has reached the internal temperature of 165°. Remove from oil and place chicken on wire cooling rack over baking sheet to keep the skin crispy.

Allow oil temperature to come back to 360° before adding the next piece as the temperature of the oil will drop as the chicken is added to the pot.

To serve, build your bun with a pretzel bun, garlic spicy mayo, tomato slices, and pickled red cabbage.

Garlic Mayo

◦ 1/2 cup mayonnaise

◦ 2 cloves garlic, crushed

◦ 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes

◦ Salt and pepper

◦ Pinch of cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients until smooth.

Pickled Purple Cabbage

◦ 1 bag purple cabbage, shredded

◦ 1 cup water

◦ 1 cup red wine vinegar

◦ 1 tablespoon sugar

◦ 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Place cabbage in a bowl or container. Mix rest of ingredients in a jar or cruet. Pour over cabbage.

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.

I recently filmed an episode on my show “Sunny Side Up” on Kosher.com, and I made these delicious friend chicken sandwiches. This is one of my favorite comfort foods. You may have the urge to skip with “buttermilk brine,” but it really adds a greater and richer flavor profile to the sandwich.

Allen Azoulay: Visualize Your Goals

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, Allen Azoulay (AA), president of AzCorp Properties.

* * *

YS: Can you discuss how you turn a weakness into a strength?

AA: When I was younger, my parents recognized that I had a weakness in reading comprehension. After going through what felt like 100 tutors, I said to myself, “OK, either I hit rock bottom, remain in the dark, and not go anywhere, or I go into it and just motivate myself.” So, what I ended up doing was working on my weakness, where I would read a paragraph five times and not be able to

comprehend it, until fast forward years later, I ended up becoming an author. So, I took my true weakness and made it my strength, from not reading, to eventually becoming an author, columnist, and so on. Of course, it was a process to get to that point. My parents were a big asset. My tutors were a big asset. But it was mainly my will to just move forward and get to that final result of understanding that one basic paragraph.

I think that everyone throughout the course of life goes through their ups and downs and recognizes their weaknesses and their strengths. But focusing on their strengths is easy. It’s focusing on the weaknesses and making them strengths where a person can become successful. They have to identify the problem, whether they write it down or just verbalize it, and make it something that they focus on

every single day. Those are going to be the successful people. Most people will recognize their weaknesses, but most, if not all, will not focus and work on that weakness, and that’s the problem.

Why is it so important to commit these weaknesses in writing?

It’s visualization. I’ll have it written on my iPhone notes, copy and paste the same wording onto a Word document on my computer, and then I’ll print that out and have a printed version in front of my face. So, now I’ve got a printed version, I have a computer version, and I have a phone version. And every single day, I’ll constantly refresh that page. So, I’m constantly seeing those three things, all day long. For example, when I was coming here, I put my phone on airplane mode while I was

doing some work in the car. You have to just zone in, no notifications, no social media, and so on. It’s really about moving away from the distractions (because we live in a distracted world) and constantly having a visual reminder there of what you need to get done. You can’t run away from it. It’s not enough to just have it on your mind and maybe put it on a sticky note. Everywhere you go, you have to have that reminder, and then, if you have the will, you’ll eventually get it done.

Every business exists to solve a problem in the marketplace. What would you say is the process for someone to find those solutions?

I’ve always believed that whether it’s negative or positive, there’s always a solution. There’s always a way to move for -

ward. For example, when I’m in a negative situation and there really seems to be no solution, I always remind myself what one way or another, everything is going to work out, even if it goes sideways.

I would also stress the importance of having the proper mindset of just being positive and not being at that negative point where you’re thinking, “It’s over. The deal is going to go sour,” or whatever else you may be concerned about. You always have to think positively. Having that positive mindset will always adjust your mind, your lifestyle, your work ethic, and everything else.

I want to share a quote from, believe it or not, Kobe Bryant. He said, “The key factor for me wasn’t whether or not I was ready; it was the fact that if I wasn’t ready, I was determined to figure out how to get ready.” In other words, he had to figure out a solution to the problem. Even if there is no solution, he’ll figure out a solution to get there.

We have to focus on the solution, not the problem. So, go outside, take a walk, have a coffee, have that breath of fresh air, change your mindset, and then come back to that problem that you’re dealing with and figure it out. Speak to other people and bounce some ideas off each other. That’s what I do personally. And then, you’ll hopefully have that solution in place.

Why is it so important for a leader to have a mindset of changing the world?

I’ll give a religious answer, and then I’ll give a secular answer. Look at the personality of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, for example. I actually named my son after him and wrote a biography on his life. He could have just been like any other scholar, sitting in a study hall and not impacting the world. Yet, he implemented many changes, even within the IDF and the State of Israel. He endorsed the fact that 80,000 Ethiopians actually held the status of being Jews. And the list goes on. It’s the same thing with the Lubavitcher Rebbe and his impact on the world.

In comparison, in the secular and contemporary world that we live in, there is Elon Musk. I read his biography by Ashlee Vance, and he wrote that Musk became a billionaire by changing the world, whether through Tesla having no gas, sustainable solar energy, etc. So, he has a brilliant mind. He’s certainly a unique character in every aspect. But at the end of the day, he made billions through changing the world, whereas most peo -

ple became billionaires or millionaires just through regular entrepreneurial ways. So, to me, if more people took that method of wanting to change the world in whatever fashion, we would definitely be living in a better world.

What’s the strategy for running a company that has properties with employees, freelancers, or consultants in different places?

It’s really about creating systems, efficiencies, and like-minded people. That’s the real truth. So, you really have to

efficiently in order to make sure that the people you’re hiring are going to deliver to your standards?

I believe in making tasks, giving timelines, making them accountable, and constantly refocusing on those tasks with weekly or bi-weekly meetings. Also, take the focus off of yourself as the main person. Start putting that accountability and responsibility onto others immediately. And if you notice their leadership skills aren’t enough to complete those tasks, then they might not be qualified to delegate themselves or to take the job. It’s really just changing your mindset by giv-

ings that we purchased, as well as some future buildings and some future publications. So, I have around eight books in front of my desk that don’t even exist. But at the end of the day, if it’s there, that’s a goal. It’s in front of me, I can’t get rid of it.

You also have to be realistic. I’m not going to come out with eight books in a year. So, it’s over the span of 5-10 years, whatever it may be.

What are your strategies for building a strong team?

I take my time to hire and bring on the right people. It’s more of a long-term goal. I have one particular person who works for me that says, “I don’t ever want to work for anyone else. I’d rather get paid less and be happy than get paid more and be unhappy.” So, that mindset is obviously something that hopefully I’m getting right.

start from the top. I know many people that have way more properties than me in many different states, but their management skills are horrible. They don’t acquire well, they don’t underwrite well, whatever it may be. So, it’s really having the same like-minded people and systems efficiencies, such as having Google Drive, where everybody can work live through Google Docs, Dropbox, DocuSign, and you could run everything remotely. But you have to create your team as well, which is very hard. All my properties are third party property management, and eventually, the idea is to become our own property management. We have Ohio, Connecticut, and now we’re moving to Michigan. And the idea is not to get the other 47 states. The goal right now is to build a portfolio in each of these states and particular cities, and to analyze every town wherever we are. And then we create relationships with realtors, with property management companies, with contractors, and we create WhatsApp groups per state with a realtor that’s affiliated to each one. That’s where you ultimately want to build that team.

It’s hard. I’m in the midst of hiring 1-2 people right now, and it’s very difficult to find that like-minded person. I’d rather take my time interviewing 30-40 people until I find the right one, instead of finding the wrong one and having to be constantly re-hiring.

ing things over, and not just by forwarding it via WhatsApp or email. It’s more than that. It’s giving them the leadership skills, the accountability, the tasks, the timelines, the deadlines, and so on.

Always set goals for the team. For example, by early 2023, all the properties have to be 100% occupied. Right now, we’re at like, 85%-90%. That’s a goal. And every week, I’m making my team accountable. Every week. Not every day, which is too much. Not every month, which is too little. It’s just constantly being on top of that, but not obsessive. You have to give your team their space. But there’s a check and balance in place.

What are some tips for setting attainable goals?

ABe realistic. I have another book that I’ve co-authored coming out on the history of Moroccan Jewry. It’s being worked on. I’m overlooking the project. But I can’t say that it’s coming out in 3-6 months. I know that it’s going to take a year. Also, create constant timelines and again. Put a visual in front of your face, through email, phone, whatever it may be. Create realistic goals, and then constantly change those realistic goals. I always print what I’m working on, old-school style. Instead of being on the iPad, I’ll print out the picture of the mock book or building I’m working on, because I truly believe in the Law Of Attraction. If you see it, it will come. Maybe not always, but in my office, I have all my current build-

It’s very important to constantly encourage the right people at the right time. You have to constantly be there, pushing them and telling them “great job” for their recent emails, spreadsheets, or whatever it may be. It creates that natural positive environment. Just a simple “thank you” and recognition makes your team feel like they’re in a safe space. And so, their response to that appreciation will be, “I’m going to really work well.” I see the opposite in some companies, where the boss is completely bad at communicating, won’t respond to emails or WhatsApp messages, and won’t acknowledge other people. You don’t always have to praise someone 24/7, but I did a particular job for someone, a large project, and I don’t even think the person ever said, “Thank you.” So, something so simple, just a few simple words, can go a long way.

“We have to focus on the solution, not the problem.”

Notable Quotes

“Say What?!”

I mean, I don’t always hang in the left lane. If I’m not in a hurry, I’ll go in the middle lane, I’ll go in the right lane. But let’s be honest, I’m more left lane.

- NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon on Jimmy Fallon, discussing his regular driving habits

First, they searched near Biden’s Corvette; now, they’re searching his beach house. I’m starting to think Biden created this whole scandal as a humblebrag.

- Jimmy Fallon

He had nothing! He was dead, he was leaving the race, he came over and he begged me, begged me, for an endorsement. He was getting ready to drop out.

- Former President Donald Trump talking about Gov. DeSantis (RFL) in a recent radio interview with Hugh Hewitt

Unfortunately, we see that the ideology of Nazism in its modern form and manifestation again directly threatens the security of our country.

- Vladimir Putin addressing army officers in Stalingrad

Those who draw European countries, including Germany, into a new war with Russia, and ... expect to win a victory over Russia on the battlefield, apparently don’t understand that a modern war with Russia will be quite different for them.

- Ibid.

Today the White House announced that [Pres. Biden] will get his annual physical on February 16. It’s going to be crazy after Biden’s colonoscopy when the doctor says, “There’s no easy way to tell you this, but we found more classified documents.”

— Jimmy Fallon

There were tears coming down from his eyes. He said, “If you endorse me, I’ll win.” So I end up doing it, and he wins. They say it was like a bomb went off. Just a bomb totally went off. From the moment I endorsed him, he went from losing by numbers that were not catchable to winning easily.

- Ibid.

I have people attacking me from all angles.

– Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) when asked about Trump’s comments

More than half the women of my cabinet, more than half the people of my cabinet, more than half the women in my administration are women.

- President Joe Biden at the 30th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act

If a prime minister stands up and assumes dictatorial powers for himself, he deserves to die, it’s as simple as that.

- Facebook post by Zeev Raz, a former IDF combat pilot

If a man has taken over my country, a foreigner or an Israeli, and he’s leading it in an undemocratic manner, he must be killed.

- Ibid.

In recent weeks, we have witnessed a growing wave of incitement. Lines are being crossed every day, and it seemed like every boundary had already been crossed in threats on elected officials and on me. But clearly not, because today we heard and saw a clear threat to murder the prime minister of Israel.

- From a statement in response by Prime Minister Netanyahu

The balloon floated from Montana to South Carolina. Somehow it got across the country faster than someone flying Southwest.

— Jimmy Fallon

“Sloppy” Chris Christie, the failed former Governor of New Jersey, spent almost his entire last year in office campaigning in New Hampshire for the Republican Nomination for President. Much like his term in office, where he left with an Approval Rating of just 9%, his Presidential campaign was a complete disaster. He endorsed me the following day, later recommended Chris Wray for the FBI (how did that work out?), went down in flames, and then was SALVAGED by ABC FAKE NEWS. I never wanted him.

- Social media post by former President Donald Trump

I’m the target of Donald Trump’s new tantrum. None of his lies about me today bothered him when he asked me to prep him for every general election debate or offered me 3 different cabinet posts. He’s the only man to lose to Biden outside Delaware. That loss to Joe still stings.

- Tweet by Chris Christie in response

If we were aware of the balloon, I think we should have taken steps to prevent it from entering our air space and I’m not sure that we should have allowed it to simply cross over the country, cross over what were obviously sensitive military sites. I don’t see the logic of that.

- Leon Panetta, who served as CIA director and then Secretary of Defense under President Barack Obama, criticizing Pres. Biden for waiting so long to shoot down the Chinese spy balloon

I got up and if I had a headache I said, “I’ll take a pill.”

-Louise Kobs, 91, who was a crossing guard for the Levittown School District and never missed a day of work in more than 40 years, at her retirement ceremony

Those were my children. I loved them all. I watched them grow up.

- Ibid.

My life feels so complete.

- Ibid.

I read that Punxsutawney Phil’s only right 40 percent of the time. When they heard that, Weather.com was like, “You’re hired — when can you start?”

— Jimmy Fallon

You can’t trust Punxsutawney Phil. He’s basically the George Santos of the groundhog world.

— Jimmy Fallon

Today is my 1st time inside the Capitol since Jan 6. Everything looks the same but it doesn’t feel the same. Maybe I’ll get used to it again but now it feels like a visit to an historic battlefield. Out of every window you see the paths of the attackers.

- Tweet by MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell

I would say that was complete drama queens on full display. And there’s no surprise there that they would use racism as an excuse.

- Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) on Fox News after Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (Dem/Socialist-NY) had a hissy-fit on the House floor after anti-Semite Ilhan Omar was kicked off the House Foreign Affairs Committee

Biden’s attorneys found documents at his main house in Delaware last month, and the president has a regular house and a vacation house, both in Delaware. I don’t know — how’s that a vacation? Can you vacation from Delaware to Delaware?

— Jimmy Kimmel

[China is] saying, “It’s very innocent. It’s a weather balloon.” They said they would never use a spy balloon to infiltrate and monitor America. That’s what TikTok is for.

- Bill Maher

The Inside Story of How the U.S. Shot Down the Chinese Balloon

By David Ignatius

Intelligence analysts distinguish between secrets and mysteries. The bizarre Chinese balloon overflight of the United States that ended with Saturday’s shoot-down over the Atlantic coast has elements of both.

The public spectacle of a spy balloon floating over America has been an embarrassment for the Biden administration, to be sure. But the administration can claim that it waited for the most opportune moment to destroy the balloon and capture its secret payload – and that the strange affair was a net intelligence plus for the United States.

The political fracas is already underway in Washington. Republicans claim the Biden administration showed weakness in allowing the balloon to enter U.S. airspace. Officials counter that the previous administration, under President Donald Trump, didn’t react to several similar missions over U.S. states and territories. Yet those previous incursions didn’t go on for so long or reach so far into the continental United States.

But let’s examine the intelligence details of this latest incident, as described by an authoritative Pentagon official with detailed, firsthand knowledge of the event.

First, the secrets part: The Chinese have been dispatching intelligence-collection balloons for years. The Pentagon official said Saturday night that five Chinese balloons have circumnavigated the globe, and China has conducted 20 to 30 balloon missions globally over the past decade.

The balloons don’t appear to gather much more intelligence than could Chinese satellites in low Earth orbit. Balloons can hover longer over collection targets like the ICBM field in Montana that was overflown a few days ago, but they’re not stationary, and their signals-collection ability isn’t radically different from other

systems available to the Chinese, the Pentagon official said.

A balloon provides better granularity in its images. And it’s possible that the mission was an attempt to trigger U.S. radar or electronic-warfare signatures, which would be valuable in a future conflict, the official said, but any such collection would have limited value. As for speculation that the balloon was scattering smaller spy devices – microdrones that could observe secret targets, say – the official said there was no evidence of any such dispersion.

The secrets part of the story should be clearer if the Pentagon recovers the intelligence-collection pod that the balloon was carrying, as officials expected on Saturday would be possible. The pod apparently fell into the Atlantic largely intact, the official said, and it should provide a useful opportunity to examine and reverse-engineer Chinese intelligence and communications systems.

Thus, from an intelligence standpoint, Pentagon officials believe that the strange week-long balloon voyage was ultimately of more benefit to the United States than to China. By waiting until the balloon was over U.S. territorial waters, the Biden ad-

ministration was able to maximize the likelihood that the pod could be recovered while minimizing the risk that Americans would be injured by falling debris.

The Pentagon official said it weighed as much as two or three buses and could have caused considerable damage if it had hit land. If it had fallen over Montana, 2,000 people could have been in danger from scattered debris.

As a military operation, the shootdown was relatively simple. An F-22 Raptor fired an AIM-9 missile at the balloon, and video cameras showed what happened. The Pentagon official said the key targeting priority was to avoid shooting clear through the balloon, which might have left it largely intact and able to travel another 500 to 600 miles east, perhaps out of range of U.S. retrieval.

The Pentagon weighed whether it might be possible to partially deflate the balloon and capture the intelligence pod at lower altitude. But the official said no technology exists that would allow such a “butterfly net” capture operation.

Now to the mysteries part. Intelligence officials don’t know what might have prompted the Chinese to launch such a mission now, on the eve of Secretary of

State Antony Blinken’s planned visit to China, which was canceled because of the overflight.

An obvious possibility is that this was a Chinese attempt to assert their power and panache at a moment when things haven’t been going well for Beijing, because of slowing economic growth, public political protest, and mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic.

An opportunity to “poke a stick in the eye” of the United States is always attractive for the bellicose regime of President Xi Jinping, especially now. The United States tries to show the flag aggressively with “freedom of navigation” operations in the Taiwan Strait or the South China Sea – but without such blatant violation of Chinese airspace and territorial waters. Why now? Intelligence analysts are considering the possibility that the Chinese military or hard-line elements within the leadership deliberately sought to sabotage the Blinken visit, the chief goal of which was to explore strategic stability measures and other guardrails that could limit the likelihood of unintended escalation over Taiwan or other issues of potential conflict.

A final possibility is this was simply a mistaken chain of error – something that’s possible in any intelligence or military operation. “Sometimes the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing,” noted the Pentagon official.

Spies can gather secrets. That’s what the Chinese were doing with their balloon, and what the United States will now do in its attempt to analyze the hardware the balloon was carrying. But spycraft can’t resolve mysteries, the greatest of which today is the intention and potential outcome of Xi’s globe-girdling assertion of Chinese power.

Republicans Need To Pivot on the Debt Limit

By Marc A. Thiessen

Republicans might not realize it yet, but they’re going to need an offramp in the debt limit fight they have picked with President Biden. Democrats are not going to allow the GOP to repeal all the massive spending increases they passed in the first two years of Biden’s presidency, and Republicans are not going to drive the nation’s economy off a fiscal cliff.

Republicans are not stupid. They saw the Fox News poll released Wednesday that found 80 percent of Americans think the economy is in poor shape, 74 percent believe we will go into recession this year, and 61 percent blame Biden. Republicans are not going to cause a debt crisis that allows Biden to shift ownership of the weak economy to them.

But House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) can’t be seen as capitulating to Biden, or he will lose his speakership.

So Republicans are going to need a face-saving way out, something other than the deep spending cuts they are seeking in exchange for increasing the debt limit. They need a demand that will unite Republicans and divide Democrats – and one that Biden will have a hard time refusing.

There’s a simple solution: Instead of spending cuts, they should insist that the White House hand over all the classified documents found at his Wilmington, Del., home and his former office at the Penn Biden Center in Washington.

Senior Democrats have already publicly joined Republicans in demanding Biden release these documents. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) declared after a briefing by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines that “every member” of the committee – Democrats and Republicans – was “unanimous” that the Biden

administration’s refusal to share the documents with the committee “is not going to stand.”

“It is our job to make sure that the security of our country is protected and that the intelligence that our country depends

risking a fiscal crisis to protect himself from congressional oversight of his mishandling of classified information. That would be hard to sell to the American people.

Right now, the debt limit fight has

derway. The administration had no problem cooperating with document requests from the House select committee on Jan. 6 while a Justice Department investigation was simultaneously underway. As Warner has said, “The notion that we have to wait until a special prosecutor blesses the intelligence committee’s oversight will not stand.”

In the end, Biden will have no choice but to give in and produce the documents – which would be a major victory for McCarthy and the new Republican House majority.

But if Republicans stick to their demands for spending cuts, they will lose. Any time the markets tumble, inflation spikes, or a bad jobs report is released, Democrats will lay the blame at McCarthy’s feet and warn that far worse is to come if Republicans don’t stop threatening default. And history shows that voters punish the party that plays chicken with the economy.

Biden is all but certain to begin laying the groundwork for this line of attack in his State of the Union address this week – using his direct channel to a national audience of millions to explain the many fiascoes that could ensue if Republicans force us to risk default on our debt.

upon is not compromised,” Warner said. “We don’t want to get into a question of threats at this point,” he added, but “all things will be on the table to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

There is no reason “all things” can’t include linking a debt limit increase to the administration’s compliance with bipartisan demands for access to those documents.

Such a linkage would turn the tables on Biden. If he refuses, he would be

Democrats united and Republicans divided. The GOP is split between fiscal hawks who want to cut the Pentagon budget and defense hawks who will fight such reductions. But if Republicans pivot and demand the documents, it would be the GOP that is united and Democrats who are divided. Warner would be hardpressed not to urge Biden to take the deal.

Biden won’t be able to argue that he cannot hand over the documents while a Justice Department investigation is un-

In the end, Republicans will have no choice but to give up their current demands. Wouldn’t it be better to do it sooner rather than later, and pivot to a winning strategy, so they can claim an early victory in their first standoff with Biden?

McCarthy has a choice. One path leads to victory, the other to defeat – and to him potentially following in the footsteps of Rep. Theodore M. Pomeroy (R-N.Y.), who holds the record as the shortest-serving speaker of the House.

History shows that voters punish the party that plays chicken with the economy.

The Jewish Heroes in the Battle for the Aleutian Islands

By Avi Heiligman

The battlefields of World War II ranged widely from the tropical jungles and rainforests in the Pacific to the mountains of Italy, New Guinea, and other countries, from the hedgerows and beaches in France to city fighting like the Battles of Stalingrad, Berlin, and Manila. Often called the Forgotten Battle, the Battle for the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska had some of the most difficult terrain to fight on, but that’s what the American military had to overcome while retaking two islands invaded by the Japanese.

As part of the Midway Operation, the Japanese landed troops on the Aleutian Islands of Attu and Kiska, 800 miles away and 600 miles away respectively from Dutch Harbor. Three days before the invasion, the Japanese had bombed Dutch Harbor in Alaska, inflicting moderate damage on the base. The Aleutian part of the Japanese Midway plan was to draw the American ships away from their main target at Midway. Japanese Admiral Yamamoto was expecting the Americans, under Admiral Nimitz, to fall into this trap, but the Americans had been deciphering the Japanese code and soon sank four enemy carriers at Midway. However, this meant that the Americans would have to contend with Japanese troops in the Aleutians and

the threat of bombing attacks from these new bases.

The American high command was afraid that the Japanese would use their newly captured islands to attack the western U.S. so the military spent considerable time and resources beefing up the defenses along the 1,200 miles of the Aleutians. American military presence in Alaska prior to the Japanese invasion in June 1942 was about 45,000 soldiers. Most were stationed at bases at Anchorage, Dutch Harbor on Unalaska Island, Cold Bay, and a newly constructed army airfield on Umnak Island. By the time Attu and Kiska were recaptured, close to 100,000 soldiers and many more sailors and airmen were stationed in Alaska and the Aleutians.

While the Americans were busy building bases on several islands, the Japanese decided to reinforce their bases at Attu and Kiska. American Admiral Thomas Kinkaid had established a blockade of the islands, but the Japanese tried to get through anyway. A naval battle took place near the Komandorski Islands in the Bearing Sea on March 27, 1943. The daylight battle saw the eight Japanese warships, under Admiral Hosogaya, fail to realize the damage that they had caused on the heavy cruiser USS Salt Lake City and withdrew from the fight.

The outgunned Americans gained a strategic victory in that the Japanese failed to reinforce their bases and had sustained damage to two of their own ships.

The Battle for Attu started on May 11, 1943 and only ended over two weeks later when the remaining defenders launched a suicide Banzai attack. Of the 2,900 Japanese soldiers involved, only 28 were captured, and some small pockets of enemy soldiers remained until September. Fifteen-thousand American soldiers from the 7 th Infantry Division made an amphibious landing and had to battle the tough Arctic conditions to retake the island. Five-hundred-forty-eight soldiers were killed and many more succumbed to disease, exposure, or Japanese mines.

In August 1943, a large, joint American and Canadian operation landed on Kiska only to discover that the Japanese had abandoned the island two weeks earlier. The Battle for the Aleutians was finally over – it had taken the Americans over a year to recapture the territory.

The weather made for terrible fighting conditions, and many soldiers suffered frostbite or were victims of accidents due to poor visibility. Typical methods of transportation had to be modified; on one occasion, a Jewish chaplain had to travel by dog sled through a fierce storm to reach soldiers in a remote observatory.

When the weather allowed, crews from the 11th Air Force situated on several air bases on the islands launched attacks on enemy targets. The pilots of the air force were always looking for opportunities to strike at the Japanese and worked together with the navy in planning operations. Often, they flew dozens or even more than a hundred missions before being relieved. Sidney Richman from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was a Jewish fighter pilot stationed in the Aleutians who earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for flying 112 combat missions. Sergeant Leonard Schlafmitz from Brooklyn, NY, was awarded the Air Medal for heroism on his twenty bombing raids to Kiska.

Many soldiers, airmen, and sailors were noted for their bravery, dedication, and sacrifice in the recapturing the islands. Once the islands were recaptured, valuable resources were then sent to other front lines. The legacy of the men who served in Alaska during World War II is history not be forgotten.

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.

SALE OF TAX LIENS ON REAL ESTATE

Notice is hereby given that I shall, commencing on February 21, 2023, sell at public on-line auction the tax liens on real estate herein-after described, unless the owner, mortgagee, occupant of or any other party-in- interest in such real estate shall pay to the County Treasurer by February 16, 2023 the total amount of such unpaid taxes or assessments with the interest, penalties and other expenses and charges, against the property. Such tax liens will be sold at the lowest rate of interest, not exceeding 10 per cent per six month’s period, for which any person or persons shall offer to take the total amount of such unpaid taxes as defined in section 5-37.0 of the Nassau County Administrative Code. Effective with the February 21, 2023 lien sale, Ordinance No. 175-2015 requires a $175.00 per day registration fee for each person who intends to bid at the tax lien sale. Ordinance No. 175-2015 also requires that upon the issuance of the Lien Certificate there is due from the lien buyer a Tax Certificate Issue Fee of $20.00 per lien purchased. Pursuant to the provisions of the Nassau County Administrative Code at the discretion of the Nassau County Treasurer the auction will be conducted online. Further information concerning the procedures for the auction is available at the website of the Nassau County Treasurer at: https://www.nassaucountyny.gov/526/County-Treasurer

Should the Treasurer determine that an in-person auction shall be held, same will commence on the 21st day of February, 2023 at the Office of The County Treasurer 1 West Street, Mineola or at some other location to be determined by the Treasurer. The liens are for arrears of School District taxes for the year 2021 - 2022 and/or County, Town, and Special District taxes for the year 2022. The following is a partial listing of the real estate located in school district number(s) 1, 2 in the Town of Hempstead only, upon which tax liens are to be sold, with a brief description of the same by reference to the County Land and Tax Map, the name of the owner or occupant as the same appears on the 2022/2023 tentative assessment roll, and the total amount of such unpaid taxes.

IMPORTANT

THE NAMES OF OWNERS SHOWN ON THIS LIST MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE THE NAMES OF THE PERSONS OWNING THE PROPERTY AT THE TIME OF THIS ADVERTISEMENT. SUCH NAMES HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM THE 2022/2023 TENTATIVE ASSESSMENT ROLLS AND MAY DIFFER FROM THE NAMES OF THE OWNERS AT THE TIME OF PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. IT MAY ALSO BE THAT SUCH OWNERS ARE NOMINAL ONLY AND ANOTHER PERSON IS ACTUALLY THE BENEFICIAL OWNER.

BENT

ALLEN

50572 00120

SCOLARO DIANA 7,968.57

50591 00080

NELSON MICHELLE & ALLEN GARRETH 3,429.58

55530 00040

SHAW RAYMOND & RONALD 9,225.61

55531 00100

DAVIS FREDERICK & DORIS 4,627.99

55532 00030

MCCLENDON MARY G 8,740.08

55532 00090

Such tax liens shall be sold subject to any and all superior tax liens of sovereignties and other municipalities and to all claims of record which the County may have thereon and subject to the provisions of the Federal and State Soldier’s and Sailors’ Civil Relief Acts.

However, such tax liens shall have priority over the

County’s Differential Interest Lien, representing the excess, if any, of the interest and penalty borne at the maximum rate over the interest and penalty borne at the rate at which the lien is purchased.

The Purchaser acknowledges that the tax lien(s) sold pursuant to these Terms of Sale may be subject to pending bankruptcy proceedings and/or may become subject to such proceedings which may be commenced during the period in which a lien is held by a successful bidder or the assignee of same, which may modify a Purchaser’s rights with respect to the lien(s) the property securing same. Such bankruptcy proceedings shall not affect the validity of the tax lien. In addition to being subject to pending bankruptcy proceedings and/or the Federal and State Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil Relief Acts, said purchaser’s right of foreclosure may be affected by the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act (FIRREA), 12 U.S.C. ss 1811 et. seq., with regard to real property under Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) receivership.

The County Treasurer reserves the right, without further notice and at any time, to withdraw from sale any of the parcels of land or premises herein listed.

The rate of interest and penalty which any person purchases the tax lien shall be established by his bid. Each purchaser, immediately after the sale thereof, shall pay to the County Treasurer ten per cent of the amount from which the tax liens have been sold and the remaining ninety per cent within thirty days after such sale. If the purchaser at the tax sale shall fail to pay the remaining ninety per cent within ten days after he has been notified by the County Treasurer that the certificates of sale are ready for delivery, then all deposited with the County Treasurer including but not limited to the ten per cent theretofore paid by him shall, without further notice or demand, be irrevocably forfeited by the purchaser and shall be retained by the County Treasurer as liquidated damages and the agreement to purchase be of no further effect.

Time is of the essence in this sale. This sale is held pursuant to the Nassau County Administrative Code and interested parties are referred to such Code for additional information as to terms of sale, rights of purchasers, maximum rates of interest and other legal incidents of the sale.

Furthermore, as to the bidding,

1. The bidder(s) agree that they will not work with any other bidder(s) to increase, maintain or stabilize interest rates or collaborate with any other bidder(s) to gain an unfair competitive advantage in the random number generator in the event of a tie bid(s) on a tax certificate. Bidder(s) further agree not to employ any bidding strategy designed to create an unfair competitive advantage in the tiebreaking process in the upcoming tax sale nor work with any other bidder(s) to engage in any bidding strategy that will result in a rotational award of tax certificates.

2. The tax certificate(s) the Bidder will bid upon, and the interest rate(s) bid, will be arrived at independently and without direct or indirect consultation, communication or agreement with any other bidder and that the tax certificate(s) the Bidder will bid upon, and the interest rate(s) to be bid, have not been disclosed, directly or indirectly, to any other bidder, and will not be disclosed, directly or indirectly, to any other bidder prior to the close of bidding. No attempt has been made or will be made to, directly or indirectly, induce any other bidder to refrain from bidding on any tax certificate, to submit complementary bids, or to submit bids at specific interest rates.

3. The bids to be placed by the Bidder will be made in good faith and not pursuant to any direct or

indirect, agreement or discussion with, or inducement from, any other bidder to submit a complementary or other noncompetitive bid.

4. If it is determined that the bidder(s) have violated any of these bid requirements then their bid shall be voided and if they were the successful bidder the lien and any deposits made, in connection with, said bid shall be forfeited.

This list includes only tax liens on real estate located in Town of Hempstead. Such other tax liens on real estate are advertised as follows:

Town of Hempstead Dist 1001

FIVE TOWNS JEWISH HOME

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEW YORK TREND

NEWSDAY

UNIONDALE BEACON Dist 1002

FIVE TOWNS JEWISH HOME

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

UNIONDALE BEACON Dist 1003

EAST MEADOW BEACON

EAST MEADOW HERALD

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEIGHBOR NEWSPAPERS

NEWSDAY Dist 1004

BELLMORE HERALD

MERRICK/BELLMORE TRIBUNE

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEIGHBOR NEWSPAPERS

NEWSDAY Dist 1005

HICKSVILLE ILLUSTRATED NEWS

LEVITTOWN TRIBUNE

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEIGHBOR NEWSPAPERS

NEWSDAY Dist 1006

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN

WANTAGH HERALD CITIZEN Dist 1007

BELLMORE HERALD

MERRICK/BELLMORE TRIBUNE

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY Dist 1008

BALDWIN HERALD

BALDWIN/FREEPORT TRIBUNE

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY Dist 1009

BALDWIN/FREEPORT TRIBUNE

FREEPORT HERALD

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY Dist 1010

BALDWIN HERALD

BALDWIN/FREEPORT TRIBUNE

HERALD

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY Dist 1011

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

OCEANSIDE TRIBUNE

OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD Dist 1012

MALVERNE/WEST HEMPSTEAD

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

VALLEY STREAM/MALVERN TRIBUNE Dist 1013

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

VALLEY STREAM HERALD

VALLEY STREAM/MALVERN TRIBUNE Dist 1014

FIVE TOWNS TRIBUNE

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NASSAU HERALD (FIVE TOWNS)

NEWSDAY Dist 1015

FIVE TOWNS JEWISH TIMES

FIVE TOWNS TRIBUNE

JEWISH STAR

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY Dist 1016

FRANKLIN SQ/ELMONT HERALD

FRANKLIN SQUARE BULLETIN

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY Dist 1017

FRANKLIN SQ/ELMONT HERALD

FRANKLIN SQUARE BULLETIN

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEW HYDE PARK ILLUSTRATED NEWS

NEWSDAY Dist 1018

GARDEN CITY LIFE

GARDEN CITY NEWS

GARDEN CITY TRIBUNE

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY Dist 1019

EAST ROCKAWAY TRIBUNE

LYNBROOK/EAST ROCKAWAY

ROCKVILLE CENTRE TRIBUNE

Dist 1022

FLORAL PARK BULLETIN

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY THE GATEWAY

Dist 1023

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN

WANTAGH HERALD CITIZEN Dist 1024

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

VALLEY STREAM HERALD

VALLEY STREAM/MALVERN TRIBUNE Dist 1025

MERRICK HERALD

MERRICK/BELLMORE TRIBUNE

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY Dist 1026

HICKSVILLE ILLUSTRATED NEWS

LEVITTOWN TRIBUNE

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY Dist 1027

MALVERNE/WEST HEMPSTEAD

WEST HEMPSTEAD BEACON

Town of North Hempstead

Dist 2001

MINEOLA AMERICAN

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

WESTBURY TIMES

Dist 2002

MINEOLA AMERICAN NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

WILLISTON TIMES, WILLISTON PARK

HERALD

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

ROCKAWAY JOURNAL Dist 1020

LYNBROOK/EAST ROCKAWAY

HERALD

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

WEST HEMPSTEAD BEACON Dist 1028

LONG BEACH HERALD

LONG BEACH TRIBUNE

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

Dist 1029

MERRICK HERALD

MERRICK/BELLMORE TRIBUNE

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

Dist 1030

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

VALLEY STREAM HERALD

VALLEY STREAM/MALVERN TRIBUNE

Dist 1031

ISLAND PARK TRIBUNE

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD Dist 1201

EAST MEADOW BEACON

EDITION

Dist 2003

MANHASSET PRESS

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

ROSLYN NEWS

ROSLYN TIMES

Dist 2004

MANHASSET TIMES

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY PORT WASHINGTON NEWS

Dist 2005

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEW HYDE PARK HERALD COURIER

NEW HYDE PARK ILLUSTRATED NEWS

NEWSDAY

Dist 2006

MANHASSET PRESS

MANHASSET TIMES

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

PORT WASHINGTON NEWS

Dist 2007

GREAT NECK NEWS

GREAT NECK RECORD

JEWISH STAR

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY Dist 2009

MINEOLA AMERICAN

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

WILLISTON TIMES, WILLISTON PARK

HERALD

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD Dist 1021

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD

EAST MEADOW HERALD

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

WESTBURY TIMES Dist 1205

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

EDITION

Town of North Hempstead

Dist 2010

MINEOLA AMERICAN

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEW HYDE PARK ILLUSTRATED NEWS

NEWSDAY

Dist 2011

MINEOLA AMERICAN

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

WESTBURY TIMES

Dist 2122

FLORAL PARK BULLETIN

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

THE GATEWAY

GLEN COVE RECORD PILOT

LOCUST VALLEY LEADER

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

Dist 2315

JERICHO NEWS JOURNAL

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

SYOSSET JERICHO TRIBUNE

Town of Oyster Bay Dist 3001

GLEN COVE RECORD PILOT

LOCUST VALLEY LEADER

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY Dist 3002

GLEN COVE RECORD PILOT

LOCUST VALLEY LEADER

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY Dist 3003

JERICHO NEWS JOURNAL

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

SYOSSET JERICHO TRIBUNE

Dist 3004

LOCUST VALLEY LEADER

LONG ISLAND PRESS

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

Town of Oyster Bay

Dist 3006

LOCUST VALLEY LEADER

LONG ISLAND PRESS

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

Dist 3008

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

OYSTER BAY ENTERPRISE PILOT

OYSTER BAY GUARDIAN

Dist 3009

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

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OYSTER BAY ENTERPRISE PILOT

OYSTER BAY GUARDIAN

Dist 3011

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

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OYSTER BAY ENTERPRISE PILOT

SYOSSET ADVANCE

Dist 3012

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

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SYOSSET ADVANCE

SYOSSET JERICHO TRIBUNE

Dist 3013

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SYOSSET ADVANCE

SYOSSET JERICHO TRIBUNE Dist 3014

JERICHO NEWS JOURNAL

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SYOSSET JERICHO TRIBUNE Dist 3015

JERICHO NEWS JOURNAL

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SYOSSET JERICHO TRIBUNE Dist 3017

HICKSVILLE ILLUSTRATED NEWS

HICKSVILLE/LEVITTOWN TRIBUNE

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

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Town of Oyster Bay Dist 3018

BETHPAGE TRIBUNE

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PLAINVIEW/OLD BETHPAGE HERALD Dist 3019

BETHPAGE NEWSGRAM

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PLAINVIEW/OLD BETHPAGE HERALD Dist 3020

BETHPAGE NEWSGRAM

BETHPAGE TRIBUNE

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

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BETHPAGE NEWSGRAM

BETHPAGE TRIBUNE

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY Dist 3022

FARMINGDALE OBSERVER

MASSAPEQUA POST

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY Dist 3023

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MID-ISLAND TIMES

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NEWSDAY Dist 3024

GLEN COVE HERALD GAZETTE

GLEN COVE RECORD PILOT

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY Dist 3203

LONG ISLAND PRESS

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

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ROSLYN NEWS

ROSLYN TIMES

Dist 3306

FARMINGDALE OBSERVER

MASSAPEQUA POST

MASSAPEQUAN OBSERVER

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

City of Glen Cove Dist 4005

GLEN COVE HERALD GAZETTE

GLEN COVE RECORD PILOT

LOCUST VALLEY LEADER

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

City of Long Beach Dist 5028

LONG BEACH HERALD

LONG BEACH TRIBUNE

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

Nassau County does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission to or access to, or treatment or employment in, its services, programs, or activities. Upon request, accommodations such as those required by the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) will be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to participate in all services, programs, activities and public hearings and events conducted by the Treasurer’s Office. Upon request, information can be made available in braille, large print, audio tape or other alternative formats. For additional information, please call (516) 571-2090 ext. 13715.

Dated: February 08, 2023

THE NASSAU COUNTY TREASURER MINEOLA, NEW YORK

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

PERSONALIZED FINANCIAL

Coaching and budgeting help for young adults/couples

First 2 sessions FREE –no commitment Budget613@yahoo.com

HANDYMAN AVAILABLE

For big or small jobs, Sheetrock, carpentry, painting, electrical, plumbing, install & repair appliances

Call Ephraim at 347-593-4691

BABYSITTER AVAILABLE

Responsible, experienced woman available for babysitting

Excellent manner with children, Preschool Morah in Yeshiva Darchei Torah

Speaks Hebrew and English

Please call Ora at 347-465-6400

VACUUM SALES AND REPAIR

All areas call Max Flam 718-444-4904

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

SERVICES HOUSES FOR SALE

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

WOODMERE - OLD WOODMERE

3 bedroom 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

WOODMERE

Beautiful, brick, colonial boasting 5 bdr 3.5 Bth in pristine condition. Excellent location, near all! Move right in! RCUSA 516-512-9626

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

HOUSES FOR SALE HOUSES FOR SALE HOUSES FOR SALE

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

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

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

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

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 appli-ances, 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. $1,489,000

OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY FEBRUARY 12

12-1:30PM • 562 SUNSET DR. 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

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

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!

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

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, FEBRUARY 12 • 11:30-1:00PM

8 WOODMERE BLVD.

Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 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

WOODMERE HOUSE RENTAL

Lovely Split Level on Quiet Residential Tree Lined Street. Huge Park-like Property. Four Bedrooms, Two Full Baths, deck & playroom. Close to all. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

INWOOD FOR LEASE: OFFICE + STORAGE + PARKING LOT

Bayview and Lawrence. Minyan

Available immediately

Call/Text/WA Owner: 516-206-1100

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

LOOKING FOR A FEMALE ROOMATE

One Bedroom furnished apartment

First floor, private bathroom, washer &dryer, AC.

In prime Cedarhurst location Walking distance to shopping and transportation. $1200. All utilities included Please call Ora at 347-465-6400

FOR RENT

STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT

Located in Inwood with remote opener. Ideal for a business looking for extra storage space. 675 $ per month. Text Menachem at 347-946-5406 to view.

APT./COOP/CONDO SALE

CEDARHURST

New to the market Nice 2 bedroom apartment in the heart of town. Spacious rooms, eat –in-kitchen, L/r-D/r, 3 ac units. Laundry on premises, storage, close to the railroad, shopping, schools, houses of worship & park. OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY FEBRUARY 12 1:30-3:00PM

279 CEDARHURST AVE G-6 Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516298-8457 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. No Brokers Fee Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODSBURGH

Magnificent 2K Sq. Ft. Co-Op. 3Br/2Bth, Eik, Lr, Dr, W/D In Unit, Gar, 2 Stor Units, Elev, Near All $775K 516-846-1032 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

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

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

Classifieds

443-929-4003

APT./COOP/CONDO SALE APT./COOP/CONDO SALE APT./COOP/CONDO SALE APT./COOP/CONDO SALE

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

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

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

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

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

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

HELP WANTED 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

BOOKKEEPER

Excellent growth potential, Frum environment, Excellent salary & benefits. Email resume to: resumetfs1@gmail.com

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS ASSISTANT

Large school in FR/5T area seeks an organized and conscientious individual to help maintain the campus. Applicant should be handy, tech savvy, be capable of managing a custodial staff and live locally. Great work environment, excellent pay. Please send resume to rabbiyehuda@gmail.com

BRIGHT FUTURES

Has openings for providers. Work one on one with children towards their goals and earn great money doing what you love! Respite, sports, art, etc. We pay $50/hr for providers with a Bachelor’s and $25/ hr for providers with a HS diploma. Email info@brightfuturesny.com or text/call 347-970-9531

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

YESHIVA KETANA OF LONG ISLAND

Seeks caring 3rd Grade Rebbe whose teaching is focused on skill building with an emphasis on Shorashim. And whose teaching is enhanced by his warmth, crea-tivity, positivity and relationship with his Talmidim. Great work environment & benefits package. Experience preferred but not necessary.

E-mail Resume with Refs: office@ykli.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

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.

GENERAL STUDIES TEACHERS

5th Grade Master’s in Education or currently enrolled in Master’s Program preferable. Excellent opportunity for students pursuing a degree in education. Afternoon teaching hours. Warm, collaborative environment.

Excellent Pay

Email resume: cliebhard@darchei.org

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

PURIM COSTUME GEMACH

For all dates and information about the Bayswater & Far Rockaway Purim Costumes Gemach, please send an e-mail to BFRPurimCostumesGemach@gmail.com to be added to their email list.

Artificial Intelligence Is Better Than None At All

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

As AI continues to advance, the tax preparation industry may be in for a wild ride. With the ability to process vast amounts of data and make calculations faster than a team of accountants, these machine-learning monsters may make tax season a breeze for some but spell doom for others. Imagine a world where you can just snap a picture of your receipts and let an AI do the heavy lifting, leaving tax preparers out of a job. But beware, these intelligent machines may also come with their own set of dangers. They may make mistakes, like claiming deductions you’re not entitled to, or even worse, they could be hacked by cybercriminals looking to steal your personal information. So while the idea of having an AI do your taxes may sound appealing, it’s important to proceed with caution.

Human hands didn’t write that last paragraph. Artificial intelligence did –specifically, the ChatGPT bot that’s taking over the internet. ChatGPT can answer questions, write essays, debug computer programs, take tests, and even compose music. You can ask it to write a story about Marion Barry and Mickey Rourke trying to score drugs on a Saturday night in

Kowloon City, and you’ll get a noir tale of neon lights, crowded streets, and sketchy back-alley deals. It won’t be Hemingway. But criticizing the bot for predictable plotting and weak character development is like watching a beagle do long division and nit-picking that he slobbered all over the paper. It’s a beagle. Doing long division.

How close are we to AI automating

professionals keep busy when AI spells doom for the H&R Blocks of the world? And second, how will Uncle Sam replace the tax revenue he loses when AI destroys everyone else’s jobs?

The tax pros who survive the AI storm will be the ones like us who go beyond just putting the right numbers in the right boxes on the right forms. Tax planning, busi-

soft founder Bill Gates has one proposal for robots that we can probably extend to AI. Gates knows a thing or two about taxes – he reports paying over $10 billion in his lifetime. Gates once proposed that companies using robots should pay a tax similar to what the people they replace would have paid. But calculating that sort of replacement value will be harder with AI. It’s easy enough to calculate how many pairs of hands a robot replaces. But software applications like ChatGPT have a wider range and are more scalable. Maybe the solution is to just ask the AI how much it should pay!

tax preparation? We’re not at the point in Jurassic Park where the velociraptors learn how to open doors. Not yet. But we can hear them sniffing around in the next room. They know we’re in here. They smell our fear. And they’re hungry.

The ChatGPT story raises all sorts of tax questions. For starters, how will tax

ness consulting, and family office services are all more valuable things that we can do to help you achieve your financial goals. Ultimately, our real objective isn’t just to help you pay less tax. It’s to help you accomplish your financial goals with the least possible interference from taxes.

As for the second question, Micro -

Here’s one thing we can safely assume. When Skynet becomes self-aware, AI won’t be any happier about paying taxes than we are. That probably means we’ll need to learn planning strategies to help it pay less, too. At that point, we’ll hold the fate of humanity in our hands. Wish us luck!

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.

For starters, how will tax professionals keep busy when AI spells doom for the H&R Blocks of the world?

Celebrate – It’s A Good Thing!

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

Let’s start with a little poem: To drive a little message home. There is no day like Tu B’Shvat. Just when we think, that Gd forgot, A seed will grow, its head pops out, And then we see, what life’s about.

At times, we’re sad, things don’t make sense. The burdens we carry feel so immense.

And then along comes a little hope, To help us carry our heavy load!

Trees are symbolic of hope. But making birthdays for them?! That’s kind of wild. And that’s what Tu B’Shvat is.

Who knew that trees would have birthdays and that we celebrate them with a holiday? I hope those trees are not wishing we’d drop a cake nearby, or hire a party planner, or do a whole themed event.

And I certainly hope they don’t want a piñata.

After all, where better to hang a piñata than on a tree? And we certainly wouldn’t

feel right accidentally hitting the designated birthday boy.

Parties are fun. But we don’t always like it when they get overwhelming or out of hand. Or when there are endless details to take care of – especially where every plate must match every napkin, which must match every tablecloth, and every flower, and every serving dish, and every served knish…

plish this glowing effect, or alternatively, have to decide to live by the old party rule – a party’s a party, so let the joy of it brighten it up.

I once attended a bar mitzvah, way before doing really shmaltzy ones was common. It was the first I remember that had the activities in an anteroom – make the wax hands, personalized baseball caps and t-shirts, enjoy a photo booths,

around us, and tons of mock snow lushly covering every inch of the ground. It was mesmerizing and lavish, to say the least.

Now, one may look at this as an extravagance. But I saw it differently!

immediately told my kids, “Guess what? No need for a trip out west this year to ski. This is your winter vacation. You’ve got it all right here with plenty of delicious food and memorabilia included, and no worry about injuries.” What more could one ask for?! It certainly made my day and saved me a fortune personally! Whatever and however one chooses to celebrate, there is no judgement here. It’s what works for the person! As long as one always remembers that if we are making the choice to celebrate, that’s a good thing!

I know there are people who naturally do this with ease and pleasure. They have an eye for it, or luckily grew up in a neighborhood where the gift just seems to emanate from everyone’s’ kishkas.

But, for others, they feel lost. They either have to get a party planner to accom-

etc. plus games and other party favorites. But that was nothing!

The family were big skiers. Therefore, when the elevator doors opened onto the entry to the ballroom, we walked out into a winter wonderland – complete with wind, icicles, and wintery atmosphere all

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 917705-2004 or at rivkirosenwald@gmail.com.

I hope those trees are not wishing we’d drop a cake nearby, or hire a party planner, or do a whole themed event.