Five Towns Jewish Home 3.9.23

Dear Readers,

It’s the day after Purim. There are still cookies and crackers and little bottles of vodka on the island in my kitchen. I have hidden most of the nosh away, knowing that when kids are off from school, they tend to be drawn to the alluring sight of sugar. But I haven’t had time to sort through it all.

That’s because I’m back to work, and it’s never easy getting back into work-form the day after a yom tov – Purim, especially. At the end of the one day of Purim, I feel as if we packed a week of activities into a mere 24 hours. And somehow, it’s true. There is so much that goes on in just one day. Think of all that went into your day – megillah, davening, mishloach manos, navigating the crowded streets, visiting teachers and rebbeim and friends, preparing and cooking for your meal, cleaning, and organizing…. I’m all for giving Purim a new name: Yoma arichta.

I recently heard a clip from a very successful person in the secular world. This man – who is not Jewish – was talking about happiness. He mentioned that, for a good part of his life, using his success, he was constantly striving for happiness. He traveled to myriad countries and ate at the best restaurants and dated the most wonderful women, but at the end of the day, he realized that the feeling that he predominately felt while engaged in those pursuits was not a feeling of happiness. He always wanted “more” – a more exotic travel experience, a fancier hotel, a more decadent dish. But after obtaining all those “mores,” he wasn’t happy.

And he realized that, in his pursuit of happiness, he was falsely under the illusion that running after these physical pleasures was the key to being happy. But, in truth, all he was experiencing was the

“highs” of life, the rush of materialism. After much exploration, he began to recognize that happiness is not about the “highs.” In many ways, happiness, he quips, can be boring.

It’s about spending time with family on the couch, quietly reading books. It’s about eating a homecooked meal, prepared thoughtfully by your loved ones. It’s about coming home to your cozy abode, padding around in socks and pajamas on a snowy day. It’s about dedicating time to your spouse and sharing your mundane moments with them.

Happiness is realizing that the relationships with our loved ones are the primary relationships in our lives. It’s about focusing on the security we feel when we know that we’re not going to be judged or criticized.

In some ways, certain aspects about Purim can be considered a “high.” The kids eat way too much candy and go to sleep way too late; the men drink way too much alcohol; we all end up eating way too much at the Purim meal. And at the end of the day, if that’s all we focus on, then we can truly feel sick.

But I think that, after a long day of Purim, if we focus on the relationships that we cultivated, we can wrap up the yom tov with an inspired feeling of true happiness. If we remember the tefillos that we said, the connection to our Creator that we strengthened, the people who we reached out to with our gifts of food, the togetherness we felt as a family, then we’ll remember our holiday as a truly “happy Purim!”

Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

Yitzy Halpern, PUBLISHER publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Yosef Feinerman, MANAGING EDITOR ads@fivetownsjewishhome.com

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Shabbos Zemanim

Friday, March 10

Parshas Ki Sisa

Candle Lighting: 5:38 pm

Shabbos Ends: 6:38 pm

Rabbeinu Tam: 7:10 pm

Partly Cloudy/ Wind

Mostly Sunny Mostly Sunny

Dear Editor,

The public school education is not inferior to the Yeshiva system. There are even many times I have suggested to my children’s school best practices from the public school model to help improve the Yeshiva system. Like most issues, this is not black and white. Both educational systems have virtues, and each has its flaws.

We have a Torah obligation to be part of tikkun olam. It does not elevate us in any way to be negative towards institutions that we do not partake in and have no knowledge about. In fact, it could be quite damaging if someone would read the letter to the editor that Chaim Yehuda Mayer wrote as it can be thought, chas v’ shalom, that the Jewish people think that the public school education is generally inferior to the Yeshiva education. I was quite disappointed that Chaim Yehuda Meyer’s letter was printed as it does not reflect our community’s thoughts, at least I hope not.

Shaindy Klein

Dear Editor,

Harav Ahron Lopiansky, Rosh Yeshivah of the Yeshiva of Greater Washington, made a penetrating point in a speech I recently heard. He noted that when it came to the Mishkan, some contributions had to be exact while others were uncapped and could be given without limits. For the adanim, the bases of the Mishkan that anchored the walls, all of Bnei Yisroel had to give a set chatzei shekel. But for the other areas, the Israelites could give any amount. Why?

Because the external part of the Mishkan symbolized nature, physicality,

the outer shell of man, which is set. In essence, the guf of man. But the inner part of the Mishkan symbolized the neshama, the heart, which has no limits in serving G-d.

It may be said that the ultimate challenge for man is to harness the dominant and high-powered fixed desires of the guf and use them to further fuel the expanding neshama.

Steven Genack

Dear Editor,

I appreciate that you printed “A Reader’s” letter week that touched on the topic of money-adoration or money-adulation in the community.

Perhaps this is a trait that has seeped into our community from outside forces. Perhaps this is a trait that was acquired because our community has been so fortunate. In any case, it is disdainful that so much emphasis is placed on business and money matters – in our publications and in our culture in general.

I cannot speak for Hashem, but I don’t think that we were given this money to bring it to such an exulted status. We have just come off a beautiful holiday of Purim, where we are told to use our money for matanos l’evyonim, to give our money to those less fortunate than us. That is where we should be placing our money: to those who need it and are lacking.

I believe that the Eibeshter, in His goodness, has gifted some of us with affluence so that we can be baalei chessed and think of others and use this gift to help His sons and daughters. We should not be using the money given to us to run

Continued on page 10

Do you prefer red grapes or green grapes?

Looking for your beloved TJH Purim Album? Have no fear!

gether!

after more money! We should be using it in the service of Hashem, in chessed and in helping others.

May Hashem continue to shower our community with abundance and good! Reuven Y.

Dear Editor,

I always like to write in around this time to thank you for your wonderful publication. Although we enjoy it weekly, your Purim issue is always ba’tampe and humorous. You manage to make us laugh (out loud, sometimes) but you don’t make fun of others. You do it in a tasteful, cute way – and you bring the community to -

Thank you for a great publication!

Rebecca Herzog

Dear Editor,

I find it so sad that this young girl is writing into your magazine about her problems with the Shabbos seudah and how her meals on Shabbos always end up with her parents fighting. My heart goes out to this young, mature, wise young woman.

Truthfully, this situation is more common than one thinks. For many families, the Shabbos meals can become a source of stress if both parents are not on the same page and if both parents don’t

understand that the Shabbos seudah in an opportunity given to us to portray the beauty of Shabbos to our children. That’s the bottom line. If our children love Shabbos and love their Shabbos meals together as a family, they can and will hold onto that spiritual lifeline throughout their lives – it will never sever.

Parents need to keep in mind that part of having a beautiful Shabbos seudah is not about demanding decorum or divrei Torah or testing children on their parsha sheets. It’s an opportunity to model your love of Shabbos. You, the parents, should sing zemiros. No one else wants to join? Well, as they get older, perhaps they will. You want a dvar To -

rah? It’s time for you, the parent, to say a beautiful, short, entertaining, interactive dvar Torah. Hopefully, as your kids get older and see how you want to say a dvar Torah, they will also want to contribute. Are your kids antsy during a long meal? Perhaps find ways to make it shorter. Do they need to rest on the couch and read a book in between courses? No problem. They’ll come back when they find that everyone else is excited to be at the table.

Parents need to find ways to make their Shabbos, especially their seudos, a time of bonding and love for Shabbos and mitzvos.

Sincerely,

Ariella Honig

We are busy marveling at all your amazing costumes and working on putting the TJH Photo Album together. Make sure to pick up next week’s issue so you’ll have your very own copy of the 5783/2023 TJH Purim Album!

Warrant for Former Pakistan PM

from it,” Qureshi said.

In November last year, Khan was shot in the leg when his anti-government protest convoy came under attack in the city of Wazirabad.

One of Khan’s supporters died after sustaining bullet wounds while more than a dozen people were injured.

Fatal Train Crash in Greece

Last Tuesday, an Islamabad sessions court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for former Prime Minister Imran Khan for avoiding hearings in connection with the illegal purchase and sale of gifts received from foreign dignitaries when he was prime minister. Khan has denied the charges.

On Sunday, officers came to the residence of the former prime minister to arrest him, releasing a series of tweets that declared that Khan was “avoiding” arrest, as he was not in his home when police arrived.

Khan was removed from power in April last year after he lost a parliamentary vote of confidence and is facing dozens of cases against him, ranging from “terrorism” to corruption.

Khan’s supporters and members of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party gathered in their hundreds in Lahore to protest against the arrest of their party head.

Speaking to journalists outside Khan’s home, PTI party leader and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry confirmed that the police had come to execute the warrant.

“Police says Imran Khan is avoiding arrest. However, the police’s insistence to arrest Khan is illegal,” he said. “They want Imran Khan to go to court where security is lax and there’s a risk to his life.”

PTI vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi said discussions with the party’s legal team will take place before deciding on any future course of action.

“We are a political party, we will react politically. We will issue strategies. Imran Khan’s life is at risk. He has already suffered an attack, and we fear there’s another attack planned. We have to protect him

Fifty-seven people were killed and dozens more were injured last week when a passenger train with more than 350 people onboard collided with a freight train on the same track in central Greece.

Since then, clashes have erupted between police officers and demonstrators, as thousands joined together in protests over Greece’s deadliest train crash.

A small group of protesters hurled petrol bombs at police, who responded with tear gas and stun grenades. The protesters then dispersed to nearby streets.

More than 10,000 students, railway workers, and groups affiliated with leftist parties gathered in an Athens square on Sunday to express sympathy for the lives lost and to demand better safety standards on the rail network.

“That crime won’t be forgotten,” protesters shouted as they released black balloons into the sky. A placard read: “Their policies cost human lives.”

The train, travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki, was packed with university students returning after a long holiday weekend.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ government has blamed human error for the crash. Still, Mitsotakis said on Sunday that human error should not deflect from responsibilities for a long-suffering railway network.

“As prime minister, I owe everyone, but most of all the relatives of the victims, an apology,” he wrote on Facebook. “Justice will very fast investigate the tragedy and determine liabilities.”

A station master in the nearby city of Larissa who was on duty at the time of the crash was charged this week with endangering lives and disrupting public transport.

The Stray Dogs of Chernobyl

nated Semikhody train station.

Now, scientists have conducted the first deep dive into the animals’ DNA. The dogs of Chernobyl are genetically distinct, different from purebred canines as well as other groups of free-breeding dogs, scientists reported Friday in Science Advances.

In 2017, the Clean Futures Fund began holding veterinary clinics for the local dogs, providing care, administering vaccines, and spaying and neutering the animals. The researchers piggybacked on these clinics to collect blood samples from 302 dogs living in different locations in and around the exclusion zone.

of islets known as Dokdo by Seoul and Takeshima by Tokyo in the Sea of Japan, which Korea calls the East Sea.

Fire in Rohingya Refugee Camp

After the disaster at the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1986, local residents were forced to permanently evacuate, leaving behind their homes and, in some cases, their pets. Concerned that these abandoned animals might spread disease or contaminate humans, officials tried to exterminate them.

And yet, a population of dogs somehow endured. They found fellowship with Chernobyl cleanup crews, and the power plant workers who remained in the area sometimes gave them food.

Today, hundreds of free-ranging dogs live in the area around the site of the disaster, known as the exclusion zone. They roam through the abandoned city of Pripyat and bed down in the highly contami-

It remains too soon to say whether, or how, the radioactive environment has contributed to the unique genetic profiles of the dogs of Chernobyl, scientists said. But the study is the first step in an effort to understand not only how long-term radiation exposure has affected the dogs but also what it takes to survive an environmental catastrophe.

The project is a collaboration among scientists in the United States, Ukraine, and Poland, as well as the Clean Futures Fund, a nonprofit based in the United States that works in Chernobyl. The nonprofit, which was established in 2016, began as an effort to provide health care and support to power plant employees, who still work in the exclusion zone.

But the organization soon realized that Chernobyl’s canine residents needed help, too. Although the dog population boomed during the summer, it often crashed in the winter, when food became scarce. Rabies was an ongoing concern.

(© The New York Times)

Japan Finds New Islands

A massive fire ripped through a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh’s southern district of Cox’s Bazar on Sunday, leaving around 12,000 people homeless.

Japan has recounted its islands –and discovered it has 7,000 more than it previously thought.

Digital mapping by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) recently found there to be 14,125 islands in Japanese territory, more than double the figure of 6,852 that has been in official use since a 1987 report by Japan’s Coast Guard.

However, the GSI stressed that the new figure reflected advances in surveying technology and the detail of the maps used for the count – it did not change the overall area of land in Japan’s possession.

While there is no international agreement on how to count islands, it had used the same size criterion as the previous survey 35 years ago. That entailed counting all naturally occurring land areas with a circumference of at least 100 meters (330 feet).

The islands surrounding Japan have been at the heart of several territorial disputes.

Japan lays claim to the Russian-held southern Kuril islands, which Tokyo calls the Northern Territories, a dispute that dates to the end of World War II, when Soviet troops seized them from Japan.

Japan also says it has a historical claim to the uninhabited Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which it currently administers, but China has repeatedly challenged that claim.

Meanwhile, Japan and South Korea remain locked in a more than 70-year dispute over the sovereignty of a group

Sweeping through the Kutupalong refugee camp in the afternoon, the blaze gutted around 2,000 huts before it was brought under control.

For now, thankfully, no casualties have been reported. Still, international and local humanitarian organizations are busy providing food and temporary shelter to those who are now homeless. Ninety facilities including hospitals and learning centers were burnt down, the Bangladesh branch of the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR tweeted on Sunday.

Sunday’s fire marks one of the largest of several fires that have plagued the camp in recent years.

An estimated 1 million members of the stateless Muslim minority Rohingya live in what many consider to be among the world’s largest refugee camps after fleeing a brutal campaign of killing and arson by the Myanmar military.

Human Rights Abuses in Nicaragua

Nicaragua’s president, his wife and top members of the government committed

human rights abuses — including torture and murder — so serious they amounted to crimes against humanity, a United Nations investigative team concluded, providing evidence for efforts to try them overseas.

In a news conference on Thursday, the head of the investigation called for international sanctions against the government and compared Nicaragua’s track record on human rights to the Nazis, saying the current government’s tactics to hold power beginning in 2018 were like those seen during the Nuremberg trials.

“The weaponizing of the justice system against political opponents in the way that is done in Nicaragua is exactly what the Nazi regime did,” Jan-Michael Simon, who led the team of U.N.-appointed criminal justice experts, said in an interview.

“People massively stripped of their nationality and being expelled out of the country: This is exactly what the Nazis did too,” he added.

The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on the government and family of President Daniel Ortega in recent years, although the U.N. report could mean even greater repercussions, including charges in other countries, according to human rights experts.

Under universal jurisdiction, any country’s courts can try people for atrocities committed anywhere and has become a global mechanism for human rights lawyers mostly in Europe to prosecute war crimes carried out by governments such as Syria and Liberia.

The U.N.’s conclusion that Nicaragua carried out crimes against humanity could also affect the government’s ability to secure international financing, Simon said.

The government has denied deliberately killing protesters and has categorized the protests as violent coup attempts, noting that at least two dozen police officers also died. The government did not participate in the U.N. report or allow investigators access to the country.

The investigators also said the government systematically carried out arbitrary detentions and prosecutions of government opponents using multiple government institutions, including the National Assembly, the police, the judiciary, the public defender’s office, the penitentiary, and the Institute of Forensic Medicine. People were tortured in custody, the report concluded.

“The Nicaraguan state, in fact, has been weaponizing literally all institutions of the state in terms of control and re-

pression,” Simon said. “The word is weaponizing. They have been weaponizing the justice system, weaponizing the legislative function, weaponizing the executive function.” (© The New York Times)

Chinese Premier Steps Down

have helped steer the world’s second-biggest economy but was increasingly sidelined by Xi, who consistently accumulated ever-greater powers and elevated the military and security services in aid of the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” Li’s lack of visibility sometimes made it difficult to remember he was technically ranked No. 2 in party.

Li “was a premier largely kept out of the limelight by order of the boss,” noted Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at the London University School of Oriental and African Studies and a longtime observer of Chinese politics.

In an era where personal loyalty trumps all, the fact that Li wasn’t seen purely as a Xi loyalist may end up being “the main reason why he will be remembered fondly,” Tsang said.

It was his final act as premier of China. Li Keqiang’s last major task as the number two in the country came this week, when he delivered the state of the union address to the parliament on Monday. His address defined his premiership: it had sought to reassure citizens of the resiliency of the Chinese economy but contained little that was new, a symbol of the position that Li had held in the shadow of President Xi Jinping.

Li was a skilled technocrat who could

For most of his career, Li was known as a cautious, capable, and highly intelligent bureaucrat who rose through, and was bound by, a consensus-oriented Communist Party that reflexively stifles dissent. He was behind the squelched reporting of an AIDS outbreak tied to illegal blood-buying rings.

But Li also cut a modestly different profile, an English speaker from a generation of politicians schooled during a time of greater openness to liberal Western

ideas. Introduced to politics during the chaotic 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, he made it into prestigious Peking University, where he studied law and economics, on his own merits rather than through political connections.

Li didn’t live up to expectations. During speeches, he used up most of his time repeating statistics. He was practically invisible during the Covid era. And he never formed a partnership with Xi similar to those of their predecessors, although Li and Xi never openly disagreed over fundamentals.

Li’s expected replacement, Li Qiang, is a crony of Xi’s from his days in provincial government, best known for his ruthless implementation of last spring’s monthslong Covid-19 lockdown in Shanghai.

Top U.S. General Visits Syria

U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley visited Syria on Saturday, marking his first visit to the country as the top U.S. general.

Milley met with U.S. troops in northeast Syria, who are there as part of the campaign to defeat ISIS, and in -

spected force protection measures.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned what it called Miley’s “illegal” visit to the U.S. military base, saying it was a “flagrant violation of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” according to state news agency SANA.

900 troops in Syria. While in the country, Milley also reviewed the ongoing repatriation efforts from the al-Hol refugee camp, which houses more than 60,000 displaced persons, including 25,000 children.

The repatriation efforts have been a particular focus of Gen. Erik Kurilla, the commander of U.S. Central Command, who has visited the camp three times since taking over on April 1, 2022. Kurilla’s most recent visit was in mid-November, when he warned that the children in the camp are “prime targets for ISIS radicalization.”

also causing nausea and dizziness among the firefighters. At least 20 officials from the fire department had developed breathing issues from exposure to the toxic smoke, reports said.

15 Years Jailtime for Belarus Opposition Leader

Two weeks before Milley’s visit, U.S. and coalition forces at Green Village in Syria came under rocket attack, according to U.S. Central Command. Two rockets landed near the base, CENTCOM said. No U.S. or coalition troops were injured, and there was no damage to the base.

Just two days earlier, four U.S. troops and one working dog were injured in a helicopter raid against a senior ISIS leader in northeast Syria. The raid killed Hamza al-Homsi.

The U.S. maintains approximately

Waste Fire Chokes Indian City

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was sentenced to 15 years in prison after a trial in absentia that included charges of conspiring to overthrow the government, the latest move in a months-long effort by the Belarusian government to suppress dissent.

Indian firefighters are trying to put out a fire at a waste plant which has led to a toxic smoke cover over many areas in Kochi city in Kerala state.

The fire started last week at a local waste management plant which processes tons of waste every day.

Since the blaze and smoke have blanketed the city, residents have been advised to remain indoors and to use N-95 masks if they step out. Schools are also being shut for younger children.

In an update on Sunday, the state government said that the fire was under control and would be extinguished soon.

Fires are often reported at massive landfills in many parts of India, mostly because of the methane generated as the waste decomposes.

The Brahmapuram waste plant, located near the edge of Kochi city, is known for the massive mounds of waste on its premises. The plant is owned and operated by Kochi city authorities.

Fires are common at this time of the year due to the extreme heat. Locals have protested earlier against the fires and the alleged health hazard caused by the burning of plastic here.

It’s not clear yet what led to the latest fire. A firefighter told the Press Trust of India that layers of plastic had heated up underneath the mounds of waste, delaying the operation.

The smoke generated by the fire was

Tsikhanouskaya ran against authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in August 2020, in an election that handed him his sixth term in office and was widely seen as rigged. She called her conviction and sentence an act of vengeance by Belarusian authorities and vowed to continue to “fight for freedom.”

The results of the vote triggered the largest protests in the country’s history. Lukashenko unleashed a brutal crackdown on demonstrators, accusing the opposition of plotting to overthrow the government. Tsikhnouskaya fled to Lithuania under pressure.

Other key politicians and activists were either arrested or pressured to leave the country.

Tsikhanouskaya and four other opposition figures were tried in their absence in the Belarusian capital, Minsk. The charges against them also included creating and leading an extremist group, inciting hatred and harming national security.

Tsikhanouskaya said that the law and the justice system in Belarus no longer work and that the state “has turned into one big KGB.”

“The regime takes revenge on me and all Belarusians – it takes revenge for the fact that we chose freedom in 2020, for not resigning, not giving in, but continuing to fight,” Tsikhanouskaya said.

“If Lukashenko could, he would have jailed everyone,” she added.

Another exiled opposition politician, Pavel Latushka, was sentenced to 18 years

in prison. Latushka, who once served as Belarus’ minister of culture and then as ambassador in several European nations, was also barred for five years from holding public office.

Maryya Maroz, Volha Kavalkova and Siarhei Dylevski were handed 12-year sentences.

All of them left Belarus after the protests erupted in August 2020. The demonstrations were the largest and the most sustained since Lukashenko assumed office in 1994. He has run the country with

Advocating for Jeepneys in Philippines

an iron fist ever since. His government unleashed a brutal crackdown against the protesters, detaining more than 35,000 and beating thousands.

The country’s most prominent human rights advocate and the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Ales Bialiatski, was among those arrested. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison last week.

Tsikhanouskaya ran against Lukashenko instead of her husband, popular opposition politician Siarhei Tsikhanouski, who was arrested in the middle

of his campaign in 2020 and had been sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Last month, a court in Belarus added 18 more months to Tsikhanouski’s sentence over alleged violations of prison regulations.

Philippine transport groups launched a nationwide strike Monday to protest a government program drivers fear would phase out traditional jeepneys, which have become a cultural icon, and other aging public transport vehicles.

Protesting drivers and supporters held a noisy rally in suburban Quezon city in the capital region, then proceeded in a convoy to a government transport regulatory office to press their protest.

Vice President Sara Duterte, who also serves as education secretary, drew criticisms after saying the strike is a communist rebel-inspired action that may inconvenience students.

The government transport modernization program, first launched in 2017, aims to replace dangerously dilapidated and old passenger jeepneys and vans with modern vehicles, which have safety features and conform with carbon emissions standards. Vehicle owners have to join transport cooperatives and corporations by year’s end for better transport management.

Opponents say most poor drivers could not afford to purchase new passenger jeepneys even with promised government financial aid.

“It’s OK to have modernization for those who have money,” jeepney driver Benito Garcia told The Associated Press. “But for us jeepney drivers and operators, we cannot afford.”

Others said the program would mean the demise of the gaudily decorated and brightly colored jeepneys, which have been regarded as Manila’s “King of the Road” and a showcase of Philippine culture on wheels.

The diesel-powered jeepneys evolved from U.S. military jeeps that American forces left behind after World War II. The vehicles were modified and then reproduced, many with second-hand truck chassis, and for decades were the most popular form of land transport among the working class, even though they cough out dark fumes that have been blamed for Manila’s notoriously polluted air.

Kidnapped in Mexico

tims and the arrest of the culprits.

On Tuesday, the State Department said that two of those Americans were found dead. The other two were taken back to the U.S. under armed guard. They had come to Mexico for a medical procedure.

Matamoros is home to warring factions of the Gulf drug cartel. Shootouts there on Friday were so bad that the U.S. Consulate issued an alert about the danger, and local authorities warned people to shelter in place. It was not immediately clear how the abductions could have been connected to that violence on Friday.

The U.S. State Department’s travel warning for Tamaulipas state warns U.S. citizens not to travel there. However, being a border city, U.S. citizens who live in Brownsville or elsewhere in Texas frequently cross to visit family, attend medical appointments or shop. It would also be a crossing point for people traveling deeper into Mexico.

the Prime Minister’s Office said that it was opening a tender to other Israeli airlines to fly the Israeli leader on his official visits.

According to reports, the pilots are refusing to fly the couple due to their opposition to the coalition’s judicial overhaul plan. El Al, though, has said that the lack of pilots was not political, saying that it was due to a shortage of pilots qualified to fly the Boeing 777, a relatively large aircraft.

Four U.S. citizens were been kidnapped after gunmen opened fire on their vehicle in the northern Mexico border city of Matamoros.

The Americans had entered Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas, on Friday and were traveling in a white minivan with North Carolina license plates.

The FBI San Antonio Division office said in a statement on Sunday that the vehicle came under fire shortly after it entered Mexico.

“All four Americans were placed in a vehicle and taken from the scene by armed men,” the office said. The FBI was offering a $50,000 reward for the return of the vic-

As of now, it has been confirmed that there were deaths that came from the violence in the city on Friday, but the death count has not been tallied.

“There have been two armed incidents between unidentified civilians,” the state police said Friday on social media. “The exact number of the fallen is being corroborated.”

Victims of violence in Matamoros and other large border cities of Tamaulipas often go uncounted, because the cartels have a history taking bodies of their own with them. Local media often avoid reporting on such incidents out of safety concerns, creating an information vacuum.

Pilots Refuse Bibi

The Netanyahus are scheduled to fly on Thursday to Rome, where the prime minister will meet with his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni and return on Saturday night.

The premier’s last trip took place in February, when he also flew out on a Thursday and met French President Emmanuel Macron on the same day in Paris. Netanyahu is also planning to fly to Germany for a two-day visit the following week.

As of Sunday, none of El Al’s pilots had signed up to fly Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, to Italy for a visit on Thursday. In response,

A likely solution to the pilot problem is that one of El Al’s fleet managers who is qualified to fly will eventually pilot the plane. Another possible scenario reported by Channel 12 is that the Prime Minister’s Office will agree to the use of an El Al Boeing 737.

the country. Last year saw the 10th anniversary of the Gaza-based terrorist group opening an office in Istanbul.

Shin Bet Busts Hamas Ring in Turkey

The Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) said on Monday it busted a Hamas terrorist ring in Turkey planning attacks against the Jewish state.

Four Palestinian students from the other side of Israel’s Green Line were arrested. Ahmed Mahmoud Abu Salah,

24, was detained and questioned after returning from studying abroad. His interrogation led to the arrests of three others, according to the agency: Iyas Mahmoud Abu Salah, 20, Salah Mahmoud Abu Salah, 23, and Hassin Fauz Aqra, 25.

Ahmed Mahmoud Abu Salah allegedly met with senior Hamas officials in Turkey and was recruited for “military” training in Turkey and Syria and told to find others to form a cell in Judea and Samaria to carry out terrorist attacks.

The Shin Bet said that the instruction

included “weapons training and studying the manufacturing of explosives, in order to advance terror attacks against the State of Israel.”

A son of a senior Hamas official in Turkey maintained regular contact with the four students.

Despite Ankara’s recent warming relations with Jerusalem, including the restoration of full diplomatic ties with the exchange of ambassadors, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan continues to allow Hamas terrorists to operate in

Turkey refuses to classify Hamas as a terrorist organization, deciding not to join the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Japan in doing so. (JNS)

Shin Bet Protection for First Family

Sara Netanyahu and her two sons will now be protected by the Shin Bet security agency. The change to security from a special police unit came mere days after Sara was forced to hunker down for several hours inside a Tel Aviv hair salon while hundreds of protesters massed outside.

Yair Netanyahu, 31, and Avner Netanyahu, 28, will also be protected by the Shin Bet moving forward. The move does not apply to Netanyahu’s oldest daughter, Noa, who is from a previous marriage and who has limited contact with her father and is less known to the public.

Protesters against the government and its plans to curb the judiciary rallied and marched in Tel Aviv and other cities throughout the day Wednesday and resumed protesting at night in several places, including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Nahariya, Pardes Hanna-Karkur and Zichron Ya’akov.

In Tel Aviv, which had seen rare clashes between protesters and police earlier in the day, demonstrators rushed to Kikar Hamedina Plaza upon hearing that Sara Netanyahu was getting a haircut at an establishment there.

“The country is burning, and Sara is getting a haircut,” protesters chanted — a phrase that rhymes in Hebrew. Many noted that Sara, already a divisive figure in Israeli politics, gets her hair done at the taxpayer’s expense and compared

her to Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France.

“The terrible incident that occurred yesterday could have ended in murder. The time has come to stop the anarchy,” Sara wrote on Instagram the next day, while expressing thanks to her supporters.

She also thanked security forces, specifically naming National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Israel Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai, for their “personal concern.”

According to Channel 12 news, Sara Netanyahu placed a phone call while inside the salon to Ayala Ben Gvir, the wife of the national security minister, seeking help.

In a separate video released by her husband’s Likud party, Netanyahu said she had been told that former Meretz deputy minister Yair Golan had been among those outside the salon and had called on protesters to “finish the mission.”

“‘To finish the mission,’ means calling for my murder,” Sara said.

Golan vociferously denied the account as “spin.”

“I never said that!” he insisted.

Wednesday’s protests coincided with a meeting of the Knesset Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee, which ap-

proved for its first reading in the Knesset plenum a government-backed bill to restrict the High Court of Justice’s ability to strike down legislation.

Hungary to Move Embassy

open an embassy in Jerusalem.

Netanyahu has long had close relations with Orban, who has been in power since 2010. Their bond has further tightened since Netanyahu’s return to power after the general election in November.

During a visit to Israel in 2019, Orban promised to establish a trade office with “diplomatic status” in Jerusalem, which opened several months later.

the West Bank.

In August 2021, Orban lamented in an interview with Fox News that Netanyahu’s election loss was a “challenge” for him and praised the Israeli leader as a “good friend” of Hungary. “When he was in power, he always invested a lot of energy in having a good relationship with central European countries,” he said.

Last week, Hungary announced that it will be moving its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a move regarded as a gesture to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban.

The two reached an agreement on the matter in recent days, with the details hashed out during intensive talks between Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Hungary’s top diplomat Peter Szijjarto.

This action will make Hungary the first European Union member state to

“This is a very exciting moment for us because it’s the first European diplomatic mission opened in Jerusalem in many decades, and three Hungarian diplomats are going to be assigned to this office for trade purposes,” Netanyahu said then at the opening ceremony. “That’s important for trade, for diplomacy, and for the move that Hungary is leading right now to change the attitude in Europe toward Jerusalem.”

U.S. President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moved the U.S. Embassy there in 2018.

Budapest has in recent years been Jerusalem’s staunchest supporter in the European Union, blocking several efforts to issue statements critical of Israeli policies. For instance, in 2020, Hungary was one of the only countries that did not publicly speak out against Israel’s plan, since scuttled, to unilaterally annex swaths of

After Netanyahu’s right-religious bloc won parliamentary elections last year, Orban tweeted: “What a great victory for Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel! Hard times require strong leaders. Welcome back!” He attached a picture of himself holding Netanyahu’s new memoir.

New Armed Group in the West Bank

Members of a new armed group, Tulkarm Battalion-Rapid Response,

made their first appearance in the West Bank city of Tulkarm two weeks ago after an Israeli operation against gunmen from the Lions’ Den. Now, Palestinian Authority forces are trying to prevent members of this group from operating in the city.

Similar armed groups have been operating over the past year in Nablus and Jenin under the names of Nablus Battalion, Balata Battalion, and Jenin Battalion.

The three groups in Nablus, Balata Refugee Camp, and Jenin consist of a few hundred gunmen, most of whom are affiliated with the ruling Fatah faction, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas.

The emergence of the armed group in the relatively quiet city of Tulkarm has worried some local residents and Palestinian officials in Ramallah. Still, at this point, it appears that only a handful of gunmen have joined the Tulkarm Battalion-Rapid Response group.

The new group, according to local residents, is named after Raed al-Karmi, a prominent Fatah militant from Tulkarm who was killed by Israel in 2002. Karmi was accused of involvement in a series of terror attacks that claimed the lives of at least 10 Israelis during the Second Intifada.

Karmi’s friends in Tulkarm used to call him “Rapid Responder” because of

the speed in which he used to carry out attacks in retaliation for the killing of some of his associates by the IDF. He was responsible, among other things, for the abduction and killing of two Israeli men who entered Tulkarm shortly after the IDF killed Thabet Thabet, the Fatah leader in the city.

The Tulkarm-based group has so far claimed responsibility for three shooting attacks against soldiers. Thankfully, no one has been hurt. The group has also posted messages and videos on social media pledging their fight against Israel.

PA security officers have raided the home of a suspected leader of the group who appeared in one of the videos with a mask covering his face. The suspect, however, managed to escape. According to a source in Tulkarm, Israeli security forces also made an unsuccessful attempt to apprehend the man.

The senior official told The Jerusalem Post that three other men suspected of standing behind the new armed group were arrested by the PA’s Preventive Security Service in the past week.

“We will not tolerate scenes of anarchy and lawlessness in Tulkarm,” the official stressed. “Anyone who breaks the law or threatens the residents and the Palestinian security forces will be arrested and

punished.”

Although some residents have expressed concern over the emergence of this new group, there have been some residents in the area who have taken to the streets to protest the crackdown against the group. The protesters accused the PA of “betraying” the Palestinians by going after the armed group in Tulkarm.

Murdaugh Found Guilty

his alibi. The longtime lawyer took the stand in a courthouse where a portrait of Murdaugh’s grandfather had adorned a wall before the trial. He sought to explain why he lied about his whereabouts.

“He had never faced accountability in his life and had always been able to escape that – and that was more important to him than anything,” lead prosecutor Creighton Waters said.

“That’s why I was always convinced that he would testify in this case. That he was assured that he could talk his way out of it one more time. Not out of all the trouble but certainly talk his way out of this. Obviously, the jury saw otherwise.”

Within moments of taking the stand, Murdaugh acknowledged his voice is heard in the video that appeared to be taken at the dog kennels where the bodies were found, saying he lied to investigators about being there earlier that evening because of “paranoid thinking” stemming from his drug addiction.

It took the jury less than an hour to reach a unanimous guilty decision.

On Thursday, former attorney Alex Murdaugh was convicted of killing his wife and son. The 54-year-old received two consecutive life sentences, without the possibility of parole, for their deaths.

Murdaugh’s family legacy dates back to the 1900s in coastal South Carolina. And although many thought that the famed lawyer would get away with murder, it is probable that the scion’s ultimate downfall came about when he took the stand and attempted to convince jurors of his innocence.

“Being a skilled attorney, I think he thought he could outsmart the jurors,” attorney and legal affairs commentator Areva Martin said.

Murdaugh’s biggest lie perhaps was denying for a year and half that he was anywhere near his wife, Maggie, and 22-year-old son, Paul, when they were fatally shot on the family’s Islandton property on June 7, 2021.

On the stand, Murdaugh maintained he didn’t kill them but found their bodies after returning from a brief visit to his sick mother that night.

A key piece of evidence came from Paul Murdaugh, Alex’s son, who recorded a video moments before he was gunned down and killed. It showed a family dog near the kennels on the property. It also captured his father’s voice in the background, placing Alex Murdaugh at the scene of the crime.

The video, which Murdaugh didn’t know existed before the trial, eliminated

In a separate case that has not yet gone to trial, Murdaugh faces 99 charges stemming from a slew of alleged financial crimes, including defrauding his clients, former law firm, and the government of millions.

Obesity Rising in Young Americans

Diabetes and obesity are rising among young adults in the United States, an alarming trend that puts them at higher risk for heart disease, according to a study of 13,000 people between 20 and 44 years old.

The authors of the study, published on Sunday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, warn the trends could have major public health implications. This generation could end up dying prematurely of heart attacks, strokes, and other complications because of these trends.

“We’re witnessing a smoldering public health crisis,” Rishi K. Wadhera, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and one of the study authors, explained.

Deaths from heart attacks and other effects of cardiovascular illnesses had been declining in the United States because of medical advances in prevention and treatment. That progress stagnated during the past decade.

The study aimed to examine whether young adults were increasingly at risk, using data between 2009 and 2020.

The results were mixed. There was a rise in obesity (from 33 percent to 41 percent) and diabetes (from 3 percent to 4 percent). Hypertension showed no meaningful improvement – it rose just slightly. And hyperlipidemia – high levels of cholesterol or triglycerides – declined from 40.5 percent to 26 percent.

Young Black adults face the greatest risk. Hypertension is twice as prevalent among them as it is in other racial and ethnic groups. Diabetes and obesity are also more common.

Hypertension is rising among Hispanics, a trend not evident among other groups. Some point to a diet laden with sodium-rich and ultra-processed foods in the Hispanic community as the culprit for the increased hypertension.

According to the authors of the study, it’s imperative that we address these concerns and trends. Increased screenings for diabetes earlier in life and creating

more green spaces in which to exercise may help to curtail some concerning trends.

“The rising burden of risk factors that we observed among young adults – particularly if these trends continue – could result in a tsunami of cardiovascular disease over the long-term, and ultimately, increases in cardiovascular mortality as the U.S. population ages,” Wadhera said.

Another Train Derailment in Ohio

other Norfolk Southern train wreck across the state in East Palestine put the company under intense scrutiny over contamination that seeped into the small town.

The 212-car freight train was heading south through Clark County en route to Birmingham, Alabama, when 28 of its cars derailed, downing large high tension power lines, knocking out power to some residents, and temporarily prompting shelter-in-place orders for homes within 1,000 feet, authorities said.

The cause of the derailment remains under investigation, although authorities have assured that there is no issue of hazardous materials spilling from the cars, as was the case with the earlier train derailment.

on admissions and outcomes for students, and it connected the boycott to a looming Supreme Court decision that could end affirmative action.

Another Northern Southern freight train derailed in Ohio over the weekend, prompting the National Transportation Safety Board to send investigators to west central Ohio.

The derailment near Springfield, Ohio, just 1,000 feet from homes, occured on Saturday, one month after an -

Four of the derailed cars were empty tankers carrying minimal residual product in “very minor amounts” that “dried very quickly,” Springfield Fire Assistant Chief Matt Smith said, adding his team checked the crash site and determined nothing had spilled onto the ground.

After the derailment, authorities sought to assure the community in Clark County that their air, water, and soil are safe.

“Since there have been no releases, we’re looking at clean air, clean soil and clean water for our residents,” Clark County Health Commissioner Charles Patterson said. “Technicians will continue to be on site to ensure that there isn’t any contamination that has been missed.”

The assurances come as crews more than 200 miles away in East Palestine are still working to clear contaminated soil and liquid from the February 3 toxic wreck of another Norfolk Southern train. Residents in that area have reported symptoms such as headaches and coughing after the fiery crash in which vinyl chloride was released into the air.

U.S. News Takes on Law Schools

U.S. News & World Report said little last fall as Yale, Harvard and other elite law schools announced that they would no longer submit data to the publication’s rankings, charging that the influential list was an engine of inequality.

But in the past few days, U.S. News has fired back. In a public-relations campaign, the publication has accused the schools of trying to avoid accountability

“Some law deans are already exploring ways to sidestep any restrictive ruling by reducing their emphasis on test scores and grades — criteria used in our rankings,” Eric J. Gertler, executive chairman and chief executive of U.S. News, wrote in an opinion essay last Tuesday in The Wall Street Journal.

The conflict is a sign that U.S. News will not shy away from defending the rankings, which are criticized by many universities but are popular with families.

On Wednesday, Harvard Law School held a conference on the rankings that was largely critical and alluded to some of the schools’ complaints: that the rankings used a misleading measure of student debt that schools could game by admitting more paying students; that the emphasis on grades and test scores encouraged merit aid, to the detriment of need-based aid; and that the methodology undermined efforts to support public-interest careers for graduates. (U.S. News has already promised to address some of those criticisms.)

At the conference, the keynote speaker, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, attacked the publication.

“It’s time to stop worshipping at the false altar of U.S. News & World Report,” he said. “It’s time to focus on what truly matters — delivering value and upward mobility.”

But U.S. News had already responded that morning, in a full-page advertisement in The Boston Globe. In an open letter to Cardona, the publication defended the rankings and called for law schools to release even more data.

“As tuition continues to skyrocket, students require reliable information to guide them in their decision-making process,” it said.

The schools say their complaints are based on principle.

“We have never paid attention to U.S. News and its rankings,” Heather Gerken, dean of Yale Law School, said last Thursday. “What we are talking about are the values of legal education and the profession.” (© The New York Times)

To Infinity and Beyond

Crew-6, off the ground. The first launch attempt was grounded last Monday by what officials said was a clogged filter.

During the launch broadcast, officials had reported that ground systems engineers made the decision to call off the launch with less than three minutes on the clock. The engineers said they detected an issue with a substance called TEA-TEB, a highly combustible fluid that is used to ignite the Falcon 9 rocket’s engines at liftoff.

“We want people know for sure that it’s going to be okay.”

There was no problem with Thursday’s launch.

This mission marks the seventh astronaut flight SpaceX has carried out on NASA’s behalf since 2020, continuing the public-private effort to keep the orbiting laboratory fully staffed .

Passengers must sign up for all three years, though the company is launching a matchmaking scheme, where passengers will be allowed to “share” a cabin with someone else, dipping in and out of the itinerary. For instance, two couples could buy one cabin for the entire trip, and then divide up the travel between them.

On Thursday, SpaceX and NASA launched a fresh crew of astronauts on a mission to the International Space Station, kicking off a roughly six-month stay in space.

The mission — which is carrying two NASA astronauts, a Russian cosmonaut, and an astronaut from the United Arab Emirates — took off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The Crew Dragon, the vehicle carrying the astronauts, detached from the rocket after reaching orbit. After about one day of maneuvering through space, it linked up with the space station.

Thursday’s launch marked the second attempt to get this mission, called

The issue occurred during the “bleed-in” process, which is meant to ensure that each of the Falcon 9 rocket’s nine engines will be fed with enough of the TEA-TEB fluid when it’s time for ignition. The problem arose as the fluid moved from a holding tank on the ground into a “catch tank,” according to NASA.

Benji Reed, SpaceX’s director of crew mission management, said that reviews of the data found that the rocket probably would have taken off without a hitch despite the clogged filter, though flight controllers didn’t have enough data during the countdown to be certain.

“That’s not how we want to launch people,” Reed said during a postlaunch news conference on Thursday.

The Crew-6 team on board includes NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen, a veteran of three space shuttle missions, and first-time flyer Warren “Woody” Hoburg, as well as Sultan Alneyadi, who is the second astronaut from the UAE to travel to space, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.

Once Bowen, Hoburg, Fedyaev and Alneyadi are on board the space station, they’ll work to take over operations from the SpaceX Crew-5 astronauts who arrived at the space station in October 2022 .

They’re expected to spend up to six months on board the orbiting laboratory, carrying out science experiments and maintaining the two-decade-old station.

Trip of a Lifetime

The cruise company is aware that people are busy – and for that, there will be a full business center onboard, along with swimming pools, a wellness center, and great dining.

Being on a boat for three years and thousands of miles with the same people? What could go wrong?

Marathon Moments

Tired of living in the same house every year? Consider moving to a boat – and we mean, a big boat. And consider living there for three years.

Life at Sea Cruises is offering a most monumental journey. The cruise is now open for bookings for its three-year, 130,000-mile voyage, which sets sail from Istanbul on November 1.

The cost? A mere $30,000 per person, per year.

If that number seems high, remember that you’re going to be hitting 375 ports around the world, visiting 135 countries, and docking at all seven continents. You’ll be taking in sights like India’s Taj Mahal, the pyramids of Giza, Machu Picchu, and the Great Wall of China.

Interested? Better book soon. There are only 400 cabins on the cruise, with maximum room for 1,074 passengers.

Megan Cassidy is on the move. The Florida woman is now the proud owner of a new Guinness World Record title after she ran 23 ultra-marathon runs –31.1 miles – in a 23-day period.

The 41-year-old ran the mega marathons from December 17 until January 8, Guinness confirmed.

“Running every day like that, it’s not so bad because you keep up with it,” Cassidy told the Oceola News-Gazette. Even so, she admitted that it wasn’t so easy.

“There are days it got kind of lonely,” she said. “But I’d wear a bib telling about what I was doing, and people loved hearing about it.”

Cassidy said she completed her runs in the Lake Nona area due to the quality of the trails. Interestingly, one of the most difficult parts of her attempt was making sure to take in enough food.

“It was hard to eat enough calories in the first few days,” Cassidy explained. “Your brain tries to stop you from doing this so it tells you that you’re not hungry. I had to tell my boyfriend to make sure that I ate at least a quarter of a pan of lasagna every day,” she said.

The previous record was 22 days. Cassidy says that she probably could have gone past 23 days, but she needed to go back to work.

She’s on the run.

Around the Community

Chabad of The Five Towns Celebrates 28th Annual Dinner

On Monday, February 27, at the Sands of Atlantic Beach, close to 500 attendees showed their support for Chabad of the Five Towns at the 28th Annual Dinner. The theme of “Strengthening Our Community” resonated as Directors Rabbi Zalman and Chanie Wolowik and Youth Directors Rabbi Meir and Hadassah Geisinsky honored member families who participate in four of Chabad’s yearlong programs.

The night began with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman receiving the Lamplighter Award for his support of Chabad’s programing. Guests of Honor

Gershon and Malka Akerman reflected on the impact of Chabad and particularly Friendship Circle on their lives. Guests of Honor David and Anna Zaytsev were born in Ukraine and remarked how their family benefits from CTeen programming. Yaakov and Michal Avigdor love the positive educational experience their preschoolers receive at Gan Chamesh. Community Service Awardees Josh and Michele Justic reflected on the strength of the Chabad community, particularly in the weekly Smile on Seniors program that is celebrating its 11th anniversary with volunteer coordinators Michele Jus -

tic and Lisa Pockriss and more recently with Beth Bennett and Rivka Jawitz. A few select individuals who benefitted from Chabad of the Five Towns’ programs presented. CTeen leader Zack Tucker opened the evening. Jasmine Rahmanzada, a Chabad Hebrew School student, led Tehillim for the attendees. Friendship Circle at Shulamith HS President Melissa Zalisky introduced the female Friendship Circle presidents. Shmulie Akerman, a Friendship Circle participant and son of the Guests of Honor, introduced the male Friendship Circle presidents. CTeen leader Hannah Kern

introduced the CTeen leaders. Music star Shulem Lemmer mesmerized the crowd with his flawless renditions of popular songs. Gary Wallin Productions provided the audio and visual technology, the musical entertainment, as well as emceeing the evening seamlessly. Chap a Nosh offered gourmet food for every taste. Jerusalem Florist set the scene elegantly with flowers and candles. And Three Star Photography expertly captured all the magical moments.

Rebbetzins Wolowik and Geisinsky

The Honorable County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Mrs. Segal Blakeman, Lamplighter Award

David & Anna Zaystev, Guests of Honor

The Honorable Bruce Blakeman, Rabbi & Rebbetzin Wolowik, Chani Rabinow, Friendship Circle Presidents, Esther Bracha Rumstein and Mrs. Batsheva Borenstein

Rabbi Zalman Wolowik, with the Friendship Circle Presidents, and Friendship Circle participant Shmuly Akerman

Gershon & Malka Akerman, Guests of Honor

Josh & Michele Justic, Community Service Award

L-R: Chani Rabinow, Hadassah Fertig, FC Director Mrs. Batsheva Borenstein, Friendship Circle Presidents and Rebbetzin Wolowik

Shulem Lemmer Yaakov & Michal Avigdor, Gan Chamesh Parents of the Year

JSL Week 8 Recap

What a week at the JSL by FM Home Loans! Basketball playoffs began, Hockey played its final regular season games, and Men’s Basketball started a new season. The JSL juniors were given JSL sweatshirts sponsored by FM Home Loans.

JSL Juniors

The boys’ skills are greatly improving under the guidance of our amazing JSL coaches.

K/P Hockey: The game between Simcha Day Camp and Hewlett Auto Body was a thrilling back-and-forth battle. Simcha Day Camp jumped out to an early 2 goal lead, but Hewlett Auto Body fought back to within 1 goal. However, Simcha Day Camp proved too tough for Hewlett Auto Body, ultimately winning 5 to 3. Daniel Hammer led the way with 2 goals, while Zack Pearlman gave a great full effort to help the team snap a two-game losing streak. Meanwhile, Home & Stone held onto an early lead throughout their game, ultimately winning 4-1 against Gourmet Glatt

K/P Soccer: Jonah Zisser dominated for ARG in their win over Alpert Financial.

1st Hockey: Four Seasons AC narrowly defeated ARG 2 to 1 in a close defensive battle.

Basketball

3rd/4th: Island Roofing’s Avi Kramer stole the show against Built by Nate, with a pivotal steal and finish that secured

Continued from page 34

their 20 to 18 victory and a spot in the next round of playoffs.

5th-7th Basketball: Zachary Obadaiah of Five Towns Orthodontics pulled off a nice pump fake and hook shot, while Yakov Kapelowitz of Extreme Vent Cleaning made a great pass to Dov Solomon for the layup in their win over Marciano Dentistry. Elchanan Grodetzky scored a game-high 15 points to lead Maidenbaum over Molly’s Jewelers 36 to 14.

Hockey

2nd/3rd: Meat + Board remained undefeated heading into the playoffs thanks to Tzvi Shulman’s game-winning goal with just 45 seconds remaining in a crazy back-and-forth game against Elegant Lawns. JNT also came out on top, jumping out to a 4-0 lead and holding onto it for a 5 to 2 victory over 5 Towns Central. Alpert Financial had a strong start with a 5 to 0 lead midway through their game against MoldPro, but MoldPro stormed back to tie it up at 5 with just 26 seconds left in the game. It was Binyamin Tennenberg who ultimately secured the victory for Alpert Financial with a halfcourt game-winning goal.

4th/5th Hockey: Town Appliance dominated 925 Sterling 8 to 2, with Levi Jeger scoring 4 goals, Benji Somerstein contributing a hat trick, and Yitzchak Polansky chipping in with the final goal. 5 Towns Orthodontics played a complete game in their 7 to 2 victory over Marciano, with Meir Greenspan scoring 2 goals and Eliezer Weinberg adding one. And in

a close game, Autoclick’s 5 third-period goals put it away, with Netanel Kirchner scoring 3 goals, Eliyahu Schattner contributing 2, and Netanel Biegacz adding one. Autoclick won 6 to 1 against Posh Home and Bath.

6th/8th Hockey: MoldPro competed in this one but it was not enough against Wieder, who have been playing excellently lately. It was a 4 to 4 game heading into the 3rd period, but MoldPro was not able to answer the 4 3rd period goals from Wieder who won 8 to 4. Bayrock Insurance got off to hot start, scoring 3 goals early on but JNT never put their heads down. JNT rattled off 3 unanswered goals to tie the game and then Chezkel Solomon scored with less than 2 minutes remaining to give JNT the comeback victory.

Men’s

It was the season opener for the 2023 Spring Men’s Basketball this past sun-

day with a few new teams and even more competition. The league welcomed Team Maidenbaum - employees of JSL Premium sponsor Maidenbaum. John’s Auto played Alpert Financial in a rematch of last season’s championship game and defeated Alpert Financial again 61-57. Shelby Rosenberg picked up where he left off from last season with a team high 23 points. Ikey Cohen, coming off a record-breaking season, started off the new season with another monster performance including six 3 pointers. Dovid Winter scored 28 points but it was not enough to defeat Stone Group.

Game MVPs: Jonah Zisser, Joshua Sod, Zack Pearlman, Moshe Sherman, Yehuda Fricker, Netanel Teller, Joshua Gross, Lior Benhayun, Meir Greenspan, Yaakov Kopelowitz, Dov Cohen, Elchanan Gorodetzky, Jack Spector, Simcha Hochheiser, Aryeh Perl, Yehuda Fricker

and Rebbetzin Goldie Gordon planned the gala with the help of Chabad office manager Esther Levertov who masterfully organized all the details. Dinner Chairpeople Yosef Yitzchak and Penina Batsheva Popack, Gidon and Alla Shema,

Gary and Suzanne Wallin, Jeff and Shi

a success each year.

Rabbi Zalman Wolowik reflected

CTEEN Leaders

on the significance of celebrating Torah learning and community, particularly in a Hakhel year and on the birthday of Moshe Rabbeinu. “Our koach comes from the way we are all special and unique and yet we unite and come together.”

To help support Chabad of the Five Towns, please visit ChabadFiveTowns.com.

ra Eisenberg, Israel and Sharon Garber, Sholom and Pessy Jacobs, and Shalom and Iris Maidenbaum help make the dinner

Rebbetzin Chanie Wolowik, Rebbetzin Hadassah Geisinsky, Rabbi Meir Geisinsky, Rabbi Zalman Wolowik, Mr. Yaakov Avigdor, Mrs. Michal Avigdor, Mrs. Suzanne Wallan & Mrs. Susy Adler (Gan Chamesh Director)

Celebrating Chodesh Adar at Shulamith

The month of Adar at Shulamith is always fun and activity-filled. On Rosh Chodesh, the girls enjoyed a performance by the inimitable Bracha Jaffe, who inspired the girls with her spirited and heartfelt singing. She told stories and encouraged us with her hashkafik ideas and insights. Her beautiful music had everyone dancing and singing along.

Did you know?

The staff of Shulamith Elementary added to the ruach and simcha of the month, surprising the girls by coming in one day dressed up as students!

With Purim on the way, Shulamith eighth graders ran the annual SWO sponsored Purim Carnival. This year’s theme was “Out of this World,” so there were lots of aliens and astronauts running the moon bounce and obstacle

White chocolate is not really chocolate, as it does not contain any cocoa solids.

courses. The students noshed on cotton candy and popcorn and enjoyed many fun booths, including the ever-popular Fluff ‘n Chips (“Counting Stars”), Pickle Race, Alien Cup Pong, Face Painting, and Photo Booth – to name a few! The carnival was a huge success and enjoyed by everyone who attended, including our guests from Kulanu.

The annual Mitzvah Masquerade

concluded the pre-Purim fun. Students worked in groups to create costumes that represent a mitzvah and were allotted three minutes to present their costumes with a skit, a song, or a poem. The creativity and cleverness of the costumes was incredible.

From beginning to end, the simcha and smiles in Shulamith during Chodesh Adar were sensational!

Gan Chamesh Purim Celebration

The children at Gan Chamesh enjoyed a fun-filled Five Senses Purim Carnival. They used all their senses to explore and internalize the

meaning of Purim while having a blast. The carnival was followed by an entertaining and interactive music show by Gary Wallin Productions.

At the Yeshiva of South Shore Purim Mesiba

100 Days of HALB

Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein Hosts Mayor’s Office, NYPD Top Brass and Community Leaders for Pre-Purim Meeting

The Mayor’s Office, NYPD Top Brass, elected officials, Hatzolah, Shomrim and community leaders met at Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein’s Office on Thursday and walked the streets of Boro Park to assure the community that Purim will be safe.

The meeting focused on the NYPD’s commitment to keeping Boro Park safe throughout Purim.

Attendees included NYPD First Deputy Police Commissioner Edward Caban, Senior Advisor to Mayor Eric Adams Joel Eisdorfer, NYPD Chief of Department

Jeffrey Maddrey, NYPD Chief of Patrol

John Chell, Commanding Officer of Patrol Borough Brooklyn South Assistant Chief

Charles McEvoy, Commanding Officer of Community Affairs Inspector Richie Taylor, 66th Precinct Commanding Officer Deputy Inspector Jason Hagestad, Community Affairs Lieutenant Yitzy Jablonsky, Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein, Councilman Kalman Yeger, Jacob Eisdorfer, Community Liaison to Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Yechiel Kalish, CEO of Chevra Hatzolah, Barry Spitzer, District Manager of Community Board 12, Motty Fleischer Boro Park Hat-

zolah Administrator, Aharon Yitzchok Kohn Boro Park Chaveirim Coordinator, Meyer Weill, Misaskim President, Duddy Kornhouser, Coordinator of Chesed Shel Emes, and Boro Park Shomrim Coordinators Motty Katz and Motty Brauner.

Each speaker expressed hakaras hatov to the volunteer organizations for their continued efforts throughout the year and for working hand-in-hand to promote the safety and well-being of residents.

Joel Eisdorfer expressed the Mayor’s sentiments on public safety, community relations and religious sensitivity. Mayor Adams has worked with the Jewish community as a police officer, State Senator, Brooklyn Borough President and now as

Mayor.

Commissioner Caban, Chief Maddrey, Chief Chell and Chief McEvoy spoke about their many years in the NYPD and their close relationship with the Jewish community.

Inspector Richie Taylor spoke about his personal positive experiences with Commissioner Caban, Chief Maddrey, Chief Chell and Chief McEvoy. He said he believes that the NYPD’s Executive Staff is more supportive now than at any other time in history. Inspector Taylor further stated that the community is proud to have Joel Eisdorfer serve in the important position of Senior Advisor to the Mayor.

Assemblyman Eichenstein and Coun-

cilman Yeger expressed their appreciation to the Mayor, the Mayor’s Office and the NYPD for their unwavering dedication and service to the community.

After the close of the official meeting, the entire group went to be mevaker choleh Reb Berish Freilach, senior community liaison, who was unable to attend the meeting. Rabbi Freilach expressed his appreciation for the visit.

The afternoon drew to a close with the participants visiting Toys 4 U for an upbeat tour of the premises. There they were greeted by owner Yossi Itzkowitz. The store tour allowed for a greater understanding of the Purim holiday and even included costume hat fittings.

Students at Lev Chana celebrated the 100th day of school with fun projects and number games. At the end of the day, Lev Chana staff got together for their own celebration making candles at Make It Too.

Children in Morah Shanna Katz’s kindergarten at Yeshiva Darchei Torah dressed up as Mordechai HaTzaddik and King Achashveirosh as they learned the Purim story

At the building of a new mikveh in Linden, NJ, for Kollel Divrei Aish

Single Parents Celebrate Purim at The Marion & Aaron Gural JCC

The Kadima Purim party for single Jewish parent families at the Gural JCC’s Harrison-Kerr Family Campus this past Sunday welcomed many happy children and grateful parents.

But this respite from a challenging schedule was not only about a couple of hours of fun “time off.” It wasn’t even just about the festive Purim music, plenty of snacks, face painting, balloon art, bubbles, games and a magic show. It was just as much about important time spent with families in similar situations in a relaxed and comfortable setting, especially for the children who saw that they were not alone.

This annual, lively event where clients left with mishloach manot, party favors and smiling faces, did not only bring together our Kadima single parent families from various areas around our community, it also brought togeth-

er a community that cares – JCC staff, devoted volunteers, SKA students, who designed the colorful and cheery centerpieces, Gourmet Glatt who sponsored the snacks, and a lovely anonymous individual who generously created and sponsored the mishloach manot. Everyone was eager to play their part and excited to make a difference.

The Kadima program at the Gural JCC provides support, services, holiday programs and referrals to single parents and their families. If you or anyone you know can benefit from this program or you would like to sponsor a project and get involved, please contact Rachayle (516)569-6733 ext. 222, rachayle. deutsch@guraljcc.org.

Read Across America

To celebrate Read Across America, Middle School students read books one-on-one to elementary students. Everyone had a blast making reading extra fun!

M’shenichnas Adar Marbim B’Simcha at Ezra

Ezra Academy has spent the month of Adar b’simcha. From the amazing fashion week program for the girls including a creation competition where girls had to create a fashionable tzanua outfit out of scraps through the amazing Purim Chagigah on Monday night, the students, staff, faculty and alumni have been busy enjoying tremendous fun programming. The Ezra Academy Dinner with Joey Newcomb as the scheduled entertainment was an incred-

ible experience for all those who attended. The mock trial team enjoyed a round 2 win, the mock beit din team competed at Lander College for Men, and the seniors has an amazing Shabbaton in West Hempstead (with gratitude to the West Hempstead community and the Lesser family).

With two more weeks of Adar, the school is looking forward to even more simcha.

The Marion and Aaron Gural JCC is a proud non-profit partner of UJA-Federation New York.

The Koson Rebbe of Linden Rabbi Bondi, Rabbi Elisha Horowitz, the Koson Rebbe of Linden, Rabbi Steinmetz, and Rabbi Teitelbaum

Kollel Divrei Eish (the W Group) yungerleit

Shulamith ECC Celebrates Purim with Their

Neighbors

Masbia Purim Deliveries

Our Pre 1A Banot at Shulamith ECC brought simchat Purim to the residents at the Esplanade Memory Care.

Shulamith High School (SHS), also our neighbors, brought simchat Purim to us by running an extraordinary Purim carnival at our early childhood center.

HALB Purim Play

The HALB third grade girls’ Purim play was a fantastic reenactment of the Purim story. The girls had a great time on stage, and the audience enjoyed every minute of it! Big thank you to Morah Siegel, Mrs. Abromowitz and Morah Karen for all your hard work putting the play together.

HANC HS Visits the SOY Seforim Sale

Masbia will distribute food to over 5,000 families. The distribution started days before for Purim, and the main food deliveries

will take place on the day of Purim. It is the ultimate way to fulfill the real mitzvah of matanos la’evyonim and Mishloach Manos.

Purim Ruach at YOSS

On Tuesday, February 21, grades 11-12 Beit Midrash (BMP) classes at HANC traveled to Washington Heights to visit the SOY Seforim Sale at Yeshiva University.

Students participated in a shiur given by Rabbi Daniel Rapp and then had

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the opportunity to browse and purchase seforim at the annual Seforim sale. Students enjoyed the shiur and were excited to show-off their new seforim. Additionally, many HANC alumni studying at Yeshiva University came to greet the teachers and students on the trip.

PEZ was originally marketed as mints to help smokers kick their bad habit.

Before Purim, Yeshiva of South Shore had a very exciting day for the boys to get into the ruach of Purim. All the boys dressed up in amazing costumes and enjoyed incredible mesibas with music and dancing. They were inspired by divrei Torah from our Rosh

HaYeshiva, R' Mordechai Kamenetzky, and even won great prizes in the raffles! IY”H the boys will be mekabel Torah b’ahava and allow the simchas Purim to infuse their learning for the rest of the year and beyond!

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

On Thursday, March 2, HANC ECC celebrated Dr. Seuss’s birthday. The children read many books by Dr. Seuss these past couple of weeks, and then Nursery Bet had the opportunity to enjoy a fun-filled zany birthday party. The activities at the party coincided with some of the books. For example, for One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, the children got to guess the color fish hiding under a red cup. If they guessed correctly, they ate the (candy) fish as a prize. For the Fox in Socks book, we

had around 15 pairs of funky socks and the children had to find a mate and pair them together. For The Places You’ll Go, the children walked on the “feet” placed on the gym floor, then walked through an obstacle course and ended up at a map of the United States and other local places that they were more familiar with. In Ivrit immersion with Morah Chedva, the yeladim heard Dr. Seuss stories in Hebrew and then had interactive activities on the smartboard.

Meir Panim: An “Oasis of Unity” in Tense Times

By Hadassah Bay

Political and security tensions have clouded Israel’s unusually sunny winter, but nothing can mar the cheerful welcome patrons receive at Meir Panim branches across the country.

“Now more than ever, we at Meir Panim are upholding our policy of welcoming all people, no questions asked, regardless of gender, race, religion or credo,” says Mimi Rozmaryn, Director of Global Development at Meir Panim.

Meir Panim’s patrons come from across the spectrum of Israeli society. In addition to the elderly, who are hard-put to make ends meet on their minimal pensions, Meir Panim caters to single-parent families, people on disability allowances, as well as the working poor, who have all been hit hard by skyrocketing inflation.

“There is no room for sectarian divisions at Meir Panim,” she states. “Each branch serves as an oasis of unity, with a mission to nourish both body and soul, helping people move on to a better stage

of their lives.”

As the Passover holiday approaches, Meir Panim is going into high gear, with communal Seders organized in Tzefat, Dimona, and other cities. For those staying home, Meir Panim volunteers and staff have been preparing and packaging all the Seder needs, not to mention a pantry basket, with staples for the week of the holiday. Prepaid grocery vouchers are another way to provide food security for those who need it most.

“Because we have such a lean staff, we engage thousands of volunteers to put together holiday baskets, cook meals and distribute Meals-on-Wheels. Everyone has something to contribute to Meir Panim,” says Mimi, who, in fact, brings her own children to help package and distribute the farm-fresh produce at the free market in Or Akiva.

While feeding the hungry is Meir Panim’s primary mandate, the organization has widened its view to the next generation in an effort to break the cycle of poverty. Professional social programs — in

the Gaza border town of Sderot and in the development town of Dimona —endeavor to rehabilitate at-risk youth, provide tools for a better future and promote social mobility. The other branches, too, have implemented creative programs to benefit underserved demographics.

The programs highlight the remedial value of volunteerism, for a win-win situation: Sderot teens are in charge of assembling and distributing the Passover food baskets in their area. “We have a lot of programs in the pipeline, but we’re

limited by budgeting constraints. The more help we get, the more we’ll be able to do,” Mimi reflects.

You, too, can be a part of Meir Panim’s life-changing work! Make your donation today online at www.mpdonate.org, through the toll-free number at (877) 7-DONATE / 877.736.6283 , or by mail to American Friends of Meir Panim at 88 Walton Street, Suite B1 Brooklyn, NY 11206-4479. All donations made in the U.S. are tax-deductible under EIN# 20-1582478.

YCQ’s 82nd Anniversary Dinner

Over 750 guests gathered at the Old Westbury Hebrew Congregation to celebrate the 82nd Anniversary Dinner of the Yeshiva of Central Queens on Motzei Shabbat, February 25, 2023. Valerie and Alex Olsen were the esteemed Guests of Honor, and Mrs. Esther Lowinger received the Distinguished Educator Award. Additionally, tribute was paid to the legendary Rabbi Menachem Rottenberg, z”l, who served as YCQ’s Executive Director for close to 40 years. The evening’s theme was “Remembering Our Past, Celebrating Our Present, and Building Our Future.”

After a delicious buffet dinner, catered by RAM, the program began with greetings from YCQ’s President, Dr. Joel Wein. The audience was then directed to the large screens throughout the venue, whereby, Israel Glaser, Chairman of the Board, presented an elegant Kos shel Eliyahu to Mr. Neil Sonenberg, in recognition of his devoted service as the longtime former Treasurer of the YCQ Board of Trustees.

The featured presentation highlighted the theme of the evening, beginning with a timeline of the illustrious history of YCQ, followed by recollections from administrators, students, teachers, parents, and alumni describing what YCQ meant

to them.

In his comments, Rabbi Mark Landsman, principal of YCQ, stated, “Our Yeshiva stands for a tradition of enthusiastic Torah observance. Its goal is to provide our students the necessary skills to pursue any dream, ambition, and aspiration. The mission of the Founding Fathers of YCQ was to offer a well-rounded education with a foundation built on a love of Torah, a love for mitzvot, and a love for Medinat Yisrael. YCQ is continuing this mesorah, and be’ezrat Hashem, will continue to do so well into the future.”

Mrs. Esther Lowinger, the Distinguished Educator Awardee, was recognized for her decades-long commitment to the Yeshiva. Her family, colleagues, and former students shared their memories and appreciation for everything she has done in her years as a teacher and administrator. Mrs. Lowinger was also presented with an album of gratitude and appreciation from her current students. Rabbi Landsman noted how appropriate it was that the Dinner was taking place shortly before the holiday of Purim. Just as Esther the heroine of the Megillah stepped up to the plate when the Jewish people needed her, so, too, Mrs. Esther Lowinger did the same for the YCQ community.

In introducing the esteemed Guests

of Honor, a film recognizing Valerie and Alex Olsen’s connection and contributions to YCQ was shown. Mrs. Olsen, a YCQ graduate, followed in the footsteps of her prominent mother, Mrs. Marilyn Schwartz, who was very active in the Parents Association. During Valerie’s tenure at the helm of the PTO, she introduced many new programs including the Challah Bake, Family Fun Day, Parents’ Night Out, as well as the revival of the Winter Carnival, which have since become annual PTO programs. Mr. Olsen, an architect by profession, has provided his sage advice and expertise as a volunteer consultant for numerous renovations made to the YCQ building including the front entrance and façade project, and most recently, a significant HVAC upgrade.

The final presentation of the evening recognized Rabbi Menacham Rottenberg, z”l, who served as Executive Director of YCQ, beginning in 1963. Former prin-

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cipals, including Rabbi Aaron Brander and Mrs. Judy Lebovits, described how instrumental Rabbi Rottenberg was in shaping what YCQ is today. To recognize Rabbi Rottenberg and his dedication to the Yeshiva, the main entrance to YCQ was inaugurated as Shaar Menachem. It is a fitting tribute to Rabbi Rottenberg, who opened the doors of success for so many. Rabbi Rottenberg’s family was presented with a replica of the plaque that is displayed at the entrance of the school which will forever serve as a testament to Rabbi Rottenberg’s legacy.

The magnificent evening concluded with a parade of desserts, a musical performance from up-and-coming singing sensation, Dovid Pearlman, and the drawing of three amazing raffle prizes. Many thanks to the hard-working Dinner Committee who made the evening so successful.

President Ronald Reagan loved jelly beans so much that Air Force One was outfitted with special jelly bean holders.

L to R: Mrs. Reize Sipzner, YCQ Dinner Chairperson; Mr. Neil Sonnenberg, Former YCQ Treasurer; Dr. Joel Wein, YCQ President; and Mr. Israel Glaser, YCQ Chairman of the Board

The family of Rabbi Menecham Rottenberg z”l

L to R: Mrs. Judy Lebovits, Former YCQ General Studies Principal; Mrs. Esther Lowinger; Distinguished Educator Honoree; Rabbi Mark Landsman, YCQ Principal; Dr. Joel Wein, YCQ President; and Mr. Israel Glaser, YCQ Chairman of the Board

Mr. Israel Glaser, YCQ Chairman of the Board; Dr. Joel Wein, YCQ President; Mr. Alex and Mrs. Valarie Olsen, Esteemed Guests of Honor

Madraigos Strikes Success at 12th Annual Bowl-4-Them

The 12th Annual Madraigos BowlA-Thon at Woodmere Lanes was a resounding success. This signature event has become an annual Madraigos tradition among Five Towns residents, local businesses, friends, and supporters. Participants, sponsors, and Madraigos staff came together in a festive evening filled with fun, entertainment, and alignment with Madraigos’ life-saving services, youth programming, and educational initiatives for the community.

With gratitude to Kettle and Cord, bowlers enjoyed a Philips Air Fryer as the premium gift, as well as many additional prizes for the spirited Red Pin Contest and Bowling competitions. Congratulations to our winners, Gene Stevens, the Highest Men’s Bowler, and Rosi Solomon, the Highest Ladies Bowler, who

clearly demonstrated their bowling prowess to all.

Adding to the night’s festivities, were the raffle drawing for a Peloton Bike, a Michele Watch, and a $500 sponsored gift card to Wall Street Grill. Bowlers also received a swag bag full of many attractive items generously sponsored by our Swag Insert Sponsors. The 5 Towns Trivia Contest and a Team Video Challenge added to the fun.

The biggest barometer of the event’s success was the high level of energy in the room coupled with enthusiasm for Madraigos’ mission. There were smiles on everyone’s faces, as friends cheered on each other’s bowling expertise and enjoyed delicious food by West Wing. Tasty frozen delicacies by Elegant Desserts rounded out the evening. Friends also joined the fun to simply buy raffle tickets

and show support for their favorite team, even after the event was sold out. People felt the electricity in the air all night.

Madraigos expresses its deep gratitude to the over 100 corporate sponsors. Special appreciation is extended to our biggest sponsors, Kettle & Cord, Miller Realty, SHMA Camps, Visionville, And Beyond, Town Appliance, Comprehensive Audiology, West Wing, Basser Kaufman, Maidenbaum, and Citrin Coperman. A full listing of all sponsors can be found on bowl4them.org.

Rabbi Dov Silver, Madraigos founder and Executive V.P., commented, “I thank our sponsors for their support of our life saving work. I very much appreciate the participants of the Bowl-A-Thon for taking out time of their busy schedule to help out our community’s teens and young adults.”

“We graciously thank all of our corporate sponsors for making our youth center stage. With their thoughtful support, we aim to continue to grow and meet the many needs of the community,” said Sharon Gross, Executive Director.

Funds raised at the event will assist Madraigos, a 501c-3 not-for-profit organization, in providing a wide array of valuable clinical services, educational programs, and youth programs, all geared towards helping teens and young adults overcome life’s everyday challenges one step at a time.

For more information about Madraigos, please call (516)371-3250 or visit www. madraigos.org.

Dr. Paul Brody Megillah Readers Program Marks 21 Years

Twenty-seven Middle School students of Great Neck’s North Shore Hebrew Academy (NSHA) – both Ashkenazic and Sephardic – joined together, on Purim Day, to chant the “Gantze Megillah,” in a program initiated in 2001 by Dermatologist Dr. Paul Brody – now called the “Dr. Paul Brody Megillah Readers Program,” upon his retirement last year. Cantor Yitzy Spinner of the Great Neck Synagogue, assisted by Shmuel Bitton, instructed the students this year. Each student read from the beautiful Megillah that was purchased by the NSHA last year, named the “Dr. Paul Brody Megillah,” to be used by all student readers on Purim Day festivities.

Dr. Brody himself has chanted the

“Gantze Megillah” for 51 years, including 29 years at the Great Neck Synagogue, first laining it in 1973 at Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld’s zt”l Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills. In 1985, while smuggling Judaica to Jewish “refuseniks,” he read the Megillah illegally at the Great Synagogue of Leningrad, at great peril. “Better re(a) d than dead,” he figured! The “Gabboyim” were rumored to be members of the KGB.

A detailed Proclamation, declaring June 15, 2022 as “Dr. Paul Brody Megillah Readers Day,” in “fitting recognition and heartfelt appreciation for the dedicated service of Dr. Paul Brody to the residents of Nassau County,” was issued by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman at last year’s NSHA Middle School Graduation

Exercises. A Proclamation was also issued by NYS Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli to Dr. Brody, lauding him for his major accomplishments and “outstanding service.”

Photos by Gabe Solomon

Pheffer Amato Named Labor Power Leader

YOSS Visits Bristal Assisted Living Center

Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-South Queens) was honored with the distinction of being named number 32 in the City & State’s “2023 State Labor Power 100,” which came out earlier this week. The list includes leaders in labor across New York who are working for better pay, securing pensions, codifying protections – all things Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato has been actively supporting since first elected in 2017. In just two months of being appointed as the Chair of the New York State Committee on Governmental Employees, she has used the role to ele -

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vate long-standing issues that have impacted a wide range of public employees.

“I’m honored to be named to City & State Labor Power 100. The 23rd Assembly District has always been a community filled with public employees, and I am proud to fight for them and their families every day. I want the men and women who have committed themselves to working for the State or the City to know that I have their backs and am working to make sure they are able to obtain their New York Dream,” said Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato.

A dentist, William Morrison, was one of the inventors of cotton candy, known at the time as fairy floss.

Dressed in their costumes, the Pre-1A boys of Yeshiva of South Shore delivered mishloach manos to the residents of the Bristal Assisted Living Center in North Woodmere. With musical accompaniment by Rabbi Drebin, the boys enjoyed singing

Purim songs and sharing nachas with the residents as well as all the mothers who joined us on our trip!

Thank you to the nursery children who decorated the bags and the kindergarten children who filled them with food.

The twice-weekly shiur delivered at Mesivta Chaim Shlomo for 25 years by Rav Yaakov Bender, Rosh HaYeshiva, and Mr. Ronald Lowinger, president, celebrated a siyum on Yevamos, Perek He’areil last week. The shiur is given this year to the 11th grade talmidim of Rav Shloime Eisen.

SKA Art Academy Visit Purim and Spring at Central

Late February’s lunch periods at Central were abuzz with activity – students were making signs and designing games for Central’s annual Yachad Carnival, which took place on Tuesday, February 21. This year’s Disney-themed carnival was held for the benefit of Ivdu Girls Elementary School. Many Central students visited Ivdu earlier in the month to run programs. The carnival was a fun event where these students could meet up with their new friends from Ivdu again.

“I’m so happy it all came together,” said senior Gabriella Schikman, one of this year’s Yachad Club coheads, along with seniors Gabi Lefkowitz and Sarah Weiss and juniors Sari Beer and Simona Pitterman. “All the participants had a great time, and it was so nice seeing all the smiles in the room during the carnival.”

Booths included Pin the Tail on the Donkey, a station where kids could make princess bracelets, crowns, or Mickey Mouse ears, a blindfolded “Finding Nemo” station, a magic show with Minnie and Rapunzel, Seven Dwarves Bowling, and more traditional offerings, including face painting, coloring books, rock painting, car racing, and, of course, cotton candy. The Coke versus Pepsi booth generated quite the buzz, as well.

Purim festivities at Central also include dress-up days, special programming, and much more, kicking off a spring semester that will only become more exciting with the arrival of Pesach.

Speaking of excitement, the class of

2023 has officially begun its senior seminar programming. An eagerly-anticipated tradition among Central seniors, this year’s program offers a few new improvements. While past seminars have begun after the Pesach break, lasting through the end of the semester, the 2023 seminar began at the beginning of the spring, with activities and seminars to be sprinkled throughout the last weeks of the school year. Sessions include life on campus, how to keep a kosher kitchen, sessions on mental health and women’s health, a visit to a Mikvah, financial literacy, and child-rearing. Another crucial new addition: the seminar will end with an internship period, giving almost graduates an early taste of life on the job. Central students will explore a variety of career options, including medicine, teaching, and business.

The semester will, of course, end with the annual Senior Dinner, Senior Retreat at Camp Kaylie, and senior graduation.

Ms. Karin Holzer, an award-winning Israeli artist who focuses her art on Judaic topics and nature, recently spent time with the Art Academy students of the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls. After hearing from Ms. Holzer, the

SKA Art Academy girls were inspired to create their own original paintings and are now working on their own interpretations of Hallel. Thanks go to Mrs. Suzy Libin, Art Academy Director, for arranging this special opportunity.

SKA Students Bring Purim Cheer

By Rosie Ash and Arielle Rosman

The seniors of the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls took a trip on Wednesday, March 1, to Be’er Hagolah Institute to share the joy of Adar with the children of the school. Enjoying an entertaining carnival and various art projects, the students at Be’er Hagolah were b’simcha throughout the SKA’s students’ entire visit.

The SKA 12th graders were assigned to classrooms to do an art project with the children or to run one of the many booths – face painting, pickle races, cotton candy, popcorn and more – set up at the carnival. There was lots of music and

dancing, too! The children excitedly went to each booth and left with prizes in their hands and smiles on their faces.

In the classrooms, the seniors did Purim-related art projects such as creating Esther and Mordechai masks and colored clowns. The Be’er Hagolah students got right to work cutting and coloring and were so happy with their beautiful results.

The SKA seniors felt fortunate to be able to perform this chessed and spread Purim spirit in the school; it was so rewarding to see the joy they imparted and the difference they made in the lives of others.

Snack Attack Facts

The agent that gives Twinkies their smooth feel, cellulose gum, is also used in rocket fuel to give it a slightly gelatinous feel.

Real licorice is a member of the legume family and used to be used as a medicine to treat ulcers, sore throats, coughs, and other diseases. The first licorice “candy” was an attempt to disguise the bitter flavor of the medicine. The licorice we now eat has nothing in common with the original licorice, and its only therapeutic qualities are short-term psychological effects.

Corn dextrin, a common thickener used in junk food, is also the glue on envelopes and postage stamps.

M&M’s were created by Forrest Mars (the son of the founder of Mars, Inc.) and his business partner, Bruce Murrie (the son of the president of the Hershey company). Because both their last names started with “M,” they called their new candy M&M’s.

In the UK, Snickers was initially named Marathon Bar because “snickers” rhymes with “knickers,” a British word referring to someone’s underwear.

The Tootsie Roll is named after its creator Leo Hirshfield’s daughter Clara, whose nickname was Tootsie. It was the first penny candy that was individually wrapped. During WWII, Tootsie Rolls were placed in

soldiers’ ration kits because they could survive various weather conditions.

In 1891, William Wrigley Jr. began selling soap in Chicago. To increase sales, he gave away gum to his customers. When his gum became a hit, he stopped selling soap – and the rest is history.

Potato chip bags are only partially filled for a reason: The additional space adds cushioning to prevent breakage. The bags are also pumped full of nitrogen, which helps keeps the product fresher before opening.

On September 13, 2013, Corkers Crisps set a new world record for the largest single bag of potato chips. The bag measured 18 feet tall and comfortably housed more than 2,515 pounds of chips, all of which were cooked in a single batch, as per Guinness World Record regulations, over a 17-hour period.

The inventor of the chocolate chip cookie sold the idea to Nestle Toll House in return for a lifetime supply of chocolate.

There are six cities in the U.S. named Peanut: Peanut, California; Lower Peanut, Pennsylvania; Upper Peanut, Pennsylvania; Peanut, Pennsylvania, Peanut, Tennessee; and Peanut, West Virginia.

1. How many flowers are imprinted on each side of an Orio cookie?

a. 4

b. 8

c. 12

d. 24

2. Which company has the slogan: “Betcha can’t eat just one!”?

a. Lays

b. Reese’s Pieces

c. Pringles

d. Mike & Ikes

3. Approximately how many peanuts does it take to make a 12 ounce jar of peanut butter?

a. 75

b. 160

c. 350

d. 540

e. 620

Snack Trivia Riddle Me Not

4. Which company is bigger: Coke or Pepsi?

a. Coke

b. Pepsi

5. Entenmann’s Bakeries started in Flatbush in 1898 as a local bakery. What was one of founder William Entenmann’s clever inventions that helped his company become an iconic American company?

a. He invented the “see-through” box.

b. He was the first to put preservatives in baked items.

c. He was the first to put chocolate icing on chocolate cake.

d. He was the first to package individual cookies and cakes.

6. Wise Snacks was purchased several years ago by a company located where?

a. China

b. Mexico

c. Israel

d. Canada

Answers:

1-C

2-A

3-D (That’s according to the “National Peanut Butter Board”…. seriously, imagine telling someone that you are a board member on the National Peanut Butter Board.)

4-B

5-A

6-B (Snack on that, Donald!)

Wisdom key:

5-6 Correct: You are a treasure; we should put you in a see through box.

3-4 Correct: You are probably smart enough to be on National Peanut Butter Board.

0-2 correct: You are a Dipsey Doodle.

Lucy is having a bad day at roulette tables. Down to her last $100, completely exasperated, she cries, “What horrible luck! What in the world should I do now?”

A gentleman next to her, trying to calm her down a bit, calmly suggests, “I don’t know... Why don’t you play your age?”

He walks away. Moments later, he is intrigued to hear a great commotion at the roulette table. Maybe she won!

Rushing back to the table and pushing his way through the crowd, he is stunned to see Lucy lying limp on the floor, with the table operator kneeling over her. He asks, “What happened? Is she all right?”

The operator replies, “I don’t know, buddy... She put all her money on 45. When 67 came up, she fainted!”

Parshas Ki Tisa

By Rabbi Berel Wein

One of the more mystical rituals in the Mishkan was the ketoret –the offering of incense on the altar. The incense, when burned by fire, provided a fragrant cloud of smoke that permeated the tent of the Mishkan. The Torah is very exact and detailed in describing the ingredients and formula that formed the ketoret in the Mishkan and later in the Temple, which produced this powerful fragrance. The Talmud states that when the incense was being prepared in the Temple in Jerusalem, the goats pasturing downwind in Jericho sneezed!

There is no doubt that the incense did provide a very strong and pungent fragrance, though nowhere is it mentioned what this fragrance was comparable to. The Talmud adds that if the incense mixture would be combined with honey, then its smell would be so pleasant that it would prove to be irresistible. Why, then, was no honey added to the formula of the incense? The Torah itself forbade this addition to the incense mixture, by stating explicitly that honey was not to be introduced on the altar. There is a profound lesson to be learned here.

The Torah’s instructions are not to be improved upon by human tastes, fads, and currently popular ideas. The mystique of the incense offering is not to be enhanced by human preferences. Jewish history has shown us that all such “improvements” were eventually discarded. The Torah deals with eternity and not with current moods that always change. The Torah itself is the sole arbiter of what the fragrance of the incense offering should be.

The incense offering was also deemed

graft. Their corpses literally had to be dragged out of the Temple’s precincts, since they died from the incense offering ritual. We do not find such lethal danger attached to any other duties of the High Priest in the Temple service.

But as in the physical world, so, too, is it in the mystical spiritual world – that which has the power to destroy also possesses the power to heal and bless. The incense offering was the source to ensure financial prosperity and abundance for the

to be dangerous, if not lethal, to those priests performing the service. This was especially true on Yom Kippur when the High Priest himself performed the service upon entering the Holy of Holies with the incense pan and coals in his hands and arms. The Talmud records that during Second Temple times there were many priests who were unworthy of being the High Priest and obtained their position only by means of corruption and

Jewish people. Even today, biblical verses regarding the incense offering are recited daily by many as a prayer for monetary success and physical welfare. It is the mystery of all this that so intrigues us. It remains one of the hidden treasures of the Torah that are not yet revealed to us.

The ketoret retains its eternal fragrance of mystery. And we are not to add or detract from its Torah formulation. Shabbat shalom.

The Talmud states that when the incense was being prepared in the Temple in Jerusalem, the goats pasturing downwind in Jericho sneezed.

Parshas Ki Sisa Raising Holy Tablet Breakers

By Rav Moshe Weinberger

Adapted for publication by Binyomin

Wolf

What did we take with us from Purim? One lesson was the rectification of that which Amalek tried to do to us. The pasuk (Devarim 25:17) says, “Remember what Amalek did to you, lecha …” The inner Amalek tries to cause us to focus only on ourselves, on “you.” It attempts to make a person think that he does not need anyone else, to live in his own little world indifferent to those around him. But the focus of Purim is (Esther 4:16), “Go gather together all the Jewish people…” Similarly, in this week’s parsha, the Torah teaches us that when Moshe took a census of the Jewish people, he was commanded to do so by causing every person to give a half-shekel (Shemos 30:13). This also teaches us that we must see ourselves as only “half” a person, as lacking without other people.

Our parsha also contains a lesson regarding what it means to grow up. Every year it is so hard to read the story of the Golden Calf and the breaking of the Tablets, the luchos. How could the Jewish people have possibly fallen so far so soon after personally hearing Hashem’s voice on Sinai merely because of a slight perceived delay in Moshe’s return from the mountain?

One way we can understand it is through the lens of the Kuzari by Rabbi Yehuda Halevi, zy”a. He explains that the root of the people’s sin was not actually idol worship. Rather, their mistake was that they attempted to channel their faith in G-d into something which they could feel and touch.

This desire, while misguided, is understandable and natural. The reality is that it is very difficult to talk to and serve a G-d we cannot see. In one of my shiurim at yeshiva a few years ago, I asked the

boys: “What is more difficult: davening or learning?” They all answered that davening was more difficult. I asked them why. One young man asked me if I was sure I wanted to hear the truth. I confirmed that I did. He answered, “It is so hard to daven because I feel like I am just talking to the wall.” The desire to see and feel Hashem’s presence is very strong because it is truly difficult to internalize Hashem’s presence before us when we cannot see Him. That is why the Kuzari explains that “the intention of the nation was not to depart from the service of G-d. Rather, they believed that they were working toward the service [of G-d].” They were really saying (Mechilta D’Rabbi Yishmael, Yisro, 2), “Our desire is to see our King!”

The truth is that what the Jewish people went through is the paradigm for the growing pains every person experiences when he grows up. That is the path from spiritual immaturity to spiritual adult-

hood. The Torah tells us (Shmos 32:16), “The luchos were the work of G-d and the writing was the writing of G-d.” Everything came from G-d. And in reality, nothing could be greater than that. But as a person grows to spiritual maturity, he begins to wonder, “Where am I in all of this?” We felt like children whose parents did everything for them. That is wonderful, but as children mature, they will never feel like whole human beings until they begin creating a life for themselves by making their own choices.

Moshe descended from Sinai and saw the people dancing around the work of their own hands. He recognized that a mature nation can only rejoice in spiritual accomplishments it makes on its own. The Jewish people were like children who rejected that which their parents gave them. Moshe saw that, in the end, forcing us to accept the Torah (Shabbos 88a) simply did not work. That is why he threw

down “the work of G-d” and “the writing of G-d.” And Hashem acknowledged that Moshe did the right thing when He said (ibid. 87a), “You acted correctly by breaking [the luchos].”

We have never had a generation of children when parents were able to give more to their children. We give them everything, including the beliefs and the Torah life of our fathers and mothers. But our children continue to rebel like in previous generations. It is apparent that the problem is not a failure to bring down more Yiddishkeit on our children from above. At some point in their lives, they must make Torah their own. And in order to do so, they sometimes feel that they have no choice but to shatter the luchos given to them by their parents.

There are so many ways to serve G-d within the parameters of Yiddishkeit. But we must understand that many of those will not coincide with the exact brand of Yiddishkeit we feel most comfortable in or in which we raise our children. They must blaze their own path in the service of G-d. Only then will they feel ownership of it. Only then will it last forever like the second set of luchos which Moshe, not Hashem, carved.

The root of this principle is the fact that (Menachos 99b) “the foundation of the Torah is its nullification.” While the Jewish people stumbled and sinned grievously by building the Golden Calf, their attempt to fashion their own way in the service of G-d was actually a step toward a more mature, ground-up way of serving G-d. So, too, when our children stumble in their efforts to forge their own identity, independent from the way we raised them, we pray that they eventually will find a path within Yiddishkeit that they have taken personal ownership of,

which belongs to them.

We also find this underlying concept in halacha. When a father redeems his first-born son from the Kohein (the pidyon haben), he makes a festive meal because the child is transitioning from the sanctity of being set aside for holiness to the more permissive mundane life of a regular Jew. But why is this a reason to celebrate? It sounds more like a reason to mourn! The child is going from a state of holiness with which he was born to a lower state, one in which he will have to eventually be involved in humdrum physical life. The answer must be that a state of holiness which only exists because one is born with it is like the first luchos which came from G-d. It is wonderful but it is not the ultimate goal. The pidyon haben ceremony is like Moshe’s breaking of the luchos. It signifies the transition from a G-d-given, unearned Yiddishkeit to one in which a person will work to find his own way toward Hashem’s service.

The breaking of the luchos brings about a tremendous loss of the Torah which came before. But ultimately, “the nullification of Torah is its foundation” because that is what gives us the power to choose and toil in Torah, to find the sanctity of Torah for ourselves. It enables us

to fashion a path within Yiddishkeit that we have made with our own hands. That is what it means to leave the sanctity of G-d’s womb and enter a mundane human life which belongs to us. The Yiddishkeit we choose has much more staying power than the Yiddishkeit handed to us.

The Ibn Ezra explains, in the name of the Gaonim, that the second luchos were

The pre-Golden Calf Torah, which comes purely from above, does not last. When we mature, we must break the luchos which are the work of Hashem’s “Hands” and build our own personal relationship with G-d from the ground up.

Along these lines, the Baal Haturim offers an amazing explanation of the pasuk regarding the relationship between

Mishna is missing. There is one section Yaakov never gave over to Yosef. And that is Taharos, the laws regarding that which is holy. A parent can give over all of the “do’s” and “don’ts” to a child. But he cannot transmit holiness to the child. That is something the child must discover and attain on his own according to his own path in Yiddishkeit, a path he acquires himself.

Parents must have the wisdom, gentleness, and patience to give their children the luchos of their beliefs, of their love, and their own sacrifice for Hashem and Torah. But at the same time, they must have the flexibility, humility, and broad-mindedness to encourage them to forge their own path in Yiddishkeit. That is true wisdom.

greater than the first because they were carved by Moshe. They correspond to the Oral Torah, in which we discover and derive the Torah’s teachings on our own. Because we work out the Torah’s message inch-by-inch, word-by-word, on our own, it belongs to us. We acquire it. It is ours.

“At the beginning, [the Torah] is called in the name of Hashem, but in the end, it is called in his name [the name of the one who studied it]” (Avodah Zara 19a).

Yaakov and Yosef, which the Torah (Bereishis 37:3) explains as “because he was a son of his old age, zekunim.” The Baal Haturim says that the word for old age, zekunim, lacks the letter Vav. According to this spelling, the word is an acronym for five of the six sections of Mishna: Zeraim, Kodshim, Nashim, Yeshuos (meaning Nezikin), and Moed. The Baal Haturim teaches that Yaakov gave all of this over to Yosef. But one of the six sections of the

May all of us merit to raise our children in this way, and may we merit to see our children successfully fashion a path in Yiddishkeit that belongs to them so that every generation will continue rising higher than the one before, each in its own unique way.

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.

The Yiddishkeit we choose has much more staying power than the Yiddishkeit handed to us.

The Fifth Shulchan Aruch

By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

Astateside individual wanted to send clothing to her relative in Eretz Yisrael. She knew of someone going to Israel for an extended stay who had extra room in his luggage, so she asked the traveler if he could deliver the package. The traveler readily agreed. The relative in Eretz Yisrael was informed of the package but waited months for its delivery. The relative inquired of the traveler, “Didn’t you come to Israel months ago? Why the long delay?” The response was something similar to: “Where does it say in the Torah you have to be nice?”

Let’s put aside the fact that the Chofetz Chaim in Ahavas Chesed spends pages upon pages proving from many biblical sources that one “has to be nice.” Would the fact that the Torah didn’t mention that one has to be nice be an excuse?

The Gemara says in Nazir (45a): It is written, “The nazir shall shave his head at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting (Ohel Moed).” This means he should shave his head after offering his shelamim in the Ohel Moed. The nazir, though, doesn’t actually shave at the Sanctuary. The beraisa asks: Perhaps the Torah means literally that he should actually shave at the entrance of the Sanctuary? The beraisa answers: That would be degrading.

But is the fact that it is degrading a reason to forgo the suggested interpretation? Perhaps the Torah dictates that the nazir should be shaved at the entrance of the Sanctuary even though it’s degrading. The mefaresh (some say it’s Rashi’s son-in-law) explains that such degradation is forbidden. Therefore, we would prefer to explain the verse in such a way where a prohibition is not violated. Hence, we prefer the interpretation that the nazir should shave after his sacrifice is offered at the Sanctuary.

Rav Yosef Engel explains, “Where do we find a prohibition against such

degradation? Nowhere. It is just logical!” We can concoct a new prohibition based simply on logic. Rav Yosef Engel explains further that we can surmise from here that such a prohibition based on logic has the force of a Torah prohibition. According to the mefaresh, we are basing the interpretation of a verse from the Torah on a logical prohibition. If this prohibition were only a new rabbinic one, what effect would it have on an interpretation of the Torah that predates it? Perforce, it must be a Torah prohibition. Therefore, the pasuk was written on the assumption that we are already aware of the prohibition.

Why didn’t the Torah clearly outlaw such degradation? The Torah didn’t have to teach it to us, because it is logical.

Rav Engel writes that he found a similar idea in the Chizkuni. The Chizkuni writes, “Why was the generation of the Flood punished? They were not commanded to observe the mitzvos! The answer is that there are many mitzvos a person must observe because logic dictates it, even if there is no command-

ment.” Those in the generation of the Flood were expected to observe the logical commandments even if they were not divinely directed to keep them.

A similar idea can likewise be found in Parshas Noach. After Noach left the Ark, the first vegetation he planted was a grapevine. Rashi notes that Noach debased himself by this action because he should have picked a different species to plant first. The Sforno writes that because Noach started with an action that was inappropriate, this led to the even worse action committed by Cham. Such is the way of the world that small indiscretions beget large ones.

My rebbe, HaGaon HaRav Henoch Leibowitz, zt”l, asked what was wrong with what Noach did. The Torah describes Noach as a tzaddik. What more of a character reference does one need? Therefore, we can surmise that Noach acted for the sake of Heaven. He needed to plant every species. Wine is used for mitzvos such as kiddush and wine libations in the Holy Temple. There was a reason to choose wine first. Further,

where do we find that Hashem commanded Noach to plant a different species first? Nowhere! So, what did Noach do wrong?

Noach should have realized on his own that although every species needed to be planted, grapes should not have been his first choice. Grapes are used to make intoxicating drinks, and it is lacking class to plant them first. There was no direct Divine directive that Noach violated. But certainly, a tzaddik like Noach should have picked up on the sensitivities. He shouldn’t have first planted a species that can be used for drunkenness.

The Maggid Mishneh writes at the end of the laws of neighbors (loose translation): “And so the Torah said, ‘And you shall do what is just and good.’ The intent is that a person should conduct himself in a good and proper manner when dealing with people. The Torah did not list all the possible behaviors that this directive applies to, because the Torah is timeless and applies at every moment. People change and their conduct changes.” The Torah expected us to make the applications of the directive of “And you shall do what is just and good” on our own. This is colloquially known as the Fifth Shulchan Aruch.

Therefore, if one challenges his acquaintance, “My actions may appear unseemly, but where in the Shulchan Aruch does it say it is assur?” The response is: “It is written in the Fifth Shulchan Aruch.” We are expected to do what is appropriate even if it is not spelled out clearly in some sefer.

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.

The Wandering Jew Paris, The City of Lights

By Hershel Lieber

The year was 2015, and we had plans to be in Warsaw for the Yomim Noraim where I was officiating as the baal tefilla. Sunday was going to be the first night of Rosh Hashana. Interestingly, this actually happened five times during the past eight years! When that occurs, we have to be in Europe the Shabbos before Rosh Hashana, in order to arrive in Poland on Sunday. This is actually a plus for us, as we enjoy visiting different European cities and discovering their Jewish communities. We like davening in different shuls, eating at local residents’ homes or in kosher restaurants, and meeting many people. And, of course, we love touring the city’s sights and attractions.

2015 was a bit harder than usual. I was still in the year of aveilus after my mother, a”h, passed away and could not miss saying kaddish and needed to daven the daily tefillos at the amud. To assure that those necessities would be met, I

chose Paris, where there is a large Jewish presence. I also called Rabbi Mordechai Rottenberg, who is the Chief Rabbi of the chareidi kehilla, about my need to daven

connection with Rav Rottenberg, since his father-in-law was Rabbi Pinchas Menachem Joskowicz, the chief rabbi of Poland from 1988-1999. I was very close

for the amud. He assured me that I would be able to share the amud in his shul. I also asked him about Shabbos meals, and he graciously invited us to join his family for the seudos. I had somewhat of a

to Rav Joskowicz from all the years of going to Warsaw during his tenure as chief rabbi. Rabbi Joskowicz also stayed in our home a number of times when he came to Brooklyn.

Paris was not new to me. I had arrived there as a bochur on December 31, 1966, and stayed for two days. Pesi and I went there for two days in 1986 as a stopover on the way to Israel. I was there another time for a full day between flights. To my readers, it is obvious that Pesi and I had previously visited almost every important sight in the City of Lights. Ascending the Eiffel Tower, gazing at the Champs Elysée from the top of the Arche de Triomphe, admiring the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, strolling in the Tuileries Gardens, watching artists paint their canvases in Montmartre, and strolling along the Seine River are activities that we managed to do even during those short visits. Now, we were returning after an absence of almost thirty years, and we were intent on revisiting the sights that distinguish this beautiful city.

There was another attraction that pulled us to go to Paris: The “Pletzl.” This neighborhood known as Place St. Paul or

We counted more than twenty kosher restaurants within that vicinity, besides the bakeries, Judaica shops, and many shuls.

On the banks of the Seine

At the Arc de Triomphe With the Eiffel Tower in the background

Marais became known as the Pletzl after the influx of Jewish immigrants from Russia and Eastern European countries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Yiddish was heard on the streets far more than French. There were many shuls and kosher food establishments, and Jewish educational and cultural activities abounded in this vicinity. When I was there in 1966, it still retained that Yiddish flavor, but since the great influx of Jewish refugees from Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria, the flavor changed to Middle Eastern. When we were there in 1986, we saw the slow demise of Ashkenazic Jewish life and the rise of Sephardic religious tradition. There still are a few Ashkenazi synagogues, but there are far more Sephardi batei knessiot. Shish kabob and falafel are more popular than pastrami and kishke. Arabic, French, or Hebrew are heard a lot more than Yiddish. Though many Jews moved to different areas and to the suburbs, the neighborhood still has many Jewish residents, including Israeli expatriates, and the stores and restaurants cater to their needs. There are yeshivot, mikvaot, and all the amenities that an Orthodox community need. The streets are swarming with Jews and activity, which was a source of excitement and inspiration.

We arrived Thursday morning at eight o’clock after a sleepless flight. We were

lucky that we were able to check into our room immediately. We unpacked and went to sleep and did not get out until two in the afternoon. The next two hours we spent walking along the Seine and on the Rue de Tivoli. We stopped for falafel and again for ice cream on the way to daven.

Rabbi Rottenberg is the rav of the Agoudas Hakehilos Synagogue on Rue Pavee in the Marais district. I met him when we arrived at the shul, and he was very friendly. He accommodated me by letting me daven Mincha and Maariv at the amud. Then we went to the Rue de Rosiers, where the entire length of the street was teeming with life. Since it was still light outside, Chabad bochurim were busy putting tefillin on pedestrians. One of them pointed out the shul where the Rebbe, zt”l, used to daven when he lived in Paris. We counted more than twenty kosher restaurants within that vicinity, besides the bakeries, Judaica shops, and many shuls. I limited myself to eat foods only with Rav Rottenberg’s hechsher, but we had a great dinner at Mickey’s Deli.

On Friday, I got up at six and ran to shul to say Selichos and daven Shacharis. I had to share the amud with another person who was saying kaddish. We found out about a guide who gives a two-hour walking tour and only expects tips from the participants. The tour was great as it added many historical facts that we would

not have any knowledge of were we to do it on our own. We met at the Opera House and marched to the Place Vendome, the Tuileries Gardens, and the Obelisk, the Eiffel Tower, and then we walked along the Camps Elysée and ended our tour at the Arche de Triomphe. We then went to the Rue de Rosiers and stopped at the patisserie to pick up some French baguettes and pastry for our room. I went to the mikveh, which was in the boy’s yeshiva and was under guard by armed French soldiers. We then dressed for Shabbos and went over to Rabbi Rottenberg’s home to light candles.

We were warmly greeted by the Rav and Rebbetzin but left most conversation for the Shabbos seudah. We presented her with a beautiful framed photo that I once took of her father, Rav Joskowicz, on the streets of Yerushalayim. She was very touched by that gift. We walked together to shul where the congregants were extremely welcoming. When I first met Rav Mordechai, he was a bit reserved, but as the Friday night seudah evolved, we developed a beautiful relationship. We sang zemiros together, both of us shared divrei Torah, and the conversation was animated and interesting. We shared our life stories with both the Rav and Rebbetzin, and they, in turn, were very open about their own families and histories. We had many commonalities and knew some of

the same people. We did not leave until after eleven o’clock, and the Rav insisted on walking us back to the hotel and even

On Shabbos morning, we walked to shul where I got an aliyah. The shul had a nice kiddush, and then we walked with the Rottenbergs back to their apartment. It was raining so he gave me a raincoat. There was another guest from the Gerrer Kollel in Chatzor who contributed to the heimish atmosphere at the Shabbos tisch. The seudah took quite long because of zemiros, divrei Torah, and conversation.

After a mini nap, Pesi went up to the Rebbetzin while I joined the Rav at the shul’s shalosh seudos. He asked me to speak, and I spoke in Ivrit about Akeidas Yitzchok in light of the upcoming Rosh Hashana’s Torah leining. After Havdalah, we took photos and thanked our hosts for the lovely and spiritually uplifting Shabbos that we spent together. The illuminated Shabbos we experienced gave another meaning to “Paris, the City of Lights.”

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.

The shul at 10 Rue Pavee

Chabad bochurim putting tefillin on passersby

The Jewish book store and library

With Rabbi Mordechai Rottenberg

Pesi with Rebbetzin Rottenberg

The Disappearing House

By Gedaliah Borvick

The State of Israel is one of the few countries in the world experiencing positive population growth. In 2022, Israel’s population increased by over 1.5%, over four times the average of developed countries. In comparison, the U.S. grew by .38%, China’s population was flat at 0%, and Italy’s population declined by .38%. Accordingly, Israel’s population of over 9 million people is expected to double within the next 30 to 50 years, depending on which research report one reads.

Where will all these people live?

There are plans in the works to develop and populate the Negev and Galilee into major population and business centers. This would help spread the populace away from the center, which now accounts for over 80% of the population. Even if this ambitious plan succeeds, the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv-Haifa corridor will grow from presently 6.7 million to over 9 million residents, and probably much more. If this campaign does not gain traction, the center is expected, within the next few decades, to double in size to over 13 million people.

In order to address this expected population growth, various laws have been passed to increase development rights; consequently, residential towers in population centers across the country are replacing the traditional low-rise buildings. Case in point: Carmay Hanadiv, a lovely new neighborhood under construction on the border of Kiryat Malachi and Be’er Tuvia, is expected to have over 3,200 housing units. Despite the lack of high-rise buildings in the vicinity, some of the towers in this community are rising up to 20+ stories, and only a smattering of low-rise buildings will be built. This is not the exception, but rather the norm, and it makes sense: tiny Israel is smaller than the state of New Jersey and, since we don’t want to lose all of our beautiful green lands and

parks, we have no choice but to build up. My son bought a home in a new neighborhood under construction in Lod. The plans are for thousands of apartments in towers, with the exception of only 72

ability to purchase a semi-detached home in a new project is becoming a challenge. Options include moving to underpopulated areas – like the north, the south, and the Shomron – where

300-house project was initially envisioned back in 1990, and therefore, the original housing plans consisting of mostly semi-attached houses were grandfathered. In addition, the project is surrounded by nature preserves, and the environmentalists have successfully fought for height restrictions in this community. The developer is busy completing this sold-out project, and another small project of 50 semi-attached and free-standing houses bordering Eden Hills is about to hit the market.

Another rare example of a project with many houses being built is in Nofei Hashemesh, the special Beit Shemesh community led by Rav Shalom and Rabbanit Dr. Tamar Rosner. The original plans were filed twenty years ago, and today over 150 semi-attached homes, cottages, triplexes and duplexes are being developed, in addition to 100 condos in three apartment buildings. Were this project to be devised today and not two decades ago, the houses would be replaced with a few dozen residential towers and hundreds more apartments. Predictably, the market has taken notice, as 50 of the homes were snapped up in the first few weeks of sales.

For many of our Anglo clients, moving to an apartment in Israel is wonderful. Others, though, prefer the familiarity of a private house. Whether we make aliyah or just visit more often, whether we buy a home or stay in a short-term rental, may we all be privileged to reconnect with our thriving and growing Jewish homeland.

semi-detached houses that will be built – and the only reason that there are any semi-detached houses at all is because they were grandfathered under the original plans from over a decade ago.

Understanding this new reality, the

low-rise housing is still being built, or to purchase in new projects whose plans were grandfathered prior to the new zoning rules. Three years ago, we were involved in pre-sales in Eden Hills near Ramat Beit Shemesh. This

Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home (www.myisraelhome.com), a real estate agency focused on helping people from abroad buy and sell homes in Israel. To sign up for his monthly market updates, contact him at gborvick@gmail.com.

Tiny Israel is smaller than the state of New Jersey and, since we don’t want to lose all of our beautiful green lands and parks, we have no choice but to build up.

Views from Nofei Hashemesh

Yossi Toiv is a creative powerhouse to a degree uncommon today. Singer, composer, and parody creator, radio show host and magazine editor, comedian and subtle spiritual inspirer, Country Yossi has many titles. He even created a board game and wrote a children’s book.

Now semi-retired, Yossi reflects on his long career, from Ohr Chodosh to Country Yossi and the Shteeble-Hoppers, to his radio show and magazine, and, of course, the ubiquitous Kars 4 Kids jingle. Yossi displays a potpourri of talents – from irreverent humor to surprising depth, from uber-confident radio personality to secret introvert. He shares his impressions of a true rebbe, Reb Shlomo Freifeld, zt”l, and the gift of a true friend, his lifelong buddy and “partner-in-crime” Heshy “the Wonderchild” Walfish.

A conversation with Yossi is always fun – and secretly uplifting. Listen in as we schmooze with the inimitable Country Yossi. After all, “It’s Country, Country Yossi… He’ll make you laugh, he’ll make you smile. Sit back and relax – we’ll be here for a while!”

Yossi Toiv is, in his own words, “just a regular guy from East New York,” although he has a background in music. His father, Chaim Toiv, was a chazan, and Yossi was often called upon to accompany his father in “the shteeble.” As a youngster, Yossi first learned in Lubavitch, then in Chaim Berlin. When the beloved mashgiach, Reb Shlomo Freifeld, zt”l, informed Yossi he was opening a yeshiva of his own and invited Yossi and a select group to join, the young bochur eagerly took him up, forming the nucleus of the now-famous Yeshiva Sh’or Yoshuv.

Yossi’s bond with Reb Shlomo runs very deep, and

Reflections of An Ageless Master

Country Yossi Talks about Reb Shlomo Freifeld, zt”l, Kayla Kuchleffel, and the Spiritual Potential in Every Song

By Pinchos Friedlander

the time he spent in the yeshiva serves as his lighthouse.

Shmelkie’s Niggun

In Sh’or Yoshuv, Yossi was roommates and friends with the legendary Rabbi Shmuel Brazil, then known as Shmelkie. Yossi recalls how R’ Shmuel once lent him his guitar and diagramed a few chords. Yossi fiddled around with the instrument and practiced until he learned to play.

Shmelkie was considered the “baal menagen” of the yeshiva, and his early compositions became staples there. One popular tune he composed had no words, and so there was no name to refer to it by. Then, one day, Reb Shlomo turned to the boys and said, “Let’s sing Shmelkie’s niggun.” And so, the famous Shmelkie’s Niggun, an Ohr Chadash classic, was born.

In time, the boys formed their own music group, and Yossi named it Ohr Chodosh – The New Light. R’ Shmuel and Yossi composed the songs, and Yossi Toiv, Yossi Leiber, and Nachum Deutsch performed in concert. At the time, the Jewish music industry was in its infancy, and the boys operated on a shoestring budget, borrowing $1,000 from their parents to fund their first album, which was an incredible hit.

R’ Shmuel was the more studious of the group, and Reb Shlomo told him not to appear in concert, and so he didn’t. Reb Shlomo didn’t tell that to the other boys, and they took that as his tacit approval for them to do so.

Yossi remembers R’ Shmuel often running to his dorm room, as if possessed. Gripped by inspiration,

R’ Shmuel would rush to find his guitar, figure out the chords, and commit his inner yearning and passion to music, before the moment would pass and the new song would be lost forever. Thus, was born “Bilvavi,” “Aileh V’rechev,” “Shir Hamaalos,” and many other iconic Jewish songs.

As a fellow composer, Yossi identifies with the feeling well. A song can sometimes occur to Yossi all at once as one lump sum, and he needs to preserve it before it slips away. Other times, it can take a long time before a single song is complete. Sometimes, it begins with words, and the tune needs to be ironed out. Other times, it’s the reverse. Each song has its own birth, its own way of coming into the world.

“Yossi, You Made My Day!”

R’ Shmuel and Yossi’s friendship wasn’t limited to music. One day, R’ Shmuel convinced Yossi to come with him early to yeshiva, before davening began, to put in an extra seder. Yossi allowed himself to be convinced. As it happened, it was a bitterly cold day, and it was a long walk. By the time they arrived, the boys were half-frozen.

In middle of their learning, Reb Shlomo walked in, beard and peyos encrusted in snow and ice. He surveyed the room, in Yossi’s words “like a gunslinger entering a saloon,” when his eyes fell on Yossi. Reb Shlomo did a double take. He took off his glasses, wiped them with a tissue, and looked again. His eyes bulged in surprise. He said nothing, though, and went to his seat.

When the boys had finished

learning, and davening was about to begin, Reb Shlomo motioned Yossi to approach him. Yossi walked over, but Reb Shlomo motioned him to come even closer. He kept motioning with his finger, until their faces nearly touched, and Yossi felt Reb Shlomo’s beard tickling his ear. Reb Shlomo then whis pered, “Yossi, you made my day!”

Yossi declares, “Those words reverberate in my soul until today.”

Yossi expresses his profound feelings toward Reb Shlomo in a children’s song on Kivi and Tuki Vol. 3 called “A Very Special Man.” It begins:

“There’s a very special man

In a very special place.

There is wisdom in his eyes

And a smile upon his face.

In yeshiva, he’s the Rebbe, he’s your Rebbe,

And your Rebbe is your friend.”

Though the album doesn’t spell it out, Yossi reveals that the “Rebbe” in the song is really a reference to Reb Shlomo. Those simple lyrics tell of the powerful emotion he feels towards his mentor.

R’ Shmuel and Yossi eventually moved in different directions. R’ Shmuel founded Regesh with R’ Abish Brodt and went on to become a rebbe and rosh yeshiva in Israel. Yossi’s journey took him to other places, although the two do touch base with each other occasionally.

With “the Wonderchild”

Yossi credits much of his success to his life-long friend and partner, Heshy “the Wonderchild” Walfish, who is his “partner-in-crime,” as he refers to it.

“Many young people have a lot of talent,” Yossi says, “but they are not successful, because they don’t have a Heshy.”

The two have collaborated on most of Yossi’s projects, including the Country Yossi and the Shteeble-Hoppers albums (by the way, what are “shteeble-hoppers,” anyway? Yossi explains they are the folks who daven in one shul for Shacharis, another for Mincha, a third for Maariv, and yet another on Shabbos. Apparently, Yossi and Heshy get a kick out of that term), Kivi and Tuki albums, the radio show, and Country Yossi Magazine. Yossi explains that the two friends complement each other beautifully. Heshy is multi-talented himself and does all the things Yossi does not. He plays all instruments, arranges, engineers, and voices Kivi and Tuki! The two can understand each other so well, they almost don’t have to speak. They think like one brain.

“Or half of one,” Yossi cracks.

I comment to Yossi that it is a real gift to have a friend like that, and he agrees.

“We’ve been friends for over fifty years, and we never once thought of breaking up,” he says. “Murder yes, but breakup no,” he quips in his trademark rough-and-tumble “country” humor.

Yossi recalls how it began. Heshy was the head of

the then-popular Messenger’s Orchestra, and the two, who had been old friends at the time, bumped into each other in a hotel in upstate New York at a Jacky Mason comedy show. Yossi had a Master’s degree in psychology, which he never really used (unless handling some interesting callers on his radio show...), and worked in the diamond industry. However, he still enjoyed tinkering with country songs, creating Jewish-themed parodies of famous country songs. Yossi shared with Heshy some of his work, and Heshy liked it.

“Let’s put out a record,” Heshy suggested.

And the rest is history...

Hanging Up the Cowboy Boots?

Country Yossi’s radio show and magazine are no longer in business. The competition grew too intense, and airtime prices were raised on him, so Yossi decided to call it a career. He now spends more time learning, reading, writing, and playing pickleball (don’t ask me what that is) and jokes that he has a three-course lunch every day.

But Yossi and Heshy will not quit completely. You need to keep those creative juices flowing, otherwise you wither away, he explains. The two are working on a new “Kivi and Tuki” album, which should be released soon.

I asked Yossi if the style on this album will be more contemporary or similar to the older ones.

“You don’t mess with success,” he declares.

But Yossi says he actually enjoys being out of the limelight now. I was quite taken aback to hear that the super-confident, way “out there” radio personality and concert performer prefers privacy to socializing and doesn’t really enjoy getting up in front of a crowd. But Yossi claims that he’s shy.

“I just like to stay in my corner, write poetry, compose songs, and enjoy my grandchildren,” he says.

Speaking on the radio was easier for him, because you don’t see the all the people who are listening. You are just alone in the four walls of the studio, he says.

Songs with a Message

As is well-known, most of the Country Yossi songs are parodies of country songs composed by non-Jewish artists, such as Johnny Cash and Kenny Rogers. Yossi explains his philosophy about this: he feels that every song has po -

tential holiness, no matter who is the composer. When he takes the song and puts Jewish lyrics and a Jewish message to it, it’s elevating the tune.

I challenged Yossi on this: when you change “Big Bad John” to “Big Bad Moish,” how does that elevate the song? What inherently changed in the message?

“Well,” Yossi responds, “in the original, it was just miners in a coal mine; here, it’s a shul. And he goes into the fire to save sifrei Torah.”

But Yossi readily admits that some of the songs are just plain silly. No one will claim the “cholent” song, “Fetter Shmiel” playing baseball, “Chicken Soup,” or the “Flying Lukshen Kugel-Eater” contain a sublime message (“Well, maybe ‘cholent’ does,” Yossi insists, with a wink).

What’s their point? To be funny! To provide some comic relief to Jews struggling through a long and bitter galus.

Yossi invokes the story mentioned in the Gemara of Eliyahu Hanavi describing two jokesters as “bnei Olam Haba,” acquirers of Olam Haba, in the merit of them making people happy and helping people cope with life.

“Maybe it will get me in as well,” Yossi sighs hopefully.

The singer shares that he met Reb Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin at an event, and Reb Sholom Mordechai confided to him, “You lightened my load.”

“That really made me feel good,” Yossi admits.

I confessed to Yossi that I, too, once went through a challenging period and found some relief in his lighthearted humor.

Yossi says he gets messages two or three times a week from people who tell him how he was a wonderful part of their childhood and how much they enjoyed his songs and his antics and how their children do, too.

Another higher purpose to these songs is that they serve as the entranceway for what Yossi calls his “mussar songs,” such as “Tick Tock” and “One Daf a Day.” In fact, those songs are his favorite.

Many of these “mussar songs” have a light side to them, too, sneaking in their mussar in a playful way, such as “Nobody Comes to the Minyan No More.” The “Aveira” song seems to start off rather playful, but gets pretty serious, vividly describing the accusation of the prosecuting angels and the dread that evokes, and the good angels created from mitzvos.

“And Then He Potched Me”

One song on Country Yossi describes a teacher roundly slapping a boy, who then comes home and tells his father about it, only to get slapped again, this time by his father. Ironically, the tune is lively and upbeat. I asked Yossi what is the message of the song. Was he trying to make a statement on the controversial topic of corporal punishment for our generation? Or did he perhaps find a “potch” funny?

Yossi explains, “When I

Reb Shlomo then whispered, “Yossi, you made my day!” Those words reverberate in my soul until today.

The singers of Ohr Chodosh

was growing up, it wasn’t like today. It was a normal occurrence for a child to receive a good poke in the ribs, followed by some good ol’ fashioned ‘gezunte petch.’” He admits that the song was written to vent a little of his frustration at his own childhood experience.

“As the class wise guy, I got plenty of petch!” Yossi confesses.

The Shabbos Goy

I reminisced with Yossi about one hilarious piece on his albums called “Shabbos Goy,” which really brings out the frustration of a frum Jew trying to get across his request to the Shabbos Goy, without spelling it out, and the “goy” trying to understand him. (Note: Do not rely on this for halachic guidance.) It goes like this:

Excuse me, sir, are you Jewish?

Say what?

Are you a Jew?

Do I look Jewish to you?

Oh, great! I’m so happy you’re not Jewish!

You happy I ain’t Jewish? I’m happy you ain’t black, so there!

Can you come into my house for a minute?

Come into your house? You crazy? I don’t even know you!

It’s very hot in my house!

It’s hot in your house; it’s hot everywhere!

Why you invite me into your hot house?

I wish someone would put my air conditioner on…

You want me to put it on?

I didn’t say that.

So you don’t want me to put it on?

I didn’t say that neither!

Well, what would you like me to do?!

I can’t tell you; can you guess?

Yes! I’m guessing you outta your mind!

So I press this button here.

Yeah! I mean no! I mean, I don’t know!

You nuts, man! I’m outa here. Man, these Jews is crazy!

Listeners to this song can connect with the frustration that one has in trying to hint to a “Shabbos goy” about the difficulties one is having without spelling out the situation too clearly.

1-8-7-7 Kars 4 Kids

But Yossi’s most famous song is undoubtedly the Kars 4 Kids jingle – the song everyone loves to hate. The jingle’s fame is on the national level, playing constantly on radio and TV in many major cities throughout the U.S. and Canada. The ditty has been the target of much humor and many snide remarks by famous comedians and other high-profile personalities, some of it more good-natured than others. In one classic SNL comedy, two “CIA agents” explained that they were masters of

designing torture methods, one of which was the Kars 4 Kids jingle.

But not everyone abhors the jingle. I shared with Yossi that I had done a stint as a Kars 4 Kids rep and experienced both the love and the hate. Some callers would sing the jingle for me on the phone or tell me how much their kids loved it, while others offered their free advice that for “our own good” we should change that tune – fast.

Yossi’s original lyrics to the tune are “It’s gonna be the little kinderlach who make Moshiach come.” He recalled how at the recent Jewish Hall of Fame concert they sang, “It’s gonna be the little kinderlach,” then segued into “1-87-7 Kars 4 Kids,” which brought the house down!

The Magazine and the Show

The Country Yossi Magazine and radio show were very popular in their day, as Yossi would say, “broadcasting to half a million heimishe.” Yossi’s quick wit and Heshy’s contagious laughter set the tone for some great scenes, some of which were immortalized in an album named “Classic Calls.”

Yossi’s favorite is a caller who had to name the five boroughs of New York City. She thought for a few seconds and then answered, “Boro Park, Flatbush, Crown Heights, Monsey, and Williamsburg.”

Still, Yossi and Heshy have many more humorous calls saved, which they may yet publish one day.

Yossi’s humor showed in his prize giveaways, too, famously rewarding a contestant with “junk from my trunk” or the Brooklyn Bridge.

The magazine was quite lively, too, often generating pretty intense debates on the hot button issues of the day. Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum, a”h, would often write his opinion pieces there, which got some people quite hot under the collar. R’ Eli had explained in the past that, although there were magazines at the time which were considered more prestigious, Country Yossi Magazine was more widely read, and he wanted to reach that audience.

“We were pretty fearless,” Yossi recalled, “but we did have to walk a fine line.”

Perhaps the most popular column in Country Yossi Magazine was the “Kayla Kuchleffel” column. Yossi clarifies that despite all rumors spread by well-informed people with

access to the inside scoop, the weekly “Kayla Kuchleffel” humor column was not written by him but by a Brooklyn mother who did not wish to reveal her true name, to protect her children’s shidduchim.

No word on if they are all married by now, but still, who knows? The grandchildren need shidduchim as well, I presume...

Be Creative –And Keep Smiling

Yossi shares his advice to all budding artists and creative geniuses out there: be creative. Yossi acknowledges an explosion of talent in the young generation, as well as a proliferation of ever-increasing sophistication of available tools and knowledge.

Being in the kiruv field, I point out to Yossi the power of frum creativity to attract Jews who grew up unaffiliated or less affiliated. We see frum music hits garnering much attention from secular audiences on YouTube, TikTok, and other mediums. Yossi agrees. But he cautions that turning talent into money is not simple. The field is very crowded and production on the professional level is very expensive, and success does not come overnight, he says.

Yossi shares a personal story. He once went to collect money owed to him from an elderly Jew. When he arrived, the man waved to him from afar, indicating that today was not a good day. “Ahh, having a bad day?” Yossi questioned understandingly.

The man stopped what he was doing and gave Yossi a penetrating look.

“A bad day?” the man repeated, “you don’t know what a bad day is. Since I left Auschwitz, no day is bad. Some days are better than others. But no day is a bad day.”

The lesson remains with Yossi to this day.

“Keep smiling and be optimistic” is Yossi’s parting message.

“At the end, there’s a happy ending waiting for us all.”

In one classic SNL comedy, two “CIA agents” explained that they were masters of designing torture methods, one of which was the Kars 4 Kids jingle.

Yossi and Heshy, partners and friends

What Would You Do If…

Dear Navidaters,

I have a question regarding my presentation on dates. I’ve been told my look is outdated and even nerdy. Personally, I don’t feel the need to get a new suit when I have a perfectly good one that I got a few years ago; I take care of it. Same story with my shoes and glasses. I don’t care at all about trends or fashion.

I’d like a put-together girl. I’m a bit in the clouds on these things so I know having a wife who’s more attuned to these things would be good for me. But I’ve been told girls who are put-together won’t go for me.

It seems like a catch-22. How important is presentation really? Won’t the right one just look past it? Why put in all the effort to look a part that I’m not?

Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters

The Panel

The Rebbetzin

Rebbetzin Lisa Babich

Firstly, in a world that is so fashion obsessed, I appreciate your neutral attitude about it.

I am curious what you mean when you say you want a “put-together” girl. If it is not something you are so attuned to, then I imagine your definition of “put-together” is probably different than what other people think you mean.

Words can have so many meanings, and sometimes it comes down to semantics. I assume you mean you are looking for a girl who looks neat and fashionably/ socially acceptable looking. I don’t think you are referring to an on-trend, fashion forward look.

Your expectations of what you want have to be reasonable. It is nice to update your look and improve it so that you can

look respectful, but I don’t think you need an overhaul that would not match with who you are. I do believe there are enough people out there who are similar to you –neat looking and simple.

I want to conclude that I have made certain assumptions about your look being neat and clean, but if the outdatedness in any way translates to sloppy, silly, or unkempt looking, then it is definitely important to always make sure that as a ben Torah that you are dressing in a respectful and clean way.

The Shadchan

Michelle Mond

Akin to a man dressing up to look his best for a job interview, a man should dress up and look his best for a date. Regardless of whether he considers himself simple or fashionable, every man should

make the effort. This includes going shopping with a friend or relative who has some knowledge of what looks nice and choosing some nice dating staples accordingly. Buy some updated nice ties, crisp, clean wrinkle-free shirts, good slacks and suits. This is not called faking who you are or trying to be someone you’re not; this is called doing your hishtadlus.

Aside from looking nice for the woman you’re dating, the investment in your presentation is part of the process. This process is opening your world of “I” and turning it into “we.” You are used to the one suit you bought years ago that is still in good shape. This might have suited you until now, however, you are embarking on a world where you are about to bring someone new in. If you want to enhance your chances of finding someone put together who will reciprocate the feelings, you must present in a way your date will be proud to be seen with.

Consider it a good investment for your

current stage in life, without thinking too deeply into it.

The Single

Tzipora Grodko

As long as you’re investing effort in presenting yourself as best as you can, I see no need for you to adapt to society’s standards. This means that the same way a girl invests effort in wearing

It is not the clothing that makes the man… it is the man that makes the clothing.

her best look for you, you should make an effort to present your best look for her. This may be a new perspective that you haven’t thought about before. Taking extra time to invest in your appearance reflects thoughtful consideration to the person you’re dating. If your style is perceived as “nerdy” by some people, then that’s their prerogative. If you appreciate your standard of style in the girl that you’re dating, then I say disregard people’s subjective opinion that it’s “nerdy.”

There’s someone out there, handpicked from G-d, that will appreciate who you

are in whatever package it comes in.

The Zaidy

Dr. Jeffrey Galler

This letter made me very suspicious. It sounds like someone is playing a Purim prank.

Nevertheless, since it’s possible that the letter was actually written by a real person with a real problem, here goes:

You, my friend, are in need

Pulling It All Together

The Navidaters

Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

Thank you

for writing into the panel.

This is a tough one for me. Part of me wants to respond with the truth, which is to be yourself, and dress as yourself because the right woman will find your glasses and suit endearing, and that you must be yourself and not try to be someone else or dress differently to impress.

And the other part of me wants to respond with another truth which is that if you’re looking for a stylish, put-together woman, then you need to think about de-nerdifying and expanding your look with a new suit and glasses.

When it comes to changing behaviors and actions in order to try to predict an outcome in the world of dating and shidduchim, I become a little hesitant because the truth is that G-d is in charge. There is a very big picture that we know nothing about. Perhaps your bashert will or won’t care about your suit. I don’t have a way

of knowing how import - ant your presentation will be to your future wife, and nei- ther does anyone else.

With that being said, we are left with doing our hishtadlus (doing our part to make things happen.) So, is your hishtadlus to work on your presentation or on finding a woman who will accept you exactly as you are? I have no idea. When I am torn in my own personal life, between two absolute truths, my personal feeling is to find that comfortable middle of the road solution. Here, I will share with you the honest to goodness truth: many women will find the same outdated look, worn repeatedly, unattractive. And there will be others who truly don’t care and will be excited to play dress up with you once they get to know you a bit more, taking you shopping and updating your look. And there will

of not only a clothing makeover but also an attitude makeover. You need to understand that girls put a lot of time and effort in preparing for a date. It’s simply disrespectful if you don’t put any effort into how you present yourself.

So, first, go into an upscale men’s clothing store. Walk over to a welldressed salesman. Hand him your credit card and say, “Help. I need a completely new wardrobe.”

Second, go to a hair salon instead of a barbershop.

Third, visit a fancy optician and ask the salesperson to pick out new glasses for you.

(I was also going to add advice like,

be others who truly do not care about your clothing.

I’m going with my gut here to give you some advice. If there are any women in your life (mother, sisters, cousins, neighbors, rebbetzin, aunts... anyone you have a relationship with), ask them what their opinions are about your look and question. My two cents is that for now, to simplify matters and not wrack our brains with this philosophical and moral dilemma, buy yourself one new suit, a new pair of shoes, and even a new pair of glasses. You don’t need to dress super trendy if you’re not super trendy. It is nice to have something brand new as you date, to freshen up your look. We should all put in effort in making a nice appearance – a fresh haircut, a shower before the date, a pressed shirt, dress socks, and shoes that do not look worn out.

In my opinion, it is not the clothing that makes the man…it is the man that makes the clothing. And, because you seem to value the important things in life (who you are! and not your wardrobe), I believe that that is going to come across

in a double-breasted suit or the newer and trendier “skinny pants.” And don’t forget, that as you get to know one woman and begin a real relationship, she is going to know about your inner conflict with regard to dress, and the right woman is going to be by your side and support you and challenge you not only in this area, but in every area of life.

All the best!

Jennifer

P.S. I invite our female readers to write in to thenavidaters@gmail.com and let us know how important trendiness and fashion is to you in a man. Please choose from the following numbers as you respond:

1. I only date guys who are up-to-date with the latest trends and fashions.

2. A man’s appearance is important to me because it shows me that he puts effort and care into himself and values looking nice for me.

3. A man’s clothing means nothing to me. I care about the more important things in life, and I hope he does, too.

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. 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.

“Never wear white socks with open-toe sandals,” but my wife complains that I am too flippant and sarcastic.)

Taking extra time to invest in your appearance reflects thoughtful consideration to the person you’re dating.

School of Thought

By Etti Siegel

Q:Dear Etti,

My fourth grade student gets headaches when schoolwork gets complicated. In particular, she is struggling with multiplication. This is something the rest of the class finds easy, and even fun. The mother does not see the connection, and although my evidence is anecdotal, it has happed too many times for it to be coincidence.

What do you suggest?

-Concerned Teacher

A:Dear Concerned Teacher, Thank you for all you do. Teachers are the bedrock of our society!

Your concern is legitimate. Poor self-esteem, which happens from feeling less-than or dumb, can produce actual physical health symptoms.

There are different ways children who feel lessthan or dumb are known to react:

• They withdraw.

• They pretend to understand and act like everyone else, hoping they won’t be called on or scrutinized.

• They become emotional; they feel embarrassed, upset, anxious, stressed, nervous, or even angry.

• They decide they are stupid in all areas.

• They attack and blame everyone else; it’s the class’s fault, my teacher’s fault.

• They keep trying harder and harder, but still feel less-than.

It sounds like your student is having physical

health symptoms because she is feeling emotional.

Though there has been much research done on this topic, there is a study conducted by Alia Crum, an assistant professor from Stanford University, who ran one that really brought the idea home to me. She randomly divided 300 employees at a finance company into two groups and had each group watch a three minute video about stress. One was positive, how stress can be a motivator and produce good results, and one was negative, all about the toll stress can take on a body. Four weeks later, each group was evaluated. The “stress is bad for you” group actually had more negative health symptoms than the “stress is good for you” group! All from a three-minute video that colored their perception of stress!

What we believe affects us emotionally and physically.

What I Wish Parents Would Know

Do what you can to help your child overcome deficits. In the younger grades, it is so easy to motivate children to practice skills in fun ways. The process can be fun (through games and undivided time with someone they love) or the product can be the motivator

(the prize they are working towards and the skills they are developing).

In the younger grades, it is easier to work on a child’s self-esteem. Younger children do not get so enmeshed with grades and marks.

Once a child is older, they start labeling themselves and believing in the label. This becomes much harder to undo.

Remember to rule out other issues that might be affecting your child’s abilities.

Make sure your child’s eyesight is checked. Children don’t always realize that the way they see is not optimum. Make sure your child’s hearing is checked. Fluid buildup can affect your child’s hearing. Is he/she having focusing issues? Your child might need more sleep or more protein in his/her diet.

I know how busy parents can be. Life can be overwhelming. But you will never regret helping your child now, before he/she gets older and life presents more challenges.

Dear Teacher, can you allow the student to have a multiplication-number grid on the corner of her desk to alleviate her anxiety and possibly minimize the headaches?

Hatzlacha!

- Etti

The “stress is bad for you” group actually had more negative health symptoms than the “stress is good for you” group.

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.

Keeping a Watchful Eye

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

Iwas passing by and overheard a child watching a short video on their parent’s phone. Only two or three words reached my ears before the child lowered the volume, but that was enough. It’s sufficient to say that even if I quoted it, TJH wouldn’t print it. It wasn’t my child, but she still switched stations quickly when she saw me notice.

I will admit to being shocked. This is a frum child from a frum home in our community, yet the child was accessing material that was far too mature. I truly don’t think the adults were aware. Clearly, children are watching content without their parents’ awareness.

I don’t feel it’s my place to tell parents the scope and limitations for their child’s screen content. Our community is a beautiful mix of various hashkafos and that will extend to their values regarding internet usage and technology time. It’s a difficult nisayon for our generation, and I’ve seen a wide range of valid viewpoints for how to address this pressing issue.

Every parent can independently assess their child and provide the appropriate guidance. The important part is for each parent to maintain an awareness of what their child is actually doing and not just a wish list for their behavior.

This concern extends beyond screens into the music they hear and even the sights they see on the street. Parents have shared what horrible signs they’ve seen displayed, even on public transportation.

Nivel Peh

Cursing and other foul language has been around for decades. When we were kids, some words were considered terrible to say. Movies and TV shows were frequently rated based on the language used.

Unsurprisingly, the language hasn’t improved since we were young. The same bad words are still in fashion – only now more fashionable. The more we hear something, the more we become accustomed to it. Impressionable youngsters are no different, and we need to think carefully if the words they’re hearing are the words we want them using.

Foul language goes beyond cursing. The way people address each other in the media is rarely how we want our children to speak. Children speak shamelessly to their parents and teachers. Men and women have little respect and dignity in their conversations. Children naturally imitate what they hear, and we need to think if this is something we want them to repeat.

Mature Content

I was recently informed about various forms of death from kidnapping. This gruesome information was being given to me by a child so young he barely reached above my waist – I was absolutely horrified. It wasn’t just the morbidity of the topic but the realization that a child so young had been exposed to this – and I don’t even think the parents realized.

Children shouldn’t be exposed to this or any type of violent content. The news is not for kids nor is a lot of the political or daily talk of adults. Even if it’s appropriate for an adult does not mean it’s for little ears.

Children can easily become fearful from hearing about these topics as they’re unable to correctly process this information. Using the example above, children should be given age-appropriate instruction in stranger-danger but they shouldn’t be terrified each time they walk out of the house.

As another example, children often misunderstand what they have heard. Overhearing their parents speak about the economy or price of food may cause them to become afraid they’re parents will no longer be able to feed them, chas v’shalom These are issues for mature adults to deal

with – not innocent youngsters.

We are well aware that the content is rarely to our – or anyone’s – standards of tzinius. I’ve been appalled by the lyrics I’ve overheard in passing music and disturbed by the shows being publicly displayed in doctor and hospital waiting rooms , kal v’chomer what can be accessed in private.

It’s a good idea for us to first check something and decide if it’s suitable for our child before permitting it. I don’t think I need to go in-depth into the type of material the media considers acceptable to even the youngest of audiences. Truthfully, young children may not understand a lot of what they’re seeing, but it’s still not appropriate for them.

Our children are very impressionable, and we want them to develop a healthy, Torah view of marriage and relationships. Much of what they will see on internet videos is in direct conflict with these holy ideals. It can be confusing for children and teens to hear our lessons while simultaneously growing up with these mixed messages.

It can help to remember that much of the content children are watching was never designed for them in the first place. Most of the content creators are

gearing their material to a far more mature audience.

Fantasy

Much of the material geared to children falls under the category of fantasy. I’m defining fantasy as something that is far beyond the realm of the natural world and can’t occur. This is in contrast to fiction, which could happen but didn’t. For example, a modern-day child experiencing time travel is fantasy. Fiction is creating a pretend little boy that supposedly lived through the Pesach story.

Fantasy stories aren’t inherently bad, and I’m not suggesting we eliminate the fun of fantasy from our children’s stories and films. There can be much value and fun in the ability to extend our imaginations beyond the world we see around us.

We may want to exercise caution with certain children – particularly the younger ones – who are often unable to distinguish between reality and fantasy. For some children, this is harmless, but for other children, they can have a disconnect from reality. For example, there have been a number of injuries noted in children wearing superhero costumes who thought their new outfit afforded them superpowers. Unfortunately, capes

do not really give one the ability to fly.

Parent Controls

As parents, we need to understand how technology works. It’s no longer enough to know how to turn on a device. The designers create these items to be as addictive as possible. There’s a reason we jump every time it goes “ding,” and that’s their intent.

drawn into another.

I advise parents to learn more about the algorithms and behind-the-scenes of any program their child uses. Small tricks can help avoid – but not prevent – some of the risks. For example, you can “unsubscribe” or click “not interested” on certain items which will take it out of their feed. Also, parents shouldn’t watch on the same accounts as children if you don’t

While there are a number of options for parental controls, none of them remove the need for our loving oversight.

There are a number of kosher devices that allow children to watch or listen without access to outside content. Many parents may find these are helpful for their peace of mind.

We can’t stop everything from penetrating our homes, but we can attempt to protect our children whenever possible. When you know your child has been exposed to something, gauge whether or not they noticed it. If the problematic content went over their head, then it may not be worth bringing it up. If your child took note, it is officially time to have the relevant conversations with them.

Much of the free content is at no-cost to the consumer because of the advertisements. The more ads you watch, the more money comes in. As the goal is to keep you watching, the video streaming programs intentionally keep drawing you in. Once you watch one show, the algorithm is designed to suggest other content that may also interest you. What this means is that even if your child watches just one video, they’re directly being

want them to be offered your content. As a side point, it’s worth mentioning that advertisements themselves can be very problematic.

There are content review sites that parents may find helpful. More than just checking the rating, parents should read the actual reviews and descriptions of the content. Some media watch sites give extra positive ratings for children’s content that is objectionable by Torah standards.

In a world of media that is becoming increasingly complicated, more than ever, our children need us to be there to guide them. Daven, and remember our children value time with us more than anything technology can provide.

Sara Rayvych, MSEd, has her master’s in general and special education. She has been homeschooling for over 10 years in Far Rockaway. She can be contacted at Rayvych Homeschool@gmail.com.

More than ever, our children need us to be there to guide them.

Nutrition & Bariatric Surgery

By Aliza Beer MS, RD, CDN

Bariatric surgery is performed to enable obese individuals – who are at risk for potentially life-threatening health conditions such as heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, sleep apnea or type-2 diabetes – to lose weight. While surgical interventions have recently become popular for immediate weight loss, bariatric surgery should not be performed without careful consideration. The procedure may place a significant burden on the body and result in complications including malabsorptive and digestion issues. Evaluating the individual to ensure they meet the appropriate requirements for the surgery and that the correct medical and dietary support is in place is critical in order to mitigate potential consequences that may occur.

Pre-Operative Requirements

There are several requirements an individual must meet in order to engage in the surgery. They must have previously failed a comprehensive program prior to the surgery. Definitions include one of the following: unable to reduce body weight by one third, unable to reduce body fat by one half, and the inability to maintain the weight loss achieved. Individuals must be evaluated physically, medically, and psychologically. The evaluation should consider the individuals’ expected motivation to maintain the weight loss and compliance with the surgery protocols. Education on diet for bariatric surgery is required. A 10% weight loss should be achieved prior to the surgery. Additionally, an individual should be screened for micronutrient deficiencies, and these screenings should be repeated. Common micronutrient deficiencies include: vitamin D, iron, folate, thiamine, vitamin B12 and vitamin A.

Types of Surgeries

stomach capacity by around 80%. It is a restrictive procedure and may result in complications such as gastric bleeding, gastric stenosis, gastric leak, and reflux. The surgery typically results in a 50-70% weight loss. Supplementation of vitamins and minerals is critical. Iron, calcium, and vitamin D should be monitored.

RYGB Roux-en-Y

This surgery reconstructs the small intestine to resemble the letter Y. It is a restrictive and malabsorptive type of surgery. The size of the stomach is reduced by stapling, so the distal portion of the stomach and the duodenum of the small intestines are bypassed. A small gastric pouch is connected directly to the jejunum of the small intestine.

Individuals can expect a 60-70% weight loss from this procedure. Dumping syndrome may be a complication of this surgery. This is when rapidly broken down carbohydrates enter the jejunum of the small intestine, which causes water to be drawn in. Blood pressure may drop as a result of this and present

with signs of cardiac insufficiency. Other complications may include a bowel obstruction, wound infection, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.

As with a sleeve gastrectomy, vitamins and minerals supplementation is needed. Iron, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K, zinc, thiamine, folic acid, copper and biotin levels should be monitored. Protein needs are also increased. A multivitamin with mineral supplement is typically required as well as vitamin B12.

Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band (LAGB)

This is a restrictive procedure in which a small gastric pouch is created using a fluid-filled inflatable band. It may be adjusted to alter the size of the stomach and is fully reversible. It is a less common procedure because it is technically more difficult to perform. The procedure restricts the total amount of food that may be consumed at once. It may result in non-surgically induced malabsorption of nutrients, and deficiencies may occur from a decrease

in food intake and decreased food intolerance. Nutritional requirements following a band adjustment will differ for this type of surgery only. These will be described below.

Benefits of Bariatric Surgery

While there are many risks associated with bariatric surgery, it also has benefits for individuals who meet the clinical requirements. It may increase life expectancy and prevent/treat obesity-related problems. These may include conditions such as type-2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiac issues, hyperlipidemia, joint pain, asthma, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, acid reflux, and certain cancers.

Post-Surgery Diet Protocols

Post-surgery, it is critical that individuals collaborate with a dietitian to ensure they follow the appropriate dietary measures to prevent complications. The gastric bypass diet is designed to allow your stomach to heal post-surgery. It enables your stomach to become accustomed to consuming the smaller amounts of food that your smaller stomach may comfortably and safely digest. Additionally, it promotes weight loss and prevents weight gain post-surgery, while avoiding post-surgery side effects and complications. Dietary recommendation will vary according to the individual and the type of surgery. Post-surgery individuals should reintroduce a regular diet slowly and begin with clear liquids, then soft/ puréed foods prior to reintroducing regular solid food back into their diet.

At each stage of the gastric bypass diet, an individual should ensure they remain properly hydrated, consume regularly scheduled snacks and meals, and separate fluids from foods. Individuals should eat foods slowly to avoid dumping syndrome and take vitamin and mineral supplements daily as directed

by your healthcare provider. Alcohol and foods that are high in fat and sugar should be avoided, and caffeine should be limited. Focus on consuming lean foods and foods rich in protein. Some individuals may benefit from weighing and measuring out food portions.

Below is the timeline for when to consume the different phases of the mechanically altered diet.

Clear liquids

Day 1

• 2 oz. fluid/hour (use a 1 oz. medicine cup)

• Broths, unsweetened juice, decaffeinated tea/coffee, skimmed or 1% milk, sugar free Jello or popsicles.

• The first day following surgery, you may only drink clear liquids.

Full liquids/protein shakes:

Day 2-14

• 48-64 oz. fluids/day

• 60-70g protein/day

• After you tolerate clear liquids, you may being to gradually introduce other fluids.

Soft/puréed foods

• May still need protein shakes

• 8 oz. protein, 1 serving fruit, vegetable, dairy, fat, starch

Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band surgery:

Week 3-6

Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy & Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass

Week 3-7

These foods should have the consistency of a smooth paste or thick liquid, without solid pieces of food in the mixture. Consume small meals throughout that consist of a serving size of roughly 4-6 tablespoons. Blend solid foods with liquids (water, skim milk, broth, no added sugar juice). Meals should be consumed slowly!

• Lean ground meat, fish or poultry, cottage cheese, cooked cereal, soft scrambled eggs, soft fruits and cooked vegetables, strained soups.

After tolerating puréed foods, soft foods may be introduced.

Diet as tolerated

Post-week 6/7

• 8 oz protein, 2 fruits, vegetables & fruit, 3 starch, 1 dairy

For Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band (LAGB) only: Following a band adjustment:

• Full liquids/protein shakes for 2 days

• Soft foods for 2 days

Then resume a full diet.

Individuals will vary how well they will tolerate solid foods post-surgery. It

is recommended to try new foods one at a time. Certain foods may cause nausea or vomiting after surgery. Examples of these foods include bread, carbonated drinks, raw vegetables, cooked fibrous vegetables, tough meat, red meat, fried foods, highly seasoned/spicy foods, nuts and seeds, popcorn. Over time, you may tolerate these foods and working with a dietitian post-surgery to manage your intake is critical to reduce complications.

Vitamins and Minerals

Multivitamins

• Chewable or liquid form for at least 6 months post-surgery.

• 400 mcg folic acid, 2 mg copper, thiamin, zinc

abnormalities, fracture, and metabolic bone diseases.

Anemia

Supplementing and monitoring iron, vitamin B12 and folate is critical to prevent anemia.

Iron

• Maintenance: 45-60 mg/day

• Treatment:

• Replete 150-200 mg/day (divide the doses)

• Take in combination with vitamin C

An iron deficiency may occur due to a decrease in intake of iron rich foods and a decrease in iron absorption following the remodeling of the small intestine. Additionally, blood losses from

foods and added sugar can result in undesirable post-surgery weight gain. Working with a dietitian and ensuring you follow a healthy dietary pattern that will work for you is the best way to avoid post-surgery weight gain.

Obesity has severe risks associated with it, and while caloric restriction, lifestyle interventions, and an increase in physical activity is the best treatment approach, it may not be effective for all individuals. Bariatric surgery is considered a long-term effective treatment for intractable morbid obesity.

Meal Ideas

Clear Liquids:

• Chicken broth

• Sugar free strawberry Jello

• Sugar free lemon iced tea

Thicker liquids:

• Vanilla custard or pudding

• Peanut butter banana smoothie

• Vanilla and cinnamon swirl protein popsicles: 2 servings

» 1 oz sugar-free vanilla pudding, 2 cups unsweetened soy milk, unflavored protein powder 2 scoops, 1 tsp cinnamon extract, 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Puréed:

• Beet hummus

• Avocado tofu smoothie: serves 2

• Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band (LAGB): 1x/day

• RYGB Roux-en-Y & SG Sleeve Gastrectomy: 2x/daily

Thiamine

Following surgery, individuals are at increased risk for a thiamine deficiency due to rapid weight loss, post-surgery nausea, and vomiting. Additionally, the surgery results in a drastic energy restriction in energy intake, which requires additional supplementation of a variety of vitamins and minerals including thiamine. A deficiency is typically characterized by cardiac and neurological signs. Monitoring thiamine levels and ensuring they are replete if a deficiency occurs is critical post-surgery.

Calcium & Vitamin D

• 1200-1500 mg calcium/day (food or chewable/liquid supplement)

• Separate calcium from iron

• 3,000-6,000 vitamin D/day

The surgery changes the gastrointestinal tract (GI) and impacts the ability to absorb nutrients required for healthy bone remodeling. Additionally, the dramatic weight loss that typically occurs post-surgery increases the risk of bone

the surgery may result in a deficiency and thus a repletion may be necessary.

Vitamin B12

• Maintenance: 1,000 mcg/day

Following surgery, the changes in acid secretion may result in a decreased ability by the body to properly digest and absorb vitamin B12. Lifelong B12 supplements are typically required.

Folate

• Maintenance: 400 mcg/day

• Repletion: 1,000 mcg/day

A folate deficiency may occur as a result of a lack of sufficient and balanced diet due to the changes of the GI tract, weight loss and a lack of appetite.

Regaining Weight after Bariatric Surgery

While bariatric surgery may be an effective weight loss, it may be easy to regain weight without adherence to the proper post-surgery diet and exercise regime. Obese and overweight individuals typically require a higher calorie diet, and post-surgery your metabolism decreases and thus you will need fewer calories. Unhealthy eating habits such as consuming a diet high in processed

» ½ avocado, 1 lime juice, 1 cup low fat milk, ½ cup silken tofu, ½ medium cucumber

• Peach Muesli: serves 1

» ¹⁄₃ cup old fashioned rolled oats, ²₃ cup skim milk, ½ fresh peach chopped. ½ tbsp unsweetened apple sauce, ½ tbsp chia/flax seeds

» Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Cover the bowl and let sit in fridge overnight.

• Tomato, lentil mint soup: serves 4

» 1 onion chopped, 3g garlic clove, 1 can chopped tomatoes, 2.5 cups vegetables stock, 2 cups lentils

» Combine and heat all ingredients until softened in a pan.

Soft:

• Egg white omelet

• Peanut butter oatmeal

• Crockpot chicken

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

Post-surgery, it is critical that individuals collaborate with a dietitian to ensure they follow the appropriate dietary measures to prevent complications.

In The K tchen

Seder Roast

By Naomi Nachman

Ingredients

◦ Top of the rib 4 pounds, or 4 pounds short ribs, or second cut brisket

◦ 1 teaspoon paprika

◦ 1 teaspoon garlic powder

◦ 1 teaspoon onion powder

◦ ½ teaspoon cumin

◦ 1 teaspoon kosher salt

◦ 6 cloves garlic

◦ ½ cup orange juice

◦ ½ cup ketchup

◦ ½ cup honey

◦ ½ cup teriyaki sauce.

Preparation

In a small bowl, mix spices together.

Coat the meat on all sides with spice rub and place in a large pot that will fit the roast. I recommend a pan that is low and wide that comes with a lid.

In a small bowl, mix remaining ingredients together and pour over the meat.

Cover tightly with foil or lid and simmer on low for 3 hours.

Cook’s note:

1. This recipe also works amazing with cooking the meat covered in the oven at 325°F for 3 hours.

2. You can also use this recipe for chicken. Bake uncovered at 375°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

3. This recipe freezes really well.

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.

Many people have the custom of not eating roasted meats at the Seder and instead choose to cook their meat on the stovetop. This is a great recipe to accomplish this. I have three tips for variations on the bottom in the cook’s note.

Notable Quotes

“Say What?!”

Fentanyl isn’t the only poison flooding our country’s politicians and the culture of getting communities hooked, hooked on a drug of victimhood and the narcotic of despair. They are addictive. And they are lethal. People see themselves as victims with no hope, no accountability, and no skin in the game.

- Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), in a speech at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa

How did this happen? For two and a half centuries? For two and a half centuries, the rest of the world marveled, marveled at Americans’ confidence and ambition.

– Ibid.

Today is March 1, which means it is the start of Women’s History Month. Exactly right. Yeah. Just remember, behind every great woman is a man loudly repeating her ideas.

– Jimmy Fallon

I’m shocked to see the video today, as President Biden talked about a congresswoman who misspoke when she said that my children’s deaths are the cause of President Biden’s policy failures.

- Rebecca Kiessling, a mother from Michigan who lost two sons to fentanyl poisoning, addressing Pres. Biden who laughed while saying that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA) blamed his open border for their deaths even though they happened during Trump’s presidency

This is how you speak about the death of my sons? Because a congresswoman misspoke? You mock the loss of my sons? How dare you. What is the matter with you?

- Ibid.

I’m confident we’ll have better choices than my old running mate.

– Mike Pence, on NBC

Women’s History Month started as Women’s History Week back in 1982, and then somebody thought, you know, “Hey, women should probably get more time than sharks on the Discovery Channel.”

- Jimmy Kimmel

Why do we gotta keep getting the shortest month to celebrate our history?

- NBA player Draymond Green complaining that Black History Month is in February, which only has 28 days

You think Tucker Carlson knows the difference between a T.J. Maxx and a Kohl’s?

- U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg on CNN criticizing Tucker Carlson as being an elitest and only making believe that he cares for the middle class

I know very, very well what happened during the Cultural Revolution [in China]. They rewrote history, and then they fed us, the young people, the fictional history, for the indoctrination for control [of] mind. She’s doing exactly the same thing.

- Chinese dissident Xi Van Fleet, in an interview with the Washington Examiner, talking about the dangers of teaching children a woke form of history

The problem today is that the people haven’t been taught real history. People haven’t been taught what communism is all about. That’s why when communism showed up at our front door in a different kind of a disguise, people have no clue what it is.

- Ibid.

The White House [lists] off proudly all of these statistics and quote-unquote diversity in the Biden administration by talking about gender and race … but not talking about capabilities and accomplishments. They’re directly betraying Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream … judging us purely based on the color of our skin rather than on the content of our character. They become the racist that they claim to hate.

- Former Democrat Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard speaking at the CPAC Convention

I am a black woman — let’s not forget. Certain folks, frankly, don’t support us in leadership roles.

- Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, whose radical progressive policies have led to murder and mayhem on the streets of Chicago, blaming her reelection loss on racism

I think the village of Huwara needs to be wiped out. I think the State of Israel should do it.

We will not accept rioters in Huwara and we will not accept rioters in Tel Aviv.

- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Two decades ago, our internal debate was no less stormy, earth-shattering, and far-reaching. An entire population that opposed the government’s policies with all its soul felt that its world was being destroyed. In its Disengagement, the government decided to uproot over 8,000 Israelis from their homes. The opponents saw their life’s work collapsing and many of them believed with all their hearts that this was the beginning of the destruction of the “Third Temple.” They embarked on an acute, determined, poignant and powerful public struggle that encompassed large populations in the country. That struggle did not cross red lines. We did not see then what we see today. The demonstrators did not beat police officers, did not call for refusals to follow orders, did not withdraw their money from the state, and did not defame Israel on the global stage.

- Ibid.

We didn’t cross red lines then. The opposition led by me behaved responsibly then. Today, unfortunately, the opposition opposes irresponsibly. A certain party leader [Yair Lapid] fuels the demonstrations and aims to cause a constitutional crisis in the hope that it will lead to the collapse of the government.

- Ibid.

- Finance Minister and Minister in the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich speaking at a conference after terrorists from Huwara savagely murdered two Israeli brothers

When we took prayers out of schools, guns came into schools. Don’t tell me about no separation of church and state. State is the body. Church is the heart. You take the heart out of the body, the body dies.

- New York City Mayor Adams at the annual Interfaith Breakfast this week

I am here not because I’m the smartest, not because I’m the brightest. I’m here because in all my heart I believe that it is an Esther 4:14 moment. G-d made me for such a time like this. - Ibid.

If you come across a bear, never push a slower friend down...even if you feel the friendship has run its course.

- Tweet by the National Park Service’s official Twitter, ahead of the spring season

I’m just looking for that special someone.

- Robert Siegfried, 43, of Janesville, Wisconsin explaining why he paid for an ad on a highway billboard stating that he is “Looking for a local, honest woman” to date

Biden’s Best Tool for Halting a Slide in U.S.-China Relations? His Phone

By David Ignatius

There are different ways of showing presidential courage. One is getting on a train to visit Kyiv in the middle of the war there. Another is picking up the phone and calling Xi Jinping at a time of sharply deteriorating U.S.-China relations.

Reaching out to the Chinese leader wouldn’t win President Biden popularity points at home, and it would give Republicans a talking point they would undoubtedly exploit. But it’s the right thing to do regardless of the politics. And it embodies the mature global stewardship that should be part of Biden’s brand as a leader.

I know the objections. Xi will treat Biden’s outreach as a concession and a sign of U.S. weakness. The United States won’t get meaningful benefits. Xi’s ruthlessly self-interested regime will pursue its goals even more aggressively. And Europeans will think that they have a license to dicker with China, too.

So why should Biden signal that he wants to engage Xi now? The simple answer is that the relationship between Washington and Beijing is near its lowest point in modern times, prodded by hard-liners in both capitals who seem to believe confrontation is inevitable.

Confrontation might indeed lie ahead. But Biden was right last year to try to put a “floor” under this deteriorating relationship. At the Bali summit in November, Xi and Biden both seemed ready to reduce tensions and improve strategic stability.

“I’m looking to manage this competition responsibly,” Biden said afterward. Xi similarly said: “As the leaders of these two great powers, China and the United States, we must play the role setting the direction of the rudder.”

But the relationship has imploded since, because of bad Chinese policy, a bad U.S. response, and just plain bad luck. The

balloon overflight was an example of all three, and although it had little military or strategic importance, the fiasco collapsed the post-Bali diplomatic opening that would have sent Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Beijing – and might have set the ground for a Biden-Xi summit.

Xi wanted the Blinken visit; that became clear with China’s semi-apology after its surveillance balloon was discovered drifting across the United States. Blinken canceled the trip, but he hoped to rehabilitate relations (and rebook his flight) in a meeting in Munich last month with Foreign Minister Wang Yi. But that, too, soured, partly because the United States decided to leak to its allies intelligence that China was considering sending weapons to Russia.

With public warnings to China and Blinken’s private attempt to re-engage, U.S. diplomacy was moving in two directions at once, and not surprisingly, it went nowhere. Meanwhile, with growing GOP attacks on China, and “low confidence” but headline-making intelligence suggesting that Covid-19 might have resulted from a lab leak, Washington has been ex-

periencing a “perfect typhoon” that could swamp efforts at dialogue.

So the desired floor under the relationship has now all but collapsed. The current focus of tension involves the U.S. intelligence reporting that China might supply Russia with ammunition to sustain its flagging war in Ukraine. U.S. officials believe that some leaders beneath Xi are wary of this doubling-down on Russia, seeing a stable relationship with the United States and its European allies as a better bet for China than backing a losing, escalation-prone Vladimir Putin. Officials tell me that China hasn’t sent the weapons yet; if it does, Biden will have to take sharp countermeasures.

That’s why Biden should make that call to Beijing now – because we are on the lip of a significant further deterioration in U.S.-China relations. The audience would be China, and also the countries of the global south such as India, South Africa and Brazil that worry about increasing instability in a world where the United States seems obsessed with great-power conflict but unable to cap rising tensions.

It’s true that the Chinese calibrate U.S.

strength. But appearing weak shouldn’t be such a worry for a United States whose military power dwarfs that of its rivals. Consider the array of U.S.-led power emerging in the Indo-Pacific: U.S. Marines are deploying forward to provide better leverage against any Chinese attack against Taiwan. A rearming Japan is deploying American-made Tomahawk cruise missiles. The Philippines is providing the United States with military bases close to Taiwan. Later this month, Biden will formally launch AUKUS, the major new Asian military alliance with Australia and Britain. These strong deterrence moves don’t preclude diplomacy, they enable it.

Biden should close his phone call by inviting Xi for a face-to-face meeting. Such summits amid global tension are high-risk, high-reward. Some of President Ronald Reagan’s advisers thought he was nuts to meet with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in Iceland in 1986. But the meeting was a positive inflection point.

What should Biden propose as topics for a possible summit meeting with Xi, beyond the usual U.S. focus on crisis control and strategic stability? I’d suggest the two biggest challenges facing the two superpowers: A dialogue about artificial intelligence and other world-altering emerging technologies, as former secretary of state Henry Kissinger has proposed; and discussion of an agreement for a “green energy” transition to save the planet from catastrophic climate change.

Will Republicans howl about any new opening with China? For sure. Would a Biden-Xi meeting produce any meaningful results? No one can say. Is it worth a try?

Absolutely.

What Would a Win in Ukraine Look Like? Retired Gen. Jack Keane Explains

By Marc A. Thiessen

Retired four-star Gen. Jack Keane knows how to win wars. A former vice chief of staff of the Army, Keane is the intellectual author of the 2007 “surge” strategy that turned around the war in Iraq. My American Enterprise Institute colleague Danielle Pletka and I recently interviewed Keane on our podcast. We asked him what winning in Ukraine would look like and how it could be accomplished.

For this week’s column, I’m highlighting some of Keane’s most insightful comments. The transcript below has our truncated questions, with Keane’s answers edited for style and clarity.

You say victory is achievable in Ukraine, defined as driving Russia out of all the territory it has unlawfully seized – including Crimea. How?

Keane: [Russia’s] conventional ground forces’ ability to conduct “combined armed” attack – that means a maneuver, artillery and support, and air support, all coordinated – they just can’t do it. The elements of their conventional ground forces have all either sustained high casualties or have literally been defeated.

The Ukrainians, through the use of HIMARS [High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems], have been able to deplete – not extinguish, but deplete

– these forces significantly…. So, we assessed that while [the Russians will] make some tactical gains, they will, in a matter of weeks, culminate [their offensive]….

That will allow the Ukrainians to conduct an offensive operation that will likely begin somewhere around May, June…. They would have liked to have started this offensive a number of weeks ago … [but] they couldn’t do that because they didn’t have tanks, they didn’t have enough armored vehicles, they didn’t have enough mobility to do that. And yet the Russians were very, very vulnerable to that kind of an exploitation….

We do calculate that if [the Ukraini-

ans are] able to continue this offensive and we get the proper weapons to them, over time, yes, they can penetrate and go through the Zaporizhzhia oblast, go down on an axis dealing with Melitopol and get to the southern coast – but more significantly, [they can] sever the eastwest main supply route that is the land bridge to Crimea. And then [they can] bring forward long-range missiles and rockets to begin to pummel the [Russian] bases in Crimea, the military bases and depots that are providing significant support to the Russians. And then, eventually, [they can] also use ground maneuver, combined arms to be able to move into Crimea.

Hopefully, by that time, we would

have given them a couple of things that are necessary. One is ATACMS [Army Tactical Missile Systems], long-range missiles that go 194 miles vs. the 50 or so miles that the HIMARS give, and also advanced fighters like the F-16s…. [With those capabilities] the Ukrainians do have the opportunity to retake their territory, yes.

So, victory depends on President Biden’s willingness to give Ukraine capabilities we are withholding?

To succeed at conventional combined arms warfare, you need tanks, armored vehicles carrying infantry soldiers, massive amounts of artillery, air defense systems that are going to protect this force from intrusion, coordinated artillery fire and air support. Those are the ingredients to be successful. And if you don’t have those ingredients, you cannot take the territory that you want to take in the time that you want to take it.

The United States is a master at how to conduct combined arms conventional warfare…. We can put together a plan and a strategy on how to succeed against the Russians…. And the Ukrainians, my G-d, they are so coachable. They are quick learners. They are fierce fighters. They have all the elements that are necessary to succeed. They just need a strategy that we can help them put together with the right equipment to do that, and we can roll these Russians up. I’m absolutely convinced of it. But there doesn’t appear to be a stomach for it.

If Biden gave them those capabilities, could this help Ukraine retake its territory before the second anniversary of the Russian invasion?

If we had everything there, yes, I think we could.

Why isn’t Biden providing the weapons they need to prevail?

I think many of us have real concerns that the administration and the Department of Defense and others in the national security team have permitted the threat of escalation by [Vladimir] Putin to be a major guidepost to when they provide weapons systems to the Ukrainians. And I think the Ukrainians are very frustrated because they haven’t received these weapons systems, and particularly advanced systems, on time. Initially, we say no, and then a couple of months later, we say yes…..

And this has been going on now for an entire year.

And it’s really unfortunate, and I think what happened is their fear, their absolute fear of escalation, has been a major policy decision, and [so the administration has] provided the support piecemeal in the sense of slow-rolling Ukraine’s capability. And it’s really quite unfounded, because [despite] all of the weapons that we’ve given that have increased their capability to prosecute the war, there has been no escalation from Russia. Therefore, I think the policy is misguided.

For the life of me, I don’t understand why we would permit Russia, who has obviously a nuclear arsenal, and they’re threatening the potential use of nuclear weapons, to let that be a veto for our use of conventional weapons to support the Ukrainians’ fight to free their people. I think the alarm bells that [signals] to China, who also has nuclear weapons, to Iran, who is in pursuit of them, and

part of Ukraine, declaring a red line in Syria over the use of chemical weapons and [then] doing nothing about it, doing nothing about the situation in Ukraine. And then the Biden administration comes in, and Putin puts 70,000 troops on the border. And he did that for what reason? He wanted to see Biden’s reaction. [And] Biden ... stop[s] the shipment of [U.S.] arms to Ukraine…. And what message does Putin get from that?

And then you add to that the incredible unconditional surrender of Afghanistan, and I think you put all that together, and, yes, they come to the conclusion that the United States is a declining power. It doesn’t have the same political will and spine to stand up to adversaries.

What lesson would China take from a Western failure in Ukraine?

President Xi [Jinping] is looking right at this. If he sees the United States

message. I think Iran will get the same.

Some Americans on the right say Biden cares more about Ukraine’s borders than our own.

Some of these arguments are significantly irrational. For example, “We shouldn’t fund the war in Ukraine when we have such a problem on our border.”...

Does anybody believe, if we pulled the funding from the war in Ukraine today and said we’re not going to do it anymore, that the Biden administration is going to solve the problem on the southern border? They’re finally going to enforce the laws? They’re finally going to change the policy? Are they finally going to have a coherent policy to stop fentanyl, and to deal with the cartels? … [We have seen] the DNA of this administration, and these things are not mutually exclusive.

What will happen if China does start providing Russia with military aid?

I was really pleasantly surprised by the E.U., who stood up and said that they want no part of that, and, “This will be a red line for us.” And I think if [China does] provide this lethal aid, it will bring the United States and Europe much closer together in opposing China.

If Putin is not defeated, what will he do?

also to North Korea, who has nuclear weapons and is a belligerent power who wants to flaunt those weapons. It is absolutely the wrong signal….

When I look at the Russian generals, I just instinctively know that they’re not going to make any recommendation to Putin to use tactical nuclear weapons inside Ukraine. They know full well that they can’t protect their forces from the hazards of a nuclear tactical weapon going off there. This is not the Soviet Union army. This is a Russian army that hasn’t trained for that and doesn’t have the protection for it. It makes no sense to have that continuing to be U.S. policy.

What is the fallout of not preventing this war?

I think if we had given the Ukrainians much of what we are doing now, it’s possible we could have deterred Putin…. [We spent] the eight years of the Obama administration tolerating Putin’s annexing Crimea and moving into the eastern

walking away, and NATO, after committing the moral will and political will of NATO to Ukraine surviving and defeating Russia, and then [showing] a lack of political will walking away from that? I think that [would] just validate what he has been saying for 10 years – that the United States is a declining power, and he fully intends to replace it as the world’s global leader.

What do you say to critics who say we’re spending too much on Ukraine?

One hundred billion dollars, yes, that is a significant amount of money. But it’s a small part of [a roughly] $6 trillion budget. What a return on investment of $100 billion we’re getting, for stopping Russian aggression. If we’re able to succeed in that, that will literally make President Xi think twice before likely going into Taiwan. When he sees that American geopolitical stand, taken in concert with allies, it will send a huge

Putin has said time and time again his major objective is returning to the Russian empire…. He wants the former Soviet republics that are now part of NATO to come back into that empire. He will do it by force, and he’s threatened it…. I think he’s dead serious.

Now listen: His military is in bad shape. It’s not something where, if the war ended tomorrow, Putin is going to be able to mount up in six months or a year, and conduct an invasion of a Baltic state, or a Bulgaria or Romania. Those are the most vulnerable. Moldova is something he could take in a [matter] of weeks, but they’re not NATO-aligned…. I don’t believe for a minute that Putin has given up on that goal…. He doesn’t even believe [Ukraine] is a country. [He sees it as] it belongs to Russia….

I think we should take him seriously.

“Putin has said time and time again his major objective is returning to the Russian empire”

Why “Buy American” is Misguided and, Alas, Full of Bipartisan Appeal

By George F. Will

In the seventh month of his presidency, Joe Biden from Scranton, Pa., ventured to the swing state of Pennsylvania to burnish his blue-collar credentials among blue-collar voters who have been deserting the Democratic Party.

At a Mack Trucks assembly plant, he announced an expansion of Buy American regulations, which pertain to about one-third of the $600 billion in goods and services the federal government was then purchasing annually. He would raise the minimum U.S. content for manufactured products from 55% to 60%, heading for 75% in 2029.

Nothing says “muscular America” more than a big Mack rig.

Mack Trucks, owned by Sweden’s Volvo Group, used much European steel at the time because, the Cato Institute’s Scott Lincicome reported, the company was “unaware of an appropriate American-made substitute.” And probably still is.

In a 21-day period that included Biden’s visit, Mack’s Pennsylvania plant received nearly 900 tons of parts from 11 countries. This was less than four months after Biden had said, “Not a contract will go out that I control that will not go to a company that is an American company with American products all the way down the line.”

“Buy American,” like protectionism generally, can protect some blue-collar jobs — but at a steep price. A Peterson Institute for International Economics study concludes that it costs taxpayers $250,000 annually for each job saved in a protected industry.

And lots of white-collar jobs are created for lawyers seeking waivers from the rules. And for accountants tabulating U.S. content in this and that, when, say, an auto component might cross internation-

al borders (U.S., Canadian, Mexican) five times before it is ready for installation in a vehicle.

In the usual braying-and-pouting choreography of the State of the Union evening, members of the president’s party leap ecstatically when he praises himself, and members of the other party respond sullenly, by not responding.

This year, however, something unusual happened when Biden vowed to “require all construction materials used in federal infrastructure projects to be made in America.” A bipartisan ovation greeted his promise to reduce the purchasing power of tax dollars spent on infrastructure projects by raising the cost of materials.

This will mean more borrowing, not fewer projects. Federal spending is not constrained by a mere shortage of revenue. So, Biden was promising to increase the deficit.

And this policy, which elicited redand-blue bonhomie in the State of the Union audience, also will give other nations an excuse to retaliate (often doing what they want to do anyway) by penalizing U.S. exporters of manufactured goods.

Biden was tactically slippery when he said, “Buy American has been the law of the land since 1933.”

Yes, it first appeared on March 3, 1933, as the last gasp of Herbert Hoover’s bewildered presidency. There have, however, been dozens of iterations of this policy, pertaining to particular goods, services, and government agencies.

The Washington Post ’s David J. Lynch has detailed some of the ways Biden’s plans to increase domestic manufacturing (while fine-tuning the climate) collide with something obstinate: reality.

Biden’s Transportation Department has denied a request by the nation’s ports

to use federal infrastructure funds to purchase imported dock cranes, boat lifts and other equipment because, Lynch reports, “no domestic manufacturers exist for them.” Particularly, “all of the electric models that support the administration’s climate goals are made overseas.”

Buy American protection helps U.S. producers of rail cars (0.2% of total factory employment in 2018).

But a 2019 Congressional Research Service report (citing a study funded by Canada) found that eliminating Buy American requirements would result in 57,000 fewer U.S. manufacturing jobs, but an increase of more than 300,000 jobs from economic dynamism enhanced by efficiency.

The American Public Transportation Association, which represents transit agencies, warns that the Buy American mandates might produce “a doubling, tripling or even a quadrupling of costs for construction materials.” So, there will be a windfall for domestic producers.

This is what industrial policy looks like: There will be winners and losers; government will pick both.

Washington lobbyists for both will prosper. Remember Solyndra, the Obama administration’s industrial policy pratfall? Before its bankruptcy, this renewable energy company gorged itself on $535 million in federal funds. And spent almost $1.8 million on lobbyists.

Progressives lament what they call America’s “market fundamentalism.”

Sensible people say: Would that this were real.

Populists will note that Buy American is popular. It is that, and it also is proof that polarization can be ameliorated by the bipartisan appeal of a bad idea.

Mordechai Rachamim: Saving Airborne Hostages

By Avi Heiligman

Until the 1960s, airplane hijackings were fairly uncommon. However, from 1968 to 1972, a total of 326 hijackings occurred, which, in effect, is equal to one in every 5.6 days. This left countries and airlines scrambling for ways to prevent hijackers from taking over their planes. Each country dealt with the problem differently, as there were multiple reasons as to why hijackings occurred. Some hijackers wanted to be flown to a particular destination, others wanted money or other assets, and still others did it for political reasons. Many Arab and Palestinian terrorists thought that if they could hijack planes with Israeli citizens on board, then they would have bargaining chips for their demands that included the release of other terrorists. But Israeli responses to hijackings were not what the terrorists had planned.

Operation Thunderbolt in 1976 was the most famous Israeli mission against terrorists of a hijacked plane. Air France Flight 139 had been taken to Entebbe Airport in Uganda, and Israeli Special Forces commandos successfully carried a counter-terror hostage rescue. Yoni Netanyahu, the older brother of the current prime minister, was killed in the operation. Benjamin Netanyahu himself was involved in the rescue of airplane hostages four years earlier. In that operation, there was an Israeli hero present for the rescue who made headline news in 1969.

Mordechai Rachamim was born in Kurdistan, a mountainous region that today is part of four countries, and his family moved to Israel when he was five. While in the IDF, he trained as a paratrooper and served during the Six Day War. In 1968, an El Al plane had been hijacked. Following this incident, the Shin Bet began to place armed security guards on El Al flights. Rachamim was one the first to be trained in this capacity. Foreign nations were not aware that were armed security guards on El Al flights.

On February 18, 1969, four terrorists boarded an El Al Boeing 707 at Zurich Airport. They were armed with AK-47 rifles and hand grenades. A bullet went through the cockpit and mortally wounded pilot Yoram Peres. Rachamim was on board and shot at the terrorists from the cockpit window with his Beretta .22 pistol. He then exited the plane using the emergency slide and continued to engage the terrorists until Swiss security arrived. The terrorist leader was killed, and the other three were taken into custody. Rachamim was also arrested and later admitted to being part of Israeli security forces. Despite Israeli demands, he was put on trial and was acquitted by the court. The three terrorists were found guilty and sentenced to twelve years but were released early. Rachamim returned to Israel as a national hero for overpowering four heavily armed terrorists with just a pistol and became a bodyguard for Prime

Minister Golda Meir.

Sabena Flight 571 was carrying 90 passengers and seven crew members from Vienna to Lod Airport (now Ben Gurion) on May 8, 1972. Four Palestinians from the Black September terrorist group hijacked the Boeing 707 piloted by Reginald Levy –a British pilot with a Jewish father. Armed with handguns, grenades, and explosives, the terrorists demanded that 315 Palestinian terrorists in Israeli prisons be released. The plane landed at Lod, but the Israeli government was already aware of the situation due to a coded message sent by Levy.

After the plane landed, an El Al mechanic surreptitiously removed a valve that caused the hydraulic system to leak oil on the runway. Next, he quietly released air from the tires. With these actions, the plane was purposely stuck on the runway. Next, a Seyeret Matkal team of sixteen commandos prepared for an assault on the plane. These members included Ehud Barak, Uzi Dayan Danny Yatom, and Benjamin Netanyahu. Chief of Staff David Elazer insisted that Rachamim be put on the team and should be the first to enter the plane with the task of looking for explosives.

Negotiations wore on, and the terrorists sent Levy to the control tower with specific demands. Moshe Dayan met him, and Levy gave him vital information as to how many terrorists were on board, their locations, and the conditions of the hostages. Levy then returned to the plane, and the

Israeli commandos made final preparations for boarding the hijacked aircraft. They stormed the plane and were victorious – the whole mission lasted a mere 90 seconds. The two male terrorists were killed, and their two female counterparts were placed in custody. It was Rachamim who approached the cockpit first and killed the leader of the hijackers in a gun battle that ended in the airplane’s lavatory. As Rachamim crouched down to reload, he was able calm a woman who was sitting frightened in the first row. The woman was Reginald Levy’s wife, who had come to Israeli to celebrate his 50th birthday. All of the hostages were freed, with the exception of a woman who stood up during the assault and was tragically killed.

This marked one of the few times a hijacked plane was successfully rescued. Anti-terrorist units worldwide used Sabena Flight 571 as a textbook example of how a hijacked plane should be approached and its hostages rescued. Today, Mordechai Rachamim is almost unknown outside of Israel, but this Forgotten Hero played a vital role in thwarting terrorists twice during the hijacking of airliners.

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.

Mordechai Rachamim meeting Golda Meir, 1969

Mordechai Rachamim reconstructing events at Kloten Airport, 1969

Hostages being taken off the Sabena flight

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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 OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY FEBRUARY 19 2:003:30PM 284CENTRAL AVE B-5 Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

Beautiful & Spacious 2 Bedroom Apartment Across From The Golf Course. Elevator Building, Updated Kitchen, Gas Cooking, Granite Countertops, Washer/Dryer In Unit, High Ceilings, Great Closet Space, Storage in Basement, Close To RR, Shopping & Houses Of Worship.$349K Mark Lipner Associate Broker

Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

HEWLETT

3 bedroom 2 bath co-op with central air conditioning, terrace, washer dryer, hardwood floors, recessed lighting, magnificent kitchens, ss appliances, l/r, d/r, close to the railroad, shopping, and houses of worship. $319k OPEN HOUSE

SUNDAY, MARCH 12 11:00-1:00PM

1201 EAST BROADWAY H-23Mark

Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

LAWRENCE JUST LISTED

This amazing two-bedroom two full bathroom condo Features a luxurious lifestyle in the beautiful city of Lawrence. What more could you ask for? The building has a 24-hour doorman and elevator access, with a social room, library, washer/dryer inside the unit, and terrace. Plus, the added benefit of having a live-in super to ensure maximum safety and security! And don’t forget about your new kitchen complete with a gas stove, refrigerator, microwave, and even two dishwashers! The living room and dining room are spacious and have recessed lighting installed throughout. Both bedrooms feature lots of closet space for storage. To top it off, there’s even garage parking available to make your life just that much easier! Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity. Please call for a private showing Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-2988457 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

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

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

SEEKING ELA TEACHER

Immediate opening. ELA teaching position for Gr. 5. Mon.-Thurs., afternoon hours. Far Rockaway/5T area. Competitive salary, warm, supportive environment. All teaching materials provided. Teachersearch11@gmail.com.

DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT

A multi-tasker needed for general office work. The ideal candidate is someone who is detail-oriented, responsible, and can take ownership. Looking for someone who is eager to learn, and expand his/her skill set while possessing the ability to work independently and as part of a team. Experience with Excel required. Five Towns location. In-office position only, not remote. Please send resume to 5tpart.timecareer@gmail.com

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

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

A YESHIVA IN QUEENS is looking for an experienced part/ full time secretary, 2-year-old morah, kindergarten morah, kindergarten morah assistant and Pre-1A English teacher for the 2022-2023 school year. Nice and timely pay. Please email resume to mshelt613@gmail.com or call/text 718-971-9799.

YESHIVA ATERES EITZ CHAIM Boys HS Cedarhurst, seeking GS teacher for afternoons, M-TH. Warm and supportive environment. Competitive salary based on experience. Please email resume to aecrabbioppen@gmail.com.

BOOKKEEPER

Excellent growth potential, Frum environment, Excellent salary & benefits. Email resume to: resumetfs1@gmail.com

IMMEDIATE OPENING

ELA teaching position for Gr. 5. Mon.-Thurs., afternoon hours. Far Rockaway/5T area. Competitive salary, warm supportive environment. Teachersearch11@gmail.com

5 TOWNS BOYS YESHIVA SEEKING ELEM GEN ED TEACHERS

Excellent working environment and pay. Only lic/exp need apply. Email resume to yeshivalooking@gmail.com

LOOKING FOR A DRIVER

Business looking for someone that has a large van or sprinter that can work a full day on Wednesdays on a weekly basis throughout the year in Brooklyn. Please do not call if you do not have a large van or a sprinter 347.992.7411

SHULAMITH IN CEDARHURST, NY, is seeking faculty in all elementary divisions for the 202324 school year.Teachers must be professional, dynamic, creative, committed, compassionate, highly skilled and nurturing with relevant degrees and teaching experience. Special Education degrees and experience a plus. Additionally, we are looking for assistant teachers for all grade levels to work with students directly or indirectly; some substitute teaching involved. P/T - perfect for college students. Salaries are competitive and commensurate with experience.

Please send resumes to tshapiro@shulamith.org

CO-OP

Tax-Free Bear?

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

Movie fans can have a tough time finding something new in today’s sea of reboots and sequels. But this weekend, moviegoers were treated to something really different – a truly original comedy-horror destined for B-movie legend that

snorted up $23.1 million in its opening weekend.

Cocaine Bear asks us to imagine what would happen if a drug smuggler dropped a stash of cocaine out of a plane over a Georgia forest, and a bear got into the bricks. The answer? You

already know. Bad things. Bad, bloody, grisly things. The plot is loosely based on the true story of “Pablo Escobear,” a 175-pound black bear that found a stash dropped by a cop-turned-smuggler in 1985. Of course, saying a flick like Cocaine Bear is “loosely based on a real story” is like saying, “Die Hard is a family holiday movie.”

Cocaine Bear has absolutely nothing to do with taxes. But that wasn’t going to stop me from spinning it into one of these weekly columns. I just needed a plausible hook…and then it fell from the sky.

Let’s assume, for the sake of argument, that you were the one who found a stash of drugs on an afternoon hike. It’s yours if you can escape the murderous drug lord looking to get it back. But will Uncle Sam want to get his paws on a piece of it, too? History tells us the answer.

In 1957, Ermenegildo Cesarini and his wife Mary bought a used piano at auction for $15. Seven years later, they found $4,467 hiding in the strings. They reported the income on their 1964 return and paid $836.51. Months later, they amended their return and asked for a refund. The IRS politely laughed at their request. The parties wound up in Tax Court, where they focused on three questions.

First, was the money properly includible in gross income? Judge Young found no exception to the general rule that “gross income includes all income from whatever source derived.” Second, would taxes be due when the Cesarinis

bought the piano or found the money? In the absence of contrary state law, common law provides that the money wasn’t “reduced to undisputed possession” until the couple actually found it in 1964. And third, could it qualify as capital gains? Young cited the statute that defined “capital gains” as gains resulting from the sale or exchange of property held for more than six months, then found that neither the piano nor the money was sold or exchanged. Fifty years later, the case still stands for the proposition that a “treasure trove” is just as taxable as W-2 wages.

The real challenge for Pablo’s lawyers today would be how to value the property their four-legged client found in the woods. Would it be the wholesale price the smuggler paid before dropping it out of the plane? Would it be the street value when it landed in the woods? Or would the IRS forbear collection entirely because there’s no legal market for the prize?

If you’re like most movie fans, you find it unbearable to waste money on taxes you don’t have to pay. That’s where we come in. Remember, only you can prevent paying too much – and you do it with a plan . So call us after you see the movie, and you’re ready to protect your honey pot!

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.

Handle Your Own Hat

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

Everyone knows the Cat in the Hat. He’s an irritating, whimsical fellow.

He instigates. But he motivates. He’s mischievous. But he’s creative. He definitely stretches the limits – but does he himself stretch? Or just make trouble?

Do you know people like that? Kids like that?

You want to wring their necks. At the same time, they are also entertaining and they make things happen.

Extreme qualities, in one entity, can spark extreme reactions in another. But they also can spark action.

They push, they prod – they irk –and they know how to push our buttons.

And these characters may be creating an outlet for others and inspiring the passive to be wild.

Yet, somehow, they do have a place in this often hum-drum world.

They’re here – but they could be here for the betterment of us all. True, we don’t always appreciate their pushes and their prods. We don’t always love their annoying habits.

We balk, we cringe, we flinch.

We throw our hands up in the air.

We smile, we smirk, we chuckle.

It’s each person’s job to monitor their own reaction. Or a parent’s job to teach skills to navigate this kind of influence.

It’s up to us how they will affect us –or if they will affect us at all.

us, we better recognize what’s going on under our own hats. And if we’re going to

And when they push our buttons, they’re forcing us to squirm, and move, and take action.

Remember in the story that the Cat in the Hat came with a minion of helpers. He sometimes can’t do it all by himself. Thing 1 and Thing 2.

Yet he is a leader.

Sometimes, we can stand strong and let their antics wash over us.

Sometimes, we take a step back and see that they have something to offer us.

Sometimes, we’re moved – even though we wish we weren’t.

Bottom line is, we can’t blame the other guy. If they have an influence on

throw our hats in the ring and be moved by all the feathers in their caps.

You want to wring their necks.

At the same time, they are also entertaining and they make things happen.

Rivki Rosenwald is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist working with both couples and individuals and is a certified relationship counselor. Rivki is a co-founder and creator of an effective Parent Management of Adolescent Years Program. She can be contacted at 917-7052004 or at rivkirosenwald@gmail.com.