Five Towns Jewish Home 6.22.23

Dear Readers,

Last week, four siblings were finally found in the Amazon after surviving 40 days alone after the small plane they had been on crashed in the jungle. The oldest child was 13 years old; the youngest was an infant. After their mother died just days after the crash, the children started their journey for survival. They managed to evade jaguars and poisonous snakes and members of cartels and militias. They collected drinking water and foraged for food, eating small fruits they knew were not poisonous.

When I heard their story, I was in awe. These kids proved to be resourceful and resilient. They used their wits and the wisdom they had been taught to survive the elements, looking out for each other and taking care of one another.

I was in an office waiting room when the story came on the TV. “These kids managed to survive on their own for 40 days,” I joked to the woman next to me. “My kids call me ten times if I leave the house for fifteen minutes.”

But as I thought about it, I realized that we don’t give our kids enough credit. Kids, by nature, are resourceful. Watch them play with random toys, and soon you’ll see an elaborate castle or bridge or moat made out of straws and stones and sequins. They’re creative when given the opportunity and capable of navigating many situations.

But we don’t always give them the chance to hone those skills. We, understandably, do not leave children under a certain age alone at home. We, understandably, do not allow children below a certain age to walk to the grocery store and pick out ingredients for dinner. We

also don’t want them turning on the flame and making dinner. But don’t think that makes our kids less capable. We, the parents, just have to be more creative in producing other opportunities that will foster an environment ripe for their resourcefulness.

The summer is perhaps the best time to create these opportunities. With no homework and a more relaxed schedule for many of us, it’s a great time to take children to places where they can bring forth those skills that they naturally have. Playing in the sand at the beach, looking for insects on a hike, making projects out of random objects around the house…the summer was made for these types of activities.

But even if your children aren’t around you during the summer, camp is also a fitting venue to hone those innate skills. Learning to deal with different bunkmates, figuring out what to do when they run out of socks, deciding what to do when they don’t like what’s being served for dinner…your children will have to deal with these situations on their own (with their counselors, camp mother, nurse, shiur teacher…OK, so not really on their own) without heading to you for constant input.

Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

P.S. If you’re sending your children to sleepaway camp this year, make sure you read Nate Davis’s article, “Homesickness is Just a Little Headache.” It offers wonderful advice on how to help your children navigate those homesick feelings–on their own!

Yitzy Halpern, PUBLISHER publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com

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Shabbos Zemanim

Friday, June 23 Parshas Korach

Candle Lighting: 8:11 pm

Shabbos Ends: 9:21 pm

Rabbeinu Tam: 9:42 pm

Scattered Thunderstorms

Scattered Thunderstorms

Scattered Thunderstorms

Scattered Thunderstorms

Isolated Thunderstorms

Showers Showers

Dear Editor,

It was such a meaningful pleasure to read Barbara Deutsch’s piece, “The Legacy of Those Who Teach,” in The Jewish Home, celebrating her husband Bob’s magnificent career in education.

I found myself reading and nodding my head, “Yes, yes, yes” at the beautiful descriptions of Mr. Deutsch’s devotion to his beloved students. I had a double zchus – Mr. Deutsch was a colleague of mine in DRS for a decade, as well as an incredible English teacher to my son Akiva (DRS ’13). Akiva learned so much and reminisces of all the support and encouragement he received from Mr. Deutsch. Akiva is now a writer as well as an editor of The Jewish Review of Books. He credits Mr. Deutsch with giving him confidence and teaching him to love literature and to love putting pen to paper. During my years at DRS, Mr. Deutsch worked brilliantly with students of all academic levels and inspired each boy to be the best that he could be.

Mr. Deutsch will be greatly missed by everyone.

May the future hold joy and simcha and all good things for Barbara and Bob Deutsch.

Robin Schick

Dear Five Towns Resident Yearning To Breathe Free,

There are a few issues with your concerns regarding mosquito treatments taking place in the 5 Towns.

The first is that almost all of the “mosquito companies” you see roaming around the neighborhood are not actual

exterminators and have to use a “natural” spray. It’s a mixture of soybean, cotton seed, citronella, and clove oils that get heavily mixed with water. While it probably tastes awful, you can literally drink it and be fine.

The second issue is that it’s not a gas and is heavily mixed with water so there are no vapors.

The third issue is you claim that “the most popular companies in the 5 Towns use bifenthrin.” Again, almost all of them are using natural sprays. Bifenthrin itself is a very old chemical and heavily regulated and, if used correctly, is completely harmless.

The fourth issue is that you claim the treatments are an environmental pollutant. The only thing that’s polluting the environment is the gas-powered sprayers the mosquito companies use. If being done correctly, any chemical being used has a very small droplet size which allows the spray to be dry within minutes of being deployed. No harm to anything, anyone, or any environment.

I can’t speak for everyone doing mosquito treatments, but for those of us who are actual exterminators, NY State gives us a phone book of regulations and laws we have to follow to ensure we are killing pests while keeping the public safe.

I hope this information and staying off of Google will ease your anxiety a bit and trust that at least some of us know what we’re doing.

Sincerely,

Danny Owner Dead On Pest Control

Continued on page 10

Continued from page 8

Summer is sometimes when kids feel a bit too “free,” and without their parents’ supervision, connect with other influences who may not share their home’s values. A honest, open conversation without judgement about the values that your home has and the expectations of any family member from that home will help to stabilize your child and remind them of who they are.

Respect for others, respect for people’s property, cleanliness, honesty… these are all values that every child should remember to keep regardless of if they’re at home or away in camp.

Sincerely,

R. Hershkowitz

Dear Editor,

I find that there are many more bikers and scooter-ers on the roads in the summer months. The lighting is not always optimal during the night, and it’s hard to see them. In fact, just last night, around midnight, I saw a person on a hoverboard in middle of the street. I couldn’t believe it!

Please, be safe! Wear a helmet and have lights on your bike. Also, wearing some sort of reflector (a belt/sash, etc.) is also helpful to drivers at night. We don’t want to hit you, but if we can’t see you, it makes it harder for us to keep you safe.

Sincerely,

A Five Towns Driver

Refugee Boat Sinks Off Greece

complicated by political turmoil in the country. Many are fleeing the country and heading to Europe, risking dangerous routes to start a better life.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared Monday a national day of mourning for those who died in the boat’s sinking.

In a tweet Sunday, he ordered a “high-level inquiry” into the incident.

“I assure the nation that those found negligent towards their duty will be held to account. Responsibility will be fixed after the inquiry and heads will roll,” Sharif wrote.

EU Commissioner for Home Affairs

Ylva Johansson condemned the role of “smugglers” who put people on the boats.

Blinken Visits Beijing

Blinken’s China trip could pave the way for a phone call or in-person meeting between President Biden and Xi, who first met more than a decade ago when they were both vice presidents. The two men have not spoken since meeting in person last November, on the sidelines of a summit in Indonesia.

“Ultimately there’s no substitute for the two leaders speaking directly to each other,” Blinken noted. “That’s especially true in China given the power that Xi Jinping has.”

More than 300 people from Pakistan drowned when a fishing trawler sunk off the coast of Greece last week. Around 750 people had been crowded onto the ship, an extreme example of the refugee crisis still plaguing the European Union.

Pakistan is in the midst of its worst economic crisis in decades, with efforts to secure a financial lifeline from the International Monetary Fund

“They are not sending them to Europe; they are sending them to death. This is what they’re doing, and it’s absolutely necessary to prevent it,” she said.

For now, Greece will be facing inquiries into how the disaster occurred. Some are saying that authorities had attempted to tow the boat, which led to the collapse. Greek authorities had initially said the coast guard kept its distance but their assistance “had been declined” after they threw a rope to the vessel to “stabilize and check if it needed help.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony

Blinken visited China over the weekend, spending two days meeting with senior Chinese officials and President Xi Jinping

The statesman said that his trip was an “important start” in stabilizing ties with Beijing, noting that the two governments should move past the spy balloon incident that had postponed his visit earlier this year.

“That chapter should be closed,” Blinken said on Monday.

Stopping the downward spiral in relations between the world’s two largest economies “is not the product of one visit, even as intense and in some ways productive as this was,” Blinken acknowleged. “But it’s a good and, I think, important start.”

U.S. officials had said in advance that they didn’t expect huge breakthroughs from the trip. And even after Blinken left, the two nations had yet to restore several military-to-military communication channels that China cut last year in protest of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, a self-ruling democracy that Beijing claims as its territory.

Blinken said it was imperative for that communication to be re-established, citing recent encounters in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea that China says were necessary to defend its national sovereignty but the U.S. has labeled dangerous.

“That’s the quickest path to an inadvertent conflict,” said Blinken, who added that restoring the channels was “not something we’re going to drop.”

Blinken’s trip was the first by a U.S. secretary of state since 2018.

Congressional Republicans had expressed opposition to Blinken’s trip, saying the White House needs to take a harder line with Beijing. But Blinken said it would be “totally irresponsible” not to engage with China.

“If we’re not engaging, it makes it that much more difficult to make sure that the competition we’re in doesn’t veer into conflict,” he said.

The Taliban Runs on WhatsApp

The team of Taliban security officers assembled on the outskirts of Afghanistan’s capital to prepare for a raid on an Islamic State group hideout.

The leader, Habib Rahman Inqayad, scrambled to get the exact location of their target. He grabbed his colleagues’ phones and called their superiors, who insisted they had sent him the location pin of the target to his WhatsApp.

But WhatsApp had blocked his account to comply with U.S. sanctions.

“The only way we communicate is WhatsApp — and I didn’t have access,” said Inqayad, 25, whom The New York Times has followed since the Taliban seized power in August 2021.

In recent months, complaints from Taliban officials, police and soldiers of their WhatsApp accounts being banned or temporarily deactivated have become widespread, disruptions that have illuminated how the messaging platform has become a backbone of the Taliban’s nascent government. Those interruptions also underscore the far-reaching consequences of international sanctions on a government that has become among the most isolated in the world.

The United States has long criminalized any form of support for the Taliban. Consequently, WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, scans group names, descriptions and group profile photos on the messaging app to identify users among the Taliban and block their accounts, according to a spokesperson for

the company.

The policy has been in place since U.S. sanctions were enacted more than two decades ago.

But over the past two years, the Taliban’s reliance on WhatsApp has become even more far-reaching as smartphone use has proliferated and 4G networks have improved across Afghanistan with the end of the U.S.-led war. As the Taliban have consolidated control and settled into governance, the inner bureaucratic workings of their administration have also become more organized — with WhatsApp central to their official communications.

The cat-and-mouse game of shutting down accounts has become a headache for officials in the Taliban administration — an almost daily reminder that the government they lead is all but shunned on the world stage.

Many who have had their accounts shut down have found workarounds, buying new SIM cards and opening new accounts, and turned the ban more into a game of Whac-A-Mole. (© The New York Times)

Health Labels on Alcoholic Beverages

tries opposed the measure.

The labels will highlight the risk of liver disease, cancer and the risk of drinking while pregnant in big red letters on every container of alcoholic beverages. A lot of the concern worldwide stems from alcohol producers worrying that the industry will eventually become a target similar to the tobacco industry, where warnings have evolved into graphic pictures of tobacco-related diseases. Just last month, Canada unveiled a requirement for health warnings to be printed on every individual cigarette.

The 19-member Cabinet of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, the leader of the conservative National Coalition Party, was approved by the Eduskunta legislature, after which President Sauli Niinistö appointed it.

Following lengthy talks over seven weeks, the NCP, which won the most seats in the April 2 general election, announced a deal last Friday with three other parties to form a governing coalition that includes the far-right euro-skeptic Finns Party, which follows a largely nationalist and anti-immigration agenda.

Last month, Ireland passed a law requiring health warnings to be placed on beer, wine and spirits in the country. The law is set to go into effect in 2026. But those new warnings have raised concerns around the world, with many nations nervous about the legislation imposing an obstacle to trade.

The U.S. and Mexico have raised concerns ahead of World Trade Organization committee meetings this week. Argentina, Australia, Chile, Cuba and New Zealand have also expressed reservations about the law. While the European Commission gave Ireland the green light, at least nine wine- and beer-producing member coun-

Coldiretti, Italy’s largest farmers association, said Ireland’s planned alcohol labels are “alarmist” and set a “dangerous precedent.” The European Committee of Wine Companies said that the warnings create an “unjustified and disproportionate barrier to trade.”

Irish Health Minister Stephen Donnelly doesn’t agree.

“The vast majority of people are not aware of these risks,” he told national broadcaster RTÉ. “If the industry is saying, ‘will you not just wait a little bit longer,’ the answer is a flat no.”

Ireland ranked 20th out of 48 countries for alcohol consumption, as measured by the OECD based on preliminary 2021 data. In 2019, almost one in every 20 deaths was attributable to alcohol, while light to moderate drinking levels caused almost 23,000 new cancer cases in 2017, according to the Department of Health.

In February, nine countries including France, Italy and Spain had sent the European Commission a letter asking that the European Commission check the legality of Ireland’s law.

“It creates a harmful precedent for the free movement of products in the various member states of the European Union,” the nine countries said in the letter. The other nations were Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Slovakia, Portugal and Hungary.

Ireland has a reputation for being a trailblazer in health issues. In 2004, the country became the first to ban smoking in workplaces, bars and restaurants. The move was highly controversial at the time but has since been followed across Europe and in many other countries.

Finland’s New Government

Finland swore in a new coalition government on Tuesday, seen by many as the most right-wing in the Nordic country’s modern history.

The two junior partners in the coalition are the Christian Democrats and the Swedish People’s Party of Finland.

Political analysts say the new Cabinet is Finland’s most right-wing government since World War II.

Orpo, a 53-year-old veteran politician, is a former finance and interior minister and has headed the NCP, Finland’s main conservative party, since 2016. Other key NCP ministers include Elina Valtonen as Finland’s second female foreign minister and NCP vice chair Antti Häkkänen as defense minister.

Häkkänen’s post is particularly significant since Finland became NATO’s 31st member in April and the country of 5.5 million that neighbors Russia is in the process of integrating its military systems and infrastructure into the alliance.

Orpo’s Cabinet has a lot it wants to accomplish over the next four years. Among other things, it seeks to substantially decrease Finland’s government debt and is taking a hard stance on immigration, including tightening the requirements for residence permits and citizenship.

Together, the four parties hold a majority of 108 seats in the 200-member Parliament.

Iran and U.S. Still Talking

The U.S. and Iran have been engaging in talks of a new nuclear deal, with Oman and other countries serving as mediator between the two nations.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was an agreement between Iran and several nations – including the

U.S., UK, China, Russia, France, Germany, and the rest of the European Union – to limit Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons, but it was weakened in 2018 when the United States left the deal. Since then, the Biden Administration has tried restoring the agreement, albeit unsuccessfully, leading the government to start mediated negotiations with Tehran in late 2022.

and Morad Tahbaz, as well as an American citizen, Shabah Dalili, who has been imprisoned as well. With regard to the captive Americans, the foreign minister of Oman has commented that Iran and the U.S. are “close” and that the release is “probably a question of technicalities.”

Instead of restricting Iran in the way the JCPOA had done, the U.S. has “moved on to what you would call Plan C,” Henry Rome, a Washington Institute senior fellow, said, explaining that such a plan is meant “to constrain Iran and try to limit worst case outcomes, but without trying to reach an actual agreement for the next year plus given the political constraints that the administration faces and not wanting to draw attention or resources away from China and Russia.”

Terrorist Attack in Uganda

On the night of Friday, June 16, twenty terrorists from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an organization connected to ISIS, entered a school in Uganda and murdered more than forty-one people, kidnapping six more.

Sixty-two people were at the school at the time of the killings, according to military spokesman Felix Kulayigye. Most of the victims were students, whose ages range from thirteen to eighteen.

Nations said in a statement. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres demanded that the ADF release the kidnapped victims, adding that the “collective efforts to tackle cross border insecurity between Congo and Uganda and restore durable peace in the area” is of utmost importance and is necessary in order to prevent this sort of situation from happening again.

The group of twenty terrorists killed thirty-nine students and two others, slaughtering many with machetes and lighting areas on fire. The morning after the attack, the fire was still raging, and officials said that all survivors were rescued from the building, but there could still be dead people that have yet to be discovered.

The U.S.’s withdrawal from the JCPOA has led to Iran’s continued disregard for the deal, as the Middle Eastern country actively builds its nuclear arsenal in spite of the past agreement. In fact, it is estimated by a U.S. government official that it may take just 12 days for Iran to create the material needed for one nuke.

Another urgent matter of discussion between Washington and Tehran is the three Iranian-Americans imprisoned in Iran: Siamek Namazi, Emad Sharghi,

“We believe diplomacy is the best path forward, as we have said since the outset of this Administration. But, as always, we have other options available to us if Iran chooses not to act,” a U.S. official said. “Our actions earlier this year, for example, sent a clear message to Iran, which have resulted in a significant reduction of attacks against U.S. personnel.”

The Mpondwe Lhubirira Secondary School is located at the border that Uganda shares with Congo, the country where these terrorists are based.

“Those responsible for this appalling act must be brought to justice,” the United

“We’re commiserating with the families, and the leadership of the UPDF (Uganda Peoples’ Defense Forces) are on the ground and have been deployed to protect the place,” Kulayigye said. A spokesperson for UPDF in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Major Bilal Katamba, said that the attackers are being chased down by the Ugandan military.

The commander of the UPDF in eastern DRC, Major Dick Olum, said that prior to the attack, locals guided members of the ADF around, giving them a tour of

the town where the killings were about to take place.

“Everybody should be on the lookout,” Olum told citizens. “If you see someone you don’t recognize, have him arrested. Please identify the youth that led the ADF here.”

Sub Still Missing

“embarked on a journey to visit the remnants of the Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean,” their family said in a statement.

The expedition began with a 400-nautical-mile journey to the Titanic wreck site. The submersible then started its descent on Sunday morning, eventually losing contact.

Unlike a submarine, a submersible needs a mother ship to launch it, has fewer power reserves, and can’t stay underwater as long.

ond fled, the IDF said.

“IDF soldiers are pursuing additional suspects and blockages have been set up in the area,” the military said in a statement.

A suspected infiltration alert sounded in Eli following the attack. The military ordered residents of the community to remain in their homes and lock their doors and windows until further notice, as troops scanned the area.

The Ukrainian first lady then met with officials from the Israel Trauma Coalition, as well as NATAL, the Israel Trauma and Resiliency Center, to discuss treating children with trauma from conflicts. The meeting included a discussion with a mother from Sderot about the effects of constant rocket fire from Gaza on her children.

It’s a race against time as crews search for a missing submersible that lost contact while touring the wreckage of the Titanic. Five people are onboard the 21foot vessel, whose oxygen supply is slowly dwindling.

The Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Air Force are deploying more aircraft and vessels to aid in the search. They are now looking below sea level after scouring an area of the ocean’s surface.

The search zone covers a remote area more than 900 miles east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and 13,000 feet deep. Crews are also dealing with foggy conditions and waves of 3 to 6 feet.

The submersible – roughly the size of a minivan – was carrying one pilot and four “mission specialists” when its mother ship lost contact with it about 1 hour and 45 minutes into its descent to explore the Titanic wreckage.

The group conducting the Titanic expedition, OceanGate Expeditions, is also helping in the search and said it is “exploring and mobilizing all options to bring the crew back safely.” Canadian research vessel Polar Prince, which took the submersible to Titanic wreckage site, is assisting search and rescue efforts

Among those on the submersible is British businessman Hamish Harding, according to a social media post by his company, Action Aviation. The day before the vessel went missing, Harding wrote of the Titanic mission: “I am proud to finally announce that I joined OceanGate Expeditions for their RMS TITANIC Mission as a mission specialist on the sub going down to the Titanic.”

Shahzada Dawood and his son Sulaiman Dawood, of Pakistan, also had

A mother ship can communicate with a submersible “via text messages which are exchanged via a USBL (ultra-short baseline) acoustic system,” according to OceanGate Expeditions’ archived website. The submersible is required to communicate with the ship every 15 minutes or more frequently, if needed. That USBL system is the only communications link between the submersible and the surface.

OceanGate Expeditions operates a trip taking passengers to the Titanic’s wreckage at the bottom of the ocean for prices starting at $250,000, the archived website states, describing its “mission support fee” for a 2023 expedition.

The company advertised the experience as a way “to step outside of everyday life and discover something truly extraordinary.”

A Titanic dive takes about 10 hours from start to finish, including the two and a half hours it takes to reach the bottom, the website says. The company calls its clients “mission specialists,” who are trained as crew members in a variety of different roles, including communicating with the topside tracking team, taking sonar scans, and opening and closing the vessel’s dome.

4 Killed in Gas Station Attack

Four Israelis were killed and four others were wounded when Palestinian terrorists opened fire at a gas station and a restaurant near the city of Eli in the West Bank.

At least two gunmen were involved in the attack, which took place on Tuesday.

One of the terrorists was shot dead at the scene by an armed Israeli, while a sec-

According to the army’s initial investigation of the attack, the gunmen arrived at the gas station by car and first opened fire with assault rifles at people in the adjacent Hummus Eliyahu restaurant, after which the terrorists targeted people at the gas station itself. At one point, an armed civilian shot dead one of the terrorists, while a second terrorist apparently stole a running vehicle and fled the area.

Several knives were found in the car the terrorists arrived in, according to local security officials.

Ukrainian First Lady Visits Israel

“The State of Israel is a role model for us; unfortunately, you have rich experience in this area,” the Ukrainian first lady said. “Nevertheless, your country still succeeds to thrive and survive, even under incessant attacks. Yes, we are resilient, but resilience comes at a high psychological price.”

Zelenska is also set to meet Ukrainian soldiers undergoing rehabilitation in Israel. Wounded Ukrainian soldiers began arriving in Israel for treatment last September; eleven have returned home thus far.

Israel has been sending Ukraine humanitarian aid since Putin invaded the country last February. But it has been hesitant to get involved militarily, as it is dealing with Syria to its north, a country in which Russian forces largely control the airspace.

Last month, several Israeli ministries put on the Ukrainian-Israeli Rehabilitation Summit in Lviv, bringing Israel’s experience in physical and psychological recovery to Ukraine as it continues to fight Russian forces. Michal Herzog also addressed that conference virtually.

Livestream from Prison

Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska has been on a worldwide tour, meeting with leaders to draw attention to her country’s plight. This week, she visited Israel, meeting with President Isaac Herzog and touring Sheba Medical Hospital with Michal Herzog, wife of President Herzog.

“We need programs that support mental health and assist in the rehabilitation of injured citizens, including children, adults and the elderly. Our healthcare system cannot cope alone,” Zelenska said.

“We are very pleased that you came here to see for yourself the special treatment for children,” Mrs. Herzog told Zelenska. “Israel is very proud, and we want to share our knowledge, infrastructure, and excellent medical facilities with those in need around the world.”

The Israel Prison Service seized six smuggled mobile phones from Palestinian Islamic Jihad prisoners at the Ketziot Prison in southern Israel after a prisoner used a smuggled phone to stream his brother’s funeral on Monday.

Six prisoners were punished with 14 days in solitary confinement and reduced living conditions. 26 prisoners were isolated as well.

“The prison service will continue to work to eradicate terrorist activity both within and from the prisons professionally and for the safety of the country’s residents,” said the prison service.

On Monday, a prisoner reportedly used a smuggled phone to speak with his family and stream the funeral of his brother, Ahmed Khaled Daraghmeh, who was killed in the clashes in Jenin earlier on Monday.

Photos on social media showed the video call with the prisoner, leading Israel Prison Service forces to search his cell and find the phone. The prisoner’s cell was searched, and he was transferred to solitary confinement.

After the prisoner was transferred, other prisoners from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist movement torched a mattress in their cell. Prison officials extinguished the fire and moved the prisoners in the cell to solitary confinement as well.

The Palestinian Commission of Detainees’ Affairs stated on Tuesday that prisoners in the prison had announced their “mobilization and readiness for confrontation” in light of the situation.

West Bank Settlement Expansion

signed to eliminate the possibility of a two-state solution, and this is a political decision,” Yoni Mizrachi, a researcher from Peace Now, claimed.

“Israel is moving towards full annexation of the West Bank and does not intend to allow security or diplomatic considerations to stop it,” Peace Now said, asserting that “the government has decided to tie the fate of the residents of Israel to the messianic vision of endless settlements among millions of Palestinians whose rights are being trampled upon every morning.”

“We must stop treating residents of Judea and Samaria as second-class citizens,” argued Yossi Dagan, Head of the Samaria Regional Council. “It’s unthinkable that only residents of Judea and Samaria need approval from the political echelon in order to build a home or a kindergarten.”

“The construction boom in Judea and Samaria and in all parts of our country continues,” Smotrich said. “As promised, today we are advancing the construction of thousands more new units in Judea and Samaria… We will continue to develop the settlements and strengthen Israel’s hold on the territory.”

Intel to Invest $25 Billion in Israeli Plant

On Sunday, an amendment was passed that gives Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s Finance Minister, the authority to approve building plans in West Bank settlements.

In the past, construction in West Bank settlements could only be done if approved by the defense minister and required five or more stages of planning. Now, all that is needed is approval from Smotrich. However, these new construction rules only apply to existing settlements; new settlements must be approved by the cabinet.

“This government resolution brings the residents of Judea and Samaria to the regular situation of the entire State of Israel,” said Yisrael Gantz, Head of the Benjamin Regional Council in the West Bank, praising the amendment. “This step will turn construction in the settlements into something that is not newsworthy but rather, routine.”

Others criticized the decision.

“Construction in the territories is de-

Maseches Succah begins

Intel, one of the largest semiconductor makers in the world, announced plans to invest $25 billion to create a new chip factory in Kiryat Gat.

“This is the largest investment ever in the State of Israel,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday during a meeting with his cabinet. “This is an expression of great confidence in the Israeli economy and exactly reflects the strength of the free economy that we have built here and the technological economy that we are developing here.”

2027 is the year that the factory is anticipated to open, and it will likely continue to operate for eight or more years thereafter, providing well-paid jobs to thousands.

Intel will pay a 7.5% tax rate, and due

to the Encouragement of Capital Investment Law, would also receive a grant from the government at a rate of 12.8%.

“Intel’s investment will yield significant economic benefits to the State of Israel in general and to the southern region in particular,” Yogev Gardos, the Israel Budget Commissioner, said. “The negotiations with the company were… based on economic models to examine the benefits of the investment, in order to maximize value for the Israeli public while promoting investment in Israel against the alternative options available to Intel globally.”

This isn’t the company’s first business deal with Israel, having acquired Granulate, an Israeli tech startup, about a year ago, and Mobileye, an Israeli company that develops self-driving technologies in 2017. In addition, Intel Israel has significantly contributed to the Israeli economy, with their exports of $8.7 billion in 2022 making up 1.75% of Israel’s national income, as well as 5.5% of high-tech Israeli exports.

In all, Intel has invested more than $17 billion in the state of Israel.

“Israel is a global center of technical talent and innovation and one of Intel’s significant global manufacturing and R&D centers,” Intel said. “Our intention

to expand manufacturing capacity in Israel is driven by our commitment to meeting future manufacturing needs and supporting Intel’s IDM 2.0 strategy, and we appreciate the continued support of the Israeli government.”

Tel Aviv is the Happiest City

The @Israel Twitter account run by the Foreign Ministry welcomed the ranking, tweeting, “Maybe it’s the sun, maybe it’s the people (or maybe it’s the coffee). Who knows? In any case, Tel Aviv was chosen as the happiest city in the World.”

Israel is nabbing quite a few happy records. The country ranked fourth in the 2022 World Happiness Report by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Still, it ranked low on some of the factors in the report, including “experiences of calmness” where it ranked second to last.

high-trafficked roads. As vehicles drive over the crickets’ bodies — which crack easily like potato chips — their guts spill out.

The more crickets that are run over, the thicker the layers that accumulate on the road, leaving a viscous, clay-colored mixture that can create slick driving conditions, the Nevada Department of Transportation warned on Twitter.

According to TheTravel blog, Tel Aviv is the happiest city in the world.

TheTravel highlighted the city’s “rich cultural heritage, kind people, and abundance of food, shopping, and learning,” noting that Tel Aviv has become “a global hot spot for spring break and vacationing as a whole.”

Tel Aviv was followed by Madrid, Fremont, San Jose, Stockholm, Toronto, Amsterdam, Reykjavík, Bergen and Copenhagen on the list.

In the 2019 World Happiness Report, which focused for the first time on cities, Tel Aviv was ranked the eighth happiest city worldwide. Tel Aviv and Zurich (4th) were the only top 10 cities not located in either the Nordic countries, Australia or New Zealand. Jerusalem was crowned the 33rd happiest city.

Millions of Mormon Crickets

Mormon crickets, which are not actually crickets but shield-backed katydids, are ground-dwelling insects native to the Western United States. They feed on grasses, shrubs and crops, which can contribute to soil erosion and nutrient-depleted soils, according to the University of Nevada, Reno.

The Southwest is experiencing a severe drought, which the university said “encourages Mormon cricket outbreaks” that may last five to 21 years and “cause substantial economic losses to rangeland, cropland and home gardens.”

The name Mormon crickets is derived from how the insects would invade Mormon settlers’ crops in Utah’s Great Salt Lake area around the mid-1800s, according to Washington State University.

The crickets, which are about 2 inches long and have plump bodies, are turning brick homes, front lawns and beige sidewalks a darker shade of russet. They do not bite, but they do induce squeamishness, especially among some newer residents.

“It’s been insane,” said Charles Carmichael, owner Battle Born Pest Control. “It’s been wild. I haven’t sprayed this many houses for crickets in a long, long time.”

Millions of Mormon crickets have arrived in Elko, Nevada, the spindly copper creatures blanketing parts of the city, so staff members at the Shilo Inns Elko on Saturday discussed ways to combat them.

Hotel workers poured a hot water mix of vinegar, bleach and dish soap.

They even aimed pressure washers at the brown clusters of exoskeletons. Still, the jumpy insects kept coming.

Finally, Kimmy Hall, general manager of Shilo Inns, told her overwhelmed staff: “We can’t win against them. But we can hold them off.”

Such has been the mood in Elko, a city of roughly 20,000 residents, as it has been infested with Mormon crickets, which have recently hatched and are in a migratory phase.

Although the crickets have been moving through the area, about 300 miles northeast of Reno, for a few years, millions this month are springing across densely populated neighborhoods and

Killing the crickets can lead to smelly results: The remains stink like fish or dog feces. (© The New York Times)

Starbucks Pays $12M in Race Suit

Shannon Phillips was a regional director in charge of multiple Starbucks branches in Philadelphia. After she was let go in 2018, she filed a lawsuit against the coffee company for firing her, claiming that they had only done so because

she’s White.

Starbucks argued against these claims, stating that “senior leaders and members of Partner Resources all observed Ms. Phillips demonstrate a complete absence of leadership.”

Philips’ firing came less than a month after two Black men were arrested in one of the branches she directed. The men were sitting at a table, and because they hadn’t ordered anything, they were asked to leave. When they stayed at the table, explaining that they were waiting for a business acquaintance, the police were called and the two men were promptly arrested for trespassing.

People protested against the arrests, calling for action to be taken against what they perceived to be acts of racial discrimination. In order to do damage control, Starbucks “took steps to punish White employees who had not been involved in the arrests, but who worked in and around the city of Philadelphia,” according to the 2019 suit. Phillips cited an example of such measures, claiming that she was told to suspend a White employee — in one of Starbucks’ attempts to appease the public — and when she came to the worker’s defense, she was fired.

In reaction to the public outcry, the coffeehouse chain made several policy

changes, including removing restrictions on staying in the store and using the bathroom without buying anything, and they had about 175,000 employees go through “anti-bias” training, temporarily closing 8,000 of the company’s stores while the training was in progress.

Phillips worked for Starbucks for thirteen years before her termination. She claimed that she wasn’t in the store at the time of the incident and insisted that she “took steps to ensure that the retail locations within her area were a safe and welcoming environment for all customers, regardless of race.” Her lawyer pointed out that “Starbucks chose not to terminate the District Manager of the store where the arrests took place, who was Black, but instead terminated his White supervisor, Ms. Phillips.”

Starbucks claimed that the former regional director “appeared overwhelmed and lacked awareness of how critical the situation had become,” and due to her inability to handle the crisis, a replacement was needed “because strong leadership was essential during that time.”

On Monday, June 12, a New Jersey jury ruled in Phillips’ favor, awarding her $25.6 million in compensatory and punitive damages.

Harvard Morgue Manager Sold Body Parts

ed store “Kat’s Creepy Creations,” sold the human remains that she purchased to other people, including to a man from Pennsylvania who spent $50,000 for human skin in order to make leather, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors said that Joshua Taylor paid the Lodges more than $37,000, sending $1,000 alone for what he called in writing “head number 7” and $200 alongside a document requesting “braiiiiiins.”

The indictment went on, alleging that Lodge even went as far as to give Maclean and Taylor a tour of the morgue so that they could pick the parts they wanted.

Cedric Lodge, a fifty-five-year-old former morgue manager at Harvard University’s Medical School, was federally indicted last week for stealing “dissected portions of donated cadavers, including … heads, brains, skin, bones, and other human remains, without the knowledge or permission of [the school] and removed those remains from the morgue in Massachusetts and transported them to his residence in New Hampshire.”

Lodge, and his wife, Denise, sold the body parts to multiple buyers, including Katrina Maclean and Joshua Taylor. Maclean, a forty-four-year-old shop owner who runs the Pennsylvania-locat-

“Some crimes defy understanding,” Gerard M. Karam, attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, said in a statement, adding that “the theft and trafficking of human remains strikes at the very essence of what makes us human. It is particularly egregious that so many of the victims here volunteered to allow their remains to be used to educate medical professionals and advance the interests of science and healing. For them and their families to be taken advantage of in the name of profit is appalling. With these charges, we are seeking to secure some measure of justice for all these victims.”

Many choose to donate their bodies for use in educational facilities, as well as

for scientific purposes, and the donated bodies are usually cremated and returned to the family, or buried in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, once the medical school or laboratory is finished with the corpse.

A day after the indictment, officials from Harvard responded, saying that they are “appalled to learn that something so disturbing could happen on campus – a community dedicated to healing and serving others.”

“The reported incidents are a betrayal of HMS (Harvard Medical School),” added Deans George Daley and Edward Hundert. “We are so very sorry for the pain this news will cause for our anatomical donors’ families and loved ones, and HMS pledges to engage with them during this deeply distressing time.”

More Friends, Longer Life

According to a new study, being lonely and socially isolated could be dangerous.

The new paper, published this week in the journal Nature Human Behavior, noted that there have been studies in the past that linked social isolation and

loneliness with the risk of dying early. But this new paper is a meta-analysis of 90 studies that had examined the links between loneliness and social isolation and early death among more than 2 million adults. Study participants were followed for anywhere from six months to 25 years.

there’s a discrepancy between the quality of social relationships they actually have and what they want, according to the meta-analysis. Someone in this situation may feel their relationships are unsatisfying if they don’t fulfill their needs for connection or intimacy, noted Anthony Ong, a professor of psychology and director of the Center for Integrative Developmental Science and Human Health Labs at Cornell University in New York state.

There are several factors that could contribute to social isolation having a stronger effect on early death risk than loneliness, experts say.

ers socially should be included in your regimen of health-promoting activities: exercising, eating well, and looking after yourself.

Major Hack Exposes Millions’ Data

People who experienced social isolation had a 32% higher risk of dying early from any cause compared with those who weren’t socially isolated. Participants who reported feeling lonely were 14% more likely to die early than those who did not.

Social isolation, as defined by the new study, occurs when someone has an objective lack of contact with other people and can involve having a limited network or living alone.

Loneliness, on the other hand, refers to the subjective distress people feel if

“People who are lonely but not socially isolated have mental health stress but might be resilient to it because of their social networks” — even if those networks aren’t entirely what someone wants them to be, said the study’s first author Fan Wang, a professor of epidemiology at Harbin Medical University in China.

Having a small social network or little to no contact with the outside world can also make someone less likely to receive medical care if they don’t have anyone checking on them.

Now, scientists are saying that making sure you stay connected with oth -

In a major cybersecurity attack, millions of citizens from Louisiana and Oregon with driver’s licenses or state ID cards fell victim to significant data breaches. The same hack has impacted the U.S. federal government as well.

3.5 million Oregonians’ social security and driver’s license numbers were compromised in the data leak, along with 6 million Louisianian records, prompting many to fear identity theft and a rise in fraudulent activities.

Clop, a group of Russian hackers known for their ransomware attacks, has taken credit for the hacks and allegedly carried out their acts by abusing vulnerabilities in MOVEit, a well-known file-transfer program made by Progress Software, a company in Massachusetts. The attacks were likely done for money, according to U.S. officials.

Other victims include the BBC and British Airways, among other large companies, as well as John Hopkins University, University of Georgia, and other colleges as well.

“They’ve (the hackers) started releasing some of the data that was stolen as part of their work to extort these companies,” Anne Neuberger, deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology for the National Security Council, said. “We strongly encourage anyone who was a user of the software to, of course, patch, lock down their systems.”

In response, federal agencies are installing MOVEit updates, but in the midst of these events, a new weakness in the system was found, leading the company that makes the software to try to resolve the issues as quickly as possible.

According to reports, Clop has put many victims’ data up for ransom, even

demanding $100 million from one company in particular. However, the group claims that it has not been targeting governments, writing on its website that “if you are a government, city or police service, do not worry. We erased all your data. You do not need to contact us. We have no interest to expose such information.”

Pittsburgh Synagogue Gunman Convicted

against him.

On October 27, 2018, the Pittsburgh synagogue was conducting Shabbos morning services when Robert Bowers entered the building with an AR-15 and three handguns and shot those praying until police came and arrested the white nationalist shooter.

On Friday, June 16, Bowers, who is responsible for the worst attack on Jews in the United States’ history, was convicted on all sixty-three federal charges after the jury deliberated over the span of two days for a total of five hours.

Bowers’ defense team did not seek to dispute the fact that he murdered and injured innocent people, for his lawyers themselves believed he was guilty of such. Rather, their goal was to prove that he killed not out of a hatred for Jewish people, but rather for his bigotry against immigrants. If such a claim were proven to be true, charges relating to anti-religious or anti-racial murder would have been dropped.

synagogue to kill Jews.”

Now that Bowers has been found guilty on all counts, the penalty phase will begin on June 26, and the jury will decide whether he should get life in prison with no parole or if he should get the death penalty.

In reacting to news of the conviction, Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, a survivor of the terrorist attack, stated, “I am grateful to G-d for getting us to this day, and I am thankful for the law enforcement who ran into danger to rescue me, and the U.S. Attorney who stood up in court to defend my right to pray.”

“Today’s verdict was a step toward justice in Pittsburgh, but the horror and pain of October 27, 2018 will never go away,” said Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. “My heart remains with the families of the 11 victims who were massacred as they worshipped at Tree of Life that day. May their memories be a blessing.”

Nearly five years ago, a gunman entered the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and murdered eleven congregants, injuring six more. Last week, he was convicted on all charges

“Stopping religious study was not his intent or motive,” Elisa Long, the gunman’s attorney, claimed. However, in the end, not a single charge was dropped.

Prosecutor Mary Hahn, in her closing arguments, stated that Bowers “outright told the SWAT operators he went to the

What Can be Done About the Pilot Shortage?

Due to the United States’ short supply of pilots, some members of Congress have

proposed controversial policy changes in order to make it easier for people to professionally fly planes. Proposed changes include raising the pilot retirement age from 65 to 67, decreasing the required amount of training hours, and allowing more of the training to take place in a flight simulator. But not everyone likes these proposals.

passenger fatalities by 99.8 percent since the current pilot training and qualification rules were implemented, would such a rollback even be considered?”

On Wednesday, June 14, the House Transportation Committee approved raising the pilot retirement age in a 32 to 31 decision, and the House as a whole will soon have to decide whether to vote for such a policy change.

A Texas Republican, Rep. Troy Nehls, claimed that a forced pilot retirement age supports the false cliché that as pilots age, they become less effective at their jobs.

Grand Canyon: The Most Deadly National Park

known as one of the world’s seven natural wonders, has extremely high temperatures at its base, the Phantom Ranch. Hikers may face a variety of health conditions from this intense heat, according to the National Park Service (NPS), including heat exhaustion, heat stroke, dehydration, and a life-threatening imbalance called hyponatremia, which is when there is too much water in the body and too little salt.

“A vote to reduce the 1,500-hour rule for pilot training will be blood on your hands when an inevitable accident occurs as a result of an inadequately trained flight crew,” argued Senator Tammy Duckworth, adding that simulators cannot replace the experience real training gives a pilot.

The Airline Pilots Association union strongly disagreed with the proposed ideas, with Jason Ambrosi, president of the union, writing in a letter, “Why, when we have reduced the number of airline

“If you are a pilot flying for the United, American, Southwest or Delta and the day you turn 65, you’re out of a job,” Nehls said, “effectively, Congress, we fire you on your birthday. You’re out of here.”

The two-year age change would have “a negligible, if any, impact on increasing the number of pilots available,” noted Democrat Representative Rick Larsen, disagreeing with the amendment. Larsen went on to say that older pilots tend to fly internationally in bigger aircrafts, and as such would technically need to be re-trained in order to be useful in their last two years, a claim Nehls called “baloney.”

According to reports, from 2018 to February 2023, six people were found dead at the Grand Canyon National Park, and 1,100 people were reported missing, with fifty-six yet to be found. These statistics make the Grand Canyon the national park with the most deaths and missing persons in the United States.

“On average, there are 12 fatalities within the canyon each year,” Ken Phillips, a retired chief of emergency services, noted. “Those can be everything relating to heat stroke, lightning, drownings on the river, air crashes, suicides, accidental falls – all types of things.”

The Arizona park, which is famously

“Park Rangers at Grand Canyon National Park strongly urge visitors, especially inner canyon hikers and backpackers, to be prepared for excessively hot days in the coming weeks,” the NPS wrote in a statement. “In the summer months, temperatures on exposed parts of the trail can reach over 120 degrees in the shade. Park rangers do not advise hiking in the inner canyon between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. as most heat-related illnesses are from hikers on trails between these hours.”

In addition, the Grand Canyon’s high-altitude levels present further risk to hikers. The canyon’s North Rim is around 8,000 feet, while its South Rim is about 7,000 feet. At elevated heights, one may experience an altitude illness syndrome called “Acute Mountain Sickness,” which, according to the CDC, generally

causes headaches and usually one or more of the following conditions: “anorexia, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, [and] occasionally, vomiting.”

The Grand Canyon is just about the most visited national park, only second to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which has triple the amount of tourists each year and saw three deaths and thirty-four reports of missing persons from 2018 to February 2023.

The canyon is the only national park that has a rescue helicopter on-site, all year round, but due to “limited staff, the number of rescue calls, employee safety requirements, and limited helicopter flying capability during periods of extreme heat,” the rescue helicopter cannot save all.

Nevertheless, “don’t let [the risks] scare you off,” Wildland Trekking tour leader Scott Cundy said. “The Grand Canyon is one of the most profoundly beautiful and meaningful places in the world. Yeah, it’s dangerous, but go with a guide, be prepared, do your research, don’t go alone and you’ll have a great time.”

Hunter Biden to Plead Guilty

week on 37 counts for allegedly mishandling classified documents. Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Hunter Biden’s attorney, Christopher Clark, said in a statement that the deal with federal prosecutors will “resolve” the Justice Department’s long-running criminal probe into the President’s son.

client has now “fully paid” his IRS tax debts.

There are other issues surrounding Hunter Biden.

According to a plea agreement struck between Hunter Biden and the U.S. Justice Department, Hunter will plead guilty to two tax misdemeanors to resolve a felony gun charge, the Justice Department said on Tuesday in court filings .

As part of the plea agreement, the Justice Department has agreed to recommend a sentence of probation for the two counts of failing to pay taxes in a timely matter for the years 2017 and 2018, according to sources. A judge will have the final say on any sentence.

The plea deal is certain to create massive waves in the political arena considering that former President Donald Trump was federally indicted last

“Hunter will take responsibility for two instances of misdemeanor failure to file tax payments when due pursuant to a plea agreement,” Clark said. “A firearm charge, which will be subject to a pretrial diversion agreement and will not be the subject of the plea agreement, will also be filed by the Government. I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life. He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward.”

In a brief statement, the White House said the Bidens “love their son.”

“The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life. We will have no further comment,” said White House spokesman Ian Sams.

Trump criticized the Hunter Biden plea deal on Truth Social

“Wow! The corrupt Biden DOJ just cleared up hundreds of years of criminal liability by giving Hunter Biden a mere ‘traffic ticket.’ Our system is BROKEN!”

Prosecutors had been examining a 2018 incident in which a firearm owned by Hunter ended up tossed by his then-girlfriend into a dumpster in Wilmington. Hunter described in media interviews in 2021 that he was addicted to drugs, which raised the possibility he broke federal law when he bought the firearm.

Federal law prohibits firearms purchases by anyone who uses or is addicted to illegal drugs.

Hunter previously told associates he has paid outstanding tax bills, and according to public records, more than $450,000 in state liens in Washington, DC, were lifted in 2020 – an indication that those liabilities were likely paid off.

Investigators, however, continued to scrutinize the source of the funds that Hunter used to pay his tax bills. In 2018 and 2019, Biden’s debts piled up, even as he received repeated warnings from his bank, his accountant, and others.

He was repeatedly warned about his tax obligations, but his attorney said last year that those years were difficult times for Hunter Biden, given his addiction issues. Clark has said that his

Among the matters under scrutiny in the Justice Department’s probe was Hunter Biden’s efforts, after his father left the vice presidency in 2017, to secure a deal with CEFC China Energy to invest in U.S. energy projects, according to documents released by Republicans from two Senate committees.

The deal ultimately fell through, according to an account Hunter Biden gave in a 2019 New Yorker profile, and the company’s executive was later detained by Chinese authorities amid allegations of corruption.

Additionally, Hunter Biden briefly was the lawyer for the head of an organization backed by CEFC who was later convicted on bribery allegations linked to CEFC.

During the Obama administration, other Hunter Biden business ventures in China raised concerns among White House officials, according to The New Yorker, which reported an equity stake Hunter Biden took in an investment fund involving U.S. and Chinese partners.

Federal investigators also previously examined the Ukraine-linked lobbying work by Hunter Biden as well. Of specific interest was the work the lobbying firm Blue Star Strategies did with Burisma, an energy company whose board Hunter Biden served on from 2014-2019, earning as much as $50,000 a month.

De Blasio Owes NYC $475K

Bill de Blasio, the former mayor of New York City, must reimburse the city nearly $320,000 and pay a $155,000 fine for bringing his security detail on trips during his failed presidential campaign, the city’s Conflicts of Interest Board ordered on Thursday.

The fine and repayment are both the highest penalty and the largest amount the board said it has ever issued. The former mayor’s campaign lasted just four

months in 2019.

According to the Conflicts of Interest Board, the city spent $319,794.20 in travel-related costs for members of de Blasio’s security detail to accompany either him or his wife, Chirlane McCray, on 31 out-of-state trips related to the campaign. The expenses included airfare, car rentals, overnight lodging, meals and other incidentals.

Shortly before de Blasio launched his campaign, the board — an independent body with five members appointed by the mayor, comptroller and public advocate — told de Blasio that the city could pay for salary and overtime for his security detail. But it advised him that paying for the officers’ travel costs would be a “misuse of city resources,” it said.

But de Blasio did not heed the board’s guidance, it said. His failure to do so was one of several issues addressed in a 47page report by the city’s Department of Investigation, which found that de Blasio misused public resources for both political and personal purposes, including having a police van and officers help move his daughter to Gracie Mansion.

The board, which still has two members appointed by de Blasio, ordered the former mayor to repay the expenses borne by the city and fined him $5,000 for each out-of-state trip.

De Blasio’s presidential campaign reported having just $1,422.76 on hand in its last filing with the Federal Election Commission, in December 2020. A political action committee associated with de Blasio, Fairness PAC, last reported having more than $32,000 in debt and less than $3,000 on hand.

De Blasio did not respond to a message seeking comment. One of his lawyers, Andrew G. Celli Jr., said in a statement that de Blasio’s legal team had already filed a lawsuit to appeal the ruling

and block the board’s order. He accused the board of breaking “decades of NYPD policy and precedent” and violating the Constitution. (© The New York Times)

So Close, Yet So Far

more than 500 pounds. Sushi didn’t manage to cross that threshold.

The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament in North Carolina has become extremely popular in recent years with more than 270 boats taking part in this latest competition.

“I think the mutilation rule is outdated,” Bleau said. “We’ve got a more prevalent shark population, but in a nutshell, the rule needs to be done away with, period. In the past three years, this rule has come into effect twice.

“There’s different interpretations. It’s about as clear as mud. Everybody thinks it’s black and white and it’s not.”

It’s reel-y not fair.

Crying Wolf

They thought they won the million-dollar prize, only to be told their catch was a bit fishy.

Ashley Bleau, owner of the Sensation fishing boat, had reeled in a massive 619-pound blue marlin with his crew on Saturday, battling with the gargantuan sea creature for six hours before hoisting it aboard.

Their catch was set to nab them a $3.5 million prize. But then, judges ruled that the fish had been “mutilated” by a shark prior to the catch.

To be so close to victory and then to have it pulled from underneath their noses was disappointing, to say the least.

“The mutilation was less than the size of my hand,” Bleau told Pirate Radio during a discussion about the tournament on Monday.

Instead of Sensation winning the big fish, the crew of Sushi hauled in the winnings of $2.77 million.

Sensation would have received a larger payout because of their catch weighing

Mary Simmons is not backing down. The woman from Dayton, Ohio, is refusing to remove a fake wolf from her property.

The wolf in question stands 9½ feet tall in her yard. The city has asked her to take it down – it’s been up since October of last year – but Simmons is adamantly refusing to get rid of her monster pet.

It’s more than a toy for her. “He’s kind of become my house mascot,” Simmons told WKEF-TV. “I kind of look at it as a security thing. Who wants to break into a house with a 9.5-foot werewolf sitting outside of it? I know I wouldn’t.”

She’s been dressing the wolf in various costumes to represent seasons and holidays.

“We’re going to get a big Hawaiian shirt and maybe some sunglasses,” she said, regarding the summer season.

The werewolf, which Simmons dubbed Phil, now has his own Facebook page with over 2,000 followers.

Simmons said neighbors have largely been welcoming of Phil’s presence in her yard, but at least one resident sent an anonymous complaint to the city of Dayton, which issued Simmons a warning.

Did you know?

For now, Simmons says Phil is here to stay, although she is making sure he stays safe for the neighbors.

“I don’t want somebody walking by and his head falls off, hitting them,” Simmons explained. “I try to treat people like I want to be treated and I wouldn’t want that to happen to me.”

We wouldn’t want to throw her to the wolves.

Going for the Gold

Vending machines in South Korea don’t just sell soda and chips. With gold bars gaining popularity in the country, the precious metal has been making its way to convenience stores.

On Friday, GS Retail confirmed that sales of gold bars at its convenience stores totaled $19 million in the past nine months ending in May.

The gold bars, dispensed through vending machines, were introduced last September at five of its stores. The machines offer five sizes of gold bars, weighing 0.13 ounces to 1.3 ounces.

How much does a gold bar cost? Well, it depends on the day, fluctuating with the international valuation for gold.

“The most popular gold bar is the smallest, the 0.13-ounce one, which is currently priced at around $225,” a GS Retail representative said.

“People in their 20s and 30s appear to be the main buyers, purchasing physical gold as an investment vehicle, especially in times such as these, when its value is continuing to rise,” he added.

Inha University Professor Lee Eunhee noted that buying gold at a convenience store makes it a fun endeavor.

“A gold bar purchased at a convenience store seems more like something done in fun rather than as a means for serious investment. I believe the popularity of these gold bars is mainly due to its easy accessibility, at convenience stores no less,” she said.

A golden opportunity.

Only female mosquitoes can bite.

Around the Community

Rav Yitzchok Spiegel’s Sixth Grade Talmidim at Yeshiva Darchei Torah

Celebrated Their Siyum on Perek

Hamafkid with A Special Trip to Visit Tzadikim

Photos by Jacobs Photography

JCCRP Thanks NYPD

JCCRP delivered a delicious lunch from Traditions to the 101st NYPD Precinct in appreciation for keeping our Far Rockaway neighborhood safe. Thank you to the JCRC-NY and to the

NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crime for helping us show our appreciation and continue to build bridges in the community.

SHS Graduate Awardees

This year’s SHS Valedictorian, Shoshana Yarmish, has shown a staunch commitment to academic excellence throughout her high school career, displaying dedication and respect to her schoolwork, teachers, and classmates, without ever sacrificing her pleasant demeanor. In addition to her schoolwork, Shoshana has been involved in myriad clubs, initiatives, and chassadim, including Israel Activism Club, IMPACT Society, Mishmar Learning Program, CIJE robotics competitions, and Tomchei Shabbos. Her devotion to chessed earned her the role of Chessed Committee head. Shoshana plans to attend MMY next year, followed by Stern College, where she has received a Dean’s

Scholar Award and the Torah U’madda Book Award.

Michal Bezalely, SHS Salutatorian, is known for her quiet brilliance and ever present undertones of clever humor. As captain of Mock Trial, founder of Culture Club, reliable lab assistant, peer tutor, and member of IMPACT Society, she has left her mark on all departments of SHS. Never one to seek the spotlight, she chose to shine it on her classmates for two years of Production. Michal plans to attend Queens College and hopes to pursue a career in the medical field, using her easygoing personality and strengths in the sciences to support patients in times of need.

Miri Bohensky was chosen by her

classmates and teachers as the recipient of the Keter Shem Tov award. Her kindness, positivity, embracement of all fellow students, and personable demeanor made her an easy choice for this surprise award. A well-rounded student, Miri has participated in a wide variety of extracurricular activities, including aca-

demic clubs, chessed initiatives, and has starred in the SHS Production multiple times. Miri’s authenticity, humble use of her many talents, and love of learning and people exemplify the shem tov for which she is crowned.

Michal Bezalely Miri Bohensky Shoshana Yarmish

BYAM First Grade Community Fair

Would you like some ice cream? Some flowers? How about some candy or toys? These goodies, as well as many others, were found at the First Grade Community Fair at Bais Yaakov Ateres Miriam. The girls learned about communities and community helpers in their social studies curriculum. They learned about the concept of goods and services. Then they were each tasked with choosing either goods or a service and presenting their vision

to all the parents and their classmates. Some of the young entrepreneurs included a toy store vendor, a baker and an ice cream shop owner. On the services end, they offered their services as teachers, construction workers, and opticians, to name a few. One girl presented as a flight attendant complete with in-flight snacks! All in all, it was an enjoyable way to learn about this aspect of how communities function.

There was so much excitement when the children of HALB Lev Chana completed learning the aleph bet

At Sunday’s Grand Opening of the New Playground at Zion Park in Lawrence

4,000 Blatt Gemara in 6 Weeks at YOSS

Rabbi Greenberg’s shiur at Yeshiva of South Shore completed an extensive Chazara program. All

in all, over 8,000 Amudim of Masechet Sukkah were chazared by the talmidim in his shiur over a six week period. The

Chazaq Carnival Draws Nearly 2,000 Attendees

The Chazaq Annual Jewish Cultural Carnival last week exceeded expectations, creating a joyful and inclusive atmosphere that brought together a crowd of nearly 2,000 attendees. This vibrant celebration of Jewish heritage and culture captivated partic-

ipants of all ages with its wide range of attractions and activities.

From the moment the gates opened at Landers College for Men, the air buzzed with anticipation and excitement. Attendees were treated to a delightful array of entertainment. Bouncy houses, thrill-

ing rides, carnival games, and whimsical balloon animals provided endless fun for all. The carnival ambiance came alive with the sweet aroma of cotton candy and snow cones, adding to the festive atmosphere that fostered connections among people from various backgrounds. The presence of NYC Mayor Eric Adams added an extra layer of excitement to the Jewish Cultural Carnival. Mayor Adams not only addressed the crowd, expressing his appreciation for the rich Jewish heritage and the importance of cultural events in fostering unity, but he also actively engaged in the festivities. Mayor Adams took a ride on the slide, played carnival games, and even posed for pictures with many guests, creating unforgettable memories for both the attendees and himself.

The success of the Jewish Cultural Carnival was made possible by the generous support of Councilman James Gennaro, who helped fund the event, as well as the partners, including QJCC, JCCGCI, and NYC Cultural Affairs. Their ded-

ication to promoting cultural events in the community played a vital role in ensuring the carnival’s resounding success. Chazaq extends its heartfelt gratitude to the volunteers, staff, and participants who contributed to making the Jewish Cultural Carnival a memorable experience. Their dedication and enthusiasm helped create a sense of unity and celebration, aligning with Chazaq’s commitment to providing engaging and inclusive events that honor Jewish heritage and culture.

talmidim visited Sh’or Yoshuv and were received by the Rosh Hayeshiva, Rav Naftoli Jaeger, shlita, who spoke to the

students in learning and gave divrei Bracha.

HANC High School’s Closing Ceremony Celebrating Accomplishments

On Tuesday, June 6, HANC High students and faculty filled the school’s auditorium for this year’s Closing Ceremony. The program opened with remarks from Rabbi Slominicki followed by an awards presentation. To start the program, the Volleyball Championship team was invited to the front of the crowd to unveil the championship banner. The room was filled with applause as everyone was excited to see the newest addition to the wall of banners.

Principal Rabbi Eli Slomnicki introduced the awards with a special emphasis on the process of choosing recipients. These awards are a series of honors presented to students who stand out in areas that are valued at HANC. Faculty members nominated candidates for consideration and collectively selected the recipients. Each award went to one male and one female recipient. Each recipient of the ten awards will be added to the plaques adorning the second floor hallway.

The students who went above and beyond in their participation in chesed activities were Lee-El Messinger ‘24 and Yakov Weberman ‘25, who received the Rabbi Moshe & Rebbetzin Sandra Gottesman Chesed Award.

The Golda Meir Community & School Spirit Award went to Elana Max ‘25 and The Natan Sharansky Community & School Spirit Award went to Yosef Woznica ‘26, as students who exemplify “a strong commitment to the HANC community and [work] selflessly in order to foster inclusiveness and strengthen school spirit.” Students were also rec-

ognized for their “academic achievement, true intellectual curiosity, and a demonstrated commitment to increasing knowledge in various disciplines.”

Menachem Adler ‘25 received the Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook Passion for Education Award and Noa Ben-Hamo ‘24 received the Nechama Leibowitz Passion for Education Award.

Students with outstanding “determination and diligence and an unwavering commitment to advance academically” received The Rabbi Meyer & Rebbetzin Goldie Fendel Determination and Perseverance Award. Daniella Brun-Kessler ‘24 and Daniel Engelsohn ‘24 were the recipients.

The Ateret Shem and Keter Shem Tov was recognizes two students who demonstrate distinguished character and a strong commitment to leading a life of high ethical and moral standard consistent with Torah ideals and values. The recipients were Matan Galanti ‘25 and Bashi Lieberman ‘24.

The next series of awards was for Chesed. A Hebrew word for kindness, it is a term often used at HANC as students participate in community service activities throughout the school year and into the summer months. Although 15 hours per year are required by HANC, many students choose to continue their participation past their obligation. Bronze awards went to students who completed more than 25 chesed hours, silver awards to students who completed over 50 hours, and Gold awards were reserved for students who completed over 100 chesed hours.

This was followed by a humorous

game of Kahoot!, created by student life, which was played by all, with questions that highlighted activities from the past year. Magnum ice cream bars enjoyed by everyone.

In a separate presentation in College Guidance, Ms. Sheff and Ms. Schiano presented a series of awards recognizing students’ accomplishments.

These awards were given to the following juniors: Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award - Abigail Wunder; The Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award - Sigal Holtzman; George Eastman Young Leaders Award - Noa Ben-Hamo; Xerox Award for Innovation and Information Technology -Tehila Livi; Rensselaer Polytech Institute Medal Award - Daniel Engelsohn; The

Did you know?

Brandeis Book Award - Leora Stochel; Nassau County District Attorney Shield Award - Aviva Warsawsky; and Yeshiva University Torah U’Madah Book AwardJimmy Li and Gila Mathias.

The ceremony was an incredible success and created a sense of achdut among the students as they cheered for their peers who received awards. A tremendous yashar koach to all award recipients for their outstanding and exemplary performance.

The program concluded with a nostalgic year-in-review video presentation expertly prepared by the Student Life Team. Thank you for a fantastic year and wishing everyone much hatzlacha on finals and Regents exams.

Some female mosquitoes can drink their entire body weight in blood during a meal.

Supporting Single Moms

On a seemingly unspectacular Monday evening in the town of Woodmere, a group of single mothers gathered to celebrate an evening of relaxation and camaraderie. The air was filled with excitement as the Yismach Moshe Shul was transformed into a haven of tranquility and joy. All involved wanted to show their appreciation for these remarkable women.

The room was filled with the sounds of laughter and heartfelt conversations. These incredible women, who have faced the challenges of single parenthood with unwavering strength, were able to let their guard down and enjoy the company of others who understand their journey. Friendships were forged and bonds strengthened as they shared stories, advice, and anecdotes.

At the heart of the event, a long buffet table showcased an array of delectable dishes from our own Central Perk. The moms eagerly filled their plates, knowing that this evening was about indulging in the simple pleasures of life.

Throughout the room, talented and devoted volunteers pampered the mothers with jewelry from Rivka Friedman Jewelry and high-end makeup from Kiss and Make Up, allowing each mother to feel appreciated and beautiful.

Every mom received many gifts, specially selected to reflect their needs and wishes. The presents ranged from tie-dye sweatshirts and towels to beautiful glass mugs, wine glasses and canisters from Jay Companies. The expressions of surprise and gratitude on the moms’ faces were priceless, for they had seldom been on the receiving end of such thoughtful gestures.

The relaxed dinner event for single mothers, with an abundance of gifts, had not only provided them with an evening of well-deserved pampering but had also served as a powerful reminder that they were cherished and valued. It was a celebration of their resilience, strength, and unwavering dedication to their children.

We hope that this event becomes a tradition, a testament to the commitment of the community to uplift and support those in need. We’re confident that the stories of that enchanted evening will be told for years to come, inspiring kindness, generosity, and a spirit of unity in the hearts of all who hear about it.

JCCRP is grateful to UJA Federation of NY for their continuous and generous support of Success Space for Women, a huge community asset at JCCRP.

Mazal tov to HALB’s graduating class of 2023!

Yeshiva Ateres

Shimon 10th Annual Dinner

Gan Chamesh Hakhel Graduation Parade

The 10th Annual Dinner of Yeshiva Ateres Shimon of Far Rockaway under the leadership of HaRav Mordechai Groner was held Monday, June 19, at Marine Park Golf Course. The Guest of Honors were The Nikolsberg Rebbi, Rabbi Jungreis, Reb Nosson Yaffe, and Reb Joey Newcomb. A large number of people attended.

Gan Chamesh students and their families enjoyed a grand Hakhel Graduation Parade down Maple Avenue. It was a magnificent way to culminate the year of Torah learning while gathering together. The children repre -

sented Jews from all over the world, and each class carried the flags of the country they represented. The children came to Yerushalayim, united as one, and davened for the coming of Mashiach. Mazal tov to all the graduates!

The Parrot Rebbe Finds New Chassidim at Mercaz Academy’s ECC

The Parrot Rebbe visited the Early Childhood Center at Mercaz Academy in Plainview, educating and delighting the students with more than a dozen trained parrots. The Parrot Rebbe (shlita!) opened with Chuckles, a cockatoo that said hello to the children and danced to music (along with the Parrot Rebbe and Rabbi Fogel). Pairs of colorful parrots raced up ladders to the cheers of the children, flew to perches, and rested on the heads and shoulders of staff members. “The best way to show the

children that the parrots are nothing to be scared of is to demonstrate with the teachers. A teacher walking around with a parrot, showing the students up close, opens them up to interacting with the birds.”

The Parrot Rebbe, who is more formally known as Rabbi Nochem Guber, is a chassid living in Monsey who started collecting and caring for birds as a child. Now, he has amassed approximately one hundred exotic birds, and he takes his trained parrot show on the road to share

with children all over the tristate area.

During performances, the Parrot Rebbe wears his customary chassidic clothing, but his bekeshe sports a wild parrot print rather than the traditional black. “It does add to the simcha of the show, but it also makes it much easier for the parrots to spot me when they’re flying around, and many of my shows take place in crowds where everyone is wearing black.”

The show closed with most of the children posing for a photo with a parrot

on their heads. Several of the more timid students were happy to pose with the birds perched on the heads and shoulders of their teachers. The birds and the Parrot Rebbe basked in the wild applause and shrieks of joy from the excited three-, four-, and five-year-olds throughout the exciting performance, because “for me, it’s all about the kinderlach, the children.”

Photo by Ivan H Norman

HALB Celebrates Long-Serving Faculty Members

The Hebrew Academy of Long Beach (HALB) recently hosted a special dinner to honor the dedicated faculty members from its four esteemed divisions: Lev Chana Early Childhood Center, HALB Elementary School, SKA High School for Girls, and the DRS Yeshiva High School for Boys. The event served as a heartfelt tribute to those retiring from HALB after more than two decades of exceptional service, as well as to acknowledge the unwavering commitment of several longstanding employees.

The highlight of the evening was the recognition of eleven esteemed faculty members (Barbara Herman, Rabbi Eli Brazil, Bob Deutsch, Brocha Kresch, Barbara Martin, Rocky Green, Rabbi David Friedman, Helene Teper, Suzy Libin,

Sheila Leibtag, and Phyllis Gorfinkel) who bid farewell to HALB after dedicating more than 20 years of their lives to the institution. Colleagues and friends came together to deliver touching tributes to the honorees, expressing deep gratitude for their contributions to the HALB community. The retiring faculty members have left an indelible mark on HALB, shaping the lives of countless students throughout their distinguished careers.

In addition to honoring the retirees, HALB bestowed a special award and recognition upon 37 employees who have served the institution faithfully for over 25 years, including longtime HALB teacher Mrs Joan Meshenberg who has served HALB for 56 years! This remarkable achievement is a testament to their

unwavering dedication and loyalty to the institution.

The dinner provided an opportunity for the HALB community to come together and celebrate the collective accomplishments of these outstanding educators. Their tireless work and devotion have played a pivotal role in nurturing a supportive learning environment, fostering intellectual growth, and instilling

cherished values within the students of HALB.

As HALB bids farewell to these exceptional educators and celebrates the remarkable careers of its long-serving employees, the institution looks forward to continuing its mission of inspiring generations of students to excel academically, grow spiritually, and become future leaders in their communities.

The kindergarten siyumim at Siach Yitzchok

Talmidim of Rabbi Mendelson’s Shiur End Year With Annual Trips

Rabbi Mendelson’s eleventh-grade shiur at MTA has been busy this entire year. To celebrate their end-of-year accomplishments, the talmidim went on a couple meaningful trips with their rebbi to mark the occasion. One such trip was to visit the shul of Rav Aharon Kahn, Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshiva University, where over 100 ba’al habatim spend their mornings learning, before

heading to work in the afternoon. It is an incredible sight, seeing so many adults in the professional world who have dedicated their mornings to Torah learning before heading to the workplace. This practice has now been adopted in other Shuls, and we hope it will continue to spread. The talmidim enjoyed a BBQ at Rabbi Mendelson’s home following this visit.

Another trip that has become a tradition in Rabbi Mendelson’s shiur is taking a trip to the Little Red Lighthouse. There is a children’s book that was written about this lighthouse, and it is located on the New York side, at the base of the George Washington Bridge. Walking the few blocks from the Yeshiva and being treated to a beautiful view of the East River at the base of the bridge is al-

Five Towns/Far Rockaway Jewish Library

Many children have a turning point in their lives when they begin to read, not just as a school requirement but because they find reading fun! That happened to me in fifth grade when I started reading A to Z Mysteries and Junie B Jones. One day, my mother started taking me to the Five Towns/Far Rockaway Jewish Library. After that, I read many Jewish children’s series books, like Bakers Dozen and Burksfield Bikes Club. The library always had a quiet and pleasant atmosphere and

the shelves were stocked with books.

I am still going to the Five Towns/ Far Rockaway Library, although quite a few things have changed and many awesome things have stayed the same since my childhood days. The shelves are still filled with the latest books, although they moved to a bigger location in order to have enough room for all the books. Every time I go, a new novel, comic, or biography is on the shelf. The atmosphere is still quiet and pleasant. The yearly membership is still just $25 a year for 8 books.

That leaves me with 8 different genres I can pick to read from for the two weeks after that!

The library is still open every Sunday morning from 10 AM to 12 PM and Tuesday evening from 7 PM to 9 PM, although they hope to extend their hours. I am no longer reading Bakers Dozen or Burksfield Bikes Club, but I am still enjoying books from the Five Towns/Far Rockaway Library.

Stop by one day and check it out for yourself! The Library is located in the big

ways a highlight. To cap off the trip, the talmidim stop for pizza and doughnuts on their return to the Yeshiva University campus.

Thank you Rabbi Mendelson for helping our talmidim grow in their Torah learning throughout the year and treating them to unique experiences as well!

spacious room on the lower floor of 25 Central Ave (Shaaray Tefila) in Lawrence, NY. They have a special membership rate for families who join now! It is only fifteen dollars for eight books from now till the end of the year! The library is also looking for volunteers to come organize books, check books in and out, and just hang around! You can get a free membership like that!

Can’t wait to see you there!

Mazal tov to HALB’s Kindergarten graduates. Each class had their own graduation, and the children are very excited to join Big HALB next year for first grade

Hachnasas Sefer Torah at Congregation Tifereth Zvi, Rabbi Chatzinoff ’s shul, in Cedarhurst. The Torah was dedicated l’zecher nishmas Mark Rosenbach, a”h, by his family.

Rambam’s Class of 2023

Rambam Mesivta graduated its 27th class on June 19, 2023, to the rousing applause of faculty, staff, parents, family members and students.

North Woodmere resident Azaria Sussman, the class valedictorian, spoke about the people he has met who have had a tremendous impact on their communities.

“When you meet people who do extraordinary things and see how ordinary they are, you realize you too can make an impact on the things you care about,” Azaria said, exhorting the class to use their strengths to better the world.

Rabbi Yotav Eliach, principal of Rambam Mesivta, spoke to the graduates about making the most of their experience at yeshivot in Israel next year.

“Next year is about immersing yourself in the study, culture, and practice of

Torah. Nowhere is better suited for this than Eretz HaKodesh – Medinat Yisrael!” Rabbi Eliach said.

In addition to the valedictorian, Benjamin Gross of Cedarhurst was named as salutatorian and Gavriel Friedman of Brooklyn was the recipient of the Keter

Shem Tov award.

The graduates were: Eli Bruckenstein, Ami Dube, Boaz Duftler, Zev David Engelsohn, Gavriel Friedman, Shmuli Glick, Benjamin Gross, Joseph Kalbo, Tzvi Katz, Yehudah Kestenbaum, Noam Klein, Moshe Kopolovich, Yaacov Lazar,

Marcello Mimun, Mordechai Newman, Yitzhak Nissani, Meir Perl, Chai Redner, Akiva Roffe, Yehuda Rumstein, Yaakov Schaffran, Joseph Shedlo, David Stricker, Azaria Sussman, Samuel Vulakh, Menachem Weiss and Ari Zuntz.

HALB’s fifth grade girls put on a beautiful Navi performance highlighting all they learned this year

Azaria Sussman

Benjamin Gross Gavriel Friedman

The Great Diamond Heist Sparkles

What are the key components of an awesome event for singles?

Comfortable ways to meet. Interactive and fun.

Good food.

Great people (of course!).

That’s exactly what made “The Great Diamond Heist” such a successful evening on Sunday, June 18.

It also happened to be remarkable with its unique “mystery” program.

Hosted at Young Israel of Woodmere, in collaboration with YUConnects, the night was a “murder mystery” revolving around a museum’s stolen diamond exhibit. Audience members were selected as potential suspects or crime-solving detectives in this entertaining and immersive experience. A professional acting duo from The Murder Mystery Co. facilitated the show and encouraged

the participants to interview each other as they uncovered clues and worked in teams to solve the crime.

“I loved that I was able to approach people in the room so easily and have something to discuss,” said one young woman. Another 28-year-old man agreed, “It was a great way to meet without feeling awkward at all.”

Even once the suspect was “apprehended” and dessert was served, the mingling continued. “The custodians of the Young Israel of Woodmere finally shoo-ed everyone out!” laughed one of the organizers. Many participants have already expressed mutual interest in each other, and a group of matchmakers are arranging further introductions this week.

The Young Israel of Woodmere’s popular YIWMeet committee organizes

YCQ Class of 2023 Commencement

several events a year allowing multiple meeting opportunities for daters. “The Great Diamond Heist” was sponsored by the Linda Mitgang a”h family as well as Isser Fruchter of KG&F Diamonds. Most of the Young Israel’s programs in the past few years have resulted in scores of dates and a number of engagements.

YUConnects, open to the Jewish com-

munity, offers unique social activities, targeted matchmaking and educational programs to foster healthy relationships toward marriage. Approaching its 600th engagement, YUConnects welcomes further inquiries by visiting www.yuconnects.com or emailing yuconnects@ yu.edu

The Yeshiva of Central Queens hosted its annual commencement for the Class of 2023 on Thursday, June 15 at the state- of-the-art Queensborough Performing Arts Center.

Ninety-seven students dressed in blue and white caps and gowns kicked off the evening with a procession down the aisles as proud family members looked on. Rabbi Moshe Hamel led the packed auditorium in renditions of the American and Israeli national anthems.

Over the course of the evening, Principal Mark Landsman, President of the Board of Trustees Dr. Joel Wein, and Associate Principal of General Studies K-8 Mrs. Melissa Cohen addressed the graduates. They offered words of Torah, encouragement, and praise for the students as they take their next steps.

Student speakers included Valedictorians Esther Inoyatov and Assaf Davidov, Salutatorians Michelle Allayev, Aylea Moussaieff, and Michael Zavulun, and Keter Shem Tov Awardees Avital Levy and Adam Kaykov. The students thanked

faculty, family, and friends for helping shape who they are today.

The night continued with respective performances by the boys and girls. Led by Morah Mashie Kapelowitz and Morah Tali Brody, the talmidot wowed the crowd with an impressively choreographed daglanut. The boys performed a series of songs that were arranged and conducted by Rabbi Ophie Nat.

The crowd was then taken for a journey through time with a heartwarming video montage created by Mrs. Jeniffer Jaffe. Fond memories from over the many years in YCQ were compiled and displayed as the students looked on, recalling the shared moments they experienced together.

Diplomas were then awarded by Rabbi Landsman, Rabbi Yaakov Lonner, Rabbi Hamel, Mrs. Esther Lowinger, Rabbi Joshua Rohr, Mrs. Melissa Cohen, Rabbi Avraham Kovitz, Mr. Israel Glaser, Dr. Wein, Mrs. Julie Faska, and Dr. Eliana Langbaum.

A collation back at YCQ concluded the memorable night. Graduation was an ex-

clamation point to conclude a wonderful year and to recognize all of the amazing talmidim and talmidot of the Yeshiva of Central Queens. Mazal tov!

On Tuesday, June 13, the PTO hosted their annual Superette at YCQ. After a delicious dinner catered by Claire’s Kosher Kitchen, the main program of the evening began.

Rabbi Landsman welcomed everyone with a d’var Torah and then passed the microphone to Mrs. Jennifer Jaffe who honored Morah Maxine Lipshitz upon her retirement and thanked her for over 30 years of dedication to YCQ. Morah Max first worked in the Early Childhood Program before transitioning to her current role as school Photographer.

Mrs. Esther Lowinger then offered words of appreciation about Mrs. Heather Finkel, our longtime English Language Arts teacher in the Junior High School. In addition to the devotion Mrs. Finkel showed in the classroom, she was also instrumental in leading countless programs, including Names, Not Numbers and for publishing a beautiful yearbook

each year.

Mrs. Tamar Turk, one of our dedicated First Grade teachers, was praised by Mrs. Melissa Cohen for all her efforts in helping our students at a crucial juncture in their education.

Mrs. Valerie Olsen then spoke about Mrs. Rachel Stern, a former PTO President and Board Member. She was thanked for her ongoing support of our yeshiva and her major role in helping the PTO become the amazing and supportive organization it is today.

Lastly, Ms. Ashley Landsberg, YCQ graduate, and daughter of Mr. Simon Landsberg, thanked her father for his work as past PTO president and his dedication to the role.

The evening concluded with an entertaining performance by magician David Rosenfeld. Special thank you to Mrs. Penina Nussbaum, the Superette Committee Chair and her committee for organizing such a wonderful evening. Thanks to Mrs. Julie Faska and Dr. Eliana Langbaum, the PTO CO-Presidents, and for all their efforts as well.

YU Connects-A few of the Young Israel of Woodmere volunteers at the event

Hagaon Rav Hillel David Graces Siyumim of Seventh Grade

Hagaon Rav Hillel David, rav of Beis Medrash Yeshiva Shaarei Torah (Brooklyn), visited Yeshiva Darchei Torah’s Middle School in honor

Hello Hamaspik! Carnival This Sunday

Hey Five Towns and Far Rockaway! Join us this Sunday at the JCC on Central Avenue in Lawrence from 12 pm - 5 pm for a day of free fun for the entire family! The Hello Hamaspik! carnival event will feature non-stop action with something exciting for kids of every age and stage: Eli Marcus concert, Uncle Moishy, pizza & french fries, cotton candy, face painting, Dr. Schnitzel Wacky Science Show, balloon sculpting, clowns, fire jugglers, clowns on stilts, inflat-

ables, arcades, slush, virtual reality, jewelry making, popcorn…and more.

This event is our way of connecting with and saying hello to the community while spreading awareness about life-altering services available at no cost to those with special needs. Join us for a day of fantastic fun while helping to spread this awareness.

See you Sunday!

Yeshiva Darchei Torah’s fourth graders created original exhibits on Colonial-era American life

of Rav Frischman’s seventh grade completing Gemara Makkos and, collectively, Shisha Sidrei Mishnah.

Rabbi Moshe Shonek with his eighth grade class at their end of the year barbecue

Madraigos

Guys Lounge BBQ

As the 2022-23 Madraigos Guys Lounge season came to an end, weekly participants enjoyed a BBQ and Pool Party at the home of a dedicated Madraigos friend. The evening was a celebration of a successful year at the Lounge and the multi-level growth that was demonstrated among participants.

Mr. Meyer Appel, who graciously opened his beautiful home in Woodmere for this endof-year get-together, was eager to enhance The Lounge program and uplift its participants with a special night out. Showing off their culinary talents, the guys became BBQ chefs for the evening and thoroughly enjoyed their own fare. Games, great prizes, and music fleshed out the picture for the evening.

Commented Mr. Appel, “Madraigos is a holy institution. Giving support to our young will bring a stronger community. As a community, it is our responsibility to ensure the safety and success of the next generation.”

One participant remarked, “We had a blast! It was the best night of the year!”

The Guys Lounge provides weekly fun, great food, and most importantly, a place to engage in valuable discussions with professionally trained social work staff. Oneon-one conversations as well as group discussions on relevant timely topics are

thought-provoking and empowering. The goal is to highlight the strengths of participants and allow their opinion to be heard and received. Through the genuine interest shown to each and every participant, guys feel they have someone who they can approach on anything from daily struggles to major crises. These relationships have a profound effect on the participants, giving them confidence and belief in themselves. Local youth know they have a place where they can relax, feel appreciated and secure, and grow at the same time.

As one participant described it, “The Lounge is a safe and accepting place. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without it.”

Madraigos runs a similar program for girls on different nights called Girls Ignight. Each program has a different demographic with a unique focus that meets the specific needs of the participants.

Madraigos is looking forward to the guys returning to The Lounge next year and welcoming many new participants for the 202324 season. For more information about The Guys Lounge, please contact Avromi Meyer, Guys Lounge Coordinator, at ameyer@ madraigos.org. To learn more about all of Madraigos’ programs and services, visit www.madraigos.org

At Sh’or Yoshuv’s 56th Annual Dinner

The White Shul Youth Department celebrated the end of the year with a gala BBQ and carnival

5TLL Playoffs

It was an intense Semi-Finals week at the 5TLL by FM Home Loans this past Sunday, as the teams vied for a spot in the World Series! There were some high-scoring games and a few late game dramatics, as the boys understood the stakes and played their hearts out.

K/P Baseball & Soccer Highlights

K/P Baseball: All the boys in our KP baseball division received trophies for their incredible play & improvement throughout the season.

K/P Soccer: Maidenbaum capped off

an incredible season, as they defeated a tough Wieder Orthodontics team to claim the title. The boys played stellar defense, holding a high powered Wieder Orthodontics offense to just 1 goal, as they won 3-1. A big thanks to Coach Eli Jaroslawicz who, with fiery passion and devotion, helped the boys improve their skills throughout the season on their way to a championship victory. Asked after the game Eli said: “The boys put in the time and effort and it showed as we are crowned 2023 champs.”

1st/2nd Soccer: Shana B. Interiors grinded it out and defeated Wieder Orthodontics Sunday in their exhibition matchup. Wieder was awarded the 1st place trophies on Sunday for defeating Shana B. in two 5-game series this season. Shana B. was awarded 2nd place trophies for their great play and improvement.

Minors (1st-3rd) Baseball Highlights

1st Grade: Rafi Jeger, the viral Lakewood sensation, continued his incredible play, leading Maidenbaum to a 19-12 over Island Roofing and a spot in the World Series.

2nd Grade: Shimmy Biegelson’s 3-run DINGER was the difference as Westwood Realty narrowly defeated Nojo Promo 9-8 in an incredible game. Wieder Orthodontics donned their rally caps for an incredible comeback. Down by 8 runs in the 4th, the team led by Coach Motti Gottlieb never gave up. Moishy Sebrow tripled to bring in a few runs and then, in the bottom of the last inning, Shua Jacobowitz hit a WALK-OFF single to send Wieder Orthodontics to the World Series.

3rd Grade: Avi Abramson made the play of the game as Town Appliance defeated Wieder Orthodontics and earned the right to face off against a formidable Stone Group team in the World Series.

Majors (4th & up) Baseball Highlights

4th Grade: Alpert Financial upset the #1 seeded, undefeated CG Flooring 10-2 to earn a spot in the World Series. Dovid Sipzner of Alpert Financial had the play of the game with an incredible throw to Levi Jeger who athletically applied the tag to end an inning with runners on.

5th Grade: Moshe Ackerman came to play Sunday, leading his team to a decisive 9-2 victory over Carving Block. They

earned the right to face the #1 seeded, undefeated Town Appliance (led by rookie coach Yehuda Markovitz) in the World Series.

6th Grade: Shaya Kohn’s bat was RED HOT, going 4-4, as BayRock poured it on for 16 runs as they cruised to the World Series against a strong Stone Group squad.

7th/8th Grade: Wieder Orthodontics broke the game open in the 6th and closed the door in the 7th, defeating a tough Posh Home + Bath squad 15-7. Moishe Jacobs went 4-4 with 2 homeruns and closed out the game on the mound, as Elegant Lawns offense exploded for 21 runs to win and advance to the World Series.

5TLL World Series

Monday night was the World Series by FM Home Loans for all 1st grade and up little league divisions.

Minors (1st-3rd) Baseball Highlights

1st Grade: Team Maidenbaum led by rookie coach Yitzchak Schattner claimed the World Series crown for the 1st grade division, defeating the #1 seed Built By Nate. Dovid Schattner made some incredible plays in the field and at the plate and Levi Jeger smashed a 3-run home run in the win.

2nd Grade: The 2nd grade division saw the top 2 seeded teams, Westwood Realty and Wieder Orthodontics face off in an instant classic. Wieder jumped out to an early lead but Aryeh Kopelowitz smashed a GRAND-SLAM for Westwood to take the lead. Wieder Orthodontics however came back and tied it up again but Yiti Schlanger of Westwood Realty knocked in the go-ahead winning run to give Westwood Realty the title. Coach Shmuel Flegmann adds to his 5TLL/JSL trophy collection with another great season.

3rd Grade: The 3rd grade World Se -

ries was a nail-biter. In a back-and-forth battle, Town Appliance took a 2-run lead into the last inning, but in the bottom of the 6th, Momo Friedman hit a 2 run triple to tie the game at 7 to 7. Elimelech Gitelis then hit a WALK-OFF single to secure the World Series trophy.

Majors (4th & up) Baseball Highlights

4th Grade: Alpert Financial’s bats came alive when it mattered the most as their offense exploded for 13 runs in the game. Combined with incredible defense,

led by Akiva Meir Hildeshaim at 1st base, Dovid Sipzner and incredible pitching by Shaul Nathan, Alpert Financial could not be stopped - rolling to 13-3 victory over Maidenbaum.

5th Grade: The top 2 teams in the division battled it out for the World Series trophy in what was a great game. The game went back and forth, and the teams were tied up 7-7 heading into the last inning when Binyamin Rostker knocked the GAME-WINNING solo shot to put Town Appliance up 8-7. Town Ap -

pliance’s defense held strong to end the game and claim the World Series title.

6th Grade: Led by coach Shmuel Salomon, the North-Woodmere dominant BayRock Insurance team capped off an incredible season, with BayRock owner & 5TLL/JSL coach extraordinaire Dovy Schwadel, narrowly defeating a tough opponent in Stone Group 5-3. Dov Salamon continued his pitching excellence with 4 1-hit no-run innings on the mound and Shomo Rendler’s and Davey Fishler’s bats came alive for multiple RBI’s. Eliya-

hu Wicentowsky made some sports-center worthy plays in the outfield and Yaakov Kopelowitz worked out of a jam in the last inning, striking out the final batter to give BayRock the title.

7th/8th Grade: Elegant Lawns & Wieder Orthodontics faced off in the World Series for the oldest division. The game started out as a pitcher’s duel with great defense by both teams, but Elegant Lawns bats could not be quieted for long. They came alive for 6 runs in the 4th inning to take a 7-1 lead. However, with the sun slowly setting on the 5TLL 2023 season, Wieder Orthodontics who started off the regular season slowly and heated up towards the end of the season, did the same in the World Series – as they came alive in the final inning to mount a rally. They scored 2 runs and then loaded up the bases with one out but Avraham “don’t swing high” Twersky caught the line drive up the middle and stepped on 2nd to record the World Series-ending walk-off double play, giving Elegant Lawns the World Series title.

SKA Seniors Travel to Lake George

By Rosie Ash and Arielle Rosman

SKA seniors began their long anticipated Senior Trip to Lake George, New York, on Monday, June 5. The three packed days started off with white water rafting, where the students had the opportunity to enjoy the gorgeous waters while riding huge rapids. It was such an exciting way to start off the trip! Following rafting, everyone headed to the Great Escape Lodge where they would be staying for the duration of the trip. After a delicious, hot dinner, the students enjoyed the water park located inside the hotel. The girls then went back to their rooms to get ready to head to The Fun Spot where they enjoyed race car driving, mini golf, laser tag and so much more. The girls were exhausted from their fun-filled day, yet they were excited to see what awaited them for the next!

Day number two of SKA’s Senior Trip began with a bang. A delicious breakfast was served and then off the girls went to

the most thrilling ropes course. Students climbed through the course and even enjoyed some zip lines. After the ropes course, the seniors headed to the most stunning lake equipped with kayaks, rowboats, paddle boards and even jet skis. Each student found something that they enjoyed doing and were so sad when it was time to leave. But the day only got better! On the way back to the hotel, everyone stopped into Riley’s Gift Shop where souvenirs such as hoodies and t-shirts were available for all to buy. After dinner, everyone headed to bowling.

Whether it was bowling a strike or dancing to music, the seniors had an amazing time being together. When the students returned, they were in for a surprise when cholent and kugel were in the hotel lobby waiting to be given out. The night concluded with a meaningful kumzitz, filled with singing and warm reflections on the past four years.

Wednesday, bright and early, began the final and third day of the Senior Trip. Students davened, ate breakfast, packed delicious salads for lunch, and headed to Six Flags, where they enjoyed rides while

spending time with their friends. Whether one enjoyed roller coasters or carousels, everyone had a blast!

SKA’s Senior Trip exceeded everyone’s expectations! Thank you to Rabbi Yosef Zakutinsky, Mrs. Yafa Storch and everyone else who helped make this trip happen. And of course, a special thank you to the chaperones: Rabbi Zak, Mrs. Shira Englander, Mrs. Paghit Ralbag, Mrs. Debra Green and Ms. Lisa Fogel. What an amazing way to end off the incredible senior year!

JCCRP Delivers to Holocaust Survivors

JCCRP home-delivered food packages to 200 Holocaust survivors in Far Rockaway last week. Many thanks to our volunteers, including Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato, who assisted us in delivering packages

of meats, chickens, and more. Thank you to our community supporters of this important program including Claims Conference, NYC DFTA and UJA Federation of NY.

Siyum Mishnayos at YSZ

Last Sunday, YSZ held a celebration for the fourth grade talmidim, who achieved great success in memorizing the Mishnayos. Proud parents filled the ballroom to listen to their sons reciting the Mishnayos from memory. The boys also sang songs related to the topics they had learned, led by Rabbi Azizi, the chazzanut teacher. The event concluded with a joyful dance celebration to honor the boys’ achievements. YSZ is extremely proud of our fourth grade talmidim!

Did you know?

Mosquitoes are the world’s deadliest animals, killing almost 1 million people a year.

Netzach Wins MYHSAL JV Softball Championship

Congratulations to the MYHSAL JV Softball Champion Netzach Knights. The fairytale run for Netzach was completed this past Sunday, as they were crowned champions after beating MAY by a score of 5-0 in the championship game. Championship MVP was awarded to Star Pitcher Avi Kurtz, who pitched yet another spectacular shutout game, had three hits at the plate and led his team the whole way on this special run. Outfielder Shlomo Mermelstein got the scoring started for Netzach with a 2 run RBI Triple in the top of the first inning, Catcher Yisroel Davidson knocked in 2 runs with an RBI double in the top of the fourth, and Second Basemen Duvie Wechter drove in a run with an RBI Double in the top of

the fifth. As has been the case for Netzach throughout this postseason run, the play in the field was flawless. Outfielders Mittman, Mermelstein, Levy and Barron were unbelievable and made play after play. In the in-field, 3B Gestetner, SS Light, 2B Wechter, 1B Hershkowitz and Catcher Davidson were incredible as well. DH’s Adar, Neuman, Futersak and Berg all played huge roles hitting down the stretch. Netzach Coaches Reich, Davidson and Gestetner did an outstanding job, as the tremendous growth and improvement from each player and as a team were evident as the season progressed.

Huge underdogs from the outset of the season, Netzach went on to shock a lot of people and finished the regular season

with a 6-2 record. They went on to beat Darchei 1-0 in the Quarterfinals thanks to playoff hero Duvie Wechter’s walk-off homer, they traveled all the way to Deal, NJ, and knocked off the previously unde -

feated Hillel in the Semifinals by a score of 2-0, and now, Netzach finished it off in style with yet another shutout victory, this time in the big game.

Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services Hosts Chanukas Habayis

Shortly before Pesach, eight women with developmental disabilities moved into a newly-renovated home in Cedarhurst, NY, which was made possible by Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services. Last weekend, Ohel hosted a housewarming for the women, with the help of local elected officials, family members, neighbors, Ohel Board members and staff.

During a short program, Jay Kestenbaum, Ohel Co-President, said, “I have lived in the Five Towns for over 50 years, and this community continues to flourish. I remember landmark buildings like Congregation Beth Shalom and when Young Israel of Lawrence Cedarhurst was built. This new Ohel home is an addition to landmark buildings that this community will know for many years.”

Reuven Moskowitz shared with guests his connection to Ohel and this home where his sister Deena lives. “For me to know that my sister is being cared for in such a warm and loving place is very special. This doesn’t happen if you don’t have Ohel; it doesn’t happen if you don’t have dedicated staff, neighbors, and all the families who have helped to pull this together.”

In addition, Deputy Mayor Ari Brown on behalf of Mayor Ben Weinstock, joined by Village Trustees Israel Wasser and Daniel Plaut and Village Administrator Salvatore Evola was on hand to share a proclamation, which read in part, “Whereas, this remarkable initiative provides a safe and nurturing environment for individuals with developmental disabilities, empowering them to live full

and enriching lives; and Whereas, the newly established home not only serves as a residence but also as a platform for invaluable training opportunities, enabling these individuals to acquire essential skills and enhance their independence, underscoring the commitment of the Village of Cedarhurst to the importance of supporting individuals with developmental disabilities.”

After the program, the invited guests mingled in the home’s lovely backyard and enjoyed a light lunch, deepening relationships among all who support these women, new members of the Cedarhurst community.

One of Ohel’s priorities is empowering adults with disabilities to live independently. The organization offers residences like this home and apartments

throughout Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and Nassau County. For more information, visit ohelfamily.org and follow Ohel on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Reuven Moskowitz addresses the crowd of well-wishers

The women and staff of the Cedarhurst residence

David Mandel, Israel Wasser, Deputy Mayor Ari Brown, Daniel Plaut, Salvatore Evola, and Jay Kestenbaum listen as Deputy Mayor Brown reads the official proclamation

Inspiration at Siyum on Sefer Chovos Halevavos at Home of Rav Don Segal, Shlita

By Chaim Gold

“I feel such a sense of chibah, of love, for this gathering of avreichim who have taken upon themselves the learning of daily mussar with a program. Of course, we are so fortunate in our generation to see the tremendous increase in limud haTorah hakedosha, nevertheless, this gathering has an additional component that makes it special. Today, we are celebrating the combination of learning mussar with Torah. When Torah learning is complemented by the learning of mussar, it is a different Torah learning!”

Those were the words of the venerated Mashgiach, HaGaon HaTzaddik HaRav Don Segal, shlita, at a unique gathering in his home to celebrate the completion of the Sefer Chovos Halevavos in Dirshu’s Kinyan Chochma Mussar program, together with the commencement of the Sefer Orchos Tzaddikim

Dirshu’s Kinyan Chochma Mussar program was established six years ago at the Dirshu Convention in Stamford, Connecticut. Its purpose was to elevate lomdei Torah in their avodas hamiddos and grant them the extra push that is specifically needed in our generation in the constant battle against the yetzer hara. The program follows a daily mussar calendar with limudim from the classical mussar sefarim such as the Chovos Halevavos, Mesilas Yesharim, Orchos Tzaddikim, Tomer Devorah, Shaarei Teshuva, Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avos, and Orchos Chaim L’Harosh.

Sequel to a Meeting

Just a few months ago, at the end of Shevat, a special asifa was held at the home of the gadol hador, HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein, zt”l, who recently passed away. Rav Don, who attended that meeting, played an integral role in encouraging the learning of mussar. That meeting was attended by many senior mashgichim from Eretz Yisrael. Rav Gershon himself, despite his weakness, delivered a drasha, passionately encouraged that every avreich should make daily mussar an integral part of his schedule, and then praised the Dirshu Kinyan Chochma program as an important vehicle to achieve that purpose.

The more recent meeting held at the home of Rav Don Segal was a sequel to

the original meeting in Rav Gershon’s home. Rav Don was deeply gratified that the Sefer Chovos Halevavos had just been completed by thousands who were now embarking on the Sefer Orchos Tzaddikim.

At the meeting in the home of Rav Don, a group of those who had recently completed the Sefer Chovos Halevavos was present along with senior members of Dirshu’s hanhala led by Dirshu’s Nasi, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita, who also addressed the gathering.

The Mussar Obligation

Rav Don explained that limud hamussar is something that every single Jew is obligated to engage in, yet, at the same time, it is especially significant when talmidei chachomim who learn Torah all day make the time to learn mussar. Why? Because when everyone sees that even talmidei chachomim who are engaged in spiritual matters all day also attach great importance to the learning of mussar, they will realize how important it is for them as well.

Not only that, Rav Don continued, but if a talmid chochom wants his Torah learning to stand by him and imbue him with the kedusha and tahara that Torah learning accomplishes it can only be done when coupled with limud hamussar and yiras shomayim. In fact, the Mishnah tells us that only when ones yiras Shomayim precedes his chochma, will his Torah learning leave a lasting impact.

The Common Denominator

Then, in a voice full of emotion, Rav Don exclaimed, “Do you know how great Rav Chaim of Volozhin was in Torah?! He was the primary talmid of the Vilna Gaon, he was the founder of the Volozhiner Yeshiva and yet he writes that if a talmid

chochom is in the middle of learning and feels that he is somewhat cooling off in his yiras shomayim, do you know what he should do? He is allowed to stop his learning and learn some mussar until he feels that he has strengthened himself in yiras shomayim. Only then can he return to his learning! That is how important learning mussar is!”

Rav Don then continued with a fascinating story about the father of Tshebiner Rav, whose name was Rav Yaakov, the rav of Horimlov. Rav Yaakov or Rav Yekele, as he was fondly called, was one of the greatest gaonin of his time. He never forgot anything he learned and his gaonus was simply astounding even in his generation.

“He once met with the famed Divrei Chaim of Sanz, who was also a great gaon, and they began talking in learning. Before long, a raging Torah debate ensued between the two gaonim. They were so deeply immersed in the intricacies of the sugya that Rav Yaakov was surprised when in the middle the Divrei Chaim grabbed his peyos and said, ‘Yekele, do you remember that there is a Borei Olam?!’

“This was the same Divrei Chaim who prepared for tekias shofar on Rosh Hashana by learning a deep sugya in the Sefer Ketzos Hachoshen. What was he saying?! Even in the midst of learning the deepest sugya, a Yid cannot forget about Hashem! His yiras shomayim must always be foremost.”

Rav Segal expressed his tremendous satisfaction that so many people were learning mussar in the program and that they were now starting the Sefer Orchos Tzaddikim, a sefer that is based on many other earlier mussar works from various Rishonim that are brought down in easy-

to-read, concise language making it easier to absorb the lessons.

Dirshu also has made available recorded shiurim on the Sefer Orchos Tzadikim delivered by Rav Zev Smith, shlita, Maggid Shiur, Dirshu Daf HaYomi B’Halacha and Irgun Shiurei Torah. They can be accessed by calling Kol Halashon at 718-906-6449 3-1.

The Best Insurance Policy

He then concluded that it is important that younger people have older mussar role models to watch and emulate. “When I learned in the Ponovezh Yeshiva there were several elder talmidei chachomim and tzaddikim who did not have official jobs in the yeshiva but whom the Ponovezher Rav fully supported so they should be in the beis medrash and serve as role models for the talmidim on how a person with true yiras shomayim conducts himself. I remember there was a Yid named R’ Leizer. He had been a maggid shiur in Slabodka before the war. When the Rav asked the Chazon Ish if he should buy an insurance policy for the yeshiva, the Chazon Ish replied that, “As long as Reb Leizer is learning there, you don’t need insurance. He is the best insurance policy.”

Indeed, perhaps the best insurance policy that anyone can have is to incorporate daily learning of mussar into his schedule.

Don’t wait. Now is the time to join Kinyan Chochma. With just a few minutes of learning Kinyan Chochma per day, your whole day will be transformed.

For information on how to join Kinyan Chochma and to receive a copy of the day’s limud, please call Dirshu at 1-888-5Dirshu or email info@kolleldirshu.org

HaRav Don Segal imparting divrei chizuk at the Kinyan Chochma Asifa

HANC Elementary Graduates

It has been a week of celebration at HANC’s Samuel and Elizabeth Bass Golding’s Elementary School in West Hempstead. Each morning, the HANC auditorium filled up with parents and grandparents who gathered to celebrate a spectacular year of learning with their accomplished Kindergarten children. As the students proudly walked in, accompanied by the joyful music of HANC’s talented music teacher, Mrs. Kari Levine, the look of pride on the audience members’ faces was priceless. With full hearts and much enthusiasm, the children spoke their parts confidently, sang wholeheartedly and danced in their spectacular presentations about all that they had learned in Kindergarten and their gratitude to Hashem. The children truly filled the room with so much nachat and happiness and left the audience bursting with pride. While they acknowledged the many staff members that have helped them throughout the year, special thanks

go to their amazing teachers: Morah Rebecca Nenner, Morah Aliza Rosenblum, Morah Batell Damari, Morah Rebecca Weiss, Morah Chavazelet Graber, Morah Helene Barsky and Morah Laura Wenig.

At the conclusion of the delightful performances, the children were blessed with encouraging messages from the administration, including Rabbi Ouriel Hazan, Director of HANC’s West Hempstead campuses, Ms. Barbara Deutsch, Associate Principal, and Mrs. Michal Wasser, Assistant Principal. Each child was then presented with a diploma and a special gift from the school.

For the rest of the students at HANC, the conclusion of the school year was filled with many fun activities. One very meaningful event was the first ever “Readapalooza,” where second and fourth graders were paired as reading buddies.

Each child was charged with picking a favorite book to share with their new buddy. The children took turns reading to

each other and discussed the plot and characters that appeared in their books. One of the goals of the event was to experience new books and series as well as make some new friends in other grades. Great book talks were happening as the children discussed what happened next or shared book recommendations with their new friends. The fourth graders brought beach towels to sit on, and ev-

eryone brought a snack to munch on and share with their friends. Afterwards, the children were asked, “What was the best thing about today?” Some of their responses included: Getting to read to each other, meeting new friends, snacking together, and learning about new books to read. This experience will surely inspire the children to enjoy reading over the summer, and to share what they have read with their family and friends.

Yeshiva Darchei Torah’s Binyomin Klein a”h Morning Kollel – comprised of Beis Medrash bachurim – at their recent mesibah.

L-R: Rav Shimon Dov Notis, maggid shiur; Rav Shlomo Avigdor Altusky, Rosh Yeshiva; and Mr. Motty Klein, co-chairman of YDT’s board of trustees and founder of the Morning Kollel

Mesivta Chaim Shlomo ninth graders Uriel Cohen and Ephraim Siegel holding one of five projects presented by Darchei Torah students at the CIJE (Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education) Innovation Day in East Rutherford, NJ. Theirs is a device that would allow homeowners to generate electricity using the flow of water in their house’s pipes.

Members of the Rambam Class of 2023 presenting their “Senior Gift” to the administration

Soaring Slogans

Summer travel tip: Stay away from any airline that has one of the following slogans…

“We’re Amtrak with wings.”

“Join our frequent near-miss program.”

“On flights, every section is a smoking section.”

“Ask about our out-of-court settlements.”

“Are our jet engines too noisy? Don’t worry. We’ll turn them off.”

“Complimentary champagne during free-fall.”

“The kids will love our inflatable slides.”

“You think it’s so easy, get your own plane!”

“Which will fall faster, our stock price or our planes?”

 “We may be landing on your street.”

“Don’t worry, terrorists are afraid to fly with us.”

“Bring a bathing suit.”

 “A real man lands where he wants to.”

You Gotta be Kidding Me!

Moishele walks up to the airline counter and tells the rep, “I’d like this bag to go to Berlin, this one to California, and this one to London.” The rep says, “I’m sorry, sir. We can’t do that.”

Moishele replies, “Oh, good. Because that’s what you did the last time I flew with you.”

A helicopter carrying passengers suddenly loses engine power and the aircraft begins to descend. The pilot safely performs an emergency landing in water and tells the passengers to remain seated and to keep the doors closed, stating that in emergency situations, the aircraft is designed to stay afloat for 30 minutes, giving rescuers time to get to them. Just then, a man gets out if his seat and runs over to open the door. The pilots screams at him, “Didn’t you hear what I said? The aircraft is designed to stay afloat as long as the doors remain closed!”

“Of course I heard you,” the man replies, “but it’s also designed to fly, and look how good that one worked out!”

Riddle me This

A new traffic control officer was in charge of a runway that could only fit one jet plane at a time. He accidentally had one jet take off and one jet land at 11:48 pm on the same runway. Thankfully, though, the planes didn’t crash, and the traffic control officer was not fired. Why didn’t the planes crash?

Answer: The two planes took off and landed on different days.

Airline Trivia

1. What is the oldest airline still operating under its original name?

a. Deutsche Lufthansa

b. KLM

c. Northwest Airlines

d. Qantas

2. In 1987, American Airlines famously saved $40,000 by doing the following:

a. They removed 1 olive from each salad served in first class.

b. They made their pilots pay for their own dry cleaning.

c. They stopped serving chocolate bars to passengers in coach.

d. They stopped turning the AC on before takeoff.

3. What is the longest non-stop flight in the world?

a. Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas, to Sydney, Australia

b. Johannesburg, South Africa, to Atlanta, Georgia

c. Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas, to Hong Kong, China

d. Doha, Qatar, to Auckland, New Zealand

4. Around how many people fly per day in the U.S.?

a. 700,000

b. 1.2 million

c. 2 million

d. 7 million

5. What is the typical cruising air speed for long-distance commercial passenger flights?

a. 370-410 MPH

b. 546–575 MPH

c. 670-700 MPH

d. 801- 830 MPH

6. How many people can an Airbus A380 carry officially?

a. 490

b. 638

c. 853

d. 985

7. Which airline is the world’s largest (by fleet size and revenue)?

a. American Airlines

b. Lufthansa Airlines

c. Qatar Airways

d. Air France

8. What did a 2007 investigation by The Wall Street Journal reveal about airline blankets?

a. Airplanes only carry enough blankets for 37% of passengers.

b. They are sometimes used as towels when the crew runs out of towels on long flights.

c. Their size is purposely small so that they don’t cover passengers’ toes because if they did cover toes, that would encourage passengers to take off their shoes and smell up the plane.

d. They are only cleaned every 5 to 30 days.

Answers

1. B- KLM (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij) has been in existence since 1919. Qantas is

the world’s second oldest airline, established in 1920.

2. A

3. D- Qatar’s flight 921 is the longest flight in the world, traveling 9,032 miles. On average, it takes an average of 16 hours and 10 minutes for this whopper of a flight.

4. C

5. B

6. C

7. A- American Airlines’ average yearly revenue is $40 billion. The five largest airlines in the world, by fleet size, are 1) American Airlines; 2) Delta Air Lines; 3) United Airways; 4) Southwest Airlines; 5) FedEx Express (in that order)

8. D (Sorry, did I just kill your inflight chill?)

Wisdom key:

7-8 correct: You are a real frequent flier…enjoy the blanket!

3-6 correct: Not bad, you are coach class…middle seat!

0-2 correct: You have airplane amnesia…maybe it was that 16-hourplus flight that you took from Qatar to New Zealand, while stuck in the middle seat between Bobuwee and Mustafa!

Parshas Korach

By Rabbi Berel Wein

The litany of disappointments and failures of the generation of Jews that left Egyptian bondage continues in this week’s parsha except this parsha relates to us not so much in describing a direct confrontation with G-d and His express wishes, so to speak, but rather tells of a challenge to Moshe and his authority to lead the Jewish people.

Korach essentially engages in a coup, a power-grabbing attempt to replace Moshe from his leadership role and Aharon from his position as the High Priest of Israel. Throughout the ages, the Torah scholars and commentators of the Jewish people have attempted to appreciate and under-

stand what Korach’s true motivations were, to engage in such a clearly suicidal attempt. After all, Korach was also aware that Moshe’s countenance radiated Heavenly light that forced him to mask that countenance when dealing with human beings. Korach was also undoubtedly aware that the High Priesthood and its incense offerings could be deadly to those not entitled to serve in that public role. Again, he saw his relatives, Nadav and Avihu, the sons of Aharon struck down by a heavenly fire, for overstepping their proper bounds in the ritual service of the Mishkan. So what drove Korach to knowingly risk his life in this doomed and

completely unnecessary confrontation with Moshe and Aharon? In the words of Rashi in this week’s parsha: “What did Korach see or think that drove him to commit such a foolish act?” That question has puzzled all of Jewish scholarship for millennia.

It would be brazen of me to say that I somehow have the answer to this deeply troubling question. Nevertheless, I do wish to contribute an insight into the narrative as it appears in the parsha. Like many ideologues, Korach is convinced that G-d agrees with him – that G-d also has realized that Moshe is too autocratic

private personal life. But Korach believed that he was embarking on a national crusade to break the power of autocratic rule over the Jewish people. On such a vital national issue, one where he believed himself to be morally and practically undoubtedly correct, he convinced himself that G-d was also in agreement, so to speak, with him. And, when one is convinced that his own thinking represents G-d’s opinion on any given matter or issue, then there can be no holding back in pursuing one’s goals.

The one main cause for all religious strife, wars, bans and exclusivity of opin-

and given to nepotism in his rule of the people. He saw that even Aharon and Miriam were willing to criticize Moshe, and even though Miriam was punished, the precedent of being able to criticize Moshe was set and established.

Korach may have thought that Miriam was punished because, in essence, she and Aharon were interfering in Moshe’s

ion and actions is the belief that G-d also follows that given opinion or belief. Naturally, Korach’s personal ambitions and agenda helped convince him that G-d was on his side in the dispute with Moshe.

One should always be wary not to confuse personal wishes and opinions with G-d’s will.

Shabbat shalom.

On such a vital national issue, one where he believed himself to be morally and practically undoubtedly correct, he convinced himself that G-d was also in agreement, so to speak, with him.

Parshas Korach

More of the Roses

By Rav Moshe Weinberger

Adapted for publication by Binyomin

Wolf

Every year, we struggle to understand how a great person like Korach could have fallen so far. When we read the pesukim, Korach appears to be a horrible person. But when we look in the seforim hakedoshim , we see another side of him – an aspect of greatness. Even in Tehillim, we see a number of positive references to Korach’s sons. One of the most fascinating of these is the beginning of the 45 th chapter of Tehillim: “For the conductor, on the roses, by the sons of Korach, a Maskil , a song of endearment. My heart is astir with a good thing to say, ‘My works are for the king…’” What makes this particular chapter of Tehillim “for the conductor”? What is its connection to roses? And why is it called a “Maskil ”?

The Chozeh of Lublin, zy”a, in his sefer Zos Zikaron, quotes the following Midrash: “Korach says, ‘Hashem wants [us] to burn incense before Him in firepans of gold and silver [rather than copper as commanded in the Torah].’ This is comparable to a king who asked his servants to make him a crown. [His servants desired] to affix in it all types of precious stones. The king said, ‘I do not want any of these. Rather, [make the crown out of] roses.’ The sons of Korach said [after falling into the ground with Korach but before entering Gehinom], ‘We are roses!’ Hashem said, ‘You have been victorious!’ This is what is meant by the pasuk, ‘For the conductor, on the roses, by the sons of Korach…’” The Hebrew word for “for the conductor, La’menatzeiach,” is related to the word for victory, which relates to Hashem’s message to them, “You have been victorious.”

The Chozeh explains that Korach be -

lieved he was superior to Aharon Hakohein because he, Korach, was part of the tribe of Levi, which did not participate in the sin of the Golden Calf. The Rebbe Reb Shmelke, of Nikolsburg, zy”a, used to refer to him as “The holy Zayde, Korach.” Aharon, on the other hand, did participate in it on some level, though even Korach acknowledged that Aharon did so with righteous intentions. Korach therefore looked down on Aharon. What is the significance of this?

In the Chovos Halevavos, we are told that a pious person once said to his students, “If not for my sin, I would be afraid of the great sin.” They asked him, “And what is it?” He answered that it was arrogance. Why was he grateful for his sins just because they saved him from arrogance? What does that mean?

The Zohar says that Korach included within himself all of the Levi’im. He

was a great person and was quite proud of himself and his tribe, believing that they were sinless. Aharon, on the other hand, felt brokenhearted over his involvement with the Golden Calf. He felt completely unworthy and could not bring himself to approach the altar in the service of G-d (Rashi on Vayikra 9:7). He felt so unworthy that Moshe had to adjure him, “Why are you embarrassed? This is why you were chosen” (ibid.). The Ramban there explains that wherever Aharon looked, he saw the Golden Calf. On his level, Aharon’s sin saved him from the greatest sin, arrogance. Unfortunately, because Korach believed himself sinless, he succumbed to arrogance, which led to the rebellion against Moshe Rabbeinu, as well as his own personal destruction.

Now we can understand why the Midrash earlier says that Korach ob -

jected to the Torah’s command that the firepans be made of copper. He wanted them to be made of gold and silver. He believed that they should be constructed of the most precious metals, gold and silver, which correspond to the central attributes a Jew must have in his service of G-d: love and fear. He believed that a Jew must have perfect love and fear of G-d. He thought that Hashem only loves one who serves him perfectly and has never made a mistake. In his mind, G-d only wants gold and silver. Never copper. Never the “inferior” service of one who has sinned before.

Hashem’s response to Korach’s opinion is that he wants a crown of roses. The Hebrew word for roses, shoshanim, also means “those who change, she’shonim.” It is wonderful to have some Jews who do not make mistakes and remain sinless. That is obviously the ideal. But Hashem knows the nature of the people He created. Therefore, what He wants more than servants who have never made a mistake is servants who are willing to change and turn themselves around after they have erred. He wants people who are willing to grow, change, and blossom if and when they do fail.

That is how Korach’s sons were able to be victorious. They essentially told Hashem, at the last moment before they were completely lost, “Yes, we originally agreed with our father. But now we recognize that we made a mistake. We are roses! We want to change!” And Hashem told them that they were successful, “You have been victorious.”

The pasuk from Tehillim we quoted above said, “by the sons of Korach, a Maskil.” The word Maskil literally means “intelligent.” Why is this word being used in this context? Another pa-

suk in Tehillim (111:10) says, “The beginning of wisdom is fear of G-d, good intellect, seichel, to all who do them…” The pasuk starts with wisdom and concludes with intellect. What is the nature of this progression?

The Yisa Bracha of Modzhitz, zy”a, explains that wisdom means knowing what to do in the first instance. It means being careful so that one does not sin. But intelligence, seichel, means knowing what to do after he has sinned. It means knowing how to change, how to be a rose and do teshuva. The pasuk (Devarim 32:29) says, “Would that they were wise, they would understand, yaskilu , this; they would reflect upon their end.” In other words, ideally, “would that they were wise,” they would serve G-d with firepans of gold and silver. The best thing is to be wise and avoid falling into sin to begin with. But even if the Jewish people have sinned, “they would understand this; they would reflect upon their end.”

The greatest accomplishment for most people is to look intelligently at their end. At the end, after they have erred, they should consider the mistakes they have made and rectify them. They should change and recognize that Hashem desires their service with copper firepans as well. He does not only want gold and silver as Korach thought. They should recognize that if they can change, then they will smell as sweet as roses to Hashem. That will make their lives a “song of endearment.” Then G-d will say, “You have been victorious.”

Hashem reiterated his choice of Aharon and his sons as the kohanim with the miracle of the blossoms and almonds which sprouted from Aharon’s staff but not the other tribes’ staffs (Bamidbar 17:23). The significance of both the blossoms and the almonds is illustrated in the following story:

Reb Simcha Bunim of Peshischa, zy”a, once asked the chassidim to bring him Reb Lazer Moshe of Vishgrad, a very old chassid who had been a student of the Yid Hakadosh of Peshischa, zy”a. Reb Lazer Moshe was about 100 years old, which is very rare nowadays and was even more astounding then. When he arrived, Reb Simcha Bunim asked Reb Lazer Moshe, “Why does the pasuk say that Aharon’s staff blossomed? The fact is that it sprouted almonds. The nuts are the final product of the tree. Why was Hashem concerned that the staff should also produce flowers, blossoms, which seem secondary to the almonds?” Reb Lazer Moshe answered: “Sometimes, a

Jew gets to the end of his life, and he has accomplished a lot. His life has borne fruit. He feels like an almond. By teaching that the staff sprouted blossoms as well, the Torah is teaching us that even if a person feels complete and that his life has borne fruit, he must know that he should still produce flowers and blossoms. He must always continue growing and changing, no matter how complete he feels his life is.”

This lesson is especially important in marriage. It is wonderful that many

to stop the Rebbe and ask him my question when I saw that, two minutes before the Rebbe was supposed to emerge from the shul, I was the only one there. But unfortunately, thirty seconds before he came out, about two hundred people suddenly appeared, and I was shunted to the back of the line. A few chassidim had mercy on me, an obviously Modern Orthodox knitted-yarmulke clad boy, and they pushed me back up to the front of the line.

When the Rebbe finally came out toward his car, he walked very quickly, as

the air, as if to say, “You can do it! You will be victorious!” The people around me could not understand why the Rebbe had singled me out for that chizuk, encouragement, but I knew exactly what he was telling me. He was answering my question. And that message from the Rebbe gave me the strength to do what I knew I needed to do. And it made a tremendous difference in my life.

This lesson of strength, this message that one has the power to change no matter what happened in the past, was the lesson that Korach never internalized. Because of his sinlessness, Korach became arrogant. Aharon, on the other hand, always felt sinful and unworthy. That is why he was constantly working to change. He was always blossoming and changing.

May we merit to also continuously change and grow. Let us be copper and roses, rather than gold and silver.

men sometimes bring their wives flowers. But the best rose one can bring into his marriage is the willingness to change. I have worked with many couples facing challenges. I often see that one of them, and sometimes both, take the position that “it is not me that has to change. I do not need to seek help because you are the one with the problems. You should seek help because you need to change.” Based on my experience, 99.9999% of the time, the person who says such things is the primary cause of the problems in the marriage and desperately needs to change.

But it is not always easy to muster the courage to change. This week was the third of Tammuz, the yahrtzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, zy”a. There are thousands of stories about the Rebbe from seforim and those that I have heard from witnesses. But I would like to share one which I experienced personally.

I was seventeen years old and was facing a pivotal moment in my life. I needed to make a certain change that I believed I knew was right for me at the time, but I felt blocked. I did not know whether I could take that step.

I therefore did the only thing I knew to do to achieve clarity. I found out when the Lubavitcher Rebbe was going to walk from the shul at 770 Eastern Parkway to his car after Mincha. I made the journey to Crown Heights to attempt to ask the Rebbe my question at that moment. I thought I had really lucked out and that I would have the opportunity

was his way, nodding toward the men on either side of him as he went. He passed by me, but just before he was about to get into his car, he turned around, walked briskly back over to me, looked me in the eye, and pumped his fist into

He wants people who are willing to grow, change, and blossom if and when they do fail.

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.

All those teachers who complain that their students frequently doodle may find some solace in the Gemara (Gittin 36a). The Gemara says that Rav would frequently draw a picture of a fish. As it will become clear from the commentators, this was not just some random scribble that someone with a good imagination could perceive as a fish. Rav was actually able to draw a mean picture of a fish. If the Taz had his way, Rav’s pictures of fish would have far-reaching implications; serious doodlers and wouldbe artists would have fewer restrictions on their practice. Alas, it wasn’t to be. It seems as if the Shach prevailed, and the import of Rav’s fish drawings will be relegated to the laws of witnesses.

On one point all agree: if Rav drew a fish, then drawing a fish must be permitted. Before this article sounds too fishy, it must be explained why exactly Rav would commonly draw a fish. The Gemara says that Rav drew a fish in lieu of his signature on legal documents. His practice became so well known that it was common knowledge that if there was a picture of a fish in place of a witness’s signature, one would assume that Rav signed it.

It is a codified halacha that one may not draw pictures of the sun, the moon, and the stars. The Tur says this includes the zodiac signs. The Taz therefore ques-

Sounds Fishy

By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

tions the permissibility of Rav’s fish-drawing. A fish is the astrological sign for the month of Adar. Hence, according to the Tur, one may not draw a fish. The Taz concludes that the prohibition against drawing the zodiac signs only applies if the resulting image is three-dimensional. Rav’s fish signature was only a two-dimensional masterpiece and was therefore permitted.

According to the Taz, perhaps artists

Taz, drawings of the sun and moon would be problematic since they are made to represent heavenly bodies.

However, the Shach offers an altogether different explanation of why Rav was permitted to draw a fish. He reasons that the prohibition of drawing the zodiac signs only applies if one draws all twelve of them together. One may draw any individual sign by itself. Rav was permit-

if children in school are permitted to draw pictures of the sun and the moon. Rav Moshe ruled like the Sefer Yad KaKetanah, that only pictures of the sun that people would look at and say, “That resembles the sun” are prohibited. Therefore, older children should not draw pictures of the sun and the moon. Young children, on the other hand, should be permitted to draw them. People would not say about their pictures that they resemble the sun and moon. But Rav Moshe questions, why would you want to train kids to draw pictures of the sun and moon? When they finally become good at it and their pictures actually resemble the sun and the moon, we will have to prohibit them from further drawing!

and doodlers may draw works of art that contain renditions of the heavenly bodies, since they are only two-dimensional. However, the Taz disapproved of even a two-dimensional drawing if it was specifically intended to represent a zodiac sign. Apparently, machzorim publishers had adorned Tefillas Geshem with illustrations of the zodiac signs, and the Taz was not pleased. Therefore, even according to the

ted to draw a fish, as it is only one of the zodiac signs. Therefore, the Shach finds no support for the Taz’s novel ruling that two-dimensional renditions of heavenly bodies may at times be permitted. The Shach rules that one should not draw the sun, the moon, and the stars even in a two-dimensional image.

Rav Gavriel Kraus, a dayan in Manchester, asked Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l,

Owning (as opposed to drawing) pictures of the sun and the moon is an entirely different subject. Rav Dovid Feinstein, zt”l, said that there is no problem with having pictures of the sun and the moon in textbooks. Ripping out pictures of the sun and the moon would be a textbook example of being too machmir.

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

His practice became so well known that it was common knowledge that if there was a picture of a fish in place of a witness’s signature, one would assume that Rav signed it.

A Personal Favor

Based on a story told over by Rabbi Zecharia Wallerstein, zt”l Prepared for print by Daniel Agalar

There was a man who had dedicated his life to studying in kollel, while his wife worked tirelessly to support their family for over three decades. Their lives were turned upside down when his wife was unexpectedly diagnosed with cancer. The doctors delivered a devastating prognosis, giving her a mere three months to live. In a state of desperation, he sought solace and guidance from his revered Rebbe, Rabbi Shmuel Birnbaum, zt”l, pleading for some miracle to save his wife.

Moved by the man’s heartfelt plea, R’ Shmuel agreed to intervene. The following week, a ray of hope emerged as his wife was presented with a unique opportunity to undergo a groundbreaking chemotherapy treatment. The treatment had been administered to ten individuals, and miraculously, half of them had fully recovered while the other half tragically succumbed to the disease. With trepidation and anticipation, his wife courageously opted for the procedure.

To everyone’s astonishment, immediately after the treatment, his wife’s health began to improve dramatically. Her recovery seemed almost inexplicable. Filled with gratitude and a deep curiosity, he returned to R’ Shmuel and beseeched him to reveal the secret behind this miraculous turn of events.

R’ Shmuel, with a gentle smile on his face, proceeded to share his extraordinary experience. He explained that he had opened his Gemara to a profound dispute between two sages, Abbaye and Rava. Turning to the pages, he addressed the ancient Tannaim directly, pouring out his heart in a heartfelt conversation.

“I speak to you throughout the day,” he told them. “We are chavrusas, learning partners, and I have never asked for anything. Please, go before Hashem, the Almighty, and beseech Him for the refuah, the healing, of this woman.”

R’ Shmuel continued to recount how, in that moment, he felt an incredible connection to the wisdom

of Abbaye and Rava, but he had engaged with them on a spiritual plane, living and breathing the essence of the Torah.

Overwhelmed by the Rebbe’s account, the man was awestruck by the deep connection between the teachings of the Torah and the real world. He witnessed firsthand the transformative power of sincere prayer and the living nature of the sacred texts. From that moment on, he vowed to live his life as a testament to the Torah, embracing its teachings and living them with every fiber of his being.

Inspired by the miraculous recovery of his wife and the spiritual journey he had witnessed, the man returned home with a newfound appreciation for the profound wisdom of the Torah. He dedicated himself not only to its study but also to living its principles in every aspect of his life. The couple, now bonded by their shared experience, embarked on a journey of gratitude and spiritual growth, cherishing each moment as a testament to the miracles that can unfold when one lives the Torah.

contained within the pages of the Gemara. It was as if he transcended the confines of time and space, engaging in a dialogue with Abbaye and Rava themselves. Through the power of his words and his unwavering faith, he implored these ancient sages to intercede on behalf of the ailing woman.

And so it happened. The refuah, the healing, that his wife received was not merely a result of medical intervention; it was a profound manifestation of the living Torah. R’ Shmuel had not only studied the words

Daniel Agalar is the founder of Stories to Inspire, an organization dedicated to sharing curated inspirational stories from renowned rabbanim. With a widely popular podcast that has surpassed 4 million downloads, Daniel’s passion for spreading positivity shines through. Join the daily WhatsApp broadcast by messaging 310-210-1205 or explore over 4,300 stories on his website at www.storiestoinspire.org. The stories can also be accessed on the hotline at 718-400-7145.

It was as if he transcended the confines of time and space, engaging in a dialogue with Abbaye and Rava themselves.

Mini Trips

Savannah and Charleston

By Hershel Lieber

The Southern States have a soothing ambiance that sets the perfect mood for a relaxing vacation. People there are not in a rush, and their walking pace is more like taking a stroll. There is chatter and laughter in the air as children and adults alike share the public venues. The weather in autumn is relatively warm, albeit with a slight breeze, and the trees are still lush with greenery. With this setting in our minds, we traveled to Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina, in November of 2009. It was only for five days, but there we found the peace and calm that we were looking for.

Both of these cities signify significant places in our country’s history. They were part of the original Thirteen Colonies, played key roles in the Revolutionary War and had a great impact during the Civil War. We also discovered the rich Jewish history that is associated with these cities and that Jews still retain a presence there to this very day.

We arrived on a Sunday afternoon and settled into the lovely Victorian Forsyth Inn facing Forsyth Park at the center of Savannah’s iconic twenty-two Squares.

These Squares are like mini parks, many with statues or monuments, and are surrounded by classical mansions and townhouses from different periods.

After unpacking and eating lunch, we began to walk the town, literally for hours. We passed by and stopped at many of the Squares and sat down to rest under the massive oak trees that shaded the pathways. Then we walked through

the historic district heading toward the riverfront. There, the old commercial buildings were gentrified into shops and cafes facing the Savannah River. Tourists as well as locals filled the cobblestoned pedestrian promenade creating a delightful atmosphere. Early evening, we headed back to our inn where we ate our dinner by candlelight on the veranda.

I got up at five o’clock the next morn-

ing and headed to the Bnai Brith Jacob Shul. I met and learned Daf Yomi with David Garfunkel and joined the minyan for Shacharis. The rav of the kehilla is Rabbi Avigdor Slatus, a musmach of the Mirrer Yeshiva. We spoke briefly, and he showed me the 1,200-seat main sanctuary. We made up to meet again to talk at length. At the same time, I learned about the Garfunkel and Rabhan families who are the driving forces that support the shul, the Jewish schools, the mikvah, and everything that is necessary to preserve and disseminate Yiddishkeit in Savannah. I rushed back to Pesi after davening, and after breakfast, we were picked up for a three-hour comprehensive tour of the “Hostess City of the South.” The tour was fantastic in that we saw a great number of Savannah’s attractions and learned much about its unique history. Then we headed to the Mickve Israel Congregation. The synagogue, which was organized in 1735, is one of the oldest in the United States. Its history is intertwined with Spanish and Portuguese Sephardic Jewry, the first Jews that came over to the States. It was not until the late 1860s that they started to drift towards Reform Judaism, which

A plaque honoring Congregation Mickve Israel of Savannah

A fountain in Forsyth Park in Savannah

In front of a giant oak tree in Savannah, GA

culminated in 1904 when they joined the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. The present building, though not the original one, was built in 1878 and has many historic artifacts about the Jewish community of Savannah including a beautiful letter addressed to them from President George Washington. When visiting a site like this, we always have mixed feelings. In one way, we are proud of the original Jewish pioneers who, through remarkable self-sacrifice, brought their faith over to the New World. But we mourn the generations that made self-decimating changes that culminated in the abandonment of Torah traditions and values.

We then headed to the Bnei Brith Jacob Shul for Mincha and Maariv. Adjacent to the shul is Buckingham South, an assisted living residence for adults. The facility is managed by Rebbetzin Rita Slatus, Rabbi Avigdor’s wife. The kosher adult residence is available for dining for Jewish tourists, and this is where we ate dinner for the next two nights. Rebbetzin Rita joined us and gave us a lot of information about the community and the shul and told us about herself and her husband. After dinner, we returned to our Inn and called it a night.

The next day, we enjoyed a lighter schedule. After shul and breakfast, we took a tour of the 19th Century Andrew Low House. Low was a very successful cotton merchant, and his story mirrors the saga of Southerners who made their fortune through the use of slave labor. I love studying history and enjoy viewing artifacts that present images of bygone eras. Pesi has also developed a sense of appreciation for the same.

Our next stop was the Telfair Museum of Art where we were enchanted by the artwork of Walter MacEwen. His paintings were influenced by the Hague School and reflect realism using muted colors in the style of Vermeer. When we returned to our room, it began to rain so we spent a quiet afternoon on the veranda. We later went back to shul, and afterwards I joined

Rabbi Slatus in his office where we had a long conversation. We ate dinner again at Buckingham South. Rebbetzin Rita packed up some cake to take along which we had with steaming tea before retiring for the evening.

On Wednesday, after Shacharis and

bletree and made our way to the Visitors Center. There, we watched a forty-minute film which introduced us to South Carolina’s largest city by way of its history and through pointing out what attractions we could see. We took some brochures and booked a city tour for the next morning.

the jewelry manufacturing business, he answered in the affirmative and said that he was his son. What a small world! After davening, I went to Avi Pollack, a local caterer, who prepared two delicious fish dinners to take back to our hotel.

Thursday after Shacharis we returned to the Visitors Center and started a ninety-minute excursion of the city. Although it was cloudy and cold, at least it did not rain. Among the sites we visited was the Joint Base Charleston which serves 90,000 active-duty personnel from every branch of the military. Our guide was witty and very informative, and we really enjoyed every minute of the tour. After a simple cake and coffee lunch break, we resumed walking through the historic city center for about three hours. We took loads of pictures, which really came out great.

breakfast, we headed again to the Telfair Museum where we viewed an exhibit called Dutch Utopia about American artists in Holland from 1880-1914. This exhibition enticed us to return to the museum again. Then we checked out of the Forsyth Inn and drove to Charleston. Two hours later, we checked into the Dou-

By the time we came back to our hotel, it was time to go to Mincha/Maariv. I went alone to the Brith Shalom Beth Israel Shul where the weekday davening took place in a small side building. As I entered, I met Rabbi Ari Sytner who warmly welcomed me. When I inquired if he was related to Barry Sytner, a former client who was in

I later went back to daven with Rabbi Sytner, and we continued our conversation. I have since found out that he is currently the Director of Community Initiatives for Yeshiva University, a noted psychologist and popular author. I then picked up our dinners from Avi the caterer, and we had a relaxing evening prior to our planned departure back home the following morning.

Call it Southern hospitality. Call it Southern comfort. Either way, we had a lovely time.

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 present building, though not the original one, was built in 1878 and has many historic artifacts about the Jewish community of Savannah including a beautiful letter addressed to them from President George Washington.

Military from Charleston’s Joint Base

With Savannah’s Rabbi Avigdor Slatus

With Rebbetzin Rita Slatus at Buckingham South

With Charleston’s Rabbi Ari Sytne

Jerusalem Comes to NYC

By Tammy Mark

The distance between New York City and Jerusalem narrowed in June. In the days surrounding the Celebrate Israel Parade, prominent Israeli and American leaders, along with caring constituents, united to discuss, debate and demonstrate, all under the umbrella of concern for Israel and its future.

As the State of Israel marked its 75th birthday this year, leaders and lawmakers converged on Fifth Avenue to partake in the annual celebration. Parade participants included yeshiva day schools, prominent Jewish organizations, and synagogues across the denominations. While the marching bands added to the joyous atmosphere, the presence of protestors throughout reminded supporters of Israel of the urgent need for unity.

The in-depth work was done indoors at the numerous events and conferences held throughout the week. Politicians, media personalities, innovators and thought leaders gathered to address the most vital issues facing Israel and the Jewish people in 2023, with major symposiums organized by Arutz Sheva and The Jerusalem Post media groups.

At The Jerusalem Post Conference, led by Editor-in-Chief Avi Mayer, discourse was given on a range of topics. From the longstanding threat of a nuclear Iran and the new challenge of maintaining the balance of democracy in the State of Israel, to the upsurge in antisemitism and the powerful waves made by social media, a prevailing message emerged: there is work to be done, yet there is always a fundamental sense of hope.

Economy Minister and former Mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barkat presented a strong stance on Iran. “I think that the Iranians should be deeply concerned, because if they come close to that

threshold, they must realize that nobody in Iran should sleep well at night – because we will never allow that to happen.

“We’re alert. We’re focusing. We’re focused on saving our own lives. They should be really, really concerned. And

headed by the United States of America.

“I hope that Iran will understand sooner rather than later not to mess around with us.”

Andrew Miller, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Israeli-Palestinian

clear weapon. And the President stands by that commitment, and we will continue to pursue it through all potential measures. We continue to believe that the most lasting, that the most durable, solution is a diplomatic one.”

Barkat also spoke on the domestic issues of judicial reform. “I think everyone understands that there is a majority of Israelis that understand we need change.

I believe as a mayor of Jerusalem, managing one of the most complex cities in the world, that when you want to create change, focus on the common denominator and what the majority agrees to.”

He added, “Prime Minister Netanyahu said that he wants a majority decision – wide acceptance as much as possible. I agree with him. That’s the best way to get the reforms to stick. And beyond that, I realize that eventually we’ll see, it’ll sort itself out. We have to sort ourselves out and focus on the common denominator – which is our security, our economy, how do we co-exist and live together in Israel.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ focus was on issues close to home, namely the spate of antisemitism on the streets and online. He urged the audience to focus on spreading positive messaging, especially to the younger generations in efforts to combat antisemitism and promote harmony between people and communities.

when I spoke to some of my friends here in America, I remind our friends in America that we’re all on the same line.” Barkat continued. “We should all align together. And naturally, it’s going to be easier for us in Israel to do it in collaboration with the rest of the free world,

Affairs, offered assurances of America’s agreement.

“President Biden has been very clear, not only throughout his tenure as president, but in his previous capacity as vice president and as a U.S. senator, that Iran will never be allowed to develop a nu-

“It’s imperative that we challenge social media to not allow it to sit inside the forts of our households and our communities. We have to not do something that we’re guilty of – we have to stop preaching to the choir – all of us in this room know the importance of fighting against antisemitism, bigotry, anti-AAPI bias and others. We know those who came before us marched with Dr. King and fought in the civil rights era.”

“If we care, we must be educated. Once educated, we must be vocal. Once we are vocal, we can make a difference.”

Conference guests included concerned citizens and lay leaders. Activist and CEO of Hoshen Media Victoria Zirkiev echoed Adams’ concerns. “I can relate to the mayor’s speech about how social media can be dangerous and spread hate. It’s probably the number one spreader of antisemitism. We need to stand up and fight the hate that’s spreading like wildfire – the most dangerous outlet that we never had before.”

The emphasis on social media continued during “How to Talk About Israel in 2023,” featuring Rabbi Ari Lamm, Bnai Zion CEO, who has succeeded in reaching the younger generation on social media, explaining how to effectively influence the discussion on Israel.

“We need to be on their phones because that’s where all the action is,” he asserted. Lamm stressed the importance of presenting in a clear, immediate way, with a high priority on wide distribution – people don’t want to do “homework.”

“You could have the best content in the world, but if you don’t have distribution, it’s utterly meaningless,” he explained.

There were presentations on the numerous advances inside Israel, such as the proliferation of medical innovations, growth in the investment and tech sectors, and the burgeoning real estate development. Businessman and philanthropist Sylvan Adams laid out multi-pronged plans to strengthen the country’s global image. The continual priority on the well-being of the people was addressed through “Humanity First: Muslims, Jews Saving Lives” with Eli Beer, founder of United Hatzalah, and “Challenges & Opportunities of Aliyah” with Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, Executive Director, Nefesh B’Nefesh.

In the midst of the important conversations, comedian Elon Gold was called in on Monday for some levity, joking about American Jewish tourists trying desperately to speak Hebrew. “Aich omrim…late check-out…?”

This served as the perfect segue to the recreational side with a panel on “Sporting Israel” with Tamir Goodman, “The Jewish Jordan,” discussing unity brought through sports and Israeli innovations in the field, along with Mike Sweetney, former NBA player and current assistant coach of the Yeshiva University Men’s basketball team.

Mark Wilf, Chairman of the Board of Governors of The Jewish Agency for Israel, summed up the urgency for Jewish unity. “In Israel’s 75th year, we are doubling down on our core mission to ensure that every single Jew feels a deep connection to Israel and to each other.”

The Arutz Sheva Jerusalem conference featured Editor Yoni Kempinski hosting notable Jewish leaders in public and private sectors, including Jerusalem Mayer Moshe Lion, Ambassador Gilad Erdan, former U.S. Ambassador David Friedman, the Honorable Ruchie Freir, and Malcolm Hoenlein, Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

Journalist Tal Heinrich sat down with MK Simcha Rothman, chair of the Constitution Law and Justice Committee, and American attorney and law expert Alan Dershowitz. As a key architect of the government’s controversial judicial overhaul, Rothman has been repeatedly personally targeted by demonstrators.

“Both sides are exaggerating and both sides are damaging Israel. It’s absolutely necessary to bring the sides closer to the center and to effect compromise,” stated Dershowitz. “This is not about democracy – Israel will be a democracy no matter what. It’s about minority rights, civil liberties – which are elements of democracy – but the basic definition of democracy is majority prevails.”

“I think there are basic elements of compromise that are possible,” Dershowitz added. “Bougie Herzog is the perfect person to unite the country because he’s highly respected by both sides.”

“There’s a lot of grassroots support for Israel, and that’s good,” he added.

Grassroots organizations were indeed represented. Chagit Leviev-Sofiev, CEO of Leviev Group USA, joined to discuss her family’s work in Jewish ed-

ucation through their Ohr Avner Foundation, emphasizing how important education is to maintaining Jewish identity. Her father, Lev, was sent in 1989 by the Lubavitcher Rebbe to be the shaliach to revive Jewish life in the former Soviet Union after communism. Their work later expanded to provide free Jewish education in the U.S. and Israel.

“Over the years, people emigrated and left the former Soviet Union – some went to Israel, some went to America. People reached out to my father saying they cannot afford Jewish education and therefore send their kids to public schools – and this is the first step of assimilation,” explained Leviev.

Rabbi Pesach Lerner, Chairman of the Eretz HaKodesh slate at the World Zionist Organization, considered the Jerusalem conference important on many fronts.

“If we read the papers, listen to the news, one would think everyone has gone crazy and that Israel has lost the support of the American community. Anyone attending this conference realized how wrong that feeling is,” said Rabbi Lerner.

“Hundreds of people came to learn, to listen, to support. I found hundreds of true lovers of Eretz Yisrael and Am Yisrael, who believe in Toras Yisrael. They are the true supporters of Israel. These people follow the news, are involved in so many Israel related causes. These people understand and appreciate the many ministers and MKs who spoke. These Israeli officials felt at home; they felt welcome.”

Rabbi Lerner added, “If we care, we must be educated. Once educated, we must be vocal. Once we are vocal, we can make a difference.”

For 16 years, Michael Fragin served as trustee on the Board of the Village of Lawrence. This month marks the final days of Fragin’s service, as term limits prevent him from serving for more time. This week, Michael sat down with TJH in a wide-ranging interview to reminisce about his time serving the Village and about politics in general.

Although Michael grew up in Westchester, he and his wife moved to Lawrence over 20 years ago. The community back then was very different than what it is today.

“There was no community in Back Lawrence at the time. There was certainly no eiruv connecting ‘front’ Lawrence and Back Lawrence,” Michael recalls. “And there were only a few shuls in the neighborhood. Yeshiva Ketana was just starting out, and the other schools were much smaller, as well.”

Michael adds, “When I was getting involved with things, we didn’t have a single frum person on the school board. David Sussman was the person who worked on certain issues, but it took time for the frum community to get involved.”

Joining the Village Board was not Michael’s first foray into community service. Before joining, Michael served as a volunteer firefighter in the Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department for four years. The training was demanding, and the fires he had to fight were intense. And that was alongside being a Hatzalah member, a position that he’s proud to say he’s been serving since 1997 – first in Queens, then in the Lower East Side, and now in Lawrence.

“As a member of Hatzalah, you understand that whatever idea you had about your day can be upended at any point, at any time – there’s a certain mindset that you

16 Years Serving the Lawrence Community

TJH Speaks with Michael Fragin

By SuSan Schwamm

have. If someone calls you, you just respond, no matter what you’re doing,” Michael explains.

That mindset led Michael to his position on the Village Board.

“It’s not that different than being in local government, because people call you when they need things done,” he shares. “You want people to know that they can call you if they need help. I don’t limit myself to the things that I’m directly involved in. I am happy to connect them with the right people, regardless of if I’m involved in that area of expertise or not. A lot of people don’t understand government. They don’t understand who is responsible for this or that, so I try to help them navigate it.”

When Michael decided to get involved in the Village Board, Jack Levenbrown was the mayor, the first Orthodox mayor of the Village of Lawrence. Concerned about streetlights that weren’t working near his home for many months, Michael began to go to Village meetings. He knew that by showing up, he would be encouraging board members to work on the problem. He saw how the Village government worked and wanted to help better the Village in which he was raising his family.

Along the way, Michael worked with different mayors and trustees.

“I’ve served with a lot of great people, I have to say. Everybody’s very committed in a very good way to helping people,” he says. “There’s no other reason to do it. It’s a lot of work, but they want to help people in a real way.”

Still, there can be disagreements when it comes to Village matters. Sometimes, Michael says, he would be the lone voice at Village meetings who wouldn’t vote for a certain project or action.

“If I’m not comfortable with it, I’m not voting for it,” he explains. “It’s that simple. I don’t believe in spending money if it’s not necessary. I read every document and am not scared to ask questions. I’m not just going to rubber-stamp things that come my way.”

He adds, “You put yourself out there, and hopefully, people realize it’s for the right reasons. I feel very strongly that I have been there for people – no matter what I

do, that’s been my consistent interest.

“Everybody plays their part in our community, no matter what they do – whether they’re on the Board or volunteering or helping financially, which is amazing. It really differentiates our community from others in a very, very meaningful way. I had a good opportunity to be part of that.”

At one point in his Village career, Michael ran for mayor of Lawrence.

“I thought I would do a good job,” he shares, “but it wasn’t meant to be, which is fine. Truthfully, I never need to be defined personally by a title. That’s never really been my thing. It’s all about accomplishing. It’s not like there is anybody out there within Nassau County or the Town of Hempstead or the State of New York or even in Washington who won’t take my phone call because I wasn’t mayor at one time.”

During his tenure on the Board, Michael was in charge of certain portfolios in the Village. With a degree and background in finance, it made sense that he worked on the financial aspects of the Village for a few years. Emergency services was a focus for him as well, with the Village improving EMS response and helping to acquire a new ambulance and put in an extension in the firehouse.

Village work is hard work, but by far, the most challenging time being a trustee took place in 2012, in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

Michael recalls, “Remember, we were in the dark –literally. There were no communications, no phones, no traffic lights.”

Many homes in Lawrence were flooded; there was no electricity or heat. As a relatively small municipality, the Village of Lawrence had to fight to get attention from officials, competing for resources with other areas. Ed Mangano was the County Executive at the time. “No great friend of the Five Towns,” Michael discloses. “His base just wasn’t there.”

After the tide receded and the damage was assessed, the Lawrence Country Club was in dire need of repair. In hindsight, Michael notes, the Village probably should have razed and then rebuilt the club to accommodate larger events instead of repairing the damage. But in

With Senator Joe Lieberman

the chaos of Hurricane Sandy, there was an urgency to expedite the repairs.

As hard as it was picking up the pieces after Sandy, Michael looks back and says that the Village did a great job dealing with the cards that they were dealt. Of course, if a disaster strikes, G-d forbid, he’s hopeful that the Village is better equipped to handle one now.

Michael notes that Lawrence is the most Republican village in the whole State of New York. The Republican Party is more of a natural home for the frum community on a lot of issues. Still, he says, some Republicans have gone to the extreme on certain issues.

He explains, “I consider myself to be pro-life most definitely, but you need laws that are more sensible. There should be more sensible gun control as well, including background checks. There are a lot of people who have guns who shouldn’t have them.

“Politics has become really polarized,” he notes. “And frum Jews are seeing themselves pushed out of the Democrat Party. But there are also people in the Republican Party who are proudly offensive to Jews but say, ‘Well, I’m pro-Israel’ at the same time. You see a lot of extreme craziness on both sides.

Michael believes that the frum community needs to

be more involved in politics.

“Frum people need to be involved because people who are not frum can’t really represent and understand our perspective. Yes, there are plenty of elected officials around here and elsewhere who I know who are not Orthodox – some not even Jewish – who understand the community and they have people around them who help them understand. But it’s not the same perspective. If you’re a frum person in the room when decisions are being made, there’s a different level of input that you have that you can share and advocate.”

He notes that representatives like Bruce Blakeman, Nassau County Executive, who is Jewish, take certain issues like antisemitism and Israel personally.

“I’ve worked for some great people. I’ve worked for George Pataki, Mike Bloomberg, Lee Zeldin,” Michael says. “But there is a difference having somebody who’s frum or connected to the community who is representing you.”

Michael is actually working for Blakeman in a parttime position now. Having worked with Bloomberg, Pataki, Zeldin and others, he’s seen great politicians in action. According to Michael, effective politicians are those who are able to sell themselves to the people they are serving.

“It takes a certain ego to want to be in politics, to sell yourself to other people, because that’s essentially what

you’re selling,” he notes. “At the same time, you have to be very relatable to people, which is a hard balance. I think to his credit, Mike Bloomberg really worked at it, despite his mega-billionaire status. George Pataki had it naturally. George W. Bush, who was a great friend to Israel, was very relatable, too.

“I’ll give you a great George Pataki story. It was back in 2004, when we were campaigning.”

Michael had been sent down to Florida to work on the campaign for three months. “It was the most fun I had probably in my career.”

He recalls a campaign stop at a famous diner in North Miami Beach. Pataki came down to invigorate New York voters who had made their way down to Florida.

“Everybody’s taking pictures, and Pataki’s shaking everybody’s hand. As is his custom, he never leaves the room without shaking every single person’s hand. We were on the way out, but Pataki went into the kitchen. He went to shake hands with the cooks and the people who work there. And George Pataki, three-term governor of New York State, sees this guy who is working the power dishwasher, whose hands are dirty and is probably not even a citizen, and Pataki sticks out his hand to shake this worker’s hand.

“I remember the guy looking at his hands, and he was probably thinking, ‘Why does he want to shake my hand? I got the dirty dishes.’ But it didn’t matter. There was never a person who was in the room with Pataki who didn’t feel for at least a moment or two that they were the center of his attention.”

Other good politicians work the room just like that. According to Michael, County Executive Blakeman does the same thing, making sure to shake hands and connect with every person he encounters.

But it’s not just relatability that makes a good politician. Once they get to office, they need to know how to get things done.

“You’ve got to get good people to work for you – that’s the secret,” Michael asserts. He points to Donald Trump who was a big fail when it came to the administration of his government. That, says Michael, was a big cause of his downfall.

“You can’t micromanage it from the top. You’ve got to have a lot of different people and have the trust and confidence in them to execute.”

After 16 years on the Village Board, Michael has gained perspective on local government. He notes that the budget has increased significantly over the past five years. He also observes that the sale of the sewer plant on Rock Hill Road is an important sale for the Village and would give the Village a significant infusion of cash. For now, taxes have not increased on the Village end, and he hopes that the board will be able to hold the line on taxes in the future.

With a bit more time on his hands now, Michael is looking forward to spending the summer months with his family, on the golf course (“Is there something else other than golfing?”), or on one of the three local boardwalks.

Michael adds, “I’m not done helping people, though. People always know they can call me, and I’m here to help. That’s always been something that I’m happy to do.”

With Village and Town officials at the dedication of a new Hatzalah ambulance in Lawrence

With Governor Pataki

With County Executive Bruce Blakeman

With Congressman Mike Lawler

Creating Warm, Loving Relationships with Our Teens

Rebbetzin Shifra Fried Talks about the Powerful Connection between Parents and their Children

By Malkie SchulMan

“If I had to sum up my message to moms of teens,” Rebbetzin Shifra Fried, Dina Friedman certified life mastery coach and teen parenting expert in Brooklyn, maintains, “it would be: you must first take care of yourself, love yourself, believe yourself worthy before you can hope to help your teen believe in himself.”

She adds, “I also believe that having a loving and warm relationship with your teen isn’t just about trying to fix their problems. It’s about being fully present and engaging with them with all your attention.”

Of course, this is very difficult if you have a job and/ or a house full of other needy children. But nobody said parenting was easy and nobody in their right mind ever said parenting teens was effortless.

Shifra’s unique coaching approach has been largely shaped by her experiences as both a mother and a shul rebbetzin for nearly thirty years. Having experienced the complexities and difficulties firsthand as a mother of teenagers herself, Shifra embarked on this coaching path not only with her book knowledge and certifications but armed with valuable insights and tools gained through her own personal growth journey.

This dual perspective, she affirms, has given her a broader understanding of how to deal with different types of people. It has honed her speaking and teaching skills, enabling her to pursue her goal as an effective coach to her clients.

“My aim is to empower mothers to be the best moms they can be to their teens. Through hands on workshops and individual coaching, I support and validate them as they go through this part of their life journey.”

A Holistic Approach

“It’s not so much about what medicine should you take to alleviate your symptoms, or what exact words should you use when you talk to your child, but more about how to see yourself as a tzelem Elokim (image of G-d) and then from there be able to see your child as a tzelem Elokim. That’s where it starts,” Shifra says. “When you as the mother can value yourself, only then can you understand who your child is. If you know in

your bones how worthy you are, then you can move forward in an empowering way and become your child’s best advocate.

“When I talk about self-care,” Shifra shares, “many moms get nervous. They feel they’re being selfish and indulgent if they do anything for their sole enjoyment. Unfortunately, the martyr mom after all these years is still held in the greatest esteem.”

Shifra shares the time she happened to meet the mother of one of her clients. The mom said to her, “Isn’t my daughter amazing? She works full-time. She even

comes at the expense of the mother’s equanimity then it’s a disaster that is actually happening all around us,” maintains Shifra. Which is why Shifra frequently organizes women’s serenity retreats to give the women a chance to indulge herself just for herself, not for anybody else. Of course, the ripple effect is inevitable. A happy, refreshed mom is a happy, refreshed family.

Another aspect of her holistic approach is getting parents to realize the profound influence they have on their children, especially their teens.

“We’re all used to hearing that, during the teen years, the child rejects the parents and is only interested in what their peers have to say. But that’s not true,” asserts Shifra. “Studies show that teens value their parents’ input more than their friends’. Sure, friends have more influence when it comes to hairstyles and fashion but, according to Dr. Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages, parents play a pivotal role in shaping their children’s values, character, and overall development.”

works on Sundays.” Shifra confides that she said nothing to the mom, but she shares with me what she really wanted to say – Actually, Mrs. Goldstein, that’s awful! Besides her job, your daughter has a large family. She needs to cut back, not to work more hours!

It’s a difficult mindset to break, especially in some communities, where women have been raised to be, not only the bearer of larger families, but sometimes the breadwinner of the family as well. Orthodox girls are being raised on the concept of the selfless mother there to serve everybody else.

“While all this is beautiful and meritorious, if it

And that’s the good news. Because we live in a crazy world where there are no values. In the past, the average American citizen could tell you what’s wrong and what’s right. Today, no one’s allowed to make any value judgements on morality issues. This is a huge challenge for parents to deal with. Even though the Torah world has a strong moral code, we no longer live in an insulated environment. A parent’s strong ethical stance is vital to today’s teen. Not that they should ram their beliefs down the child’s throat. The healthy way to transmit values is by maintaining a strong bond with their teen, letting him or her know that there is an open-door policy in their house, that no topic is off bounds or too shameful to talk about.

The Coaching Process

“Depending on what the specific issue is (and whether it’s about parenting her teen or parenting herself),” shares Shifra, “there are different coaching processes I use to help my clients.”

These processes are logical, step-by-step progressions to the solution and that is their beauty and why they are so effective. One process, for example, is called

“Studies show that teens value their parents’ input more than their friends’.”

the Empowering Metaphor Process. “I will use it when my client feels weakness in a particular area.” The idea is to empower the individual to perform at her peak. The means to her empowerment is through delineating the client’s starting point and her desired ending point through the use of metaphors. “First, I tell the client to create a metaphor that describes the way she sees herself now, then create a metaphor that describes the way she’d like to see herself. Once she has the metaphors in mind, we begin the process of trying to shed the old one and internalize the new one. Once the client sees themselves as the new metaphor in a real way, she will begin to act like that in her life.”

For example, a client comes in with enmeshment issues between her and her teen daughter.

Shifra will begin the session by asking her client to describe her present experience with her daughter.

“My daughter is clingy and enmeshed.”

What are the thoughts holding you back?

“I feel bad for her. I feel I have to save her.”

What feelings come up with the thoughts?

“Pity.”

What feelings come up when you see your clingy enmeshed daughter?

“I feel drained.”

Again, what thoughts are holding you back?

“She can’t manage on her own; who’ll be there for her if I’m not?”

At this step, Shifra will ask her client to create a mental image of what her enmeshed daughter looks like and what she, the mom, looks like.

“She’s a leech, not detaching. I see the mother depleted and exhausted.”

What do you want?

“I want to be there for her but with boundaries.”

What image represents being there with boundaries?

“A shoreline, because though the water constantly comes to the shore, it always stops and recedes.”

Be in that image and imagine what that looks like. What would happen if you were to merge with the empowering metaphor you chose – you would be that shoreline – what would that look like? Sit in it. Imagine waves coming towards you, maybe they go a little over the line but then watch them retreat. Then they come back, but then they retreat. You’re there for your child, but at a certain point, you retreat. She understands that you don’t have to be there all the time. She knows you’ll be back, even when you’re not there now.

After that, Shifra will walk the mom through her day with her child. Where do you see her leech-like behavior the most?

“Bedtime.”

How will you react now that you’re a shoreline, meaning you’re there as a constant but do retreat at times?

Inevitably, the mother will see that she does have the strength to say something like, “I’m leaving the room now. Turn off the lights at ten.” Not only is this healthy for the mother but it’s wonderful for the child as well because she witnesses her mother’s predictability. She experiences a calmer mother which makes her feel calmer. She also sees her mom trusts her and that she can’t manipulate her, which is, believe it or not, what all kids really want.

At the end of the process, Shifra will review with her

client the mental image of her as a shoreline and reaffirm how living that metaphor will allow her daughter to develop independence, resilience, and a sense of personal responsibility.

Other coaching processes include somatic work, such as body scanning. The client scans her body and identifies where she’s feeling physical discomfort. Since physical pain is almost always a manifestation of emotional pain, Shifra will use the physical pain as a starting point to move her client forward emotionally.

Shifra recalls a mother who struggled with deep-rooted shame and feelings of inadequacy in relation to her two at-risk sons. She blamed herself for their issues and could not get past it. She also had intense headaches.

“Through body scanning and other somatic work, we worked extensively on addressing these core issues and reframing her self-worth,” shares Shifra. Through the process, Shifra’s client was able to confront and heal her inner wounds which, in turn, enabled her to separate her self-worth from her children’s actions. Her headaches were also subsequently greatly reduced.

In her coaching practice, Shifra often meets mothers who express feelings of guilt and a belief that they are solely responsible for their child’s happiness. In one particular case, a mother shared her concerns about her daughter’s difficulty in making friends in school. Her daughter said the girls in her class were snobby and not on her wavelength. The mother felt it was her responsibility as the mom to make sure her daughter had friends.

During their work together, Shifra discovered that her client was holding a lot of emotion regarding her own childhood incident of being bullied and no friends coming to her defense. Using a process called the Emotional Journey (created by leading authority on emotional healing and life transformation Brandon Bays, author of The Journey), Shifra helped her client identify the distressing emotions surrounding this childhood event. After identifying her emotions and then releasing them one by one, her client was able to come to a place of peace. Only at that point could she now begin to do the work of being there for her child in a productive way.

Summer is a Comin’

Specific challenges that come up during the summer months between parents and teenagers such as immodest dressing, excessive free time, and peer influence can create tension and anxiety within the family dynamic.

“Last summer, a client reported that her 12-year-old pre-teen daughter was pulling up her skirt and rolling up her sleeves,” says Shifra. “The mother said she spent a lot of time discussing the laws of modesty with her child. I spent a lot of time with the mother discussing why talking about the laws of modesty is not the way to go.”

A child who behaves so differently from her family, Shifra explains, is screaming for help. She knows the laws of tzinius. No one has to spend more time explaining them. She’s already aware that

dressing immodestly is not acceptable in her family or her community.

The first thing parents need to do, advises Shifra, is step back and see their child as the tzelem Elokim she is. It may be peer pressure, it may be the world outside that’s causing her to act this way, it may be a reaction to tensions at home. The bottom line is she’s behaving this way because she’s in pain – not because she wants to be “bad.” When you look at her essence, explains Shifra, it’s a whole different ballgame. You’re not lecturing her; you’re saying, “I love you and I care about you. I see something is bothering you. How can I help you?”

Approaching the child this way is the appropriate way, believes Shifra, but not necessarily the way that will guarantee an overnight change in the teen’s behavior. In fact, the child may not change at all. And that brings us to the very important next step – accepting our teens for who they are right now even if it’s not where we want them to be.

Parents must understand, and this is so fundamental, stresses Shifra, that their children have their own life journeys. We cannot control that. Every soul comes down to this world to fulfill its life’s mission. We have no idea what that mission is and have no control over whether they fulfill or don’t fulfill it. Mothers and fathers and every individual on this planet are here to work on themselves, not on anybody else, even their children.

“If we understand this,” continues Shifra, “we’ll understand that how our kids turn out is not our fault. The way they are right now is not our fault. All we can do and what we are here to do is support them on their journey.”

In addition to addressing specific challenges, Shifra offers general parenting tips and strategies to help mothers build strong and meaningful relationships with their children. One crucial aspect is the need for parents to prioritize quality time with their children and minimize distractions, particularly regarding the excessive use of technology.

Shifra recalls a particular incident where she witnessed a young mother en -

grossed in her phone while at the pool with her five-year-old. The mom was rushing her son along, snapping at him to move quickly otherwise he’d miss his swimming lesson. A moment later, her phone buzzed.

“The transformation was immediate. And disturbing,” shares Shifra. “One minute, the mom was berating her son for crawling like a snail, and the next minute she was laughing at some image on her screen.”

Parents need to put away their phones. They need to show their kids that they are more important than whoever it is trying to reach them on their cell.

“Especially with their teens and especially if they’re used to seeing their parent with the phone instead of them,” she says. “It’s a good idea, as they’re putting away their phone, to actually verbalize, ‘I love you so much that I want to spend time with you, not with my phone.’”

Her job as coach is to empower mothers so Shifra tries to lay low on the guilt but sometimes, she can’t help but point out to moms: Remember what your children see you doing now they will one day do with their own children.

Another example discussed during workshops is the challenge of managing a teenager’s free time. Often, mothers feel overwhelmed and frustrated by their teenagers spending excessive time on social media or engaging in unproductive activities, particularly during the summer when there’s little structure. They react by imposing strict restrictions or lecturing their teenagers on the importance of not hanging around with the wrong crowd.

Teenagers often use social media as a means of connection and self-expression, explains Shifra. They also may be bored. Instead of immediately resorting to restrictive measures, Shifra suggests that mothers engage in open conversations with their teenagers to understand their interests, hobbies, and aspirations. By showing genuine interest, mothers can help their teenagers find

productive and fulfilling activities to engage in during their free time.

Peer influence is another common issue. Moms will express concern about their teenagers’ choice of friends or the negative impact of peer pressure on their behavior. Some parents react by isolating their teenagers or attempting to control their social interactions. But parents have to understand that peer influence is normal for teenagers. It’s how they feel a sense of belonging and is important for their development.

Of course, it’s also normal to be concerned when you see them hanging out with the “wrong” crowd. But again, shares Shifra, the way to deal with it is never with lectures but always with first stepping back and seeing them as beings of infinite G-dly value. Then you can sit down with them and try to get a feel for what’s going on, why they feel the need to hang out with these types of friends.

“Another suggestion is,” Shifra advises, “instead of immediately labeling the teenager’s friends as negative influences, take the time to get to know them. Maybe they’re really nice kids!”

children. Someone asked him what to do when a young teen, for instance, sleeps late and doesn’t go to minyan. “Never force him or nag him,” Rav Gershon, zt”l, said. “Children need encouragement. Forcing causes the opposite. Forced chinuch is backwards chinuch. Chinuch should always be friendly and loving. Criticism hurts them tremendously and it causes the child to rebel.” The foundation and rule in chinuch, Rav Gershon concluded, is that a child should never feel criticized.

Only through affection, attention and affirmation do we show teens they have value. “Especially when they mess up,” Shifra notes, “make sure you tell them you love them. Go out of the way to say I love you even though you may have to give consequences. Kids beat themselves up enough. They know when they’re doing something wrong, a parent harping on it is unproductive.”

That’s why the Shabbos table should be a place of joy and harmony, not a place of restriction and rules. If a child wants to leave his seat, let him. If the teen goes off to the couch to read, keep your mouth shut, advises Shifra.

“We want them to look back with fondness at their Shabbos experiences. The more we lay off the guilt, the better chance we have. We never want to (over)hear our child saying that the Shabbos table was tense or boring. ‘Dad only talked to Mom, never to the kids, except to scream at us to stop fighting.’

“The importance of creating a happy home environment in general can’t be overstated,” says Shifra. Children are highly attuned to the energy and emotional atmosphere in their surroundings. Unfortunately, parents are not always on the same page. But just like parents aren’t responsible to change their child, one spouse isn’t responsible to change their partner.” (It’s also beyond the scope of this article to discuss marital issues.)

“In the case where the parents aren’t on the same page vis-a-vis dealing with their teens, aside from getting professional help, I’d seriously suggest prayer (which I suggest even when you’re both on the same page!),” says Shifra. “Pray your heart out. Accept that the marital (dis)harmony in the home is also part of each child’s soul’s journey. We can only do what we can do. It’s vital we do the best we can but also, at the same time, accept what we can’t do. This is where Hashem put you and this is where He put your child. Accept yourself, your limitations, and your situation whatever it may be.”

Tell Them You Love Them

Rav Gamliel Rabinowitz, a mekubal and rosh yeshiva in Jerusalem, shares a powerful perspective on the challenges parents face in raising children amidst the temptations of today’s modern world. He says that telling our children to close their eyes to all the temptations around them is as difficult as if we’re asking them to perform the Akeida. Rav Gamliel suggests that rather than attempting to close their eyes to all temptations, parents must empower their teens to make choices aligned with their values while providing loving guidance and support along the way.

It’s all about focusing on the positive. Rav Gershon Edelstein, zt”l, former esteemed rosh yeshiva of the Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, in an interview, emphatically stressed the need to talk pleasantly at all times with our

“And remember,” she adds, “what the great educator Rabbi Zecharya Wallerstein, zt”l, said: ‘Falling is not failure. Not getting up is failure.’ Of course, you’ll fall. We all do; that’s why we’re here in this world. We just need to pick ourselves up.”

The Reward is in the Work

One of the most rewarding aspects of Shifra’s work is witnessing the ripple effect of positive change. When she assists a mother in finding her own inner strength and developing healthier patterns of interaction, it not only transforms her relationship with her teenager but also positively impacts the entire family. The growth and empowerment of one individual can create a lasting legacy that extends to future generations. Witnessing these transformations and the resulting positive changes within families affirms Shifra’s hope for the Jewish nation, which all begins with close family connection.

“Especially when they mess up make sure you tell them you love them.”

By Daniella Quinn

Dear Teen Talk,

I am going to sleepaway camp this year and am very excited. I went last year and had a great time. My problem is that I am going with some new friends this year. I went last year with some school friends and made some camp friends. This year, more of my school friends are going. I’m nervous it is going to change the dynamic and worried about how I am going to include everyone and not feel torn by my friendships.

Teen Talk, a new column in TJH, is geared towards the teens in our community. Answered by a rotating roster of teachers, rebbeim, clinicians, and peers (!), teens will be hearing answers to many questions they had percolating in their minds and wished they had the answers for.

Also, one of my friends who I am close to is starting to listen to different music and watch different things that I’m not completely comfortable with. While we’re in school, it doesn’t affect me too much, but now I’m going to camp with her and we’ll be in the same bunk probably. I’m nervous that she’s going to be talking about singers and music and shows all day and I won’t be able to get away from it. I don’t want to feel dragged by what she watches and listens to. She’s a really good friend and I don’t want to lose her because of this.

Do you have any ideas of what I can do?

Thank you so much for writing in.

The first thing I want to tell you is that the situation you are describing is one that comes up a lot in life. You are not the only one going to camp this summer with this fear, and you are not the only one who ever has. The good thing about knowing this is that it tells you that you are facing a situation other people have dealt with before, and baruch Hashem, they figured it out. So now let’s answer, “but how?”

Let’s begin with the first part of your question. It sounds like you had an amazing time in camp last year, and because

of that, you are very much looking forward to it. You went with amazing friends and figured out the perfect dynamic to balance all of them. Basically, it couldn’t have been better.

When you signed up for camp this summer, you were probably thinking that you were signing up to have the same great time that you did last year. There was no reason for you to think that it would be any different. With that being said, I completely understand why this is not only a tricky situation but a frustrating one as well. Having expectations, or an idea in your mind of how

something is going to be or how it should be, makes it much more difficult to adjust when it doesn’t go as expected.

This year, you are going to camp with different girls, and even if some are the same from last year, it still can feel like everything has changed. The issue that you mention of having to balance different friend groups is a difficult one. Of course, you want to spend time with everyone, maybe even make new friends, but the idea of having time for all of them can sound overwhelming. It may be uncomfortable to figure out the balance between your different friend groups.

The truth is, there is no perfect answer to this situation. There is no perfect fix, like making some schedule of when you’ll spend

time with each group. Sometimes you might be with one group and a girl from another group passes by. Are you going to ignore her just because you’re currently spending time with your other friends?

These are the questions you have to ask yourself.

You are always going to have friends who are not necessarily friends with each other, and that’s normal! It may be uncomfortable at times when you are trying to navigate the different dynamics, but it’s the attitude and mindset that you build for yourself that will make the difference.

Back to the question I asked before. You can totally ignore this other friend when she walks by. It might feel weird for you to invite her over or even say hi. I get it. However, it doesn’t have to be like that. By waving to her

with them. So as much as you worry about how to manage balancing all of these different groups, a good friend will understand.

A lot of times when we worry about something, it’s because we want to be prepared for the worst case scenario. However, in this situation, the only preparation that you can do is choose to make the best of the situation. If these friendships are important to you, you will end up making time for all of them. I am honestly not worried about that at all! And in the moments when you feel torn between groups, you have the option of trying to include everyone, even if it is uncomfortable in the beginning. It will mean a lot to all of your friends that you are putting in

feel like you have to avoid them because of how they act or what they expose you to.

However, it is also important that you stand by what’s important to you. If someone is doing something that you are not comfortable with, it’s your choice whether or not you stick to the values that you have set for yourself. You are in a situation where someone who is close to you may expose you to things you have worked hard to stay away from. The fact that she is one of your close friends does not change anything. Yes, you don’t want to hurt her feelings by asking her to not talk about these things around you, but there is a way to go about it in a respectful manner. You can say that this is just something that you’re not comfortable talking about without making it sound like it has anything to do with her, because it doesn’t.

or calling her over, you will make her feel good, even when you are not actually spending time with her. If you choose to ignore her, she may end up questioning whether you are actually friends, and that’s where it really gets tricky.

You know for yourself that you don’t expect to be with your friends one hundred percent of the time. You know that your friends have other friends and that does not take away from the friendship you have

the effort. But sometimes, it may be right to say to them in a respectful way, “I’m with so and so right now, but I would love to hang out with you tomorrow.” The fact that you acknowledge them will make them feel good even if you don’t have time for them at the moment.

Now, for the second question. I definitely hear how this is a delicate situation. You never want to feel like someone who you are close to is a bad influence. You never want to

In a healthy relationship, each person will be respectful of the boundaries the other has set. If she is your good friend, then she will understand that this is just something you are not comfortable with, and it has nothing to do with her. Yes, it might be hard for her to hear in the moment, but I think, ultimately, she will understand. She would want the same from you if the situation was reversed.

With all that being said, these are definitely not the most fun situations to navigate. However, if you maintain a positive mindset, apply the effort, and stay true to your values, I can guarantee you will see the difference it will make.

Hatzlacha, and I hope you have an amazing summer!

Daniella is originally from Houston, Texas, and recently moved to Baltimore, Maryland, after a year of seminary in Israel. She currently works in a school while studying for a degree in psychology.

You know that your friends have other friends and that does not take away from the friendship you have with them.

What Would You Do If…

Dear Navidaters,

I am the mother of five wonderful children, one of whom is about to start dating. My son is more on the “yeshivish” side. He is coming back from learning in Eretz Yisroel in the summer and is looking to start dating.

Because he is more yeshivish, he hasn’t had much interaction with those of the opposite gender. What advice can I give him to make him more comfortable when he starts dating? I don’t want him to be scared or awkward when he starts to date.

Thank you.

-Baila

Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters

New!

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The Panel

The Rebbetzin

Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

Baila, this is a wise move to make. You don’t want your son’s friends to be the only influence on him. Here are a few points to discuss which will open the conversation. Follow the topics where they go and discuss further and deeper at other opportunities. I am sure my fellow panelists will make other useful suggestions.

You want to have an open relationship with your son as he adults. Use this opportunity to bring the two of you closer. After years away from home, a young man needs to reconnect with his parents, share his values, demonstrate his maturity, and communicate, too. Be straight. Put your needs aside and pay attention to what he is expressing. Create an environment where you can ask follow-up questions and build

trust. Be smart and focus on helping your son feel supported and understood.

Remind your son that just like he is eager to make a good impression, so is a girl on a date. Making an effort to put a girl at ease is smart and kind. Getting to know the other person beyond the initial impression takes time.

Letting one’s personality show is important. Being authentic takes time, skill, and effort. You may want to role play in a light manner.

I would also discuss the pluses and minuses of dating for boys and girls immediately upon return from Eretz Yisroel.

The Engaged Couple

Shmuli & Shira

From Awkward Dates to Happily Ever Laughter.

Hi! It’s great that you’re looking for advice to help your son feel more comfortable as he enters the “Dating Parsha.” When you are helping your son (and BE”H your other kids) find his other half keep in mind his emotions, feelings, and gut feeling. Regardless of the number of dates, always be there for him by making sure that you fully understand him (his needs, wants and feelings) and at no point at all show him any pressure or sense of being rushed. Here are some tips you can share with him.

First and foremost is communication. Encourage your son to communicate openly and honestly with his date. It’s important for him to express his thoughts, interests, and concerns while also listening actively to his partner.

Next is to always be yourself; authenticity is crucial. Encourage him to stay true to his hashkafa, personality, and interests. It’s very important not to pretend to be someone else he’s not, just to impress his date. For your son, this is a next-level whole new experience, and therefore advise your son to take things at a comfortable pace. Again, he shouldn’t feel the need to rush things or have outside pressure from yourself or others.

Since this is a new experience, I would suggest that you or another female (cousin, female relative) should “go out” on a mock date and get him used to going out with a girl. A good idea (this is not for everyone) would be to go to a Shabbos lunch either as a family or with his friends to be exposed to and/or talk to a girl who is there. Another thing he should do is to scout out the date location beforehand with a friend, or really anyone. This would be so that he is comfortable with the place and have a sense of familiarity.

Being a good and keen listener is in the same place as communication. These are very important traits (as I’m sure you know)! Encourage and practice with your son to actively listen to his date and show genuine interest in what she has to say. Being a good listener (giving your full attention) while still having a good conversation involves finding a balance between attentive listening and active engagement.

From the moment she comes down those steps till he brings her to her front

door, (yes, walk her to her door unless all the neighbors are being Yentas), he should try his best to maintain eye contact. To nod and smile often and by providing verbal cues (a simple “uh huh”) shows that he’s actively listening. Avoid interrupting at all costs! It is important to let the other person finish speaking before responding. Teach your son to resist the urge to interrupt or interject his thoughts while his date is talking. Ask open-ended questions! Practice with your son asking open-ended questions that go beyond simple “yes” or “no” answers. This prompts his date to share more about herself, her interests, and her experience. When she (hopefully) reciprocates and asks him a question, he should make sure to ask her back the same question. Share personal experiences that can relate to the topic at hand (stories from yeshiva, his dorm, or camp).

Encourage your son to show genuine curiosity about his date’s life, hobbies, family, dreams, hashkafa, and goals. He should avoid distractions, for example at the date’s location (that’s why it’s good to scout out the place) and not to look at his phone except when using GPS or in an emergency! When your son does start to date, is in the process of dating, and especially when things are getting serious, he should have an outside perspective from a trusted mentor or rabbi who has experience within a yeshivish framework.

Make sure to tell him that when on (all) the date(s), he should bring or if he forgot, then buy her a drink. Also, before

Being a good listener (giving your full attention) while still having a good conversation involves finding a balance between attentive listening and active engagement.

he starts driving, he should let her know where they are headed to (unless you are proposing on that date then you can leave it to be a surprise).

Remember, it’s normal to feel a bit (a lot) nervous or (very) awkward when entering the dating world. Remind your son to have patience, be kind to himself, and approach dating with a positive attitude. Hatzlacha to him in this new “parsha” of his life!

The Single

Tzipora Grodko

Dear Baila,

What a great question. I would first validate your son and let him know that it’s perfectly normal for him if he feels nervous or uncomfortable. The

unknown is nerve-wracking, dating is nerve-wracking, and all that combined with being sensitive to the opposite gender is even MORE nerve-wracking. And again, that’s to be expected!

I would put things in perspective and let him know that the girl is probably also a bit nervous, and that’s totally OK! I would then boost up his ego, informing him that any girl would be lucky to spend time with him, and that the goal is to simply connect with another person and treat them with dignity and class.

The Zaidy

Dr. Jeffrey Galler

That is a very relevant, practical question.

Pulling It All Together

The Navidaters

Dear Baila,

Thank you so much for writing into our column. I commend you for wanting to prepare your son as he begins the dating chapter of his life and help him to feel more comfortable during the process. Growing up not having interaction with members of the opposite gender can most certainly leave most people feeling rather unprepared and even scared or anxious as they contemplate spending large amounts of time one on one.

One piece of advice that many early daters and your son should find invaluable is the fact that people are people. Men are people. And women are peo -

ple. Refram- ing the situation from “date with the opposite gender” to “meeting with a person” can really take the pressure off a young, novice dater. When boys and girls don’t have access to the opposite gender in any sort of social situation, they can begin to fantasize all sorts of catastrophes and can believe that the opposite gender is so very different from who he/she is. Helping your son reframe and see things through this lens may prove to help alleviate some of his anxiety.

Letting your son know that it is the

First, if one of his sisters is mature enough, it might be helpful for him to go on a mock date with her. She can help him understand what topics girls like to discuss. She can give him valuable feedback and give him a boost of confidence before his first real date.

Second, there are important pointers that might not be so obvious to a sheltered yeshiva boy. He needs to practice good hygiene and dress in nice, clean clothes. And, he needs to understand that because girls spend a lot of time preparing for a date, they need to know what he is planning. For example, if he is planning a walk in the park, she would want to know not to wear high heels. Will they be going to the Bronx Zoo, to a coffee shop, or to a fancy restaurant?

He needs to realize that this is not a night out with his chavrusa friends. He needs to make sure that the car is clean and free of odors, that he drives responsibly, and that he acts like a gentleman who politely holds the door open for the lady.

Further, remind him to avoid speaking non-stop and dominating the conversation. A pleasant date involves a healthy give-and-take about mutually interesting topics.

And, finally, the date should not proceed like a stressful job interview. Tell your son to throw away his list of “Important Questions to Ask Your Date.” A boy and girl can get to know each other while enjoying a pleasant evening together. This is an exciting time of life, and here’s hoping that your son enjoys his experiences.

most normal thing in the world to feel anxious or awkward as he begins dating is another strategy that if employed can help settle his nerves. “Of course, you’re nervous! That means you’re normal! Most people are!” Once you have validated and normalized his feelings, if he is open to it, you can help him explore his feelings and explore his anxieties. This will let him know that you are a completely safe and judgment-free person for him to speak with and confide in as he begins to date. So often, well-meaning people, in an attempt to “help,” will say things like, “You have nothing to be worried about.” Or, “It’s really not a big deal.” The thing is, he is worried and he does feel like it’s a big deal. Letting him know that you “get it” may go a long way. And finally, you can try reminding him of the two following facts. The

woman who is meant for him is going to accept him and adore him exactly as he is – and that includes first date jitters. Most empathic people understand how nerve-racking it is to be on a first date. Anyone who is not understanding or who judges him harshly if he does have a little anxiety on the date is simply not the woman for him. It really is that simple. Very often, our anxieties around dating would lead us to believe otherwise.

The other thing to remind him of Is that all he needs to do is show up as his authentic self. And sometimes as we begin dating, especially when we have no experience with the opposite gender, our authentic selves include a healthy dose of anxiety.

Wishing you and your son all the best!

Sincerely,

Jennifer

The date should not proceed like a stressful job interview.

School of Thought

By Etti Siegel

Dear Readers, Thank you for your emails of encouragement and trusting me with your letters asking for some insight and advice. I hope they have helped you understand the perspective from behind the teacher’s desk. School and home should be working hand in hand for the betterment of the children, and when there is communication and mutual respect, so much more can be accomplished.

As the school year draws to a close, this column also draws to a close, and I hope to be back with the return of the new school year, iy”H. Feel free to still send in your questions and thoughts on what you would like addressed, and I will publish that communication after the summer be”H.

“Summer slide” is a term bandied about a lot, and in the halls of academia, its veracity is up for discussion. Do children lose a lot of the year’s learning over the long summer break? How much do they forget? Some research points to the fact that it is considered healthy to forget some information as it strengthens the brain to relearn the facts more concretely and retain the information even better (“Why Forget? On the Adaptive Value of Memory Loss,” 2015). Children with learning disabilities might lose more learning than children who do not struggle academically and might need more formal learning over the summer. Children with no access to resources might lose more knowledge than those with access to learning (any academically minded activities).

Please remember how hard your children worked and that they need a vacation. At the same time, please keep in mind that no one benefits from complete a shut down. Learning does not have to be formal, through school and sitting for hours on end. The best learning happens from curiosity and wonder.

Though there are debates back and forth in the ivory towers of higher learning, anecdotally in my

experience and of many teachers I have spoken with, it does seem that children who used their brain over the summer (though reading, writing, having conversations with adults, gardening, sightseeing, making carnivals and lemonade stands) do seem to have an edge over children who spent the summer passively in front of screens and video games.

But the learning over the summer does not have to be rigorous. One thing everyone in education understands is that learning happens much more slowly during the summer break. The energy of the school year is not there to spur higher learning to happen. And I believe this is a good thing.

Summer vacation is important. Children should get a break from rigorous school learning, but children should not get a break from learning.

The Shabbos table is never more important as it is during the summer. Parsha might have to be taught though storytelling, games, and treats.

Most children go to camp, but there are still many hours to fill once day campers come home.

Every outing and interaction can be seen as an opportunity. Shopping with a list helps children assist you as you fill your cart.

Can the children go on a nature walk? I used to take my grandchildren on a daily scavenger hunt. We made a list of what we might see (dogs, roses, squirrels, smart cars, bicycles, people wearing hats…) and then went to count and mark down what we found as we walked.

Cooking and baking is a chance for younger children to (pretend to) help in the kitchen and older children (as soon as they can read) to try their hand at easy and not-so-easy recipes.

Gardening is another wonderful activity that lets children take responsibility and feel pride and learn as they interact with nature – weeding, planting, watering, and caring for plants and vegetables.

Borrow ideas from carnivals and preschools – let the children decorate cupcakes, shave the balloon (with popsicle sticks rather than actual razor blades), find items in rice or sand, and create their own fun.

Create a maker’s space! This is a free-for all activity table with all kinds of items available, like colored paper, scissors, glue, staplers and staples, and more. With no directions and samples, children can create whatever they want. Adding paint, popsicle sticks, stickers, and pipe cleaners just adds to the fun. Make as few rules as possible, make sure children know about safety, and let them create! Plastic disposable tablecloths and smocks or garbage bags made into smocks are advised. Some children might watch for a while and then join as they feel more comfortable. Obstacle courses are fun to create and even more fun to do. Climbing, jumping, riding a bike from one point to another before twiring to the next station; there is no limit to the fun one can create for this activity.

There are so many ideas! I could fill pages listing them.

Most of all, remember that summer ends. So enjoy the more relaxed schedule, embrace the mess and endless wet laundry, and celebrate the change of pace. School will resume before you know it! Have a wonderful summer, -Etti

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.

The best learning happens from curiosity and wonder.

Parenting Pearls Mind Hack

Homesickness is Just a Little Headache

By Nate Davis

The bags are packed. Your kid has a new hockey stick, mini-fridge, air conditioner, ATV, and whatever else kids bring to camp these days. And he’s ready to go. There’s only one problem: “stuff” doesn’t heal homesickness.

If your kid is going to camp for the first time, especially if he is young, he is very likely going to experience some level of homesickness; some kids more, some kids less, but they all get it, unless you are doing a bang-up job as a parent and they are thrilled to be away from you.

So, for the kid who is going to be a little sad for a day or two, not to worry. It’ll pass. But what do you do if you know that your son/daughter is the type to have a prolonged bout of homesickness?

Here’s a helpful message to give them:

Homesickness is just like any other sickness that you get from time to time.

Imagine you have a headache when you go on a chol hamoed trip with the family. The headache bothers you, but you still enjoy the pizza or the park or the go-carts. It’s just that you are a little uncomfortable. Eventually, the headache goes away, and you end up having a great time on the trip. When you look back at the chol hamoed trip, you don’t even remember that you had a headache.

It’s the same thing with camp—instead of HEADACHE sick, you may be HOME sick.

You will still enjoy the canteen, the night activities, the fireworks, and being away from your annoying brother/sister.

Just like when you have a headache it eventually goes away, even though you can’t pinpoint the moment that it happens, it’s the same thing with your homesickness. It will eventually go away, even though you won’t be able to

pinpoint when it dissipated.

So, when you are feeling homesick, say to yourself, “I am feeling sick right now. And that is not a good feeling. But

es himself to that all-consuming thought of homesickness. If you can create space between your child and his/her homesickness, they will start allowing other

why there is such a push towards mindfulness today. With all of the anxiety and fears that people have, it’s whack-amole to try to silence each one; the only option is to shift the mind into a state of pure presence. Negative emotions thrive off the past and future and die in the present.

Mark Zuckerberg recently explained that the reason he has hobbies like judo and extreme water sports is because it forces him to be totally focused on the present moment, thus forgetting about all of the things that can weigh him down mentally. He acknowledged that although many people get that through meditation and breath work, he has a hard time doing that, so he does these other activities which force him to be present.

Our kids may not necessarily have the tools to practice mindfulness (neither do I or many other adults). This method is a bit of a mindfulness-hack because if the child digests the message, they will challenge themselves to “live in the now” despite their homesickness.

even though I am sick, I’m going to try to enjoy myself the best that I can.”

The reason that this message is helpful is because homesickness can become all-consuming and create a fatalistic and helpless mindset. That’s why it lingers. Fatalism and hopelessness tend to stay past the invite. In a sense, the kid attach-

experiences in. Once they do that, those other experiences will eventually drown out the thoughts of homesickness.

The reason the other experiences will drown out the homesickness is because those experiences are moments of presence and consciousness. It’s no secret that presence and consciousness beat anxiety and fear every time. This is

You can even make a game out of it. Tell your son, “On the first opportunity that you have to go to the canteen, I want you to go get a big ice cream and I want you to sit down and eat it, and while you are eating it, I want you to think about how delicious it is. Think about the crunch of the sprinkles, the sweetness of the hot fudge, the sugar cone…everything.” Wait, but what about my homesickness? It’s OK…you can still enjoy an ice cream with a headache; you can still enjoy an ice cream with your homesickness!

Hopefully this message will work and your child will have a great summer filled with amazing experiences and growth. And, yes, you worked really hard getting your kid off to camp – go enjoy an ice cream cone with sprinkles and hot fudge; enjoy the crunch.

Homesickness can become all-consuming and create a fatalistic and helpless mindset.

Being a Tzelem Elokim

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

Iwas speaking with a woman from my gym class. She’s very fit and incredibly strong. I’m continuously amazed how much she can lift and do. She’s also a talented educator in a local yeshiva.

She expressed her frustration at having coworkers and other staff comment on her meals. She eats a balanced diet which, at times, includes bagels or other carb-rich items. Inevitably, whenever a bagel comes out, so do the comments. “You don’t look like you eat that.” “Really, you’re going to have that?”

It’s shocking to hear kids talk. “Do I look fat?” “Look how skinny I am now.” I don’t recall my peers being so focused on our weight when we were young.

Yes, there are parents that make hurtful comments to their child. “You’ll never get a shidduch looking like that.” “You don’t need that extra cookie.” But there are even more parents that inadvertently say things in front of their child. “Ugh, I hate how I look in this” or “I need to lose 10 pounds by the summer

to fit into the wedding outfit.” Our children hear what we say and internalize our unspoken messages.

It’s not all weight related. Commenting negatively on any other part of our body yields similarly unintended conclusions. If we say we hate, dislike or would like to change any parts of our bodies, then our children will notice.

For a nation that prides itself on valuing the internals, we seem to be unwittingly overly focused on the externals, usually on the negative aspects.

It’s truly sad when we can’t appreciate the beauty that Hashem created within us and our children within themselves.

For Everything a Place

Our externals are certainly not bad, but everything needs to be in its proper place. Naturally, the first view you see of a person is their external self, but we don’t want to suffice with mere appearances alone. We make a significant effort to get to know their personality.

Ultimately, we will judge whether or not to include this person in our life based on who they are as an individual.

Despite the ultimate importance of our internal self, there is a place for appreciating our outside, as well. We should remember that however we look is exactly how Hashem intended for us to look. Whether we do or don’t like something, it’s still from Hashem.

More importantly, our bodies provide so many gifts that it’s a shame to never notice them. Eyes that see, ears that hear, and legs that move us from place to place. Not everyone has each of their bodily functions and perhaps they are the ones who can truly appreciate what others do have. Even the physical is a gift from Hashem that we should value.

There are so many physical gifts that we can enjoy. Those who run or exercise can tell you how exhilarating it feels to move. Dancing is fun and a great way to express oneself. Beautiful voices can inspire others. Kids can jump, somersault, and go down slides. They can move in all

kinds of ways and are incredibly flexible. There’s so much we can appreciate about our physical selves. Our children, too, should be given the opportunity to recognize all they have been given.

Kids

Our kids see and hear us as we inadvertently provide them with a blueprint for how they should view themselves. We can either show them we value every part of them and teach them a full sense of self-worth or we can make them feel inferior.

Sometimes we miss the obvious: don’t insult a child’s body. It may not be intentional but even backhanded compliments, negative jokes and certainly outright criticisms can have a profound effect. Perhaps we think we’re motivating them to change for the better, but that rarely works, and any positives will be outweighed by the negatives. Comments about weight, physical appearance, or ability are usually unnecessary.

Compliments are one way we show our approval. “Look how high you jumped!” “You are so strong! That was really heavy to lift.” “I enjoy watching your backflips. How many can you do?” We can show them how to value themselves.

As parents, we serve as an example to our children. We, too, should be cautious how we present our opinions about ourselves in front of our children. What are we saying in their presence and how are we acting when they’re around (or able to overhear)? Perhaps we could also use a little introspection to see if we are loving and valuing the gifts that Hashem has given us in our physical selves. Give yourself the messages you’d like to hear your children repeat back to themselves. When they hear you accept and love yourself, they, too, will repeat those words at their own reflection. If, chas v’shalom, they hear us being critical to ourselves, they will internalize being harsh to their own bodies. Many adults received only negative messages when they were younger. We are never too old to learn to respect ourselves and the gifts Hashem has given us.

A disclaimer is in order. Kids can have problems with their weight, ap -

pearance or physical movement. I’m not here to deny the obvious reality nor am I saying that parents should disregard a child’s health. When these situations arise, please reach out to the child’s pediatrician or mental health provider. They are professionally trained to

irrelevant criteria, all in the name of “shidduchim.”

It goes without saying that everything is in Hashem’s hands including – or especially – shidduchim. Hakol

b’ydei Shamayim chutz m’yiras Shamayim. Rather than deliberate on how

When you see those married couples strolling down the street, you may not find all of them good looking. That’s OK, because they find each other attractive. People don’t get married saying, “Well, that person looks a little ehh to me but I’ll marry them anyway.” No, they connect with that person and find them attractive as they are. Our kids don’t need to appear in a specific way to find their life’s partner. Yes, they should look neat and clean, but they shouldn’t need to drastically change who they are to find their bashert. They should do their reasonable hishtadlus and leave the rest to Hashem.

assist parents in ensuring their child’s physical and emotional health needs are being met and they can do so without harming a child in the process.

Shidduchim

This is a topic beyond my expertise, but I couldn’t ignore the gigantic pink elephant wearing sunglasses and lounging in an easy chair in every room. So much of our behavior is dictated by

our nose appears, perhaps we’re better off focusing on davening and improving our patience with others (which marriage requires in huge doses).

Looking around, you’ll notice a variety of married people; they come in all shapes and sizes. Some are quieter or louder; some are more popular, while others are less so. There’s no exclusive “type” that gets married. On the opposite side, there are plenty of amazing people who are still single.

We and our children deserve to have a positive self-image, one in which we can recognize that Hashem has blessed us in so many ways. Appreciating Hashem’s gifts need not lead to conceit but rather to a greater sense of gratitude to the True Source of all good.

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.

Give yourself the messages you’d like to hear your children repeat back to themselves.

Is Organic Food Worth the Hype?

By Tehila Soskel, RDN, CDN

Organic foods are amongst some of the most popular topics over recent years, with many individuals labeling it as the healthier alternative than conventionally grown produce. What used to once be elusive can now be found in most grocery stores. According to the U.S. Organic Industry Survey in 2020, 56 billion dollars were spent by consumers on organic produce. So, is it really worth the price and is it safer, healthier or tastier than conventionally grown produce? Is it really worth the hype?

Organic foods include dairy products like milk and cheese, fruits, vegetables, grains, and meat. What does “organic actually” mean? Organic foods are grown without the use of genetically modified organisms (GMO), synthetic pesticides (used for pest control), artificial fertilizers, growth hormones for farm animals, or irradiation. The following goals have to be met for organic farming: cut pollution, provide safe healthy places for the farm animals, improve soil and water quality, promote a self-sustaining cycle of resources on a farm, and enable natural farm animals’ behavior. To be labeled organic, the food has to be free of all artificial food additives like preservatives, coloring, flavoring, artificial sweeteners, and monosodium glutamate (MSG).

Although many food products have some sort of organic label on them, let’s differentiate between a few. The term “100% organic” means that products only contain fully organic ingredients. “Organic” means that at least 95% of the product’s ingredients are organic. The term “made with organic ingredients” means that 70% of the ingredients are organic. Anything less than 70% of organic ingredients cannot use the USDA seal or be labeled as organic. Each country has its own seal.

Some people might confuse the term “natural ingredients” with organic ingredients. These two are not the same. The term “natural” on food labels means the product is free of artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.

There is a big debate if organic pro -

duce is more nutritious than non-organic foods. Many organic foods do, in fact, contain more vitamins and antioxidants. For example, organic grown corn and berries were found to have higher amounts of vitamin C and antioxidants. Furthermore, replacing organic fruits and vegetables may provide additional amounts of antioxidants in your overall diet. Since chem-

levels, often found in processed meats, are almost 30% lower in organic produce than non-organic crops.

Organic dairy such as milk may be more nutritious as the products may have higher amounts of iron, vitamin E, carotenoids, and omega-3 fatty acids. On the other hand, they may contain less iodine and selenium, both of which are essential

timing of crops harvested. In addition, animal genetics, diet, farm type, and time of year all play a role in the composition of dairy products and meat. All these factors make it difficult for conclusive studies.

Considering that organic foods don’t use artificial chemicals, your exposure to pesticide residues may be reduced. According to some studies, non-organic crops may be found to have four times more the amount of pesticide residues. With that being said, it’s crucial to be aware that those amounts were still under the safety limits. Some ways to help remove some of the chemicals are by washing, scrubbing, peeling or cooking the food.

Let’s not be too fooled by the term “organic,” as that does not mean it is completely nutritious. Many of these products can contain a lot of calories, added sugars, salt, fats, and are still highly processed. As with any sweets or desserts, organic cookies, ice cream, and chips should be consumed in moderation as these products still lack nutrients despite them being labeled organic.

Food choices are better made based on the vitamins and nutrients in the food and what your dietary needs are in lieu of the fact that one is labeled conventional or organic.

ical pesticides are not used on organic produce, they produce more antioxidants which essentially act as a protective compound. Buying organic fruits and vegetables may be beneficial to your health. For example, strawberries are often the most pesticide-contaminated food so opting for the organic option may be beneficial.

Vegetables like spinach and kale are also examples of vegetables with higher levels of pesticide residue than organic. Nitrates

to our health. Common food sources of iodine and selenium are egg, yogurt, milk, fish, chicken, brazil nuts, and brown rice. Some studies showed higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids in organic versus non-organic produce; other studies did not find much difference.

While many studies will find differences between the two types of food, results are limited based on many factors, such as weather conditions, soil quality, and the

So, should you buy organic? The evidence of organic foods versus conventionally grown food are truly mixed. Your exposure to artificial chemicals and other added hormones may be reduced by consuming organic food along with other possible health benefits. Unfortunately, the cost of organic food is not feasible nor accessible for some people. If you are deciding to buy organic food, it comes down to your personal preferences.

Tehila Soskel is a registered dietitian nutritionist with a private practice in the Five Towns. She sees clients for weight loss, diabetes, and other various diseases. Appointments can be made for in-person or virtual sessions: 516-457-8558, tehilasoskelrd@gmail.com, tehilasoskelnutrition.com.

Considering that organic foods don’t use artificial chemicals, your exposure to pesticide residues may be reduced.

Fd for Thought My Top 5 at the JFood Show

By Nati Burnside

The inaugural JFood Show was held at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center in Edison, New Jersey, on June 13 and 14 and was a smash hit for an event in its first year. Brands came from all over to show off their products to those in the trade on the first day, followed by a day for consumers.

Who knows what this show will look like in the future now that organizers have gotten their feet wet in the kosher food pool. Everyone present was chattering about next year and where the show will go.

But this article is more focused on what was there this year. If you couldn’t make it out to the show, here are the top five things that I had, along with a little information that might give you a metaphorical taste of what it was like to be at the show.

Hey, I can’t bring you an actual taste. Metaphorical is the best I can do.

5.Falafel and Tahini, Heaven & Earth (Bayonne, New Jersey)

While these food shows tend to bring out some pretty interesting products, sometimes a company shows up to present a product that is just a good solid staple that they feel deserved its moment in the sun.

That was the case with Heaven & Earth, a brand out of New Jersey that showed up with a couple of air fryers, some frozen falafel balls, and tahini in a handy squeeze bottle. The falafel comes in two flavors, original and zesty. While the zesty has a little bit of a kick, it certainly isn’t going to be off-putting to anybody. Taking full advantage of the air fryer fad, this booth was serving up hot, crunchy falafel balls to everyone walking by for two days.

So why buy these over the other brands?

“We want to allow people to make healthier choices while having great tasting food,” said Shani Seidman, Heaven & Earth’s marketing director. “The brand is named Heaven AND Earth. We want our food to give people a little taste of heaven, even if they are eating more earthly products.”

Seidman remarked that the rise in air fryers has done wonders for those who want to make falafel at home, but the product can be made in a toaster oven or in a regular

oven as well.

The tahini also came with a bit more of an earthy flavor than usual, as it was actually just the roasted sesame itself. Without any added ingredients, a vigorous shake of the bottle was capable of reconstituting the consistency before use.

Heaven & Earth has been around for five years, and their products are available in many kosher supermarkets. They hope to get into more non-kosher supermarkets soon.

4.

Sparkling Sicilian Lemonade, Tuscanini (Product of Italy)

This entry is both surprising and unsurprising. Let me explain…

Walking up to the Tuscanini booth (though “booth” doesn’t describe the makeshift corner of Italy that they set up at the JFood Show), I fully expected something there to make my top five. After all, Tuscanini is an increasingly impressive brand of kosher products that are developed and made in Italy before coming to the shelves in America. But I certainly didn’t expect the thing that blew me away to be lemonade.

Do I like lemonade? Sure. I mean, doesn’t everybody? But this is not like some regular lemonade you make at home, or buy at a stand, or even buy at the store.

Well, it seems Tuscanini is trying to change that last one.

This is sparkling lemonade. It has just the right amount of carbonation. It’s not a full-on soda, but it’s sharp enough to make you appreciate the bite. And yet, the sparkling aspect isn’t even the biggest factor that makes this lemonade so good.

According to Charles Herzog (president of Kayco, Tuscanini’s distributor), the main factor is the Sicilian lemons. The lemons in Italy (and specifically in Sicily) have a higher sugar content and lower acidity. In the U.S., you have to add a ton of sugar to make lemonade palatable. This version only requires them to add a small amount of cane sugar. The result is a perfectly balanced taste, which is more of a European lemonade than an American one.

“The beauty of a good product is that it’s balanced,” said Herzog as he spoke about

the lemonade and other Tuscanini products. “We want to find the sweet spot of making products that are distinctly European but are still marketable in America.”

All Tuscanini products are made in Italy and say so on the packaging. It’s one way that the brand tries to indicate to their customers that the contents are of premium quality, a tough thing to find in the kosher world.

That quality has led to Tuscanini products being carried in many non-kosher supermarkets as well. Look for them on the shelves the next time you go.

3.Spicy Peri Peri Beef Biltong, Joburg Meats (Woodbridge, Connecticut)

The pandemic hit restaurants hard. But what you may not know is that it also hit some small food brands hard.

You probably remember Joburg, the meat company named for their origins in South Africa that made some amazing products, including some of the best sausages that the kosher market has ever seen.

But Covid put the brand’s co-packer out of business. With no way to produce and package their product, Joburg was pretty much dead by default. The owner decided to put the brand up for sale, and new owners are now in place and trying to relaunch.

Not only do they want to get back on the shelves, they want to be bigger and better than ever. To that end, they are building a huge factory in Connecticut that will allow them to make massive amounts of product under their own terms. That includes making a part of the facility that will be dedicated to their first line of products, biltong.

For those that might be unfamiliar, biltong is the South African cousin of beef jerky. It’s not a version, so much as a cousin because the process is actually quite different, even if the end goal is the same. The idea is drying meat so that it lasts longer, but the steps along the way make for very different endpoints.

While jerky is cut into various shapes and marinated before being put in a dehydrator, biltong is made from whole cuts of meat that are dried whole over a long period of time with fairly minimal seasoning on the outside (like a rub or marinade). When it’s done, it’s sliced – you can often still see some red in the center – and packaged.

“The result is a product that is more like a slice of steak than anything else,” said Yuda Holtzberg, co-founder and chief marketing officer. “Plus, the process allows the meat to keep more flavor and nutrients than jerky because it never goes into a dehydrator.”

I loved the spicy peri peri (a kind of Portuguese-South African flavoring) iteration for its blend of hot yet flavorful notes, but it also comes in original and black pepper.

Well, Victor Abady knows gelato. When he was growing up, his father owned a kosher dairy restaurant in which he endeavored to offer gelato, a dessert he had a fondness for after growing up in a less religious household. Unfortunately, no high-quality kosher product existed at the time.

So his father hired a chef who had experience making gelato. From there, he observed until he learned how to do it himself. After 15 years, the elder Abady closed his restaurant. But Victor was young, ambitious, and dreamed of opening a place that focused just on the gelato.

That dream opened six years ago in Lakewood (12 America Avenue, if you’re wondering) and has been a smash hit. Soon after opening the shop, they started selling pints, and now their products (sorbet, as well as gelato) can be found in kosher supermarkets everywhere. They also sell to restaurants, including a few non-kosher ones.

Most popular at the JFood Show was their caramel cookie flavor.

“This flavor was actually a happy accident,” explained Abady. “Some caramel spilled into our regular cookies and cream flavor. I tasted it, it was great, so we tried it out. It’s now one of our best sellers.”

The vanilla base is strong, but the caramel ribbons add the sweetness factor that makes this flavor pop. The combination of the super creamy gelato and the crunch of the cookies is absolutely perfect.

What’s next for Cream? With a daughter who is allergic to dairy, Abady is looking to start a line of pareve gelatos in the near future. Look out for those in the coming year.

1.Cream of Tomato with Chicken & Orzo, Hale and Hearty Soups (Brooklyn, New York)

The name “Hale and Hearty” might sound vaguely familiar to the kosher consumer. Over the course of the last three decades, the formerly non-kosher soup company had locations all over the New York area, and their soups were sold in many supermarkets as well.

But the established NYCbased brand had fallen on hard times, and the previous owners put the company up for sale. That’s when a kosher catering company stepped in and purchased the brand’s name, logos, and commissary in Williamsburg. After much effort, the brand is now fully kosher, and they are trying to restore the brand to its former place in the market.

Changing some of the recipes was easy. Others? Not so much.

The Cream of Tomato with Chicken & Orzo was a classic top seller for the brand. Chef Marty Levin, Hale and Hearty’s chief operating officer, had to work on it with the previous head chef (who they kept on after the acquisition). After some trial and error replacing the butter and heavy cream with margarine and imitation sour cream, they made it work.

Caramello Biscottini Gelato, Cream Gelateria (Lakewood, New Jersey)

Joburg products should be coming soon to a kosher supermarket near you. 2.

Ask anybody in the restaurant industry, and they’ll tell you that, when you’re starting out, the best thing to do is to make what you know.

The soup is creamy enough for you to believe it’s dairy, but with good chunks of chicken mixed in with enough orzo to remind you of the last word in the company’s name. It’s comfort food at its finest.

“The name is established in the non-kosher world,” Levin said at the JFood Show. “But now we want it to become a kosher household name, too.”

Hale and Hearty soups are available at kosher and non-kosher supermarkets across the New York metropolitan area.

Hey, I can’t bring you an actual taste. Metaphorical is the best I can do.

In The K tchen

Modern Israeli Salad

By Naomi Nachman

Ingredients

Chicken

◦ ¼ cup olive oil

◦ 2 cloves garlic, sliced

◦ 1 teaspoon cumin

◦ ½ teaspoon cinnamon

◦ ½ teaspoon kosher salt

◦ 1 teaspoon paprika

◦ 1 lb. skinless boneless chicken cutlets

Salad

◦ 3-4 tomatoes, diced

◦ 1-2 Israeli pickles

◦ ½ red onion, peeled and finely chopped

◦ ½ yellow pepper, diced

◦ ½ cup roasted chickpeas

◦ ¼ cup assorted fresh herbs, such as mint, parsley and cilantro, chopped

Dressing

◦ ½ cup lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)

◦ ¼ cup olive oil,

◦ 1 teaspoon kosher salt

◦ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Prepare the chicken: Place all chicken ingredients into a Ziplock bag; marinate in the fridge for an hour or two, up to overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Place chicken cutlets on prepared baking sheet. Discard marinade. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until cooked through. Set chicken aside to cool. Cut cooled chicken into bite-sized cubes. Set aside.

4. Prepare the salad: Place all vegetables into a large bowl. Add reserved chicken cubes, herbs, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine.

Cook’s Tip: Omit the chicken to keep this salad pareve.

Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet.com or at (516) 295-9669.

I am writing this recipe from Israel and want to share a chicken salad I made at my daughter’s house last week for Shabbat. It is a modern twist of an Israeli salad that can also be a one bowl dinner compete with protein and vegetables.

T

O

YS: How important is it to have a positive mindset?

SR: It has a tremendous impact on one’s day to have a positive and optimistic attitude. It’s all about perspective and how you look at life. Some people can take their car breaking down early in the morning and let it ruin their entire day. They’re not aware that they can shift their mindset, their way of thinking, to turn that challenge into a productive

Mind Y ur

n a previous 710 WOR “Mind Your Business” broadcast, Yitzchok Saftlas (YS) spoke with guest Steve Rizzo (SR), noted author, speaker, and development coach. * * *day. The more you focus on that little thing that happened to you, the worse things get. You might notice that when something like that happens to someone, especially if it happens at the beginning of the day, they can’t wait to get to work to tell everybody. They don’t realize that they’re going into a bad mood. So, it has a real impact to shift to that positive perspective.

Your new book is titled “Conversations With Bob.” Can you tell us a little bit about that?

It’s a conversation between two people, Bob and Bernie. Everybody has an inner Bob and an inner Bernie within them. Our responsibility is to make sure

that we’re connecting with the right entity within us, and that’s Bob, the inner representation of G-d. Bernie resides in the negative zone, where problems get blown out of proportion and challenges turn into emotional havoc. Bob gives Bernie what he calls “common sense success strategies” to turn his life around – what he was doing wrong that caused him to feel like whenever he was moving two steps up, he somehow ended up five steps back.

There’s a point in the book, where Bernie says to Bob, “I prayed. Why didn’t you answer my prayers?” And Bob looks at him and says, “I did. But you pray with the same woe-is-me attitude that you have about life, and yet, you expect a miracle.” Bernie says, “Of course I expect

his column features business insights from a recent “Mind Your Business with Yitzchok Saftlas” radio show. The weekly “Mind Your Business” show –broadcasting since 2015 – features interviews with Fortune 500 executives, business leaders and marketing gurus. Prominent guests include John Sculley, former CEO of Apple and Pepsi; Dick Schulze, founder and Chairman Emeritus of Best Buy; and Beth Comstock, former Vice Chair of GE; among over 400+ senior-level executives and business celebrities. Yitzchok Saftlas, president of Bottom Line Marketing Group, hosts the weekly “Mind Your Business” show, which airs at 10pm every Sunday night on 710 WOR and throughout America on the iHeartRadio Network.a miracle. Isn’t that your job? Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?” And Bob says, “Bernie, have you ever heard the saying, G-d helps those who help themselves?” Bernie responds, “I’ve heard it my whole life.” Bob goes, “Apparently, you don’t know what it means. It means that you have to meet Me halfway. If you’re going to pray for success, you have to do the right thing to achieve that success.”

That’s one of the lessons. You have to meet G-d halfway. And when you do, that’s when miracles start happening.

You’ve spoken in the past about the importance of enjoying the process. Could you elaborate on that?

People create a mindset where they

say to themselves, “I’ll enjoy myself when I achieve my goal. I’ll enjoy myself when I get to where I want to go.” And by doing that, you’re cheating yourself. Because it’s the journey towards the goal where your life unfolds. As a matter of fact, that journey should be your goal. It’s a step-by-step process. Again, feeling good is the fuel that drives motivation and inspiration, but enjoyment kicks motivation and inspiration into high gear. Unfortunately, today, enjoyment is something that most people leave by the wayside, especially when change is taking place. That’s when self-doubt and overwhelming fear can become very dangerous mindsets, and without people realizing it, enjoying yourself becomes secondary at a time when it has to become primary.

Studies have shown that people who make a conscious choice (and it is a choice) to enjoy themselves during the process of whatever they’re trying to achieve are able to bounce back faster from life’s challenges and able to find solutions to problems a lot quicker. Having said that, I would wager that most, if not all, people when writing out their plans and goals for the future, short term or long term, nowhere on those lists do they ever include “enjoying myself.” And that totally blows me away. Instead, they create these dangerous mindsets. And they say things like, “How do you expect me to enjoy myself when things aren’t going the way I want?

When I get the things that I want, that’s when I’m going to enjoy myself, and I’m not going to do it one minute sooner.”

When they do that, they have no idea that they’re putting their happiness on hold. They’re actually convincing themselves that their happiness is dependent upon something that has to change.

Can you explain your saying, “Unleash the power of your humor being”?

I coined that phrase many years ago when I was doing stand-up comedy. There were times when I was on stage, in the middle of making people laugh, when I was looking out at a sold-out crowd, and saying, “Wow, this is unbelievable. Some of the people in this audience are experiencing really challenging times. But during this hour that I am on the stage, they’re no longer owning their problems. Why? Because they’re simply allowing themselves to take time out to laugh.”

Laughter is the pit stop in the rat

race of life, in that it gives you enough emotional fuel and repairs to get back into the race again. But the initiative and proficiency by which we allow ourselves to laugh comes from what I call your “humor being.” It’s the part of you that brings out the best in you, especially when times get tough. I think it’s one of the greatest gifts that G-d ever gave us. The unfortunate thing is that most people don’t use it enough. We all need that humor break. Sometimes a couple of seconds is all you need to catch a second wind. Laughter gives you those couple of seconds over and over again. The more

Why is it important for people to take control of that negative outlook?

Your thoughts create your beliefs. And a lot of people have these beliefs, but they’re not aware of where they come from. The beliefs you have about anything in your life are formulated over a period of time through a consistent way of thinking. So, if you’re going through the day, and you keep thinking of all the stuff that’s going wrong, those thoughts are solidifying an already negative belief system. A state of feeling good is at the very core of your success because feeling good is the fuel that drives motivation

is, rather than focusing on what isn’t working, shift your focus to a new way of thinking, to what is working, to the things that bring you joy, to the things that will put a smile on your face and will gradually make you feel better.

I know they’ve heard it before, but trust me when I say, if you start every day with this for a month, you will be creating a new habit. I’m asking you to create an attitude of gratitude. Maybe you’re thinking of your children, your grandchildren, or even a dog lying by the side of the bed. Maybe it’s the bird singing out the window or a wonderful neighborhood that you live in. Maybe somebody did something nice for you a few days ago, or you did something nice. There isn’t a single person that can’t think of something that they appreciate and are grateful for, regardless of what they’re going through. All I’m asking you to do is to focus on that, rather than the stuff that isn’t working. Notice the difference when you’re getting out of bed.

you make that promise to find the laughter within you and around you throughout the day, the more your humor being becomes a part of who you are.

What are your tips for people who might be starting the day on the wrong foot?

I like to give the three principles that I live by. Principle one, you need to know, without a doubt, that you are the creator of your success and happiness. What that means is, it’s not what happens to you that determines how successful or happy you’re going to be. It’s what you do about what happens to you. It’s the choices you make, and the thoughts you have about those challenges, that make the difference.

Principle two, you need to know that you are the only problem that you will ever have, and somewhere within you, there is always a solution waiting to be discovered. We just have to learn how to get out of our own way to allow that solution to reveal itself.

Principle three, whenever you’re confronted with a challenge or a problem of any kind, it’s never a matter of managing the situation. It’s always a matter of how you manage your mind. Can you manage those toxic thoughts and beliefs that are keeping you from finding the solution that’s waiting to be discovered, and to live the life that you desire?

and inspiration. And you can’t feel good if you have rampant negative thoughts going through your head. The number one reason why people consistently fail in business and in life is not because of the situation, but because somewhere along the way, positive momentum ceases. And the reason why positive momentum ceases is because the individual is focusing all of their energy on what isn’t working. That doesn’t leave any room in the brain for positive thoughts to seep through so that they can come up with healthy alternatives and deal with the next challenge.

What are some practical solutions one can use to deal with negativity?

To start your day with an unstoppable attitude, regardless of the circumstances, I ask people to “get their shift together.” When you wake up in the morning, before you take the covers off, don’t think about everything that needs to get done that day. The first thing you’ve got to do is say to yourself, “Who do I have to be in order to get it done?” And that’s when you start the process of creating the mindset that will enable you to be the best that you can possibly be. To connect with that higher part of yourself, knowing that no matter what life throws at you, there’s something within you that can meet that challenge head-on. And the way you do that

Someone said to me at one of my workshops, “It’s easier said than done.” Well, everything in life is easier said than done. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. And you owe it to yourself to try.

This is another thing that Bob explains to Bernie in the book. We go through the course of our lives, and we allow people, situations, and circumstances to literally suck the energy right out of us, because we don’t know we have these innate common sense success strategies that can help us to turn our lives around, to live a healthier, more fruitful life.

“You need to know, without a doubt, that you are the creator of your success and happiness.”

Notable Quotes

“Say What?!”

There is a place in New York City called Five Towns, which is an incredibly Jewish area. One of my buddies from there said, “Why don’t you call Nefesh B’Nefesh? It’ll be fun. You and your mom can have an adventure.”

- Actress Diane Neal, who played an Assistant District Attorney for almost a decade on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, talking to the Jerusalem Post

For me, the better place to be is in Israel. I am feeling incredibly happy to be here, incredibly grateful to be here. Believe it or not, I feel safe here and definitely safer.

- Ibid.

You know, there’s a thing that if you criticize George Soros, you’re accused of being antiSemitic. Now, that’s really weird because he hates Jews. He may be Jewish, but he hates the state of Israel.

- Rudy Giuliani on Newsmax speaking the truth about George Soros

This is not just an isolated example. Trump has many good qualities and he accomplished some good things, but the fact of the matter is, he is a constant narcissist and he constantly engages in reckless conduct that puts his political followers at risk, and the conservative Republican agenda at risk. He will always put his own interest and gratifying his own ego ahead of everything else, including the country’s interest. There’s no question about it. This is a perfect example of that. He’s like a defiant nine-year-old kid who’s always pushing the glass toward the end of the table defying his parents to stop him from doing it.

- Former Attorney General Bill Barr, on Face the Nation

Santa Claus is more real than the integrity of the FBI and Justice Department under Joe Biden. Friend and family discounts have never been so obvious.

- Michael Goodwin, New York Post, after the Justice Department gave him probation for tax evasion and committing a felony by lying on a gun license application

I have many Jewish friends since childhood. They say that Zelensky is not Jewish, that he is a disgrace to the Jewish people.

- Russian President Vladimir Putin at a conference in St. Petersburgh

This is not a joke and not an attempt at irony, because today neo-Nazis, Hitler’s disciples, have been put on a pedestal as heroes of Ukraine.

- Ibid.

about her recent move to Israel

G-d save the queen, man!

- Pres. Joe Biden at the end of a speech in Connecticut about gun control

And maybe most important, I’ve committed to – by 2020, we will have conserved 30% of all the lands and waters the United States has jurisdiction over and simultaneously reduce emissions to blunt climate impact.

- Pres. Joe Biden during a speech in California

We have plans to build a railroad from the Pacific all the way across the Indian Ocean.

- Pres. Joe Biden during a speech to the League of Conservation Voters in Washington, D.C.

Put Grandpa to bed

- Tweet in response by Sen. Howley’s (R-MI) spokeswoman

Yeah!!! 8,000 MILE OCEAN TRAIN! BIDEN

2024!!

- Newsmax anchor Rob Schmitt

We’re talking, as far as I understand it, about a nice lady who deals with antisemitism. The lady in question is ultimately a person of the left, who didn’t like that I criticized George Soros.

- Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli responding to criticism from U.S. Special Envoy to Combat and Monitor Antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt

Why did the Ukraine FBI informant file refer to you as the “big guy”?

- A reporter asking Pres. Biden about the well-known report that when Biden was vice president, his son Hunter funneled bribe money to him from Ukraine

Why’d you ask such a dumb question?

- Pres. Biden’s response

Supremacy is at the root of why people think it’s okay to eat other animals.

- Tweet by PETA on Father’s Day

Yeah. That’s kind of how the food chain works.

- One of many tweets in response

Why do other animals think it’s OK to eat other animals?

- Ibid.

False. Taste is the root of why people eat animals. -Ibid.

When a cow finds a cure for cancer, I’ll rethink my position.

– Ibid.

Having Trump not only have had the codes but now having the classified information for Americans and being able to put that out and share it in his resort with anyone and everyone who comes through should be terrifying to all Americans. And he needs to be shot—stopped.

- Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands) on MSNBC

Please give him the password, so he can do his own tweets. Please, I’m begging you!

Thirty-something years ago, I woke up out of my sleep in a cold sweat. G-d spoke to my heart and said, “You are going to be the mayor January 1, 2022.” And the message was clear. G-d stated, “You cannot be silent, you must tell everyone you know.” I would go around the city, pastor, and I would tell everybody, “I’m gonna be mayor January 1, 2022.” People used to think I was on medication.

There was a time when Max couldn’t even open water bottles, but he showed interest in solving Rubik’s Cubes.

- Elon Musk responding to a tweet from Pres. Biden over the weekend stating, “It’s about time the super-wealthy start paying their fair share”

- Mayor Eric Adams at a Father’s Day sermon at Lenox Road Baptist Church in Flatbush

- Max Park’s father, after his son, who is special needs, broke the world record last weekend by solving a Rubik’s Cube in 3.13 seconds

What a Three-Part Diplomatic Push Reveals about U.S. Strategy on Asia

By David Ignatius

Over the next week, we’ll see an unusual road show dramatizing the Biden’s administration’s foreign-policy strategy for Asia.

The week’s meetings with senior officials of China, India and Japan will highlight the three essential power centers in the Indo-Pacific. By seeking greater engagement with all three, President Biden is attempting to create a more stable strategic balance. Rather than walking a bipolar tightrope between Washington and Beijing, the United States is trying to build a matrix of relationships, with the United States as a key interlocutor in each node.

Make no mistake: The strategic challenge that will animate the three sets of meetings is how to avoid a disastrous conflict between the United States and China. Dialogue with China should reduce uncertainties and potential risks in what will be a continuing Sino-American competition; partnering with India should enhance India’s ability to deter China, and U.S. deterrence, as well; deeper cooperation with Japan and its neighbors, South Korea and the Philippines, should help buffer the danger of a catastrophic U.S.-China collision.

The headline event will be Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to Beijing, the first visit to China’s capital by a secretary of state in five years. Nicholas Burns, the U.S. ambassador to Beijing, summed up its importance in an interview with me this week: “The secretary’s meeting is the opening of a new phase in the relationship. Both sides have recognized that the absence of conversation is dangerous.”

China has been signaling its readiness for improved cooperation since the meeting in Vienna last month between national security adviser Jake Sullivan and top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi. The frank discussions there opened the way for the trip by Blinken, who is likely to

be followed soon to Beijing by Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen.

What’s ahead on the U.S.-China agenda is fuzzy: U.S. officials hope for greater economic cooperation, perhaps including an initiative to provide debt relief for poor countries. The United States has encouraged Chinese mediation of a settlement of the Ukraine war that doesn’t reward Russia’s aggression. A breakthrough seems unlikely while Ukraine is waging its counteroffensive. One tantalizing possibility is talks about limits on AI, which Chinese President Xi Jinping said last month needs “a new security architecture.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Washington this week could be the week’s real strategic centerpiece. India’s population is now bigger than China’s, and its economy is growing much faster. India will keep its independence as a swing power, but Modi’s visit will demonstrate that it leans increasingly toward American-led rule of law – with growing economic, intelligence and military ties to the United States.

“India could be the most important bilateral relationship for the United States in the 21st century,” argued a senior admin-

istration official. He explained in an interview that where strategists talked a decade ago about America and China as the “G-2,” the world’s only superpowers, the U.S. relationship with a rapidly growing India may provide an alternative G-2.

New Delhi won’t be an easy partner for Washington. The prickly Indian bureaucracy can be resistant to transparency and cooperation. Modi’s Hindu nationalism has frightened minorities in India, and his governing style sometimes verges on authoritarian. But India remains a genuine democracy, and its elites increasingly favor close ties with the United States.

The high ground in America’s future competition with China will be technology, and here India’s deepening ties with the United States may be a trump card. The Biden National Security Council has framed an “initiative on critical and emerging technology” with India that, according to a January NSC fact sheet, will involve bilateral cooperation on AI, quantum technologies, advanced wireless systems, semiconductor supply chains, space systems and other technologies. That’s a potential game changer.

What has pushed Modi toward Wash-

ington is his mounting concern about Chinese aggression on his border. Though few Americans know it, China and India fought a bloody border skirmish in June 2020 in the Galwan Valley, in the Himalayan border region. The two sides avoided gunfire, but they fought a grisly medieval battle with spears and shields that killed 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.

Washington has shared intelligence with Modi about China’s rapid buildup along the border, including a new army division headquarters and road and rail networks for supply, according to the senior administration official. But Ashley Tellis of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace cautions in a recent Foreign Affairs article: “New Delhi will never involve itself in any U.S. confrontation that does not directly threaten its own security.” Washington’s partnership with Delhi may be deepening, but it won’t become a NATO-like alliance.

The sleeper in the new Asia power game is Japan, which is combining its growing military power with supple diplomacy to mend fences with Asian neighbors that share Tokyo’s fear of Beijing. On Thursday, Sullivan met in Tokyo for two trilateral strategy sessions – first a South Korea/U.S./Japan meeting, followed by a Philippines/U.S./Japan session. “We have a diplomatic and political tail wind, and China knows it,” Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, said in an interview this week.

Competition between China and the United States will be inescapable in the Indo-Pacific region. It will probably get more intense through most of our lifetimes. But diplomacy is producing some needed speed bumps – and a widening safety net – that should reduce the likelihood of a fatal crackup.

Biden Should Pardon Trump. Really.

By Marc A. Thiessen and Danielle Pletka

In his 2020 victory speech, Joe Biden declared that “to everything there is a season – a time to build, a time to reap, a time to sow. And a time to heal. This is the time to heal in America.” If he wants to deliver on his promise to heal the country, he could do so with one action:

Pardon Donald Trump.

On the merits, the case against Trump is damning. And it doesn’t take a close reading of the federal indictment to understand that the former president’s problems are of his own making. He allegedly showed a writer classified material about Iran, saying, “This is secret information. Look, look at this.” And he obstructed the FBI’s efforts to recover classified material in his possession, even allegedly telling his lawyer, “Wouldn’t it be better if we just told them we don’t have anything here?” Had he simply returned the documents, as Mike Pence did when it became clear he had classified papers, Trump almost certainly would not have been charged, as Pence has not been. His misconduct was egregious, irresponsible and probably criminal. Anyone else would be seeking a plea bargain.

But his indictment has also put our nation into uncharted territory. The threshold for the sitting president’s administration to indict the leading candidate of the opposing party should be extraordinarily high. High enough to mitigate the suspicion held by 80 percent of Republicans and almost half the nation, per ABC News-Ipsos polling, that these charges are politically motivated. Indeed, millions of Americans believe that our legal system is being weaponized against Trump – and, by extension, against them.

Most Americans don’t look at this indictment in a vacuum. They see it in the context of the decisions not to prosecute Hillary Clinton for her mishandling of classified information; the Trump-Russia collusion investigation, which paralyzed our country for two years over a conspiracy theory; two impeachments and Trump’s politicized indictment by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg; and the suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story that could have damaged Joe Biden and aided Trump’s 2020 campaign. They see a troubling pattern, and they are not wrong.

The dangers this poses to our democracy are obvious.

Selective prosecution is not a defense in a court of law, but the court of public opinion is another matter. Millions will see Trump’s prosecution as illegitimate, and any conviction as unjust. That will further erode public confidence in our judicial system and the principle of equal justice under law.

A Trump trial would be one of the most divisive events in the history of our republic. It would set a new precedent –and create enormous pressure on the next Republican president to go after President Biden, his family and other Democrats.

And to remedy what harm? Despite Trump’s best efforts to obstruct them, federal agents recovered the documents he unlawfully possessed. And there is nothing in the indictment to indicate evidence that the intelligence in Trump’s possession was obtained by foreign governments or intelligence services.

There’s another risk, too. Trump might be acquitted. All it takes is one juror, and Trump walks. If that happens, Universi-

ty of California at Berkeley law professor John Yoo told us, then “the Justice Department will have single-handedly handed the presidency to Donald Trump.” Consider the implications of that outcome for the U.S. government and political system.

Whether righteous or not, the decision to prosecute Trump has opened a Pandora’s box. It is in Biden’s power to close it – by pardoning his predecessor.

Trump wouldn’t have to admit he did anything wrong. But pardoning him also does not mean absolving Trump of responsibility for his actions. Biden should instruct special counsel Jack Smith to produce a report – much like those issued by special counsels Robert S. Mueller III and John Durham – laying out his findings in meticulous detail. He should put the evidence of Trump’s misconduct before the American people, not just a Miami jury, and let them render judgment on the former president at the polls – as they did in 2020.

In pardoning Trump, Biden would be a true statesman. Sparing the country the ordeal of a trial would go a long way toward repairing the nation’s frayed political fabric. He would display the kind of leadership that has been missing in Washington. And he would drive Trump crazy. With one action, Biden would eliminate the narrative of a “deep-state” conspiracy that is helping to fuel Trump’s political comeback.

Some will argue that Trump’s problems are not Biden’s. The White House has insisted that the buck stops with Smith, the special counsel appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland. That’s wrong. Smith works for the attorney general, who

in turn works for the president. The buck stops with Biden. He is the boss, and on his order, the “weaponization” of the executive branch against a former president and political rival – and the consequent loss of faith in American government –could be stopped.

To be sure, Biden would face blowback. Democratic strategists recognize that far from damaging Trump, the legal assaults against the former president will likely benefit him in the 2024 primaries; and many believe Trump to be the Republican easiest for Biden to beat in next year’s general election. Others think that Biden has already been too moderate; progressive hard-liners will no doubt say the president could lose his party’s left flank if he hands a get-out-of-jail free card to his predecessor. And there are plenty of Democrats (and a few Republicans) who believe that pardoning a man who, a priori, appears so guilty would only further erode American respect for the rule of law.

But none of these political factors should be part of the president’s consideration of Trump’s legal future. This isn’t about Trump. It is about the nation. It is within Biden’s power to restore norms that have been torn apart by both Trump and his opponents. If ever there were a time to heal, this is it.

(c) 2023, Washington Post Writers Group

Marc A. Thiessen is a Post contributing columnist and senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). Danielle Pletka is a distinguished senior fellow at AEI. They cohost a podcast, “What … Is Going On?”

Military aviation soon followed after the famous first flight of the Wright brothers. Air forces and air corps were formed, and by the end of World War I, many uses for the airplane were developed. These included aerial combat, bombing, reconnaissance and close air support for ground troops. The United States Marine Corps began in 1912 with First Lieutenant Alfred Cunningham flying a Burgess Model H for the navy. The Marines soon started their own aviation branch and have seen many distinguished and heroic pilots throughout their history.

The duties that marine pilots are tasked with have expanded since World War I. These now include functions like assault support, defense against aerial threats, air support for ground units, electronic warfare and reconnaissance. Marine planes performed the first recorded air food drop in history when they resupplied a stranded French unit.

Cunningham had served a tour duty in Cuba during the Spanish American War in 1898 and returned to the Marines in 1909 with the prospect of starting an aviation branch for the corps. He reported for flight training in Annapolis, Maryland, on May 22, 1912, which is

The Heroes of Marine Aviation

By Avi Heiligman

now considered the birthday of marine aviation. By the time the United States entered World War I in 1917, he was considered among the military’s most experienced pilots. He recruited volunteers and flew combat missions while deployed in France. Cunningham was awarded the Navy Cross for organizing and training marine pilots during the war which

battles, and on October 18, 1918, he was pursued by nine German planes before shooting one out of the sky. A few days later, his plane and another plane were attacked by twelve enemy aircraft. Talbot shot down one of the planes, but then his guns jammed. He then maneuvered the plane away from the fight while his gunner unjammed the guns before going

Marine aviation rapidly grew during World War II. Units were very active in the Pacific on both on aircraft carriers and island air bases. Many planes and air crews were assigned to fly missions on Guadalcanal in 1942 including Jewish Sergeant Joseph Gorchoff of Chicago. He was a Civil Aeronautics pilot before joining the Marine Air Corps and was then assigned to fly as a gunner, bombardier and radioman on a torpedo plane. Flying missions in the South Pacific, he was awarded the Air Medal and Presidential Unit Citation while taking part in several air battles over Guadalcanal. He is also credited in assisting in the destruction of a Japanese battleship in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in November 1942.

played a crucial part in the American involvement in France. After the war, he became the first director of Marine Corps Aviation.

Ralph Talbot became the first marine aviator to receive the Medal of Honor. The Massachusetts native was first in the navy before joining the Marines as he saw it as an opportunity to become a pilot. While in France, he participated in several air

back to the aerial dogfight. Even though his gunner collapsed from his wounds, Talbot proceeded to shoot down another plane. At this point, Talbot was over the German trenches, so he flew to the closest American aid station and landed to get his gunner medical attention.

Talbot was killed when his plane crashed on takeoff during a test flight on October 25, 1918.

Fighter pilot Jefferson DeBlanc was also present at Guadalcanal and is credited with shooting down nine Japanese planes over the course of World War II. Born in Louisiana, DeBlanc first enlisted with the U.S. Naval Reserve in July 1941 and went through flight training. He was then commissioned in the Marine Corps Reserve in May 1942 where he learned to fly the F4F Wildcat fighter. Assigned to VMF-113, he was sent to join the planes on Henderson Field at Guadalcanal known as the Cactus Air Force. On No -

Even though his gunner collapsed from his wounds, Talbot proceeded to shoot down another plane.

Lt. Alfred Cunningham Ralph Talbot Jefferson DeBlanc with President Harry S. Truman at the Medal of Honor ceremony

vember 13, DeBlanc shot down three Japanese “Betty” bombers that were trying to attack Allied shipping. In January 1943, his engine failed, and he made a water landing. Within three hours, he was rescued and back with his squadron.

On the last day of January, DeBlanc was on a mission over Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands where he shot down two enemy floatplanes. He then noticed ten Japanese “Oscar” fighters about to attack the dive bombers that he was escorting. The American attacked them from underneath and scored a kill. DeBlanc’s wingman was shot down while attempt-

ing to perform a defensive maneuver. Another Wildcat saved DeBlanc from being shot down. Then, as he was trying to disengage, DeBlanc was attacked by two more Japanese fighters. He shot these two out of the sky, making him an ace in a day. However, he failed to notice another Japanese fighter, which forced him to bail out of his Wildcat. DeBlanc reached the water, but it took several hours to reach the shore in his life jacket due to his wounds. Indigenous people found him after three days, and eventually he made contact with two Australian Coastwatchers. Thirteen days after bailing out of his plane,

he was rescued by a PBY flying boat and finally was able to receive proper medical attention for his wounds.

DeBlanc recovered and, after stint in the U.S., returned to the Pacific for a second tour of duty. He took part in the Okinawa campaign and shot down one more enemy aircraft. For his actions on January 31, 1943, DeBlanc was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Many celebrities served with the armed forces and perhaps the biggest name to become a marine airman was Baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams. He flew during World War II and the Korean

War and often was the wingman of future astronaut and senator John Glenn. Marine aviators continue the legacy started by Cunningham and the pilots he trained for the first marine aviation unit. Today, marine aviation has greatly expanded. Their skill and expertise make them heroes not to be forgotten.

Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comments and suggestions for future columns and can be reached at aviheiligman@gmail.com.

The USS Ralph Talbot was sponsored by Mary Talbot, Lt. Ralph Talbot's mother

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APT./COOP/CONDO SALE

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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

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 516-298-8457

mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

APT./COOP/CONDO SALE

LAWRENCE

One Bedroom Renovated Apartment

In Prime Lawrence. Efficiency Kitchen, Renovated Bathroom. Sunken LR, Dining Room, Close to All, Transportation, Shopping, Worship. $275k Mark Lipner Associate

Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

LAWRENCE

New to the market Jr. 4 apartment in an elevator building with a terrace and underground parking, laundry on premises. Kitchen with granite countertops, 2 sinks, ss appliances, spacious step down living room with high ceilings, guest room/ office, spacious primary bedroom with 3 closets, full bathroom with full vanity, medicine cabinet, toilet and lighting, custom blinds, near the railroad, shopping and houses of worship.$289K Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

APT./COOP/CONDO SALE APT./COOP/CONDO SALE

HEWLETT

Spacious and Sundrenched 1st Floor 2 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath Unit In The Incredibly Maintained Garden Town. Updated kitchen with Granite Countertops and Gleaming Hardwood Floors Throughout With A Private Washer/Dryer. Best Views from Every Window And The Large Terrace Facing The Beautifully Landscaped Courtyard. Indoor Parking Available As Well And An I Adjacent Municipal Lot. Convenient To The LIRR, Shops & Restaurants. Maintenance includes all your taxes, heat and water. No more shoveling or gardening for you reduced to $185k Mark Lipner

Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway

Laffey International 516-298-8457

mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

Well maintained 1 Bedroom apartment. Elevator Building. Pet Friendly, SD#14, Corner Unit, Bright + Sunny, Hardwood Floors, Eat-in Kitchen, Full Bathroom, 3 Closets, 2 Ceiling Fans, 1 A/C Unit, Full Time Super on Premises. Minutes from the Railroad, Shopping, Houses of Worship, and Laundry Room on Premises. Mark Lipner Associate

Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-$175K

HELP WANTED

JOIN OUR TEAM!

ABA company located in the 5 Towns looking to fill multiple full-time administrative positions

Knowledge of Central Reach a plus, but will train the right candidate Great work environment Call 516-670-5374 or Email your resume to: Careers@supportivecareaba.com

HELP WANTED

DELIVERY PERSON NEEDED to deliver Newspaper every Thursday morning to locations in Brooklyn. Must have Minivan or SUV and availability to work consistently every week! Please e-mail gabe@fivetownsjewishhome.com or call (917) 299-8082

BOOKKEEPER

Excellent growth potential, Frum environment, Excellent salary & benefits. Email resume to: resumetfs1@gmail.com

REBBEIM

TEACHERS & ASSISTANTS

CAHAL is hiring Special Ed Rebbeim, Teachers and Assistant Teachers for 2023-24 school year. AM or PM, FT or PT. E-mail resume to shira@cahal.org or call 516-295-3666 for information.

HELP WANTED

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.

IMMEDIATE OPENING

ELA teaching position for Gr. 5. Mon.-Thurs., afternoon hours. Far Rockaway/5T area. Competitive salary, warm supportive environment. Teachersearch11@gmail.com

SHEVACH HIGH SCHOOL

in Queens seeks Executive Assistant with extensive experience to work directly with the Principal.  Applicants should have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, and proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Outlook, Excel), Google Docs, among others. Please submit resume to rwittenstein@shevachhs.org

HELP WANTED

DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT

A multi-tasker needed for general office work. The ideal candidate is someone who is detail-oriented, responsible, and can take ownership. Looking for someone who is eager to learn, and expand his/her skill set while possessing the ability to work independently and as part of a team. Experience with Excel required. Five Towns location. In-office position only, not remote. Please send resume to 5tpart.timecareer@gmail.com

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.

HELP WANTED

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

SHEVACH HIGH SCHOOL

in Queens is seeking dynamic teachers for the 2023-2024 school year in the General Studies department in English, Maths, and Sciences, some positions will require Masters’ degrees (positions are all in the afternoon). There are a limited number of openings in the Limudei Kodesh department. Salary commensurate with experience. Resumes welcome. Please send resumes to rwittenstein@shevachhs.org

HELP WANTED

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT for a local school looking to hire a capable person whose job responsibilities include data entry, database management, assisting the administrator in his daily tasks.   Candidates must be detailoriented, organized, and have the ability to multi-task.  Prefer full-time but would consider part-time for the right individual. Proficiency in Microsoft Office required. Enjoyable working environment, personal, sick, vacation days offered, Yom Tovim and certain legal holidays off. Salary commensurate with experience. Please email resume to admin@ shoryoshuv.org

5 TOWNS BOYS YESHIVA

Seeking Elem Gen Ed Teachers

Excellent working environment and pay. Only lic/exp need apply. Email resume to yeshivalooking@gmail.com

HEALTH CARE FACILITY IN FAR ROCKAWAY IS SEEKING A FULL TIME EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT/ ACCOUNTS PAYABLE & PAYROLL DIRECTOR

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Oversee weekly payroll processing for over 100 employees. Ensure accuracy in benefits, 401k, and other payroll deductions, wage garnishments, etc.

Process verification of employment and any other payroll related requests and responsibilities.

Ensure timely & accurate payment of invoices & professional responses to vendor inquiries. Bank reconciliations.

Assisting the chief operating officer.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

Prior payroll and accounts payable experience basic excel and word knowledge

Must be a team player

Must be highly organized

Must be able to multitask and have good communication skills

Basic bookkeeping knowledge

WORK HOURS

Full time 9-5 Monday to Friday

COMPENSATION

$28-$33 per hour but will consider previous work experience. Ample room for growth.

BENEFITS

health insurance

dental insurance

paid time off

HELP WANTED MISC. HELP WANTED HELP WANTED

MOTEK SPA

Growing business is seeking to hire a hairstylist immediately.

Candidate should know how to work with updos, highlights, haircuts, hair treatments, etc…

*Must have a cosmetology license*

Please contact us at (347)-206-2487  187-20 Union Tpke Queens, NY 11366

SECURITY CENTER PROJECT MANAGER

Frum nonprofit seeks highly organized individual with strong communication skills to manage multiple projects by interfacing with organizations and state agencies. Must take initiative, work well independently and on a team, and think creatively with a problemsolver mentality. F/T position in Lower Manhattan. Email resumes to RybsteinR@ou.org.

SECURITY CENTER GRANT WRITER

Frum nonprofit seeks strong writer with excellent communication and analytical skills to develop security grant applications for yeshivas, shuls, and camps. Must be detail oriented and demonstrate understanding of government contracting requirements to meet tight deadlines. F/T position in Lower Manhattan. Email resumes to RybsteinR@ou.org.

8TH GRADE MATH & SCIENCE TEACHERS

at Yeshiva Darchei Torah Middle School is seeking to hire teachers. We offer an excellent working environment and salary; MondayThursday, 2:30-5:30 PM.  Interviews are being held now.  Candidates should have prior teaching experience.  Please send resume to mhorowitz@darchei.org

GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL IN QUEENS seeks a full time, experienced clinician (school psychologist, LCSW, LMHC, etc.) to work in conjunction with current school psychologist. Salary commensurate with experience. Please send resumes to rwittenstein@shevachhs.org

SHMIRAS HALASHON

Text 516-303-3868 with a time slot of your choice to be careful on lashon hara. Be a part of the 1,000 people for klal yisroel!

Reach Your Target Market

Classifieds

Colleges looking to compete for students have added new fields like cybersecurity, political campaign management, and even beer fermentation. (That last one seems a bit indulgent, given how many college students pursue rigorous self-study programs in malt beverages with no promise of academic credit at all.) Perhaps it shouldn’t surprise you, then, that a Japanese man has earned the first-ever master’s degree in Ninja Studies after two years studying the history, traditions, and fighting techniques of Japan’s legendary stealthy soldiers at Mei University’s International Ninja Research Center.

Ninjas date back as far as the 12th century but reached their zenith during the Sengoku period from 1467-1615. This was a chaotic era, with a series of weak emperors nominally pretending to rule the country but various daimyo, or samurai warlords, fighting for real power. The ninja hired themselves out as stealth soldiers and mercenaries to the daimyo, especially for operations forbidden by the code of honor. Naturally, that got us to wondering (because we clearly don’t get out enough), what sort of taxes did those ninjas pay? A quick visit with Mr. Google reveals

Tax-Free Ninjas

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

that taxes in feudal Japan were based on rice. In fact, taxpayers delivered their share at every level of government in the form of grain and much of Japan’s transportation infrastructure developed specifically to get those taxes delivered. Typically, farmers paid about 40% of their crop in taxes, regardless of the

IRAs and 401(k)s (that let you take your tax break today) or Roth accounts (that let you save it until you take your money out). They could choose to be assessed annually (kemi). Or they could choose every five years (jomen), which meant less time dealing with crooked tax collectors, at the risk of crop failures leaving them short.

ies, the ninjas’ paymasters were the same lords who were responsible for collecting rice-based taxes from everyone else.

Today, the ninja lives on mainly in myth. There’s no evidence they ever dressed in the all-black garb you see them wearing in popular depictions — they dressed like ordinary peasants to blend in with everyone else. If they really could make themselves invisible or walk on water, those secrets are lost to us. (And really, if you could make yourself invisible, wouldn’t it be worth paying a little extra tax to get away with it?)

price at the time (which created its own problems in times of inflation). Villages paid tax as a unit, with the head of the village deciding how much each individual farmer paid.

Naturally, some villages went the extra mile to pay less. They plied visiting tax assessors with alcohol and showered them with gifts for lighter loads. Farmers even faced a planning choice similar to today’s decision between traditional

Actual ninjas were farmers themselves, typically born into ninja families and trained from childhood. As they grew older and more experienced, they hired themselves out to daimyo. It’s likely they paid no tax on the income from the spying, the sabotage (mainly arson), and the assassinations they carried out.

As we’ve seen, taxes in Sengoku and Edo Japan weren’t based on earned income. And even if there had been such lev-

But the ninja tradition lives on in a surprising corner of the world, and that’s tax planning. One professional association for tax-planning professionals even urges graduates of its flagship “Green Light Academy” program to style themselves as “tax ninjas” to attract clients. (That’s us.) So, let us put our skills to work for you, and see how much grain you can save!

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.

Naturally, that got us to wondering (because we clearly don’t get out enough), what sort of taxes did those ninjas pay?

Have We Been Hoodwinked?

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

“Imade it out of the hood.”

This expression is usually used to communicate that one has escaped a less desirable place or situation and entered a nicer one.

Can we all somehow relate to that?

Let me put it this way. We go through child-hood, neighbor-hood and parent-hood, and with each change, we often believe that we have arrived at a better situation. More control and more or better friends are usually the underlying motivators at each stage.

But let’s look at what really happens.

You’re a little kid and you think Mommy and Daddy, your older siblings, and everyone around you are bossing you around. So you always want to grow up so that you can be the one in the power position.

Now, let’s start from the very beginning. You are born. You cry; you’re fed. You cry; you’re burped. You cry; you’re changed. All of your needs are met or else you continue to cry. Who exactly is running the show?

You are! But you get no pleasure out of this because you are unaware of it.

Then, you get a little bit older.

You are given some rules. You don’t like those rules. You don’t always listen to those rules. It starts to feel like you don’t have the control. But the reality is that your parent is starting to realize you have all the control! And they are

merely trying to harness it.

Parents have a house to keep clean. A job to hold down, And a shopping list to get done. They also have bills to pay, places to go, people to see, and many other obligations.

You, on the other hand, are a free agent. You have all the time in the world and nowhere you need to be. But maybe you just don’t realize yet how powerful

long to get into a parent’s position, where you totally think things will be better! This is where you wind up back in the hood that you want to escape! Parenthood. And even though you thought you finally made it out, you’ve got a rude awakening coming because with parenthood comes the unrealized power of the kids. An absolute tour de force we never saw coming. New parents think they are

neighborhood to feel they can take charge of their luck. With new friends, new environment, or new digs, one begins to believe they’ve rested control of their lives.

But, of course, as we all know, change comes with challenges – adjustments can be difficult and neighbors can disappoint.

So what’s the bottom line?

In life, escaping one hood does not always land us in a nicer one.

When we’re in the best hood, childhood, we don’t even know it.

When we think we’ve gotten to the nicer place/parenthood or neighborhood, the challenges surprise us and we find out just how mistaken we were to begin with.

you are. Parents look bigger and stronger. So you comply – sometimes!

Then you hit adolescence…. You’re starting to see that you are as big, as tall, and as developed as your parents. Why bother to listen now? And pretty much, you don’t! Unless sometimes you feel like it and then you kindly do. You are starting to creep out of childhood, still….

Finally, you are sensing your power. But there is pushback from the grownups around you and therefore, that sparks your desire to grow up even more. You

in the ultimate control position until they actually become parents. Here is where one discovers, slowly but surely, who holds the real reins.

There is that one shocking moment when an adult with children realizes that, as much as they might yell, as old as they may be, and as many rules as they may make, they are certainly not in charge. The epiphany is that with parenthood we certainly aren’t escaping out of the hood but rather into a more complicated one.

Sometimes, people resort to a new

True escape comes with understanding the challenges of each situation, and then growing from being in them and simultaneously focusing on the positives in them. That’s ultimately, in all likelihood, how we get out of a less desirable situation and into a nicer one.

Rivki Rosenwald is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist working with both couples and individuals and is a certified relationship counselor. Rivki is a co-founder and creator of an effective Parent Management of Adolescent Years Program. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or at rivkirosenwald@gmail.com.

New parents think they are in the ultimate control position until they actually become parents.