Five Towns Jewish Home 7.6.23

Dear Readers,

This Sunday is Visiting Day for many camps and that means that many of us will be loading up the car and making the trek upstate for the day. I, for one, like going up for Visiting Day. I enjoy seeing the “country” at least once a summer. It brings back fond memories of summers long ago. And truthfully, when you go upstate, you realize that although things have changed, so much has really stayed the same. You can point to the old farmer’s market or the pizza shop where you used to eat Thursday night dinners as a kid. Perhaps the grocery stores have become bigger and sleeker, but they’re still there, with freeze pops and sodas for purchase along with meat boards and sushi.

Seeing how some people go upstate and live in small, cramped, dilapidated structures for two months with their whole families – and love it! – is great for kids who can’t fathom the concept. As we drive by those bungalow colonies, I show them the women sitting around in a circle, the bikes thrown on the grass, the laundry hanging on the porches. It’s a lesson in the beauty of simplicity, of enjoying nature, of spending time together with only the basics. Although I can’t imagine myself doing that

now, I can appreciate it and understand the pull that draws people back year after year.

Seeing the kids in their camps, well, that’s priceless. You’re able to see the fields where they spend their days, the lakes where they swim and row. Meeting their friends and their counselors is also a treat. By walking on the grounds and meeting the staff, you get a sense of the atmosphere that permeates the camp each day.

I know that, for some parents, Visiting Day is hard. It’s a long drive. It’s a long day. There’s traffic. There’s not much to do except go out to eat or go shopping – and then there are more lines and traffic to deal with. But I think that we need to focus on the smiles on our kids’ faces when they see us on that day. We need to focus on the excitement they have when they introduce us to their counselors and show us around their bunks. We need to pay attention to the joy they have when they walk us around campus.

For them, it’s their home away from home for quite a few weeks. They want to share that amazing experience with us.

Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

Yitzy Halpern,

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Shabbos Zemanim

Friday, July 7 Parshas Pinchas

Candle Lighting: 8:10 pm

Shabbos Ends: 9:18 pm

Rabbeinu Tam: 9:41 pm

Dear Editor, I recently went to visit my mother and wondered why I was going. Was it the inherent gratitude I felt for her lifetime of support? Was it to cheer up her day? But then I focused on the recent parshiot and realized I’m going because G-d commanded it as part of respecting one’s parents. To highlight how logic is dangerous to our faith, the mekoshesh eitzim, the gatherer of wood, had the best of intentions to desecrate Shabbos to illustrate to klal Yisroel the severity of Shabbos observance. In doing so, he also destroyed the future of the Jewish people who had the potential to hold two consecutive Shabbosim in a row which would have welcomed Moshiach. It’s better to just follow the commandments.

Steven Genack

Dear Editor, Sometimes, life presents you an opportunity to try a challenge bigger than your imagination.

On a cloudy day in January, I found myself in one of the most beautiful forests in the USA, Yosemite National Park. At the end of the parking lot was the road to Mariposa Grove. It was about a two-mile uphill walk in a slushy mix of soft snow and ice patches.

My brother, sister-in-law, a friend, and I exited the car. My brother pointed to the road and said that we would walk uphill to see the giant sequoias. I was ready to abandon the idea. But, I was the youngest of four senior citizens in our group, and everyone was excited to do this arduous hike. My brother handed me my supplies – an apple, water bottle and a walking stick and said, “Try it out. You

can always turn back in the middle.” Was he joking?

The temperature was in the mid-30s; comfortable enough for being outdoors with a parka and ski cap. The mainly forested road blocked most of the wind coming up the valley. Whenever there was a clearing, the wind would go down my parka and chill my bones for a few seconds. Even with the walking stick, I slipped often. The slope was a continuous unforgiving uphill almost the entire way, and I had to pause frequently to catch my breath.

After about an hour of hiking, I made it to the top of the mountain. Mariposa is home to some of California’s famous sequoias. When I arrived, I finally understood why I was able to overcome my own fears. The sequoia stands as the Earth’s tallest and oldest tree. It averages 350 ft. tall, 30 feet in diameter, and lives for close to 3,000 years. The sequoia was my encouragement to challenge myself to accomplish what the Navi Yeshaya hinted –“You shall thresh mountains to dust and make hills like chaff.” As a sequoia, every challenge begins with a seedling and an array of challenges and possible discouragements along the way. But, if you learn to stand tall as a sequoia, you can overcome your own fears and accomplish feats that even you don’t think you could accomplish.

I admire those climbers that come to Yosemite to climb its iconic cliff, El Capitan, using ropes and spikes. But, on a cold day in January, I became my own El Capitan with a walking stick, water and half an apple.

Daniel Feldman

Continued on page 10

Continued from page 8

Demand for fairness in any context raises awareness of an alleged unequal reality. Irrespective of the authenticity of the allegation, one party in the situation feels unjust treatment. In such a situation, it raises a question: should feeling define reality? The consequences of answering that question are quite significant. However, while one deals with that dilemma, one should consider another angle. Someone feeling unjust treatment feels defensive and most of the time, the immediate response will be foolish and wrong. Such a response to “unjust” situations comes from a place to “get back” at the other party. Of course, though, rational people agree that “getting back” in the heat of a moment is foolish. The “getting back” mindset in the heat of a moment is obviously wrong; it definitely is wrong and foolish when done after the heat of the moment.

The Supreme Court last week ruled that the decades-old practice of affirmative action is unconstitutional. Affirmative action was a practice, specifically in universities, where institutions would factor a person’s race into qualifications for acceptance into university. The rationale behind the policy was as a result of slavery, the educational level of blacks was inferior. Therefore, considering the unjust treatment that they were dealt with, their victimized race should receive equal results in return. Morally, from a standpoint of emotions, the policy was understandable. Practically, though, the practice did not make sense. Setting exterior racial quotas for any institution that requires actual qualifications defeats the purpose of the qualifications! A university that instills education, knowledge, and a way to process and apply logic requires students who not only desire education

but also are qualified for the institution. If a person does not fit in a place because of his unnurtured and low-quality academic levels, irrespective of the reason, that person does not belong in that institution. Putting people in environments that go beyond the respectable desire of “challenging” is wrong and self-defeating. Would not putting low-tiered academic students in a college that is on their level, or is even somewhat “challenging,” produce better results? Instead, black Americans have been taught to feel entitled.

The once lofty goal of treating people equally has now turned into an expectation of receiving equal outcomes. Blacks receiving favored results in college, jobs, income, housing, etc., are all examples of racism. Racism against white Americans is as much racist as it is against blacks or any other race. Appointing people in positions of power because of race or any other external factor is simply going to the other extreme. The past of widespread racism against blacks should never lead to the current racist society against whites. Making the assumption that every person with lighter skin has something called “privilege” or labeling people white supremacists while supporting black supremacists is hateful and racist.

Racism is bad no matter to whom. The automatic assumption of unequal results in different areas as proof of “systematic racism” is false and hateful. Giving extra money to black farmers, as Joe Biden’s administration did, is systematic racism against whites. Though we aren’t living in the Jim Crow era, we are living in the George Floyd era of racism against whites. A color-blind society is the only way forward toward a more equal future because society’s existence depends on it.

Sincerely,

Donny Simcha Guttman

France Racked by Riots

ried from a mosque to the cemetery. His grandmother urged outraged protesters to be peaceful, and his mother said that she doesn’t blame the police as a whole, but rather just the one officer who, in her words, “saw an Arab face, a little kid, and wanted to take his life.”

“I have friends who are officers,” Mounia, the boy’s mother, said. “They’re with me wholeheartedly.”

ET Phones Home

Violent protests erupted in France after the death of Nahel Merzouk, a seventeen-year-old French Muslim boy, who was shot by a police officer for not stopping his car during a traffic safety check.

The incident happened on the morning of Tuesday, June 27, in Nanterre, a district in Paris. The victim was driving a yellow Mercedes with two passengers in the car. Merzouk was shot in the chest and died. The vehicle kept moving until it collided with a utility pole.

Traffic stops are conducted routinely by French police in order to keep the public safe from terrorism, crime, and other dangers. According to reports, Merzouk tried to avoid the police check because he did not yet have his license due to his young age. He did not have a criminal record, despite past run-ins with the authorities for driving with fake plates or no plates at all.

The policeman who shot the boy is in custody and has initially been charged with voluntary homicide.

Thirteen people last year and three people this year were killed by French police for not stopping for traffic checks.

In response to the incident and ensuing riots, French President Emmanuel Macron pushed off his planned visit to Germany, explaining to German President Frank-Walter that “given the internal security situation … he wishes to stay in France over the coming day,” according to Macron’s staff.

Since the boy’s death, approximately 2,800 protesters have been arrested. On the fifth night of riots, the Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that the night was more peaceful than the nights that came before it, as 45,000 police officials had been sent to handle the conflict.

On Saturday, Nahel Merzouk’s funeral took place; his white coffin was car-

For 63 days, the Mars Ingenuity helicopter was quiet. Last week, it phoned home.

The little chopper took to the skies on April 26 for its 52 nd flight but lost contact with mission controllers before landing — creating a months-long communications blackout.

But on June 28, the Ingenuity finally got in touch with those back on Earth, relieving any potential concerns about the safety and whereabouts of the first aircraft on another world.

The flight was intended to reposition the helicopter and capture images of the Martian surface.

The mission team anticipated that radio silence might occur. That’s because Ingenuity communicates with mission control at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, by relaying all messages through the Perseverance rover. When Ingenuity took off for flight 52, a hill presented an obstacle blocking the helicopter and rover from communicating with each other.

“The portion of Jezero Crater the rover and helicopter are currently exploring has a lot of rugged terrain, which makes communications dropouts more likely,” said Josh Anderson, the Ingenuity team lead at JPL, in a statement.

While the two robots make for a dynamic duo that can investigate Mars from the surface and its atmosphere in search of signs of ancient life, it’s difficult for them to stick close together.

Ingenuity began as a technology demonstration to test if a small rotorcraft could fly on Mars. After surpassing

all expectations across five successful flights in the spring of 2021, Ingenuity transitioned to become an aerial scout, flying ahead of the Perseverance rover and plotting out safe and scientifically interesting pathways for the rover’s exploration.

Sometimes, Ingenuity is off exploring and taking images of sites that the rover may not reach for weeks.

Finally, after many days, the Perseverance went over the hill that was obstructing communication, and communication was able to resume. Data captured during its 139-second-long flight spanning 1,191 feet (363 meters) on April 26 was able to be beamed towards Earth.

Brazil Bars Bolsonaro from Office

Brazilian election officials on Friday blocked former President Jair Bolsonaro from seeking public office until 2030, removing a top contender from the next presidential contest and dealing a significant blow to the country’s far-right movement.

Brazil’s electoral court ruled that Bolsonaro had violated Brazil’s election laws when, less than three months before last year’s vote, he called diplomats to the presidential palace and made baseless claims that the nation’s voting systems were likely to be rigged against him.

career as a politician is in jeopardy.

Under the ruling, Bolsonaro, 68, will next be able to run for president in 2030, when he is 75. The next presidential election is scheduled for 2026.

Bolsonaro said Friday that he was not surprised by the 5-2 decision because the court had always been against him. “Come on. We know that since I took office, they said I was going to carry out a coup,” he told reporters (although he, too, had hinted at that possibility). “This is not democracy.”

Bolsonaro appeared to accept his fate, saying Friday that he would focus on campaigning for other right-wing candidates.

withdrew.

Last year, authorities closed most girls’ high schools, barred women from university, and stopped many female Afghan aid staff from working. Many public places including bathhouses, gyms, and parks have been closed to women.

Beauty salons sprung up in Kabul and other Afghan cities in the months after the Taliban were driven from power in late 2001, weeks after the September 11 attacks on the United States.

Five of the court’s seven judges agreed that Bolsonaro had abused his power as president when he convened the meeting with diplomats and broadcast it on state television.

“This response will confirm our faith in the democracy,” Alexandre de Moraes, a Supreme Court justice who leads the electoral court, said as he cast his vote against Bolsonaro.

The decision is a sharp and swift rebuke of Bolsonaro and his effort to undermine Brazil’s elections. Just six months ago, Bolsonaro was president of one of the world’s largest democracies. Now his

Yet he is still expected to appeal the ruling to Brazil’s Supreme Court, although that body acted aggressively to rein in his power during his presidency. He has harshly attacked the high court for years, calling some justices “terrorists” and accusing them of trying to sway the vote against him.

Even if an appeal is successful, Bolsonaro would face an additional 15 cases in the electoral court, including accusations that he improperly used public funds to influence the vote and that his campaign ran a coordinated misinformation campaign. Any of those cases could also block him from seeking the presidency. (© The New York Times)

Beauty Salons Banned in Afghanistan

Many remained open after the Islamists returned to power two years ago but with their signs and windows covered, providing some women with jobs and their customers with their services.

In response to Western concerns about women’s rights in the country, the Taliban says it respects women’s rights in accordance with its interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan customs.

Apologizing for Slavery

The Taliban has ordered all beauty salons in Afghanistan to close within a month, the morality ministry said, in the latest shrinking of access to public places for Afghan women.

“The deadline for the closing of beauty parlors for women is one month,” Mohammad Sadiq Akif, a spokesperson for the Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Propagation of Virtue, said on Tuesday.

Foreign governments and UN officials have condemned growing restrictions on women since the Taliban returned to power in 2021 after defeating a U.S.backed government as foreign forces

Over the weekend, Dutch King Willem-Alexander apologized for his country’s role in slavery and asked for forgiveness in a historic speech greeted by cheers at an event to commemorate the anniversary of the abolition of slavery.

Last year, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte apologized for his country’s role in the slave trade.

In an emotional speech, King Willem-Alexander referred back to that apology as he told a crowd of invited guests and onlookers: “Today, I stand before you. Today, as your King and as a member of the government, I make this apology myself. And I feel the weight of the words in my heart and my soul.”

The king said he has commissioned a study into the exact role of the royal House of Orange-Nassau in slavery in the Netherlands.

“But today, on this day of remembrance, I ask forgiveness for the clear failure to act in the face of this crime against humanity,” he added.

Slavery was abolished in Suriname and the Dutch colonies in the Caribbean on July 1, 1863, but most of the enslaved

laborers were forced to continue working on plantations for another 10 years. Saturday’s commemoration and speech mark the start of a year of events to commemorate the 150th anniversary of July 1, 1873.

The Dutch government is establishing a 200 million-euro ($217 million) fund for initiatives that tackle the legacy of slavery in the Netherlands and its former colonies and to improve education about the issue.

That isn’t enough for some in the Netherlands. Two groups, Black Manifesto and The Black Archives, organized a protest march before the king’s speech under the banner “No healing without reparations.”

The Dutch first became involved in the trans-Atlantic slave trade in the late 1500s and became a major trader in the mid-1600s. Eventually, the Dutch West India Company became the largest trans-Atlantic slave trader.

Deadly Myanmar Military Airstrike

Last week, Myanmar’s military dropped bombs on self-governed areas of the country, leading to the deaths of ten people, with many more injured.

Most of the southeast Asian country was forcefully taken over by a rebellion group in February of 2021; its government is currently controlled by the military, making the country junta-led.

In an effort to seize towns that the group is not yet in control of, the junta has repeatedly attacked the desired areas, forcing evacuation and leading to destruction and thousands of deaths since the new government’s inception.

The military, led by general Min Aung Hlaing, has said that it attacks villages that host terrorists. However, Zaw Htet, an administration official opposed to the government, disputes these claims, saying that there were no members of the People’s Defense Forces (PDF) – a resistance group against the government – in the area that was bombed last week.

“They just came and dropped the bombs,” Htet said. “What they did was very inhumane and cruel as if the village

was the military target.”

“My house was burned to ashes … nothing left,” one of the survivors, whose five siblings died in the attack, said. “We were farmers … just ordinary people working in the farm,” she said, adding that when she and her brothers and sisters “first heard the noises from a jet fighter,” they “didn’t get to run, as it immediately dropped bombs.”

The attacked town is located in the Sagaing region of Myanmar. Pazigyi, another village in Sagaing, has also been attacked by the State Administration Council (the governing military group) in the past, leading to the death of 186 individuals.

“I condemn SAC on their target against the civilians,” Nay Phone Latt, who is a spokesperson for the exiled National Unity Government, said. “They are deliberately doing this in order to instill the fear in the people.”

A Diamond Deal

A Botswana government official and the CEO of De Beers, the international diamond conglomerate, signed interim agreements on Saturday to continue a lucrative, decades-long diamond mining

partnership that had appeared to be breaking down in recent months.

Only minutes before a midnight deadline on Friday, the parties announced that after years of negotiations, they had agreed in principle on a deal to renew a partnership that supplies De Beers with most of its diamonds and Botswana’s government with the largest chunk of its revenue.

The details of the deal were still being worked out, officials with the government and De Beers said. But it addresses one of the most significant gripes of the Botswana government, regarding the share of diamonds it receives in its joint mining venture with De Beers. Under the old agreement, Botswana received 25% of the rough stones extracted, while De Beers took the rest. Now, Botswana will immediately get a 30% share, and that will rise to 50% within a decade, De Beers and government officials said.

De Beers said in a statement that it had agreed to invest as much as $825 million over the next 10 years to help develop the Botswana economy. The agreement also includes establishing an academy in Botswana that will train locals in skills in the diamond trade, government officials said.

The government of Botswana, the world’s second-largest diamond producer, hailed the agreements as a sweeping victory for the country of 2.4 million people, saying they would allow the southern African nation to achieve its long-term development goals.

“I must say with excitement that these are transformational agreements,” Lefoko Fox Moagi, minister of minerals and energy, said Saturday as he sat next to De Beers CEO Al Cook to sign the deals.

This year, Botswana’s president, Mokgweetsi Masisi, caused a stir when he made the unusual move of publicly criticizing the deal with De Beers, saying his country was essentially being cheated.

Masisi and other government officials demanded that Botswana receive more than 25% of the rough stones, and that De Beers make some investment in helping to expand other areas of the diamond industry in Botswana, including cutting and polishing, jewelry making and retail sales. (© The New York Times)

Protesting the Burning of the Quran

Our Embassy staff are in safety and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is in regular contact with them,” the Swedish foreign ministry’s press office said.

Al Sadr demanded authorities withdraw the Iraqi nationality of Salwan Momika – the organizer of the one-man Quran protest in Stockholm – who left Iraq for Sweden five years ago.

“If freedom of speech is guaranteed to Iraq and the world, then the believers have to express their views on the burning of the holy books…through massive angry protests against the Swedish embassy in Iraq,” Al Sadr said.

sian ethnic groups are disproportionately affected by executions in Iran, it said 20 percent of all executions were of members of the Sunni Baluch minority.

206 people were executed for drug-related charges, a 126 percent rise compared to the same period last year. Six women were among those executed in the period, while two men were publicly hanged.

Last week, on Wednesday, a man burned a copy of the Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm, Sweden. The burning took place on Eid al-Adha, a holy day in the Muslim calendar. On Thursday, protesters in Baghdad, Iraq, breached the perimeter of the Swedish embassy there and called for the expulsion of the Swedish ambassador in Baghdad.

The protest lasted only 15 minutes before the protesters withdrew. They had been incited by the powerful Iraqi Shia cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr.

Sweden said its staff were safe. “We are well informed about the situation.

Muslim countries and Islamic organizations had condemned the burning of the Quran in Stockholm. Iran called the act “provocative,” and Kuwait said it’s a “dangerous provocatory step”.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Arab League and Gulf Cooperation Council all separately expressed strong condemnation to the event.

On Wednesday, Morocco recalled its ambassador to Sweden and both Iraq and Saudi Arabia strongly condemned the act. On Thursday, the United Arab Emirates summoned Sweden’s ambassador to Abu Dhabi to protest the Quran burning incident.

Iran Executed 354 People This Year

“The death penalty is used to create societal fear and prevent more protests,” said IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam. “The majority of those killed are low-cost victims of the killing machine, drug defendants who are from the most marginalized communities.”

IHR earlier this year had reported that Iran carried out 582 executions in 2022, the highest figure in the Islamic Republic since 2015.

Iran is the world’s second-biggest executioner after China for which no data is available, according to Amnesty International.

230 Die in Hajj

Iran has hanged at least 354 people in the first six months of 2023, a rights group said Monday, noting that the pace of executions was much higher than in 2022.

Rights groups have accused Tehran of increasing the use of the death penalty to spread fear across society in the wake of the protest movement that erupted last September over the death of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating strict dress rules for women.

Norway-based Iran Human Rights said the 354 people figure for the first six months up to June 30 was up 36 percent over the same period in 2022, when 261 people were executed.

Emphasizing concerns that non-Per-

More than 1.8 million Muslims went on the Hajj, a five to six-day pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, that took place from June 26 to July 1.

This year, the temperatures rose to 118°F, causing over 2,000 people to suffer health conditions caused by extreme heat. More than 230 people have died as a result. According to reports, 209 of the deceased were from Indonesia, eight were from Algeria, four from Morocco, ten from Iran, and eight from Egypt.

Many were afflicted with fatigue, rashes, heat strokes, and cramps, with a 114-year-old Iranian, the oldest pilgrim of the year, reportedly dying from a heart attack.

“It is inaccurate to say that a lot of Indonesian pilgrims died because of heat strokes,” Eko Hartono, the consul-general of Indonesia, said, clarifying that most died from heart and respiratory issues.

Saudi officials issued a warning that pilgrims should stay hydrated and avoid standing in the sun. However, there were few places to stand in the shade during

the time of the Hajj, and due to the extreme heat, phones were rendered unusable, making the experience unpleasant for those who made the trek.

Experts from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Climate Change panel say that by 2100, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and other Gulf Arab countries may experience peak temperatures of 122°F, making it impossible to live there.

The Hajj, which is considered one of the five pillars of Islam, is a once-a-year pilgrimage that all capable Muslims must go on at least once in their life. Once the pilgrims arrive in Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, they perform various sacrifices and rituals. This year saw the highest number of Hajis since before the pandemic, when 2.5 million participated in 2019. In past years, many more have died during the religious pilgrimage.

No End In Sight For Canadian Wildfires?

In early June, the air quality deteriorated in northern U.S. states due to wildfires in Canada. While the air has since

improved in affected areas, alerts are still being issued in many places, as the air quality index (AQI) still often reaches levels that are hazardous, especially for those with respiratory issues.

ty, and they’re not threatening anything immediately, then you’re going to have to let them do their thing.

“These fires are so big that you really can’t put people anywhere near them, the winds kick up, they move very fast, they can start out ahead of you and they can trap crews,” Gray added.

weak oil prices. The Saudis were joined by Russia, whose deputy prime minister, Alexander Novak, said that Moscow would cut supplies by 500,000 barrels in August.

Together, these trims could amount to 1.5% of global supplies.

Over five hundred fires rage in Canada, 262 of which are far too large, chaotic, or far away to stop, and with limited resources to fight the wildfires, Canadian officials must choose their battles wisely. Rather than attempting to fight them all, firefighters are sent to combat the fires that present the most immediate threat to humans, and the wildfires that are unmanageable are left alone.

“If you have limited resources, and you have a lot of fires, what you do is you protect human life and property first. You protect people, infrastructure, watersheds, so there’s a prioritization system,” explained Robert Gray, a Canadian wildland fire ecologist. “If you’ve got these fires that are burning out in the back for-

While other countries, such as the U.S., Mexico, France, Spain, Australia, South Korea, and South Africa, have sent firefighters to help the situation in Canada, the country still has a resources issue, according to experts, many of whom add that it would be wise for Canada to shift its focus to avoiding these wildfires in the first place, rather than dedicating all resources to stopping them after the fact.

One proposed prevention method is to intentionally start small fires, or “prescribed burns,” in order to remove things that allow the wildfire to spread and start more quickly, such as some types of grass, debris, and other flammable natural materials. Canada already has prescribed burning, but experts suggest that the country should do much more of it, while equipping those who start these fires with the knowledge and training necessary to ensure that these minor flames don’t evolve into uncontrollable blazes.

According to the Nature Conservancy, fire “is an essential process for conserving biodiversity” and can be naturally caused by phenomena such as lightning, helping nature rid itself of unwanted shrubbery, for example. With that being said, in excess, fires are destructive and absolutely undesirable.

Saudi Arabia, Russia to Extend Oil Cuts

Oil prices have been under pressure in recent months because of uncertainty about the strength of the global economy as many central banks continue to raise interest rates to stem inflation. There are also doubts about oil’s longer-term future as electric vehicles and other alternatives to consuming oil continue to grow. The Saudis and other members of the producers’ group known as OPEC+ have been gradually dialing back production since last fall.

“This additional voluntary cut comes to reinforce the precautionary efforts” previously made, according to the staterun Saudi Press Agency. The latest round of Saudi production cuts began at the start of this month. Russia’s proposed reduction in exports in August would come “as part of the effort to ensure the oil market remains balanced,” Novak said in a statement.

Monday’s announcements appear to have been coordinated and intended to create the impression that Russia, a cochair of OPEC+, remains committed to the group’s efforts to manage the market.

“The intention here is to signal this isn’t just Saudi Arabia operating alone,” said Richard Bronze, head of geopolitics at Energy Aspects, a research firm.

It is not clear how much supply Russia will actually cut. Russia has been under pressure from the Saudis and other members of OPEC+ to go along with output restrictions, but Moscow has been reluctant to sacrifice revenue that could be used to help finance the war in Ukraine. China and India are now buying the bulk of Russia’s seaborne oil exports.

According to Saudi Arabia’s announcement, the kingdom’s oil production will now be just 9 million barrels a day — a drop of close to 2 million barrels from third quarter of last year. The Saudis are investing heavily to increase their production capacity but instead are being forced to throttle back. (© The New York Times)

Saudi Arabia said Monday that it would extend a cut in oil production of 1 million barrels a day that it announced in June through at least August, trying to push up what officials view as stubbornly

Stabbing and Ramming Attack in Tel Aviv

tunnel and a cache of weapons.

Israeli forces gained control of the al-Ansari mosque on Monday afternoon, following a shootout with Palestinian gunmen in the area, during the course of a major counterterrorism operation against the Jenin refugee camp.

The IDF said it carried out a drone strike against the armed Palestinians outside the mosque and later managed to break in.

On the ground floor, troops found two tunnel openings that the army said were connected. Explosives, weapons, and other military equipment were found inside the holes and scattered across the mosque.

On a sunny Tuesday afternoon, a Palestinian terrorist rammed his pickup truck into people on a bus stop on Pinchas Rosen Street in Tel Aviv. After hurting pedestrians, he then leaped out of his car and proceeded to stab people. Thankfully, he was stopped by an armed civilian, who shot at the terrorist and kicked his knife away.

Police spokesman Eli Levy said the incident was a terror attack.

Seven people were wounded in the attack. Four of the victims were listed in serious and moderate-to-serious condition.

The Shin Bet security agency said the terrorist who carried out the attack did not have an entry permit to Israel. He was named as Abed al-Wahab Khalaila, 20, from the West Bank town of as-Samu, in the South Hebron Hills area.

The Hamas terror group said Khalaila was a member of the terror group but it did not claim responsibility for the attack.

On Monday, in another suspected terror attack, a Palestinian teenager stabbed and lightly hurt an Israeli man in Bnei Brak.

IDF Takes on Jenin

“All of this excavation work in the mosque has turned it into a fortified site,” said Lt. Col. “Mem,” the commander of the elite Egoz unit, who can only be identified by his rank and initial of his first name in Hebrew.

The equipment was seized, the weapons were destroyed, and the tunnel was rendered inoperable, the IDF said.

Israel launched the major operation early Monday to crack down on what it says is a hotbed of terror in the city. A number of attacks on Israelis in recent years have been carried out by Palestinians from the area, and observers say the Palestinian Authority has little control on the ground.

The IDF’s operation has focused on a local wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group known as the Jenin Battalion, as well as other smaller armed groups in the city and refugee camp.

Over 1,000 IDF troops were involved in the campaign, which appeared to be the largest in the West Bank in some 20 years. At least 120 Palestinians had been taken in for questioning, although many had been released within a few hours.

The IDF believes there were more than 300 Palestinian gunmen in the Jenin refugee camp. IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the military had intelligence on the identities of at least 160 armed Palestinians.

During the military campaign, Israel hit Jenin with a series of airstrikes on certain targets in the city, including a war room shared by various groups in the city. The IDF located and demolished weapon storage sites, explosives labs with hundreds of primed devices, war rooms used by Palestinian gunmen to observe Israeli forces, and other “terror infrastructure.”

On Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces said that Palestinian gunmen in Jenin had turned a mosque into a “fortified” hideout, complete with an underground

Although there was no official name for the operation, the military has been said to be calling it “Bayit Vegan.”

Reasonableness Clause

administrative actions that are deemed beyond the scope of a reasonable and responsible authority.

Coalition members argued at the committee session on Tuesday that the standard is too subjective, and because it can allow the court to subvert government authority, it is contrary to rule of law. MK Simcha Rothman, Head of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, argued that elected officials have been chosen by the citizenry to make decisions on matters great and small, and it was not for judges to decide questions of values.

Mossad Nabs Terrorist in Iran

After he was captured by the Mossad, Abbasalilu confessed to his part in the terrorist plot and revealed all the information necessary for the attack to be thwarted, including the other individuals involved.

Once the Mossad obtained this information, they communicated with Cyprus officials, and seven terrorists were arrested. One of the members of the cell escaped.

The judicial reform reasonableness standard bill was passed in a heated Constitution, Law and Justice Committee vote on Tuesday and will be sent to the Knesset plenum for first reading.

The bill passed nine to four, in a vote that was delayed and drowned out by opposition Knesset members loudly protesting their objections.

The legislation would prevent the application of the reasonableness standard in court judgments and acceptance of appeals on the administrative decisions of elected officials.

The reasonableness standard is a common law principle in which the court can engage in judicial review of government

Labor MK Gilad Kariv and Yesh Atid MK Yoav Segalovitz argued that without the bill to check administrative decisions, political corruption would be allowed to flourish.

“You are permitting legal corruption,” accused Segalovitz. Kariv called the legislation a “corruption bill.”

Rothman reiterated that the restriction of reasonableness had been in the past supported by politicians such as opposition leader Yari Lapid and National Unity MK Gideon Sa’ar.

On Sunday, June 25, a terrorist attack on Jews and Israelis in Cyprus was foiled by the Mossad. Last week, the Israeli Intelligence Agency revealed that it had stopped the plot by apprehending the leader of the organization that planned the attack on Iranian soil.

“In a counter-terrorist operation on Iranian soil, the Mossad apprehended the head of a terror cell which planned on attacking Israelis in Cyprus, thwarting the attack,” wrote Israel’s official Twitter account.

The man who the Mossad called in a statement, “the mastermind of the terror cell,” is named Yousef Shahabazi Abbasalilu. His orders ultimately came from Mohammad Kazemi, the leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is part of Iran’s military.

The terrorists’ plan was to target a Chabad House and certain hotels where Israelis stay, as well a Jewish businessman who the IRGC terror group sought to assassinate.

“We will get to every official who advances terror against Jews and Israelis anywhere in the world, including within Iranian territory,” said a senior Mossad official.

In the past, Israel’s Intelligence Agency helped thwart an Iranian terrorist plot in Greece, in which terrorists planned to attack a shul in Athens. The Mossad called this plot “another example of Iran trying to use terror against Israeli and Jewish targets overseas.”

The IRGC is officially recognized by the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain as a terrorist organization, with the European Union also considering designating the group as such.

THE YESHIVA OF FAR ROCKAWAY

Joins With The Torah World In Extending Its Heartfelt Nichum To Our Dear Benefactor

R’ Yaakov Melohn

Upon The Untimely Passing Of His Brother R’ Avraham Moshe Hacohen Z”l

The Melohn Family Is Renowned For Its Benificence To Torah Causes And Institutions.

And We Are Eternally Grateful For Their Dedication Of Our Yeshiva Building.

The Many Thousands Of Hours Of Limud Hatorah Are An Enduring Zchus And Perpetual Legacy For Them And Their Generations.

Yeshiva Derech Ayson Of Far Rockaway

Rabbi Yechiel Perr Rosh Yeshiva

Rabbi Shayeh Kohn Executive Director

Israel

Denver Deluged with Rain

Both the United Nations and the Lebanese government have confirmed that Hezbollah had set up two tents within the Israeli border.

Israel filed a complaint with the United Nations in June saying that Hezbollah had set up tents several dozen yards inside of Israeli territory.

The Mount Dov area where the tents were erected, also known as Shebaa Farms, was captured by Israel from Syria during the 1967 Six Day War and later effectively annexed along with the Golan Heights in 1981. The Lebanese government says the area belongs to Lebanon.

Hebrew media reported Sunday that Hezbollah evacuated one of the two tents, but there has been no confirmation from the Iran-backed terror organization.

The head of the UN peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL, Maj. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro, “continues to be in direct contact with authorities on both sides of the Blue Line to resolve the situation of the tents,” UNIFIL said in a statement. The border demarcated after Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000 is known as the Blue Line.

UNIFIL added: “We are looking into reports that a tent has been moved north of the Blue Line.” UNIFIL added that any unauthorized presence or activity “near the Blue Line is a concern, and has the potential to increase tension and misunderstandings.”

The head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc Mohammed Raad claimed Saturday that the tents are in Lebanon. He added, referring to Israel, “You cannot remove two tents because there is resistance and strong men in this country.”

Israel and Hezbollah fought to a draw in a month-long war in Lebanon in 2006. Last week, Hezbollah said it shot down an Israeli drone flying over a village in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has in the past claimed downing Israeli drones, and Israel’s military also has said in the past that they have shot down Hezbollah drones.

Israel considers Hezbollah its most serious immediate threat, estimating it has some 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel.

If you thought it was rainy in New York, you don’t live in Denver. The Colorado city just experienced the rainiest June in the last 150 years, according to the National Weather Service at Boulder.

The Mile High City received a whopping 6.10 inches of rain and broke a 140-year-old record for June rainfall. That was set in June 1882, when the city received 4.96 inches of rain in June, the weather service said. The agency started keeping records in 1872.

Usually, average June rainfall tops out at about 1.94 inches.

Additionally, the total rain in May and June this year — 11.63 inches of rain — was the rainiest the city has ever been in those two months, going back to the start of the weather service’s record keeping in 1872.

Generally, the city is rainy in May and not in June.

More rain is predicted along with cooler weather before the summer season kicks in.

Denver’s most rainy month ever was May 1876, when the city received 8.57 inches of rain.

SCOTUS Takes on Affirmative Action

Affirmative action, a policy meant to make it easier for minorities to go to college and get jobs, has been criticized by many as a system that only creates more racial discrimination and doesn’t actually help minorities. In 2014, Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) sued Harvard and the University of North Carolina, claiming that the two colleges give preference to Blacks and Latinos over White and Asian applicants.

The Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling, voted in favor of SFFA, asserting that it is unconstitutional for institutions such as Harvard and the University of North Carolina to accept or reject prospective students based on race.

“Because Harvard’s and UNC’s admissions programs lack sufficiently focused and measurable objectives warranting the use of race, unavoidably employ race in a negative manner, involve racial stereotyping, and lack meaningful endpoints, those admissions programs cannot be reconciled with the guarantees of the Equal Protection Clause,” Chief Justice John Roberts said in the majority opinion. Rather, “the student must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individual – not on the basis of race.”

Roberts added that race should only be of note when it is “concretely tied” to a “quality of character or unique ability” that the applicant possesses. For example, “an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise” would be permitted.

Roberts was joined by Justices Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett, the conservatives of the court, while Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson dissented.

“Because the Court cannot escape the inevitable truth that race matters in students’ lives, it announces a false promise to save face and appear attuned to reality,” Justice Sotomayor said in the Court’s minority opinion.

Colleges are still permitted to take other race-related considerations into account, such as the number of languages a student speaks and whether the student is a first generation college applicant. However, Sotomayor insisted that still, these “factors are not ‘interchangeable’ with race.”

Not every college will be forced to adhere to these restrictions. For example, U.S. military academies will be permitted to continue considering the applicant’s race. The Court’s ruling may not apply to colleges in certain states.

“The Court has effectively ended affirmative action in college admissions. And I strongly—strongly disagree with the

LA Hotel Workers Strike

Thousands of hotel workers in Southern California walked off the job on Sunday demanding higher pay and better benefits, just as hordes of tourists descended on the region for the Fourth of July holiday.

“Workers have been pent up and frustrated and angry about what’s happened during the pandemic combined with the inability to pay their rent and stay in Los Angeles,” said Kurt Petersen, co-president of Unite Here Local 11, the union representing the workers. “So, people feel liberated, it’s Fourth of July, freedom is reigning in Los Angeles and hotel workers are leading that fight.”

Representatives for the hotels have said that the union had not been bargaining in good faith and that leaders were determined to disrupt operations.

“The hotels want to continue to provide strong wages, affordable quality family health care and a pension,” Keith Grossman, a spokesperson for the coordinated bargaining group consisting of more than 40 Los Angeles and Orange County hotels, said in a statement.

The strike is part of a wave of recent labor actions in the nation’s second-largest metropolis, where high costs of living have made it difficult for many workers — from housekeepers to Hollywood writers — to stay afloat.

Workers across Southern California in a range of industries have in recent months threatened to strike or walked off the job, displaying unusual levels of solidarity with other unions as they push for higher pay and better working conditions.

Dockworkers disrupted operations for weeks at the colossal ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach until they reached a tentative deal in June. And screenwriters have been picketing outside the gates of Hollywood studios for about two months.

Hugo Soto-Martinez, a Los Angeles City Council member who worked as an organizer for Unite Here Local 11, said

On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled that race can no longer be a factor in college admissions decisions.

Court’s decision,” President Joe Biden said in response to the ruling.

the breadth of industries locked in labor fights demonstrated frustration especially among younger workers, who have seen inequality widen and opportunities evaporate.

“It’s homelessness, it’s the cost of housing,” he said. “I think people are understanding those issues in a much more palpable way.”

The hotel workers’ strike comes just as the summer tourism season ramps up, and labor leaders say they are hoping to capitalize on that momentum.

Last year, tourism in the city reached its highest levels since the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board. (© The New York Times)

Philly Shooting Rampage

send my prayers to the victims,” Kenney said.

Police were called to the scene when the shooting first began. While they were there, they heard more gunshots. They were able to corner the shooter in an alley and arrest him.

Aspartame a “Possible Carcinogenic”

On Monday, five people were killed and two children were injured in a shooting in southwestern Philadelphia.

The shooting spanned several blocks. Several cars were damaged in the spree.

Officers managed to track down the suspect, who was wearing a bulletproof vest stocked with several ammunition magazines and was carrying two guns and a scanner, according to the commissioner.

Philadelphia is hardly the only city to have recently experienced such carnage due to gunfire. There were at least six mass shootings in the first three days of July, including another Monday night in Fort Worth, Texas, that left at least three people dead and eight wounded. Another shooting in Baltimore on Saturday left two people dead and 28 others injured.

They were among at least 341 mass shootings in the U.S. this year. A mass shooting is defined as one in which four or more people are shot, not including the shooter.

“This devastating violence must stop,” Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said in a tweet Monday evening.

“My heart is with the loved ones and families of everyone involved, and I

The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is expected to declare later this month that aspartame, a sugar alternative used since the 1980s in countless food products, can “possibly” cause cancer in humans.

“IARC has assessed the potential carcinogenic effect of aspartame (hazard identification),” a spokesperson from IARC stated. “Following this, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (Jecfa) will update its risk assessment exercise on aspartame, including the reviewing of the acceptable daily intake and dietary exposure assessment for aspartame. The result of both evaluations will be made available together, on 14 July 2023.”

The IARC has three categories for products and behaviors that are linked to cancer: “possibly carcinogenic,” “probably carcinogenic,” and “carcinogenic.” The expected decision to classify aspartame in the first category has already been disapproved by many. In the past, the cancer research group has been criticized for saying that certain activities, such as using a smartphone, can “possibly” cause cancer and that eating red meat and working late at night can “probably” cause cancer.

“Aspartame is one of the most thoroughly researched ingredients in history, with over 90 food safety agencies across the globe declaring it is safe, including the European Food Safety Authority, which conducted the most comprehensive safety evaluation of aspartame to date,” Frances Hunt-Wood, secretary general of the International Sweeteners Association,

said, adding that the “IARC is not a food safety body.”

Professor emeritus Kevin McConway, who taught applied statistics at the United Kingdom’s Open University, said that such a classification “does not mean that a substance actually presents a risk to humans in normal circumstances.”

“Back in 1981, they established an acceptable daily intake of aspartame, of 40 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day. To consume over that limit would require a very large daily consumption of Diet Coke or similar drinks,” he noted.

SuperPAC Raises Millions to Fight Trump

Americans for Prosperity Action, a super political action committee (PAC) funded by billionaire businessman Charles Koch, has accumulated $70 million in an effort to sway who wins the GOP presidential primary.

While the group hasn’t publicly come out in support of a specific Republican contender yet, AFP Action has been clear that their goal is to have former President Donald Trump lose the nomination.

In an attempt to do so, the conservative PAC will release advertisements in Nevada, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, with the narrator in one of the ads claiming that “instead of making Biden answer for his reckless progressive agenda, Trump makes the debate about indictments, personal grievances, and the election he lost. Sure, he did some good things as President, but the reality is Republicans lose if Trump is our nominee.”

In response, Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, wrote in an email, “President Trump continues to fight against the swampy D.C. insiders who would love nothing more than to have an establishment puppet they can control in the White House.

“No amount of dirty money from shady lobbyists and mysterious donors will ever stop the America First movement, and that’s why President Trump continues to dominate poll after poll — both nationally and statewide. We wel-

come this fight,” Cheung added.

AFP Action’s CEO, Emily Seidel, said that many Trump voters that the committee has reached out to have shown that they are “receptive to arguments that he is a weak candidate, his focus on 2020 is a liability, and his lack of appeal with independent voters is a problem,” with Seidel adding that this “tells us that many Republicans are ready to move on, they just need to see another candidate step up and show they can lead and win.”

On Thursday, the committee publicly

announced its support for the reelection of certain GOP House Representatives, including Reps. Young Kim of California, John James of Michigan, Juan Ciscomani of Arizona, and Zach Munn of Iowa, as well as Yvette Herrel, a former Republican Representative from New Mexico.

Reviewing U.S.’s Afghanistan Exit

The U.S. State Department should plan better for worst-case scenarios, strengthen its crisis-management capabilities and ensure that top officials hear “the broadest possible range of views,” including ones that challenge their assumptions and decisions.

Those were some of the key findings

of a State Department review of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in summer 2021, which contributed to the sudden collapse of the Afghan government and required a massive airlift to rescue roughly 125,000 U.S. citizens and Afghans who had assisted the United States.

The review also portrayed a department that scrambled to respond to the crisis due to unfilled senior positions, unclear leadership on planning efforts and a shortage of seasoned diplomats in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital.

and 13 U.S. troops.

Biden officials have long said that few envisioned such a rapid Taliban takeover of the country, that exiting under any circumstances would have been difficult, and that the United States made the right strategic decision to withdraw.

The report does not pin blame on specific individuals and mentions Secretary of State Antony Blinken only in passing. But it does say that in both the Trump and Biden administrations, “there was insufficient senior-level consideration of worst-case scenarios and how quickly those might follow.”

“failed” to establish a broad Afghanistan task force as the situation there deteriorated in late July and early August 2021, and that such a step “would have brought key players together to address issues related to possible” mass evacuations.

(© The New York Times

.)

Religious Work Accommodations

In 2019, Groff quit his job and sued the USPS, claiming that they discriminated against him for his religious beliefs and that it would not have been too much of an inconvenience for the Postal Service if he would have been allowed to take off on Sundays.

“I hope this decision allows others to be able to maintain their convictions without living in fear of losing their jobs because of what they believe,” Groff stated after the verdict was announced.

The document addresses what even many Democrats call a foreign policy debacle for the Biden administration: its failure to more adequately prepare for the abrupt collapse of the Afghan state and avoid days of harrowing chaos in Kabul surrounding an emergency exit that included a terrorist bombing at the city’s airport that killed as many as 170 civilians

Even after it became clear that the Taliban would capture Kabul, the report says, the department’s response featured confusion about responsibilities and authorities. Under Blinken, the State Department’s participation in executive branch planning for an evacuation “was hindered by the fact that it was unclear who in the department had the lead,” the report finds.

Another shortcoming: By the time the frantic airlift from Kabul began, top State Department officials “had not made clear decisions” regarding which Afghans would be eligible for evacuation, nor where they would be taken.

It also says that the department

In the case Groff v. Dejoy, plaintiff Gerald Groff, a Christian former mailman, sued the U.S. Postal Service for penalizing him for taking Sundays off for religious purposes. On Thursday, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled to make it more difficult for employers to penalize workers for religious activities that interfere with work. The lawsuit that Groff brought will now be decided by a lower court based on the Supreme Court’s new clarifications on this matter.

In 1977, in a case called Trans World Airlines v. Hardison, the Supreme Court ruled that an employee’s request can be rejected if it would cause “de minimis” –even a minimal amount of inconvenience for the employer. With the Court’s new ruling, this is no longer the case. Instead, employers may only deny the employee this type of a request if the accommodations would cause more than just “minimal” hardship.

The ruling was written by Justice Samuel Alito, who said that, in the future, the courts should determine what exactly constitutes an inconvenience that is significant enough for the employer to legally reject.

Groff was a non-career auxiliary mail carrier who was hired to work on days when postal workers generally take off, such as on the weekends and the holidays. He started working for the USPS in 2012 and was not required to work on Sundays until 2015 when the Postal Service arranged that Amazon packages get delivered on that day. Due to his religious belief that Sunday is a day when work is not permitted, he was allowed to take off on that day of the week until July of 2018, when the USPS no longer tolerated his absence on Sundays and instead penalized him when he did not come to work.

The ruling is “fully consistent with the standard we apply when seeking to accommodate the sincerely held religious beliefs, observances and practices of our employees,” said Felicia Lott, spokeswoman for the Postal Service, adding that she anticipates that the lower courts will rule in USPS’s favor based on the Supreme Court’s recent decision.

Unity Heads to Space

Sir Richard Branson’s company, Virgin Galactic, launched its rocket, Unity, on its first commercial mission last week.

On Thursday, the rocket ship was carried by an airplane over New Mexico, and once the craft reached heights of 44,500 feet, Unity launched into the air, bringing three Italian scientists to the border that separates Earth and outer space.

It is Branson’s hope that this spaceflight “ushers in a new era of repeatable and reliable access to space for private passengers and researchers,” the billionaire businessman said.

In recent years, Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, and Branson had been competing to be the first to bring tourists up to space. The competition ended when Bezos’ company, Blue Origin, succeeded in bringing four passengers to space in its space vehicle, New Shepard, on July 20, 2021.

Branson started his space company in 2004, creating Enterprise, a test rocket whose failure to launch in 2014 led to the death of one of the ship’s pilots. Over the four years that followed, Unity was built and, in December of 2018, reached heights of about 80 kilometers in the air, or about 50 miles high, which is consid-

ered by some to be the very edge of outer space. As of now, the highest Branson’s rocket can go is 90km.

A ticket for a ride in Unity can be as expensive as $450,000, with most customers already having waited a decade thus far. It is estimated that for the time being, Unity will only have one mission per month, and because it can only hold a few people, it will be quite a long time before everyone on the waitlist gets their chance to experience the spaceflight. In 2026, Virgin Galactic will likely release more technologically capable rockets, at which point the ships should be able to go on a mission once a week.

Deadly Baltimore Block Party

Baltimore community that is coping with the loss.”

“Maryland has had enough of watching gun violence continue to ravage our state and our nation,” Moore said in a statement. “The fact that these horrific shootings continue to take place is abominable. We as a state will continue to do everything we can to prevent senseless acts of violence like the one we saw last night.”

Americans: Don’t Go To China

On Sunday, two people were killed and 28 others were wounded at a block party in Baltimore.

At least two people opened fire at a block party in the Brooklyn Homes area in the southern part of the city in the afternoon.

The shootings came amid gatherings around the country leading up to the July Fourth holiday. Elsewhere, a shooting in Kansas left seven people with gunshot wounds and two more victims hospitalized after being trampled as people rushed out of a nightclub early Sunday morning.

Ironically, the carnage in Baltimore occurred as federal prosecutors there this week touted their efforts to reduce violent crime in the city. Police have reported nearly 130 homicides and close to 300 shootings so far this year.

The two people who were killed on Sunday were Aaliyah Gonzales, 18, and Kylis Fagbemi, 20. The wounded ranged in age between 13 to 32.

“I want those who are responsible to hear me, and hear me very clearly,” Mayor Brandon Scott said at the scene. “We will not stop until we find you, and we will find you. Until then, I hope that every single breath you take, that you think about the lives that you took, think about the lives that you impacted here tonight.”

Gov. Wes Moore said his “heart breaks for these victims, their families, and the

According to the U.S. State Department, Americans should stay away from China considering the risk of wrongful detention.

The advisory issued on Friday was different than a previous one that also listed mainland China as a “Level 3: Reconsider Travel” destination, but said it was due to the risk of “arbitrary enforcement of local laws.” The risk of wrongful detention was listed as a reason for U.S. travelers to “exercise increased caution” in that advisory, which was issued in March.

A State Department spokesperson explained that because the Chinese government “continues to engage in this practice” of wrongful detention, “the Travel Advisory has been updated to advise U.S. citizens to reconsider travel to Mainland China due to the risk of wrongful detention.”

“The Department of State has determined the risk of wrongful detention of U.S. nationals by the PRC government exists in the PRC,” both the late June and March advisories noted.

The updated advisory comes amid a period of heightened tensions between the United States and China.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Beijing last month in an effort to stop relations from continuing to plummet at a time of lingering distrust. At a news conference at the conclusion of the visit, Blinken said the U.S. and China had made “progress” toward steering relations back on track as both sides agreed on the need to “stabilize” the bilateral relationship between the two superpowers.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will travel to Beijing this week as part of continued efforts to stabilize the relationship between China and the U.S.

A Sweet Slice of Celebration

am also very family-oriented and the relationship with his father reminds me a lot of mine with my father, who has passed away,” the man said in an interview with local media outlet Metropoles.

“I am not in very good health, and, because of that, I really saw that I don’t have anyone to leave my things to… I wouldn’t want the government or relatives I don’t get along with to take my things.”

A Tiny Treasure

It may be tiny, but it packed a major punch. Last week, a teeny-tiny handbag (it’s hard to call it that) measuring just 657 by 222 by 700 microns (or less than 0.03 inches wide) sold for over $63,000 at an online auction.

Of course, the bag wasn’t just any old small purse. The fluorescent yellowish-green bag is based on a popular Louis Vuitton design — though it is the work of a New York art collective, not the luxury label itself.

Dubbing its diminutive creation “Microscopic Handbag,” the Brooklyn-based group MSCHF claims the bag is narrow enough to pass through the eye of a needle and is smaller than a grain of sea salt.

The object was made using two-photon polymerization, a manufacturing technology used to 3D-print micro-scale plastic parts. It was sold alongside a microscope equipped with a digital display through which the bag can be viewed.

A promotional photo shows the design in greater detail, revealing Louis Vuitton’s signature “LV” monogram. The bag appears to be based on the French label’s OnTheGo tote, which currently retails at full size for between $3,100 and $4,300.

This is not the first time MSCHF has taken on the luxury world. In the past, it has sold forged Andy Warhol drawings in the name of art. In 2021, the group ripped up four Birkin handbags to create sandals (dubbed “Birkinstocks“) that it offered for up to $76,000 a pair. More recently, its cartoonish rubber boots, known as “Big Red Boots,” became a viral sensation after being worn by pop stars.

When it’s art, it matters.

On Monday, the Florida Keys celebrated its 200th birthday with a sweet celebration.

The celebrants feted the grand day with a giant Key lime pie measuring more than 13 feet in diameter. Organizers hope that the huge pastry will smash a world record.

The festivities marked the anniversary of the Florida Territorial Legislature’s establishment of Monroe County on July 3, 1823 and celebrated its history. The county contains all of the Keys and a portion of Everglades National Park.

Key lime pie, originating in late 1800s Key West, is a large part of the continental United States’ southernmost island chain’s heritage. In 2006, Key lime pie was designated Florida’s official pie by the state Legislature.

Want to make your own? Key lime pie consists of a graham cracker crust with whipped cream topping along with the juice of limes.

This particular cake required the juice from several thousand Key limes. Sounds sweet.

When There’s a Will, There’s a Way

The 30-year-old added that he had tried unsuccessfully to give his assets to the Brazil international before, but the will was a legal way to do so and the document was signed by a notary’s office in Porto Alegre.

“I know that, above all, he is not greedy, something a bit rare these days,” the fan said.

Paris Saint-Germain’s Neymar is one of the world’s best paid sportsmen, with estimated earnings of $85 million for 2023, according to Forbes.

Not greedy, at all.

Never-Ending Broadcast

What a Catch

An anonymous soccer fan is leaving all his worldly possessions to Neymar Jr., a Brazilian soccer player.

The fan said that beyond a love for the national team and for Brazil’s football legacy, he identified with Neymar, which led him to officially name the Brazil striker in his will.

“I like Neymar, I identify with him a lot. I also suffer with defamation, I

Mario Bekes just doesn’t stop talking. The Australia-based radio personality broke a Guinness World Record by hosting a show that lasted for 55 hours and 26 minutes. Bekes, who is originally from Croatia, hosted his marathon talk show on Alive 90.5 FM, the station where he has been a host since 2009.

Bekes, who also hosts the motivational podcast Life: The Battlefield , was not allowed to include music, commercials or calls from the public during his attempt, making for what he told Guinness World Records was “a very unusual radio show.”

To keep things interesting, Bekes hosted several guests and offered pieces of advice to the audience. A doctor was on hand to make sure the talk jockey was healthy throughout the show.

The show’s final time of 55 hours and 26 minutes earned Bekes the record for longest audio-only live-stream, a record previously set at 53 hours and 1 minute by British radio hosts Matt Hall and Dan Ramsden in 2020.

Talk about the gift of gab.

Nancy Sauer of Tampa, Florida, died a few months ago at the age of 84. But she left behind seven beloved companions –her Persian cats. Because they were so beloved, Sauer also left behind a six-figure estate to be used to take care of her felines.

Now, people are lining up to adopt these kitties, who come with a nice-sized dowry to take care of them.

“I’ve gotten, believe it or not, 156 applications for these remaining six cats, which is crazy to me,” Sherry Silk, executive director of the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, said. “She did leave a six-figure estate for their care, which is feeding, grooming, medical supplies, toys, treats — whatever people want to do. We are going to reimburse people up to that.”

Silk went on, “The total amount for the seven cats is just over $300,000, which is a lot of money.”

Sauer’s will reportedly stated that her seven Persian cats were to remain in the house until the last one died. Her son had predeceased her.

The cats are named Midnight, Snowball, Goldfinger, Leo, Squeaky, Cleopatra and Napoleon. The felines lived in Sauer’s million-dollar home in South Tampa.

After her death, it was determined that the caretakers in charge of their care were not doing a good job. Now, the Human Society is hoping that some compassionate pet lovers will step in to take care of them.

According to Silk, Sauer loved her cats but was a bit “eccentric.”

“She wouldn’t just buy one thing that she just liked,” Silk said. “She had things that every lady probably has — but I’ve got 10 or 15 tubes of lipstick in my cosmetic area. She had 50 shades of the same lipstick, not even open. She just bought and bought and bought. So she was kind of a collector of things that she liked.”

The cats are not friendly and don’t like to cuddle, so Silk needs to find the right people to care for them.

“I’m confident that we’ll find the right home,” she said.

If not, that would be a cat-astrophe.

Around the Community

Summer Fun at Simcha Day Camp

AMIT Yom Iyun

AMIT will present its Annual Yom Iyun – Day of Learning Seminar – For Women by Women on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 at 10:00 AM at the Sephardic Temple 775 Branch Boulevard, Cedarhurst, New York. The Seminar is titled Choose Your Story – Change Your Life – How the power of storytelling in the Torah has the ability to reshape our interpersonal relationships. The

HaRav Yitzchok Lichtenstein, Rosh Yeshiva of Torah Vodaas, Visits Camp Simcha

Registration begins at 9:30 AM, with the program and lecture at 10:00AM, and concludes with lunch at 11:45 AM.

For more information and to register, please contact Michelle Klahr at the AMIT office 212-477-5691.

HaRav Yitzchok Lichtenstein, Rosh Yeshiva of Torah Vodaas, paid a special visit to Camp Simcha, Chai Lifeline’s medically supervised summer program for children with cancer and other serious illnesses, in Glen Spey, NY, on Thursday, June 29. The visit was a highlight for the campers and staff as they begin another summer of Simcha. During his visit, Rav Lichtenstein toured the vibrant and lively campus, witnessing firsthand the joy and strength

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that fills each bunk, each activity, and every corner of Camp Simcha. Rav Lichtenstein spent time meeting with the campers and staff, offering words of chizuk and bracha.

“We are honored to host Rav Lichtenstein,” said Rabbi Simcha Scholar, CEO of Chai Lifeline. “His presence and inspiring words uplifted our campers and gave them strength that they will take with them as they take on their personal challenges.”

The Vikings would bury their dead in boats.

Keynote Speaker is Bracha Rutner, Head of School at Central YUHSG.

Israel’s President, Isaac Herzog and more than 500 Birthright supporters gathered on Sunday at Tel Aviv’s port for Birthright Israel’s first gala in the Jewish state. The cocktail reception and dinner included the presentation of an award to Birthright’s leading donor, Dr. Miriam Adelson.

Smiles, Swimming, and Sports at Machane Hakayitz

Week 1 at Hillel Day Camp

Hillel Day Camp is so excited to be back for another amazing summer! Hillel Day Camp represents closeness, community, and camaraderie. Many of our counselors, lifeguards and staff were campers and grew up here and have now taken on leadership roles in the

camp, and we couldn’t be prouder.

Preparations for Summer ‘23 started last September and have been going strong for the last 10 months! We’re off to a fabulous start and that is thanks to those who put their heart and soul into getting our camp ready.

Each day, and through each activity, we focus on social and emotional successes. Our campers share experiences that they do not ordinarily participate in, and every single child has the opportunity to enjoy and excel in something.

Week 1 was amazing, filled with

sports, swimming, coding, survival skills, archery, ice skating, mentorship from our incredible staff, and more! We are looking forward to a jam-packed, incredible summer!

HAFTR and Gural JCC Host “The Event” at the Seawane Club

HAFTR and the Gural JCC joined forces on Tuesday, June 20 to host “THE EVENT” at the exquisite Seawane Club. The day was blessed with perfect weather, creating an ideal backdrop for an array of activities and fundraising initiatives aimed at supporting Jewish education and identity in the community.

Participants were treated to a day

filled with golf, tennis, and pickleball. Whether swinging a golf club, volleying a tennis ball, or maneuvering on the pickleball court, participants relished the opportunity to engage in friendly competition while supporting a worthy cause. Guests enjoyed a delectable breakfast, a mouth-watering barbeque lunch, and an elegant dinner.

When the evening arrived, the annual

Casino Night opened its doors. Participants played games with the hopes of winning raffle tickets to redeem awesome prizes while at the same time raising money for a worthy cause.

Beyond the enjoyment and camaraderie, the primary objective of the event was to raise funds for the Gural JCC and HAFTR. Both organizations play a crucial role in fostering Jewish education

and identity within the community, and the funds raised from this event will contribute to their ongoing efforts. The success of “The Event” reflects the commitment and passion of the community members who understand the importance of supporting Jewish education and identity.

The Avnet ’23 Adventure Begins

The fun never gets old at HALB’s Avnet Country Day School. For over 60 years, Avnet has been providing a summer to remember, and excitement was everywhere as campers enjoyed their first three days of the season. Preschool campers in the Tipot division settled in while making American flags and delicious treats in honor of Independence Day. The Ma’ayanot girls were thrilled to reconnect with their friends and enjoyed engaging activities

like music, yoga and country cooking. There was also a thrilling trip to Laser Bounce. The Agamim and Naharot girls put their acting skills to the test in Drama and are looking forward to their first trip to see “The Play That Went Wrong.”

It was back to the action for the Ma’ayanot boys, who were on the fields and courts playing softball, basketball, and soccer. They also enjoyed more relaxing pursuits during Chinuch and Country Cooking. Over at the DRS Cam-

pus, the boys in the G’vaot and Harim divisions practiced for their upcoming softball and net leagues.

“It’s wonderful to walk around the halls and fields and see the smiling and happy faces of Avnet campers,” said Dan-

iel Stroock, Director. “We are grateful to our staff, campers and our parent body who have each played a crucial role in helping to ensure that we got off to an amazing start. We can’t wait to share more fun next week.”

At the start of the summer season at the shul in Woodbourne, NY, under the leadership of the Nikolsburger Rebbe

Chanukas Habayis of the New Beis Medrash at Yeshiva Darchei Torah’s Camp Oraysa

Photos by Yossi Gee

Rav Avrohom Wachsman and Aron Solomon

Rav Shlomo Avigdor Altusky speaking

Chazzan Joel Kaplan leading Mizmor Shir Chanukas Habayis

Rav Shmuel Feldman, Rav Yaakov Bender and talmidim during the dancing

Rav Shlomo Halioua arriving at the Chanukas Habayis. Background: Rav Yaakov Bender and Rav Moshe Bender

Rav Shlomo Avigdor Altusky speaking

Reb Rubin Schron, who dedicated Camp Oraysa, and his son Eli Talmidim during the dancing

Rav Moshe Bender speaking. Visible on the lower dais is Reb Motty Klein, who dedicated the Aron Kodesh

Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel giving a bracha to Avrohom Bender as his father, Rav Dovid, and grandfather, Rav Yaakov, look on

Rav Pinchus Daniel Weinberger, Rav Yaakov Bender, and Yossi Hecht

Rav Zevi Trenk and Rav Shlomo Avigdor Altusky

5 TOWNS SHUL LEAGUE July 2 - Game 2

SHUL LEAGUE GAME 2 WIRE: Shabbos ended with Havdalah and weather apps… Storms were brewing...Saturday night made Sunday morning look like a wash out…But Hashem loves the Shul League…Not only did two fields survive the storm like Bubba-Gump’s shrimping boat, but there was some sunshine during the games…Due to the puddles, Greis games were moved to Lawrence…There, once again, a lack of parity in the Shul League…Three mercies and one competitive game…In the 8am games, the 1-0 Meerkats battled the 1-0 Piermonts…The Piermonts were without their pitchers and the rotation put holes in their defense which the Kats kept exploiting…The Meerkats improved to 2-0 with the 13-1 win using the same recipe as week 1…Mikey Weiss pitched 5 stellar innings…Jordan Hiller continued his hot hitting, sparking the offense with his fellow table setters Yosef “Moscow Mule” Moskowitz and Yoni “YK” Kirschner

Dom’s Great Call of the Week

At LMS, early in the Pickwick v. Woodpeckers bout: Pickwick’s Chaim Samet was on 2B. After a base hit to left, Samet, slightly hesitant, came around 3B looking to score. Woodpecker left-fielder throws a one-hop bullet to catcher Mikey Tabak . Commissioner/Umpire Dom DeRosa was on top of the play of course. Tabak was not in the baseline but had to go into the baseline to catch the ball. Samet and the ball arrived simultaneously.

Samet correctly elected to slide and Tabak correctly did not obstruct. The ball was dropped, and Dom remained silent. There was no call to make because the runner did not touch the plate. Confusion abounds.

Samet realizes what is happen ing and dives for the plate, Woodpecker pitcher, Tuvia “Blitz” Blisko, who was backing up, picks the ball from the dirt and tags Samet before he gets to the plate. At lightning speed, Dom does all the calculations. OUT! Out on the tag! Great call!!!

The big blast came from Menachem “Ru” Ruvel as he hit a bases clearing triple in his first at bat since returning from Tummy John surgery…Across the way at LMS, the 0-1 Gumps battled the 0-1 Townies, and the Gumps just kept RUNNING…To the tune of 12-2 bounce back W… Gumps’ bats were on fire...Aharon Boehm - 4 for 5 with 5 runs scored…Noach Weichselbaum - 3 for 4 with 3 RBI…Chaim Thaler - 2 for 4 including a 2-run round-tripper...In the loss, the Townies found a bright spot in Andrew Dube making his Shul League debut…Dube jacked a HR to straight-away center that the Gumps are still chasing down…On the defensive side, team Captain Yaakov Schuss made a sweet catch and quick tag to nail a Gump at the plate…Akiva Boehm also sparkled defensively for the Townies with a spectacular diving stop and starting up a silky smooth double play…In the late games it was Pickwick falling the Woodpeckers 3-2 in a real defensive duel…The early innings had both teams loading the bases multiple times with less than 2 outs and each team getting out of it unscathed, including a wild play at the plate(See Dom’s Great Call of the Week)…On the other side of LMS, the defense was lacking, but the bats were raking…The Hoppers and Flames put up 28 runs combined (mostly on errors)… Flames showed a lot of life adding power-bat Yaron Markfeld, pitcher Yossi Golie (recently moved from Bookly and he can deal), and five tool player Ari Baruch Flames are on the rise, but the Hoppers are pros and were too much to handle…Hoppers remain undefeated…Meanwhile, at Woodmere… the Aces got their season started with a 10-0 win over the AC Units. Yehuda Konig had it going early, striking out the side in the top of the first…Alan Schiff connected early with a 2-out 2-run dinger down the left field line…Schiff would also add a 2-run single later in the game…. The Units would threaten in the 2nd inning, with the Aaron boys putting a single and double together for second and third and no one out…But a strike out, pop out and strike out ended the threat…The Aces broke the game open in the bottom of the third, putting up 6 runs to make it 8-0…Units threatened once more, but the attempt was thwarted by a perfect throw from center fielder  Dovid Blum…Shout out to Rabbi Nossi Lieberman making a nice snag and tag at the plate… In the day’s hottest game, the 0-1 Privilege defeated the Tornadoes in a come from behind walk-off thriller…Exceptional pitching by Chananya Grinberg and superb defense behind him kept it tight…Former Captain Sruly Lieber went 2-3 with two singles – none bigger than the game tying hit, setup by a Tornado intentional walk of the previous batter…Jason Salzberg completed the fairytale ending with a walk-off base hit…Benjy “Sonic” Ashkenazi added 2 more hits to bring his average to .833.

Summer Fun at Camp Machaneh Yisroel

Photos by Ezra Rosenfeld

Teach NYS Partners with Two Higher Educational Institutions to Create Custom M.Ed. Programs for STEM Teachers

Aunique partnership between Teach NYS and two higher education institutions will enable teachers at Teach NYS member schools to obtain Master’s in Education degrees at significantly reduced fees, while helping to secure more government funding for their respective schools.

Beginning this fall, grades 3 to 12 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) teachers from over 80 Teach NYS member schools will be eligible to participate in SUNY Empire and Gratz College’s Master’s in Education programs at a final cost of under $10,000 each — representing a savings of up to 40 percent in tuition depending on teachers’ chosen institution. Teachers will also benefit from waived application, credential, and student fees. The programs will feature customized STEM components and when teachers complete either M.Ed. program, their employing nonpublic schools will be eligible for reimbursement of their salaries under the NYSED (New York State Education Department) Mathematics, Science, & Technology Teachers in Religious & Independent Schools Grant (MST).

Teach NYS is a division of the Teach Coalition, a non-partisan grassroots organization that advocates for equitable government funding, security and quality education for nonpublic schools, including 90 percent of yeshivas and day schools nationwide. Through the activism of close to 40,000 community advocates, Teach Coalition advocates for resources in areas such as STEM, Security, Universal Pre-K, Special Education, K-12 scholarships, and more.

“This partnership helps to expand, elevate and enhance the STEM program’s impact on school and families,” says Teach Coalition Founder Maury Litwack.

According to Teach NYS Associate Director of Government Programs Adam Katz, some New York State schools were

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repaid up to $40,000 for each full-time teacher for the 2020-21 school year. Reimbursements are based on many factors, he notes, and will continue to grow thanks to Teach NYS’s ongoing advocacy for increased annual funding.

“The MST/STEM program is a game-changer for our schools,” says Katz. “We are happy to help schools benefit even more from it thanks to these partnerships. We’re proud to be able to partner with two premier institutions to offer our member schools simple, affordable paths to increase their government funding, while at the same time, elevating their quality of education.”

In 2017, Teach NYS led an advocacy campaign with thousands of parents and students, and worked alongside bipartisan policymakers in Albany to create the MST program. Since this program’s inception, Teach NYS has successfully advocated for $251 million in MST funds for NYS nonpublic schools, including $58 million for the 2022-23 school year, and $73 million expected for 2023-24.

According to Teach NYS, a greater number of schools are applying for more teachers each year, totaling over 2,000 teachers last year. Several Teach NYS-member schools have received over $1 million each in reimbursements since 2017, which they have utilized to recruit and retain top teachers and expand STEM course offerings.

“This partnership represents a sacred synergy of two institutions that see the supreme value in education and teacher empowerment,” says Gratz College President Zev Eleff. “Both Teach NYS and Gratz College are deeply invested in supporting teachers and student learning.”

SUNY Empire Assistant Dean of School for Graduate Studies Tara Pepis notes, “We are excited to partner with Teach NYS to support their work in solving the tuition crisis facing families throughout New York State.”

In 2004, a party yacht tipped over when the passengers all moved to one side of the boat.

Hillel Day Camp

By SuSan Schwamm

When you step onto the grounds at hillel day Camp, there’s a lot to see. you’ll see kids enjoying sports on the fields, sW imming in the beautiful pools, and praCtiCing arChery or doing Zumba. With more than 1,000 Children Calling hillel their fun plaCe to be this summer, it’s a “mini City” that boasts Countless smiles, songs, and laughter over the summer months. this W eek, W e spoke W ith evan l eiboW itZ , Camp direCtor, to hear more about the ama Zing aCtivities and energy that permeate eaCh day.

Evan, tell us about Hillel Day Camp. How many years have you been around?

Hillel Day Camp was established as HAFTR’s Summer Day Camp almost 50 years ago! Named for the schools that merged to become HAFTR, The Hillel School and HILI (Hebrew Institute of Long Island), many members of our larger Five Towns community have spent their summers at Hillel Day Camp. Our legacy runs so deep, we now have children and grandchildren of some of our original campers creating their own memories at Hillel Day Camp.

That’s truly a legacy! When someone hears about Hillel Day Camp, what do you want to come to mind?

When someone says Hillel Day Camp, we want everyone to immediately feel and say: that’s MY CAMP! It’s where I went, and it’s where I am going! We want our families to know that we put all of our strengths and minds into creating opportunities for our campers to create lifelong memories and experience something new daily!

We are an Orthodox day camp representing numerous communities and

schools bringing together campers and staff to form everlasting friendships. One of my many goals as camp director is for our campers to experience the same feelings of joy that I have when I think about my time in camp.

How many divisions do you have? How many campers enjoy Hillel Day Camp each summer?

My Grandma Miriam always used to say that “we don’t count numbers,” but I will say that Hillel Day Camp is a mini city of over 1,100 people enjoying their summer together in an incredible atmosphere.

It is our belief that it is important to provide as much individualized attention as possible since there are so many moving pieces during a typical day in Hillel. We have a 1:4 staff ratio in camp and 1:5 in each group. Each of our divisions has an experienced adult division head that is a professional educator during the year. We provide adult morahs with our groups up to first grade, and this year, we have morahs with the second and third grade boys, too!

A camp’s staff can really set the tone. Tell us about your awesome staff.

Our 2023 Senior Staff is a group of individuals that, when put together, does way more than just the sum of its parts. Returning to Hillel as our Assistant Director is long-time Hillel veteran Shana Pollack (NYC DOE). Other incredible returning staff include Adam Brick (HANC) is our Senior Division Head, Ilona Diamond (HAFTR) is our Program Director, Sima Fish (Ezra Academy) as our Aquatics Director, Dan Orenstein (NYC DOE) is our Sports Director, and Dawn Horowitz (HALB) is our First and Third grade division head.

New to the team, but quickly acting like veterans are Meira Yagodayev (HAFTR) as our Second and Fourth grade Division Head, Jenna Zelka (HANC) as our Fifth through Seventh grade division head, GariAnn Harris (LBPS) as our Special Events Coordinator, and Shimmie Dreyfuss (NYC DOE) as our CIT Director!

Of course, they only play a small role in Hillel’s day-to-day operations and success. Our counselors, morahs,

lifeguards, sports staff, and specialty staff keep on making memories daily for our campers and their families.

I also want to thank two of our former staff members who have “graduated” from Hillel Day Camp and moved on to take larger roles in another camp. I thank Penina Ginsberg and Missy Berger for helping to build our strong culture in Hillel, and we are proud that you will spread the happiness and culture of Hillel.

Your staff sounds amazing. I heard you go on great trips and have special events! Let’s hear more.

When Ilona Diamond sent me the final draft of our 2023 calendar, I said to her, “There will not be a ‘regular’ day at Hillel this summer.” The definition of regular has to be changed! There isn’t one day where a special event, show, or multiple trips is not happening. My deep belief is that children and staff remember events and unique things, and I am happy that each day at Hillel has unique things. We have weekly trips to many of the places highlighted in the Sukkot and Pesach

editions of The Jewish Home, but we are also incorporating unique Chessed Days, Carnivals, Let’s Make A Deal and Minute To Win It Games, Variety shows, and our yearly Shabbos Nachamu Concert! I am so glad that we were able to bring back a camper production this year. I can’t wait to see Hillel campers and staff in “101 Dalmatians”!

Summer is about swimming! Tell us about your swimming program.

So many calls and emails come in throughout the year from new families who tell us they are coming to Hillel Day Camp because they have heard the stellar reputation of our swim program. Our three on-campus, full size, heated pools are spectacular. Our swim team leadership has decades of experience teaching water skills and lifeguarding. All of my own children have learned to swim under Sima and her staff. I mean, her last name is FISH!

What about your other activities and specialties? What are the campers’ favorites?

We have brought back many of our camper favorites and added a lot more. Returning to the Hillel schedule are cooking, STEM, nature, art, 7 flags, Pakua, jewelry making, yoga, drumming, music, dance, string art – just to name a few. We have four chinuch Rebbes and Morahs this year plus a great number of new specialties, too! New to Hillel ‘23 is archery,

survival, coding, fun with food, ceramics, clowning, and Zumba. Plus, we are continuing our activity partnerships with our Five Towns neighbors including Lollibop Cafe and Play, Warren Levi Martial Arts,

sports and gives opportunities to those that select the specialty track to follow a more technology driven or artistic path a few afternoons each week.

I also am proud when I see girls ben-

“We noW have Children and grandChildren of some of our original Campers Creating their oW n memories at hillel day Camp.”

Lion’s Den, Ofra Jewels, Torah V’Tevah, Make It Too and more!

Do you have special “days” in camp?

I’ll do the Bill Belichick “Every day in Hillel is special! Next question!” but just wait for a special guest in a few weeks. I am sure it will be in these pages.

Summer is just starting. What is something that you are proud of for this summer?

Every summer we evaluate what works well and what needs to be adapted in our programming. We noticed that some of our kids were missing a great opportunity to focus on things that they really enjoyed and to engage in activities that really speak to them as opposed to doing things that were expected of them, and so, we have created a specialty track for those campers who would like to move away from competitive leagues. It allows for more intense clinics and

tching from their new middot of the week Hillel Bentchers, boys sporting their middot of the week kippahs, and campers of the week showing off their HDC towels. I am proud to see Hillel Day Camp represented throughout the neighborhood!

Hillel Day Camp sounds like a great place to be! What would you say makes Hillel Day Camp unique?

Hillel Day Camp is a special place. Attending Hillel is an opportunity to practice new skills, learn new things, and make friendships that will last a lifetime. My camp friends from 32 years ago are still some of my closest friends. That’s what we want to create at Hillel.

Although I can praise the fact that we take a year’s worth of activities and events and pack it into eight short weeks full of learning and excitement, to really get a “feel” for the uniqueness of Hillel, after Shabbos, I urge you to watch some of our weekly videos on our YouTube page or our Instagram page @Hillel_Day _Camp.

They are full of smiling campers and staff, kids learning how to swim, participating in sports and special activities, and enjoying off and on campus entertainment.

On behalf of my immediate family and our extended Hillel Day Camp family, I wish all of The Jewish Home readers a Shabbat Shalom. (and why not give a plug…Hillel Day Camp has openings in certain bunks and ages for the second session…register now at haftr.org!

By the Numbers

1 brand new location this summer

1,100 People arriving daily in our Mini City called Hillel Day Camp

29 Buses taking kids to and from Hillel Day Camp

42 Bunks of Campers

23 American Red Cross + Nassau Certified Lifeguards teaching our campers how to swim

1:4 Staffing Ratio

1 in a Million

– Hillel Day Camp

1 Mascot, Quackers

You Gotta be Kidding Me!

A magician was working on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. The audience would be different each week, so the magician allowed himself to do the same tricks over and over again.

There was only one problem: The captain’s parrot saw the shows each week and began to understand how the magician did every trick. Once he understood, he started shouting in the middle of the show:

“Look, it’s not the same hat.”

“Look, he is hiding the flowers under the table.”

“Hey, why are all the cards the Ace of Spades?”

The magician was furious but couldn’t do anything; it was, after all, the captain’s parrot.

One day, the ship had an accident and sank.

The magician found himself adrift on a piece of wood in the middle of the ocean with the parrot, of course.

They stared at each other with hate but did not utter a word. This went on day after day.

After a week, the parrot said: “OK, I give up. What’d you do with the ship?”

What a Name!

Set Sail Crossword

Many common terms originate as nautical terms, used by sailors. Use the clues to figure out the now-everyday term. (There are no spaces between the words.)

Across

3) When a captain is very organized and makes sure that all sailors do what they are supposed to.

4) When the officer in charge would make a noise with a pipe, signaling that it was time for all sailors to go below deck and retire for the night.

5) Pirates often hid crew members below deck to fool victims. Thus, when all the crewmen were on deck, the boat was more likely to be an honest merchant ship.

8) A sailor who quits and leaves his fellow sailors behind.

9) Historically, it was common practice for ships to hoist their national flags before commencing battle.

Down

1) A seaman who had knowledge of the function of the various levers and ropes on a sailing vessel.

2) To prepare for a storm by covering the openings of the hatchways on a boat.

6) When all sailors would have a meeting, usually in the open space on a deck.

7) When a sailor pulls a ship’s lines as quickly as possible, usually grabbing the rope with his fist and then quickly using his other hand to continue pulling at the rope.

Riddle me This

Down: 1) Knows the ropes; 2) Batten down the hatches; 6) All hands on deck; 7) Hand over fist

Across: 3) Runs a tight ship; 5) Aboveboard; 8) Abandon ship; 9) Show your true colors

Why does the Norwegian navy have barcodes on the side of their ships?

Why is Google Chrome like a submarine?

Answer: They tend to get a little slow if you open too many windows.

Answer: So that when the ships come back into port, they can Scandinavian!

Parshas Pinchas

By Rabbi Berel Wein

The Torah records for us the genealogy of Pinchas, the true and justified zealot of Jewish history. There are many reasons advanced as to why the Torah felt compelled to tell us of the names of his father and grandfather. Many commentators saw in this an explanation to justify Pinchas’ behavior, while others emphasized that it was an explanation for Pinchas’ reward and of G-d granting him the blessing of peace.

Aside from these insights, there is another more general message that the To -

rah is recording for us. And that is that a person’s behavior affects all of one’s family members, even those of previous generations who may no longer be currently numbered among the living.

A great act of sanctification of G-d’s name such as the one performed by Pinchas enhances the reputations and stature of previous generations as well, My rebbe in the yeshiva summed this lesson up in his usual concise and pithy manner: “If both your grandparents and your grandchildren are proud of you and your

achievements then you are probably alright in Heaven’s judgment as well.”

Our idea of immortality is based upon generations of our families, both previous generations and later ones. We find vindication of our lives and efforts in the accomplishments of those that come after us and continue our values and faith. We cannot control what children and grandchildren will do, whom they will marry and what type of life they will lead. But innately, we feel that we have a connec -

service, we constantly recall who our founding ancestors were. We name our children in memory of those who have preceded us. We extol a sense of family and a loyalty to the values that our families represent.

One of the most destructive trends in modern society has been the erosion of the sense of family in the world and amongst Jews particularly. Assimilation means abandoning family, and abandoning family certainly contributes to in -

tion to the development of their lives and the actions that they will take.

The Torah emphasizes for us that Pinchas’ zealotry did not come to him in a vacuum. The Torah allows everyone freedom of will and behavior. Neither good behavior nor evil behavior is ever predestined. Yet, as medicine has shown us, in the physical world there is an element of physical predestination in our DNA. And this DNA affects our moral behavior as well.

Judaism always envisioned itself not only as a universal faith but as a particular family as well. In our daily prayer

tensified assimilation and loss of Jewish feelings and identity. It is ironic that in a time such as now, when most children can be privileged to know grandparents and even great-grandparents, the relationship between generations in many Jewish families is frayed and weak.

Pinchas comes to reinforce this concept of tying generations – past, present and future – together. It is imperative for us to know Pinchas’ genealogy for otherwise we have no clue as to who Pinchas was and why he behaved as he did in those given circumstances. Shabbat shalom.

“If both your grandparents and your grandchildren are proud of you and your achievements then you are probably alright in Heaven’s judgment as well.”

We learn a halacha of historical significance in this week’s parsha. Following the daughters of Tzlafchad’s request for an inheritance because their father died without sons, the pasuk (Bamidbar 27:8) says: “Speak to the children of Israel to say, ‘If a man dies, and he has no son, you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter.’” Chazal (Yalkut Shimoni, Remez 774) teach: “The portion of inheritances should have been taught through Moshe Rebbeinu, but the daughters of Tzlafchad were meritorious and it was taught through them, for good things happen through the meritorious and bad things thorough the guilty.”

Why was the daughters’ request so meritorious? They made the following claim (Bamidbar 27:4): “Give us a portion among the brothers of our father.” As background, they informed Moshe (ibid. 3), “Our father died in the desert, and he was not among the assembly that banded together against Hashem in the assem-

Parshas Pinchas Leadership

By Rav Moshe Weinberger

Adapted for publication by Binyomin

Wolf

bly of Korach. Rather, for his own sin he died…” While we understand that Korach did not have a good reputation, why was it relevant to their claim to make sure Moshe knew their father was not a follower of Korach?

It must be that all of the complaints of Korach, his assembly, Dasan, Aviram, and their ilk shared one common denominator, as we see from their never-ending grumbling: “Is it not enough that you brought us up from a land flowing with milk and honey to cause us to die in the desert?! … You have not even brought us to a land flowing with milk and honey…” (ibid. 16:13-14). Their complaints all revolved around negativity toward Eretz Yisroel. “Let us turn around and return to Egypt” (ibid. 14:4).

The daughters of Tzlafchad wanted to make sure there was no room for error. Their claim to the land was only based on a love for Eretz Yisroel and a strong desire to cling to it. They were telling Moshe that their father was not part of Korach’s as-

sembly. Rather, his “Zionist” credentials were impeccable. They wanted Moshe to know that their claim was based on a love for Eretz Yisroel. Nothing else. Their request was not based on a desire for wealth or property. That is why the pasuk traces their lineage back to Yosef (Rashi on ibid. 27:1). Just as Yosef loved Eretz Yisroel so much that he could not bear the thought of being buried in Egypt, so, too, the daughters of Tzlafchad were motivated purely by a desire to connect to the land.

In their request, the daughters of Tzlafchad do not even use the word “inheritance” or “property.” Rather, they only ask for a “portion.” All they wanted was to connect themselves to Eretz Yisroel. That is why they wanted to ensure Moshe knew that their father was not among the people who negated the Jewish people’s essential connection to Eretz Yisroel.

When Hashem tells Moshe to grant their request, He tells him (ibid. 7), “The daughters of Tzlafchad speak justly.” They

word “kein, justly” does not only mean that they were right. It means, as the brothers said to Yosef as viceroy, “keinim anachnu, We are honest” (Bereishis 42:11). Although Moshe Rebbeinu was unimaginably great, on his level, he had somewhat of a blind spot. He had a suspicion that these young women only wanted a portion in Eretz Yisroel as a way of accumulating wealth or status. Hashem had to tell him, “No, these women are honest. Their desire for a connection to Eretz Yisroel is based on a pure and simple love for the land.”

Moshe, on his level, failed to recognize that the daughters of Tzlafchad were not part of the old generation, with its slave mentality and inability to intellectually and emotionally separate from Egypt. They were part of the new generation who was looking forward to taking possession of the land in order to live a full Jewish life there.

The truth is that we still do not understand how Moshe could have forgotten the

halacha that a daughter inherits from her father when he has no sons. Is it possible Moshe never learned this halacha from Hashem? Rashi (on Bamidbar 27:5) explains differently: “The halacha eluded him. Here, he was punished for taking the crown by saying (Devarim 1:17), ‘And the matter that is too difficult for you, bring it, takrivun, to me and I will hear it.’” Outwardly, it seems that because Moshe showed too much confidence in himself, he forgot the halacha. The pasuk therefore says about him (Bamidbar 27:5), “Moshe brought, va’yakreiv, their matter before Hashem.” Could it be that Rashi means Moshe was being punished for a modicum of arrogance? Such an explanation is highly unlikely, as Hashem Himself testifies (Bamidbar 12:3), “And the man Moshe was exceedingly humble, more than any other man on the face of the earth.”

We must also understand why Moshe was punished for saying, “And the matter that is too difficult for you, bring it to me and I will hear it.” Moshe said this almost forty years earlier, when he listened to Yisro’s advice and, instead of hearing all halachic questions himself, appointed judges over tens, hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands. So why was Moshe punished at the end of the forty years in the desert for the statement that he made to the judges almost forty years earlier?

Perhaps we can suggest an explanation. Yisro’s advice was certainly correct. It is impossible to lead a nation by personally adjudicating every personal question and interpersonal dispute that arises in the nation. It was necessary for Moshe to delegate his authority and handle only the most difficult cases. But the natural result of this was that, as the new generation grew up over the course of the forty years in the desert, Moshe Rebbeinu had virtually no personal contact with this new generation. He was busy managing the complaints of the Egyptian-born generation who were struggling with a fear of conquering Eretz Yisroel and a misplaced nostalgia for life in Egypt. Moshe was accustomed to leading Jews immersed in an exile mentality. For entirely legitimate reasons, Moshe lacked the opportunity for a personal connection with the younger generation who were ready, willing, and able to start a new life in the land of Israel. At the end of the forty years in the desert, they were the majority of the Jewish people.

The new generation, the generation of the daughters of Tzlafchad, grew up without a direct connection with Moshe Rebbeinu. Perhaps that is why Moshe was baffled by them. Their true intentions were

not clear to him. He did not know whether their claim was driven by a desire for wealth or a sincere longing to connect to Eretz Yisroel. That is why Moshe forgot this halacha relating to inheritance as a result of saying, “And the matter that is too difficult for you, bring it to me and I will hear it.” It was not a “punishment” per

why, immediately after the story of the daughters of Tzlafchad, Hashem told him (Bamidbar 27:12-13), “Ascend this Mount Avarim and see the land that I have given to the children of Israel. When you see it, you, too, will be gathered to your people just as Aharon your brother was gathered.” The new generation needed a new leader,

explaining that this man was “ah fartzeitiker chossid, an old-fashioned chassid.” Meaning it as a great compliment, the chassid wanted the Rebbe to understand that his acquaintance was not one of those new-fangled chassidim, with a “they don’t make ‘em like they used to” connotation. Unimpressed, the Rebbe responded, “I don’t know what it says in your Haggadah, but in mine, it says, ‘At the beginning our forefathers were idol-worshipers… But now, the Holy One brought us close to His service…’ I don’t need to meet old-fashioned chassidim. I want to meet new chassidim.”

sé. It was a natural result of the fact that Moshe was not connected to the idealism and longing for Eretz Yisroel prevalent in the new generation.

There is an amazing Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni, Chukas, Remez 763) related to this point:

“And you shall speak to the rock before them and it will give forth its waters” (Bamidbar 20:8). When a child is small, his teacher hits him, and he learns. When he grows up, [the teacher] rebukes him with words. So too, Hashem said to Moshe: “When this rock was young, you hit it, as it says, ‘And you shall hit the rock’ (Shemos 17:6). But now, ‘And you shall speak to the rock before them, and it will give forth its waters’ (Bamidbar 20:8). Teach one chapter [of Torah] over it and it will bring forth water from the rock.”

We see from this Midrash that the leader of the new generation was obligated to lead them differently than the previous generation. It was difficult for Moshe to lead a generation that did not grow up in slavery, who did not grow up under the Egyptian whip, the same way he led the old generation. The old generation grew up being treated like property. They were beaten and expected to be obedient subjects. They, unfortunately, only understood the language of the whip. But the young generation grew up with freedom and a sense of self-respect. That is why Moshe was unable to lead the new generation into Eretz Yisroel. He had limited contact with the young generation and therefore did not know how to communicate with them. The generation of Eretz Yisroel was the generation of “speak to the heart of Yerushalayim and call out to it” (Yeshayahu 40:2).

Moshe’s difficulty in fully connecting with the new generation was the reason

Yehoshua, who knew how to speak with the generation and who was in touch with the nature of the people who would enter Eretz Yisroel. Perhaps Mount Avarim refers to the avar, the past. Moshe stood upon the mountain separating the past from the future.

A chassid of the Rachmastrivker Rebbe in Boro Park, shlita, once introduced the Rebbe to an elderly Jew, proudly

May we merit to be new chassidim who live with Hashem’s will for our lives now and not merely mimic what Jews have done in the past. May Hashem cause us to merit more and more leaders who are connected to the past but understand the nature of our generation and lead us according to that understanding. With that, as it says in Shemonah Esrei, “Our eyes will see Your return to Zion with mercy.”

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.

Moshe lacked the opportunity for a personal connection with the younger generation who were ready, willing, and able to start a new life in the land of Israel.

How Mashiach Can Come for Our Generation

By RaBBi Daniel Glatstein

After World War II ended, and the Holocaust was over, my paternal grandfather, HaRav Mordechai Leib Glatstein zt”l, was interviewed by the secular media; the interview was recorded in a book entitled After the Holocaust: The Migration of Polish Jews and Christians to Pittsburgh 1

My grandfather was asked, “After being an eyewitness to the brutality of the Germans, and after seeing — with your own eyes — the butchery of your nation, the mass murder of your brothers and sisters, did you at any point lose faith in your G-d and in the promises of the Torah?”

My grandfather responded, “Did I lose faith? Yes, I lost faith in humanity. How could human beings become animals and barbarians, how could a civilized society like Germany shed all conscience? How could the United States look the other way, stick their heads in the sand, and ignore what was happening to the Jewish people in Europe? So yes, I lost faith in mankind. But never, not even for a moment, did I lose faith in my G-d.”

This is the attitude of a Jew. A Jew never loses faith. Jews marched to their deaths reciting Shema Yisrael and singing Ani Maamin: “I believe with complete faith in the coming of Mashiach, and even though it tarries and delays, nevertheless I await its coming, whenever it may be.”

It is one of the Thirteen Principles of Faith to believe in the coming of Mashiach. Rav Moshe Feinstein writes that the obligation is not to just be “metzapeh,” to await, the coming of Mashiach — thinking, “Maybe he will come

today.” We must anticipate Mashiach’s arrival as if it is imminent, as if he is most assuredly coming today. As the Navi Malachi says, “Suddenly the L-rd [Whom you seek] will come to His Sanctuary” (Malachi 3:1).

Suddenly. There need not be any sign or indication that his arrival is imminent. There need not be any world-shattering event heralding his coming. Pisom, suddenly, he can come.

How Can We Expect to Merit Mashiach?

Maseches Shabbos tells us that one of the primary questions a person will have to answer l’achar meiah v’esrim is: Tzipisa li’shua? Did you actively await the Geulah, the Final Redemption? Did you anticipate and yearn for the great days that Hashem has promised us through the Neviim?

On the other hand, at times, we may have considered the following question: How can we possibly hope to bring Mashiach? We all recognize our own unworthiness; we are cognizant that our level of serving Hashem falls short of what is truly expected of us. We understand how lowly we are as compared to earlier generations.

If Mashiach did not come for them, if the previous greater generations were unable to accomplish that which is necessary to bring Mashiach, how can we possibly expect to bring him?

If the Taanaim Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Meir, and Rebbe

were not able to bring Mashiach, how can we? Each Amora mentioned in the Gemara had achieved a spiritual level that afforded him the ability to perform techiyas hameisim, revivification of the dead. Yet they were unable to bring Mashiach. Ravina, Rav Ashi, Abaye, Rava, Rav Yochanan, and Reish Lakish all yearned for Mashiach, but he did not come for them.

Mashiach did not come for the Gaonim or the Rishonim. The Geulah did not arrive in the merit of the Rambam, Ramban, Rashi, Rashba, Rif, and the Ran.

We are nowhere close to the level that these tzaddikim were on. How, then, can we aspire to bring the Geulah? How can we even consider it within the realm of possibility if all these luminaries and tzaddikim could not do so?

Mashiach did not come for the Maharsha, Taz, or the Shach. Nor did he come for the Chasam Sofer, Rabbi Akiva Eiger, or the Vilna Gaon. And it’s not even necessary to go that far back. Rav Yerucham once said2 that we don’t even begin to understand the greatness of our great-grandmothers. Rav Yerucham chose his words carefully. He did not just state that our great-grandmothers were on a much higher level than we are. He said that we don’t even begin to understand the level they were on.

This burning question gnaws at us: If Mashiach did not come for our grandparents, why should we realistically think that Mashiach will come for a generation like ours?

This question is raised by the Chofetz Chaim in Mach-

aneh Yisrael, a compendium of halachos that he wrote for soldiers fighting in the Russian Army. He wrote: “And, let not a person wonder how can we be zocheh to that which even the earlier generations could not merit because this is not a question at all; the truth is that even though we are much smaller than our ancestors, Hashem adds up and is metzareif our zechusim together with the merits of the generations that precede us.”

The Chofetz Chaim likens this to a dwarf who rides on the shoulders of a giant. Picture a giant who is ninety-nine feet tall. Try as he may, he will not be able to reach the top of a building that is just beyond his reach. He tries and tries, and keeps coming up a foot or two short. If he were to take someone, even someone who is only two and a half feet tall, and place him on his shoulders, the short person will be able to grasp the top of the building with ease.

No one would wonder how the really short person could reach the top of the building when even the exceedingly tall giant could not. The giant brought the much shorter man more than 99 percent of the way to the top, and the man on his shoulders is tasked with traversing only the small distance that is remaining. A mere foot or two.

This, writes the Chofetz Chaim, is how we can understand our role in bringing Mashiach — and why we can aspire to bring the Geulah. Our ancestors, our forefathers, our zeidies and bubbies, were spiritual giants. They got us most of the way there. It is true that beside them we are of minute stature, we are small and unworthy. But we don’t have to do it on our own. We can stand on the shoulders of our illustrious forebears, and together, the collective body of the Jewish people will be able to bring the Geulah Sheleimah

We may be small, but by standing on the shoulders of the giants who came before us, we can reach heights they could only dream of reaching.

I present another thought as to why our generation has the ability and the capacity to bring the Geulah Sheleimah, perhaps even more than the earlier generations.

Our Generation is Unique

Rav Chaim Vital was the primary disciple of the Arizal, who would encourage his talmid at length by telling him how lofty and holy was the neshama with which he was blessed. Rav Chaim Vital wondered about these accolades being showered upon him. After all, he said, even the lowest, simplest person in the earlier generations was such a tzaddik and was so pious that he, Rav Chaim Vital, did not come close to their level of greatness. He felt that he was not on the madreigah, spiritual level, of even the simplest of people from the past.

The Arizal responded that Hashem does not judge a person based on his accomplishments. Rather, a person is judged based on the times in which he is living. He is judged in the context in which he performs. Our

times, the Arizal told him, are unique as compared to prior generations. The forces of tumah, impurity, are so strong, and the challenges we face are very difficult. Even the smallest mitzvah performed in an environment such as this is equivalent to many, many, mitzvos being performed during the times of our ancestors.

One of the great baalei mussar, Rav Yerucham Levovitz, writes that one who sits and studies the words of Torah giants of previous generations, and who applies himself to understand what these tzaddikim are saying, even if he does not achieve an understanding as to what was said, may be greater in Hashem’s eyes than that Torah personality was. This lowly student may be even greater than the Torah giant whose words he is seeking to understand.

We don’t want to talk about this too much, adds Rav Yerucham, because we don’t want to make people feel

not accumulate in his entire lifetime a hundred years ago, even with considerable effort.

The yetzer hara surrounds us on all sides, and the temptations are quite formidable. The nisayon of making a parnassah is very difficult. It is not easy for a person to give priority to the needs of his neshama and overcome the myriad challenges he faces. It is hard to set aside time for learning Torah and tefillah. It is not easy to curb one’s desires and control his eyes. But one who does so is very special indeed in the eyes of the Ribbono Shel Olam. One mitzvah he does, one tefillah he davens, one shiur he attends, and one act of self-control may be equivalent to thousands of mitzvos performed in earlier generations, when the nisyonos were not nearly as challenging.

A few years ago, I had the zechus to travel to South Africa to give shiurim. One of the highlights of my trip was an encounter I had in a shul in Cape Town. Sitting next to me was a young boy of about thirteen, whose intensity while davening was inspiring. I was moved to tears by his tefillos.

There I was, in a far-flung corner of the world, at the southern tip of Africa, in a vacation village beach town, and this boy was davening with tremendous heart and emotion. It was so apparent that this boy’s neshama is nisdabek, truly and deeply connected, to his Creator, and it was a very moving sight. The Ribbono Shel Olam has loyal servants everywhere, even in the most remote places in the world. Even in the twenty-first century, when standards of decency and morality are plummeting to previously unimaginable depths, the Ribbono Shel Olam’s people exhibit an unparalleled and historic loyalty.

haughty. However, the truth is that we have no idea what one single solitary mitzvah being performed in our generation, a generation of darkness and impurity, a generation where we are confronted by enormous challenges heretofore never seen in the world, could accomplish. Even one single mitzvah performed in these spiritually challenging and trying times is priceless to Hashem.

This is what the Arizal wrote about mitzvah performance during his lifetime, given the situation in the world he lived in, about 500 years ago. He wrote that his was a generation of impurity, a generation of darkness and tumah

What can we possibly say about the challenges that our generation is facing? If the forces of impurity and immorality were strong in their generations, then nowadays they are simply out of control. Immodesty, indecency, and promiscuity have reached unheard-of levels. The advertisements that bombard us from all sides are horrifying. Appalling aveiros are accessible to us today with the mere click of a button. Tumah is readily available on a small device kept in one’s pocket. These represent spiritual ruination that a person can easily bring upon himself in a few brief minutes with little to no effort, and they embody levels of exposure to devarim assurim that a person could

The Ribbono Shel Olam has loyal servants everywhere, even in the most remote places of the world. I realized that perhaps this is what we, as a nation and community, have going for us. Our generation is truly unique and special in its avodas Hashem.

The Challenges We Face Render Us Giants

Perhaps it is for this precise reason that it is our lowly generation that has the power to bring Mashiach. We face seemingly insurmountable challenges, and we are incessantly bombarded with nisyonos and temptations of an extreme nature. By continuing to serve Hashem, despite all the difficulties we face, we are special indeed. And we merit Mashiach more than any generation before us.

In a way, we are not just dwarves standing on the shoulders of giants, but rather we can be likened to the tallest of giants standing on the shoulders of the giants who preceded us.

The arrival of Mashiach, the coming of the Geulah, is dependent on us. And if the Ribbono Shel Olam left it up to us, then Hashem trusts that we are fully capable of rising to the challenge.

1 Professor Barbara Stern Burstin, Pittsburg: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1989.

2 The author heard this statement from Rav Avigdor Miller.

This article has been excerpted from The Darkness and The Dawn by Rabbi Daniel Glatstein, ArtScroll Publications. Rabbi Daniel Glatstein is the Mara D’asra of Kehilas Tiferes Mordechai in Cedarhurst, NY, and author of numerous seforim in Lashon Hakodesh and in English for ArtScroll. He is an international lecturer and maggid shiur. His thousands of recorded shiurim are available on Torahanytime.com, podcast, his website rabbidg. com, and other venues.

We can stand on the shoulders of our illustrious forebears, and together, the collective body of the JeWish people Will be able to bring the geulah sheleimah.

HaGaon Rav Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman, zt”l, would often adjure his students to treat every moment of life as priceless. He would encourage them to take advantage of every moment to be involved in mitzvos and positive endeavors. Rav Kahaneman would quip that the Chofetz Chaim merited a long life. This wasn’t simply because he lived over ninety years. Someone may live ninety years, but his life could still be considered short. The Chofetz Chaim’s life was long because he took advantage of and properly used all the minutes he was allotted in his ninety-plus years.

Rav Kahaneman related that one time he and his chavrusa, Reb Elchonon, needed to research an item in an obscure sefer. They noticed that the Chofetz Chaim quoted from that very sefer in his work, the Mishna Berura. They approached the Chofetz Chaim and asked to borrow the sefer. The Chofetz Chaim responded that he didn’t own the sefer in question. He explained that when he needed to use the sefer he would borrow it from the library of the Reb Yaakov Brevda in Warsaw. (The Chofetz Chaim, in one of his introductions, specifically thanks Reb Yaakov for the use of his li-

Life is Precious

By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

brary.) The Chofetz Chaim realized that his visitors were somewhat perplexed as to why he didn’t just buy the sefer as it appeared that he used it enough to warrant its purchase. The Chofetz Chaim then gazed upon the seforim that were in his room and turned to his visitors and said, “These seforim are more than

forim cost money. No sefer just appears on this bookshelf by itself. Money is time. A person must set aside his time to earn money. Time is the very essence of life. Someone who buys seforim must cut out a portion of his life to buy them. In place of using one’s time to learn Torah himself, he uses it to buy seforim that will be

really found in Gittin 47a. When Reish Lakish passed away, he left over some saffron as an inheritance to his children. He lamented about this and applied the following verse to himself, “The fool and the brutish together perish, and they left to others their wealth” (Tehillim 49:11). What upset Reish Lakish so much about the saffron? Why did he assume the verse applied to him? The answer is that Reish Lakish worked to earn a livelihood. He spent time earning funds to be able to purchase the saffron he needed. When Reish Lakish was about to die, he realized that the saffron was superfluous. He lamented that he wasted precious moments of his life trying to work for something that it turned out he didn’t need.

enough. Why should I be concerned about seforim which I don’t have? I am already pained about the seforim which I actually own!”

Rav Kahanemen and Reb Elchonon were dumbstruck. What could the Chofetz Chaim mean that he is pained about holy seforim which he already owns?

The Chofetz Chaim continued after a moment and explained himself, “Se -

put on a shelf. And those seforim don’t contain his own Torah but someone else’s Torah! Further, instead of the Torah being in one’s head, it is on the shelf!”

The Chofetz Chaim continued, “Even if one received a specific sefer as a gift, gifts may come with strings attached. Again, one must use his precious time in order to earn or pay back the gift of a sefer.”

The Chofetz Chaim said the above is

This is the lesson Rav Kahanemen continuously imparted to his students. Time is life! Live every moment to its fullest! (This article is based upon the story as recorded in Margoliyos Hashas.)

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

The Chofetz Chaim’s life was long because he took advantage of and properly used all the minutes he was allotted in his ninety-plus years.

Connected to the Source

Based on a story told over by Rabbi Paysach Krohn

Prepared for print by Daniel

Agalar

In the picturesque town of Gateshead, a revered Rebbe and his devoted talmid embarked on a leisurely walk. The path they traversed was adorned with countless trees, their branches adorned with a vibrant display of autumn leaves. As they strolled along, a solitary leaf gracefully descended from its arboreal perch, catching the Rebbe’s discerning eye. Stooping down, he picked up the delicate leaf and turned to his eager talmid, ready to impart a profound lesson.

With the leaf held gently in his hand, the Rebbe began to explain its transient nature. “You see, my dear talmid,” he began, “this leaf is unaware that its time on this tree is limited. In just a matter of days, it will wither and fade away, detached from its life-sustaining source. The tree is like the Torah, providing nourishment and sustenance to those who are connected to it.”

He continued, quoting the powerful verse from Proverbs: “Eitz chaim hi l’machazikim bah—the Torah is a tree of life for those who hold onto it.” The Rebbe wanted his talmid to understand that just as the leaf depends on the tree for its existence, human beings rely on the Torah for spiritual nourishment and sustenance.

The Rebbe went on to share an important insight that resonated deeply with his talmid. He cautioned, “In your journey through life, my dear talmid, you will encounter individuals who may boast about their freedom to live without adhering to the Torah’s principles. They fail to realize that their choices will have consequences for future generations. Without a connection

to the Torah, they, their children, and their grandchildren will drift further away from their spiritual roots.”

Moved by the profoundness of the Rebbe’s message, the talmid cherished and internalized the lesson imparted to him that day. Little did he know that this seemingly simple encounter with a falling leaf would

Solomon often recalls the leaf incident as a guiding principle in his life. The Rebbe’s words served as a constant reminder of the importance of embracing the Torah, not just as an intellectual pursuit, but as a deep and meaningful connection to one’s spiritual essence. He realized that by nurturing this connection, not only would he be personally enriched, but the impact would transcend generations, ensuring that his children and grandchildren would also be firmly rooted in the eternal wisdom of the Torah.

Rav Matisyahu Solomon has since dedicated his life to imparting this invaluable lesson to his students and disciples, reminding them of the significance of remaining connected to the Torah’s teachings. His own journey, inspired by a simple leaf and guided by his Rebbe’s wisdom, continues to inspire countless individuals to cultivate a profound and unbreakable bond with the living tree of Torah, nurturing their souls and leaving an indelible mark for generations to come.

shape his perspective for years to come. That young talmid, whose heart was touched by the Rebbe’s wisdom, would grow up to become the renowned Harav Matisyahu Solomon, a beacon of Torah wisdom and inspiration for countless individuals.

Reflecting on his Rebbe’s teachings, Rav Matisyahu

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.

“Without a connection to the Torah, they, their children, and their grandchildren will drift further away from their spiritual roots.”

For a son of Holocaust survivors, it is difficult to write about traveling to Germany. Nevertheless, my numerous trips to various German cities beckon me to share my experiences.

My first and foremost encounter with Germany was when I was living there for over a year. This was from my birth in January 1946 until mid-February 1947, when we sailed off to New York. I was born in Landsberg in the hospital of the Saint Ottilien Monastery, but we actually lived in Munich on the Prinzregentenstrasse –not that I remember, but so I was told. My father, a”h, had a brother, Joel, who survived the war in Italy, got married to Miriam, and moved to Munich during the early fifties. Incredibly, he also lived on the Prinzregentenstrasse. They had only one child, a son who was named

The Wandering Jew Germany

By Hershel Lieber

like me, after our grandfather, Hershel. Their son also shared the same secular name as me, Harry, and that was what he was called. Joel visited us twice in

my parents were from Krakow and my maternal grandmother was from Munkatch and Yiddish was my first language, we had relatives that conversed with my

Munich 1967

(see my article: January 23, 2020)

About a year before I married, right after my father, a”h, was niftar, I went for a three-week trip to Europe which included spending a couple of days with my Uncle Joel, his wife Miriam and Harry.

Munich 1972

(see my article: June 6, 2019)

New York, once when my father was still alive and the second time soon after he was niftar. Joel corresponded often with my parents in the German language, and I read many of his letters. Though

parents in German and the language was not foreign to me. I also took two semesters of German when I was in college. In some way, I always felt a connection to my German birthplace.

About three years after we got married, we went on a delayed honeymoon trip to Israel. At the same time, Harry was having his bar mitzvah in Munich, and we went there after our trip to Israel.

Berlin 1983

(see my article: August 1, 2019)

After I started traveling to Poland in

Still, I do not assume that everyone I see on the street is an antisemite or even a descendant of Nazis.

The Holocaust Memorial in Berlin

the late ‘70s and ‘80s on various missions, I made a three-day detour to both West and East Berlin.

Wiesbaden 1987

I always kept in contact with my cousin Harry. We wrote letters to each other in German, and once or twice a year we spoke on the telephone. Since I began traveling to Poland on a regular basis, I had hoped that we could meet more often. Many flights that I took were with a stopover, and sometimes the stop was in Frankfurt. The round-trip flight between Frankfurt and Munich was very expensive, and I was reluctant to spend that much. Harry was not in a financial position to spend money on a flight. He came up with an idea that he would drive to Frankfurt and pick me up at the airport. We would go to Wiesbaden and spend a night together catching up on our lives. That is exactly what we did in September 1987.

The morning after davening as the shliach tzibbur in Warsaw for Yom Kippur, I flew to Frankfurt where Harry was waiting for me and we checked into an inexpensive hotel in Wiesbaden where we spent most of the night talking. Harry also brought along albums with family photos of his wife Iris and their son Dani. Although Harry picked up some local food, I had to subsist on bread and sardines from the Jewish Community Kitchen in Warsaw. We stayed up for hours and bonded well. I have very fond memories of the conversations we had then.

Munich 1997 & 1999

Unfortunately, my cousin Harry became paralyzed a year or two after we met in Wiesbaden in 1987. He was either confined to a wheelchair or laid up in bed. We wrote each other letters, sent emails, and occasionally talked on the phone. After a trip to Poland in February of 1997, I visited him and stayed overnight. Harry and his family, which now included a daughter Deborah, moved to a special building which had specialized features for people with disabilities. I visited him in that apartment in June 1999.

A few years later, his hearing became limited and speaking on the phone was not possible anymore. He suffered a lot from various medical conditions during the next ten years and was niftar at the young age of 51 in 2010.

Frankfurt 1999

The truth is that I was in Frankfurt a number of times, sometimes as a stop -

over on my way to Warsaw or Kishinev, but on a few occasions, I or Pesi and I went into the city or for a couple of hours between flights and for an overnight stay.

In 1999, I was returning from Kishinev with Rabbi Yitzchok Aron Fischer, the famed mohel, when we stopped in Frankfurt for a few hours. We had lunch at the Kehilla’s Sacher restaurant and then borrowed the keys to get into the old Bais Hachaim. We said Tehillim at the kevorim of many famed rabbonim that are interred there – the Hafluh, the Pnei Yehoshua, Rav Nosson Adler and the Maharam Schick among others. Some members of the Rothschild families are buried there as well. Most of the kevorim were reduced to rubble under the Nazis but the sites of these great rabbis were somewhat restored and are now preserved.

Berlin 2005

My involvement with the Yeshiva of Kishinev was in partnership with Rav Moshe Eisemann, the former mashgiach of Ner Yisroel of Baltimore. For over twelve years, beginning in 1996, we took over the project which was initiated by the Vaad L’Hatzolas Nidchei Yisroel. We traveled to Kishinev, Moldova, very

often as part of our responsibility to oversee the yeshiva’s needs and progress. Rav Moshe at the same time was involved with the Rabbinical Seminary in Berlin under the direction of Rabbi Josh Spinner from the Ronald Lauder Foundation. Rav Moshe traveled there on a regular basis to give shiurim and administrate exams. Most students of the seminary originated from Eastern Europe and were preparing for semicha to become rabbonim in German cities where many emigrees from the former Soviet Union resided.

Rav Moshe invited me to join him at the seminary for five days, including a Shabbos, before we continued on to Kishinev. This was an unbelievably enriching trip for me. We stayed at the dormitory across the street from the massive seminary building in East Berlin. While Rav Moshe gave a number of shiurim to the talmidim, I learned b’chavrusa with individual young men or as part of a larger chaburah group. I was also asked to give a shiur for the entire Beis Medrash. The Shabbos was enhanced with presence of a delegation from the leadership of the Orthodox Union. The elite group included the President

Steve Savitzky, the Executive Director Moshe Krupka, and the head of

With OU President Steve Savitsky and Rabbi Josh Spinner

At the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin

Teaching at the Rabbinical Seminary of Berlin

With cousin Harry and his children Dani and Debby in 1997

The Keven of Rav Nosson Adler is in the front on the right

Rabbi Yitzchok Aron Fischer near the rubble of matzeivos in the Frankfurt cemetery

NCSY, Steven Berg. Besides for the beautiful davening and seudos with divrei Torah from the guests, there was a gala Melava Malke with a group of married couples who spoke about their decision to embrace Torah Yiddishkeit and their struggles and achievements.

On Sunday morning, one bochur offered to take me on a short tour of Berlin. This included the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag, the home of the Bundestag, the German parliament. Both of these sites were also associated with Hitler, ym”sh, but are now symbol-

ic of German democracy. We also went to see the Holocaust Memorial, which was composed of 2,711 concrete slabs in an area of 19,000 square meters. The sheer size and the prime location of this memorial brings the tragedy of the murdered Jews to the forefront of awareness for every German. It is a very startling and moving monument, and it left me overwhelmed with sadness.

Worms 2005

Before heading to Kishinev by way of Frankfurt, I insisted that Rav Moshe

Eisemann join me on a side excursion to Worms. Worms is a small city and is associated with some of earliest Jewish kehillos of Germany, dating back to the 11th century. Some of the greatest luminaries of our history are forever linked with this town. The Maharam Rothenburg and the Maharil are just two of the best known among the many great rabbonim.

We visited the Bais Olam and the rebuilt shul and yeshiva named after Rashi. The female guide who gave us the tour in German showed us the replicated indentation in an outer wall of the shul and told us about the legend about Rashi’s mother who was pregnant with him at the time. While Rashi’s mother was walking along the wall, two horsedrawn carriages imperiled her and miraculously the shul’s wall moved inwards to give her protection. I retorted in my best German and said, “Warum sagen Sie das sei ist nur eine Legende?” (Why do you say that this is only a legend?) She answered me with a smile, “Because Rashi was actually born in Troyes, France, and it is highly unlikely that his pregnant mother came here.” Rashi did study in the Yeshiva of Worms for about six years from when he was seventeen years old, and that could be the reason that the yeshiva carries his name.

We also descended a steep stairwell

on the outside of the building to see a recently discovered mikvah. The picturesque town of Worms and its Jewish legacy left an indelible impression on both of us.

Michelstadt 2006

In December 2006, Rav Moshe Eisemann and I traveled to Kishinev again. During a stopover in Frankfurt, I convinced Rav Moshe to join me in traveling to the kever of Rav Sekl Loeb Wormser, known as the Baal Shem of Michelstadt. Rav Sekl was a talmid of Rav Nosson Adler and followed in his footsteps, leading an ascetic lifestyle. He had a Yeshiva which included teaching secular subjects in addition to Torah studies. He conducted his life in a chassidic style and was a total vegetarian. There are several stories of miracles attributed to him, though he had many detractors. We said some Tehillim and left kvitlech at his kever.

Though I have been in Germany well over ten times, I still have some uneasiness being in the country that wiped out most of my family. Still, I do not assume that everyone I see on the street is an antisemite or even a descendant of Nazis. I am generally positive and non-judgmental, yet Germany’s not-sorecent history is hard to ignore.

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 Rashi shul and yeshiva in Worms

The Kever of the Maharam of Rothenburg, left. On the right is the kever of the person who paid the ransom to get the Maharam’s body released from prison seven years after he was niftar

Rav Moshe Eisemann at the kever of the Baal Shem of Michelstadt

Bridging the Divide in Bahrain

TJH Speaks with Israel’s Ambassador to Bahrain Eitan Na’eh

By SuSan Schwamm

Ambassador Na’eh, you’ve spent your life representing Israel on the world stage.

I’m a career diplomat. I started my career in Turkey in ‘93, and after four years, I moved to Chicago. I spent two years there and then went back to Israel. My next assignment was as ambassador to Azerbaijan, on the Caspian Sea, where I spent another four years. Then I went back to Israel, spent four years with the prime minister’s office, the National Security Council, and as the deputy ambassador in London. From there, I was sent to Turkey again as ambassador in the end of 2016 until 2018. After two and a half years, I returned to Israel. Then I was sent to Abu Dhabi to open the embassy there. Now, I am the first Israeli ambassador to Bahrain. In essence, I am the first Israeli diplomat to have served here officially, and I opened the embassies both in Abu Dhabi and then in Manama.

In terms of my personal life, I am married and am fortunate to have a granddaughter.

Do you speak Arabic?

I do – a bit. I studied Arabic and Middle East history in university. My Arabic is passable. I can read, I can write, I can understand, but my spoken Arabic is not good enough.

When you have to communicate with officials, what language do you use?

We speak in English.

You’ve been in Bahrain for over a year now. Did you feel welcomed when you came?

I have been in touch with officials, businesspeople, people in academia and the media, members of the public from different sectors. Those who want to be in touch with me are, but not everybody. Bahrain is a country

where not everybody supports the policy of the Abraham Accords, but the government, His Majesty, the King, of course, envisioned it, signed it, and enacted it, so there are many people who support it.

What I do here is build relationships and deepen existing relationships. I also want to go wider into new areas of cooperation — academic or economic or political or tourism. Relationships, in a way, stand on three feet: political, economic, and what we call people-to-people. That can be referring to artists or young people or women or NGOs. I want to build all those relationships between our countries.

You mentioned that not everyone is supportive of the Abraham Accords in Bahrain. What do you think is holding them back?

Look, for more than 70 years, there were no relationships between the nations. The people in Bahrain did not meet Israelis or go to Israel. They lived off either the textbooks or, certainly, the media. The newspapers and television were the main sources of information. Now, when they have more opportunities, which some – not all – take, whether it is to go to Israel or to meet Israelis or to start to cooperate, they see things that are different from the earlier perceptions or maybe stereotypes that they’ve had. But again, this is a small country, and people may still have some concerns and worries. Those who visited Israel, including delegations of young people or students, came back with a 180° different impression of Israel and of the world.

We just celebrated Israel’s national independence day. At the reception in Bahrain, we showed a new exhibition with photos that were taken by a group of young people who took photos of Israel in their eyes – Israel in the eyes of young Bahrainis. It’s interesting what caught their eyes, whether it was a restaurant, an Arab

restaurant, or signs in three languages, Hebrew, English, Arabic, or anything that sometimes we take for granted or we who were born in Israel or visit Israel often don’t really see. It was the good and the bad. The main idea is that they all understood that Israel is a complex place. It’s a mosaic of people, religions, and ethnic origins of people. When you take all that in, I think that changes what they thought in the beginning towards forming a new view of their beliefs.

You were in Abu Dhabi for a while. Did you feel like the people there were a little more open and welcoming to you there?

I don’t give marks. It’s not an exam. I felt warmth. I made many friends with those whom I met. I enjoyed my stay there, just like I enjoy my stay here.

This is fascinating. This is exciting. I’m very curious. I came here to learn. I’m still learning the questions. It’s different. When we come to a new place, we usually first see the differences, and the longer we stay, we see more similarities, whether it’s in food, in culture, in behavior, in mannerisms, in different aspects of life. The more you stay, the more you understand, the more you know. You learn the history. You learn the culture.

That’s what we’re trying to do here, not just to learn about their culture, and for them to learn about our culture – to create curiosity, at least. We hope that some now, maybe some later, will learn more and understand more about Israel – not necessarily love us and hug us and agree with everything we say, but at least to respect us. We hope that they’ll be willing to do things together with us that maybe were impossible to do before. It could be business or medical research or corporations… anything we both feel we can do together.

At the

for Israel’s

day

We’re approaching the third anniversary of the Abraham Accords. Do you see any other countries joining the Abraham Accords?

My AOR, my area of responsibility, is Bahrain. We try to deepen the relationships between Israeli people and Bahraini people and that’s what I’m mainly busy with. Of course, we are not blind, and Bahrain is a meeting place of other countries as well. People come here for vacation or for business. And if there are opportunities, of course, we’ll try to use these opportunities and introduce people to people. But I’m busy with Israel-Bahrain relationships. And as long as I’m the ambassador here, that’s what I will be doing.

Tell us about the Jewish community in Bahrain.

Well, there are Jews here, but I wouldn’t call it a community, although I guess you can say it’s a very small community. I’m friendly with quite a few members of the community. We spend the high holidays together as much as they want to, and as far as I’m here, we spend time together during the Jewish holidays. On Pesach, I went for the first time home to be with my family. But usually, we – the Jews in the community and myself –are together Friday nights. We have what we call here “Shabbat club.” We invite members of the Jewish community to our house or go to theirs and do Kabbalat Shabbat together and light the candles and eat the meal together.

Do you see the Jewish community in Bahrain growing as Israel and Bahrain’s connection deepens?

There might be more Jews coming here – people will come from different parts of the world – but Bahrain is home to an indigenous Jewish community. It’s the only place in the Gulf that there is an indigenous Jewish community. As it happens, a lot of them left for the U.S. or for London or for Israel from the late ‘40s to the late ‘60s. Now, there are very few Jews here, but they are part and parcel of Bahrain. They are Bahrainis first. I don’t see that the Jewish Bahraini community will grow in that sense. There might be more Jews coming, whether

they are Israelis who open companies here or expats who work for different companies, but it’s not like they will become part of that Bahraini community.

You spent time in an official capacity in Turkey. Can you talk a bit about the relationship between Israel and Turkey, which, at times, seems convoluted?

For more detailed interview about Israel-Turkey relationships, you better talk to the ambassador in Turkey. It’s true, I was in Turkey. In general, with regards to relationships between countries, we talk about interests. We talk about respect. We talk about respecting each other’s interests and about building relationships. That’s Diplomacy 101.

Is there anything that Israel should be doing to give the world a better view of the Jewish state?

Oh, what a question… that’s a whole seminar.

Look, we’re doing our best. We present Israel in all its complexities. In today’s world, people, even if I don’t tell them, can read it themselves at the palm of their hand. Everybody has a cell phone. Everybody reads the papers. Everybody watches TV. Everybody gets the news one way or another. Our job is to tell the story of Israel and shed light on areas in Israel which are not usually covered by the media. To connect people. To connect organizations. To connect countries and governments. Once you get to know people better, maybe you’ll rid yourself of stereotypes and look at matters in a more objective perspective, free of stereotypes and prejudices. That’s what we’re supposed to do. That’s what we try to do through different tools that are at every diplomat’s toolbox – meetings, events, trips, speeches. We try to portray the true image of Israel, a country that lives by its values, Jewish values, v’ahavta l’rei’acha kamocha, love the other as you love thyself. That’s the whole Torah while standing on one foot, isn’t it?

Are there any prevalent stereotypes that you see more than others?

I enjoyed serving in Turkey, two terms in the ‘90s and 2016 to 2018. It’s an important country. But for details, you’ll have to talk to the ambassador there.

You’re a career diplomat representing Israel. What made you go into this field? It’s a massive responsibility.

I think it’s important to be representing Israel. I always wanted to do something meaningful. I think that throughout my career – whether it’s in Turkey or Azerbaijan, in London, and certainly in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain – I have felt that I had been doing something to build better relationships between our countries. I find myself doing exactly what I love to do – building relationships.

Well, when people turn on the TV and there is a news item about Israel, it’s not about the mortgage rates and it’s not about a new company that was opened. It’s usually about Israel and the Palestinians. It’s about terror. It’s about an incident on the Israel-Egyptian border. Usually, it’s bad news. And therefore, their impression or their views of Israel is black smoke. We try to show everybody that there is another side of Israel that the media won’t show you because it’s not what the media tries to sell. That’s why we invited the young people to take photos of Israel – Israel beyond the conflict.

When you visit a country, you get to understand the place, the sensitivities, you talk to people. When Moishe meets Muhammad, friendships can be created. It creates personal interest; there’s someone you can call and talk to. I call every Moishe and Isaac to meet Muhammad and Ahmed. If Jews meet Arabs and Arabs meet Jews, they will see that they are all people who have wishes and wills and hopes

and dreams.

Ambassador Eitan Na'eh and Bahrain's Minister of Industry and Commerce, H.E. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro

Ambassador Na’eh speaking at this year’s event

“When we come to a new place, we usually first see the differences, and the longer we stay, we see more similarities.”

celebration

independence

last year: Ambassador Dr. Sheikh Abdallah bin Ahmad Al Khalifa, Undersecretary in Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry; Ambassador Eitan Na’eh, and U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain Steve Bondy

A Clean Operation

A Conversation with Chairman James Vilardi and Commissioner Avi Fertig about Sanitary District No. 1

“The garbage man works hard each day, he’ll always take your trash away; He drives the biggest truck you’ve ever seen, and he’ll make sure your streets are clean.”

Maybe you remember those lyrics from the classic Sesame Street song from the 1970s, “Who are the people in your neighborhood?” In the Five Towns, the trash collectors of Sanitary District No. 1 are, indeed, very important people in our neighborhood. They work hard, day after day, in order to keep our community clean and garbage free.

Not surprisingly, many Five Towns residents know very little about how their garbage is collected each week. This is likely because the district services are efficient, reliable, and usually seamless: Residents put their garbage out, and the bags simply disappear. With rare exceptions, the service is invisible.

To gain insight into the district’s huge contribution to our quality of life, The Jewish Home recently met with Sanitary District No. 1 Board of Commissioners Chairman James J. Vilardi and Sanitation Commissioner Avi Fertig to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes: TJH: To start, can you provide some background

about Sanitary District No. 1?

JV: Sanitary District No. 1 serves residents living in the Five Towns, North Woodmere, including the various incorporated villages in the area, and parts of Valley Stream. We collect about 38,000 tons of garbage a year. The district has about 100 people working in the district, most of whom are collection teams, foremen, equipment mechanics, and the crews that receive and process garbage and recyclables as they arrive at the depot. Our back office staff, who work just as hard as our other employees, do a fantastic job keeping the district running smoothly and transparently.

TJH: I have to say that most of the people I speak to about our local sanitation services are quite happy. But I especially love hearing how amazed people who recently moved here are to discover that the garbage is picked up from the side of the house.

AF: (laughing) The rear-

yard pickup certainly is amazing! When I moved to the Five Towns over 20 years ago, after a lifetime of dragging my cans to the curb in Brooklyn, I couldn’t visualize how rear-yard pickup worked. I stood waiting by my front window that first pickup day to see it for myself. I’m used to it by now, but the convenience is everlasting.

TJH: I have to admit that I’m sometimes a bit confused about when my garbage is going to be picked up, and especially my recycling. What is the exact schedule for garbage pickup days?

JV: The district is divided into two sectors, each operating on an alternating weekly schedule: Sector 1 has garbage pickup three times, while Sector 2 has pickup twice, and vice versa. Recycling pickups are biweekly. It can get confusing when the district is closed for a legal holiday and we skip a day. But residents can always check the district website to confirm their next pickup date. For bulk pickup requests, residents can expect service within 48 hours.

James Vilardi Avi Fertig

TJH: What is the district’s website address?

JV: www.sanitarydistrict1. com. Residents are also able to use the website to schedule a bulk pickup.

TJH: What would you say is unique about Sanitary District No. 1 compared to other sanitary districts on Long Island?

AF: Sanitary District No. 1 is run like a business. The commissioners and superintendent always have an eye on expenses, and we demand accountability from employees. We’re efficient and always working to achieve greater efficiencies. That’s why Sanitary district No. 1 has the lowest tax levy for sanitation services in Long Island, yet because every dollar that comes in or goes out is accounted for, the district is able to constantly invest in our infrastructure as well as provide extra services for the community. These include enhanced erev Pesach garbage pickup, Shredding Day events, special daily pickup program for shiva homes, rear-yard collection and on-demand bulk pickup.

TJH: What is the Shiva House Special Daily Pickup program?

AF: It’s a special program I worked with my fellow commissioners to create several years ago. As you probably know, the huge influx of visitors and family members at a typical shiva house creates huge amounts of garbage. We realized how stressful this was for grieving families, so we began to send trucks to shiva homes to pick up the garbage every day until the end of shiva. We provide this service to anyone who asks. Usually, when I hear of someone in the community is sitting shiva, I’ll just call it in myself. By the way, people can always send me an email me to let me know. My email address is: fertig. sanitarydistrict1@gmail.com.

TJH: Avi, you’ve been involved in local politics for a long time. Can you tell us about your experience?

AF: My start in government on Long Island was as a community liaison for the Nassau County legislature, which led to me becoming special assistant to the Hempstead Town Board. For as long as I’ve been involved in government and politics, I always wanted to help people sidestep the unfeeling bureaucra cies that can drive them crazy. My colleagues used to call me the lion tamer because I was good at helping the angriest people, not because I knew what to say, but because I knew what not to say. 95% of the time their anger was due to feeling powerless; the feeling that something they felt was important was unimportant to the very people who could make it better. I want people to feel respected and wanted to prove that their local representatives cared. What I love most now

about being a Sanitary District No. 1 commissioner is that I work with a team of people who support a culture of service and problem-solving from top to bottom.

TJH: It sounds very wonderful, but people usually find something to complain about. What kind of complaints does the district receive?

JV: I think the entire Five Towns has my cell phone number, so I know immediately if any thing is going wrong. But I don’t really get a lot of phone calls. And when I do, thanks to our responsive team and our superintendent, George Pappas, it’s dealt with pretty quickly. We want people to know that Sanitary District No 1 is invested in a culture of service and respect for the community. They should not hesitate to call if there is a problem.

TJH: Who runs the Sanitary district?

AF: We’re governed by our five-member board of commissioners, which consists of Irving Kaminetsky, James Vilardi, Frank Argento, Gwynette Campbell, and me. Our district superintendent, George Pappas, is the powerhouse who maintains our day-to-day operations.

TJH: What is the role of the sanitation commissioners?

AF: The commissioners meet once every month, as well as for several additional, special meetings throughout the year. These meetings primarily focus on discussing and making decisions about labor contracts, voting on expenditures for district infrastructure, approving budgetary items, and developing ideas to expand the services we provide. Commissioners are elected for five year terms.

JV: I think that as commissioners, we’ve created a culture of public service throughout the organization by

encouraging all of our employees at every level to be the best that they can be. A good coach gets the most out of his players by encouraging them and teaching them to be the best. We work very hard at the board level, so in a sense, we are leading by example. At the same time, our employees provide a very important service to the community. We encourage every member of our organization to do their job with pride.

TJH: How are commissioners elected?

JV: Elections take place annually, with one member running at a time. Any district resident who is a registered voter is eligible to vote. Avi is up for re-election this year. The elections are this coming Monday, July 10, between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. at the Sanitary District office, which is located at 2 Bay Boulevard in Lawrence.

TJH: I recall some confusion after last year’s election. Can you share some insight on what happened?

JV: I know that Avi, and our fellow commissioners, all share a deep affection for the Five Towns community and have dedicated our careers in public service to preserving harmony among all our neighbors. With that in mind, I’ll simply say that a lawsuit filed after last year’s election resulted in the judge ruling firmly in favor of the district. The tension this experience created was unfortunate, and now that it has been resolved, I believe we’re all better off if we move forward.

TJH: What are some characteristics that make a good public servant?

AF: You need to have people in your life who keep you humble, which, for me, between my wife and my parents, I’m pretty well covered. Also, you can’t take yourself too seriously; you may be doing a serious job, but public servants who start believing it’s all about them are heading for trouble. Above all, you need to like people. That one may be the most important.

JV: Loving public service and being willing to dedicate time to helping others is critical. I spend about three hours a day doing pro bono work because I love helping people with their problems.

TJH: Lastly, Avi, what are your hopes for the upcoming election?

AF: It is an honor that I’ve been able to serve the community I love as a sanitation commissioner for these past several years. I believe I’ve proven to have the temperament and experience in municipal operations to make a productive and effective contribution to my neighbors here in the Five Towns and sincerely hope they will all come out to vote for me on Monday, July 10.

James Vilardi with Supervisor Don Clavin on his first day in office

Avi Fertig at the Sanitary District offices

What Would You Do If…

Dear Navidaters,

I just got engaged to a wonderful girl after a few months of dating. Our first Shabbos post-engagement, I went to my kallah’s neighborhood for Shabbos, staying at a neighbor but spending most of the long Shabbos at my future in-laws’ house. At one point, I excused myself to use the bathroom and used my kallah’s en suite bathroom where I noticed on the counter several prescription bottles. Some names I recognized as common prescriptions and others were for more specific conditions like ADHD and anxiety. Others I didn’t even recognize and can’t remember the names.

I’m understanding that everyone is entitled to be the best they can be emotionally and mentally, but my issue is that this is the first I’m hearing about potential mental health concerns. She never mentioned it to me during the four months of dating, and now I don’t know how to continue to the chuppah as I feel a betrayal of sorts that she has hidden this from me. I want to discuss it with her, but how can I trust her at this point?

Thanks.

Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters

The Rebbetzin

Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

Eli, you are responding on two levels. One, there seems to be a trust issue. Two, there may be a mental health issue. It is advisable to communicate with your kallah with care, sensitivity, and respect. Getting guidance is an important key to handling this successfully. You want to prepare proper language that doesn’t come across as confrontational and suspicious of her. You don’t want a whole family aligned to see you as the enemy and start becoming antagonistic either. Pull your team together (therapist, rav, mentor, parents) and get coached to speak with care. You may also want to role play with a member of your team so that you don’t lose it and keep the tone positive and supportive.

They may suggest asking questions with care. This is a very delicate matter you don’t want to flub. Be smart and get good help.

Another thought to keep in mind. She may have been advised not to share all the facts.

The Shadchan

Michelle Mond

Dear Eli, Thank you so much for coming to us with your question. I have a few thoughts to share. I have a feeling that she might have thought this information was relayed to you by the matchmaker after one of the earlier dates. The reason I do not think she was openly hiding things from you is due to the fact that her prescriptions were out on her

counter. If you were using her en suite bathroom, which she clearly gave you permission to use, she probably knew you would see them. If she was trying to hide them from you, she’d have hid them in her sock drawer before your arrival. Having delicate information relayed indirectly to the single after a fourth or fifth date is very common. I wonder if her family tried disclosing this, and you did not get the message?

Another theory I would like to share with you is about the anxiety meds in particular. There are common meds that kallah teachers suggest their kallahs receive from their OBGYN in order to “regulate” or create a predictable wedding date. This medication causes extreme anxiety and sometimes depression, which then leads to many kallahs ending up on anxiety meds. This is a sensitive topic which I am sure she would not want to (or need to) share with you due to the short-term use of

this medication. However, now that you have seen the meds, you have every right to speak to her about it. On your next date, bring it up in conversation with your kallah. Tell her the open and honest truth; the way she reacts to your message will tell you everything.

Remember, Eli, everything that happens is meant to be. This was all orchestrated, and there is nothing you could

When we learn that a loved one has been keeping a secret from us, it almost always feels like a betrayal.

have done to change history. You must move forward with the information you are given. Once she talks to you about it openly and honestly, you can then assess if this is a situation you are comfortable with.

I wish you much hatzlacha with the conversation!

The Zaidy

Dr. Jeffrey Galler

Should singles disclose negative information about themselves to the person they are dating? And, if so, when should this happen? How should Eli react to what he just discovered, and what should he do about it?

First, before making lifetime commitments to each other, potential spouses should certainly practice full disclosure about relevant negatives.

Specifically, it is important to disclose:

“I had a broken engagement last year.”

“When I was nine years old, I had a

serious illness, but I am fully cured.”

“I get chronic migraine headaches several times a month, and I take medication for that.”

“Recently, my father had the misfortune of serving a two-year jail sentence.”

On the other hand, it is not necessary to report:

“I failed the geometry final in tenth grade.”

“I really liked the last girl that I dated, but she didn’t like me.”

“My high school Rebbe said that I would never be a talmid chochom.”

Second, when in a relationship is it time for full disclosure?

In very orthodox, shidduch-style dating, there seems to be a hard and fast rule for total honesty, when the relationship has progressed to the third date. I clearly remember one of my daughters coming home from her third date with the young man she eventually married, smiling happily, and very relieved to report that after their “total disclosure” date, they decided to keep seeing each other.

In other circles, “full disclosure” should hap -

Pulling It All Together

Dear Eli,

When we learn that a loved one has been keeping a secret from us, it almost always feels like a betrayal. While I’m not sure we have to reveal everything about our pasts when dating, it is certainly imperative to reveal current circumstances and situations that may affect our partner. Leaving her pill

bottles out on the bathroom count - er leaves me wondering if she has been struggling all along wanting to tell you and battling some shame surrounding her medications.

There is going to be no way to remove your valid feelings or to find a

pen in those nebulous moments when the couple begins to realize that they’re in a “serious” relationship that might lead to a lifetime partnership.

Third, how should our worried letter-writer react to his discovery of the prescriptions?

I would venture a not-so-obvious observation. Doesn’t it seem strange that the young lady directed Eli to use the bathroom connected to her bedroom, while knowing full well that her prescriptions were openly visible on the countertop?

We are all familiar with the concept of the child who “stole the chocolate cookie from the cookie jar,” but consciously, or unconsciously, wanted to get caught, by leaving a trail of crumbs to his bedroom and a large residue of chocolate on his hands and face.

Is it possible that this was the kallah’s way of trying to inform Eli about her problem, but was, perhaps, too shy or embarrassed to raise the subject directly?

In any event, at this point, it is time for him to have a meaningful discussion with the woman he loves.

He needs to say something like, “Because we love each other, and want to spend a happy lifetime together, we need to always be totally honest with

each other. I didn’t mean to snoop, but I saw some of your prescription bottles in your bathroom. Please tell me about them.”

If the prescriptions are for problems like Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, these syndromes can be troublesome, but there are effective treatments to manage the symptoms. So, Eli, even though you may feel aggrieved about not having been informed about the situation earlier in the relationship, you will probably wish to proceed with your wedding plans.

However, beware. What if it’s a more serious problem? There are major ramifications to living with a person who suffers with serious illnesses like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.

Here’s hoping that the problems are minimal, that you can restore mutual trust in each other, and that you can enjoy a long, happy, healthy marriage together.

quick replacement for the trust that has been lost. The feelings you are feeling are completely normal, human and healthy. You don’t need to know whether or not you can trust her again right now. In my opinion, you need to speak with your kallah about what you found in her bathroom and hear her out. You may be able to not only work through this as a couple but come out on the other side stronger and feeling more connected because of it. You may also come out of the conversation realizing that your kallah does not value honesty and vulnerability the way

that you do.

After you learn about why she withheld the information, you’re going to have to trust your gut. Sometimes, people withhold things because of deep shame or parents and other influential figures in their lives instructing them to do so. And sometimes, people aren’t trustworthy. The most important thing is that you be honest with yourself about whether or not this will be something that you will be able to move on from.

All the best, Jennifer

The way she reacts to your message will tell you everything.

Privacy Without Shame

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

Iwas recently privy to an important and fascinating discussion. A parent was asking about teaching children that their bodies are private while not encouraging a feeling that their body is shameful. Unfortunately, too often, children get the erroneous message that there must be something wrong with their bodies if they need to be hidden.

Teaching a respect for both their privacy and themselves is an important part of their chinuch. Our bodies are holy vessels that permit us to live a life of Torah, mitzvos and service of Hashem. Rather than consider our physical selves dirty or sinful, we can appreciate having a more healthy and positive view of our bodies. Our children, too, should recognize they are special inside and out.

The awareness that we are a tzelem Elokim naturally encourages us to maintain our dignity by covering a certain amount of our bodies. While different communities may have differing standards, both men and women maintain a level of dress they feel befits their status as dignified individuals.

Reading the above paragraphs, you’ll notice that I’ve tried to use positive terms – “dignified,” “special,” and “holy.” Covering doesn’t need to mean we’re hiding something we’re embarrassed of,

and privacy need not include shame or disgust. We don’t hide because there’s something wrong with us but because that’s the proper way to behave. For example, some people are makpid to not walk around the house unclothed (even when alone) because we’re sensitive to our dignity, not because our bodies are unappealing.

Privacy in Children

Children are different from adults, and privacy will look very different to us and to our much younger counterparts. One major difference is that, as adults, we can appreciate the reasons why we keep certain things private. Children need time to develop this sensitivity and awareness. As an example, infants will rip off their diapers and try to escape bare bottomed, laughing and giggling as they go. Certain things are so obviously private to us but not so clear to children. It may be helpful to give some examples of areas where children don’t naturally have this awareness.

The most obvious example is that little kids often don’t notice if they’re clothed. I remember the surprise I experienced as a young teen walking into a camp classroom right after a coed nursery bunk had returned from swimming.

These adorable, innocent youngsters had stripped off their bathing suits and were walking around in that state, shmoozing with each other as their counselors attempted to get their crew back into shorts and t-shirts. I was soon informed how this surprising behavior was normal for that age category.

This carries over into children not being mindful of body coverage, in general. This is often seen in somewhat older girls who will do handstands and other gymnastics, not aware of their clothing flying.

Children are also unaware that body functions are considered to be personal matters. As cute as it is when a baby burps or lets out some air, it’s no longer seen as adorable when your teenage son does it at the Shabbos table. Similarly, kids have no hesitancy sharing their bathroom stories. Teens will be mortified sharing their bowel functions with medical personnel, while younger children will happily discuss it as part of their socializing. This openness can be seen when children neglect to close the bathroom door when they use the facilities or bathe/shower.

According to the Child

Children will understand the need for personal privacy at different ages, and this is quite normal. I’ve seen young chil-

dren be very aware of their bodies alongside much older children who wouldn’t notice if their clothing fell right off as they walked down the street.

Additionally, different children will reach the various levels of awareness at their own pace and in their own order. For example, a child may refuse to change in front of others, yet will run across the hall completely undressed to get into the bathroom. Again, as bizarre as this inherent contradiction may seem, it, too, is normal.

It’s natural that as children grow and mature, they will inherently begin to recognize this need for privacy without adult assistance. Many children won’t need anything more than time and patience to gain this important awareness.

Children with special needs may not gain this awareness alongside their peers. Their parents may benefit from speaking with the professionals already assisting their child about this concept.

Encouraging Awareness

As mentioned above, most children will reach this natural awareness on their own and don’t need more than parental patience. Just as they learn to use the potty on their own timetable, they’ll learn to close the door on their own

schedule, as well.

We put up a gate to prevent my toddler from wandering up the stairs. She realized that the gate was meant to be closed but didn’t recognize the purpose was to prevent her from getting out. Whenever the gate was accidentally left open, she quickly ran up the stairs but made sure to close the gate behind her. She understood the behavior (gate needs to be shut) but not the purpose (to stop her). As adults, we understand the futility for her to close the gate after she already escaped but she didn’t recognize that.

Sometimes, children understand there’s a reason for something, but other times, they simply recognize a behavioral pattern. In practice, this could mean a child shuts the bathroom door because they realize using the facilities is a private matter (understands reason) or simply because they know the door is meant to be shut (learned behavior).

As children develop, they become aware of new things, and that order may not make sense to us, yet it’s still part of normal development. I remember the child who insisted he needed to wear his towel after the bath but completely neglected to cover his personal area with it. He had matured enough to realize that

we wear towels after a bath, but he hadn’t yet caught on to what actually needed to be covered.

I write the following advice with a dose of caution because well-meaning parents can easily – to the detriment of their child – pressure a youngster that isn’t ready. In my humble opinion, parents who feel their child is ready and

and shoes on.”

While it might seem obvious to the frum parent to use predominantly hashkafic reasoning, many little ones won’t understand the concept of modesty. Additionally, many parents may feel uncomfortable or unable to properly convey these important lessons in a positive manner. We certainly don’t want to encourage neg-

child’s body. This can innocently creep in from our tone of voice and especially the words we use. “Aren’t you embarrassed to be seen like that?” “What would people think if they saw you now?” Just because something needs to be covered, doesn’t mean it’s dirty or wrong.

As with all areas of parenting, if something seems off with your child’s behavior, please consult with the appropriate medical or mental health professional. Inappropriate awareness or shame of one’s body can be indicative of other concerns, and a professional can guide you better than any generalized article.

want to encourage modest practices can either approach this from a “hashkafic ” or “practical” mindset.

A hashkafic mindset would stress “a prince/princess walks around dressed and dignified” or “being tzinius means we keep the door closed when dressing,” while a practical focus would mention “the bathroom door needs to be closed” or “we can only go into the car with shorts

ative feelings in our child about the pure body Hashem has given them.

Additionally, parents should carefully check their own biases before speaking to their impressionable child. It’s unfortunate how many of us think negatively about ourselves or consider our own bodies shameful or embarrassing. At no point should parents ever give over the impression there is anything wrong with their

Being aware of our bodies is both important for our health and safety. Appreciating the gift of tzinius should come with respect and love of our bodies and never with shame. With Hashem’s assistance, we can raise a generation that recognizes their body as the true gift they’ve been given.

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

With Hashem’s assistance, we can raise a generation that recognizes their body as the true gift they’ve been given.

Is Coffee Good For Your Health?

By Tehila Levine-Soskel, RDN, CDN

One of the most popular drinks worldwide is coffee. Whether it’s consumed for its taste, as a morning beverage, or for a much-needed pick-me-up, coffee is often cherished for its caffeine content and its ability to rejuvenate those who are most tired. Did you know that around 80% of the population consumes a caffeinated product each day?

Caffeine, most commonly found in coffee, tea, and cacao plants, is known as a natural stimulant. Your brain is greatly affected by caffeine, helping you stay awake, promoting alertness and increased focus. Studies have said that it can take as little as twenty minutes for your coffee to become effective.

Natural occurring sources of caffeine like seeds, leaves and nuts are harvested and then further processed to make caffeinated beverages and foods. In an 8-ounce serving of espresso, there is around 240-720 mg of caffeine and 102200 mg of caffeine in coffee. The label “decaf” may be deceiving, as decaffeinated coffee still contains caffeine but only as little as 2-7 mg. Some people may consider consuming decaf coffee instead of caffeinated, such as those with medical concerns, pregnant women, and digestive problems.

Let’s further explore some of the health benefits caffeine has to offer. First off, dopamine and norepinephrine, both neurotransmitters of the brain, are increased after consumption of caffeine, which may lead to better mood and brain function. Studies have also reported that those who consumed caffeine had a lower risk of depression than those who did not. However, each person varies, therefore the caffeine’s effect on one’s mood can differ from one person to the next.

While caffeine is certainly not the key to weight loss, your metabolism may be increased due to caffeine stimulating the central nervous system. More so, small amounts of caffeine prior to your workout may improve your exercise performance. The reason for this is because of the release of adrenaline and muscle contrac -

tility from the stimulation of the nervous system. This may be why caffeine stimulants are popular among athletes. Coffee is also a rich source of antioxidants, which may help prevent cell damage and reduce the risk of many diseases.

Some individuals may experience a slight increase in blood pressure due to caffeine, but that does not mean it raises the risk of heart disease as some may think. Studies have shown that women and men who consumed 100-400 mg daily of caffeine had a lower risk of heart disease. Another study showed a lower risk of stroke in those who drank green tea daily with its caffeine content. Those who drank coffee were also seen to have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Let’s be mindful and understand that these are the benefits of drinking coffee, not the creamers or the milk you put into it. Many creamers contain a lot of sugar, oils, and additives. The most common oils found in coffee creamers are canola, soybean, and sunflower oil, which are all high in inflammatory linoleic acid.

With all these health benefits of caffeine consumption, it’s important to understand that there can be negative side

effects with an excess intake or specifically in some people. Too much caffeine may lead to headaches, migraines, restlessness, and high blood pressure. Caffeine can have diuretic effects, therefore making sure to drink enough water is key. Individuals taking medications should be aware that caffeine may interact with certain medications. For example, certain medications used to reduce blood clotting may interfere with the caffeine, resulting in bruising and bleeding. It is always best to consult with your doctor if taking medications. In addition, pregnant women should limit their caffeine intake as well.

Before you grab your morning coffee, it’s helpful to eat something first as to not drink coffee on an empty stomach. Drinking coffee may raise your cortisol levels, which is your stress hormone. Cortisol plays an important role in your body to help regulate your metabolism, blood sugar, and blood pressure levels. Cortisol levels are usually higher in the morning and go down throughout the day. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach may further raise cortisol levels.

Here are some balancing breakfast

ideas to eat before your coffee, leaving you feeling good and full. First off, a highly nutritious breakfast choice is eggs. Scrambled, omelet, sunny side up, and egg muffins are just a few ways to enjoy eggs. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t skip on the yolk as the yolks contain more protein than the white. Another go-to breakfast that is high in protein and probiotics is Greek yogurt. Add some fresh berries and chia seeds for that extra fiber to keep you full for longer. Chia seed pudding can be prepared in advance and is a great choice for breakfast while packing in that fiber and protein. Another favorite high protein meal is cottage cheese, which contains around 24 grams of protein per cup. Ensuring that your breakfast is high in protein will help keep you full for longer and reduce snacking throughout the day.

While one individual may respond differently to caffeine and coffee than the next, there can be several health benefits with a moderate consumption. Therefore, as with most things, moderation is key. From improving one’s mood to improving physical performance, caffeine and coffee have shown the potential of the many positive effects on one’s well-being. Despite all the health benefits of coffee and caffeine consumption, it’s crucial to be aware of the amounts you are consuming. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that 400 mg of caffeine daily, which is around 2-4 cups of coffee, is safe. Additionally, keep in mind the size of your coffee if you are reaching for a second cup. As always, it is best to consult with your doctor or a healthcare professional to help determine what is best for your individual needs.

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.

My Top Five Best Bites from KosherPalooza

By Nati Burnside

The KosherPalooza debut came and went in a flash. The whirlwind of cooking demos, panels, games, and samples was an eighthour extravaganza held at the Meadowlands Exposition Center on Wednesday, June 28. With almost 4,000 people in attendance, the day was certainly a hectic one as guests tried to navigate their way through the packed room to find the specific thing they came to see.

I trekked through the more than 100 booths trying to sample everything on the menu over the course of the day. There was pretty much something for everybody. Fish and meat. Desserts and appetizers. Bread and gluten-free options. With restaurants, caterers, and kosher food brands of all types, there were a lot of options on the floor that day.

One big improvement from other kosher food shows was the separation of dairy and meat. With the right side of the hall containing dairy vendors and the left side featuring meat products (with pareve options sprinkled throughout), perusing the offerings was certainly a smoother experience.

That said, here are my top five best bites from KosherPalooza 2023:

5. Jalapeño Chicken Sausage, Pelleh Poultry (Swan Lake, New York)

Pelleh Poultry isn’t exactly a small name in the kosher food business. Having been around for 32 years, they’ve established a brand for delivering quality products to people from their base in upstate New York.

But they are trying out some new products this year and showed up to KosherPalooza ready to get the word out. One of the new lines they came to showcase was their chicken sausages.

You might be familiar with chicken hot dogs, which are often relegated to being used as a beef alternative for health reasons because they just don’t taste nearly as good. But sausages carry more flavor than franks. So even though the base is chicken, if you can get some great flavors, you can certainly make a product that’s worthy.

That’s what Pelleh has done here. Launched with five flavors just two months ago, these sausages could make some noise on the market for their robust taste. I favored the jalapeño, but I’m a fan of heat.

“We aren’t looking to use a crazy amount of heat,” said Eliezer Franklin, CEO of Pelleh. “We are going for big flavors.”

He’s right. The jalapeño sausages were certainly spicy, but they aren’t going to be too much for most people.

“Our mission has always been to make products without unnecessary ingredients, and it’s been working so far,” Franklin said. “Who knows what’s coming up next?”

4.

Apple Babka, Haus of Babka (Toms River, New Jersey)

Avital Stern always liked entertaining. But a lot of that had to do with baking. She’d experiment with different recipes and knock on neighbors’ doors with samples for them to taste (sounds like a great place to live).

As a bunch of her creations were dairy, she started with trying to sell a few things one year for Shavuot. Ten years later, things are a little different.

She now focuses on babka and is quite well known in the area. I tried her apple flavor (a mini version on a stick) and loved everything about it. The dough was soft, and the filling was a happy medium between being sweet and still having a strong apple flavor.

Apparently, the story of the apple flavor also originates from a holiday. For Rosh Hashana a few years ago, Stern says she spent days chopping thousands of apples to make the babkas that she intended to only offer seasonally. But

people loved the flavor so much that she kept it on the menu. Stern now has a commercial kitchen at home and pumps out 11 different flavors of babka. She sells them on her website and ships them all over, but her products are also available in a few kosher supermarkets.

When I asked what her goals were, she said, “Sky’s the limit. I don’t have goals. Wherever Hashem and the wind takes us, that’s where we will go. And I mean every single word of that.”

3.

“I went to a culinary school, and I paid them for me to go for one day,” Srugo told me about her unorthodox story. “They were able to show me how to make them correctly, and I’m still making every piece by hand to this day.”

That’s right, she’s crafting every single one of these beauties and has been for ten years. With an apartment in Brooklyn that has been converted into a commercial kitchen, Bread and Batter is pumping out their menu of about 15 flavors to kosher supermarkets all across the tri-state area.

Basturma, Meat & Board (Lakewood, New Jersey)

There were multiple booths at KosherPalooza that featured either jerky or charcuterie in some capacity, but the best of those in my opinion was Meat & Board.

Yehuda Birnbaum owns Meat & Board, and his story is a familiar one. He started making some things himself just to see if he could do better than what was currently available. The first social media post with a picture of his creation led to a dozen people messaging him to order.

When the recent dried meat trend started taking off, he rode the wave and started pumping out high quality charcuterie boards. Eventually, he built his own commercial kitchen in Lakewood, and now he’s selling packages of his different meats individually.

But it all started six years ago with the Basturma.

The Armenian dried meat was the first thing that Birnbaum tried to make other than sausages. Little did he know, sometimes less is more.

“I dried it for too long,” Birnbaum recalls. “It was terrible. Actually, it was so bad that I still have the piece years later. I keep it as a reminder to learn from my mistakes.”

If you want to be the beneficiary of his trial and error, head to the website (MeatAndBoard.com) and order. They ship everywhere and are hoping to be in some kosher supermarkets soon.

2.

Chocolate Brownie Macaron, Bread and Batter (Brooklyn, New York)

Gabrielle Srugo was lucky enough to go on a trip to Paris at the age of 18. While she was there, she discovered macarons and fell in love. With vacation behind her, Srugo began to search Brooklyn for the delicate French creation only to come up empty. Not only wasn’t there a good kosher macaron to be found, there wasn’t any kosher product on the market at all.

So Srugo did what anybody else would do. She tried to make them herself.

A year later, her macarons were really good… tasting. But they weren’t uniform, beautiful, or professional. It turns out that the technique involved in making them was something that Srugo couldn’t just pick up with practice. She needed professional help.

When it comes to all the cool flavors, Srugo says that they try to be open to suggestions from customers and follow trends in the industry that make their product so popular.

That said, the chocolate brownie flavor is my favorite. When I told this to Srugo, she smiled and told me that there are two things that make the chocolate one different from all the others. The first is that all the other cookies are the same flavor and they use food coloring to align them to their theme. The chocolate one is actually colored and flavored with cocoa. The other difference is that while every other cookie has that signature soft, creamy middle, the chocolate has a crisp middle that is due to the filling being made of ganache.

I guess sometimes it’s the simple things in life.

1.Steak Tacos, Lamppost Bistro Bar & Lounge (Pine Beach, NJ)

There weren’t a ton of restaurants present at KosherPalooza, but those that were there certainly made their presence known. The bigger problem for Hillel Fisher, partner at Lamppost, was the crowd making their presence felt.

“We went through a thousand tacos in just a few hours,” he said with an awestruck tone. “We just didn’t expect to see that many people so quickly. But I guess it means that they loved the food!”

That they did. The steak tacos are right off of Lamppost’s menu (there you get three of them) and use a crunchy, house-made, square tortilla shell filled with guacamole, diced ribeye, pico de gallo, and salsa.

Lamppost has become a destination since their opening in 2020. Known for their super comfortable lounge that allows people to swing by and just hang out in a relaxing atmosphere without having to commit to a full dinner dining experience, Lamppost truly tries to live up to one of their mantras: Good foods, good moods.

“We are the restaurant you never want to leave,” said Fisher about his place. “We’ve created a place with fresh ingredients and seasonal menu changes to accommodate that idea. The goal is to let the food shine through.”

The steak tacos probably aren’t seasonal, so get yourself to Pine Beach and find out what is.

“Sky’s the limit. I don’t have goals. Wherever Hashem and the wind takes us, that’s where we will go. And I mean every single word of that.”

In The K tchen

Roasted Cabbage

By Naomi Nachman

Ingredients

◦ One large purple (or white) cabbage, sliced into wedges

◦ Salt

◦ Extra-virgin olive oil

◦ Your favorite spice mix

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a cookie sheet with Pam and lay cabbage slices down without touching each other.

Season the cabbage with kosher salt. Sprinkle your spice mix on top. Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for 25 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

For a dipping sauce, mix hummus with amba and serve alongside the cabbage.

Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/ New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet. com or at (516) 295-9669.

This is one of my favorite side dishes to make for Shabbat. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.

Mind Y ur Business

Richard Solomon: Being Business Savvy

This column features business insights from a recent “Mind Your Business with Yitzchok Saftlas” radio show. The weekly “Mind Your Business” show –broadcasting since 2015 – features interviews with Fortune 500 executives, business leaders and marketing gurus. Prominent guests include John Sculley, former CEO of Apple and Pepsi; Dick Schulze, founder and Chairman Emeritus of Best Buy; and Beth Comstock, former Vice Chair of GE; among over 400+ senior-level executives and business celebrities. Yitzchok Saftlas, president of Bottom Line Marketing Group, hosts the weekly “Mind Your Business” show, which airs at 10pm every Sunday night on 710 WOR and throughout America on the iHeartRadio Network.

On a recent 710 WOR “Mind Your Business” broadcast, Yitzchok Saftlas (YS) spoke with guest, noted attorney Richard Solomon (RS).

YS: What should a business be looking out for in terms of wage and hour compliance?

RS: This is a big thing that businesses really need to focus on. The most important thing that a business can do is to make sure that they have the right payroll and HR people working for them. There are so many complicated laws about how you need to pay people, when you pay them, notices that need

to be provided, the periodic times in which different categories of employees need to be paid, overtime, record keeping, and a ton of other issues related to this. And you’d be surprised how many business owners don’t really know the law. They may use a payroll company, but the payroll company will sometimes just take the information over the phone without necessarily asking questions like, “Did you do this? Was it done this way? Are you clocking this?” So, you’ve got to make sure that you know what rules apply to your business and your employees. The consequences for not doing it correctly are severe. There can be fines. There can be something called “liquidated damages,” which is a dou -

bling of what you owe. There can be statutory legal fees. The biggest hammer is that employers are personally liable. And there’s no squirming out of that personal liability through bankruptcy or anything like that.

There are all kinds of rules about what you can and cannot do with payroll. For example, there are very few things that can be deducted from a paycheck. Let’s say an employee broke something, and you said, “You’ve got to pay for that.” The employee says, “Just take $50 out of my paycheck until it’s paid for.” You can’t do that. Even if the employee agrees, it’s not permissible. So, be careful to make sure you’re getting the best advice from your financial

people, your tax people, your compliance people, and your HR department, because not knowing the rules and regulations can have major consequences.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of remote work?

Remote work presents opportunities and challenges. On the one hand, the employees are happier when they’re at home. On the other hand, how many times have you seen Zoom calls where the family pet rolls in and everyone gets distracted? People start to develop these bad work habits. There is a tremendous advantage of people being together, consulting each other in the

hallway, or talking at the water cooler. Now, when that talk becomes about gossip and the latest sports news, it’s not such a big help. But a lot of times, when people are talking, they’ll say something like, “What do you think about changing this component? How would that work in your department? Would that speed things up?” That’s lost in all the Zoom workspace, whereby everyone’s just kind of working in isolation. I think business is more like a small wheel with spokes in the center, not just separate little individual pieces. It’s a wheel that has to work together in order to move forward.

What are some important things that businesses often overlook?

One really important thing is to train your staff. You should have your own training in place. There should be performance reviews. There should be an after-action analysis of each year.

Another one of the most important components of every business is who answers the phone. That person is the most important person in the office because they are the voice of your business. The person who answers the phone should be cheery and shouldn’t turn calls into an interrogation with a barrage of questions. You should definitely avoid having one of those robots that asks a bunch of questions, only to have the caller have to repeat their answers again once they’re finally connected with a human. The person who answers your phone, or the person who opens the mail and decides what you’re supposed to see, is such an important component of your business as it relates to the outside world and how information comes into your business. The pipeline into your business determines what gets processed while it’s all inside. And if there’s a disruption, or there’s too much filtration and barriers to getting the right information to the right person in a timely manner with a quick turnaround, then your business is not going to succeed. There are so many businesses that have terrible customer service. You wait on hold forever, continuously hearing, “Your call is very important to us,” and then you finally get dumped into some answering device that says, “We’re all busy.”

Another thing that I see all the time in businesses is an over-reliance on the internet. The internet is not an omniscient answering portal for all of humanity. You still need to talk to people. You need to get on the phone to talk to experts or to ask your friends for advice.

You need to run ideas by people. That’s invaluable. It can prevent you from wasting time and resources in a direction that won’t make any sense.

Another thing is to make sure you have a backup for all of your key documents. That can be a fireproof safe, USB sticks, or even the Cloud, but you may want to also have things local, just in case there’s a power failure. Always make sure there is a plan in place. Do you have a contingency plan? Do you have a crisis communications plan? Who do you call when something bad happens to the business and you need

What should companies expect from the ongoing uptick in tickets and fines?

The government is cash-strapped, and they can only tax so much. So, the next form of revenue stream for the government is the imposition of fines through tickets and things like that. New York City, and I’m sure other places will follow this, made a rule that any citizen with a cell phone can go out there and film a truck or bus idling for three minutes or more and submit that video to the Department of Environmental Protection for a contingency fee. And then,

quire their own licenses. And there are lots of other businesses out there that require specific kinds of licenses. Let’s say you work in construction, and you don’t have the right kind of license. If you do a million dollars’ worth of work, and the person you’re dealing with decides they’re not going to pay you, they could turn and say, “Well, you’re not licensed.” You can try and say, “It doesn’t matter, I did all this work and did a good job,” but the courts will not enforce pay for anyone that has not maintained the proper license. Even if you did everything in good faith, and you had the right insurance, and you paid all your people, if you did not have the license, the courts will not do anything to help you get your money. They will slam the door shut and throw you right out. You have to know what licenses you need and how to maintain them.

What are some final tips that you feel businesses should be mindful of?

a spokesperson to get out there to get the word out as to what’s going on and how you’re dealing with it? To wait until the crisis happens is like waiting to go to the morgue to find out what the problem was, as opposed to going to urgent care and getting the fix when you need it.

What is one of the biggest trends small claims courts have been facing recently?

One trend that I see is that tax delinquency enforcement is way up. For example, the New York State Department of Finance has sent agents to people’s businesses and homes, with a lot of tools at their disposal, to collect money from taxpayers who owe back taxes. One tool that the federal government uses is that they can revoke your passport under certain conditions. And New York State officials can revoke your driver’s license. Now, these are harsh circumstances that you have to reach a certain threshold to incur, but I’ve now gotten several calls from different people who have said, “There’s a New York State collection guy outside my business, and they gave me this paper.” That paper is a notice of tax delinquency, and it will have your case number and the name of the agent on your case and will say, “We’re here to collect back taxes in the amount of X.” And they’re getting much more aggressive with this. That’s a big trend right now, and I expect it’s going to continue.

the Department of Environmental Protection will issue a summons against the truck or bus owner for what’s called an “idling fine.” Now, there are exceptions for emergency vehicles and other specific kinds of vehicles, but there are fleets and fleets of truck businesses out there. Everything that goes in and out of New York City is by truck. And if the trucks are idling, the initial ticket is $350. And those fines increase successively. With each fine you receive, the ticket goes up. For companies with fleets of drivers, the company owners are still responsible.

I’ve seen businesses receive anywhere between $5,000-$10,000 worth of truck regulation tickets. These fines are not deductible as a business expense. That money just comes right out of the business. You’ve got to make sure that drivers are trained. And if you see someone filming, shut the engine off.

That’s just one example of this emerging trend of enforcement that can cost you a fortune if you are not prepared for it.

What are other compliance issues that business owners might not be aware of?

One thing that has really emerged recently, and has been emerging for a long time, is the unlicensed business problem. There are many businesses out there that require a license. Being a lawyer, a notary, or a barber all re -

Invest in your brand. You are a brand. Everything about your business is a brand. You need to embody that brand. You need to be that brand. You need to wear a shirt with your logo on it. You need to have business cards. The rules haven’t changed. It’s still all about networking. Invest in yourself, invest in your education, invest in your business. Businesses do not run on autopilot. They require constant care and attention. You need to hire the right people, reach out to the right experts, get the right vendors, and all that stuff. No person will know your business like yourself, but you actually need other people to help you succeed and get to the next levels.

“No person will know your business like yourself, but you actually need other people to help you succeed and get to the next levels.”

Notable Quotes

“Say What?!”

What we know is from the very first days of the pandemic in January of 2020, Anthony Fauci orchestrated an elaborate cover up. He knew there was a problem. At three in the morning, he was emailing somebody on January 31 and that person was head of the committee that was supposed to review dangerous research. But Fauci allowed it to go around that. So he knew from the very beginning not only was he funding the Wuhan research, but he was going around the regulatory apparatus to let it happen, even though the rules said it shouldn’t have happened without more scrutiny. So he knew this from the beginning and it was an active cover up.

– Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) on Fox News after it was revealed that the first three people with Covid worked at the Wuhan lab that the U.S. helped fund

He has a real, serious fixation on Florida, but what I would tell him is … stop [tiptoeing] around. Are you going to throw your hat in the ring and challenge Joe? Or are you going to sit on the sidelines and chirp? Why don’t you throw your hat in the ring, and then we’ll go ahead and talk about what’s happening.

- Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running in the GOP presidential primaries, responding to incessant criticism from California Governor Gavin Newsom

There are males of military age unaccompanied by family members pretending not to speak English traveling in packs of between 5 and 15. Those almost certainly are saboteurs. They are being placed in the United States because on the first day of a war with Asia I believe they will commit acts of sabotage against us.

- Gatestone Institute Senior Fellow Gordon Chang, who is considered to be the foremost expert on China, in a Fox News interview

The Biden administration is not tracking these people. It is obvious what is going on. Even the Border Patrol has found known links to the Chinese military with some of these people coming across. The Biden administration could not care less.

– Ibid.

He actively got papers placed that were not valid papers into large scientific journals. So, yes, there was a cover-up from the very beginning, but a real judgment error. And this is a man, Anthony Fauci, who said in 2012 that this kind of research to create new virus was so important that even if a pandemic should take place, that it’d be worth the knowledge. I think there’s several million people, particularly a few million Americans, who would question whether that was good judgment or not.

- Ibid.

Straight white men are abusive; straight white men are serial killers. They have the most — I watch these shows — the most serial killers. Straight white men are the ones who are shooting up schools, right? So they are a danger to society.

- Nikcole Cunningham, one of 15 members on San Francisco’s African American Reparations Advisory Committee, in a recent interview with the Telegraph

I call on the public who meet the criteria: carry guns.

- Tweet by the Israeli civilian in Tel Aviv who neutralized a terrorist this week by shooting him dead

It may come as a surprise, but the federal holiday stands out as the most polluted day of the year in many locations across the nation, according to air quality data. Fireworks — the staple of Independence Day celebrations — light up the sky but also launch harmful pollutants. In some cases, the pollution levels from the pyrotechnics are similar to severe wildfire smoke.

- The Washington Post , predictably advocating for an end to one of the few things that most Americans enjoy

Our country is trash in so many ways.

- Tweet by WNBA player Natasha Cloud, after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college

Just ask your colleague Brittney Griner how “trash” America is. Calling America trash, huh? Let me know when your season is over – I’ll buy your ticket and we can go together to counties like China, Russia, IRAN, North Korea, Venezuela, Cuba, & Turkey.

– Former NBA player Ernes Kanter in response

Forget about calling them trash, I would like to see if you can even criticize those regimes!! You and your family members would be thrown in jail, tortured to death… People have NO idea how lucky and blessed they are to be in a country like America. I’m not saying America is perfect, but trust me, you don’t wanna see the other side.

- Ibid.

The Declaration of Independence was written by enslavers and didn’t recognize Black people as human. Today is a great day to demand Reparations Now.

- July 4th tweet by Rep. Cori Bush (D-MI)

Here’s my proposed “reparations”: We’ll buy you a one-way ticket. Anywhere you want. You must renounce your American citizenship. And never come back.

– Reply by Mike Davis, chief counsel for Sen. Chuck Grassley

Love the libs losing their minds. Crackhead has been at the WH and then a bunch of blow is found. Couldn’t be him!!! …and guy who left his laptop with tons of incriminating evidence on it!

- Tweet in response to a tweet suggesting that Hunter Biden should sue anyone who suggests that cocaine that was recently discovered in the White House belongs to him

It’s hard to tell but he’s clearly losing the war in Iraq.

- Pres. Joe Biden, when asked if Putin is losing power

I’ve lost a fair number of this…what I would call super woke, and it’s good. Don’t let the door hit you [on your way out]. You’re no fun to begin with. You have a terrible sense of humor.

- Bill Maher, HBO, talking about the left’s intolerance

Russia’s Biggest Problem Isn’t the War. It’s Losing the 21st Century.

By Fareed Zakaria

In his important book “The Third Wave,” Samuel Huntington pointed out that division among the ruling elite is a key sign of weakness in authoritarian regimes. When prominent members of the establishment break with the system, it often triggers a larger set of changes. Conversely, when you do not see such defection, it means the autocrat will probably be able to survive. (Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad offers one example of this principle at work.)

How would we apply that to Russia today? Yevgeniy Prigozhin’s failed attack has revealed some dissent within Russia’s ruling elite. But Vladimir Putin was apparently able to snuff it out within a day or two. It appears that Prigozhin got no public support from any key figure in the Kremlin, which could be why he ended his quixotic march on Moscow. Putin has spent much of his tenure crushing dissent from liberals; now he is subduing his challengers from the nationalist side.

Power struggles within the Russian state take place in a black box. As the lines often attributed to Winston Churchill go: “Kremlin political intrigues are comparable to a bulldog fight under a rug. An outsider only hears the growling, and when he sees the bones fly out from beneath it is obvious who won.” For now, it is Prigozhin’s bones that we see figuratively – and perhaps soon we shall see them literally.

What is not a matter of speculation is the state of Russian society. I’ve been stunned by one statistic ever since I read it: A 15-year-old Russian boy today has the same life expectancy as a 15-year-old boy in Haiti. Remember, Russia is one of the world’s richest countries in terms of natural resources. And it is an urbanized, industrialized society with levels of education and literacy comparable to,

and perhaps even exceeding, other European countries.

This analysis comes from an August 2022 working paper by scholar Nicholas Eberstadt, who has long studied demography. He points out that for three decades now, Russia has been depopulating. With a brief respite from 2013 to 2015, deaths have outpaced births, but he notes that this trend is one that we see in many industrialized countries.

What stands out in Russia is its mortality rate. In 2019 – before covid and the invasion of Ukraine – the World Health Organization estimated a 15-year-old boy in Russia could expect to live another 53.7 years, which was the same as in Haiti and below the life expectancy for boys his age in Yemen, Mali and South Sudan. Swiss boys around the same age could expect to live more than 13 years longer.

Education usually correlates with good health, but not in Russia. Eberstadt points out that shockingly, Russia is a country with “First World” education levels and “Fourth World” mortality rates for its working age population. He then digs deeper into the educational attainments and finds that the mystery deepens. With huge numbers of well-trained people, especially in the sciences, Russia performs miserably in the knowledge economy, much worse than did the Soviet Union. In 2019, Russia ranked behind Austria in international patent applications, despite having 16 times the population. Today, it ranks alongside Alabama in annual U.S. patent awards (the gold standard for companies everywhere), despite having almost 30 times the population. All these numbers will likely get much worse given the hundreds of thousands of (likely well-trained, urban,

educated) Russians who fled the country after its aggression against Ukraine. What explains this stunning mismatch in Russia? A new book by scholar Alexander Etkind, “Russia Against Modernity,” makes the case that Putin has created a parasitic state that gets revenue by extracting natural resources rather than any creative production and that fulfills none of the functions of a modern state in terms of providing welfare for its people. Corruption is intrinsic to this kleptocratic regime, Etkind wrote, noting that post-Soviet Russia has seen the fastest rise in inequality anywhere in the world. After the anti-Putin protests in 2011 and 2012 (which an enraged Putin blamed on then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton), the Russian state became even more anti-modern.

For Putin’s regime, the West now represents forces of social, economic and political modernization that could infect Russia. In his speech as he launched the invasion of Ukraine, Putin accused the United States of seeking to destroy Russia’s traditional values and impose new ones on it which directly lead “to degradation and degeneration, because they are contrary to human nature.” For Putin, modernizing Russia would create a more active civil society, greater demands for better health care, more opportunities for ordinary citizens and a less kleptocratic state. And so he advocates a traditional Russia, which celebrates religion, traditional morality, xenophobia and strict gender conformity. What does this all add up to? I am not sure. But it’s fair to say that Russia’s biggest problem is not that it is losing the Ukraine war but rather that it is losing the 21st century.

The Court Did Not “End” Affirmative Action. This Was Just a Skirmish

By George F. Will

In the 231 years since its first ruling, the Supreme Court has never sown more confusion than in the 45 years since it first ruled on the subject of race-based decisions in university admissions.

On Thursday, the court found Harvard and the University of North Carolina guilty of doing what the court’s earlier rulings have repeatedly given universities muddled semi-permission to do: ignore the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of “equal protection of the laws.”

The court did not “end” affirmative action. The court cannot stifle, by minutely policing, academia’s determination to continue administering racial preferences (and hence, necessarily, racial disadvantages). Thursday’s decision usefully affirms the principle of racial neutrality at a moment when public- and private-sector institutions are rejecting it.

But universities will respond to the court’s ruling by adopting more surreptitious and disguised preferences. This will deepen public cynicism about higher education, as its prestige leaks away.

Consider the path the court stumbled along to reach Thursday’s constitutionally correct ruling, one that reveals how unhelpful its prior rulings have been. In Bakke (1978), a fractured court held that in order to survive judicial “strict scrutiny,” racial preferences in admissions must be narrowly tailored to achieve only one permissible “compelling” interest: student body “diversity.”

Until Thursday, the court had flinched from saying that such diversity — as defined by universities, which simply need to assert its benefits — is so important that it justifies ignoring the 14th Amendment. Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr.’s controlling opinion in Bakke said a university should be free

“to make its own judgments as to education,” including “the selection of its student body.” The court thereby made a high principle of deferring to academia’s judgment about the necessity for racialist diversity policies.

This announced judicial deference effectively endorsed racialist policies. And it effectively nullified strict scrutiny. Bakke and subsequent cases actually made higher education the only U.S. enterprise immune from strict scrutiny of racialist policies.

There is a paucity of empirical evidence establishing what kind of diversity produces what kind of improved educational outcomes. Under the regnant ideology in academia, evidence is considered unnecessary. The benefits of (undefined) diversity are assumed. And the court-created “educational benefits” exception to the equal protection guarantee has meant that the diversity rationale for racial preferences is forever.

As Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and the rest of the court should have realized by 2003. Writing for the majority in the Grutter case from the University of Michigan, she said: “We expect that 25 years from now, the use of racial preferences will no longer be necessary to further the interest [in diversity] approved today.” In Bakke and beyond, the court has said racial preferences could not be used to rectify consequences of past discrimination. But the court has not acknowledged the obvious: Because preferences cannot be remedial, they cannot be temporary. The urgency of diversity, however defined, never expires.

Progressives will struggle to ram Thursday’s ruling into their current narrative about the court jeopardizing its legitimacy with rulings counter to majority opinion (e.g., last June’s Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade).

Leave aside the fact that the court, like the Constitution, is not a majoritarian

device. But notice this: Racial preferences starkly divide academia from the public, 74% of which (including majorities of Democrats and Black Americans) opposes them.

To evade Thursday’s ruling, more universities might stop requiring applicants to take standardized tests (SAT/ ACT), instead using opaque “holistic” evaluations to discriminate against Asian Americans. Harvard used such evaluations in the 1920s to cut almost in half the Jewish portion of its enrollment. The New York Times, which supports racial preferences, has, however, reported in December that “many Asian American teenagers” have “for years” downplayed “aspects of their identity or changed their hobbies or interests” in order to seem “less Asian.” Evidence gathered before Thursday’s case reached the Supreme Court indicates that Harvard believed that if admissions were determined objectively, by secondary school transcripts and standardized tests, Harvard would be more than 40% Asian.

During oral argument in October, Harvard’s lawyer said that “for some highly qualified applicants” race can be “the determinative factor,” just as being an oboe player can be if the university’s orchestra needs one. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. tartly responded: “We did not fight a civil war about oboe players. We did fight a civil war to eliminate racial discrimination.” Thursday’s ruling is a helpful skirmish in today’s intensifying struggle against progressives who, in the name of “equity,” seek not elimination but expansion of racial discrimination.

Harvard Undermined Itself on Affirmative Action

By David French

There’s an old saying in the legal profession: Bad facts make bad law. Courts and lawmakers will often react to extreme facts in unhelpful ways, by fashioning rules that are difficult or unjust to apply in more normal circumstances. The war on drugs, for

example, has spawned a host of legal overreactions that have diminished American civil liberties. A perceived crisis can empower a draconian response.

Sometimes, however, bad facts highlight the need for better law. On Thurs -

day, the Supreme Court ruled that, in the case of college admissions, the bad facts of racial discrimination created the necessity of a new standard. The defendant, Harvard University, had repeatedly undermined its own case for race-conscious affirmative action, and the court’s new precedent outlaws racial discrimination in admissions while still preserving the state’s ability to respond to the legacy of past injustice.

To understand why Harvard lost — and why race-based affirmative action in public colleges and federally funded private schools is now unlawful — it’s necessary to understand two key facts about the case. First, the evidence is overwhelming that Harvard actively discriminated against Asian applicants. As Chief Justice John Roberts notes in his majority opinion, a Black student in the fourth-lowest academic decile had a higher chance of admission to Harvard than an Asian student in the top decile.

This discrimination wasn’t unique to Harvard. As Roberts makes clear, the University of North Carolina — which was a defendant in a separate case about its admissions process — also imposed far tougher admission standards on Asian students. Compounding the injustice, Asian Americans were already historically marginalized. As Justice Clarence Thomas details in his concurrence, “Asian Americans can hardly be described as the beneficiaries of historical racial advantages.”

There is no American population that should face discrimination because of its race. But it’s particularly unjust

to target a community for discriminatory treatment that’s been targeted for so much of American history. Asian Americans faced immigration restrictions and segregation. The United States government even interned many of its Japanese American citizens in government camps during World War II.

As if these facts weren’t bad enough, Harvard specifically rejected alternative, race-blind formulations that could have achieved comparable student diversity. As Justice Neil Gorsuch notes in his concurrence, the plaintiffs in the case submitted evidence that “Harvard could nearly replicate the current racial composition of its student body without resorting to race-based practices,” if it gave socioeconomically disadvantaged students just half the advantage it gave recruited athletes and if it eliminated preferences for “the children of donors, alumni, and faculty.”

These advantages “undoubtedly benefit white and wealthy applicants the most,” Gorsuch writes, and perpetuate a system in which Harvard both favored certain classes of predominantly white applicants and discriminated against Asians, a historically disadvantaged minority. These were dreadful facts to defend in court.

Where does this leave the law? The top-line answer is simple, but the consequences are complicated. The court struck down the use of race as a factor in college admissions, but it left in place a number of alternative admissions measures that can both increase diversity and address real injustice. First, as

Thomas explains, “Even today, nothing prevents the states from according an admissions preference to identified victims of discrimination.” In such a case, the preference is related to a specific injustice.

Thomas provided additional examples of acceptable preferences: “If an applicant has less financial means (because of generational inheritance or otherwise), then surely a university may take that into account. If an applicant has medical struggles or a family member with medical concerns, a university may consider that too. What it cannot do is use the applicant’s skin color as a heuristic.”

Again, these are all individualized determinations, but those individualized determinations would still have systemic effects. As Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson eloquently argues in her dissent, “Gulf-sized race-based gaps exist with respect to the health, wealth and well-being of American citizens. They were created in the distant past, but have indisputably been passed down to the present day through the generations.” She is exactly right, but those gulf-sized gaps can be addressed with race-neutral policies targeted at wealth,

income and in some circumstances health.

In other words, because of past injustice, race-neutral policies can have race-disproportionate outcomes without engaging in invidious discrimination against innocent applicants. To treat all economically disadvantaged kids the same, regardless of race, re -

crimination in admissions is no mere theory. There are, in fact, specific examples of state university systems that have managed to become more diverse without engaging in race-based affirmative action. As Thomas notes in his concurrence, both California and Michigan prohibit race-based affirmative action in their public universities, yet state

now almost certainly wiped away. Programs designed specifically around the race of the participants are going to face renewed scrutiny.

Dating from the first university affirmative action case — the Supreme Court’s 1978 decision in University of California v. Bakke — colleges had more than 40 years to fashion benign or benevolent schemes of racial classification. Yet Harvard and UNC both demonstrate that even supposedly benevolent discrimination can look quite malevolent to applicants, in this case Asians in particular, who faced negative double standards because of their race.

sults in both systemic change — Black and Latino youth would benefit disproportionately — and individual fairness. Moreover, by preserving the ability to consider specific accounts of racial discrimination, schools retain the ability to provide advantages to people who’ve confronted concrete acts of racial injustice.

The idea that schools can attain real diversity without engaging in racial dis -

schools in both states have boasted of enrolling extraordinarily diverse classes of students.

The consequences of the Supreme Court’s Harvard decision will reverberate throughout American law. There is no longer any such thing as “good” racial discrimination. There can be redress for actual discriminatory acts, but the idea that race by itself can be utilized as a proxy for achieving social progress is

No one doubts America’s dark history of racial discrimination. No one credibly doubts that racial discrimination continues to this day. But universities can respond to the legacy and reality of discrimination without creating new racial classifications and inflicting new racial harms on a new generation of Americans. There are better ways to achieve justice and fairness than by discriminating against any person because of the color of his or her skin.

© The New York Times

There is no longer any such thing as “good” racial discrimination.

Forgotten Her es Highly Decorated Servicemen

By Avi Heiligman

Throughout American history, men and women have served bravely on the battlefield. That battlefield could be on the beaches of Normandy, the skies over Europe and the Pacific, or on or below the ocean’s surface. There are a few service members who performed bravely time and time again and were awarded many medals and citations for their courageous actions. Medals and citations have evolved since the founding of America, and some awards are different in certain branches of the military. Here are some of the stories behind some of the most decorated service members in American history.

Colonel Jack Treadwell from Alabama earned 30 medals, including the Medal of Honor, during his 33 years in the U.S. Army. He served with the 180th Infantry Regiment, 45 th Division during World War II and as the chief of staff for the American Division in the Vietnam War. He first served in North Africa and was part of the amphibious landings in Sicily. Later, Treadwell saw action at Salerno, Southern France, Alsace and the Rhineland. His awards included the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit with three bronze oak leaf clusters, the Purple Heart with three bronze oak leaf clusters, the Air Medal with the award numeral 13, and the Soldier’s Medal, among other awards and medals.

It was at Nieder-Wurzbach in Germany on March 18, 1945 that Treadwell earned the Medal of Honor. As the commander of Company F, he led his men in attacks along the Siegfried Line against determined German resistance. Enemy fire was coming from several bunkers, pillboxes and other defenses, and Company F was unable to advance as eight men were shot down in the open terrain. Treadwell then sin-

glehandedly ran across the open ground and tossed grenades into the closest pillbox. Four German came out and surrendered, while a fifth German was

Honor for his actions that day.

In addition to the Medal of Honor, Treadwell received the Distinguished Service Cross for action on May 24,

the American lines, and Treadwell was able to stop the attack with his excellent leadership. Hand-to-hand fighting soon broke out, but the Americans under Treadwell repulsed the enemy.

While many service members have earned more medals than Corporal John Pruitt, he is just one of nineteen people in history to have received the Medal of Honor twice. Born in Arkansas, Pruitt joined the United States Marine Corps shortly after the U.S. entered World War I in 1917 and was assigned to the 7 th Company, 6 th Regiment, 2 nd Division. They were soon shipped to France and on October 3, 1918 were at Blanc Mont Ridge. That day, Pruitt singlehandedly took out and captured two German machine guns and continued to fight along the enemy trenches. He soon captured forty enemy soldiers that were in a nearby position. The next day, he succumbed to wounds that he received while sniping at the enemy. Both the army and the navy awarded him the Medal of Honor, and he was awarded three Silver Stars and two Purple Hearts. The navy named a World War II destroyer, the USS Pruitt (DD-347), in his honor.

killed. Treadwell then took six defense positions in this manner and captured a total of eighteen Germans including their commander. The rest of Company F soon overran the rest of the hill and allowed the battalion to make its objectives. Treadwell earned a promotion and later in 1945 was awarded the Medal of

1944. The 180th Infantry Regiment was at Carano, Italy, and Treadwell was a platoon leader at the time. The enemy advanced on their positions. Seeing that two other platoons were without their officers, Treadwell organized a successful defense against the Germans. Enemy troops were beginning to penetrate

The most decorated Jewish serviceman is Sergeant Abraham Todras from Brooklyn. His decorations include the Distinguished Service Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters (the equivalent of three such awards), the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Air Medal with nineteen Oak Leaf Clusters, the Purple Heart with Two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Croix de Guerre and a Presidential Unit Citation. The Brooklyn native was a bombardier in the Army Air Corps when the U.S. entered World War II and went on to serve in several theaters of war. He participated in the Battle of the Coral Sea and was shot down. Todras then crawled through enemy lines after landing on an island and made it safely

Treadwell then singlehandedly ran across the open ground and tossed grenades into the closest pillbox.

back to friendly territory. Todras then fought in the Aleutian Islands and help sink a Japanese destroyer. He was sent to England and parachuted into France prior to D-Day to photograph enemy positions. During D-Day, he flew on a bombing mission but was shot down and taken prisoner. Together with other prisoners, he overwhelmed the German guards and escaped.

There have been many other highly decorated Jewish servicemen including fighter pilot Malcolm Hormats of Troy,

NY, who earned a total of 25 medals and citations. He earned the Distinguished Service Cross for actions in Tunisia. He was “alone and unaided” when he saved a group of eleven Allied bombers from a group of German fighters that unsuccessfully attacked the formation due Hormat’s daring. His radio wasn’t working, and he therefore couldn’t contact the bombers to let them know of the danger. Hormats then flew into the enemy formation with guns and cannons blazing, totally disrupting the attack,

and the bombers remained unharmed.

Hormats flew Spitfires while with the 307 th Fighter Squadron stationed in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. Credited with shooting down at least four enemy planes, including a JU-88 over Salerno, he also flew with the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain. Some of his other awards included the Distinguished Flying Medallion (a British honor), the Croix de Guerre (a French medal), the Purple Heart, the Air Medal with eighteen Oak

Leaf Clusters, and a Presidential Unit Citation.

These medals and decorations are a testament of heroics on the battlefield, and they are rarely talked about today, making them Forgotten Heroes.

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.

Colonel Jack Treadwell

The USS Pruitt President Truman presenting Colonel Treadwell with the Medal of Honor

Corporal John Pruitt

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Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

FAR ROCKAWAY

House for sale by owner. Built 2006, semi-attached, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bath, playroom; great natural light; 3,000 sf, oversized rooms, double closets throughout; MBR suite with en-suite bathroom, vaulted ceiling, and 3 walkin closets; gourmet kosher kitchen, space for entertaining, 2-zone HVAC, deck with permanent sukkah/pergola, 2 add’l balconies, 2-car garage plus 2 private parking spaces, fenced side yard, exclusive beach access, great neighbors.  Original owner, well maintained, many extras. Priced to sell at 929k. Call or WhatsApp 917-882-6438

LAWRENCE

Stunning One of a Kind Mid Century Modern 6 Bedroom, 6.5 Bath, Contemporary Ranch. Resort Style Home on Over an Acre of Property in Back Lawrence. Incredible Views, Regulation Size Tennis Court - Deco Turf. IG-Gunite Pool, Low Taxes, 5318 sq. ft. of Main Floor Living Space. Plus 5000 sq. ft. Basement With Very High Ceilings. Call Mark 516-298-8457 for more details Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457

mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

HOUSES FOR SALE HOUSES FOR SALE

NORTH WOODMERE

Stunning Split , 5 Bedrooms With 3 Full Baths. Custom Features Throughout. Well Maintained Home. Hardwood Floors, Granite Counters in kitchen, Formal Living Room and Dining Room, Den, Full Finished Basement. Relax in the Private Backyard With Inground Pool. SD#14. A must see! Close To All Houses of Worship Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

Beautiful, brick, colonial boasting 5 bdr 3.5 Bth in pristine condition. Excellent location, near all! Move right in! RCUSA 516-512-9626

WOODMERE

Beautiful Hi-Ranch In The Heart of Woodmere Featuring 3 Bedrooms Plus Additional Bedroom On Lower Level With Half Bath. This Easy Living Home Has Huge Windows And The Master Suite Has A Full Bathroom. This Oversized, Airy Galley Eat-InKitchen Offers Sliders To The Wood Deck. Full Finished Lower Level, Beautiful Wood Floors - Sliders To The Patio And Garage Entrance. New roof, New Hot Water Heater - Close To All. Don’t Miss This Opportunity To Make This Your Home! Wont Last - Call For A Private Viewing. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

Charming Colonial on beautiful tree lined street in the heart of Old Woodmere. Home features 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, kitchen, dining area, living room, full basement. Relatively new heating system + hot water tank. Large & beautiful backyard. Great for entertaining. Close to all. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

CEDARHURST JUST LISTED

Magnificent renovated 4 bedroom 3 bathroom in SD#15, new roof, windows, plumbing + electric, gas cooking, new marble bathrooms, marble kitchen with stainless steel appliances, LED lighting, security cameras and speakers throughout the home, custom closets, outdoor patio, 1 car garage, near all. OPEN HOUSE Sunay, July 9 • 12:00-2:00PM 331 PENINSULA BLVD. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

DON’T GET STUCK WITH A TWO STORY HOUSE YA KNOW, IT’S ONE STORY BEFORE YOU BUY IT BUT A SECOND STORY AFTER YOU OWN IT!

Call Dov Herman

For An Accurate Unbiased Home Inspection

Infrared - Termite Inspection

Full Report All Included NYC 718-INSPECT Long Island 516-INSPECT www.nyinspect.com

CEDARHURST

Beautiful, Well-Maintained Colonial In The Heart Of Cedarhurst. 4 Bedroom, 2.5 Baths. Brand New Roof. Eat-In-Kitchen, Formal Living Room & Dining Room. Hardwood Floors Throughout. Low Taxes. Close To All Shopping, Transportation and many Houses of Worship. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

Welcome to this stunning residence situated on a tranquil residential street in Lawrence SD#15. This spacious and flawlessly maintained home boasts 4 to 5 bedrooms. Bright, airy living room with vaulted ceilings, skylights and wet bar. Central air conditioning, elegant quartz countertops, eat-in kitchen, formal dining room, main floor den with fireplace, master bedroom with bathroom snd dressing room, Jacuzzi tub, three other bedrooms and two full bathrooms. Inground sprinklers, lush landscaping, alarm system. Spacious playroom. Two-car garage. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

New to the market. 3 bedroom 2 full bathrooms with a full basement. Ranch home in the heart of Woodmere, SD#15, on a lot sized 90x118, gas heat, garage.

Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

Woodmere just listed 3 bedroom 2 full bathroom hi-ranch in sd #15 with central air-conditioning , gas heat, 2 car garage, eat-in-kitchen, l/r, d/r, den, hardwood floors, minutes to transportation , shopping, and houses of worship Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

HOUSES FOR SALE HOUSES FOR SALE OFFICE FOR RENT

CAN’T AFFORD YOUR PROPERTY TAXES? MORTGAGE?

Must sell for any reason?

Call for FREE Consultation. Call now 212-470-3856

Cash buyers available!

WEST HEMPSTEAD

Introducing a stunning new construction home. Nestled in a picturesque neighborhood. Large windows, open-concept layout that merges the various living spaces. The expansive living room is bathed in natural light, thanks to the windows that offer great views of the surrounding area. Gourmet kitchen with top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances, sleek cabinetry, expansive center island with a breakfast bar. Ample counter space and a welldesigned layout. Wonderful dining area providing. Large glass doors, spacious patio. Luxurious master suite with a spacious bedroom, a lavish ensuite bathroom and a large walk-in closet. Additional bedrooms. High-end finishes, premium flooring, and custom details throughout. Call for pricing Mark Lipner Associate

Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

Spectacular 5 bedroom, 5 bath

renovated home in SD#14 with in-ground pool & pool house, lot size 111 x 107. Formal living room & dining room, magnificent kitchen with SS appliances, tremendous den with fireplace and 4 skylights, vaulted ceiling, LED lighting, master suite, new CAC, new roof. Outside totally redone with Stone and Stucco. Backyard with new pavers, park-like property, sandbox, great home for entertaining. Close to all.

Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@ bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

New to Market! Newly Renovated Balcony Split Located In The Heart of Woodmere! Spacious Layout

Featuring 6 Bedrooms & 3 Full Baths. This Stunning Home Has Everything You Want. This Gorgeous Open Floor Plan, Offers New Roof, New Electric, New Plumbing, Gas Home. Don’t Miss This Opportunity For A Gracious, Airy, Open Layout. Close to All. A Must See!!! Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457

mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

CEDARHURST

FOR

HOUSE

SALE BY OWNER

In the heart of Cedarhurst

(Close to Woodmere , Lirr & Cedarhurst Park)

EIK Kosher Kitchen/ Dr/Lr/Family Room/ Playroom/ 4 Bedrooms,

3 Full Baths/ Basement:

2 Bedrooms, 1 Full Bath, Kitchenette, Separate

Entrance

Asking $1.3m

Whatsapp Text Only: 845-213-0002

No Brokers

LAWRENCE

New to the market Generously sized 1 bedroom 1.5 bathroom coop in an elevator building, with a 24 hour doorman, underground parking, double terrace, central air conditioning, washer/dryer and storage on the floor, eat-in-kitchen, living room and dining room, no steps into the building or to the apartment, minutes from shopping, park, transportation, and houses of worship. $479,000 Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457

mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

New to the market. 4 bedroom, center hall, colonial in SD#15, plus a full finished basement, 2 car garage. Gas, heat, central a/c, kitchen with stainless stell appliances. Granite countertops, formal living room and dining room, main floor den with fireplace, hardwood floors and so much more.

Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457

mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

OFFICE FOR RENT

CEDARHURST – OFFICES FOR LEASE

~200SF Beautifully Renovated $1395 Cedarhurst Ave - Street parkingNear LIRR. Internet and Utilities incl - Mincha minyan

Please text or call at 516-206-1100

OFFICE + PARKING LOT

Inwood - Bayview and Lawrence. Minyan • Available immediately

Call/Text/WA Owner: 516-206-1100

INWOOD

Storefront/Office for LEASE: Renovated. Bayview Ave. corner Lawrence. 600+SF - Available immediately. Minyan Call/Text/WA Owner: 516-206-1100

HOUSE FOR RENT

WOODMERE

just listed - House Rental 6 bedroom residence. Living room with soaring vaulted ceilings and fireplace. Oversized den with fireplace. Family room. Central air conditioning. Five bedrooms on a single level. Close proximity to the railroad, shopping destinations, and houses of worship. Mark Lipner

Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457

mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

APT. FOR RENT

RAMAT BEIT SHEMESH G1

*Available this summer in RBSG1*

5 bedroom/4 bathroom (3 full- 1 half)

1st floor • Building w/ an elevator

Quiet street • Close to bussing (local and to Yerushalayim)

Across the street from a few different Shuls

Walking to G1 Mercaz

Available July 12 - Aug 9 with flexibility

For more info WhatsApp 347-831-5128 or call 053-412-7194

APT./COOP/CONDO SALE

HEWLETT

Totally renovated 1 and 2 Bedroom, Apartments with washer/dryer, kitchen with quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances. Recessed lighting, hardwood floors, storage in basement. Close to RR, shopping, and houses of worship. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457

mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

Classifieds

APT./COOP/CONDO SALE

CEDARHURST

1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, totally renovated private entrance , central air conditioning, hardwood floors, washer/dryer, garage parking, dishwasher, recessed lighting, private playground, close to railroad, park, shopping and houses of worship. Call for more details

Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457  mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

LAWRENCE

Spacious 2BR, 2 Full Bath Apt with an enclosed terrace in the heart of Lawrence. Well maintained & manicured building. New hardwood floors, updated Eat-in Kitchen with gas stove. warming draw, dishwasher & microwave. New windows on the enclosed terrace & one of the bedrooms. 3 New A/C Units & New Refrigerator. Close to shopping, transportation, library, schools, and houses of worship. $339K

284 CENTRAL AVE B-5 Mark Lipner

Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-2988457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

APT./COOP/CONDO SALE APT./COOP/CONDO SALE APT./COOP/CONDO SALE

HEWLETT

3 bedroom 2 bath co-op with central air conditioning, terrace, washer dryer, hardwood floors, recessed lighting, magnificent kitchens, ss appliances, l/r, d/r, close to the railroad, shopping, and houses of worship. $319k

1201 EAST BROADWAY H-23

Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

CEDARHURST

Rental Just listed 3 bedroom, 2 full bathroom apartment with spacious rooms, central air conditioning, underground parking, washer/dryer, hardwood floors, recessed lighting, kitchen with refrigerator , microwave, stove and dishwasher, minutes from shopping, transportation restaurants and houses of worship. Mark Lipner

Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

LAWRENCE

Spacious 2BR, 2 Full Bath Apt with an enclosed terrace in the heart of Lawrence. Well maintained & manicured building. New hardwood floors, updated Eat-in Kitchen with gas stove. warming draw, dishwasher & microwave. New windows on the enclosed terrace & one of the bedrooms. 3 New A/C Units & New Refrigerator. Close to shopping, transportation, library, schools, and houses of worship. $339K Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

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.

NECHAMA IS A HIGH FUNCTIONING

24 Year Old Female that lives in Far Rockaway near Dinsmore Ave, who has experience working with children, is looking for a frum young mother, who lives in Far Rockaway area to provide Com Hab and/or Respite Services for her, in order for this individual to learn how to manage a household i.e., learning cooking skills, organizational skills etc… This individual is available from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm Monday through Thursday, including Sundays. Please email to jobs@hcsny.org

HELP WANTED

CAHAL

is seeking Special Ed Teachers and Assistants for the 2023-24 school year. AM or PM, FT or PT. Small classes in Yeshivas and Bais Yaakovs in 5 Towns and Far Rockaway. Send resume to naomi@cahal.org or call 516-295-3666.

IMMEDIATE OPENING

ELA teaching position for Gr. 5. Mon.-Thurs., afternoon hours. Far Rockaway/5T area. Competitive salary, warm supportive environment. Teachersearch11@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

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

ZAREINU OF FAR ROCKAWAY/

The Five Towns is seeking assistant teachers (P/T and F/T) for small, special education classes, pre1A through Grade 5.  Competitive Salary and warm, supportive environment   For more information, please text 516-316-6633 or email your resume to Info@Zareinu5T.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

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

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

EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER HEAD and Assistant Teachers Needed in Lawrence for Fall, 2023

The Gural JCC Early Childhood Center is hiring Head Teachers and Assistant Teachers for the 2023-2024 school year. 12 month employment is also available. Competitive pay, benefits and pension available to those who qualify. Please send resumes to JCC. Nursery@guraljcc.org or call (516) 239-1354

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.

ZAREINU OF FAR ROCKAWAY/ the Five Towns is seeking a P/T (afternoon)  special education, secular studies teacher for a small, lower elementary school girls’ class for the 2023-24 school year. Competitive salary and warm, supportive environment   For more information, please text 516-316-6633 or email your resume to Info@Zareinu5T.org.

8TH GRADE MATH AND SCIENCE. Yeshiva Darchei Torah Middle School is seeking to hire teachers. We offer an excellent working environment and salary; Monday-Thursday, 2:30-5:30 PM.  Interviews are being held now.  Candidates should have prior teaching experience.

Please send resume to mhorowitz@darchei.org

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.

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!

LOST.

Gold rope chain necklace. Either by Kol Save or Gourmet Glatt parking lots or stores.  On Thursday, 26 Sivan 5783/June 15 2023. Please call 917-776-3636

FOUND

Diamond earring in the Cedarhurst / Woodmere area Call 646-918-4860 or email taxax@aol.com

If you had “Russian uprising” and “Titanic-related disaster” on your 2023 bingo card, congratulations! You’re either a time traveler from the Edwardian Era or very, very prescient. But the news is full of stories that could never have happened 100 years ago. Crypto prices are inching back up, despite the fact that so many promoters are wearing ankle monitors (Sam Bankman-Fried), sitting in jail (Do Kwon), on the lam (Kyle Davies and Su Zhu), or facing subpoenas (pretty much everyone else). And artificial intelligence continues to dominate headlines, especially as more experts warn AI could someday pose an existential threat to human life. Most of that discussion centers on GPT-4, a “multimodal large language model” that resembles what might happen if Google’s autofill got bitten by a radioactive spider.

But AI is still far from infallible. Back in May, two New York lawyers used ChatGPT (an earlier model of GPT-4) to write a brief on behalf of a client suing Avianca. The brief cited more than half a dozen court decisions, including Martinez v. Delta Air Lines , Zicherman v. Korean Air Lines and Varghese v. China Southern Airlines. Unfortunately, none of them were real. ChatGPT had simply made them up. (Oops.) Last week,

AI Fails to Predict… The Future?

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

the judge in the case fined the lawyers $5,000. You already know it’s a bad idea to eat gas station sushi – now you have to worry about ChatGPT lawyers, too!

We’ve touched before on the role that artificial intelligence is likely to play with taxes here. It’s safe to assume that AI will affect how we calculate and pay them going forward in America, even if we don’t yet know how. You could certainly ask ChatGPT, but you probably

47.4%, far less than the student average of 76.7%.) And sophisticated tax planning remains outside of any large language model’s grasp, too.

Here’s why tax preparation and proactive planning are so different. Filing taxes involves compiling specific numbers from various sources like W-2s, 1099s, and K-1s, then adding more numbers from business and personal records, then putting those numbers

shouldn’t trust the answer you get.

There are tasks that computers can do faster, cheaper, and more efficiently than people. Preparing tax returns probably strikes you as work that falls into that category. But broader accounting isn’t there, at least not yet. (In April, a group of accounting professors tested ChatGPT on a collection of 27,000 accounting questions. The chatbot scored

in the right boxes on the right forms. That’s a fully observable, deterministic, static environment. It’s like chess— there’s an enormous quantity of possibilities and decisions, to be sure, but they’re all made within a predictably closed loop.

Proactive tax planning, on the other hand, means taking on the challenge of an open environment. It’s only partial-

ly observable because we don’t know what future tax laws or financial developments will appear. It’s stochastic because it’s random in nature. And it’s dynamic because future actions and circumstances will change the recommended best course of action. For example, deferring tax on 401(k) contributions may be a tax-smart option under today’s rules. But if rates go up tomorrow, deferring that tax may turn out to be an expensive mistake. Today’s news stories sometimes deliver predictable results. You can assume, among other things, that the guy who organized that Russian rebellion will “fall” out a window someday. And they probably ought to pour their own tea from here on out. But don’t assume that AI can replace the value of a good tax planner, any more than it can replace the value of an honest lawyer doing his homework. So call us with your questions before you trust them to ChatGPT! 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.

You already know it’s a bad idea to eat gas station sushi – now you have to worry about ChatGPT lawyers, too!