Five Towns Jewish Home 12.21.23 by The Jewish Home

December 21, 2023

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DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

CLEARANCE

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

Dear Readers,

ver the past ten weeks, we have seen the power of our People, how we have joined together to help each other and support each other. Sadly, it is in this tragedy that we see our similarities; the pain unites us as we reach out to one another. My hope is that our nation will soon join together in the Ultimate joy and that our happiness then will highlight the beauty of our differences that connect us. We have also seen the power of the individual. I have spoken with quite a few people who are instrumental in running certain initiatives that have been put into place the past few weeks. And almost every one of those individuals has told me that when the opportunity presented itself, they jumped in, hoping to at least help in any way that they could. Soon, their efforts produced a giant undertaking, one which they could never have envisioned. One individual, hoping to help in a small way, and ultimately having a giant impact on our nation. But it’s not just that. There are many people who are running large initiatives. And then there are others, who are doing their own part, putting in their own efforts,

and creating ripples in that way. I know of someone who, on her own, is providing groups of girls who have been displaced from their homes with daily activities. I know of someone else who, on Thursday nights, has been making cholent and kugel for families who have been displaced from their homes, helping to bring in Shabbos with inspiration and song. And there are so many others who are davening and saying Tehillim and creating zechusim for our brothers and sisters being held captive and on the frontlines. Sometimes, we may wonder: it’s just me. I am only one person. What can I do? But there is so much we can do. So much we were put in this world to do. We just have to seize the moment – or even create the opportunity – and put in our efforts. And we need to remember: we’re not in this alone. Klal Yisroel is one being, one entity. When each person does their part, we are completing our job in this giant, mystical mission that our nation has been tasked with. B’yachad n’natzeach. Together, we will win. Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

Yitzy Halpern, PUBLISHER

publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Yosef Feinerman, MANAGING EDITOR ads@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Shoshana Soroka, EDITOR

editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Nate Davis Editorial Assistant Nechama Wein Copy Editor Rachel Bergida Shana Brecher Lani White Design & Production Gabe Solomon Distribution & Logistics P.O. BOX 266 Lawrence, NY 11559 Phone | 516-734-0858 Fax | 516-734-0857 Classified Deadline: Monday 5:00PM classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com text 443-929-4003 PAYMENT VIA CREDIT CARD MUST BE SUBMITTED ALONG WITH CLASSIFIED ADS The Jewish Home is an independent weekly magazine. Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily the opinions of the publisher or editor. The Jewish Home is not responsible for typographical errors, or for the kashrus of any product or business advertised within. The Jewish Home contains words of Torah. Please treat accordingly.

Shabbos Zemanim

Weekly Weather | December 22 – December 28

Friday, December 22 Parshas Vayigash

Partly Cloudy

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Candle Lighting: 4:13 pm Shabbos Ends: 5:18 pm Rabbeinu Tam: 5:45 pm

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

COMMUNITY Readers’ Poll

Community Happenings

NEWS Global

National

32 That’s Odd

ISRAEL Israel News

On the Same Page by Barbara Deutsch 88 A Special Protection

Standing Up To the American Colossus by Caroline B. Glick 92

Take That, Thomas Friedman!by Rafael Medoff

117

JEWISH THOUGHT Rabbi Wein on the Parsha

A Higher Dimension by Rav Moshe Weinberger

Jewish Leadership by Rabbi Shmuel Reichman

Delving into the Daf by Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

Headlines and Halacha by Rabbi Yair Hoffman

PEOPLE Inspiration Nation

IDF Units Protecting the Jewish Nation by Avi Heiligman

118

HEALTH & FITNESS Fat-Soluble & Water-Soluble Vitamins by Tehila Soskel, RDN, CDN

104

FOOD & LEISURE The Aussie Gourmet: Tahini Chilean Sea Bass

107

LIFESTYLES

106

Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW

Parenting Pearls

100

School of Thought

102

JWOW!

106

Mind Your Business

108

Your Money

126

“Weather” You Like It or Not by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

all ages. Eating disorders can be complex and painful, impacting both genders, all ages, with ramifications for the entire family dynamic. In my own research many years ago into eating disorders, I had chanced upon a novel approach. Please forgive me; I no longer recall the source. It had been wisely suggested that we view our bodies in terms of function, not form. Do our legs work well, enabling us to walk down the street, easily do our errands, whilst enjoying the fresh air and sunshine? Can we join in the joyous dancing at family simchas? How can we not love our legs! Are we snuggling our babies within our arms, children/grandchildren, holding them tight, tight, perhaps balancing them on our hips? How could we not appreciate our arms and our hips! It’s all a matter of reframing. Especially as the years swiftly fly by, and we are thankfully still able to function well, how grateful we must be, every minute of every day. Truthfully, at every age, at every stage, we must be grateful when all works well, when all body parts function properly. We dare not take anything for granted. Remember, function, not form, that’s the key! Hodu l’Hashem ki tov! Kudos to Dr. Forta for tackling such an important issue! Hatzlacha rabbah in your crucial work! Miriam Liebermann, MSW

Dear Editor, I greatly appreciate last week’s article discussing Dr. Marcy Forta and her Atzmi program, doing her utmost to cultivate a positive body image for our young women. This is actually a relevant issue for women of all ages, and even for men of

Dear Editor, I read Dr. Marcy Forta’s article on raising children with a positive body image with interest. I think the most important point that Dr. Forta touched upon was that our girls will feel more confident Continued on page 10

127

HUMOR Centerfold

Dear Editor, What image should we conjure up to guide our daily lives? Noted writer David Sacks addresses this issue with wondrous Torah observations on Bereishis. Bereishis contains many references to dreams and images, maybe the famous one being of Yosef seeing the image of his father. But it goes deeper. Yaakov dreamt a dream of angels going up and down a ladder from the Heavens to earth. Sacks explains that the angels were confirming if, in fact, Yaakov’s image up high, on the Kisei HaKavod, matched his image down below, on earth. Amazingly, both images matched, equally holy, an astonishing reality for the angels to see. This, Sacks explains, is what it meant when the angel said to Avraham by the Akeidah, “Avraham, Avraham.” It was a declaration by the angel that now the Avraham of Above matched the Avraham of Below. Sacks applies this to our lives. Out of the five parts of our soul, the highest parts, chaya and yechida, are in Shamayim. We want to match our parts of the soul down below, the nefesh, ruach and neshama, to our chaya and yechida parts Above. If we approach everything with the goal of keeping our earthly soul in tune with our Heavenly one, we can live a hallowed life. Steven Genack

POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes

110

Cheering Hamas on Campus, Some Too Uneducated to Grasp How Grotesque That Is by George F. Will

114

A Compromise on the Border by Marc A. Thiessen

116

CLASSIFIEDS

120

How often do you eat takeout/ food from restaurants?

47 38 15 %

Once a week

Barely ever

Once a month

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

Continued from page 8

and comfortable with their bodies if we, the adults in their lives, project feelings of confidence and contentment with our bodies. Comments such as, “I feel so fat” or “I ate like a pig last night” are so harmful. Our children need to see we have a healthful relationship with food. Food is not the enemy. It is a vehicle to provide nourishment to our bodies that we use and need to become our ultimate selves. Sometimes, we may eat too much or maybe eat something not too healthy. That’s OK! It’s our reaction to what we ate that can be the problem. Project the image to your children that it’s OK to eat doughnuts on Chanukah – enjoy them! It’s OK and healthy to enjoy your food. Hashem gave you delicious tastes and smells so you can enjoy His world. If we, as parents, model a positive view of our bodies, our children will develop the confidence and comfortableness with their bodies as well. Leah R. Dear Editor, As many of you know, George Santos is no longer the Congressional representative of the 3rd district of New York. An upcoming special election will be held to see who will take over Santos’ seat. For those who live in the district, it’s important that you vote! Yes, every vote counts, especially in these smaller elections. And for those of you who are not aware, Mazi Melesa Pilip will be running on the Republican ticket. We have all seen how Mazi has been a vocal supporter of our community in her position as legislator in the Great Neck area. She backs Republican values and is a strong woman who can deliver results in Congress.

Do not underestimate this powerhouse; she will be a great representative for our community. She understands our community and its values. We need Mazi in Congress. A Loyal Fan Dear Editor, My wife and I were shocked when we went to PTA last week. Our child had been coming home since the beginning of the year with good grades. We never thought that there was anything wrong. We never heard from the teacher or rebbi. Now, four months into the year, when we went to PTA, the teacher blasted our son and told us that he consistently gets kicked out at least once a week to go to the principal to “cool off.” Why am I just hearing about this now? If the teacher is having a problem, then we need to know right away. There is no reason to hide this stuff – and then to bring it out at PTA. Why? If you wanted to fix the situation, you could have called us, and we would have addressed the issue earlier. Now, months later, it’s almost as if it’s become routine for my son to get kicked out. And what about his self-esteem?? It can’t be a good feeling to think that he’s not wanted in class so many times. And what about the principal? If you are seeing my son even once, you should call us to let us know what is going on. I am so steamed right now – at the teacher and at the school. I always heard that chinuch is about a partnership between parents and teachers. Now, I see that there’s no communication or connection. Really bad. Something must be done. A Reader

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Week In News

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

Volcano Erupts in Iceland

destroyed 400 homes. In the first two hours of the eruption on Monday night, hundreds of cubic meters of lava were being released per second, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office. But the eruption’s intensity, and the level of seismic activity in the area, had decreased by early Tuesday, with lava spreading laterally from either side of the newly opened fissures. Iceland is home to 32 active volcanoes.

Putin 2024

Weeks after activity from the volcano was detected and a nearby town was evacuated, a volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland erupted. The eruption sent bursts of lava into the air as plumes of smoke dusted the sky. It occurred on Monday evening. The fissure had formed underground last month, stretching 15 kilometers long, with magma entering into a crack beneath the surface, according to Rikke Pedersen, a scientist and center leader at the Nordic Volcanological Center. On Monday, that fissure reached the surface, with magma flowing from a 4-kilometer-long fracture. This is the fourth eruption in the area since 2021 and the largest so far, noted the Icelandic government. For now, the area is closed to visitors, although scientists will be working to assess the situation. Police also advised that people need to be “aware that gas emitted from it can be dangerous.” When the underground magma tunnel formed in November, an evacuation order was issued for Grindavík and nearby settlements preventing residents from staying in their homes overnight as the threat of a volcanic eruption loomed. There are no residents or visitors in the town now, an area popular due to its proximity to the famous Blue Lagoon geothermal spa. Last month, the country’s Civil Protection Agency warned: “It is clear that we are dealing with events that we Icelanders have not experienced before, at least not since the eruption in Vestmannaeyjar,” referencing a 1973 eruption that began without warning and

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Friday that he will be running for reelection in the upcoming March 2024 race. With over two decades of experience as leader of Russia – as president and prime minister – Putin could spend another decade in office if his reelection bid proves successful. If Putin is victorious, March 17, 2024, the day of the election, will mark his fifth term as president, and he will be able to stay in office until 2030, at which point he will be eligible to run for one more term, which, if won, would place the Russian leader in power until 2036, at which point he will be 84 years old. The competition will likely be no match for the incumbent, as anyone who poses a serious threat to Putin can face significant punishment in the form of imprisonment, exile, or even death. Having worked as a spy for sixteen years, Putin rose to power in 1999 when he became acting prime minister. A day before the year’s end, Boris Yeltsin, who was president at the time, stepped down, appointing Putin as president in his place. Putin’s presidency ended in 2008 after he was not permitted to run again due to having served two four-year terms. In his place was Dmitry Medvedev, whom Putin endorsed, and Putin became prime minister once again. Putin served as prime minister until 2012, at which point he returned to the presidency and has not left since. In 2021, he enacted a law that allowed him to seek two more six-year terms as president.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

Extinguishing the Light

Grzegorz Braun of the Confederation party in Poland used a fire extinguisher on Tuesday last week to douse the flames of a lit Chanukah menorah in the Polish parliament. The holiday event had been held by members of the Jewish community, who had come to parliament by invitation from speaker Szymon Holownia. Braun is seen in video of the event taking a fire extinguisher and walking across the lobby of parliament and then extinguishing the flames of the menorah with the device. The white cloud emitting from the extinguisher covered people in the vicinity and forced security guards to rush people out of the area. Afterwards, Braun took to the podi-

um in the chamber where he described Chanukah as “satanic” and said he was restoring “normality.” Asked just after the incident if he was ashamed, Braun replied, “Those who take part in acts of satanic worship should be ashamed.” Magdalena Gudzinska-Adamczyk was present at the scene and footage showed her challenging Braun as he extinguished the candles. “I feel very short of breath and have trouble speaking,” she told TVN24, her face covered in white powder. “I have stopped feeling safe in this country.” Holownia excluded Braun from the sitting of parliament ahead of a confidence vote in newly appointed pro-EU Prime Minister Donald Tusk and said he would inform prosecutors about his actions. He later said that Braun would lose half of his salary for three months and all parliamentary expenses for six months. “There will be no tolerance for racism, xenophobia, antisemitism … as long as I am the speaker of parliament,” Holownia declared. Braun, who has previously caused a ruckus by approaching and shouting at lawmakers as they address parliament, left the chamber, shaking hands with

other far-right lawmakers. Poland’s Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich said that Braun’s actions were not representative of the country and that he was “embarrassed” by them. “Someone extinguished the Chanukah candles, and a few minutes later we relit them,” he said. “For thousands of years, our enemies have been trying to extinguish us, from the time of the Maccabees right through to Hamas. But our enemies should learn, they cannot extinguish us.” On Thursday night, the eighth night of Chanukah, Chabad of Poland returned to the parliament building for another menorah lighting ceremony. This was the first time the menorah has been lit in parliament twice in one year. Thursday’s lighting was attended by members of parliament and the country’s Jewish community and included a special appearance by Poland’s President Andrzej Duda. Rabbi Shalom Ber Stambler, Chabad of Poland’s director, said, “As we all know and have recently been reminded of the darkness of antisemitism. Be it the October 7 pogrom in Israel, which saw innocent civilians attacked on one of the holiest days in the Jewish calen-

dar, brutally murdered…tortured and taken captive, or events closer to home in Europe and in this very room itself. So tonight, as we light the menorah in this room for its 18th time [in history], let’s spread the light of religious tolerance, let’s stand together as one Poland united against antisemitism in every place, and let’s celebrate life and the continuity of the Jewish community of Poland,” he said.

Fatal Earthquake in China

At least 127 people were killed on Monday in Gansu province in China after a strong earthquake and a series of aftershocks hit the region. Sadly, many people are still buried under the rubble in the area in the mountainous Tibetan Plateau.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

The magnitude-6.2 earthquake hit Jishishan County in Gansu province before midnight on Monday, and also jolted the neighboring province of Qinghai. Tremors lasted for about 20 seconds, according to the state-run CCTV, and were felt in the city of Lanzhou in Gansu, 65 miles from the epicenter. Rescue operations were underway throughout the night, with freezing temperatures hampering rescue efforts. More than 4,000 firefighters, soldiers and police officers were sent to the affected areas to help with search and rescue. Nine aftershocks with magnitude-3.0 or higher were recorded by Tuesday morning. Earthquakes are common in the region, where seven earthquakes with magnitude-5.0 or higher have been registered since 1900. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an “all-out” effort to save people, according to the Xinhua news agency. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army and the People’s Armed Police Force will also be carrying out relief work.

Belgian Railway Profited from Holocaust

The Belgian national railway company earned the equivalent of millions of dollars for deporting nearly 25,000 Jews and Roma, as well as forced laborers and members of the resistance, to Nazi concentration camps during World War II, a report has found. From 1942 to 1944, the Belgian railway sent 28 trains carrying 25,843 Jews and Roma people to Auschwitz; most were killed on arrival, and only 1,195 survived, according to the report, which was compiled by a war research center attached to the State Archives of Belgium. Doing the bidding of the Nazis, the railway also sent more than 16,000 political prisoners to camps and prisons such

as Buchenwald, the report found. It noted that the rail company had been paid 51 million Belgian francs for the transports, equivalent to several million dollars today. “The fact that the national railway company was responsible for the deportations of Jews and Roma and also other victim groups was something we already knew, but our knowledge was very superficial,” said Nico Wouters, author of the report and director of the war research center. “There was no in-depth investigation into the how or why, the context or if there was any protest. We now have the full story.” The report was commissioned by Belgium’s Senate, the upper house of the country’s Parliament, in 2022. The findings were presented December 8. The railway, known by its French initials, SNCB, was established in 1926. It functioned as a “semi-governmental” autonomous company, although its main client was the Belgian state. During World War II, it continued to operate autonomously while Belgium was occupied by the Nazis. In a written statement, the company said, “The SNCB has always fully subscribed to ensuring that all light can be shed on the role of the Belgian railways

at the time in the deportations.” The railway “will now take note of the study and follow up,” the company added, although it did not immediately say what further action might be taken. Gideon Taylor, president of the World Jewish Restitution Organization, which advocates compensation for Holocaust victims, said that the Belgian report was part of a larger effort by Western European governments to reckon with a dark history. “The fact that it was commissioned by the Parliament is very important,” Taylor said. “It’s a sign that this is something that Belgium wants to address.” (© The New York Times)

Kuwait Monarch Dies The Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, died at age 86 after ruling the Gulf state for three years. He had been hospitalized in November. Sheikh Nawaf was defense minister during one of the biggest crises in Kuwaiti history, when Iraq invaded in 1990, triggering what became known as

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

the Gulf War. During his long career, he also served in government positions including Interior Minister and Minister of Social Affairs.

day holiday after the Sheikh’s death. Kuwait has been ruled by a constitutional monarchy since gaining its independence from Britain in 1961. It is home to more than 4.2 million people and has the world’s sixth-largest oil reserves.

AzerbaijanArmenia Peace Al-Sabah was named Crown Prince Deal in 2006 – a position he held for 14 years, becoming an influential figure in the country’s decision-making process. He was sworn in as Emir in September 2020, following the death of Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who died at the age of 91 after ruling the Gulf state for 14 years. Following an emergency Cabinet meeting, the Kuwaiti government announced Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, 83, as the new Emir of Kuwait on Saturday. Al-Sabah has been Kuwait’s de facto ruler since 2021, amid the Emir’s ailing health. The country will be observing 40 days of mourning, as well as a three-

For thirty years, Azerbaijan and Armenia have fought for control over Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed region in the South Caucasus. Although internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory, Armenia has, for dozens of years, had possession over the land. The conflict between the two neighboring countries has sparked two wars and many futile at-

tempts by international parties to mediate a peace deal. Now, peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia might just be one step away, as the two countries have agreed to work on a permanent treaty, starting with a prisoner trade deal which will see the release of thirty-two Armenian war prisoners in exchange for two captured Azerbaijani military officials. “The Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan share the view that there is a historical chance to achieve a long-awaited peace in the region. Two countries reconfirm their intention to normalize relations and to reach the peace treaty on the basis of respect for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity,” read a joint statement. “An agreement has been reached on taking tangible steps towards building confidence between two countries.” Matthew Miller, spokesman for the U.S. Department of State, praised the president of Azerbaijan and the prime minister of Armenia, who met with one another in the lead-up to this announcement, for their progress in working towards sustainable peace in the region. The United States has been among several countries to attempt to mediate the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. European Council President Charles Michel hailed the prospect of peace in the region and urged the two sides to “finalize the … peace deal ASAP.” Earlier in 2023, Armenia capitulated under international pressure, thus recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh to be the territory of Azerbaijan, who had, in a quick 24-hour attack, taken over the region last September. However, there still remains a dispute over how or by whom the long-disputed territory should be governed. Armenia has announced that it will be forfeiting its run as host of the COP29 climate summit and has encouraged other countries to vote for Azerbaijan. Up until Thursday, the two countries had been preventing each other from running for the position.

Epic Train Crash in China Hundreds of commuters, dozens of them with fractured bones, were sent to the hospital in Beijing last Thursday after two trains collided on a busy metro line during snowy conditions, the city’s transportation authority said. The collision took place during rush hour on the Changping subway line ex-

tending to the northwest of the Chinese capital. One train tried to stop because of slippery tracks in the snow. The other train, which was behind it, crashed into the first train. Authorities are saying the crash was caused by a malfunction related to signal and emergency braking due to weather conditions.

“The latter train was in a downhill section, and the snowy weather caused it to slide and failed to brake effectively, causing a rear-end collision with the one in front,” the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport said. Five hundred fifteen people were taken to the hospital for examination, with 102 of them found to have fractures. Thankfully, no one died in the crash.

Cardinal Sentenced to Prison

A Vatican criminal court on Saturday sentenced Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, once one of the church’s most powerful Vatican officials, to 5½ years in prison for financial crimes, a high-profile case that raised questions about the prevalence of financial malfeasance and incompetence at the highest levels of the church. The conviction was a steep fall from grace for an official who had served years ago as Pope Francis’ chief of staff. For some, it cast a shadow over Francis’ pontificate, while for others, it showed his commitment to getting the church’s financial house in order. But for many, the trial — which lasted years and brushed up against many of the church’s top officials and players, including Francis himself — raised as many questions about the Vatican’s judicial system, the competence of its officials, and

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

thority in a kind of ad hoc way that rides roughshod over not only tradition, but also, well, human rights, basically.” In the long run, Allen said the trial would be remembered not for the convictions, but for the way it started a “great debate about Francis.” (© The New York Times)

Prison For Thai Monarchy Critic

the pope’s style of governance as it did about what crime Becciu actually committed. Francis changed Vatican law to allow Becciu to stand trial in a Vatican criminal court — the first cardinal ever to do so — rather than allowing him to be tried by a court of his cardinal peers. The various charges in the case, which also involved nine other defendants, included fraud, embezzlement, abuse of office, money laundering and extortion,

and mostly centered on a London real estate deal in which the Vatican lost millions of euros. Becciu was convicted of embezzlement and fraud and was acquitted of several other charges. After the verdict was read, his lawyer, Fabio Viglione, said his client stood by his innocence and would “certainly appeal.” One of the nine defendants was acquitted on all charges; the others were each convicted on some counts and ac-

quitted on others. John Allen, editor of the Catholic news site Crux, said the case was “like a tale of two narratives.” Allies and supporters have been depicting the trial as being about “Francis the great reformer, promoting a new culture of accountability and transparency in the Vatican,” he said, while “competing with that is the dictator-pope narrative, which is that this is about Francis exercising arbitrary, and, in some ways virtually unlimited, au-

Thai citizens who speak badly of the country’s royal family can get themselves into a lot of trouble. One who violates the Southeast Asian country’s harsh rules against lese majeste, or criticism of the King, Queen, or presumptive heir, can be sentenced to up to fifteen years in jail for their crimes. Rukchanok Srinork, a 29-year-old progressive lawmaker, was sentenced to six years in prison on Wednesday for having made two posts in 2020 on, what was at the time, Twitter, in which she allegedly criticized Thailand’s monarchy. In the first post, she spoke badly of the government’s acquisition of the Covid-19 vaccine, mentioning a pharmaceutical company that has connections to the King of Thailand, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), a group that gives legal assistance to those wrongfully arrested in Thailand. The second tweet was a repost of an image from a 2020 protest. In addition to her lese majeste conviction, Rukchanok was also found guilty by the Criminal Court of Thailand of violating the Computer Crimes Act. Rukchanok, who became a politician in 2023 after spending years as an activist campaigning against ex-general Prayut Chano-cha’s former junta government, was set free on bail, after which she made a Facebook post, announcing that she had resumed her job in parliament and would “like to be the voice for all 112 defendants to be granted bail.” Hundreds of others have been jailed for allegedly defaming the monarchy, and since July 2020, nearly two thousand people have faced charges for speaking out against the government in general.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

Rukchanok is a parliament member from the progressive opposition party Move Forward. In the country’s election last May, her party secured the most seats but was blocked from forming a government due to the party’s proposal to change the country’s lese majeste rules.

Red Cross Won’t Help

In meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, President Mirjana Spoljaric Egger of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) made one thing clear: her organization will resist placing pressure on Hamas. In Gaza, there remains 135 people who were abducted by Hamas from Israel on October 7, over two months ago. Many hostages have medical conditions which require them to take medications and many others have been injured while in captivity, thus prompting Israel to urge the Red Cross to visit and provide medical assistance to the abductees. The international organization has, however, asserted that it will be impossible for them to visit hostages. Spoljaric has publicly rejected the idea of placing pressure on Hamas to allow for such visits during her meetings in Israel with Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, Health Minister Uriel Busso, and the families of some of the abductees. “You have every avenue, every right, and every expectation to place public pressure [on] Hamas,” said Netanyahu to the Red Cross president. “It is not going to work because the more public pressure we seemingly would do, the more they will shut the door,” she

responded to the premier. “I’m not sure about that. Why don’t you try?” Netanyahu urged. At the meeting, the prime minister brought along a box with “medication and first aid for the hostages,” and he insisted that Spoljaric’s organization make sure that the box gets to the hostages. He went on to express his gratitude to the Red Cross before voicing his dissatisfaction with the way the agency is handling the hostage situation. Many officials from the Red Cross have asserted that they will be unable to free the abductees unless they remain objective in this conflict, resisting the urge to point a finger at Hamas. Additionally, the organization has done little to differentiate between the actions of the terrorist organization which deliberately slaughtered over 1,200 innocent people on October 7, and Israel, which has taken every measure possible to prevent civilian casualties in Gaza. After meeting with Netanyahu, Spoljaric’s office posted on X that the “ICRC must be granted permission, with practical details agreed between the parties, for visits to take place.” “I reiterate: hostages must be released – immediately,” the Red Cross president added without mentioning or addressing Hamas by name. “The Red Cross has no right to exist if it does not reach [the hostages], determine their condition, and provide them with medical treatment and medications,” Cohen said after meeting with Spoljaric. “Every day that passes is another failure for the Red Cross.”

Israel Floods Hamas Tunnels

As part of Israel’s ground offensive, the Jewish state has decided to pour seawater into underground tunnels in Gaza in an attempt to get rid of the large

Did you know? The sun is the largest object in our solar system.

number of high-ranking Hamas officials who hide beneath the feet of Gaza’s two million civilians. On Tuesday, December 12, the Wall Street Journal reported that the tunnel flooding had begun, and two days later, The Times of Israel was told by Israeli officials that the operation was successful. In response to questions on Thursday, December 14, concerning the Israeli flooding operation, senior Hamas representative Osama Hamdan claimed that the tunnels were constructed well enough to remain undamaged after such measures. News of this operation has prompted concern on both sides of the conflict, with Israeli and Palestinian supporters raising questions about what side effects the flooding may have. Some are concerned about what might happen if there are hostages in the submerged tunnels, while others worry about what the flooding might do to Gaza’s soil, seawater, and ground. IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari assured the public on Thursday that the hostages will not be hurt in this operation, as Israel has taken measures to avoid the places where the abductees are said to be. “With regard to the flooding of the tunnels… There [are] assertions being made that there [are] no hostages in any of these tunnels, but I don’t know that for a fact,” President Biden questioned on Tuesday. Since the ground offensive began, over 800 tunnels have been uncovered by the IDF in the Gaza Strip, about 500 of which have been eliminated, the military said last week. The IDF reportedly brought five big water pumps to Gaza City’s Shati refugee camp. In just weeks, thousands of cubic meters of water can be pumped into the tunnels each hour. Along with seawater, the Israeli army will be utilizing other weapons for destroying the tunnels, including dogs, robots, drones, and airstrikes. “In the Hamas tunnels, the troops planted explosives… We identified the terrorists with a camera and killed several terrorists in this incident,” said Hagari. “Hamas terrorists, especially its senior members, choose to hide underground. This is the Hamas method of operating, hiding while using the civilians above them as human shields.” He added, “We will enter, plant explosives in the areas where the terrorists are, and we will wait for the right moment to kill them underground. The terrorists will not be safe underground.”

Most Palestinians Support Hamas

Over 1,200 Palestinians were surveyed by Khalil Shikaki, a Palestinian researcher, over the past few weeks. The results of the poll were released on Wednesday, December 13, and reveal a significant surge in support for Hamas, with the vast majority denouncing Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. According to the poll, which was conducted in the West Bank and Gaza, about 90% of respondents believe Abbas should step down. 82% of those in the West Bank believe Hamas was “correct” in murdering 1,200 Israelis, kidnapping 240 others, and maiming and displacing thousands more on October 7, while 57% of Gazans support the terrorist group’s actions. Most of the Palestinians who support the massacre assert that Hamas invaded southern Israel as a means to protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque from being taken over by Jews. A meager 10% accuse Hamas of war crimes. Most of those who responded admitted that they had not watched footage of the attacks. The poll was carried out from November 22 to December 2, with a total of 1,231 Palestinians being surveyed during that time. According to Shikaki, this survey has an error margin of 4%, as opposed to the standard 3% error in years past, due to displacement in the Gaza Strip; only people in central and southern Gaza were able to participate in the poll, while those in the north could not. According to Shikaki, two of Abbas’ greatest rivals in an upcoming election could be Marwan Barghouti, an important member of the Fatah movement, who is currently in an Israeli jail for his involvement in orchestrating major acts of terrorism as part of the Second Intifada, and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who lives in Qatar. Shikaki added that if either Barghouti or Haniyeh were to run against Abbas, they would both defeat him, and if there were a three-way election, Barghouti would likely beat out Haniyeh by only a small margin. Among those polled in the West Bank, 92% want Abbas out, and 60% have said that the PA’s reign should come to an end. In the West Bank, 44%

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

are in favor of Hamas, while in Gaza, 42% support them. These results pose a difficulty to the United States which wants to see the Palestinian Authority take over Gaza so that a Palestinian state can be established in the aftermath of the Israel-Hamas war. But with the majority of Palestinians rejecting the PA, and with rising support for the Hamas terror group, a future in which Gazans can be led by a government other than a terror group seems far away.

Hamas Used Hospital as Military Facility

In footage published Tuesday by the Shin Bet and IDF, the director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan hospital in Jabaliya

revealed in a Shin Bet interrogation that his northern Gaza hospital was turned into a military facility under Hamas’s control, and that at one point, it had housed a kidnapped soldier. According to hospital director Ahmed Kahlot, who said he has been a lieutenant colonel in Hamas since 2010, 16 members of the hospital’s staff — including doctors, nurses and paramedics — were Hamas operatives serving in the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the terror organization. Several members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades were also employed in the hospital. On December 12, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry said that Israeli forces had entered the Kamal Adwan hospital. Over the course of several days, IDF troops detained some 90 operatives inside the hospital and seized numerous weapons. Some of those arrested at the hospital had participated in the October 7 massacres. Asked about Hamas operations inside the hospital complex, Kahlot revealed that one Hamas leader and two senior officials had offices inside the hospital. “There are places for senior officials. They also brought a kidnapped soldier there,” he said. “There is a designated

space for interrogations, internal security, and special security. They all have private phone lines within the hospital.” He added, “They hide in hospitals because they believe that hospitals are a safe place,” Kahlot told the Shin Bet interrogator. “They will not be harmed if they are inside a hospital.” Asked what he thinks about Hamas now, after two and a half months of war, Kahlot was critical of the terrorist organization. “The leaders of Hamas are cowards,” he said. “They left us in the field while they’re hiding in concealed places. They destroyed us.” On Tuesday, troops of the Combat Engineering Corps’ elite Yahalom unit discovered an explosive device hidden inside a health clinic in Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood, the IDF said. Also in Shejaiya, the IDF said troops of the Bislamach Brigade located many weapons belonging to Hamas operatives.

Preparing for the Worst

The Israel Defense Forces this week carried out a drill simulating an Oct. 7-style attack in Judea and Samaria and northern border communities, according to Israeli media reports. The exercise was one of various scenarios the IDF is preparing for in Judea and Samaria following the invasion by Hamas terrorists from the Gaza Strip, in which 1,200 mostly civilians were murdered, thousands more were wounded, and 240 people were kidnapped. Palestinian terrorists in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley have escalated their campaign against Israeli civilians and security forces in the wake of Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre in the northwestern Negev, data published by Channel 14 News on December 11 shows. In the nine weeks since Hamas launched its cross-border attack from the Gaza Strip, the broadcaster counted 1,388 attacks in Judea and Samaria, including 569 stonings, 287 attacks with explosives, 143 fire-bombings and 70 shootings. Three Israelis—a civilian, a soldier and a Border Police officer—have been murdered in Judea and Samaria since

Oct. 7. In addition, at least 52 Israelis sustained injuries, according to Channel 14. At least 15 members of the security forces were wounded during counterterrorism raids in Judea and Samaria, while one Israeli was moderately injured as he neutralized a Palestinian terrorist. Since the beginning of the war, 2,200 terror suspects have been arrested throughout Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley, 1,190 of whom are associated with Hamas. (JNS)

A Massive Hamas Tunnel

On Sunday, the IDF revealed the largest-ever Hamas attack tunnel to have been discovered by the Israeli military. The tunnel is located in the northern Gaza Strip, close to the Erez border crossing. The IDF has uncovered around 2.5 miles of the tunnel. It goes 165 feet underground in some areas, with parts large enough for vehicles to pass through. One of the shafts was found just 400 meters (a quarter mile) from the Erez Crossing, which until Hamas’s October 7 onslaught facilitated the movement of Palestinian civilians into Israel for work and medical care. The IDF said that over the last few weeks, the Combat Engineering Corps’ elite Yahalom unit and the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade used “advanced intelligence and technological means” to uncover the “strategic” tunnel network, scan it and clear it of any potential threats. This was no ordinary tunnel, with several branches and junctions and operating plumbing, electricity, and communication lines. There were also blast doors in the tunnel, which could have been used to prevent the IDF from entering. “Its width indicates that it was intended to have been used for vehicle-borne raids against civilians in the Gaza border communities,” said the commander of the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade, Col. Haim Cohen.

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

Hamas has used the tunnel to perpetrate attacks against IDF troops. Several days ago, several Hamas gunmen were killed inside the tunnel. According to the IDF, the construction of the tunnel involved a team of dozens of Hamas terrorists “who came especially for its construction from Khan Younis [in the southern Gaza Strip] to the north of the Gaza Strip.” The tunnel project was led by Muhammad Sinwar, the commander of Hamas’s southern brigade and brother of Hamas’s Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar. It was built with tunnel-boring machines that had been smuggled into Gaza. “Since the beginning of the war, as well as during these days, the IDF has been working to locate and destroy dozens of attack tunnel routes, as part of the systematic dismantling of Hamas infrastructure,” the IDF said. Last week, the IDF announced that soldiers had discovered more than 800 tunnel shafts in the Strip since the beginning of the ground offensive targeting Hamas that began in late October, with more than 500 of which had already been destroyed.

Hamas Money Man Killed

Subhi Ferwana and his brother helped to transfer tens of millions of dollars to benefit Hamas by funneling the money through their company. This week, the IDF said that Ferwana was killed by an IDF airstrike in Gaza. The money the brothers funneled was used for terrorists’ salaries and the buildup of military equipment, among other things. They did this by laundering the money through their company, Hamsat. “The ability of Hamas’s military wing to fight depends on the funds transferred to it through money changers,” the IDF statement read. “Without them, its ability is significantly impaired.” Ferwana is not the only person helping Hamas to obtain funds. The terrorist

organization uses financiers and money changers to acquire funds from all over the world via money laundering, thus avoiding the use of closely monitored international banking systems, according to the IDF.

Nominee Town Halls

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis participated in a CNN town hall last week, in which he discussed his 2024 presidential bid. One of his rivals for the Republican nomination, biotech CEO Vivek Ramaswamy, took part in the same event the following day. Set at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa, the town hall served as a forum for both candidates’ current presidential runs. DeSantis took several opportunities at the event to condemn former president and current GOP candidate Donald Trump, blaming the former commander-in-chief for several issues the U.S. is currently facing. DeSantis asserted that Trump “set the stage” for the U.S.’s current economic challenges, had failed in fulfilling his promise to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall, and is “flip-flopping” on the abortion issue. “Shutting down the country was a huge mistake, printing trillions and trillions of dollars was a huge mistake,” the governor of Florida said. “When he gets off the teleprompter now, you don’t know what he’s gonna say,” he added. “It’s a different Donald Trump than in ‘15 and ‘16. You know, back then, he was colorful, but it was really America First, about the policies. Now, a lot of it’s about him.” DeSantis went on to claim that a “twostate solution” between Israel and Palestine is impossible, as the Palestinian Arabs will only use their own state “as a stepping stone to the destruction of Israel.” He added that he believes supporting Israel is more important than supporting

Ukraine, as the Jewish state is a “unique country in terms of our relationship.” “Hamas should unconditionally surrender. Israel cannot possibly live with a terrorist group who wants to annihilate their entire country and kill every Jew and usher in a second Holocaust,” DeSantis said. “So they have every right to defend themselves.” Ramaswamy used the town hall as a forum to espouse controversial ideas and theories. The biotech CEO asserted that the federal government has “lied to us systematically” and said that there were federal agents involved on January 6th and that the government lied to the American people about the origins of Covid-19. Ramaswamy also claimed that the government lied about Hunter Biden’s laptop and collusion in the 2016 election. Ramaswamy went on to criticize federal agencies, such as the FDA, and said that, as president, he would fire 75% of all federal workers. “The people who we elect to run the government, they’re not even the ones who actually run the government right now,” he noted. “It’s the bureaucrats in those three-letter agencies that are pulling the strings today.”

Executive Stole $4M From FB

Barbara Furlow-Smiles, a former lead strategist and global head of employee resource groups and diversity engagement at Facebook, stole over $4 million from the company during her employment from January 2017 to September 2021. By using funds from her Facebook expense account, she was able to live lavishly in California and Georgia, hire expensive hair stylists and babysitters, and pay $18,000 for preschool tuition, according to Ryan K. Buchanan, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. By connecting her Facebook credit card to apps such as PayPal, Cash App, and Venmo, she was able to forward money to her friends, family, and acquaintances, while falsely claiming that

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

she was paying them to do company work. The recipients of the funds would then give some of the money back to Furlow-Smiles, Buchanan’s office said. “This defendant abused a position of trust as a global diversity executive for Facebook to defraud the company of millions of dollars, ignoring the insidious consequences of undermining the importance of her DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion] mission,” Buchanan stated. Furlow-Smiles, 38, pleaded guilty on Monday, December 11, in a federal court in Atlanta. Her sentencing will take place on March 19, 2024. She was set free on a $5,000 bond. “Furlow-Smiles used lies and deceit to defraud both vendors and Facebook employees,” said Special Agent Keri Farley, who is in charge of the FBI Atlanta branch. “The FBI works hard to make sure greed like this doesn’t pay off and those who commit fraud are held accountable.” “We are cooperating with law enforcement on the case regarding this former program manager, and we will continue to do so,” a spokesperson for Meta, the current name for Facebook, said.

Monkeys Remember Faces

In 2015, while working as an undergraduate researcher at the North Carolina Zoo, Laura Lewis became friends with a male chimpanzee named Kendall. Whenever she visited the chimps, Kendall would gently take her hands and inspect her fingernails. Then she disappeared for the summer to study baboons in Africa. When she returned to North Carolina, she wondered if Kendall would still remember her face. Sure enough, as soon as she stepped into his enclosure, Kendall raced up and gestured to look at her hands. “The feeling I got was that he clearly remembered me after four months away,” said Lewis, now a comparative psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley. “But I didn’t have the data to prove it.”

Now she believes that she does. In a study published Monday, Lewis and her colleagues have demonstrated that chimpanzees and bonobos can recall faces of other apes that they have not seen for years. One bonobo recognized a face after 26 years — a record for facial memory beyond our species. Lewis and her colleagues carried out the study on 26 apes kept at the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland, the Kumamoto Sanctuary in Japan, and the Planckendael Zoo in Belgium. At each facility, the researchers rolled up a computer to the apes’ enclosure fence and displayed images of animals on the monitor. A straw attached to the fence allowed the apes to drink juice as they gazed at the photos. After giving the apes a few months to acclimate to the unusual setup, Lewis and her colleagues began their experiment. As the animals sipped their juice, the computer displayed pairs of ape faces for three seconds at a time. In every pair, one of the faces was a stranger and the other an old companion whom the ape had not seen for years. The scientists used an infrared camera to film the animals’ eye movements. If the apes had no memory of their old companions, the scientists expected them to spend equal time glancing at both pictures. But that’s not what the researchers found. The apes consistently spent more time looking at their former companions. (Kinship played no part in the results, as unrelated past acquaintances also got more attention than strangers did.) (© The New York Times)

Southwest Fined $140M

Last year, more than 2 million travelers were stranded over a disastrous 10-day-long meltdown of flights at Southwest Airlines. Now, the airline is being fined $140 million by the federal government. This is the largest-ever civil penalty handed down by the Department of Transportation. Nearly 17,000 flights were canceled in the fiasco. Those flights made up nearly half of South-

west’s flight schedule during the busy holiday travel period. The agency says it levied the fine “for numerous violations of consumer protection laws during and after the operational failures,” including not communicating with passengers, failing to provide adequate customer service, and not refunding passengers quickly enough. Southwest said it was “pleased” to reach the settlement with the DOT and that it is committed to delivering the highest quality of customer service. It said the agreement includes “a new, industry-leading policy to compensate customers during significant delays and cancellations.” The airline has already paid $600 million in refunds and reimbursements to passengers, the DOT said. The company said the service meltdown cost it nearly $1.2 billion between the fourth quarter of last year and the first two months of 2023. In additional to customer compensation, the airline faced additional labor costs and lost revenue that continued into February. On an after-tax basis, it reported the service meltdown cost $914 million. Most of the fine will be used to create a new $90 million fund that will compensate “future Southwest passengers affected by cancellations or significant delays caused by the airline,” according to the DOT. Only $35 million of the total amount will be paid to the U.S. Treasury. With such a large fine, there are bound to be pointing fingers. Labor unions at Southwest, including those that represent pilots and flight attendants, blamed many of the problems on “antiquated” scheduling technology that made it more difficult for the airline to adjust its flight schedule and to have crews available to fly the rescheduled flights. Airline executives admitted the scheduling system was a problem at a February congressional hearing on the meltdown, and Southwest said it had already taken steps to fix the scheduling issue. But its executives testified the airline had made other mistakes that led to the flood of cancellations, including a lack of sufficient de-icing equipment at the Denver and Chicago Midway airports. “Let me be clear: we messed up,” Southwest Chief Operating Officer Andrew Watterson said at the hearing. “In hindsight, we did not have enough winter operations resiliency.”

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

Ex-FBI Chief Sentenced

Charles McGonigal, who served as an agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigations for 22 years and worked as the counterintelligence chief for the FBI’s New York location, was recently sentenced to fifty months in jail for assisting Oleg Deripaska, a sanctioned Russian oligarch closely connected to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He was convicted on charges of conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions and money laundering and pleaded guilty in August. Judge Jennifer Rearden, who presided over the case, said that McGonigal “repeatedly flouted and manipulated the sanctions regimes vital” to the national security of the United States, adding that “the undeniable seriousness of this and the need to respect the law … compels

a meaningful custodial sentence.” With that being said, added Rearden, McGonigal’s crimes “do not altogether stamp out … [his] profoundly important contributions” to the U.S. and his successful career as an FBI agent. “I, more than anyone, know that I have committed a felony and as a former FBI special agent it causes me extreme mental, emotional, and physical pain – not to mention the shame I feel in embarrassing myself and the FBI, the organization I love and respect,” McGonigal said prior to his sentencing. “I’m humbly asking for a second chance.” McGonigal’s lawyer, Seth DuCharme, requested that his client’s sentence involve no jail time, asserting that McGonigal’s actions, while against the law, were not “particularly nefarious,” as he was just helping expose one of Deripaska’s opponents. It was a “terrible decision,” added DuCharme, but it was not made maliciously. Due to McGonigal’s stellar public service record and his readiness to admit wrongdoing and cooperate with the investigation, he should get a no-prison sentence, his attorney said. Prosecutors asked that McGonigal be sentenced to five years in jail, as his actions posed a significant threat to national security. “Our enemies have guns, and they

know where to buy more. What they do not have is the rule of law. We do. That is what McGonigal tried to sell,” prosecutor Hagan Scotten said. “Poverty did not motivate this crime, your honor. Greed did. It was a betrayal.” McGonigal’s prison sentence will begin on February 26. In another case against McGonigal, he pleaded guilty to hiding the fact that an ex-intelligence agent from Albania gave him hundreds of thousands of dollars; his sentence scheduling for that particular case will come February.

Biden Impeachment Inquiry

In a 221-212 vote on Wednesday, December 13, the House of Representatives authorized an impeachment investigation into President Joe Biden in connection to crimes committed by his son, Hunter Biden. Every Republican voted in favor of the inquiry; every Democrat voted against it. Earlier that same day, the president’s son was called to testify in front of Congress. Hunter Biden showed up, not at the Capitol, but at a nearby press conference. “In the depths of my addiction, I was extremely irresponsible with my finances. But to suggest that is grounds for an impeachment inquiry is beyond the absurd,” Hunter Biden asserted, adding that his father played absolutely no role in his financial affairs. Kentucky Republican James Comer, who chairs the House Oversight Committee, claimed that the Biden family, including the president, was involved in “shady business practices.” In 2018, President Biden gave his brother, James Biden, a loan of $200,000, which was paid back with a check, prompting suspicion. According to Representative Jim Jordan

and Comer, the Republicans will attempt to hold James Biden in contempt of Congress, since he refused to testify in front of the House. In early 2023, several GOP representatives said they would likely not vote to proceed with an impeachment inquiry. Now, at the end of the year, in a stunning display of oneness within the split Republican Party, not one GOP representative voted against it. In response to the initiation of the inquiry, President Biden condemned the Republican Party for attempting to attack him instead of focusing on more important issues. “Instead of doing anything to help make Americans’ lives better, they are focused on attacking me with lies,” said President Biden. “Instead of doing their job on the urgent work that needs to be done, they are choosing to waste time on this baseless political stunt that even Republicans in Congress admit is not supported by facts.” House Speaker Mike Johnson insisted that the impeachment inquiry is not politically driven. “We have no choice but to fulfill our constitutional responsibility; we have to take the next step. We’re not making a political decision — it’s not. It’s a legal decision,” the House Speaker said. “We’re not going to prejudge the outcome of this. We can’t, because, again, it’s not a political calculation. We’re following the law.”

Missing Out on Student Loan Payments

When the pandemic-related pause on paying back student loans ended in the fall, nearly 9 million borrowers didn’t send in their payments, according to the Department of Education. That means roughly 40% of the 22 million borrowers who had bills due

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DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

in October did not make payments by mid-November. The freeze on payments had been in effect for more than three years. For comparison, fewer than 26% of borrowers missed their payment in October 2019, before the pause went into effect. Borrowers who miss payments through September 2024 won’t face significant penalties thanks to an onramp period created by the Biden administration. During that period, borrowers won’t be reported as delinquent or in default to the three national credit bureaus. But interest on the loans will continue to accrue. “While most borrowers have already made their first payment, others will need more time. Some are confused or overwhelmed about their options,” Undersecretary of Education James Kvaal wrote in a blog post on Friday explaining the new repayment figures. It may take time for some borrowers to figure out how much they owe each month and how to fit the payment back into their budget after the long pause. Some may want to enroll in a different repayment plan to reflect possible changes to their financial situations. Millions of borrowers have a differ-

ent student loan servicer than they did before the pause went into effect. Complicating matters further, some borrowers encountered long wait times when calling their servicer with questions as the pause ended. Other borrowers didn’t make their October payment due to problems created by their student loan servicers, which are contracted by the Department of Education to collect federal student loan payments. An error had been detected in their plans and they weren’t required to pay the loans until the problem was solved. Although there are many people still with student loans to pay back, there are millions of borrowers who have had their federal student loan debt wiped away since the payment pause went into effect in March 2020. President Joe Biden’s signature student loan forgiveness program, which promised up to $20,000 in debt relief for low- and middle-income borrowers, was struck down by the Supreme Court in June. But his administration has canceled a record $132 billion of federal student loan debt for more than 3.6 million people through existing forgiveness programs on a rolling basis since taking office.

The cancellations have come through existing federal student loan forgiveness programs, which are limited to specific categories of borrowers, such as public-sector workers, people defrauded by for-profit colleges, and borrowers who have paid for at least 20 years. Furthermore, the Biden administration launched a new student loan repayment plan meant to make it easier for borrowers to return to repayment. That plan is geared to only help low-income borrowers.

Apple Watches Sales Halted

This week, Apple announced that it will stop selling its Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the United States. The halt on the sales stems from an ongoing dispute with medical device maker Masimo over the watch’s oxygen feature. Apple has routinely marketed its smartwatch as a life-saving device, which has helped launch the Apple Watch into the stratosphere, making it the most popular watch sold around the world. But its skirmish with Masimo threatens to undermine that. In October, the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled that Apple was in violation of Masimo’s pulse oximeter patent, which uses light-based technology to read blood-oxygen levels. For now, Apple is taking the watch off the market in a preemptive measure to comply with any ruling. President Biden is in the process of reviewing the ruling. “Apple strongly disagrees with the order and is pursuing a range of legal and technical options to ensure that Apple Watch is available to customers,” the company said. It added that if the order stands, it will “continue to take all measures to return Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 to customers in the U.S. as soon as possible.” Apple said it firmly believes the ITC’s findings are inaccurate and should be reversed. It also plans to take the decision to the Federal Circuit.

In addition, Apple said it has submitted evidence demonstrating how a ban would negatively impact healthcare, scientific and medical research, and Apple Watch users who rely on the ECG, blood oxygen and other health-related features. This is not the first battle between Apple and Masimo. In October 2022, Apple filed two patent infringement lawsuits against Masimo, claiming the company copied patented Apple Watch features of Apple Watch into their Masimo’s W1 medical smartwatch. Apple sold 49 million smartwatches in 2022 and about 26.7 million in the first 9 months of 2023.

TX to Arrest Illegals

Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday escalated his challenge of President Joe Biden’s border policies by signing a measure that allows Texas law enforcement officials to arrest migrants who enter the state from Mexico without legal authorization, setting the stage for a showdown with the federal government. Abbott pushed for the legislation, which passed in a special session of the Republican-dominated state Legislature last month over the strong objections of Democrats, immigrant rights groups, and Hispanic organizations who argued that the measure violated the U.S. Constitution and would encourage racial profiling. Some border sheriffs have also opposed the legislation, expressing concern that it could rapidly overwhelm the local jails and courts if even a fraction of those who come over the border every day were arrested. In just one section of the 1,254-mile Texas border with Mexico, around the cities of Eagle Pass and Del Rio, federal agents encountered 38,000 migrants in October. The surge of migrants has become a political liability for President Joe Biden, who has been criticized by Republicans and some Democrats for the record number of arrivals at the southern border under his watch.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

In signing the law, Abbott, a thirdterm Republican, took his most direct step yet in challenging the Biden administration over federal immigration policy, which is currently being negotiated between the president and Congress. “Biden’s deliberate inaction has left Texas to fend for itself,” Abbott said during a bill-signing event at the border wall in Brownsville. The Texas law takes effect in March and is likely to wind through the courts in subsequent months, just as presidential and congressional campaigns intensify. Legal experts have said the legislation could create the opportunity for the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit a 2012 case, Arizona v. United States, that was narrowly decided in favor of the power of the federal government to set immigration policy. Over the past two years, Abbott has steadily escalated a multibillion-dollar program of state-level border enforcement, known as Operation Lone Star, deploying thousands of National Guard troops and state police on a mission to indefinitely patrol the border. Under the program, state police have arrested thousands of migrants on misdemeanor charges of trespassing. But those arrests could be conducted only on

private land and with the consent of the landowner. And the effort has not deterred illegal crossings, which have continued at high levels. (© The New York Times)

Steel Deal

Nippon Steel is one of the world’s largest steelmakers. This week, the Japanese corporation announced a $14.1 billion deal to take over United States Steel, which would give the foreign company a major role in U.S. steelmaking and end the independence of one of America’s oldest, most storied industrial enterprises. The deal would give the Tokyo-based company access in the U.S. to specialized steel used in electric vehicle motors, along with steel used in

appliances and construction materials. U.S. Steel had been evaluating various offers for its business since August. The company was founded 122 years ago by J.P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie and others and played an integral role in U.S. 20th-century industrialization. Following the close of the transaction, U.S. Steel would retain its name, brand and headquarters in Pittsburgh, the companies said. “The combination is good for the U.S. and creates a more competitive market here with one of the U.S.’s greatest allies,” said David Burritt, U.S. Steel’s chief executive. Acquiring U.S. Steel, which has production capacity for 20 million metric tons of steel annually, would make Nippon Steel the world’s second-biggest steel producer by capacity behind China Baowu Steel Group, according to figures from the World Steel Association. The deal is expected to close by October, pending approval from U.S. Steel’s shareholders and regulators. The deal was not without its detractors. The United Steelworkers union, which represents about 11,000 hourly production workers at U.S. Steel, criticized Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel for not engaging with the union before the deal was announced, and called the sale greedy and shortsighted. “We remained open throughout this process to working with U.S. Steel to keep this iconic American company domestically owned and operated,” union president David McCall said. “Instead, it chose to push aside the concerns of its dedicated workforce and sell to a foreign-owned company.” Some lawmakers vowed to fight the sale, saying domestic ownership of steel production is vital to U.S. national security and military production. Sen. J.D. Vance, (R., Ohio.), said U.S. Steel was critical to the U.S. defense industrial base and that he would oppose the deal. Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.), whose home is across the street from a U.S. Steel plant in Braddock, Pa., said he was “committed to doing anything I can do, using my platform and my position, to block this foreign sale.” The Biden administration has taken steps to deepen scrutiny of foreign takeovers of U.S. companies, particularly deals that could give China and other adversaries access to critical technologies or threaten supply chains. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., an interagen-

cy committee run by the U.S. Treasury Department, reviews foreign investments in U.S. companies and real estate and can advise the president to block or unwind a deal.

Being Clever About Crime

Michael Green and Byron Bolden were convicted of stealing appliances and designer clothing from a Kohl’s in Colorado. Now, the two men are telling the court that their charges should be reduced because the items they stole were on sale and that they had coupons to further lessen the costs of those items. Green, 50, and Bolden, 37, were nicknamed the “KitchenAid Mixer Crew” by the DA in reference to the kitchen appliances they stole. They also took designer shoes and clothing. They both were convicted of felony theft. Their attorneys, however, say that they should be subjected to softer misdemeanor charges, citing discounts on the items. According to The Denver Gazette, the men cited discounts on the sticker prices, and Kohl’s coupons they had, to bring the items down below the threshold for felony theft in Colorado, which is $2,000. The documented value of the items stolen was $2,094.98. Despite the creative thinking of the bandits, the judge wasn’t swayed by their legal arguments. John Kellner, the district attorney, noted, “Just because an item is ‘on sale’ doesn’t mean it’s free to steal, and these defendants now get to think about this lesson in jail and prison.” Green was sentenced to 15 months in prison, and Bolden to 90 days in jail with credit for time served as a condition of 18 months probation. Too bad there’s no discounts on jail time.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

Lifelong Learner

She’s 90 years old, and she’s still hitting the books. Minnie Payne became the oldest University of North Texas student to complete her coursework when she earned her master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies this month. Payne had gone to junior college after graduating high school in 1950. Then, at age 68, after retiring from a 30-year career as a transcriptionist, Payne went back to school. She attended Texas Women’s University, taking three journalism classes and a business class at the UNT campus. “I had always worked with words, and I had always liked to write, so I almost

immediately went back to school. I wanted to improve myself,” Payne explained. Payne graduated with a bachelor’s in general studies in 2006 and worked as a freelance writer for multiple publications across Texas. She later returned to UNT to pursue a master’s of journalism degree, but changed to interdisciplinary studies when some of her online classes switched to in-person. Billy Roessler, assistant dean of graduate studies at UNT’s Toulouse Graduate School, served as Payne’s advisor. “We use the term ‘lifelong learner,’ but Minnie truly exhibits this. Her persistence to complete her degree at age 90 is impressive. She had a purpose in completing this degree,” he said. “Minnie was meticulous in the selection of courses. She had specific traits sought in each class. She could have finished a little sooner, but she stayed the course to get the most out of her education.” Despite graduating, Payne is still not done. “In some way or another, I want to continue learning,” she said. We applaud you!

From Rags to Riches

— it would have probably sold for under $10,000,” he said. “This was like a winning lottery ticket.” In January, Vincent, who trains polo horses, bought a farmhouse that was built in 1930. It needs major renovations, and for now, it is being warmed with two space heaters. With her newfound money, she hopes to upgrade her heating system, install a dishwasher, and add fencing. (© The New York Times)

Cuddle a Cow Jessica Vincent made her way in June through a busy Goodwill thrift store in Hanover County, Virginia, passing VCRs, lamps and glassware commonly sold at big-box retailers. Nothing really caught her eye until she saw an iridescent glass vase. After doing a lap around the store, she returned to the bottle-shaped vase with red and green swirls. She noticed a small “M” on the bottom that she believed stood for Murano, an island off Venice and the historical home of Italian glassware. She had a feeling it might be worth something. There was no price on the vase. Vincent, 43, told herself she’d pay $8.99 and no more. When the cashier rang her up, it was $3.99. When she returned home from the Goodwill thrift store, she joined Facebook groups for glass identification to learn more about the vase. Some members told her it looked like it was designed by Carlo Scarpa, a renowned Italian architect, and they referred her to Wright Auction House. She sent photos, and almost right away Richard Wright, president of the auction house, asked if he could call. “The minute I saw the photos I had a really good feeling,” he said. On Wednesday, the vase was auctioned for $107,100 to an unidentified private art collector in Europe. About $83,500 went to Vincent, and about $23,600 went to Wright Auction House. Specialists who evaluated the piece determined it was part of the “Pennellate” series that Scarpa designed in the 1940s. It’s unclear how many vases of this kind were made, Wright said. He said he was most impressed with the pristine condition of the glass. “If it had a chip — even a small chip

Feeling stressed? It could be that a cow can help you deal with your e-moo-tions. Fiona Wilson and her co-farmers at Dumble Farm in northern England have been offering visitors the opportunity to cuddle with Morag, their Highland cow. “Some people like to engage with dogs or cats or horses, and other people find that cows are the animals they want to be with,” Wilson shared. “People are coming for a wellbeing point of view. That anxiety relieving-ness of being with animals is almost like a therapy.” Dumble Farm’s finances weren’t doing too well with the fall in the price of milk and with high inflation crippling their dairy farming business. Wilson and her partners were working 14 hours a day at the farm, without being able to make ends meet. And so, they sold all their cows – except for five of them that they could not part with. Now, the cows enjoy being hugged by people needing an extra dose of comfort. “They are inquisitive animals. They are interested when people come down to see them,” said Wilson. The experience, which also includes educational activities on conservation and sustainable farming, draws couples, families, and cow lovers from across the country. Tickets sell out months in advance and cost around $63 a person. Sounds like udder bliss.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

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Community Chanukah at Shulamith

hanukah at Shulamith, eight exciting days And we plan to celebrate it in the Shulamith way, The four days in school will be meaningful and fun With something special for everyone. Our Achdut trips on Tuesday will be the start of our week, Grades 1 - 4 will go to “Make It Too” and make something unique, Grades 5 and 6 have a trip to “Launch” for jumping fun, Reaching new heights and bonding with everyone. Finally, grades 7 and 8 in a place right up their alley, They will have fun at Woodmere Lanes and scores will be tallied. On Wednesday, class parties will be happening during the day, Eating Chanukah food and games to play. There will be a grab bag for every class this year, Bring in a $10 wrapped gift for Wednesday and create great cheer. We have even more activities on Wednesday, too A Parrot Rebbe for younger grades & Escape the Room for the older, to name a few.

Thursday is Yom Israel and a meaningful day it will be, With so many activities and feelings of unity. From a Pach Shemen hunt and learning about an olive press To a Chesed project and a VR tour of Israel that’s sure to impress, We will connect to the history of Chanukah and Dreidel we will play, Letter writing to Chayalim will surely make this an uplifting day. Chanukah ends on a Friday this year. There will be activities on that day – have no fear. In grades 1-5, a postponed Rosh Chodesh program will take place. Top Chef and a Cholent cookoff for grades 6-8, a Chanukah/Shabbat race. IY”H we will have a beautiful time together, The memories will be made to last forever. Chanukah at Shulamith will be a sight to see, And IY’’H soon in Yerushalayim we will all be.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

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Bennett Family Dedicates United Hatzalah Ambucycle

his past week, Naftali and Beth Bennett dedicated a new ambucycle to United Hatzalah in honor of the first yahrtzeit of Naftali’s father, Dr. Allen J. Bennett. The ceremony was held at United Hatzalah Headquarters in Yerushalayim. They were joined by Dr. Bennett’s other children – Chayale Saibil,

Rabbis Yossi, Yaakov and Mordechai Bennett – his sister and brother-in-law, Suri and Michael Kest, and many of his grandchildren. Dr. Bennett, a community-minded physician, was himself often a “first responder” on many occasions and the family felt it befitting that this vital vehicle be sponsored in his memory.

Fathers and Daughters Join in the Fun

f you were looking for a caption to describe the Women’s League recent event, it would have to be associated with fun! The Pre1A and first grade talmidos invited their fathers, grandfathers or uncles to join them at an exciting Mot-

zei Shabbos Carnival which was held on Motzei Shabbos, December 2. The FUN theme ran through the entire event with the booth games, the inflatables, and the chance to work together on a timely project, a Chanukah-themed apron.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

Chazaq’s 6th Annual Night of Gratitude in 5 Towns & Queens

Massive Crowd For West Hempstead Solidarity Rally Photo Credit David Kirschner

By Moshe Hill

n a rainy Sunday afternoon, a crowd of over 300 people gathered at West Hempstead’s Halls Pond in support of Israel and to stand against hate. The rally was a call of solidarity from the wider West Hempstead community, not just the Jewish members, after a series of hate crimes in the community that left cars vandalized, a menorah destroyed, and people harassed on the streets. The driving force behind it was longtime West Hempstead resident Debbie Ginsberg. Debbie saw what happened to the menorah outside of Rabbi Lieberman’s house, the rav of the Chabad of West Hempstead, and said enough is enough. Working with Debbie was Scott Feltman from One Israel Fund, which was the official sponsor of the rally. After a stirring rendition of the Star Spangled Banner and HaTikvah by West Hempstead Resident Leib Muchnick and Shaaray Shalom’s Cantor Rosner, respectively, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman welcomed the crowd and

continued his vocal and ardent support of Israel and the Jewish community in Nassau County. His message was one of denouncing moral equivalency at every level, calling out Hofstra president Susan Poser for doing just that. Rabbi Goller of the Young Israel of West Hempstead followed the County Executive with an incredible speech about what truly united us; our tears. Rabbi Soniker of Anshei Shalom spoke of standing with the families of the victims of terror followed by a verse of Tehillim, which Rabbi Vernon of Shaaray Shalom said in English. In the show of solidarity, Father Tony Stanganelli of St. Thomas Apostle Church of West Hempstead and Pastor Ray Lorthior from Trinity Lutheran Church of West Hempstead showed support for the Jewish community, something they have been doing within their congregations and publicly. Rabbi Yossi Lieberman, of the Chabad of West Hempstead, closed out the speeches from the faith leaders with some wisdom from the Lubavitcher Rebbe. “It is clear to all that this is a

war against evil,” said Rabbi Lieberman, “and we are called upon to participate in the spiritual battle against evil with acts of goodness and kindness.” I had the privilege to follow Rabbi Lieberman, emphasizing the need for education in the face of the ignorance and lies that pervade social media and college campuses regarding these issues. Scott Feltman spoke about the media and how the lies of Hamas are being spread without verification. “Every news outlet here [in America] will say ‘18,000 killed,’ and the ones that are trustworthy will say, ‘As reported by the Gaza Health Ministry,’ which is under Hamas,” he noted, “but the number 18,000 will sit with everyone. Trust me, 18,000 women and children weren’t killed by the IDF over the last two months.” Feltman urged the crowd to seek out Israeli news outlets for more accurate on-the-ground reporting. Following Scott was Rachel Pill, Board Member of One Israel Fund and LMSW, discussing the mental trauma that the Jewish people, as a nation, endured after October 7th. “Fear and anxiety are our enemies,” she said. She spoke

about how people are afraid to take a subway with a yarmulka on or a Jewish star necklace, how people are asking if they should remove their mezuzahs. She said that not only should people not do that, but we should give each other strength to carry on. “We have a role here; we have to stop being afraid.” Closing out the speakers was County Legislator Bill Gaylor and Assemblyman Ed Ra. Gaylor was recently redistricted into West Hempstead and has been a friend of the Jewish community there for the entirety of his time in the County Legislature. Ra is the ranking member of the powerful Assembly Ways & Means committee up in Albany and has been a stalwart ally of the Jewish community in his 12+ years of public service. The show of solidarity and support from the West Hempstead residents, regardless of faith or religious adherence, was overwhelmingly positive and heartwarming. West Hempstead continues to be a strong, thriving and growing Jewish community, and with the support of our leaders, both religious and elected, it will remain so.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

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Goal, Goal, Goal!

HAFTR Participates in CIJE Tank Event By Natalie Bellehsen and Sasha Bokor

T T

he 5 Towns Hockey league is finishing up what was an amazing season. The Playoffs are right around the corner, and a champion will soon be crowned. Over 300 boys from 10 different communities participated in the league. The most amazing aspect of the 5 Towns Hockey league is that all participants improve tremendously. When they start in pre-1A and move up as they get older, they become real hockey players. They are the ones that are the best in their camps in hockey and the ones that make the teams when it comes to organized

school sports. The skills they learn in the game of hockey follow them forever. The best emails we get are from parents after the summer telling us that their son was the best in the division in hockey or that he made the high school hockey team. Of course, sportsmanship and middot play a big role as well, and that is stressed every game of the season. The 5 Towns Hockey league, which is in its 26th year, has over 30 teams participating and enjoying the game of hockey. Looking forward to the spring season. www.5townssports.com.

he Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE) is an organization created to give yeshiva high school students the opportunity to engage in STEAM learning and innovation. This program, which is geared toward yeshiva students throughout the country, recently held the CIJE Tank event. Participants of this event were selected from over 500 groups who were featured in last May’s CIJE Innovation Day Competition. These ten groups were recognized for their skill and creativity and were invited to CIJE Tank, held on Sunday, November 19. This event was modeled after Shark Tank, a show where entrepreneurs showcase their ideas to judges, or “sharks,” who give feedback on their products. Each presentation was exceptionally creative and intricate, and all were presented with demonstrations and slideshows.

While this event has taken place for the past few years, this was the first time that a group of HAFTR students were chosen to attend. Sophomores Sasha Bokor and Natalie Bellehsen presented their project called “SANC: The Lockbox for Your Addiction.” This product involves a battery-operated cell phone lockbox that works by operating on an out-of-reach, out-of-mind approach to technology. The aim of this device is to solve phone and social media obsession, which is an issue that plagues much of our generation today. The product was coded and designed by the students and reflects innovation and ingenuity. HAFTR students not only presented their product to the sharks but walked away with a memorable experience. They were accompanied by HAFTR’s incredible engineering teachers, Mr. Fiber and Mr. Hardy, and look forward to participating in the CIJE competitions to come.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

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HANC at the Debate

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

Asher Meir Miller making a siyum l’zecher nishmas his father, R’ Avromi Miller, z”l

n Thursday, November 30, HANC attended their first debate of the school year at SAR. Other schools that attended were BPY and Moriah. HANC came in as the first place school. Congratulations to Sean Mann and Dovi

Lemel for coming in first place team. Sean also got first place speaker, and Dovi got third place speaker. Looking forward to the next debate in January! So proud of all the hard work the team put in.

MTA Excels in Robotics Competition Mrs. Slansky’s science class at the YOSS Mechina demonstrates how to build a proper structure using only masking tape and newspaper

Assemblyman Ari Brown Donates a Kidney

ssemblyman Ari Brown (R-Cedarhurst) is making headlines for going above and beyond his political duties. Inspired by the selflessness of our veterans, Brown decided to donate one of his kidneys to a Purple Heart recipient veteran in need. Brown saw this as an opportunity to make a meaningful impact and extend his commitment to serving others. A long-time blood donor, he recognized the chance to go further by becoming a living kidney donor. After first testing and a match found, Brown underwent a battery of medical tests required by the National Kidney Foundation, receiving approval to move forward with the transplant donation. “When I was told of the approval, my immediate response was, ‘Of course, how soon can we do it?’ I didn’t ask who the recipient was; my first thought was someone was suffering and needed my help,” said Brown. In a twist of fate, Brown was informed that he would be donating his kidney to a Purple Heart recipient. Brown acknowl-

edges the unparalleled sacrifice made by military veterans and sees this as an opportunity to give back to someone who fought for the freedom of others. Cedarhurst Mayor Benjamin Weinstock praised Brown’s act of kindness, stating, “It’s courageous and very important. It is the kind of person he is, but it goes even above and beyond the kind of person I know him to be.” Brown’s decision reflects his deep-rooted values, guided by the principles of the Torah, which commands individuals to save those in danger. Regardless of the recipient’s background, Brown sees this act as the embodiment of being a good Jew and a good Republican, a commitment to selfless giving. The transplant was successful, and Brown remains resolute in his belief this act of kindness is the least he can do for someone in need. “Personally, to save someone’s life is my humbling honor; I’m certain it’s what most people of faith would do under the same circumstances,” affirmed Brown.

By Pinchas Rosenfeld

TA’s Lionotics robotics team showcased exceptional talent in the recent FIRST Tech Challenge competition held last Sunday. The competition featured many top public and private schools from across the city, but Lionotics stood out with two well-designed robots. Lionotics 1 emerged as the dominant force during the qualifying matches, going undefeated and earning the top ranking. Lionotics 2 was equally impressive in its first match, but sadly, its electronics malfunctioned after that one success. In the playoffs, Lionotics 1 led its alliance to victory, claiming the title of undefeated champions and securing the #1 rank in the competition. The team’s success extended beyond the local level, with their robot recognized as the top-ranked in New York City and second in the entire state, placing them in the top 5% globally among over 5000 ranked teams.

In addition to their impressive robot performance, both Lionotics teams had the opportunity to present their creations to judges, earning recognition for their exceptional work. Lionotics 2 received the “control award” for their prowess in software, particularly for their excellent use of computer vision and control algorithms for autonomous robot control. Meanwhile, Lionotics 1 won the “Inspire award,” the competition’s most prestigious honor. This award recognized the team’s excellence across various judging categories, including robot design, software, competition performance, as well as networking, learning and teaching. The judges particularly commended the commitment of the team to develop skills for less experienced members. As a result of their outstanding achievements, Lionotics secured a place in the next level of competition in New York City, marking a resounding success for the team with multiple trophies and medals.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

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HAFTR’s Inaugural STEM Showcase

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

HANC Middle School went on a school trip to American Dream Mall on the fifth day of Chanukah

n an inaugural event, HAFTR Lower School recently hosted a STEM Showcase, captivating special guests and the entire school community with a display of innovation and educational excellence. Distinguished guests were granted insights into the impact of HAFTR’s distinctive STEM program. The immersive experience allowed visitors to delve into the world of STEM, engaging in challenges alongside enthusiastic 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students. The showcase unveiled a spectrum of remarkable projects, highlighting the possibilities and strengths of HAFTR’s esteemed STEM program. From animated Chanukah drawings to light-up menorahs and Sphero-powered dreidel chariots, students showcased their STEM prowess with flair. The interactive nature of the event facilitated collaboration between students and guests, offering a firsthand experience of the program’s dynamic and innovative approach to education. The students’ joy and enthusiasm painted a vivid

picture of future innovators. The inaugural Lower School STEM Showcase not only celebrated student achievements but also emphasized the significance of STEM education in shaping young minds for a future of limitless possibilities. As a prelude to the week ahead, the strength and pride of HAFTR’s STEM program will be showcased in the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE)’s Robotics Tournament on Wednesday, with ten schools from the local area participating, promising an exciting continuation of the school’s commitment to excellence in STEM education.

Jewish History Lives on at Sotheby’s with AFBIU By Jen Zwiebel

his past Tuesday night, the sixth night of Chanukah, American Friends of Bar-Ilan University (AFBIU) hosted an inspirational experience of Jewish history coming to life at Sotheby’s. Dozens of attendees marveled at the magnificent pieces on display at the exhibition, The Halpern Judaica Collection: Tradition and Treasure, Part III. “The event was filled with rich Jewish history found in artifacts from all over the world,” said Ariel Sebag, AFBIU Northeast Circle member and co-chair of the Sotheby’s event. “It was both interesting and beautiful.” Barbara J. Leibowitz, AFBIU’s other co-chair of the event, said. “This part of the Halpern collection featured silver, tapestries, and books collected from wherever Jews have lived. All those who attended were enthralled by the provenance of these items – it was amazing!” We are forever connected to our Jewish history. Our courageous chayalim serving on the frontlines as real-life

Maccabee heroes of our time include approximately 5,000 Bar-Ilan students. The University created a Student Lifeline Fund of $5 million to help students get back on track, take care of their expenses and their families. At this stage, AFBIU has raised $3 million. “In these difficult times, many of us here are looking for ways to help support Israel,” said Linda Schonfeld, one of the event attendees. “To me, it was an enlightening Chanukah excursion and a unique way to learn more about Bar-Ilan University and its current-day Maccabees.” Mindy Gartner of the Five Towns added, “I have been fortunate to have attended the Halpern Judaica collection at Sotheby’s, hosted by the American Friends of Bar-Ilan University. During this crucial time, it is vital to cherish our heritage and to pass it on to our children. I feel very strongly that these beautiful and valuable artifacts link the past to the future. Thank you so much for inviting my husband and I to this event. We are so proud of our past and future.”

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

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Central Puts a Positive Spin on Chanukah Celebrations

entral celebrates Chanukah in a big way – and with this year’s emphasis on positivity, faculty and staff alike felt a particularly strong desire to make this year’s holiday a source of joy and strength. A full schedule of programming and events marked these special eight days. Schoolwide celebrations began on Tuesday, December 12, as Central’s G.O. hosted a schoolwide “Greek” Olympics event. A rousing set of competitions pitting Central students against faculty, the event included everything from musical chairs to a free-throw contest to a legendary round of Jeopardy. “It was fun. You wanted to be involved, you wanted to see what would happen, even if you weren’t actively competing. It was incredibly entertaining just to be a part of it,” said freshman Noa Berman. “Chanukah at Central is special. You can feel the excitement and anticipation in the air for everything that is going to happen that week.” A fifth day candle activity incorporated into classroom learning added to the holiday festivities: the sophomore chemists of Mrs. Miriam Chopp’s Chemistry course conducted a Menorah flame test. “The girls were just as excited as the electrons of the metal chlorides during the

experiment,” Mrs. Chopp said. “When the electrons dropped back down to ground state, they emitted dazzling colors created by specific wavelengths of the spectrum: five lights in honor of five bright nights, filling us with hope and revitalized energy.” On the sixth night of Chanukah, gradewide Chanukah Mesibot were held at the homes of Central community members, offering an opportunity for learning, bonding, and celebration. On the sixth day of Chanukah, the Central community ventured outside the Holliswood campus for a day of fun at Chelsea Piers in Connecticut, where students indulged in a day of games and athletics, including pickleball, parkour, and gymnastics. Among other events of the day: the ju-

nior class cracked the day’s difficult Chanukah code. Junior Melanie Gavrielov credits the win to collaboration: “We got to work as a team,” she said, “and that’s what Central is all about.” On the seventh day of Chanukah: Grandparent’s Day. Over 200 special family members attended the event, a turnout so impressive that the event had to be split into two distinct sessions so that all family members could participate in a day of Torah learning, including a Siyum Tanach, with their Central student in the zechut of the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel. A fun-filled student-faculty volleyball tournament capped off Thursday’s activities. Chanukah concluded on Friday with grade-wide Chanukah grab bag activities and an exciting brachot bee with

the F.I.R.E. fellows, accompanied by an exceptional choir performance. “Chanukah at Central this year was truly one for the books,” shared Ms. Leah Moskovich, Associate Principal. “The energy, ruach, amazing Chanukah sweaters, and feelings of happiness and hope filled the halls.” The quick pace of the semester shows no signs of slowing as Central nears the end of its fall term. Upcoming events include our Community Wide Shiur on December 25, Central’s Winter Blood Drive on December 27, and Central’s annual Dinner of Tribute, which celebrates the unity and strength of the Central community, and those who have contributed to the foundations of that community, on Tuesday, January 9.

A Beacon of Hope: Goodman Family Dedicates Chai Lifeline National i-Shine Program

hai Lifeline recently announced the generous dedication of its national i-Shine program at the organization’s December 4 Evening of Unity event in New York City. Designed to meet the unique needs of elementary and middle school-aged children living with illness or loss in their families, i-Shine provides after-school programming in a supervised, nurturing, and fun environment. The program pairs young participants with local high school-aged mentors and counselors who provide homework assistance and tutoring, play games, and engage in sports and other recreational activities. Dinner, snacks, and transportation are provided. i-Shine afterschool programming does not just offer a physical space but a haven where children can find solace, companionship, and understanding.

Through a carefully crafted curriculum, it aims to provide emotional support and a wide range of activities. The dedicated volunteers behind the program understand the unique needs and challenges these children face, and their unwavering dedication ensures that every child feels seen, heard, and supported. In recent months, i-Shine across the country offered fall programs and Chanukah parties to hundreds of children. More than 800 children take part in i-Shine programs across the U.S., including the Five Towns, Los Angeles, Teaneck, Baltimore, Chicago, Brooklyn, Westchester/Riverdale, Lakewood, Boca Raton, Miami, Phoenix, and Monroe. Esther and Nelson Goodman and their family, from Lawrence, NY, have been actively involved with Chai Lifeline for over 30 years, including having their

children serve as Camp Simcha counselors. “i-Shine programming supports the entire family impacted by illness, crisis and loss,” said Mr. Nelson Goodman. “We feel aligned with this initiative and are proud to contribute to its growth and service to countless individuals across the country.” “Chai Lifeline has been able to grow over the years, thanks to families like the Goodmans,” said Rabbi Simcha Scholar, CEO of Chai Lifeline. “Their commitment to making a positive impact shows that we are all interconnected, and by supporting one another, we strengthen the Jewish community overall.” To learn more about i-Shine, visit www. chailifeline.org/ishine.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

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YCQ Students Give Back in Day of Chesed

eshiva of Central Queens (YCQ) students had the opportunity to spend the sixth day of Chanukah giving back to the community and doing chesed. While for many, Chanukah can often be a time of taking – receiving presents, eating doughnuts, grabbing all the gelt – YCQ students gave their time and effort to help bring joy to others. Sixth grade students visited local assisted living facilities. Students sang songs and played Chanukah Bingo with the residents, who were extremely appreciative of their visit. Sixth grade boys had the opportunity to visit the Rego Park Health Care Center and the Maragret Teitz Nursing and Rehabilitation Center,

while the girls brightened the day of the residents at Boulevard ALP Assisted Living. A highlight of the visit was when a 101-year-old Holocaust survivor thanked the students and blessed them with years of health and happiness for years to come. Seventh grade boys spread the Chanukah light at Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services while the seventh grade girls ventured to Atria Senior Living. Eighth grade girls visited the HASC Center, which is dedicated to providing people with intellectual disabilities the empowerment to live a meaningful life as independently as possible.

Meanwhile, eighth grade boys were busy at Kehilat Pantry, the third largest kosher food pantry in the United States. Students worked to cut vegetables and pack food for those in need. Throughout Chanukah, students of all ages also had the opportunity to donate toys to children impacted by illness and crisis. Piles and piles of toys were collected to give to Chai Lifeline and help bring a little bit of happiness to those who need it most. “I am very proud of all our students. After a full week of Chanukah fun and entertainment, our students put their energy into giving back to the community,” remarked Mr. Jacob Grossman, Director

of Junior High School Student Life and Activities and organizer of the trips. Mr. Grossman also expressed gratitude to all the rebbeim and morot who were instrumental in facilitating the success of the trips.

HAFTR High School Supports Israel By Leah Kammerman

ver since the October 7 massacre, HAFTR High School has been showing its support for Eretz Yisrael through meaningful activities and projects. Students and faculty have joined together to help in whatever way possible, whether through large-scale efforts, such as flying across the world on a Chizuk Mission to Israel, smaller gestures, such as local fundraisers, and everything in between. Regardless, each act has made a significant impact. The freshmen took the lead in packing trunks filled with essential supplies to send to Israel. Their work helped support those in Israel on both a physical and emotional level. Additionally, students spearheaded a fundraiser by selling bracelets reading, “#bringthemhome” and “Am Yisroel chai,” as well

as ribbons with the names of each of the hostages being held in Gaza. After purchasing a ribbon, it was placed on a poster reading “Bring Them Home.” The hope is that the ribbon will be moved to a different poster reading “Home” once the hostage is released. All of the proceeds collected from these bracelets and the ribbons have been donated to Israel. Most recently, a group of students, parents, and faculty participated in a Chizuk Mission to Israel, which departed on December 3 and returned on December 8. The participants delivered the trunks of supplies gathered by HAFTR students, traveled to various locations, participated in chesed activities, and met with individuals who experienced the war firsthand. The program was a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity and left each person with an intense inspiration and drive to continue fighting for the land

and people of Israel. Upon their return, students from the Chizuk Mission spoke about their experience at HAFTR’s annual menorah lighting ceremony, held on the 6th night of Chanukah, Tuesday, December 12. Students, parents, and faculty joined together to hear about their experiences and use their words to infuse the menorah lighting with even more meaning. The menorah, which stands tall on the front lawn of the high school, was made from rockets that were launched in Israel many years ago. These rockets were re-

shaped and repurposed into a menorah, transforming this weapon meant to destroy into a symbol of life and hope. The meaning behind the menorah was more evident this year than ever before and serves as a true symbol of inspiration. HAFTR High School continues to show its unwavering support for Eretz Yisrael in every way possible. Students and faculty look forward to participating in continued initiatives and look to the light of Chanukah as a symbol of hope for the future.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

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Land of Life

“H” is for Hatzalah

he Kindergarten Teal room at Gesher had a blast learning all about Hatzalah in conjunction with their letter of the week, “H.” Thank you to Dovid Wurtzel’s Zeidy, Rabbi Palmer, for teaching us all about being on Hatzalah and for bringing a real Hatzalah truck!

merican-Israeli Artist Yehoshua Aryeh exhibited his landscape photography of Israel in the European Parliament in an exhibition titled, “Land of Life.” The purpose of this exhibition is to showcase the incredible diverse beauty of Israel through the lens of landscape photography, offering a fresh perspective and fostering an open dialogue. The exhibition features the extraordinary work of Yehoshua Aryeh Stauber, an artist who has immigrated to Israel from the United States and now lives in Jerusalem with his wife and children. Yehoshua’s compositions of Israel’s landscapes aim to shift the focus onto the shared appreciation of the magnificent

beauty the land itself has to offer. “The war does not define the land,” Yehoshua Aryeh said. “There is an incredible light that shines brightly within the darkness, and I hope my work speaks to that truth.” Recognizing the potential for positive impact, Swedish MEP David Lega expressed his enthusiasm for bringing this exhibition to the European Parliament. A true advocate for Israel, Lega has spearheaded the creation and is now co-chair of the Abraham Accords Network in the European Parliament. Through Yehoshua’s work, he intends to inspire a deeper understanding and expose the potential for enhanced relations between the EU and Israel.

Lions Light 5784 at MTA was Amazing

ions Light 5784 brought amazing programming into the MTA building and also allowed for talmidim to enjoy some time outside the building. With special programming for each grade and a culminating event that brought the entire yeshiva together, Chanukah at MTA was truly enjoyed by everyone. On Tuesday, the events were highly personalized for maximum enjoyment. Some talmidim listened to a shiur from YU Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Elyakim Koenigsberg, while others entertained special guests from YACHAD with singing, dancing, games and snacks. Many talmidim visited assisted living homes and brought smiles to the faces of the residents, and much of the yeshiva enjoyed a mentalist show that was incredible! Wednesday was a particularly special day, as it has become an MTA tradition for rebbeim to host their talmidim in their homes for a mesiba. This annual get-together always proves to be an important time for MTA talmidim to bond

with their rebbeim outside of school, and specifically in their own homes, with great ruach, fun and amazing food! Thursday capped off the Chanukah celebrations with an amazing Chagiga with up-and-coming star Yosef Kugler! The energy was incredible, and the food that accompanied the Chagiga was equally fun. For the first time, MTA hosted a Fry-Fest, and the food served was the best that fried food has to offer, in keeping with the Chanukah theme! At MTA, the goal was to make Chanukah fun, memorable, meaningful and inspirational, and that goal was definitely reached!

From Australia to BJX By Mordechai Segal

his past Shabbos, BJX hosted its first International Shabbos of Inspiration. Students from Australia joined with local college students from Brooklyn College and NYU for an extraordinary Shabbos experience of bonding, unity, growth, and inspiration. Almost two months ago, Rabbi Fingerer received a call from Australia. “We heard about the amazing work of BJX. Would you host us for a Shabbaton?” They planned to arrive in December, in time for their summer vacation. “It was certainly unexpected to receive a phone call from the other side of the world,” said Rabbi Moshe Fingerer, director of the Brooklyn Jewish Xperience (BJX) organization. “We were happy to welcome them into our orbit,” he said. The BJX global Tisha b’Av film is viewed by over 40,000 Jews worldwide. They also run the International Chanukah Project, encouraging fellow Jews to ignite a fellow Jew by inviting over a Jew to experience the glow of the menorah with a latke. Their free crisis helpline assists parents around the world struggling with off-the-derech teens. While BJX touches the lives of many Jews internationally, this was their first opportunity to host a large group for Shabbos. “The exuberance and the passion and enthusiasm this past Shabbos at BJX was over the top,” said Yaakov, a BJX student. BJX again ran out of space, as Jews of all backgrounds came to be ignited for this International Shabbos. College students from Brooklyn and Australia joined together to observe an entire Shabbos. They raved about the gracious and warm hospitality, delicious food and joyous davening, and inspiring speeches.

“I had a great time and would love to return to Brooklyn,” shared Jason. It was amazing to witness the mutual love and respect between fellow Jews. “Geography and 10,000 miles may have divided us, but Ahavas Yisroel united us,” said Rav Yitzchok Fingerer, rav of BJX. Rabbi Moshe Fingerer and Ralph Herzka shared words of inspiration at the oneg that was graciously hosted by Gavriel and Vardi Jeidel. A local guest from Brooklyn who joined the Friday night dinner reflected on the joyous atmosphere and the warmth and inspiration that was enjoyed by all, along with BJX hosts Avi and Fraidy Waldman. “BJX really stands for Best Jewish Xperience,” he said. The Shabbaton concluded with a delicious meal at the home of Yizy and Devora Fuchs, co-hosted by Binyomin and Esther Berger. It concluded with a beautiful musical Havdalah accompanied by a guitarist and pianist on a baby grand piano. “Thank you so much for all your hard work! It was unforgettable!” said Rabbi Andrew, the rabbi from Australia who came with the group. Fasten Halberstam LLP, CareRite and Glatt Mart were the corporate sponsors for the International Shabbos of Inspiration.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

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JCCRP Hosts Menorah Lighting Ceremony with Local Leaders

n Thursday, December 7, Jewish Community Council of the Rockaway Peninsula (JCCRP) partnered with the Rockaway Development and Revitalization Corporation, RNSP, Pip Marketing, the Bayswater Jewish Center, Episcopal Health Services Inc., and Rockaway Business Alliance to celebrate Chanukah with local leaders at the Central and Mott Avenues Greenspace. The downtown Far Rockaway Menorah lighting is a long-standing tradition for historic Far Rockaway, which was the center of Jewish communal life for many years. Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato, her director Gregory Slade, and her

chief of staff attended, along with Councilwomen Selvena Brooks Powers, Assemblyman Khaleel Anderson, and NYPD Inspector Richie Taylor and NYPD Chief Captain Timothy Schultz from the 101st Precinct. A Mitzvah tank was at the event blasting Jewish music, and doughnuts and hot drinks were available. Passerby

engaged in discussion with the Chabad shluchim running the Mitzvah tank about Chanukah. Thank you to all of our local leaders and partners for making our 2023 public Far Rockaway Menorah lighting a successful kiddush Hashem.

Jam-Packed Chanukah at YSZ Girls HS

his year’s Chanukah season was marked by spirited events, creative competitions, and meaningful experiences that brought the YSZ Girls High School community closer together. Tuesday’s activity was labeled, “Chanukah Olympics: Unleashing Creativity and Fun.” Students showcased their skills and creativity in the Chanukah Olympics, where they competed for a prize – and of course, bragging rights! Activities included the hilarious balancing of gelt on noses and the construction of a makeshift tower using plastic cups. The event fostered a sense of camaraderie as students were filled with laughter and friendly competition. “Chanukah Chagigah: A Night of Cel-

ebration” was Wednesday’s highlight. The girls came together for a memorable Chanukah chagigah filled with delicious food, beautiful décor, and joyous celebrations. The night featured divrei Torah, a game of Secret Maccabi, spectacular student presentations, and spirited dancing and singing that created lasting memories for students and faculty alike. Thursday’s theme was “Chanukah Trip to the MET: A Journey Through History.” The girls embarked on an exciting Chanukah-themed trip to the MET. Students explored the various cultures mentioned in Maoz Tzur and gained a deeper understanding of the history of our nation – what we endured and how we have triumphed! A fun scavenger hunt within

the museum had students searching for representations of “light within the darkness” in accordance with the Chanukah theme. Friday, Zot Chanukah, was entitled, “Yom Iyun: Sharing Insights and Inspirations,” bringing a reflective Yom Iyun at school. Students presented their findings from the museum visit showing how they discovered that they can find light amidst a dark world. They confronted the concept of walking proudly on the path of Hashem amongst the confusion of the world and cultures surrounding us. The day concluded with thought-provoking workshops and an inspiring parsha lesson led by Mrs. Pahlaef, ending this year’s Chanukah on a spiritual high.

As we bid farewell to the Festival of Lights, we extend our gratitude to the entire YSZ Girls High School community for making this Chanukah season truly spectacular. May the warmth and brightness of the holiday continue to illuminate our hearts throughout the year!

Family Mishmar at HANC

he auditorium in the HANC Elementary School in West Hempstead was filled with parents, grandparents and students who came to learn Torah together in this school year’s first family Mishmar event. Due to the success of last year’s Mishmar, this year’s first evening learning program had the highest attendance yet. Rabbi Ouriel Hazan, Director of HANC’s West Hempstead campuses, explained that this year’s school theme is “Ignite the Light.” In keeping with that theme, the families would explore the significance of light in the Torah. Before the learning began, the crowd recognized the soldiers that have been lost in battle, and the Torah learning was

dedicated in honor of the brave soldiers on the front lines and their families. Utilizing a beautiful learning packet that was compiled and designed by third grade teacher, Rabbi Elie Bashevkin, the source materials kept parents and the students engaged in learning and meaningful discussions. Mothers and fathers sat with their children and together they explored the symbolism of light in the Torah. At the conclusion of the spirited learning session, the crowd sang several pesukim that are well known songs and concluded with a communal rendition of “Acheinu.” The strong sense of achdut with our Israeli brothers and sisters was truly electrifying. The crowd was then treated to a delicious meal from Wing

Wan, which was enjoyed by everyone. At the conclusion of the program, Rabbi Hazan conducted a raffle, and the top winners went home with deluxe prizes, including drones and a hoverboard. As the families took their leave at the end of the program, it was clear that this

event was truly exceptional. The HANC family is already looking forward to the next two Mishmar sessions that will take place in the coming weeks. Dedicating Torah learning in honor of our brave Israeli soldiers will hopefully shed light during this dark and difficult time.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

Shulamith ECC celebrated Rosh Chodesh with Chaveirut

Mercaz Academy Students’ Chanukah Fun

The entire YOSS Mechina joined together with ruach and achdus for a special Chanuka Mesiba

Letters for Israel

itch and Laurie Kirschner delivered letters written by Lev Chana students to soldiers in the IDF. Every letter gives them extra strength to continue fighting for the Jewish people! HALB Alumni Ben Roz, Samuel Lions and Jack Lebor, along with Ben’s father Yitzy, brought 400 letters from HALB Middle School students to injured soldiers in Israel for Chanukah.

ercaz Academy fifth and sixth graders helped the Pre-K students at the Alan & Tatyana Forman Jewish Early Learning Center in Merrick celebrate Chanukah by creating a beautiful Chanukah program to share with the ELC children. The Mercaz students opened with a choral performance, singing Chanukah songs for their young audience. Afterwards, the fifth and sixth graders put on an amusing Chanukah skit for the children, introducing them to the story of the menorah from the perspective of an olive eager to make up the oil with which it would be lit. After the show, the ELC children were divided into groups and enjoyed working

with their fifth and sixth grade partners on Chanukah-themed crafts that the Mercaz students had designed and brought along. Everyone also worked on “Dreidel Math” sheets, and ELC students did a great job with the simple addition and subtraction problems. The Early Learning Center students loved the fun activities and attention from the “big kids,” while the Mercaz Academy students enjoyed their opportunity to take on leadership roles. Additionally, fifth and sixth graders agreed that “the kids were super cute!” Yasher koach to Rabbi Moshe Rubel, who arranged and programmed the visit, and to the fifth and sixth grade Mercaz students, who brought so much talent, effort, and joy to share with others.

HALB’s Mission to Israel

ALB’s Mission to Israel has begun. The group brought several duffles filled with boots for soldiers, met with hero Baruch Cohen who saved his entire Kibbutz on October 7,

met with displaced families, and volunteered on a garlic field. The experience has been a powerful one for everyone involved.

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Music Star Rocks HAFTR

By Milo Lemberger

uniors and Seniors of HAFTR High School had the unique opportunity to hear the story of renowned musical artist, Mr. Alex Clare. Clare, aged 38, is an English music artist who shares a special characteristic with the students at HAFTR: he is Jewish. On Thursday, November 30, Clare addressed HAFTR students, discussing his passion for music and his religious experience. Clare explained that he was not religious in his early life because he did not grow up in a Jewish community. However, when his music career began, he decided to reconnect to Judaism and became Shomer Shabbat. Although he did not know it then, this decision would alter his life. Due to his commitment to keeping Shabbat, he was dropped by his record company and found himself in a hard place.

He was out of money, in debt, and had no one to turn to. And so, he davened. During this time, Clare was learning in Jerusalem, reclaiming his roots, and living a Torah-observant life. His career seemed to be over until he got a call from a young entrepreneur in Seattle who wanted to use his music in a commercial for Microsoft. Within days of accepting this offer, he became number one on the charts worldwide. Clare was on every radio station, and his music could be heard multiple times a day. After sharing his story, students were treated to a live performance of his song, “Too Close.” Alex Clare taught students an incredible lesson, which is more important now than ever. In times when things are out of our control and we have no one to turn to, Hashem is always there, waiting for us to ask for help.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

Assemblymember Sam Berger visited Chazaq headquarters in Queens last week

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An Inspiring Evening at TAG

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

The talmidos of the Ganger Early Childhood Center at TAG were treated to a special puppet show for Chanukah and Rosh Chodesh Teves

Thank You, Officers

ocal police officers Louis Dilenardo and Jesse Destasio visited HALB to let us know they are here to protect the Jewish community. Students and faculty gave them this card and

chocolates to thank them for keeping the community safe. Their visit made a big impact on the students and staff during these unsettling times.

Chanukah STEM at HALB

ALB’s sixth grade girls designed, built, and then wired electrical Chanukah games to light up or buzz when played. They invited the other half of the sixth grade to try out their games and then showed them how they work. They enjoyed building them and felt very accomplished with what they were able to create!

Did you know? Thursday, December 21, will have 2023’s shortest period of daylight — nine hours, 26 minutes and 13 seconds.

n Thursday evening, November 30, over 100 mothers came to TAG to fulfill the bracha of hafrashas challah with their sixth grade daughters. The event was organized as a z’chus for the matzav in Eretz Yisroel. The event was filled with chizuk, inspiration and tremendous achdus. In the words of Mrs. Tova Ackerman, Junior High General Studies Principal, as she welcomed the parent body, “It takes a group of super moms to put an idea into reality.” The event was organized by: Rebbetzin Miriam Rubenstein, Mrs. Amanda Waltuch, Mrs. Michelle Berger, Mrs. Shevy Moser, Mrs. Edna Ershowski, Mrs. Meira Hammer, Mrs. Rivkah Katznelson and Mrs. Nataly Magendzo. TAG’s Assistant Dean, Rabbi Yehuda Deutsch, gave inspiring words of chizuk to the mothers and daughters. He spoke about the beauty and benefits of doing this special mitzvah that women all over the world have learned to appreciate. English Language Machon Sarah High School teacher Mrs. Liane Safier proudly presented Miss Pessy Cohen

(9th grader) who performed a song she composed, inspired by her English class journal and her feelings about what is happening in Eretz Yisroel. It definitely evoked emotional tears from both mothers and talmidos. Rebbetzin Rubenstein guided the program, and each mother in the room made a bracha out loud with hundreds of amens filling TAG’s social hall. To conclude a very special night, the girls all hugged each other and sang, “Acheinu kol bais Yisroel,” led by Mrs. Sheindel Antelis. What a wonderful evening which uplifted both the mothers and daughters.

Shark Tank at HANC

rs. Seeno’s eighth graders at HANC learned what it takes to be an entrepreneur while working on their Shark Tank Projects. Students chose their groups and had to create a pitch on Flip Grid, a prototype, and pertinent information. Six groups advanced to the finals. There were so many great ideas that it was not an easy task to choose just six! On Monday, November 27, these six groups pitched their ideas in an assembly

with HANC’s very own sharks: Mrs. Morey, Rabbi Hecht, and Rabbi Dworetsky. After viewing the finalists’ ideas for the first time and asking questions, there was a tie. Dovi Lemel and Jacob Nelson won with their idea SnagTag and Nili Brukner, Maya Nof, Katie Pilarski, and Shayna Wunder won with their idea TutorBox. Congratulations to the winners. They received extra credit, and certificates, and will be having lunch with Mrs. Seeno next week for their prize!

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

Around the Community

Achiezer Evening of Appreciation

ome photos from the recent Achiezer Evening of Appreciation for its Board, staff and vol-

unteers, which took place in lieu of a community-wide dinner. Special recognition was given to Nassau County

Photo credit: Jerry Meyer Studio, LI

Executive Bruce Blakeman for his tireless commitment to Achiezer, the community and the State of Israel, as well

as to a delegation of more than a dozen heroes of the IDF.

Around the Community

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Zos Chanukah, dreidel drop, and live monkey show at Siach Yitzchok

HAFTR Participates in Ramaz Basketball Tournament By Ava Green

AFTR High School is known for its prestigious learning, warm environment, and intense athletics. On Thursday, December 14, the girls’ and boys’ varsity basketball teams made their way to New York City for the Sam Gyenes Memorial Basketball Tournament held at Ramaz. From the start, HAFTR exhibited skilled plays and incredible teamwork, as the girls defeated the Ramaz team after a riveting game. The boys’ game followed later that night, displaying their finesse and preparation. Afterward, all teams in the tournament gathered for a festive dinner and candle-lighting ceremony to celebrate the last night of Chanukah, which was truly

inspiring. During the meal, players were shown a beautiful video made in honor of Sam Gyenes, z”l, who passed away in his sophomore year at Ramaz and in whose memory the tournament is held each year. Starting Friday morning, bright and early, the girls pulled out another win against Magen David Yeshiva and then later that day against the Hebrew Academy of Montreal. Shoutout to Meghan Gottfried for hitting five threes and taking MVP for the game! After a few tough games for the boys, the teams were both ready to enjoy a fun and relaxing Shabbat together. After davening, all the teams ate dinner together, listened to inspiring speeches, and spent time getting to know each other through games and

much-needed downtime. It was special for all the teams to take a break from the competition aspect of the tournament and have time to bond with one another. As Shabbat came to an end, the teams geared up for another set of games on the court. The girls pulled out another win against the Hebrew Academy of Montreal, ending in first place and securing their

spot in the championship game on Sunday morning against Ramaz. Although they did not take home the win, their four wins from the previous days, as well as the intense efforts of the boys’ team, left their spirits high. Congratulations to the Ramaz girls and Magen David boys on taking the champion title. HAFTR, we got it next year!

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

Around 400 people enjoyed BTI’s annual Chanukah Chagiga

BYAM Visits Old Bethpage

n conjunction with their social studies unit, the fourth graders at Bais Yaakov Ateres Miriam had the privilege of visiting Old Bethpage. At the restoration village, the girls had the opportunity to see what life was like in Colonial times. They visited a schoolhouse, examined colonial clothing, and saw what a kitchen looked like during that time period. The girls were excited to have the chance to see what they were learning come to life. They asked many questions and learned so much that supported what they had previously

learned in the classroom. A great time was had by all!

Chanukah Celebrations at HALB

C The Shulamith ECC Banot enjoyed a visit from the Woodmere Fire Department to discuss fire safety

hanukah week was filled with exciting activities including the amazing Aryeh Kuntzler concert! Students from Lev Chana through eighth grade enjoyed singing and dancing with their Morot and Rebbeim.

JSL Men’s Playoffs Recap

Lego Words in ELA at YOSS

he JSL Men’s Basketball Playoffs by FM Home Loans kicked off this past Sunday, and it was an absolute thriller! Joseph “Rudy” Rudansky went off in the 1st half, scoring 4 from behind the arc as Island Roofing went up on team DJ Haim by 17 points. However, Yaakov Dvir and DJ Haim did not let up and came back to win the game! Shelby Rosenberg was phenomenal as Posh Home + Bath defeated Rita’s in OT. Eitan Gettenberg and Simcha Klein poured it on for Town Appliance, as they put up 71 against Maidenbaum in their win.

Yitzi Wieder, Efraim Hoffman and co. were denied a JSL Championship for the 2nd season in a row, as Ikey Cohen led Insight Optiks to the 60-49 victory!

rs. Burg’s first grade ELA class at YOSS is always having fun while learning! Phonemic Awareness, which is the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in a spoken word, is the first step in becoming proficient readers. The boys are doing an amazing job identifying the different sounds in a word and then putting them together using Lego. It’s even more fun to make rhyming words by changing the sound in the beginning of the word and keeping the ending the same. Whether we build a word with Lego, or identify the number sounds by

pressing on clay, we are having a blast while we learn key reading concepts!

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

Around the Community

The Starlight Sisters By Libby Lazewnik

our girls. Four dreams. Four stars. Welcome to the very first volume of The Starlight Sisters, beloved author Libby Lazewnik’s new and amazing series. Lucky Ora. She’s got a beautiful voice. She’s a whiz at math. And now, YES! She’s been accepted into Bais Yaakov of Valley Stream, otherwise known as JAPA, the Jewish School for Performing Arts, a unique new school that combines a high-level Bais Yaakov education with intensive training in the performing arts. A school that accepts only the best performers and trains them to be even better. To get into JAPA, you’ve got to be good .... no, great ... in either dance, singing or playing a musical instrument. And Ora’s been accepted! How incredible is that!? So if everything is so incredible, why is everything so terrible? Mostly, it’s because Ora is tired of “playing second fiddle.” Never the tops, never the champion, always second best. She’s second fiddle to her sister, who is loved and admired by everyone, teachers

and students alike. And second fiddle to the quiet girl who’s managed to steal both the best solo in the choir and Ora’s best friend. Join Ora and her fellow “Starlight Sisters,” Gali, Chaya, and Penny, on their quest to spread their own special “starlight” to the world. And get set for a fantastic performance! ** We spoke to Libby Lazewnik about her new series. A new Libby Lazewnik series! Great news! Tell us a little about the characters of Starlight Sisters and why readers are going to love them. LL: There are four Starlight Sisters to start with, with a fifth to make her appearance later in the series. Each of the four girls has a particular talent, a particular kind of family situation, and a particular middah that she needs to work on. The girls are not perfect – I’ve tried to make them very real, very relatable. Each of the girls narrates “her” book, so we get to know them all really well—inside and out. By the time you’re done, they’ll be your best friends! This first volume begins with Ora’s story. Ora has a gorgeous voice, a wonderful family, excellent

marks in school ... and a problem that’s going to take her an entire book to solve! You chose an interesting setting: a Bais Yaakov-type school for super-talented girls. Is that something you always dreamed of? LL: Although I did belong to my school’s dance group, performing as a dancer was not my dream. My own “superpower” was always writing… But I was definitely fascinated by the idea of kids putting on professional-quality performances and what goes on behind the scenes. And I know that many, many girls long to be in productions and performances. What age group are you writing for? The Starlight Sisters are in seventh grade, so these books are aimed at my usual young-adult crowd, aged approximately 10-14. The question everyone asks you: After writing so many books and articles, how do you keep finding such fresh and original plots? LL: Life is constantly fresh and original. I just keep my eyes open…and daven! Without giving away any secrets, what can we expect in future books in the

series? LL: As I said, we’re looking at a fifth Starlight Sister to join the group after a very dramatic sort of introduction to our old friends. Apart from that, there’ll be more performances, more “family and friends stuff,” more character growth— and of course, a super-exciting trip to London, where they’ll be giving a command performance, to top it all off!

Chanukah with Hamaspik

s the days grow colder and nights grow longer, Chanukah enters our lives – and with it, warmth, light, and joy. Every year, Hamaspik of Kings County uses this time of year to spread even more light to our dear family of clients. And this year was no different. A week before Chanukah arrived (to avoid overlap with the inevitable rush of Chanukah parties and get-togethers once Chanukah sets in), mothers of children with special needs were treated to a beautiful ladies night out by Stardust, Hamaspik’s family support group division. The Five Towns event, located right

here in the community, was a real convenience and created a familiar and cozy atmosphere for Five Towns mothers. Moms were treated to tasty hors d’oeuvres, a lavish dinner, beautiful decor, and fresh florals. Mothers relaxed with kumzitzstyle singing by Hinda Rochel Cohen, and a potpourri craft and a Lucite hadlakas neiros craft. Jackie Bitton kept the crowd riveted with her relatable and absolutely inspiring speech about her experience growing up with a brother with special needs. Despite all the lavish touches and robust program, the chizuk that Jackie shared remained a real highlight of the night for many. On the way out, the bonus door prize of a gift bag containing a children’s book

on emunah and some Chanukah-themed toys and treats was a sweet ending to a beautiful night, and a perfect gift for the turbulent times that we find ourselves in right now. “I had so much to do at home that I actually thought of skipping the event,” one mom shared. “I’m so glad I didn’t! I really needed this! I was so pampered and returned home feeling invigorated with renewed strength to face my role as mommy of my special child.” On Chanukah itself, clients were delighted to receive a beautifully packaged gift conveniently delivered straight to their door. This year’s gift, one of our most unique ones yet, an at-home recording

studio set, came with all the bells and whistles. Included were two mics, a pop screen, a mixer with several channels and special effects, and all the cables needed to connect to a computer or speaker. The theme of the gift was “sharing music,” as this was Hamaspik’s way of sharing joy and music together this Chanukah. As always, we remain committed to providing support to families of children with special needs and mental health challenges, and we stand by ready to answer all your questions. Please reach out to the Five Towns office with questions or for help obtaining services: 516-8758400 x255.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

1. *

TJH

Centerfold

Riddle Me This John wanted to get into a members only club, so he hid and watched the guard at the door

You Gotta be Kidding! Jimbo and Bubba rent a boat and go fishing in a lake. They are amazed at the number of

of the clubhouse. The guard

fish that they catch that day, so Jimbo says

said a number to each member

to Bubba, “We’ll have to come back here

as they approached, and the

tomorrow!”

member responded with a number of their own. If the member responded with the correct number, they were

Bubba asks, “But how will we remember

let in. If they responded incorrectly, they

where this spot is?”

were thrown out. One member came up to the door, the guard

Jimbo says, “Simple.” He takes a can of

said, “Twelve,” and the member responded

spray paint, paints an X on the bottom of

with “six” and was let in. Another member

the boat, and says, “We’ll just look for this X

came to the door, the guard said, “Six,” and the

tomorrow.”

member responded with “three” and was let in. Believing he had heard enough, John went up

Bubba says, “You fool!

to the guard. The guard said, “Ten,” and John

How do you know we’ll

said, “Five” but was not let in. What should

get the same boat?”

John have said?

Answer: He should have said three, the number of letters in the number the guard said.

1. Mechanical engineer Whitcomb Judson developed this idea just in time for the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 but was overshadowed by the Ferris wheel. Nowadays, it’s on everything from pencil cases to coats, pants, boots, backpacks and a plethora of other items. What was it? a. Patch kits b. Buttons c. Plastic fasteners d. The zipper 2. When was sliced bread introduced? a. 1257 b. 1786 c. 1895 d. 1928 3. Where was Coke invented? a. Kentucky b. England c. Georgia d. New York 4. What was the TV remote called when first invented in the 1950s? a. Lazy bones b. Detached activation device c. The Ultrasonic d. Cellular remote 5. Who invented the concept of two pages facing each other which are filled with great fun facts, information, humor and anything else that interests this particular brilliant inventor (which is not much else)? a. TJH Centerfold Commissioner b. TJH Centerfold Commissioner

6. Who invented the telephone? a. Thomas Edison b. Adley Trenton Todem (aka “AT&T”) c. Alexander Graham Bell d. Elisha Gray Answers: 1) D- Judson’s original concept of the “clasp-locker” was a hook-and-eye device intended to replace shoelaces and buttons on boots. Nowadays, if you look at your zipper, you’ll usually see the initials YKK. It stands for Yoshida Kogyo Kabushibibaisha, the world’s largest zipper manufacturer. 2) D-Otto Frederick Rohwedder of Davenport, Iowa, invented the first loaf-at-a-time bread-slicing machine. A prototype he built in 1912 was destroyed in a fire, and it was not until 1928 that Rohwedder had a fully working machine ready. The first commercial use of the machine was by the Chillicothe Baking Company of Chillicothe, Missouri, which produced their first slices on July 7, 1928. 3) C 4) A-The first TV remote control, called “Lazy Bones,” was developed in 1950 by Zenith Electronics. The Lazy Bones used a cable that ran from the TV set to the viewer. By pushing buttons on the remote control, viewers rotated the tuner clockwise or counterclockwise, depending on whether they wanted to change the channel to a higher or lower number. 5) A and B – The best inventor ever…me! 6) C-In the 1870s, Elisha Gray and

Alexander Graham Bell both independently designed devices that could transmit speech electrically (the telephone). Both men rushed their respective designs to the patent office within hours of each other; Alexander Graham Bell patented his telephone first. Elisha Gray and Alexander Graham Bell entered into a famous legal battle over the invention of the telephone, which Bell won. By the way, Bell disliked telephones so much that he refused to have one in his office. When Bell passed away in 1922, every telephone served by the Bell System in the USA and Canada was silent for one minute. Invention Key: 5-6 correct: You really know a lot of useless information. 3-4 correct: Not bad. I am sure you are really proud that you knew where Coke started. 0-2 correct: A famous entrepreneur who owned a car company once sued a journalist for publishing an article in which he accused the carmaker of being dumb. At the trial, the attorney for the defendant quizzed the entrepreneur on several random topics, in order to show that, in fact, the entrepreneur was not smart. The entrepreneur responded that not knowing about random facts didn’t make him dumb because if he really needed that information, he could just buy a $2 encyclopedia; it’s the guy that actually spends his time memorizing the useless information as opposed to spending his time building car companies who is not smart. So, as long as you own a car company, don’t feel bad.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

Inventions Trivia

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

Torah Thought

Parshas Vayigash By Rabbi Berel Wein

he opening verses of this week’s Torah reading are among the most dramatic and challenging in the entire Torah. Two great, powerful personalities in the house of the children of Yaakov – Yehudah and Yosef – engage in a clash and debate of epic proportions regarding the release of their brother Binyamin. At first glance, it seems obvious that Yosef has the upper hand in his struggle. After all, he is the viceroy of Egypt, the commander of the palace guard who are armed and ready to do his bidding. On the other hand, Yehudah has very limited

options as to what to say and what to do in order to obtain the release of Binyamin. Yosef’s position of power appears to prevail but the impassioned plea and tone and contents of the words of Yehudah are not to be easily ignored. So, in a sense, one could say that Yehudah will himself prevail over Yosef. But in a clear analysis, one should come to the conclusion that neither of the two great antagonists, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, is the victor in this clash of ideas and worldview. The true champion that will emerge from this entire baffling and fascinating story is the old hoary Yaakov, seemingly

isolated back there in the land of Canaan, mourning and despondent as to what has happened to his family. In anguish, he shouts: “Yosef is no more, Shimon is no more; both of them will be lost to me!” It is that image of their father that haunts both Yehudah and Yosef. And each, in his own way, wishes to do justice to their father and to everything that he represents. And it is this image of Yaakov that brings Yosef to the climax of the story and to his ability, nay, necessity to reveal and reconcile himself with his brothers. Jewish rabbinic thought over the ages

somehow remain faithful to the old, wise man that we can no longer see but who is somehow always with us. What gives both Yehudah and Yosef troubling pause in the midst of their impassioned debate is the question as to what their father thinks of their words and their actions. It is this unseen presence of Yaakov that drives the brothers to reconciliation and to restoring a common purpose in their lives and those of their families. In effect, they are thinking: “What would our father think of this conversation and of this confrontation?”

It is the image of our ancient father Yaakov that truly hovers over all of our current struggles.

has always attempted to make the story of Yosef and Yehudah relevant to each individual generation of Jews. I think that the most relevant message that all of us can gain from this great narrative is that it is the image of our ancient father Yaakov that truly hovers over all of our current struggles. It is our task, not merely to win the debate with our other brothers or even with outside powers that are seemingly stronger and greater than we are, but rather to

Father Yaakov has looked down at all of the generations of the Jewish people ,and in one way or another, every generation has been forced to ask itself what would Yaakov think of us, our words and our behavior. It is that ever-present idea in Jewish life that has been an aid and a boon to our seemingly miraculous survival as a people and as a faith. We may not see him, but we can be certain that he is there with us today as well. Shabbat shalom.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

From the Fire

Parshas Vayigash A Higher Dimension By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

arshas Vayigash is one of the most emotional parshiyos in the whole Torah, with Yosef’s revelation to his brothers, his reconciliation with them, and his reunification with Yaakov Avinu after 22 years of separation. The pasuk that describes this reunification (Bereishis 46:29) is filled with action: “And Yosef harnessed his chariot, and he ascended to greet Yisroel his father in Goshen, and he appeared to him and fell on his neck and cried on his neck for a long time.” The pasuk captures Yosef’s excitement with the five verbs used in pasuk: “tied,” “ascended,” “greet,” “appeared,” and “cried.” Yosef’s emotion at that moment contrasts sharply with Yaakov Avinu’s silence and passivity. This always bothered me. Rashi quotes our Sages who say that Yaakov “was saying Shema.” I could never understand how Yaakov could be so apparently heartless. Of all the times to say Shema – couldn’t he do it earlier or later? While some commentaries explain that it was zman kriyas Shema, the time for reciting Shema, that does not really address the question. I would like to share the following understanding which represents an extrapolation of the explanation of the Maharal in Gur Aryeh. In order to understand Yaakov Avinu’s Shema Yisroel at that time, we must first understand another famous recitation of Shema: that of Rebbe Akiva when he was martyred by the Romans, dying with the word “Echad” of Shema on his lips as he was being tortured to death (Brachos 61b). Following Rebbe Akiva’s example, Jews forced to die sanctifying Hashem’s name throughout the generations have left the world saying Shema. Most people believe that Rebbe Aki-

va said Shema at that moment in order to demonstrate that despite what was happening to him, he still had faith in G-d. But a careful reading of the Gemara reveals that this was not Rebbe Akiva’s intention. The Gemara says that “at the time they took Rebbe Akiva to be killed, it was the time to say Shema.” We therefore see that Rebbe Akiva did not say Shema because he was taken out to be killed, as a final moment’s scream of faith. Rather, he said Shema because it was the halachically prescribed time to say Shema. Each Jew has a mitzvah to accept upon himself the yoke of Heaven by saying Shema twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. It is natural to forget Hashem’s kingship over us in our daily lives, so halacha mandates that we say Shema twice a day, “l’ma’an tizkiru,” in order that we remember. Rebbe Akiva was therefore performing his daily obligation to accept the yoke of Heaven upon himself. We learn from Rebbe Akiva that there are two dimensions to reality: the subjective dimension and the objection dimension. In the subjective dimen-

sion, a person goes about his daily life fulfilling his personal responsibilities by working, studying, and performing mitzvos at their proper time. He has his own personal schedule. But there is also an objective dimension wherein Hashem has a grand, universal plan, and a person recognizes that he is one piece of that larger reality. On one’s average day, these two dimensions peacefully coexist, side by side. A person lives his daily life and accepts upon himself the yoke of Heaven at the proper time, dutifully acknowledging the supremacy of the Divine. There are occasions, however, where these two dimensions collide. When that happens, when the Divine plan causes a simple shepherd-turned-great-sage-ofthe-generation to be tortured to death by wicked idolaters, from the subjective perspective, no one would judge such a person if he screamed out, (Menachos 29b) “Zo Torah, v’zo secharah, This is the Torah and this is its reward?!” But by saying Shema at the prescribed time despite the fact that the Romans were raking his flesh with iron combs, Rebbe

Akiva revealed that he was connected to something much greater than his own subjective reality. He was saying, “I am part of the Creator’s world! I am part of the world of zman kriyas Shema, the objective reality of the prescribed time for Shma, for accepting the yoke of Heaven irrespective of my own subjective reality.” What was the source of Rebbe Akiva’s ability to connect to the world of the yoke of Heaven even when his own subjective world was being torn apart? Yaakov Avinu. In the heat of the greatest moment of his personal, subjective life, Yaakov’s silence and that fact that he accepted upon himself the yoke of the Divine objective reality at that precise moment revealed Yaakov’s recognition that there is a reality greater than his own. We see that Yaakov’s silence was not that of an emotionless halachist, coldly saying Shema at the proper time regardless of the circumstances. Indeed, in the pasuk after their initial meeting, Yaakov Avinu tells Yosef, “I can die now that I have seen your face, that you are still alive.” Yaakov felt so emotionally moved that he felt that his life was complete. But despite that fact that his heart was obviously bursting with emotion, he recognized that a Jew must know that there is something above and beyond his own personal life. That is why he made the decision to say Shema at that time. Friday was Asara B’Teves, one of the five fast days of the year. After the war, the rabbanim in Eretz Yisroel declared Asara B’Teves a “kaddish klali,” a universal kdadish for those killed by the Nazis, ym”sh, whose yahrtzeits are not known. We have all heard numerous stories of those who went to the gas chambers saying Shema Yisroel or “Ani

to drive them to despair because they recognized the existence of a higher reality beyond themselves. They drew their ability to do this from Yaakov Avinu and Rebbe Akiva, who revealed their recognition of that Divine reality irrespective of their own circumstances, whether joyous or horrific.

he was organizing a Mincha minyan, and he had nine people. He asked a Jew nearby to join the minyan, but the man refused. When questioned why, the man responded that he would not join that minyan or any other minyan ever again because of what he had seen in the camps. Rabbi Silver asked him what he

Despite that fact that his heart was obviously bursting with emotion, he recognized that a Jew must know that there is something above and beyond his own personal life.

We see another example of Jews connecting to the greater reality of Hashem’s plan through another well-known story from the camps. Rabbi Lazer Silver, a great rav from Cincinnati, traveled to the camps when the war ended to help the survivors begin to rebuild their lives. One day, in one of the DP camps,

had seen. He responded that one man in his barracks had somehow smuggled in a siddur. But instead of letting other prisoners borrow it, he used to charge them a piece of their moldy bread for a few minutes with the siddur and then he would snatch it back. Sixty or seventy people used to regularly wait in line

to give this man a bite of bread just to daven for a few minutes from a siddur. The survivor told Rabbi Silver that if a Jew could charge starving people to use a siddur, he would never daven again. Rabbi Silver responded to the man, “Why do you only look at that one man who was doing something wrong? Why don’t you look at the dozens and dozens of starving Jews who were willing to give up their last bite of bread just to daven from a siddur for a few minutes?!” Such Jews wished to live their daily lives as Jews notwithstanding the calamity around them. May we merit to recognize and connect to the higher level of the Divine reality, of the objective dimension, which exists beyond our own subjective reality, even as we live our daily lives, and may Hashem reveal the final chapter of His great plan soon in our days with the coming of Moshiach.

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.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

Maamin, I believe.” My mother was at Auschwitz and was sent to the gas chambers at the very end of the war, just as everything was falling apart for the Nazis. She told me that while she and all of the other people were lined up on their journey to their deaths (a journey they never, thank G-d, completed), everyone was saying Shema, accepting upon themselves the yoke of Heaven, regardless of whether they had been observant before the war or not. But we also know stories of Jews who tried as best they could to live as Jews throughout the war, saying Shema twice a day and performing any other mitzvah they were able to observe under the circumstances. We know of people who tried to scrape together enough grease from train or wagon wheels to make a Chanukah candle or say whatever Yom Kippur davening they could remember on Kol Nidrei night. Such people revealed that regardless of what was happening in their personal lives, there is a greater reality, a Divine plan, a zman kriyas Shema, an objective time to say Shema, to accept upon oneself the yoke of Heaven. They did not allow the destruction of their subjective dimension

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

Think. Feel.Grow.

Jewish Leadership When Leaders Are Human By Rabbi Shmuel Reichman

shop owner nailed a sign above his door: “Puppies for Sale.” Signs like this always have a way of attracting children, so it was no surprise when a young boy walked into the shop. “How much are you selling the puppies for?” “Anywhere from $15 to $30; depends on the pup.” The little boy pulled out some change from his pocket and placed it on the counter. “I have $2.37,” he said. “Can I please look at them?” The shop owner smiled and whistled. Five tiny balls of fur came speeding out of the back room, screeching to a halt at the shopkeeper’s feet. But one puppy was lagging behind the pack, limping and slowly making its way to the shopkeeper. The little boy immediately singled out the limping puppy and asked, “What’s wrong with that one?” The shop owner explained that the veterinarian had examined the newborn puppy and had discovered that it didn’t have a hip socket. Its leg was weak, and it would always limp; it would always be lame. The little boy smiled and pointed to the puppy. “That’s the one I want to buy.” The shop owner shook his head. “No, you don’t want to buy that dog. If you really want him, I can just give him to you.” The little boy went quiet for a moment, looking down at his shoes. But when he looked back up, there was a look of determination in his eyes. “No, I don’t want you to just give him to me. That little dog is worth every bit as much as any of the other dogs, and I’ll pay full price for him. Here is $2.37, and

physical is the sole path toward spirituality. Why and where does our view differ? In order to understand this, we must first understand the nature and role of Kohanim.

Three Categories of Leadership

I’ll give you 50 cents a month until he is fully paid for.” Unconvinced, the shopkeeper replied, “Trust me, you really don’t want this little dog. He will never be able to run, jump, and play with you like the other puppies.” To his surprise, the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a tall metal brace. He looked up at the shop owner and softly replied, “Well, I don’t run so well myself, and the little puppy will need someone who understands.”

Jewish Leadership Each individual has their own perception of reality, their own view on religion, and their own ideas about leadership. Every religion as well has its own perceptions and views on these topics,

and just as a person’s views serve as a gateway into understanding their inner beliefs and values, a religion’s views serve as a window into its inner beliefs and value system. When examining the Jewish approach to leadership, it’s fascinating to note how diametrically opposed Jewish leadership is to other versions of leadership. The Torah states that the Kohen Gadol must be married (Vayikra 21:13). While other religions require spiritual leaders to remain celibate, completely removed from the physical world, Judaism requires the opposite. This seems dangerous, as the temptations of physicality and a physical relationship can distract one from achieving spiritual perfection. Why then do we require our leaders to immerse themselves in something as physical as marriage? Most other religions believe that abstaining from the

There are three categories of Jewish leadership: The Melech (king), the Sanhedrin (courts), and the Kohanim (priests). While all three serve both practical and religious roles, each category maintains its own unique purpose in enabling the Jewish people to connect to Hashem and fulfill their purpose. The Melech serves as an embodiment and manifestation of Hashem in this world, completely negating his ego and serving as a transparent vessel to reveal Hashem in this world. The Sanhedrin uphold Jewish ideals in society, ensuring that the Jewish People live up to their lofty purpose and act in accordance with Torah law. The Kohanim are charged with helping the Jewish People uplift themselves and connect with Hashem. The Kohanim’s role is to guide the Jewish people in their spiritual and religious journey, helping them build and perfect their relationship with Hashem. A Kohen is therefore responsible for the Jewish people’s spiritual well-being. This is achieved through their avodah in the Beis Hamikdash. In order to understand how their avodah strengthens the connection between the Jewish People and Hashem, let us briefly review the nature of the Beis Hamikdash.

A Place of Connection Chazal refer to the Beis Hamikdash

Hashem and Klal Yisrael embrace in the closest and most intimate relationship.

Kohanim: Creating this Connection The Kohanim’s role is to foster the connection between Hashem and this world, and between Hashem and the Jewish People. Through their avodah in the Beis Hamikdash, the place of connection, the Kohanim connect the physical to the spiritual and the Jewish People to their Source. This idea is actually expressed in the word “Kohen” itself.

Klal Yisrael. In order to help Klal Yisrael connect with Hashem through a korban of connection, he must first ensure that his own personal connection with Hashem is properly established. So too, before helping Klal Yisrael connect with Hashem — a relationship Chazal refer to as a marriage — the Kohen Gadol had to first develop his own marriage, his own experience of connection and oneness. Marriage is the ultimate opportunity to give ourselves fully over to another person. This is why the Gemara (Kiddushin 41a) presents marriage as the par-

Our leaders are individuals who embrace the physical, uplift it, and connect it to the infinite.

The gematria of “kohen” is seventy-five, halfway between seventy and eighty. The Maharal explains that seven is the number of the natural (Tiferes Yisrael, chaps. 1–2, 25); this is why all physical and natural components of this world are built off sevens: seven days in the week, seven notes in the musical scale, seven colors in the spectrum of light, etc. Eight represents going beyond the natural, which is why bris milah is done on the eighth day. We take the most physical and potentially animalistic organ and use it to transcend. This is also why the miracle of Chanukah lasted eight days and why it came through shemen (oil), the same shoresh (root) as shemonah, the number eight. It is therefore no surprise that the gematria of “kohen” is seventy-five, the number directly between seventy and eighty. The Kohen’s role is to connect the lower with the higher, the physical to the spiritual, and the finite to the infinite. This is achieved specifically in the Beis Hamikdash (or Mishkan), the ultimate place of connection.

A Marriage of Connection We can now understand why the Kohen Gadol must be married. The Kohen Gadol embodies the ultimate paradigm of kehunah; he is the paragon of connecting Klal Yisrael to Hashem, connecting the infinite to the finite. In order to impact others, we must first invest in ourselves. This is why Aharon first brought a korban for himself and only afterwards brought one for all of

adigm for fulfilling v’ahavta l’reiacha kamocha (one should love their neighbor as they love themselves). Marriage is the first opportunity we have to completely give ourselves over to someone else. Once we love ourselves, we can expand our sense of self to include our spouse, our family, our friends, our community, and then all of Klal Yisrael. We can then expand outwards even further to connect with all of humanity, the entire world, and eventually the entire universe. Ultimately, we can root ourselves back to the source of all self, i.e., Hashem. And while Hashem is the root of all existence and is therefore the last step in this process, He is also manifest within everything in this world and is therefore present within every stage. The goal, therefore, is to be aware of Hashem within every relationship we build: within ourselves, our friendships, our marriage, and our connection with all of Klal Yisrael. The Kohen Gadol must first undergo the process of marriage himself, experiencing the transformative effects of an expanded sense of self, before he can then progress to include all of Klal Yisrael within this sense of self. Only once he has achieved this is he ready to help Klal Yisrael build the ultimate connection and “marriage” with Hashem. The Kohen Gadol now understands the meaning of true connection, oneness, and love in his own personal marriage, and through doing so, has can build a deeper love and connection with all of

Klal Yisrael as well. Now, he is able to help Klal Yisrael connect with Hashem.

Kedoshim Tihiyu We now come full circle. In Parshas Kedoshim, we read the words: “Kedoshim tihiyu — You shall be holy.” This is not a call to be transcendent, angelic beings — lofty and perfect, completely beyond the struggle innate to the human condition. This is not permission to deny our humanity and restrict our sense of self. This is a calling to be human, to be the ultimate human, to bring transcendence and spirituality into this world. We don’t aim to escape this world; we aim to transform it. Kedushah is not transcendence or escapism but is found in the meeting between the transcendent and the immanent. The same is true for our spiritual leaders. We don’t seek leaders who transcend human struggle and temptation, who sit on mountaintops meditating and fasting. Our leaders are individuals who embrace the physical, uplift it, and connect it to the infinite. Each of us are leaders in our own way; each of us has a unique mission in this world. May we be inspired to build something powerful, sensational, and transformative within ourselves and then seek to impact the lives of others with our unique talents, helping to build connection and oneness in this world.

Rabbi Shmuel Reichman is the author of the bestselling book, “The Journey to Your Ultimate Self,” which serves as an inspiring gateway into deeper Jewish thought. He is an educator and speaker who has lectured internationally on topics of Torah thought, Jewish medical ethics, psychology, and leadership. He is also the founder and CEO of Self-Mastery Academy, the transformative online self-development course based on the principles of high-performance psychology and Torah. After obtaining his BA from Yeshiva University, he received Semicha from Yeshiva University’s RIETS, a master’s degree in education from Azrieli Graduate School, and a master’s degree in Jewish Thought from Bernard Revel Graduate School. He then spent a year studying at Harvard as an Ivy Plus Scholar. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife and son where he is pursuing a PhD at the University of Chicago. To invite Rabbi Reichman to speak in your community or to enjoy more of his deep and inspiring content, visit his website: ShmuelReichman.com.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

as the “mouth” of the world. This is because each of the three functions of the mouth serve as a mechanism of connection. • Eating connects the physical body to the angelic soul. • Speaking connects people’s inner worlds together. • Kissing connects two physical bodies together, reflecting a deeper form of internal connection and oneness. So too, the Beis Hamikdash serves as the “mouth” of the world, as it is the focal point where Hashem connects to this physical world. 1. Eating — Just as our physical body needs to eat in order to maintain its connection to our spiritual soul, the physical world needs to “eat” in order to maintain its connection to the spiritual soul of the world, i.e., Hashem. The Ramban explains that the concept of korbanos is embodied in the word karov, which means to bring close. The Nefesh Hachaim (2:9) and Rabbi Yehudah Halevi (HaKuzari 2:26) explain that korbanos are the “food” that fuels the connection between Hashem and the physical world. Just as we eat to connect our soul to our body, korbanos connect the spiritual to the physical. This explains why many of the details of the avodah have food-like connotations: • The Mizbei’ach — the Altar where sacrifices were brought — is referred to as the “shulchan gavo’ah — the high table,” as if this was the table of eating. • The pasuk consistently refers to the korbanos as “korbani lachmi — My bread sacrifice,” as if the sacrifice is a meal. • This also explains why we place salt on the korbanos, something which halachically we do at meals, particularly on Shabbos. 2. Speaking — Just as people connect with each other through the mechanism of speech, Hashem spoke directly to the Jewish People specifically from the Beis Hamikdash. The pasuk explicitly says that Hashem will speak to Moshe from between the two Keruvim (Shemos 25:22). 3. Kissing — Just as the universal expression of love and connection is kissing, the Beis Hamikdash is also where Hashem “kisses” the world. The Gemara states that the Beis Hamikdash is the point where the spiritual heavens kiss the physical earth (Bava Basra 74a). In other words, this is where the infinite and spiritual meet the finite and physical. This is where Hashem most potently connects to the physical world, where

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

Delving into the Daf

When Is Poisoning Allowed? By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

here is a well-known phenomenon that occurs in communal refrigerators and shelves. Food seems to disappear from them mysteriously. This occurs in dormitories, offices, and schools. This author humorously recalls standing next to an individual who had been relieved of all of his Swiss Fudge cookies. The victim remarked, “I understand the person who took my cookies was hungry, but couldn’t he have left me with just one?!” One idea that has been floated in non-Jewish circles is to secretly add laxatives to one’s food. The food thief, once afflicted, will think twice about stealing again. At the very least, perhaps the food owner can derive some satisfaction from this prank. In a slight twist, this article will not directly discuss whether or not it is halachicly permitted to do so. (Legally, it may be considered assault.) However, the question that will be discussed will assume that one lives in a location where Beis Din is the supreme authority. In such a place if Beis Din finds out that a person is planning on adding a laxative to his own food, will they get involved and put an end to the devious plot? We can conclude from a passage in Bava Kama (47a) that one is not allowed to intentionally poison a neighbor’s animal. A pooch named Arturo was treated by a vet when he became seriously ill. What the dog’s owner didn’t know was that the pooch’s neighbor, Mario Macrì, had been feeding the pet walnuts, which are toxic to dogs. The vet eventually found intestinal lesions that had been caused by the nuts. Macrì, who lives in Turin, Italy, threw nuts from his balcony for the dog. If Beis Din found out what Macri was perpetrating, they would have stopped him and employed force if needed. However, the Gemara makes clear that Macri cannot be forced to pay restitution if the dog

died. The act of throwing walnuts to the dog indirectly caused the animal to die. If Macri would have shot the animal, then Beis Din would have forced him to pay because Macri would have directly caused the dog’s death. However, the unknowing animal ate the walnuts that caused

many times to ensure that the animals stay off his land. The animal owner pays no heed to his neighbor’s protestations. The long-suffering neighbor decides to sprinkle poison around his own property. He intends for the animals to die if they graze on his property by consuming the

Will they get involved and put an end to the devious plot?

his own death. Beis Din would, however, inform Macri that he must pay restitution because it is the appropriate action to take. However, Beis Din could not enforce the judgment since Macri didn’t directly injure the dog. Suppose someone allows his animals to roam free on his neighbor’s property. The neighbor tells the animals’ owner

poison. The Derech Emunah says Beis Dein will not get involved in this case. The landowner is only acting on his own property. In the case the Gemara discussed, poison was placed on someone else’s property with the intent to injure the animal. Therefore, Beis Din would get involved to prevent the animal’s injury. However, Beis Din will not stop a

landowner from doing something on his property that will not affect anyone outside his property. The Maharsham vehemently disagrees with the above ruling. He says that there is no difference in this situation between putting poison on one’s own property or someone else’s. One may not take the law in his own hands if there is an alternative. The landowner should go to Beis Din and complain about his neighbor’s animals. This is especially true since his neighbor does not intend to cause him harm; it is just that he has a lackadaisical attitude to watching his animals. Therefore, Beis Din will get involved and order the landowner to remove his poison. However, the Derech Emunah takes his ruling one step further. He argues that Beis Din will not stop someone from adding laxatives to his own personal milk in a communal fridge which is clearly labeled as personal. His decision to add the laxative to his milk will not affect anyone else who doesn’t take his milk. Therefore, Beis Din will not interfere with him adulterating his own milk. The Maharsham may also disagree here and say that Beis Din will become involved and stop the plan. Without actually resorting to these drastic measures, one bright individual who was constantly plagued by milk theft came up with a solution. He did not adulterate his milk but wrote that he did. He put the following note on his milk. “Please note: A mild laxative has been added to this milk.” His milk was never touched again.

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.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

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Halacha

Embarrassing a Child: A Halachic Analysis By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

he young girl must certainly have been pretty devastated. “Chaya” had misbehaved in class. Nothing excessive, but enough to get the teacher a bit upset. The teacher thundered at the fifth grader, “Now I know why they call you ‘Chaya’ – because you are a vilde chaya – a wild animal!” From that point on, the young girl decided to stop using her Hebrew name. Well into adulthood she went by her English name “Stacey.” Indeed, she kept the English moniker as she developed into a master teacher herself with a sterling reputation. So what is the halachic question? What would the halacha have been if that teacher had apologized to the young lady? At the time of the incident, “Stacey” was in the fifth grade – a ten-year-old child. Does an apology made to a minor count? Or is there a requirement to wait until the student’s bar or bas mitzvah?

took a siddur and asked her to sit next to him. He opened up to the tefillah of Elokai Netzor at the end of Shemoneh Esrei and explained to his daughter the phrase, “Venafshi k’afar lekol tihiyeh – and my soul should be as dust to anyone.” He explained that we make this request of Hashem that nothing that anyone says to us should upset us. His daughter later explained that she kept that explanation dear to her heart forever afterward, and it assisted her in never getting upset by anyone’s words.

would need to apologize once again when the child reaches adulthood.

Financial Issues

Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky, Shlita

In regard to financial issues, the Shulchan Aruch (Choshein Mishpat 235:3) clearly indicates that a minor child’s forgiveness is ineffective. This is based upon the Gemara in Bava Metziah (22b). If the minor’s forgiveness is ineffective for financial issues, it stands to reason that it would likewise be ineffective for matters of an emotional nature, or for mitzvos that are bein adam l’chaveiro. Therefore, the teacher’s apology would have to be repeated at the age of the child’s bas mitzvah. Rav Yaakov Lorberbaum, zt”l, (17601832) in his Nesivos HaMishpat (235:1 in the biurim section in the back), indicates that forgiveness by a minor on monetary matters is, in fact, effective. However, it very well could be that an exception was made in the halachos of this case in order to do business with them. Thus, it would perhaps not apply to cases of emotional harm, even according to the Nesivos. If this supposition were correct, the conclusion would again be that the teacher

In the Yomim Noraim edition of Kovetz Hilchos Piskei Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky, by Reb Doniel Asher Kleinman, Rav Shmuel’s view is cited that the child’s mechila does not count. However, Rav Shmuel states that there are two reasons why the teacher must ask again. The first reason is for the person’s own atonement. When one needs to ask someone’s forgiveness, the request involves a form of personal embarrassment which achieves a form of atonement. The second reason is so that the child has a form of closure and that there be an atmosphere of peace between them. Nonetheless, the teacher must ask mechila when the child becomes a bar or bas mitzvah.

A Lesson

Rav Elyashiv’s View Similarly, Rav Elyashiv, zt”l, is cited in Ashrei HaIsh Vol. III (20:4) that the forgiveness of the child is ineffective. Nonetheless, he states that the person should ask forgiveness at the time (on account of the custom to do so) and later ask again

when the child reaches the age of majority. A well-known story is told about Rav Elyashiv’s mechutan, the Steipler Gaon. Apparently, the Steipler had inadvertently embarrassed a child in the Lederman Shul in Bnei Brak. On the occasion of the child’s bar mitzvah, the Steipler attended and asked mechila of the young man.

Rav Nissim Karelitz’s View In contrast to the views cited above, Rav Nissim Karelitz (nephew of the Chazon Ishn born 1926), zt”l, writes in his Chut Shaini (Mili DeNezikin and Yom Kippur p.101) that if a minor child grants forgiveness, it is considered effective. [This is also one of the opinions cited in Tosfos Kesuvos (107a).] Rav Kareliz further writes that the mechila serves to remove the hakpada from the heart of the child and that it is also an appropriate penance – a “teshuvas haMishkal” – for what the perpetrator had done. As an interesting aside, Rav Karelitz’s own daughter, Rebbitzen Rosenberg, a”h, once came home in tears after someone had insulted her to the point of crying. Rav Karelitz empathized with her greatly and

So what was the final conclusion of the story of our young lady? Apparently, one of her colleagues had heard the reason of her fellow teacher’s animadversion toward using her Hebrew name. The colleague, herself a wonderful and dynamic teacher, explained to “Stacey”: “On the contrary, your name shows that you are filled with vigor and life; you are animated and dynamic! It is a very beautiful and fitting name! You should certainly use it!” Since the encounter with the second teacher, it seems that “Stacey” now goes once again by the name “Chaya.” What lesson can we learn from all this? One lesson is that we should be careful never to embarrass anyone. Shaming a child can have long-lasting effects. It can also severely damage the relationship between a child and a parent or teacher. The devastating effects of our actions can have repercussions that last decades. A second lesson, however, is that it is never too late. A positive statement and observation – even decades after a scarring event – can be remarkably healing. The power of words, both negative and positive, is truly remarkable.

This article should be viewed as a halachic discussion and not practical advice. The author can be reached at yairhoffman2@ gmail.com.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

School of

Thought

On the Same Page By Barbara Deutsch

riting, despite the fact that everyone texts instead of talks these days, is a lost art for kids and grownups alike. Schools do their best to teach and practice writing skills, but the failures seem to keep outweighing the wins. Interestingly enough, I have never been asked to sign more letters in support and in protest of the situation in the world, in Israel, and in the United States right now. Every day, I get a link to follow to a document that has an already prepared letter to “simply sign.” No one is expected to actually write an original letter; “click,” and it takes you to the document. “Click,” and your letter is on its way to the intended target. That’s all you need to do to express your position. It’s very effective in getting the word out. If you want something “original” to share how you feel then just go to ChatGPT, type in the prompts, and right before your eyes a whole letter will appear on your computer screen. While the letter may sound a little stiff and wordy, the document generated gets the job done. I was recently interviewed by a delightful group of fourth grade boys and girls. This exercise was part of a series of lessons, created by their wonderful and creative teacher, that taught them a myriad of skills needed to find a subject

(me), develop coherent and thoughtful questions (much harder than one would think), learn how to take notes when someone is talking (near impossible to do when you are a fourth grader still learning how to form letters), and turn the information gathered into a document. The students had divided the questions into personal, professional, and fun facts. The questions began at the beginning: where was I born and where did I grow up? They brought me back to my youth and encouraged me to think about my parents, brothers, and schools I attended. It forced me to remember and share my childhood experience with them, and it kindled dormant memories for me. They asked questions about my early years teaching, favorite subjects, mentors, and experiences. As I responded, a feeling of melancholy overcame me. That must be why when asked if I like being a principal better than being a teacher, my response was, “No!” Being a teacher is the best; not so much being a principal. As a teacher, you enjoy the opportunity to interact with the purest of people, children. Teachers get to give children the keys to their whole world, socially, emotionally and academically. Teachers guide children to learn to read and daven, to count and explore, to make friends, and to live and work in a community.

As a teacher, you get to be a part of this joy every day. The next set of questions concentrated on our aliyah to Israel journey; I surprised myself with my own answers. When my family was leaving Germany after the war, we were scheduled to join our extended family in Israel. Our big metal suitcases had written in large black letters, ISRAEL. We never got there because relatives already living there described horrible scenes of rats and very little food. The next time we considered moving was after the Yom Kippur War. We had teaching jobs and a date. That “planning” summer, we watched our friend’s son play “burying Israeli soldiers.” The family lived close to Har Herzl, and that’s what he watched. Spooked, we set aside our plans. We could not imagine our own young toddler waiting for us with grandparents back in the States dealing with such traumatic “play.” Now, it’s time; in light of the current situation in Israel, people ask, “Are you still planning to go?” Yes, yes, yes! As I worked through the hour-long interview answering all of the children’s excellent questions, I got a reflective snapshot of how I have gotten to this place during my last year in school; I’m actually finally graduating. The kids wanted to know my favor-

ite foods, ice cream and pizza. No more; I can’t tolerate dairy. My favorite book? Between Two Kingdoms. Movie? None, really. Child? Different ones at different times. Now I focus on my grandchildren and grandchildren. They asked me what I will miss the most when I leave HANC. “Them,” I answered. It is my experience that whenever there is a big change – school, a community, a career – what you miss is the people. I have tried in all my moves to always stay in touch as best I can and never ever to close doors behind me. The students asked me what I think my colleagues would say about me. “I create families wherever I go,” I told them. I was told that from a close colleague and friend, the great and beloved by all who were lucky to know and work with him, Rabbi Abie Wahrhaftig, a”h. When the kids asked me what I will do now, I thought for a minute and responded, “Write!”

Mrs. Barbara Deutsch is currently the associate principal at HANC 609 and a longtime reflective educator, parent, grandparent, and new great-grandparent. Even after all these years, she still loves what she does and looks forward to working with kids every single day.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

A Special Protection By SuSan Schwamm

zvi Rappaport is “just an ordinary guy,” or so he says. But on October 9, shaken from the news of the horrific massacres perpetrated by Hamas against the Jewish people just two days before, Tzvi realized that he needed to do something. “I was feeling very down,” he recalls, “like we all were. And I just got this urge, this very strong feeling, that I had to do something.” Tzvi knew that thousands of IDF soldiers were heading into Gaza, and he was scared for them to put themselves in harm’s way. “All of a sudden, this idea just came to me: I wanted to try to provide mezuzahs to soldiers so that they’ll have this extra helmet, this shemira, this extra protection, when they were heading into battle.” Despite the strong urge to protect his fellow brothers and sisters on the battlefield, Tzvi acknowledges that feelings of self-doubt began to creep into his mind after his initial inspiration. “I’m just a guy in Brooklyn,” he told himself. “How am I going to get these mezuzahs to the soldiers? And besides, if someone needs a mezuzah, they’ll get one from someone in Israel.” But despite the uncertainty that began to mount in Tzvi’s mind, Tzvi knew intuitively that he had to move

forward. He started with one phone call, and then another, until he was connected with a wholesaler who worked with Tzvi to secure a large number of mezuzahs for the initiative. The wholesaler was from Monsey, but he worked with sofrim in Israel, who would be able to supply the mezuzahs at a cheaper price. A cousin of Tzvi living in Israel volunteered to deliver the mezuzahs to soldiers in army bases and in their homes. A Google form that circulated amongst his family, and then onto others, allowed rabbis from all around Israel to request mezuzahs for army bases and soldiers. Tzvi’s cousin was the perfect person to help distribute these sacred objects. As a sofer, he checked all the sample mezuzahs to make sure they were up to a certain standard. “We don’t want to do the bare minimum of a kosher mezuzah – we want a higher standard. After all, we’re doing this as a shemira, to protect our soldiers,” Tzvi explained. As a “regular guy from Crown Heights,” Tzvi didn’t initially grasp the enormity of the task he had taken on. What was initially a nebulous dream quickly snowballed into a huge reality. From just his first post on his family’s chat about the mezuzah initiative, Tzvi understood

that people were enthusiastic about participating in this mitzvah. “After just 24 hours,” he shares, “people had already contributed around $7,000 – and then I was off to the races.” As a Chabad chassid, Tzvi, in a way, had a network already set up in Israel with people who were able to help connect him with those who need mezuzahs. Rabbis and Chabad shluchim who were connected to IDF bases or who lived near IDF bases contacted the rabbi on the army base to inquire about how many mezuzahs the IDF bases needed. Tzvi created a flyer to distribute on the bases for soldiers to reach out to them if they needed mezuzahs for their homes. So far, Tzvi and his team have had the zechus of putting up 1,204 mezuzahs in IDF army bases and in soldiers’ homes. These mezuzahs have been placed in 37 army bases, and 131 mezuzahs were put up in soldiers’ homes. At least 40 rabbis have been involved in putting up the mezuzahs all around Israel. And their efforts are not slowing down. Just this week, 242 more requests for mezuzahs have come in. Each mezuzah costs $56 directly from the wholesaler – and there are no operating costs. As such, all the funds

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

raised from fellow Jews around the world go directly into purchasing these holy objects. Tzvi shares that many people in Israel, even if they are not religious, have mezuzahs in their homes, and so the focus has been putting the mezuzahs up in the army bases. Each time a request comes in, a rabbi visits the base (or the home) to make sure the mezuzah is put up in the proper place and that the bracha is said. Although Tzvi’s team is providing kosher mezuzahs and not necessarily checking them, there are times they’ve come to a home and have been asked if the other mezuzahs in the home are kosher. At that point, they can have their sofer check the mezuzah, and if it’s not kosher, they will provide the home or army base a kosher mezuzah to replace the old one. “There is so much enthusiasm and excitement from these soldiers,” Tzvi shares. “They are so grateful that we are providing them with these mezuzahs. I get videos and photos from them all the time – and it helps to keep me going.” He adds, “There’s an awakening or a resurgence of a connection that people are having now. It’s so beautiful to see.” Although Tzvi has primarily been the main person in

the United States organizing these efforts, he shares that his family members have been so supportive. As a father of six, his children are proud of what their father is doing. His seven-year-old son recently drew on his father’s efforts for a Chanukah menorah contest he had in school.

“There’s an awakening or a resurgence of a connection that people are having now.” Tzvi’s son made the “candles” of the menorah out of clay soldier figures and encased each soldier in a clear box with a “shin” on it, to represent a mezuzah providing shemira for each soldier. Tzvi notes that by showing his kids that so many Jews

are joining together to help provide extra shemira for the soldiers, he hopes that his kids won’t be frightened by seeing soldiers in battle gear; instead, they will feel a kinship with our fellow Jews in uniform. Tzvi talks about how running this initiative has proven to him that one should never doubt their efforts. “There’s a power in the individual,” he affirms. “I’m just a simple guy sitting in Brooklyn. Why me? What am I going to be able to accomplish? There are other people, more connected people, people that have better skills than me… But I learned that in certain situations, when the time presents us with something, we just have to take that one shot. We have to try to do something, and that something can turn into something incredible.” He also urges others not to let a moment of inspiration pass them by. “Sometimes, we have an idea or are motivated to do something. But then, we turn around, and we don’t do anything about it. Make sure to act on your inspiration. You never know what could come of it.”

To donate and be part of this incredible initiative, visit https://charidy.com/idfmezuzah.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

Israel Today

Standing Up to the American Colossus By Caroline Glick

he Biden administration is working assiduously to block Israel from defeating Hamas or contending coherently or effectively with the growing existential threats it faces from Iran and Iran’s Lebanese and Yemeni proxies. To force Israel to stand down, President Joe Biden’s top advisors are descending on Israel one after another to pressure and coerce Jerusalem to limit its military operations in Gaza, Lebanon and the Red Sea. Last week, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan was here to hector Israel’s leaders. Sullivan devoted most of his efforts to demanding that Israel move quickly from major combat operations in Gaza to more limited operations directed against specific “high value targets.” The idea is that Hamas can be left in place, more or less, and Israel can just seek a terror master or two to kill and declare victory. The United States is using the Security Council as an additional cudgel to force Israel to comply with its militarily self-defeating edicts. If Israel doesn’t obey, the United States will permit a U.N.

Security Council resolution requiring Israel to stand down to pass, and then Israel will face international sanctions if it continues fighting. To maintain U.S. support, a senior administration official told the Israeli media last week, Israel needs to massively resupply Gaza and allow life to return to normal for the Palestinians in Gaza (who overwhelmingly support Hamas). One of Sullivan’s chief demands was that Israel expand the so-called “humanitarian aid” entering Gaza and permit that aid to enter Gaza directly from Israel. Once Israel buckled to U.S. pressure on that score and opened the Kerem Shalom crossing for additional trucks of supplies to Hamas, the administration began demanding that Israel permit the renewal of “commercial traffic” to Gaza. “The Israelis understand that the more aid that gets in, the more time they’ll have to continue operations in Gaza,” the U.S. official said. Biden and his advisers know that the term “humanitarian aid” is a euphemism for resupply of Hamas. They know that the goods entering Gaza are transferred

to Hamas, which distributes supplies first to its terror cells and units, then to apparatchiks. After Hamas terrorists and agents are supplied, the “humanitarian aid” is hawked to civilians on black markets at a massive markup. So, by forcing Israel to permit “humanitarian aid” to enter Gaza, Biden and his top officials are compelling Israel to fortify Hamas’s position as the undisputed ruler of the region, who decides who gets what, when and under what circumstances. This U.S. policy undermines Israel strategically and tactically in two additional ways. First, its demand that supplies enter Gaza facilitates Egypt’s policy of blocking Palestinians from leaving the war zone to seek shelter in third countries. This policy in turn requires Israel to remain in a strategic trap where it is deemed responsible for the welfare of an enemy population at war with its people, and of accepting an endgame that either enables Palestinian terrorists from Hamas to continue to rule Gaza or pretends Palestinian terrorists from Fatah, who are Hamas’s partners in the

war against Israel, are not terrorists and are not Hamas’s partners, and agree that they should take control over Gaza. Second, and in furtherance of this end, by standing with Egypt in blocking Palestinian civilians from exiting to third countries and insisting that Israel resupply Hamas and the Hamas-controlled population in the midst of war, the U.S. compels Israeli forces in the south to fight in heavily populated areas. Writing in Ynet on Sunday, reporter Yoav Zeitoun described how Israeli forces are subjected to constant danger and are all but incapable of seizing control over battlefields in Khan Yunis and other critical areas in the south because of the U.S. prohibition on moving civilians out of the area. Operating under these U.S.-imposed limitations, the Israel Defense Forces is forced to fight Hamas while Hamas terrorists are protected by human shields. Not only does this endanger the lives of Israel’s soldiers unnecessarily, but given the U.S.’s additional demand that Israel limit civilian casualties to as close to zero as possible, it makes it all but impossible for Israel to win.

U.S. policy of enabling Iran to dominate international shipping lanes (and abandoning 200 years of U.S. naval doctrine which views the United States as the protector of freedom of navigation on the high seas) by proclaiming they intend to build a “regional coalition” to confront the Houthis. Notably, their coalition will not include Israel, the only nation willing to confront the Houthis—and Iran. As for Lebanon, in the face of Hezbollah’s steadily rising assaults on Israel, the United States is doubling down on the fiction that the Hezbollah-controlled (and U.S. funded, armed and trained) Lebanese Armed Forces is a credible, independent force. Based on this fable, the United States insists that there is a “diplomatic solution” to Hezbollah’s military threat to Israel. It involves the LAF serving as a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah, and Israel surrendering sovereign territory to Lebanon to satisfy Hezbollah’s legally unsupported demands for Israeli territory. Insisting that this “diplomatic solution” is a viable alternative to war, the administration is demanding that Israel do nothing to physically secure its territory from Hezbollah terror forces and missiles. As for Iran, the United States showed its continued subservience to the idea that Iran is a responsible regional power last week when it unfroze another $10 billion in Iranian revenue, which had been frozen under U.S. sanctions. Since Oct. 7, the United States has enabled the transfer of $16 billion to Iran. Sullivan’s interview last Thursday with Channel 12’s Yonit Levi was a sterling example of how the administration obfuscates its hostile policies towards Israel. While speaking emotionally about how Hamas’s attack was the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, Sullivan gave no clear answers to any of Levi’s questions about U.S. support for Israel’s war goals. When she asked him whether the United States was demanding that Israel limit the timeline for its war against Hamas, Sullivan spoke of the need to target Hamas’s terror masters and limit bombing. When Levi asked whether the United States would reject an Israeli determination that it must militarily degrade Hezbollah’s military power on the border, Sullivan insisted that the United States believes there is a diplomatic solution to the Hezbollah threat. And when Levi asked whether Israelis should be concerned that the United States may refuse to provide Israel with sufficient ammunition to win the war,

Sullivan said that he had just checked to see where congressional approval of Biden’s request for $14 billion in military assistance stood. He didn’t mention that it still hasn’t been approved. As Michael Doran of the Hudson Institute wrote on his X account, the interview displayed “what the rhetorically-artful national security advisor openly admits, what he tries to dress up as more attractive than it is, and what he hides entirely.” Why is the United States leveraging its position as Israel’s primary arms supplier and diplomatic shield at the United Nations—that is, its position as Israel’s ally—to compel an Israeli military defeat at the hands of Iran and its proxies, in a war that Israel rightly views as an existential conflict just as fateful as its 1948 War of Independence? The answer is politics. As the war in Gaza has progressed, President Biden’s political problems have multiplied. To win next November, Biden needs to secure the coalition of Democrats and Independents that elected him. But that coalition is split over the war. Most Independents support Israel. But according to a Wall Street Journal poll, 25% of Democrats support Hamas

over Israel and only 17% of Democrats support Israel over Hamas. (Forty-eight percent of Democrats support Israel and Hamas equally). To win the election, Biden needs to rebuild his coalition, and he can only do this by ending the war. And he can only end the war by forcing Israel to stand down, and so lose. Israel doesn’t have to accept this state of affairs. According to a Harvard/Harris poll, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enjoys significantly more public support in the United States than Biden himself. Israel itself is supported broadly by 81% of Americans. The Harvard/Harris polling data has several internal contradictions, but the thrust of the data makes clear that Israel enjoys the support of a broad cross section of American society, including key Biden constituencies. If Israel stands its ground and refuses to buckle to the administration’s bullying tactics, and if Netanyahu explains Israel’s position in a way the American public can understand, it will be able to maintain the support of the majority of Americans for its war effort and compel the Biden administration to stand with the Jewish state as we prosecute this life and death struggle to victory. (JNS)

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

Following closely on Sullivan’s heels, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown arrived in Israel to badger their Israeli counterparts still further. According to media accounts of their plans, the two senior officials intend, like Sullivan and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken before them, to pressure Israel to “transition from major combat operations against Hamas to a more limited campaign.” The Associated Press revealed that the generals want Israel to enable Hamas to survive more or less intact, “to prevent regional war.” Unfortunately for all concerned, we are already in a regional war. There are two active fronts in addition to Gaza – the Red Sea, which is under effective maritime blockade by the Houthis, Iran’s Yemeni proxy army, and Lebanon, where Israel faces an existential threat from Iran’s Hezbollah terror regime. Over the past week, five of the largest global shipping companies announced that they are ordering their commercial vessels to temporarily pause their transits through the Bab el-Mandeb strait. Since Nov. 17, the Houthis have attacked at least 20 commercial vehicles, and attacks have steeply escalated over the past week. The United States has prohibited Israel from attacking Yemeni ports or Houthi regime targets to protect shipping to the port of Eilat, which is now under effective Houthi blockade. The United States has similarly refused to take any offensive action whatsoever against the Houthis, sufficing instead with interceptions of drones and missiles targeting ships on the Red Sea. As strategic expert David Wurmser explained in a paper for the Institute for a Secure America over the weekend, the Biden administration policy is to “avoid any Israeli escalation against Iranian proxies anywhere.” Wurmser placed the administration’s position in the framework of its wider policy of realigning the United States away from Israel and the Sunnis and towards Iran. In his words, “This is part of a broader attempt by the U.S. to burrow more deeply into the paradigm it nurtured prior to October 7 regarding Iran. At its core, it is an attempt to appease Iran by handing it major strategic victories.” One of the most notable characteristics of the administration’s operations in the region since Oct. 7 has been the role that concealment has played in masking its aims. Austin and Brown shield the

nspiration Nation

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

Simon Felder

A Siddur, Shema, and Survival By Eliyahu RosEnBERg

efore any storm, there is a calm. Before chaos, there is order. And so it was, only a few years before the Holocaust: European Jewry was thriving, and Jew and Gentile lived side

by side as acquaintances and friends. Gradually, much of Europe became seized by the poison of antisemitism, indoctrinated by the lies of the raging madman they called Fuhrer.

In His Words… What i think is the most important thing is that a child, from the very beginning, doesn’t just see the tzitzit and doesn’t just see the yarmulke, but that they hear the words from parents and grandparents that there is a Ribbono shel olam, and that he’s there, and that he loves you all the time. once that sinks in, the rest becomes automatic.

”

The fundamental strength that ran through my veins and the veins of the rest of my family was our unquestionable belief in hakadosh Baruch hu – our love for hakadosh Baruch hu... you have to love hakadosh Baruch hu; it’s the beginning principle of how we live and how we survive. Whatever you see, whatever you don’t understand – there is someone up there Who understands and someday you will understand.

”

We don’t know the answers. When we look into the universe at night, we don’t see the end of the universe. Can we understand it? no. so, how can we possibly understand the way of the Ribbono shel olam? We can’t, but if we have trust... it’s very easy because we don’t always know the answers.

”

The following scene took place in prewar Holland: A young Jewish boy and his grandfather were enjoying a stroll together just around the corner from their home. Suddenly, a group of Hitler Youth members surrounded the two. Holding in their hands sticks and bats, and in their eyes a look of hatred and disgust, the hooligans began to bludgeon the old man and his grandson. There, on the ground of the land they called home, the two Jews laid, enduring the vicious beatings until a neighbor came, chased the Nazi teenagers away, and rushed the victims home. Upon seeing her badly injured child, the boy’s mother pressed a towel against his wounds and recited the pasuk of Shema Yisroel. A few moments later, the bleeding miraculously stopped. That boy’s name was Shimon Felder. * * * Life wasn’t always filled with fear. As a child in the very early 1940s, Shimon lived the life of an ordinary young boy. With his mother, sister, and grandmother, he lived in a comfortable duplex-type house. His father had gone away to Portugal in 1940 and was unable to return to Holland due to the war, and his grandfather had passed away just months after the Hitler Youth attack that the two had endured, leaving five-yearold Simon as the man of the house. Simon was much too young to remember his father’s departure. For him, all that remained of his father were souvenirs of the past that came in the form of stories. Shimon had learned that his father, having foreseen Germany’s in-

vasion of the Netherlands and the antisemitism that emerged therefrom, decided to name him “Heinrich” – after Hitler’s, yms”sh, righthand man, Heinrich Himmler – in an attempt to protect Shimon from the threat of Nazism. His father rationalized that if Shimon had a German name, his son might avoid trouble later in life. However, only eight days later, when it came time for the child’s bris, Shimon’s father became filled with such intense regret that he took Shimon’s birth certificate, crossed out Heinrich, and wrote in its place the boy’s Hebrew name: Chaim Shimon. The story of the Felder family is consistent in its theme: sacrifice for Hashem. They kept that commitment at all stages of the war and in life, especially in 1942 when the Nazis came to take them away. “They [the Nazis] came on Shabbos. They banged on the door… They came in, and they demanded that we pack up some personal items and said that they’re taking us to a holding station,” Shimon Felder recalled. “My mother immediately, courageously, almost crazily told them, ‘We’re not leaving with you; it is Shabbos…we do not travel on Shabbos in a car or a truck or go anywhere. On Shabbos, we are at home!’” The Nazis were astonished by her refusal. Surprisingly, the Dutch officers told her that they’d be back the next day, and they left. With some extra time to pack, Shimon’s grandmother, who he describes as a tzadekes and who would say the entire Tehillim by heart every day, took along a mini Sefer Torah, which seven-year-

95 murdered right before his eyes. Jews, all around him, were being hanged and beaten to death, with thousands more dying of typhus and dysentery. But the emaciation, the fatigue, and the death of Jews did not satisfy the Nazis. They wanted to humiliate the victims even more, and so they did. Every morning, the Nazis would force the Jews of the camp to assemble so they could be counted. “They were experts at dehumanizing us. We would stand sometimes as much as three, four hours, sometimes even eight hours, in the cold bitter North Central German winters,” Mr. Felder explained. “No adequate clothing, standing to be counted and counted. Whatever their nefarious reasons were, it was torture; people fell, people could not stand, and they were beaten to death.” One day, as the Jews of the Bergen-Belsen camp were marching through the snow, Shimon, from the corner of his eyes, saw a siddur lying on the ground. He instinctively walked away from the group and picked up the holy book. When his mother looked to her side and found him gone, she panicked. She closed her eyes and said, “Baruch shem kevod malchuso l’olam v’ed” over and over. “When she opened her eyes, she noticed that I was off to the side and there was this Gestapo officer with a gun holding me, asking me, ‘What are you doing?’ I innocently said, ‘I saw a siddur on the ground and one of the things I learned from my family was when you see a siddur on the ground, you pick it up and you kiss it,’” Mr. Felder recounted. “He looked at me, and he said, ‘OK, you’re a good boy. Go back to your mother.’” Shimon Felder has kept that siddur to this very day, 77 years after the morning of his family’s liberation in 1946. Working through the International Red Cross, their relatives in Switzerland,

This article is based on a podcast, “Inspiration For the Nation,” hosted by Yaakov Langer. To catch more of this conversation, you can watch it on LivingLchaim.com or YouTube.com/LivingLchaim or listen wherever you listen to podcasts (just search for “Inspiration For The Nation”) or call our free hotline: 605-477-2100.

with wealth and influence, were able to arrange for the family’s release from Bergen-Belsen. And thus, one morning, a guard came and ordered the Felders to follow him so that they may be freed. The Nazi addressed Shimon, his sister, and his mother, but his grandmother’s name was left unspoken. Shimon’s mother adamantly refused to go without her mother-in-law, but Shimon’s grandmother insisted that they go, assuring them that she would make it out of the camp alive. And so they left. In the darkness of night, Shimon, his mother, and his sister sat in a cold truck. Just as they were about to leave, they saw a figure approaching them. As the shadow came closer to the truck, a light shone upon the silhouette, revealing its identity: Shimon’s grandmother. She would be coming along with them, after all. The four arrived in Philadelphia by boat. Standing upon the dock, waving and smiling, was Shimon’s father. Af-

ter five-and-a-half years, the family had been reunited. * * * Around 45 years ago, Mr. Felder moved to the Five Towns. From 2013 to 2017, he served as mayor of Lawrence, helping transform it into the great town that it is today. Today, he continues to inspire people with his stories of courage and sacrifice for Hashem. His mission to this very day is to educate the world about how essential it is to raise children who truly love Hashem. “What I think is the most important thing is that a child, from the very beginning, doesn’t just see the tzitzit and doesn’t just see the yarmulke,” Mr. Felder said, “but that they hear the words from parents and grandparents that there is a Ribbono Shel Olam, and that He’s there, and that He loves you all the time. Once that sinks in, the rest becomes automatic.”

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

old Simon would hide with him in the concentration camp where they would soon be sent. “She said: ‘Keep this Sefer Torah; keep it with you, where you are, wherever you go… When you get older, you will learn from it, you will understand it, and you will see there is a lot in it that will guide you through life. Hold on to it, it’s kadosh,’” Shimon recalled. “And I’ve held onto it. I’ve had it all these years.” The next day, the Nazis brought the Felder family to the Jewish theater in Amsterdam, a space large enough to accommodate around 200 people. The Nazis, however, forced several hundred Jews into the theater, keeping them there for nearly a week. With “no sanitary provisions,” as Mr. Felder put it, and with little food and drink, their imprisonment in the theater felt like gehennom. They were later brought to a former training facility in Holland called Westerbork. “The Dutch Nazis brought a few thousand Jews there [to Westerbork], kept us there, very cleverly hiding their intentions and letting us live our lives for weeks [and months] with relative freedom. They gave us food, they allowed us to observe Shabbos – all to keep us calm because the ultimate fate of most of the Jews who were in Westerbork was Auschwitz and being murdered,” Shimon explained. The Felders, however, were not sent to Auschwitz, but to Bergen-Belsen, a labor camp, which, according to Shimon, was in some ways far worse. When 1944 came along, conditions severely worsened in the camp. Given virtually no food or drink and forced to witness his mother and the adults around him do backbreaking labor, Shimon knew he was no longer living life as a child should, nor may he ever again. To add to the young boy’s unimaginable trauma, countless Jews were being

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

Dating Dialogue

What Would You Do If… Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters

Dear Navidaters,

I am a busy accountant in my upper 30s and have been divorced for a half a year after being married for over 10 years. The divorce was the last thing I wanted, but sadly, it is what it is. Due to severe challenges, religious

differences, etc. there was no way to properly continue the marriage. I have started dating again, and I find myself excited for things to progress early on as I am excited about building a normal bayis neeman. I find that every time I date a girl who I like, she seems to end it pretty early on. I am being very open and honest, genuine, polite, and thoughtful – all which are big parts of who I am. My sister and brother-in-law, who are helping me navigate dating this time around, suggested I take things much slower and don’t necessarily open up quickly, just have a nice time for the first few dates, but isn’t that counter-productive? What do you think? Thanks for taking the time to help me with this.

Disclaimer: This column is not intended to diagnose or otherwise conclude resolutions to any questions. Our intention is not to offer any definitive conclusions to any particular question, rather offer areas of exploration for the author and reader. Due to the nature of the column receiving only a short snapshot of an issue, without the benefit of an actual discussion, the panel’s role is to offer a range of possibilities. We hope to open up meaningful dialogue and individual exploration.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

The Panel

The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

our sister and brother-in-law have a point. General compatibility is a good way to start a relationship as you date as a divorced man. Being suspicious of people who open up right away, six months after a divorce, can be understood. Women may wonder, why is he opening up so quickly? Has he processed the break? What has he learned from it? Has he been in therapy? Maybe he has social issues? Men and women tend to take it much slower the second time around for several reasons. They may doubt their own judgment; after all, they didn’t pick “right” the first time around. Second,

they know from their own experience that presentation and reality don’t match up necessarily. Third, they may feel very vulnerable but don’t want that vulnerability (which they are very aware of) to impact their judgment and are very cautious. People may be matching them up with random dating partners just because they are single again and want to settle down. They know many people whose second marriages did not work out. Be smart. Be mindful of yourself, your feelings, your takeaways, and your position now. Get into therapy if you haven’t already begun post-divorce therapy. It should be about what you are taking with you from a marriage that didn’t work out to a potential second marriage – expectations, communication styles, realistic objectives, and more. Understand yourself better. This will be a pro-

cess, and you will grow from it into a better dating partner.

Dating is not a doctor’s appointment.

The Shadchan Michelle Mond

our sister hit the nail on its head. It seems that you are being too open, too early on, thereby giving off either a socially off or clingy/eager vibe that is a turn-off to most normal women. This does explain why, most likely, your relationships are ending early on. I understand you are eager to be back in a relationship after your divorce, and many newly divorced men make the same mistake you are making. Women who were never married, especially, will not know what to do with the amount of

personal information and oversharing you are likely expressing. Dating is not a doctor’s appointment. You are not expected to come prepared with all your medications, full family history, and personal history, and let it all out in a short period of time. Take the first three to four dates as an opportunity to slowly get to know each other on a basic level, have a good time, see if your energy matches, and if you easily laugh together — have fun!

The Single Tzipora Grodko

y answer may seem controversial to others but hear me out. I think many people will try to provide you with a “solution” to your

“problem” of girls ending the dates early on. The truth is that although we wish we had insight and clear answers why a seemingly good shidduch should work, we often don’t. Usually, there’s a lack of mutual comparability, leading one party to terminate the process as soon as they have clarity. To me, it actually seems like a good sign that you’re not experiencing rejection AFTER long-term relationships. Especially if you’re a transparent person, people may not feel like they need more time to “get to know you” in order to determine if the match is a good fit. It doesn’t mean something is wrong with you, but rather that the right person hasn’t been presented yet. Of course, there’s always the concern with over-sharing, which can often seem like an indicator of unresolved personal difficulties. What I’ve gathered (from friends and research) is that I think in a second marriage people are more honest (so to speak, transparent and quicker) in

sharing their life, and that’s OK. It’s all done to avoid misunderstandings and wasting time. On that note, I wouldn’t encourage anyone to share their intimate life story upon an initial meeting, but rather after spending more time together where the person can first get to know you in order to understand what makes you who you are rather than simply what happened to you. Don’t worry; G-d has a plan and you’re being guided towards the right person!

The Zaidy Dr. Jeffrey Galler

ou certainly never expected to be faced with such difficult life challenges. The good news, though, is that there are many wonderful, single, young women, who would love to meet you and build a meaningful relationship with you. The problem is that in your eagerness to start a new phase of life, you are probably

It might seem like an oversimplification, but slow and steady wins the race.

coming across as a bit too desperate. When you date prospective life partners, your sister and brother-in-law are quite correct. Take it slow. Try to enjoy the process of meeting and dating new people. Put your very best qualities on display. Don’t overwhelm your dates with all of your vulnerabilities and with all the sad details of your negative experiences. Try to enjoy each other’s company, get to know and appreciate each other, and see if a natural fondness and chemistry develops. It might seem like an oversimplification, but slow and steady wins the race.

Pulling It All Together The Navidaters Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

hank you for writing! With divorce comes so much sadness and also tremendous hope. It allows the opportunity for personal growth and fulfillment that was not available to you in your former relationship. It seems like you are an incredibly thoughtful person, and you would like to attract a like-minded woman. It’s wonderful that you have an involved support

s y s t e m , a nd you are speaking with them about dating. I am a big believer in being yourself and allowing the organic process to take root. When we hold back or hide who we are, we are likely to attract someone who will not fully accept or love us exactly as we are. This creates resentment and loneliness in relation-

ships down the road. With that being said, if you are wondering if you are doing something “wrong,” on your dates, my best advice would be to speak with a therapist or dating coach. It may not be the content of what you are saying that is leading to these “one and done” situations, but the way you are conveying the content. (Or, it may simply be that you haven’t met your person yet.) I have found that people who crave deep connections can sometimes come off or be perceived as “too intense.” And no

matter what anyone may tell you, having fun with your partner is an important part of life. The ability to be light and carefree and playful is very attractive to many people. It may be that you need to work on striking that balance. Without having met you or knowing you, it is impossible for me to say. Speaking with someone may give you the clarity you are looking for.

Wishing you all the best, Jennifer

Jennifer Mann, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist and certified trauma healing life coach, as well as a dating and relationship coach working with individuals, couples, and families in private practice at 123 Maple Avenue in Cedarhurst, NY. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 718-908-0512. Visit www.thenavidaters.com for more information. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email JenniferMannLCSW@gmail.com. You can follow The Navidaters on FB and Instagram for dating and relationship advice.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

Yes, your life might be much more colorful and elaborate as the woman you’re dating, and she will get to know all of that over time. However, as with anything, slow and steady wins the race. Practice the art of holding back. Focus your energies on planning really nice and thoughtful dates and be a good active listener while you’re on the date itself. I venture to say that with your finger on the pulse of this issue, you will get into a better groove and hopefully have more successful dates and hopefully find your bashert soon.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

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Parenting Pearls

Respecting Their Privacy By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

s the ceasefire was announced weeks ago, I joined our nation in excitement and anticipation for the upcoming release of our precious hostages. An interesting question came to mind: will their photos of freedom be published? Like everyone else, I desperately wanted to see they were as physically well as could be expected, but I was also concerned about their privacy and sensitivity. I doubted they would want the world seeing them when they were so vulnerable. We live in a very open world, and

we’re used to being privy to far more private information than ever before. People are comfortable sharing parts of themselves that would have once been kept confidential. Society surrounding us is more public than ever, and this trickles down into our holy community. The average person is comfortable sharing everything from their breakfast of choice and vacation photos, to details of their personal relationships. It’s even more unfortunate that this extends to passing on the private details of others. This goes along with the increased

ease of sharing and publicizing. It only requires a few presses of imaginary buttons on a phone to post to social media or mass distribute photos. What would have previously taken hundreds – or even thousands – of phone calls, can now be done in seconds. It’s so simple, and we often don’t think before pressing the send button. There are obvious benefits to this technology. Out-of-town grandparents can share in their eineklach’s milestones. Older relatives who are unable to travel can still be part of family simchas. Family and dear friends can feel closer than ever. As parents, we adore our precious children and are rightfully proud of them and their accomplishments. It’s expected that we’ll want to share those special moments with others. Balancing what should be public, with what needs to remain private, is one of the unique challenges our high-tech generation faces.

Preventing Future Embarrassment Children – babies, in particular – are naturally photogenic, and parents are thrilled to photograph them. Beautiful smiles, goofy faces or clever poses – we want to capture it all. With modern technology, we can even video their antics. We need to bear in mind that what looks cute now may become a future source of embarrassment. This doesn’t

mean that we can’t capture those innocent, childish moments; it simply means we need to put thought into what we photograph and with whom we share those photos. For example, pictures of mostly unclad babies may be popular now, but how will that future adult feel if all their aunts and uncles have such images? On a personal note, this is something I have had to think about when writing stories that include my children. I never include names, and I try to keep identifying details (such as gender, age or year it occurred) vague, so it’s unlikely anyone would guess which of my precious darlings are being discussed. I can’t say my particular boundaries are ideal for everyone, but each of us needs to create the criteria we will use when determining what we share. This applies not only to writers but to bloggers or anyone with a semi-public platform. We often forget that social media is an inherently public forum. Even something as simple as a family chat can place a child’s information in front of many people. Additionally, many people have their phone set to automatically download any photos they receive. A video takes mere seconds to send but will now be permanently installed in the next person’s device. Again, I’m certainly not against appropriately sharing with close family and friends. Sending those sweet Chanukah pajama pictures to Bubby and Zaidy is a great way to help them to shep

five may feel like too much to someone going through challenges. Anything posted publicly now can be seen by many people for years to come. Make sure that it won’t cause problems down the line when it comes to school acceptance, job applications

ings and hilarious antics. Many of these stories – while totally appropriate for a child their age – can lead to future embarrassment when the child hears them again years later. Like photos, we should be mindful of what we share and with whom.

Balancing what should be public, with what needs to remain private, is one of the unique challenges our high-tech generation faces.

or shidduch recommendations. A quick online search can find posts going back decades. There can also be safety risks, chas v’shalom, when personal information becomes public. Whenever we share anything personal about our beloved children, we need to ensure their safety, too. Everything mentioned about pictures and videos also applies to stories. Kids do the funniest things, and it’s worth keeping track of their clever say-

A Torah Perspective Ultimately, it’s the Torah perspective that is emes and our guideline in all we do. While someone more learned than me can provide a more thorough analysis of the halachic issues, I want to mention a few thoughts. Hilchos lashon hara applies to digital communication, too. We want to be mindful of these somewhat complicated but important halachos. The laws that apply to children may differ from those

for adults, but it’s crucial to learn the details. Tzinius is more than the clothes we wear; it’s also about our actions in all we do. The Torah tells us that the tents of B’nei Yisroel were praised as being “mah tovu” since they were designed to face away from each other, ensuring the privacy of each family. When we live in a society that is extremely open and lacks a basic sensitivity to the privacy of others, it’s worth creating personal guidelines to ensure we meet the standards we value. Everything – picture and video sharing, included – can be used for the good or otherwise. The same medium that can be used to fulfill the mitzvah of kibbud av v’aim can also be used to terribly shame another, chas v’shalom. We certainly want to only use our devices to bring simcha to our children and ourselves – now and in the future.

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

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that extra nachas. Additionally, most kids are thrilled to know their beloved relatives will see how cute they looked eating that doughnut. As parents, it’s our job to determine which images are acceptable to send and who is the appropriate recipient. What is beautiful to share with a close relative may be too personal for a neighbor. It’s sad to have to mention, but there are individuals that find it challenging to keep a secret or refrain from sharing the business of others. These are the people who you only share your upcoming simcha with when you’re ready for the entire block – or shul – to wish you b’shaa tova. We can’t change the behavior of others, but we can be cautious about what we share with them. We also may want to put some thought into how the recipient will take our information. For example, someone going through a divorce may not appreciate being bombarded with anniversary pictures. A couple not yet blessed with children may find it difficult to view endless baby photos. We don’t need to totally avoid sending pictures; we simply need to use sensitivity when deciding which photos to send. Perhaps one or two pictures are appreciated, but

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102

School of

Thought

By Etti Siegel

Q: A:

Dear Etti, I am enraged. Some girls are constantly leaving my daughter out of games, and it makes my blood boil. What is wrong with those kids and their mothers? What can I do to help my daughter? -Mad Mom

Dear Mom, Before answering your questions, I want to share something a friend showed me, an article in Bina Magazine by Tzipporah Koslowitz. It really gave me a perspective that I would like to share with you. It is about the difference between sympathy and empathy. Sympathy is when you care about another person and what they are going through. Empathy is when you actually feel the other person’s pain. You are being very empathetic to your daughter’s situation. This might be making the situation worse. Are you surprised? Sympathy allows us to be with the person, being there for them and allowing them to problem-solve as we listen. We feel bad, but we don’t feel their feelings for them. This gives them space to vent, calm down, and then think of possible solutions. Empathy, on the other hand, makes us feel so strongly that we might actually be feeling more than the person to whom the event happened. Our reaction is usually one of deep hurt, and we are unable to give the other person space to process because we are now hurting so much. Frank Anderson, author of Transcending Trauma, writes about blending. When a therapist, for example, blends with a client, they are in so much pain over the matter they cannot help with the perspective the client is looking to attain. Blending is actually not feeling another’s pain, explains Anderson. A past experience, when a similar event happened to us, is triggered when we hear about another person’s situation. This, in turn, means we are feeling our own suffering when we are supposed to be there for the other person’s hurt. So, suddenly, while a person is turning to us for guidance and a shoulder to cry on, we subconsciously make the whole event about us! When your daughter comes home with tales of being left out, empathy makes you gnash your teeth and

to have good scripts to turn to helps get enraged. This can make the make your daughter more confident. problem worse, as your daughWe empower Years ago, one of my daughters ter feels how upset you are and came home from school hungry. She feels doubly the victim, or your our children told me that when she went to take reaction can overwhelm your school lunch, some girls said, “Eww” daughter since what she realwhen we listen as they saw her put cottage cheese on ly needs at that moment is a her plate. So she threw it all out and grounded, level-headed permore than went the whole day without eating son to turn to who will help her when we talk. anything more than snacks. make sense of the situation and Together, we worked on responscome up with ideas and stratees she could say, and the next time gies to deal with the situation there was cottage cheese at lunch, next time it happens. We are not able to be helpful when we are overwhelmed with she took a big heaping spoonful. Some girls said, “Eww,” and my daughter responded with a smile, “I like it.” They our own feelings of being left out and hurt in the past. So back to your questions; What is wrong with said, “Oh, OK,” and the matter ended. A parent was telling me that the children in her culthose kids and their mothers? What can I do to help my de-sac can be very exclusionary. Her daughter knows not daughter? Your first question is one I can’t answer, and one you to take it personally and has created a Chinese jump rope shouldn’t ask. Thinking about the other mothers and and regular jump rope g’mach, has gone over to girls who their daughters is unhelpful as it is out of our zone of were left out of a game and started a different game, and control. We can only control what we do, how we talk, has the courage to invite kids into games she is playing. Her daughter is not a born charismatic leader but is getand how we react. We cannot control others. Your second question is great. It shows you want to ting good messages from home and is learning how to navigate among the difficult people in her world. This is empower your daughter. We empower our children when we listen more than excellent preparation for adulthood! Be sympathetic, make space for her complaints, and when we talk. So first we need to table the conversation in a kind way (“I hear you are feeling hurt, honey, but help her work through them, finding various solutions the kids are all around now. Can we talk about this later that she can try. It won’t always be smooth sailing, but when we have some quiet time so you can really share she won’t always be this age either. Give her tools and what is going on?”) which allows us to check in with our- love to get through what comes her way. One last thing: If your childhood experiences still selves and make sure we are staying grounded and not rankle, see a professional. You do not have to live with letting the situation trigger the past hurts within us. Then we need to take some time to listen. Asking that pent-up hurt. You owe it to your inner child, and you some questions like, “What kind of game are they play- owe it to your children. ing? Is everyone else playing or are others also being Hatzlacha. excluded?” might help you get a better picture. -Etti Teaching your daughter to take it less personally and

Mrs. Etti Siegel holds an MS in Teaching and Learning/Educational Leadership and brings sound teaching advice to her audiences culled from her over 35 years of teaching and administrative experience. She is an Adjunct at the College of Mount Saint Vincent/Sara Shenirer. She is a coach and educational consultant for Catapult Learning, is a sought-after mentor and workshop presenter around the country, and a popular presenter for Sayan (a teacher-mentoring program), Hidden Sparks, and the Consortium of Jewish Day Schools. She is a frequent contributor to Hamechanech Magazine and The Journal for Jewish Day School leaders. She will be answering your education-based questions and writing articles weekly for The Jewish Home. Mrs. Siegel can be reached at ettisiegel@gmail.com.

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Health & F tness

Fat-Soluble & Water-Soluble Vitamins By Tehila Levine-Soskel, RDN, CDN

itamins and minerals are often referred to as micronutrients, which are part of the many important nutrients your body needs. The term macronutrients include protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Your body needs less amounts of micronutrients compared to macronutrients, as the name suggests. Let’s discuss fat-soluble vitamins and water-soluble vitamins and the roles they each play in our bodies. The fat-soluble vitamins are vitamins A, D, E, and K and are all a crucial aspect of a healthy diet. Each vitamin has specific functions and plays an integral role in our body’s health from proper vision to better bone health. Fat-soluble vitamins do not dissolve in water and are absorbed in our body. Fat-soluble vitamins are essential; however, it’s important to understand that an excess can lead to toxicity. On the other hand, water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water and the excess of these vitamins are not absorbed into the body.

Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Vitamin A Vitamin A is most often associated with maintaining healthy vision; however, it is also crucial for our immunity and skin health. There are two forms of vitamin A: preformed vitamin A (retinol), found in liver, dairy, and fish; and provitamin A carotenoids, found in sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach and other colorful fruits and vegetables. Vitamin D Vitamin D is often called the “sunshine vitamin” because vitamin D is made due to the body’s response to sun exposure. Sunlight triggers vitamin D synthesis in the skin. Dietary sources of vitamin D are found in foods like fatty fish such as salmon and fortified dairy products. Vitamin D also plays an essential role in calcium absorption and bone health.

Vitamin E Vitamin E is an antioxidant commonly found in nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils. It also plays a crucial role in the anti-inflammatory processes, as well as supporting overall cell health. Vitamin E helps support our immune system by helping with cell production. Vitamin K Vitamin K is an important vitamin as it is crucial for blood clotting and bone metabolism. Foods with high sources of vitamin K include dark leafy greens like spinach, broccoli, kale, although other sources include blueberries, figs, and oils. A vitamin K deficiency can lead to poor bone development, osteoporosis, and increased cardiovascular diseases.

Water-Soluble Vitamins Thiamine (Vitamin B1) Carbohydrates help give our body energy, especially for our brain and nervous system. Thiamine helps during that process as it helps the cells change carbohydrates into (glucose) energy. A deficiency of thiamine, known as beriberi, usually includes weakness, loss of appetite, shortness of breath, and swollen feet. Food sources of thiamine include whole grains, meat, fish, beans, and lentils. Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) Riboflavin is crucial for energy production, fat metabolism, and cell function. Food sources of riboflavin include beef liver, almonds, eggs, milk, and meat. Symptoms of lack of riboflavin include blurred vision, fatigue, and swollen throat. Niacin (Vitamin B3) Niacin is usually part of daily multivitamins, although the majority of people get niacin from the food they eat. Niacin is found in meat, salmon, leafy greens, and beans. Niacin is made in our bodies and turns food into energy.

Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) Pantothenic acid plays a big part in hormone synthesis as well as helping to break down fats and carbohydrates in the body. Food sources of pantothenic acid include eggs, milk, seafood, meats, and vegetables like mushrooms, avocado, potatoes, and broccoli. Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) Pyridoxine is involved in amino acid metabolism, as well as the metabolism of fatty acids and glucose. More so, vitamin B6 is necessary for normal brain development and keeping our immune system and nervous system healthy. You can find pyridoxine in foods like liver, tuna, salmon, fortified cereals, chickpeas, and fruits and vegetables like bananas and dark leafy greens. Biotin (Vitamin B7) Biotin is one you are probably more familiar with as it greatly contributes to skin health. In order for your body to metabolize carbohydrates, fats, and amino acids, your body needs biotin. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, which is why adequate amounts of biotin are essential. Just like the other water-soluble vitamins, biotin is water-soluble which means our body doesn’t store it. Many cosmetic products for skin and hair contain biotin in their ingredients. Try incorporating eggs, almonds, spinach, and sweet potatoes in your diet, as these foods contain biotin. Other food sources are legumes, mushrooms, and liver. Folate (Vitamin B9) Folate is crucial for cell function and growth. Furthermore, folate is essential during pregnancy to help prevent the risks of neural tube defects. Food sources include broccoli, brussels sprouts, green leafy vegetables, chickpeas, beans, liver, and cereals

fortified with folic acid. Cobalamin (Vitamin B12) Cobalamin is needed for the nervous system, brain function and for the formation of red blood cells. Vitamin B12 deficiency can present with symptoms of fatigue, headaches, and pain in the mouth and tongue. Food sources of vitamin B12 include fish, liver, red meat, eggs, poultry, and dairy products. Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) Ascorbic acid, or more commonly known as vitamin C, acts as a powerful antioxidant. It is found in citrus fruits like strawberries, as well as bell peppers. Vitamin C plays a role in collagen synthesis, healthy immune function, and iron absorption. Our body needs both water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins to function properly. Each vitamin plays a unique and important role. The key is to achieve a balance between fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins for overall health. Incorporating a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein is essential. Vitamin deficiencies can lead to various health issues. For example, a vitamin D deficiency can lead to weak bones, while vitamin C deficiency can lead to scurvy, swollen and bleeding gums. Consult with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian for your specific 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.

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

jewish women of wisdom

What Are Your Plans? By Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz

his is a common contemporary question for the midlife crowd and those who are older. Orthodox couples and singles of a certain age are now thinking about relocating much earlier than was the case a few years back. Whether it’s because of pandemic-provoked considerations, the rise in the value of their homes, work at home options, and interest in living near children and grandchildren even before we need help, this is now considered a polite question. I’m interested in talking about it with old friends and newer ones. It tells me about the communities they live in as well as their own priorities for the next phase of their lives. Sometimes, it’s about changes in their own neighborhoods and their friends’ migration to other locales. Sometimes, it’s about their own work-life balance. Sometimes, it’s about their own children’s futures and where their progeny can afford to live comfortably. They take action for themselves and may even begin an initiative. In our extended family, five couples out of nine siblings in one family successfully relocated in their sixties and seventies. And not to retirement. They live and work in new communities. The eldest is responsible for the new Chassidishe enclave in Linden, NJ, that spread to the two neighboring communities of Roselle and Union. Seeing that his children and grandchildren were struggling with housing in Brooklyn, Rabbi Meir Yosef Rottenberg spearheaded a search for a nearby community with affordable housing that would work for young families. With smart stipulations (to prevent price wars) and a friendly, can-do spirit, the community has developed into a pleasant neighborhood of hundreds near Elizabeth, which has schools, transportation, and even food shopping after less than five years. People report high satisfaction with the friendliness and quality of life of the residents. I am still in awe of the effort and planning that went into this endeavor by people with very shallow pockets.

Retirement is a recent phenomenon in Western countries. In earlier times, people worked until they were infirm and sat near the fire, tended by family members. It’s so annoying to read contemporary books, even Jewish ones, that smack of presentism. That newish word means viewing historical figures and phenomena by today’s values, attitudes, and experiences. It’s ignorance, and sometimes it’s part of an effort to correct historical wrongs, that compel writers and leaders to ascribe inaccurate attitudes and realities when they talk about the past. Here’s an example in our own religious culture. Someone prominent recently defined shtadlanim as historical advocates for their local Jewish communities who were paid by the community to defend and intercede for them. Wrong! Shtadlanim were volunteers; they were businessmen, doctors, members of parliamentary bodies, and sometimes rabbis who took responsibility for their kehillos. They had access or developed access to seats of power such as kings, conquerors, and generals of armies and pled the case of their community’s safety, freedom from intervention by state authorities, or whatever the need was. They were not paid; they were leaders with a strong sense of responsibility whether

they lived in Spain, Egypt, or Poland. Just because Rabbi Moshe Sherer, z”l, was a salaried executive of Agudath Israel of America and the Orthodox Union currently has a political advocacy team doesn’t mean that shtadlanus has historically been a paid position. Similarly, I ascribe presentism to some of the retirement assumptions flying around today. There seem to be different patterns of retirement and retirement needs between the genders in the Orthodox community today. Retirement-age frum women are not retiring so quickly. Except for those who are in systems such as healthcare, civil service, and public education where retirement packages are the norm, women continue to work at their jobs. Whether it is for reasons such as financial needs of their own and/or their progeny, their love for what they are doing, or the stimulation it brings, women are staying at work. Flexible/part-time schedules are a big factor in retirement decisions: the ability to be there for children who are bearing children, caregiving responsibilities, or the time to take care of one’s health are key factors. Time for oneself is an important consideration for women. The assumption that there is a pool of observant women who are of retire-

ment age who want to “give back” is also permeated by presentism. Frum women have been giving to their communities for years. Whether through ladies auxiliaries (now an old-fashioned term), women’s leagues, or n’sheis, they have been part of bikur cholim, meal trains, and organized activities for organizations and events throughout their lives. The community has depended on historic women’s voluntarism. The growth of frum women in professional work and business has created a big shortage of volunteers in organizations. It is age-appropriate for older people to want to mentor others and impart their accumulated wisdom to younger people. It’s also developmentally appropriate for older people’s abilities, says Arthur C. Brooks, the social scientist and columnist who has studied changing cognitive and intellectual abilities at different stages of life. However, the assumption that women of a certain age are an untapped pool of potential professional and entrepreneurial acumen is fallacious. We have always been on tap. And we continue to tap into our spiritual and creative sides to grow. We don’t go to shul three times a day for instant socialization. We didn’t do Daf Yomi for decades. We want to learn, engage with others, and explore creative outlets as well as nurture the next generations. We “bubby-sit” regularly and convene activities that promote values for our grandchildren. We don’t just sit back and enjoy our nachas. Our professional and personal lives have always been a mix of giving of different kinds. Assuming we want to “give back” as retirees shows a lack of understanding of what we contribute and continue to contribute.

JWOW! is a community for midlife Jewish women which can be accessed at www.jewishwomanofwisdom.org for conversation, articles, Zoom events, and more.

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In The K tchen

Tahini Chilean Sea Bass By Naomi Nachman

This recipe is a twist which my friend, Shifra Klein from F leishigs Magazine, made from one of my fish recipes from my cookbook, Perfect F lavors. Shifra swapped out the miso paste for techini paste – and we all loved the results. Ingredients

Preparation

◦ 1/3 cup pure tahini (sesame paste)

dish. Add fish; turn to coat. Cover; refrigerate at least two hours and up to six hours.

◦ 1/3 cup sweet white wine ◦ 2 tablespoons soy sauce ◦ 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil ◦ 3 tablespoons honey ◦ 4 (6-ounce) Chilean sea bass fillets, each about 3/4-inch thick ◦ 2 tablespoons scallions, for garnish ◦ 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds, for garnish

1. Mix wine, tahini, soy sauce, sesame oil, and honey in a shallow glass baking 2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 3. Remove fish from marinade, reserving marinade; place fish on prepared

baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

4. Prepare the glaze by adding reserved marinade to a small pot; cook over medium heat until reduced by half.

5. When ready to serve, spoon some of the glaze over fillets. Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.

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.

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Mind Y

ur Business

Breaking the Results Mindset

his column features business insights from a recent “Mind Your Business with Yitzchok Saftlas” radio show. The weekly “Mind Your Business” show – broadcasting since 2015 – features interviews with Fortune 500 executives, business leaders and marketing gurus. Prominent guests include John Sculley, former CEO of

Apple and Pepsi; Dick Schulze, founder and Chairman Emeritus of Best Buy; and Beth Comstock, former Vice Chair of GE; among over 400+ senior-level executives and business celebrities. Yitzchok Saftlas, president of Bottom Line Marketing Group, hosts the weekly “Mind Your Business” show, which airs at 10pm every Sunday night on 710 WOR and throughout America on the iHeartRadio Network.

n a recent 710 WOR “Mind Your Business” broadcast, Yitzchok Saftlas spoke with guest, Executive Chairperson at L&R Distributors, Marc Bodner. In this interview, Bodner reflected on Rav Avigdor Miller’s, Duties of the Mind, and how the lessons of this book can be applied to the modern business world. Read on for his takeaway lessons: * * * If I had to sum up the central lesson of Duties of the Mind, I would say it is that we are not in the results business; we are in the effort business. If you believe that there is a higher power, then you must understand that He is the one in the results business. The results come from Him. Our job is to put the effort in. If we walk

around, believing that we’re in the results business, we’re going to have such a difficult time remaining calm. How can you be calm when things are not going your way and you believe that everything is happening because of you? In reality, we can put in all the work in the world for something that we believe is good for us, but if the Almighty sees that it is not good for us in the bigger picture, then it won’t come to be. Breaking that results mindset is a constant effort. So, what are some steps we can take to better master this idea?

1. Redefining success We all know that in the corporate world, the people we answer to are usually looking for concrete numbers and results. This is how success is often defined. So, how can you break this framework? You need to have a bigger vision that drives everything you do. If dollars and cents are the only things that get you out of bed in the morning, then you’re going to have a difficult time finding success or satisfaction. What is your “why?” How is what you’re doing making people’s lives better? In the end, the ultimate measure of success is not in the financial numbers, but in how your actions strengthen your relationship with G-d. Remember, the results are ultimately out of our control; success is found where your efforts lie.

2. Becoming a giver Have you ever noticed that it feels so much better to give than it does to take? Why is that? The mindset of giving is actually a grateful mindset. There are multiple levels of gratitude.

There’s being “socially grateful,” in which someone might give us something, and in return, we politely reply, “Thank you.” Then, it goes up a level to “grateful for.” For example, being grateful for our health or our families. Even in this second level of gratitude, we still need to get something in order to be grateful for it. But, there are two higher levels of gratitude. For example, G-d forbid, someone finds out they have cancer. How can they be grateful in such a horrific moment? The answer lies in how they treat the people who are serving them. You can be grateful in an experience, without being grateful for it. This is the first higher level of gratitude. The second is doing something for someone with no expectation of anything in return. This kind of giving makes us feel very special, even though we’re seemingly not receiving any concrete benefit from it. That good feeling is the result that the Al-mighty imparts on us for the effort that we put in.

3. Measuring effort When it comes to quantifiable metrics, results are certainly easier to measure than effort. How can we tell if we are being successful in the amount of effort we put in? How much effort is too much? How much is not enough? Try looking out for anything important in your life that you might be missing. For example, if you find that you’re not spending enough time with your kids, that’s a sign that you’re putting in too much effort somewhere else. It all comes down to priorities. Time is the most valuable thing that we have, and if there is an imbalance in where that time is dedicated, you need

to reprioritize where you’re putting your effort. There is no magic answer for the right amount of effort you need to put into your work, but if you find yourself lacking in other important areas of your life, you’ll know that you’ve gone far over what you should be doing.

4. Letting go of stress Worry is taking tomorrow’s clouds and pulling them into today’s sunshine. At the end of the day, if you continue to believe that you are in complete control of every outcome, then you’re going to experience a lot of worry, anxiety, and sleepless nights. I recently handed over the reins as L&R’s CEO. After doing that job for over 30 years, it was not an easy transition to make. In the moment, I felt it was right for me and the business to hand over the day-to-day operations. But afterward, I couldn’t help but reenter that results mindset. I would look at every choice the company made without me and think about how I would have done it differently. Ultimately, it took me walking away and really turning off for the first time in a long time. After six full weeks, I came back feeling relaxed and much calmer. I took that time to work on myself and start putting my effort into other endeavors. And when I came back, everything was just fine. The company continued to function and thrive. That’s why it’s so important not to let yourself get stuck worrying over your control of results. That’s when confirmation bias starts to set in and negatively influence your subconscious mind. Find opportunities to take a step back, let go of those worries, and refocus on your efforts.

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Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

No one knows more about being pushed off land than the Jews, including being almost wholly kicked out of every Arab country they once lived in. Yes, TikTok fans, ethnic cleansing happened both ways. - Bill Maher, HBO

The Palestinian people should know your leaders and the useful idiots on college campuses who are their allies are not doing any favors by keeping alive the “river to the sea” myth. I mean, where do you think Israel is going? Spoiler alert: nowhere. – Ibid.

I don’t think any U.N. secretary-general in history has gone so far to secure the survival of a terrorist organization. - Prime Minister’s Office spokesman Eylon Levy responding to U.N. chief António Guterres constantly trying to undermine Israel’s efforts in Gaza

Did anybody ever hear of the great Alphonse Capone, Al Capone? Great, great head of the mafia, Scarface… If he had dinner with you and he didn’t like the way you smiled at him at dinner, he would kill you; you’d be dead by the time you walked out of the nice restaurant. He got indicted once—I got indicted four times over [garbage], I gotta tell you. - Former President Trump, at a campaign rally

They have published online maps of places that people can go or not go. That’s basically telegraphing your punches. There are very few modern militaries in the world that would do that. I don’t know that we would do that. - White House National Security Council advisor John Kirby, who has been a steadfast supporter of Israel, defending Israel against claims that they are killing civilians

It’s one of the most powerful countries in the world with a $500 billion economy, the world’s second-largest tech sector after Silicon Valley, and nuclear weapons. They’re here, they like their bagel with a schmear, get used to it. - Ibid.

What’s happening to Palestinians today is horrible. And not just in Gaza, in the West Bank, too. But war ends with negotiation. And what the media glosses over is it’s hard to negotiate when the other side’s bargaining position is “you all die and disappear.” I mean, the chant “From the river to the sea”? Yeah, let’s look at the map. Here’s the river. Here’s the sea. Oh, I see. It means you get all of it. Not just the West Bank, which was basically the original UN-partition deal you rejected because you wanted all of it and always have, even though it’s indisputably also the Jews’ ancestral homeland, and so you attacked and lost. And attacked again and lost. And attacked again and lost. As my friend Dr. Phil says, how’s that working for you? - Ibid.

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Talk about solutions for the Palestinian people—the Palestinian people are arguably the most pampered people by international aid organizations in the history of the world. - Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Israel built 3,000 hothouses and gave them for greenhouses that would have made Gaza completely food self-sufficient – gave it as a gift. Offered to rebuild the Port of Gaza, to make it the Singapore of the West. Hamas said no, we don’t want Jew money, we don’t want Jew ideas. And what do they do? The international aid agencies have given Hamas and Gaza more than ten times per capita what we gave to rebuild all of Europe after the Marshall Plan. -Ibid.

The Democrats in Colorado are so afraid of allowing American voters to vote and pick the next president they are willing to do extrajudicial things, complete highway robbery here in order to thwart the people’s choice from being on the ballot. To them, preserving democracy requires destroying democracy and that’s who we’re doing with. These people are unhinged, they’re lunatics, and they’re very dangerous. – Charlie Hurt, Fox News, talking about the Colorado Supreme Court ruling that Trump can’t be on the GOP primary ballot

I think if you’re kind of getting your perspective on the world on TikTok, it’s going to tend to be kind of warped or not reflective of the history and actually the way things absolutely are. And what is very clear is, is that Hamas started this and they actually broke the ceasefire and they attacked and murdered babies, children, women – attacked a music concert and everything. It’s outrageous. And from now on, it’s been very clear that Israel would very much want there to be peace. But they’ve made it very clear that after October 7, that’s just not possible so long as Hamas is allowed to exist. - Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), on CNN

LeBron James stands for whoever gives him money! He would have stood with his hand on his heart if that was the Chinese National Anthem! He has no respect for the men and women who defend our country, so that he can live his life freely. Poor example of leadership and an embarrassment to the #NBA. He has no respect for the country that allowed him to become a billionaire and a worldwide basketball star. - Tweet by Ex-NBA player Enes Freedom after LeBron James was seen sitting during the national anthem at his son’s basketball game

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I think we’ve all been in a position at one point where an email went out, and there was a mistake in the recipient. - Boston Mayor Michelle Wu to reporters after an invitation for a holiday party that excluded white people was accidentally sent to seven white people (Wu didn’t issue an apology for hosting the racist party, just that white people found out about it)

I would like to thank [Hamas] for uniting the Jewish people and activating them. - Human rights activist Majed El Shafie, an Egyptian refugee who converted from Islam to Christianity, in an interview with the Jerusalem Post, while on a solidarity mission in Israel

Hamas was able to remind [the Jews] of their Jewish soul. So, that’s my message to the families that lost their children: You are not alone. The story here is not what happened on October 7; the story here is what has happened after October 7. - Ibid.

The bottom line is that there is literally no other minority, religious group or ethnic group where students could openly intimidate and chant that they want to murder an entire group of people and not get kicked out immediately or better yet thrown in jail. Like you can’t even whisper something bad about other groups without it becoming an international incident, but with Jews, apparently saying you want to kill them all is fair game. – Barstool Sports CEO and “One Bite Everyone Knows the Rules” icon Dave Portnoy, in a social media post, commenting on campus Jew-hatred

At this rate, we’re 1 step away from the Ivy Leagues offering courses on how 9/11 was actually the Jews’ fault. Not that this will make a huge difference, but moving forward, I will not hire any student who graduates from any of these schools until these Deans step down… More businesses should follow this lead. This is unacceptable on every single level. I don’t care if you’re Jewish or not either. If you know a Jew, or just have a degree of basic human decency, calling for the murder of an entire group of people should outrage you. – Ibid.

New York, this is a place where every day you wake up, you could experience everything from a plane crashing into our Trade Center to a person who’s celebrating a new business that’s open. This is a very, very complicated city, and that’s why it’s the greatest city on the globe. - New York City Mayor Eric Adams in a recent TV interview

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Political Crossfire

Cheering Hamas on Campus, Some Too Uneducated to Grasp How Grotesque That Is By George F. Will

n German-occupied Poland on a November day in 1942, a Jewish woman carrying a baby realizes an SS man is following her down the street. She catches the eye of a woman walking toward her. Peter Englund tells what a witness saw: “Some sort of wordless communication takes place — maybe no more than an almost invisible gesture or a glance or an eye movement — and the approaching woman spreads her arms a little and, without any sign of hesitation, the Jewish woman passes the baby across while hiding the movement with her body to prevent the SS man from seeing.” The Jewish woman, who knows her life is about to end, saves her baby. A block later, she is arrested, destined for annihilation. This is from Englund’s “November 1942: An Intimate History of the Turning Point of World War II.” He has deftly stitched a tapestry of vignettes from letters, diaries and memoirs of people tossed like fallen leaves by a global typhoon. It is a book suited to 2023, the year of the West’s awakening from the grand illusion that large-scale, high-intensity warfare ignited by barbarians is a thing of the past. From Stalingrad to El Alamein to Guadalcanal (where U.S. troops could smell the new leather of nearby Japanese soldiers’ gear), large events of November 1942 changed the course of the war as individuals endured its particularities. In besieged Leningrad, whose population that November was about 800,000, down from 3.3 million in just over a year, “some people murdered for food — to steal ration cards or, in

the worst cases, to eat their victims,” Englund writes. In China, people are “collecting and sieving the droppings of wild geese in order to pick out undigested grain which they will then eat.” Englund recounts the difficulties of making a movie titled “Everybody Comes to Rick’s” (retitled “Casablanca”). In Savannah, Ga., where bloated bodies washed ashore from vessels sunk by German submarines, the shipyard worked three shifts a day, seven days a week, eventually producing Liberty ships in 42 days. The first ship did not survive its first voyage. A Japanese officer struck by a tracer round from a heavy machine gun “caught fire and his body was gradually reduced to something that resembled grey cigarette ash.” At the end of November, in a squash court beneath the University of Chicago football stadium,

a controlled chain reaction in fissile radioactive material presaged a new element, plutonium, and a new kind of weapon. In Poland, in the Treblinka extermination camp, where 14,000 Jews could be murdered in a day, there were 15 to 20 suicides a day. Englund: “Committing suicide may be seen as a form of resistance — initially, many people were too crushed and too powerless even to take their own lives … The prisoners began to help one another hang themselves from the roof beam in the darkened barrack hut … That is the first stage of … becoming a collective.” And of collective resistance. The doomed but life-affirming Treblinka uprising came in August 1943. This was less than five years before the creation of the necessary response to Treblinka: Israel. Today, the desire of Hamas to

complete the Holocaust is applauded by moral cretins in academic cocoons (some Princetonians chanted “Globalize the intifada”), too uneducated to understand the grotesque pedigree of their enthusiasm. When photographers from Mathew Brady’s New York studio produced the 1862 exhibit “The Dead of Antietam,” the New York Times said it brought home war’s “terrible reality and earnestness.” During World War I, however, no photo of a corpse appeared in a British, French or German newspaper, and not until 1943 did Life magazine create controversy by publishing a photo of dead U.S. troops. Since Vietnam, graphic journalism has given us living room wars, but broadcast snippets of combat have drained war of its power to shock. Englund’s more than 400 pages of words, mere words, excavated from experiences 81 Novembers ago, convey war’s “terrible earnestness.” Today, academic ethicists at a safe distance are instructing Israel to be “proportionate” in its response to what was done on Oct. 7. Perhaps the students and faculty exhilarated by Hamas need to see pictures of what was done. So, give every U.S. college and university the 46-minute video that Israel compiled from Hamas cameras and other sources, showing the sadists inflicting their carnage. Challenge the schools to screen it. This would be disturbingly educational, but the schools, many of them uneasy about such things, should do it anyway.

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Political Crossfire

A Compromise on the Border Would Be Good for Biden (and for Ukraine) By Marc A. Thiessen

o pass a compromise on funding for border security and Ukraine, Senate Democrats are going to have to learn some new math – because the old Democratic math won’t cut it. Here is the old math: You need 60 votes to pass a bill in the Senate, and Democrats have 51 votes, so all they need to do is win over nine Republicans and – voilà! – bipartisan compromise. No longer. The 51+9 model might have worked during the first two years of Joe Biden’s presidency, when Democrats controlled the House (which would pass whatever compromise Senate Democrats came up with). But the House is in Republican hands now, and the GOP majority knows that any border security measure which passes the Senate without losing at least some Democratic support will be – practically by definition – nothing more than window dressing. That means it is dead on arrival in the lower chamber. Despite his public demands that the Senate approve H.R.2, the House GOP’s excellent border security bill, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) understands that Senate Democrats won’t do that. But to pass the House, a compromise bill must make changes to our border laws robust enough that it will inevitably lose some Democratic support in the Senate. Senate Republicans agree. “This is going to end up being 30 and 30,” Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), who is leading negotiations for a compromise, recently told Politico. “We’re going to have folks on my side that are going to say, not enough, no way, there [are] still loopholes” on the border. And “we’re going to have folks on the other side that are going to say [it is too] draconian, non-compassionate” and refuse to vote for it. Only after making changes that cause some senate Democrats to balk will the Biden administration have a bill that can become law.

In other words, the key to passing a Ukraine-border compromise will not be addition but subtraction. Senate Republican leaders are ready to move forward knowing they will lose about 10 GOP senators who are dead set against any additional aid to Ukraine. They also know they will have to make border policy compromises that will cost additional GOP votes. The question is: What fundamental changes to our border-security laws are Biden and Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) willing to make that will cost some Democratic votes in the Senate – yet make the bill palatable enough to pass the GOP-controlled House? Democrats tried to avoid making real concessions and shaming the GOP for delaying aid to Ukraine and Israel. “Republicans – and only Republicans – are holding everything up because of unrealistic, maximalist demands on the border,” Schumer thundered on the Senate floor on Monday. Those pressure tactics were never going to work. Even the most pro-

Ukraine Republicans will vote against a bill that includes funding to more efficiently process illegal migrants entering the country but does not do more to stop them from entering in the first place. So now, some on the left are panicking that Biden is going to make real, substantive changes to border policy that Republicans are demanding. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) implored Biden: “Please don’t go down this road, don’t cave to the extreme Republican immigration proposals … because if you do so, you cement your legacy as the asylum denier in chief. That’s not something we want to see.” If he loses Menendez’s vote on a final package, that would be a sign real progress is being made. Getting tough on the border is in Biden’s political interest, as well. A recent Wall Street Journal poll shows that immigration is the second-most important issue to voters, and 64 percent disapprove of his border policies, while just 27 percent approve. That’s because he has presided over the worst border crisis in

U.S. history. In fiscal 2023, the record for the most encounters at the southern border was again broken – for the third year in a row. Last week, migrant encounters hit more 12,000 in a single day – the highest total ever recorded. To put that in perspective, in 2019, the Obama administration’s homeland security secretary, Jeh Johnson, said that 1,000 border encounters a day “overwhelms the system.” Wouldn’t it be better for Biden’s reelection prospects if border encounters drop down from current record levels to the averages under the past three (Republican and Democratic) presidents? Even some Democrats see that the status quo at the border is unsustainable. “Honestly, it’s astonishing,” Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said last week. “You essentially have Pittsburgh showing up there at the border.” There is a compromise to be had that can win 60 to 70 votes in the Senate and pass the House. But it depends on whether Schumer and Biden are willing to move forward with a bill that loses some votes in their conference, just like Republicans are. Doing so would be good for Biden and good for the American people – and it would be good for Ukraine. The most devastating argument employed by the anti-Ukraine right is that Biden cares more about securing Ukraine’s border than our own. Well, Biden could prove critics right by refusing to secure the U.S. border. Or he can prove them wrong by reaching an agreement with Republicans that would stop the flood of illegal migrants into this country and disarm the GOP isolationists of their most potent argument against aid to Ukraine. The American people – and the Ukrainian people – are waiting to see what he decides. (c) 2023, Washington Post Writers Group

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DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

Take That, Thomas Friedman! by Rafael Medoff

srael’s ambassador to the United Nations last week dramatized Hamas’ villainy and intransigence by holding up a sign with a Hamas leader’s phone number and urging the assembled UN delegates to call him. “Tell Hamas to put down their arms, turn themselves in, and return our hostages,” Ambassador Gilad Erdan declared. “This will bring a complete ceasefire that will last forever.” New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman probably was more than a little annoyed by Erdan’s tactic. Friedman must have thought he had cornered the market on sarcastically publicizing telephone numbers, when he persuaded the U.S. Secretary of State to use that tactic against Israel’s leaders years ago. This episode goes back to Friedman’s first decade at the Times and intersects with his original declared aspiration to work “at the Middle East desk of the State Department.” At some point in the late 1980s, Friedman became a personal friend and tennis partner of then-Secretary of State James Baker. Needless to say, journalists do not usually serve as secret advisers to government officials whom they are covering. The editors of The New Republic, remarking on Friedman’s extremely sympathetic coverage of Baker, once suggested he should be called “the New York Times’ State Department spokesman” or “the James Baker Ministry of Information.” Neither Friedman nor the Times revealed his relationship with Baker at the time. But in his 1995 autobiography, The Politics of Diplomacy, Baker admitted it. More than that, Baker revealed that when he and Friedman met for their weekly tennis game, Friedman would give him advice on how to pressure Israel. Baker gave Friedman “credit” for

conceiving a public relations gimmick that directly undermined the U.S.Israel friendship. While testifying to a congressional committee in June 1990, Baker tried to embarrass the Israeli government by reciting the White House phone number and sarcastically

time he cursed out American Jews over their voting patterns. And there was the crisis he provoked by blocking U.S. loan credits for the resettlement in Israel of Soviet Jewish refugees. Baker also has repeatedly heckled Israel since leaving office. In one partic-

Baker revealed that when he and Friedman met for their weekly tennis game, Friedman would give him advice on how to pressure Israel.

suggesting that Israel’s leaders should “call when they’re serious about peace.” Among the many ugly aspects of James Baker’s treatment of Israel, the phone number episode hardly was the most grievous. There was, of course, the

ularly absurd outburst, Baker claimed (in 2007) that if the U.S. would begin negotiations with Syria, Syria would stop arming Hezbollah and Hamas would recognize Israel. Still, there was something about

the phone number insult that stung. Maybe it was because it was so wildly inaccurate for Secretary Baker to claim that Israel wasn’t serious about peace. Or maybe because he was treating America’s loyal ally with such meanspirited, undeserved contempt. There was a fascinating postscript to the episode. On November 2009 ,7, Friedman wrote yet another column in the Times accusing Israel of not being seriously interested in peace. He recommended to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that she should “dust off James Baker’s line: ‘When you’re serious, give us a call: 202-456-1414. Ask for Barack.’ Otherwise, stay out of our lives.” Remarkably, Friedman did not acknowledge in that column that he was the one who was the original author of that sarcastic jibe. Instead, he pretended that it was “James Baker’s line.” Invoking the former Secretary of State gave the line more gravitas. And presumably, Friedman assumed most Times readers would not realize that Baker had already revealed the truth in his autobiography, years earlier. Ambassador Erdan may not be familiar with Thomas Friedman’s sarcastic ghostwriting for Secretary Baker. But even if it was not Erdan’s intention, the sign that he held up at the UN this week rhetorically turned the tables on an arch-critic of Israel. It was long overdue.

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

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

Forgotten Her es

IDF Units Protecting the Jewish Nation By Avi Heiligman

he surprise attack on October 7 caught Israeli intelligence completely off guard. It took several hours for reinforcements to arrive, and it took days to completely rid Israel of Hamas terrorists that had come in from Gaza. During those frantic hours on October 7, terrible atrocities were carried out by Hamas. The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) subsequently started a ground campaign in Gaza with the goal of completely dismantling Hamas. Many units have been cited for acts of bravery both on October 7 and in the ground war. The IDF has several specialist units that are trained in many areas and whose roles vary from unit to unit. Sayeret Maglan or Unit 212 is trained to operate deep behind enemy lines using advanced weapons systems and technology. During the first few days of the war, they lost thirteen soldiers, including two high-ranking officers. On October 7, Sayeret Maglan was one of the first units to respond to the surprise Hamas attack and was involved in the heavy fighting during the Battle of Zikim. Hamas had massacred 19 Israeli civilians on the beach and had moved on to attack an IDF training base. Six IDF

officers and a recruit were killed before the Hamas terrorists withdrew. Maglan soldiers killed several Hamas terrorists in the subsequent fighting. They also were the first to use a guided mortar bomb called the Steel Sting against a Hamas position inside Gaza. During the ground invasion of Gaza, they directed fire from

soldiers that are trained to operate in combat. In 2022, the IDF created all-female tank crews, and they operate Merkava IV tanks. On October 7, the battalion was stationed near the border crossing with Egypt when it heard of the Hamas attack. Two tanks and an armored vehicle from the battalion made their way to

One of the soldiers named Hila said of the gun: “Within 10 minutes, we’d all become experts: how to run it, how to fire, how to slam the brakes.”

drones onto Hamas terrorists and tunnels. In November, they took part in operations to eliminate Hamas lookouts, infrastructure and anti-tank launchers with their operatives. Another unit that was involved in the fighting during the October 7 attacks was the Caracal Battalion. Active since 2000, the battalion has both male and female

Kibbutz Sufa. Even though they were not yet trained to use the .50 caliber gun on the armored vehicle, they learned to use it while fighting Hamas terrorists armed with assault rifles and RPGs. One of the soldiers named Hila said of the gun: “Within 10 minutes, we’d all become experts: how to run it, how to fire, how to slam the brakes.”

Three more tanks joined them in the fight, and they killed several terrorists while others escaped back to Gaza. Another tank made its way into the kibbutz and, in a six-hour battle, eliminated dozens of terrorists. Another unit from the battalion killed several more terrorists near Kibbutz Holit. Seven female soldiers, whose full names were not made available to the public, played vital roles in these battles. These soldiers were able to kill more than 50 terrorists while saving countless lives. Other soldiers in the battalion took part in heavy fighting with Hamas on October 7, and no one in the unit was killed. Under the command of Lt. Col. Or Ben Yehuda, the Caracal Battalion eliminated around 100 terrorists that had infiltrated the border. One of the most active units since the start of the war on October 7 is Yahalom. Part of the Israeli Combat Engineering Corps, Yahalom specializes in many areas including destroying unexploded ordinance, route clearance, and locating and destroying tunnels. During the October 7 attack, Yahalom was sent to fight terrorists in several locations and rescued many civilians while eliminat-

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DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

ing many from Hamas. After the attack, it was discovered that Hamas terrorists left behind explosives in a school bag. Yahalom was called in, and they safely detonated the bag thereby preventing additional casualties. While in Gaza, IDF troops often come across roads or objects rigged with explosives placed there by Hamas. Combat engineers like those in Yahalom will use the IDF Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer to clear a path, ensuring a safe passage for troops. Yahalom will also use the D9 to expose shafts to tunnels which will

then be slated for destruction. Solving the problem of over 300 miles of Hamas tunnels has been the source of the creation of many new tactics and weapons employed by Yahalom. IDF Special Forces had discovered a tunnel under the Shifa Hospital that was blocked by an armored door. Using their advanced systems and technology, Yahalom operatives broke through the door and exposed the rest of the tunnel. By the end of November, the unit had destroyed well over 400 tunnel shafts. Yahalom has developed new ways of fighting under-

ground. Recent news reports have them pumping seawater into tunnels in an effort to literally flush out the terrorists while preventing further IDF casualties. They have also used many tools and specialized equipment to combat terrorists in tunnels. These include underground drones, night vision systems, sensors, drilling equipment and robots. The IDF and Yahalom know that the hostages are kept underground and are very careful in their actions so as not to harm any of the hostages while taking out terror tunnels. Many units in the IDF don’t get very

much press. This is often the case when a lot of their operations are classified, but sometimes their missions do make news reports. The soldiers of these units who are on the front lines are protecting Israel, her citizens, and the Jewish nation around the world.

Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comments and suggestions for future columns and can be reached at aviheiligman@gmail.com.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

120

Classifieds

classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com • text 443-929-4003

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121

HOUSES FOR SALE

APT./COOP/CONDO SALE

HEWLETT-WOODMERE School district. New to the market. 4 bedroom 3 full bathroom home features living room with a fireplace, formal dining room leading out to the deck, eat-in-kitchen with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, 2 dishwashers, double oven, new microwave, primary bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, plus 3 additional bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms, large family room, central air conditioning, gas heat, in-ground sprinklers, hardwood floors, modern high hat lighting, custom window treatments, driveway has recently been done, 2 car garage, beautifully landscaped plus so much more. OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24 11:30-1:30PM • 1027 DARTMOUTH LN Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

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This spacious s/h col , in the prestigious village of woodsburgh, sits on 1/2 acre property in a. most serene setting, with beautiful

This spacious s/h col , in the prestigious village of woodsburgh, waterviews, and magnificent sunsets . Flr banquet fdnr , sitsNew! on 1/2 Beautiful acre property in a. most serene setting, with beautiful Splanch on9Desirable Cul Dewith Sac. COMMERCIAL RENTAL! Dr office Suite, Located breakfast rm, main level NEW! den /fpl ,Room master bdrm suite his waterviews, and sunsets .new Flr banquet , New! Renovated High Ranch, 4BRs, 2 room, Bths,fdnr New inand the Heart ofmagnificent Cedarhurst, Reception Granit/Wood EIK, 4 Brms, 3 Bths, Spacious Den, her closets and bth + 4Spacious bdrms , waiting bths, renovated COMMERCIAL RENTAL! NEW! 9 ,Room DrClose officenewly Suite, Located breakfast rm, main level den /fpl master bdrm suite with his Area and Exam Rooms, all on Main Floor. to Public finished basement with laundry rm, playrm, lots of storage, Kitchen & of Bths,3 ZoneSpacious Heatingwaiting & CAC, Den FLR, Finished Basement. in the Heart Cedarhurst, room, Reception Transportation and her closets and bththruout + 4 bdrms , new bths, newly renovated many special details $1.9M+ Area and Exam alllaundry on Main Floor. Close to of Public FDR, SD# 14Rooms, $8,000 $6,000 finished basement with rm, playrm, lots storage, Transportation many special details thruout $1.9M+ $1.279M $6,000

LAWRENCE 240 Central Avenue LAWRENCE North Woodmere - 781 Sherwood Street Spacious 1 Bdrm 1 Bth Apt in Well Maintained Elevator Bldg 240 Central Avenue Detached colonial 6BR, 2.5Near bths, FDR, Bldg with Terrace Overlooking Garden, AllElK, $229K Spacious 1 Bdrm 1 Bth Apt in Well Maintained Elevator with Terrace floors, Overlooking Garden, Nearfinished All $229K hardwood finished attic, FAR ROCKAWAY basement, 156 B 9th St Mint 2BR, 2 BTH FAR ROCKAWAY Beachfront 156 B 9th StCondo Mint 2BR, 2 BTH

withRockaway Wraparound Terrace, Magnificent Far Beachfront Condo— Reads Lane Area 4+BR, c/h Sunrise & Sunset with Wraparound Magnificentfin. bsmnt, deck, col., FLR, FDR, Terrace, EIK, den/office, $589K Apt 2B Renovated, Mint, Corner 1 Bdrm Sunrise & Sunset 529 BrWoodmere Home inBlvd Heart of Far Rockaway, 3Bth, EIK, FDR, with 9ft Ceilings. Spacious Eat In Kitchen, 2 Sinks, Granite $589K 29 Woodmere Blvd Apt 2B Renovated, Mint, Corner 1 Bdrm Den, Foyer, Walk Closets 130’Lvgrm/Dnr Deep Property. Counter tops and S.S. in Appliances.Large and Large with 9ft Ceilings. Eat In Kitchen, 2 Sinks, Granite Bdrm/BR with LotsSpacious of Windows $1.4+M Counter tops and S.S. Appliances.Large Lvgrm/Dnr and Large REDUCED $299K

Bdrm/BR with Lots of Windows REDUCED $299K

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Classifieds

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APT./COOP/CONDO SALE

FOR RENT

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

WOODMERE Generously proportioned, first-floor apartment in an elevator-equipped building in the heart of Woodmere. This Co-op boasts three bedrooms, two full bathrooms. Lofty ceilings, spacious foyer, formal living area and dining space. Expansive kitchen with gas stove, microwave, dishwasher, washer-dryer. Hardwood floors provide an elegant touch, and the comfort of five air-conditioning units ensures year-round climate control. Three bedrooms, with the primary bedroom having en-suite full bathroom. Dedicated storage. Near shopping centers, railroad, dining and places of worship. 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 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

FOR RENT IN HEART OF FAR ROCKAWAY Extra large 2800 Square foot trailer with bathrooms available for rent, suitable for offices, Yeshiva etc Please call 718.327.8007

CEDARHURST 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, totally renovated private entrance , central air conditioning, hardwood floors, washer/dryer, garage parking, dishwasher, recessed lighting, private playground, close to railroad, park, shopping and houses of worship. Call for more details Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE 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 516-298-8457 • $179K

TJH Classifieds Post your Real Estate, Help Wanted, Services, Miscellaneous Ads here. Weekly Classifieds Up to 5 lines and/or 25 words 1 week ................$20 2 weeks .............. $35 4 weeks .............. $60 Email ads to: classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com Include valid credit card info and zip code

Deadline Monday 5:00pm

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Classifieds

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FOR RENT

HELP WANTED

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

BENSONHURST

IMMEDIATE OPENING PM Substitute Assistant Teacher for lower grade special ed class, 5 Towns/ Far Rockaway Yeshiva. Great Salary. Hours: 1:00 - 4:00, Mon. - Thurs. Email: nnadata@zareinu.org or call 516-316-6633.

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.

WOODMERE New to the market studio co-op apartment, elevator building, high ceilings, low maintenance, laundry room on premises, minutes to the railroad, shopping, restaurants and houses of worship. $ 135K Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

3 fam, 2nd fl, 3 bed, 2 bath, EIK, lg LR, lg DR, bonus area, front porch, backyard, renov, sunny, lg windows, $2900 347-598-9608

5 TOWNS - Offices For Lease and large Parking LOT Utilities & Internet & Parking Included with some Various sizes - starting at $695. No broker fee Kosher kitchen - Minyan Next to LIRR Call/text/Whatsapp: 516-206-1100

SEEKING ELA TEACHER Teaching position for Gr. 6. Mon.-Thurs., afternoon hours. Far Rockaway/5T area. Great salary, warm, supportive environment. Training in our curriculum is provided. Teachersearch11@gmail.com ASSISTANT TO REBBE Immediate opening. AM Rebbe Assistant in small, sp. ed. middle school class in 5 Towns yeshiva, Flexible hours, Great Salary, Email: nnadata@zareinu.org or call 516-316-6633.

PRE-1A ASSISTANT Immediate Opening for Teacher Assistant in small Pre1A boys class in Far Rockaway yeshiva. Mon.-Thurs. 8:45 AM - 3:00 PM, Fridays until 11:30 AM. Great Salary. Email: nnadata@ zareinu.org or call 516-316-6633. 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

Classifieds

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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

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

TEACHER/TEACHER MENTOR Join our Collaborative Team at HASC. Looking for an experienced Teacher/Teacher Mentor to help with the administration of a SEIT Program. Great Pay! Part-time! Flexible hours! Warm & Caring Environment. SAS/SBL a plus Email resume: jobswd@hasc.net

SOCIAL WORKER Immediate opening for P/T Experienced Social Worker, counseling and social skills groups for sp ed students in 5 Towns / Far Rockaway yeshivas. Flexible days/ hours. Great salary. Email resume to: nnadata@zareinu. org and/or call 516-316-6633

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

SUMMER POSITION: Prominent Girls Day Camp in Brooklyn seeks two admin positions. 1- An experienced admin to oversee and manage the day-today operation in a cohesive and collaborative manner 2- A detailoriented schedule writer/coordinator. Must be a team player with a flexible personality. A solid camping experience a must. AMAZING SALARY for the right candidate. Text 347.713.2419\ PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE Office in Great Neck looking to hire a full time bookkeeper/ office assistant. $1200-$1500 weekly. Call : 516-941-5255 WhatsApp: 929-289-1920

SECRETARY WOODMERE, PART-TIME HASC, a leader in special education, is seeking a part-time SEIT Secretary to add to our Team. Job includes general office and administrative tasks related to the tracking and maintenance of SEIT student and staff files. Computer skills required. Attention to detail a must. Great pay. Warm and caring environment. Room for growth. Training provided.

JOBSWD@HASC.NET 516-295-1340

IMMEDIATE OPENING ELA teaching position for Gr. 5. Mon.-Thurs., afternoon hours. Far Rockaway/5T area. Competitive salary, warm supportive environment. Teachersearch11@gmail.com BOOKKEEPER Excellent growth potential, Frum environment, Excellent salary & benefits. Email resume to: resumetfs1@gmail.com YESHIVA KETANA OF LONG ISLAND Seeks Full Time Administrative Assistant. 3 years experience required Great work environment Email Resume to office@ykli.org

MDS REGIONAL NURSE 5 Towns area Nursing Home management office seeking a Regional/Corporate level MDS Nurse to work in our office. Must be an RN. Regional experience preferred. 2-3 years MDS experience with good computer skills required. Position is Full Time but Part Time can be considered. Great Shomer Shabbos environment with some remote options as well. Email: officejob2019@gmail.com

MISC. 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!

TEACHER/TEACHER MENTOR Join our Collaborative Team at HASC. Looking for an experienced Teacher/ Teacher Mentor to help with the administration of a SEIT Program. Great Pay! Part-time! Flexible hours! Warm & Caring Environment. SAS/SBL a plus Email resume: jobswd@hasc.net

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 21, 2023

Your

Money

This Honorable Court is Now in Session By Allan Rolnick, CPA

or over 234 years, the Supreme Court has issued opinions that have changed the course of our government, our history, and our very American character. In 1803, Marbury v. Madison established the principle of judicial review and cemented the court’s role as a co-equal branch of government. In 1954, Brown v. Board of Education ruled that “separate but equal” was inherently unequal and struck a mortal blow against the evils of Jim Crow. In 1964, New York Times v. Sullivan established that public officials can’t sue for defamation without proving “actual malice.” And in 1924, United States v. Ninety-Five Barrels, More or Less, Alleged Apple Cider Vinegar (a real case), suggests that the Justices, more or less, might even have a sense of humor. The Court rarely hears tax cases. Last week, however, in Moore v. United States, they heard one such dispute that could blow a massive hole in the federal budget. Very briefly (because a deep dive would make your head hurt), it involves whether the government can tax income before a taxpayer actually “realizes” it. Specifically, the plaintiffs, Charles and Kathleen Moore, are challenging a section

of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which imposed a one-time tax on income that U.S. corporations’ shelter in overseas subsidiaries. If the Court rules for the plaintiffs, it could cost the Treasury 340$ billion in tax and topple key pillars of the current code. The Moores own 11% of a company selling agricultural supplies to Indian

ranged from skeptical to hostile. Their main rationale is that our current system taxes “unrealized income” all the time. If you run your business as a partnership or an S corporation, for example, you’ll pay tax on your share of the entity’s income whether it sends you that money or not. As is often the case, there’s a broader agenda hiding under the specific facts

Nobody takes a $15,000 case all the way to the Supreme Court – there’s always more at stake.

farmers. They paid $14,729 in taxes under the 2017 law, even though they hadn’t sold their stock or collected any cash dividends. They sued to get their money back, basing their argument on a 1920 decision, Eisner v. Macomber, holding that “enrichment through increase in value of capital investment is not income in any proper meaning of the term.” Justices Alito and Gorsuch seemed sympathetic to the Moores’ case. The rest

here. Several senators led by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have proposed a wealth tax equal to 2% of your net worth between $50 million and a billion, and 3% on anything over a billion. Opponents argue that taxing wealth, as opposed to income, violates the same principle. Most observers see Moore as a preemptive strike against future wealth taxes. And nobody takes a $15,000 case all the way to the Supreme

Court – there’s always more at stake. You might not think you’re rich enough to worry about a wealth tax. But the first modern income tax, in 1913, didn’t kick in until you made the equivalent of $93,000 in today’s dollars and topped out at just 7% on anything over today’s $15 million. Now look where we are! Today, that wealth tax is still just a bill. (Sittin’ here on Capitol Hill…) There’s no realistic chance it will pass, not as long as there are still Republicans drawing breath, but Uncle Sam likes to spend more than he takes in, regardless of who’s in the White House. So we can still expect to see senators offering more proposals to tax things like carbon emissions, sales, and wealth long into the future. Fortunately, we’ll be here to help you understand whatever new taxes Washington sends our way. We’ll parse the laws that Congress passes and study those boring tax opinions so you don’t have to!

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.

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Life C ach

DECEMBER 21, 2023 | The Jewish Home

“Weather” You Like It or Not By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

hat was that all about? Usually, the clouds move away, and the sun is there, lurking behind. But here in Florida, it was not like that last week. Behind the clouds were clouds. And behind those clouds, you guessed it… clouds. And behind that, was a thick layer of drabby grayness. They call it a front. Looked much more like a back to me! No features evident and no smiling sun. Although Florida has history, like every other place, we know it’s not necessarily known for its rich past or amaz-

of it. It’s not like the state can control the climate, and, in fact, the climate was still comfortably pleasant; it was the state of the sky that was so weirdly ominous. Usually, a great downpour opens up to a great big, beautiful sky. And the moving clouds clear away the layer of gray to allow the delicious freshness to spread wide. That was just not happening at any typical pace. But, we learned something through it all. Sometimes, it just takes much longer. The clear blue sky is not missing –

The sun is still there somewhere!

ing monuments. It’s usually about the weather and beaches. The beaches were still here…But you had to decided “weather” you wanted to get washed away by the sea or the storms. Oh, did I forget to mention that the skies also kept opening up and sharing their luscious bounty? Though, for most vacationers and residents alike, I believe it just felt like plain old rain. And lots

it’s just concealed longer. The sun is still there somewhere! However, there is a greater layer of heaviness that must be pushed away. Yes, something needs to help it. But it’s there to be accessed. And once that confluence of events occurred, it all began to shine through. Was it pleasant for those confronting it? Did anyone ask for it or want it? Nah! Well maybe the weather man, who at

Rivki Rosenwald is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist working with both couples and individuals and is a certified relationship counselor. Rivki is a co-founder and creator of an effective Parent Management of Adolescent Years Program. She can be contacted at 917-7052004 or at rivkirosenwald@gmail.com.

least had more to say than “just another gorgeous day here in Florida.” But, with an attitude adjustment, doing what you can to deal with it, and

time, we were reminded that things can and do change! You know what they say: the sun will come out tomorrow!

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