Five Towns Jewish Home 05.30.24

Dear Readers,

Last week, Rabbi Yair Hoffman’s article in TJH discussed the complex halachos regarding giving medical treatment to terrorists. Is there an obligation to give them treatment? Are we halachically required to save their lives? What if they were injured while in the process of hurting or killing Jews? There are different rulings that apply in various situations, and of course, we are required to ask our own shailos when dealing with a particular situation.

But aside from the halachic aspects to these questions, as humans, we grapple with our emotions when it comes to these types of issues. On the one hand, a doctor is required to help someone who is injured. On the other hand, how can we save the life of someone whose primary, sole, and burning purpose in life is to eliminate the Jewish nation?

Dr. Yuval Bitton had to confront this conundrum when he worked at the Beersheba prison complex as a dentist. Initially, he thought he would be providing care to the employees of the prison. But over the years, he ended up treating many prisoners – terrorists – who had been jailed for myriad offenses.

One such prisoner was Yahya Sinwar, who is now best known as the mastermind behind the October 7th massacre. But at the time, Sinwar was serving two life sentences in prison for the planning of the abduction and murder of two Israeli soldiers and for the murder of four Palestinians. Sinwar, at one point, began experiencing blackout episodes, and Bitton told doctors he needed emergency surgery. The terrorist was rushed to Soroka Hospital, where a brain tumor

was taken out, saving his life.

Sinwar should never have been let out of jail. But the orchestrator of the worst terror attack in Israel’s history was released in the Gilad Schalit deal, vowing in 2022, “We will come to you, G-d willing, in a roaring flood. We will come to you with endless rockets, we will come to you in a limitless flood of soldiers, we will come to you with millions of our people, like the repeating tide.”

The feelings of repulsion for this man who has made it his life’s purpose to eradicate the Jewish nation are overwhelming. And we wonder: how can we, as a country, have excised a fatal tumor from a person whose whole being is so filled with an ideological cancer that threatens to kill us all? Is it misplaced compassion that compelled us to save this murderer’s life? Are we becoming part of the cycle of terror when we revive those who wish to destroy us?

These questions keep Bitton up at night. His nephew, Tamir Adar, Hy”d, was slaughtered on October 7. His body is still being held in Gaza by Hamas operatives who answer to Sinwar, the person whose life Bitton had saved.

For now, Bitton can only hope – and pray – that Tamir, and all the other hostages, be returned to their families.

May Hashem bring true justice to those who wish His nation harm. And may He bring home all those hostages who are being held in the hands of murderers and terrorists.

Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

Yitzy Halpern, PUBLISHER publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com

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Dear Editor,

Last week’s edition contained a letter signed by “One Who Learns From History.” I have two issues with the letter neither having to do with the subject which I mostly agree with although would have phrased it somewhat differently. First: if you are going to write a letter setting forth strong political opinions you should not be afraid to sign your name. Sending an anonymous letter lessens the impact of your argument. Second: More importantly to the Editor, a newspaper should never print a letter that is not signed by the writer. It is simply poor and amateur journalism.

Mark E. Spund Oceanside, New York

Dear Editor,

The three “beis” parshios that precede Shavuos, Matan Torah, are Behar, Bechukosai and Bamidbar.

Behar, similar to the word, bahir, clear, means that the Torah must be so clear to a person as the revelation was at Har Sinai.

Bechukosai connotes that the Torah we follow is based in chok, not logic. We believe it’s right and true as it comes from G-d, and it’s a test of our faith to practice in this fashion.

Bamidbar, with the gematria of 248, the number of positive commandments, indicates the wilderness, an open terrain, symbolizing an open mind and a desire to grow and achieve. This kind of mindset is needed to attain great heights in Talmudic scholarship.

All of these concepts are encased within the beis of humility, as the Torah began

with a beis and not an aleph, as the one who is Echad, began the Torah with beis. And it is in humility that we find the personification of the fear of G-d (Proverbs 22:4). And the fear of G-d is our storehouse that protects all of our endeavors (Isaiah 33:6).

Steven Genack

Dear Editor,

Ireland, Norway, and Spain have decided to overrule G-d and recognize half of the Land of Israel as sovereign Judenrein Palestinian territory without any negotiations with Israel. Unadulterated chutzpah. Therefore, Israel should immediately respond to their brazen actions with acts which will illustrate to them the danger of their precipitous political deeds.

Israel can recognize Northern Ireland, with its distinct culture and identity, as the legitimate homeland of the Irish people.

Similarly, Israel can demand that Norway grant formal autonomy to their indigenous people, the Sámi.

As for Spain, Israel should recognize the Catalan movement’s desire for independence supported by 80% of referendum voters.

Chazak, chazak, vnitchazek. Henry Moscovic

Dear Editor,

The CDC reports that “an estimated 12.5% of children and adolescents aged 6-19 years (approximately 5.2 million) and 17% of adults aged 20-69 years (approximately 26 million) have suffered permanent damage to their hearing from

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excessive exposure to noise.” Summer camp is quickly approaching. While much of camp activity occurs outdoors, a significant amount of activity occurs indoors with large crowds. Indoor sports and games encourage loud cheering and screaming. Nighttime activities often feature loud live or recorded band music. Your child may be listening to loud music through earbuds.

Parents should be prudent and have their children’s hearing checked both before and after camp. You and your child need to know if there are possible early signs of hearing loss prior to camp as well as after camp is over. Encourage your children to wear ear protection – ear plugs or noise-cancelling headphones –or distance themselves from loud music. Additionally, ask the camp director to establish a camp policy of lowering the volume of “simcha” music. Many directors are unaware of the damage caused by loud music or think that loud music adds to the “ruach” and excitement. It is your responsibility to alert them to the health risks.

Make sure that your children have an ear-healthy summer and return home able to hear you clearly.

Daniel Feldman

Dear Editor,

Sara Rayvych’s article on making mistakes is a wonderful piece that all parents should read. To err is human – and children need to know that making a mistake is not the end of the world. As parents, it is our job to make sure they recognize that it’s human nature to mess up sometimes.

Allow them to see that you make mistakes too and show them the proper reaction to making a mistake. “Oh, look at that! I dropped a glass! I can’t believe it – but it’s OK; it was an accident. Let me go and get a broom to clean it up.”

By role modeling proper behavior, kids will understand that it’s OK to make mistakes – and will learn how to deal with mistakes in a proper way.

Ellen Frankel

Cyclone Pummels India

At least 16 people lost their lives this week when a major cyclone brought strong gusts of winds and heavy rain to the coastlines of India and Bangladesh, cutting power to millions of people.

The winds had not stopped as night fell on Monday, with water rising in many places and overwhelming drainage systems.

“Many people are stranded – it will be another long night ahead with millions

not having electricity or shelter,” Bangladeshi climate expert Liakath Ali said. “And people having no idea of how damaged their homes, land and livestock are.”

Cyclone Remal is the first of the frequent storms expected to pound the low-lying coasts of India and Bangladesh this year.

Packing speeds of up to 135 kph, it crossed the area around Bangladesh’s southern port of Mongla and the adjoining Sagar Islands in India’s West Bengal late on Sunday, weather officials said, making landfall at about 9 p.m.

At least 10 people were killed in Bangladesh. People tend to stay in their homes with their livestock, reluctant to leave to shelters. Often, it’s too late when they actually decide to leave their homes.

State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Mohibbur Rahman said the cyclone destroyed nearly 35,000 homes across 19 districts in Bangladesh.

An additional 115,000 homes were partially damaged.

Some people died from electrocution from downed power lines due to the storm. As such, authorities in some states shut power to prevent more deaths and damage.

Nearly 3 million people in Bangladesh were without electricity. West Bengal au-

thorities said at least 1,200 power poles were uprooted, while 300 mud huts had been razed.

About 800,000 people in Bangladesh were evacuated to shelters; roughly 110,000 in India were moved.

China, S. Korea, Japan Meet

Chinese, Japanese, and South Korean leaders met on Monday in Seoul for their first three-way talks in four years.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang praised what he called a restart in relations with Japan and South Korea. He was joined by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

The three are adopting a joint statement on six areas including the economy

and trade, science and technology,

ple-to-people exchanges, and health and the aging population.

At the summit, Li called for the comprehensive resumption of trilateral cooperation with an open attitude and transparent measures, China’s official Xinhua news agency reported.

He said relations between the three nations had not changed despite profound global transformations.

“Our meeting today, first in more than four years, is both a restart and a new beginning,” Li said, according to a post on X by China’s foreign ministry.

Monday’s summit comes a day after the leaders met separately for bilateral talks with each other.

In those meetings, Li and Yoon agreed to a diplomatic and security dialogue and resume free trade talks, while Kishida and the Chinese premier discussed Taiwan and agreed to hold a new round of bilateral high-level economic dialogue.

Yoon also asked China to play a constructive role with its partners in North Korea, which is expanding its nuclear weapons and missile arsenal in defiance of United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The trade relationship between China, South Korea, and Japan has evolved over

the past decade to become increasingly competitive. Those ties have been further tested by U.S. calls for its allies to shift their supply chains for key products, such as semiconductors, away from China.

UK MP Loses Hands and Feet

In an atypical display of unity, members of the United Kingdom’s parliament gave a standing ovation to conservative lawmaker Craig Mackinlay – who was in the hospital for six months due to sepsis, which caused him to lose his hands and feet and put him in a coma – as he walked into the House of Commons last Wednesday.

The 57-year-old legislator, who now has prosthetic hands and feet, declared that he would like to be called “the bionic MP” and has promised to support efforts

to bring awareness to sepsis and to improve the UK’s National Health Service, which helped treat him, to support those who have lost limbs.

“As you know, we don’t allow clapping,” Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said, as Mackinlay’s wife and four-year-old daughter watched while sitting in the public gallery. “But this is an exception.”

During Mackinlay’s speech, he expressed his gratitude to Hoyle and to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who visited him in the hospital. He then requested that Sunak see to it that the health service “embed[s] recognition of early signs of sepsis,” a life-threatening condition that can be triggered in the body as a result of a serious infection.

“If we can stop somebody ending up like this, I would say that is a job well done,” Mackinlay said, encouraging the health ministers to guarantee the “provision of appropriate prosthetics.”

Mackinlay was hospitalized on September 28. At one point, his skin was “bright blue” because blood was cut off from his limbs, he said. After having septic shock, Mackinlay was put into a medically induced coma. Doctors said he had a 5% chance of living. Sixteen days later, he woke up to find that his limbs felt “like plastic” and had become black,

while his hands and feet were “desiccated, clenched, and drying,” he recalled.

“They managed to save above the elbows and above the knees,” Mackinlay said. “So you might say I’m lucky.”

Having represented the South Thanet district of southeast England since 2015, Mackinlay has announced his plans to run again in the next election.

Chinese Military Drills Around Taiwan

In a move designed to threaten Taiwan, the Chinese military has been conducting drills around the democratic island, following the swearing-in of Lai Ching-te, the new president of Taiwan, an experienced politician who has been hatefully branded by China as a “dangerous separatist” whose victory has thrust Taipei into “a dangerous situation of war.”

According to the Chinese Communist Party’s People’s Liberation Army, these recent exercises, which ramped up last Thursday, are meant to “test the ability to jointly seize power, launch joint attacks and occupy key areas” of Taiwan. As part of its drills last week, the PLA, along with the Chinese navy, air force, rocket force, and coast guard, deployed warships and fighter jets around Taiwan and its territories as “a strong punishment for separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces.”

As part of the drills, which were conducted on Thursday and Friday, China’s Coast Guard was dispatched close to Taiwan’s outlying islands, including Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu, and Donguin. Nineteen warships and seven coast guard vessels were spotted approaching the Taiwan Strait by the island’s defense ministry, which also detected 49 Chinese aircraft from 6 a.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Friday, 35 of which passed the Median Line, an unofficial mark that represents the border that China and Taiwan shares. The line has been, until the past few years, respected by the People’s Republic of China.

Although the Communist Party has never ruled the island, the party’s leaders have promised to eventually take control

of Taiwan, with military action if necessary. One of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s top goals is “reunifying” mainland China and Taiwan. However, few citizens of Taiwan have interest in being governed by China.

The Defense Ministry of Taiwan has denounced the drills as “irrational provocations” and deployed its own forces in kind.

“[It is] regrettable to see China threatening Taiwan’s democracy and freedom and regional peace and stability with unilateral military provocations,” the presidential office of Taiwan said, adding that Taipei has the “confidence and ability to protect national security.”

“Taiwan is an isolated island, suspended in the sea with weak self-sufficiency. Taiwan’s economy is export-oriented, and most of its energy consumption relies on imports. Once besieged and blockaded, it can easily lead to economic collapse, turning it into a dead island,” said Chinese military expert Zhang Chi, who has claimed that the PLA’s recent drills are aimed at “practicing a new mode of blockading Taiwan.”

The Chinese military last launched military drills around Taiwan in August 2022 and April 2023.

According to the former director of the U.S. Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, Carl Schuster, these drills will likely “become the norm” and may culminate with China eventually launching a real attack.

“These drills aid in blurring the lines between peace and war, so much so that future exercises could be used as a pretext for an actual invasion,” Craig Singleton, a senior China fellow at the nonpartisan Foundation for Defense of Democracies, pointed out.

Georgia’s Foreign Agents Bill

The country of Georgia has been grappling with protests over the past few weeks, as citizens continue voicing their disapproval of a potential foreign agents bill that could take away freedom from Georgian organizations.

The bill, which was vetoed by Salome Zourabichvili, the president of Georgia, would force organizations that obtain over 20% of their funding from foreign parties to register as “agents of foreign influence.” A simple majority in parliament could still push the bill into law despite the veto.

On May 14, the bill was initially approved by parliament. Although the people of Georgia have been largely against the bill, 84 parliament members voted in favor of it, while only 30 voted against. The ruling party Georgian Dream, which is behind the bill, alleges that the legislation would encourage national sovereignty and transparency. Others disagree.

“This law, in its essence and spirit, is fundamentally Russian, contradicting our constitution and all European standards,” Zourabichvili said following her decision to veto the bill.

Georgia, according to the U.S., has been unjustly suppressing protests against the bill, as officials fight against protestors. On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a new visa restriction policy on “individuals who are responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy in Georgia, as well as their family members” and expressed his wishes that the parliament of

Georgia rethink the bill.

“This includes individuals responsible for suppressing civil society and freedom of peaceful assembly in Georgia through a campaign of violence or intimidation,”

stated Blinken, adding that the U.S. will, additionally, be reviewing its bilateral cooperation with Georgia.

In 2022, Georgia, a transcontinental country in Eastern Europe and West Asia, applied for membership in the European Union. The EU has since said that the passing of this foreign agents bill would immediately disqualify Georgia from joining the union.

N. Korean Spy Rocket Explodes

North Korea attempted to put a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit on

Monday, the South Korean military said, but the rocket carrying the satellite exploded midair shortly after takeoff, marking the country’s third failed attempt to put a spy satellite into orbit.

Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, has made deploying a fleet of spy satellites one of his latest military ambitions. He has also focused on testing what he claimed were nuclear missiles capable of targeting the United States and its allies in the Asia-Pacific region.

North Korea has said it needs satellites to increase its ability to monitor and target its enemies and to make its nuclear deterrence more credible.

After two failed attempts, North Korea placed its first spy satellite into or bit in November. Kim has said he would launch three more satellites this year.

On Monday, North Korea said it would launch the first of the three before June 4.

Hours later, the South Korean military said it detected a rocket launched from the Tongchang-ri space station in northwestern North Korea. The rocket flew over the sea between the Korean Peninsula and China.

The South Korean military said the rocket was believed to be carrying a satellite. But it said it considered the launch to be a failure after detecting debris falling

over North Korean waters two minutes after liftoff.

North Korea also confirmed that its launch was a failure, with the country’s state-run Korean Central News Agency reporting that its newly developed rocket booster carrying a military reconnaissance satellite had exploded in midair.

The United States, South Korea and Japan have been watching North Korean preparations for a rocket launch for weeks. By Monday, they had navy ships in waters around the Korean Peninsula to monitor the rocket and collect data, the South Korean military said in a statement.

North Korea is barred by U.N. Security Council resolutions from launching long-range rockets because they use the same technology needed to build intercontinental ballistic missiles.

North Korean satellites were once so rudimentary that they could hardly be considered reconnaissance tools. But more recently, North Korea has received satellite technology, as well as oil and food, from Russia in return for artillery shells and ballistic missiles to aid Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine, according to U.S. and South Korean officials. (© The New York Times)

Papua New Guinea Landslide

Papua New Guinea officials estimate that 2,000 individuals have died due to a landslide that hit the South Pacific country’s mountainous Enga province early Friday morning. Only five people have been found alive.

The landslide buried the Yambali village, where 3,895 people reside, according to Serhan Aktoprak, the chief of the International Organization for Migration’s mission in Papua New Guinea.

According to the International Organization for Migration, though, the death toll is 670 people, as of Sunday, pending new evidence.

“The land still continues sliding; therefore, it makes it very difficult to operate on,” said Aktoprak, adding that the three to four football fields’ worth of land

had been covered.

The death toll has yet to be confirmed, and “given the scale of the disaster,” the number of recorded casualties may increase dramatically, said Aktoprak.

The impacted village is basically without water and power and is facing a food shortage, the chief added.

“Immediate needs are shelter, other non-food items (like) blankets and bedsheets, food, and drinking water,” he said.

Prime Minister James Marape said, “I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the landslide disaster in the early hours of this morning.

“We are sending in disaster officials, PNG Defense Force, and the Department of Works and Highways to ... start relief work, recovery of bodies, and reconstruction of infrastructure,” Marape added.

Determining the scale of the disaster is difficult because of challenging conditions on the ground, including the village’s remote location, a lack of telecommunications, and tribal warfare throughout the province which means international relief workers and aid convoys require military escorts.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed her country’s condolences to Papua New Guinea and said that

“Australia stands ready to assist in relief and recovery efforts.”

According to Elizabeth Laruma, a women’s business association head in the town of Porgera, the landslide has blocked Yambali off from Porgera. The only way to get to the village now is by helicopter.

Papua New Guinea, which is home to 10 million people, hosts the second-largest population in the South Pacific. Australia, which is an ally and prominent financial supporter of Papua New Guinea, is the most populated country in the region and has a population of 27 million.

Just 1.66 million Papua New Guinea residents have internet access, with 56% of the country’s social media users living in Port Moresby.

Syrians Go on Hajj

Around 1.8 million Muslims around the world joined in last year’s Islamic Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. This year, for the first time in over a decade, Syrians were able to join the pilgrimage on a direct flight from Damascus to Saudi Arabia.

The flight on Tuesday included 270 Syrians. A second plane was set to depart from Damascus to Jeddah with more worshippers.

The development is part of an ongoing thaw in relations between Damascus and Riyadh, which days ago appointed Saudi Arabia’s first ambassador to war-torn Syria since severing ties in 2012

Syria was readmitted to the 22-member Arab League in 2023, after it had been suspended from the group for more than a decade over President Bashar Assad’s brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters in 2011. Most countries in the Arab world have since restored diplomatic ties with Damascus.

The Hajj is scheduled to begin on the evening of June 14. It is one of the five pillars of Islam, and Muslims are required to undertake it at least once in their lives if they are physically and financially able to do so.

The civil war in Syria – now in its 14th year – has resulted in the deaths of nearly half a million people and displaced half of the country’s population of 23 million.

Uganda’s Fight Against Yellow Fever

Uganda, with a population of 45 million people, is hoping to eradicate yellow fever. The country has rolled out a nationwide vaccination campaign against the mosquito-borne disease that has long threatened so many.

By the end of April, Ugandan authorities had vaccinated 12.2 million of the 14 million people targeted, said Dr. Michael Baganizi, an official in charge of immunization at the health ministry.

Uganda will now require everyone traveling to and from the country to have a yellow fever vaccination card as an international health regulation.

The country is giving the single-dose vaccine free of charge to those ages 1 to 60 in hospitals and clinics across the country. Beforehand, Ugandans usually paid to get the yellow fever shot at private clinics, for the equivalent of $27.

Uganda is one of 27 countries on the African continent classified as at high risk for yellow fever outbreaks. According to the World Health Organization, there are about 200,000 cases and 30,000 deaths globally each year from the disease.

Yellow fever is caused by a virus transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes. The majority of infections are asymptomatic. Symptoms can include fever, muscle pain, headache, loss of appetite and nausea or vomiting, according to the WHO.

Uganda’s vaccination initiative is part of a global strategy launched in 2017 by the WHO and partners such as the U.N. children’s agency to eliminate yellow fever by 2026. The goal is to protect almost one billion people in Africa and the Americas.

Deadly Everest Season

High above the clouds on Earth’s highest peak, climbers are making the arduous trek up Mount Everest.

The narrow window of the spring

summit season, which usually lasts from April to May, is the best time to climb. The weather is clearer and less windy, but that is no guarantee of safety: At least five people have died and three others have gone missing since the beginning of this climbing season, officials said.

The conditions have led to bottlenecks, and unnerving videos have circulated of long lines of climbers waiting precariously on a precipice.

The popularity of the climb has prompted concerns in recent years that overcrowding, competition and inadequate vetting of rookie climbers are making it even more dangerous.

More climbers are feared dead.

Most climbers take on the mountain from Nepal, a process that involves a 10day trek to base camp, weeks acclimatizing to the altitude, and an additional week to push to the summit.

But the journey is grueling. More than

300 people are known to have died on Everest, and an estimated 200 of their bodies remain there because they were too hard to retrieve.

Last spring set a grim record as 18 people died, according to the Himalayan Database, a mountaineering body, making it the deadliest year in recent record-keeping.

At least five people have died this year, Nepali officials confirmed, and the figure could rise.

A Nepali climber, Binod Babu Bastakoti, 37, died last Wednesday just above a base for the summit attempt. A Kenyan climber, Joshua Cheruiyot Kirui, 40, also died Wednesday near the summit. Nawang Sherpa, a guide who was with him, remains missing.

A British climber, Daniel Paul Paterson, 40, and his Nepali guide, Pastenji Sherpa, 23, are missing after the collapse of an ice mound near the summit last Tuesday. A Romanian climber, Gabriel Viorel Tabara, 46, died in his tent, also Tuesday, at an advanced base camp.

Two Mongolian climbers, Usukhjargal Tsedendamba, 53, and Purevsuren Lkhagvajav, 31, died on May 13 while trying to summit Everest without supplemental oxygen and Sherpa guides.

Fewer permits were issued for climb-

ers this year. Permits were issued to 421 climbers this year, compared with 478 last year. But it was difficult to say whether overcrowding had endangered climbers. (© The New York Times)

The remarks were made in Brussels after Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide handed diplomatic papers to Mustafa in the latest step toward recognizing a Palestinian state.

Norway

to Recognize “Palestinian State”

Mohammed Mustafa, Palestinian Authority “prime minister,” said on Sunday, “Recognition means a lot for us. It is the most important thing that anybody can do for the Palestinian people.”

Ireland and Spain pledged in concert with Norway last week to recognize a Palestinian state. Mustafa also met Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Sunday. He met with foreign ministers of European Union nations and high-level EU officials on Monday to drum up support for the Palestinians.

Norway is not part of the EU.

During his meeting with Spain’s Albares, Mustafa said the Palestinians “want to have every country in Europe to do the same,” adding that recognition of a Palestinian state addresses “the injustice that has been inflicted on the Palestinian people for decades.”

“We hope that this momentum of recognitions and initiatives will continue,” Mustafa added.

The Spanish foreign minister said that recognizing a state of Palestine “is justice for the Palestinian people [and] the best guarantee of security for Israel.”

Before meeting with Mustafa, Borrell said on Sunday that a “strong” Palestinian Authority is needed to bring peace in

the Middle East.

“A functional Palestinian Authority is in Israel’s interest too, because in order to make peace, we need a strong Palestinian Authority, not a weaker one,” Borrell said.

Around 140 countries — more than two-thirds of the United Nations — recognize a Palestinian state but a majority of the 27 EU nations still do not. Several have said they would recognize it when the conditions are right.

Belgium, which holds the EU presidency, has said that first the Israeli hostages held by Hamas need to be freed and the fighting in Gaza must end. Some other governments favor a new initiative toward a two-state solution.

and Michel Nisenbaum, a 59-year-old Israeli immigrant from Brazil, all of whom were murdered by Hamas on the morning of October 7, as per new IDF findings. The victims were recovered by the IDF and Shin Bet in the Gazan city of Jabaliya thanks to “precise intelligence,” according to the army.

All three were in the Mefalsim area when they were killed and taken hostage. Radoux and Yablonka were at the Supernova music festival when Hamas terrorists invaded southern Israel, murdering more than 1,200 people and abducting over 250 — 121 of whom are still in Gaza, including at least thirty-seven who have tragically perished in Hamas captivity. During the attack, Radoux and Yablonka escaped to Mefalsim, where they were kidnapped, along with Nisenbaum, a resident of Sderot, who was traveling through the area to pick up his granddaughter from a base near Re’im.

Radoux, who is survived by his young daughter, was at the festival with his girlfriend Shani Louk, another abductee whose body was recovered a week ago, along with three others.

Nisenbaum, who made aliyah in 1988 from Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, “was a man of many talents who, alongside his work, also volunteered for Magen David Adom and the Border Police,” according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

Three More Bodies Recovered

The bodies of three hostages were recovered by the Israeli army from Gaza late last week.

The army recovered the bodies of Orión Hernández Radoux, a 30-yearold Mexican-French national, Hanan Yablonka, a 42-year-old father of two,

“The sorrowful return of Michel, Hanan, and Orión is another heartbreak for the 125 families of the hostages, who share the pain, sorrow, and endless worry. Their return for burial provides important closure for the family members, and efforts must be made to bring all the murdered hostages back to Israel,” said the forum. “The recovery of their bodies is a silent but resolute reminder that the State of Israel is obligated to immediately dispatch negotiation teams with a clear demand to bring about a deal that will swiftly return all the hostages home: the living for rehabilitation and the murdered for burial.”

Yablonka, a Tel Aviv resident, had two children: a twelve-year-old and a nineyear-old.

“Hanan was a devoted and loving father, a family man, and friend. He was a sports enthusiast and an avid fan of Hapoel Tel Aviv. Hanan was taken hostage

while doing what he loved most – enjoying music, dancing, and celebrating life,” the forum added.

Spain Recognizes “Palestinian State”

Due to Spain’s recognition of the “State of Palestine,” Foreign Minister Israel Katz, on Friday, announced that the Spanish consulate in Jerusalem would now be banned from providing services to West Bank Palestinians.

“I have decided to sever the connection between the Spanish mission to Israel and the Palestinians and to prohibit the Spanish consulate in Jerusalem from providing services to Palestinians from the West Bank,” stated Katz.

Katz also condemned Yolanda Díaz, the Labor and Economy Minister of Spain, for declaring, “Palestine will be free

from the river to the sea,” an antisemitic phrase that calls for the elimination or removal of Jews from Israel in exchange for another Arab country that spans from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. The Israeli foreign minister noted that if “this ignorant hate-filled person wants to truly understand what radical Islam wants, she should learn about the 700 years of Islamic rule in Al-Andalus — modern-day Spain.”

Since October 7, when Hamas murdered more than 1,200 people and abducted 252 others, Israel and Spain’s relations have been strained. In November, Pedro Sanchez, the prime minister of Spain, expressed “serious doubt” about the lawfulness and legitimacy of Israel’s war in Gaza, which prompted then-foreign minister Eli Cohen to recall Israel’s ambassador and summon Spain’s ambassador to Israel for a reprimand.

On October 16, Sira Rego, the Youth and Children Minister of Spain, said that Palestinians reserve the “right to resist after decades of occupation” and demanded that “the entire Israeli diplomatic delegation” be kicked out of Spain.

Last Wednesday, Spain, Ireland, and Norway stated that they would recognize an independent Palestinian state, prompting Israel to recall the ambassa-

dors for immediate consultations. On Thursday, the Foreign Ministry played footage of a female IDF soldier getting kidnapped on October 7 for the ambassadors of Spain, Ireland, and Norway to “underscore to them what a twisted decision their governments made,” said Katz.

The Kan public broadcaster reported that the Israeli government is also thinking about excluding the three countries from briefings.

Food More Than Enough for Gazans

According to a study conducted by esteemed academics and public health officials, the amount of food provided to Gazans from January to April of this year has been more than enough to adequately feed all of the Gaza Strip’s residents.

While the humanitarian standard, which was set by the Sphere humanitarian organization, is 2,100 kcals a day per individual, the average amount of food delivered over the past four months has been enough to provide 3,163 kcal per day for each civilian, the paper found. Additionally, the amount of food provided to the Gaza Strip from January to April was “significantly greater” than before October 7, according to the study.

“This in-depth analysis highlights the fact that the amount of food delivered per capita should be sufficient for the entire Gazan population and meets Sphere humanitarian recommendations for food aid delivery to conflict-affected populations, during the period examined,” the study declared.

The paper, which is currently in the Israel Journal of Health Policy Research’s peer-review process, was written by Dr. Naomi Fliss Isakov, the Health Ministry’s Department of Nutrition head of research; Prof. Dorit Nitzan, the director of Ben Gurion University’s School of Public Health’s masters program in Emergency Medicine and former World Health Organization Regional Emergency Director for the European Region; Moran Blaychfeld Magnazi, the Health Ministry’s Nutrition Division deputy director; Aron Troen, a professor at Hebrew University’s

School of Nutrition Science; Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, the Health Ministry’s Public Health Directorate head; and Ronit Endevelt (Ph.D.), the Health Ministry’s nutrition division director and a professor at Haifa University.

These findings dispute the allegations of Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court, who is trying to charge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant with war crimes for allegedly intentionally starving Gazans. This study also refutes claims that Gaza is suffering from an intense famine due to Israel’s attacks.

Although some humanitarian organizations allege that the IDF has rejected many distribution requests, the Israeli government has asserted that only 1.5% of requests have been denied.

The average food package to Gaza includes rice or pasta, legumes, oil, and sweets, as well as content that is “diverse and grows by month in amounts and nutritional values,” the study said.

The issue lies in the way the food is being distributed, as many shipments have been stolen by Hamas terrorists or by Palestinian civilians.

“We would like to see improvement on the delivery of food in Gaza, and see Hamas held accountable for impeding it,” said Troen. “Where is the Palestinian agency and responsibility for dealing with this serious concern? If Palestine is a state then it has obligations as much as Israel does.

“I’m not denying that there is severe suffering and very great need in Gaza. But if we are collectively members of the community of nations who believe in upholding human rights then we can actually only do that together in a credible collective effort, based on real information, and not weaponizing scant information, which becomes misinformation, and eventually demonization of Israel.”

IDF Investigates Rafah Strike

On late Sunday, an IDF airstrike in western Rafah killed two top Hamas terrorists, including the terror group’s West

Bank commander. But according to Israeli officials, many Gazan civilians were mistakenly killed in the strike despite Israel’s efforts to prevent civilian casualties.

“Despite our efforts not to hurt them [the civilians], there was a tragic mishap. We are investigating the incident. For us, it’s a tragedy; for Hamas, it’s a strategy,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “I don’t intend to end the war before every goal has been achieved. If we give in, the massacre will return. If we give in, we will give a huge win to terror, to Iran.”

According to the IDF, the attack was conducted in accordance with “intelligence information on the presence of the terrorists in the area.” Additionally, prior to the strike, “many steps to reduce the chance of harming uninvolved [civilians], including aerial surveillance, the use of precision munitions, and additional intelligence information” were taken.

“Based on [these steps] it was estimated that no harm was expected to uninvolved civilians,” the military said, adding that the strike was not carried out in the designated “humanitarian zone” where Palestinians have been ordered to evacuate.

According to one source, the IDF used two missiles with a “reduced in size” warhead to specifically hit terrorists.

On Monday, the army said that the General Staff Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism would be investigating the incident. On that same day, military advocate general Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi said the Rafah airstrike was “very grave” and “still under investigation.” She added that “the IDF regrets any harm to noncombatants during the war.”

Tomer-Yerushalmi added that Hamas, “an enemy that abuses and harms even its own people,” is “cynically taking advantage of the law, while brutally using the civilian population as human shields,” while Israel, on the other hand, is engaged “in a war it did not choose.” She also condemned South Africa’s genocide charges at the International Court of Justice and the efforts of the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

“There is no other country in the world that can be as proud of its commitment to examine compliance with the rule of law, in the midst of an existential war,” Tomer-Yerushalmi said of the Jewish state.

She added that the Israeli military’s dedication to acting justly “does not stem from the fear posed by the international

arena. It stems, first and foremost, from the fact that the State of Israel is a country of laws. The rule of law, and the purity of weapons, are values woven into the IDF’s code of values from the day it was established.”

Nikki Haley Visits Israel

Israel is fighting against the enemies of the United States in a war orchestrated by Iran, helped by Russian intelligence and funded by money from China, said Nikki Haley, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and governor of South Carolina, in Israel on Monday.

A former Republican presidential candidate known for her stalwart support for Israel, she spoke during a solidarity visit to communities near the Gaza Strip and just days after announcing that she would

be voting for former President Donald Trump in November’s election.

Haley said that the nearly-eightmonth-old Israel-Hamas war cannot be fixed with a political agreement because an entire generation of Palestinians is steeped in Hamas ideology – something that needs to be changed for progress to move forward.

“Don’t listen to media bites that you hear,” she said at the site of Sderot’s former police station, which was destroyed in a battle after Hamas invaders holed up inside in October. “America is with you.”

After a tour of Kibbutz Nir Oz and the site of the Supernova music festival in the desert, which has been turned into a makeshift memorial, Haley called the cross-border attack on Oct. 7, when terrorists killed more than 1,200 people and abducted 252 others to Gaza, “one of the most brutal massacres” she has ever seen.

“What happened on October 7 is pure evil and can never be forgotten,” she said.

“Imagine if this happened in America on a Sunday. What would we feel? What would be going through? We wouldn’t stop and we wouldn’t let it go.

“If we say ‘never again’ we have to be truthful: These are all murderers and accomplices,” Haley said after listing Iran, Russia and China.

Knesset member Danny Danon, who was Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations during Haley’s tenure there, accompanied her on the tour.

“If we will not destroy Hamas and continue this war, they will do it over and over again,” he said.

“I tell my Israeli friends that we should take Hamas at their word” when it says it intends to repeat October 7 over and over again, Haley responded.

“We need your moral clarity. We want your voice to be heard,” he told her.

Haley continued, “I thought I had seen it all at the U.N.,” calling the recent anti-Israel rulings by international courts in The Hague “disgusting.”

“I would have walked out,” she said of the moment of silence the world body recently marked for the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash on May 19. And of the pro-Hamas protests on U.S. college campuses that took place throughout the spring: “Arab money is funding our colleges. We need to get foreign funding out of the country.

“There is no gray areas between Iran and Hamas, and freedom-loving countries who want peace,” Haley said. “So pick a side. I know which side I am on.”

During a desert heat wave, with temperatures touching the century mark, Ha-

ley walked through the destroyed homes at Nir Oz, where one in four residents was either killed or abducted.

She then toured the nearby music festival site, where more than 300 people were murdered on that fateful Shabbat.

The ambassador said it made her think of her own children.

“This story is not told [enough],” Haley said. “You can’t walk through that [the festival site] without feeling a tremendous amount of emotion.” (JNS)

Oliver Wins Libertarian Nomination

You may never have heard his name before – and it will probably be the last time you hear it. On Sunday, Chase Oliver won the Libertarian Party presidential nomination after seven rounds of voting at the party’s convention in Washington, D.C.

Oliver, 38, had made previous runs for Congress many times in Georgia.

His goal this presidential election is to earn 2% of the vote nationally.

“I got 2.1% of the vote when I ran for the Senate in Georgia. I think that’s a definite doable thing, and certainly we can improve upon that with a hard-run campaign that wakes people up,” he said.

He added, “I’m ready to continue to be a fly in the ointment of the two-party system.”

Presidential contender Donal Trump appeared at the Libertarian convention, although his remarks were heavily booed by the audience.

Oliver called it a “mistake” to have Trump speak. “You are not a libertarian, Donald Trump,” he said. “You’re a war criminal, and you deserve to be shamed by everyone in this hall.”

Oliver wants to simplify the pathway to citizenship for immigrants and expand work visas and has strongly opposed U.S. involvement in foreign wars.

Oliver secured the nomination after striking a deal with Mike ter Maat, one of the last three candidates in the nominating process. Ter Maat endorsed Oliver on the floor of the convention following the fifth round of voting, saying he accepted Oliver’s offer to be his vice presidential candidate after expressing concerns about the Mises Caucus’ strategy. The Mises Caucus had officially endorsed Michael Rectenwald, who led the early rounds of voting.

But in the sixth round, neither Oliver nor Rectenwald earned the necessary 50% majority to secure the nomination, although they were the only two candidates remaining on the ballot. The final round of voting pitted Oliver against “none of the above.” McArdle explained ahead of the final round that if “none of the above” were to win, the party would not nominate a candidate for president this year.

Oliver won with 497 votes, earning 60% of the vote to 36% for “none of the above.”

Most Trusted

the Morning Consult, polled 2,239 adult citizens of the United States on how much trust they place in around forty news anchors.

According to the poll, Lester Holt, a journalist for NBC, is the most trusted anchor, with 65% of those surveyed claiming that they have “a lot” of or “some” trust in him, while only 16% say they have little to no trust in Holt.

The second most trusted evening anchor was David Muir, an anchor for ABC’s World News Tonight, with 63% saying they trust him and 20% responding that they do not. Norah O’Donnell, from CBS, took the next spot, with 53% of respondents saying they put “a lot” of or “some” trust in her.

As for morning show anchors, Al Roker, from NBC’s Today, and Robin Roberts, from ABC’s Good Morning America, were tied with 64% of people showing trust in them. And according to the poll, Michael Strahan from ABC News is trusted by 63% of respondents.

CNN’s Anderson Cooper and Chris Wallace are trusted by 60% of respondents. Former CNN anchors Don Lemon and Chris Cuomo were lower on the list, with 44% and 43% saying they have “some” or “a lot” of trust in them, respectively. Megyn Kelly, formerly from Fox and NBC, saw 40% of respondents saying they trust her, while only 38% of those polled said they trust Tucker Carlson, who was fired from Fox News in April 2023.

Respondents were also surveyed on how much trust they place in certain media sources, with 76% saying they have “a lot” of or “some” trust in Network News, 70% saying they place trust in Cable News, and 60% claiming they trust social media.

Deadly Storms Sweep States

Fifteen people in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kentucky were killed by violent tornadoes and storms over the past few days, with hundreds of others sustaining injuries.

38 In Texas, over 200 houses and buildings were destroyed and 120 other structures were damaged by the storms. Seven people died in North Texas, including a two-year-old and a five-year-old, both of whom died in Cooke County on Saturday night. During the storm, over sixty Cooke County residents sheltered at a travel center and gas station complex. All those who were sheltering survived, although it took authorities an hour to rescue them. In Valley View, Texas, the tornado raged at wind speeds of 135 miles per hour.

Five individuals were killed by the storms in Arkansas, while one man was hit by a tree and subsequently died in east Louisville, Kentucky, where winds blew as fast as 80 mph. At the time, over 200,000 Kentucky homes and businesses were left without electricity.

Two people were also killed by the storms in Oklahoma and dozens were injured.

The storms forced officials to delay the Indianapolis 500, an annual race.

Five days before these storms hit, a tornado struck Iowa, killing five people and injuring many more. Two weeks ago, eight or more people died in Houston as a result of other powerful storms.

Breaking Up Ticketmaster

The Justice Department on Thursday sued Live Nation Entertainment, the concert giant that owns Ticketmaster, asking a court to break up the company over claims it illegally maintained a monopoly in the live entertainment industry. In the lawsuit, which is joined by 29 states and the District of Columbia, the government accuses Live Nation of leveraging its empire to dominate the industry by locking venues into exclusive ticketing

contracts, pressuring artists to use its services and threatening its rivals with financial retribution.

Those tactics, the government argues, have resulted in higher ticket prices for consumers and have stifled innovation and competition throughout the industry. The suit asks the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to order “the divestiture of, at minimum, Ticketmaster,” and to prevent Live Nation from engaging in anticompetitive practices.

“It is time for fans and artists to stop paying the price for Live Nation’s monopoly,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday.

The Justice Department’s latest lawsuit is a direct challenge to the business of Live Nation, a colossus of the entertainment industry. The case, filed 14 years after the government approved Live Nation’s merger with Ticketmaster, has the potential to transform the multibillion-dollar concert industry.

Live Nation’s scale and reach far exceed those of any competitor, encompassing concert promotion, ticketing, artist management and the operation of hundreds of venues and festivals around the world.

“Live Nation has its tentacles in virtually every aspect of the live entertainment industry,” the government says in its complaint, which runs more than 120 pages.

According to the Justice Department, Live Nation controls around 60% of concert promotions at major venues around the United States and roughly 80% of primary ticketing at major concert venues.

In response to the suit, Live Nation denied that it was a monopoly and said that breaking it up would not result in lower ticket prices or fees. According to the company, artists and sports teams are primarily responsible for setting ticket prices, and other business partners, like venues, take the lion’s share of surcharges. (© The New York Times)

Going Deep

Undeterred by the explosion of the OceanGate Titan submersible vessel last year in which five people were killed,

Larry Connor announced this week that he will take a deep-sea submersible to “Titanic-level depths” to prove that the industry is safe.

Connor is the founder and managing partner of The Connor Group, a real estate company based in Dayton, Ohio.

“I want to show people worldwide that while the ocean is extremely powerful, it can be wonderful and enjoyable and really kind of life-changing if you go about it the right way,” Connor told The Wall Street Journal.

Connor, known for his explorations to the Mariana Trench and International Space Station, will reportedly travel with Triton Submarines co-founder Patrick Lahey. The duo will plunge to the ocean’s depths in a Triton 4000/2 Abyssal Explorer, a two-person submersible listed on the company’s website for $20 million. The “4000” represents how deep the sub can dive in meters, per the national news site. The Titanic sits at 3,800 meters.

“Patrick has been thinking about and designing this for over a decade. But we didn’t have the materials and technology,” Connor said. “You couldn’t have built this sub five years ago.”

The Titan vanished during an attempted dive to explore the remains of the Titanic site on June 18. Nearly five days later, the U.S. Coast Guard announced that a debris field had been discovered near the Titanic, likely the result of a catastrophic implosion.

Connor has not announced when his voyage will be taking place.

Fly High Bette

Bette Nash is now in a better place. The 88-year-old passed away last week. She is best known for being the world’s longest-serving flight attendant – after serving nearly 70 years in the skies.

American Airlines said, “She started in 1957 and held the Guinness World Record for longest-serving flight attendant.

“Bette inspired generations of flight attendants. Fly high, Bette.”

Bette began her career at the age of 21 with Eastern Airlines, working on its shuttle flight between Washington, D.C., where

40 she lived, and Boston. This route allowed her to spend every night at home. She had intended to move on after a few years, but ended up staying, becoming a familiar sight to frequent flyers on the route long after it was taken over by American Airlines. She never officially retired from her post.

Bette was initially interested in serving as a flight attendant because she saw the glamour in flying.

“I wanted to be a flight attendant from the time I got on the first airplane – I was 16 years old,” she once told CNN. “The pilot and the flight attendant walked across the hall and I thought, ‘Oh my G-d,’ and I said that was for me.”

Things were different when Bette started. Years ago, flight attendants had to maintain a certain weight, based on their height. “It used to be horrible,” she observed. “You put on a few pounds and you had to keep weighing yourself, and then if you stayed that way, they would take ya off the payroll!”

As for the passengers flying with Bette for so many years, “The people are exactly the same,” she said back in 2017. “Everybody needs a little love.”

Bette, you have reached your final destination.

Hail and Heat

Mexico is experiencing a heatwave, with temperatures hitting 113 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas. But the residents of Puebla were treated to an astonishing sight last week.

A surprise hailstorm had hit the area, with piles of ice and hail blocking roads and streets. For thirty minutes on Friday, bits of ice and snow pummeled the town.

The hail accumulated up to several feet in some areas, knocking down trees. Residents were forced to shovel the ice and mud as they looked around in amazement at the weather phenomenon that the city encountered.

Sounds like the weather is blowing hot and cold in this town.

Unfounded Fortunes

The town of Agde in France is facing an uncertain future. The town’s mayor Gilles d’Ettore is sitting in jail, as is a local fortune teller who is being accused of embezzling the mayor.

Sophia Martinez was supposedly able to “speak” to the dead. The mayor had asked her to get “in touch” with his deceased father. Martinez would change her voice to mimic the mayor’s father when she was “speaking” with him.

Over the past four years, it is alleged that she manipulated the mayor in person and by phone with remarkable ventriloquist skills, supposedly giving the mayor directives from his dead relatives.

He received thousands of mysterious calls from “voices” of the dead including angels, some of them urging the mayor to help the fortune teller.

She supposedly told him to pay for lavish vacations for her and her family –all using public funds. Her “voices” also told him to hire several members of her family to work for the town council and renovate her home. Local businesses with connections to the mayor did the work for free out of fear of losing future contracts with him.

According to d’Ettore’s attorney, “She found a mental weakness in him and exploited it for personal gain. It took a long time before he accepted he had been conned.”

Martinez’s lawyer says she has “mystical powers.”

Those powers, though, didn’t stop her from going to jail.

Fine Feathers

We’re not ones to tell people how to spend their money, but this seems like a bird-brained idea.

A New Zealand auction house said a single feather from an extinct huia bird became the most expensive feather in the world when it sold for $28,417.

The auction house had expected the specimen to sell for around $1,800 but then prices started soaring.

The huia bird was considered sacred by the Māori people, and their feathers would adorn the headpieces of chiefs and their families. The last confirmed sighting of a huia bird was in 1907, although unconfirmed sightings were reported over the course of the ensuing 30 years.

“We are very pleased that this rare item of natural history has achieved such huge bidder interest, highlighting the fragility of our ecosystem and the importance of looking after its fauna,” Leah Morris, head of Decorative Arts at Webb’s Auction House, said.

According to Morris, the feather was in “wonderful condition” with a “very distinct sheen” and “no insect damage.”

The previous record was set by a feather from a bird of the same species when it sold for $5,150 in 2010.

Sounds cuckoo to us.

Around the Community

NYS Education Leaders Visit Local Jewish Schools

In a significant step towards fostering collaboration and understanding, the Yeshiva and Day School Team within The Jewish Education Project facilitated a two-day visit by leaders from the New York State Education Department (NYSED) to several Jewish schools in Far Rockaway and Nassau County, the first of its kind in recent years.

David Frank, Chief of Staff to Commissioner Rosa, and Althea Johnson, Ex-

ecutive Director of the Office of Religious and Independent School Support, led the delegation. They visited Yeshiva of South Shore, Yeshiva Darchei Torah, Talmud Torah Siach Yitzchok, Torah Academy for Girls, Hebrew Academy of Long Beach, and Hebrew Academy of Five Towns and Rockaways.

The visit was characterized as “eye-opening and enlightening” by Frank and Johnson, who were superbly im-

pressed with the educational excellence and community spirit they observed. They declared these institutions “not only exemplary for other private schools but models for all schools.”

The primary goal of the visit was to strengthen the relationship between the Jewish community and NYSED, fostering direct and honest conversations about the unique needs and successes of the sector. The visit underscored the

importance of continued engagement and partnership between state education leaders and religious and independent schools.

This initiative marks a positive step towards enhancing educational standards and mutual understanding, setting a precedent for future collaborations aimed at benefiting all educational institutions across the state.

Scenes from the HaChaim Vehashalom

by Gabe Solomon

Photos

Passport Day in the Village of Cedarhurst

On May 19, the Village of Cedarhurst was thrilled to host the Town of Hempstead›s Passport Day. The strong showing at the event prompted ongoing praise from the board, recognizing the Town’s dedication in simplifying the process of getting a passport. Thank you to Supervisor Don Clavin and Town Clerk Kate Murray for bringing this to our Village.

Congregation Anshei Chesed Dinner

Congregation Anshei Chesed held its annual dinner on May 22 at Cong. Beis Tefilla in Inwood. The shul bestowed its Harbatzas Torah Award

on Rabbi and Mrs. Shlomo and Rivkah Drebin and presented its Kesser Shem Tov Award to Mr. Maks Olshansky. Steve Savitsky was the M.C., and the speakers

included Rabbis Isaac Rice, Simcha Lefkowitz, Mordechai Kamenetzky, Moshe Katzenstein, and Elly Krimsky. Rabbi Drebin, and Esther Olshansky Fiber on

behalf of her father, spoke in acceptance of the awards. Moshe Blander is President of the shul, and Pinchas Gorfinkel served as Dinner Chairman.

At the Lag B’Omer hadlakah at the White Shul in Far Rockaway

Lag B’Omer with Reb Shmuel Weinberg, shlita, rav of K’hal Lev Avos in North Woodmere

MAY’s Annual Immanuel Warshawsky, A”H, Spring Shabbaton

Last Shabbos was particularly noteworthy for the talmidim of Mesivta Ateres Yaakov. The Mesivta held its annual Spring Shabbaton at the beautiful campus of Camp Romimu in Monticello, NY. From start to finish, the Shabbaton was a resounding success, full of tremendous growth in ruchniyus, achdus, ahavas Hashem and ahavas haTorah.

With beautiful weather, Friday and Sunday were filled with outdoor sports and activities. Most popular were softball, basketball, volleyball and tennis, but the gorgeous lake and heated pool were in full swing as well. The bochurim remained nourished and well-fed through-

out the weekend as, in addition to the delicious and plentiful meals provided by Camp Romimu, the MAY Student Government supplied snack boxes for each bunk, hundreds of bottles of water and an ice cream truck on Sunday after shiur.

On Erev Shabbos, before Kabbolas Shabbos, the Rosh HaYeshiva, Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe, set the tone for Shabbos, illustrating the ko’ach of Shabbos and imploring talmidim to open their minds and their hearts to what this special Shabbos had to offer. The lively Kabbalas Shabbos, with enthusiastic singing and dancing, was a fitting hakdamah to what would end up being an incredible Shabbaton.

The Mesivta invited Rabbi Baruch Rabinowitz, former Rebbe at MAY and renowned educator and speaker, as their guest speaker for Shabbos. Rabbi Rabinowitz, who addressed the talmidim multiple times throughout the Shabbos, captivated them with his signature style, spreading warmth, positivity and ideas for growth and development, into his drashos.

As per MAY tradition, Shabbos kibbudim were auctioned off for hours of voluntary learning over the course of the long weekend. This learning program is dedicated l’ilui nishmas Immanuel Warshawsky, A”H, an alumnus of the Yeshiva. All-in-all, students committed to over

300 hours of independent learning, and honored their rabbeim with the kibbudim. The sheer amount learning throughout the Shabbos, both formally and informally, was a testament to the talmidim’s growth this z’man.

Motzei Shabbos included a festive Melava Malka BBQ l’kavod Lag b’Omer, with live music and dancing, the annual varsity vs. junior varsity softball game and a beautiful, moving bonfire kumzits.

The Mesivta thanks Rabbi Shlomo Drebin for organizing the Shabbaton and Rabbi Shlomo Pfeiffer and Camp Romimu for hosting once again.

Author and Artist Douglas Florian Visits Mercaz Academy

Author and illustrator Douglas Florian visited Mercaz Academy in Plainview, dazzling students from kindergarten through sixth grade with his rapid rhymes and quick-draw sketches. Mr. Florian is the author and illustrator of more than 70 books of poetry for children, with titles like Insectlopedia (1998), Dinothesaurus (2009), and UnBEElievables (2012) Using his own poems and assistants selected randomly from his audience, Mr. Florian demonstrated the usage of literary techniques such as rhyme, rhythm, repetition, onomatopoeia, symmetry, and wordplay.

Mr. Florian told Mercaz students that his career was inspired by his father, who

was also an artist. After working as an artist for the New Yorker and The New York Times, he began writing and illustrating poetry for children, preferring collage and gouache to working with pastels. This opinion found a surprising amount of support among the children in his audience (“too messy!”).

Mr. Florian also played a drawing game in which he would begin a drawing, stopping intermittently for guesses from the students and continuing to fill out the drawing until someone guessed correctly. In one of these drawings, a visually perceptive student quickly identified a frog, and Mr. Florian explained that this frog wasn’t willing to eat just any fly. This was

a very picky frog, so the artist finished the sketch with the frog’s long tongue capturing a “French fly.” Almost as an afterthought, he quickly sketched in the ultimate frog thirst-quencher, a can of “Croaka Cola.”

Mercaz students had many questions for Mr. Florian, asking how he got his ideas (he suggested that ideas can come from anywhere, but that it helps to get out of the house to look for them) and inquiring about the details of the process of taking a book from idea to reality. “How do you find all those rhymes?” a student asked, and the author introduced him to rhyming dictionaries. (“They’re online, too,” he explained).

As a parting gift, the fifth grade – inspired by his witty rhymes – wrote him a thank you poem, which they presented to him with the entire school’s thanks for an entertaining and educational morning.

Several hundred people enjoyed the Hilula at BTI in Inwood on Lag B’Omer

Photos by CB

The Proper Respect at Yeshiva Eitz Chaim

Talmidim at Yeshiva Ateres Eitz Chaim celebrated the completion of the sefer, “Run After the Right Kavod,” with the privilege of visiting the mechaber, Rabbi Moshe Don Kestenbaum, shlita. Rabbi Kestenbaum spoke to the talmidim about the greatness of recognizing the value in others and the importance of having the proper kavod for oneself. Before departing, each talmid received a sefer inscribed from Rabbi Kestenbaum.

In commemoration of Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai, who never had a rainbow appear in his days, talmidim enjoyed celebrating Lag ba’Omer at Highwind Archery learning how to professionally shoot a bow and arrow.

MAY Takes Gold and More at CIJE Engineering Fair

As part of their progressive STEM Program, Mesivta Ateres Yaakov offers two years of engineering courses using the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE) curriculum. This year, MAY fielded multiple teams from the 9th and 10th grades to pitch their projects alongside over a thousand fellow high school students from over 40 schools at the CIJE Innovation Day held at the American Dream Mall.

The Mesivta is incredibly proud of all the students who worked tirelessly on their projects and Mr. Pinchas Fiber, CIJE Coordinator and MAY engineering teacher, who guided and instructed his students every step of the way. Of particular excitement this year was two MAY teams winning prizes for their presen-

tations: The Side-Wiper project taking home the 1st place trophy in the Engineering for Transportation category by ninth grade team of Netanel Greenstein, Yonah Khaim and Moshe Trump and the Shabbos Alarm Clock project taking home 2nd place in the Engineering for Jewish Life category by tenth grade of Rafi Klahr, Yehuda Orbach and Avi Traub.

“It’s been ten years since we began our pre-engineering course, complementing our STEM curriculum,” commented General Studies Principal Rabbi Sam Rudansky. “Mr. Fiber has done a spectacular job streamlining this course and guiding our students. We really have to thank CIJE and their entire staff for their continued support of this program.”

Rav Yaakov Bender, Rav Avrohom Nusbaum, Rav Zevi Trenk and Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel at the Mesivta Chaim Shlomo Shabbos at Camp Oraysa

Lag B’Omer at Little Friends Gan

In honor of Lag B’Omer, Little Friends Gan of Far Rockaway had a balloon show by Yossi Balloons! He told the story of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai using balloons as illustrations and having the kids act out the story. It was a super cute, fun day for all!

Memorable Moments at the Yachad Northeast Family Shabbaton

This past weekend, families from across the Northeast gathered for an unforgettable experience at the Yachad Family Shabbaton. Held at the Stamford Hilton in Connecticut, this special event brought together 650 participants for a Shabbos filled with warmth, support, and spiritual nourishment.

Yachad participants (individuals with special needs), siblings, and parents alike enjoyed an incredible experience and benefitted from valuable programming which included inspirational lectures, engaging support group panels, Torah shiurim, fun activities, lively singing and dancing, and unique opportunities to bond with others in similar

circumstances. Shabbos concluded with the Havdalah service, where harmonious melodies created a magical atmosphere of togetherness and reflection. Participants and families left the Shabbaton with an invigorated sense of belonging, bound by feelings of Chizuk and community support. Organizers expressed their gratitude for the volunteers, donors, and sponsors who made this heartwarming event possible, and families eagerly look forward to next year’s Shabbaton.

For more information on how to get involved with Yachad, visit the website www.Yachad.org. Go to www.yachad. org/newyork/donate to donate.

Student-Run Clubs at MTA Attract Major Guests

Ahallmark of a good high school is the selection of clubs its students can join. Many high schools begin new clubs as students express interest, and that is how the Business is Booming Club and Legal Pathways Club began at MTA.

Akiva Mensh, a current junior is the founder and president of the Business Is Booming Club, which began this year. The club has brought in many exceptional speakers that attract large crowds of

students. This dynamic program invites esteemed CEOs from across the country to share their experiences, lessons, and insights with a large audience, providing invaluable guidance for young adults entering the business world. Some of the prominent speakers that MTA hosted include: Moshe Kinderlehrer, publisher of the Jewish Link of New Jersey, Seth Farbman, CEO of Vstock; and Elie Katz, CEO of National Retail Solutions.

One of the most well-known speak-

ers that Akiva secured was bringing in Ira Zlotowitz, CEO of Gparency and well-known for his family’s involvement in ArtScroll publishing. The club has achieved tremendous success and boasts a full roster of impressive speakers for the coming year. Students are enthusiastic about this program, as it not only imparts essential business knowledge but also offers opportunities for internships and invaluable advice.

Joel Fridman and Michael Hofman began the Legal Pathways Club. The club provides students with valuable opportunities to gain insight into the legal profession by engaging in discussions with practicing lawyers and other legal professionals. An array of legal professionals have spoken to the students about their careers in law, how they got started, the professional challenges they face, and the successes they have had.

Among the speakers who came this year is MTA alum Jacob Joel Saks, the Assistant District Attorney in Queens. The club also welcomed Judge Eric Prus of the Kings County Supreme Court. Current MTA parent Yaakov Sheinfeld spoke about his thriving real estate law practice, as he is a partner in Milbank LLP.

Rabbi Michael J. Broyde, MTA alum, addressed the students about what it is like to be an orthodox Jew working as a professor at a secular college, which is

by Mendel Geisinsky

especially relevant this year!

The most recent speaker was the mayor of Englewood, NJ, and successful immigration lawyer, Michael Wildes. He spoke about juggling the array of responsibilities as mayor and as a managing partner in the firm that his father Leon Wildes founded. In addition to representing people like Melania Trump, Gisele Bündchen and other well-known clients, he is also an adjunct professor at Cardozo Law School. The Legal Pathways Club is helping prepare the next generation of legal minds and advocates for world Jewry.

MTA is extremely grateful to each of the speakers for taking time out of their busy schedules to speak with their students. It is especially gratifying to see Akiva Mensh and Joel Fridman take the lead in bringing in the majority of the guests!

Did you know? Cashews are from the poison ivy plant family. The itchy oil is primarily in their shells and should not be eaten.

Photos

The Hebrew School, Jewish Pride End-of-Year Celebration took place on May 19 at Chabad Five Towns

Chabad of the Five Towns Lag B’Omer Celebration

TThank

housands of children enjoyed Long Island’s largest Lag B’omer celebration, held in Andrew J Parise Park, on Sunday, May 26. Cele -

brating Jewish unity, the family fun day, organized by Chabad of the Five Towns, featured a BBQ, bonfire, and dancing, and lots of fun and games for all ages.

Youngsters were wowed by the Chicago Boyz Acrobatic Team and converged to get a picture with The Torah mascot.

you to our event sponsor, the

South Shore Community Chest, and corporate sponsors: Azamra DJ, Gourmet Glatt, Maxsip, the Israel Chessed Center, and Precision Auto Body.

Around the Community

Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin (2nd right) attended the Celebration of Completion Ceremony for the Friedman Family Building at the Yeshiva of South Shore in Hewlett on May 19, 2024. Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky, Rabbi Zev Davidowitz, Jay Kestenbaum, and Congressman Anthony D’Esposito are pictured here.

YCQ’s “Moving Up Night”

The annual fifth grade “Moving Up to JHS” Night took place on Tuesday, May 21, at YCQ. Students and their parents gathered to learn about life in Junior High School and tips to successfully make the move to sixth grade.

The evening began with Rabbi Mark Landsman, principal, and Rabbi Stephen Knapp, JHS principal, addressing students and parents. The group then split into four and attended different sessions in a round-robin style. They heard from Judaic and General Studies faculty, alongside Mrs. Melissa Cohen, K-8 General Studies Associate Principal Associate, and Mrs. Lowinger, the JHS General Studies Assistant Principal. Teachers spoke about the sixth grade curriculum in Limudei Kodesh and Chol, and the various academic goals they have for the students.

YUHSG Hosts AI Gathering

While many think of May as a time to wrap up the current school year, it can also be a time to plan for what’s next. With this in mind, the Yeshiva University High School for Girls (Central) hosted an AI Gathering on Monday, May 20. The gathering’s goal: a meeting of minds to explore the philosophical and pedagogical issues inherent in the use of Artificial Intelligence in the classroom. How do teachers and administrators balance the new reality of AI with efforts to encourage not only critical thinking skills, but the social interactions and emotional intelligence students will need to become responsible adults? How can teachers and administrators demonstrate responsible – and ethical – AI usage in the classroom? The best way by which to find these answers: collaboration.

partnered with MTA to work on a policy together.”

Enter Dr. Rubinson Levy, widely known as an authority on AI in education. With the advice of Dr. Rubinson Levy, the schools successfully developed and implemented an AI policy that prioritized student learning – and accountability.

“We intentionally included it in the academic integrity policy,” Ms. Rutner continued. The endeavor was so successful that Dr. Rubinson Levy was invited to run a professional development seminar with Central faculty. “She was so well received that we realized we needed to do something bigger, with lots of schools and shared conversation.”

Sessions were also hosted by the counseling department and Mr. Jacob Grossman, the JHS Director of Student Life & Activities. Dr. Elana Dumont, Director of Psychological Services, encouraged parents and students to have thoughtful conversations about the upcoming year, and also described the Social Emotional Learning Curriculum in the JHS. Mrs. Elana Joffe, the school social worker, spoke about the importance of being properly organized and provided valuable and practical tips.

Mr. Grossman discussed the opportunities students will have for experiential education. He described the events, teams, clubs, and experiences that they will have the chance to participate in during their time in JHS.

Looking forward to welcoming the class of 2027 to Junior High!

“This event was the first of its kind,” said Central’s Head of School, Ms. Bracha Rutner.

The meeting was hosted by Ms. Rutner and Mr. Gary Pretsfelder of the Jewish Education Project, with workshops facilitated by Dr. Sarah Rubinson Levy of Sarah Rubinson Consulting and Contracting. The seminar, which hosted over fifty heads of schools, technology directors, and lead teachers from fifteen different area yeshivot and day schools, provided educators with a framework for AI education, including blueprints and suggestions for policy, guiding documents, and – most importantly – guidelines for supporting both students and parents during this period of transition. The genesis of the event took place during the 2022-23 school year.

“When Chat GPT was first released, I tried it, and saw both the power and the limitations of it,” Ms. Rutner said. “So we

This week’s event was formative for all involved – after Dr. Rubinson Levy’s keynote address, which explored the meeting’s mission and educational philosophy, participants joined breakout sessions, with a session for heads of schools facilitated by Ms. Rivkah Schack, Senior Managing Director of Education Technology and Strategy at The Jewish Education Project, a session for technology specialists facilitated by Mr. Avi Bloom, Director of Technology at SAR Academy, and a lead teacher session guided by Dr. Rubinson Levy. Sessions were followed by a working lunch and a discussion of next steps. Faculty and administrators left the day inspired, with ideas and real, actionable initiatives in hand.

“This was short, focused, and very useful,” Ms. Rutner said. “And it’s the beginning of an ongoing discussion in which resources are shared and we can explore, together, how to best use this new tool.”

Mrs. Kaplan’s fifth graders and their science project at Yeshiva Darchei Torah’s CIJE Laboratory

Shaaray Tefila recently celebrated its 114th Annual Chai Dinner at the Lawrence Country Club, with Guests of Honor Mr. & Mrs. Yakov & Chayella Melmed.

Pictured, L-R: Chazan Yitzchak Freund, Mara D’asra Rabbi Uri Orlian, Honoree and President Emeritus Yakov Melmed, Chairman of the Board Mark Gold, and President Avi Lazar

End of a Great Season of Flag Football

What a week it was at the Five Towns FM Home Loans Flag Football League! This week was the championship game and the culmination of another amazing season. In the second grade division, the Patriots won in overtime as the entire Patriots team really worked together to win the championship. In the third and fourth grade, the Steelers won, led by Akiva Yudin, who had an outstanding game with five touchdown catches. In the fifth and sixth grade division, the Jets won, led by Moshe Austein, who had four touch-

HANC Celebrates 70 Years

In a blue-lit room with an illuminated 70 on the walls, over 600 HANC parents and supporters gathered at Old Westbury Hebrew Congregation to celebrate the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County’s (HANC) 70th Anniversary Scholarship Dinner, on Wednesday night, May 15.

down catches and great flag pulls. In the seventh and eighth grade division, the championship was a crazy back-andforth battle, but the Vikings ultimately came out on top and won in overtime led by quarterback Eli Schindler. This season was truly unbelievable. We can’t wait to see everyone back on the field real soon. Plans are already underway for the fall season. Registration is open and the FM Home Loans giveaway this season is an authentic Flag Football Sweatshirt for all participants.

HANC’s strong ties to Israel were evident throughout the program, with prayers and Tehillim for Israel, the soldiers and the hostages. HANC alumnus and IDF soldier, Ari Levine (‘16), read the prayer for the soldiers, and Rabbi Ephram Schwalb (‘85), rabbi emeritus of Congregation Eitz Chayim of Dogwood Park, and Rabbi Josh Goller (‘97), rabbi of the Young Israel of West Hempstead, read the Tehillim and a prayer for the hostages respectively.

The formal program began with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman who shared strong and poignant words

Did you know?

of support for the Jewish Community in Long Island and in Israel. The dinner program then celebrated Guests of Honor Ruchi and Tsvi Kushner and Young Leadership Awardees Gila and Yaakov Miller. The evening included a heartfelt goodbye tribute to Barbara Deutsch, HANC Elementary School Associate Principal, who is retiring after more than 50 years in Jewish education; as well as a special nod to the many HANC faculty members who have been educating and inspiring HANC students for over 20 years.

The dinner ended with a tribute video that celebrated “70 Years of HANC.” Throughout the evening, everyone praised a legacy of Torah values, academic excellence, warmth, and the importance of community, as well as the incredible teachers who are an integral part of the HANC family. From start to finish, the evening celebrated HANC pride!

The Pre-1A talmidos of the Ganger Early Childhood Center at TAG are gearing up for first grade! They had a special visit to the first grade, meeting the principals, sitting in a real first grade class, and having a yummy snack in the elementary school lunchroom.

HAFTR students learned about Pesach Sheini and its importance to the Jewish people. They also enjoyed a delicious matzah snack while doing so.

Bais Tefilah of Woodmere Annual Dinner

On Sunday evening, May 19, Congregation Bais Tefilah of Woodmere (The Edward Avenue Shul) celebrated the 34th Annual Dinner at Congregation Beth Sholom in Lawrence. Rabbi Ephraim Polakoff, Morah D’asrah, gave the introduction and recited Tehillim and prayers for our soldiers in Israel. The Guests of Honor were Miriam and Neil Krakauer. The Krakauers have been members of the shul for 23 years, and during this time both Neil and Miriam have been an integral part of our community. Neil serves as the Gabbai of both the weekday and Shabbos Hashkama minyans. Miriam has been an invaluable part of the Chesed Committee,

Cheder Ohel of Valley Stream Joins the Great Lag B’Omer Parade

This past Sunday, Cheder Ohel of Valley Stream traveled to Crown Heights to join thousands from all over the Northeast in the Great Lag B’Omer Parade at 770 Eastern Parkway. It was a stunning spectacle of joy, energy, and Jewish unity. The program included music and entertainment, a rally with the recital of the 12 pesukim and Tehillim for Eretz Yisrael, funny clowns, beautiful floats, marching bands and

more! The NYPD and IDF Soldiers led the march, followed by all the schools, shuls and communities participating.

The Cheder’s students marched proudly, presenting their school, showing unity and pride, reflecting the spirit of Lag B’Omer. The parade was a great way to bring the community together and make lasting memories. A fantastic time was had by all!

Plainview’s Mercaz Academy’s Rotation Stations

MPhotos by Gabe Solomon

cooking meals for those in need, helping to pack mishloach manot and actively participating in Sisterhood.

Our Keter Shem Tov awardees were Shannon and Mendy Phillips. They have been members of Bais Tefilah since 2018. Mendy serves as Secretary of the Board of Directors and devotes his time to the shul through IT assistance. Shannon has spearheaded many events at Bais Tefilah since joining the shul and is currently co-president of the Sisterhood.

The dinner was a resounding success, and demonstrated the unity of our members in celebration as we continue to grow.

ost teachers throughout Mercaz Academy use the rotation model of learning at least some of the time for its obvious academic benefits: small group instruction is more individualized, activities can be differentiated to appeal to challenge various skill levels, and students enjoy the movement and novelty of a variety of activities. The Early Childhood Center, located as it is in the academic setting of an elementary school, also uses this teaching technique to provide the best education to even the youngest students at Mercaz.

In Morah Joanne Mlotok’s Nursery Bet class, a recent rotation featured four different learning stations. Morah Jo led one station, at which a small group practiced the proper technique to write a lowercase letter h. Students at Assistant Morah Jen Sneag’s table were experimenting with a balance scale as they prepared to complete a worksheet on weights and measures. Inspired by the caterpillars busily spinning cocoons in their classroom enclosure, students at a third station fashioned butterflies under the direction of Assistant Morah Barbra Cohen. To create the butterflies, stu-

dents drew on a coffee filter with markers and sprayed it with water, observing the capillary action as the color spread before bundling the centers to form colorful wings. Finally, students at Director of Technology Mrs. Lynda Last’s table worked on number and letter recognition on their iPads.

Nursery Bet students were focused and intent on their work as they rotated through the menu of activities, and their teachers welcomed the opportunity to use more personalized instruction to “teach each child in the way they should grow.”

At the Jewish Children’s museum annual Gala with City Council member Kalman Yeger; State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli; Pinny Hikind, representing City Comptroller Brad Lander; and Simon Sebag, representing the Public Advocate

Hempstead Town Councilwoman Melissa Miller recognized Rabbi Shalom Axelrod and Executive Director Steven Meyers of the Young Israel of Woodmere during the organization’s 63rd Annual Dinner on May 19, at The Sands of Atlantic Beach

Hempstead Town Clerk Kate Murray (left) assisted the Hewlett resident Steven Floumanhaft and his son as they participated in the Town of Hempstead Passport Day event on May 19, 2024 at Cedarhurst Village Hall

HAFTR STEM students learned about the butterfly life cycle and even got to play with some of them, taking in their majesty, beauty, and importance to our world

Photos by Naftoli Goldgrab

Rav Yaakov Bender, Rav Eliyahu Saldinger, Rav Avrohom Bender and Rav Shmuel Strickman at the Lag Ba’Omer hadlaka in Yeshiva Darchei Torah

Rav Moshe Mandel and his first grade talmidim

Morris Oiring To Receive Alumnus of the Year Award at Touro’s Lander Colleges Commencement

Morris Oiring, of Hewlett Harbor, will be presented with the 2024 Alumnus of the Year Award at the 50th anniversary commencement for Touro’s Lander Colleges, to be held in Lincoln Center on June 2. Oiring is founder of the Oiring Group and long-time COO of Pleet Homecare, A 2011 graduate of Touro’s Lander College of Arts and Sciences in Brooklyn with a major in management, Oiring is a visionary leader and innovator in the healthcare and hospitality industries whose lifelong mantra is Tikkun Olam. As an observant Jew and trailblazer in the healthcare field, Oiring consistently pursues initiatives that serve and advocate for patients, the Jewish community and society through his personal

and professional endeavors.

Oiring is committed to ensuring that Touro students have opportunities to achieve success in their careers. He has supported numerous scholarships and is dedicating the library at his alma mater home campus, Touro’s Lander College of Arts & Sciences.

“We are so proud to honor Morris Oiring with this award,” said Touro President, Dr. Alan Kadish. “He truly exemplifies the values of Touro University – striving for the highest level of professionalism and success in his field while giving back to those in need every single day.”

Over the course of his career, Oiring has improved efficiency in patient care by leading the industry in the adoption

of Electronic Health Records, has broadened access to care for the underserved through telemedicine and leveraged data analytics to predict healthcare trends and assist in disease prevention. He has also pioneered the use of technology and integrated robotics in surgery to increase precision and efficiency for patients.

“I consider my connection and commitment to Touro to be a springboard for my success over the past two decades and I’m thrilled to be able to pay it forward to other students so they may achieve their academic and professional goals,” said Oiring.

Dr. Robert Goldschmidt, Touro Vice President and Executive Dean of Touro’s Lander College of Arts & Sciences, shared, “I commend Morris Oiring for

Lag B’Omer Hadlakah at Siach Yitzchok

his loyalty to Touro in Flatbush, for his dedication to our current generation of students and his commitment in assisting them in their quest for professional careers that will enable them to support Torah families in dignity.”

TAG Seniors Meet Councilwoman and Discover Their Strengths

Every educator wants to make sure that their student leaves their class or school armed with the tools they will need when they move on in life. On May 22, the faculty and administration at the Machon Sarah TAG High School gave a special gift to their seniors just a few weeks before graduation. This was not an external gift that they were given, but rather the gift of revealing treasures that lie within them.

The TAG senior students enjoyed an amazing morning featuring interactive workshops led by professionals from Work At It, Ms. Rivka Ariel, Ms. Rona Novick, and Ms. Yael Wedeck. Work At It invited the local councilman to see firsthand the work it is doing to boost the self-awareness and self-esteem of high school seniors as they prepare to leave the cocoon of school. Since 2021, Councilwomen Brooks-Powers has been working to enhance the lives of her constituents in District 31, including Far Rockaway. The girls got to hear from her and to have a personal discussion about her story, giving them a taste of things

they can accomplish. She encouraged them by saying, “We are trying to fill your bank, so on days in your life that may be a little bit difficult for you know that there was a community that surrounded you, that cared about you, that believed in you, that had expectations of you.”

The Work At It workshop helped students explore and discover in a deep and meaningful way unique attributes about themselves and their peers. It also gave them the tools to see their personality traits and strengths as skills that can be used in the workplace. The process of self-discovery began with blocks labeled with a variety of character traits placed in front of students from which they chose the ones that best described themselves and their peers. Students selected blocks and gave them to their partner with an explanation and example of why that specific attribute was chosen. This process allowed them to think seriously about what they consider their most essential traits, what they think their peer’s most essential traits are, and what others think of them. At this juncture in their

lives finishing high school and preparing to move on, this process is foundational in terms of forming a clear sense of who they are.

TAG faculty assisted in facilitating this workshop and were thrilled to see the girls so engaged and inspired. One of the faculty members commented, “I think it’s so important for each person to know their strengths and be proud of what they have to offer. The confidence that this program gives to the girls is so powerful and will be a tool that they will carry with them through the next stages of life!” The process of these workshops is one that allows girls to leave feeling uplifted and empowered to use their unique gifts to succeed. Aside from building

confidence, this exercise gave students a better understanding of themselves and how they can use their G-d given attributes to their advantage.

Thank you to Mr. Cal Nathan and the Community Chest of South Shore for sponsoring this program.

MTA Talmidim Attend Azkara for Rav Dovid Lifshitz, z”l

By Yaakov Feldman

Last Sunday, the talmidim in Rabbi Tanchum Cohen’s Beis Medrash Kattan shiur at MTA had the unique opportunity to attend an azkara commemorating the 31st yahrzeit of Rav Dovid Lifshitz, z”l, in the Glueck Beis Medrash. Following an introduction to frame the morning from Rabbi Taubes, the program continued with remarks from Rabbi Meir Goldvicht, Rabbi Benjamin Yudin, and Rabbi Moshe Neiss, all of whom had the special privilege of getting to know Rav Dovid during their time in yeshiva.

It was especially meaningful for the talmidim to attend this special event, considering they learn in the very same Beis Medrash in which Rav Dovid spent his time in yeshiva and in which the bima cover and various plaques bear his name. The talmidim also got the chance to hear additional stories from Rabbi Goldvicht and Rabbi Yudin, meeting with them after the program to hear more of their personal experiences with Rav Dovid, z”l.

MTA continues to be grateful to have the opportunity to join special events at Yeshiva University, while sharing the campus, and specifically the Batei Medrash.

Become Rabbis

Mazal tov! HALB is so proud of these 14 alumni and faculty members on their Rabbinic Ordination from YU’s RIETS. We know they will all accomplish incredible things as leaders of the Jewish community.

At the Lag B’Omer Aish Kodesh father-son bonfire at the Lauer home

Lev Chana at The Farm

HALB’s Lev Chana students enjoyed a beautiful day at White Post Farm last week. They had a blast riding a pony, petting the animals, and running around the playground. It was a great day!

YIGN Celebrates Lag B’Omer

What an experience! Werntatty and BINYAMIN rocked the backyard stage at Young Israel of Great Neck, as the community came

together for live music and games under the open sky! The afternoon was complete with a delicious BBQ and s’mores around the bonfire.

The entire YOSS Mechina joined together with ruach and achdus for a special Lag B’Omer kumzits led by YOSS’s very own Rabbi Wolf, Rabbi Singer, and Rabbi Shonek.

In Wake of Current Crisis Facing Klal Yisrael, Senior Gedolei Eretz Yisrael

Urge the Learning of Hilchos Shabbos at Dirshu Daf HaYomi B’Halacha

Nesius Meeting in Bnei Brak

Gedolei Roshei Yeshiva and Rabbanim in America Join the Call

By Chaim Gold

“It is a long time since I have seen so many senior Gedolei Hador in one room – Ashkenazim, and Sefardim, Roshei Yeshiva and Admorim –all gathered together for one purpose, to urge Klal Yisrael to be ‘mekabel Shabbos,’ to take upon themselves the learning of hilchos Shabbos and Masechta Shabbos.”

Those were the words of Rabbi Avigdor Bernstein, a senior member of Hanhalas Dirshu, after witnessing the historic gathering that took place, this past Monday night, 12 Iyar/May 20, at the Slabodka Yeshiva. The Einei Ha’Eidah, the senior Gedolei Hador, came out with a unified message to Klal Yisrael. The message? That “the call of the hour now is to join together to strengthen Shabbos, strengthen our shemiras Shabbos, our limud of Shabbos!”

Among the venerated senior Gedolim who addressed the assemblage were HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka, HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka, HaGaon HaRav Avraham Salim, shlita, Nasi of Shas Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah, the Sanzer Rebbe, shlita, and HaGaon HaRav Chizkiyahu Yosef Mishkovsky, shlita. The asifa was also attended by HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of the Chevron Yeshiva, the Alexander Rebbe, shlita, HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Bezalel shlita, a Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshiva Porat Yosef, the Dushinsky Rebbe, shlita, HaGaon HaRav Shraga Shteinman, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Orchos Torah, the Seret-Vizhnitzer Rebbe, shlita, and numerous other luminaries from the Yeshiva world, the Sephardic Torah world and the Chassidishe world. The event was

organized and addressed by Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita, Nasi of Dirshu.

The gathering was held for one reason and one reason alone. To give chizuk to Klal Yisrael and to encourage Klal Yisrael to undertake the limud of hilchos Shabbos and Masechta Shabbos. This year on Shavuos, the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha will embark on the learning of hilchos Shabbos, Chelek Gimmel of the Mishnah Berurah in its machzor shelishi. Simultaneously, Dirshu’s popular, new Amud HaYomi program is in the middle of Masechta Shabbos. One who participates in both programs has the distinct opportunity to learn both the practical halachos of Shabbos along with its underpinnings in the sugyos of Masechta Shabbos.

In a unique, historic call and message to Klal Yisrael, the senior Gedolim took time from their busy schedules, with many even traveling to Bnei Brak to speak with one united voice and encourage Klal Yisrael, k’ish echad b’lev echad, to be mekabel Shabbos; to accept upon themselves to learn the halachos of Shabbos and incorporate the limud into their daily schedules either with a chavrusah or by attending one of nearly 1,000 available shiurim. This remarkable achdus of purpose among the Gedolim and Poskim of Klal Yisrael was not limited to Eretz Yisrael. In the United States as well, three very important gatherings of Rabbanim were held last week, where the Rabbanim, with one voice, encouraged Klal Yisrael and their congregants to grab the opportunity and join the limud of hilchos Shabbos and Masechta Shabbos

The first asifa at the home of the venerated Rosh Yeshiva of Mesivta of Lakewood and Telshe, HaGaon HaRav Yitz-

chok Sorotzkin, shlita, was attended by more than a minyan of Rabbanim. The second asifa, held at the home of HaRav Shmuel Blech, shlita, the Zekan Harabbanim of Lakewood, was attended by numerous prominent Lakewood Rabbanim.

The third gathering was held at the home of HaRav Shaul Simcha Friedman, shlita, Rav of Khal Shemen L’Mincha of Lakewood, with many chassidishe rabbanim in attendance. The most remarkable thing about all these gatherings was the profound sense of achdus among all the different shevatim of Klal Yisrael as they called on Klal Yisrael to engaged in the ultimate shemira for Klal Yisrael –Shabbos!

The gatherings were held in advance of the massive kiddush Hashem that will be made at the upcoming Kinnus Olam HaTorah to be held three days before Shavuos at the Prudential Center, in Newark, NJ, where some 20,000 Yidden led by the Gedolei Hador will be mekabel Shabbos as the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program embarks on the learning of hilchos Shabbos and the Amud HaYomi continues the limud of Masechta Shabbos

Rav Dov Landau:

“Now IS the Time to Join!”

There was tremendous energy and anticipation in and around the Slabodka Yeshiva in Bnei Brak on Monday night, as one after another, the senior Gedolim came to the yeshiva and were ushered into the room. Once all of the Gedolim were seated, Rav Dov Landau and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch entered.

The very fact that Rav Landau who, at his advanced age, rarely attends large public gatherings, came to address the event was a testament to the importance

Chizkiyahu Mishkovsky addressing

that he attaches to learning hilchos Shabbos and how much he is willing to do to encourage Yidden throughout the world to embark on the journey.

Rav Landau began by stressing the fact that the Chofetz Chaim, the Gadol Hador of pre-war Europe, wrote the Mishnah Berurah with ruach hakodesh He said that Rav Meir Simcha of Dvinsk, author of the Ohr Someiach, who lived in the same generation as the Chofetz Chaim, said about himself, “I cannot even walk out the door without the Mishnah Berurah.” The message is clear, the Mishnah Berurah is the sefer that every Yid must learn and know so that he can keep the basic daily halacha. Rav Landau then cited the famed words written by the Chofetz Chaim in his introduction to the Mishnah Berurah in the name of the Ya’aros Devash that “it is impossible not to transgress one of the prohibitions of Shabbos if a person does not properly learn hilchos Shabbos.”

Rav Dov continued, “The Dirshu organization has established numerous wonderful programs that encourage the learning of many areas of Torah. One of their most important programs is its Mishnah Berurah daily learning program [Daf HaYomi B’Halacha]. So many Yidden are able to achieve a kinyan in halacha and in the sefer Mishnah Berurah as a result of this Dirshu program! Dirshu is, in effect, echoing and continuing the call of the Chofetz Chaim as expressed in the above mentioned hakdama where the Chofetz Chaim writes, ‘It is proper and worthy for every person with yiras Shamayim, who trembles before the word of Hashem, to establish chaburos, groups to learn hilchos Shabbos. In this way, they will not transgress the laws of Shabbos.’”

HaRav Dov Landau addressing the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Nesius

HaRav

the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Nesius

Around the Community

With great passion, the Rosh Yeshiva then emphasized, “Now they are beginning Chelek Gimmel, so many are joining. Now is the time to join! Those who join will certainly merit to learn these critically important halachos well thereby saving themselves from transgressing!”

Indeed, the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program is extremely popular. Every month, some 12,500 people take tests on the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha. This is in addition to the many tens of thousands who learn the program daily and don’t take tests. There are close to 1,000 shiurim given daily throughout the world on Daf HaYomi B’Halacha. Those who are learning the Amud HaYomi have the added benefit of gaining a much deeper understanding of the sugyos of halacha that they are learning.

Rav Chizkiyahu Yosef Mishkovsky

In truth, many are asking, “Why now? Am Yisrael is under attack! We have sustained a terribly bloody year. We are in mortal danger as enemies from within and without, enemies who seek to do us harm and uproot us. So, why now?!”

This question was asked at the nesius gathering by the first speaker, HaGaon HaRav Chizkiyahu Yosef Mishkovsky, shlita, Mashgiach of Yeshiva Orchos Torah. “Why does Dirshu seem to be disregarding the terrible news happening all around us?! Why are they having a massive gathering in the Prudential Center just before Shavuos. Is now the time for such a thing?!”

Rav Mishkovsky answered, “When the Ponovezher Rav established the Ponovezh Yeshiva here in Bnei Brak, Nazi General Erwin Romell was already in Alexandria, Egypt, and was poised to conquer Eretz Yisrael. The Ponovezher Rav himself was very ill and could barely talk. It was precisely then that he decided, ‘We are going to establish the Ponovezh Yeshiva here in Bnei Brak.’ He too was asked, ‘Now?! Is now a time to establish a yeshiva?!’

“The Ponovezher Rav answered with an emphatic YES! He then explained,

‘I learned this from the haftara of that week’s parsha. Yirmiyahu Hanavi teaches us that when the Kasdim conquered Eretz Yisrael, and came with the sword, with famine and pestilence, Hashem told Yirmiyahu, NOW is the time to build.’

“When everything is being destroyed,” Rav Mishkovsky exclaimed, “our task is to show our bitachon in Hashem and begin to build. This bitachon has the power to bring the yeshua. It is clear,” Rav Mishkovsky passionately announced, “that everything done by Dirshu, by increasing the learning of Torah and the observance of halacha, are the greatest shields for Klal Yisrael during these precarious times.

“The difficult period in which we find ourselves began on both Shabbos and Simchas Torah. Thus, our response, Dirshu’s response is to learn more about Shabbos, hilchos Shabbos and Masechta Shabbos. Our response is more Shabbos and more Torah!”

The Power of United Shemiras Shabbos

This same message was given in Lakewood at an unprecedented meeting of Rabbanim held at the home of Lakewood’s senior rav, Rav Shmuel Blech. The meeting was attended by distinguished Lakewood Rabbanim including Rav Shmuel Blech, shlita, Rav of Khal Anshei Sfard, Rav Simcha Bunim Cohen, shlita, Rav of Khal Ateres Yeshaya, Rav Avrohom Spitzer, shlita, Skver Dayan, Rav Moshe Chaim Kahan, shlita, Rav of the William Street Shul, Rav Shlomo Lowy, shlita, Rav of Presidential Estates, Rav Avrohom Lefkowitz, shlita, Rav of Kollel Bnei Torah, Rav Michel Handelsman, shlita, Rav of Khal Shaarei Torah, Rav Chaim Yehoshua Schorr, shlita, Rav of The Woods Community, Rav Simcha Bunim Londinsky, shlita, Rav Daniel Langer, shlita, Rav Naftoli Eisgrau, shlita, Rav Shaul Sinsky, shlita, and Rav Daniel Dombroff, shlita. Rav Blech opened the proceedings by highlighting the fact that Shabbos is a shemirah. Klal Yisrael needs so much

shemirah today, and Shabbos has the power to protect us. Rav Moshe Chaim Kahn then pointed out that the Hamas massacre on Shemini Atzeres transpired on Shabbos, and there are no shortage of remarkable stories out there about those who were saved from the massacre because of shemiras Shabbos

Rav Kahn explained the importance of entire kehillos jumping on board and beginning to learn hilchos Shabbos. “In truth,” he said, “the special power of Shabbos or shemiras Shabbos has nothing to do with Dirshu. Still, the fact is that when a person begins a limud as a yachid, as an individual or even a few individuals, it often peters out. It does not have the power of the rabbim to sustain it. This Shavuos we are being offered a golden opportunity, an opportunity to join together with multitudes of Klal Yisrael throughout the world to be mechazek ourselves in learning hilchos Shabbos and Masechta Shabbos!”

Rav Kahn related that the previous week, a call came from the home of the venerated Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Yitzchok Sorotzkin, that on Shabbos Parshas Bechukosai, not long before the massive asifa in the Prudential Center in Newark, all Rabbanim should call for, and encourage participation in the upcoming Daf HaYomi B’Halacha haschala of hilchos Shabbos. Multiple new shiurim will be opening both in person and on numerous platforms.

Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch

Indeed, it was clear that Gedolei Yisrael from Lakewood and across America recognized the tremendous bracha at our doorstep and have very strongly encouraged their respective talmidim and kehillos be “mekabel Shabbos.”

Undoubtedly, however, it was the fact that in Eretz Yisrael, the leading Gedolei Yisrael from across the board took the time and made the major effort to come together for the special Daf HaYomi B’Halacha nesius meeting that showed the tremendous urgency that they see in

encouraging Klal Yisrael to bring the bracha and shemirah of Shabbos to the forefront during these difficult times.

At the nesius asifa, the venerated Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, cited the words of Rabbeinu Yonah in the sefer Shaarei Teshuva who cites the passuk in the Torah, “Be careful lest you forget Hashem, your G-d.”

“Rabbeinu Yonah explains that there is a mitzvas lo saasei that warns us never to forget Hashem and to remember Him at all times. A person must live with Hashem at all times. How? How can one constantly live with the thought of Hashem’s presence, as he goes about his life?” Rav Moshe Hillel answered, “A person who lives with halacha is able to do such a thing! Over the course of a day, there is virtually no move that a person can make that is not dictated by a halacha. When a person learns halacha daily and is aware of the myriad halachos that apply to nearly every life situation, he is living with Hashem. That is the meaning of the pasuk in Mishlei that says, ‘Know Hashem in all of your ways.’”

Rav Hirsch concluded with a heartfelt bracha that Dirshu and its Nasi, Rav Hofstedter, should be able to continue bringing more and more ways to constantly remember Hashem, through its programs such as the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha which is now set to begin hilchos Shabbos.

A Segula Straight from the Gemara

The large table flanked on all sides by venerated Gedolei Yisrael seemed like a microcosm of Klal Yisrael. Every eidah was represented by their venerated leaders.

Rav Avraham Salim brought out the fact that the Mishnah Berurah has been accepted by the entire Klal Yisrael, Ashkenazim and Sefardim, as a foundational halachic limud. When a person learns halacha every day and especially hilchos Shabbos he is basically making a declaration that he wants to live a life of spirituality, a life of the neshama, rather than a

HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch conversing with HaRav Dovid Cohen

HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch addressing the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Nesius

life of subservience to the body. Each day becomes chayei olam, eternal life, when it is permeated by learning halacha.

The Sanzer Rebbe, shlita, in his powerful, heartfelt words, echoed that call. With great sorrow, the Rebbe addressed the difficult times in which we find ourselves. “We are surrounded by bloodthirsty enemies, there are challenges to Yiddishkeit from within as well and everyone is looking for a segula, a special way to ensure that our tefillos are accepted on High. The Gemara, however, offers a special segula by telling us that the way a person should daven is m’toch halacha pesuka, after learning a clearly delineated psak halacha. The world seems to be constantly searching for new segulos, but here we have a segula straight from the Gemara! If a person wants his tefillos to be accepted, he should daven after learning practical psak halacha!”

The Rebbe continued, “I don’t have to tell the illustrious Rabbanim here about the tremendous benefit of learning practical halacha and especially hilchos Shabbos, but I would like to share a sad, telling story. I was once involved in a difficult shalom bayis case. The yungerman was a ben yeshiva who had learned the yeshiva masechtos well but had never had the opportunity to learn halacha and certainly not hilchos Shabbos or even the masechtos in Seder Moed. Thus, he was missing the most basic understanding and knowledge of hilchos Shabbos. After a while, I realized that one of the biggest issues was that his new wife had totally lost respect

for him because her ‘talmid chacham’ of a husband did not even know the basic underpinnings of hilchos Shabbos! She had learned all the basic halachos in seminary and he knew nothing, so she couldn’t respect him…

“Of course, one should not learn hilchos Shabbos for shalom bayis, but learning hilchos Shabbos brings so much bracha to every home! It protects, it brings shalom and bracha! That is why we must thank Dirshu and Rav Dovid Hofstedter for doing so much to give zechusim to Klal Yisrael by encouraging everyone who can, to begin learning hilchos Shabbos with the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha.”

“Learning Halacha Empowers Us”

At the historic nesius meeting, the Nasi of Dirshu, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, was asked to deliver closing remarks. Rav Dovid began by thanking the Gedolei Hador for constantly giving chizuk to Dirshu. “It is clear to me that the chizuk given to us tonight by the Gedolei Hador by taking the time and effort to come is not only a chizuk for Dirshu but a chizuk for the entire Am Yisrael! This hashpaah, the spiritual impact from this gathering will certainly elevate Klal Yisrael.”

Rav Hofstedter pointed out that at the end of Parshas Behar, the Torah warns against serving avodah zarah and commands us to keep Shabbos. The next parsha begins, “Im bechukosai teileichu,” urging us to walk in the statutes of the Torah and to toil in Torah. The Baal Ha-

turim explains that Chazal teach us that when one keeps Shabbos it is as if he kept the entire Torah and when one worships idols, it is as if he transgressed the entire Torah. Thus, if we “walk in the ways of the Torah” and learn Torah in order to keep the Torah and to keep Shabbos, it is as if we kept the entire Torah! The reason the Torah refers to toiling in Torah as “walking in My statutes” is because the Torah is telling us that if we toil in Torah, the outgrowth will be that we will “walk together with Hashem,” we will always think about Hashem in everything that we do, as the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Moshe Hillel, said that learning halacha empowers one to constantly remember Hashem in everything one does.”

Rav Dovid continued, “We have the distinct zechus of having Klal Yisrael learning the Amud Yomi on Masechta Shabbos enabling us to understand the foundations of the halachos of Shabbos, not to run through the Gemara but to learn with some depth, to truly understand the foundations of hilchos Shabbos. Now we are about to begin hilchos Shabbos. We have the opportunity to toil in Torah, ‘walk with Hashem’ and be aware of His constant presence in our lives. The brachos mentioned in the Torah, ‘Im bechkosai teileichu,’ flow naturally from that connection. It is a special bracha for us that the Gedolei Hador are accompanying us, guiding us and strengthening us. This is also a form of connection to the Ribbono Shel Olam. May we all merit his infinite brachos.”

A Call to Every Corner of the World!

The call that came out from the gedolei Eretz Yisrael reverberated around the entire world, and indeed, communities all over the world led by their rabbanim are resolving to bring the bracha of enhanced shemiras Shabbos into their daily lives.

One of the asifos in Lakewood was comprised of a group of prominent rabbanim from the Chassidishe community at the home of Rav Shaul Simcha Fried-

man, rav of Khal Shemen L’Mincha. In attendance were Rav Refoel Paschkusz, shlita, rav of Beis Medrash Bais Elimelech, Rav Shmuel Yosef Bittersfeld, shlita, rav of Beis Nochum, Rav Shlomo Frankel, shlita, rav of Khal Vyelipol, Rav Mordecha Rubin, shlita, rav of Khal Ateres Avrohom, Rav Mordechai Scharf, shlita, rav of Khal Ruzhin, and Rav Shea Gelbwachs, shlita, rav of Ner Yisrael.

Rav Friedman pointed out that any time there is a major learning initiative undertaken collectively by Klal Yisrael, it brings massive crowds of new learners who otherwise would not have joined. “Learning hilchos Shabbos is so important! Now is the time to encourage all to undertake the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha, to make shiurim and to be swept up in the enthusiasm by attending the large asifa that will be held before Shavuos.”

Now is the Time to be “Mekabel Shabbos!”

The Dushinsky Rebbe perhaps put it best. In a meeting with Rav Hofstedter and the senior members of hanhallas Dirshu, the Rebbe cited the words of the Chasam Sofer who writes, in Parshas Beshalach, “Just as preparing for Shabbos brings great bracha and hashpa’ah like we find in the Torah when the Yidden went out to gather the mon and prepare for Shabbos they received double, so too learning about inyanim of Shabbos and Masechta Shabbos brings a tremendous outpouring of bracha.”

As we approach the massive Kinnus Olam HaTorah at the Prudential Center when Klal Yisrael will collectively accept upon themselves to learn hilchos Shabbos in a program with a framework and shiurim, now is the time for every Yid to be “mekabel Shabbos!” It is the call of the hour! If we are mekabel Shabbos and become better shomrei Shabbos, Shabbos will certainly protect us and watch over us!

For reservations and more information, please contact: 929-522-1121 or visit DirshuSiyum.org.

Rav Dovid Hofstedter greeting the Sanzer Rebbe

Seret-Vizhnitzer Rebbe in discussion with Hanhalas Dirshu

The Sanzer Rebbe addressing the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Nesius

HaRav Shmuel Blech giving divrei chizuk at the Asifas Harabbanim in Lakewood

Gedolei Yisrael at the Nesius Asifa

Around the Community

Ezra Students Win Writing Contest

Two talented students from Ezra Academy, Rachel Sachakov and Paulina Khaitov, have brought pride to their community and school by winning a prestigious national creative writing competition. Their exceptional pieces were selected from thousands of entries to be published in the annual anthology entitled “Hunted” showcasing the brightest young literary minds of tomorrow.

Rachel, a tenth grader, and Paulina, a ninth grader, each penned compelling works that captivated the judges with their originality and depth. Both girls were prompted to write works that were dark and thrilling. Rachel’s short story,

“Death,” and Paulina’s short story called “The Secret” were some of the judge’s favorites. Both students attribute their success to a combination of intellect, dedication, and an unwavering passion for writing. The competition gave them a platform to share their story and their voice.

Their creative writing teacher, Mr. Amitai Rosen, recognized their potential early on and presented his whole class with the unique opportunity to enter the competition months ago. Rachel and Paulina jumped at the chance to have their short stories published.

The competition, which is open to high school students nationwide, aims

Early Literature at HANC

The Nursery Aleph yeladim in HANC’s Early Childhood Center in West Hempstead are exploring the world of literature. Each class has chosen a famous author, and they have been reading numerous books in order to discover the style and composition of each writer. While reading the books to the class, the teachers have been focusing the children’s attention on the jobs of the author, illustrator and jacket designer, all of which work together to bring an author’s ideas to life and complete the publication of their books.

In conjunction with reading the books, the students have also been engaged in projects relating to the topics of the books they are reading. In the class that is studying Eric Carle, the children

painted their own caterpillars and added shapes and pipe cleaners to bring their creation to life. Another class studied the works of Mo Willems, and created their own pigeon, based on his book by the same name. Utilizing their small motor skills and imagination, their recreations of the main characters were truly extraordinary. Other authors studied were Audrey Wood, Lucille Colandro and Leo Lionni. Each of these distinguished and prolific authors were recipients of many literary prizes that included two Caldecott Awards, the Children’s Literacy Legacy Award and the Golden Kite Award for Picture Books.

In order to increase each child’s exposure to other genres of literature, the teachers have been rotating to other

to discover and celebrate young writers who exhibit exceptional creativity and craftsmanship. The anthology “Hunted” is highly regarded in literary circles, and being published in it is a significant achievement that can open doors to future opportunities in writing and publishing.

The recognition has not only boosted Rachel and Paulina’s confidence but has also inspired their peers, and Ezra will surely have more entries next year.

Rachel and Paulina, both young writers, plan to continue honing their craft. They have both proven that with intellect, hard work, and a love for writing, dreams can indeed become reality. Their

achievements not only bring honor to themselves and their school but also inspire a new generation of young writers to follow their creative passions.

classrooms, and reading a selection of books from their class’s author to other Nursery Aleph classes. From the delighted looks on their faces, it was evident that the children thoroughly enjoyed learning about new authors and experiencing their unique style of storytelling.

Next, it was time for the young children to put their own creativity to work. They each wrote their own book and created their own cover and illustrations to illuminate their ideas. Once completed, the morot hung the books on the bulletin board in the lobby for all to see and admire. The children were so proud of their creations and they were very excited to see them displayed and shared with their friends and teachers.

By exposing these young children to

different genres, writing styles and the realm of illustration, HANC hopes to instill a lifelong love and appreciation of books that will expand the children’s minds and inspire creativity in the future. ECC Director Morah Trudy added, “We are so proud to introduce literature to young children at an early age.”

Hundreds joined in the Lag B’Omer hilula with Rav Moshe Weinberger at Aish Kodesh

Around the Community

Zera Shimshon on Tehillim

By Rabbi Nachman Seltzer

Sometimes All It Takes Is One Mitzvah

The pasuk in Tehillim (150:6) says, “Kol ha’neshamah tehalel Kah, Halleluka! Let every soul praise Hashem, Hallelukah!” Why does the pasuk begin by using the singular, “Let every soul praise Hashem,” and conclude with “Hallelukah!” which is written in plural form?

Zera Shimshon in Parashas Vayeilech explains by citing the Gemara (Kiddushin 40b), which teaches that a person should always view himself as being half meritorious and half guilty. This means that if he performs one mitzvah, he is stepping over the line in the right direction, and if he commits a sin, he is moving toward the wrong side.

Moreover, the Gemara explains that one should also see the world as a whole in the same way — hovering right there at center point. Keeping this in mind, if he does one mitzvah, he is praised, because he helped both himself and the world to cross the line in the right direction — toward the side of merit.

This is the meaning of the words, “Let every soul praise G-d.” Which soul is the pasuk referring to? Each and every soul — even the soul of one person and even the soul of a person who is on a low level. Because if this soul does one mitzvah, and thereby praises Hashem through his mitzvah, this will help to tilt all of Klal Yisrael and the entire universe toward the side of merit on the heavenly scale. And because of that one mitzvah that one individual performed, the entire world can praise Hashem because that mitzvah moved everyone toward the side of merit.

This is why the pasuk concludes with the word “Hallelukah” in the plural form — because sometimes even just one mitzvah that one person performs can help the entire nation and the entire world.

In this thought, the Zera Shimshon reinforces a very powerful idea: the concept that every mitzvah should be viewed as if it is the mitzvah that is taking every single member of Klal Yisrael over the line toward the good side of the equation. And the truth is, when we fulfill a mitzvah, we never know what the ramifications will be and how far its net will spread. The following story, told to Rabbi Nachman Seltzer, illustrates how far the ramifications of one mitzvah are, at times, clear

for us to see.

I’ve long been involved in the world of business and finance. Recently, one of the companies I founded really took off, and we’ve been able to form partnerships with some major companies in the States. Due to this very satisfactory development, I end up finding myself on the road for weeks at a time, where I meet with company executives and broker alliances.

During one such business trip, I was scheduled to meet with the vice president of a prominent company in Michigan — Michigan Med,* probably one of the largest medical companies in the world. It also happened to be that I promised one of my relatives that I would recite Kaddish for a member of the family who had passed away, and since I take such promises very seriously, I was committed to the undertaking even though I ran into challenges on the traveling front.

The truth is, this wasn’t an unusual scenario for me. As a baal teshuvah, I’ve long been the address of my extended nonreligious family whenever anything Jewish is involved. It turns out, I end up saying Kaddish for various relatives more often than not. I never turn down their requests even though I know that I’m going to have to work my trips around my obligations.

I had scheduled a flight on United, but I suddenly realized that if I took that flight, I would almost definitely miss davening Minchah with a minyan, and I really didn’t want to do that. I’m a 1K member on United, a status that comes with a lot of benefits, one of which is that I have the ability to call up the airline and ask them to move me to a later flight — which I did. But because I transferred to another flight, I lost the upgrade I’d been given and was assigned a seat all the way back at the end of economy.

Had there been any business or firstclass seats available, I would have been a candidate for them, but the flight was full, so economy it was. I wasn’t thrilled about this, having to sit stuffed into a tiny seat at the end of the cabin, but if that was the price to pay for davening Minchah and reciting Kaddish with a minyan, it was worth it.

I was already settled in my seat when the stewardess came by and said, “Thank you for being a 1K member.”

I was about to say, “You’re welcome,” when I realized that she was addressing

the person sitting in the seat next to me.

She then turned in my direction and thanked me for being a 1K member as well.

Naturally, the fact that two 1K members had ended up sitting next to each other in the back of economy was a solid opener for a conversation. The two of us immediately introduced ourselves and began discussing our respective reasons for ending up where we were even though we could usually spend our time in the air in relatively luxurious surroundings.

“Jack Delaney*,” he introduced himself. “And you are?”

“Steven Ackerman.”

Then we got into the reasons that had led us to sitting at the back of economy class.

“My ticket was already booked,” he explained, “but then my son asked me if he could fly with me. By then all the upgrades were given out, but I agreed to sit here in the back so we could fly together. What about you? What do you do and how did you end up here?”

I explained that I had also been booked in first class on an earlier flight, but I changed to economy because I needed to pray Minchah with a minyan. That, of course, led to my having to explain what Minchah is and what it means to daven with a minyan.

Then, since I could see that he was sincerely interested in my line of work and wanted to hear all about it, I began telling him about the company I founded. I explained what we did and mentioned that I was on the way to have a meeting with the vice president of Michigan Med.

Before I knew it, the man started asking me a whole slew of questions. I could see that he obviously not only understood my field but possessed a solid grasp of a variety of related industries as well. And because he was so intelligent, affable, and just a real pleasure to talk to, I answered all his questions in detail. In a sense, our conversation almost turned into a business presentation, where I discuss my company and the people in the room ask me anything they want, including my projections for the future and the amount of money we’ve raised in our journey toward going public.

By the time I arrived at the conclusion of my presentation, we were already nearing our destination. My seatmate thanked me for having been the catalyst for a truly enjoyable flight and asked me the name of the person I was scheduled to meet with at

Michigan Med.

I told him the name of the vice president.

Reaching into his wallet, my seatmate handed me a business card.

“Tell him I said we should do the deal.”

“And you are?”

“I’m his boss.”

It turned out that I had spent the entire flight giving a detailed presentation about my company to the president of Michigan Med — and he was ready to buy in. The company ended up becoming one of our largest investors, and I was asked to join Michigan Med’s presidential advisory board. I couldn’t help but trace the incredibly successful outcome back to that flight in economy — back to my insistence on keeping my word and doing my part to never miss saying Kaddish with a minyan for a Jew who had no one else to do it for him.

At the end of the day, Hashem has chosen me to be the one to do the ultimate chesed for many of my fellow Jews, and I truly feel that I’ve been granted a special privilege. What’s interesting is that while this special privilege has at times seemed like a burden, in truth it has been the catalyst for many incidents where I’ve been able to witness the hand of Hashem in the clearest way. In this particular case, it led me from the back of economy class straight into the office of the president of the company. And if you think about it, it makes complete sense.

After all, I had boarded the flight just after talking to the President of the greatest company of all.

Is it any wonder that my next meeting went so well?

A Tribute to My Mother Mrs. Leah Kur L and a” h

Upon Her SHloSHim

By devorah Kurland

Dear Mommy,

As tears flow down my cheek and I attempt to write you a letter, I keep starting and restarting over again. How does one write a letter to her mother who meant the world to her, to a mother who inspired, with just her “being,” to a mother who worked for me, or I should say worked with me for 14 years, to a mother who was so regal and queenly on every level. It is almost an impossible task to write about a person who was larger than life, yet I will try my best and please, Mommy, know, this will no way do justice to your true essence.

Mommy, throughout my life I was zocheh to see you wear many hats. Three that I got to witness daily were how you juggled being a Mrs. Kurland to the Shor Yoshuv/Five Towns community, a morah to Bnos Bais Yaakov, and most importantly, a mother to your children.

Mrs. Kurland

To the community, you were Mrs. Kurland or Rebbetzin Kurland, but you never really considered yourself a rebbetzin, because you were so regular, down-to-earth, and relatable. You were the perfect balance of a true eved Hashem, always looking for ways to perfect your middos, work on yourself and take upon extra chumros, yet, you were extremely levelheaded, tons of fun and so geshmak. You loved a good joke, had the best sense of humor, and smiled through the journey called life. You greeted everyone with excitement in your voice and laughter in your intonation; You didn’t know what the word “ego” meant because you were always selfless. You gave endlessly and loved unconditionally. Our home was an open home to everyone. The lights never closed, food was always available, and the door never locked.

Morah Kurland

Mommy, the most frequent question we got in and out of school wa,s “How can you hire your mother as a teacher” or “How can you work for your daughter?”

“Don’t you know the rule that family members shouldn’t be working together?” How innocently we joked that we had a deal going on – I would be nice to you in school, and you would make me delicious supper at night. But honestly, only I knew the truth. The only reason it worked was because of you and who you were. You made it seem so easy. You had no agenda. You didn’t know what the word “I” meant, and you were completely selfless and humble. Those 14 years were the “golden years” in our lives and the golden years in Bnos Bais Yaakov. I can

truly attest that the same love, warmth, and patience you had for your children you had for your students. Their problems became yours and their milestones and successes became yours as well. Your DNA was positivity. You looked at the panoramic picture and zoomed in on each student as if they were your only student with their very own and unique neshama. You acknowledged your students’ challenges, yet only focused on their strengths. You understood there is so much more to a child than academics.

The girls thrived under your care – they felt loved, they felt cherished; they felt safe. They saw that you were so real; oh, so real! In the 14 years that you taught second grade, I rarely remember you saying a negative word about a student. When necessary, you hemmed and hawed to make sure it really was l’toeles. Needless to say, there were challenging students, yet you never complained or threw it back at the child. You looked at it as an opportunity to work on yourself and sharpen your middos.

It’s no wonder report card season was such a serious time for you. You were so yashrus with whatever you did that you wrote and rewrote again to make sure every girl was represented in the most positive and uplifting way; and if you could push a grade from a B to a B+ you had to do so. Mommy, I’ll have to admit, I used to eavesdrop on your phone calls to parents. They picked up the phone with trepidation, yet, by the time they hung up, they were so calm. You had a way with words. No matter if it was a first-time parent or the youngest in the family you had a way of reassuring them that they were doing a great job parenting their child. You needed no preparation before a PTA because the compliments and positive attributes of your students came naturally and were always on the tip of your tongue.

Mommy, you used to joke that you were not a fancy teacher – you were not as shticky as Chani – but boy, you were so up with the times. You gave the girls the most needed and important curriculum in life. You gave them the curriculum of “real, genuine love.” You were present in their everyday lives. You always stayed with your class during recess because your students were your world. In a fast-paced society where parents are juggling so many different factors, you gave the girls the gift of “time.” They knew that they were your priority, and nothing was going to stand in the way.

The running theme we kept hearing throughout shiva from your students were all consistently the same. Morah Kurland was so approachable…. We were all her favorite

students…. Morah Kurland wasn’t my teacher but she made me feel like she was the way she would smile at me in the hallway when she saw me…. Morah Kurland called on me even though the whole class was raising their hand because she believed in me that I would get that answer right. There was the third grader who said she keeps Morah Kurland’s end of the year letter next to her bed so she can read it every night before going to sleep…and of course, Mommy, your signature smile that was plastered on your face from the moment you woke up in the morning, carrying with you throughout your busy day and that same smile accompanied you as you fell asleep at night always so thankful for another great day!

One would think that you were consumed with your students and had no time for anyone else, but you had this natural way of forming a connection with every teacher, every assistant, every staff member and even every custodian. It didn’t matter the age or stage, you brought yourself to each person’s level, connecting to them in a real way. You showed how genuinely interested you were in them, inquiring, “How did your appointment go?” or “I know this is your first year making Pesach; let’s discuss” or “You just got married and made your first Shabbos meal. Let me hear about what you cooked.” Mommy, when you walked into the office to make a cup of coffee, the place became brighter. I marveled at how all the teachers slowly gravitated towards you to bask in your goodness, to chap a schmooze, or to get a “feel good compliment.” You gave such chizuk to the teachers. When they walked away from you, they looked so much lighter, as if their burden was just eased. When someone was having a hard day with a student, it was you who gave them encouragement to continue on or try a different approach. It was you who cheered on a new teacher that she was doing a great job and it’s one day at a time. It was also you, Mommy, who was never too old to learn from someone else, even if years younger. Mommy, I firmly believe that you were the REAL principal, and I am your eternal student!

Mommy

Mommy, when the doors closed and it was just us, we were able to see your true essence. What you were on the outside to the public was the same exact as you were on the inside to your family. You were so real, so loving. You cared so much. We felt so secure. We felt so fortunate. You never got angry…. You never raised a voice, you never stressed. We were 11 vibrant children, ka”h, and you taught us how to appreciate and love each

other with all our differences. You accepted each one of us no matter where we were holding or what we were going though. You embraced each of our strengths with the exact same equilibrium as you embraced our flaws. You led by example; you taught by just being “you.”

When asked to give parenting classes, you just laughed it off as if to say what do you have to offer? In truth, there was no book that you followed, there were no guidelines you wrote, there was no recipe that worked like magic. You viewed each one of us as a separate entity, only focusing on our positives. You were keenly aware of any insecurities, yet you were brilliant in what you overlooked and what you made a big deal about. When giving mussar, you put us on a pedestal – that it was “beneath us” to do something or that “we were above that.”

Mommy, taking care of us was your biggest joy! You never looked at life or raising children as a chore; you viewed it as an opportunity. Whether it was laundry, suppers, appointments, school reports that you helped us write, food shopping, carpools and constant chauffeuring us around, you did it all with your same signature smile. You made it all seem so simple. Although we were a lively bunch, we never felt like you were allergic to us or needed a break. You were always excited when we had vacation from school and took it as an opportunity for “extra bonding time.”

We didn’t grow up with a lot of money and we didn’t grow up with fancy things, but we grew up wealthy! A different type of wealth. It was called “wealth of happiness.” Happy with each other but most importantly happy with ourselves. We felt like we had everything!

Mommy, with all the goings on in our family, you would think you were swamped over your head, yet you didn’t only love us your children, you loved the “extended us”…our friends and colleagues. Our friends quickly became your friends! If we would take a poll of all the people in this room that call you “Ma” or Tatty “Ta” you would have hundreds of children and grandchildren by now. 1011 was the address for anyone who needed a listening ear, anyone who needed a smile, and anyone who needed a dose of a real mother!

Mommy, although you were sick for the last 17 years and you had to go through numerous challenges, we never felt like we had a sick mother. You didn’t let yourself identify with your sickness. You chose to live with your sickness in your side pocket that you dealt with between you and Hashem. Yes, you kept us in the loop and were always transparent about what was going on but your emunah was so strong that we really felt this was just a small part of you. You made a conscious decision that the Kurland home was going to continue as usual. And continue it did! You set the tone for all of us! You were the one who always was mechazek us that Hashem is so good and if this is what He wants then it’s good. In your mind, the good and the bad were all GOOD! There was no other way!

Mommy, I remember so vividly on the night of Rissel’s vort when the doctor called that things had come back, we all cried in the kitchen, and you in your regal and aristocratic manner said, “We are going into a simcha. Hashem is so good that He bentched us with a simcha. Now it’s time to smile!” Looking back at pictures from that night, Ma, you were beaming, you were glowing! You would never know what had just transpired

minutes before. Oh, how you led by example! You never pitied yourself, you never complained, you never questioned “why me?” You accepted! You didn’t just accept, you wholeheartedly accepted, you lovingly accepted knowing and firmly believing Hashem knows best! You were a walking example of “Living with Emunah!”

This was a journey that you and Tatty traveled together. Tatty once mentioned that he felt bad he never took you on lavish vacations to fancy destinations, etc. but he took you on a different type of vacation. He took you on the vacation called “Quality Time Vacation.” You both looked at these last 17 years as an opportunity to bond together, grow together and strengthen yourselves together. Tatty accompanied you to every doctor’s appointment, every test you had to take, and almost every treatment and radiation. In the last few months, Tatty drove you over an hour to the office, drove back home to give shiur and then drove back to pick you up – more than four hours of driving each time. Siblings would pressure Ta that we should do a family rotation, but Ta nicely declined, stating that this is his quality time he gets to spend with you, Mommy. These were treasured drives where you learned together, you laughed together and you schmoozed! Mommy, we know this was the best “vacation” you could have ever asked for…time with Ta!

You and Tatty were a true couple! You walked the same walk and talked the same talk. Your essence and values were all the same, yet each of you carried out your mission in your own unique way. You were the dream team – your partnership was unreal. The greetings you gave each other multiple times a day were palpable. The respect you showed each other was humbling. The way you treated each other was inspiring. The attention you gave each other when hearing about the day-to-day happenings in each other’s lives was moving, and the admiration you had for each other was venerable. Tatty would love to hear about your second grade tidbits and was so proud when he would come and peek through your window to watch you teach. You could hear his heart beaming as if he was calling out, “That’s my wife! She is doing such a wonderful job! I wish I could be in her classroom,” And then on occasion, he would come in, introduce himself as Morah Kurland’s great-grandfather. You would chuckle, but deep down you were beaming, too!

Mommy, in the same venue, you were Tatty’s biggest cheerleader, support and ezer knegdo. You listened to all his speeches, before, after and in between, went with him to countless Shabbatonim, encouraged him throughout all 13 books he wrote and took a major role in Sh’or Yoshuv. Every vort, l’chaim, sheva brachos, aufruf seudos, siyumim, shalosh seudos, Shabbos and yom tov meals we hosted was all because of you and how graciously you conducted each in the classiest way. You lived 49 years of marriage as if each one was shanah reshonah – each one so proud of the other. When you walked into our house, you just felt it. It permeated the walls! As someone men-

tioned during shiva, people pay thousands of dollars to learn how to have a good marriage, but he doesn’t need to. All he needs is to wait each Shabbos and watch you and Tatty walk down his block together after shul, and that’s the best lesson learnt – watching shalom bayis in action! You epitomized the perfect marriage to so many. In conclusion, Mommy, where do we go from here?

How will we move on? We feel so lost! We feel so empty!

The memories are vivid in every step we take.

Who will uplift us when we are down?

Who will give us words of encouragement?

Who will smile at us and reassure us?

No one can replace the Morah Kurland – who was a mother to us ALL.

But, as your life has taught us, we know we don’t understand Hashem’s cheshbonos, but we trust that Hashem knows what’s best for us. Although you are no longer with us, we, your Bnos Bais Yaakov family, will continue your legacy.

We will continue to love our students and children… to encourage them…to smile at them…and to only see them through a positive lens.

Ma, you took everyone into our home; now everyone is taking a piece of you into their home.

And as your children, there is nothing to say…

We will continue the dance you and Tatty so gracefully danced.

We will continue the symphony you and Tatty so beautifully orchestrated.

And we will continue to wear the “Kurland armor of pride” that you were our mother.

All my love,

Devorah

ON THE SHLOSHIM OF M Y BELOv Ed SISTER-I N-L AW

Rebbetzin Leah Kurland, Leah Pesha bas Yisroel, a”h

By Mindy Sussman

A brilliant light has been extinguished in our world

A blow so devastating has been unfurled

Wrenching our hearts and souls with a void so deep

What else can we do but mourn and weep?

She is no longer in our midst –our beloved, mother, Wife, aunt, sister and friend

For her neshama must now to Gan Eden ascend

Her beautiful smile brought simcha to many hearts

To Leah, every human being was a fundamental part

Of the totality of Hashem’s creation; yet each an entity of his own

And so she welcomed everyone with love into her home

All kinds of people, young and old, like a many-colored prism, Were embraced with warmth, compassion and non-judgmentalism

She was so staunch and devout in her avodas haborei

From her stringent self-expectations she would never sway

Three times a day she davened every word with such pure kavana

And observed kashrus and all other mitzvos with Joy and diligent hachana

But when it came to other people, she saw only the good

Instead of judging or classifying, she made each person feel Cherished and understood

It was this special quality that made her a morah par excellence

For she related to each child with objectivity and sheer benevolence

Each girl was a gem, an uncut diamond with the potential to glow

Her untainted neshama a vessel which could flourish and grow

She opened their eyes to the beauty of the world around them with daily “ma rabu maasecha” infusions

Naturally inculcating within them a love for learning

With no illusions

She was so down-to-earth, natural and unassuming

Although her neshama was constantly communing

With Hashem her Creator, ain od milvado

Whatever challenges He gave her, she just “went with the flow”

Her positive outlook made light of any hardships

Or afflictions

She saw everything as chasdei Hashem; this was her firm

And resolute conviction

Her beloved husband, Reb Yehoshua, my precious brother, n”y, Was her darling “Hesh”

For forty-nine years they were best friends and soulmates; their relationship was always vibrant and fresh

With deep mutual respect and devotion they built a Magnificent mishpacha

A home filled with love, chesed and laughter

And appreciation for every bracha

Her Shabbos table was resplendent with

Her delicious challahs and food

And the beautiful zemiros and divrei Torah

Which put all her guests in a jubilant mood

Her wonderful children, grandchildren and great- grandchildren, Kain yirbu, brought her so much delight

They were her precious jewels; she was available to host them, feed them or just hug and kiss them, day and night

Each one of them commanded her full and undivided attention

She raised the bar of “bubbyhood” to a higher dimension

They are all so fortunate to have had a bubby who was a Role model so rare

She taught them to love life, thank Hashem and for Those in need to always care

She was so humble and self-deprecating, never complaining about

Any person or situation

Always so happy to have more guests or bochurim for Shabbos, even though it entailed more time, hard work and preparation

She was so patient with our sister Shelley, a”h, when she came for Shabbos or yom tov Catering to her every need and showering her with love

For it was never about her; only about The needs of others

She gave 100 % of herself to her husband, family, students, Sisters and brothers

We feel so sad and bereft here in our lowly basar v’dam realm

Knowing that Leah, a”h, will no longer be standing physically

At the helm

Of her regal ship as it continues to journey through time

Combatting the vicissitudes of life with her emunah and bitachon

So sublime

But we are comforted in the knowledge that her ship is now at rest

Basking in the light of the holy Shechina; she is no longer Suffering or distressed

We who are here must continue to sail the Stormy seas

Of a world plagued by too much pain, sadness and Urgent pleas

Of all Hashem’s children who so desperately need refuos, yeshuos And speedy salvation

We must pour out our hearts to Hakodosh Baruch Hu for the immediate cessation

Of all wars. Sickness, tragedy, hatred, sheker, ignorance. Selfishness and deception

And be zocheh to see the immediate inception

Of our geulah shleimah led by Mashiach Tzidkainu And the rebuilding of our holy Bais Hamikdash bimhaira b’yamainu!

We know she is davening for all of us from her eternal abode

In her makom close to the Kisei Hakavod.

May her neshama have an aliyah!

TJH Centerfold

Match the Boating Term With Its Meaning

1. Batten down the hatches

2. All hands on deck

3. A bone in her teeth

4. Crow’s nest

5. Dead in the water

6. Keel over

7. He’s a landlubber

8. Walk the plank

9. On the beam

10. As the crow flies

A. A platform located high on a mast used as a lookout point

B. A person inexperienced with the sea or sailing

C. When pirates would toss men overboard for minor infractions

D. A boat that is moving fast through the water

E. A direct line between 2 points

F. A signal for the entire crew to handle the sail

G. When there is no wind and the water is completely still

H. Preparing for a storm

I. On a steady course

J. When a boat tips over on its side so far that it capsizes

Riddle Me This

Three guys are on a boat deep in the sea with nobody around, and they have four cigars but nothing to light them with. What do they do to get a cigar lighter?

Answer: They throw one cigar off the boat and the whole boat becomes a cigar lighter.

Answers: 1-H; 2-F; 3-D; 4-A; 5-G; 6-J; 7-B; 8-C; 9-I; 10-E

It’s All in The Name

In honor of National Boat Week, here are some suggested names for your new boat

Seas The day

She Got The House

Feeling Nauti

Usain Boat

Nautiboy

Sea-E-O

A Salt Weapons

Unsinkable II

Aboat Time

To Sea or Knot To Sea

Costaplenty

Beeracuda

Hydro Therapy

Bow Movement

Farfrompuken

The Codfather

Pier Pressure

Aquaholic

Dijabringabeeralong

Moor Often Than Knot

You Gotta Be Kidding Me!

A thirsty sailor runs from his boat to the nearest bar and shouts to the bartender, “Give me twenty shots of your best scotch, quick!”

The bartender pours out the shots, and the sailor drinks them as fast as he can.

The bartender is very impressed and exclaims, “Wow. I never saw anybody drink that fast.”

Favorite Mistake

Five O’clock Somewhere

Playin’ Hooky

Fishful Thinkin’

Yeah Buoy

Vitamin Sea

Knot Pro Bono

Miss Fortune

Wine Down

The sailor replies, “Well, you’d drink that fast too, if you had what I have.”

The bartender says, “Oh my G-d! What is it? What do you have?”

“Fifty cents!” replies the sailor.

Torah Thought

Parshas Bechukosai

By Rabbi Berel Wein

This week’s parsha, which concludes the book of Vayikra, deals with the realities of Jewish national and personal life. On one hand, it describes in rapturous terms the blessings of happiness, security and serenity that can happen to the Jewish people and to the individual Jew. But on the other hand, it vividly and graphically describes death, exile, and tragedy.

Jewish history bears out the accuracy of both visions. We have lived through

both experiences. Jewish history seems to have contained much longer periods of darkness than of light, of more tragedy than of joy and serenity. Though the Torah assigns observance of the commandments as the prime cause of security in Jewish life and non-observance of the same as the cause of tragedy, history and the great commentators to Torah seem to modify this cut and dried axiom.

G-d’s wisdom and judgments are inscrutable and are beyond even elementa-

ry comprehension by us mortals. As such, we are left wondering as to the tragedies that descended upon the Jewish people and that continue to plague us today. Though there are those amongst us that are prepared to give and accept glib answers to the causes of tragedy, the wise men of Israel warned us against such an approach. Observance of commandments is enormously difficult to fulfill completely and accurately.

As such, it is difficult to measure the “why” part of this week’s parsha. It is sufficient to note the “how it happened” part to realize that its message of contrasting periods of serenity and tragedy has been painstakingly accurate and contains not one word of hyperbole. The

Aharon remains the prime example of tragedy suddenly destroying a sense of pride, satisfaction and seeming accomplishment. In this week’s parsha, the description of the punishment of Israel for its backsliding comes after a background of blessings and security. The past century presented the Jewish people with horrors of unimaginable intensity and of millennial accomplishments. The situation of extreme flux in our national life has continued throughout the years of the existence of the State of Israel.

The unexpected and sudden but apparently regular change of circumstances in national Jewish life mirrors the same situation so recognizable to us from our personal lives. We are constantly blind-

Jewish history bears out the accuracy of both visions.

destruction of the Temples, the Crusades and pogroms, the Inquisition and the Holocaust are all graphically described in this week’s parsha. Such is the prophetic power of the Torah.

In personal life, the longer one lives, the more likely tragedy will somehow visit them. The Torah makes provision for this eventuality in its laws of mourning. We all hope for lives of goodness, and secure serenity. Yet almost inexorably, problems, disappointments and even tragedy intrude on our condition.

In Vayikra, the death of the sons of

sided by untoward and tragic events. So, the jarring contrast that the two main subjects of the parsha present to us are really a candid description of life and its omnipresent contradictions, and difficulties. Though we pray regularly for health and serenity, we must always be cognizant of how precarious situations truly are. Thus, as we rise to hear the conclusion of the book of Vayikra, we recite the mantra of “chazak, chazak, v’nitchazek ” – let us be doubly strong and strengthen others! So may it be.

Shabbat shalom.

In this week’s parsha, we find a word which is only used once in all of Tanach. The culmination of the blessings in Parshas Bechukosai contain the following statement: “I broke the staves of your yoke and led you komemius” (Vayikra 26:13). While the word komemius is based on the root word, kamah, meaning to arise, stand up, or be established, what exactly does it mean here? Let us study three different explanations.

Rashbam offers the simplest explanation: “Yokes of wood are called ‘staves, motos,’ because they bend, matah, and bow the neck of the ox. Komemius is when the yolk is removed and one can straighten up his head.” According to Rashbam, komemius essentially means free or liberated. We were slaves in Egypt. But Hashem led us out toward the land of Israel as free men and women. Along these lines, Onkolus translates the phrase “led you komemius ” as “led you with freedom.” Komemius therefore expresses our transition from being slaves, always looking down into the dirt, bent over, bowing down in submission to our human masters to a state

From the Fire

Parshas Bechukosai Heads Held High

By Rav Moshe Weinberger

Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

of liberation, not subject to the whims of any man.

Rashi offers a second explanation of the word based on the Midrash in Toras Kohanim, “Komemius – with an upright posture.” This connotes more than simple freedom. It implies that when Hashem led us out of Egypt, we had a new attitude – a new state of mind. We felt courage and confidence. Similarly, he explains that when the pasuk says, “And the children of Israel went out with an outstretched arm” (Shemos 14:8), it means with “great and public courage.”

While Chazal says, “Anyone who walks with an upright posture pushes away the legs of the Divine Presence” (Kiddushin 31a), this is only with respect to an individual. On a national level, Hashem requires us to stand tall and unflinchingly uphold the honor and dignity of our people. As we say repeatedly in davening throughout Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, “And therefore place the glory of Hashem on Your nation.”

Desecration of the honor of the Jewish people is a desecration of G-d’s name.

Commenting on the phrase in Birkas

HaMazon, “May the Merciful One break the yoke of exile from upon our necks and lead us upright [komemius] into our land,” Rebbe Nosson, zy”a, explains in Likutei Halachos (Birkas Hamazon 4:14):

For this verse is stated with respect to Eretz Yisroel, toward which the Jewish people were going. All travels, roads, and paths of the Jewish people were to conquer Eretz Yisroel…. This is what “led you komemius ” means – with an upright posture, with brazenness and stubbornness, whereby we stand upright with great obstinance to be victorious in war and thereby come to Eretz Yisroel. This was the primary purpose of leaving Egypt…. It is impossible to enter Eretz Yisroel and to be victorious in this war, which is the primary war a Jewish person must fight, except through extremely great stubbornness, in the way of “led you komemius…” to our land. But there is a third, and even deeper explanation of the word komemius. That is found in the Sfas Emes’s explanation of the word based on a mysterious Ge -

mara which says, “Komemius means… like the two stories, komos , of Adam HaRishon [who was two stories tall –i.e., twice the height of a ‘normal’ human being]” (Bava Basra 75a). The Sfas Emes in our parsha explains: “The form of Adam was merely a garment for the light of the soul of his life that was within him… So too, a Jew’s life has a hidden and a revealed element. By rectifying the revealed portion [through improvement of our character traits, by doing mitzvos, and by studying Torah], one merits the inner side, which is the hidden life of a person. This is komemius [the two stories of a person – the physical side and the deeper, hidden side].”

With this deeper explanation of komemius , we can now understand the source of the confidence, courage, and holy stubbornness that the Jewish people need in order to claim our rightful place in Eretz Yisroel. Where does it come from? How can we not be discouraged and broken by the fact that the whole world hates, condemns, and attempts to degrade us? Where do we find the wherewithal to throw of

the yoke of the submissiveness of two thousand years of exile to reclaim our rightful place, standing tall in Hashem’s holy land?

The answer lies in the pasuk immediately preceding the one in which Hashem said, “I broke the staves of your yoke and led you komemius.” In it, Hashem tells us, “I will walk among you.” The Infinite One Himself lives within every Jew – within the Jewish nation. Unlike the other nations of the world, we, on a national level, have a “second story.” We are not merely our physical bodies. We are not merely intelligent beasts. While the rest of the world cannot tolerate this idea, it animates us and gives us the ability to stand up tall in the face of the millions and billions of people who hate and want to destroy us.

We draw the courage to stand up to the world and defend our honor and rightful place in our land because the Torah says, “And all the nations of the earth shall see that the name of Hashem is called upon you and they shall fear you” (Devarim 28:10). Like Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, about whom we sing on Lag Ba’Omer, “‘Let us create man’ was said because of you,” we know that by sanctifying Hashem’s name in Eretz Yis-

roel, we fulfill the purpose of Hashem’s creation of man. And this gives us confidence to face down the world, as the song continues, “Bar Yochai! You were girded with strength, and in the war of the fiery Torah up to the gate

You pulled a sword from its scabbard, you drew it against your enemies.”

Our place in Eretz Yisroel today is not the product of the fleeting kindness

eternal capital are not products of the world’s spirit of charity and pity. They are an outgrowth of the fact that we have returned to our home, upright, with confidence, brazenness, courage, and the knowledge that we bear the name of G-d within us.

Over a hundred years ago, even before the Holocaust, when some were already justifying the establishment of a Jewish

We know that by sanctifying Hashem’s name in Eretz Yisroel, we fulfill the purpose of Hashem’s creation of man.

of the nations of the world during the brief period after the Holocaust when, because of their guilt for letting the Nazis slaughter us, that they “allowed” us to have a state simply as refuge for a poor and beleaguered minority. Our sovereignty over the land of Israel and the recognition of Yerushalayim as our

state as a refuge for the pitiful Jewish people, Rav Kook said, “Do not listen to the voices of those who say that we, the most hated nation, are seeking a secure refuge from our pursuers… Rather, we are a holy nation, the choicest among the nations. ‘Judah is a lion cub’ awaking from its long slumber. And behold, it is

returning to its inheritance, to the pride of Yaakov whom [Hashem] loves!”

This is the same Rav Kook who stood up to the British official, Charles Lock, who refused to act to stop the Chevron massacre in 1929. When Mr. Lock extended his hand to Rav Kook in front of the media at a reception shortly afterward, Rav Kook responded angrily, “I do not shake hands with someone whose hands are soaked in Jewish blood.” Rav Kook recognized that we need not bow our heads submissively. Rather, he showed us that Hashem is with us. We therefore return to Eretz Yisroel and to Yerushalayim with our heads held high, knowing that Hashem has returned His children to His land because He lives within and among us.

May Hashem cause the complete return of the revelation of His kingdom on earth with the advent of the complete redemption, may it come soon in our days.

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.

Rebbe Chiya was a teacher of Torah. (Bava Metzia 85b) The Gemara relates how Rebbe Chiya personally oversaw the entire harbotzas Torah process from the very beginning. He would plant seeds. Not seeds of Torah! He would plant flax seeds. Did he need to raise funds with the sale of flax? No! He would harvest the flax and fabricate nets with the material. Perhaps he needed nets to round up unruly children? No. Rebbe Chiya needed the nets to hunt deer. Perhaps he needed food to feed the children he was teaching? No. The Gemara said he would distribute the meat to orphans. The deer were needed for their hides. He would prepare parchment from the deer hides. Rebbe Chiya would then write the five books of the Torah on them. He would go to a city and teach five children the five books, one book per child. He would teach six other children the six orders of the Mishna. He would then instruct the eleven children, “Until I return and come here, each child should teach the other children the portion of Torah that I taught him.” This way every child functioned as both a student and a teacher, maximizing their Torah studies.

Rebbe Chiya was a great scholar. The Gemara in Kesubos (103b) says that he was almost chosen to replace Rebbe Yehuda HaNasi as Rosh HaYeshiva. Why did Rebbe Chiya need to be involved in the very beginning of the process? Why did he spend his precious time planting flax and hunting deer? Why didn’t he simply purchase readily available off-the-shelf products? Was it appropriate for such a venerable sage to be involved in agriculture and hunting? If money was the issue, he could have sold the deer meat and saved himself future toil.

The Maharsha explains that a Torah endeavor that has a completely pure foundation will be more successful. Torah is not like another subject. The kedusha and pure intentions that go into even the mundane aspects will affect the resultant Torah learning. It was worth it for a gadol hador

Delving into the Daf

Rebbe Chiya The Ultimate Teacher

By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

to spend time farming because the Torah studies that follow would be so much better.

The Chofetz Chaim would not accept donations for his yeshiva from those that were not Shabbos observant. He reasoned that the impure funds would have a negative impact on the Torah study in his yeshiva. HaGaon HaRav Henoch Leibowitz, zt”l, was asked what should be done with funds donated to yeshiva by someone who is not even commanded to keep Shabbos. He answered that those funds should be used for the secular studies department in elementary school or high school.

Why wasn’t Rebbe Chiya given the job as Rosh HaYeshiva to replace Rebbe Yehuda HaNasi? Rebbe Yehuda HaNasi felt that Rebbe Chiya’s harbotzas HaTorah was so vital to Klal Yisroel, that it was not worthwhile to “trouble him” with being Rosh HaYeshiva. Rebbe Chanina was chosen instead to be Rosh HaYeshiva. (One explanation cited in Kesubos.)

Rebbe Chanina apparently ended up becoming greater in Torah than Rebbe Chiya. The meforshim explain that the give and take with his adult students made him wise. The Gemara notes the following incident took place:

When Rebbe Chanina and Rebbe Chiya were debating a matter of Torah, Reb -

be Chanina said to Rebbe Chiya: “Do you think you can debate with me? Heaven forbid, if the Jewish people forgot the Torah, I could restore it with my powers of analysis and intellectual acumen.” Rebbe Chiya responded to Rebbe Chanina: “Do you think you can debate with me? You cannot compare yourself to me, as I am acting to ensure that the Jewish people will not forget the Torah in the first place.”

Rebbe commented, “How great are the deeds of Rebbe Chiya!”

The Gemara relates that Reish Lakish was given Divine assistance to locate and mark the burial places of the sages. This was to prevent Kohanim from becoming defiled accidentally. Also, this enabled supplicants to pray at their kevarim. Raish Lakish though was unable to locate the burial place of Rebbe Chiya. He perceived that this was a Divine sign that he was unworthy to enter the cave where Rebbe Chiya was buried. Raish Lakish became disheartened. He said to Hashem, “Did I not study Torah as well as Rebbe Chiya did?”

A Heavenly Voice answered, “You studied Torah like him but you did not disseminate Torah like him.”

Rebbe Chanina became a great Rosh HaYeshiva, yet Rebbe Chiya’s work in harbotzas haTorah put him in a separate

league. Indeed, the Gemara continues that, in Shamayim, Rebbe Chiya has a special chariot. The meforshim explain that the chariots of other sages are transported via malachim. The Shechina, though, transports Rebbe Chiya’s chariot. In this world, an onlooker might have assumed Rebbe Chanina was greater as he served as the Rosh HaYeshiva. However, the Gemara gave us a glimpse of a different picture in the Olam HaEmes.

HaRav Chaim Aryeh Zev Ginzberg, shlit”a, recently republished his extraordinary sefer Divrei Chachomim. He quotes Rav Mordechai Gifter discussing his Torah career (pg. 619). Rav Gifter said that he increased kavod Shamayim much more in the three years that he served as a rav in Waterbury, CT, than his decades long career in Telshe Yeshiva! When he started serving as a rav in Waterbury, there was not even a minyan of Shomer Shabbos people. Yet, he felt that he generated more kavod Shamayim serving as a rav there, than serving as an illustrious Rosh HaYeshiva. Therefore, Rav Gifter encouraged others to grab the opportunity to teach Torah out of town. Listeners challenged Rav Gifter. Isn’t raising children in New York better for chinuch? Rav Gifter emphatically answered, “No!” Parents have more control and supervise their children better when they are “out of town.” Moreover, Hashem rewards them with special Divine Assistance since they are “working for Him.”

Although being a Rosh HaYeshiva is great work if available, one doesn’t need that position to accomplish amazing feats. Rebbe Chiya achieved unimaginable levels of spiritual growth by simply teaching Torah to many children.

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.

Two young women – by the initials of HM and AM – have been arguing over the same issue since they were in the third grade; they are now in high school.

HM always wanted the window open, even in the winter. AM wanted the window closed. “It is cold in the winter and the window should be closed!” she said.

The majority of their Bais Yaakov class sided with…HM – to leave it open.

Both AM and HM posed the question, way back in the third grade, as to who was right. The morah gave an answer, based on the opinion of Rav Yisrael Salanter. But let’s start at the beginning.

The Mitzvah

The verse in Parshas Vaeschanan (Devarim 6:18) says, “V’asisa ha’yashar v’hatov —and you shall do that which is straight and good,” teaches us that we must take into account the opposing view whenever we embark upon a course of action. The Beis Yosef in Choshen Mishpat 103 uses this verse in this manner as normative halacha. It is a Torah mitzvah to approach things fairly.

Rav Salanter’s

Opinion

Regarding shutting or opening the windows, Rav Yisrael Salanter, zt”l, ruled that during the winter, if someone wishes that the windows be shut, that opinion has preference.

On the other hand, during the summer, if someone wishes that the windows be open, then that opinion must be followed. In both cases, this ruling applies even if the vast majority disagrees. Rav Salanter cited a proof to this ruling from the Mishnah in Pe’ah 4:1

The mitzvah of pe’ah is leaving a corner of one’s field from which the poor may glean.

The Mishnah states: “The corner of the field is given [to the poor] while [the plants and trees are still] connected to the ground. It is given from vines and palm trees, and the property owner goes down and collects and distributes them for the poor [because it may be danger -

Headlines Halacha

Cold Comfort

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

ous for the poor people to climb]. Rabbi Shimon says: It is also given for smooth nut trees. Even if 99 [of the poor people] say to distribute and one says to leave it for the poor to take for themselves when they can, we listen to him because he spoke true halacha.”

We see from here that regarding deviating from the expected norm, the one

another to become a shliach tzibbur. The Agur and the Maharik (Shoresh 44), citing Rabbi Simcha, both state that even one individual can prevent another from becoming a shliach tzibbur [if he had good reason according to the Rema and if he had not previously agreed to it]. The Shulchan Aruch codifies this view in O.C. 53:19

It is a Torah mitzvah to approach things fairly.

poor person can force the other 99 to take the pe’ah for themselves and not have the owner do it for them.

Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l’s Opinion

Rav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l, in his sefer on Mishnayos Pe’ah titled Sha’arei Emunah, disagrees with Rav Yisrael Salanter and holds that the view of the majority must still be followed. Rav Kanievsky brings a proof from the conclusion of the Chofetz Chaim himself in his Mishnah Berurah in 53:53.

The halacha under discussion deals with when one person does not wish for

However, the Mishnah Berurah cites the view of the Acharonim that the law of the Shulchan Aruch was specifically in those days! Nowadays, however, due to the abundance of our sins, there are numerous people who are argumentative and confrontational. That being the reality, no one would agree on anything if we were to listen to the minority or to individual views! Therefore, the Mishnah Berurah concludes, we must follow the desire of the majority.

Rav Wosner’s View

Rav Shmuel HaLevi Wosner, zt”l, (1914–2015), in Shevet HaLevi Vol. IX #298, also rules that the will of the ma-

jority must be followed in these cases. Sefer Mishpetei HaTorah Vol. I #89 concurs with this view as well. Indeed, he even goes so far as to state that since cold weather is damaging in the winter to some, they are considered like an istenis , one who is particularly sensitive and simply cannot act any differently. He states that whoever is with the public during these times is there with this in mind. He must, therefore, acquiesce to the desires of the majority. He bases this on the view of the Shulchan Aruch and Rema in C.M. 155:39.

While the rule of the majority may apply to windows and fans, this is not necessarily the case regarding air conditioner units. The Shevet HaLevi Vol. VIII #307 and Rav Meir Pinchasi in his Toras HaYeshiva (page 278) are of the view that air conditioners are fundamentally different than windows and fans, and one cannot say that the principle of istenis would apply regarding a modern day air conditioner.

When a section of the office, room, or shul is air conditioned and the worker who is too cold has another option, it is obvious that he cannot force those who want it cooler to change the temperature (see Shevet HaLevi Vol. IX #298).

Conclusions

So do we follow Rav Chaim Kanievsky’s proof from the Chofetz Chaim or do we go with Rav Yisrael Salanter’s original proof? Most of our institutions pretty much follow the rulings of the Mishnah Berurah. One must, however, seek the guidance of the mosad’s posek or the local mara d’asra.

Let us also keep in mind that while there may be halachic parameters as to whose view gets precedence, there is another Torah mitzvah in compromising. Taking that approach in life will ensure that shalom will reign in our midst.

Israel Today Key Money

By Rafi Sackville

You walk into yesteryear when entering Binyamin Avraham’s corner store in Katamon, Yerushalayim. Not much there has changed since 1960, the year his father, Siman Tov, first opened for business – the tiles on the floors, the rusty metal shelving, the counters; they’re all as they were when installed. Time inside the store has stopped. The world has passed it by without a glance or a care. I wanted to understand why. How could this quaint store have remained so embedded in the past? And how does Mr. Avraham survive the long, quiet days of little to no commerce?

I found Binyamin Avraham sitting behind the counter on an old, wooden chair covered by a red cloth. He was scrolling through his Android phone. Initially disinterested, he put his phone down once I began asking him about his father and the store’s origin.

My parents came from Kurdistan as a direct result of anti-Jewish riots there. After my grandfather Shmuel was killed, my father decided to make aliyah.

A store existed here when my father opened in 1960. In fact, there’s been one here since the building went up. That’s somewhere between 80 and 90 years ago. The sign outside is the same one my father put up. He named it after himself.

When I was a small boy, I’d come and help my father out. I really loved working here as a child. I’d stack shelves, run the register... I was in the military police during my army service. As soon as I got out of uniform, I came to work full time.

When they arrived in Israel, the family lived on David Hamelech Street, right near the King David Hotel. I don’t know why my father chose this business or the place. I was small and didn’t ask questions. I was one of 10 kids. My eight sisters had little interest in working

here, and my brother showed no predilection for it. All of my siblings found government jobs. Unlike them, I had no desire to learn. Ha ha… I’m the only one who didn’t learn a profession.

My mother was a kindergarten teacher. Our parents worked hard to raise us all. They kept us clothed and fed. With such a large family, it was a struggle.

My father didn’t change much to the store when he bought it. I guess he had no need to for the first 20 years. Business was good. It was a thriving business. Then they began opening all the big supermarkets. Since the late ‘70s, early ‘80s, we’ve lost 70% of our sales. I know that’s over 40 years ago. I don’t know why I didn’t pack up and leave. It’s a complex question. Like I said, I guess I really never knew anything else. Look, I give good service. I like dealing with people. It’s not so bad.

property in the area. They’ve long passed away. They left their apartments to their children who, for the most part, don’t live here. They rent out their apartments.

Like I said, it’s all about key money. If I sell the business, 40% of it goes to the landlord. I can’t talk to her because she’s senile. Her sons act as her guardians. I’ve tried selling for the last two

“Yes, I’m going to keep working. Why should I stop? What else do I have?”

I have never had the desire to invest because I pay key money. Key money doesn’t affect my everyday business, but if I sell, the owner gets 40%.

By the time I get here at 7 in the morning, Tnuva have already delivered the milk produce. Most days, I work around 12 hours. If there’s not a lot of business, I close up early. If you include my travel time, I work a 14-hour day. It’s not logical to work so many hours at my age. I’m 74. But I have no choice. I have no strength to work anymore, but I don’t know anything else.

There are only a few regulars left. Once upon a time, my clients all owned

years. The problem is that people don’t want to buy a business where they’d have to pay like me. The landlords aren’t interested in selling their stake. That’s why I never wanted to invest in the store. Why put in half a million shekels, only to lose almost half of its cost once I sell?

I have no regrets. The work has been good. I never fought with anyone. I dealt with people with respect. I don’t have a boss. I’m independent. I wish I had more time for myself, but I don’t. I might have been happy being a government worker like my siblings and not having to come here to work. They have vacations. Even

when I’m sick, I come here.

I’ve got four children. Sometimes, two of my sons come here to help with the cleanup. My wife is at home. She’s retired. No, I don’t want my photo taken. I never have my photo taken. There might be one or two at home from one of the kids’ weddings. Take a photo of the storefront instead.

Yes, I’m going to keep working. Why should I stop? What else do I have?

I bought my wife a box of Telma Cornflakes and then sat on a bench down the road and gazed at the storefront. I might have been there half an hour. During that time, no customers entered the store. The only person who did was the local rabbi through whom Binyamin sold his chametz before Pesach.

What doesn’t come across in Binyamin’s musings is a quickness to answer; he pauses while considering his choice of words. It’s only conjecture that, out of a necessity to survive his life choices, Binyamin has rarely confronted his life’s trajectory head-on which, during our conversation, constantly found me looking away at the rickety and rusty metal shelves.

Rafi Sackville, formerly from Cedarhurst, teaches in Yeshivat Horev in Yerushalayim.

Celebrating the Rashbi in Ramat Beit Shemesh

By Avromi m ostofsky

Ijust returned from a visit to Eretz Yisrael, which coincided with my boss Zeesh (Alex) Barth’s trip. Upon learning of my plan to attend Rav Meilech Biederman’s Lag Ba’Omer Hadlaka (bonfire lighting) in Ramat Beit Shemesh, he kindly invited me to join him and his son, allowing us to travel together instead of driving separately (which is good because leaving at the end was nearly impossible. We literally followed other cars, who led us through a park, in order to circumvent the traffic!).

A friend of ours then reached out and made sure we got VIP tickets.

Shortly after eleven o’clock on Motzei Shabbos, we parked and headed over to our seats. Being in the VIP section, we had a unique vantage point as we watched a sea of people surge towards the bleachers as soon as the official gates opened.

Within minutes, the bleachers were filled, and by the time I turned around an hour later, the crowd had swelled to what must have been thirty to fifty thousand people. The sheer number of attendees was overwhelming, with every inch of space occupied.

Throughout the night, Rav Meilech mentioned the names of various individuals who needed tefillos (including some very young children), constantly urging the crowd to join in heartfelt prayers. He spoke passionately about the current hardships facing our people, and the col-

lective response was powerful. At one point, we all shouted, “Kraa roa gezar dinenu” (tear up this terrible decree), in unison. He had us repeat this over and over; it was such a profound moment.

His genuine compassion was palpable. He communicated with such sincerity and emotion, making everyone feel as though he was speaking directly to them. His tears and visible pain when discussing the suffering of others were deeply moving.

The gentleman standing in front of me must have been related to a child suffering from health issues. Around 3 AM, Rav Meilech moved away from the microphone and yelled down, asking him repeatedly for the child’s name. With the name finally relayed back, Rav Meilech spoke of the child’s tremendous suffering and then had everyone join in reciting Tehillim.

Rav Meilech then put all the papers with the names of those he was davening for into a bag, picked it up, and begged Hashem on the day of the Rashbi to heal them all.

The night was filled with singing, dancing, and a mixture of emotions. Watching Rav Meilech display such immense passion – dancing, jumping, spinning, screaming, and crying – was both inspiring and humbling. He repeatedly emphasized that Lag Ba’Omer is Rebbe Shimon’s day, a day when the Rashbi himself can cause the tearing of decrees, bring healing, and offer salvation.

“Even though it’s a yom tov,” he continued, “we are permitted to say Shema Koleinu on yom tov.” And so, we did. We shouted, “Pisach lanu shaar,” the “gates of heaven are open, now is the time.”

Cognizant of the large crowds, the organizers worked closely with authorities to ensure everyone’s safety. Any time there was a safety announcement, Rav Meilech’s astounding patience and humility were on full display. He stopped speaking or singing for each announcement, no matter how many there were. I was frustrated, and I wasn’t the one speaking, yet somehow, he didn’t seem to be bothered. He waited for them to finish and then continued.

Although in general the crowd respected the security requests, due to the sheer numbers, some bachurim ended up standing on the bleacher steps. When asked, most of them moved. However, in one section, despite many requests, none of the people moved.

Rav Meilech did not demand they cooperate so he could continue. He didn’t even address them directly. Instead, addressing everyone, he said, “You know what the Rashbi is also known for? Having tremendous middos tovos.” Of course, they got the hint and moved. Once again, he taught us a lesson in how to give mussar with gentility and kindness.

Standing so close to him and witnessing his fervor firsthand was an un-

forgettable experience. For five hours, we danced and sang, celebrating the Rashbi and the Torah he gave over to us.

At a time when there can often be so much divide, it was refreshing to see people from so many backgrounds joining together to celebrate our mesorah.

When the Rashbi first came out of his cave, he wasn’t able to relate to the simple farmer. By the time he came out the second time, he had worked on recognizing each person’s value.

Rav Meilech has spent a lifetime working on this same trait and is imbued with that special ability to see the value of each Jew. Each of us felt like he was speaking directly to us all night, and we walked out of there inspired and reinvigorated.

ADI Negev The Never Never Land of Therapy

By Jesse Vogel

From October 28 until November 6, I had the zechus to go to Eretz Yisroel with a few friends and volunteer as active ZAKA members, which was challenging yet rewarding at the same time. More recently, from May 11 until May 26, I had the zechus to volunteer at the ADI Negev Rehabilitation Hospital as an occupational therapist, treating both active and injured Israeli soldiers, victims of terror attacks, and other Yidden that are in the rehab hospital for other reasons.

After going to Eretz Yisroel in October, I had a burning desire to go back and do more but I didn’t know in what capacity. I had heard about an organization called EVP that was helping Americans do just that. I was put in touch with Scott Goldstein from the Emergency Volunteers Project, and my paperwork journey to get

opmental disabilities, but I was there to work with the physical rehabilitation portion of the campus.

I found out that one of my friends from Touro was there volunteering as a physical therapist, and he came out to meet me. We were staying in the same apartment. Through EVP, they try and have been very successful to have two OTs and two PTs volunteering at a time. I was volunteer number 26 so far. Having a friend there made it much easier to settle in, especially one whose Hebrew is much better than mine.

fore continuing to treat patients before we ended our treatment sessions around 3:30-4 PM.

back to Eretz Yisroel began. After my paperwork was completed, submitted, and my temporary license to practice in Eretz Yisroel was issued, I was put in touch with Dr. Shilo Kramer from ADI Negev. He told me that it was an all-expenses paid trip where they pay for and get me the temporary license, fly me there, give me free room and board including meals for two weeks, as well as paying for the taxi ride between the airport and ADI Negev both ways.

Once I got there and got out of the cab that first night, I felt that I needed to pinch myself because what I was seeing was a mirage. ADI Negev is located a few miles west of Ofakim surrounded by desert. Inside their fences is a 40-acre campus of lush, green, manicured grounds, numerous buildings for treatment and staff residences, therapy animals, and so much more. A large portion of the campus is used for patients with devel-

During the week, we started our days off with Shacharis, starting at 6:10 AM or 6:20 AM depending on krias haTorah. The shul was beautiful. It was on the second floor of ADI Negev right next to the elevator. It not only had handicapped accessible seating, but its Bima is on hydraulics in order to be able to lower it for someone in a wheelchair. Patients were a part of each and every minyan. ADI Negev took even the smallest details into consideration when constructing their buildings and campus in order to have the patients have full access to everything that they have to offer. Using our IDs, we were able to get a free breakfast from a staff-only vending machine that was replenished with fresh food daily.

My treatment schedule would start around 8-8:30 AM and go until about 12:30 PM when we would go to the café on the grounds and use a voucher that they supplied us with to buy lunch be -

Communication with the patients was on a spectrum. Many of the patients spoke fluent English, while others required my broken Hebrew and their broken English, and other required some assistance from either Google Translate or the assistance from a translator. In any case, baruch Hashem, it worked out. While some of the patients were elderly, many of them were wounded soldiers and Jews who were injured during the October 7 th attack. For example, one of the patients that I had become friends with was a 22-year-old who, on October 7, was shot several times in both arms and had tourniquets placed on both of his arms for approximately 8 hours until he was able to be brought to the hospital. The tourniquets stopped the bleeding and saved his life, but because of the prolonged period of time that the tourniquets were in place, a lot of the tissue on his arms began to become necrotic and had to be removed and be replaced with skin grafts. There was also a tremendous amount of damage to bones, his vascular system, and nerve damage. Despite this, he remained an amazingly pleasant and positive person who came to every treatment session and worked his heart out.

I am certified in two different treatment aspects of Neuromuscular Taping, which is not widely available in Eretz Yisroel yet. I educated the OT staff as

well as Dr. Kramer about the possible benefits that Neuromuscular Taping could and should have on their patients, and I was immediately put to work and enjoyed every second of it. Besides for my caseload, I was constantly being presented with other therapists’ patients and asked if I could tape them. My answer was always the same. I would say yes and “please try to find me more patients to treat.” Luckily, they had a large supply of the physical tape that was at my disposal because they were using it in other ways. I even brought my textbook to be able to show them and hopefully have them get certified in the future once they saw what it can do.

While Facetiming with my amazing wife, who let me go back to Eretz Yisroel for this second trip to help since October 7, she was the first one to give ADI Negev the title of a mirage. As I spent more time there, I began to call it the Never Never Land of Therapy. Not only was the staff amazingly compassionate to the patients and treated them like their own family…. Not only were the patients receiving the highest level of care…. Not only were the grounds more immaculate and well maintained than any other medical facility that I have ever seen…. The head of the Rehab department set the pace for everything that I was witnessing. Dr. Shilo Kramer is a total anav, which is part of his intoxicating charm. I have never seen someone who cares so much for their patients or their people.

He knows all of the patients, not only by name but he knows their stories and their families. I would often see him sitting and singing with patients to boost their morale. He even stayed late on Pesach Sheini to be able to sing and dance with the patients. I wish we had more people like him in this world.

The Neurology and Orthopedic units were next to each other and had seating areas outside of the wards where patients could be seen at all hours. They would be outside with their families or each other enjoying the beautiful campus like it was their home. There were many times that the staff members would stay after they were off the clock just to hang out with the patients during their free time. At night, I would walk the grounds before going to sleep. I would find something new with each lap around the grounds. Aside from the fountains, gazebos, plants, sitting areas and everything else, they had animals living on the grounds. They have multiple therapy horses, goats, chickens, turtles, ducks and many other species of birds, ponds filled with fish, a therapy pool, and the list goes on and on.

Now you are starting to get a small understanding of why I call it the Never Never Land of Therapy.

My PT friend Yitz told me about and then had me added to a WhatsApp group called “The Therapists,” which would post about groups of therapists that were going to go to Israeli army bases all over the country to treat active soldiers. I was

so excited to have the opportunity to do as much as I could to maximize my short two-week window. I was lucky enough to go to several army bases and treat the soldiers. I was combining deep tissue massage, trigger points, and Neuromuscular Taping. There are very few feelings better than having a soldier walk up to you broken and unable to stand totally erect complaining about his back from an injury from helping his fellow soldier and then working on him for 15-20 minutes and having him literally jump off the treatment table and say that he is “ready to go back to Gaza and teach them a lesson.” He was then thanking me for helping him while giving me a hug and then going around the base and getting his friends to come and wait online for me to treat them, too. I will now have these memories and cherish them for the rest of my life.

As if that wasn’t enough, my daughter Miriam, who is an eighth grader in TAG, was participating in a project that was given to the students to do by her Navi teacher. The project was to write something that they would each do individually as a zechus for Klal Yisroel during these trying times. She told her teacher about my upcoming trip to Eretz Yisroel and asked if they could give me the cards and have me distribute them to soldiers. There were around 150 individual cards, and I was running out of them during my trip and had to make photocopies to be able to give them out to more soldiers. I

kept these cards in my pocket at all times, because I never knew when I would run into an active soldier on the street or a wounded soldier at ADI Negev. The level of appreciation that the soldiers had when I would give them the cards was palpable. Many of them asked if I could take a picture or a video of them with the card to send to the amazing people in America who made them to send them to the soldiers to show them that we care about them. I saw many of the soldiers, after saying thank you and expressing what receiving these cards meant to them, walk away, and I would watch them and see them take pictures of the cards and send the pictures to friends and then call them and talk about it and smile. The smiles alone were worth every phone call that I made to help fund my trip. (Even though this was a trip that they paid for, someone had to fundraise to pay for it.)

I will end this article with their information so that others can be in touch with them and donate to them to not only help this amazing program continue but to make it so that it and ADI Negev can grow.

Https://youyu.be/-Cl6baaqK1o and https://adi-il.org/donate/ will show you with your own eyes what they are doing and will allow you to donate to them and be a part of this amazing venture to help Klal Yisroel. If you are interested in volunteering or making a donation or dedication, please reach out to Dr. Shilo Kramer at 1 (917) 915-6106.

The hamas Chief and the Israeli Who saved his Life

By Jo BECk Er A nd AdA m sELLA

TEL AVIV, IsrAEL –

This is how Dr. Yuval

Bitton remembers the morning of Oct. 7. Being jolted awake just after sunrise by the insistent ringing of his phone. The frantic voice of his daughter, who was traveling abroad, asking, “Dad, what’s happened in Israel? Turn on the TV.”

News anchors were still piecing together the reports: Palestinian gunmen penetrating Israel’s vaunted defenses, infiltrating more than 20 towns and military bases, killing approximately 1,200 people and dragging more than 240 men, women and children into the Gaza Strip as hostages.

Even in that first moment, Bitton says, he knew with certainty who had masterminded the attack: Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza and Inmate No. 7333335 in the Israeli prison system from 1989 until his release in a prisoner swap in 2011.

But that was not all. Bitton had a history with Sinwar.

As he watched the images of terror and death flicker across his screen, he was tormented by a decision he had made nearly two decades before — how, working in a prison infirmary, he had come to the aid of a mysteriously and desperately ill Sinwar, and how afterward, the Hamas leader had told him that “he owed me his life.”

The two men had then formed a relationship of sorts, sworn enemies who nevertheless showed a wary mutual respect. As a dentist and later as a senior intelligence officer for the Israeli prison service, Bitton had spent hundreds of hours talking with and analyzing Sinwar, who in the seven months since Oct. 7 has eluded Israel’s forces

even as their assault on Gaza has killed tens of thousands and turned much of the enclave to rubble. Now, U.S. officials believe Sinwar is calling the shots for Hamas in negotiations over a deal for a cease-fire and the release of some of the hostages.

Bitton saw that, in a sense, everything that had passed between himself and Sinwar was a premonition of the events now coming to pass. He understood the way Sinwar’s mind worked as well as or better than any Israeli official. He knew from experience that the price the Hamas leader would demand for the hostages might well be one Israel would be unwilling to pay.

And by day’s end, he knew something else: Sinwar’s operatives had his nephew.

ThE day he saved Sinwar’s life, Bitton was 37, running the dental clinic at the Beersheba prison complex, in the Negev desert of southern Israel. He had taken the job eight years earlier, in 1996, fresh out of medical school, assuming he would be treating guards and other employees.

Instead, he had ended up with a patient roster of some of Israel’s most hardened prisoners, including the Hamas operatives responsible for suicide attacks at a Jerusalem market and a Passover massacre at the Park Hotel, as well as the ultranationalist Israeli who assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin for his peacemaking with the Palestine Liberation Organization. There were times when Bitton would be drilling the teeth of one terrorist only to learn that outside the prison walls, another had struck.

“During the day, you would treat them, and at night, you come home and cry,” he said. “That happened many, many nights. Once there was a suicide attack near where my parents lived. Sixteen Jews were killed. Who would not cry at night? When you see a small baby being lifted, who wouldn’t cry?”

He tried to compartmentalize. He told himself that as a doctor, he was bound by his oath to do no harm. And on particularly bad days, he said, he would remind himself of the words that Israel’s primary architect, David Ben-Gurion, had made his mantra in the years after the nation’s founding: “The state of Israel will be judged not by its wealth, nor by its army, nor by its technology, but by its moral character and human values.”

Although some Israeli historians question whether Ben-Gurion always lived by those words, Bitton took them to heart. It was, he thought, what differentiated him from the prisoners he treated.

PrIson,

Sinwar once told an Italian journalist, is a crucible. “Prison builds you,” he said, gives you time to think about what you believe in — “and the price you are willing to pay” for it.

His rite of passage had begun in 1989, two years after the first intifada erupted, protesting Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. He was 27, with a reputation for extreme brutality, convicted of murdering four Palestinians whom Hamas suspected of collaborating with Israel.

He was born in a refugee camp in southern Gaza,

Beersheba prison complex where Yahiya Sinwar was held and where Yuval Bitton came to the aid of the Hamas leader

where his parents had been forced to live after what Palestinians call the Nakba, or catastrophe, when they were displaced from their homes during the wars surrounding the founding of Israel in 1948. In conversations with fellow prisoners, Sinwar spoke of how his refugee childhood had led him to Hamas.

“Something he always remembered is that all the men in the camp would go to one bathroom, and the women to another,” said Esmat Mansour, a fellow prisoner held from 1993 to 2013 for killing an Israeli settler. “There was a daily line, and you had to wait. And how they distributed food and the humiliation they would undergo. It isn’t something special to him, but it apparently impacted him a lot.”

Sinwar had been recruited by Hamas’ founder, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, who made him chief of an internal security unit known as Al Majd. His job was to find and punish those suspected of violating Islamic morality laws or cooperating with the Israeli occupiers.

In an interrogation after his arrest in 1988, he dispassionately described shooting one man, strangling another with his bare hands, suffocating a third with a kaffiyeh, and choking and punching a fourth before tossing him in a hastily dug grave. Records of the interrogation make clear that, far from being remorseful, Sinwar saw beating confessions out of the collaborators as a righteous duty. One of them, he told interrogators, had even said that “he realized he deserved to die.”

Sinwar continued his campaign against informants from behind bars. Israeli authorities believed he had ordered the beheadings of at least two prisoners he suspected of snitching. Hamas operatives would throw their severed body parts out of the cell doors and tell the guards to “take the dog’s head,” Bitton said.

But if Sinwar was feared by his fellow inmates, he was also respected for his resourcefulness. He tried to escape several times, once surreptitiously digging a hole in his cell floor in hopes of tunneling under the prison and exiting through the visitor center. And he found ways to plot against Israel with Hamas leaders on the outside, managing the smuggling of cellphones into the prison and using lawyers and visitors to ferry messages out.

Often, the message was about finding ways to kidnap Israeli soldiers to trade for Palestinian prisoners. Years later, Sinwar would say that “for the prisoner, capturing an Israeli soldier is the best news in the universe, because he knows that a glimmer of hope has been opened for him.”

“They were formative years,” Ghazi Hamad, a senior Hamas official who serves as an informal spokesperson, said in an interview. “He developed a leadership personality in every sense of the word.”

He also became fluent in Hebrew, taking advantage of an online university program, and devoured Israeli news, to better understand his enemy.

A routine search of his cell yielded tens of thousands of pages of painstakingly handwritten Arabic — Sinwar’s translations of contraband Hebrew-language autobiographies written by the former heads of Israel’s domestic security agency, Shin Bet. According to Bitton, Sinwar surreptitiously shared the translated pages so other inmates could study the agency’s counterterrorism tactics. He liked to call himself a “specialist in the Jewish people’s history.”

“They wanted prison to be a grave for us, a mill to grind our will, determination and bodies,” Sinwar once told supporters. “But, thank G-d, with our belief in our cause, we turned the prison into sanctuaries of worship and academies for study.”

Hamas, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, elects its leaders democratically, and that structure was mirrored behind bars. In each prison, one committee was charged with making quotidian decisions — who slept in the top bunk, what to watch during allotted TV hours — while another meted out punishments to

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suspected collaborators, and still others oversaw things such as divvying up money sent by Hamas leaders that could be used to purchase food at the commissary.

An elected “emir,” along with members of a high council called the “haya,” ruled over this structure for limited terms. For much of Sinwar’s time in prison, he alternated as emir with Rawhi Mushtaha, a confidant who had been convicted alongside him for killing collaborators. It was Sinwar’s turn in 2004.

ATthe time, the episode seemed of little consequence.

After all, Bitton said, Sinwar was supposed to be serving four life terms.

As a dentist in Israel, Bitton had also trained in general medicine, and was often called upon to assist the three other prison doctors, stitching up wounds or helping with a tricky diagnosis. So, when he emerged from seeing his dental patients that day in early 2004 to find several clearly perplexed colleagues surrounding a disoriented Sinwar, Bitton did what a doctor does. He joined them.

“What’s going on?” he asked the prisoner.

The two men had met on a number of occasions.

Bitton often wandered back to the prisoners’ wings, partly out of curiosity about how some of Israel’s most

fervent enemies thought, and partly because the trust he engendered as a doctor made him a useful intermediary when prison administrators wanted to know what was going on. Just as Sinwar had learned Hebrew, Bitton had taught himself Arabic. He became such a regular presence in the cellblocks that some prisoners suspected, wrongly, that he might be an intelligence plant.

Lately, Bitton had been working to persuade Sinwar and others to cooperate with Israeli researchers studying suicide bombings. But in the examining room, Sinwar didn’t seem to know him.

“Who are you?” Bitton recalled him asking.

“It’s me, Yuval.”

“Wow, I’m sorry — I didn’t recognize you,” Bitton said the prisoner replied, before describing his symptoms.

He would stand for prayer and then fall. As he spoke, he seemed to drift in and out of consciousness. But for Bitton, the most telling sign was Sinwar’s complaint of a pain in the back of his neck. Something is wrong with his brain, the dentist told his colleagues, perhaps a stroke or an abscess. He needed to go to the hospital, urgently.

He was rushed to nearby Soroka Medical Center, where doctors performed emergency surgery to remove a malignant and aggressive brain tumor, fatal if left untreated. “If he had not been operated on, it would have burst,” Bitton said.

A few days later, Bitton visited Sinwar in the hospital, together with a prison officer sent to check the security arrangements. They found the prisoner in bed, hooked up to monitors and an IV, but awake. Sinwar asked the officer, who was Muslim, to thank the dentist.

“Sinwar asked him to explain to me what it means in Islam that I saved his life,” Bitton recalled. “It was important to him that I understood from a Muslim how important this was in Islam — that he owed me his life.”

rWAsInrarely, if ever, spoke to Israeli prison authorities. But now he began meeting regularly with the dentist, to drink tea and talk.

They would meet back in the cellblocks, two men with strikingly similar features — cropped, prematurely graying hair; dark, quizzically arched eyebrows; high cheekbones. Bitton, a loquacious, easygoing man, often joshed with the other prisoners, getting them to open up about their families or sports. But with Sinwar, the talk was all business and dogma.

“The conversations with Sinwar were not personal or emotional,” he said. “They were only about Hamas.”

Sinwar knew the Quran by heart, and he coolly laid out his organization’s governing doctrines.

“Hamas sees the land we live on as the holy land, like, ‘This is ours, you don’t have a right to live in this land,’” Bitton said. “It wasn’t political, it was religious.”

Bitton would press him: Was there no chance, then, for a two-state solution?

Never, Sinwar would say. Bitton would respond: Why not?

Because this is the land of Muslims, not for you — I can’t sign away this land.

In a search of his cell, guards had confiscated a handwritten novel that Sinwar finished at the end of 2004, after the surgery. “You couldn’t make a Hollywood movie about it,” Bitton said, laughing. “But it was about the relationship between men, women and the family in Is-

Yuval Bitton in his nephew’s destroyed home

At least one copy was smuggled out; The New York Times found a typed PDF in an online library.

The novel, “The Thorn and the Carnation,” is a coming-of-age story that limns Sinwar’s own life: The narrator, a devout Gaza boy named Ahmed, emerges from hiding during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war to a life under Israeli occupation. In their cruelty, the occupiers cause the “chests of youth to boil like a cauldron.” In retaliation, Ahmed’s friends and family attack them with knives, ambush them with Molotov cocktails and hunt collaborators so as to “gouge out the eyes that the occupier sees us with from the inside.”

Weaved throughout is the theme of the unending sacrifice demanded by the resistance. At university, where he is recruited to Hamas, Ahmed becomes infatuated with a woman he sees walking to and from class. “I am not exaggerating when I say that she truly surpasses the full moon,” he says. Yet, their relationship — chaste and proper according to Muslim values — never develops; the reader never even learns the woman’s name.

“I decided to end my love story, if it can even be called a love story,” the narrator says. “I realized that ours is the bitter story of Palestine, for which there is only room for one love … one passion.”

But if Sinwar, unmarried at the time, ever entertained the notion of an alternative path for himself, he did not share his thoughts with Bitton. (Indeed, even after his release from prison and subsequent marriage, he has said very little publicly on the subject of his own family, except to note that “the first words my son spoke were ‘father,’ ‘mother’ and ‘drone.’”)

Bitton was under no illusion about whom he was dealing with. A prison assessment that Bitton said he helped compile called Sinwar cruel, cunning and manipulative, an authoritative man with “the ability to carry crowds” who “keeps secrets even inside prison amongst other prisoners.”

Still, there was a certain transactional honesty to their conversations. Each man knew the other had an agenda.

Just as Bitton probed to better understand the schisms between Hamas and the other Palestinian factions inside the prison, Sinwar returned again and again to the fissures in Israeli society that he read about in the Hebrew news media: between rich and poor, between Sephardic and Ashkenazi, between secular and Orthodox Jews.

“Now, you’re strong, you have 200 atomic warheads,” Sinwar would say. “But we’ll see, maybe in another 10 to 20 years, you’ll weaken, and I’ll attack.”

In 2006, after Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas stunned political observers by winning the largest number of seats in the Palestinian Authority’s legislative elections.

Israeli authorities, worried that the election would help legitimize a group that the United States and European Union had designated a terrorist organization, devised a plan to remind the world of Hamas’ true colors by giving some of its incarcerated leaders a media platform on “60 Minutes” and in an interview with Israeli television. Bitton was tasked with selling the idea to Sinwar, who would have to sign off.

“Speak freely, you can say whatever you want about Israel,” Bitton told Sinwar and other prisoners.

The plan worked, from Bitton’s perspective. When Abdullah Barghouti, who had organized suicide bombings that killed 66 people, was asked on “60 Minutes” whether he regretted his deeds, he readily answered yes. “I feel bad, ’cause the number only 66,” he said.

Sinwar, for his part, tried to use his first and only interview with an Israeli television outlet to send a savvier message. With Bitton looking on, he told the interviewer that Israelis should “be scared” about Hamas’ election victory. But, he added in comments that weren’t aired, much depended on what the Israeli government did next. “From our perspective, we have a right that we’re asking from the Israeli leadership,” he said. “We aren’t asking for the town.”

The next year, to great alarm in Israel, Hamas wrested full control over Gaza in a violent power struggle with Fatah, a secular rival political party.

This was the time, Bitton decided, to channel the relationships he had built with Sinwar and other imprisoned Palestinian leaders into a new role, one that would not leave him feeling so conflicted. He applied to become an officer in the Prison Intelligence Service, and after a short course, he was assigned to ketziot prison in 2008. The man who “doesn’t understand the motives and roots of their enemy,” he explained, “will not be able to prevent those organizations from doing what they want.”

BITTon

was quickly thrown into a monumental challenge. Two years earlier, in 2006, an Israeli soldier, Gilad Schalit, had been kidnapped in a daring cross-border raid. Among his captors was none other than Sinwar’s brother.

The kidnapping profoundly shook Israeli society, with its credo that not a single soldier should be left behind. As the Israeli government, working through a back channel with a team of international intermediaries, attempted to negotiate a prisoner swap, Bitton was tasked with using his connections to imprisoned Hamas leaders to glean intelligence on what they would accept.

By 2009, Israel had agreed in principle to exchange 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for Schalit. Sinwar “was managing the negotiations from inside the prison with a group of brothers who were also with him,” according to Hamad, the informal Hamas spokesperson, who was involved in the negotiations.

There was only one problem: Despite being on the

list, Sinwar didn’t think the deal was good enough, according to Gerhard Conrad, a retired German intelligence officer involved in brokering the Schalit deal.

Sinwar was insisting on freeing “the so-called impossibles,” Conrad said. Those were the men serving multiple life sentences, men such as Barghouti and Abbas al-Sayed, who had masterminded the Passover suicide attack that had killed 30 people at the Park Hotel.

Saleh Arouri, a founder of Hamas’ armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, and a leader of prisoners from the West Bank, approached Bitton. Would he help push against Sinwar’s obstinacy?

Arouri “understood they had to compromise — that we would not release everyone,” Bitton said. “He was more pragmatic.”

Recognizing that the rift between Sinwar and Arouri could potentially be used to advance the Schalit negotiations, Bitton got his bosses to sign off on a plan aimed at deepening the division. At Arouri’s request, prison officials brought together 42 influential West Bank inmates from three separate prisons so that Arouri could win them to his side.

But pressuring Sinwar turned out to be much harder.

Bitton saw what he was up against in 2010, when, amid the stalled Schalit negotiations, Sinwar tried to compel all 1,600 Hamas prisoners to join a hunger strike that would have left many of them dead. The goal wasn’t even to free prisoners, just to release two from long-term solitary confinement. In that moment, Bitton said, he realized there would never be a Schalit deal as long as Sinwar remained in the way.

“He was willing to pay a heavy price for principle,” Bitton said, “even if the price wasn’t proportional to the goal.”

Even after the Schalit negotiators managed to persuade the Israelis in 2011 to release additional prisoners, bringing the total to 1,027 — including some, though not nearly all of the “impossibles” — Sinwar remained opposed.

But by this point, Arouri had been released from prison and was a member of the Hamas negotiating team, led by Ahmad Jabari, a top commander who had led the raid that captured Schalit. Under pressure from Egyptian mediators, the team concluded that this was as good a deal as it was going to get.

Sinwar’s authority had been diluted. But just to be sure, the Israelis put him in solitary confinement until the deal was done. (Arouri was killed in an Israeli airstrike this past January.)

On Oct. 18, 2011, Bitton stood in the yard of ketziot prison, watching as Sinwar boarded a bus to Gaza. Having witnessed the persuasive power of Sinwar’s leadership up close, Bitton said he had urged the negotiators not to free him. But he was overruled, he said, because Sinwar “didn’t have as much Jewish blood on his hands” as some of the others.

“I thought you need to look at the capabilities of the prisoner to use their abilities against Israel and not just what he did — his potential,” Bitton said.

In news video footage from that day, Sinwar does not look all that pleased either, scowling on a makeshift stage in central Gaza City as Ismail Haniyeh, then leader of Hamas in Gaza, gleefully waves to the thousands gathered to celebrate the prisoners’ release. Hours later, in

Yahya Sinwar and Dr. Yuval Bitton at the Beersheba complex during negotiations for the Schalit prisoner deal

an interview with Hamas’ Al-Aqsa TV, a defiant Sinwar made a promise.

“We shall spare no efforts to liberate the rest of our brothers and sisters,” he said. “We urge the Qassam Brigades to kidnap more soldiers to exchange them for the freedom of our loved ones who are still behind bars.”

“He told us what he was going to do,” Bitton said. “We didn’t want to listen.”

A Bou T

6:30 a.m. Oct. 7, Bitton’s nephew, Tamir Adar, woke up in Nir Oz, a kibbutz less than 2 miles from the Gaza border. Adar, 38, worked as a farmer, and he normally rose early so that he would have time to enjoy the long summer afternoons, drinking beer as he watched his daughter and son splash around in the community pool.

That morning, as air raid sirens blared, rockets pierced the sky and sporadic gunfire ricocheted off walls, Adar left his wife and children in their house’s small safe room and went out to join the kibbutz’s armed emergency response team.

At 8:30 a.m., he sent his wife a WhatsApp message: She should not open the safe-room door, not even if he came pleading to be let in. The kibbutz had been overrun.

At 4 p.m., soldiers finally arrived and called residents out of their safe rooms. Adar was nowhere to be found. His mother, Yael, called her brother, Bitton: “Tamir has disappeared.”

Roughly 100 Nir Oz residents — a quarter of the population — had been killed or kidnapped in the Hamas raid. The world quickly knew that Adar’s paternal grandmother, 85-year-old Yaffa Adar, was among them, as viral video showed armed militants carrying her to Gaza in a stolen golf cart. It would be three weeks before Israeli officials could confirm that Tamir Adar had been taken hostage, too.

Before, his mother worked as the administrator for a school district near the Gaza border. Now, she gave herself over to the hostages’ cause, attending marches and demonstrations to pressure the government into striking a deal with Hamas for their release.

“One day you’re hopeful and the next in despair,” she said. “One day you’re crying and the next you’re able to gather yourself.”

She wondered whether she should ask her brother to leverage his connections, but decided against it. “What could I tell him?” she said. “Call Sinwar?”

In the years since the Schalit deal, Bitton had climbed the ranks of the Israeli Prison Service, becoming the head of its intelligence division and then a deputy commander overseeing 12 prisons before retiring in 2021. Sinwar had traced a parallel arc. After his release, he was elected to a role akin to Hamas defense minister. And in 2017, he was elected leader of Hamas in Gaza, overseeing all aspects of life in Gaza.

It hadn’t escaped Bitton’s notice that the Hamas assault came at a time of deep division in Israel, the nation wracked by protests over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts, demanded by the right-wing parties crucial to his political survival, to dilute the power of Israel’s Supreme Court. It was precisely the type of schism that Sinwar had spoken of years before at Beersheba, when he said he would attack at a time of internal strife.

Sinwar, after being released in the Schalit deal, October 19, 2011

Bitton held small hope for his nephew’s release. For Sinwar, the hostages were a means to an end — freeing the Palestinian prisoners left behind in the Schalit deal and putting the Palestinian cause back on the world stage. Even if Sinwar knew who his nephew was, Bitton said, “at the end, he looks at us as Jews.”

Still, in one of their last conversations, on the day Sinwar was freed, the Hamas leader had again thanked him for saving his life. Sinwar had even asked for his phone number, although Bitton had to refuse because prison employees are forbidden to communicate with Hamas leaders on the outside. He believed that Sinwar would feel bound by a kind of code, and that if he was

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made aware that Hamas held Bitton’s nephew, he at least would not allow him to be mistreated.

“Beyond the fact that we are enemies, at the end of the day, there is also his personal outlook,” Bitton said. “In my opinion, he would treat him the same way I did, saving his life despite being an enemy.”

Several weeks after the Hamas attack, in the hope that Sinwar was still an avid follower of Israeli news media, Bitton decided to give a television interview. In it, he said only that he had been part of a team that had diagnosed Sinwar decades before and that his nephew was among the hostages. (In other interviews, he similarly downplayed his role, because, he said, he was worried about how he might be perceived by a nation in mourning.)

In late November, Adar’s grandmother was released in a weeklong cease-fire deal that saw 105 of the hostages freed, mostly women and children. What Bitton knew but could not say in his family’s moment of joy was that Sinwar would hold on to military-age men such as Adar until the very end, to guarantee his own survival.

“Can I tell my sister that they’re releasing Yaffa Adar, Tamir’s grandma, and that that will be the last release and Tamir will remain there? I can’t say it, but I know him and I know what he’ll do,” Bitton said. “That’s why

I stayed silent, but I’m eating my heart out.”

Yet, there was reason to believe that his nephew was still alive. In the wake of Bitton’s TV interview, Israeli intelligence learned that Sinwar was asking about Adar’s well-being and that subordinates had assured him that he was all right.

It turned out the subordinates had asked after the wrong person. On Jan. 5, the government told the family what new intelligence showed: Wounded while defending his kibbutz, Adar had apparently died not long after being dragged into Gaza, one of at least 35 hostages believed to be dead, among roughly 125 still being held.

Bitton returned to Nir Oz on a sunny winter morning. Blackened buildings peeked out between columnar cactuses, deafening booms from artillery shells interrupted chirping parrots and cooing doves, and an acrid smell still hung in the air. “The smell of death,” Bitton said, wrinkling his nose.

Rounding a corner, he stopped. “That’s his blood,” he said, his face tightening in grief as he pointed toward a concrete wall that once hid the kibbutz’s dumpsters, now a dark-stained marker of his nephew’s last stand. And nearby, a small memorial, a fleet of toy tractors.

“Do you see what’s lost?” Bitton said. “It’s like that here. No one remains, just birds and stories.”

These days, Bitton meets regularly with the hostages’ families, sharing everything he learned about Sinwar, to help them manage expectations.

In recent weeks, international negotiators have pressed Israel and Hamas to accept a deal that, in its first phase, would see some of the hostages exchanged for many more Palestinian prisoners and a temporary cease-fire, according to officials familiar with the process. But Hamas has held out for a total cessation of hostilities that would leave it in charge of Gaza, a red line for the Israeli government.

“I tell the families not to get their hopes up,” Bitton said. “In this situation, there is no chance.”

BITT on

and his sister have revisited, over and again, that long-ago day in the prison infirmary. She said they try to laugh at the “absurdity” of it all. “On the one hand, my brother saved a life, and on the other, his sister lost her boy to the same person he saved.”

She assures him there was nothing else he could have done.

“These are our values. Yuval never would have acted differently, never, and neither would I,” she said. “But in the end, we were screwed.”

First and foremost by their own government, they said. Hamas is Hamas, as Bitton put it. “With Sinwar, I know he wants to destroy us,” Yael Adar echoed. “My greatest anger is that there was no one to defend our borders.”

Not everyone in Israel seems to see it that way. Sitting together in a cafe in Eilat, a town on the Red Sea where the survivors of Nir Oz were first relocated, brother and sister were approached by a stranger. The woman fixed her gaze on Bitton, apparently recognizing him from his interview on TV. She had a question.

“Why did you save him?” she asked. “Why?”

The Wandering Jew Florida Part III

My previous article about our trips to Florida centered around Miami and nearby locations. Aside from sharing personal observations of time spent in the Sunshine State, I included a listing of different sights and attractions that we visited and experienced. True, Miami Beach and its environs was where we made our headquarters, but exploring other Florida destinations was definitely part of our aspirations. This article covers many of the places in southern Florida that we were privileged to see and enjoy. In a sense, these articles have the flavor of a travel brochure but may serve my readers with suggestions of what Florida has to offer.

Naples

Millionaires Row is a line of beachfront homes built by the prominent and wealthy on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Just driving down Gordon Drive with

By Hershel Lieber

its shaded cypress and live oaks and the ever-present palm trees is a divine delight. The homes are elegant, many with

a Spanish motif but not exaggerated. The surrounding manicured landscaping is just as important as the handsome

buildings. Nearby Naples Pier provides an amazing unobstructed view of the horizon and is a popular location to watch the red and orange rays that paint the sky and ocean during sunset.

Fort Meyers

Edison & Ford Winter Estates include the historic homes, gardens, and laboratory of the early 20th century industrialists Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. The two distinct homes are not mansions but rather comfortable residences where these friends spent their winter months. There are many artifacts from Edison in the museum dedicated to his ingenious inventions. The incandescent light bulb, the phonograph, and the motion picture camera are only the most famous of his over 1,000 patented inventions.

We enjoyed our guided tour and were rewarded with a greater understanding of these two creative inventors.

Beach on the Gulf of Mexico, Naples, 2019

Blair Audubon Trail, Naples, 2019

Sanibel Island

The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum piques the interest of people who view seashells only for their natural beauty. We learned the role that shells take in architecture, history, medicine and religion through the museum’s stimulating exhibits. The displays only feature a sampling of the over 500,000 shells the museum possesses. We found the museum intriguing. We later went to the nearby shell-laden beach where one can do “shelling” – which means collecting shells. The abundance and the incredible variety makes the beach a world leader in “shelling.” We took some samples as souvenirs, but the finding of unique shapes and colors was a fun activity by itself.

Tampa

The Florida Aquarium is rated among the ten best aquariums in the U.S. We found out why during the winter of 2024. The massive collection of over 8,000 species of marine life is displayed in dramatic, natural-like settings. The maze of exhibits takes a visitor through forest swamps and riverbeds to coral reefs and ocean depths. A bird aviary with a lush mangrove tunnel, native fish, otters, as well as alligators replicate Florida’s Wetlands. We spent nearly

two hours there and were disappointed that we had to leave.

St. Petersburg

The Salvador Dali Museum has a great collection of the artist known as the father of Surrealism. Dali’s style is very different than Impressionism, Cubism or other modern art techniques. We were not sure that we would enjoy it as much as we did. Dali Alive 360, an immersive experience celebrating the life and genius of this world renowned painter, was similar to the immersive shows that we previously saw about Monet and Van Gogh. We sat in a theatre-like setting surrounded by multi screens of Dali’s vibrant art in motion, accompanied by music and a narration.

The Florida Holocaust Museum is one of the largest Holocaust museums in the States. The exhibit, which begins with the rise of Nazism, covers every aspect of that horrible era. One walks in somber silence through displays depicting the early years of discrimination, Kristallnacht, ghettos, killing fields, concentration camps, cattle cars, death marches and the Final Solution of gas chambers and crematoriums. What follows is the story of liberation and the resettlement

of survivors in Israel and the United States. Walking aside the displays was heart wrenching but is a necessary journey that everyone should take.

Sarasota

Ca d’Zan, the Mediterranean revival residence of the American circus mogul John Ringling, features an eclectic array of architectural styles including Venetian, Gothic, Italian Renaissance, Moorish and Spanish. We went there in the winter of 2024 and were blown away by its beauty! The 36,000-square-foot mansion is nestled between sixty-six acres of magnificent gardens with trees and flowers interspersed with well over one hundred statues and Sarasota Bay. There was also an exhibition of circus paraphernalia including animal caged wagons, posters, and the famed circus train.

The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art, which adjoins Ca d’Zan, has twenty-one galleries of European, American and Oriental art. There are more than 10,000 objects of art including a world-famous collection from the Flemish Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640). We went through most of the galleries but only stopped to inspect the paintings that caught our attention.

Hershel Lieber has been involved in kiruv activities for over 30 years. As a founding member of the Vaad L’Hatzolas Nidchei Yisroel he has traveled with his wife, Pesi, to the Soviet Union during the harsh years of the Communist regimes to advance Yiddishkeit. He has spearheaded a yeshiva in the city of Kishinev that had 12 successful years with many students making Torah their way of life. In Poland, he lectured in the summers at the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation camp for nearly 30 years. He still travels to Warsaw every year – since 1979 – to be the chazzan for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur for the Jews there. Together with Pesi, he organized and led trips to Europe on behalf of Gateways and Aish Hatorah for college students finding their paths to Jewish identity. His passion for travel has taken them to many interesting places and afforded them unique experiences. Their open home gave them opportunities to meet and develop relationships with a variety of people. Hershel’s column will appear in The Jewish Home on a bi-weekly basis.

Shell Beach, Sanibel, 2019

Thomas Edison’s lab at his winter home, Fort Meyers, 2019

Winter home of Henry Ford, Fort Meyers, 2019

Florida Aquarium, Tampa, 2024

Ca’ d’Zan, Sarasota, 2024

Harbor in St. Petersburg, 2024

Salvador Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, 2024

Nation

Moshe Chaim Shinohara

The First Jewish Samurai

By Eliyahu RosEnBERg

When most people think about samurais, they tend to imagine fighters who wear armor and wield long swords. But in reality, being a samurai isn’t really about fighting but about living a life of integrity, respect, and discipline – to help and defend others. In other words, to follow the samurai’s moral code requires one to be a mensch.

Following its surrender at the end of World War II, Japan was thrust into a new world with new values, leading most of its citizens to abandon the ways of old. However, one man, a Japanese Air Force

In His Words…

pilot who fought in World War II, refused to give up the traditions he was raised with. Having come from a long line of samurais, the man rejected society’s new standards, staying true to his roots and starting a family built on the traditions of his ancestors.

This man would later have a grandson who became an Orthodox Jew. His grandson’s name is Moshe Chaim Shinohara.

* * *

As is the case with the Kohanim, l’havdil, one must be born into a family of samurais in order to be a samurai.

Being a friend isn’t good enough. With this life, with the Jewish people, i define myself; with this discipline, i ’ve come alive. i want to be part of your people.

The first mitzvah that i did was wearing tzitzit. it means so much to me. it’s very symbolic and it’s a reminder of how many books of the Bible we received at Mount sinai. so, that’s the reminder of how many mitzvos there are. That’s the symbol of our relationship with hashem, our g-d.

Man plans, and g-d laughs. We should set aside our plan and just place our trust in hashem. Everything will be okay.

“My grandfather was a samurai, his father was a samurai, too; his grandfather also. My grandfather’s son – my father –is also a samurai. And I was born into it. So, it’s an unbroken chain of brave people of honor and discipline,” explained Moshe Chaim, a Japanese convert.

In Japan, Moshe Chaim – or Hiromichi, as he was originally named – wasn’t raised religious in the typical sense of the word, as belief in G-d wasn’t a central tenet of his family’s faith. Rather, his religion growing up was, in his words, “tradition touched by emotion.” The discipline of Bushido (the way of the warrior) was what Hiromichi, his family, and, of course, his grandfather lived by.

“A samurai is a man of honor, integrity, and propriety, meaning he lives by the discipline called Bushido. Bushi means warrior; do means the way of. My grandfather taught my father very well. Baruch Hashem, G-d bless my father, he didn’t change the way even a bit,” he continued. “So, my sister and I were raised according to the way that my grandfather lived. And we were very famous for being traditional. I was actually the only child in my class whose family still kept the old tradition. Everybody else just moved on from it.”

At the tradition’s core was family. While most of his peers only lived with their parents, Hiromichi lived with his parents and paternal grandparents, whom he would spend much of his time with. But it wasn’t really his family’s practices that set Hiromichi apart from his classmates. Rather, it was their commitment to living a life of honor, morals, and self-discipline that made him different.

Hiromichi never resented his family’s tradition, nor did he ever entertain the idea of rebelling against it. However, he admits that, as a child, he felt lonely because none of his peers could relate to him. Moreover, he sensed that others resented him for being different.

* * *

Hiromichi had no idea who the Jewish people were until he was a sophomore in college, when he met a Jewish professor at his school. The teacher, a secular but very proud Jew, gave lectures on deep topics, such as how one could achieve happiness and live a life ripe with meaning.

“He talked about how a person could achieve a good life. Can a person achieve a good life by pursuing material wealth, money, prestige, a fancy job title, or a fancy degree? Can a person truly accomplish a good life in pursuing those earthly things or is there something else that could define a person? That question really intrigued me, quite deeply,” recalled Moshe Chaim. “At the time, him being Jewish really didn’t mean anything to me because I didn’t quite know who the Jewish people were at the time of 1998. So, what I saw in him was a man of integrity and deep knowledge, a man of profound message, [with whom] I really felt kinship.”

With time, the Jewish professor became Hiromichi’s mentor.

After Hiromichi graduated from college in Japan, his mentor suggested that he move to the United States to attend graduate school in Los Angeles, where the professor was based. When the young

Japanese man arrived in the States, he experienced a sudden culture shock. He was lost.

He couldn’t speak English. He had no family members in the U.S. And the culture in Los Angeles was strange to him. But he was determined to make it work. Thus, Hiromichi studied English day and night, sleeping for only three hours a day. And a year and a half later, he was finally proficient in the language.

But in 2003, as Hiromichi was starting graduate school, he still felt lost and lonely in Los Angeles. To him, everything was strange: the culture, the language, and even the academic environment. For two years, he wandered around sleep-deprived, confused, and unhappy. Alas, the turning point for Hiromichi’s life was when he was invited to a Rosh Hashana dinner.

“My Jewish professor had a family tradition of getting together for the first night of Rosh Hashana dinner…with one of the Orthodox rabbis from an organization called the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. His name is Rabbi Abraham Cooper, one of the most influential rabbis in America – probably worldwide,” explained Moshe Chaim. “So the rabbi, baruch Hashem, after two years of my being adrift in American society, invited me over. And I became part of this family tradition.”

The food was incredible, but what surprised and comforted Hiromichi the most was that he saw all the elements of his childhood tradition at this Rosh Hashana dinner. Sitting around with the group of Jews, he saw the same emphasis on family, selflessness, concern for others, and honor. At the table, eating was not just done as a physical act but as a means of caring for others.

“There was this sense of honor, a sense of service to others. Everyone was asking how the other person was: ‘How are you?’ ‘Where is your life holding?’

‘How has everything

been?’ So, their entire eating experience was not just for the sake of eating. Food was only a vehicle to achieve that home environment for the entire family,”

Moshe Chaim said.

“After the dinner, with tremendous excitement, I called my parents. I told them that the tradition that they raised me with, unfortunately, was dead in Japan. And with that, I told them that the same tradition that they raised me with was vividly alive and well with the Jewish people,” he explained. “And they were so proud, perhaps at the same time very relieved to hear that I encountered the tradition, and at the same time that I was not drifting away from the tradition. Rather, Hashem Yisbarach made sure that I come back to it.”

Each year, Hiromichi continued the Rosh Hashana tradition of having dinner with Rabbi Cooper and his family. And with each passing year, he became more and more convinced that this was the same tradition he was raised with.

Fascinated with Judaism, Hiromichi embarked on an intellectual journey to learn more about the religion, as he began reading books recommended by Rabbi Cooper. The more he learned about Jewish practices, the more he fell in love with Yiddishkeit. However, three years after Hiromichi’s first Rosh Hashana dinner, he was still living an unhealthy life in which his diet mostly consisted of hamburgers, cheeseburgers, double burgers, super-size fries, and sodas. He realized that his kosher-keeping friends were all healthy and energetic, and thus, Hiromichi decided to conduct a personal dietary experiment: he would try keeping kosher.

Following his decision to keep kosher, Hiromichi quickly lost weight and, for the first time in years, felt energized and healthy. Two years later, Hiromichi, who was still a non-Jew at the time, began keeping Shabbos as well.

“Coming from a culture of discipline,

I didn’t think for a moment that the disciplined Jewish life is a limited type of life. Discipline oftentimes gives a person a framework for his life, just like for my grandfather,” explained Moshe Chaim. “But one thing that really caught my eye was the degree of kindness that every Jewish person shows to his or her fellow Jew. Doing kindness is one of the pillars that this world stands on, just like Pirkei Avos says: ‘Avodas Hashem, limud haTorah, u’gemilus chasadim.’”

With time, Hiromichi became a part of the Jewish community in Los Angeles, as he continued keeping Shabbos and kashrut and became more and more knowledgeable about Judaism. But one day, he had enough. He went to Rabbi Cooper and told him, “I want to become a Jew.”

Rabbi Cooper’s reply: “Are you nuts?”

“Why do you want to become Jewish? You’re a great friend of the Jewish people,” Rabbi Cooper said, reminding Hiromichi about antisemitism and the challenges of being a Jew. “Why don’t you remain that way?”

“So, my answer was that being a friend isn’t good enough,” declared Moshe Chaim. “With this life, with the Jewish people, I define myself; with this discipline, I’ve come alive. I want to be part of your people.”

* * *

Hiromichi kept asking the rabbi if he could convert. Rabbi Cooper, in accordance with halacha, kept saying no.

“Every time he rejected me, I took it as a personal challenge. I come from a samurai background, remember? So, every time a rejection came, my attitude hardened, and my determination became stronger,” he recalled.

Eventually, Rabbi Cooper referred Hiromichi to Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein, who continued trying to dissuade him. But along the way, Rabbi Adlerstein gave him deep books on Judaism, frequently spoke with Hiromichi, and had him over for Shabbos meals. Soon enough, Rabbi

Adlerstein brought Hiromichi to shul.

At the shul, the young Japanese man felt out of place, once again. All the sefarim and davening were in Hebrew, which he had no familiarity with. And thus, Hiromichi eagerly learned the aleph-beis and began learning to read, write, speak, and understand the holy language. A year and a half later, he started a geirus program at the Rabbinical Council of California, and on April 1, 2012, Hiromichi became Moshe Chaim, an Orthodox Jew.

In 2014, Moshe Chaim earned his Ph.D. – just a day before his aufruf. He had met his wife earlier that year and got married in Philadelphia on November 23, 2014. Moshe Chaim’s parents were very supportive and flew in from Japan to be at their son’s wedding.

“Getting married to my wife was one of the happiest moments in my life and that I couldn’t do without becoming Jewish,” Moshe Chaim said.

“My grandfather would be very proud. I say this because, before I decided to come to America, I asked my grandmother first. I felt it would be a little strange because the United States was the country he fought against, and I didn’t think it would be quite appropriate if I went there without asking my grandmother,” Moshe Chaim explained. “I asked my grandmother if my grandfather would be proud of me, or even if my grandfather would feel it was appropriate for me to go to the United States to pursue my studies. My grandmother gave me a simple approval, saying that ‘your grandfather would be very proud.’

“So, this story of becoming Jewish, starting with me being born into the only family where similar values are kept, I see Hashem’s guidance in this – that He held my hand all along and walked me through life, one event at a time, until, in the end, I became Jewish,” Moshe Chaim Shinohara maintains. “My grandfather would be very proud.”

Dating Dialogue What Would You Do If…

Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters

Dear Navidaters,

Our family looks forward to reading your column every week on Shabbos, especially now that I’m in shidduchim.

My friend (let’s call her Rivka) comes from a yeshivish background, and they are not the type to be lenient when it comes to halachos (pertaining to sefirah). Rivka came over last week, and we were discussing her current relationship. In our discussion, she casually mentioned how on her last date her “boyfriend” (we’ll call him Yehoshua), who she has been dating seriously for about three months, had music playing in his car, during sefirah. Rivka told me that in the back of her mind she wanted him to shut the music but didn’t bring it up. I can’t think of a reason why.

I’m writing in because I didn’t know how to respond. To me, there are two issues. Since Rivka overlooked the issue of him playing music on sefirah without asking her, I’m worried that 1) Rivka will be dismissive and won’t speak up for herself in other aspects of their relationship; and 2) I’m worried that Yehoshua will continue on being ignorant to her preferences.

Is this an issue that I should bring up to her, or should I not get involved? How should I approach this?

Thank you, Sarah*

The Panel

The Rebbetzin

Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

Sarah, you bring up something important and you are right to be concerned. Many young women are so eager to be liked on dates that they don’t bring things up. It’s not merely a matter of lack of assertiveness and self-expression; there is a primary need for likeability because of the perceived shidduch inequalities in today’s Jewish culture. Women need to seek a comfort/safety level in a relationship where they feel and do bring things up. They need to be heard and responded to respectfully, as well.

What you can do with Rivka is bring up the general topic of feeling safe bringing up something sensitive/controversial/ personal next time she talks to you about dating. Without being a therapist, allow

her the opportunity to consider this aspect of a relationship and whether she has experienced this with the young man.

Some therapists actually suggest actively trying this out when one dates, even if it doesn’t come up so that one sees how another person responds to something that may be construed as critical/controversial.

are the two main “first half/second half” camps surrounding sefirah, there are some other mentalities as well. It sounds like Yehoshua is a typical yeshiva guy! He probably either keeps a different half of sefirah or has different minhagim and doesn’t think it matters to her if it is on in the car.

It sounds like you are worried in general for Rivka to learn a bit more about confidence, being vocal and sharing her opinions and thoughts. I do have a couple of ideas for you, but none of them require you to pry into her relationship directly.

Many young women are so eager to be liked on dates that they don’t bring things up.

Michelle Mond

Dear Sarah,

You are a good friend and seem to be very caring about Rivka’s feelings, but do NOT say anything to her. There are a myriad of reasons why this bochur might have been playing music in the car. As you know, there are many different minhagim pertaining to sefirah; and while there

Look up a really good shiur on the topic of confidence and communication. Forward it to her with the caption, “OMG Rivka, I just listened to this, and it’s amazing. I thought you’d love it!”

Find other ways in her life where she could speak up. For example, if the two of you are at a restaurant and the waiter delivers her food cold. Use that as a teaching moment to encourage her to come out

of her shell.

Learn a self-help sefer together that you secretly know has undertones that will help her in this area.

I will end with one last thing. Friends in general love to help each other, but there are some friends that go overboard in a way that is unhealthy. These friends latch on to their friends’ issues and make it their own mission to “fix” the friend,

The Shadchan

thereby becoming the savior in the story. They put their own red flags into the minds of the friend, even at times where there was no red flag at all. This kind of friendship propels a cycle of victim—> savior. Remember that Rivka is her own person and can navigate her relationships on her own without you. You can help her discreetly in the areas you think she might need a boost, but do not mix into her dating life.

The Single

Tzipora Grodko

Hi Sarah, there is no issue and no need for you to approach your friend. In general, it’s best to not get invested and involved in friends’ dating relationships. You can trust that they are making decisions best for themselves, based on their value system and judgement.

The Zaidy

Dr. Jeffrey Galler

Arecent New York Times article described how the Iranian Morality Police (known as the Guidance Patrols – Gasht-e Ershad) arrest women who do not wear a proper hijab (headscarf). These unfortunate women are often sent to “re-education” centers, and one such woman, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, died while undergoing “re-education.”

In our very small Orthodox Jewish community, we do not approve of Morality Police, and, consequently, you will find a wide diversity of halachic opinions and traditions. For example, note how it is virtually impossible to even attempt to categorize the variety of hats, yarmulkas, and head coverings deemed essential by different Orthodox groups.

This Navidater column is most definitely NOT about halacha, but, when it

Pulling It All Together

The Navidaters

Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

Dear Sarah,

Thank you for writing! And what a great question. Here you see a potential stumbling block in front of your friend – perhaps one inside of her even. Are we supposed to call these things to our friends’ attention out of care and concern or are we to respect their privacy and not meddle?

I think that every friendship is different, and like with most issues, there is often no one right answer. I respect that you are hesitant to share with Rivka because you are concerned that you’d

be violat - ing her privacy and her boundaries. I am imagining that you and Rivka have a somewhat healthy and boundaried relationship, and that this is truly weighing on you...

What if you asked her for permission to bring something up concerning something she had mentioned that you thought was worth mentioning because you love her? If you ask permission, you would be showing Rivka that you both

comes to music during sefirah , please note what Rabbi Ari Enkin recently wrote:

“Rabbi Mordechai Willig holds that there is no true prohibition against listening to recorded music during sefirah... Recorded music doesn’t arouse the same sense of joy that dancing does. Accordingly, he rules that one may listen to recorded music.

“This is also the ruling of Rabbi Nachum Rabinovitch.

“While the more normative approach is to ban all music during sefirah, those who feel the need to listen to music around the house or while driving have whom and what to rely upon.”

Furthermore, note that Reb Pinchas Scheinberg permitted such music during sefirah, commenting that people can often benefit by listening to calming music.

So, I hope this helps you understand that opinions on this issue can vary, with some authorities being more lenient and others more stringent. Therefore, it is important to demonstrate basic, proper middos by showing tolerance and understanding toward those whose views differ from our own.

Accordingly, Sarah, instead of tell-

Every Orthodox couple will decide, for themselves, exactly where they wish to position themselves on our religious spectrum.

ing your friend what you think she ought to do, just be an empathetic, non-judgmental listener. We all need to accept that every Orthodox couple will decide, for themselves, exactly where they wish to position themselves on our religious spectrum.

But, of course, for those who feel an overwhelming need to impose their own beliefs upon others, The New York Times reports that the Iranian Morality Police are currently accepting applications.

respect her personal, emotional space and love her enough to take a risk and bring up something potentially uncomfortable. Personally, in my closest friendships, I welcome this. My good girlfriends are my eyes and ears when mine are “busy.” I welcome their input because I know they have my best interests in mind. I trust the relationships. Without feedback from those we love and trust, we only have ourselves to rely on. That is lonely, and we are often not the best judge of our own character and decisions. This is one of the most delightful parts of true female friendship for many. I understand that not everyone feels the same way, and for

some this would be even offensive, and that is why there is no wrong or right answer.

Trust your gut and the kind of relationship you and Rivka share. Should you decide to bring it up, I suggest staying away from the Yehoshua part and focusing exclusively on the Rivka part. If Rivka welcomes your feedback, wonderful. If she doesn’t, you will know the parameters of your friendship and take it from there. A solid friendship should be able to withstand one friend’s loving and well-intentioned concern. All the best, Jennifer

“Iknow just what happened, don’t tell me a thing I know ‘cause I took my kids there last spring When you got to the store and walk through the door All of your Kinderlach started to sing!

“We want Lego and Construx And a hockey set deluxe We want baseballs, we want bats We want helmets, we want hats Like I said to you before: never take kids to a store All you’re gonna hear is: we want more and more!”

(Marvelous Middos Machine, “Never Take Kids To A Store”)

It’s a common childhood phrase, “I need this” or “please, buy this for me.” Their list can be endless, and they often have a particular store they want it from.

They may use the words “want” and “need,” but these two words mean very different things. Needs are something

Parenting Pearls Wants vs. Needs

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

required, while wants are something desired but not absolutely necessary. Children often can’t differentiate between these two. Sadly, many adults also can’t make this distinction. This creates extra confusion for their children.

It’s normal to want things, and modern day society has many things for us to want. Years ago, advertisements were more limited in their reach, and regulations were put in place to limit marketing during children’s programming. Today, our children are exposed to far more wants than those of the ‘80’s featured in The Marvelous Middos Machine

There has been much discussion about the influence affluence has had on the Jewish community. The expected standard has only increased. It’s assumed that parents will provide sleepaway camp, expensive brand name sneakers and clothes, exciting vacations and extravagant simcha celebrations. My father recalls his bar mitzvah – they served simple, homemade food. Today, we expect sushi and charcuterie boards. Learning to balance what we give our children and when we say ”no” is a

continuous juggling act. One article will not suffice for this topic but can at least start this discussion.

The Matzav

I remember two older relatives comparing the poverty of their childhood; one lived through the Great Depression and the other was in America just out of the displaced person camps. They went back and forth describing the financial lack until one said, “Our sandwiches only had onion and tomato.” He received a triumphant response, “Ha, we didn’t have tomatoes, only onions in our sandwiches.”

Baruch Hashem, our children don’t need to live under such harsh circumstances. Our community spans a vast financial range, but we still try to maintain safety nets for those at the lower end, ensuring our youth don’t need to be limited to onion-only sandwiches. We can never thank Hashem enough for these gifts. Previous generations survived on the bare minimum, while modern day Jewish society can maintain dozens of restaurants in a single community.

There are also benefits to some of these “extras.” above and beyond the advantage of not starving. Nicer foods enhance our Shabbos and yom tov experience. Family vacations can give us the opportunity to spend needed time together. Camp provides an important social experience for many children.

Along with the increased wealth comes their own set of challenges. In a recent Living Lchaim podcast, Dr. Debra Alper discussed some of the issues that come along with the increased wealth and wants. She brought up many of the unexpected anxiety and mental health concerns she’s seeing. I’ll mention a few of the points she discusses. Adults and kids alike are feeling stress from money, a pressure to keep up with others, and shame regarding their perceived lacks. Adults are being forced to work longer hours to maintain this standard that is continuously being raised by our increased spending.

Too much “stuff” can create entitled children. I’ve personally seen spoiled kids of all financial levels. It’s less about the actual dollars spent and more about

the attitude. I write “stuff” to differentiate between materialism that has a limit, with that which doesn’t – love, attention and emotional support for our children.

Dr. Alper mentions the important role we have in modeling good financial behavior for our children. They learn from our habits and our attitude.

Correct Categories

It’s important to determine whether something is a want or a need. This is tricky and I don’t have an answer for you as it’s somewhat subjective. While some topics have clear answers, for others such as this, the best we can do is give parents the information to decide for themselves.

What’s important is that parents take the time to think carefully and decide whether something is beneficial for that individual child. Just taking the time to consider whether or not to buy something is positive modeling for our children. While not an exhaustive list, there are some criteria we can use to help us decide.

Is this necessary for their physical or emotional health? If the answer is

“yes,” then it’s more likely a need. This includes more items than just basic food and shelter, and certain children will have more complex needs. For example, a child that is struggling socially in school may benefit from being in a particular sleepaway camp with a different peer group.

We need to contrast this with requests that are specifically unhealthy

by peer pressure and can feel jealous or deprived when not having something “everyone has.” There are many drawbacks to peer pressure. Children can feel forced to act in ways they don’t want to. For example, many students won’t stand up for a bullied friend. Children need to learn to be themselves and be capable of standing on their own. For some kids, this is easier than for others.

Learning to balance what we give our children and when we say ”no” is a continuous juggling act.

for a child. There are many things children ask for that are not good for them. They may beg and plead, but we need to be firm and not risk their physical or emotional health.

Peer pressure is a challenge that can’t be ignored but must be balanced. Children are naturally very influenced

It’s helpful to remember that just because your child says so doesn’t mean “everyone has it.” Also, just because “everyone has it,” that doesn’t indicate that it’s a good thing to have.

Ultimately, parents need to carefully consider whether or not something is in their child’s or family’s best interest.

Will this ultimately enhance their life, or will this further propel them into the endless cycle of wants? We need to continuously daven and ask for the wisdom to make these decisions.

“But kids who have good middos are simply not that way

They know how to appreciate whatever comes their way

And you can even disregard all that I’ve said before

And let them come along with you…

When you (you). Go (go).

To (to). A (a) Store!”

(Marvelous Middos Machine, “Never Take Kids To A Store”)

May Hashem help us raise a generation of children with good middos who appreciate the many blessings all around us.

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

School of Thought

By Etti Siegel

Q:Dear Etti,

I am so nervous about graduating high school. I have been with most of my classmates since preschool and some of my new friends since 9 th grade.

Instead of enjoying the end of my high school experience, these feelings are ruining my sleep and ruining my last few weeks at school.

I don’t think anyone realizes how nervous I am because I am walking around smiling and acting normal.

Do you have any advice for me?

-Helpless High Schooler

A:Dear High Schooler, While this might not be the correct forum for this letter, as this is really a column about the connection between home and school, I am choosing to answer so that the teachers and parents who read this column will know that many students feel as you do, and they should look out for the teens who are struggling as you are, to help and support them if they can.

For 13+ years you have had your life scheduled for you. There were ups and there were downs, but the uncertainties were within a set structure you were familiar with. You might not have known who your teacher was going to be, or if the school was mixing up the classes which girls would be in your class, but overall, you knew what the days and weeks ahead looked like.

Now, you are graduating. I hope I am not jumping to conclusions when I guess you are female. (I get more letters from females .) Even if you are going to a seminary here or abroad, life is about to change in a big way. And that can be very unsettling.

There is actually a term called completion anxiety. “Completion anxiety is a type of anxiety that people experience when they are close to finishing a project or task” (choosingtherapy.com). Sometimes completion anxiety occurs because of the “anticipatory fear of what is to come once the task is completed or the work that will be needed to finish the task” (ibid).

Children of all ages and stages struggle with the end of the school year.

It is exciting to finally graduate high school, but there are so many uncertainties ahead! Fear of the unknown, lack of structure and guidance, changing relationships, separation anxiety, and other people’s expectations of you can all play a big part in how you are feeling right now.

The first thing you might want to do is try to lessen the uncertainty of the unknown. If you are going to seminary, see if you can connect to others who went there already and ask them to paint a picture of what the days look like. If you are going to college or starting to work, do the same.

Ask around about shiurim and classes that young girls who are post-high school or seminary attend. Most larger communities have such classes weekly. Even if you did not love such lectures when you were in high school, suddenly, you might find that when you choose to go to a class as an adult you enjoy it more. Not only does this help you create a set schedule for yourself, this is also a great way to keep up with classmates and make new friends.

If you see that you are feeling more than just regular sadness and nervousness over this change, and it does not go away over time and it lasts more than a few weeks, it might be wise to make sure adults in your life

are aware that you are struggling. Learning how to deal with change is a big part of adulthood and getting the tools to help you not only accept it but enjoy it would help you now and in the future.

Thanks for writing in. I hope this was helpful.

- Etti

P.S. Children of all ages and stages struggle with the end of the school year. Many parents think that the beginning of the school year is hard, but for many children, the end of the school year can be extremely anxiety-producing.

Teachers talk a lot about preparing the class for the next year and that can cause some children to feel very anxious and overwhelmed.

When a person feels anxious, it means the body is feeling threatened. Fight, flight, or freeze is the natural response to such feelings. In younger children, this might look like refusing to go to school, having a tantrum when you insist on having them go to school or do homework, or misbehaving in class. A child who usually gets along with his/her peers might suddenly be biting or hitting.

Anxious children are not bad children. They need the adults in their lives to help them with the overwhelming feelings they are experiencing. (Read https://www. heysigmund.com/anxiety-or-aggression-children for a lot more interesting and helpful information on this subject.)

If your child seems to be anxious, clarify and normalize their feelings, and build them up. If you have confidence in them, often they will have confidence in themselves.

Etti Siegel holds

I’m clearing out my office; with June approaching, it’s time to wrap up and put things away. This last time, it’s forever.

As teachers, we appreciate and treasure our private place of quiet to work. It can be as small as a closet, but it’s yours. Most often, if a teacher is lucky, the classroom becomes the sweet spot. Within the walls of crowded schools, most rooms become shared spaces used by multiple colleagues, when administrators search for spaces to educate their students.

Through the years, as my responsibilities evolved, I finally became the recipient of my own office. My first one was in the Yeshivah of Flatbush in Brooklyn, my first school home, when I became the Dean of Students. I loved the work, my colleagues (many continue to be beloved close friends), the intellectual environment and my office – a converted long, narrow bookroom where squatter mice kept me company.

Years later, when meeting former students, they would get misty-eyed while talking to me about the “quality time” we spent in that space. Just this week, interviewing a little boy applicant, his dad, a former student, recounted long ago memories of sitting with a similarly delinquent friend seeking refuge on the floor in front of my office.

When I became the founding principal of the Joseph Kushner Middle School, my office was a huge, huge converted classroom turned into an office suite with magnificent furniture and a view of mountains. I always smile with the fond memories of the kids, the people, and the space. And yes, we are still friends.

At Morasha, my office was the porch in front of my one room cabin and my golf cart. I never drove it and only ever sat in it as a passenger, sometimes for hours. I developed my relationship with my adopted-by-life brother in that cart.

Nothing compares with my office journey at HANC; when I started, I was placed in the office below the stairs; it was the space held by former administrators. No one ever came there willingly

School of Thought

Quality Time in My Office

By Barbara Deutsch

or, more significantly, was able to find me. It’s actually not so bad to be invisible as a principal. When I developed major mold allergies and the powers that be realized that it’s not a bad idea to have a visible principal, I moved up the two flights of stairs to my current palace; it’s only a mild exaggeration.

What is a not so well kept secret, before the new building opens, is that my office at the top of the stairs, tiny and cramped, is awesome. Anyone who wants

given that option for consequence.

Just this week, an adorable second grader was given the honor of getting a reset by me.

Let me paint the picture: the room is a square with windows all around and a usually open door. I prefer to sit against the far wall and not at my desk, which is across the room and under a window.

Anyone sitting at the desk is visible to all who pass by.

Little blond boy sat at my desk, terri-

Just this week, interviewing a little boy applicant, his dad, a former student, recounted long ago memories of sitting with a similarly delinquent friend seeking refuge on the floor in front of my office.

to know, knows that it’s the epicenter of the entire building. It boasts wraparound windows and a view of anything and everything HANC.

HANC students are terrified to be sent there; I know why but don’t understand. Kids who come visit me are there for the quality time (a strong conversation). Often, you can hear them begging not to be

fied, gorgeous, and wide-eyed. After we chatted a bit about poor decision making, he began to relax. That’s when I noticed that he was quietly interacting with kids who seemed to stream past; his equally blond and gorgeous sister came twice. I saw him shrug and wave whomever by.

I suddenly realized that each sleuth visitor was checking if “blond boy” was

okay and surviving the “ordeal.” I’m not sure exactly what all of the worry was about.

That’s when I started belly laughing. Is this who I am? Am I really that scary?

When I became the Associate Principal at HANC 15 years ago, the new position was for K to 6. I had not been in a kindergarten classroom since my first job as the lead teacher at Flatbush Park Day Camp in Brooklyn, more than 55 years ago. Since that time, I had always worked in middle and high school settings; I miss leaving it to this day.

For all my years at HANC, my interactions with elementary school age (K to 6) kids was modeled after my dealings with older and much older kids. I have to sometimes catch myself when I talk to make sure that I use words that the child actually understands.

No worries – kids are really smart, and when they read my face and see my eyes, they get it.

All these years later, the kids who spent “quality time” with me are my champions. When I bump into one of them on our life’s travels, the conversation will often drift to the times we shared figuring it out. And if I fail to acknowledge them by name, as at a recent HANC bar mitzvah, they call me out on it.

As I close down my office at the top of the stairs, hand it over to my good friend and capable not so scary colleague, I am nostalgic but happy.

I loved my journey through my different schools and camp offices, luxurious and not at all. Most of all, I loved and cherished the “quality time” I got to spend together with the kids who needed a little extra love and attention.

Praying for peace and freedom for the brave hostages.

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.

Health & F tness

Shaping up for Summer Warm Weather Wellness

The weather is getting warmer, and many of us are looking forward to trips to the beach and pool. While summer is a time to relax and take it easy, it does not mean that we should also abandon our health goals. Pool and beach outings can contribute to weight gain since they often involve increased snacking, alcohol consumption, and decreased physical inactivity due to lounging around in the sun. In this article, we will explore practical strategies to help you make mindful choices, stay active, and enjoy the summer while keeping your health and weight goals in check. Utilize these tips at the pool, beach, and even all year long.

Stay Hydrated

Even when we are physically inactive, such as just sitting under an umbrella, it is critical to stay hydrated in the hot weather since dehydration can lead to heat exhaustion and heatstroke. When it comes to weight, dehydration can sometimes be mistaken for hunger, leading to unnecessary calorie consumption. By staying properly hydrated, you can better differentiate between thirst and hunger cues, helping to prevent overeating. Water is also calorie-free, very filling, and can help reduce your overall calorie intake, which is essential for weight maintenance and/or weight loss.

Pack Healthy Meals and Snacks

If you plan to go to the beach or pool, it’s essential to prepare and bring your own food. While it’s tempting to buy food at the canteen or eat food your friends bring to the beach, packing your own meals can ensure you’ll stay on track with your weight goals. When choosing snacks, refrain from bags of chips and cookies since those options can lead to weight gain. Choose healthier snacks

By Aliza Beer MS, RD, CDN

like fruits, nuts, or veggie sticks. For meals, focus on balanced options that provide essential nutrients without excess calories. If you know you’ll be attending a pool or beach outing, plan your meals and snacks ahead of time to make healthier choices. Pay attention to your body’s hunger fullness cues. Eat mindfully to prevent overeating, and stop eating when you feel satisfied to avoid mindless snacking while lounging by the water.

Here are examples of snacks and meals that are pool- and beach-friendly.

Meals:

1. Whole grain sandwiches or wraps filled with grilled chicken, turkey, tuna, or egg salad. You can add avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber.

2. Salads that contain a leafy green base; protein like chicken, hard boiled eggs, or tuna; and vegetables.

3. Sushi that is not fried, with brown rice, vegetables and fish.

4. Veggie burger or turkey burger lettuce wraps with tomato, red onion, and avocado.

Snacks:

1. Fresh fruit that is easily portable like apples, grapes, berries, and oranges. You can also put frozen grapes in the freezer which helps you keep cool on hot days.

2. Cut vegetables such as carrots, sugar snap peas, cucumber, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes. These can also be paired with hummus and guacamole.

3. Nuts: You can easily pack little bags of almonds, cashews, walnuts, and pecans. While nuts contain a lot of essential nutrients, it’s important to be mindful of portion sizes since they are highly caloric.

4. Cottage cheese or yogurt cups can be packed in a cooler bag and are a great source of protein to help keep you full.

5. Popcorn, whole grain crackers, pretzels, and rice cakes are healthier savory snack options.

If you go to the beach a few times a week, limit your ice cream purchases to once a week. You can also opt for a lower-calorie dessert like an ice pop or frozen yogurt instead. While it’s okay to enjoy treats in moderation, aim to

stay consistent with your healthy eating habits and exercise routine even during beach outings. Consistency is key to achieving and maintaining weight loss goals over the long term.

Limit Sugary Drinks

Sugary beverages like sodas, sweetened iced teas, and alcohol are high in sugar and empty calories which can contribute to weight gain. Alcoholic beverages can also contribute to dehydration, as alcohol acts as a diuretic, increasing urine production and promoting fluid loss from the body. While those drinks are okay to have in moderation, it can be easy to overdrink them. To help save your calories, look for healthier beverage choices like water, unsweetened tea, or flavored water. If you choose to drink alcohol, pack light beer or hard seltzers which are lower in calories.

Stay Active

While the beach and pool are notorious for people just laying on beach chairs, take advantage of the longer daylight hours and warm weather by staying active outdoors. Incorporating physical activity into your beach or pool day not only enhances your overall fitness but also helps with the enjoyment of your outdoor experience. Go for walks or runs on the beach, swim in the ocean or pool, or play sports like beach volleyball. Not only are these activities fun, but physical activity can help burn excess calories which can aid in your weight goals.

Be Sun Safe

Protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays isn’t just about maintaining a healthy weight, it’s about safeguarding your skin’s long-term health and reducing your risk of developing skin cancer and premature aging. Sun-

burn can make you feel uncomfortable and may discourage physical activity. This means you might have to limit your exercise for a few days, which may contribute to weight gain. To stay safe in the sun, apply sunscreen, and reapply every two hours and after you swim. Wearing a hat and sitting under an umbrella can help give your body a break from the sun as well.

Get Adequate Sleep

Aiming for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night is not just about feeling rested; it’s also a crucial part in maintaining a healthy weight and your overall well-being. Getting enough sleep is essential for regulating hunger hormones, such as leptin and ghrelin, which play a key role in appetite regulation and energy balance. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body produces less leptin, the hormone that signals fullness, while increasing levels of ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates appetite. This hormonal imbalance can lead to increased hunger, cravings for high-calorie foods, and a tendency to overeat, ultimately contributing to weight gain over time. Inadequate sleep can also impact your food choices and eating behaviors.

Research has shown that sleep deprivation is associated with a greater preference for calorie-dense, high-carbohydrate foods, as well as increased impulsivity and impulsiveness in food-related decision-making. To get enough quality sleep, establish a consistent sleep

cant impact on both mental well-being and physical health leading to emotional eating and weight gain. When stress becomes chronic or overwhelming, it can trigger cravings for comfort foods high in sugar, fat, and calories as a coping mechanism. Practice stress-reducing

While it’s okay to enjoy treats in moderation, aim to stay consistent with your

healthy eating habits and exercise routine even during beach outings.

schedule and create a relaxing bedtime routine to signal to your body that it’s time to go to sleep. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and stimulation activities before bedtime. Create a comfortable sleep environment that is cool, dark, and quiet to help you easily fall asleep.

Manage Stress Levels

High stress levels can have a signifi-

and well-being, while also regulating the body’s internal clock and promoting better sleep patterns.

As we move into the warmer months, pool and beach outings become a significant part of enjoying the summer. It’s crucial to remain mindful of our health goals since pool and beach outings often tempt us with unhealthy snacks, sugary drinks, and sedentary lounging, which can derail us from our weight goals. To remain on target, focus on consistent water hydration, packing healthy food and drinks, and staying active outdoors. Don’t forget to protect your skin with sunscreen and keep stress levels in check for overall well-being. These tips and strategies can help you with an enjoyable summer by also staying on track with your health goals!

techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, or yoga to help manage stress levels. The beach or pool environment provides a relaxing and tranquil setting that is ideal for engaging in stress-reducing activities. Exposing yourself to natural sunlight can also help boost your mood. Sunlight stimulates the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter associated with feelings of happiness

Aliza Beer is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in nutrition. She has a private practice in Cedarhurst, NY. Patients’ success has been featured on the Dr. Oz show. Aliza can be reached at alizabeer@gmail. com, and you can follow her on Instagram at @alizabeer

In The K tchen

Southwestern Corn Soup

Yields about 8 servings

By Naomi Nachman

I love soup any time of the year;. I use seasonal ingredients to make a delicious pot of soul-warming soup. This soup can be made with fresh summer corn during the summer season; the rest of the year you can use frozen kernels. To make it dairy, you can swirl in a dollop of sour cream and add this to your Shavuos menu.

Ingredients

◦ 2 Tablespoons canola oil

◦ 1 medium onion, diced

◦ 2 (14-16 ounce) bags frozen corn kernels

◦ 1 Tablespoon kosher salt

◦ 1 teaspoon cumin

◦ 1 teaspoon chili powder

◦ 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

◦ 4 cups vegetable broth

◦ 1 cup water

◦ 1 Tablespoon lime juice

◦ Crunchy chickpea croutons, for topping

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion; sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until starting to get some color.

2. Add corn, salt, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika; stir to combine. Continue to cook for 5-7 minutes, until fragrant and corn is softened.

3. Add broth and water; raise heat to high. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let soup simmer for about 1 hour.

4. Remove from heat. Blend, using an immersion blender, for about 3 minutes, until completely smooth. Stir in lime juice.

5. To serve, fill a bowl with soup, then place a couple of spoonfuls of chickpea croutons in the center.

Cook’s note: I typically buy the Good Bean brand of crunchy chickpeas from Gourmet Glatt to use as a topping.

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.

Fd for Thought Anju

By Nati Burnside

Ioften get asked about what the best restaurant is that can cover two different requirements:

“what’s a place that’s very nice, but also not that expensive?” Or “Is there a restaurant that’s both casual, but also not that loud?”

Well, if you happen to be looking for something with a trendy vibe but also has really interesting food, let me introduce you to Anju.

Anju is slated as “modern Asian fusion.” The menu is well-crafted with dishes that fuse all kinds of things together. Different Asian cuisines, American food, Jewish foods…it’s all there. And the decor provides a very modern vibe that gives you the feeling that you’re in a place that many other people would like to be in. And that’s not just because of the line of people waiting for a table. (Don’t forget to make a reservation. Trust me.)

When I was invited to experience Anju, the first thing I ordered was the Anju Caesar. For those who read this column regularly, you’ll know that I don’t often order salads at fleishige restaurants, and it’s even more rare when the salad doesn’t include meat. But I decided to make an exception here because the description was tantalizing enough that I just couldn’t turn it down. With a base of romaine and napa cabbage, the salad featured cashews, strips of wonton wrapper crisps, imitation parmesan, and a ginger Caesar dressing.

First of all, the ingredients in this dish are brilliantly chosen. The salad certainly fits the Asian category with the cabbage, the croutons being swapped for wontons, and the ginger giving the dressing a really nice kick. The cashews as an added salty component (instead of capers) was also a nice touch given that the imitation parmesan was made with cashews. Starting with this dish also gave a clear entry into one of the types of fusion that Anju was trying to accomplish by taking something

that isn’t Asian and making it so. It was a great salad; just be prepared for that ginger in the dressing.

For a cold appetizer, I’d recommend the Wagyu Beef Tataki. The slices of beef were perfectly seared on the outside, rare in the middle, and served cold to allow the taste to come through. Each slice had a dollop of truffled tofu to add a note of creaminess along with the sukiyaki vinaigrette (a hybrid of a gravy and a dressing). The flavor of the beef was able to shine and impress on its own, but the added elements certainly enhanced the experience. The texture of the tataki made for a great mouthfeel and the garnish of the spiced watercress provided a added kick that could be avoided if needed.

Bao Buns are certainly becoming a slightly more common menu item in kosher restaurants. In Anju’s style, their version takes the Asian original and fuses it with classic American food. Served folded over, it’s stuffed with barbecue brisket and some lightly pickled cucumber. The sauce is a garlic hoisin that reminds you that while this pulled beef is American, you’re still in an Asian restaurant. The cucumber has just enough acidity to balance the sweetness of the beef, while also being the perfect crunch to go with the mush that is the bun and beef.

Onto another type of Asian fusion: the Matzo Ball Ramen. Here, Anju strives to fuse classic kosher food into Asian cuisine, and the result is delightful. The matzo ball is a medium-sized dense ball with good flavor, the char siu chicken is an interesting choice as it is roasted before being added to the soup, the ramen noodles step in to pinch hit, and the miso broth and Japanese scallions cement the Asian flavors. There’s a lot going on in this bowl, but the textures and flavors are on point. The chicken isn’t just boiled in the broth and therefore has that char siu flavor that you’ll appreciate; the mix of textures between the ramen and the matzah ball

provides a great contrast; and the miso soup broth has a saltiness that many of us crave as the main function of a traditional chicken soup.

Sticking with ramen, let’s talk about the Spicy Dan Dan. This is a bowl full of things I love, and the presentation shows you everything before you mix it together. First, there’s the bed of ramen noodles, in this case served mixed with a Szechuan pepper sauce. Next is a stripe down the middle of the bowl of chili crunch. A recent supernova in popularity in the non-kosher restaurant world, this is one of the first menus in a kosher restaurant where I’ve seen the crispy fried clusters of spicy deliciousness. The next stripe over features stir-fried onions to provide some depth of flavor to the bowl. This is followed by the chili ground beef that makes this bowl a full meal if you want it to be. Lastly, scallions garnish the top of this beautiful masterpiece. Mixing everything together will get you an amazing combination of textures and flavors that you won’t soon forget – just make sure

you’re fine with the level of spice. With so many sections on the menu, I honestly recommend that you piece together your meal in many courses at Anju. For instance, they also have a full sushi section of the menu if that’s what you’re looking for. But if you came with a real entree in mind, I’d order the Korean Kalbi Short Ribs. These marinated “Miami ribs,” as we’d call them in America, are salty from the soy marinade but also have that unmistakable flavor of Korean barbeque sauce. The dish comes with a pile of blistered shishito peppers, which are very bitter (on purpose), but tasty if you can get past the bite. As somebody who loves ribs, this may have been my favorite thing on the menu. It’s easy to pop the small bones out of each slice and savor the meat as you eat through the pile of ribs.

If it’s a trendy ambiance and interesting food you want, search no further. Anju is certainly a spot that can satiate both of those needs.

Oh, and also your hunger.

Meat - Modern Asian Fusion 128 Cedarhurst Avenue, Cedarhurst, NY (516)-837-9684 | AnjuLINY.com Vaad Hakashrus of the Five Towns and Far Rockaway

Bernath & r osen B erg s tr I ve to Make

F I nanc I al Plann I ng e asy

By larry Fried

It was one decade into working together when CPAs Jacob Rosenberg and Jim Bernath discovered that their partnership had begun years before they would ever meet. Their story would actually begin with Rose and Nellie.

They were two young girls and best friends living in Mukačevo, also known as Munkács, a thriving Jewish community in former Czechoslovakia. They were so inseparable that the world had to physically tear them apart; the Nazis invaded the town during World War II, separating the two girls and their families for years to come. One would move to New York, the other Australia, and they would rebuild their lives from scratch.

These two girls both had children, both of whom would grow up and pursue careers in accounting. The two children were Jacob and Jim, who wouldn’t discover their mothers’ long-lost bond until well into their success as a partnership.

“We were comparing notes about our family background, and I said where my mother comes from and he said where his mother comes from, and it turned out those two towns were right near each other,” explained Rosenberg. The two spearhead a revolutionary accounting, tax, and wealth management firm, Bernath & Rosenberg, which staffs over 100 financial experts across three offices in Lakewood, Monsey, and Cedarhurst.

“Turns out, by a simcha, my mother and his mother meet,” Bernath recounted. “[They] couldn’t believe it – they were childhood friends from way back in the old country. It was like a big happy reunion.” Plenty of companies like Bernath & Rosenberg are built on family values, but this beautiful moment made it feel all the more essential to their business. “That really put a flavor of warmth, family, and compassion into the mindset of the firm, that this was almost a hashgacha that we should be together.”

Today, the two men lead a thriving business that takes a singular approach to financial planning. In an industry where financial advisors often refer clients to several separate attorneys and specialists for individual needs, Bernath & Rosenberg takes a holistic approach, tackling accounting, tax, and wealth management services as a packaged deal. It handles all of its clients’ financial needs in house, from investments to real estate and beyond.

“A lot of tax questions come up for the average financial advisor,” explains Ted Stricker, a Certified Financial Planner™ and partner in wealth management at B&R. “They’ll say, ‘Oh, if you have a question on estate planning, go speak to your estate planning attorney, or you have a question on insurance, go speak to your insurance broker.’ The whole thought of this firm was, instead of referring people out to a million different people who

don’t speak to each other, why don’t we just oversee everything in-house so we can provide the best guidance.”

“We realized that a lot of clients need financial advice, not strictly accounting advice,” Bernath further elaborated. “Although a lot of accountants used to say that they provide these services, they were never actually trained in these areas. So, Jacob and I decided that we were going to train ourselves.”

Despite the convenience of this approach, it remains novel in the finance industry, according to the firm’s Family Office Services Manager Chana Stricks.

“There’s no other firm that does this. We have many clients that invest, invest, invest. It’s really important that someone gathers that data and aggregates it for them so we can provide it to them in a very clear and understandable way.”

The team at Bernath & Rosenberg prides themselves on putting their clients first. Senior members of the team have been known to put in the time to tailor Bernath & Rosenberg’s services to their needs, even if it means going the extra mile, literally. Following success with their offices in Lakewood and Monsey, as well as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company closed their Manhattan headquarters and relocated to Cedarhurst.

“You like to think having an office in the city gives you a certain amount of prestige, but the move [to Ce -

darhurst] really demonstrates our interest in being close to our clients,” says Jack Strulowitz, a financial advisor at the firm. “We wanted to be close in proximity, to really move into the communities. Manhattan, especially now, is this faraway land. We see our clients face to face a lot more, which is really nice.”

Mark Yedlin, a client with Bernath & Rosenberg for over a year, lived in Woodmere when he began working with the firm on a variety of services: retirement planning, investments, filing taxes, and multiple real estate transactions. “They would send people to us back and forth from their Cedarhurst office to drop off whatever papers needed to be signed,” he explains. “They made it as simple as possible.”

Now, even though he lives in Florida, Bernath & Rosenberg still manage Yedlin’s finances remotely. “We find them to be very responsive,” he continues. “We feel extremely comfortable knowing that we can email or pick up the phone at any time and ask our questions. We get immediate responses.”

“Whenever a client calls, we always take the call, or we call back immediately,” confirms Jim Bernath. Though response time may vary, naturally, the quality of service does not. “Our goal has always been to provide good service and provide the client with all their needs, whatever those needs are.”

Alluding back to their origins, part of the Bernath & Rosenberg value system can be traced to the company’s strong Jewish identity. Both founders grew up in Jewish families, and 98% of its employees are observant Jews,

“The whole thought of this firm was, instead of referring people out to a million different people who don’t speak to each other, why don’t we just oversee everything in-house so we can provide the best guidance.”

according to Rosenberg. “If you walk into our office in Lakewood and look at the coatroom, you think you’re in a beis medrash,” he jokes. “They live a life of Torah within the profession and grow both in terms of their

professionalism and also their Yiddishkeit.”

Strulowitz believes that their firm is especially equipped to handle the needs of Jewish communities.

“The financial needs of a Jewish person are completely different than those of a person who is not Jewish. A lot of it has to do with our culture. Everyone’s paying private school tuition. People who, baruch Hashem, have a lot of children, want to either support their learning or pay for simchas. Only we can really service and provide appropriate advice because we ourselves understand the community.”

“We know them before we even meet them,” says Stricks. “We are a very professional place that still speaks their language and has that understanding. We have similar lives to them, we understand what it means to raise a Jewish family, we understand what it means to want to pass on your wealth to the next generation of Jewish families, and I think that’s a key component.”

The company continues to succeed and only plans on growing further, says Rosenberg.

“I don’t know if there’s another firm in Long Island that has financial services this global with a very strong tax department and wealth management department as part of their regular day-to-day operations. This is something that’s new, powerful, and we’re seeing the results.”

Mind Y ur Business

Generational Business

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

Since 2015, Yitzchok Saftlas has been speaking with leading industry experts on the “Mind Your Business” show, sharing insightful business and marketing strategies.

In this article, we’re covering the subject of passing a business from one generation onto the next. We’ve collected essential steps in the process of generational succession from five business leaders.

mitted that it’s time before beginning the process, because you can’t be half pregnant and going into an acquisition. It’s a time-consuming and intense process.

message. I did it because I respect them. They are good human beings. They are working for a living to try to support their families. They are totally deserving of our full respect.

Knowing w hen to Move on

Sheldon Brickman, President of Rockshore Advisors

Knowing when to sell or pass down your company to the next generation is not an easy issue. What I’ve found is that owners have a tremendous emotional attachment to their businesses. So, it’s not just about getting top dollar in selling the company. They want to make sure that first, their baby, the company that they’ve built over all these years, is in the right hands. Second, and just as important, is that very often they have employees that have been working for them for 20-30 years, and they want to make sure that the new owner is going to offer them a work environment where they’ll be comfortable. So, there’s a lot of emotion that goes into deciding, “OK, it’s time.” What I would say is that the very first thing is, mentally, an owner of a business needs to be absolutely com-

Approaching retirement age is a popular reason for passing on your business in this day and age. There are a lot of buyers out there constantly calling companies and saying, “We want to buy you.” And that gets them thinking, “Hey, maybe I should consider passing down the business to someone else.” So, it’s ultimately going to be a combination of being mentally prepared that you want to do the transaction but also that the company is ready for new leadership.

Number three, you need the next generation to work harder than anybody else in the company. A leader needs to lead by example by demonstrating that they work hard.

e ssenti A l l e A de R shi P QuA lities

Dr. Richard Roberts, Former Pharmaceutical i ndustry C eo

There are four important qualities to look out for when transferring ownership of your business. The first is capability. If you transfer leadership to your child who’s disorganized and isn’t prepared for the job, you’re going to lose the company. Eventually, it’s going to spiral out of control.

Number two is that they show respect to everybody. When I took over as the CEO at my family’s company, when the sirens went off at the end of lunch break, I held the door open for all of the hourly workers. I didn’t do it to deliver a

Number four, the next generation has to be highly credentialed. Now, credentialed doesn’t necessarily mean that they have a medical degree or a doctorate. It means that they’ve shown that they have the ability to work hard, build up the company, and be successful. If you put in someone who has no credentials and has never accomplished anything, you’ll find that the people that are the most talented and capable in your company will leave for other jobs. Headhunters are calling your talent all the time, and if those workers decide to leave, all you’ll be left with is the ones who couldn’t get other jobs. That’s going to be a drain of talent from your company.

giving u P ResP onsibilities

Simeon Friedman, Partner at s aul Friedman & Co.

Delegation is essential when training the next generation to take over your company. It needs to be done on a responsibility-by-responsibility basis. But one of the biggest

challenges in that process is being able to let go of some of the larger responsibilities that you have had over the years. My dad always says, “You cannot be successful if you cannot tolerate incompetence.” What that basically means is that if you’re a perfectionist and do great work but you’re not going to tolerate a work product that’s not perfectly executed the way you would do it, you’re never going to be able to delegate. And by not delegating some of your responsibilities, you’re inevitably eating into a significant portion of the limited hours you have in a day. You have to be able to rely on other people and tolerate that they might not do things exactly like you would. Remember that people learn from their mistakes and get better over time. But if you’re always going to micromanage and maintain control of everything, they’re never going to learn, and you’ll never be able to give those responsibilities up. When deferring over responsibilities to me, my dad gave me the opportunity to make my own decisions, even if he didn’t agree with them. And there were times when he was right and times when I was right, but each decision was a growth opportunity for both of us.

PR e PAR ing to tAK e on A business

Alan Cohn, President of Cohler Fuel

If you’re taking on a business from a previous generation, you’ve got to make sure that you have a

passion for the work. You have to want to get up every day and do what you do. You’re not going to continue succeeding if it’s drudgery. If it’s just something that you think you have to do to pay a bill, then I feel like you might as well just take a city job or something like that. There’s a lot that goes into running a business. For example, Cohler Fuel is a fuel business, a delivery business, a service business, and an installation business. There are a lot of factors that go into keeping all the gears meshed and running properly. That doesn’t mean that you have to run things exactly like the previous generation did. Everyone has to play to their own strengths. But, that doesn’t mean you can close yourself off to every aspect of the business that you don’t enjoy. My strength was that always I loved to work with my hands. I love to diagnose problems, think outside of the box, and come up with solutions. When I finished college, I didn’t want to sit at a desk all day, but my father (who ran Cohler Fuel at the time) said to me, “If you’re going to join the company, you’re going to do it my way. You’re not just going to do the service jobs you enjoy. You’re going to learn how the trucks operate,

you’re going to go out and do sales, even though you don’t like it, you’re going to go out and do customer service, and

that whoever handed it over to you has. In my case, that person was my fatherin-law, a very easy person to respect.

Delegation is essential when training the next generation to take over your company.

you’re going to learn how every facet of the business operates. And, if you still want to do service jobs after that, that’s fine. But, you’ve got to know how to wear many different hats.”

ResPe C ting the PR evious gene RAtion

Ruvane

Ribiat, President of o nlineKosherw ine.com

When you’re taking over a business, you have to respect the vast amount of experience and wisdom

He was extremely knowledgeable, and above all, extremely honest. He didn’t say anything, unless he knew for a fact that it was true. And if he didn’t know for sure it was true, he would tell you that. There’s nothing more valuable than that. Respecting those virtues and their knowledge is going to make it a lot easier for you to take over, because it shows a willingness on your part to listen. After all, this person has likely spent decades building up the business, they don’t want to see you crash it into the wall. So, they’re going to want to feel confident in your ability to run things. Ask yourself, “Am I listening to what they’re saying?” After you start developing your own management style, if they

come to you and say, “You know what, I think you might be better off doing it this way,” you have to pay attention. That’s really the primary common sense in knowing how to deal with people. Of course, a new perspective is always valuable, but you have to make sure that it fits in within the parameters of what you’re trying to do.

Notable Quotes

“Say What?!”

If you look at cities like Chicago today, the elimination of charter schools under Joe Biden resegregated schools in America.

- Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), on CNN

Yesterday, Americans celebrated Memorial Day, and squad members Ilhan Omar and Corey Bush posted tweets confusing it with Veteran’s Day. That’s still not as bad as when they thought Labor Day was a holiday for pregnant men.

– Greg Gutfeld, Fox News

There are things that have to do with, you know, gender and race and free speech, and just ideas about you can be healthy at any weight and gender is always a social construct and maybe we should give communism another try and maybe we should get rid of capitalism and the Border Patrol, and let’s tear down statues of Lincoln and get rid of the police. Just, you know — no. It’s not that I’ve gotten old, it’s that your ideas are stupid, OK?

- Bill Maher, on CNN, responding to accusations that he is no longer a liberal

We keep wondering why these young people are not coming home to the Democrats. Why are Blacks not coming home to the Democrats? Because Democrat messaging is full of [garbage], that’s why! Talk about cost of living, and “we’re going to help deal with this.” Don’t talk about [stinking] Gaza and student loans!

- Long-time Democrat operative James Carville on a recent podcast

Stop saying, “Hamas launched rockets.” You’re not saying, “Likud entered Rafah,” are you? Say, “Gaza launched rockets.” Say “Gaza invaded Israel.” Say, “Gaza has baby hostages.” Stop getting the enemy off the hook by allowing them to deflect all their crimes to a single group.

– Tweet by Uri Kurlianchik

They are being attacked by people who want a country and a people not to exist. That’s not what Israel does. Israel puts the Arabs in the Knesset, in parliament. In Israel, they are fullfledged citizens, who are better off living in Israel than living in the Palestinian territories. Israel does not attack another country and has never attacked another country without first being attacked itself. Not in the Yom Kippur War and not in any war.

- Geert Wilders, the leader of the incoming ruling party of the Netherlands, addressing the Dutch Parliament.

And for me and my political party, it is not difficult to see with whom we stand in solidarity. Are we with the Jewish people, who are fighting for their existence, or are we with Islamic extremists, terrorist scum who want to exterminate them? And I tell you, until the very end, I support the State of Israel.

– Ibid.

Well, I’ll tell you what won’t make a difference at all, and that is for Donald Trump to be the ringleader of and invite all of his clowns to a place like the Bronx. New York will never, ever support Donald Trump for president.

– New York Governor Kathy Hochul, referring to Trump supporters as “clowns,” in a CNN interview about Trump’s recent rally in the South Bronx

Each of you has already amassed a lifetime of wisdom and experience, and your attitudes, feelings and opinions are pretty well formulated at this point.

- Rabbi Adam Wohlberg’s marriage advice to Bernie Littman, 100, who married Marjorie Fiterman, 102, this week at an assisted living facility in Philadelphia, breaking the record by becoming the world’s oldest newlyweds

I hear people say they’re hungry, and they look very happy after they’ve eaten. I’m jealous of those people because I no longer feel hunger.

- Japanese competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi, 46, the six-time Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest champion, explaining why he decided to retire recently, in a recent documentary

I’m sure that I’ve eaten 10,000 hot dogs since the beginning of my career.

- Ibid.

I am Japanese, but I’ve eaten like an American. I think that’s what damaged my body.

- Ibid.

You’re really a political activist, aren’t you?

- Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) grilling Judge Sarah Netburn during a Judiciary Committee hearing last week while asking her about a violent male that she ruled may be placed in a female prison

If there’s the remotest possibility that Trump could win, he ought to pick Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio. The two complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses, as running mates should. Vance is smart; Trump is not. Vance is not exciting; Trump is too exciting. Trump is from Florida; Vance is not.

- Ann Coulter

Vance’s one flaw is his slavish loyalty to Trump, but I feel Trump is magnanimous enough to overlook this shortcoming.

- Ibid.

There is no Palestine. An independent Arab Palestine has never existed. There is no historical precedent for it. It didn’t exist under Ottoman rule or the British Mandate or, in the end, under an United Nations Partition Plan that was rejected by every single Arab state and Palestinian leadership. It didn’t exist when the Palestinians were ruled by governments in Jordan and Egypt (a time when there was virtually no international pressure to create an independent “Palestine”) and it didn’t come into existence when the Arab states rejected Israel’s peace gestures after the 1967 and 1973 wars.

If Palestinians keep supporting nihilism and terrorism, such a state may never exist. And it won’t make one lick of difference how the UN or ICC or EU describes Gaza in press releases.

- David Harsanyi, The Federalist

Man Commits Barbeque Faux Pas by Eating Corn on the Cob Without Saying, “Mmmm, This is Good Corn”

– Babylon Bee headline

Trump Booed for Wearing Deodorant at Libertarian Convention - Ibid.

Judge Instructs Jurors They need Not Believe Trump is Guilty to Convict Him - Ibid.

Donald Trump wants to destroy not only the city but the country. And eventually he could destroy the world.

- Actor Robert de Niro, who has one of the most severe cases of TDS, railing against Trump at a press conference set up by the Biden campaign outside the New York City courthouse where Trump is on a show-trial

The most powerful experience of my life.

-Jerry Seinfeld talking about his trip to Israel after October 7

Political Crossfire It’s Not Just Netanyahu.

The ICC Wants to Prosecute U.S. Lawmakers Too

If you want to see just how out of control the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor is, consider this: Not only is Karim Khan seeking charges against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his conduct of the war in Gaza, he is threatening to prosecute members of Congress who push back on the ICC’s unlawful efforts to indict the Israeli leader.

On April 24, a group of senators led by Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) sent a letter warning Khan that any attempt to prosecute Israeli officials would be “illegitimate and lack legal basis” because “neither Israel nor the United States are members of the ICC and are therefore outside of your organization’s supposed jurisdiction.” Cotton added that Congress would interpret an arrest warrant for Netanyahu “not only as a threat to Israel’s sovereignty but to the sovereignty of the United States” that would result in “severe sanctions against you and your institution.”

Khan’s office responded in a statement saying that when “individuals threaten to retaliate against the Court or against Court personnel … such threats, even when not acted upon, may also constitute an offence against the administration of justice under Art. 70 of the Rome Statute,” which “explicitly prohibits both ‘[r]etaliating against an official of the Court on account of duties performed by that or another official’ and ‘[i]mpeding, intimidating or corruptly influencing an official of the Court for the purpose of forcing or persuading the official not to perform, or to perform improperly, his or her duties.’”

Think about that: Khan not only suggests he has the right to indict Netanyahu, but also Cotton, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and other members of Congress seeking new sanctions on ICC officials who investigate U.S. citizens or allies. As Cotton told me in a podcast in-

By Marc A. Thiessen

terview, Khan is “a prosecutor who can dish it out but can’t take it and threatens his critics with prosecution themselves in total disregard for principles of freedom of speech.”

Khan has no jurisdiction to prosecute members of Congress – or any Americans – because the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute, which created the ICC. And the fact that he dares to threaten U.S. legislators carrying out their duties as elected representatives of the American people shows why his rogue tribunal needs to be brought to heel.

This shameful moment has been a quarter-century in the making. In December 2000, my former boss, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jesse Helms (R-N.C.), warned in Haaretz that Israel should not join the ICC because the court “will have an independent prosecutor answerable to no state or institution for his or her actions” who could one day issue “criminal indictments against Israeli soldiers, military commanders and government officials all the way up to the prime minister himself.”

To address this danger, Helms in -

troduced the American Servicemembers’ Protection Act, a law designed to punish the court for any efforts to prosecute U.S. citizens or allies. The Senate approved the measure by an overwhelming 75-19 vote (then-Sen. Joe Biden was among the nays), and it was signed into law in 2002 by President George W. Bush. So not only has the Senate not ratified the ICC treaty, Congress explicitly authorized the president to use “all means necessary” to shield U.S. citizens and allies from ICC prosecution.

What Khan is doing today “is exactly the kind of thing that Jesse Helms predicted would happen a few decades ago with this court,” Cotton said. Back then, the court’s supporters assured critics that its prosecutors would focus on grievous human-rights abuses by the world’s dictators, not on democracies with robust and transparent legal systems capable of policing their own citizens.

They were wrong. Khan has not indicted Chinese dictator Xi Jinping, who is carrying out genocide against the Uyghurs. Nor has he indicted Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

or Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. But he has targeted Netanyahu, the leader of a democracy with an impartial justice system that holds its own leaders to account – as evidenced by the fact that Netanyahu has been indicted on corruption charges.

The ICC has tried to go after Americans as well. Cotton points out that when Donald Trump was president, Khan’s predecessor announced an investigation into alleged war crimes by U.S. forces in Afghanistan. “Trump lowered the boom on them,” Cotton says. “He revoked the prosecutor’s U.S. visa, he sanctioned other ICC leaders, and he labeled the court a threat to the United States.” But on taking office, “the Biden administration revoked all those actions that Donald Trump took.” They are learning what a mistake that was.

Sanctions are just one way to hold the ICC to account. Another option being discussed on Capitol Hill is to make it a federal crime for officials of the ICC – or anyone acting pursuant to a request from the ICC – to indict, arrest, detain, prosecute or imprison an American, as well as the personnel of any U.S. ally from a country not party to the Rome Statute if the government requests protection from the United States. Cotton also suggests it could be possible to indict Khan under existing statutes, such as those barring material support for terrorism.

“Karim Khan might find himself in an American prosecutor’s crosshairs come next year when there’s a new attorney general that actually puts American interests first,” Cotton told me. “If he thinks that it’s all fun and games to slap an arrest warrant on Benjamin Netanyahu so he can’t travel internationally, maybe he should get a taste of his own medicine.”

Karim Khan with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas

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Don’t Downplay the Impact of the ICC Indictment of Netanyahu Political Crossfire

By Jonathan S. Tobin

It’s all part of a process by which prejudicial stands against Israel and Jews become normalized and then grow to be a matter of consensus among the supposedly enlightened classes.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s domestic and American political opponents are not all cheering the decision of the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to call for indictments of both the Israeli leader and three members of the Hamas terrorist group. While Israel-haters and antisemites everywhere are savoring the fantasy of Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant being put on trial at The Hague for war crimes against the Palestinians, this deeply cynical and immoral move has had some short-term unintended consequences.

As even The New York Times reluctantly noted, the announcement made by ICC prosecutor Karim Khan outraged the Israeli public. The argument that Israel is no better than the barbaric terrorists of Hamas is amoral as well as rooted in the kind of double standards that

is indistinguishable from antisemitism. Treating the measured actions of the country that was attacked and whose citizens were subjected to unspeakable atrocities by a genocidal terrorist movement as the moral equivalent of those very terrorists is itself an act of outrageous prejudice and injustice. And it has given Netanyahu an advantage over both his domestic and international opponents.

Still, it would be a mistake for supporters of Israel to discount the impact of the ICC’s gesture and other efforts by the worldwide community to isolate and smear the Jewish state as a criminal enterprise.

The growing tally of moves designed to make it difficult or impossible for Israel to engage in commerce or conduct regular diplomatic activity, or for its scholars to participate in academic exchanges or even for entertainers to appear abroad, such as the campaign to try to force Eurovision contestant Eden Golan out of the recent singing competition, isn’t merely discouraging and unfair. It’s all part of a process by which prejudicial stands against Isra-

el and Jews become normalized and then grow to be a matter of consensus among the supposedly enlightened classes. The next step is international sanctions that could do far more serious harm.

Ignoring the UN

Israelis have always tended to ignore or dismiss such concerns. Part of that attitude stems from a belief that the spirit of Zionism – a philosophy of Jewish self-determination – should impel Jews to focus on the project of rebuilding their homeland and its defense, and not what non-Jews think about it.

David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, summed up that attitude by famously disregarding the fulminations of the United Nations by using the Hebrew acronym for it, “Um-schmum.”

This attitude has also led to Israel paying less attention to the need to acknowledge and return fire in the information war that Israel-haters have been waging for decades.

But the campaign to isolate Israel is about more than the Jewish state get-

ting a bad image. In the seven months since Oct. 7, the belief that Israel is an evil “white” oppressor state isn’t merely a hateful myth believed by ignorant college students. The mainstreaming of anti-Zionist propaganda that denies rights to Jews no one would think of denying to anyone else comes with a cost both for Israel and the Diaspora.

The United Nations may be a talking shop, but the growing belief in global discourse that support for the Jewish state is a form of racism that can’t be tolerated is clearly beginning to unravel the enormous strides the Jewish state has made in the last decade to normalize relations with the Muslim and Arab worlds, as well as to place it in the first rank of developed economies.

Simply put, the talk of indictments is merely the first part of a campaign whose aim is to do to Israel what the international community did to apartheid-era South Africa. That means a move towards real sanctions that would impact Israel’s economy. It would also lead to measures to make it impossible for Israeli leaders and

a host of other figures in its government and other institutions to visit elsewhere or to conduct normal business abroad.

The South Africa Precedent

Israel and its friends can indeed point out the myriad differences between Israel and the apartheid regime. Israel isn’t a country where a minority rules over a majority, but a democracy with a large Jewish majority that constitutes the indigenous people of their ancient homeland. Yet in a world in which woke myths about Jews and Israel being racist “white” oppressors of people of color are increasingly accepted, the facts don’t seem to matter. A world in which antisemitism is being revived by a bizarre red-green alliance of leftist ideologues and Islamists is increasingly a place where lies about Israel are not only believed but treated as a justification for actions that can do real damage to the Jewish state.

Institutions like the United Nations, its Human Rights Council and the ICC may be objects of scorn for most Americans and Israelis. But to the rest of the world, they are widely respected, as if they still stood for the idealistic values that motivated their founders to believe that their creation would ensure that the world would never again descend into the barbarism of a world war. The fact that they now exist to prop up the same spirit of barbarism in countries and cultures that have no use for liberal democracy doesn’t stop them from having enormous power to create problems for those who become their targets.

While some in Israel long believed that a willingness to give up territory and embrace a Palestinian state would make Israel loved around the world, the state of affairs since Oct. 7 is a reminder that hatred for Israel isn’t about its actions so much as its existence. The movement to boycott Israel with BDS measures hasn’t done much damage to its economy to date. However, the shocking support for Hamas and condemnations of Jerusalem’s efforts to eradicate a movement dedicated to Jewish genocide demonstrates just how much impact the efforts of the boycotters have had on opinion around the world.

A Boost for Bibi

Still, the short-term impact of the ICC announcement not only undermined the anti-Netanyahu protest movement inside Israel but forced the Biden administration to shift its tone of harsh and deeply unfair criticism of the Israel Defense Forces’ conduct of the war. Even President Joe Biden found himself forced to say that

Israel was not guilty of “genocide.” And it gave a boost to the efforts of House Speaker Mike Johnson to pressure Democrats to join him in inviting Netanyahu to address a joint meeting of Congress, thus providing him an opportunity to make Israel’s case to Americans without the filter of an often-hostile news media.

As with Israel’s top generals and those in charge of the country’s intelligence agencies, there is a good case to be made that Netanyahu should be forced out of office because of the historic disaster that occurred on his watch. That may well happen after the war is concluded. But the bulk of Israel’s journalistic, legal, academic, business and security establishments have been seeking to topple Netanyahu’s government almost from the moment he won the last Knesset election in November 2022. Up until Oct. 7, their focus was on thwarting the Likud Party-led effort to reform Israel’s out-of-control judiciary. After a few months of unity after the Hamas massacres in southern Israel, the opposition resumed its push to unseat Netanyahu by blaming him for the plight of the hostages still being held captive in Gaza and the war continuing to drag on.

But nothing is more likely to bolster support for Netanyahu than outside pressure from the United States or the international community, which have been demonizing him for positions or actions supported by most Israelis. That was a lesson that former President Barack Obama never seemed to learn during his eight years in office. The pressure from Obama to force Israel to retreat to the 1967 borders and to divide Jerusalem to create a Palestinian state that the Palestinians consistently refused to accept actually helped Netanyahu repeatedly win re-election. His future in office is, at best, unclear. But as long as he can show the Israeli public that he is the only leader with the guts to stand up to the Americans and foreign pressure to adopt positions on borders, Palestinian statehood and the survival of Hamas, it would be a mistake to underestimate his ability to use that to hang on.

It’s also true that the ICC arguably has no real jurisdiction over Israel and that many countries, including the United States, will not recognize its authority. And there is every chance that the Americans will penalize Khan and the ICC for this outrage. Even Secretary of State Antony Blinken – who is as devoted a supporter of international organizations, the United Nations and its agencies as anyone who has ever been in charge of U.S. foreign policy – pledged to work with

Congress on sanctioning the ICC.

The same is true for other aspects of the international campaign to isolate Israel such as the decisions of Spain, Norway and Ireland to recognize Palestinian statehood in a vacuum. Since there is no existing state of Palestine, these sorts of gestures are meaningless acts of virtue-signaling as well as an immoral reward to the Palestinians for employing terrorism.

Sanction the ICC and the UN

Meaningless gestures, however, have a way of accumulating and creating a compendium of moves that effectively brand not just Israeli policies as unpopular but illegitimate. Israelis have come to believe that their high-tech prowess, innovations in medical technology and a host of other accomplishments mean respect the world over and that they can’t be made into a pariah state. Their newfound normalization agreements by two Gulf states, Morocco and Sudan, via the 2020 Abraham Accords brokered by former President Donald Trump bolstered that belief. The mechanisms of international law can be mocked, as well as correctly labeled as the product of anti-Israel propaganda. But the reaction to the Hamas atrocities of Oct. 7 should make it clear to Jews every-

where that counting on much of the world to condemn a movement of murderers, rapists and kidnappers bent on Israel’s elimination may be a fool’s errand.

Having downplayed the threat of lawfare against Israel for a generation, many in the pro-Israel community still don’t acknowledge the danger it poses. Even after the current war ends, the impact of the lies about Israeli “genocide” will still be felt. What is needed now is a robust American campaign not just to condemn the ICC and the United Nations, but a decision to defund all institutions that are part of a campaign to aid the Hamas cause of destroying the one Jewish state on the planet. Washington could cut certain institutions and nations off from the American economy, which would give the Biden administration the tools to substantially end this threat on its watch. Relying solely on goodwill, reason, logic and the truth to defend Israel against a malevolent international community won’t be enough. It’s time for supporters of the Jewish state to recognize that as unthinkable as it may be for Israel to be shunned in the same manner as South Africa, it could happen if action isn’t taken to punish the ICC and UN agencies who are behind this vile plot. (JNS)

Forgotten Her es 80 Years Since D-Day

By Avi Heiligman

In the early years of World War II, Allied forces were driven out of France, and most of the rest of Europe was under Nazi control. Allied war planners knew that France would have to be invaded in order to force Germany into unconditional surrender. The date for the invasion was June 6, 1944, and the day ended with the five invasion beaches in Allied hands. Known as D-Day, it was the largest amphibious invasion in history, but it was struggle all day long from scattered airdrops to very heavy gunfire on the invasion beaches. This week marks 80 years since the invasion. The facts and heroes of D-Day is history to be remembered.

General Dwight Eisenhower was the overall commander of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force known as SHEAF. The land forces were commanded by British General Bernard Montgomery.

Five beaches on the Normandy coast were chosen as landing sites and were divided among the Allied armies. The British Second Army, led by Lieutenant General Sir Miles Dempsey, landed on beaches codenamed Gold, Sword, and Juno. The main unit to land on Juno Beach was the Canadian Third Army. Several units, including the British 50th Northumbrian Division, landed on Gold Beach, and the British 3 rd Infantry Division landed on Sword Beach. Major General Richard Gale led the British 6th Airborne Division which dropped behind

Sword Beach. Specialized armored vehicles and tanks of the 79th Armored Division led by General Percy Hobart supported the landing at all three of these beaches.

The American First Army under General Omar Bradley landed at the Utah and Omaha beaches. The 4th Infantry Division and elements of the 90th Infantry Division landed on Utah Beach. The 82nd Airborne Division and the 101 st Airborne Divisor landed behind the beaches in the early morning hours of D-Day with the goal of blocking German reinforcements from

They were supported by elite members of the 2 nd Ranger Battalion who scaled the 100-foot cliffs at Pointe Du Hoc. Infantry units became hopelessly tangled with other units as they mad-dashed to the beach to avoid the treacherous fire raining down on the landing craft and beaches. The enemy wasn’t composed of the second-rate soldiers that intelligence had said the Allies would be up against. Instead, they faced the tough 352 nd Infantry of the Wehrmacht (the German Army) that was entrenched on the high ground. Many Allied soldiers in the first

Close to 7,000 naval vessels were responsible for landing over 132,000 troops on the beaches.

reaching the landing zones. The drops were scattered, but troopers often from different units banded together in small groups to achieve their objectives. One group of 100 troopers fought to open up a causeway that led to Utah Beach.

Omaha Beach was the bloodiest battle for the Americans on D-Day as it was the most heavily defended beach, and it would take all day for the 1st and 29th Infantry Divisions to gain a foothold.

wave didn’t even make it to the beach, and those that did survive hid behind a shingle waiting for subsequent waves of soldiers to reach the shore. Making matters worse was that many soldiers were dropped off too far from the shore and into water that was over their heads. This, combined with their heavy gear, proved disastrous for many soldiers.

The second wave and engineers with explosives still couldn’t clear the beach.

Rangers and soldiers from the 116th Infantry Regiment finally made it to the top of the bluff and began clearing German defenses. A few hours later, enemy artillery pieces were put out of action, soldiers cleared other defenses, and vehicles began moving off the beach.

Many Jewish soldiers were involved in the D-Day invasion. Pfc. Morton Wolk was a paratrooper with the 82 nd Airborne Division and was assigned to the headquarters section. He was on the lead plane, a C-47A, with commanding General Jim Gavin. They dropped into Normandy four hours before the infantry landed on the beaches. He was one of the first Jews to step foot onto Nazi-occupied Europe on D-Day.

Irving Rappaport from Brooklyn, New York, was in the first wave of soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division to invade Utah Beach. One of his buddies jumped into the water but was struggling due to his gear. Rappaport quickly came to his aid and saved the soldier’s life. His awards include the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.

Many support units joined the infantry assault units during the invasion. Milton Schloss was born in Germany and moved to the U.S. He joined the army in 1941 and trained as a radio operator. He was sent to train in England to learn signal intelligence and Morse code. On D-Day, he landed with a signal intelligence service company in the 7 th Corps

General Eisenhower speaking with troops on June 5, 1944 - one day before D-Day

with the task of listening to German radio transmissions.

Sergeant Theodore Finder was born in Vienna, Austria, and moved to the U.S. after escaping the Gestapo. He joined the army in January1941 and became an instructor in German military tactics. On D-Day, he landed with the 115th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division in the second wave on Omaha Beach. The entire unit was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for their actions that day. Finder continued with the regiment and on September 7 was ordered by an officer to occupy a small French hamlet. The squad consisted of Finder and four men, and they found two German machine guns

occupying the place. Together, they took out the machine gun nest. Later, during a rear guard action in Brest, France, Finder was badly wounded and captured by the Germans. He was later recaptured by the Allies and was out of action recovering from his wounds. He was awarded the Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts.

Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Wolf of Baltimore was with the 280th Quartermaster Battalion and landed with the 1st Infantry Division on Omaha Beach on D-Day. His job was to supervise the landing of equipment on the beach. This was no easy task as he walked up and down the beach amid the chaos. He saw the horrors of war up close but was able to give quick

solutions to problems that enhanced the troops’ capabilities against a very aggressive German defense of the beach. After five hours, he was hit in the face by enemy fire, treated by a medic, and was evacuated to England. He later returned to the front soon after the Battle of the Bulge but was hospitalized due to frostbite. For his actions on D-Day, Wolf was awarded the Bronze Star.

The numbers for the invasion on D-Day were staggering. Close to 7,000 naval vessels were responsible for landing over 132,000 troops on the beaches. 200,000 vehicles of all kinds were landed on the beaches – not including those that were flown in on gliders. More than

13,000 American paratroopers were flown in by 925 C-47 transport planes, and 4,000 more paratroopers came in on 500 gliders. Bomber planes also were a part of the action as they dropped over 10,000 tons of bombs on Normandy just on D-Day. There were 10,300 casualties in total on D-Day – 4,500 Allied soldiers gave their lives for freedom – and the entire Allied army was well on its way to total victory.

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.

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HOUSES FOR SALE

LAWRENCE

Stunning One of a Kind Mid Century Modern 6 Bedroom, 6.5 Bath, Contemporary Ranch. Resort Style Home on Over an Acre of Property in Back Lawrence. Incredible Views, Regulation Size Tennis Court - Deco Turf. IG-Gunite Pool, Low Taxes, 5318 sq. ft. of Main Floor Living Space. Plus 5000 sq. ft. Basement With Very High Ceilings. Call Mark 516-298-8457 for more details Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457  mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

CEDARHURST JUST LISTED

Magnificent renovated 4 bedroom 3 bathroom in SD#15, new roof, windows, plumbing + electric, gas cooking, new marble bathrooms, marble kitchen with stainless steel appliances, LED lighting, security cameras and speakers throughout the home, custom closets, outdoor patio, 1 car garage, near all. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

Classifieds

CAN’T AFFORD YOUR PROPERTY TAXES? MORTGAGE?

Must sell for any reason? Call for FREE Consultation. Call now 212-470-3856 Cash buyers available!

NORTH WOODMERE

Stunning Split, 5 Bedrooms With 3 Full Baths. Custom Features Throughout. Well Maintained Home. Hardwood Floors, Granite Counters in kitchen, Formal Living Room and Dining Room, Den, Full Finished Basement. Relax in the Private Backyard With Inground Pool. SD#14. A must see! Close To All Houses of Worship Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

Charming Colonial on beautiful tree lined street in the heart of Old Woodmere. Home features 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, kitchen, dining area, living room, full basement. Relatively new heating system + hot water tank. Large & beautiful backyard. Great for entertaining. Close to all. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457

mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

Beautiful, brick, colonial boasting 5 bdr 3.5 Bth in pristine condition. Excellent location, near all! Move right in! RCUSA 516-512-9626

WOODMERE

New to the market renovated 3 bedroom 2 full bathroom ranch home with a full finished basement in the heart of Woodmere, sd#15, on a lot size 90x118, gas heat, central air conditioning, garage, new windows, roof, siding, appliances, lighting, kitchen and bathrooms. Eat in kitchen with 2 sinks, 2 dishwashers, double oven, island, lots of cabinets and storage. Spacious renovated basement with lots of storage, washer dryer and utilities, minutes to the railroad, shopping and houses of worship. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457

mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

NORTH WOODMERE

Meticulously maintained fourbedroom, two-bathroom home on an expansive corner. Main floor: entrance foyer, generously sized bedroom, a full bath, attached two-car garage. On the next level: sophisticated formal living room with cathedral ceilings, eat-in kitchen, formal dining room, sleek black banisters, hardwood floors. Third floor: master suite, two additional bedrooms, and another full bath. Lower level: cozy den with brick fireplace, laundry facilities, ample storage space, and utilities. New heating system, central air conditioning, custom closets throughout, inground sprinkler system. Conveniently located near parks, shopping centers, and houses of worship, and situated within SD#15 with low taxes. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457

mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

Welcome to this stunning residence situated on a tranquil residential street in Lawrence SD#15. This spacious and flawlessly maintained home boasts 4 to 5 bedrooms. Bright, airy living room with vaulted ceilings, skylights and wet bar. Central air conditioning, elegant quartz countertops, eat-in kitchen, formal dining room, main floor den with fireplace, master bedroom with bathroom snd dressing room, Jacuzzi tub, three other bedrooms and two full bathrooms. Inground sprinklers, lush landscaping, alarm system. Spacious playroom. Two-car garage. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457

mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

LAWRENCE

New to the market 5 bedroom

3.5 bathrooms prime location with a lot size 77x130 features an eat-inkitchen, formal dining room , main floor den , formal living room with vaulted ceilings, finished basement, 2 car garage, gas heat, central air conditioning, in ground sprinkler, alarm call for more details.

Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

Woodmere just listed 3 bedroom 2 full bathroom hi-ranch in sd #15 with central air-conditioning , gas heat, 2 car garage, eat-in-kitchen, l/r, d/r, den, hardwood floors, minutes to transportation , shopping, and houses of worship Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

NORTH WOODMERE

New to the market magnificent 5 bedroom 3 full bathroom split level. Bright & sunny, living room with vaulted ceilings, formal dining room, eat-in-kitchen, den with fireplace, sunroom, 2 car garage, gas heating, central air conditioning, master bedroom with en-suite, hardwood floors, in ground sprinkler system, plus so much more.

Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

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.

Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

Classifieds

HOUSES FOR SALE HOUSES FOR SALE HOUSES FOR SALE HOUSES FOR SALE

WEST HEMPSTEAD

Introducing a stunning new construction home. Nestled in a picturesque neighborhood. Large windows, open-concept layout that merges the various living spaces. The expansive living room is bathed in natural light, thanks to the windows that offer great views of the surrounding area. Gourmet kitchen with top-of-theline stainless steel appliances, sleek cabinetry, expansive center island with a breakfast bar. Ample counter space and a well-designed layout. Wonderful dining area providing. Large glass doors, spacious patio. Luxurious master suite with a spacious bedroom, a lavish ensuite bathroom and a large walk-in closet. Additional bedrooms. High-end finishes, premium flooring, and custom details throughout.

Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International

WOODMERE

Spacious home within school district 14 with exquisite upgrades and central air conditioning, splendid kitchen with dual sinks, five bedrooms. Main level encompasses a spacious great room, office space, complementing the formal living and dining areas.

Unfinished basement, detached garage. Expansive lot, measuring 80 x 100. Conveniently located near shopping, railroad, restaurants and places of worship.

Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

Introducing a stunning 14-side hall colonial home in the Hewlett Woodmere School District. Formal living room, formal dining room, den with a skylight. Eat in Kitchen, two sinks, a double oven, a warming draw and a microwave. First floor bedroom, a full bathroom and laundry room. Two-car garage. Upper level has four bedrooms, two full bathrooms. Finished basement with playroom, storage and utilities. Well-groomed exterior with porch adjoining the master bedroom. Hardwood floors and back patio. Central air conditioning, inground sprinkler system, alarm system. Close proximity to schools, shopping centers, restaurants, and transportation options.

Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

1st showing spacious bright and sunny 5 bedroom 3 full bathrooms in school district 15. Features an expanded gourmet kitchen with stainless steel appliances, 2 sinks, double oven, warming drawer, great counter space, central air conditioning, gas heat, 2 of the bathrooms are new, hardwood floors, recessed lighting, in ground sprinkler, gas line for the barbeque, 2 car garage and minutes to all.

Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457

mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

Classifieds

classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com • text 443-929-4003 APT./COOP/CONDO SALE

LAWRENCE

New to the market 2 bedroom 2

full bathrooms top floor elevator building, 24 hr doorman, open concept, totally renovated kitchen, granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances, 2 dishwashers, island, 2 new bathrooms, terrace, central air conditioning, u/g parking, high hats throughout, custom closets minutes to shopping, railroad, park, and houses of worship Mark Lipner

Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

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. $130K Mark Lipner

Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

HEWLETT

Totally renovated 1 and 2 Bedroom, Apartments with washer/dryer, kitchen with quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances. Recessed lighting, hardwood floors, storage in basement. Close to RR, shopping, and houses of worship. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

1 bedroom apartment, elevator building, eat-in kitchen, full bath, hardwood floors, plenty of closet space. Ceiling fan in bedroom & kitchen, laundry room in the basement. Close to the railroad, shopping, and houses of worship. $179k Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

LAWRENCE

New to the market spacious 1 bedroom 1.5 bathroom condo, elevator building, central air conditioning, garage parking, 24hr doorman, many closets, kitchen with granite countertops, generous counter space, washer/dryer, minutes from shopping, park, transportation and houses of worship Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457

mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

LAWRENCE

New to the market 1 bedroom 1.5-bathroom condo apartment, elevator building, 24 hr doorman, central air conditioning, washer/dryer, u/g parking, terrace, many closets, social room, gym, library minutes to shopping, restaurants, transportation and houses of worship. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457

mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

LAWRENCE JUST LISTED

This amazing two-bedroom two full bathroom condo Features a luxurious lifestyle in the beautiful city of Lawrence. What more could you ask for? The building has a 24-hour doorman and elevator access, with a social room, library, washer/dryer inside the unit, and terrace. Plus, the added benefit of having a live-in super to ensure maximum safety and security! And don’t forget about your new kitchen complete with a gas stove, refrigerator, microwave, and even two dishwashers! The living room and dining room are spacious and have recessed lighting installed throughout. Both bedrooms feature lots of closet space for storage. To top it off, there’s even garage parking available to make your life just that much easier! Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity. Please call for a private showing Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457

mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

Classifieds

COMMERCIAL REAL ESATATE

SYNERGISTIC SUBLET

We produce brands and video with offices on Central Ave. Sublet includes internet & graphics / editing computers & software. Rates commensurate with space needed. Contact David Jasse 9175705514

1500SF LOFT OFFICE

(formerly Shmuel Flaum Architect)

2 store/offices; ~600sf each

2 Cedarhurst offices; ~100sf each

Starting at $650 Also… Large Parking Lot & Storage available Utilities, Internet & Parking incl. with some Kosher kitchen – Minyan Next to LIRR - No broker fee

Call/text/Whatsapp:  516-206-1100

APT./COOP/CONDO SALE APT./COOP/CONDO RENT HELP WANTED

CEDARHURST

2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment, private entrance, washer/dryer, central air conditioning, freshly painted, hardwood floors, recessed lighting, garage parking, stainless steel appliances, great courtyard, minutes to the railroad, shopping, restaurants, park and houses of worship. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@ bhhslaffey.com

HEWLETT

Welcome To Luxury Living in The Heart of Hewlett! This Spacious 2 Bedroom, 2 Full Bathroom Condo Boasts in Unit Separate Laundry For Ultimate Convenience. Enjoy Lovely Courtyard Views from Your Private Terrace. With Elevator Access and A Doorman, Experience The Epitome Of Comfort In This Prestigious Building. 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

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

SPECIAL ED TEACHER

HASC seeks Special Ed Teachers for our Early Learning Program. Candidates must possess NYS Professional License. Warm, supportive and enjoyable working environment. Competitive Pay! Please e-mail resume to jobswd@hasc.net

BOOKKEEPER

Excellent growth potential, Frum environment, Excellent salary & benefits. Email resume to: resumetfs1@gmail.com

JOIN OUR FIVE TOWNS OFFICE

Positions available in our Medicaid pending department  and Medicaid billing department . Great environment, lots of room for growth! Email resume to jobs@fcc-corp.com

JH ELA AND MATH teachers for ‘24-’25 school year. M-Th, PM hours, strong support, curriculum and material provided, excellent salary. Far Rockaway area. Teachersearch11@gmail.com.

Classifieds

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

HEAD ENGLISH, AFTERNOON Teaching Position  Zareinu is hiring for the 24-25 school year.  Looking for a qualified teacher to teach a modified English curriculum!  for a small group of 4th and  5th grade girls in Far Rockaway.  Great Pay!    Warm environment!     Great administrative support!      Email resume: jlepolstat@zareinu.org or call 516-993-2142

HEAD MORAH, MORNING POSITION   Zareinu is hiring for the 2425 school year.  Looking for a qualified head Morah afternoon position! Looking for a qualified teacher to teach a modified Limudie Kodesh curriculum.    for a small group of 4th and 5th grade girls. Great Pay! Warm environment!    Great administrative support!     Email resume: jlepolstat@zareinu.org or call 516-993-2142

HEAD ENGLISH, Afternoon Teaching Position  Zareinu is hiring for the 24-25 school year. Looking for a qualified teacher to teach a modified English curriculum!  for a small group of 3rd  grade girls in Far Rockaway. Great Pay!    Warm environment!     Great administrative support!      Email resume: jlepolstat@zareinu. org or call 516-993-2142

ASSISTANT TEACHER, MORNING AND AFTERNOON POSITIONS Join our Specialized team at Zareinu. Looking for a warm and caring teacher assistant to work with an experienced teacher in a small 3rd and 4th grade girls’ class in a Beis Yaakov in Far Rockaway. Great Pay! Great Opportunity! Warm environment with administrative support! Email resume: jlepolstat@zareinu.org or call 516-993-2142

SEEKING ASSISTANT TEACHERS For elementary General Studies classes for ‘24-’25 school year. Candidates should have skills to take over for teachers if needed. M-Th, PM hours, strong support. Far Rockaway area. Send resume to teachersearch11@gmail.com.

MDS REGIONAL NURSE

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

GREAT OPPORTUNITY!

Seeking Home care PT, OT, SLP therapists in Brooklyn, Nassau, Queens. Competitive rates. Email resume to apply@linkhometherapy.com.

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

BNOS MALKA ACADEMY

In Queens is seeking teachers and assistants for the upcoming academic year. Kodesh, general studies, gym, art, Computers, Preschool. Send resume to rungar@bnosmalka.org

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.

THE GURAL JCC

Early Childhood Center is hiring Assistant Teachers for the 2024-2025 school year, and Camp Staff over 16-years-old for Summer, 2024. Please send resumes to JCC.Nursery@guraljcc.org or call (516) 239-1354.

REGENTS EXPERT

Tutoring regents in Algebra and Geometry A Darchei Torah instructor. Guaranteed results Text 347-491-8045 WhatsApp 347-767-1755

SHARE YOUR HEART WITH A

Sweet 18-year-old girl in need of a warm home. Seeking a family living in NY or NJ to welcome her into their home. Support provided. Contact 347-831-3315.

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

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

YESHIVA DARCHEI TORAH

In Far Rockaway is looking for secular studies teachers for grades 5-8. We are a warm, professional, supportive and collaborative environment offering a competitive salary.

Monday-Thursday - 5th grade-1:20-4:30          6th-8th grades 2:30-5:30

Send resumes or inquiries to mleff@ darchei.org

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!

Your Money Was the 401(k) a Mistake?

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

Retirement sure has changed, hasn’t it? A century ago, it meant slowing down a bit as you got old and frail but still working until you dropped. In the 1950s and ‘60s, it meant collecting a gold watch and living off a company-sponsored pension along with health benefits and Social Security. But, supporting retired workers is expensive, and companies grew to resent those obligations. So, in 1980, a Philadelphia benefits consultant named Ted Benna realized that Section 401(k) of the Revenue Act of 1978 could let his employees “defer” part of their paycheck into a deferred compensation plan. Just two years later, 7.5 million American workers were using the new plan to save. Today, there are over 710,000 plans covering more than 70 million Americans, holding over $7 trillion in assets.

Current conventional wisdom holds that the best way to save for retirement is to contribute as many tax-deductible dollars as you can to your 401(k) during your working years when you’re earning your highest income and paying your highest taxes. Invest it as aggressively as you can in the stock market or pick something called a “target date fund” that makes investment choices for you based solely on your current age. Then, withdraw your savings and pay tax at lower retirement rates to finance

golden years full of Florida sunsets, grandchildren, and pickleball. (Try not to drive your neighbors nuts with the sound of the ball hitting the paddle!)

Now, a new breed of economists and investment professionals are asking themselves, was it all a mistake? Increasingly, the answer is “yes.”

Now, Ted Benna calls his invention a “monster” and says he regrets how employers have made it their employees’ primary savings vehicle. “It was never designed to be what it is today,” he says.

Larry Fink, the chairman of BlackRock money management firm, criticizes it as “a shift from financial certainty to finan-

Today, there are over 710,000 plans covering more than 70 million Americans, holding over $7 trillion in assets.

Investing isn’t easy – if it were, everyone would succeed. Investors face three primary challenges to securing results: market volatility, fees, and taxes. Employees investing in 401(k)s (or their nonprofit cousins, 403(b)s and 457s) have to navigate all of those challenges themselves. How many classes did you take on retirement planning in high school or college? And if your name isn’t something like “Chadwick Cabot Lodge III,” Mummy and Daddy probably never sat you down to discuss it.

cial uncertainty.” And plenty of observers criticize the 401(k)-industrial complex of driving wealth inequality.

Let’s take a closer look at just one of those fundamental assumptions underlying the conventional wisdom: the notion that taxes will be higher today, when the money is going into the plan, than tomorrow, when it’s coming out. Will that really be true? Today’s national debt stands at $34.8 trillion, and we’re adding a trillion more every hundred days. How

confident are you that tax rates won’t go up in the future? (What about your children inhering your account when they’re in their highest-taxed years and paying more on the money than you ever would have?) If they do, millions of Americans will be lighting the fuse on a tax time bomb with every paycheck. Yes, they can choose a “Roth” option that flips the usual arrangement in favor of nondeductible contributions today and tax-free income tomorrow. But even guessing right on tax rates still means confronting market volatility and the punishing, sometimes-hidden Wall Street management fees.

Today, financial experts and advocates are looking at potential 401(k) alternatives with higher mandatory contributions and stronger guarantees. Long-term, those could go a long way towards closing the retirement savings gap. And we’re happy to help you craft the most tax-efficient plan for your own golden years. Call us before you book that pickleball court!

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.