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THEJEWISHHOME A PUBLICATION OF THE FIVE TOWNS & QUEENS COMMUNITY

September 12 - september 17, 2013 | Distributed Weekly In The Five Towns, Queens & Brooklyn

The Munkatcher Rebbe Gives Divrei Bracha to Many on His Recent Visit to Lawrence Page 49

Fathers and Sons Prepare for Yom Kippur with Teshuva, Tefillah and Tzedakah at DRS Page 46

Rabbi Moshe Meir Weiss Speaks at Five Towns Marriage Initiative TzomGedaliah Program Page 49

Congressman Dave Reichert (R-Wash) Visits Israel

Special Yom Kippur Section

Page 50

rNd Vnh,j VcuY Page 57

Mesiva Yam Hatorah Starts the Year with Achdus

Page 48

Our Voices Were Heard, Our Votes Counted by Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder

— See page 19 —

— See page 43 —

Page 46

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E V T A A S ED H T ONE YEAR SINCE HURRICANE SANDY One year ago we were all struck with an unprecedented crisis. The devastation was terrifying and our community has been through a most difficult year; and for many that struggle continues. But even amidst the destruction, we have hearts filled with gratitude to Hakadosh Baruch Hu as our community was spared any loss of life. Just as our community rose together as one to rebuild, let us all gather now together as one community, with one voice, and express our gratitude to Hashem. The children of our community will all complete Sefer Tehillim culminating with a massive siyum where yet again, we will all join together as one.

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Contents

Dear Readers,

>>Community Community Happenings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

>> News Global . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 National . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Odd-but-True Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

>> Israel Israel News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

>> People A Tribut to Shlomo Zakheim z”l, Beloved of Hashem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Shmuel Askarov: A Brave Soldier during the Battle of the Golan Heights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 A World after This: The Story of Lola Lieber . . . . . 84

>>Parsha The Shmuz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

>> Jewish Thought Not so Far East, by Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz . . . . . 63

It’s Wednesday morning, and I’m reading last night’s election results online. Some of the victories were not surprising, and some of them were shocking to me. I don’t live in NYC, so I was not able to vote in the NYC elections. (I did vote in the primary for Nassau County executive and noted the low voter turnout. It seems that people may have forgotten about the primary with the holidays and school just starting.) But what takes place in NYC affects all of us. As someone who was born and raised in Brooklyn, I kept a close eye on what was going on. I think the result that shocked me the most was the upset of Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes. When we were first married, my husband worked under D.A. Hynes for a number of years and always told me what a mensch D.A. Hynes was and how he had a genuine appreciation for frum Jews. Mr. Hynes served the borough for 23 years, and this is the first time since 1911 that a Brooklyn district attorney was ousted from office. I was surprised by the result and then a little apprehensive of the future of our city. With a new mayor and a new top prosecutor in Brooklyn, the face of the future of the borough has changed dramatically. When I spoke with my mother after Rosh Hashanah, I was saddened to hearing about the passing of Mr. Shlomo Zakheim z”l. Growing up, I spent my Shabbos mornings in Rabbi Zakheim’s shul, and my parents still daven there. I will always remember his smile, how he used to look over the mechitza to say hello to his wife and girls and say “gut Shabbos” to his mother. But no one could have known how much chessed was done by this man who was outgoing and friendly and kind to others. His goodness extended way beyond his smile. And truthfully, we may never know of all the good that Shlomo did in his quiet way. After his passing, people spoke about the chessed that he did for them or their organizations, all under the condition of anonymity. In this world, so many of us do chessed only to be recognized for the acts that we are performing. We want to get front-page coverage of our selflessness. But that was not Shlomo’s way. His life was all about chessed and it was all about doing it for the sake of the mitzvah. May his family feel true nechama, and may he be a meilitz yosher for all of klal Yisroel. Wishing you and your family a gemar chasima tova, Shoshana

Rabbi’s Musings (& Amusings). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Yitzy Halpern

Ask the Rabbi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

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>>Yom Kippur

Classifieds

Ascending Jacob’s Ladder: Teshuva,

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by Rabbi Yaakov Hillel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 No Reality like Mortality, by Joe Bobker. . . . . . . . . 71

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Editor

P.O. BOX 266 Lawrence, NY 11559 Phone | 516-734-0858 Fax | 516-734-0857

Friday, September 13 Parshas Nitzavim-Vayeilech Candle Lighting: 6:48 Shabbos Ends: 7:46 Rabbeinu Tam: 8:18

Healthy Habits for the New Year, by Aliza Beer, MS, RD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Deprived and Spoiled, by Deb Hirschhorn, PhD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

>> Food & Leisure

Weekly Weather

Recipes: The Aussie Gourmet: A Simple and Elegant Erev Yom Kippur Meal. . . . 66 Travel: Tennessee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

fri. sat. sun. mon. tues. wed. thurs. Sept. 13 Sept 14 Sept 15 Sept 16 Sept 17 Sept 18 Sept 19

>> Lifestyles Ask the Attorney. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Room for Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 See the Light, by Rivki Rosenwald . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

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From My Private Art Collection:

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Artistic Designs Made With Besamim Just in Time for Yom Kippur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

>> Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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The Jewish Home is an independent weekly magazine. Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily the opinions of the publisher or editor. The Jewish Home is not responsible for typographical errors, or for the kashrus of any product or business advertised within. The Jewish Home contains words of Torah. Please treat accordingly.

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The Week Global Pakistan to Release Taliban’s Number 2

In order to help facilitate the peace process between itself and Afghanistan, Pakistan is set to release the Afghan Taliban’s second-in-command. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar was close to the Taliban’s reclusive leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, who gave him his nom de guerre “Baradar” or “brother.” He was captured in Pakistan in 2010. “We have decided in principle to release Mullah Baradar and he will be re-

leased at an appropriate time,” Pakistan foreign office spokesman Azaz Chaudry said. “He will be released soon, but will not be handed over to the Afghan government.” Seven members of the Afghan Taliban have been let go by the Pakistanis in the last week. Baradar’s release is key to Afghanistan’s efforts to kick-start the stalled peace process as NATO prepares to pull out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014 and anxiety grows over what will happen to the country once international troops leave. Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai has spent years calling for Baradar’s release because he believes the former number-two is more open to dialogue than many of his comrades. So far, American officials have been mum on the subject of the imminent release, but Michael Keating, consulting professor at Chatham House, said the timing of the release of a major Taliban leader on the eve of the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks is “very odd, but I would be very surprised if it has anything to do with Pakistan’s relationship with the U.S.” He added, “My understanding is that his release is symbolic,

In News and important, because it is a signal that Pakistan does not want to get in the way of efforts to get a reconciliation started [between Afghanistan and the Taliban].” Pakistan has proposed to help arrange a meeting of Afghan Taliban and Karzai’s High Peace Council, a top aide to Pakistani Prime Minister confirmed. Aziz Ahmed Khan, Pakistan’s former ambassador to Afghanistan, weighed in on Baradar’s potential significance in terms of any future talks. “I can’t say whether [Baradar] was co-founder of the Taliban or not, but he was very close to Mullah Omer and he may play some role in peace talks.”

Hitler’s Bodyguard Dies Rochus Misch has finally died at the age of 96. Misch was Adolf Hitler’s ym”sh personal bodyguard and was the last surviving witness of the Nazi dictator’s final days in his bunker towards the end of World War II. Misch died in Berlin after failing to recover from a heart attack.

Misch was among those who joined the Nazi leader in his bunker where Hitler eventually committed suicide days before Germany’s surrender. In a 2005 interview, Misch described how he had seen the Nazi leader and his wife Eva Braun dead in their bunker deep under the shattered city of Berlin. “I remember that he said goodbye in the corridor and went into the rooms. He said he didn’t want to be disturbed,” he recalled. Misch added that it was not a surprise. “The commanders had all wanted to evacuate Hitler, but he said no, he was staying in Berlin.” Hitler poisoned Braun and shot himContinued on page 12

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The Week self in the head. Historians believe their bodies were then soaked with fuel and burned. Two days later, Misch, then aged 27, was one of the last people to flee the bunker. After the war, he was taken prisoner by Soviet forces and held captive in Kazakhstan and Siberia until 1953. Upon his release he took up work as a housepainter and was not made famous until he published a book about his time spent in the bunker titled The Last Witness.

New Australia PM: Australia Open for Business Australia held federal elections last week and the Labor Party found itself ousted from power. Liberal Party head Tony Abbott was chosen to be the country’s new prime minister. Upon conceding defeat, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced that he would not run again for the leadership

In News

of the Labor Party, saying it was ‘‘time for renewal.” In his concession speech, Rudd eloquently said that he felt, “A couple more days we might have got there.”

Meanwhile, Liberal Party supporters were in a full-blown celebratory mood throughout the Australian island. “I can inform you that the government of Australia has changed,” the victor, Abbott, said to a cheering crowd. ‘”From today, I declare that Australia is under new management and that Australia is once more open for business.”

Average Height Climbs 10 Cm in a Century From 1870 to 1980, the height of the average European man has increased by over 11 centimeters according to new research. The increase is a reflection of more health awareness across the region in the last hundred years. Interestingly, the study also found that average height accelerated in the period spanning the two World Wars and the Great Depression, when poverty, food rationing and hardship of war might have been expected to limit people’s growth. The swift advance may have been due to people deciding to have fewer children in this period, the researchers said. Smaller family size has previously been found to be linked to increasing average height. “Increases in human stature are a key indicator of improvements in the average health of populations,” said Timothy Hatton, a professor at Britain’s

University of Essex who led the study. He said the evidence – which shows the average height of a European male growing from 167 cm to 178 cm in a little over a 100 years – suggests an environment of improving health and decreasing disease “is the single most important factor driving the increase in height.”

The study, published online in the journal Oxford Economic Papers, analyzed data on average men’s height at around the age of 21 from the 1870s up Continued on page 14

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The Week to around 1980 in 15 European countries. The study only looked at men, the researchers said, because extensive historical data on women’s heights is hard to come by. Other height-boosting factors included higher per capita incomes, more sanitary housing and living conditions, better education about health and nutrition, and better social services and health systems.

The camp may have closed sometime in 2012 after a series of bad harvests (combined with a currency devaluation in 2009) created a food shortage that caused a “large number of prisoners” to perish, the report says, citing a Radio Free Asia article written by a North Korean reporter who defected from the country.

“Disappearance” of North Korean Prisoners Recent pictures taken by a human rights group of a North Korean labor camp show that several thousand inmates may have disappeared. Human Rights in North Korea, or HRNK, says that North Korea’s Camp 22, which is located near the Chinese border, was thought to have once held between 30,000 to 50,000 prisoners. Most of the detainees were suspected of being disloyal to the regime or were related to people who had shown disloyalty.

When Camp 22 shut down, an estimated 7,000-8,000 prisoners were transferred to other labor camps. The report says that trains holding inmates were seen departing the area at night, heading south. But that still leaves many

In News thousands of prisoners unaccounted for. Their fates are unknown for the time being, as information from inside the socalled “Hermit Kingdom” often takes years to leak to the outside world, if it gets out at all. Human rights researcher David Hawk, a former United Nations official and former executive director of Amnesty International USA, wrote the report. HRNK Co-chair Roberta Cohen said in a statement, “International arrangements should be negotiated for the entry of the International Committee of the Red Cross into the camps.” North Korea’s leaders have never publicly admitted that the prison labor camps exist, even though as many as 200,000 people are thought to be imprisoned by their Supreme Enlightened Great Leader Kim Jong Un.

Olympics 2020 Destination Decided For those of you who have been holding your breath since 2012, the location of the 2020 Olympics has been decided and announced. The 2020 Games will be held in Tokyo, according to the International Olympic Comity. The other finalist was Istanbul but when the final ballots were cast, the Japanese capital was rewarded with the title. It is the first time that an Asian city will host the Games more than once. Tokyo was last the home of the Olympic Games in 1964. Madrid had attempted three straight times to win the Games, but failed yet again despite a pitch for a “sensible, reliable and trustworthy” Olympics. Tokyo, meanwhile, positioned itself as a safe option, indicating that no radioactivity from the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster would affect the Games in any way. “Some may have concerns about Fukushima,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in English. “Let me assure you the situation is under control. It has never done and will never do any damage to Tokyo.”

Istanbul’s bid was reportedly hampered by the ongoing war in neighboring Syria. But members of the Turkish del-

egation painted their nation as a bridge between Europe and Asia. “Our country is a place where there is a lot of unity and diversity, and that is the idea that we can share on a broader scale with the Olympics Games being hosted in Turkey,” said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “We believe,” he continued, “that hosting the Olympics in Istanbul will give this signal, this spirit of friendship and sharing and peace.” The voters didn’t agree. Let the games begin.

Arrest at Buckingham Two men have been arrested by British police after breaking into Buckingham Palace. The break-in is one of the most serious security breaches at Queen Elizabeth’s London residence in about 30 years. A police spokesman said one man was found in the palace in an area that is open to the public at about 10:30 p.m. He had scaled a fence to gain entry to the palace grounds. He was arrested for burglary, trespass and criminal damage, while a second man was arrested outside the palace on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary. Both men were released on bail. “No members of the royal family were at Buckingham Palace at the time of the incident,” the police spokesman said. “A review of the specific circumstances of this incident is being carried out.”

Buckingham Palace had no comment to make on the incident, saying it was a matter for the police. This is not the first time intruders have broken into Buckingham Palace. The most famous security breach was in 1982, when Michael Fagan scaled a palace drainpipe and broke into the queen’s bedroom where she was sleeping. He reportedly sat on the bed and chatted with the monarch before he was arrested.

Taliban Executes Outspoken Critic

An outspoken critic of the Taliban in Afghanistan has been murdered. Author Sushmita Banerjee, who has published her memoirs about marrying an Afghan man and escaping the Taliban, was brutally shot outside her home last week. Shah Wali, head of the Afghan Police Criminal Investigation Department for the eastern province of Paktika, blamed the Taliban for the killing.

Banerjee wrote A Kabuliwala’s Bengali Wife which chronicled her daring marriage to an Afghan businessman and her struggles during Taliban rule in the 1990s. The book was a bestseller in India before being turned into the Bollywood movie, Escape from the Taliban, in 2003. Fearing for her life, she fled Afghanistan in 1995 and only recently returned to her husband, Jaanbaz Khan. News of her death rocked her community in the provincial capital city of Kharana, where she worked as a health care provider. One neighbor, Sayeed Kamal, described her as “very helpful to our women.” Several prominent women have been the targets of violence in Afghanistan in recent weeks. Female senator Roh Gul Khairzad and her husband were injured and their daughter was killed in a highway ambush in Ghazni province. A separate kidnapping incident involving female lawmaker Fariba Ahmadi Kakar and her three young children occurred days later.

Nyad Swims from Cuba to Florida at 64 Most of can’t accomplish this at 20 but Diana Nyad did it at the age of 64! Nyad made history last Monday when she completed the 110 mile swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage, a shark-proof metal cage that many swimmers and scuba divers use to protect them from sharks. The swim down the Florida Strait

has only been done once before by Australian Susie Maroney. But last week, Nyad set a new record since Maroney used a protective cage during her 1997 swim. She was welcomed onto the shoreline of Key West by cheering crowds just before 2:00pm on September 2. The swimmer had a Coast Guard escort during the 53 hour journey for safety reasons. She was immediately transferred to a stretcher and taken to a

In News local hospital for an evaluation but not before she told the crowd, “Never give up.” This was Nyad’s fifth attempt to complete the swim since 1978. She told NBC News, “I’m beaming with pride.” Nyad has previous notable accomplishments: in 1975, she swam around the island of Manhattan and in 1979, she swam from the Bahamas to Florida.

Of course, the swim was extremely challenging. On Sunday night, Nyad Continued on page 18

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swim my last two miles in the ocean,” she told her handlers as she closed in on Key West, according to her blog. “This is a lifelong dream of mine and I’m very, very glad to be with you,” she added, praising her team. “So let’s get going so we can have a whopping party.” According to Nyad’s Twitter account, she officially spent 52 hours, 54 minutes, and 18.6 seconds swimming.

In News Dennis Rodman Shows Affection for Kim Jong Un, Again While most retired athletes spend their retirement days on exotic islands and cashing in on endorsement deals, Dennis Rodman, retired NBA star, be-

friends dictators. Rodman professed his affection for North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un as he departed from North Korea on Saturday. The basketball star showed off photos of him and Kim hugging, laughing, dining, and watching a basketball game. Clearly the two are BFFs.

He also irritably rejected calls to lobby for the release of Kenneth Bae, an American citizen imprisoned in North Korea. Bae was arrested in November and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for what Pyongyang described as hostile acts against the state. Kim has the power to grant special pardons under the North’s constitution. Several months ago, Rodman tweeted for Kim to “do me a solid” and release Bae but now the infamous athlete is claiming that Bae’s release is none of his business. “Guess what? That’s not my job to ask about Kenneth Bae,” Rodman told reporters upon arrival at the airport in China’s capital, Beijing. “Ask [President Barack] Obama about that. Ask Hillary Clinton,” an obviously irate Rodman shouted. This is the NBA Hall of Famer’s second trip to the isolated Communist dictatorship. “He’s my friend for life. I don’t care what you guys think about him,” Rodman said. Rodman told The Associated Press as he was leaving his hotel in Pyongyang that Kim had spoken about his visiting again, and that Kim “really actually wants to change things.” He said Kim had encouraged Rodman when he goes back to the United States to “say some very good, positive, and very good things about this country, that’s what we talked about a lot.” North Korea’s official news agency, KCNA, said in a brief report that the two had “a cordial talk,” and that Kim invited Rodman back again “any time.”

Continued on page 22

19 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n s e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

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The Week New Research Reveals Method for Early Detection of Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease is a disorder of the central nervous system in the brain that causes shaking and difficulty with walking, movement, and coordination. Sadly, each year about 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s is generally diagnosed by a physician but unfortunately the diagnosis usually comes after

clinical symptoms have developed and the disease has progressed significantly. Doctors often use a test called SPECT, which uses radioactive material to image the brain which exposes the patient to unnecessary radiation. New research from researchers at the University of Haifa and Rambam Hospital reveal that a person’s penmanship may help doctors diagnose the degenerative disease at the early stages. Researchers compared the writing process of 40 sick and healthy subjects to analyze the data. “Identifying the changes in handwriting could lead to an early diagnosis of the illness and neurological intervention at a critical moment,” explains Professor Sara Rosenblum of the University of Haifa’s Department of Occupational Therapy who instigated the study. According to estimates, about 7 to 10 million individuals suffer from Parkinson’s disease globally. This discovery can potentially bring a groundbreaking and noninvasive method of diagnosing Parkinson’s to the medical world.

In News spite their services significantly complicating matters for many trying to get to the Kotel.” He also praised to police for responding so quickly and settling the unrest. Luckily, no serious injuries were reported.

Israel Attacks at Kotel on Rosh Hashana On the second day of Rosh Hashana as thousands davened at the Kotel, attackers violently threw rocks. Police had to resort to using riot-controlling tactics to deter the attackers. Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, the official rav of the Kotel, told the media after yom tov that the attacks were intended to injure innocent people and said, “All acts of violence should be condemned, but such acts should be condemned sevenfold as it is a Jewish holy site. The world should release condemnatory statements expressing contempt over the attempt to injure mispallalim at the Kotel on the holy day.” He added, “Just a month ago, the Muslims celebrated Ramadan and the Jews respected this religious right de-

Plot to Overthrow Hamas in Gaza Strip Exposed

Hamas authorities released a video of a Palestinian man with his face blocked who “confessed” that he took part in a plan to initiate strife and dis-

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order and chaos in the Gaza Strip. The terror group said its security forces arrested several Palestinians on suspicion of involvement with the new anti-Hamas Tamarod (“rebellion”) group. The group’s mission is to take over the Hamas regime. “I understood that the goal was to stage a coup [against] Hamas,” the man in the video said, adding that PA officers belonging to the Preventive Security Force had met with him in the Gaza Strip. “I was told that blood would be up to the ankles in the Gaza Strip,” he said. According to the man, PA agents whom he met with told him that the mission should be accomplished in six months. “They instructed me to form cells in the southern Gaza Strip,” he added. “They told me that they have their own groups and enough weapons in the northern Gaza Strip and that they are prepared to put an end to Hamas’s injustice. They also said that they have a lot of money.” The unidentified man claimed that not only was the Palestinian Authority and some Arab countries behind the

plot, but Israel was on board as well. He did not specify which Arab countries were involved. He added that the ultimate goal is to return the PA to the Gaza Strip and re-appoint former Fatah strongman Muhammad Dahlan as president.

Israel’s Population Reaches 8M

In an annual report by the Central Bureau of Statistics, Israel has an estimated population of 8.081 million. According to most calculations, Israel is the world’s 100th smallest country. The report released on Monday re-

In News veals that about 75.1% of the population is Jewish, which is about 6.066 million people, while the Arab population represents 20.7% of the population, about 1.670 million people. The remaining 4.2%, approximately 345,000 people, include non-Arab Christians and individuals of other religions plus people who have no religious affiliation. The census also revealed that in the last year about 163,000 babies were born in Israel, while 40,000 deaths were recorded. The most popular baby names for girls were Noa, Shira, Tamar, Talia, and Yael. The most common names for boys were Itai, Daniel, Ori, Yosef, and Noam. The most populated city in the country is Jerusalem followed by Tel Aviv.

Technion University Ranked Seventh Best In a new ranking by Bloomberg, Israel’s Technion University ranked the seventh best undergraduate institution

in the world. The rankings were based on an analysis of the undergraduate schools of 250 CEOs of U.S. tech companies with a market value of over $1bn. Technion had company in the seventh spot; it was joined by MIT, Rice University and the University of Texas, Austin. It is the only institution listed in the top ten from outside the U.S.

Bloomberg commended the Haifa-based university for its impressive high tech hubs which it said “proves its commitment to technology.” Technion is currently collaborating with Cornell University on a project to build a $2 billion tech campus and a start-up incubator on New York City’s Roosevelt Island, a narrow island in the East River

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between Manhattan and Queens. Technion president Professor Peretz Lavie received the prestigious ranking as “an indication of the University’s prominent status throughout the world.” Adding, “The Technion has played a pivotal role in transforming Israel to a start-up powerhouse.”

National Hating ObamaCare— and Telling the World

Iranian President Wishes Shana Tova to All Jews

While the Jewish people prepared for Rosh Hashana and called their friends, family, and acquaintances to wish them a happy sweet new year, the Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, sent out a tweet. “As the sun is about to set here in Tehran, I wish all Jews, especially Iranian Jews a blessed Rosh Hashanah.” Later on, Iran’s official Fars agency quoted Rouhani’s advisor saying that Rouhani does not have a Twitter account and the tweet was a scam. Even if the tweets were in fact from Rouhani, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is unimpressed and dubious of its motives. “The greetings come out of the mouth of a regime that only last week threatened to destroy the state of Israel,” the Israeli prime minister said. “The Iranian regime will be judged solely on its deeds, not its greetings, whose only purpose it to distract attention from the fact that even after the elections it continues to enrich uranium and build a plutonium reactor with the aim of acquiring a nuclear weapon which will threaten Israel and the whole world.” Just last Thursday, Iran’s army chief of staff General Hassan Firouzabadi was quoted by the official IRNA news agency saying that a US-led military strike against Tehran’s ally, Syria, would leave Israel “in flames.”

In News soar more than fivefold, from $48 billion in 2014 to $250 billion in 2023. This fall, Congress will have an opportunity to use its “power of the purse” to block ObamaCare from going forward. And The Heritage Foundation hopes that they will use it wisely to keep America physically and fiscally healthy.

into the room and confirmed that the centenarian was armed. Unfortunately, Isadore shot at the officers and continued to shoot, until officers were forced to engage in fire. The 107-year-old lost his life in a shootout with police.

Clinton: I Want those Socks

SWAT Team Kills 107-Year-Old Man

Times Square is considered the Crossroads of the World. Advertisers pay top dollar to hawk their products on giant billboards. This week, New Yorkers and those visiting the Big Apple will be greeted by a six-story billboard on 42nd Street with a haunting message: “Warning—ObamaCare may be hazardous to your health.” The ad is part of The Heritage Foundation’s continuing public education campaign to inform the American people about the dangerous side-effects of what they consider to be an unfair, unaffordable and unworkable law, and how it can be stopped. So how will ObamaCare be harming our health? According to The Heritage Foundation, here are some of the worst side effects of the plan. Many Americans will lose their current health coverage; their current plan will no longer meet the requirements of the law. And new plans may force them to pay for coverage of things they may not need. Some Americans will lose access to the doctors who have been treating them for many years. Many of the ObamaCare Exchanges will have limited physician networks. To choose to use the doctor who has been treating them for years, Americans will have to pay high out-of-network costs. Millions of patients will be forced to use Medicaid, a health program that many doctors do not accept. Some don’t even call Medicaid a “real insurance.” And reductions to Medicare can spell disaster for millions of seniors who rely on the program for their healthcare needs. And what about America’s fiscal health? If Congress does not act, on January 1, 2014, Washington will tap a gusher of new federal spending on ObamaCare. Over the next decade, the cost of the law’s new entitlements will

This week, a 107-year-old man died in a shootout with police and SWAT members. Officers responded to a disturbance call at his residence and then determined that Monroe Isadore, 107, held a weapon pointed at police. After making sure the others in the home got out safely, officers approached the door of the bedroom where Isadore was holed up. Negotiations went on for some time, and SWAT was able to insert a camera

This week, former President Clinton enjoyed his annual lunch with former

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The Week

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n s e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

The Week President H.W. Bush and his wonderful wife, Barbara. But instead of walking away talking about the menu, Clinton confessed that he has “sock envy.” He tweeted to his one million followers: “Enjoyed my annual lunch with President and Mrs. Bush in Maine. Envious of his ‘western cactus’-themed socks.” Bush 41, 89, has been wearing wacky socks over the years and enjoys showing them off. It seems that Clinton has a sock-fetish of his own: his famed (and now deceased) cat was named Socks.

George Zimmerman’s Domestic Issues Receive Media Attention

Less than two months after his acquittal, George Zimmerman is in the news again, although this time the story is only newsworthy due to his history. Shortly after 2pm on Monday, police arrived at Shellie Zimmerman’s father’s home in Florida after Shellie, George’s estranged wife, dialed 911 following a domestic dispute. Shellie claimed that her soon to be ex-husband was threatening her with a gun. Zimmerman was not arrested and authorities are still trying to determine what actually happened. Shellie Zimmerman has said she will not press charges. Lake Mary Police Chief Steve Bracknell said, “We’ve only heard one side of the story so far.” In a divorce petition she filed last week, Shellie Zimmerman said she said she and her husband separated a month after Zimmerman was acquitted of any crime for fatally shooting 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. According to the divorce petition, Shellie Zimmerman is demanding that her husband pay for a permanent life insurance policy with her as beneficiary. Last Friday, ABC’s “Good Morning America” aired an interview

In News with George Zimmerman’s wife. Shellie Zimmerman said her husband left her with “a bunch of pieces of broken glass” after the acquittal. During the interview she said, “I have a selfish husband and I think George is all about George.” Last month, Shellie, 26, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor perjury charge for lying about the couple’s finances during a bail hearing following her husband’s arrest after Martin’s shooting. She was sentenced to a year’s probation and 100 hours of community service. Her husband did not attend the sentencing hearing in the Sanford courtroom. Since the incident, George Zimmerman and his lawyers have made no public statements. George Zimmerman’s brother, Robert Zimmerman Jr., tweeted that “we’ve learned from GZ case not to ‘jump to conclusions,’ to wait for facts, & to avoid speculation. ‘News’ is a business — not your friend.” It has come to light that there was no gun involved in the recent incident, contrary to what was previously reported.

World’s Largest Ferris Wheel

Vegas will soon be home to the world’s largest Ferris wheel. The tremendous structure can be seen from all over the city as it towers over the skyline of the Vegas Strip. The outer wheel of the 55-story High Roller ride was hoisted into place on Tuesday. It had been under construction since 2011. Early in 2014, it will be embellished with 1,500 LED lights and will start its slow spin. “It’s going to be an icon,” Project Director David Codiga said. “It’s going to be a part of your visit to Las Vegas if

Schools Where You Are Most Likely to Excel

The Week

In News

le’s), César Alierta (Telefónica) all having gone there. Cesare Mainardi (Booz & Company), Thomas J. Wilson (Allstate Corporation), Andrew S. Duff (Piper Jaffray) have all graduated from Northwestern University putting it in 7th place. If you have ever stayed at a Hyatt Hotel, you can thank CEO Mark Hoplmazian who is an alum of #6 University of Chicago along with Brady Dougan (Crédit Suisse Group) and J. Patrick Doyle (Domino’s Pizza). Cornell University ranked fifth with notable graduates Irene Rosenfeld (Mondelēz International), Lowell McAdam (Verizon Communications), and Herbert Fisk Johnson III (S.C. Johnson & Son). Number four goes to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Charles Koch (Koch Industries), Drew Houston (Dropbox), and Alan Mulally (Ford Motor Company) all having gone there. Cracking open the top three is University of Pennsylvania. Penn was the school of Jeff Weiner (LinkedIn), Harold McGraw III (McGraw Hill Financial), and Steve Wynn (Wynn Resorts). The silver medal goes to Stanford University for having educated 11 CEO’s worth over 492.5 billion dollars including Reed Hastings (Netflix), Rodney O’Neal (Delphi Automotive), Richard Fairbank (Capital One). And the top spot on our list is not much of a surprise. With over 25 CEOs having received their higher education there, Harvard University is number one. Their combined worth is $1,548.3 billion dollars, and the list includes many household names. Most notable on their mailing list include Steve Ballmer (Microsoft), Lloyd Blankfein (Goldman Sachs), and Jamie Dimon (JPMorgan Chase).

A Different Future for NYC

Last week, TJH compiled a list of the top ten most expensive universities in America. This week we are back to let you know which schools give you the highest odds of becoming the CEO of a major company. The list is based on the alma maters of Fortune Global 500 CEOs. So where should you be sending your future CEOs? Yale University is ninth highest on the list with 6 CEO’s including Ellis Jones (Wasserstein Perella & Co.) and James McNerney (Boeing Company). Then comes Columbia at number 8, with Ursula Burns (Xerox), Michael Gould (Bloomingda-

Texas Reclaims Title: Most Illegally Entered State For the first time in ten years, Texas has seen the most illegal immigration in the country. The amount of people crossing illegally into South Texas has doubled in the last four years, making it the busiest section along the Southwest border. The increase in traffic has led to a beefed up police presence and more Continued on page 30

After what seemed like many months, the campaigning for the Democratic candidate for NYC mayor has finally come to a close. As we go to print, Bill de Blasio, the city’s public advocate, seemed to claim a towering victory in the Tuesday race, although former Comptroller Bill Thompson refused to give up until “every vote” is counted. With 98% of the precincts reporting, it was hard to tell if de Blasio was the clear winner or if he will be facing Thompson in a forced runoff in three weeks. It may be a week or so before the results are clear. But despite the uncertainty, de Blasio still celebrated a raucous victory with his family and supporters in Brooklyn. “We are better as a city when we make sure that everyone has a shot,” he said. “We begin tonight.” Thompson, on the other hand, made it clear that he will fight to the end, “Every voice in New York City deserves to be heard,” the former city controller declared. “We’re going to wait for every vote to be counted,” he added. “This is far from over!” His supporters chanted in unison, “Three more weeks! Three more weeks!” If a runoff is necessary, it will be held on October 1. The other candidates took only slivers of the NYC vote. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn had 15.5%, Controller John Liu had 7% and former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner had 4.9%. Either de Blasio or Thompson will be facing Republican Joe Lhota in the November election for the right to the city after Mayor Bloomberg resigns. In the Democratic primary for city controller, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer defeated Eliot Spitzer. In a shocking upset, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes, who served as Brooklyn’s top prosecutor in keeping the borough safe, was defeated

by former prosecutor Kenneth Thompson 55% to 44%, according to unofficial results. This is the first time a Brooklyn district attorney was voted out of office since 1911. “Tonight we have made history,” Thompson told his supporters. “It has been against tough odds, we are now on a path to a better future for Brooklyn, one that will make our communities both safer and stronger.” Although Hynes has the Conservative and Republican ballot lines in November, his spokesman has said that he will not run on those lines. “The Democratic voters of the county, today, viewed (my) record, compared it with the record of former federal prosecutor Kenneth Thompson and decided to change directions,” Hynes told his dejected supporters. The race between those two was nasty, with Thompson repeatedly attacking Hynes as being corrupt and unfair to minority communities. In the race for public advocate, Brooklyn City Councilwoman Letitia James and Brooklyn state Sen. Daniel Squadron are headed to a runoff after neither passed the 40% mark. In the race to replace Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, City Council member Gale Brewer topped a field of four candidates that included fellow Council members Jessica Lapin and Robert Jackson. In Queens, former Councilwoman Melinda Katz defeated Councilman Peter Vallone for borough president. In Nassau County, Tom Suozzi moved one step closer to gaining his former position of Nassau County Executive with his victory over political newcomer Adam Haber. He will be facing Republican Ed Mangano in the November election. Interestingly, Suozzi lost to Mangano four years ago with less than 400 votes.

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n s e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

you ride it or not. It’s more or less impossible not to see it if you come here.” The project is being funded by Caesars Entertainment Corp., which owns more casinos than any other U.S. gambling company. The Ferris wheel is a counterpart to the $550 million Linq development, an outdoor plaza across the street from Caesars Palace. The mall is expected to open to the public this winter. The High Roller will stand at 550 feet tall, 100 feet taller than the London Eye, 30 feet taller than China’s Star of Nanchang, and 9 feet taller than the Singapore Flyer. It will be compromised of over 3.5 million pounds of steel. Riders will be seated in 28 glass capsules as opposed to rickety basket-like vessels seen at local amusement parks, and it will take about 30 minutes to make a complete orbit. Tickets will be about $30 per person But The High Roller may have to hand over its crown of “Tallest in the World” soon. Last year, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced plans to build a 625-foot ride on Staten Island’s waterfront.

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n s e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

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August 15, 2013 Dear Partners of Chickens for Shabbos, This letter was received this week. It is really written to you, my dear partners in this Tzedaka, because simply put, you have donated your financial participation. All the Brachos that are contained in this letter really belong to you and your families. Without your financial participation, there is no Bracha, and without you there are no Chickens on Shabbos! May HKBH bless you all with a K’Siva V’Chasima Tova, a year of health, happiness, nachas and Simcha. I doubt that you remember me we spoke on the phone about a year ago and I wrote a blog piece about what you do. I also translate the letters that come through the office from the melamdim and single mothers. And I too am a single mom. I spend hours translating other peoples words of thanks to you, but I want to add some of my own. Yes, I too have benefited from your kindness along with the other single mothers, and raising five kids on my own while working and trying to get ahead is daunting at times. While everyone cares for the widows and orphans, single moms are made to feel like second class citizens. On more than one occasion I have heard other single moms tell me that they wish that they were almanos and not grushos or agunos. Then instead of being blamed they would be helped and supported. And I understand the feeling completely. But somehow you have the wisdom and open heart to help us and not allow us to sink into the misery that threatens at times to overwhelms us completely. Your zechus is unimaginable. After a hundred and twenty you will get to shomayim and receive schar for the brachos and torah learning of thousands of children who you have never met, yet cared for as if they were grandchildren. Children who went to school proud of their new clothes and shoes, and well nourish from substantial meals. You will receive schar for shabbos zemiros that wouldn't have been sung if there had been nothing on the table to eat. You will receive shcar for all of the things that hurting single moms accomplished when they held their heads a little higher and shoulders a little straighter because they knew that there was someone out there who believed in them and supported them. Someone in the world who cares. I used to live in Tzfat, and I recognize some of the names on the letters that I translate. These women are smart, noble, kind, and tznius. They are women whose strongest prayer is that their children will succeed in life and grow up to be eirlich and fine despite their difficult beginnings. They are women who have survived some of the worst horrors and traumas that go on in Israel today, yet they get up every morning and put one foot in front of the other, strengthening their emuna to march on and raise the next generation, giving their children love and support that they aren't receiving from any one.

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DEAR HOLY PARTNERS OF CHICKEN FOR SHABBOS: As you know, Yad Eliezer has been distributing food and services in huge quantities to the neediest and most vulnerable families in Eretz Yisrael. Among the nearly 14,000 who receive Yad Eliezer food and participate in our programs are numerous single parent homes and a great many homes with severe disfunction. In addition we also give out over 1500 monthly food coupons to Avreichim who are Talmidei Chachamim of the highest order. These families participate in the Kollel Mishna Brura Program which enables them to receive the coupons and maintain a sense of dignity. Also included are over 450 Almonos who receive direct cash stipends (of between $500 and $1000 per month) to their bank to prevent a total collapse of the families. But, there are so many people who are not reached by Yad Eliezer and Chickens for Shabbos has allowed them to expand in so many incredible ways. Here are some of them: AGUNOS AND GRUSHOS PROGRAM: If we searched for those who are the most unfortunate members of Klal Yisrael, it would probably be Agunos and Grushos. They are often forgotten by everybody and to a large extent they live lives of unremitting hardship and despair. We’ve put together two lists of these women (who often have large families that they need to feed and clothe and shelter alone), to help them cope with their Tzoros and to provide them with monetary help, food vouchers and emergency help and Chizuk. Some of them make weddings on their own, some cope with stalking, menacing husbands or ex-husbands, and some even have really dangerous ex-husbands who frighten them and cause untold suffering. Some need money to fight legal battles that cannot be fought without paying lawyers, and some are so downtrodden and miserable that they can no longer fight. Altogether we are helping over 125 families of Agunos and Grushos. It is an incredible Z’chus to help these women who are often truly righteous they have children and dependents who need to be fed and clothed and sheltered. MELAMDIM PROGRAM: Melamdim deserve special attention, especially those who devote their lives to teaching our small children. Many of them are severely underpaid and if they have large families, they often cannot put food on the table. We have assembled a list of over 295 Melamdim who are living in desperate conditions and who will be able to do so much more in their jobs if they had more peace of mind in terms of their Parnasa. These Melamdim receive stipends in the form of food vouchers and chickens and clothing vouchers to help them feed and clothe their own children while providing the children of Klal Yisrael with the tools to become a generation we can all be proud of. In addition to providing food and clothing for the families of Melamdim, we also helped marry off many of their daughters who were kallos. An engaged daughter, normally a source of real Simcha and Nachas, becomes a source of strain and distress when there is no money. We gave out Kol Kallah vouchers (A Kol Kallah voucher allows

a kallah to shop for pots, pans, linens and personal garments) and new clothing coupons for these brides. Chickens for Shabbos also clothed the parents and children of the Kallah on each occasion with coupon grants to clothe all the children and the parents. These coupons change a sad family into a joyful one – true Hachnasas Kallah! TZFAT KITCHEN: When Yad Eliezer was about to close their kitchen in Tzfat because they could no longer afford it, Chickens for Shabbos came up with addition funding. This incredible kitchen feeds approximately 100 families every week. Since there are, on average, 7 people per family, the Tzfat kitchen feeds and nourishes over 700 people per week! These are among the neediest families in Tzfat and the Z’chus of feeding them and ensuring their survival is incalculable. Blanket and Winter Coat Program: During the cold winter months, many of the poorest homes are totally unheated. A chicken for Shabbos provides thousands of warm blankets and coats to impoverished families throughout Eretz Yisrael. EMERGENCY FUNDS: Very often families who live on the edge suffer a trauma that threatens to totally destroy the delicate family structure that does exist for very nedy families. It could be as simple as gas, electric or water shut-offs. It could be a dental bill that cannot be avoided but cannot be paid. It can be as simple as a bus ticket for a woman who needs to visit the hospital each week, or eye glasses for a child who cannot see or focus without them. Each crisis is real and needs to be evaluated. Chickens for Shabbos provides for hundreds and hundreds of these situations. Altogether, the number of Neshamos who are impacted by our Melamdim and Agunos and Grushos programs is well over 4000. These are 4000 souls who owe their lives to you and to the donors of Chickens for Shabbos. Chazal tell us that these are the only things that are true and eternal possessions. May your home continue to be filled with these possessions! All of the programs that are joint efforts of Chickens for Shabbos and Yad Eliezer are administered at absolutely no expense to Chickens for Shabbos. This means that 100% of every dollar goes to Aniyim! Altogether, the number of Neshamos who are impacted by our Melamdim and Agunos and Grushos programs is well over 4000. These are 4000 souls who owe their lives to you and to the donors of Chickens for Shabbos. Chazal tell us that these are the only things that are true and eternal possessions. May your home continue to be filled with these possessions! Rosh Hashana is coming soon. We would love to be able to give and give to these families. If you have any questions, you can call me at any time or you can call Mrs. Tropper (Yad Eliezer) at 718 258 1580. or Young Israel Charity Fund at718-261-9723. Thank you for being such an incredible partner to Chickens for Shabbos and to Yad Eliezer!

looks down at us, we too should be Zoche to give Hashem great memories of us!!

y that operates at zero expenses. y went to, all of it - to the penny. d your families because of it. OF AGUNOS, GRUSHOS & MELAMDIM.

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The Week arrests. The patrollers are now being supplied with night vision goggles and mobile towers. By the end of this year, the Rio Grande Valley Sector expects to have 600 more agents. However, even with a record amount of manpower and infrastructure along the entire southern border, the Rio Grande Valley has the fewest number of agents per mile compared to other places. It also has the least amount of fencing. In some places the only deterrent is a few ground sensors.

This year, Border Patrol has detained nearly 200,000 people from

Del Rio to Brownsville. While apprehensions across the southern border are at record lows, South Texas is the one spot where the numbers are rising again. “We could apprehend anywhere between 100 and 200 a shift,” said Mark Foster, a Border Patrol supervisor. “On the weekend it’s very hard to get all the incursions dealt with, with the manpower that we have.” A large part of what makes it so difficult to patrol is the terrain of the land itself. The Rio Grande swerves a lot when it gets close to the American border. Cliffs, wildlife refuges and gravel pits make for a very tricky patrol. There are also private residences and farmland, where locals can make a pretty profit cooperating with smugglers. There are also smugglers who operate within the county. Recently, sheriff deputies stopped a U-Haul trailer stuffed with 70 migrants. Daniel Perez is a newly minted Border Patrol agent who moved from Arizona to South Texas to start his job a year ago. “It’s a big change down here,” Perez said. “You got the river and then they come into this jungle

In News gym of a brush that we’ve got here and hiding spaces everywhere.” The majority of those coming across now are from Central American countries like Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Violence in that region has made their lives impossible, they say, so they flee to America hoping for a better life.

That’s Odd A Nanny in the Sky

Do you remember Mary Poppins, the perfect nanny who flew in on an um-

Daven For Me matches up people in need of the same type of tefilos, to say Tehilim for each other. It was founded based on the Talmudic dictum:

Just imagine the impact in Shamayim when “Daven For Me and I’ll Daven For You” tefilos collectively storm the heavens! Can any tefilos be more powerful than when we set aside our own worries and offer tefilos paired with love and compassion, on behalf of a fellow Jew who awaits a similar yeshua.

brella? Well, now, United Arab Emirates-based Etihad Airways has made Mary Poppins a reality. The airline will launch a program that provides childcare for families flying with children or for children who are flying alone. They are there to help settle and seat children, provide games and activities, and support frazzled parents. “Children’s behavior is unpredictable,” said an Etihad spokeswoman. “So of course having that helping hand onboard enhances that experience and enables them to enjoy that flight.” Etihad has sent 300 crewmembers through the prestigious U.K. nanny training school, Norland College. The airline said it will have a crew of 500 Flying Nannies by the end of the year. Besides their training, the nannies will also come equipped with toys and arts and crafts projects to engage the children by, for instance, making animals and puppets out of cups and cardboard. The program even has its own theme song: “There’s a very special person you should know, She can take you anywhere you want to go, When you come Continued on page 34

31 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n s e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

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The Week up on the plane say hello, and she will take good care of you, Flying Nanny, Flying Nanny, She’s your nanny in the air, Flying Nanny, Flying Nanny…” This just an example of how airlines are dealing with the many tots who fly the friendly skies. Singapore-based Scoot airlines announced it was creating

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In News The Greatest Gator in Mississippi Alligators seem to be the rage in Mississippi this week. For the third time in a week, the alligator hunting re-

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cord was broken after the state’s heaviest gator was caught. Dalco Turner was the lucky hunter who nabbed the 13-foot, 6.5-inch gator which weighed a whopping 741.5 pounds on Sunday morning. It took Turner and two other hunters an hour to actually snare the beast. “He broke three lines, and I had the only hook that stayed in him the whole time,” Turner recounted.

Initially, Turner didn’t think the reptile would be a winner. “We passed it by the first time,” he said. “We really didn’t think he was big enough to go after.” Luckily for Turner, his catch came a week after the state record for heaviest gator was broken twice within hours. On September 1, a 723.5 pound gator was caught by Beth Trammel. An hour after the record was certified, Dustin Bockman caught a 727-pound alligator in the Mississippi River. Despite having his record broken, Bockman knows what he’s going to have for supper. “We’re going to cook it for sure,” Bockman said. “There’s plenty for me and everybody else.” Both Trammell and Bockman’s catches fell short of the state record for length. In 2008, a 13-foot, 6.5-inch gator was caught on the Pascagoula River. But Turner’s massive catch tied the mark. Watch out Turner: “Having a state record for an alligator in Mississippi is a lot like living in a glass house,” Brian Albert Broom wrote in the Clarion-Ledger. “It’s going to get broken.” Despite all the giant gators running around Mississippi, steer clear of Texas if you’re scared of these massive reptiles. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, a record 800-pound alligator was caught during a public hunt in May. The 14-foot, 3-inch gator was estimated to be between 30 to 50 years old. Let’s just call it the deadliest catch.

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Living Like it’s 1986 Some people pine for the good, ol’ days, when people were more polite and had more conservative views. But the McMillans yearn for the ‘80’s for another reason: they are hung up on its technology, or lack of it. This Canadian family has given up on all technology introduced into the world after 1986. Visitors to the McMillan home will see a TV in the living room, but no cable. There are phones, but no iPhones and no texting or cell phones. Photos but no Facebook. For a year that started in April, the family has been doing their banking in person. They have been reading a lot more. They took a road trip this summer and used paper maps to navigate their travels.

The 1986 fever does not end with technology. Blair, the father of the family, wears his hair in a mullet and his kids do, too. So what prompted this drastic change for a normal family like the McMillans? Blair insists that this is a way to help recapture his family’s relationship that he felt was stolen from their reliance on modern-day technology. The “project just to get closer and reunite the family,” McMillan says, has been “working out awesome.” Just earlier this year, Blair asked his 5-year-old son to join him outside but his son was too busy with his iPad. “That’s kind of when it hit me,” Blair recounts, “because I’m like, wow, when I was a kid, I lived outside.” So Blair and Morgan, the matriarch of the family, decided to go back in the past to reclaim a normal family relationship. Goodbye cell phones, goodbye cable. They established a box for visitors to stash their phones and gadgets when visiting. Blair has even lost business because of this endeavor—imagine using only a fax machine in this day and age. But, Blair says, the family saves money for not paying for cable and cell phone

In News plans. What’s so special about the year 1986? Well, that’s the year that both Blair and Morgan were born. “We’re parenting our kids the same way we were parented for a year just to see what it’s like,” Blair explains. Back to the future indeed.

Going Back to the Scene of the Crime

More than a decade ago, Keosavanh Xayarath, owner of the InterAsian Market & Deli in Nashville, Tennessee, was robbed at gunpoint. The terror of that night is still forefront in his mind. But just recently, Keosavanh and his son,

Somboon Wu, were surprised when a man came into their store and insisted they take a mysterious envelope. The storeowner was hesitant to take it. After all, what could it be? But the man told them it was money and that it was important. Inside, Keosavanh found a handwritten letter and four $100 bills. The letter was written by the man who said he was a drug addict and robbed the store of $300 11 years ago. The anonymous apology stated, “I do not use drugs anymore and I feal [sic] I must make amends to the people I have hurt in the past.” The confession and restitution shocked the storeowners. “It’s just, it’s amazing. It’s inspirational really, for somebody to have the courage, to come back and face the person you’ve done wrong… Even though um, it’s hard sometimes, we need to give people a second chance.” Somboon added, “Wherever life takes you, just know that we, we forgive you for what you did.” The family was so touched by the apology that they decided to post the note on their store Instagram, Twitter and Facebook pages to ensure “Anonymous” would know he was forgiven.

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n s e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

The Week

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n s e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

The Week “Obviously he has, he has a great heart, but he just got caught up in a really, some bad situations,” said Somboon. “We feel for the guy and we, we just hope that, you know, that whatever he does after this, that it’s great things for him.” Teshuva from the heart.

The Case of the Stolen Watermelon

Bradley Northcote, a prize-winning Maryland gardener, grew a 150-pound watermelon. But after seeing it at 7:30pm on Thursday, the next day, when he returned to his yard, the behemoth melon was gone. It is valued at $1,500.

“It appeared that suspects cut the vine and removed it,” police spokesperson Edward Hopkins said. On Facebook, the sheriff’s office noted that the missing watermelon “is 3 and a half feet long and would need at least two people to move it.” A police spokesperson said that law enforcement officials are investigating all leads, and that those responsible may be charged with a felony. “I’m just amazed at the effort someone went to in order to steal a watermelon,” Northcote said of the heist. “You really need a strategy for a theft like this, not just because of the size, but it was located on the most inaccessible part of the property.” Guard your watermelons!

Joy Turns to Mourning It was supposed to be Camela Babwah Taylor’s happiest day of her life. She had invited 160 guests to a 14th

In News century castle to celebrate her marriage to John Taylor. In a tragic turn of events, Taylor’s father Jagan Babwah, 73, was eating lamb during the dinner and began choking. He was taken outside to be treated. Guests attempted to do the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge the piece of meat but the elderly man suffered a heart attack and was pronounced dead at the scene by time paramedics had arrived. Instead of the party stopping and Babwah’s family going into mourning, the bride decided that her father wouldn’t have wanted to stop the celebration for his death so they kept the show going. Camela said, “It would have been what Dad wanted. We have been planning the wedding for two-and-a-half years and he was forever talking about it. In the morning he was so happy. I was his baby daughter. He had never worn a proper three-piece suit. As he was about to walk me down the aisle he started to cry. It was the first time I’ve seen him cry and it started me off. It was such a hot day. When we were having the meal I told him to take his jacket off but he

wouldn’t. He looked so smart.” Camela never got to hear her father’s speech and revealed how she struggled to read his card message the following day. “To be honest, opening the card was the hardest part,” she said. “I opened it the next day. He had given us money towards our honeymoon. We were thinking of going to Mexico but we had to cancel it. Now I can’t put my wedding cards up because I have so many sympathy cards.” Jagan Babwah is survived by his wife, Shanty, 67, and four children.

Found Alive after 4 Months in the Mountains After four months of being lost in the remote Andes Mountains, searchers gave up hope of finding Raul Fernando Gomez Circunegui. But this week, Argentine officials found the Uruguayan

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The Week man alive after spending a brutal winter eating rats and raisins to survive.

ernor Jose Luis Gioja told the local Diario de Cuyo newspaper.

Brazilian Diagnosed with Excessive Generosity

The 58-year-old tried to the cross the mountains from Chile to Argentina on foot because his motorcycle broke down. But survival in the mountains is almost impossible without the proper supplies. Luckily, Circunegui stumbled upon a shelter and managed to survive the last four months. Argentine officials found him in the shelter 2,840 meters above sea level when they traveled there to record snow levels. He was severely dehydrated and lost 20 kilos during the ordeal. “The truth is that this is a miracle. We still can’t believe it,” San Juan Gov-

Just in time for Aseres Yimei Teshuva, a man in Brazil has developed what doctors are calling pathological generosity. The change in behavior came after a stroke damaged parts of his brain. The 49-year-old, known only as “Mr. A,” began to give away money, food and drinks excessively after a stroke disrupted the part of his brain related to higher thinking and decision-making. Researchers at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro concluded the man was left with “excessive and persistent generosity” by the stroke, which was brought on by bleeding in his brain. Doctors were able to determine the stroke occurred in a subcortical region of Mr. A’s brain, which controls higher-level thinking, and therefore could have affected areas associated with regulating normal behavior. Bleeding in

In News the brain, a side effect of the man’s high blood pressure, caused the stroke. Dr. Larry Goldstein, a neurologist and director of the Stroke Centre at Duke University, said, “Although the observation of personality change is not that unusual, this particular one is apparently novel.” The doctor explained, “[A] stroke can cause a whole variety of neuropsychological and behavioral changes,” adding that brain damage caused by low oxygen supply can lead to emotional changes with depression being the most common.

Amazing Art by Chimpanzees

The Humane Society of the United States estimates that within the U.S.

there are more than 1,000 chimpanzees living in laboratories, private homes, and entertainment facilities. Oftentimes, these animals are maltreated and many are kept in confinement for many years. Properly caring for an older chimp after it’s retired or abandoned is challenging and expensive so HSUS raises money for chimp care. The HSUS launched its Chimpanzee Art Contest to raise money for the members of the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance, which provide outstanding care for these intelligent creatures. Apparently, chimpanzees love to paint so the organization created a contest for chimpanzees to submit their artwork and compete for the winning title. Six sanctuaries submitted artwork on behalf of the chimpanzees. There were more than 27,000 online votes, and renowned primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall also weighed in on her favorite. “All of the art was beautiful and unique, just like chimpanzees!” said Goodall in a statement. “It was difficult to choose. It’s so important that the public support all of these sanctuaries in their mission to provide exceptional care to chimpanzees, and other primates, who have suffered through so much.” All six sanctuaries received a financial grant from the HSUS for participating, and the beautiful works of art will be auctioned on Ebay later this year. These chimps aren’t monkeying around.

Notre Dame Starts the Season with Mistake

Notre Dame started the football season with a big bang and a big mistake. The promotional cups at the Notre Dame Stadium read, “Fig Thing Irish” instead of “Fighting Irish.” Notre Dame Stadium has the capacity to host 80,795 fans. Many of the fans noticed the error and it went viral. For all those football fans out there…hopefully they have a stronger athletic department than their English department.

Cheapest Wedding Ever?

Between the wedding hall, photographers, a band and a gown, not to mention all the other expenses, weddings can be pretty pricey. But one couple from Scotland has found a way to make their wedding for less than a stop at Dunkin’ Donuts. Artist Georgina Porteous, 36, and 39-year-old singer-songwriter Sid Innes budgeted just one dollar and fifty-six cents for their big day. Yes, you read that right. The pair is dedicated to recycling and self-sufficiency, so they put the time in to keep it simple. So how did the couple accommodate their 70 guests at such a low price? Porteous and Innes had their wedding ceremony in a barn on their property behind their cottage. Porteous spent $1.56 on a vintage ivory wedding gown that she found on freecycle.org, a network of exchanges and gifting, while Innes wore an old tweed suit. The couple’s rings were handmade by Porteous using antlers she found in her garden. Her mother officiated the ceremony. For the reception, the venue was decorated with locally grown flowers, hay bales, and lanterns that community farmers contributed. The newlyweds asked their guests to bring food and drinks for a potluck picnic and Porteous’s aunt baked the cake. The wedding photographer who captured the festivities bartered his services in exchange for some film editing by Porteous. And the affair’s music came courtesy of the bride’s father, who played jazz on the saxophone. “We thought we’d do our wedding differently and we started to become quite obsessed with it and ways to save money. It was exciting, fun and a challenge,” Innes said. Wonder if Ateres Avrohom would mind a potluck shmorg…

In News Mugged Man Walks 800 Miles A Japanese man set out from the city of Kitakyushu after being mugged and arrived back at his home in Sendai, in the northeast of Japan, 11 days later. The man’s mother had reported her son missing after he failed to catch his return flight. “I was shocked and thought I was seeing a ghost when he arrived,” she told reporters. “I’m just thrilled that he is back and I’m very sorry to everyone who was worried about him.” She added that he got a good tan during his journey. The 25-year-old man was attending a major playing card convention but was stopped on a street around 10pm by a group of five men who demanded that he hand over his wallet and mobile phone. Fortunately, the man had concealed an extra Y2,000 ($20.00) in a shoe. Instead of using it to call his family and explain his situation or of reporting the attack to police, he started walking. “I used the money I had hidden in my shoe to buy bread and water to fight off the hunger,” the man said. “It was good to be able to get home, but I did not want to cause any problems for anyone,” he said. “I’m sorry to everyone that I inconvenienced.” The man added that the trip had not been a complete disaster as he had been able to find a rare card to add to his collection and that the muggers had failed to steal it. His shoes sure are made for walking.

Telemarketers Pay Him to Call

The cold calls keep on coming at all hours of the day from all types of companies. Telemarketers seem to be the only ones calling landlines these days. So Lee Beaumont decided instead of being frustrated by constantly being bombarded by unsolicited sales calls, he would profit from them. Continued on page 42

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Beaumont of the UK changed his phone number settings so that incoming callers are required to pay him a small fee to connect. The phone service, PhonepayPlus, charges 10 pence to connect a call and additional fees for the minutes spent on the phone. Beaumont gets 70% of the fees. Now Beaumont loves getting cold calls. Not only does Beaumont answer his phone, he always gives the telemarketers the time of day, often engaging them in conversation. Remember, the longer he stays on the line, the more money in his pocket. Beaumont says he’s made about 300 pounds ($464) since he changed his number in November 2011. “I’m getting annoyed with PPI phone calls when I’m trying to watch Coronation Street so I’d rather make 10p a minute,” he told the BBC. “I want cold calls.” The savvy entrepreneur says he’s careful to fully disclose the charges when companies ask for his number. PhonepayPlus said it discourages individuals from setting up similar lines. “Premium rate numbers are not designed to be used in this way and we would strongly discourage any listeners from adopting this idea, as they will be liable under our code for any breaches and subsequent fines that result,” the company told the BBC. If you’re wondering if Beaumont has any friends left and if they ever call him… he keeps a private number for personal calls. Smart guy.

2 volume set on the Moadim, in English

G SOON!

We’d Like to Hear From You Please send all correspondence to:

Bereishis / Shemos French Edition

editor@ fivetownsjewishhome.com.

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Machon Basya Rochel Seminary Offers Exciting New Classes for this Year Machon Basya Rochel Seminary, in memory of Mrs. Rose Edelman, proudly opened its doors for its fourth year

as this neighborhood’s premier local seminary. They welcomed 26 students in both their first and second year class-

es. Students came from our local girls’ high schools, as well as neighboring Brooklyn and Queens and as far as Tex-

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as and Canada. They were very proud to welcome back Faige Bachon, Gittel Kaplan, Mollie Giller, and Chaya Malka Lisker as returning students to their Shana Bet class. “Having our own students return for a second year of learning is a unique nachas for us and only bolsters our confidence that we are, indeed, providing a valuable experience at MBR!” says Rebbetzin Aviva Feiner, menaheles. They welcomed to their staff: Rabbi Moshe Kaufman, Rabbi Yaakov Feitman, Rabbi Aharon Rapps, Mrs. Devora Muskat, and Mrs. Chanie Sprung who all brought with them years of experience and professionalism in harbatzas Torah. New for this year is an expanded afternoon program which now enables an MBR girl to attend a full day of seminary! “This exciting expansion of the seminary hours allows us to give the girls a richer Torah experience. We look forward to continuing with this schedule of in the coming years as well,” states Mrs. Debra Green, mechaneches. Innovative to this year as well is Monday night classes for girls one to two years out of the seminary. The classes will feature Rabbi Yehoshua Kurland at 7:45 in Machshavas Yisroel. Rebbitzen Aviva Feiner and Mrs. Chani Sprung, former mechaneches in Michalah in Yerushalayim, will alternate Monday nights at 8:45. Rebbitzen Feiner will give a class is Maagal Hashana with Pachad Yitzchak and Mrs. Chani Sprung will be giving a course in Deos Umiddos. The program will begin on Monday, September 30th and registration is required and open now. Machon Basya Rochel Seminary looks forward to continuing to focus on meeting the needs of our local girls in providing them with a local venue that presents them with opportunities to further their intellectual and spiritual growth after high school.

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Our Voices Were Heard, Our Votes Counted; Far Rockaway and Bayswater Win Big! By: Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Once again, the Far Rockaway and Bayswater communities have demonstrated that our strong voice at the polls is important in determining our borough and city leaders. I want to thank each and every person who took a few minutes to vote in Tuesday’s primary election and support our chosen candidates and again prove that every vote counts! As your assemblyman, I work hard each day on behalf of every resident to ensure that our community is well represented in government and that our neighborhoods have the tools and resources necessary to thrive and grow. After careful consideration and in consultation with community and political leaders, we chose to endorse the most qualified and best suited candidates to represent our community and be a partner in achieving our collective goals. On a busy election night, each of our endorsed candidates took the time to recognize the great margins of victory received in the Far Rockaway and Bayswater communities. I celebrated the victory in Queens with our new Borough President Melinda Katz, who proudly announced that although the turnout in most other neighborhoods was by slimmer margins, in Far Rockaway, our 4 to 1 show-

ing led her to an astounding win. One of my closest friends in government and our next comptroller, Scott Stringer appreciated the tremendous support and also expressed his gratitude for all our efforts on behalf of his campaign. We voted for Scott because he is the right person to lead our city in a tough fiscal climate and we will now get to continue our great work together. During the last 8 months, Councilman Donovan Richards has proven to be a great partner in government and a real fighter in making our community stronger. He provided essential resources to our organizations and has fought to help ensure that we receive the attention from city agencies that we deserve, and I am proud that our votes propelled him to victory. In citywide elections, a candidate must receive at least 40% of the votes in order to win. If no candidate garners 40%, then the top two vote getters face a run-off election, this year to be held on October 1st. Our strong showing for Daniel Squadron in the race for public advocate has led to a run-off election and he has called tonight to thank us and to once again ask that we show our support in the coming election. As I write this, the Democratic primary race for mayor has not yet been

Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder joins Melinda Katz, our next Queens borough president, at her victory celebration in Forest Hills and was prominently recognized for his efforts and voter turnout in support of her successful campaign

called and while Bill De Blasio is leading, it has not yet been determined if he received the 40% of the votes necessary to avoid a run-off with Bill Thompson. I want to thank you again for taking the time to vote for candidates that have shown a true appreciation for the needs of Far Rockaway and will make true partners for me and our communi-

Teshuva, Tefillah and Tzedakah in DRS “Teshuva, tefillah, and tzedakah remove the bad decree.” This is the prayer that we proclaim many times throughout the Yomim Noraim, and in DRS, the students are greeted with opportunities to fulfill all three of these ingredients for success during these Aseret Yimei Teshuva. This past Sunday, DRS hosted its annual Father-Son Kinus Teshuva, during which students and fathers join together in tefillah, and unique sessions focused on studying the concept of teshuva. The program began as fathers and sons joined together for a meaningful selichot and Shacharit. Following davening, fathers joined their sons in shiur with their sons’ gemara rebbe. In each shiur, the rebbeim delivered exciting multimedia shiurim on various topics regarding the Yomim Noraim.

Following that, all the attendees filled the beautiful DRS Beit Medrash to hear stirring divrei Torah from Rav Yehoshua Hartman, the Rosh Beis Medrash in the Hasmonean High School in London and a tremendous world renowned talmud chacham. DRS Menahel Rabbi Yisroel Kaminetsky commented, “When fathers joins sons by davening and learning Torah, and children are given the opportunity to honor and respect their parents, it makes it easier to understand the honor and respect we have for our Father in heaven.” On Wednesday, DRS students will engage in the school’s annual “Yom Tzedakah,” raising money for poor families in Eretz Yisroel, thereby completing the triumvirate necessary to be written in the Sefer HaChaim as we near the end of the Yomim Noraim.

ty. When I was elected, we sent a strong message that our community vote is important and this past Tuesday, every candidate heard our voices loud and clear, and they expressed true hakaros hatov and appreciation. Wishing you a g’mar chasima tova!

NEWS

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UJA-Federation of NY Distributes Knapsacks to the JCCRP & Local Residents Knapsacks, backpacks, or whatever you choose to call them; these packs are a necessary commodity for the school year. As part of a generous donation from the UJA-Federation of New York, the Jewish Community Council of the Rockaway Peninsula (JCCRP) received 130 beautiful knapsacks filled with supplies for elementary-age school children in need. With different youthful designs and colors, the brand new knapsacks were packed with grade-appropriate, quality school supplies and are bringing smiles to so many families in our community. For numerous children whose parents are facing financial difficulty, providing them with new school supplies from this generous donation from the UJA has made a sizeable impact on the beginning-of-the-school-year-rush. What typically can be a time of stress and financial strain has become less chaotic for the families who received knapsacks. Thus far, we distributed these packs

to 100 children from 35 families. With sensitivity and discretion, the JCCRP selected families in need, based on special, specific criteria to assess their needs. The UJA-Federation of New York’s Tov B’Yachad division held a “Supplies for Success Backpack Assembly” at the Yeshiva of the South Shore, where a consortium of about a dozen local Orthodox synagogues and yeshivas (over 100 people in total) gathered to sort school supplies and assemble backpacks. At the end of the day, they filled hundreds of backpacks, of which 130 were given to the JCCRP. The JCCRP continues to service the community thanks to the ongoing support of the UJA-Federation of New York. Thanks to this generous donation and to all of those who volunteered to pack the bags up, many school children and their parents can rest easy about this important detail that can be very helpful to a child’s year in school. The JCCRP is a proud affiliate of Met Council and a beneficiary agency of

Akiva Meir and Shira Laya Krasnovsky, children of Nathan Krasnovsky, executive director of the JCCRP, help load the van with knapsacks to distribute to the community

UJA Federation of NY. The JCCRP provides a range of services for any clients who need assistance in social services or resource directing within the community. Please contact the JCCRP for further in-

formation; they are located at 1525 Central Avenue (entrance on Foam Place), Far Rockaway, NY, 11691— Call the JCCRP at (718) 327-7755—or visit them on the web at www.jccrp.org.

Yomim Noraim Thoughts: Rabbi Wallerstein Speaks At SKA With only one day of school before erev Rosh Hashanah, the students of the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls were given an incredible opportunity to heighten their awareness of the upcoming holy days. On Tuesday, September 3, the entire student body viewed a stirring video, produced by alumna Jordana Bienenfeld, with stark images of the “Nesana Tokef” prayer. Noted speaker Rabbi Zechariah

Wallerstein then addressed the students with a powerful message for the new year. Focusing on a mishna in Pirkei Avos and using a colorful story as illustration, Rabbi Wallerstein kept his audience enthralled as he got his point across. Hashem gave us a soul, he said, and the soul doesn’t want to be here; it wants to be with Hashem. The body doesn’t want to take care of the soul – it wants material items. Only at the end of

life does the body realize that only the soul is going with him, not money, possessions, etc. The soul is always with you. On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we stand before Hashem who sees how we treat the soul He gave us. “We have been given these days to do teshuva,” Rabbi Wallerstein urged the girls. “Let us use them the right way.” Returning to school, many girls

commented on how powerfully Rabbi Wallerstein’s words had affected their yom tov davening. With this week’s second annual “Inspirational Davening on the Beach” and a memorable Teshuva-thon with Mrs. Charlene Aminoff and the miraculous story of her daughter’s survival, the students of SKA are sure to enter Yom Kippur with a truly meaningful focus on their tefilos.

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Mesivta Yam Hatorah Starts the Year with Achdus Mesivta Yam Hatorah had its student orientation on Wednesday, August 28th. The students were excited to hear about what the Mesivta would be offering this

The most significant addition to the school, however, has been the dorm program offered to our 9th grade students. This program includes a nightly “night

year. This includes AP classes, guitar lessons, a football and basketball team, a Dvar Torah Weekly and much more. The new programs offer ample opportunities for the students to grow both in ruchniyos and academically while providing them with plenty of healthy outlets for having fun.

seder,” sports, and exciting trips. After only three days of school, both parents and students were raving about the program. On the second day of school, the students enjoyed a back to school barbeque and kumzitz led by Dovi Brazil. Even though it was only the second day of school there was already a real ach-

dus among the boys. As one new student said, “Wow, in a small school you really feel like it’s one big family; there are no cliques.” The highlight of the barbeque was the inspiring dvar Torah given by Rabbi Eliezer Feuer, Rav of the YIWB. He spoke of how each one of

us can soar to great heights and are not limited. The boys went home feeling excited about the new year. The Mesivta would like to welcome to its staff Mr. Michael Abitbol, who will be running the science department. Mr. Abitbol has a Master’s degree in Biochemistry as well as a Master’s degree in Jewish History and Jewish Law. He also studied at the National Institute of Languages in Paris, France and is fluent in Arabic, English, French and Hebrew. The Mesivta would also like to welcome Mr. Grossman who will be running the History department. Mr. Grossman is an experienced teacher within the New York and Arizona school systems. He has a BA in American Studies and a Master’s in Secondary Education-Social Studies. Lastly, we would like to welcome Mr. Katz to the English department. Mr. Katz received his BA from Queens College and his Master’s degree in Special Education from Touro College. We are sure the knowledge and expertise of our new faculty members will further the yeshiva’s mission to provide high academics in small class sizes.

NEWS

Community

Rabbi Moshe Meir Weiss Speaks at Five Towns Marriage Initiative Tzom Gedaliah Program This past Sunday, Tzom Gedaliah, the Five Towns/Far Rockaway community was honored to host Rabbi Moshe Meir Weiss of the Agudas Israel of Staten Island as the keynote speaker and presenter as part of a special Tzom Gedalia Dr. David Steiner, Rabbi Moshe Meir Weiss, and Meir Rizel, program at the Kneseth director of men’s division of Shalom Workshop, at the event Israel, the White Shul, that was coordinated and offered by the ples. Breakout sessions included Mrs. Five Towns Marriage Initiative (FTMI). Esther Friedman, director of women’s FTMI is going into its 3rd year of exis- programming for Shalom Workshop, tence helping to work on education of and Meir Rizel, director of men’s prothe entire community about issues rel- gramming for Shalom Workshop, who evant to family and marital harmony served as presenters for breakout seswith special lecture programs combined sions. The community was also fortuwith breakout sessions, an ongoing free nate to hear directly from Rebbetzin Shalom Bayis Hotline that’s been up for Aviva Feiner who spoke as part of the almost a year available Sunday/Tuesday women’s breakout session prior to the and Thursday evenings and staffed by event and also Rabbi Eytan Feiner from local therapists, and helping to coordi- whom we were privileged to hear words nate referrals and financial assistance of chizuk and introduction prior to the for those in need seeking to work with keynote from Rabbi Weiss. FTMI also professional therapists on specific issues extends thanks to Dr. Deb Schwarz of shalom bayis. Hirschhorn, Ph.D. who has been a relThis most recent program focused ative newcomer to the Far Rockaway/ on themes of Aseres Ymai Teshuva and Five Towns Community bringing deworking on the aspects of bain adam cades of experience and expertise in l’chaveiro – making sure to ask for for- Marriage Counseling and Family Thergiveness from our fellowman with clar- apy to help guide our programming and ity that form the backbone for all we do assist with clinical services and our hoin life and on a day-to-day basis. It is of- tline efforts. ten said that to learn the measure of perIn addition to the keynote address, son, do not to look at how they behave Rabbi Weiss was able to address a numin public but in their home and with their ber of questions from the crowd that spouse, as given the nature of the obli- gathered on the fast day in addition to gation to pursue peace and chesed, the hosting one of the breakout sessions very obligations we have to our spouses where he shared significant insights make these relationships more fraught into how critical it is that we value our with resistance to our best behavior, yet spouses and all of those we interact with are clearly the most deserving of such on a daily basis. behavior. Audio and video of the shiurim Similar to previous programs, Five should be available online or for purTowns Marriage Initiative has always chase offline at www.fivetmi.com or worked closely with Shalom Task Force by calling 516-239-1800 and asking for and Shalom Workshop – a separate or- Sue. Anonymous Shalom Bayis Hotline ganization that focuses on both more services (offered Sun/Tues/Th nights 10intense aspects of abuse within marriage 11pm) and referral information to local – both psychological and physical – but therapists in addition to questions and also with offering recurrent workshops inquiries regarding financial assistance and educational programs to reach many (and sponsorships) can be obtained by newlyweds, children even prior to dat- calling 516-430-5280. ing, and more recently, established cou-

Mr. Yussie Ostreicher and Mr. Kenneth Zitter with the Munkacser Rebbe on Sunday at the reception for Mosdos Munkacs in Lawrence at the home of Yussie Ostreicher. The Ostreicher and Zitter families dedicated the name of the Yeshiva and kolel Zichron Tzvi in memory of their late father, Reb Hershel Ostreicher z”l.

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Rabbi Yaakov Horowitz, Menahel of Yeshiva Darchei Noam in Monsey and noted speaker, author and educator, spoke to the talmidim of Mesivta Ateres Yaakov before the Yomim Noraim

Rav Friedman, shlita, greets a talmid of the Yeshiva, while Rav Meir Braunstein, shlita, Rosh HaYeshiva, looks on.

Rav Moshe Aharon Friedman, shlita, Maggid Shiur at Yeshivas Mir Yerushalayim and close friend of the Rosh HaYeshiva, Rav Meir Braunstein, shlita, spoke to the Yeshiva Gedolah before the Yomim Noraim.

Congressman Dave Reichert (R-Wash) Photo Credit: Itsik Nissim Visits Israel

Boys from DRS High School visit Kulanu to assist Kulanu students in building their sukkah

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Congressman Dave Reichert (R-Wash) was accompanied by Dr. Joseph Frager and Dr. Paul Brody, chairman and vice president, respectively, of the International Committee for the Land of Israel, on his recent trip to Israel. He went to visit the Maarat Hamachpela and Hebron along with Kever Yitzchok, which is normally only available for visits by non-Muslims for ten days a year. On his trip, he met with professors and members of the Knesset.

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Dinner with female MKs Ben Artzi and Ben Tzvi

In Memory Esther and Jonathan Pollard

Beloved of Hashem

“It is very rare these days that people know how to love; and to love is to give. How many people really know how to give of themselves? Those who do – like you, dear Shlomo – are surely beloved of Hashem!” Shlomo Zakheim z”l was our friend, our confidant, our mentor and our role model. He came to us late in the throes of our personal ordeal, fighting for freedom for my husband, Jonathan Pollard, but quickly became an integral and important part of our life. Shlomo and Jonathan clicked when they first met. They immediately became close friends as if they had known each other all their lives. Shlomo was not the kind of person who bowled you over. He did not dazzle or try to impress. That was not his style. What was so wonderful about Shlomo was how naturally he shone without even trying to. He was unassuming and unprepossessing. He had no airs. He was quiet, he was modest, and he was self-effacing. He was the kind of person who quietly crept into your heart and won it without contest. He was his happiest and at his best when he was doing for others. Shlomo was bright and savvy and successful in business, had a beautiful and talented wife, wonderful family and terrific children and grandchildren. He could rightly have been a little vain and proud because of all that he had and all he had accomplished. But Shlomo prided himself on nothing and gave all the credit to Hashem. His constant motto was: “G-d has been good to me. I want to share His goodness with others.” Shlomo reached out to the Fogel family of Itamar after the brutal murder of five members of their family by Arab terrorists to bring them to the U.S. to meet Jonathan. I arranged the prison visit and travelled to the U.S. to participate. We all met in New York and overnighted at the Zakheim residence. (Faygie, Shlomo’s aishet chayil, happened to be out of town.) The next day, Shlomo flew us all to Butner for the visit with Jonathan. Below is the letter I wrote to Shlomo, at Jonathan’s urging, after that visit. We share the letter now – we are sure Shlomo would not mind – because it speaks volumes about him. His response, which follows, says even more about him.

Dear Shlomo, This note is from heart to heart. Jonathan encouraged me to write to you. Shlomo, while it is rare to find someone as generous as you; and rare to find some one so eager and willing to do chessed the way you do; and rare to find someone who jumps into a mitzvah with both feet and never looks back, the way you do; and while you are as expansively generous with your time as you are with your money, that is not what impressed us the most. Let us share with you what did! I described for Jonathan what it was like to wake up as a guest in your home. You had been up all night doing your paramedic rounds. You came home and should have been exhausted, but you never showed it. Smiling and in a cheerful mood, you proceeded to invite your four house guests to assemble in the kitchen for breakfast. It would have been exceedingly kind and most generous and certainly enough if you had just put the basics on the table (bread, cheese, cereal, jam) and said: help yourself. But you did not see it that way. Indeed that is not your way at all. You insisted on catering to each guest, to each one’s wishes and tastes, and to each one’s desires, one by one! You probed and prodded and encouraged until each person told you what he/she liked best for breakfast. Then you threw your whole being and whole body into doing the mitzvah, bustling around the kitchen, setting the table, putting out cold items, frying eggs, making coffee, taking requests, making toast, without any thought for yourself or your own breakfast. And the really amazing thing, the thing that impressed us the most, was that as you were doing all of this menial work, running to and fro, cooking and serving and attending to your guests, you were so joyful that you hummed a happy tune as you bustled about! It was clear that you were fully immersed in the mitzvah of “hachnassat orchim” not only with your whole body, but with your whole being, and you were loving it! With your whole heart you were doing and giving, preparing, serving, sharing, enjoying! You fairly glowed as you hummed and sang and went about doing Hashem’s business! I told Jonathan that as I watched you, I kept thinking to myself, “Avraham Avinu! This is how Avraham Avinu looked. This is the way Avraham Avinu tended to his guests!” Jonathan and I talked about it. He too is very taken by your sincerity and purity of heart. This description of your total immersion in chessed completed the picture for him, and he wanted to share it with you. That is why he encouraged me to write to you now. You know Shlomo, anyone can do chessed with his “mammon” (his possessions; his money) and we are taught that Hashem gives us our parnassah so that everyone at his own level can do chessed and tzedakah. We always hear you say, “G-d has been good to me, so I am glad to do for others...” and that awareness again singles you out as someone very special. But what really distinguishes you is not your amazing and endless generosity with your “mammon,” rather it is your enthusiasm and your joy in doing a mitzvah and the way you throw your whole self into doing, giving generously of your time and your attention and your own physical labor – and that is outstanding beyond words. Jonathan and I agree that it is very rare these days that people know how to love; and to love is to give. How many people really know how to give of themselves? Those who do – like you, dear Shlomo – are surely beloved of Hashem! Jonathan and I are grateful for all the chessed you have extended to us and impressed by the amazing model you represent for all of us, but most of all, we are grateful to Hashem for sending us a friend like you! Be very blessed in all you do! With love and appreciation, E&J

s e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

A Tribute to Shlomo Zakheim z”l

The Jewish Home n

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Shlomo responded selflessly, of course, thanking and praising Hashem for allowing him a share in the mitzvah of pidyan shvuyim and praying for Jonathan’s immediate release. He wrote: Wow, I never received a letter like this in my life! I have no words other than to say that the zechus is 1,000 percent mine! I can never thank Hashem enough for allowing me to do a small part in this mitzvah for the two most special persons in the world. I know with my complete heart that Jonathan will be out very very very soon. I hope and daven that it will iy”H be tomorrow if not tonight. Have a great day, Shlomo During a remission in his desperate battle with the relentless illness which ultimately took his life, Shlomo told me how grateful he was to his beloved aishet chayil, Faygie, for her devotion, her dedication and her constant vigil at his side. He always spoke of Faygie with such joy and admiration. He credited her with always helping him to live up to his best self. Shlomo also added that he credited Jonathan with keeping him alive. I had not expected that. He explained that when he was first diagnosed, the shock was so profound, that what kept him going and gave him the courage to fight was his relationship with Jonathan. He said that he had learned so much from Jonathan, and that first and foremost, he learned never to give up. Shlomo had nothing to prove to anyone. He was soft-spoken and not a big talker. He listened. He cared. He shared. He did not need attention or accolades from anyone. He was amongst Jonathan’s closest confidants, and he attended some of the most sensitive meetings with us that Jonathan has had over the last few years. Shlomo was the soul of discretion. No one even knew he was with us at these meetings. He told me, “The only one I ever talk to about Jonathan is my wife. The only one who always knows where I am is my wife.” And that is the way it was. Over the last while, even as his strength diminished, Shlomo still stayed in touch with us. Sometimes just a sentence or two by email. Sometimes a full message. Even a phone call or two, and a phone call with Jonathan as well. In the last email he sent us, Shlomo wanted us to know that he is “still davening for Jonathan three times a day”.

When I had to break the news to Jonathan about Shlomo’s passing, I did not know how to do it. At a loss for words, I told him, “Jonathan, I have been crying and crying and crying all morning.” He said, “Why are you crying?” I said, “Shlomo.” Jonathan groaned and said, “Oh no! Not Shlomo! Please G-d, not Shlomo!” Then Jonathan said he never expected something like this because “Shlomo was the essence of good, and all he ever did was good, with an open hand and a full heart, all he ever did was good.” Jonathan asked me what we could do for Shlomo’s wife and family, how we could help. We decided that perhaps we could write something to let them know how deeply we share in their loss. Hence this tribute to our beloved, friend, confidant, and mentor, Reb Shlomo Eliezer ben Yaakov z”l, beloved of Hashem. Our mutual and very dear friend, Eli Rowe, comforted us greatly when he wrote in a recent email: All I can tell you is that Shlomo always told me how much he loves you and Jonathan so very much and his biggest dream in life was to fly Jonathan home. We will do it with him watching from Shomayim and he will now be a meilitz yosher for you, Jonathan and all of us. He will be incredibly missed. I responded to Eli, in part: No matter what plane brings Jonathan home to Israel, Shlomo will surely be there in spirit, making the trip home with him. Thanks again for your kind words of comfort. It may be hard for others to understand what Shlomo meant to us. We know you do and we thank you for that. If anyone can bring the prayers of am Yisrael before the Kisei HaKavod, we know that Shlomo can. His purity, his humility, his endless love for am Yisrael and his legendary chessed are his calling cards in Shomayim and assure his place in the minyan that davens regularly before the Holy Throne of Glory. May G-d rest his soul beneath the Tree of Life in Gan Eden to bask in the splendor of the Schechinah along with the souls of all of the tzaddikim and the tzidkaniot! May he be a meilitz yoshar in Heaven for us, for his beloved and devoted aishet chayil Faygie, for his family and for all of am Yisrael! Amein. Shlomo Eliezer ben Yaakov z”l, our beloved friend and teacher! We love you. We miss you. We will always keep you near at heart. May your memory be eternally blessed. Amein.

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The Jewish Home n s e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

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Special Yom Kippur Section Divrei Torah & Jewish Thought

In the Kitchen

Ascending Jacob’s Ladder: Teshuva BY RABBI YAAKOV HILLEL

71 No Reality like Mortality BY JOE BOBKER

62 The Shmuz

BY RABBI BENZION SHAFIER

63 The Not So Far East

BY RABBI JONATHAN GEWIRTZ

70 Rabbi’s Musings & Amusings BY RABBI DANIEL STAUM

A Simple and Elegant Erev Yom Kippur Meal BY NAOMI NACHMAN

Designs Made with 78 Artistic Besamim and Lemons for the Fast BY REBBETZIN NAOMI HERZBERG

History Askarov: A Brave Soldier 74 Shmuel During the Battle of the Golan Heights BY AVI HEILIGMAN

T hT He EJ JeEwWi sI ShHHHoOmMeE nn MsAY e p t2e4m, b2012 e r 1 2 , 2013

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57 71

Yom Kippur

97 Rabbi Yaakov Hillel

Teshuvah

The Battlefield of Our Heart

n the days leading up to Yom Kippur, all of us would like to be able to set our sights more clearly on what Hashem expects of us. We can learn a lot from parashat Ki Tetze, which is read at this time of the year. Many topics in the Torah of great depth are misunderstood by the average person. War is a prime example. The real war is not fought over land and territories, as many people think; it is fought within us. The spiritual battle between our good inclination and our evil inclination is what really determines the outcome of all battles in the physical world. As the prophet Yeshaya said, “It shall be on that day that Hashem will deal with the hosts of heaven in heaven and with the kings of the earth on the earth.” The day referred to is the great day of redemption. On that day, Hashem will eliminate the guardian angels of each of the seventy nations. Each nation has its own spiritual representative in the heavens, the source from which it derives its strength. Once these representatives are eliminated in the higher world, the outcome of the battle down here on earth is a foregone conclusion. Where is that spiritual battlefield? In our heart. King Solomon tells us that “a wise man’s heart is to the right, and a fool’s heart is to the left.” What does that mean? Don’t we all have our hearts more or less in the same place? It means that a person’s yetzer hatov, his good inclination, is on the right side of his heart, while the yetzer hara, the evil inclination, is on the left. The wise person listens to the advice of his good inclination, while the fool acts according to his evil inclination. If we overcome our evil inclination in the battlefield of our heart, we give tremendous strength to the Jewish people, and no one can harm us. Once

we deprive the nations’ spiritual forces of their power – as Yaakov did when he defeated Esav’s guardian angel – we take away their ability to harm us. The following first verses in parashat Ki T etze, in their literal meaning, offer advice about how a Jewish soldier should behave in time of war: When you go out to wage war against your enemy, and Hashem lets him fall into your hands and you take captives, and you see there among the captives a good-looking woman, and you desire her and take her as a wife, you bring her into your home, and she should cut off her hair, and cut her fingernails, and she should take off her garments of captivity, and she should sit in your house, crying for her parents, one month; then, if you would like to take her, you may marry her, and she will be your wife. However, if you decide not to marry her, you must send her off free; you’re not allowed to sell her into slavery; you may not make use of her in any way, because you have caused her this suffering. (Devarim 21:10-14) The passage is familiar, and Rashi explains it. However, I’d like to expand on this according to the great kabbalist Rabbeinu Yitzhak Luria Ashkenazi, known as the Ari z”l. The war spoken of here is the inner war between a person’s good and evil inclinations. Our sages are telling us clearly that it’s a constant battle. “Against Your Enemy” For our first insight, we must look at the original lashon kodesh. “Against your enemy” is a translation of al oivecha. The word al is used instead of the more common im. Im would translate as “going out to war with your enemy.” Al, which means upward, implies that the real war is up above in heaven. It may appear that we are fighting forces

on the ground, but we are actually battling the sarim, the guardian angels of our enemies, and the only way we can defeat them is with spiritual force. This verse is telling us that to win the war, we must battle what is above our physical enemies. Who is our enemy? The yetzer hara, the evil inclination. We have no other real enemy except the yetzer hara. The yetzer hara wants to destroy us in this world and to rob us of our portion in the next. And he will never make peace with us under any condition. So what strategy should we use? Taking it easy won’t work. We may fall asleep on him, but he stays awake, constantly plotting ways to trap us and pull us down. Our sages call the yetzer hara “an old and stupid king.” The Hafetz Hayyim wondered how they could call him stupid when he is constantly coming up with new tactics to pull us down. He answered that “a tradesman is called after his trade.” Someone who deals with electricity is called an electrician; one who puts on a roof is called a roofer. The yetzer hara’s trade is to make us stupid. That’s his job, and he does it well. For this reason, he is called a stupid king. Our sages say that a person would never sin unless a spirit of foolishness entered him, because if he had any sense, he would see that it’s not worth his while to sin. If he sins, it can only be out of stupidity. Yet how can a person who may be brilliant in many areas suddenly become stupid? That’s the yetzer hara at work. It made him stupid. So, the advice is, don’t let yourself fall asleep and don’t wait for the yetzer hara to attack. You have to go out to fight him. That’s why it says, “When you go out to wage war ….” Not if you go out. You don’t have an option. You won’t win the war by waiting inside.

Go out and fight. “A person should always arouse his good inclination to fight the evil inclination.” (Berachot 2a) You have to be aggressive, alert, and awake, constantly attacking, not waiting for the evil inclination to attack you on your turf. Go out and fight him on his turf to make sure he doesn’t get near you. Keep him far away from your home territory. “You Take Captives” Next we question why Hashem lets the enemy fall into our hands and be taken captive. Who wants him anyway? Wouldn’t it be better to kill him and be done with it? No. We need him, as we learn in the first paragraph of the Shema. We are commanded to love Hashem “b’chol/evavcha,” “with all our hearts.” The Hebrew word for heart is lev; why levavcha? Our sages derive from the extra letter bet in levavcha that we should serve Hashem with both our inclinations, the good inclination and the bad. We can understand how we should serve Hashem with our good inclination. But how can we serve Him with the bad? The answer is that sometimes we need to harness our evil inclination to serve Hashem. For example, a person must always be humble and avoid all forms of arrogance, which he knows is damaging. However, the verse says: “Take pride in following Hashem’s path.” (II Divrei Hayamim 17:6) Those who study Torah must take pride in being bnei Torah. Some people in yeshivah walk around broken and shy looking ashamed. This is not the correct way. A ben Torah should take pride in having the merit to be a guardian of the Torah. Pinhas serves as another example of how the evil inclination can be used

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of evil. “You Bring Her into Your Home” All of a sudden, having reached this stage, a person now sees “a good-looking woman.” This refers to his soul. For the first time, he comes face to face with his soul, and he is overwhelmed by her beauty. All at once, he realizes the greatness of his soul and desires to subjugate his body to it. He wasn’t aware of this before, but now he would like to stay close to his soul forever, so he brings her into his “home,” his body. He has repented and reached the level where he realizes that his soul is the main thing. He judges every action based on whether or not it will benefit or harm his soul. When you care for someone, you want only the best for him, and that’s how it should be with your soul. You must set aside time to think about what life is all about, to think seriously about important matters, to feel Hashem’s closeness, and to realize what you’ve done wrong and how you must do teshuvah to put things right. The first step is that the captive soul must cut off her hair. The Arizal explains this to mean that a person must change his outlook on life. His whole way of thinking must be transformed. Only then can the body be controlled. If a person really wants to control himself, his mind must become the stronger part of him. If a person is very superficial, the desires of his heart will lead him astray. But if he is strong, his mind will guide him, and his heart will follow suit. So the first thing a person must do is purify his mind by immersing it in Torah. It says in the Zohar that a Jew, the Torah, and Hashem are one. How? Hashem is like a fire, so how can we even come close to Him? The answer is through immersing ourselves in His Torah, which is His word. To make ourselves a fitting receptacle for Torah and holiness, we have to purify our minds and change our way of thinking. We have to throw out of our minds all the bad thoughts and unclean things that have penetrated into our Holy of Holies. And, obviously, the more Torah that goes in, the more the bad things will go out. “And Cut Her Fingernails” The next step for our captive soul is to “cut her fingernails.” Fingernails symbolize a person’s tendency to reach out and grab what doesn’t belong to him. Cutting the fingernails alludes to curbing this inclination and repairing any damage one might have caused. If you have harmed anyone or done something wrong in your life, you have to do teshuvah for those deeds. Though

Hashem forgives us for our sins against Him, if we have harmed anyone financially or in any other way, we must ask that person for mehila. If we’ve stolen something, we have to give back what we took. If we don’t put that right, Hashem won’t forgive us, because the wrong took place between one human being and another, and must be corrected on that same level. “She Should Take Off Her Garments of Captivity” The soul must then “take off her garments of captivity.” Rabbi Hayyim Vital writes that every soul has a spiritual garment. (Shaarei Kedusah 1:1) We know that the body is like a garment to the soul, as it says, “Do not anoint the flesh of a man.” (Shemot 30:32) Why not just say “Do not anoint a man”? Why “the flesh” of a man. The wording implies that man himself is really the spiritual part of the human being. The flesh, the body, is an exterior shell, like a garment to the soul. The body is divided up into 248 organs and 365 sinews. These correspond to the 248 and 365 spiritual organs and sinews of the soul. When you order a suit, the tailor takes measurements and sews the suit accordingly. So, too, when Hashem created the human form, He tailored it according to our soul. Each mitzvah we do has an organ that corresponds to that particular mitzvah. A person will not be spiritually and physically perfect unless he has fulfilled every mitzvah he can do. Today, many mitzvot no longer pertain to us, but whatever we can do we must do. The mitzvot which we cannot do physically can be fulfilled by learning the laws about how to do them. For instance, our sages say that one who studies about how to offer sacrifices is considered as if he actually offered a sacrifice. This holds true for all mitzvoth we cannot fulfill in actuality. If we learn about them, Hashem regards it as if we fulfilled them. When a person dies he leaves behind his body, the physical part, the more exterior “overcoat,” and rises to heaven with his more spiritual garment. This cloak, which you weave from the mitzvot you fulfill – because each mitzvah is like another thread, another button, another part of this beautiful cloak – is really each person’s Gan Eden. The soul itself cannot enter Gan Eden without this cloak, and this cloak is literally the personal Gan Eden of each individual. When a person sins, he is dirtying this garment and tearing it to shreds. He becomes clothed by unclean forces of the klipah, the Sitra Ahra. But when he does teshuvah, he pulls away from these evil forces. Then the soul takes off the unclean garments

that were given to her by the Sitra Ahra, and she receives her own “haluka d’rabbanan,” as our sages call it, a spiritual cloak woven by the Torah and mitzvot one does. “She Should Sit in Your House” Then the soul will “sit in your house,” which means your body, and cry over her father and mother. Her father is HaKadosh Baruch Hu, and her mother is Knesset Yisrael. The soul will cry over the sins she committed and all the wrong things she did. She will cry for causing so much suffering to our Father in heaven. She will cry for “one month.” The Arizal says this month is the month of Elul, the month of teshuvah. This is the time when a person should set aside a few minutes a day to think about what he’s done in the past, and to decide what he can do to improve and become better a better person. It is a time to cry for past wrongdoings. We know that the letters of the world Elul stand for ani leDodi veDodi li, “I am for my Beloved (Hashem), and my Beloved is for me.” Note that we initiate the connection. Rabbi Hayyim of Volozhin, in his teaching for the month of Elul, speaks about a disagreement that’s been going for two thousand years. Hashem says to us, “Come back in repentance to Me, and I’ll come back to you,” (Malachi 3:7) but we say, no, “You bring us back in teshuvah , and we’ll come back.” (Eicha 5:2) Rabbi Hayyim concludes that it is time to end the argument. We’ve been stubborn for two thousand years, not accepting Hashem’s will, let’s agree to do it His way. If we start doing what we have to do in our own hearts, then it will all work out upstairs as well. And this is the message of Elul. Elul means “Ani leDodi.” I’m going to reach out to Hashem first. Then, “veDodi li,” Hashem will respond to me. It’s up to us. “She Will Be Your Wife” Once we’ve gone through these stages, the conclusion of the verse becomes understandable: “Then ... you

This is not to imply that a sinner should not perform mitzvot lest he strengthen the Sitra Ahra. To the contrary, failure to perform the commandments is a far greater sin. Rather, one should learn from this how important it is to repent, and for one to reflect on the need to repent before he studies Torah or performs a mitzvah. I have discussed this in my commentary, Amudei Horaah, to Morah B’Etzba (1:1) and in my work, Haven B’Chochmah, siman 4.

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in the service of Hashem. Pinhas killed Zimri, a great prince of the Jewish people, and the woman he was with by stabbing them with a spear. Taking a person’s life is an expression of the evil inclination. But in this instance, the yetzer hara was controlled and used in Hashem’s service, and Pinhas was rewarded by God for his action. In the context above, what does “you take captives” mean? The Arizal explains that Hashem gave us freedom of choice. To do so, He had to create the whole system of good and evil in the world. He created evil forces for the sole purpose of being a stumbling block for us. The Zohar speaks of the Sitra Ahra, “the Other Side.” This is the bad side, the side of tumah, impurity. Hashem created good and evil in the world, and He put us right in the middle. Our physicality feels a stronger pull to evil; our spiritual side is drawn more toward the good. This is the continuous battle a human being faces. A mitzvah is always a mitzvah no matter who does it, and it always has spiritual repercussions in the higher worlds. However, the kabbalists tell us that if a sinner does a mitzvah, he feeds the Sitra Ahra. If a person doesn’t repent for sins he has committed, and continues doing mitzvot, all his mitzvot go to the evil side. When a person finally does teshuvah, he “takes captives,” i.e., he takes back from the Sitra Ahra all the kedushah generated by the mitzvot he did when he was a sinner, which was devoured by the forces of evil.1 The forces of the Sitra Ahra feed off holiness, and they can capture any act of holiness that is not done in the proper way. If a person is not yet fully on the side of kedushah, even his mitzvot can become captured by the Sitra Ahra. When he does teshuvah, however, he brings back all these captured forces of holiness into the realm of kedushah. What does it mean to do teshuvah, to return? To what do you return? You return not only yourself to be close to Hashem, but you bring back to the side of holiness all that you damaged and caused to fall into the clutches of the evil side. Imagine a war between the king’s forces and the enemy’s forces. When you sinned, you were not faithful to the king. You worked for the enemy. Whenever the enemy forces defeated the king’s forces, they took spoils. Now, when you realize you did something very wrong, you repent. You go back and fight that enemy. You defeat him and bring back all that was stolen from the king. With teshuvah, you bring back all that you destroyed and gave over to the forces

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The officers, board of directors, and staff of Camp Simcha and Chai Lifeline note with extreme sorrow The passing of our good friend and benefactor

Shlomo Zakheim, z’l And we extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife

Dr. Faygie Zakheim His children Mrs. Michal Klerer Mrs. Rachelli Levine Mrs. Ariella Weiss R’ Azriel Zakheim R’ Moshe Zakheim His mother, Rebbetzin Sarah Zakheim His brother, R’ Moshe Zakheim And his sisters Mrs. Rachelle Klein Mrs. Debby Hamada Shlomo's life was filled with kindness and chesed to our children and organization. He dedicated himself to finding ways to bring happiness to Chai Lifeline's children and to enhance Camp Simcha's medical program. His contributions made Camp Simcha/ Camp Simcha Special the pre-eminent overnight camping programs for seriously ill children. We will miss his warmth, love, compassion, and laughter.

‫המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבילי ציון וירושלים‬ Rabbi Simcha Scholar Executive Vice President Shlomo Mayer Mordy Rothberg Presidium Larry Spiewak David Jemal Co-Chairmen of the Board of Directors Joseph Sprung Chaiman, Executive Committee

One Minute of Teshuvah The Gemara tells us about Rabbi Elazar ben Durdaya who spent his life pursuing physical pleasure (Avodah Zarah 17a). He went from one bad woman to the next, and that was his entire life. One day, a casual comment by one of these women brought him to realize that he was living his life the wrong way. He was overcome with remorse and wanted to repent. He sat down to ponder his fate and cried out for help. He first turned to the surrounding mountains and hilltops, then to heaven and earth, the sun and the moon, the stars and the constellations, and begged each in turn to seek mercy for him. They all replied that they were unable to do so. Finally, he realized that only he could seek mercy for himself. At that moment of realization, Elazar ben Durdaya put his head down

between his knees, and sobbed to the extent that his soul left his body. When he died, a heavenly voice proclaimed, “Rabbi Elazar bar Durdaya is welcomed into life in the next world!” The heavenly voice declared that he was now “Rabbi” Elazar bar Durdaya. He received semichah (rabbinical ordination) on the spot, and this was in the time of the Talmud, when such ordination was tremendously significant. When Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi heard what happened, he cried and said, “Some people acquire their world [to come] in just a minute!” We learn from this story that even a person who lived his whole life in the most evil way, had his sincere repentance accepted by Hashem. He went straight up to Gan Eden, and was seated in a distinguished place along with the rabbis and the righteous people of the highest caliber. Rabbi Hayyim Shmuelevitz, the Rosh Yeshivah of Mir, used to say, “Why did he get semichah?” You can only get semichah if you learn, and he didn’t learn. He answers that Rabbi Elazar ben Durdaya taught us a fundamental principal of teshuvah, and this is enough to grant him semichah. He taught us that even if you did wrong you can correct yourself – but only you can do it. But why was Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi envious of Elazar bar Durdaya? Rabbeinu HaKadosh, as he is called, was the prince of Israel at the time, the greatest rabbi of his time. He wrote the Mishnah, he was a multi-millionaire who owned extensive property, and he lacked nothing. Yet the gemara states that before he died he lifted up both hands and said, “Master of the Universe, it is well known to You that I used my ten fingers to exert myself in the Torah, and I didn’t take pleasure from this world even with my little finger.” He didn’t allow himself to benefit in any way from this world. In other words, everything he did was for Hashem. The life of Rabbeinu Hakadosh was one chain of outstanding deeds. His father and grandparents were great rabbis who sent him to the best yeshivot where he rose to become the teacher of Klal Yisrael. How could he possibly be envious of Elazar ben Durdaya’s one minute of Yiddishkeit? Rabbeinu HaKadosh realized that though he had used every single moment of his life in the service of God, he had never attained Rabbi Elazar bar Durdaya’s level of intensity. He had never used just one minute of his life with such complete depth of feeling and such regret of sin as did Rabbi Ela-

zar bar Durdaya. And that’s what he was envious of. We see how important just one minute of our life is. If we’re not alert, Yom Kippur can pass by just like that, leaving us wondering what we accomplished. The Power of Teshuvah The Torah tells us that after the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the Jewish people, after millennia of dispersal among the nations, at the end – in the times leading up to Mashiach – we will wake up and realize the truth. The teshuvah we are seeing in our time is the return alluded to. The Torah goes on to say: “This mitzvah that I command you today is not beyond you, nor is it far away from you. It is not in the heavens above that you should say, ‘Who will go up for us to the heavens and bring it down to us and teach it to us, that we should do it?’ And it is not something across the sea that you should say, ‘Who will go to the ends of the earth to bring it us and teach it to us, that we should do it?’ For the Torah is very close to you, in your mouths and in your hearts to do it.” (Devarim 30:11-14.) A person comes to do teshuvah and feels overwhelmed. He says, “How can I possibly repair the damage I did in the higher world. What am I going to do? And who knows who I harmed down here in this world. Who knows what damage and destruction I caused! One person got an illness because of me, another went bankrupt, and that one has no children. What can I possibly do now?” HaKadosh Baruch Hu tells us that this mitzvah – the mitzvah of teshuvah – is not beyond you, and it’s not far away from you. You don’t have to ascend to the heavens. True, when you sinned, you blemished the higher worlds, but you don’t have to go up there to repair the damages. Nor do you have to travel to the far corners of the earth. Not at all. It’s very close to you. It’s in your mouth and in your heart. The essence of teshuvah is vidui. All of Yom Kippur from beginning to end is one long vidui. In every prayer we say, we admit our sins to Hashem. We do this verbally. According to the Rambam, the mitzvah of teshuvah is the mitzvah of vidui, no more and no less. Obviously, when we say vidui, it can’t be just lip service. You must feel

sincere regret for the bad you did, and make a commitment never to sin again. With teshuvah, you can repair all the damage you did to the higher worlds, and all the damage you did in the four corners of the earth. How? By admitting your sin verbally by saying vidui, and by putting your heart into it when you regret the past and make a commitment for the future. To do it – just as when you. sinned you didn’t need to go up into any higher worlds or reach the ends of the earth for your transgression to have repercussions, you can repair the damage from right where you are . On Yom Kippur, we say vidui ten times. Maybe we’ll say it at least once with all our hearts, and really regret what we’ve done. We should at least try to understand what we’re saying. We should know what each point means and think about each point, about how much we regret it and how hard we will try to avoid such actions in the future. For example, consider, “Viy’adnu atzmeinu lidvar aveira.” What does that mean? It means that we availed ourselves of the possibility of committing a sin. For example, if a person knows that a certain street contains a lot of immorality, but he decides to walk down that street, he’s availing himself of the possibility of sinning. But if he says, “No, I’m never going to go that way. I can take a longer route. True, it will take me more time, but at least I won’t have to go by the particular street where there’s a lot of pritzut (immorality).” In making this decision, he is taking steps to avoid transgressing the prohibition of “availing himself of the possibility of committing a sin.” So, a person must know what he’s saying, and understand, and regret what he’s done wrong, and put some thought into how to avoid getting into those situations again and sinning. Once you’ve committed yourself, it’s considered teshuvah, though you haven’t faced the test yet. You’re still in shul, it’s Yom Kippur, and you’re saying vidui like an angel in heaven. Even so, Hashem will accept your promises – if your heart is with you.

This article was excerpted from Rabbi Yaakov Hillel’s sefer, Ascending Jacob’s Ladder. Reprinted with permission from Artscroll/Mesorah publications.

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may marry her, and she will be your wife.” If you’ve done teshuvah the right way, then your soul, with your body, will be together forever. People always want to know what the difference is between olam haba, the World-to-Come, and la ‘atid lavo , the time of the resurrection of the dead. When a person passes away today, in our times, the neshamah goes through a special hall of souls. There are many different levels, each progressively higher, and a soul that has fulfilled its mission on earth will have great reward, which means closeness to Hashem. As the Zohar says, it is olam haba; literally, the “coming world.” It is coming, because it already exists. On the other hand, la’atid lavo is when the dead will be resurrected. Then, each soul returns to its own body to receive eternal, everlasting reward, spiritually as well as physically. Just as the soul and the body were together in this world to fulfill the mitzvot and to pass tests, so they will be together in receiving the final reward, which comes after the resurrection of the dead. For this reason, this time is called la’atid lavo, “the future to come.” As the Ramhal explains at the end of Derech Hashem, the reward experienced then will be on a much higher level, because even our physical side will be so greatly purified as to become almost spiritual. Body and soul will exist forever in a situation of unending reward. This is the meaning of “then … you may marry her, and she will be your wife.” If you’ve done teshuvah in this way, then your body and soul will be united, like a husband and wife. Your soul will be part of your body in the resurrection of the dead, like a husband and wife who will be together when the dead are resurrected.

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The Shmuz

R’ Ben Tzion Shafier

A Diamond With a Flaw “You shall place both stones on the shoulder straps of the ephod, remembrance stones for the Children of Israel. Aaron shall carry their names before Hashem on both of his shoulders as a remembrance.” — Shemos 28:12 Hashem told Moshe to engrave the names of the twelve shevatim onto the stones of the ephod as a remembrance. Rashi explains that this was so that the memory of Reuvain, Shimon, Levi, etc. would be invoked when the Kohain Gadol did the avodah, and Hashem would then remember their righteousness. This Rashi seems to be difficult to understand. The avodah of the Kohain Gadol is vital and highly sensitive; the world’s very existence depends upon it. As a result, there are many items that are avoided in the avodah so as not to bring up even the faintest memories of sin. While there is no question that the shevatim were men of extraordinary greatness, that greatness was also tainted with the sin of selling their brother. They had a rationale for what they did, but they still plotted and carried out an attempt to kill Yosef, one of the greatest tzaddikim in the history of mankind. Didn’t that sin permanently affect who they were? Shouldn’t that be reason enough not to mention their names in such a critical situation? Every Diamond has a Flaw The answer is based on an issue of perspective. A diamond is an object of beauty, yet even a minor imperfection

can greatly devalue it. A small flaw can transform a priceless gem into an almost worthless stone. However, not

man. Man and man alone was given the unique opportunity in all of Creation: to determine his destiny either by becom-

Man was given the most unique opportunity in all of Creation: to determine his own destiny.

every flaw destroys a diamond’s value. Imagine that there are two large diamonds in front of you, one a beautifully cut jewel with a minor flaw, and the other the same as the first, but flawless – a perfect diamond. We would assume that the flawless diamond would be far more valuable than the other. If we were to ask a diamond expert to appraise the two, there is no doubt that he would tell us that the difference between them is huge. He would say that the diamond with the minor flaw is worth a fortune while the completely flawless diamond is almost valueless — because it is a fake. One of the signs that a diamond is real is that it has a flaw. While it may be a very minor imperfection and almost unnoticeable, all genuine diamonds have flaws. The only perfect diamonds are made of cubic zirconium and are costume jewelry. So too, the human. When Hashem formed man, it was not for him to be perfect. Perfection rests in the realm of the angels. An angel will spend its entire existence without sin. As such, angels are perfect. But angels aren’t

ing the greatest of all or by sinking below the animals. To allow man to create who he would be for eternity, Hashem gave him free will. However, free will doesn’t mean the theoretical ability to choose; it means being put into situations where either choice is viable and either option is real. Man has to be challenged. To allow for that, man has to be tempted to choose either good or bad and be given the ability to make mistakes. Every man has, and every man will, make mistakes. Some are large, and some are small, but the idea of man living without sin hasn’t happened yet and will not happen ever. At the end of his days, man isn’t measured by how much he sinned. He is measured by how great he became. The real damage of sin is that it prevents growth. If a person becomes mired in sin, then his focus is diverted, his energies consumed, and he doesn’t become a fraction of what he could. Even still, it is a given that every man has sinned and will sin. The answer to the question on Rashi seems to be that the shevatim were in fact men of unimaginable greatness, but they also had flaws and sinned. Each would be compared to a 200-carat diamond with an imperfection. They were huge, beautiful diamonds – with flaws. When viewing a diamond, you can’t see the flaw. To perceive it, you need to look through a jeweler’s loupe that magnifies the stone by a power of ten times or more. Only via direct scrutiny

does the flaw become noticeable. It is always present, but the eye doesn’t see it. All the eye can see is glimmer and reflected light in an object of extreme beauty. I Will be Like a Diamond with a Flaw This Chazal tells us that our imperfections are what they are and unless we remove them with the process of tshuvah, they will be on our permanent record. However, all that means is that I will have flaws, like a diamond. Maybe I’ll be a two-carat diamond, maybe a four-carat – but a precious gem nonetheless. While the blemishes will be there, so too will the shining brilliance of a jewel. One doesn’t cancel out the other. The flaw isn’t eliminated, nor is

the brilliance eradicated. Both are there. I will be a diamond with a flaw. My work is to improve the quality of the diamond and to eliminate its faults. By learning Torah, doing mitzvos and working on my middos, I change the weight, color, and clarity of the stone. Who I will be for eternity is in my hands. If I focus my attention and energies on growth, my reward will be perfection more valuable than the finest diamonds ever mined. Get the new Shmuz APP! Access hundreds of audio, videos, and articles from the Shmuz. Simply go to the App store, or Google Play, and search for “TheShmuz” or go to www.theShmuz.com.

63 Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz

The Not So Far East

ty years in a story amazingly similar to the gemara’s recounting of Choni Ha’Maagal’s 70-year slumber [Taanis 23a.]) Columbus’s mistake, however, was in figuring out the distance across the globe by heading west. He thought the trip across the Atlantic would take him straight to Japan in about 3,000 miles. He didn’t count on North America being in the way and that Japan was more like 12,500 miles away. Oops! It seems that the distance to the East Indies was much farther than originally anticipated. So just how far is it from west to east? In the selichos, we ask Hashem to take our sins as far away from us as from the West to the East. This comes from Tehillim

(103:12) in which Dovid HaMelech asks that Hashem remove our sins as far as the East is from the West. So how far is it? Is it the distance Columbus miscalculated? More? Less? The Malbim offers two possibilities. He says it’s the distance the

ing one way or the other. There’s a famous story about R’ Elchonon Wasserman hy”d. He met up with an old classmate who had become a successful lawyer. The welldressed fellow chided, “Elchonon, you had a better head than me. If

When someone heading eastward boards an east-bound train, even before the engine roars to life, he’s already started on his journey.

sun travels in a day or possibly the distance it travels in a year. Either way it’s a huge distance, but there’s more. The Radak says that the distance from East to West is twice the distance from Earth to Heaven, then comments that it doesn’t say North and South because a person can’t travel too far north or south because of the cold and heat. I don’t understand. If we are asking Hashem to move our sins away from us, who cares whether it’s hot or cold in the South or North? Are sins responsive to temperature? The answer is that it must not be the sins that move, but us. Maybe we move away from the sins for a day, maybe for a year, but we have to move far away from them. It has to be on a path we are able to travel, and we must continue our journey until we reach our goal. So how far is west from east? If the point you are standing on is considered the center, like the Prime Meridian running through Greenwich, England, then to one side is east, and to the other is west. In essence, the distance between West and East is infinitesimal. It’s just a matter of turn-

you had gone into law you could have been even more successful than I. It’s such a shame you missed that opportunity to enjoy the wonderful life that I lead.” R’ Elchonon calmly responded, “Let me ask you. If you had to take a train, and at the station you found two options: One train had bare, wooden seats, poor heating, and drafty windows, while the other was luxurious, with plush upholstered seats, cozy heaters, and a dining car that could provide delicious food and drink, which would you take?” “Why,” said the wealthy lawyer, “the second train, of course!” “Ah,” said R’ Elchonon, “in truth, the choice of train depends on where you wish to go.”

His point was that comfort is not important if each moment is taking you further from your ultimate destination. And with that, we can explain the distance between east and west. Yes, the distance between where we want to be and where we are may be vast. However, the difference between east and west also lies in which direction you face, even if you haven’t moved yet. When someone heading eastward boards an east-bound train, even before the engine roars to life, he’s already started on his journey. If he boards a west-bound train, he’s already at a disadvantage. So how do we place the distance of East to West between us and our sins? By turning our backs on the things we ought not to have done and setting our sights on the glorious, though distant, future without sin and with many mitzvos. Then, just keep trying to move forward. Jonathan Gewirtz is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in publications around the world. He also operates JewishSpeechWriter.com, where you can order a custom-made speech for your next special occasion. For more information, or to sign up for the Migdal Ohr, his weekly PDF Dvar Torah in English, e-mail info@JewishSpeechWriter.com and put Publication Sponsorship or Subscribe in the subject. © 2013 by Jonathan Gewirtz. All rights reserved.

s e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

ack in the 1400’s, when Venice monopolized the trade routes to the China and India, Europeans looked for other ways to reach the Far East, or the East Indies, as they were called. Christopher Columbus was sure he had a great idea in heading west to get to the Far East. Though many imagine that people of the time thought the earth was flat, not round, this is more likely the influence of Washington Irving, an American author of the early 19th century whose book about Columbus’s travels implied that the vast majority of people believed this to be true, when in reality man had known for centuries, if not millennia, that the earth was round. (It should be noted that this same author “invented” Rip Van Winkle, a character who fell asleep for twen-

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In the Kitchen Naomi Nachman

ring for about 4 minutes, until soft and translucent, but not colored. Stir in the potatoes and continue cooking several minutes longer, stirring to ensure that the potatoes are coated well with the olive oil and shallots. Add the stock, bring to a simmer, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes. The potatoes should be tender and have absorbed most of the stock. Fold in the parsley and serve immediately.

or an elegant but simple erev Yom Kippur meal, I make this easy soup. It’s it full of flavor without being spicy. The dash of hot sauce blends all the flavors together without being too overwhelming. I also make this delicious chicken recipe. It’s great as it also has a built-in side dish, filling our bellies up a little more. My family’s favorite side dish is shallot potatoes. I love to use Yukon Gold potatoes as they have such a creamy texture when cooked. Dessert is always some fresh fruit and apple cobbler with parve ice cream. Wishing all my readers a gmar tov and healthy and happy new year.

Thai Chicken Coconut Soup Ingredients 3 cups chicken broth 14 oz. can coconut milk 2 inch piece grated ginger 1 cup shredded boneless chicken 1 cup cremini button mushrooms 2 tablespoons lime juice 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon soy sauce, low sodium 1 dash hot sauce ½ cup cilantro leaves (can substitute parsley if you have an aversion to cilantro) Preparation Combine chicken broth, coconut milk and ginger in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir for 1 minute. Add chicken and stir for 1 minute. Add mushrooms, lemon juice, sugar, soy sauce and hot sauce and stir for 1 minute. Add cilantro leaves and simmer for 15 minutes. Garnish with a sprig of cilantro.

Chicken Cutlets with Rice and Mushrooms Ingredients 8 pieces thin chicken cutlets, trimmed and thinned 1 large onion, cubed 1 ½ cups basmati rice 3 cups water 16 oz. Cremini mushrooms, sliced (or use your favorite combination of mushrooms) Salt and pepper, to taste

Sauce 1 large onion, cubed 2 cloves garlic, crushed ¾ cup ketchup ¾ cup brown sugar 1 cup water ½ cup panko crumbs for garnish Preparation Sauté onions until brown. Add mushrooms and rice and sauté for another two minutes. Add water, salt and pepper and cook for 20 minutes on low flame, covered. After 20 minutes remove from heat and then stir. Take chicken and cut into halves. Place 2 tablespoon of rice mixture into cutlets. Roll up and place seam-side down in a baking dish. For the sauce: Fry onion until soft and add rest of ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer on low for five minutes. Pour over chicken, then sprinkle on the panko crumbs and cook at 350° covered for 25 minutes, then 15 minutes uncovered. You can also serve any leftover rice as a side dish at the meal.

Shallot Potatoes Ingredients 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup diced shallots 8 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into a medium to large dice 2 cups chicken stock Salt and pepper ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley Preparation Heat the oil in a heavy 5-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté, stir-

Apple Cinna mon Cobbler Ingredients 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon sugar 3 eggs 1 ½ cups sugar 1 ½ cups oil 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 ½ cups flour

Cobbler Topping Ingredients 1 cup sugar 1 cup flour ½ cup canola oil 4 oz. butterscotch crunch (they have nuts in them so you can omit them in case of allergies) Preparation Preheat oven to 350°. Layer apples in 9 inch round pan so they come 2/3 up the sides of the pan. In a separate bowl, mix together cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle 1 ½ tablespoons of cinnamon and sugar all over the apples, reserving the rest for later. Make a batter by beating the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the oil and vanilla and beat well, then stir in the flour. Spoon the batter on top of the apple and cinnamon/ sugar mixture. In a separate bowl, mix the cobbler topping, and place on top of batter. Then sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar on top of the cobbler topping. Bake for 1 hour until a skewer comes out clean.

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Yom Kippur

or a number of years while I was himself. But he kept replying, “I can’t the full time social worker at Ye- do it! I’m stuck!” At that moment I felt shiva Bais Hachinuch, I would helpless. I screamed back to him, “You chaperone the eighth grade graduation have no choice! There is no one who trip. It was always an enjoyable experi- can come to help you! You must figure ence to spend a couple of days with our it out!” graduates and one that I looked forward It took at least ten minutes before he to. finally managed to The trip genfree himself. Suderally began with denly I looked up The debris of a tubing excursion and he was freely complacency has down the Delaware drifting past me River, in some redownstream, as us clutched in its mote area along the if there had never Jersey-PA border. been a problem. relentless grasp A few years ago, and we feel that when we went to Often in life our usual place, we become stuck we cannot elude it. it was complete– stuck in the moly empty. It was a rass of our habits chilly day for late and the rote of our June and it was also cloudy. comfort level. We want to change and As we sat on the bus which drove improve but we feel that we just can’t. us two and a half miles upstream to the The debris of complacency has us starting point, the driver cautioned us clutched in its relentless grasp and we to stay in our tubes. He explained that feel that we cannot elude it. We blame because of the influx of rain and snow circumstances, parents, friends, financthat had fallen during that winter and es, pathologies, and everything else spring, the water level surrounding our lives. was five inches highAnd so we remain, deer than normal, causjected by what we feel ing the cold current to are circumstances beflow at a more frenzied yond our control. pace. He also warned It is only when we us that as soon as we realize that only we descended into the rivcan help ourselves, er, we should paddle to that we have a hope the middle of the river. of changing. One must Near the sides there have requisite determiwere branches and other debris which nation so that he can begin to invest the could impede the flow of the tube and it needed effort. It indeed requires a trewould be very difficult to wriggle free mendous amount of mental will-power, from it. but as soon as one pulls free, he will be We got off the bus which imme- amazed by how quickly the spiritual diately pulled away to return to base, current will carry him. Suddenly, he’ll leaving me alone with the graduates. find himself flowing joyously down the As soon as the boys hit the water, they rivers of spiritual growth and fulfillmerrily flowed downstream. I waited ment. with the stragglers and was last to enter To conclude the story, when we the water. I was surprised at how quick- reached the end point, our hero could ly I was moving. Just as I was getting not paddle himself to the side and concomfortable, I heard one of the boys tinued to flow passed the base. He had frantically call out to me. His tube had to be towed in by a motorboat. gotten stuck on a branch and he was not There’s a lesson to be gleaned from moving. I quickly grabbed hold of a that as well, but that I leave to you! low lying branch from a nearby tree and held on dearly to ensure that I would not drift farther away from him. How- Rabbi Staum is the Rabbi of Kehillat New ever, there was no way I could counter Hempstead and guidance counselor/rebbe at the heavy current to paddle any closer Yeshiva Bais Hachinuch & Ashar in Monsey, to him. I began calling out to him with NY, and can be reached at stamtorah@gmail. some ideas of what he could do to free com. His website is www.stamtorah.info.

71 91 Joe Bobker

No Reality like Mortality M

any Jews, no matter how indifferent they are to Judaism, still view Yom Kippur as the primary Jewish religious experience. The philosopher Philo, who lived in Alexandria before the Temple’s destruction, described how nonobservant Jews suddenly became pious on this day. Nothing seems to have changed. I know nothing about baseball but I do know that when the opening day of the October 1965 World Series fell on Yom Kippur, the Dodgers, thanks to the great pitching of Sandy Koufax, were ready. But instead of playing, he gave up his spot on the mound for a seat in a synagogue. Henry Benjamin “Hank” Greenberg did the same during the 1934 stretch drive with the Detroit Tigers; as did Shawn Green, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder, who sat out a pivotal pennant-race game against the San Francisco Giants in September 2001 because it fell on Yom Kippur. (Consider: Even Sammy Davis Jr, the most talented and mesmerizing of all African-American entertainers and a convert to Judaism, when told one of his London concerts fell on Yom Kippur spent the day in shul instead and refused to perform until the fast was over.) Why? Were they all orthodox, Jewish? I don’t judge, but it’s obvious from these anecdotes that, regardless of their level of religiosity, the Jewish nation stops on this sacred day, known, during the Second Temple period, as “The tenth day of the seventh month [Tishrei].”

Declaring our Love for Hashem

Yom Kippur entered Jewish history as Yom HaKodesh, the Holy Day of the year, the “Sabbath’s Sabbath.” The ten “in-between” days after Rosh Hashana are called Aseres yemai t’shuva, literally, “Ten Days of Awe,” but they are more than just fear and trepidation, they are days of reprieve and penitence, infused with extra supplication as Jews engage in a flurry of activity (and charity) to help improve their grades on Yom Kippur, the only permissible day in the entire Jewish calendar when G-d’s Name, as originally used at the bush that didn’t consume itself, is said out loud. Why is it OK to say G-d’s Name on Yom Kippur? The original custom of saying Baruch shem kavod malchuso l’olam va-ed, “Blessed is the Name,” in a silent manner arose from sheer unadulterated antiSemitism. With hostile neighbors peeking over their shoulders in exile, Jews were simply too terrified to openly declare allegiance to Sinai, especially when the ruling elite, usually Catholic, considered this accolade to a G-d (or leader) other than their god (or emperor) an act of treason punishable by a not-so-pleasant death. One day a year though, entire Jewish communities openly and defiantly prostrated themselves in proclamation that this day belonged entirely to their G-d, the Ribbono Shel Olam, and that they were ready, willing, and able to serve Him in a communal transformation.

During the time of the Temple, the shouts of Shem haMeforash (the tetragrammaton Name of G-d) were so loud they could be heard as far away as Jericho. Yom Kippur is thus the summit of the Jewish calendar, the annual apex of spiritual consciousness, the only day in the year when Jews spend twenty-five nonstop hours in search of G-d via abstinence; an uninterrupted introspective and meticulous “reckoning of the soul” achieved through the Torah’s command for self-denial. No other day in the Jewish year is as spiritually intense and as demanding, the air itself seems to be charged with solemnity and awe. Does this mean Yom Kippur is a time of anxiety and despair, apprehension and fear? It would seem so, especially when the liturgy uses such solemn language as V’initem et nafshotaichem, “You shall afflict your souls.” But not so fast. Chazal crowns Yom Kippur as one of the “more joyous days for Israel” and suggests we approach the term Kippurim as k’Purim, “a day like Purim,” and elevate it to one of the two happiest days in the Jewish calendar (the other is Tu b’Av). Yom Kippur is therefore also a day of spiritual uplift, one that forces us to appreciate what life has to offer, or as aptly articulated by the Apter Rav, “On Tisha b’Av with its tragic memories, who can eat? But on Yom Kippur with its spiritual elevation, who needs

Yom Kippur is thus the summit of the Jewish calendar, the annual apex of spiritual consciousness.

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Yom Kippur

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to eat?” Viewed in this light, Yom Kippur is a day of cathartic refocusing away from the frivolities of existence and towards a new year with renewed priorities, jubilant in the knowledge that G-d may grant us the Mother of all Presents, a chance of further days, giftwrapped with the string of mechila.

The Minhag of Kapparos

In ancient days, there was no spectacle as elaborate, magnificent and impressive, and no moment as moving as the Temple’s Yom Kippur ritual, known as the avoda, that was adorned with all the art that olden Israel could muster. The colorful ceremonial was carried out by a wellrehearsed High Priest who had to combine physical dexterity (fasting) and total mental concentration as he gingerly approached the Heavens in awesome loneliness within the Kodesh Kedoshim, on solemn behalf of himself, the priestly order, and the entire Am Yisrael. After the Temple was destroyed, its Yom Kippur procedure was meticulously reconstructed from ancient Mishnaic records (such as Tractate Yoma), intricate piyyutim, and the rich imagery of R’ Meshulam ben Kalonymus, a 10th century Italian rabbi, who describes its mysterious ritual, known as kappora – which means “to wipe out,” as in to “wipe out” Israel’s sins via a sacrificial ceremony based on an enigmatic Mosaic law that ordered a special offering of an unblemished bull and two he-goats (of equal size, cost, appearance) chosen via the drama of lottery plates (goral echad la-Shem), a subtle nod to the “random” element of human existence despite the tradition that

chance or coincidence is irrelevant, life and history being orchestrated only by God. This custom survives in the form of kappora shlogging, chosen by Babylonian Jews in exile who desperately sought a symbolic non-sacrificial act of sin-cleansing, by “wiping out” the past via a transfer to another living creature. The men swung a white rooster, the women a hen, over the head, while reciting a little prayer that asked (naturally) that the fowl be killed instead of the Jew. Many great rabbis abhorred this custom. They thought it might undermine the seriousness of the whole idea of vows. The 13th century R’ Shlomo ben Adrath prohibited it in his Barcelona community; the Ramban called kappora shloggers “idol-worshippers;” R’ Joseph Karo of Shulchan Aruch fame called it a stupid custom. All to no avail: it was wildly popular, especially among the masses in Eastern Europe. And so it stayed a minchag b’Yisroel, an example of R’ Abaye’s, “See how the people act and that is the law.” In my home, at dawn on the day before Yom Kippur, my parents, z”tl, would each shlug kapporas by swinging a chicken three times over their head, each time saying zeh califasi, zeh temurosi, zeh kaporosi, “This is my substitute, this is my exchange, this is my atonement.” In my young klotz kasher mode, I would ask, Why a chicken? Why not a fish or a house pet? The answer was a lesson in ethology, the study of animal behavior. In Polish folk lore, when roosters crow in the early morning to announce the first lights of day, they scare away the evil spirits who shun day-

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light. Why swing “three” times? In Judaism this number is representative of something permanent, as the Yiddishists would say: a triple braid is not easily undone. That is why the obligation to ask another for forgiveness must be done three times, after which one has fulfilled the requirement (even if there is no response). I was too chicken to swing a live chicken around the kitchen. So my father would let my older sister and I “swing” money tied in a white cloth handkerchief instead, whilst saying the same invocation. How much money? Any amount as long as it was in multiples of chai, “18,” for life. We then donated the money (but not the handkerchief) to charity, because this was one of the three mitzvos that mitigated God’s decree.

Eating & Fasting

It is a mitzva to both fast (on Yom Kippur) and to eat (the day before) a meal called seuda ha’mafsekes, the “Separation Meal,” which has an air of partial festivity in expectation that our prayers will be answered on the morrow. At this meal it was a Polish custom to bake the challah in the shape of a ladder, based on the prayer, “Let our entreaties climb to You.” Ukrainians baked theirs in the shape of birds, as per Isaiah’s, “May our sins fly away like birds.” On erev Yom Kippur we wish each other a tzom kal, “easy fast,” which is easier said than done, but here’s some tips (from my wife, expert connoisseur of food and master of the kitchen): drink a lot, eat in moderation with plenty of carbohydrates (pasta, rice,

Begging for Life

There was once a distinguished non-Jewish senator who had picked up the practice of saying L’Chaim, “to life!” at Jewish events, without ever asking anybody what the term meant. When he was asked to give a eulogy at the funeral of Senator Jacob Javitz, he found himself inside a shul surrounded by Jews, so he instinctively began his eulogy with “L’Chaim Jack.” Here’s a theory from Christopher Morley: “If one were given five minutes warning before sudden death, five minutes to say what it had all meant to us, every telephone booth would be occupied by people trying to call up other people to stammer that they loved them.” On Yom Kippur, all empiricism falters before the certainty of death, as synagogues around the world become the “telephone booths” to G-d by Jews who are reminded that when they die they leave behind all they have and take with them all they are. Judaism has a unique view to death, the great enemy of life. No, it’s not Milton Berle’s “There’s only one [death] per customer so it must be a real bargain!” it’s that none are immune from its sorrow, none are exempt (“Moses died,” goes a Simchas Torah piyyut, “who shall not?”). In other words: There is no reality like mortality; death’s popularity coming only by abstraction since, by its very definition, it is what happens to somebody else; the one great adventure in life of which there are never any surviving accounts, no eyewitness testimonies, no reliability of facts nor experiences.

The Midrash positions death as part of G-d’s pattern for history, arguing that, without it, one generation could never make way for another. But is it an end or a transition? Yom Kippur’s axiom is that there is a life after this one (olam haba), but our Sages discourage speculation about its nature. “This world is only a hotel, the World-to-Come is our home,” was a favorite theme of the Ba’al Shem Tov whose philosophic leaning was: “I am exiting through one door, and am entering through another.” The relationship between man and his destiny resembles that of Mrs. Gutle Schnapper, the renowned matriarch of the Rothschild dynasty who, at the age of 96, complains to her doctor that she isn’t feeling well. Tests are done, nothing is found. But Gutle persists and persists. “Madam,” the medic finally explodes, “I can’t make you any younger!” “I don’t want you to make me younger,” she snaps back. “I want you to make me older!” This is exactly what all Jews want: for G-d to make them at least one year older so they can return the following Yom Kippur. But how?

Teshuva is our Privilege

Judaism tells us that there is something we can do about death, without dwelling on it or trying to penetrate its mystery. It was best said by Nuland: “The art of dying is the art of living;” and the Torah’s “art of living” requires fidelity to the Laws of Moses whilst its “art of dying” requires rectifying character blemishes, especially before Yom Kippur, in a powerful process called t’shuva which is not a right but a privilege, an act of mercy which defies natural law. It is no coincidence that the number of days (ten) in the aseres yemai t’shuva equals the number of times on Yom Kippur that we recite the confessional vidui, a lengthy admission of past wrongs that is a primary halachik obligation of atonement. To admit human weakness takes courage; to do something about it takes even more. Most of the time we rationalize our shortcomings and stay in blissful denial. Full atonement on Yom Kippur consists of two parts: between man and G-d (bein adam la-Makom), and the much more difficult task, bein adam la-havero, between man and man as in neighbors, friends, acquaintances, family members, even strangers we have perhaps slighted.

Even the rabbis of the Talmud were traumatized by this requirement. After Rav had baleidicked R’ Hanina, it took him thirteen Yom Kippurs before he could seek forgiveness. One year, R’ Yirmiya went to R’ Abba’s house to apologize but hesitated at the front door because he didn’t have the courage. A maid accidentally poured her dirty dishwater over R’ Abba which he saw as a penalty from G-d for his weakness.

As the Gates Close

And then we come to Neilah, the fifth and final afternoon stirring service. The term means “closing of the gates,” and is derived from the gates of the Temple which were kept open during daylight so all could enter; but at nightfall, they were locked. The expression was later applied to the last service of Yom Kippur, a symbolic tribute that this day was an entrance through a spiritual gate to new relationships; with G-d and with each other, a spiritual acceptance that “the day is done, the sun is setting, soon to be gone.” Neilah’s special melody, designed to prick the emotions and bring the kehillah to greater devotion, concludes the long day and shifts the mood into a different consciousness. The gates of Heaven are about to shut, G-d’s final plea about to be admitted. We replace the word ketiva (inscribed) with chatima (sealed), leave the Ark open as everyone stands, say Avinu Malkenu for the final time, and then the relieved masses jointly shout, Sh’ma Israel… The day ends with a long blast of the shofar accompanied to the rousing hopes of a song that originally entered Jewish liturgy as the Jews of Judea were being dragged off to Babylon. One of the captors decided to pour salt on the wound of exile and ordered the Temple musicians to take out their harps and sing a song of Zion that they sang as part of their traditional repertoire. Instead, the musician, knowing this was his last chance to “remember,” cursed his hands and voice that they defiantly remember not Zion, but Jerusalem, and sang out L’shana ha-ba-ah b’Yirushalayim! “Next year in Jerusalem!” – a protest anthem that has reverberated down through Jewish history as a battle cry of song for both spiritual and physical redemption. The shofar has blown, the song has been sung: and then....it’s all over. Or maybe it’s just begun?

Jews are reminded that when they die they leave behind all they have and take with them all they are.

73 93 T ThHe EJJeEwWi sI ShHHHoOmMe E nn Ms AY e p t2e 4m,b2012 e r 1 2 , 2013

potatoes, etc), avoid salt, sweet foods, coffee or coke (because caffeine is a diuretic). “It’s good to fast,” goes an old Yiddish folk saying, “with a chicken leg and something to drink,” a witty reference to the fact that although eating on Yom Kippur is considered a great sin, the order to fast is not a halachik absolute (children under the age of nine, sick Jews, pregnant women, for example, are ordered not to fast, even if they want to!). When a severe cholera epidemic hit Vilna in 1848, the saintly master of mussar, Lithuanian Rabbi Israel Lipkin-Salanter, not only ordered the entire town to eat on Yom Kippur but, in a dramatic show of leadership, ate to set an example. When Rav Chaim Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav, was questioned as to why he was taking the fast-day so lightly by allowing someone to eat, he replied, “I am not treating Yom Kippur lightly. I am treating lifesaving seriously.” These Torah giants had epitomized the essence of Yom Kippur: taking life seriously.

74 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n S e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

Forgotten Heroes

Avi Heiligman

Shmuel Askarov

A Brave Soldier during the Battle of the Golan Heights

Syrian tanks left behind after retreat

n October 6, 1973, Israel was attacked by her neighbors from two directions. The Egyptians struck in the south by the Sinai Peninsula, and the Syrians made their assault in the north. The Golan Heights was the site of one of the largest tanks battles in history as the Syrians sent thousands of tanks and armored vehicles to invade Israel. For their part, the Israelis were completely unprepared. It was Yom Kippur and most soldiers were in shul or on leave. Only skeleton crews (military term for just a few men when there should be many more) were at the outposts. The intelligence networks had failed completely to pick up on the impending attack and properly inform the high command. It would take the work of a few heroes from letting Israel’s northern flank from collapsing. These were the courageous men from tank units stationed in the Golan Heights and included a young soldier, Major Shmuel Askarov. At 1:55 PM on Yom Kippur, the Syrians attacked in the Golan Heights with over 1,500 tanks against thinly-held Israeli lines. The Israelis had only 170 tanks, 6,000 men and only a few artillery pieces. However, they had the important advantage of occupying the high ground and had an excellent view of the area. The Syrians tried to dislodge them from the heights with an air and artillery bombardment. When the dust lifted off the shelters and the tankers emerged from the bunkers, they saw an astounding sight: Syrian tanks were advancing over the anti-tank ditches in the hundreds. It would take hours for the first reinforcements to come up so the soldiers found themselves in the fight of their lives. Commanders immediately ordered for a counterattack. At the age of 24, Major Shmuel

Soldiers in the IDF in the Golan Heights during the Yom Kippur War

Askarov was the youngest of these tank commanders. He was the deputy battalion commander in the Barak Brigade and was at Mutzav (bunker) 111 at the time of the bombardment. He saw that five bridge-layer tanks were heading towards the anti-tank ditch and mounted his tank with gunner Yitzhak Hemo. Within minutes, three of the bridge-layers were destroyed. However, the other Israeli tanks had withdrawn, and Askarov’s tank was exposed. Putting the tank in reverse, he found the other commanders sheltering behind a slope. The major got out of his tank and coaxed the six tanks back up the ramp and into the fight where they were badly needed. The men were in a state of battle-shock and needed the orders of Askarov to get moving. One by one, the Israeli tanks were hit and withdrawn from the battle. Askarov’s tank was hit four times, yet still remained in the fight. Hemo, considered the best tank sniper in the brigade, had many targets to choose from and was quickly racking up his score. They worked as a team as they hit over three dozen tanks and APCs (Armored Personnel Carriers) over a period of five hours. Askarov would pick out the target and line up the gun. Hemo would finetune the firing position and pull the trigger. Most of the Syrians ignored the tanks on the slope that were firing at them and headed for the Israeli rear. However, a few went for the tanks in Askarov’s unit. At about 7 PM, two of these tanks came within 50 meters of their position. Hemo picked off one but as he pressed the trigger to disable the second one, the Syrian fired as well. Askarov was thrown out of the turret and was taken to the rear. Askarov woke up in Safed Hospital with his head bandaged and could barely able to talk in a whisper. His actions weren’t lost on the media as

the story of the tank commander who had destroyed dozens of tanks reached the Israeli population. Baruch Askarov saw the story and ran to the hospital to be with his brother. In the bed next to Shmuel was Zvika Greengold—another hero of the battle. Zvika was on vacation when he heard about the outbreak of war and hitchhiked back to his unit. Singlehandedly, he stopped the Syrians from penetrating the Israeli lines in his sector but was badly injured in the battle. Zvika was awarded Medal of Valor, Israel’s highest award for bravery on the battlefield. Officers of Shmuel’s unit visited and told him of the trouble that the brigade was in and that his unit was cut off. Twelve tanks were stuck behind enemy lines and needed rescue. Realizing that he was badly needed on the front, he was secretly brought a uniform and “escaped” from the hospital. The brave soldier first went to a depot to round up replacements and found 150 willing volunteers and a few vehicles. Most of the men lost their desire to fight when an officer claimed that he had just returned from the Golan Heights and the situation was hopeless. Askarov then went to the front with just one other officer. He found the state of affairs in a dire but not hopeless condition. The base at Nafekh was still in Israeli hands but there was little fighting going on as the mostly leaderless men were dispirited. Askarov was just the man that was needed to get the men back into action. In a very hoarse voice, he got the tanks and men back into fighting order. Tanks were repaired during the night, and the tankers were formed into units that would be ready to attack in the morning. As they were about to attack, Colonel Yossi Ben-Hanan, the previous commander just a month be-

Destroyed Syrian tanks

fore the war who rushed back to the front from his honeymoon to help his country, appeared and took command from Askarov. Shmuel still stayed on the front as the deputy commander. The unit that they were relieving on the front line was falling back to resupply just as Askarov’s replacements of 13 tanks appeared on scene. The Syrians weren’t ready for another assault of fresh Israeli tanks and slowly began retreating. Askarov hit a tank, and it started burning. A Syrian soldier climbed out and pointed a rifle at Askarov, hitting him in the head. Ben-Hanan extracted immediate revenge by killing the Syrian with a tank shot. Askarov was taken to the hospital and was examined by three surgeons. They concluded that he was gone and it was just a matter of time. A fourth surgeon appeared and immediately began surgery that lasted eight hours. Askarov survived and although he sustained significant brain damage through a long rehabilitation process, he regained the power to walk, talk and even drive a car. Eventually returning to civilian life, he worked in the defense ministry. The Battle of the Golan Heights was a complete miracle from beginning to end. It raged on for four days with the Syrians mysteriously retreating after almost overrunning the Israeli key positions. It was ordinary soldiers, not men from elite units, who were on hand and became the heroes of the battle. Men like Shmuel Askarov and Zvika Greengold helped saved the country from impending disaster. 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.

Aliza Beer, MS, RD

Healthy Habits for the New Year

toes, whole wheat or brown rice pasta instead of white. Try incorporating quinoa, flaxseed, and bulgur into your lives as well. Vegetables: Eat as many vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, string beans, asparagus, spinach, etc. as you can. Make an attempt to have 2 servings a day in order to get the fiber and vitamins essential for your total wellbe-

ing. (Ketchup is not a vegetable!) Healthy Snacks: Chips and pretzels are not what your body needs to run efficiently. Snack on fruit, nuts (7-10 almonds a day have been proven to help prevent Alzheimer’s), or popcorn. Drink Water: Eliminate/reduce your intake of diet beverages. Numerous studies have shown that diet soda inhibits weight loss. Water should be your beverage of choice, followed by seltzer, decaf tea, certain flavored waters, and decaf coffee. Try to drink 8 cups of water per day. Avoid Processed Foods: The more natural the food, the better it is for you. Most processed foods are high in sodium and harmful chemicals. Don’t Skip Meals: Fasting all day and binging at night will only slow down your metabolism and cause weight gain! Eat three meals a day and a couple of snacks in between and you will have more energy for school/work/ children. Exercise: Adopt an exercise regime as part of your daily routine. Even if it’s just walking, try doing some kind of cardio a minimum of 3 times a week for 45 minutes. Exercise builds a stronger heart and releases endorphins, so it is good for the body and good for the soul. As we embark on the new year with only good intentions, let us remember that Hashem gave us our guf, our body, not to abuse, but to take care of to the best of our abilities and to use as a vehicle in this physical world to do mitzvos. Wishing everyone a gmar tov and a happy and healthy new year!

Aliza Beer is a registered dietician with a Master’s degree in Nutrition. She has a private practice in Cedarhurst and can be reached at AlizaBeer@gmail.com

s e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

Dear Readers, Gmar Chasima Tova! I sincerely hope you all had a wonderful Yom Tov, and embraced healthy living during Yom Tov. In the Aseres Yimai Teshuva we acknowledge our sins, but we also need to acknowledge what we are doing to our bodies, and what we include in our diets. It is a new year, and a time for introspection and renewal. It is the perfect time to recognize certain harmful habits in our daily lives. The first step is the attribute of honesty. Be truthful with yourself about what you are doing with your body every day, and only then can you make the commitment to change those harmful habits. I have compiled a list of healthy habits/foods that everyone—man, woman or child—should try to incorporate into their daily lives. Whole Grains: Eliminate white flour from your diet. Replace with whole grains; brown rice versus white rice, multi-grain, seven grain, or whole wheat bread instead of white. Consume sweet potatoes instead of white pota-

75 The Jewish Home n

Health & Fitness

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78 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n S e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

From My Private Art Collection Rebbetzin Naomi N. Herzberg

Artistic Designs Made With Besamim

Just in Time for Yom Kippur

he smell of besamim and lemon combined is sweet and has been known to help many people fast. Here is an easy and practical project to

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Call: 718-734-7442 Yael Vogel Experienced Teacher & Arts N Crafts Coordinator

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make with your children. When presented to someone to be used during Yom Kippur, it will be a much appreciated gift. The supplies needed are: 1) One lemon per child 2) Plain white paper, unlined 3) Pencil with eraser 4) A large box of new long nails (never use old or rusty ones) – make sure that you have enough for each child to create a pattern on their own lemon. (This project must be done with parental supervision, when being made by young children.) 5) A large amount of besamim (cloves) – Each child will need to cover their lemon with besamim in order to complete their unique designs. The Instructions are as Follows: 1) Fold the paper into four even sections and then open up the paper. 2) In each section, draw the shape of the lemon, true to size. Trace the lemon if necessary. 3) Using the pencil, draw (lightly, and erase when needed) in the lemon sketch an outline for the design desired. This will serve as your pattern to follow, on one section of the lemon. 4) Repeat this step as many times as needed in order to complete the pattern. Four sections should be more than enough. 5) Create a design by sticking new nails in to the lemon, by following the pattern created with your outline sketch in each section. 6) Carefully and slowly remove each nail, one at a time; replace with a piece of besamim in each prepared hole. This project is also a cute idea that can be used weekly for havdalah or even as a sukkah decoration. Rebbetzin Naomi N. Herzberg is a professional art educator, artist and designer. Among her known artwork is a floral sculpture presented to Tipper Gore, Blair House, Washington, D.C. Presently she is the Director of Operations at Shulamith School for Girls. Please feel free to email nherzberg@ optonline.net with questions and suggestions for future columns.

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YOM KIPPUR 2013

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DrDeb

Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.

TJH Staff

Deprived and Spoiled

“N

o!” shouted Avigayl to her son, Chaim, “You don’t need a cellphone. Next thing you know, you’ll be in trouble for using it in school.” At which point, she did an imitation of how he might be busy texting on the phone. “Where do you get that?” Chaim shouted back, too close to tears for a boy that wants to be seen as a man. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and University of Michigan recently published a study in the Journal of Child Development online. They found that a solid and warm relationship between parents and children does not mitigate the effects of yelling. In fact, yelling at a teen puts the child at risk for depression and aggression – the identical risk as they would get from being hit. Furthermore, insults such as calling a child “lazy” or “stupid” produces the same negative effect. Chaim didn’t know that he was being verbally abused. He was only a kid. He didn’t realize that if a parent makes fun of a child, that’s abuse. Yelling is abuse, too. But his father, Yitz, overheard and he knew. When Avigayl wasn’t putting down her son, she was putting down her husband. But now it was his turn to get a little revenge on his wife. He whispered to Chaim, “Don’t worry; I’ll get you the phone.” Chaim eyed his father with gratitude and went quietly into his room. The two of them went to select a phone but it was not a pleasant experience. After all, two abuse victims don’t really enjoy life, even when they are released from jail. Chaim looked at some expensive models and Yitz started getting nervous about the unavoidable scene when the credit card bill would come. “Uh, I don’t think that one’s for you,” Yitz told Chaim. “It is way out of our bracket.” Now it was Chaim’s turn to utilize what he had learned from his mother: he imitated his father. Yitz’s revenge wasn’t sweet at all. His son’s words stabbed his heart, but he said nothing. He had no idea what to say. To take away the very thing that he had promised his son didn’t make sense. Besides, he felt sorry for his child who had to put up with such a heartless

mother. He let him keep the expensive phone. This is an incredibly common pattern. It is a case of spoiling a child to compensate for abuse. It also happens in divorce families or in families where there may be serious illness of another family member. Doing this only makes things worse: We add to the ongoing abuse the awful lesson the child is learning: Be an abuser because it doesn’t feel quite as bad as being a victim. What this child is not getting from either parent is: • Love • Validation • Discipline • Learning right from wrong Let’s take a look at this list. Love You might be wondering why I would say Chaim is not getting love when his father wants to soothe his pain by buying him the very thing he wants. Friends, that’s not love. Love is valuing the other person for who they are. His mother demonstrated that she does not love her son. Here is how she did that: She said, in essence, that Chaim would use the phone to get into trouble. She has ignored the other 98% of who Chaim is. Not only is he not getting the phone. Not only is he being made fun of. But on top of all that, his mother isn’t even recognizing who he is. Does Chaim only get into trouble? Does Avigayl know Chaim’s interests? Does she care? And if Chaim is getting into trouble, why is it happening? Yitz, on the other hand, has a different message for his son: I don’t value anything of myself that I could offer you—not ideas, not emotional support, not companionship, not advice, not strength, not leadership. All I can offer you is a material thing. A person who doesn’t value himself cannot convey to

another person that he values them. Validation Validation means recognizing where a person is coming from. It means understanding. You don’t have to agree with someone to validate them. All his mother needed to say would have been, “I understand how important it is for you to fit in with the other kids but I’m sorry I can’t justify in my mind getting a phone.” Chaim might have wanted to argue with her that, indeed, there is a justification for it, and, frankly, I don’t see anything wrong with that. I’m not of the “I told you so” school. That line of behavior prevents the child from developing critical thinking. Either way, Chaim would get listened to – and understood. I would take the position that it is good for parents to stretch themselves to understand their kids’ world. Do they think their children’s views of life are any less valid than theirs? See, here’s that word valid again. That’s a question for deep thought. Incidentally, invalidation is another form of disrespect. Discipline The failure to provide discipline to a child is child neglect. Children should be taught to brush their teeth, wear clean clothes, eat healthy food, get a good night sleep, do their homework – and be decent human beings. All of that requires discipline. In this family, nobody is doing any disciplining. Do not for one minute mistake Avigayl’s behavior for discipline. Avigayl is doing the opposite of disciplining and will make her son’s unwanted behavior worse. Discipline requires telling a child what is and is not acceptable and combining that with rewards and punishments accordingly. The rewards and punishments can and should be verbal so that the child understands

clearly what is going on and they certainly can also be material. Discipline has to be consistent across time. One complaint I can hear Yitz make is that even if he did discipline his son, his wife didn’t. Wouldn’t his efforts be undermined? The answer is, “No.” If Yitz is clear in stating what is right and wrong and what the consequences are – and is generous with love and validation – the discipline will be accepted. Learning Right from Wrong Chaim actually does not know right from wrong. His own mother is yelling and making fun of the family – so that couldn’t be wrong, could it? And his father is capitulating! When Chaim makes fun of his father, does he hear a word indicating it’s wrong? Is he made to understand – deep in his bones – how very wrong it is? No and no. His father may seem sad but that “only” tells Chaim it hurts, not that it is wrong. He himself hurts and it seems no one is doing anything about that. So Chaim actually does not learn this vital message. Yitz needs to be more pro-active. He should label behavior right or wrong and not be shy to do so to his wife. In fact, labeling wrong behavior as such is doing a great service to his son; it starts to pull the veil from his eyes about what is and isn’t acceptable in society. Armed with this knowledge, he can face life, no matter how difficult. Ample doses of love and validation make it possible to discipline and label wrong behavior as wrong. My wish for all of you in the New Year is that you are free from the misery of such behavior – or that you learn how to free yourselves. Have a gut gebencht yur.

Dr. Deb Hirschhorn, a Marriage & Family Therapist and best-selling author of The Healing Is Mutual--Marriage Empowerment Tools to Rebuild Trust and Respect--Together, is proud to announce that readers of The Jewish Home will receive a $50 discount on every visit to her Woodmere office. For more information, call 646-54-DRDEB or check out her website at drdeb.com.

83 Yehoshua Levy

Robin Hood’s Rabbi

The Rabbi Responds: The question you ask has been raised thousands of years ago, both in classic Jewish and secular sources. Societal and personal ethics are subjective to circumstances, societal needs and norms. They can also be unduly influenced by personal interests. By contrast, Jewish ethics are based on absolute principles and do not change. Jewish law is based on these absolute values. Furthermore, in a moral society, secular laws are based on certain values and a code of ethics, but were created by humans to whom not every eventual situation foreseeable. There are times when the very laws created based on certain values present an obstacle to upholding those values, creating a dilemma: What to do when laws and their values conflict? In secular law, when these dilemmas arise, the judges, courts, or jurists can decide to amend the law, thereby creating precedent. (Hence, there is no shortage of American case law that discuss this issue such as State v Moe, Ploof v. Putnam, Vincent v. Lake). By contrast, Jewish law, that comes from the Divinely-authored Torah, has sources that can be used to address every eventual conflict of values, obligations, prohibitions, and laws. The guidelines to follow when conflicts arise are based on a hierarchy of Jewish values. Every child is familiar with the legend of Robin Hood. But it is more than a children’s story. It is really an ethical treatise that explores these moral conflicts. Sustaining human life is a universal value. Respecting the property and ownership of others is also a universal value. These values are mandated by both Jewish and secular law. Robin Hood undoubtedly understands that it’s wrong to steal. I assume that the Sheriff of Nottingham would love to see the widows and orphans sustained and provided for, just not at his expense.

Robin Hood only steals because to him, the preservation of life is a higher value than the value of respecting another’s property. To the sheriff, the preservation of personal property trumps the preservation of life (at least if the property in

ed to compensate the sheriff at a later time.) To steal from the rich to give to the poor when lives are not at stake is unethical and prohibited. In the case of Heinz, if he was the patient, he would have to eventually pay. Since it was

Jewish ethics are based on absolute principles and do not change.

question is his). Robin Hood’s rabbi is Friar Tuck, who apparently sides with him. Had Robin Hood’s religious authority been an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, he would concur that to steal to save a life is justified, but the question is what about restitution? There is a famous case referred to as “Heinz’s dilemma” which is nearly identical to your question. A druggist discovered a form of radium that might save a woman from a rare cancer. While it cost him only $400, he was charging $4,000. The woman’s husband, Heinz, tried every way to pay the full amount, but was unable to come up with more than $2,000. The druggist refused to sell it to him for $2,000 up front and the rest on credit. Should Heinz steal the drug? In Jewish law, the value to preserve life is greater than the value to preserve and respect personal property. In fact, it overrides every value and prohibition in the Torah save the three cardinal sins of murder, adultery, and idolatry. (There is an opinion that it is forbidden to steal even to save a life.) The Talmud (See Sanhedrin 74), however, when addressing our question concludes that restitution must be made if one needed to steal or damage another’s property to save his own life. If someone was saving someone else’s life, the Sages of the Talmud absolved the Good Samaritan, lest people hesitate to come aid others. This is the accepted ruling (Code of Jewish Law, Ch.M. 359:4). So, in the case of Robin Hood, if the widows and orphans were starving and their lives were in danger, the rabbi would have agreed with the friar. (The beneficiaries might be obligat-

for his wife, he may be absolved from paying the balance. To commit fraud to help a family buy food would be forbidden unless they were in danger of starving to death. Thank G-d, nowadays, especially in our wonderful and generous Jewish communities, no one

has to starve. Even though to steal for lifesaving medication may be permissible, each case is different, and all relevant details must be carefully examined before theft is sanctioned. Noble intent does not always ethical behavior make. As the adage goes, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” All the best, Yehoshua Levy

Please note, the information written above is not meant as a rabbinic ruling. If you have any questions, please consult your rabbinic authority for clarification. Yehoshua Levy, a teacher of Torah, is a writer and lecturer who dares to think outside the box to bring his thought-provoking insights and facts to his readers. He welcomes your comments and can be reached at editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com.

s e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

I know that it is unethical and against Torah law to steal, but are there circumstances that one is allowed to commit theft or fraud for selfless and noble purposes? For instance, if a poor family can’t even afford to buy food, can they lie to qualify for more government care? If an ill person can’t afford lifesaving medical treatment, is one allowed to steal to pay for it?

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n S e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

Lola's Story

Lola Lieber Schwartz

A World After This

A Memoir of Loss and Redemption Lola Lieber Schwartz is a world-renowned artist whose paintings have been exhibited in art galleries throughout the United States and are part of the Yad Vashem archives in Jerusalem. Most importantly, Lola is a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother to many. She has myriad friends and sees life in all its vibrancy and vitality. But life was not always easy. Lola was only sixteen-yearsold when Hitler ym”sh invaded Poland, and Lola was forced into hiding and spent years on the run with her husband, Mechel. Through six years of trying times, near

Chapter 20 Terror Continues

Mechel became somber and silent. I knew that he too was recalling the Bochnia Ghetto and the awful night of the Aktion and the morning burial.

ne evening, Rosie got word that the Arrow Cross was closing in on our particular neighborhood, conducting house-to-house searches. We evacuated our room without a moment’s hesitation even though we had no other place to stay. We moved so fast, I had no idea what we left behind. We didn’t care. We felt victorious because we had beaten the thugs to the

house, although we had no way of knowing if they actually came. Rumors fueled more rumors. We had learned it was best to assume the worst.

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starvation and brutality, Lola and her husband held onto their faith and values. It was Mechel’s words of encouragement, “There will be a world after this,” that helped them cling to the hope that there will be a life of light and joy waiting for them at the end. This is the story of Lola’s life—from her grandparents’ “enchanted garden” to meeting Eichmann ym”sh to making the Pesach seder for the Bobover Rebbe during the war—her words will take you back to a different world.

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With no place to go and without secure leads to a room, we passed a couple of days riding the trolleys. Budapest had one streetcar line that ran back and forth across town until 4 a.m. We rode for one fare all day and into the night. The conductors didn’t seem to mind or even to notice. There were so many bedraggled refugees that we didn’t stand out from the others. The cars were heated, which was a great blessing. One night when the others were asleep I noticed a distressed looking young woman sitting directly across from me. She was clearly in dire poverty but had the look of someone who knew how to survive. I followed my hunch and asked her where she slept after the streetcar stopped operating. She was friendly and offered to show us. We got off with her and went into a questionable neighborhood and entered a disreputable apartment building. Beds were for rent, but they were really just cots and blankets priced by the hour. We understood what we were doing but needed to stretch out, and so we rented one cot and took turns resting. When not resting, we served as security guards for each other, mostly watching for thieves, not the Arrow Cross. By morning we decided the streetcar was like a furnished apartment. We vowed that no matter what happened, we would not return to that flophouse. We couldn’t find a place to rent, but as happened to us again and again, a seemingly random event changed the course of our lives. We saw two sisters

of the Bobover Rebbe, Rabbi Shloime Halberstam, on the street. We had not seen them since Bochnia. We could not believe our eyes, but there they were in Budapest. When they found out we were homeless or room-less, they took us to their apartment outside the ghetto. They opened their home to us and refused to hear our arguments about their own safety. They were taking an enormous risk, but our family histories were forever intimately intertwined. We accepted with gratitude to the One Above – and astonishment that we had found one another. The Halberstam sisters had their own horror stories to tell us. The Rebbe, Reb Shloime, had escaped from Bochina with the help of his brother, Reb Chaskel Duvid, who had hired smugglers from a town outside Bochina. The rest of the story was quite similar to ours. Their group included his two sisters, Gitche and Chumche, and Chumche’s two children. The ages of the group ranged from seven to seventy. Their journey had been harrowing, much of it on foot, just as ours and as so many others’ had been. Once inside Czechoslovakia, they were urged by Jews there to move swiftly into Hungary. Again on foot and in darkness they proceeded to Budapest, with the knowledge that members of their extended family had already been murdered. In Budapest they obtained false papers and so lived in the shadow of the law just as we did. In Budapest Rabbi Halberstam worked hard to rescue Jews still trapped in Poland, using the same method that had saved us from arrest and death. The coal trucks with false bottoms were much in demand in those years. During one fateful mission there was a grave accident that led to the death of all those in the truck and ruled out any further coal-truck rescue trips. After the Nazi incursion into Hungary,

good quality paper, and the young man who could carve a stamp out of a rubber ball. My mother had supervised the final documents. My brother Moishe had been an integral part of it all. Inadvertently, by the accident of my Hungarian birth, I had started the process

choice. It was a hard parting for me as she was the last tie to my own family. In the tireless efforts we had both made to achieve Mechel’s release, Rosie and I had become like sisters. And with no children of my own, Micheline was very dear to me. Nonetheless, we sup-

in motion that morning at the Judenrat when I said I was born in Munkach. Now, the Rebbe’s sisters were offering us refuge. The circle was complete. Rosie felt that she and Micheline should not stay, for the safety of all of us. We were not without feelings and emotions during this time, but survival and the protection of those we cared about and loved was paramount. There was no room for sentimentality and sad farewells. When Rosie said she felt it would be best if we parted, we acknowledged she was making the right

ported her departure and she was happy we had found a home with the Halberstam women. Now, in a “real” apartment, we began to establish a routine. It wasn’t a normal life, and we were still far from free, but there were pleasures, however small. I could cook for our new “family” and help them with other chores. We were always aware of the catastrophic breakdown of everything outside our doors, but we were able to establish a feeling of domestic stability that had not been possible in the endless succession of rented rooms. The Halberstam

Continued next week

Lola wrote this book with the help of Alida Brill. A World After This was published in 2010 by Devora Publishing.

s e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

We wanted the defeat of the Reich but were unprepared for the devastation and disorder that would accompany his exit from the world’s stage.

sisters welcomed our presence and we were very happy in their company, and in our shared traditions. The war was winding down and yet the atmosphere was more toxic and lethal than ever. As Hitler lost more and more ground, his leadership decisions spun further out of control. We wanted the defeat of the Reich but were unprepared for the devastation and disorder that would accompany his exit from the world’s stage. The stench of death was part of each day’s reality. Neither Mechel nor I talked about what to do or where to go any longer. We thought we might end our days in Budapest with the Halberstams. As the bombs dropped from the sky we put ourselves on automatic pilot. We went about our routine tasks, said our prayers, kept a Jewish home, and waited for any scrap of news that would make us believe in Mechel’s words, “There will be a world after this.”

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the Halberstam family went as far underground as they could, which wasn’t far because of their religious visibility and fame. Some friends of theirs went to Bucharest, Romania, where they set up an escape route. Part of the Halberstam family began this journey in May 1944 with disastrous consequences. Everyone in the group except Rabbi Halberstam, his youngest son Naftuli, and a friend were killed, captured, or sent on convoys to Auschwitz. The remaining three were able to bribe their way to the Romanian border and settle in Bucharest. As we listened to their story, Mechel and I grew quiet. I thought about my lost family, and particularly in that moment about my brother Moishe who had been so involved in our Bochnia forgery operations. Mechel became somber and silent. I knew that he too was recalling the Bochnia Ghetto and the awful night of the Aktion and the morning burial and all those we had lost there. How strange our world was that now a safety net was to be found in Bucharest when just a few years earlier Romanian Jews had fled to Hungary to avoid slaughter. We sat with the Rebbe’s sisters and all of us were lost in the memory of the time when the Bobover Rebbe himself had come up with the typewriter, the

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n S e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

87 By Stephen H. Weiner

Is a lawyer who drafts the Will obligated to keep the original Will for safekeeping? The New York State Bar Association has stated that there is no obligation of an attorney who drafts the Will to keep the original Will for safekeeping. The lawyer may give the original Will to the client with appropriate advice. Whether the lawyer maintains the original for safekeeping is a matter to be decided between the lawyer and the client. It has become common for clients to keep their original Wills. Is it a good idea to keep the original Will in a safe deposit box? A safe deposit box is a compartment at a local banking institution for the storage of valuable items. My clients often ask if they should place their

original Will in the safe deposit box. I advise them against it for the following reason: If the existence and location of the safe deposit box is known to your estate representative, that representative will need to file a petition in Court and to receive an Order of the Court to open it. While this is a relatively routine Court procedure, why force the representative to go through it to get the document that the representative needs to consult to see what your last wishes are? When your Estate representative does not know about the existence of the safe deposit box or where the safe deposit box is located that presents further difficulty. The representative then brings the death certificate to financial institutions and asks them to disclose if they have your safe deposit box. If you keep your financial records around the

house, then the representative might get lucky by finding which bank you have it in, especially if there are statements

concealing a Will with the intent to defraud. The scope of the questioning in a

It has become common for clients to keep their original Wills.

showing the annual fee of from $25 to $500 charged for the box. Recently, my colleagues in the Trust and Estates bar have reported that even when a person has received court-issued Letters of Administration concerning an Estate and finds the institution, the institution is insisting on specific written authority from the Court to open the safe deposit boxes. Of course, if your home was subject to flooding damaging valuables during the hurricane, that is a special case supporting keeping the Will in a safer place and not subject to flooding.. What can you do when you suspect that a family member is not disclosing the location of a Will? Unfortunately, situations arise when the heirs believe there is a Will and that one family member has the Will but is not disclosing its location. In these circumstances, a proceeding to compel the production of the Will can be brought in Surrogateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Court. The person bringing the proceeding has to show that there is reasonable ground to believe that another person has knowledge of the whereabouts of a Will or destruction of a will. Then the court may make an order requiring that person with knowledge be examined at the court and requiring the production and filing in court of any Will which it finds is in the possession or control of that person with knowledge. There is a criminal penalty for

proceeding to compel the production of the Will is limited to the issue of whether a paper purporting to be a Will was drafted and executed and is or ever was in existence. There is no right to ask questions about the validity of the Will, the persons who were present, or who had custody of the Will. This limita-

tion on questioning underscores how important it is to consult a legal practitioner about this issue rather than trying to do this on oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own. No column is a substitute for competent legal advice.Â Please consult with the attorney of your choice concerning specific legal questions you may have.

Stephen H. Weiner has practiced law for twenty-eight years. His office is at 750 Third Avenue, Ninth Floor, New York, NY 10017. He can be contacted at weiner@ sweinerlaw.com or 212-566-4669.

s e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

Safe Deposit Boxes and Wills, Locations Unknown

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Room for Design

Naftali Landau

Choosing the Right Garage Doors I need to replace my garage door and was thinking of getting a nicer one. What are some considerations I should have when choosing a new garage door? The Designer Responds: We all know that your home’s interior comes first when we talk about design and home improvements but the exterior of your house is just as important. The exterior of your house is the first thing

that people see and for that it should also be thought-out carefully in order to provide a nice first impression. One of the outdoor areas of your home that is almost always forgotten about is your garage door. If you are looking to update your garage door look or replace it with a new one then there are a few things to consider when choosing the right one that will make your exterior look complete. The first thing to consider in choos-

ing a new garage door is the material that you are going to use. Nowadays, there are many different options but picking the right material is essential. Like entry doors, garage doors can be made of steel, aluminum, wood, wood composites, fiberglass, vinyl or glass. No matter what the actual material is, the wood look is most popular. Metal and fiberglass tend to be more durable and will last over time, although wood is natural and creates a beautiful aesthetic

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to your outdoor home. Remember, wood is more costly than its metal counterparts but can give you a look that you love. For homes that are older, steel or aluminum are good options as they have longevity because of its durability and can be painted in a variety of colors. Fiberglass is durable and it also is a great insulator and will keep your heating and cooling bills from skyrocketing during the seasonal temperature changes. Additionally, fiberglass is also more resistant to splitting and cracking unlike wood doors garage doors. After you have chosen a material, it’s time to consider what aesthetics you’d like your garage to have. Garage doors have come a long way from just being a solid field of color. Today you can get doors that have lights or windows in them and you can purchase doors that mimic the architectural details of your main home. From traditional carriage doors for individual doors to double-sided contemporary varieties, there is no limit to the multitude of styles and options that can meet your specific needs. Many homeowners are seeking out garage door manufacturers that custom build garage doors. Lastly, a great way to find the right garage door is by standing back at the street and reviewing your home as a whole. Similarly to determining the right color for your exterior home, standing back will help you assess your entire exterior. What is it lacking? Is your garage in plain sight on the front face or is it hidden behind trees? Does your garage need to coordinate with the surrounding house or can it have a design aesthetic of its own because it’s positioned facing another street? Once you answer these questions you may find that paying more attention to your garage detailing will spruce up your curb appeal. In summary, there are a few fundamental considerations that you should have when choosing the right garage door for your home. Whether it be the right material or the style and color, choosing the right garage door is essential to the design of your exterior of your home and with that it should blend well with the style and design of your home. Good luck. Naftali Landau is owner and chief designer of Exclusive Cabinetry and Design and has been designing kitchens for the past 12 years. For questions or ideas for future articles, he can be reached at 917-468-7693 or at naftalilandau@gmail.com

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Deadline Monday 5:00pm

House for Sale Flushing/Kew Garden Hills 3 Family brick home, 2 car garage $825k 718-261-9430 Lawrence - For sale by owner Co-op, large one bedroom, 1 1/2 bath, eat in kitchen, cent. A/C, double terrace, top floor, doorman, pool, garage, walk to town, temples, train. (516) 791-7000 Cedarhurst – For sale by owner. 5 BR, 3.5 bath. Colonial on oversize lot. Hardwood flooring throughout. Beautiful Eat-in Chef’s Kitchen (Viking/Sub-Zero/Granite). Lrg LR & DR. Finished Basement. Central A/C. Walk to all. Move in Condition….$799k….917-685-0247 Bayswater- massive 2 family home in a great area, close to all the shuls, beautiful cabinets & granite counter tops, lots of bedrooms, all tiled bathrooms, hardwood flooring all through the house, fireplace, etc., needs tlc, very motivated seller, Asking 449k, Call Yitzchok 847-691-6397.

Real Estate for Rent 2 Bedroom Co-op for Sale/Rent in Lawrence Ready to move in immediately, Low maintenance fee $1600 to rent or $180,000 for sale Call 516-456-4238 Shared Office Space Available Affordable shared office space available with a chiropractor on the Far Rockaway / Lawrence Border. ~$600 a month, utilities included, no broker fee. If you are interested and in a similar profession, please email writers613@gmail.com for more details. Queens-Upper Ridgewood. Fresh Pond Rd./Forest Ave area. Professional space for rent. Ideal for medical office. 1st floor handicapped access, around 1000 sqf. Call R.E. Agent for more info @347-8065414/Edyta - Grimaldi Realty

Job Available

A real estate investment & development firm in Brooklyn is looking for highly motivated and aggressive individuals to seek and bring in potential investment deals. Will train the right individual Please forward your résumé at jobs@greenbuildersnyc.com or call at 516-250-5848. F/T Marketing/ Admissions representative for a 200+ bed Nursing Facility. Candidate must have current affiliations with nearby hospitals, Dr.'s & Medical Representatives. Must be experienced, personable & have knowledge in medical terminology. Please email resumes to nhjobs1@gmail.com Growing marketing firm seeks a male graphic designer to join its fresh and creative team. Email portfolio to bigideasmarketing@yahoo.com CATAPULT LEARNING Title I, P/T School Teachers Boro Park and Williamsburg boys Yeshivas B.A. Required; Strong Desire to Help Children Learn Excellent Organizational Skills; Small Group instruction; Competitive Salary Email Resume: nyteachers@catapultlearning.com Fax: (718) 381-3493 BYQ seeks p.m. general studies middle grade licensed, experienced and nurturing teacher. email sarahbergman57@hotmail.com We are seeking, friendly female to work in our newly renovated high end wig salon, located in the heart of Cedarhurst Experience in cutting and styling required please send resume to tresjolieboutique@hotmail.com Due to expansion, Torah Academy for Girls in Far Rockaway is seeking a qualified and experienced 1st grade Morah . Please fax resume to 718-8684612 attention Morah Levin.

Can You Sell? Looking to make some extra cash?

On-The-Marc is hiring motivated part time sales people. Six to 8 hours a week with unlimited income potential. Must have/own car. For more information call Marc at 917-612-2300

New to market. 2 bedroom apt 1st floor.

Neilsen and Dinsmore area. Kosher kitchen $1,400 available July 1st. Call 516-569-1150

Seeking a full time administrative assistant for a busy roofing company. Hours are M-Th 9am - 4pm & Fri 9am - 1pm. Skills must include: - The ability to multitask - Good phone skills -Basic bookkeeping - Proficient in MS Office - Proficient in Quickbooks Please email resume and salary requirements to info@islandexteriors.com or fax to 516 303 7664.

Special Ed Preschool in Far Rockaway Warm and supportive environment 1) Special Ed Teacher Masters degree and Certification required Experience preferred 11:45-3:00, M-F 2) Special Ed Assistant Teacher 8:20-3:00 M-F E mail resume to: scohen@onourwaylc.org No phone calls please. An embroidery store in New Hyde Park is seeking a, front desk operator. Needs to be bright, energetic and very responsible. Required to deal with customer service and prepare work tasks for embroidery operations. Will train fully embroidery program. For more info please call 516-355-0362 Warm, loving and responsible assistants needed for a girls preschool - elementary school grades 1-4 Full day or part time available. Please send resumes to yoppen@bbyschool.org Due to expansion, Torah Academy for Girls in Far Rockaway, is seeking qualified, experienced and successful moros for our lower elementary and junion high school divisions for the September school term. Please fax resume to: 718-868-4612, att: Morah Drillman Teachers F/T General Studies PreK, 1st, 3rd, 4th Grades Co-ed progressive Brooklyn Day School Inspire students' hearts, minds & souls! Email jobs@mazeldayschool.com call 718-368-4490 Local restaurant looking for responsible experienced shomer shabbos night time manager email relerner1@hotmail.com Sales position available. Flexible hours, great commission, excellent communication skills needed, must have car. Please call 732-503-3760 if no answer leave message.

Boys Elementary School in the Far Rockaway / 5 Towns area seeks experienced and dynamic General Studies teachers for grades 1-5 and Junior High School SS, Sc, ELA and Math positions. Please email resume to educate128@gmail.com. Leaders in Online Jewish Marketing are hiring Sales Superstars. Do you fit the bill? Send your resume to sales@thejmg.com or call us @ 646-351-1808 x 111

Seeking Job Graphic Designer: Talented male for a growing Marketing Firm in the 5 Towns. Can work partly remotely, full or part time. Salary based on capabilities. Email Resume/Portfolio: Bigideasmarketing@gmail.com Experienced P-3 Provider, with M.S. in Education and Permanent N.Y. State Teacher Certification- Available to work with students in all grades Mondays through Thursdays- mornings until 11 A.M. and anytime after 5:30 P.M.; and Sundays anytime Please call Tsivia: 516-526-2385

Misc. Looking to rent a garage for storage No food will be stored Call 646-657-3131 Looking to rent an apt. or studio in Far Rockaway, Lawrence or Inwood $1,000 to 1,200 per month Call Robert 917-922-8426 Get CA$H Today! For your junk car Free tow included Call now 845-661-1109 Love your car?…Give it life Donate it to Yeshiva Fast, Free pick-up and towing Easy donation steps Maximum charitable tax deduction Free Vacation Voucher, 2 days/3nights CALL NOW! (718) 778-4766 Looking for donation of car or minivan in good running condition. Tax exempt receipt available for full market value. Please call 347-342-8196 Shaital gmach in Eretz Yisroel desperately needs shaitels. To be a part of this great mitzvah please call Peninia @ 347-6756526 Tizku L’mitzvos

Reach Your Target Market Advertise in The Jewish Home

s e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

Queens, Bayswater House for sale Amazing 1 family home, Great friendly Block, 4 bedrooms Formal dining room, Eat in Kitchen 4 full bath Finished Basement, closets, Water View won't last call 212-4703856 WinZone Realty EZ showing. Other listing available.

The Jewish Home n

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n S e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

A thriving ‫מקום תורה‬, Ateres Yaakov is geared for talmidim returning from ‫ארץ ישראל‬, who are Bnei Torah aspiring to continue their growth and development in Torah and ‫יראת שמים‬. A serious, yet warm environment where each talmid is cultivated in all facets of Yiddishkeit while building lasting relationships with dedicated Rebbeim. The Yeshiva provides all of the support and resources to excel and grow during these crucial years. Rav Mordechai Yaffe, shlit”a Menahel Rav Meir Braunstein, shlit”a Rosh HaYeshiva Rav Yisroel Gold, shlit”a Ra”m Rav Chezky Rodkin, shlit”a Ra”m

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR

‫ תשע“ד‬- ‫חורף זמן‬ 131 Washington Avenue, Lawrence | P: (516) 374-6465 | E: bm@ateresyaakov.com

s e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

Yeshiva Gedolah Ateres Yaakov

The Jewish Home n

‫ישיבה גדולה עטרת יעקב‬

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n S e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

Rabbi Yehoshua Kurland Alternating:

8:45-9:35: Maagal HaShana Based on the Pachad Yitzchak

Rebbetzin Aviva Feiner

8:45-9:35: Deos UMiddos

Mrs. Chani Sprung

For Girls 1-2 years post seminary Register for one or both classes Please register before September 30th

IN MEMORY OF MRS. ROSE EDELMAN

Call 516-362-5000 or email info@mbrseminary.org to register or for more information

s e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

7:45-8:35: Hashkafas Yisroel

The Jewish Home n

Shana Bet Monday Night Fall 2013 Schedule Classes begin September 30th

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n S e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

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Leisure & Travel

From Sea to Shining Sea: Tennessee

he people of Tennessee are brave. In fact, the state is sometimes called the Volunteer State because of the valor displayed by its volunteer soldiers during the Battle of New Orleans. During the Civil War, more soldiers came from Tennessee than any other state in the nation, and there were more National Guard soldiers deployed from Tennessee for the Gulf War effort than any other state. Interestingly, another nickname referring to the people of Tennessee comes from its soldiers. Tennesseans are sometimes called Butternuts because of the tan color of their uniforms during the Civil War. But don’t think that it’s all about fighting in this great state. Tennessee is known for friendliness and fun. It is considered one of the two most “neighborly” states in the union—it is bordered by eight states. And the state that holds the heart and soul of Elvis can only be one with music in its veins. Bristol is known as the Birthplace of Country Music whereas Nashville, also called Music City, USA, is considered to be the capital of classic country music. Graceland, where the “King” lived, is the second most visited house in the country. And Memphis is certainly considered the Birthplace of the Blues and the Birthplace of Rock and Roll. If you’re into music or are looking for a rockin’ good time, a trip to Tennessee is ideal. Things You Won’t Want to Miss Great Smoky Mountains America’s most visited national park has ridge upon ridge of forest straddling the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. A smoke-like bluish haze envelops these great mountains, a delight for the hikers who can explore the 800 miles of maintained trails. Fishing, picnicking, and auto touring are also popular pastimes here. Wildlife consider this park to be their home; deer, elk, bear and even microscopic organisms abound here amid the diverse plant life. Beale Street When visiting Beale Street, you’ll stumble upon music history. Legendary greats such as W.C. Handy, B.B. King and Isaac Hayes showcased their talent on Beale. Now, the nightlife, specialty shops and galleries are meccas for tourists. The street has seen the birth of blues music, the civil rights movements, rock ‘n roll, and myriad bands. Most of the buildings are the same ones that musicians saw 100 years ago, bringing history to the present day. Music City, USA When visiting Nashville, why not do it like a local? There’s so much to explore and so

much to do—you’ll need more than just a day in this city. Centennial Park is the perfect spot for a football game, and Shelby Bottoms Park is ideal for its bike and walking lanes. There are many art shows around town; Artober is held every October and is a month-long celebration of art in the city. Of course, Nashville is all about music and locals cram the Bluebird Café and the Listening Room to hear some of the newer artists. Residents are serious about their java—make sure to grab a cup at Bongo Java, Nashville’s oldest coffee company, Fido, or Crema. While you’re drinking you’re cup of joe, visit Cheekwood, where more than 55,000 tulips bloom in the spring. When the weather’s not perfect for a walk outdoors, consider Gaylord Opryland which has nine acres of indoor gardens and waterfalls. Home of the King A visit to Tennessee would be incomplete without a visit to Graceland. Home of rock ‘n roll, music lovers will be able to explore Elvis’ life and learn how his unique style and sound changed the face of music forever. Visitors can even spend the night across the street at Elvis Presley Heartbreak Hotel. So put on those blue suede shoes and spend a day (or two) in the home of the King. Lookout Mountain On a visit to Lookout Mountain, visitors can see panoramic views of seven states. Rock City, located on top of Lookout Mountain, features massive ancient rock formations and gardens with over 400 native plants. The Enchanted Trails take visitors along the wonders of the woodland path and the magic of Fairyland Caverns and Mother Goose Village. Ruby Falls, a thundering 145-foot waterfall, is located on Lookout Mountain and visitors can even walk behind the sparkling waters. When you’re finished exploring, enjoy a cup of coffee at the Starbucks way up high.

Susan Schwamm

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103 41

BREAKFAST

in recognition of our government and community leaders

HONOREES Yanky Brach

Deputy Inspector Commanding officer of the 101st precinct

Community Builder Award Chief Operating Officer Met Council

Kevin Maloney

Peter Brest

Humanitarian Award

Chessed Award

Councilmanic Aide at New York City Council

Honorable Assemblyman

Phil Goldfeder

Pesach Osina

State Legislative Leadership Award Senior Vice President, Agency Relations UJA - Federation of NY

Roberta Leiner

Public Service Award

Honorable Councilmember

Donovan Richards City Legislative Leadership Award

Hakaras HaTov Award

HONORING HEROES OF HURRICANE SANDY Achiezer, Hatzalah, Nivneh, Ohel, RCSP, Red Cross, Sanitation Department, Shor Yoshuv, White Shul, Yiwb

The white shul - Congregation Kneseth Israel

728 Empire Avenue

Sunday, October 27th 9:30 a.m.

Far Rockaway, NY

For reservations and to place an add please contact breakfast@jccrp.org or shani at 718.327.7755 x 615

wiissh h Hhoom mee n sseeppTteemmbbeerr 31,22013 TThhee JJeew , 2013

LEGISLATIVE

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n S e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

Life Coach Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

See The Light!

Tefillah Tips

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Rabbi Yehoshua Kurland Judaica Press

often describe my shared articles as “light life lessons” because I attempt to present life messages with levity and humor. But you tell me, during the 10 days of repentance do I really want to keep it “light”? These days are no joking matter! Fortunately, just as the Hebrew language often gives better Jew and role model. Communiwords multiple meanings and messages, cate with Hashem what you want, reach so too my description “light” life mes- for it, work for it, commit to it, need it, sages has room for a double meaning. and don’t take no for an answer. I focus you today on “light,” not as Yom Kippur is about forgiveness— simple or “given over in a less weighty so today forgive yourself for your past. way,” but rather “light” as: “enlighten- Forgive others for not being exactly ing” and “eye-opening.” Hopefully, you what you wish they were. Emulate G-d. will focus on that aspect of my “light” G-d can surprise us—so realize you can life lesson as you read this pre-Yom Kip- surprise yourself. pur article. Don’t be too hard So what new light on yourself! (Then might I shed for you? again, don’t be too The past is your My message is don’t easy on yourself.) springboard to live with regret, let it 1. Know that you, go. It holds you back yes you, might hurt growth. What and keeps you stuck others inadvertently, in the past. so work on improvyou can affect We cannot reing your sensitivity is your future. to others. 2. Realize write history. We can only learn from it and furthermore, that the way Judaism works move ahead. Don’t regret your stage, your age, who you’ve is that when we hurt G-d’s other children become, who your kids have become, we are hurting ourselves, too. G-d is the your relationships, your job or lack of ultimate parent. Parents want all their one, or anything else that bothers you. children treated right, and they don’t Just accept it as your starting point. You take to you kindly when you only treat are a newborn at this moment. A new- some of their family well. Really stop born comes into the world and has no and decide to be nicer to others. 3. But, control over their height, weight, or who also be sensitive to the many ways you their parents are. These are the facts on may be hurting yourself. As Yom Kippur approaches, stop the table. Well, you have no control anymore over the aspects of your life that and review your situation. This is the suare “the past.” What you can affect is per-powered “ask forgiveness” time, so your future. The past is your springboard ask forgiveness from G-d, forgive others and yourself, and know you can change to growth. Yes, there is the past that has brought course. It may seem to take too much you to this moment. Free choice gives work and effort, but G-d says, “Open a you the ability to influence and change tiny effort like the eye of a needle and I where that tide seems to be pushing you. will open a passageway big enough for It is strong, but G-d assures us we are carriages and wagons to pass through” (Shir Hashirim: 5-2). Now that’s a great stronger! Believe everything is possible. Sure, deal! Don’t feel it’s hopeless. Be positive things seem more possible when they follow naturally from a previous set of and optimistic and G-d will keep the burcircumstances, but G-d has the tools den “light” and “light” the way for you. right at hand to accomplish what for us would take G-dly measures. And why Rivki Rosenwald is a certified life coach and would G-d do this for us? Because that’s relationship counselor, as well as a space dewhat G-d promised us. G-d asks of us: sign consultant. She can be contacted at 917work on yourself. Commit to being a 705-2004 or at rivki@rosenwalds.com.

105

Liebers

Tomato Paste

Cut

Hearts Of Palm

6oz

14.46oz

Gefen

Pasta Sauce

2/$3

2/$1

Unger’s

Eden

Gedilla

Gefilte Fish

Carrots

6.99

1.49

Plastimade

Gefen

150ct

Noodle Soup Cups

Kitchen Bags $

Glicks

Sandwich Cookies

Pierres

Sorbet $

2.99

Mehadrin

.99

Backermans

Marble Cake

16oz

Kokosh Cake

3.99

Kedem

Tea Biscuits Assorted

3.99

Thinly Sliced

Chicken Cutlets

Whole & Sliced

5.99Lb

Taanug

Flour

Croutons

Unger’s

Spray

32oz

2.49

1.99

Corn Flake Crumbs

2.99

12oz Bag

2.49Lb

Chuck Calachel

3.99

Baby Wipes 80ct

Cut & French Style 15oz

.89

Gefen

Sugar $

2.99

Beigels

Whoopie Cookies

.99

3.49

Fruits & Vegetables Bananas

.49Lb

Onions 2lb Bag

.99ea.

Cello

Carrots 1lb

5.49Lb

Chocolate Mix

Sleek Sensation

2/$1

Chicken Legs

Instant

String Beans

12oz

Tilapia

Family Pack

.89

Gefen

Cookie Sheets

Frozen

3.99

Tomato Sauce $

Mayonnaise

Dagim

Regular & High Gluten

15oz

Glicks

1st And 2nd Cut

8.99Lb

Glicks

1 Day Candles

Silver Tip Roast

Ner Mitzvah

4/$1

6.49Lb

2/$5

Gefen

2/$5

Liebers

Brisket

5/$1

Gefen

Meat Dept. Minute Roast

30oz

1.25oz

Gedilla

3.99

Palmolive

2/$3

Cheese Snacks

Honey Loaf

Napkins

2/$5

J&J

Beigels

Elegant

3/$1

.99

Snak Pak

2/$1

6oz

Leben

2.99

Canola Oil

Chocolate

Beigels

Bazooka Gum Box

Glicks

Spong

.99

Pie Crust

Assorted Pints

75ct

2/$3

Assorted Flavors

Corn Snacks

Elite

Fourre

.99

1.99

Tissues $

Gross

Lemon Juice $

.89

Assorted

Kleenex

Instant

9.99

1.99

Lollypops/ Jelly Beans & Fishies $

Gesher

Soup Mixes

2/$1

Large

Honeydew

2.99ea.

Potatoes 5lb Bag

2.49ea.

Macintosh

Zucchini

Apples $

.89Lb

Sweet Potatoes

.79Lb

.49Lb

Green

Peppers $

.79Lb

Sale valid 9/12/13 thru 9/25/13. Cash & Carry only. We reserve the right to limit quanitities on sale items. Not responsible for typographical errors. While supplies last.

ORDERS CAN BE EMAILED, FAXED, OR CALLED IN 1913 Cornaga Ave. • Far Rockaway • T. 718.471.7555 • F. 718.471.9102 • E. Kosherworldorders@yahoo.com

FREE PARKING • FREE DELIVERY • FRIENDLY SERVICE • CURVE SERVICE Store hours: Sun 8-9 • Mon. - Tue. 7-9 • Wed. 7-10 • Thu. 7-12 • Fri. 7-2 Hours Before Shabbos

s e p t e m b e r 1 2 , 2013

Crinkle Cut

Liebers

The Jewish Home n

Grocery Section

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107 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n september 12, 2013

Breakthrough

REHAB to fuel your recovery!

Margaret Tietz Nursing & Rehabilitation Center

Shabbos Elevator

Shabbos Hospitality Apartment for visiting family members located only a block away

Daily & Shabbos Minyanim

State-of-the-art separate Meat & all Cholov Yisroel Dairy Kitchens under the Vaad Harabonim of Queens

adlibunlimited.com

is proud to provide the Jewish Community with high quality Sub-acute Rehabilitation, Hospice and Long-Term Care services in a newly renovated comfortable and completely Kosher setting.

Eruv connecting our facility to Kew Gardens Hills, Jamaica Estates/Holliswood, Hillcrest/ Fresh Meadows & Briarwood

Experience your personal rejuvenation at Margaret Tietz as you relearn the skills of daily living following surgery or illness. Our team of therapists utilize the MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY and TECHNIQUES to get you back home as quickly as possible.

164-11 Chapin Parkway, Jamaica Hills, NY 11432 â&#x20AC;˘ 718-298-7800 â&#x20AC;˘ www.tietzjewish.com Centrally located near the Queens communities of Kew Gardens Hills, Hillcrest & Jamaica Estates. Only 20 minutes from Brooklyn, Manhattan & the Five Towns.

Wishing all of Klal Yisroel a freilichen Sukkos ! jnau

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FALL

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/Per Month

w/college grad!

/Per Month

36 Month Lease 12,000 Miles Per Year $1,500 Damage Waiver Included Features: Remote Entry w/ Trunk Release/Rearview Camera/ Bluetooth/160-Watt Audio System

2014 Honda Odyssey

259*

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36 Month Lease 7,500 Miles Per Year Up to $5,000 Damage Waiver Available

Features: Back-Up Camera/Bluetooth Remote Entry/Rear Privacy Glass/240-Watt AM-FM-CD MP3-USB Audio Interface

Expires 9/30/13

iPad Giveaway

Join our listlist and youwill willbebeentered entered into a raffle for an iPad 3 Joinemail our email & you into a raffle for an iPad3

www.wheelstolease.com/joinemaillist www.wheelstolease.com/joinemaillist Congratulations to our winner, Jonathan Thurm! Congratulations to last our raffle last raffle winner, Sam Mayer!