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JANUARY 23 -JANUARY 29, 2014 | DISTRIBUTED WeeklyIN THE FIVE TOWNS, QUEENS & BROOKLYN
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CONTENTS >>Letters to the Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 >>Community Readers’ Poll. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Community Happenings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 >> News Global. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 National . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Odd-but-True Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 >> Israel Israel News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 >> People Operation Focus: Israel’s Amazing Air Fight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 >>Parsha The Shmuz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 >> Jewish Thought Rabbi’s Musing and Amusings. . . . . . . . . 56
Dear Readers, It’s ironic that this is our vacation issue. Today I drove through half a foot of snow to get to Brooklyn for my nephew’s bris. It took almost an hour to move three blocks on the Nassau Expressway, whereby I turned the car around and took the side roads, which surprisingly were almost a “breeze” compared to the main roads. I guess after the arduous journey, I truly deserve a vacation. To me, winter break always meant relaxing mornings and lazy days. We would take day trips and meet friends for lunch. Some years, my family would head down to Baltimore and spend the weekend with my cousins. Invariably we would head to Washington where we visit what seemed to be every Smithsonian museum in town. For children, winter break is a respite from the monotony of their school schedule. It’s a time to spend more time with friends and family and a time to recharge and refresh during the long winter months. If you’re staying home this week, make sure to take advantage of the great ideas some of our editors have put together. There are great projects to do together, wonderful activities for friends to enjoy, and innovative ideas of how to make the days more fun. Be creative and let your imagination take flight! There is so much to do to fill the few days off.
Beauty Secrets, by Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz. . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Have a great week and enjoy the time spent together,
>>Family
Shoshana
Parenting Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 >>Health Warning Signs of Escalation, by Deb Hirschhorn, PhD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Yitzy Halpern
Yosef Feinerman
PUBLISHER
MANAGING EDITOR
publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com
Simple Advice That Will Simplify Your Life – Part III, by David Elazar Simai, MD. . . . . . 72
Classifieds
ads@fivetownsjewishhome.com
Nate Davis
jewishhome.com 443-929-4003
>> Cover Story: Winter Break
Nechama Wein COPY EDITOR
DESIGN & PRODUCTION
Yeshiva Break Special: Playing with Your Food! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Friday, January 24 Parshas Mishpatim Candle Lighting: 4:45 Shabbos Ends: 5:48 Rabbeinu Tam: 6:17
Fun ‘n Friends. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Florida Dining Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 >> Food & Leisure Recipes: Cookies in the Kitchen. . . . . . . . 68 Recipes: Aussie Gourmet: Fettuccine Alfredo with a Twist. . . . . . . . 90 >> Lifestyles
FRI. Jan 24
SAT. Jan 25
>> Art
MOSTLY SUNNY
SNOW SHOWERS
From My Private Art Collection: Expressions of Appreciation for Art and Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
HIGH
>> Political Crossfire
LOW
Ask the Attorney. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Your Money. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Masseuse or Misuse? by Rivki Rosenwald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
EDITOR
editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com P.O. BOX 266 LAWRENCE, NY 11559 PHONE | 516-734-0858 FAX | 516-734-0857
Rachel Bergida Berish Edelman Mati Jacobovits
classifieds@fivetowns EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Flying with my Sensory-Seeking Child. 74
Shoshana Soroka
WEEKLY WEATHER SUN. Jan 26
MON. Jan 27
TUES. Jan 28
WED. Jan 29
THURS. Jan 30
PARTLY CLOUDY
CLOUDY
PARTLY CLOUDY
MOSTLY CLOUDY
MOSTLY CLOUDY
>> Humor Centerfold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Notable Quotes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 >> Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
29° 19°
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35° 11°
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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.
Letters to ambition? We can never forget, we can never forgive. Certainly not while the families of Gaza languish in makeshift camps, with every compensatory promise which was made to them shattered by Sharon and his cronies. Max Hirshman
Dear Editor, When I read Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz’s article this week, I was reminded of a popular refrain from a movie I watched in my teens. “Baby steps, baby
Dear Editor, I noticed that Alex Idov wrote an article in your paper this week. I remember his recipes from a few months ago and am pleased that he is contributing to your paper once again. His article on Coca Cola and how it became kosher was very interesting. He noted that many people enjoy the kosher for Passover Coca Cola over the non-kosher for Passover version since it doesn’t contain corn syrup. My family loves it as well; we stock up right before Pesach every year and have our delicious Coke—ice cold and refreshing—for the next few months. Yaakov K.
Views expressed on the Letters to the Editor page do not necessarily reflect the views of The Jewish Home.
Readers Poll
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Dear Editor, I was truly inspired by last week’s article about Ronit Peskin and Women for the Wall. Every time I am in Israel I am amazed by the devotion and passion of Israeli women. Ronit is an example of a person who saw a problem and tackled it in a fearless fashion. I had my daughter read the article just so she sees what a Jewish woman could accomplish if she puts her mind to it. May Hashem help Ronit and others accomplish their mission of restoring the sanctity of the Kotel. Sincerely, Sara Korzin
steps” was what one doctor told his patient to help him move on with his life. It’s important to look forward and move forward no matter what happens I think of that often. So many times we start something or are in the middle of something and we get derailed. It could be working on a project or a character trait or becoming a better person or working on your diet. No matter what it is, stay on track and follow through until the end. The path may be long, it may be bumpy, but there is an end in sight. And once you reach that end and touch the goalpost, the pleasure of achieving what you set out to do—despite all the obstacles—is immeasurable. Best of luck, Samantha Weiner Brooklyn, NY
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Dear Editor, As the saying goes, “Acharay mos kedoshim.” The death of Sharon proves once again how true that is. Yes, your article and the articles in many other frum papers touched on the Disengagement, but you also discussed his accomplishments in depth. The sad truth is that all of his accomplishments were worthless. It’s only because of the passage of time that we forget the horror that he bestowed upon our brethren in Gaza. Don’t you remember the images of men, women and children as Israeli soldiers dragged them out of their homes? Don’t you remember the arrogance that Sharon displayed and the way he dismissed the very legitimate sadness and heartbreak that these yoshvei Eretz were going through? (By the way, he was the one who sent them there in the first place.) And why did he do it? Because he and his crooked sons were facing indictment for corruption. He destroyed thousands of people’s lives so that his crimes can be swept under the rug. I am sorry to say, but if we are willing to forgive him then why shouldn’t we forgive the next politician who G-d forbid gives away land to save his own skin or for his own
the Editor
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THE JEWISH HOME JANUARY 23, 2014
In News
The Week Global Attack in Kabul Leaves 21 Dead
A Taliban suicide attack on a restaurant in Kabul on Friday left behind a wake of blood and carnage. 21 people were killed—including 13 foreigners. Customers desperately hid under tables as one attacker detonated his suicide vest and two others stormed inside and opened fire. Among the dead were three Americans, two British citizens, two Cana-
dians, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) head of mission, and the restaurant’s Lebanese owner, who was killed as he tried to fire back at the attackers. A female Danish member of the European police mission in Afghanistan and a Russian UN political officer also died in the Friday evening massacre, which was the deadliest attack on foreign civilians since the Taliban were ousted in 2001. Four U.N. workers were murdered as well. “We heard a big bang and everywhere was dark,” Atiqullah, 27, an assistant chef of Taverna, recalled as he attended a funeral for three of the restaurant’s guards. “We used a back door to go to the second floor. Our manager went downstairs. We heard some gunshots and later found out that he had been shot dead. There was blood everywhere, on tables, on chairs. Apparently, the attackers had shot people from a very close range.” The Taverna has been a regular dining spot for foreign diplomats, aid workers and Afghan officials and businessmen for several years, and was busy with customers on Friday, the weekly holiday in Afghanistan. Like many
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restaurants in Kabul, it ran strict security checks, with diners patted down by armed guards and passing through at least two steel doors before gaining entry. The assault was claimed by Taliban militants fighting against the Afghan government and NATO forces. A Taliban spokesman said the attack was to avenge a US airstrike in Parwan province on Tuesday night that Karzai said killed seven children and one woman. “These invading forces launched a brutal bombardment on civilians... and they have martyred and wounded 30 civilians. This was a revenge attack and we did it well, and we will continue to do so,” Zabihullah Mujahid said. All three attackers died in the assault.
Queen Hands Over Duties to Prince Charles As she approaches her 88th birthday in April, Queen Elizabeth II has announced that she is handing over duties to her son, Prince Charles, 65, in what experts are calling a gentle succession.
In a royal first, the prince will be taking on more head of state-style responsibilities. The first sign of the partial power transfer will be the merging this week of the queen and Charles’s press offices. Courtiers are calling the move “wise” and “just plain common sense.” Princes William and Harry will also play their part in the new set-up, with both assuming far more responsibility since they relinquished their military roles. One aide pointed out, “This is about passing the baton to the next generation.”
“The Prince of Wales’s diary is chock-full. Even he realizes with the best will in the world he can’t go on like that. This is not going to be a sudden shift. It is a gradual process which will be borne out over the next few years. It’s a gentle succession. It’s important
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JANUARY 23, 2014
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The Week to note that the Queen is still working very hard. Every day you see her with the red box of Government papers and giving audiences. Charles will be doing less of his campaigning and the things he likes to do and more of the head of state role.” Her Majesty is already the oldest ever British monarch and will soon overtake Queen Victoria’s longest-serving record of 63 years. Even after these changes, one thing that will not change is her Majesty’s weekly briefings with the prime minister. It will still remain strictly private. No notes are taken and it will only be open to the queen and the prime minister.
Who Really is Vladimir Putin? If you’re traveling to Russia for the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympic games in Sochi, you may want to know more about the country’s leader. Vladimir Putin has grabbed headlines with his hardline rhetoric and his harsh sentenc-
ing against his opposition. So who really is Mr. Putin? Here are some things you may not have known about the Russian leader.
Putin is a former KGB spook. From 1985-1990, he was stationed in East Germany and was tasked with recruiting other agents. In the late 1990’s, he began to work in the Kremlin under then President Boris Yeltsin. When he was appointed the Director of the Federal Security Service (the main successor of the KGB) in 1998, the Moscow Times described Putin as “little-known by loyal functionary from the Kremlin administration.” Putin became president on December 31, 1999, when he became acting president upon Yeltsin’s resignation. He was officially elected several months later in March 2000 and ruled until May
In News 2008. Even after stepping down as president because of term limits, Putin remained in power as prime minister. He was then reelected president in 2012. Russia almost has forgotten what it means to not have Putin in power. Besides for the powerful positions he has been in, Putin has a black belt in judo and says he was a “bully” when he was a child. But don’t let that fool you. The man is smart. He studied law at Leningrad State University and obtained a PhD in economics from the same institution. In the 1990s he also worked as assistant rector of the university for a time. But he also has time for recreation. Putin told Olympic volunteers on Friday that wanted to attend figure skating, ice hockey, alpine skiing and biathlon competitions during the 2014 Olympic games, although noted that whether he’s able to or not will depend on his work schedule.
Iran’s Execution Rampage In the past two weeks, Iran has been
on a rampage—hanging 40 people, including 19 people on Tuesday. One of those executed on Tuesday was hanged in a public hanging. Forty executions have taken place since the beginning of January, including 33 in just the past week, according to human rights group Amnesty International. Iran, which human rights activists say is one of the world’s leaders in the abuse of prisoners, hit an all-time execution peak in 2013 when it killed 529 citizens. The rate of executions has spiked under the leadership of President Hassan Rouhani despite his claims to be a “moderate” reformer. More than 300 people were killed in the months after Rouhani assumed office, prompting criticism from human rights activists who criticized him for not living up to his moderate claims. “The spike in the number of executions carried out so far this month in Iran is alarming,” Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, said on Thursday in a statement. “The Iranian authorities’ attempts to change their international image are meaningless if at the same time executions continue to
15 THE JEWISH HOME JANUARY 23, 2014
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Far Rockaway ∙ Lawrence ∙ Cedarhurst
Shabbos of Chizuk
שבת קודש פרשת תרומה ב’ דראש חדש אדר א‘ תשע”ד CEDARHURST
Join in welcoming the Roshei HaYeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha
HagAOn HaRav Aryeh Malkiel Kotler
HagAon HaRav Yeruchim Olshin
Hagaon HaRav Yisroel Neuman
Hagaon HaRav Dovid Schustal
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שליט”א
שליט”א
שליט”א
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Mr. and Mrs. Nochum Aber
Rabbi and Mrs. Osher Jungreis
Rabbi and Mrs. Shimon Pluchenik
Mr. and Mrs. Aron Solomon
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Bais Medrash Heichel Dovid tr,ts trn Rabbi Mordechai Stern 215 Central Avenue 5:03 PM
Kollel Avreichim kkuf atr Rabbi Leib Rand 1204 Beach 12th Street 4:56 PM
Congregation Kenesses Yisroel tr,ts trn Rabbi Eytan Feiner 728 Empire Avenue 5:03 PM
Bais Medrash of Cedarhurst tr,ts trn Rabbi Dovid Spiegel 504 West Broadway 5:06 PM
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Mr. and Mrs. Nochum Aber 70 Causeway 8:45 PM
Rabbi and Mrs. Osher Jungreis 540 Cedar Hill Road 8:45 PM
Mr. and Mrs. Menachem Lieber 344 Atlantic Avenue 8:45 PM
,urhnz: Avi Lauterbach, Daniel Waldman
,urhnz: Moshe Hamel, Shlomo Reich
Rabbi and Mrs. Shimon Pluchenik 17 Boxwood Lane rugha on h"arqanuj 8:45 PM
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Agudas Achim tr,ts trn Rabbi Elisha Horowitz 200 Broadway 9:00 AM
Khal Nesiv Hatorah tr,ts trn Rabbi Binyomin Forst 444 Beach 6th Street 8:00 AM
Shaarei Tefillah 25 Central Avenue 9:00 AM
Kehillas Bais Yehudah Tzvi tr,ts trn Rabbi Yaakov Feitman 391 Oakland Avenue 9:00 AM
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;xun Agudah of West Lawrence tr,ts trn Rabbi Moshe Brown 631 Lanett Avenue
Mr. and Mrs. Moshe Plaut
Mr. and Mrs. Shabse Fuchs
,hahka vsugxqvjbn Kehilas Bais Avrohom Zev
tr,ts trn Rabbi Asher Stern 2 Rockaway Turnpike 4:45 PM
,ca ouh ,sugx Mr. and Mrs. Yanky Safier
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tr,ts trn Rabbi Yaakov Reisman 1121 Sage Street 4:42 PM
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,urhnz: Aryeh Kunstler
ohbp ,kce q aushe For Kehillas Chofetz Chaim at the home of the tr,ts trn Rav Aryeh Zev Ginsberg 568 Kensington Place
,ca ouh ,sugx Rav & Reb. Aryeh Zev Ginsberg
vjbn osue rugha Agudath Israel of the 5 Towns tr,ts trn Rabbi Yitzchok Frankel 508 Peninsula Boulevard
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tr,ts trn Rabbi Dov Silver 568 Peninsula Boulevard 4:45 PM
ohbcu ,uct Khal Bais Yisroel tr,ts trn Rabbi Beirish Friedman 352 West Broadway 6:30 PM
17
Far Rockaway ∙ Lawrence ∙ Cedarhurst
מוצאי שבת קודש פרשת תרומה February 1, 2014
Join the Roshei HaYeshiva and distinguished Rabbonim from throughout the community for a
מלוה מלכה
Reception
Hosted by Mr. & Mrs. Moshe Wolfson 501 Cedar Hill Road – Far Rockaway, NY 8:30 PM דברי פתיחה דברי ברכה HaRav Mordechai Stern שליט”א
HagAOn HaRav Aryeh Malkiel Kotler שליט”א
מרא דאתרא בית מדרש היכל דוד
ראש הישיבה
Speci a l Au dio V isu a l Pr e sen tation
The m ashgiach of klal yisroel: hakor as hatov tribute music by Y isroe l E de lson, wor ld -r enow n e d con ductor & pi an ist
Participating Community Rabbonim Rabbi Shlomo Avigdor Altusky Rabbi Yaakov Bender Rabbi Yisrael Meir Blumenkrantz Rabbi Aaron Brafman Rabbi Moshe Brown Rabbi Pinchos Chatzinoff Rabbi Eytan Feiner Rabbi Yaakov Feitman
Rabbi Yitzchok Frankel Rabbi Beirish Friedman Rabbi Aryeh Zev Ginsberg Rabbi Nosson Greenberg Rabbi Elisha Horowitz Rabbi Yaakov Horowitz Rabbi Naftali Jaeger Rabbi Yehoshua Kalish
Rabbi Yechiel Yitzchok Perr Rabbi Leib Rand Rabbi Yaakov Reisman Rabbi Yankel Rubin Rabbi Dov Silver Rabbi Dovid Spiegel Rabbi Mordechai Stern Rabbi Osher Stern
Committee: Boruch Belsky, R’ Moshe Bender, Dovid Bloom, Moshe Bloom, Menachem Lieber, R’ Avrohom Nusbaum, Baruch Rabinowitz, Asher Schoor, Aron Solomon, Dovid Scharf, Yaakov Spinner
We look forward to greeting you! For further information, please call (732) 367-1060 ext. 4252
JANUARY 23, 2014
Community Reception
THE JEWISH HOME
בס״ד
JANUARY 23, 2014 THE JEWISH HOME
In News
The Week
18
increase.” Iran has a penchant for hanging criminals publicly from a crane, where observers can gather to watch the execution. The country has officially admitted to killing 21 people since the start of 2014, according to Amnesty, which recorded an additional 19 executions that were not officially reported. “In Iran, drug-related offences are tried in Revolutionary Courts which routinely fall far short of international fair trial standards,” said Amnesty’s Sahraoui. “The reality in Iran is that people are being ruthlessly sentenced to death after unfair trials, and this is unacceptable.” Eleven of the 19 executions on Tuesday secretly took place inside Iran’s Rajai Shahr prison of Karaj, located just outside of Tehran, Iran Human Rights reported. Those killed were accused of murder. Another seven, the majority of them charged with drug offenses, were hanged in various locations across the country. One man was hanged publicly in the town of Saveh, also located outside of Tehran.
Japanese Soldier Who Hid for 3 Decades Dies Refusing to believe that World War II was over until his commander returned to tell him to surrender, a Japanese soldier hid in the jungle of the Philippines for three decades. He died in Tokyo on Thursday at the age of 91.
Hiroo Onoda waged a guerilla campaign in Lubang Island near Luzon until he was finally persuaded in 1974 that peace had been brokered, ignoring leaflet drops and successive attempts to convince him the Imperial Army had been defeated. He was the last of several dozen so-called holdouts scattered around Asia, men who symbolized the
astonishingly dogged perseverance of those called upon to fight for their emperor. Trained as an information officer and guerrilla tactics coach, Onoda was dispatched to Lubang in 1944 and ordered never to surrender, never to resort to suicidal attacks and to hold firm until reinforcements arrived. He and three other soldiers continued to obey that order long after Japan’s 1945 defeat. Their existence became widely known in 1950, when one of them emerged and returned to Japan. The others continued to survey military facilities in the area, attacking local residents and occasionally fighting with Philippine forces, although one of them died soon afterwards. Despite their allegiance to Japan’s victory, Tokyo declared them dead after nine years of fruitless search. In 1972, Onoda and the other surviving soldier got involved in a shoot-out with Philippine troops. His comrade died, but Onoda managed to escape. It was not until 1974, when his old commanding officer visited him in his jungle hideout to rescind the original order, that Onoda’s war eventually ended.
Asked at a press conference in Japan after his return what he had been thinking about for the last 30 years, he told reporters: “Carrying out my orders.” Onoda had difficultly adapting to the new reality of Japan, and, in 1975, emigrated to Brazil to start a cattle ranch, although he continued to travel back and forth. In 1984, still very much a celebrity, he established a youth camp, where he taught young Japanese some of the survival techniques he had used during his 30 years in hiding, when he lived on wild cows and bananas. Until recently, Onoda had been active in speaking engagements across Japan and in 2013 appeared on national broadcaster NHK. “I lived through an era called a war. What people say varies from era to era,” he said last May. “I think we should not be swayed by the climate of the time, but think calmly,” he said.
U.N. Withdraws Invite from Iran After worldwide controversy, U.N.
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See how the Mishkan was built, its sacred vessels assembled, and the bigdei kehunah (the priestly vestments) woven and crafted. 4Hundreds of exquisite, full-color, detailed, realistic images of the Mishkan. 4Relevant Chumash and Rashi text describing the Mishkan, in Hebrew and English. 4Clear explanations of the structure of each vessel and its manner of use. 4An Overview of the Mishkan and its place in Jewish life, by Rabbi Nosson Scherman. 4A book for every age: clear, detailed captions make this suitable for children too — at home and in the classroom!
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A brilliant and fascinating new work by ZVI RYZMAN.
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R' Zvi Ryzman’s first book, The Wisdom of the Hebrew Months, opened up wellsprings of Torah thought, as the acclaimed talmid chacham, philanthropist, and winner of the Jerusalem Prize for Torah literature explored the mystical relationship between Hashem’s Name, the months, and the shevatim. Now, in Volume 2, he once again clearly and lucidly shows us more profound and surprising connections between the months, constellations and shevatim – and our own lives. This is a thought-provoking, readable, and important new work.
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Also available: The Mishkan Book Hebrew Edition The Mishkan Interactive DVD
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The Week
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leader Ban Ki-moon withdrew a previous invite given to Iran to attend peace talks on Syria. Syrian opposition threatened to boycott the conference if Iran, a main sponsor of Assad’s regime, would take part.
In News Western leaders who have been calling for Assad to leave power for three years have curbed their support for his opponents over the past year because of the rise of Islamists linked to al Qaeda in the rebel ranks. Additionally, Assad’s opponents do not have the military strength to win a battle on the ground.
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Interestingly, it took months for diplomats to convince Iran to attend the conference. Initially Tehran said it would support a transitional administration to take over power in Syria—a conclusion of the U.N. conference in 2012, also known as Geneva-1. But on Monday, Iran made it clear that it was no longer supporting that conclusion. “The secretary-general is deeply disappointed by Iranian public statements today that are not at all consistent with that stated commitment,” Ban’s spokesman, Martin Nesirky, told reporters at a briefing. “He continues to urge Iran to join the global consensus behind the Geneva Communique. Given that it has chosen to remain outside that basic understanding, he has decided that the one-day Montreux gathering will proceed without Iran’s participation.” What will come out of the conference is not known, but many are not optimistic. Assad’s position on the battlefield and in diplomatic circles has improved. In a recent interview, he declared that he would likely run for reelection next year. “I see no reason why I shouldn’t stand,” Assad said. “If there is public desire and a public opinion in favor of my candidacy, I will not hesitate for a second to run for election.”
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According to a new report, the world’s wealth is centered among 85 very lucky individuals. These affluent citizens have as much money as that owned by half of the world’s population—3.5 billion of the globe’s poorest people.
In a report titled “Working for the Few” released on Monday, the global aid and development organization Oxfam detailed the extent of global economic inequality created by the rapidly increasing wealth of the richest, warning of the major risks it poses to “human progress.” Some of the report’s findings are interesting: 210 people have become billionaires in the past year, joining a select group of 1,426 individuals with a combined net worth of $5.4 trillion. Additionally, the wealth of the richest one percent of people in the world now amounts to $110 trillion, or 65 times the Continued on page 23
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THE JEWISH HOME JANUARY 23, 2014
THE JEWISH HOME JANUARY 23, 2014 22
The Week
On Monday, Iran halted most of its sensitive nuclear activity under a preliminary deal with world powers. This action won them some relief from economic sanctions. The United States and European Union both announced they were suspending some trade restrictions against the OPEC oil producer after the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog confirmed that Iran had met its end of the November 24 agreement. Tehran is expecting to be able to retrieve $4.2 billion in oil revenues frozen overseas and to resume trade in petrochemicals, gold and other precious metals.
The mutual concessions are sched-
M A T T R E S S E S
Iran wants an end to painful U.S. and EU trade and financial sanctions that have severely damaged its economy. This has marked the first time in a decade that Tehran has limited its nuclear operations. “This is an important first step, but more work will be needed to fully address the international community’s concerns regarding the exclusively peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear
program,” the EU’s foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said. “The iceberg of sanctions against Iran is melting,” the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi, told Iranian state television. Many are heralding the news as the start to a more stable Middle East. But Israel has warned that this is just a part of a “historic mistake” that will allow Tehran to build a bomb in secret.
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Iran Halts Nuclear Activity
uled to last six months, during which time six powers – the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany – aim to negotiate a final accord defining the scope of Iran’s nuclear activity. Western governments want to lay to rest their concerns that Iran could produce an atomic weapon and to end decades of hostility with Tehran that goes back to the Islamic revolution of 1979.
In News
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total wealth of the bottom half of the world’s population. “Instead of moving forward together, people are increasingly separated by economic and political power, inevitably heightening social tensions and increasing the risk of societal breakdown,” the report points out. Oxfam said that based on its polls conducted across the world, it is believed that there are many laws and regulations designed to benefit the rich. “A survey in six countries [Spain, Brazil, India, South Africa, the UK and the U.S.] showed that a majority of people believe that laws are skewed in favor of the rich,” the report said. India is a prime example where the number of billionaires increased from less than 6 to 61 in the past decade, concentrating approximately $250 billion among a few dozen people in a country of 1.2 billion. “What is striking is the share of the country’s wealth held by this elite minority, which has skyrocketed from 1.8 percent in 2003 to 26 percent in 2008,” the report said. India’s billionaires acquired their wealth in ‘rent thick’ sectors – industries where profits are dependent on access to scarce resources – “made available exclusively through government permissions and therefore susceptible to corruption by powerful actors, as opposed to creation of wealth.”
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JANUARY 23, 2014
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The Week Afghan President Blames U.S. for Civilian Causalities On Wednesday, President Hamid Karzai accused the United States of killing seven children and a woman in an airstrike in central Afghanistan. This accusation only adds fuel to the fire in a relationship that is less than positive between the two official allies.
“As a result of bombardment by American forces last night... in Siahgird district of Parwan province, one woman and seven children were martyred and one civilian injured,” a statement from Karzai’s office said. “The Afghan government has been asking for a complete end to operations in Afghan villages for years, but American forces acting against all mutual agreements... have once again bombarded a residential area and killed civilians.” Throughout the 13-year U.S. military intervention in Afghanistan, civilian casualities has been the most sensitive issue. President Barack Obama on Monday insisted he had faith in his Afghan war strategy after former defense secretary Robert Gates claimed the president had soured on his 2009 decision to send in 30,000 extra troops.
Explosives Discovered in Palestinian Embassy in Prague On January 1, the Palestinian ambassador to Czech Republic, Jamal al-Jamal, was suspiciously killed after opening a safe that supposedly hadn’t been touched for 30 years. In a search following the incident, police discovered 12 illegal weapons. On Thursday, police reported that investigators discovered explosives at the Palestinian embassy complex in Prague.
Spokesman Tomas Hulan confirmed the discovery, saying the items were sent for testing at Prague’s Institute of Criminology. Although the ambassador’s death is being investigated as a case of negligence, these discoveries are leading many to speculate that negligence may not have been the actual cause of Jamal’s death.
The Palestinians have officially apologized for the incidents after the Czech Foreign Ministry demanded an explanation, accusing the Palestinians of breaching international obligations. The ministry said on Thursday it would not immediately comment on the explosive. Palestinian authorities claim the weapons were given to them as gifts by the officials of the former Communist Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia was part of the Soviet bloc that had friendly relations with the Palestinian Liberation Organization. They insisted that the weapons were never used and always kept in a safe. Even so, police experts are attempting to find out if the weapons were used for any criminal activity in the past; testing can take many weeks.
Taliban Says American is Alive and Well American soldier Bowe Bergdahl is still imprisoned in Afghanistan. On Thursday, members of the Afghan Taliban confirmed that he is still alive and being held captive. Bergdahl disappeared from his base in Afghanistan in 2009. He was discovered missing when he did not show up for morning roll call on June 30. His mysterious disappearance led many to label him a deserter but later on it was learned that that wasn’t the case. “He is our special guest, and we consider him a precious bird, that’s why our men are taking care of him. We have been arranging food of his choice, but sometimes he stops eating and drinking and his hunger strike continues for a few
In News days,” said a senior member of the Afghan Taliban, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. A few weeks ago, the United States obtained a “proof of life” video of the kidnapped soldier. In the video, Bergdahl appears frail and shaky. Bergdahl makes reference the recent death of South African leader Nelson Mandela; by referencing this current event, Bergdahl is showing viewers that he is still alive.
According to the Taliban, senior commander Maulvi Sangeen of the Haqqani terror network kidnapped Bergdahl from Paktika province in southern Afghanistan, near Pakistan’s troubled South Waziristan, in June 2009. Sangeen died in a U. S. drone attack last
year in Pakistan’s North Waziristan. Supposedly two years ago, when the Taliban opened their office in Qatar for peace talks with the U.S., there were prospects of an exchange of prisoners. The Haqqani network handed Bergdahl over to the Afghan Taliban because they wanted to exchange him for their top five commanders being held at Guantanamo Bay. “U.S. officials had promised us that first they would exchange prisoners and then start peace talks. But it didn’t take place. And finally when there was no hope of prisoners’ swap, the soldier was returned to the Haqqani network,” the Taliban commander said. In response to the “proof of life” video, Bergdahl’s family said, “Naturally, this is very important to us and our resolve to continue our efforts to bring Bowe home as soon as possible. As we have done so many times over the past 4-and-a-half years, we request his captors to release him safely so that our only son can be reunited with his mother and father. Bowe, if you see this, continue to remain strong through patience. Your endurance will carry you to the finish line. Breathe!”
The Week
“It adds fuel to the fire of hatred. It’s shorthand for Jew hatred, and that makes it an automatic seller,” Rabbi Cooper added. In response to the surge in digital downloads of the book, the Anti-Defamation League is offering an introduction to the English translation written by Holocaust survivor and ADL National Director Abraham Foxman. “We believe it is important for Mein Kampf to continue to be published as it does have value to historians and students of World War II and Holocaust history,” Foxman said in a statement. “There is always the concern, however,
in Michoacan state. The turmoil in Michoacan has become the biggest security challenge for President Enrique Pena Nieto’s 13-month-old administration, undermining his pledge to reduce drug violence.
Mexican Police Clash with Cartels Last week, Mexican federal forces launched an offensive to take over security in a violence-torn western state, seizing a drug cartel’s bastion and clashing with vigilantes who refused to disarm. Much of Mexico is held in terror by drug lords and their gangs and recently, vigilante militias have attempted to wrest control from the cartels. A convoy of 200 military and federal police forces rumbled into Apatzingan and disarmed municipal police officers in the city, which is known as a stronghold of the Knights Templar gang
Hours earlier, soldiers arrived in towns held by vigilantes who have battled the cartel for the past year, leading to a confrontation which the civilian militia said killed four people, including a child. The federal show of force in Michoacan’s rural region known as Tierra Caliente, or Hot Country, came a day after the government urged vigilantes to lay down their arms, saying it would take over security. After the display of government force, a spokesman for the vigilantes, Hipolito Mora, said his people would
not seize more towns. He added that his forces felt more secure after the government action. But he made no mention of the vigilantes laying down arms. Until now the vigilantes have said they would not do this until drug cartel leaders were captured. In the town of Buenavista, around 100 militiamen blocked some 50 soldiers for about four hours before letting them leave on condition they stay away for at least three days. Civilians first took up arms in February 2013 to oust the Knights Templar from the region, saying local police were either colluding with gangs or were unable to deal with the violence and extortion rackets. Since then, officials have alleged that at least some civilian militias were backed by a cartel, with critics noting that they used unlawful assault rifles that gangs usually own. Analysts, however, say the government was happy to let vigilantes police the state until now, a risky tactic that could have replicated Colombia’s experience with ultra-violent paramilitary militias. “We can’t combat illegality with illegality,” Attorney General Jesus Muril-
JANUARY 23, 2014
In 1925, Hitler’s Mein Kampf was Germany’s bestseller. The book heralded the start of the Holocaust. Now, more than 85 years later, the international electronic version of the 387-page anti-Semitic manifesto on the “Jewish peril” and the Nazi ideology has become a bestseller on Amazon internationally. This is alarming to many who view this as a sign that anti-Semitism is on the rise worldwide. Fox News called it “a bona fide online sensation.” The book recently was at the very top of Amazon’s Propaganda & Political Psychology section for just $.99. Many other e-book sellers show high sales of digital versions of the book including iTunes and Kindle. Germany inherited the copyright ownership to the book in 1945 and will maintain national exclusivity until 2015. Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, thinks online sellers should only sell edited versions of the book. “We know that the facts of life are that you cannot censor any idea from the Internet, it’s simply impossible,” Cooper told FoxNews.com. “But an annotated version is important for someone who doesn’t know the context of the time and so that they’re not reading pure genocidal hate.”
In News
THE JEWISH HOME
Mein Kampf Becomes Bestseller in 2014
that some people who are already infected with anti-Semitism will misuse the book in an attempt to glorify Hitler or reinforce their own warped views about Jews. We think the only constructive way for the book to be published is with an introduction that explains the historical context and the impact of the thinking behind Hitler’s words, which led right up to the murderous, racist Nazi regime.”
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JANUARY 23, 2014
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The Week lo Karam told Televisa television. The purpose of the deployment, he said, “is simply to restore legal order in a place that did not have it.” Vigilante leaders said they would only disarm when authorities finally arrest the cartel top bosses.
Jews Suffer in 71 Countries Worldwide Violence and discrimination against religious groups by governments and rival faiths have reached new highs in all regions of the world except the Americas, according to a new Pew Research Center report.
Social hostility such as attacks on minority faiths or pressure to conform to certain norms was strong in one-third of the 198 countries and territories surveyed in 2012, especially in the Middle
East and North Africa. Religious-related terrorism and sectarian violence occurred in one-fifth of those countries last year, while states imposed legal limits on worship, preaching or religious wear in almost 30% of them, Pew said. The Washington-based center, which is non-partisan and takes no policy position in its reports, gave no reason for the rises noted in hostility against Christians, Muslims, Jews and an “other” category including Sikhs, Bah’ais and atheists. On the other hand, Hindus, Buddhists and folk religions saw lower levels of hostility and little change in the past six years, according to the report’s extensive data. Results for strong social hostility such as anti-Semitic attacks, Islamist assaults on churches and Buddhist agitation against Muslims were the highest seen since 2007, reaching 33% of surveyed countries in 2012 after 29% in 2011 and 20% in mid-2007. Official bans, harassment or other government interference in religion rose to 29% of countries surveyed in 2012 after 28% in 2011 and 20% in mid-2007. Europe showed the largest median increase in hostility due to a rise in harassment of
In News women because of religious dress and violent attacks on minorities such as the murder of a rabbi and three Jewish children by an Islamist radical in France. The report found the highest social hostility concerning religion in Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Somalia and Israel. It gave no reasons but radical Islamists often target mainstream Muslims and Christians in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Somalia, while India has recurring tensions between its majority Hindus and minority Muslims and Christians. Tensions in Israel arise from the Palestinian issue, disagreements between secular and religious Jews and the growth of ultra-Orthodox sects that live apart from the majority. The five countries with the most government restrictions on religion are Egypt, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. Jews suffer hostility in 71 countries, even though they make up only 0.2% of the world’s population and about 80% of them live in Israel and the United States. The report said there were probably more restrictions on religion around the world than its statistics could document
but its results could be considered “a good estimate.” It classified war and terrorism as social hostility, arguing: “It is not always possible to determine the degree to which they are religiously motivated or state sponsored.” Despite the high findings in the report, North Korea, which last week’s Open Doors report described as the most dangerous country for Christians in the world, was absent from the Pew study due to a lack of data on its tightly closed society.
Israel Al-Jazeera Host Praises Israel The hosts of the Arab station Al-Jazeera are generally not pro-Israel. That’s why rare praise from host Faisal Al-Qassem came as a surprise to so many this week.
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In News
The Week While chairing a discussion between pro- and anti-Syrian regime pundits, Faisal Al-Qassem asked of the Syrian army, “Why don’t they learn from the Israeli army, which tries, through great efforts, to avoid shelling areas populated by civilians in Lebanon and Palestine [sic]? Didn’t Hezbollah take shelter in areas populated by civilians because it knows that the Israeli air force doesn’t bomb those areas? Why doesn’t the Syrian army respect premises of universities, schools, or inhabited neighborhoods?”
Al-Qassem, who is famous throughout the Arab world for his provocative style, also noted the differences between the way Israeli and western forces deal with violent demonstration, as opposed to the Syrian security forces. “The Is-
raeli army, if it wanted to break up a demonstration, would have used water cannons or rubber bullets, not rockets or explosive barrels as happens in Aleppo today,” he said. Qassem went on to favorably compare the French occupation of Syria (between 1920 and 1943) to the current Syrian administration as well. “All Syrians remember that the French forces, when they occupied Syria, tried to avoid – when rebels entered mosques or schools, they stopped…. If people were to be asked, ‘Who would you prefer, the
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current regime or the French?’ I swear they would have preferred the French.” The popular TV host shared similar sentiments on Facebook as well, posting a memo comparing the situation in Gaza to Homs, Syria, on his page. Entitled “Hey Activists: Is It Really ‘Rights’ You’re Working For?’, it noted that there are “no boycotts, no flotillas, no campus propaganda” in response to the deaths of at least 120,000 Syrians and the displacement of millions more, while in comparison Israel faces boycotts and anti-Israel campaigns on campus over its activity in Gaza – where, the image notes, the only “embargo” Israel has in place is a ban on weapons imports, and where the child obesity rate is 15%. “Imagine: Israel is jealous of the preferential treatment received by the Assad regime… Even Israel is jealous of this international complicity with Assad,” Qassem said sarcastically.
Israel to Deploy Iron Beam
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Israel plans to deploy a new missile shield known as the “Iron Beam” next year which would use a laser to blow up short-range rockets and mortar bombs, a defense industry official said on Sunday. The system is designed to deal with threats that fly on too small a trajectory to be engaged efficiently by the Iron Dome. While Iron Dome launches radar-guided interceptor rockets, Iron Beam’s laser will super-heat the warheads of shells with ranges of up to 4.5 miles.
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Iron Dome is complemented by Arrow II, an Israeli interceptor designed to shoot down ballistic missiles at atmospheric heights. Israel plans to integrate them with the more powerful rocket interceptors, Arrow III and David’s Sling, both of which are still in their testing phases. The United States has extensively underwritten the projects, seeing them as a means of reassuring its Middle East ally as instability rocks the region. The industry official, who asked not to be named, told the media that the Iron Continued on page 32
31 THE JEWISH HOME
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The Week Beam would form the “fifth layer” of integrated missile defense.
Anti-Semitic Cartoon Removed Due to Controversy Amid controversy, The Economist removed a controversial cartoon which observers blasted as anti-Semitic. The cartoon depicts President Barack Obama shackled by a seal of Congress overlaid with Stars of David, trying to shake the hand of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who is being held back by American flag-burning extremists. It had accompanied an article published over the weekend that described the deep rifts between the U.S. and Iran in negotiations over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. As of Monday, the cartoon had been replaced in the article page with a photo. Even so, the cartoon remained visible on the Middle East and Africa section of The Economist website until late Tuesday morning, but was then
replaced there too. An editor’s note at the bottom of the article referred to the illustration by Peter Schrank: “The print edition of this story had a cartoon which inadvertently caused offense to some readers, so we have replaced it with a photograph.”
Readers were quick to criticize The Economist for the cartoon’s publication, blasting editors for not recognizing it as an anti-Semitic or anti-Israeli display. The implication, critics said, was that Jews control the U.S. Congress. With the Stars of David superimposed over the Congressional seal being blue, the connection to Israel did not go unnoticed. Honest Reporting, an NGO that monitors anti-Israel content in the media, issued a statement criticizing The Economist’s editorial staff for not picking up on the fact that the cartoon pro-
In News moted anti-Semitism. “Jewish control over governments, the media and the international financial system is a classic feature of anti-Semitism and the cartoon is, wittingly or unwittingly, promoting this trope,” the statement read. “This falls firmly under the working definitions of anti-Semitism from both the US State Department and the EU, which specifically include: ‘Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions,’” it concluded.
Israel Stands up to the UN Israeli politicians are not remaining passive in response to the UN’s Palestinian sympathies. Israel’s United Nations ambassador, Ron Prosor, this week slammed the UN’s launch of the International “Year of Solidarity” with the Palestinians.
At an event, Prosor said, “The United Nations continues to oil the Palestinian propaganda machine and produce highly publicized events on their behalf rather than putting an end to Palestinian incitement.” Netanyahu made similar comments, calling critics of Israel’s West Bank settlements “hypocrites.” Referencing news that the Europeans were planning on summoning Israeli ambassadors to protest settlement construction, Netanyahu asked rhetorically, “When did the EU call in the Palestinian ambassadors to complain about the incitement that calls for Israel’s destruction?” Prosor’s comments went even further, claiming, “The UN is now the primary platform for Palestinian propaganda. The organization allocates endless resources to advancing lies and half-truths of the Palestinian leadership instead of dealing with pressing issues
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Cohen and Levy Lead the List of Popular Last Names When in Israel, don’t yell “Cohen” in a crowded theater. Cohen and Levy lead the list of the most popular last names in the Holy Land. But what are the other most popular names on the list? Unsurprisingly, the three most common family names in Israel this year are still Cohen, Levy and Mizrahi, according to data obtained by Ynet from the Population and Immigration Authority.
The figures present a record of the number of individuals in Israel with one of the most common 500 Jewish and non-Jewish last names on December 31, 2013. The last name Cohen ranked first with 169,655 individuals, who make up 1.93% of the population – a slight drop from the list released by the Central Bureau of Statistics in 2010, in which the percentage of people with the surname Cohen was 1.94% of the population. The name Levy came in second with 98,275 individuals or 1.12% of the population – similar to the 2010 list. It was followed by the name Mizrahi, which is used by 29,222 people or 0.33% of the population – a slight drop from 2010. The name Peretz ranked fourth (28,116 people or 0.32% of the population), followed by Biton (26,552 people or 0.30% of the population), Dahan (19,794 people or 0.23% of the population), Avraham (19,136 people or 0.22% of the population), Friedman (18,446 people or 0.21% of the population), and Agbaria (18,173 people or 0.21% of the population). All these names were ranked in the same places as in 2010. The 10th place marks a change as the name Malka (16,972 people or 0.19% of the population) went up from the 11th place in 2010, pushing the name Azulay (16,957 people) down one slot from the 10th place in 2010. Another change was recorded in the next group of 10 names. The surname
Jabarin (14,563 people) went up from the 18th place in 2010 to the 15th place in the current list, after Katz in the 12th place, Yosef in the 13th place and Mahmid in the 14th place. Out of the 500 surnames, 188 are Hebrew names (not foreign or nonJewish), making up 37.6% of the list.
Israeli Startup Saves the Bananas Ever bought a bunch of bananas only to see them go bad all too quickly? Well, a new Israeli startup called SPRESH is now going to help you keep those bananas golden yellow. The company’s all-natural spray prevents the deterioration of cut fruit’s taste, color and texture for up to 24 hours.
On the start-up’s Kickstarter campaign page, where the company is looking to build funds to expand their
production, SPRESH founder Aviad Mozes writes he started the project to stop fruit discoloration after having to throw out leftover browned fruit that his son wouldn’t eat. Mozes points out that research in 2012 indicated $165 billion is lost in America from food waste, and further notes 48% of harvested fruits and vegetables are actually eaten. The figures ignited his determination to find a solution to fruit decomposition which leads to wanton waste. “Since all the ingredients are natural, it is automatically approved by the FDA,” Mozes points out. “After cutting open the produce, you simply spray SPRESH on the surface of the cut pieces” and the fruit is good to go for up to 24 hours.
Hamas: Israel will be Over by 2022 According to Hamas Interior Minister Fathi Hamad, the entirety of “Palestine” will be seen within eight years. The official made these comments on the anniversary of the December 2008-January 2009 intifada with Israel. According to Hamad, Islamic prophecies foretell that Israel will be replaced with a Palestinian state. This goal, the destruction of the Jewish state, “will take eight years,” he explained. Once the Muslims have their final victory, Hamad said the “Hittin” principle would prevail. It was a reference to Saladin’s conquest of the Holy Land from the Crusaders beginning in 1187 with his victory at the Battle of Hittin in northern Israel. Saladin’s forces either enslaved or put to death all non-Muslims. Many Israelis and Israeli officials say Western peace brokers are naive, at best, and willfully ignorant, at worst, to believe Hamas and its long-term goal can simply be ignored in the course of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.
National Behind the Scenes and Inside the Mind of President Obama David Remnick’s 17,000-word profile of the president in this week’s
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facing the international community and the Middle East region.” Prosor added, “While they seek solidarity, the Palestinians continue to educate an entire generation to hate Israel. The terrorism from the PA’s territories into Israel has doubled in the past year, and I have yet to hear the UN propose solidarity with the Israeli victims of terror.” Netanyahu has said that the “imbalance” in the treatment of Israel and the Palestinians was hampering peace efforts. “I think it pushes peace further away, because it tells the Palestinians: ‘You can basically do whatever you want, say anything you want, incite any way you want and you won’t be held accountable.’”
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The Week
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The Week edition of The New Yorker Magazine has given the political media a feeding frenzy. Based on hours of Oval Office interviews and travels alongside the president, Remnick’s piece pierces the presidential bubble and picks Obama’s brain in an “Obama on Obama” fashion.
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The interview paints the picture of a president who is acutely aware of the fortunate position he is in and who believes that he is highly qualified for that position. Remnick writes that President Obama often meets with presidential historians. He notes: “At the most recent dinner he attended at the White House, [historian] Robert Caro had the distinct impression that Obama was cool
to him, annoyed, perhaps, at the notion of appearing in the press that his latest Johnson volume was an implicit rebuke to him. As we were leaving, I said to Obama, ‘You know, my book wasn’t an unspoken attack on you, it’s a book about Lyndon Johnson,’ Caro recalled.” Remnick discloses that during his first presidential campaign, then-Senator Obama told historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, “I have no desire to be one of those presidents who are just on the list—you see their pictures lined up on the wall. I really want to be a president who makes a difference.” Remnick notes that as far as the social obligations of the office are concerned, President Obama has mastered that skill, including realizing that in photographs he looks best with “a broad, toothy smile,” which a “millisecond after the flash” drops like “a curtain falling.” However, he also points out that even President Obama knows that he does not have the personal charisma that his Democrat predecessor Bill Clinton is famous for. Whereas Bill Clinton is a “hyper-extrovert who has a freakish memory for names and faces” and has an “indomi-
In News table will to enfold and charm everyone in his path,” President Obama is not like that. At fundraisers he generally eats privately with a couple of aides before going out to perform. In fact, when Jeffrey Katzenberg threw a multi-million-dollar fundraiser in Los Angeles, he told the president’s staff that he expected Obama to stop at each of the fourteen tables and talk for a while. Remnick points out that President Obama is a master at politicking, but he doesn’t have the obsession with it that Clinton had. And there is nothing that he values more than his privacy. In fact, as he was set to begin his first term in office, the Obamas took a vow of no new friends— their small tight circle, mostly consisting of a few couples from Chicago, would not be expanded in Washington. Perhaps this attitude is responsible for the criticism of many in Washington—that the Obamas don’t socialize and create relationships the way other presidents have. However, President Obama sees it differently. He believes that due to hyper-partisanship (which like any politician he doesn’t blame on himself), socializing won’t change the gridlock. Besides that, the president told Remnick that for the first few years of his presidency, “I had two young daughters who I wanted to spend time with — and that I wasn’t in a position to work the social scene in Washington.” But now that their daughters are older, Obama and the first lady have been hosting more dinners, with the president drinking a martini or two and sometimes pushing guests to stay past 1 a.m. At one party he encouraged some guests to stay longer and said, “I’m a night owl! Have another drink.” Despite his very liberal positions on social values, the Obamas lead what seem to be a socially conservative family lifestyle. In fact, most television shows are off limits for the Obama girls and they are expected to work hard. The president told Remnick that “because I didn’t have a father in the home and moved around a lot as a kid and had a wonderfully loving mom and grandparents, but not a lot of structure growing up, I emerged on the other side of that with an appreciation for family and marriage and structure for the kids. I’m sure that’s part of why Michelle and her family held such appeal to me in the first place, because she did grow up with that kind of structure. And now, as parents, I don’t think we’re being particularly conservative…But, as parents, what we have seen both in our own family and among our friends, is that kids
with structure have an easier time of it.” Regardless of what one thinks of President Obama’s politics, his life and presidency is certainly interesting. The New Yorker article will certainly serve to whet the appetite for Obama’s memoir which will probably be really good. After all, he is being paid between $17 million to $20 million to write it.
No Habla Obamacare If you tried signing up for insurance on HealthCare.gov and thought it was confusing, it’s not any better in Spanish. The Spanish website, CuidadoDeSalud. gov, debuted two months late. Users have reported that the Spanish on the site is halted and seems to have been translated by a computer program and not a Spanish-speaking person.
The failure of the website is more than just a glitch. Latinos were supposed to be one of the prime beneficiaries of Obamacare. Latinos are three times more likely to not have health coverage than whites and twice as much as blacks. In general, the Latino population is younger on average; Obamacare needs the younger generation to sign up for it to be successful. Additionally, Obamacare was supposed to be the lynchpin to hold onto Latino voters. During Obama’s reelection campaign, a quarter of his Spanish-language advertising focused on Obamacare. And Latinos voted in favor of Obama—seventy-one percent of their vote went for the president in 2012. What will happen now that Latinos find signing up for coverage is not as they envisioned? Democrats will find out in 2016.
Senior Citizen Bloodied by Cops for Jaywalking New Yorkers beware: Mayor de Blasio is on a rampage. Jaywalking has become more than an ignored offense in the Big Apple On Sunday, police officers beat an 84-year-old man and put him in the hospital when he jaywalked at an Upper West Side intersection and didn’t appear to understand their orders to stop.
The Week
NFL Commissioner: Goodbye Extra Point...Maybe NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell disclosed that the league’s Competition Committee is considering giving the post-touchdown extra point the boot. The extra point comes after a team scores a touchdown and gets 6 points. The scoring team’s kicker then kicks a 20 yard field goal for the seventh point. The chip-shot is pretty much a given.
“The extra point is almost automatic. I believe we had five missed extra points this year out of 1,200 some odd,” Goodell told NFL.com. “So it’s a very small fraction of the play, and you want to add excitement with every play.” In order to add to post-touchdown excitement, there is a proposal that touchdowns will give the scoring team seven points. But teams will have the option of going for an eighth point, either by running or passing the ball. If they choose that option and fail to convert, then they lose a point, resulting in their touchdown only being worth six points. So, goodbye extra point...goodbye bathroom break.
Diet Soda Can Make You Fat Want to lose weight? Better stay off the Diet Coke. According to a new Johns Hopkins study, overweight and obese people who drink diet beverages consume more calories from food than heavy people who consume sugary drinks. “When you make that switch from
a sugary beverage for a diet beverage, you’re often not changing other things in your diet,” says lead researcher Sara Bleich, associate professor in the department of health policy and management at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Bleich and other Johns Hopkins researchers used data from the 1999-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. For this study, published on Thursday in the American Journal of Public Health, they analyzed participants’ recollection of what they’d had to eat and drink over the past 24 hours.
Researchers found that about one in five overweight or obese American adults regularly drinks diet beverages – that includes soda and low-calorie juices, teas and the like – which is about twice the amount that healthy-weight adults are drinking. “On the one hand, that’s encouraging. People are being told if you need to cut calories from your diet, discretionary beverages are a great place to start,” Bleich says. Diet soda consumption has increased steadily since 1965, when just 3 percent of Americans were regularly drinking the stuff, the study authors write. Sales of diet soda actually declined 7 percent last year, but Bleich thinks that just means habitual diet soda drinkers are switching to the many flavored teas, juices and vitamin-enhanced waters currently on store shelves. Our bodies fight to try to keep our weight stable, which is one of the reasons weight loss is so hard —and it could help explain why overweight diet soda drinkers may be consuming more calories from solid food. Ever heard of H2O?
Soldier Killed in Helicopter Landing in Georgia On Wednesday evening, a member of an elite Army helicopter unit was killed and two crew members suffered
injuries when their aircraft slammed into the ground as they tried to land at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah. The MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was returning from a routine training flight when it made a “hard landing” just before 11:30 p.m. on or near the airstrip at the base in coastal Georgia, said Army Maj. Allen Hill, a spokesman for the crew’s aviation unit.
The three-man crew was assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, which trains soldiers to fly helicopters behind enemy lines under cover of darkness. Nicknamed the Night Stalkers, the unit was responsible for flying Navy SEALs into Pakistan during the 2010 raid in which Osama Bin Laden was killed. The 160th regiment is headquartered at Fort Campbell, Ky., but has a battalion stationed in Savannah. Even though the landing was considered to be “hard,” it was not a crash and there did not look to be anything wrong. “They were on final approach,” Hill said. “Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.”
The Hero of the Hudson—Five Years Later Ever wonder what happened to the Hero of the Hudson? It’s been five years since Capt. Chesley B. Sullenberger safely landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River after the plane hit a flock of geese and lost power — saving the lives of all 155 people on board and making “Sully” a household name. Sullenberger is in New York this week to commemorate the anniversary of the “Miracle on the Hudson.” So just what has he been up to since the heroic landing? Since retiring in 2010, the captain has been writing and speaking about aviation safety and provides consulting services. In a recent interview, he mentioned that he’s concerned that the airline industry is getting complacent when it
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“The guy didn’t seem to speak English. The cop walked him over to the Citibank” near the northeast corner of 96th and Broadway, said one witness. “[The officer] stood him up against the wall and was trying to write him a ticket. The man didn’t seem to understand, and he started walking away. The cop tried to pull him back, and that’s when he began to struggle with the cop,” the witness continued. “As soon as he pushed the cop, it was like cops started running in from everywhere.” Wong was left bleeding and dazed with cuts to his face. The dazed senior citizen was then cuffed and taken to the hospital. Hours later he was taken to the precinct. Wong’s 41-year-old son is a lawyer. “I don’t want to talk about anything like that in front of all these cops,’’ he told the Post. But walking farther down the street, he said, “The cops are playing games. They won’t tell me what he’s being charged with.” When he found out that his father was in the hospital, he was not able to see him until after 10pm, because his father was not a patient—he was a “prisoner.” Early on Monday, cops fingerprinted Wong and charged him with jaywalking, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration and disorderly conduct. He went home, accompanied by several family members, with a desk-appearance ticket. Interestingly, the violence was documented and witnessed by several news reporters, who had been at the intersection documenting an accident that killed Upper West Side pedestrian Samantha Lee 12 hours earlier. After Lee’s death, police resorted to the old-school tactic of writing up pedestrians for jaywalking at $250 a pop. “Everyone does it. Heck, the cops do it,” said Emily Skeggs, 23, who was ticketed for illegally crossing the street. Mayor de Blasio’s spokesman, Phil
Walzak, said on Sunday, “We won’t sit by while lives are lost and families are torn apart. These latest crashes underscore the urgent need to make our streets safer, which is why we are moving decisively to enact ‘Vision Zero’.”
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Kang Wong was strolling north on Broadway and crossing 96th Street at around 5 p.m., when an officer told him to halt because he had walked against the light. Police were targeting jaywalkers in the area following the third pedestrian fatality this month around West 96th Street.
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The Week comes to safety. “We’ll forget what’s really at stake when we fly and how many near misses there are every day and how many things have to go right in this complex system to keep every flight safe every day,” he said.
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The 62-year-old, who serves as CBS News’ resident aviation and safety expert, says he’s disappointed that the FAA has not adopted any of the recommendations made by the National Transportation Safety Board as a result of its investigation into his historic emergency landing. “One of them — such a common-sense one you’d think it would’ve been adopted immediately — would be to include life vests for every passenger on domestic flights,” Sullenberger said, “and not just seat cushions for flotation.” But Sully’s head is not just in the clouds. He has recently taken up a new cause: making America’s hospitals safer. “It’s applying all the things we’ve learned for decades in aviation and making them transferable to medicine, where the need is so great,” Sullenberger told the Contra Costa Times. According to a 2013 study in the Journal of Patient Safety, more than 200,000 people die from preventable medical errors each year. “[That’s] equivalent to three airline passenger planes crashing a day with no survivors,” he said. “I guess I’m the eternal optimist,” he said. “I think in our society, as with every other crisis it has faced, whether it’s slavery or seat belt use or smoking, we eventually do the right thing. The question is when. In 20 years, when we’ve lost 4 million more people to preventable deaths? My vote is to do it now.”
Probation for Creator of Beanie Babies Last Tuesday, the billionaire businessman behind Beanie Babies was sentenced to two years of probation, but no prison time, for not paying taxes on millions of dollars stashed in Swiss bank accounts, with the judge praising the toy magnate for his charity work.
H. Ty Warner, 69, issued a somber but composed apology before being sentenced in Chicago federal court, saying he felt “shame and embarrassment.” He pleaded guilty last year to a single count of tax evasion for not paying taxes on $25 million in income he had hidden. Warren could have been sentenced to up to five years in prison, and a prosecutor asked U.S. District Judge Charles Kocoras on Tuesday to impose at least a year behind bars. But Kocoras opted against prison time and spent most of the 20 minutes he spent explaining his sentence praising the businessman’s charitable work. He cited a $20,000 medical bill Warner paid for a stranger with a kidney ailment and Warner’s $20 million charitable donation of proceeds from a toy he helped design commemorating Princess Diana after her death. “I find Mr. Warner to be a very unique individual ... in his service and kindness to mankind,” Kocoras said in explaining his decision to forgo prison time. “Society will be better served by allowing him to continue his good works,” he said, noting that Warner had already paid a price in “public humiliation” and “private torment.” Prosecutor Michelle Petersen told the judge that Warner’s charity — however laudable — should not keep him out of prison. She said Warner had been meticulous about hiding his income from U.S. tax authorities over a period of at least 11 years. “[Without prison time], tax evasion becomes little more than a bad investment,” she told Kocoras. “The perception cannot be that a wealthy felon can just write a check and not face further punishment.” As part of his probation sentence, Kocoras also ordered Warner to do 500 hours of community service. When he pleaded guilty, Warner agreed to pay a civil penalty of more than $53 million and $5 million in back taxes. Warner was among the highest-profile prosecutions in the federal government’s push to go after Americans concealing income from the IRS overseas, often in Switzerland. Prosecutors say at one point, Warner was concealing as much as $107 million. Beanie Babies first appeared in the mid-1990s, triggering a craze that gen-
In News erated hundreds of millions of dollars for Westmont, Ill.-based TY Inc., of which Warner is the sole owner. Forbes recently put his net worth at $2.6 billion. Warner maintained a secret offshore account starting in 1996 with the Switzerland-based financial services company UBS. He earned $3.1 million in gross income in 2002 through the account, but didn’t report it, prosecutors say. It’s interesting that the judge was so impressed by the charity work of a billionaire. There’s just so much money one can keep in his bank accounts.
That’s Odd The Nut Robbery It seems that thieves are going nuts in California. Because of the soaring value of the Golden State’s nut crops, a new breed of thieves is carting the precious commodity off by the truckload. This harvest season in the Central Valley, thieves cut through a fence and hauled off $400,000 in walnuts. Another $100,000 in almonds was stolen by a driver with a fake license. And $100,000 in pistachios was taken by a big rig driver who left a farm without filling out any paperwork.
Investigators suspect low-level organized crime may have a hand in cases, while some pilfered nuts are ending up in Los Angeles for resale at farmers markets or disappear into the black market. “The Wild West is alive and well in certain aspects,” said Danielle Oliver of the California Farm Bureau. “There’s always someone out there trying to make a quick dollar on somebody else’s hard work.” As the nation’s top nut producer, the state grows more almonds and pistachios than any other country. Only China produces more walnuts, which have nearly tripled in price in the last five years to about $2 a pound, according to the California Walnut Board. “Right now, everybody wants to be a nut grow-
er because it’s kind of like the gold rush of the 1850s,” said Ripon almond farmer Kevin Fondse of Fondse Brothers Inc. “Everybody wants the gold.” But thieves know a good thing when they see it (or when they eat it!). In a brazen heist in October, thieves made off with 140,000 pounds of processed walnuts from GoldRiver Orchards. The thief cut through wooden fence posts in the dead of night, hooked up a truck to three gondola trailers brimming with nuts and drove off. In another incident, unemployed trucker Francisco Javier Lopez Martinez told investigators he couldn’t pass up a job paying $180, despite his suspicions. He was hired in October by a man who gave him a fraudulent driver’s license and told him to pick up 43,000 pounds of almonds at Sunnygem, a processing plant. A transportation broker tipped off sheriff’s deputies that something seemed amiss. They arrested Martinez, who told them he was supposed to drive the load to a specified address in Los Angeles, park it and walk away. Ultimately, he was sentenced to 350 days in jail and three years of probation. We hope police can track these thieves down soon. They seem to be tough nuts to crack.
A Good Man in-Deed Brian DiCarlo is someone you want on your side—especially when you’re buying a house. The Oregon man found an envelope stuffed with $2,000 in cash and a cashier’s check for $38,000 in a supermarket parking lot last week. The money was to be Sharon Davis’ down payment for her house. And luckily for Sharon, Brian is an honest man indeed.
He quickly called the sheriff’s office to report his find. “My first thought is that this person, whoever it is, is a wreck, and they are probably losing their mind trying to retrace their steps,” Brian recalled. Sure enough, Sharon was frantically searched the parking lot at the intersecContinued on page 44
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The Week tion of Southeast 122nd and Sunnyside Rd. after grabbing a cup of coffee. “I was so stunned and so stressed, I swear I was going to have a heart attack or a stroke,” she relates. After a few minutes of sleuthing, police were able to locate the frantic future-homeowner and delivered her the cash. “What a good and amazing man,” the relieved Sharon said of Brian. He said he never thought of keeping the cash for himself. He later received a phone call from a grateful Davis and a $300 reward. “I think I do believe that at the time, I was the exact person who
needed to be there at that exact time to pick it up, because maybe someone else wouldn’t have done the same thing that I did,” Brian related. Guess who is going to be the first guest in Sharon’s new home?
Man Arrested for Warning Drivers of Speed Trap Ever wish that other drivers would
In News warn you of cops up ahead? Well, being a Good Samaritan may come at a cost. Ron Martin was arrested for trying to save his fellow drivers a whopping speeding ticket. Last October, police apprehended Martin for holding up a sign warning drivers that they were approaching a speed trap. Police say they spotted Martin standing on the center median of a sixlane roadway, holding a sign that read, “Police ahead.” In the arrest report, police officer Thomas Mrozinski wrote that he became aware of Martin’s stunt when he
noticed drivers “waving at us.” His official arrest was for holding a sign on public property, which is apparently against the law in Frisco, Texas. Supposedly this wasn’t the first time Martin had held up a sign to warn drivers of police lying in wait.
Martin argued in his first court appearance on Wednesday that his intention is the same as the police. He was simply “reminding people that there is a limit here.” He logically concluded that the end results are them; getting people to slow down. Martin paints signs for a living and insists he just wants to help make the roads safer, and he argues that his homemade signs are more effective at doing that than speed traps. He points out that police practice unsafe procedures by hiding behind signs and not using their lights. “I just feel like it was a little bit unsafe, not only for citizens, but for police officers having to do their job,” he said. Where, oh where was Martin when I was driving (a little too fast) on the New York State Thruway last August?
Crossword Author Turns 100 What’s a seven-letter word for the person who first started the crossword puzzle trend in newspapers? If you guessed “Bernice,” you would be right. Longtime crossword constructor Bernice Gordon marked two big milestones last weekend. She turned 100 on Saturday, January 11, and The New York Times will publish another one of her puzzles on Wednesday.
This makes her the very first cen-
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The Week tenarian to have a crossword puzzle printed in the newspaper. “They make my life,” Gordon said. “I couldn’t live without them.” Gordon has spent the last few decades creating crosswords for the Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and others newspapers. She also authored puzzle syndicates and brain-teaser books from Dell and Simon & Schuster. Each day of her life, she generates a new grid. The first “word-cross” appeared in the New York Sunday World on December 21, 1913. It was shaped as a diamond and did not separate clues into “Across” and “Down.” Since then, grids have evolved. Gordon is credited with pioneering the “rebus” puzzle, which requires solvers to occasionally fill in symbols instead of letters. Her first rebus in The Times used an ampersand to represent the letters AND, so an answer like “sandwich islands” was entered as “s&wich isl&s.” It was received with mixed reviews. Letters from readers poured into then-crossword editor Margaret Farrar, who forwarded some to Gordon. “She got hundreds of letters, some screaming that they never saw anything worse and it was cheating,” Gordon said. “And the others [said] how wonderful it was. It’s something new. It was an innovation.” Gordon was born in Philadelphia on Jan. 11, 1914. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, she raised three children before working as an artist and traveling around the world. She began creating puzzles in her 30s because she liked the challenge and it offered some extra pocket money. “My child, if you spend as much money on cookbooks as you do on dictionaries, your family would be better off,” Gordon recalled her mother saying. Gordon says she works best in the pre-dawn hours in her home office in downtown Philadelphia, surrounded by
two bookcases of dictionaries, almanacs and other directories. Ideas come to her constantly, and she uses a computer to build the grids. “She’ll spend hours and hours looking for the right word or the right phrase,” said her youngest son, Jim Lanard, 73. Her first crossword was published by The Times in the early 1950s. Since then, the paper has printed more than 140 of her clever grids.
Couple Asks the World Wide Web for Help Naming Baby Girl Some people just simply can’t make decisions on their own. That’s when the internet comes in handy. One man set up a website to help him and his expectant wife decide on a baby name for their daughter due April 2. Namemydaughter.com allows users to vote for their favorite first and middle names for the unborn baby girl.
In a post on Reddit, the father said, “I was sitting on the end of the bed after coming home from work and the idea hit me. I tend to be very forward person (this gets me in a lot of trouble lol) and I just blurted it out - ‘Hunny, I am going to ask the internet what we should name our daughter!’” Luckily his wife was okay with this
In News untraditional idea. In first place at the moment is: Amelia Mae followed by Cthulu All-Spark. Well, c’mon, weren’t you expecting some people to take advantage of their voting rights? Charlotte, Leslie, Renee and Meagan are also at the top of the list along with Ixtley, Megatron, Slagathor, Titanium, and Salad. That, ladies and gentlemen, is what happens when you specifically solicit Reddit for help in your baby naming plans. According to the official rules made by dad, users can only vote for each name once per household per day… wouldn’t want anyone getting too carried away. He also added in a clause, “Unfortunately, internet, I know better than to trust you. We will ultimately be making the final decision. Alas my daughter shall not be named WackyTaco692. Sorry guys the wife wouldn’t go for a free for all.” Smart mom.
cording to Pop2Life, the marketing and promotion company that came up with the idea. Additionally, the Federal Aviation Administration had to approve the project. I’d say this is one for the record books.
World’s Largest Vinyl Record
Snowden’s leak prompted people to think about security differently. Now, people are more aware of the information they share online and many have petitioned for companies to secure their data more tightly. But have no fear. Your intimate chats with friends can now stay private. A group of international privacy enthusiasts have banned together to create a smartphone that will protect your information, possibly even from the NSA. Dubbed the Blackphone, the mobile device was created by companies Silent Circle and Geekosphere. Phil Zimmermann, creator of data encryption protocol PGP (Pretty Good Privacy), is one of the big brains behind the device. “Blackphone provides users with everything they need to ensure privacy and control of their communications, along with all the other high-end smartphone features they have come to expect,” Zimmerman said. The phone will probably be missing many of the flashy specs seen in recent devices since the main selling point is the top of the line privacy capabilities. No specific details have been given about the phone yet; the companies will unveil it properly at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona beginning February 24. Hey, at least we can certainly say big brother is not watching.
Remember those vinyl records from the ‘80’s? The ones that would invariably scratch or crack? Well, even though most records are a thing of the past, the world’s largest vinyl record is now on display. But you have to take to the skies to catch a peek of it.
Passengers arriving at Los Angeles’ LAX Airport can see the spinning record as they land. The “record” is a 407-footwide printed vinyl disc that has been spinning at 17 miles an hour since New Year’s Day and won’t stop till the end of the month. The promotion is intended to highlight the re-opening of the Southern California concert and event venue after a $100 million renovation. It took a crew of about 75 to transform 5.7 acres of printed vinyl, 2,000 linear feet of curved aluminum and a mile of aluminum truss into the rooftop “record,” “spindle” and “turntable,” ac-
“Blackphone” Will Protect Your Privacy Now that Edward Snowden blew the whistle, people are scrambling to find a way to protect their privacy.
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Community
Bochurim from Kinor Dovid (Harmony Services’ yeshiva job training program) visit Rabbi Yehoshua Kurland at Yeshiva Sh’or Yoshuv in honor of Tu B’Shvat
47 THE JEWISH HOME
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Bnos Malka Annual Education Fair Bnos Malka held its annual Education Fair last week comprised of a Mitzvah Fair, State Fair, World Fair and Science Fair. The Mitzvah Fair for grades 1-4 focused on the school-wide theme for this year of Change Begins with Me; the unit of study for Adar Rishon is Mitzvos Bein Adam L’chaveiro, all of the projects displayed were connected to helping others. The students spent time in class with their teachers learning about different halachos and then worked diligently and happily to create amazing projects that represented what they had learned. The first grade did a general overview of how we can help others highlighting mitzvos such as bikur cholim, hachnosos orchim, and tzedaka. The students created a huge Kosel, and on each brick they wrote exceptional Hebrew sentences. The second graders focused on the mitzvah of tzedaka, and learned about tzadikim who were very makpid in this mitzvah. They also delved into some of the halachos pertaining to tzedaka. To highlight all they had learned, the girls re-enacted the story of Rabbi Akiva’s daughter and displayed it in pictures. They also spent several weeks running a penny campaign to collect money for tzedaka. Everyone enjoyed guessing how many coins were collected in total! Additionally, they wrote creative essays about the importance of this special mitzvah. The third grade studied the mitzvah of kibud av v’aim in depth. To display their knowledge, some students worked individually to create incredible kibud av v’aim dioramas including accompanying essays. The other half of the class created a life-size house out of paper and
illustrated and wrote about all the ways they could accomplish this mitzvah in their everyday lives. The fourth grade learned about the mitzvah of chessed. They created beautiful painted displays with descriptive stories explaining their work, and a giant ‘Connect Four’ board of all the different ways to do chessed for others. Mrs. Rivky Babad, the assistant principal of K-4th grade, said, “Everyone enjoyed playing ‘Connect the Mitzvah’. All of the students had so much fun working on their Mitzvah Fair projects, that they didn’t even realize how much knowledge they were acquiring. At Bnos Malka, learning is always exciting, engaging and hands-on, so that the lessons learned last a lifetime. Thank you to our dedicated moros who are so creative and work so hard to make learning come alive for their students!” In addition to the Mitzvah Fair, the Bnos Malka Middle School celebrated amazing educational achievements. Each student displayed a tri-board containing the results of her research over the past few months. For the fifth grade State Fair, the girls researched and presented one of the states in the USA. For the sixth grade World Fair, the students researched and presented countries in the Eastern Hemisphere. The seventh and eighth grade girls produced their own magnificent Science Fair projects. Each girl selected a topic of interest and tested her hypothesis using the scientific method. The judges were incredibly impressed by the girls’ presentations and the level of their work. Rabbi Michael Weichselbaum, the menahel of Bnos Malka, offered these concluding thoughts, “The combination of the Mitz-
vah Fair with the State, World and Science Fairs best illustrates our educational philosophy; to reinforce the primacy of Torah and mitzvos and to develop a confidence for critical and independent thinking. The fact that we can do so, all together, in one dynamic evening, with so many parents present, further demonstrates the overall warmth and unity in our school.”
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Seasons Grand Opening
Councilman Chaim Deutsch speaking at the bi-monthly meeting of the Task Force for Families and Children. The Task Force is the largest and most diverse Jewish coalition of its type, consisting of more than 40 organizations dealing with families and individuals in crisis within the Jewish community. The group consists of representatives from the following organizations: Achiezer Community Resource Center, Agudath Israel of America, Bikur Cholim Chesed Organization, Bikur Cholim of Rockland County, Chai Lifeline, Chemed Health Center, COJO of Flatbush, Counterforce,
Last week, Rav Yaakov Moshe Hillel visited Yeshiva Darchei Torah. Rav Hillel is the rosh yeshiva of Hevrat Ahavat Shalom in Yerushalayim, a posek and prolific author and publisher of sefarim. He delivered a shmuess to the Mesivta, Beis Medrash and Kollel.
Crown Heights JCC, Guard Your Eyes, Hatzalah, HASC, Interborough, Jewish Board of Family & Children’s Services, Jewish Community Council of Canarsie, Jewish Family Services, Madraigos, Magen New York, Maimonides Medical Center, MASK, Metropolitan Council, National Council of Young Israel, Nefesh International, Ohel/Tikvah at Ohel, Orthodox Union, Otsar Family Services, Pesach Tikvah, Project Eden, Project Kol Tzedek, Psychiatric First Responders Team, P’tach,
Rachel’s Place, Relief Services, SAVI Takanot Program, Sephardic Bikur Holim, Sephardic Community Center, Shalom Task Force, Shomrim of Boro Park, Shomrim of Flatbush, Sister to
Sister, SOVRI Helpline, Torah Umesorah, Women’s League Community Residences, Yeled V’Yalda, Yitti Leibel Helpline
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West Hempstead Teen Wins US Nationals Estee Ackerman, 12, of West Hempstead, NY won the under 1800 rating event at the US Nationals Table Tennis Championship held on December 17-21, 2013 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. This event was the seventh highest rating event out of sixteen. In the final, she defeated Patrick Kuo of California 22-20, 11-3, 9-11, 12-10. Game one was very exciting as both players had numerous chances to close out. In the under 4200 doubles rating event (the highest rated doubles), she and partner Sharon Alguetti (#3 USA, a 12-yearold boy), won the bronze medal, highlighted by their
round of sixteen upset victory over Dan Seemiller and his partner 3-2 in games after they were trailing 5-1 in the pivotal fifth game. Seemiller is a 4 time US National singles champion and 12 time doubles champion and was once ranked #19 in the world. Ackerman’s chance to make the US National Team came up a bit short. In the mini-cadets for girls’ twelve and under, she lost in the quarterfinals and in the cadets for girls fourteen and under, she finished in positions 9 through 12. Only the top four make the team. She described the competition as “fierce” and one could
feel the electricity and excitement in the room as the matches went on. Ackerman finished with a match record of 15-11 in singles and 4-1 in doubles and is now ranked #77 for women in the USA and #4 in her age group. She was the only Jewish orthodox player out of 716 representing almost every state. The Ackermans were hosted by Rabbi Rodman, principal of the Desert Torah Academy, and Rabbi Harlig of the Chabad of Southern Nevada. Ackerman is a seventh grader at the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County in Uniondale, NY.
QJCC Holds Legislative Breakfast The Queens Jewish Community Council held its Legislative Breakfast on January 12, 2014 at the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills. 225 distinguished members of the clergy and prominent lay leaders of Queens Jewry were in attendance along with the majority of the Queens elected officials delegation from federal, state and city. Highlights of the morning included remarks from newly elected Queens Borough President Melinda Katz who reiterated her long standing commitment to the Jewish community, in general, and Queens Jewish Community Council, in particular. NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, a longtime friend of QJCC, also addressed the crowd. QJCC had the pleasure to introduce newly elected New York City Council members Rory Lancman and Paul Vallone to the group. The other elected officials who attended were Congresswoman Grace Meng, NYS Senator Toby Stavisky, NYS Assembly Members Nily Rozic, David Weprin, Ron Kim, Edward Braunstein ,Michael
Simanowitz , NYC Council members Peter Koo, Mark Weprin, Karen Koslowitz and Daniel Dromm. QJCC was honored to also have in attendance Roberta Leiner, Senior Vice-President Agency Relations at UJA-Federation of New York and Rabbi Michael Miller, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. Center Light Health System and its affiliate Margaret Tietz Nursing and Rehabilitation Center were the sponsors of this very successful event. The Queens Jewish Community Council is the lead organization of 146 Jewish synagogues and organizations in the borough that provides the residents of Queens with a wide array of social services and programs that include entitlement assistance, immigrant services, medical insurance facilitation, senior services, youth mentoring, family counseling, legal assistance , kosher pantry and meals on wheels for the frail and homebound.
Seated L to R: NYS Senator Toby Stavisky NYS Assemblywoman Nily Rozic, NYC Councilman Paul Vallone, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, NYS Assemblyman Ron Kim, NYS Assemblyman David Weprin, NYC Councilman Daniel Dromm Standing L to R: NYC Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz, NYC Councilman Peter Koo, QJCC President Warren S. Hecht, QJCC Executive Director Cynthia Zalisky, NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, NYS Assemblyman Edward Braunstein, Rabbi Michael Miller CEO JCRC of New York, Roberta Leiner Vice President Agency Relations UJA Federation of New York, NYC Councilman Rory Lancman, NYC Councilman Mark Weprin, Michael Fassler, CEO Centerlight Health System
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it. They enjoyed cake and treats to celebrate receiving their very first siddurim! Although the children had a great time performing, even more exciting to them is davening each day from their brand new siddurim. Mazel tov to all the first graders, their proud parents, and their dedicated teachers: Morah Levy, Morah Fendel, and Morah Greenwald! Special thanks to the talented music teacher, Rabbi Lipsker, for helping produce such magnificent presentations!
JANUARY 23, 2014
Mazel tov to the first grade students at Yeshiva of Central Queens on their beautiful siddur presentations. They worked very hard, singing their songs, practicing their parts and rehearsing on stage. The plays were executed to perfection, and the songs sounded amazing. After their wonderful performance, they watched a slide show highlighting the children learning and practicing for the plays. Each student received an engraved siddur with his or her name on
Yachad Family Shabbaton for Families with Children with Special Needs Now in its 28th year, the Yachad Northeast Family Shabbaton will take place on May 9-11 at the Stamford Plaza Hotel in Connecticut. Registration is now in progress. Scholarships are available for the Shabbaton. “This is one of those ‘can’t-miss’ weekends for a family of someone with special needs. It’s time to sign up,” declared Eli Hagler, Yachad associate director. Yachad, the flagship program of the Orthodox Union’s National Jewish Council for Disabilities (NJCD), provides unique social, educational and recreational programs for individuals with learning, developmental and physical disabilities with the goal of their inclusion in the total life of the Jewish community. “This retreat will allow parents, siblings,
and individuals with developmental disabilities alike to join for a weekend of learning, sharing, fun, games and togetherness,” explained Dr. Jeffrey Lichtman, International Director of NJCD. “Parents attend sessions which provide up-to-date information on the disability world; problem solving strategies; advice on ‘what should my child be doing?’; and the opportunity to share experiences. Siblings enjoy workshops unique to their needs, while participants with developmental disabilities have sessions, games, and activities of their own, similar to the famous ‘Yachad Shabbaton.’ Mealtimes are special, with singing, ‘talks’ by the Yachad members, and families basking in the glow of their children’s pleasure and success.” For more information, please call 212613-8229 or visit www.yachad.org/family.
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YCQ First Grade Students Receive their First Siddurim
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Around the The HALB first grade girls and boys received their first siddur following their performances in their re-
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spective siddur plays over the past few Sundays at the Long Beach campus
Photo Credits: Ira Thomas Creations
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A Book of Chesed Jesse Vogel, a Far Rockaway resident, has written a book about chesed that is funded by the chesed of others. Its title is Bent, Not Broken and it is about what his family went through with Hurricane Sandy. It emphasizes the chesed that they were on the receiving end of from both the community and the local chesed organizations. The Vogel family sustained approximately $130,000 in damages during Hurricane Sandy. When the insurance company gave them less than half of what they needed to rebuild their home and lives, the chesed organizations stepped in as if they should have been wearing capes and not only assisted them financially, but they
practically held their hands during their darkest hours. During the four months after the hurricane when the Vogel family was relocated while their house was being rebuilt, as well as upon their return to their home, local organizations provided them with much-needed emotional, spiritual, and financial assistance. Jesse says, “I would love to be able to show my hakaras hatov to them financially, but I am unable to do so, at least not directly.” This book is his way of showing his hakaras hatov to them. It should not only be a source of chizuk for the community but it is also a fundraiser for the chesed organizations that helped them when they needed it and went above and beyond what anyone
could have imagined that they would do. Jesse feels that these local chesed organizations are trying to raise money but they are fishing from a small pond which is the surrounding neighborhoods where people were also affected by the hurricane. His book, however, is going to be distributed by Targum Press across the country, in England, and in Eretz Yisroel. With this book, Jesse tells the story of how his family received financial assistance from these chesed organizations and how they received numerous phone calls, text messages, and emails from them asking if there was anything that the organizations could do for them, offering them things that were donated to them to give to Sandy victims like sets of china, food, furniture, physical assistance and endless other items. Jesse says he hopes that this will inspire the readers to donate to these organizations as well, especially when they realize that the herculean effort to help the Vogel family was only a drop in the enormous bucket of chesed that they did for all of those who were affected by the Sandy’s wrath. The last few pages of this book are a plea to all who read the book to donate to these chesed organizations that made not only their recovery possible, but the recovery of the entire community of Sandy victims possible. All of the proceeds from this book will be divided and equally split and donated to these chesed
organizations. Jesse points out, “I will not be making any money from this book. I did not write it because I am an author; I wrote it because I have an agenda to show my hakaras hatov to those who helped us so greatly.” The chesed organizations that will be receiving the proceeds from the book are Achiezer, Sh’or Yoshuv, the Davis Memorial Fund, the RCSP aka Shomrim, Hatzalah, Met Council, and the JCCRP. Right now, Jesse is trying to raise the funds which will allow him to publish this book and to get it out to the masses. The more donations that this project receives, the more copies of the book can be made and distributed in a persumay nissa-type fashion. Rabbi Tzvi Yaakov Stein in Far Rockaway gave a psak that people can use their maaser money to donate to this book. Mr. Vogel is able to give people tax deductible receipts for their donations. Donations of any size are appreciated and you are able to make dedications in the book as well. The cost of dedications are $250 for a half page and $500 for a full page. Please help Jesse help the people and organizations who have helped us all in so many ways. If you are able to find it in your hearts to make donations toward this chesed project, please either email him at Jessv8159@aol.com or call/text him at (646) 372-7426.
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Rabbi's Musings [& Amusings] Rabbi Dani Staum
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id you ever try to look for your glasses without your glasses on? This past Shabbos afternoon as I was walking to shul, a cold wind was blowing. I pulled my scarf over my nose and mouth, which caused my glasses to fog up. So – as I have done numerous times in the past – taking advantage of the eiruv, I took off my glasses and placed them in my coat pocket, at least that’s what I thought I did. To my chagrin, when I arrived in shul and stuck my hand into my coat pocket to retrieve my glasses, I realized that my glasses were not there. After Mincha I hurriedly retraced my steps in the hope that I would find my glasses where I had taken them off my face. Unfortunately, my efforts proved futile. (For those who remember their days in school when you would forgot something, such as your glasses, homework, or a pen, and the teacher invariably replied, “Did you forget your pants?” I should mention for all you scoffers that on Sunday morning when I sat down in my car to head off to shul, I realized that I had accidentally put on my Shabbos suit pants, so in a sense I did forget my pants…) Is there a lesson to be gleaned from my experience (aside from the obvious lesson that I shouldn’t be such a klutz)? My rebbe, Rabbi Berel Wein shlita, would relate that when Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch zt’l was elderly he once informed his family that he planned to travel from Frankfurt (where he lived) to Switzerland to see the Swiss Alps. He explained that he wanted to make sure that after he leaves this world and G-d asks him, “Shimshi, did you see my Alps?” he would be able to answer affirmatively. The point of the anecdote is to remind us that when we view G-d’s world it should fill us with love and awe for its Creator, and we should never take its beauty for granted. But there are those who draw the wrong idea from such a story. The man who hears the story, comes home and tells his wife that they have to go on an exotic vacation, has missed the point. Rabbi Hirsch was a Torah leader of unparalleled acumen and insight. When he left this world the only “complaint” that the celestial courts would have against him was that he didn’t see the Alps when he had the opportunity. However, for most of us, the questions we will be asked will be far different. “Did you see my Tractate Arachin or Niddah?
(Did you even know there is a tractate Arachin?)” There are those who feel that there should be a greater emphasis devoted to studying the esoteric works of kabbala. “After all,” they argue, “we have an obligation to study every facet of Torah, and kabbala is an integral part of Torah!” This is analogous to a tenth grader who gets a job helping out in the office of a prominent and renowned biochemist. One day the biochemist walks into his office to find the youngster tinkering with powerful compounds and formulas. “What in the world do you think you’re doing?” he screams as he rushes in to grab away the tubes from the adolescent. “What’s the big deal? I took chemistry this year and got an A.” The biochemist looks at him angrily, “You must be joking! You hardly know the most rudimen-
tary basics. Perhaps after ten years of intense study, when you have mastered the most advanced levels of biology and chemistry, you can begin to watch others mix these powerful compounds.” The holy kabbalists themselves warn that one who has not mastered all facets of Torah should not be meddling in the study of kabbala. All of kabbala is written in a code-like language of its own, and one who reads kabbala at face value can find many concepts blasphemous. It is true that we have an obligation to strive to master the entire Torah, but we must follow the protocol of our sages. For the majority of us, the revealed Torah is vast enough to keep us busy for a couple of lifetimes. One who studies kabbala before he is ready is trying to understand the intricacies and mysteries of the inner workings of the cosmos, without the proper glasses to help him see what he is looking for! Rabbi Dani Staum, LMSW, is the Rabbi of Kehillat New Hempstead, and Guidance Counselor/Rebbe at Yeshiva Bais Hachinuch & Ashar in Monsey, NY. He is the author of Stam Torah and can be reached at stamtorah@gmail.com. His website is www. stamtorah.info.
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THE JEWISH T h e J eHOME w i s h h oJANUARY m e n m ay23,2 42014 , 2012
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You Gotta be
Riddle!
Kidding!
jimbo and mary ann saved up for years (their combined wawa salaries) to take their kids on a fishing trip. they rent all the equipment – the reels, the rods, the wading suits, the rowboat, the car, and even a cabin in the woods. they spared no expense. the first day they go fishing, but they don’t catch anything. the same thing happens on the second and third day. finally, on the last day of their vacation, jimbo catches a fish. as they’re driving home, they’re really depressed. jimbo says to mary ann, “do you realize that this one lousy fish we caught cost us fifteen hundred bucks?” mary ann says in astonishment, “wow! then it’s a good thing we didn’t catch any more!”
the Schwartz family is on vacation and trying to find the hotel that they booked. they stop and ask someone for directions and he says that the hotel is one mile south of their location. this story takes place in new jersey where it is practically impossible to turn around with all those concrete barriers separating the opposite lanes of traffic. the kids are hungry and tired and want to get to the hotel. mr. Schwartz tells his kids that he is a magician (because he’s got to entertain them before they reach the breaking point). he says to them, “ok kids, i will point this car north, drive it for one mile, and without turning around we will end up at our hotel. how does he do it?
G OT Fu n n y?
Comm Let the ission er dec
Answer on next page
Send your s tuff
Vacational Speaking
ide
t
o fivetow centerfold@ nsjewis hhome. com
What these vacation terms really mean:
old world charm = Shared bathrooms
no extra fees = no extras. Period.
tropical = rainy
live music= Some lonely local convinced the hotel to let him
majestic setting = a long way from town options galore = nothing is included in the itinerary Secluded hideaway = impossible to find or get to
Pre-registered rooms = already occupied
explore on your own = Pay for it yourself
knowledgeable trip hosts = they know how to point at a star on a map and say, “you are here.”
play bad guitar in the lobby on tuesday evenings between 7:00 and 8:30
Parking available= we will valet your car for a small fee of $47 a day
game room on premises = there is an old bacteria-carrying arcade game in a dusty hole in the wall…it will keep your kids entertained for hours
family atmosphere = if we are short on towels, be prepared to share
#1 hotel for nascar fans = “y’aall sayyid yaall want toofffpaste? whuut’s thayat?”
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1. How did the Disney park called Epcot get its name? a. it is the latin word for “universal” b. it is an acronym for “eat, Play, create, observe and transform” c. it was the name of walt disney’s childhood dog d. it is an acronym for “experimental Prototype community of tomorrow” 2. How many Smithsonian museums and galleries are there in Washington, D.C.? a. 10 b. 13 c. 17 d. 19 3. Which country attracts the most yearly tourists? a. france b. u.S. c. italy d. japan 4. According to FlightStats, which of the following four airlines has the worst on-time percentage? a. delta b. jetblue c. Southwest d. united e. u.S airways
5. Which national park gets the most yearly visitors? a. great Smoky mountains b. grand canyon national Park c. yosemite national Park d. yellowstone national Park 6. Which hotel chain has the largest presence in the U.S.? a. marriott b. hilton c. wyndham d. Starwood 7. Which state has the most ski areas in the U.S.? a. vermont b. utah c. colorado d. wyoming e. new york
Answers: 1. d 2. c 3. a 4. b- would you believe it? we all love jetblue, but their on-time percentage in 2013 was 71.47%; delta was 85.16%; u.S airways was 81.65%; Southwest was 78.50%; united was 77.13%. forget punctuality—jetblue has better snacks than all of them! 5. a- great Smoky mountains Park, located in tennessee and north carolina, draws more than nine million visitors a year, twice the number of any other national park. 6. b- hilton has 3,382 hotels and 506,455 rooms in the u.S. (don’t ask me how many bars of disgusting smelling soap that is.) 7. e- new york’s 52 ski areas are the most in the u.S.
Wisdom key: 6-7 correct: you really know a lot about vacations, you must be tom bodett! thanks for leaving the lights on for me. 3-5 correct: you know a little about vacation. read the tjh vacation guide to brush up. 0-2 correct: you really are off the mark when it comes to vacation. it seems like you must have sustained some vacation trauma along the way. what happened, were you once arrested for stealing shampoo from the chambermaid’s cart or something like that?
A Letter to the Ce
nterfold Commis si
oner:
To whom it may co ncern, In last week’s issue , the centerfold incl uded a section on sports trivia. I found question nu mber two to be bo insulting and flat th out wrong. The qu estion reads, “Because we certainly have some hillbill ies in our audience who won the 2013 : Daytona 500?” Th e answer given is b- Trevor Bayne. First of all that an swer in wrong! Th winner of the 2013 e Daytona 500 was Jimmie Johnson. Trevor Bayne won the 2012 Daytona 500, get your facts straight. Secondly, the question calls race fans hillbillie Excuse me, but I do s. n’t see any other ste reotypical names being used for fans of other sports. Is a weak attempt at humor an excuse to offend people? I think not. Perhap we should correct s these issues before running another question about raci ng. Thank you for your time, An insulted NASC AR fan
The Centerfold Co
mm
issioner Respon Point well taken ds: on the trivia. As to your second point, see this wee k’s joke. Were you on that trip as well? Answer to riddle: he drives his car in reverse.
23, 2014 TTHE h e JJEWISH e w i s h hHOME o m e n mJANUARY ay 2 4 , 2012
Vacation triVia
60 JANUARY 23, 2014 THE JEWISH HOME
R’ Ben Tzion Shafier
Parshas Mishpatim
Learning Torah: That was Easy! “And these are the statutes that you shall place before them.” Shemos 21:1 The Daas Zakainim teaches us that “before them” means before the Jews and not before the gentiles. The Torah is for the Jewish people exclusively. He then brings an example of this concept. On the inside of almost every Chumash is the Targum written by Onkolus. While Onkolus became a profound talmid chacham, that wasn’t his beginning. He was a gentile, the nephew of the Caesar Adrianna. He became aware of the truth and desired to convert to Judaism, but he was afraid of his uncle’s reaction. He approached his uncle and said, “I wish to engage in commerce.” His uncle responded, “If you need money, my treasure house is open to you. Take whatever you need.” Onkolus responded, “It isn’t money that I seek; it is knowledge. I wish to go out to discover the ways of the world.
Please, my uncle, give me advice. Which type of merchandise do you recommend that I invest in?” Adrianna responded, “Find a commodity that is depressed in value. The ways of the world are cyclic. What is low now will rise later, and you will ride the crest upwards and find your fortune.” With that, Onkolus left to Israel and approached the Chachamim, seeking to learn Torah. They told him, “The Torah cannot be absorbed by one who isn’t Jewish.” He converted, went to yeshiva to learn, and became a Torah scholar. After he returned home, his uncle noticed that his appearance had changed. “Why do you look different?”
he asked. Onkolus responded, “Because I converted and have learned Torah.” “Upon whose advice did you do this?” “Yours, my uncle. Didn’t you tell me to invest in merchandise which is
Chachamim didn’t say to him, “You aren’t allowed to learn.” They didn’t tell him that the halacha prohibits a gentile from studying Torah. They said it won’t work. The question is, why not? Here we have a man who was so brilliant and dedicated that he was willing to give up
torah iS the excluSive heritage of the jew.
currently depressed because surely it will rise? I searched and found no nation as downtrodden as the Jews. Yet in the World to Come, there is no people that will be as exalted.” His uncle was so impressed with this line of reasoning that he promptly smacked him across the face. “You could have learned Torah without converting!” he exclaimed. Onkolus responded, “Torah cannot be learned by one who doesn’t have a bris milah.” Understanding the Implications While this is a beautiful story, when we take into account two points, a powerful question emerges. 1. We are dealing with a man who is clearly brilliant. Once he converted, he became such a master of the Torah that he was able to distill all of its wisdom into a concise Targum that has become universally accepted throughout the generations. Obviously, he was of extraordinary intelligence. 2. We are dealing with an extremely motivated individual. He was living in the lap of luxury, enjoying great power and prestige, and had the entire world open to him. He was a favored nephew of the most powerful emperor of his time. When he approached his uncle for help, his immediate response was, “My treasure house is open to you.” In simple terms, he had everything that a young man could dream of. Yet he was willing to give it all up, at risk of his position and maybe even his life, to go to a foreign land to learn Torah. Clearly he was a driven individual. With all this, why couldn’t he learn Torah without converting? The
everything to learn. Why would he be incapable of learning Torah if he wasn’t Jewish? The Nature of Torah The answer to this lies in understanding the nature of Torah. The Torah is pure wisdom from Hashem. A Rashi on Chumash can be understood by an eight-year-old child. Yet that same Rashi contains worlds of depth and opens up to understandings that are infinite. The ability to delve into the depth of Torah is specifically what a gentile can’t do. A gentile can study geometry, physics, or business law. Those studies are accessible to the mind of man. The Torah is different. It is the “word of Hashem” and cannot be perceived by man. However, Hashem created the Jew with a neshama uniquely suited to learn Torah. Different than all of the nations of the world, the Jew alone has the ability to access the Torah, to be able to
plumb it depths, and to reach the Divine wisdom contained in it. But more than simply the ability to learn Torah, we were given a tremendous receptivity to it. This seems to be the answer to the question. As wise and as motivated as Onkolus was, had he remained a gentile, he could never have mastered the Torah. Torah is the exclusive heritage of the Jew. Only we have the right to it, but even more, only we have the inborn capacity to understand it and master it. This concept is very relevant to us because the Torah contains all the wisdom of the world. There may be times when we feel overwhelmed by the challenge. But the understanding that the Torah is our exclusive heritage and that we are uniquely suited to learn it should be a motivating force to help us set goals of mastering our portion in Torah. We have a natural affinity for learning Torah; while we may have to strain our minds and exert ourselves, we are naturally suited to it, so it settles into our soul easily. We are like a musically gifted child sitting down to play the violin – it is in our blood. The Shmuz-Marriage Seminar, a 12part, comprehensive guide to a successful marriage is available FREE of charge at TheShmuz.com. It is also on the Shmuz App available at the App store, or on Google play, or you may listen on Kol Halashon by calling 718-906-6400, then options 1,4, 3.
T h e J e w i s h h o m e n m ay 2 4 , 2012
The Shmuz
69
61 81 Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz
W
hat price is beauty? If you ask most guys, they’d rather wear a pair of slippers or sneakers to a wedding than a real pair of shoes. That’s because comfort is key to us. Not women! To them (forgive me for generalizing, I’m just basing this on my own experience with just about every female I’ve ever met) the high heels that are excruciating to wear if you have to stand for more than forty-five seconds in a row are just fine if they look good. The same goes for makeup, creams, lotions, potions, foundations, perfumes, exfoliants, moisturizers, detoxifiers, rehydrators, depilatories, serums and other beauty remedies with exotic-sounding names. Ask a woman what she does to clean her face and she’ll give you a lengthy repertoire of “absolutely necessary” steps. Ask a man the same question and he’ll respond, “I wash it. Oh yeah, sometimes I also use soap.” Well, I was at a boutique one evening where I was surrounded by booths that women would generally be thrilled
to see. There were all types of jewelry, kitchen gadgets, toys, gifts, and even artwork. As I looked around the room, none of it really interested me. After all, I’m a guy. I browsed and made pleasant conversation, nodding at people and commenting on how interesting their wares looked. I wasn’t really drawn to any of them until I noticed, on the other side of the large room, the cosmetics booth. I gravitated over there and was greeted by the proprietress with a big smile. I was mesmerized. Not by the sheer enormity of choices and options, but by how effective one beauty item in particular worked. There’s a great expression I often tell my twelve-year old daughter (who is waaaayyy too young to put on things
Beauty Secrets like lipstick – at least, in my make-believe protective Daddy bubble of fantasy.) I tell her, “You don’t need makeup. The most beautiful thing you can put on your lips – is a smile.” Of course, she rolls her eyes at that, hoping I won’t notice the mascara she is
could be more beautiful than that? As I continued talking to her, it turned out that I knew her husband and she knew me! She recognized me from my role in Rebbee Hill’s film, “Berel and the Bus Driver.” I was quite flattered but the truth is, people like that
if you want to be beautiful, See the beauty in otherS, and make them feel beautiful, aPPreciated, and noticed. wearing (is that some sort of motor oil to lubricate your eyes, ladies?). But it’s the truth. What I saw at that booth that captured my attention was not the products, but the welcoming smile of the woman selling them. When I approached, she understood I wasn’t looking to buy, though she told me my wife had already been by. She began telling me how she had another job in the medical field but she did this as a side line. She didn’t even do it for the money. She did it because it was something upbeat, pleasant, and fun. When people need medical treatment of any sort, it’s usually a somber affair. Seeing people’s problems day after day can be depressing, especially if you’re an empathetic person by nature. Makeup, though, is something that women are excited to investigate, peruse, purchase, use, and experiment with. (Yes, I know I ended with a preposition, so sue me.) In addition, she was a distributor and had a number of women who worked under her, hosting parties in their homes, making a few extra dollars, and getting a break from diapers, children and the loneliness of a woman who doesn’t get too much times to spend with friends. She said it gave these women a feeling of excitement, purpose, and made their lives a little more beautiful. And that’s when she put on her maximum beauty secret, a glowing smile. As I looked around the room, I saw vendors looking bored, tired, disinterested and maybe hopeful that they would make a sale. This woman, though, was smiling because she loved people, and was dedicated to helping others have a more beautiful life. What
make everyone feel like a star, and that’s something we can all find beauty in. So, at this boutique, I picked up a great gift but not one that was reserved for any one person. I picked up something that can benefit everyone I meet, and it will always improve my appearance. What I got was a beauty tip that goes as follows: If you want to be beau-
tiful, see the beauty in others, and make them feel beautiful, appreciated, and noticed. They will stand up and take notice of you too. And if they don’t? So much the better, since the application of this selflessness must be pure and not tinged with ulterior motives. In case you were wondering, no, I didn’t buy anything at the booth. After all, it wasn’t my color, and I’m not making that up! 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@JewishSpeech Writer.com and put Publication Sponsorship or Subscribe in the subject. © 2013 by Jonathan Gewirtz. All rights reserved.
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The Observant Jew
THE JEWISH T h e J e wHOME i s h h o mJANUARY e n m ay 23, 2 4 ,2014 2012
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Notable
Quotes
Compiled by Nate Davis
“Say What?” My husband, Bill Clinton and I have become great friends. Bill visits us every summer. We don’t agree politically, but we don’t talk politics...Before you’re critical of someone, you should remember that they did not have the advantages you had as a child — a loving mother and father. Bill’s father wasn’t around, and I think that he thinks of George a little bit is like the father he didn’t have. He’s [Bill] very loving to him. I love Bill Clinton. Maybe not his politics, but I love Bill Clinton. - barbara bush in a recent interview
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie continues to push his agenda. Today he proposed a longer school day for children in his state. In fairness, kids in New Jersey probably need a longer day since their buses spend three hours stuck on a bridge. - jimmy fallon
The Labor Department reported that last month 347,000 people quit looking for work. And in New Jersey, 50,000 people quit driving to work. - jay leno I threw them out and when he went to the combine, he found a Wal-Mart. They were $8 ... $8! I’ve thrown them away many times. I’ve asked him, “Please. Pleats are gone, wear the flat front”... The thing is he just doesn’t care. I’ve told him so many times that his outfit reflects on me. - San francisco coach jim harbaugh’s wife, who called into a San francisco radio station after they blamed her for his nerdy sideline outfit, which consists of a black sweatshirt tucked into beige pleated khakis
This week country singer Trace Adkins was on a country music-themed cruise when he got into a fight with a Trace Adkins impersonator. It was a nasty brawl. In fact, it took five Elvises to pull them apart. - jimmy fallon
Their problem is not me and the Democrats; their problem is themselves. Who are they? Are they these extreme Conservatives who are right-to-life, pro-assault-weapon [etc.]? Is that who they are? Because if that’s who they are and they’re the extreme conservatives, they have no place in the state of New York, because that’s not who New Yorkers are. - governor cuomo in a recent radio interview Now I want to tell you something – I was born and raised in New York. I want you to know that and I can’t wait to get out of here. I really can’t. I don’t want to pay their 10-percent state tax anymore. I live in the second-highest property taxed county in the entire country in Nassau County. I can’t wait to sell my house to somebody who wants it. I can’t wait to pay no state income tax down in Florida or Texas. I haven’t decided yet, but I’m leaning to Florida because I like the water and I like to fish. Governor Cuomo, I’m going to leave and I’m taking all of my money with me – every single solitary penny…And by the way governor, because I work here – there’s a whole bunch of people that work for me and benefit because I do two shows. And I guess maybe some of them will be out of work, governor. I’m sure you’ll take care of them. - tv and radio host Sean hannity responding to governor cuomo’s comments
Michelle Obama’s 50th birthday party supposedly went all the way until 2 a.m. on Saturday. Which explains why on Sunday, Barack expanded healthcare to include Gatorade and Tylenol. – jimmy fallon
[Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates] denigrates everybody, everyone, Secretary Clinton, the president, [Vice President] Joe Biden, me. I’m surprised he would in effect denigrate everybody he came in contact with in an effort to make a buck. - Senate majority leader harry reid (d-nev.) discussing gates’ new book with the aP It’s common practice on the Hill to vote on bills you haven’t read, and it’s perfectly clear Senator Reid has not read the book. - former defense Secretary robert gates responding to Senator reid’s criticism
Last Friday President Obama finally addressed the issues with the NSA. It was a very difficult needle to thread: How to acknowledge the American people’s very real concerns about privacy, while not upsetting people who—apparently—know everything about us. How to make substantial policy changes, while also not really doing that. - john Stewart
As for your Olympics, something that you really want, we’ve prepared a present for you…We will give you a present for the innocent Muslim blood being spilled all around the world… for the tourists who come there will be a present, too. - from a video released by a islamic militant group in russia’s north caucasus
I believe that my problem can be solved by close cooperation and agreement between the American government and the government of this country. - kenneth bae, the longestserving american prisoner in north korea, during a press conference while under the watchful eye of north korean soldiers
Governor Christie said he wants to do all he can to keep people from leaving New Jersey. That’s why he closed the bridge. He was trying to do some good. - jay leno I think the NRA is a disaster area. I shouldn’t say this, but I’ll tell it to you, I’m going to make a movie…and we’re going to take this head-on. And they’re going to wish they weren’t alive after I’m done with them. The audiences will think: “Gun stocks — I don’t want to be involved in that stuff. It’s going to be like crash and burn.” - harvey weinstein, who produced countless graphically violent movies, discussing his new anti-gun movie
A new report found that more than half of the people who have signed up for Obamacare are older than 45. Which is no big deal until you find out they were 25 when they first tried to log onto the website. - jimmy fallon The analogy we use around here sometimes, and I think is accurate, is if a jayvee team puts on Lakers uniforms that doesn’t make them Kobe Bryant. - President obama when asked by david remnick of The New Yorker about an al Qaeda resurgence taking place in the middle east and africa
Yeah. I’m readier, if that’s a word. - new jersey governor chris christie, when asked by matt bei of yahoo! news if he is now ready to be president I don’t think anybody knows what it feels like to have the kind of attention that I’ve had in the last nine days until you go through it. It’s awful. Listen, it’s awful. I can explain to you as vividly as you like, but you won’t get it. I’m trying to get my arms around an awful situation. - ibid., discussing what the past two weeks have been like, since the bridge-gate scandal
Today New Jersey Governor Chris Christie delivered his State of the State address: he said the state is improving, but admitted that it’s still New Jersey. - jay leno
The rollout of the Affordable Care Act continues to be terrible. Now comes news that not enough young, healthy Americans are signing up. Did they expect young people to buy insurance the same time that Play Station 4 comes out? - jimmy kimmel
The facts are on the side of the optimists. It’s actually dangerous that people are focusing on the bad news and not seeing the progress we’ve made. It means they don’t look at the best practices, it makes them less generous. - bill gates on bloomberg television talking about his efforts to eradicate global poverty
Oprah’s movie “The Butler” was not nominated for the best picture Oscar. Oprah is said to be very disappointed but she’s being comforted by her 700 real butlers. - conan o’brien
They say that most airline seats on planes today are meant for 170-pound passengers. The last time the average American weighed 170 pounds, the Wright Brothers were flying the plane. - jay leno
T h eTHE Jew i s h h oHOME m e n m ay 2 4 , 2012 JEWISH JANUARY 23, 2014
Recently, The Post told the story of PS 106 in Far Rockaway, Queens, where students had no math, reading or writing books for the new Common Core curriculum, no gym or art, and they spent much of their time watching movies … My proposal — contained in a successful amendment to a recent House bill — would allow those students to take … federal money with them to the public or charter school of their choice. Critics of this idea argue that failing schools simply need more money … Just over 50 years ago, Dr. King stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and dreamed of an end to segregation… Education opportunity is justice for those children trapped in failing schools. - house majority leader eric cantor in a New York Post op-ed
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THE JEWISH HOME
JANUARY 23, 2014
64
Five Towns Family Practice Care for the entire family.
Dr. David Jacobson
Men’s and Women’s Health • Children • Adolescents Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday • 7 am to 7 pm • Immediate Appointments Available. Most insurances accepted.
516 400-9302
275A Rockaway Turnpike, Lawrence, NY 11559
Playing with your Food! by Esther Ottensoser Yeshiva break is here and with it comes a lot of scrambling – what do we do every day? Here are some delicious projects your children will enjoy – have them invite over a few friends – and for once, let them play with their food!
T h eTHE Jew i s h h oHOME m e n m ayJANUARY 2 4 , 201223, 2014 JEWISH
Cover Story
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JANUARY 23, 2014
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THE JEWISH HOME
When I attended Kosherfest this year, it was with the intention of finding new and exciting products to pass onto my readers. To my delight I encountered the Paskesz candy company first. Right away I knew I was off to a good start! Once again Paskesz has put on the market a new and original candy that’s sure to be a big hit. For one who enjoys creative food crafting, these new Eats ‘n Crafts are a winner for you! (Not to mention they taste great, too!) Edible lanyard, lacing cookies, weaving, pom poms… the ideas are endless. The following are some actual samples that I have tried. Remember, the sky’s the limit—let your imagination soar!
“lace” Cookies
Supplies: Cookie dough Large cookie cutter Straw Eats ‘n Crafts in multiple colors Directions: Roll out the cookie dough. Using your cookie cutter, cut out shapes. Before baking, use a straw to make holes for lacing. (Move the straw around a little in the hole in a circular motion to enlarge the hole. If the
hole closes up after baking, re-poke the hole as soon as you remove from the oven.) The holes should be approximately ¼” from the edge of the cookie. Once baked and cool, tie a knot at one end of the Eats ‘n Crafts and begin “stitching” around the cookie.
Cookie weave Supplies: Larger size sandwich cookie Melted chocolate Toothpicks Eats ‘n Crafts in multiple colors Directions: Open up the sandwich cookie and remove the cream filling. Place ½ tsp of melted chocolate in the center of one half. Arrange 12 toothpicks as in photo. Allow to dry completely. Place another ½ tsp of melted
chocolate over the toothpicks and cover the cookie with the other half of the cookie. Allow to dry completely. Knot together 8 strands of Eats ‘n Crafts. Begin weaving the Eats ‘n Crafts around the cookie, keeping all knots to the back. When done, tuck the end of the Eats ‘n Crafts to the back end.
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Here is a fun, easy and impressive-looking design. As a young girl, I used to enjoy doing this with telephone wires. Supplies: 3 or 4 strands of Eats ‘n Crafts Directions: Knot the strands of Eats ‘n Crafts together on one end. Each one of the strands will “take turns” wrapping the other strands. Take one strand
of the knotted Eats ‘n Crafts and wrap it around the other strands (about 1”). Next, take another one of the strands and wrap it around the other strands. Continue until pattern is complete. Knot all strands together at the end.
Easy Finger Crocheting My grandmother taught me to crochet with my fingers when I was 5 or 6-years-old. I used basic yarn to make bracelet after bracelet. Learning how to make a crocheted chain is the first step in learning how to crochet. This is a fun and easy stitch to teach young children. Directions: Make a slip knot at one end of a strand of Eats ‘n Crafts. Place your finger in the knot and pull the longer string to make sure the loop is snug. Take the longer string and wrap it over your finger, above the loop and around. Carefully bring the bottom loop over the top loop until it is all the way over. Use the longer string to ensure the remaining loop is snug around your finger. The new loop you formed will now be the bottom loop. Repeat the process, pulling the bottom loop over the top loop.
Zipper Stitch Supplies: 2 strands of Eats ‘n Crafts for core strands (zipper tracks) 1 strand of Eats ‘n Crafts for working strand Directions: Tie all strands together at one end. Turn the working strand over the first core strand and under second core strand toward the right. Pull taut.
Then turn the working strand over the second core strand and under next core strand toward the left. Pull taut. Repeat until you reach desired length. Tie a knot at the end.
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indian Bead Stitch
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T h e J e w i s h h o m e n m ay 2 4 , 2012
In the Kitchen
THE JEWISH HOME
t h e n i K s i e t i c k h o e o n C Kids home from school this week? Why not spend a few hours in the kitchen and whip up some yummy cookies? Try something that suits their fancy or maybe even try them all! And after all that work, reward them with a tall, refreshing milkshake. Sounds like a great vacation day!
Soft ‘n Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients 1/4 cups flour ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter or margarine, room temperature ½ cup sugar 1 cup packed light-brown sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 large eggs 2 cups (about 12 ounces) semisweet and/or milk chocolate chips
Ingredients 1 cup butter or margarine, room temperature ½ cup sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch salt 2 cups flour 1 cup chopped nuts, optional ¾ cup raspberry jam or your favorite jam
Preparation Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter with both sugars; beat until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add the salt, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on baking sheet 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely.
Preparation Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Cream the margarine or butter and sugar until well incorporated. Separate the eggs. Add the yolks and vanilla and mix well. If using nuts, place the egg whites in a shallow dish and whisk until bubbly and frothy. Add the flour and salt. Mix until just combined. Place the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. If using nuts, dip dough into egg whites and then rolls in nuts until covered. Press down with your thumb to make a small well in the center of the cookie. Fill with ½ teaspoon of jam. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until slightly firm. Allow to cool before moving to wire rack to finish cooling. For a fun time, you can put a small square of chocolate or caramel in the center instead of the jam. Yum!
Ingredients 2 cups vanilla ice cream 3 chocolate chip cookies, broken up ¼ cup chocolate chips 1 cup milk Whipped cream, chocolate chips, and extra cookies for garnish, if desired
Ingredients 2¾ cups flour 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup unsalted butter or margarine, at room temperature 1½ cups sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Preparation Place vanilla ice cream, cookies, chocolate chips, and milk in blender. Make sure the lid is on tight and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses. Garnish with whipped cream, chocolate chips, and half chocolate chip cookie, if desired. Serve immediately with a thick straw.
JANUARY 23, 2014
Sumptuous Snickerdoodles
THE JEWISH HOME
Chocolate Chip Cookie Milkshake
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Preparation Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually stir in the flour mixture, beating on low speed just until the flour is blended. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes in the fridge. In the meantime, mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and then roll in the cinnamon and sugar mixture to coat. Place on chilled cookie sheet about 2 inches apart and bake for 10 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes and then remove to a cooling rack.
Peanut Butter Cookies Ingredients ¾ cup unsalted butter or margarine, room temperature ½ cup light brown sugar ½ cup sugar 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¾ cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy) 2 cups flour ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup chopped peanuts or 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional) Preparation Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in peanut butter. Add egg and vanilla and beat to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the batter and beat until incorporated. Fold in the chopped nuts or chocolate chips, if using. Place dough in refrigerator for ½ half to firm up. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Using tines of a fork dipped in sugar, make a crisscross pattern. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned around edges. Let cool before placing on wire rack to cool.
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DrDeb
If you notice yourself talking over the other person Why are you talking over your wife? There is only one answer but before I spill the beans, take a minute and see if you can think of it yourself. Close your eyes for a short while and then come back to this page. The reason we talk over the other person is not to drown them out but because we didn’t feel heard. Of course, it looks like we’re trying to shut them down and that is very bad. What’s worst, though, is that the truth never comes out. We look like the bad one when we’re not. So do the opposite. Take a long, slow, deep breath. Then do that again. Calm down; stop trying to be heard. Get real quiet. When your partner stops talking, say, “I had a lot of trouble listening to you because I didn’t feel heard before when I was speaking.” The key is to be quiet, honest, not attacking, and vulnerable. If you notice yourself preparing what you want to say instead of listening Please be honest if you do this! Probably most people heading to an argument do it – and it’s wrong. It’s rude and not so helpful (to put it delicately). After all, if you do it, he’s probably also doing it. Then who is listening in this conversation anyway? If no one is listening to each other, why bother trying to have a conversation, let alone an argument? The solution of course is to listen. Take notes, too. I’ve made people do that from time to time. I’ve noticed that
Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.
TJH Staff
Warning Signs of Escalation there are some people who are chronically unable to receive, recall, and act on what the other person says. Note-taking for them becomes an exercise in focusing on the other. The benefit of that for you is that you are finally engaged. And the other person, the speaker – perhaps for the first time – feels like a mensch in your eyes. That’s a very good feeling. And good feelings are good to nurture in relationships. If you notice yourself making digs In other words, you unexpectedly catch yourself saying something that
take some deep breaths and quiet down. Then say, “I felt hurt by what you just said.” This, too, takes vulnerability. You have to go there; you have to take that risk. I don’t believe that the person you’re with wanted to hurt you. They wanted you to get some sort of message; I don’t know what. But they didn’t intend to hurt you. It could even be that the other person didn’t realize those words would hurt you. What purpose would it have been for you to strike back? How would that enlighten someone? It doesn’t. So notice when you are shooting
if no one iS liStening to each other, why bother trying to have a converSation, let alone an argument?
hurts your partner. It’s not a big, obvious thing, but it’s something that, with thought, you wouldn’t say if you were fine together. Why did you do that? The answer is: You felt hurt, yourself. Often, hurts whoosh by us and we don’t register them. They sting but we just go forward. And a few minutes later we notice ourselves delivering a dart. We wonder where that came from. We feel a bit unnerved but somehow justified. Where it came from is that we were hurt ourselves but it didn’t register consciously. It’s only later when we deliver our own dart and feel like we’ve made things “fair” that we may wonder why we did that. Or perhaps we are so used to such conversations that neither the incoming sting nor the outgoing dart has been registering. Well, I’m asking you to notice. Notice the sting and how it hurts. Then don’t return the favor. Instead,
daggers – or even pocketknives – and ask yourself if maybe you retaliated because you were feeling hurt. Take that minute to assess yourself. And if it’s true, it is better to open up and be vulnerable than to have a needless fight and cause another person pain. If you notice yourself focusing on the negative It’s rare that any interaction is 100% bad. So why do people focus only on the negative? Even a funeral can have good aspects to it. When I was collecting data for my dissertation, I spent hours recording people who volunteered. One person said a line that has been imprinted in my memory all these years: “Thank G-d for every drink I took.” This person had been verbally abused by her father and as a teenager started drinking. How could that be good? Why was she thanking G-d for it? The answer is that for her, it meant
survival. At that time in her life, she had no other lifelines. Bad as it is (and was) it got her through. She eventually got clean, got a degree, settled down and made a happy life for herself. But she was able to see the value in what she needed to do to survive. If you are having a conversation with someone that you are supposed to love – whether it is your spouse, your child, your parent, your sibling or extended family – and you notice yourself only seeing the negative about that person or in your interaction, look again. Look for the good. It is always there. If you find yourself assuming what the other person meant but aren’t sure There are times in any conversation that we can easily make the wrong judgment about what the other person means. And the worst thing to do is to assume they mean the worst. You know what they say about assuming. Think of it this way: Wouldn’t it be nice to get a pleasant surprise and find out that they meant something positive? You’re actually depriving yourself of that pleasure by jumping to the wrong conclusion. When you are trying to listen but the other person just isn’t making sense, it’s healthier and happier to just ask them to explain themselves once again. They could be annoyed that you didn’t understand, but that annoyance is far less aversive than the repercussions of taking them to task for something they didn’t even intend to convey. We’ve all been there – having a conversation that unexpectedly takes a wrong turn. Use these warning signs to get back on track. There’s more at stake than just one conversation. Please note: Dr. Deb makes up all of the stories in her articles.
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.
JANUARY 23, 2014
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ho enjoys war? I’m looking around. I don’t see many hands raised. There’s one. Just one. Why does she like war anyway? Oh, turns out she didn’t hear me correctly. She thought I said, “Who enjoys the store?” Okay, okay. That was a joke. Bottom line, no one likes to fight. (There are rare exceptions which we won’t get into here.) So the question becomes, how can we be aware of the warning signs of war so we can stop it in the nick of time? Interestingly, most of the signs are within ourselves.
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Health & Fitness David Elazar Simai, MD
Simple Advice thAt Will Simplify your life – pArt iii
Make Your Doctor Your Friend
Dear Readers, I recall writing in the past about the importance of collaborating with your children’s doctor by being straightforward and reporting their entire medical history, even if you are uncomfortable with revealing some sensitive information. (It was titled “Partner With Your Physician” and should be uploaded to my website, doctorsimai.com, soon.) Today, I would like to discuss another important aspect of a doctor visit, namely, your child’s examination. In medical school, there was heavy stress on the importance of obtaining a proper history of present illness. I recall that in my third year of medical school, I was taught that 90% of the time, a doctor should be able to make a diagnosis by obtaining the history alone, without even examining the patient. The examination in many cases came just to confirm the suspicion. Recently, I read in a journal that if a physician is unsure of the diagnosis after spending five minutes obtaining history, he is in trouble! I reflected on this idea before writing this article, and wondered if this idea is true in the field of pediatrics. After all, it’s hard to tell if someone is wheezing, has an ear infection or strep throat based on the parent report alone. Very often, a child can present with “the perfect recipe” for an ear infection – fever, congestion and pulling on the ears – but upon examination show pearly, clear ears. On the other hand, a parent may describe an infant with a “mild cold” that turns out to be an infant with severe respiratory distress upon examination. So in many cases, pediatricians cannot afford to skip the exam and make assumptions. Alas, in the past few years, I have noticed a disturbing, dangerous phenomenon that may put our patients in danger. What I am referring to is not the fact that doctors are rushing through visits without properly examining their patients. I am referring to the fact that we, physicians, have to literally fight to get access
to examine some of our patients. If you feel that I am making this up, here is an example of recent scenario I encountered. A young mother recently came in with her 2-yearold daughter and reported that she had been coughing badly the previous night. After spending a few minutes obtaining the history, I suspected that the child suffered from “croup.” She had a barky cough, worsening at night, a low grade temperature and mild runny nose. She was sleeping in a warm room with her windows closed. As I gathered this information, I was trying hard not to jump into conclusions before
Let’s tell our children that their doctor is their true friend. examining the cute girl, but I did discuss steps that the mom could take to relieve dry, barky coughs. When I proceeded to examine the girl, she started looking more fearful. She just turned two, so I did not expect to have a fully co-operative patient, but I offered to give her a sticker and waited for a few moments before resting my stethoscope on her chest. After auscultating the lungs front and back, I asked the mom to help me check her ears and there came the shocking reply: “Doctor, what’s the point of this? It’s pretty obvious that my daughter has the croup, so why do we have to torture her and check her ears and throat?” I was truly shaken to hear this. Although I was partially desensitized to this “obstruction to care” because it is regrettably commonplace already for some parents to try and physically shield their child and hold them in position that makes it nearly impossible to examine, this was the first time a parent actually demanded that I not examine the child’s ears and throat. So in order to illustrate the importance of such thorough examination, I decided to share the following story with her: It was on a Motzei Shabbos a few years ago when my friend from medical school called me at home. David, he said, my wife and I are away on vacation and my 3-year-old son is running a fever and has been lit-
erally barking back at home. My mother is babysitting and is extremely nervous, but being that my regular doctor is away, do you mind stopping by my house and quickly checking him just to calm my mother down? Luckily, I had no special plans that night and was happy to help a good friend. I walked into the house, and after hearing the history from the bubby and hearing the boy cough, I surmised that the 3-year-old indeed had the croup. However, I started checking the child, as I always do. His lungs were crystal clear (yes, croup affects the upper airways, not the lungs), his ears were pearly, and his throat looked perfect. Then, I asked him to lift his head and look at the ceiling, and there, in his left nostril, laid a large white object. The boy was a little embarrassed when we asked him if he shoved something up his nose, but with G-d’s help, a few minutes later, I was able to remove a white piece of Lego from the cute boy’s nose. I told the bubby what to do with the barky cough and called my friend to give him a quick report. Now, I turned to the mother at my office and asked: if I was going to follow your assumptions that a barky child does not need an examination of the ears, nose and throat, what would happen to the little boy? How would his parents feel about my pompous assumptions? Yes, I made the diagnosis of croup, but did I fulfill my role as a physician? I reminded the mother that she invested so much time, effort and money coming into my office. Why would she prevent me from giving her daughter the care that she deserves? During routine well visits, I perform a scoliosis check on every teenager. Every year or two, I find a young patient with severe scoliosis on their exam. When that time comes, after discussing the diagnosis and the steps that ensue, I mention to the parents that their child made it worthwhile for me to examine the backs of about one thousand teenagers. Some of the most memorable moments in my life is getting a tearful thank you from mother of a nineand-a-half year old child that had her scoliosis diagnosed on my exam and received the treatment before it advanced to disfigure her back. How could I face the same mother and say that I skipped her daughter’s scoliosis exam because she was “uncomfortable” or difficult to examine? (It is always performed in a tzinius-dik way.) Or just because I assumed that based
child that the doctor is his friend and your child will actually look forward the encounter with his doctor. Naturally, I noticed that most toddlers become my best friends between 2-3 years old. I attribute it to the fact that they grow more mature and confident, and have mostly finished associating doctors with pain as their immunizations are usually completed by their second birthday. However, children whose parents suffer from anxiety could be heard screaming when I walk into the
With love, David E. Simai, M.D. To view this or previous articles online, please visit www.DoctorSimai.com.
room even at the age of 4- and 5-years-old. In a few cases I noticed that these 4- and 5-year-old screamers never received any vaccinations at all! So what was behind these shouts? I genuinely feel that sometimes the parents’ negative feelings and fears of their doctor trickled down to their kids. On the flip side, I see many parents who stay calm and relaxed while I clean their children’s ears and offer a smile when the child opens their mouth wide for a strep test. Their children emerge from my office stronger and with a good feeling of accomplishment. The children conquer their fears and understand that life includes some minor but necessary pains. They truly earn their lollipops and stickers!
Dr. David Simai is a Board Certified Pediatrician from the Five Towns. He is a full time attending in his own private practice since 2007 in Cedarhurst, New York. In addition, he is an Attending Physician at LIJ-Cohen Children’s Hospital, North-Shore Manhasset University Hospital and South Nassau Communities Hospital. He can be contacted for consultation at 516 374-2228 or via email at davidsimai@ yahoo.com. NOTE: name, gender, geographical area and other identifying information were deliberately altered in this article in order to protect the patient’s privacy. This article is not intended to help diagnose or treat any specific disease. Always consult your personal physician before diagnosing or treating yourself or your child for any of the above mentioned illnesses.
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JANUARY 23, 2014
In many cases, pediatricians cannot afford to skip the exam and make assumptions.
So let’s try to raise a healthier and calmer generation of children. Let us instill confidence in our kids, rather than a fear of being examined. Let’s “play doctor” with our kids and have them look forward to see their physician. Let’s tell our children that their doctor is their true friend. This advice may one day just save the little people for whom you pray.
THE JEWISH HOME
on her family history, she was at a low risk of having scoliosis? I do not think that I became a doctor so I could start making assumptions and cut visits short to save time and effort. In the Five Towns, we are blessed with great access to healthcare. We live in a community that produces top notch physicians and have a truly great lineup of pediatricians. We are the envy of other communities, where people have to travel miles and sit in crowded waiting rooms for hours, if they are lucky enough to see their doctor and not waste time in emergency rooms. I feel that as responsible parents, we should work together with the doctors to facilitate the proper examination of our children. Yes, most children under three fear their doctors and they have all the right in the world to do so (they are usually sent home with a goodbye that includes several shots in their arms). However, I strongly feel that if a parent shows the proper reaction and stays calm when a doctor approaches to examine their child, the child will feel more comfortable when he is being examined. When a child observes that the parent pulls him away from the doctor or sees the parent cringe when the doctor simply looks in the child’s nose or ear, the child gets the wrong message. He detects that the doctor is inflicting pain, rather than infusing health. Another easy way to stir this fear is by telling your child, “If you don’t eat your supper, I will take you to the doctor and ask him to give you a shot.” On the other hand, if you tell your child, “If you are nice to your sister, I will take you to the doctor and tell him that you were so helpful; he will surely reward you with a sticker and a lollipop,” you will remind your
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Health & Fitness Devorah Gerber Schmeltz
Flying with my Sensory-Seeking Child My seven-year-old son has sensory issues; most I have learned how to manage. There is one (big) issue that I do not know how to deal with. My son loves to shriek and this can happen at random and often at the most inappropriate times. We will be flying out next week for winter break and I just know at some point during the two hour flight he will shriek. Is there anything I can do or provide him with to avoid this from happening? No doubt, when he sees the attention given to him after he shrieks it will only add more motivation to do it repeatedly. We are leaving soon so your timely response would be greatly appreciated!
beforehand about his shrieking and provide him with alternative ways he can use his mouth. One idea is having him blow a dog whistle; it will
provide him with the oral sensation of “blowing off some steam” but it will not disturb anyone, although you may want to check if there are any dogs on board. Another idea is chewing gum or The Therapist Responds: having him munch on very crunchy Firstly, I would like to give you a foods such as pretzel rods and carrot high five for recsticks or chewy ognizing your foods such as child’s sensory licorice. concerns and Social relearning how to inforcers, such have handy as “I’m so immanage them. activitieS for him pressed on how There can be a nicely you are number of readuring the flight. playing” prosons why he vided to him shrieks. Right during the flight now we will are also recomdeal with your mended. flight coming up Wishing you an enjoyable trip! in the coming days. I would discuss with your son over the next several days about the flight, what will happen at the airport, security, takeoff, mid-flight, etc. This will provide him Devorah (Gerber) Schmeltz, MS OTR/L with a story in his mind of what to ex- is a 2003 alumnus of Downstate Medipect and should ease any feelings of cal Center’s OT Program. She worked as a senior occupational therapist at United anxiety. Another recommendation is to Cerebral Palsy’s Brooklyn Children’s have handy activities for him during Program for 9 years. Currently, Devorah the flight. Ideas include a DVD play- runs a private practice, Bumble & Tumble er, hand-held games, music and his Occupational Therapy P.C in Far Rockafavorite books. Being engrossed in way. Your questions and comments are an engaging activity may distract him welcome. She can be reached at Bumble TumbleTherapy@gmail.com or 917-971from shrieking. You can also discuss with him 5327.
75 THE JEWISH HOME JANUARY 23, 2014
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THE JEWISH T h e J e wHOME i s h h o mJANUARY e n m ay 23, 2 4 ,2014 2012
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Cover Story
s d n e i r F n ‘ n u F
Staying home this vacation? Spend the day No problem! indoors and h ave a great tim e with your frie with these am nds azing stay-cati on ideas!
Spa Day
BEST FOR: girlS
ageS 7-13
want to feel pretty and preened? Sp end the day at the with your friends spa and you’ll come ou t relaxed and even beautiful! more
AC TIvIT y #1:
Scavenger Hunt
BEST FOR: boyS AC TIvIT y #1:
and girlS ageS
5-12
we’re going on a treasure hunt, we’ re going on a treas hunt! with just a ure little bit of prepar at ion, your day can be filled with lots of fun! the night before, plan the hu with your parents. nt they can help you with the clues, usin pictures or cute rid g dles. don’t listen in—you want to en the fun, too! whe jo y n your friends com e, split up into team and search around s the house for “bur ied treasure.” whe each clue is found, n a small prize is give n to the team that found it first. the last clue holds the treasure—filled w small toys and priz ith es for everyone! X marks the spot!
AC TIvIT y #2:
when having a sn ack, keep up the th eme by playing “i you can give ever spy.” yone a turn by go in g around the circle and giving each pe rson a turn to be th e “i spy” leader.
manicures and pe dicures! bottles of nail polish in diffe colors can create ho rent urs of fun! experim ent with different designs, alternate colors of polish, an d then start again! sure to keep loads make of nail polish remov er within reach an place a mat on the d floor to prevent sp ills. have a stack cheap flip flops on of hand, and keep tw o small fans and m zines on the side fo agar your “drying stat ion.”
AC TIvIT y #2:
beauty salon beau ties—your friends will love to have th hair blow dried an eir d curled. know ho w to french braid make a twist? take or turns making each other’s hair curly, straight and fantab ulous! make sure to take pictures so can remember yo you ur handiwork!
77 101
BEST FOR: boyS
and girlS 4-13
who says someone has to have a birthd ay just so we can party? bring out th e streamers and ba lloons—we’re gonn celebrate! a
AC TIvIT y #1:
Parties are fun be cause they’re…pa rties! you and your friends can have fu n decorating your party room with streamers, balloon s and fun signs. co lorful markers, glitt glue and scissors er, are the essential su pplies, but you ca so many more item n use s to decorate the ro om. make paper chains with constru ction paper and cu t out party hats fo everyone. r
AC TIvIT y #2:
once the room is adorned with fest ive decorations, le games begin! choo t the se two or three pa rty games that yo enjoy—pin the ta u il on the donkey, m usical chairs, ballo dance, freeze tag, on pass the present… these are all great games and are so much fun! keep th e music blasting, ha nosh and cake (or ve cupcakes) on-han d and maybe even send home a part y bag when you’re done!
BEST FOR: boyS
and girlS 6-12
AC TIvIT y#1:
ever think that bo ard games are borin g? think again! fo the first activity of r the day, make your own board game— by baking a cake! using a cake mix (it ’s just easier), have each person bake a square chocolat e cake or have two people “share” a 9x 13 cake. go onto to your next activ while the cake ba ity kes. when the cake is baked and cool place frosting in a ed, piping bag and pl ay tic-tac-toe usin your delicious cake g ! have your friends play once or twice before taking hom e their delicious ga mes.
AC TIvIT y #2:
know any fun boar d games? i do. th ere are so many ou there, that there is t bound to one that tickles your fancy. Playing games is a great way to spen d the day indoors— and have fun! to make it even more fun for you and yo friends, have them ur bring their games to yo ur ho this way, you’ll ha use as well. ve a stack of games to choose from an you’ll be able to sw d itch off when you need a break. mak sure to pop a huge e bowl of popcorn an d have some iced tea or hot cocoa on hand.
JEWISH JANUARY 23, 2014 T h eTHE Jew i s h h oHOME m e n m ay 2 4 , 2012
Let’s Party!
Don’t Be “Board”
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of a fantastic summer- and anticipate the exciting one ahead!
the first ever
PIZZA! Camp Video! Raffles! Bring a Friend!
JANUARY 23, 2014
Prepare to enjoy the memories
80 98 THE JEWISH T h e J e wHOME i s h h o mJANUARY e n m ay 23, 2 4 ,2014 2012
Florida Dining Guide For those of you who are enjoying time off in the sunny Florida weather, make sure to check out these wonderful restaurants for lunch or dinner (or anytime in between!). Make sure to call before you go; these places fill up fast!
Asi’s Grill & Sushi Bar 4020 royal Palm avenue (off of 41st St.) miami beach, fl 33140 (305) 604-0555 Asia Boca Raton 7600 w. camino real (off Powerline rd.) boca raton, fl 33433 (561) 544-8100 Bagel Time 3915 alton road miami beach, fl 33140 (305) 538-0300 Beyond by Shemtov’s 514 west 41st Street miami beach, fl 33140 (305) 538-2123
Capri Sushi & Italian 726 - 41st Street miami beach, fl 33140 (305) 534-0551 Chai Wok 1688 n.e. 164th Street n. miami beach, fl 33162 (305) 705-2110 China Beach 3919 alton rd. miami beach, fl 33140 (305) 534-3034 China Bistro 3565 ne 207th Street (the waterways) aventura, fl 33180 (305) 936-0755
Café Emunah 3558 n ocean blvd fort lauderdale, fl 33308 (954) 561-6411
China Kikar Tel Aviv 5005 collins avenue (in carriage club north) miami beach, fl 33140 (305) 866-3316
Café Vert 9490 harding ave Surfside, fl 33154 (305) 867-3151
Chosen Chinese 660 west hallandale beach blvd hallandale beach, fl 33009 (954) 248-3111
Cine Citta Cafe 9544 harding avenue (off 95th Street) Surfside, fl 33154 (305) 866-8688 Fresko 19048 ne 29 avenue (just behind the Publix of loehman’s) aventura, fl 33180 (786) 272-3737 Gigi’s Cafe 3585 ne 207th St (the waterways Shoppes) aventura, fl 33180 (305) 466-4648 Grand Cafe Espresso Bar 2905 Stirling rd hollywood, fl 33312 (954) 986-6860 Grill House 976 41st Street (off alton road) miami beach, fl 33140 (305) 674-9005
Grill Time North Miami 16145 biscayne blvd (just south of 163rd Street) n. miami beach, fl 33160 (786) 274-8935 Holy Bagels & Pizzeria 93 nw 1st St downtown location miami, fl 33128 (305) 961-7878 House of Dog: Dogs n’ Beer 456 - 41st Street miami beach, fl 33140 (305) 397-8733 Jerusalem Pizza 761 ne 167 St north miami beach, fl 33162 (305) 653-6662 Kosh Miami 9477 harding ave Surfside, fl 33154 (305) 763-8601 Kosher Gourmet 7508 universal blvd. orlando, fl 32819 (407) 354-1296 Lenny’s Pizza 544 arthur godfrey rd. miami beach, fl 33140 (305) 397-8395 Lotus 9487 harding ave. Surfside, fl 33154 (305) 397-8062
Lower East Side Restaurant 8548 Palm Parkway orlando, fl 32836 (407) 465-0565
Skoops Miami 1140 ne 163 St north miami beach, fl 33183 (305) 949-9100
Lul Cafe 18288 collins avenue (in Shopping complex) Sunny isles, fl 33160 (305) 933-0199
Soho Asian Bar and Grill 19004 ne 29th avenue aventura, fl 33180 (305) 466-5656
Mexico Bravo 16850 collins ave Sunny isles, fl 33160 (305) 948-1158 Mozart Cafe 4433 Stirling rd (opposite n. 64th avenue) fort lauderdale, fl 33314 (954) 584-5171 Mozart Grill 18120 collins avenue Sunny isles, fl 33160 305-974-0098 Pita Hut Aventura 1850 west dixie hwy aventura, fl 33160 (305) 792-0821 Rare Steakhouse 4101 Pine tree drive (off 41st Street in tower 41) miami beach, fl 33140 (305) 532-7273 Seventeen Restaurant 1205 17th Street (crossing of alton rd and 17th St) miami beach, fl 33139 (305) 672-0565 Shalom Haifa 18533 west dixie highway north miami beach, fl 33183 (305) 936-1800
Subres Grill 2218 n.e. 123rd Street (former location of Sara’s restaurant) north miami, fl 33181 (305) 899-0095 Subway (in the jcc) 18900 ne 25th ave north miami, fl 33180 (305) 663-9883 Thai Treat 2176 ne 123 Street north miami, fl 33181 (305) 892-1118 The Coffee Bean 19501 biscayne blvd aventura, fl 33180 (305) 466-9243 The Harbour Grill 9415 harding ave Surfside, fl 33154 (305) 861-0787 Uncle Noodle’s Pizzeria 2530 miami gardens dr miami, fl 33180 (305) 918-8998 Weber Cafe 3565 ne 207 Street (in the waterways) aventura, fl 33180 (305) 935-5580
TJH is not responsible for the kashrus or atmosphere of any establishment listed. Please check before you go to ensure a pleasant experience. Bon appetit!
81 99 JEWISH JANUARY 23, 2014 T h eTHE Jew i s h h oHOME m e n m ay 2 4 , 2012
Grill Time Boca Raton 8177 glades road (just west of florida’s turnpike) boca raton, fl 33433 (561) 482-3699
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Homework Hurdles
Rabbi Dov Silver
Founder and Executive Vice President, Madraigos Homework plays an important role in education as it reinforces what is taught in school. I would recommend that you reach out to the school since the challenge you are facing is an issue to be worked out with the teacher and administration. You should have an in-
depth discussion with your son’s school about their policies and chart a path that is appropriate for your child. Depending on your son’s needs and learning style, there may be possible suggestions and alternatives which would resolve or help alleviate the problem you have described. May you have much hatzlacha in school and may your son thrive in his studies and find success in all areas of his life.
Rabbi Yisroel Kaminetsky Menahel, DRS Yeshiva High School for Boys, HALB
I don’t think writing sentences using vocabulary words is “busy” work. I think that is how you learn vocabulary. If you feel that his health is more
important than his completing all of his homework and will not allow him to complete it, I suggest that you do two things. Firstly, have a meeting with the teacher, to respectfully voice your opinion that there is just too much work for your son to finish. See if the teacher can compromise due to your son’s homework pace and sleeping schedule. Secondly, it is very important that you give the appropriate message to your son when you allow him not to finish everything. The message should be that while for other kids this assignment may be appropriate, for you, your teacher has agreed that you will do less. It is important never to communicate the message to your son that the work is “busy” work and unimportant, because that will undermine a healthy sense of respect for the teacher and for homework in general. Homework can help students internalize lessons and hone techniques they have learned in the classroom. It is important that students get the message that no one will achieve anything significant in life without hard work, and cutting corners will not really get a person ahead in the long run.
Dr. Dov Finman
Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Faculty Fellow, Adelphi University Entering grade school marks a transition in the life of a child. By first grade, a yeshiva boy or girl is in school until 4:00pm or 4:30pm. If your child commutes as well, it stretches the day even longer. In the winter, it’s dark by the time they get home. You mentioned that your child gets home at 5:30pm and then has homework. If homework
takes over an hour then you barely have enough time to get your child washed up and fed and then he is off to bed. When children enter grade school, they leave the world of play and are thrust into the world of sitting in a chair all day, listening quietly, raising their hands, etc… Of course, children have recess and our wonderful mechanchim and mechanchos understand that these young children need time to play as well. Your child has many years ahead of long days of schoolwork and homework. Ideally, those years shouldn’t be spent stressed out about performing academically, rather they should be balanced. If your son is stressed from the long day, then this should be addressed. However, you want to make sure that everyone involved in your child’s education is on the same page. If you
contradict your child’s teacher or rebbi, it sends the wrong message to the child. Children thrive on consistency. Your first step should be to communicate with the teacher. Perhaps the teacher can agree with the parent to allow some discretion with doing homework. Some teachers/rebbis tell parents that they can let their child not do homework occasionally if the child is worn out from school or if there is some other family need. Whatever the arrangement, you should speak to the teacher and come to a resolution together so that your son gets a consistent message at school and at home. Have any questions you’d like to address? Feel free to send your parenting questions to the moderator, Dr. Dov Finman, at DrFinman@gmail.com.
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My second grader’s English teacher has been giving homework that is taking my son more than an hour to complete. It seems to be more “busy” work, for example, “Write ten sentences using each of the following words.” My son is a good student but he comes home from school at 5:30 and goes to sleep at 7:30. If we allow him not to do some of his homework, will that impact how he views doing homework in the future?
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T h eTHE Jew i s h h oHOME m e n m ay 2 4 , 2012 JEWISH JANUARY 23, 2014
Parenting Panel
THE JEWISH HOME The Jew i s h h o mJANUARY e n m ay 23, 2 4 2014 , 2012
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Forgotten Heroes
Avi Heiligman
Operation Focus
Israel’s Amazing Air Fight
T
hroughout Israel’s brief but action-packed military history, the country with Hashem’s help managed to defeat much larger and better trained armies. Before signing a peace treaty with Egypt in 1979, the Egyptian Air Force with the backing of the Soviets proved a menacing threat to Israel’s existence. At the start of the Six Day War in June 1967, the IAF (Israeli Air Force) pulled off one of the most spectacular air raids in the history of the airplane. They completely destroyed Egypt’s Air Force and airbases in a matter of hours. It was called Operation Focus
Destroyed Egyptian aircraft
or Moked and is considered the IAF’s finest hour. Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser had been provoking Israel several months prior by closing an important shipping lane to Israel. In addition, he was threatening Israel with war claims since May and made a war pact with Jordan. Israeli intelligence detected an Egyptian military buildup near the border and identified several enemy airbases key to the war plans. The IAF was placed on full alert and trained to go on up to four missions a day. This fast-paced refueling process allowed the numerically inferior IAF aircraft to send several waves of planes at various times during the first day of war. Israel had about 200 combat planes (fighters and bombers) available and all but 12 were used in the operation. The main type of airplane flown was the French-built Mirage III. The tiny country was putting
her entire air force on the line for the bases that would take months to reopportunity to destroy the Egyptian pair. At 10:30 AM, General Hod raAir Force, and Air Force Command- dioed Yitzchak Rabin: “The Egyptian er Motti Hod felt confident that they Air Force has ceased to exist.” would succeed. An Egyptian At 7:45 on the morning of June 5, pilot had this to 1967, the war started with the IAF de- say about the first livering the first punch in a preemptive two waves of IAF strike. They were due to arrive over planes: “Some Egyptian airspace when the enemy 30 seconds from pilots were eating breakfast, and to the end of the achieve complete surprise, the planes [first] attack, a flew close to the ground to avoid ra- second wave of dar detection. Egyptian radar didn’t planes arrived... pick up the incoming aircraft but the We ran about the Jordanians did and relayed the infor- desert, looking mation to the Egyptians; for cover, but due to technical and the planes didn’t shoot. They merely communication difficul- circled, their pilots surprised that the ties the Egyptians never base was completely destroyed and received the message. that no targets remained. We were the In the first wave, 183 only targets... weak humans scurryIsraeli planes destroyed ing in the desert with handguns as out about 200 enemy planes only means of defense. It was a sad stationed at 11 airbases. comedy... pilots of the newest and best Most never got off the equipped jets fighting with handguns. ground but nine man- Five minutes after the beginning of aged to get into aerial the attack, the planes disappeared and dogfights with the Is- a silence prevailed that encompassed raelis and were shot the desert and the noise of the fire that down. The IAF lost just destroyed our planes and the airbase ten planes in this first and the squadron. They completed attack. In less than ten minutes after their assignment in the best way posreturning to their bases in Israel, the sible, with a ration of losses –100 perplanes were refueled and on their way cent for us, 0 percent for them.” back for a second strike. The Arab coalition was reeling The second wave of IAF aircraft from the loss of the Egyptian Air Force struck at 9:30 in the fight and lasted but in the next about an hour. three hours Even though other countries the element of would have surprise was their air forces lost in this attacked. Syrround, another ia, Jordan and 100 Egyptian Iraq responded planes were with retaliadestroyed and tory raids on Flying over the Egyptian-Israeli 16 airfields civilian targets border on June 5 were severely within Israel, damaged. The thankfully doIsraelis suffered minimal damage and ing little damage. The third wave of confused citizens in Cairo were cele- Israeli aircraft was diverted from brating the fictitious Egyptian victory. Egyptian targets to attack targets from In three hours, 70% of the Egyptian the other three countries. The Syrians Air Force was destroyed along with lost at least 50 planes in this wave. A
fourth wave was sent out in the evening and attacked an airbase in southern Egypt. At the end of the first day, the Is-
raeli plan of a bold preemptive strike had borne fruits as the IAF held domination of the skies for the rest of the war. The IAF continued to attack targets of opportunity throughout the war and by the third day, Jordan’s 34 combat planes had been put out of action and the country was out of the fight. Syria lost about 100 planes during the conflict, and Iraq had over 20 aircraft destroyed by the Israelis. Most of the planes were destroyed on the ground but the ones that did manage to take to the skies were quickly overwhelmed by the Israelis with their superior dogfighting tactics. For their part, the IAF lost a reported 46 planes. Nineteen were lost in combat with most being shot down by ground fire. 24 Israeli pilots were killed. Operation Focus was successful way beyond the most optimistic expectations before it started. The Arab air forces had formidable planes and defenses along with the latest Russian technology and knocking them out in a matter of hours was the major factor in the Israeli victory. It was also an intelligence coup because identifying the major enemy airbases and weak points in the enemy lines took several months.
Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comments and suggestions.for future columns and can be reached at aviheiligman@ gmail.com.
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Ask the Attorney Zehava Schechter, Esq.
Fighting Over Assets Even When Mom is Alive home) will be under the sole control of my sister and she refuses to use any of that money to reimburse me for mom’s expenses which I pay. She is watching every penny until mom dies and she
it iS likely that dealing with your SiblingS will not get any eaSier and, in fact, the difficultieS may exacerbate.
can get her third of mom’s estate. This is so unfair. What can I do to force my sister to reimburse me for money I have spent on mom’s behalf? The Attorney Responds: This is a tough situation which I see often: grown children/siblings fighting over parents’ money while the parents are still well and alive. Let’s get the
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people (e.g. giving tzedaka) and often brings out the worst as the beneficiaries jockey to preserve their inheritance. It appears that your sister views any payments to you – which would then set a precedent leading to more payments – as reducing the amount she will eventually inherit. Too often I see adult beneficiaries fighting not really over money but rather over whom they perceive mom or dad loved the most. Perhaps, you were the favored child and now your siblings are looking for “compensation.” I hope this is not the case; however, I see this story line play out over and over. So, plan for the worst. You need to decide if you will continue to pay for mom’s expenses which your sister does not reimburse. Perhaps, if you stop paying those expenses, your sister (the trustee) will write a check; maybe she will not. Your mother transferred the deed (title) to the house to an Irrevocable Trust. This means that your mother abdicated all control over this real property and cannot revoke or cancel this transaction. This is often done in cases of Medicaid-planning, which is a subject discussed by Roman Aminov, Esq. in this column in prior articles. As Roman explained, there are reasons for and against this move; the reasons are outside the scope of this article. However, it is clear that the decision to transfer any asset to a trust deserves considerable thought and review. The choice of trustee is no less important than the establishment of the trust itself. Let’s move on to the role of a trustee in administering a trust. A trust is a le-
gal entity established by a trust document which holds assets but is not a living thing. The trustee, a fiduciary who controls the assets and is responsible to the beneficiaries named in the trust document, must use his/her best judgment in managing the trust assets. If the trustee mismanages the funds, he/she may be personally liable for the loss. You have learned the hard way that the trustee wields all of the power along with the responsibility. How can you force the Trustee to pay you the money you feel is owed to you? The short answer is you cannot. Your remedy is to file a petition in the appropriate court requesting the judge to remove your sister as Trustee and naming someone else in her place. Even if you bring this action, you may not succeed as you will likely have to show gross mismanagement of funds to have her removed. It may be unlikely that she would be removed for refusing to give you money. Having spoken with you about this option, I understand you want to avoid further confrontation and will not pursue this action. Therefore,
I return to my earlier question to you as to whether you are willing to continue to pay for mom’s expenses even without reimbursement. Where family – and especially a parent – is involved, there is no simple answer. Good luck to you and your family.
W. Zehava Schechter, Esq. specializes in real estate law, estate planning and administration, and business law. Her law practice is located on Long Island. Please send your comments to SchechterLaw@gmail.com. No column is a substitute for competent legal advice. Please consult with the attorney of your choice concerning specific legal questions you may have.
JANUARY 23, 2014
Seven years ago, my now 87-yearold mother transferred the house she owned to an Irrevocable Trust for Medicaid-planning reasons. My oldest sister, Chana, lives on the West Coast and insisted on being named as Trustee. My brother, who also lives out of town, did not argue; he is only interested in receiving money from my mother’s estate when she passes. I did not want to fight. In the meanwhile, I live near mom and am the only one taking care of her. I bring her to the doctor, cook for her, drive her everywhere – and yet my sister, the Trustee, refuses to reimburse me for my expenses relating to mom from Trust assets. My siblings and I are in our 60’s; I do not want to start a fight yet again. Now, mom is moving into a smaller residence – a 2-bedroom cooperative apartment – where none of us will need to worry about shoveling the snow, fixing the roof, etc. The proceeds for the sale of mom’s home (really the Trust’s
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From My Private Art Collection Rebbetzin Naomi N. Herzberg
Expressions of Appreciation for Art and Design
Blue Still Life, by Henri Matisse
The Bellelli Family, by Edgar Degas
In this week’s column, it is my pleasure to share interesting quotes relating to creative expression “Every animal leaves traces of what it was; man alone leaves traces of what he created.” - Jacob Bronowski “At last I could work with complete independence concerning myself with the eventual judgment of a jury. I admired Manet, Courbet, and Degas. I hated conventional art. I began to live.” - Mary Cassatt “A work of art which did not originate from emotion is not art. Emotion is the starting point, the beginning and the end. Craftsmanship, execution, technique are in the middle.” “Landscape reflects itself in me, becoming human and comprehensible.” “Treat nature in terms of the cylinder, the sphere, the cone, all in perspective.” - Paul C’ezanne “Art is the unceasing effort to compete with the beauty of flowers- and never succeeding.” - Marc Chagall “The earth is an instrument that goes rusty if it isn’t used. Is it possible to be a heartless artist?” “The fascinating thing is not to show the source of light, but the effect of light.” - Edgar Degas “Everyone is a painter. To paint is like to speak or to walk. For the human being it is just as natural to draw on any surface available and to make some
The Praying Jew, by Marc Chagall Children Playing on the Beach, by Mary Cassatt
kind of image as it is to speak.” - Jean Dubuffet “I call architecture frozen music.” “Nothing is wholly inside or wholly outside, for what is inside relates to the outside.” “There is much more in art that can be learned, more is handed down through generations, than is commonly realized. The mechanical devices which help to produce most artistic effects-of course, it goes without saying that artistic spirit is always needed too- are plentiful.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe “The picture that looks as if it were done without an effort may have been a perfect battlefield in its making.” - Robert Henri “One type of artist paints a picture and the other writes a novel (The Art of Fiction).” - Henry James “He that seeks popularity in art closes the door on his own genius….” - Anna Brownell Jameson “See these finely executed drawings with their careful gradations of white and black? They are the homework which I still impose upon myself to this very day.” “What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity, devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter… like a mental soother, something like a good armchair in which to rest from physical fatigue.” - Henri Matisse
“Drawing is the original source and soul of all painting and the root of all art. To him who succeeds in learning to draw I say that he owns a precious treasure. For with the brush he can create figures higher than any tower which can be cut out of stone with a chisel.” - Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni “I advise you to paint the best way you can as much as you can without being afraid to paint bad pictures beautiful.” - Claude Oscar Monet “Everyone has many associations with a flower- the idea of flowers…. Still, in a way, nobody sees a flower-really-it is so small-we haven’t time- and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time. If I could paint the flower exactly as I see it no one would see what I see because I would paint it small like the flower is small. So I said to myself-I’ll paint what I see-what the flower is to me but I’ll paint it big and they will be surprised into taking time to look at it—I will make even busy New Yorkers take time to see what I see of flowers.” - Georgia O’Keeffe “All I wish for is that my picture should communicate the emotion that went into it.” “In reality one works with few colors. What gives the illusion of their being many is simply the fact that they have been put in the right place.” “I treat paintings as I treat objects. If a window in a picture looks wrong, I close it and draw the curtains, just as I would do in my own room.” - Pablo Picasso
“I want to create an image which will stimulate a fresh way of seeing again and something that was experienced but not forgotten with the passage of time.” - Bridget Riley “The painter is the confidant of silent nature. Flowers converse with him through the graceful bowing of their stems, through the softly changing colors of their blossoms. Through each flower nature addresses him with a friendly word.” - Francois- Auguste-Ren’e Rodin “Quanta bellezza al cor per gli occhi! How much beauty the heart perceives through the eyes.” - Leonardo da Vinci “I realized that all the really good ideas came to me while milking a cow. So I went back to Iowa.” - Grant Wood “No house should ever be on a hill or on anything. It should be of the hill. Belonging to it. Hill and house should live together, each the happier for the other.” “The physician can bury his mistakes, but the architect can only advise his clients to plant vines.” - Frank Lloyd Wright 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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JANUARY 23, 2014 THE JEWISH HOME
Naomi Nachman
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his recipe is a twist on this classic dish. Traditionally, fettuccine alfredo is a pasta dish made from fettucine pasta tossed with Parmesan cheese and butter. As the cheese melts, it emulsifies the liquids to form a smooth and rich coating on the pasta. My husband loves fettuccine alfredo and was always ordering it when we would go out to restaurants. I figured that I could come up with my own recipe for our family. I took the classic and turned it into a meal with some protein and a veg-
etable. My children love the creamy mixture of the pasta together with the salmon. They even eat the broccoli too! If your family doesn’t like fish, you can serve the pasta without anything but the sauce. You can also use a variation of additions to the pasta. For instance, you can add peas, sautéed mushrooms or grilled tuna. Find your inner chef and let your imagination run wild! NOTE: This dish was named by an Italian restaurateur at his restaurant Alfredo alla Scrofa in Rome.
Fettuccine Alfredo Ingredients 12 oz. fettuccine, uncooked ½ cup (1 stick) butter 1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 pound salmon, cooked and flaked (recipe follows) 8 oz. bag frozen broccoli Preparation Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large sauté pan, melt the butter. When the butter has melted, add the heavy cream and bring to almost a boil. Add the cheese and stir until combined. Simmer on very low heat for 10 minutes, which will allow the sauce to thicken a little. Then add salt and pepper to taste. Toss the cooked pasta into the sauce and add in flaked salmon and broccoli. To prepare the broccoli: Place broccoli on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, drizzle with olive oil and season with a little kosher salt. Bake for 15 minutes at 400°. When cooled, fold into the pasta dish. Serve with warm garlic bread.
Salmon Ingredients 1 lb salmon fillet ¼ tsp salt
½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp dried dill Black pepper Lemon juice Preparation Place 1 pound fillet of salmon on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Season with ¼teaspoon salt, crushed black pepper, ½ tsp of garlic powder, ½ teaspoon dried dill, drizzle with a little olive oil and squeeze some lemon juice over it. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. When it cools a little, flake it into the prepared pasta dish. Serve with garlic bread
Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website,www.theaussiegourmet.com or at (516) 295-9669.
T h e J e w i s h h o m e n m ay 2 4 , 2012
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The Endangered Species List
O
n September 1, 1914, “Martha,” the last remaining passenger pigeon (ectopistes migratorius), died at the Cincinnati Zoo. On September 7, 1936, “Benjamin,” the last Tasmanian tiger (thylacinus cynocephalus), died at Australia’s Hobart Zoo. And on June 24, 2012, “Lonesome George,” the last living Pinta Island tortoise (chelonoidis nigra abingdoni), died in Ecuador’s Galapagos National own penalties. Most recently, “Beanie Park. Babies” creator Ty Warner pled guilty to When you think of endangered evading $5 million in tax and agreed to species, you naturally think of plants a $53 million fine — and still faces four and animals. But the IRS has its own years in jail. endangered species list (called “listed And now? Well, some observers transactions”), and that means some- say that Swiss banks are actually doing times even tax strategies go extinct. So, the IRS’s job for them. Better to rat out for example, in October, 2006, the last clients than pay IRS fines! Banks are grandfathered private annuity trust was pressuring Americans to report their acformed. On April 10, 2007, most so- counts, and even freezing accounts uncalled “Section 419(e)” plans were shot less clients can prove they’re playing by down. Now, could the venerable Swiss the new rules. U.S. attorneys are generbank account (bankum secretus stron- ally advising clients with secret accounts gius) be next? to ‘fess up now before the IRS finds them Switzerland’s banking laws have and penalizes them 50% of their ballong made it a crime to reveal an account ances. At this point, attorneys say, disholder’s name. covery is a matter At the same time, of “when,” not Swiss authorities “if.” That mesSome obServerS Say have historically sage appears to refused to coopbe hitting home. that SwiSS bankS are erate with foreign Since 2009, over actually doing the 38,000 Americountries where cans have come failure to report irS’S job for them. forth and paid taxable income over $5 billion in is concerned. taxes, penalties, Together, these policies made Switzerland the banker of and interest. The once-celebrated Swiss choice for Colombian druglords, Sub- bank account appears headed the way of Saharan kleptocrats, Russian oligarchs, the dodo, as far as U.S. tax cheats are and even the so-called “Wolf of Wall concerned. Look, we understand that everybody Street,” Jordan Belfort. But recently those protections wants to pay less tax. But there’s a right have melted away like so much Swiss way to do it and there’s a wrong way to chocolate sitting in the bright alpine sun. do it. The right way is to take advantage It started back in 2008 when Bradley of hundreds of legitimate deductions, Birkenfeld, a mid-level banker, blew the credits, and strategies contained in the whistle on helping American taxpayers tax code and treasury regulations. And “forget” to report millions of dollars of it all starts with a plan. Accountants can interest income. Birkenfeld’s bombshell give you that plan, and it doesn’t involve landed him a 40-month prison sentence a trip to Zurich or Geneva to visit your and a $104 million reward from the IRS. money. And if you really like cuckoo A year later, the Department of Justice clocks, fine watches, and yodeling, you fined the biggest Swiss bank $790 mil- can take a legitimate trip with the savlion and cut a deal with the Swiss gov- ings! ernment, giving them power to force their banks to disgorge information on Allan J Rolnick is a CPA who has been in American depositors almost on demand. practice for over 30 years in Queens, NY. In 2012, an even stronger settlement re- He welcomes your comments and can be quired 300 Swiss banks to identify their reached at 718-896-8715 or at allanjrcpa@ American account holders or face their aol.com.
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95 THE JEWISH HOME JANUARY 23, 2014
Early Intervention Services For children birth - 3 years with special needs.
Services Provided l
Evaluations
l
Feeding Therapy
l
Special Education
l
Nutrition Counseling
l
Service Coordination
l
Family Support/Counseling
l
Speech/Language Therapy
l
Physical & Occupational Therapy
ABA Program – Center & Home Services Routines Based Interventions & Collaborative Coaching l
Far
Ser Roc
ving
kaw
ay
TO REFER YOUR CHILD TO THE EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM CALL 311. This Early Intervention Program (EIP) is a public program for children under the age of three who are either suspected of having or at risk for developmental delays or disabilities. EIP is funded by NYS and NYC. All EIP services are provided at no cost to parents. Health insurance may be used for approved services. A child’s eligibility for the program can be determined only by state-approved evaluators under contract, and all services must be authorized by the NYC Early Intervention Program.
For more information about CHALLENGE call:
718.851.3300
THE JEWISH HOME
JANUARY 23, 2014
96
365 days a year 24 hours a day, through good days and sad times, Chai Lifeline makes living with pediatric illness easier. Last year, Chai Lifeline brought joy and hope to
4,297 lives impacted by pediatric illness.
45,621
Meals to hospitals and homes
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Visits to sick children by trained volunteers
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Rides to hospitals and medical centers
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Opportunities for fun and support
1,961
Hours of professional tutoring
1,267
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Regional Offices California | Florida | Illinois | New Jersey | Canada | England | Israel Chai Family Centers Brooklyn | Long Island | New York City | Monsey | Chicago | Ft. Lauderdale Chai House Philadelphia Goldman River Retreat Mahwah
97 THE JEWISH HOME JANUARY 23, 2014
Machon Basya Rochel Adult Education Presents...
Enhancing the
Kedusha of Your Home
Reviewing the Halachos and Hashkafos of
Taharas Hamishpacha
In Memory of Mrs. Rose Edelman
A 7 Part Series presented by
Mrs. Yocheved Shonek (MBR Faculty)
11:10am – 12:30pm Tuesday Mornings on the following dates:
February 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th, March 4th, 11th, 18th Early Bird Special: $100 $125 after January 27 Advanced Registration Required
137 Lawrence Avenue (across the street from Lawrence station)
To register or for more information: 516-362-5000 ext 201 ~ info@mbrseminary.org
THE JEWISH HOME
JANUARY 23, 2014
98
WHY TRAVEL TO THE D&D BUILDING WHEN
THE STUDIO
IS RIGHT NEXT DOOR??? Offering an extensive selection of:
• Furniture • Lighting • Wall Coverings • Fabrics • Upholstery
THE STUDIO I N T E R I O R
D E S I G N
• Accessories • Hardware • Vanities • Kitchens In House Design Services Available 1 Hour Free*
* 1 per customer, with mention of this Ad Entrance to our parking lot is on Cedarhurst Ave. between Broadway and Central Ave. (Next to PLUM) 487R CENTRAL AVE. CEDARHURST, NY 516. 612. 2433
99
Grocery Section Sugar Free Treats Assorted 12pk
3.99
Gefen
Chunk Light
Tuna In Water 6oz
1.79
Gefen
Gefen
12oz
Hearts Of Palm
Corn Flake Crumbs
$
Bissli
Osem
Levs
2.5oz
5.25oz
100g
Croutons
Assorted
$
Shibolim
Liebers
32oz
Pretzels
Assorted
$
2/$3
$
Gefen
Mehadrin
Mehadrin
Juice Box Drinks
Assorted
16oz
Sour Stix
2.49
Fruit Punch & Kiwi
.79
$
1.99
Liebers
2/$1.50
Liebers
Pineapple 20 Oz
.99
Fruit Bars 6pk
$
.99
$
Liebers
Glicks
6pk
Reg & High Gluten
16oz
3.69
$
.69
Elite
Chocolit Drink
Flour
17.6oz
2/$5
$
Sabra
Taamti
Taamti
Kineret
Mandelsohn’s
22oz
22oz
1.99
Olives
Pickles
1.99
2.99
Cookie Dough
Black/Pink & White Cookies
Black & White Cookies
2.99
3.99
$
$
Sliced
Turkey
6oz
6oz
Pastrami
Mini
$
$
24 oz
5.99
$
$
5.99
Check out our large selection of
In Store Specials on
Fruits & Vegetables
4.59
Beef
Beef
6oz
6oz
$
Fruits & Veg.
Roll
Bologna
3.99
4 Slice
Cold Cuts from Kiryas Yoel
Rye Bread
11 Oz.
Pizza
Chocolate Chip
2.99
$
Beigels
Mini
4.99
12oz
$
$
Barley
$
Beigels
1.79
Shwartz
5lb
4.99
Beigels
$
4/$1
$
Bakery Dept. 2 Lb.
$
1.99
Cottage Cheese
6oz
4oz
2.49
.75oz
$
Hummus With Pretzels
Assorted
Greek Yogurt
21 Oz
1.19
Gedilla
4oz
Apple Sauce
Manzanillo Olives
11.5oz
$
2/$3
Liebers
Corn Pops
Chips
Chocolate Covered
Salami
3.99
$
3.99
Meat Dept. Bonless Flanken
Chuck Calachel
Whole Chicken
Family Pack
Rib Steak
In 1/4s
Family Pack
Thursday & Fri. Special
Minute Roast
A&H
Turkey & Chicken
Franks
KJ
Chicken Liver $
6.99Lb
$
6.99Lb
2.49Lb
$
$
8.49Lb
$
6.99Lb
$
7.99Lb
1.99
$
Sale valid 01/23/14 thru 01/29/14. Cash & Carry only. We reserve the right to limit quanitities on sale items. Not responsible for typographical errors. While supplies last. No rain checks.
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 • CURB SIDE SERVICE Store hours: Sun 8-8 • Mon. - Tue. 7-8 • Wed. 7-10 • Thu. 7-12 • Fri. 7-1 1/2 Hours Before Shabbos
JANUARY 23, 2014
4pk
$
Ketchup
14.10oz
2.69
$
Glicks
Whole
THE JEWISH HOME
Tofutti
THE JEWISH HOME
JANUARY 23, 2014
100
CLASSIFIED Services
Check Your Credit Today!
Leasing Or Buying A Car! Purchasing Or Refinancing A Home! Call Joe @ 718.337.8700 or 646.322.6270 www.SavoyCredit.com Organize Your Home and Move All Rooms, Home Office, Mail & Upcoming Moves Special Independent Living Services for Seniors 516-984-9365 Debbie@UnclutteredDomain.com www.UnclutteredDomain.com Professional Math Tutor Master's degree in Mathematics Elementary school - college level Excellent track record with turning Fs into As! Very cool method, inquire for details! Call or Text: 917-280-4545 Email: MeshulamRoss@Gmail.com Experience Math Teacher Available to Tutor All subjects, algebra, geometry, Math A, Math B, Trigonometry, Calculus etc. Guaranteed improvement, first hour free Shomer Shabbat Call Yossi at 516-581-3930 "Kosher" Yoga & Licensed Massage Therapy The Peaceful Presence Studio 436 Central Avenue, Cedarhurst Separate men/ women Women's Tai Chi/ Prenatal Yoga www.peacefulpresence.com, 516-371-3715 EXPERIENCED DEBT COLLECTION ATTORNEY Local frum attorney experienced in debtors’ and creditors’ rights. Fast, discreet and effective – on average we recoup 80 cents on the dollar. sb@BiegaczLaw.com (718) 285-0943 Keyboard Lessons by Meshulam Ross Only $25 per Session Learn by Ear/Note Reading Free Trial Session Loads of Fun! Call or Text: 917-280-4545 Email: MeshulamRoss@Gmail.com Dynamic, educated, frum counselor offering unique counseling services to men struggling with personal issues. Goaloriented sessions. Discreet & Confidential. Contact smartcounseling@gmail.com
Bubby Babysitter Available Excellent references Long Hours – Newborn & up Far Rockaway Location TLC - Call 718-327-1932
Morah Malki’s Playgroup for 2014-2015 For 3 year old boys and girls Conveniently located in Far Rockaway Fun and organized program Run by an experienced warm Morah Comfortable large rooms on ground level Mon-Thurs 9:00-3:00, Fri 9:00-12:00 Call or Text 718-812-9388 Early Learning Program for children ages 3-6 Sessions: Monday through Thursday 3:15 -4:15 Focus: ABCs and its sounds, numbers 1-20. Taught in a fun and engaging way using a multisensory approach. Each child will receive a notebook and will learn skills through hands on child directed projects and lots of fun activities. Where: 32 Medow rd Inwood NY Contact: Goldie Young MSSpEd at 347-733-4579 Cost: $10 a session/ $160 per month Early intervention is key to future success! Counseling 4 Success! Relationships, school, work, parenting. Solution-Focused. Teens, adults, children. 20 yrs experience. Warm, understanding, supportive. Confidential. Affordable. Rabbi Perry Schafler LCSW-R (516) 4288525 Mailplace4-counseling@yahoo.com Home Improvements General Contractor Entire renovations of bathrooms, kitchens and basements -Tiles, floors, expert Roof repair available Free estimates and reasonable rates Call 718-907-0618 or 917-865-5033 LEARN TO LEAD A BEAUTIFUL DAVENING Do you love davening for the amud? Do you sometimes wish you could lead the Tsibbur but lack the knowledge and confidence to pull it off? Call Yaakov 516-229-1948 Jewish Lower East Side Walking Tours given by licensed NYC tour guide specializing in the area. Once a bustling Jewish neighborhood with struggling immigrants. Come connect to your heritage and experience the gateway to “Di Goldneh Medinah”. Private, Group, School tours booking now. Appropriate for ages 10 and up. Call 516-652-4527
Photos 4 your Simcha Professional Photography and Video We love what we do and it shows in our work! Competitively priced! Check out our website & specials. www.photos4yoursimcha.com or call Yaakov 718-868-1800
Far Rockaway Co-Op For Sale: 833 Central Ave. Luxurious 24 hour Doorman Building, Spacious 2 Bedroom, Newly Renovated Bathroom, Kosher Kitchen, Spectacular View, centrally located near LIRR and all shuls. Call 516-633-5564.
HOME SERVICES & MAINTENANCE Plumbing Electricity repaired- replacedrelocated. We do asssemblies- House problems solved. so put togeter your repair to do list and call Avrohom 917.744.1962 Fivetownsrentaguy@yahoo.com
Real Estate For Rent
Experienced Certified Life Coach for Men only Call Chaim 516 924 7694 Hair Course Learn how to wash and style hair and wigs Hair and wig cutting, wedding styling Private lessons or in a group Call Chaya 718-715-9009
Guaranteed cheapest prices on strollers and baby gear! Babyjogger, Uppa, Stokke, Britax, Bugaboo and more! Free next day shipping and no tax Call or text 443-208-8532, sthav@zment.com Struggling with Shalom Bayis? The Shalom Bayis Hotline 732-523-1112 Caring rabbanim answering your questions for free So far very positive results BS’D! Yiddish Home Study Program: The new book Yiddish in 10 Lessons along with 2 CD's has just been released to easily learn to read, write and speak the Yiddish language. Call Chaim at 516 924 7694 or www.conversationalyiddish,com You can also sign up to receive a Free Weekly Taste of Yiddish
Real Estate For Sale Investment Property in Far Rockaway Huge 2 Family house off Central All Brand New Granite Kitchens Wood Floors Separate Heat 8 bedrooms 3 Full Bathrooms Asking 495K Call 646 523 4458
For Rent in Far Rockaway (Dinsmore corner Nielson) 2nd floor APARTMENT in a 3 story house 3 Bedroom, 2 full bathrooms, 2 balconies, 2 kitchen sinks ,hook up for washer & dryer, Very sunny apartment with a lot of windows Asking: $1800 (no commission) Please call 516 225 4558 Far Rockaway 3 bedrooms, 2nd floor of two family home Caffrey Avenue near Darchei Torah Private entrance, Fenced in Backyard Washer dryer hookup Call 718-471-3608
TJH CLASSIFIEDS Post your Real Estate, Help Wanted, Services, Misc. Ads here every Thurs.
Weekly classified ads
up to 5 lines and/or 25 words
1 Week………………$20 - $10 2 Weeks……….……$35 - $17.50 4 Weeks…………….$60 - $30
Email ads to:
classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com Include valid credit card info
Deadline Monday 5:00pm
REACH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE! PLACE YOUR AD IN THE JEWISH HOME CLASSIFIEDS Contact: classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com
Apartments for Rent 2 and 3 bedroom apts. Available Starting at $1250 a month Call 732-300-4098
Far Rockaway House for rent
3 bedroom 2 full bathroom house with extra room in basement. Living room, dining room, laundry room, newly done kitchen with dishwasher and 2 sinks. Huge backyard and driveway.
Corner of Virginia and Brunswick. Asking $2450 per month Available either Dec1 or Jan1
for more info please call 9178033019 For Rent on Frisco Ave Near Bnos Beis Yakov 2 bedroom Apt on 2nd floor Asking $1450, Available Jan 1 Call: 516-225 4558
Job Available 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
Moving Sale- Kew Garden Hills Selling contents of living room, dining room, Bookcase, pullout sofabed, refrigerator, washing machine, dryer, A/C, stainless steel shelves, chandelier, books and other small items All offers accepted - Contact 718-578-2882
Well known inspiring and uplifting baal tefilah Looking for position for the Yomin Na'arim As well as for any Shabbos or Yom Tov Great Voice!! Call 718-539-6653
Party Motivator, D.J. & M.C Music, Dancing, Party Games & Fun Bat/Bar Mitzvah, Birthday, Engagements & Events Parties with Devorah 347-565-5062 : free consultation
Misc. Wedding gowns for sale at 71-05 Main Street Also mother of bride and bridesmaids We do custom made gowns and all alterations are welcome. Call for appt at 7187935989
"Devorah's Wig Rental" Brand new- Beautiful long wigs, perfect for up-does. Rent a wig for your next occasion. Bride Discounts always! Call Devorah @ 718-869-2174.
$100 SIGN-UP BONUS! A major credit card is offering a $100 sign up bonus Plus 3% cash back for groceries with no annual fee Send a blank email to bonusgelt@gmail.com I will auto-respond with your link.
The Young Israel of Wavecrest and Bayswater Senior League invites all seniors 60 and above to attend their free weekly fitness and technology classes. Optional lunch catered by Chap a Nosh. For more information kindly call 718-327-0297 Business for Sale Online unique baby and mommy gifts 10k FB fans, 7k customers, Gross 45k big upside Serious Inquiries only 718 471 5614
Volunteer tutors desperately needed for Zichron Etel, a tutoring gemach that provides free tutoring to those who cannot afford it. Help needed in Brooklyn & the Five Towns. Please contact Nina@ 516-791-6676 or zichronetel@aol.com
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 For sale: Blue Dodge Caravan 04' $2500. Call 917 825 2730
Sales position available. Flexible hours, great commission, excellent communication skills needed, must have car. Please call 732-503-3760 if no answer leave message. Challenge Early Intervention Center Receptionist , FT for Queens Office, seeking mature, energetic, organized person with good computer skills and ability to multitask. Good Compensation pkg. Applicant living in close proximity to office preferred. Fax Resume 718-261-3702 Or email cara.challenge2@thejnet.com
Challenge Early Intervention Center
Service Coordinator F/T, Queens Location BA in Human Services or related field. Computer literate, detail oriented, excellent communication skills. Bi-lingual Hebrew. Experience in EI service coordination desirable. Competitive compensation pkg. Fax resume: 718-261-3702 Or email: Cara.challenge2@thejnet.com
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
BAYSWATER JEWISH LIBRARY IS NOW OPEN A wide selection of both the latest and classic novels, biographies, Short stories, Holocaust, self-help, cookbooks, and more! OPEN MONDAYS FROM 6:30-7:30 PM AND FRIDAYS FROM 2:00-3:00 PM $25 yearly membership - (718) 327-0604 Get Noticed! The Jewish Home CLASSIFIEDS Contact: classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com
JANUARY 23, 2014
Apt for Rent. New to market, available immediately, beautiful 3 bedroom, 2 bath. Great location, Meehan and Beach 6th St. $1950 including heat. Please call 718-471-8444 ext. 213
Seeking Job
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CLASSIFIED
101
THE JEWISH HOME
JANUARY 23, 2014
102
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103
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THE JEWISH HOME
presents
THE JEWISH HOME
Your Money
Life Coach
THE SCHECHTER FAMILY PRESENTS...
FIRST CHILD Allan J. Rolnick FREE!CPA
The Endangered Species List
O
n September 1, 1914, “Martha,” the last remaining passenger pigeon (ectopistes migratorius), died at the Cincinnati Zoo. On September 7, 1936, “Benjamin,” the last Tasmanian tiger (thylacinus cynocephalus), died at Australia’s Hobart Zoo. And on June 24, 2012, “Lonesome George,” the last living Pinta Island tortoise (chelonoidis nigra abingdoni), Our 19th spectacular year! died in Ecuador’s Galapagos National own penalties. “Beanie DirectlyMost on therecently, beach Oversized NEWLY RENOVATED Park. Babies” creator Ty Warner pled guilty to rooms many with terraces WhenFOR youRESERVATIONS think of endangered evading $5Superb million in tax program and agreed to CALL Children’s CARIBBEAN Gourmet kosher cuisine species, you naturallyKOSHER think ofTOURS: plants a $53 million fine glatt — and still faces four with renowned Chef Andy Serano and animals. But the IRS has its own years in jail. Communal or private seders marcopolopassover@gmail.com endangered species list (called “listed And now? Well,rooms some observers Private seder available Trips to major are attractions Call Joy Children transactions”), and of thatAMIT means some- say that Swiss banks actually doing SOUTHEAST Golf, tennis, watersports nearby times evenREGION: tax strategies go extinct. So, the IRS’s job for them. Better to rat out Daily services, shiurim, lectures for example, in October, 2006, the last clients than pay IRS fines! Banks are grandfathered private annuity trust was pressuring AmericansFEATURING: to report their acRabbi Y.Y. Rubinstein formed. On April 10, 2007, most so- counts, and even freezing accounts unRabbi Chaim Silver Goldfeder called “Section 419(e)” plans were shot less clients can proveHonorable they’rePhillip playing by NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY Avraham Rosenblum down. Now, could the venerable Swiss the new rules. U.S. attorneys are generbank account (bankum secretus stron- ally advising clients with secret accounts gius) be next? to ‘fess up now before the IRS finds them www.MarcoPoloBeachResort.com 19201 COLLINS AVE, MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA Switzerland’s banking laws have and •penalizes them 50% of their ballong made it a crime to reveal an account ances. At this point, attorneys say, disholder’s name. covery is a matter At the same time, of “when,” not Swiss authorities “if.” That mesJewish Home Some obServerS Say have historically sage appears to 4.65” x 5.875 refused to coopbe hitting home. that SwiSS bankS are erate with foreign Since 2009, over actually doing the countries where 38,000 Amerifailure to report cans have come irS’S job for them. taxable income forth and paid is concerned. over $5 billion in Together, these taxes, penalties, FreeSwiss policies made Switzerland the banker of and interest. The once-celebrated K oshtheerway of choice for Colombian druglords, Sub- bank account appears headed Contax tinecheats Saharan kleptocrats, Russian oligarchs, the dodo, as far as U.S. n are BreaKfa tal and even the so-called “Wolf of Wall concerned. st Street,” Jordan Belfort. Look, we understand that everybody But recently those protections wants to pay less tax. But there’s a right have melted away like so much Swiss way to do it and there’s a wrong way to chocolate sitting in the bright alpine sun. do it. The right way is to take advantage It started back in 2008 when Bradley of hundreds of legitimate deductions, Birkenfeld, a mid-level banker, blew the credits, and strategies contained in the Special aMenitieS For whistle onthe helping American taxpayers tax code and treasury regulations. And KoSher traVeler: “forget” to4report millions of dollars of it all starts with a plan. Accountants can Shul on premises interest income. Birkenfeld’s bombshell you that plan, and it doesn’t involve 4 Glatt-kosher catering available give oceanFront! landed him 40-month sentence a trip to Zurich or Geneva to visit your 4 aWithin Sunnyprison Isles Eruv MiaMiAnd Beach, and a $1044million reward the IRS. money. if youFlorida really like cuckoo Shabbos keys from available A year later, the deluxe Department fine watches, and 4 250 rooms of Justice clocks, . . . yodeling, you fined the biggest Swiss bank $790 mil- can take a legitimate trip with the savlion and cut a deal www.marcopolobeachresort.com with the Swiss gov- ings! ernment, giving them power to force their banks to disgorge information on Allan J Rolnick is a CPA who has been in American depositors almost on demand. practice for over 30 years in Queens, NY. In 2012, an even stronger settlement re- He welcomes your comments and can be quired 300 Swiss banks to identify their reached at 718-896-8715 or at allanjrcpa@ American account holders or face their aol.com. n n n
n
1-800-327-8165
954-922-5100
n
n
n n n
a perFect winter get-away
1 877 327 6363
Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS
R
Masseuse or Misuse?
eiki, shiatsu, deep tissue, acupuncture – you name it. They “mitcha” you, dig into you, stick needles into you and some people rave about these treatments. Many are just tolerating them and only because when they get done they are supposed to feel soooo much better. And they always do! Of course, because they finally stopped torturing them! I often advocate a nice hot bath? What’s wrong with that? But many say, “Ewww, that’s disgusting, sitting there in your own dirt.” What? They’d rather be sitting there in someone else’s dirt? And why are they so dirty anyway, like is anyone with sore muscles still playing in the mud? It’s not easy to find the right masseuse. Often the pressure they apply goes so deep you’re not sure if the plan is to cure you or kill you. Your whole body tenses – and all they keep saying to you is to relax. Are they serious? Your body’s gone into the fight or flight response and they want you to relax?! I’m honestly wondering what they are on! Then there’s the masseuse who applies no pressure at all, only lotions. Did they think you came here for a basting? I recently read they found out acupuncture really does not work. It’s only psychological. I’d like to be in that control group. You’re telling me some people had needles stuck into them while others just sat there and did just as well? I would think they’d have done even better. After all, if you witness someone being stuck like a pin cushion and you’re scheduled to go next, you probably will tell your body to shape up fast. That’s a powerful mind over matter cure! People claim kinesthetic energy therapy really makes some people feel a lot better. My mother had this done. The therapist floated his hands above her body and said he was pulling all the pain into him. He said he could feel it working. That made one of them! Nevertheless, she paid him his fee: a hundred dollars. The claim is true; it did make someone feel a lot better! I’m not saying he didn’t pull the pain into him. How would I know? But he did walk out upright and smiling while she was still flat on her back. It could be he tolerates pain a lot better than she does. At 100 dollars a pop, who wouldn’t? By the way, I’m not making a claim that it doesn’t work. I just don’t think it
did that time. Our dearest friends from the Asian countries seem to be the experts in these creative treatments. They are living, simply, on rice and herbs and staying svelte, while we are cornering the market on the Big Whopper and downing multiple “tall” coffees that are really short. We are upping our blood pressure and anxiety, while they are making a living massaging it out, pounding it out, or poking it out of us. We’re living on Xanax and a stressed life while they’re living the good life. It’s important to always work on improving the quality of our lives but until then you need a good person getting you up and running better. Listen, I know there are certain people who have a relationship with an excellent masseuse or an alternative thera-
pist. Sometimes they are even willing to share the name although often they have a slight case of amnesia. I think they say it kicks in when their temples are being massaged. So for a novice here’s some sound advice on how to get a decent therapist. When at a spa always ask for who is requested most. Everyone can’t be wrong. Alternatively, when in your neighborhood, start telling people about someone you have who is the best at something—a tailor, painter, whatever. Then ask, by the way, do you know a good masseuse or acupuncturist? They’d probably have a hard time keeping it in now that you’ve been so candid with them. Most importantly, you can’t be cavalier and go to just anyone – silently. ‘Cause chances are you’ll just come out – screaming, loudly! Remember your aim in the process after all is to feel better, not worse! Well, gotta run, my tub is flooding over! Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor and a career and life coach. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or at rivki@rosenwalds.com.
61 T h e J e w i s h h o m e n m ay 2 4 , 2012
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