TJH 8-29

137 SPRUCE STREET

516-569-2662

— See page 5, 52 & 53 —

Around the Community

THEJEWISHHOME A PUBLICATION OF THE FIVE TOWNS & QUEENS COMMUNITY august 30 – september 5, 2012 | Distributed

eeklyKIn The Five Towns, Queens & Brooklyn WWEE

Welcome Back to School Page 68

Unity in Song at the Long Beach Boardwalk

Brown Bag-It the Right Way Mrs. Hebel’s Top Ten Tips:

Page 40

Starting the School Year Off Right

Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island Welcomes New Principal Rabbi Eli Rubin

The Proper Way For Your Child to Wear His Backpack

Page 40

School Supplies

for Less!

Communication in Works of Art in School

District #15 Provides Free Bussing to Pre-K Students

Page 45

NBA Legend Rick Barry and Cedarhurst Supporters Team up for OHEL

The Perfect Family Dinner for Back to School

Page 42

Political Conventions: Their Purpose and How They Came About

Beware of Tefillin that may be Pasul See page 74

Page 78

Why Shlep to Brooklyn for Kid’s Clothes?

— See page 70—

— See page 32 & 44 —

ROO RFO I NO G FSIIN D IG N G SGIUD T TIEN RS G

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Contents >>Letters to the Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 >>Community Community Happenings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

>> News Global . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 National. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Political. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Odd-but-True Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Beware of Tefilin That May Be Posul. . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

>> Israel Israel News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 My Israel Home: Be’er Sheva: The Capital of the Negev. . . . . . . . . . . 65 Festival Ecothiopia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

>> People Aerial Ace Solomon Joseph. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

>>Parsha Inside the Parsha. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

>> Jewish Thought The Shmuz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 The Observant Jew—Memory Overload. . . . . . . . 55 Message in the Sky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Bitachon, Belaying and New Beginnings. . . . . . . . 60

>>Health What To Do with a Cranky Baby,

by Dr. David Elazar Simai. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Dear Readers, Well, it’s back to school. I can’t believe that our summer went by so fast. It seems as if just yesterday we were filling up the pool for the first time and dreaming of summer barbeques. But going back to school is a wonderful opportunity for new beginnings and for fresh starts. When I was in school, I used to love the fresh notebooks and new pencils. It was invigorating and exciting to start a new year with new teachers, classes and perspectives.

This week, for our Back to School issue, many of our writers wrote about helping our children ease into the school year. Rifka Schonfeld wrote about helping our children adjust to the new routine. Devorah Gerber Schmeltz wrote about finding the right backpack for your child. The Centerfold Commissioner was on his game to help you tackle the English language. Ever wonder why the words “wonder” and “ponder” are not pronounced the same way? How about “steak” and “streak”? Well, apparently he’s wondering too, because that’s all he could talk about in this issue. Susan Schwamm compiled ideas of delicious, nutritious lunches to send to school with your child. And speaking of food, Naomi Nachman has a full, five-course dinner that is perfect for your family on a school night. I hope these items help you swing back into the school routine with your children, although sometimes I wonder if it’s necessary to start a routine when Yom Tov is just around the corner!

This week, the Republicans held their convention in Florida. Although it was postponed for a day because of the weather, the Republicans came out strong. Well, I know many of you know about the different party’s conventions, but do you know when they started and what they are all about?

Susan Schwamm details the origins of political conventions and gives some interesting highlights of conventions throughout the years.

This issue truly has so much for you to read. I hope that you find time over the long Labor Day weekend to peruse TJH—I know you will find articles that amuse, delight and inspire you.

Wishing you a wonderful week, The Editor

What I Didn’t Say, by Dr. Deb Hirschhorn . . . . . . . 82

>> Parenting Social Smarts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Yitzy Halpern Publisher

publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Back to School with the Right Backpack. . . . . . . . . 68 Back to School: Brown Bag-It the Right Way! . . . . 69 Back to School for Less. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Classifieds

classifieds@fivetowns jewishhome.com 443-929-4003

Recipes: Elegant Eggplant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Your Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Nate Davis

Nechama Wein Copy Editor

Rachel Bergida Berish Edelman Mati Jacobovits Design & Production

Editor

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

Ki Teizei — Candle Lighting: 7:11 Shabbos Ends: 8:08 Rabbeinu Tam: 8:38

Recipes: The Aussie Gourmet: The Perfect Family Dinner for Back to School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Room for Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

ads@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Shabbos Z’manim

>> Food & Leisure

>> Lifestyles

Shoshana Soroka

Editorial Assistant

Mrs. Hebel’s Top Ten Tips for Starting the New School Year Off Right . . . . . . . . . 71

Travel: Panama. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Yosef Feinerman

managing editor

Thur.

Aug 30

Fri. Aug 31

sunny

mostly sunny

Weekly Weather Sat. Sept 1

Sun. Sept 2

Mon. Sept 3

Tues.

Sept 4

Wed. Sept 5

sunny

mostly cloudy

partly cloudy

isolated t-storms

scattered t-storms

Ode to the Trees, by Rivki Rosenwald . . . . . . . . . . . 91

>> Humor Centerfold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

>> Art From My Private Art Collection: Communication Between Teachers And Students In The Creation Of Works Of Art. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

>> Political Crossfire Political Conventions: How They Came About and Their Purpose. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Notable Quotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

>> Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

High LOW

82° 68°

High LOW

88° 73°

High LOW

88° 71°

High LOW

80° 70°

High LOW

78° 72°

High LOW

79° 70°

High LOW

78° 69°

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.

Miracle on 34th Street Dear Editor, Friday morning started out as a beautiful day. I went to work as usual, got to the city early, and therefore, I had extra time to walk around before I went to my office. As I passed the Fifth Avenue entrance to the Empire State Building, the shooting started right behind me. I never heard live gun shots before, but I immediately knew this was real and started running along with the other startled people. I smelled the gunpowder and saw the smoke. In the matter of those 120 seconds, my loved ones flashed in front of me. While running, I prayed not to get shot in the back. Please G-d, I don’t want to die.

We stopped running as the shooting stopped. I turned around and saw the gunman laying on the ground with the police pointing their guns at him. I also saw three other people laying on the ground. Then I noticed that the woman right next to me was shot. She didn’t even realize it at first, but as we stopped running, there was blood dripping from her thigh and as we sat her down on the ground, we noticed the deep wound that was gushing blood. I tried to calm her down, gave her some water. As I heard the sirens of the police cars approaching, I ran into the street to get their attention to come help this woman. About four officers came running and started treating her. I stared at what was happening and I slowly turned away, not believing the events of the past few moments. As I got to my office, I realized the seriousness of what had just happened, and I broke down crying. I remembered my mother telling me the story of the last time she saw her mother before the Nazi’s took her away. My grandmother said to my mother, “When they start shooting, remember to say Shema.” I remembered, and I recited Shema over and over again.

As I recollect those frightening moments, I remembered how we all instinctively ran up Fifth Avenue, cross-

ing the busy intersection on 34th Street.

The east-westbound traffic lights must have turned red at that very moment to enable us to run away from this dangerous, life-threatening situation. There were no cars preventing us from running straight onto 34th street. I am certain that it was G-d’s Hand that was with us as we ran for our lives.

It is the month of Elul when we reflect on the past year and try to make amends and prepare to do Teshuva for the coming New Year. I had a very hard year—my mom was very sick, I divorced my husband and life was very difficult. I felt very much alone, as many of us often do, as we go through hardships and challenges in life. So many times I asked myself, why was G-d so hard on me? Friday morning I realized I am not alone, G-d is with me. He protected me from harm. He has plans for me. It’s not yet my time to go.

G-d loves me! This was my miracle.

May G-d continue to protect us all, and may we all be blessed with a Shannah Tova.

Kathy Goldfein Kew Gardens Hills, NY Dear Editor, In response to the letters from the working parents upset with the long break between camp and the start of school, it is my pleasure to announce that many schools will be starting next August very soon after camps end.

Rosh Hashana will be the “earliest” in 88 years. May we all be in Yerushalayim!

Lynne Gordon Dear Editor, I am an avid reader of your magazine and I have learned many things from reading different articles every week.

I don’t usually write into papers, but I felt I had to do it this once.

Two weeks ago, my daughter, who is two-years-old, was suffering from a

Views expressed on the Letters to the Editor page do not necessarily reflect the views of The Jewish Home.

Please send all correspondence to editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com.

the Editor terrible diaper rash. I applied numerous types of cream but to no avail. After reading Dr. Simai’s article on diaper rashes (and I know that it was not intended to diagnose any ailments), I realized that I was dealing with no ordinary rash—this was fungal in nature. I immediately checked in my drawers for the necessary ointment and bH, much to my relief, the rash disappeared right after I applied the cream to her diaper area. Had I not read Dr. Simai’s article, she would have been suffering for more days without any relief.

Thank you!

A reader Dear Editor, Last week one of your readers wrote in about the guilt she feels daily when she leaves her children in the capable hands of her babysitter.

The truth is, I want her to know that she is not alone. I know that there are so many hard-working women who feel the exact same pain as she. We feel torn; we know we need to work to support our families and we know we should really

be at home taking care of our precious children. Our primary goal is to take care of our families. Sometimes that means that we have to be away from home for hours at a time to support our children and help feed and clothe them.

And that is part of our purpose, part of our tafkid. Yes, we may feel torn, but we are doing the right thing.

I’d like to bring up another point as well. Sometimes I feel that the women’s-lib movement didn’t liberate us at all. It told women worldwide that we should be in the office instead of at home. It made us feel as if our jobs at home were worthless and that unless we brought home a paycheck our efforts were insignificant. How wrong they were! Our jobs at home are eternal; what we do at home for our children, our spouses and our families are way beyond any dollar amount. Yes, sometimes we may have to go to work, but we know that the effort that we expend in our private lives is what is important.

Chani W. West Hempstead, NY

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The Week Global Killer of 77 Sentenced

A Norwegian court ruled on Friday that confessed mass killer Anders Behring Breivik was sane, deciding he was criminally responsible for the massacre of 77 people last summer.

Norway does not have the death penalty but experts predict the Breivik will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Prosecutors had demanded a verdict of insanity, a fate Breivik called “worse than death,” while many of his victims had said only a sane person could have

carried out such a complex attack.

On July 22, 2011, Breivik, 33, detonated a fertilizer bomb outside a government building in Oslo that included the prime ministerial offices, killing eight, then gunned down 69 people, mostly teenagers, at the ruling Labor Party’s youth camp on Utoya island. On that same day, he electronically distributed his manifesto that he called 2083: A European Declaration of Independence.

In it he highlights his world view of Islamphobia, support of Zionism and opposition to feminism.

“He is getting what he deserves,” Alexandra Peltre, 18, whom Breivik shot in the thigh on Utoya, said. “This is karma striking back at him. I do not care if he is insane or not, as long as he gets the punishment that he deserves.”

Eivind Rindal, another survivor of the massacre, said, “It is important that the defendant gets his punishment but the most important thing is that he never gets out.”

Guilt had never been speculated during the trial since Breivik described in chilling detail how he hunted down his victims, some as young as 14, with a shot to the body and then one or more

In News bullets to the head.

Judge Wenche Elisabeth Arntzen read the ruling and said, “In a unanimous decision ... the court sentences the defendant to 21 years of preventive detention.”

Women Who Run the World

This week, Forbes magazine listed the top, most influential women in the world. The line-up of 100 women from across the globe included politicians, entertainers, philanthropists, and financers. This is the ninth time Forbes has compiled such a list. 58-year-old German Chancellor Angela Merkel was

named the number one most influential woman in the world. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, 64, came in second and Brazilian President Dilman Rousseff, 64, came in third.

Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Steve Jobs, was on the list accompanied by eight heads of state, 26 CEOs, and 11 other billionaires.

The media trio that made it to the top included: Arianna Huffington of Huffington Post, Tina Brown of Newsweek, and Greta van Susteren of The Daily Beast and Fox News.

CEOs on the list included Virginia Rometty at International Business Machines (IBM), Marissa Mayer, the new chief at Yahoo, and Maria das Gracas Silva Foster, the top exec at Petrobras, Brazil’s largest company.

The Forgotten War President Obama labeled it the “war of necessity” but now many have renamed it “the forgotten war.”

There has been little to no discussion during the presidential campaign Continued on page 14

11 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

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The Week about the conflict in Afghanistan, yet it remains a huge issue. By the time voters go to the polls on November 6th, the war will be in its 12th year.

In News

being waged against the middle class.

Does anyone even remember what this war is about?

Mother of Many

More than 80,000 of our troops remain overseas and the casualties are enormous; on average, one soldier dies a day. It seems that Americans are more consumed with the economy, employment, and taxes than with this war.

Recently, a group of passionate protestors attended the Iowa State Fair chanting, “Stop the war!” except they were referring to the “war” allegedly

Over the past four decades, a hero with an important mission lived in Beijing, China. Lou Xiaoying rescued more than 30 babies who were abandoned in trash cans or dumpsters.

One of her adopted daughters, Zhang Jingiing, said despite disconcerting rumors that her mother died, the 88 year old woman is still alive, although she is in the hospital desperately fighting kidney disease.

“My mother has gotten better,” Zhang reported. “The hospital has spared us much expense. They have also minimized the kinds of medicines that my mom has to use. Money collected from donations has helped us a lot, too.”

When Zhang was asked if she has ever thought about finding her biological parents, she answered “No” resolutely. “She has always been my mother.”

Lou was born in 1924 in a Fujian

no need to go anyWhere else!

They are all precious human lives,” she added. “I do not understand how people can leave such a vulnerable baby on the streets.”

Zhang told NBC News that “at one point, there were 12 members in the family” living in a deserted temple on the outskirts of the city of Jinhua, about 200 miles south of Shanghai. “It wasn’t until 1987 when they were building a railway and wanted to remove our temple, did [authorities] find out about our family,” she added.

The family’s future was complicated by the rigid household registration system designed to control the movement of China’s 1.3 billion people. Known in Chinese as hukou, the central government classifies people as either city dwellers or rural peasants, which determine the citizen’s residence and what kind of social services and schools they are eligible for.

Because they were living “off the grid,” none of Lou’s adopted children

Province and gave birth to two biological children, a son and a daughter. To earn a living, she would collect and recycle garbage. Over the years of scavenging, Lou found 30 children who had been abandoned.

Parents abandoning their babies is very common in China as a result of China’s strict onechild policy. Lou and her husband, who died 17 years ago, adopted three of the girls she discovered and the remaining children, mostly girls, were placed in other homes to start new life anew.

Lou found the first abandoned girl, when she was out collecting garbage in 1972.

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“These children need love and care.

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had a hukou. But Zhang said that people in the area soon heard about the family and help came along.

“There were some communal donations which helped two of us adopted ones go to school. But my oldest adopted sister, who is now 40, has never gone to school,” said Zhang.

Lou did not retire at a young age. In 2007, at the age of 83, Lou discovered a boy, Zhang Qilin, in a dumpster. She adopted the boy, who is now 7, as her grandson; his adoptive father is Lou’s biological son.

That’s one family with strong values…

sending items that are worth as much as this with the appropriate insurance connected,” said Hilde Ebeltoft-Skaugrud, a spokesman for the postal service.

Wonder who the lucky recipient was…

Samsung to Pay $1B to Apple

Rembrandt Lost in the Mail

Tip: if you have an expensive piece of art don’t send it in the mail. A Norwegian art gallery lost a Rembrandt etching worth up to $8,600 after trying to save money on the mail courier and insurance costs.

The Soli Brug Gallery in Greaaker, about 50 miles south of Oslo, purchased a copy of Rembrandt’s “Lieven Willemsz, van Coppenol, Writing-Master” made in around 1658, from a British dealer.

“Using a courier or special insurance is quite expensive so we have used regular mail until now,” Ole Derje, the gallery’s chairman, said. “It is worth around 40,000 to 50,000 crowns ($6,900-$8,600) and the postal service is offering us compensation of 5001,000 crowns.”

Derje declined to name the seller, citing confidentiality concerns.

“We are sorry that this has happened; we have advised him to use a more appropriate form of mail when

In a sweeping legal victory, Apple won over one billion dollars from Samsung. The American company accused the Korean company of copying critical features of the iPhone.

The verdict could eventually lead to an outright ban on the sale of Samsung products which will help strengthen Apple’s dominance in the mobile computing market. Apple is now seeking a ban on sales of eight Samsung smartphones models in the United States.

Other companies that sell smartphones based on Google’s Android operating system could potentially find themselves in the same situation as Samsung and may face legal challenges from Apple.

Apple is among the largest and most profitable companies in business history. This week shares in Apple rose almost 2 percent to a record high of $675, making it the biggest company ever by market value.

Lawyers from both tech giants used their 25 hours each of trial time to present internal emails, draw testimony from designers and experts, and put on product demonstrations and mockups to convince the jury.

From the get-go, Apple’s tactic was to present chronological evidence of Samsung copying its phone. Juxtaposing pictures of phones from both companies and internal Samsung emails that specifically analyzed the features of the iPhone, Apple’s attorneys accused Samsung of taking shortcuts after realizing it could not keep up.

Samsung’s attorneys countered that Apple has no sole right to geometric designs such as rectangles with rounded corners. They called Apple’s damage

In News claim “ridiculous” and urged the jury to consider that a verdict in favor of Apple could stifle competition and reduce choices for consumers.

Maybe it’s just me but I don’t feel like consumers are lacking choice in the mobile phone department…

Hong Kong Apartment Sells for $61M A luxury apartment in Hong Kong has sold for $61 million! This is a record for Chinese real estate, making it the priciest condominium in Hong Kong and possibly the second most expensive in the world.

The buyer remains unidentified.

He paid $9,773 per-square-foot of the 6,200-square-feet unit at Opus Hong Kong in the upmarket Peak residential area.

The flat occupies the whole eighth floor of the 12-story building. The building was designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Frank Gehry.

Property prices in Hong Kong, famous for its sky-high rent and super-

rich tycoons, have surged over the past few years due to record low interest rates and a flood of wealthy buyers from mainland China.

More Bloodshed in Syria There has been more bloodshed in Syria this week.

The bodies of 200 people were found in a town close to Damascus on Saturday. According to activists, the bodies appeared to have been killed by Syrian troops “execution style.”

The deaths would bring the toll from an offensive by President Bashar al-Assad’s forces on Daraya, a working class Sunni Muslim town on the southwestern edge of Damascus, to 270, according to a tally by opposition activists in the capital.

Most of the victims were found in houses and basements of buildings and had been shot by troops conducting house-to-house raids.

The Daraya Coordination Committee activists group said in a statement that among those found with shots to Continued on page 18

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

The Week

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The Week the head were eight members of the al-Qassaa family: three children, their father and mother and three other relatives. Their bodies were found in a residential building near Mussab bin Umeir mosque in Daraya, the group said.

Video released by activists showed numerous bodies of young men sideby-side at the Abu Suleiman al-Darani mosque in Daraya.

“A massacre,” said the voice of the man who appeared to be taking the footage. “You are seeing the revenge of

Assad’s forces from the people of Daraya: more than 150 bodies on the floor of this mosque.”

Mohammad Hur, an activist in Daraya, said 36 bodies of young men were found in the morning in one building, along with several badly wounded people who could not be transferred to hospitals in the area because the army had occupied them.

“We are in the process of identifying the bodies and documenting how they died.

Initial evidence shows that they were mostly shot at close range in the face, neck and head, execution style,” Hur said. “Female members from at least two families say that soldiers shot their brothers in front of them,” he added.

The army invaded Daraya, one of a series of large, mostly run-down Sunni Muslim towns that surround Damascus, on Saturday after three days of heavy bombardment that killed 70 people,

In News mostly civilians.

The attack on Daraya is part of an army campaign to regain control of the outskirts of the capital. The land is a combination of built up areas and farmland. At one time rebels had regrouped and launched guerrilla attacks on Assad’s forces from these locations.

company statement.

The tender was issued by Mengniu Dairy, the largest dairy company in the Chinese market – what AfiMilk describes as “the Tnuva of China,” producing milk, yogurt and cheese.

Israel Israel Helps Make Tnuva of China Kibbutz Afikim is located in the northern Jordan Valley and operates a dairy herd management firm. They recently won a $500 million grant to build milking parlors in China.

The company, AfiMilk, plans to build 13 such milking parlors which will serve about 50,000 cows. AfiMilk provides computerized platforms for managing milking routines, which will be used by Chinese dairy farmers to manage huge cow herds, according to a

Afikim was established 33 years ago and was completely owned by Kibbutz Afikim until recently.

The first electronic meter for measuring milk was first invented at AfiContinued on page 22

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The Week Milk, a concept that has since expanded all over the world.

Until now, Megniu relied mostly upon purchasing fresh milk from smaller dairy operations. Now, the company has decided to expand its milk production as well as rely on the Israeli expertise in milking and herd management technology. This decision will allow Megniu to produce more milk independently, as well as gain further control over quality in the dairy market in China.

Kenya, Israel, & Germany Collaborate

Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga presided over the ceremony and was joined by four members of his cabinet.

Carmon said MASHAV, as a government institution, has the opportunity to help. “We are part of something called the government of Israel,” he said. “We come and speak with our friends for the sake of their well-being and their citizens, but it’s also part of a strategic branch that the government of Israel has – which is called MASHAV.” This move improves Israel’s image from the African perspective while strengthening the bond between Israel and Germany.

“To have Israel and Germany coming together, hand in hand, helping out a third country – a developing country – on an issue they need [help with], sends a very strong message,” Carmon said.

In News of this decision is the wording of the government decision. They will require new labeling for products made in the West Bank to say made in areas “occupied by Israel.”

Women Dominate Men in Sciences In a report published by the Bloomberg news agency, it was determined that women outnumber men in biology and related sciences in higher education in Israel.

This report could give women an advantage as the government and private investors put increasing amounts of money into the life-sciences industry, one of the country’s fastest growing sectors, collecting the most venture capital money in the first half of this year.

South Africa Bans “Made in Israel” Labels What do Israelis, Germans and Kenyans have in common?

No, that’s not a trick question…The three countries teamed up to increase the tilapia (St. Peter’s fish) population and improve wastewater treatment in Lake Victoria.

Last week representatives from the three parties signed a trilateral agreement in Kenya for a project that has been in the works for about a year, to upgrade commercial fishery and wastewater purification systems in Africa’s largest lake.

“Lake Victoria has regional influence – it’s very important water-wise,” Ilan Fluss, director of policy planning and external relations at MASHAV, the Foreign Ministry’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, said at the preliminary meeting back in November. “Lake Victoria is a small lake that is three times the size of the State of Israel.”

Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon was there representing Israel along with Ambassador Avi Granot, head of the Foreign Ministry’s African Department; and Ambassador Daniel Carmon, head of MASHAV. German Economic Cooperation and Development Minister Dirk Niebel was accompanied by a delegation of 50 people, including four parliamentarians.

South Africa decided to officially ban “Made in Israel” labels from products that were made in Judea and Samaria.

Israel responded with rage accusing South Africa of returning to its apartheid roots by targeting Israel in such a manner.

The statement from Israel read that the decision “brings to mind ideas of a racist nature which the government of South Africa, more than any other, should have wholly rejected.”

The Foreign Ministry went on to note that while South Africa may have legitimate disputes with Israel over policy, it also has disputes with other nations, and exclusively singling out Israel for punishment is discriminatory.

The South African cabinet stated that it had “approved that a notice in terms of the Consumer Protection Act, 2008, be issued by the minister of Trade and Industry requiring the labeling of goods or products emanating from IOTs (Israel Occupied Territories) to prevent consumers being led to believe that such goods come from Israel. This is in line with South Africa’s stance that recognizes the 1948 borders delineated by the United Nations and does not recognize occupied territories beyond these borders as being part of the State of Israel.”

Perhaps the more concerning part

The article quotes several Israeli women who work in the field as they share their thoughts and theories on why women have the advantage.

“Women traditionally are not the main breadwinners in the family and can afford to pursue a PhD, whereas men have more pressure to go out and make a high salary,” says Anat CohenDayag, president and CEO of Compugen Ltd., which was founded by members of an Israeli army intelligence unit that designed software to break codes.

Hagit Messer-Yaron, president of the Ra’anana- based Open University and the Ministry of Science’s chief scientist from 2000 to 2003, says, “The women that make it to the top usually have to prove themselves and overcome hurdles that are above and beyond what men are required to do. When these women make it as managers, they are over-achievers and can help these companies succeed.”

Most high-tech employees in Israel are male but women comprise 60 percent to 70 percent of the biotechnology workforce, according to Nisha Group, a

recruiting firm based near Tel Aviv.

Men still dominate upper management positions. Women hold about 13 percent of chief executive officer positions in companies in the Tel Aviv Biomed index and less than 5 percent in the Tel Aviv Technology index, according to data analyzed by Bloomberg.

That’s likely to change in biotech, says Ora Dar, head of the life sciences sector at the Office of the Chief Scientist in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor. “As this field matures, you are going to see women increasingly taking executive positions,” says Dar, whose team of about 100 evaluators, who decide what projects and incubators to finance with taxpayer money, is more than 70 percent female. “It’s a matter of experience.”

Israeli Named Best Storyteller in the World Shachar Lavi, a 28 year old music producer from Tel Aviv, won first prize at the Grant’s True Tales 24 Hour Storytelling Marathon hosted by the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Dozens of storytellers from all over the world competed against each other in a demanding contest to pick the best storyteller in the world.

Shachar said he was concerned the audience wouldn’t appreciate a Jewish story. He delivered a summarized version of the winning tale of how he decided to become a vegetarian.

Shachar won the contest and was awarded a 25 year old rare bottle of Grant’s whiskey.

Israel Created Most Beautiful Coin Disappointingly Israel’s Olympic team didn’t bring home the gold, silver, or bronze from the London Olympics but when it comes to making the medals themselves, Israel is a real winner.

A commemorative two shekel coin issued by the Bank of Israel to mark the Israeli team’s participation in the London Olympics won first prize in the Vicenza Numismatica International Coin Competition for the “most beautiful coin issued in 2011” category.

Judges at the international compe-

tition for coins, medals and bills convened on July 11 and selected the winning coins in three separate categories from among the 42 coins submitted by 12 mints.

You lose some…and win some…

ized in human history as the first human to set foot on a celestial body beyond Earth. “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind,” he radioed back to Earth from the moon on July 20, 1969.

National Good News for Google Gals Internet search-engine giant Google has used its powerful data deciphering technology to figure out why it was losing many of the women it was employing. One find, that may not come as such a shock to the many women out there in the workforce, was that postpartum treatment contributed greatly to whether or not women would stay at the company.

After maternity leave was extended from three months to five months and was increased from partial payment to full pay, Google found that it was losing women at less that 50 percent of what it had previously. Google’s extremely powerful computers crunched the numbers and that’s what they came up with; treat people better and they will want to work for you.

Unfortunately, research from the Families and Work Institute shows employers are cutting back on providing full pay during such leave and although employers have grown more likely to offer some form of paid maternity leave, they are becoming less likely to provide time off with full pay.

About 58 percent of employers provide some form of pay for maternity leave, based on the latest survey, up from 46 percent in 2005. But only 5 percent of all employers offer full pay for new mothers, down from an estimated 6 percent in 2005.

Google is once again going against a common trend and hoping that it’ll pay off for them. Still, they are nowhere near the Swedish standard, which offers more than a year of paid maternity leave.

Neil Armstrong Dies at 82 The first man to walk on the moon dies this week after complications following a quadruple heart-bypass surgery. Armstrong has been immortal-

In News seven consecutive Tour titles from 1999 through 2005. “I know who won those seven Tours,” Armstrong said in a statement. “The toughest event in the world where the strongest man wins. Nobody can ever change that. Especially [USADA CEO] Travis Tygart.”

The recent months have seen the downfall of many “legends” in the professional sporting arena. From untouchables like Joe Paterno to All Stars like Melky Cabreba, morals do not seem to be high on the list of priorities among athletes these days.

that he will no longer be fighting the allegations that he was using steroids to help him win seven Tour de France titles. “I refuse to participate in a process that is so one-sided and unfair,” he wrote in a statement.

That would be more understandable had Armstrong not been a very tough fighter who is famous for being stubborn when overcoming obstacles. He beat cancer to continue cycling, but is refusing to participate in these proceedings.

Richest Members of Congress NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said, “As long as there are history books, Neil Armstrong will be included in them.” Armstrong’s fellow moonwalker on the Apollo 11 mission, Buzz Aldrin, was among the legions mourning his passage. “We are missing a great spokesman and leader in the space program,” Aldrin said in a BBC interview.

He said he’d remember Armstrong “as being a very capable commander and leader of an achievement that will be recognized until man sets foot on the planet Mars.”

Michael Collins, the crewmate who circled the moon in the Apollo 11 command module while Armstrong and Aldrin took that first trip to the lunar surface, also paid tribute to his commander in a NASA statement: “He was the best, and I will miss him terribly.”

Armstrong was famous for staying out of the spotlight as much as he could. Some outsiders may have faulted him for his reluctance to promote NASA’s agenda further, but not his fellow astronauts.

“Most of our group in those days could have accomplished the challenge of the mission,” Apollo 7 astronaut Walt Cunningham told NBC News’ James Oberg in an email, “but I do not know a one that could have handled the resulting notoriety as well as Neil did.”

Armstrong is survived by his wife, two sons, a stepson and stepdaughter, and ten grandchildren.

Lance Armstrong Gives Up the Fight In the latest blow to professional sports, Lance Armstrong has announced

The Hill, a political news site, unveiled its annual list of the 50 richest lawmakers on Tuesday. Representative Michael McCaul, a Republican from Texas, held on to the top slot with a cool $290.5 million. “McCaul remains in the stratosphere of the very richest members of Congress,” said The Hill, noting that his wealth “stems from sev-

The USADA stripped Armstrong of all his winnings from August 1, 1998 through today which includes

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The Week

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The Week eral family trusts,” and that his father, Lowry Mays, founded Clear Channel Communications. His value actually rose by $3 million in 2011, the time period covered in the list.

McCaul is far ahead of his challenger, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, the wealthiest Democrat in Congress, who reported a net worth of $198.8 million last year. Much of Kerry’s wealth comes from his wife, an heir to the Heinz Ketchup estate.

Rep. Darrell Issa, a Republican from California, dropped one notch from 2010 but still placed third. The Hill said his wealth plunged about $80 million to $140.6 million. He is the founder of

Directed Electronics, a maker of car security systems and also has a high-yield trust worth $50 million as well as bond holdings. He took on $50 million worth of personal loans last year, which The Hill said was the main reason his estate took such a big hit.

Rep. Jared Polis, a Democrat from Colorado, come in fourth, with $91.1 million, after his wealth soared by $25 million last year. His portfolio includes a blind trust and tech company holdings.

The fifth richest lawmaker is Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat and former Virginia governor, with $85.9 million.

The Hill said his assets include investment funds, bonds and a $1 million life insurance policy.

Rep. Paul Ryan, the Republican candidate for the vice presidency, is worth a relatively paltry $2.2 million and didn’t even make the top fifty.

Good thing governors aren’t on the list…

Gangster “Ma” Barker Hideout For Sale

In News The location of one of the most legendary raids in FBI history is being put on the market next month at a real estate auction. Located on Lake Weir, Florida, the home remains in the same condition as in 1935 when federal agents shot Kate “Ma” Barker, bullet holes and all.

Barker was the mother of seven criminals who ran the Barker gang in the early 20th century. Some view her as the mastermind behind the killings and robberies. Others see her as a mother who knew of her children’s exploits and did everything in her power to keep them

out of jail. They do not believe she was actively involved in their exploits.

The two-story frame house is 62 miles from Orlando and bidding is expected to start at one million dollars.

Maybe for a nice Pesach retreat…

Top Earning Towns in America A list rating the highest average family income based on location has been released and some of its findings are surprising. The top-earning city in America is Bethesda, Maryland with an average household income of $184,606 and a mean house value of $740,000.

An easy commute from Washington D.C., Bethesda is a hotspot for the highly educated, with nearly half of its residents boasting a graduate or professional degree.

Number two on the list is Greenwich, CT with an average income of $167,502. Greenwich is home to many hedge fund and boutique financial service agencies. Its short commute, excellent school system and outdoor at-

25 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

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inadvertently hit in the crossfire or by ricocheting bullets.

Six of the wounded were treated and released, while three others remained hospitalized, Kelly said. The slain victim has been identified as Steven Ercolino.

A disgruntled former apparel designer was killed in a hail of police gunfire in front of the Empire State Building after he shot and killed a co-worker and engaged in a gun battle with two officers on Friday. At least nine others were wounded in the incident as the officers unloaded 14 rounds at the gunman, who apparently turned his weapon against them in one of Manhattan’s busiest neighborhoods.

Police identified the shooter as 58-year-old Jeffrey Johnson, who was laid off from his job as a designer of women’s accessories at Hazan Import last year. “We have on tape the perpetrator pulled his gun out and tried to shoot at the cops,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. “Whether he got off any bullets or not, to be determined.”

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said the bystanders were not hit directly by police, but rather the officers struck “flowerpots and other objects around, so…their bullets fragmented and, in essence, that’s what caused the wounds.”

Earlier, Bloomberg told reporters that some of the wounded might have been

Aly Raisman made headlines a few weeks ago when she performed her Olympic gold-winning floor routine to the tune of “Hava Nagila.” The 18-yearold gymnast came home with three medals to be proud of. She also commented that if there would have been a moment of silence for the 11 Israeli athletes and coaches who were murdered at the 1972 Munich Games, she would “have participated.”

Next year, Raisman will be inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in Suffolk, New York. “This is a great honor,” Raisman told The Needham Times when she was notified of her induction, which will take place in April 2013. “Just last year I was given the Pearl D. Mazor Award and now I am being inducted.”

The Raisman family has been invited by Diaspora Affairs Minister Yuli Edelstein to visit Israel and they hope to do so in the future.

Political Republican Convention As Hurricane Isaac hit the coast in Louisiana on Tuesday night, it can be said that Hurricane Chris hit the party faithful at the Republican convention.

When asked whether he would tame his remarks during his keynote address at the Republican National Convention, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie re-

sponded, “I don’t think they have any expectation nor have they requested that I have a personality-ectomy between now and next Tuesday. They know what they’re buying.” Christie did not seem intimidated by the magnitude of the spotlight, but seemed to relish in it.

He spoke about the American dream that enabled his parents to build a family, despite coming from poverty stricken backgrounds. He spoke about how his father returned home from Army service and worked at the Breyers Ice Cream plant in the 1950s ( “Bring your child to work” day must have cost Breyers a good few containers of ice cream), while he went to school at night to obtain a college degree. Of his mother he said, “She was tough as nails…She spoke the truth—bluntly, directly and without much varnish. I am her son.”

He argued that politicians must make hard choices in order to resolve problems, much as he has done in New Jersey. “They said it was impossible to cut taxes in a state where taxes were raised 115 times in eight years. That it was impossible to balance a budget at the same time, with an $11 billion deficit. Three years later, we have three balanced budgets with lower taxes. We did it.” After hearing this, the crowd cheered. He argued that Mitt Romney will be a real leader who will make the difficult but necessary choices to fix America’s problems. In his single reference to President Obama during his speech, Christie said, “You see, Mr. President—real leaders don’t follow polls. Real leaders change polls.”

The first day of the convention also featured a prominent speech by Ann Romney, whose speech focused on persuading women voters to come out and vote and bringing out the personal side of her husband, Mitt. “It’s the moms of this nation — single, married, widowed — who really hold this country together. We’re the mothers, we’re the wives, we’re the grandmothers, we’re the big sisters, we’re the little sisters, we’re the daughters. You know it’s true, don’t you? You’re the ones who always have

to do a little more,” said Ann. Ann directly took on the Democrats’ portrayal of her husband as a privileged, rich, out-of-touch venture capitalist who can’t sympathize with regular people. She spoke about living in a basement apartment while Mitt put himself through law school and business school.

Of Bain Capital she said, “I was there when he and a small group of friends talked about starting a new company. I was there when they struggled and wondered if the whole idea just wasn’t going to work. Mitt’s reaction was to work harder and press on.”

At least one spectator at the convention was not impressed with the speeches, but perhaps he is not so objective— Obama’s campaign adviser Robert Gibbs. “It seemed first and foremost like this was a very angry convention tonight full of insults,” he said. He did admit though that convention-goers “were quite cordial” to him. Mr. Gibbs: The poison works really slowly.

No Easy Day: A Firsthand Account of the Bin Laden Raid and Politics, of Course

In News wore a white, sleeveless T-shirt, loose tan pants and a tan tunic, according to the book. Despite numerous reports that bin Laden had a weapon and resisted when Navy SEALs entered the room, he was unarmed, writes Owen. He had been fatally wounded before they had entered the room.

The book calls out inaccurate accounts of the assault. “The raid was being reported like a bad action movie,” Owen writes. “At first, it was funny because it was so wrong. “Contrary to earlier accounts, Owen says SEALs weren’t fired upon while they were outside the gate of the compound. There was no 40-minute firefight. And it wasn’t true that bin Laden had “time to look into our eyes.”

Though he praises the President for green-lighting the risky assault, Owen says the SEALS joked that Obama would take credit for their success. On his second night in Afghanistan waiting for final orders, sitting around a fire pit and joking about which Hollywood actors would play them in the bin Laden movie, one SEAL joked, “And we’ll get Obama reelected for sure. I can see him

now, talking about how he killed bin Laden,” according to Owen.

Owen writes: “We had seen it before when he took credit for the Captain Phillips rescue. Although we applauded the decision-making in this case, there was no doubt in anybody’s mind that he would take all the political credit for this too.”

Later, while watching Obama’s speech announcing the raid, Owen writes: “None of us were huge fans of Obama. We respected him as the commander-in-chief of the military and for giving us the green light on the mission.” When one SEAL joked again that they will get Obama reelected, Owen asks, “Well, would you rather not have done this?”

He writes: “We all knew the deal.

We were tools in the toolbox, and when things go well they promote it. They inflate their roles. But we should have done it. It was the right call to make.

Regardless of the politics that would come along with it, the end result was what we all wanted.”

Continued on page 30

‫בס"ד‬

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 1019 READS LANE, FAR ROCKAWAY 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM RAIN DATE: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 The much-anticipated firsthand account of the Navy SEALs raid that killed Osama bin Laden reveals the terrorist leader was unarmed and was already dead with a bullet to the brain when the SEALs entered his bedroom in the compound at Abbottabad, Pakistan.

“We were less than five steps from getting to the top when I heard suppressed shots. BOP. BOP,” writes author Mark Owen. “I couldn’t tell from my position if the rounds hit the target or not. The man disappeared into the dark room.” Team members took their time entering the room, where they saw the women wailing over bin Laden, who

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Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder PR ES E N TS

A Free Community Concert at the beach TO

BE N E F I T

Starring

Nochi Krohn and Aryeh Kunstler & friends…

Tuesday, September 4th Showtime: 5:00 pm

@ The Bandstand at O’Donahue Park (Seagirt Blvd between B9th and B 17th) Far Rockaway, NY Bring your Lawnchair Sponsored by

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The Week Later, when they met Obama at the White House, Owen says he was reluctant to sign the American flag presented to the President because it would disclose his identity. So, at least one SEAL scribbled a random name on the flag.

Owen talks about after listening to Obama’s speech and enduring Biden’s “lame jokes that no one got (he seemed like a nice guy, but he reminded me of someone’s drunken uncle at Christmas dinner)” the President invited the team to return to his residence later for a beer.

But Owen writes that a few weeks later: “We never got the call to have a beer at the White House.” Joking with a fellow SEAL, “Hey, did you ever hear anything about that beer?” Walt cracks: “You believed that. I bet you voted for change too.”

Tommy Vietor, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said in an email: “As President Obama said on the night that justice was brought to Osama bin Laden, ‘We give thanks for the men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism, patriotism, and unparalleled courage of those who serve our

country.’”

Mitt Romney the Birther

At a campaign event in Michigan last Friday, presidential candidate Mitt Romney made a joke referencing the conspiracy theories surrounding the President’s birth certificate. “Now, I love being home in this place where Ann and I were raised, where both of us were born. Ann was born in Henry Ford Hospital. I was born in Harper Hospital,” Romney said at the rally. “No one’s ever asked to see my birth certificate.

They know that this is the place that we were born and raised.”

The Obama campaign jumped on Romney’s comments, releasing a Web video on Saturday saying, “America doesn’t need a birther-in-chief.”

MSNBC host Chris Matthews, who is the poster boy for the pro-Obama media, seemed distraught over Romney’s joke. “That cheap shot about ‘I don’t have a problem with my birth certificate’ was awful...It is an embarrassment to your party to play that card,” he said

In News to Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus. “You are playing that little ethnic card there,” Matthews told Priebus. “You can play your games and giggle about it, but the fact is your side is playing that card.”

Priebus dismissed Matthews’ criticism as garbage and told reporters, “If more than 10 people actually watched his show I’d actually care, but they don’t. So whatever.”

That’s Odd And I Leave my iTunes Library To… A new debate has arisen surrounding the inheritance of digital libraries such as e-book and iTunes music collections. Someone who owned 10,000 hardcover books and the same number of vinyl records could bequeath them to descendants, but legal experts say passing on iTunes and Kindle libraries would be much more complicated.

And one’s heirs stand to lose huge sums of money. “I find it hard to imagine a situation where a family would be OK with losing a collection of 10,000 books and songs,” says Evan Carroll, co-author of “Your Digital Afterlife.”

“Legally dividing one account among several heirs would also be extremely difficult.”

Part of the problem is that with digital content, one doesn’t have the same rights as with print books and CDs.

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Five Towns Chapter Annual Summer Event PM

7:30

09.09.12

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$9.99 Salmon Croquettes

tray

Customers own a license to use the digital files—but they don’t actually own them. Apple and Amazon.com grant “nontransferable” rights to use content, so if you buy the complete works of the Beatles on iTunes, you cannot give the White Album to your son and Abbey Road to your daughter. According to Amazon’s terms of use, “You do not acquire any ownership rights in the software or music content.” Apple limits the use of digital files to Apple devices used by the account holder.

Estate planners and lawyers are still trying to come up with an easy way to allow people to write wills that include digital property. One obstacle they need to overcome is the level of tech-savviness that much of the elderly population has. A simple and easy way to store one’s digital property has not yet been made readily available.

Skydivers Banned for National Security Concerns Skydivers will no longer be able to drop from the sky out of an airport less than three miles from the highly restricted Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base.

The St. Marys Airport Authority voted Wednesday night to revoke The Jumping Place’s permit to operate out of the small airport. The decision came after two jumpers landed on the base on August 12. Altogether, seven skydivers have landed on the base in the past three years.

The vote came after a lengthy and sometimes heated discussion between authority members and the owners of The Jumping Place. Airport Authority member Frank Frasca motioned to revoke the permit shortly after Navy Commader Jeff Pafford told the authority, “This cannot happen again.”

About 5,200 people used the skydiving service each year, The Jumping Place owner Cathy Kloess told the board. She said during the meeting that all of her operations have been above board, strictly following FAA regulations. She said everyone is first shown aerial photographs as well as a video warning that they must not land on the base. She said she could not guarantee, however, that a skydiver wouldn’t land on the base again because skydivers are sometimes blown off course against all odds, and they must land in the safest area available.

The submarine base is one of the few places in the U.S. that has a semi “no fly zone” around it. Airplanes are not allowed to fly lower than 3000 feet above the base and aerial photography is strictly forbidden.

What’s the point of skydiving if you can’t take a picture doing it?

Health Officials: “Don’t Call 911 With a Mosquito Bite” It seems like common sense right?

If you have a mosquito bite, it’s not a health emergency. Still, with several people contracting West Nile Virus from mosquitoes in Texas this month, many emergency calls have been made to report mosquito bites. One woman called Fort Worth 911 requesting assistance because her young nephew had a bump on his arm.

Health officials say even if the West Nile Virus is transmitted by a mosquito bite, the person would have no symptoms while the virus incubates. An individual wouldn’t begin to feel ill until the virus manifested itself several days later. If a person is worried that they’ve contracted West Nile, health officials say they should contact their personal physician or go to a health clinic.

Officials maintain that the best protection against catching West Nile Virus is a defensive position — wear long sleeve clothes, wear long pants, look into your neighborhood and look into your backyard to make sure that you don’t have a breeding ground for those mosquitos.

“Chai” Necklace Mistaken for Moose on EBay

A “chai” pedant was sold on eBay this week as a “Unique Vintage Navajo Moose” necklace by “alwaysbelisting,” a seller with a 99.8% positive feedback rating. It was sold for $5.50…

That sounds like a cheap price for something so unique…

In News Thieves Cut Open Roof for Sneakers Two teenagers were arrested this week after cutting into the roof of a mall in Houston to steal Nike Air Jordan sneakers. A security guard at Greenspoint mall, on the north side of Houston, saw the thieves in the Foot Action store early Wednesday morning and called police. John Grant, 19, and another male, 16, were arrested at the scene, but a third suspect believed to be around the same age fled.

John Cannon, Houston Police spokesman, said officers responded to a burglary call at 4:45 A.M. on Wednesday and found the suspects stole 16 pairs of Nike Air Jordan sneakers valued at $175 each.

Limited editions of specific Nike sneakers, such as the soon-to-be-released LeBron X Nike Plus basketball sneaker, are often bought and re-sold for costs as high as $1,000.

Violence and long lines have plagued stores like Foot Locker as fans wait hours for a limited number of

sneakers. In anticipation of such problems, earlier this week Nike reportedly issued general safety guidelines to retailers about the release of the popular sneakers, moving the release time from midnight to 8 a.m.

That’s what you get for sneaking around!!

Canned Air Here! Get Your Canned Air!

Kirill Rudenko, a Prague-based photographer, is selling “canned air”

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The Week In News from Paris, New York and other major cities for $9.99 a pop. The 3-and-a-halfinch cans, available through Rudenko’s Etsy.com, come with wine-like labels that disclose the blend of concentrated air inside.

The Paris air formula is 20% The Louvre, 20% Notre Dame, 25% Eiffel Tower, 15% Musée d’Orsay, 10% Champs-Elysées, and10% Sacre Coeur.

New York’s can contains: 20% Empire State Building, 10% Grand Central Terminal, 10% Chrysler Building, 20% Statue of Liberty, 10% Little Italy and Chinatown, 10% Brooklyn Bridge, 10% Times Square, and 10% Central Park.

Rudenko claims the “fresh air” from New York “relieves stress, cures homesickness and helps fighting nostalgia,” though it “may contain traces of Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens or Staten Island.”

I think he’s full of hot air.

wanted to sell. When Cote arrived at the home, he was shocked to find it was actually 45. “That’s something like 3 million bees, which is more bees than there are people in Queens,” Cote said.

Beekeeping has been legal in New York since 2010. No license is needed, but if beehive owners don’t register their hives, they can be fined.

Hope they don’t mind being paid in honey…

Couple Gets Married 23 Times

3 Million Bees Seized From Man’s Home

Approximately 3 million bees were found swarming around a man’s Queens, N.Y. home on Wednesday night, and were removed to the relief of his neighbors.

Yi Gin Chen had beehives packed into the backyard—about 45 hives in total, said Andrew Cote, president of the New York City Beekeepers Association. Cote said Chen, a beekeeper in his native China, had contacted the beekeepers’ association earlier in the month for help with the bees because he was trying to sell his Corona, Queens, home.

Chen allegedly started with one hive a couple years ago, and the insects kept multiplying. “It’s gotten out of hand,” Chen said as New York City Police Department officials and volunteers from the Beekeepers Association collected the bees. “I don’t have the time or resources to do this.”

Cote said Chen’s real estate agent contacted him a few weeks ago and told him that Chen, who only speaks Mandarin, had “four or five hives” that he

Alex Pelling and Lisa Gant, a couple from Yorkshire, England, have made it their mission to not only travel the world together, but to throw a wedding in each country that they visit. Their goal is to have 30 wedding ceremonies, and they have already completed 23 in 15 different countries. Their adventure began in July 2011, when they decided to save every penny they had, sell their house, and live in a 25-year-old camper van they’ve named “Penny.”

At the conclusion of their trip, in July 2013 they will select one destination to throw a final ceremony with loved ones present and make their marriage legal. So far they have had wedding ceremonies in Belize, Mexico, Hawaii, Honduras, Guatemala, Seattle, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, and Chili.

That’s a lot of sheva brachos.

Beanie Babies Billionaire Does a Good Deed Ty Warner, the Beanie Babies billionaire mogul of Ty Inc., got lost in on July 14 in Santa Barbara, Calif. and pulled into the parking lot of a local fes-

tival to ask for directions.

“He’d rolled up in his nondescript car, while I was fundraising at the French Festival. He was lost and needed directions. I often get asked by random strangers for directions. Not one to miss an opportunity, I handed him my flyer and he made a fifty dollar donation,” Jennifer Vasilakos described.

Vasilakos was in the parking lot raising money for the stem cell treatment she so desperately needed to recover her kidney function and come off dialysis, she said on her fundraising website.

Vasilakos’ kidneys failed last year and she was told she was ineligible for a kidney transplant for now. The stem cell treatment was the next best option, because it costs less than a transplant and she wouldn’t have to take drugs to suppress her immune system and keep her body from rejecting a new kidney.

Vasilakos needed to raise enough money to undergo the procedure. She would have to go outside the U.S. because no hospitals here perform the treatment she sought.

Warner seemed generous; after she gave him the directions he needed, he made a $50 donation and went on his way.

“As he drove off, I thought that was the end of our encounter. One of my friends with me that Saturday morning noticed his return before I did. Again he stopped at my table near the entry to the parking lot. He’d returned after an hour or so. Rolling down his window, he reached out his hand and introduced

In News himself. I immediately recognized his name. He was kind and sincere as he looked directly into my eyes, and the woman with him smiled at me. They’d read my flyer,” Vasilakos said on her website.

“I listened as he repeated over and over that he was going to help me. That my fundraising was done. That I didn’t need to worry any longer. He said he would send a check after he returned to his offices during the week.”

And he did. On July 26, Vasilakos writes that she received a package at her office. When she went to her desk to get it, she saw an overnight FedEx envelope from Warner.

“The handwritten letter by the donor was genuine and heartfelt. It was the type of letter you keep forever, and accompanying it was the check. A check that could change my life in an instant. Streaming tears of relief and amazement fell uncontrollably from my eyes, as I walked out of the room back towards the exit. I was flooded with indescribable emotion,” Vasilakos said.

Warner had sent a check for $20,000 to cover her expenses.

Happy 116th Birthday!

116 years ago, Besse Cooper was born in Sullivan, Tennessee. She never thought that she’d make it to the Guinness Book of World Records, but she has; Cooper is the eighth person in the world to make it to 116 years of age and is now the world’s oldest person.

This week she celebrated this milestone birthday with a cake. Instead of 116 candles, the numerals 1-1-6 were placed on the cake for the birthday girl.

Monroe, Georgia named a bridge in her honor and a ribbon ceremony will be held on Friday for the bridge opening.

Despite her age, Cooper has not lost her sense of humor. “The older she has

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The Week gotten the more wittier she has gotten,” her son, Sidney Cooper, told the Walton Tribune.

There is a secret to her longevity. “I mind my own business,” she told the Guinness World Records. “And I don’t eat junk food.”

Cooper moved to Monroe during World War I and became a teacher. She married her husband in 1924 and they had four children together. Today, Cooper is the proud matriarch of a growing family—she has 12 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren and greatgreat-grandchildren.

Well, we wish her many more birthdays until 120!

Five Stars for Your Read When searching for a book online, do you ever wonder who reads all those books and then submits comments on them online? Some of them seem just so complimentary, it’s almost as if they were written by the publishers themselves!

Well, you’re not too far off if you think that. Take the case of GettingBookReviews.com. Todd Rutherford started out in the marketing department for authors of self-published books.

He would work on churning out press releases for his clients, trying to get attention for the books with potential readers. And then he realized that he could do more for his client by doing a book review on his own. Wouldn’t you want to read a book that was reviewed and rated as “compelling” and a “mustread”?

Thus his business was born. He charged $99 for a book review and $499

In News for 20 reviews. For those who wanted more online excitement, he would do 50 reviews for $999. He began making $28,000 a month just by doing the reviews. While the company was in existence, it produced 4,531 reviews. A review online gives the illusion of hearing real information from someone you trust, but the truth is, so much of it is fake. Bing Liu, a data-mining expert at the University of Illinois, Chicago, estimates that almost one-third of reviews on the internet are not written by individuals but by third parties or the businesses themselves.

In early 2011, Rutherford’s venture came to a halt after a dissatisfied worker wrote a bad review of his service online. Subsequently, his business collapsed and many of his reviews were taken down. Now he sells R.V.s and just published a book called “The Publishing Guru on Writing.” It has one review on Amazon.com.

Man Sues for Having Braces on Teeth for 11 Years

From the ages of seven to 18, Devin Bost was a metal mouth. He wore braces on his teeth for eleven years and now some of his teeth have to be pulled and replaced. Bost, who is now 22, is suing his orthodontist for the tooth, mouth and gum injuries that he incurred while wearing the corrective braces.

David Hollander is Bost’s attorney.

He said, “What I’m told by experts is, you can’t do this. You can’t keep them on that long. It’s just not done.” Most

braces are worn for just a few years.

Now, some of Bost’s teeth have rotted through to the jaw and he has had to travel to Boston for some extensive dental work with expert dentists in the area.

Bost is seeking $150,000 for pain and suffering and $35,100 to compensate him for the expensive surgeries and procedures he has had to have done because of the braces.

I guess when your mother says listen to the dentist, sometimes she may not be right…

Poodle Moth The internet was abuzz (yes, pun intended) this week when photos of interesting-looking insects surfaced. Some of these insects looked hairy, some were spotted and some were funny looking.

Dr. Karl Shuker, a zoologist from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, investigated the origins of these photographs and found out that yes, these images are authentic and not “Photoshopped.” Dr. Arthur Anker was the one with the 75 photos of insects in Gran Sabana national park in Venezuela.

The insect pictured above is the Venezuelan Poodle Moth. The name says it all.

Touro’s Graduate School of Technology Offers Gaming Workshops for Teachers Katya Hott, a producer at E-Line Media, a publisher of game-based learning products and service, talks to a participant at an educational game-design workshop hosted by the Touro College Graduate School of Technology.

Approximately twenty educators attended the one-day workshop to learn how teachers can create educational games for use in their classrooms for students aged eight to 14 to foster 21st century learning skills. Participants received

certificates for completing six hours of

NEWS

Community

Not Your Mother’s Hebrew School We all know at least one person who speaks of his/her days in Hebrew school with the same tone of voice as wisdom teeth removal and chicken pox. However, you won’t hear any such talk from the attendees of the Chabad Hebrew School in Cedarhurst. Those moans and groans have been replaced by squeals of delight.

It starts with Aleph Champ, an exciting Hebrew literacy education pro-

professional development applicable toward the New York state teacher certification requirement.

Colin Roberts works on his Torah handbook

Bike4Friendship to Be Held on September 2 On Sunday, September 2, The Friendship Circle of the Chabad of the Five Towns invites everyone out for the first ever Bike4Friendship Event.

Friendship Circle volunteers have been “putting the pedal to the metal” in the Five Towns since 2004, visiting their friends with special needs and assisting in social and educational events together. Now it’s time for the community to do the same to raise money so that FC can continue making a difference. Put air in your tires, throw on your helmet, and get ready to have a great time riding together to help the Friendship Circle!

The girls ride begins at 12:00 p.m. and the boys ride begins at 12:30 p.m.

The group leaves from Chabad of the Five Towns, 74 Maple Avenue in Cedarhurst, and will ride to the Long Beach Carnival for the finish line. The

event will take place rain or shine. The minimum commitment to fundraise is $180. Bikers will receive a free jersey, fundraising page, and support along the way. Start training today. Sponsorship opportunities are available to have your logo on the jersey and featured on our website. South Shore Bicycle and Fitness has graciously signed on as the first sponsor of the event. Thank you to Avi and Chava Popack, Shlomie (Steven) and Rivky Hartstein, and Adam and Sarit Kramer for chairing the event.

Don’t break the chain! Register, volunteer, and/or donate today by visiting www.bike4friendship.org/fivetowns, calling 516-295-2478, ext. 13 or emailing Batsheva@chabad5towns.com.

A project of the Jean Fischman Chabad Center of the Five Towns.

JEAP Project Hosts “This Is Not A Fund Raiser” BBQ The newly-formed Jewish Energy Alternative Parnassah Project (JEAPP) is hosting a glatt kosher BBQ strategy meeting on Wednesday, Sept 5 at 8:00 (call for Five Towns location). While many are perplexed by the dismal job market, some enterprising askanim in our community are creating alternative parnassah opportunities for select candidates through the consumer energy

markets. If you know anyone seeking parnassah or if you wish to learn to be a facilitator of one of several solutions, please attend the J.E.A.P. private BBQ next Wednesday night. Due to advanced food preparations, you must reserve a seat. (Only 15 seats remaining at print time.) For details, RSVP and address, call 347-219-4045.

Serena Riera proudly displays her Rosh Hashana artwork

gram, which uses the karate model.

Children move through the ranks of white, red orange etc. all the way to the

Hebrew-reading instructor. “Charting their own progress keeps them motivated.”

Also included in the curriculum is Jewish history, understanding the Jewish holidays and Shabbat, and most essentially, Jewish values.

This unique Sunday School is geared for boys and girls ages 5-13 who attend public school. Parents are also included in fun days and in holiday lessons. The school’s enrollment has doubled in this last year alone and Chabad expects the numbers to keep rising as more parents learn of this important tool to ensure the future of Judaism.

For more information, contact the Hebrew School director Rabbi Meir Geisinsky, at 516295-2478 X19 or email RabbiMeir@chabad5towns.com.

Michael Volfman and Mendel Geisinsky learn together You may also visit fivetownhighest level—Black Aleph Champ. shebrewschool.com to download forms, “The students love the personal chal- learn about Chabad’s unique approach lenge, and the fulfillment of progress- and obtain more information. ing to another color,” said Rabbi Meir,

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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

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36,229

Opportunities for fun and support

1,961

Hours of professional tutoring

1,267

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Trained, compassionate volunteers

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Family days, holiday parties, recreation events and retreats

204

Crisis intervention workshops in schools, camps, and communities following tragedies

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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

NEWS

Community

How Will Dirshu Find Room For So Many Kinyan Torah Test Takers!?

By Chaim Gold Dirshu has a serious problem. They are in trouble.

They don’t know how they are going to find room to accommodate the thousands who have signed up to take the Kinyan Torah Daf Yomi Tests. In less than two weeks, Dirshu’s first test on the first 30 blatt in this machzor of Daf Yomi will take place and in Eretz Yisroel alone, a whopping 10,000 people have already signed up to take the tests! In America, there has also been an exponential increase in those seeking to join Dirshu and take the Daf Yomi Kinyan Torah tests.

One member of the Dirshu hanhala quipped, “We may be forced to rent out the Yad Eliyahu Stadium where the Siyum HaShas was held, just to accommodate those taking the tests!”

“We Wish Such Problems on Everyone!”

Indeed, Rabbi Ahron Gobioff, Dirshu’s director of operations in America, said, “We wish everyone such problems and such troubles! This new problem of finding space for the thousands of test takers who want to have a real kinyan in Shas is exactly the kind of problem that Dirshu welcomes. It is the greatest indicator that the Dirshu revolution is taking root all over the world in an unprecedented way!”

Rabbi Avigdor Berenstein, a senior member of Dirshu’s hanhala in Eretz Yisroel, said, “We knew there would be a significant increase in participation after the Siyum HaShas, but even we were taken by surprise at the simply amazing response. At the upcoming test alone,” he continued, “there will be more than 10,000 people taking a test on 30 blatt in the Kinyan Torah program. That is just one of Dirshu’s programs. There are still thousands more in Daf HaYomi B’Halacha, Kinyan Halacha, and the myriad yeshiva programs! And this,” Rabbi Berenstein exclaimed, “is only in Eretz Yisroel. Throughout the rest of the world—the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, Russia and Australia, there are so many more taking the tests.”

A True Historic Milestone Without a doubt, the upcoming Dirshu Kinyan Torah test is a historic moment in the history of Klal Yisroel.

Despite the general, easy use of the word historic, in this case it truly is historic. There is no precedent in recorded

history of so many people taking one test the world over on so much learning, 30 blatt! This is not a test on a page or two it is on 30 entire blatt, 60 pages!

This is not a test taken by 10 people, 100 people or even 1,000 people. It is a test being taken by more than 10,000 people in Eretz Yisroel alone and so many more in Chutz La’aretz!

Dirshu Unifier of Klal Yisroel Kinyan Torah, the desire to learn with accountability to really achieve a kinyan in Torah through taking Dirshu tests, is something that crosses all ideological lines. Dirshu’s offices have been inundated with requests from Ashkenazim and Sephardim, Chassidim and Yeshivaleit, kollel yungeleit and baalei batim, Modern Orthodox and Religious Zionists, Jews from all walks of life who are b’achdus, in true unity, unified by the one thing that we all share in common, a desire to learn Hashem’s Torah in way that will remain with us!

30 Blatt of Gemara – with Rashi and Tosafos!

Another truly momentous development is the fact that thousands will also be taking the tests with Tosafos! Yes, Dirshu has not only a Gemara, Rashi track but a Gemara, Rashi, and Tosafos track as well. The test for many will cover 30 blatt, not just with Rashi but with Tosafos too! At the Dirshu World Siyum, the Nasi of Dirshu, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, put out a clarion call to all those who are able to raise their hasagos, their goals and when possible to not only learn with Rashi but to add Tosafos as well. A very significant number have answered that call and many, many talmidei chachomim will be taking the upcoming test of 30 blatt with both Rashi and Tosafos!

Aftermath of the World Siyum This massive wave of new enrollment is undoubtedly a direct result of the magnificent kiddush Hashem and kovod haTorah that so embodied the Dirshu World Siyum celebrations in Eretz Yisroel this summer.

The kovod haTorah, the fact that the most senior gedolei hador from across the spectrum not only came to the siyum but spoke about the amazing Torah revolution created by Dirshu and encouraged Klal Yisroel to join, is certainly a tremendously contributing factor.

In fact, in addition to celebrating

the accomplishments of the thousands of Dirshu participants, one of the purposes of the World Siyum was to draw attention to how Dirshu was transforming both the limud haTorah and the very lives of its participants in order to encourage more people to join. Baruch Hashem, the peiros, the practical outcome of the siyum, has been a massive unprecedented increase in enrollment that even surprised the optimists on the hanhala of Dirshu!

The Largest Yeshiva and Kollel In the World!

One more component is signified by the more than 10,000 enrollees in Kinyan Torah in Eretz Yisroel. We know how difficult it is for bnei Torah to live and make ends meet in Eretz Yisroel.

With the government constantly cutting funding combined with the specter of the army and more budget cuts hovering over the Torah community of Eretz Yisroel, Dirshu’s generous stipend for excellent results provides desperately needed funds to sustain the families of the most elite, deserving bnei Torah.

Dirshu is thus the ultimate, not only in promoting Torah, but in promoting Toras chessed! It promotes enhanced limud haTorah and an additional monthly check that can literally put food into the mouths of the families of needy talmidei chachomim.

In fact, at the World Siyum, one of the prominent roshei yeshiva mentioned that Dirshu is the biggest kollel and largest yeshiva in the world. It is a yeshiva without walls; a kollel without a formal bais medrash but nevertheless, a kollel that literally spans the entire globe!

When contemplating the ultimate, takeaway message, the l’maaseh, the

practical outcome of the World Siyum, it is mindboggling to realize that the siyum was the catalyst for exponential increase in limud haTorah. An increase both in quantity, representing the numbers enrolled in Kinyan Torah, and in quality with so many taking the tests with Tosafos, and an unprecedented achdus among all segments of Klal Yisroel and the joining of the pillar of Torah and chessed in an unmatched way.

What About You? The truth is, reading these words and analyzing the Dirshu ads is an eye opener; it gives the reader an idea of the size, scope, reach and transformative affect that Dirshu has on its participants. Nevertheless, one cannot really appreciate just how much Dirshu does for one’s learning, for one’s own ruchniyus and for that of his family, until he actually joins and tastes how sweet limud haTorah with accountability, with a “plan,” really is! Rather than analyzing its advertisements, commenting on its important events, the only way to really see how Dirshu is a life transformer, an organization, a movement that will enhance your ruchniyus to the utmost, is by trying it.

Dirshu is still accepting enrollment.

If you are learning Daf Hayomi and you want to get more out of it; if you want to take your learning to a totally different level and dimension, start chazering, reviewing and join Dirshu, the test is just over a week away...and the next one is a month later. What better way to fulfill Chazal’s exhortation, “Ashrei Mi Sh’ba L’kan V’talmudo B’Yado!”

To join any of Dirshu’s programs, please call Dirshu’s offices at 1-888-5-Dirshu.

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Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island Welcomes New Principal Rabbi Eli Rubin The Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island is thrilled to welcome Rabbi Eli Rubin as the principal for the Junior High School talmidim in grades 6 through 8.

Given the Yeshiva’s tremendous growth in its enrollment, the appointment of a menahal dedicated to the middle school-age boys will allow YKLI to continue to provide each boy with individualized attention based on his unique strengths, challenges, and interests.

Rabbi Rubin has extensive chinuch experience working with boys in the middle school grades. His charismatic personality combined with his signature warmth resonates with this age group and his passion for learning and middos development will certainly inspire the talmidim to strive in all areas of their lives.

YKLI has an outstanding limudei kodesh program and engaging middosbuilding initiatives, and under Rabbi Rubin’s leadership, the talmidim should

continue to flourish throughout their middle school years. Determined to help each child realize his potential while forging his own relationship with Hashem, Rabbi Rubin’s goal is to nurture the she’lamais of each talmid in all areas. “We are committed to developing true bnei Torah—aspiring talmidei chachomim who excel in middos and derech eretz, possess strong skills and extensive knowledge who will be proud of their yiddishkeit. We seek to provide the talmidim with the ruach and the supportive environment they need to truly thrive during these critical middle school years,” explained Rabbi Rubin.

Rabbi Rubin’s passion for motivating children to grow in their avodas Hashem is shared by all the administrators, rabbeim, moros and teachers at YKLI, and together they are planning for another terrific year of learning, middos development, intellectual inquiry and academic engagement.

NEWS

Community

Charlie Harary to Speak in Forest Hills Chazaq presents a powerful event with Charlie Harary this Sunday night, September 2nd. The topic will be on “How to get into the book of life.” The lecture is scheduled for 8:30pm; refreshments will be served at 8pm.

The lecture will be held at Beth Gavriel Community Center, 66 - 35 108th street, Forest Hills, NY and is generously sponsored by Caring Professionals.

For more information, call or text 917-617-3636 or email info@chazaq. org.

Shloime Dachs and Michoel Pruzansky Concert at the Long Beach Boardwalk!

HANC West Hempstead Elementary School “Back to School” News Welcoming a New Principal!

HANC’s Samuel & Elizabeth Bass Golding Elementary School in West Hempstead is thrilled to begin the year under the guidance of an innovative and dynamic educational leader, Rabbi Yaakov Sadigh.

Rabbi Sadigh has twenty years of experience as a Jewish educator, serving as an administrator and classroom teacher at Ezra Academy and Y.C.Q. Rabbi Sadigh, who received his smicha from Yeshiva Nechmat Yerushalayim, has a Masters degree in Special Education and a Masters Certificate in School Building Leadership from St. John’s University.

Rabbi Sadigh brings his extraordinary warmth, his commitment to Torah and mitzvot, and his passion for excellence to HANC. HANC is proud to have Rabbi Sadigh at the helm.

Highlights for the Upcoming 2012-2013 School Year HANC’s Samuel & Elizabeth Bass Golding Elementary School in West Hempstead continues to enhance and

revamp existing curriculum and programs to reflect the shifts in the New York State Core Curriculum and to reinforce differentiated education and a focus on every individual student’s needs.

Students are leveled for reading, math, and Hebrew language; so that every student can receive the attention they need to achieve proficiency.

HANC continues to leverage technology to further engage students and to provide students with exposure to the cutting edge technological tools needed to succeed in the world today. Every classroom is outfitted with a Smart Board and the kindergarten has a Smart Table as well.

Students in HANC Kindergarten through 6th grade will enjoy specialties including art, music, library, science and gym. The HANC building has enjoyed a new makeover as well, with new windows, a new phone system, and a brand new Reading Room.

We look forward to welcoming the students for another amazing year filled with learning and fun!

Michoel Pruzansky, State Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg, Rabbi Chaim Wakslak, Shloime Dachs

On the Thursday evening, the Young Israel of Long Beach in conjunction with the City of Long Beach sponsored the second summer concert on the boardwalk. Prior to the concert, David Goldstein together with several volunteers from the YILB hosted families from Chai Lifeline to an elaborate barbecue which took place in the shul. Following the barbeque, the City of Long Beach provided a bus to transport the Chai Lifeline families directly to the concert.

The idyllic combination of beautiful weather, the ocean in the background, and the brightly shining moon proved to be a magnificent background for the performance presented by Shloime Dachs and Michoel Pruzansky. Rabbi

Chaim Wakslak welcomed the large crowd that came from across the tristate area. He extended a special welcome to the guests of Chai Lifeline and to many individuals from the HASC Center who were invited to the evening of enjoyment.

Also present at the event was State Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg.

Rabbi Wakslak noted in his remarks that Harvey is a great friend of the Jewish community in Long Beach and has always been available to provide assistance in any way possible.

The evening ended with everyone spiritually uplifted and ready to move positively forward during the month of Elul.

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Community

NBA Legend Rick Barry and Cedarhurst Supporters Team up for OHEL Hall of Famer and Top 50 NBA All-Time Legend Rick Barry and his son, 1988 University of Kansas NCAA champion Scooter Barry, visited the home of Mariam and Menachem Lieber last week to help raise awareness

(L-R) hosts Mariam and Menachem Lieber receive a gift of a signed commemorative OHEL jersey from Rick Barry and Scooter Barry

of OHEL’s Foster Care Division. Over 100 people and children took part in a new program that the organization calls

“OHEL Backyard NBA” where OHEL brings star players to people’s homes and communities to create awareness of and raise funds for its many programs.

Of course, there was also lots of basketball played. “I knew that OHEL does a lot for the Jewish community, but I never realized just how much. While I

was here on the East Coast I got to see some of its services up close and personal, and I came away a huge fan of their work.”

43

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

THE WHITE SHUL YoUTH

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

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NEWS

Community

Dist. #15 Providing Free Bussing to Pre-K Students Lawrence School Board Trustee Dr. David Sussman: “Expanding bussing services to all eligible students living in the district is a welcome and necessary relief for overburdened parents.”

Beginning this fall, thanks to an expanded free bussing program arranged through the Lawrence School Board, the parents of more than 350 pre-kindergarten

(l to r) Dr. David J. Sussman, Lawrence School Board Trustee; Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva of South Shore; Lawrence School District Superintendent Gary Schall.

Yeshiva of South Shore is one of eight local private schools to receive free district bussing for pre-kindergarten students who live in District 15.

students who attend private schools and live in School District 15 will find themselves with a little more time in the morning and afternoons. And a few extra dollars in their pockets.

While the expanded bussing program is estimated to save District 15 parents between $400,000 and $500,000 a year, it incurs no additional cost to Lawrence School District taxpayers. Currently, eight private schools including the Yeshiva of South Shore, HAFTR, HALB, Darchei, Shulamith, Bnos Bais Yaakov, and JCC, have qualified to receive bussing services. Each participating schools was required to meet requirements specified by the school district in a request for proposal due this past May. “I am a firm believer in the idea that the sooner children are exposed to sound education the better. This is a great step in expanding early-childhood education to students in our district,” said Dr. David Sussman, an 18year veteran of the Lawrence Board of Education and an outspoken advocate for early childhood education for district students in both public and private schools.

“To provide these precious benefits to all of our children—both in the public schools and private schools— we need to make sure they have access to the education through available and affordable transportation.”

“Expanding bussing services to all eligible students living in the district is a welcome and necessary relief for parents in a community overburdened by rising household expenses, a weak economy, and taxes that rise year after year,” said Dr. Sussman, “while my colleagues on the Lawrence school board and I have been able to keep taxes in District 15 at the same level over the past seven years.”

He explains that skyrocketing school taxes are caused in most part by Albany’s deeply flawed funding

formulas that unfairly shortchange Long Island districts in terms of the amount of state school aid they receive each year. “The flawed formulas are skewed to make Long Island appear uniformly wealthy, when, in fact, much of the wealth is concentrated in a few relatively small areas, leaving the community with the burden to make up the shortfall in school funding,” says Dr. Sussman. “Residents in our neighboring school districts are truly suffering.”

Instead of working to prevent millions of dollars of the state aid we desperately need from being diverted to other districts across the state, explains Dr. Sussman, our representatives in Albany stand by and allow Long Island to become New York State’s personal piggy bank, he says, “Then, in dribs and drabs, parcel out

funds we were entitled to receive in the first place, so they can plaster their pictures everywhere, taking credit for their supposed largesse.”

Dr. Sussman credits the extraordinary efforts of District 15 Superintendent Gary Schall and his administrative team as well as the entire School Board including Sol Blisko, Abel Feldhamer, Murray Forman, Uri Kaufman, Nahum Marcus, and Lawrence School Board President, Dr. Asher Mansdorf “for their tireless work to make this new program possible.” “We continue to work for educational improvement coupled with sound budgeting and fair taxing policies,” says Dr. Sussman. “Looking for more ways to help everyone is the only way to make our entire community successful on an ongoing basis.”

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Community

Hundreds Attend NCSY’s YouthCon Rabbi Gedaliah Oppen, HAFTR High School Principal of Judaic Studies, sends off his son Yitzchak to learn in Israel for the year.

After four years of learning in HAFTR High School, many HAFTR seniors spend a year studying in Israel at a Yeshiva or Seminary of their choice after graduating.

CAHAL—13 Classes Opening in September CAHAL, the community-wide special education program, will begin its 21st year with 13 classes from kindergarten through high school, the largest amount of classes in one school year in its history. As always, the kindergarten class, the anchor of the program, will be held at the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County (HANC) in West Hempstead led by an outstanding teacher, Melody Harris. Mrs. Harris has taught the CAHAL kindergarten for 12 years. The kindergarten class incorporates a comprehensive sensory integration program. The Elementary Division will include classes in HANC, Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway (HAFTR), Yeshiva Darchei Torah, Torah Academy for Girls (TAG), Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island and Yeshiva Toras Chaim of South Shore. The Middle School Division will have classes in HAFTR, Yeshiva Darchei Torah and Bnos Bais Yaakov. Mesivta Ateres Yaakov houses the CAHAL boys’ High School class. A new addition this year will be a 9th grade High School class in HAFTR. The Hebrew Academy of Long Beach (HALB), Bnot Shulamith, and Siach Yitzchak also participate in the CAHAL program.

During the past 20 years, CAHAL

has successfully educated hundreds of children in our community with various learning disabilities, speech and language impairments and attention deficit disorders. Classes are limited to 12 students with a student to teacher ratio of 4 to 1. Certified special education secular and Hebrew teachers, along with experienced assistant teachers provide individualized attention. The uniquely designed programs encourage and promote the children’s success, preparing them for mainstreaming, advanced studies and adulthood.

The CAHAL staff is led by Mrs. Naomi Nadata who has been the Program Director since its inception. Mrs. Alice Feltheimer serves as Educational Coordinator, Rabbi Moishe Waxman is the Hebrew Curriculum Coordinator, and Dr. Suri Weinreb is CAHAL’s psychologist. The staff of nearly 60 teachers, assistants and support personnel is made up of experienced and dedicated individuals who strive to bring out the best in each of the children. The goal of CAHAL is to mainstream each student in as many subjects as possible, eventually allowing them to return to the school of their choice. For more information about CAHAL visit www.CAHAL.org.

NCSY’s second annual YouthCon convention, held on August 19 at the Stamford Hilton, was a smashing success with more than 500 attendees. Participants came from across America: from Teaneck, New Jersey to Omaha, Nebraska to Los Angeles, California to Hollywood, Florida. Presenters from over 65 participating organizations spoke about topics ranging from bullying inside Jewish schools to using technology to promote student participation. Presenters ranged from Jonathan Rosenblatt, senior rabbi of the Riverdale

have to know their story and own their story” Joel said.

Days afterwards, educators discussed the impact of the convention throughout the online world. Rabbi John Gross, the senior rabbi of the Beth Israel synagogue in Omaha, spoke about YouthCon on his blog, http://www.amerabbica.com.

“I think the best thing about Youthcon was that there was clearly no agenda other than sharing ideas on how to engage Jewish youth,” wrote Rabbi Gross.

“I felt as if no ideas were off limits.”

Rabbi Steven Burg, Managing Director of the Orthodox Union and International Director of NCSY, moderates a panel at NCSY’s YouthCon. The panelists were Richard Joel, President of Yeshiva University; Ruth Messinger, CEO of American Jewish World Service; and Shimon Waronker, Headmaster of the New American Academy.

Jewish Center and current candidate for the seat of Britain’s Chief Rabbi, to Yael Buechler of Midrash Manicures who patented her own parsha-themed nail decals.

“Participants learned about the scope of options available for them as educators and leaders in the Jewish community,” said Rabbi Steven Burg, Managing Director of the Orthodox Union and the International Director of NCSY. “Shaping the next generation of Jewish leaders is the mission of NCSY and the Orthodox Union.”

The highlight of the event was the afternoon plenary which featured a discussion moderated by Rabbi Burg between Richard Joel, President of Yeshiva University; Ruth Messinger, CEO of American Jewish World Service and Shimon Waronker, Headmaster of the New American Academy. All three spoke about their journeys to become leaders in the field of Jewish education. Joel had the closing word for the plenary that echoed the message of the importance of Jewish education.

“If we are to survive, our children

One presenter, Rabbi Dov Emerson, assistant principal of DRS Yeshiva High School for Boys in Woodmere, NY, wrote what he felt was the “secret sauce of the convention.” “NCSY and OU clearly appreciate the importance of professionalism in our field, and the experience at YouthCon demonstrated this over and over again,” he wrote. “The conference was located in a beautiful hotel, the schedule was clear and carried out with precision.”

Another point Rabbi Emerson raised was the low cost of the event: only $36 for the full-day conference, including a fully catered lunch and snacks throughout the day. “NCSY wanted as many people as possible to attend, and they did not allow cost to serve as a barrier,” he wrote.

Dovid Bashevkin, director of Programming for YouthCon spoke about how the convention built on last year’s efforts. “We’re changing the perception of informal and experiential education in the Jewish world,” he said. “Just wait until next year.”

NEWS

Community

Kulanu Looks Forward To The New 2012-2013 Season!

Kulanu provides educational, vocational and recreational services for children with special needs and their families. The Kulanu Center for Special Services, located at 620 Central Avenue, Cedarhurst, NY, has year-round relationships with local schools and synagogues to include our children with special needs and their families in every possible way into the fabric of the larger community. To host a community lecture, have a speaker in your child’s youth group or school, please contact Jonathan Cooper, Director of Inclusion and Community Services, at jonathanc@kulanukids. org or 516-569-3083 X135.

Kulanu Academy eagerly welcomes back its students in grades 5 through post high school and staff on Tuesday, Sept 4th, 2012. Limited openings for the school program are available. To inquire, contact Carrie@kulanukids.org or call 516-569-3083X108.

Kulanu’s Social Services Division offers a variety of services to children and parents including weekend and after school programs, as well as support groups for parents and siblings.

Elul Zman at Yeshiva Nishmas HaTorah With Elul zman just underway, Yeshiva Nishmas HaTorah takes a tremendous amount of pride in its most recent addition. R’ Abi Goldenberg joins the Hanhalas Hayeshiva and will iy”H lend his tremendous talents, capabilities and experience into helping guide the Yeshiva in its Avodas Hakodesh. He has been an extremely warm and devoted Rebbi in Lakewood and has also been one of the founders of shivisi. org which deals primarily with making the “Six Constant Mitzvos” an intrinsic part of everyone’s lives.

He shares a like-minded vision of the other Roshei Yeshiva, R’ Yissachar Blinder and R’ Pinchus Weinberger, which is to produce wholesome, productive Bnei Torah who epitomize shleimus, bochurim who understand what Toras chaim truly is, how the Torah guides us in all aspects of life.

This past summer was a very productive one as the Yeshiva hosted a very successful event during The Nine Days entitled “Rebuilding From The Inside Out” which delineated its goals and mission. There was also a summer chabura started and run by the Talmidim themselves that went on for an additional three weeks after the zman had ended. B”H the Yeshiva and its ideals has caught on as is evident in the increased enrollment. The Yeshiva will be starting a Night Seder and expanding its dormitory as well this year.

Nishmas HaTorah is looking forward to a very productive and successful year B’siyata D’shmaya.

For more information, call 718-541-5807 or 516-55785310 or email info@nishmashatorah.org.

Our Recreation After-School Program (RAP) for children with special needs up to age 21 includes yoga, sports, cooking, art, bowling and gym and begins the week of Sept 10, 2012. For details, call Vicki @ 516569-3083 X 140.

Our highly regarded Sunday Morning Activities Inclusion Program will hold a staff and & volunteer orientation on Sept. 9, 2012 while sessions begin on October 14, 2012. To become involved, please contact Nicole Callan, Program Director, at nicole@kulanukids.org or 516-569-3083 X339.

The Keren Eliana Parent Advocacy and Resource Center, informally known as PARC, is a parent infor-

mation and referral service that offers family support and advocacy services in all areas of special needs.

Contact Amy Eisenberg via email Amy@kulanukids. org, or call 516-569-3083 X138.

To volunteer to help with our on-going fundraising drives, including our first annual concert, book sale, simcha rentals program, annual Scholarship Dinner, Purim Cuisine Sale and shalach manot drive, Young Leadership Division events, and annual Community Fair, please contact Mindy K. Rosengarten, Director of Development, at Mindy@kulanukids.org or call 516-569-3083 x102. Newcomers are welcome!

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

You Gotta be

Riddle

Kidding!

Submitted by Estee Gerten Have you heard about the teacher who was cross-eyed? She couldn’t control her pupils!

Teacher: Could you please pay a little attention?

Student: I’m paying as little attention as I can.

Teacher: James, where is your homework?

James: I ate it.

Teacher: Why? James: You said it was a piece of cake!

Teacher: You’ve got your shoes on the wrong feet.

Pupil: But these are the only feet I’ve got!

Child: Today my teacher yelled at me for something I didn’t do.

Mother: What was that?

Child: My homework!

Mother: Son, why does your geography exam have a big zero over it?

Son: It is not a zero, mum. The teacher ran out of stars, so she gave me a moon instead!

Son: Hey, Mom, I got a hundred in school today.

Mom: That’s wonderful! What did you get a hundred in?

Son: In two things: I got forty in reading and sixty in spelling.

Son: I’m not going back to school ever again Mother: Why not?

Son: The teacher doesn’t know a thing; all she does is ask questions!

Submitted by Lenny Rothschild In a mathematics contest, A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H got the top eight places. The teacher asked them to guess who got the top spot.

A said: “Either F or H is first.”

B said: “I’m first.”

C said: “G is first.”

D said: “B is not first.”

E said: “A is wrong.”

F said: “Neither I nor H is the first.”

G said: “C is not first.”

H said: “I agree with A.” The teacher told them that exactly three of them guessed correctly. Who came in first place?

Answer below

School Message Machine Hello! You have reached the automated answering service of your school.

In order to assist you in connecting to the right member of staff, please listen to all the options before making a selection: To give a lame excuse about why your child is absent - Press 1 To make excuses for why your child did not do his/her work - Press 2 To complain about what we do - Press 3 To scream at staff members - Press 4 To ask why you didn’t get information that was already enclosed in your newsletter and several letters posted to you - Press 5 If you want us to stop giving homework on Thursday night - Press 6 If you want to know why we have a half day every half day- Press 7 To complain about school lunches - Press 8 To complain about bus transport - Press 9 LASTLY: If you realize this is the real world, and your child must be accountable and responsible for their own behavior, classwork, homework and that it’s not the teachers’ fault for your child’s lack of effort: Hang up and have a really wonderful day!

Answer to riddle: Answer: Just one. He will always only have C came in first place. Here is why: Since B and D contradict each other, one of them must be telling the truth.

Since A and H agree with each other while E and F are against them, exactly two of these four must be true.

Therefore, neither C nor G guessed correctly.

Since G guessed that C is not first, C must be first.

48

Got funny?

Let the Commissioner decide.

Send your stuff to centerfold@fivetownsjewishhome.com

49

Don’t let your first grammar test catch you off guard – these words were all added to the Merriam Webster Dictionary while you were in camp eating marshmallows 1.

Aha Moment a. The sensation after taking your first sip of coffee in the morning. b. The moment you are told that the reason your shirt came back stained from the cleaners has nothing to do with their bad job, but it is just a stain that was “waiting to reveal itself.” c. A moment of sudden realization, inspiration, insight, recognition, or comprehension. d. The moment you are told by your teacher that you flunked your first quiz because you didn’t use a No. 2 pencil (those No. 3 pencils are the devil).

2. Gassed a. When your car has a full tank of gas b. Devoid of energy c. When someone guesses something and are not totally right but close d. A redneck de-cluttering their home in anticipation of company. (i.e “Jimbo you’ll better clean your room because we are having gassed comin’ over.)

3.

Ear•worm a. When someone sneaks behind his friend and puts the tip of his tzitzis in his ear b. Someone who is always talking on their cell phone c. The device security personnel use to communicate d. A song that keeps repeating in one’s mind 4. Mash-up a. A soft backed potato b. Something created by combining two or more sources c. When a toddler’s Legos are broken by an older sibling (“I was playing and he mashed up my castle.”) d. Destroying something good 5.

Man cave a. When a man puts his blanket over his head in an effort to block out the noise of his ringing alarm clock. b. A sports arena covered with a dome.

c. All restaurants after 10:00 PM on Thursday night, if they serve chulent d. A room or space (as in a basement) designed according to the taste of the man of the house to be used as his personal area for hobbies and leisure activities Answers 1. C; 2. B; 3. D; 4. B; 5. D Wisdom key 4-5 Correct: You have much sagacity!

2-3 Correct: You are quite pedestrian!

0-1 Correct: You are obviously not down with slang!

Chasing Chaos

Time to brush up on your English pronunciations Dearest creature in creation, Study English pronunciation.

I will teach you in my verse Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.

I will keep you, Suzy, busy, Make your head with heat grow dizzy.

Tear in eye, your dress will tear.

So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.

Just compare heart, beard, and heard, Dies and diet, lord and word, Sword and sward, retain and Britain.

(Mind the latter, how it’s written.)

Now I surely will not plague you With such words as plaque and ague.

But be careful how you speak: Say break and steak, but bleak and streak; Cloven, oven, how and low, Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe.

Hear me say, devoid of trickery, Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore, Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles, Exiles, similes, and reviles; Scholar, vicar, and cigar, Solar, mica, war and far; One, anemone, Balmoral, Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel; Gertrude, German, wind and mind, Scene, Melpomene, mankind.

Billet does not rhyme with ballet, Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.

Blood and flood are not like food, Nor is mold like should and would.

Viscous, viscount, load and broad, Toward, to forward, to reward.

And your pronunciation’s OK When you correctly say croquet, Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve, Friend and fiend, alive and live.

Ivy, privy, famous; clamour And enamour rhyme with hammer.

River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb, Doll and roll and some and home.

Stranger does not rhyme with anger, Neither does devour with clangor.

Souls but foul, haunt but aunt, Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant, Shoes, goes, does.

Now first say finger, And then singer, ginger, linger, Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge, Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age.

Query does not rhyme with very, Nor does fury sound like bury.

Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth.

Job, nob, transom, oath.

Though the differences seem little, We say actual but victual.

Refer does not rhyme with deafer.

Foeffer does, and zephyr, heifer.

Mint, pint, senate and sedate;

Dull, bull, and George ate late.

Scenic, Arabic, Pacific, Science, conscience, scientific.

Liberty, library, heave and heaven, Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven.

We say hallowed, but allowed, People, leopard, towed, but vowed.

Mark the differences, moreover, Between mover, cover, clover; Leeches, breeches, wise, precise, Chalice, but police and lice; Camel, constable, unstable, Principle, disciple, label.

Petal, panel, and canal, Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal.

Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair, Senator, spectator, mayor.

Tour, but our and succor, four.

Gas, alas, and Arkansas.

Sea, idea, Korea, area, Psalm, Maria, but malaria.

Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean.

Doctrine, turpentine, marine.

Compare alien with Italian, Dandelion and battalion.

Sally with ally, yea, ye, Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key.

Say aver, but ever, fever, Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver.

Heron, granary, canary.

Crevice and device and aerie.

Face, but preface, not efface.

Phlegm, phlegmatic, glass, bass.

Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging.

Ear, but earn and wear and tear Do not rhyme with here but ere.

Seven is right, but so is even, Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen, Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk, Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work.

Pronunciation (think of psyche!)

Is a paling stout and spikey?

Won’t it make you lose your wits, Writing groats and saying grits?

It’s a dark abyss or tunnel: Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale, Islington and Isle of Wight, Housewife, verdict and indict.

Finally, which rhymes with enough, Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough?

Hiccough has the sound of cup.

My advice is to give up!

“The Chaos” is a poem which demonstrates the irregularity of English spelling and pronunciation, written by Gerard Nolst Trenité (1870-1946), also known under the pseudonym Charivarius. It first appeared in an appendix to the author’s 1920 textbook Drop Your Foreign Accent.

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

New Word Trivia

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

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The Shmuz Parshas Ki Teizai

R’ Ben Tzion Shafier

I’d Be The First To Thank Hashem, If… “You shall not reject an Edomite, for he is your brother; you shall not reject an Egyptian, for you were a sojourner in his land.” – Devarim 23:8 Our Attitude Toward The Mitzrim The Torah lays out our attitude and approach to the different nations and tells us, “The Mitzrim cannot be totally rejected because you lived in their country.” Rashi is bothered by this mixed expression. If we are supposed to be grateful for the good that the Mitzrim did for us, why use the expression “don’t reject them?” This doesn’t sound very appreciative.

Rashi answers that the Torah is teaching us precisely that point. Our attitude towards the Mitzrim should be mixed. On the one hand, we don’t forget that they threw our infant boys into the Nile. On the other hand, they did provide a home for us. So we have ambivalent feelings. We don’t completely accept them, but we can’t reject them either.

When we think about the background, this Rashi is very difficult to understand. Our stay in Mitzrayim was not pleasant. Tortured and bled, oppressed and hounded, the Jew was treated far

at dawn, to the crack of the whip, to slave away in the sweltering heat. In plain language, we were property – owned by the Mitzrim, kept for their profit. Any good that they did for us was only for their

By nature a person is grateful; the difficulty lies in recognizing what we have to be grateful for. worse than a beast of burden. We had no rights. We had no life. We couldn’t choose our destiny or protect our children. What possible debt do we owe to them?

But even more telling is that the Mitzrim weren’t doing us a favor by allowing us to stay in their land. We were the backbone of their economy. Their entire production was based on slave labor, and we were the slaves. They didn’t feed us for our good; they did it so that we could produce for them. They didn’t give us a place to sleep for our comfort; they did it so that we could be awakened

selfish interests. Do we owe such people ha’karas ha’tov?

This question can best be answered with a moshol brought by the Chovos Ha’Levovos.

The Ungrateful Teenager Two teenage brothers living in a grand estate are having a conversation.

One says to the other, “Father is such a wonderful man! He is so generous with us, and so concerned for our good. Look at the entire program he has created for us – private teachers and tutors – all to benefit us. Everything that he does is focused on our betterment. I feel so grateful to him.”

His brother looks over and says, “Oh, I don’t know about that. First off, this getting up at 6:30 in the morning bit is a huge drag. And this whole ‘get an education routine’ is pretty lame. Not to mention five miles of running every morning! It’s just plain dumb! To tell you the truth, I’m not so sure he really has our good in mind at all. I think the old timer just wants to keep us out of his hair.”

What is the difference between the two teenagers? One is adopted; the other isn’t. You see, the adopted son grew up without. He knows what it means to suffer. Having had lived in an orphanage for two years, he knows what it is like to go to bed hungry, to sleep in a cold, dank cellar. When his adopted father took him in, everything was a vast improvement, so he has an unending sense of appreciation for what he now has. His brother, on the other hand, grew up in the lap of luxury. Since he first opened his eyes, all that he has ever known is comfort and abundance, and so none of it means anything to him. He is a spoiled brat.

I Would Be The First To Thank G-d, If… The expression ha’karas ha’tov is highly illustrative of this concept. The word ha’karah means to recognize, to

discern. Chazal were teaching us that this issue pivots on perception. By nature a person is grateful; the difficulty lies in recognizing what we have to be grateful for.

This seems to be the answer to this Rashi. There is no question that the Mitzrim’s motivation when they were playing host to the Jewish nation was not for the Jews’ benefit but for their own. However, the Jews did benefit. For 210 years they had a land in which to live, food to eat, and a place to sleep. In that sense, their very existence is attributed to the Mitzrim. Granted the Mitzrim didn’t intend for the good of the Jews, but the Jews were the recipients of it.

For that we owe a debt of gratitude – albeit mixed – but a debt nevertheless.

The Torah is teaching us that if I have received something, I must recognize that, even if it is a mixed blessing.

Therefore, while we don’t completely welcome the Mitzrim into our midst, we can’t reject them either.

One of the most motivating forces in our avodas Hashem is a sense of “I need to pay back.” How can I not do everything in my power to pay back the huge debt that I have to Hashem? However, this is based on my understanding of the sheer amount of good that I receive. Unfortunately, we are a bit like the spoiled teenager who has everything and therefore has nothing. It is difficult for us to thank Hashem. It isn’t that we don’t have; it is that we don’t perceive it.

When I train myself to appreciate the great wealth that I enjoy, I gain an automatic sense of wanting to pay back. By doing this, I enjoy my stay in this world to a much greater extent, I am grateful for what others do for me, and I have an unending sense of appreciation for all that the blessings I have received from Hashem.

51 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

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53 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

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55 Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz

Memory Overload

I

n a former life I was a computer technician. It was my first job and I got into that field because the specific training for it didn’t take too long and the salesman for the school assured my father and me that I would be making a very high salary straight out of school. The salesman was exaggerating, but baruch Hashem my first job in the NY area was working for a computer firm.

I didn’t end up lasting in that business because the technology changes so quickly that if you don’t love it, you can’t keep up. I didn’t and I couldn’t.

While I did learn some things at that job that I have carried with me since, I would never call myself a technical expert. One day, a friend in that field asked if I could stop by his client’s office to pick up a check. He had gotten caught in a meeting and would not be back before the office closed. Happy to do a favor for a friend, I agreed.

When I got to the office, I informed the receptionist that I was there to pick up the check for “ABC Computing” (not the real name). She ushered me into the office of the manager, who handed me the check and asked me, “Will you be looking at the hard drive we called about?” Realizing that she assumed I was a computer tech, and trying not to let on that I didn’t work for the firm, I told her I thought one of the other fellows from the office was going to be taking care of it.

She commented that they couldn’t do any work on the computer at all because the hard drive was bad, so I figured I could at least take a look at it and call my friend on the phone for a little remote diagnostic work. At the very least, it would make him look good to the office manager.

I sat down at the computer and pressed a key. I got a strange message.

It said there was not enough space on the hard drive to perform another action. I looked at the C: drive statistics and saw that of the 450 Gigabytes of hard drive space, there remained only 1.2 Megabytes left. That’s .00027% of the otherwise massive hard drive!

Seeking to recoup space, I ran the disk cleaning utility and found an astounding fact. 350 Gigabytes, more than three-quarters of the hard drive space, was taken up by temporary files.

Temp files (usually ending in .tmp)

are typically created by a program for backup purposes while you’re working on something and last until you save the file. They may also be created as part of a software installation but usu-

that bearing a grudge is a Biblical prohibition, bearing a grudge is like taking poison and hoping the other person dies. It doesn’t hurt him; it just prevents us from living happy, productive

Bearing a grudge is like taking poison and hoping the other person dies. It doesn’t hurt him; it just prevents us from living happy, productive lives. ally they are deleted soon afterwards.

In some cases, these temp files remain, possibly due to a programming error and take up valuable space, like in this instance.

I’m happy to report that I was able to delete the temp files and the PC was back up and running in a few moments.

I showed the manager how to clean them up and impressed upon her the need to regularly purge them. As I took leave of their office, I began to reflect on what had just occurred.

Here was a machine capable of tremendous functionality, brought to a halt because it wasted its memory on useless files from the past. In a clear parallel, I realized that as human beings, capable of much more complex behavior than a computer, we can get bogged down by useless memories as well.

When we harbor resentment, bear grudges, and hold on to hurt, we are merely clogging our brains and hearts with old data that is no longer relevant.

They build up and inhibit our ability to function. Were we to let these feelings go, we could remain highly-functional.

Now, perhaps when the situations arose and the bad feelings were created we may have needed them to protect ourselves from harm, but later on, we should have moved on and purged ourselves of them. The only one hurt when we keep ourselves angry is us.

Without even going into the fact

lives.

Elul is a time when we ask Hashem to forgive us, to look away from our failings and move on. We don’t want Him constantly rehashing our sins or focusing on them. If so, why do we feel we should do that to others? We often feel that if someone wronged us they bear a debt to us which they must repay, but we don’t want the Al-mighty to be so exacting.

T h e best way to get Hashem to overlook our flaws is by doing the same for others. Each night in Krias Shema Al HaMita, the Shema recited before going to sleep, we forgive anyone who has wronged us. Before Kol Nidre, we have a simi-

lar paragraph, and people ask each other for forgiveness. By being forgiving of others, we earn that commensurate behavior from G-d, and He forgives us.

I learned a lesson that day that we would all do well to remember. Many thoughts, feelings, and emotions lose their importance with time, and we must be diligent to purge them from our systems and our memory banks.

We should not remind someone of something they did wrong to us ten years before, or even ten days before.

We must be able to move forward and give others, and ourselves, a chance at a clean slate and a cleared memory.

Then we’ll be able to function at optimal performance.

Jonathan Gewirtz is a frequent contributor to these pages whose mission is to inspire and make people think. If you are inspired, act on it! Find a way to make this world a better place for yourself and those you share it with.

One way Rabbi Gewirtz does this is by publishing a weekly Dvar Torah in English called the Migdal Ohr, now in its fourteenth year. Subscribe for free by e-mailing info@ jewishspeechwriter.com and writing subscribe in the Subject line.

Have a simcha coming up? Wow the crowd with thought-provoking, entertaining words. To order a custom speech for your next simcha, visit www.JewishSpeechWriter.com © 2012 by Jonathan Gewirtz. All rights reserved.

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

The Observant Jew

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

56

Inside the Parsha

Yehoshua Levi

Parshas Ki Teitzai “When you will go out to war with your enemies…” (10:1) Our parsha addresses the soldier who sees a female captive and has an uncontrollable desire for her. The Torah recognizes that he may be unable to subdue these feelings under the stressful circumstances. Rather than sin, he is permitted to take her, provided that he adhere to certain conditions. Instead of risking spiritual contamination, the Torah provides a venue for the soldier, hoping that his desire abates before it will cause more harm.

Last week’s Torah portion listed those who are exempt from fighting.

The man who recently built a house or planted a vineyard did not have to enlist in the military. A newlywed man was also absolved from service. Another announcement was made before

the army embarked on the battle path: “Whoever is fainthearted shall return home!”

The Sages explain this refers to the individual who is tainted with sin and fears that Divine retribution will be exacted in war which will cause him to fall in battle. They feared that because of their aveiros they would never return. These men were told to go home.

Now let’s be real with ourselves.

Can anyone actually claim that he has never sinned? This being the reality, was there possibly anyone left to go and fight?

We can only assume that the regiments consisted of the greatest Tzadikim who had clear consciences and were confident that they would survive because they were free of sin.

We are talking about R’ Shach, the Vilna Goan and Rashi! These were

our soldiers.

Now who in their right mind could ever fathom that these great men would face a tough challenge and be tempted to sin by not being able to suppress their animalistic tendencies?!

These are righteous people who conquered their Yetzer Harah their entire lives! Why would the Torah have to provide a drastic option for one who would never have to resort to it? Maybe they would be tempted to run off the battlefield to learn a Tosfos if they saw a sefer and a shtender nearby. But a woman who wasn’t even Jewish?!

Who would ever suspect them of falling prey to this kind of sin?

My Rebbe, shlita, once related to me an incredible insight regarding the constant battle with the Yetzer Harah: When one goes head to head alone with the Yetzer Harah in combat, his chances of a clean victory are very slim. Overcoming the urge to sin and passing the test is an extremely difficult challenge to beat.

The “kuntz” is to avoid the nisayon in the first place. “If you can’t beat ‘em avoid ‘em!”

Many Gedolim became great leaders among men by avoiding these challenges and circumventing the clutches of the evil inclination.

Instead of placing themselves in a situation in which the tests would nearly be impossible to withstand, they wisely chose not to go there from the start.

Gravitating towards certain people

and harmful places brings upon certain tests that are hard to pass. A recovering alcoholic doesn’t go to the bar to watch the ballgame and an ex-smoker doesn’t shop in Duty Free for cologne.

Even the greatest men are susceptible to falling prey to their basic instincts in battle. When actually faced with a nisayon that they didn’t anticipate to encounter, the Torah provides a way out. After all, we are all human.

It is no coincidence that we pray every morning, “Not to bring us into the influence of temptation and trial.”

Sometimes, by avoiding it, you are beating it.

I saw an alternative answer given by the Mas’sas Hamelech that sheds light on our question. Rashi explains that the juxtaposition between the parsha of the Yifas Toar and of the Ben Sorer U’morer reveals that one who takes this woman captive as a wife will ultimately father a rebellious Ben Sorer U’morer. One of the qualifications needed to qualify to be branded a legitimate Ben Sorer is that the parents must have many identical features, such as voice, height and appearance.

(Sanhedrin 71a) We now can understand why this righteous soldier would want to take this woman who is strikingly similar to himself as his wife. It’s not every day that you find a shidduch that looks and sounds just like you! This match was so perfect it only made sense that she would be meant for him. He convinced himself that Hashem must have

Random Facts You May Have Never Known • Avsholom’s mother, Macha, was a princess captured in war and married according to the laws of Yifas Toar by King David.

• In ancient times, the Goyim would send their daughters dressed beautifully to the battlefields in order to distract the enemy.

• A Ben Sorer U’morer must be between the ages of 13 and 13 and 3 months in order to qualify for execution.

• There is a certain mazik—evil spirit—that roams in the air; the Mitzva of Shiluach Hakan protects us from it.

• Sancharev dispersed the nations from their land’s origin and we can no longer identify the nations we are forbidden to marry (Amon, Moav).

Therefore, we take converts from all nationalities.

• The number of malkus—lashes—that are given must be divisible by three.

No Thanks But Thanks “You were a sojourner in this land.” (23:9) The Torah commands us to accept Egyptian converts and let their grandchildren marry Jews despite the severe oppression that we experienced on their soil.

“We were slaves to Pharaoh in the land of Egypt.” This statement is chanted at the Pesach sedorim of Jews worldwide when commemorating the hardships sustained by our people for two centuries in Egypt.

Mitzrayim was no five star hotel.

It wasn’t just a matter of not having home court advantage. It was such a horribly bitter experience that we still stuff a kizayis-full of marror down our throats every year just to commemorate how bad it really was!

Nevertheless, Pharoh and the Egyptians did shelter Yaakov’s family and accommodate us when Yosef ruled the land.

Skeptics may speculate that it is possible that they didn’t even have righteous intentions. Perhaps they conspired to exploit us for their own benefit. Yosef’s talent and advice was crucial to the country’s survival. He was a fantastic organizer and leader who succeeded in making Egypt a wealthy world superpower. Yehudah, they probably reasoned, would make a fearless general who would lead their military. Naftali would make a fine transportation minister who could solve the downtown Cairo traffic dilemma. So maybe they did take us in for their own good. Yaakov’s presence alone caused the Nile to overflow its banks providing the much needed water necessary to irrigate their parched fields.

The Torah commands us to have hakoras hatov. The favor could have been half-baked, but it was a favor.

Even a half favor gets a big thank you.

That is hakoras hatov. When thanking someone, we shouldn’t make cheshbonos and judgments.

“Maybe he performed this chessed for me because he owed me something or he did it out of self-righteous feelings motivated by his own quest for personal advancement.”

If he did a favor for you, just give him a hearty thank you. By letting the Egyptian descendants marry our children we are making a strong statement regarding the importance of expressing gratitude.

“If a man will have a wayward and rebellious son who does not listen to the voice of his father and the voice of his mother…”

R’ Dovid Feinstein shlita points out a discrepancy in the words in which the Torah describes the two parents when they approach Bais Din to deal with their depraved son. “He doesn’t listen to our voice,” they say, as opposed to our possuk which refers to the parents having two separate voices.

Unfortunately, by the time they both agree and see eye-to-eye on issues that face them—in this case, their son—it is already too late. He has suffered the consequences of the strife that existed between them. He grew up in a home with “two voices” and now there is no turning back.

Two weeks ago, a young man who is suffering from a multitude of problems told me that he had his first conversation with his father in about a year.

“Abba,” he asked, “at what point did you decide that you weren’t cut out for Imma?” “Three weeks into our marriage,” he told him. When he asked his mother the same question, she responded that after two weeks, she knew she made a mistake.

They have been married for more than twenty years.

He told his father that for the rest of his siblings’ sake, they should break it off now or dedicate themselves to working it out immediately. “They are still young and you could fix things up with them. I am already a broken soul who suffered from a home that looks like it does. For me, the damage is already done and I have a long way to recovery.”

This is the result of two voices.

Yehoshua Levi, a teacher of Torah, is a writer and lecturer who dares to think outside the box to bring his thought-provoking insights and facts to his readers. He welcomes your comments and can be reached at editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com.

57 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

wanted to find this “perfect girl” to be his wife.

The lesson that we glean from this union is that the Torah’s perspective of an ideal marriage partner is not necessarily one who is most compatible. If anything, a perfect match can potentially be a recipe for disaster as in the Yifas Toar case. It’s nice to have a friend to share golfing habits, nature walks and a thrill for roller coasters, but it’s not the crucial factor for a sustainable marriage. A couple who will grow together while simultaneously understanding and respecting their differences, will bring the Shechinah into their home.

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58

Musings

Zissy Shelly

A Clear Message from the Sky

It’s not a question of if He’s here, but a question of if one can see that He is here.

M

y first semester of law school was an extremely difficult one—both because it was law school in general, and life in general didn’t seem to be going my way. I was convinced that my life had lost all meaning. I would think about how my whole life only revolved around school—my davening was rushed all the time, I didn’t go to shiurim anymore, I was no longer in my frum Queens College bubble that I had been in the year before…I felt like my life was purely selfish and meaningless.

My last final ended at 4 PM on Tues, December 16th and a few hours later I was anxiously waiting to board a Delta plane for a 10 hour direct flight to Israel. When I got on the plane though, I immediately started to have a panic attack. The plane was much smaller than

I had expected—instead of 3 seats, then 4 seats, then 3 seats like the configuration of an EL AL plane, this plane had 2 seats, 3 seats, then 2 seats—and no individual televisions!!

My 24C seat assignment, which I had thought was an aisle seat, was really the middle seat of the middle row.

I sat down and the claustrophobia instantly set in.

“How can I sit here for 10 hours and not even have a TV in front of me?!”

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I got right back out of my seat, went over to the nearest flight attendant, and shared with her my tragic tale about why I really could not sit in that seat.

She happened to be very nice and told me that as soon as they closed the door, she would try to find me a different seat.

This did not make me feel any better though, especially when an old man came and sat down on one side of me.

At that point, I was texting my father

and sister back and forth about my dire situation. Another old man came and sat on the other side of me and I was basically in tears as I sent my sister the text message: “Uch this is the worst plane ever.”

At that very moment, the flight attendant came to my seat and motioned for me to come with her. She had found me another seat! I jumped up, grabbed my bag, and followed her as she led me to the very first row of the coach section to a set of 2 seats—an aisle and a window seat—with plenty of leg room and a huge TV screen in front.

There was already a girl sitting in the window seat—she looked about my age, was very petite, dressed like a typical religious girl and wearing a hat, so I assumed she was married. As I approached the empty aisle seat she

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and where she was going to be staying in Israel. She told me she’d be there for ten days and was staying in the Jerusalem area.

As we landed in Tel Aviv, I looked over at Shaindy and felt a certain sadness now that we’d have to part ways.

I’m usually the kind to jump up as soon as the plane stops at the gate and run out to beat the crowd. But as the other passengers continued to walk off the plane, I just sat there next to Shaindy, unexplainably prolonging my time next to her. Finally though, I stood, wished her a great trip, and walked out of the plane. I always thank the pilot and flight attendants at the door when I walk out, but this time, I was the one that got a huge thank you from the flight attendants.

I breezed right through passport control and my luggage appeared on

thought she was leaving earlier, and I asked her about her trip. She said it was good and asked about mine as well. As soon as she took a seat in the waiting area, I ran to the ticket counter and explained to the Delta employee that I’m an EMT, I sat next to Shaindy on the way to Israel, and asked if maybe he could seat me next to her again as I would love to help her out. He looked at me like I was insane and in the most obnoxious tone answered, “This is a completely full flight; there are no extra seats.”

I was very taken aback but I ran to call Yaffa and could hardly contain myself when I told her that Shaindy was on my flight again! A few moments later, I saw a flight attendant wheel Shaindy onto the plane in a wheelchair.

I pictured her sitting again in row 15 – the first aisle of coach in the two-seat

I felt like G-d was screaming at me and at that moment I heard His message so clearly.

the carousel faster than it ever had any other time I flew. As I rode in the sheirut (shared taxi) to Jerusalem, I couldn’t stop thinking about what an unbelievable flight that had been. It ended up being such a blessing to be on a smaller plane with less people. Sitting next to Shaindy and being able to help her was a very clear message that I really have no reason to complain about my life and it is in no way meaningless.

I thought about Shaindy the entire trip and shared my story with almost everyone. On Saturday night, December 27, I was relating my experience to my friend Yaffa. She mentioned that, being that it was 10 days from when I had arrived, Shaindy was probably leaving that night. I couldn’t stop thinking about what she might have done while she was in Israel: where she went, whether she was going to make it home okay, who she would sit next to on the plane that night. We spoke about how we wondered if anyone knew her, how I can find out about her – if she was okay, wishing that I had some way of contacting her…

On December 30, I was once again in Ben Gurion airport, getting ready to return to NY. About 5 minutes before boarding time, I made my way to the gate. I cannot possibly explain how I felt as I looked towards the counter at the gate and saw Shaindy standing there.

Without thinking twice, I walked straight towards her and said hello, that it was so nice to see her, that I had

row – and wondered who would be sitting next to her this time.

When my section was called to board the plane, I walked on and scanned row 15 for Shaindy. I didn’t see her though and continued to walk back to my seat – 25E (an aisle seat of the middle three seats). And there was Shaindy sitting in 24C – just a row ahead of me and 2 seats over. I looked at her and sat down, smiling from ear to ear and completely amazed at how this was all playing out Like the obnoxious employee had informed me earlier, the announcements over the loudspeaker continued to instruct all passengers that it was in fact a completely full flight and that everyone should put their bags away quickly and get seated quickly so we could leave. By this time, an older man was sitting in my row in seat 25C but no one had taken the middle seat yet in between us.

The man looked at me and said that we might be the luckiest ones on the plane as the empty seat remained between us. I smiled and told him that would be great just as a flight attendant came to help Shaindy with her O2 tank.

I stood up, leaned over to Shaindy, and told her I was right behind her if she needed any help. The flight attendant asked if we were travelling together and I quickly explained to her that we weren’t but I was with her on the way to Israel as well and that it was all “just a coincidence.”

The man sitting in my row sug-

gested to the flight attendant that she put the O2 tank in the empty seat between us and she told him that if no one ended up sitting there, she would do just that. She left for a few minutes and when she came back, she whispered something to Shaindy and then turned to the gentleman. “Would you mind switching seats with her so that she could sit with that girl?” she asked, as she pointed to me. The man said of course not and switched seats with Shaindy. I really just could not believe this was happening. Shaindy was now sitting with me again and the O2 tank was on the floor between us under the only empty seat on the plane. I hooked her up to the oxygen as soon as we took off and sat in amazement for the rest of the flight.

When the complimentary beverage service started, the flight attendant came to my side and told me that I was an angel and offered me anything I wanted. I decided that I was never going to fly any other airline except Delta again.

As the lights dimmed and everyone started to go to sleep, Shaindy looked at me and asked if I wanted to use the middle seat. I told her to go ahead and take it. She put her pillow down and slept across both seats for most of the flight. I can’t describe how happy I felt about the whole flight experience, about my whole trip in general. I was truly on cloud nine.

Just like on the flight there, I helped Shaindy a few times with the oxygen but we didn’t really speak or exchange information. As we got ready to land, I knew I couldn’t just walk away again. I scribbled my name, email address, and phone number on a napkin and as I got ready to walk off the plane, I handed it to her, and said goodbye.

In Life is a Test, Rebbetzin Jungreis speaks about how the Hebrew words for miracle (nes), test (nisayon), and banner (nes) are all from the same root, teaching us that G-d gives us tests and performs miracles in order to send us messages. I’d like to add another word to the list – the word for travel (nasa) is also from the same root. My traveling experience was definitely a sign from G-d. I felt as if it was my own Chanukah miracle and message. I am so thankful that I was given that experience – of course I had always known that G-d is watching out for me and controlling the events of my life but it is something else to really be able to feel His presence and hear His messages.

I never did hear from Shaindy again but I think about her often and pray that she had a full recovery and that we will all be able to return to Israel again soon with the coming of Moshiach.

59 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

looked up at me and in low raspy voice asked if I would mind sitting by the window. I told her I didn’t care at all as long as I didn’t have to go back to my “middle of the middle seat.”

As soon as I sat down, I noticed a huge oxygen tank at my feet. I looked up at the girl and suddenly realized that she was wearing a hat because she had no hair…

She looked at me and again in her low raspy voice asked me if the oxygen tank was in my way. I told her that it wouldn’t bother me at all, and that I’m an EMT, so I’m very used to dealing with them. That’s when I processed exactly what had just occurred.

Do you understand what had just happened?? I had just texted my sister that “my life stinks” and not even a minute later I was seated next to a girl, probably around my age, who must have cancer or some other disease. I was in shock. I felt like G-d was screaming at me and at that moment I heard His message so clearly.

We were going to be taking off at any minute and another flight attendant came by to set up the O2 tank. She was trying to turn it on and seemed to be having some difficulty so I offered to help her. She asked if I was a nurse and when I told her I’m an EMT she answered, “Oh, so they sat you here on purpose to help?” I told her no – it was just a “coincidence.” She gave me a huge smile, turned to the girl, and said, “You’ll be in very good hands with this girl here!”

It is so hard to put into words what I was feeling at that moment…

Once we took off, I introduced myself to the girl and she told me her first name, Shaindy, and where she lived. But beyond that I didn’t really find out anything else, nor did I want to ask her anything more as not to create any awkward situations – I didn’t want to ask her if she was in school when maybe she’d have to respond that she can’t go…something like that.

I didn’t sleep much during the flight and the one time I did fall asleep, I was woken up by something moving under my feet. I looked up at a flight attendant I hadn’t seen before. She immediately apologized for waking me while trying to lift the O2 tank from the floor.

I assured her it was OK and when I saw her struggling in the dark to switch the tank, I told her I knew how to do it and offered to help. She thanked me as I switched Shaindy’s nasal cannula to the new tank and adjusted it to the “LPM” setting that she wanted.

Shaindy and I exchanged a few more words during the flight – once offering each other food, once when she asked me to open a pill bottle for her, and once when I asked her how long

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60

A Clearer Perspective

Rabbi Yaakov Margulies

Bitachon, Belaying and New Beginnings

D

uring a recent family getaway, I took my children indoor rockclimbing. OK, there weren’t actually any indoor rocks. Instead, you climb a very high wall using strategically placed plastic grips to support your hands and feet. And there is a soft padded floor. But make no mistake—it’s frightening. I can attest from the one time I braved the “rock” myself that being several stories up on a wall with nothing but little pieces of plastic to hold onto is scary. As I observed my children safely from ground-level, it occurred to me that I was witnessing a valuable lesson in bitachon, parenting, and the human psyche.

The climber is connected by rope to a harness worn by the person on the ground known as the belayer so if he falls, the belayer can catch him. The climber trusts the belayer with his life.

I belayed for my children. The interesting thing is that as you can imagine, there are two parts to climbing—going up, and going down. For many climbers, going up is much easier than going down. My children bravely went right up the wall without much hesitation. At a certain height they became apprehensive, as you’d expect, but for the most part the climbing came pretty naturally to them. But they exhibited much more trepidation when it was time to descend. There’s a pretty basic reason for this phenomenon, but one that contains a fundamental insight into human psychology.

On the way up, the climber is somewhat in control, keeping a firm grasp on the grips. On the way down, how-

ever, the climber is told to rappel, which means he completely lets go of the wall.

He’s holding onto nothing but rope, with only his feet flat against the wall for support. Releasing one’s grip on a wall twenty or thirty feet up is quite difficult. It requires a real leap of faith.

after all. But the moment he lets go, all he’s got is the rope and the guy on the ground. There is no longer any delusion that he’s calling the shots. He’s forced to confront his limitations and surrender control entirely to another human being.

This is perhaps one of the most emo-

Just as Hashem was in control when things were going well, He’s in control now.

The interesting thing is that the climber is really not in control on the way up either. No amateur climber in his right mind would go up the wall without the belayer ready to catch him.

It’s simply too dangerous. The climber must trust the belayer implicitly, for his life is in his hands. He could easily lose his grip and come crashing down.

This means that the climber’s sudden shift from confidence on the way up to fear on the way down makes no sense. If he doesn’t trust the belayer to help him get down, he shouldn’t trust him on the way up either. Granted there’s a difference—the climber has some level of control while gripping the wall. But the fact is, he wouldn’t be up there in the first place if he didn’t think the rope could handle him. Rationally, there’s little difference between the ascent and the descent.

The real dynamic in play here is the illusion of control. As long as the climber can grab the wall, he feels like he’s in charge. He doesn’t have to confront the possibility that maybe he really isn’t

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tionally daunting tasks conceivable.

This is a metaphor for our relationship with Hashem. To be sure, there’s no comparison between trust in another human and faith in the Almighty. But most of us are not on the level of visualizing Hashem’s complete control. We know it intellectually, but we often fail to realize it in practice. It’s easy to feel confident when things are going well—you have a great job, a nice family, and good health. Sure, you know it’s all in Hashem’s hands, but it’s mostly theoretical. You feel like you have the situation completely under control.

It’s during a crisis that most of us face a real challenge. If you lose your job and suddenly you’re unable to pay the mortgage. Or you have some other serious issue, and simply don’t know what the outcome will be. Just as Hashem was in control when things were going well, He’s in control now. The difference is that now it doesn’t suffice to know it intellectually. Now you feel it. There’s nothing left to grab onto; it’s just you, the rope, and the belayer—in this case, Hashem. That’s what bitachon is really about.

There’s another aspect of this lesson that affects our parenting. Children depend on their parents for almost everything, but when they’re in their normal routine, they aren’t consciously aware of it because their parents have set things up to run pretty smoothly. This is their illusion of being in control. When things get bumpy, though, a child will instinctively run to his parents for help and guidance. He’s lost “control,” and needs the person he always relies on to take over. This is his metaphoric leap off the wall.

This is especially vital this time of year, when a child is apt to feel very alone. It’s a time of transition and instability, as a child going back to school often has to deal with new surroundings, teachers, and perhaps peers. We all know how natural it is for a child to feel lonely, insecure, and even panicky the first few days of school. There are many steps to take to deal with this. But an important one is to heavily instill in your child before and during the first days of school how much you love him, support him, and believe in him.

When we’re not there physically for our child, the knowledge that we’re right there with him emotionally can make all the difference. If before the school day we lost our temper, or gave off negative vibes, this may leave a pit in his stomach. He may not be able to cope with the difficult transition thinking that his parents are angry or don’t

care about him. But on the flip side, if we go out of our way to be positive, and reiterate over and over that no matter what happens, we’re right there with him, the sense of reliance he’ll feel may prove invaluable. He’ll feel like the most secure feeling in the world is dangling from the rope in his parents’ hands.

Rabbi Yaakov Margulies is an ordained rabbi, and teaches gemara in a Yeshiva high school.

He also mentors and counsels people of all ages, focusing on personal growth, and emotional, spiritual, and intellectual development.

To schedule a one-on-one session or a lecture, please call 917-841-5012 and leave a message, or email editor@fivetownsjewishhome. com.

Disclaimer: This column is not intended as a replacement for Daas Torah. Whenever necessary, a Rav should be consulted.

61 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

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65 Gedaliah Borvick

Be’er Sheva: The Capital of the Negev

O

ne of the most often-asked questions that I receive is, “Where can I find an apartment in Israel for under $250,000?” One good answer is Be’er Sheva, a/k/a Beersheba, which is the largest city in the south and is nicknamed the capital of the Negev.

The southern portion of Israel is called the Negev, most of which is a desert. The Negev accounts for over 50% of Israel’s land area; however only a small percentage of Israelis live there. With housing in the traditional population centers becoming more and more expensive, the government has put significant effort into building up the Negev. The Israel Defense Forces is moving its training bases out of central locations and relocating them to one huge site, called “Training City,” in the northern Negev. The Negev offers the army a rare and precious commodity: space to train. In fact, 70% of

the Negev is used as training areas for the IDF. This is particularly important for the air force, as the Negev is the only area in Israel which offers pilots enough air space to train in fighter jets

that fly at twice the speed of sound.

Having the armed forces in the south will be a benefit for the region, as army people tend to be well-educated civicminded citizens.

Be’er Sheva, located in the northern Negev, is mentioned numerous times throughout the Bible. It is famous for being the city where Abraham and Isaac dug wells, and from where Jacob departed immediately before his famous dream about the ladder whose top reached heaven.

Be’er Sheva has grown dramatically since its humble beginnings in 1948 when it was comprised of four transit camps. The city has expanded, thanks in great part to the influx of Jewish immigrants from Arab countries in the 1950s and 1960s, and Russians and Ethiopians in the 1990s. Today, the city has a population of over 200,000 people, comprised of secular, dati leumi and haredi citizens.

The city’s excellent institutions of higher education – primarily Ben-Gurion University and its prestigious medical school at the Soroka Medical Center, with close to 20,000 students, and the Shamoon College of Engineering with 4,500 stu-

dents – have helped to reinvigorate the real estate market. Many people have bought apartments as investments to be used for student housing, and prices for these units over the past few years have doubled.

This spike in housing prices can also be attributed to the city’s recently implemented express train line to Tel Aviv, which – in tandem with various tax incentive programs – has helped the city attract numerous high-tech and lowtech companies that previously would have shunned the idea of moving outside of the country’s traditional business markets.

Despite the run-up in real estate pricing, the cost of an apartment in Be’er Sheva is significantly less than

half the price – and sometimes as little as a third of the price – of housing in Jerusalem. Stanley Fischer, the Governor of the Bank of Israel, summed it up well when he explained that “the

Negev’s main advantages are…a high quality of life at a reasonable price.”

I am excited to see how the city will evolve in the coming decade.

Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home, a real estate agency focused on helping people from abroad buy and sell homes in Israel.

You may contact him at gborvick@gmail. com. To read previous articles, please visit his blog at www.myisraelhome.com.

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

My Israel Home

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66

Israel Today Isaac Blachor

Festival Ecothiopia A Celebration of Ethiopian Culture and Environmental Action

B

y the time Adam Ganson made aliyah in 2010, he had already developed a profound connection with the Land of Israel. He just never expected to end up as the Co-Executive Director of Earth’s Promise, an organization located in Be’er Sheva that works with Ethiopian immigrants.

Jewish National Fund (JNF) helps fund Earth’s Promise, whose mission is to promote sustainability in the Negev by planting food gardens and urban

Isaac Blanchor and Adam Ganson

farms in Be’er Sheva, Ashkelon and other Negev communities. Many of the participants who work in the gardens are new immigrants from the northern region of Gondar and Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.

Adam attended Cincinnati’s Yavneh

Day School, and by the time he finished high school, he had visited Israel three times. During college Adam stayed involved in Israel activities and majored in Jewish Studies. “Everyone I knew thought I was studying to be a rabbi,” said Adam. “I knew I was studying to get to Israel.”

After commencement, Adam participated in a summer program at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, a JNF partner, in Israel’s Arava region. Adam’s connection to JNF became stronger.

His studies at the Institute were aided by a grant from the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati that makes educational trips to Israel possible. While studying for a Master’s degree in Environmental Law and Policy at Vermont Law School, the Jewish Law Student Association participated in JNF’s Alternative Break Program. A unique volunteer experience, the program activates and involves young adults to express their love for Israel and contribute to the society. On the JNF Alternative Break program, Adam was exposed to Earth’s Promise.

“When I visited the Earth’s Promise Kalisher Community Garden for the first time I was shocked by the drastic contrast between neglected open desert space and the lush green gardens growing in the Be’er Sheva desert city,” he

recalled.

In 2009 he headed north to an internship in the Carmel region. When he returned to Israel as a new immigrant in 2010, Adam worked with a community

The godjo, a traditional Ethiopian hut

composting project where he went on weekly organic waste collection trips, and then became the Community Coordinator at the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI). When he received a call from the founder of Earth’s Promise offering him a job to

from traveling vendors.

Many Ethiopian immigrants come from rural areas in Ethiopia and immigrate directly into absorption centers located in cities. The transition from rural to urban living can pose an additional challenge in the absorption process. Facing a new reality where adaptation is so vital, some find the new language, setting and work a daunting challenge. They view the practice of traditional farming in the middle of their new desert city home as an expression of pride in their knowledge and abilities.

The garden gives the older generation an important opportunity to pass on that knowledge to future generations. The oldest of men, known as Abba, are the most dedicated workers, limberly tending to the plot, pulling up weeds, and watering the gardens. The results are astounding: produce is grown that brings pride to the community and families. Although the new generation generally adapts quickly, the older generation

“We need this kind of energy here in Israel.

Anything that can lift up our spiritual situation and bring us closer to unity is a blessed thing.” manage the organization, Adam considered the offer: “I thought, this opportunity is clearly better than working in the garbage, so I decided to move to Be’er Sheva and take on the challenge.”

The community garden in Kalisher is Earth’s Promise flagship project and base for expansion. The garden contains 50 family plots that have become an important focus in the lives of recent Ethiopian immigrants who are living in Be’er Sheva. Their garden is the heart of community life. Parents and children work together to grow an important food source while getting to know and connect with the Land of Israel, their new home. Many of the varieties of food from Ethiopian cuisine that are grown there cannot be found at the local grocery market, so the seeds are bought

can help the youth understand their roots and preserve traditional knowledge that might otherwise be forgotten and lost.

In addition to cultivating community gardens, Earth’s Promise also hosts an annual event called Ecothiopia, a celebration of Ethiopian culture and ecology. The event is a showcase for the urban gardens whose caretakers are the recent immigrants living in the adjacent absorption center. This year, the Ethiopian community opened its doors on Wednesday June 6 for Festival Ecothiopia, which took place in the Kalisher Community Garden in Be’er Sheva.

The third annual Festival Ecothiopia, organized by Earth’s Promise in cooperation with Kalisher Absorption Center and supported by JNF, drew hundreds of people from Be’er Sheva including

The earth building materials are just as strong as concrete while cooling the interior of the hut during the day hours and warming the hut at night from the day’s solar rays.

The kitchen was renovated by stu-

of Ethiopian Israelis that not many know about their culture,” said Brihon. “Ethiopian music has African beats that lifts up and makes a crowd happy; we need this kind of energy here in Israel. Anything that can lift up our spiritual situation and bring us closer to unity is a blessed thing.”

Earth’s Promise plans to expand and multiply the successful model of the Kalisher Community Garden. The grounds of the festival are the future home to 75 more plots that will be strategically developing in line with sustainThe Shabate band--Ethiopian and Chassidic musicians able practices and join together in song JNF’s Blueprint dents from the African Studies depart- Negev program. Be’er Sheva’s new urment at the Ben Gurion University of the ban farms will provide new Ethiopian Negev. Earth’s Promise and the students immigrants with the economic opportudoubled the size of the kitchen and built nity to maintain family plots while earntwo traditional Ethiopian stoves for the ing money from crops grown especially purpose of cooking workshops and nu- for grocers and restaurateurs. Parallel to trition education. this program, veteran immigrants will The festival included ecological be trained to branch out and transform crafts booths, homemade Ethiopian more urban spaces into micro farms. food, beautiful examples of dishware These programs are meant to strengthen and traditional clothing, cooking and the new arrivals in Israel, help people to drum workshops, and of course the develop the skills to adapt and succeed, music of Ethiopia. Abata Brihon, saxo- create local economies, and develop phonist for the Afro-Jewish Jazz band more neglected urban spaces into proShabate, was the featured musical act ductive urban farms. for the evening.

The founder of Earth’s Promise, “In Israel, there is a big population Isaac Hametz, was inspired to effect

change in Be’er Sheva and the Negev

by David Ben Gurion, who had a dream of making the desert bloom. The city of Be’er Sheva was built based on a “garden city” model. As a result there are many public areas and parks that are perfect land to create mini farms producing food to supplement the grocery list of local residents. Isaac saw tremendous opportunity for the city of Be’er Sheva to become more sustainable by utilizing these neglected open spaces. In conjunction with JNF’s development plan of revitalizing the Be’er Sheva riverbed, purified wastewater can be used to irrigate Earth’s Promise urban farms.

The partnership between Earth’s Promise and JNF guarantees development and action. As more JNF Alternative Break volunteers come to effect change in the Negev, and more students are exposed to the learning opportunities available by working in the garden, Earth’s Promise will be able to grow with the communities that it serves.

During Ecothiopia, when the music and dance was at its peak, visitors saw a proud community displaying their crops.

While some of the older immigrants struggled to explain in Amharic what they were growing, in most instances they simply gave the guest a taste. For a brief moment the language and cultural barriers that seem to be overwhelming most of the time dissipated in a simple human interaction. Earth’s Promise continues to plan cultural events in the setting of the garden to create commonalities and bring the new immigrants together with the wider community.

67 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

new and veteran Ethiopian immigrants, students of Ben Gurion University of the Negev, and families from Be’er Sheva and the Negev region, as well Isaac Blachor, JNF Vice President for Israel Relations, who was instrumental in arranging the initial funding

by JNF. The festival was a unique opportunity to meet the neighbors, experience new smells and tastes, and strengthen the environmental action in Be’er Sheva.

The garden setting gave the immigrants an opportunity to show the summer season’s bounty of unique Ethiopian variety of crops, including corn, hot peppers, and collard greens.

The festival took place in tandem with an awakening of the Ethiopian community’s call to equality and to curb racism. In the midst of the backdrop of racist incidents in Israeli society, reports of gaps between Ethiopian and non-Ethiopian students in the educational system, and the struggle of Ethiopians for a fair and equal society, Ecothiopia was an opportunity to learn about the beautiful elements of Ethiopian culture, from the smells and tastes of the food to the joyous music and the beautiful craftsmanship and art.

The band that performed that night is called “Shabate.” It has Ethiopian musicians plus musicians from the Breslov and Stalin Chassidic communities. Their music had the crowd jumping and dancing in the aisles.

In preparation for the event, Earth’s Promise staff took on two major projects, building a godjo/tukul, a traditional Ethiopian village hut in the garden, and renovating the ecological kitchen.

The godjo was a goal of the elders of the community to exhibit the unique and rich culture and history from Ethiopia.

The immigrants volunteered their time by building the traditional hut with an ecological spin, using recycled materials. The hut is a circular structure with a middle pole and a straw roof. The godjo served as a display for a photography exhibit of portraits and photographs of the Sigd holiday in Jerusalem, Ethiopian Jewry’s unique holiday that takes place 49 days after Rosh HaShanah.

Earth’s Promise brought an expert in mud building to teach the participants the art and science of clay building. The volunteer, a stonemason from Wales, learned the technique building a clay ecological home in Moshav Be’er Milka, a newly established community in the Negev, which was established with the help of JNF. Earth’s Promise is sponsoring another mud building workshop to cover the Ethiopian home in mud.

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Health & Fitness

Social Smarts

Devorah Gerber Schmeltz

Back to School with the Right Backpack

B

ackpack awareness day, an initiation began by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), officially is the 3rd Wednesday in September.

Considering school commences in just a few days, I thought it best to discuss the ergonomic usage of backpacks so good habits can began from day one.

Over 79 million students across the United States wear backpacks.

Many children suffer from injuries related to improper backpack use such as back and shoulder pain. The following is a helpful guideline to help you and your child use a backpack properly.

and discomfort.

• Select a bag with well-padded straps to protect the many blood vessels and nerves located at the shoulder and neck.

• If your child’s backpack has a waist strap, encourage her to use it.

It further helps the weight distribution.

• Adjust the straps so the backpack/messenger bag fits against your child’s body.

A backpack that is hanging loosely can place a strain on your child’s back and force him to lean backwards.

Both teachers and parents can help ensure our children practice correct backpack use and Properly Loaddon’t fall victim to Your child’s ing a Backpack back and shoulder backpack should • Your child’s muscle strains and backpack should pain from improper weigh no more weigh no more than usage. than 10% of your 10% of your child’s Teachers can arweight. So if your range assignments child’s weight. child weighs 70 that don’t entail pounds, her backstudents from takpack should weigh no ing home too many more than 7 pounds. heavy books each • Heavier items should be placed day. Parents can teach their child how in the back of the backpack (closest to to load and wear backpacks properly. your child’s back; if it’s a messenger Wishing all our children a happy bag, place these items closest to her and safe first day of school! Good luck! torso).

• Arrange items so they don’t -Devorah slide around.

• Check to see if your child needs to be carrying around all the items in Devorah (Gerber) Schmeltz, MS OTR/L is a 2003 alumnus of Downstate Medical Cenhis backpack, some books may not be ter’s OT Program. She is a senior occupaneeded everyday. tional therapist at United Cerebral Palsy’s Properly Wearing a Backpack • Wear both straps over each shoulder to evenly distribute the weight. Messenger bags and backpacks should not be slung over one shoulder.

This forces the child to lean towards one side, placing pressure on the shoulder and curving the spine causing pain

Brooklyn Children’s Program. Devorah maintains a private practice, Bumble & Tumble Occupational Therapy P.C., in Far Rockaway, NY providing pediatric occupational and physical therapy. Department of Education vouchers/RSAs are gladly accepted. Your questions and comments are welcome. She can be reached at BumbleTumbleTherapy@gmail.com or 917-9715327.

Rifka Schonfeld

Helping Your Child Adjust to School Q: Last year, when school started, I kept on expecting my daughter to slowly ease her way into her routine and classes. Unfortunately, she just didn’t seem to be comfortable in her classroom or with her friends. My other children just took some time, but eventually were fine. With this daughter, it almost seems like we start from day one, everyday. What do you suggest to help her adjust to school?

A: First, let me preface this answer by saying that it is completely normal for children to have trouble adjusting to a new classroom and new teachers.

We ourselves might find it difficult when put in new social or professional situations. That being said, after a few weeks, this anxiety should subside and your child should begin to feel comfortable in her new environment.

There are, however, several ways that you can help ease the transition into the new school year: • Create a connection with another student. Your daughter will feel more secure if she has one child in the classroom with whom she feels a special connection. Ask your daughter who she is spending time with in school and then invite the child over for a play-date. If you aren’t sure that she will enjoy a full play-date, suggest going to pizza after school with that girl and her mother and even inviting the whole family over for a Shabbos meal. Within minutes, your daughter will be happily playing with her friend. Then, when she enters the classroom, she will have a mini-support system.

• Pay attention to her anxiety.

Ask your daughter what the cause of her anxiety is – social, academic, or separation from you. If the cause is social, you already are working to fix that by helping her bond with another student.

If the stress is academic, perhaps it is a good idea to speak to the teacher. Your daughter might need remediation or special attention. Lastly, in the chance that she is having trouble separating

from you, reassure her that, “Mommy always comes back.” With these words in her mind, she will feel more settled and comfortable in the classroom.

• Get to school early for pick-up.

If your daughter is anxious about being in school, she will be watching the door (or the carpool line) for you to show up. If you are late, her anxiety will always rise.

Therefore, coming a few minutes early to ensure that she can see you immediately will reinforce the idea that school is a safe, but temporary place for her.

• Ensure she gets enough sleep.

When children need to be woken in the morning, it means that they are not getting enough sleep. It also means that morning routines can get rushed and harried. In turn, these children will not have enough energy reserves to deal with goodbyes or potentially stressful classroom situations. Start bedtime early by having your daughter read in bed – you will get the bonus of improved reading along with a well-rested child.

The above suggestions should help if your daughter experiences mild anxiety when dealing with school. But, if she is extremely resistant, kicks and screams before school, and shows signs of generalized panic, I would look into the possibility that she has school phobia. What’s school phobia? That’s a topic for a whole other column! Stay tuned.

An acclaimed educator and education consultant, Mrs. Rifka Schonfeld has served the Jewish community for close to thirty years.

She founded and directs the widely acclaimed educational program, SOS, servicing all grade levels in secular as well as Hebrew studies. A kriah and reading specialist, she has given dynamic workshops and has set up reading labs in many schools. In addition, she offers evaluations G.E.D. preparation,, social skills training and shidduch coaching, focusing on building self-esteem and self-awareness. She can be reached at 718-382-5437 or at rifkaschonfeld@verizon.net or at www.rifkaschonfeldsos.com.

69 Susan Schwamm

Brown Bag-It the Right Way!

Kids love fun foods. Something on a skewer is way more fun to eat! Make sure to include a dip of ketchup or dressing.

The school day is long and our children spend a lot of time in their classrooms, learning and listening to their teachers. Lunchtime is a great time for them to relax and an opportunity for mom to fill their bellies with something healthy and nutritious. Here are some delicious and fun ideas of foods to send with your child for school lunch this year. Remember to include a note that says “I love you!”

I love serving pasta to my children for lunch.

It’s so easy to make the night before and stays fresh all day.

• Spaghetti and ketchup • Pasta salad • Rotini with store-bought pesto

• Rolled up cold cuts and pickles • Chunks of cukes, tomatoes, red peppers and string cheese • Chunks of fruit: pineapple, peaches, strawberries • Squares of cheese and cut up grapes and pears

I remember that lunch wasn’t complete without a light snack after the main. Choose healthy snacks when packing a lunch so your child can make wiser food choices.

• • • • • • • • • • •

Pita chips Applesauce Air-popped popcorn Rice cakes 90 calorie snack bags Whole wheat crackers String cheese Cut up grapes Colorful pepper strips Apple slices Banana

The idea of a bento box originated in Japan where it traditionally includes rice, meat or fish, and a pickled vegetable. This concept is great for school lunches. Choose a theme or an idea and serve it in a closed, boxed container with different compartments.

• “Israeli”: pita, olives, hummus, carrot sticks, tomatoes, tabbouleh salad, falafel balls • Wrap of egg salad, grape tomatoes, red grapes, cheese slices • Cut up turkey with salad, carrot sticks with dip, crackers • Yogurt “parfait”: yogurt, granola, raisins, cut up fruit • Pizza Party: cut up pizza or mini pizza bagels, string cheese, broccoli spears • Cottage cheese, cut up fruit, corn thins, cucumber slices

The sandwich is the perfect lunch. It’s easy to make and slides into a knapsack with the flick of wrist. Be creative – cut the sandwich into fourths or use cookie cutters to make shapes.

• Bagels with cream cheese • Cream cheese and tomato on white bread • Avocado, tomato, and light mayo on whole wheat bread • Turkey, lettuce, and mustard on rye bread • Hamburger, ketchup, and tomato in a hamburger bun • Tuna, lettuce, and tomato in a spinach wrap

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Back To School

Back To School Susan Schwamm

D

Back to School for Less

OfficeMax

Walmart

Amazon. com

ed online and you can compare prices for many items on your list. I wouldn’t suggest going to one store just for one item, but you’d be surprised how much you can save by going to only two or three stores and knowing what to buy in each one. Make sure to go shopping armed with a detailed list and try your best to resist those “impulse buys.” If you are taking your children along on the shopping trip, tell them in advance that they will only be getting one special thing that’s not on the list. Of course they are excited about school but that doesn’t mean that they have to buy every highlighter and sparkly notebook.

This year we bring you a list of common school supplies and their prices in different stores. Hopefully this will help you spend a little less this year than $688 per child!

Staples

id you know that according to the National Retail Federation, the average cost for back-to-school supplies for a child in kindergarten through 12th grade is $688? Just think about how much you’re going to spend if you have more than one child and your children end up graduating (and hopefully they will!). That’s an exorbitant amount of money spent just on pencils and paper!

Experts suggest that consumers shop early and often for these supplies.

Many times, stores will mark down certain supplies in the middle of the summer to jumpstart the back-to-school season. Another price-saving measure may take some time, but it’s well worth it. Preparation before shopping is helpful when trying to keep it within budget. Many stores have their prices list-

CVS

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8 oz. instant hand sanitizer

$2.99 (store brand)

$4.99

$5.79

$5.88

$5.99

Crayola crayons, 24 pack

$4.69

$1.99

$2.29

50 cents

$2.49

5 subject notebook, 200 sheets

$11.49

$9.99

$6.29

$3.98

$7.33

Index cards, 100 count

$1.79

$1.49

$1.00

$3.00 for pack of 5

$3.32

USB Flash Drive, 8 GB

$14.99

$12.99

$19.99

$7.99

$7.29

College-ruled filler paper

$2.99/ 150 sheets

99 cents for 120 sheets

$4.29/ 200 sheets

$5.88/ 2 pack of 100 sheets each

$6.59/200 sheets

Sharpie permanent marker

$2.67 for 2

$1.49 for 1

$4.79 for 5

$4.24 for 5

$4.08 for 5

Item

Tylenol Extra $4.99/24 $4.99/24 Strength caplets caplets

---

$3.68/24 $7.99/100 caplets caplets

Parenting

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1. Build excitement. Summer is coming to a close and most kids, even the ones who grumble through the school year, are excited to start anew. Foster that attitude with positive comments, making an adventure out if shopping for school supplies, or treating them to an extra nice knapsack (or the like). The initial excitement does not last, unfortunately, but the more you build it, the more momentum you will get out of it!

2. Get the right supplies and get them all. School supply lists are a wonderful concept: your child can keep organized all year and someone else figured out exactly what is needed. Unfortunately, the lists are sometimes not updated and supplies that never end up being used are listed. What’s more, many teachers give out additional supply lists at the start of school necessitating another trip to the store. The temptation to hold off on purchasing anything but the basics until that final list comes is strong, but risky. Teachers feel frustrated and even personally disrespected when their requests aren’t fulfilled. It’s worth the extra few dollars and even the inconvenience to tell the teacher that you respect her.

3. Advocate for your child. Be up front if there’s a problem that you know of so that it can be handled properly from day one. If your child has any academic, social, organizational or attention challenge, call the teacher after the first few days and let her know the history and the particulars. Start and end with your child’s attributes and make sure to keep your tone positive and upbeat, but don’t diminish the issue. The teacher will not “look down” on your child; instead she will see your child in the most positive light because that is how you presented it. More, she will see you as a parent who is tuned in and ready to work together.

4. Develop a relationship with the teacher. Even if your child has no challenges, it is very important to create a rapport with the teacher for a number of reasons. First: it is just wonderful for children when the different adult figures in their lives are connected to one another. Second: if a problem arises, you don’t want your first communication to be a negative one; that can sour the relationship.

Third: a teacher is more likely to be open to your input if she has a warm relationship with you. Some teachers call all of their students’ parents at the start of the year but if your child’s does not, reach out and call her to introduce yourself and offer a kind word.

Mrs. Hebel’s Top Ten Tips for Starting the New School Year Off Right

5. Start a week before. If you are like me, summer is time for relaxing and that means that bedtime and the evening routine as a whole are more than a bit relaxed. Getting children re-accustomed to a routine is not an overnight affair, so you may want to start getting your kids back into the school mode a week before it starts. Avoid a struggle and a late night the night before the first day by putting your foot down and re-teaching “bedtime” a week before.

6. Set goals. One great way to maximize the year is to sit down with your child shortly before school starts and reflect on last year. What went well? What could use improvement? Then set personal goals together. Keeping them realistic and simple will increase the chances that your child will be successful. Children rarely reflect on their experiences in this way without guidance, so you will not only be addressing their current development, but teaching them an invaluable life skill as well.

7. Be attentive to their anxieties. New situations can be anxiety-provoking and even seasoned students can be nervous at the beginning of a school year. Your child may experience fears such as “Will my new teacher like me? Will I succeed in this grade? Will I know what to do and when to do it? What will the new procedures be?…” Sometimes children

just need reassurance that it will get easier and that you are available to be supportive. Help them find the answers to their questions if you can. Never dismiss these anxieties as silly – they are very real and very normal.

8. Attend Orientation Night. Back to School Night, Parent Orientation, Meet-theTeachers… whatever the name, try your best to be there even if you’ve heard it all before.

Everyone benefits from your going: knowing what the teacher wants allows you to be involved and on top of your child’s progress.

Your attendance makes a statement to the teacher that you care. It also tells your children that you want to be an active participant in their education and their lives.

9. Check the briefcase. Get the academics off to the right start by helping your child establish good study habits. Younger children should not be relied upon to tell you what is for homework until they have proven that they are on target. One of my children genuinely forgot that he had homework every single day for the entire first grade! Teach your child how to check the homework, clean the briefcase and put their supplies back in. The extra time you put in early on will save you hours over the ensuing years.

10. Ask about school. The beginning of school is the best time to establish with your child a habit of sharing what goes on in school with you. Usually, children are very eager to talk about school at the beginning when it is new and that enthusiasm dwindles all too quickly. Then, when you are really interested, they (especially the boys!) may have no patience to tell you. Build in a set time, such as supper time or bedtime, for your child to share something – anything – about the day.

Mrs. Estee Hebel, MsED is the General Studies Principal of YBH (Yeshiva Beis Hillel)of Passaic, a preschool through eighth grade yeshiva day school, in Passaic, NJ. With over 17 years of experience in education and educational leadership, she is also a dynamic teacher trainer who has taught a graduate course in educational research and presents innovative, hands-on training workshops on a wide assortment of teaching methods, classroom management and motivational techniques and strategies for encouraging self-directed and higher-level learning. To learn more about her workshops or to schedule one, you can contact her at 732-779-1185 or thebel@yeshivanet.com.

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

tips

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Forgotten Heroes Avi Heiligman

Solomon Joseph—First Aerial Ace

T

he Wright brothers flew the first airplane in 1903, and it was not long after that armies from around the world were trying to see what advantages it would have on a battlefield. World War I (19141918) was an ideal place to test the capabilities of the airplane. Putting a camera in the plane gave commanders the ability to see far into the enemy’s rear lines and the reconnaissance plane was born. (It was not the first recon by

Solomon Joseph’s tombstone

air, though. In the American Civil War and other conflicts, hot air balloons were used to “spy” on enemy activity.)

The commanders then decided to put guns into the planes so not only would they be able to photograph enemy lines, they would be able to attack it as well. It wasn’t long before both sides had developed fighter plane and were having aerial dogfights. The British 



company Sopwith produced several fighters and in 1917 introduced the Camel with several countries operating the mass-produced (over 5,000 were manufactured) airplane. Soon pilots began to have success with the plane and Solomon Joseph was one of the first to become an ace—a pilot with five or more aerial “kills.”

Solomon Clifford Joseph was born in Birmingham, England to a Jewish family in April 1893—more than ten years before the airplane first took to the skies. When he was 24 years old, he joined the Royal Naval Air Service in August 1917.

Now that the airplane was integrated into the military, there were (sometimes heated) discussions as to which branch should have control over the country’s planes. For the United States, a separate and independent branch was not created until 1947 and before that most land-based planes were under the army. The British had separated the services much earlier in 1918 and it was called the Royal Air Force (RAF), but until that point both the army and navy had separate air wings even though they flew the same types of planes and missions. The Roy-





  

A report and his citation for a bar al Naval Air Service (RNAS) started the war with 93 planes, six airships and on his Distinguished Flying Cross two hot air balloons and at the time of later in the war detailed his exploits: “A very gallant the merger, they and skilful officer. had close to 3,000 He led his formaaircraft. As the tion under a large conflict grew, the force of enemy airservice needed craft with a view to more pilots and inducing them to was less selective descend to attack in the people they him. In this ruse accepted as pilots de guerre he was than before the war successful, and, in started. During the accordance with armiddle of the war, rangements previexperiments conSolomon Joseph ously made, anothcluded on the idea er formation of our of placing bombs on planes as well as having dedicated machines then appeared on the scene, fighters. The planes were needed on and a combined attack was .made on the Western European front as the con- the enemy, resulting in the destruction of four aeroplanes and three more beflict came to its climax.

Joseph and his unit, the 10 Squad- ing brought down completely out of ron of the RNAS, were sent with their control. Since the award of the DistinSopwith Camels to France in early guished Flying Cross was conferred on 1918. After the air branches merged this officer less than two months ago, in April, he was transferred to the 210 he has personally destroyed one enemy Squadron on the RAF. On March 8, machine, brought down another out he damaged a Sopwith Camel while of control, and has helped to destroy a third. Capt. Joseph was wounded on the occasion of the combined attack.”

After he recovered from his wounds, he got his 13 and final kill and ended the war with the most kills among the Jewish fighter aces.

After the war ended, Joseph went on to a successful manufacturing career including managing companies that produced motorcycles, engines and RAF Sopwith Camel other engineering gadgets.

He died on March 21, taxiing after a mission, but it wasn’t 1966 and is buried in the Witton Jewan indicator of things to come. Two ish Cemetery in Birmingham. He left months later, on May 8, he shot down a behind a legacy that showed he was German Albatross and followed up the a leading ace among his fellow pilots next day with shooting down another and would transcend into the next genAlbatross. He shot down a couple of eration of fighter pilots. more planes and an observation balloon, and on June 6, he became an aerial “ace” shooting down his fifth and sixth aircraft. By September 4, he had Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to shot down 12 aircraft. Two days later, The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comhis Camel sustained damage from anti- ments and suggestions.for future columns aircraft fire and on September 24 he and can be reached at aviheiligman@ gmail.com. was wounded in action.

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

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Beware of Tefillin That May Be Posul It has come to our attention that tefillin sold in the last year through unsuspecting sofrim to unsuspecting customers may have retzuos made in the Ukraine that are posul. These retzuos are laminated with a black film that completely peels off like skin.

While retzuos according to halacha have to be painted, after peeling off the black laminate, these retzuos show no indication of having ever been painted.

We have attached letters from the Bada�tz in Yerushalayim and the Bais Hora’ah of Lakewood where they rule these tefillin to be completely pasul.

URGENT: If you have purchased tefillin or retzuos from anyone in the past year please consult your Rav immediately.

75

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

Don’t play the odds with your child’s future Keeping a child with learning disabilities in a mainstream class, when he or she needs the support of a professional special education program, greatly increases the risks of failure and isolation with the potential for at-risk behavior in the later grades.

Since 1992, CAHAL has helped hundreds of children in the Five Towns, Far Rockaway, Queens and greater Nassau County overcome their learning disabilities. CAHAL has a proven success rate of helping children rejoin mainstream classes and reach their full potential, while avoiding the shame and stigma of being singled out.

CAHAL’s success in the classroom adds up to a brighter future for our children!

To discuss placement of a child with learning disabilities contact CAHAL today at 516-295-3666 or visit us online at WWW.CAHAL.ORG.

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Politics Today Susan Schwamm

Political Conventions

How They Came About and Their Purpose (Based on numerous PBS interviews with historian Michael Beschloss) Every four years, party faithful come together in a select “host city” for their party’s convention, during which they nominate their party’s candidate for president.

How did this custom start? What is the purpose of it? What takes place at these conventions?

The First Political Convention The concept of political parties began to take shape in the late 1700s. At that time, party nominees for President were chosen by members in Congress who belonged to that party. But by the early 1800s, people outside of Washington, DC wanted a say in who would be nominated.

Thus, the first nominating convention was held by the Anti-Masonic Party in 1831. They made the argument that this

was a way of including the mass of the American people in the selection of the presidential nominee. The process immediately took hold and political conventions became part of the election process.

Convention Delegates Delegates are individuals chosen to represent their states at their party conventions. They are often party activists, local political leaders, or early supporters of a given candidate. Nowadays, when the delegates arrive at the convention, they know who they will cast their nominating ballot for, but it wasn’t always like that. Until the 1950s, delegates usually came to their conventions undecided and would make up their mind through the course of the convention. Part of the drama of political conventions was the fact that it was unknown who would ultimately be the party’s nominee at the end of the convention week. Oftentimes there would be multiple votes until a nominee would be picked.

Brokered Conventions and Smoke-filled Backrooms In order to get the nomination, candidates had to engage in deal-making with the delegates. Sometimes even after numerous ballots there would still be a deadlock.

In those cases, party bigwigs would retreat into “smoke-filled backrooms” to broker a deal. One example was the Republican convention in Chicago in 1920. There was a deadlock among a number of candidates.

Party leaders retreated into a back room and chose a dark horse, Senator Warren Harding of Ohio. Harding, who was a figure whom many Americans had never heard of, turned out to be the nominee at the end of that week, something that was a surprise to everyone but the only solution to a very divided convention. Four years later, in 1924, the Democrats had roughly the same experience and couldn’t agree on a nominee after nine very hot days and 103 ballots. Party leaders came together

and finally nominated John Davis, who was a rather obscure West Virginia lawyer, as their compromise candidate.

Birth of Primaries The system of delegates gathering and deciding on a party’s nominee began to change in the 1950s, when Americans were getting skeptical about their leaders and their institutions.

Thus, the process shifted so that the nominees were chosen not by the elites in the party leadership, but by regular voters throughout the country in primaries and caucuses. The new system enabled the nomination of candidates who would have had a very hard time getting nominated under the old system. One example is John F. Kennedy in 1960. Although Kennedy was very popular among the American electorate, he was not well regarded by party leaders and members of Congress who felt that he did not take his job in the House and Senate very seriously— he was absent a lot and did not have a particularly shining legislative record. Under the old convention system, Kennedy would have had a very hard time getting the Democratic nomination because he

would have been rejected by all those people who had worked with him in Washington. It turns out that 1960 would be one of the first years in which presidential primaries had a very large influence on the nominating process.

Kennedy ran in seven primaries; he won every one of them. And the result was that he was able to argue, “I have suc-

ceeded in every primary I’ve entered, therefore, your states that do not have primaries should really vote for me because I have the greatest chance of defeating Richard Nixon in the fall.” And that is exactly what happened.

Platform Fights Aside for nominating a presidential candidate, conventions are also for the purpose of announcing the party’s policy platform.

This is essentially what each party plans to do if elected by the people. These platforms are then adopted by the parties but they are not binding on either candidates or state parties.

There have been several famous platform fights. At the 1860 Democratic Party con-

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called the Dixiecrats, which ran in the general election that fall. There was a very great feeling that by dislodging the rather large number of southern Democrats, Thurmond could cost Harry Truman the election. That, as it turned out, did not happen.

Perhaps the most famous convention fight took place at the 1968 Democrat convention in Chicago. That took place two months after the assassination of Robert Kennedy against the backdrop of Lyndon Johnson withdrawing from the race because he was embroiled in the war in Vietnam. The Democratic Party was absolutely divided over whether to press on with the war in Vietnam or whether to try to negotiate withdrawal and a coalition government.

Robert Kennedy had been assassinated during the primary campaign and his delegates, who lost their leader, were passionately in favor of an anti-war platform plank.

President Lyndon Johnson, although he was not running, was in control of that convention. He managed to swat that

down. The result was that a platform was passed supporting LBJ on the war in Vietnam but in a way, it sowed the seeds of defeat for Hubert Humphrey that fall.

The Modern Political Convention These days, parties’ conventions are scripted events designed to showcase the likely nominee and running mate on TV. The goal is simply to energize the

party base and to win over undecided voters. Presidential candidates usually get a several point bounce in their poll numbers after their respective conventions. After all, they are coronations and generally highlight only the best aspects of the particular candidate.

79 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

vention there was a big platform fight over slavery.

Southern Democrats walked out of the convention and this ultimately hastened the war between the states.

Similarly, in 1948, there was an enormous fracas in the Democratic Party in Philadelphia over whether the Democrats would support an aggressive stand to extend civil rights to black Americans. They did take that aggressive stand. But the result was that there was a walk-out by southern Delegates led by Strom Thurmond, who at that point was the governor of South Carolina. Thurmond started his own party, which he

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

80

Notable

Quotes

“Say What?”

“It’s very rare I come to an event where I’m like the fifth or sixth most interesting person.”

- President Obama addressing a group of 120 current and former NBA stars and other wealthy supporters attending a $20,000-per-plate fundraiser in New York City

well they have about 71 days to open up their eyes and realize the path that he has put us on, a path toward insolvency, a path toward fewer freedoms and, really, orchestrated chaos and bankruptcy.”

- Sara Palin on Fox News.

“You are playing that little ethnic card there. You can play your games and giggle about it, but the fact is your side is playing that card.”

- MSNBC’s Chris Matthews to RNC chairman Reince Priebus

“It gives me a cold just thinking about what they might do.”

–President Obama, after sneezing during a campaign speech

“If more than 10 people actually watched his show I’d actually care. But they don’t. So whatever.”

- RNC chairman Reince Priebus responding to verbal attacks by MSNBC host Chris Matthews “It seems the GOP has placed 13,000 umbrellas in bins outside the hall for people to use. Delegates can’t bring them inside for security reasons, so after you use the umbrella, you drop it off for the next person to use. That sounds like creeping socialism.”

– Jay Leno “When this storm moves to and closer to Louisiana, the specter, the sort of shadow of Bush and Katrina does hang over this convention.”

- NBC’s Chuck Todd, Sunday night “And Democrats, we should point out, have a challenge, a political challenge here with this approaching storm, especially for the Republicans. No one here can easily forget the iconic picture of President Bush flying on Air Force One looking out the window and looking down at New Orleans during Katrina. They’re not going to forget that.”

- NBC Andrea Mitchell on Monday night “This is a big storm. In fact, Isaac has scared more senior citizens than Paul Ryan.”

– Jay Leno “Gov. [Haley] Barbour saw one of my folks yesterday on the floor here and he said, ‘Tell Chris: Be Chris.’ And I think that’s what I’ll do. Tomorrow if that means I stray a little off the prompter every once in a while — you know. That’s the way it goes.”

- Governor Chris Christie, discussing his keynote address “These people who still have that addiction to the hope-ium that [Obama] had promised, that hope-y, change-y stuff that was really bogus four years ago,

“If everyone had competed fairly and honestly, I’d probably be the nominee being nominated this week.”

- Herman Cain on CBS Sunday “So let’s say right now, a guy walked into our bar and said, ‘The private sector is doing fine.’ Well, do you know what we’d do? That’s right: we’d throw him out. If a guy walked into our bar…and said, ‘If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that,’ do you know what we’d do? Throw him out…President Obama just doesn’t get this. He can’t fix the economy because he doesn’t know how it was built. So in 70 days, when the American people walk into the voting booth, what should we do? Throw him out.”

- Speaker of the House John Boehner “They can call themselves the Tea Party. They can call themselves conservatives and they can even call themselves Republicans, though Republicans certainly shouldn’t. But we should call them what they are. The American Taliban.”

- Will McAvoy, HBO’s political commentator on “The Newsroom” “Put me down as undecided.”

- Ron Paul on Fox News, in response to a question about who he would vote for “There is a war against women, and Romney and Ryan — if they are elected — would become its top generals.”

- Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) “The Seals removed one threat to America… remove the other in November.”

- A controversial anti-Obama billboard along I-35 in North Texas “The winds in Tampa are so strong today, they blew the dog off the top of Romney’s car.”

– David Letterman “They’re now worried that Tropical Storm Isaac could hit Florida during next week’s Republican

Compiled by Nate Davis

convention. But Florida is ready for it. Thanks to President Obama’s economic policies, many businesses down there are already boarded up.”

– Jay Leno “CNN plans to air a 90-minute documentary on Mitt Romney before the Republican National Convention. Yeah, 90 minutes of Mitt Romney.

Even Red Bull is like, ‘This is outta my league, bro.’”

– Jimmy Fallon “President Obama’s supporters can now text the word ‘GIVE’ to donate up to $50 dollars to his campaign, although it’s frustrating when autocorrect keeps changing it to ‘Fix the economy.’”

– Jimmy Fallon “A hurricane is scheduled to hit Tampa during the Republican Convention. These winds are so strong they could actually blow some of Mitt Romney’s money back in the United States.”

–Jay Leno “Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan had a campaign event at an apple orchard...There was one awkward moment when they told the Granny Smiths they were considering cutting their Medicare.”

– Jimmy Fallon “You know who else is going to be at Tampa for the Republican Convention? Governor Chris Christie from New Jersey. On his way down there the last they heard from him he was on I-95 at the truck scales.”

– David Letterman “It’s now being reported that Joe Biden will go to the Republican convention to try to cause problems for Mitt Romney. Then after that, he will go to the Democratic convention where he will definitely cause problems for President Obama.”

– Jay Leno “It was just announced that most of the speakers at this year’s Democratic National Convention will be women. But it’s going to be annoying when they stop speaking, but won’t tell you why.”

– Jimmy Fallon “That young man probably needed a good teacher…we all need it.”

- President Obama responding to a heckler

81 Dr. David Elazar Simai, MD

I

What to Do With a Cranky Baby?

am sure that many of the more experienced parents have already dealt with the nerve-wracking shouts of an irritable baby on those seemingly endless nights in early infancy. It is often that when parents describe what they are going through with their firstborn, that they breakdown and cry at my office. I can completely sympathize with their feelings. After waiting for nine long months of pregnancy, going through a long and (very) painful labor, parents finally get to greet their precious newborns. And yes, after the long hours of planning a befitting Bris or a Kiddush, when the guests and in-laws have left the couple to privately enjoy their new baby, a new challenge arises – the baby just won’t stay happy at night!

I would like to offer some tips that may provide relief for those of you who are going or will go through this experience. But first, to demonstrate what not to do, I will describe a recent colicky baby seen at my office.

The “Cohens,” a pleasant young couple, arrived at my office for a well visit for their firstborn girl “Chava.” Chava was a beautiful baby, born via a natural delivery and without any initial complications. After struggling for 2 weeks to nurse the baby, Mrs. Cohen decided to supplement Chava’s diet with infant formula. A milk-based formula was suggested by her pediatrician in Brooklyn.

A few days later, however, Mrs. Cohen noted that Chava became very cranky.

She would have frequent bursts of pain when sleeping or awake. She seemed to want to be held a lot, especially at nights. It seemed that from 7pm to 11pm, all Chava wanted was to be held.

Chava was also noted to pass more gas during those episodes. At first, the concerned mother-in-law (with the gentle, concerned encouragement of her son) pushed Mrs. Cohen to feed Chava more often and try and quiet her shouts with formula, but to no avail, the shouts just got louder and louder. The parents also noted that with the extra feedings, Chava started having larger and more frequent spit ups at nights.

After a few days, the Cohen’s decided to visit the pediatrician. He suggested that Mrs. Cohen avoid eating dairy and recommended a “gentle” formula with less lactose (Similac Sensitive or Enfamil Gentlease). The crying continued.

At the next trip to the pediatrician, the Cohens were told to try a soy-based formula (Isomil or Prosobee). The new formula did not work. Not only did Cha-

va’s shouts continue, but she also started having more formed and less frequent bowel movements.

Back to the doctor and back with another formula. This time, the doctor suggested a formula made for milk allergic babies – Alimentum or Neutramigen. In contrast to the previously mentioned formulas, these ones are not kosher, but can be used for kids with true milk allergies.

The Cohens noted that their pockets were getting lighter due to the more costly formula, but their sleep was getting yet shorted due to Chava’s cries. By now, with all the stress and sleepless nights, not to mention the vast diet restrictions that came on the agonizing mom, Mrs. Cohen’s milk supply had dwindled and dried. But on the brighter note, Chava’s bowel movements did loosen a bit, but now they did turn bright green.

At week 5, the Cohen’s already knew the entire crowd at the waiting room. It was interesting that with all the chatting noise in that room, no one heard the baby cry! This time, the doctor suggested an even better and more expensive formula, in which the milk is digested to its elemental molecules (Elecare or Neocate).

But despite all the good intentions and the emotional, physical & financial sacrifice, Chava kept crying.

At 6 weeks, the Cohens finally left Bubby & Zeidy’s house and moved back to their residence in the Five Towns.

They heard from a neighbor that Chava may also suffer from reflux and may need a medicine for relief. They wanted to know what my feelings were.

Hearing this entire story, may have taken 5 minutes of my time, but did provide me with all the necessary clues that Chava is fine. Chava demonstrated classic signs and symptoms of colic and was probably going to outgrow her condition in the next days or weeks.

Here are the clues which were mentioned in the story: “Rule of threes” – Colic is a term used to describe infants with recurrent bouts of pain that lasts for longer than 3 hours per day, for more than 3 days a week and for longer than 3 weeks, in an otherwise healthy and well fed baby.

Colic usually starts after 2 weeks of life.

Colicky babies usually cry more at nights between 7pm -11pm.

Colicky babies are consolable when they are held.

Colicky babies pass gas often during their bouts of pains (with some relief).

Colic pain happens in bursts, not a

constant pain.

Colicky babies fair worse when they are under or over-fed.

I was so happy that the Cohens arrived at my office right then, because I was able to easily dispel the notion of Chava having a milk allergy and save the Cohens literally thousands of dollars.

I suggested a list of simple and widely used interventions and to switch Chava back to her original milk based formula!

Here are some of my suggestions for colicky babies: • During periods of the pains, give the baby 2oz of chamomile tea (yes, made with regular chamomile tea bags) with ½ tsp of brown sugar. Chamomile has a calming effect on your baby’s gut.

Brown sugar is a natural laxative that aids in reducing intestinal gas.

• Mylicon Drops. These drops contain Simethicone, which binds and eliminates gas. It works in 50% of infants with gas.

• Gripe Water. Made of concentrated chamomile, also works well in 50% of the time.

• Nursing Mothers. Avoid eating foods that make you gassy such as cabbage, lettuce and beans. Avoid tomato sauce, pizza, lasagna, coffee, chocolate and spicy foods as those will exacerbate your babies spit up and cause painful heartburn. Drink lots of chamomile tea.

• Elimination Diets. Nursing mothers could eliminate one food for 3 days and observe any improvements. Start with dairy and soy, proceed to egg whites and end with nuts. If no significant improvement is seen after 3 days, you could re-introduce these foods.

• Singing lullabies to your baby can be powerfully soothing • “White” noise may soothe some babies. You can buy white noise machines, or try the sound of a fan, vacuum cleaner, washing machine, or dishwasher.

• Stay calm. Do not shake the baby out of frustration. Colicky babies are usually easily consolable if you hold and gently rock them.

• Colic pains peak between 6-8 weeks. 60 percent of colic resolve by 3 months, 90 percent resolves by 4 months of age. At that point, this babies turn to be the quietest, cutest little angels!

• If symptoms persist or worsen, call and schedule an immediate appointment with your physician.

What are some other causes of pain in young infants?

Milk Allergy. The gold standard test that will confirm this diagnosis is bloody stools. Yes, I have noticed that in recent years there is a definite surge in milk allergic infants, but they almost always have blood in their stools (on occasion, they may present with horrific eczema). A stool guaiac test could reveal microscopic blood and help determine if a child is allergic even before visible blood is seen in the stools. These stools can start of looking green for a long time before the parents see real, bright blood in their infant’s stool. Most milk allergies in infancy resolve by the first birthday.

Gastro – Esophageal Reflux. All babies spit up to some extent. This is normal. Babies with reflux, however, have a lot of pain associated with spitting up. So harsh is the pain, that these babies may refuse to finish their bottles. They arch their backs a lot. When a baby with reflux experiences pains (heartburn) the pain is constant and they are not easily consolable, in sharp contrast to colicky infants.

Back to our Chava Chava was changed back to her original, tasty and inexpensive milk-based formula. As with many of my other patients, she enjoys a chamomile tea a few times a day and on subsequent visits she was found to be thriving. Her parents were also instructed to take some reflux precautions to minimize her spit up. Her nightly colic pains did resolve and her parents started sleeping soundly when she turned 3 months old.

Wishing you restful, peaceful and quiet nights!

David Elazar Simai M.D. 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 where 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.

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

Health & Fitness

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

82

DrDeb

R

ecently I gave a Shabbos shiur, not so much on my forthcoming book, but on its Torah underpinnings.

The book, called The Healing Is Mutual: Marriage Empowerment Tools to Rebuild Trust and Respect—Together will be launched on Amazon.com on November 13, be”H. The talk gave snippets of Torah opinions on what people ought not to do in their marriages and what a healthy relationship should look like. The harder part, what I didn’t say, is the real underpinning of my book and that is how in the world do you get there? How do you get from what you should not do in marriage to what you should do? And another, even bigger question is: does the Torah actually have guidelines on this process?

I think the reason why so many therapists are needed to help people in today’s world is not because it’s not in Torah – everything really is right there – but because the answers and ideas are scattered about. Sometimes, too, we have to read

Dr. Deb Hirschhorn

What I Didn’t Say dition: just as He between the lines is the Supreme in order to underJust as He is the Supreme Healer, neverstand messages. theless He gave That is not easy; Healer, nevertheless He us doctors to be it takes a great vehicles that we deal of lamdus to gave us doctors to be could go to for accomplish that vehicles that we could refuah. This is and come out true of all the with the correct go to for refuah. professions on understanding. earth from art One might to architecture wonder why HaKadosh Baruch Hu made these basic to teaching to Rabbonus. He must have ideas so difficult to pluck out and use. I wanted us humans to be His assistants in think I have an answer: like all of learn- presenting helpful ideas from Torah and ing, I think Hashem wants us to search in doing the work of tikkun olam. I guess for answers. He knows that human be- that must hold true for therapists, too. ings, being who they are, don’t listen to We’re here to help. advice given on a silver platter. By makI would like to share with you today ing them a bit less accessible, He gives one Torah idea that therapists who are on us an opportunity to want them badly their toes use in their daily work. This enough to work hard at finding them. one idea answers both questions above: On the other hand, there is a lot of how do you implement the “shoulds” pain in marriage, and apparently, if you and “should-nots” of Torah and where read the sources, there always has been. do you find those guidelines anyway?

So perhaps there is another reason in ad- The source material is Sha’arei Teshuvah written in the 13th century by Rabbeinu Yonah. Not only is this a great place to start because it indeed pulls together helpful Torah sources into one place, and not only because it has such strong application to marriage, but also because it is so appropriate for Chodesh Elul.

1. Awareness that Hashem cares about us and the state of our soul and is waiting for our teshuvah (Yechezkeil 18:23) means that we should never fear that we cannot do a proper teshuvah; putting it off for this reason is not a good excuse.

2. Rather, we should “tremble and be troubled by the sin” (Tehilim 4:5); i.e., get on with the teshuvah process. Being “troubled” by the possibility that you may have hurt your spouse’s feelings is critically important to teshuvah. If a person believes himself or herself to be in the “right” and is therefore not troubled in the least bit by his or her behavior, Rabbeinu Yonah politely suggests this person may be a “fool” because it means he was “oblivious” to what Hashem wants of us.

3. The solution to avoid being a fool is for people to go over their behavior carefully and check all of it against the principles laid out in Torah. Honest reflection clearly tells us whether we did right or wrong.

4. Next, we must assume that our yetzer hara will try to trick us into sin-

ning again, so being troubled by the last sin and resolving not to do it again is not quite enough (Pirkeh Avos 2:4). Therefore, we must be conscious as we speak and have a mental checklist ready of the kinds of things we have done that we shouldn’t do again.

These four steps don’t do justice to Rabbeinu Yonah’s masterpiece but they make a good start. Let’s take Brenda and Michael, people I’ve made up, and see how they can apply these principles.

When they each feel their reserves are depleted and they wish they could get some strength from each other, they may fight. Michael may speak harshly to Brenda or use some choice words that wound. Brenda may yell back, feeling that since Michael “started,” she has the right to give it back. The fight, of course, never gets resolved because this method – slinging back and forth – doesn’t accomplish anything.

Doing Step One may mean that they daven for the strength to handle things better. Step Two may mean that Michael must look inside himself and realize that he should not have yelled; he should simply ask for what it was he wanted. Doing Step Three may mean that Brenda can’t tell herself that her own yelling back was okay because yelling is yelling whether it was first or second or third. Doing Step Four means that Michael would have to figure out how to ask for what he wants in a calm way and be alert for moments that he feels depleted and needy so that he can do so. Similarly, Brenda would have to recognize that she is likely to be tricked by the yetzer hara into retaliating whenever Michael attacks her.

These are the things I didn’t say in my talk but luckily those – and more – are in my upcoming book. The essence of a Torah position is that because Hashem loves us, He wants us to do well and be good. That is why the approach in my book is all about healing. To me, healing begins with recognizing G-d’s love and then we have to do the work of transferring that love to ourselves, our children, and our spouses.

Dr. Deb Hirschhorn has had over 35 years clinical experience. She has been in numerous publications, both professional and for the public, and has appeared on TV and has been featured on radio. She practices Marriage-Friendly Therapy. She has a local practice in Woodmere, N.Y. See her website, http://drdeb.com, or call her at 646-54-DRDEB.

Rebbetzin Naomi N. Herzberg

Communication Between Teachers and Students in the Creation of Works of Art

T

he following article consists of questions that I have been recently asked by art teachers and the answers, which I am delighted to share with the readers of this column.

How can we guarantee a productive creative experience for our students in the classroom?

Strong communication has to be created between the teacher and their students for a successful creative experience.

What would this communication entail?

First and foremost, it entails the students understanding the “rules of the classroom” that are set by the teacher.

How can an art teacher be sure that the students understand the techniques and materials that they are working with?

It is important to give an introduction on the exact project before beginning. Make sure to go over all the art terms that apply to that particular project. In the grades where the students are able to read, instructions written out in outline form are very helpful. A list of terms and their definitions are also important.

Is there a particular order that should be applied when choosing projects?

It is important to explain the basic concepts in art before beginning any project. This would include the elements and principles of design. This can be done as a lesson of its own before actually starting the project or at the first lesson. You may then continue on with the project at hand.

Are there any particular types of

paper that are better to use in the art room?

There are so many types with a variety of uses and possibilities. It is important to choose papers that are appropriate for a particular medium. Most times it is noted on the package what types of mediums should be used.

There are for instance: cardboard in both flat and corrugated, charcoal paper, crepe paper, drawing paper, illustration board, parchment paper, pastel paper, rice paper, tissue paper, tracing paper, watercolor paper, etc.

Is there any particular technique that should be conquered at the beginning lessons?

It all depends on the age group. My general rule is to start off by teaching simple drawing techniques using an HB drawing pencil. The HB drawing pencil is not too soft and not too hard for the beginners to use. They should also be using a kneaded eraser with this type of pencil, not the standard writing pencil with the eraser attached. I like to explain in simple terms the value scale from white, shades of grey to black. After the explanation I have the students experiment with shading. Of course, I supply the exercise. The assignment varies with the experience of my students. I also go into the idea of starting with a shape and experiment with that before continuing on the path in drawing.

Should the students be framing their artwork?

If it is affordable, artwork presents itself better when matted. This can be done by purchasing in bulk ready-made mats or creating your own mats from

leftovers and collectables. Framing is too expensive for most school budgets.

There have been times, when the budget allowed, that I created removable backs for permanent frames, to be used for displaying the students’ art in the school halls. The students’ artistic accomplishments were then inserted into these frames. By simply removing the backs from the frames and placing a different piece of art in each of them, the same mats and frames were reused to display other students’ work.

What kind of displays should a school aspire to create?

The most exciting and striking one’s possible. Creativity goes along way.

They should be pleasing to the eye,

clear and informative. * Please refer back to my column from last week. Finally, I suggest to always base your ideas around whatever works best into your particular school budget. There is no blanket answer.

To be continued…

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.

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

From My Private Art Collection

83

84 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

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86

In the Kitchen Naomi Nachman

Y

The Perfect Family Dinner for Back to School

et another summer has flown by. I can’t believe that school is starting in just a few more days. For me, that means packing school lunches, hearty dinners and finally getting back into a routine.

Dinner planning is always hard. What should I make? I get a text every day around 5 pm right as my kids are getting on the bus asking “what’s for dinner?” I try to answer them with something tasty that I have prepared for them. I also find that when we sit around as a family on Sunday night (eating Shabbat leftovers) I take the opportunity to ask my kids what THEY would like to eat for supper during the upcoming week. Getting them involved in the planning stage also encourages

them to eat the dinners rather than turning up their noses with an “I don’t like that” attitude. If they help choose it, they are more inclined to eat it. I take a suggestion from each child and then mix-and-match in all their requests.

I try to make a soup each night (which I double and freeze in case time is short and I can’t cook one night), plus one salad, side dish and main. Once in a while, I will also make a dessert (especially when I buy a new cookbook and I am dying to try the dessert!).

Here is a quick and easy dinner that my family looks forward to:

Butternut Squash Soup This great recipe I adapted from my neighbor, Rikki Fishbein. It’s super-quick and easy to make. It freezes really well!

Directions Heat enough canola oil to cover the bottom of a large soup pot. When oil is hot, add flanken strips and sear for 5 minutes on each side or until the meat releases itself.

Then place all vegetables in the large pot and sauté for a few minutes. Add

chickpeas, flanken and cilantro. Fill with water to the top of the vegetables and cook for 2 hours.

Take out meat and the bones and reserve.

Then, with a hand blender, blend the soup until smooth.

Slice flanken into chunks and place pieces in each bowl. Pour soup on top.

Shallot Potatoes

Coke Chicken

Yukon gold potatoes are MY favorite potato to use.

This chicken looks nice as the chicken gets shiny and dark. I often double the sauce and freeze half for another time.

Ingredients 2 large onions, diced 2 butternut squash, cubed 6 large loose carrots, chunked

2 cans chickpeas, drained 4 strips flanken ½ bunch cilantro (optional) salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup diced shallots (you can also use onion) 8 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into a medium to large dice 2 cups chicken stock (I use Trader Joe’s brand) Salt and pepper ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley Directions Heat the oil in a heavy 5-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté, stirring for about 4 minutes, until soft and translucent, but not colored.

Stir in the potatoes and continue cooking several minutes longer, stirring to ensure that the potatoes are coated well with the olive oil and shallots.

Add the stock, bring to a simmer, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To complete: reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes. The potatoes should be tender and have absorbed most of the stock. Fold in the parsley and serve immediately.

Ingredients 2 large onions, sliced 8 chicken pieces 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 cup Coca Cola 1 cups ketchup 1 cups apricot jam Directions Place sliced onions on the bottom of a large baking pan. Place chicken on top.

Set aside.

Mix next 4 ingredients together to make the sauce.

Pour over the sauce and bake at 375° for 1hour and 15 minutes.

Apple Cinnamon Pie 4 green apples, peeled and sliced 1 tablespoon cinnamon 2 tablespoon sugar 3 eggs 1 ½ cups sugar 1 ½ cups oil 3 teaspoons of vanilla extract 1 ½ cups of flour Extra cinnamon sugar mixture for

sprinkling on top

NEW YEAR. NEW MENU. Try a kosher personal chef!

Directions Preheat oven to 350°.

Layer apples in 9 inch round pan so they come two-thirds up on the sides of the pan. In a separate bowl, mix together cinnamon and sugar.

Sprinkle 1 ½ tablespoons of cinnamon and sugar all over the apples, reserving the rest for later.

Make a batter by beating the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the oil and vanilla and beat well, then stir in the flour.

Spoon the batter on top of the cinnamon sugar mixture and then sprinkle a little more cinnamon sugar on top of the batter.

Bake for 1 hour until a skewer comes out clean.

Portabello Mushroom Salad This salad is a favorite of my daughter, Gabriella. She just loves mushrooms.

However, you can use whatever vegetables you like and add Tams Tams, nuts, or Terrachips stix for crunch.

The dressing doubles really well too and can last up to 3 weeks in the fridge. If it separates, just bring it to room temperature and shake it well.

Dressing 1 clove fresh garlic ¼ teaspoon mustard ¼ teaspoon paprika ¼ cup balsamic vinegar ¼ cup sugar ½ teaspoon salt ¼ cup ketchup ¾ cup olive oil Directions Blend dressing ingredients together and pour over salad right before serving.

Naomi Nachman moved from Australia approximately 20 years ago and, in 2004, started “The Aussie Gourmet” to cater weekly and Shabbat/Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities. Naomi is also sought after to teach cooking classes throughout the NY/NJ Metropolitan area (from Scarsdale to Boro Park, Manhattan to Teaneck, the Hamptons and Connecticut… and of course, The Five Towns). She has also taught classes in Florida, Australia and Israel. Naomi is a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, a cooking CD and a variety of newspaper articles. Naomi currently lives in Woodmere, NY with her husband and 4 daughters.

• Custom designed gourmet meals to fit your personal dietary needs and taste preferences.

• Can be prepared in your own kitchen, or ours.

• Feel like a guest without having to leave your home!

• Check out our new menu online at www.theaussiegourmet.com

Currently accepting orders for Yom Tov 2012!

Contact Naomi Nachman 516-295-9669 | nznachman@yahoo.com | www.theaussiegourmet.com Become a Fan on Facebook!

SHELLEY SERBER DESIGN 917.331.5960

Ingredients 4 cups mixed greens Avocado, peeled, cored and cubed Terrachips stix 3 whole Portobello mushrooms,

sliced and sautéed 1 box cherry tomatoes, halved 1 red onion, sliced

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I serve this with Soy Delicious ice cream on the side. Always a hit!

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Room For Design Naftali Landau

Choosing the Right Light Fixture I want to put in new lights in the ceilings in some of my rooms.

What are the different types of light fixtures that I can use?

-F.E. Lighting has a significant effect on the mood and overall design of your rooms. A light fixture can change a room from bright and cheery to dark or romantic in an instant. Choosing the right lighting fixtures for your home requires that you consider your overall goal for the room’s atmosphere as well as the activities that will be carried out in that room. In most rooms, using combination of fixtures gives you more flexibility in how that room is used. Considerig design, as well as function, would be the best way when choosing the right light fixtures for your rooms.

To begin, I will discuss a few design options that hang from the ceiling or are ceiling-mounted. Using a chandelier in a room makes a statement.

The eye is drawn to this light fixture when you enter a room because it is substantial in size and often showy in design—whether dripping with crystals or shimmering with sleek chrome arms. Chandeliers come in all styles for every design expression and can be accented with an array of moldings to run around the ceiling. Chandeliers are typically used in dining rooms and should not be used in rooms with lower ceilings. Pendant lights are smaller hanging light fixtures that draw attention in a room, in part because their decorative portion hangs down closer to eye level on a long poll or wire. Hung individually, they are perfect for smaller spaces or areas that need direct lighting, such as over a kitchen island. When hung in a group, pendants can make a big design statement, similar to a chandelier.

To make a more subtle design statement above, try a ceiling-mount light fixture.

Kitchens, family rooms, and hallways still deserve a decorative touch when it comes to lighting the room. Ceilingmount fixtures come in styles to coordinate with all decors and offer more de-

sign impact than recessed lighting but more subtle attention than a chandelier.

A few more choices are using a light that is recessed into the ceiling, making it less obtrusive to the eye.

This option has a wide selection of decorative lighting offering many design options. Lighting that is not noticeable can be a good design choice, too. In a clean-lined, contemporary room, recessed lighting is as much about design as it is about function. Recessed lighting is used extensively in most new homes for many good reasons. They are one of the most versatile ways to light up a room with a multitude of sizes and lamp combinations. You have many different types of recessed cans depending on size and shape to fit your design need and style.

If you want to add some real pizzazz to the interior of your house, install cove lighting for design drama. Cove lighting is indirect lighting that comes from above or below valances, horizontal recesses on an upper wall or in the ceiling or from ledges. Cove lighting is an architectural luminary that directs light up to the ceiling. It is a very effective technique for creating ambient lighting. Cove lighting aims light at the ceiling and down adjacent walls. Sometimes cove lighting is purely for aesthetic purposes but it can also be used for primary lighting.

In summary, when determining which lighting design will work for you it is important to figure out the function of the room as well as the style you are trying to achieve. The lighting of the room can change the feel of the room drastically and choosing one takes time and planning. Good luck.

Naftali Landau is owner and chief designer of Exclusive Cabinetry and Design and has been designing kitchens for the past 12 years. For questions or ideas for future articles, he can be reached at 917-468-7693 or at naftalilandau@gmail.com

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

Allan J. Rolnick CPA

Living the Tax-Free Life

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s the 2012 election draws near, and taxes take center stage in that election, politicians and pundits are weighing in on Republican nominee Mitt Romney’s personal taxes. Will he release any of his returns for years before 2010? Did he really not pay any tax at all in some of those years? Is there something in those returns that he fears might jeopardize his campaign?

But Mitt Romney isn’t the only candidate enjoying tax-advantaged income. President Barack Obama, like Presidents before him, enjoys tax-free benefits that would make most corporate CEOs drool with envy. And it’s not a scandal—it’s all out in the open for any voter to see.

Let’s start with the basics. The President earns a $400,000 annual salary— barely enough, by itself, to put him in the much-vaunted “1%.” He also gets a $50,000 annual entertainment allowance, which helps support those State Dinners.

But salary and allowance are just the tip of the President’s compensation iceberg. For starters, there’s a 55,000 square-foot house on 18 prime acres of Washington real estate that Zillow.com estimates would rent for $1,752,296 per month. (The tax alone on the value of that rent is $7.36 million per year.)

There’s also a rustic cottage just outside DC, staffed by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, that he uses as a vacation retreat.

Next, there’s security. Plenty of CEOs and celebrities hire bodyguards to ward off real or imagined threats. And that security may be tax-deductible.

(Hard for the IRS to collect tax on your income if you’re not alive to earn it.)

But the President’s Secret Service protection is tax-free, and his guards are the best of the best. While the exact value of the President’s protection is a closelyguarded secret, the House of Representatives voted $113 million in funding for the 2012 campaign.

Those of you who travel often will probably agree that the President’s most valuable perk is the ability to fly without the usual TSA “perp walk.” CEOs typically fly Gulfstreams, Bombardiers,

and similar aircraft, with barely enough headroom to stand up straight. The President, on the other hand, enjoys not one, but two fully-loaded 747-200Bs, both equipped with executive stateroom, office, conference room, and state-of-theart navigation and communications systems that let him conduct business in the air, even if the country is under attack.

(The term “Air Force One” doesn’t refer to a specific plane—it’s the official air traffic control signal for any aircraft carrying the President.)

Corporate jets typically carry a dozen passengers and cost $3,000 to $6,000 per hour to operate, while Air Force One carries 102 passengers and crew and costs a whopping $181,000 per hour.

Then there are the “little” perks that ease the stress of leading the free world.

The fawning staff. The private chefs.

The first-run movies, delivered straight to your own “media room.” Fully taxfree, of course…who can even figure out how to tax them?

The perks won’t stop when the President leaves office. As with all former Presidents, he’ll enjoy a pension equal to a Cabinet-level salary (currently $199,700). He’ll enjoy continued Secret Service protection, for himself and his family, for 10 years from the date he leaves office. He’ll get reimbursed for staff, travel, and office expenses. And he’ll be able to earn a small fortune writing memoirs and giving speeches—although that fortune will be fully taxable.

Most of us would agree that any President earns every dime we pay him, whether that income takes the form of salary or benefits. But you don’t have to be President of the United States to profit from tax-free perks and benefits.

Helping you make the most of those opportunities for your business is a big part of our business.

Allan J Rolnick is a CPA who has been in practice for over 30 years in Queens, NY. He welcomes your comments and can be reached at 718-896-8715 or at allanjrcpa@ aol.com.

Ode To Trees

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o this week the editor tells me write an article for the back to school issue.

Okay they asked me to do this. It’s not my idea.

They want a back to school issue – I’ve got a few back to school issues!

First of all, what about these school supplies? I think our school children are single-handedly keeping OfficeMax and Staples in business.

And what are our teachers thinking anyway? Can’t the kids store the information in their brains instead of in 12 different folders of various sizes and colors? After all, what are our brains so preoccupied with other than running our bodies and a lot of that operates on the autonomic/ involuntary system. It just happens without any effort on our part. So a little extra assignment for our brains can’t be bad.

Listen, aren’t we concerned with going green? Do we need to waste all this paper? Maybe we can leave the trees in the ground and have the kids come home and keep their notes on the tree bark in permanent marker. Think of all the natural foliage we will save.

Not cutting down the trees saves energy. Then think of the gasoline saved not shipping them, and the mills not overused to make the paper, and the garbage not created when we take all that paper we toss at the end of the school year.

It’s brilliant—save the information in your brain (and if need be record it in the garden after school). It will get our kids out in the fresh air instead of being cooped up in the house after school.

Another issue – HOMEWORK… I’m not sure I need to elaborate. OK I’ll elaborate a little. After all, this is a school issue.

For some parents this word invokes queasiness. It creates a tense time in the house. The poor exhausted child is trying to avoid more tedious school work.

Though I recognize sometimes that as parents we enjoy the structure kids are getting from having homework, or having something to keep them busy at night, or even the added stimulation to

the brain.

But seriously, is anyone brave enough to ask our kids to vote on what they think of homework.

Maybe we could remove it if they committed to reading a book , or helping clean up after themselves, or watching a sibling or playing an instrument, or just going out and writing poetry–on a tree. You know replace it with some accountability.

Maybe parents could admit it’s them who have worked in many cases too hard on the homework?!

Am I complaining? Nah, not at all.

Well maybe just wondering if sometimes we don’t just get sooo caught up in a system that we think it’s the only way.

Sure I know there are other issues – Did my kid get put with the friends they wanted or do I have to tell them to extend themselves and make new friends.

Did they get the better teacher or will they start figuring out to saunter slowly back to class or offer to assist with anything in the school office, lunch room, janitor’s closet.

Worst issue of all—did they make the team?!

Though kids somehow survive it, most parents usually don’t. While kids may wind up in therapy to complain about their parents, most parents are there to discuss the teams their kids didn’t make.

Can’t they all just play tree tag?

So as I was saying, next time don’t give me an opening called a back to school “issue.” Call it the “blessings” of going back to school and I’ll tell you it’s a place you can make friends and not have to do homework, that is as long as you are at school and, mostly, a place to grow—firm and solid and flexible with strong roots—hey just like a tree!

Good luck kids and parents and have a wonderful school year.

Remember your ABC’s of school: Accentuate Best Characteristics of school!

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In the Kitchen Eggplant Extraordinaire Believe it or not, eggplant is seen as a summer fruit. It is botanically classified as a berry with small, soft seeds that are edible. Look for eggplants that feel heavy for their size and have smooth, shiny skin. Some people soak the eggplant slices or pieces in salt prior to cooking to whisk away some of the bitter undertones in the vegetable.

Eggplant Parmesan Ingredients 2 pounds eggplants (see notes below) 1 cup all-purpose flour, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste 3 large eggs, beaten with 2 tablespoon milk 3 cups unseasoned breadcrumbs 3 tablespoons dried oregano Olive oil, as needed Tomato sauce (recipe follows) 1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese 1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese Tomato Sauce 3 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup finely chopped onion

4 large garlic cloves, minced 4 cans (14.5 ounces each) whole tomatoes, crushed slightly, with juices 2 tablespoons dried oregano 1 tablespoon dried basil Salt and pepper to taste Directions Prepare the sauce first. Heat a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat.

Add the 3 tablespoons olive oil, then the onions. Sauté until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another minute. Add the tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to

medium-low and cook until slightly reduced, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the eggplants into about 1/3-inch thick slices. Place the seasoned flour on a large plate or waxed paper. Place the eggs and milk in a shallow bowl. Place the breadcrumbs on a large plate or waxed paper and mix in the 3 tablespoons oregano. Dredge the eggplant first in the flour, then dip into the egg wash, then dredge in the breadcrumbs, shaking off excess crumbs. If not, proceed with frying. Heat about 1/2-inch olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant in batches, about 3 minutes per side or until golden brown, adding more oil between batches as needed. Let drain on baking racks or paper towels.

Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking dish with olive oil or spray.

Spoon a thin layer of

sauce onto the bottom. Top with 1/3 of the eggplant in one layer. Spread about 1/3 of the sauce over the eggplant, then scatter with 1/3 of the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Repeat the layers two times. Bake until hot and bubbly, about 40 minutes. Let rest about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Notes: If desired, the casserole can be assembled a day ahead, covered and refrigerated. Add 20 to 30 minutes to the baking time, checking to be certain it is hot in the center.

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Ingredients 1/2 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 eggplants, cut into 1/2-inch slices 3 zucchinis, cut into 1/2-inch slices 2 green bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch slices

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Directions Whisk olive oil, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Toss eggplants, zucchinis, and bell peppers in soy sauce marinade. Marinate for about 45 minutes.

Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Remove vegetables from marinade, shaking off excess.

Grill vegetables on preheated grill until tender, 10 to 15 minutes, brushing vegetables with marinade. Transfer cooked vegetables to a platter and serve with any remaining marinade.

Ratatouille

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1 lb fresh ripe tomatoes (or equal amount of high quality canned tomatoes, chopped) 1/4 cup olive oil Salt to taste 2 sprigs thyme 1 bay leaf 1-inch sprig rosemary 3/4 cup vegetable stock (or thin tomato juice) Fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions Preheat oven to 400° F. Using a large oven-proof pan over medium high heat, sauté onions in olive oil until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and reduce heat to low.

While the onions and garlic are cooking over low heat, put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in another frying pan over high heat. As soon as oil starts to smoke, quickly add enough zucchini cubes all at once to cover the bottom of the pan. Keep on cooking over high heat, stirring, until zucchini is lightly browned on all sides. Remove zucchini cubes, and add them to pan with the onions.

Working in batches, repeat this process until all of the zucchini cubes have been cooked.

Do the same with the yellow squash. Make sure to add a little olive oil between each new batch. Continue with the bell peppers, then the eggplant cubes, adding the browned vegetables to the onion pan as soon as they are cooked.

When all the vegetables (except the tomatoes) are browned and in the pan with the onions, increase the heat to high and stir, making sure they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add salt to taste, thyme, bay leaf, and rosemary, the vegetable stock, and stir well. Place in oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Alternatively you can cook them on the stovetop on low heat for 30 minutes.

If using fresh tomatoes, boil water in a saucepan on stove. Remove stems from tomatoes, and crisscross the bot-

toms with a knife. Plunge into boiling water for a minute or two, until skin starts to fall away. Rinse in cold water and remove skin. Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise, remove seeds, chop coarsely, set aside.

After the vegetables have been in the oven for a half hour, remove from oven, drain vegetables in a colander set over a bowl. Clean browned bits (if any) off bottom of pan with a paper towel. Return any liquid to the pan and reduce to a thick glaze over medium high heat. Keep on adding juices to the pan as they run out of the vegetables into the bowl.

When all the juices have been reduced, return vegetables to the heavy pan. At this point the ratatouille should

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Ingredients 1 lb of yellow onions, chopped 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1 lb zucchini, chopped 1 lb yellow squash, chopped Bell peppers, seeds removed, chopped into 1/2 inch square pieces: --1 lb green bell peppers --1/2 lb red bell peppers --1/2 lb yellow bell peppers 1 lb eggplant, 1/2 inch cubes

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be moist and shiny, with very little liquid. Turn heat off. Add the chopped tomatoes and cover. If serving as a warm side dish, let the ratatouille stand for 10 minutes, just enough to “cook” the tomatoes. The ratatouille can be served at room temperature or refrigerated and reheated the next day.

When ready to serve, remove the bay leaf, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 6-8.

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Week 34 - (8-23) Jewish Home:Layout 1

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*At Regular Price **Higher Price Prevails ***Select Group

No Prior Purchases - Exp. 9-4-2012

No Two Sales Can Be Combined

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Classifieds Services CUSTOM SUITS

Expertly tailored hand made custom suits for men Hundreds of fabrics and styles We will come to your home or office day or night Design the suit you've always wanted From $649 Call 516-619-6264 Bubby babysitter available Newborn and up Excellent references Long hours Centrally located in Far Rockaway TLC 718-327-1932 Lose weight and get back your health Join one of the most well researched weight loss programs Safe and effective Call 347-927-1789 P.S. Looking for weight loss coaches At last now in the Five Towns your own personal floral designer and party decorator.

Fresh or silk flowers that look so real you won’t believe your eyes. Available to travel to your home and design something stunning and unique to complement your home and party décor. Call (917) 500-1394 for a personal consultation.

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Is your child having a hard time with organization?

The school year is fast approaching; give your child a head start.

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Courses available in beginning of July and in August, based on demand.

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516-506-1732 Shiradahan@yahoo.com Photos 4 your Simcha Professional Photography and Video We love what we do and it shows in our work!

We are dedicated to make an everlasting impression! Competitively priced!

Check out our website & specials. www.photos4yoursimcha.com or call Yaakov

718-868-1800

Electrician - Chandeliers, Shabbos timers, ceiling fans, AC lines, cameras, intercom work. Call Michael Guberman 917-681-1213 - 24-hour service

Piano Lessons Experienced teacher has slots open for the summer. Learn music theory, play songs by ear and play by notes.

Many happy references.

Recital at the end of the summer!

Email basyagralla@yahoo.com or call 646-573-7137 Want Home cooked food for Shabbos without the Hassle????

Call Alex Idov, personal chef- serving Far Rockaway & Lawrence (678)644-6168 gematria613@aol.com Reasonable rates- Extensive menu options-References available PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER Customized Organizing & Reduction of clutter & excess items/papers Rooms, Offices, Basements, Garages, Attics, Closets Free consultation - Summer Sale!

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Tutoring Service Available Experienced math teacher will prepare you for next year on any level you need Shomer Shabbat Call Yossi 516-581-3930 FREE TUTORING/CHAVRUSA with a Rebbe with over 30 years experience.

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3 reasons to use Mileage Doctor 1) You have millions of airline miles and don’t know what to do with them 2) You want millions of airline miles 3) We will even book your mileage tickets and save you the hassle Check out mileagedoctor.weebly.com Tutoring services available Experienced morah at TAG Grades 1-5 (Hebrew and English) For more information please call Mrs. Vilkov 718-337-6141 Experienced Certified Life Coach for Men only Call Chaim 516 924 7694 Eran Photography Weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvas, Brisim Family portraits and more Portable studio available Please contact @ 310-766-9105 eranphotography@gmail.com Yiddish In 10 Lessons All Classes Delivered Via Interactive Tele-conferencing (by phone) Next Class begins on Wednesday August 22 at 8PM For More Information Call Chaim 516-924-7694 conversationalyiddish@gmail.com

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C Slansky, Broker, 516-655-3636 Bayswater- massive 2 family home in a great area, close to all the shuls, beautiful cabinets & granite counter tops, lots of bedrooms, all tiled bathrooms, hardwood flooring all through the house, fireplace, etc., needs tlc, very motivated seller, asking 449k, call Yitzchok 847-691-6397.

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Call or Text 443-929-4003 Or email ads to:

classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Include valid credit card info

Deadline Monday 5:00pm

99

CEDARHURST REAL ESTATE FOR SALE Charming Center Hall Colonial SD 15 4 bedrooms 3 full bathrooms.

Central Air Conditioning. EIK, DR, LR, Den, Basement Nice Backyard. 6500 foot lot. low taxes Close walk to Shuls central ave and cedarhurst park. Call owner at 516 668-1785.

Asking $729k Motivated Commercial Real Estate for Sale Possibility of purchasing TWO contiguous prime Ced business district properties to create “mega trophy asset.”

Ideal for food/retail/professional use Excellent parking and exposure Motivated sellers Call for more info regarding this once-in-a lifetime opportunity.

C Slansky, Broker, 516-655-3636

Real Estate For Rent Apt. Available in Bayswater 3 BDR, 2 full baths Living room, dining room A/C, washer/dryer, terrace $1450+utilities, Call 718-327-6442 or 516-451-2786 Belle Harbor Area Beach 118 St. Extra large modern 2 room studio apt.

Furnished or unfurnished Short or long term Near Boardwalk, Shuls, Yeshiva, shopping, all transportation.

Owner 917 543 0497 3 Bedroom Apartment for rent: Heart of Far Rockaway: 3 bedroom/1 bath, Centrally Located, near all shuls, completely renovated, Excellent Condition, Central Air/Heat, Large Kitchen, Includes Parking.

Available Immediately.$2200/mo Call Landlord: (917) 843-9591 or (516) 490-8221 Beautiful 1 Bedroom Apt. in Kew Gardens Hills With brand new granite kitchen, new appliances and terrace Excellent location in 2 family home $1550/month Please call 718-544-1912 INWOOD BAIS MEDRASH for rent INWOOD GYM for rent Complete Beis Medrash ideal for Kollel or small Yeshiva.

Fully equiped gym. Both 1 1/2 blocks from LIRR. free parking 917-399-5154

Belle Harbor, Beach 136th street House For Rent 4 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms Available furnished or unfurnished $2,000 negotiable near shuls and yeshivos Please call (917)749-9060 Office space available for rent in Lawrence by owner.

Shared waiting room with other health related professionals.

Utilities covered and internet access available. mymanagement360@yahoo.com Cedarhurst Colonial in Excellent condition 3 bedrooms, 1Bath, den, cellar Fenced backyard, close walk to shuls Rent 2250 Sale 300S Call 516-569-4628 Cell 516-547-8930 Real Estate for Rent/Sale Cedarhurst colonial in excellent condition Three Bedrooms 1 Bath - Den, cellar, fenced backyard close walk to synagogues Call 516-569-4628 or 516-547-8930 (cell) 1st floor apt on beach 9th $1300 a month includes heat and water perfect for young couple washer & dryer hook up Walking distance to lirr for more info call or text 347-637-8346 Hewlett Neck Ocean Front Mansion for Rent 9,000 square feet, fully furnished, with TV and WiFi Sleeps 20, kosher kitchen, inside eruv, walk to all shuls Can rent weekly or monthly, Perfect for any Simcha or vacationers Call 631-484-6781 For rent 2 bedroom apartment Far rockaway near BBY Available NOW Kosher Kitchen New appliances Call 516-225-4558 3 Bedroom Apt. For Rent Far Rockaway Near Kollel and Shuls In a 3 family house on 3rd floor, also basement ideal for office Sunny apt. with 2 porches Available August Call 516-225-4558

Gemachs

Job Available Seeking administrative assistant in the educational office of a growing Five Towns boy's yeshiva. This position requires dynamic organization and administrative skills, strong computer and people skills, and having an educational experience is a plus.

Please send resumes to facultyposition2012@gmail.com Res. Hab. Positions Available Work part time with a special needs young adult. Pays $14 an hour No Certification Necessary.

Great opportunity to do Chesed and get paid at the same time Call Metropolitan 718-633-3334 ext. 0

Executive Assistant: PT, Exec Assis for Lawrence office, Must have superb organizational & phone skills.

Micr.Office experience, ability to sched & acquire appointments with top CEO's.

Ability to multi-task a must. Email resume to chayaweinberg@yahoo.com.

Leaders in Online Jewish Marketing are hiring Sales Superstars. Do you fit the bill?

Send your resume to sales@thejmg.com or call us @ 646-351-1808 x 111

Seeking Job Seeking Job as a baby nurse Certified and can provide references Call Sandy at 347-476-7029 Experienced Baal Tefillah Seeking position for Yomim Noraim References available Call Yoni Sokol (516)978-9606 yonisokol@yahoo.com Experienced P-3 Provider, with M.S. in Education and Permanent N.Y. State Teacher Certification- Available to work with students in all grades Mondays through Thursdays- mornings until 11 A.M. and anytime after 5:30 P.M.; and Sundays anytime Please call Tsivia: 516-526-2385

Change your health and wealth Partner with young couple to build viable home based business Can earn $100,000 in first 18 months Excellent training Call 347-333-1789

Can you spare it? Donate it. Clear out a closet and help a needy Heimishe family today.

Tax deductible receipts available upon request. Call (866) GIVE2LIVE(448-3254)

Misc.

A piece of jewelry was found on July 19th in Cedarhurst, on the street near LIRR station. If you know who it belongs to, please contact rwilam@gmail.com.

We are looking to replace our reserved spot in a 3 year old play group in Far Rockaway. The play group is well established and is a warm, caring and educational environment suitable for boys and girls that turn 3 years old in 2012. The playgroup hours are 9AM1PM Monday –Thursday and 9AM 12PM on Erev Shabbos. Please contact Yael Gladstone @718-471-2751 for more information.

The Yeshiva of Far Rockaway admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Seeking to donate 2 family house in Little Falls, NY to a non-profit organization.

Accepting Offers.718-974-9428

Reach Thousands of People! place your ad in

Business Opportunity

The Jewish Home

Online Trainers Wanted Learn to operate a Mini-Office Outlet from home. Free online training, flexible hours, great income. www.SelectFreedom.net

classifieds Contact: classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

House for sale in Oceanside by owner Large Americana split with panoramic views of Middlebay Golf Course All new kitchen and bathrooms 4BR 3.5 baths huge den and sunroom 516-536-0079

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

100

Leisure & Travel

TJH Staff

Panama

T

here is a difference of opinion on how Panama got its name.

Some say that Panama means “many butterflies” and was named

when settlers came to the land and were fascinated by the butterflies that abound. Others say that the country was named after a species of trees. Still others say that it was named for a fishing town that was called “Panamá,” which means abundance of fish.

Essentially one can say that Panama means “abundance of trees, butterflies and fish.”

Visitors here will delight in the beautiful beaches, glorious coral reefs, exotic birds in its rainforests, and bustling capital city.

You Don’t Want to Miss Panama Canal Almost a century has passed since the completion of the Panama Canal

and still many are fascinated by the 51 mile canal that connects the Atlantic

and Pacific Oceans. Construction of the canal started in 1881; it was completed in 1914. There are many places to view what they call the “Big Ditch,” but take the time to watch a giant cargo ship navigate the canal—it is truly impressive.

Perhaps travel to the Bridge of the Americas—ships pass through here in a remarkable sight. There are regular transit tours that take visitors through the narrow locks and canals and it’s a wonderful opportunity to view it up close.

Isla Contadora There are many small islands off the coast of Panama and visitors can spend a day or two there enjoying the island experience.

Isla Contadora is a perfect place for families to take in the sun, sea and sand of Panama. There is access to snorkeling and scuba diving here and plenty of things for the children to do.

Cerro Ancon Summit Located in Panama City, the rainforest that covers most of the summit is a vibrant oasis in the midst of a bustling city. The summit’s trails are the best areas to see Panama’s natural wildlife. Take a hike early in the morning or in the late afternoon when animals are more likely to be out and about. Visitors can view the keel-billed toucan, squirrel cuckoo and

Geoffrey’s tamarind, which is Panama’s smallest simian.

Esclusas de Miraflores If you’re looking for a spectacular view of the massive ships passing through the lock chambers, stop into the visitor center here. It houses a wonderful museum that details the canal history, engineering and daily operations.

Because most of the canal lies 85 feet above sea level, ships passing through the canal have to be raised to that level.

Miraflores has two levels of locks which move vessels from the Pacific sea level to Miraflores Lake.

The canal is busier at night but the largest ships pass through during the day.

La Cinta Costera The busy waterfront boulevard of Avenida Balboa is one of the city’s main attractions.

The park that runs alongside it is filled with palm trees and the boulevard affords visitors spectacular views of the Bay of Panama and Casco Viejo. Locals stroll, jog and bike along the adjacent road.

The Monumento a Balboa is a monument in the park dedicated to Vasco Nunez de Balboa, the first to land on the Western continent and view the Pacific Ocean. The monument was a gift from Spain’s King Alfonoso XIII to the Panamanian people in 1924. Unfortunately, the government is only just tackling a big sewage problem in the area that is particularly noxious when

the tide is out.

Mi Pueblito Although this attraction may be filled with tourists, it’s definitely worth stopping by. Here one can view a replica of a 19th century rural town square. There is a collection of fauxadobe buildings that are quite striking. It is suggested to visit on Sunday afternoons when the plaza comes to life with free folk dance performances.

Parque Natural Metropolitano It’s hard to imagine that this 655acre expanse of wilderness exists just 10 minutes from downtown Panama City. The lush area is home to 227 bird species including the Baltimore oriole and keel-billed toucan. Take one of the five, wellmarked trails to the park’s highest point to see the mealy parrot or red-legged honeycreeper. Visitors can also catch sight of 45 different mammal species including sloths and tamarins. Beware of little critters like poisonous snakes and biting insects—watch your step!

101 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n a u g u s t 3 0 , 2012

102

8/23/12 - 9/5/12

Groceries Mehadrin

Yogurt 7oz

$0.89 Lieber’s

Pretzels 14oz

$.99 Mispacha

Spaghetti 16oz

$.99 Smack N Good

Potato Knishes

J&J

Aluminum

French Fries 32 oz

2/$1

Geffen

Kedem

$1.99 $2.79 Cut Baby Corn

lb

Produce

Whole Seedless Watermelon

Bounty

$.49

Meal Mart Turkey Roll

$2.99 lb

$.79

Geffen

Gedilla cool n break

7.3oz

$1.49

$.99

Dr.Praegers

Mispacha

Noam

13oz

$1.29

20oz

Meal Mart

Kariot

16oz

Cereal 13.2oz

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$3.99

Shabbos Meat

Family Pack Ground Beef

Osso Boko

lb

lb

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Loose Southern Peaches

Plum Tomatoes

$.79

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lb

lb

lb

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Take Out

$1.99

freezer pops

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8pk

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lb

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$2.99

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8pk

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15oz

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$4.99

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$3.49

Geffen

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Meat Dept.

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Orig.

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12pk

$6.99

Tuv Taam

Cookie Sheets

$3.99

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$.99

BBQ Chicken

$6.99 each

$2.99

Silky Touch Tissues 140 ct

2/$1 Flanken

$8.99 Large Green Squash

$.49

Large Egg Roll

$1.29 each

103

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