Five Towns Jewish Home - 9-2-21 by The Jewish Home

September 2, 2021

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62 Yeshiva Gedolah of the Five Towns Kollel Reception

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60 Happy Faces as Kids Go Back to School

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

A T

G R A N D E L L

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

We continue to live through uncertain times. As we enter the New Year, we wish you renewed strength and a year filled with peace, happiness, and good health.

If the continuing uncertainty is causing you or your family anxiety, Ohel can help. Contact Ohel Access at: 1-800-603-Ohel(6435) / access@ohelfamily.org / www.ohelfamily.org

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Dear Readers,

Solow, z”l, from Far Rockaway, who passed away suddenly two weeks ago. From what I have heard about him, R’ Pinchas was a person who was a genuine, unabashed Torah Yid. His love of Yiddishkeit was earnest and heartfelt. He had no airs about him; he just wanted to be a good Jew. Someone described him to me as “all neshama, all of the time.” I think that on the Yomim Noraim, we all endeavor to be genuine, unabashed Torah Jews. We lay bare our souls, stripping them down to their essence, as we daven to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. There are no intermediaries, no barriers between us. It is just us and our Creator, just us and our Father. On Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, each of us are “all neshama.” This year, despite the busyness of the day, I hope to give myself the gift of a few moments – no cooking, no cleaning, no shopping, no interruptions – so I can think and look back, be grateful for the blessings that I received, become aware of where I fell short, and hope for a year full of bracha and success. May this year be filled with only good things for you and your families, and may Hashem answer misha’alos libchem l’tova. Kesiva v’chasima tova, Shoshana

ne of our writers suggested this week that because mothers don’t always get a chance to join the davening in shul on Rosh Hashana, they should “beat the rush” and begin doing teshuva early. I agree wholeheartedly with this concept. After all, we blow the shofar for weeks before Rosh Hashana to wake up our hearts and remind ourselves that the King is coming to the fields to greet us. But practically, as a mother, I find that it’s hard to unearth the time to think and reflect with all the noise that constantly buzzes in the background. This year, especially, when we barely had time between camp and school (many of us had some kids in camp and some kids in school at the same time!), the days go by in a blur and the responsibilities are dizzying. So when will I have the time to stop and contemplate the gift given to me last year for a fresh start? When will I have the opportunity to sit down and map out my hopes, dreams, aspirations and goals for this upcoming year? Will I just be swept up in the frothy waves of the new year rolling in or will I recalibrate, take stock, and come in with a clear picture of what I wish my year to be? This week, Rabbi Dovid Bender wrote an article about R’ Pinchas Mordechai

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Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

COMMUNITY Readers’ Poll Community Happenings

8 46

NEWS

136

Global

National

Odd-but-True Stories

ISRAEL Israel News

My Israel Home

118

5 Questions for Yaakov Hagoel by David Billet

120

JEWISH THOUGHT Rabbi Wein on the Parsha

Backstage Passes to Divine Service by Rav Moshe Weinberger

The Jewish Paradox by Rebbetzin Chanie Wolowik

Listening to the Shofar, Becoming the Shofar by Rav Yaakov Feitman 98 Coronating the King on His Terms by Rabbi Benny Berlin

100

New Life on Rosh Hashana by Rabbi Daniel Glatstein

104

Delving into the Daf

108

PEOPLE A Tzaddik in Our Midst: R’ Pinchas Mordechai Solow, zt”l by Rabbi Dovid Bender 78

Dear Editor, As a child, our motion builds our brain. New movements expand the mind. As an adult, as a formed being, our mind makes the decisions and then the body follows. The process of stillness and motion is triggered. This is mirrored by the principle set forth in the naming and proximity of the parshiot Nitzavim and Vayelech. First, we are in a state of Nitzavim, standing and still. Only then does the process of Vayelech come. This year, only Nitzavim comes before Rosh Hashana, which symbolizes our stillness before G-d, enduring judgement. But it’s also a stillness for us to decide how to carry on. The apex of motion comes the Shabbos after, with parsha Vayelech, where

112

Deadline for ads: Sunday, September 5 at 2:00pm Deadline for community articles: Sunday, September 5 at 10:00am

156

HEALTH & FITNESS Seeing Things Anew by Dr. Deb Hirschhorn

132

More to Apples Than Dipping in the Honey by Cindy Weinberger, MS, RD, CDN

136

Parenting Pearls

138

Continued on page 10

To be included in that issue of TJH, please be mindful of our deadlines.

Giving Jews a Good Name: Allison Josephs of Jew in the 122 City Talks about Finding Hashem by Tammy Mark Silver Star Recipients by Avi Heiligman

Dear Editor, It is true that the former president was considering an exit strategy for May 2021, but with strings attached. Instead, President Biden throws in the towel, and the Taliban dictates to him when to leave. President Trump called the Taliban’s commander and the president

Look out for our next issue, in stores, on Friday, September 10.

Remembering Rabbi David Beitler, z”l, by Mike Dube 82 The Wandering Jew

the physical acts of teshuvah must be implemented. A paradigm of stillness and motion is a wonderous principle set forth by the Torah that lets us use our mind to the fullest to carry out the best of actions. Steven Genack

Wishing all our readers and advertisers a kesiva v’chasima tova!

FOOD & LEISURE The Aussie Gourmet: Harissa Roasted Carrots

140

Rosh Hashana at Our Table by Renee Muller Rosh Hashana at Our Table 142 by Renee Muller LIFESTYLES Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW

128

Your Money

164

Just Get Rid of It by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

166

HUMOR Centerfold 86 POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes

146

Kabul Isn’t Saigon ‘75, It’s Beirut ’83 by Marc A. Thiessen

152

Greenlighting the Taliban’s Takeover of Kabul is a National Disgrace by Marc A. Thiessen 154 CLASSIFIEDS

160

Did you ever own a pet?

Yes

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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Continued from page 8

of Afghanistan to work out a peace deal with strict consequences if either party didn’t abide by the rules. Since this deal was not finalized, the May exit remained up in the air. It does not need a military wizard to figure out an exit strategy: 1. Remove all American personnel and Afghans who helped us. 2. Move surplus inventory of weaponry back to the States or to other countries. 3. After all that clearance, demolish any American leftovers and withdraw the military personnel as the last step. Biden, however, did everything in reverse. There was no need for a hasty exit, leaving behind $84 billion of state-of-the-art weaponry which will end up in our enemy’s hands. We could have left with great dignity, but now, with our self-inflicted wounds, we look like a bunch of fools, with our allies shocked and the rest of the world laughing at us. With 13 Americans already dead, most likely more will face the same fate. President Biden will have blood on his hands forever! H. Mayer Garden City, NY Dear Editor, Behavior and results are two different things that commonly get conflated. A leader can be very compassionate but policy-wise, weak. In a situation of two choices of leaders, one could be morally deficient on a behavior level, while the other is nicer when the consequence of policies should be the judge of who should lead a country. Almost a year ago, the United States had a choice: re-electing Donald Trump or electing Joe Biden. A lot of the support to Biden was simply anti-Trump sentiments. The actual policies which have and will have an effect were almost non-issues. Not pulling the lever for Trump wasn’t a matter of principle for many Biden voters. Instead, it was a childish outburst of anger for petty reasons. Saying mean stuff or talking more colorfully was more pressing than re-electing a man who did amazing things for this nation. Instead, they chose a man who has deteriorated with age who has no idea what he is doing. They have responsibility for what is going on in the world right now as much as Joe Biden. Donald Trump and his supporters warned B”H IN OUR

ST SEASON!

of all the horrors that would result from a Biden presidency. They have all come true. Whether from high inflation, high gas prices, immigration crisis, and now a foreign policy disaster not seen in likeness in decades. Last week, ISIS-K murdered over 100 innocent people, including 13 U.S. service members. Reportedly, Joe Biden’s administration gave a list of Americans still in Afghanistan to the Taliban. The gross negligence of the Biden administration is expected, but the lack of Biden supporters owning up to what they supported is a disgust. For the past four years, Americans were told that democracy was dying, how America’s standing on the world stage was deteriorating because of Donald Trump. It seems to me, though, that their hysteria is now a reality. Sincerely, Donny Simcha Guttman Dear Editor, We completely agree with S.W. from Woodmere! It is truly an outrage to display this flag on the front page of the paper. As S.W. stated: “Hamas and the Taliban are the same. They work together and have the same goal, which is TO KILL EVERY SINGLE JEW IN THE WORLD.” That says it all. (And there was more). It is incumbent upon you to use better judgement in your publication that is read widely. Rivka and Yehuda Gitnik Hillcrest, NY Dear Editor, I know this is not a standard thing for a publication to do, but I think that the “Top 10” lists that you published last week from teachers and principals should be sporadically put into your paper throughout the year. During the long school year, when things become too routine or become, perhaps, a bit hard, we all need a reminder that we are partners with our teachers and principals in the chinuch of our children. Sincerely, Yael Kramer

Cover art, “The Sounding of the Shofar,” By Alex Levin www.artlevin.com

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The Week In News

“Extreme Overtime Work” in China

China is putting companies which overwork their employees on notice. On Thursday, China’s Supreme Court issued a lengthy condemnation of “996,” China’s codeword for working from 9:00a.m. to 9:00p.m., six days a week. The practice is common among China’s startups, big tech companies, and other private businesses.

In their ruling issued with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Supreme People’s Court wrote, “Recently, extreme overtime work in some industries has received widespread attention.” It added that employees deserve “rest and vacation” and that “adhering to the national working hour system is the legal obligation of employers.” Insisting that employees work “996” hours “has seriously violated the law on extending the upper limit of working hours and should be deemed invalid,” the court added. “There is nothing wrong with advocating working hard, but it cannot be a shield for employers to evade [their] legal responsibilities.”

Taliban Declares Victory “Afghanistan is finally free,” Hekmatuhha Wasiq, a Taliban official, exulted on Tuesday after the terror group declared victory after the last U.S. troops left Afghanistan. The Taliban marched onto Kabul’s international airport on Tuesday, dressed in camouflage and pos-

ing for photos. “The military and civilian side [of the airport] are with us and in control. Hopefully, we will be announcing our Cabinet. Everything is peaceful. Everything is safe,” Wasiq said.

123,000 people including U.S citizens and Afghans since July. Still, almost 200 Americans remain in Afghanistan. The Taliban took control of Kabul on August 15 after quickly laying siege to strategic areas of the country.

U.S. Equipment Left for Taliban

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid reportedly told the group at the airport that they should be “very cautious in dealing with the nation.” “Our nation has suffered war and invasion and the people do not have more tolerance,” Mujahid said. America’s longest war came to an end on Monday after the last C-17 left Hamid Karzai International Airport at roughly 3:30 p.m. ET. The Pentagon released a photo of the last American solider boarding the flight, identified as Army Maj. Chris Donahue. The U.S. had helped evacuate

According to the head of the U.S. Central Command, the U.S. left military equipment behind in Afghanistan but made sure to “demilitarize” the equipment before leaving the country. The last manned U.S. military aircraft departed Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, on Monday night, ending nearly two decades

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

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This is a blank page. You can ﬁll it with any story – drama, salvation, mystery, or something else.

Just like the year ahead. We don’t know what ‫ תשפ"ב‬will look like. Certainly, the past year has taught us a thing or two about how little we know.

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But we do know this: Your actions right now can turn the blank page of ‫ תשפ"ב‬into a magniﬁcent, blessed year.

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of war in Afghanistan. Asked about military equipment left behind at the airport, Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie said that some were brought out. Other systems, he said, were “demilitarized,” meaning U.S. forces purposely broke them to prevent them from being used. The counter rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM) systems, which were used to fend off a rocket attack on the airport on Monday, were kept online until the last minute and then demilitarized. “We demilitarized those systems so that they’ll never be used again,” McKenzie said. “We felt it more important to protect our forces than to bring those systems back.” The general further explained that demilitarized equipment included 70 mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles that he said “will never again be used by anyone,” 27 Humvees “that will never be driven again,” and 73 aircraft that “will never fly again.” Some systems, such as fire trucks and front-end loaders, were left operational so that the airport could restart operations as soon as possible. Even if the Taliban, which rapidly seized control of Afghanistan earlier this month in a sweeping offensive, is unable to use any of the systems the U.S. military did not take with it when it departed the Kabul airport, the group has been able to get its hands on plenty of other working

systems. The Taliban managed to capture a substantial arsenal of American-made weapons, from rifles to military vehicles, when it overran the country and defeated the Afghan armed forces, which the U.S. has spent billions of dollars arming and equipping. The Biden administration, which has faced criticism for its handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, has acknowledged that U.S.-funded combat capabilities fell to the Taliban. “We don’t have a complete picture, obviously, of where every article of defense materials has gone, but certainly a fair amount of it has fallen into the hands of the Taliban,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan admitted a few days after the fall of the Afghan capital.

Mexico Suing U.S. Gunmakers

Mexican attorneys earlier this month filed a lawsuit in a Boston federal court suing seven U.S. gunmak-

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

from s e s a e l e R w e N

RABBI PAYSACH KROHN WILL INSPIRE YOU DURING THE MOST IMPORTANT DAYS OF THE YEAR!

YAMIM NORAIM WITH THE MAGGID ELEVATING STORIES AND INSIGHTS FROM ELUL THROUGH YOM KIPPUR

n Yamim Noraim with the Maggid, Rabbi Paysach Krohn, the famed “American Maggid,” shares brief but powerful ideas culled from a large variety of Torah sources. And, of course, he brings those ideas to life through stories and parables told in his inimitable style. Yamim Noraim with the Maggid includes fascinating insights into the month of Elul, Selichos, Rosh Hashanah, Tzom Gedaliah, Aseres Yemei Teshuvah and Yom Kippur, as well as commentary on select portions of the Machzor.

BRIEF AND BRILLIANT: INSIGHTS TO UPLIFT YOUR YAMIM NORAIM

NEW!

LOOKING TO ENRICH YOUR ROSH HASHANAH AND YOM KIPPUR PRAYERS ... AND YOUR LIFE?

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NEW FOR YOM KIPPUR

av Nosson Wachtfogel on Elul and Yamim Noraim is adapted from the Hebrew sefer Leket Reshimos, containing short and brilliant nuggets of inspiration of the mashgiach ruchani of Bais Medrash Govoha. It also includes his students’ memories of the Mashgiach as well as stories Rav Nosson told them about his own illustrious rebbeim. Most of the “notes” are brief, making them easy to read and share, yet they contain an infinite amount of wisdom and perception to enrich this awe-filled time of year.

VOLUME 1: ROSH HASHANAH • NEW! VOLUME 2: YOM KIPPUR

av Yisrael Meir Druck, son of the famed “Maggid Meisharim” of Yerushalayim and a noted Torah scholar and popular speaker, brings our understanding of the Machzor to a whole new level. Rav Druck on Machzor offers us a new clarity on concepts such as Hashem’s Kingship, mercy and judgement, the power of prayer and fasting, and so many more. Read it before the holiday, or take it with you to shul — your tefillos will never be the same!

Available at your local Hebrew bookseller or at www.artscroll.com • 1-800-MESORAH (637-6724)

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

ers and one gun wholesaler for their part in the flow of weapons into criminal hands in Mexico. The suit accuses the companies of “actively facilitating” gun trafficking to “drug cartels and other criminals in Mexico.” It also claims that the 2004 expiration of a U.S. ban on assault weapons correlated with an increase in homicides in Mexico. According to Mexican officials, some half million U.S. guns find their way to Mexico each year. The U.S. Department of Justice found that between 2014-2018, approximately 70% of firearms recovered in Mexico and submitted for tracing originated in the U.S. Alejandro Hope, a Mexico Citybased security expert, noted, “Several academic papers have found a strong statistical correlation between the end of the assault weapons ban and increased availability of weapons and a rise in homicides connected to firearms in Mexico. Is that the sole reason why violence in Mexico increased? No, certainly not. But it is one of the many drivers.” Mexico has only one gun shop, which is run by the country’s military. Prospective buyers must pass strict background checks. At the same time, over 25,000 Mexicans

were killed by firearms in 2020. Steve Shadowen, one of the plaintiff’s lead attorneys, said, “We are particularly interested in getting the manufacturers going forward to change the way they do business, to tighten up their distribution systems so that they don’t continue to supply unlimited amounts of guns to gun dealers who are systematically selling them to straw purchasers and others who are engaged in trafficking into Mexico.” He did not say how much he was seeking in damages. The manufacturers named in the litigation are Smith & Wesson, Barrett, Beretta, Century Arms, Colt, Glock, Ruger, and the gun wholesaler Witmer Public Safety group. Lawyers representing the gun manufacturers claim the companies are being “scapegoated.”

Did U.S. Provide the Taliban with “Kill List”? U.S. officials provided the Taliban with a list of people who should be granted entry to Hamid Karzai International Airport, Politico reported.

The Taliban had been controlling outer security of the airport, and therefore received a list of U.S. citizens, Green Card holders, and Afghan allies approved for evacuation. This meant that the terror organization was essentially given a list of those who had been helping their American enemies. The stated goal of sharing the information, though, was to expedite the evacuation process at the airport.

The Pentagon has declined comment. The Taliban has a history of murdering Afghans who have worked with the U.S. and other Western countries and has already begun going door-todoor searching for such people. One defense official said, “Basically, they just put all those Afghans on a kill list. It’s just appalling and shocking and makes you feel unclean.” Last Sunday, U.S. President Joe Biden was asked if he trusts the Taliban. “I don’t trust anybody,” Biden responded. “So far, the Taliban has not taken action against U.S. forces. So far, they have, by and large, followed through what they said, in terms of allowing Americans to pass through, and the like. We’ll see whether or not what they say turns out to be true.” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Bob Menendez said, “As we wait for more details to come in, one thing is clear: We can’t trust the Taliban with Americans’ security. This is a full-fledged humanitarian crisis, and the U.S. government personnel, already working under extreme circumstances, must secure the airport and complete the massive evacuation of American citizens and vulnerable Afghans desperately trying to leave the country.” U.S. troops officially completely withdrew from Afghanistan this week.

Sri Lanka Food Emergency Sri Lanka has declared a state of emergency over food shortages as

private banks run out of foreign exchange to finance imports.

With the country suffering a hard-hitting economic crisis, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Tuesday said he has ordered emergency regulations to counter the hoarding of sugar, rice, and other essential foods. The regulations give wide powers to officials to seize food stocks held by traders, arrest people who hoard essential food, and for the government to fix controlled prices. Rajapaksa has named a top army officer as Commissioner General of Essential Services to coordinate the supply of paddy, rice, sugar, and other consumer goods. The move followed sharp price rises for sugar, rice, onions and potatoes. Long lines have formed outside stores because of shortages of milk powder, kerosene oil, and cooking gas despite the country being under a 16-day curfew until next Monday due to the increase in COVID-19 cases. The economy shrank by a record 3.6 percent in 2020 because of the pandemic, and in March last year, the government banned imports of vehicles and other items, including edible oils and turmeric, an essential spice in local cooking, in a bid to save foreign exchange. Two weeks ago, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka increased interest rates in a bid to shore up the local currency. Energy minister Udaya Gammanpila has appealed to motorists to use fuel sparingly so that the country can use its foreign exchange to buy essential medicines and vaccines. A presidential aide has warned that fuel rationing may be introduced by the end of the year unless consumption was reduced. Meanwhile, there has been a rapid increase in COVID-19 deaths in Sri Lanka in the past few weeks, with more than 200 deaths a day and more than 4,500 daily cases reported for the past 10 days. Sri Lanka has recorded 8,991 COVID-related deaths since the start of the pandemic, according to official figures.

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

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, ‫ה ר ב י עק ב ז קה י י ם‬

‫בת ר׳ דו ב פנחס נ״י‬

‫ל ע״ נ א ב יגיל‬ ‫מ ימ א ר ח ל‬

‫ר ב ק ה ב ת ט ו ביה‬

C H AYA B I S T R I T Z K Y A" H

‫בת חיים אהרן‬

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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FOR YOU

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UPDATED HOSPITAL VISITATION INFORMATION: Currently, the above hospitals all allow a support person in the Adult Emergency Room, but for a limited time and at the hospitals’ discretion, best to call ahead. For admitted COVID patients, they will allow visitation on a case-by-case basis (i.e. end-of-life, impaired cognition). Pediatric Emergency Rooms and once admitted allowing 1 (sometimes 2) caregiver(s) at all times. For admitted non-COVID patients they all allow up to 2 visitors during limited hours: SNCH, LIJ, North Shore: 10 AM-8 PM / St. John’s, NYU Winthrop, Mercy, St. Francis: 12 PM-8 PM

Best wishes for a happy, healthy, sweet new year!

Achiezer Community Resource Center (516) 791-4444 | www.achiezer.org

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

India Facing Floodwaters

Hundreds of thousands of people are stranded on the roofs of their homes due to rising floodwaters or have fled to higher ground as more torrential rain fell in eastern India this week. Incessant downpours for more than a week made the Brahmaputra and other rivers burst their banks across Assam and Bihar states. Some villages saw more than 6 feet of water submerge homes and structures. Tens of thousands of people are stuck in villages cut off by the floods. The Assam governments said more than 400,000 had been moved to higher ground. Sixteen-year-old Anuwara Khatun told AFP that she and her family have spent nearly a week on the roof of their home at Ghasbari in the state’s Morigaon district. “The water level has been rising for five days now,” she said. “A lot of families are stuck on their roofs. There is a shortage of essential supplies so we only eat once a day. There is no hygiene here.” The Bihar government opened up the Valmiki Gandak dam, warning people in nearby villages to move away, after six inches of rain fell in 24 hours. The floods have also threatened the Kaziranga National Park in Assam, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed reserve that is home to the largest concentration of rare one-horned rhinoceroses. About 70 percent of the 430sq km park is underwater.

China Limiting Online Gaming for Kids Children living in China are now banned from playing online games for more than three hours a week,

the harshest restriction so far on the game industry as Chinese regulators continue cracking down on the technology sector. Minors in China can only play games between 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays, weekends and on public holidays starting Sept. 1, according to a notice from the National Press and Publication Administration. That limits gaming to three hours a week for most weeks of the year, down from a previous restriction set in 2019 that allowed minors to play games for an hour and a half per day and three hours on public holidays.

The new regulation affects some of China’s largest technology companies. The gaming restrictions are part of an ongoing crackdown on technology companies, amid concerns that technology firms – many of which provide ubiquitous messaging, payments and gaming services – may have an outsized influence on society. Earlier this month, Tencent, a gaming company, said it would limit gaming time for minors to an hour a day and two hours during holidays, as well as ban children under the age of 12 from making in-game purchases. The company issued the regulations hours after a state-affiliated newspaper criticized the gaming industry and called games “spiritual opium.” Regulators said in Monday’s notice that they would increase supervision and increase the frequency of inspections of online game companies to ensure that they follow the regulations closely. Chinese authorities in recent months have targeted e-commerce and online education and have implemented new regulations to curb anti-competitive behavior after years of rapid growth in the technology sector. Last month, authorities banned companies that provide tutoring in core school subjects from making a profit, wiping out billions in market value from online education companies such as TAL Education and Gaotu Techedu.

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Schoolchildren Freed in Nigeria

Scores of Nigerian schoolchildren who were abducted at gunpoint in the country’s Niger State have been freed and handed over to their families. The students’ release cost their parents a total of $140,000 (70 million naira) in ransom, and the parents were required to give motorbikes to the kidnappers as well, school headmaster Abubakar Alhassan said. According to Alhassan, the money was raised after Nigerians from different sectors contributed funds to secure the children’s freedom. “The government contributed, individuals have contributed, the imams, pastors have also contrib-

uted. Even I received a call from TB Joshua, he is a Christian, but he contributed,” Alhassan told journalists. Niger State government spokeswoman Mary Noel-Berje clarified, “The parents [of the abducted students] negotiated with the kidnappers – knowing that the government was not ready to be part of the ransom [negotiations].” In May, the headteacher of the school said that approximately 136 students of the Salihu Tanko Islamic School Tegina were taken at gunpoint. However, the Niger State government clarified in a Friday statement that a “total of 91 children and two passers-by were kidnapped, out of which 92 regained their freedom but unfortunately lost one of the children.” The released students looked “feeble and malnourished,” the statement added, noting that some will “require more medical attention” before being reunited with their families. Since December, hundreds of students have been abducted in different incidents in the northern part of Nigeria. According to the Niger State government, this string of kidnappings

has “in no small measure discouraged parents from sending their children to school.” At the same time, dozens of schools in northern Nigeria have been closed down to prevent further attacks.

Kabul, Afghanistan, airport attack. According to the U.S. Central Command, the eastern Afghanistan drone strike killed the terrorist but no civilians. An official familiar with the matter said the strike had been approved by US President Joe Biden.

China to Surpass Russia as Top Nuclear Threat

China will soon surpass Russia as the top nuclear threat to the U.S., Reuters quoted a senior U.S. military official as saying on Friday. According to the official, the two countries have no mechanisms to avert miscommunication. U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Thomas Bussiere, deputy commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, which oversees the country’s nuclear arsenal, said that China’s nuclear capabilities “can no longer be aligned” with a claim that it is only interested in maintaining a nuclear detriment. Speaking to an online forum, Bussiere said, “There’s going to be a point, a crossover point, where the number of threats presented by China will exceed the number of threats that currently Russia presents.” He added that how the nuclear warheads are “operationally fielded” is important and emphasized that he believes the crossover point will come “in the next few years.” But unlike with Russia, the U.S. does not have any treaties or dialogue with China that might help “alleviate any misperceptions or confusion” on the matter. China, for its part, has said that it is willing to talk with the U.S., but only if Washington reduces its nuclear stockpile to China’s level.

Drone Strike Kills Airport Bomber Mastermind A U.S. drone strike on Saturday killed an ISIS-K terrorist believed to have been involved in planning the

Surveillance continued on the compound until the target’s wife and children left the area, after which the strike was carried out, a U.S. defense official said. On Saturday, another U.S. defense official said that the individual targeted in the strike was believed to be “associated with potential future attacks at the airport” but emphasized that the U.S. is not calling him a “senior” ISIS-K operative. Thursday’s airport attack, carried out by a suicide bomber, killed 169 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops, marking the bloodiest day for U.S. forces in Afghanistan since 2011. The U.S. casualties included 11 Marines, a Navy sailor, and an Army soldier.

U.S.: Covid Origins Need China’s Input

The U.S. intelligence community does not believe it is possible to resolve the debate over the origins of COVID-19 without China’s cooperation, U.S. officials said on Friday in a declassified summary. According to Reuters, U.S. officials said only China can provide the necessary information about the virus which has killed 4.6 million worldwide. “China’s cooperation most likely would be needed to reach a conclusive assessment of the origins of COVID-19,” the site quoted the offi-

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

‫שנה טובה‬ As we approach the Yamim Nora’im, we proudly renew our sacred commitment to make life better for millions of Jews in New York, in Israel, and around the world. At UJA, we’ve been on the ground since day one of the pandemic, delivering kosher meals to people in need. Caring for Holocaust survivors and helping them access the vaccine. Providing mental health support for children and families. And keeping our day schools and yeshivas, camps, and community centers — the cornerstones of Jewish life — vital and healthy. And we’re not just leading New York’s recovery effort, we’re also confronting antisemitism and supporting a vibrant Israel. We look forward to working together to further strengthen our community in 5782. Wishing you and your family a ‫טובה‬

ujafedny.org

‫שנה‬.

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Undercover Sniper Succumbs to His Injuries

cials as saying. In a statement following the summary’s release, U.S. President Joe Biden said, “Critical information about the origins of this pandemic exists in the People’s Republic of China, yet from the beginning, government officials in China have worked to prevent international investigators and members of the global public health community from accessing it.”

China’s embassy in Washington issued a statement saying the report “wrongly” claimed that China continued to hinder the investigation and that “a report fabricated by the U.S. intelligence community is not scientifically credible.” “The origin-tracing is a matter of science; it should and can only be left to scientists, not intelligence experts,” the statement said, adding that the report was aimed at “scape-

goating China” and that such actions would “disturb and sabotage international cooperation on origin-tracing and on fighting the pandemic.” The Chinese Embassy also claimed that Washington “has been shying away from tracing the origin in the United States and closing the door on any such possibility” and suggested that the U.S. invite the World Health Organization to Fort Detrick to investigate.

Sergeant Barel Hadarya Shmueli, the 21-year-old Border Police officer who suffered critical injuries in a violent Gaza border riot on Saturday, August 21, passed away this week from his wounds, the Border Police announced in a Monday statement. Shmueli, a sniper, was shot in the head at close range while securing the border during the riot. He was evacuated to Be’er Sheva’s Soroka Medical Center, where he was admitted to the trauma unit and underwent an emergency operation, which was then followed by additional operations. Medical staff fought for nine days to save his life, but his condition deteriorated on Sunday, and Shmueli succumbed to his injuries. Shmueli enlisted in the Border Police in March 2019 and underwent training as a fighter. Following his training, he completed a course to join the Border Police’s undercover Arab unit, after which he became part of the Border Police Southern District’s unit (Yamas). During his service in the unit, Shmueli completed a sniper’s course, later serving as a Yamas sniper and taking part in dozens of operations to foil terror activity and fight serious crime in southern Israel. Soroka Medical Center, which treated Shmueli following the attack, said in a statement, “The medical team fought for his life and he underwent multiple surgeries during his hospitalization. Despite the intense efforts, due to his serious injury, the medical staff was forced to determine his death. We share in the heavy grief of his family.” Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said, “There are no words to

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

scheduled for Thursday but was delayed due to the blast at the Kabul airport, which killed 169 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops. Biden said that it was “great to have the prime minister here. We’ve become close friends.”

Wishing all our neighbors and friends

A Sweet and Happy New Year! Looking forward to 5782.

Dr. Adam Zeitlin, Medical Director Matthew Ostreicher, Director of Operations For further information please contact Chess Rosenberg, Administrator 78-10 164TH STREET FRESH MEADOWS, NEW YORK

comfort his family amid their deep grief. Barel was a fighter in his life and a fighter in his death. He fought for his life until the last moment, as all of the people of Israel were praying for him.” Defense Minister Benny Gantz responded, “Barel Hadarya Shmueli, one of the best this country has, fell in defense of the homeland and the residents of the south. On behalf of the defense establishment, I send

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heartfelt condolences to his parents and family.” Thousands attended Shmueli’s funeral on Monday night in Tel Aviv. His family is demanding an inquiry into the circumstances of his death, accusing the IDF of tying the troops’ hands and creating an unnecessary dangerous environment for the soldiers when facing the Hamas-led riots.

Bennett Meets with Biden U.S. President Joe Biden met with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Friday at the White House, in a meeting that stretched beyond the planned 25 minutes to a full 50 minutes. The meeting had originally been

In addition to discussing the COVID-19 pandemic, Biden emphasized “the unwavering commitment we have in the United States to Israel’s security. And I fully, fully support replenishing Israel’s Iron Dome system. And we are also going to discuss the threat from Iran, and our commitment to ensure that Iran never develops a nuclear weapon. But we are putting diplomacy first and seeing where that takes us. “But if diplomacy fails, we are ready to turn to other options. We will support Israel’s developing as well deeper ties with Arab and Muslim neighbors and globally. That’s a trend that I think should be encouraged, not discouraged, and we will do what we can to be value added.” Biden also said that the two countries would discuss the “the unwavering commitment that we have in the United States to Israel’s security” but added that they would also seek “ways to advance peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians.” The U.S. president said, “The U.S. will always be there for Israel. It’s an unshakeable partnership between our two nations.” For his part, Bennett thanked Biden for his support of Israel, especially during Operation Guardian of the Walls in May 2021. “Israel knows that we have no better or more reliable ally in the world than the United States of America,” Bennett said. He also quoted from the Navi Yeshayahu, which says, “Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip.” “What this [passage] means is the sons and daughters of the Jewish people are going to come back to our land, are going to nurse our ancient land and rebuild it,” Bennett explained. “And this ancient Jewish prophecy is today Israel’s reality.

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

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And it’s a miracle that you’ve been so central and so part of it for so many years.” He added, “You and I are going to write yet another chapter in the beautiful story of the friendship between our two nations.”

Bringing Home the Gold in the Paralympics

Israeli swimmer Ami Dadaon, 20, on Monday won a gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics, as Israeli swimmer Mark Malyar, 21, won bronze. The two medals bring Israel’s total medals from the 2020 Paralympics to seven: four golds,

two silvers, and one bronze. Dadaon’s win broke his own world record by six seconds, as he completed the 200-meter freestyle in 2:44:84 minutes. On Saturday, Dadaon, who has cerebral palsy, won a silver medal in the men’s 150-meter individual medley. In an interview with Kan, Dadaon’s parents, Yaffa and Yair Dadaon, said, “There was a lot of tension. We knew this was supposed to be a gold medal and we are happy that he is fulfilling his dreams. “From a young age, Ami makes his decisions, and he did not give up.” Fellow swimmer Malyar, who also won two gold medals at the Tokyo Paralympics, won the bronze for the 100-meter backstroke. He told Kan, “I was not expecting to take a medal today and am really glad I did. So far I have lived up to expectations, and I am happy.” Malyar’s twin brother Ariel Malyar, who also suffers cerebral palsy, is also competing at the Tokyo Paralympics. Both brothers began swimming as part of their physical therapy, and they compete at different disability levels.

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On Sunday, Israeli rower Moran Samuel won a silver medal in the women’s 2,000-meter single sculls, and on Wednesday, Iyad Shalabi won the 100-meter backstroke in the S1 category. Shalabi is the first Arab Israeli to win a medal in either the Paralympics or Olympics.

At-Home Testing for Kids

pected to wear masks in school. Parents will only be allowed on school premises if they show a Green Pass. Teacher-parent meetings are expected to take place online rather than in person. Children ages 12 and up will be offered vaccines in school, if they are not already inoculated, as long as they have the permission of one parent. In high-infection cities and towns, classes for grades 8 to 12 will be moved online if more than 30% of students are completely unvaccinated, though as soon as seven in 10 kids has at least one shot, they can return to classrooms.

Abbas Meets with Gantz In an effort to open schools safely, Israel is distributing at-home Covid tests for families to screen their children before school begins. Those who are under 12 and those who are older than 12 and who are not vaccinated are being asked to take the test. Some schools are also distributing the test kits to vaccinated pupils, as the Delta variant has broken through immunity on numerous occasions. School is set to start on Wednesday. Some children have the virus but do not exhibit any symptoms. The tests are there to prevent those children from heading to school and inadvertently affecting others. Infection from the Delta strain commonly goes unnoticed among youth, and the country is still deep in the throes of a wave of the highly infectious variant. More than 10,900 new cases of COVID were confirmed in Israel on Monday, marking a record one-day high since the outbreak of the pandemic. Children who test positive with the at-home kit are supposed to register for a lab-processed PCR test to confirm the diagnosis. PCR tests are deemed more accurate, and in some very rare cases a home test kit may throw out a false positive. Steps are also being taken to reduce the spreading of infection by teachers. They are now required to have Green Passes, which means they must be vaccinated or have recovered from the virus. They also have the option of providing a negative result from a test performed in the last 72 hours, at their expense. Children and teachers will be ex-

The Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror groups on Monday slammed Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas for a Sunday night meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz (Blue and White). The meeting was the first between leaders of the two sides since former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Abbas in 2010. In a statement, Hamas spokesperson Abd al-Latif al-Qanou said, “President Mahmoud Abbas’s meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz is a stab in the back of the Palestinian people and what they have sacrificed. It is a betrayal of the blood of the martyrs.” Hamas’ spokesperson Hazim Qasim stated that Abbas was guilty of “encouraging Arab countries to normalize with Israel,” adding that the meeting “weakens the Palestinian stance that rejects normalization.” Islamic Jihad spokesperson Tariq Silmi added, “The blood of children killed by the army on Gantz’s orders has not yet dried, even as President Abbas meets him in Ramallah.” The Defense Ministry said that the Sunday night meeting in Ramallah focused on security, diplomacy, the economy, and civil affairs. On Sunday, a source close to Is-

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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raeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett clarified, “This is a meeting that deals with security issues. There is no diplomatic process with the Palestinians nor will there be.”

IDF Responds to Hamas Terror

IDF fighter jets on Saturday night struck a Hamas military compound used for training terrorists and producing weapons. A shaft of a terrorist tunnel near Jabalya was also attacked. According to the IDF, the attacks were conducted in retaliation for violent border riots, as well as for incendiary balloons sent into Israeli territory which sparked two fires in the Eshkol Regional Council. “The IDF will continue to respond

strongly to Hamas’ terror attempts,” the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said in a statement. The Gaza violence follows a Thursday decision by Israel to ease restrictions on Gaza, allowing additional goods and materials to enter the Hamas-run enclave. Also on Thursday, Israel agreed to allow an additional 1,000 Gazans to enter Israel through the Erez Crossing.

U.S. Troops Killed in Kabul Blast

The U.S. Department of Defense has released the names of the 13 U.S. servicemembers who were killed on

Thursday in a blast outside the Kabul, Afghanistan, airport while working to evacuate civilians. Eleven Marines were killed in the attack. Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, 25, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, assigned to 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Naval Support Activity Bahrain, was killed in the attack. In a Saturday statement, Marine 1st Lt. John “Jack” Coppolasaid told the Boston Globe about Rosario Pichardo that “her service was not only crucial to evacuating thousands of women and children, but epitomizes what it means to be a Marine: putting herself in danger for the protection of American values so that others might enjoy them. She is a hero, and her legacy will never be forgotten.” Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23, of Sacramento, California, assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 24, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, also lost her life that day. Her military awards include the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal and the National Defense and Global War on Terrorism Service Medals. Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31, of Salt Lake City, Utah, whose military

occupational specialty was 0369, infantry unit leader, was also killed. The other Marines killed in the attack were Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22, of Indio, California, a rifleman; Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23, of Omaha, Nebraska, a rifleman; Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22, of Logansport, Indiana, a rifleman; Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, 20, of Rio Bravo, Texas, a rifleman; Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, 20, of St. Charles, Missouri, a rifleman; Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, 20, of Jackson, Wyoming, a rifleman; Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, California, a rifleman; and Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20, of Norco, California. For the Navy, the deceased has been named as Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak, 22, of Berlin Heights, Ohio, assigned to 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California. In a statement, Soviak’s family said, “Max was a wonderful son who loved his family, his community, and was proud to serve in the U.S. Navy. He was excited about the opportunities the Navy would offer him and planned to make the Navy a career. We are incredibly proud of his service to our country…

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“He was always proud of being part of a state champion wrestling team and state playoff final four football team two years in a row, but he was most proud to be a Navy Corpsman and a ‘devil doc’ for the Marines.” In the Army, Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23, of Corryton, Tennessee, was killed. Knauss was assigned to 9th PSYOP Battalion, 8th PSYOP Group, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.

Thousands March in D.C. Thousands of people marched on Saturday in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the 58th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington. Organizers for the March On for Voting Rights, which also took place in Atlanta, Houston, Miami, and Phoenix, used the event to call out voter suppression and push for fairer elections. The marchers were advocating for the passage of voting-rights measures to end partisan gerrymandering, expand early and absentee voting, establish national standards for voter registration, blunt voter purges, and more. The

measure would also require states to offer mail-in ballots and same-day voter registration. Another measure would restore federal pre-clearance requirements.

issues such as reparations for descendants of slavery, a $15 minimum wage, the cancelation of student loan debt, statehood for Washington, D.C., and criminal justice reform.

Capitol Police Officer Speaks Out The measures have passed in the House but have stalled in the Senate. Al Sharpton, one of the organizers of the march, said, “We will not sit by and allow you to filibuster our right to vote. We paid too high a price. People died to give us the right to vote. People spent nights in jail to give us the right to vote. People lost their lives to give us to give us the right to vote. “There is no filibuster that can stand in the way of a people determined to get their rights. That’s why in the blistering heat, we came to Washington to say, ‘You’re not going to filibuster away our voting protections.’” The march’s organizers also hoped to push, among other things,

Lt. Michael Byrd, the officer who shot and killed Ashli Babbitt during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, says that he had done his best to save lives. In an exclusive interview with NBC News, Byrd said that his job that day was to protect the 60-80 House members and staffers holed up inside the Capitol and that he and a few other officers of the U.S. Capitol Police attempted to do so by setting up a wall of furniture outside the doors. “Once we barricaded the doors,

we were essentially trapped where we were,” Byrd told NBC News’ Lester Holt, speaking publicly for the first time since the riot. “There was no way to retreat. No other way to get out. “If they get through that door, they’re into the House chamber and upon the members of Congress.” For several minutes, Byrd, 28, listened to his police radio, following the screams from his colleagues who were under attack by rioters with chemical agents and a report that one officer’s fingertips had been blown off. He recalled, “It was literally broadcast over the air. I said, ‘OK, this is getting serious.’” When the horde arrived, Byrd took a defensive posture and yelled at the rioters to get back – but they continued to press forward until one attempted to climb through one of the doors. At that point, Byrd fired a single shot, striking Babbitt, a 35-year-old Air Force veteran, in the shoulder. She later died from her injuries. Since then, Byrd, who is black, has been in hiding following a flood of death threats which began when his name was leaked online. Byrd emphasized that despite the

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

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job,” Byrd said, referring to those who disagree with his course of action during the riot. “There was imminent threat and danger to the members of Congress. I just want the truth to be told.” Byrd has been cleared of wrongdoing by both the Justice Department and the Capitol Police. In a statement, federal prosecutors explained, “The investigation revealed no evidence to establish that, at the time the officer fired a single shot at Ms. Babbitt, the officer did not reasonably believe that it was necessary to do so in self-defense or in defense of the Members of Congress and others evacuating the House Chamber.”

Too Many Deaths at the Border

death threats, he does not regret his decision. “I know that day I saved countless lives,” he asserted. “I know members of Congress, as well as my fellow officers and staff, were in jeopardy and in serious danger. And that’s my job,” he said. At the time, he did not know whether or not his victim carried a weapon. Only later did he find out that she was unarmed but he still

maintains that pulling the trigger was a “last resort.” It was the first time he had ever used his weapon in his 28 years on the force. “I tried to wait as long as I could,” he explained. “I hoped and prayed no one tried to enter through those doors. But their failure to comply required me to take the appropriate action to save the lives of members of Congress and myself and my fellow officers.”

Byrd explained that due to the furniture barricade, “It was impossible for me to see what was on the other side,” but he did see Babbitt start to make her way through the broken glass. “I could not fully see her hands or what was in the backpack or what the intentions are,” he told NBC. “But they had shown violence leading up to that point.” “I hope they understand I did my

Sixty-one people died in May 2021 while trying to enter the U.S. illegally, and 383 have shared that fate over the past 10 months, The Washington Times reported on Monday. If seasonal patterns hold, the Border Patrol is on pace to challenge 2005 as the worst year on record for border deaths. According to Ronald Vitiello, a former chief of the Border Patrol, the reason for the increase is simply that more people are coming. More people heading to the border, means more people end up dying. “It’s all based on the volume. We’ve gone to unprecedented heights in attempted entries. There are more people dying on the way, there are more people dying at the border, there’s more risk to the people coming,” Vitiello explained. But, he added, “no one does more to save lives on the border than the Border Patrol.” While the number of border deaths is expected to set a record, the number of rescues has already done that: through July, a total of 10,528 rescues were conducted, double the 5,333 recorded throughout 2020. Meanwhile, No More Deaths and Derechos Humanos in February claimed that the Border Patrol “systematically ignores and mishandles”

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

search and rescues, and that their reduced success rate in migrant cases was “a clear indication” of discrimination. A large percentage of the deaths occur in Brooks County and Kennedy County, due to the highway checkpoints operated by the Border Patrol in those locations. Many of the deaths are from the intense heat, when smugglers send migrants on days-long walks around the checkpoints. Other deaths occur when people fall from the border wall.

CA Wildfire Grows Exponentially

Some residents of California’s San Diego County have been forced

to evacuate their homes due to a fast-growing wildfire. The Chaparral Fire began around midday on Saturday, burning southwest of Murrieta but quickly spreading over 1,500 acres in Riverside and San Diego counties. As of Monday, the blaze was only 13% contained. According to Cal Fire, those evacuated live “north of Tenaja Truck Trl, South of Calle Cielo, East of Calle Collado, and West of Calle Be Bietol,” as well as in an adjacent area bordering the Cleveland National Forest. A total of 150 firefighters, 23 engine companies, two helicopters and four air tankers were battling the blaze as of Sunday. According to Cal Fire, the fire grew from just over 20 acres to 1,200 acres in less than six hours. It is not yet clear what caused the fire. California wildfires have scorched over 1.66 million acres this year. The Caldor Fire burning east of Sacramento for over two weeks is the state’s top priority; so far, it has burned over 156,000 acres and is 19% contained, Cal Fire said. California’s largest active wildfire is currently the Dixie Fire, which

has burned over 764,000 acres and is 48% contained after it started over six weeks ago. Fires are also burning in other states, including in Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah.

Bobby Kennedy’s Killer Paroled

CA National Forests to Close

All of California’s national forests were closed as of late Tuesday. The closures will stay in place until September 17, according to an announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Region. “We do not take this decision lightly, but this is the best choice for public safety,” said Regional Forester Jennifer Eberlien. “It is especially hard with the approaching Labor Day weekend, when so many people enjoy our national forests.” Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, in the Pacific Southwest Region, was not closed. The forests are being closed to prevent anyone from visiting the areas from being trapped during an emergency such as a wildfire. Having fewer people on national forest lands also decreases the likelihood of new fires starting. While California has seen massive wildfires, forestry officials said they worry about the “record level” conditions for fires and dry fuels, fires behaving “beyond the norm” of experience, “significantly limited” resources to fight fires, and no predicted relief from weather conditions into the late fall, according to Monday’s announcement. “More than 6,800 wildfires have burned 1.7 million acres across all jurisdictions in California, and the National Wildfire Preparedness Level ... has been at PL5 since July 14, 2021, only the third time in the past 20 years that the nation has reached PL5 by mid-July — indicating the highest level of wildland fire activity,” officials said.

Six of Robert F. Kennedy’s children have said that they are “devastated” that the man who murdered their father has been granted parole. Robert F. Kennedy had served as the 64th attorney general. He was mortally wounded in a shooting while leaving a campaign event for his presidency at the ballroom at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Sirhan Bushara Sirhan was convicted of first-degree murder in 1969 and was sentenced to death, but his sentence was commuted to life in prison when the California Supreme Court outlawed capital punishment. The decision to parole Sirhan was made on Friday, during Sirhan’s 16th parole hearing, after two of Kennedy’s sons — Douglas Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — supported his release. However, siblings Kerry Kennedy, Joseph P. Kennedy II, Courtney Kennedy, Christopher G. Kennedy, Maxwell T. Kennedy and Rory Kennedy issued a statement hours later saying, “As children of Robert F. Kennedy, we are devastated that the man who murdered our father has been recommended for parole. Our father’s death is a very difficult matter for us to discuss publicly and for the past many decades we have declined to engage directly in the parole process. “Given today’s unexpected recommendation by the California parole board after 15 previous decisions to deny release, we feel compelled to make our position clear. We adamantly oppose the parole and release of Sirhan Sirhan and are shocked by a ruling that we believe ignores the standards for parole of a confessed, first-degree murderer in the state of California. “Our father’s death impacted our family in ways that can never adequately be articulated and today’s decision by a two-member parole board has inflicted enormous additional pain.” Adding that they are “in disbelief that this man would be recommend-

‫‪39‬‬

‫‪The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021‬‬

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‫חלק א‪:‬‬ ‫תקופת בית המקדש השני‬ ‫פרק א‪ :‬השיבה לארץ ישראל‪,‬‬

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‫ובנייתו של בית המקדש השני‬

‫מלכות בבל על ידי הכֹּחות‬ ‫כחמישים שנה לאחר מכן‪ ,‬נכבשה‬ ‫הוגלו יהודי ארץ ישראל לבבל‪.‬‬ ‫אז כבר זקן‪ ,‬ומת זמן לא רב‬ ‫)דניאל ה‪ ,‬ל — ו‪ ,‬א(‪ .‬דריוש היה‬ ‫חורבן בית המקדש הראשון‪,‬‬ ‫תחת שלטונו של דריוש המדי‬ ‫עם‬ ‫המאוחדים של ממלכות מדי ופרס‪,‬‬ ‫הפרסי )הידוע כ"כורש הגדול"(‪.‬‬ ‫את מלכותו ירש חתנו‪ ,‬כורש‬ ‫אחרי כן‪.‬‬ ‫בכל מלכותו )עזרא א‪ ,‬ב‪-‬ד(‪:‬‬ ‫הבאה‬ ‫ההכרזה‬ ‫יהוּדה‪� .‬מי‬ ‫למלכותו‪ ,‬הכריז המלך כורש את‬ ‫ירוּשׁל� ם ֲא ֶשׁר ִבּ �‬ ‫�קד �על� י לִ ְבנֽ וֹת לוֹ �ביִ ת ִבּ �‬ ‫בשנה הראשונה‬ ‫ן לִ י ה' ֱאל ֵֹהי �ה �שּׁ �מיִ ם וְ הוּא �פ‬ ‫יִ ְשׂ �ר ֵאל הוּא �ה ֱאל ִֹהים ֲא ֶשׁר‬ ‫ת‬ ‫�‬ ‫נ�‬ ‫ץ‬ ‫ֶמלֶ ְך �פּ �רס כֹּל �מ ְמלְ כוֹת �ה �א ֶר‬ ‫יהוּדה וְ ֶיִבן ֶאת ֵבּית ה' ֱאל ֵֹהי‬ ‫כֹּה �א �מר כּ ֶֹרשׁ‬ ‫ירוּשׁל� ם ֲא ֶשׁר �בּ �‬ ‫ְוּבז� �הב ִוּב ְרכוּשׁ ִוּב ְב ֵה �מה ִעם‬ ‫�‬ ‫�עמּוֹ יְ ִהי ֱאל �ֹהיו ִעמּוֹ וְ י� �על לִ‬ ‫יְ נ� ְשּׂאוּהוּ �אנְ ֵשׁי ְמקֹמוֹ ְבּ ֶכ ֶסף‬ ‫�ב ֶכם ִמ �כּל‬ ‫�ה ְמּקֹמוֹת ֲא ֶשׁר הוּא ג� ר �שׁם‬ ‫ירוּשׁל� ם‪ .‬וְ �כל �הנִּ ְשׁ �אר ִמ �כּל‬ ‫הכרזת כורש ִבּ �‬ ‫ירוּשׁל� ם‪:‬‬ ‫ה לְ ֵבית �ה ֱאל ִֹהים ֲא ֶשׁר ִבּ �‬ ‫�הנְּ �ד �ב‬ ‫גלות הפכה איפוא למציאות‪.‬‬ ‫הגדול; נחמיה; מרדכי; והנביאים‬ ‫יא‪-‬יב( בנוגע לשבעים השנים של‬ ‫דוד; יהושע בן יהוצדק‪ ,‬הכהן‬ ‫)כה‪,‬‬ ‫נבואת ירמיהו‬ ‫שאלתיאל‪ ,‬שהיה נצר לבית‬ ‫העם באותה עת היו זרובבל בן‬ ‫להיענות לקריאתו של המלך‪.‬‬ ‫מנהיגי‬ ‫שבעת אלפים ְשׁלוש מאות‬ ‫העם ברחבי בבל וזרזו אותם‬ ‫איש‪ ,‬ועבדיהם ואמהותיהם‬ ‫זכריה ומלאכי‪ .‬הם קראו לכל‬ ‫ושנים אלף שלש מאות וששים‬ ‫חגי‪,‬‬ ‫שנשארו ולא עלו עזרו לאחיהם ביד‬ ‫הנבואה‪ ,‬ארבעים‬ ‫נערכו לחזרה לארצם‪ .‬אלה‬ ‫בשמחתם על התקיימות מנהיגיהם )נחמיה ז‪ ,‬סו‪-‬סז(‪ .‬היהודים‬ ‫מבית המקדש לפני שהחריבוהו‪.‬‬ ‫המקדש אשר לקחו הבבלים‬ ‫שלושים ושבעה‪ ,‬נענו לקריאת‬ ‫בנוסף לכך החזיר כורש את כלי‬ ‫וברש"י ובמצודות; נחמיה שם(‪.‬‬ ‫בזהב‪ ,‬כסף‪ ,‬בהמות ורכוש נוסף‪.‬‬ ‫ב‪ ,‬סה‪,‬‬ ‫נדיבה‪,‬‬ ‫משוררים ומשוררות ששרו בדרך מרוב שמחתם )עזרא הקרבנות בירושלים‪ .‬הנביאים שעלו‬ ‫ממאתים‬ ‫רבות — לחדש את עבודת‬ ‫בהליכתם ליוו אותם יותר‬ ‫להגשים את התקוה של שנים‬ ‫בהתאם לכך‪ ,‬בחודש תשרי עלו‬ ‫התפקיד הראשון של החוזרים היה‬ ‫מחדש )ראה עדויות ח‪ ,‬ו(‪.‬‬ ‫לפני שהמקדש עצמו יבנה‬ ‫להם שמותר להקים מזבח זמני‬ ‫הקרבנות )ראה עזרא ג‪ ,‬ב‪-‬ג(‪.‬‬ ‫עמהם הורו‬ ‫לפקח על המלאכה‪ ,‬ושאלות‬ ‫הקימו מזבח והעלו עליו את‬ ‫יהושע וזרובבל מינו את הלויים‬ ‫כולם לרגל לירושלים‪,‬‬ ‫לבנות את בית המקדש עצמו‪.‬‬ ‫של שמחה ויראת ה' המשיכו‬ ‫שביניהם היו גם הרבה נביאים‪.‬‬ ‫באוירה‬ ‫נפסקו על ידי חכמי הסנהדרין‪,‬‬ ‫מחדש את בתיהם ואת המקדש‪,‬‬ ‫שהתעוררו במהלך העבודה‪,‬‬ ‫שהיהודים חזרו ליהודה לבנות‬ ‫בהלכה‬ ‫— נתמלאו כעס כאשר ראו‬ ‫בבניית המקדש‪ .‬הכותים היו‬ ‫הכותים — ששכנו בהרי שומרון‬ ‫וביקשו שירשו להם להשתתף‬ ‫בתחילה עשו עצמם כידידים‬ ‫כמאה שנה לפני שנחרב המקדש‬ ‫להתערב ולהפריע בבנייה‪.‬‬ ‫ישראל כאשר הוגלו לאשור‬ ‫והחליטו‬ ‫עשרת השבטים של ממלכת‬ ‫שיוכלו למצוא דרך לשבש‬ ‫שהתישבו באיזורים שפונו על ידי‬ ‫ביקשו להשתתף בבנייה כדי‬ ‫נעשו חלק מעם ישראל‪ .‬הם‬ ‫גויים‬ ‫�בּיִ ת לֵ אל ֵֹהינוּ" )עזרא ד‪ ,‬ג(‪.‬‬ ‫אמנם התגיירו‪ ,‬אבל אף פעם לא‬ ‫באמרם‪" :‬ל ֹא ל� ֶכם ו� ל� נוּ לִ ְבנוֹת‬ ‫הם‬ ‫בירושלים‪.‬‬ ‫מתכוונים למרוד בו‪ .‬המלך האמין‬ ‫כוונת הכותים‪ ,‬דחו את הצעתם‬ ‫אותה‪ .‬מנהיגי העם‪ ,‬בהבינם את‬ ‫והאשימו את היהודים בכך שהם‬ ‫הכותים מכתב לכורש מלך פרס‪,‬‬ ‫כאשר נכשלה דרך זו‪ ,‬שלחו‬ ‫ששלטונו הביא על היהודים‬ ‫ומדי‪ .‬סיפור הסכנה הגדולה‬ ‫וציווה להפסיק את העבודה‪.‬‬ ‫אחשורוש על כסא ממלכת פרס‬ ‫להם‬ ‫עלה‬ ‫לשוב ולהתחיל בבניית המקדש‪.‬‬ ‫קצר לאחר מותו של כורש‪,‬‬ ‫זמן‬ ‫הנס‪ ,‬גם הוא לא נתן רשות‬ ‫מסופר במגילת אסתר‪ .‬על אף‬ ‫ונס הצלתם‪,‬‬ ‫מלאי השנאה להפריע‪ ,‬אבל‬ ‫המקדש השני‪ .‬שוב ניסו השכנים‬ ‫בעבודת הקודש של בניית בית‬ ‫לב‪ ,‬ולא שמע לדיבה שהוציאו‬ ‫מות אחשורוש החל שוב העם‬ ‫רבה ח‪ ,‬ג(‪ .‬הוא היה מושל רחב‬ ‫לאחר‬ ‫של אסתר ואחשורוש )אסתר‬ ‫שמן ומלח לקרבנות‪ ,‬ופטר את‬ ‫משל בפרס דריוש הפרסי‪ ,‬בנם‬ ‫שלח להם חומרים לבנייה‪ ,‬וכן‬ ‫עכשו‬ ‫הוא הושיט עזרה לבונים‪ .‬הוא‬ ‫צרי יהודה‪ .‬אדרבה‪,‬‬ ‫הושלם הבנין‪ :‬בית המקדש עמד‬ ‫בניית בית הכהנים והלויים מתשלום מסים‪.‬‬ ‫השישית למלכות דריוש הפרסי‪,‬‬ ‫מילאה את לבב הנוכחים כאשר‬ ‫שנים‪ ,‬בשלושה באדר בשנה‬ ‫המקדש השני‬ ‫תוך ארבע‬ ‫בשמחה רבה‪ .‬תפילה אחת‬ ‫השבים לחוג את חנוכת הבית‬ ‫וּמ ֲע ֵשׂה י� ֵדינוּ כּוֹנְ נֵ הוּ"‬ ‫וּמ ֲע ֵשׂה י� ֵדינוּ כּוֹנְ נ� ה �עלֵ ינוּ‪� ,‬‬ ‫מקומו הקודם‪ .‬אז נאספו כל‬ ‫יהי נ �ֹעם ה' ֱאל ֵֹהינוּ �עלֵ ינוּ‪� ,‬‬ ‫שוב על‬ ‫ושמעו את שירת הלויים‪" :‬וִ ִ‬ ‫ראו שוב את עבודת הכהנים‬ ‫)תהלים צ‪ ,‬יז(‪.‬‬

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

ed for release,” the siblings continued, “we urge the Parole Board staff, the full Board, and ultimately, Governor Newsom, to reverse this initial recommendation. It is a recommendation we intended to challenge every step of the way, and we hope that those who also hold the memory of our father in their hearts will stand with us.” In an op-ed for The Los Angeles Times, Maxwell T. Kennedy wrote, “On behalf of my mother and all Americans whose lives were altered by this appalling crime, I condemn this unwarranted recommendation and urge Gov. Gavin Newsom to do the right thing and publicly reject the panel’s decision. “I commit myself to doing everything within my power to stop his release,” he added. The vote granting Sirhan parole will be reviewed before it takes effect. The California Parole Board now has 120 days to review the ruling before it is passed on to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his 30-day consideration.

Millions Without Power from Hurricane Ida

So far, Hurricane Ida has brought death and destruction in her wake. At least four people were killed after Ida made landfall on Sunday as a Category 4 hurricane. Hundreds of people have been rescued. But search-and-rescue crews haven’t been able to access some of the hardest-hit areas. Still, electricity has been knocked out for many residents – and some won’t see the lights back on for a month, which could be life-threatening for some as intense heat moves into the region. The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for southern Louisiana and Mississippi on Tuesday. Some residents who stayed and rode out the storm will be facing temperatures as high as 103 degrees without air conditioning. More than 1 million power customers in Loui-

siana, 60,000 in Mississippi, and 16,000 in Alabama are without power. Heat is the No. 1 weather-related cause of fatalities in the U.S., the National Weather Service said. Many local officials have urged those who evacuated not to come home yet, citing downed power lines, impassable roads, and potential hindrances to rescue workers. Heavy rain in Mississippi washed away part of Highway 26, a main artery between Mississippi and Louisiana. Seven vehicles went into a hole created by the washout, which was about 50 feet long and 20 feet deep, Mississippi Highway Patrol Trooper Cal Robertson said. At least two people were killed and 10 others were injured in the washout. At least two deaths in Louisiana have been linked to Ida. The first happened when a tree fell on a home in Prairieville. In New Orleans, a man drowned after trying to drive through floodwater. Speaking at a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) briefing on Monday afternoon, U.S. President Joe Biden said that over 5,000 members of the National Guard have been activated in response to the storm. He added that he asked the Federal Aviation Administration to work with electric companies in Louisiana and Mississippi to authorize the use of surveillance drones to assess “damage to energy infrastructure while ensuring those flights do not disrupt aerial search and rescue operations.” He also said that the Federal Communications Commission has been working with cellular providers to allow roaming access “and that means you should be able to get a signal no matter who your carrier was or is.”

Lifeguard Killed by Lightning

A 19-year-old lifeguard lost his life on Monday after he was struck

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by lightning at a beach in New Jersey. Seven other people were injured in the event at well. The incident took place on the 21st Avenue ocean beachfront in the South Seaside Park section, according to Ocean County officials. Of the seven injured, three were also township lifeguards. Most of the victims appeared to have relatively minor injuries, such as headaches and dizziness. “Our hearts are with the family and friends of the young lifeguard killed by today’s horrific lightning strike on the beach in Berkeley Township, and we pray for a full recovery for those injured,” Governor Phil Murphy said. “This is a tragic and heartbreaking day for our town and the entire Jersey Shore,” said Berkeley Mayor Carmen F. Amato. “This young per-

son was out there everyday protecting the lives of others. Our lifeguard teams, like so many along the Shore, develop special connections with our community throughout the summer, which makes this loss even greater. On behalf of myself and our entire community, I offer our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of this young man.” The lightning strike was accompanied by several really loud thunderclaps. Kathy Gill, 61, who lives two blocks over from the beach, said that the thunder was really loud. “This is my beach, this is my beach,” Gill said. “I heard the big bang, or a couple of big bangs … it’s just horrific, it was horrific. ... My house shook, it was that loud.”

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A Special Type of Vintage

If you turn 100 in Switzerland, you may want to party. Fribourg state, located near the Swiss Sarine River, is giving centenarians living in the area a very special present. When the residents reach 100, they are gifting them 100 bottles of wine. Bailiff Claude Freiburghaus said preparations are currently underway to present a resident named Marie-Antoinette with a bouquet of flowers and an offer for 100 bottles of wine when she turns 100 on November 5.

This is not the first present the city wished to gift to those living a century. The state came up with the idea in the year 2000. Back then, it offered a special chair to those reaching 100. But centenarians turned up their noses at the chair; instead, they prefer the bottles of booze. For those who don’t drink – or don’t think they can imbibe that much alcohol – Freiburghaus said they also offer a charitable donation or a voucher for use at a local merchant or craftsman. Most residents reaching that ripe, old age, though, have been opting for the myriad l’chaims. “In 2020, we celebrated 27 centenarians. Five of them opted for the donation and two for the gift voucher,” Freiburghaus told newspaper Le Matin Dimanche. You know what they say: you can’t put new wine into old bottles. We’ll drink to that!

Bea-ewe-tiful When Ben Jackson had to miss his aunt’s funeral due to Covid restrictions in Australia, he did the

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next best thing: he recruited his sheep to pay tribute to his relative. “There was no way I could get up there and see her, say cheerio, or go to the funeral,” he told BBC News.

What’s the Hock with the Croc?

creatures. For now, nothing nefarious is suspected by authorities. They say that the crocodile probably escaped from a nearby farm in Hamat Gader, which is home to over 70 crocodiles. By hook or by crook, just keep all ticking alarm clocks away from this animal.

Happy Cat Ben is a farmer. While feeding his sheep that day, he distributed the grain in the shape of a heart. His sheep then ate the grain, forming a giant heart for Ben’s aunt. “I just decided to do a massive heart in the ground, which in all earnest, pales in comparison to hers,” he related. A video of the result was captured with a drone and shared with the family to display during the service. Jackson started making shapes with his sheep during the early days of the pandemic. His aunt was a fan of the creations. Not baaa-d.

Authorities noticed something fishy on the Israel-Jordan border when residents reported of a scaly reptile on the loose. The Israel Nature and Parks Authority recently announced that it is on the hunt for a crocodile spotted swimming in a river on the country’s border with Jordan. The INPA said it was informed by the Israeli military that the crocodile had been spotted swimming in the Yarmuk River by the Jordanian Army, which informed Israel of the reptile’s presence. For now, officials are searching for the toothy critter. The best time for nabbing the pest is at night, when searchlights are reflected in the animal’s eyes and temporarily blind the

eyes, bear in mind that a 2019 study published in peer-reviewed journal Scientific Reports found that the socalled “feline grimace scale,” or FGS, is a valid and reliable tool for acute pain assessment in cats. “It helps human cat owners know if their cat is in pain or not,” Miche Priest, who worked on Tably, said. “We were able to train a machine using machine learning and a series of images.” Aside from helping cat owners, the app can be used by young veterinarians who don’t yet have a handle on their purr-fect clients. Sounds like the cat’s meow.

Did you know? Are you nervous your cat is not happy? Concerned she’s forlorn or upset? Now, you don’t have to worry! A new app can help determine if your feline is feeling sad or glad. Tably uses a phone’s camera to tell if your cat is feeling pain. The app looks at ear and head position, eye-narrowing, muzzle tension, and how whiskers change to detect distress. Lest you roll your

In order to make one pound of honey, bees will need to visit two million flowers and fly approximately 55,000 miles

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the

Community

Yeshiva of South Shore welcomed back its talmidim last week for the 2021-2022 school year

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Camp Simcha Without Borders Comes to the Five Towns

his past Wednesday night, New York girls enjoyed an evening of Simcha, sponsored and hosted by the generous Joe and Leora Hammer as part of Chai Lifeline’s Camp Simcha Without Borders Program. Launched in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Camp Simcha Without Borders was developed to safely bring the magic of Simcha, Chai Lifeline’s flagship summer pro-

gram for children with life-threatening and lifelong illnesses, to communities across the country. Camp Simcha Without Borders operates day camps and hosts special events in all of Chai Lifeline regions across the country. “This year has presented kids impacted by illness with a myriad of challenges,” said Faige Yudkovsky, Director of Volunteer Services. “We

are so happy to be able to provide a chance for these children to just have fun for an evening.” Kids were treated to a barbecue dinner and entertainment that included: virtual reality games, wax hand workshops, a custom “Mike and Ike” photo booth, glass sculpting exhibition, and a special performance by Gad Elbaz. “We are so excited to host such a

wonderful group,” said Leora Hammer. “The staff and counselors are so loving and caring it’s really inspiring.” Chai Lifeline is an international children’s health support network providing social, emotional, and financial assistance to children with life-threatening or lifelong illnesses and their families. To learn more, visit www.chailifeline.org.

Alex Itzkowitz, coordinator for Chaverim of Northeastern PA which covers Scranton, Chapman Lake, and the Poconos, hosted a volunteer appreciation barbecue at his home in Scranton to honor the volunteers for their dedication. Rabbi Samuel Sandhaus, director of the Jewish Foundation for the Elderly of Northeast PA, presented the organization with a $10,000 grant to provide additional resources and assistance to the elderly Scranton community.

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

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an Amy in West Hempstead had their grand opening kickoff carnival on Sunday. The sun was shining while hundreds of children got face painting and pony rides, jumped on bouncy castles, pet donkeys and had clowns inflate balloon animals for them. In the former Pompeii catering site, Gan Amy opened a brand-new

state-of-the-art early childhood and daycare. The West Hempstead community is growing by leaps and bounds and the need for quality childcare is in demand. Morah Amy will be the supervisor at the former Pompei site, and Morah Allison, formerly of the Lynbrook JCC, will be the supervisor at the second site.

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

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Around the Community

Rally for the Torahs in Long Beach

n Shabbos, August 21, Rabbi Eli Goodman walked into the synagogue at Chabad of the Beaches at Beth El in Long Beach to find it vandalized and burglarized. Two old and valuable Torahs were stolen, along with a Torah crown and several other items of significance, while the remaining Torahs were thrown on the ground. Talleisim were knotted together and the sanctuary trashed. While a suspect was arrested several days after the attack, the two stolen sifrei Torah remain missing. On Monday, August 30, a parade welcoming the remaining Torahs back into the restored Aron was held at Chabad of the Beaches at Beth El, where rabbis and community leaders spoke at the ceremony in a gathering of unity, prayer and hope.

The highlight of the event was the commencement of the writing of a new sefer Torah, a deeply mean-

PHOTO BY DAVID MILLER STUDIOS

ingful testament to the community’s fortitude and perseverance despite recent challenges.

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

On Sunday, the Kew Gardens and Richmond Hills neighborhoods met with the NYPD’s 102nd precinct’s two new Neighborhood Coordinating Officers (NCO’s) who are committed to working on quality-of-life issues in the community. The meeting was held at the home of Mrs. Judy Sukenik and was arranged by Rabbi Daniel Pollack, clergy liaison, and Aaron Cyperstein, Esq., president of Chaverim of Queens.

Collaboration Across All Divisions at HALB

I Ahead of Rosh Hashana, Rabbi Rosenwasser’s eighth grade class of YOSS Mechina helped pack Rosh Hashana food boxes at the JCCRP headquarters

Cedarhurst Remembers

s the 20th anniversary of September 11th approaches, our thoughts are once again with all the victims who were murdered on that tragic morning, especially those from our community: Kevin O’Rourke, Neil D. Levin, Thomas E. Jurgens, Joseph Rivelli, Jr., Ira

Zaslow, Bettina Browne Radburn and Howard Selwyn. On Sunday, September 12 at 4:00 pm, please join us at Andrew J. Parise Park in Cedarhurst as we remember the horrific events of September 11th and we pay tribute to the first responders and their families.

t was a first in the storied history of the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach. On Monday, August 30, faculty from all four divisions of HALB – the Lev Chana Early Childhood Center, HALB Elementary School, SKA High School for Girls and DRS High School for Boys – joined together to set the tone for the upcoming school year. Nearly 300 HALB employees, including teachers, rabbeim, support staff, office staff, and executive office members gathered in HALB’s stateof-the-art gymnasium and were treated to a lavish, gala breakfast. Due in large part to the support and hard work of HALB presidents Mitch Kirschner and Nathaniel Rogoff, as well as HALB’s new Executive Di-

rector, Mrs. Adrianne Mittan, faculty from different divisions of HALB were able to connect and collaborate with one another to prepare to educate the leaders of tomorrow. The morning began with addresses from HALB’s principals: Rabbi Adam Englander of HALB, Mrs. Elisheva Kaminetsky and Mrs. Bluma Drebin of SKA, and Rabbi Yisroel Kaminetsky and Dr. Hillel Broder of DRS. The morning was highlighted by a keynote address from world renowned lecturer and motivational speaker, Mr. Charlie Harary, who spoke about the “superpower” within every teacher and the crucial role that their work holds in “shaping” every student’s life experience.

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

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Around the Community

Massive Final Gerer Sheva Brachos in New Square, Hosted by R’ Shloime Werdiger, Prominent Gerer Philanthropist

ays of history and holiness have been lived through by the Gerer community in America, the chassidim who have flown in from Eretz Yisroel, and by an admiring Klal Yisroel community in the tri-state area, many who have joined some of the uplifting and joyful events.

The Rebbe has made the historic move of bringing the wedding of a grandchild to America—and with that the aura of the Shabbosim, the tischen, and other gatherings, all of which has never occurred in the annals of the history of the Gerer Chassidic movement. A tireless and passionate force behind this entire three-week visit—and an important pillar of

the worldwide network of the Gerer chassidus—is the renowned philanthropist and askan Reb Shloime Werdiger, chairman of the board of Agudath Israel of America. Observing Mr. Werdiger in the vicinity of the Rebbe is a lesson in emunas tzaddikim and bittul to tzaddikim. This wealthy philanthropist, who is given honor everywhere he goes, dons an aura of awe, reverence, and undying love when he is at his rebbe’s side and his loyalty to the “house of Ger” is unending. He was given the honor of hosting this final sheva brachos, concluding this tour of uplifted holiness for the American chassidim. The event was hosted in New Square, which offered a place that could accommodate the massive crowd. In the early afternoon hours, streams of men, women and children could be seen making their way out of Boro Park…eager for one last glimpse, a few more precious moments with the Rebbe. The roster of important personalities who came out in honor of Ger and in honor of the distinguished host is too lengthy to enumerate… From Rav Shmuel Kamenetzky, to the Viznitzer Rebbe and Rav Baruch Mordechai Ezrachi who find themselves here these days, from the Skverer Rebbe and his entire family, to the entire Agudah leadership who were awed by the sights and sounds that are rarely seen—every moment seemed to

bring another important arrival. Special grammen were composed and sung, accompanied by the famed Meir Adler who has been playing the Gerer court for 25 years…and would not miss this simcha as well. As the evening wore on, the elevation and the euphoria, the connection and the outpouring of love and joy to the Rebbe, and to generations of Gerer rebbeim, only grew. On a related note, some have observed the following coincidence: As the final strains of the music from this uplifted simcha, with Reb Shloime escorting his beloved Rebbe one last time to his residence…the clock ran out on the tenure of former Governor Andrew Cuomo—a fitting conclusion at a fitting time, for this legendary Klal Yisroel askan.

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

Around the Community

Rav Avrohom Moshe Heller, rebbi in Yeshiva Darchei Torah, blowing shofar in his classroom last week PHOTO BY IVAN H NORMAN

Professional Development @ Shulamith ECC

t Shulamith Early Childhood Center we are eagerly anticipating the start of the school year. The classrooms are updated and ready for the children. New equipment and materials are sitting on shelves waiting for enthusiastic young hands and minds. Teachers are primed and ready to receive their students and make this a wonderful year of learning and growth. Although still summer vacation, the teachers at Shulamith ECC spent this past week preparing for the arrival of their students. In addition to the countless hours devoted to setting up an inviting and educational physical environment, the teachers also put a good deal of thought into young children’s social/emotional development. Shulamith ECC was privileged to host a very prestigious zoom conference with renowned child guidance expert Dan Gartrell EdD. Dr. Gartrell has written numerous books and articles about guiding young children’s behavior and creating an encouraging classroom. He is famous for quotes like “Guide children to solve problems rather than punish children for prob-

lems they can’t solve” and “It takes courage to shift our thinking when posed with a child who has done something bad that now something bad must be done to him” and “The alternative to treating an inappropriate act is to treat it as a problem to be solved by working together.” The teachers enjoyed discussing how to best guide children when they have conflicts, when they exhibit mistaken behaviors, and when they are affected by stress. They had the rare opportunity to ask Dr. Gartrell all of their specific questions about guiding young children’s behavior and creating emotionally safe classroom communities. This wonderful professional development opportunity provided the teachers at Shulamith ECC with the tools needed to maximize their young student’s development in the very important social/ emotional domain. At Shulamith ECC, we strive to create happy, inspiring, calm classroom communities where children feel safe and ready to learn and grow in the best way possible.

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Yoel and Yael Arguera of Far Rockaway were married on Monday night at Congregation Beth Shalom in Lawrence. The mesader kiddushin was Rabbi Shaul Chill, rabbi of Young Israel of Far Rockaway

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Around the Community

Selichos at the Woodbourne shul with the Nikolsburger Rebbe

MDA to Place a Defibrillator in Every Synagogue in Jerusalem

agen David Adom has prioritized the task of placing defibrillators in public spaces throughout Israel. Already, thousands have been installed around the country. Defibrillators can be operated without medical training and are intended to save lives in the event of a heart attack until emergency crews arrive. Now, hundreds of these lifesaving devices will be installed in Jerusalem synagogues before Rosh Hashana. The operation is the result of a joint initiative by MDA Director-General Eli Bin and Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion. Thanks to support from American and international donors, the Jerusalem Defibrillator Project was launched this month at The

MDA Director-General Eli Bin; Cross River Bank President, Chief Executive Officer and Founder Gilles Gade; Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion; and International Fellowship of Christians and Jews President and Chief Executive Officer Yael Eckstein

Jerusalem Great Synagogue, the city’s largest and most central synagogue. The project, the first of its scale in the country, was made possible with contributions from the International Fellowship for Christians and Jews and New Jersey’s Cross River Bank. The inaugura-

tion ceremony was attended by Mayor Lion, Eli Bin, and funders Yael Eckstein, president and chief executive officer of the Fellowship, and Gilles Gade, founder, president and chief executive officer of the bank. One moment during the ceremony that moved the au-

dience was when a 38-yearold Jerusalem resident, father of five, shared his story of resuscitation during which he received 12 electric shocks. As soon as he stepped off the stage, Eckstein announced the Fellowship’s donation of another 230 devices to additional synagogues in Jerusa-

lem. Recently, a 57-year-old man was saved when a defibrillator in the Haganah train station in Tel Aviv was used to resuscitate him after having a heart attack. Had there been no defibrillator, he more than likely would have died before first responders were able to arrive at the scene. “Thank you to Mayor Lion for his vision,” added Gilles Gade. “Magen David Adom is already working tirelessly to maintain our safety and it is important that they have all possible resources. We are excited to be part of such an important initiative and we know this contribution is just the beginning of our partnership.”

2022 Michael Freedman Outstanding Jewish High School Athletes of the Year

he Jewish Sports Heritage Association is pleased and honored to announce the recipients of the Michael Freedman Outstanding Jewish High School Athletes of the Year for 2022: Rachel Arbitman of Hewlett High School and Jacobs Steinmetz of the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway High School: Rachel was the first tennis player

to win four Nassau County championships. She won three county singles titles and she won a doubles title in 2019. Rachel was the “Newsday” Player of the Year in her senior year (2021), and she won a state singles championship in 2018 and a state doubles title in 2019. Arbitman heads to Harvard University in the fall and will continue her tennis career. Jacob was drafted 77th by the

Arizona Diamondbacks in the third round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft, making him the first Orthodox Jewish player drafted by professional baseball. The 6’5”, 220 lbs. right hander has a fastball upwards of 96 mph and a dropping curve with a snap. Jacob is a graduate of HAFTR High School, and he graduated with honors. The Michael Freedman Outstand-

ing Jewish High School Athletes of the Year Awards will be presented at the Fourth Annual Jewish Sports Heritage Association Induction Ceremony to be held on Sunday morning, May 1, 2022, at Temple Israel, Lawrence, NY. For more information, please contact Alan Freedman, Director, Jewish Sports Heritage Association, at ahfreedman142@aol.com.

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Rav Yaakov Bender, Rosh HaYeshiva, welcoming talmidim on the first morning of elementary school at Yeshiva Darchei Torah

Happy to be back at Yeshiva Darchei Torah

Rav Binyomin Sussman with his eighth grade talmidim during the first week of yeshiva

Beis Medrash bachurim immersed in the sugya at Yeshiva Darchei Torah

Rav Pinchus Wachsman, Beis Medrash maggid shiur, learning with a talmid

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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Yeshiva Gedolah of the Five Towns, one of the premier mekomos haTorah in the Five Towns community, held its Annual Kollel Reception in support of the Rabbi Manfred Gans Kollel Scholarship Fund this past week. The event was hosted by Rabbi Gans’ grandchildren in the Klein Home, in Hewlett, with guest speaker Rabbi Paysach Krohn and lavish catering by Oasis

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Rabbi Shonek, YOSS eighth grade Rebbe and in-house baal tokea, went to various classes teaching about different types of shofar used on Rosh Hashana

Achiezer at 13: A Talk with Mordechai Picker Part 12 of a Series By Avi Shiff

n honor of Achiezer’s 13th year, we are conducting a multi-part series highlighting the various facets of this remarkable organization. For Week #12, we spoke to Mordechai Picker, who is Achiezer’s Logistics Coordinator and runs Achiezer’s specialty medical equipment program. What is your job at Achiezer? My main responsibility is to oversee the distribution of Achiezer’s medical and specialty equipment. We have a wide range of medical equipment, including wheelchairs, hospital beds, walkers, crutches, oxygen concentrators and more. We also have specialty items like wheelchair ramps, IV poles, and hospital tables, to name a few. There is often need for non-medical equipment in times of crisis such as portable air conditioners, shiva chairs, generators and heaters; or a sound system for a sudden or outdoor levaya – we are able to help out with these items as well. Many of these items were donated by generous

supporters of Achiezer. We store most of our equipment in several strategic locations throughout the community. How long have you been working for Achiezer? Over five years. Who typically reaches out to you for assistance? Really anyone, from individuals to organizations. There are people whose insurance may not cover the equipment that they need. In other cases, people need equipment for a short period of time until their insurance gives them approval. Do you see an increase in requests at any specific time of the year? Yes. Yom tov time, especially around the Yomim Noraim, we see an increase, because more people want to get out and go to the shul. We therefore get more requests for wheelchairs and things like that. Walk us through the process of lending out the equipment. It’s fairly straightforward.

When people call us up, we identify what specific equipment they need and what is best for their situation. If they are able to come to us and pick up the equipment, they do so. Otherwise, we arrange for one of our volunteers to deliver the item to the person’s home, which is a tremendous help. Is there a time limit for how long someone can borrow the equipment? It is generally not longterm, but there are always exceptions. And we’ll never take something away from someone who needs it. We just want the equipment to be available to others as needed. If someone has a situation where insurance doesn’t cover what they require, we’ll do our best to make sure that they are covered for the time needed. What feedback have you heard from patients and their families? People tell us that this service is absolutely life-changing. It has allowed people who have been stuck at home for months to get out using our wheelchairs or walkers.

Our hospital beds and oxygen concentrators have allowed people who were in the hospital or rehab to continue their recovery in the comfort of their own homes. To them, this is priceless. They tell us how much it means to them. We give people the ability to be at home and to be mobile. It’s a major zechus. How did Covid affect your department? Interestingly, when Covid was at its height, people weren’t really going out much, so there were actually fewer requests for wheelchairs, crutches and hospital beds, but there was a period of time when we got a large number of requests for oxygen concentrators, which, as mentioned, allowed people to convalesce at home, rather than having to be admitted to a hospital. We orchestrated, in

close consultation with doctors, of course, for people to be home. They were so deeply appreciative. Now, as things get back to normal and people are going out more, we have seen a rise in the normal requests for wheelchairs, hospital beds, and so on. Any final word? There are more stories than I can count about the amazing chessed of Achiezer. There’s truly no limit to the amount of chessed that takes place. From equipment and rides to pickups, drop-offs, meals, advocacy, financial assistance and so much more, Achiezer’s chessed knows no bounds. Achiezer connects the entire community and has become the one resource that everyone turns to. Anyone who has a need can find an answer at Achiezer.

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Shiloh Winery By Joshua E. London

“T

here are a lot of natural advantages for making great wine in Israel,” says Amichai Lourie, winemaker at the popular and successful Shiloh Winery, in Israel’s Shomron (Samaria) region. The Shiloh Winery has an impressive collection of international wine medals and typically earns high wine-critic ratings and related accolades every year from esteemed wine publications like Decanter, Robert Parker’s the Wine Advocate, The Wine Enthusiast, and the like. Lourie’s real passion, however, is ignited by discussing the Land of Israel itself and both the ancient and contemporary Jewish cultivation of wine there. “One of my goals,” says Lourie, “is to connect people to the land of Israel through Shiloh wines.” Whenever people compliment Shiloh wines or ask how Shiloh consistently impresses with its quality and distinctive wines, he always makes a point to “give the credit to Eretz [the Land of] Israel.” He likens it to his personal shlichut or mission of Jewish and Zionist outreach. Simply put, Amichai Lourie absolutely loves making wine in Shiloh from grapes cultivated in Ye-

huda (Judea) and Shomron (Samaria), the Biblical heartland of Israel. He also loves sharing with kosher wine consumers not only Shiloh’s wines but also his passion for making kosher wine in Shiloh. This is a passion he shares with Dr. Mayer Chomer, the winery’s owner and founder. A Mexican lawyer with a PhD in criminal law from Spain who had immigrated to Israel, Chomer was imbued with exactly this same religious Zionist impulse when he established the Shiloh Winery back in 2005. “The thought of earning a parnassah [livelihood] playing a role in the geula [redemption] through the cultivation of wine,” recalls Chomer, “[and thereby also] being in a position to fulfill all the related mitzvot hatluyot ba’aretz [the commandments connected to the Land of Israel], producing wines that fellow Jews will be making brachot [blessings] over, and using for kiddush on Shabbat and chagim…was very enticing.” Despite this religious zeal, the Shiloh Winery was, and is, established as a business, to be sure. Its primary aim on a day-today basis remains firmly commercial. From its earliest conception, however, Chomer’s vision was also tightly bound to notions of religious and Zi-

onist fulfillment. So began an expensive and slow-going investment in the Shiloh Winery – but he still needed a fulltime winemaker to help make it work optimally. It was at this critical juncture that he chanced to meet Amichai Lourie, a guy who at that time worked construction – building things and renovating houses – producing wines strictly as a hobby – an astonishingly passionate hobby, up to 2,000 bottles annually(!), but still just an avocation. Attending a wine event at Lourie’s home in Ma’aleh Levonah, a town nearby modern-day Shiloh, Chomer was struck both by both the man and his wines. Lapsing into a happy reverie, Chomer vividly recalled the evening: “When I saw the guy [Lourie] serving the meal, cutting the meat, attending to guests, serving the wines, talking about life, the delicious food, and his excellent wines, I was struck by his dedication, his humility, his exuberance; demanding so much of

himself, and giving it his all! Imbuing every action with purpose and an infectious passion for doing things right(!) – it was almost overwhelming. Also, his wine was, if not the best wine ever, certainly some of the best wine at the table…and he was really giving the evening his all. Not showing off, but simply being himself.” Recognizing talent and a certain kindred spirit in Lourie, Chomer seized the opportunity to recruit him. In Lourie’s often repeated retelling, Chomer asked him: “Why don’t you turn your hobby into a profession?” Chomer’s pitch worked. “I foolishly thought,” recounts Lourie, “I was going to go from working very hard in renovations to an easier life making wine. I just didn’t know how hard and demanding and, really, overwhelming making wine in large scale could be – especially if you want to do it right.” Chomer attributes much of Lourie’s success to his dogged determination to give every endeavor his all, demanding and effectively producing as much dedication from others in return. “In Mexico,” says Chomer, “we have the expression, el león cree que todos son de su condición [roughly: the lion thinks that we’re all like him] – and Amichai is very much like this; he comes to everything like a lion and expects everyone else to be a lion, too.” The Chomer-Lourie team quickly proved, and continues to prove, to be a fabulous partnership for both men. While Lourie acknowledges a richly deserved measure of pride in his talents and accomplishments, he continues to chalk the winery’s

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

Around the Community successes up, first and foremost, to providence. “We are living in a country that’s blessed,” Lourie says simply, “so you can feel the blessing in the wines; there is no way around that – our making wine here in Israel has the explicit endorsement and backing of HaKadosh Baruch Hu [The Holy One, Blessed be He]!” As Lourie explains, the Talmud says [in Sanhedrin, 98a] that a clear sign of the redemption of the Jewish people is that the trees of the Land of Israel will start growing again and that the re-flourishing of the land is an integral part of the redemption process. The Prophet Ezekiel declared: “But you, O mountains of Israel, will give forth your branch and bear your fruit for My people Israel, for they are soon to come (Ezekiel 36:8).” The Prophet Isaiah said: “For the Lord will comfort Zion… He will make her wilderness like Eden and her wasteland like a garden of the L-rd… (51:3)” What’s more, according to Lourie, the Prophet Amos says this rejuvenation of the land for the benefit of the Jewish people will be the result of the labor of those returning Jews: “Behold, days are coming – the word of the L-rd … I will return the captivity of My people Israel, and they will rebuild desolate cities and settle them; they will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will cultivate gardens and eat their fruits (9:1315).” So, while the land of Israel was desolate for others, it blooms for the Jewish people returning from exile to redeem the land. The location matters not just in terms of Israel’s terroir, but because of its history. The Shiloh Winery is situated in the modern town of Shiloh, very near the archaeological site of Ancient Shiloh, in the very heart of Yehuda (Judea) and Shomron (Samaria). Shiloh is on the central mountain ridge, overlooking Israel’s coastal plain to the west and the Jordan Valley to the east. The Biblical Shiloh is the heart of the earliest establishment of Jewish life in Ancient Israel. After the 40 years of wandering in the desert, when the Jewish people finally entered Israel and settled the land over 3,300 years ago, Shiloh was established as the initial capital of Jewish sovereignty. As the epicenter of Jewish life then, it was also a center of wine cultivation. The grape is one of

the sheva minim [seven species, specified by G-d as specially blessed in the Land of Israel], so wine cultivation quickly became a primary occupation and formed the backbone of the economy. Before there was Jerusalem, Shiloh was home to the Mishkan and the Aron for 369 years. Before the Temple in Jerusalem, Shiloh became the first place of pilgrimage, where Jews came to serve G-d, bring sacrifices, and celebrate the festivals and holidays. Wines from around Shiloh were almost certainly used in the Mishkan service and poured as libations over the Mizbeach [altar] for over three centuries. The archeological record testifies to the sheer abundance of, and importance attached to, wine cultivation in Shiloh and its environs. “You can find dozens of ancient wine presses and related evidence of wine cultivation in Shiloh, and throughout the area,” notes Lourie. “We actually found several such wine presses directly in our vineyards; one row even stops short, as we had to factor in a gap to work around the archeological find.” What’s more, notes Chomer, the area is particularly blessed. “There’s an incredible commentary of Rashi on the portion of the Torah (Deuteronomy 33:13) where Yaakov gave over Shechem and the area of Shiloh to Yosef as an extra gift for him.” The verse states, “And of Joseph he said: ‘His land shall be blessed by the L-rd, with the sweetness of the heavens with dew, and with the deep that lies below.’” Rashi comments on this: “For throughout the inheritance of all the tribes, there was no land more full of goodness than Joseph’s land.” For both Chomer and Lourie, such citation simply underscores objective reality. “Since then, as for today,” says Chomer, “wine cultivation was an ancient art in Shiloh, and is flourishing once again.” The Shiloh Winery began producing around 20,000 bottles annually under the Shor series [Hebrew for ‘bull’ or ‘ox” after the symbol of the Tribe of Ephraim, son of Joseph, to whom the area was bequeathed). Today, Shiloh produces over 250,000 bottles annually: it makes two topend flagship wines – Mosaic and Mosaic Exclusive red blends, and six Secret Reserve varietal wines (this is based on a motif familiar to religious

Jews – the word ‘secret’ in Hebrew is ‘sod,’ which carries the same numerical value as the Hebrew word ‘yayin’ [wine], from which comes the Talmudic proverb “when wine comes in, secrets come out…”). Shiloh produces three Shor varietal red wines, as well as two varietal whites and a rose. They also produce two special red blended wines under the Legend label. Finally, Shiloh also produces an entry level red blend called Privilege. The name of the entry level offering nicely encapsulates up the Shiloh Winery in nutshell. As Lourie explains: “It’s an amazing privilege to work the land of Israel, it is an amazing privilege to plant the vines and knowing that the prophecies are coming true, and when you respect the vines themselves, then you get back. It’s a spiritual connection of a person that makes wine to the land itself, to the vines – this unleashes tremendous potential for greatness. It is our responsibility to not mess it up.” Indeed. Shiloh’s wines are imported and distributed in the U.S. by the Herzog family’s Royal Wine Corp. of Bay-

onne, NJ. They are well worth seeking out. Amichai Lourie, Shiloh’s winemaker, makes himself available for all inquiries about Shiloh Winery and his wines. You may reach out to Amichai at: Tel/WhatsApp: +972-503422268; Email: ami@shilohwinery. com; LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amichai-lourie/; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ profile.php?id=100006113239009

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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Dayan Fuerst of Chicago Speaks at Darchei Torah’s Kollel

he 80 members of Yeshiva Darchei Torah’s Kollel Tirtza Devorah – both the full-day avreichim as well as the mechanchim who study in its afternoon Kollel – were privileged to be addressed by Hagaon Rav Shmuel Fuerst, the dayan of Agudath Israel of Illinois. Rav Fuerst, who is renowned as one of the preeminent poskim in all of North America, was in the tristate area for family simchos. Before his arrival, he called Rav Dovid Bender, the Rosh Kollel of Kollel Tirtza Devorah and the posek for the Kollel and many other Yeshiva Darchei Torah families. He explained that he had a few open hours on his schedule and was willing to visit the Kollel to give a public shiur in halacha or answer sh’ailos. He made this offer even though his flight would be landing in Newark Liberty Airport and traveling to Far Rockaway would take him well out of his way. Delighted, Rav Dovid Bender immediately agreed. Over his career of learning and teaching, and particularly as he entered the world of hora’ah, Rav Dovid has developed a personal

Rav Shmuel Fuerst, dayan of Agudath Israel of Illinois, delivered an extensive halacha shiur at Yeshiva Darchei Torah’s Kollel Tirtza Devorah on Monday

connection with many of this generation’s leading American poskim. Most recently, he was zocheh to have shimush and frequent consultation with Rav Gavriel Finkel of Lakewood. When Rav Finkel was niftar a few years ago, Rav Dovid reinforced his relationship with Dayan Fuerst of Chicago. Dayan Fuerst took questions from

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You Are Not Good Enough for Me: The Torah’s Perspective on Rejection

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Sefer Yona: Running and Returning

Ms. Ziva Bibbins

The Best Gift You Can Give

Ms. Sara Levinson

The King is in the Field

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The Rambam’s Blueprint for Teshuva

Mrs. Paghit Ralbag

Preparing Ourselves for Yom Kippur

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the members of the Kollel in a session which lasted nearly one and a half hours. He addressed a range of halachic topics, from contemporary issues in Shabbos and Brachos to Yom Tov and Hilchos Yichud. The room came alive as avreichim and rabbeim challenged the distinguished visitor in milchamta shel Torah. Rav Fuerst regaled the assembled with firsthand

stories and unpublished psakim of gedolei haposkim of previous eras that he was privy to over the course of his career. The avreichim of Kollel Tirtza Devorah, several of whom are already on course to become morei hora’ah in their own rights, came away from the shiur visibly enlightened and inspired by the encounter with true gadlus.

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The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

SKA Beit Midrash Fellowship Program Expands

SKA Associate Principal Ms. Elana Flaumenhaft, SKA Principal Religious Studies Mrs. Elisheva Kaminetsy, and SKA students Tali Schimmel, Ahuva Cohen, Yael Shtern and Mimi Altmark helping to prepare for the renovation of the SKA Beit Midrash and Learning Commons

ith the inauguration of the SKA Beit Midrash Fellowship Program, the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls pioneered an outstanding initiative last year that contributed to the vibrant Torah atmosphere of the school while developing impactful Judaic educators. This year, with the extensive renovation of the SKA Library, the program has been broadened to include a fresh and creative space, increased hours, and added responsibilities for its participants. Passionate about the field of Jewish education, SKA Fellows Sara Bienenstock, Rivka Hirsch and Sarah Levinson join the SKA faculty fulltime. In addition to being teachers in SKA classrooms, they will be available throughout the day for one-onone learning in the new SKA Beit Midrash and Learning Commons. Under the guidance of Mrs. Avital Braun, Rosh Beit Midrash, the Fellows will continue to contribute to the dynamic Torah spirit at SKA while enhancing their own development as successful educators. In addition to outstanding Torah classes

on Zoom from notable educators, the Fellows will attend shiurim given by SKA limudei kodesh faculty members Rabbi Isaac Rice, Mrs. Beaty Menchel and Mrs. Avital Braun on how to build and prepare lessons on Tanach, machshava and halachah. The newly modernized SKA Beit Midrash and Learning Commons will offer SKA students a warm and inviting environment to enhance their learning and meet with the Fellows, teachers and chavrusas. With both the expanded Fellowship program and our upgraded surroundings, the overall Torah learning atmosphere at SKA will be even more elevated than before! SKA’s Shabbos Shuva Inspiration Program, to be held at HALB’s Elementary School on Shabbos, September 11, is being planned by the Beit Midrash Fellows who will be leading shiurim throughout the day. Open to SKA mothers, alumna and current students, there will also be satellite programs held in Queens, Brooklyn, West Hempstead and Great Neck. The expanded SKA Beit Midrash Fellowship is off to a great start!

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

“As the years pass and my knowledge of each vineyard deepens, tending to the vines turns more personal and intimate. I am certain that this roots one of our secrets of success.”

Golan Flam, Winemaker

Product of Israel

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8/24/15 5:23 PM

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

HAFTR educators joined together this week for professional development sparking the inspiration that will drive them through another incredible school year

Welcome Back to the Students and Faculty of Netzach

ast week, Mesivta Netzach HaTorah in Woodmere welcomed back their students from summer vacation. The boys were excited to be back with their friends, rebbeim and teachers once again. Netzach also introduced their incoming ninth grade class, with the new students warmly being welcomed by the Mesivta’s other classes. To kick off another exciting year, the boys traveled to Brooklyn to meet Rav Avrohom Schorr and Rav

Yisrael Reisman. The boys heard inspirational divrei Torah and were able to personally meet each of these well-known Gedolei Torah and receive a bracha. For lunch, the boys and rebbeim ate at the world-famous Mendelshon’s Pizza on 18th Avenue, enjoying the time together as a Mesivta once again! Following the trip to Brooklyn, the talmidim returned to Grant Park in Hewlett for an afternoon of basketball, baseball and football. On Thursday, Netzach

welcomed Rabbi Levy from Torah U’Mesorah for an afternoon of faculty training. The faculty delved into a comprehensive discussion and training on classroom management and student motivation. This week, with a full day of shiur, chavrusah learning, English studies and mishmar, the boys are right back in the rhythm of school, with the sounds of Torah learning and friendship permeating the hallways. Netzach continues to experience

phenomenal growth with the Mesivta at full capacity this year. With upgraded classrooms and a laboratory, Netzach has advanced its educational program once again and looks forward to another successful year of student development and growth. For those interested in more information and to apply for the next year’s ninth grade, please join us at our open house on November 7 and at www.netzachhatorah.com.

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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“Joining Daf HaYomi B’Halacha is a Great Zechus Before Rosh Hashana”

Rav Dovid Hofstedter discussing Dirshu’s Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Program with HaRav Asher Weiss

By Chaim Gold

“I

t is not enough for a person to do mitzvos, he must LIVE Torah and mitzvos! How does one LIVE Torah? How does one make shemiras haTorah and shemiras hamitzvos the true chiyus of his life? By learning Mishnah Berurah daily.

Daily learning of halacha elevates a person by teaching him to live every minute of every day with Hashem and His mitzvos. Through a small investment of time, he can elevate his life to a different plane!” Those were the enthusiastic words of HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Ezrachi, shlita, venerated Rosh Yeshiva of Mir

HaRav Asher Weiss meeting with hanhalas Dirshu

Yerushalayim, when discussing Dirshu’s Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program. Indeed, that small investment of time each day by tens and perhaps hundreds of thousands of Yidden the world over will soon be culminating in a colossal, World Siyum. This coming chodesh Adar, Dirshu’s Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program will be celebrating the completion of the second machzor of learning a daf of Mishnah Berurah each day with gala siyumim in locations around the world. The siyumim in Eretz Yisroel and the United States led and graced by senior gedolei Yisrael, are sure to be grand demonstrations of kavod haTorah and kavod for the lomdei Torah, who have spent the last seven years, day in and day out, learning Mishnah Berurah. This has transformed them into Yidden who live every moment of their lives in accordance with halacha. Rav Shteinman: Everything Depends on How One Observes Halacha Not long before his passing, HaGaon HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman, who was an enthusiastic supporter of Dirshu’s programs, voiced his feelings about the importance of the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program when he said, “The Gemara teaches us, ‘We learned in the beis medrash of Eliyahu that one who learns halacha every day is assured a place in Olam Haba, as it says, ‘Halichos olam Lo [the ways of the world are His]’ – do not read the word halichos, but rather halachos.’” Rav Shteinman asked, “Why didn’t the pasuk just say the word ‘halachos’? Why did it have to say ha-

lichos in such a way that a drasha is necessary so that we can learn that it means halachos?” Rav Shteinman answered, “The way a person walks in this world and where he will be in the next world are all dependent on how he observes halacha. When a Yid lives in accordance with halacha and all his halichos, all his comings and goings in this world are in accordance with the Torah, he will merit that he will also walk in Olam Haba. In fact, he is promised that he will merit Olam Haba!” Rav Moshe Shaul Klein: “Truly A Revolution!” The great senior poseik hador, Rav Shmuel Wosner, the Shevet Halevi, similarly valued Dirshu and specifically encouraged its halacha programs. Recently, Rav Dovid Hofstedter visited HaGaon, HaRav Moshe Shaul Klein, shlita, rav of the Ohr Hachaim neighborhood of Bnei Brak and posek of the Mayaanei Hayeshua Hospital and a talmid muvhak of Rav Wosner. “The revolution accomplished by Dirshu in the world of halacha,” Rav Klein told Rav Dovid, “was completely unfathomable when it was started, however, I remember mori v’rabi, Rav Wosner, telling me, ‘Rav Dovid Hofstedter is a good socher, he knows where to invest…’ And now, look at what has happened over the past couple of decades! There are thousands of new morei horaah learning in the Kinyan Halacha program with untold Continued on page 76

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

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Rav Dovid Cohen: Enabling Lomdim to Reach Goals in Yedias HaTorah During a visit to the home of HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron, Dirshu’s hanhala led by Rav Hofstedter were inspired by his words of praise. Rav Dovid Cohen began by quoting HaGaon HaRav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz, zt”l, who had said that one of the greatest of Dirshu’s achievements is that it has enabled lomdim to be part of a program with clear goals and a way to reach them. The schedule and testing are tremendous aids for lomdei Torah who wish to accomplish and require an orderly system to enable him to get there. Rav Asher Weiss: “Halacha L’maaseh is the Most Important Component of Torah!” Recently, many of our Gedolim from across the spectrum of Klal Yisrael have been encouraging and urging Yidden to add the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha learning program to their schedule. In a meeting with the senior hanhala of Dirshu, led by Rav Hofstedter, the Gaavad of Darchei Horaah, Rav Asher Weiss, praised the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program and exhorted lomdei Torah, even those who already have comprehensive Gemara sedarim to add the seder of daily halacha to their learning regimen. “It is such a zechus to be part of the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program! Why? Because, at the end of the day, the primary mitzvah of limud haTorah is to learn in order to know how to observe halacha l’maaseh.” Rav Shimon Galei: “What a Simcha!” Hashem infuses Klal Yisrael with kochos once they invest time and effort into their learning and being tested, but what infuses Rav Hofstedter and the hanhala of Dirshu with the impetus to continue their life-sustaining work? It is those times when they can watch heads bent in concentration at a testing site that infuse them with emotion and with the understanding of just how pivotal their avodas hakodesh is! While at the testing site in the main Belzer Beis Me-

drash in Yerushalayim, they met with Rav Avrohom Shmuel Tzvi Rokeach, a grandson of the Belzer Rebbe. Upon glancing around the expansive room full of Yidden taking the Dirshu tests, Rav Rokeach became emotional and thanked Rav Hofstedter and Dirshu for their role in enabling lomdei Torah to reach such levels of yedias haTorah. The well-known tzaddik, Rav Shimon Galei, similarly met the Dirshu delegation with such profound warmth and expressed his joy about the upcoming world siyum. “What a simcha it is to be on the cusp of completing the entire Mishnah Berurah! We must all strengthen ourselves during these days, in the learning of Mishnah Berurah. It is a great zechus before Rosh Hashana, and without a doubt, it will bring great nachas to the neshama of the Chofetz Chaim who will be a meilitz yosher for all of us!” Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch: Now is the Time! Perhaps one of the most inspiring visits was the visit to the home of HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka. Rav Hofstedter and Rav Hirsch discussed the difficult period of the coronavirus and how it had impacted the yeshivos in particular and limud haTorah in general. Rav Dovid Hofstedter told Rav Moshe Hillel about the fact that Dirshu had sustained profound losses during Corona with the passing of senior Gedolim who had so supported and encouraged the organization, among them, HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Scheiner and Hagaon Harav Meshulem Dovid Soloveichik. Rav Moshe Hillel was mechazek Dirshu and reiterated that a new generation of Gedolei Roshei Yeshivos will come and give chizuk. Rav Hirsch said, “Now is the time for all of us to be mechazek ourselves and especially the lomdei Dirshu. During the Corona period,” Rav Moshe Hillel continued, “some found it difficult to maintain the highest levels of yedias haTorah as before, but now, even though life has not yet returned to normal, it is time to rededicate ourselves! Toda,y too, in the difficult environment, political and otherwise, that the Torah community faces, we can rededicate ourselves to limud haTorah and yedias haTorah at the highest levels!”

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A Tzaddik in Our Midst

R’ Pinchas Mordechai Solow, zt”l By Rabbi Dovid Bender

inchas Mordechai Solow, zt”l, was a real person. There was no fakeness to him. The Chofetz Chaim writes that when a person opens his mouth, he has to be careful about ten things. The first one is lashon hara, the second is rechilus, the third one is sheker, and last week we learned about the next thing to be careful about: chanufa, flattery. Flattery comes from being fake. But R’ Pinchas was the opposite of fake. He was genuine and real. R’ Pinchas was zecher tzaddik l’vracha. I’m using the word “tzaddik” because there were many choshuvim who called him “tzaddik.” At the levaya, the choshuvim of Far Rockaway were there to hear about him and to be melave him. Rav Dov Bressler, Rav Yehoshua Kurland, Rav Yisroel Meir Blumenkrantz, and Rav Shaul Chill all spoke at his levaya. So did his sister, and his daughter, and Mr. Barry Jacobson spoke as well. R’ Pinchas got up every morning, at 5 o’clock in the morning, to learn Torah. He then davened at Rav Blumenkrantz’s shul and said brachos out loud for the kehilla. He almost literally opened the doors to the shul each morning. Every morning, he said brachos out loud, clearly. He would go to Sh’or Yoshuv, to Rav Kurland’s chaburah at night twice a week for over twenty years, to learn. Rav Kurland recalls, “He knew Mishnayos so well that numerous times during the shiur he would ask questions from different Mishnayos being that he was so fluent with different Mishnayos.” Rav Kurland also said that R’ Pin-

chas had a transparent neshama. He was the “real deal” and a true eved Hashem. He was very close to Rav Dov Bressler from HILI and gained a tremendous amount of Torah from him. He remembered Rav Bressler’s divrei Torah from years before. In fact, if Rav Bressler would give over a different approach on a certain inyan from the last time he spoke about that inyan, R’ Pinchas would point it out. He was also very close and gained a lot of Torah from Rav Yisroel Meir Blumenkrantz. He was so thirsty for Torah. His learning was done without any fanfare. Sometimes, you could get fooled and miss his gadlus, be-

We at Darchei Torah saw this; he learned in the beis medrash or in HILI. In between Mincha and Maariv, in HILI, where he used to daven, there is a few minutes break. During the break, he would go to the bima and he would say Tehillim out loud, word by word. Much of his davening was out loud – especially his brachos during Shacharis. He was unashamed of his connection to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. On Friday night, during kabbalas Shabbos, he would dance with such love, a burst of genuine excitement to greet the Shabbos queen. He did this for years – before anyone else would dance during kabbalas Shabbos.

R’ Pinchas had a transparent neshama. He was the “real deal” and a true eved Hashem.

cause from the outside he could have appeared as a poshute Yid. But the opposite was true. His neshama was shining. He lived a life on a different level; he didn’t care about externals. His only concern was for Hashem and His Torah. As Rav Pinchas Wachsman told me, he always felt that he had a heilige neshama. R’ Pinchas always came early to davening, and he utilized the time to learn Mishnayos. He learned, b’chavrusa, with R’ Yaakov Berman.

The last day of his life, he went on a vacation to Pennsylvania. He and his wife and daughter went to Lakewood for Shabbos – the last Shabbos of his life. On Sunday morning, he davened in Lakewood and went to learn in Bais Medrash Govoha. Then he went shopping with his wife. They settled into the hotel later that day and then R’ Pinchas drove 20 minutes for Mincha/Maariv in Yardley, Pennsylvania. On the way back, he was killed in a car crash. That’s how

he spent the last day of his life. His last act was about making sure he got a minyan. A few days before he passed away, R’ Pinchas told Reb Daniel Waldman, at the Kaminsky wedding on Wednesday night, that because his job at the Board of Ed doesn’t start for a few weeks, he wanted to learn in Kollel for a month. That’s what his life was about. Always trying to find time to learn. He always seemed to be running – running to do mitzvos, running to help out. One day, he went to get the mop from the janitor’s closet in Yeshiva Darchei Torah, so he could clean the floor at HILI, where he davened. He looked forward to making sure the shul looked clean. He happily cleaned up – he was so happy to help and do for others. Rav Dov Bressler, his rav, recalls that he was the leader in HILI. He was gavoah m’kol ha’am figuratively and spiritually. On Simchas Torah, he was the main dancer in shul. He kept on dancing and was the leader of the dancing. Eizehu ashir ha’sameach b’chelko, he was content and happy with whatever he was doing. If the shul needed someone to daven for the amud, he was happy to do it; if someone else wanted to do it, he was happy for them to lead the kehilla. Whatever was needed to be done, he was happy to do. R’ Pinchas lived on Hurley and Gateway for a while. One of his neighbors, Rabbi Avi Indich, told me that every time he saw him, R’ Pinchas used to always have a vort to share with him. Rav Uri Orlian said the

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same thing – that the divrei Torah were always rolling off his mouth. Whether it was his own or someone else’s divrei Torah, he was always eager to share them. At times, when he would see Rav Shlomo Avigdor Altusky, he would share divrei Torah with him and would ask Rav Altusky to share divrei Torah with him. Reb Dovid Soclof told me that the night before he made his sons’ brissim, there would be a knock at the door. It was R’ Pinchas. He was there to say Shema with the baby. No fanfare, no accolades. He wanted to do what was right. He was a very caring person. No one ever heard a bad word out of his mouth – certainly not a word of lashon hara. He was a happy person, always with a smile on his face, always freilech. People loved him. His wife, Golda, may she have arichus yamim, told me that his biggest “problem” was that he cared so much. He would take $20 to davening and come home with nothing left.

He used to give it all out to tzedakah. At one point, they almost went into debt because he would want to give so much to tzedakah. But that was his mahus, his essence. He was so giving, so caring, so selfless. He had such a big heart. When talking about R’ Pinchas, people are using the term a “lamedvav tzaddik.” Now, we don’t really know who the lamed-vav tzaddikim are in every generation, but the fact that they feel, emotionally, that R’ Pinchas was one of the them speaks volumes about his character and about his neshama. His name was Pinchas Mordechai. Pinchas, in the Torah, did what was right for Hakadosh Baruch Hu and didn’t care about what would happen. He had to kill Zimri, and he risked his life to do so. Mordechai HaYehudi also put his life in danger by not bowing down to Haman – he did the right thing. R’ Pinchas Mordechai did the right thing – no matter what. Perhaps

it looked “funny” to some but his desire to do ratzon Hashem was foremost on his mind. He said brachos out loud – maybe some people thought it was interesting to do, but R’ Pinchas did what was right. Every word he said out loud, clearly. If something needed to be cleaned in HILI or seforim had to be put away, he did it. He didn’t have any airs about him. He wasn’t concerned about what people thought. He was so thirsty to be meshamesh and do what was right. Due to unfortunate circumstances, R’ Pinchas did not have a formal yeshiva education. However, he saved up some money and took it to HaRav Shlomo Freifeld, zt”l, and asked HaRav Freifeld if he could find a chavrusa for him. HaRav Freifeld told him, “Don’t worry; you can learn with me.” And they did. They learned together. Sometime later, R’ Pinchas realized that whatever money he gave to the Rosh Yeshiva was certainly not a lot – HaRav Freifeld was not doing it for pay – but he had such a desire to

learn. R’ Pinchas was devoted to his wife. They were always there for each other. Together, they were a very special couple and very good parents to their wonderful daughter, Rochel Leah. Although R’ Pinchas lived his life “under the radar,” his levaya was packed. So many anashim choshuvim came to be melave him and so many people in the community wanted to give him his kavod acharon. They recognized how he epitomized what it meant to be a true Torah Yid. He was a role model for us. R’ Pinchas taught us how to “chap a rein” time – learning Mishnayos, saying Tehillim, speaking and hearing divrei Torah. He didn’t let time go to waste. R’ Pinchas showed us what was important in this world. He did what was right and what was real. We can learn from his beautiful ways. May the lessons learned from this article be an aliyah for the neshama of Pinchas Mordechai ben Reuven Moshe, a”h.

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M E M O R Y

Remembering

Rabbi David Beitler, z”l By Mike Dube

few words about Rabbi David Beitler. A man who will never be forgotten and will always be my rabbi, star quarterback, grill master and above all, one of the most influential people in my life. I would not be who I am today without his guidance, friendship, words of wisdom and constant optimism. David Beitler was one of a kind. He redefined what it meant to be a teacher but with the love of a buddy. In 1991, I had just finished high school in Baltimore at Talmudical Academy, and, like many of my fellow classmates, I was not terribly interested in Torah learning, especially when it came to halacha and mussar. Nevertheless, I was excited to attend a yeshiva that was notorious for their incredible rabbis and their infamous abilities to connect with 18-19-year-old big shots, like myself, who thought they knew everything about life and the world around them. I was fortunate to be put in the lowest shiur, Rabbi Beitler’s shiur, and luckier still that I developed a lifelong relationship with a rabbi who understood me. We built a 30-year relationship that is eternal because of what I learned. How do you put into words the essence of this man? Rabbi Beitler was a guy’s guy. He loved to feed people, he never passed judgment, he accepted you for who

you were and not for who you wanted to become. He was one of those guys who just made you feel like someone.

And when it came to football he had a golden arm, like Tom Brady. Although he didn’t have a lot of mobility in his

I was fortunate to be put in the lowest shiur, Rabbi Beitler’s shiur, and luckier still that I developed a lifelong relationship with a rabbi who understood me.

fourth option. Always be ready is the lesson I learned. During one game, Rabbi Beitler had suffered the loss of a parent and was unable to quarterback the game, but Rabbi Slavin, another incredible rabbi, had a holy arm, and took us to the promised land. We learned to be tough; we even played a fighting game on cement! Rabbi Beitler had tremendous charisma and honesty and knew how to connect to the guys. I will miss him tremendously. His charisma, honesty, advice and friendship were true gifts that I will cherish forever. It was evident when attending his funeral how many lives he touched. There were many wellknown rabbis from different communities represented to honor this tzaddik. Reb Dovid, you taught me more than you can ever imagine, about life, religion, Torah, being real and running a football route to perfection. You will be missed but not forgotten. A great man once said, “It’s not the years in your life. It’s the life in your years.” Forever your student and friend, Mike Dube

He was caring, generous and would give you the shirt off his back. Rabbi Beitler knew how to connect with us!

pocket, he was the star quarterback in Neveh. We had an all-star football team where I learned patience as the

This article was originally printed in the Jewish Link in New Jersey.

Michael Dube, co-founder and president of Elite Method, has an incredible passion for working with kids and teaching them the skills needed to be successful in life. He stresses character building as much as strength and skill building. Michael is also co-founder of DubeZone, where he served as the inspiration and master trainer to a large coaching staff. Michael is considered an expert coach for his unique ability to connect with and transform every child with whom he works. His energy and enthusiasm are infectious, and he spreads his positive message through volunteerism, motivational speaking and the charity he co-founded, Sharing Seats, which has given away thousands of event and sporting tickets to children in need. “Coach Mike,” as he is affectionately called, is an inspiration to many and is very much looking forward to continuing his passion in helping kids through the development of Elite Method.

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1. What is the fear of numbers called? a. Numbphobia b. Mathaphobia c. Arithmophobia d. Gocrzyfromnumbersphobia 2. You are offered a job as a school janitor for the month of September. The school administrator offers to pay you $73 a day, or if you want, he will put you on the penny plan, which is: he will pay you one penny the first day and double your salary for each subsequent day for the entire month. What should you do? a. You’ll take the $73 a day because if you go on the penny plan you wouldn’t even make that amount the whole month b. You’ll take the penny plan c. The Trivia Commissioner is trying to be tricky because it’s obvious that I’d be better off with $73 a day but the Trivia Commissioner is trying to trip me up with a silly question! d. You don’t want to work for a boss who is trying to get you to work for pennies…good luck finding someone!

3. The school candy machine sells only 2 things: Reisman cookies and potato chips, which together cost $1.20. We know that the cookie costs $1 more than the potato chips. How much does the bag of chips cost? a. $0.50 b. 0.25 c. $0.20 d. $0.10 4. I am a three-digit odd palindromic number that ends in 9. The sum of my individual digits is 24. Which number am I (hint: I am the age of the oldest person in the Torah, Mesushelach, when he died)? a. Sorry, can’t make this question multiple choice…If you don’t like it, go complain to the Trivia Commissioner, which happens to be me…

Answers: 1. C- The fear of numbers is called arithmophobia. The only times I get it is when I go on the scale. 2. B- If you took the $73 a day plan, you lost your chance to become a millionaire. If you took the penny plan, then you would have made $5,368,709.12 by the thirtieth day (that’s right over $5 million!!) Oh, and by the way, if it was a 31 day month, then you would have walked home with a total of $10,737,418.24 (because remember: your salary doubles every day). So you $73-dollar-a-day guys, you ought to brush up on your math or go buy a lotto ticket! 3. D-The cookie costs $1.10 and the potato chips costs $0.10. That is the only way there is a dollar difference between the price of the 2 items. 4. The number is in the form of 9_9. So we will just have to fill in the blank. 24 - 9 - 9 = 6. So, 969 is the number we are looking for. Report Card 4 correct - The Trivia Commissioner thinks you’re a wacky genius, are you? 2 - 3 correct - You may be smart, but if you took the $73 a day plan, then your smarts were useless when they were needed most. 1 correct - Not bad. The school year is starting. Just pay attention in math class and things will start to add up. 0 correct - Maybe my arithmophobia is kicking in but what percentage did you get right? I am having a hard time wrapping my head around all the zeros.

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Writ in g Ass ign m ent Cheat Sheet evant) are unnecessary. An Parenthetical remark s (however rel e rse than an understatement. On exaggeration is a billion times wo tences? Eliminate. Who needs sen ord e-w On e. liz era gen ver ne should s ry sentence and remember alway rhetorical questions? capitalize eve ts in the negative form. Proofread en tem sta t pu t no Do nt poi th wi end it use a double negation. And don’t carefully for typoes. Don’t never s. . Comparisons are as bad as cliché on cti jun con a th wi ce ten sen a start on t apropos. Don’t overuse exclamati Foreign words and phrases are no so and avoid mixing metaphors. Al nd ha the by ll bu the ke Ta ! s!!! mark , dancies. If you reread your work too, never, ever use repetitive redun l of repetition can be avoided by dea at gre a ing ead rer on d fin you can see if you words out. Last to lly efu car ead ofr Pro g. tin edi rereading and plague! but not least, avoid cliches like the

Dear Dad,

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You Gotta be Kidding Me! “Dad,” said Little Johnny, “I want to play with my friends outside. Would you please do my homework for me?” Little Johnny’s father said irately, “Son, it just wouldn’t be right.” “That’s OK,” replied Little Johnny, “but you could at least give it a try, couldn’t you?”

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Torah Thought

Parshas Nitzavim By Rabbi Berel Wein

owards the conclusion of his long final oration to the Jewish people, our teacher Moshe refers once more to the covenant between G-d and Israel. A covenant is much more than a relationship or an agreement. Covenants, in the Jewish sense of the word, are not altered by changing times and differing circumstances. A covenant has the ring of eternity, not only in time but also in content. Covenants are immutable and unchangeable. They have a binding quality that ordinary agreements or even contracts do not possess. And this is true from the beginning of the story of the Jewish people, and maybe even from the beginning of history and G-d’s relationship to human beings as Creator. We find in the story of the Flood and the rainbow, that the relationship is always based on a binding and unchangeable covenant. The Jewish people have always sensed the gravity of the covenantal relationship with G-d. It is the sole explanation for all the events and patterns of Jewish history from the

time of Abraham until today. We are a covenantal people and are bound by restrictions and fueled by prophetic vision and utopian hope. Only a people who feel themselves part of and bound by an

tion, this binding covenant between G-d and the Jewish people. It is well understood why Moshe ﬁlls this ﬁnal oration to the Jewish people with references and lessons, explicit and implicit, to the covenant

Only a people who feel themselves part of and bound by an eternal covenant would have the strength and the ability to survive and even prosper.

eternal covenant would have the strength and the ability to survive and even prosper under the circumstances of persecution and enmity that have surrounded the Jewish world from time immemorial. It is no cause for wonder why the circumcision ceremony in Jewish life is always called the covenant, for it represents in a physical manifesta-

and to Sinai as the basis of Jewish existence. Only the power of a covenant is strong and mighty enough to guarantee the survival and resilience of the Jewish people. But the shepherd knows very well the weaknesses and strengths of his ﬂock. The 40-year sojourn in the desert has been a learning experience for Moshe, and through his example,

for all future leaders of the Jewish people in all times and under all circumstances. The one thing that Moshe feels is deeply implanted within his people is this idea of a covenant. It is this covenant that creates within us the feeling of being special, chosen and bound by a mission that is far greater than the mundane activities of even life itself. The covenant contains many harsh conditions and predictions. It also portrays an exalted future and a continual message of productivity and inﬂuence, that will permeate Jewish society. The vital behavior of the Jewish people, its ability to rise to all occasions, is based on our appreciation of the covenantal relationship between G-d and Israel. Individually, there are many Jews that may not feel bound or even be aware of the existence of this covenant. But within the Jewish soul, as part of our DNA so to speak, we know that we are a covenantal people, and we are charged to think and behave accordingly. Shabbat shalom.

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From the Fire Parshas Nitzavim

A Backstage Pass to Divine Service By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

he Torah (Devarim 30:11-14) tells us, “For this mitzvah which I command you today is not concealed for you, nor is it distant. It is not in Heaven that you should say, ‘Who will go up to Heaven for us and take it for us that we may hear it and do it?’ Nor is it on the other side of the ocean...for the matter is very close to you in your mouth and in your heart to do it.” When the pasuk says “this mitzvah,” which mitzvah is it referring to? According to Rashi, the Ohr Hachaim, and others, this refers to all the mitzvos of the Torah. According to this, the Torah is telling us that all of Yiddishkeit, all of Torah and mitzvos, is attainable and within our grasp. According to the Ramban, however, because it says “this mitzvah,” it seems to refer to one specific mitzvah rather than mitzvos generally, so he explains that it refers to the mitzvah

of teshuva. But even according to the Ramban, teshuva also means a return to the totality of Torah, to all of Yiddishkeit, not just one mitzvah. In any case, the Torah seems to take a person’s initial feeling that true attainment of Torah is impossible seriously. Rather than dismissing the false feeling that the Torah’s demands of a person are too difficult to fulfill, the Torah expends several pesukim addressing this misimpression head-on. Rav Leib Chasmin, zt”l, one of the great baalei mussar, asks a serious question on these pesukim. Anyone who has studied Gemara is familiar with the concepts of “hava amina” and “maskana.” A “hava amina” is an explanation or opinion which is considered but ultimately rejected by the Gemara. The “maskana” is the Gemara’s ultimate conclusion. Usually, the hava amina has some relationship to

the maskana and is not completely off-base. For instance, if one person says that flights from New York to Los Angeles last six and a half to seven hours, but someone who has actually taken the flight corrects him and says that the flight lasts only six hours, this is a good example of a hava amina and a maskana. The hava amina is not totally off-base but shares some resemblance to the maskana. In contrast, it would be absurd if someone had a hava amina that the flight lasts only five minutes. Such a thought is not even worthy of being considered as a viable hava amina. In fact, the Gemara and later commentaries often go to great lengths to understand the basis of each hava amina of the Gemara notwithstanding the fact that it is ultimately rejected. The two are usually someone close to one another. Rav Chasmin asks why the hava

amina and maskana of the pesukim seem to have absolutely no relationship to one another here. The hava amina is that Torah and mitzvos are virtually impossible to attain. But the maskana is that, in fact, they are easy, a cinch. Why would the Torah take our natural basic tendency to see Torah and mitzvos as seriously demanding and nearly impossible to truly attain seriously if such an impression is completely and totally off-base? Rav Chasmin offers an incredibly deep explanation. He explains that there are two perspectives: the view of the outsider and the view of the insider. The outsider’s perspective is the view of one who, even if he is religious, has not yet entered into the world of serving G-d. We can understand this by considering someone who is not Jewish and cannot fathom how a person can go 24 hours with-

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out watching TV, checking his email, going on the internet, or driving in a car. Such a life seems impossible, intolerable. But that is only because he is an outsider. For us, who are insiders and experience Shabbos every week, we cannot imagine life without Shabbos. Rather than seeing Shabbos as an impossibility, we recognize that it is the source of life and is therefore a cinch to keep. The Torah’s recognition of our hava amina is addressing the perspective of the body, our physical nature which is not yet initiated into the world of G-dliness. From that outsider’s perspective, Torah and mitzvos seem impossible, distant, and out-ofreach. Yet the Torah’s maskana is that Hashem invites us to come inside, to try out Torah and mitzvos from an insider’s perspective. When we do that, we will see that our previous perspective, the perspective of the body, was totally off-base. I have spoken with a number of people who have told me, “I cannot get

up early in the morning to learn before davening. I must not one of those people. It’s too hard.” The truth is that they only say this because they’re looking at Torah and mitzvos from an

So Hashem is inviting us in and telling us, “Precious children, do not remain outside. Come in and taste the sweetness of Torah. The truth is that when you know what it is, it’s not

They will realize that they are insiders with backstage passes to a world of G-dliness.

outsider’s perspective. If these people would just try it out for a few days, their neshamos would receive such nourishment from the experience that they would experience a jolt of energy and begin to wonder how anyone could live without starting their day with Torah. Those who do this know that when a person starts his day with learning instead of going straight to work, his whole day is different. This is the perspective of an insider.

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an impossible mountain to scale. It’s a cinch and you will wonder how you ever lived without it.” How is He able to tell us this? Because He knows us better than anyone else. Many of us have heard our children tell us that they cannot do something we expect of them. But because we know our children and their potential better than they know it themselves, we can tell them that we know they can do it, that they are entirely capable, and that it is a cinch if they would just come inside and see themselves as capable and worthy. Similarly, Hashem knows us better than anyone else and recognizes that we are ready and able to enter into His service as soon as we muster up the strength to see ourselves as insiders and walk into the world of Divine service. It is only the outsider who says, as Bilaam did (Bamidbar 24:17), “I see it but it is not close.” He can see G-dliness and the ultimate redemption but they seem so far away. This is only because he is looking in from the outside. The Jewish people, on the other hand, say, as Yeshaya Hanavi did (Yeshaya 56:1), “For My salvation is near to come and My goodness to be revealed.” We recognize that even the ultimate redemption is not some faroff ideal, but an imminent revelation worth hoping and davening for. Our job in educating our children is to show them the excitement of Yiddishkeit so that they will realize that Hashem, Torah, and mitzvos are already in their minds and hearts. They will realize that they are insiders with backstage passes to a world of G-dliness. Rav Shlomo Freifeld, zt”l, the rosh yeshiva of Sh’or Yoshuv in Far Rock-

away, NY, whom I was zocheh to be close to, once related that he met a Jew from Tulsa, Oklahoma. This Jew told Rav Freifeld that when his friends heard he was traveling to New York, they told him he should go to Broadway to see the show “South Pacific.” So, when he came to New York, he went to Broadway to the theater and tried to buy a ticket to the show. But the box office staff told him that the show for that night was sold out. He could buy tickets for two months in the future but there were no more seats for that night. He tried explaining that he was an important person in his industry, but it was no use. Rav Freifeld related that the man told him that he came up with an idea. He came back to the theater later that night and asked one of the people coming out of the show for their ticket stub. That way, he could show the stub to his friends back in Tulsa and they would think that he had seen “South Pacific” on Broadway. What a foolish concept! Rav Friefeld warned the listeners not to be like this person, never going inside but carrying the trappings of Yiddishkeit around with us as if to say, “Look, I put on tefillin this morning. I finished the daf today. I davened Shacharis, Mincha, and Maariv today. I must be an insider,” when we have never experienced the inside of the service of G-d. Hashem calls out to us, “The matter is very close to you! In your mouth and in your heart to do it!” A person doesn’t need to look in from the outside. All we need to do is serve Hashem in truth and, we will see that it is not as impossible it is seems from the body’s perspective. We will see that we already have it within us to come inside and live Torah and mitzvos with vitality because we were born to do it. May Hashem bless all of us that we should enter into the world of the service of Hashem as insiders and recognize that Torah, rather than being impossible, is the most natural thing in the world.

Rav Moshe Weinberger, shlita, is the founding Morah d’Asrah of Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, NY, and serves as leader of the new mechina Emek HaMelech.

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Sparks of Light

The Jewish Paradox By Rebbetzin Chanie Wolowik

s Judaism concerned with heaven or earth? The spiritual or the material? It’s not such a simple question. In Judaism, we are constantly faced with a paradox that the only way to reach the highest spiritual levels is through physicality. Indeed, this is the entire reason why the pure and lofty soul came down to this world. It is because the ultimate connection to Hashem is through serving Him through mitzvos; mitzvos are physical actions that by definition can only be done while in a body. It is told that when the Vilna Gaon was on his deathbed, he was crying. His students surrounding him asked why he was crying. Could it be that he feared judgment? It was known that the Gaon spent every waking minute of his life immersed in Torah study. Literally, for decades, he never ceased studying. The Gaon clasped his tallis katan and cried, “I will soon be leaving a world where for a few kopeks one can buy tzitzis and thereby do a mitzvah every second he wears them. I am heading for a world where one cannot acquire a single mitzvah for all of the treasures of that world.” The paradox of Judaism is that we simultaneously yearn for the loftiest

spiritual heights while recognizing the profound importance of being in a body in this physical world. The life of a Jew is about constantly embracing that paradox. When we want to be spiritual, we don’t do it by going to a mountaintop to meditate by ourselves. We do it by performing a simple, practical action, whether it

something physical and sanctifies it so that it brings Hashem’s Presence into her family’s home. And this is the essence of all mitzvos and the purpose of Judaism in general. Our job is to live as bodies in the physical world, not to avoid it but to lift it up through using it to do Hashem’s will. This coming year, 5782, is a Sab-

When we want to be spiritual, we don’t do it by going to a mountaintop to meditate by ourselves.

be lighting Shabbos candles, giving tzedakah, or performing any other mitzvah. The role of the Jewish woman places even more emphasis on this paradox of achieving spirituality through physicality. For instance, the Jewish woman is primarily responsible for maintaining the kashrus of the food in her family’s home. In other words, she takes something as mundane as eating and elevates it to a spiritual act. Similarly, the mitzvah of family purity through mikveh takes

batical year, the seventh year of the agricultural cycle in the Land of Israel when Jewish farmers are commanded to rest from working the land. There is something very special about the Sabbatical year which really represents the essence of Judaism. The English word “Sabbatical” literally means “Sabbath-like,” which is accurate to the wording of this mitzvah in the Torah (Vayikra 25:2), “When you come to the land that I am giving you, the land shall rest a Shabbos to the L-rd.” So the seventh

year is called Shabbos, just like the seventh day is called Shabbos. However, there is an advantage that the seventh year has over the seventh day. The seventh day is a Shabbos when we are completely removed from anything worldly or mundane. We are forbidden from any work at all. In contrast, during the seventh year we are involved in regular life. We continue to tend to all other business and mundane affairs. The only limitations are in respect to agriculture. Thus, the Baal Shem Tov explained that the words “the land shall rest a Shabbos to the L-rd” means that through the observance of the Sabbatical year, the quality of “Shabbos,” i.e., complete spirituality, is brought down into “the land,” i.e., materiality. And in this sense, the Sabbatical year is even greater than Shabbos for it brings the spirituality of Shabbos into worldly affairs. This means that all year long, even when we are tending to our practical matters, we are connected to the idea of Shabbos-like rest. And this is really the phenomenon found in every mitzvah – the ultimate spiritual connection is reached in living ordinary, everyday life in accordance with the will of Hashem.

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Listening to the Shofar, Becoming the Shofar BY RAV YAAKOV FEITMAN

hat exactly is Rosh Hashana all about? If one answers that it is the day that we are judged, this response is not at all clear as being correct. Rav Yosef Elyashiv, zt”l, (Sefer He’aros on Maseches Rosh Hashana, page 86, on RH 16a) struggles with the diﬀerence between the daily judgment we all undergo and that of Rosh Hashana. In other words, the essence of Rosh Hashana may not be in the judgment from heaven as much as in what we do to prepare for this holy day. Therefore, let us look for a moment at what we can gain from Rosh Hashana immediately, even before formal judgment or decisions about our lives have been made. Chazal (Rosh Hashana 26b) teach that the shofar should be bent or curved because on Rosh Hashana “the more that we bend and submit ourselves, the better things will be.” But what exactly does this mean? The pasuk (Bamidbar 29:2) tells us concerning the korban of Rosh Hashana “and you shall make the korban olah.” Now, the usual word used in this context is v’hikravtem (and you shall offer). Why does the Torah change the language about the Rosh Hashana korban? Chazal answer that on Rosh Hashana “a person must make himself into the korban olah.” We have all begun saying Selichos, which is supposed to begin at least four days before Rosh Hashana. The reason for these four days is that just as an animal being oﬀered as a korban re-

quired four days of examination, so do we, ourselves, require at least four days of self-examination to be worthy of a good result on Rosh Hashana. Rav Aharon Leib Steinman, zt”l, further explains this concept by an analysis of all the yomim tovim. On Pesach, we are judged concerning the crops, so we eat a grain product, matzah. On Shavuos, we are judged concerning the fruit trees, so we bring Bikkurim. On Sukkos, we are judged concerning the water, so we wave the lulav, esrog, hadassim and aravos, which grow by the water. But on Rosh Hashana, we, ourselves, are judged, so we, in effect, offer ourselves in lieu of a sacrifice, and so we must make ourselves into a korban. Now, we do not believe in human sacrifice, so what exactly are we offering to Hashem? The answer is that we are offering our complete and total subjugation to our Creator. In case we don’t know how exactly to do this or the power that this carries, let me share a story Rav Yitzchok Kolodetzky, shlita (rosh kollel and son-in-law of Rav Chaim Kanievsky, shlita), told when he visited our shul. In Rechasim, there is a charedi girls’ school, where a student was deemed exceptional by her teachers and principals alike for her tzniyus, yiras shomayim and general demeanor. On P.T.A. night, her father arrived for his meeting, a man with long hair, many tattoos, and other indications of being far from traditional Judaism.

The Menahel gently asked the father: how did you merit having such an amazing daughter? He answered with the following story: “Twenty-five years ago, there were important elections happening in the Knesset, and Rav Ovadya Yosef visited the moshav where I live. He was wearing the special garb of the Rishon R’Tzion – the Sephardic Chief Rabbi – and I lined up with everyone else for the privilege of greeting him and receiving his blessing. I certainly wanted to kiss his hand and speak to him, but I knew that he would ask me do something. I was so moved by the moment that I decided that I would abide by whatever he tells me to do. However, I was extremely afraid that he would command me to keep Shabbat or kashrut, and I was terrified. I didn’t think that I was ready or able to accept such a difficult assignment. When my turn came, he said to me in powerful tones, ‘Send your children to a chareidi school and you will have nachat from them.’ “This commitment, too, scared me very much but I had decided to follow whatever he demanded, and I kept my word. It was very difficult, but I am glad that we sent our children. Now I am truly blessed by how they turned out.” Rav Kolodetzky concluded the anecdote by saying, “What do we learn from this story? When someone, even one who is far from Torah and mitzvos, bends his head to his Maker, he has been mekabel ohl malchus

Shomayim. That in and of itself can result in a wonderful daughter such as this man has. This is represented by the posuk that we recite before the blowing of the shofar: “Happy is the nation which knows the teruah” (Tehillim 89:16). This means “the nation which knows how to subjugate themselves to Hashem.” When the nation does this properly, the result is the end of this posuk: “Hashem b’ohr panecha yehaleichun,” they merit walking by the light of Hashem’s face. We, too, on Rosh Hashana, say the ten passages which constitute Malchiyos, Hashem’s royalty. When we fully accept Hashem as our King, only could good things result. That is the true essence of Rosh Hashana. Of course, we are judged, but then again, every day is a day of judgment. However, Rosh Hashana oﬀers closeness not just to a great tzaddik, a gadol b’Yisrael, but to the Creator Himself. In fact, not only do we acknowledge His majesty, but we participate in His coronation. That is certainly an incredible honor, but like the young woman’s father, it carries responsibilities as well. G-d willing, if we are as loyal and committed in our words as that father, we will also be zocheh to the fulﬁllment of all our prayers with a kesivah v’chasima tova for all.

Rav Yaakov Feitman is the rav of Kehillas Bais Yehudah Tzvi in Cedarhurst, NY.

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Sparks of Light

Coronating the King on His Terms By Rabbi Benny Berlin

he day of Rosh Hashana is identified in the Torah as Yom Teruah (a day of blowing a teruah sound), and thus it is integrally connected to the mitzvah of shofar. On the surface, the shofar is not unique. Throughout the year we have many object-related mitzvos at various seasonal celebrations to remind us of important moments in our history. Matzah is an important symbol of Pesach, the sukkah reminds us of the clouds of glory in the Midbar on Sukkos, and ner Chanukah reminds us of the Chanukah miracle. The Gemara in Rosh Hashanah 16a asks why we specifically take the shofar from a ram, and Rabbi Avuhu answers that Hashem prefers a ram because this will allow Bnai Yisrael to remember and connect with that great moment of akeidas Yitzchak which will then give them credit as if they had bound and sacrificed themselves before Hashem. However, the shofar turned out to be a tangential point of the story of the Akeida, which would remove it from the category of symbolic objects directly related to the holidays. Furthermore, the Akeida is not “akeidas ayal (ram),” and Rosh Hashana is not about korbanos. While the ram is something Avraham brings as an afterthought, it was a substitution for the sacrifice of Yitzchak, which therefore imbued it as a particular object in representing the profound faith exhibited by Avraham and Yitzchak in their willingness to give up everything for Hashem. But how does the sound of the shofar come to define our Rosh Hashana experience? At the moment the ram appears, Avraham was, of course, ready to sacrifice his son, and at that last fateful moment he heard the sound of a mal-

ach who called to him to stop and then praised but does not reward him. After that, Avraham brought a ram in place of his son Yitzchak, and at that point the pasuk promises him reward upon reward.

frustrated and disappointed, and we often express our frustration by complaining or sometimes withdrawing entirely. Rashi profoundly points out that Avraham Avinu felt a mix of emotions

Human nature is that when things don’t go our way, we tend to become frustrated and disappointed.

Why is that? It does not make sense. Hashem knew beforehand that Avraham’s faith was ironclad the moment he was willing to bring his actual son to the Akeida. The Torah tells us his hand was even in the air ready to shecht him. So what is the signiﬁcance of the ram in this story? Human nature is that when things don’t go our way, we tend to become

– of course he was thrilled to not have to kill his son, but he was frustrated to have geared up to this moment only to ﬁnd out that it was not meant to be. But instead of moping and complaining that this was not the religious experience he prepared for, Avraham lifts his eye and sees a ram that is caught in the thicket and takes that as a substitute in the place of what he thought he was expected to achieve.

And that is the deeper message that leads us into our Rosh Hashana this year. There are still so many aspects of the Rosh Hashanah experience that are out of our control and tainted by the uncertainty of the situation around us. Naturally, a reaction many of us might have is to throw up our hands in frustration and disappointment. There is a disgruntled sense of “not again – this is not how I wanted the High Holidays to be, especially after the limited nature of last year’s High Holidays as well. I was sure the world would be back to normal by now!” But perhaps we need to be more like Avraham Avinu. The proper reaction is to stop and recognize that for reasons we cannot understand, this is what Hashem wants from us at this time. When Avraham Avinu was willing to put it all on the line, Hashem was impressed, but he was seemingly more impressed when he was able to change gears at the drop of a hat and do it another way with just as much zeal! This also serves as a beautiful reminder that Rosh Hashana is the day we are coronating the King on His terms, not ours. This is a day that we achieve a state of profound submission before the will of the Al-mighty, and what better way to demonstrate our submission than to serve him on hHs terms and not on ours? Ki anu amechah v’ata Elokenu... let us bring our expectations for what “should be” as a sacriﬁce to Hashem this Rosh Hashana and truly coronate the King on His terms as He wants it to be.

Rabbi Benny Berlin is the rabbi of the BACH Jewish Center in Long Beach.

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

ON BEHALF OF SBA LOAN GROUP, I WOULD LIKE TO WISH YOU A SWEET NEW YEAR, A KSIVA V'CHASIMA TOVA!

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SOME SEE BUILDINGS. O T H E R S S E E E T E R N I T Y.

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

Yeshiva Darchei Torah’s new capital project will encompass a Mesivta Beis Medrash and its first-ever Residence Hall. This project will empower generations of talmidim to learn, thrive and grow in an environment conducive to their lofty calling. Long after the final brick is laid, your gift will continue to accrue dividends. Some look at these plans and see bricks and mortar. Our visionary builders see eternity.

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THE BIVETSKY FAMILY SHAAR HATORAH

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RESIDENCE HALL AND TORAH CENTER

‫ה ליב ע”ה‬-‫לע”נ שלום ראובן בן ארי‬

MESIVTA BEIS MEDRASH BUILDING

MESIVTA BEIS MEDRASH

ANONYMOUS

MR. & MRS. BENZION & MIRIAM HEITNER

ANONYMOUS Residence Hall Cornerstone

‫לע”נ ישראל הלוי לעווין ע”ה‬ ‫ואלישבע בתיה קפלן ע”ה‬

THE BLOOM FAMILY

Beis Medrash Vestibule Entrance

‫לע”נ ר‘ ישראל‬ ‫בן ר‘ בנימין הכהן ע”ה‬

‫לע”נ‬ ‫דוד בן משה ע”ה‬ ‫הר‘ משה נתן בן יחזקאל ע”ה‬ ‫וישראל בן אברהם ע”ה‬

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MESIVTA OTZAR HASEFORIM

THE SCHRON FAMILY

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DEDICATION OF CAMP ORAYSA CAMPUS In Memory of Mrs. Marta Schron ‫ע”ה‬

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DR. & MRS. YOSSI & ZIVIA SCHWARTZ

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Dedicated by Mr. & Mrs. Yaakov & Rivky Jacobovitch

Mesivta Beis Medrash Building Cornerstone

Preschool Cornerstone

‫לע”נ חוה בת דב ע”ה‬

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Mr. & Mrs. Chaim Sholom & Rivky Leibowitz

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Sha’ar of New Beis Medrash

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New Life on Rosh Hashana BY RABBI DANIEL GLATSTEIN

the Mussaf of Rosh Hashana, at the end of the bracha of Shofaros, we state, “Ki atah shomeiah kol shofar u’ma’azin teruah v’ein domeh Lach. Baruch Atah Hashem shomeah kol teru’as amo Yisroel.” The words “v’ein domeh Lach, and there is no one comparable to You,” seem superfluous; they seemingly do not lend anything to the bracha. They are a truism that can be inscribed in any bracha, to any tefillah, yet, it is added only to the bracha of Shofaros. Why? In addition, there is a concept in halacha that we require “me’ein hachasimah samuch lachasimah, the words near the conclusion of a bracha must be similar to and reflect the subject of the bracha’s closing words.” The words that immediately precede the Baruch Atah at the end of a bracha must address the same subject as the closing words of the bracha. The addition of the words v’ein domeh Lach, however, seem to be in contradiction to this halachic rule, as they are completely unrelated to the conclusion of the bracha. It would seem more logical to omit the words v’ein domeh Lach so that the praise of Hashem — that He is attentive to our shofar blasts — will flow seamlessly into the conclusion of the bracha. These words, v’ein domeh Lach, therefore, must be articulating a central theme fundamental to Rosh Hashanah and the mitzvah of shofar.

The Tefillah of the Shofar We have learned that in addition to the fact that tekias shofar is one of the 248 mitzvos asei, positive command-

ments, there is another dimension of tekias shofar: It is a form of tefillah, of prayer to Hashem. What type of tefillah is shofar; what is it requesting? Merubim tzarchei amcha, the needs of Hashem’s nation are numerous. We all have many wants and needs to request of Hashem: health, parnassah, children. Everyone has nisyonos, challenges for which they need assistance. The Ribbono shel Olam recognizes this, and therefore He gives us a gift: the shofar. The sound of the shofar is the unarticulated cry of the Jew. “Ribbono shel Olam, I throw my burden on You! I cannot articulate the many needs I have, but from the sound of the shofar You are able to understand what we need! Ki atah shomeiah kol shofar; You are able to understand the tefillah of the shofar, which includes even needs of which we are unaware. v’ein domeh Lach, and there is no one like You, Who could hear in the sound of the shofar the myriad requests and needs that we have, both those we wish to articulate and those that we cannot articulate. You, Hashem, are able to uncover and discover the true requirements of every Jew. It is the sound of the shofar that encapsulates and encompasses the unarticulated cry for all of man’s needs. There is no one like You, Hashem — for only You can hear all of this in the cry of the shofar.” There is, however, a deeper explanation for the words v’ein domeh Lach, There is no one like You, as these words have a very specific connotation. These words refer to the ability, specific to Hashem, of divining these unarticulated prayers.

Expectations of a Miracle The Tur cites the following, based on a Midrash: We groom ourselves before Rosh Hashana. We take haircuts and bathe, despite the Yom HaDin that is approaching. There is no nation like Klal Yisrael, who know the methodology of their G-d, His customs and laws. When one is about to be judged, especially for a capital offense, he wears black clothing as if in mourning, he lets his hair grow wild and unkempt, he does not cut his nails, and he does not bathe. He is so frightened of the upcoming trial, he is so consumed with fear, that he cannot even focus his mind on personal hygiene. The Bnei Yisrael, however, are different. As the Yom HaDin approaches, we dress in white clothing, we cut our hair, we trim our beards, we cut our nails. We do groom ourselves irrespective of the upcoming judgment. We even go so far as to have festive meals, replete with delicacies. The Tur concludes: we are confident that Hashem will perform a miracle. What does the Tur mean, we are confident in the performance of a miracle? What miracle occurs on Rosh Hashanah? The Tur should simply write that we are confident that we will be zocheh in the judgment, that we will have a favorable din, and that we conduct ourselves in this fashion because we feel assured that we will be acquitted. What is the miracle to which he is referring? Rav Moshe Shapiro, cited in the sefer Az Yashir by Rav Moshe Schwerd, teaches that the key to understanding what transpires on Rosh Hashanah is contained in the three

words: v’ein domeh Lach. We use this expression in two places in davening. Every day, in every Shemoneh Esrei, in the bracha of Atah gibor, we say, Who is like You, Master of mighty deeds, and who can be compared to You, King Who causes death and restores life. The words “u’mi domeh Lach, and who can be compared to You” in this context refer specifically to Techiyas HaMeisim. Hashem has infinite abilities, and He can perform endless wonders. Here is one example worth mentioning: A fetus in utero does not breathe through its lungs. It receives oxygen from the mother, via the umbilical cord. The lungs are not used for respiration. As the baby’s blood returns to its heart, to the right atrium, there is no need for that blood to proceed to the right ventricle and subsequently to the pulmonary artery — to the lungs — since the baby’s blood does not receive oxygen from its lungs. Rather, the blood from the right atrium proceeds directly to the left atrium via an opening in the heart, the foramen ovale, bypassing the lungs and pulmonary circulation. But a baby couldn’t survive after birth, even briefly, with a hole in its heart. Miraculously, when a baby is born and cries for the first time and starts to breathe, the lungs inflate and the foramen ovale closes. This forces the blood in the right atrium to now go to the right ventricle and then to the lungs in order to receive oxygen. This incredible miracle enables a child to survive after birth, and yet it is not classified as u’mi domeh Lach. There is only one single miracle, one neis, that we reference by saying,

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“Hashem, there is no one like You. No one can do this except You, Hashem.” This is the miracle of Techiyas HaMeisim. The Gemara states that the day will come when Hashem will knock on a person’s grave and rouse him. Hashem will reconstitute each person. The Gemara tells us, “Hashem mibashan ashiv, Hashem will restore even from the Bashan.” If, chas v’shalom, someone drowned and his body decomposed and his atoms were deposited in all corners of the world, when it comes time for Techiyas HaMeisim, Hashem will reconstitute and re-create the person; He will gather all the tiny particles from all over the world and rebuild the person. This is the greatest miracle in This World. In reference to this miracle of Techiyas HaMeisim we declare: u’mi domeh Lach. The second place in davening that we use this phrase is in the birchas Krias Shema that we recite on Shabbos morning. Once again, this phrase about the incomparable nature of Hashem refers to Techiyas HaMeisim, as the piyut concludes, “V’ein domeh Lach moshiainu l’techiyas ha’meisim!” Why, then, in the bracha of Shofaros do we utilize the phrase v’ein domeh Lach? What does Shofaros have to do with Techiyas HaMeisim? A halacha brought in Shulchan Aruchstates that when one sees a friend whom he has not seen during the past thirty days, he recites the bracha Shehecheyanu. We do not observe this custom in our times. As there are many forms of communication nowadays, we are safe to assume that our friend is still alive even though we have not seen him; otherwise, we would have expected to have heard of his demise. The halacha further states that when one sees a friend whom he has not seen in over twelve months, he recites the bracha Mechayeh HaMeisim. The Mishnah Berurah discusses the basis and rationale for this bracha. He quotes the Maharsha, who explains that since on every Rosh Hashana a person is judged either for life or for the alternative, on every Rosh Hashana each person’s life is on the line. Therefore, if one has not seen his friend in twelve months, that means that his friend has experienced and survived the din of Rosh Hashana. Surviving the din is comparable to Techiyas HaMeisim. Therefore, since his friend has experienced a form of Te-

chiyas HaMeisim, it is appropriate for him to recite the bracha of Mechayei HaMeisim.

Rosh Hashanah is Revivification! We are learning that we have a fundamental misinterpretation in our understanding of Rosh Hashana. We tend to think that what is occurring on Rosh Hashanah is that we, who are alive and in good health, come before Hashem and ask Him to maintain the

Rav Shlomo Heiman, the illustrious Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivah Torah Vodaas, related with great emotion the moving drasha he heard on Leil Selichos, the ﬁrst night of Selichos, from the Granat,9 the Gaon Rav Naftali Tropp, before he led the davening in the yeshivah in Radin as the chazan for Selichos. In Selichos we say, “K’dalim u’krashim dafaknu delasecha, like paupers and poor men do we bang on

We stand before Hashem, not with life in hand and a request to continue it, but rather with nothing at all, and we ask Hashem to please revivify us. status quo. Hashem, please continue to keep matters just as they are; after all, each of us is a muchzak, is in possession of his resources and success and hamotzi mechaveiro alav hara’ayah, the burden of proof is on You, Hashem, to repossess them. I have health, I have life, and I have money – the onus is on You, Ribbono shel Olam, to come up with a valid reason to change the existing circumstances. Meanwhile, let everything remain the way it’s always been. But this is not what is happening. We learn from the Maharsha and from the Anshei Knesses HaGedolah’s use of v’ein domeh Lach in our davening on Rosh Hashana that when Rosh Hashana comes and a new year begins, all bets are oﬀ. The lease has ended. The eviction notice has arrived in the mail. The status quo enjoyed until now is no longer viable — it has been terminated. There is no chazakah, established right, there is no status quo, and there are no assumptions. We stand before Hashem, not with life in hand and a request to continue it, but rather with nothing at all, and we ask Hashem to please revivify us. We come before Hashem on Rosh Hashana like meisim, the dead, but, as the Tur says, we are conﬁdent that Hashem will perform a miracle for us. And what is the miracle that we anticipate? It is the miracle of u’mi domeh Lach, the miracle of Techiyas HaMeisim.

Your door.” What does this teﬁllah mean? It does not matter how much money a person has in his bank account, or how healthy he may be. On Rosh Hashana we stand before Hashem like paupers. We stand before Hashem with no chazakah, no status quo, no money, no family, and we hope that Hashem will revivify us, for the lease has ended. “Like paupers and poor men, we bang on Your door.”

One Year at a Time The sefer Az Yashir cites, in the name of Rav Moshe Shapiro, that the Arizal taught that on Rosh Hashana, Hashem does not grant a person years for the duration of his life. He does not give one person a din for a longevity of a hundred years, and another person for eighty-two. Hashem is judging us solely for the upcoming year. Hashem takes it one year at a time. Our lease on life is only extended for a year; it must be renewed annually. Nothing decreed on Rosh Hashanah aﬀects more than just the one year that is starting. At the end of each year, every person’s lease on life is up. He has to come before Hashem in judg-

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ment and be adjudicated. The lease on life may or may not be renewed. When one merits the gift of another additional year, when he is victorious in din, it is truly as if he is experiencing Techiyas HaMeisim. When we stand before the Ribbono Shel Olam on Rosh Hashana, we are asking Hashem to please perform this miracle for us. Please perform the greatest miracle in Your repertoire, the miracle whose key was never given over even to the malachei hashareis. That is why it is a miracle that is referred to with the phrase v’ein domeh Lach. Mi kamocha ba’al gevuros u’mi domeh Lach refers to the power Hashem has to give life and to restore life. During the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, we insert a sentence into the bracha of Gevuros: Mi kamocha av ha’rachman zocher yetzurav l’chaim b’rachamim. It is appropriately added to the bracha of Atah Gibor because that is the bracha whose subject is Techiyas HaMeisim! What better place to mention the fact that Hashem is incomparable because He remembers His creations and mercifully grants them life. This granting of life is precisely the topic of the bracha: Techiyas HaMeisim. The Gemara states, “Adam nidon b’chol yom, man is judged daily.” Rav Eisele Charif13 poses an incisive question: If we are judged every single day of the year, why is it that only on Rosh Hashana do we take the din so much more seriously? What is diﬀerent about the din of Rosh Hashana than that of all the other days of the year? He answers that the daily judgment is subject to the laws of chazakah, to the status quo. Every day when we are judged by the Ribbono shel Olam the judgment takes the chazakah, the person’s current state, into account. The person existed yesterday, and Hashem allows that to continue because he is a muchzak in his life. Hamotzi mechaveiro alav hara’ayah is invoked,

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and the burden of proof is incumbent upon the one who wants to change the status quo. But on Rosh Hashana, there is no longer a status quo to invoke, there is no longer chazakah. Past existence has no bearing on future outcome. This is the diﬀerence between the daily judgment and the annual judgment of Rosh Hashana. Once again, we encounter this principle of the miracle of Techiyas HaMeisim on Rosh Hashana.

The Akeidah on Rosh Hashana One of the main zechusim that we try to tap into on Rosh Hashana is the extraordinary zechus of Akeidas Yitzchak. Why do we mention Akeidas Yitzchak on Rosh Hashana? Not all opinions agree that it even took place on Rosh Hashana, so why mention it in the davening on Rosh Hashana? Why is the Akeidah such a central theme on Rosh Hashana to the point that we mention it during Shemoneh Esrei, we blow the horn of a ram to remind Hashem of the Akeidah, and we read about the Akeidah in the krias HaTorah of the second day of Rosh Hashana? The Rama codiﬁes the custom of performing Tashlich at a river on Rosh Hashana. It is sourced in the Maharil, who says that we go to the river to say Tashlich to remind Hashem of the Akeidah and to invoke the zechus of that event, because the Satan created a river to prevent Avraham from going to the Akeidah. Avraham walked into the water until it reached his nostrils. He cried out, “Save me, for the water has risen to my soul.” Thus, the purpose of Tashlich is to invoke the zechus of Akeidas Yitzchak. T h e

Mishnah Berurah, in fact, cites this Maharil, that the purpose of Tashlich is to recall the momentous event of Akeidas Yitzchak. The Shulchan Aruch brings the custom of using a head as one of the simanim on Rosh Hashana. This is to symbolize that we would like to be the head, and not the tail — n’hi’yeh l’rosh v’lo l’zanav. Interestingly, the Shulchan Aruch specifically recommends using the head of a ram, in commemoration of the ram that was sacrificed in place of Yitzchak at the time of the Akeidah. Again, we see the centrality of the Akeidah in the customs of Rosh Hashana, but why is it so significant, since it is not unanimously believed to have occurred on Rosh Hashana?

The Akeidah: The First Techiyas HaMeisim On Rosh Hashana, we are not merely asking Hashem to keep matters the way they were. What we are asking Hashem for is Techiyas HaMeisim, for Him to revivify us in every dimension of our lives. And when was the first time in the history of the world that Hashem was mechayeh meisim? It was at Akeidas Yitzchak! The Shibbolei HaLeket brings the teaching that the brachos of the weekday Shemoneh Esrei are actually an historical account of the story of the world. When Avraham Avinu was saved from the fires of Ur Kasdim, the malachei hashareis cried out, “Baruch Atah Hashem, magen Avraham.” When Yitzchak Avinu was bound on the mizbei’ach to be offered as a korban to Hashem at the Akeidah, he became ashes that were then scattered all about Har HaMoriah. Although the familiar and oft-quoted sequence of events dictate that Yitzchak emerged unscathed from the Akeidah, numerous midrashim state otherwise. According to the Midrash cited in Shibbolei HaLeket HaLeket, Yitzchak Avinu, in fact, did die, as his neshama left him — parchah nishmaso. nishmaso T h e R ibbono Shel Olam then per-

formed Techiyas HaMeisim; He placed dew on Yitzchak and brought him back to life. It is about this event that David HaMelech wrote, “So the dew of Chermon descends upon the mountains of Tzion” (Tehillim 133: 3). Dew on Har Tzion is a reference to the dew that Hashem sprinkled on Yitzchak Avinu as He brought him back to life. Immediately upon Yitzchak’s revivification, the malachim said the bracha, “Baruch Atah Hashem, mechayeh hameisim.” There is another version of the Midrash: Yitzchak’s soul departed, and when his neshama returned to his guf, when he experienced Techiyas HaMeisim, it was he who stated, “Baruch Atah Hashem, mechayeh hameisim.” Likewise, Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer states, in the name of R’ Yehudah: Once the knife was placed upon Yitzchak’s neck, at the time of the Akeidah, his neshama departed from his body. When his neshama heard the voice of Hashem coming from between the two Keruvim, stating, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad” (Bereishis 22:12), the neshama immediately returned to Yitzchak’s body. He was then untied, and he stood up. Yitzchak realized that Techiyas HaMeisim is min haTorah, and he understood that those who pass away will be revivified in the future. He immediately composed and recited the bracha, Baruch Atah Hashem, mechayeh hameisim. We have a tradition that the first bracha, Magen Avraham, corresponds to Avraham Avinu, and the second bracha, Atah Gibor, which is the bracha of Techiyas HaMeisim, corresponds to Yitzchak. With these midrashim, we can appreciate how the bracha of Gevuros corresponds to Yitzchak, because he was the very first person to experience Techiyas HaMeisim. Now we understand why the central theme of Rosh Hashana is Akeidas Yitzchak. It is not merely because of timing, as not everyone is in agreement that it took place on Rosh Hashana. The reason to invoke the Akeidah on Rosh Hashana is to point out that this is the maaseh avos siman labanim, all events that occurred to the forefathers are portents for their descendants, a pre-enactment to what takes place annually on Rosh Hashana: Techiyas HaMeisim. This is a particularly strong connection according to the view that the original Techiyas HaMeisim did in fact take place on Rosh Hashana, at the Akeidah. This action is then

forever fused to the day of Rosh Hashana, and Rosh Hashana will always be a day of Techiyas HaMeisim. Hashem revivifies all of us every Rosh Hashana. We stand before Hashem k’dalim u’krashim, and like meisim mamash, actual corpses. We daven and ask Hashem to please sprinkle upon us the dew of Techiyas HaMeisim. We are confident, as the Tur says, that Hashem will perform this miracle for us. This is why we invoke the remarkable capability of Hashem, Ki atah shomeiah kol shofar u’ma’azin teruah v’ein domeh Lach. The powerful and poignant meaning of the final phrase, v’ein domeh Lach, is now understood as a reference to the greatest of all miracles, Techiyas HaMeisim, and explains why on Rosh Hashana we focus on Akeidas Yitzchak — the source of the power of Techiyas HaMeisim in This World.

Another Dimension of Techiyas HaMeisim Another dimension of Techiyas HaMeisim is worthy of note. There is a Kaf HaChaim that Rav Shneur Kotler would often repeat during this time of the year in the name of his father, Rav Aharon. There are forty days from Rosh Chodesh Elul until Yom Kippur. These forty days correspond to the forty days of yetziras hav’lad, the forty days of the formation of a baby. Even though the baby is in the mother’s womb for nine months, the primary creation, including the determination of the gender, takes place in the first forty days. The neshama then enters the baby on the fortieth day. In what way do the forty days of Chodesh Elul and the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah correspond to the forty days of yetziras hav’lad? Rav Yerucham Olshin explains, using the Midrash on the pasuk, Let this be recorded for the final generation, so that the newborn people will praise Hashem (Tehillim 102:19). Who is this new nation that is being created? The Yalkut Shimoni explains that this verse refers to us, who come before Hashem like meisim b’maaseihem, lifeless in our actions, davening to Hashem on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Hashem responds to our tefillos by creating us anew, allowing us to proceed to Sukkos, when we will hold the lulav and esrog as we say Hallel — thereby fulfilling the verse, the newborn people will praise Hashem. Rav Yerucham understands that

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the Midrash is adding an important point to our understanding of our status on Rosh Hashana. When we stand before Hashem on Rosh Hashana, not only do we have nothing to count on, not only is there no chazakah, and we cannot rely on the past. But it is more than that: We are actually considered meisim b’maaseihem, because reshaim bechayehem k’ruim meisim, the wicked are considered dead even as they live. We stand before Hashem, proclaiming that our actions, our maasim, do not render us worthy of being considered to be spiritually alive before Him. We implore Hashem not just to revive us physically, but to revive our neshamos as well. Allow us to start again, and help us achieve the level where we can be considered alive both physically and spiritually. This is the concept of how

the forty days before Yom Kippur correspond to the forty days of yetziras hav’lad. During Elul and during the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, we are striving to re-create ourselves. We are trying to be reborn, to start over. Whatever was, was, and we are now going

With this understanding, the teshuva process becomes akin to Techiyas HaMeisim. Teshuva is a process by which we try to revive ourselves and come back to life. In his commentary to Shemoneh Esrei, Rav Yonasan Eibeshutz dis-

When one merits the gift of another additional year, when he is victorious in din, it is truly as if he is experiencing Techiyas HaMeisim. through a forty-day process that is reminiscent of the forty-day process we experienced in utero. We go through this process on a yearly basis as we ask Hashem for spiritual revival, spiritual re-creation.

cusses the kavanos, intentions, we should have during Shemoneh Esrei. In his commentary to the second bracha, Atah Gibor, Rav Yonasan writes that Hashem’s acceptance of our teshuva is a form of Techiyas HaM-

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eisim. A rasha, even while alive, is considered to be deceased: reshaim bechayehem k’ruim meisim. When he then does teshuva, he is considered to have experienced Techiyas HaMeisim. Therefore, when we say the words Atah gibor l’olam Hashem mechayeh meisim atah rav l’hoshea, one of the kavanos to have in mind is that Hashem should revivify us by accepting our teshuva. Rav Tzadok HaKohen brilliantly points out that the period of Techiyas HaMeisim will be ushered into the world by Eliyahu HaNavi who is also the one who ushers in the era of teshuva. These are not two distinct roles of Eliyahu HaNavi, and these are not two diﬀerent eras. These are one and the same, since, as we said, reshaim bechayehem k’ruim meisim. Eliyahu inspiring all to do teshuva will be a form of Techiyas HaMeisim. Physical and spiritual reviviﬁcation are both part of the same function that Eliyahu HaNavi will perform in the End of Days.

Rabbi Glatstein is the Mara D’asra of Kehilas Tiferes Mordechai in Cedarhurst, NY. He will deliver his annual Shabbos Shuva drasha, which is open to the whole community, men and women, at 5:50 pm, on Shabbos Parshas Vayeilech at 539 Oakland Ave, next door to Shaarei Emuna. This article has been reprinted with permission from The Mystery and The Majesty by Rabbi Daniel Glatstein, published by Artscroll

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Delving into the Daf

What Bracha Do You Make on the Sukkah? By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

oruch: Shimshon, do you want to study the daf with me? Shimshon: I’m sorry, I’m studying for a test on the laws of Shehechiyanu on Sukkos. Boruch: A test on the bracha of Shehechiyanu on Sukkos?!? What’s there to study? You recite the bracha on the first night of Sukkos at kiddush. End of story. Shimshon: Well, when is the earliest time to recite the bracha? Boruch: Hmm. I’m not sure. I guess when yom tov starts, either at sunset or maybe at nightfall. Shimshon: What about after building the sukkah? Boruch: That’s just preparation for the mitzvah of sukkah. There is no way you can recite Shehechiyanu then. Shimshon: For starters, there is a Yerushalmi that states that building a sukkah is its own mitzvah and warrants its very own bracha: “la’asos sukkah” (quoted in Tosfos 46a D”H H’oseh). Although the Bavli disagrees, the Aruch L’ner (Makkos 8a) opines that Rashi still holds that building a sukkah is its own mitzvah. Therefore, one should try to build his own sukkah. However, even according to the Chasam Sofer (YD 271) who holds that building a sukkah is just a hechsher mitzvah, still one can recite Shehechiyanu when building a sukkah (Sukkah 46a). Boruch: That’s interesting but misleading. Just because you recited Shehechiyanu on the sukkah, you would still need to recite Shehechiyanu again on the night of Sukkos. We always recite Shehechiyanu at kiddush on the night of a new holiday such as on Shavuos or Shemini Atzeres. Shimshon: You are right, that is the opinion of the Rambam. But Tos-

fos (46a D”H Nichnas) says that the Shehechiyanu recited at the time of the building of the sukkah exempts the yom tov as well. The Bikkurei Yaakov concludes that one should be concerned with the opinion of Tosfos and not say Shehechiyanu again at kiddush and risk a bracha uttered in vain. Boruch: OK, you got me. But I’m sure there’s nothing else complicated about Shehechiyanu on Sukkos. Shimshon: Well, what if it was raining on the first night of Sukkos and one recited kiddush in his house with Shehechiyanu, does he recite Shehechiyanu again when he actually eats in the sukkah? Boruch: I would have said yes, but you told me that Tosfos holds that the bracha of Shehechiyanu covers both the yom tov and the sukkah. So, I guess the answer is no. Shimshon: Actually, the answer is yes! While it is true that the Shehechiyanu recited on building the sukkah

exempts the Shehechiyanu on yom tov as well, according to Tosfos, the reverse is not true. The Shehechiyanu on yom tov does not exempt the sukkah. (MB 639:36) Binyamin Pretter explained that to fulfill the mitzvah of sukkah, one has to utilize it on the holiday of Sukkos. Therefore, by definition, the Shehechiyanu on the sukkah includes the holiday as well. However, one can still celebrate the holiday of Sukkos without eating in a sukkah. A sick person, for example, is exempt from sitting in a sukkah but still celebrates the holiday of Sukkos. Therefore, the Shehechiyanu recited indoors does not cover the sukkah. When one eventually eats in the sukkah, he would recite Shehechiyanu again. Boruch: Nice. Shimshon: What would be the halacha if one recited kiddush with Shehechiyanu on the first night of Sukkos, while sitting in the sukkah during heavy rain?

Boruch: I’m not sure. I guess he may have to say the Shehechiyanu again. After all, according to many poskim, he’s not really fulfilling the mitzvah of sukkah if he’s sitting in uncomfortable rain. Shimshon: While he may not be fulfilling the mitzvah of sukkah, he does not need to recite Shehechiyanu again on the sukkah. The Shehechiyanu he recited is not any worse than one recited while building the sukkah. Since he recited Shehechiyanu while actually in the sukkah, even though it was raining, he does not recite Shehechiyanu again. (MB 639:36) Boruch: Wow, I didn’t realize how complicated these laws can be. Shimshon: On the first night during Kiddush, what bracha does one recite first: Shehechiyanu or Leishev Ba’sukkah? Boruch: Shehechiyanu, because of the dictum that the more common bracha takes precedence. (Tadir V’sheino Tadir, Tadir Kodem) The bracha of Shehechiyanu, which is recited many times during the year, is more common than the bracha on sitting in the sukkah. Shimshon: Your logic is correct according to Rabba Bar Bar Channah. However, the halacha follows Rav that first we recite Leishev Ba’sukkah and then Shehechiyanu. (Sukkah 56a). The reason is that since the bracha of Shehechiyanu is going on the mitzvah of sukkah as well, besides the yom tov, it is appropriate to recite the bracha over the sukkah first. Boruch, what would you say about the order of brachos on the second night of yom tov? Boruch: Ah, trick question, but I know that our custom is that we recite Shehechiyanu on the mitzvah of

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shofar on both days of Rosh Hashana. Similarly, we should recite Shehechiyanu on the first two days of Sukkos on the sukkah, so the order would be the same. Shimshon: Actually, when it comes to sukkah, we only recite Shehechiyanu once a year over that mitzvah. Similarly, we recite Shehechiyanu once a year on the mitzvah of lulav. The reason is, as I noted before, is that really one can recite Shehechiyanu when building the sukkah. Likewise, one can recite Shehechiyanu when binding the lulav. So whenever one recites Shehechiyanu, it covers the entire season. One cannot recite Shehechiyanu when fashioning a shofar because generally it lasts for many years and is not a one-season item. Therefore, on the second night of Sukkos, we reverse the order in kiddush and say Shehechiyanu over the new (second-day) yom tov, followed by Leishev Ba’sukkah. However, some have the custom of keeping the order the same as the first night. The Mishna Berura says that one

can follow this custom. He cautions, though, that several families sharing one sukkah should all follow the same custom. Shimshon: Last question for you. Let’s say that someone recited kiddush

sukkah. Is it too late or may he still recite Shehechiyanu? Boruch: I got this one! The Mishna Berura says that one can only recite Shehechiyanu the first time he eats a new fruit, not the second. (255:13)

What would be the halacha if one recited kiddush with Shehechiyanu on the first night of Sukkos, while sitting in the sukkah during heavy rain?

on the first two nights of Sukkos indoors. He was supposed to recite Shehechiyanu the first time he ate in the sukkah, but forgot to do so. He finally remembered to say Shehechiyanu for the mitzvah of sukkah on Hoshana Raba while eating his kreplach in the

Similarly, since one ate in the sukkah without Shehechiyanu, he can no longer recite it. Shimshon: Excellent! The Bikkurei Yaakov suggests that the Pri Megadim was thinking along the same lines and therefore was unsure about this

halacha. However, the Bikkurei Yaakov himself concludes that one can recite Shehechiyanu even on Hoshana Rabba. (See MB Dirshu edition 662, sidenote 2) The Mishna Berura does not discuss this exact halacha. He says that one can still recite Shehechiyanu on the Arba Minim even on Hoshana Raba if he didn’t say it before (644:3). Likewise, one can recite Shehechiyanu on lighting Chanukah candles on a later night, if he didn’t recite it the first few nights. (676:2) (However, sukkah may be different since the mitzvah applies 24/7. See Shaar Hatziyon (662:4) Boruch: I think you should recite Shehechiyanu when you finish studying these halachos!

Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow is a rebbe at Yeshiva Ateres Shimon in Far Rockaway. In addition, Rabbi Sebrow leads a daf yomi chaburah at Eitz Chayim of Dogwood Park in West Hempstead, NY. He can be contacted at ASebrow@gmail.com.

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The Wandering

Jew

Yomim Noraim in Warsaw 2017 Part I By Hershel Lieber

The historic “Old Town” in Warsaw

lthough my first Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur in Warsaw was in 1979, it wasn’t until 1987 that I became a steady baal tefilla for the Yomim Noraim at the Nozyk Synagogue. In fact, for the past twenty years, I missed being there only three times for different reasons. After my children got married or were studying in Israel, Pesi almost always accompanied me. Chavi, our youngest daughter, went with us to Poland in 1995, a year before getting married. Mechel, who was just under bar mitzvah, also joined us that year. Fast forward to Elul of 2017. Mechel, who was already married twelve years, expressed a burning desire to spend Yom Kippur with us and to hear me davening on this awesome day, something that he had not experienced in ages. I also think he was motivated by the fact that my grandson, Eli Klein, was planning to join me in Warsaw for Yom Kippur. Mechel’s wife, Leah, also persuaded him to make this trip, and she made all the arrangements to make it possible. Pesi and I were thrilled about the prospect of Mechel getting

to know firsthand about our annual experience of davening with the Polish Jewish kehillah. It would be an opportunity for him to get to meet our friends and mispallelim and understand why davening there is so meaningful to us. Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich was likewise encouraging, and he was also excited that both Mechel and Eli could contribute to the tefillos and more so to the entire atmosphere in the shul. Pesi and I arrived on Tuesday, September 19, a day before Rosh Hashana. We usually stay at the Radisson Hotel, a five-minute walk to the shul. This year, Rabbi Schudrich rented a small apartment for us about a ten-minute walk away from the shul. To be honest, the apartment was a far cry from our hotel accommodations, but it provided an extra room for the three days that Mechel would join us in Warsaw. Eli made a booking at a hotel on his own since he was only coming for two days. That very evening, we were invited for dinner to Mati and Margalit Lokietek, whom we know for many years. They have two married children, a

Preparing the tefillos with Oriel Zaretzky

daughter in Passaic and a son in Manchester. They also have a number of grandchildren from both of their children. Like in previous years, Mati requested that I bring them specific English seforim which they both read from cover to cover. The next day, erev Rosh Hashana, I spent time with the assistant Rabbi Uriel Zaretsky re-

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With Piot Kowalik and his son Kuba

viewing the tefillos and marking our machzorim to reflect which piyutim we would say and which ones we would skip. I also met with Grazina Pawlak who was coordinating the newly formed museum dedicated to Rav Meir Shapira and Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin, which would be opening soon in the building of the former yeshiva in Lublin. I helped her write some text for the exhibits, and we chose songs that Rabbi Shapira composed, which would be playing in the background while visitors would view the exhibits. In the afternoon, we started preparing for Yom Tov. We shopped for produce, drinks and paper goods, which we brought up to our apartment. During the previous years, we had a number of families who hosted us for the yom tov seudos. This year, one family had already moved to the United States. Two other families were in Dinov for Rosh Hashana. There, a guest house was established mainly for Chassidim from Israel who wanted to daven in the proximity of the kever of the Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech, the author of

Mati and Margalit Lokietek

the classic “Bnei Yissaschar.” Baruch Hashem, Pinchas Etzioni, the owner of the Kosher Delight restaurant in Warsaw, who was in charge of daily dinners for elderly Jews, was also

Pesi with Grazyna Pawlak

seudos we ate together with Rabbi Schudrich and other guests, as well as the usual group of elderly Yidden, at the community dining room. Erev Yom Tov was truly a very

We were thrilled at this unexpected opportunity that transformed the secular motif of the day to one supplemented with spiritual eminence.

catering on behalf of the members of the Nozyk Shul. His kitchen provided us with ample food for our evening seudos – challahs, fish, soup, chicken and beef, side dishes, dessert and wine. The hardest part was shlepping the food to our apartment. We bought new fruits for the “Shehechiyanu” and honey at the produce market. The Yom Tov day

Tea and cake with Yisroel and Esther Szpilman

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hectic day for us. I just barely had time to run to the mikva before rushing off with Pesi to shul. On Rosh Hashana, there were not as many people at the shul during the tefillos as in the past years. Nozyk was once the only synagogue in Warsaw. During the past few years, a number of other shuls had been established, which

drew some congregants away from Nozyk. Chabad had opened a branch in 2005, and a shul for Georgian Jews started about eight years later. Two liberal congregations, Beit Warszawa in and Eitz Chayim, also attracted some former mispallelim of the famed Nozyk Synagogue. In addition, a number of religious families and individuals emigrated from Poland to Israel, the United States, England and Austria, thereby reducing the shul population. Nevertheless, many of the mispallelim who did attend are religiously sincere and participate in many aspects of Jewish life and tradition. Rabbi Schudrich, in addition to his enormous responsibility as the chief rabbi of Poland, teaches and provides guidance to the congregants of the Nozyk Shul community. My davening that Rosh Hashana was, baruch Hashem, very good. My voice carried well, and the shul’s acoustics did indeed help. The regulars were very familiar with the niggunim that I use for various sections of Mussaf and joined me heartily singing the words of the machzor.

Pesi with Piot and Marisha Kowalik and Piot’s mother

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All halachic documents are under the supervision of the Bais HaVaad in Lakewood.

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The seudos both in our apartment and at the community dining room were nice and yom tov-dik. That year, Shabbos immediately followed Rosh Hashana, which provided us with more time to rest. Sunday was Tzom Gedalaya, and we went to visit Yoel and Yehudis and their two small sons, Chaim Yosef and Laizer Moshe. They lived in New York for a number of years, and we were very involved with them during the years that they were studying in Sh’or Yoshuv and Touro/BYA, respectively. We also participated in making their chasuna, and they were frequent guests at our Shabbos and yom tov table. They returned to Poland because of immigration issues and are actively trying to make Aliyah to Israel. In the afternoon, I learned Mishnayos with Mati Karpow, a young teenager with whom I have been learning weekly by Skype. After the fast, we ate at Kosher Delight and were joined for tea and cake by Yisroel and Esther Szpilman. We have a long, ongoing relationship with Yisroel and just started to get to know his wife, Esther. Monday was even a lighter day, in that all we did was a bit of shopping and visiting the 14th century “Old Town,” which is a World Heritage site. On Tuesday, we took a private driver to Zelazowa Wola, the birthplace of Frederic Chopin, the famed Polish composer. The house and gardens of the virtuoso of piano music exhibited his artifacts and provided

A visit with Yoel Jaworski and his two sons

Studying Mishnayos with Mati Karpow

information that gave us a deeper appreciation of his talent. Our walk through his estate was complemented with the music of Chopin’s great compositions. Driving in this vicinity, I noticed a road sign showing that the town of Sochaczew was only 8 kilometers away. I was once there many years before, but Pesi had never been there at all. Though it is a small town, its fame for Yidden are that two great rabbinic personalities lived there, the Avnei Nezer (on halacha) and the Shem Mishmuel (on parsha and Moadim) . Rav Avrohom Borensztain and his son Rav Shmuel were both great chassidic leaders who wrote the aforementioned seforim that are wildly acclaimed. We asked the driver to make a stop there. At the entrance of the bais olam, there was a sign that said that we could obtain the key at the nearby florist. With great reverence, we en-

Chopin’s piano

The ohel of the Sochazhover Rebbes

tered the ohel of the two tzaddikim, recited Tehillim, and placed kvitlech on their graves. We were thrilled at this unexpected opportunity that transformed the secular motif of the day to one supplemented with spiritual eminence. We ate dinner, which was last night’s leftovers, in the apartment and rushed over to visit our friends Piot and Marisha Kowalik. Piot works as Director of Education at the Polin Museum which documents

Jewish life in Poland over the last thousand years. Their son, Kuba, and Piot’s mother were there as well. We had some tea and cake and spent a good hour talking. Piot also related to me about his Rosh Hashana experience and the heightened spiritual atmosphere that prevailed in Dinov. We returned to the apartment and immediately went to sleep. Tomorrow, we would have a very busy day, beginning with a train journey to Krakow.

Hershel Lieber has been involved in kiruv activities for over 30 years. As a founding member of the Vaad L’Hatzolas Nidchei Yisroel he has traveled with his wife, Pesi, to the Soviet Union during the harsh years of the Communist regimes to advance Yiddishkeit. He has spearheaded a yeshiva in the city of Kishinev that had 12 successful years with many students making Torah their way of life. In Poland, he lectured in the summers at the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation camp for nearly 30 years. He still travels to Warsaw every year – since 1979 – to be the chazzan for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur for the Jews there. Together with Pesi, he organized and led trips to Europe on behalf of Gateways and Aish Hatorah for college students finding their paths to Jewish identity. His passion for travel has taken them to many interesting places and afforded them unique experiences. Their open home gave them opportunities to meet and develop relationships with a variety of people. Hershel’s column will appear in The Jewish Home on a bi-weekly basis.

In the gardens of Chopin’s birthplace

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My Israel Home

England’s Role in Establishing Israel By Gedaliah Borvick A view of King George Street in Jerusalem

he British Empire played a crucial role in the creation of the State of Israel. There is no condoning the British government’s appalling 1939 “White Paper” whose draconian restrictions severely reduced Jewish immigration to Palestine until 1948 and had tragic consequences for European Jews seeking refuge from the Nazis in World War II. However, 22 years prior, the British gave a wonderful – I would call it miraculous – gift to the Zionist cause called the Balfour Declaration. The Balfour Declaration, written in 1917 by British Foreign Secretary Lord Arthur James Balfour on behalf of the British government, was a statement of support for the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people in its historical homeland. The declaration was a crucial breakthrough, as it symbolized the first official endorsement of the Zionist movement by a major global power. To no one’s surprise, one can find Balfour Street in over a dozen cities across Israel. However, Balfour was not the only British statesman or politician whose efforts on behalf of the Zionist movement have prompted the Israeli government to name streets in their honor. The groundwork for the Balfour Declaration was laid by Member of Parliament Herbert Samuel in 1915, in a memorandum proposing a British protectorate which would allow for increased Jewish settlement in

the Holy Land. Herbert, a Jew, had impeccable vision, but his timing was premature, and the idea was shelved for a few years. In 1920, Samuel was appointed the first High Commissioner for Palestine, which was initially viewed by many as an affirmation that the Balfour Declaration supporting a Jewish state would be honored. Although Samuel worked closely with the leadership of the Jewish community, he also made several significant concessions to appease the Arab population. For example, he pardoned Hajj Amin al-Husseini, a noted Arab extremist, from imprisonment for inciting Arab riots and appointed him to be Mufti (cleric) of Jerusalem. In the end, many Jews were disillusioned with Samuel, who did not live up to their high expectations. Herbert Samuel Street can be found in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and several other cities. David Lloyd George served as prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922 and endorsed the 1917 Balfour Declaration. In 1920, he served as the British Empire’s principal delegate at the San Remo conference, which confirmed the British mandate and formally adopted the Balfour Declaration, favoring the establishment of a Jewish state. Kibbutz Ramat David in northern Israel is named after David Lloyd George, as are streets in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Josiah Clement Wedgwood, a

Member of Parliament, was a strong supporter of both the Zionist cause and of Jews persecuted worldwide. Between 1927 and 1943, years of heightened global anti-Semitism and the Holocaust, he time and again defended the Jews. Although his actions were mostly fruitless, he did succeed in saving scores of Jewish lives before and during the Holocaust. Streets in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv have been named in his memory. Unlike the streets mentioned above which were named after Israel’s establishment, King George Street, located in the heart of downtown Jerusalem, was created in 1924 during the British Mandate period and was named in honor of Britain’s reigning King George V. Twenty-five years later, after the State of Israel was created, there was a movement to change its name to King David Street. Israel’s president Yitzhak Ben-Tzvi successfully campaigned to retain the original name, reminding government officials that King George had always been a good friend of the Jews and was England’s monarch when the Balfour Declaration was written in 1917. Despite the groundswell of anti-Semitism that pervaded England throughout the first half of the 20th century, these individuals served as the country’s moral compass and enabled the creation of the State of Israel. The street names serve as an eternal demonstration of our appreciation for their friendship during a time period

Arthur Balfour in 1902

Balfour’s original letter to Lord Rothschild, dated November 2, 1917

when Jews and the Zionist movement had precious few friends.

Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home (www.myisraelhome.com), a real estate agency focused on helping people from abroad buy and sell homes in Israel. To sign up for his monthly market updates, contact him at gborvick@gmail.com.

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Questions FOR

Yaakov Hagoel Chairman of the WZO BY DAVID BILLET

Yaakov Hagoel is currently the Chairman of the World Zionist Organization and the Acting Chairman of the Jewish Agency. Hagoel is a leading figure for World Jewry and has played an essential role in some of the preeminent Jewish organizations today. He previously served as the Chairman of the World Likud, was the Executive CEO of World Betar, and was the co-Chair of the Task Force on anti-Semitism. We recently spoke with Hagoel about what drives him to help Jews worldwide and what he sees are the goals of the World Zionist Organization.

For those of our readers who do not know, what role does the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency play today? The World Zionist Organization is the founding organization of the Jewish state. After almost 2,000 years of exile, Theodor Herzl gathered his fellow Zionists in 1897 and held the first Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland. It was the first time in modern history that a conference was held to discuss the establishment of an independent Jewish state. It was this Congress which paved the way for the establishment of the State of Israel. Today, 73 years after our independence, we appreciate the fact that we have our own independent state and government. As part of its role, the State of Israel is responsible for education, infrastructure, roads, welfare, and other daily issues. There is a significant number of Jews throughout the world who live in a variety of Jewish communities throughout the world. They have chosen, at least for the time being, to continue

living in these countries. As the national home of every Jew, the State of Israel considers itself responsible for the well-being of all Jews in the world. It opens its gates to all Jews who wish to immigrate to their ancestral homeland. However, as an independent entity, the ability of the State of Israel to serve the needs of the various Jewish communities in the Diaspora is limited. It is the role of the governments in which Jews reside to take care of their well-being and protection. This is the point where the WZO comes into the picture. Since its establishment, it has served as the parliament of the Jewish people, as a uniting force for world Jewry. Today, the World Zionist Organization continues to serve as a bridge between Jewish communities around the world and the State of Israel. Our mission includes encouraging Aliyah, Jewish and Zionist education, promoting the Hebrew language, combatting anti-Semitism and more. This work is accomplished while also striving to cement Israel and Jerusalem as the national homeland of all Jews around the world.

How did you get involved with the World Zionist Organization? I believe that the experiences I had as a child has shaped my adult life and continues to help me in my current advocacy work for our people and our country. My parents were born in Israel to Holocaust survivors and instilled in me these important values at a young age. Unlike my grandparents, and so many people I work with, I have never had the privilege to experience what it is like to leave the land where I was born and to immigrate to the Jewish homeland. As a y outh, I was active in the Betar youth movement, which was founded by Ze’ev Jabotinsky in 1923. Joining the Betar youth movement ingrained in me the importance of Zionist activism. Before military service, I volunteered in the town of Ofakim for one year where I engaged in various social and community activities. I see great importance in volunteering for the benefit of society. The commitment and investment in our younger generation along with the promotion of leadership values

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only a small part of the activities that the World Zionist Organization promotes around the world.

What are some of the challenges facing the WZO and the Jewish Agency today? In 2021, we face countless challenges for world Jewry. The sharp rise in anti-Semitic incidents around the world, the incitement against Jews on the internet and in the media, and the delegitimization of the State of Israel by international bodies and international organizations are some of the main issues. Regarding the struggle to counter anti-Semitism, it seems that the world has not learned the lessons of the past. The world, it seems, has closed its eyes to widespread hatred and growing incitement. Anti-Semitism comes from the rightwing and the leftwing. It crosses political parties and makes its way to college campuses and communities. I never dreamed that in 2021 Jewish worshipers in the United States would need to be escorted by security guards on their way to synagogue. In addition, there is the challenge of Jewish identity being increasingly damaged by the lack of Jewish and Zionist education. Assimilation within communities and the attempt to find the right formula for making the Zionist ideal relevant today are added to the challenge of Aliyah to Israel. The coronavirus pandemic has also significantly impacted the Jewish community along with the rest of the world. Jewish families who have lost their livelihoods find it difficult to send their children to Jewish schools and programs. Jewish institutions in the community are closing, synagogue services have gone virtual, and the sense of belonging to a people, values and traditions have been damaged during this period. The COVID-19 challenge has created a gap that needs to be filled. Only institutions such as the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency can fill such a gap.

and military service are important elements for our future success. As I grew into adulthood, I was privileged to serve as the Director General of the World Betar movement and to send Israeli emissaries (shlichim) to various communities around the world. This enabled me to assist the younger generation in strengthening their Jewish and Zionist identity while also instilling within them the value of leadership and the ideology of Betar. Inspired by the spirit of the movement, I later served as chairman of World Likud. Today, I am honored to continue the Zionist mission and to serve as the Chairman of the World Zionist Organization. The inspiration that I received as a child has come to fruition, and I am honored to work for a common destiny for the Jewish people, the Zionist world, and the future generation.

What role do you see the World Zionist Organization playing among world Jewry today? The World Zionist Organization is the only body that represents the entire spectrum of the

Zionist world. As a parliament of the Jewish people, it was established to represent and serve a united and diverse group in various ways. Each group retains its view, united under the banner of strengthening the Jewish state and the Zionist idea.

“As the national home of every Jew, the State of Israel considers itself responsible for the wellbeing of all Jews in the world” The World Zionist Organization is the bridge between Israel and the Diaspora, between past and future. Our projects include the struggle against anti-Semitism on campuses, promoting the dignity of our people, promoting Israeli culture abroad, sending shlichim, strengthening the Hebrew language and Jewish identity, and encouraging Aliyah. These are

What has been the impact of the coronavirus on immigration? From the data that we have, there was a jump in the opening of Aliyah files between the years 2019 and 2020. The largest increase was mainly from English and French-speaking countries. I have no doubt that the State of Israel’s handling of the pandemic, along with the damage felt by Jewish institutions in the Diaspora, have led to a further interest in the possibility of immigrating to Israel. However, as in any other country, we are also experiencing ups and downs in dealing with the pandemic. Beyond that, families and individuals also face a variety of challenges when seeking to immigrate to Israel, such as finding employment and absorption into the country. Learning the Hebrew language is another challenge facing new immigrants, and for that reason we operate hundreds of ulpan classes to help the new Olim. We, in the World Zionist Organization and in the National Institutions, are here to assist all new Olim and will continue working to support our homeland.

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Giving Jews a Good Name Allison Josephs of Jew in the City Talks about Finding Hashem and Helping Others Feel Connected and Proud of Their Yiddishkeit BY TAMMY MARK

the trees that first inspired her t isn’t the name of the latest 25 years prior. streaming cable show or “We called it my ‘25 th made-for TV movie. Even so, Jew in the City has been G-d-iversary,’” says Allison. making headlines in the Jew“I didn’t really grow up with ish world. any concept of G-d; I knew it Established in 2007 by viwas a Jewish thing but nobody sionary Executive Director Alever gave me any compelling lison Josephs, Jew in the City reason to believe in a G-d and is an organization dedicated nobody in my family ever talkto promoting positive images ed about it. of religious Jews and creating “I even looked back to repositive experiences for all ally incredible hashgacha Jews. For over a decade, JITC pratis stories – like where my has been working to create great grandparents survived authentic Jewish content and a pogrom or survived World make engaging and meaningWar II, and G-d was never ful Orthodox Judaism known mentioned – it was always like and accessible to all. ‘luckily…they were saved,’ not Allison began her work at any sense that there is a G-d On the frontlines JITC by producing entertainthat is watching over us or has ing explanatory videos focused a plan.” on Jewish holidays, rituals, and practices. Though the mission was serious and Allison’s questioning began at the innocent age of eight, when a tragedy the work important from the outset, JITC started with a lighter touch as Allison struck her community, a devastating triple murder within a family from her and her team creatively hammed it up for the camera, and many videos went vischool. ral. The more people JITC reached, the more work she saw needed to be done. “This launched me into this seven-year existential crisis where I realized Allison sees there is an even more imperative level of outreach needed that my life has no meaning and nothing adds up to anything,” she says. “When today. I would think about eternity and infinity, I would just go into a panic attack.” JITC currently has three branches devoted to making a positive impact in Allison soon began exploring Torah Judaism and eventually became open various ways: Keter, Makom and Tikkun. Each of the three branches is integral to the idea of a higher power above. At 15, she took her first trip to Hawaii with to JITC’s mission, and they build on each other. her parents, where she encountered the seminal tree, a magnificent, multiKeter, as in “keter shem tov,” (literally, the crown of a good name) was the colored rainbow eucalyptus that filled her with an immense sense of awe and first branch intended to influence the media narrative regarding our commuoverwhelming feeling of faith. nity, change negative perceptions about Jews, and restore the good name of “When I got to that tree I thought it was a painting…and then the color just Orthodox Jews and Judaism. With the recent waves of both anti-Semitism kept continuing,” she recalls. “So I realized there is a Painter, the bigger One. and media misrepresentation, it’s as if Allison had the cure before the latest Being in this forest and seeing this tree for the first time in my life, I felt like bout of disease. there was a plan and that there’s a loving G-d and He’s with me and I don’t have to be afraid. “That was really like a watershed moment in my life.” llison herself experienced many years of struggle and searching to find In addition to the absence of G-d in her early years, Allison was also raised G-d and the beauty of her religion. This summer, in the middle of a with a distorted perception of Orthodoxy Jewry. renewed period of urgency for her work, Allison took a family trip to “My father had a very negative perception as a doctor who would disparage Hawaii and returned with a reenergized enthusiasm, as she had reunited with

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“Every piece of JITC content has ‘Orthodox’ in it so people can see: Orhis Chassidic patients,” she recalls. “Living as liberal, “open-minded” Jews didn’t actually leave room for living much differently than the way they were thodox means mensch, Orthodox means honest, Orthodox means thinking, Orthodox means meaningful, Orthodox means relevant – that’s what we’re and certainly not for the ‘crazy’ Orthodox Jew.” showing – that’s what it should mean.” Her parents were also not prepared for the questions posed by Allison. “My parents are successful people and had advice he JITC website and overall reach has proliffor all of the major things we need to know in life, erated since Allison’s very first video in 2005. everything, but they couldn’t answer their daughter’s The site features a variety of content, including question of ‘why are we here?’. They just stared back videos and articles by several contributors, as well as at me. It was terribly devastating to find out that the the “Ask Rabbi Jack” section with Rabbi Abramowitz. people who gave me life didn’t actually know what life Allison shares her personal experiences and opinions was for. on social media and also highlights the modest fash“As long as I was distracted, I was OK, but my ion frequently found in the mainstream. While JITC mind would regularly return to the fact that I didn’t content was originally geared to the non-Orthodox, know what we were doing here and it didn’t seem like Allison discovered that they were reaching a lot of anything added up to anything, and that just seemed observant Jews, from those who were Orthodox from terrifying. That was what I struggled with those seven birth and needed more inspiration, to the yeshiva-edAllison with the tree that changed her life years.” ucated who lacked meaning or pride in doing what they were doing. In 2012, Allison decided the world needed to see fter Allison’s fateful Hawaii trip, everything more Orthodox Jews who had the potential to really began to make sense. She studied in Israel change people’s perceptions. She set out to highlight a and became involved in regular kiruv activselection of exemplary individuals who had made their ities with organizations such as NCSY and Aish. She mark in the secular world while maintaining their bewent on to Columbia University, unsurprisingly maliefs. JITC produced an “All Star” video which was joring in philosophy. There, she met modern Orthowell-received and which led to a live award ceremodox Jewish peers who took her to shiurim as she conny, which was well-attended. Produced almost every sumed as much information and Torah as she could. year since, it has become a regular “kiddush Hashem” Allison was not only inquisitive and insightful gathering. from a young age but clearly influential as well. She While all of the chosen All Stars are remarkable, was soon able to bring her whole family to embrace successful people in their own fields, from science and observant Jewish life. business to sports and entertainment to government, Allison planned to make a career in outreach, and With actress Mayim Bialik one of the most well-known awardees is former Senher first job was at Partners in Torah. As she would ator Joseph Lieberman. Disney animator and director interview Birthright Israel trip alumni – an estimatSaul Blinkoff and “Today Show” producer Yael Feded 3,000 participants over five years – she noticed erbush have both shared their stories of success and a trend; many admitted that they would be more inobservance with JITC. There are many more who have volved in religion except for the negative interactions “Being in this forest contributed in tremendous ways to science, medicine, or observations of religious Jews. This realization truand technology. Allison is proud to say that almost ly hit home for Allison. and seeing this tree every All Star has remained involved in some capac“All these people had this interest in more growth ity or another. There are currently several prominent but their perception of the Orthodox community was, for the first time in Orthodox Jews affiliated with the organization, which unfortunately, so tainted by the crooks, creeps and extremists of the community that they didn’t even my life, I felt like there has helped raised the profile to the next level. Mayim Bialik was one of JITC’s first big name supknow all the good that existed,” she explains. “So I porters. Allison met her years ago through Partners in felt that the kiruv system is going to be limited and not was a plan and that Torah. In 2002, she had decided to look up the Jewish as effective if we don’t get to the heart of the problem – actress as she saw Bialik was coming closer to her Jewwhich is that most people can’t stand Orthodox Jews.” there’s a loving G-d ish heritage. Allison was hoping to track her down to When Allison started out on her JITC mission, she connect with her but to no avail. Serendipitously, four was told by many rabbis and outreach experts it was a and He’s with me” years later, Bialik reached out to Partners in Torah horrible idea, and that kiruv organizations never use while Allison was there, and they were matched as the word “orthodox” because it’s a “bad” word. She partners in learning; Bialik is supportive of JITC’s work to this day. persisted nonetheless. “That’s why we’re changing what it means; you could only change a bad word to good if you use it in good context. If we only say the word ‘Torah Jew’ n 2014, the Makom branch of JITC was born, as a result of the positive or ‘observant’ when somebody does something good or admirable, and then impact of Keter. Makom helps charedi Jews with negative experiences find when somebody gets carted off in handcuffs, they’re ‘Orthodox’ or ‘Ultra-Ortheir “place” in Orthodoxy. thodox,’ ultimately the word just carries this negative meaning – and we are About one year after her first event, a formerly Chassidic couple attended a carried with the word. The only way to correct the meaning and the branding JITC lecture. They said they were raised ultra Chassidish and still wanted to be is to start using the word for the good. religious but didn’t know how to lead an Orthodox, non-Chassidish life. They

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is undeterred. reached out to Allison for help, and that is how Makom was born. JITC now “It goes back to the tree, which is that connection to Hashem – and for me provides classes, social events, career guidance, mental health information and that is what a Jew is supposed to experience – pure, unadulterated love and more to help these disenfranchised souls find their place in the Orthodox world. protection and connection and dveikus to Hakodesh “There’s a bit of a change right now,” Allison Baruch Hu,” she shares. “And what gets in the way? shares. “Whenever something disturbing happens in Bad imagery of Orthodox Jews gets in the way – for the media, JITC gets a ton more traffic to our site, and people outside of the community – and then bad exwe get a ton of signups for Makom – so they’re kind of periences prevent it for people in the community. So doing recruitment for us!” she jokes. if we want Jews to be able to have the opportunity to She is grateful to say that the donors are also now have that closeness and connection to Hashem, then finding her. we have to remove the things that are getting in the “Nobody was ever as excited or motivated about way. changing the narrative until now. We have all of the “We built a bit of a name for ourselves within the infrastructure in place, and we have the following. entire frum world because we are known for kiddush This has actually been going on for years – I would Hashem,” explains Allison. “If somebody who’s ansay the difference is people are finally waking up.” gry and has left the community starts complaining In addition to Keter and Makom, Allison and her about all that’s wrong, they’re not going to be taken team are also focused on “repair” through the Tikkun seriously.” branch after learning about the dysfunction that exists At a Makom event Even so, she says, “we’re purposely being discreet in certain corners of the charedi world. in Tikkun. If we now approach leadership, they’re not “There are serious issues to contend with,” she turning us away so quickly, they’re actually listening maintains. “While I believe the majority is still happy because they realize we have an expertise. We can give and healthy and doing well, at the same time, there’s a you the information; we know exactly what is causing significant minority in the Orthodox community that those things to happen. It’s a pretty hard offer to turn does need attention.” down.” While some of the “personal” stories shared in the She notes, “It’s our expertise in Keter and Makom media recently are exaggerated and at times fabricatthat positions us to be able to give the feedback in ed, a few of the account stem from reality and need Tikkun.” to be addressed. As the stories came in directly from Allison adds, “I just think there are decent people the Makom participants, Allison started taking notes out there – we’ll find the decent ones that are courato help her understand the areas and the degree of geous and we’ll inspire them to act – and it’s working. the problems. There are a ton of people that want to see changes and “We were collecting all this data,” she says. “How they just don’t know how to do it. There’s a ton of peodo we just sit back sit on our hands and just say all With Senator Joseph Lieberman ple who don’t want to live in the status quo, and they these other kids are suffering in the meantime? It’s feel so overwhelmed by it that they go along with it.” really unconscionable. She likens the situation to the issues coming to “Some of the problems are easier to fix,” she adlight in the gymnastics world, with the common demits, “and some are really tremendous and I don’t nominator amongst the vastly different worlds being know how we will, but the idea is that we have to get “If we want Jews to basically that they all involve people. Allison theorizes started somewhere. So we’ve gotten involved in sevthat the old-school systems have remained in place for eral projects involving the halachic pre-nuptial, inbe able to have the too long in these cases. The model that works best is volving kallah classes, involving women disappearing one that has bylaws and protocols in place. from charedi media.” opportunity to have “If you don’t build a system that works to keep Allison discovered, for example, that problems are crooks and creeps out, they will weasel their way in. more prevalent in schools that are privately owned, that closeness and The school or the organization can only be as good as in contrast to schools with a board, annual reports and accountability, aiming to serve the children and connection to Hashem, the infrastructure that it’s built with in order to keep the bad guys out.” their families – the way in which most mainstream Allison points out that the secular world is also just yeshivas are run. then we have to remove now dealing with certain issues that were formerly “Our latest Tikkun project now is we’re working swept under the rug. People have to understand that on a plan to bring accountability and transparency to the things that are it will take time, especially in the insular segments all frum schools because they’re a lot of schools that of the community – and that people need direction. are owned by a single person – as a for-profit busigetting in the way.” “It’s why I think the Tikkun plan is being so well ness. Who do you complain to if the boss is abusive? received. I think that there’s really an appetite to do So we’re developing a system now to transition schools what’s right,” says Allison. “If we reverse negative bethat operate with no accountability into schools with haviors of Orthodox Jews, we will also reverse negative perceptions.” accountability.” Unfortunately, the unsavory behavior can infiltrate all segments of Judaism. Allison’s can-do attitude notwithstanding, it can’t be easy for a “modern” “I think that human beings will always be fallible – there’s greed and taivos Orthodox woman outsider to attempt to tackle such issues within an insular that human beings have.” She adds, “I think when it becomes repugnant is segment of the community from which she finds herself on the outside. She

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together, we would be unstoppable.” While it could be easy or convenient to dismiss, Allison impresses the importance of how Jews are perceived in the media and the danger of not addressing it. “It would be foolish to believe that this does not contribute to incitement. We have to not minimize the threat there. “ The work also contributes to a level of “in-reach.” “We’ve heard from the yeshiva-educated who have told us that the negative media portrayals have negatively impacted their relationship with Judaism. Seeing themselves being made fun of and trashed and mocked has made them feel like a laughingstock; seeing our positive content has helped restore pride.” She advises, “If anybody cares about kiruv, when we see these stories, the job becomes more difficult n early February 2020, Allison was troubled by because ‘Orthodox’ becomes a bad word.” the increase in anti-Semitic incidences in the JITC is also working to establish a “Hollywood area, particularly those in Jersey City and MonBureau of JITC,” based off the model of a “Muslim sey. She felt she needed to respond – and did so with With designer Joyce Azria Bureau,” which maintains relationships with the makindness. Allison decided to get out on the streets of jor networks and studios and gets paid to consult and New York City and greet people with a smile, a cup of make likeable three-dimensional Muslim characters. coffee and some rugelach. JITC’S “Meet a Jew in the JITC is putting together a committee of Hollywood City. Make a Friend” concept went viral and made it to people in order to gain access to decision makers at mainstream media. Calls came in to bring the idea to networks – before the bad characters are created. other neighborhoods, but the pandemic hit soon after Allison is aware of the hurdle that many Hollyand everything was put on hold. She is hopeful that wood decisionmakers identify as Jewish themselves. she will eventually be able to expand the program to “I think that our advisory committee will have to college campuses and beyond. be mostly gentiles and secular Jews. I think that the Allison believes everyone can help move the needle message that we need to give over to the mostly secforward. ular Jewish Hollywood executives is that this is not “On the Keter side of things, we can all be ambasyour community that you’re reporting on. If you want sadors. Our content basically answers every question to report on the ‘lox-and-bagel-eating Hebrew school’ that could come your way – whether at work, with character, that’s your story, that’s your life, you can tell family or neighbors. Our content is free; use the reFilming a segment of it – but if you’re not part of our community, you don’t sources that we’ve put together so that you know how “Meet a Jew. Make a Friend” know our community in a personal way, and just like to answer and you can share answers with people. Dig you give every other minority that respect with that into it and please share it – it’s really an incredible new awareness that people get to tell their own story – we do, too. We’re going library of resources.” On the Makom branch of JITC, Allison and her team are always looking to really hold them to their own liberal standards.” JITC will also continue to promote the best and the brightest shining stars for Shabbos hosts to give members a welcoming place to enjoy Shabbos and to that they can find. The most recent All Star awards ceremony was held in Deoffer a positive experience of the holy day. They have been having more trouble cember 2019 at Lincoln Center honoring former U.S. Ambassador David M. matching up placements since the pandemic. As always, people can help by Friedman; Karen Barrow, senior editor at The New York Times; Dov Kramer, living their best, most authentic Orthodox life. Allison recently spoke with previous All Star Joyce Azria, an Orthodox executive producer at WFAN radio; Bat El Gatterer, the first Orthodox Jewish female Olympian; and AJ Edelman, the first Orthodox Jewish male Olympian fashion designer and CEO who currently serves on the JITC Board. Azria’s – to name drop just a few. story is of success in the fashion world while becoming more observant. AlliThe seventh group of All Star honorees has been selected, including Amare son appreciates the eagerness of the multitudes of other happy and successful Stoudemire, former NBA player and current coach and definite fan favorite. Orthodox Jews who have been sharing their stories on social media, many The list goes on to feature bestselling author Sharon Mazel, Jordan Gorfinkel, under the tagline of “my Orthodox life.” creator of Batman: Dark Knight, and Ari Sacher, a primary engineer of Isra“‘My Orthodox Life’ is what we’ve been doing at Jew in the City since 2007!” el’s Iron Dome Defense System, among others. Allison is currently working she says. “It’s nice to see other people joining now and jumping on this bandwagon – it’s very validating, because I was beating this drum for years without on filming the video interviews with the chosen ones and has plans for a live gathering in 2022. too much support. I hope now that the community is galvanized that there will Here’s hoping that in the year ahead we will once again see Jew in the City, be more willingness and readiness to support our expansion.” in the suburbs and on screens big and small, and be able to find G-d everywhere She has high hopes for advancements on the Keter side. and not only in the forest amongst the rainbow trees. “I think that fighting back at the media and creating positive stories as a counter is so crucial on so many levels. I do believe that if we unify with a unified vice, and we put real funding behind it, we could turn this into a serious pushback to what’s going on; it has to be something seriously funded For program information and educational content, visit https://jewinthecity. with serious strategy. I believe if we could get to that place and people came com/ when the person uses Torah sources to justify their crooked behavior.” She asserts, “We should continue to promote good values, and we should be careful to not honor criminals.” Allison has long maintained that the media always calls out the community for Jews behaving badly but not for other groups, and they rarely highlight the good found in our community. “Our community won’t ever be able to be perfect,” Allison admits, “that’s not standard that anyone should be able to live up to, but I do think that the media should report on us like they report on everyone else; don’t include the religion or the community, just report the news.”

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Dating Dialogue

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

Dear Navidaters, I am dating a boy who does not like his sisters. He only has bad and negative things to say about them. Otherwise. he is an amazing bochur, a top learner, smart, kind, and generous. This is making me worried – how can I marry a guy who cannot even talk about his sisters in a nice way? Thanks, Ahuva*

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

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The Panel

The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

ou are right to identify this as an orange and possibly red flag. You need to discuss his relationship with his sisters in an open way and also probe why he is speaking negatively about them. Ask him to talk about other relationships in his life (friends, neighbors, mentors, classmates, competitors, and highly regarded people in his peer group). See if you find patterns. See if he is negative across the board. Jealousy, feelings of inadequacy, social skills, and more need to be explored. Maybe he trusts you and is being very open. Maybe he has a lot of anger. Maybe there are deeper problems. Something seems wrong. Find out and decide accordingly.

The Shadchan Michelle Mond

he way I see your situation from the way you describe it is as follows: At best, he is immature, has always had a bad relationship with his sisters, and has major growing up to do. At worst, he has poor middos, doesn’t appreciate those closest to him, and will likely treat his wife the same way. A guy you are dating is on his best behavior; if his best behavior is belittling his family members in front of a future spouse, I wonder what his normal behavior looks like. You need to do some research on this guy and find out more about his history and past. One more piece of advice: trust

your instincts. If you’re feeling deep down that something is wrong here, most likely there is. Trust yourself on this one. Hatzlacha!

The Single Rivka Weinberg

iddos, middos, middos! If he does not speak positively about his family, I do not care how much of a top learner he is or how smart he is, that is a problem. As time goes on and you face various challenges together as a couple, him being an “amazing bochur” will mean absolutely nothing compared to how much his middos will play a role. Now don’t get me wrong – every family has their own “stuff” and it’s not always smooth and peaceful, but for him to never have a positive thing to say is a red flag to me. Pay attention to the way he speaks to and about his mother and sisters, as they are the closest he comes to interacting with females around him. The patterns he is accustomed to in terms of how he treats and communicates with the people closest to him are those that he is now comfortable with and will most likely continue to express in the future. However, to take a few steps back, I assume that if you are considering the idea of marriage with this guy, then you have already asked him about the relationship he has with his family and have spent time with them as well. If this is not the case, then you must do so immediately. Although you are not necessarily marrying his family, it is important to understand the dynamic you are getting into. Why is it that he has negative opinions about his sisters?

Did something traumatic happen in the family that led to a rift? Do they feel the same way about him? I wonder how his friends would describe his general attitude – is he known as a negative person? I advise you to proceed with caution and ask questions to ensure you receive answers you are comfortable with in order to continue further. As always, I suggest you reach out to someone whom you believe will give you proper guidance around this matter. Keep in mind that if you decide that this guy is not the one whom you feel safe marrying, Hashem has a bigger plan and the right guy will be placed in front of you at the right time.

Trust yourself on this one.

The Zaidy Dr. Jeffrey Galler

ibling rivalry is very normal and healthy. Major hostility among siblings is neither normal nor healthy. You need to do some detective work, because there are three pos-

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sibilities here. Possibility #1 is that your boyfriend’s sisters are actually very, very horrible people, and it’s amazing and fortunate that he was able to emerge unscathed from such an environment. If that is the case, the two of you can still have a wonderful marriage. But, while you should always act properly and respectfully, maintain a healthy distance from the sisters and do not make them a major part of your lives. Possibility #2 is that his sisters are actually very nice people, and there is something seriously wrong with your boyfriend. Observe carefully. Is he, generally, a negative

person who has difficulty relating to others? Does he have good, healthy friendships with other people in his life, such as cousins, roommates, neighbors, peers? And, with all due respect to Dr. Sigmund Freud, how does he get along with his mother? If he is like some men who have a problem relating to women, there is real danger in your future relationship. Possibility #3 is that his sisters are, like most folks, average people with some good and some not-sogood qualities. If so, you need to have a frank conversation with him, when you discuss how it bothers you to hear him talk negatively about his sisters.

See how he responds. It is not OK to speak negatively about your family. There is actually a wonderful opportunity for you in this situation. I know that in my family, sisters-inlaw have a very unique, precious, close relationship. You can have an important role in reconciling your boyfriend and his sisters and mending whatever caused such a significant rift in their family. Think about what a wonderful role you might have in your new, expanded family, acting as the much-beloved, highly-appreciated, and invaluable peacemaker.

If his best behavior is belittling his family members in front of a future spouse, I wonder what his normal behavior looks like.

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

ear Ahuva, Thank you for writing into the panel! Either your boyfriend’s sisters are not good people, which is a real possibility, or your boyfriend is a difficult person who finds flaws in his most intimate, loving relationships. The other possibility is that the parents had a hand in creating the hatred amongst the siblings, which can sometimes happen with parents who are narcissists. Ahuva, this is your life! So if something is rubbing you the wrong way, you deserve to look into it and find out the answer. If you haven’t done so already, and if possible, my advice is to spend time with the sisters. Spend as much time with this family as possible. Please go there for Shabbos lunches or Sunday morning breakfast. Gather information. You are in such a bind. I’m sure your boyfriend has given you a list of reasons why his sisters are awful. These reasons may or may not be true. There will be no one to tell you the truth, because there are two sides to every story. I must state the following: a man who has issues with the closest women in his life, and who says how horrible they are, oftentimes does not make for a good husband. Even if the sisters are awful, if he has not worked through his emotional pain and has not contextualized it and grown from it, he still may make for a difficult spouse. Again, there is no crystal ball and no way to make a prediction Ahuva, I know it may be hard, but you need to probe. You must ask questions. You must spend a lot of time with this family. You need to see the interac-

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tions between your boyfriend and his sisters. And the mother, too! In your case, with your concern, it behooves you to set up a session with a couples therapist. Let’s see how your boyfriend reacts to the idea of speaking to a professional about this. He should be completely open to the idea because it is of great concern to you. Tell him kindly and specifically what your concern is and what you want to discuss. Please get a professional involved who can help you and your boyfriend navigate this. If your man gives you a hard time, that will be very telling.

I am saying the following to you, Ahuva, and to all the readers: go with your gut. Always trust that gut of yours. It’s a gift from Hashem to help us navigate this world. When your body is feeling anxious or uncomfortable, tell yourself I’ve got you. I’m not going to let you be in any sort of danger. I will protect you. Breakups are awful. They hurt like no one’s business. But you really, really, really, really deserve to be in a healthy relationship with a good person who is not difficult. Sometimes, families are very sick and there is one

healthy person. This may be your boyfriend. Sometimes, families are wonderful or just normal and there is one person who has a twisted, perverted version of reality and he/she is angry at the family. This may be your boyfriend. If this is your boyfriend, the odds are that he will transfer all of his anger and unresolved mental and emotional health issues on to you. If you learn that the latter is the case in your therapy with him, please leave him. Go for therapy, and if you’d like, please write back in to keep us updat-

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ed and we will respond to the latest information. Wishing you all the best! This is not easy, but congratulations for paying attention to your intuition and making yourself a priority! Kudos for paying attention! You should be very proud of yourself. This is not easy. But Ahuva, you’ve got this! You can do this. You will love yourself through whatever happens and you will be OK. Sincerely, Jennifer

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

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Dr. Deb

Rosh Hashana: Seeing Things Anew By Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.

was really trying. It was an effort just to sit up, let alone type. But I had to fight my way back to normal or I would just be wasting time, here. And I can’t do that; it’s not in me. And then it started. Again. That to-be-refrained-terminology of a car horn alarm across the way started again. For the third time. Ugh. “Stop it!” I shouted my loudest in my quiet room with no one else here to hear me. “What is wrong with those people?” I thought. “Why can’t they fix that thing?” And then I had that pause. The pause I am so recommending to you right now as we go into the deep reﬂection of Rosh Hashana. I was, after all, at my desk. My desk! Not a hospital room. My neighbor’s brother got Covid

when I did and he ended up in a hospital room not able to breathe. Younger than me, too. I looked around. I had my water dutifully next to me and the pictures of my grandchildren ringing about my computer. And I was complaining? About noise? In a hospital room, there are other unwelcome noises. Which ones did I want? Not only that, I was getting stronger every day in spite of the extra infection I might also have. I could feel it. That lightheaded feeling that made me always retreat back to bed was gone. Hashem Yisborach was healing me bit by bit, and I had the privilege of doing it in the comfort of my own home. What was I complaining for? Eventually, the alarm stopped. And I apologized to the One Above for getting it wrong. Pretty much a similar kind of

thing happened yesterday. I was on the way to the lab. It was my first day out after the quarantine and I drove down my familiar street - -that wasn’t so familiar after all. “How green it all is!” I had wondered. “How very beautiful those flowers are!” I took in all the colors with great joy as if I hadn’t seen them before. I mean, I always appreciated a pretty garden. But it was always kind of a backdrop to my life, my busy life that was full of things to do. Like the numerous times that I didn’t want to take a walk around my block because it was the same old boring block. Forget about the flowers there – I could just look out my window to see flowers! But that changed as I drove down the street yesterday. Yes, of course, we have things to accomplish here. Sure. And we do have to do the work; can’t be lazy!

But what did G-d create beauty for? (Yes, I know there are those who say it’s just a distraction from our jobs. I no longer see it that way.) I think we also have to be b’simcha just because we are. And we’re allowed to actually enjoy doing “nothing” but appreciate the beauty that He created for us. Not only allowed us to appreciate it – maybe required the appreciation. After all, I don’t know if I will accomplish the task that I thought I was set here to carry out. Only He knows if I will. But in the meantime, while doing all that trying, doesn’t it make sense to just be happy being? Like really happy? Like seeing the ﬂowers for the first time as a Martian might? Those are the eyes I brought to the ﬂowers yesterday. If you’ll excuse me for a few minutes, I’m going to go take a walk around the block right now.

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It wasn’t a few minutes; it was an hour. That’s because I walked very slowly. And I stopped to chat with two people I know. So what were my discoveries? *I always overdo things. Probably should have just walked to the corner and back; it was very, very hot. *The green-ness was amazing. *I could actually stand up without feeling lightheaded. *I felt good I gave my ticker a workout after two weeks of sickness. *For some reason, I didn’t think of my to-do list while I was out, even forgot I was in the middle of this article. That’s good: be where you are and into what you’re doing. So what do I wish for you as we go into the Yomim Noraim? To be able to switch your focus to the good in your life in spite of the bad: That you are as healthy as you are and to notice everything about that that is wonderful – how you

can breathe; how you can eat; how you have a good reason to say asher yatzar; that your hands work; that your brain works; you can appreciate colors. That you have healthy children

off-key like me. That you can laugh when someone surprises you with a funny joke. That you have a shul whose Rabbi and Rebbetzin care about you, and if you don’t, look for them be-

I mean, I always appreciated a pretty garden. But it was always kind of a backdrop to my life.

even if they can be troublesome, because if they are alive and well, there’s always chances for repair. That you are not sitting on a cardboard box somewhere under a bridge no matter how bad your economics or your emotions get. That you can sing, even if it is

cause that is often critical to just getting through. That you’re Jewish even if it sometimes feels hard. That you do have friends, and if you don’t, then begin by seeing who you can help; that is a sure way to get the ball rolling. (On that subject,

I will tell you a brief story that I’ll never forget. Many years ago, standing in the shul lobby after services in Florida, a total stranger said, “Hi. I’m Ellen and I’m new here!” Whaaa? Who does that? Today, Ellen, who lives in California now, is still my friend.) That there’s clothing, makeup and whatever to make us look our best. And finally, if there’s some item on this list that makes you go, “Yeah, sure, that’s not going to work for me!” then don’t be like my heilige parents who zeroed on the report card of mostly A’s, annoyed at the one B. Take joy in everything else. That’s the whole point.

Dr. Deb Hirschhorn is a Marriage and Family Therapist. If you want help with your marriage, begin by signing up to watch her Masterclass at https://drdeb. com/myw-masterclass.

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Health & F tness

More to Apples Than Dipping into Honey By Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN

he apple is the symbolic fruit of Rosh Hashana. The first siman at the Rosh Hashana seudah is the notable dipping an apple into honey. Every child learns the famous “Dip the apple in the honey” song as soon as the school year starts. Apple picking is also a popular chol hamoed Sukkos trip due to the timely apple season in the fall. But there is more to an apple than just its sweet taste and symbolic meaning. An apple is an abundant source of nutrients as well as the key ingredient in having a sweet new year. A medium-sized apple contains roughly 60 calories, 0g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1mg sodium, 3g dietary fiber, and 10% daily value vitamin C. Apples are one of the healthiest foods a person can eat. As you can see, apples are low in calories, contain zero fat or cholesterol, have only a trace of sodium, and serve as a good source of fiber and vitamin C. The fiber in apples combines with other nutrients found in apples to provide health benefits such as preventing heart disease and regulating blood fat and cholesterol levels. The cholesterol-lowering effect of apples is linked to the soluble fiber, particularly pectins. Pectins prevent

cholesterol from building up in blood vessels, thus preventing atherosclerosis and heart disease. Apples also contain insoluble fiber which provides bulk to the intestinal tract and helps move food quickly down the digestive tract. Besides for combining with fiber, phytonutrients in apples have also been shown to help regulate blood sugar levels. This is done by various

a “miracle food” or a “nutrition powerhouse,” as an apple a day indeed keeps the doctor away. As you can plainly see, apples are very healthy for you and should be eaten all year round, not only on Rosh Hashana. Apples are a refreshing snack and can be used for baking and salads, too. You can eat apples raw, chomping into them whole or slicing them up. You

Apples are often called a “miracle food” or a “nutrition powerhouse,” as an apple a day indeed keeps the doctor away.

mechanisms which include preventing spikes in blood sugar and increasing uptake of glucose from the blood through the stimulation of insulin receptors. The same polyphenols that work to regulate blood fat and sugar levels also serve as antioxidants which help prevent asthma, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer. Due to their many health benefits, apples are often called

can dice them and grate them into salads, too. Apple slaw is a delicious, fresh salad very appropriate for Rosh Hashana. You can bake apples and sprinkle cinnamon and crushed pecans on top for a delicious baked apple dessert. You can cook apples into applesauce or add other cooked fruits and make fruit compote. For other sweet, and less healthy options, apples can be

used for apple kugel, apple crisp, apple crumble, apple cobbler, apple pie, apple cake, apple muffins, apple turnovers, apple tart, candy coated apples, and chocolate-coated apples. The list can go on and on. Another fun thing about apples is that there are so many different types. Each type of apple offers the same health benefits, yet offers a unique flavor. Whether you choose Red Delicious, Cameo, Holstein, Golden Delicious, Gala, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Fuji, Envy, Honeycrisp, Ambrosia, or any other type of apple, you will get amazing health benefits, a delicious dish, and a happy and healthy sweet new year.

Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN, is a Master’s level Registered Dietitian and Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist. She graduated CUNY Brooklyn College receiving a Bachelor’s in Science and Master’s degree in Nutrition and Food Sciences. She is currently a dietitian at Boro Park Center and a private nutrition consultant. She can be reached at CindyWeinberger1@gmail.com. Follow us on Instagram @EatBetterandFeelBetter.

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Parenting Pearls

Parenting as a Vehicle for Personal Growth By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

recently received an email from a close friend from seminary whom I’d lost touch with. She saw my article along with my email in the bio and reached out to me. It was wonderful to hear from her and remember those days years ago. Elul was spent in deep introspection, mussar and divrei Torah that were geared to the time period. Now, I, like many others, spend the time before Rosh Hashana cooking, making sure the kids have appropriate clothes, and trying to stay sane. I feel very fortunate to have my children who keep me so busy but it’s a big change that can leave someone feeling like they’ve lost touch with personal growth and their previous goals. While yomim noraim used to be spent davening emotionally in shul, it’s now spent in the playground with kids or running to make it to a shofar blowing. Times change, but that doesn’t mean personal growth becomes impossible. Parenting is a hard job. It’s definitely rewarding, but we can’t deny there are strange and very mundane aspects to it, as well. When we’re younger, we have such high and lofty thoughts; we’re focused on deep, philosophical or spiritual ideas. As parents, we spend our days changing

dirty diapers, putting Band-Aids on boo boos (some of which are invisible), and chauffeuring kids between locations. It’s very easy to get lost in all the mundane and tedious tasks that a parent does daily. As we’re in the month of Tishrei, a time when we focus on personal improvement and development, I thought it could be a timely opportunity to discuss how parenting is actually a perfect vehicle for personal growth. I remember in seminary how we were so spiritually focused during this time period but as a parent it’s easy to wonder what happened to all our goals. On the contrary – it’s when we are doing what seems mundane that we can transform ourselves.

Parenting is Chessed Diapers stink but your child is healthier being clean. It’s an act of kindness to change a diaper, and you’re doing an act of giving towards your child each time you do it. It’s amazing to think we can find holiness even in changing a soiled child. I can say the same about nearly every parenting task. It’s a kindness to make sure your child has clean clothes, nourishing food to eat, and a welcoming place to live. By seeing

the day-to-day tasks as an act of giving and devotion to your child, you can transform laundry, cooking, and cleaning into something so much more. When you recognize that the most tedious, and even distasteful, task can be viewed as a form of chessed, you can begin to get a greater level of appreciation for what you do. This, in turn, can help you use those very same tasks to improve yourself. Smile and sing while you change a diaper, give a bath or clean a filthy floor; you are helping someone else and becoming a giver. Your child will feel the difference when they see you happy, as opposed to irate, when you assist them. He/she will thrive on the extra affection and revel in being seen with love and not as a burden. When you tend to your child you can grumble or you can give them a kiss. You make that decision.

Parenting with Purpose Parenting can, and should, be done with purpose and meaning. By viewing the various responsibilities as something purposeful, it can turn the mundane into something worthwhile and meaningful. For example, driving your child to school is contributing to

their education. Bathing your child is contributing to their health and teaching them personal hygiene. Intervening between squabbling siblings is an opportunity to teach them appropriate interpersonal interactions. Tasks that can range from tedious to annoying can take on more intention when you can reframe your actions as something both meaningful and greater than its parts. This gives you the opportunity to direct your parenting into something even more useful than if you didn’t give intent to your actions. By choosing to recognize the greater accomplishments of your regular, day-to-day actions, you can grow from what you’re already doing.

Parenting Teaches Self-Control It’s easy to be nice to strangers and to the people we meet infrequently in our lives. It’s more challenging to maintain our composure with those we’re close to. It’s really easy to lose all sense of calm when dealing with irrational, young people who scream for reasons that we often can’t even understand. To be honest, I’m not even sure they themselves always know why they’re screaming. It takes real self-control and lots of working on

ourselves to smile sweetly at a child tantruming during the day or crying at night. I can say for myself that it was a real change of perspective when I realized that when I comfort a child in the middle of the night it’s really a challenge for me to improve and grow and not just about my child. When I can react calmly despite the insanity of parenting, then I have accomplished real personal growth. It’s easy to raise your voice when kids fight, complain or act out; it’s much harder to maintain self-control, step back, and evaluate a response first. Our children benefit from a calmer parent, but we also benefit from becoming calmer people. Personally, it gives me a different perspective to think that I’m working on myself while working with my children. It (often) happens that a child may test my patience. By remembering that staying composed is good for me and not just for them, I have a greater incentive to exercise that self-restraint.

Parenting is a Skilled Profession Good parenting takes a lot of thought and creativity. Analyzing the problems you’re encountering with your child, thinking of the various workable solutions, and implementing your game plan is a real challenge. Like a chess master

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than just reacting to situations as they unfold. Parents can become masterful professionals that understand their child and create an environment conducive to their child’s optimal growth. Whether that involves being more affectionate, firmer or applying some other adjustment, a well-thought-out par-

Our children benefit from a calmer parent, but we also benefit from becoming calmer people.

planning the next move or a general commanding the troops, you need to have a well-thought-out strategy that has been viewed from every angle. The last thing you want to do is react impulsively. Good parenting involves more

ent can make that move intelligently. Even more so, a parent acting with foresight can set the stage in advance to prevent the problems from occurring, for example, having an activity already planned for a rambunctious child when they come home so they

don’t tear up the house or hiding the permanent markers out of the reach of little hands. There are so many ways to enhance your parenting when you prepare your response and give thought to your parenting actions. You will notice a real difference when you have a proactive approach and your actions are well-thought-out. Parenting forces you to think beyond yourself and grow in ways you wouldn’t normally otherwise. As you reframe before doing each seemingly menial job, you can begin to appreciate just how much it is you are truly accomplishing. Not only is parenting a means to raise your child but it’s also a means to raise yourself.

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

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In The K

tchen

Roasted Carrots Harissa Tahini Drizzle Pareve / Yields 6 servings

By Naomi Nachman

One of my favorite outings is going to the farmers markets to see all the different varieties of vegetables that aren’t available in the supermarket. When I saw carrots in a multicolored bunch, I bought them right away, knowing how beautiful my recipe will look and how it’s such a perfect recipe for your Rosh Hashana menu. Ingredients b 1 teaspoon cumin

b ½ teaspoon cinnamon b ½ teaspoon paprika b 2 tablespoons olive oil b 1 teaspoon salt b 1pound fresh rainbow carrots, sliced in half

Harissa Dressing b 4 tablespoons tehina b 1 tablespoon harissa b 1 tablespoon silan b 1 teaspoon kosher salt b 2 tablespoons water

Preparation 1.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together oil, spices, and carrots; toss well to coat carrots. 3. Place carrots on prepared baking sheets. Roast for 20 minutes. 4.

Prepare the harissa dressing: In a small bowl, mix together all the dressing ingredients.

5. Pour dressing over carrots right before serving. Cook’s Tip: If you don’t have rainbow carrots, this recipe is still delicious with any carrot variety. Recipe from Perfect Flavors by Naomi Nachman, published by Artscroll/Mesorah

Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet.com or at (516) 295-9669.

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Rosh Hashana at Our Table BY RENEE MULLER

Lattice Minute Roast

For as long as I can remember, my mother-in-law (and her sister-in-law, aka Tanta Esther) have been saving this very popular roast for Yom Tov. The roast itself is incredibly flavorful and the latticed dough gives it just the perfect amount of oomph that a festive dish requires, without rendering it overly heavy. I asked Esther how long she cooks her roast and she replied, “Oh, I’m not quite sure. I do the fork test after a couple of hours.” So I did that too, and guess what, it worked. Further details below. Ingredients » 1 (approx. 4-pound) minute roast For the marinade » 2½ tablespoons vinegar » 2 cups duck sauce » ½ cup soy sauce » 5 garlic cloves, minced » 1 teaspoon ginger, minced, OR ½ teaspoon dried » ½ teaspoon dry mustard » 1 cup sweet red wine, such as Malaga » 1 (17-ounce) package flaky dough » 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash Preparation Using a fork, prick roast all over its surface.

Combine all marinade ingredients in a resealable plastic bag. Add the roast; marinate overnight, or up to 24 hours, refrigerated. Remove roast from the refrigerator; let come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place roast with marinade into a baking dish. Cover; bake for at least 3 hours, turning the meat halfway through the cooking time. After 3 hours, check the meat by pricking it with a fork. Meat should have softened and gravy formed from the marinade. If it has not softened quite yet, return to the oven for an additional half-hour, or until soft. Remove roast from the oven; let cool, then refrigerate with its gravy. After fat has congealed, you can remove and discard it. About 1 hour before you would like to serve the meat: Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove meat from the gravy. Pat dry with paper towels. Roll out the flaky dough; use a lattice cutter to form the lattice. Wrap the lattice over the roast, then place the roast, seam side down, in a roasting pan. (Alternatively, you can simply wrap the roast in the dough, no lattice necessary; it will be just as delicious.) Add about 1 inch of gravy to the pan. Brush the lattice with egg wash. Bake until pastry is golden, about 30 minutes, basting with the sauce every 10 minutes or so. Slice and serve immediately. Note: After cutting out the lattice, you can re-roll the scraps of dough and form them into a ball. Roll out the dough again and shape it into a decorative bow and place it on top of the roast, just like my mother-in-law does.

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Apple and Honey Rosh Hashana Muffins

At our house, Rosh Hashana cannot happen without honey muffins. At least, that’s the way my kids see it. It’s a family project, and by now, a family tradition, too. This recipe was given to me by a relative in Israel who bakes them all the time and claims that no matter how many batches she bakes, there are never enough. She’s absolutely right. We once baked a quadruple batch of these (sans the apples) for a bake sale on our block and we were left without a crumb! For the apples » 2 Tablespoons butter OR margarine » 4 Granny Smith apples, diced » 4 Tablespoons sugar » 1 teaspoon cinnamon For the muffins » 2 cups prepared tea, lukewarm » 2 cups sugar » 2 cups oil » 2 cups honey » 12 eggs » 6 cups flour » 2 tablespoons baking powder » 1 teaspoon baking soda » 2 heaping tablespoons cinnamon Preparation Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Prepare the apples: In a saucepan, melt butter over a medium-low flame. Add apples, sugar, and cinnamon; cook until apples are fragrant and soften a bit, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. Prepare the muffins: In the bowl of a stand mixer, on medium speed, combine tea, sugar, oil, honey, and eggs. Mix until smooth. Reduce speed; gradually add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Fill each muffin cup halfway with batter. (I like to use a cupcake pen for this; I find it very helpful.) Top with a teaspoon of prepared apples. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out almost dry with some moist crumbs attached. Note: The apples are optional; I find that some children prefer the muffins plain. We add the apple for Rosh Hashana (very loudly singing, “Dip the apple in the hooooneeeyy” as we do so) but throughout the year, we bake them plain. Tip: I recently discovered an amazing gadget called “The Cupcake (or Muffin) Pen.” It really removes the whole messy aspect of filling cupcake pans with batter. Look for it in specialty equipment stores.

Recipes reprinted with permission from Our Table by Renee Muller, published by ArtScroll/Mesorah.

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Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

They sent my son over there as a paper pusher and then had the Taliban outside providing security. I blame my own military leaders. Biden turned his back on him. That’s it. - Steve Nikoui, whose Marine son Kareem was killed in last week’s attack, in an interview with the Daily Beast

I’m sorry your professor said something you didn’t like, that won’t be a problem with the Taliban because you’re not allowed to go to school. In Saudi Arabia, grown women can be jailed for doing the kind of things we think of as routine without the permission of a male guardian. China rounds you up if you’re the wrong religion and puts you in camps. More children in Burkina Faso work than are in school. Only five percent of Burundians have electricity. The homicide rate in Honduras is eight times what it is here. The inflation rate in Venezuela is two-thousand-seven-hundrednineteen percent. The Philippines in the last five years has put to death twenty-seven-thousand low level drug dealers. My old job. In North Korea, people starve to death. The only people who starve here are doing it for a role. And the only people who have no water live in California. - Bill Maher, HBO

Have you noticed how strikingly similar both the mindsets and actions are between the suicide bombers at Kabul’s airport, and the anti-mask and anti-vax people here? They both blow themselves up, inflict harm on those around them, and are convinced they are fighting for freedom. - Tweet by Democrat Arne Duncan, the secretary of education for most of Barack Obama’s presidency

My son was one of the Marines that died yesterday. Twenty years and 6-months-old, getting ready to go home from freaking Jordan to be home with his wife to watch the birth of his son, and that feckless, dementia-ridden piece of [garbage] just sent my son to die. I woke up at 4 o’clock this morning. Two marines at my door telling me that my son was dead. I just want all you Democrats who cheated in the election, or who voted for him legitimately, you just killed my son. With a dementiaridden piece of [garbage] who doesn’t even know he’s in the White House, who still thinks he’s a senator. So, I’m gonna try to calm down, sorry. - Grieving mother Kathy McCollum in a radio interview one day after her 20-year-old son, Rylee, was one of the 13 United States Marines killed in Kabul

Initially, I wasn’t going to meet with him, but then I felt I owed it to my son to at least have some words with him about how I felt – and it didn’t go well. He talked a bit more about his own son than he did my son, and that didn’t sit well with me. - Mark Schmitz, father of Missouri Marine Jared Schmitz, talking with Sean Hannity about his meeting with Pres. Biden on the tarmac when his son’s body was returned home after being killed in last week’s attack

Joe, you keep spoiling like that, next year they are going to want nukes! - Greg Gutfeld, of Fox News, talking about Pres. Biden leaving billions in military equipment in Afghanistan

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Someone asked me, “Why don’t you retire?” I said, “I can’t – my mother would break my neck.” - Bill Oliver, 79, of Massachusetts, who works in a family lobster catching business along with his mother Virginia Oliver, 101, in a recent TV interview

Human beings do well when they have carrot and stick. - Mayor Bill DeBlasio explaining on MSNBC why he mandated that all employees of the Department of Education must be vaccinated

20 YEARS- FYI there have been terrorist suicide bombers killing civilians nearly DAILY in Afghanistan. This ain’t new. It’s why we are leaving #DealWithIt. - Tweet by MSNBC’s Malcolm Nance hours after 13 Marines were killed in a terrorist attack in Kabul

What we witnessed – and I mean, by we, I mean our world – is stunning incompetence, breathtaking incompetence. The Mona Lisa of incompetence. Now, there are good arguments to withdraw. There are good arguments to keep a limited force…in Afghanistan, but they are no good arguments for what the world has watched. I don’t know who President Biden had in charge…it looks like he put Gavin Newsom in charge.

Following the full approval of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, the company revealed it would start marketing the drug under the name Comirnaty, so now people will start referring to the Pfizer vaccine as “the Pfizer vaccine.” — Seth Meyers

Reject the recall – it’s not good for you. It’s not good for children or other living things. - Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi encouraging people to keep California Gov. Gavin Newsom in office

- Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), Fox News

The hatred for Trump-deranged these people so much, that they’re unwilling to objectively study … hydroxychloroquine without the taint of their hatred for Donald Trump. - Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)

The difference between me and Andrew Cuomo? Neither of us is governor, but I still have my Emmy(s) - Tweet by actress Cynthia Nixon, who challenged Cuomo in the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial primary, after Cuomo was stripped of his Emmy

MORE QUOTES

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Meet Mai Afana’s mother, Khuloud, who is fighting to be able to bury her daughter & begin her healing. Mai was a mother, loving daughter & successful PhD student. She was killed by the Israeli government last June. Israel won’t release her body to her family. - Tweet by Jew-hater Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), who doesn’t mention in her tweet that this “loving daughter” was killed while attempting to ram her car into Israeli soldiers and, once stopped, jumped out of her car and tried stabbing them before being killed

If you play chess and you’re the black pieces – which always go second. Go figure, right? - White ESPN host Max Kellerman, trying to prove his woke credentials during Monday’s “First Take”

The possibilities are endless on how fast we can go. - David Brown, Paralympian and the first blind runner to a 100-meter dash in under 11 seconds

Despite progress, women across the nation still face barriers to full equality: from shameful pay disparities to the unfair economic impacts of the pandemic to the brazen assault on the right to vote. At this moment, Democrats are committed to Building Back Better with Women - One of four tweets that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) tweeted about National Woman’s Equality Day in the hours AFTER 13 U.S. Marines were killed in Kabul, before ever mentioning the attack

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Political Crossfire

Kabul Isn’t Saigon ‘75. It’s Beirut ‘83 By Marc A. Thiessen

resident Joe Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan has been compared with the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam. But in the wake of Thursday’s suicide bombing at the Kabul airport, what we are seeing in Afghanistan is far worse than a repeat of Saigon, 1975; it is now a repeat of Beirut, 1983. On October 23, 1983, terrorists detonated a truck bomb at the U.S. Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, killing 241 American service members who were participating in a peacekeeping operation. Three months later, after failing to retaliate in any meaningful fashion, President Ronald Reagan withdrew all U.S. forces from Beirut. Reagan’s decision to cut and run had disastrous consequences. Osama bin Laden tried to replicate the Beirut Marine Corps barracks bombing with his bombing of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and then to exceed it with the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Years later, bin Laden cited “the defeat of the American forces in Beirut” as proof that the United States was soft and that if al-Qaeda hit us hard enough, we could be forced to retreat and withdraw. He further declared that the United States had done the same thing in Somalia, “trailing disappointment, defeat and failure behind it.” The United States, he said, “achieved nothing. It left quicker than people had imagined.” The United States would eventually retreat from Afghanistan in similar fashion. Now Biden is fulﬁlling bin Laden’s

prophecy. Except after Thursday’s attack, we are no longer simply handing the country over to our enemies, as we did in Vietnam; we are now leaving under ﬁre, as we did in Beirut. And just as the Beirut retreat inspired America’s enemies to attack the U.S. homeland on 9/11, if we pull out on August 31 with our tail between our legs, it will send a signal of weakness certain to inspire terrorists around the world. Instead of a speedy evacuation, we need an immediate show of strength.

Second, we should inform the Taliban that because its failure to prevent this attack has delayed the evacuation, we will not be leaving on August 31 – and will not set another arbitrary deadline for withdrawal. We will depart once every American, and every Afghan ally, has been evacuated – and not a moment sooner. We will stay as long as it takes to carry out that mission. We should make clear this is not a request. They have no say in the matter. Third, we should inform the Tal-

Now Biden is fulfilling bin Laden’s prophecy.

First, we should inform the Taliban that the United States holds it responsible for this attack. It established a ring of checkpoints surrounding around the airport. It controlled who got in and who did not. It stopped both Americans and Afghans from reaching the airport – but somehow the bomber got through, and another struck at a nearby hotel. Whether letting the bomber through to the airport was intentional or simply a security failure, we should tell the Taliban it failed to meet its commitment to secure the airport – and is thus responsible for the deaths of more than a dozen U.S. service members.

iban that since it failed to establish a secure perimeter at the airport, we will do so. We are also retaking Bagram air base so that we have another airﬁeld to use for evacuations. And we will be conducting missions across the country to retrieve stranded Americans and their Afghan allies. Any interference in these operations will have severe consequences. Finally, we should immediately deliver justice to those who attacked U.S. forces. In a speech Thursday afternoon, Biden warned the terrorists, “We will hunt you down and make you pay.” That will be hard to do if we withdraw all of our forces from the

country on Tuesday. While Biden promised to strike back, it was his decision to hand Bagram air base over to the Taliban that allowed it to throw open a prison there, releasing 5,000 to 7,000 prisoners – who were free to threaten U.S. forces as they pulled out. The prison contained a maximum-security cell block that held the most senior and dangerous Islamic State and al-Qaeda terrorist leaders. If any of those prisoners were involved in Thursday’s attack, that would be a searing indictment of Biden’s decision to give up Bagram before we withdrew. But instead of being chastened, Biden used this deadly attack as justiﬁcation to stick with his August 31 deadline, declaring this is “why I’ve been so determined to limit the duration of this mission.” In other words, the terrorists succeeded: By killing Americans, they reinforced Biden’s determination to retreat as fast as he can. If Biden fails to act decisively in response to this attack, and withdraws on Tuesday as scheduled, he will embolden our enemies to carry out even more deadly attacks once we have left Afghanistan. To do so would be to repeat the mistakes the United States made in Beirut four decades ago. The lesson of Beirut is that weakness is provocative – and that when the United States runs after a terrorist attack, the result is not safety and security, it is even more terrorism. (c) 2021, Washington Post Writers Group

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

WORK WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. DO YOU EVER ASK YOURSELF: I spend most of my time at the office; where do I find room for my Yiddishkeit? Why do I feel like I live in two worlds? How do I go back to my mundane job after an uplifting Shabbos or Yomtov? Why didn’t I get that promotion over that other candidate? I’m more qualified! DON’T WORRY, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

“

The Torah was not meant to be confined to the beis midrash. It is the key to an elevated existence in the home and in the office … I urge you to study and be inspired by this wonderful sefer. RABBI MOSHE WEINBERGER, RAV, CONGREGATION AISH KODESH OF WOODMERE

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VISIT US ONLINE AT MOSAICAPRESS.COM Mosaica Press books are available for purchase online or at your local Jewish bookshop.

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Political Crossfire

Greenlighting the Taliban’s Takeover of Kabul is a National Disgrace By Marc A. Thiessen

mericans have been told that the fall of Kabul took the Biden administration by surprise, creating a situation – completely beyond our control – where the United States had to depend on the Taliban for security in the Afghan capital as the U.S. military conducted the evacuation. That tale turns out to be untrue. The Washington Post reports that the Taliban offered to allow the U.S. military to take responsibility for security in Kabul – but we declined. In other words, our dependence on the Taliban for security in Kabul was not a fait accompli, but a choice – an American choice. This means that all the horrors the world witnessed over the past two weeks – desperate Afghans chasing and falling from U.S. military aircraft; Americans and Afghans blocked and beaten at Taliban checkpoints; Afghan interpreters hiding from door-to-door searches by Taliban thugs; American veterans organizing private rescue missions for them because the commander in chief would not; and flag-draped coffins arriving at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to be received by grieving families – might have been prevented. According to The Post, the Taliban hadn’t intended to take Kabul on August 15. But when Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled and the Afghan security forces melted away, a meeting was quickly arranged in Doha, Qatar, between Gen. Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie, head of

U.S. Central Command, and Taliban leader Abdul Ghani Baradar. “We have a problem,” Baradar reportedly told McKenzie. “We have two options to deal with it: You” – the U.S. military – “take responsibility for securing Kabul or you have to allow us to do it.” That’s right: The Taliban leader oﬀered to let the U.S. military take control of the city. He said he would enter Kabul only if the U.S. forces would “allow” them to do so. But according to The Post, “Throughout the day, [President Joe] Biden had remained resolute in his decision to withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan. The collapse of the Afghan government hadn’t changed his mind.” So McKenzie – “aware of those orders” – turned down the Taliban leader’s oﬀer to let the U.S. military secure the city and told him the United States needed control of

only the airport, so we could evacuate our citizens and Afghan allies. “On the spot, an understanding was reached, according to two other U.S. officials: The United States could have the airport until August 31. But the Taliban would control the city,” The Post reports. I asked McKenzie for comment, but he declined to respond. One former senior general officer told me the U.S. military could definitely have secured the capital. We would likely have secured the green zone where Western embassies are located (not the entire city, which was not secured anyway under Afghan forces) and the access to the airport, he says. We could have set up our own perimeter and established a secure corridor from Kabul that would have allowed us to get all our citizens and Afghan allies out safely. But we chose not to do this. Instead, we greenlighted the Taliban

to take control of Kabul, which made the United States dependent on the Haqqani network – whose leader is an al-Qaeda-linked U.S.-designated terrorist with a reward of up to $5 million on his head – for the security of our men and women in uniform. The negligence and incompetence of this decision is simply stunning. The American people need answers to pressing questions. The Post report says Biden remained determined throughout the day to withdraw all U.S. troops, and that McKenzie was “aware” of Biden’s orders when he turned down the opportunity the Taliban presented. Did McKenzie relay the Taliban’s offer to the president? Did he ask for additional troops to secure the capital? Did Biden decline to provide them? This much is certain: The Biden administration had the chance to control Kabul while we evacuated, but chose to cede it to the Taliban. That is a dereliction of duty unlike any we have seen in modern times. Our leaders made a conscious choice to put the safety of American civilians, service members and Afghan allies in the hands of terrorists rather than the U.S. armed forces – a decision that led directly to the deaths of 13 Americans in an Islamic State attack on the Kabul airport last Thursday at the hands of a suicide bomber. It is a national disgrace.

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Forgotten Her es

Silver Star Recipients By Avi Heiligman

any ordinary soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen became heroes in the fight against the Nazis and Japan during World War II. One of the most prestigious awards given to these heroes was the Silver Star, and many of these recipients were Jewish. Research into these Jewish servicemen and even identifying them can prove to a tedious task beyond the few that have been profiled in the past. Old books and publications are a great source of information, and together with the help of online research, here are some of the heroes that received the Silver Star. Captain Hyman Shapiro was a medical officer with the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. He was the assistant regimental surgeon of the medical detachment with the 3 rd battalion during the invasion in Italy in January 1944. Their target was Red Beach, but his landing craft was hit by an aerial bomb and he was thrown into the water. Despite losing his gear, he wasn’t severely injured but refused medical evacuation. Instead, he insisted that the landing craft be towed to shore with

the injured soldiers and personally took charge of caring for the wounded. This prompt medical treatment saved the lives of many men as he dressed their wounds and evacuated them to safety. Captain Shapiro was one of thousands of Jewish medical personnel that served in the American Armed Forces during the war. Lieutenant

to aid many wounded soldiers and marines, ignoring the danger of bullets, grenades and artillery shells exploding in his vicinity. Many new pilots were needed for the tens of thousands of planes rolling off the production lines in record numbers. Among these newly minted airmen was Lieutenant Morris Friedman of Grand Forks North

Bullets ripped through his canteen and took his helmet off his head but he kept on firing.

Commander Ben Herbert Keyserling became a doctor in South Carolina after his time in the service. During the war, he served in the Navy Medical Corps and the 1st Medical Battalion of the 1st Marine Division. He was present during the bloody Battle of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands in 1942. Keyserling received the Silver Star for crawling

Dakota. He piloted a B-17 Flying Fortress in the Pacific Theater of Operations and saw action over the Philippines, Dutch East Indies and the Coral Sea. His plane, named the Seattle Chief, made several hit and run raids during the Battle of Java and probably sank a large cargo ship (their altitude was too high to see it actually sinking). For bravery in ac-

tion, he was awarded the Silver Star as well as the Distinguished Flying Cross. One of the crewmen who sometimes flew with Friedman was bombardier Meyer Levin of Brooklyn. After graduating from Brooklyn Technical High School, Levin, who was Jewish, enrolled in a government aeronautical school, where he graduated second highest in his class. For three years, when he applied for jobs after graduation, he was denied positions because of his religion. Finally, he decided to enlist in the military. Levin received the Silver Star for heroic actions against Japanese warships. On a mission just a few days after the Pearl Harbor attack, Levin was at the controls and bombed a Japanese light cruiser. The enemy ship was severely damaged but American pilot Captain Colin Kelly was killed after being attacked by enemy fighter planes (Morris Friedman was also on this flight). Levin received the Silver Star for sinking a 15,000-ton Japanese transport ship but was later killed when his plane crashed in a storm. First Lieutenant Jacob Beser was the only person to have flown

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on both strike planes during the atomic bomb missions. He was sent to work on the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and was with the 509th through its training period as the officer in charge of the radar maintenance sections. During the atom bomb missions, he was the radar counter-measure observer, and his job was to make sure that the bombs didn’t explode too early. Additionally, Beser was there to ensure that the Japanese “did not jam the bomb’s fuse frequencies and prematurely detonate the Fat Man (the name given to the bomb that was sent on the Nagasaki mission)”. He was awarded the Silver Star for actions while on board for the atomic missions. Sometimes under intense fire one soldier will go above and beyond to fight the enemy and rescue his fellow soldiers. This is what happened to Captain Sanford Weinstein of the 1st Battalion, 136th Regiment, 33rd Division on the Philippine island

Jacob Beser in front of the Enola Gay before her historic run

Meyer Levin

canteen and took his helmet off his head but he kept on firing. During the exchange, he killed ten Japanese soldiers and destroyed a machine gun position. Then, he singlehandedly dragged six wounded Americans to safety while directing other unwounded Americans to evacuate the rest of the wounded. He received the Distinguished Service Cross and the Silver Star for gallantry on the battlefield. These men are just a few of the many who were decorated for bravery while in the service. Their Silver Stars are a testament to their heroics on the battlefield.

of Luzon. In May 1945, his unit received their orders: Weinstein was to lead two rifle platoons against strong Japanese positions in an area called Skyline Ridge. Several soldiers were killed and wounded as the Americans approached the sum-

mit. Despite wounds to his hand and knees, Weinstein did not scramble down the hill with the other men of his platoon. Instead he picked up an automatic rifle and fired from the hip as he ran towards the enemy positions. Bullets ripped through his

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

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

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y t i n u m m o c s r r u a o e y g 9 n i 2 t r a educldren fo chi YOUR

CONTRIBUTION WILL BRIGHTEN A FUTURE FOR A CHILD

CAHAL ensures a child's ACADEMIC growth and SUCCESS in

an EXCLUSIVE individualized, LANGUAGE-BASED program, teaching MAINSTREAM curriculum with EXPERIENCED Rebbeim and teachers, in classes INTEGRATED in our community YESHIVAS.

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

SERVICES PEACEFUL PRESENCE STUDIO Men's private yoga, Licensed Massage & Holistic Health Guidance 436 Central Ave, Cedarhurst Info. & free video training www.peacefulpresence.com 516-371-3715 Alternative Solutions Geriatric Care Management staff will assist you with: * Obtaining Medicaid and Pooled Income Trust * In-home Assessments, Individual and Family Counseling * Securing reliable home care assistance * Case and Care Management services Dr. S. Sasson, DSW, LCSW (718) 544- 0870 or (646) 284-6242 VACUUM SALES AND REPAIR All areas call Max Flam 718-444-4904

SERVICES RENT-A-SUKKAH Various sizes available. Prices include: delivery, assembly, disassembly, lighting, extension cord All you have to do is decorate! (516) 644-3348 hwaftr3@aol.com

MOONBOUNCE FOR RENT $100/day Holds up to 500lbs. Perfect fun for ages 3-8 Call or text 516-220-0616 to reserve your date GERBER MOVING FULL SERVICE MOVING Packing Moving Supplies Local Long Distance Licensed Insured 1000’S Of Happy Customers Call Shalom 347-276-7422

SERVICES

HOUSES FOR SALE

SHALOM HANDYMAN Plumbing, heating, boiler, installation, sewer, locks, dryer vent cleaning and more… CALL 917-217-3676

PRICE REDUCED: Sprawling 4BR, 4BA Exp-Ranch, Oversized Rooms, LR W/Fplc, Formal Dining Rm, Large Den, Master Suite, Full Finished Basement, Storage Room & Office, Deck, Fabulous Property…$1.078M Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com

HAIR COURSE: Learn how to wash & style hair & wigs Hair and wig cutting, wedding styling Private lessons or in a group Call Chaya 718-715-9009

HOUSES FOR SALE Don’t Get Stuck With a Two Story House Ya Know, It’s One Story Before You Buy It But a Second Story After You Own It! Call Dov Herman For An Accurate Unbiased Home Inspection Infrared - Termite Inspection Full Report All Included NYC 718-INSPECT Long Island 516-INSPECT www.nyinspect.com

WOODMERE: Beautiful, brick, colonial boasting 5 bdr 3.5 Bth in pristine condition. Excellent location, near all! Move right in! RCUSA 516-512-9626

CAN’T AFFORD YOUR PROPERTY TAXES? MORTGAGE? Must sell for any reason? Call for FREE Consultation. Call now 212-470-3856 Cash buyers available!

WOODSBURGH

WOODMERE

Magnificent 5 bedroom home on a sprawling property in desirable Woodsburgh location! Move right in. Leah (516)884-6530 $1.749M

Wide-line hi ranch situated on oversized lot.... Amazing potential for expansion! 4BR, 3bth, low taxes. Chana 516-449-9692 $849K

CEDARHURST

Gut renovated colonial with large rear extension all done in 2014. 7BRs, 4.5bths. All updated systems. Moshe (516)455-5364 $1.45M

N. WOODMERE

Immaculate, sunlit drenched 4BR, 2bth, split in the heart of North Woodmere! Sarah 347-424-9147 $819K

WOODMERE

Cozy and comfortable home in the heart of Woodmere. 3br 1.5bth with room to expand on this huge lot. Make this your dream home! Chana (516)449-9692 $779K

WOODMERE

Lluxury living in the heart of Woodmere. Custom-built home with no expense spared. 10BRs, 4.5bths. Chana (516)449-9692 $3.499M

WOODSBURGH

Exquisite grand col nestled on almost an acre. 5BRs/4.5bths, pool, pool house, finished basement. Raizie (917)903-1778

HEWLETT

Amazing brick sh col with 3BRs, 2.5bths, LARGE living room, dining room and den, finished basement, quiet dead end street. Bryna (516)322-4831 $739K

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COMMERCIAL RE

VACATION RENTALS

EAST ROCKAWAY: Retail Stores on Busy Corner, 1000SF& Up Available, Great High Visibility Location, For Lease… Call for More Details Broker (516) 792-6698

LOWEST PRICES IN TOWN! 500-7000 Square feet gorgeous office space with WATERVIEW in Inwood! Lots of options. Tons of parking. Will divide and customize space for your needs! Call 516-567-0100

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INVESTORS WELCOME GREAT DEAL IN WOODMERE, amazing location, double lot, low taxes ,SD 14 Asking $599, won’t last 25 CONKLIN AVE, WOODMERE Call Alexandra at Realty Connect 1-516-784-0856

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VACATION IN JERUSALEM: Beautiful 3 bedroom apartment with porch and view available for short term in the Kaduri – Jerusalem Heights project on the 8th floor. Shisha Realty 718-408-8070 vacation@shisharealty.com

HELP WANTED The Ganger Early Childhood Center of Torah Academy for Girls seeks qualified assistant/ kriah support for its Pre1A classes.

HELP WANTED Looking for a Comhab worker to entertain a 5 year old special needs boy in Cedarhurst on Shabbos, Sunday after 12:30 and Monday-Thursday after 4. Please call 718-854-2747 ext. 1101. Reference ad CHW13 Downtown Manhattan CPA firm seeks office admistrator with accounting/booking background. Must be computer literate, knowledge of Word and Excel, detail oriented, able to multitask. Will train. Email resume: officemgr613@gmail.com

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S H a lO m Ta S k FO r C e

You Are NoT ALoNe Confidential 888.883.2323 Call. Text. Whatsapp Hotline Call our Confidential Hotline to discuss any issues about relationships or domestic abuse. We provide a listening ear to all. Our referrals help our callers gain access to helpful resources, including legal assistance, counseling, and safe shelters. For more information and to speak with a trained advocate, please visit www.shalomtaskforce.org.

No oNe Deserves To Be ABuseD

HELP WANTED

PROJECT EXTREME seeks Program Director for Miryams House, a transitional living shelter for women, 18 years +. Program Director monitors the growth of each resident, manages staff, and oversees the overall needs of the home. Flexible Hours. Excellent Pay. To apply, send cover letter and resume to info@projectextreme.org

Experienced Bookkeeper - PartTime in the Five Towns Recent experience working with Quickbooks. In-Office position. Flexible hours. The ideal candidate is someone who is detail-oriented, responsible, and can take ownership. Please send resume to 5tpart. timecareer@gmail.com

ASSISTANTS NEEDED FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AFTERNOON SESSION. Email: fivetownseducators@gmail.com B'Above 3K & 4K Center on Main street in Queens seeks: *Teachers-Qualified in Early Childhood - Certified ECE B-2, in process or BA and study plan that leads to certification. *Assistant Teachers-High School Diploma required, CDA preferred Full time. Benefits. Hebrew speaking preferred. Wonderful environment. Email resume: cdiamond. beabove@gmail.com

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LOT FOR SALE In the Heart of Far Rockaway Approved Building Plans START BUILDING TOMORROW! Call for more information 347-720-3046

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

HELP WANTED

MISC

ASSISTANT TEACHERS CAHAL is seeking Assistant Teachers. FT or PT, AM or PM. Flexible Hours. Work with skilled Rebbeim and Teachers in small Special Ed classes located in yeshivas in the Five Towns/Far Rockaway. Send Resume to shira@cahal.org or call 516-295-3666 for information.

DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT A multi-tasker needed for general office work. The ideal candidate is someone who is detail-oriented, responsible, and can take ownership. Looking for someone who is eager to learn, and expand his/her skill set while possessing the ability to work independently and as part of a team. Experience with Excel required. Five Towns location. In-office position only, not remote. Please send resume to 5tpart.timecareer@gmail.com

Gemach Zichron Yehuda In memory of R’ Yehuda Aryeh Leib ben R’ Yisroel Dov We have a library of books on the subjects of loss, aveilus, grief, & kaddish. We have sets of ArtScroll Mishnayos to assist with finishing Shisha Sidrei Mishna for Shloshim or yahrtzeit. Locations in Brooklyn, Far Rockaway, & Lakewood. Email: zichronyehuda@yahoo.com

SHULAMITH EARLY CHILDHOOD is looking to hire a full time teacher assistant for the current school year. Please email resume to earlychildhood@shulamith.org SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS CAHAL is seeking Permanent AM and PM substitutes for 2021-22 school year. Also, Secular and Judaic Substitute Teachers to cover Maternity leaves in the fall months. Send resume to shira@cahal.org. Call 516-295-3666.

NEW YESHIVA IN QUEENS SEEKING SECRETARY Must be detail-oriented, have great organizational skills, able to multi-task. Experience in school programs a plus. Send resume to: office@yeshivatbneitorah.org or call/text: 347-351-4573 Hebrew Academy of Long Beach is looking to hire a Middle School Science Teacher. Send resumes to mwein@halb.org

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Your

Money

Tax Policy Lessons from Horseshoe Crabs By Allan Rolnick, CPA

cientists recently announced finding a fossilized horseshoe crab brain from millions of years ago. As the New York Times reported, “Siderite, an iron carbonate mineral, accumulated rapidly around the dead creature’s body, forming a mold. With time, as the soft tissue decayed, a white-colored clay mineral called kaolinite filled the void left by the brain.” And here’s the punchline: “While the horseshoe crabs look somewhat different on the outside, the internal brain architecture hadn’t really changed despite being separated by more than … million years.” You probably know plenty of people who act like their brains haven’t evolved in 310 million years. Sometimes it’s endearing, like your favorite old aunt who still sends you a check for $20 on birthdays and Chanukah. (Don’t bother telling her about Venmo; she can’t use it on her flip phone anyway.) Sometimes it’s just maddening, like the IRS’s insistence on using faxes for “urgent” communications. (Granted, you probably don’t want them texting you.) But waiting for the IRS to discover email doesn’t matter nearly as much as the system they’re actu-

ally administering. The sad reality is that today’s tax code is just as ridiculous as the one they enforced back in 1913. Standard deductions, graduated tax rates, a dizzying array of deductions and loopholes, and even Form 1040 — we’ve had them all from the start. So how about we stop thinking like a horseshoe crab and try some-

as regressive because lower-income families pay a higher percentage of their income. The CRAB tax solves that problem with progressive brackets. For example, car buyers might pay 3% on the first $10,000 of the purchase price, 4% on the next $30,000, 5% on the rest up to $100,000, and 8% on anything above that. Bentley buyers carry

You probably know plenty of people who act like their brains haven’t evolved in 310 million years.

thing new? Here’s a new twist on a classic idea for financing government with no 1040s, no April 15 th, no “audits from hell,” and no trillion-dollar “tax gap” between what the law requires and what taxpayers actually pay. The answer is a progressive national sales tax. We’ll call it the Collections & Revenue Alternative Baseline, or CRAB tax. Economists criticize sales taxes

more weight. Homebuyers might pay 3% on amounts up to their median county sale price, 4% on amounts between 100-200% of that median, and 5% on amounts above that. Mansion buyers carry more weight, too. Fair? The best part is, vendors will do all the work at the point of sale. Yes, there will be cheating. But taxing transactions theoretically leaves less

incentive for sellers to take cash under the table because they won’t be paying the tax. And now, there won’t be any tax break for hiding your money in a Cayman Islands LLC. All we need to make it happen is a majority of Congress voting yes. And really, eliminating the income tax is the sort of idea that ought to sail through Washington. Of course, today’s politics are so polarized that you’d have a hard time convincing 100 senators to agree the Earth is round. So we probably shouldn’t hold our breath. You know who else is guilty of thinking with a 310-million-year-old brain? The average tax professional, who thinks putting the “right” numbers in the “right” boxes on the “right” forms is all they need to do! But we know planning is the key, as long as we’re stuck with Form 1040. You know the drill — call us with your questions so we can help you pay less!

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.

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

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Best Wishes for a Best Wishes for a Happy & Healthy New Year! Happy & Healthy New Year! L’Shanah L’Shanah Tova Tova Congressman Congressman Gregory W. Meeks Gregory W. Meeks 5th Congressional District 5th Congressional District of New York

of New York

@GregMeeksNYC

@GregMeeksNYC @GregMeeksNYC @GregMeeksNYC @GregMeeksNYC

– Paid for and authorized by Friends for Gregory Meeks –

1055975

GREM-076607

@GregMeeksNYC

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Life C ach

Just Get Rid of It By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

an it really be that easy? Make a little pekeleh – or even easier, an imaginary one – toss it into the water, and this act has set you free! If it’s really that simple to get rid of our sins, then why not drop them in daily?! Why save the whole bundle and only throw them out once a year? My mom’s house sits on a pond. She used to have a cute sign on the door which read, “We live by the lake. Drop in!” Adorable double meaning! Of course, knowing my mom, she meant that she was looking forward to having visitors. But the truth is, she’d have had no problem generously letting people use her lake to unburden themselves. Why have people dragging around the weight of their unpleasant actions and decisions with them all year when they could just toss them overboard?! Then again, the water level was kind of high already in that pond. Our basement would struggle against the pond trying to break in pretty often, especially after a gezunta rain. So could you imagine what a flood we’d have created if every-

one was tossing their daily misdeeds into our little stream? We’d have wound up with a giant, indoor “sinning” pool! Sure, you could say you might call it a cheap way to get an indoor swimming area. But, who’d want to bathe in other people’s sorrows?! The truth is we can do it all year

something to get our attention. Confronting and wrapping up our misdeeds and letting them float down the river lets us feel newly, completely cleansed. We should really see how G-d wants us to feel we have a right to be unburdened by past mistakes and history.

We’d have wound up with a giant, indoor “sinning” pool!

at home easily. You know, access our own mini-cleansing; we could just go inside and flush our sins right down the toilet. I assume that this concept of doing it once a year it outside is to completely get them out of our houses all together. Or more accurately, it’s some important symbolic message. This idea of once a year, on a designated holiday, must be communicating

Though we do it in a big way on Rosh Hashana, the message is clear from all the vast waters the Creator has provided: oceans, and seas, and endless bodies of water, in which we can drown, again and again, our misdeeds. We do not need to leave them fishing around, irritatingly, inside of us. We seem to get trapped in the past, or bad habits form. Sometimes, we are burdened by guilt, or

feel we have let too much time pass, or complacency just sets in. In other words, somehow, we feel we are in over our heads. Rosh Hashana says no! You and your actions can be separated. You can leave them to drown in deep waters while you emerge refreshed on the banks of the river…. Free to run carefree on the shore. Free to embrace new experiences with no weighty past pulling you down. Free to make new choices and follow new paths. That’s the gift of Tashlich. We can emerge with a smile and march on. Get ready for a big throwaway of that package of burdensome behaviors. And keep remembering all year through that unburdening and starting anew is always available to you. A gut, gebenched yur to you all. “A good blessed year,” as my mom would echo from her mom.

Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach. She can be contacted at 917-7052004 or rivki@rosenwalds.com.

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WISHING EVERYONE A SWEET & UPLIFTING NEW YEAR!

!‫כתיבה וחתימה טובה‬

it’s a new

YOM TOV! full of

Visitation throughout the day has resumed! New modern look. Same tradition of care. • 85% Private Rooms • State of the art Kitchens for Meat & Cholov Yisroel Dairy (VHQ)

New year, new you. That’s what our patients can look forward to.

• Full time Rabbi On-Staff

Currently with 0% COVID-19 recurrence rate, our five-star rated,

• Special Shabbos & Holiday Meals

fully Kosher facility is one of the safest destinations for Subacute Rehabilitation and Long-Term Care. In our proper and new Synagogue, renovated and expanded gym, recreation center and cafe, you’ll rehab in a comfortably modern, traditionally Kosher setting. And our bright rehabilitation gym, cutting-edge equipment, and focused one-on-one staff will help you recover quickly with optimal results. Quick recoveries - from a pandemic to your rehab - is where we excel.

• Beautiful Outdoor Gardens • Shabbos Elevator • Community Eruv

Unique to Margaret Tietz • Daily & Shabbos Minyanim • Full High Holiday Schedule • Shabbos Hospitality Apartment

Short-Term Care | Long-Term Care | Hospice Care

718-298-7806 • 164-11 Chapin Parkway, Jamaica Hills, NY 11432 • margarettietz.org

Five Towns Jewish Home - 9-2-21

Articles inside

Just Get Rid of It by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

Your Money

Greenlighting the Taliban’s Takeover of Kabul is a National Disgrace by Marc A. Thiessen

Silver Star Recipients by Avi Heiligman

Kabul Isn’t Saigon ‘75, It’s Beirut ’83 by Marc A. Thiessen

The Aussie Gourmet: Harissa Roasted Carrots

Notable Quotes

Rosh Hashana at Our Table by Renee Muller Rosh Hashana at Our Table by Renee Muller

Parenting Pearls

Seeing Things Anew by Dr. Deb Hirschhorn

More to Apples Than Dipping in the Honey by Cindy Weinberger, MS, RD, CDN

Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW

Giving Jews a Good Name: Allison Josephs of Jew in the City Talks about Finding Hashem by Tammy Mark

My Israel Home

Delving into the Daf

The Wandering Jew

New Life on Rosh Hashana by Rabbi Daniel Glatstein

Coronating the King on His Terms by Rabbi Benny Berlin

A Tzaddik in Our Midst: R’ Pinchas Mordechai Solow, zt”l by Rabbi Dovid Bender

Backstage Passes to Divine Service by Rav Moshe Weinberger

The Jewish Paradox by Rebbetzin Chanie Wolowik

Rabbi Wein on the Parsha

Remembering Rabbi David Beit- ler, z”l, by Mike Dube

Listening to the Shofar, Becoming the Shofar by Rav Yaakov Feitman

Odd-but-True Stories

Israel News