May 14, 2020
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Around the
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Kickstarting Your Kid’s Hobby pg
64
42 Lag B’Omer Celebrations – with a Twist
MUSIC. ART. COOKING. PHOTOGRAPHY.
60 Years Since the Capture of Eichmann
36 Gestures of Appreciation Abound
pg
Singing For My Supper
36 A Virtual Trip to Washington PAGES 9
80
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60
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MAY 14, 2020 | The Jewish Home
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MAY 14, 2020 | The Jewish Home
Dear Readers,
T
here’s a lot that our children learn in school. They’re taught math and science, Chumash and halacha. They learn about the planets and Christopher Columbus, about inertia and integers. But school can’t teach them everything. In fact, there are many things that children won’t learn in school. I believe that every child has latent talents hidden within them. Some children are naturally more artistic; others are more dramatic or more verbal. As parents, we are privy to sparks of these talents and can nurture them and help them to grow. During this period, when there’s a lot of extra time spent at home, we can give our children an “education” to help them hone these talents. Instead of sitting on the couch with the kids and refereeing intense Monopoly games, we can help develop the gifts that lay within. Perhaps your son has been banging on the Shabbos table in tune with the zemiros for the past few years. Or maybe your daughter has been experimenting with different peanut butter and jelly sandwich combinations for the past few weeks. Or maybe your twelve-year-old turns the margins of his school notes into masterpieces. You have the ability to
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help your children hone their talents and passions and turn them into something more substantial than a passing amusement. This week, we spoke with local professionals – musicians, artists, chefs, and photographers – for tips and advice on how you can help your children express and develop their talents. Many of these experts reiterated that, at first, a child should be encouraged to dabble in what interests them. Kids want to help cook dinner? Sure – show them how to pour the ingredients and chop the vegetables. Your son wants to take photos of the baby? Great – teach him where to stand so the lighting works best for the portrait. By becoming proficient at a certain life skill, talent, or hobby, children gain more than just an education. Children who become more proficient at different skills become more confident, well-rounded individuals. And by using this time to master these skills, they’ll be able to look at this time spent at home with satisfaction, pleased with their accomplishments that will stay with them for a lifetime. Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana
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The Jewish Home | MAY 14, 2020
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MAY 14, 2020 | The Jewish Home
Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
8
COMMUNITY Readers’ Poll
8 Community Happenings
31
Op-Ed: Why Camps Must Open This Summer 46 NEWS
46
Global
12
National
26
Odd-but-True Stories
30
ISRAEL Israel News
22
Singing for My Supper by Rafi Sackville
60
Independence Day Parades by Larry Domnitch
62
JEWISH THOUGHT Rabbi Wein on the Parsha
50
Trading in the Crown by Rav Moshe Weinberger
52
PEOPLE Remembering a Special Neshama by 42 Chana Lieb The Wandering Jew
54
Capturing Eichmann by Avi Heiligman 80
18
HEALTH & FITNESS Tips From a Homeschooling Mom, Part III by Sara Rayvych, MSEd 72
All Kinds of Nuts by Cindy Weinberger, MS RD CDN
74
Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome by Dr. Hylton I. Lightman 75 FOOD & LEISURE The Aussie Gourmet: Garlic Knots
76
LIFESTYLES Kickstarting Your Kid’s Hobby
64
Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW
68
Your Money
84
Where Am I Heading by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS
85
HUMOR Centerfold 48 Notable Quotes
77
POLITICAL CROSSFIRE We Need to Protect Reopened Businesses by Marc A. Thiessen
78
Russia’s Scavenger Diplomacy by David Ignatius
79
CLASSIFIEDS
82
Dear Editor, In these difficult economic times, it is important to patronize our local businesses. “Why You Need to Shop Local” (May 7). As a result of the coronavirus, we now have to shelter in place at home. Who knows how many more weeks this will go on? As a result, many small businesses are now on the verge of permanently closing, due to the loss of income. Due to the law of supply and demand, everyone has been charging more, because of some shortages created by the coronavirus. Small independent businesses are at the mercy of suppliers, especially third party brokers, who control the price they have to pay for merchandise. There are additional costs of sanitizing the store and providing protection to employees, who deal with the public during this health emergency. We don’t mind occasionally paying a little more to help our other local stores survive. The employees go out of their way to help us find what we need. Customer service is their motto. As an independent mom and pop store, they don’t have bulk buying purchasing power that large national chains have. The owners can’t negotiate lower prices from suppliers like national chains. This is why they sometimes charge a little more. It is worth the price to avoid the crowds and long lines at larger stores in exchange for the convenience and friendly service your neighborhood community store offers. People who work at your local store are our neighbors. The owners work long hours, pay taxes, and provide local employment. Many em-
ployees are younger people working at their first job. Customers also patronize other commercial establishments on the block. Foot traffic is essential for the survival of any village commercial district. If we don’t patronize our local community stores and restaurants to shop and eat, they don’t eat either. This helps keep our neighbors employed and the local economy growing. The owners of hard-working independent mom and pop stores are the backbone of our village commercial districts. Government should stop trying to put them out of business by excessive, rules, regulations, and fines. Thank the hard-working owners and employees who continue to work during these hard times. Show your support by making a purchase. Sincerely, Larry Penner Dear Editor, The article in your paper this week about the need to buy locally was so important. In fact, on Sunday, the day after I wrote the article, I made calls to proprietors of stores that I commonly shop at for my kids’ clothing and shoes and found out their delivery/pick up policies for clothing and shoes now. Aside from supporting these owners financially, when purchasing from them, you are supporting them emotionally – letting them know that businesses will be able to float through these difficult times. Sincerely, A Reader Continued on page 10
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The Jewish Home | MAY 14, 2020
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MAY 14, 2020 | The Jewish Home
Continued from page 8
Dear Editor, I’d like to give a shoutout to all those amazing children and teachers who are going above and beyond by learning in this unusual classroom setting. It’s certainly not easy to teach 25 children over a video, and it’s certainly not easy to do your work and concentrate while sitting in front of a small screen. An additional round of applause goes to those parents who are shuttling between screens each day, helping their children navigate this time. They are amazing! Kudos to all who are working to make this unusual time more calming and coordinated! Laya Rothenberg
Views expressed on the Letters to the Editor page do not necessarily reflect the views of The Jewish Home. Please send all correspondence to: editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com.
Dear Editor, This is to address the letter written by Sheva to the Dating Dialogue column in your paper. Sheva, there is nothing wrong with you at all. Everyone – at every stage in life – is feeling a little bit empty inside right now. We are all feeling twinges of regret or concern about our previous actions or how we reacted at different stages of life. Perhaps we are thinking about the job offer we turned down or the house we bought or the friend we lost touch with. Or maybe we wish we had more friends or closer relationships with our families or behaved better towards our spouses, children, or employees. These feelings are common and very normal. You are fortunate that you have filled your life with trips, friends, and events. You have filled your days with excitement and have spread hope to others. That’s amazing and admirable. In due time, when you meet your bashert, you may not be able to do all these things – and that’s OK. The time your spent and the trips you took have become part of you and have made you who you are today. When we all come out of this quarantine, you will begin dating again. Perhaps this time has helped you cement what qualities you want to look for in a spouse. This way, you will be able to date more determined and with a more focused. Hopefully, this will help you with your dating decisions. Wishing you hatzalacha, Yocheved H.
The Jewish Home | MAY 14, 2020
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MAY 14, 2020 | The Jewish Home
The Week In News
75 Years Since the End of WWII
Wracked by the coronavirus and amid an unprecedented financial decline, Europe marked 75 years since World War II ended on Saturday. Victory in Europe Day, or “V-E Day,” marks the day in 1945 that Nazi Germany formally surrendered to the Allies. May 8 is commonly characterized by large parades and speeches heralding the date that brought the century’s deadliest war to an end. Yet this year saw the continent commemorating the anniversary of V-E Day with lowkey ceremonies due to coronavirus restrictions. In the United Kingdom, Prince Charles led a two-minute moment of silence, while Queen Elizabeth addressed her nation later in the day. “We remember from our homes and our doorsteps,” Queen Elizabeth said, “But our streets are not empty. They are filled with the love and the care we have for each other.” The commemorations included a celebratory flyby by the Royal Air Force over London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, and Belfast. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron formally marked the day by laying a wreath on the grave of Charles de Gaulle, who commanded the Free French forces during World War II. Accompanied by only a few assistants, the ceremony took place without any crowds present. In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel led a quiet ceremony at her country’s national World War II memorial. “Today, we Germans are allowed to say: the day of liberation is a day of gratitude!” President Frank-Walter Steinmeier told the sparse crowd. A slew of similar events was held
in former Soviet countries, including Ukraine and Belarus. Russian President Vladimir Putin had wanted a massive parade that included 15,000 troops. Despite months of preparation, the military showcase was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Russia and China Spreading Misinformation
The United States has accused China of colluding with Russia to spread disinformation regarding the novel coronavirus. In a statement, the State Department alleged that Beijing and Moscow are coordinating to disseminate false narratives about the virus. The two countries are said to be behind a massive social media campaign that clears China of any responsibility for the outbreak. The fake news included allegations that the United States was behind the coronavirus, echoing conspiracy theories first voiced last month by Chinese officials. Such theories were spread by hundreds of fake accounts on Twitter and Facebook that operate in a way that’s characteristic of Russian and Chinese information operations. “Even before the COVID-19 crisis, we assessed a certain level of coordination between Russia and the PRC in the realm of propaganda,” noted Lea Gabrielle, who heads the State Department’s Global Engagement Center. Gabrielle added that the State Department “has uncovered a new network of inauthentic Twitter accounts, which we assess were created with the intent to amplify Chinese propaganda and disinformation. “We see this convergence as a result of what we consider to be pragmatism between the two actors who want to shape public understanding of the COVID pandemic for their own purposes,” she said. Tensions between the U.S. and China have soared in recent weeks as both countries fault the other for the
The Jewish Home | MAY 14, 2020
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MAY 14, 2020 | The Jewish Home
and save the lives of the population.” The neighboring state of Maranhao, Brazil’s poorest, won’t ease restrictions either. Governor Flavio Dino, who has imposed lockdowns in cities with the largest number of cases, cited a jet ski ride by the president over the weekend to criticize his decision. “Will Bolsonaro’s next decree determine that jet skiing is an essential activity?” he tweeted.
Bolsonaro has blamed the inevitable economic crisis fueled by the pandemic on quarantines and lockdowns adopted by state governors, a strategy that has led to open confrontations with political foes and even former allies. The president’s disregard for social isolation measures has also led to the firing of Luiz Henrique Mandetta from the health ministry in the middle of the crisis, as well as conflicts with the nation’s Supreme Court. Bolsonaro’s popularity has taken a hit from the crisis, as most Brazilians believe social distancing guidelines should be respected by all, according to a MDA/CNT poll.
Taliban Denies it has Missing Hostage
spread of the pandemic. Last week, Secretary of state Mike Pompeo said that the coronavirus originated in a Wuhan bioweapons lab instead of at the Wuhan exotic food market as commonly believed. Prior to that, the Chinese Foreign Ministry suggested that U.S. troops spread the coronavirus, while Trump administration officials maintain that China covered up the pandemic after the initial breakout.
Bolsonaro Keeps Brazil Open This week, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro added gyms, beauty salons, and barbershops to the list of activities that should remain open during the coronavirus crisis. But the decision stirred controversy in the country. The announcement, which took
his own health minister by surprise, is being challenged by several governors who have implemented measures to slow the spread of the virus. The pandemic, which has killed more than 11,000 people in Brazil and shows no signs of slowing, has also taken a toll on Bolsonaro’s popularity. “Everything will remain closed here,” Helder Barbalho, the governor of the northern state of Para, said. “Brazil has very different realities; mine here is to fight against the virus
The Taliban has denied that it is holding a U.S. Navy veteran hostage, saying that it had searched its ranks and could find no trace of Mark R. Frerichs. “We don’t have any information about the missing American,” said Sohail Shaheen, who serves as the Taliban’s political spokesman. The denial came after U.S. Envoy Zalmay Khalizad pressed Taliban officials to return Frerichs during a meeting in Qatar earlier this month. Frerichs, 57, disappeared in Af-
The Jewish Home | MAY 14, 2020
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ghanistan without a trace in February while on a contracting job. He is believed to have been abducted by militants and is said to be held by the Haqqani Network, a heavily armed sub-faction inside the Taliban responsible for killing hundreds of Americans. Speaking with ABC, Frerichs’ sister called on President Donald Trump to secure Frerichs’ release. Invoking the mammoth efforts Trump invested to bring home Americans held hostage in other parts of the world, Charlene Cakora said that only the U.S. president could end their family’s nightmare. “We know that President Trump does everything he can to get American hostages home safely. He won’t leave Mark behind,” said Cakora. “We have faith he won’t let his diplomats cut any more deals with the guys holding my brother until they agree to release him.” Frerichs was working on a private job when he went missing and was not employed by the U.S. government. Nevertheless, the Navy’s elite SEAL Team 6 had embarked on a series of raids in an attempt to locate him.
ficking of weapons of war and (criminal) association” and could face 25-30 years in prison. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. government would “use every tool that we have available to try to get them back.” Maduro has accused President Donald Trump of instigating the alleged invasion. The Venezuelan president described the raid as a “remake” of the failed 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, in which Cuban exiles covertly financed and directed by the U.S. government attempted to overthrow Fidel Castro. Trump denied these claims, telling Fox News last Friday, “If I wanted to go into Venezuela, I wouldn’t make a secret about it... I’d go in and they would do nothing about it. They would roll over. I wouldn’t send a small little group. No, no, no. It would be called an army.” Saab, upon announcing the arrest, said that Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido was behind the mission. Guaido is backed by the United States as well as by more than 50 other countries. Saab accused Guaido of signing a $212 million contract with “hired mercenaries,” though Guaido has yet to be officially charged with anything.
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Venezuela charged two former U.S. soldiers with terrorism and conspiracy for allegedly taking part in a recent failed attempt to topple President Nicolas Maduro. Among the 17 people captured by the Venezuelan military were Luke Alexander Denman, 34, and Airan Berry, 41, both of whom had formerly served with the Green Berets. Eight attackers were reportedly killed in the incident. According to Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab, the two men have been charged with “terrorism, conspiracy, illicit traf-
The Islamic State revealed on May 7 in its weekly newspaper that it has been engaged in fighting with al-Qaeda in West Africa’s Sahel region, primarily in Mali and Burkina Faso. It blamed al-Qaeda’s Sahel affiliate, Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), for instigating the fight and for attacking ISIS positions in the two countries. ISIS accused JNIM of blocking fuel supplies and of detaining locals suspected of supporting ISIS. It is not clear why the groups have not publicly discussed the clashes until this latest ISIS report, given
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that the fighting seems to have begun around April 17. Unofficial jihadist accounts shared online on May 5 that al-Qaeda had rejected an alleged ISIS ceasefire proposal, which may have prompted ISIS coming forward with the story. The two extremist groups have already engaged in conflicts across Syria, Somali, and Yemen, amongst other locations, as they compete for resources and recruits. ISIS has claimed that they are the only obstacle facing JNIM, as the latter has agreed to hold talks with the Mali government and has allegedly made peace with all pro- and anti-government forces and tribes in northern Mali. ISIS has presented JNIM’s willingness to engage in dialogue with Malian authorities as a means to undermine the al-Qaeda group’s jihadist credentials. Meanwhile, al-Qaeda has indicated that ISIS is comprised of extremists who violate Sharia law and give a bad name to mujahideen, Muslim warriors. The infighting may serve to distract both groups from staging attacks against local armies and their foreign backers. It may also undermine the ability of both groups to win recruits in the region, as recruits
are less inclined to join a fight against fellow jihadists as opposed to government or foreign troops.
19 Iranians Killed in Friendly Fire
Nineteen Iranian navy soldiers were killed and 15 were injured after a warship was mistakenly hit by friendly fire on Sunday evening. According to Iranian news outlets on Monday, the incident involved the Konarak support ship and occurred off the coast of Oman. The vessel was reportedly sunk after being hit by a missile fired by the Jamaran frigate. Unconfirmed reports said that the Konarak was setting up targets for Iranian gunboats to fire upon during a training exercise but did not manage to leave the scene before
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the drill started. Tehran’s Fars news agency said that the accident happened while the Iranian Navy was testing a new cruise missile. Iranian authorities originally said that only two people were killed in the explosion, but the death toll rapidly increased. A locally manufactured warship, the Konorak was first put into service in 2018 and carried up to 40 sailors. Photos on social media showed the utterly destroyed vessel being towed back to port for repairs. The military said that “expert teams” were probing the mishap and called on the public not to believe “any speculation” about the incident.
China Furious Over U.S. Visa Requirements
Beijing warned of retaliation after the United States toughened visa requirements for Chinese journalists. This past week, the U.S. State Department issued new regulations that limit Chinese journalists to 90day visas. Taking effect on Monday, the visas do not include an option to extend and are a significant departure from the previous policy of allowing open-ended stays. Upon announcing the new rules, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that the tougher guidelines were a response to China’s “suppression of independent journalism,” while a senior DHS explained that the visa requirements “create greater national security protections.” In a press conference in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian blasted the change, saying that China abhors the move and views it as an escalation. Zhao added that Beijing would retaliate should the U.S. fail to walk back the new policy. “This wrong practice will severely disrupt normal reporting by Chinese media in the U.S. and will affect bilateral people-to-people exchanges,” Zhao said.
The war of words is the latest twist in a policy spat between Beijing and Washington regarding the treatment of journalists. After the U.S. announced in February that it viewed five Chinese news agencies as “foreign missions,” China responded by expelling three Wall Street Journal reporters a day later. The following month, the U.S. ordered the aforementioned media outlets to lower their total number of employees to 100, leading China to deport another three American correspondents.
Inside the “Safest Place in the World”
As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, one continent has remained entirely infection-free: Antarctica. The coldest place in the world had a close call when it comes to the virus when an Antarctic cruise ship carrying a group of Australian and New Zealand passengers was evacuated, when more than half of those aboard tested positive for the virus. The continent has seen a surge in tourism in recent years, with Arctic cruises becoming increasingly popular. According to the International Association for Antarctica Tour Operators, approximately 56,168 travelers visited the continent during the 2018-2019 season, a 40% increase over the previous year. The 2019-2020 season, which runs from November to late March, expected around 78,500 tourists – but restrictions were enacted early in the year, as the region was put into lockdown amidst the spread of the virus. While there is no official native population, approximately 5,000 people reside in its 80 or so bases, most of whom are scientists or researchers. The number of visitors is kept relatively low in order to preserve the environment, and tour op-
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Turkey Accuses “Alliance of Evil”
Turkey has accused Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, France, and the United Arab Emirates of seeking to form an “alliance of evil” after these countries issued a joint declaration denouncing Ankara’s policies in the eastern Mediterranean and Libya. In a strongly-worded statement, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said on Tuesday that the five countries were pursuing “regional chaos and instability” in the eastern Mediterranean and sacrificing Libyans’ “hope for democracy for the reckless aggression of dictators.” The foreign ministers of the five nations held a teleconference on
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erators are required to coordinate amongst themselves to ensure only one vessel at a landing site at any given time. Those at work continue their efforts to ensure that all is in place for the next season, while remaining acutely aware that they will be returning to a very different state of affairs when they do, in fact, depart Antarctica. “We will carry on largely as though the coronavirus hadn’t happened. We have a gym, a music room, a library, a cinema... all the things we took for granted before, which those at home will miss,” said Keri Nelson, an administrative coordinator at Anvers Island’s Palmer Station, the most northerly U.S. station in Antarctica. “We can still socialize at will, without fear, give high fives and hugs as we please, sit close together. We don’t have to react in fear if someone coughs. I’m so grateful for that, and I’m trying to really appreciate the last bit of time we have to live that existence. “But it’s also profoundly sad to acknowledge that these little things are so remarkable now.”
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Monday to discuss the situation in the eastern Mediterranean, where Turkey has been drilling for potential hydrocarbon deposits in an offshore area where Cyprus has exclusive economic rights, as well as the situation in Libya. Last year, Turkey signed a contested maritime border delineation deal as well as a military cooperation agreement with the internationally-recognized government in Tripoli. Turkey says the deal grants it economic rights to a large swath of the east Mediterranean Sea and prevents any energy-related projects from moving forward without Ankara’s consent. Greece and Cyprus have protested the deal, saying it contravenes international law and infringes on their own rights in the area. The five nations denounced what they said was Turkey’s sixth attempt in less than a year to “illegally conduct drilling operations in Cyprus’ maritime zones.” Turkey doesn’t recognize ethnically divided Cyprus as a state and claims much of its exclusive economic zone as its own. It has dispatched warship-escorted vessels off Cyprus to drill for gas, insisting that it’s acting to protect its interests and those of Turkish Cypriots to the area’s natural resources. Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded after a coup by supporters of a union with Greece. A breakaway Turkish Cypriot state is recognized only by Turkey. The five nations also protested the agreements signed with Libya’s U.N.-backed government as a violation of international law and the U.N. arms embargo in Libya.
South Africa’s Alcohol Ban
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Among the various measures utilized in the attempt to curtail the spread of the coronavirus, one of the more controversial is South Afri-
ca’s ban on alcohol. While residents feel their rights are being infringed upon, and businesses that produce and distribute alcohol are suffering, the public health system is seeing thousands of fewer hospitalizations each month generally resulting from accidents and violence attributed to drunkenness. According to Charles Parry, director of alcohol research at the South African Medical Research Council, more than 5,000 fewer admissions to trauma units per week can be attributed to the alcohol ban. The council’s data further suggests that the lockdown, and its resulting alcohol ban and decrease in vehicle use, may have saved the lives of more South Africans than the 186 that the coronavirus is confirmed to have killed so far. “Instead of patching people up with stabbing wounds, nurses can focus on training how to handle covid cases,” said Parry. “Based on our model, at least 15 people who would have otherwise died from alcohol-related traumas are being saved every single day.” South Africa’s lockdown began on March 27, and banned the sale of cigarettes and cooked food in addition to alcohol. While regulations were slightly relaxed in late April, the ban on booze remains. Many government officials view it as a successful social experiment that is providing feedback on how the country’s health-care system functions. “With coronavirus, we have an opportunity to examine issues that have been vexing us in this country for a very, very long time,” said Lindiwe Zulu, South Africa’s social development minister. “Yes, the ban is drastic, but is this not a time for drastic measures? “We will look at what we did that made our citizens better citizens,” she said. “People have to be able to make their own choices, yes, but we are a brutalized community. The impact of alcohol in our social life was getting out of hand. I cannot say the ban will stand, but it is of interest to us to see how society can be improved.” South African citizens drink, get into car crashes, and commit domestic abuse at levels well above the populations of most other countries. According to a 2016 government report, sixty percent of drinking-age residents consider themselves binge drinkers.
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IDF Soldier Killed by Terrorist
Hundreds of people on Tuesday attended the funeral of Israel Defense Forces soldier Amit Ben-Ygal, who was killed overnight during a raid in the West Bank. The funeral was held at the military cemetery in the central city of Beer Yaakov. “I love you so much. My son is a hero,” Ben-Ygal’s mother, Nava Revivo, cried out over his grave. “I’ll be strong. Guard us from above. “You changed my life. My firstborn child. My beloved child. Your sisters don’t understand what’s happening. We’ll preserve your memory, your happiness, your love,” she said. Ben-Ygal’s father also eulogized the slain soldier, his only child. “Amit isn’t an only child. He has millions of other siblings who are sad, who admire [him] and who know our lives in the Land of Israel depend on the courage of Amit and his friends,” Baruch Ben-Ygal said. “I don’t have anything else. I don’t have any other children. My only son,” he said. “I’m not a father now. I’m nothing. What a price I have paid.” Revivo has two other children from a second marriage. Lone children are not usually allowed into combat units, especially dangerous ones, without special permission from their parents. BenYgal’s father granted him special permission to serve in a combat unit. Defense Minister Naftali Bennett spoke at the funeral as the representative of the government. “Golani soldiers, you’ll go back to fighting and find the terrorist and wicked [person] who did this and to-
gether we’ll defeat our enemies,” he said. Ben-Ygal, a member of the Golani Brigade’s reconnaissance unit, was struck in the head by a large stone or brick during an operation in the Palestinian village of Yabed in the northern West Bank. Ben-Ygal was killed one month before the end of his service. The 21-year-old from the central city of Ramat Gan was the first IDF soldier to be killed in action in 2020. He was posthumously promoted from staff sergeant to sergeant first class.
Iran Sought to Poison Water Supply
Israeli officials are vowing payback after a recent Iranian cyberattack sought to cripple its water supply. Last week, a special cabinet meeting was held to discuss the implications of Iran’s cyberattack in April. While no one was hurt in the hack, it was the first time that the Islamic Republic targeted civilian infrastructure. “This is an attack that goes against all the codes of war. Even from the Iranians we didn’t expect something like this,” said one official. “This is a kind of attack that cannot be committed.” The cyberattack in question took place on April 24-45 and attempted to breach servers belonging to Israel’s Water Authority. It was first reported on by Fox News, who said that Iran reportedly used U.S. web servers in order to fool Israeli defenses programmed to sense malware originating in the Islamic Republic. The Department of Energy declined to comment, saying merely that an investigation into the incident is underway. In a statement, the Water Authority admitted that Iran had “attempted cyber breach on water command and control systems.”
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“The attempted attack was dealt with by the Water Authority and National Cyber Directorate. It should be emphasized that there was no harm to the water supply, and it operated, and continues to operate, without interruption,” it said. While Israel and Iran constantly battle each other in cyberspace, Iran has attacked military targets in the past. Last year, Iran almost succeeded in shutting down Israel’s missile warning system, with Tehran reportedly succeeding in infiltrating the radar that scans the sky for incoming missiles.
Yuli Edelstein to be Health Minister
Former Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein accepted an offer by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the coveted health portfolio, vowing to steer Israel through the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. A joint statement by Netanyahu and Edelstein said the senior Likud member had “accepted the challenge” and “chosen the health portfolio” out of several posts offered to him. “After serving Israel’s citizens for seven years as Knesset speaker, I have chosen to accept the most central and significant challenge Israel faces, the fight against the coronavirus and preparing Israel’s health system for new challenges,” Edelstein said. “I thank Edelstein for accepting my request…and wish him luck,” Netanyahu was quoted as saying in the statement, adding that Edelstein would also be part of the top-level security cabinet and deputy chairman of a ministerial body overseeing the response to the coronavirus. The development came as the Health Ministry’s director-general, Moshe Bar Siman-Tov, resigned ahead of the appointment of a new health minister. The incumbent
health minister, Yaakov Litzman, is set to receive the housing portfolio. Edelstein held the position of Knesset speaker from 2013 until late March, when he defied a High Court of Justice order to put the post up for a vote, shuttered parliament, and resigned. The post was then taken up by Blue and White’s Benny Gantz, with Netanyahu’s support, kicking off talks that resulted in a three-year coalition deal with a rotation of the premiership. As part of the coalition agreement, Blue and White demanded Edelstein not be given the position of speaker again. Edelstein had previously requested that Blue and White lift its veto, telling Netanyahu he wants to return as Knesset speaker. Netanyahu on Monday announced that Likud’s Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan would be appointed as Israel’s ambassador both to the United Nations and to the United States, as the premier works to divvy up the ministerial portfolios designated for his right-wing religious bloc in the next government. With Erdan’s decision to serve as ambassador, Netanyahu can appoint another Likud lawmaker to a top ministerial position, as senior party members tussle for the reduced number of ministries Likud will have in the next government.
Yamina Heads to Opposition
The Religious Zionist Yamina party announced that it would not join Prime Minister Netanyahu’s coalition after talks with the Likud party broke down. Speaking with journalists on Sunday, the party said that the small amount of portfolios it had been offered by Netanyahu gave them little influence over policy. Vowing not to be part of “this left-wing government,” the right-wing stalwarts maintained that it was better to remain part of the opposition instead. “In light of the composition of the [incoming] government and its
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emerging policies that appear to make it a left-wing government headed by Netanyahu, and in light of the prime minister’s blatant disrespect for Yamina and its voters, the Yamina party has decided to serve the public during the upcoming term from the opposition, where it will fight on behalf of the nationalist camp,” said Yamina. Yamina and the Likud had been involved in tense negotiations ever since Kahol Lavan leader Benny Gantz and Netanyahu unveiled the national unity government earlier this month. With the most influential portfolios going to the left-wing Kahol Lavan, including the Defense, Foreign, and Justice Ministries, Yamina accused the Likud of betraying its principles. With Yamina controlling the Defense, Education, and Transportation Ministries in the outgoing government, party leaders Naftali Bennett and Rafi Peretz conditioned joining the coalition on being given one influential portfolio and two minor ones. While Bennett demanded to be appointed Health or Foreign Minister, Netanyahu offered only the Education Ministry, causing talks to break down. Now, Yamina will not be part of the coalition for the first time in over a decade. The failure to work out a deal led to a war of words between the two parties, with outgoing Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich vowing to “make life miserable for the Likud” from the opposition. In a statement released on Monday, Yamina accused Netanyahu of being insufficiently right-wing and said that it was hoping for his political career to end. “Yamina will prepare for the day after Netanyahu, which will come in a year and a half, and from the opposition produce a real, right-wing alternative,” the party said. It reiterated, “A right wing that is not ready to sell the justice system to the left for personal survival; a right wing that is unwilling to back down against Hamas and [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas] Abu Mazen; a right wing that is truly committed to the development and legalization of settlement; a right wing that does not sell Judaism to special interests or the Israeli economy to [Labor leader] Amir Peretz and the Histadrut labor union; a right wing that does not throw in the towel in the struggle to remove infiltrators and rehabilitate neighborhoods [that have experienced an influx of them].”
Arab States Ask Israel for Help with Virus
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Three Arabs nations have reportedly contacted Israel weeks ago to inquire about how to fight the coronavirus. According to reports, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Kuwait asked about potential cooperation with Sheba Medical Center in order to combat the pandemic more effectively. The UAE is interested in working with Israel to develop a vaccine for the virus, while Kuwait asked for help installing telemedicine software that would help it treat patients remotely. Located in Ramat Gan, the Sheba Medical Center is considered one of Israel’s most advanced hospitals. As per Yoel Hareven, who manages Sheba’s international division, the hospital had recently treated an Emirati official in March and has remained in contact with him ever since. While all three countries officially do not recognize Israel’s right to exist, they are rumored to have an extensive relationship with the Jewish State. Israel is said to have cooperated with a slew of Gulf States on thwarting Iran’s quest for regional hegemony and has reportedly sold the UAE advanced cyber weapons. “There is a growing readiness to interact with us, even openly, in the health sphere,” said Harevan. “These things happen slowly, but they happen, maybe not at the [inter-governmental] level as we would have liked, but things are happening.” Harevan added that collaboration between Israel and the aforementioned Gulf nations could eventually lead to a public diplomatic relationship with the Jewish State. “You open a small crack and the foot enters the door, and later the whole body and then the head come in,” he said. “It’s indeed the beginning of a very fascinating journey – for the entire Israeli public, not only for the medical field or Sheba Medical Center.”
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“The Gulf states recognize how powerful and innovative Israel’s health sector is and are increasingly willing to say so openly,” continued Harevan. “How do we take this one step forward [to the establishment of diplomatic ties]? That’s for the politicians and diplomats to decide. We’re enablers who provide the platform for this process.”
IDF Demolishes Home of Terrorist
The IDF demolished the home of Kassem Shibli, who is responsible for killing 17-year-old Rina Shnerb at a spring near Dolev last June. During the operation in the village of Kobar in the Binyamin region, soldiers faced off with rioters
throwing fire bombs and rocks. Troops dispersed them using crowd control means, including tear gas and rubber bullets. Israel commonly destroys the homes of terrorists as part of a longstanding policy to deter future attacks. The demolition went forward after the High Court of Justice rejected a petition by Shibli’s family that sought to save their home. Pictures on Facebook showed the top two floors of the apartment building that Shibli lived in utterly demolished, while the rest of the structure remained untouched. “The IDF will continue to work to secure the area and against the terrorists in Judea and Samaria,” said the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit. Defense Minister Naftali Bennett expressed satisfaction after the demolition, tweeting that such policies were “an important tool” in battling terror. “All those who are planning a terror attack will see and will think twice. We will continue to exact a heavy price from all those who raise a hand against Israeli citizens. Whoever hurts us, we’ll hurt them back,” Bennett said. The IDF had already demolished
the homes belonging to two other terrorists in the terror cell two months ago. In the attack, Lod native Rina Shnerb was killed and her father and brother were wounded after a hidden bomb exploded at a popular stream in the Binyamin region. The attack was highly complex and featured sophisticated guerilla tactics, leading defense officials to worry that Palestinian terrorists are improving their tactical acumen. Two of the terrorists responsible for the attack were arrested in the Ramallah area within days of the attacks while the final two were rounded up following an extensive manhunt. According to the Shin Bet internal security agency, the cell was affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and was commanded by 44-year-old Samar Mina Salim Arbid. A well-known Palestinian activist, Arbid had been in and out of prison for terror-related offenses and led the PFLP in Ramallah during the Second Intifada.
since the outbreak of the coronavirus. With flights grounded all over the world and air travel grinding to a halt, Israel’s national carrier was reportedly losing up to NIS 1 million daily in March. The company had been struggling even before the worldwide pandemic, with management unable to bring down bloated costs due to union opposition. Hemorrhaging cash during a worldwide recession, banks have refused to give the company a loan, leading it to turn to the Israeli government for help. Now, El Al stands to be broken up into parts and sold should it decline the Finance Ministry’s terms.
Michael Flynn Cleared
A Bailout for El Al Israel’s Finance Ministry agreed to back a $400 million loan for El Al in an attempt to help the struggling carrier stave off bankruptcy. The loan guarantee will be subject to the company’s compliance with the conditions set by the Finance Ministry, which include salary cuts and layoffs, cancelling non-lucrative flights, and a NIS 100 million capital injection from the company’s owner. Annual operating costs must also be reduced by $50 million.
In addition, Israel expects El Al to renegotiate how it will repay the $150 million it owes creditors. However, the Finance Ministry will not request El Al shares in exchange for aid, with a senior official joking that “whatever bad shape the company may be in, the situation will be even worse if the state manages it.” Like most airlines worldwide, El Al has been suffering massive losses
Legal experts predict that former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn could potentially win millions should he decide to sue over the ordeal the federal government put him through. Flynn, a decorated three-star general, had served as President Donald Trump’s national security adviser for only 24 days before being forced to resign in 2017. He later pleaded guilty to charges of lying to FBI agents regarding a conversation he had with the Russian ambassador to the United States. Last week, the Justice Department dropped all charges against Flynn, capping off a three-year battle Flynn waged to clear his name. The decision to cease from prosecuting Flynn came after his attorneys uncovered evidence of unprecedented abuse by top FBI agents, including former Director James Comey, senior agent Peter Strzok, and exFBI lawyer Lisa Page.
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While Flynn now celebrates the end of the multi-year saga, his financial situation remains precarious. The fight for his innocence has bankrupted the former intelligence officer, forcing him to take out extensive loans and sell his home to fund his legal defense. But according to observers, Flynn may be able to recoup some of his losses. Pundits say he may be able to win millions should he sue the federal government as well as top law enforcement officials for the rampant prosecutorial abuse he endured. As per a 1971 Supreme Court ruling, Americans are allowed to file civil lawsuits against government officials who violated their constitutional rights. While Flynn has given no indication that he will go after law enforcement officials who violated his rights, prominent attorney Paul Kamenar said that potential damages could go into the tens of millions. “Well, it’s up to them, but certainly millions here because of not only legal fees but the damages and reputation,” he said. “This case clearly was a vindictive prosecution by Comey, Strzok, McCabe, and Lisa Page. This 20-page filing reads almost like an indictment against these FBI officials. Comey and company, number one, better lawyer up,” continued Kamenar. “And number two, they are clearly subject to a massive, malicious prosecution civil suit against them by Flynn for bringing this prosecution that had no basis. I’ve never seen such misconduct by FBI and prosecutors in this case.” The Flynn case had been receiving increasing attention in the weeks leading to its dismissal due to increasing evidence suggesting that Flynn was purposely framed by unscrupulous law enforcement officials. In documents unearthed by Flynn’s lawyer Sidney Powell, Strzok and Page are documented discussing ways to trick the former general into lying so that he could be arrested “or get fired,” while Strzok ordered the Flynn investigation remain open even after acknowledging Flynn’s innocence. In addition, Flynn only agreed to plead guilty after FBI agents promised that they would not prosecute his son. The agreement was then illegally hidden from the presiding judge while prosecutors purposely withheld evidence that proved Flynn’s innocence.
Neon Lights in CA
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Make More Happen This Summer at Lander College for Women Online A neon light show in the waters along beaches in Southern California is attracting large crowds at night to see the rare phenomenon, despite stay-at-home orders. Since late April, beaches in the region have been treated to stunning bioluminescent waves that have been crashing along the coastline from the San Diego area to the north of Los Angeles. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says that bioluminescence is very common in the ocean, especially among animals mostly made of water as well as fish, squid, and “gelatinous zooplankton.” “While usually blue in color, because this is the light that travels best through the water, bioluminescence can range from nearly violet to green-yellow (and very occasionally red),” NOAA states. San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography said the illuminated blue waves from Baja California in Mexico to Los Angeles were due to red tide along the coastline.
Native American Checkpoints
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South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem vowed to “do everything necessary” to force Indian tribal leaders to dismantle coronavirus checkpoints on their reservations. In a letter to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and Oglala Sioux Tribe,
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Noem reiterated that the state would work to remove the traffic checkpoints even if it went against the wishes of local Native Americans. According to the governor, tribal leaders would face legal action should they fail to remove the checkpoints within 48 hours. “The State of South Dakota objects to tribal checkpoints on U.S. and State highways regardless of whether those checkpoints take into consideration the safety measures recommended by the South Dakota Department of Transportation,” Noem wrote. Citing a recent memo by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs, Noem contended that the guidelines mandate Native Americans to first reach an agreement with state officials before installing travel restrictions on Indian land. “Safety recommendations do not constitute consultation, and they certainly do not equal agreement,” said Noem. Earlier in the day, the two aforementioned tribes refused an ultimatum issued by Noem on Friday. In a letter to the governor, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Chairman Harold Frazier argued that he had already
consulted with state authorities on the matter and that there was no legal impediment to the checkpoints. “The English definition of consultation is ‘a meeting with an expert or professional, such as a medical doctor, in order to seek advice,’” wrote Frazier. “In the Lakota language, wóglakA means ‘to speak about something.’ In meeting with county commissioners, municipal, South Dakota Department of Transportation, Public schools and Federal agencies we have met the definition of consultation in both of our languages.” Indian tribes have erected checkpoints to restrict non-resident travel on Indian reservations in South Dakota, setting up a standoff with the governor. Those wishing to access Indian land must fill out a health questionnaire and prove that the purpose of the visit is for essential activity. In addition, South Dakotans hailing from virus hotspots are forbidden from entering tribal land without first obtaining a permit. South Dakota is one of the few states that have refrained issuing stay at home orders.
Ahmaud Arbery’s Death Ignites Tensions
New security camera video footage taken in the moments leading up to Ahmaud Arbery’s death shows that the slain jogger had done nothing illegal. In the video, Arbery can be seen aimlessly exploring a construction site for about three minutes. He then turns and begins running back to the spot where a white retired police officer and his son would eventually kill him. Lawyers representing the Arbery family pointed to the video to show that Arbery had done nothing wrong prior to his killing. Rebutting claims that he was the suspect in a wave of break-ins, they called for his killers to be prosecuted to the fullest extent
of the law. “The surveillance video was consistent with the evidence already known to us” – that Arbery made a brief stop at the site while out for a run and had “engaged in no illegal activity,” said the attorneys. “Ahmaud did not take anything from the construction site. He did not cause any damage to the property,” they added. “He remained for a brief period of time and was not instructed by anyone to leave but rather left on his own accord to continue his jog. Ahmaud’s actions at this empty home under construction were in no way a felony under Georgia law.” Arbery, 25, was shot to death on February 23 while he was jogging in his hometown of Brunswick in south Georgia. The tragic killing catapulted into a national controversy after new video footage emerged of his death. In the clip, Arbery can be seen jogging before being confronted by the firearm-wielding Gregory McMichael and his son Travis. Arbery can then be seen engaged in a brief scuffle before three shots ring out, killing him. A former police detective, McMichael said that he and his son suspected that Arbery was the perpetrator of a recent string of burglaries in the area and “had
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All halachic documents are under the supervision of the Bais HaVaad in Lakewood.
The Jewish Home | MAY 14, 2020
my favorite weekly specials May 13, - May 19,
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MAY 14, 2020 | The Jewish Home
In Vietnam, a chef in Hanoi is selling green-coronavirus-themed burgers
only wanted to talk to him.” Last Thursday, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested the two McMichaels, who now face charges of murder and aggravated assault. While the incident happened almost three months ago, the two were only taken into custody now, fueling the growing national outrage.
Three Times a Charm 116 Years Young
Jerry Stiller Dies at 92
Actor and comedian Jerry Stiller died on Monday at the age 92. The Jewish actor was known for many roles, including on the show “Seinfeld.” Stiller was Emmy nominated for his work on “Seinfeld” in 1997. In 2001, he was nominated for a Grammy for best spoken word album. Stiller and his wife Meara were a top comedy act in the 1960s, appearing on “The Ed Sullivan Show” around 36 times. The pair were awarded a shared star on the Hollywood Walk in Fame in 2007. Born in New York City, Stiller graduated from Syracuse University with a B.S. in speech and drama and also studied drama at HB Studio in Greenwich Village. In 1954, he made his Broadway debut in the original musical comedy “The Golden Apple,” followed two years later by his screen debut in a segment of “Studio One in Hollywood.” He and his son Ben first appeared on screen together in a 1987 comedy.
A bakery in Helsinki is selling cakes in the shape of toilet paper to help increase sales
What do you do when you’re the oldest man in the world? You enjoy life. South African Fredie Blom celebrated his 116th birthday on Friday and is the oldest man in the world. Seemingly unfazed by the coronavirus crisis, Blom says he lost his sister to the Spanish flu pandemic over a 100 years ago. “I have lived this long because of G-d’s grace,” he said. Blom was born in 1904 in the rural town of Adelaide. He is older than a 112-year old British resident named the world’s oldest living man by the Guinness World Records in March. Blom’s age has not yet been verified by the body. Blom has spent most of his life working on farms around Cape Town. He met his 86-year-old wife Jeanette at a dance and won her heart over with his jive moves. The couple have been married for almost fifty years. Blom stopped visiting doctors more than two years ago, claiming he was tired of being pricked and prodded. We understand. We don’t love getting shots either.
When a Brazilian man complained of severe back pain, his doctor recommended he go for a CT scan. The scan revealed that he had a herniated disc, which was causing the pain, but that’s not what left doctors jaw-dropped. Doctors noticed that the man had three kidneys, according to The New England Journal of Medicine. Three kidneys are “relatively uncommon” – people are generally born with two. Thankfully, the extra kidney doesn’t cause the man pain or inconvenience. And we’re not kiddin’ around.
Lost & Found
A man who lost his high school class ring in Germany in 1982 was reunited with the ring thanks to a man who found it on a beach in the United States. Scott Sanders, of Utah, said he accidentally left his ring on top of a paper towel dispenser in Bitburg, Germany, in 1982. He never expected to see the ring again, but he was in for a surprise. Thirty years later, Dan Thomander found the ring in the sand at a park in the tri-state area. His fatherin-law kept the ring in a safe for decades before giving it back to him and inspiring him to attempt to find its original owner. Thomander’s online research revealed Sanders’ high school had
put all of their old yearbooks online, making it easy for him to determine the identity of the ring’s owner. He searched for Sanders’ current location and discovered he lives in Utah – only 5 miles from where Thomander’s son lives. Sanders was reunited with his long-lost ring on Monday. The world just gets smaller and smaller.
Pest Pastries
Want to know why your waffles are so crunchy? Could be there’s a beetle or two in the mix. Scientists at Ghent University in Belgium are experimenting with larva fat to replace butter in waffles, cakes, and cookies, saying using grease from insects is more sustainable than dairy produce. Researchers at the lab soak Black soldier fly larvae in a bowl of water, put it in a blender to create a smooth greyish dollop, and then use a kitchen centrifuge to separate out insect butter. The scientists say that insects use less land than cattle and use less water than when producing butter. According to the researchers, consumers notice no difference when a quarter of the milk butter in a cake is replaced with larva fat. However, they report an unusual taste when it gets to fifty-fifty and say they would not want to buy that bug-infested cake. This story is leaving me bug-eyed.
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Around the
Community A Virtual Trip to Washington
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f course, they couldn’t enjoy the graduation trip of their dreams, but for Shulamith eighth graders there were some special surprises in store last week! Although they missed their bus and hotel time, which are traditionally the best parts of any graduation trip, on Wednesday they took a video tour of Washington in ELA class and enjoyed an in-depth virtual tour with Sheila Schwebel,
owner of Tourrific Travel and tour guide par excellence! The intrepid travelers enjoyed stops at all of the places they would have visited in person, including a variety of monuments, the Holocaust Museum, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, and the United States Capitol. The virtual tour included visits to many places which, due to time constraints, aren’t usually included in an actual
trip, including the White House, the Supreme Court, and the Library of Congress. With the knowledge that they couldn’t give the grads the real thing, Morah Chana Schwartz and Mrs. Rachel Steiner worked tirelessly to ensure that students would at least enjoy the virtual experience. On Thursday, which would have been the second day of their Washington trip, a team of teachers got
dressed up as various presidents of the U.S., and, with many with their children in tow, made lawn visits to all the eighth grade students’ homes. They delivered cookies along with a message from the various presidents. After their two day “trip,” the eighth graders got their traditional “day off” on Friday. It wasn’t the same…but it was memorable nonetheless!
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MAY 14, 2020 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
CIJE Unconference
Z-Munch!
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ewish day school teachers and administrators are exhausted and challenged by their new teaching reality during the current pandemic, however, more than 100 teachers and administrators attended a two-and-a-half hour online “unconference” on a Sunday night. CIJE (Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education; www.thecije. org) organized the event that took place on May 3, adding it to its growing menu of virtual classes for students and teachers and student competitions. An unconference is a convening where the topics for the sessions are suggested and selected by the attendees. There are no expert presentations, but rather the participants in the room share their knowledge and expertise and ask probing questions of each other. Someone assumes the role of discussion leader – moving the conversation forward and/or digging deeper into a conversation thread that sparks a lot of feedback. Another person takes on the role of
secretary, maintaining notes from the conversation. On Sunday evening, each session sparked impactful conversations and provided opportunities for sharing and commiserating. “I think that some great ideas for future initiatives were born Sunday night,” said Baruch Noy, Managing Director of STEM and Educational Technology at HAFTR). Session topics, determined by the participants, included: “Zoomtember vs. September,” “Ed-Tech: Tools to Dazzle,” “Beyond Zoom Zombies,” and “Remote Inter-school Collaborations.” Because of the expressed desire for teachers and administrators to continue to “get together,” we are excited to announce that the next CIJE Unconference will take place on Sunday, May 31 from 7:00 – 9:30 p.m. (EDT). Once again, the agenda will be driven by the suggestions and recommendations of the attendees. Go to www.thecije.org/unconference to provide ideas for discussion topics.
Ooh
s part of the YOSS BC BUCKS program, (PBIS) students have been earning the coveted title of “Student of the Week.” Each week teachers look for students who demonstrate exemplary middos in class and award them the Student of the Week. The students are rewarded with a beautiful certificate and a special Zoom Lunch with Rabbi Robinson and Mrs. Girnun! Lunch is delivered to their homes on the day of the special lunch, and the students enjoy it together with other students of the week in their grade. Rabbi Robinson and Mrs. Girnun really enjoy this special time as well. They play games on Zoom and take the time to shmooze with the students. Students are thrilled
to have this as part of our YOSS@ HOME program since it was one of the students most sought-after prize in our school store.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIRIAM By Miriam
Floor Covering International
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CALL OR TEXT MIRIAM JACOBOVITS 347–572–8973 INSTRAGRAM: OOHBABYPHOTOGRAPHY
rothers Ben and Sam Myers are proud to introduce Floor Covering International. They have both lived in Woodmere their entire lives. Ben and Sam have had an opportunistic and entrepreneurial spirit from a young age. From lowering neighbors’ and friends’ cable bills, running children’s sports classes at the Marion Gural JCC, and most recently managing Myers Healthy Vending, Ben and Sam have a long history of working together but have always had an appetite for something bigger that comes with more potential. Ben, analytical and a CPA by
trade, has been on the hunt for the right business that fits both of their strengths. Through college, Sam managed Central Perk Cafe then went into real estate management. Managing apartment buildings in the East Village, while supervising different types of floor installations, gave Sam the tools to succeed as the lead salesman for Floor Coverings International. Ben and Sam look forward to serving the entire Five Towns in their mobile showrooms with quality flooring products and the best possible service in the industry.
The Jewish Home | MAY 14, 2020
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MAY 14, 2020 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Yom Hazikaron and Yom Haatzmaut at Central
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n Tuesday, April 30, Central paused its morning classes to remember Israel’s fallen in honor of Yom Hazikaron. Mrs. CB Neugroschl and Mrs. Audi Hecht, who both have sons serving in the Israeli army, began the program with opening thoughts and Tehillim for the soldiers, and a few students lit candles in their homes, each in memory of one of Israel’s wars. The Central community was then privileged to hear from Mrs. Sivan Rahav Meir, Israeli news personality and current World Mizrachi shlicha to North America. Mrs. Rahav-Meir shared that living in America had afforded her an increased appreciation for Israel, where Judaism is the norm, rather than a minority counterculture. Following her presentation Mr. Brad, Eckman, an oleh to Israel who recently concluded his army service, spoke about the bravery of his parents in moving to Israel with his family and his experience of Yom Hazikaron as a soldier. Finally, Central heard from Joely Metz and Maayan Berman, two recent alumna from the class of 2019, who are currently serving in the IDF. They shared their experiences as soldiers and their pride in serving their country. It was extremely moving to see two recent members of Central’s community in uniform! The program closed with the communal singing of Hatikvah.
Yom Ha’azmaut at Central this year was an entire day of Israel-themed Zoom color war! Color war, which was missed this year in school due to the coronavirus, broke out on Tuesday night at the Central Yom Ha’atzmaut Zoom concert with Simcha Leiner! After the initial excitement and shock, team captains met that night to begin planning their routes to victory. Wednesday was a full-blown day of competitions: teams had to put together Israeli meals on the clock, dress up as chayalim as best they could with whatever they could find in their homes, and compete in the full range of standard color war activities including banner, alma mater, chidon Tanach, a 3D printing competition, and, of course, a Tik Tok competition. The entire school met again in the evening for final presentations, which included a teary farewell address to Mrs. Miriam White, who will be making aliyah this summer after a decade of working at Central. The day was an amazing display of creativity on the part of the color war committee, led by Ms. Leah Moskovich and Mrs. Rebecca Teper, as well as on the part of the entire student body. Despite the four-way competition, it was also an incredible opportunity to unite in school spirit and in love of Israel. Congratulations to the senior class on their well-earned victory!
Did you know? Blue whales’ hearts are around the size of a car
The PTA of Bnos Bais Yaakov sponsored and delivered fresh pizza dinners to every BBY morah to show their appreciation for all the hard work they are doing on their video-conferencing lessons
Teacher Appreciation at YOSS
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he rabbeim and teachers at YOSS have been executing on a superior level over the last two months. As Zoom rooms have replaced classrooms, they have become more and more creative, adding special activities, games, and extracurricular activities as well. To show appreciation, the YOSS PTA generously sponsored a Friday seudah for the entire general studies staff and the administration delivered homemade challahs to each teacher. Each of the YOSS talmidim made pictures and cards that they emailed or mailed to the rabbeim and teachers to show their hakaras hatov for the amazing job their educators are doing. The Yeshiva also sponsored fresh babkas and gifts for all the rabbeim, and hand-delivered them across the tri-state area! Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky, Rosh Yeshiva, then addressed the entire staff via Zoom, to show his appreciation for everyone going above and beyond, in order to ensure that every talmid continues his superb education at YOSS. The rabbeim and teachers of Yeshiva of South Shore are proud to be working for the Yeshiva of South Shore and are always delighted to teach the best talmidim on Long Island!
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Around the Community
Touro’s Lander Colleges Plan Virtual Graduation
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record breaking 582 students will graduate from Touro’s Lander Colleges this month with baccalaureate degrees, and 116 students will graduate from Machon L’Parnasa/The Institute for Professional Studies and The School of Lifelong Education with associate’s degrees at the College’s 46th annual commencement. The graduates will be awarded their degrees in a virtual ceremony on Sunday, May 24. The ceremony will be presided over by Touro President Dr. Alan Kadish and the Lander Deans including Dr. Robert Goldschmidt, dean of Touro’s Lander College of Arts & Sciences: Dr. Moshe Sokol, dean of Touro’s Lander College for Men; and Dr. Marian Stoltz-Loike, dean of Touro’s Lander College for Women-the Anna Ruth and Mark Hasten School. The 2020 graduates will pursue a wide range of professions including health sciences, medicine, dentistry, law, psychology, computer science, engineering, accounting and speech-language pathology. Student valedictorians are planning careers in medicine, dentistry and marketing communications. Chaya Beniawski is the valedictorian at Lander College of Arts and Sciences Women’s Division. Chaya majored in biology and will attend Columbia College of Dentistry in the fall. She has always been fascinated by the detailed procedures that dentists perform. She also wanted an active, hands-on profession. A highlight of Chaya’s Touro experience was participating in the school’s Medical Mission to Nepal. She helped with check-ups for children at elementary schools, volunteered at a women’s clinic, and learned how lucky she was to have access to healthcare and how meaningful it could be to care for those who don’t. “Chaya Beniawski has distinguished herself as an exceptionally gifted student whose character traits demonstrate her commitment to the essential values of a true bas Yisroel,” said Dean Robert Goldschmidt. Chaya attended Torah Academy
Chana Beniawski
Joseph Weingarten
for Girls High School and Machon Raaya seminary in Israel. Joseph Weingarten is valedictorian at Lander College of Arts and Sciences Men’s Division. Joseph chose Lander College of Arts and Sciences in Flatbush (LAS) because it offered an excellent education and enabled him to continue learning at Yeshiva Torah Vodaath at the same time. Joseph earned a stellar academic record at Touro, published articles in the Touro College Science Journal, and had the opportunity to conduct research in the nuclear medicine department at Mount Sinai. This fall, Joseph will matriculate at Albert Einstein Medical School, the next step on his path toward becoming a doctor. Gavi Berman is the valedictorian at Lander College for Men. Gavi Berman made the Dean’s List every semester and scored in the 100th percentile on the MCAT, the medical school admission exam. Gavi credits the Lander College for Men (LCM) faculty with giving him a strong foundation in the sciences and providing him with helpful and accessible academic advisors. He majored in biology and has been accepted to Touro’s New York Medical College for the fall. Becoming a doctor became his dream. “There isn’t anything I would rather do,” he said. “Gavi Berman is one of those rare students,” said Dean Moshe Sokol. “He is intellectually gifted, mature, disciplined and self-possessed. He is a wonderfully good-natured and caring as well, just the kind of person you would want as your physi-
Gavi Berman
cian.” Hannah Rubin is the valedictorian at the Lander College for Women, the Anna Ruth and Mark Hasten School. Hannah is now working as a writer and producer at Elland Road Partners, a communications and media consultancy based in New York City. She began working at El-
Hannah Rubin
land Road Partners as an intern, a position that the LCW career services office helped her attain. Hannah further developed her writing skills as editor of the Touro Torah newspaper. Hannah attended Bais Ya’akov of Ramapo then spent a year at seminary at Machon Ra’ayah in Israel.
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MAY 14, 2020 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Meaningful Learning at Gan Chamesh
SKA Sends Thanks and Warm Wishes
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an Chamesh, Chabad’s Early Childhood Center, continues to provide its students with meaningful learning experiences through a variety of Zoom classes, custom-made educational videos, and hands-on projects.
The children are benefiting from remote STEM, Aleph-Bais, and parsha learning and are really enjoying the creative thinking and problem-solving opportunities of the daily challenges presented by their morahs.
hen doorbells rang on Thursday, May 7, faculty members of the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls were thrilled to see girls from SKA’s senior class! As a gesture of thanks from the Parent Council and administration, every staffer was presented with a delicious challah and a note of appreciation. “I was so happy to see Tali and Eleora,” said Mrs. Barbara Martin, SKA librarian. “When they gave me the challah – socially distant, of course – I was overwhelmed with the thoughtfulness behind this. My teacher chats constantly discuss how much we all miss seeing everyone in
person, faculty, and students alike.” Friday, May 8, was the last day of senior classes and a mouthwatering babka was delivered to each SKA graduate. In addition, a special “virtual goodbye hug video,” put together by the entire SKA staff, was presented to the 12th graders with congratulations and best wishes.
teachers did not only leave packets of assignments for the girls (in itself hours of work), but prizes, personal notes, and nosh. I cried tears of joy as I could feel the love of each teacher as I gathered all of the beautiful things they had left for their precious students. The administration has been amazing in leading this wonderful staff. New programs, projects, and events are constantly being developed and implemented. The girls’ education, ruchniyus and physical
and mental health are being nurtured from a distance. I stood in the TAG lobby after collecting everything I needed. I wanted to leave, to get away from the dark, quiet hallways, to remember the school as a vibrant happy place. But I also wanted to stay, to feel physically connected to the TAG family for just a little bit longer. To the administration, teachers, and to all of the dedicated staff of TAG…thank you! Tova Keilson Friedman
Mrs. Tzippy Calm with SKA seniors
A Heartfelt Note Of Thanks
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his past Sunday, TAG prepared packets of school work for its talmidos who are now learning remotely. The large auditorium and gym were divided with tables designated by grade and by teachers to help the parents find their items and then leave through the appropriate different exit doors in an efficient manner. Masks and gloves were distributed to those who did not have them, and faculty members were on hand to ensure there was never more than the recommended number of people in the building at any given time. But rather than describing all that transpired, we are reprinting a letter from a parent, who is also a faculty member, who beautifully expressed what many parents felt on that day. Dear TAG Administration, I am writing this after returning home from picking up my children’s papers and books from school today. I am so filled with so many emotions and I would like to express them before they fade with time. First of all, today was a sad, difficult day. Walking around the school building, familiar, and yet so strange, was painful. Bright, color-
ful bulletin boards were still filled with the projects and assignments of happy students, but now lined quiet, dim hallways. Those hallways, usually noisy with children’s laughter and talk, were now filled with ghostly silence, parents moving quickly and quietly to gather their children’s belongings. Where I would once greet other parents cheerfully, we now eyed each other over our masks like strangers, making sure not to come too close to each other. Talking was difficult, both because of the masks and because of the emotion of the task we had come to do. We were emptying our children’s desks, cubbies and lockers, not because they had graduated and not because the school year was over but because life has changed. With no warning or preparation, school as we know it is over. Despite the sadness, however, there was an overwhelming sense of pride and appreciation. Our children are no longer going to school, but that does not mean school is over. That does not mean the teachers’ jobs are done. On the contrary, the teachers have been working overtime to provide our children with an education and a steady ship in the rolling storm. The
The Jewish Home | MAY 14, 2020
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Around the Community
Lag B’Omer at BBY
B In honor of Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week, each HALB staff member received a delicious crumb challah hand-delivered to their door last week! It was important to the administration to hand-deliver this token of appreciation, along with a wave and a smile, to all the beloved members of the HALB family. Although HALB staff members are physically apart, it’s obvious that everyone is really together at heart!
SKA Honorees for Class Of 2020
Atara Shtern
Elisheva Glatt
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he Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls has named the honorees for this year’s graduating class and congratulates them on all their accomplishments. Mazel tov! Valedictorian: Atara Shtern Atara Shtern, SKA class of 2020 valedictorian, is the captain of the Northwell Health Spark! Team, editor in chief of Parsha Press, an SKA Ambassador and Chessed Head, and has conducted science research, among her many other activities throughout her years at SKA. Atara will be attending MMY next year and will then be in the S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program at Stern College for Women. Salutatorian: Elisheva Glatt Elisheva Glatt, SKA class of 2020 salutatorian, is a National
Rivka Bennun
Merit Scholarship Finalist, business editor for Yearbook, College Bowl Captain, Softball Captain, and Volleyball Captain in addition to being Production Dance Head and many other roles in her years at SKA. Elisheva will be attending MMY next year and will then be in the S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program at Stern College for Women. Keter Shem Tov Award: Rivka Bennun Rivka Bennun, SKA 2020 Keter Shem Tov awardee, was chosen by her peers for her outstanding character. She was Production Head, Torah Bowl Captain and a participant in the SKA Girls Rise program, among her many other activities throughout her years at SKA. Rivka will be attending Migdal Oz next year and will then attend Stern College for Women.
nos Bais Yaakov and Tichon Meir Moshe made Lag B’Omer a day to remember despite the unusual circumstances we all find ourselves in. The fun started on Monday evening with a special delivery to every girl of an individual Lag B’Omer package. Inside, each girl found a BBY Frisbee, a Chinese jump rope, and cotton candy! On Lag B’Omer day, girls in preschool through second grade enjoyed a virtual bonfire with Rabbi Gedaliah Oppen, as well as a Music Extravaganza with the famous Morah Music! After first davening and learning together, our third through sixth grades participated in a unique mitzvah bingo game hosted by the inimitable Mrs. Chanie Hoberman. They also heard a story from memorable
guest storyteller Mrs. Housman of the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation. BBY’s seventh and eighth graders held long distance color war! The teams were ashirus, kavod, chachmah and gevurah, based on the famous Mishna in Pirkei Avos. Over video and phone conferencing, the girls presented a theme song, banner, cheer, team badge, story, thank you Hashem list, and hakaras hatov demonstration to the BBY faculty. They also participated in a Pirkei Avos chidon. Congratulations to winning team, Gevurah! TMM students were privileged to be addressed by Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi, after which Miss Frumie Besser led a two-hour, long-distance kumzitz for TMM students and teachers. The BBY and TMM spirit created a marvelously fun day for all. Thank you to Mrs. Shira Mendlowitz and Mrs. Pnina Rosenberg for mapping out routes and recruiting drivers to hand-deliver the special gifts to each girl. Thank you to Morah Feldberger and all of our incredible principals, teachers, and faculty for making it all happen!
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Around the Community PHOTO BY YOEL HECHT
Rav Yaakov Bender, Rav Eliyahu Saldinger and Rav Avrohom Bender at the Lag BaOmer hadlaka at Yeshiva Darchei Torah, a video of which was distributed to all parents later that day
Rav Yaakov Bender, Rosh HaYeshiva, and Mr. Ronald Lowinger, president, at Yeshiva Darchei Torah’s drive-through Lag B’Omer celebration
Time for a “Switch” – Mishmeres Hasholom’s Newest Campaign
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wo weeks in isolation… A mask covering the face and mouth… From the moment corona entered our lives, the parallel to the metzora could not be missed: ynquestionably, a message is being sent to us from Shamayim to work on keeping the halachos of proper speech! In fact, already in Adar, Rav Chaim Kanievsky wrote: “Regarding the concern for the coronavirus, each one should be mis’chazek to avoid lashon hara and rechilus…” Now it’s time to make a SWITCH! At this time, when everyone is searching for ways to improve and gain protection, the worldwide or-
ganization of Mishmeres HaSholom has introduced a giant campaign called “Switch!” What’s it all about? Most of us nowadays are aware enough of the severity of lashon hara that we don’t set out to maliciously share a juicy piece of gossip. But too often, an innocent conversation takes a negative turn and starts slipping dangerously close to prohibited speech. That’s when it’s time to say, “Switch!” and redirect the conversation to a positive track. We’ve tried it out in the field, and it works! How? It’s easy! As soon as you sense danger, you say the code word, everyone laughs — and you’re
all saved from dibburim asurim! Get your families, friends, and classmates in on the campaign. You’ll soon find that you’re all much more conscious of what you’re saying. The fringe benefit is that when your mouth is clean, your tefillos are far more effective. And another perk: all those who join the campaign may submit a name to Rav Chaim Kanievsky for a bracha. No question about it: It’s time for a SWITCH! Mishmeres HaSholom is a worldwide organization bringing achdus to Klal Yisrael by encouraging the
daily learning of hilchos shemiras haloshon and offering programs around the year for middos and bein adam l’chaveiro improvement. 110,000 issues of Mishmeres HaSholom’s magazines go out each month in four languages. 50,000 people get Shalom Link calls reminding them to learn the two daily halachos of shemiras halashon. Mishmeres HaSholom is impacting the lives of the 500,000 men, women, and children by connecting to buildings, schools, kollelim, and entire cities and creating an international shalom revolution.
Junior High School Zoom and Virtual G.O.
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oom school has taken on a new educational sensation. TAG is working hard to incorporate its extracurricular programs, including the G.O., which is run by Morah Hindy Schick and Morah Yael Weissman. This Rosh Chodesh Iyar, the G.O. presented the Sefirah program, using this time before Matan Torah to work on middos as TAG promotes what Chazal taught, “Derech eretz kadma L’Torah.” The program initiated with a special “Sefira song.” Additionally, in honor of Rosh Chodesh, the participants also played a game
of TAG trivia, the talmidos competed grade against grade. (Do you know the most veteran custodian in TAG?) The program itself was taught through the use of a slideshow. The first slide’s message indicates, “I want to change the world,” and that lead to a discussion that the way to change the world is to change oneself. The next two slides display the middah of the week by example. The first week focused on the middah of gevura; it means using inner strength. The second week of the Sefirah program focused on the middah of
emes, explained as “saying the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” In that vein, the girls played an “emes game.” They were shown three video clips which included a story told by their teacher or classmate and had to choose which one of the three clips was the true story. The G.O has always coordinated weekly Parsha Nosh, or candy that connects to some aspect in the parsha. The treat was sent out in the mail (but it seems that the mail swallowed much of it!). Those TAG girls who did receive their Laffy Taffy had
to find how it connects to the parsha! The mitzvah of v’ahavta l’reiacha kamocha, which sometimes may require us to “stretch” for our friends. (Taffy S-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s....!) The next week’s middah, which will be the third in the program, will focus on, “netzach.” It means making our moments count and be everlasting. The girls will be playing “minute to win it,” some kind of special game show over Zoom, class against class. Stay tuned for more Junior High excitement!
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Around the Community
Students in Siach Yitzchok are learning via teleconference calls during the current situation
Mrs. Lowenstein’s Garden Library
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hen Yeshiva of South Shore closed the physical doors to our school, Mrs. Lowenstein’s extensive classroom library was closed, too. “This broke my heart. My students without books? After fostering a love of reading by putting the right book into the right hands, all of the students wanted something to read, but books were not to be found. “A few weeks ago, when allowed back into the school to get materials, I rounded up bags and bags of books and shlepped them home. They filled corners of every room in my house, but my students still didn’t have them. I was determined to find a way. “With the promise of fine weather on this past Sunday, and the piles of copied papers parents needed to
pick up, an idea bloomed. Why not set up a Garden Library? “Parents received an email about the time our library would be open and were asked to make an appoint-
ment. Only one family was allowed on my deck at a time, and each person had to wear a mask and gloves. Siblings were welcome! “Sunday morning, I set up bins
and cardboard boxes of books on tables on my deck. I opened my Garden Library, and people came! Books filled not only their hands, but their arms, and also bags and backpacks! “For some children, this was their first outing in weeks. The joy and excitement were visible even with masks covering much of their faces. Their small hands flipped deftly through bins of books with floppy too-big gloves not a deterrent. They were told to take more, and more. ‘Read through the summer.’ “I took pictures of these wonderful moments of my precious students reunited with books. One said, ‘But, Mrs. Lowenstein, you can’t see my smile!’ “’Oh, but I can. I see it in your eyes.’”
MTA Participates in Civic Spirit Day By Yitzy Shaykevich
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TA talmidim Sam Blech (‘21), Samuel Gorman (‘21), Akiva Kra (‘21), Binyamin Rubin (‘22), Yitzy Shaykevich (‘21), and Jonathan Sherman (‘21) represented MTA at Civic Spirit Day on Thursday, May 7. The goal of this event, hosted by Civic Spirit, an organization that provides school communities with the tools, training, and a diverse network to foster civic responsibility, was to bring students from various cultures together to raise awareness about the importance of the U.S. Census. The day began with icebreakers, as everybody shared their favorite
song and got to know each other. The conversation quickly became indepth as Lindsay Bressman, one of the event organizers, discussed “the power of the human spirit” and how civics can always play a role in our lives, even if the situation we find ourselves in is different than usual. Akiva Kra kindly assisted the Civic Spirit staff as an assistant facilitator, making sure the Zoom meeting was always running smoothly. During the second half of the day, students split into groups so they could learn more about the Census and have the opportunity to ask questions. Students learned that the Census isn’t just a count but a way of providing help to communities that
are most in need. The Census also ensures that the House of Representatives has an accurate amount of members to reflect population size. Participants learned a lot from this event and look forward to continuing the conversation at a second event next week, where they will discuss ways to help more people fill
out the Census form. Some may not realize the importance of the U.S. Census and how beneficial it is to them. All of the MTA representatives are eager to join next week’s conference and assist in creating solutions to some significant problems, in an effort to benefit society.
Did you know? The Eiffel Tower is about 6 inches shorter in the winter than in the summer
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Around the Community
On Thursday, May 7, the Woodmere Fire Department, Hewlett Fire Department, Hatzalah, and other ambulance services came together to honor the frontline nurses and other healthcare workers at the Five Towns Premier Rehab and Nursing Center on Central Ave in Woodmere
Zoom Works for Yeshiva Ketana of Queens
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he challenges to daily living abound as the Covid-19 virus continues to make its appearance and spreads its vicious scourge through Queens. As schools closed, Google and Zoom became everyday household words in almost every house in Queens that contained children. Schools closed by March 12, and under rabbinical guidance, Yeshiva Ketana Zichron Chaim U’Bina of Queens switched to Zoom classes to replace traditional school by the following Monday, March 15. All of a sudden, we heard six- and sevenyear-olds asking their classmates, “So who’s the host now?” and “When do we go into the ‘breakout rooms’?” The challenge for parents now is to make sure that their children don’t become too proficient and too independent on the computers; the challenge for teachers is to make sure that students use discretion on the chat and learn the etiquette of Zoom. What was fascinating to see was how so many youngsters became better students as they were forced to concentrate. As teachers discovered the beauty of screensharing, there was little to distract students. Those students who often looked around the classroom for social cues and to make sure they were holding steady in their cliques are now focusing on their lessons much to their edification and their teachers’ delight. The teachers outdo themselves with coming up with lessons that are creative and can be executed well. One of our
teachers held a pajama party where she read a bedtime story to her students. In our eighth grade STEM class, the boys created Rube Goldberg inventions where they utilize a combination of simple machines such as levers, inclined planes, and pulleys. They have also created fabulous roller coasters using wood or paper and glue, and our second and third graders have made bird feeders using all kinds of innovations. The benefit of distance learning is that students can display their machines and the feeders that sit in their backyards and can practice their public speaking as they demonstrate the capabilities of their inventions. Zoom has also been great for providing our students with guest speakers. There is a much greater ease in attracting visitors from near and far because visitors can now speak from their own homes. We have asked parents to visit, and they have. We have heard from the father of one child who, as a PA in New York Hospital, has been working in the emergency room in the thick of Covid-19. PA Hershkowitz spoke to his third grader son’s class about his experiences as an emergency room physician’s assistant before Covid-19 and now as Covid-19 continues. He discussed keeping safe with Covid-19 and explained how Covid-19 manages to infect so many and wreak so much damage. We also heard from Mrs. Adina Katz, a mother of a fourth grader who works as a case worker
with Holocaust survivors, many of whom are suffering more anxiety because of their wartime memories. We were also visited by an older brother of one child, Yaakov Katz, who is a professional photographer as well as a mom, Mrs. Elisa Alpert, who dropped in via Zoom to read stories to her son’s second grade class. In addition, in the past two weeks, we were visited by two daughters of Holocaust survivors who described their mothers’ experiences to our middle school audiences. Last week, Evelyn Hakimi, whose mother Ruchel Berger was a Holocaust survivor, went on Zoom to visit our sixth and seventh graders who are learning about the Holocaust. Evelyn mesmerized our students when she described how her mother brought clothing to women who waited one night to be placed into the gas chamber. Ruchel went around through the barracks asking for donations of clothing. Ruchel used those clothes to throw into a freezing room in which 300 women were locked. The women were able to dress, climb out the window and sneak into barracks where they were hidden and thus avoided the gas chamber. By Ruchel’s own count, she saved about 80 women that night as a drunken guard lay in a stupor. There were several other miracles that took place for Ruchel to survive, and survive she did with a promise that she would never let someone around her starve. Ruchel took her promise seriously, and many
of those in Kew Gardens who remember Ruchel’s Kosher Kettle deli can attest to that. Evelyn likes to call her mother’s deli a not-for-profit business. On Monday, May 4, we were honored once again with a fascinating guest. Professor Smadar Rosensweig visited our Zoom to tell us the story of her mother, Dr. Yaffa Eliach. Professor Rosensweig proceeded to tell us of her mother’s role in bringing Holocaust education to the forefront in twentieth century education. Dr. Eliach, as a professor in Brooklyn College, brought Holocaust studies into the curriculum, which at that time was a first for colleges. In the process, she had her students interview survivors, interviews that became the core of Dr. Eliach’s groundbreaking Hasidic Tales of the Holocaust, a study in the tremendous emunah and bitachon that so many heroic Jews demonstrated despite the horrific experiences they had gone through. Dr. Eliach’s involvement in the Holocaust eventually spurred her to help establish the Holocaust Memorial in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C., where her collection of pictures of Jews before the war is one of the most poignant exhibits. Our students found the visit extraordinarily moving. We have been extremely grateful to all our guests and are certainly expecting some more guest speakers during the upcoming weeks.
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t first, I didn’t know why it hit me so hard. I didn’t know why I couldn’t stop thinking about him. He outlived his expected age. He was not alert for at least the past few months. He didn’t leave behind a broken family. But then it dawned on me – when I was with him, I was interacting with a pure neshama, undiluted by the experiences that cause most of us to sustain spiritual blemishes along the journey of life. I am talking about my family friend, Martin Weinberger, his Hebrew name, Moshe Aryeh Weinberger, as he loved to remind us. I have no doubt that when that name was called in Shamayim, his parents welcomed him home with the biggest possible hug. The Weinbergers, who survived the Holocaust without any living relatives and gave birth to this one child, were finally reunited with their son. And Marty could finally feel their love again, the love that he pined for over the last thirty years of his life. Martin was born to Jack and Helen Weinberger in 1954, at a time when special needs children were oftentimes cast away. The Weinbergers made the decision, though, to raise their Down syndrome child at home with love, happiness, and complete devotion. As their only child, Martin was the next and only link of a chain that had nearly been extinguished in the gas chambers of Auschwitz. Yet, the Weinbergers didn’t question and didn’t portray any sense of misfortune. Rather, they treated Martin as if he were a treasure from Hashem. It was not an act – they saw deeper and seemed
was no tricking him; it had to be a real shul and he insisted on being there on time.
to understand the tafkid. When my family got to know Martin – through my grandparents who were friends with the Weinbergers – his parents were elderly. Even so, his mother took care of his every need with tenderness and love, and his father still took
shoulders and his finger on the place, davening line by line out loud, alongside his father. Even once his father passed away, Martin continued to daven like that. Over the last 20 years, it was hard for him to walk, yet when he came to my parents’ house for Shabbos,
When he was on the receiving end of these contraband handoffs, he’d give you a side-eyed glance, nod his head, and say in a hushed voice: “Between me and you…between me and you.”
him to shul. In shul, Martin would sit with a small tallis wrapped around his
and every Shabbos for that matter, even when in his HASC home, he insisted on going to shul. There
Once Martin’s parents passed away, my parents and my family became his adoptive family. He lived in a HASC home – where he was taken care of with love and devotion – but he came to my parents’ home often for Shabbos and yomim tovim. It was at those times that I learned life lessons from a Down syndrome man which I will always cherish and which I endeavor to teach my own children. At the same time, I recognize that his middos tovos were raw and pure; perhaps only the highest neshamos can live fully like that. When my siblings and I were single, our Shabbos table could be a lively event, oftentimes with many guests, all who had a lot to say. But we all knew that when Martin was there, the table would be different. Firstly, Martin had a special “speech radar.” As a child, I used to think his tafkid had to be shmiras halashon because he did such a good job at preventing it. From the first word of a sentence being said by a guest at the table, he was able to detect if it was negative or could be construed as such. Oftentimes, we would be amazed that he was even following the conversation in the first place. As soon as he would hear something that he thought was negative, he would spring into action: raise his eyes, touch the knot of his tie to make sure it was still in perfect form, adjust his pinky ring, and say, “Come on…that’s not nice!” Once you were busted, he had his eyes on you for the rest of the meal. In his cute, unassum-
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ing way, he would shoot a glance at you every so often, as if to say, “I’m on to you, buster…don’t try me.” He wasn’t just the lashon hara police, he also never wanted to hear bad news. In his more coherent days, he would say that bad news reminded him that his parents were deceased. That made sense, and we respected that. But it wasn’t just matters relating to sickness and dying that he didn’t like. Any bad news at all was off-limits. His go-to line in those situations was: “not now… not now,” along with a flip of the hand. When someone was especially rowdy and “out of line,” he would admonish them, “Don’t be a big shot!” It was all really cute but also very serious. When he did these things, we knew that this was coming from a place of innocence and from being raised in a home in which middos tovos were the pillars of life. We didn’t want to cross him because if we did so we were, in a sense, not respecting where he came from and not respecting his purity. Martin had the power of positive speech. It was like winning a prize if you got a “you’re a genius” from Martin. That praise was reserved for those who really did something great, like serve him a killer potato kugel. In truth, that praise was usually reserved for my mother, who treated him like he was her own child. But there was a very easy way to trip the system and get a “you’re a genius” from Martin: slip him a piece of chocolate, which his caretakers at HASC warned him about eating too much of for health purposes. We figured that he only ate it
when he was by our house, so it wasn’t bad. When he was on the receiving end of these contraband handoffs, he’d give you a side-eyed glance, nod his head, and say in a hushed voice: “Between me and you…between me and you.” It gave you a real confidence that even under great duress he would protect his sources. Eventually, all of my siblings and I would end up slipping him pieces of chocolate all day because it was so cute and gave him so much joy. As soon as he would arrive for Shabbos, we would all try to be the first one to slip him chocolate because we each wanted to be on the top of Martin’s “good guy” list. It was funny all around. Even now, when my siblings and I get together, we oftentimes slip each other chocolate. Our spouses and children have no clue what we are doing, “Why are you sneaking chocolate to each other?” they wonder. Well, it’s hard to explain, it’s hard to explain. Oh, and also, we like chocolate. Another lesson learned from Martin was the middah of hakaras hatov. Many times, the non-Jewish drivers, when dropping him off at our home, would comment on how pleasant and thankful he was to them. When Martin was at our Shabbos table, the custom was that he would get up before bentching and give a short speech. He’d thank my mother for the delicious meal. Then he would then usually put his arm around the person sitting near him and say something nice about him or her. It would quickly turn into a let’s-go-around-the-table event, with Martin saying something nice about each person. Watch out, though, if you were rowdy and
boisterous during the meal; he’d struggle to get out his praise for you. Of course, every speech included him talking about how his parents passed away and how Frumie, his case manager at HASC, takes such good care of him. When he spoke about Frumie, we would usually nod along because it was so true. Frumie was a godsend. She went way beyond the call of duty and treated him like her own child. Even Frumie’s parents, Reb Nuta and Mrs. Malka Safran, were totally dedicated to Martin and took care of him until his last breath. Martin also loved writing letters. He would sit at our kitchen table and write letters to my mother about how thankful he is that she takes care of him and how he misses his own mother so much. Other letters were more utilitarian – “When you drive me back to HASC, can we stop at a store for a new black hair comb,” or “my birthday is in four months, and I’d love a new wallet,” or “I am making a siyum next week, and Frumie said we can go to Essex on Coney.” Most letters went undelivered because if Martin made even a small mistake, he insisted on starting over on a new sheet of paper. And, of course, they were highly confidential. If you were not the intended recipient and you endeavored to read the letter over his shoulder, you’d get a “come on!” from him. Despite the rebuke, and sensing that you wanted to be included in his activity, the next letter would usually be addressed to you. It was so cute how he tried to express himself. In a certain way, he was able to express himself
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more naturally than a regular person. One story that we always share is from the time that my brother took him to Kutsher’s for a Shabbaton. In the middle of the night, Martin was twisting and turning, unable to sleep. My brother asked him if he was okay. Martin replied, “I didn’t care for the matzah balls.” Truthfully, I would lose sleep over that too, but my ego probably wouldn’t allow me to admit it like that. Martin never won any awards. He never experienced life as we know it. Things were simple for him – a chocolate Danish, a cup of soda, a new comb, and, of course, a new belt could have him over the moon – but the character traits that his parents instilled in him and which his pure neshama retained throughout life were anything but simple. Those are the traits that we all spend a lifetime trying to achieve: positivity, watching our speech, hakaras hatov, davening with simplicity, etc. He embodied all of that. It is sad that Jack and Helen Weinberger were not zocheh to see generations of Yiddishe nachas after all that they went through. It’s hard to see that chain come to an end. But the kedushah that their only child Martin brought to the world in his 64 years will undoubtably serve as a beautiful link in the cosmic chain that is bringing Klal Yisroel to its ultimate tikkun. To that end, even though Moshe Aryeh ben Yaakov left this world with no blood relatives alive, he is family to all of us, and we will all be the beneficiaries of the beautiful life that he lived, with the coming of Moshiach b’mhaira b’yamainu.
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MAY 14, 2020 The Jewish HomeHome OCTOBER 29,|2015 | The Jewish
Op- d
Why Camp MUST Happen this Summer By A Concerned Parent
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he current pandemic is unprecedented in our lifetimes. We are seeing losses of life and livelihoods at devastating rates. Each new levaya is a tragedy, and this article is in no way meant to downplay that reality and the depressing frequency of these losses. The world is spinning out of control, and we are all just trying to hold on. News stories cycle past us so quickly that we barely have time to separate the truth from the fiction from the premature speculation. The conversation of what to open, when to open it, and how to open it is a difficult one, and the two sides are far more nuanced than our own governor would like you to believe. But what is also nuanced is the discussion around camp, school, and what the short-term and long-term future should look like for our children. So below are some important points to consider on why camp is so important and why we should all be lobbying for it to happen:
Why Should Camp Happen if School Didn’t? Camp is essential. So is school. Anyone who tells you Zoom is a viable alternative must not have a preschooler or a student who struggles with focusing or learning. We as a society have schools and camps because we need education and childcare. Children gain so much socially, emotionally, and academically during these years, and they have already lost two months with no clear end in sight. Parents need the structure and childcare that school and camp provide. If school was scheduled to go through August, we eventually would have managed to get back into the classroom in some capacity. Howev-
structure with the end of cold weather and the beginning of beautiful summer days, and you have a recipe for disaster. That increases the predicament. Open camps and risk allowing children to gather in the camp. Or don’t open camps and risk the kids forming their own gatherings and groups, without necessarily having the safe, wholesome environment that a camp can provide. Picture the 4.6 million children of New York State trying to find ways to entertain themselves outdoors this summer, and there may be many unintended consequences or, chas v’shalom, tragedies.
Parents Need Childcare er, with distance learning already in place and with so much uncertainty and so little time left to the school year, the decision by politicians to cancel on-site school through the end of June was expected. However, that leaves the decision about camps as the next big decision to be made...
Face the Facts The reality is that parents and politicians alike have to realize that choosing whether to allow camps to be open or not this summer is nota zero-sum game. Many are acting like it is a simple binary: either children attend camp and mingle and potentially spread the virus or they stay home locked in a closet. This is clearly false. We have all seen groups of roving kids, both Jewish and non-Jewish alike. If kids do not have camp this summer, many will likely still mingle and they will flood areas like parks and beaches that the politicians are trying not to overcrowd. Many parents, two months into
this lockdown, have already given up on containing and quarantining their children. The weather is nice, and kids are antsy. They crave socialization and the ability to play carefree in the beautiful outdoors. Cancelling camps doesn’t mean kids stay indoors and isolated through the summer. And this problem will only be exacerbated as time goes on. That is the first fallacy of the suggestion that closing camps keeps kids and families safer somehow.
Distance Learning is About to End Even those children who are benefiting from distance learning and are spending several structured hours a day attending Zoom classes are about to see that conclude. School is ending shortly and that means even more unstructured time for kids to roam around, potentially infectious or getting themselves into the kind of foolish, dangerous trouble that children with no structure can fall into. Combine that lack of
Another important point to remember is that keeping this many children “locked up” has put a massive strain on parents who are still working. Many parents now have no child-free hours during the day and many parents are spending countless hours trying to juggle Zoom classes, assignments, home projects, and more so that their children can maintain some semblance of schooling and structure. Additionally, as we attempt to reopen the economy, it is obvious that childcare will need to be a key part of that equation. How can parents be expected to return to offices and fulltime employment without a system in place for childcare? Camps can provide that service and allow the economy to slowly and cautiously reopen in as safe a manner as possible. The country wasn’t built to sustain 40 million unemployed people, and our economy wasn’t built to operate while millions of children are stuck at home, needing their parents’ oversight all day.
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Kids Need Normalcy We know the hospitalization numbers, the death rates, and the unemployment numbers. But what we don’t know yet is the toll this pandemic is taking on our children mentally, emotionally, and academically. How many months can young children endure the anxiety, fear, and this “new normal”? We do not know how children will be affected long-term by these months of isolation. But we do know the values of a stress-free, fun-filled summer program – even one held without trips or with other safety restrictions.
Safety As alluded to above, no camp means many children in potentially unsafe situations over the summer months. Camps, both sleepaway and local, are working closely with the American Camping Association (ACA) and the CDC to create and implement safety guidelines. Possible measures include smaller group sizes, no trips, minimizing mingling, and health monitoring. Better hands and face hygiene would be emphasized and proper equipment utilized. Basically, almost every camp is willing and eager to take these steps to ensure that children can have fun but be safe at the same time. Governor Cuomo recently revealed that 66% of recent hospitalizations were of adults who “stayed at home.” So, while more recent news about Kawasaki disease in children and other frightening stories are concerning, the data isn’t clear on anything yet. It is unclear that locking up your child for the summer is guaranteed to keep them safe, just as it is unclear that opening camps with these safety restrictions would mean mass outbreaks. Ultimately, we are all trying our best, but only Hashem knows what will happen next. The rest of us are just guessing.
Practice for the School Year The other benefit to opening camps with smart, safe restrictions in place is that these summer programs can provide a model for what schools can expect in September if the virus is still as potent and problematic then. If we do not allow children to officially congregate until September 1, then we are not provid-
ing schools with any model to follow or parents with any reassurances that school is viable and safe. Not every child needs camp or will attend camp this summer. But nearly every child goes to school. Camps, with smaller bunks and the ability to spend less time cramped indoors, can provide valuable data for the viability of school and life returning to normal next year when schools need to figure out how to safely operate and provide vital education for our children of all ages.
Sleepaway Camps vs. Day Camps If you ask a sleepaway camp owner about opening camp this summer, they will tout their ability to completely isolate their campus and the fact that you don’t have to worry about outside interactions. If you ask a day camp owner, they will promote the fact that your child can remain local where you can keep an
grounds to the list of “essential” construction that is allowed. The anticipation is that New York will deem camps “essential” while providing similar safety restrictions to Connecticut’s and the CDC’s. However, New York is biding its time. Camps would like clear confirmation and clarity on the restrictions in time to prepare for an adjusted summer. But, presumably, the New York government wants to wait and see continued improvement before issuing any formal ruling and rules. Clarity is still expected in midto late-May.
The Finances Many parents have many questions for camps. Will they get a refund in full if there is no camp? Will they get a refund if camp opens but they choose not to send? If camp happens but there’s no trips or no busing or some other restriction, will they get a discount? If a sleep-
Picture the 4.6 million children of New York State trying to find ways to entertain themselves outdoors this summer
eye on them, sick children can stay home, and your child isn’t spending 24 hours a day around other children and staff. The reality is that both sleepaway camps and day camps are preparing to take many safety measures. The health of all campers will be closely monitored and many precautions will be taken. Whether you feel safer sending your child away for a month or whether you prefer having them home under your own roof and attending a local camp depends on your personal preference.
What are Other States Doing? Connecticut, our neighbor, has already declared camps “essential” while restricting group sizes to 10 children and instituting other health and safety measures. Many other states are doing the same. New York already added camps and camp
away camp happens but capacity is cut in half, how will the camp decide who gets to come? All of these are valid questions. And camp owners are grappling with them just as much as parents are. Camps are trying to prepare for every contingency while not knowing for sure what the rules will be. One thing to keep in mind is that every camp will be operating in unprecedented fashion this summer. Camps rely on filling enrollment to cover expenses and (hopefully) make a profit. But this summer, camps are dealing with parents pulling out, extra expenses related to safety measures, and the possibility of being mandated to service less campers or only their most local campers. Camps are ready to provide eight weeks of fun or less – whatever New York will allow. Keep in mind that some summer camps have already preemptively announced that
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they will close this summer. This summer many frum camp owners will be ecstatic to run a safe, fun summer that only results in a small loss – especially as for some the alternative is not having camp and eating the losses of all the money already spent on reunions, advertising, trip deposits, construction, head staff preparation and salaries, etc. The owner of your son’s sleepaway camp isn’t evil if he hasn’t promised you a full refund yet; he is just trying his best to navigate these crazy times, as are you.
What if You are Still Scared? Everyone is entitled to their own feelings, and obviously we all have different risk profiles and different risk tolerances. Some people haven’t left their house in two months, while others are shopping daily at Costco for every senior in their neighborhood. Some parents haven’t let their children pass the front door, while others have already made justifications for what level of mingling with the neighbors’ kids is acceptable. That said, keep in mind that you don’t have to decide what you will do on July 1 in mid-May. We are all anxiously following the news and hoping for improved metrics and any and all health breakthroughs. We are all hoping for a timeline to return to shuls and beis medrashim and to shopping on the avenue. The world looks different now than it did last month, and we can hope and daven that next month looks better than this month. It is okay to wait for more information before making a decision either way. Ultimately, Hashem has reminded us all Who is in charge of the world. We can plan and speculate and strategize but the final result will be in His hands. Hopefully, the situation in New York will continue to improve. And hopefully we will see an end to the daily deaths soon. Meanwhile, just know that you still have a month and a half until camp and, as we have seen, things can change in an instant. Camps are essential because getting to live a life of shuls, yeshivos, camps, and more is essential. Hopefully, as the world continues to get safer and the U.S. continues to cautiously reopen, we will draw closer to a return to normalcy and color war!
OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home MAY 14, 2020 | The Jewish Home
TJH
Centerfold
Riddle me this? Steven and Brian are cousins. There is a yearly spelling contest moderated at the local community center by Brian’s father every year. All the town’s kids attend, and the winner gets a brand new bike. One year, Steven actually made it to the final round of the contest. Brian and Steven’s mothers, who were sitting near each other, couldn’t believe that Steven made it this far. The moderator, Mr. Ramsey, says to Steven: “The last word is actually two words. It is your name.” How did Steven spell the two words to win the grand prize?
He spelled: your name. (Always gotta watch out for trick questions if you wanna win a bike!)
Play on Words 1. a blushing crow 2. tons of soil 3. know your blows
6. lack of pies 7. it’s roaring pain 8. sealing the hick 9. wave the sails 10. fight in your race 11. ready as a stock 12. mad bunny
Answers:
5. you have very mad banners
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
4. tease my ears
a crushing blow sons of toil blow your nose ease my tears you have very bad manners pack of lies it’s pouring rain healing the sick save the whales right in your face steady as a rock bad money
A spoonerism is an error in speech or deliberate play on words in which corresponding consonants, vowels, or morphemes are switched. It is named after William Archibald Spooner (1844–1930) who was notoriously prone to this tendency. For example, “fighting a liar” would turn into “lighting a fire.” Can you figure out what the real sayings are for the following spoonerisms?
6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | MAY 14, 2020
English Language to Undergo Updates At a public school in Sheepshead Bay, the principal, who is originally from Russia, recently announced that the school will implement changes in the English language by eliminating certain rules and customs that are antiquated and not necessary. In the first year, “s” will replace the soft “c.” Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard “c” will be dropped in favor of the “k.” This should klear up konfusion and keyboards kan have 1 less letter. There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year, when the troublesome “ph” will be replaced with “f.” This will make words like “fotograf” 20% shorter. In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be ekspekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. Governments will enkorage the removal of double letters, which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of the silent “e”s in the language is disgraseful, and they should go away. By the fourth year, peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing “th” with “z” and “w” with “v.” During ze fifz year, ze unesesary “o” kan be dropd from vords kontaining “ou” and similar changes vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters. After zis fifz yer, ve vil hav a reli sensibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi to understand ech ozer. Ze drem vil finali kum tru!
You gotta be kidding During davening at a shul which had just reopened after several years of renovations, half the congregants stood up and half remained seated during the Torah reading. The half that were seated started yelling at those standing to sit down, and the ones standing yelled at the ones sitting to stand up. The rabbi, learned as he was in the law and commentaries, didn’t know what to do. His congregation suggested that he consult a housebound 98-year-old man who was one of the original founders of their shul. The rabbi hoped the elderly man would be able to tell him what the actual shul tradition was. And so, he went to the nursing home with a representative of each faction of the shul. The representative whose followers stood during the Torah reading said to the old man, “Is the tradition to stand during the Torah reading?” The old man answered, “No, that is not the tradition.” The one whose followers sat asked, “Is the tradition to sit during the Torah reading?” The old man answered, “No, that is not the tradition.” Then the rabbi said to the old man, “The congregants fight all the time, yelling at each other about whether they should sit or stand.” The old man interrupted, exclaiming, “Now, THAT is our tradition!”
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Torah Thought
Parshas Behar-Bechukosei By Rabbi Berel Wein
H
ow much is a human being worth? In the Torah reading of this week, the value of a person is pledged to the temple in terms of a scale measured in money. Now, obviously the Torah does not mean that we are to judge a human being’s value this way. The worth of a human being is inestimable, and no two people are the same. Their value will be dependent upon circumstances and their life experiences. Nevertheless, by establishing such a scale of values, the Torah is teaching us that people are to be estimated in a practical value way. This is a unique idea. In the ancient world when slavery was very prevalent – even in our day where slavery still exists in parts of the world – the value of a person is their worth on the slave market. How much work can they do? How old are they? What are their talents? All of this contributes to a monetary value, and the Torah allows us to look at people in that way as well. When an employer hires an employee and sets a salary for that em-
ployee’s services, he is estimating what the worth of that person is to the success and profits of the enterprise of the employer. This is part of the psyche of human beings. It is the way that we look at people; how much is he worth? And we are aware of the
lyn. Since this system of estimating value is really a cruel one, the Torah accepts values that are not dependent upon these variant talents or needs but rather on set amounts. It is a constant human drive to try and make ourselves more valuable to
The worth of a human being is inestimable
fact that, because of this scale of values, some people are worth more than others, at least in monetary terms, or in terms of benefit to those who are estimating this type of value. The poor Hungarian refugee who came to America in 1938-1939, but who was an expert in nuclear energy and would help produce the atomic bomb, was certainly worth more than a fellow refugee who would, let us say, open up a dry goods store in Brook-
others. We do so to increase our salaries, to gain wealth, power, favor, or position. Because of this, the idea of the value of a person is always paramount in our minds and eyes. We are forced to realize that every human being has value and that one really cannot estimate this correctly. The Torah, by setting an amount, is telling you that the atomic scientist and the dry goods manager, are, so to speak, of the same value, because
no human being’s value can really be estimated correctly in terms of money and in terms of position. Realizing this, we find that the Torah is classless; it does not reflect elitism or the designation of people of special value because these people are unknown to us. Heaven knows who a prophet is and who is going to be the leader. The rabbis said, quoting the Bible, that the hearts of kings and leaders are really given over into the hands of Heaven. They are not the ones of value, they are the instruments by which value is transmitted to a people, to a nation, or to a society. These are important ideas in our time when the value of people is certainly brought home to us. The fact that we cannot socialize, we cannot deal with people as we do in normal times, only serves to emphasize to us how valuable people are and what every person can contribute to society and to the welfare of others. I think that this image has great bearing for our time and for our current situation. Shabbat shalom.
The Jewish Home | MAY 14, 2020
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In appreciation of the TRUE HEROES of the CAHAL PROGRAM HENNA ROSEN PIRCHA ALPERT SHANI HILDESHAIM R' FEIVISH ROTBARD REBECCA AMSTER RACHEL HIRTH SHOSHANA ROTTMAN SHOSHANA AYZIN YEHUDIT HOROWITZ RACHEL SALHANICK AVIVA BALSAM MALKIE HYMAN R' MOSHE SALHANICK YAEL BAUMAN R' BINYOMIN JACOBS SHEREE SAMET TIRZA BERGER AVI KARP FRAYDIE SAUBER RACHEL BORNSTEIN ZACHARY KESSLER DANEAL SCHEER ELAINE BRENNER LEAH KRAMER DEENA SCHWARTZ KEREN ENGLARD R' DOV LANGER YEHUDA SCHWARTZ BATSHEVA FLAUM ALIZA LEITMAN LIORA SEBAG BAS TZIYON FRIEDLER R' JUSTIN LEPOLSTAT ADINA SILVER ELI GOLDBERG YISROEL MILLER CHANA TEITELBAUM CHAVATZELET GRABER RAIZEL RASKAS R' MOSHE WAXMAN R' CHANANYA GRINBERG RIVA RATNER DR. SURI WEINREB SHAINDY HAGLILI YAEL SARA RENDLER NACHI WINKLER R' DAVID HARARY RACHELLI RHINE ROCHEL WINSTON MELODY HARRIS
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MAY 14, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
From the Fire
Parshas Bechukosai Trading in the Crown By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf
S
oon we will be celebrating Shavuos, the day when we accept the Torah. How do we prepare for this? The Midrash (Vayikra Raba 35:1) teaches that the beginning of the parsha, which starts (Vayikra 26:3), “If you walk with my decrees,” alluding to the study of Torah, is connected with Dovid Hamelech’s statement (Tehilim 119:59), “I thought about my ways and I returned my feet to Your laws.” What path should we be thinking about to help us turn our feet back toward Hashem’s laws? The truth is that our preparations for Shavuos are more extensive than for any other holiday in Yiddishkeit. We prepare by counting for forty-nine days until we reach the day we receive the Torah. In addition, we cannot even miss a single day in the count, as the pasuk says (Vayikra 23:15), “They shall be seven complete weeks.” Why do we have nearly two months of preparations for Shavuos, unlike any other holiday? The Chofetz Chaim teaches that the one can discern how important something is from how much time and effort one spends preparing for it. Something unimportant requires little serious preparation. If one wants to make a cup of tea, this takes very little effort because a cup of tea is not that important in the big scheme of things. If one wants to make a fancy dinner, this is more important, so a person may work for a number of hours preparing for it. And if one wants to hold a bar mitzvah or wedding reception, because these are important events, one may spend many months preparing and planning. If
one wants to become a doctor, because this is an important profession, he must study for many years before he will be granted a license to practice medicine. This is all because of the principle articulated by the Chofetz Chaim – there is a direct correlation between how important something is and how much time and effort one spends preparing for it. We also see that the Mishnah (Avos 4:16) says that all of life in this world is simply a preparation for life in the World to Come. It must be that there is nothing more precious in the world than that. If every moment of our entire lives is a preparation to the World to Come, this demonstrates that it is the most important thing. Similarly, if the preparations for Shavuos and our acceptance of the Torah are more extensive than they are for any other holiday, it demonstrates that Shavuos has a unique importance not shared by any other day
of the year. If Hashem commands us to count toward and long for the arrival of Shavuos for forty-nine days, it shows that we should value the Torah more than anything else. This preparation and the value we place on the Torah is therefore part and parcel of how we receive the Torah. Unfortunately, even observant Jews usually place more importance on our silly obsessions than we do on Torah. The Chofetz Chaim offers a parable: a king once commissioned two of the greatest artisans in his kingdom to create the most beautiful crown in the world. He spared no expense, permitting them to buy the largest, most perfect and precious stones available. In addition, he sent them to travel to another city, where the greatest goldsmiths and gemologists lived, to work on the crown with them. This “dream team” spent over six months toiling day and night on the crown. In the
end, the king sent guards to escort the two artisans back to the kingdom along with the crown. On the way, the group passed a field where a few simple farmers were working their field, using two oxen to push a plow. One of the two artisans said to the other, “I would like to show you something fascinating.” He then walked over to the farmers and introduced himself. “Good morning. My friend and I are passing through here on the orders of the king.” The farmers were duly impressed. He then continued, “Our job was to make the king the most beautiful crown in the world, and our mission is complete. We are now carrying this crown back to the king. Would you like to see it?” “Of course!” they answered. So the man brought the box containing the crown to the farmers and opened it so they could gaze upon its beauty. They agreed that it was a magnificent crown. They were overwhelmed by its beauty. The man then said to the farmers, “I will make you a deal. I will give you the crown in exchange for these two oxen. What do you say?” They thought for a moment and then the senior farmer said, “We have to discuss it. Just a minute.” They conferred privately for a few minutes and then the farmer relayed their decision: “I’m sorry but we cannot accept this trade.” “Why not?” “Because while we agree that the crown is very beautiful, without our oxen, how would we ever finish plowing our field?” The artisan thanked them and
The Jewish | MAY 14, The Jewish HomeHome | OCTOBER 29, 2020 2015
walked away, having demonstrated the wondrous foolishness of the farmers to his friend. How could they be so small as not to realize that if they had the crown, they would never have to plow another field again! How could they not realize the true value of the crown?! The Chofetz Chaim explains that we make the exact same mistake as these farmers. We all love and value the Torah. We admire its unique beauty. But when it comes down to giving up a little bit of the silliness we normally obsess over in favor of taking out time for Torah, it just does not seem worth it to us. We give up infinite value in favor of fleeting enjoyment. Unfortunately, we are no wiser than the foolish farmers in the Chofetz Chaim’s parable. That is what we are supposed to accomplish during Sefirah. Because we intuitively understand from our physical lives that the more one prepares for something, the more valuable it is, counting the days as we journey closer to the day we receive the Torah helps us internalize that the Torah is the most precious thing in our lives. By valuing the Torah more, it makes it easier to give up on the emptiness which had heretofore gotten in the way of our truly accepting the Torah. That is why the seforim hakedoshim teach that the word omer has the same numerical value as the word yakar – precious. It is also no coincidence that a word which is used more in this week’s parsha than in any other place in Tanach is keri – haphazard or casual. Rashi (on Vayikra 26:21) explains that this means “temporary, by chance, something happening only occasionally.” It refers to when keep Torah and mitzvos only when they suit us, when it’s convenient and there is nothing else to do. And this word keri has the same letters as yakar, but in the opposite order, because such a casual attitude toward Torah is the antithesis of the recognition of its true, precious value. Only recognition of the true importance of the Torah in our lives can nullify our previously flippant approach to Yiddishkeit. We have the power to nullify the 49 curses found in the rebuke section of the parsha, which are the result of taking Yiddishkeit too lightly, by counting the 49 days of the Omer, whereby we recognize the incompa-
rable value of Torah by preparing for the day when we receive it. This is why the Midrash quotes Dovid HaMelech’s statement, “I thought about my ways and I returned my feet to Your laws,” when
attempting to run as close to the top as possible. Unbeknownst to the boys, the Alter Rebbe, zy”a, the Tzemach Tzedek’s grandfather, was watching them from the window of his study. After watching the game, the Rebbe
Counting the days as we journey closer to the day we receive the Torah helps us internalize that the Torah is the most precious thing in our lives
discussing our parsha. The way to walk in Hashem’s ways is by thinking about our path – by recognizing its profound significance and meaning. How often do we think about how we spend our time to ensure that we make the right decision? On a Shabbos afternoon like this one, by the time one completes his Shabbos seudah, he will have five or six hours free before davening Mincha in the afternoon. How will he spend those hours? Let us say that one is going to take a long nap, even an hour or more. That still leaves several hours. How will he spend that time? Will he abandon the crown of Torah in favor of a couple of cows? Will he spend the afternoon reading articles or shooting the breeze with his family or friends, talking about sports, politics, or the like? Will he recognize the true value of whatever type of Torah he feels drawn to study? Or will he waste away the time this Shabbos, and then the next, and then the next? The alternative is living in a way that enables him to say, “I thought about my ways and I returned my feet to Your laws.” The truth is that if we recognize the importance of our goal and do not permit ourselves to gaze at all of the distractions around us, we can reach this goal. When the third Lubavitcher Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek, zy”a, was a little boy, he was playing outside with his friends one day. And as boys are wont to do, they made up a somewhat dangerous game. They placed a plank up against a building and took turns
asked someone to bring the young Tzemach Tzedek to him. His grandson came into the room and the Alter Rebbe asked him, obviously proud of how well he had performed in the game, “Tell me Mendel’eh, how is it that you were able to reach the top of
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the plank while none of the other boys could do it?” He answered, “Zayde, all of the other boys looked around them as they began walking up the plank. So they quickly became frightened of falling and came back down. But I just looked at the top and ran for it, without looking to the sides at all.” This is how little Mendel’eh became the Tzemach Tzedek. He set his eyes on his goals and did not allow the distractions around him divert his attention away. He kept his eyes on the prize. He simply “thought about his way” and never stopped climbing. May we too merit to recognize the true and infinite value of Yiddishkeit in our lives, such that none of us will ever mistake the oxen or other distractions in our lives as being more important than the Torah in our lives.
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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MAY 14, 2020 | The Jewish Home MAY 14, 2020 | The Jewish Home
The Wandering
Jew
Balkan Journeys Part II: Croatia By Hershel Lieber
The grand buildings of Zagreb
I
t was Wednesday, July 4, 2007, at about 5 p.m., that our train pulled in from Ljubljana, Slovenia, into the main station of Zagreb, Croatia. The elevator and ramps made it a bit easier to schlep up the many pieces of unwieldy luggage that we brought along. Our trip took a total of five weeks, and we needed a fair amount of clothing and enough kosher food for the duration. We procured a large taxi and headed to the Hotel Dubrovnik on the main square, Trg Bana Jelacica. The hotel was modern and very comfortable. After settling into our room, we headed down to buy some fruits, vegetables, and drinks. When we exited our hotel, we found ourselves in a sea of humanity. The streets were brimming with people rushing home from work, stores packed with shoppers, and cafés spilling out into the streets
Pesi in the main square Trg Bana Jelacica
with people enjoying a quick snack. The tramway stations were bustling with passengers getting on and off the multiple tramways heading in
find a laundry that would wash, iron, and fold our clothes and have them ready before Shabbos. It took three attempts until I found a place near
The day was so glorious that even the late afternoon rainfall did not deter us from trying to discover this gem of a city.
different directions. It was exciting to be in middle of this hubbub and, somehow, we knew we were in for a treat for the next few days. The next morning after davening and eating breakfast in our room, I headed out early. We were running low on fresh clothing and needed to
the Old City where I was assured that our laundry would be ready by Friday afternoon. The next four hours we spent exploring this beautiful city. The architecture in Zagreb is from so many different periods and varied cultures. Many buildings are so grand and
decorative, set in spacious squares surrounded by greenery. Later in the afternoon, we took the tram to the Botanical Gardens, where we leisurely strolled among the natural beauty of Hashem’s creations. The day was so glorious that even the late afternoon rainfall did not deter us from trying to discover this gem of a city. On Friday, we had a long day before Shabbos would begin. We went to Maksimirski Park where we hiked along tree-shaded trails around the lake. Later, we ate our lunch at the lakeside where I took the opportunity to be ma’avir sedra. The Zagreb Zoo was located nearby, and we took advantage to visit this charming small habitat of wildlife. As much as we were enjoying our day, I was still suffering from an ingrown toenail. The hospital in Ljubljana did not remove it, and the antibiotics they prescribed for me
The Jewish Home | MAY 14, 2020
were not a real solution. By the time we returned to the hotel, I was in real pain and inquired by the hotel desk if they knew of a podiatrist that could help me. The clerk recommended that I go to a pedicurist that he knew could remove the ingrown nail. I took his advice and headed there immediately. I entered into a manicure/pedicure salon not far from the hotel, and the owner took me into a curtained section. She quickly examined my foot and within ten to fifteen minutes removed the stabbing nail and bandaged my toe. When I asked her how much I owed her, she refused to take any money. She said that she gets paid for cutting nails but not for helping relieve a person of their pain. I was very moved and thanked her profusely for her act of chessed. Then, I rushed back to the hotel where we got ready for our next experience: a Shabbos in Zagreb.
The funicular from the Lower Town to the Upper Town
The Chabad shliach in Croatia is Rabbi Pinny Zaklas. Before leaving home, I spoke to him a couple of
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The statue of national hero Josip Jalacic
times, and he invited us for the Shabbos seudos. His wife and their children were not going to be there, but
he assured me that he is a whiz in the kitchen and can manage very well. We came to his house before
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Shabbos so that Pesi could light candles there. We walked over to the shul but, as he expected, there was no minyan since most locals were away on vacation. When we returned to his apartment, we were joined by two Israeli businessmen and Benny, a young baal teshuva. The seudah was inspirational as we both shared divrei Torah and zestfully sang the zemiros. The multi-language conversations (English/Hebrew/Croatian) were stimulating. It was way past midnight when Rav Pinny and his guests all walked us back to our hotel. We were very tired but on a real high! Although we did not have a minyan on Shabbos morning again, we davened together in shul, and we read aloud the Torah portion from a Chumash. I gave a dvar Torah by the kiddush, and we ate our seudah by Rav Pinny. We were joined by a couple from the States, and we had a wonderful time together. The rest of Shabbos we spent taking a nap and walking to a local park. We ate the seudah shlishis in our room, and after havdalah started to pack for our journey’s next stop, Sarajevo, Bosnia. Our Sunday flight to Sarajevo was scheduled for 9 p.m. We technically still had a full day to do something in Croatia. Looking through travel brochures, we discovered the Plitvice Lake National Park. This natural beauty with sixteen lakes and stun-
On the walking trail in Maksimirsky Park
The small synagogue in Zagreb
ning waterfalls is a UNESCO World Heritage site. There are great walking paths, and the cascading lakes are renowned for their different colors. We were told that Plitvice was about an hour and a half each way by bus, so we figured we would have about three hours’ time to explore the park. This would allow us ample time to return, pick up our luggage, and head to the airport. Well, we were in for a surprise when we realized on the way there that the park was more like three hours away. We still thought we would have an hour to walk around there but found out that the return bus was leaving fifteen minutes after we got there and that the next bus was in two hours! What can we say? We traveled a round trip of over
With Chabad Rabbi Pinny Zaklas
five hours and did not get to see the world-famous site at all! We were quite disappointed and resolved to make another attempt in some distant future. We did finally see it, during another trip years later, when we went to Dubrovnik. That is another story, which I will share in the future.
After heading back from the park, we rushed back to the hotel, had a bite, and retrieved our luggage. We then headed to the airport for our night flight to the city referred to as the “Jerusalem of the Balkans,” Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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.
Relaxing in the Botanical Gardens
The Jewish Home | MAY 14, 2020
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Yeshiva D
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W al l s
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A small selection of photos from recent weeks. More can be seen at darchei.org/photos
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MAY 14, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Israel Today
Singing For My Supper By Rafi Sackville
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hen our next door neighbors returned home after spending two years in Toronto as representatives for the Jewish Agency, they set about renovating their house. Most glaring to the eye was the new set of stairs that led to what had been an upstairs, outdoor porch on a flat roof. It was soon enclosed and turned into a fully functioning gym. Mickey, my neighbor, has black belts in more than a few martial arts disciplines. Before long we began to hear the daily “ehh-yaa” of the neighborhood boys as they went through their moves on the mats or in Mickey’s boxing ring. Mickey would go into schools and give a demonstration in front of wide-eyed students who were soon flocking to his gym. The parade of boys from 4 p.m. through 9 p.m. is a defining sign of Mickey’s initiative. Mickey does nothing in half measures. He is thoughtful, yet tough on his students; he is always smiling; he’s a great cook; he plays the saxophone and drums; and his children all play piano. Barbecues next door are more events than meals. It’s not a matter of throwing a few shish kebabs on the fire for Mickey. No – the range of food is staggering; liver on skewers, two, sometimes three, types of sausages, lamb chops, steaks, chicken breasts, small, spicy meatballs, and large hamburgers. Mickey spends hours outside cooking for his family. During the coronavirus, I have sat on all three sides of the house dependent on where I can get the most sun. Around noontime, I move to the fence just near where Mickey cooks. I will sit and read or work on some handcraft project. And I like to sing all my favorite hits from the ‘60s and ‘70s. I’ll choose songs that fit my range. I don’t care who hears me; the coronavirus has unbound me from inhibition. On chol hamoed Pesach I sang aloud for a few minutes just as Mickey began cooking his barbecue. An hour later he came by with a small plate of food. He said, “Rafi, twenty years ago we could have been in a band together. You’ve got a nice voice.” I wanted to say, “Yes, I do,” but my wife would have deservedly been upset with my brazenness.
And rightly so. To put it most succinctly, I can hold a tune. When Yom Haatzmaut came around this year, the country was turned on its head. Like yom tov a few weeks earlier, we were placed on a total shutdown. This measure struck at the very heart of Israeli custom when parks and beaches are full of picnickers and when the smell of barbecue smoke is all one can smell.
Keren looked amused and asked the most pertinent question of the day: until what time were we to wait before manna fell from heaven? Locked in our houses, the fun of being with family and friends on Independence Day tampered our plans for any extravagances. Keren and I discussed making a barbecue. Thinking about doing something different, we bought Beyond Burgers, the plant-based patties. Not exactly meat, but close enough. Along with some oven baked potatoes, we’d have a simple meal. A few minutes before we began to cook, I heard Mickey begin his preparations for his Yom
Haatzmaut barbecue. And I had a thought. I sat down in the garden and selected seven of the best songs I could sing. I told Keren to put all cooking on hold and wait an hour or two. I sat down on a comfortable chair in the garden and began to sing. I shan’t bore you with my selection. It’s enough to say that I thoroughly enjoyed myself. At one point I overheard Mickey telling his son to listen in. While Mickey cooked, I continued to sing. And on it went for over forty minutes. By the time I’d finished, my voice was scratchy. Our neighbor on the other side only enjoys Israeli music. She came by and asked what the noise was all about and if my choice was relevant to the occasion. We’re from chutz la’aretz, I told her, as if she didn’t know. Besides, I like to sing, I added. She was bemused. She doesn’t quite understand Australians and Americans. I went back inside the same time Mickey did. Keren looked amused and asked the most pertinent question of the day: until what time were we to wait before manna fell from heaven? It was half past two. During the crisis, I turned our carport into an outside office. From it, I ran my school classrooms, wrote stories, and enjoyed my hobbies. I was sitting there at 3 o’clock when Mickey showed up with an enormous pan of food. The liver, chops, steaks, burgers, sausages and meatballs encircled a double serving of chips. There was enough to feed us three times over. “I enjoyed your singing so much today,” he remarked as he handed me the platter. “You have sung for your supper,” he added with a smile. While we were eating, Keren and I agreed that we have no idea how to make a barbecue. Nothing we’d eaten before had compared to this. It was the best Yom Haatzmaut meal we’d eaten. Keren asked me what my next trick was going to be. I told her I was thinking of taking up singing lessons.
Rafi Sackville, formerly of Cedarhurst, teaches in Ort Maalot in Western Galil.
The Jewish Home | MAY 14, 2020
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Jewish History
Independence Day Parades in Jerusalem 1967 and 1968 By Larry Domnitch A military parade on Independence Day in 1950
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n May 15, 1967, the Israel Independence Day parade celebrating nineteen years was held in Jerusalem. It was a parade with historical significance. The parade also faced opposition from many nations. Those nations opposed the staging of a military parade. They complained that the decision to hold the parade in Jerusalem was in violation of the Israel-Jordanian Armistice Agreement of April 3, 1949, which prohibited the display of heavy armaments on either side of Jerusalem due to the close proximity to each other’s borders. At this time, Jerusalem was a divided city in the aftermath of the 1948 War of Independence. The Old City was controlled by Jordan; West Jerusalem was part of Israel. Israel had informed the United Nations of the minimal display of light arms in detail. Prime Minister Levi Eshkol had prohibited the display of any heavy weapons. There was no infringement. A spokesman for military observers of the United Nations Troop Supervision Organization, UNTSO, expressed concern, stating the parade will “intensify the already dangerous situation” in the Middle East. However, plans for war against Israel were already underway. The other objection was the belief that the parade threatened the international status of Jerusalem as provided by the United Nations partition
plan of November 29, 1947, otherwise known as UN Resolution 181. Nations still hoped for the internationalization of Jerusalem. Among those who refused to participate were Great Britain, France, West Germany, and the United States, nations with good relations with Israel – to varying degrees. The USSR boycotted the event. Other nations’ representatives were not expected to be present. Lieutenant General Odd Bull, Chief of Staff of the UN Supervision Organization, was also expected not to attend.
Jordanian held Old City, Israel was under no obligation regarding the display of weaponry. At 9:30 a.m., with thousands of selected guests packing the stadium of the Givat Ram campus of the Hebrew University, General Uzi Narkiss, commander of the Israeli army’s central command, as parade marshal, addressed President Zalman Shazar, “Mr. President, do we have your permission to start the ceremonies?” Shazar nodded, and the parade began.
Greeted by over 200,000 onlookers, bugles blew, drums rolled, flags were flying, and pennants waving in the light breeze.
In contrast, Israel’s former prime minister, David Ben Gurion, also announced one week in advance that he would be a no-show, stating his opposition was on account of Israel’s refusal to display heavy weapons. According to Ben Gurion, since Jordan was in violation of the armistice agreement for not providing free access to Jewish holy places within the
The parade included 1,600 troops, along with jeeps, trucks, and command cars. Every armed unit in the IDF was represented. There were some anti-aircraft guns, mortars, anti-tanks guns, and a small artillery of 30 to 40 mm on display. Levi Eshkol defiantly stated, “Even with the absence of foreign diplomats, all will know that the parade
was underway.” As the procession advanced through the streets, greeted by over 200,000 onlookers, bugles blew, drums rolled, flags were flying, and pennants waving in the light breeze. There were other celebrations the night before but most attention was focused upon Jerusalem. The masses of cheering crowds were not aware of what lay ahead in the very near future. In an already tense environment with increasing terrorist border infiltrations and Syrian guns entrenched upon Golan Heights shelling Jewish settlements, the situation became even more threatening. As the parade proceeded, word reached the prime minister via the army Chief of Staff, General Yitzchak Rabin, that there were reports of Egyptian troop movements in the Sinai Peninsula. Eighty thousand troops and nine hundred tanks! This action took place in broad daylight. It was so blatant, that there were doubts as to the intentions of Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. Perhaps he was bluffing? Maybe it was an act of bluster to assert his leadership among Arab nations in the region? Furthermore, Egypt was already engaged in a civil war within Yemen – there was doubt that they would be planning for war. It soon became apparent that Egypt was indeed preparing for war. The next day, May 16, Radio Cai-
The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | MAY 14, 2020
IDF soldiers on Independence Day in 1958 ro threatened, “The existence of Israel has continued too long… The peak hour has come. The battle has come in which we shall destroy Israel.” Later that day, Nasser in a letter to UN General Secretary, U Thant, demanded the withdrawal of United Nations Emergency Forces (UNEF) comprised of four thousand troops, from the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza strip. Two days later, Thant
At a military parade on Independence Day in 1956
hastily acquiesced. On May 20, with UN troops withdrawn, there was further escalation of hostility as Nasser proceeded to close the vital Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping. War was looming. On the third day of the ensuing Six Day War, just over three weeks later, all of Jerusalem was reunited under Israeli sovereignty. Just a few weeks
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earlier, the people of Israel were celebrating sovereignty over the new city of Jerusalem, now the entire city was under Israeli control. The next year, there was a spectacular Independence Day parade with over a half million in attendance in united Jerusalem. At the parade, the military display was out in full force; the Israeli air force which had performed so spectacularly the prior year in defending Is-
rael put on a dazzling show. Both parades have a unique place in the history of Jerusalem and Israel. From one parade to the next, the status of Jerusalem was in transition, as was Israel. Larry Domnitch lives with his family in Efrat. He is the author of “The Impact of World War One on the Jewish People” recently released by Urim Publications.
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OCTOBER 29,|2015 | The Jewish MAY 14, 2020 The Jewish HomeHome
F
amed Japanese writer Haruki Murakami once quipped, “The most important thing we learn at school is the fact that the most important things can’t be learned at school.” In order to help you bring out your child’s latent talents, we spoke with local professional artists – musicians, photographers, artists, and chefs – to help you bring these skills to the fore. Hopefully their advice and tips will resonate with you and help get your child on the road towards an enjoyable hobby.
A Budding Beethoven? Your child doesn’t have to be Mozart – writing symphonies at age four – in order to play music for a hobby or even to become an accomplished musician. Many accomplished and well-known musicians didn’t even start playing music until their teenage years. But, says professional keyboard player Tzvi Lampert, “an ideal age to start is between 7 and 10, depending on the kid’s level of interest and level of talent.”
Lampert, who is a keyboard player, band leader, and music teacher at Brandeis School, explains that music is a way of thinking, so the younger one is when they start, the easier it is for them to get into it, similar to young people learning a new language. There are obviously many different musical instruments that one can learn. Ask any child which instrument they want to play, though, and most will instantly respond: drums! Hmm…add that to the quar-
antine mix and now things are really becoming combustible. The truth is that it’s not just the effect that drums would have on your sanity that should eliminate drums from your list of possibilities. There’s another reason as well. “The joke that all musicians tell,” says Lampert, “is: what do you call the guy who hangs out with musicians? The drummer.” He is quick to add that there are many drummers that are very musical, but the really great drummers also play other in-
struments. Drums shouldn’t be the first instrument one plays if the goal is to be a well-rounded musician, he explains. Rabbi Yitzy Ross, who leads a family band consisting of himself along with seven of his sons ka”h (his youngest, age 5, is in the process of learning keyboard), is not opposed to looking at a child’s personality to determine which instrument is suited for him. In fact, during our discussion, when asked about that, in the process of think-
The Jewish HomeHome | OCTOBER 29, 2020 2015 The Jewish | MAY 14,
ing out loud, he noted almost to himself, “Well, let’s see, my oldest plays tenor sax; the next one plays drums; Avi plays guitar; Mordechai plays trumpet; Moshe plays flute; Yehuda plays alto sax….” Reb Yitzy, whose family band website is rockmishpacha.com, notes that although parents and children oftentimes gravitate towards keyboard and guitar, that is a big mistake. “They should proceed with caution and consider other instruments,” he says. “Guitar and keyboard have a 94% failure mark after one year. But if you give a kid a saxophone, the kid can play a song after three lessons. Then he starts building up.” Tzvi Lampert explains that what makes piano somewhat difficult to learn is that it is essentially like an entire orchestra. “You are not just playing one note at a time like a horn,” he explains. “On keyboard, you are playing melody, base, harmonies, melodies, and sometimes counter melodies at the same time; you have 10 fingers to work with. So, to really play piano right, you really have to be able to do a lot at one time.” Even so, if your child is inclined to play keyboard, the type of keyboard that you should get depends on what the goal is. “In the frum world, there are two main categories of those who want to play,” says Tzvi. “There are parents who want to teach their kids how to be a one-man band playing heimishe music, and then there are parents who want their kids to learn by the book – playing classical, reading notes, learning theory, etc. For each of those approaches there are different recommendations. “If you’re doing classical-type lessons, you want to buy something
that’s as similar to piano as possible, meaning 88 weighted keys and realistic sounding. If, though, you are looking to have your child play fun music or one-man band music, you want to get a machine that is fun, that has cool beats. It should have good guitar sounds, good saxophone sounds, something that the kid will have fun with and be able to explore with because it’s not as regimented.” Reb Yitzy encourages kids to consider horn instruments.
He also notes that violin, which is believed to the hardest instrument to learn, is well-suited for one who is an introvert, as it requires someone to be comfortable playing many hours by themselves. One common misperception about playing an instrument is that to do so one needs to have a “good musical ear.” That, though, is the farthest thing from the truth. Yes, if someone is tone deaf it would be a great challenge for them to play an instrument,
“You can be the sous-chef – fetch things from the cabinet, pass her a utensil, take out the eggs from the fridge – but let your child do the actual cooking.”
“The nice thing about sax, trumpet, and flute is that they are easy to move around; they don’t require an amplifier; and the kid will get a song out within a few lessons,” he says. “That will inspire them to continue playing.” Guitar is probably not the right fit for a shy child, explains Reb Yitzy, because it usually requires being up front while playing. But guitar can be great for a child with ADHD that has the ability to focus. “I know that sounds like a conflict but it’s not,” he says. “For example, there are kids who are all over the place but they can get entranced, and once they get entranced, they have a lot of energy to learn that which entrances them.”
but there is a large space between a brilliant musical ear and being tone deaf. Pretty much anyone who is diligent and willing to practice can become an accomplished musician and can certainly play as a hobby. Reb Yitzy relates that a famous guitar player was once asked what makes him a good player and he responded, “Practice.” The questioner continued, “But what sets you aside from other people?” he replied, “Practice.” And to every question asked of him regarding his talent, he replied, “Practice.” Although practice is important, forcing a child to practice is probably not a great idea. Reb Yitzy prefers the method of showing his children
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videos of good musicians and getting them to want to practice through their inspiration to be like that musician. He adds, though, that if a kid wants a certain privilege, there is nothing wrong with conditioning receiving that privilege on having practiced for twenty minutes or so. Due to the current situation, many teachers are offering Zoom lessons. Tzvi says that private one-on-one music lessons is the best way to learn. There are also online courses, from beginner to advanced, that you can purchase. “But,” cautions Tzvi, “like everything on the internet, there’s good and there’s bad, and it’s not really easy to tell them apart.” If you want to go with an online course – some beginner courses are as cheap as $30 – it’s a good idea to get a recommendation from a musician regarding which course to take. Because, like with anything else, “you don’t know what you don’t know” and you don’t want to get off on the wrong foot with a bad course or with a bad teacher. Reb Yitzy cautions that even though playing a musical instrument is a great hobby and it’s okay to pick one up just for fun, it is important to learn how to read music from the get-go. “This happens all of the time – a kid plays by ear and gets pretty good but then hits a wall because he can’t read music,” says Reb Yitzy. “There are many really talented musicians who play by ear and sound great playing, but they will inevitably be limited or hamstrung at some point due to their foundational weakness.” Although it may sound like a tall mountain to climb, playing a musical instrument is a great hobby that starts with one small strum.
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MAY 14, 2020 The Jewish HomeHome OCTOBER 29,|2015 | The Jewish
The Next Julia Child? Until cooking shows and food competitions became ubiquitous over the past two decades, cooking was seen as a utilitarian activity – we need to eat so we need to cook. But it’s no longer like that. Cooking is now a soothing hobby for many, which also has the function of putting food on the table. It’s not age prohibitive; given the proper tools and education, a ten-year-old girl or boy can put together a gourmet meal. That’s not to say that cooking is not complex – it is. But many of the skills used for cooking are the very skills that children are taught in school. “When you give a kid any recipe, there’s a lot going on. There’s reading, math, comprehension, and science,” notes TJH columnist and celebrated chef Naomi Nachman. The way to get kids involved in cooking, says Naomi, is to have them plan family menus. “They should look through cookbooks, especially Perfect Flavors, which is my book…wink…wink…and get them to build and create menus. On top of that, are there any dishes that they want to try or ever express interest in making or that inspires them? Get them into the conversation. Talk about what they’d like to try making. They should also help with the weekly shopping list and listing ingredients.” Naomi particularly enjoys teaching children to make pizza. “What kid can’t relate to a slice of pizza?!” she says. “Also, when you make pizza, the kids have to learn how to handle yeast, which is a live and active ingredient. The water can’t be too hot because it would kill the yeast. Sugar makes the yeast grow,
and salt can kill it. So, there’s a science aspect to that. And pizza is delicious.” She muses, “Since this whole quarantine started, we haven’t bought a pie of pizza. We make it all on our own. It’s just as good. And the kids connect to it because they made it. That’s a winning combination.” Although cooking is an excellent hobby for young children, they should be taught kitchen safety, Naomi cautions. There are many videos online geared towards children. In fact, Naomi has a video on knife skills which can be seen on Kosher.com. There are many easy dishes that children can make out of the gate. For example, franks ‘n’ blanks are fun, easy, and it’s hard for them to taste bad (if you like hot dogs) – all you really have to do is wrap a hot dog in puff pastry dough, throw it in the oven for 45 minutes, take out some mustard and ketchup, and everyone has a blast. Dinner is served, bellies are filled, and your child earns a boost of confidence in the kitchen. If you want to spruce it up a bit, you can have your child make some mashed potatoes (with a little salt, pepper, onion power, and garlic) and pat it onto dough, cushioning the hot dog. Now we’re talking about a real, authentic New York-style deli dish. Get a red checkered tablecloth and fuhgeddaboudit! “While your child is making his or her first dish you obviously want to be in the kitchen,” says Chana Kahn, who ran a sleepaway camp’s kitchen, “but you should resist the urge to grab the spatula and do it yourself. You can be the sous-chef – fetch things from the cabinet, pass her a utensil, take out the eggs from the fridge – but let your child do the actual cooking.”
Chana adds, “I just had my twelveyear-old son make a chicken gumbo soup. It was actually delicious, and it’s like a full dinner. Although it may take a while to prepare, it teaches the child how to cook chicken, cut and sauté onions and various other vegetables, and to manage a cooking soup – an amazing skill for life.” Aside from the actual cooking, children can learn how to “plate” a dish to make it more appealing to their “customers.” They can experiment with different sized plates, sprigs of herbs, sprinklings of confectioner’s sugar, or even dollops of sauces. This way, they can turn their dishes into culinary masterpieces – a true art form! Cooking can serve as a source of pride for a child and can be a confidence booster when there’s only crumbs left on the bottom of the cake pan. And, of course, the more your child cooks, the less you have to cook – a win-win all around.
An Amateur Ansel Adams? Nowadays, being an amateur photographer is easier than ever. “The iPhone cameras and the editing functions are high quality for beginners,” says professional photographer Sarah Schwartz. But in order for photography to become a hobby rather than just something to keep your child busy between Zoom classes, they are going to have to invest time and effort. “True photography requires patient and focus. Oftentimes you have to take many photos before getting the shot you are looking for,” says Sarah. “It requires you to still everything around you and focus on the object you are shooting.” Professional photographer Gabe
Solomon of LifeCapture Images encourages getting children into pho-
Quick and Easy Pizza Dough By Naomi Nachman
I developed this recipe when I was the baking instructor at Camp Dina for seven years. I started the culinary arts program, which became super popular. The kids loved baking pizza from scratch, and the pizza class became the most anticipated class of the program. You can use this dough for pizza, flatbreads, and even cinnamon rolls. Pareve Yields 1 (12-inch) pie, about 4 servings Ingredients • 2 teaspoons dry yeast • 1 teaspoon sugar • ¾ cup very warm water (115°F) • 2 cups flour • 1 teaspoon kosher salt Preparation Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine yeast, water, and sugar in a medium bowl; proof for 5 minutes, until bubbling. Add flour and salt; knead for 2-3 minutes until flour is well blended and a dough ball forms. Cover; let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes. Roll dough to fit a 12-inch pizza pan. Place on sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings and bake for 20 minutes.
The Jewish | MAY 14, The Jewish HomeHome | OCTOBER 29, 2020 2015
tography. How to get into it? Gabe says, “Start by finding something that inspires you. Photograph it from many different directions, angles, steps. Then see which photos you like and understand why you like it.” Gabe explains that the technical knowledge of photography is secondary to the passion. “Photography is an art,” he says. “If you like a certain picture that you took, then it’s a good picture.” At some point after getting into photography, the hobbyist may outgrow the iPhone, but that may be a while down the road. Gabe explains, “If you are frustrated that the camera on your iPhone is not taking the picture the way that you envision it, in other words, you are tired of the iPhone machine telling you how the picture should look when your mind is telling you something different, then it’s probably time to buy a camera.” Gabe purchases his equipment at B&H, which has an excellent used equipment department, he says. But he cautions that before investing in equipment, one should really know what they are doing. “When you feel that the device you are using is limiting your creativity and you need another tool, that is the time to purchase equipment.” Before buying the additional equipment, you should make sure to have a technical understanding of the item you are purchasing. “If you are looking at a lens or another item and you spend $300, you may have gotten exactly what you needed. But it’s also possible to spend $1,000 and totally not get what you needed,” he says. It’s really important to understand the function of the item you are purchasing, explains Gabe. Now is the perfect time for children to embark on this new hobby. As long as the passion is there, your child will be successful. “There is street photography, portrait, studio, nature, candid, family photography and the list goes on,” says Sarah Schwartz. “Since we are all under quarantine now, you can send your child into the backyard and if you have beautiful budding flowers, rocks or other nice landscaping, you can have your child shoot that from different angles with different lighting and see if they find any images
that they find compelling. If they do, they will probably be hooked and want to experiment and take more photos. “I love what I do,” she adds. “I get tremendous joy from finding the right angle and the right expression on my
“It’s nice because I get to teach them some techniques and then they spend the week working on them,” she shares. “They, of course, send me their drawings and by the next session they are ready to advance.”
“Photography is an art; if you like a certain picture that you took, then it’s a good picture.”
clients’ faces. Kids can quickly become good at taking photos and can graduate onto more nuanced photography and quickly learn the tricks of the trade.” What can be more picture-perfect than that?
A Potential Picasso? Your child may not exactly be the next Picasso just yet, but he or she is an artist. In fact, it was Picasso himself who said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” So how do you get your kid to paint her first brushstroke? Artist Yael Vogel discloses to TJH that she learned to be an artist through watching YouTube videos. She recommends videos by Wilson Bickford, which are the free videos that she watched to learn her craft. As to when children should start learning art, Yael says that her young children are now taking Zoom lessons with art teacher Brocha Teichman. Yael herself, though, didn’t start painting until the age of twenty-five, proof positive that it is never too late to become a fine artist. Although a child is never too young to doodle and play around with markers and finger paint, art teacher Brocha Teichman says that by age eight or nine kids can start working on drawing exercises. In fact, Brocha’s Zoom course – which consists of four one-on-one fifteen-minute sessions for $100 – is helping many local children get into art.
A child does not need to exhibit any artistic inclination in order to become a good artist. “I’ve seen children who have less natural talent surpass children who had more natural talent because they loved doing it and they are inspired to keep going,” Brocha says. The nice thing about art is that
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even if one doesn’t plan on getting lessons, it’s easy to start exploring. “All you need is a canvas, paints, a brush, and a paper plate to put the paints on and then you can start,” notes Yael. Both Yael and Brocha share that a simple landscape is probably the easiest thing to start with. “Just have fun,” Yael advises. “A bad day drawing or painting is still better than a good day doing lots of other stuff,” quips Brocha. Michal Lander told TJH that in an effort to keep her children busy during the early days of the quarantine, she purchased acrylic paints and canvases from Michaels for under $100. It kept her four children busy for hours. “My son has not stopped painting ever since,” she says. “I’m trying to get him to focus more on drawing now because it’s an important skill for an artist to have.” And we all know that a picture paints a thousand words.
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MAY 14, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Dating Dialogue
What Would You Do If… Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters
Dear Navidaters,
Dear Navidaters,
I am a newlywed married to a wonderful man named Shmuel. Since we have been stuck at home because of the quarantine, I’ve been wanting to spend more time with him, but all he wants to do is learn. I understand the importance of the mitzvah of learning Torah. However, it is also important for couples to spend time with each other, even just talking or working on projects at home that keep getting put off. How can I convince my husband that it’s okay to learn sometimes and also make time for us to spend together?
Thank you, Zeecee
The Panel The Shadchan Michelle Mond ear Zeecee, Mazel tov on your marriage to what you yourself describe as a wonderful man! Getting married at this time in history is certainly not easy. It is not natural to be forced to
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be around anyone for 24/7, let alone your husband of such a short time. One of the reasons we have sheva brachos is to be pampered by family and friends and have some distractions. Chosson and kallah have the opportunity to hear from close friends and family who speak about the virtues of the couple, which give an extra leg to stand on as the journey into shana rishona embarks. You do not mention
if you got married in a backyard, on a driveway, or in a tree, with a hat or with a bat (thanks Dr. Seuss!). As reality has turned into some rare form of fiction, these are actually questions I pondered after reading your letter. The reason I start with all of this is to encourage you – anything you are feeling now is normal, since our situation isn’t. Now for the bread and butter of
Disclaimer: This column is not intended to diagnose or otherwise conclude resolutions to any questions.
your question: your husband spends almost all of his time learning rather than spending time with you. From what I can infer, the two of you probably started out marriage with the thought that Shmuel would be in kollel. He would be out of the house most of the day learning and come home to alone time with you, his lovely wife. However, as the tides have turned and things have changed, he will no
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.
The Jewish | MAY 14, The Jewish HomeHome | OCTOBER 29, 2020 2015 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
longer be going out to learn. In practical terms, his imagined schedule before was 8:30 - 6:00 PM in yeshiva. In his male and logical mind, this should remain his schedule wherever he is physically based. This makes it very hard on you, the kallah, who sees him around all day, but is not spending personal time together with you. The normal yet emotional female in you is overthinking and wondering why he does not want to spend time with you. You do not want to ask him because then you might seem like a badgering wife. Thoughts in your head are probably along the lines of: “if I have to ask him to spend time with me it doesn’t count, because it did not come from him.” Every book on marriage you will ever read will state the following fact: your spouse cannot read your mind. People do not get married and grow telepathic antennas. You must learn to communicate your feelings with your husband so he knows how you feel. To this end, I urge you to sit down with Shmuel and tell him how you feel in a loving way. You must also understand that a man who planned on learning full-time is the man you married; if not for corona, he would have been doing this in yeshiva. If it bothers you to be in such close quarters and not spending most of your time together, perhaps work out a system where he learns in a different room. When he takes breaks from his learning, you will spend quality time together. I want to encourage you that these are all good problems to be having and very, very normal. He is using his time being productive in the way he is used to, which demonstrates the fact that he is truly the talmid chacham that you dated and chose to marry. He has never been in this kind of relationship before, as have you. Communication is the key to the solution. Should you find that speaking to him directly heeds no results, make a phone call to his chosson teacher. One of the jobs of a chosson teacher is to be there for the kallah during shana rishona in instances such as these. His chosson teacher can then call him seemingly to check in and discuss all these important issues. Chosson/kallah teachers: please use this as a call for help from your couples. They may not reach out but they – more than any other generation
– need your help. They need encouragement and continual guidance navigating being newlyweds at this time. Thank you, Zeecee, for writing in and addressing this important issue!
The Mother Sarah Schwartz Schreiber, PA admit; I’m tempted. If space allowed, I would now launch into my ever-popular, oft-quoted lecture on “Honesty, Openness and Loving Communication.” Instead, I humbly offer an explanation as to why this mandatory 24/7 togetherness may feel, paradoxically, lonely. Shmuel and you may be husband and wife, but the two of you are relative strangers. If I had to guess, this time last year, you were hardly a twinkle in Shmuel’s eye. Even if you had a loooong courtship (translation: three months by yeshivishe standards) and engagement (ten weeks, give or take), you’ve known each other for a scant few months. In a new marriage such as yours, the concept of “comfortable silence” is rare. It often takes years of marriage, and scores of shared experiences, for a couple to achieve a certain level of trust and comfort – that emotional synchrony that allows each to complete the other’s sentences or read the other’s thoughts. Take heart; the seeds of this connection may be sown during these early months of shana rishona through honesty, respect, and simple communication. Zeecee, you are indeed a lucky girl. You got married under the wire – the Covid-19 wire. If I had to guess, you enjoyed the requisite celebratory events – vordt, wedding, sheva brochos – without the constraints of N-95, PPE or social distancing. (“Is that the kallah? Hmm, can’t tell under that mask!”) And now, the icing on the proverbial wedding cake, you married a “wonderful man.” If this were another “Navidaters’” column, I could be consoling a young wife whose husband’s reaction to “Shelter-in-Place” is to wake up at noon, loll around in his PJ’s, and surf the internet until he collapses from video exhaustion. Not to minimize your frustration:
I
Shmuel’s a great guy – disciplined and responsible – but like most members of his class and gender, he’s no mind reader. Zeecee, if you need more “together time,” just tell him. But with tact and diplomacy. Put simply: no pressure. No complaints. No whining. You’re now a wife; frame your needs as a means to secure a more solid foundation for the bayis neeman you both aspire to, not merely a balm for your loneliness. One surefire scenario: after a lovingly-prepared, six-course steak dinner (choice of baked potato, tossed salad, or fries), tell your husband how much you admire his diligence and self-motivation in learning. (Ah, he’s beaming!) Follow up by saying how much you look forward to spending time with him. (He’ll probably counter that he feels the same!) Clinch things by commenting that it’s truly fortuitous that the mandatory quarantine has afforded you, as a couple, more time and opportunity for date nights (Jigsaw puzzles!) shared proj-
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People do not get married and grow telepathic antennas.
ects (wedding photos!) and fun activities (Scrabble!) during which you can get to know and appreciate each other from different perspectives. (No one’s gonna argue with that! He’s actually grinning. Slam-dunk!). If Shmuel is as wonderful as you say, one steak dinner (followed by one or two deep meaningful conversations) may be all it takes to make him more aware and attentive to your feelings. Perhaps, years from now, you will recall this quarantine period as your personal blessing-in-disguise. Stay safe!
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The Zaidy Dr. Jeffrey Galler ou are a very extroverted person who is isolated and cut off from your job, friends, gym, and travels. Of course, you feel absolutely miserable. Your letter is missing some important information. Specifically, BC (Before Corona) was your husband a full-time yeshiva student? If so, why
Y
are you suddenly so surprised to live the actual lifestyle that you and Shmuel had dreamed about and decided upon? For many years, a close friend of mine was eagerly anticipating purchasing a certain luxury automobile. He planned and saved for a long time and finally bought the car of his dreams. But, subsequently, he was disappointed to discover that it
Pulling It All Together The Navidaters Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists
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hank you for writing to us! To be a newlywed in the time of COVID-19.... The first year of marriage is a time when couples truly begin to learn about one another. Often it can bring its own unique set of challenges: boundaries, space, balancing individual needs with the needs of a partner. To be a newlywed during quarantine can be extra challenging! The two of you are possibly home 24/7, no doubt home more than you would typically be had life not changed so drastically.
I certainly don’t know if this is typical of Shmuel or a coping mechanism that Shmuel i s using. What are your thoughts about that? How is Shmuel coping during COVID-19 in quarantine? Many people are not behaving as they normally would because they’re stressed to the max and/or they are completely overwhelmed by the pandemic. Many people have lost their filters, are unhinged, saying more or less than usu-
Hi Readers! Receiving your enthusiastic emails wanting to participate in the Reader’s Respond section has been wonderful! Just a reminder about how Reader Response works. Email thenavidaters@gmail. com with the subject line “Reader Response.” We will then ask you, in the order we receive your email, if you would like to respond to the coming week’s email. If you would like to respond to an already printed Navidaters Panel, please submit your answer to the editor at editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com. You can also join us on our FB page @thenavidaters on Sunday evenings to post your response to the week’s column. Interacting with you has been a pleasure! Thank you for all of your feedback. Jennifer
didn’t give him the satisfaction that he had anticipated. It’s a little too late for buyer’s remorse. (Sorry to vent here, but I, too, am kind of frustrated with being stuck at home for too long.) Here are my suggestions: Everything is negotiable. Propose a daily schedule with your husband. Plan to set aside a time for learning, a time for eating together, a time for taking walks together (with proper protective gear and social distancing, of course!), and a time for working on household projects together. Why not set aside time to learn together? Studying hilchos Shabbos or hilchos lashon hara as a married cou-
al, disappearing into Netflix binges, drinking excessively, engaging in dangerous behavior, etc. Could Shmuel’s excessive learning at the expense of spending time with his bride be symptomatic of him not doing well right now? Was Shmuel learning at this capacity preCOVID-19? As you devise your approach, I think this is important for you to think about. With everything in life, we need balance. Shmuel’s learning, based on your description and feelings, feels unbalanced to me. Your relationship does need and deserve some time and attention. If you haven’t already had a clear conversation with him in which you politely express your needs, you can definitely do that. You can say, “I value your learning so much. And I want you to learn. But I need to spend time with you as well. I would love it if we could....” I hope his reaction is pleasant, and he agrees and follows through. If you’ve asked him in this direct and polite manner, and he has either rejected your idea or has said he will make time but nothing has changed, you may want to involve a third party. If Shmuel has a rav, he might be a great person to speak with now. Every rav understands the importance of shana
Everyone’s needs matter in a relationship.
ple enhances a relationship and is a great bonding experience. You, of course, should be developing your own interests. While he is learning, you can be reading, pursuing hobbies, reviewing high school chemistry, or working remotely. Working separately and respecting each other’s space makes “together” time even more special.
rishona and is sensitive to the needs of both husband and wife. If the rav is not an option, and you’ve tried talking with him about your needs to no avail, the two of you may benefit from couples counseling. Everyone’s needs matter in a relationship. We don’t want you feeling neglected or your needs going unrecognized or invalidated. And if Shmuel is having a hard time coping now, that would likely be revealed as well. Wishing you all the best – and all the readership health and wellness during these difficult times. Good Shabbos, Jennifer
Jennifer Mann, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist and 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 516-224-7779, ext. 2. Visit www.thenavidaters.com for more information. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email thenavidaters@gmail.com. You can follow The Navidaters on FB and Instagram for dating and relationship advice.
The Jewish | MAY 14, The Jewish HomeHome | OCTOBER 29, 2020 2015
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TIPS FROM A HOME SCHOOLING MOM PART III: KRIYAH BY SARA RAYVYCH, MSED
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think it’s a given that most parents (and those people who aren’t parents) are overwhelmed at this time. There are so many things to juggle, all while dealing with your own stress, that overseeing schoolwork feels impossible. I often get asked how I homeschool multiple kids and teach all of them. Homeschooling is very different from the current schooling at home for our yeshiva students but I will try to adjust my answer to hopefully make juggling a little easier for parents. Additionally, each family and their needs are so different that no article can possibly cover everyone. I will start this by stating that prioritizing is crucial with juggling. The less you try to juggle, the more ability you have to focus on each need. This may not be the
time to organize your sock drawer. See what’s a priority and close your eyes to the rest.
ORGANIZATION As a veteran homeschooler with a master’s in education, I have spoken with parents needing educational assistance. Usually, when speaking to parents, I have the opportunity to find out more about their child, such as what they’ve tried and where their child is still having trouble. I know some parents will need additional assistance with their children’s kriyah now with school being predominantly virtual. I will make the disclaimer that while I have taught kriyah, I am not specifically a kriyah specialist. As always, your child’s teacher/therapist is the best person to
speak to as they will know your child’s strengths and weaknesses. When introducing a new letter or vowel to your children, review it by itself many times – don’t assume any step is too easy for your child and skip it. Present what is being learned in large, bold print and on an uncluttered page/environment. You can present the material in isolation or use an index card or blank paper to cover the rest of the page to prevent distraction.
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, AND PRACTICE We all know that practice is crucial when acquiring a new skill. Recognize that kriyah is an important yet challenging skill your child is working to-
wards. Some kriyah books are better than others for different parts of kriyah but use what you have. Homemade flashcards can be used for a quick review, and a matching game will add some fun. Practice should be pleasant for the kids and can be done in a relaxed fashion; I know this is easier said than done. I often find my children enjoy doing their kriyah more when they sit next to me on the couch, on my lap, or cuddle. A sticker or prize afterwards doesn’t hurt – praise and love are even better. It can be frustrating to do kriyah with a struggling child. They’re already frustrated enough, so try to keep your voice calm and soothing. A soothing voice will help calm them, and it will also help calm you. Step back if they need a break. Bear in mind that children are naturally resis-
The Jewish Home | MAY 14, 2020 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
tant to things they find difficult. The harder it is, the more they’ll resist – expect it and know that it’s normal.
TIME IT RIGHT
Kids are usually fresher earlier rather than later in the day. They’re also more resistant to learning new things when they’re involved in another, more exciting task. Some children will benefit from shorter sessions, perhaps five to ten minutes, spaced out throughout the day or with breaks in between. Even a quick minute of review throughout the day can help. Some children learn better when their break, or the time right before a session, consists of physical activity such as jumping or somersaults as it helps refocus them.
YOUR CHILD IS UNIQUE Each child is unique and has their own learning style and strengths you can use to help them learn. Kriyah doesn’t need to be dry – many children benefit from a little out of the box thinking. Personally, I sing a little tune with my children to help them remember the name and sounds of the letters and vowels. Be creative and know they’re not judging your voice or lyrics. It’s more fun for them and assists in remembering. Some kids learn better if they sit when they learn, while others benefit from standing or moving. Some children learn better when they have something in their hands such as playdoh or a soft toy. Dance, body movement, tracing the letters/ vowels with their fingers, and art can be used to help children integrate the lesson. Think of what your child enjoys doing or how they tend to understand information and see if you can incorporate that into their learning. Don’t be afraid to do something different. If it works, then you’ve struck gold, and if it doesn’t work, then you don’t need to repeat it.
LEARNING TOGETHER SHOULD ENHANCE THE PARENT-CHILD BOND. TROUBLESHOOTING Usually when speaking to parents or when hearing my child read, I get a chance to do what you might call “troubleshooting.” There are so many things that can interfere with learning. When your child is struggling in reading, try to look for patterns in their mistakes. Does the child tend to confuse similar looking letters or vowels such as “final mem” and “samech” or “vav” and “zayin”? Does the child tend to confuse similar sounding letters or vowels such as “tof” and “tet”? Does the child tend to confuse the same letters repeatedly? While some letters, such as “kof” and “chof” are easier to confuse and may take longer to learn, some children may find a particular letter or vowel more difficult and may need more time with them.
A CALM EXPERIENCE This isn’t the answer you want, but when you’ve tried it all and nothing works, it’s time to consult a professional for guidance. There are certain kriyah issues that will require a multidisciplinary approach which may involve special education teachers and therapists. If there is an underlying issue – whether it’s a learning disability, vision/hearing-related or stress-related – you’re just going to frustrate yourself and your child without much to show in the end. These children will also learn kriyah, b’ezras Hashem, but not easily under the current circumstances. Inform their school and work together on
a game plan for your child; you’re not alone in this one. A teacher or kriyah specialist may be able to help by hearing a child over the phone or through a video. Even so, you should still review with them so they don’t lose what they do have. Children under stress, such as in the situation we’re currently experiencing, may have difficulties in understanding and keeping up with their schoolwork – it’s to be expected. As important as it is to keep your
child academically focused, getting your child through this emotionally is the most important role you have as a parent. When you learn with your child, make sure you do it in a way that keeps their self-esteem intact. A child’s self-confidence can easily take a beating when they face learning challenges. Be gentle when learning with your child. Learning together should enhance the parent-child bond, not diminish it. If you see it’s causing fights or frustration, then take a step back and reevaluate your method before restarting. Thank you to Jessie Fischbein and Sarah Levine, MSEd for reviewing this article. 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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Health & F tness
All Kinds of Nuts By Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN
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hen looking for the perfect low-fat, healthy snack, try munching on nuts. Most people see nuts negatively, worrying about the fat content and calories that will lead to weight gain. However, nuts are a powerhouse of heart-healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Popular nuts include almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, macadamia nuts, and pecans. Let’s take a closer look at some of these nuts which will hopefully change the poor image of nuts. Peanuts: not only do peanuts pack a ton of protein into a tiny package (about 7 grams per 1 ounce serving), studies report peanuts promote a longer, healthier life. A study in JAMA Internal Medicine followed approximately 72,000 people in the U.S. and found that those who ate more than 18g of peanuts a day had a 21% lower cardiovascular mortality rate. Besides for peanuts’ role in reducing cardiovascular disease mortality risk, peanuts have been shown to aid in weight loss. A report published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition informs that individuals who incorporate nuts into their diet do not need to limit their consumption. A review of many studies showed that people who added nuts to their diets and replaced other foods with nuts reduced their waist sizes by more than half an inch and lost more weight (an average of 1.5lbs more)
than those who did not consume nuts regularly. Peanuts are a great snack since they are cheap. You can also enjoy the benefits of peanuts through eating peanut butter. Technically, peanuts are not nuts – they are legumes that grow in bushes – but nutritionally,
incorporating walnuts into a healthy diet reduces the risk of heart disease by improving blood vessel elasticity and plaque accumulation (due to the high omega 3 fatty acid content). In addition, walnuts have been shown to aid in lowering LDL cholesterol. Research shows that low omega-3
Just one ounce of almonds contains one-eighth of our daily protein needs.
they are very similar to tree nuts. However, since peanut allergies are very common, be careful who you serve peanuts to! Walnuts: there are 185kcal, 18.5g fat, 3.9g carbohydrates, 4.3g protein, and 1.9g fiber in 1ounce of walnuts. Walnuts are packed with nutrients that keep your body healthy and happy such as omega- 3 fatty acids, manganese, copper, iron, calcium, and phosphorus. Walnuts are packed with healthy lean protein, polyunsaturated fats, and polyphenols. Walnuts also contain more antioxidants, folic acid, and vitamin E than any other nut. Scientific evidence shows that
intake is associated with depression and cognitive degeneration. Thanks to the high levels of omega-3 found in walnuts, these nuts also help keep the brain healthy. Furthermore, walnuts have been found to increase melatonin levels, which helps combat insomnia. In addition, alpha-linolenic acid found in walnuts has been shown to reduce stress levels. Despite the many benefits of walnuts, nuts in general are high in calories, so like everything, moderation is the key. Almonds: almonds are packed with vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber. Just one ounce of almonds contains one-eighth of our daily protein needs. Almonds are a great source of
vitamin E, copper, magnesium and high-quality protein and are low in sugar. Potential health benefits of almonds include lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease. The high amounts of fiber found in almonds fills you up and is metabolized slowly by the body, thereby aiding in weight loss. Hopefully these insights into peanuts, walnuts, almonds will change the common misconception that nuts are bad for you. As we saw, the health benefits of nuts include weight maintenance, heart health, a decrease in cholesterol, and reducing the risk of heart disease and cancers. Nuts are a great, easy snack to add into your diet especially since they are so versatile – they can be eaten raw, salted, roasted, ground, and on-the-go. (Not that anyone is going anywhere!) So grab some nuts and enjoy a healthy snack today!
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 private nutrition consultant and conducts nutrition workshops in assisted livings, senior centers, and nursing homes. She can be reached at CindyWeinberger1@gmail.com or 917623-6237. Follow us on instagram @EatBetterandFeelBetter.
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Health & F tness
Emerging Information and Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome By Hylton I. Lightman, MD, DCH (SA), FAAP
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he rollercoaster called Covid-19 has slammed the world. It is a vortex of information, misinformation, and everything in between. Facts and speculation about this moving target change so quickly that a fatiguing mental whiplash is one of its results. Back in the “ancient days” of this pandemic – meaning less than two weeks ago – scientists believed that, for the most part, children were spared the ravages of this virus. The few babies who were diagnosed as Covid-19 positive were hospitalized because they were less than 8 weeks old with a temperature greater than 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Hospitalizing an infant for a minimum of 48 hours with this temperature minimum or above is standard operating procedure (even when Covid-19 is not rampant). They have been discharged and are doing beautifully. Kids and adolescents with Covid-19 seemed to experience minimal symptoms and discomfort. Children can be asymptomatic while being “shedders” or carriers of Covid-19. This is one reason why grandparents and great-grandparents need to maintain social distance. Further, we encouraged and continue to encourage parents to make sure their children maintain social distance from peers. Until recently, meaning about a week ago, the medical world was confident. But despite these precautions, an ominous pediatric condition possibly linked to Covid-19 has appeared in Europe and, most recently, in the United States. Pediatricians worldwide are reporting about an inflammatory syndrome that has been (aptly) named Pediatric Multi-System Inflamma-
tory Syndrome (PIMS). PIMS is a new health condition diagnosed in children who had novel coronavirus. Note the past tense. More on that later. The virus presents as similar to
tervention and treatment (most usually intravenous gamma globulin and oral low dose aspirin), most children recover and have no residual symptoms or lasting problems. Diagnosing PIMS is done by rul-
Please know that your pediatrician cares and wants the best for your children.
Kawasaki disease. Kawasaki is a rare illness whose cause is unknown (although researchers think it may be caused by an infection), and it affects children mainly ages 0-5 years old, but sometimes up until 13 years of age. It is a type of vasculitis, an inflammation of the blood vessels that can affect the entire body, including the blood vessels of the heart, also known as the coronary arteries. Left untreated, children with Kawasaki disease are at higher risk of developing problems within the coronary arteries; other areas of the heart may be affected as well. With immediate in-
ing out causes for symptoms and a physical exam. Symptoms include a fever of 102-104 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 5 days, red eyes, changes in the lining of the mouth, skin changes in the hands and feet, rash, swollen lymph nodes and red, cracked lips. Again – the physical exam is important. To make things more confusing, not all children diagnosed with Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome have tested positive for Covid-19. Some scientists believe that by the time inflammation appears in the body, the Covid-19 virus is no lon-
ger detectable on nasal swabs. Because this is a new, developing area of medicine, pediatric experts in intensive care, infectious disease, cardiology, rheumatology, and Kawasaki disease are reviewing data from the cases in the United States and Europe. They are offering guidance to pediatric clinicians and are laying out a blueprint for further research into this mysterious illness that may be Covid-19-related. Interestingly, PIMS is not contagious. Why? Because, to have PIMS, the child must have had the infection previously. In order to have antibodies against Covid-19, the patient must be past the contagious stage of the disease. What should be the takeaway for readers? First, this illness is rare. Very rare. Second, do not Google. It’s not worth your agonizing nor increased intake of alcohol and G-d knows what else. If you see symptoms listed earlier, don’t diagnose and don’t panic. Rather, call your pediatrician. If the doctor instructs you to bring your child into the office, heed the directions and follow his advice. Emerging information about Covid-19 is a 24/7 phenomenon. Same for PIMS. Please know that your pediatrician cares and wants the best for your children. As always, daven. Dr. Hylton I. Lightman is a pediatrician and Medical Director of Total Family Care of the 5 Towns and Rockaway PC. He can be reached at drlightman@totalfamilycaremd.com, on Instagram at Dr.Lightman_ or visit him on Facebook.
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In The K
tchen
Garlic Knots By Naomi Nachman
Ingredients 2 tsp dry yeast 1 tsp sugar ¾ cup very warm water (°115F) 2 cups flour 1 tsp kosher salt
Garlic Topping ½ cup olive oil 10 cloves garlic, crushed 1 TBS parsley flakes ½ tsp kosher salt
Preparation Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine yeast, water, and sugar in a medium bowl; proof for 5 minutes, until bubbling. Add flour and salt; knead for 2-3 minutes until flour is well blended and a dough ball forms. Cover; let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes. Divide dough into even pieces. Roll out into strands and then form a knot and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 475°F and bake for 5-7 minutes. After they come out of the oven and slightly cooled, brush each knot with garlic topping oil.
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.
Photo credit Leora Nachman
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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
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On The Lighter Si e “Say What?!”
People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day. -A. A. Milne
If you want your children to listen, try talking softly to someone else. -Ann Landers
Inside me there’s a thin person struggling to get out, but I can usually sedate him with four or five cupcakes. -Bob Thaves
Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia. - Charles M. Schulz
The trouble with telling a good story is that it invariably reminds the other fellow of a dull one. - Sid Caesar
A pessimist is a person who has had to listen to too many optimists. -Don Marquis
If you think nobody cares if you’re alive, try missing a couple of car payments.
A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kickboxing. -Emo Philips
We learn from experience that men never learn anything from experience. -George Bernard Shaw
If you live to be one hundred, you’ve got it made. Very few people die past that age. -George Burns
If life was fair, Elvis would be alive and all the impersonators would be dead. - Johnny Carson
Cleaning up with children around is like shoveling during a blizzard. -Margaret Culkin Banning
Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint. -Mark Twain
My doctor told me that jogging could add years to my life. I think he was right. I feel ten years older already. -Milton Berle
By working faithfully eight hours a day you may eventually get to be boss and work twelve hours a day. -Robert Frost
It’s true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance? -Ronald Reagan
My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far, I’ve finished two bags of M&Ms and a chocolate cake. I feel better already. -Dave Barry
If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito. -Dalai Lama
Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter. -Mark Twain
-Earl Wilson
Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive. -Elbert Hubbard
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. -Miles Kington
I never made a mistake in my life. I thought I did once, but I was wrong. -Charles M. Schulz
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MAY 14, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Political Crossfire
We Need to Protect Reopened Businesses By Marc A. Thiessen
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s we restart the economy, U.S. businesses that survive the novel coronavirus pandemic could now face a lawsuit pandemic. That is why Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is insisting that any further COVID-19 relief legislation include liability protections for U.S. businesses. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., calls that “disgraceful.” No, what is disgraceful would be to leave already battered U.S. businesses exposed to legions of overzealous trial lawyers who are champing at the bit to file frivolous lawsuits. To understand this fight, put yourself in the shoes of a small- or medium-sized-business owner today. Until March, you were doing fine. Indeed, the biggest challenge you had was finding workers – because unemployment was so low that there were more than 1 million more job openings than unemployed Americans to fill them. Then, suddenly, a once-in-a-generation pathogen arrived on our shores from China – and the government ordered you to cease operations to protect the public health. Overnight, most of your revenue dried up. You were forced to furlough or lay off most of your workers, and now you don’t know if you will be able to pay your rent. If you don’t open soon, your business may go under. Now, after almost two months, you are being told you can reopen. You know opening up is a risk, because the virus has not yet been de-
feated, but you have no choice. So, you do everything you can to operate safely. You follow all the guidelines that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and your local health authority recommend – cleaning equipment regularly and requiring your workers and customers to wear masks and practice social distancing. But despite your best efforts, one of your employees gets sick – and sues you for negligence. Or perhaps you seek to verify an employee’s
pharmacies, and other firms that continued to operate through the worst of the pandemic. Are we as a country going to reward them for keeping us supplied during the lockdown by exposing them to frivolous litigation? How about companies that shifted operations to make items that are new to them, such as cleaning products and hand sanitizers? Should they be subject to lawsuits because they stepped up in a crisis to produce things our country desperately needed?
Americans want liability protections for businesses who do their best to operate safely
COVID-19 status or their vulnerability due to underlying health conditions, and they sue you for violating their health privacy. Or maybe you decide not to hire an at-risk worker, and they sue you for age or disability discrimination. Or perhaps shortages of masks and protective gear persist, and so you allow your workers to provide their own – and are sued for failing to supply or train your employees in the use of personal protective equipment. And it’s not just reopened businesses like yours that need protection. Think of all the grocery stores,
The trial lawyers’ lobby cites a poll showing Americans oppose giving businesses “guaranteed immunity” against COVID-19-related lawsuits. But no one is arguing for that kind of blanket protection. Republicans are asking for limited, temporary, targeted liability protections during the COVID-19 national emergency and recovery period – and Americans support that by overwhelming margins. According to a U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform poll, 82% of Americans agree that when restaurants, stores, and other businesses are allowed to open again they
should not be “sued by people who claim they contracted the coronavirus at that place of business unless the business was grossly negligent.” And 84% support “protecting businesses like grocery stores and pharmacies, which have been allowed to stay open as essential businesses, from lawsuits related to the coronavirus.” In other words, Americans want liability protections for businesses who do their best to operate safely, but they want those protections written carefully so they do not shield bad actors. Why would Democrats oppose such reasonable measures? Because the Democratic Party is a wholly owned subsidiary of the trial lawyers’ lobby, who send Democrats 95% of their political donations. To get our economy moving again, we are asking business owners to do something inherently risky: restart operations before we have a therapeutic, much less a vaccine that can immunize people from the virus. When the government first asked businesses to shut down, Congress helped them mitigate the economic risk by passing more than $2.6 trillion in economic support. Now that we are asking them to reopen, it makes sense to help them mitigate the legal risk by offering them limited protection against frivolous lawsuits that will expire when the danger passes. McConnell is right to stand his ground. (c) 2020, The Washington Post Writers Group
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The Jewish Home | MAY 14, 2020
OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
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Political Crossfire
Russia’s Scavenger Diplomacy By David Ignatius
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hile most of the world has been on lockdown from the novel coronavirus, the wars and political machinations of the Middle East have continued. Amid this turmoil, Russia appears to be making steady progress as a regional power. The pandemic and the collapse of oil prices have pounded the region’s already fragile countries. The Gulf oil kingdoms are slashing budgets; Iran is hunkered down and trying to keep its leadership alive and its strategic weapons programs intact. America, meanwhile, is a waning force. In this vacuum, Russia plays a growing role by default and design. Russia has been opportunistic toward the conflicts in Syria, Libya and Yemen. The combatants are exhausted, but efforts to negotiate peace deals have failed. The result may be de facto partitions in all three – and frozen conflicts that leave the nations fragmented and vulnerable. Russia is likely to emerge with several important military bases in the Mediterranean, achieving a centuries-old dream. Russian forces control Khmeimim air base and the port of Tartus in Syria, and they helped seize al-Ghardabiya air base near Sirte in Libya in January. Whatever its recent successes, Moscow is confounded in its hopes of bringing order to this fractious region, much as the United States was for decades. The “Astana Process” failed to bring peace to Syria, and talk of a similar Russian-Turkish condominium to stabilize Libya is
probably doomed, too. Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Aksenenok, in an essay published last month by the Russia International Affairs Council, trashed the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad, describing its corruption and “outrages” by its security services. But the Russians have less at stake. Their investment of blood and treasure is relatively small, and they’ve left much of the dirty work in Syria and Libya to a private militia
my of COVID-19 and the global crash in oil prices. Saudi officials are weighing major budget cuts, including possible delay of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 reform projects. The Saudis are also discussing with the United States and Russia additional oil-production cuts to bolster prices. One possibility is a small unilateral Saudi cut for July, which would be increased if other major producers agree to similar reductions. To stay
Russia is picking up the pieces in the post-pandemic Middle East
known as the “Wagner Group,” run by one of President Vladimir Putin’s friends. This is empire on the cheap. One modestly hopeful development for the United States comes in Iraq, where Prime Minister Mustafa al-Khadimi, an America-friendly former chief of intelligence, has succeeded in forming a new government. U.S. commanders are planning a strategic dialogue with Khadimi in June, and they expect that some U.S. troops will remain in Iraq training its special operations forces. The number will be less than the current 5,000 but still in the thousands, U.S. officials believe. Saudi Arabia, historically America’s most important ally in the region, is struggling from the double wham-
solvent, the Saudis are considering cuts in government projects and salaries, raising value-added taxes, and tapping financial reserves. With an embattled Iran posing less of a threat to Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon is withdrawing some of the Patriot missile batteries and fighter jets that were rushed to the kingdom last summer. Yemen remains a ruinous conflict that the Saudis want to exit, but peace efforts have failed, and the Saudis may have no alternative but joining the United Arab Emirates in accepting a de facto partition of Yemen’s north and south. America’s dilemma this year will be how and when to extract U.S. forces from Syria. Pentagon officials have
managed to slow President Trump’s desire for an immediate pullout of U.S. troops supporting the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the northeast. But at some point, the Russian and Syrian regime forces that have been fighting rebels in the western province of Idlib will move east. U.S. commanders would probably prefer a withdrawal deal with Russia to a shooting war over territory they plan to leave eventually, anyway. Libya is the most mischievous and potentially rewarding Russian power play. They have been backing the Benghazi-based forces of Gen. Khalifa Haftar, in an unlikely coalition that includes the UAE, Egypt and France. But Haftar’s campaign to topple the Turkish-backed government in Tripoli keeps failing. What’s next in the Libya stalemate? A peace plan brokered in Berlin this year by United Nations special representative Ghassan Salame is “more valid than ever,” he told me in an interview. But Libya, like the region overall, looks too fragile and fragmented for any diplomatic breakthroughs now. Russia is picking up the pieces in the post-pandemic Middle East, not so much to further a grand strategy as to poke its deflated rival, the United States. This is scavenger diplomacy, feeding off the carcasses of these broken states. (c) 2020, Washington Post Writers Group
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MAY 14, 2020 The Jewish HomeHome OCTOBER 29, |2015 | The Jewish
Forgotten Her es
Capturing Eichmann 60 Years Later By Avi Heiligman
I
n the months prior and following the Allied sweep of Europe in World War II, the world became a small place for Nazi criminals. Many were captured and were brought to trial. Thousands, however, escaped Europe and found haven in South America. Argentina, in particular, was known to help Nazi criminals escape through routes known as “rat lines.” Nazi hunters spent the next several decades searching for these criminals with varying amounts of success. Israeli Mossad agents were also in on the hunt, and in 1957 they got a tip that the architect of the Final Solution was living in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Their target was Adolf Eichmann, a sadist who had been with the Nazi Party and the SS since 1932. He was assigned to deal with the “Jewish problem” and came up with the idea of deporting Jews to ghettos. During the war, Eichmann and his cohorts were responsible for sending millions of Jews to extermination camps where they were gassed. After Germany invaded Hungary in 1944, Eichmann took the lead on the deportation of hundreds of thousands of Jews – the monster took pride in his success in dealing with the “Jewish problem.” Needless to say, the Allies tried capturing Eichmann after the war, and his name came up during the Nuremberg Trials. A manhunt for Eichmann ensued, and he was actually captured by American troops at the end of the war. However, he had falsified papers and was released before security forces knew that they had let go a very dangerous criminal. Eichmann then moved around Germany to avoid detection and in 1950 had obtained a passport from the International Committee of the Red Cross. He reached Argentina under the name Ricardo Klement and held several jobs before landing a leadership position at a Mer-
cedes-Benz factory. Other Nazis knew where Eichmann was located as he had been interviewed in 1956 by a Dutch collaborator. Despite the fact that the public thought he had disappeared for good, Nazi hunters were hot on his trail. Chief among
father had caused in the Holocaust. The father of the girl was a half-Jewish German immigrant to Argentina and quickly alerted Bauer. The girl went on a fact-finding mission and met face-to-face with Eichmann. Soon, all of this information was sent to Mossad
Suddenly, as he walked, a burly man – Peter Zvi Malkin – approached him and said, “Un momentito, señor.”
them was concentration camp survivor Simon Wiesenthal. He closely monitored all of Eichmann’s family and found a letter written by Eichmann himself in 1953. This information was passed on to the Israeli consulate but it was prosecutor-general in West Germany Fritz Bauer who was given more specifics on Eichmann’s location. A father heard from a boy that his daughter was dating about the destruction his
director Isser Harel via Bauer who had contacted the Israeli Foreign Minister Walter Eytan. Israeli agents had been sent to Argentina to gather intelligence on Eichmann but at first were unsuccessful. Then, in 1960, the chief investigator of Shin Bet, Zvi Ahroni, spent several weeks in Buenos Aires before confirming that it was indeed Eichmann in Argentina. It took time to positively
identify him, but they knew it was him when he brought home flowers for his anniversary. Prime Minister David Ben Gurion did not want to alert the Argentineans that they knew where Eichmann was and did not put in an extradition request since Argentina usually turned them down. Instead, it was decided that a team would enter the country, capture Eichmann, and get him to Israel to stand trial. There were 30 members of the Mossad and other Israeli agencies sent to Argentina, with Isser Harel personally leading them to oversee the operation. The team that was to capture Eichmann was comprised of eight men mainly from the Shin Bet and under the command of Rafi Eitan. On the night of May 11, 1960, Ricardo Klement was coming off the #203 bus and walking to his home on Garibaldi Street in the San Fernando suburb of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was running late, and his wife and kids were waiting for him. Suddenly, as he walked, a burly man – Peter Zvi Malkin – approached him and said, “Un momentito, señor.” Klement then appeared to be about to grab for a gun and the three men wrestled him to the ground. They picked him up – one by his legs, another holding his body and the third cradling his head – and carried him to a waiting car. He was squealing the whole time, and in the car another agent sat on him to prevent him from escaping. Eichmann was told that if he moved he would get a bullet in his head. He then said in German under his breath, “I am resigned to my fate.” His kidnappers knew at that point that they had their man. After the successful capture, Eichmann was taken to a safe house and was held there for nine days. On May 20, he was sedated, and the team
The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | MAY 14, 2020
An identification card issued to Eichmann under his new name, Ricardo Klement dressed him as an airline attendant. He was flown on an El Al flight to Israel while stopping in Senegal to refuel. The process to get him to the plane was hazardous as his family was frantically searching for him but the operation did not arouse suspicion at the airport. Finally, the plane arrived in Israel on May 22, and Ben Gurion jubilantly announced his capture while addressing the Knesset. Argentina was chagrined when they heard of the capture because they
considered the operation a violation of their sovereignty. Eventually both countries released a joint statement that said that Israel was wrong to enter the country but that no repercussions would come from the incident. For almost a year, Eichmann was interrogated, and evidence was gathered for the upcoming trial. The trial itself was an emotional time for many that had survived the Holocaust. Eichmann appeared in court in a bulletproof box and used the defense that he was “just following
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Eichmann’s hidden home in Argentina orders� (a claim that was used to no avail by many Nazi criminals during the Nuremberg Trials). On December 12, 1951 the court read its verdict. Eichmann was found guilty of 15 counts of crimes against humanity, war crimes, crimes against the Jewish people, and membership in a criminal organization. After the appeal failed to overturn the verdict, he was hanged on June 1, 1962. Eichmann was the only civilian executed by Israel since their independence in 1948. The capture of the no-
torious war criminal could have gone wrong badly since it was fraught with dangers at every turn. The operators of the Mossad and Shin Bet conducted the mission so flawlessly that today, 60 years later, the operation is still studied worldwide by spy agencies.
Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comments and suggestions for future columns and can be reached at aviheiligman@gmail.com.
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Classifieds classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com • text 443-929-4003
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The Jewish Home | MAY 14, 2020
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Your
15
Money
Here’s What Sports Fans Do When Sports Are Canceled By Allan Rolnick, CPA
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merican law schools sponsor over 200 law reviews: dense collections of grim, wooden prose, groaning with footnotes. (Chief Justice John Roberts once said, “Pick up a copy of any law review that you see, and the first article is likely to be, you know, the influence of Immanuel Kant on evidentiary approaches in 18th Century Bulgaria, or something.”) Most schools publish flagship reviews, and there are dozens of specialized journals covering topics like taxes, intellectual property, and entertainment law. You can even pick between two reviews just for maritime law. If it sounds like law reviews are where fun goes to die, well, yes. Every so often, though, something lively sneaks in. Clearly the editors were sleeping at the California Law Review when Noah Chauvin, a clerk at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, submitted, “Finally, a Use for the U.S. News Law School Rankings.” Chauvin analyzed whether sports bettors could use those widely-panned rankings to pick college football winners by choosing the team with the higher-ranked law school to beat the spread. Sadly, his system fared worse than randomly flipping a coin. Still, Chauvin’s article, with 26 scholarly citations (including a “Text Message Sent to College Football Pick’em Group Chat”) got us wondering. What if we looked at state tax rates instead of law school rankings? Does the team from the state with higher or lower taxes have an edge?
NCAA Division I teams collectively play over 700 games per season. Crunching all those numbers sounded like way too much work,
that hit it faster.) And reader, what we found will astonish you. It turns out that taking the team from the state with higher taxes
Still, Chauvin’s article, with 26 scholarly citations (including a “Text Message Sent to College Football Pick’em Group Chat”) got us wondering
so we punted and took six years of College Football Playoff contests. We correlated the 18 scores with each team’s home state’s top marginal rate. (In the one game when both teams came from states with the same top rate, we took the one
predicted the winner against the spread 13 out of 18 games. If you’re not a football bettor, ask one how much they’d pay for a system that beats the spread over 72% of the time. They’ll fall off their barstool to buy it and pay you extra to keep it
secret! In fact, when Vegas oddsmakers catch wind, they may just have to stop taking bets on the series. As with all gambling, your wins are taxable. Your losses are deductible, only if you itemize and only up to your winnings for the year. (Heads the IRS wins; tails they don’t lose.) But the State Rate Playoff Angle never lost more than once in a year, meaning it never finished the season with a nondeductible loss. Now, somewhere out i n Skepticland, humor-challenged stats geeks are scoffing at this flash of staggering insight. (Seriously, why haven’t the people at the MacArthur Foundation called with our Genius Grant yet?) “It’s not a statistically significant sample,” they’ll huff. “Correlation doesn’t equal causation, blah blah blah.” All we can say is, what would you do with a system that called Ohio State’s 2015 win under a 5.30% rate and their 2017 loss after it dropped to %4.997? If you’re like most taxpayers, you don’t want to gamble on taxes, even with 13-5 odds. Our planning strategies have saved clients millions, and they’re 100% guaranteed by the Internal Revenue Code. So call us and see how much you can save while you’re waiting for the games to come back!
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 | MAY 14, 2020
Life C ach
Where Am I Heading? By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., MFT, CLC
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’d like to call this life after corona! However, that would be pure projection. Right now, it’s life during corona. The question is: is that necessarily all bad? Like everything else, it depends on two major things: your reality and your perception of reality. A while ago, you may have had a job and not liked it. Now, you like it, if you have a job.
pecting? And if that’s all that’s changed for you, then embrace the good stuff it brought you – anything, a new opportunity, less commuting, time with family, whatever. Really sad and difficult things have taken place. There’s no denying that. However, how we move forward after it happens is where our power kicks in. And that’s no different than
Life is surreal these days. Or is it just different than what we were expecting?
A while ago, you might have wished your kids hung around more. Now, you might feel more like hanging your kids. A while ago, your help didn’t do a good enough job cleaning. Now, you’ve got yourself that job, and it’s enough cleaning! A while ago, you cared what someone’s face looked like. Now, if you see their face, it’s covered with a mask. A while ago, you had Passover plans. Now, all your plans, have been passed over! Life is surreal these days. Or is it just different than what we were ex-
life always has been. We can’t always control what happens to us. What we can control is our reaction to it. So, what will life be like after corona...a big part of it is not out there. Rather, it’s in you. It is how you handle each day, each challenge, and each gift. Life is not just what happens. It’s who you are becoming as things are happening. Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or rivki@rosenwalds.com.
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