Five Towns Jewish Home - 10-11-18

October 11, 2018

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65 Hundreds Gather for Pidyon Peter Chamor

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1986-2018 A magical smile, a magnanimous heart, the best friend of many, and the creative mind behind The Jewish Home page 96

Is Israel Ready for War? pg

66 Rav Brudny Focuses on Chinuch at BBY

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Dear Readers,

T

hey say that children like routine. They like to know that bedtime includes a story after they brush teeth. And that the story is followed by Shema and a kiss and a lullaby too. They like routine. It settles them and cocoons them in comfort. Perhaps I’m like a child in that way. I like routine too. A lot. And I haven’t had a lot of it in the last month.

School started with fits and starts. I felt like I couldn’t keep up. Between the different schedules of the children’s days and then the different schedules of the children’s buses and then the lunches and school lunches and homework and no homework and quizzes and tests… Each day was an obstacle course, one in which I had to navigate my mornings carefully to make sure that every child went to the right school at the right time and on the right bus or in the right carpool. Oh, and course, that they had everything they needed for the day.

Yom tov was beautiful. It was three weeks of spending time with my family and my Creator and devouring tons of challah. But it wasn’t routine.

My younger kids couldn’t wrap their heads around how it was still Sukkos and yet we were able to drive in the car on chol hamoed. “It’s not yom tov; it’s chol hamoed,” I told them. But that didn’t help because yom tov started up again a few days later.

“I thought it was over,” they told me. “No, no, no,” I assured them. “Sukkos is still here.” Confused looks, but no one was going to pass up bags of candy on Simchas Torah so they took it all in stride.

So now we’re about to start real life. Can we call it that? Better to call it “back to your regularly scheduled programming.” I’m looking forward to it and my children are too. Yes, there will be homework every night and early buses to catch

each morning, but your body gets used to the schedule; you are able to pack the lunch bags by rote and help them study for spelling tests as you give the others baths.

While I’m looking forward to the routine of the next few months, I know that this is going to be a long winter. With two Adars this year, Purim is a long way off. So I’m going to pack my calendar with events and experiences to look forward to along the way. Perhaps I’ll pencil in some extra special family activities for a few Sunday afternoons or some quick getaways over the next few months. Think ice skating with the kids, an afternoon in the city, or a drive to see the fall foliage.

The kids always have great ideas and they can help with the planning. This way, there will be something to look forward to every week or so, and our routine won’t end up becoming too “routine.”

Over chol hamoed Sukkos, our community was saddened to hear of the passing of Simcha Belsky, a”h. Having worked with Simcha on TJH, I can tell you that Simcha possessed an unusually creative mind. His work was fresh, inviting, and clever. But even more than that, the way he connected with so many people and was able to make them all feel comfortable and respected was a talent that few possess. Simcha was a master at creating brands and marketing campaigns for so many products.

Connecting with others, seeing their goodness, making them feel loved – that was Simcha’s own brand.

At TJH, we will miss working with him, someone whom we saw as a colleague and a friend.

Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

Yitzy Halpern PUBLISHER

publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Yosef Feinerman MANAGING EDITOR

ads@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Shoshana Soroka EDITOR

editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Nate Davis Editorial Assistant Nechama Wein Copy Editor Berish Edelman Adina Goodman Mati Jacobovits Design & Production Gabe Solomon Distribution & Logistics P.O. BOX 266 Lawrence, NY 11559 Phone | 516-734-0858 Fax | 516-734-0857 Classified: Deadline Monday 5PM classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com text 443-929-4003 The Jewish Home is an independent weekly magazine.

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

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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

8

COMMUNITY 8

Readers’ Poll Community Happenings

40

NEWS

120

Global

11

National

27

Odd-but-True Stories

34

ISRAEL Israel News1

20

World Builders

80

Is Israel Ready for War?

82

PEOPLE Remembering Simcha Belsky, a”h Military Uniforms in American History by Avi Heiligman

96 118

PARSHA Rabbi Wein

74

Of Fur Coats and Fires by Rav Moshe Weinberger

76

JEWISH THOUGHT The Arrogance of Assumption by Eytan Kobre

78

HEALTH & FITNESS The Secret of the Yetzer Hara by Dr. Deb Hirschhorn

90

Sweet and Healthy Substitutions by Aliza Beer, MS RD

92

The Definitive Guide to the Flu Vaccine by Dr. Hylton I. Lightman

94

FOOD & LEISURE Quinoa-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

106

LIFESTYLES Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW 86

38

Adding a Sense of Urgency to Your Work

by Rabbi Dr. Naphtali Hoff 122 Fun Facts about America’s Top Countries

by Chaim Homnick 124

Your Money

132

Who is Counting? by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

134

Dear Editor, I think there is an extremely important point that we as Orthodox Jews should not miss in the whole Kavanaugh saga. The Democrats tried (and are still trying) to completely change the most basic rule of “innocent until proven guilty.”

If even after there was zero collaboration of Dr. Ford’s testimony and much of it was contradicted, the left still continues to “believ”“ her, then there is no person in the world who cannot be smeared.

If suspicion is enough to ruin someone’s reputation, career and life then nobody including our greatest people is immune. Anyone can always be motzee shem ra and there is nothing that can be done to be protected from it. I am just afraid to think: what would have happened if there was one other “witness” that remembered that Kavanaugh was at that party? Would that suffice to make him 100% guilty?

Michael Stein

Dear Editor, Here is something amazing your readers might want to know, in case we didn’t think the Democrats can fall any lower: there is a video of Nancy Pelosi where she says that you smear somebody with falsehoods, and when it’s reported by the press, you can “merchandise it” by saying it was reported by the press.

This is called a “wrap up smear.”

Michael Kohenov

Dear Editor, What’s the message of the extreme transition from the months of Av, Elul and Tishrei, to Cheshvan, months of highs to a month absent any holidays? Surely, in a calendar steeped in mysticism and purpose, representative of different signs, a lesson exists.

The key lies in the word Cheshvan which reminds one of the word cheshbon that has a gematria of 364. Cheshbon symbolizes a reckoning whereas din (symbolic of the previous three months) stresses objective judgment. Cheshvan is the key to the whole year (364) minus the combination of the three previous holidays (1) to equal a full calendar year of 365.

The Beis Haleivi famously distinguishes between din and cheshbon as din is an objective judgment whereas cheshbon is a judgement on one’s potential. Indeed, from Cheshvan and on, we are now being viewed from a potential state to what we can become whereas before we were viewed based on strict findings.

May we use this lesson to capitalize on a long and evolving year to reach greater heights and a level where Heaven will view us as people of growth and reaching.

Steven Genack

Dear Editor, Our sages teach that the main impact on society is education. After Continued on page 10

HUMOR Centerfold Kugel Cravings by Jon Kranz

72 120

POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes

108

Jamal Khashoggi Chose to Tell the Truth by David Ignatius

114

What the Kavanaugh Fight Shows by Marc A. Thiessen

116

CLASSIFIEDS

126

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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Continued from page 8

all, the future generations’ opinions are formed by the educators. So I wanted to mention the horrid things young Americans are taught by the leftist professors in the universities.

It may seem so shocking that many will assume this is some Republican propaganda. But it’s absolutely true and even appeared in an article in the leftist Washington Post. Here are some of the “micro-aggressions” as defined by the University of California and its president, Janet Napolitano (who served as our secretary of the Homeland Security under Obama): America is the land of opportunity Everyone can succeed in this society, if they work hard enough The most qualified person should get the job Can you imagine what they find offensive? If you did not get it, read again: “America is the land of opportunity” is a microaggression!

Of course, according to the current democratic ideology, only white males can succeed in America and anyone who does not acknowledge this is a racist xenophobe.

Moshe Budnevich P.S. If we don’t want the left to destroy this country and the world, we need to go and vote for Republicans in November.

Dear Editor, We should not forget the good the Democratic Party did for us in the previous century but we also cannot close our eyes on what is happening now. The Democratic Party became the demonic party where the Hitler of our time, Farrakhan, is a welcome “civil rights leader.” Even relatively moderate figures like our Senator

Gillibrand (who is running for reelection in less than a month) has shifted away from our community embracing a notorious Jew-hater Linda Sarsour.

The Democrats have almost the entire propaganda machine at their disposal. Only one of the regular TV channels is Republican leaning, while the rest are far leftist. The two most “mainstream” newspapers, the New York Times and the Washington Post, have moved so far to the left that there is no difference between their “news” and propaganda.

In colleges the ratio of conservative professors to the progressive ones is between 1/40 and 1/20. The brainwashing that is happening in the best universities is just astonishing.

The anti-Semitism (disguised as anti-Zionism) is prevalent at these institutions and anti-Semitic accidents are increasing.

We have to make our voices heard by voting for the Republican candidates in the coming general election. We cannot allow the far leftists to take control of the House or the Senate and paralyze our nation and stop the great good that our president is doing. For if they do get control, they will stop at nothing.

Michael Rosen

Dear Editor, If you can pass this along to your readers, I think this is important for them to know.

Ahed Tamimi, who has, along with her family, consistently taunted, humiliated and terrorized Israeli troops, is now featured in Vogue Arabia, which is the Vogue magazine printed in the Middle East. She tells of her “the struggles she faces as a symbol of resistance.”

How shameful! If only they told the true story of this 17-year-old girl and her family who have made it their business to taunt members

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.

of the IDF. At one point, they were photographed biting a soldier! And just recently Tamimi was filmed – by her aunt! – spitting at two soldiers, hoping for them to retaliate.

I would suggest that anyone who has a subscription to Vogue magazine cancel their subscription and call them and tell them why you’re canceling – that you don’t support Palestinian propaganda. If you really need the magazine in your home, then at least call them and express your outrage.

Sharon Holmer

Dear Editor, I’ve penned this letter as a follow-up to my previous one regarding the minimum wage. I realize that it may have been misunderstood as arguing that workers should not get a raise in their wages period, which was certainly not my intention.

I believe that workers should indeed get a raise, but by voluntary cooperation between employer and worker, not via government fiat, for mainly three reasons: first, government shouldn’t be dictating to employers how to use their private property (the business and wages paid are the employer’s private property); second (which is derived from principle of private property), the essence of a free economy is voluntary cooperation between individuals in the market, and the minimum wage is a policy that unduly substitutes coercion for cooperation. And finally, in the scheme of the market, particularly one that is competitive, workers are closer to their employers than is government. Employers are more knowledgeable about their business than government, more accountable to their workers than government because of competition which doesn’t exist in the public sector, and know their workers personally, in a way that government will never know.

Therefore, it only makes sense logically that those best suited to render decisions about workers’ wages are their own employers, and not the government.

In consideration of this, therefore, I would like to clarify that the objective of my letter was simply attempting to employ liberals’ arguments for the minimum wage against themselves. The minimum wage law was established in 1938 under Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration, starting out at $0.25 an hour.

It was not enacted as a “living wage,” as neither $0.25 in 1938 nor $7.25 in 2009, the current federally-mandated rate, constitutes as a sustainable and adequate livelihood. Rather, the original objective of the minimum wage law was to enable low-skilled and unskilled workers­ – specifically young people – to gain on-the-job experience in the workplace: jobs that only require low-skilled or unskilled labor. It was meant to provide them with an opening for success and personal prosperity. Now, there are essentially two primary factors that determine wages: the supply of and demand for labor, and a worker’s skillfulness. The former factor, though it is of equal importance to the latter, does not require such a comprehensive explanation.

It’s a simple principle of economics that the price of any scarce recourse is determined by supply and demand, and labor is no different in this regard.

It is the latter factor, though, that is perhaps more obscured. As mentioned before, a worker’s skills play a paramount role in the determination of their wages, which in the field of economics is referred to as “labor productivity” or simply “output” – the amount a worker produces per hour of labor. The higher a worker’s output, the greater the wage and vice versa. It should be self-evident that a worker’s wages and skills must always be commensurate with each other. When the government dictates that workers earn no less than a certain defined wage per hour which exceeds their skills, and consequently what they would earn in a free market, they will be unemployed.

So now it is abundantly clear that: a) raises in workers’ wages should be through voluntary cooperation between employer and worker; and b) artificially raising the minimum wage to either $15 or certainly $100 an hour is nonsensical. You’re making labor artificially more expensive by artificially raising the price of labor, without any due consideration to supply and demand a worker’s skills, and when that happens, people will hire less workers. The competitive free market is ultimately the best solution for workers, especially young people. Government fiat only does more harm than good, despite the noblest intentions of its authors, the politicians.

Sincerely, Rafi Metz

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

The Week In News

Japanese Passport Most Powerful

nonetheless fallen from 46th to 47 thplace due to movements higher up the ranking. The same is true of China: Chinese nationals obtained access to two new jurisdictions (St. Lucia and Myanmar), but the Chinese passport fell two places, to 71st overall.

“The travel freedom that comes with a second passport is significant, while the economic and societal value that CBI programs generate for host countries can be transformative,” says Dr. Christian H. Kälin, Group Chairman of Henley & Partners.

Russia and India Close Arms Deal If you have a Japanese passport, you’re going places. According to the 2018 Henley Passport Index, Japan now enjoys visa-free/visa-on-arrival access to 190 destinations, the most of any other country.

Singapore held the top spot a few months ago but now that Japan gained visa-free access to Myanmar this month Singapore dropped to the second place on the list. Germany, South Korea and France hold the third slot; their nationals enjoy visa-free access to 188 countries.

France moved up a place last Friday when it gained visa-free access to Uzbekistan. Iraq and Afghanistan continues to sit at the bottom (106th) of the Henley Passport Index — based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The U.S. and the U.K., both with 186 destinations, slid down yet another spot – from 4th to 5th place – with neither having gained access to any new jurisdictions since the start of 2018. With stagnant outbound visa activity compared to Asian high-performers, it seems unlikely they will regain the number 1 spot they jointly held in 2015 any time soon.

In general, the UAE has made the most remarkable ascent on the Henley Passport Index, from 62nd place in 2006 to 21st place worldwide currently. Looking ahead, the most dramatic climb might come from Kosovo, which officially met all the criteria for visa-liberalization with the EU in July and is now in discussions with the European Council.

Russia received a boost in September when Taiwan announced a visa-waiver, but the country has

India has agreed to buy S-400 surface-to-air missile systems from Russia. The deal was signed during President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi for his annual summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. New Delhi signed the arms deal despite warnings from the United States that such a deal may lead to sanctions under U.S. law.

The contract, which is estimated to be worth more than $5 billion, gives the Indian government the ability to shoot down aircraft and missiles at an unprecedented range.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the “deal was signed on the fringes of the summit.”

The United States has said that countries that trade with Russian intelligence and defense sectors would face automatic sanctions under the sweeping legislation known as the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

State Department spokespersons have said that the sanctions act is meant to be for countries that acquire weapons systems such as the S-400 missile batteries.

Last month, America imposed sanctions on China for their purchase of combat fighters and the S-400 missile system from Russia.

Experts say that India is hoping that the sanctions will be waived as they are to be seen as a deterrent against China’s bigger and superior military.

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

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Saudi Reporter Missing

The whereabouts of Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent critic of the Saudi Arabian government, are unknown. Khashoggi is a journalist who contributes to the Washington Post.

The journalist went to the Saudi consulate in Turkey last week for an official document he needed for his upcoming wedding. Riyadh has said that he left their consulate safely, though the Turkish government and Khashoggi’s fiancée say that he has not been seen or heard from since entering the building. Khashoggi has lived in a self-imposed exile in the United States for the past year.

After he did not emerge from the consulate, Khashoggi’s fiancée reported him missing. The former government advisor has been very critical of the policies of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and of his government’s intervention in the war in Yemen.

After being silent for some time, Saudi Arabia said that their government was working with the Turkish authorities to “uncover the circumstances of the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi after he left the consulate building.” A senior Turkish official told reporters that Khashoggi is being held at the consulate and that Saudi Arabia should prove that Khashoggi left the building. “According to information we have, this individual who is a Saudi national is still at the Istanbul consulate of Saudi Arabia,” presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told reporters in Ankara.

Others are concerned that he has been killed. “We believe that the murder was premeditated and the body was subsequently moved out of the consulate,” an unnamed source told Reuters. A source quoted by the Washington Post said the journalist was killed by a 15-member Saudi team sent “specifically for the murder.”

The head of the Turkish-Arab Media Association, Turan Kislakci, told the New York Times that Turkish

police officers providing security for the consulate had checked their security cameras, which did not show the journalist leaving on foot. Turkey reportedly says it is scouring road cameras for a black van believed to have carried Khashoggi’s body from the consulate.

Saudi Arabia says the allegations are baseless. It has allowed journalists into the consulate to show them that Khashoggi is not there, reportedly even opening cupboards.

In an article written for the Post in September 2017, Khashoggi wrote: “When I speak of the fear, intimidation, arrests and public shaming of intellectuals and religious leaders who dare to speak their minds, and then I tell you that I’m from Saudi Arabia, are you surprised?”

BBC Newshour interviewed the journalist just three days before his visit to the consulate, and in an offair conversation asked if he would ever return to his home country. “I don’t think I’ll be able to go home,” he told the BBC, saying that in Saudi Arabia “the people who are arrested are not even dissidents” and saying he wished he had a platform at home to write and speak freely at this time of “great transformation” in his country.

The U.S. State Department has also said that it is investigating the matter.

Beijing Hacked 30 U.S. Tech Companies

Chinese government spies have reportedly hacked nearly 30 United States-based corporations using tiny computer chips the size of a grain of rice. Bloomberg BusinessWeek has reported that tech titans Apple and Amazon were among those that were breached by the tiny chips.

The Bloomberg report suggests that the tiny chips were the subject of a top secret U.S. government investigation dating back to 2015. The bold attack was ordered by the Beijing government. The actual attack was carried out by a branch of China’s

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official, said that Meng “insisted on taking the wrong path and had only himself to blame (for his downfall).”

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armed forces. According to current and former U.S. intelligence officials, it was perhaps the largest hardware breach by a nation state ever reported.

The chips were capable of capturing data and injecting new code into the devices they were attached to. A Chinese server company called Super Micro, which assembles machines used in data centers, reportedly introduced the hacking computer chips. According to Bloomberg,

Apple and Amazon discovered the hacks through internal investigations in 2015 and alerted the U.S. government.

Both companies strongly deny Bloomberg’s claims and Super Micro denies it ever introduced any malicious computer chips into its data servers. China’s foreign ministry also issued a statement following the report, saying that “China is a resolute defender of cybersecurity.”

China Holds Interpol Head The Chinese Ministry of Public Security has announced that the head of Interpol is being held and investigated for corruption. Meng Hongwei has been accused of accepting bribes and other non-specific crimes by the Chinese government.

Zhao Kezhi, the top law enforcement

Meng, who was also a vice minister of public security in China, went missing last Thursday after taking a flight from Interpol headquarters in France to Beijing. Chinese authorities had originally been tightlipped about Meng’s whereabouts but later admitted to having detained him after his wife reported him missing to authorities in Lyon, France, where they live.

His last contact with her was a text with an emoji of a knife with instructions to “wait for my call.”

There has been a wide-ranging campaign against corruption since Chinese President Xi Jinping came to power in 2012. Meng is one of the highest-profile figures to be taken in for questioning so far. The Chinese president has promised to catch both “tigers and flies” in his quest to root out corruption at all levels. In its announcement of the investigation, China’s Public Security Ministry said the probe was “correct, wise and shows the determination of [President Xi]’s administration to continue its anti-corruption drive.”

Meng has been the head of Interpol since 2016. In a press conference, Grace Meng, his wife, said that concern for her husband is a matter that “belongs to the international community.” She added, “Although I can’t see my husband, we are always connected by heart.”

Interpol is the global policing agency that coordinates between police forces around the world, including – ironically – searches for missing and wanted persons.

Lone Female in Japanese PM Cabinet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe fired half of the women in his cabinet this week when he let Seiko

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Noda go from her position of interior minister. Satsuki Katayama, who is the only remaining woman in Japan’s cabinet, can do the work of “two or three” women, Abe told reporters.

Noda was a leading advocate of gender balance in politics. She said it was “very worrying that the number of female ministers has decreased from three down to one in the last three reshuffles.” Katayama had a rough introduction to her new role as she was forced to rush out and buy a new outfit for a photo call after her colleagues complained about her original choices.

Japan has one of the worst gender pay imbalances in the first world.

According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, more than 90% of Japanese lawmakers are men. Japan was

ranked 163 out of 190 in the latest report on women in politics.

Though Abe has promised to tackle the issue, his actions do not seem to represent his rhetoric. While under his rule Japan has had more women join the workforce, there remains a disparity in the type of work done, pay and seniority among the genders.

75% of Japanese men are employed in regular, full-time jobs, compared to only 42% of women. The majority of women are in casual, or part-time, jobs which lack the same benefits and security.

$1.3M Worth of Animal Parts Destroyed

Myanmar authorities destroyed hundreds of seized elephant tusks, pangolin scales and other animal

parts, worth a total of $1.3 million on the black market, last Thursday as part of a crackdown on illegal wildlife trafficking.

Authorities set fire to pyres stacked with 277 pieces of elephant ivory, 1,544 antelope horns, 180 tiger bones and other confiscated items weighing more than 1.4 tons at a government compound in the capital, Naypyitaw.

“It is crucial to sustainably conserve our country’s natural resources, including land, water, forest, mountains and wildlife, for the sake of our future generations,” Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation Ohn Win said during the ceremony.

Myanmar, which lies in the notorious “Golden Triangle” region bordering Thailand and Laos, is at the heart of the global trade in illicit wildlife, with goods smuggled mostly to China.

A recent report by conservation group Save the Elephants said China’s recent ban on the ivory trade has done little to stop the “prolific growth” in trade in the Myanmar-China border town of Mong La, where there has been a 60 percent growth in new ivory items seen for sale in the past three years.

Russian Hack Attempt Thwarted at The Hague

Defense and intelligence services in the Netherlands have announced that they disrupted a cyber-attack operation by Russian military intelligence agents in April. The attacks, which were stopped with help from Britain, were targeting the United Nations chemical weapons watchdog agency, according to the Dutch defense chief.

Defense Minister Ank Bijleveld-Schouten and Britain’s ambassador to the Netherlands announced that the alleged operation to attack the Organization for the Prohibition

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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

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of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was indeed thwarted on April 13. Four men that were found out to be Russian agents were expelled from the Netherlands as soon as their plot was discovered.

Major General Onno Eichelsheim, the head of the Netherlands’ military, showed images of a rental car full of computer equipment and transformers that was parked near the OPCW headquarters in The Hague. The Russian agents, said Eichelsheim, had used the car to enter the Netherlands three days earlier and were keeping all of their equipment inside the vehicle.

Peter Wilson, Britain’s ambassador to the Netherlands, said that the plot showed “complete disregard” by Russia to the mission the OPCW has of investigating illegal chemical weapons attacks around the globe. “The disruption of this attempted attack on the OPCW was due to the expertise and the professionalism of the Dutch security services in partnership with the United Kingdom,” Wilson said. “The OPCW is a respected international organization which is working to rid the world of chemical weapons. Hostile action against it demonstrates complete disregard for this vital mission.”

Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to Two

The 2018 Nobel Peace Prize has been presented to Dr. Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad for their dedication to end violence against women as a weapon of war and armed conflict. Both recipients are deeply connected to the cause. Mukwege, a gynecologist and surgeon, has treated thousands of women and girls affected by these crimes in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Murad, a Yazidi woman from the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar, was held as a slave by ISIS. Since her escape she has made it her mission to advocate for women in wartorn regions. In 2016, at the age of 23, she was made a UN goodwill ambassador for the dignity of survi-

vors of human trafficking.

“Both laureates have made a crucial contribution to focusing attention on, and combating, such war crimes,” said Berit Reiss-Andersen, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, as she announced the award on Friday at the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo. “Denis Mukwege is the helper who has devoted his life to defending these victims. Nadia Murad is the witness who tells of the abuses perpetrated against herself and others. Each of them in their own way has helped to give greater visibility to wartime … violence, so that the perpetrators can be held accountable for their actions.”

Both recipients have “put their personal security at risk by courageously combating war crimes and seeking justice for the victims,” Reiss-Andersen added.

The news came as a surprise to the winners. Reiss-Andersen explained how the committee had tried to contact both Mukwege and Murad to inform them of the honor before it was revealed to the world. Reiss-Andersen said, “We have tried to contact the winners and we haven’t managed to get through on the phone. If they are watching this, my heartfelt congratulations.”

Murad is the 17th woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize and is one of the youngest ever; Malala Yousafzai was younger, only 17 years old, when she received the coveted award.

2 Killed by Palestinian Coworker

The military is hunting for Ashraf Na’alowa, 23, after he shot and killed his coworkers in Barkan Industrial Park this week. The Pal-

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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estinian killed Kim Levengrond Yehezkel, 28, and Ziv Hajbi, 35, and wounded Sara Vaturi, 54, on Sunday. He fled the scene after opening fire, and now Palestinian Authority security forces are helping the IDF find him.

Na’alowa entered the offices of the Alon Group on Sunday morning armed with a locally produced Carlo-style submachine gun. He forced a janitor at gunpoint to handcuff Kim and then fatally shot her from close range. He then shot Sara in the stomach, moderately wounding her.

The terrorist then shot and killed Ziv. Na’alowa worked at the Alon Group as an electrician.

After the attack, the IDF arrested members of Na’alowa’s family and others – 19 people in all – in order to assist in the investigation. Shin Bet security services interrogated them to determine if they had assisted Na’alowa in the terror attack or in his escape from the scene, the army said.

According to Palestinian security officials, the PA is helping to find the murderer because it “does not support violent acts and wants to maintain security and stability” in the West Bank.

The PA has been heavily criti-

cized by the Palestinian people in the past for helping Israel. Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh and several other Hamas and Islamic Jihad officials have lashed out at Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for cooperating with Israel in any way. “I call for the halt of security coordination and cooperation with Israel,” Haniyeh said at a funeral in Gaza in October 2017. “It is not acceptable for any Palestinian, wherever he is or whatever he is in, to coordinate or cooperate with the enemy.”

Polls have shown that most Palestinians wish to see an end of any security cooperation between Israel and the PA. A September poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research showed that sixty-eight percent of Palestinians gave their support to the Palestinian Central Council’s decision to end security coordination with Israel. The Council, the Palestine Liberation Organization’s second highest decision-making body, recently renewed its 2015 decision to end security coordination with Israel. So far both the 2015 and 2018 decision, have not been implemented by the Palestinians.

UNRWA Employees Driven Out of Gaza

Palestinian protests forced nine foreign employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency to flee from Gaza into Israel last week. The violent mob surrounded and blocked a car with the UNRWA officials inside for an hour in a “threatening” and “dangerous” confrontation, according to the head of the agency.

He added that a crowd of Gazans prevented 300 employees of the Palestinian refugee agency from accessing their offices in the organization’s Gaza headquarters for eight days in a

row. Many of the senior staffers have had “serious threats” lodged against them as well. They fled to Israel to secure their safety.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency is the UN body that is meant to aid Palestinian refugees.

Matthias Schmale, the head of the UN group, said that the “UNRWA employees’ union in Gaza has been protesting the dismissals [of employees] and other changes we made last month by blocking our access to our offices. We have only been able to enter them two out of the past ten days. I understand the frustration of the people who have lost jobs or been moved from full to part-time work, but we need to be able to function and do our jobs.”

UNRWA announced in July that it was laying off 113 of their employees and was offering part-time employment to 584 of their full-time workers. The agency has been facing major funding problems largely because the Trump administration is giving the group far less money than the previous White House administration.

Since the start of 2018, the U.S. government has only sent $60 million to the agency; in 2017, the U.S. gave $364 million. The U.S. government

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

This Yom Tov season, one organization was busier than ever.

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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

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than President Obama are Israel, Russia, and Kenya. Some other countries also put up strong numbers for President Trump. The Philippines ties with Israel for the highest overall rating at 83%.

Israel had the highest percentage of people saying that Washington takes its interests into account, with 86% saying the administration considers Israeli interests when making decisions. Once again, the Philippines (74%) and Kenya (63%) were closest to the Israeli position, though the average for all countries was only 28%.

...

Traffic #1 Cause of Stress in Israel

announced last month that it would stop funding the UN body completely because it is “irredeemably flawed.”

The UNRWA employees’ union in Gaza has firmly opposed the UN agency’s decision to lay off some of its workers and move others to part-time jobs. It has also organized a number of rallies and called for strikes in UNRWA institutions in the Hamas-run coastal enclave. Thirteen-thousand Palestinians work for UNRWA.

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Poll: Israelis Love Trump President Donald Trump and his administration have a very good reputation in Israel, according to a recent Pew Research Center study.

The poll of America’s standing in 25 countries shows that 82 percent of Jewish Israelis have confidence in how President Trump handles global

affairs (69% among Israelis overall) while 94% of Jewish Israelis have a favorable view of the U.S. in general (83% overall).

Other countries do not share Israel’s enthusiasm. In Germany, Canada, and France, all allies of the U.S., the approval ratings are 30%, 39%, and 38%, respectively. The United Kingdom was split down the middle at 50%. The only countries that think Trump is doing a better job

This will not come as a big surprise to those of us that have taken a monit in Jerusalem, but a new survey found that 79% of Israeli drivers say traffic is their greatest cause of everyday stress. Waze, the GPS navigation company that was founded in Israel, conducted nearly 700 online interviews when gathering their data.

Driving on Israeli roads and traffic congestion was listed higher than Israel’s security needs, the divide between Israel’s religious and secular communities, and the increasing price of food in the Holy Land when it comes to stress inducers for Israelis. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, between 2000 and 2018, crowding on Israel’s roads has grown by 63% and the amount of vehicles being driven has increased by 84%.

“Understanding the user is very

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

important. We carried out this study so we can understand how users perceive the situation on the roads,” said Waze vice president Fej Shmuelevitz.

“Problems that we have in our neighborhood, including politics and the security situation, are seen as second-category concerns compared to the daily concern of traffic and behavior on the roads.”

Traffic patterns seem to have many negative effects on Israelis. A significant majority said that traffic affects their private lives and emotions, and approximately 83% said that traffic jams negatively affect quality time with friends and family. 73% reported feeling tired or angry at home or at work at least once in the last month after sitting in a traffic jam.

Waze was founded in 2006 as FreeMap Israel by entrepreneurs Ehud Shabtai, Amir Shinar, and Uri Levine. It was acquired by Google for approximately $1 billion in 2013.

Nearly 100 million drivers around the world use Waze.

Sara Netanyahu’s Court Case Begins

prepare properly,” Cohen told Judge Avital Chen.

The prosecuting attorney, Jenny Avni, said that all the necessary documents had been handed over prior to the trial and claimed that Cohen was trying to further stall a trial that was originally supposed to take place in July. The original trial date was postponed due to a clash with another trial that Cohen was working on.

Judge Chen suggested that both parties meet outside the courtroom to try to find a solution and prevent further delays.

The prosecution has requested of Chen to have a three-judge panel put together to oversee the case, a move that is often done in high-profile court cases. Cohen and veteran Israeli defense lawyer Yehoshua Resnik, who represents Saidoff, argued that the prosecution is only making such a request to sensationalize a “minor case.”

“They are trying to make this minor case of couscous and ready meals into an elaborate courtroom drama when it simply isn’t,” Cohen said.

Chen is expected to make a decision on the number of judges to oversee the case in the coming weeks.

Nikki Haley to Resign Sara Netanyahu, wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was in Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court this week for the beginning of her trial on charges of fraud and breach of trust. Sara and Ezra Saidoff, a former deputy director general of the Prime Minister’s Residence, are facing charges of allegedly spending NIS 360,000 ($100,000) on privately catered meals at the prime minister’s official residence, although there is a full-time chef on staff.

Yossi Cohen, Netanyahu’s attorney, requested a delay of the trial when he was presented with materials that he said were not given to him in the proper time. “There were materials that were missing from the files that were given to us. There were files that were meant to be appended to the main indictment. We didn’t receive them and we have not been able to

This week, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, announced that she is resigning “to take a little time off,” President Donald Trump said on Tuesday. The president is expected to name her successor with a few weeks. Haley will leave the post at the end of the year.

Appearing beside Haley in the Oval Office, Trump praised her and said he hoped she could come back to the administration. “We’re all happy for you in one way, but we hate

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to lose (you). ... Hopefully, you’ll be coming back at some point. Maybe a different capacity. You can have your pick,” Trump said.

A former governor of South Carolina who is the daughter of Indian immigrants, Haley is seen as a rising star in the Republican Party and a possible candidate for the 2020 presidential elections. Even so, on Tuesday she insisted that she would not be running for 2020.

Echoing previous statements from Trump, Haley said the United States under his presidency is now respected around the world.

“Now the United States is respected.

Countries may not like what we do, but they respect what we do. They know that if we say we’re going to do something, we follow it through,” she said.

Earlier this year, Haley, 46, told Reuters that “every day I feel like I put body armor on” to protect U.S. interests at the United Nations.

U.S. Withdraws From 1955 Iranian Treaty

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A treaty that was signed with Iran in 1995 is being officially terminated by the Trump administration.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters of the news last week. “I’m announcing that the U.S. is terminating the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran. This is a decision, frankly, that is 39 years overdue,” referring to the date of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The treaty was terminated after Iran cited it in an international court ruling against Washington’s sanctions policy. Pompeo said that Iran trying to use the treaty, which established economic relations and consular rights between the two nations, was “absurd.” The United Nation’s highest court ordered the United States to lift sanctions that had been placed on humanitarian

goods for Iran after Iran alleged that the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal violated the Treaty of Amity.

Pompeo accuses Iran of abusing the International Court of Justice for political and propaganda purposes. Other officials in the administration said that the White House plans to withdraw from an amendment to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations that Iran or others, most notably the Palestinians, could use to sue the United States at The Hague-based tribunal.

Red Tide Chokes Florida Coast

Florida is seeing an outbreak of red tide on both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts simultaneously for the first time in many decades. The red tide is a large bloom of toxic algae that destroys sea life and is also dangerous for humans.

Though the Gulf Coast has taken the brunt of the toxic outbreak this summer, it has now shown up on the Atlantic beaches of South Florida. Miami-Dade County closed many beaches this week, and Governor Rick Scott has announced $3 million in state assistance for many counties in the region.

“It’s very rare for us to have it over here,” acknowledged Lieutenant Matthew Sparling of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Ocean Rescue. “People come here to be on the beaches and they don’t want to be coming down here to be exposed to red tide or sewage spills or whatnot ... so yeah, I think we can be in trouble.” Red tide causes breathing problems in humans and has been blamed for many tons of dead fish washing up on Florida’s beaches.

The red tide bloom that started last fall now stretches along approximately 135 miles of Florida’s southwest coast. The last time a red tide outbreak affected the Atlantic coast was in the mid-1990s.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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A Tight Race Come November

Voters in 69 battleground House districts are preferring Democratic candidates by a narrow margin, according to a Washington Post-Schar School survey. The overwhelming percentage of these districts are currently controlled by the GOP, and with the midterm elections in one month, the Republicans may be very worried. Others argue that the country has seen sustained economic growth, low unemployment, and a rising stock market and that the midterms should not show many turnovers.

The survey of 2,672 likely voters showed that 50 percent prefer the Democratic nominee and 46 percent prefer the Republican in those districts, a narrow margin. In 2016, these same districts favored Republican candidates over Democratic ones by 15 percentage points, 56 percent to 41 percent. 63 of the districts in the survey are held by Republicans and only six are held by Democrats.

President Trump carried 48 of the districts in the survey in 2016; Hillary Clinton got the other 21.

In order to gain control of the House in November, the Democrats need to pick up 23 seats. A recent analysis by Public Opinion Strategies, a Republican polling firm, found that President Trump would need a national approval rating of at least 45 percent to maintain control of the House.

Kavanaugh Joins SCOTUS

Despite the Democrats’ promise to thwart any potential supreme jus-

tice nomination made by President Trump, Brett Kavanaugh, 53, was sworn in last weekend as the 114th justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

After weeks of media spotlight questioning his character, Kavanaugh won the vote by a hairline. The confirmation, 50-48, was the narrowest vote for the Supreme Court in close to 150 years.

Kavanaugh’s swearing-in ceremony was rather subdued. He was sworn in at private ceremony surrounded

by his family over the weekend. Also in attendance was Chief Justice John Roberts, retired Justice Anthony Kennedy whom Kavanaugh is replacing, as well as fellow Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Elena Kagan.

In the last few weeks, Kavanaugh and the White House have been dealing with accusations made by a woman Kavanaugh knew close to three decades ago in high school. After an FBI investigation stated that there

was no evidence of wrongdoing, Kavanaugh’s nomination proceeded.

Many believe that this entire saga was orchestrated by the Democratic Party in an attempt to block a Republican nomination.

There were many protests around Capitol Hill in the days leading up to the decision. Authorities said about 164 people were arrested, most for demonstrating on the Capitol steps and 14 for disrupting the Senate’s roll call vote.

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

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Kavanaugh’s appointment is a major accomplishment for the Republican Party, which now holds the majority of the seats in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Shortly after Kavanaugh was sworn in, Trump flashed a thumbsup to the media and praised Kavanaugh for being “able to withstand this horrible, horrible attack by the Democrats.”

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Immigrants who wish to become official American citizens are required to complete a test regarding the history of the U.S. If they fail, they are denied citizenship.

Ironically, only a third of American citizens are able to pass the U.S. Citizenship Test, according to a survey conducted by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. Sample questions include facts about the Civil War, previous presidents, and the Declaration of Independence. Amongst Americans aged 45 and younger, the passing

rate among those who are already citizens was 19%; the passing score is only 60%.

The survey revealed some common mistakes, and some that are rather embarrassing. About 2% percent believed the Cold War was over climate change, 24% thought Benjamin Franklin was famous for inventing the lightbulb, and 72% were unable to identify the 13 states that were the original colonies. There are also questions that are relevant to current politics and events; only 57% of those surveyed knew how many Justices serve in the U.S. Supreme Court, despite the recent media obsession with the nation’s highest court.

The goal of the study was to raise awareness before the upcoming midterm congressional elections that Americans need to improve their knowledge about history and current events.

“With voters heading to the polls next month, an informed and engaged citizenry is essential,” Woodrow Wilson Foundation President Arthur Levine said. “Unfortunately this study found the average American to be woefully uninformed regarding America’s history and incapable of passing the U.S. Citizenship Test. It would be an error to view these findings as merely an embarrassment. Knowledge of the history of our country is fundamental to maintaining a democratic society, which is imperiled today,” he added.

If you’re in the failing group, better brush up on your U.S. history now. And no, the Cold War has nothing to do with the weather.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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20 Killed in Tragic Limo Accident

It started as a fun night out to celebrate a friend’s birthday but ended as a horrendous tragedy. A limo-bus carrying a group of adults ran through a stop sign at an intersection in upstate New York striking a parked vehicle and killing all 17 passengers, the driver, and two pedestrians. According to authorities, this is the deadliest crash in the U.S. since 2009.

Shortly before 2 p.m. on Saturday the 2001 Ford Excursion limousine was traveling southwest on State Route 30 when it failed to stop at the intersection with State Route 30 A and collided with an SUV in a parking lot. The group was going to celebrate one of the victim’s 30th birthday. The birthday girl had just married in the summer; her new husband was among the victims.

Among the group was four sisters with their spouses.

Authorities are still investigating the crash, but initial reports seem to indicate that none of the passengers were wearing seatbelts. Authorities are still trying to determine whether the vehicle’s brakes were working properly and the speed of the vehicle.

The National Transportation Safety Board was on the scene for several days and will lead the investigation.

Governor Andrew Cuomo said the vehicle shouldn’t have been on the road since it failed a safety inspection last month. Cuomo explained that the driver, 53-yearold Scott Lisinicchia, didn’t have a commercial license. The limo was owned by Prestige Limousine. Federal records show the company has undergone five inspections and had four vehicles pulled from service in the last two years.

Prestige Limousine is owned by Shahed Hussain, who is an undercover informant for the FBI. Hus-

sain is in his native Pakistan at present.

Before the crash one of the victims, Vertucci McGowan, sent a text message to her friend saying that their party bus had broken down on the way. They had rented a stretch limo to pick them up, and she did not know where they had procured the vehicle, she texted. “The motor is making everyone deaf,” McGowan said in one text. In another, she wrote, “When we get to brewery we

will all b deaf.”

On Monday evening, thousands gathered along the Mohawk River in Amsterdam, New York, for a candlelight vigil to remember the 20 victims of the crash. They congregated near a pedestrian bridge in the city of 17,000 that was home to many of those killed. Beneath a 12foot bronze statue of a mother and child, they prayed for strength and observed a moment of silence.

Researchers Use Brain Scans to Detect Skill Potential employees or students may need to be prepared for a new approach to the interviewing process. Researchers have invented a way to use non-invasive brain scans to reveal who will be more skilled at a

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

job. The scans analyze brain activity and map an individual’s skills.

The study was able to pinpoint key differences in the brain activity of skilled surgeons compared to beginners. These results may soon be used as a method for measuring performance among surgeons and other highly skilled professionals.

“Measuring motor skill proficiency is critical for the certification of highly skilled individuals in numerous fields,” the researchers explained. “However, conventional measures use subjective metrics that often cannot distinguish between expertise levels.”

The new study, published in the journal Science Advances, used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to monitor brain waves.

Their subjects were 30 surgeons and medical students. Each participant

wore a cap embedded with tiny lasers that detected fluctuations in the levels of oxygenated blood flowing to the brain. The team also developed a machine-learning system to analyze the scans. According to the results, new surgeons experienced increased activity in different areas of the brain than seen in skilled surgeons. The medical students showed a spike in the prefrontal cortex, which functions to plan complex behavior. Activity in the primary motor cortex, an area involved in motor function, decreased, along with activity in the supplemental motor area, which relates to the control of movement. In seasoned surgeons the activity in the motor cortex spiked.

According to the researchers, the approach “may be expanded to robustly identify and predict surgical candidates that may achieve faster learning curves for learning complex surgical skills and, by extension, achieve surgical skill mastery with a significantly faster rate than other surgical trainees. Furthermore, these methodologies can be easily applied to other fields, including rehabilitation, brain computer interfaces, robotics, stroke, and rehabilitation therapy.”

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Tom Sullivan

for New York State Senate on ELECTION DAY, Nov. 6, 2018 Republican, Conservative, Independence & Reform Party's Candidate

23 years experience - Financial Services Industry

25 years serving his country Colonel United States Army Reserve

10 years as a Small Business Owner - Restaurant

5 years serving community Cooperative Board 2,834 families

Purell Better Than Soap and Water

Young children inevitably have a lot of runny noses and sore throats, but how they clean their hands could cut back on how often they miss day care, according to a study published on Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

Researchers in Spain found that children who cleaned their hands with sanitizer instead of soap and water reduced their missed days of school, respiratory infections and antibiotic prescriptions. More than 900 children in day care centers were included in the study. The researchers split the children into three groups: one group used hand sanitizer to clean hands, one used soap and water, both with strict protocols about hygiene, and a third, the control group, followed their usual hand-washing routines.

All three groups attended hand hygiene workshops before the study began. But the hand sanitizer and soap-and-water groups attended follow-up sessions about respiratory infections and fevers and received documentation about hand hygiene.

They were given hygiene protocols including washing hands before and after lunch, as they arrived home and after coughing, sneezing or blowing their noses, the study said.

During the eight-month study period, the 911 students had 5,211 respiratory infections that led to 5,186 missed days of day care. The hand sanitizer group missed 3.25% of days of day care, followed by the soap and water group, which missed 3.9% of days. The group following its usual hand-washing routine missed 4.2% of days. The authors also found that the soap-and-water group had a 21% higher risk of contracting a respiratory infection – runny noses, congestion, coughing and sore throat, for example – and a 31% higher risk of being prescribed antibiotics than those using hand sanitizer. There was a 23% reduction in respiratory infections among the students using hand sanitizer compared with those

in the control group.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests scrubbing hands for at least 20 seconds when you wash – “Hum the ‘Happy Birthday’ song from beginning to end twice,” it says – after wetting hands with running water and applying soap. It suggests lathering the backs of hands, between fingers and under nails. A person should wash their hands before eating food and after blowing their nose, coughing or sneezing, it said.

For hand sanitizer, the CDC suggests applying product to one hand and rubbing it all over surfaces of hands and fingers until they’re dry.

The CDC notes that “hand sanitizers are not as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy.”

Children should only use hand sanitizer when supervised, as they should not be placing the product in their mouths.

Million Dollar Pieces

A million dollar piece of artwork by mysterious street artist Banksy was left in shreds before an aghast audience seconds after it was auctioned off for a record $1.4 million on Friday.

The painting was auctioned off on Friday night at Sotheby’s in London. “Girl with Balloon” sold for about $1,367,104, tying a record for the priciest piece of art ever sold

by Banksy. But then, as the crowd watched, the painting self-shredded while on the gallery’s walls. The British artist, whose identity is still unknown after decades of speculation, timed his painting to self-de-

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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FROM TALMUD BAVLI AND YERUSHALMI AND THE COMMANDMENTS BASED ON SEFER HACHINUCH B

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argum Onkelos — the translation of the Chumash into Aramaic by Onkelos — is so important that the Sages included it in the obligation to read the weekly Chumash portion “shnayim mikra v’echad Targum” — the Torah text twice and Targum Onkelos once.

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The Zichron Meir Edition of Targum Onkelos includes: A Chumash, Rashi, and Targum Onkelos fully vowelized B An elucidation of Targum Onkelos, following the phrase-by-phrase style of the Schottenstein Edition Talmud and other ArtScroll classics C An interlinear design, with the words of Targum Onkelos placed directly under the Hebrew of the Chumash text D A flowing translation of the Chumash, based on the Stone Chumash. Includes words marked in bold when Onkelos deviates from the literal translation into his own interpretation E Footnotes that include background information and insights of other commentators

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

A Taste of

with

Serving suggestion

Jachnun Stuffing

PREP TIME: 50 min

SERVES: 8

Introducing a new twist to the traditional Yemenite pastry dough, Jachnun. This fragrant and unique dish is surely become a family favorite in no time!

INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION:

1 (26-ounce) package of Tnuva Baked Jachnun 2 cups of sliced leeks, whites and light green parts only 4 Portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced 6-ounces of shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced 8-ounces of cremini mushrooms, halved A few sprigs of thyme cup of extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon of kosher salt 1 cup of vegetable broth, divided in half

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. 2. Remove jachnun from freezer and allow to sit at room temperature while you prepare the vegetables.

3. Place leeks, mushrooms, thyme, oil and salt in 9- x 13-inch oven-totable casserole dish.

4. Roast at 400°F for 25 minutes.

5. Remove from oven.

6. Slice jachnun into 2-inch rounds.

7. Arrange jachnun rounds in a single layer over vegetables.

8. Pour ½ of the broth over the jachnun.

9. Lower oven to 375°F and bake for 15 minutes.

10. Remove from oven, flip jachnun, pour remaining ½ cup of the broth over jachnun and bake 5 to 7 minutes more until golden.

Eat well. Eat Tnuva. struct via a shredder hidden in the artwork’s frame.

Sotheby’s admitted it was pranked by the unknown artist, and took it all in stride.

“It appears we just got Banksyed,” said Alex Branczik, senior director and head of Contemporary Art, Europe London.

The artist himself posted a photo of the shredded work on his Instagram page with the caption, “Going, going, gone...”

After the crowd’s initial shock, they whipped out their cameras to

tnuvausa.com

take pictures of the moment.

Banksy took to Instagram the next morning with a video appearing to show the shredder being built into the frame. “A few years ago I secretly built a shredder into a painting ... in case it was ever put up for auction,” he posted with the video. “The urge to destroy is also a creative urge - Picasso,” he wrote with the post.

Banksy first gained prominence for his stencil work on walls in the late 1990s and began holding exhibitions in the early 2000s in the U.K. and the United States.

Mutilated Money

Speaking of shredding something really valuable, the parents of

Leo Belnap are particularly upset after the two-year-old put more than $1,000 into their shredder.

Ben and Jackee tore through their home over the weekend, desperate to find the $1,060 they had saved to pay back Ben’s parents. The couple had borrowed the money to purchase season tickets to the University of Utah’s football games. The money was placed in an envelope and the desperate parents turned the house over to find the missing funds – until Jackee found it.

“I think the money is in here,” she told Ben, pointing to the shredder.

In shock, Jackee said the two “shuffled” through the shreds of paper for a few minutes in silence. Finally, Jackee broke the silence with a bit of humor. “I’m like, ‘Well, this will make a great wedding story one day,’” she said.

With a bit of perseverance and care, the pair may be able to recover their money by submitting the pieces of cash and a claim to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, a government agency associated with the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Seems like Leo gave their parents a real run for his money on this one.

Avocados Have Feelings Too

Avocados are no laughing matter – and a U.K. coffee chain has landed itself in hot water for suggesting otherwise.

A radio commercial advertising Costa Coffee has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for playfully suggesting that bacon sandwiches and egg muffins were better breakfast options than avocados.

“Oh, there’s a great deal on ripen-at-home avocados. Sure, they’ll be hard as rock for the first 18 days, three hours and 20 minutes, then they’ll be ready to eat, for about 10 minutes, then they’ll go off,” the radio ad spot said. ”For a better deal, head to Costa Coffee and grab a de-

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

licious, piping hot bacon roll or egg muffin for just £2 ($2.60) when you buy any Medio or Massimo hot drink or flat white before 11 a.m.”

People complained about the ad, saying that it is “discouraging the selection of fruit,” a breach of ASA’s rule banning advertisers from “disparag[ing] good dietary practice.”

“We considered that, although the ad was light-hearted, it nevertheless suggested avocados were a poor breakfast choice, and that a bacon roll or egg muffin would be a better alternative, and in doing so discouraged the selection of avocados,” the ASA said.

Despite assertions from the company that they intended to promote their breakfast items and that their ad focused on the unpredictability of avocados’ ripeness, the ASA said they were in breach of advertising standard rules.

Now we know we’ve hit guac bottom.

$1.1 for Scotch

When someone purchases a bottle of whisky for a million dollars, we begin to question if they came to the sale already quite drunk.

Last week, a bottle of Scotch whisky fetched £848,000, or $1.1 million USD, at an auction, smashing the world record.

Distilled in 1926 and bottled in 1986, The Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 60-year-old, referred to as “The Holy Grail of Whisky,” was auctioned

by Bonhams in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The label’s artwork and the limited amount of bottles produced make this Scotch remarkable. At the time, renowned pop artists Valerio Adami

and Peter Blake were commissioned

by Macallan to design labels for 24 bottles, with each artist contributing to 12 bottles. Adami, now 83, is an Italian painter best known for his bold and colorful imagery outlined by black lines.

It’s unclear how many of those Macallan bottles are still in existence, but they’ve made headlines at other auctions. In May, a bottle of The Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 sold for £814,081, or $1.05 million USD, which was the world record at the time. At that same auction, a bottle of The Macallan Peter Blake 1926 sold for £751,703, or about $976,000 USD. “Its exceptional rarity and quality puts it in a league of its own, and the world’s most serious whisky collectors will wait patiently for many years for a bottle to come onto the market,” Bonhams Whisky specialist Martin Green said in a statement ahead of the auction.

High net-worth investors have earned returns on investing in collectibles. Wealthy investors make so-called “passion investments” in things like fine wine, classic cars, musical instruments, rare books, jewelry, collectible stamps, gold, silver, gemstones, and other treasure assets.

According to a recent report from Credit Suisse, ultra-high net worth individuals on average have about 6% of their assets in these collectibles. And it turns out collectibles such as art, wine, and musical instruments have outperformed more traditional assets like cash and government bonds. The authors of the Credit Suisse report looked at collectibles with 118 years of data. Of the collectibles that had 118 years of data, the report found that wine was the best performer, with an inflation-adjusted price appreciation of 3.7% per year.

In other words, they’re not serving it at their next dinner party.

Rare Rock

Here’s a riddle for you: when is a rock not just a rock?

Answer: when it comes from outer space.

A rock that was used as a doorstop for decades at a Michigan farm has been identified as a meteorite valued at about $100,000.

Central Michigan University said last week that the 22.5-pound space rock was recently identified by Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences professor Dr. Monaliza Sirbescu after the owner “brought it to her out of curiosity.”

The Grand Rapids man was apparently inspired to investigate after seeing news of meteorite hunters finding shards and selling them for thousands of dollars after a meteor sighting in January in the Detroit area.

The chunk of iron and nickel was later valued at $100,000 after the Smithsonian Institution verified the find.

The rock, which was initially used as a doorstop in the Edmore area for several decades after a farmer recovered it sometime in the 1930s, turned out to be Michigan’s sixth-largest meteorite, a university spokesperson said. Twelve have been found in the state.

The new owner came into possession of the meteorite after the farm was sold in 1988.

Sounds like this rock rocks.

He’s Done

This postal worker went postal – on the side of the road.

Deciding to quit in middle of his shift, a postal worker dumped bins of mail on the side of a road in south New Jersey before leaving. The piles of mail date back to August 8, although they were just discovered last Sunday.

The mail was sent out for delivery from the Roxborough Station Post Office in Philadelphia, Special Agent Scott Balfour of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General said.

The office was able to track down the employee who dumped the mail but learned the person resigned from their job on September 8, Balfour said. The employee was not identified and a motive was not immediately known.

Looking for all those election flyers? They may be in Jersey.

A Sword Find

An eight-year-old girl is being hailed as a future queen after she pulled a 1,500-year-old sword from a lake in central Sweden.

Saga, whose name means “seeing one” in Old Norse, pulled the sword from Vidöstern lake in Tånnö, Småland, earlier this summer, as she was scrabbling for rocks and clam shells to skim across the surface.

“She picked it up, and when she realized it had a handle, she said, ‘Daddy I’ve got a sword!’” her father, Andy Vanecek, 44, said. “She lifted it up kind of like a warrior, and then it bent, and I realized that’s not how a stick would break, so I ran up to her and thought, ‘Can this really be the real thing?’”

The family kept the discovery a secret for two months until the find was officially announced this week by the local county museum in the city of Jönköping.

Vanecek moved from Minnesota to Sweden recently. “The funny thing is that I’m a huge Minnesota Vikings fan,” he said. “How funny is it that the daughter of a Vikings Fan from Minnesota found a Viking sword in Sweden?”

The museum’s conservationists estimate that the 85-centimeter long sword could be around 1,500 years old, meaning it probably predates the Viking Age. What makes the find doubly remarkable is the sword’s wood and leather scabbard, which is still largely intact having been preserved under silt.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

Discover Your Future.

Open House

Monday evening October 22, 2018 7:30 PM At the High School Campus 636 Lanett Ave Far Rockaway, NY 718.327.1300

Entrance Exam Sunday morning October 28, 2018 9:00 AM At the High School Campus 636 Lanett Ave Far Rockaway, NY

Rabbi Meyer Weitman Dean

Mrs. Aliza Kadosh Principal, Limudei Kodesh

Mrs. Miriam Tropper

Assistant Principal, Limudei Kodesh

Rabbi Michoel Shepard Principal, General Studies

Mrs. Barbara Cinamon

Assistant Principal, General Studies

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Around the

Community

In honor of Parshat Noach and the special symbol of the rainbow, HAFTR’s 3- and 4-year-old children joined together to make their own rainbow. Each class was assigned a special color to wear and stood proudly together in a beautiful display of color and cheer.

Shira Superstars Launches out of Shulamith

L

ast Sunday, Shira Superstars launched out of Shulamith. The Sunday program was a huge hit! Nearly 200 children enjoyed classes with professional instructors.

Every child chose a movement class (like dance, gymnastics or ballet) and either art or food art for their second class. Then they enjoyed lunch and a giveaway!

Week one featured adorable, creative projects. In Lower Art, the chil-

dren started out with canvas painting.

The Lower Food Art class started with everyone enjoying the book “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and then they made their own delicious caterpillar on a stick! In In Upper Art, the girls enjoyed beginning to make a pillow.

They finish it next week and start canvas painting in week 3! In Upper Food Art, the girls got to use paint brushes to “paint” food coloring rainbows onto tortillas for the prettiest

edible rainbows you have ever seen!

The kindergarten and pre1A boys in the program also enjoyed starting beginner karate or the sports class which featured soccer drills and a fun scrimmage! Meanwhile, arguably the cutest group was the nursery boys and girls who do a project each week followed by a beginner gymnastics class!

The 3rd and 4th grade girls who registered for theater class began to

learn their Superstars theme song.

Once they add motions and some drama, they will begin working on recording a music video of the song!

Shira Superstars is truly the premier Sunday program in the Five Towns where each child is a star!

For more information, email shirasuperstars@gmail.com or text 516456-8392.

To register, go to campshirany.com/ superstars.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

Five Towns Fall Intensive Starting Nov. 6 No classes during Thanksgiving or Chanukah

Real Estate Certificate in Finance & Investment Offered right here in the Five Towns!

Express sign-up with Early Bird Rate Save up to $200 This fall, earn a highly regarded credential while learning the analytical skills needed to be successful in Real Estate.

Who Should Enroll?  Current and potential real estate investors  Real estate finance and development professionals  Those who are considering a career in real estate Added Benefits for Students Who Successfully Complete the Certificate:  GMAT/GRE exam waiver when applying to Fordham’s MS in Real Estate  Eligible to apply for Advanced Standing in MS in Real Estate What you will learn:  How to evaluate income-producing properties  The phases and lifecycle of a development project  How to build a simple property income statement  How to assess financing options  Calculating investment returns

Information Session & Express Admission

Call in to Information Session on Oct. 18 at 6:30 p.m.

1 (866) 394-2346 Code: 3562209705

Questions? Contact: (516) 405-0258 or ebroyde@fordham.edu

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Morah Leah Lieberstein’s second grade class at Bais Yaakov Ateres Miriam is using an innovative and creative way to combine Hebrew prefixes. The girls were able to play around with magnetic puzzle pieces to change the meaning of the word by using different prefixes. This fun way of teaching will help the girls remember the concepts and give them an excitement for learning new things.

The Gift of Tefillah at SKA

Glick Girl launches the world’s greatest Sunday program, beginning this Sunday

By Yafa Storch

F

 

or the past two years, the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls has partnered with the Legacy 613 Foundation to create innovative educational opportunities for our students. This summer, SKA received grant money from the foundation to purchase Koren NCSY siddurim, developed by Ms. Debbie Stone, for all of our students.

The siddurim have highlighted words, thought-provoking questions, suggestions for reflection and pictures which enhance the tefillah experience and allow teachers to create educational moments during daily tefillah. Mrs. Leanne Taylor, TTYL (Turning Tefillah into Your Life) coordinator, explains, “The siddurim are a useful educational tool. I focus

on one tefillah each day and use the questions and ideas presented in the siddur to give the girls a better understanding of what they are saying.”

Students were excited to receive the siddurim at SKA’s orientation and have begun to appreciate their innovative and useful features. Eleventh grader Elisheva Wolff notes that the Koren Siddur is a “very visual siddur and that helps me understand what I’m saying.” Junior Batsheva Usher appreciates “the inspirational points and the clear print which help keep my attention focused during davening.”

We look forward to incorporating the siddurim into our TTYL programs throughout the year and utilizing them to enhance our kavana and create a deeper connection to tefillah.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

‫פ‬ ‫רוז‬

‫תא שערי‬ ‫יב‬

‫מת‬

‫דור‬

‫בס”ד‬

V

Z

D

SI

OR

ME TA

SHA

R ’REI P

U

Mesivta Sha’arei Pruzdor

OPEN HOUSE

Rabbi Elly Merenstein, Rosh Hamesivta

Looking forward to meeting you!

November 11, 2018 3:30 PM 111 Irving Place Woodmere NY 516-374-6777 openhouse@pruzdor.org

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Ashreinu Tours the Hudson

What will be

to you?

OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY, OCT. 28, 2018 9:30 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.

COMMITMENT • COMMUNITY • CURIOSITY

YUHSG.ORG/OPENHOUSE

O

n Thursday of Chol Hamoed, Ashreinu once again took a group of excited young boys on a fantastic Chol Hamoed trip – this time to Hudson Valley! The trip started with lunch at the Shomre Israel shul’s sukkah in Poughkeepsie, NY. The rav, Rabbi Eliezer Langer, spoke to the boys about Jewish life in Poughkeepsie. After Mincha the boys went on a tour of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Museum and Library, where the boys got an in-depth tour of the famous president’s life, including a look at his personal Model T Ford and his model ship collection. This was followed by a visit to Walkway Over the Hudson, a beautiful pedestrian bridge over the Hudson River, with breathtaking views of the river and the surrounding mountains. After that, the boys spent an enjoyable hour and a half at Bounce Trampoline Sports, jumping on trampolines, diving into foam pits, and completing an incredible Bounce Xtreme obstacle course! Finally, following a BBQ dinner, the boys got to show off their athletic skills at a professional

driving range and batting cages, hitting golf balls and baseballs galore!

An amazing time was had by all!

Thank you to Rabbi Posner, Rabbi Waldman, and the entire Ashreinu staff for another incredible trip Looking forward to Chol Hamoed Pesach!

Stay tuned for more exciting Ashreinu programs coming up this season, including an all-new exciting Mishnayos program, MishnaBoyz! For more information, call (917)-202-4056 or e-mail ashreinufr@gmail.com.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

“ We chose

BAIS YAAKOV ATERES MIRIAM because...

They imbue chinuch with the perfect blend of a love for yiddishkeit and an excitement for learning.

“

- Rabbi and Mrs Eli Schwadel Parents of BYAM 2nd grader, Tehila

UPCOMING OPEN HOUSES 10/27: Far Rockaway, Bayswater & Inwood 11/3: Cedarhurst, Lawrence & Woodmere 11/10: North Woodmere & Hewlett

12-14 Heyson Road Far Rockaway, NY 11691 • 718.868.3232 • info@baisyaakovam.org

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Likras Shabbos at Bais Tefila of Inwood

T

he Inwood Likras Shabbos program kicked off the new season this week. Each Erev Shabbos the Inwood boys come to shul a half hour early and all ready for Shabbos to greet the Shabbos Queen with a shiur in hilchos Shabbos given

by R’ Yaakov Weinberg. Of course, there is hot kugel for all to enjoy.

CAHAL Visits the Nautilus

A

fter learning about several mitzvot ben adam le’chavairo, the CAHAL Yeshiva of South Shore 6th-7th grade class put their lessons into action with a visit to the residents of the Nautilus Hotel, an assisted living facility in Atlantic Beach. Rabbi Chananya Grinberg, Rabbi Justin Lepolstat and Rabbi Moshe Salhanick accompanied the boys and helped to create a memorable experience for both the class and residents. The boys had the opportunity to introduce themselves and share their backgrounds.

With great energy, the Rabbeim and class danced and sang songs to

help the residents enjoy a sense of simcha for the yom tov season. The residents clapped and sang along, expressing how happy they were to have the students entertaining them.

The highlight of the event was when the boys were able to connect with the residents in one-on-one conversations. Many of the residents shared their own stories, and the students listened attentively and asked questions. Much appreciation goes to Ms. Melody Kassover, the Nautilus activities director, who coordinated the event. The experience was mutually heartfelt and positive for everyone.

Young Israel of East Northport Initiates “The Shabbos Project”

O

n October 26-27, the Young Israel of East Northport will initiate the Shabbos Project, an opportunity for Jews of all religious affiliations to experience the beauty of the Sabbath. Spearheaded by Rabbi Yosef Loewy, the new dynamic spiritual leader at Young Israel of East Northport, this weekend will begin with a Challah Bake on Wednesday evening, October 24 and continue with upbeat melodies and inspiring speeches.

The Young Israel of East Northport is a warm and welcoming community, ideally located on Long Island’s north shore. This area features beautiful and affordable housing, and is in close proximity to Stoneybrook

University, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and Suffolk Community College. East Northport is near major highways and has convenient public transportation to Manhattan, Queen, and Brooklyn. The Young Israel has a daily minyan and a wide array of weekly Torah classes. Other new programs include adult education classes and Scholars in Residence. Jewish day schools, a mikveh, and kosher shopping are nearby.

For further information on the Young Israel of East Northport, the Shabbos Project, or to arrange a visit, please call (631) 368-5880 or go to www. yieastnorthport.org.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Children enjoyed CHAZAQ’s “Pizza in a Hut” Sukkot party on chol hamoed Morah Sara Torczyner’s kindergarten class at Bais Yaakov Ateres Miriam had a boatload of fun creating a massive teivah in honor of Parshas Noach. They used all sorts of materials to decorate the three different floors and they proudly watched their work of art transform into a beautiful teivah. It is displayed outside their classroom for all to enjoy.

A Warm Reunion

O

n Hashana Rabbah, a group of HAFTR’s alumni had a reunion with their former Judaic Studies teacher, Mrs. Abi Guttman, in her festive sukkah.

It was a great opportunity to reconnect and learn some Torah together.

Mrs. Guttman shared beautiful ideas about the power of tefillah on Hoshana Rabbah and how Shmini Atzeret and Simchas Torah is a unique opportunity to have a special kesher with Hashem at the end of Succot before we go back to our regular busy schedules.

Did the Democrats Learn Their Lesson from the Kavanaugh Controversy?

Page 116

Wrestling with Faith

T

his October, Rabbi Zalman Wolowik of Chabad of the Five Towns will offer Wrestling with Faith, a new six-session course by the acclaimed Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI),that openly addresses common challenges people have in their relationship with G-d.

Beginning Tuesday, October 23,at 8:00 PM, participants in the course will grapple with issues that many struggle with, including beliefs in Judaism that seem primitive or outdated, reconciling scientific findings with ideas that cannot be proven in a lab, and the role of religion regarding gender roles, relationship choices, and other such controversial issues.

“We recognize that almost everyone has some degree of skepticism when it comes to religion,” Rabbi Wolowik of Chabad of the Five Towns, the local JLI Instructor, “We’ve created this course for participants to think critically about these challenges – to approach them with an array of insightful perspectives – so we can articulate our beliefs to ourselves and to the next generation with clarity and conviction.”

Wrestling with Faith explores questions such as: Why do I need G-d if I can live perfectly well without Him? Does G-d really care about the nuances of Jewish practice? Doesn’t the concept of “Jewish chosenness” seems racist? How can we relate to a loving and caring G-d amid the experience of tragedy and suffering? How do we reconcile compelling evidence for evolution and the age of the universe with a Bible that tells a different story?

And: Is it even possible to develop a relationship with a G-d I cannot perceive with my five senses?

“People often deal with such issues by going on the defense,” explained Rabbi Zalman Abraham of JLI’s Brooklyn, New York headquarters. “In this course we stay away from that.

Instead, we embrace the challenges wholeheartedly and seek a broader context through which to understand the issues.” Jennifer Wiseman, a senior astrophysicist at NASA and the director of the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion, commented about the course: “At a time when science and technology dominate the mechanics and framing of our modern lives, it is more important than ever to ask the bigger questions of life’s purpose and values. This course enables the seeker to embrace the achievements of modern science while seeking the higher gifts of wisdom, meaning, and a personal relationship with G-d.”

Like all JLI programs, this course is designed to appeal to people at all levels of knowledge, including those without any prior experience or background in Jewish learning. All JLI courses are open to the public, and attendees need not be affiliated with a particular synagogue, temple, or other house of worship. Interested students may call 516-295-2478 or visit www.

ChabadFiveTowns.com/JLI for registration and for other course-related information. JLI courses are presented in the Five Towns in conjunction with Chabad of the Five Towns.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

“When it comes to breast cancer, we treat the person — not just the disease.”

NAME: CHRISTINE HODYL, DO, FACS, board-certified surgeon and graduate of New York College of Osteopathic Medicine OCCUPATION: Director of Breast Services SPECIALTY: Breast Surgical Oncology WHAT DRIVES YOU? Giving personalized, expert care to women with breast problems. It’s an honor to help women get through what is often a devastating diagnosis.

WHAT DOES PATIENT CARE MEAN TO YOU? I often say we are treating the person in front of us and not just the disease. It’s important to me to take the time to have conversations with my patients — they feel much better and are not as scared.

WHY CHOOSE SOUTH NASSAU? At South Nassau, we offer a full range of services: • Screening mammography • Breast cancer surgery and reconstruction • Oncoplastic surgical techniques to treat breast cancer with excellent cosmetic results • Our Breast Center of Excellence is certified by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers • Earned the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Commission on Cancer • Named one of “100 Hospitals with Great Women’s Health Programs” by Becker’s Hospital Review

BREAST CANCER SYMPOSIUM 5th Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Day FREE Lecture Series Friday, Oct. 12 | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Conference Center One Healthy Way, Oceanside, NY 11572

To register, visit southnassau.org/breastcancerlecture Continental breakfast at 10:30 a.m.

Recognized by the Commission on Cancer Accredited by the National Cancer Institute

For more information about our breast cancer services, call 516-632-3350 or visit southnassau.org/breastcancerlecture.

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HAFTR Greets Dozens of New Families at Welcome Breakfast

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n the Sunday, September 16, HAFTR hosted dozens of young children and their parents in the spacious Hawk’s Nest gymnasium for a special HAFTR New Families Welcome Breakfast. Many current HAFTR parents joined with administrators from all four school divisions to greet and spend time with the new families. The HAFTR families, many new to the area, participated in the fun activities all the while enjoying a delicious brunch.

Debbie and Ari Mann just moved to North Woodmere. “We heard that HAFTR is the best,” said Mrs. Mann. “Our son is starting in the Early Childhood Center and we’re very excited. We have a new baby at home and we plan for him to come to school here one day also.”

New HAFTR parents, Jen and Shmuel Rubashkin, chose HAFTR’s Early Childhood Center for their two children after meeting Dr. Hindi Krinsky, a”h, and Dovid Kanarfogel through mutual friends. “She influenced our decision to come to HAFTR. It represents a strong Jewish community and a great education,” said Mr. Rubashkin.

Jen and Shmuel met and married while volunteering in Israel, and started their family there. They recently moved to Cedarhurst with their young children, who now have dual citizenship. Mrs. Rubashkin

originally hails from Phoenix, Arizona. They decided to be in New York, closer to family, as they raise their children while incorporating key Jewish values and a Zionistic mindset. “We heard great things about HAFTR and it was a big magnet for us to move here.”

At the helm of HAFTR’s Early Childhood Center, where it all begins for many families, is Mrs. Cyndy Goldberg. “To me HAFTR itself is a family,” she said. “It’s exciting every time to see how we invite and embrace new members into our family.”

“This event sets the tone for who our parents are at HAFTR,” said Ms. Joy Hammer, in her 14th year as HAFTR’s Lower School Principal. “It really is a great way to start off the new year. I’m proud of my HAFTR

families who are welcoming our new families.”

Mr. Joshua Gold, HAFTR Middle School Principal, addressed the participating families saying, “My message to new families is to take an active and enthusiastic role in HAFTR because it is and will always be true that our school’s potential is founded upon the strength of the partnership between home and school.”

One current HAFTR parent who already has a solid commitment to the school, Mrs. Rose Stern, shared, “It’s beautiful to see HAFTR excel in its ability to combine an advanced secular education with a true Yeshiva hashgafa these past few years.” Mrs. Stern has a 4th grader, 3rd grader and now new Pre-K student at the school this year. “It’s amazing to see

year-after-year so many new families coming into HAFTR. I’m sure they will be impressed and excited by the school’s new STEM program where kids can learn technology and engineering skills.”

Mr. Ari Solomon, HAFTR’s Executive Director, summed it up by saying, “It’s so nice to see at the beginning of our school year how quickly these new families become part of our family. They acclimate themselves immediately. That is something HAFTR takes so much pride in. It’s so very important for us to make sure our new families feel right at home from the minute they enroll in our school...b’yachad!”

For more information about HAFTR, visit haftr.org.

Jewish Day School & Yeshiva Students Outnumber Other Nonpublic School Groups in NYC

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ew data released by the New York State Department of Education shows that the number of students attending kindergarten-12th grade Jewish day schools and yeshivas in New York City now exceeds 110,000 students. This marks an increase of more than 10,000 students in less than two years. Jewish day school and Yeshiva enrollment in New York City is now nearly as large as the entire New York City based charter school population which enrolls 114,000 students.

The total number of K-12 students enrolled in Jewish day schools and yeshivas is 110,485. Jewish day school

and yeshiva students now account for 42-percent of the total nonpublic school population in New York City.

Another 148,345 students are enrolled in other parochial or independent schools. Together, the number of non-public school students comprises 18-percent of New York City’s total school enrollment.

Neil Cohen, Chairman of Teach NYS, a project of the Orthodox Union and New York’s leading voice for Jewish day schools, welcomed the new data about the Jewish day school population in New York City and the five boroughs. It shows, he said, the importance of continuing to push for

a more equitable distribution of local and state funds for non-public schools.

“This demonstrates our community’s need to stay focused on one of the top priorities for our families – making non-public school education more affordable,” said Cohen. “We will continue to work with our partners in New York City and Albany to ensure that the city and state invest in our children in a fair and meaningful manner. We will also continue to work within our community to increase voter participation and civic engagement.”

Teach NYS, a division of the Orthodox Union’s Teach Advocacy Network,

was founded in 2013 to advocate for equitable government funding in New York nonpublic schools. It has secured an additional $450 million in funding for day schools, which is used to increase security, enhance education and defray higher tuition costs.

In 2018, it championed a historic pilot program to begin providing Kosher and Halal meals to students enrolled in both public and nonpublic schools in New York City. Currently, more than 40 day-schools and yeshivas receive government funding through Teach NYS. For more information, visit https://teachadvocacy.org/ newyork/.

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

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Impassioned Emunah

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ur Mission: To host a weekend geared towards inspiring frum families to build a passionate and lasting relationship with Hashem, and discuss strategies for combating the growing obstacles to emunah facing our communities. Meet the roshei yeshivos, kiruv

experts, publishers, and rabbonim who are in the trenches and hear their timely perspective on how to pass on our commitment to yiddishket to the next generation.

Spend a Shabbos enjoying inspiring lectures, 5-star accommodations, a comprehensive childcare program,

exciting entertainment, gourmet cuisine, and stimulating Question and Answer panels.

Our Speakers: The event will be led by Rabbi Shaya Cohen, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Zichron Aryeh, who has extensive experience addressing the growing problem of adults at risk. He will be sharing his perspective, as well as teaching strategies to impart a passionate emunah to the next generation.

Other speakers include: • Rabbi Eytan Kobre J.D, editor of Mishpacha Magazine and Dialogue: A Journal for Torah Issues and Ideas • Rabbi Noach Light, rav of East Boca Kehilla and director of the Beis Medrash Halacha in Yeshiva Tiferes Torah • Rabbi Aryeh Z. Ginzberg, rav of the Chofetz Chaim Torah Center of Cedarhurst and the founding Rav of Ohr Moshe Torah Institute in Hillcrest, Queens as well as many more dynamic speakers.

The event will be held in the spacious and modern Crowne Plaza hotel in Danbury, CT. Equipped with beautiful and comfortable

guest rooms as well as over 26,000 sq feet of flexible and open space, the hotel grounds offer the perfect place to relax and reconnect. The Impassioned Emunah seminar will be renting the entire hotel for the duration of the weekend.

We are proud to be joined

by Prime Events by Mindel Chaya who will be showcasing their unique cuisine. Mindel Chaya’s team, headed by renowned chef Erick Morales, is famous for creating scrumptious, one-of-a-kind dishes.

They reject the typical bland and processed “food from a caterer” taste, and have pioneered an approach that combines a rigid insistence on freshness with a remarkable grasp of food chemistry and an eye towards originality, helping to create a full line of excellent savory dishes. With multiple-course gourmet meals and a 24-hour tea room stocked with Prime Events’ latest confectionary creations, guests will be treated to a culinary experience that they will not forget.

The Impassioned Emunah seminar will be providing comprehensive daycare for guest’s children. Featuring

experienced morahs and a wide range of activities, the children will be thoroughly entertained throughout the weekend, allowing guests to focus on the lectures and discussion panels secure in the knowledge that their children are having a blast.

We are pleased to be hosting Yedidim Choir who will be leading a Friday night kumzitz as well as lending their beautiful voices to enhance the tefillos. Additionally, renowned singer Eli Levin will be leading a lively concert performance on motzei Shabbos.

The Impassioned Emunah retreat was created to address a pressing need – to inspire an enhanced passion for emunah and bitachon in participants’ minds and hearts, as well as create a forum to solve the latest issues facing our communities. Due to generous donations from forward-thinking benefactors, Priority-1 has been able to set admission rates at below-cost prices.

Call 516-295-5700 x 107 or email info@eliezerinstitute.com today for pricing information. Early bird discounts are available.

Inspiring Yom Iyun at Shevach High School

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n Monday, September 17, Shevach High School held its first Yom Iyun of 5779.

The Yom Iyun was organized by senior staff member Mrs. Debbie Meltzer, who introduced the theme with a beautiful vort of Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, quoted from his sefer Dorash Moshe. Rav Moshe explained that the way to achieve the level of “Ani l’dodi v’dodi li,” of having a close relationship with Hashem, is through hakors hatov. Acknowledging and appreciating everything Hashem does for us brings a person to ahavas Hashem, which then causes “V’dodi li,” Hashem loving us unconditionally and bestowing upon us endless and limitless brachos.

This concept was clearly portrayed by the 12th grade through an array of media presentations and performances. There was a moving choir, poi-

gnant video, and an illustrative banner defining the ultimate relationship we seek to have with Hashem. How Hashem holds our proverbial hands and “waves” back to us as we move through life. In the words of Yom Iyun heads, seniors Gitty Wurem and Hindy Ausfresser, the atmosphere in the room was “This Yom Kippur, let’s make a difference. Let’s cultivate a sincere relationship with Hashem.”

Rebbetzin Rochelle Hirtz, principal of Shevach High School, then introduced the special guest lecturer, Mrs. Chani Juravel, noted therapist, counselor, and speaker. Mrs. Juravel pointed out that we often do not plan exactly where we are going in life. We are like a tightrope walker, who feels that his greatest challenge is when he turns a corner, because at that point he cannot see his destination. It is easy to become confused when one

does not have a clear vision of where one is going. We, as adults, need to chart our course. Often this requires changing our assumptions in life and weighing our options carefully from all angles.

Our goal must be to establish a relationship with Hashem. But we need to invest in a relationship in order to make it precious and lasting. We need to search for Hashem and see His hand in our lives. This connection feeds our neshamos. And we need to see ourselves as Hashem sees us, at our best. Even if our best does not last, it is the way Hashem views us. And the way to retain our level of “best” is through the choices we make.

Tishrei is the month in which we hone our vision and our choices. We choose life and define what kind of life it will be in the coming year. Through the resources of tefillah and our spiri-

tual potential, we can be what we want to be, and set our course in a positive way. “This Yom Kippur,” Mrs. Juravel said, “we need to be confident in our choices and they should connect us to Hashem and define us.”

Rebbetzin Hirtz gave a well-deserved thank you to Mrs. Meltzer and the Shevach seniors for putting together this inspiring day. Special kudos to the choir, banner, video, sign, and refreshments heads: Tova Friedman, Rivky Schechter, Avigayil Marcus, Rachel Wagner, Chaya Podemski, Chavi Ribowsky, Rivkah Gray, Batzie Schwartz, and Hindy Steinberg.

Shevach students and staff alike left the Yom Iyun feeling empowered and elevated to make this year the year we hope for, and with the will to work towards our important goal of “Ani l’dodi v’dodi li.”

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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

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OHEL Continues to Further Open Minds and Doors in the Newly Opened OHEL Jaffa Family Campus in Flatbush

OHEL Co-President Moishe Hellman with Rabbi Burton Jaffa at the Open House Reception

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HEL Children’s Home and Family Services was pleased to invite the community to the official grand opening celebration of the new OHEL Jaffa Family Campus, a Center of Excellence, located at 1268 East 14th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11230.

Eli Gottlieb with Irving Langer at the Open House Reception

On Sunday, September 16, 2018 community leaders, benefactors, elected officials, members of the board of directors, and the general public were invited to tour OHEL’s new campus and to learn more of the plethora of services available to the general

OHEL Co-President Mel Zachter and Peter Rebenwurzel on a tour of the OHEL Jaffa Family Campus

community. Today, OHEL serves 11,042 people throughout New York City, Nassau County, and Northern New Jersey.

Guests were welcomed at the Tess Kaylie Entrance, and escorted throughout the campus speaking with staff who provide services including mental health, trauma, elder care, and more. Donors were also able to affix their mezuzot near their plaques and mark their contribution in such a meaningful way before Yom Kippur.

Jewish broadcasting personality Nachum Segal greeted the guests and introduced OHEL’s Co-Presidents Moishe Hellman and Mel Zachter for warm welcomes. Jack Jaffa, Campaign Chair, introduced his father, Rabbi Burton Jaffa, for more inspiration.

OHEL was also able to thank many of the elected officials who were vital in the planning, financing, and construction of the OHEL Jaffa Family Campus, including Councilmembers Chaim Deutsch, Kalman Yeger, and Matthew Eugene, who each spoke briefly on the essential role OHEL plays in the community. Former Councilman David Greenfield was also acknowledged for his important role in securing funds for the new campus.

Jay Kestenbaum, OHEL’s Vice President, described OHEL’s response to the community’s ever-increasing diversity of challenges. Importantly, the new campus enables OHEL to better serve individuals and families by consolidating many of OHEL’s programs and services under one roof.

The New OHEL Jaffa Family Campus delivers a holistic care solution

through a Center of Excellence, providing services in the three key areas of mental health services, developmental disability services, and medical services.

The Irving and Miriam Langer Center for Developmental Disabilities provides a full range of pioneering outpatient, day habilitation and residential services to children and adults with developmental disabilities. The Rabbi Harry and Dr. Elizabeth Rieder Center for Mental Health Services meets the behavioral needs of everyday individuals and mental health needs of those with a mental illness.

The Ganger Family Medical Center will deliver superior primary care and pediatric medical services to the general community. Opening shortly after Succot the medical center will be open six days a week and Saturday nights.

With expanded programs in elder care, treating anxiety, and respite for families with autism, the new OHEL Jaffa Family Campus is an important new venue for elevating lives every day, and we look forward to welcoming you into our new home.

There are still several dedication opportunities available at the OHEL Jaffa Family Campus where you can be a partner in providing vital support for the programs and services OHEL provides.

For more information on these opportunities, or to visit the new OHEL Jaffa Family Campus we invite you to contact Robert Katz, OHEL’s Chief Development Officer, at robert_ katz@ohelfamily.org.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

Around the Community

MSH STEM Scholars

BREATHTAKING? ORDER YOURS TODAY!

Menahelet Esther Eisenman presented freshman Naomi Lichter with her new iPad at her induction into the MSH STEM Scholars program

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he MSH STEM Scholars program provides enrichment through challenging students to think more deeply in many different areas of learning. Students take part in activities and demonstrations from different disciplines that actively enhance their learning. They ex-

plore many different areas including mathematical and logical puzzles, the theory behind optical illusions, the rotations of the sun and moon, different concepts from physics, biology, and electricity as well as perform a dissection of a cow’s eye.

Sukkos Celebration at the Premier

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n Thursday of Chol HaMoed Sukkos a group of more than 40 local Holocaust survivors attended a holiday celebration in the spacious Sukkah at the The Premier Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Woodmere. The group meets regularly at the Gural Five Towns JCC and was invited to celebrate the holiday together with Ben Landa, the owner of the Premier.

The Premier’s in-house chef, Josh Aaron, prepared a delicious lunch for the attendees who were also treated to inspirational words of Torah from Rabbi Heshy Blumstein, the rav of Congregation Yismach Moshe, which is located in the beautiful and spacious Beis Medrash on the first floor of the Premier.

Landa, a resident of Lawrence and a noted philanthropist to Jewish causes, is the son of two Hungarian Holocaust survivors. He said that the Premier is a place where community organizations from around the Five Towns can meet. “I take this very personally as the son of two survivors,” Landa said. “My parents were Hungarian Jews and were deported to the camps in 1944. As the number of

survivors dwindles it is vital that we never forget.”

Cathy Byrne, the associate executive director for Older Adults and Special Needs at the JCC, said that she too would love to bring this group back to the Premier for other events.

“The survivors were so excited to be here,” she said. “The staff really rolled out the red carpet for them.”

Joseph Benden, the Premier’s new administrator, said, “We at the Premier are honored to host a gathering like this one, and we would absolutely have the survivors group back for next year’s Sukkot. By hosting these organizations, we can show off what we have to offer while giving back to the community.”

The 280 bed Five Towns Premier Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, located at 1050 Central Ave in Woodmere, is the only healthcare facility under the strict kosher supervision of the VAAD of the Five Towns and Far Rockaway. The Premier boasts a state-of-the-art rehabilitation gym, an in-house dialysis center, recreation areas, an outdoor patio, a synagogue and its own beauty parlor.

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Fleetwood Synagogue Building a Community One “Panel” at a Time

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n most synagogues, the period leading up to the High Holidays is typified by an ever increasing ramping-up of holiday-related tasks, both spiritual and mundane. Prayers lengthen and congregants are exhorted to prepare for the New Year and the concomitant focus on judgement and repentance. Sanctuaries are transformed with white coverings for the Ark and the Torahs. Silver needs to be polished, flowers purchased, New Year’s cards sent, sermons drafted, challah baked, and meals prepared. It is as packed a time as can be imagined for a synagogue and its lay and rabbinic leadership.

This year, one Orthodox Synagogue in the Fleetwood neighborhood of Mount Vernon, located in southern Westchester, decided that this was also the best time to embark on a large improvement project for its sanctuary. Any change to a synagogue’s sanctuary implicates the interaction between the institution and its members and can quickly test the common bonds

of the congregation. All the more so when the feature being changed is the sanctuary’s mechitza, which was itself hand-built decades ago by a Fleetwood member.

Luckily, Fleetwood Synagogue is the kind of a closeknit, friendly community able to rise to this challenge.

Just how close-knit you ask? The idea of updating and raising the mechitza was proposed by one of the community’s youngest board members, after hearing from new and potential members that doing so would make them more comfortable at Fleetwood. Rather than knee-jerk opposition to a “johnny-come-lately’s” or an “outsider’s” criticism, the board’s response was thoughtful, via an open discussion where all voices were heard. “The important thing,” said one board member, “was that everyone approached the topic from the perspective of what was best for Fleetwood Synagogue and everyone kept an open mind.” Ultimately, the board decided to appoint a committee to study the issue, and make a recommendation for

the entire membership to consider. After investigating many of the mechitzas in Riverdale, Queens and Westchester, and taking a communal survey with over 90% of Fleetwood members responding, the Mechitza Committee’s presentation was overwhelming recommended by the board, and the design enthusiastically approved at the annual membership meeting. Less than three months after the membership approved the project, a team of Fleetwood members was installing the completed additions to the Mechitza.

According to Fleetwood’s rabbi, Rabbi Daniel Rosenfelt, such participation is encouraged and this level of engagement is critical to the

feeling of community that infuses Fleetwood’s membership. “While we value our close proximity to neighboring Jewish communities and New York City (Riverdale and New Rochelle are both less than a 10 minute drive away, and a five minute walk to the Fleetwood Metro North Station puts you 25 minutes from Grand Central Terminal) we also appreciate our “small town feel.” At Fleetwood everyone counts! Every man, woman and child has a strength he or she can offer to our community.” Everyone, even the youngest or the newest members, feels like a community leader – making a difference.

“This is a very exciting time for our communi-

ty,” says Rabbi Rosenfelt.

“We are truly on the cusp of putting Fleetwood on the map.” In the past ten months, five new families have moved into Fleetwood from Riverdale, the Upper West Side, Brooklyn and the Five Towns. The better you get to know Fleetwood, says the rabbi, the easier it is to see why. They were drawn in by Fleetwood neighborhood’s tree-lined streets, the reasonable commute to New York City, the availability of affordable, beautiful homes within the eruv – many for under $500K – and its proximity to a range of Yeshivot and day schools.

Thank you to Joshua Schickman and Ilene Davison for contributing to this article.

Young Israel of West Hempstead to Host 7th Annual Yad Leah Clothing Drive for Israel

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ad Leah is a volunteer organization whose mission is to assist and support needy families in Israel by providing them with warm, comfortable clothing in a dignified fashion. Through a network of 23 thrift shops around the county, Yad Leah reaches thousands of needy Israeli families preparing them to go to school, go to work or just greet each day with confidence.

The 7th Annual West Hempstead Yad Leah clothing drive is slated for Sunday, October 14, 2018 from

10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Young Israel of West Hempstead 630 Hempstead Ave, West Hempstead, NY. Volunteers will be available to greet and assist donors. All donations of excellent-quality infant through adult clothing are desperately needed as well as linen, towels, tablecloths, handbags, shoes, hair accessories and all outerwear.

A tax-deductible donation of $25 to Yad Leah is suggested to defray shipping costs. For more informa-

tion, contact Chaya Pollak chaipol@ optonline.net or www.yadleah.org A Yad Leah glimpse at how your clothing transforms lives: Avigail hesitantly tapped on the door of one of Yad Leah’s 25 clothing thrift shops in Israel. She had finally just left a local women’s shelter with her three children and was now seeking to start life over again.

She came looking for sneakers for all three children. The kids also desperately wanted “normal nice”

clothes they could wear to school without broadcasting to everyone their economic and social status.

An hour later, Avigail left with four bags overflowing with beautiful clothes. It almost seemed that the clothes were hand-picked and sent from America just for her family. As she exited, Avigail seemed to be walking taller accompanied by her three children with beaming smiles, now confident and ready to go back to school.

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

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The Linda Mitgang Learning Initiative at Congregation Beth Sholom

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ongregation Beth Sholom is pleased to announce the establishment of the Linda Mitgang, a”h, Learning Initiative. The Linda Mitgang a”h Learning Initiative will be dedicated to providing Beth Sholom’s full array of Torah learning opportunities for all ages and interests. In addition to strengthening their ongoing Scholars in Residence speakers, classes, shiurim, chaburot, and Daf Yomi, they are envisioning a new initiative whereby experts in a variety of subjects will offer courses in specific areas, e.g. Jewish history and Israel, medical ethics, spirituality, Tanach, halacha, relationships, etc.

The Mitgang family felt that this would be an appropriate tribute to their wife and mother, Linda Mitgang, a”h. Linda Mitgang, a”h, was an extraordinary wife and mother. She was an active member of the Beth Sholom and greater Five

Towns community for almost 40 years. Together with her husband Charlie, she lovingly raised her family with the values of a strong commitment to Torah education. Linda was a very intelligent and growth-oriented person who instilled this value in her children and grandchildren. She loved to read and to learn new things.

She enjoyed hearing the Rabbi’s weekly drasha and attending shiurim, often with her children. She was so proud to be part of a thriving frum community.

We will launch this exciting initiative when we host the renowned Torah scholar, Rabbi David Fohrman as we observe Linda’s first yahrzeit on Shabbat, October 20, 2018. Rabbi Fohrman will be speaking Shabbat morning at 11:00AM, as well as in the afternoon following Mincha at Shalosh Seudos. Beth Sholom is deeply grateful to Dr. Charles Mitgang and family for their extraordinary generosity to our shul and community.

HANC HS and Hofstra University Partner in a Unique Initiative

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ANC High School is thrilled to partner with Hofstra University in offering HANC students an incredible opportunity to participate in a college-level class in sports journalism. The course will take place on the Hofstra campus and students will have the opportunity to experience state-of-the-art facilities, including Hofstra University Continuing Education’s video and audio recording studios and editing room.

This course will be taught by professionals in the fields of sports journalism and broadcasting and will explore the fascinating and rapidly

evolving world of sports journalism.

Students look forward to acquiring important skills, such as developing an on-air presence and voice control, camera and audio setup, writing, editing, and working as part of a team.

HANC High School continues to pursue unique academic initiatives to enrich its students’ educational experiences in a many different areas of interest. As HANC and Hofstra further their long-standing partnership, both institutions look forward to providing additional experiential opportunities to the students of HANC.

Yeshiva University and OU Press Celebrate Completion of Soloveitchik Chumash

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eshiva University and the Orthodox Union will cohost “Remembering the Rav – Celebrating the Completion of Chumash Mesoras HaRav: The Neuwirth Edition” on Sunday, October 14 from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Yeshiva University’s Weissberg Commons. The program is free of charge and open to men and women. Part of YU’s Kollel Yom Rishon series, this special event marks the publication of the commentary on Chumash based upon the teachings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik (known to all as “the Rav”) and will include presentations from some of the Rav’s most illustrious students.

To register, go to https://oupress. org/remembering-the-rav/.

The program, led by Rabbi Simon Posner, Executive Editor of OU Press, will feature several prominent speakers, including a keynote address from Dr. Ari Berman, President of Yeshiva University. Other speakers include Rabbi Hershel Schachter, Rosh Yeshiva and Rosh Kollel at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) and senior posek at OU Kosher; Rabbi Mayer Twersky, Rosh Yeshiva at RIETS; Dr. Arnold Lustiger, the editor of Chumash Mesoras HaRav; Rabbi Menachem Genack, Rosh Yeshiva at RIETS, CEO of OU Kosher and Gen-

eral Editor of OU Press; and Rabbi Julius Berman, chairman of the OU Press Commission and a trustee of Yeshiva University.

The Chumash Mesoras HaRav, published by OU Press, has been a multi-year project to make Rabbi Soloveitchik’s commentary on the Torah readily accessible to readers.

Compiled and edited by Dr. Arnold Lustiger, the project draws upon material from dozens of published sources in Hebrew, English and Yiddish, as well as many previously unpublished lectures and tapes of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s shiurim.

This material is presented in concise English, often in the Rav’s own

language, as a running commentary alongside the Chumash text. The Chumash Mesoras HaRav presents the Rav’s philosophical insights, homiletic interpretations and Talmudic analysis in a form that transforms them from a diverse array of sources into a timeless commentary.

Rabbi Posner says that “the completion of the Chumash Mesoras HaRav project is a pioneering event in Jewish publishing and will serve to further disseminate the Rav’s Torah. The upcoming event at Yeshiva University provides us the opportunity to give kavod to the Rav and pay public tribute to his memory.”

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Around the Community

Camp RTC Premieres For Summer 2019 By: Andrea Nissel

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nrollment is now open for RTC, a premier travel camp for boys entering 9th and 10th grade. Avi Rosalimsky, camp founder and director, believes that this type of program is in high demand. Rosalimsky has been approached by Rebbeim, parents, and kids who feel that there is a lack of options for high school boys during the second month of the summer. This prompted him to create RTC, Rose’s Travel Camp, which is named after his nickname ‘Rose’, short for Rosalimsky. “I decided to start RTC at the behest of many parents and Rebbeim in both Teaneck/ Bergenfield and the Five Towns. They felt that for 9th and 10th grade boys, there was a need for a ‘frum and fun’ option for the second month. I have already planned much of the program, and I am very excited about what promises to be an unforgettable experience” expressed Rosalimsky.

The program will run for three consecutive weeks in August, from Sunday through Thursday. Campers will be taken by a coach bus to different regions in the Northeast, including Scranton/The Pocono Mountains, Philadelphia/South Jersey and Baltimore. They will participate in daily trips, such as white-water rafting, amusement parks, paintball, water tubing, stadium tours, MLB games, NFL pre-season games, swimming, intense sports leagues, and much more. After what will surely be a fun-filled day, each night, all camp participants will be staying at a hotel. In addition to Rosalimsky, the staff includes an EMT, fun and experienced counselors and world-renowned learning Rebbeim. The buses will return on Thursday night, and the boys will be home on Friday and Shabbos with their families, before they depart again on Sunday for another fun-filled week.

Rosalimsky has extensive experience working with kids of all ages.

In recent years, he has served as a Rebbe, a mentor/advisor, a division head, a baseball league commissioner, a youth director, and a program director for junior high school and high school boys. Through his various positions, Rosalimsky has

worked with and impacted the lives of hundreds of kids in the NY-NJ Metropolitan area. Rosalimsky’s students and campers describe him as warm, fun, caring, and someone who will always go above and beyond for them. Rosalimsky is currently attending the Yeshiva University Semicha program as well as the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration.

Rabbi Chaim Marcus, Rav of Congregation Israel in Springfield, New Jersey, will be joining the camp and is eager to spend quality time learning and developing meaningful relationships with the campers. Rabbi Marcus is a beloved Rebbe at both Bruriah High School and Camp Kaylie. “I’m very excited to be a part of this great new travel camp that is being headed by Avi Rosalimsky. With Avi at the helm, it will surely have real ruach and amazing experiences for the boys. B”EH it will be a camp that everyone will gain from in many ways,” said Rabbi Marcus.

Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz, Rav of Beis Haknesses of North Woodmere, Senior Rebbe in both Landers College for Men and DRS High School for Boys, Head of the Masmidim Program in Camp Kaylie, and world-renowned educator, will also be joining the program. “RTC is a much-needed camp option for those who want their sons to have an incredibly fun, yet unshakably frum summer experience. I am very much looking forward to being involved with this very special camp,” said Rabbi Lebowitz.

Joining the all-star line-up of counselors for RTC will be Moshe Bennett. Bennett is currently learning at Yeshivat Sha’alvim and is a graduate of DRS High School, where he was a well-known basketball star. Bennett is also a counselor at Camp Kaylie and enjoys learning and playing ball with his campers.

“I am really excited about joining the staff of RTC. It’s going to be an awesome experience and tons of fun for the campers. This is a truly great program for anyone looking for an amazing second month option this summer,” commented Bennett.

Teaneck residents Eva and Mordy Rothberg registered their son Avi

for RTC. “We are really excited that Avi Rosalimsky has decided to start RTC as a second month option. Avi is amazing with the boys and he knows exactly how to facilitate fun and exciting programs, while maintaining a truly frum and wholesome environment.” The Rothbergs believe that RTC will provide high school boys with a winning combination of enter-

tainment, growth and relationships to last a lifetime.

Registration is currently open for summer 2019. There is an early bird incentive of a $100 discount for those who enroll by Sunday, October 14th. For more information or to register your son, please email Avi Rosalimsky at RoseTravelCamp@ gmail.com.

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Simchat Chaver Program

By Jon Stefansky

W

hat a difference a year makes. Last year, one of my best friends saw a notice for a new engaging and interactive halacha shiur that placed a focus on real world day-to-day applicability and the two of us decided to give it a chance. Twelve months later, and we’ve attained a real practical knowledge of the halachot of baser v’chalev, bishul akum, pat akum, tevilat keylim and hagalat keylim, but even more importantly, suddenly, unexpectedly we’re all on fire from our learning.

This has all been made possible by a revolutionary new way of learning called the Simchat Chaver Program (SCP). This program, led by Rav Elyada Goldwicht, synthesizes a fun, engaging and interactive way of learning with real world applicability and serious learning.

On a personal level, with so many distractions in our life, the thought of sitting in a shiur for an hour after a long day of work was quite daunting. However, I can truly say that the time literally flies by and everyone is eagerly awaiting the following week’s shiur. I think this has a lot to do with the structure of the shiur, which begins with an ethical/philosophical section explaining the reasons behind why we do the mitzvot. This is followed by cutting-edge halachic questions that brings real practical everyday scenarios into play while eliciting some good laughs and debate along the way. Then we get into

the meat of the shiur learning from all the traditional texts from the Rishonim and Achronim to the contemporary poskim, and in the process answering the questions that we started with.

But it’s not your traditional shiur or chabura, SCP shiurim also include videos that bring the halacha to life (not sure who thinks to put a GoPro in a dishwasher…), hands-on demonstrations, and for the competitive side occasional Kahoot! contests. And to be honest the beer and chips don’t hurt!

At the end of the zman there is comprehensive exam – this is the point where I thought, “see ya!” But the genius behind this is that it cre-

ates a means to deeply review and retain the full curriculum and months later I’m able to accurately answer relevant halachic questions in my home. The other massive benefit is the way the family now perceives you, yes, they may make fun of me studying like I’m in school (not that I did much studying there…) but the program has changed the discussions at my Shabbos table and seeing me sitting, reviewing the material with my buddies, really shows them the importance that Torah is playing in our lives.

Finally, the crowning achievement. The end of the zman is marked by a siyum where all the participants and their families join together to

celebrate our success. We receive a Simchat Chaver certification signed by arguably the three greatest Torah giants of our generations, the former Av Beit Din in Yerushalyim, Ha’Rav Zalman Nechemiah Goldberg; the former chief Rabbi of Israel and now Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, Ha’ Rav Shlomo Amar; and by the Rosh Yeshiva and Rosh Kollel of YU Ha’Rav Herschel Schachter. It’s also a night that can’t help but inspire you for the next zman.

SCP has been massively successful in Israel with shiurim in Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh and now Efrat, and is branching out to the U.S. with shiurim in the Five Towns led by Rav Aryeh Lebowitz, Queens led by Rav Shmuel Marcus, Teaneck led by Rav Jonathan Schachter, and Virgina led

by Rav Adan Winston. The Orthodox Union, the world-renowned organization with a mission to engage, strengthen and lead the Orthodox Jewish Community, is now sponsoring SCP. Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz will be giving the shiur once a week starting this upcoming Tuesday night, Oct. 16, at Beis HaKnesses of North Woodmere (BKNW) at 9pm.

This program will mamesh change your life so come join the movement!

For more info: semichatchaver@ gmail.com.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

What’s Happening at Rambam Mesivta

A

fter only a few days at Rambam Mesivta, the school year is off to an amazing start highlighted by Rambam’s signature approach to Torah, middos, excellence, chessed, and experiential programming.

Over 30 Rambam talmidim are participating in the school’s “Early Morning Learning Club” and another 25 are participating in Rambam’s Masmidim/Extra Learning Program during lunch and at night. The Masmidim Program, led by Assistant Principal Rabbi Avrum Haar, is also preparing the talmidim to take part in the YU Bronka Weintraub Bekius Program. Last year, Rambam had a number of students who exceled on the Bekius exams earning hundreds of dollars toward seforim as well as recognition from YU. There have also been numerous opportunities for the boys to bond with one another and their rebbeim.

The freshmen had an orientation bowling trip and there was a schoolwide tisch the first week of school.

During Sukkos, the Rosh Mesivta, Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman, had students come to his sukkah for a Simchas Beis Hashoeivah. Rabbi Knoll, Rabbi Haar, and Rabbi Sicklick also

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had students over to their homes for Sukkos divrei Torah, singing, and nosh.

The school has also been active getting involved in chessed and giving back. A fund has been taken up in memory of Ari Fuld H”yd which will be used to create a chessed account. Every year, a chessed trip, such as the this year’s Cemetery Clean-up Trip where Rambam freshmen went to Silver Lake Cemetery to engage in chessed shel emet, will be dedicated in Ari Fuld’s memory. The school also had students volunteer at the JCC Food Pantry, and arrangements have been made for Yachad students to join Rambam shiurim come Mishmar.

Rambam is also famous for its assemblies and this year there have already been a number of programs that have deeply impacted the talmidim of Rambam Mesivta. Prior to Rosh Hashana, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva University Rabbi Hershel Reichman gave the school words of chizuk. Rabbi Friedman addressed the school before Yom Kippur, while

Mr. Hillel Goldman, Associate Principal, presided over a 9/11 Assembly that featured the school’s choir, The Harmonides, singing “G-d Bless America” to what was a very moved crowd. Dr. David Pelcovitz, who holds the Gwendolyn and Joseph Straus Chair in Psychology and Jewish Education at the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education, spoke at Rambam’s Annual T-Shuva-Thon, and Rambam Principal, Rabbi Yotav Eliach, ran an assembly to educate the students about the significance of the Yom Kippur War. In terms of the contemporary issues of the day, it is worth noting that Rabbi Friedman also addressed the student body, in a non-partisan manner, to discuss the Jewish outlook on the process of the recent Supreme Court nomination/ confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

From learning, to chesed, to leadership, and seeing beyond one’s self, the school year is already off to a strong start with something for everything, with the idea that everyone gives something back.

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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

STF Honors Outstanding Community Leaders at Annual Brunch

S Last week, the Peninsula Public Library held an art reception for Sheila Safern where patrons could view the artist’s work and speak with the artist. Sheila is seen here with members of her family at the exhibit.

Real learning starts with getting along at Gesher

Roth & Company Announces the Opening of a New Office in Israel

R

oth & Company, the largest accounting firm in Brooklyn, is expanding its efforts this month with the opening of a new location in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-Managing Partner Zacharia Waxler will officially open the office for business on the 17th of October.

The new office will be Roth & Company’s third location, and its first outside of the United States. In addition to corporate headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, and a location in New Jersey, the new office strengthens Roth & Company’s presence, and supports the company’s vision for growth.

“The decision to expand our presence beyond the US, was a logical step in our business growth strategy,” said Mr. Waxler. “We recognized a growing need for an on-the-ground presence in Israel, and are excited to be fulfilling that need for our Israel-based clients.”

The new location will cater to Israeli companies operating in both the

for-profit and nonprofit sectors, offering an array of audit services. The office launches with a small team of seasoned accountants, who have expert knowledge of the market, and the skillset to provide clients with the highest-quality guidance and services.

Roth & Company was established 40 years ago in Brooklyn, New York, by Mr. Abraham Roth. The firm has since expanded to three locations, with relationships that span more than three decades, and over ninety specialized employees serving as trusted guides through the complicated maze of the financial world.

Roth & Company is proud to be a purpose driven company, providing the personalized services of a small firm with the expertise of a large organization. The firm operates according to its ethos “Beyond Business,” implementing practices that maximize benefit over profit, and putting people before the bottom line.

halom Task Force (“STF”) is pleased to announce that Mrs. Shani Traube will be their Guest of Honor at their fifth annual brunch on Sunday, November 4, 2018 at the Sephardic Temple in Cedarhurst, NY. This year’s honorees are Shani Traube, Rabbi Peretz Steinberg, Rachel Hercman, LCSW, Frady Kess, LCSW, and Sarah Chana Silverman, PhD. Shani Traube is a chessed superstar and over the years has volunteered her time with several community organizations. However, over the past 18 years, it is Shalom Task Force which has captured her heart and her focus. She is involved in many aspects of the organization, including chairing the annual brunches with her special flair. She lives in Lawrence with her husband, Dr. Charles Traube, a well-respected cardiologist. She is the proud mother of Dr. Chani Traube and Mark Goldman of Jamaica Estates, Dr. Eli Traube and Ilana Eidelman of Woodmere, and Adeena and Dov Kerner of West Hempstead. She is a proud and doting grandmother to their children.

Rabbi Peretz Steinberg, rabbi emeritus of the Young Israel of Queens Valley, is receiving the Community Leadership Award. Rabbi Steinberg is a long-time resident of Kew Gardens Hills. He learned in Yeshiva Torah Vodaath and Beis Medrash Elyon, and received smicha from Rav Moshe Feinstein.

Rabbi Steinberg has been a supporter and advisor of Shalom Task Force since its inception. The organization benefited often from his profound understanding of the delicate issues involved in marriage and divorce, and his vast experience in these areas.

Rachel Hercman, LCSW, is receiving the Shalom Task Force Professional Leadership Award. She is a psychotherapist with expertise in relationships, intimacy, and trauma.

She is in private practice on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and is a noted speaker in communities, universities, and professional trainings throughout the tristate area and

beyond. As a consultant for Shalom Task Force, Rachel has partnered in creating new programs and conversations in the Jewish community and in shifting the way sensitive topics are addressed. A native of Woodmere, she lives in Riverdale with her husband and children.

Frady Kess, LCSW, is receiving the Shalom Task Force Dedicated Service Award. Frady is a longtime resident of Flatbush. She has been a devoted STF volunteer for the past 15 years. Frady is a trained presenter of the STF Healthy Relationships workshop and has facilitated the program in numerous Brooklyn high schools. After witnessing the far-reaching impact of the Shalom Task Force on individuals and communities, Frady decided to take her training one step further. In 2010 she graduated with a Master’s Degree in Social Work. Frady is currently a social worker in private practice where she specializes in treating victims of domestic abuse and relational trauma.

Sarah Chana Silverman, PhD, is the recipient of the Shalom Task Force Hakarat Hatov Award.

She is the Director of Program Development and Evaluation at Shalom Task Force. She completed her undergraduate work at the University of California at Berkeley and received her doctorate in Social Anthropology from the State University of NY at Stonybrook.

Dr. Silverman directs Shalom Task Force’s grant program, composing, managing and evaluating grants from foundations as well as federal, state and municipal government departments. Dr. Silverman has a role in financial management for STF, and she works with community partners to expand services for victims and preventative education programs. She lives in Lawrence, NY, with her husband, close to her children and grandchildren in Far Rockaway.

For reservations, visit www.shalomtaskforce.org. For more information, email stfbrunch@gmail. com or call 1-516-773-3399.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

65

Around the Community

Pidyon Peter Chamor

O

n the second day of chol hamoed Sukkos more than a thousand people gathered in Monsey to watch a most unique event organized by JEP/Camp Nageela.

Just before Yom Kippur, Camp Nageela’s petting zoo had a very exciting arrival. A firstborn male baby donkey came along, triggering a very special mitzvah called pidyon peter chamor. This mitzvah, found is Shemos 13:13, is one of a series of mitzvos that require Jews to give or redeem their firstborns. A firstborn donkey is

redeemed by a sheep that is given to a kohen.

As the hour of redemption approached, the baby donkey, its mother and the sheep were dressed up and waited patiently as the crowds gathered. Several of Camp Nageela’s staff who work with the animals on a regular basis were on hand. There were many honored rabbanim on the stage, including Rabbi Dovid Cohen, shlita.

JEP/Nageela’s Rabbi Dovid Shenker explained the background of the mitzvah to the crowd and a kinyon

was made to make all the people who had previously bought shares in the mitzvah official partners in the ownership of the baby and the sheep. Rabbi Ami Cohen, who originally arranged the donkey coming to Nageela, made a bracha on behalf of all the partners, and one of the partners handed the sheep to the kohen. The kohen announced that the donkey was redeemed and permitted for use. Then the music and spirited dancing broke out as the crowd excitedly unified in this mitzvah.

Many Five Towns residents traveled to Monsey to be at the event, some not even realizing that the donkey was technically a Five Towns resident as well. People were glad to have a chol hamoed activity that was in keeping with the holiness of yom tov and something that children will remember for a long time.

For more information about jepli.

JEP/Nageela, visit org or campnageela.org.

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Bnos Bais Yaakov/Tichon Meir Moshe Installs Mrs. Chaya Gornish as Schoolwide Menaheles

T

his past Sunday, Bnos Bais Yaakov/Tichon Meir Moshe formally installed Mrs. Chaya Gornish as menaheles.

The program began with introductory remarks by Mr. Yoily Edelstein, who described the executive board and the administration’s realization that a need had developed for the appointment of one person who would provide direction for the entire school. He then portrayed the search for a candidate as the proverbial quest far and wide for something that one ultimately finds in his own backyard.

In introducing Mrs. Gornish, Mr. Edelstein noted that she has been involved in chinuch habanos for well over two decades, over ten of those in Tichon Meir Moshe, where she has served as both a teacher and menaheles. Throughout, she has been both admired and beloved by all students, parents and colleagues.

Drawing parallels to one of the reasons given for aliyah l’regel, Mrs. Gornish described Bnos Bais Yaakov and Tichon Meir Moshe as a “magnificent, majestic, and exemplary place of chinuch. A place of joy, splendor and kedusha. A place that has focus and direction and clarity and growth and so much more.” But, she stressed, the purpose of Bnos Bais Yaakov is not to be an institution in and of itself. It is to inculcate into each talmida that the joy and kedusha that permeate BBY/TMM also exist within her.

Mrs. Gornish described her new responsibilities as twofold: firstly, to ensure that the school “reflects the highest aspirations that we have for our daughters, in yiras shamayim, middos tovos, tzinius, hashkafos, and values,” to make sure that the institution runs professionally, efficiently and smoothly, and, of course, that it meets the highest standards of

academic excellence. And secondly, to ensure that each individual has what it takes to be able to tap into her specific potential by providing teachers with the resources to reach each student.

Mrs. Gornish acknowledged the role of the masterful and dedicated principals, curriculum coordinators, and teachers of Bnos Bais Yaakov and Tichon Meir Moshe, as well as the board of trustees and the executive board of parents in the school’s remarkable growth and success.

In describing the school’s mission, Mrs. Gornish reiterated that BBY/TMM is a Bais Yaakov and as such strives through its guidelines and policies to uphold the standards maintained throughout the history of Bais Yaakov. She expressed gratitude that Rav Elya Brudny has agreed to provide daas Torah and direction when needed.

She then asserted that the attitude that permeates Bnos Bais Yaakov is one of ashreinu mah tov chelkeinu, of joy and enthusiasm for Yiddishkeit, because that is a feeling we want to ingrain in every single talmidah.

She quoted the Bais Aharon as saying that the Hebrew letters that spell the word machshavah can be rearranged to spell b’simcha. Knowledge brings joy, and a joyful mind seeks further knowledge. Therefore, part of Bnos Bais Yaakov’s mission is to continue to create an environment that nurtures maximum educational achievement.

Rav Elya Brudny then addressed the gathering, first expressing hakaras hatov to Rav Shlomo Freifeld through whose vision Bnos Bais Yaakov was created over three decades ago, and to ybl”ch Rabbi Shmuel Hiller who stewarded the school through many years of growth and accomplishment.

He went on to say that chinuch

has changed drastically from its earliest days, especially where girls are concerned, and that the primary chinuch of all children, but especially girls, comes from the home. Rav Brudny implored the assembled to remember their role in the chinuch of their children and to place a priority on providing tangible experiences of Yiddishkeit. He lauded the

administration and mechanchos of Bnos Bais Yaakov for the avodas hakodesh that they perform day in and day out.

Attendees left the asifa gratified and impressed. We are sure that Mrs. Gornish will navigate Bnos Bais Yaakov to ever greater heights and we wish her much success in her new role.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Lion of Zion Roars as Fuld Legacy Lives On

By Tammy Mark

“E

veryone handles their grief in different ways,” explains Michal Weinstein.

“I needed to express my grief the way I know how...through my art.” After learning of the devastating news of the tragic murder of Ari Fuld, H”yd, in Israel, Weinstein, a graphic designer and event planner, created a unique graphic image, a “Lion of Zion,” to represent Fuld’s legacy.

“This image is my small tribute to Ari,” she said. “It represents the lion that he was, fighting valiantly and selflessly for Israel. It has a flame that will forever burn bright in his memory.

It has roots that he so firmly planted even in his short 45 years on earth that will continue to thrive and grow. And it says ‘Chazak Veamatz’ upon the map of Israel, which means be strong and brave. That’s what he taught us all, and that is the words we all need to live by as we continue his legacy of fighting injustice, antisemitism and

terrorism. “ Weinstein had met Fuld over a year ago, after being in touch about potential fundraising for his Standing Together organization. An outspoken supporter of Israel, Fuld was connected with many people around the world. Active and beloved in his community of Efrat, and originally from Queens, NY, so many people knew him personally. Fuld’s actual reach was far greater, as he touched countless viewers through his heartfelt videos on social media.

When Weinstein posted the Lion of Zion image on her social media pages, Fuld’s friends and followers immediately took notice. “The image for some reason just struck a chord and took off.

People wanted it on something. Someone suggested a poster for Sukkot so I thought ‘Why not...? I’ll print 50...’”

Weinstein quickly utilized her resources and contacts to bring the idea to fruition, and offered the posters for purchase in her local Five Towns community. “And then that 50 sold in a

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day,” she said. “Then everyone all over reached out. So I made each person a rep.”

Within mere hours, working the day before Yom Kippur, Weinstein had secured printers and distributers in New Jersey, Florida, California, Colorado and Israel. The campaign spread like wildfire, largely through the power of Facebook, and posters began selling out as fast as they became available. Hundreds of posters were sold in the few days leading up to Sukkot, with 100% of the profits going towards the Go-Fund-Me page set up in support of the Fuld family.

The hashtag #lionofzion soon populated the internet along with pictures of the image proudly displayed in Jewish communities across the U.S. and Israel, all in tribute to Fuld’s legacy.

Plaques with the image were created as well. A video circulated with Ambassador David Friedman being interviewed as his poster hung in the background. One of the most touching moments was when Weinstein found out that Ari Fuld’s daughter Naomi painted the image on the family’s own sukkah. Former Ambassador and current Deputy Minister of Diplomatic Affairs Michael Oren sat with Miriam and Naomi Fuld in their sukkah, and later purchased the image on a plaque for his office.

Combining her graphic skills and her fundraising expertise is not something new for Weinstein. Weinstein is the owner of Cedarhurst party planning company Events 360 as well as the cofounder of Couture for a Cause, the charitable organization she heads with Esther Silber Berg. This enabled her to mobilize the fundraiser quickly. “I have the CFAC infrastructure built already. It’s a 501c3 so I can accept donations. I have the website and PayPal.” Working with Shira Auman of New Jersey and Elana Kronenberg as her representative in Israel, hundreds of posters sold in a few short pre-holiday days. Weinstein’s campaign had indeed made a significant impact – fi-

nancially and otherwise. By the eve of Sukkot, the Lion of Zion campaign had brought the Fuld family Go-Fund-Me total over the one million dollar mark.

Weinstein was proud to be able to make a difference and amazed at how the image brought people together in such a short time. “It has been quite an intense week that started with darkness but ended with such blinding light as we all came together for Ari,” she posted.

The funds continue to come through with the latest totals being $33,000 in the U.S. and 30,000 shekels in Israel. Weinstein also created kippahs with the image in blue and white and the green and gold of the Israeli Defense Forces; 500 sold in the span of one day, with requests for shipment to Canada and Israel. Weinstein created magnets with the image as well and rep Daniel Haller printed 2,000 to be distributed across Israel.

As the holidays have concluded but the pain of the tragedy still permeates the Jewish community, Weinstein will continue to connect with like-minded people who have stepped up to help keep the campaign going. With so many other ideas being suggested to her, Weinstein hopes that any future products that others may create will all flow back to the Fuld memorial fund.

“I’m continuously amazed by the positive power of social media to unite us in times of pain,” says Weinstein.

“This only proves that as a community we are so much stronger when we combine our resources, talents and skills for a common goal.”

To get involved or to donate, visit www.coutureforacauseny.com/lionofzion.

Crazy for Kugel?

Read Jon Kranz on page 120

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Around the Community

Ezra Academy Sukkot Success

A

s most of us acclimate to the regular routine of dayto-day life, the students and staff at Ezra Academy are still living off the inspiration of Sukkot.

On the first day of Chol Hamoed, the students came to school for a special day filled with mitzvot and fun. The morning started off with Shacharit. A break was taken in the middle to enable the students to shake the lulav and etrog. For many it was their first time doing so this year. Following a lively Hallel, kriyat haTorah and Mussaf, the students were all invited to the school’s sukkah. Students enjoyed a beautiful breakfast of bagels, various spreads and pastries enabling them to fulfill the mitzvah of sitting in the sukkah, which might not have been possible for some of the students without this opportunity. Rabbi Friedler, the associate dean, shared the famous teaching of how while sitting in a sukkah it is like we are receiving a hug from Hashem, which helped all the students gain a deeper appreciation for the mitzvah they were in the midst of, literally. Following this the school then spent the day at Adventureland, where they enjoyed the rides and games. The school also had the opportunity to help place the s’chach on the Adventureland sukkah, making it a kosher sukkah.

Later in the day pizza was brought from one of the local pizza stores and a second opportunity to eat in the sukkah was enjoyed. A kiddush Hashem was displayed as many of the other families enjoying the chol hamoed outing commented on how beautiful the trip was and how impressed they were with the students.

On the night of chol hamoed, the alumni students from the past three years were invited to Rabbi Diamond’s house for a simchat beit hashoeiva. The boys showed up eager and excited to have a mini reunion. The time flew by as they shared stories, questions and enjoyed a BBQ. The night ended with divrei chizuk for the students accompanied with a little biography about Rav Shlomo Freifeld, zt”l, as it was his yartzeit that evening. As is the minhag on Hoshana Rabbah night some of the boys stayed up learning throughout the night.

The energy that came off of these special events were still felt throughout the halls when school started again and were sustained as the entire school joined together for a Rosh Chodesh breakfast. This annual tradition of a beginning of

the year breakfast kicks off the long stretch of school about to approach.

Words of inspiration were shared

by Rabbi Lesser, and Rabbi Geller taught the school a niggun which they practiced and sang together.

The breakfast ended with each stu-

dent getting a swag bag filled with nosh and school paraphernalia.

The warmth was indicative of the students’ excitement for the school year and the amazing programs yet to come.

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Around the Community

HaGaon HaRav Simcha Wasserman, zt”l, and Hagaon HaRav Moshe Chodosh, zt”l, Remembered at Hachnosas Sefer Torah

HaRav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi addressing the Hachnosas Sefer Torah event

By Yosef Sosnow

I

t was a powerful maamad of kavod haTorah attended by numerous prominent Roshei Yeshiva and Rabbonim including HaGaon HaRav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Ateres Yis-

rael of Yerushalayim; HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of the Chevron Yeshiva; and HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Yechiel Eherenfeld, shlita, Rav of Kiryat Mattesdorf.

The event was a hachnosas sefer Torah to Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon. At the event, the founding Roshei Yeshi-

Rav Dovid Hofstedter dancing with the new Sefer Torah

va of Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon, HaGaon HaRav Simcha Wasserman, zt”l, a son of Rav Elchonon Wasserman, Rosh Yeshiva of Baranovitch, and HaGaon HaRav Moshe Mordechai Chodosh, zt”l, who served as Rosh Yeshiva for decades, were remembered. Their pivotal role in creating one of Eretz Yisroel’s most distinguished network of yeshivos at a time when many naysayers thought that the yeshiva would never succeed, was highlighted.

The hachnosas sefer Torah took place on Chol Hamoed Sukkos. The sefer Torah was given by the Goldfinger family of Los Angeles. The procession began at the home of Rav Dovid Hofstedter, Nasi of Dirshu, located in the Ganei Geulah neighborhood of Yerushalayim, not far from the campus of Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon.

Rav Hofstedter enjoyed an extremely close relationship with the yeshiva’s founder, Rav Simcha Wasserman, and he hosted Rav Simcha on Rav Simcha’s frequent trips to Toronto. Through Rav Simcha, Rav Hofstedter became very close to Rav Moshe Chodosh and they maintained a close relationship until Rav Moshe’s untimely passing just over two years ago.

The kavod haTorah at the event was manifest by the participation of so many prominent Gedolim and Rabbonim who gathered at Rav Hofstedter’s home to give honor to the yeshiva. In addition to Rav Ezrachi and Rav Dovid Cohen, the current Roshei Yeshiva of Ohr Elchonon, Rav Aryeh Chodosh, a son of Rav Moshe Chodosh, and Rav Tzvi Weinfeld, a son-inlaw of Rav Moshe, were in attendance

along with many prominent talmidim of Rav Moshe Chodosh who are today Roshei Yeshiva in their own right.

Before the procession, with its enthusiastic singing and dancing from Rav Hofstedter’s apartment to the yeshiva, a beautiful gathering with drashos in honor of the occasion, was held.

The Gedolim and Rabbonim, seated at the head table in front of the sefer Torah, spoke in honor of the Torah.

Rav Aryeh Chodosh, Rosh Yeshiva of Ohr Elchonon and chairman of the event, was visibly moved as his father’s critical role in building Yeshivas Ohr Elchonon and the network of yeshivos that have grown in its wake, was highlighted.

Rav Ezrachi: A Cloak of Torah and a Table of Torah Rav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi was welcomed with great yiras hakavod. In his remarks, Rav Ezrachi, in his classic engaging and commanding delivery, chose to speak about a seemingly obscure pasuk in Tanach. He explained how the pasuk tells us that Chana, the mother of Shmuel Hanavi, made a coat for her son Shmuel. Why, he asked, does the pasuk choose to tell us this fact? The Torah does not simply tell us history. Only lessons that are relevant for future generations are contained in the Tanach. Why, for generation after generation, do we read that Chana sewed a me’il, a coat, for her son Shmuel?

Rav Boruch Mordechai answered with a profound lesson. “The pasuk,” Rav Boruch Mordechai said, “is telling us that the me’il is not simply a cov-

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Around the Community ering, it is itself gufei Torah. The garment that covered Shmuel Hanavi is not simply a covering, rather it became one with the Torah. Similarly, a covering of a sefer Torah is much more than a covering. It has kedusha, it is akin to gufei Torah!” Rav Ezrachi continued, “It is no coincidence that the hachnosas sefer Torah to a holy yeshiva such as Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon is going out from the home of Rav Hofstedter. It is around this table upon which the sefer Torah is now laying that so many machshavos of Torah, chiddushei Torah are created; so many ideas for chizuk haTorah, chizuk of lomdei Torah and for facilitating yedias haTorah have their source in this table and this home! Thus, it is so appropriate that the sefer Torah should be escorted from this house to the yeshiva.”

Rav Dovid Cohen: “Baruch Asher Yakim Es Divrei Hatorah Hazos” Rav Dovid Cohen, Rosh Yeshiva of the Chevron Yeshiva, also voiced the feelings of many at the event. He explained that the Torah gives a special bracha to a person who raises the Torah, “Baruch asher yakim es divrei haTorah hazos – blessed are those who uphold the words of the Torah.” A per-

son who has established organizations like Dirshu with its transformative effect on limud haTorah in Klal Yisroel, a person who has established the kiruv organization Acheinu that has taken young people from non-religious and traditional homes and transformed them into true bnei Torah personifies the ideal of “baruch asher yakim es divrei haTorah hazos,” blessed are those who uphold the words of the Torah. It is therefore truly fitting that the Torah come forth from this house on its way to its permanent home in Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon.”

Rav Elchonon’s Matzeiva Rav Dovid Hofstedter was then asked to address the assemblage. In his remarks, Rav Hofstedter reminisced about the early years of the yeshiva.

“I remember decades ago when the yeshiva was established. At the time Rav Simcha Wasserman was an elderly man, in his 80’s and Rav Moshe Chodosh was a relatively young man.

They came to Toronto with a dream of opening a yeshiva which, in Rav Simcha’s words, would be a matzeiva for his illustrious father, Rav Elchonon Wasserman, who had been murdered by the Nazis in Kovno and had no matzeiva. There were plenty of skeptics

and naysayers who questioned, ‘How will Rav Simcha, an elderly man, pull this off? How can a young man like Rav Moshe Chodosh take on such an ambitious project?’”

Rav Hofstedter explained with a question on the haftarah that was read on the first day of Sukkos. “The pasuk there states that at the end of days the remaining nations of the world will come and celebrate Sukkos. The pasuk goes on, ‘And if they do not come to celebrate, lo alayhem yihyeh hagashem – they will not have rain.’

“What connection do the nations of the world have with Sukkos?” Rav Dovid asked. “Some meforshim explain that celebrating Sukkos doesn’t mean sitting in the sukkah but rather that the nations will bring the korbanos.”

Still, why will they specifically bring korbanos on Sukkos?

The connection of the nations with Sukkos is that Sukkos is the holiday of the harvest. It is the time of the year when Hashem bestows His shefa of bracha on us. At the time of Moshiach, even the nations will understand that the shefa comes only from Hashem.

They will realize that although they have no connection to the mitzvah of sukkah and they cannot sit in the shad-

ow of Hashem, they will still understand that all material bounty comes from Hashem. If they do not recognize this, then Hashem will take away that shefa and “lo alayhem yihyeh hagashem – they will not have rain.”

From here we learn that when a person sees the hand of Hashem, it is incumbent on him to recognize it and publically declare that all of his success and siyatta d’Shmaya comes directly from Hashem.

Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon has grown into one of Klal Yisroel’s most distinguished yeshivos despite the naysayers’ predictions at its inception. Perhaps the secret to its success was the fact that Rav Simcha Wasserman and Rav Moshe Chodosh always saw the yad Hashem in everything they did and recognized that the entire shefa, spiritual and material, was siyatta d’Shmaya. At this maamad of kavod haTorah we see the fruits of their labor and their emunah!

As the massive crowd enthusiastically danced the sefer Torah to its new home, the pervasive simcha was the profound simcha of the knowledge that Hashem was continuing to bless the yeshiva along with the successors of Rav Simcha and Rav Moshe, with great siyata d’Shmaya!

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TJH

Centerfold

Supreme Facts When the nine judges meet to discuss cases, the most recent appointee to the court is in charge of taking notes, answering phones, opening the door, and pouring coffee for his or her colleagues. Toward the end of Justice Stephen Breyer’s ten-year run as coffee server, he asked Scalia, “I’ve gotten pretty good at this, haven’t I?” Scalia replied, “No, you haven’t.” Justice Kagan Kagan described her door-opening duties in an address to Princeton in 2014: “Literally, if there is a knock on the door and I don’t hear it, there will not be a single other person who will move. They’ll just all stare at me until I figure out ‘Oh, I guess somebody knocked on the door.’”

For the first 146 years of its existence, the Supreme Court did not have its own building. Justices reportedly met in different rooms of the Capitol building and also frequented private homes and bars to discuss their cases.

The top floor of the Supreme Court building houses a gym, including a basketball court dubbed “the highest court in the land.”

Each day the court is in session, white quill pens are placed on the counsel desks. This tradition dates back to the early days of the court. Recipients often take the quills home as souvenirs, since the pens aren’t actually used in court.

In 1893 the Supreme Court ruled, in Nix vs. Hedden, that tomatoes are vegetables not fruit.

Four U.S. presidents never had the opportunity to appoint a Supreme Court Justice. They are: William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Andrew Johnson, and Jimmy Carter.

Justices are seated in order of seniority. The chief justice takes the center chair. The senior associate justice sits to his right, the second in seniority to his left, and the rest alternate right and left by seniority. If two justices join the court on the same day, their seniority and thus seating order is determined by age.

Every time the justices go on the bench or meet together to conference cases, each justice shakes hands with each of the other justices.

On argument days, a buzzer sounds about five minutes before the oral argument starts. The justices go to the robing room where each justice has a locker and attendants help the justices fasten their robes.

Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife’s favorite activity is touring the U.S. in their RV and camping out in Walmart parking lots. According to Justice Thomas’ wife, “Clarence gets recognized every once in a while, and that sort of puts a damper on things because when we’re out, we kind of like to be incognito, if you know what I mean.”

Justice Scalia, who passed away in 2016, was vocal, quick-witted and among the most vocal interrogators of the lawyers who appeared before the court. During Scalia’s first argument session as a court member, in 1986, Justice Powell leaned over and asked a colleague, “Do you think he knows that the rest of us are here?”

You gotta be

kidding

Judge: Is there any reason you could not serve as a juror in this case?

Juror: I don’t want to be away from my job that long.

Judge: Can’t they without you at work?

Juror: Yes, but I don’t want them to know it.

do

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Supreme Court Trivia 5. A new Supreme Court justice must be approved, or confirmed, by who? a. The House b. The Senate c. The president d. The Justice Department 6. Which U.S. president later served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?

b. Thomas Jefferson

b. 7

c. Oliver Wendell Holmes

c. Bill Clinton d. Barack Obama 4. The annual Supreme Court term starts on the first Monday of which month? a. September

a. George Washington b. Franklin Roosevelt c. Ronald Reagan d. Barack Obama

 Answers

d. William Howard Taft 7. Which of the following is not a famous Supreme Court decision? a. Confederate States of America v. Lincoln

1. D

b. Ronald Reagan

10. Which president appointed the most Supreme Court justices?

2. C

a. John F. Kennedy

9. What is the annual salary of the associate

d. $500,000

3. B

3. Who was the first president to nominate a female to the Supreme Court?

d. All 3 were rejected by the Democrats

c. $325,000

4. D

d. 11

c. All 3 were rejected by the Republicans

b. $250,500

a. Ben Franklin

a. 5

c. 9

b. 2 were rejected by the Democrats; 1 was rejected by Republicans

a. $249,300

5. B

2. How many justices are there on the Supreme Court (assuming there are no vacancies)?

d. October

6. D

d. 96-3

a. 2 were rejected by Republicans; 1 was rejected by Democrats

7. A

c. 78-22

c. March

justices on the Supreme Court?

8. D

b. 66-34

those nominees?

9. A

a. 50-48

b. January

10. A

1. Justice Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court last weekend by a vote of 50-48. What was the vote count in 1993, when Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was nominated by then-President Clinton?

b. Marbury v. Madison c. Roe v. Wade d. Bush v. Gore 8. Since 1930, only three Supreme Court nominees were rejected.

Which party rejected

 Wisdom Key 8-10 correct: Mr. Future Supreme Court Justice, I wish you good luck with the confirmation process!

4-7 correct: You are hardly the swing vote.

0-3 correct: Don’t you just love the green and yellow robes the Supreme Court justices wear?

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Torah Thought

Parshas Noach

By Rabbi Berel Wein

T

he opening sections of the Torah with which we are currently engaged in studying deal with one of the central problems of human existence, and that is the ability to cope with tragedy, disappointment and frustration. The adjustment of human beings to being driven out of the Garden of Eden is really the entire story of human civilization and of its very bleak moments.

This week we read of the difficulty of Noach and his descendants to cope with the tragedy that they witnessed when the Great Flood destroyed the Mesopotamian human civilization.

There were different reactions to what they had witnessed and experienced.

Noach himself forsook much of his spiritual greatness and accomplishment to become a person of the earth, traumatized by the experiences of the

past.

The English expression for this type of attitude is that one attempts to drown his sorrows away. As is recorded for us in this week’s Torah reading, this attitude and behavior leads to disaster and complete family dysfunction. The opportunity for resilience and family and national rebuilding is lost and squandered.

There is a strong inclination within each of us to be overwhelmed by challenging circumstances and tragedies. It is not easy to put one’s life back together after witnessing an

and morality by building of the Tower of Babel. They knew of G-d and they knew of the Flood, but they rebelled as a sign of their displeasure with what humankind suffered at the hands of Heaven.

It is historically accurate to say that after great wars and tragedies, decades of decadence and immorality suffuse human society. It is this rebellion against what experience should have taught them that leads to further disaster. It is a different symptom of the same malady, the lack of resilience which often engulfs entire

There is a strong inclination within each of us to be overwhelmed by challenging circumstances and tragedies.

event such as the Great Flood. Yet, this is exactly what the rabbis pointed out to us as the major difference between Noach and Abraham. Tested ten times, Abraham’s resilience never wanes, and he continues to look forward towards accomplishment.

This week’s Torah reading indicates another reaction to tragedy with rebellion and an abandonment of principles, beliefs and faith. The generations after the Flood, in their anger and despondency over the punishment that Heaven meted out to humankind, rebelled against G-d

societies and, as history has proven, eventually leads to their demise and disappearance.

This description of human behavior, as outlined above, is of enormous instruction to us in our time. We are still the generation reminiscent of the sword raised to destroy the Jewish people and endanger the existence of the Jewish national state. Only by our resilience and tenacity in following the lead of our father Abraham are we guaranteed to have overcome the challenges that face us.

Shabbat shalom.

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

From the Fire

Parshas Noach Fur Coats and Fires

By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

T

he first pasuk in this week’s parsha says, “Eila toldos Noach, Noach ish tsaddik tamim hau b’dorosav, These are the generations of Noach, Noach was a pure tzaddik in his generations.” Rashi quotes two opinions to explain why the word b’dorosav is inserted, seemingly unnecessarily, into the pasuk. The second and most difficult explanation is that “in his own generation, he was a tzaddik. But had he lived in the generation of Avraham Avinu, he would have been considered nothing.” Generally speaking, it is not a good idea to compare people, especially tzaddikim. Considering the fact that the Torah itself testifies that Noach was an ish tzaddik, why do Chazal go out of their way to say something negative about him?!

Returning to last weeks’ parsha for a moment, Rav Moshe Teitelbaum, the Yismach Moshe, offers an explanation of the pasuk in parshas Bereishis (1:24), “Let us make man in Our image and in Our likeness.” Chazal would have been saved from much aggravation throughout history if Hashem had simply said, “I shall make man” instead of “let us make man.”

Notwithstanding the explanation Rashi gives for a moment, the Yismach Moshe gives an amazing answer by first asking why Hashem says, “And Hashem saw that it was good” with regard to everything that He created except for man. He asks why man, the pinnacle of creation, is not called “good,” while everything else He made is called “good.”

He answers that everything else was created in a state of sheleimus, perfection. The Maharal explains that the word for animal in Hebrew, beheima, means “bah mah, it is what it is.” Man,

however, was not created to be static.

He was not created in a state of sheleimus like the rest of creation. Instead, he was created to perfect himself and make himself good. Man’s creation, in and of itself, does not constitute his perfection.

The Yismach Moshe uses this idea to explain the meaning of the pasuk mentioned above. Hashem says to each and every one of us: “Let us – you and Me – make man. We will be partners in your creation. I will give you the things you need and you will make your own

Hashem in the creation of that person.

The Tosefta in Horios (2:7) teaches us the same thing in such a beautiful way: “When anyone brings one creature under the wings of the Divine Presence, it is considered as if he created him, formed him, and brought him into the world.”

Similarly, the Koznitzer Magid, Rav Yisroel Haupstein, explains the pasuk in Iyov 5:7, “Man was created to work hard” in a novel way. He says that the word “l’amal,” stands for the words “l’lmod al m’nas l’lameid, to learn in

A person cannot achieve personal perfection if he ignores the imperfections of others.

“ki tov,” you will make yourself good.”

We can also expand on the Yismach Moshe’s explanation in the following way: just as Hashem created mankind generally, He tells man: “Let us be partners in the creation of mankind. You must not only perfect yourself, but also create mankind.” But how can man be a partner in the creation of mankind?

The Gemara in Sanhedrin 99b says, “Reish Lakish says: When someone teaches another man’s child Torah, the Torah considers it as if he created him.”

When one helps another person attain sheleimus, he is actually a partner with

order to teach.” In other words, on the level of drush, the pasuk means man was created in order to teach others Torah, and thereby to create them as well.

The Gemara in Sanhedrin uses a pasuk to support the idea that when someone helps another person perfect himself he actually creates him.

It quotes the pasuk in Bereishis 12:5, “The souls that [Avram and Sarai] made in Charan.” Because Avram and Sarai taught those people Torah and brought them under the wings of the Divine Presence, the Torah says that they “made” them.

Perhaps this is why Chazal went out of their way to compare Avraham to Noach. Noach paskened like the Yismach Moshe. He heard Hashem saying to him: “Na’aseh Adam, you and I will be partners in turning you into what man was meant to become, one who has attained sheleimus.” And Noach did it. He attained sheleimus. But in order to show that the purpose of man is not only to perfect himself, but to help others attain perfection as well, Chazal compared Noach to Avraham to show that there is no comparison between two people if one lives only to improve himself and the other lives to improve the lot of the world. A person cannot achieve personal perfection if he ignores the imperfections of others.

There is a Yiddish term used to describe Noach. It is said that he was a tzaddik in peltz, a “tzaddik in a fur coat.” The world is cold and needs warmth. Noach was a tzaddik that responded by wearing a fur coat so that at least he would be warm. But the other type of tzaddik sees that people are cold so he starts lighting ovens and fires to warm people up. Avraham Avinu saw that the world was far from the warmth of a connection to the Ribbono Shel Olam. He therefore made fires and warmed up the whole world and by doing that he “made souls.”

We should not only strive to be people who live only for ourselves. We must work for the perfection of the people around us as well. It is not enough to sit as a tzaddik in peltz.

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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Between the Lines

The Arrogance of Assumption

By Eytan Kobre

Assumptions are the termites of relationships.

-Henry Winkler

H

er flight delayed, a woman waiting in an airport bought a book and a bag of cookies to help pass the time. She seated herself near her boarding gate and quickly became engrossed in her book – the perfect time to open that bag of cookies.

Just then, a man flopped down in the next seat and opened his own book.

Just after the woman reached into the bag of cookies and removed the first one, the man reached into the bag and grabbed one too. The woman couldn’t believe it. How could he just reach into my bag of cookies and take one? Without asking? What nerve!

For each cookie she took, the man also took one – a pattern that continued until only one cookie remained.

Without hesitation, the man plucked the last cookie from the bag, broke it in half, ate one half, and placed the other half back in the bag.

Now the woman lost it. She

slammed her book closed, grabbed her carry-on bag, and stormed off.

But imagine her shock when she boarded the airplane, located her seat, and opened her carry-on to find her bag of cookies right at the top – unopened!

When the floodwaters subsided, Noach dispatched a raven to determine whether the earth once again had become habitable. But instead of venturing out, the raven flew roundand-round the ark because it assumed that Noach desired its mate (Sanhedrin 108b; Ohr HaChaim, Bereishis 8:7). Rather than play a pivotal role in world history and the restoration of civilization, the raven failed its vital mission because of a series of nonsensical assumptions. All that is recorded for posterity now is that the dove – not the raven – found dry land.

We often act no differently. They didn’t invite us to their simcha because they’re upset at us. We have a better marriage than they do. That guy has anger management issues. Those people have (or don’t have) money. He is unintelligent. She is selfish. There are so many things the eyes do not see and the mind cannot explain. But rather

than ask questions, we conjure up assumptions and draw conclusions.

Shlomo Carlebach told of a Shabbos he spent in a post-war European community. He was shocked to discover that the cantor leading the services in shul couldn’t sing and garbled his words. Sure that the cantor had used money or influence to strong-arm his way to the podium, and equally disappointed that the shul had allowed him to do so, Carlebach sought an explanation from a regular congregant.

“Oh, him?” said the congregant.

“Before the war, he was the chief cantor of the large Jewish community of Lvov.

His voice was steady and powerful and penetrating; Jews from across Europe came to listen to his stirring services.

Then the Nazis, ym”sh, arrived. He and his family were sent to Auschwitz. His wife and children were murdered. He was kept alive but endured unspeakable torture. The Nazis forced him to sing endlessly while they ridiculed him, and then they mangled his tongue so that he no longer could sing.”

The congregant shook his head and continued. “We beg him to lead us in prayer, but he always refuses. Today, for some reason, he finally agreed.”

Carlebach’s assumptions had made perfect sense – and yet, somehow, they were misplaced.

We see fragments in a sequence of events, and our minds work overtime to fill the gaps and weave the snippets into a convenient (and often self-serving) narrative. We concoct all sorts of ideas about other people – what they’re doing, why they’re doing it, what they’re thinking, what they’re saying – most of which are cut from whole cloth.

Some assumptions can, of course, be useful (even necessary). Food that smells or appears rotten is assumed to be spoiled even without eating it.

A smile is assumed to be an invitation to friendly interactions. And when we assume the best of others, we are heartened when they validate those expectations.

A man (reputed to be R’ Akiva) once traveled from the Upper Galilee to work for an employer in the south of Eretz Yisrael for a three-year term (Shabbos 127b). When the term of employment concluded on Yom Kippur eve of the third year, the employer claimed that he had no money with which to pay the worker’s wages.

“Give me fruit instead,” said the

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

worker.

“I have no fruit,” answered the employer.

“Give me land.”

“I have none.”

“Animals?”

“Don’t have.”

“Quilts and pillows?”

“Nope.”

So the worker returned home, emptyhanded and disappointed.

Soon after the holidays concluded, the employer arrived at the worker’s home with the overdue wages and three donkeys laden with food, drink, and goodies.

“Tell me,” the employer inquired, “what did you think when I claimed that I could not pay your wages?”

“I assumed,” answered the worker, “that you had obtained merchandise at a bargain price, spent all your money, rented out your land and animals, had not yet tithed your fruit, and consecrated all your possessions to the Beis HaMikdash, rendering them off-limits.”

“I swear to you,” the employer re-

plied, “that is exactly what happened!

I consecrated all my possessions to avoid bequeathing them to my son Hurkanos, who did not wish to study Torah. Only later did I have my vows annulled.”

But the wrong assumptions eat away at our respect, trust, and love for one another. And yet, by making

our own subjective experiences, and we assume arrogantly that we have all the answers. One assumption leads to another, and before we know it, we’ve drawn conclusions that we will defend doggedly.

We ought to do just the opposite.

“Do not judge your friend until you reach his place” (Avos 2:4). Without

Rather than ask questions, we conjure up assumptions and draw conclusions.

assumptions rather than inquiries, we rob ourselves and others of the opportunity for true harmony. Assumptions truly are like termites because both are silent killers, eating away at their prey gradually and inappreciably until there’s nothing left. We use a snapshot of what we imagine to be, colored by

the full picture and all the facts and background – not being in precisely the same predicament as those about whom we make assumptions – we cannot draw the right conclusions.

“Because man sees what is apparent to the eyes; G-d sees what is in the heart” (I Shmuel 16:7).

And, yet, even G-d does not make assumptions (so to speak). When mankind gathered to build the Tower of Babel and ascend to the heavens, G-d “descended to see the city and the tower” (Bereishis 11:5). G-d can see everything just fine from where He is, but He descended to earth “to teach humanity not to make assumptions and to not say anything which they have not actually seen” (Tanchuma, Bereishis 18).

So before assuming the worst about relatives or friends or neighbors or co-workers, take a page from G-d’s playbook. Shed your preconceived notions. Challenge your assumptions.

Keep an open mind. Inquire about what you may not have seen or may not know.

You might just discover that those cookies being eaten were never yours to begin with.

Eytan Kobre is a writer, speaker, and attorney living in Kew Gardens Hills. Questions? Comments? Suggestions? E-mail eakobre@outlook.com.

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World

Builders

Teamwork, Dedication and Volunteerism

By Raphael Poch

Rabbi Daniel Katzenstein

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abbi Daniel Katzenstein made aliyah from Dallas, Texas, and currently resides in Jerusalem’s Neve Yaakov neighborhood. He is the Director of Donor Communications for United Hatzalah and is also an active volunteer EMT. In addition to being one of the longest standing EMTs in the organization, Katzenstein is one of the founding members of the organization’s Psychotrauma and Crisis Response Unit. He brings his rich and varied experience to United Hatzalah in a wide range of activities – from CPR instruction to design and supervision of Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) training. He also assists in the creation of web content and grant proposals and

Daniel, in the white shirt, participating in a mass casualty training drill as a patient and instructor

leads international delegations as well as hosting webinars. Prior to his work at United Hatzalah he was a partner in TopTrans Translation Services and then CEO of the ad agency, Motagim. He and his wife Shira have 9 children and 7 grandchildren.

Being a rabbi has allowed Katzenstein a certain amount of perspective with regards to the melding of religions and cultures within United Hatzalah.

“From the religious perspective, saving a life is of such supreme importance that when you’re saving someone else, or someone is saving you, it’s so incredibly logical that all these external differences, such as religion and gender, fade into ir-

relevance,” he said. “We are always sensitive to the cultural differences so as not to offend anyone, but the flip side is the understanding that saving a life is of tantamount importance.”

He added, “As a volunteer EMT in the United Hatzalah network, one never knows when the call will come in. They happen in the middle of the night, while one is at a family simcha or even during morning prayers. It is very clear in Judaism that saving a life takes priority over everything else including Shabbat and Yom Kippur. It looks a little bit odd when a guy whips off his tallit in shul and runs out in the middle of services but people understand that something critical has oc-

curred.” Daniel added, “Tefillin are more difficult and time-consuming to remove so often they don’t come off when an emergency happens.

I’ve done CPR for an hour and a half with my tefillin on and that hurts.”

Katzenstein recently had an emergency call while attending his own niece’s wedding. “A 55-yearold guest suddenly collapsed after losing consciousness while at my niece’s wedding in the Givat Shaul neighborhood of Jerusalem,” Katzenstein said. “I rushed over to treat the man and made sure that someone called United Hatzalah for help as well. The guest was from the chatan’s side, so I didn’t know him.

He collapsed, lost consciousness, and was in need of immediate med-

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ical attention. In less than a minute from the time the call was placed, other volunteers began to arrive.

The man was taken in an intensive care ambulance to the hospital in serious condition. When the man collapsed he sustained a serious injury to his head. It was a very good thing that he received attention and care as quickly as possible, so I’m doubly happy that I was at the wedding,” Katzenstein added.

But it is not only speed and expert care that they provide to their patients that Katzenstein finds compelling about the organization. It is also its inclusiveness.

“What I find special about United Hatzalah is that there’s no expectation that a religious Jew needs to tone down his religiosity; there is similarly no expectation of a Muslim or a Christian. There’s also no requirement that someone who’s secular upgrade their religiosity,” he added. “We often work side-by-side and just as the time, space and qui-

et is provided to allow a minyan of Jews to daven, that level of respect is returned to allow an Arab volunteer praying his way, or a Christian praying his way or someone not praying. This can even happen

Katzenstein is used to going on multiple emergency calls each day.

On a recent Sunday, Katzenstein left a gathering of volunteers from the greater Jerusalem area, who had gotten together to celebrate their

“I’ve done CPR for an hour and a half with my tefillin on and that hurts.”

simultaneously in the same room when volunteers or dispatchers are on a break. I fully support the idea of togetherness that has been created. We are united for saving lives and we maintain respect for each other’s identities.”

teamwork, dedication and volunteering, in order to rescue a man who suffered a heart attack and as a result rammed his car into a wall near the King David Hotel on King David Street in Jerusalem. Katzenstein and colleagues arrived within

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less than two minutes from the time the call occurred and immediately began CPR on the injured man who was in critical condition but sent to the hospital with a pulse following the CPR efforts.

“These values of teamwork, dedication, and volunteerism are three pillars that United Hatzalah is based upon, and I support them in every way possible,” Katzenstein said.

“Whether I’m talking to donors, volunteers, friends or family, I always try to emphasize the importance of these ideals. If we can unite people to save people all over Israel and then we can unite people throughout the world. That is the dream of any EMS organization: to save people and make a difference.

That is also my dream and has been for some time. I am proud to be a volunteer with an organization such as United Hatzalah, who holds these values as dear as I do,” concluded Katzenstein.

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Is the IDF Prepared for

War?

By Tzvi Leff

S

ince its establishment in 1972 to assist the Defense Ministry with supervising the military, the office of the Ombudsman (known officially as the Chief Complaints Officer) has never been at the center of a controversy like the one that is currently rocking Israel’s defense establishment. It typically deals with smaller issues: lack of hot water in the showers, poor food, a soldier being left on base for an extended period of time without leave. With few enforcement powers, the IDF Ombudsman is not well known and the average Israeli probably would not recognize the Ombudsman if he bumped into him on the street. The Ombudsman’s annual report traditionally receives little

attention by the media and is barely read by the military’s higher ups.

That’s what makes the current controversy so remarkable. Over the past year, the current IDF Ombudsman, Major-General (res.) Yitzhak Brick has been issuing a series of increasingly dire reports warning that the army is drastically unprepared for war. According to Brick, the state of the ground forces will render the military unable to battle highly dangerous foes such as the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

At first glance, Brick’s allegations seem absurd. The IDF is renowned for an expertise and technological ability unparalleled by any other military. Its

Merkava 4 tank is considered among the best in the world, and the new standard-issue Tavor X95 rifle has earned rave reviews; the U.S. military recently purchased Israeli technology that shoots down anti-tank missiles; and in recently years, the Israeli air force, backed by a pinpoint-level accuracy of intelligence, has successfully prevented Iran from smuggling advanced and highly accurate missiles to Hezbollah.

According to Brick, however, the Gideon Plan, the massive multi-year restructuring plan that the army implemented starting in 2015, has consumed large amounts of spare ammunition. Even worse, it caused a dearth of career officers and left the

remaining soldiers exhausted from the resulting overload of work. The five year Gideon Plan was the IDF’s attempt to drastically revamp its ground forces in order to successfully fight asymmetrical warfare. Whereas the Israeli army has traditionally focused its training on fighting against large, organized nation-states like Syria and Egypt, the focus is now on battling paramilitary guerrilla terrorist groups that fight from within residential environments.

I

srael’s main immediate enemies are Hamas and Hezbollah. With Hamas, the military is still scrambling to learn how to deal with the maze of subterranean tunnels that lie

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Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot

beneath the Gaza Strip. With Hamas, the main threat is combatting its estimated 150,000 rockets that can hit anywhere in Israel and fighting in South Lebanon’s forested landscape.

In order to adequately protect the country, the military needs to undergo a paradigm shift: unlike past wars, which took place against formal, organized enemies, today’s battles no longer consist of tank divisions stopping the Syrians and the Egyptians as was the case in the Six Day War. Neither can the air force be deployed to eliminate the enemy when Hamas terrorists are surrounded by civilians.

While the air force has made tremendous strides over the past decade in revamping itself to meet today’s challenges, the ground forces have lagged behind.

The ground forces are composed of the infantry, tanks, artillery, and combat engineering troops, and are the branches of the IDF that do the brunt of the fighting. However, the work of the ground forces in recent years has been less than satisfactory, the most notable example being the military’s disappointing performance in Operation Protective Edge in 2014 and the Second Lebanon War in 2006.

The Gideon Plan is the military’s way to assure the political echelon that it can still deliver a decisive win on the battlefield. However, the army’s shift to fighting on an ever-changing landscape has been difficult.

“The Ground Forces are a huge mass of troops and adapting them to the conditions of modern warfare is expensive and difficult,” admitted former ground forces commander Major General Guy Tzur in an article he

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IDF Ombudsman, Major-General (res.) Yitzhak Brick

wrote detailing the new initiative.

The main thrust of the Gideon Plan is eliminating redundant troops and units in order to save money that can be invested in ammunition and new technology. As part of the effort, 2,500 professional soldiers were shown the door, 100,000 reserve soldiers were cut, and mid-level officers are automatically dismissed if they do not reach the rank of Lieutenant Colonel by the age of 32. In addition, reservists who are not dismissed receive better gear and a vastly expanded training schedule. Until now, lack of funds forced many reserve units to train on a biannual basis, but with the Gideon Plan these reserve infantry and tank brigades are being called up twice a year for a week of maneuvers.

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he defense establishment has looked at these cuts as a source of pride, contending that the Gideon Plan will result in a leaner, more mobile army better equipped to take on Hezbollah and Hamas in packed urban areas. “The idea is to create a younger military,” an IDF officer told the Times of Israel when the plan was rolled out in 2015. “One that is slimmer, stronger, more focused, better trained.”

But Ombudsman Brick contends in a series of increasingly scathing reports that the cuts have decimated the IDF and leaves Israel dangerously vulnerable to an enemy attack. “Due to manpower cuts and the dissolution of career officer positions, one officer carries out the job that in the past would have been handled by two or three people,” he wrote in his first report in May, adding that the cuts

“compromises the ability of the IDF to meet tasks.”

“It is impossible to hold the rope on both ends,” Brick wrote. “On the one hand, the tasks are increasing – and on the other there is extensive cross-cutting of manpower.” Brick stressed that while the military was indeed getting younger, career NCOs (non-commissioned officers) were being drummed out of the military and having their positions filled by inexperienced conscripts. “Compulsory service soldiers in the position of company sergeant, as good as they can be, are not a replacement for seniority and experience,” Brick said.

Brick’s alarming report was met with overwhelming resistance by the IDF, with generals anonymously sniping at Brick in the media over what they said was his lack of authority to probe the army’s readiness for war. “No wonder Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah said a few weeks ago that he had read the Israeli media and understood that the IDF was not ready for war and Israel was deterred by Hezbollah,” one high ranking officer told the Al Monitor magazine. “Unfortunately, some people would rather spread unfounded fear and glorify Israel’s enemies instead of checking the numbers, the facts and the situation as it is.”

In September, Brick released a second position paper that contained more dire warnings about the army’s critically depleted state.

The result of months of meetings and surprise inspections he carried out at military bases all over the country, the paper echoes Brick’s previous concerns and leaves off with even

worse estimates than before. Brick, whose decade-long tenure will soon come to an end, concluded by calling on cabinet ministers, the powerful subcommittee of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and the IDF leadership to appoint a committee to investigate the readiness of the ground forces for war.

Ever since then, the IDF is always afraid that somewhere, somehow, they are missing the next giant armed conflagration that threatens to destroy the Jewish State.

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This report launched a new round of squabbling with the IDF. His findings were pointedly rejected by Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, who not only rejected his conclusions regarding the military’s state of readiness but claimed that the IDF is currently at full combat readiness. In a highly irregular move, Eisenkot sent a letter to the members of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, the parliamentary body overseeing the military, where he insisted that the army is “at a high level of fitness and readiness for war with regard to any threat scenario. As the person responsible for the readiness of the army for war I state that the IDF is prepared for any mission required of it, an army with intelligence and air superiority, ground capability and rich operational experience that is tested daily in every arena of war.” Eisenkot acknowledged that “combat readiness will always be lacking. There are gaps and they exist alongside risk management and priorities. We, the commanders, are responsible for adjusting the process

of building the force to preserving the IDF’s quality and superiority in the present and for exploiting the window of opportunity to adapt the IDF to the challenges of the future.”

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rick’s onslaught was effective in bringing the issue of the IDF’s combat readiness to the fore: amid mounting public pressure, at the end of September Eisenkot commissioned IDF Comptroller Brigadier General (res.) Ilan Harari to conduct an examination of issues Brick raised.

The examination will fall within reviews conducted by the IDF Comptroller in cooperation with Major-General (res.) Avi Mizrahi and other senior reservists, with transparency and cooperation of all IDF units. Within 45 days, a final report will be presented to the Knesset, the security cabinet, and the IDF General Staff detailing the findings of the committee.

However, the establishment of an internal commission didn’t satisfy Brick, who fired off a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense

Minister Avigdor Liberman contending that the panel was insufficiently independent to adequately probe the military. In the document, Brick alleged that “the IDF’s condition is worse than it was at the time of the Yom Kippur War” and contended that the Chief of Staff had done everything possible to thwart the investigative panel’s establishment. “In my opinion, an internal panel led by IDF Comptroller Brig. Gen. (res.) Ilan Harari, which was appointed despite the chief of staff, does not have the ability to contain the severity and complexity of the deep flaws,” said Brick. Besides sending the letter to Netanyahu and Liberman, Brick leaked it to the press, guaranteeing that his accusations would gain maximum visibility.

Brick’s decision to invoke the Yom Kippur War is telling. The 1973 surprise attack by Egypt and Syria caught a self-confident and arrogant military completely off-guard, leading to a terrible war that at times threatened the existence of the State of Israel. The shockingly unprepared IDF, and the total failure of top political echelons to properly oversee the army that had been too euphoric from its historic victory in the Six Day War, caused a deep trauma in the armed forces that still haunts it today. The war left almost three-thousand Israeli soldiers dead with many more injured, and the IDF was forced to answer to the public how it had let itself be taken so badly by surprise. Ever since then, the IDF is always afraid that somewhere, somehow, they are missing the next giant armed conflagration that threatens to destroy the Jewish State.

The Yom Kippur War also had a major influence on Brick. When the war broke out in 1973, then-Captain Yitzchak Brick was a young company commander. During the opening hours, his outmanned and outgunned forces were cut to pieces, suffering massive amounts of casualties. Brick himself was seriously injured after being hit by an anti-tank missile, but he returned to the battlefield just in time to lead a successful attack that destroyed a team of Egyptian commandos. After the battle he cobbled together a team of tanks and managed to stop the Egyptian advance.

For his actions under fire, Brick was decorated with Israel’s second high-

est commendation. By the end of the war, Brick was one of the only members of his unit that remained alive.

His friends say that the experience of being helpless on the battlefield as a result of shoddy intelligence estimates explains his gloomy reports about the IDF’s lack of readiness today.

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he question of the IDF’s combat readiness can probably not be answered by one without extensive military experience and deep knowledge of Israel’s security establishment. What is clear is that the next upcoming war is rapidly approaching.

The Syrian civil war is finally winding down after eight bloody years, leaving the Hezbollah militia highly trained and well-armed.

At the onset of 2006’s Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah possessed 12,000 rockets. Twelve years later, the number has ballooned to between 130,000 and 150,000 short-, medium- and long-range missiles, more than most NATO nations. With a total area smaller than the State of New Jersey and with 70% of Israel’s population crowded into its center region, Hezbollah’s massive arsenal has the ability to lay waste to Israel’s home front and kill thousands of civilians.

Down south, Gaza is near collapse.

Thirteen years after Israel pulled out its 9,000 residents, the Hamas terror group is unable to effectively run the strip. With electricity only a few hours a day and more than half of the population without a job, analysts say that the region is headed for a humanitarian disaster that will deteriorate into an armed conflict with Israel.

With all of the aforementioned developments, Israel cannot allow its military to deteriorate. In a recent interview with Ynet, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman asserted that the army is operating at its highest possible level. “We’re at the highest level of preparedness since the Six Day War,” Lieberman insisted. “The IDF is a massive machine with hundreds of thousands of soldiers and tens of thousands of different military instruments – from planes to APCs and sniper rifles.

“When I compare it throughout the years – since 1967, we haven’t been as prepared as we are today.”

Let’s hope that he’s right.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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Dating Dialogue

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

Dear Navidaters,

My daughter Gitty got engaged quite recently to Tzvi. Everything was going along beautifully. It was agreed by all that Tzvi would learn for a year or two and then start law school. Both sets of parents were prepared to support the couple through this process. We were all on the same page and very grateful.

Last week, Tzvi was approached by a very successful uncle of his and asked if he wanted to join him in his business. It sounds like an amazing opportunity. This uncle has no sons of his own, and I guess decided that Tzvi would be a valuable asset. Why he waited until Tzvi got engaged, I don’t know.

Tzvi is very flattered and excited about the offer. His parents are likewise thrilled, and so are we. Though we agreed to support the young couple for years, it would definitely have hampered our lifestyle and been a bit of a hardship.

Also, I feel certain that Tzvi will keep up with his learning, even if it isn’t full time.

The problem is Gitty. She feels betrayed. She feels that when you make a commitment, you stick with that commitment, no matter what, and that if Tzvi can change his mind about these important issues, what else can he change his mind about? My husband and I believe that Gitty is being immature. Life happens, things change, opportunities sometimes come along that are too good to be ignored.

Gitty tends to plug into ideas and not let go. She’s talking about breaking the engagement and is having a hard time listening to Tzvi or any of us. She’s dug in her heels and feels personally betrayed. The rest of us are not seeing it that way.

What are your thoughts on this unusual situation and any ideas about how to get Gitty to see things differently?

Disclaimer: This column is not intended to diagnose or otherwise conclude resolutions to any questions.

Our intention is not to offer any definitive

conclusions to any particular question, rather offer areas of exploration for the author and reader. Due to the nature of the column receiving only a short snapshot of an issue, without the benefit of an actual discussion, the panel’s role is to offer a range of possibilities. We hope to open up meaningful dialogue and individual exploration.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

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The Panel The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S. lthough I understand everyone’s feelings about this great opportunity for Tzvi, the engaged couple has to sort it out between themselves. And ganging up on Gitty to change her mind is not healthy. She probably feels besieged by everyone around her on top of her misplaced feelings of betrayal. Yes, she is personalizing a matter that offers the young couple a great opportunity for their future. It sounds like she is turning an earlier discussion into a promise when it was only a plan.

Life happens. Circumstances change and things need to be sorted out in response to changes, large and small. It takes maturity to go

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through a process of reviewing new realities and weighing pros, cons, options and approaches. This is part of a maturation process and your daughter is struggling with this.

It’s their struggle. Let them own it. Encourage the couple to go for counseling together and stay out of the process so that they have the space to sort things out without everyone else weighing in. Gitty and Tzvi need to work through this together; it will be a test of their maturity, relationship and ability to grow into a team. They will also need to communicate their needs, wants, disappointments, and doubts to themselves and to each other through this process. They might come up with a creative solution or they might not. They may grow in respect for one another or they might not.

The engagement may not survive.

If they cannot work this out as a team with skilled help, then such a union will be built on a shaky foundation.

You will then have to reframe your view and count your blessings that this offer came up before the marriage. This is a G-d-sent opportunity for the two to understand their needs and each other, and work through a challenge together. See it that way and frame it that way to his parents, too. The young ones have to figure this out. It’s not your role to prevail on Gitty.

It takes maturity to go through a process of reviewing new realities and weighing pros, cons, options and approaches.

The Mother

The Shadchan

Sarah Schwartz Schreiber, P.A. en points to you, Mom. You know your Gitty. She gets stuck on an idea and can’t let go. She’s throwing a tantrum because her marriage may not start out according to her idealized plan. She’s ranting about “commitment” and her chosson’s apparent lack thereof.

Pardon me, Gitty, isn’t an engagement a commitment? When you accepted Tzvi’s proposal, did you commit to him or his two-year learning plan? In the words of your mother, “life happens.” Marriage is a portal to life’s journey; you have chosen Tzvi as your partner on that journey.

G-d willing, there will be other unscheduled opportunities (hopefully, joyous) along the way. Are you up to the task? Do you have the wisdom, the maturity and flexibility to cope with future challenges?

Back to you, Mom. If Tzvi’s change in plans is so destabilizing to Gitty (to the point of dissolving the engagement!) escort her to a qualified therapist. You’ve dealt (unsuccessfully) with Gitty’s stubbornness her entire life. Now that she’s getting married, leave it up to professionals to help her develop the emotional skills necessary to deal with change in a more balanced, realistic and mature manner.

Michelle Mond s a preface, my answer is built solely on the information given. Hopefully there are more details that weren’t mentioned, but based on the presented information, I am somewhat troubled. The first issue is the “bait-and-switch” aspect. You daughter is passionate about living a kollel lifestyle. She has worked this far to enter a marriage where her husband would sit and learn for the first few years. She went through years of Bais Yaakov, seminary and job training with the fervent and holy focus that one day she’ll merit to help support her husband in kollel during the first chapter of establishing their home. Although no business transactions were involved, this change of plans is close to being a halachic “mekach ta’us,” a wrongful acquisition as time and money were invested into this process of engagement under the premise that her husband would learn in Kollel for the first year or two. As a side note, whether or not you (or any of the readers) approve or believe in the kollel lifestyle is irrelevant. This is what she strives for and what she believes in.

Is it acceptable to change the plans? Sometimes, yes. But that needs to be discussed and agreed

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upon by both parties, which brings me to the next point. From the question, it sounds as though Gitty was not a part of the conversation and that the young man made the decision on his own, with his parents’ blessing. I am strongly hoping I am wrong and that this decision was indeed made after serious, two-sided communication with your daughter. If that is not the case, then making such a heavy-weighted decision without discussing it at length with his kallah is a far, far more egregious insult. I am very cautious in my advice, however, if he indeed hasn’t included her in the conversation, then that alone is a very serious matter which may warrant breaking an engagement.

Of course, this is something which should be discussed with a rav.

If he were truly looking to learn in kollel l’shma, then the idea of

entering business with his uncle wouldn’t faze him. The fact that Tzvi is dropping his kollel plans at the drop of the hat reveals that, just perhaps, his heart wasn’t really into the learning for the first 1-2 years and that there was secondary gain involved. On the other hand, you seem to have a smart, determined young lady as a daughter who is invested and intent on her idea of a Jewish home. Support her and take her side.

The Single Tova Wein t is apparent that you, your daughter’s chosson and potential in-laws see things very differently

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Pulling It All Together

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

than Gitty. You do not share the same values and are clearly on different pages of this story.

The fact that Gitty has different values does not make her immature.

She is entitled to believe in her own values and hold onto them. Perhaps someday she’ll regret her decision but very possibly she won’t. What is immature is her rash talk about breaking the engagement.

This business opportunity seems to have come out of left field. It was not something that Tzvi was looking for. It takes time for all parties to sit with the offer and process it and also discuss whether there is any wiggle room. Sometimes, people are caught so off-guard, and they forget that compromise is often a possibility.

My suggestion is that you strongly encourage Gitty and Tzvi to speak with a therapist of sorts and discuss what this offers means and whether there is some middle ground. For instance, maybe the uncle would agree to wait one year for Tzvi to start work-

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Making such a heavy-weighted decision without discussing it at length with his kallah is a far, far more egregious insult.

ing for him thereby enabling Tzvi to learn for a full year. Or is it the law degree that is upsetting Gitty? Regarding the issue of feeling betrayed, that too is something to work through with a professional.

Hopefully, you’ll have the power to encourage them to take it slow, think things through, and see if there is a way to make everyone feel as though they are getting what they need.

The Navidaters Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

F

or starters, let’s try to encourage Gitty and Tzvi to speak with a couples’ therapist in premarital therapy. This is a curveball that no one saw coming.

In therapy, they will see whether or not they can catch this curveball together, as a couple. I think they need a professional to help them sort out their feelings about the job offer and process what this change means to each of them. I hear you when you say that Gitty has always dug her heels in, and I understand your concern. Is this Gitty’s inflexibility rearing its ugly head? (I do wonder how Gitty is handling herself currently. Is she shutting down Tzvi’s attempts at communication?

Is she avoiding him? If she is doing any of what I mentioned, then

she may not b e m at u r e enough for marriage just yet).

I have to say that a sudden career change would leave many flexible people feeling unsettled as well. Gitty may have all sorts of concerns about Tzvi due to this big change of plans. Does he follow through with things? If he changed his mind about law, what else will he change his mind about? Does this say something deeper about his personality? What is this sudden job offer? Can I trust Tzvi and his family right now? As you approach Gitty about premarital therapy, try to align yourself with her and encourage her to express her

valid concerns with Tzvi in therapy. Give Gitty much validation as you learn about what is actually concerning her. Don’t make Gitty the bad guy.

If Gitty absolutely refuses and is gung-ho about breaking up with Tzvi because of the change, then in all sincerity, better he got the offer now than after the wedding. Please keep in mind as you navigate this situation that this is an engaged couple who hopefully have a meaningful connection at this point. There are probably conversations and dynamics that you know absolutely nothing about because couples have private talks and share secrets. It is possible that Tzvi shared something with Gitty in confidence about this offer or about his decision not to pursue law school.

It is quite possible that Gitty knows something that you don’t know. It’s also possible that Gitty will lose out on a great guy because she can’t roll

with the punches. And it’s also possible that Gitty is being true to herself and knows she won’t be happy long term with Tzvi. They also may wind up living happily after ever.

One thing is for sure: Gitty and Tzvi are the only two people who will be figuring this one out.

All the best, Jennifer

Esther Mann, LCSW and Jennifer Mann, LCSW are licensed psychotherapists and dating and relationship coaches working with individuals, couples and families in private practice in Hewlett, NY. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 516.224.7779.

Press 1 for Esther, 2 for Jennifer. 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.

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Dr. Deb

The Secret of the Yetzer Hara

By Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.

I

just made a discovery. I know that the body takes 20 minutes to calm down when agitated: tt takes the stress hormone cortisol that amount of time to be reabsorbed, the heartbeat to get down to normal, the sweat response to take a break, and the racing thoughts to dissipate.

It’s for that reason that I’ve always told arguing couples to stop arguing and take a time out when they’re upset because the information they want to impart (a) won’t come out as information they want to impart – it will come out as aggression and (b) won’t be heard anyway because the other person has been put in the state of fear due to your own agitation.

The discovery I’ve just made is that the information you want to impart will still not get through even when the other person calms down if that person feels defensive. The person you’re talking to may be upset for reasons not due to anything you’re saying; something could have gone wrong at work or on a call with

his mom. It doesn’t matter. Whether it’s an old tape running in their head from childhood or from a year ago or something that just happened, once a person feels put on the defensive, that’s it. You’re done trying to talk.

Because they’re not going to listen.

The cortisol is still wreaking havoc in their brains, and their fears and anxieties have taken over.

How I know this is because someone told me exactly that. We were talking about a new behavior he is working on, or supposed to be working on. I said, “But I had it clearly in my email. You didn’t read what I said!” And he agreed. “When I feel defensive,” he admitted, “I can’t take in new information.”

And this problem didn’t start in our overly-anxious modern world.

Rabbi David Fohrman’s Rosh Hashana shiur – which definitely applies year-round – proves that as our great-grandparents stood at Har Sinai, they suffered from the same thing. Rabbi Fohrman graciously let me put his link here to his shiur (even though he would rather you joined www.alephbe-

ta.org): https://w w w.alephbeta. or g /pl ay l i s t/c on f u s i ng- t he - s a tan?utm_source=email&utm_med iu m=new slet ter& ut m _ c a mpaign=20180914-rabbi-fohrman.

In that talk, Rabbi Fohrman asks why the Jews should have been punished for thinking Moshe was dead as chazal explain that the Satan held up an image of a dead Moshe to the people. It was then that they rushed to make the Golden Calf. If the Satan entrapped them by lying – since Moshe was not dead – is that fair? Is that legit? Why should the Jews be punished if we were entrapped?

It turns out that our ancestors were suffering from the same problem that my client who could not take in new information suffered from: the Satan is not some outside being; it is our own fears talking to us. Anxiety. Nerves. Panic attacks.

That’s who or what the Satan is. Or call it our yetzer hara. Or call it our “inner child”; same thing. Any time we allow our fears to get the best of us – which means we become so frightened and fedrait we’re no longer able to think straight –we are li-

able to create a Golden Calf.

Or we don’t listen to the sound advice that our therapist gives us.

Or our spouses. Or best friends. Too “defensive” to hear what they have to say.

Some years ago, I heard what I thought was a different take on who or what the yetzer hara is from a shiur in Florida. The rav in that shiur said that it’s depression.

Once you think about it, you see that depression is a flip side of anxiety: in depression, instead of burning energy with useless behavior – as we do when we’re anxious – we are inanimate. We are hopeless, without drive or direction. It’s a different manifestation of the same thing: either we are a bundle of nerves, rushing to do something detrimental to our wellbeing or we are unable to do anything.

So depression, along with fear, is another trick of the Satan. But wait.

If the Satan is not really an outside force, but something within us, it seems awfully mean of G-d to create this within us. Why would He do such a thing? This seems confusing

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

when we know that G-d is a loving G-d and only gives us what is good for us. How can such traps be good for us?

Let’s look at this a bit closer.

While it’s true that Hashem puts the possibility of fear or depression into us, only we can actually allow ourselves to fall prey to it. From His point of view, it’s only a possibility.

We are the ones that make it a reality.

That still doesn’t explain why we have to endure this choice, why we have to be always confronted with the possibility of wrecking our own lives with a Golden Calf. Esther Wein resolved the dilemma. If we engage our yetzer hara correctly, it is really our friend.

How so?

After the Sar Shel Eisav wrestled all night with Yaakov Avinu – and lost! – he told Yaakov to let him go because he had to go sing shira.

What? Why was he singing shira?

Isn’t that for celebrations? But he

just lost the battle with Yaakov. And the answer is, yes, it is for celebrations. He was celebrating his loss and Yaakov’s victory.

These angels are parts of ourselves and they’re all in G-d’s service. Isn’t that why we’re here? To

lenges. They are not meant to trip us up and cause us to make a Golden Calf. That would be a failure to meet the challenges – and Hashem is rooting for us; He doesn’t want us to fail.

Okay, but why do we always have to have wrestling matches? They’re

Once you think about it, you see that depression is a flip side of anxiety.

serve G-d? They’re here to challenge us to be who we really are meant to be here on this Earth and in this lifetime. If we’re here to serve G-d, then we have to do it to the very best degree possible, right? So along come challenges so that, in meeting them, we do just that.

These challenges are only chal-

so exhausting. Yes, they are exhausting, but it wouldn’t be much of a win if it were easy, would it? Even our kids know when we’re giving them the game – and they don’t like it.

Therapists would say easy wins take away their self-esteem; children conclude that the adults don’t think they’re capable of winning on their

own.

Hashem isn’t about to do that to us. After all, we are slated for greatness. And He wants us to know it.

Someone once said, on the subject of parenting difficult children, “Adults are smarter than the kids.

We should be able to outsmart them.”

Surely the same could be applied to our battle with the Satan: it is the less mature part of us, the child that cries out in fear or sulks in depression. The goal is to outwit it when faced with extreme challenges.

Not only isn’t this easy; it’s hard.

That’s why we did make that Golden Calf. But not everyone participated.

One person in a thousand (and no women) participated in this disturbing act. Clearly then, some of us did have the inner strength to not listen to the Satan. Or our inner child.

Dr. Deb Hirschhorn is a Marriage and Family Therapist. She can be reached at 646-54-DRDEB or by writing drdeb@ drdeb.com.

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 11, 2018 The Jewish Jewish Home Home OCTOBER 2015 || The

Health & F tness

Sweet & Healthy Substitutions

By Aliza Beer MS, RD

T

he cookbooks on my shelves are filled with many delicious and delectable recipes. Unfortunately, quite a few of these recipes contain very unhealthy ingredients, such as margarine, sugar, white flour, and cream. With the ever-expanding American waistline and a shameful obesity rate, about 75% of men and 60% of women are overweight or obese in this country, and it is time to take a long hard look at what we are actually cooking and baking for our families. There are healthier options, but one must be brave enough to try them. Substituting new foods for your tried and true staples might feel foreign at first, but if you stick with it you will start to notice positive reactions from your body, and members of your family, and even learn to love the taste.

The following are some easy, tasty, and healthier substitutions for your everyday and special occasion recipes.

• Forget White Flour: Instead of white, processed flour try to incorporate whole wheat flour into your baking. Because whole grains, like whole wheat, oat, or spelt products, contain the entire grain, they are more fibrous than their white counterparts and will keep you feeling full throughout the day. Dietary fiber promotes healthy digestion and may prevent cardiovascular disease and diabetes. This substitution applies to bread and pastas as well. Afraid your family will not embrace whole wheat pasta or flour?

Start by mixing the two of them and gradually use less white pasta/flour and more whole wheat over time.

• Margarine No More: Margarine is a saturated fat, and some contain trans-fat which increases blood cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease. Trans-fat also lowers HDL, or “good cholesterol,” levels. The best substitute for margarine, or butter, is unsweetened applesauce, another fiber-filled product. Another good swap is one cup pureed avocado for one cup margarine. They are both fats, but avocado is a super, healthy, amazing fat for you! One cup of mashed bananas is yet another great option. Bananas offer a good consistency for brownies or cookies and have nutrients like potassium, fiber, and vitamin B6. Reduce cooking time by 25%, and, since bananas also add sweetness, try using less sugar as well.

• So Long, Sugar! Sugar is the poison in the American way of life and has become a national addiction.

It helps increase the risk of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and cancer.

We have several options that can be suitable for substitution. Again, unsweetened applesauce is an excellent swap and can be done in a 1:1 ratio; just reduce the other liquid in the recipe by ¼ cup. Honey and maple syrup are just other names for sugar. A good swap for them would be agave since it is similar in consistency but has less calories than honey or maple syrup

and does not spike the blood sugar as quickly as honey or maple syrup. Another option that replaces sugar and has no calories is stevia, which is derived from the stevia plant. The raw leaves of the stevia plant are approximately 40 times sweeter than sugar, and the powdered sweetener derived from them is up to 200-300 times sweeter. This means that just a tiny bit of stevia will suffice when swapping for sugar. Some people, however, find stevia to have a bitter aftertaste. Another “new” sweetener is monkfruit.

Monkfruit sweeteners come from a small round fruit grown in Southeast Asia. It is said to be named after the Buddhist monks who grew the fruit eight centuries ago in Southern China.

The sweetener is basically the juice of the fruit, contains zero calories, and is about 100-250 times sweeter than sugar. It is also rich in antioxidants, with anti-inflammatory benefits. Keep in mind that consumption of sweet foods tends to trigger more cravings for sweets. So even though these zero calorie and low glycemic sweeteners are a tremendous help in the battle of the bulge, they should not be abused, and used only in moderation.

• Nix the Non-Dairy Creamers: Non-dairy creamers consist of corn syrup and hydrogenated oils and other unnatural and unhealthy products. For parve cakes, desserts, and soups that call for non-dairy creamers use unsweetened almond, soy, or

coconut milk instead. No one will be the wiser!

• Bye Bye Butter: Your main go-to fat should be extra virgin olive oil. Use it for sautéing, cooking, and in dressings. Only buy extra virgin olive oil in order to derive the high level of antioxidants. An easy and healthy salad dressing is balsamic vinegar, olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper.

A good ratio of balsamic to oil is 3:1.

• Iceberg Away: Stick to hearthealthy greens like spinach, arugula, kale, watercress, and romaine. If your family isn’t ready to commit to the dark stuff then try mixing these greens with iceberg lettuce and wean them slowly off of it.

• Reduce Red Meat: For chili, pasta sauce, burgers, and meatballs swap out the red meat for lean, ground turkey. This will not only reduce the fat, but also reduce the risk of heart disease. Again, if you feel the family is not on board with this switch, try mixing half turkey with half lean beef and slowly change it over to all turkey.

• Let Go of the Yolks: An easy substitution for those that need to watch their cholesterol consumption is to replace one whole egg with two whites.

• No Salt Needed: If someone has high blood pressure or another medical condition that requires a low salt diet, there are many herbs and spices that will make your food flavorful. Low salt food does not have to be

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

bland food by any means. I love using garlic, onion, paprika and pepper. In fact, they are in most of my recipes.

Mrs. Dash’s line of spices are a personal favorite as well for my veggies.

• Make ‘em Smaller: Even with these substitutions many recipes can still be very caloric. Try making the portion size smaller, i.e. bake mini muffins instead of full size ones, make smaller cookies, or make mousse in

small ramekins instead of one big dish where it’s easier to overeat. Portion control is key to a healthy lifestyle!

Just as in most areas in life, change requires time and patience. One substitution might work well for one person, but not for another. If at first you don’t succeed, then try again. The goal is to make positive changes to reduce the unhealthy sugars and fats in our daily diet, by replacing them with low-

er sugar, lower and healthier fats that keep you feeling satisfied and not sluggish. Don’t change every recipe all at once. Do it slowly and gradually, and the members of your household may not even take notice.

As always, moderation is the key to success – success in physical health, mental health (a girl needs some chocolate now and then!), and weight maintenance. Hopefully, the day will

come when your family may not even remember that you ever used sugar, white flour, and margarine in their food!

Aliza Beer is a registered dietician with a master’s degree in nutrition. She has a private practice in Cedarhurst, NY. Patients’ success has been featured on the Dr. Oz show. Aliza can be reached at alizabeer@gmail.com.

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Health & F tness

The Definitive Guide to the Flu Vaccine

By Hylton I. Lightman, MD, DCH (SA), FAAP

A

dreaded time of the year has arrived.

Total Family Care diagnosed its first documented case of influenza for the 2018-2019 season on Sunday, October 7, 2018.

It’s early in the season (generally, the flu is more likely to be diagnosed between the end of December through the middle of March) but it’s not surprising because the last several flu seasons have been filled with surprises.

Yet it’s no surprise (but still a wonder) that despite the education disseminated through social media and other means (including The Jewish Home) and the fact that over 80,000 people died from the flu last year (the flu is highly contagious and causes hundreds of thousands hospitalizations annually), there’s still resistance to getting the flu vaccine.

Two facts that should make you stampede to your pediatrician’s office to make sure your children get the shot: last year, 180 children in this country died from influenza infections or complications from the infection. And about 80% of those children who died didn’t get a flu shot.

So here it goes – giving it my “best shot” to make sure that as many people as possible receive the flu vaccine.

What is the flu?

The influenza virus affects the lung, nose and throat. It can spread from exposure to a contaminated surface, airborne respiratory droplets (when an infected person coughs or sneezes), through saliva, or even skin to skin contact.

Early symptoms of the flu include:

Sudden or excessive fatigue: An overall feeling of tiredness or lack of energy. It differs from feeling drowsy or sleepy because when fatigued, you lack motivation and energy. Fatigue in relation to the flu will go with other symptoms. Read further.

Body aches and chills: Body aches are a common symptom of many conditions. They can also be caused by every day life. We are talking here

be a symptom of something more serious that requires immediate medical attention. In relation to the flu, the flu accompanies other symptoms.

If you begin to sneeze, cough and become congested, you might wonder whether you have the common cold or the flu. Both carry contagious viral infections so it’s easy to confuse the two.

It’s also easy to think that if you

The flu vaccine prompts your body to prepare to fight an infection from the flu virus.

and mitigated if you have gotten the vaccination. There is a lower risk of influenza-related complications of hospitalizations in at-risk groups such as older adults, pregnant women and their infants, children and people with chronic conditions such as diabetes, chronic lung disease and cardiovascular disease.

Read through the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The facts are there.

Further, when you protect yourself from the flu through vaccination, you are also protecting those who cannot get vaccinated from catching the flu. This includes those who are too young to get vaccinated, meaning babies under six months of age.

How does the flu vaccine work? about body aches in combination with other symptoms or persisting body aches.

Cough: A cough is a common reflex action that clears the throat of mucus or foreign irritants. Again, the cough is combined with other symptoms.

Sore throat: This is a painful, dry or scratchy feeling in the throat. A sore throat is so common that it accounts for more than 13 million visits to doctors annually. Although sore throats are uncomfortable, most go away on their own. Again, regarding the flu, the sore throat accompanies other symptoms.

Fever: A fever is an elevated temperature and can affect both children and adults. A short-term increase in body temperature can help the body to fight off illness. A severe fever can

have gotten the flu vaccine, you are protected against the common cold and other viruses. Untrue. Sorry.

Why should people get vaccinated?

As stated above, the flu is a potentially serious disease that can lead to hospitalizations and sometimes, G-d forbid, death. Each flu season has its own nuances but these facts remain consistent. Studies demonstrate that the annual flu vaccine is the best way to help protect a person against the flu. The flu vaccine reduces the risk of flu illnesses and even the risk of flu-related death in children. This holds true for the general population by 40-60%.

Another reason to be vaccinated is that if you do get sick with the flu, your symptoms may be milder

The flu vaccine prompts your body to prepare to fight an infection from the flu virus. It helps your body to create antibodies to fight against the virus when you are exposed to it. Think of the antibodies as sledgehammers that fight against the flu virus from developing into something lethal.

The seasonal flu vaccine is developed based on research indicating the strains that will be most common for that influenza season. Researchers “tweak” the vaccine each season, choosing the strains based on the ones they think are most likely to show up that year.

We are light years ahead of what happened during the Spanish Flu of 1918. See sidebar.

There’s a misconception that the flu vaccine causes the flu. Rubbish.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

Another misconception is that getting the flu vaccine will make you more likely to get the flu. More rubbish.

It does take up to two weeks for the vaccine to start working once it’s been given. Some people get the vaccine and then catch the flu virus before their bodies are ready to fight it.

The bottom line: even when getting the flu vaccine, you can still get sick but your illness will likely be milder than if you don’t get the vaccine.

chronic health conditions.

Among the people at-risk of developing flu complications are children younger than 5 years of age and especially children younger than two years old. Please contact your pediatrician’s office to schedule flu vaccines. If your child has the symptoms in any combination listed above, it’s imperative that you reach out to your pediatrician who will guide you through the next steps.

What do you do if you get sick with the flu?

As “imperfect” as the flu vaccine may be, it still is our best line of defense.

Wash your hands. When your children come home from school, no matter what their ages, they should wash their hands. Get the portable hand sanitizers and attach them to their knapsacks, encouraging them to use it during the school day when necessary.

Don’t share drinks or food.

And after all the hishtadlus is

Most people who will get sick with the flu will have mild illness and will not need medical care or antiviral drugs. They will recover in less than two weeks.

Unfortunately, some people will have flu complications that can result in hospitalization. Examples of flu-related complications include pneumonia, bronchitis, sinusitis, and ear infections. Flu can also worsen

Flu prevention tips

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The Spanish Flu Soon after the end of World War I during which 20 million soldiers and civilians lost their lives, the “Spanish Flu” pandemic struck. Nearly 100 million people lost their lives to this flu which, despite its name, did not originate in Spain. The H3N2 virus that sat at the heart of this flu was vicious and excelled at mutating. Coupled with the post-World War I timing when people were weak and malnourished, it devastated populations. The hugest mortality rates were among, not surprisingly, soldiers. Medical services were already challenged. Conditions were unsanitary. Of course, then, the influenza infection went rampant.

Epidemiologists are expecting another pandemic in the near future.

The good news: medical knowledge and technology is light years ahead now than it was a century ago.

done, 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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OCTOBER 29, 11, 2018 OCTOBER 2015 || The The Jewish Jewish Home Home

r e me mbe r i ng

Simcha (Sam) Belsky, a�h There are many people who call Simcha Belsky their best friend.

Simcha was able to connect with others, see their goodness, and raise them up within just minutes of meeting them. With a warm smile, a witty quip, and a generous heart, Simcha was a good friend to so many who knew him. He was thoughtful, kind, giving, and had a zest for life.

Working with him at The Jewish Home, we benefitted from his creative genius and were fortunate to observe his stellar character. After his passing on chol hamoed Sukkos, we asked some close friends and family members to give the community a glimpse into his life.

May Simcha be a meilitz yosher for all of klal Yisroel.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Hidden Tzaddikim

By Sherree Belsky Simcha’s Mother e have all heard the term “Hidden Tzaddikim” and possibly read about some. But most of us never had the opportunity to meet any.

A month ago I would have told you that I too never would have dreamt that I would have the zchus to meet one. But after experiencing the most tragic event a mother can experience, losing my youngest son, my baby, and feeling the most pain I have ever felt in my life, the biggest loss one can feel, I have learnt from the outpouring of support and the stories that his friends and clients have told us of his chessed, tzedaka and work ethic that he definitely was a hidden tzaddik.

Simcha was niftar on “Chai Tishrei,” chol hamoed Sukkos. A total shock to all of us, but for him he went peacefully, he passed in his sleep.

Everyone tells us a “nishikas shamayim”.” He was not here with us but with his friends in LA. Was this planned so it would be less pain for us? Who knows? Possibly. We were told that the Chevra Kadisha that took care of him were amazing and were the topnotch people in the community. Another nechama. The logistics of all the arrangements were a nightmare but we did not have to worry about a thing. So many people were on the case and took care of everything for us. From Rabbi Uri Orlian, Rabbi Boruch Ber Bender, the Chevra Kadisha in LA (I don’t remember their names), Dr. Lebowitz to family and friends. My daughter-in-law Aliza who changed 17 airline tickets to bring us all back home, my sons Zev and Motti who kept calling to make sure everything was taken care of, Rabbi Weitman for giving us TAG for the levaya, everyone was amazing and so chessedik and caring. But most of all our good friend and extended family member Yoeli Steinberg who was a great chaver to Simcha and the rest of our family.

I don’t know how many people can say this, but there were over a thousand people at the levaya and about 200 people at the bais hakevarim, on Hoshana Rabah. That in itself speaks volumes about my son. There wasn’t a sound in the room except for the speakers and the weepers.

That also speaks volumes about my son. My children spoke from the heart and touched so many people with their pure description of their brother. People who didn’t really know him went away feeling that through the speeches and the sense of love for him by the array of people who were there got a sense of who he was and felt they started to know him. That says volumes about my son.

We were not allowed to sit shiva right away because of yom tov. We started motzei yom tov but we had visitors who just wanted to show us support throughout the chag. Of course Yoeli was with us every single day, even his son came many times. He was our support system. I truly don’t know what we would have done without him. Once we started shiva there was an outpouring of support and chessed. Actually, even before, for Shabbos and yom tov, food from neighbors and friends were just organized and delivered. We didn’t have to think about anything. We are so grateful to be living in such a chessedik and loving community. How can we even thank all of you, you are amazing people.

Hundreds of people came to pay respects every single day. More than respects, they came crying with stories about Simcha. Things we never knew. “Do you know how Simcha changed my life? Do you have any clue how your son helped me?” No we didn’t know. We knew nothing of what he did for other people because that was Simcha, he didn’t brag about his good deeds or his accomplishments. He had no ego. It was just what he did; it was no big deal to him. “I wouldn’t be married if it wasn’t for Simcha, I wouldn’t have my business if it wasn’t for Simcha, he gave me the confidence I never had, my business wouldn’t be successful if it wasn’t for him, he was a creative genius” these stories spoke volumes about my son. Volumes of things we didn’t know about my hidden tzaddik.

My son Motti spoke about the time the economy crashed and they made the InFashion magazine and Simcha never took money out but when they sold the magazine and Simcha started doing the ads for Gourmet Glatt he gave his paycheck to Motti for an entire year and a half.

Who does that? Only a tzaddik.

He never spoke lashon hora, he never listened to lashon hora, he never spoke a bad word about anyone, he never held a grudge. He never took a penny that didn’t belong to him. It’s as if he told the yetzer hora don’t come near me, stay in another neighborhood. That’s a tzaddik.

I heard that Rav Kanievsky said that Moshiach is not around the corner – he is on the block. We all know that Simcha played the drums.

All I can think is that Hashem needed him to play the drums and announce the coming of Moshiach.

May his neshama have an aliyah and he be a meilitz yosher for us and all of K’lal Yisroel.

W

All I can think is that Hashem needed him to play the drums and announce the coming of Moshiach.

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Noticing the Small Things

By Yosef Jay Brazil

’ Tamid B Simcha

By Yehuda Klinkowitz Simcha’s Friend

M

itzvah gedola l’hiyos b’simcha tamid. It is a big mitzvah to always be happy.

This famous song by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov clearly describes my dear friend Simcha Sam Belsky. Sam was always in a constant state of happiness and made it his mission to make sure others would smile and be content.

As the former program director of the TOVA mentoring program, I had the honor of working alongside Sam in many stressful, time-sensitive situations. Sam was a talented graphic and web designer who was responsible for maintaining and designing TOVA’s website, creating posters, invitations and flyers for various events and for designing and submitting ads for all the local newspapers promoting events for TOVA. His last project for me was a personal one; he designed my son’s bar mitzvah invitation. As one can imagine, running up against the clock to perfect the project is not uncommon. Sam always got through everything with a sense of humor, cracking jokes, singing, and even giving me a hug to relieve my own stress. His happiness was contagious because whenever I was around him or on the phone with him, he’d get a laugh or a smile out of me even at ungodly hours in the morning. No deadline was too short and no correction was too much to ruffle Sam. Over the past few weeks I’ve heard countless stories of Sam’s kindness to family, friends and even strangers. The TOVA mentoring was also lucky to have benefited from his generosity. Sam gave TOVA his time and services essentially free of charge. Sam would only charge TOVA the amount needed to make sure that his employees would get paid for the job. Sam was selfless. He appreciated the program and was one of its biggest sponsors.

In his zechus, may we continue to spread simcha and kindness to others.

Simcha’s Friend

I

could never imagine writing this. Whatever words I say now will be no justice to who Simcha Sam Belsky was to me or how he impacted my life.

I met Simcha when I was twenty years old at Dunkin’ Donuts. I had just been going through a few years of personal struggle. We spoke briefly when he noticed I was alone. Without a blink of hesitation he immediately offered me to stay at his home.

Simcha said he lived with his parents. I right away backed out. Simcha saw I was hesitant to take him up on the offer. So he called his mom, Sherree, right there on speaker in front of me.

Simcha said, “Ma, I have someone that needs a place to stay, I’m bringing him over.” Sherree, without asking my name or why, instead said, “OK, great!” with excitement in her voice. I was so alarmed and confused. Although the community is typically accommodating, this time it felt too easy with no strings attached.

From that day on, until I got married, I lived by and was loved by the entire Belsky family. Sherree Belsky walked my wife down the aisle. We were family all because Simcha chose love.

Just one more story to show Simcha’s attention to detail, although I have thousands of stories throughout the years of friendship we shared.

Simcha and I went out for lunch. When the waitress took our order, she was writing on the paper menu. Simcha, who was very observant when it came to how businesses were run and efficiency, asked the waitress why she was taking the order this way and not on a pad. She replied in a semi joking manner that the restaurant doesn’t supply them for her and that she’s not willing to pay for them. After ordering, Simcha immediately excused himself from the table without letting us know what for. Four minutes later he came back with two notepads and handed them over to the waitress. She was nearly gasping for air with excitement and very surprised from his thoughtful gesture – as was I and everyone else at the table. My body literally got the shakes. We all commented on how amazing that was.

I say these stories only because this was the normal Simcha. It wasn’t out of the ordinary to go the extra mile. Simcha was always noticed for his extra care and attention to detail. It didn’t matter if someone was chassidish, not religious or even not Jewish. He went out of his way to represent greatness. He was always making a kiddush Hashem. His legacy will do the same.

For as long as I’ve known Simcha, he did everything b’simcha, with happiness. He genuinely cared. He cared and was aware about his surroundings. He noticed specific details. He cared because he could. He smiled because he could.

I want to acknowledge that Simcha was clearly comfortable to be who he was and ended up impacting so many lives including my own. Thank you to his parents and siblings for giving him that ability to feel and be who he was, accepting him for him, and allowing him to accept others for them.

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My First and Last Letter to My Friend Sam Belsky, a”h

By Yitzy Halpern, Publisher, TJH

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o my friend Sam, It wasn’t supposed to go down this way.

Of course as baalei emunah we never say that and we accept Hashem’s plan with all its hardship but as human beings some things seem impossible to digest. You, of all people, were so full of life. You always seemed so happy to see a friend and you never seemed preoccupied or focused on anything other than being a friend and making others smile.

We only met a few years ago and spoke periodically but I looked forward to a lifelong friendship. A quick chat on the phone or a random “stop and chat” was always a refreshing experience. Those who were lucky enough to call you a friend fully grasp what I mean.

I’ll never forget our first meeting in Dumbo. Yosef and I came to meet you in your new office in an effort to bring your creative genius to our young publication. I thought we would spend the time talking about business but I quickly realized that our interaction would go way beyond business. Our walk through Dumbo was memorable. I was awestruck how almost every person in the neighbor-

“H ow Can I Help?”

By Rabbi Avrom Tov Chakoff Rabbi, Chabad of Dumbo

hood greeted you by name and how you had a nice thing to say to each one of your friends. The smiles were endless, especially from the homeless guy who you made feel extra special and then when you told him how you wanted to hang out with him soon.

And the coffee shop you took me to was such a cool and wild place and you were like the mayor in there, greeting everybody. By the time we got back to your office and got to work it was time to go but I call that a productive afternoon. It was always great hanging out and laughing and you always got the job done perfectly when it was needed. It was high on my bucket list to come visit you in Dumbo again and do the “walk” again. Oh well... that will have to wait until you are reunited with all those who will miss you so dearly.

Working with you and watching your creative genius was a unique experience. You left no stone unturned in your research and development of each aspect of the project and you were so confident that by the time you were done it was done right. Orange?

Seriously Sam? But you were right, people loved it. And by the way, when I told you to charge my credit card ev-

S

ery month but you didn’t because you wanted to make sure I was happy and you were waiting for me to tell you to charge my card again...it was terrible for cash flow but it was a glimpse into your selfless style of helping others without thinking about Sam Belsky.

I could go on but you probably wouldn’t want me to make you seem like anything but a regular guy. I should add that at the shiva your family opened my eyes to a whole new side of your life. Your love and deep connection to your parents and siblings and their families. How you were their baby son and brother but also all of their best friends. How they were waiting for Simcha to come join them in Miami and light the place up like only you can. And then they got that terrible call that nobody should ever experience. They are so distraught but at the same time they were smiling and laughing between the tears as they greeted your friends, including their adopted children, and reminisced about all the fun times and good laughs. They love you so much and will always hold onto the good memories you left behind.

You are in a better place, of course. But your family and all those

who cherished you will have to rely on Hashem to dull the deep pain and void and hope for the day when Moshiach will come and they will be made whole again by the great reunion. As faithful Yidden we believe that that day will come imminently.

Until then, continue your devotion to family and friends by being a meilitz yosher for all those who love you.

Rest in peace my friend and hope to see you soon...

Your friend, Yitzy Halpern

am Belsky, a”h, considered me his rabbi; I considered him my friend.

I had the privilege of knowing him for the past six years and he was a constant presence in our house. With an infectious smile and open ear, he would always tell me, “Rabbi, you’re always helping everyone else in the community, how can I help you?” This was pretty much the motto that he lived by. How can I help others? I do not exaggerate. Sam was the only person that I knew that if I had a problem I could call him no matter the time and he would drop everything and come running. Need help putting up the public menorah in the Pearl Street triangle? Who can I call that’ll take time out of their workday to help? Sam Belsky. I’m on the other side of Brooklyn when a cabinet in the pre-school partially collapses and is just about to fall into a full classroom, who can I call to help? Sam Belsky.

I need to create an ad campaign for the Tishrei Programming at Chabad, for increasing enrollment at the pre-school or to raise Jewish awareness in the neighborhood, who can I call to help? Sam Belsky. Whatever the problem – big or small – Sam always helped, not just myself but countless others.

Although he always wanted to make sure that the programs at Chabad of Dumbo were well attended, his favorite time to come by (other than the random Tuesday night dinner or Thursday for lunch – when asked if he wanted to join he would inevitably respond, “Yeah…I could eat!”) was for a quiet Friday night meal when it was just the family. It was here that he played with the kids and shared stories about his family with us. We learned of his love for family and respect for his parents.

Often when my older boys would get cheeky he would tell them, “Yehudah Yosef, you gotta listen to your Pops, you don’t know how good you have it now. You’ll understand when you’re older.” Above all, Sam loved his family, which perhaps is why when he couldn’t make it out to the Five Towns for Shabbos he loved being at our Shabbos table.

My family and I will miss him greatly. But without a doubt he will continue to live on as I find myself more and more often in the days since he passed asking myself, “What would Sam do?” He would help…

If we can all take the pain of this tragedy and turn it into positive actions for others, I think Sam would be happy.

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A Symbol of Achdus

By Rabbi Aryeh and Elana Lebowitz

Rav and Rebbetzin of Beis Haknesses of North Woodmere ear Belsky/Blachorsky Family, As Shemini Atzeres is about to begin, and I try to process the events of the past few days, but particularly the stirring and inspiring levaya for Simcha, a”h, just a few hours ago, I wanted to share with you what an impact Simcha clearly made on me and so many others.

I first met Simcha when Mrs. Belsky brought him for an interview at DRS outside the old temple on Central Avenue. Mrs. Belsky explained that DRS wasn’t really the family’s hashkafa, but she felt it was what Simcha needed. Simcha, with a huge smile on his face, turned to me and said something like “how do you do?!” (it definitely wasn’t the standard “hi” or “how are you” or “nice to meet you”).

At that moment I learned that Simcha was a person who had a zest for life and an infectious joy. I also learned that the Belskys were wise enough to raise him in a way that appreciated how unique he is and allowed Simcha to be Simcha.

Simcha had parents who, in retrospect, were blessed with obvious ruach hakodesh when naming him, as Mrs. Belsky described in her hesped. The idea that a young man would do anything to make other people smile, like wearing a propeller hat like Fradye described, is something we can all try to emulate (but will probably never successfully duplicate). To make bringing joy to others a life’s mission is as unique as it is memorable.

Moreover, looking around at the levaya and seeing not only how many people came to give kavod acharon, but how many different types of people came, was the greatest demonstration of a person who genuinely loved other people that I have ever seen. From busy people taking many hours on erev yom tov to people who probably don’t care very much about yom tov, there were genuine tears, not only because of the tragic loss of young life, but because it was Simcha, and everybody loved him as much as he loved them.

We have all had the good fortune of knowing many giving and generous people but true selflessness is the rarest of all qualities. The fact that Simcha’s paycheck went to Motti in tough times is impressive. The fact that some of you weren’t even aware of that incredible act of generosity until Motti said it (and Yoely confirmed it) is beyond comprehension.

This helps give perspective in understanding the members of your remarkable family who my family and I have had the zechus of becoming so close with over the past 14 years – the absolute sense of giving that is so evident in Fradye and Heshy, and in Zev and Aliza is something that should inspire your children as it has inspired so many others.

I never understood the term “larger than life” but Simcha seemed to be the definition. One thing that I noticed was that each speaker who told stories (from Motti’s repetition of Simcha’s unique greetings to Zev’s “gotcha!” to Fradye’s “why do you wear your belt forward”) actually spoke in Simcha’s voice. It wasn’t enough to tell the story, but it was as if Simcha was speaking through each of you.

Maybe that is what “larger than life” means. At this stage, you will not only be telling stories of the amazing uncle/brother/son but will actually have him speak through each of you. Your kids will hear his voice when you talk about him. There will be crying, but every time you speak about him there will also be laughing because that’s what he brought to the table each and every day.

In a certain way, Simcha’s levaya coming immediately before Simchas Torah seems cruel, but in another way it seems appropriate. The pre-requisite to kabbalas haTorah is that we all be k’ish echad b’lev echad, have absolute achdus.

Every single one of the hundreds of people who were there today, and hundreds more who he impacted throughout his life, have been inspired to achieve a new level of k’ish echad b’lev echad.

D

With deep love and admiration, Elana and Aryeh Lebowitz

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018 The TheJewish JewishHome Home||OCTOBER OCTOBER29, 29,2015 2015

A Tribute to My Brother e was my best friend in the whole world. He wasn’t just my brother...I know everybody thinks that they were but he really was my best friend.

I could hear him in my head looking around the room right now and saying I can’t believe all these people are here for me. If you had the privilege of meeting Simcha even just once in your life for just 5 minutes, you would have never forgotten him. So many people I know have been telling me they met him just once five or ten years ago with a fond memory of him – and that’s all it took – he was then forever seared in your memory.

I read over Shabbos that one is allowed and encouraged to exaggerate about a person when speaking at a person’s levaya. However, what you will hear from me today will, in fact, be an understatement of who my brother was.

There is no embellishment needed.

How does one define a tzaddik?

Is it perhaps someone who sits and learns all day?

Is it maybe someone who davens all day?

Or is it someone who takes the road map provided for us, which is the Torah we have, and lives his life like that on a daily basis in an actionable manner? The single core mitzvah in the Torah at the heart not just of Judaism but of all humanity is the mitzvah of v’ahavta l’rayacha kamocha, to love your neighbor like you love yourself.

But how does one perform this mitzvah?

We know that by Matan Torah Moshe Rabbeinu went up to Shamayim to learn directly with and from Hashem in order to teach the Jews how to observe the Torah properly, but when it came to this esoteric mitzvah of v’ahavta l’rayacha kamocha, seemingly the most important mitzvah in the entire kol haTorah kula, how did he know how to do it? The answer is Hashem looked into the future and showed Moshe Rabbeinu the life and conduct of my brother Simcha Berel Dovid Belsky! I have no doubt about it.

This is a tzaddik!

To know Simcha is to understand

H

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By Motti Belsky Simcha’s Brother

how to perform this mitzvah, the mitzvah that covers the entire kol haTorah kula.

Nobody did this mitzvah better than him, nobody!

Simcha was the friend that when you see something funny you want to share it with him, not because it’s just funny, but because you know and appreciate that you and him will appreciate it together. We would constantly call each other with funny observations and stories that happened to us. Always starting with “yellow,” or “hallo, did you eat yet?” Or the ever endearing “yeeeaaaaaaa”? Or probably Yoeli’s favorite one, “Moshe” (He would call many Jews who at first he

it. He would do anything for them, and he was always the life of the party.

When Simcha walked into a room you didn’t have to get up or turn around, you knew it, everyone knew it, everyone’s spirits were lifted.

You heard this before and you can hear it again, I’ll repeat it.

He never spoke any lashon hara, he never talked bad, or in general about other people, and he never judged other people. They were who they were and he respected and loved everybody.

If he heard someone speaking about others, he would always say, “What’s it to you? Why are you busy with somebody else?”

He was friends with the poorest

didn’t know their names by “Moshe”) … and many times ending the conversation with, “shut it down.”

These sayings – I hear people laughing because these sayings – were all borne out of stories that happened which we enjoyed harking back to and which ultimately developed into a short saying which we just “got” when the other one said it.

He was, in fact, my best friend, but not just my best friend, he truly was everybody’s best friend.

And like my brother Zevi said, it’s true – I always joke with my nieces and nephews asking, “Who’s your favorite uncle?” but the truth is he was all my children’s and nieces’ and nephews’ favorite uncle, there was no doubt about

people and the richest people, with Jews and non-Jews, chassidish, litvish, it didn’t matter. He treated everybody the same.

I encourage everyone to visit his Facebook page and you’ll see the outpouring of love from people who are strangers to me that I don’t even know. They all felt so close to him, whose lives he touched in some way or another. Apparently some very, very significantly.

He was even friends with the rabbi in Dumbo that he would babysit for.I would facetime him and he’d be sitting at the rabbi’s house watching his kids because the rabbi needed to be somewhere and he could always count on Simcha.

The fact is everybody could count on Simcha.

Everybody in this room who’s here today knew if you called Simcha it was done. He never shied away, he always picked up the call, he always made time for everybody, for everything. The fact is everyone can count on him. And he never did what was good for him, he always did what was best for the next guy, it was never about himself.

Above all he was so respectful and appreciative of family.

He came to every family simcha even if he wasn’t close to that person in the family because family was everything to him.

He went so far as to fly home early from school in Israel for my own engagement 14 years ago.

I was an antsy little kid who couldn’t wait to propose to my wife Shani, and for so many reasons that day I was ready, I just needed to do it. But the only thing missing from my perfect day was knowing that Simcha won’t be there, as he was still in school in Israel. When I called him to tell him I was engaged, he told me he was in the airport on his way home and I remember feeling so bad, if I would’ve just waited 12 more hours he would’ve been there. And then, suddenly, he just walked in the door, he was there, he was there, he made it, he came home early.

He was there for me.

He was always there for me.

He knew there was no simcha without Simcha.

He made it happen.

Just like he always did for everybody. He would never, ever, ever let me down.

He used to tell me all the time that “anything can happen tomorrow, make sure we’re always nice and always respectful.”

He was everywhere, even when he wasn’t there.

When we were in Miami the first days Sukkos, the rabbi kept asking, “Where’s Simcha? When is he coming? We miss him. Why isn’t he here with you?” Everyone just wanted to be around him, myself included.

He was my favorite person in the whole world to hang out with, just be-

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ing with him made me happy and, of course, always fun.

He would come to Miami over yom tov and Pesach when we were there or to my house on Purim and Chanukah, just because he knew the kids loved him and they would be so happy to see him.

He would be working every minute except to be with the kids.

He just wanted to make me happy.

If I came up with an idea 11:00 PM to go out, even if he had work, he said “let’s go.” He’d just stay up later to do the work and make sure I had a good time. After we’d go out, at 1 AM I once joked to him about going somewhere else in Florida and before we knew it, I was sitting there having more fun with him till 3:00 AM in the morning.

Wherever we went we looked for ways to have fun together and he would make us not lazy, to make spontaneous stops to do things.

I remember I was coming back – I don’t even know from where – we were driving on the Belt, before I know it we see Coney Island, and then we’re in Coney Island! We’re playing kids games, 2 adults walking around Coney Island playing kids games, having a good time because that’s what he was about, he just wanted to make sure I had a good time.

But it’s not just that, he was also so respectful of me – I was the older brother, the more tired one, I had the wife, the kids, and so on, so he would always drive. He knew it would be harder for me because we were always coming home so late at night.

If it was easier for me, he did it. He was always looking for ways to take care of me. And he was always looking out for me, my younger brother. He always put the person next to him before himself. He was never lazy at another person’s expense. If he knew it would make them happy or their life easier in some way, he went out of his way to do things for you.

I don’t recall anyone ever screaming at him or him screaming at anyone, and he had endless patience for everyone but above all else to family... endless patience.

I was in business with him and people would drive him up the walls ‘til 2, 3,4 o’ clock in the morning but he just did what they needed...endless patience.

He never ever said no. To anyone. The word no was simply not in his vernacular. It did not exist to him. He always found a way to make time for you. It didn’t matter. He would stay up later to finish his work if it meant he felt you enjoyed his company.

We’ve all heard the saying that this guy would take the shirt off his back for someone. Well, in my case, he, in fact, actually took the shirt off his back for me.

When things were hard for me financially during the recession about 9 years ago, I came up with this idea for a magazine. I walked into his room just to show it to him and he was in bed. I wasn’t looking for help but he was in bed and when I came in, within mere seconds, his laptop was out

because every month he gave me the money he was entitled to have from Gourmet Glatt. He gave me the money so I could shop there to have food to put on my table – this was even after I stopped working with him full-time and we sold the magazine because he knew that I needed it more than he did.

You can ask Yoeli Steinberg from Gourmet Glatt; every month I came and I picked up his paycheck and I kept it for myself. For a year and a half.

This is not embellishment, it’s not exaggeration, this is who he was. He gave the shirt off his back.

When things were still tight for me we would go out to eat so he could cheer me up and he would insist on paying even though we were both broke. He wouldn’t have it any other

and he was helping me make it better.

I didn’t even ask. I didn’t have to. And then, before you know it, we were partners and we were in business together.

But that wasn’t enough for him. He also gave me all the profits. All of it – every penny until I could have afforded to share with him because he knew I had a wife, I had kids, I was desperate.

And he knew, and he was there for me, unquestionably. Any stupid idea I then came up with he would stay up ‘til 3:00 in the morning to try to help me make a dollar. That’s who he was.

Fast-forward a year, things are getting a little better for me and I found another job.

Everyone knows he does the beautiful ads for his client Gourmet Glatt. What you might not know is that for about a year and a half or so he worked for Gourmet Glatt for free

way.

Till today he helped Shani start her business, and he’d still always make all her ads. He made ads for Zevi and for Frayde, all for free, and taking away from his personal time and his work time, because he didn’t know how to say the word no. He would even pay out of his own pocket. His employees used to work on things for us and he would then not charge us back for it.

There was no such a thing as no.

If his friends needed he would take the shirt off for them too, it wasn’t just for family.

He did this ‘til the very end.

He spent years building his reputation and a business, hiring employees, building himself out of a beautiful respectable office and so on... He had a nice business going and one day, about a year and a half ago, somebody came

to him with a new business idea his friend wanted to pursue.

He went on to drop his own business, invest everything he had, borrow money to invest more, even to go so far as to lease a car in his own name for this guy because for some reason the guy couldn’t get the car himself. And then that person failed him after he did all this for him, and in the end Simcha was left holding a bag with hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt on the verge of bankruptcy – all because he wanted to help somebody else.

In the beginning of the summer he called me up for advice, and he told me he wanted to file for bankruptcy, but I begged him not to. I sat there trying to figure out a plan as best as I could because I didn’t want my younger brother at 32 years old to feel like a failure.

He was only 32!

And you know why? And all because he couldn’t say no.

He had so many different partners over the years because whoever asked him and came to him with an idea, he just said yes.

And at 32, being single, good-looking, super smart, and super talented, he was left broke because he didn’t know how to say no to people. He was so broke, he had to shut down his office and lay off all his employees, and he showed me his account a few months ago with a few hundred dollars in it...32 years old.

I offered to give him money, I asked him please take money, but he refused to take it. He figured out if he does this and that for a few days, his next payment is going to come and he’d rather not take it from someone because he was a giver, he did not know how to take.

There was no such a thing of him taking something, he just gave and gave and gave.

Even though he was broke, he was still giving charity. We asked him why are you giving away money, his response was, “What do you mean? He’s a Yid, he needs help. We have to look out for each other.”

While we were talking at the end of the summer about his situation he started bothering me about a mechanic in his neighborhood that owns a piece of property, that these big developers are after him and wanted to buy and develop the land. Since Simcha

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was afraid they were going to take advantage of him somehow, he asked me for help to figure out something that was fair for this guy.

This was on the phone while discussing how to help him, where he’s up to, if he needs money, how his plan is going – he’s busy still trying to find ways to help someone else.

Of course, I said I was too busy and we’ll go next week...but that never happened so he called me again a few weeks later, “When are you coming?” I knew we were going away for Sukkos, so I said maybe after Sukkos when things settle down because I was thinking I can’t just go meet with this guy. If I’m going to Dumbo I’m going to make a day of it. I have to spend the whole day with Simcha. I want to go to his apartment, I wanted to go meet his rabbi... I had not been there in a few years and I just wanted to spend the whole day with him, walk near the water, go to the park. He was like the mayor, we’d walk around the neighborhood and he’d show me ev-

erything, teach me everything, and so on, so I wanted to spend the day with him – which, by the way, that’s the way it went. You never just saw him for 5 minutes, if you saw him, you didn’t want to part ways.

He would be in my house sometimes ‘til 2, 3 o’ clock in the morning just talking. I don’t even know what we spoke about. We didn’t talk about politics, we didn’t talk about sports, we didn’t talk about other people, we would just talk about life. We were best friends.

He always did the hardest jobs; he made it happen.

I remember when my father turned 60 we made him a birthday party, it was the hottest day I ever remember in my life and he sat there outdoors on a ladder stringing these lights together because who else would be crazy enough to do it in the heat. But it had to get done. He didn’t complain about it; he just did it. He would help me build my sukkah for many years because I needed the help. At the

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

time I couldn’t afford to hire anybody. One year he just built it himself because I had to go to shul and he just built it himself without any help. This was his life!

He, in fact, was not broke at all. He was full of love and kindness. He had more friends than anyone I’ve ever known. He didn’t collect stuff or things, he collected people, meaningful relationships, and good deeds.

His life personified the greatest mitzvah in the Torah in the best humanly way possible.

He was the epitome of what it means to love another person and to treat them like yourself, and he reached the pinnacle of this great and utmost important mitzvah. This is what G-d intended for him and for all of us privileged enough to know him – so that we can emulate him in his ways.

I can see him walking around right now up there asking if everyone’s okay, cracking jokes, and taking care of everyone else...but all I want

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to know right now is if he, himself, is okay. That’s all I’m thinking about, every minute since I heard this news.

I just want to make sure he’s okay because that’s what he does for everybody else.

Simcha, Simcha, Simcha, please forgive me. Forgive me if I ever gave you bad advice. Forgive me if I didn’t ever believe in you. Forgive me if I didn’t properly pay you back. Forgive me if I didn’t give you enough attention. Forgive me if I didn’t help you when you asked for it or even when you didn’t. Forgive me if I did anything at all to ever hurt you in any way, shape or form.

I love you and I will never ever, ever, ever forget you and stop loving you.

I love you so much.

How apropos when someone passes away we wish them “only simchos.”

Now I finally get it, we want everybody to be just like my little brother Simcha who brought simcha to everyone he ever met.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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In The K

tchen

Quinoa-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Ingredients Potatoes 4 medium sweet potatoes ¾ cup dry white quinoa, rinsed and drained ¼ cups water ¼ tsp each sea salt and cumin, to taste ½ medium lime, juiced ¼ cup red onion, sliced ¼ cup salsa Tortilla chips, crushed, optional Toasted pepitas, optional

Sauce 1 small ripe avocado 1 cup cilantro, chopped 3-4 small limes, juiced 2 TBS olive oil ¼ tsp each sea salt and cumin, to taste 1 TBS maple syrup 2-3 TBS water

Preparation Preheat oven to 400°F. Poke a few holes in the sweet potatoes with a sharp knife to allow steam to escape. Bake sweet potatoes directly on oven rack (with a baking sheet below to catch any drippings) for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until tender to the touch.

Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add rinsed quinoa and toast for 3-5 minutes, or until all water is evaporated and quinoa is fragrant and slightly toasted.

Add water, a pinch of sea salt, lime juice and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cover.

Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. Remove quinoa from heat and season with another healthy pinch sea salt and ¼ tsp ground cumin. Stir, adjust seatsonings as desired, and set aside, slightly covered.

Prepare the dressing: add all ingredients besides water to a blender or food processor and blend. Add only enough water needed to blend.

Scrape down sides as needed. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside.

Prepare any remaining toppings, such as chopped onion, cilantro or crushed tortilla chips.

To serve, split open baked potatoes and fill with 1 TBS salsa and ¼ to ½ cup cooked quinoa.

Top with a healthy drizzle of avocado-cilantro sauce, and any other desired toppings such as hot sauce, extra cilantro, and tortilla chips.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

I sleep with a loaded gun by my bed. I’m home alone a lot…so I’ve got deadbolts all around my house so that if someone’s in my house when I go to bed I’m deadbolted in three different levels.

- Kelley Paul, the wife of Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), in an interview with Breitbart News, describing her increasing safety concerns amidst increased calls for violence from the left

North and South Korea say they want to host the 2032 Summer Olympics together. The highlight will be when the athletes try pole-vaulting from North Korea into South Korea.

– Jimmy Fallon

The FDA is said to be cracking down on teenage vaping. Vaping for those who don’t know is the reason your Uber smells like pineapple turpentine whenever you get in it.

Dunkin’ Donuts announced next year they will shorten their name from Dunkin’ Donuts to just “Dunkin’.” And their customers will shorten the name of their disease from diabetes to just ‘betes from now on.

– Conan O’Brien

– Jimmy Kimmel

Whatever happens, I’m just glad we ruined Brett Kavanaugh’s life.

– Tweet by Ariel Dumas, a writer for CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” after Justice Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court

With the exception of Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, all the women in the Republican conference caved… These women are gender traitors.

I’m not tired of winning….....Victory!

- Alexis Grenell, The New York Times, condemning any female that supported Justice Kavanaugh

- Tweet by Sen. Lindsey Graham, after Justice Kavanaugh was confirmed

These are the kind of women who…who agree with President Trump that “it’s a very scary time for young men in America,” but the people who scare me the most are the mothers, sisters and wives of those young men….we’re talking about white women.

The same 53 percent who put their racial privilege ahead of their second-class gender status in 2016 by voting to uphold a system that values only their whiteness, just as they have for decades.

More New Yorkers are biking to work. Which is good news for the environment, but bad news for their co-workers who have to hear them brag about it.

– Ibid.

- Jimmy Fallon

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Another crazed woman later screamed, “I will not consent, I will not consent, I will not consent, I will not consent.” She was like a feminist automaton: “I will not consent, I will not consent.” Capitol Police were less forgiving and dragged her out the doors and down the hallway. I have visited hospitals for the seriously mentally ill, and the shrieks from this woman were as odd and unearthly as anything I ever heard inside a mental hospital. They echoed off the halls and ceilings outside the gallery in decreasing but astonishing amplitude.

- Christian Adams, PJ Media, who was in the Senate gallery when Justice Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed, describing the madness of the leftist hecklers who tried to disrupt the proceedings, in what he says was reminiscent of an “exorcism in an insane asylum”

Dick Durbin said a few weeks ago in response to the committee that these were the sounds of democracy. No they weren’t. They were the sounds of a group of people tinkering with madness. They were the sounds of irrational, unhinged, and unmoored lunatics.

Scientists developed a robotic skin that can make stuffed animals appear to come to life. It’s being hailed as a “breakthrough” for people who like to scare small children.

– Conan O’Brien

– Ibid.

This isn’t your father’s GOP. This is the party of Trump. The GOP has gone from a party of guys wearing green pants with a yellow shirt, going golfing at the country club with Muffie and Chip, to a party of brawlers, headbangers and New York street fighters. Now Mitch McConnell, Chuck Grassley, Lindsey Graham and even (gulp) Susan Collins are all bar-room brawlers. They’ve all clearly learned from Trump. Heck, even our judges are willing to get in the ring and go 12 rounds! Everything has changed because of the “Trump Rules.” I’m from the streets of New York. This is my kind of political party! Thank Goodness this is Trump’s Party.

I’ll put you in my plane and I’ll fly you down to Venezuela, and let’s see how good socialism is doing down there.

- Ken Langone, co-founder of the Home Depot, on “Yahoo Finance,” when asked about the trend of millennials embracing socialism

A new study found that hand dryers in bathrooms spread more germs than paper towels. And the makers of hand dryers said, “But don’t forget, we also don’t dry your hands.”

- Jimmy Fallon

– Wayne Allyne Roott, Townhall

I heard that Meghan Markle is coming out with a cookbook. Since she’s a royal, the cookbook just says: “Step 1: Sit and wait for food.”

– Jimmy Fallon

Scientists have announced plans to build a genetic Noah’s Ark which will contain genetic information from 66,000 species, beating the previous record held by the comforters at Days Inn. – Seth Myers

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He never calls in sick. I have young people with knee and back problems, but he just keeps going. He can do more haircuts than a 20-year-old kid. They’re sitting there looking at their phones, texting or whatever, and he’s working.

- Jane Dinezza, owner of Fantastic Cuts in New Windsor, NY, talking to The New York Times about his employee Anthony Mancinelli, who at age 107 is the oldest active barber in the world, according to the Guinness World Records

Although the Senate confirmation process tested me, as it has tested others, it did not change me.

- Justice Brett Kavanaugh, at the White House swearingin ceremony

On behalf of the nation, I’d like to apologize to Brett and the entire Kavanaugh family for the terrible pain and suffering you’ve been forced to endure.

- President Trump at the White House swearing-in ceremony

Weight Watchers is shortening its name to WW. Which means in the next Weight Watchers commercial, you’re going to see the name bragging about how it dropped 12 letters.

– Jimmy Fallon

I’ve never been as angry as I am right now. Republicans’ shameful choice to confirm Brett Kavanaugh makes me sick. Mark my words: I will NOT let Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump claim this victory… We have to show Republicans that we will never forget and never forgive.

– From an email by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to supporters

It’s been a great political gift for us. The tactics have energized our base. I want to thank the mob, because they’ve done the one thing we were having trouble doing, which was energizing our base.

- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in a Washington Post interview, after Justice Kavanaugh was confirmed

We have already reviewed your client’s allegations. We focus on credible allegations. Please stop emailing me.

- Response to lawyer Michael Avenatti by the Senate Judiciary Committee’s chief counsel after Avenatti kept trying to enter the Kavanaugh fray

Just want to that the Shortseller Enrichment Commission is doing incredible work. And the name change is so on point!

- Typo-ridden Tweet by Tesla’s Elon Musk mocking the SEC shortly after he paid a $20 million fine to the Securities Exchange Commission for a securities fraud charge

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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Political Crossfire

Jamal Khashoggi Chose to Tell the Truth It’s part of the reason he’s beloved

By David Ignatius

G

eorge Orwell titled a regular column he wrote for a British newspaper in the mid-1940s “As I Please,” meaning that he would write exactly what he believed. My Saudi colleague Jamal Khashoggi has always had that same insistent passion for telling the truth about his country, no matter what.

Khashoggi’s fate is unknown as I write, but his colleagues at The Washington Post and friends around the world fear that he was murdered after he visited the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last Tuesday.

I have known Khashoggi for about 15 years and want to share here some of the reasons he is beloved in our profession.

Journalists can sometimes seem dry and remote, living in the flat two dimensions of a newspaper page.

Khashoggi was a tall, reserved man, austere in the long, white thobe he wore until he went into exile in the United States last year. But in his work, he has always been full of life and daring; he embodied the restless curiosity and refusal to compromise on principle that are the saving graces of our business.

Khashoggi has always been the kind of journalist who annoys the authorities. That has been true of Saudi Arabia’s current Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who Khashog-

gi thought was an impulsive hothead who undermined his own good ideas for reform.

But Mohammed bin Salman was hardly Khashoggi’s first target.

He was picking fights with the Saudi leadership 25 years ago. He was named editor of the reform newspaper Al Watan in 2003, got fired two months later for publishing criticism of the Saudi religious leadership, got rehired four years after that, and then was forced to resign in 2010 after publishing another controversial piece criticizing Salafist extremism.

He was one of those journalists who simply wouldn’t back down when convinced he was right.

Khashoggi was passionate for reform of an Arab Muslim world that he considered corrupt and dishonest. He grew up in Medina, the son of a Saudi who owned a small textile shop. He went to the United States for college, attending Indiana State University. He also embraced Islam, joining the Muslim Brotherhood and, in the late 1970s, befriending the young Osama bin Laden, whom he tried to turn against violence.

Khashoggi failed to dissuade bin Laden. But he never temporized about the evil that al-Qaeda brought to Saudi Arabia and the world. He wrote a column for the Daily Star in Beirut on September 10, 2002, titled

“A Saudi mea culpa.” At a time when many Saudis were still finding excuses for the al-Qaeda killers, Khashoggi described 9/11 as an attack on “the values of tolerance and coexistence,” and on Islam itself.

One of my favorite Khashoggi columns was a 2002 evocation of his friend Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal correspondent who just had been murdered by al-Qaeda. They had met 10 years before, while covering the first Gulf War. Khashoggi wrote of this American Jewish reporter: “Pearl understood Arab and Muslim feelings. ... He was searching for the truth in order to convey it to his readers.”

Khashoggi and I were at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2011 as the revolt that came to be known as the Arab Spring was starting to sweep the Middle East. Khashoggi welcomed it. I quoted him in a column: “The Arab world has been seeking renaissance for the last 100 years,” but the movement for reform had been blocked by authoritarian leaders and inchoate public rage at corruption.

Now it was time, he hoped.

What infuriated him about Mohammed bin Salman, I always suspected, was that the headstrong Saudi leader was wasting the yearning for reform so palpable in the king-

dom. Khashoggi praised the positive steps in his Post columns. The crown prince was “right to go after extremists” in the religious leadership; allowing movie theaters in the kingdom was a “huge step toward normalization”; letting women drive deserved “considerable credit.”

But Mohammed bin Salman’s reckless arrests and foreign adventures undermined these advances.

Khashoggi wrote indignantly that the crown prince didn’t just lock up corrupt princes; he went after thoughtful intellectuals. He let women drive yet jailed the activists who had urged the reforms.

Khashoggi understood that he could keep his mouth shut and stay safe because he had so many friends in the royal family. But it simply wasn’t in him.

Khashoggi wrote a column for the Post last year in which he described seeing some of his friends arrested and struggling with his conscience.

“I said nothing. I didn’t want to lose my job or my freedom. I worried about my family. I have made a different choice now,” he wrote. He had made a decisive break with Mohammed bin Salman, choosing exile and honesty in his writings. His simple four-word explanation: “We Saudis deserve better.” (c) 2018, Washington Post Writers Group

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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Political Crossfire

What the Kavanaugh Fight Shows

By Marc A. Thiessen

P

resident Trump apologized to Justice Brett Kavanaugh and his family for the “terrible pain and suffering” they endured during his confirmation process, declaring that “what happened to the Kavanaugh family violates every notion of fairness, decency and due process.” Democrats seem to be taking the opposite lesson from the Kavanaugh fight. As Politico recently tweeted, “After failing to stop Kavanaugh’s confirmation, Democrats wonder if it’s time to be more ruthless.”

More ruthless? There are a lot of reasons the effort to stop Kavanaugh failed, but a lack of ruthlessness is not one of them. Kavanaugh’s opponents just tried to destroy a man without a shred of corroborating evidence. No tactic, no unfounded accusation, was too extreme. Democrats demanded that the FBI investigate not just Christine Blasey Ford’s uncorroborated accusations, but also the charge in the New Yorker’s hit piece that Kavanaugh had exposed himself to a college classmate, Deborah Ramirez, as well as the scurrilous accusation by Michael Avenatti client Julie Swetnick that Kavanaugh participated in assaults at high school parties. How can you get any

more ruthless than unfounded accusations of group assaults against women?

Democrats did not lose the Kavanaugh fight because they were not ruthless enough. They lost because, as always, the left overreached. Their increasingly brazen and unsupported charges against Kavanaugh backfired, strengthening the GOP’s case that Kavanaugh was the victim of a political hit job, and actually helping to secure his confirmation.

They also lost because of their disastrous decision last year to filibuster the nomination of Neil Gorsuch, a justice of impeccable qualification and temperament. If Democrats had kept their powder dry then, they would still have had the filibuster in place when Kavanaugh was nominated. As it stands, Republicans were barely able to confirm Kavanaugh; they likely would never have been able to muster the votes to invoke the nuclear option to get him onto the court.

In the case of Gorsuch, at least there was no attempt at character assassination. That was because he was a conservative justice replacing a conservative justice, the late Antonin Scalia. His confirmation simply restored the status quo ante. Kavanaugh, by

contrast, was replacing Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, the court’s key swing vote. His confirmation could swing the court’s ideological balance for a generation, so he had to be destroyed. If they did this to Kennedy’s replacement, think of what Democrats will do if, at some point in his presidency, Trump ends up nominating someone to replace a liberal Supreme Court justice.

It’s hard to imagine anything worse than charges of assault, but I doubt we have yet plumbed the depths of the ruthlessness of which Democrats are capable.

Democrats have no one but themselves to blame for Kavanaugh’s confirmation. Their strategic miscalculations, and embrace of what they once decried as the “politics of personal destruction,” backfired. And the reverberations may not yet be over. Since Kavanaugh’s hearings, the number of Republicans who say the November elections are “very important” has grown by 12 points to 80 percent – closing the enthusiasm gap with Democrats. The attacks on Kavanaugh have awoken a sleeping giant. It may not be enough to save the House, where Republicans are defending 25 seats in districts Hillary Clinton won.

But the Kavanaugh fiasco may cost Democrats their chance to retake the Senate – and with it the power to block future Trump judicial nominations. If so, it means their search-and-destroy mission against Kavanaugh may end up handing Trump the ability to get even more Supreme Court justices confirmed.

Democrats have also given Republicans reason to look past their frustrations with Trump’s erratic behavior in office. Millions of Republicans put aside their misgivings and voted for Trump in 2016 for one reason: the Supreme Court. Now he has delivered. It has not escaped notice that he never once backed down in his support for Kavanaugh. Even at the lowest moments, there were no signs of wavering, no leaks from the White House that the president was quietly looking at potential replacements just in case Kavanaugh’s nomination failed. At his ceremonial swearing-in Monday, Kavanaugh thanked Trump for his “steadfast, unwavering support.” He’s right. The president stood firm until the end, and won. Now it’s time for Democrats to be honest with themselves about why they lost. (c) 2018, Washington Post Writers Group

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Forgotten Her es

Military Uniforms in American History

By Avi Heiligman

An Underwater Demolition Team, also known as a UDT

An Ike jacket worn in World War II

A Kepi hat worn by those in the 8th New York Cavalry during the Civil War

Please note that there were many changes to the uniforms in all branches of the military through the past 242 years and it would be impossible to list them all. In this article we don’t mention certain topics like shoes, weapons and other gear for the lack of space – not because those topics aren’t interesting.

W

hen the American Revolutionary War started in 1775 one of the most taxing demands on the Continental Army’s resources was supplying the soldiers with uniforms. To keep costs low, General George Washington preferred his men to wear hunting shirts and not the elaborate uniforms of the British Army.

Since that time, the dress for American servicemen and women has changed

dramatically with the times. Many volumes of books have been written on the nuances of American military uniforms, and we will now highlight some of the more interesting changes that have taken place in the evolution of the American service uniform.

British soldiers during the Revolutionary War were frequently called Redcoats due to the colorful outer layer of their uniforms. Similar in style to his British counterpart, an American colonial soldier typically wore a knee-length blue coat with red trimming. Since there was a lack of funds to produce uniforms, many soldiers wore hunting outfits or even civilian clothes. Many Americans were skilled frontiersmen and hunters, and therefore had their own unique outfits that they wore to battle.

The number of soldiers and sailors in the American military typically dwindles down to a bare minimum between wars. This was certainly the case in the years leading up to the second war with the British, the War of 1812.

While the number of soldiers shrank, the uniforms became more flamboyant.

European influence on headwear had crossed the Atlantic, and American soldiers were now wearing the Shako cap with a visor. This soon became known as the Tombstone cap. The rest of the uniform was a basic coat and pants with the shoes being sourced from several distributers or brought from home.

The budget for purchasing uniforms was tiny, and as more soldiers entered the military the wool coats were being purchased on the cheap. Gray wool coats replaced the distinctive blue uni-

forms when the supplies ran low.

Several smaller engagements including the Mexican-American War took place between the larger War of 1812 and the Civil War. Styles changed as the tailcoat was replaced by a shorter jacket. They were cheaper to make and easier for the soldier to move around while wearing the new uniform. The Shako cap was also ditched in favor of a pinwheel forage cap. Some wore a bell crown cap that had a colored pompom in front. By the late 1830s the large hats were taken out of service in favor of a round cap that saw use in various capacities for over a century.

Officers wore their rank on their shoulder, and chevrons were introduced for non-commissioned officers in 1847.

Civil War uniforms were much simpler than those of wars past. Brass

The TheJewish JewishHome Home| |OCTOBER OCTOBER29, 11,2015 2018 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Soldiers wearing Kevlar bulletproof vests

insignia were introduced and epaulets replaced by shoulder straps. A regular Union infantry soldier wore a blue sack coat while the Confederate color of choice was gray. Soldiers wore a circular topped hat with a visor known as a kepi. Kepis were popular worldwide, and the French still wear them today but it is most associated with the American Civil War. Kepis were worn for several decades after the war, and the uniform in general did not have radical changes until the years leading up to the turn of the century. In the 1870s and 1880s there were many styles of uniforms worn because of shortages and lack of discipline for uniform regulations.

The Spanish American War in 1898 saw the introduction of the khaki uniform that changed only slightly for almost a century. The next radical change in color and style for all military personnel wasn’t until Desert Storm in 1990.

Metal helmets became popular over other headgear during World War I. Leather, fur and wool hats were only worn for dress uniforms, and helmets that could withstand the impact of a bullet were put into action. The British used the Brodie steel helmet which was then sold to the Americans for combat use. Leather shoes and cartridge belts with “lift-the-dots� snaps also became standard issue.

Soldiers during World War II wore olive-drab uniforms and M1 helmets.

Other units such as the paratroopers and UDTs (the forbearers of the SEALs) had their unique uniforms. Paratroopers had coats made specifically for

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The OCP camouflauge uniform

them, and the UDTs typically went into combat with nothing more than swim trunks, fins, mask and a K-bar knife.

An insulating waist length jacket commonly known as the Ike jacket was developed for soldiers during World War II. After the war the jacket received upgrades and was used in dress and parade uniforms. Even today some agencies like Border Patrol wear uniforms similar to that of the original Ike jacket. Cold weather jackets were put into use during the Cold War. As mentioned earlier the uniforms dramatically changed towards the end of the Cold War with the introduction of camouflage uniforms. In the 1980s the BDU (Battle Dress Uniform) was adopted from uniforms that some troops wore during the Vietnam War. It should be noted that the U.S. Marines sometimes wore frog skin camouflage as early as 1942. The Woodland pattern that was most commonly used for over two decades was first issued in 1981. Desert camouflage was also issued for use in dry climates like Iraq.

The armed forces started the digital multi-scale pattern in 2002, with the Marines using their own take on the pattern. The Operational Camouflage Pattern has recently been adopted and will be the official combat uniform for most troops.

Body armor and bulletproof jackets were introduced in the late 20th century to better protect frontline soldiers.

Kevlar is a heat-resistant synthetic fiber that, when spun into a vest, can stop a bullet. In 1983 the army started using helmets made from 19 layers of Kevlar.

Other lightweight combat helmets and

bulletproof vests that have better stopping power have been integrated into the military in past few years.

Uniforms and gear are essential for a soldier to properly perform his or her duty on the battlefield. These are just of the major changes that have been in development since 1776. As history tells us, changes will occur from time to

time with each change making it easier and safer for the soldier, sailor, airman, or marine in the line of duty.

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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19

Good Hum r

Kugel Cravings

By Jon Kranz

W

hen it comes to food, few things sound more Jewish than kugel. It is a side dish staple of Jewish cuisine and a seudah stalwart but it surprisingly receives little fanfare and often is taken for granted. For many shoppers and meal-makers, kugel is an afterthought, a last minute supplement just in case the brisket is a catastrophe, the schnitzel is a calamity, and the tzimmes is a tragedy. In many ways, kugel is sort of like the friend you invite for a Shabbos meal at the last second but who winds up being the life of the party and stealing the show. In this regard, kugel might be the most underrated and underappreciated aspect of Jewish cuisine.

Many scholars agree that the term “kugel” is a Yiddish term deriving from the German word for ball or globe. Apparently, the German version of kugel was spherical in shape but the kugel moniker stuck despite the fact that nowadays most kugels are square or rectangular. By the way, you will not find triangular kugels because that shape is reserved for hamantaschen. You also will not find parallelogram-shaped kugels because you will not find parallelogram-shaped tins.

According to some scholars, the kugel of today can be traced back to a dish eaten during Talmudic times known as pashtida, which featured two layers (top and bottom) of dough with a filling. Some argue that the pashtida, which is mentioned in the

Shulchan Aruch (168:17), represented the manna and dew that fell from the sky during the Jews’ forty years in the desert. One could argue that the pashtida sounds more like a knish but most folks will not talk about the knish in this regard because, as they say, you really shouldn’t knish and tell.

Kugel, a/k/a/ the kosher casserole, comes in many varieties, the most popular being potato, noodle, broccoli and spinach. Within these broad categories are more exotic versions like sweet potato kugel and salt & pepper kugel. Technically, there are no limits to creating different fla-

noodle kugel, you may be guilty of speaking lokshen hara.

Yerushalmi kugel, a mash-up of sweet noodle and salt & pepper kugel, has a story behind it. In the 18th century disciples of the Vilna Gaon flocked to Israel and brought with them their own distinctive Eastern European culture including cuisine.

Along the way, they concocted a special version of noodle kugel with caramelized sugar that eventually became known as Kugel Yerushalmi or Yerushalmi Kugel. Yes, had these chassidim wound up in Tel Aviv, the dish probably would have been called Tel Avivi Kugel, which reminds me of

How much did they Tel Aviv? Eilat.

vors of kugel but at your local supermarket you are unlikely to find kale kugel, kumquat kugel, or curry kugel.

Within the noodle category are several types including lokshen and Yerushalmi. The word “lokshen” actually is Yiddish for noodle and lokshen kugel typically is associated with a sweet noodle kugel featuring raisins, nuts and cinnamon. As many rabbis will tell you, if you gossip pejoratively about someone else’s

a really bad joke: How much did they Tel Aviv? Eilat.

Beyond the broad kugel categories mentioned above, you will find some outliers including challah kugel which, as the name suggests, is made using an actual challah. Such a hybrid sounds decent and certainly less alarming than other possible culinary combos like chopped liver soufflé or gefilte fish cake.

It is interesting that while salt &

pepper noodle kugel remains relatively popular, other combo flavoring is not. For instance, good luck finding lemon & lime kugel, ketchup & mustard kugel, or peanut butter & jelly kugel. You also will not find Sephardi & Ashkenazi kugel, but mostly because the two cannot agree on whether the kugel should be served standing upright (Sephardic) or lying down on its back (Ashkenazic).

For the record, not all Jews refer to kugel as kugel. Some Jews, particularly those from Poland and the Ukraine, refer to it as “kigel.” That can be sort of confusing when placing an order at the deli counter: Customer: Excuse me, do you have any kigel?

Store Manager: No, we don’t have kichel here. Try the bakery.

Customer: No, not kichel. Do you have kigels!

Store Manager: No, I don’t have the giggles. What was so funny anyway?

Customer: No, not giggles. Kigel!!!

Store Manager: No, we don’t have kigel. But would you like to try some kugel instead?

Customer: Oy vey.

Final thought: Some people contend that kugel is like pizza, bread and the Earth’s top layer because each is only as good . . . as its crust.

Jon Kranz is an attorney living in Englewood, New Jersey. Send any comments, questions or insults to jkranz285@ gmail.com.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

A Fulfilled L fe

Adding a Sense of Urgency to Your Work

By Rabbi Dr. Naphtali Hoff

O

n motzaei Sukkos, the forecast in the Greater NYC area was grim.

Tornado watch. Heavy winds.

Punishing rains.

Compounding the problem was that I was planning to dismantle my wood panel sukkah and needed to do that before everything got wet.

Otherwise, I would need a few days of sunny, dry weather before I could try again.

So, I galvanized my family and we went “all hands on deck,” returning the sukkah to our shed in record time.

Some helped to dismantle the structure. Others cleared place in the shed for the wooden panels and other components. Whatever needed to be done was attended to. And we managed to dodge a wet bullet by getting it done before the rains arrived in earnest.

Research is clear that people respond better – both qualitatively and in terms of completion time – when there is a sense of urgency

to their work. While it’s important that leaders not overplay the urgency card (that can dull people’s responsiveness and induce unneeded stress) with their teams, there are many benefits to strategically adding an element of healthy pressure to the workplace.

Here are some “EARNEST” ways to increase a sense of urgency at work: 1. Expectations – The first thing that people need to know is where things stand and what needs to change. Once you get your team clear on where they are and what needs to happen, you can reasonably expect that they will focus their efforts and energy to move things forward.

2. Awareness – They also should be made aware of why this task is of increased importance, as in what’s going to happen if nothing changes.

In my example, it would be that we need to prioritize dismantling the sukkah to ensure that it gets into the shed before the sky opens up

and everything gets soaked. Your consequence may relate to losing customers, taking a loss on a faulty product or service, or an opportunity to gain market share.

3. Reflect (through your actions) – When something is more urgent, your actions should reflect it. Your people will pick up on your increased focus, seriousness, etc. and respond in kind. If you’re “on” all of the time or keep a flat, low profile regardless of what’s at stake, then your people will not know that this task should take higher priority.

4. Note – If you sense that folks are a bit too comfortable in how they approach their tasks, do things to adjust people’s working “temperature.” For example, instead of 45 minute weekly sit-down meetings in the usual meeting space, meet briefly first thing each morning while standing in the hallway.

5. Employee (recognition) – Reward small successes by recognizing your team members who set a positive, “urgent” example for others. A

simple “thanks” or “way to go!” can go a long way.

6. Stop – Give your team a breather when needed to help them recover from the unexpected increase of time, energy, concentration, etc. that you’ve been demanding of them. Consider something like an extended weekend or early dismissal after meaningful progress has been achieved.

7. Take stock – Pause from time to time to measure what worked and what didn’t. Use this information the next time that you want or need to increase the level of urgency at work.

Rabbi Naphtali Hoff, PsyD, is an executive coach and President of Impactful Coaching & Consulting. For a free, no obligation consultation, please call 212-470-6139 or email nhoff@impactfulcoaching.com. Check out his new leadership book, “Becoming the New Boss,” on Amazon. Download his free eBook for understaffed leaders at ImpactfulCoaching.com/EPIC.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Business

Smarts

Fun Facts about America’s Top Companies

By Chaim Homnick

W

e are all familiar with America’s top companies and tech giants. Their logos are instantly recognizable, their products are pervasive across the world, and often their beginnings or anecdotes of their founders have entered into the realm of American folklore. But behind each of these business behemoths are often some surprising facts. Below are a selection of fun facts for some of America’s largest and most beloved companies from a variety of sectors and industries (listed alphabetically).

AMAZON Amazon was originally slated to be called “cadabra,” as in abra cadabra. But Jeff Bezos switched gears quickly when his own lawyer misheard it as “cadaver.” He instead went with Amazon, naming it after the river to suggest massive scope and because website listings back then were often alphabetical (that idea also slated his company top billing in this article!).

fact, he designed the first logo. However, Wayne sold his stock (10% of the company) for just $800 after 12 days.

Amazingly, Wayne says he has no regrets of backing out as the company was too intense for him and said he fears he would’ve been “the richest man in the cemetery.” But he does regret a different sale: the contract he wrote up with Jobs and Wozniak sat in a drawer from 1976 until the early

brands like Geico. What many people don’t know is that Warren Buffett considers his investment in Berkshire Hathaway to be his worst investment ever.

Berkshire Hathaway was a struggling textile business and Buffett planned to sell his shares back to the company at an agreed-upon price.

When they reneged on that deal he angrily bought enough shares to as-

Founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page enjoy (for $1.3 million per year) access to a private NASA runway in San Francisco so they can land their planes just a few minutes from their offices.

FACEBOOK Facebook isn’t just the social media giant; it owns most of its competition! Facebook owns Instagram and WhatsApp after bold acquisitions designed to ensure Facebook remains the social media leader. Interestingly, while Facebook started as the ultimate guys’ site (the “Like” button was originally an “Awesome” button), it actually skews female, with 76% of all female internet-users on the platform (66% for men) and women average twice as many posts as men.

FORD Ford is the second largest family-owned company in the world (behind Walmart). Henry Ford’s great grandson, William Clay Ford, Jr., is currently the company’s executive chairman.

GOOGLE

APPLE Apple isn’t just the smartphone provider of over 90 million Americans; it also has more cash on hand (approximately $250 billion) than the U.S. Treasury ($171 billion).

What many people don’t know is that aside from the two Steves (Jobs and Wozniak), Apple originally had a third founder: Ronald Wayne. In

$200 billion in profits for himself and his shareholders.

‘90s when he sold it for $500. In 2011, that same contract sold at auction for $1.59 million.

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY The company is famous for Warren Buffett’s keen investing strategy, its $245,000 Class A price for each share, and its numerous subsidiary

sume control and fired the manager who had refused to honor his deal.

Buffett calculates that had he simply started a new umbrella brand and accumulated insurance companies through that instead of under the Berkshire Hathaway name (that he controlled but did not fully own), he would’ve netted around another

Since 2010, Google has been acquiring an average of one company every week!

Android, Youtube, and Waze are just a few companies that make up the Alphabet Inc. soup at Google. In terms of personal perks, founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page enjoy (for $1.3 million per year) access to a private NASA runway in San Francisco so they can land their planes just a few minutes from their offices.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

MICROSOFT

der, there are also many common denominators that emerge.

What’s notable is how many of these companies also own (via expansion or acquisition) subsidiaries and branches in numerous fields beyond their core business. It’s a critical reminder to seek success, perfect your business, and then diversify to protect your portfolio! Remember, Amazon was once just an online bookstore! Oh, and we also learned above to never sell a 10% share of Apple for $800.

Microsoft is one of the top patent owners in the U.S. (IBM has secured the most patents annually for 25 straight years.) Microsoft holds over 10,000 U.S. patents and files applications for nearly 3,000 per year. Microsoft also rewards their employees for holding a patent. The reward includes a bonus, a wooden plaque and a decorative cube that features their names along with the title and date of the patent.

VERIZON Verizon has the least loyal customers of the four major telecomm companies. It has the broadest coverage and Verizon-exclusive perks but it also has the highest number of customers ready to leave for a better deal.

In fact, Verizon did not want to offer unlimited data until the mass exodus of 400,000 customers in the first six weeks of 2017 forced their hand. The company with the most loyal customers? T-Mobile.

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WALMART Walmarts are so ubiquitous that 90% of Americans live within 15 miles of a Walmart, and Walmarts are so massive that all of the Walmarts in America combined would take up more space than Manhattan. Interestingly, Walmart’s top selling item is bananas. They sell over 1.5 billion

pounds of bananas each year.

U

ltimately, it’s clear that companies take all sorts of routes to the top and execute myriad strategies to maintain their dominance and market share once they get there. While the fun facts above seem like fascinating Jeopardy fod-

Chaim Homnick is the owner of Kids Kamps LLC and the owner of Five Towns Tutoring. Chaim is also the college advisor at Mesivta Ateres Yaakov of Lawrence and teaches Honors/AP English Literature. He has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration. For questions or comments, he can be reached directly at KidsKampsLLC@gmail.com.

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

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Ced: Lg 1BR Apt..$1,695/mo Wdmr: NO FEE,1BR..$1,995/mo Ced: 2BR Apt In Hse..$2,200/mo F.Rock: 3BR, 2nd Flr..$2,350/mo Hewl: NO FEE,2BR..$2,500/mo

NORTH WOODMERE: NEW LISTING, 3BR, 2BA Hi-Ranch W/Beautiful Waterview, SD#15, Eik, Large Den W/Fplc, CAC, 2 Car Garage…$850K Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com WOODSBURGH: NEW LISTING “One Of A Kind” Historic Stone Manor Home, 5 Bedrooms, Updated Eik & Full Summer Kitchen, Lush Property W/IG-Pool, Patio & Waterfall + Cabana…$P.O.R Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com

Susan Pugatch (516) 295-3000 spugatch@pugatch.com

Co-ops & Condos Wdmr: Lovely 1BR..$99K F.Rock: 2BR, Shabbos Elev..$179K Ced: Mint 2BR,2BA..$339K Lawr: 1BR Condo.. $479K Islnd Pk: 3BR Condo..$625K

HEWLETT: 161 Midgely Dr (12-1:30)$699K LAWRENCE: 42 Barrett Rd (11:30-1)$P.O.R N.WOODMERE: 663 Golf Dr (12:30-2)$850K WOODMERE: 594 Church Ave (1:30-3)$949K

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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

COMMERCIAL RE NORTH WOODMERE Beautiful spacious 4 bedroom colonial, finished basement, in ground pool, close to all. $939,000 Call Nat Farago 516-924-2971 nat1stoprealtygroup@gmail.com ML#3036766 WOODMERE - NEW LISTING 3BR, 2Bth, Ranch, formal LV & DR, fire place, EIK, Florida room, full partially finished bsmt w/ sauna , Garage, Prime Edward Ave. location, S.D. 15 on 60x100 lot size, low taxes...759K Appointment by owner 516-319-7149

NEW EXCLUSIVE LISTING, Charming 3BR, 2 Full Bath Ranch, Formal DR, Den, Wood Floors, Lot Size 70 X 104, Prime Location, SD#14…$699K Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com WOODMERE: NEW EXCLUSIVE LISTING, Must See,

COMMERCIAL RE CEDARHURST 500-3,500 +/- SF Beautiful, newly renovated space for rent. Ideal for Retail or Executive offices. Prime location. Convenient Parking.

Sam @516-612-2433 or 718-747-8080

5BR, 2.5BA Split Level Home In SD#15, Eik, Formal DR, New Roof, Deck, Windows, Appliances, SD#15…$949K Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com

12,000SF Multi-Tenanted Professional Bldg W/On-Site Prkg

www.pugatch.com Call Alan For More Details (516) 295-3000

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Classifieds COMMERCIAL RE

COMMERCIAL RE

INWOOD OFFICE SPACE LOWEST PRICES IN TOWN! 500-7000 Square feet gorgeous office space with WATERVIEW in Inwood!

Lots of options. Tons of parking.

Will divide and customize space for your needs!

Call 516-567-0100

LYNBROOK: Beautiful Restaurant - Seats 160 People, 3500+/-SF Restaurant + Private Party Room, Great High Traffic Location, For Lease…Call for More Details. Broker (516) 792-6698

ROCKVILLE CENTRE Light Warehousing/Flex office space 5700 S/F - Built in Offices with Large Windows - 11' Ceiling clearance Indoor Loading Dock. Ideal Location / Walk To LIRR & Bus - Bank, Shopping, City Center.

917-822-0499 INWOOD: Various Sized Industrial Bldgs, High Ceilings, On-Site Parking & Street Parking, Queens/Nassau Border, For Lease… Call Arthur for More Details (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com

MILLER COMMERCIAL 525C v2 5X3.qxp_2018 7/16/18 9:10 PM Page 1

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Orthoptists, Podiatrists, Chiropractors, Physical Therapists, Dentists, or Obstetrician/Gynecologists. Spaces Available in Cedarhurst, Hewlett, Lynbrook, Rockville Centre, Valley Stream area. For Lease... Call for More Details Broker (516) 792-6698 LAWRENCE: 500+/-SF Small Office Space on Central Ave, adjacent to Parking Lot, Close to LIRR & Public Transportation, For Lease …Call Arthur for More Details (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com ROCKVILLE CENTRE: Various Sized Office Space In Beautiful & Bright Historic Building, Steps From RVC LIRR, Municipal Parking, Great Location, Near All, For Lease …

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ROCKVILLE CENTRE Flex Office Space / Light Warehousing 2350 S/F - Ready for move in.

Competitively priced Ideal Location / Walk To LIRR & bus Bank, Shopping, City Center.

917-822-0499 COMMERCIAL RENTAL 125 Cedarhurst Ave. Cedarhurst, NY 11516 Beautiful, newly renovated office space for rent Fully furnished, great location Price $800, WiFi and utilities included.

Contact Judi at 516-374-2898 SF MEDICAL OFFICE SPACE Available, Reception Area, Waiting Room, Kitchenette, 2 Consult, 4 Exam Rooms, 2 Bathrooms, 30 Car On-Site Parking, For Lease …

Call Ian for More Details (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com INWOOD 10,000 sq ft brick building.

Offices and warehouse. High ceilings.

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Call for More Details Broker (516) 792-6698 WOODMERE: BEST BUY Spacious 2BR Apartment, Washer/Dryer In Bldg, Elevator Bldg, Open Floor Plan, 1st Floor, Close To All...$199K Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com

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DenaFriedmanGraphics

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NORTH V I L L AG E AVENUE ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY

HELP WANTED Lev Chana Early Childhood Center, Hewlett, NY is looking to hire ASSISTANT TEACHERS FOR THE 2018-2019 SCHOOL YEAR. Candidates should have experience working with young children and be pursuing a degree in education or a related field.

Resumes to rgreen@halb.org Hebrew Academy of Long Beach, Woodmere, NY is seeking the following Maternity Leave positions: Morah for 6-8 grade girls; Ivrit 6-8 grade boys/girls; Jr. HS Math from 12 - 3:30 pm (M-TH), and 10:45 am - 1 pm (F).

Resumes to: ulubetski@halb.org Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island is looking for a full time main office secretary. Communication, computer proficiency and organizational skills required.

If interested, please e-mail your resume to office@ykli.org F/T & P/T REGISTERED NURSE openings to work with adults who have developmental disabilities within residential settings in Brooklyn, Manhattan, or Long Island. Current NYS RN, min 2 years hospital experience. OHEL: 855-OHEL JOB, www.ohelfamily.org/careers Assistants needed for elementary school, afternoon session. email fivetownseducators@gmail.com Seeking full time PHYSICAL THERAPIST for Special Education school located in Brooklyn. Experienced preferred.

Competitive salary. Room for growth. resumes@yadyisroelschool.org SHULAMITH EARLY CHILDHOOD is looking to hire a full time teacher assistant for the current school year.

Please email resume to earlychildhood@shulamith.org

▷ Daily Mincha Minyan (Maariv) ▷ 10 minutes from Five Towns and West Hempstead ▷ Unimited parking ▷ Five minute walk to LIRR station (30 minute direct train to and from Penn Station) ▷ Labcorp, Quest, and Sunrise medical labs in building

▷ Pharmacy/Convenience Store in building ▷ Centrally located between Sunrise Highway, Southern State Parkway and Peninsula Boulevard ▷ Multiple suite sizes available; build to suit

EXECUTIVE SUITES COMING SOON- RESERVE YOUR SPACE NOW

For more information contact: 212.686.5681 x 4201 sharon@rhodesny.com

355 Central Avenue, Lawrence NY 11559 (Across the street from Seasons)

P: 516.791.6100 | F: 516.374.7059 www.WeissmanRealty.com

LAWRENCE CONDO~THE CARLYLE Beautifully renovated 2 bdrm 2 full bath, with granite eat-in kitchen. Hiend appliances, gleaming wood oors.

Walk in shower+tub. Laundry in unit.

Lots of huge closets. Terrace facing Central Ave. Parking space incl. P.O.R

Large 1 bedroom, 1.5 bath, upscale renovations. Large granite eat-in kitchen, washer/dryer in-unit, beautiful wood oors and quiet terrace. Parking space included.

Use of gym and social room. $485K

Full service doorman building.

These 2 apartments are next door to eachother • Can be sold together as a 3-bedroom

Call Sherri Slochowsky for more information. 516-297-7995

WOODMERE HOUSE COMPLETELY RENOVATED Perfect starter house in Woodmere. This light, bright 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom house has everything from new oors to recessed lighting. New windows, large kitchen with 2 sinks and 2 dishwashers, microwave oven and more. Beautiful hardwood doors and tiled bathrooms. Laundry on second oor. New heat, A/C. Unnnished basement & deep property $599K. Contact Sherri Slochowsky @ 516-297-7995 to schedule a showing.

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Far Rockaway Cornaga location, 3 to 4 offices, plus bthrm. Good for doctor, dentist or business. $1900 Call Sherri 516-297-7995 Cedarhurst Single rooms or executive suites. All utilities included.

Starting at $600. Call Sherri 516-297-7995

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Classifieds

classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com text 443-929-4003

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

5 TOWNS BOYS YESHIVA SEEKING Elem Gen Ed Teachers.

Excellent working environment and pay. Only lic/exp need apply.

Email resume to yeshivalooking@gmail.com

Pugatch Realty Corp., in Woodmere, is looking to hire and train a select group of motivated Realtors. If you are looking to build a career in real estate, or looking to take your existing career to the next level, there is no better place to start that the #1 Real Estate Brokerage in the Five Towns…

Call Today (516) 295-3000 x 128.

All calls kept confidential.

Due to continued growth, the Yeshiva of South Shore is seeking Elementary School Teachers.

Cert/Exp required.

Please forward resume to monika@yoss.org RECEPTIONIST Local school seeking Receptionist to oversee busy operation.

Responsibilities include answering phones, making appointments, data entry, and secretarial tasks. Good communication and computer skills required. Good pay, benefits, Jewish and Secular holidays off. Part time or full time. Email resume to fivetownsschool@gmail.com CATAPULT LEARNING Teachers, Title I Boro Park, Williamsburg and Flatbush Schools *College/Yeshiva Degree *Teaching experience required *Strong desire to help children learn *Small group instruction *Excellent organization skills Competitive salary Send resume to: Fax: (212) 480-3691 ~ Email: nyteachers@catapultlearning.com Seeking full time OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST for Special Education school located in Brooklyn. Experienced preferred.

Competitive salary. Room for growth. resumes@yadyisroelschool.org

DRIVER FOR QUEENS DRY CLEANER ROUTE. Options to drive Tuesday am/ Thursday pm. Also hours available Monday am , Tue am and pm, Wed am and pm and Friday pm. Must have own car. Use of company van part time.

Competitive salary.

Contact Marc for info 917-612-2300 OFFICE MANAGER Local school seeking Office Manager to oversee busy operation.

Responsibilities include managing schedules, coordinating with employees, delegating responsibilities, and working with vendors.

Communication, computer and organizational skills required. Good pay, benefits, Jewish and Secular holidays off. Part time or full time.

Email resume to fivetownsschool@gmail.com Seeking a dynamic SPEECH THERAPIST for special education school in Brooklyn. Collaborative environment and room for growth. resumes@yadyisroelschool.org

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Classifieds

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GABE@LIFECAPTUREIMAGES.COM 516.499.9620 WWW.LIFECAPTUREIMAGES.COM

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Baby-Friendly Care

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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

Keren Minchas Shlomo Over the past few years, we have sent gently used clothing to aniyei Eretz Yisrael in a biannual clothing drive. ALL COSTS are paid by anonymous sponsors, and collection and distribution is undertaken by UNPAID volunteers. This is a special opportunity to perform the tremendous mitzvah of tzedakah without incurring any expense. Last April we shipped over 10,000 garments to distribution centers, both chareidi and chiloni, in Yerushalayim, Kiryat Sefer, Bet Shemesh, and other communities. We also distributed clothing to families affected by the fires in Haifa.

The Keren is responsible for the clothing when it reaches E�Y, and the Israeli government inspects the container to make sure we comply with the rules and regulations. WE ARE SENDING ONLY GENTLY USED CLOTHING (no shoes, hats, or undergarments). Please select garments that you feel are appropriate and that our needy brethren in E"Y will be proud to wear. Please ensure that all clothing is stain-free and in very good condition.

Thank you for the last drive! Our community’s drive continues to be the most successful this organization has in terms of the quality and quantity of clothes we send to Eretz Yisrael. Help us do it again!

The clothing drive will BE"H take place

Sunday, October 21 | 10am-3pm at PRECISION AUTO BODY

10 Nassau Ave., Inwood, NY 11096 For more information, call 802-622-1818

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Your

15

Money

Something to Fight About!

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

F

all is officially here, and that means whiskey season is back.

Most drinkers probably don’t think much about taxes when they visit their favorite bar or spirits shop.

Liquor levies are generally based on volume, not price, so you pay the same amount of tax on a $4 fifth of Olde Ocelot as the swells pay for their $269 Pappy Van Winkle. But did you know that whiskey played a central role in our country’s first tax protest, which took place around this same season 224 years ago?

Turn the dial on the Wayback Machine to 1791. The fledgling U.S. government was struggling to pay off $79 million in Revolutionary War debt.

(Today that wouldn’t cover a single F-35, let alone win independence from the greatest empire on earth.)

Congress had already hiked tariffs as high as Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton felt they could go, so they were forced to tax domestic products.

Americans loved liquor, in part because alcoholic drinks didn’t spread disease (and also because it dulled the pain). So, naturally, Congress slapped a tax on it.

In western Pennsylvania, many farmers distilled their surplus grain into whiskey. Some even used it in lieu of currency. So natural-

ly, none of them exactly raised a toast to the new tax. Out there on the edge of civilization, it sounded a lot like “taxation without representation,” and we all know what happened the last time that was a rallying cry. Resistance began immediately, with area gangs tarring

dent led forces in the field until President Thomas Whitmore (played by Bill Pullman) led a force of plucky jet fighters in a desperate sortie against alien invaders in the 1996 popcorn epic, Independence Day. (Don’t bother with the 2016 sequel.)

Washington and his 12,950 troops

Apparently his desk job running the country wasn’t exciting enough.

and feathering local tax collectors.

By 1794, organized militias were battling federal marshals delivering subpoenas and warrants to distillers not paying the tax.

On September 25, 1794, President Washington federalized 12,950 troops (including future explorer Meriwether Lewis) to put down the rebellion.

Then he rode out from the capital to lead the troops himself. Apparently his desk job running the country wasn’t exciting enough! Fun fact: it was the only time a sitting U.S. presi-

proved to be maybe 12,900 more than the rebels could handle, and they fled before firing a single shot. Two of their leaders were convicted of treason and sentenced to hang, but Washington pardoned them. (No word on whether they made “dark-money” contributions to the President’s PAC.) Opponents kept fighting the tax at the ballot box, helping Thomas Jefferson defeat John Adams in 1800 and repealing the tax. Still, historians agree that Washington’s success in quelling the rebellion helped establish the le-

gitimacy of the new federal government.

Today, of course, leading troops is an entirely different matter. If the president wants to target, say, terrorists in Yemen, he gives the word to the Joint Chiefs, who pass word down the ranks to an Air Force officer manning a joystick connected to a drone halfway around the world. The whole thing is about as antiseptic as visiting the dentist, at least on our side of the drone. Can you even imagine Barack Obama or Donald Trump saddling up a mighty steed, raising a sword, and leading a colonnade of troops into battle? We’ll wait while you finish laughing. (Now that we mention it, maybe Dubya would have enjoyed that?)

Today, of course, there’s an easier way to pay less tax. You don’t have to assemble a militia or challenge government forces. You just need a plan.

Make sure you have one when you’re ready to save, and let’s raise a toast to progress!

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 | OCTOBER 11, 2018

Which one of these children needs Chai Lifeline?

(Hint: They all do.)

Chai Lifeline is renowned for the care and love it bestows on children fighting cancer. But that’s only the beginning.

Chai Lifeline serves thousands of children with medical challenges that aren’t evident on the outside, everything from Crohns Disease to cystic fibrosis to heart disease and illnesses so rare only a handful of children have been diagnosed. And still, that’s only the beginning.

Chai Lifeline includes siblings and parents, too, with programs geared towards the entire family.

We care for more than 5,000 children and their families around the world and across the street.

Chances are, you know them. They just don’t look sick.

Whenever, wherever we’re needed, Chai Lifeline is there.

Chai Lifeline. Comprehensive, compassionate, professional assistance for families facing illness, loss or trauma.

151 West 30th Street, New York, NY 10001 I (877) CHAI-LIFE I (212) 465-1300 I www.chailifeline.org

Regional Offices: Greater New York I Southeast I West Coast I Midwest I Mid-Atlantic I New Jersey I Canada I England I Israel I Belgium Hospital Support: Meals | Transportation Assistance | Hospital Visits | Respite Children’s Programs: Arts and Recreational Activities | After-school programs | Sibling Programs | Educational Assistance in Limudei Kodesh Counseling for patients and siblings | Camp Simcha/Camp Simcha Special Family Programs: Advocacy and Information | Retreats | Insurance Advocacy | Family Recreation | Family Counseling | Bereavement Services Community Programs: Project CHAI, support for schools, camps, and communities facing crisis or trauma.

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OCTOBER 2015 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 11, 2018

Life C ach

Who is Counting?

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., MFT, CLC

S

o, there’s this diet, 30 in 30.

Supposedly it means that you lose 30 lbs. in thirty days, which does not sound that easy to believe. Except, I just did it. That’s right, friends, I bet some of you out there did it too. Though, I have to admit, my sense of direction was compromised.

I did 30 in 30; gained 30 lbs. in thirty days – how about you?

So, here I am now, figuring out my weight correction and exercise plan.

I started by going to buy a new pair of sneakers, which should not be that difficult but was already challenging. It’s not like you can grab a pair of Keds and you’re done. This is a wrestling match for the mind and the body. One must struggle with which feels good and which looks good.

And now, even, which is politically correct!

And oh, even before figuring out which brand or colors you prefer, one must identify usage! For instance, what will you be doing in these sneakers: walking, running, cross training, playing tennis or some other sport or exercise?

And let’s just say that you walk to the car, run to the court, play some tennis, and go straight to the gym,

do you need to change your sneakers four times?

Finally, you figure out somehow what works best for your needs, and you find the comfort, color, and style you like. But you simply need a little

for exercise, that’s a whole different thing! The dilemmas that come up, like where, when, how, with who, and most of all keeping the “why” in sight, are grueling.

And what about what to eat in or-

What’s right for me is Cape Cod potato chips.

However, what’s right for my body is a whole different discussion.

more toe room, you know, a size up.

You guessed it, not available. Boom, you’re right back to square one. This can be a few hours ordeal, right there.

So, who has energy to exercise that day after that?

Well, let’s move to once the “new sneaker” thing has been worked out.

Let’s talk about the actual workout – making time for your exercise of choice. Amazing how it’s never hard to find time and ways to eat but time

der to eat right? Therein already lies a controversy. What’s right for me is Cape Cod potato chips. However, what’s right for my body is a whole different discussion.

And really, every few months a different study comes out about what will cure you and what will destroy you. All carbs, no carbs! All proteins, no proteins. Balanced meals, detox plans.

The need for all these decisions

tempts me to sit down with a nice, hot, whip cream-covered, cappuccino and a large, chocolate chip muffin top. Just to help me figure it all out.

But what scares me away from that is that if I don’t make some consistent decisions and quickly we may be looking at 60 in 60!

Therefore, with my new sneakers in one hand, and my resolve in the other, I am trying to move forward.

Because I know that any exercise is better than none. And any healthier eating approach is better than no disciplined one. And if I can start with 1 successful hour in 1 day and follow it with another, I can hopefully build to 7 in 7. That is – 7 successful hours a day in 7 days. Then who knows where I can go from there? Perhaps take over the whole numerical world?

And just figuring all that out may keep me distracted enough to keep me exercising on the treadmill and hopefully, hopefully, hopefully out of the kitchen!

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

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 11, 2018

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OCTOBER 11, 2018 | The Jewish Home