June 20, 2019
Distributed weekly in the Five Towns, Long Island, Queens & Brooklyn
Your Favorite Five Towns Family Newspaper
When the Ball is in Your Court Dr. Menachem Gottesman’s Vision at Meled Gives At-Risk Youths a Chance to Believe in Themselves
See page 7
pg
98
Around the
Community
42
Inspiration at Priority-1 and Yeshiva Zichron Aryeh Dinner
JUSTICE FOR ALL 62 Celebrating 35 Years at the NY Yachad Gala
TJH Speaks with Melinda Katz, Candidate for Queens District Attorney pg
Graduation of the First Class of Shulamith H.S. PAGE 9
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102
Dr. Lightman’s Primer for a Fun-Filled Safe Summer
pg
112
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JUNE 20, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Let’s discuss your future Over coffee! SARA SCHENIRER CAREER NIGHT Sunday, June 23rd at 7 PM Gotta Getta Bagel 1039 Broadway, Woodmere, NY
Free admission
Gourmet drink bar, Delicious food Special Education Business & Accounting Social Science Psychology Sociology
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CAREER ADVISEMENT SPECIALISTS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF LOCAL AGENCIES WILL MEET WITH YOU TO DISCUSS YOUR CAREER OPTIONS
RECEIVE A $50 VOUCHER TOWARD A SARA SCHENIRER EDUCATION Sara Schenirer is not a college or university and does not offer credit bearing courses or degrees in New York State. Any credit or degrees described here are offered through our partner institutions.
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The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019
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JUNE 20, 2019 | The Jewish Home
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JUNE 20, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Dear Readers,
T
his week, both Rabbi Berel Wein and Rav Moshe Weinberger talk about the topic of complaining. They point out that complainers don’t necessarily need a specific problem when they complain – the problem is just their target at the moment. They need something to complain about because inherently they will always see the glass half-empty. Talk to a complainer for a few minutes and you’ll be deluged with a myriad of problems that you never encountered before that conversation. The weather is too cold, too hot, too wet, too dry. The schools are strict, too lax, too accommodating, too harsh. The rabbi is too nice, he’s too reserved, he speaks too long, he speaks too short. Get the idea? They’ll never be happy – and you can never quench their desire for complaining by making things better for them and tending to their complaints. There will always be another wave of grievances on the horizon. Recently, I happened to eat a meal with a lovely young woman – we’ll call her A. – in town. She was a guest at someone’s home where we ate a meal on Shavuos and I was impressed by her because of her insatiable optimism. She couldn’t stop complimenting my children’s clothes, talking about how wonderful her children’s schools were, and praising the host’s food. Her optimism bubbled into every area in life: her
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babysitters, her children, her apartment, her friends, her spouse. A pleasant consequence of her positiveness was that it has helped her make dozens of shidduchim. When I asked her how she was able to successfully pair so many young men and women, she shrugged. “I just love doing this, and I love making people happy,” she said. When setting up singles, she looks at their positive attributes and sees them in a sunny light. Sure, we all have flaws, but this woman doesn’t highlight them – she sees people without defects. Since that meal, in our home, when we realize that we are focusing on the downside of a situation instead of its upside, we remind ourselves to be more like “A.” My children tend to roll their eyes at my suggestion, but they gamely remember how she was so enthusiastic about every topic that was discussed. Her excitement at that meal was infectious; if we could just add a touch of her optimism to our days, we would be seeing a lot more silver linings than gray clouds. And this week, with all the rain that’s been falling, there were a lot of gray clouds. What better to bring us green lawns and bright flowers? Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana
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PUBLISHER
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Shabbos Zemanim
June 21 – June 27
21
78° 61°
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Friday, June 21 Parshas Behaaloscha Candle Lighting: 8:11 pm Shabbos Ends: 9:20 pm Rabbeinu Tam: 9:42 pm
The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019
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JUNE 20, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
8
COMMUNITY Readers’ Poll
8
Community Happenings
38
OpEd: Please Protect the Jewish Community by Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld
80
NEWS Global
14
National
30
Odd-but-True Stories
35
ISRAEL
80
Israel News
24
World Builders
96
JEWISH THOUGHT Rabbi Wein
82
The Problem with Complainers by Rav Moshe Weinberger
86
Parsha in Four by Eytan Kobre
88
PEOPLE The Wandering Jew
92
When the Ball is in Your Court by Rivkah Lambert Adler
98
Justice for All: TJH Speaks to Melinda Katz
102
Wearing Two Uniforms by Avi Heiligman
126
HEALTH & FITNESS How Did It Come to This? by Dr. Deb Hirschhorn 108 Slow and Steady by Cindy Weinberger, MS RD CDN 110
116
The Parent’s Primer for a Child-Friendly, Child-Safe Summer by Dr. Hylton I Lightman 112
FOOD & LEISURE The Aussie Gourmet: Zaatar Silan Grilled Cutlets
Dear Editor, It was incredibly moving to read about the many accomplishments of Beatie Deutsch and all that she has done to spread awareness and hope after the heartbreaking death of her husband’s 14-year-old cousin, Daniella Pardes, who died by suicide after a struggle with anorexia nervosa. I was really taken aback to see just a few pages later the article on Health and Fitness titled “Sneaky Calories: How You’re Consuming More than You Think.” It is no secret that many people in our community, and the world at large, have an unhealthy relationship with both food and their bodies. Unless someone was advised by a doctor to follow a regimented diet for the sake of their health, no one should be counting calories or be hyper-aware (I would say, neurotic) about every calorie that enters their body. The article advises the average person to limit hummus, because it can “pack a lot of fat,” have no more than 1/4 of an avocado in a salad, add no more than one tablespoon of nut butter to Greek yogurt and pat down excess olive oil from grilled veggies? I work in a girls’ high school and I have seen students refuse a Rosh Chodesh doughnut or a Yom Ha’Atzmaut cookie because they are terrified of gaining weight. Imagine if this week those same students read that perhaps the reason why they are struggling to lose those “stubborn pounds” is because of hummus, almond butter, or the olive oil on top
of their broccoli. We should not view calories as “sneaky” or “unsuspecting,” and should not live in fear that the healthy sandwiches and salads we order from restaurants are hiding “tantalizing goodies” that are “sabotaging our diets.” Please realize the effect that advice like this can have on the average person, especially those in our community who are struggling with disordered eating and body image. Chani Cooper Dear Editor, I am writing to a few people to tell them why I am 99% sure that I will NOT run for office in 2020: Reason #2 is that I know that I am still a very overly-sensitive guy and that I am still a basically shy and introverted human being, and I just don’t want to have to deal with how people in our country have become very nasty and rude and disrespectful and insulting when it comes to how they treat those of the other major political party. But Reason #1 is this: With the exceptions of those who I am sending this to, I have found that most political candidates and most people who work in the news media (especially the TV media) are obnoxious, unlikable, conceited, narcissistic, in love with themselves, arrogant, full of themselves, elitist, condescending, pompous, self-glorifying, cocky, Continued on page 10
116
LIFESTYLES Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW
104
Your Money
133
Wood if You Could by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS
134
HUMOR Centerfold 78 POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes
118
Don’t Downplay Trump’s Role in the U.S.-Mexico Immigration Deal by Marc A. Thiessen 123 The Fate of Japan – And Everyone Else by Robert J. Samuelson Is the Iran-U.S. Tinderbox About to Ignite? by David Ignatius CLASSIFIEDS
124 125 128
Tuesday, June 18 is International Sushi Day. How often do you eat sushi? A few times a week
weekly
%
%
a few times a month
never
8 15 % % 45 32
The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019
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JUNE 20, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Continued from page 8
smug, overly-confident, lacking in graciousness, lacking in modesty, lacking in humility, with oversized and overly-inflated egos, believing that they are “all that,” talking-down to people, possessing a superiority-complex, petty, and often spiteful and snide. Quite frankly, I don’t want to become any more of all of this than I already am guilty of being. And I don’t want to be on the same planet as people like this, let alone in the same room as any of them. THIS is why I will not be a candidate. Stew Epstein Dear Editor, Recently, there has been lots of interest for the divrei Torah of the Zera Shimshon. The author, a gadol from Italy (1706-1779), passed away childless and implored people to learn and say over from his sefer, writing that he would advocate in Heaven on their behalf for children, health and livelihood. Many people have merited seeing salvations in the merit of this learning, while doing a true chessed with a gadol from hundreds of years ago. I’d like to publicize that a one-page, English translation is available on the weekly parsha by emailing zerashimshon@gmail.com. A Reader Dear Editor, Thanks for your superb publication As a professional in the field for over two decades, I rejoice that safety awareness is now the new norm, at least to some extent. This includes awareness of who your child’s friends are, technology usage, opening up healthy lines of communication, and abuse prevention. I cannot begin to describe the empty gap and void that is now being slowly and gradually filled through awareness and open dialogue. Kindly consider the new message of Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky and the leading Rabbanim, professionals and community leaders that has now been redone and can be accessed by dialing 641-715-3800 811504# I believe you wrote about it in the past and it is to your credit. Our children will not internalize the message unless we find every opportune moment to respectfully and tactfully raise their awareness in a
most subtle and comfortable way. May the other frum newspapers soon learn to follow your refreshing lead. Debbi, LCSW Dear Editor, I want to start off saying how much I love your newspaper, it brings events from around the world to things happening around the community, along with a few laughs (dating column included). I want to comment on Naomi Nachman’s recipe titled Caprese Summer Salad, in the June 13 issue. Basil recently has been infested with bugs and I would be hard-pressed to find kosher basil (ask Chap-a-Nosh and they’ll tell you they don’t have any pesto because of that). Maybe in the future, along with the recipes, it can be noted on the bottom that specific things in the recipe might need checking for bugs. Sincerely, Moshe Massouda Dear Editor, I would like to share with your readership an extraordinary story that occurred while traveling home after Shavuos – one that truly exemplifies the remarkable unity of Jewish care and community. We spent the yom tov in Baltimore with my parents, and headed back to our home in Far Rockaway at around 10:30 pm with our three children (5-year-old and 2-year-old twins). About two hours into our trip, we heard a loud noise and quickly realized that our front passenger tire had blown out after running over debris. The tire pressure gauge quickly dropped from “37” and continued to plunge. Thankfully, we were about a mile from the first Delaware reststop and were able to drive to the fuel area/garage just as our tire pressure gauge showed “7” on our dash. Fortunately, we were off the road. Unfortunately, as it was past midnight, the garage was closed. My husband quickly called a friend and learned that our Chrysler Pacifica does not come equipped with a spare tire but rather a kit to inflate a tire in case of a small leak. Whatever we ran over caused a gaping hole in the tire, so in our case this kit was useless. Next call was to Chaverim in Baltimore who networked us with Chaverim Interstate, both kindly ready to help even though it was well past midnight. We then noticed another frum family changing a flat
tire, likely the result of the same debris we encountered. Their sister, Shevi Milikowsky from Baltimore, was following in a car behind them and of course stopped to help. We commiserated over our shared tire trouble and Shevi offered us her spare tire and kit. She was heading to Lakewood, we exchanged numbers, and she went on her way. We quickly realized that her spare didn’t work for us but were grateful for the positive sign and the tire changing kit. Apparently, this reststop is a popular one. As this was motzei yom tov, there were many frum people coming and going and all were willing to help us in any way they could. A chassidishe young man saw that we were in need and quickly jumped from his car to see if his tire would be a match. He was so gracious to empty his whole trunk and give it a try – but his sedan tire would not fit our van. I then spotted another frum family driving a Chrysler Pacifica and thought that perhaps they might have the spare tire. I made a beeline and quickly got them up to speed – do they have a spare tire? Yes! Will they lend it to us? Yes! Together with my husband, they put on the spare tire and we were now in business. Thanks to our roadside heroes, Ari Lewis from Fair Lawn, NJ, and his brother Yoni Lewis from Teaneck, NJ. With us ladies just standing around, we quickly got deep in the game of Jewish geography; turns out Yoni’s wife is from Woodmere, NY (only five minutes from where we live) and of course we could drop off his brother’s spare tire by his in-laws. Naturally. B”H, we got home at 4 a.m., and had the tire professionally fixed the next morning. Now to return my newfound spare tires and car kits. Yoni’s in-laws, the Grabers of Woodmere, completed the chessed by warmly welcoming their son-in-law’s brother’s spare tire to their home. Really, what a day. Though my husband and I were beyond exhausted from the ordeal, we were left with a profound gratitude and appreciation to all those who helped us arrive home safely. It’s rare to find a group of strangers who would willingly and repeatedly offer up a spare tire without caring how or when it was returned. We would like to thank Shevi Milikowsky from Baltimore, Ari Lewis and his wife from Fair Lawn, NJ, Yoni Lewis and his wife from Teaneck, NJ, the chassidishe young man (sorry, I nev-
er got your name!), Chaverim Baltimore and Chaverim Interstate for all your help and support. Hashem gave the Torah to the Jewish people, and today we find ourselves scattered to different places. But the familial connection we all share as Yidden, and the lengths that we will go to help one another without reservation, is truly astounding. With great appreciation to all, Yosef and Yehudis Brown Far Rockaway, New York Dear Editor, Thank you for your publication. I wanted to let those in the community who travel between New York and New Jersey (and possibly other routes) know of a very simple opportunity to save money that my friend was kind enough to share with me. If you call or email E-ZPass requesting to add the “PASI” plan to your account and you travel Staten Island-bound three times (Goethals Bridge, Outerbridge Crossing, or Bayonne Bridge) in any given month, you will only pay $6.25 (instead of $10.50, I believe). Adding the plan to your account costs nothing other than a few minutes. There’s no penalty if you don’t take three trips; you’ll just pay the standard rate. Here’s the official description of the plan from the E-ZPass website: Port Authority Staten Island Bridges Plan: Available All Hours The Port Authority NY/NJ Staten Island Bridges Plan (PASI) offers a 58% discount off the cash toll rate. The plan is available to vehicles with non-commercial plates and private E-ZPass accounts at E-ZPassNew York or New Jersey. Enrollment is required. The Plan toll rate is $6.25 per trip (plus $9.50 for each additional axle beyond two axles) at the Bayonne Bridge, Goethals Bridge, or Outerbridge Crossing, provided at least three Staten Island-bound trips are made in a single calendar month that are not otherwise discounted by the Carpool or Green Pass Plan. If three trips are not taken, the customer pays the prevailing E-ZPass (peak or off-peak) rate. All E-ZPass tags on the account apply to the three trip minimum requirement. Plan Code: (PASI) E-ZPass can be reached at 1 (800) 333-8655 or customerservice@ezpassny.com. Enjoy! Sincerely, A fellow Brooklyn-Lakewood traveler
The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019
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JUNE 20, 2019 | The Jewish Home
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U S IS
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for a Breakfast on behalf of RCCS
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JUNE 20, 2019 | The Jewish Home
The Week In News
Ousted Egyptian Prez Dies
Mohamed Morsy, former president of Egypt, died on Monday at the age of 67. He had been in middle of a trial for an espionage case when he suffered a heart attack. Morsy had been the country’s first democratically elected leader before being ousted from power. Egypt’s public prosecution office said in statement that Morsy had been
granted a request to speak before the trial ended. After a five-minute statement, the court adjourned and Morsy was brought back inside a cage inside the court, where he fell unconscious. Morsy’s lawyer Abdel Moneim Abdel Maqsoud, who is also the lead lawyer for the Muslim Brotherhood, told CNN on Monday that Morsy had closed his statement by quoting a verse of a poem that read: “My country is dear even if it oppressed me and my people are honorable even if they were unjust to me.” Morsy had been placed in solitary confinement and had not been allowed to see his lawyers or communicate with his family. His family had only been allowed to see him three times since 2013. A strict Islamist who was educated in southern California, Morsy was voted into power in June 2012 following the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak’s longstanding rule. A senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Morsy had campaigned on appealing to the broadest possible audience. But during his year in power, he became an authoritarian leader who forced through a conservative agenda. In 2013, Morsy and the polit-
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ical wing of the Muslim Brotherhood movement were ousted in a coup, with the Muslim Brotherhood banned by the government after the military seized power and declared it a terrorist organization. Following his ouster, Morsy was tried en masse with Mohamed Badie – the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood – as well as more than 100 alleged members of the outlawed group. In 2015, he was sentenced to death over a jailbreak during the 2011 uprising and to life in prison on espionage charges after being convicted of conspiring with Palestinian group Hamas, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and other foreign organizations. He was also handed a 25-year prison sentence for leaking state secrets to Qatar, and had received an additional 15-year sentence for other, lesser, charges. In 2016, Morsy’s death sentence and life sentence were overturned.
Iraqi Military Base Targeted On Monday, an Iraqi military base where U.S. and allied coalition troops
are stationed was targeted by a rocket attack. The attack took place just as the Pentagon released new photos as evidence that Iran was behind recent attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.
The Iraqi military’s official Security Media Cell reported on Monday that “a short time ago, three Katyusha rockets fell on Camp Taji,” a military installation also known as Camp Cooke, located about 17 miles north of Baghdad. The apparent attack came just two days after unknown assailants fired rockets at Balad air base, another Iraqi installation where U.S. military personnel were present. No casualties were reported in the previous attack, though the Security Media Cell said more details would be forthcoming about Monday’s incident, which also came amid a spike in tensions between the U.S. and Iran, which has begun to scale back its
The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019
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commitments to a 2015 nuclear deal that the White House pulled out of a year ago. President Donald Trump’s decision to leave the deal despite it still being supported by Iran and fellow signatories China, the EU, France, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom was accompanied by a “maximum pressure” campaign of strict sanctions designed to undermine the Islamic Republic’s economy. As Tehran dismissed Washington’s warnings of a heightened threat posed by Iranian forces and their allies in the Middle East, recent incidents have left the region on edge. Iran seems to have become emboldened or perhaps just plain reckless as it flexes its muscles against the world’s superpowers. Iraq, which has close ties to both the U.S. and Iran, has found itself caught in the middle of the latest unrest as various Shiite Muslim paramilitaries supportive of Tehran threatened to expel U.S. troops, which have largely been present in the country since overthrowing its former government and attempting to quell a Sunni Muslim insurgency led first by Al-Qaeda and then the Islamic State militant group (ISIS).. Isolated rocket attacks have occurred near U.S. government facilities in past months and have usually been attributed to Iran, which has denied any role. The U.S. and allies have also accused Iran of being behind recent attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, located less than 100 miles away from the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important maritime oil route and the subject of dueling threats by both countries. On Monday, Iranian ambassador to the U.K. Hamid Baeidinejad warned that Tehran and Washington were currently “heading towards a confrontation.” He called on the U.S. to end its sanctions policy, which he described as a form of “economic terrorism.”
Kolkata on Sunday in a yellow and red costume. But after many minutes, horrified onlookers and family stood by mutely as the 40-year-old – who had his legs and arms tightly bound – did not emerge from the water.
Rescue workers had been scouring the fast-flowing murky waters since Sunday. His body was found on Tuesday. Lahiri has successfully pulled off a similar stunt 21 years ago. “I was inside a bulletproof glass box tied with chain and locks and dropped down from Howrah bridge,” he told AFP before this week’s stunt. “Then I came out within 29 seconds.” He admitted it would be tough to free himself this time. “If I can open it up then it will be magic, but if I can’t it will be tragic,” he said. When Lahiri tried another stunt at the river in 2013, he was assaulted by onlookers who saw him escape from a locked cage via a door that was clearly visible. He was beaten and punched and his long brown wig was pulled off by the crowd. Almost a decade earlier, he declared he would walk on the river waters but had to beat a hasty retreat when the act went wrong.
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Chanchal Lahiri, known by his stage name “Jadugar Mandrake (Wizard Mandrake),” is feared to have died after a recent stunt he attempted may have gone wrong. The Indian magician went missing after being lowered into a river while tied up with chains and ropes in a Houdini-inspired stunt. He was lowered by winch into the river in
If European nations won’t help Tehran in offsetting U.S. sanctions against Iran, the Persian regime said on Monday that it would soon violate a central element of the 2015 agreement to limit its nuclear program. Iran’s Atomic Energy Organiza-
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tion said that within days it expects that the country will have produced and kept in its stockpiles more low-enriched uranium – the kind used to fuel power plants – than allowed by the 2015 deal, which the Trump administration withdrew from last year. The agency also left open the possibility that it might soon begin enriching the uranium to much higher levels of purity, edging it closer to what would be necessary to produce a nuclear weapon. In response to Iran’s bullying threats, the White House called for greater international pressure on Iran. “President Trump has made it clear he will never allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons,” the National Security Council said in a statement. The developments come at a time of escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran. European officials have urged restraint between the two longtime adversaries. Iran has been attempting to pull European nations away from allying themselves with the U.S. In May, the U.S. State Department announced that it might penalize any country that transfers any enriched uranium out of Iran. Until now, Iran had shipped most of the low-enriched uranium it produces
out of the country, swapping it for natural uranium. That allowed it to continue producing token amounts of nuclear fuel for civilian power plants without building up a stockpile that might later be used in a weapons program. Iran is saying that sanctions by the U.S. have led to a surplus in uranium in the country. During a news conference announcing Tehran’s decision, Behrouz Kamalvandi, a spokesman for Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, said that Iran might also increase the level of uranium enrichment up to 20 percent for use in its reactors. He added that the uranium would be used as fuel for the Tehran Research Reactor, which the United States supplied to Iran in 1967. Iran says the facility is used to create medical isotopes for use in cancer treatment. The nuclear agreement limits the level of enrichment to 3.67 percent, but if Iran began producing 20 percent enriched uranium, it would put the country much closer to weapons-grade levels. Over the last year, the Trump administration imposed severe economic sanctions that have discouraged most outside companies from doing business with Iran and followed that up with measures to cut
off Iran’s revenues from oil sales, the lifeblood of its economy. In April, Trump designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, an arm of the Iranian military, as a foreign terrorist organization. Recent attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, which the Trump administration has blamed squarely on Iran, have further inflamed matters. As tensions rose, the White House said it would be adding 1,500 troops to the Middle East. If Iran breaks the limits of the deal, as they are threatening, European nations will have to consider bringing the case to the United Nations Security Council and to perhaps reimpose their own economic sanctions.
South America in the Dark A “massive failure” in an electrical interconnection system left Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay completely without power over the weekend. Parts of Chile and southern Brazil experienced outages as well, said Edesur, the Buenos Ai-
res-based energy company. By Sunday, Chile’s system was running normally, and electricity had been restored to parts of Uruguay and Paraguay. By Sunday evening, Argentina’s energy secretary had confirmed that more than half the country had their lights back on.
Still, Gustavo Lopetegui, Argentina’s energy secretary, said that experts are still trying to determine was causing the massive blackout. In a statement on its website, Edesur, the energy company, said a “collapse” in Argentina’s government-operated interconnection system occurred around 7 a.m. The outage “is the first generalized blackout that Argentina has had in its history,” Edesur spokesman Alejandra Martínez noted. Interestingly, most customers were able to communicate with their
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cellphones, as internet connections on their phones were not affected. Utility distributor Edenor, which controls 20% of the Argentine market, about 3 million customers, said a transmission system at Yacyretá Dam, on the Paraná River near Ayolas, Paraguay, failed “without human intervention,” forcing an automatic shutdown. The failure began in a transport connection between the dam and the Salto Grande power stations on Argentina’s coast. The shutdown was a protective measure, it said. Approximately 50 million people live in Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina collectively.
Mysterious Deaths in the Dominican Republic At least nine people from the U.S. have died recently while vacationing in the Dominican Republic. Joseph Allen of New Jersey was found dead in his hotel room in Sosua on
Thursday. Allen, 55, had told his friends that he was not feeling well. After not hearing from him the next morning, officials investigated and found him dead.
Allen is the ninth American to die in the Dominican Republic since last year, although he was not staying at the same resort where multiple other Americans have died, several of them after drinking from the hotel minibar. The FBI is investigating if they passed away after drinking tainted liquor. One couple who had been vacationing in the Dominican Republic said that their room smelled like paint had been spilled there and had become sick. Their doctor, who examined them upon their return to the U.S., said that they likely had be-
come sick due to poisoning by pesticides. The investigation began after three Americans died at a Bahia Principe resort within days of each other in May. After the news of the deaths made headlines, several more families have come forward with stories of similar experiences.
Quebec: No Kippahs for Public Employees
This week, Quebec passed its “secularism law” that bans certain public employees – including teachers, judges and public officers – from wearing religious symbols at work.
Those workers cannot wear kippahs, turbans or hijabs while on the job. The bill passed on Sunday 73-35. Polls have shown that there had been widespread support for the bill among the province’s French-speaking majority. But critics maintain that the real target of the bill is the Muslim community and that the new law is a violation of Canadian human rights charters. Some Jewish-majority municipalities have passed motions promising never to enforce the law, which has seen months of acrimonious debate and public hearings. “The Jewish community of Quebec is profoundly disappointed by the adoption of Bill 21,” Brenda Gewurz, chair of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs in Quebec, said in a statement on Monday. “This bill is reckless. It undermines religious freedom and equal access to employment.” Last-second codicils to the legislation allow for surveillance and disciplinary mechanisms that will mete out sanctions if the law is broken. Those chosen to enforce the law already are being dubbed the “secularism police.”
The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019
Collision Midair in NZ Both pilots were killed when two light aircraft collided midair on their final approach at a regional aerodrome in New Zealand on Sunday. Just before the crash, four parachutists who were onboard one of the planes had jumped off. Witnesses who saw the crash described a loud bang before impact. Plumes of flames sprouted from the sky. Speaking to the media, Wairarapa Police area commander Inspector Scott Miller said that one of the aircraft was a training plane. “The impact was very severe. Both planes dropped immediately after the impact and most likely both pilots were killed, very unfortunately and tragically, at that impact,” he said. As of now, investigators believe that one plane was preparing to land, while another was just taking off when the crash took place. One of the planes belonged to Skydive Wellington while the other to the Wairarapa Aero Club. The Hood Aerodrome is owned and operated by the Masterton District Council. “We have a close-knit community at Hood Aerodrome and the incident has understandably rocked that community,” the council said in a statement on its website.
India Hits U.S. with Tariffs
tion for increased U.S. import duties on Indian steel and aluminum. It had repeatedly delayed imposing them while the two sides held a series of trade talks. The World Trade Organization had previously said that the value of the goods targeted by the tariffs amount to around $241 million. The two countries exchange goods and services worth about $142 billion a year, but the relationship has soured in recent weeks after the Trump administration ended India’s participation in a preferential trade program earlier this month. The program had exempted Indian goods worth more than $6 billion from U.S. import duties in 2018. One of President Donald Trump’s biggest priorities has been reducing the United States’ trade deficits with countries around the world. Last month, his administration increased tariffs to 25% from 10% on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, and it has been threatening to target another $300 billion of exports from the world’s second largest economy if China does not come to an acceptable agreement with the U.S. India runs a small surplus in goods trade with the United States, exporting around $54 billion to the United States in 2018 and buying about $33 billion worth of American goods, according to U.S. government data. Trump has repeatedly slammed India’s tariffs on products like motorcycles and whiskey. His decision to revoke trade privileges for India followed complaints from American dairy farmers and medical device manufacturers that tariffs imposed by New Delhi were hurting their exports.
Saudi Teen Spared Execution This week, India announced increased tariffs on U.S. exports – another domino falling in the tenuous global trade alliance around the world. The tariffs on several U.S. products went into effect on June 16. The goods targeted include American apples – which will be hit with a 70% tariff – as well as almonds, lentils and several chemical products. India first announced plans to impose new tariffs a year ago in retalia-
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Murtaja Qureiris is from a Shia family in the eastern province of the majority Sunni Saudi Arabia. In April, Saudi Arabia announced it had executed 37 men who, according to rights group Reprieve, were mostly from the kingdom’s Shia minority. At least three of the men executed were minors at the time of the commission of alleged crimes. All three were arrested for violence the government says was committed during protests around the time of the Arab Spring. But the prosecution relied heavily on confessions which the prisoners said were extracted from them. In the court proceedings, they said that they were tortured and that the confessions were made under duress. Saudi Arabia has one of the highest rates of execution in the world and has frequently been criticized by rights groups for executing people who were minors at the time of their alleged crimes.
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been facing execution. Qureiris’s sentence includes time served since his arrest in Saudi Arabia in 2014, with the four final years on probation, leaving him with three years left in prison. He could be a free man in 2022. International pressure had been mounting on the kingdom after CNN reported on Qureiris’s case. In Austria, the country’s parliament
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voted to close a Saudi-backed center for interfaith dialogue in protest against the detention of the teen. Qureiris was 10 years old when he committed at least one of the acts alleged in his charge sheet. He was charged with accompanying his activist brother, Ali Qureris, on a motorcycle ride to a police station in the eastern Saudi city of Awamiya, where Ali allegedly threw Molotov cocktails
at the facility. His other crime includes attending his brother’s funeral which later became a rally. Qureiris has denied the charges and has said that the confessions, which the prosecution has largely relied on, were obtained under duress. At the time of his arrest, Qureiris was considered by many to be the youngest known political prisoner in the kingdom.
Try accessing the internet in Ethiopia and you may become very frustrated. It’s been at least a week since many Ethiopians have been unable to access the internet. Access to social media platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram have been restricted since June 11, according to internet monitoring service Netblocks. In the capital of Addis Ababa, businessowners and journalists have said they are using VPN to connect to the internet and access messaging platforms. Many have been forced to use the internet services at luxurious resorts at a steep price in order to access the online world. Text messaging services were disabled last Thursday. Many are suggesting that the internet restrictions have been put into place by the government to prevent cheating by students who are sitting for national exams. This would not be the first time the Ethiopian government flipped the switch on the internet. Last year, before Ethiopian Prime Minister
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Abiy Ahmed took office in April 2018, the internet had been cut off for three months in many regions where there had been pockets of unrest. Once he took office, though, Abiy turned services back on and freed political prisoners, journalists, and bloggers who had been incarcerated. “While Abiy’s government has made impressive progress on freedom of expression and access to information, blacking the internet is a step backward and reminiscent of the previous government he is so keen to distance himself from,” Felix Horne, Senior Ethiopia and Eritrea researcher for Human Rights Watch, noted.
Sara Netanyahu Convicted “Indeed, the defendant misused public funds,” judge Avital Chen said in announcing the verdict this week
in the case against Sara Netanyahu. The prime minister’s wife was convicted on Sunday of taking unfair advantage of a mistake, after earlier confessing to the offense as part of a plea deal signed last week in a case involving allegations of illegally procured catering services at the Prime Minister’s Residence.
The agreement saw Netanyahu escape a conviction of aggravated fraud, but confess to the lesser charge. She will pay NIS 55,000 ($15,210) – NIS 10,000 as a fine, and the rest as restitution. The judge noted Netanyahu’s lack of previous convictions and the fact that she had “taken responsibility and saved a lot of precious judicial time.” After the verdict was announced, Netanyahu told the judge: “I have suffered enough.” A year ago, Sara Netanyahu and
Ezra Saidoff, a former caretaker at the Prime Minister’s Residence, were charged with fraud and breach of trust for spending $100,000 of state funds on catered meals while there was a full-time chef on staff. That amount was slashed by half in the amended indictment filed last Wednesday, although Netanyahu will only return some $12,500 of it to the state. The judge agreed to Netanyahu’s request to pay the money in 11 separate payments of NIS 5,000 each, the first of which will take place July 15. Despite the sentencing and conviction, the state could file a civil lawsuit to get Netanyahu to return the remaining money. The Prime Minister’s Residence is not permitted to order prepared food if a chef is present. The two allegedly misrepresented the chef’s presence between September 2010 and March 2013, in order to claim state funds to order meals. Netanyahu took advantage of the mistake of the Prime Minister’s Residence accountants, who thought there hadn’t been a chef on staff, the judge wrote in his verdict. A plea deal with Saidoff is expected to be finalized later this week. He is expected to admit to the lesser
offense of taking unfair advantage of a mistake. Saidoff has reportedly agreed to pay NIS 10,000 ($2,765) and will be given a suspended sentence. Sara Netanyahu’s trial is separate from her husband’s legal woes, which revolve around suspicions that the prime minister accepted illicit gifts, took bribes, and tried to arrange favors for media barons in exchange for positive press coverage. The Netanyahus have denied any wrongdoing and say they are the victims of a political witch hunt driven by a hostile leftist media and the courts.
Arab Mayor Expelled after Jews Attend His Son’s Wedding Radi Nasser has been removed from his position as mayor of Deir Qaddis after photos of Jews attending his son’s wedding circulated and caught the eye of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party. The group of Jews from Modi’in
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Ilit were invited to the wedding by Palestinians who work with them at a car repair garage near the towns.
The mayor denied any knowledge of the Israelis’ participation, telling the Jerusalem Post: “When I learned about the presence of the settlers, I kicked them out, together with the (Palestinian) men who were with them.” But the pictures told a different story. In them, Jewish men were shown to be dancing with other guests. That sight inflamed Fatah activists who condemn the normalization of ties with Israelis. The Jerusalem Post quoted Fatah spokesman Osama Qawassmeh as saying that the participation of “terrorist settlers in Palestinian social events is a cowardly, condemnable, despicable and reprehensible act.” The Palestinian Authority – of which Fatah is the largest faction – said it will launch an investigation into what occurred and may take steps against those who invited the Israelis.
Soldier Punished for Milk/Meat Snafu
After a soldier in the IDF put cheese and cold cuts on the same shelf in the refrigerator on his army base, he was punished. The soldier was confined to an army base for a weekend because of the mishap. In a statement on the confinement of the soldier, a member of the Armored Corps, the IDF said he violated the rules of the base, even though he had been aware of the commands. After the punishment, MK Evgeny Sova of the Yisrael Beytenu party condemned the sentence, adding that
it could lead to more religious restrictions in the military. “Today they forbid putting milk and meat together in the same fridge. Tomorrow they’ll forbid girls from enlisting in the army. In two days we’ll become the army for the defense of Jewish law,” Sova wrote on Facebook. “We should stop this quickly,” he added. Sova, a former Russian-language journalist, said he reached out to the
army chief of staff’s office over the incident but has yet to receive a response. Yisrael Beytenu, a right-wing secular party which receives much of its support from Russian-speaking immigrants, has made issues of religion and state a central tenet of its campaign for the upcoming Knesset elections on September 17. The elections were called after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unable to form a government after national elections in April, a
failure he pinned on Yisrael Beytenu and its leader Avigdor Liberman as without the party’s five seats the premier was left one seat shy of a ruling majority. While Liberman cited a litany of issues for his refusal to join Netanyahu’s proposed government, the main point of contention was his call for the passage of a Defense Ministry-drafted bill regulating exemptions to military service for charedi yeshiva students. Ultra-Orthodox parties, who have
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Dozens of fires were started over the weekend in Israeli communities because of the attacks.
Qatari envoy to Gaza Muhammad al-Emadi was set to enter the Hamas-controlled enclave sometime on Sunday to deliver $25 million in aid to the officials in the Strip. The transfer of the funds is apparently one of the key demands put forward by the terror group in order for the peace along the border to be maintained. Even so, at least three fires were started on Sunday in the Eshkol and Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Councils. Thankfully, the fires were all quickly put out and no injuries were reported. At least seven fires were started on Friday due to the balloon attacks as well. The day before, on Thursday, an explosive device attached to a balloon was found in Kibbutz Ruhama near the southern city of Sderot and a fire broke out in Simhoni Forest near Kfar Aza. More than a dozen blazes were ignited on Wednesday and Tuesday of last week due to the incendiary devices being launched from Gaza into Israel. Palestinians have endeavored to perfect their devices to ensure maximum flammability. Terrorists have been using slow-burning fuses and soaking them in explosive liquids before attaching them to the balloons. When the balloon is in the air, small fireballs are dispersed, igniting several fires from just one device.
made up a key part of Netanyahu’s governing coalitions, rejected Liberman’s demand that the bill be passed without changes. Yisrael Beytenu MK Eli Avidar decried what he said was a lack of an effective opposition to Netanyahu in the Knesset. “There is no opposition in the Knesset. Netanyahu has no opposition in Likud, my friends there don’t open their mouths. He has no oppo-
sition on the right, in the national religious parties or [opposition] Blue and White,” Avidar said at an event in the Tel Aviv suburb of Holon on Saturday. Because of this lack of pushback, Avidar said, “Netanyahu can promise the ultra-Orthodox heaven and earth.” He added, “If the public knew what he promised the ultra-Orthodox parties, it would be in shock.”
Balloon Terrorism Continues Israeli communities bordering Gaza were victims of balloon terrorists over the weekend even as $25 million in Qatari aid was being transferred to the Hamas enclave.
French-Israeli Buys Sotheby’s Going once, going twice, sold…to Patrick Drahi. Sotheby’s auction house, one of the world’s biggest art brokers, announced on Monday that it had been sold to Patrick Drahi, a French-Israeli telecom and media mogul. He had acquired the auction house for $3.7 billion.
The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019
Drahi is paying $57 per share to acquire Sotheby’s through his company BidFair USA, the art house said. The billionaire is head of the Altice empire, which owns Virgin Mobile and also controls Israeli TV station i24 News and cable TV operator Hot.
The deal sees Sotheby’s return to private ownership after 31 years as a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange. “Known for his commitment to innovation and ingenuity, Patrick founded and leads some of the most successful telecommunications, media and digital companies in the world,” Tad Smith, Sotheby’s CEO, said in the statement. “This acquisition will provide Sotheby’s with the opportunity to accelerate the successful program of growth initiatives of the past several years in a more flexible private environment,” he added. According to Forbes, Drahi is worth an estimated $9.3 billion, making him one of the richest people in both Israel and France. Sotheby’s was founded in London in 1744 and is now headquartered in New York, with 90 locations around the world. It is named after one of its founders, John Sotheby.
Miracle in Yeshiva in Sderot
Last Thursday, most students had already left the Lev Ladaat hesder yeshiva in Sderot but there were still some in yeshiva learning and saying Tehillim. Around 9 p.m. the peaceful chanting was shattered when a missile slammed into a wall in the yeshiva, sending concrete and glass flying but thankfully leaving everyone un-
harmed. Eyewitnesses said that had the rocket hit a few minutes earlier, when the bais medrash was filled with students, or a few meters from where it did, it could have been a very different story. “It happened two-three meters from me,” said Shalom Kahlon, a former student who was in the study hall at the time of the explosion, speaking to the Ynet news website. “It hit the wall, three meters from there, that’s where I was sitting. If the rocket had been half a meter to the side I don’t know if I would be speaking now,” he added. Kahlon and others described hearing a massive boom as the rocket hit the multi-story building of the school, though there was no explosion from a warhead, which could have caused much greater devastation. The strike still managed to break several tempered windows and leave a large hole in an outside wall where it made a direct impact, with concrete rubble strewn across a sidewalk below. “It was a miracle,” Rabbi Shlomo Binyamin told Channel 12 news. “Just 10 minutes earlier there had been 15 students saying evening prayers in the room.” Around 150 students attend the yeshiva. Had the rocket struck on another day of the week, more students could have been present but many of them had already left yeshiva for Shabbos. Due to its proximity to Gaza, Sderot residents have just 15 seconds or less to seek shelter when a rocket alarm sounds. Many newer buildings in the city, which has been pummeled by thousands of rockets since the early 2000s, are constructed of reinforced concrete. The yeshiva building was constructed in 2012. The rocket was the second to be shot from Gaza on Thursday but, unlike the first, was not intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system for reasons that were not immediately clear. Politicians and others called for a major military operation on Thursday night, including assassinating leaders of Hamas, to stem the rising violence. “The situation as it is cannot continue,” Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi said. “As I said in the past, only a military operation will bring peace to our region.” Tensions with Gaza have been steadily rising in recent days, with
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Israel blocking Gazan fishermen from access to the sea last Wednesday in response to incendiary balloons being launched over the border. The tensions have threatened to undo an unofficial ceasefire brokered after a major flare-up in early May in which the sides exchanged the most intense fire in years, leading to the deaths of four Israelis and 29 Palestinians. Gazans say that Israel has been slow to implementing its parts of the deal.
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proved the bill with 33 votes. “By passing this needed legislation, we are growing our economy while at the same time making our roads safer,” Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) said. “This is the right step forward for New York State as we continue to advocate for comprehensive immigration reform on the federal level.” Twelve states plus the District of Columbia have similar laws. Supporters say the so-called “Green Light” bill will make more than 265,000 people eligible for licenses and improve road safety by making non-citizens who drive take road tests and get insurance and annual vehicle inspections. Driver’s licenses for illegals will also have a stamp saying that the licenses are not eligible for federal identification purposes and do not enable a holder to vote. A Siena poll last week found that 53% of New Yorkers opposed the bill and about 41% supported it.
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7 Monkeys Poisoned at Facility Undocumented immigrants will have access to driver’s licenses in New York State under a law green-lighted by the Legislature on Monday and signed by Governor Cuomo hours after he’d tried to tap the brakes on the controversial measure. Cuomo had repeatedly expressed support for the bill but raised last-minute concerns on Monday but not for obvious safety reasons. The governor said that he was concerned about whether the information about undocumented immigrants gathered by the state DMV could be obtained by federal officials and used for immigration enforcement. “You create a driver’s license for undocumented people, you just have to make sure you do it in a way that the feds don’t come in the next day and access that database with the exact opposite intention,” Cuomo told WAMC. “Why give Trump a list of undocumented immigrants?” Cuomo mused at an unrelated press conference. Overcoming the governor’s qualms, Republican opposition and the reservations of moderate members concerned about the policy’s unpopularity in upstate and suburban districts, Senate Democrats ap-
This week it was revealed that seven baby monkeys were accidentally poisoned and died at a primate research center in the U.S. The incident was discovered by the Guardian, who ascertained that the young macaques – who were only just a few weeks old (one of them just a day old) – were exposed to dye when they were reunited with their mothers who were marked with dye. The dye was then transferred inadvertently to the babies. The deaths took place at the University of California, Davis, primate research laboratory. The research center reported the events to federal authorities in April 2018, with additional details provided a year later. In response to the letters and to the deaths, the Office of Laboratory and Animal Welfare told UC Davis that infants aged under six months
The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019
should not be marked with dye and that mothers and babies should be kept apart longer to minimize the transfer of the markings. The university has about 4,200 primates, mostly rhesus macaques, which it keeps for research into HIV/ Aids, Zika virus and other infectious diseases, respiratory disease, reproductive health, Alzheimer’s disease and aging. It has been scrutinized other times. In 2016, it emerged that UC Davis was among nine federally funded research centers being investigated over mistreatment of primates. In March of that year, a primate fractured both legs after escaping through an unsecured door at the facility, with another primate subsequently becoming injured following a similar incident. In 2005, seven monkeys died of heat exposure. The U.S. government has curbed some primate research in recent years, with the National Institutes of Health announcing in 2015 it would no longer fund biomedical research on chimpanzees. Facing hefty public opposition to primate testing, some facilities, such as at Harvard, have wound down their programs
and sent their apes and monkeys to sanctuaries. Testing on primates in the U.S. is far from over, however, with figures released last year showing nearly 76,000 primates in captivity for research purposes. Supporters of primate testing argue it is essential in order to discover new cures for diseases that afflict humans.
Nestle Water: Free for the Taking?
According to USA Today, when you’re paying for a bottle of water produced by Nestle, you’re really just paying for a plastic bottle. You see, Nestlé, the world’s largest bottled water company, still takes millions of gallons of free water from
the San Bernardino National Forest two hours east of Los Angeles. It’s been 17 months since California regulators told the company to stop what they’ve been doing. But Nestlé has been carrying on – with federal officials’ blessings. The company says it is legally entitled to the water and is “sustainably collecting water at volumes believed to be in compliance with all laws and permits at this time,” according to Nestle when questioned by The Desert Sun. Nestle reported piping 139 acrefeet – or 45 million gallons – of water from the springs and slopes of the popular national forest last year as part of its Arrowhead brand operations. They were required to pay about $2,000 for a new federal permit, but no fees for the water, which is theirs to use for retail sale. Some conditions were imposed in a management plan that they originally drafted, which was signed in March by the forest’s district ranger. California’s top water rights enforcer said recently that while he and his staff had advised the multinational company in December 2017 not to continue taking unauthorized water, it will take at least another six
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months for his team to finalize their investigation, and, if necessary, issue penalties. Victor Vasquez, the senior engineer who heads water rights enforcement for the California Water Resources Control Board, and Nestlé have noted that state regulators had found that the company is entitled to up to 26 acre-feet of surface water and 126 acre-feet of groundwater piped from horizontal wells, for a total of 152 acre-feet. Vasquez’s team concluded that in past years Nestlé had taken as much as 356 acre-feet of unauthorized water and advised them to “immediately cease any unauthorized diversions.” So far, it seems that Nestlé is staying within the 152 acre-feet limit, though they submitted a response to the state saying they actually have rights to at least 271 acre-feet. Opponents dispute those claims. “Based on the evidence gathered by the Water Board’s investigators and others, we believe that Nestlé is diverting water for bottling to which it has no legal right,” said Michael O’Heaney, executive director of Story of Stuff project, a global citizens’ group. “The Water Board has no choice but to end Nestlé’s unautho-
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We Endorse QUEENS BOROUGH PRESIDENT
MELINDA KATZ
for its Arrowhead label, distributed across the West Coast. In documents submitted to the forest service, Nestlé said if it lost access to water from the national forest, it could have “significant market impacts” and risk job losses among 1,200 employees connected with the Arrowhead brand. The battle over Nestlé’s operation in the southern California forest is one of several across the country in recent years, including in Oregon, Michigan and Pennsylvania, seeking to block it from siphoning water from springs and aquifers.
So Long Sarah
FOR
QUEENS DISTRICT ATTORNEY FRJPAC COMMITTEE Richard Altabe Shalom Becker Boruch Ber Bender Akiva Bergman Zvi Bloom Shragi Chafetz Dr. Gerald David Yoni Dembitzer Dr. Ari Dicker Mordechai Zvi Dicker
rized removal of water and hold the company accountable to the people of California for its wrongdoing over many years. We continue to encourage the Water Board to complete its work in the most timely and thorough way possible.” If state investigators conclude that the multinational has been taking water improperly, it could face
Hon. Phil Goldfeder Alon Goldberger Shlomo Zalman Gutfreund Robert Hagler Joel Kaplan Ari Klainberg Tzvi Keilson David Kopelowitz Dr. Moshe Lazar Chaim Leibtag
fines of between $500 and $1,000 a day for every day it has continued to take it since the end of 2017, when the notice was sent. It’s not clear how that would affect the company’s bottom line. Nestlé SA, headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, is the world’s largest food company, according to a spokesman, and its Paris-based sub-
Moishe Mishkowitz Pesach Osina Baruch Rothman Asher Schoor Moshe Schreiber Eli Shapiro Richie Sinnreich Naftoli Solomon Menachem Walfish Yosef Wartelsky
sidiary Nestlé Waters is the largest bottled water company. Its profits were a reported $10.5 billion last year. With 87 locations in 33 countries, the company bottles and sells several other spring water brands, such as Deer Park, Ice Mountain and Poland Spring. It relies on sites in California, Colorado and Canada
Last week, it was announced that White House press secretary Sarah Sanders will be stepping down from her post at the end of the month. President Trump wished Sanders well and suggested that she run for governor in Arkansas, a position her father, Mike Huckabee, once enjoyed. The president also called Sarah a “warrior” in his praise. Sanders was one of Trump’s biggest defenders and was able to handle the public and the press with aplomb. With a quick ability to understand a question, a knowhow of how to skirt around issues, and a toughness in dealing with detractors, Sanders was the perfect aide to President Trump. When the announcement of Sanders’ departure was made, it was 94 days since she last stood at the podium in a press briefing. Speaking at an event shortly after the announcement, Sanders called her role “the honor of a lifetime” and an experience she “will treasure forever.” “I couldn’t be prouder to have the opportunity to serve my country and particularly to work for this President,” Sanders said after Trump asked her to join him at the lectern. “I’ve loved every minute – even the hard minutes.”
The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019
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will help prevent further transmissions and stop this outbreak right in its tracks,” he said. Cuomo signed the bill immediately after the Legislature passed it. The Senate voted 36-26 and the Assembly voted 77-53. The bills were introduced in January.
NYS Does Away with Religious Exemptions When it comes to vaccinations, New York State says that you need to vaccinate your schoolchildren – regardless of your religious beliefs. On Thursday, Gov. Andrew Cuo-
mo signed legislation that removes nonmedical exemptions from school vaccination requirements. The law went into effect immediately. New York State is not the first in the country to do away with the religious exemption. California, Mississippi, West Virginia and Maine have also done away with it. “The science is crystal clear: Vaccines are safe, effective and the best
way to keep our children safe. This administration has taken aggressive action to contain the measles outbreak, but given its scale, additional steps are needed to end this public health crisis,” Cuomo said on Thursday. “While I understand and respect freedom of religion, our first job is to protect the public health and by signing this measure into law, we
“We are dealing with a public health emergency that requires immediate action,”State Sen. Brad Hoylman, sponsor of the Senate bill, said during the vote. New York has become the epicenter of a measles outbreak in the United States that is now in its ninth month. More than 800 people in New York have become sick, and New Yorkers have infected people in four other states. This year, 1,022 measles cases have been confirmed in 28 states, marking the greatest number of cases reported in the country since 1992 and since the measles virus was declared eliminated in the country in 2000, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The states that have reported cases to the CDC are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington. Regarding the new legislation, “this is a great step forward in protecting the public health here in New York,” Ed Day, Rockland County executive, said in a written statement. His county is among those with the highest number of measles cases in the state. “This law should lead to a substantial increase in vaccination rates and to improved protection of our most vulnerable residents: infants, the immunocompromised, and those who have legitimate medical issues. With Rockland being an epicenter of the current measles outbreak, we greatly appreciate that our advocacy and local efforts were heard and acknowledged,” he said.
The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019
Major Money to Get to the Moon NASA has bold plans to get American astronauts to the moon by 2024, but it’s going to cost them. According to NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, the space agency will need an estimated $20 billion to $30 billion over the next five years for its moon project. Those funds will add on $4 billion to $6 billion per year, on average, to their budget – which is already expected to be $20 billion annually.
Last week’s comments was the first time that NASA has announced a total cost estimate for its moon program, which is called Artemis (after the Greek goddess of the moon) and could send people to the lunar surface for the first time in half a century. NASA wants that mission to include two astronauts: a man and the first-ever woman to walk on the moon. The overall goal of the Artemis program is to establish a “sustainable” presence on the moon, paving the way for astronauts to return to the surface again and again. Learning to live and work on another world, Bridenstine said, will prepare them for NASA’s long-term mission: to put people on Mars for the first time in human history. Lest you think that $20 to $30 million sounds like a lot, that total is a lot less than many had predicted, although the costs will undoubtedly change as NASA begins work on the project. Some fear that NASA will end up diverting funds from its other programs, which include robotic exploration missions, Earth science and climate studies, and other important scientific research. But Bridenstine is confident that’s not going to happen. “I will tell you my goal – and I’ve been very clear about this – is to make sure that we’re not cannibalizing parts of NASA to fund the Artemis program,” Bridenstine assured.
The Lorax Has Fallen
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Dr. Seuss/Is not a moose/But he would be sad/and not glad/If he would hear/And possibly couldn’t bear/To learn the news/That the tree he did choose/to star in his book/is now shook/and lying on the ground/ Oh! Sadness abounds! Alas, Theodor Seuss Geisel is a way better poet than I and that’s why his books line the shelves of libraries and schools. One of his books, The Lorax, is suspected to have been inspired by a tree near his home. The Monterey Cypress tree was at Ellen Browning Scripps Park in La Jolla, California, the seaside community where Geisel lived from 1948 until his death in 1991. The prolific author could see the tree from his mountaintop home. The tree was estimated to be about 80 to 100 years old, said Tim Graham, a spokesman for the San Diego Parks and Recreation Department. Last week, it fell and is no more. The city hopes to salvage the tree’s large trunk to repurpose it. The Lorax was made into a film in 2012. Where do you think Dr. Seuss drew inspiration from for Thing 1 and Thing 2?
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ver foil fame – is looking for one very fortunate person to travel the United States in search of the tastiest ribs in the country. Oh, and if bone-sucking barbecue isn’t enough to entice you to take this job, then perhaps the $10,000 check will satisfy your taste buds. “If you don’t mind being paid to taste some of the most delicious BBQ ribs across the country, posting envy-inducing pictures of your food and falling asleep every night dreaming about your next rack of ribs, then you could have what it takes to be the next Reynolds Wrap® Chief Grilling Officer,” the company states in a news release. The lucky lip-smacking food taster will travel across the country for the first two weeks of August, sampling the best that barbecue has to offer. Along the way, he or she will have to post photos of their decadent journey, offer grilling techniques, and add content to the company website and social media. The position includes prepaid travel and lodging for the taster and a guest. Suddenly you have become the most popular person in town. Those interested in applying need to submit a photo of themselves grilling along with 100 words about why they would be the best fit for the position. A spot or two of barbecue sauce on the essay wouldn’t hurt.
statement. “In the middle of the night, which city folk might call ‘2 a.m.,’ you can spot children playing soccer, people painting their houses or mowing their lawns, and teens going for a swim.” Now they want to make it official. Recently, residents gathered at a town hall meeting to sign a petition for a time-free zone. Last week, on June 13, Hveding met with a Norwegian member of parliament to hand over the locals’ signatures and to discuss the practical and legal challenges of the initiative. “To many of us, getting this in writing would simply mean formalizing something we have been practicing for generations,” he says. Islanders hope to be free of traditional opening hours and to introduce flexibility in school and working hours. Fishing and tourism are the main industries on this island with a population of little more than 300 people. Local fishermen and women often spend days on the ocean pursuing their catch, without glancing at the clock. When crossing the bridge from the island to the mainland, visitors are greeted with dozens of watches that cover the bridge – entry to a land that time forgot.
The Perfect Name
Summertime Forever
As the summer greets us this week, Sommarøy, an island in northern Norway, is hoping to keep summer alive the whole year through. Sommarøy means “Summer Island.” For a full 69 days – from May 18 through July 26 – the sun doesn’t set there. That means that residents will be sleeping under the sun for more than two months. (On the flip side, during the winter – from November to January – the sun doesn’t rise at all. Oh, those dark and dreary days!) Now the island is hoping to declare itself the world’s first time-free zone. “There’s constantly daylight [in the summer], and we act accordingly,” says islander Kjell Ove Hveding in a
Don’t know what to name your newborn? No need to ask your local rabbi, family, or friends. A newcompany can take over that important responsibility for just a few bucks. Future Perfect, a start-up founded by two moms who met on a playground and bonded over their children’s unique names, is offering packages starting at $100 to help new parents choose what to call their children. The $100 “The Riff” package includes a 15-minute “namestorming” session via phone. Need more help than that? The $350 “The Works” package will give you a 15-minute consultation along with a list of 10 suggested first names and 10 suggested middle names for your newest addition.
“Unlike the subjective opinions friends and family members might give you, our advice will be neutral, unbiased, and tailored to your needs,” the website promises. Umm, are diaper changes included?
away from the world.” El Capitan was first summited in 1958. Prior to Selah’s achievement, the youngest person to climb it was Scott Cory, 11, in 2001. Selah, we really think highly of you. Keep climbing!
10-Year-Old Conquers Yosemite
Fenced In
Even with years of experience and lots of preparation, it’s hard to climb “The Nose” of Yosemite’s El Capitan ― 3,000 vertical feet of sheer granite once thought to be insurmountable. But recently Selah Schneiter did it – and she’s only 10 years old. “I was scared just sometimes,” Selah told Outside magazine’s Chris Van Leuven at the top. “I thought it was really fun.” The Colorado girl became the youngest known person to summit the California peak upon reaching the top last Wednesday afternoon with her father, Mike Schneiter, and a close family friend, Mark Regier. Selah’s achievement was a long time coming. She first touched a boulder at 3 days old and started learning to climb years ago, according to her parents, who are climbing aficionados. Mike Schneiter runs a climbing guide company in Colorado, and Selah’s mother, Joy Schneiter, is a registered nurse. The pair met and decided to get married on an El Capitan climb back in 2001, The Denver Post reported. Selah’s journey last week took five days to complete. The three climbers took their time, stopping for long lunch breaks with awesome views. “We did this climb for us; it was her energy and her idea,” Mike said. Selah celebrated her unbelievable feat with the perfect treat once on terra firma: pizza. “I don’t think there was necessarily a hardest time,” she told The Fresno Bee. “It was all hard. There were a few times where I would be sore and tired and sunburned, and that would kind of get me going a little bonkers. But overall, it was just great to be up there
Dan Smith is not someone you want to mess with. After a Mercedes owned by car2go was parked at his duplex without permission, Dan told the car share company that owns car2go, Share Now, that they have two hours to remove the vehicle. And when Dan didn’t hear anything from the company, he took action, erecting a barricade around the car, which prevents others from using the vehicle. Oh, and that’s not all. The (passive) aggressive homeowner now says he wants Share Now to pay him $65 a day in storage fees, $300 for the fence, and up to $500 for “harassment fees.” Share Now says that Dan’s actions are acts of extortion. “We will not allow anyone acting with ulterior motives, including anyone attempting to extort our business by holding our property illegally, to prevent us from providing transportation to the citizens of Seattle,” the company’s statement said. “We would like to avoid taking legal action and hope for a quick resolution.” The company hasn’t been able to remove the Mercedes because of Dan’s fence. Dan says he put up the fence because he said he wanted to make a point about respecting private property and because he was concerned about liability if a customer would become injured on the property. Tow truck operators have been reluctant to tow the vehicle because of signs adoring Dan’s property that say that it is private property. According to Dan, he has a right to control his property and he’s only trying to make things better for the people of his city. “I’m happy to help make Seattle a better place,” Dan said. If this is your happy, Dan, I’m going to stay far away from your home.
The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019
SAY "NO" TO A SIXTH TOWN!
TM
TIME SENSITIVE UPDATE AND CALL TO ACTION! WE NEED YOU TO SHOW UP ON JUNE 26, 2019 AT 6PM IN HIGH NUMBERS TO
THEODORE ROOSEVELT EXECUTIVE & LEGISLATIVE BUILDING 1550 FRANKLIN AVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501 Let your voice be heard! This is your opportunity for public comment before Nassau County Planning Commission on the depth and scope of the studies that will be done to see what, if any, development can take place on The Woodmere Club property. THE DEVELOPMENT IS NOT A DONE DEAL. This is your chance to tell them in detail what you want them to study:
y y y y y y
Traffic Parking Flooding Potential Tax implications Environmental issues Loss of open green space
y y y y y y
Lack of infrastructure Brown water Clogged sewers Emergency services Overall quality of life Potential Changes to current real estate values
The List Goes On And On.....
PLEASE COME TO THE MEETING! YOUR ATTENDANCE IS CRITICAL TO THE FUTURE OF THE FIVE TOWNS! Please visit our website 5TCA.org for updates, links to the full scoping document, a map of the developer's current proposal, and a COMPREHENSIVE PETITION LETTER that you can print and mail out. Letters should be sent to: John Perrakis Planner II Nassau County Department of Public Works- Planning Division 1194 Prospect Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590 Mail will be accepted ONLY until July 15, 2019
www.5tca.org
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Around the
Community Battle of the Pulpit
Judges Rabbi Dovid Greenblatt, Rabbi Boruch Klein, and Rabbi Paysach Krohn
Rabbi Y Y Rubinstein and Rabbi Moshe Brown with the winning team
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ast Wednesday, saw the first-ever New York inter-yeshiva, public speaking competition between the Yeshiva of Far Rockaway and Mesivta Shaarei Chaim of Far Rockaway. The idea is the brainchild of Rabbi Y Y Rubinstein, who teaches public speaking in both yeshivas. He explained that the competition is designed to encourage and excite yeshi-
The Mesivta Shaarei Chaim team with Roshei Yeshiva R’ Yeruchmiel Scheiner and Nosson Zupnick
va talmidim about gaining the skills that will allow them to take their Torah knowledge and effectively convey it to others. The concept immediately proved to be a hit with Rabbi Paysach Krohn, shlita, who enthusiastically volunteered to address the teams and the large numbers of their peers and parents who made up the audience. Each of the four team members
had to give a five-minute presentation. The talks were a dvar Torah to a frum audience, a dvar Torah to a non-frum audience, and a talk on a controversial topic like the immigration debate to a non-Jewish audience, explaining the Torah perspective on the subject. In the final and hardest round, each captain chose a topic for the opposing captain to speak on. Points were awarded for content,
clarity and competence. The final score was very close with Yeshiva of Far Rockaway winning by four points. Rabbi Rubinstein said, “The enthusiasm and standard of the boys was a credit to both yeshivas. Other yeshivas have already enrolled for next year’s competition. I envisage this becoming much bigger as there has been interest expressed from as far away as London and Los Angeles.”
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A Night of Kavod HaTorah at Kollel Tirtza Devorah’s Dinner PHOTOS BY NAFTOLI GOLDGRAB PHOTOGRAPHY
Ronald Lowinger, Rav Shlomo Avigdor founder and president Altusky, Rosh Yeshiva of the Kollel
Rav Yaakov Bender, Rosh HaYeshiva
Rav Dovid Bender, Rosh Kollel
L-R: Rav Shlomo A. Altusky, Rav Dovid Bender, Rav Yaakov Bender, Yossie Shapiro, Guest of Honor; Ronald Lowinger, Rav Meir Platnik, Mordechai Heinemann, and Mordechai Rosen
Rav Dovid Frischman, Harbotzas Torah Award
Mordechai Rosen, dinner chairman
Mordechai Heinemann, dinner chairman
L-R: Rav Chaim Altusky; Rav Shlomo A. Altusky; Rav Dovid Bender; R’ Zev Kops, Chaver Hakollel Award; Rav Yaakov Bender; Ronald Lowinger; Mordechai Heinemann; and Mordechai Rosen
A partial view of the crowd
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MEN’S COHORT
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Stimulating face-to-face classes lead to faculty& student networking,
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Priority-1, Yeshiva Zichron Aryeh Dinner
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his past Monday, Priority-1 and Yeshiva Zichron Aryeh held their 32nd-anniversary dinner, celebrating 32 years of dedication to chinuch and community enrichment. With more than 300 attendees, the event was an astounding success and highlighted the incredible role that Priority-1 and Yeshiva Zichron Aryeh has in the community. Set in a massive tent on the yeshiva campus and catered by Sharmel Caterers, the dinner featured a short program including a video presentation chronicling Priority-1’s legacy in helping create future generations of students and communities who appreciate the truth and relevance of Torah, mussar, and mitzvos. The event also served as a platform to formally dedicate the ezras nashim of the yeshiva in honor of Mrs. Barbara Gold. A mother of talmidim in the yeshiva, Mrs. Gold’s dedication to tefillah was an inspiration to all those who knew her. During the event, Priority-1 also officially dedicated the Beis Medrash as the “Dr. Irving Moskowitz Beis Medrash” in recognition of Dr. Irving Moskowitz, z” l, and his incredible work as a philanthropist and friend of the yeshiva. Rabbi Daniel Moskowitz spoke in a video presentation about his family’s involvement with the yeshiva and Rabbi Cohen – spanning from his education with Rabbi
Cohen in Los Angeles in 1975 to his children who are currently talmidim in the yeshiva. “It is with great joy and hakaras hatov that we say thank you for giving us this opportunity to participate in the wonderful dedication – naming the Beis Medrash after our dear father, a”h. Shmuli and Deena Schwebel, were the recipients of the Bitachon Builders Award. Shmuli shared his experiences with Priority-1 and expressed his appreciation for all the work that Rabbi Cohen does on behalf of the community. Shmuli also shared the incredible impact he has felt from Rabbi Cohen’s weekly bitachon shiur hosted in the Schwebel home. He related the transformative effects of living with bitachon and inspired the dinner attendees with his personal and heartfelt message of the effects of bitachon in his life. All attendees received an advance copy of Rabbi Shaya Cohen’s new book, Impassioned Chinuch: A Teacher’s Guide to Reaching the Next Generation. To receive your copy, please e-mail info@priority-1.org or call 516-295-5700, ext. 108. “32 years is the numerical equivalent of lev – heart,” Rabbi Cohen said. “It is our mission to ignite the hearts of Klal Yisroel – to inspire a passion and love for Yiddishkeit and to help our talmidim develop a passionate relationship with Hashem.”
The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019
Warmest congratulations to the graduates in the High School Class of 2019 on their admissions to the following yeshivot, colleges and universities.
COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES Adelphi University Barnard College Baruch College Baruch College Honors Binghamton University Boston University Brandeis University Brooklyn College California State University, Long Beach City College The Cooper Union Cornell University Drexel University Emory University Fashion Institute of Technology Fashion Institute of Technology President Scholars Florida State University Georgetown University George Washington University Hofstra University Hofstra University Honors Hofstra University, BA/JD Hunter College Hunter College Scholars Indiana University Jewish Theological Seminary with Barnard College John Jay College Long Island University, Brooklyn
Long Island University, CW Post Macaulay Honors College Muhlenberg College New York Institute of Technology (B.S./D.O.) New York School of Career & Applied Studies of Touro College New York University Purchase College Queens College Queens College Honors Rutgers University Stern College for Women Stern College Honors Stony Brook University Touro College: Lander College of Arts and Sciences University at Albany University at Buffalo University of California, Los Angeles University of California, San Diego University of Maryland University of Maryland Gemstone University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Miami University of Michigan University of Pennsylvania University of Southern California Yeshiva University Yeshiva University Honors
GIRLS’ SEMINARIES Israel Experience at Bar-Ilan University Machon Maayan Midreshet Amit Midreshet Harova Midreshet Lindenbaum Midreshet Mevaseret Yerushalayim (MMY) Midreshet Moriah Midreshet Torah Va-Avodah (TVA) Midreshet Torat Chesed Shaalvim for Women Tiferet BOYS’ YESHIVOT Aish HaTorah Gesher program Israel Experience at Bar-Ilan University Yeshivat Ashreinu Yeshivat Eretz Hatzvi Yeshivat HaKotel Yeshivat Har Etzion (Gush) Yeshivat Lev Aharon Yeshivat Lev HaTorah Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh Yeshivat Orayta Yeshivat Reishit Yerushalayim Yeshivat Shaarei Mevaseret Zion Yeshivat Torah Va-Avodah (TVA) Yeshivat Torat Shraga
We wish our students hatzlacha, happiness, and Hashem’s blessings as they continue to grow as critically thinking students, compassionate friends and committed Orthodox Jews and Zionists. Ms. Naomi Lippman, Principal Mr. Joshua Wyner, Associate Principal Rabbi Yitzchok Riselsheimer, Dean, Judaic Studies
Mrs. Joan Parmet, Director of College Guidance Mr. Steven Harris, Associate Director of College Guidance Rabbi Lewis Wienerkur, Director of Israel Guidance
HAFTR HIGH SCHOOL 635 Central Avenue, Cedarhurst, NY 11516 www.haftr.org
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SKA Class of 2019
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KA commencement exercises were held on Sunday, June 16 at DRS where family members joined the graduates, SKA administration, and faculty members to
honor this milestone. After stirring introductions by Mrs. Elisheva Kaminetsky, principal, Religious Studies, and Mrs. Bluma Drebin, principal, General Studies, valedictorian Lauren
Israeli, salutatorian Adina Lev and Kesser Shem Tov awardee Devorah Schreier each addressed the audience. Diplomas and gifts to the girls were presented, and after the ceremo-
ny, the guests and graduates headed outside for refreshments and the opportunity to celebrate. Mazel tov to the Stella K. Abraham High School class of 2019!
to reverberate to this day. Finally, YILC’s Mishnah Chaburah, led by Ephraim Diamond, utilized the night to learn, from beginning to end, Mishnayos Challah. New this year was a young women (post-seminary) program. Led by exceptional women from our community, this four-lecture series allowed these young women to explore Torah-focused topics relevant to their lives in a smaller, more intimate setting. Of course, our youth remain a prime focus of the evening. Utilizing the exceptional rabbeim and moros of our community yeshivos, YILC runs elementary, junior high and high school tracks for both boys and girls throughout the night. In addition to good food and prizes (over 500 t-shirts and other prizes were handed out over the course of the night), thousands of hours of meaningful Torah were learned by our children. “The exuberance these boys and girls displayed throughout the night was mesmerizing,” said Rabbi Trump. “Our goals
as leaders and educators is to impart the beauty of Torah to our youth – ensuring our nation’s continuing vitality – and we are proud that YILC plays such an important role in this endeavor.” Ever mindful of its responsibility to the larger community, YILC – under the guidance of Rabbi Simon Taylor, Regional Director of New York NCSY – expanded the figurative tent of Torah this year by putting up a large, welcoming tent with special all-night programming focusing on those in our community looking for an alternative to formal Torah study. “Creating a safe space for all our teens to gather is an imperative that we take very seriously,” said Rabbi Taylor. “Engaging them in a fun, non-judgmental space allows us to reach all members of our community, creating a true sense of ish echad b’lev echad.” Said Rabbi Trump, “Baruch Hashem this year’s Shavuos was a huge success and plans are already underway to enhance and improve next year’s program.”
Inspired Learning at YILC
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his year’s Tikun Leil Shavuos Program at the Young Israel of Lawrence Cedarhurst was by far its biggest ever. Over 850 people participated in fourteen different tracks of learning—ranging from an open Beis Midrash to all night lectures to vibrant youth programming. The hum of Torah learning literally permeated every single corner of the Shul. The main program, led by YILC’s Morah D’asrah, Rabbi Ya’akov Trump, and Rabbi Emeritus, Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum, focused on “Defining Decisions: Moments that Shaped Judaism.” In a series of five lectures, the crowd of hundreds traveled across the great expanse of Torah development throughout the
ages. From the transition of Toras Eretz Yisroel to Toras galus, the development of the siddur, the novelty of Halachik Codes, the rise of the yeshiva movement and beyond, the audience gained an appreciation of their own, continuing role in the sacred story of our nation. “Anchoring ourselves to our past allows us to orient ourselves to the future,” said Rabbi Teitelbaum, “but this can only be done in the context of Torah and its eternal messages. This evening provided that context.” In parallel, Dr. Henry Abramson, historian at Touro College, focused his lectures on “Jewish Leaders During Times of Crisis,” exploring seminal figures in our history whose leadership, born of crisis, continues
Complaining: You Can Change Your Attitude Rabbi Weinberger, page 86
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Changing the spiritual landscape of Eretz Yisroel.
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Morah Alisa Schreier’s seventh grade halacha class in Shulamith learned the 39 Melachot. As a culminating activity, they illustrated each melacha on tri-fold boards which included information on how each melacha is connected to the Mishkan and what is permitted and not permitted in today’s times. They were visited by the sixth grade girls who will undertake a similar culminating activity next year.
Heart 2 Heart
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orah Academy for Girls is proud that our third grade students completed their Heart 2 Heart curriculum under the guidance and leadership of our social worker, Dovi Tomaszewski, LCSW. The program focused on promoting positive peer interactions and healthy social-emotional skills. As a culminating project, all of our third graders were engaged in a chessed project, where each class raised money through pickle sales in school to purchase Lego sets for hospitalized children. TAG is proud to share that our third grade students raised close to $1,000. Mr. Andy Lauber, as a representative from Chai Lifeline, was very surprised and touched by their efforts and was deep-
ly grateful as he accepted the toys on behalf of the hospitalized children. He spoke to the students about what their hard work will mean to a child who will benefit from these gifts.
First graders at Yeshiva Darchei Torah enjoyed a Bubble Show as an end-of-theyear treat for the Middos Mission program
Learn & Live’s very own Yossi Keilson presented the bracha of Shehecheyanu this week, with many hands-on demonstrations. This coming Sunday will iy”H be the Learn & Live sedura d’pas carnival. For more information regarding L&L/Pirchei of Far Rockaway please email learnandlivefr@gmail.com or try the L&L hotline 641-715-3800 pin 932191#.
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Around the Community
Grannie Annie Authors Celebration
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our of HANC’s Samuel and Elizabeth Bass Golding Elementary School students recently traveled to St. Louis to attend the annual Grannie Annie Authors Celebration. The Grannie Annie invites students in fourth through eighth grade to write about something interesting they discovered from their family based on their interviews with older relatives. The committee selected 38 essays to be published in their annual journal. This year’s HANC winners were Aliyah Kahn, Sarah Kalter, Yonina Pfeffer and Rachel Turk. Accompanied by their fifth grade teacher, Rabbi Elie Bashevkin, the children participated in the celebration as selected finalists in the nation-wide writing contest. The four published authors, along with their peers from across the United States, performed public readings of their family narratives in a packed auditorium in the Missouri History Museum. Yonina Pfeffer wrote her essay about her great-grandmother. “It was the most nervous I have ever been in my life,” she recalled. Aliyah Kahn wrote her essay about her maternal great-grandmother. “She lived in St. Louis and raised her children there. I wanted to write about
something in St. Louis because that is where the ceremony would be taking place.” After each winner read his/her essay for the audience, everyone was invited to a book signing starring all of the published authors. Each of our students had family in the audience and one of the protagonists of their family narratives was present as well. “At first my grandmother said she couldn’t come, but she surprised me that day and came to St. Louis to hear me read my story,” said Rachel Turk. It was very meaningful to the families, as well as to Rabbi Bashevkin, to see Aliyah, Sarah, Yonina and Rachel shining from the podium, sharing their family narratives in their own voices. Sarah related, “When I first walked in, I was really scared. When I was finished, I was relieved. After that I could enjoy myself.” HANC is so proud of these accomplished authors, and wishes to express thanks to all those who made it possible for the girls, their families, and their teacher to travel to St. Louis for this momentous event. Preserving their family history in this wonderful way made history come alive for the entire fifth grade in a most creative way.
MTA Celebrates Commencement of 101st Graduating Class
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n Thursday, June 13, MTA celebrated the Commencement Ceremony of its 101st graduating class. The program opened with inspiring words from Head of School Rabbi Joshua Kahn, who also acknowledged the 20 families who were experiencing their last MTA graduation as their youngest or only son graduated. These families have been part of the MTA community ranging between 4 and 11 years and will be greatly missed. Senior Akiva Richman of West Hempstead, NY, delivered the Invocation, in which he encouraged his fellow classmates to continue achieving their goals, followed by words of encouragement from Yeshiva University President Dr. Ari Berman (‘87), who recalled his own graduation from MTA 32 years before. Salutatorian Ephraim Crystal of Edison, NJ, talked about the unconditional and life-long friendships he and his fellow seniors developed with one another throughout their years at MTA. Valedictorian Noam Mayerfeld of Teaneck, NJ, reflected on the growth experienced by the entire senior class over the past four years and how that growth came about as a result of watching and learning from their role models – the
rebbeim, teachers, and faculty who made a tremendous impact on their lives every day. After a musical interlude from the award-winning MTA Chorus, Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Michael Taubes (‘76) addressed the graduates and reminded them to allow the Torah and mitzvos to continue guiding them throughout their lives. Senior Netanel Tager of Teaneck, NJ, made a Siyum on Shisha Sidrei Mishna and inspired his peers to continue seeing the world and learning through the lens of Torah, as they had been taught in their years at MTA. Senior Yaron Kahan of Monsey, NY, provided the Benediction, inviting fellow students to use Chazal’s three pillars of Torah, avodah, and chessed as a foundation and guide for their futures. General Studies Principal Dr. Seth Taylor closed the ceremony and called each talmid to the stage to receive their diploma. Fathers and grandfathers who were MTA alumni were also called to the stage, where they had the privilege of presenting their son/grandson with their diplomas, enhancing the 101st Commencement Ceremony with the rich history and tradition that is unique to MTA.
Living in Queens County? Remember to vote on Tuesday, June 25 in the district attorney primaries
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Around the Community Mesivta Shaarei Pruzdor-Long Beach (MSP-LB) celebrated their ninth grade graduation this week
Talmidim at Mesivta Shaarei Pruzdor-Long Beach receive an award from Councilwoman Chumi Diamond for being the first ninth grade graduating class
Mr. Nochum Wolf receiving an award for the amount of effort and dedication he put in for making this yeshiva happen
Rabbi Merenstein, Rabbi Kestenbaum, and Rabbi Kalish
Mr. David Cohen receiving the Teacher of the Year award
Orthodox Union Establishes Kosher Food Lifeline, A New National Food Pantry Resource Center
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he Orthodox Union (OU) – the nation’s oldest and largest umbrella organization for the North American Orthodox Jewish community – has established Kosher Food Lifeline (KFL), a new division created to help existing food pantries, Tomchei Shabbos programs and related social service agencies throughout the United States to provide nutritious kosher food to Jews in need. The new division offers needbased food programs assistance with procurement, kosher food distributor relationships, government grants and other logistical support that will improve their ability to meet the needs of their constituents. Kedem, a leader in the specialty food world with a focus on kosher, gluten free and all-natural foods, provided a $200,000 grant to launch the inaugural program in advance of Passover 2019. More than 150,000 pounds of kosher-for-Passover food were distributed to 53 partner organizations who delivered it to com-
munities in Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Michigan, Massachusetts, Illinois, Rhode Island and the New York tri-state area, supporting over 17,000 Jewish families in need. “It was truly a win-win situation,” said Kedem Vice President Charles Herzog. “Food insecurity is an important issue for us. We are always looking for ways to work with our communities and help where we can, and the OU’s Kosher Food Lifeline program ensured that we were sending exactly what was needed, where it was needed. We look forward to future partnerships with KLF and its network of Kosher food pantries.” There are upwards of 215 food agencies in 24 states across the country that provide low-cost or free kosher food to individuals and families who have food access challenges. Reasons for food access challenges vary. Some individuals have serious economic barriers; some live in “ko-
sher food deserts,” where there is an extremely limited supply of kosher food and high prices; some have limited mobility and require food delivery or manage some combination of all three. “Financial strains within in the Jewish community cannot be understated. As the OU tackles affordability issues on a number of fronts, we recognize those in our community who struggle each day to put nutritious kosher food on the table,” said Orthodox Union Executive Vice President Allen Fagin. “We must work together to support the food pantries and agencies that serve them and the OU is uniquely positioned to do so given that we are the largest global Kashrut certifier.” “The Orthodox Union was founded over 120 years ago on the principle Jews must help their fellow Jews to practice the sacred mitzvot and keep Yiddishkeit alive in America,” said Orthodox Union President Moishe Bane. “Creating access to kosher
food, one of the most fundamental components of Jewish life, remains a priority even today, and we are eager to support the kosher food pantries and programs that provide critical access to kosher food to those in need.” “This is the first time a national program, at this scale, has addressed the needs of kosher food pantries, many of which are run by hard-working volunteers with limited resources,” said Kosher Food Lifeline Founding Director Allison Deal. “By coordinating purchases and helping corporate food donors to direct donations where they are needed, we can increase efficiency, eliminate waste, bring prices down, and hopefully, help these agencies provide more nutritious, protein-rich kosher food to those who need it most.” For more information about the Kosher Food Lifeline for kosher food pantries, please contact Allison Deal at 212-613-8336 or go to: https:// www.ou.org/kfl/.
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Names, Not Numbers at HANC Middle School
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n Thursday, June 13, HANC Middle School held its Names, Not Number program. Names, Not Numbers is a copyrighted oral history film project and curriculum which Mrs. Tova Fish-Rosenberg created that takes the teaching of the Holocaust and its lessons well beyond many previous efforts. Through the Names, Not Numbers program, HANC’s eighth grade students had the opportunity to document the teachings of the Holocaust and address questions about an individual’s responsibility to humanity. The night began with a dessert reception for the eighth grade students, their families, and the survivors and their families. This allowed everyone to interact with each other. In fact,
the inter-generational component is a key component of the program. After dinner, the lights were turned off and it was time for the feature presentation. The students interviewed Mr. Betzalel Fixler, Mrs. Blanche Fixler, Mrs. Rachel Gleitman, Mrs. Ruth Gruener, Rabbi Jacob Jungreis,
and Mrs. Reha Sokolow. At the end of the DVD, there was loud applause, and when the survivors were asked to come to the front for a final time, the crowd of people erupted in applause. Afterward, parents and students were effusive in their praise of this most powerful evening. May
the parents and students always pass down the testimony from generation to generation. Names, Not Numbers is generously supported by a prominent national foundation. The following people sponsored as well: the Daitch family, the Diamond family, the Engelsohn family, the Fuld family, Penny Kraut and Paul Reinstein, Ruchi and Tsvi Kushner, the Koppel family, the Lefkowitz family, and the Newman family. A special thank you to Tova and Dov Rosenberg for their indefatigable efforts with this program. The Names, Not Numbers© at HANC 2018-19 documentary will be included in the archives of The National Library of Israel in Jerusalem, Yad Vashem, and Yeshiva University’s Gottesman Library.
Grit, Grat, and Growth: How PTACH at Chaim Berlin Empowers Students to Succeed
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here are stacks of colorful cards sitting on the corner of Rabbi Reuven Kamin’s desk at PTACH of Chaim Berlin, and they probably get more attention than anything else in the room. Rabbi Kamin is the Program Coordinator at PTACH, and this office is where students show up when they have questions, seek encouragement, or just need to unwind. More often than not, students are offered the opportunity to take a card, fill it out, and attach it to the bulletin board in the hallway. The board is bursting with these cards, and if you take a closer look, you will see that they are all representative of one of the program’s favorite mottos: Grit. Grat. Growth. “Grit,” says Rabbi Kamin, “is crucial for success. Studies have shown that those who have a higher grit index, who can persevere in the face of adversity, will be more successful than people with a higher IQ.” Successful people are resilient, determined, and don’t give up easily. A fundamental goal at PTACH in Chaim Berlin is to “demystify” students, thereby building resilience in kids who may feel helpless when success doesn’t come naturally and easily. “We afford the students opportunities to explore the grit of a character in a story, or even better, someone we respect – a talmid
chacham or a Torah figure. “We’re seeing durable changes, changes that will remain a part of their lives years down the road. What they do here is super important, but I want it to last so they’ll know how to resolve conflicts, how to collaborate, and eventually how to communicate well as teenagers and adults.” “Grat, or gratitude,” is also an important indicator of emotional health. “Studies have shown that people with gratitude live healthier, longer lives,” Rabbi Kamin points out. “The more one elaborately acts on gratitude, the greater the effect it has on his learning and emotional wellbeing.” That’s why there’s a thankfulness section on the bulletin board where students are encouraged to write their personal thank you notes about something they are grateful for. Students are encouraged to acknowledge their accomplishments and areas of growth. If a student is more aware of the effects that their successes have on their feelings and emotions, learning then becomes an intrinsic value. “We use rewards as a tool to teach this concept,” says Mrs. Schwed, Assistant Coordinator, who encourages the boys to pay attention while they are enjoying the reward. “It’s a technique for developing mindfulness,” she explains. “We bring our
students’ attention to what they are experiencing. Eventually we transition students’ awareness to general feelings and emotions as a way to help them manage them more productively.” The goal is not necessarily to develop a taste for rewards but rather to develop a mindful and focused approach to life. This is just one of countless teaching opportunities at PTACH in Chaim Berlin and is an indication that the program’s mission is to provide a “holistic” approach to learning and growth. “We could be addressing the academic needs of the students,” says Rabbi Kamin, “and we do. But there’s so much more to each individual boy than academics. Kids are very complex. There are social, emotional health, and family issues that are affecting them. If we do not deal with the other issues, then we are not educating them for life.” That’s why the staff at PTACH Chaim Berlin offers a team approach to learning, which includes detailed cross-disciplinary staff meetings and where each staff member can offer a piece of the puzzle. There’s a huge emphasis on positivity at the Chaim Berlin program, and a deliberate effort to recognize the qualities and strengths of each child. “When we know what they’re good at, we can
connect to them through that medium.” This has dramatic implications in the classroom as well. Linking the curriculum with a student’s affinities brings cultural relevance and raises the student’s attentiveness. All these underlying messages do not deter from the very real learning that is going on at PTACH in Chaim Berlin. In Rabbi Roth’s class, six boys are studying the melacha of bishul, and the lesson segues into a discussion about opening the refrigerator door on Shabbos. The boys also learn Gemara, with the assistance of visual aids, photos, magnets, and illustrations to help them understand the more complex concepts. Mrs. Gastfreund is the curriculum coordinator at PTACH in Chaim Berlin. She is often asked which specific reading program is used here and she explains that it’s not one size fits all, “We’ll tweak, combine and custom design a curriculum for every kid.” She acknowledges that this may be a lengthy and involved process, but it’s also the most beneficial way to reach every single child. “We sometimes sit up at night to prepare these customized lessons,” she says. And then she adds, “These are probably the hardest working teachers on the planet.”
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A special ice cream end-of-the-year celebration at Gesher
Extensive Programing Amid Growth at Lido Beach Shul
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abbalas HaTorah and the study of Torah was the theme at the Lido Beach shul over Shavuos. With a robust program led by the Rav, Rabbi Eli Biegeleisen, throughout the holiday there were classes and learning groups by the Rav and three guests.
Rabbi Betzalel Krasnow, who after spending several years in Kollel is currently pursuing his doctorate in dentistry at Touro School of Dentistry, was once again a Scholar-in-Residence for Shavuos. His fascinating chaburah on the kosher status of dentures with regard to
milk and meat and chometz on Pesach was especially enjoyed by the community as it provided a peek into the complex halachic principles and practical knowledge that goes into psak. Shavuos night featured learning groups led by Rabbi Biegeleisen as well as by R’ Betzalel Krasnow and R’ Chaim Fleishman. The first shiur on shoel shelo mdaas focused in depth on the sugyah of borrowing something without explicitly expressed permission. This was followed by a short impromptu class on the story of the 24,000 talmidei Rabbi Akiva and the aveilus of sefira. The evening concluded with attendees joining one of three groups studying the mitzvah of kibbud av for the eldest brother. Ample cheesecake and refreshments were provided as the sound of Torah filled the social hall. “Shavuos is the time to re-embrace the Torah, so we felt that a solid program of true limud Torah in depth was most appropriate,” commented Rabbi Biegeleisen. The children enjoyed an ice cream party with lots of activities which was well received. Continuing on the winning streak, this past Shabbos, Rabbi Yedidya Atlas from Israel, who served as a Lt. Colonel in the Army’s Rabbinate, joined the community where he discussed the many programs being implemented in the armed forces to encourage Yiddishkeit and Jewish identity for the young soldiers. Holding up a specially published army size Tehillim aptly titled Ma-
gen Yisroel, which is given to every soldier and fits in the inner uniform pocket, he declared: “Who doesn’t want this protecting them as they go on a dangerous mission?” At Shalosh Seudos he showed copies of the Gemaras, and talked about the various learning programs and how they are mechzeik even many otherwise secular soldiers. As Shabbos concluded, the shul decided to donate a number of pairs of special compact tzitzis to soldiers in memory of some dear members. This coming Shabbos, yet another guest speaker will grace Lido, as Rabbi Chaim Schwartz, Executive VP of the Vaad HaRabbonim of Queens and Rav of Ohr Bechor, will serve as a Scholar-in-Residence. As the head of the VHQ Kashrus, his topic will be “Navigating today’s world at the intersection of Rabbinics, Politics and Shwarma.” Rabbi Schwartz will deliver a special shiur before Mincha in place the Rav’s regular Navi class, on the topic of “The curious case of Eldad and Meidad.” As one member put it, “Our new rav has been bringing many new and exciting programs and opportunities to the neighborhood – you can feel a good pulse here. It is no wonder that several new young families are in the process of purchasing homes in Lido. It is a beautiful neighborhood just outside the Five Towns/Far Rockaway with lots to offer and are happy to share. It has been exciting for us all.”
The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019
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Around the Community
University of Rochester Awards Top MTA Juniors
T
he University of Rochester sponsors four prestigious awards on an annual basis, recognizing high school juniors’ outstanding achievements in leadership and academics. MTA is proud to announce this year’s awardees: Moshe Inger of New City, NY, received the Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award, which recognizes high achievement in science classes, high math scores on the PSAT and SAT, and positive contributions to both the school and the larg-
er community. Rachamim Seltzer of Spring Valley, NY, received the Xerox Award for Innovation and Information Technology, which honors exposure to new technologies outside of school, leading other students to new approaches to old problems, and a strong interest and high achievement in innovation and information technology. Nesanel Dietz of Highland Park, NJ, received the Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award, which acknowledges a demonstrated commitment to understand-
ing and addressing difficult social issues, leadership and dedication to community action, and strong grades in humanities and social sciences. Elishama Marmon of Bergenfield, NJ, received the George Eastman Young
Leaders Award, which highlights strong leadership both within school and the community, high grades in challenging courses, and extensive involvement in extracurricular activities. “We are proud of Moshe,
Rachamim, Nesanel, and Elishama,” said Head of School Rabbi Joshua Kahn. “All four talmidim exemplify strong academic abilities and leadership skills and are true role models for their peers.”
DRS’s Masterful Drama
New York! New York!
O
T
n Wednesday, June 5 at 7:30 PM, twenty-five DRS students embarked on the first-ever DRS theater production: A Separate Peace. The play, directed by Sarah Feinmark of Envision Theater and performed in the HALB auditorium, was the inaugural DRS Drama Society production and the first time any of the seven student-actors performed. Even though it was a first-time experience, not only for the cast but also for the 15 backstage-crew members, every participant of the production did such an outstanding job capturing the strong emotions and concepts dealt with in the play. A Separate Peace, adapted by Nancy Gilsenan, is based on the novel authored by John Knowles. The story consists of six lively teenage boys living in the 1940s in the midst of World War II. These boys, led by their friends Gene (played by Eitan Gutenmacher, DRS ‘20) and Finny (played by Hillel Gollutchik, DRS ‘20), love to play sports, fool around,
and jump into the river near their school called Devon Academy. Finny is an exuberant, athletic, and outgoing young man who never wants to stop the action; however, his best friend Gene wouldn’t mind taking a small break once in a while. Together with their friends Bobby (David Cohen, DRS ‘20), Chet (Ilan Frenkel, DRS ‘20), and Leper (Ariel Schultz, DRS ‘20) the boys distract themselves from what’s going on in the real and brutal world and focus on their small band of friends. Through both good and bad, these boys stay together and await what will come next. The coming of age story brilliantly portrayed by the cast was dramatized with grace and joy, and both the director Sarah Feinmark and assistant director Leah Weintraub deserve a huge round of applause for all their hard work in the production. Because of the exceptional feedback of this year’s production, the DRS Drama Society looks forward to staging an even more elaborate production next year.
he talented fourth grade classes of Torah Academy for Girls recently presented their annual New York State Fair. The Fair, which follows the history of New York from its earliest years with the Native-Americans, early pioneers, the War of Independence, Immigration and Ellis Island, and the three branches of government in Albany, concluded with the many tourist attractions of New York. Each of the six classes focused on one element of the entire curriculum and produced informative and innovative tri-boards complete with costumes
depicting their chosen topic. Many thanks to their outstanding teachers, Mrs. Bodner, Mrs. Bornstein, Miss Elias, Mrs. Gulkowitz, Mrs. Hirsh and Mrs. Pfeifer. Special kudos to Miss Elias who organized the entire event under the supervision of TAG’s Elementary School Principal, Mrs. Temima Feldman. An opening song for the mothers, written and directed by Mrs. Soshie Hirth set the tone in welcoming everyone to the amazing New York State Fair. Rabbi Meyer Weitman, dean, visited the fair and congratulated the talmidos and their teachers on this impressive event.
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JUNE 20, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
MSH Eleventh Annual Scholarship Dinner
Rosh HaYeshiva Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman, Gavriel Haviv (Rambam ‘18), Guests of Honor Mitch and Tamara Haviv, Becky Haviv, Jeremy Haviv, Menahelet Esther Eisenman, and Assistant Principal Shaindy Lisker
Esther and Jeff Leb and family receive the Parents of the Year award from Rosh HaYeshiva Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman, Menahelet Esther Eisenman, and Assistant Principal Shaindy Lisker
I
t is with a great sense of gratitude that Midreshet Shalhevet (MSH) paid tribute to Guests of Honor Tamara and Mitch Haviv of North Woodmere, Parents of the Year Esther and Jeff Leb of Cedarhurst, and Educator of the Year Coach Ilona Diamond of West Hempstead at its Eleventh Annual Scholarship Dinner on Tuesday, June 11 at Temple Hillel in North Woodmere. MSH’s mission has remained the same and has continued to strengthen for over ten years. We firmly believe that it is our opportunity and obligation to inspire the young women of today to become the Jewish leaders of tomorrow. We work to guide every student to a love of Torah and learning, develop self confidence and passion, open them up to new ideas and new insights, and make sure the students are happy to come to school every day. We hope they will follow in the footsteps of our over 150 illustrious graduates who personify this mission. “The Scholarship Dinner, the cornerstone of the school’s fundraising for the year, allows us to offer all of our students the many educational and extra-curricular opportunities we provide. Thanks to all our supporters, the dinner was a great success this year, ensuring Midreshet Shalhevet’s ability to provide the best Orthodox Jewish high school education,” said Rosh HaYeshiva, Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman. “The dinner is also an opportunity to reflect upon past achievements and future aspirations. MSH is a school that prides itself on teaching our girls hakarat hatov in everything they do – not just in theory, but in practice. This was the theme throughout this year’s Scholarship Dinner. Each honoree steps up to this plate in their own unique way.” Guests of Honor Mitch and Ta-
Coach Ilona Diamond receives Educator of the Year award from Rosh HaYeshiva Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman, Menahelet Esther Eisenman, and Assistant Principal Shaindy Lisker, accompanied by her parents Gabriella and Israel Diamond, and many current and former students.
mara Haviv are parents who give of themselves to the community at-large, whether it be at their shul community or here at MSH. They are parents who understand that nothing simply happens. MSH was proud to show special hakarat hatov for Tamara’s efforts on the Women’s League over the past four years. The Havivs have seamlessly transmitted their values and passion to their children. In fact, they are parents who received those values from their own parents. Tamara’s mother recently passed away and she agreed to be honored in the zechus of her mother, Carol Liener Deutsch, a”h. Tamara, born and raised in Pittsburgh, along with her three sisters and one brother, was raised by parents who valued and were advocates for education, both Jewish and secular, especially for women. The Havivs open their home and hearts to MSH. Parents of the Year Esther and Jeff Leb are a couple who work to carry the load of the community. It is reflected in their choice of professions. Esther as a CPA for a special education school in Queens and is involved in a variety of chessed projects, including being instrumental in the creation of Project Machal – a program that anonymously provides food at supermarkets for
free to families that are undergoing financial difficulties. Jeff serves as a leader within the political community, previously having worked at the Orthodox Union and the UJA Federation of New York before founding Capitol Consulting, which does lobbying work in local, state and federal government. He is also active in political campaigns and sits on the board of the Peninsula Public Library, which serves the Five Towns. The Lebs are always ready to step up and have helped further the advocacy of our students with every visit to Albany. MSH is fortunate to have these outstanding families in our school community where they are always ready to roll up their sleeves and get it done. It has been a distinct pleasure to partner with them. Both Becky Haviv (MSH ‘19) and Atara Leb (MSH ‘20), as different as these two young ladies are from one another, each share their parents’ commitment to the community and world around them. This year’s Educator of the Year awardee was Director of Student Activities, coach, and physical education teacher Ilona Diamond. “Coach,” as the students call her, reflects the best of what MSH offers. Committed to her students, Coach is dedicated to each of
them as students, as individuals, and as young Jewish women; she cares deeply about the school mission and works hard to develop an informal education program to help further that mission. As a coach, she has always taught students that they represent the school first. She not only teaches but models good sportsmanship, stellar middot, and hakarat hatov to the students. In the classroom, Coach Ilona’s lessons reflect knowledge as well as passion for physical education. Her commitment to MSH overall is equally exceptional: she is always ready to do what is needed, whether it be covering for a colleague or burning the midnight oil planning exceptional activities such as color war, Shabbaton, yimei iyun, guest speakers and more. Thanks to Coach Ilona, these activities are the highlights of the school year for MSH students. She is truly deserving of the Educator of the Year award. Midreshet Shalhevet’s supporters have shown their staunch recognition to MSH’s remarkable impact in Jewish high school education and as a major force in growing and strengthening our Jewish future through the success of our graduates. Thank you to all who made the dinner a success.
The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019
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JUNE 20, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Ann DeMichael received the Town of Hempstead Senior of the Year award
The Gift of Writing Celebrated at Shulamith Lower School By Susie Garber
D
uring the author celebration at Shulamith Lower School this week, students wrote wrote their feelings and thoughts about writing. Below are some of their comments: “I love writing!” a grade four student said. Another student said, “Without writing all my ideas would explode in my head!” “Writing is a special place in our heart,” said another. “Writing can make you feel good,” chimed in another fourth grader. “In writing I can express myself,” said another. A Shulamith second grader stated, “I am planning to write a book this summer with my friend and I will bring it to school to show you.” Another second grader said, “I love writer’s workshop.” Many of the third grade students are working on novels in their writer’s notebooks. This week, Shulamith Lower School authors in grades 2-4 celebrated their writing portfolios filled with beautiful published work. Students in grade 2 shared their writing from gift wrapped shoe boxes that held all the treasured writing that they completed this year. The girls shared their memory books, their researched animal stories, and their poetry booklets along with their sensory imagery posters with each other. This celebration was a culmination of a year’s work in writer’s workshop. The students in grades 1--4 wrote in various genres and segued through the writing process from rehearsal to drafting to revision and editing to publishing. Grade three
Some of the third grade authors proudly displaying their fractured fairytale books
Fourth graders at their gallery walk
students enjoyed showing off their decorated writing portfolios filled with all their wonderful writing. They wrote a fractured fairy tale book, a procedural How-To book, a poetry watercolor painting, a courage poster, and a mouse-sized narrative. Grade four celebrated with a special writing collage art project and a gallery walk sharing each other’s writing portfolios that were filled with an informational interview/ biography, an expository five paragraph essay on a special place, a personal narrative book, a personal essay, and water color poetry poster. Grade one students wrote in response to literature all year and their
culminating project was a beautiful How to book project, spear-headed by their teacher, Mrs. Judy Greenfield. Mrs. Joyce Yarmak, Menahel of Shulamith Lower School, had the vision a decade ago to bring writers workshop program to Shulamith Lower School. We all know how important writing is for our students’ future academic career and for any profession they choose to pursue. The writing workshop program is based on Columbia University Teacher’s College Reading and Writing Project. The program is headed by this writer and it connects beautifully with the Journey’s reading program to bring Shulamith Lower
School an outstanding literacy program. The writer’s workshop covers Common Core Standards as it helps students sharpen their writing skills and strategies, but it goes way beyond this to bring out the creative voice of each writer. There is nothing quite like that special smile of achievement when a child displays her own book that she wrote. Students in Shulmath Lower School love writing, and they are not intimidated by a blank page. G-d willing, they will carry this love of writing and this confidence with them as they become lifelong readers and writers who appreciate the tremendous gift of writing!
The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019
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JUNE 20, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
A Bris for 62-Year-Old Son of Nobel Prize Scientist By Zevy Friedman
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baby’s first few words are precious and memorable. Every parent tries to capture the memory of a child’s first steps with photos and videos. It’s exciting to watch your child develop and grow before your eyes. Growth and baby steps are not limited to infants and toddlers, though. When an adult who is already fixed in his ways decides to take upon commitment, change and self-sacrifice that is true growth. There is a type of growth that is truly exceptional. A Jew knows that life is full of opportunities for growth in spirituality and avodas Hashem. But most people plateau at a certain age, become complacent and stop growing. The Flatbush community experienced great nachas last week upon the bris of a sixtytwo-year-old American Jew. His father was a world-famous Nobel Prize Laureate in Physiology. He was known as Darwin’s neuroscientist for his pioneering work on con-
sciousness and the mind. He posited that there was nothing inherently special about the human being, though later on he did imply that the human mind can’t be rationally explained. Astoundingly, his son, Eric, left the atheism of his family behind to return to Torah and mitzvos. Mr. Edelman’s choice to undergo any amount of pain to be united with the rest of Klal Yisroel with this mitzvah was courageous and remarkable. “I trust Rabbis Fingerer implicitly and will use any mohel who they arrange. And I’m prepared for the pain. This is what I want to do,” Eric explained. That’s one (incredible) and precious snapshot! A seventy-four-year-old Flatbush woman helped sponsor the Viennese table, fifteen cheesecakes, and many gallons of ice cream at the packed Shavous all night learning in honor of her birthday. She wasn’t just celebrating her chronological birthday; she was also marking four years of growth as a recent baalas teshuva! At the age of seventy she changed her life and be-
came newly observant. “BJX gives me life. Before BJX came into my life, I merely existed. BJX is my lifeline. It is my spiritual oxygen,” explained Carole Kahanah. That’s another incredible snapshot! People walked in from Canarsie, Sheepshead Bay and further to join the learning at BJX. Renowned presenters addressed cutting-edge topics such as gun-control and legalizing marijuana in halacha. Rafi Treitel shared his impression. “What was interesting to me was that the crowd was a real mix of different backgrounds and the topics were eclectic,” said Rafi. One young professional, Aaron Goldberg, enthused, “This Shavuos was the first time in over 100 years that anyone in my family kept this holiday.” “There is no place like BJX,” said Max Hurwitz. “I was at a meal with someone who was keeping his first Shabbos. He expressed how great it felt to be off the phone and make a real connection. As a result of his experiences
with the BJX community, he plans to come back to BJX and keep Shabbos next week and the week after. To me his involvement perfectly shows what BJX does for countless people. It helps to guide so many Jews back to the greatest treasure in the world,” said Max. One was privy to see snapshots of growth at the all-night learning program at BJX. Hundreds of people made it a part of their itinerary to attend this annual program, which grows by leaps and bounds each year. The diversity and unity of the crowd was a true kiddush Hashem. Jews of ev-
ery background and at every stage and phase of Yiddishkeit are represented. Where can you daven Vasikin with a public school student who is observing his first yom tov, together with a young man from a frum family who is keeping his first Shavuos after five years of being off the derech? Where can you see such a packed crowd of young and old thirsting for Torah in middle of the night at 3a.m.? I can only imagine how our Father in Heaven must be taking photos of these BJX individuals; of their first steps, of their growth and how He is marveling at their spiritual strides.
CAHAL Hosts Annual Staff Appreciation Dinner
O
n June 11, CAHAL hosted its annual staff appreciation dinner in honor of its rebbeim, teachers, teacher assistants, related service providers and extended staff. The event is held each year to recognize the outstanding efforts of the staff of the CAHAL program and to share the wonderful accomplishments of the students in each class. Mr. Shimmie Ehrenreich, executive director, spoke from the heart and described how Mrs. Naomi Nadata, program director, Mrs. Alice Feltheimer, educational coordinator, Mrs. Shira Cohen, program coordinator, and Mrs. Chani Lonner, office manager, are all part of the CAHAL administration and serve as the backbone of the program. Mr. Ehrenreich continued to thank the CAHAL rebbeim, teachers and teachers assistants who are the heart and soul of
CAHAL as they view each and every student as their own child. Mrs. Naomi Nadata, program director, shared an inspiring story of a past student in a CAHAL class whom she heard addressing his kehilla when he was invited to give the Shabbos drasha at Mesivta Ateres Yaakov. His clear and inspiring message was delivered with confidence and excellence, and the congregants were deeply moved and inspired. Mrs. Nadata told the attendees of the great advancements this young man had made to become a top student and an outstanding mensch. Special thanks to Dr. Suri Weinreb, CAHAL staff psychologist, who shared nachas from her students and told a story of a second grader who had employed both the strategies she had learned and her emunah in Hashem to navigate a challenging
situation. Mrs. Alice Feltheimer, educational coordinator, shared that it was a great day for CAHAL since one of the students had just been accepted into a mainstream 6th grade class. Rabbi Dov Langer, a veteran CAHAL rebbe for the past fifteen years, gave words of inspiration to the crowd in attendance. He proudly spoke and shared the nachas that all of his 8th grade graduating students have been accepted into mainstream mesivta high schools including Nishmas Hatorah, Mesivta Ateres Yaakov, Mesivta Chaim Shlomo, Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim, and Texas Torah Institute. Rabbi Langer’s relationship with his students extends beyond the classroom, and he hopes to continue to be there for them as they move on in life. The attendees were honored to
hear from Mrs. Temima Feldman, elementary school principal at TAG, who told everyone that CAHAL’s stellar reputation has traveled far beyond state lines. CAHAL thanks the TAG administration for graciously hosting the end of the year staff appreciation dinner, celebrating yet another successful year of student accomplishments. CAHAL, completing its 27 th year, is the only local yeshiva-based and sponsored community education program for children with learning challenges. For more information about the CAHAL program or donating to this great community organization, call (516) 295-3666. Registration is now open for September 2019, and CAHAL is currently interviewing applicants. Follow CAHAL Program on Facebook and Instagram for upcoming events and other information.
The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019
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en
Jo
PS. this is a slow theme breakout so try to pick up on our hints over the next few weeks!
CAMP DIRECTOR: LEEBA BRISK PROGRAM DIRECTOR: ELISHEVA SEGELMAN Upper division head: ruchi dunn lower division head: chani jacobs phone: 718.324.6724(ORAH) EMAIL: ORAHDAYCAMP@GMAIL.COM W E B S I T E : O R A H D A Y C A M P. C O M
PS. this is a slow theme breakout so try to pick up on our hints over the next few weeks! EMAIL YOUR GUESSES TO ORAHDAYCAMP@GMAIL.COM, AND IF YOU’RE RIGHT YOU CAN WIN A PRIZE!!
C A M P
our trade m a
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for
t h e r id e o f
a l if e
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!!
PS. THIS IS A SLOW THEME BREAKOUT SO TRY TO PICK UP ON OUR HINTS OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS! EMAIL YOUR GUESSES TO ORAHDAYCAMP@GMAIL.COM, AND IF YOU’RE RIGHT YOU CAN WIN A SMALL PRIZE!
CAMP DIRECTOR: LEEBA BRISK PROGRAM DIRECTOR: ELISHEVA SEGELMAN Upper division head: ruchi dunn lower division head: chani jacobs phone: 718.324.6724(ORAH) EMAIL: ORAHDAYCAMP@GMAIL.COM W E B S I T E : O R A H D A Y C A M P. C O M
CAMP DIRECTOR: LEEBA BRISK PROGRAM DIRECTOR: ELISHEVA SEGELMAN Upper division head: ruchi dunn lower division head: chani jacobs phone: 718.324.6724(ORAH) EMAIL: ORAHDAYCAMP@GMAIL.COM W E B S I T E : O R A H D A Y C A M P. C O M
NEXT DESTINATION:
LAYERS of A T
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Places to visit:
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O r a h is the apple of our ey e!
CAMP ORAH IS
bert At Orah yo u have th e li
Statue Of Liberty
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first c l a s s or a come to camp o r a h f
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1st stop on Itinerary:
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Me encanta el campamento ORAH!
choose y y to
LIKE
SWITZERLAND O A R H !
? THEY SAY EVERYONE MUST EXPERIENCE THE BEAUTY OF THE SWISS ALPS BUT I SAY EVERYONE MUST EXPERIENCE THE BEAUTY OF CAMP ORAH!
find out at our major community fry competition this summer! CAMP DIRECTOR: LEEBA BRISK PROGRAM DIRECTOR: ELISHEVA SEGELMAN Upper division head: ruchi dunn lower division head: chani jacobs phone: 718.324.6724(ORAH) EMAIL: ORAHDAYCAMP@GMAIL.COM W E B S I T E : O R A H D A Y C A M P. C O M
CAMP DIRECTOR: LEEBA BRISK PROGRAM DIRECTOR: ELISHEVA SEGELMAN Upper division head: ruchi dunn lower division head: chani jacobs phone: 718.324.6724(ORAH) EMAIL: ORAHDAYCAMP@GMAIL.COM W E B S I T E : O R A H D A Y C A M P. C O M
CAMP DIRECTOR: LEEBA BRISK PROGRAM DIRECTOR: ELISHEVA SEGELMAN Upper division head: ruchi dunn lower division head: chani jacobs phone: 718.324.6724(ORAH) EMAIL: ORAHDAYCAMP@GMAIL.COM W E B S I T E : O R A H D A Y C A M P. C O M
CAMP DIRECTOR: LEEBA BRISK PROGRAM DIRECTOR: ELISHEVA SEGELMAN Upper division head: ruchi dunn lower division head: chani jacobs phone: 718.324.6724(ORAH) EMAIL: ORAHDAYCAMP@GMAIL.COM W E B S I T E : O R A H D A Y C A M P. C O M
D AT G O O WH
ORAH STYLE!
ORAH 2019
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in yerushalayim!
IN
CAMP DIRECTOR: LEEBA BRISK PROGRAM DIRECTOR: ELISHEVA SEGELMAN Upper division head: ruchi dunn lower division head: chani jacobs phone: 718.324.6724(ORAH) EMAIL: ORAHDAYCAMP@GMAIL.COM W E B S I T E : O R A H D A Y C A M P. C O M
CAMP DIRECTOR: LEEBA BRISK PROGRAM DIRECTOR: ELISHEVA SEGELMAN Upper division head: ruchi dunn lower division head: chani jacobs phone: 718.324.6724(ORAH) EMAIL: ORAHDAYCAMP@GMAIL.COM W E B S I T E : O R A H D A Y C A M P. C O M
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Around the Community
Met Council Awards NYS Sen. Addabbo
Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, Senator Addabbo, Met Council CEO David Greenfield
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he Met Council awarded our local NYS Senator, Joseph Addabbo with the NYS Fighting Hunger Award at their annual legislative breakfast. Senator Addabbo has been a community lead-
Pesach Osina, Rep Carolyn Maloney, Rep Gregory Meeks, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, Moshe Brandsdorfer, Yoni Dembitzer, Menachem Walfish, and Cynthia Zalitzy
er and staunch supporter for many years serving on the NYC Council and now in Albany. Queens Borough President Melinda Katz spoke about the beauty of the Far Rockaway community when presenting the award to
the Senator. The Senator spoke about his admiration of the Met Council and their local partner, the JCCRP. The Senator rolls up his sleeves to volunteer at the holiday food distributions many
Moshe Brandsdorfer of the JCCRP with Senator Joe Addabbo
times a year. Senator Addabbo expressed the amazing unity that exists in the community among so many organizations and institutions to help those who are less fortunate get back on their feet.
Yeshiva Gedolah of the Five Towns Hosts its 17th Annual Breakfast
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n Sunday, June 23, Yeshiva Gedolah of the Five Towns will be hosting its Annual Breakfast. The breakfast highlights the impact of the yeshiva on the local community. This year we are fortunate to be recognizing three individuals who are pillars of our community, each in their own unique way. The breakfast will provide a momentary pause to consider what the yeshiva’s powerful influence means to our community. The spiritual peaks attained on a Shavuos night, learning b’chavrusa in the expansive beis medrash, or at a Yomim Noraim tefillah, punctuated by the kol tefillah, can only be achieved due to the consistent, unwavering support the community has invested in its yeshiva and the yeshiva has reciprocated to the community. When the Yeshiva Gedolah opened the doors of its humble beis medrash to less than 20 bochurim over 16 years ago, the objectives of its chashuve Roshei Yeshiva, Rav Yitzchak Knobel, shlita, and Rav Moshe Zev Katzenstein, shlita, were rather grand. Plant an institution which can serve as an example of Torah, Yiras Shamayim and middos tovos to take root in the heart of the Five Towns community. With the devotion of the rebbeim who selflessly give their heart and soul to the talmidim, the yeshiva has blossomed into a model for the entire olam haTorah to admire, with currently close to
100 talmidim, including bochrim and Kollel. As important is the growth of those families who have made the yeshiva part of their lives. Our expanding programs for children and our active Nshei are reflective of this amazing growth. But the story does not end with the past history. Indeed, the yeshiva continues to grow and expand its role in the lives of the bochurim, kollel yungerleit and baalei batim who choose to seek spiritual nourishment from it. This critical, ongoing responsibility the yeshiva takes on requires the continued time and investment from the community. It is in that spirit that the yeshiva requests your presence in recognizing these individuals and the yeshiva itself at this upcoming event. We are pleased to be presenting the Yedid HaTorah Award to Dr. Danny Mergi. Danny is someone who spends any available time learning in the yeshiva, both on Shabbos and weeknights. He carves out time to learn despite a very busy schedule juggling his profession as a podiatrist and his commitment to chessed and his family. Danny and his aishes chayil have created a warm home which is always open to bochurim for seudos on Shabbos in addition to guests from all walks of life. Danny’s regular attendance at the Sefardi Minyan on Shabbos enhances his partnership with the yeshiva in Torah and tefillah. His appre-
ciation for the yeshiva’s role in his life and our appreciation of Danny and his family makes him a true Yedid Hatorah. This year’s Amud HaTorah Awardee is Dr. Allon Waltuch. Allon is a true pillar of dedication and commitment to limud haTorah. Starting with the early morning chaburah, through late night chavrusas, Allon is a fixture in the Beis Medrash. In his quiet way, he can consistently be found day and night learning with hasmada and depth. He and his aishes chayil also find innovative ways of helping with community projects in a myriad of ways. They are both integral parts of the yeshiva family being wholly dedicated to learning, to tefillah, and to chessed. We are truly fortunate that Allon agreed to accept the Amud Hatorah Award in conjunction with the siyum of mesechas Kiddushin by the morning chaburah. The Keser Hatorah Award will be presented to Dr. Josh Sarner. Josh is a person whose goal is to be firmly rooted in the world of Torah. He is part of the Iyun Chaburah led by Rav Meir Yehuda Kotowitz and devotes his evening learning to the weekly chaburah. His enthusiasm for in-depth learning is infectious and he has brought other people to the chaburah as well. However, Josh is not only about the chaburah, he is an active member of the Yagdil Torah Kehilla and complements his learning with dedication to tefillah and
gemilus chasadim. He and his aishes chayil have established a home built on these foundations and committed to the transmission of these ideals to their children. Josh’s excitement for limud haTorah and appreciation of the yeshiva makes him a true bearer of the royalty of Hashem’s gift of Torah. We are grateful that he has humbly agreed to accept the Keser Torah Award. The yeshiva continues to grow in size and scope. We have been blessed to create a vibrant presence of Torah in our community. These honorees proudly represent the type of people who appreciate what the yeshiva offers and have made the yeshiva a foundation of their lives. They are true role models, each in their own way. Please join us as we pay tribute to these unique individuals in our community and to the spirit of Torah that they and the yeshiva represent. We look forward to seeing you at our Annual Breakfast at 9:15 AM, Sunday, June 23, at the yeshiva, located at 218 Mosher Avenue in Woodmere. Your generous support will ensure the continued success of the Yeshiva Gedolah of the Five Towns and help us continue to provide for the talmidim and the community at-large. For more information, please contact the yeshiva office at 516-295-8900 ext. 4, or visit us online at www.ygft.org/ breakfast.
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Around the Community The eighth graders at Siach Yitzchok celebrated a Siyum Ha’Shana this week
Tefillin Awareness at YOSS
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his past Sunday afternoon, the Tefillin Awareness Project (Hanacha K’halacha) visited Yeshiva of South Shore. The boys all gathered in the Beis Medrash where they heard a shiur on hilchos tefillin, stressing the importance of the proper placement of tefillin. The sofrim explained to the talmidim that, as they grow, they must always make sure that their tefillin still fit correctly in
order for them to wear them properly. They boys then donned their tefillin for the second time in the day, and the sofrim checked the placement, the fit, and the condition of the tefillin to ensure that everyone is properly fulfilling this most important mitzvah. After this event, the talmidim gained a new appreciation and a renewed commitment to the mitzvah of tefillin.
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Around the Community
A Beautiful Evening at the NY Yachad Gala PHOTO CREDITS: ABBIE SOPHIA PHOTOGRAPHY
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Allen Fagin, Lewis and Lauri Barbanel and Moishe Bane
n Wednesday June 12, NY Yachad celebrated 35 years of disabilities inclusion with a beautiful evening at the Sephardic Temple in Cedarhurst. Hundreds came out to celebrate with Yachad and pay tribute to three sets of amazing honorees. Martha and Howie Hershkovich were presented with the Keter Shem Tov award for their commitment to Yachad and their mission of inclusion. Sarla, their wonderful daughter, has attended Yachad summer programs and social recreational programs for close to 10 years, and Martha has been active as a parent advocate, speaking at the Yachad Parent Panel this past January. Tani Sussman and The UPS Store Financial District accepted the Community
Service Award for his partnering with Yachad’s vocational program and employing Zev, a beloved Yachad member. Zev joined the gala and was overjoyed at being present for his “boss” to receive this worthy award. Lauri and Lewis Barbanel were the guests of honor at the gala, serving as a prime example of community leaders
The Hershkovich family
who are passionate about supporting the Jewish community in so many different ways. The Barbanels are active OU board members, while Lauri serves on the Yachad commission, directing Yachad’s strategic growth for the future. The tribute videos at the dinner were moving and inspiring with the attendees afforded the
opportunity to see the world and work of Yachad around the New York community. Yachad looks forward to the next 35 years, as it is dedicated to enhancing the life opportunities of individuals with disabilities, ensuring their participation in Jewish life. Yachad is a program of the Orthodox Union.
The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019
CAHAL THE Community EDUCATION program COMPLETING
27
YEARS
Successfully educating community children together with our partner schools, dedicated teachers, teacher assistants, and related service providers. bais yaakov ateres miriam bnos bais yaakov hebrew academy of five towns and rockaway hebrew academy of long beach hebrew academy of nassau county mesivta ateres yaakov shulamith school for girls torah academy for girls yeshiva darchei torah yeshiva ketana of long island yeshiva of south shore
ExpandED program, NEW classes! 516 295 3666 ~ CAHAL@CAHAL.ORG
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Around the Community PHOTO CREDIT: IVAN H NORMAN
A Siyum of Simcha
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his past Sunday the Yeshiva of Far Rockaway held its annual siyum where 79 talmidim completed Mesechta Kesuvos. With rebbeim, roshei yeshiva, families and friends joining in the simcha of this major yearly event, the room was filled to capacity. The talmidim, who are in ninth grade through beis medrash, worked diligently throughout the year to complete the masechta and to be part of the annual celebration. The guest speaker this year was Rabbi Moshe Zev Katzenstein, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Gedola of the Five Towns. A delicious and beautifully presented seudah was catered by Y&Y Caterers and was followed by the leibedig dancing that all Yeshiva of Far Rockaway simchos are known for.
A Trip of a Lifetime
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rom May 20 to May 30, three DRS students went on the trip of a lifetime to Israel as the award for winning the Jerusalem Science Contest, an international contest that consists of seven exams, a culminating final, and a research project on science and its connection to Judaism. The students, senior Ari Braun, who placed second nationally, sophomore Marcus Blue-
stone, who placed first nationally, and freshman Ari Zelefsky, who placed fourth nationally, went on the ten-day trip with two other winners from other area schools and were led by two experienced tour guides. They visited many of Israel’s historical and Judaic sites as well as labs and institutions that are using cutting-edge technology in the topics of science related to molecular biology,
the focus of this year’s contest. Among many other places visited, the winners enjoyed speaking with scientists at the center for Nano-Technology in Bar Ilan University; visiting the headquarters of Brainsway, a company that is revolutionizing brain disorder treatment; and visiting the Zomet Institute, an organization that combines halachic and technological expertise to make
Shabbat accessible devices such as electric wheelchairs and metal detectors. The trip was an amazing experience for all and offered the winners a deeper understanding of both the worlds of Torah and science, as well as how each area of study and practice is deeply connected with and informs the other.
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Around the Community
Touring Google
Leah Solomon, Hannah Zucker, Ora Zeitlin, Tamar Rabinovitz, Atara Jacobson, Adina Baum and Mrs. Devorah Avrukin
T Class K-1 of Shulamith Early Childhood spent the year collecting and recycling bottles and raised a total of $112 for Friendship Circle
Visiting the Levi Yitzchak Library
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he Levi Yitzchak Library ends this school year on a literary high note with five fantastic school trips ranging from preschool to fifth grade. Bringing books to life, our school trips highlight that our library is much more than books. It’s a place of self-expression and creativity where students become authors and illustrators of their very own
story. They can read on the mitzvah train, write on the magnetic Torah scroll, and put on puppet shows in our colorful puppet theater. To schedule your camp or class trip to the Levi Yitzchak Library, 564 Central Avenue, Cedarhurst, call the library at 516-374-BOOK (2665) or visit lylibrary.org.
he Shulamith Middle Division Tech Squad, Adina Baum, Atara Jacobson, Tamar Rabinovitz, Leah Solomon, Ora Zeitlin and Hannah Zucker, and their teacher, Mrs. Devorah Avrukin, had a wonderful day visiting Google in Manhattan. The girls enjoyed a tour of the Google building led by Mr. Michael Avrukin; highlights included the
micro-kitchens, subway car meeting rooms, and the game room. After the tour, the girls had the chance to meet with Shaindel Schwartz, a software engineer, and Melissa Weintraub, a UX researcher, who told about their jobs, what it is like to work at Google, and what the girls can do to follow their interests in technology over the next few years.
100 Brachos a Day
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he winners of the Meah Brachos contest at HALB received their prizes this week. The boys in the Meah Brachos contest keep track of the 100 brachos they recite daily. The contest runs for two weeks in the community. On a regular weekday, one recites 90 brachos during the three tefillos and needs another ten to complete the 100 brachos. On Shabbos, a person recites 80 brachos during all the tefillos and the meals. To make up
the remaining twenty brachos, one can listen to all of the birchos haftorah in shul, have in mind to be yotzei, and answer amen to the five brachos. (Rav Chaim said not to say Boruch Hu Ubaruch Shemo if you are using these brachos for your Meah Brachos.) The remaining fifteen brachos on Shabbos can be recited on food or after using the restroom. The winners of the contest received cash prizes at the culmination of the program.
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ELEVATING THE TORAH LANDSCAPE FOREVER. There is virtually no corner of the world that has not been touched and impacted by Dirshu. As the Dirshu World Siyum approaches, there is no better time to renew your commitment to acquiring a true kinyan in Torah. Through frequent testing and chazara, Dirshu ensures that members are always focused, accountable, and consistent in their avodas hakodesh. With thousands of participants, the global movement is transforming Klal Yisrael, one country at a time.
347.85.SIYUM DirshuWorldSiyum.org
ENGLAND
ERETZ YISRAEL
London
Heythrop Park Resort Hotel January 10-12, 2020
Yad Eliyahu Mid December 2019
תש”פ,ט״ו טבת-י״ג
תש”פ,כסלו
Manchester
SOUTH AFRICA Scarlet Ribbon Hall January 14, 2020
EventCity January 5, 2020 תש”פ,ח׳ טבת
תש”פ,י”ז טבת
SOUTH AMERICA TBD
Eretz Yisrael: 02-560-9000
FRANCE
Binyanei Haumah December 28, 2019 תש”פ,ל‘ כסלו
Les Docks des Paris January 12, 2020 תש”פ,ט”ו טבת
Europe: 020-8050-2615
NORTH AMERICA
Prudential Center February 9, 2020 תש”פ,י”ד שבט
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Around the Community
Goal!
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his past weekend, the 5 Towns JSL Hockey League wrapped up its annual spring season with amazing championship games. The season was phenomenal, culminating in excellent teamwork, beautiful middos, competitive gameplay, and exciting match-ups. Already in its third year, the JSL Hockey League has taken the community by storm, featuring leagues for close to 500 boys and men each
year from various parts of the community. “We are both Camp Munk guys,” says founders and directors Tuli Urbach & Nachi Gordon. “We realized there was a void during the long school year where kids, teenagers and even adults were missing the competitive and fun experience of playing sports in a professional, fun and kosher healthy environment that they experience during the summer months.
“We know how important and valuable it is for children, teenagers and adults to have healthy, fun, and kosher outlets and we wanted to provide that niche to as many children and adults in the community as possible. “Baruch Hashem we have seen tremendous growth since we founded the league three years ago and we have received such wonderful feedback from parents, mechanchim and even the boys themselves how much
of a difference our league has made on their personal growth throughout the school year.” The JSL Hockey League, hosts its games in the Lawrence Middle School and offers leagues in the fall, spring and summer seasons for boys and men kindergarten through age 120. For more information and to register for visit their website at 5tjsl. com or email 5townsjsl@gmail.com.
NSPC’s Jonathan Brisman, M.D. Only L.I. Neurosurgeon on New York Magazine’s New “Best Docs” List
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onathan L. Brisman, M.D., has been named, again, to the just-published New York Magazine’s “Best Doctors” list. He has been recognized by his peers, each year, since 2013. And for the second consecutive year, Dr. Brisman is the only neurosurgeon from Nassau and Suffolk Counties to be included. Dr. Brisman is an attending physician and partner at Neurological Surgery, P.C. (NSPC), the New York metropolitan area’s largest, private neurosurgical group. “It’s a pleasure to congratulate our colleague and partner for receiving this honor,” said Michael H. Brisman, M.D., the chief executive officer of Rockville Centre, NY-based NSPC. “Our practice has provided patients from Long Island,
and elsewhere, with the most compassionate and comprehensive care available for over 60 years. The selection of Dr. Jonathan Brisman to the New York Magazine list confirms a tradition of clinical, and patient-centered, excellence at NSPC.” Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., a New York City research and information company, provides the names on the periodical’s “Best Doctors” list. Each year, the firm publishes an annual reference guide, Top Doctors: New York Metro Area, which lists those whom Castle Connolly has determined to be in the top ten percent of the region’s physicians – nearly 6,000 in all. For almost two decades, Castle Connolly has been providing the magazine’s editors with a shorter
version of the New York regional list for the publication’s “Best Doctors” feature. Space prohibits the periodical from publishing all of the selected physicians; this year the doctors on the New York Magazine list numbered 1,390. Dr. Jonathan L. Brisman is a board-certified neurosurgeon who specializes in treating cerebrovascular an endovascular conditions, including brain aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), carotid stenosis, and stroke. He’s one of about 125 neurosurgeons in the nation trained in both endovascular and micro-surgical techniques, and was the first endovascular neurosurgeon to practice on Long Island. A Great Neck resident, Dr. Brisman is the Director of Cerebrovascu-
lar and Endovascular Neurosurgery at both NYU Winthrop Hospital in Mineola, NY, and Oceanside’s South Nassau Communities Hospital. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Brisman is the first and only neurosurgeon on the Editorial Board of the prestigious American Journal of Neurosurgery and is the section editor of Vascular Neurosurgery and Endovascular Neurosurgery for the journal World Neurosurgery. To learn more about Jonathan L. Brisman, M.D., please visit www. nspc.com. To arrange an interview, contact Richard Van Allen, (516) 442-2250, Extension 110, or send e-mail, rvanallen@nspc.com.
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Around the Community
Sweet Tefillos
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fter the completion of learning the entire Shemoneh Esrei, the third graders at Bais Yaakov Ateres Miriam staged a beautiful performance for the second graders this week. They explained each bracha and the meaning behind it, and they sang a special song that marked the importance of this new milestone. The girls enjoyed gorgeous royal icing cookies in the shape of a siddur that kept the sweet taste of davening with them. May their tefillos always be miskabel!
HANC HS Closing Ceremony
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n Friday, June 14, HANC High School students and faculty filled the school’s auditorium for the Closing Ceremony 2019/5779. The program opened with remarks from Principal Rabbi Shlomo Adelman followed by award presentations. The first set of recognitions was a series of honors that were given to students who stand out in areas that are valued at HANC. Rabbi Adelman introduced the awards with a special emphasis on the process of choosing recipients. Faculty members nominated candidates for consideration and collectively selected the recipients. Each award went to one male and one female recipient and was presented by administrators. The names of each recipient of the ten awards will be added to the plaques adorning the second floor hallway. The students who went above and beyond in their participation in chessed activities were Lilah Dublin, Ben Marzouk, and Noah Marzouk, who received the Rabbi Moshe z”l & Rebbetzin Sandra Gottesman Chesed Award. The Golda Meir Community & School
Spirit Award went to Caity Davis and the Natan Sharansky Community & School Spirit Award went to Aaron Liviem, as students who exemplify “a strong commitment to the HANC community and [work] selflessly in order to foster inclusiveness and strengthen school spirit.” Students were also recognized for their “academic achievement, true intellectual curiosity, and a demonstrated commitment to increasing knowledge in various disciplines.” Jonah Seidein received the Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook Passion for Education Award and Rena Max received the Nechame Leibowitz Passion for Education Award. Students with outstanding “determination and diligence and an unwavering commitment to advance academically” received The Rabbi Meyer & Rebbetzin Goldie a”h Fendel Determination and Perseverance Award; Kayla Siouni and Adam Speiser were the recipients. The Ateret Shem and Keter Shem Tov recognizes two students who demonstrate distinguished character and a strong commitment to leading a life of high ethical and moral standard consistent with To-
rah ideals and values. The recipients were Ali Lenefsky and Sam Davis. HANC helps build character by ensuring that students perform acts of chessed. Chessed Awards were presented to students by Dean of Students Rabbi Etan Ehrenfeld and distributed by Rabbi Yakov Grun and Morah Nomi Zanjirian. Silver awards went to students who completed more than 25 chessed hours, gold awards to students who completed over 50 hours, and platinum awards were reserved for students who completed over 100 chessed hours. This was followed by an address given by newly elected Student Senate President, Kayla Stern, and a nostalgic year-in-review video presentation expertly prepared by Ms. Maddie Hamada. Students watched the presentation while enjoying ice cream bars. In addition, a special recognition was given to the hard-working office faculty, as well as to all the service staff. A heartfelt farewell written by Josh Rouhani was extended to those faculty members who will not be returning. A farewell video and gift
was also presented to Dean of Students Rabbi Etan Ehrenfeld. Director of College Guidance Ms. Karen Sheff, presented a series of awards recognizing students’ accomplishments. These awards were: Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award - Adam Speiser; The Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award - Alexandra Lenefsky; George Eastman Young Leaders Award - Kayla Stern; Xerox Award for Innovation and Information Technology - Raphael Silbiger; Rensselaer Polytech Institute Medal Award- Jonah Seiden; The Brandeis Book Award - Shana Lefkowitz; Nassau County District Attorney Shield Award- Aaron Afrahim; and the Yeshiva University Torah U’Madah Book Award - Shirly Ebrani and Sam Davis. The ceremony was an incredible success and created a sense of achdut among the students as they cheered for their peers who received awards. The program concluded with a musical performance by music teacher Mr. Jacob Spadaro accompanied by junior Eli Miller and sophomore, Dylan Ross.
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Shulamith High School Inaugural Graduation
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his past Monday night, the first graduating class of Shulamith High School made their way to the stage for a momentous inaugural graduation ceremony. Faculty, family and friends all came together to share in this special moment with the class of 2019, the pioneers of Shulamith High School of Long Island. Having watched the school grow and flourish from its very inception, this moment was significant for the graduating seniors; it was both joyful and bittersweet, but most of all, it was rewarding. Since the day they first joined Shulamith High School, as the first freshman class, the class of 2019 graduates have completely invested themselves, mind, body, heart and soul, into the growing school. It is at this culminating moment that they look back with pride and a tremendous sense of accomplishment at what has become of the school that they helped to build. To open the evening, Rabbi Yaakov Trump welcomed president of the board, Mr. Ari Cohen, to the stage. Mr. Cohen graciously thanked the graduates, the founding principal, Mrs. Rina Zerykier, and the faculty. He reminded the graduates that while until this point they had placed
their faith in the hands of the school, the occasion of graduation signifies a role reversal; Shulamith is now placing its faith in the hands of its graduates as the girls go on to represent Shulamith and its mission wherever their future takes them. And, Mr. Cohen continued, he has full faith that Shulamith is in good hands. With wishes of mazal and bracha, Mr. Cohen then handed the podium over to Shulamith High School’s class of 2019 esteemed salutatorian and valedictorians. The first graduate speaker, honored salutatorian, Mindy Schreck, spoke eloquently about the meaning of true leadership and thanked Shulamith High School for giving herself and her classmates many opportunities to embody that leadership quality. Valedictorian Hana Adler then spoke about the power of potential and her gratitude to Shulamith for bringing out that potential in her and her fellow classmates. Valedictorian Avigail Sassoon related a parable from Shir Hashirim illustrating the necessity of answering the door when opportunity knocks. It was her willingness to answer Shulamith’s knock and join the budding institution four years ago, Avigail said, that paved the
way for endless and otherwise unimaginable opportunities to present themselves. She thanked Shulamith for opening wide the door to countless unique opportunities and experiences, and she urged her fellow classmates to remember to always take risks and take chances, because very often, great things will follow. Following the three speeches, graduate Sela Pollack, honored with the Keter Shem Tov Award for exemplary middot, refinement and Yirat Shamayim, was then called up to receive her award. The final speaker of the evening was Shulamith High School’s founding principal, Mrs. Rina Zerykier. She prefaced her speech by placing an emphasis on the importance of the topic she would imminently speak about; she explained that over the years, she has had the opportunity to give over countless messages to her graduates – through many speeches, conversations and discussions – and so, in her last and final message to them as her students, she wanted to focus on the most important message she could give over. That message, concluded Mrs. Zerykier, is the importance of being an eved Hashem. Although that may sound simple enough, Mrs. Zerykier then posed the question, “But, how does one do that?” She cited a Rashi from Megilat Rut discussing the six traits that the future Mashiach must embody: chachma, binah, ruach eitzah, gevurah, da’at and yirat Hashem. Mrs. Zerykier explained that these six traits are the key to living a meaningful life. She gave the graduates a bracha that each of them, in their life’s journey to becoming an eved
Hashem, should attain and possess these crucial and necessary qualities, and she explained how each of these traits can and should apply to the graduates as they embark on the next stages of life. A video compilation followed Mrs. Zerykier’s speech, featuring photos of the graduates over the past four years. Each graduate was then briefly spoken about and wished mazal tov by a faculty member who then presented to her, on behalf of the school, her diploma and a gift. And then, in the moment the graduates and their families had been much anticipating, the girls flipped their tassels from right to left and walked off the stage to hugs, bittersweet tears and congratulations of family, faculty and friends. Congratulations to the first graduating class of Shulamith High School, the class of 2019/5779! May they see much success in their coming years as they all continue on to seminary and college, and in all their future endeavors. Mazal tov!
The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019
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Around the Community
Strong Show of Support at Rabenstein Learning Center Breakfast PHOTOS: NAFTOLI GOLDGRAB PHOTOGRAPHY
Rav Yaakov Bender, Rosh HaYeshiva of Darchei Torah; Shmuly Neuman, host; and Rabbi Zev Bald, director of development
Avi Goldstein; Shmuly Neuman, host; and Rav Moshe Bender, associate dean of YDT
L-R Shmuly Neuman, host; Rav Yaakov Feitman; Willie Neuman; and Yanky Silber
Yakov Neuman, Rav Shmuel Witkin, and Dovy Neuman
Rav Shimon Dachs, director of the Weiss Vocational Center; Nachum Futersak; Rabbi Zev Bald, director of development of YDT; and Rav Moshe Bender, associate dean
Yehuda Zachter and Shalom Vegh
Ronald Lowinger, president of Yeshiva Darchei Torah, with Shmuly Neuman, host of the breakfast
Rav Yaakov Feitman with Dr. Tzvi Neuman
Dovid Cohen and Menash Oratz
The U.S. & Iran: A Dangerous Tinderbox Page 125
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Around the Community
The Other Side of the Cork: Flam Winery, A Family Affair
By Yael E. Geller, MPH
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he foundation of the Flam family business and culture are not an anomaly when it comes to the typical picture of a family business. It’s the same old story of a father and his wife and children following in his footsteps to establish a successful business which provides a service or product to the world in enough demand to continue to successfully create and fulfill the demand. Sounds totally wonderful and typically boring, except the story of the Flam family winery is not one that
is boring or typical at all. Most people don’t do anything for more than 10-20 years in their life, but the Flam family patriarch has been working with vines for over 50 years. Israel Flam graduated as the first Israeli to attend UC Davis’s viticulture and oenology school in 1968. In the 1970s, Israel had left California and was appointed as the head winemaker at Carmel Winery, the largest winery in Israel. During those years, he met his wife Kami and his two sons and daughter were born. Golan, Gilad and Gefen all played respective roles in the eventual establishment of
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Flam winery. The idea for the winery was a dream Golan had during his first winemaking gig in the Tuscany region of Italy. His brother Gilad had come for a visit to see how his brother was getting along making wine at one of the most prestigious wineries in the world. Everywhere the brothers turned there were breathtaking views of vineyards, which they kept drinking in until they realized their own dream. Golan is meticulous with his vineyards with an intimate knowledge of each region’s vines. Winemaking is not just about crushing some grapes, throwing them in a barrel, and hoping for the best. The involvement of the winemaker in every minuscule nuance is key to creating a memorable bottle of wine, according to Golan. It starts with the soil, then caring for each and every vine with precision, utilizing technology, learned skill, and just plain old intuition observing the region’s climate. Locating and selecting the perfect region and soil for planting the vineyards was tasked to Golan. He spent many months scouting Israel from north to south, east to west looking for the best plots to make his vision a reality. Finding the right plots and establishing an understanding with the vine-grower, deciding on the particular species to plant and hoping that you made all the right decision along the way is something that is unique to Israeli wineries. In old world European wineries, the vines are hundreds of years old with the perfect soil and climate to cultivate the species of grapes renown to that region. The traditions of this family run
thicker than blood or wine. Each member of the family is involved in their respective fields: Israel assists in the win making operations, Kami is in charge of the finances as the CFO, Gilad is the CEO who oversees the entire operation, Golan is the head winemaker, and Gefen takes care of the marketing as the brand manager. In 2010, Flam winery located in the Judean Hills became kosher certified and began exporting their European style Israeli wines all around the world. Looking ahead to the future for the Flam winery, we look at the past and continue building on the foundations established by European styled wineries. Six hundred acres of new vines have been planted in the Even Sapir region stretching from the Judean hills to the mountains of Jerusalem and are in the works for the next several years. We will also be seeing a new premium oaked white wine in the near future named Camellia. The winery itself is located in Eshtaol and has vineyards surrounding a beautiful decked in area which is perfect for a picnic or small reception. Flam has offerings for every palate. The wines are lush and balanced with the perfect amounts of acidity and structure. It takes many years to grow quality grapevines and create excellent wines, and finally after nearly 20 years in 2008, the flagship wine Flam Noble was born. Noble 2013 made history when the most well known wine critics in the world rated the wine as good as or better than some of the most prestigious wines of Bordeaux. The Flam Noble is a wine with an Israeli heart and a noble spirit much like the Flam family. L’chaim!
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Around the Community
YOSS Bachurei Chemed Summer Trip
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his past week, 35 fortunate YOSS talmidim had the privilege of visiting Rav Yisroel Reisman, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Torah V’daas. Rav Reisman spoke to the boys about the importance of
loving Hashem. He also taught some important dikduk lessons regarding the proper way to say Shema. After concluding, he spent a few minutes to give each boy a bracha. These boys were chosen as Ba-
Flag Football for KOC
K
ids of Courage, the non-profit organization dedicated to creating smiles on the faces of children with serious-illnesses, ran its first-ever Flag Football Tournament event this past Sunday in Cedarhurst, NY, at Lawrence High School. The super-successful fundraising event featured Curtis Samuel, wide receiver of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, as well as hundreds of players from across the tristate area. The players competed in games from the morning into the afternoon before a champion team
was crowned. “We’re thrilled with the turnout,” said Josh Friedman, longtime Kids of Courage volunteer who helped bring the superstar athlete to the event. “We can’t thank our great sponsors enough. We’re looking forward to an even bigger and better event next year.” It turned out to be an action-packed Sunday for Kids of Courage as the organization also announced it’s heading to Phoenix, Arizona, in August for the group’s 11th Annual Summer Adventure.
churei Chemed-Yididei Hashem by their rabbeim for exemplifying middos tovos throughout the year. After visiting Yeshiva Torah V’daas, the boys enjoyed lunch at Palace Cafe and then went on to
Aviator Sports where they played a round of mini-golf. Yasher koach to all of the Bachurei Chemed.
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TJH
Centerfold
Think You Know Your Sushi? International Sushi Day is observed every year on June 18. Japanese people generally eat miso soup at the end of the meal to aid digestion. Originally, sushi rice was thrown out, not eaten with the fish. Rice was used as part of the preservation method to weigh down fish and promote fermentation over the course of several months, then thrown away. Over time, sushi was eaten after a shorter and shorter fermentation time, and the rice started to become eaten with the fish when it was fermented for only a couple of days. In Japan, a sushi chef used to have to complete 10 years of training before working in a restaurant. Today, due to high demand, many sushi chefs start work after only 2 years of training. Ginger is eaten between different types of sushi for cleansing your palate for the next fish. Wasabi was originally eaten with sushi to kill bacteria and parasites in the fish. Now, with better sanitary conditions, it’s not needed and it’s eaten just out of habit. Japanese chefs believe that a good sushi knife has a soul that was imbued by the craftsman who made the blade. Consequently, Japanese chefs treat their knives with the utmost care and respect.
You gotta be kidding An octopus walks into a store to sign up for a tap-dance competition. The person who’s doing the auditions says that he can’t sign up. “Why?” the octopus asks him. “Is it because I’m an octopus?” “No,” the man replies. “Well, why can’t I sign up?” the octopus presses. “It’s because you’d have a leg up on the competition,” the man answers.
Sushi chefs typically prefer to use rice that’s at least one year old because new rice absorbs water more readily than older rice. Therefore, it’s easier to control the texture of rice when cooking older grains. Filipino chef Angelito Araneta Jr. earned the Guinness World Record for the most expensive sushi for five sushi rolls wrapped in a 24-karat gold leaf with three Mikimoto pearls and a diamond. The price of that dinner was $1,978.15. About 80% of the world’s bluefin tuna that is caught is used for sushi. Real wasabi is expensive and comes from the root of the wasabia japonica plant. The wasabi you eat at sushi restaurants is made from horseradish and mustard powder, then dyed green with artificial dyes to resemble real wasabi. Sushi is traditionally eaten with the fingers, in 1 or 2 bites. In the 8th century A.D., in Japan, sushi was so highly prized that people were allowed to use it to pay taxes. In Japan, until recently, women weren’t allowed to be sushi chefs, as it was believed that their warmer hands and perfume would taint the taste and quality of the fish.
Riddle me this? 10 fish are in a tank. 2 drown, 4 swim away, and 3 die. How many are left in the tank? See answer on the other page
The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
Fish Trivia 1. Approximately how many species of fish have been discovered to-date?
a. 12 feet
c. Ichthyology
b. 21 feet
d. Aquatiology
c. 32 feet d. 117 feet
a. 1,200 b. 13,000 c. 27,000 d. 102,000 2. What is the fastest fish, with the ability to swim up to approximately 80 MPH? a. Black marlin b. Sailfish
4. When a shark loses a tooth, a new tooth grows in to replace it. In fact, below each tooth (inside the gums) are up to 7 layers of replacement teeth, just waiting to grow. What is the average amount of teeth that a shark grows in its lifetime?
c. Swordfish
a. 13,000
d. Blue shark
b. 30,000
3. What is the average length of a whale shark, which is the largest fish discovered to-date and has an average weight of 20,000 pounds?
Answers
c. 50,000 d. 240,000 5. What’s the proper term for the study of fish? a. Phishology b. Oceanicology
6. Earlier this year the owner of a Japanese sushi restaurant chain paid the most money ever for a fish when he purchased a 613-pound Bluefin Tuna. How much did he pay for the fish? a. $12,000 b. $196,000
in Japan. It is extremely expensive and only prepared by trained, licensed chefs who know that one bad cut means almost certain death for a customer. In fact, many such deaths occur annually in Japan.) a. Stink fish b. Stingrays c. Pufferfish d. Lionfish
c. $3.1 million d. $6 million 7. Which fish, with an average length of less than 3 feet, contains toxins that are 1,200 times deadlier than cyanide and has enough poison to kill 30 people? (Amazingly, the meat of this fish is considered a delicacy
Wisdom Key 6-8 correct: You are a real Ichtyologist. I’m getting itchy just thinking about that! 3-5 correct: Not bad – you are as smart as a tuna! 0-2 correct: Great job! Reward yourself with some Pufferfish! (Waiiiiit! I’m kidding! Phew!)
8. Which of the following products usually has fish scales as one of the ingredients? a. iPhone batteries b. Leather shoes c. Lipstick d. High-end bags
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8. C 7. C 6. C 5. C 4. C 3. C 2. C 1. C
Answer to Riddle Me This: 10. Even the fish that die or drown are still in the tank. They are just floating on the top of the water.
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Op- d
Please Protect the Jewish Community on June 25 By Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld
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ext week, Queens will elect a new district attorney for the first time in 28 years. As criminal justice issues have come to the forefront of mainstream attention, the DA race has become the campaign to watch for those with their finger on the political pulse of the city. New York City is safer than it has ever been. Violent crimes continue to fall in nearly every category at a steady clip thanks to great measures taken by our police department. However, there is one exception to this statistic. Hate crimes have seen a dramatic uptick in the last year, and there is no doubt that the majority of them are directed at the Jewish community. To-date, there have been 184 hate crimes reported in the city this year, a 64% jump since last year. Of that number, 60% have been anti-Semitic which largely makes up the 82% increase in anti-Jewish crimes since 2018. As election day inches closer, let us all bear in mind that it is our district attorneys that will have the most influence in curbing the rise of anti-Semitic incidents. The District Attorney’s Office is responsible for prosecuting hate crime charges and prosecuting alleged violators to the fullest extent of the law. Of the numerous candidates that have entered the stage, there
is a variety of thought in policy and politics being represented. There is one candidate running for this office that should raise a clear alarm for the Jewish community based on their rhetoric and political affiliations. We must ensure that Tiffany Cabán and her political allies do not succeed in bringing their policies to the District Attorney’s office in this crucial time.
diminish the law enforcement authority of her sought office. But it is not her progressive ideology that is of the greatest threat to the Jewish community. Rather, her affiliations within DSA and a ringing endorsement from well-known anti-Semite Linda Sarsour that raise immediate red flags. The DSA has been flirting with anti-Semitic sentiments for decades.
Its progressive left-wing is pulling it dangerously anti-Semitic in our own backyard.
Cabán climbed the ranks of the Democratic Socialist of America (DSA) to become the left-wing faction’s representative for this race. After an endorsement from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, her popularity has surged and she has begun to gain the attention of the national media. Cabán’s policies largely reflect the politics of the extreme left’s views of criminal justice. She has vowed to end the prosecution of numerous offenses, and in essence,
They openly support the BDS-movement and spread biased information about Israel on social media and left-wing platforms. Their website openly stood with the hateful statements put out by Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. The Queens faction of this organization recently organized a pro-BDS event which was going to feature two anti-Israel activists who had a long track record of statements that supported violence against Israel. And this does
not hold a candle to the consistent and unapologetic smears against the Jewish people held by activist Linda Sarsour. Her vitriol is so hateful that even the Democratic National Committee distanced themselves from her and dropped their support of her Women’s March. Tiffany Cabán has been proud to tout the support of both of these hateful parties and as such is woefully unqualified to protect our community in this troubled time. It is no secret that in New York City elections are determined in the Democratic primary. In Queens alone, Democrats outnumber Republicans 7-to-1 so this election will ultimately be determined in the Democratic primary on June 25. To be eligible to vote in a Democratic Primary in New York State you must be a registered Democrat. Without the ability to vote in New York’s closed primary system, Jewish communities and our needs will continue to be overlooked in city and state government. As Democrats struggle to keep the party centered, its progressive left-wing is pulling it dangerously anti-Semitic in our own backyard. We must vote in the Democratic district attorney primary, and we must correct the anti-Semitic trend of the party before it is too late. The Jewish community cannot afford to be complacent.
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Torah Thought
Parshas Beha’alosecha By Rabbi Berel Wein
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n many respects this is the saddest chapter that appears in the Torah. The Jewish people, having successfully been released from Egyptian slavery and arriving at Mount Sinai and accepting the sacredness of G-d’s Torah, then embark on the building of the Tabernacle. They are then able to successfully complete that project and are ready to undertake the final mission that they are charged with in the desert of Sinai – entry into the Land of Israel, its conquest and settlement. Here, on the threshold of victory and fulfillment, the whole project begins to unravel. The father-in-law of Moshe, Yisro, deserts them for reasons which the text of the Torah does not expand upon. Then the people begin to complain about the food – miraculous as it was – that is available to them in the desert and they complain about G-d and, naturally, about Moshe as well. When people are in a bad mood, there is no way they can be satisfied, no matter what. We all know that if we come home after a bad day at the
office and a terrible commute and enter our homes in such a mood, then whatever delicious dinner may have been prepared for us tastes like ashes in our mouths. We are always prisoners of our psyche. The Jewish people were afraid of having to enter the land of Israel and to somehow build the na-
The mood eventually spreads even to the brother and sister of Moshe. Inexplicably, his beloved sister, Miriam, who saved him from the ravages of the Nile River when he was an infant and who rallied the women of Israel to his leadership after the miracle of the splitting of the sea at Yam Suf, now speaks crit-
When people are in a bad mood, there is no way they can be satisfied, no matter what.
tion state on their own, even though they are promised – in fact, guaranteed – divine aid. They are in a bad mood, so the food is not good, and Moshe appears to them to be the wrong man for the wrong job.
ically about him. His brother Aaron, who came out of Egypt to greet and strengthen him at the beginning of his mission to free the Jewish people from the bondage of Egypt, now also joins Miriam in criticism. They
are reflective of the mood of the people. When such a mood exists, nothing is good, and no one is above criticism no matter how unjustified that criticism may be. This mood will eventually result in the debacle of the spies that will dissuade the Jewish people from even attempting to fulfill their G-d-given mission of settling in the land of Israel. There really is no accounting for human moods. In fact, one of the great struggles of life is simply to overcome the moods that come over us. Most times external frustrations and un-important things cause these behaviors. The great men of the Chassidic and Mussar movements attempted to create mechanisms by which their followers would be able to overcome these bouts of depression and frustration. Judaism demands that we fortify our spirit with optimism and inner tranquility so that we can gain true happiness with our situation and circumstances. This is no easy task but all of us know that life demands it of us. Shabbat shalom.
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From the Fire
Parshas Beha’alosecha The Problem with Complainers By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf
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his is a sad parsha. All of our dreams for greatness, all of our idealism, began to unravel in this week’s parsha. We spent almost a year encamped beside Har Sinai. We were poised to march into Eretz Yisroel to claim the great destiny that Hashem promised to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov. But then something happened. Moshe begged his father-in-law Yisro to remain with the Jewish people and “make aliya.” Although he did not know it at the time, not only would Yisro not make aliya, but Moshe Rebbeinu himself would die in the desert, never to step foot in Eretz Yisroel because of the problems to come. In preparation for the great journey to Yerushalayim, Moshe Rebbeinu said (Bamidbar 10:35), “Arise Hashem and disperse Your enemies and those who hate You will flee from before you!” But when he said that, Moshe never imagined that the enemies of Hashem would not come from Canaan, the land they would conquer, but from within the Jewish people! Immediately after we read of Moshe’s prayer for our success in conquering Eretz Yisroel, the descent begins. When all is said and done, the parents would die in the desert and the children would wander for decades. What was the central reason for our downfall? What was the common denominator in all of the myriad of failures and foibles during our
time in the desert ultimately leading to the decree that an entire generation would never step foot in the promised land? The easy answer is that it was the sin of the Golden Calf. But Chazal explain that this was a circumscribed fault, a terrible miscalculation and mistake, but it was not an all-encompassing fault. In this parsha, and in those that follow, the Jewish people crave meat and complain to Moshe about it, Miriam complains about Moshe, the spies complain about Eretz Yisroel, Korach and his cohorts stage a rebellion against Moshe, complaining that he was consolidating all of the honor, glory, and power to himself, and the list goes on and on. What was the common denominator in the failings of the desert which continue until this day? Complaining. Yet we do not find that one of the 365 prohibitions in the Torah is “Thou shalt not complain.” But this pattern of complaints repeats itself again and again as the central downfall of our people in the generation of the desert. The Torah teaches us several things about the essence of complainers. First, the pasuk (Bamidbar 11:1) starts by saying, “And it was that the nation was complaining, which was evil in the ears of G-d, and G-d heard and was angry.” Yet the Torah never tells us what they were complaining about! What do we learn from this? That the complainers’ problem was
not the topic about which they are complaining. That has nothing to do with it! The complainers’ problem was their nature as complainers. In halacha, we often make a distinction between a cheftza, an object, and a gavra, a person. One might have thought that a complainer’s problem is in the cheftza, the object of his complaint. One could mistakenly think that if we resolve the complainer’s complaint, he will be happy. Indeed, if someone who is not generally a complainer complains about something, this is, in fact, the case. If we resolve the object of his complaint, he will be satisfied. But this is not the case for those people classified as complainers. The moment we resolve one complaint, he has something new to complain about. It never ends. This is because his complaints are not about the cheftza of his complaint. The object of his complaints is simply the most readily available outlet for his nature as a complainer. The problem is with the gavra. The person is a complainer, so he will complain regardless of his external circumstances. His worldview is negative. He looks at the world through a jaundiced, critical lens. His mind is twisted by nature, so he seeks out the bad in everything. He is predisposed to feeling that everyone else harbors ill-will toward him and that the world is filled with incompetent people whose lives are devoted to
making him miserable. We all know such people. These are the people who gleefully pounce on the person reading the Torah whenever he makes a mistake. Such a person goes into a state of mourning if the reader manages to read the Torah perfectly. These are the people who whisper to the person who is about to lead the davening, “You won’t extend the davening an extra minute if you know what’s good for you.” It does not matter whether it is the temperature in shul, the chazzan, the rav, the fellow next to him, or anything else. He will find something to complain about because that is his nature. We learn several other things about complainers from the parsha. The Torah (Bamidbar 11:4-6) says: “And the mixed multitude among [the Jewish people] caused themselves to have a craving and the Jewish people also cried again and they said, ‘Who will feed us meat? We remember the fish which we ate in Egypt for free… Now our souls are dry. There is nothing before our eyes except this manna!” The complainers began complaining and brought everyone else into their misery with them. The Torah teaches us two additional aspects of complainers here. The first is that they try to rope others in and spread their toxic outlook as widely as they can. A person can be completely content with how things are going, but after ten minutes with
The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
a complainer, suddenly everything looks dark, dismal, and bleak. The second thing we learn about complainers from these psukim is their trademark opening line: “I’ve spoken to a lot of people and they all feel this way.” They all feel that “everyone” agrees with them. “It’s not just me who feels this way. A lot of people agree with me. They just don’t want to come forward.” In their minds, the complainers are the only brave souls who care enough to come forward with their criticism. Finally, a complainer sees only the bad in the present and feels sure that the future will be even worse. The only thing in which the complainer sees anything good in is the past – no matter how much historical revisionism is necessary to see it in such a light. These people looked back longingly at the free food they received in Egypt. First, of course it was free. They were slaves! And never mind the genocide committed against the Jewish children. Never mind the back-breaking labor. Think of the free food! But when it comes to the present, everything is dark and black. They said about the manna, which fell as a gift from Hashem every day: “our souls are dry. There is nothing before our eyes except this manna!” Nevertheless, Hashem fulfilled the wishes of the complainers by giving them more meat than they could possibly eat. But of course they hated that too. Hashem therefore points out that the problem was never with the object of the complainers’ complaints. It is with Hashem Himself. They are ingrates. Hashem explains this as follows (Bamidbar 11:20), “Because you have hated Hashem who is among you and cried before Him to say, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’” Complainers do not lack anything with respect to the object of their complaints. The problem is with their nature, outlook, and personality. The complainers in the desert even convinced themselves (Bamidbar 16:13) that Egypt was “a land flowing with milk and honey!”
Complainers Can Only Destroy, Never Build And what was Moshe’s response to the people’s complaints? How did
the greatest leader in our history respond? He begged Hashem (ibid. at 11:15), “Please kill me if I have found favor in your eyes!” Moshe essentially said, “G-d, if you love me, just kill me now.” Why did Moshe react this way? Is this the same man who heroically came to our rescue when we built and worshiped the golden calf shortly after receiving the Torah at Sinai? Why was Moshe our fearless advocate after that terrible sin, but when we complain, which was not even one of the 613 mitzvos, Moshe immediately threw up his hands, gave up all hope, and begged G-d to just take his life? Why was this? We see from Moshe’s reaction that when it comes to complainers, you can never win. The moment you resolve one complaint, they have another. It is an all-encompassing fault. As bad as the sin of the Golden Calf was, it was a circumscribed mistake, a tragic miscalculation. Moshe knew that he could work with that and help the people rectify their mistake. But again, the problem with complainers has nothing to do with the particular subject of their complaints. The trait of being a complainer is ingrained and cannot be resolved by addressing the complaint itself. Dealing with complainers is a never-ending, life-sucking, toxic enterprise. Moshe therefore gave up and said, “Just kill me now. I cannot work with these people.” And when the Jewish people complained after the report of the spies, Hashem Himself said that there was no hope for that generation. He decreed that they die in the desert. Eretz Yisroel cannot be built by complainers. They only know how to destroy, to criticize, to negate. They are incapable of building anything. It is the same thing in any organization, institution, or shul. The idealists build and create while the complainers find faults with everything the builders and creators do. “Look at this! There’s a loose tile in the social hall! What kind of shoddy work is this!” As if they would have ever built anything themselves. We see Moshe’s awareness of the difficulty in dealing with complainers reflected later in the parsha as
well. When Miriam is afflicted with tzara’as, a skin disease, Moshe offers the shortest prayer ever for her recovery (ibid. at 12:13): “G-d, please heal her!” That was the extent of his prayer. Why did he not pray at length, as he surely wanted to do? Rashi explains that it was “so that the Jewish people should not say, ‘For his sister he prays at length, but for us he does not pray at length!’” Notwithstanding all of Moshe’s sacrifice and lengthy prayer for the sake of the Jewish people, he knew that the complainers would forget all of that and simply complain if Moshe uttered more than a few words of prayer for his sister’s recovery. With complainers, one simply cannot win. Building Eretz Yisroel, or anything worthwhile, requires the attitude described in the pasuk (Tehillim 34:12), “Who is the man who desires life, who loves days to see good.” Builders, creators, and idealists love life. They see good. This is the prerequisite for a person who wants to build and create. It is the
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opposite of the quality exhibited by complainers, those who look at the world through the lens of a crooked mind which sees only negativity and incompetence around him. While I have no doubt that complainers will simply complain about what I have said here, I encourage everyone reading what I have said to discuss this issue with his or her family and friends. Think about whether and to what extent you have been a builder or a complainer. With Hashem’s help, may we merit to see the ultimate good and the fulfillment of everything we have been working toward building throughout the long years of exile with the coming of Moshiach and the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash, may we see it soon in our days.
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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JUNE 20, 2019 | The| Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home
Parsha
in 4
Parshas Beha’alosecha By Eytan Kobre
Weekly Aggada And Moshe cried out to Hashem, saying, “Please, G-d, heal her now” (Bamidbar 12:13) This is comparable to a strongman who was freed from having a heavy chain wrapped around his neck. After several days, he encountered another man with the heavy chain wrapped around his neck. Onlookers could not understand it when the strongman started to holler. “Do you comprehend,” said the strongman, “how much this man is
suffering? I suffered the same way and understand how much pain he is in.” So too here. G-d asked why Moshe was crying out. “Master of the Universe!” Moshe replied. “I know of her pain, for I remember my hand afflicted with leprosy (Shemos 4:6) when You gave me the signs to show Paraoh” (Devarim Rabba 6:13).
Weekly Mussar “Speak to Aharon, and say to him: ‘When you light the lamps, the seven
lamps shall cast light toward the face of the menorah’” (Bamidbar 8:2) The topic of the menorah (in Behaaloscha) is written next to the topic of the offerings of the Nesi’im (in Naso) because Aharon became disheartened when he saw the offerings of the Nesi’im, as he was not privileged to bring such offerings. “By your life,” G-d told him, “your [privilege] is greater than theirs, for you will light and prepare the lamps [of the menorah]” (Rashi, Bamidbar 8:2). The lighting of the menorah was greater than the offerings of the Nesi’im, explains R’ Yaakov Galinsky, because the offerings were brought on the Mizbeiach (Altar), which was outside and public, while the lighting of the menorah was performed in the Mishkan, outside the public eye. And good deeds performed privately – without fanfare or even acknowledgment – are superior to those accompanied by recognition, praise, and honor. The merit of good deeds for which we are recognized is diluted by the honor we receive on their account, whereas the merit of good deeds performed without recognition remains undiminished. We are taught that man “cannot, in death, take all his wealth, for his honor will not descend after him” (Tehillim 49:17-18). Are we to believe that man cannot take “all” his wealth with him after death but can take “some” of his wealth? R’ Yaakov Galinsky interprets this verse as referring to one’s spiritual wealth, or good deeds. We can take “some” goods deeds after death, but not “all” good deeds; “for his honor will not descend after him” – that is, the deeds for which one receives honor do not follow him into the grave. The reward for such deeds has already been received.
Weekly Anecdote Mouth to mouth I speak with him in a vision and not in riddles, and the image of G-d he gazes. And why are you not afraid to speak against My servant, against Moshe? (Bamidbar 12:8) In 1791, R’ Moshe, son of the holy R’ Pinchas of Koretz, established a printing house in the town of Slovita. Together with their father, R’ Moshe’s sons, R’ Pinchas and R’ Avraham Abba, conceived of the idea to print a new typeset edition of the Talmud. Before doing so, the brothers sought the blessings of rabbinic authorities far and wide; indeed, because the venture would require significant investments of time and money, the brothers obtained a ruling from R’ Akiva Eiger prohibiting other printers from reprinting this new typeset edition of the Talmud for a period of ten years following its release. The Slovita edition of the Talmud was wildly popular. Publication could not keep pace with demand, and it sold out completely within a short period of time. Indeed, demand was so strong that the brothers considered reprinting their new typeset edition of the Talmud...until they learned that Menachem Mann Romm of Vilna was attempting to reprint the new edition of the Talmud, despite R’ Akiva Eiger’s ten-year ban. The brothers sought the urgent intervention of rabbinic authorities, including R’ Akiva Eiger himself. After considering both sides, however, R’ Akiva Eiger ruled that the Romm family printers could proceed with their Vilna edition of the Talmud because the Slovita edition had sold out completely (and the Romm family printers offered to purchase any remaining copies of the Slovita edition
at a premium), such that the brothers would suffer no loss on account of the Vilna edition. But the brothers refused to accept R’ Akiva Eiger’s latest ruling, which they decried publicly as “erroneous” and “misguided” and “unreliable,” while castigating R’ Akiva Eiger as out-of-touch and over-the-hill. The brothers’ unbecoming rhetoric upset R’ Akiva Eiger, who issued a written response excoriating the brothers, not for his own honor but for the honor of the Torah. A short while later, a Slovita printing house worker staggered about the shop in a drunken stupor when he hit his head on some printing machinery and died. The local “enlightened” reformers – who despised the printing house responsible for the widespread dissemination of Torah – sought to capitalize on the situation. They accused the brothers of killing the worker so he would not report the (non-existent) anti-government activities being un-
dertaken by the printing house. And the Russian secret police were only too happy to arrest the brothers and imprison them on the trumped-up charges. After being imprisoned for three years, the brothers were sentenced to run the gauntlet; if they survived (and hardly anyone survived such brutality), they would be sent to prison in Siberia. On erev Rosh Chodesh Elul, the brothers were dragged before two rows of 250 burly Russian soldiers bearing heavy clubs. Forced to run the gauntlet three times, with the Russian soldiers pummeling them, the brothers were badly beaten and mutilated. But they survived. And before they could be sent to Siberia, Czar Nicholas I sentenced them to life imprisonment in Moscow. Miraculously, when Nicholas I died in 1855, his son, Czar Alexander II, pardoned the brothers, who eventually returned to Slovita. There, they spent the remainder of their
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days acknowledging the punishment they had received for their unbecoming treatment of R’ Akiva Eiger.
Weekly Halacha And Yehoshua, son of Nun, the servant of Moshe from his youth, answered and said: “My master, Moshe, lock them up” (Bamidbar 11:28) One who calls his rebbi by name – i.e., using the rebbi’s first name – is deemed an apikorus (heretic) (Sanhedrin 100a). Indeed, one may not refer to his rebbi by first name whether the rebbi is alive or not, nor may one call others by the same first name as his rebbi if the rebbi is present (Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Dei’ah 242:15). However, one may refer to his rebbi by first name if preceded by an appropriate honorific (“my rebbi,” “my master,” etc.) (Rama, Yoreh Dei’ah 242:15).
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Authorities debate the circumstances in which one may refer to his rebbi by first name preceded by an appropriate honorific. Some permit doing so only when not in the rebbi’s presence (i.e., referring to “my master, Ploni” is permitted only outside the presence of the rebbi) (Shach, Yoreh Dei’ah 242:24). Others, drawing support from Yehoshua’s reference to Moshe as “my master, Moshe” (Bamidbar 11:28), maintain that one is permitted to refer to his rebbi by first name preceded by appropriate honorific even in the rebbi’s presence (Chiddushei R’ Akiva Eiger, Yoreh Dei’ah 242:15). The Weekly Halacha is not meant for practical purposes and is for discussion purposes only. Please consult your own rav for guidance. 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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JUNE JUNE 20, 20, 2019 2019 || The The Jewish Jewish Home Home
The Wandering
Jew
Roman Getzel By Hershel Lieber
Family from Lodz for which we were able to secure a Humanitarian Parole visa Rabbi Chaskel Besser, z”l, with me at an to come to the USA Agudah Convention symposium
A
lthough I had already traveled to Poland five times before 1987, they were all connected to various missions. Only in 1979 did I have that rare zechus of being the chazzan for the Yomim Noroim at Warsaw’s Nozyk’s Synagogue. The role of being Warsaw’s regular baal tefillah for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur actually began
Aida (right) with her son Roman (Yakov Getzel), together with my mother, a”h, (left) in Warsaw
to the United States. I met the family, consisting of a father, mother, daughter and the mother’s parents, on a previous trip. Now I came to help them arrange the visa and take care of passport issues with the help of the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw. Together with Rabbi Chaskel Besser, z”l, I traveled to Washington, D.C., and with the help of renowned law-
We cried and laughed together, and, in a way, this return to Krakow was quite therapeutic for her.
My mother Lola Lieber, a”h, at her childhood home in Krakow
in 1989, and baruch Hashem I have continued in this privileged position with very few exceptions for almost thirty years. In September of 1986 I left for Warsaw the day after Rosh Hashana on a mission to help a Jewish family from Lodz leave Poland and emigrate
yer Nathan Lewin we met some congressmen and senators who helped secure a humanitarian parole visa for the family. This type of visa is rarely given and has severe limitations, yet this at least allowed them temporary residence in the United States.
The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019, 2019 The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019
Rabbi Chaim Baruch (Edgar) Gluck (right) and sons, with me and Roman (Yakov Getzel) with me in Warsaw together with Reb the Israeli ambassador to Poland Mordechai Palzur Moshe Shapiro, the shochet and melamed
Being that I had some other projects to take care of, I decided to return to New York only after Yom Kippur. The day after I arrived, I received a surprise call from my mother, Lola Lieber, a”h*. My mother had always been supportive of the projects that I undertook and yet never wanted to accompany me to Poland. Her memories of the terrible war years and the loss of her beloved
parents and family precluded her from making a trip to this destination. We knew where her parents were killed and buried, and I was there more than once, but she could not bring herself to return to that site. How flabbergasted I was, then, when she told me on the phone that all of a sudden she had this strong urge to return to Poland and be at her parents’ gravesite. I immediately
contacted my travel agent, and by the next afternoon I met my mother at Warsaw’s Okecie Airport. The next two days were emotional as my mother retraced her prewar history. We hired a driver who brought us to Krakow late that evening. The next day we went to the town of Bochnia and to its Jewish cemetery. Without any matzeiva to guide her, my mother was still
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able to figure out where she and my father, a”h, buried his mother, two sisters and their two children after the Gestapo went on a killing spree in the Bochnia Ghetto. Her parents, too, were murdered a bit later and brought to kever Yisroel in that beis olam, only she did not know exactly where. Mother cried hysterically as the memories of that dark era resurfaced. Tears were running down our cheeks as we chanted kapitel after kapitel of Tehillim. The next day in Krakow we walked the streets of the former Jewish district, Kazimierz. My mother pointed out where her family lived, and we found the buildings that housed her grandparents, uncles, and aunts and my father’s family. For the most part, the city did not change since before the war, and my mother related many stories associated with many of its streets and residents as we were walking about. We cried and laughed together, and, in a way, this return to Krakow was quite therapeutic for her. On Friday we returned to Warsaw, as that evening was Yom Kippur.
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JUNE 20, 2019 | The Jewish Home JUNE 20, 2019 | The Jewish Home
America so he could advance these plans. He needed a sponsor, and my mother already offered that I would guarantee his visa application! I was very wary of his motives, as many Poles would come on visitor visas and overstay their expiration date to work and earn money. My trusting mother was convinced that Roman was telling the truth and that he only wanted to study and become a religious Jew. My mother was very insistent and would not take no for an answer. Needless to say, when we returned, I sponsored Roman and on December 20, 1986 picked him up at JFK airport. Yakov Getzel, rear, at Chanukah candle lighting with my children and other guests
Rabbi Chaim Baruch (Edgar) Gluck was the chazzan but he asked me to daven Shacharis and Mincha the next day. As usual, there were over two hundred people for Kol Nidrei, Yizkor and Neilah, but the rest of the time only about forty or fifty people joined the tefillos. During the break after Mussaf my
mother approached me with a middle-aged woman named Aida and her son, Roman. Aida was originally from The Ukraine and was married to a gentile. Her son was studying to become a doctor. Aida told my mother that Roman wanted to study Judaism and hoped to become an observant Jew. He wanted to come to
As we were driving home from the airport, Roman, who spoke a bit of English, told me two things. First, he wanted to know if I could help him to get a bris. I was pleasantly astonished that having a bris was an important part of his agenda. I told him that I would assist him, and he would get a bris very soon. The second request was even more shocking to me. He told me that he heard that there was a rabbi from the town of Bobowa in New York and that he wanted to meet him. I told him that he surely meant the Bobover Rebbe, whom I knew very well, and that I would arrange for him to meet him. I set up a meeting with the Rebbe just a few days later. I went along with Roman and told the Rebbe that he had been very intent to meet him. The Rebbe spoke to him in Polish, and I noticed how he was amazed after Roman told him something. The Rebbe turned to me and told me in Yiddish that Roman’s father’s father was the mayor of Bobowa and that he remembers him well. He added in a hushed voice that Roman’s grandfather was “nisht a kleine antismit” (not a small anti-Semite, to boot). After I told the Rebbe that Roman came here to study Yiddishkeit and we would soon make his bris, the Rebbe, with a twinkle in his eye, added “Kik, mir hoben yezt a neier Bobover einikel!” (Look, we now have a new Bobover descendant!) It took about a week for me to arrange Roman’s bris. Rabbi Chaim Twersky procured a mohel and a slot in an operating room at Maimonides Hospital. The bris went well, and when Roman was asked about a Jewish name he asked to be named after
his mother’s father, Yakov Getzel. I left him there to recuperate and picked him up awhile later. When I asked him if I should call him Yakov from now on, he ardently insisted that we call him Getzel! I then realized that to his ear it sounded more Polish. I compromised and started calling him Yakov Getzel but within our family we always referred to him as Roman Getzel. Yakov Getzel did not wind up going for any Jewish studies. He wanted to work, as I had suspected, and I got him a job doing a night shift at a kosher bakery. He also wanted to improve his English, so I got him enrolled in a free course of English as a Second Language (ESL) at Kingsborough Community College. My mother arranged that he share an apartment with her husband’s son. Yakov Getzel was our guest for many Shabbosim and yomim tovim. He returned to Poland during the summer, very thankful for all that he gained in this short time. He finished his medical education in Warsaw and is now a doctor. Yaakov married a Polish girl, and they had a daughter. I still see and greet his mother, Aida, at the Nozyk Synagogue every year. This past Yom Kippur, just before Yizkor, I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see and embrace once again, Roman Getzel. *My mother, Lola Lieber, a”h, wrote a book, A World After This, about her experience during World War II which was serialized in The Jewish Home a few years ago. Hershel Lieber has been involved in kiruv activities for over 30 years. As a founding member of the Vaad L’Hatzolas Nidchei Yisroel he has traveled with his wife, Pesi, to the Soviet Union during the harsh years of the Communist regimes to advance Yiddishkeit. He has spearheaded a yeshiva in the city of Kishinev that had 12 successful years with many students making Torah their way of life. In Poland, he lectured in the summers at the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation camp for nearly 30 years. He still travels to Warsaw every year – since 1979 – to be the chazzan for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur for the Jews there. Together with Pesi, he organized and led trips to Europe on behalf of Gateways and Aish Hatorah for college students finding their paths to Jewish identity. His passion for travel has taken them to many interesting places and afforded them unique experiences. Their open home gave them opportunities to meet and develop relationships with a variety of people. Hershel’s column will appear in The Jewish Home on a bi-weekly basis.
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World
Builders
A Himalayan Rescue By Menachem Bakush
O
n a recent Friday, just before Shabbat began, an Israeli hiker fell approximately 40 meters down while trekking up the Bashisht mountains near the town of Old Manali, India. As one of the rabbis who works out of the Chabad house in Old Manali, I was notified of the event. In addition to me being a rabbi, I am a trained EMT and I volunteered for United Hatzalah in Israel while I was living there. The organization was gracious enough to give me a bag of medical equipment to keep with me here in India should the need arise. On that Friday, it did. When we were notified about the emergency, I dropped what I was doing, grabbed my medical kit, and began heading up to the mountains to reach the seriously injured hiker. It took me 50 minutes to reach the fallen man. I flagged down a passing motorbike and told him that I needed
to get as close as possible to the specific waterfall where the man fell. The driver raced to the closest location to where the fall occurred and then I was left with no choice but to hike the rest of the way. It was a 2-kilometer
line, and bandaging his numerous bleeding wounds. After this initial treatment, I helped organize the rescue efforts to bring him safely out of the mountains and get him transported to a local hospital.
The hiker had sustained a serious head injury, a chest injury, and other injuries to his back and limbs.
climb almost directly up. The journey involved a steep uphill climb with a full medical kit on my back. When I reached the patient, I provided initial medical treatment including spinal cord stabilization, an intravenous
The hiker had sustained a serious head injury, a chest injury, and other injuries to his back and limbs. He received a series of tests at the hospital, and I stayed with him until the results came back. It is always better
to be at a hospital in a foreign country with an advocate who speaks the language and someone to look after you. For me, it was just part of doing what I do. When one serves the community as a rabbi or otherwise, it is important to be able to provide for the needs of those you serve. In this instance, I was able to serve in a different capacity in order to help save a life. Both physical lifesaving and spiritual lifesaving are important, and I am thankful that I can do a bit of both. While this isn’t something that happens here every day, even being able to be there for one person in their time of need is enough of a reason to do what I do and to be a spiritual guide and an emergency first responder. It is very gratifying to know that I was able to help this man. Even so, I hope that my next endeavors of assistance will not be so dramatic as this one was.
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When the
Ball is in Your
Court Dr. Menachem Gottesman’s Vision at Meled Gives At-Risk Youths a Chance to Believe in Themselves by Rivkah Lambert Adler
I
n the midst of the 1991 Gulf War, while Scud missiles barraged Israel every day, Dr. Menachem and Leah Gottesman’s son was kicked out of the religious high school he had been attending. He was 15 years old. That experience was the seed from which the paradigm-busting Mercaz L’Mida Dati (better known as Meled), a brand-new kind of school in Jerusalem, sprouted. When Dr. Menachem Gottesman retired from the role of founding principal of Meled, he left behind a legacy of selfless devotion to exactly the kinds of students other Jewish schools don’t want to handle. One of those students was a young man named Natan. As Menachem describes, “We were all in consensus: after a year and a half at Meled, Natan had pushed us beyond our limits with his heavy drug habit and destructive behavior. It was
agreed upon by all, including his parents, that he needed another framework. At a round-table meeting to finalize this decision, everyone was given the opportunity to express an opinion, including the student. When all participants turned to me for summation, I was unable to speak. Finally, to everyone’s consternation, including my own, the words, ‘Let’s give him one more chance,’ escaped my lips. Not even the student believed what he had heard.” Despite everyone’s predictions, Natan experienced a dramatic turnaround over the next six months. Eventually, he graduated, served in a combat unit in the IDF, became a successful businessman, married, and started a family. Dr. Gottesman reminisces, “When I was invited to deliver the first two blessings under his wedding canopy, I went eagerly, tearyeyed.”
A Shepherd or Politics Menachem Gottesman grew up in a religious home in Boro Park and attended Yeshiva Etz Chaim. “My father sent me there because there were two options back then – Yiddish or Hebrew,” Menachem says. “The difference was immense because the school I attended was very Zionistic. In 1948, when I was in first or second grade, the establishment of the State of Israel was celebrated with the entire school. There was simcha beyond imagination! Everyone was dressed in blue and white shirts, singing Israeli songs. Teachers were talking excitedly. Something of that remained within me for all of my life.” As a teenager, Menachem was so enamored with Israel that he went to the port to see the Israel-based Zim Lines that transported passengers between Haifa and New York. “I wanted to see a Jewish boat,” he
recalls. To get an even bigger taste of Israel, he spent time at a café in Manhattan “to be with Israelis and sing Israeli songs.” He continued his education at the Yeshiva University High School of Brooklyn. In his yearbook, his classmates predicted that he “would one day end up in Eretz Yisrael either as a shepherd on Har Carmel or in politics.” Menachem notes, “The dream about herding sheep came to fruition when I created Meled and I became a shepherd. The young students that came along were my sheep. I really cared for and protected the students as my sheep who I very dearly love.” Leah, his wife and partner of more than 50 years, laughingly calls theirs a mixed marriage because she came from “a totally assimilated environment” in the Bronx. Growing up, Zionists were presented “as way-out, bohemian types.” Her parents were both born
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Dr. Menachem Gottesman
Leah Gottesman (photo credit Gershon Ellinson)
Menachem and Leah with former students
in the U.S. “My family didn’t want us be anything but American. They really wanted the whole Yankee Doodle [thing].” Leah’s father had a Workman’s Circle socialist background. She had no formal Jewish education, let alone a Zionist tradition. “I learned to write aleph bet in university,” she recalls. “I did not understand when my grandmother was sitting in the dark on Saturday afternoon. I had no idea my mother’s mother was keeping Shabbos.” Leah was motivated to seek out her “identity because of the Holocaust and seeing documentaries as a kid. I was trying to understand why there was all this hatred toward Jews.” Attending Yeshiva University Torah Leadership seminars helped Leah “get into the world of traditional Judaism. At YU, that was the world I wanted.” She even bought her own pots so she could begin to keep kosher. During her studies at City College, she made friends in Yavneh Orthodox student group. On a Yavneh Shabbaton, Menachem Gottesman came into her world. “I was not coming from a Zionist background,” Leah emphasizes. “But by the time we got serious, I realized Israel was part of the package. I knew that one of the conditions of marriage was making aliyah.” The two married in June 1965. Their first trip to Israel was in 1966. They came for seven weeks with two other young couples and 130 Bnei Mitzvah kids. Menachem recounts, “We had
the zechut of seeing Eretz Yisrael before the Six Day War.” By the time the couple made aliyah in 1977, “the changes were already dramatic.” Leah reflects on their decision. “All olim that come, the price we pay sometimes is not easy. We leave behind family, friends, and professional vocations. But over the 40 years we’re here, we have established
and an expertise working with blind children. He spent more than 20 years working with blind university students and teaching courses in psychology, human development, education and visual impairment as an adjunct faculty member at Hebrew University, Bar Ilan University, and Orot College. Those were the professional op-
“When you feel good about yourself, you can feel good about your family, your community and G-d.” roots, had children and grandchildren, made tremendous friends and had career opportunities that we would never have dreamed of.” Menachem, who served in the Israeli Defense Forces and did miluim (reserve duty) for many years, recounts, “The day I became an Israeli was the day I brought my oldest son to enlist. I asked myself, ‘Am I crazy? What am I doing here?’ That’s when I knew I belonged here. That’s when I realized we’re here to stay.” Today the Gottesmans have grandchildren serving in the Israeli army.
One of Its Kind Menachem came to Israel with a background in child development
portunities that occupied his time. That is, until his son was kicked out of high school. The Sages say that all beginnings are difficult, and that was certainly true for the Gottesmans. After their son’s challenges, they began to try to create something no one had ever heard of before – a school that would help struggling teenagers heal and take responsibility for their futures. “After I made a decision that this is exactly what I’d like to do, I took it upon myself, unofficially, on my own, as a two-year pilot program, to test out my theories. For two years, I was a total non-entity. “I started with 15 to 20 youngsters. By the second year, we had 40-50 kids.
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“The first three years were a struggle to convince the Ministry of Education to get recognition. It’s not a regular school. We had to make a case to the Ministry of Education to be subsidized as a special program. That was a challenge – to get enough money,” Menachem recalls. In order to best serve his students, Menachem broke a number of rules of the national religious educational system into which he was trying to be accepted. For example, Meled started as a program for boys but he quickly added a track for girls who were also dropping out of school and out of religious life. Unable to manage two separate institutions, after two years, Menachem made Meled co-ed. Over time, “even charedi parents accepted the fact that Meled was coed. They were grateful to have found a school for their kids,” he says. Another challenge was that Meled was not only for kids from religious backgrounds. He opened enrollment to “all kids who wanted to learn, no matter what their background was.” Eventually, Meled was brought into the formal structure of the Ministry of Education. In those early days, Leah took on a critical role. “When our son was in the army and suggested to his father to create a school for kids like him, at that point, I was a fundraiser for two schools – an ulpana (Religious Zionist girls’ high school) and a yeshiva high school. “I had a strong background in marketing programs. I voluntarily started to write grant proposals and
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to seek support for the school. Every evening, I was fundraising for the school, on top of a full-time job. I also wrote the brochures.” Her contributions were not limited to the administrative domain. “For six months, I was an English teacher at the school, which opened my eyes to all the challenges there,” Leah notes.
The Person, Not the Kippah In his years running Meled, Menachem learned a number of crucially important lessons of value to educators and parents who are dealing with religious teens, especially those with challenges. For boys, he says, “the act of defiance was the kippah. [In the beginning], we tried to urge and coerce them to wear it. But I came to one conclusion. It’s not the kippah that makes the person. It’s the person making the kippah. Ultimately, most of the kids found their own way religiously. Once they felt better about themselves, most came back to their roots in a sense of non-coercion.” During their 17 years with Meled, the Gottesmans brought some of the students into their own home. “One of the most difficult things for me was to see kids who have no place to live,” Menachem relates. “We made a decision early on that any kids that needed a home we would take. We became official foster parents for a number of our students who officially moved into our home. One was with us for four years.” Looking back on that aspect of the devotion to his students, Menachem reflects, “It certainly was very positive. Sometimes it wasn’t easy. There were all kinds of problems. Ultimately, we got much more than whatever we could give them. “One boy lost both parents to cancer. He didn’t talk for a year. It was very painful. “When it didn’t work with some kids, it took a great deal out of us, because we cared a great deal about them. It gave us tremendous growth, understanding and challenge. We just love them very much.”
Not At Risk Menorah Books, an imprint of Koren Publishers in Jerusalem, re-
Menachem with a gift from a former student who illustrated Menachem’s motto, “the ball is in your court”
cently published Not At Risk: Education As A Work of Heart which the Gottesmans wrote to detail the philosophy, history and impact of their years at Meled. The book has approbations from Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, Rabbi Professor Daniel Sperber of Bar Ilan University, and Rabbi Professor Irving (Yitz) Greenberg. The strength of the book lies in its many stories of former students who came to Meled all but broken by life, often estranged from their families. As their first-person stories unfold, they relate how the healing environment at Meled helped them accept responsibility for their own lives. The Gottesmans are quick to point out that “every single account that the students sent is in the book. They were not altered in any way.” The stories are universally positive. Meled changes lives. That much is clear. It was retirement that gave Menachem the time to devote to fully telling the story of Meled. “The book has certainly percolated over many years. Being the principal of the school, it was too hard to write about it at the same time. After I retired at age 70, I was interested in puting together the work we did with the primary focus on the stories of students themselves.” Leah earned a master’s degree in Creative Writing and says about
herself that she was “always a writer. I used some of those skills in the book. Working together, it took two to three years, together with the publishers. It was quite a process! Much more than the nine months of pregnancy,” she adds with a laugh. “We wanted to make sure that none of the anecdotes we included would offend anyone.” The Gottesmans would like to see all parents and educators read Not At Risk. Even today, they are convinced that “Meled really remains beyond the pale and that people don’t understand what was going on there. It was very important to get the word out.” So many of the kids who attended Meled – boys and girls everyone else gave up on – eventually became “the most amazing contributing members to their families and society.” Leah recalls being at the wedding of a former student when his mother turned to her and said, “Why didn’t you tell me way back then that they are going to turn out to be such menschen?” She believes that “all parents could be exposed to the book, which gives an understanding for families looking for solutions. Educators who feel free to say that this kid doesn’t fit into our school [should read this book]. So many educators can gain from recognizing that kids can be a little different and [learn to] validate them for who they are.”
Leah emphasizes that the book was somewhat intended for the administrators and principals in charge of Jewish schools, particularly the ones who have a narrow vision of who fits the mold for their schools. Although Meled’s therapeutic model has not been duplicated in any formal educational context, Menachem is confident that the techniques he developed at Meled “could be helpful for the growth and development of all students. I’d love to see it play out in a regular classroom in a regular yeshiva.” There are aspects of the Meled experience that “could be adapted to schools across the board,” he says. Gottesman established Meled as a student-centered school, rather than curriculum or school-centered. He believes that “existing systems are too rigid. There is too much emphasis on disciplining students. When someone doesn’t fulfill that expectation, they have bad feeling about themselves, which takes down their pride as a religious person. If their parents don’t admire what they’re doing, then they feel they are a disappointment to Hashem.” He advises that schools broaden the qualities that are held in esteem. “We need to really impart that sense of respect and dignity to each and every kid, no matter their scholastic achievements, so that all kids can feel proud [of themselves].” He points out that the religious community in general overemphasizes externality “and kids don’t like that.” There are also students who struggle with learning disabilities. Their frustration affects their self-image and they don’t feel worthy in the religious world. “The most important thing at Meled is that they feel they belong. The kids are really just testing us. They want to know if we’re real and if we believe in what we say we believe in. “Religion is one of the acts of defiance,” he observes. “It’s one way of creating independence. These kids are making statements about how they feel internally. Some of the kids used religion as a very strong playing card. “When you feel good about yourself, you can feel good about your
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family, your community and G-d. Meled’s job is to get them to feel good about themselves, restoring to them what they had inside.” He believes in the power of giving kids options and getting them involved in choosing what they will learn. “The whole strategy of Meled is related to, ‘The ball is in your court.’ Ultimately, every kid has to take responsibility. What is he going to do with that ball? It empowers him that, ultimately, he’s the master of his destiny.” Although many Jewish schools won’t enroll the so-called “problem kids,” Menachem feels strongly that “the problem does not define the kids. The problem is not his essence. He has value beyond the issues that he’s coping with. The problem is the problem – not the person. “Kids are labeled,” he adds. “Kids believe they are not worthy. If you recognize that every kid has worth, value, dignity, then the problem is something that can be managed.”
Asked how he could love even the really tough kids, Menachem responds, “Those you have to love the most. The tougher they are, the more they are hurting inside. The more violent they
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L
ooking back on 17 years of service, shepherding one of the most unique high schools in the Jewish world, Gottesman is especially proud of the more than 100
“If you recognize that every kid has worth, value, dignity, then the problem is something that can be managed.” are on the outside, the more buttery soft they are on the inside. Underneath it all is a totally different human being. The most violent kid the school ever had has now spoken against violence in 100 schools across Israel.”
weddings of former Meled students he and Leah have attended. Often, he is asked to give a bracha under the chuppah. Seeing his former students begin their lives anew under the wedding
canopy and start a new journey together with their new spouse is the ultimate proof that his vision for Meled has borne sweet fruit.
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Justice for
All By Susan Schwamm
TJH Speaks with Melinda Katz, Candidate for Queens District Attorney
Melinda, you’re cur rently Queens Borough President and have been an assemblywoman and a councilwoman. Now you’re running for Queens District Attorney in a crowded field. It’s another step in serving the people of Queens. I’ve been visiting all the areas of Queens – from top to bottom, left to right – during the campaign, just like I’ve been doing the last six years as borough president. I bring all the experience I’ve had in the New York City Council, the Assembly, and as a private attorney to the position. I’m looking forward to working as District Attorney of Queens. The reaction from residents has been overwhelming. People want a District Attorney they can trust, that they have faith in. Community groups and all the folks I’ve been working with for the past six years have been very supportive. You’ve received the endorsement of the Queens County Democratic Party and other major groups. But Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who seems to be a media darling, has supported another candidate. Well, I didn’t ask for her endorse-
ment. At end of the day, she has her candidate that she supports but we have elected officials, politicians, community leaders, civic leaders, unions, leaders from throughout the borough that have supported my candidacy, and I’m excited about that. There are seven people running in the primary, and I’ve received many endorsements from many local officials and leaders. Everyone seems to have a lot of faith in my leadership. Queens is very diverse. Yes – it’s the most diverse area on the planet. There are 190 countries represented and 200 languages spoken here. Forty-eight percent of the borough was born outside of the United States of America. People bring their families here – specifically to Queens – from all around the world to raise their kids. As borough president, how did you unite such a diverse community? As borough president, we have been in all the diverse communities around the borough. In Queens, we all work together – despite, or because of, our differences. When something happens to one of us, it happens to all of us. We’ve seen that several times – when we’ve
had tragedies happening all over the world, several times we’ve held vigils together here, we’ve supported each other’s countries. We don’t just make it work here in the borough – we thrive on our differences. I believe that our diversity is a gift to give to the rest of the U.S. with our many cultures, food, religions. Isn’t that what Queens is all about? We pray how we want to pray, we speak in our languages, we dress as we’d like. It has boded well for everyone. One of your platforms is enforcing hate crimes. Do you see a rise of hate crimes in the borough? There is clearly a rise in anti-Semitic hate crimes in the borough. With all the different religions and languages in the borough, we really need to protect people’s freedoms and the way they dress and speak. And so a strong hate crimes bureau in the District Attorney’s office in Queens is so important. It’s about protecting everything we value in the borough of Queens. It’s important to make sure that people understand that if they are going to come after someone or attack someone because of their ethnic background or religion, we are going to be on top of it and not tolerate it.
What other platforms or visions do you have for Queens as District Attorney? One thing that is on people’s minds a lot in the borough is gun violence. We need to make sure that the gun traffickers know that if they come through the borough, they will be a focus of my administration. But we also have to make sure we have programs to make sure our kids never want to pick up a gun. And that’s one of the partnerships with the District Attorney’s office that we really need here in the boroughs. We need to have partnerships with social organizations that actually deal in the communities, have credibility in our schools, neighborhoods, and housing areas, and are working with us to make sure folks don’t pick up a gun. I would like to make sure that they aren’t available and that we also don’t have the market for it, but we also need these organizations as well to help us in this endeavor. What can you do as District Attorney to prevent guns from being on the streets? We already partner with many Cure Violence groups throughout the borough and with those that are already in our communities who work as violence interrupters, who work in
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the drug rehab programs, who work in mental health programs, and who work in our schools. We’ve been working with them for years now to expand the work that they do in our communities. It’s also important to partner with law enforcement to make sure that, as guns to affect a family, there are social service programs to make sure that the family is worked with and that, especially if there is a young person involved, to make sure that they understand that there are other paths than the one they are taking. What should we as a country do about gun violence? From my perspective, the biggest problem is that it’s become the norm. You wake up in the morning and look at the news and see that three people were killed or 15 people were just killed in a mosque or at a synagogue. It’s become the norm and that’s terrible. We look forward to a time when we wake up in the morning and it won’t be the norm. A lot of neighborhoods have gone 100 day, 300 days without a shooting and that’s amazing and it’s because people are on the ground working as interrupters to ensure that the violence isn’t happening. That’s extraordinary, and it’s extremely important. The governor is working on a lot of legislation in Albany like bump stock legislation and legislation requiring more days to wait until you can acquire a gun, but we need to make sure that we keep trafficked guns out of our city. You can buy a gun over the counter in some states and we want to make sure to do everything we can to ensure that they don’t come into the borough. Do you feel that things have gotten worse since the stop and frisk policies have gone away? No, the stop and frisk policies are known not to work. What really works is gun buybacks, education, and making the traffickers know that we’re not going to put up with them anymore in the City of New York – those are really important way to stop gun violence. Let’s talk about your platform on marijuana in the borough. We’re not going to prosecute for marijuana – all the candidates share the same view on this. In Albany,
they’re either going to legalize it or decriminalize it, so that’s going to change in the state soon. The truth is that marijuana arrests are unproportionally with people of color. It’s one of those things that are not enforced equally throughout the City of New York and that’s one of the reasons why there’s a
direct access to women’s health care services that I passed in Albany; all the hard work I’ve done as borough president with many organizations throughout the borough like the JCCRP, Tomchei Shabbos, the Queens Jewish Community Council…we’ve all worked together in a really great way.
“You need someone you can trust and someone you can have faith in that they will get the job done right.” push to legalize it or decriminalize it. Now, keep in mind, decriminalizing it won’t include those like large dealers of large quantities or other issues or consequences that arise from marijuana. You have to realize that the vast proportion of arrests – especially in Queens County – are people of color. And that’s not an equitable distribution of justice.
We can all agree and disagree on many issues or policies in this race but at the end of the day, this office is about trust and about faith. There’s a lot of discretion that happens with the District Attorney but there’s a trust factor that needs to be there. It’s a
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trust factor that people have to have in you that you will make the borough safe. You can keep the borough safe while having criminal justice reforms – and a good District Attorney will be able to do it. The primary is on June 25. I urge all Queens residents who are registered Democrats to vote. Remember: this is a job where you cannot introduce yourself on day one to the community to be able to do your job effectively. On January 1, if people don’t know who the District Attorney is, if they don’t know if they will keep their promises, or if they are trustworthy, then it would be very difficult to be able to ensure the safety of the borough and to ensure that the rights of everyone in the borough are protected. You need someone you can trust and someone you can have faith in that they will get the job done right. The people of the borough of Queens know me from my many years working as borough president and councilwoman. They can trust me and have faith in me.
So, if someone is arrested while driving under the influence of marijuana… That’s a crime – you can’t drive under the influence of anything. Just like with alcohol. You can drink alcohol but you can’t drive under the influence of alcohol. Do you have any concern for children getting their hands on marijuana and becoming addicted to marijuana? I have lot of concerns and we’ll see what happens with the state, but right now, our young people have access to it and there’s no way to follow it or keep track of how and what and where and when they’re getting it. You’ve been working for the people for so long in many different positions. What are the highlights of your career so far? The laws I’ve passed regarding sexual abuse of children so that children can report abuses that took place when they were young now that they are adults. Also, the laws regarding
If the repairs to your vehicle cost 75% of the car’s total value, your insurance company MUST pay you the FULL value of your vehicle and NOT repair it. Don’t allow the insurance company to negotiate a lower-priced repair in order to save themselves money!
We work for you, not your insurance company. If your vehicle is involved in an accident, bring it to us FIRST to ensure that we negotiate fairly on your behalf and don’t repair a vehicle that should not be repaired.
Don’t gamble with your safety or risk your investment in your vehicle.
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Dating Dialogue
What Would You Do If… Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters
Dear Navidaters,
I am a 22-year-old Modern Orthodox woman who has been dating for a few years now. Based on reading this column for several years, it’s obvious to me that my lifestyle is different from many of the people who write in. There is a lot more interaction between men and women my age and we seem to be less reliant on shadchanim, as opposed to friends and social events for meeting people.
Anyway, I met Zac at a Shabbos meal several months ago hosted by my good friend. We started dating soon thereafter, and it’s been going pretty well. Though we are both taking things slow, it seems that we are headed in a serious direction. I respect Zac for many wonderful reasons, and my family also agrees that he is a terrific guy and very possibly the one for me. There is just one problem that troubles me. I don’t know how to address it with Zac and I don’t know whether I should consider it serious enough to stop dating him. Even though Zac is serious minded, ambitious, has his head on straight and thinks seriously about his future and proper values, he has a bunch of friends that I consider to be total losers! Some of them are just floundering, not serious at all about life. It’s bad enough that Zac wants to occasionally hang out with me and his friends, which I really despise doing, but I wonder how and why Zac would pick these guys as close friends. It makes me wonder what might be wrong with him. Mind you, they all seem to look up to him and maybe he enjoys feeling like the leader of the pack. And I’m not even sure he is at all influenced by their sometimes bad behavior. On the contrary – maybe Zac is a good influence on them. But besides not wanting to spend any time with them, it gets me wondering. What are your thoughts on this problem?
Disclaimer: This column is not intended to diagnose or otherwise conclude resolutions to any questions.
Our intention is not to offer any definitive
conclusions to any particular question, rather offer areas of exploration for the author and reader. Due to the nature of the column receiving only a short snapshot of an issue, without the benefit of an actual discussion, the panel’s role is to offer a range of possibilities. We hope to open up meaningful dialogue and individual exploration.
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The Panel The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S. t’s time to bring up the matter of Zac’s relationship with his friends. It’s foolish to stop dating him without dealing with these questions. Give him an opportunity to discuss what his friends mean to him. Let him talk, and then you can make some comments that will draw him out further on the subject. Ask about particular friends and discuss the origins of their friendship. You can turn the spotlight on yourself and discuss what friends do for you and what patterns you see. Airing your questions is the next part of this process. He will need to answer them but not in an interview format. He has to feel safe in order to be open and trusting. Part of deepening a relationship is creating a context where concerns can be aired safely and maturely. Work on it. You will also benefit. Thinking about the support from friends when we are down and in a bad place helps people analyze whether the person they are contemplating marriage with will be a good fit during the hard times. It’s easy to like a person during the dating period and find commonalities. But life brings tough stuff. Does Zac have what it takes to give you what you need when you are seriously challenged? Are you the type who needs empathy or encouragement? Are you the kind that wants ongoing deep meaningful conversations or little acts of thoughtfulness after the initial sharing of pain? Do you turn to friends with a great sense of humor when you need support? These comments address the general question you pose but there is more to it. Apparently you don’t know how to address your concerns to Zac and have turned to the dating panel for help. You need to work on communication skills in general. I don’t sense a deep connection between the two of you. You sound like you are judgmental and immature. It seems like you are giving him a demerit because
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of his friends and really want to pass on his worthiness as a spouse. You really need to think about dating for marriage in a different way. Also, ask yourself why you are labeling others as losers. Not everyone has it together in their low twenties. What labels might others give you? Get it together, girl, and get some guidance.
The Mother Sarah Schwartz Schreiber, P.A. n a perfect world, and the Mishna underscores this, one should surround himself with friends who inspire him to greatness. So what to make of fabulous, ambitious Zac and his motley crew of “total losers”? Are they a blight on his sterling persona? Are they a reflection of the bad boy he once was? Are they a reminder of why he must stay on the straight and narrow? Does he prefer being the big fish in the small pond rather than swim with the sharks? Whatever Zac’s motivation (and I’ll leave that to the therapist), I offer a word of caution. If you respect Zac and see a future in your relationship, do not disparage his friends. They are as integral to his persona as his wardrobe (and we know you’ve got your opinions on that). No matter how egregious their behaviors (or his neckties), criticizing the guys makes you appear judgmental and meanspirited; it may put Zac on the defensive and you back on the singles’ track. For now, keep mum. And take heart. In a recent survey (conducted among a group of several smart guys at work) most men will tell you that, since getting married, their social circle has changed dramatically. They no longer spend much time with their single buddies; when they do hang out with these purportedly aimless creatures, it’s without their wives. If you and Zac become a couple, rest assured, his unsavory friends will not be included in the package.
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The Shadchan Michelle Mond here are a myriad of reasons Zac might still hang out with his friends whom you consider losers. You mentioned a few potential reasons yourself. Additionally, they sound like they have been friends with him for years. It could be that Zac was once one of them, although he has since taken a turn for the better. Now he’s the mature one setting the stage for the group getting their act together. It is very difficult to leave close friends behind, even when one changes course. I do not think this is a cause for concern, especially since you describe Zac as a respectable, wonderful man with many good attributes. At this
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Does he prefer being the big fish in the small pond rather than swim with the sharks? point in your relationship, it would be completely appropriate for you to open up about this concern with him. Be open about your concerns regarding his friends and explain that this is the reason why you do not like to spend time with them. He might surprise you with a deeper reason why he still hangs out with them.
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The Single Tova Wein efore we talk about Zac, let’s talk a little about you. You seem to like Zac very much and have a great deal of faith in him, yet your tone about his circle of friends reeks of snobbiness and criticism.
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Why are you so harsh in your attitude? Does Zac’s behavior change when he is with his friends? Are his friends in any way inappropriate with you? Is there something more going on than the fact that you feel Zac is head and shoulders ahead of his friends in terms of development and maturity? That could very well be, but that doesn’t necessarily make them bad people.
Pulling It All Together The Navidaters Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists
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hank you for writing into our panel. I, too, have noticed there are far less Modern Orthodox people writing in, and I want to use this (if I may) as an opportunity to welcome and encourage our Modern Orthodox readership to participate! You raise an issue that a lot of men and women face when dating: feeling uncomfortable around the company he/she keeps. I am going to leave the phrase “total losers” aside for a moment because I’d like to learn more about Zac’s friends and what exactly they are doing, or not doing, that makes them so unappealing to you. Does the group smoke marijuana or drink regularly when they hang out? Sometimes “floundering” is code for drug or alcohol abuse. If this is what is driving their lack of motivation or altering their moods, personalities and behavior, then you have to think about whether or not this is a lifestyle you want for your boyfriend, and one day your husband. Are they crude or inappropriate when you are around? Do you feel unsafe or threatened in any way? If any of the aforementioned are at play, Zac should be protecting and shielding you from this, not exposing you to it as if this is something normal or acceptable. Speak with him ASAP about your discomfort. If none of this is the case, please proceed. Speaking negatively of Zac’s friends
will not bode well for you. It will put him in the unfair position of having t o defend them and himself to you. He will feel judged and eventually torn. If you approach this from a place of judgment, he may end his relationship with you. You aren’t the first person who hasn’t liked her boyfriend’s or husband’s friend group, and you won’t be the last. It happens. I couldn’t help but notice a twinge of judgment in your email. Is it possible that you have been harsh in your assessment of Zac’s friends? Playing devil’s advocate for a moment, is there a possibility that they are behaving like regular 22-year-old guys? If you are the first “serious” girlfriend amongst the pack, they may not know how to behave around you…yet. I can’t make this decision for you and I can’t tell you how to feel about Zac’s friends. I would encourage you to ask Zac about his relationships; become very interested. Ask him about where he met Moshe and tell him you want to know more about Jack’s sister’s job or to remind you of the funny story Gabriel told the other day. Get to know these relationships and what makes them stand the test of time. You may learn things that bother you…or you may learn things about Zac’s choice in
Your comfort in name-calling makes me very uncomfortable, and I worry that maybe you have to look closer at yourself because being judgmental and ready to call names will not bode well in marriage – whether it’s to Zac or someone else. Meanwhile, there’s nothing wrong with having a conversation with Zac about his choice of friends, regarding what they have in common, what holds them together, etc. You may discover some wonderful qualities that his friends possess. Or you may learn that Zac actually is aware of their
friends that bring you closer to him. Either way, you will have more information to make an informed decision. I think this comes down to whether or not you trust Zac. Do you trust him? Do you trust him enough to believe in his choice of friends? If he likes them, do you believe they must have redeemable qualities? The part of Zac that is attracted to this chevra is a part of Zac. Get to know that part. Do you like that part of Zac? That is the bigger and more important issue than whether or not you like these guys. You’ve got a good guy here. This is not a 30- or even 25-year-old man. He is 22 years young and sounds quite remarkable in his own right. Try to be patient, lose the judgment, and start getting really interested in those friendships! Part of a good relationship is showing interest in the people and things that interest your partner, even
Do you trust him enough to believe in his choice of friends? limitations at this point in their lives and is actually trying to guide them. Either way, take the time to “look under the hood,” and be prepared to discover some potential wonderful truths about Zac and his friends. And while you’re in the “discovery” mood, take a closer look at yourself.
when you’d rather be sleeping or watching paint dry. If you’d like, write back in a month or so and let us know how your conversation went and what you have learned about Zac’s friendships. Sincerely, 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. Jennifer is looking forward to teaching a psychology course at Touro College in the fall. 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.
Hi Readers! Receiving your enthusiastic emails wanting to participate in the Reader’s Respond section has been wonderful! Just a reminder about how Reader Response works. Email thenavidaters@gmail. com with the subject line “Reader Response.” We will then ask you, in the order we receive your email, if you would like to respond to the coming week’s email. If you would like to respond to an already printed Navidaters Panel, please submit your answer to the editor at editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com. You can also join us on our FB page @thenavidaters on Sunday evenings to post your response to the week’s column. Interacting with you has been a pleasure! Thank you for all of your feedback. Esther and Jennifer
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Dr. Deb
How Did It Come to This? By Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.
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hen you look at yourself and your own behavior, you just can’t understand how you got here. You’re a good person. You have a good heart. You wouldn’t want to hurt anybody. Yet…. • You’ve found yourself stooping way lower than you could have imagined, saying things that should not have come out of your mouth, or
• You discover levels of anger you didn’t think you’ve had in you, keeping you tossing at night without allowing you to get to sleep, or • You can’t believe you hit the (choose one: bottle, pills, shops, card tables) as much as you did just to get a little distraction. • You’ve started ignoring your partner, getting unexpectedly angry,
and you don’t know why. Even when they are not doing something terrible. And more…. How did this happen? You remember back to the beginning. Okay, things were a little rocky then too. Nothing in life is perfect, right? But there were such good times, such a fabulous connection. Now, you’re standing amidst the ruins of your relationship and wondering how this could be. And more important, you’re wondering if there is any chance in the world to patch things up. Your heart tells you that you want that chance more than anything, and your head tells you that it is impossible. Don’t listen to your head. Not just yet. Follow me for a bit and see why I say that. Let’s start with looking at why anyone would act the way you find yourself acting (see bullets above). Why wouldn’t you understand what your partner is asking for? Why wouldn’t you respond to what they think are clear requests? Let’s start right here. The answer is exquisitely simple: You – and they – don’t know how to handle the rough moments better. How would you know how to interpret and understand what someone wants if you never learned how? Was there someone in your life that understood you? Talked to you about your wants and needs? Helped you see a path forward to getting them? Taught you how to present yourself with authority without being obnoxious? No? I didn’t think so.
That’s the reason you didn’t know how. I don’t know how to play violin either. No one taught me. Well, the truth is someone tried to teach me piano. By banging my fingers on the keys when I hit them wrong. Made me really love piano. Even now, piano is not my favorite instrument. Which means that even if you did know very well how, there’s that block inside of you. It came from having your fingers banged too many times. Listen, I’m sure that teacher had the best of intentions. So did your parents. So did your partner’s parents. Good intentions aren’t enough. There’s a right way and a bad way to teach the complexities of communication and meeting others’ needs. And getting your own met, for that matter. Now, let’s complicate this a bit more. Sorry, but life is complicated. Different families have different ways of communicating, different beliefs about what is the right way and the wrong way to do so, and different ways of interpreting other people’s communications. That’s called the family’s culture. Yes, even families have their own culture. It’s composed of their belief in openness vs. secretiveness, giving vs. getting, tolerating vs. being intolerant, cleanliness vs. messiness, order vs. disorder, warmth vs. coolness. You get this? We could make this list very long, couldn’t we? Being a night person vs. a day person, eating homecooked vs. takeout, healthy foods vs. fun foods, and so on. These are the things people take for granted. Do you see that? But when you get married, you’ve got to
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start from ground zero because your partner comes from a different family culture where they take a whole bunch of different things for granted. Now, let’s complicate this even more. What about different ethnic cultures? When you’re crossing those barriers, you really need to be open to new things and new approaches to life. And so does your significant other. And just when you’re thinking, “I’ve got this! I understand my partner’s family culture!” your partner accuses you of stereotyping them! You missed the subtleties. And all of that is before we ever get to the word “dysfunctional” – a word that I do not like. So let’s use a nicer term, like, “uninformed.” When families are uninformed as to how to successfully raise children to navigate diversity and stay emotionally close – and very frankly, just being of the opposite sex is diversity! – then all you end up with is tears and confusion. So no wonder one of you took a weekend/week/month “off” to get
away from it all. They did the wrong thing out of a pressure that they simply could not cope with any more. And no wonder one of you exploded when you found that out. Or took
What needs to happen is not wallow in misery, self-blame, or other-blame. What needs to happen is recognize that marriage breakdowns – just because of all these differences that no
Different families have different ways of communicating, different beliefs about what is the right way and the wrong way to do so.
pills. Or hit the bottle. Or “just” went shopping. Sometimes when you have no clue what to do and the pressure has built to the maximum, you crack. Can we take a step back here?
one has identified or stated very clearly before – are normal. Yes, normal. But my telling you that they’re normal is only meant to get you to do one thing: refocus. Instead of being upset, angry at
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yourself and angry at your significant other, refocus on what you need to do right now. And what is apparent to me is that you need to focus on learning skills you just did not have – through no fault of your own. You need to learn to express what you need and want in a way that not only is clear to the listener but then they need to know how to handle that. And if they aren’t willing to work on it, then you need to learn how to – finally – become the magnet that attracts them back instead of repelling them because you’re miserable. Make sense? Most of all, you need to restore your self-love. Otherwise, where will the motivation come to be loving? Let’s talk about how to do this.
Dr. Deb Hirschhorn is a Marriage and Family Therapist. If you want help with your marriage, begin by signing up to watch her Masterclass at https://drdeb. com/myw-masterclass.
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Health & F tness
Slow and Steady Wins the Race By Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN
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hen introduced to people and asked what I do, the immediate response when they hear my profession is generally, “How can I lose weight quickly?” I’m not sure why people feel the need to lose weight quickly. Weight loss is complex and is not something that comes with a cheat sheet or has a quick fix for something that is multifaceted. Weight loss requires effort, patience, dedication, the proper mindset and should be gradual for a number of reasons. Proper weight loss is all about trading in old habits for newer, healthier ones. Relearning old habits and storing away years of routine will not happen overnight. It often requires small steps and changes in order to show progress and truly succeed. Rather than focusing solely on weight, consider the fact that you will be learning new skills that improve your overall health, whether it be food prepping, making healthier choices or adding in an exercise regimen to your daily routine. The number on the scale is not the main priority. Do not fall for any trap that promises rapid weight loss. The recommended goal for weight loss is 1-2lbs
per week. Weight loss of more than 1-2 pounds a week tends to be regained faster. Rapid weight loss techniques typically aren’t sustainable and put a lot of stress on the body. Even more, rapid weight loss is associated with an increased risk of gallstones. Aiming to lose 1-2 pounds a week is your safest option.
Do not cut out entire food groups. Many diets boast weight loss results by cutting out carbs, dairy, or protein. Our body requires each nutrient in adequate amounts. Eliminating an entire food group without a physician’s recommendation will cause you to miss out on key nutrients. Focus on an overall meal pattern rather than a
Proper weight loss is all about trading in old habits for newer, healthier ones.
Do not skip meals. Skipping meals can actually do more harm than good. Skipping meals can slow down one’s metabolism – meaning the body burns calories slower. Additionally, self-control is more challenging on an empty stomach. Sitting down to eat with an empty stomach will likely cause you to overeat.
specific diet. With that being said, stay away from detoxes and cleanses. These methods are lacking essential vitamins and nutrients that your body needs on a daily basis. Besides, your bodies come with natural detoxes; your liver and kidneys detox and cleanse your body in the best way possible.
Avoid any diet pills, diet shakes, or diet bars. True weight loss and good health is best achieved through regular foods at your local supermarket with proper guidance, planning, and a sound mindset. Include physical activity. Healthy eating habits together with an exercise regimen offer the best weight loss results and weight maintenance. Exercise is vital for overall good health as well. Don’t focus on the finish line. Take one day at a time and acknowledge your accomplishments and success. Keep moving in the right direction, and you will ultimately achieve your weight loss goals.
Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN, is a Master’s level Registered Dietitian and Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist. She graduated CUNY Brooklyn College receiving a Bachelor’s in Science and Master’s degree in Nutrition and Food Sciences. She is currently a dietitian at Boro Park Center and a private nutrition consultant located in Brooklyn and the Five Towns. She can be reached at CindyWeinberger1@gmail.com.
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Health & F tness
The Parent’s Primer for a Child-Friendly, Child-Safe Summer By Hylton I. Lightman, MD, DCH (SA), FAAP
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chool is winding down, and summer vacation is gearing up. This country’s valued tradition of the long summer break in this country from school – in South Africa, where I was raised, children’s summer vacation from school is less than 6 weeks – is necessary for the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of children. So, we are told. Most psychologists concur that children need time away from the regimentation of school. This does not mean time children are to be hefker or that summer time for growth is a fallow one. Far from it. In addition to having a break from school, camps and summer programs offer environments for other kids of learning. These include teamwork so kids learn that there is something greater than themselves. Kids learn resilience. You fall down or make a mistake: okay, so pick yourself up and move on. Kids learn to move out of their comfort zone and to make new (and, please G-d, healthy) decisions. Even children not yet in school can blossom over the summer when they play outdoors or on the beach. Think of a child who might be getting some physical therapy or occupational therapy and who goes up to the country for a couple of weeks. The formal therapy might go on hiatus. This will give the
child the opportunity to run around and play in a new environment. Oftentimes, the therapies received “gel” for the child and they can move on to the next stage of development. So summer is a great time but we cannot leave it just to chance. Parents play a key role here. We are obligated to structure our children’s environments for success during the summer months. Here is a look at several points that you, Mommy and Abba, can implement to assure a win-win this summer for your child.
The Well Visit Readers know that I believe in the well visit, that annual pilgrimage to the pediatrician once a child is past 3 years of age. No matter your child’s age (or anyone’s age, for that matter), the well visit is important. Honestly, your car requires an oil change every several thousand miles to stay healthy. The annual well visit is the minimum one should do for their children and themselves. Launch your children into summer fun knowing that they are healthy by making sure that each one has had a well visit within the last 11-12 months. The well visit deserves its own attention as each age demands that the pediatrician looks at the child
with a set of eyes appropriate to that point in development. I have written about this previously, and there will be more about it in detail in future articles. For the purposes of this article, these are the most important general points that you need to assure, in partnership with your child’s pediatrician, for your child. Overall physical development including height and weight – Is your child following his own curve? Has there been an unexpected weight gain or loss? Are you concerned that your child may be too short for his age? Too tall for his age? Is precocious puberty a possibility? Is puberty delayed? There are many points to review to assure optimal development. Speaking of physical development, this is the time that the pediatrician should examine the patient’s genitalia. In my practice, we have diagnosed testicular cancer (which was caught early and the person has moved on the lead a full married life, baruch Hashem) as well as non-malignant masses. You get the message! This is also an ideal time for you to communicate to your child the importance of his respecting his body. The bottom line: you want your child to have maximize physical activity this summer. Make sure they are physically up to it and can partic-
ipate to their heart’s content. Vaccines – Vaccines save lives. Period. I have written plenty about this and I’ve made no secret of the fact that my team and I say YES to vaccines. I have written about the flu, meningococcal, Tdap and HPV vaccines, the Meningococcal B vaccine, the recent measles outbreak, and more. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a robust website with information for the layman about vaccines as well as the recommended schedule of vaccines from birth into young adulthood (https:// www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/ hcp/imz/child-adolescent.html). Do you have a baby who is between the ages of 6-12 months and you will be in the Catskills or Poconos this summer? Perhaps your young baby will be in a group babysitting situation or you’ll be out-and-about with him during the summer. Then you must vaccinate your baby with the MMR vaccine. Jane R. Zucker MD, Assistant Health Commissioner for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOH), recently recommended this step as a means of protecting our little ones against the measles. Once the baby turns 12 months of age, he will receive another MMR vaccine, to
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be followed by another one at 4 years of age. I strongly recommend this step for all babies. It can save your baby’s life. Mental Health – The adolescent well visit has a number of surveys to be completed. The two most common ones are the 9-question survey for screening depression and the CRAFFT Screening Interview, a short clinical assessment tool designed to screen for substance-related risks and problems in adolescents. If either tool hints at or reveals any problems, then please, Imma and Abba, deal with them and get your child the appropriate helps and inform the camp accordingly. The more information the camp has, the better the staff can help your child. Camp forms – Each camp has its own set of health forms to be completed and submitted in a timely manner. Be honest, Imma and Abba, when completing the camp forms. For example, does your child have ADD or ADHD and functions more optimally with medication? Perhaps your child has allergies and needs to be with an epipen at all times. Inform the camp accordingly and make the necessary arrangements for the necessary medications together with explicit instructions for dispensing. This is not the time to be “embarrassed” or to think that this information will compromise shidduchim for your children. Please do not hold back on notifying the camp nurse about psychiatric or neurological medications. There are confidential boxes that can be checked, and the camp nurse will call you privately. Children’s physical, mental and/ or emotional selves are at stake here. If the camp staff encounters an emergency, then having the facts on hand will only help them to resolve it successfully and happily, without permanent harm or loss of life.
The Camp Environment Whether it’s overnight or day camp, a traveling camp or a NCSY program, your child will be changing clothes in close proximity to others. I hope and pray your children’s camps have guidelines for changing times and workflows. This should be included in a child protection policy
and code of conduct developed by the camp which the camp’s professional heads have communicated to all staff and trained accordingly. Further, if, G-d forbid, anything happens, what is the camp’s policy for addressing it? How is such a situation reported? How will the camp deal with a predator of any age? Rooms that are on camp grounds that are not required for camp activities should not be accessed. The rooms required for activities can be clearly seen and easily accessed. During camp activities, doors should be kept open. Preferably, camp staff should be working in pairs. This is an ideal time, when speaking with your child, to instill or re-instill in him a respect for his body as well as respecting his peers for their bodies. It’s also an appropriate time to discuss that no person should ever touch or examine his private parts unless it is a physician or other health care professional and only with a parent in the room. Sometimes, intuition can tell us when another person’s vibe is projecting something off kilter or that danger might be lurking. Encourage your child to listen to his “gut feeling” and keep away. Your child may want to discuss these feelings with a trusted staff member.
No Drugs, No Alcohol, No Anything It seems so obvious but it needs to be said. And it cannot be said enough. No drugs, no alcohol, no anything. Thankfully, camps have zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol and inappropriate touching (as discussed just before).
What is the camp’s protocol for addressing drug and/or alcohol use and inappropriate touching? I urge you to discuss this with your child in advance of camp so that he is prepared in case he encounters the “Heaven Forbid.” Some suggested language: “I love you very much and want only the best for you which means that you are safe at all times. It is possible that you may see people indulging in drugs and alcohol. I won’t be physically present but I hope and pray that you will exercise your free will to walk away and never touch the stuff. You are helping others by reporting it to the camp. Please know that I love you, and you can talk to me about anything.” Discuss the insidiousness of vaping and juuling as well, as they are detrimental to their long-term being.
Sun Safety Summertime equals sun time, and it’s crucial that our children (and all people) wear sunscreen in order to be protected from the sun’s harmful rays, no matter how wonderful sunning may feel in the moment. Sunscreen use can help prevent skin cancer which any person can get, regardless of age, gender, or race. Of course, the first and best line of defense is to cover up and to remain in the shade as much as possible during the hours between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Sunscreens should offer broad-spectrum protection, Sun Protection Factor (SPF) 30 and higher, and water resistance. Teach your children to apply, apply and apply, especially after swimming. Instruct counselors how they can help as well
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with younger children and applying. Sunscreens are also for cloudy days. Brimmed hats are also a good avenue for sun protection (black hat Borsalinos, not necessary) as are some of the contemporary swim cover-ups. Try to limit sun exposure midday when the sun is at its zenith. By the way, sun safety is not limited to the time period between Memorial Day and Labor Day. We should be vigilant about protecting ourselves against the sun and its harmful rays throughout the year. The Colette Coyne Melanoma Awareness Campaign foundation (http://ccmac.org) has practical, useful information, including how to do body checks. Colette’s tragic death at the age of 30 from melanoma spurred her mother to action to educate others so they would not suffer the same fate. Educate yourselves to help your children. Her story is on the website and is a moving tribute by a mother in pain who wishes to help others to save themselves and their children from the same fate.
Water Safety Summertime equals water – lots of water. Water is fun. It also means following the rules. Swim only where it is clearly marked and a lifeguard is on duty. This includes pools, lakes, and oceans. Hopefully, your child’s camp has a strong swim program. Investing in swimming lessons is a fabulous way to empower children. Speaking of water, a win-win summer entails encouraging your children to hydrate at every opportunity with water. Children are at greater risk for dehydrating because their bodies do not cool down as efficiently as adults. • Make sure your child has access to cool drinking water at all times. • Speak with them about scheduling hydration breaks. Before prolonged physical activity, a child should be well-hydrated. During the activity, periodic drinking should be enforced. For example, each 20 minutes, 5 oz. of cold tap water or a flavored sports drink for a child weighing 90 lbs. and 9 oz. for an adolescent weighing 130 lbs. This holds true even if the child does not feel thirsty. • Sugary drinks are not recommended as they can aggravate dehydration. Sorry kids, my own included.
OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home JUNE 20, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Swimming pools, both public and private, must be fenced off without easy access. There should be some kind of pool covering in private pools.
Ticks It is important to check for ticks. Often, they go unnoticed and they can cause harm. Prior to bathing, palpate your child’s scalp and head. Often, the tick can be felt as a bump and is not always seen when looking perfunctorily at the scalp. For prevention purposes, spray all clothes with insect repellent.
Helmets and Head Protection Playing sports is so important but playing smartly is the trick. Know the sport but know how to protect your head as well. A sports-related injury to the head is called a “concussion,” which can temporarily interfere with the way the brain works. Head injuries
take time to heal and require rest. Concussion symptoms can include headaches, dizziness, fatigue, irritability and difficulty with thinking skills, such as memory and atten-
functioning prior to any concussion. This can be put into your child’s medical record and be compared to mental functioning post-concussion.
Try to limit sun exposure midday when the sun is at its zenith.
tion. Post-concussion syndrome is a complex disorder of concussion symptoms that last longer than a normal recovery period. As always, prevention is best. Appropriate fitting headgear and other equipment is a must. It is also important to find out the camp’s protocol for an injury and informing a parent accordingly. There is also a routine annual pretest to assess baseline mental
Don’t Leave Your Child in the Car Alone It is so easy to forget that you have a beautiful child sleeping in the back seat. They are quiet and peaceful and in the craziness of our overprogrammed, hectic lives, it has happened that we forget they are there. My recent article on this has several interventions for preventing these tragedies. All are important to
combat this phenomenon, especially making sure that when you put your precious child in the back, put something you need there as well. In addition, you and your spouse must communicate about the day’s plans and how the schedule unfolds so you can help each other to remember. In addition, use technology, one example of which is the Elepho clip (https://amzn.to/2JxMkuK). There’s a lot of information here. We want each and every child to have a safe, productive summer. Please use this time to plan for it. Did you know that June is National Safety Month? 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.
The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | JUNE 13, 2019
M I LESTON E PORT R A I TS jacobovit
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CALL OR TEXT MIRIAM 347-572-8973
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In The K
tchen
Zaatar Silan Grilled Cutlets By Naomi Nachman
There is nothing like a quick and easy recipe to get dinner prepared quickly. This super-easy chicken dish is made from just three ingredients and will be a guaranteed hit with your family.
Ingredients 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or pargiyot 1/3 cup zaatar 1/3 cup silan (date honey) 1/3 cup olive oil
Preparation In a medium bowl, mix zaatar, silan and olive oil together. Add in the chicken breasts and coat chicken well. Marinate in the fridge for a few hours. Place the chicken on a non-stick grill pan on high heat and make sure the pan gets very hot. This will make nice grill marks on the food. Spray the pan with cooking spray and place chicken on the grill for a few minutes in each side until they are cooked through. Cook’s note: If you see they are getting too dark (even burning) place the chicken in a 9x13 pan and finish cooking them in the oven.
Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet.com or at (516) 295-9669.
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Notable Quotes “Say What?!”
Perspective: Twenty-five years ago, O.J. Simpson showed white Americans just how conditional their comfort with black athletes was. - Tweet by the Washington Post commemorating the OJ chase, when the former football player tried fleeing after killing his ex-wife and her friend
My family and I have moved on to what we call the “no negative zone.” We focus on the positives. - OJ Simpson telling the AP that he doesn’t discuss the double murder, which he was found civilly liable for, with his kids
In the World Cup the U.S national soccer team beat Thailand 13-0. People in Thailand were like, “How can you do this after we made your uniforms?!” Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions: 1) feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; 2) increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and 3) reduced professional efficacy. Burn-out refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life. - The World Health Organization’s newly released definition of “ burn-out” as a clinical medical condition
It’s no big drama. The symbol was to plant it together. - French President Emmanuel Macron, responding to news that the oak tree that he planted with President Trump last year died
When they evolve, we should embrace their evolution. - Former Democratic National Committee Donna Brazile responding to 2020 Democrat hopeful Joe Biden flip flopping on his abortion position after 40 years
It will be the worst move the Lakers ever did in their life and they will never win another championship. Guarantee it. - LaVar Ball on ESPN responding to the Lakers trading away his son, Lonzo
- Jimmy Fallon
It’s the worst thing to happen to a Thai soccer team that didn’t involve getting trapped in a cave. - Ibid.
You’re better off getting a job than breaking into other people’s houses. - Braydon Smith, 11, who fended off a home intruder with a machete, when asked by a reporter what message he has for the intruder, Jataveon Dashawn Hall, 19, who was apprehended after showing up at a hospital with a stab wound to his head
Can you imagine if I got a subpoena? If I got a subpoena for emails, if I deleted one email, like a love note to Melania, it’s the electric chair for Trump. - President Trump at a campaign rally decrying the double standard for establishment Democrats like Hillary Clinton and those like himself
MORE QUOTES
The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019
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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Hillary Clinton conspired with Russia. She had somebody that came out of Russia. They got information from Russia. Excuse me. Hillary Clinton was totally involved with it. That’s the one — if you talk about collusion with Russia take a look at Christopher Steele, all his contacts with Russia, which by the way she paid for, and turned out to be a phony deal, which everyone is now admitting. No, George, all I want is the truth. All I want is fairness. – Pres. Trump in a recent interview on ABC with George Stephanopoulos
On the one hand, the president makes nonstop outlandish claims in his recent @ABC interview about my campaign and Russia. On the other hand: Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen, Roger Stone, Michael Flynn, Rick Gates, George Papadopoulos, and the entire Mueller report. – Tweet by Hillary Clinton in response, failing to note that none of the individuals mentioned were indicted for any collusion with Russia and that the Mueller Report found no collusion with Russia
I don’t believe our current economic system actually works. Um, capitalism by design is extractive and in order to generate profit in a capitalist system, something has to be exploited, that’s land, labor or resources. And I think that we’re in late phase capitalism and we know it doesn’t work and we have to move into something new, and I believe in community ownership of land, labor, resources and distribution of those resources. And whatever that morphs into is I think what will serve community the best and I’m excited to usher it in by any means necessary. - Candi CdeBaca, age 29, who was elected last week to the Denver City Council, espousing communism, including Stalinist tactics to achieve it
I was scared just sometimes. I thought it was really fun. - Selah Schneiter, age 10, whose first name is rather ironic, after becoming the youngest person to climb Yosemite’s El Capitan which is 3,000 vertical feet of sheer granite once thought to be insurmountable
I have some Jewish friends, very good friends. They are not like the other Jews, that’s why they are my friends. - Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad at a forum at Britain’s Cambridge University resulting in laughter by the attendees. He was not admonished for his remarks
I thought it was pretty clean. They called a foul ... I wasn’t sure what happened and I just saw him grab his knee. You never know serious it is with him because he just walks through and plays through anything. The guy came back on the court like it was nothing with a torn ACL and shot his free throws. - Raptors’ Danny Green after he was involved in the play which caused Warriors’ superstar Clay Thompson to tear his ACL in game 6 of the NBA Finals
The rest of his guys, they were making sure that I didn’t take it the wrong way or feel too bad or guilty about it. It was a clean play. They were like, “We know you’re not dirty.” Draymond [Green], Iggy [Andre Iguodala] they were like, “Yeah, you went up for the ball. He just came down funny. It’s not your fault. Don’t even worry about it.” And I wanted to check on him at the foul line. He’s like, “I know you didn’t do it purposely.” - Ibid.
Yep. Voting against cost of living increases for members of Congress may sound nice, but doing so only increases pressure on them to keep dark money loopholes open. This makes campaign finance reform *harder.* ALL workers deserve cost of living increases, including minimum wage workers. – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Socialist/Dem-NY), who makes $174,000, virtue signaling while explaining why she voted to give herself a $4,500 pay raise
If we win the NBA championship, I will come with the Toronto Raptors to visit the Holy Land. - Toronto Raptors owner Larry Tenenbaum in April, long before his team was considered a topcontender to win the NBA Finals, which they did last week
I know it’s terrible but I’ve been coming here for 30 years. - A Baltimore Orioles fan, after he desperately beat out two kids to grab a foul ball last week
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Wait a minute. I did answer questions. I answered them in writing. George, you’re being a little wise guy, OK, which is, you know, typical for you. - Pres. Trump responding to ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos (former top aide to President Clinton) pestering him that he didn’t provide answers to Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller
Does your child’s father have warrants? Is he carrying around any drugs? Has he been committing any crimes? Want to give him a Father’s Day he’ll never forget? Call TPD and we’ll help your family make a memory that will last a lifetime. - Father’s Day tweet by the Topeka Kansas police department, which they deleted and apologized for the following day
There are certain things where it just takes a brass knuckle fight… Let’s start a real physical revolution if you’re talking about it. - Joe Biden in an interview with MSNBC’s Joy Reid
You know, I was complaining to her just last night – 169 projects and Kentucky got only five. - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) shrugging off questions about a recent Politico report on his wife, Transportation Department Secretary Elaine Chao, using her government powers to carry out special favors for her husband in McConnell’s home state of Kentucky
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Political Crossfire
Don’t Downplay Trump’s Role in the U.S.-Mexico Immigration Deal By Marc A. Thiessen
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resident Trump’s detractors are trying to play down the significance of the U.S.-Mexico immigration deal, saying it is largely comprised of actions that Mexico had already agreed to many months ago. Nice try. If Mexico had truly agreed to implement many of these measures in December, then why had they not been implemented six months later? As even Mexican officials acknowledge, it was Trump’s threat of tariffs that forced Mexico’s hand. In announcing the deal, a relieved Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said the “most important thing is that they didn’t apply tariffs and we didn’t experience an economic slowdown.” The fact is, Trump bucked Republicans on Capitol Hill and even many of his own advisers, and used the threat of tariffs to get Mexico to act – and it worked. The measures Mexico has promised to avoid those tariffs include the deployment of 6,000 national guard forces at Mexico’s largely unguarded border with Guatemala, which – according to Mexican negotiating documents – will be “the first time in recent history that Mexico has decided to take operational control of its southern border as a priority.” Mexico also agreed to carry out thousands more arrests of illegal migrants each week and to remove the caps it imposed on the number of
U.S. asylum seekers it would accept and hold inside Mexico. Until now, Mexico had been accepting a maximum of 300 people a day from the United States. Trump rightly said that was not good enough at a time when more than 4,600 migrants were apprehended crossing the border each day in May. Now there will be no limit, which means the United States can send back to Mexico most of the Central American families who cross the border to seek asylum. That
claim in the country where they first arrive. If Mexico were designated “a safe third country,” those crossing its southern border would have to seek asylum and settle there. That would push the Central American migrants’ problem from our southern border to Mexico’s southern border where it belongs. As Roger Noriega, a former U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States, pointed out during an interview for the American Enterprise Institute’s new podcast (which I
If members do not like the blunt instrument of tariffs, then they should give the president some alternatives.
will relieve the stress on our border agents, who have been overwhelmed by the unprecedented flow of families and unaccompanied minors – the vast majority of whom do not qualify for asylum. Ultimately, the Trump administration wants Central American migrants to have to seek asylum in Mexico rather than the United States. The United States and Canada have a “safe third country” agreement under which those seeking asylum must make their
co-host), it would also put the human smugglers out of business. If Mexico is designated a “safe third country,” Noriega says, “people will no longer be paying coyotes their life savings to get to the United States, because they are not going to pay that to get to Mexico.” Mexican officials convinced Trump to delay his demand for a “safe third country” agreement and give them 45 days to show that the other measures in the agreement will work. If they don’t, Foreign Minister Ebrard
understands that Mexico will either have to accept new asylum measures or face tariffs. “If we’re successful, the number of people waiting for asylum in Mexico will decrease,” he said. “If we fail, and if we don’t get the results, well, we’re not going to have solid arguments to propose a different path.” The president deserves credit for forcing a reluctant Mexican government to act. He was able to do so because the administration in Mexico City knew he was willing to pull the tariff trigger. It knew that Republicans on Capitol Hill would not overturn his action. And it knew that its country was vulnerable – because while tariffs would certainly have hurt the U.S. economy, they would devastate Mexico’s, which contracted in the first quarter of 2019. Everyone advised him not to do it, but Trump saw his leverage and he used it. If his critics in Congress had done their job by providing him with the emergency border funds he requested in May, and by fixing our asylum laws, he would not have been forced to do so. Mexico now has 90 days to show progress – and so does Congress. If members do not like the blunt instrument of tariffs, then they should give the president some alternatives. Otherwise, they will be unable to avoid blame if a trade war with Mexico ensues. (c) 2019, Washington Post Writers Group
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Political Crossfire
The Fate of Japan - And Everyone Else By Robert J. Samuelson
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f you want a peek at the future, try looking at Japan. It’s a sobering exercise. Here’s how economist Timothy Taylor, managing editor of the Journal of Economic Perspectives, describes the country’s outlook: “[Japan] is facing a situation of a declining population and workforce, and the share of the population that is elderly is on the rise. [This is] driving up government spending on pensions and health care, and together with attempts to stimulate its economy through government spending (much of it on infrastructure), Japan has run up an enormous government debt.” To put it bluntly (as I have argued before): Japan is slowly going out of business; its population is shrinking and it resists immigration. This cannot continue indefinitely. What is significant about Japan’s situation is that it’s shared, to a greater or lesser extent, by most of the world’s advanced countries. Birth rates are depressed; economies are expanding slowly, if at all; and debt burdens are high and often growing. You may recall, or not, that in the late 1980s, Japan was widely expected to overtake the United States as the world’s leading economy. Japanese firms also increasingly dominated old-line manufacturing industries (steel, autos) as well as new high-technologies (electronics).
What a difference a few decades make! Japan’s economy, though huge, remains the world’s third largest, behind the United States and China. But it is no longer the envy of the world. Many practices admired in the 1980s are less so today. The biggest problem is the nation’s aging. A new report on Japan from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) – quoted by Taylor and
decline by 8.2 million in the 2030s, the equivalent of losing Tokyo.” Naturally, there are spillovers. Based on present trends, the labor force will drop 25% by 2050, while the relationship between working-age Japanese (20-64) and the 65-and-over population shifts sharply. There are now two working-age Japanese for everyone 65 and over; by 2050, that ratio is projected to fall to 1.3 working-age Jap-
Whether Japan can find its way out of this box is uncertain.
posted on his useful blog, the Conversable Economist – reports this astounding fact: Half of Japanese children born in 2007 are expected to live to 107. Meanwhile, Japanese births have slumped. The total fertility rate – the number of children women are expected to have during their lifetimes – was only 1.4 in 2016, compared with an OECD average of 1.7. (A fertility rate of about 2.1 is needed for a population to replace itself.) Deaths have exceeded births since 2007, and the population is “expected to
anese for each elderly person. What this describes is an economic doomsday machine. The increasing number of older Japanese has already put enormous pressures on the government’s budget. Since 1991, public social spending – mainly for retirement pensions, health care and long-term care – has doubled as a share of gross domestic product, from 11% of GDP to 22% of GDP in 2018. The mounting deficit spending has in turn ballooned Japan’s government debt to 226% of GDP – “the
highest ever recorded in the OECD area” and roughly twice the U.S. level. But efforts to reduce the deficits by cutting spending or raising taxes risk squeezing the incomes of younger workers and discouraging them from having more children. Of course, Japan’s imbalanced population could be rectified through more immigration. But this has never been popular in a country with such a strong sense of its own identity. True, the number of foreign workers doubled from 700,000 in 2013 to 1.46 million in 2018. Still, that was only 2% of Japan’s labor force. The share of foreign residents was only 1.9% of Japan’s population in 2017, while the OECD average was 13%. The ultimate cures for Japan’s ills are obvious: women should have more children; people should work longer; economic growth should be accelerated. Despite some small improvements, all have been impossible to achieve. Whether Japan can find its way out of this box is uncertain. There are good reasons (politically) to do nothing and weak reasons (substantively) to do something. Many advanced countries, including the United States, face similar – though less severe – problems. “The rest of the world will be watching,” says the OECD. It may not like what it sees. (c) 2019, Washington Post Writers Group
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Political Crossfire
Is the Iran-U.S. Inderbox About to Ignite? By David Ignatius
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s Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran of “unprovoked attacks” near the Strait of Hormuz, video screens behind him showed thick black smoke billowing from the two tankers that were struck Thursday. It was the dramatic imagery that sometimes precedes armed conflict. Pompeo didn’t offer hard evidence, and Iran denied the attacks. The U.S. response in the escalating confrontation with Iran, for now, seems to be continued pressure short of war. “Our policy remains an economic and diplomatic effort to bring Iran back to the negotiating table,” Pompeo said. Thursday’s attacks were especially brazen because one of the targeted ships is Japanese-owned, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was in Tehran at the time carrying a message from President Trump. As Pompeo put it, Abe’s mission was “to ask the regime to de-escalate and enter into talks.” Abe was rebuffed in person by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and symbolically by the attack on the tanker. The bottom line is that Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign has collided head-on with Khamenei’s maximum resistance. Trump’s recent talk about Iran’s supposed eagerness for negotiations has been self-deluding, but so is any hope that Iran will quickly moderate its behavior. Met by American economic warfare, Iran’s hard-liners are doubling down with their own forms of deniable warfare, with mines, drones and proxy attacks. What are the internal dynamics of this escalating crisis and where
is it heading? Conversations with a half-dozen current and former senior U.S. officials and other experts produced some early assessments: • Iran is attacking partly because it has been badly hurt by U.S. economic sanctions. Tehran’s early approach of strategic patience, hoping to wait Trump out, “has bled into gradual escalation,” argues Behnam Taleblu of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “Iran is now willing
events, Trump has been dangling concessions and inviting negotiations. “We’re not looking for regime change. I want to make that clear. ... We’re looking for no nuclear weapons,” he said in Tokyo on May 27. “I’d much rather talk. ... The only thing is, we can’t let them have nuclear weapons,” he offered in London last week. And in Normandy, he declared: “I understand they want to talk and that’s fine, we’ll talk. One thing they can’t
“Iran is now willing to embrace the dynamic of risk” to escape the economic straitjacket.
to embrace the dynamic of risk” to escape the economic straitjacket. • Trump has a new opportunity to broaden international support for his Iran policy, after isolating the U.S. last year by abandoning the Iran nuclear agreement. Brian Hook, the State Department special envoy for Iran, has been coordinating efforts at the United Nations Security Council. At a private meeting Thursday morning, most members condemned the tanker strikes, a U.S. official said. This coalition-building will increase. • Trump’s hopes for a quick win were misplaced. At recent overseas
have is nuclear weapons.” Not exactly subtle as a diplomatic pitch. Also, not successful. • Hard-liners are more ascendant than ever in Tehran. Pompeo cited a steady escalation of attacks since early May on tankers, a Saudi oil pipeline, the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad and a Saudi airport. Potentially more dangerous are Iran’s moves to escape provisions of the 2015 nuclear agreement. Yukiya Amano, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, reported this week that Iran is increasing its production of enriched uranium, which
was capped under the pact. • Diplomatic feelers from Iran, which raised some hopes in Washington, lack support from the supreme leader’s camp. One such feint was this week’s release after four years in prison of Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese businessman who had been living in Washington. Two months ago, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif had proposed “serious dialogue” on a prisoner swap for Zakka. Sabotaging such diplomatic byplay may have been one goal of hard-liners in Thursday’s tanker attacks. The tableau of recent weeks has been striking. Trump has been a whirling dervish of diplomacy, almost pleading for Iran to come to the negotiating table and discuss a broader, longer-lasting deal that Trump could claim was an improvement over the one negotiated by his predecessor. Meanwhile, Khamenei has sat implacable, even as President Hasan Rouhani dangled hints Iran might be willing to talk. But as long as Khamenei is alive, his voice is decisive. And it couldn’t have been clearer Thursday, as he rejected Abe’s mediation: “I do not consider Trump, as a person, deserving to exchange messages with. We will not negotiate with the United States.” You could almost hear, in the supreme leader’s voice, an echo of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who said during the Iran hostage crisis, “America can’t do a d[ar]n thing against us.” That Iranian overconfidence is what makes this confrontation so dangerous. (c) 2019, Washington Post Writers Group
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Forgotten Her es
Wearing Two Uniforms By Avi Heiligman
Arnold Palmer served in the U.S. Coast Guard
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hile warfare dates back thousands of years, organized sports as we know it today have only been around since the mid-19th century. During the American Civil War (18611865) there are several accounts and sketches that document baseball being played while in uniform. Since that time, sports have played an integral part in many soldiers’ lives. Here are a few stories of soldiers-athletes that have worn more than one type of uniform. Several Civil War veterans played baseball after their time in the army. Some of them played professionally, including Private Oscar Bielaski. The Polish-American was born in Washington, D.C., and served with the 11th New York Cavalry Regiment. From 1872-1876 he played Major League Baseball as a right fielder for four teams including the Chicago White Stockings. Many players took off time from playing baseball to join the Union Army during the Civil War including a number of players on the Philadelphia Athletics. John Dickson “Dick” McBride was their star pitcher and signed up to serve as a private in Company A, 196th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment. In 1864, he was given permission to take a three-day furlough to pitch for local teams. In 1871 he became a player-manager for the Athletics and remained in that role until future Hall of Famer
Cap Anson took over the as the player-manager. In total, historians have enough evidence to conclude that 30 major league players and managers actually served during the Civil War. New Zealander Anthony Wilding is considered by some to have been the world’s first tennis superstar. The winner of four consecutive Wimbledon championships from 1910-1913, Wilding still holds the record of winning 23 titles in one year (1906). He was killed during World War I in the Battle of Aubers Ridge
about half. Between 1942 and 1945 the university did not have enough players to field a football team with all the athletes in the army. Tragically, most of the starting team and some backups were killed during the war. Only one regular from the 1941 squad, Bill Zupan, survived the war to come back and play in 1946. No other prewar college football team suffered that many war casualties. Famous players also served their country during wartime. Chuck Bednarik was one of the last players in
His missions were successful, including breaking up a local Italian mafia gang and ending their black market abilities in Naples, Italy.
in France in 1915. Canadian Robert Powell was another tennis champion who was killed during The Great War. Montana State University was a small college whose students mainly came from all corners of the state. Prewar enrollment was about 1,700. Many students were drafted, so by 1944 that numbered dwindled to
the NFL to play both offense and defense. During World War II, he was a waist gunner on a B-24 Liberator. He starred for the Eagles and was selected to the Hall of Fame in 1967. Any longtime reader of this column knows that a favorite historical figure of the author was both a catcher in the American League and a spy. However, Moe Berg nev-
er served in uniform and rejected medals and commendations for his wartime service during World War II. The U.S. spy agency, the OSS, did boast numerous athletes from all walks of life that had joined the American military. One of these was Jumping Joe Savoldi. Savoldi had been a running back for the Chicago Bears and a professional wrestler before being asked to become a spy. He served with the 2677 th Office of Strategic Services Regiment and went on several missions behind enemy lines. His missions were successful, including breaking up a local Italian mafia gang and ending their black market activities in Naples, Italy. Before he became one of the world’s best golfers, Arnold Palmer served in the Coast Guard from 1951-1954. He had been playing golf at Wake Forest when the death of a close friend made him rethink his future. Over the course of three years, he held several assignments, including becoming a photographer in the 9th Coast Guard District. Even while in the Coast Guard, Palmer continued to play golf and built a nine-hole course at the training center in Cape May, New Jersey. One of the more recent stories that made its way into news headlines is that of Pat Tillman. Former Arizona Cardinal Pat Tillman was killed in Afghanistan in 2004 while serving as a U.S. Ranger.
The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
Chuck Bednarik entered the Hall of Fame in 1967
In future articles we’ll delve into the military lives of superstar players including Jackie Robinson, Roger Staubach, Ted Williams, Rocky Marciano and Hank “Hebrew Hammer” Greenberg. Many athletes, unlike Hollywood personalities, went
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New Zealander Anthony Wilding
into the military with the goal of helping their country in any possible way and preferred to stay out of the spotlight. Stories like that of Anthony Wilding and Jumping Joe Savoldi may not have made the headlines like that of Pat Tillman.
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For some, though, it was the sense of belonging and for others they were there to serve their country. For many decades, athletes with military experience have been a source of pride to veterans and have encouraged others to follow in their
footsteps. Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comments and suggestions for future columns and can be reached at aviheiligman@gmail.com.
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Classifieds classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com • text 443-929-4003
SERVICES
SERVICES
Yoga & Licensed Massage Therapy Peaceful Presence Studio 436 Central Avenue, Cedarhurst Separate men/women Group/private sessions Gift Cards Available www. Peacefulpresence.com 516 -371 -3715
PROFESSIONAL PARTY DECORATOR. Will make kids birthday parties in your home or ours. Plus crafts available. Will work with most budgets. Please call for immediate bookings at (516) 725-6101 and leave detailed message.
Alternative Solutions Geriatric Care Management staff will assist you with: * Obtaining Medicaid and Pooled Income Trust * In-home Assessments, Individual and Family Counseling * Securing reliable home care assistance * Case and Care Management services Dr. S. Sasson, DSW, LCSW (718) 544- 0870 or (646) 284-6242 MOONBOUNCE FOR RENT $100/day Holds up to 500lbs. Perfect fun for ages 3-8 Call or text 516-220-0616 to reserve your date
GERBER MOVING FULL SERVICE MOVING Packing Moving Supplies Local Long Distance Licensed Insured 1000’S Of Happy Customers Call Shalom 347-276-7422 HAIR COURSE Learn how to wash & style hair & wigs Hair and wig cutting, wedding styling Private lessons or in a group Call Chaya 718-715-9009 SHALOM HANDYMAN Plumbing, heating, boiler, installation, sewer, locks, dryer vent cleaning and more… CALL 917-217-3676
HOUSES FOR SALE
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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
CAN’T AFFORD YOUR PROPERTY TAXES? MORTGAGE? Must sell for any reason? Call for FREE Consultation. Call now 212-470-3856 Cash buyers available! PRICE REDUCED: Sprawling 4BR, 4BA Exp-Ranch, Oversized Rooms, LR W/Fplc, Formal Dining Rm, Large Den, Master Suite, Full Finished Basement, Storage Room & Office, Deck, Fabulous Property…$1.078M Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com
OPEN HOUSE FOR LEGAL TWO IN LAWRENCE ON SUNDAY JUNE 23 FROM 12:00 TO 1:30 !! OWNER WILLING TO FINANCE!!! 286 LAWRENCE AVENUE LAWRENCE NY 11559 One of the kind TWO FAMILY house, large rooms, hardwood floors throughout, each floor has 3 tremendous bedrooms,4 bathrooms, master bedroom, 2 eating kitchens, 2 living rooms, 2 dining rooms, tons of closets, 3 car garage, CAC Walking distance to houses of worships, shoppings, transportation. Must see to appreciate!!! Call Alexandra at Realty connect usa at 1-516-784 0856 FOR SALE IN LONG BEACH Beachside Classic Tudor Newly Renovated 4 BR, 4 Baths, 2 FP, Bsmt, Deck, Garage, 6000 SF lot, $899K Beach West Realty 516-287-9735
FOR SALE $879,000 E DA R H U R S T BY OWNER CNEW YORK, NY 11516
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5 BEDROOM - 3 VERY LARGE ON MAIN FLOOR TWO ADDITIONAL IN BASEMENT
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FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE EMAIL HOMEINWOOD@YAHOO.COM OR CALL (718) 288-8434
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Classifieds HOUSES FOR SALE
COMMERCIAL RE
APT FOR RENT
FOR SALE IN WOODMERE Legal 3 Family on 100 x 100, Bsmt, 3 Car Garage, Brick Driveway, $849K Beach West Realty 516-287-9880
EAST ROCKAWAY: Retail Stores on Busy Corner, 1000SF& Up Available, Great High Visibility Location, For Lease… Call for More Details Broker (516) 792-6698
FAR ROCKAWAY 3 bedroom 1 bathroom apt for rent in New Floors, Freshly Painted, Granite Kitchen on New Haven (off Caffrey) Low price to rent immediately $1645/month +utilities email: Frrentalinfo@gmail.com
COMMERCIAL RE 207 LAWRENCE AVE (CORNER BAYVIEW) LOFT-style offices. Large newly Renovated. Individual AC. High ceilings. Parking. Across from LIRR. Post Office. 516-206-1100 mark@mbequitygroup.com 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 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
INWOOD 10,000 sq ft brick building. Offices and warehouse. High ceilings. Asking $16/foot. Owner: 516-206-1100 mark@mbequitygroup.com
CO-OP FOR SALE ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT IN A CO-OP IN KEW GARDENS, NY Recently renovated lobby & elevators. Front facing apt., fully carpeted. Live in super & doorman. Spacious, 2 wall A/C. Short walk to E & F trains, 2 blocks from LIRR train. Close to shopping, banks, restaurants and schools. $245,000.00 negotiable Please contact: Mirj07@aol.com
APT FOR RENT FAR ROCKAWAY Apt for rent in duplex on Hicksville. Main fl. 3 BDRM. 1.5 BATH. Large yard. $2300. Call 516-880-5599
HELP WANTED
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
SUMMER RENTALS DUE TO CANCELLATION 1 UNIT AVAILABLE S Fallsburg, Willow Woods B section Rent/sale, Beautiful, fully furnished duplex, porches, great condition. 3 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, upgraded. Call/Text 917-270-6032.
HELP WANTED GENERAL STUDIES TEACHER NEEDED FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR SEPT 2019. email: fivetownseducators@gmail.com
Established Company in the 5 Towns looking for a reliable, organized, detail orientated EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT to join our group. Must be proficient in basic computer programs. Please email resume to office5TNY@gmail.com
Due to continued growth, THE YESHIVA OF SOUTH SHORE is seeking ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS. Cert/Exp required. Please forward resume to monika@yoss.org DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT 5-Towns non-profit is seeking a Director of Development. Duties include planning and coordinating fundraising events, cultivate relationships with donors and Rabbinic and community leaders, disseminate positive PR, establish fundraising Board. E-mail resume to dirdevjob@gmail.com.
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The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019
Classifieds HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
YDE GIRLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SEEKING QUALIFIED & EXPERIENCED TEACHERS FOR: 2nd grade Judaic Studies 4th grade General Studies Middle School Math Part-time Literacy teacher Also hiring assistants and office staff. email resume to: egresumes@ydeschool.org
YESHIVA DARCHEI TORAH FAR ROCKAWAY, NY GENERAL STUDIES TEACHERS FOR GRADES 3 AND 4 Master’s in Education or currently enrolled in Master’s program preferable General Studies Assistants, Grades 1-3 Excellent opportunity for students pursuing a degree in education Email resume to abbkelman@gmail.com
YDE GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL SEEKS: IVRIT TEACHER ENGLISH TEACHER ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT email resume to: ghsresumes@ ydeschool.org YDE SEEKS GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS CONSULTANT email resume to: esaff@ydeschool.org SHEVACH HIGH SCHOOL SEEKS part time afternoon teachers in Computer Science, English, Common Core Algebra 2 and AP Psychology for the 2019-2020 school year. Master’s Degree required. Please email resume to office@ shevachhs.org OCEANSIDE MIKVAH SEEKING ATTENDANT: Responsibilities include cleaning/ upkeep of the mikvah, and supervising nightly visitations. Apartment and utilities included with stipend. Contact mikvah3397@gmail.com YESHIVA DARCHEI TORAH FAR ROCKAWAY, NY SEEKS 5TH GRADE GENERAL STUDIES TEACHER Afternoon hours, Excellent working environment and salary Please send resume to ataub@darchei.org EXECUTIVE SECRETARY- FULL TIME Nursing home in Far Rockaway seeking a talented individual to assist with multiple tasks including human resources, filing, keeping owners schedule and other assorted tasks. This individual must be highly motivated, organized, team player. Proficiency in computers a must. Good salary and benefits. Free Parking. Send resume to: jdp628@aol.com ASSISTANT TEACHERS FOR 2019-20 CAHAL CLASSES CAHAL, with smaller classes for children with learning challenges in our local yeshivas, is seeking part time or full time Assistant Teachers for Judaic Studies (AM) and/or General Studies (PM) for the 2019-20 school year. Send resume to shira@cahal.org or Fax 516-295-2899. Call 516-295-3666 for more information.
DUE TO EXPANSION, IVDU SCHOOL IN 5TOWNS, SEEKING F/T, NYS CERTIFIED, SPECIAL ED TEACHERS FOR THE 2019-2020 SCHOOL YEAR. Preschool or early elementary school experience and experience with special needs/special education preferred. Warm and supportive teaching environment, excellent salary and comprehensive benefits. Email resume and cover letter to seplowitzs@ou.org. THE IVDU SCHOOL OF LONG ISLAND, IS HIRING CLASSROOM ASSISTANTS AND PARAPROFESSIONALS FOR THE 2019-2020 SCHOOL YEAR. Enjoy a competitive salary, paid holidays and vacation, professional development, and excellent environment. Email resume to seplowitzs@ou.org THE IVDU SCHOOL OF LONG ISLAND IS HIRING A P/T BOARD CERTIFIED BEHAVIOR ANALYST (BCBA) for the 2019-2020 school year. Strong experience needed in the areas of behavior planning, social skills development, parent training and classroom consultation. Prior experience in special needs/ special education setting highly preferred. Enjoy a competitive salary, professional development, and excellent environment. Email resume, letter of introduction and references to seplowitzs@ou.org 1st Grade Teacher, Queens boys yeshiva. Exper, Masers Degree preferred. Competetive salary. MonThurs, 1:30-4:30. Email Resume riswia@aol.com. Call 917-742-8909 BAIS YAAKOV IN FAR ROCKAWAY seeking teachers and assistant teachers for the coming school year. Email resume to teachingpositions1@gmail.com
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Pre-Market Homes For Sale BAYSWATER
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4 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, Kitchen, DR/LR, Garage, Backyard BAYSWATER 3 story home, 7 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, Kosher Kitchen, Den, formal DR, Formal LR, Building size 3,800 sq ft, Lot side 100x112. Detached Garage, driveway. Asking $899K JERUSALEM Luxury large Apartment, 6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms. Asking $4.2 mil. INWOOD
3 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms Kosher Kitchen, Backyard, Driveway
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Classifieds HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
HIGH SCHOOL MATH TEACHER FOR SEPT 2019 for grades 9 - 11 grade girls. email currentjoboptions@gmail.com
YOUNG ISRAEL OF LONG BEACH is seeking a vibrant Young Couple (rebbe/morah types) to serve as Youth Directors. The candidate(s) would run youth groups on Shabbos and develop youth programming for all ages and seek to engage the young couples in the shul. Email cwakslak@att.net.
GIRLS JR. H.S. TEACHER, SEPT 2019, Math and/or Science . email currentjoboptions@gmail.com SPECIAL ED DIRECTOR Responsibility: Curriculum Designer Individual curriculum as needed Staff training Innovative, visionary Requirement: Masters Special Ed and Education Administration or SLP Backgroup Email Resume: specialedresume2018@gmail.com 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
HELP WANTED LOOKING FOR A ZECHUS? To host a small party in your home for a Mikvah organization as a Zechus for a loved one, Please call: 845-205-0910
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The Jewish Home | JUNE 20, 2019 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
Your
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Money
Risky Business By Allan Rolnick, CPA
T
urn on any television, any time of day or night, and you’re likely to see an insurance ad, or two, or a dozen. Flo is showing off her “name your price” tool, which sure looks like her company’s way of saying “you may not be able to afford all the insurance you need, but we’re happy to sell you whatever you can afford.” There’s the ubiquitous gecko, telling you his company sells insurance for your RV and motorcycle, too. And there’s Duncan, age 42, buying an incredible half-million dollars of term life insurance for just $27 per month. Of course, life insurance, homeowner’s insurance, and car insurance are just the tip of the insurance iceberg. Why do you think the tallest building in most cities has an insurance company’s name up top? Businesses and professionals buy all sorts of commercial coverages for their operations. Celebrities are infamous for oddball policies covering whatever makes them money – like Keith Richards insuring his hands for $1.6 million. Insurance companies can even buy reinsurance, which is insurance for insurance companies. Losing a tax audit may not sound as tragic as, say, Keith Richards los-
ing his hands. But the whole concept of “insurance” is about guaranteeing payment in the event of a specified loss. So, if Keith Richards can insure the hands that conjured up “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” out of an ordinary sixstring, shouldn’t we be able to buy insurance to cover unexpected losses to the IRS? It turns out the answer is yes…and there’s even more than one way to do it.
noncriminal penalties, and the cost of taking a case to court. (Typically, these arise out of mergers and acquisitions.) They can even buy extra coverage to “gross up” benefits to cover the new taxes companies owe when they collect on the insurance! Business owners can use something called an enterprise risk management program to insure risks that they’re currently covering out of their
Insurance companies can even buy reinsurance, which is insurance for insurance companies.
The most obvious way is to buy something cleverly marketed as “tax insurance.” And while you can’t just go online to save 15% or more on tax insurance with GEICO, it’s really not much tougher than that. High-end brokers sell coverage to reimburse bigger businesses for the cost of taxes,
own pockets. These typically include operational and strategic risks, like the cost of defending sexual harassment claims, cyber risks, and the loss of key suppliers or vendors. But you might also insure against the cost of defending an IRS audit. The cost of insuring the risk is deductible – and if
you have to collect, the cost of defending yourself is deductible, too! Finally, if you’re not sure the IRS will accept your tax treatment of a particular transaction, consider visiting a tax attorney for an opinion letter. Opinion letters aren’t “insurance,” per se. They can’t guarantee you’ll avoid actual tax. But in some circumstances, even if you wind up paying tax, the opinion letter can eliminate penalties you might have otherwise paid. In other cases, the attorney can essentially cover your extra costs out of their own malpractice insurance. Fortunately, most tax savings don’t call for any insurance at all. We help clients save taxes with a complete menu of court-tested, IRS-approved strategies. In fact, some of our most powerful strategies actually lower your risk of being audited. So leave the gecko at home, because he wouldn’t be any help at an audit anyway, and see if we can save you 15% or more on your income tax!
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.
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JUNE 20, 2019 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Life C ach
Wood That You Could? By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., MFT, CLC
W
ood – it just has to be wood. After all, that’s what was in. You just couldn’t be that person, you know, the one who didn’t have wood. It would be the quickest way for someone to notice your shortcomings, even without opening your front door. That is, as long as someone came around to your back. However, suddenly now, the joke is that some new material is in. And nobody cares if it’s wood anymore. In fact, wood looks passé, if you still have it. Old and rickety. Now it’s some amalgamation of materials that you see everywhere. It’s this green and white set. Suddenly “maintenance-free” is the hot swing set. Wood shmood. This new stuff looks cheaper and gets hotter but it’s what’s in. And that’s seems to be the true driving force. Swing sets are a big deal at certain turning points in your life: early parenthood, buying a house, becoming a grandparent. This is the stuff fun backyard experiences are made of. And this is the stuff statements about who you are, especially young homeowners, are made.
For the “new swing set buyers” everyone’s opinion plays a part in their purchase. But for the grandparent only what will make their kids happy for their kids is forefront on their minds. So, it’s less about the choice of set. Because that’s usually influenced by what everyone else is getting. But the heights and features – now that’s where the thought goes in!
mild concussion if you pop your head up, or turn you into a pretzel to get through. Didn’t the makers realize kids often want adults going up and down with them? It’s very flattering. They think we are svelte as anything, but we are simply not 2-feet-2-inches. They’ve got to come up with a better plan to hold their slides and swings together. Progress can’t feel like regress. Adults shouldn’t need to turn
Adults shouldn’t need to turn into some sort of caterpillar to join their kids on their outdoor equipment.
How many towers? How many infant swings? Rock wall? Ramp? Steps? Closed slide? Open slide? Long, short, curly slide? The list goes on. However, did anyone notice that these new sets have these crazy bars across every opening that can either strangle you going down, give you a
into some sort of caterpillar to join their kids on their outdoor equipment. True, the old wood sets may need painting and maintenance now and then, but it seems they were more generous in their spacing. Young parents may notice the falling apart condition and want it replaced. But no
little kid ever complained about it or how it looked. What they comment on is if an adult won’t go on it with them. They say, “Come up here with me,” “Come in the clubhouse with me.” They don’t see that you’re truly suffering to participate with them. While they are easily walking in and through almost every piece of equipment you are crawling and bending and slithering as best you can. I’ve even noticed lately, though, that with the new construction they sometimes need a warning to watch their heads. I guess one thing to do could be to resign yourself to fixing up that old wood set or else stay alert when you are buying new sets of the new phenomenon and see if you can minimize the head banging. Alternatively, be sure to invite a little friend over whenever your kid goes outside! Because, otherwise, you may need to be ready to navigate the most challenging obstacle course you’ve probably ever been confronted with just to see that gleam in a little child’s eyes! But isn’t that worth it? 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 | JUNE 20, 2019 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
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