Five Towns Jewish Home - 2-4-16

February 4 — Febuary 10, 2016

Distributed weekly in the Five Towns, Long Island, Queens & Brooklyn

Your Favorite Five Towns Family Newspaper

RABBI CHAIM YISROEL BELSKY zt”l Pages 9, 10, 11, 13 & 15

Around the

Community

A GIANT IN TORAH, HUMBLE IN SPIRIT

67

Assemblyman Kaminsky Announces Run to Replace Dean Skelos

64 Rabbi Tzvi Flaum Appointed Halachic Consultant for RNSP

pg

A Philosophical Perspective: The Home-School Relationship

Pesach Vacation Section

pg

Starts on Page 112

94

Page 109

PAGE 26

– See pages 3 & 31

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FEBRUARY 4, 2016 | The Jewish Home

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FEBRUARY 4, 2016 | The Jewish Home

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The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

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FEBRUARY 4, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Dear Readers,

A

brain is just a bit rusty: the odds of winning six coin tosses is just 1.6% percent.

That’s really very low chances. In fact, if Mr. Sanders would have won three of the six coin tosses, he would have won the Iowa caucus.

I was struck by the “luck” that Ms. Clinton has. But then I was struck at how she may view it as luck, but we believe and know that there is no such thing as luck with regards to anything.

In politics, it’s all about getting things done. Determining how to reach out to the most voters, shaking their hands, kissing their babies, listening to their woes – and then marching them to the voting booth with your face plastered in their minds so they’ll pull the right lever when it matters most.

But this week’s unexpected fortune is a small reminder that even when it’s so “clear” that outcomes are determined by our power, our wit, our determination and our drive, our role in this world is but a pittance in comparison to the role orchestrated by the One Above.

Because it’s all a matter of luck…if you want to call it that.

Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

s I was heading to sleep on Monday night I glanced online to see the results of the Iowa caucus.

But I didn’t go to sleep knowing who won.

Ted Cruz was the obvious winner on the Republican side, contrary to the bombastic predictions of Donald Trump. But on the Democrat side, it was literally neckand-neck between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Oh well, I thought, let me find out in the morning.

Morning came and I saw Hillary throwing her hands into the air in victory. And even though she shrilly announced her win, I am sure that her heart was beating fast as she made it to the podium. “Somebody sure loves me,” she must have admitted smugly. “Six coin tosses – and I won ‘em all.”

Iowa Democrat caucuses use coin tosses to decide a caucus vote that ends in a tie. Six caucuses were tied and six coin tosses were held. Clinton nabbed them all.

I learned probabilities way back in seventh grade – and no, I won’t tell you how long ago that was. What I do know is that the odds of winning six coin tosses is low – really low – and Google is great in this case to help determine the math since my

Yitzy Halpern PUBLISHER

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Weekly Weather | February 5 - February 11

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The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

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FEBRUARY 4, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

8

COMMUNITY Readers’ Poll Community Happenings

44 NEWS

72

Global

15

National

30

Odd-but-True Stories

40

ISRAEL Israel News

21

Tojo by Rafi Sackville

92

PEOPLE Rabbi Chaim Yisroel Belsky, zt”l: A Giant in Torah, Humble in Spirit Sailing the Seas, Part II by Avi Heiligman

84 120

PARSHA Rabbi Wein

74

The Shmuz

76

JEWISH THOUGHT The Shopping Cart Debate by Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz

78

A Lender Be by Eytan Kobre

80

PARENTING A Just Approach to Parenting by Rabbi Naphtali Hoff

83

A Philosophical Perspective: The Home-School Relationship by Rabbi Dani Staum, LMSW 94 JEWISH HISTORY Amulets, Accusations & Controversy: The Devastating Polemic Between Rabbi Yaakov Emden and Rabbi Yonason Eybeschutz, Part II

by Rabbi Pini Dunner 88 HEALTH & FITNESS The Facts about Zika by Hylton I. Lightman, MD, DCH, FAAP

93

Nutritious Habits for Kids by Aliza Beer, MS RD

98

Compartmentalization by Deb Hirschhorn, PhD

Dear Editor, This past Shabbat, Parshat B’Shalach, the Jewish community at the Satellite Camp at the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville observed a very special Shabbat. A Shabbat where the non-affiliated Jews were invited to not only participate in the Shabbat meals and attend tefilot, but to refrain from activities that are generally against the laws of Shabbat.

Life in a prison and even in a camp is limiting. Although we are fortunate at Otisville to have the ability to daven with a minyan, observe kashrut laws, observe Shabbat meals and tefilot as we are accustomed to, it is still prison.

The only connections all of us have to their families, friends and community is through email, telephone and television. As such, those 3 activities are a necessity and without them we can feel cut off. Those of us that are observant are used to Shabbat and its observances and can easily refrain from activates such as email, telephone and TV for one day. But ask those of us who are not observant to refrain from contact with their family, friends and community for 6 hours, let alone 25 hours, is a frightening thought. Yet, this past Shabbat that happened. More than 20 individuals who do not normally observe Shabbat refrained from activities which are deemed a desecration of Shabbat. They did not make use of email or phones, did not sit in front of the TVs with their headphones, did

not use the microwaves and did not do laundry. What did they do – they kept Shabbat!

The program started Friday night with Mincha and kabbalat Shabbat.

In addition to the customary songs and rituals, everything was explained.

From welcoming the three angels that accompany each Jew from the prayers at services to their Shabbat table, to dipping of the challah in salt, to why we eat chicken soup. Speeches were made by the local Chabadnick (who with G-d’s help is going home this week) – who put on tefillin with many of the campers (and officers) many for the first time, individuals who spoke about their continuing journey from being non-observant to observant to others who discussed the parsha.

The program culminated during seudah shlishit with a few words from the head of the Jewish community, reiterating that by just one Jew doing one extra mitzvah and keeping the Shabbat by refraining from activities that desecrate the Shabbat, we all will merit a great many yeshuot. He ended with a Chassidishe song that accentuates the joys of Shabbat that everyone stood and danced to.

This Shabbat program was a resounding success as judged by the comments of all the participants.

Many of the non-affiliated Jews commented that through this program they developed a new appreciation Continued on page 12

100

FOOD & LEISURE The Aussie Gourmet: Lachmagine

106

LIFESTYLES Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer 102 Mann, LCSW Getting Credit: Maximizing Israel Learning

by Chaim Homnick 122

96

Your Money

132

What’s in a Name? by Rivki Rosenwald, 134 Esq., CLC

HUMOR Centerfold Uncle Moishy Fun Page

72 124

POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes

108

Trump’s Cultivation of Chaos by Michael Gerson

116

The Three-Cornered Fight for the Soul of the GOP by Charles Krauthammer 118 CLASSIFIEDS

126

February 6 is Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day.

Have you ever eaten waffles and ice cream before noon?

62 % 25 % 13

% Yes

No

I wish

The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

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FEBRUARY 4, 2016 | The Jewish Home

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The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

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FEBRUARY 4, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Continued from 8

for Shabbat and a respect for its laws and customs. With this past Shabbat as a starting point they fully intend to continue their growth in Torah observance in general and Shabbat specifically, here at Otisville, but look forward to sharing their new values and spiritual discoveries with their families and communities.

But this experience did much more than kick start a spiritual awakening within a non-observant Jew. Even the observant Jews felt a renewal in their observance and appreciation of Shabbat by witnessing firsthand the joy for something that they often take for granted. A surprising outcome was the reaction of the non-Jewish campers to this special Shabbat. Even they saw a difference in observance and a renewed respect the Jewish campers had for this day and even pushed for its success. A few minutes before candle lighting and the start of Shabbat one of the Jewish campers was using a microwave to heat up food when one of his non-Jewish friends called out and told him he can’t use the microwave today - it’s Shabbos!

No one expects that after one Shabbat everyone will become observant.

But as a camper commented to one of

the organizers, “This past Shabbat was great; can we do it again next week?”

Perhaps what was accomplished this week at this camp can be a model for other institutions to help and encourage those looking for a more meaningful connection to their religion and its observance.

A Fellow Jew in Otisville Dear Editor, Many people have written of the thousands of boys and girls that went to camp on full scholarships. I was one of them. Had it not been for Ronnie Greenwald, I would’ve of been spending my summers on Clinton/Houston street in Alphabet city playing in open fire hydrants to cool off. We didn’t live in a house nor had an air conditioner.

Just an old metal fan circulating hot air in a small little room that my 3 sisters and I slept in. Since I was 8 years old, I was in camp Mogen Av and pretty much stayed there until I was maybe 20. I would count the days, minutes, and seconds leading up to camp.

Campers came from all over, wealthy and poor, and Ronnie instilled upon all the staff to treat us equal and fair. But Ronnie showed compassion and care to all campers on an individual basis too. With over 1,500 campers (probably more), I don’t know how he

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want them to worry about us.

Camp was strict in many ways but it was good for us. Ronnie cured our bad habits. He made us productive. He taught us how to persevere and keep trying. It was like boot camp, you had to obey the rules. We loved Camp Mogen Av and looked forward to coming back every year.

Ronnie taught us the golden rule – to treat every camper with respect, to be tolerant and accept their differences, and have the courage to do the right thing. Could you imagine putting a weak camper up in the ninth inning to bat when you are losing and there is two outs? It happened all the time. Many of us were upset and complained to the counselor but Ronnie was teaching us the bigger picture that every camper is good and equal. He taught us to be loyal and stand by your friends despite adversity.

Ronnie wanted to build character in each one of us. Hiking incorporated all facets of character: trustworthiness – to be honest and reliable, respect – be tolerant and accept all peoples, responsibility – do what we are supposed to do and respect authority, fairness – to play by the rules and listen to others, and caring – to be kind and express gratitude. He succeeded.

Ronnie is looking down and admiring

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managed this task but he did.

One time, I learned that my parents sent me a small food package but I knew that I wasn’t going to get it. I was very upset about this and started acting up. I knew that my folks worked hard at sending me this and paid postage. I didn’t want it to go to waste. Ronnie interceded and Rabbi Dovid Kaminetsky along with the division head Herby Hexter quietly gave me the food package. I was told gently that this was a one-time exception and explained to me the reason why food packages are not allowed in is because most of the kids are poor and it wouldn’t be fair to them. I understood.

I was one of them. Ronnie had that magic of how he spoke to each camper.

He was tough but fair.

From the first day of camp until the end, Ronnie taught us responsibility.

When the buses arrived on the campgrounds, we pulled the luggage off the buses and schlepped it uphill all the way to our bunks. Yes, we unpacked our own clothing and put them in our cubbies and made our own beds! Afterwards, before supper, it was mandatory for each camper to write postcards home that we arrived safely. In matter of fact, we had to write postcards once a week. Ronnie was teaching us to care for our parents’ feelings. He didn’t

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the thousands of campers whose lives have changed for the better simply because you cared.

I will never forget Ronnie’s words or lessons. How precious they still are.

I know you are gone but in my heart you’re everywhere. You made a difference in my life educating me what is right and wrong. You taught me Torah values. You showed me by example how to be happy and responsible and value the things most important in life – family, friends, and country. I will never ever forget you.

Izzy Root

impression that the ultimatum issued to Israel will extinguish the flames that are consuming your own house?

Think again. You must be desperate to blackmail Israel in order to gain favor from the butchers of the innocent. I can assure you that you were, are and always will remain an infidel until you convert or die, ultimatum or no ultimatum.

I would like to suggest that you wake up and open your eyes to see the light.

Sincerely, Joseph Ceder

Open Letter to the Honorable President of the French Republic: I’m an old-timer who remembers France from before World War II. I must say that history is not very kind in rating your performance as military power during that time. During the German occupation a large segment of your proud citizens were only too happy to romance the Nazis and find enough time to betray their Jewish neighbors.

I must not forget to honor and bow my head to the valiant members of the French resistance, the real heroes among a nation that, for the most part, are filled with hot air.

Now I will come to the point and the reason of this letter.

France is in a heap of trouble. It is obvious that your house is engulfed in flames that will surely burn the house to the ground. Your people are being attacked and the guests are rioting, demanding that you submit to their way of life, or else.

Since you have to feed and house the freeloading guests, your treasury is most likely pretty much depleted.

From what I can see, things are going from bad to worse. What used to be clean and peaceful cities have been turned into crime-infested garbage bins by ungrateful houseguests. In short, you are on a slippery slope into the sewers of the Middle Ages.

With all the problems at home, instead of putting out the flames and saving your own house, the idiots that inhabit your country and the geniuses in the highest positions in the land are fanning the flames in the Middle East, blaming Israel for protecting its citizens and eliminating the murdering imbeciles that crawl out of the caves with murder in their eyes and knives in their hands, or lurk in their cars to ram the innocent, or commit murder by other means.

Honorable Sir, are you under the

Dear Editor, Everything you wrote about Ronnie Greenwald was so true. The thing about him was that he was so normal. His greatness operated within the realm of normalcy. What I mean by that is, many times we read about great people who accomplished tremendous things because they were geniuses or extremely wealthy or dynamic speakers. But Rabbi Greenwald ran with the pack, as far as external G-d given gifts are concerned, but he was able to accomplish great things.

This week I decided that in his honor I would drive in a little bit more of a relaxed manner. Sounds silly but it’s not. Our children watch our every move and when we drive intensely, they sense it. So I was thinking, I want my kids to see me as relaxed behind the wheel – I don’t have to beat every yellow, or honk at the older woman in front of me who didn’t realize that the light has changed. It actually felt good.

I’m not trying to make this about driving, but my point is that as a regular person I don’t have to strive for greatness by swinging for the fences.

It’s small steps. I can start by taking a mundane part of my daily life and in a practical way making it a better experience for me and others.

For another person, they may decide to be more pleasant to a waiter; say good morning to the security guard; or be more patient on the supermarket line.

Once we train ourselves to be nicer and more pleasant (each person on their own level), I think the window opens a little wider and we may start having opportunities to do things that help our communities in even a larger way, as Rabbi Greenwald did.

May Rabbi Greenwald’s memory be blessed and may he continue to be an inspiration to all those who knew him and read about him.

Chani W. (Camp Sternberg, ‘89-‘94)

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The Week In News

Eichmann’s Court Papers Released

Newly released court documents reveal that the evil Adolf Eichmann, ym”sh, an architect of the Nazi Holocaust, protested his innocence till the very last minute.

The papers depict how the delusional Eichmann believed that the Israeli judges who oversaw his trial had “made a fundamental mistake in that they are not able to empathize with the time and situation in which I found myself during the war years.”

Supposedly Eichmann insisted to Israel’s then-President Yitzchak Ben-Zvi that he was simply following orders and therefore was not responsible for “the unspeakable horrors” of the Holocaust. Eichmann told BenZvi: “It is not true ... that I myself was a persecutor in the pursuit of the Jews ... but only ever acted ‘by order of.’”

Eichmann, who is responsible for playing a vital role in the 1940 Wannsee Conference at which the Nazis’ annihilation of European Jewry was planned, spoke in his appeal of the “unspeakable horrors which I witnessed.”

“I detest as the greatest of crimes the horrors which were perpetrated against the Jews and think it right that the initiators of these terrible deeds will stand trial before the law now and in the future,” he wrote.

However, he added: “I was not a responsible leader, and as such do not feel myself guilty.”

Eichmann was captured by Israeli

intelligence agents in 1960 in Argentina, where he was living as a fugitive, and smuggled to Israel, which put him on trial. Of course, as we know from history, his plea for clemency was rejected and he was given the death sentence. Eichmann was convicted in Jerusalem and hanged in 1962 in Ramle prison.

The papers were released in time for Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day when the country and world remembers the six million murdered Jews of World War II. Marking the publication of the hand-written documents, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said: “Not a moment of kindness was given to those who suffered Eichmann’s evil – for them this evil was never banal, it was painful, it was palpable. He murdered whole families and desecrated a nation. Evil had a face, a voice. And the judgement against this evil was just.”

Zika Virus Overwhelms Brazil

Brazil is the latest country to be plagued by the Zika virus. The Zika virus is a disease carried by mosquitoes that particularly affects the fetuses of unborn babies. There were several cases linking birth defects to the virus in Brazil recently. The symptoms are mild and include fever, aching joints, and conjunctivitis but many carry the virus without displaying any symptoms at all.

Brazil’s health ministry recently announced that there have been 3,893 suspected cases of microcephaly, a birth defect suspected to be related to Zika virus, since October.

In total, there have been 68 infant deaths reported so far, due to congenital malformation after delivery or during pregnancy.

Last Wednesday, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff acknowledged that the government is “losing the

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where the mosquitos breed and fumigating buildings to kill mosquitos.

To set an example, the government launched a campaign to fumigate public buildings. This required heavy funding and the president reassured the nation that she would not allow lack of funding to prevent any precautionary measures, although she did not detail where the budget would come from. The government is currently in a critical financial situation.

Many say that Brazil’s Armed Forces will be called upon, and 200,000 soldiers will help eliminate mosquito infestations across the country.

Last Thursday, the World Health Organization said the Zika virus could infect about 4 million people in the Americas, including 1.5 million in Brazil alone. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strongly suggests that pregnant women avoid Central America and South America, as well as some islands in the Caribbean, the regions where the virus has been found.

Corruption across the World

battle” against the mosquito-borne virus. However, she insisted that eventually Brazil will “win the war” against the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

“I’m not going to say we’re winning, but we will win this war,” Rousseff assured, according to O Estado de S. Paulo, Sao Paulo’s biggest publication. The press release followed a

conference call with governors from five Brazilian states that are highly affected by the increasing disease burden of Zika and other diseases transmitted by the mosquito.

Prior to the president’s statements, Brazilian health minister Marcelo Castro admitted that the country is “badly losing the battle against the mosquito.”

Rousseff scrambled, though, to explain the minister’s statements: “That’s not what he’s thinking nor what he said. What the minister said is that if we don’t all come together, and if the population does not participate, we will lose this war.”

The current strategy to combat the dangerous disease primarily revolves around cleaning up stagnant water

Unfortunately, corruption is a part of every society. The constant thirst for power in governments across the world seems to drive corruption to new heights.

Expectedly, North Korea was highlighted as the most corrupt country in the world on the 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index released Wednesday by Transparency International, a Berlin-based organization. The group analyzes public sector fraud and dishonesty across the globe. This is North Korea’s second year in the notorious top spot.

On the other side of the scale, for the second year running Denmark ranked as the least corrupt nation.

The index showed Denmark’s “high levels of press freedom; access to budget information so the public knows where money comes from and how it is spent; high levels of integrity among people in power; and judiciaries that don’t differentiate between

The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

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rich and poor, and that are truly independent from other parts of government.”

Despite recent political scandals plaguing all levels of government in the U.S., it surprisingly ranked 16th (out of 167), its highest standing since the conception of this survey in 1995.

According to the survey, not one single country is free of corruption, and 68% of nations have what Transparency International calls a “serious problem with corruption,” meaning the high-level abuse of power that benefits the few at the expense of the many is especially pronounced in more than two-thirds of countries worldwide.

The least corrupt countries in the world are: 1. Denmark 2. Finland 3. Sweden 4. New Zealand 5. Netherlands 6. Norway 7. Switzerland 8. Singapore 9. Canada 10. Germany On the other hand, these are the 10 most corrupt nations in the world: 1. North Korea/Somalia 2. Afghanistan 3. Sudan 4. South Sudan 5. Angola 6. Libya 7. Iraq 8. Venezuela 9. Guinea-Bissau 10. Haiti

were arrested on claims that they were Canadian spies. Subsequently, Julia was released on bail in February 2015, but Kevin has been detained since then. This week, China’s official news agency announced that the Canadian man has officially been indicted on accusations of spying for Canada and stealing Chinese state secrets. Their son, Simeon Garratt, a resident of Vancouver, has denied his parents were involved in espionage.

Garratt was indicted by prosecutors in Dandong city, near China’s border with North Korea, where the former Vancouver man and his wife ran a popular coffee shop and conducted Christian aid work. The Xinhua report says that during an investigation Chinese authorities found evidence that implicates Garratt in accepting tasks from “Canadian espionage agencies to gather intelligence in China.”

The accusations against the couple in August 2014 came just a week after Canada accused a China-sponsored hacker of infiltrating Canada’s National Research Council, the country’s top research and development organization. Many suspect it was a retaliation by the Chinese government.

Xinhua said the Garratt case will be tried at the Dandong Intermediate People’s Court.

FBI Launches FB Page to find Robert Levinson

Canadian Charged with Espionage in China

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Recently, the FBI launched a Facebook page in Persian to help locate Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who went missing in Iran nine years ago.

The site went live just a few weeks ago and is part of a larger effort to appeal directly to the Iranian public for information about Levinson’s disappearance and comes as the FBI continues its years-long search for him.

The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

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Levinson, now 67, disappeared from Iran’s Kish Island in March 2007. A 2013 Associated Press investigation revealed that he was working for the CIA on an unauthorized intelligence-gathering mission. The case drew headlines last month as Levinson was not part of the celebrated prisoner swap between the U.S. and Iran in which four other Americans were set free. Secretary of State John Kerry said at the time that officials did not know whether Levinson was still alive.

The FBI says it continues to investigate every lead and remains committed to finding Levinson and bringing him home. A $5 million reward for information leading to his whereabouts remains in effect.

The FBI has long had an English-language social media campaign aimed at encouraging tips and leads. But the new Facebook page, as well as a missing person poster and press release in Persian issued last year, represents the most concerted effort so far to reach Iranians in their native language. Additional pages are planned in the Arabic and Urdu languages.

Tehran has long denied arresting

or even acknowledging Levinson’s whereabouts. In 2010, Levinson’s family received a video offering proof of him being alive. In 2011, they received photos of him dressed in an orange jumpsuit.

Now, they just want him home.

Brazil Boasts Most Violent Cities

Brazil has the most violent cities in the world, according to a recent survey. Of the 50 most violent cities around the globe, 21 of them are located in Brazil. The most violent city

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in the world, though, is not located in Brazil, although it is in South America. Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, with the highest homicide rate worldwide, is the most violent city on the globe.

Last year’s most deadly city, San Pedro Sula of Honduras, is now in second place after its homicide rate dropped from 171.20 to 111.03.

Traveling? Bear in mind that a heavy majority of the most dangerous cities are located within Latin America – 41 of 50. Drug trafficking, gang wars, and political instability are blamed for the violence.

The list released by Mexico’s Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice was based on the number of homicides per 100,000 inhabitants and did not include cities embroiled in civil conflict or war.

“We make this ranking with the political objective of calling attention to the violence in the cities, particularly in Latin America, so that their governments are under pressure to improve their obligation to protect their citizens, to guarantee their right to public security,” said Citizens’ Council in the report.

Five cities in Mexico that were previously on the report were re-

moved this year – the nation with the most violent cities downgraded.

Americans shouldn’t feel too smug, though, when they look at their neighbors down south. Four cities on the list were from the United States. The nine cities outside of Latin America that were included on the list include: Cape Town, South Africa (#9); St Louis, Missouri (#15); Baltimore, Maryland (#19); Detroit, Michigan (#28); New Orleans, Louisiana (#32); Kingston, Jamaica (#33); Durban, South Africa (#41); Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa (#42); and Johannesburg, South Africa (#47).

Here are the ten most dangerous cities in the world. I’d say it’s better to just stay indoors: 1. Caracas, Venezuela 2. San Pedro Sula, Honduras 3. San Salvador, El Salvador 4. Acapulco, Mexico 5. Maturin, Venezuela 6. Distrito Central, Honduras 7. Valencia, Venezuela 8. Palmira, Colombia 9. Cape Town, South Africa 10. Cali, Colombia

The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

Palestinian Pop Songs Inciting Murder

On the main streets of East Jerusalem and the West Bank, businesses and cars are playing murderous pop songs that call for the killing of Israelis. Many of the tunes being played on Palestinian radio blatantly demand the murder of Israelis via stabbing, vehicular attacks and other brutal means.

According to a Palestinian news website, the songs “inspire the public toward resisting the occupation and standing in its face until achieving independence and freedom.” The catchy songs, it noted, “are characterized by mentioning the names of martyrs, praising their deeds, and challenging others to follow in the footsteps to be the next martyrs.”

On October 26, Raed Jaradat, a 22-year-old Palestinian, stabbed an Israeli soldier near the West Bank village of Beit Anun, leaving the soldier in serious condition. Jaradat, who was killed mid-attack, posted on Facebook just prior to the incident a clip of the popular “Lovers of Stabbing” song.

“Lovers of Stabbing” is by far the most famous of the songs associated with the current wave of violence — others have such titles as “Stab the Zionist,” “Fill the Bottle with Fire” and “Raise Your Weapons” — and in its many incarnations on YouTube has garnered over 5 million views.

The catchy song runs seven and a half minutes long and lists those killed carrying out attacks on Israelis, praising them as heroes “defending Al-Aqsa with their blood.”

These “heroes” include Fadi Aloon, who stabbed an Israeli teen outside Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate; Amjad al-Jundi, who stabbed a sol-

Top Cop Denies Bungling in Terrorist Tracking Case

After a January 1 shooting spree, terrorist Nashat Milhem was seen on a bus with blood on his shirt and a suspicious bag. Now Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich is playing defense and denying that police covered up information on the sighting, which cops failed to follow up on.

Milhem had opened fire at the Simta bar in central Tel Aviv, killing Alon Bakal and Shimon Ruimi.

He then stole a taxi and killed driver Amin Shaaban, who he feared would turn him in, before abandoning the vehicle. Shortly after that, two young sisters saw Milhem in a bloodstained sweatshirt board a bus in northern Tel Aviv. They warned the driver and then attempted to alert police, but were ignored despite the massive manhunt launched by security forces after the attack. Their employer called the police several times, and they all called again over the next few days, but were shrugged off.

After news got out that their tip was ignored, police insisted that although their hotlines were inundated by “thousands” of phone calls by tipsters in the hours after the attack, the girls’ report was given due attention.

“The calls were investigated in accordance with a range of variables taken into consideration,” the statement said. “The tip was investigated, and the bus driver as well as other relevant witnesses were questioned.”

The gunman was finally tracked down and confronted on January 8, a full week after the killings, and was killed when he fired on security forces who had come to arrest him. Shin Bet security service revealed the gunman was planning to carry out addi-

tional attacks before being killed in a shootout with security forces in his hometown of Arara.

U.S. and UK Still Spying on Israel

Another big secret has been unearthed in the huge amount of data that Edward Snowden leaked a few years ago. Under a program codenamed “Anarchist,” American and British agencies secretly tapped into live video feeds from Israeli drones and fighter jets. They used their video feeds to monitor military operations in Gaza, watch for a potential strike against Iran, and keep tabs on the drone technology Israel exports around the world.

Essentially, U.S. and British agen-

cies stole a bird’s-eye view from the drones. Anarchist operated from a Royal Air Force installation in the Troodos Mountains, near Mount Olympus, the highest point on Cyprus.

The documents highlight the conflicted relationship between the United States and Israel. The two nations are close counterterrorism partners.

They have a memorandum of understanding dating back to 2009 that allows Israel access to raw communications data collected by the NSA. Yet they are nonetheless constantly spying on each other. According to a Wall Street Journal article last month, although President Obama had pledged to stop spying on friendly heads of state, the White House made a special exception for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials.

Israel leads the world in drone exports, and capabilities Israel developed will soon be passed to other countries. Its companies aggressively market the potential attack capabilities of their aircraft. In September, India made arrangements to buy 10 armed Heron TPs. This month, Germany’s defense minister, Ursula Continued on page 24

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Closures in Ramallah Following Attack

nouncement, several foreigners and locals reported that they traveled to Ramallah for work on Monday without any problems.

“We heard the news last night, so everyone was surprised this morning when we found no extra checkpoints. People came into the office today from many places in the West Bank outside of Ramallah without any problems, as well as from Jerusalem. There was some heavy traffic last night, however,” one source told The Times of Israel.

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If you aren’t a resident of Ramallah, then don’t expect to be allowed entry into the West Bank city as of Monday. The IDF set up a blockade outside the area after Sunday’s shooting attack that left three soldiers wounded. The entry ban applied to foreigners and tourists as well, posing a problem for the many Palestinians, aid workers, and diplomats who commute to Ramallah for work on a daily basis.

A military spokeswoman announced, “In accordance with situation assessments following yesterday’s shooting attack in Beit El, security measures have been taken in the area and only residents of Ramallah are allowed to enter the city.”

On Sunday, Amjad Sakari, 35, a member of the Palestinian Authority security forces who worked as a guard for the attorney general’s office in Ramallah, opened fire at a checkpoint just outside the city near the West Bank Israeli settlement of Beit El, wounding three Israeli soldiers before being shot dead. The same checkpoint, regularly used by diplomats, journalists and humanitarian workers, was closed on Monday morning, as were other entrances in the area.

The spokeswoman said the prohibition would be lifted in accordance with security assessments.

Interestingly, despite the an-

The U.S Customs department has issued a reminder that all products that have been imported from the West Bank or Gaza Strip should not be labeled “Made in Israel.” The move seems to have been designed to highlight the United States’ opposition to Israel’s settlement policies. Sources in the Israeli Foreign Ministry have said that they are studying the recent U.S. notice.

The move came soon after U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro sharply criticized Israel’s West Bank settlement policy, alleging that Israel has two standards of law in the territory — one for Israelis and another for Palestinians. Shapiro’s remarks prompted a furious critique from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner said that the U.S.’s decision to reissue its labeling policy had been taken after complaints that some West Bank products had been mislabeled prior to U.S. import. “U.S. Customs and Border Protection reissued guidance on their marking requirements,” he remarked. “It in no way supersedes prior rulings or regulations.

“And nor does it impose additional requirements with respect to merchandise imported from the West Bank, Gaza Strip or Israel,” he added.

The U.S. Customs statement, visible on the agency’s website, restates the terms of 1995 and 1997 laws re-

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The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

quiring that goods from Gaza and the West Bank be labeled as such. “It is not acceptable to mark the aforementioned goods with the words ‘Israel,’ ‘Made in Israel,’ ‘Occupied Territories-Israel’ or any variation thereof,” the statement said.

Some Israelis living in the West Bank are known to label products for export as being from Israel, and the European Union recently acted to ban the practice. The U.S. reminder, unlike the EU guidelines, does not mention the Golan Heights, seized from Syria in the 1967 Six Day War and effectively annexed in 1981.

Shapiro later apologized for the timing of his remarks — which came a day after a Palestinian teenager killed a Jewish mother of six in the West Bank settlement of Otniel and on the day that a pregnant woman was stabbed in another Palestinian attack in the Tekoa settlement.

A Global Controversy

When they opened the store Typo, they couldn’t have imagined how apropos that name was.

Recently, the stationery chain in Australia made headlines when it erased the name of the Jewish state on a globe and replaced it with the word “Palestine.” According to the store Typo, the word Israel was not placed on the globe “purely because there wasn’t enough space to include the name.” Clearly, not only do they have trouble with facts, they apparently never learned enough math to know that the word “Palestine” contains more letters than the word “Israel.”

The globe with the funny geography was first spotted on January 21 on the store’s Facebook page and angry shoppers warned they’d take their hard earned dollars elsewhere if the globes weren’t corrected.

One customer directly asked why Typo was selling a globe “that has wiped Israel from the face of the earth.”

Initially, Typo justified that the globe was produced from “an official

map from an international body that has been approved for export,” but then quickly got the hint that that wouldn’t pass muster. Two hours later, Typo agreed to remove the globes and halt future production of the erroneous product.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, though, was brought to the fore with this incident. Anti-Israeli shoppers showered in complaints and threats of a boycott. When one reader wrote that he’s lost, a pro-Palestinian writer responded: “Could you be lost because you don’t know how to use a map. Use the correct one with Palestine and it will help!” while another spewed: “The road less traveled is one that DOESN’T bow down to Zionist sentiment.”

On Monday Typo tried to put an end to the matter, writing on Facebook that it will release new globes that include all countries.

Perhaps they should employ a spellchecker on their staff. Erasing Israel and including the nonexistent country of “Palestine” was in fact not the only typo on Typo’s globe; the map also labeled the Caspian Sea twice and misspelled Azerbaijan.

So much for education in the Land Down Under.

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The four institutions in the partnership are Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Tel Aviv University, and the Weizmann Institute of Science. Grants will also go to the schools to help them develop laboratories and compete for top scholars in

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The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

North America.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Zuckerman, the 78-year-old owner and publisher of the New York Daily News, said he got the idea for the scholarship at 5 a.m. one morning last summer, when he couldn’t sleep. He had been thinking about how he could give back to America, which he reached as a young immigrant from Canada. “I got started in this country with a few friends and virtually no family but was able to find acceptance, opportunity and success beyond anything I ever imagined,” he said in an interview. “This is one way to give back.”

Zuckerman said he seeks to help talented scientists with leadership skills pursue advanced research abroad in a program that is not unlike the Rhodes scholarships. It will bring together American and Israeli researchers, in the hope that the collaboration will lead to new discoveries. “This would be a collaboration of thought and discovery,” he said, predicting that the scholars’ leadership abilities would create a “multiplier effect” that would spread their influence in academia, government and business.

The program will give $100 mil-

lion in grants over the next 20 years, starting in the 2016-17 academic year. U.S. postdoctoral applicants must propose specific research projects with faculty members, and those with the most potential will be approved.

Research Looks at Olim’s Economic Prospects

The Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel is looking at the economic status of new olim. Researchers Gilad Brand and Eitan Regev have found that unless a couple are in the top 20 percent of income earners, or already have a significant

amount of money, a typical professional couple making aliya will likely never be able to save enough money for a down payment on an apartment.

To blame are Israel’s high cost of living, its low productivity and low salaries, and the skyrocketing price of apartments. “Basically the story nowadays in Israel is that wealth and assets have become more important than hard work,” Regev explained.

He added that compounding the financial pressure is the “desperation of not being able to see yourself on a probable path of getting ahead in life and saving money.”

Regev mostly blames the prices of housing for the rise of impoverished households. Prices have risen 6 percent a year since 2007 and it now costs 148 monthly salaries to buy a home here, compared with 76 in France and 66 in the U.S. Still, not everyone in Israel is suffering.

Regev points out that 70 percent of Israeli households already own one or more apartments. “If you bought a house when they were cheap, and even bought some houses for investment, then you are benefiting from the current situation. You have some poor student paying rent to you. But

27

if you’re a young couple that didn’t have a chance to accumulate those assets, then life can be very frustrating.”

The researchers are not without possible solutions to the problem. If they could enact reforms to the Israeli economy tomorrow, Brand says he would completely open Israel to imports and do away with regulations by the Standards Institution of Israel that block products with European standards. He would prop up small businesses, enabling them to compete with large businesses and bring down the prices of local products as well as compete for local workers and drive up their wages.

As for young people without assets who want to make aliyah, Regev and Brand advise them to think carefully. Professions that are prestigious abroad but may not allow you to be upwardly mobile in Israel include accountant, economist, psychologist and even a lawyer. “People should be aware of the challenges and come prepared,” said Regev. “If you have a profession in demand, such as a doctor or high-tech engineer, definitely you can make it here, but you need to have a plan.”

Kehillas Ahavas Yisroel Announces Two New Shiurim

Dirshu Mishna Berurah Yomi Monday-­‐‑Friday 6:45 AM Shacharis 7:00 AM

Hilchos Tefila Starts February 8

Gemara Topics B’iyun Sunday 9:15 AM (w/breakfast)

Wednesday Night Parsha Shiur Refreshments 8:15 -­‐‑ Shiur 8:30 All Shiurim Delivered by Rav Daniel G latstein, Mora D’asrah Kehillas Ahavas Yisroel 568 Peninsula Boulevard Cedarhurst

(Entrance to Kehillas Ahavas Yisroel is from the parking lot in rear)

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FEBRUARY 4, 2016 | The Jewish Home

A Look at Israel’s “Well-Being”

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has put out a new report on the well-being of many of the world’s nations. Israel scored high marks in several areas, particularly level of satisfaction with life in the country, health and acquiring education.

However, Israel is among the worstranked of all OECD countries regarding wages, housing, and air quality.

The organization explained that in order to measure the quality of life in any country, differences between different populations must be accounted for. Israel has a varied population and there are significant differences in quality of life between the Jewish and Arab populations, as well

as between different groups within those categories.

The Arab population clearly ranks lower in all categories, with more poverty, and less healthcare and education. Meanwhile, the charedi population in Israel suffers from high poverty and low participation in the job market and in education, but typically reports higher satisfaction with life, economic conditions, and housing and health situation.

The poverty rate among the Jewish population is roughly 25 percent before taxes and about 17 percent after taxes. When charedim are separated from the general population, figures show that 80 percent of the group is in poverty before taxes and 70 percent after taxes. Roughly 60 percent of Arabs live under the poverty line before taxes – about 55 percent after taxes.

The report on Israel’s social capital is mixed. Relatively high levels of trust were reported. But the public rates public corruption as common, which undermines the public’s faith in government.

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Poll: 25% Think Holocaust Could Happen Again

Twenty-five percent of the Jewish population believes another Holocaust could take place. When asked, almost a third of the world’s Jews agree that European Jews should move to Israel.

The numbers were found by the World Zionist Organization. “This new data is sad and surprising,” WZO Vice Chairman Yaakov Hagoel said.

“It is inconceivable that Jews, having a country of their own, still believe the Holocaust could happen again.”

He added, “I am not in the 25 percent that think another Holocaust may take place, but in the 75% who believe that so long as the State of Israel exists – and it will exist forever – there will not be another Holocaust. In my eyes, there was a Holocaust because we didn’t have a state.

Today this would not happen,” Hagel insisted.

Almost half the people surveyed (46%) said that they understand that Jews continue to live in European countries despite a rise in anti-Semitic sentiment and attacks for “economic, social and other reasons.” But 39% said the Jews of Europe should move to Israel in the face of rising violence against Jews abroad.

European Jews have endured a series of attacks in recent years, most notably in France, where a Marseille Jewish leader’s suggestion that Jews should not wear a yarmulke in public sparked an outcry and politicians have rushed to decry anti-Semitism.

“Stabbing Won’t Stop Me from Joining IDF” A 17-year-old American who recently made aliyah from Brooklyn has

said that being stabbed by an Arab teenager will not stop him from joining the Israeli Defense Force. “I was stabbed, but I’ll still enlist in the army and give it my all,” he pronounced.

“I’m not afraid of anything.”

The teen said that he and a friend were surrounded by dozens of Arab teenagers as they returned from the Kotel last Shabbos. The youths were taunting them, and two of them had knives drawn. “It seemed like they wanted to kill us,” he said. “I didn’t see them come at me, and I only realized I had been stabbed when I saw blood and them running away.”

His friend managed to escape and alert nearby police officers. The wounded boy was taken to Hadassah University Hospital on Mount Scopus for treatment for back wounds.

Security forces launched a manhunt for the assailants, and hours later police announced the detention of two 15-year-olds from East Jerusalem who matched the descriptions of the attackers.

This was the latest attack in a months-long wave of deadly Palestinian car-rammings, stabbings and shootings. It comes just three days after an Israeli man was seriously wounded in a stabbing attack in the West Bank.

Is Pollution to Blame for Low Birth Weight in Haifa?

The high levels of pollution in Haifa and its surrounding areas may be lowering the average weight and head circumference measurements of newborns. According to a large-scale study being carried out by University of Haifa, babies from the area may weigh twenty to thirty percent less than others.

The research points to three main areas with high rates of morbidity: Kiryat Haim, Kiryat Bialik, and southeast Kiryat Tivon and the Carmel range. The researchers found that frequency rates of lung cancer

The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

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FEBRUARY 4, 2016 | The Jewish Home

weight and with small head circumference is evidence that air pollution has not decreased as representatives of the Ministry of Environmental Protection claimed,” added Dr. Levin.

There is a large gap between cancer rates in children in the Haifa area and the rest of the country. Nearly one in five residents of Haifa aged 65-74 are stricken with cancer. The researchers stressed that these differences cannot be attributed to smoking as the smoking rate in the Haifa area is not higher than in the rest of the country, according to a survey by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics.

Cruz Cruises into First; Hillary Gets Lucky

and lymphoma in those areas is up to five times the national average. Wind directions were also detected and researchers believe that volatile organic compounds carried from the factory chimneys of industrial areas are responsible for the exceptional rate of morbidity.

The study is being carried out by

a group of 20 researchers led by representatives of the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Environment. Dr. Hagai Levin, head of the health and environment discipline at the School of Public Health at the Hebrew University, said that “even in the short term, low birth weight is a risk factor for death soon after birth and prena-

tal complications and even until old age, with diabetes and hypertension.

There are also respiratory problems like asthma and cognitive problems such as decreased IQ.” “The data on which this study is based on are from 2012 to the present. In other words, the fact that recently babies were born with low

Trump’s promise that under his leadership America would win so much that “you will get tired of winning,” didn’t exactly pan out in the Iowa caucus this week. Although polls had him several points ahead in the days leading up to the caucus, Ted Cruz cruised to a comfortable first place victory, taking close to 28% of the votes. Trump came in second place, with approximately 24% of the vote, though, his second place finish was weighed down by a surprising strong finish by Marco Rubio, who, with his 23%, nipped at Trump’s heels.

Neurosurgeon Ted Carson garnered close to 10% of the votes. The rest of the candidates all received less than 5% of the vote each.

Unlike Gov. Michael Huckabee,

The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

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FEBRUARY 4, 2016 | The Jewish Home

who immediately dropped out of the race after his abysmally performance in the Iowa caucus, the other under-performing Republican candidates gave no indication that they will follow suit. Jeb Bush, who has been unable to escape the “low energy” label cloaked on him by Mr. Trump, only garnered 2.8% of the vote, despite having spent $14.9 million in Iowa, which means that the former frontrunner spent $2,884 per Iowa vote. As of now, though, it is onto New Hampshire for Bush and the others.

Rubio, who is seen as the only viable “Republican establishment” candidate, treated his third place finish as an all-out victory. “So this is the moment they said would never happen...

They told me we have no chance,” declared Rubio with a big grin in his “victory” speech which echoed a similar speech by another candidate who did surprisingly well in the 2008 Democrat Iowa caucus, Barack Obama. “They said this day would never come... They said our sights were set too high,” declared the first term senator from Illinois in 2008 after a surprise win in the Iowa caucus.

Although the disappointment of Monday’s results was evident on Trump’s face, he was gracious in defeat. In un-Trump fashion he said that he was honored to finish in second place in Iowa, before he turned his attention to the next races and declared, “We love New Hampshire. We love South Carolina.”

Despite the surprises on the Republican side, the real drama played out on the Democrat side which turned out to be a virtual tie with Hillary Clinton taking 49.9% of the vote and Bernie Sanders taking 49.6%, according to initial calculations. So close was that race that in six precincts the winner was decided by a

coin toss – as mandated by official state rules – when caucus-goers were at an impasse and unable to agree whether Clinton or Sanders should be deemed the winner of that caucus.

What Hillary lacks in campaign skill – she started the campaign with a 50 point lead against her elderly socialist opponent – she makes up for in luck: she won each of the six coin tosses. The odds of winning six of six coin tosses is 1.56 percent.

Even before the race was called for Hillary, she rushed to the stage to declare victory. In Clintonian fashion she declared, “I’m breathing a big sigh of relief,” even though the results were still unofficial.

Perhaps sticking with their theme of being positive, the Sanders campaign shut down the live feed into their gathering when the crowd which was watching Clinton’s speech on big screens began chanting, “You’re a liar.”

Now it is on to New Hampshire in an election season which is just getting started. And, as the political saying goes, “What Iowa gives, New Hampshire takes back.”

Eat More, Lose More

Want to lose a couple of pounds?

Eat more! Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, it’ll work if you’re going to be munching on grapes – so put those chips down.

Researchers at Harvard University concluded that increasing daily intake of fruit can actually prevent weight gain, even when eating the same amount of calories. Scientists explain that flavonoids, naturally occurring compounds which occur in fruits and vegetables, have been linked to weight loss.

In order to determine which specific flavonoids were most effective, researchers closely monitored nearly 125,000 people between 27 and 65 over a span of 25 years. They consistently tracked their diet, lifestyle hab-

The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

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FEBRUARY 4, 2016 | The Jewish Home

potential consequences. Losing even small amounts of weight can improve health.”

There are overall health benefits of losing or avoiding even minor amounts of weight gain. According to medical research, it can reduce the risk of diabetes, cancer, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

As expected, this research was met with some criticism. British experts say the conclusion may be skewed by the obvious fact that people who eat more fruit are generally healthier and more educated. Naveed Sattar, professor of metabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow, said, “Consider the type of person who would eats lots of colorful fruit – you can imagine they may be more health conscious, better educated, etc. and lead healthy lifestyles in general. All this study says is that folk who tend to eat more fruit or vegetables tend to put on less weight but whether it’s the foods they choose or their other behaviors, or both, that account for less weight, one cannot tell from this work. … It’s the foods one chooses in broad concepts that matters – less fat, sugar, salt and more fiber, rather than magical nutrients.”

Despite the recommended daily dose of four to five servings of fruit each day, the average adult consumes less than one cup of fruits and less than two cups of vegetables daily.

Time to break out the blueberries.

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its, and weight.

The final figures strongly suggested that increasing levels of anthocyanins, flavonoid polymers and flavonols – which are found mainly in blueberries, strawberries, apples, pears and oranges – had the greatest overall impact. Tea and onions were also beneficial. According to the research, each additional portion of

these fruits a day decreased weight by a quarter of a pound over four years.

Meaning, if one would religiously stick to a five-a-day regimen they could potentially lose 1.2 lbs. over the same time period – and that’s without the weight gain that is supposedly prevented. The study adjusted for a range of dietary and lifestyle factors that may have influenced the results,

such as smoking status and physical activity. Results were consistent across men and women and different ages.

Monica Bertoia of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health commented, “These data may help to refine previous dietary recommendations for the prevention of obesity and its

Samy Mohamed Hamzeh, 23, seemed like an ordinary yuppie American citizen living in Milwaukee until he was arrested last week for unlawfully possessing a machine gun and receiving and possessing firearms not registered to him. According to federal prosecutors, he planned to attack a Masonic temple and also hoped to travel to the Mid-

l dle East and kill Israelis.

According to the affidavit, agents received a tip off in September that Hamzeh had plans to travel to Israel in October in order to attack Israeli soldiers and citizens in the West Bank. However, he abandoned those plans because of “family, financial and logistic reasons.” Instead he began plotting a domestic attack.

The FBI recorded conversations between Hamzeh and two federal informants discussing the planned attack on a Masonic temple in Milwaukee. Court documents revealed that the suspect and the two informants went to a gun range on January 19 and practiced with a pistol. That excursion was followed by a tour of the targeted temple.

Masons are affiliates of a fraternal organization that carries out and organizes a variety of activities, including charity work. Wisconsin has nearly 11,000 Masons in 180 lodges, according to Frank Struble, grandmaster of Free and Accepted Masons in Wisconsin. The group is specific in defining itself as an organization and not a religion.

Hamzeh told his supposed accomplices that he needed two more machine guns – they already possessed one – and silencers. They intended to have one person stationed by the entrance to the temple and the other two to carry out the violence by walking through the building. They then planned to walk away from the scene and act as if nothing happened.

The following Monday the group met up and two undercover FBI agents presented the suspect with two automatic machine guns and a silencer, as he had requested. He paid them in cash and stowed them in the trunk of his car. The agents then proceeded to arrest him and recovered the weapons at the scene.

“I am telling you, if this hit is executed, it will be known all over the world ... all the Mujahedeen will be talking and they will be proud of us,” Hamzeh bragged before he was arrested.

Hamzeh added that he dreamed to kill 30 people, “because these 30 will terrify the world.”

Recently, Hamzeh had been fired from his job at a downtown Milwaukee gym. Delia Luna, owner of the9Round Kickbox Fitness, said that as a trainer Hamzeh was “very intense, very militant. He didn’t mix well.”

The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

Orthodontist is Best Job in the U.S.

cElEBRatING tHE coMPlEtIoN oF ouR caMPuS

Inaugura ing Our New S uden Residence

Some people stay true to their young career goals and become firefighters and astronauts, but the majority of us end up pursuing careers that fit our lifestyles, are accessible, and of course bring home the dough.

However, the best jobs in the U.S. are constantly changing due to rapidly evolving technology and the economy. For this year, according to the U.S. News Best Jobs rankings, the best overall job is an orthodontist.

To gather the data, researchers considered salary, the number of expected openings, advancement opportunities, and career fulfillment.

Professions are ranked based on a calculated overall score, which combines several components into a single weighted average score between 0 and 5. The seven scored components included in that average score were Median Salary (30 percent), Employment Rate (20 percent), 10-Year Growth Volume (15 percent), 10-Year Growth Percentage (15 percent), Job Prospects (10 percent), Stress Level (5 percent) and Work-Life Balance (5 percent).

Even with all the healthcare reform complaints by doctors and hospital staff, nine out of ten of the top ten careers in the United States are in the field of medicine.

The overall top ten best jobs in the nation are: 1. Orthodontist 2. Dentist 3. Computer systems analyst 4. Nurse anesthetist 5. Physician’s assistant 6. Nurse practitioner 7. Psychiatrist 8. Pediatrician 9. Anesthesiologist 10. OB/GYN (Tied) 10. Oral maxillofacial surgeon (Tied) Some other careers you may have been wondering about… Accountant ranks number 24 after occupational therapist at number 23, speech-lan-

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guage pathologist ranks at 28, and financial advisor at number 31. As for some jobs that you may not have been wondering about…a cartographer, a person who creates maps, ranks at number 21, statistician at number 17, and massage therapist at 50.

America’s Declining Economic Freedom

While many immigrants come to the U.S. in pursuit of religious freedom, many Americans are questioning the country’s economic freedom.

According to the 2016 Index of Economic Freedom, an annual publication by The Heritage Foundation, America’s economic freedom has plummeted. With losses of economic freedom in eight of the past

nine years, the U.S. has tied its worst score ever, obliterating a decade of improvements. Economists blame the declining score on government spending, subsidies, and bailouts.

When President Barack Obama was sworn into office in 2009, the U.S. was ranked the 6th freest economy in the world. It is now in 11th place. Since then, government spending has peaked to $29,867 per household in 2015 and the national debt has mounted to $125,000 for every tax-filing household in America, a total of over $18 trillion.

Economic freedom is one of the core foundations of America. U.S. economic strength has created high living standards for the average American, helped formulate a powerful military, and established the country’s status as a world leader.

Experts are concerned that the failing economic freedom can threaten all those factors.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, keynote speaker of the official release of the 2016 Index, recently questioned, “It’s been almost seven years since the Obama ‘recovery’ began, and our economy is barely out of neutral. Why does America have to settle for this?”

Violence Peaks in Chicago

Chicago is the nation’s third largest city but it has the highest homicide rate. This growing epidemic has been achieving records for the last several years, with violence so rampant that last month it reached the highest toll since 2000. In January 2016, there were 51 homicides in the Windy City.

This is not unusual, though, for the Midwestern city – Chicago regularly records more homicides annually than any other American city.

The Chicago Police Department is blaming gang conflicts and retaliatory violence for the “unacceptable” surge. This comes as the department faces increased scrutiny following the court-ordered release of a police video showing a white police officer fatally shooting a black teenager 16 times. Critics have accused the police department of being less aggressive on the streets due to the negative attention induced by the video release.

It is not uncommon to see an increase in homicides following a controversial video release. St. Louis saw a dramatic increase in the number homicides following the August 2014 police shooting death of Michael Brown in nearby Ferguson. In Baltimore, homicides spiked after the death of Freddie Gray in April.

Last January there were 29 murders recorded in Chicago, and in 2014 there were 20 homicides. The CPD logged 241 shooting incidents for January 2016, more than double the 119 recorded for last January. In the year 2015, 468 murders were reported and 2,900 shootings, both increases from 2014.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who faced fierce backlash from the city’s African-American community over his handling of the Laquan McDonald case, fired his police superintendent, Garry McCarthy, after the video’s release.

Interim Superintendent John Escalante expressed frustration earlier this month as the homicide toll climbed, but said it was due main-

ly to gang activity. He also said he was concerned about social media fueling gang disputes, with fatal incidents starting as a war of words on the Internet.

“It’s the new way of taunting, challenging other gangs,” Escalante explained. “It’s the modern way of gang graffiti.”

On Monday, the Chicago Tribune reported that Mayor Emanuel’s ratings were at an all-time low – only 27 percent of Chicagoans approve of his job performance; 63 percent disapprove of how he’s handling the city.

Pass the Pretzels, Please

We’re all guilty of appeasing our toddler with a sticker or a lollipop after a rough visit to the doctor. It doesn’t make the pain of a vaccine go away, but it helps to distract for a moment. Now flyers on many U.S. airlines are getting a taste of their own tactics and are on the receiving end of petty appeasements.

The next time you fly domestic you will probably receive a complimentary mini bag of pretzels, just like in the good old days. This comes after 15 years of gradual stinginess from most major airlines. Maybe now since fuel is cheaper, there is more room in the budget for snacks.

Airlines are slowly adding in small perks to attract flyers who have been receiving less and less as they fly. No, you won’t be getting more room to stretch your legs and you’ll still need to pay for that checked bag, but you may be able to watch a show midflight or even chow down as you sail the skies.

On Monday, American Airlines announced the return of free snacks in the economy section and more free entertainment options on some aircraft. American, which recently merged with US Airways, hasn’t offered free snacks since 2003. In February, American will start offering Biscoff cookies or pretzels to passengers flying between New York

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and San Francisco or Los Angeles. By April, those snacks will expand to all other domestic routes. In May, American will bring back full meal service for coach passengers between Dallas and Hawaii.

United recently announced they will resume giving out free snacks on its flights starting in February. Some other major carriers like Delta Air Lines never denied passengers of free snacks, even during bankruptcy.

When Continental Airlines stopped distributing free cookies and mini bags of pretzels in 2011, after its merger with United Airlines, they claimed it would save $2.5 million a year. “What has changed,” Fernand Fernandez, vice president of global marketing at American, said, “is that the airlines have been able to fix our core business and be able to reinvest in our customers.”

“These are token investments in the passenger experience that will not cost airlines a lot of money but are small ways to make passengers a little bit happier,” points out Henry Harteveldt, the founder of travel consultancy Atmosphere Research Group. “American and United realized: We don’t let other airlines have an advantage on price, why let them have one on pretzels?”

Groundhog Predicts Early Spring

If there’s one day when it’s good to be a groundhog, it’s February 2. And according to Punxsutawney Phil – and his word is good as gold this week – we can expect warm weather this year as he “predicted” an early spring.

“Is this current warm weather more than a trend? Perchance this winter has come to an end? There is no shadow to be cast, an early spring is my forecast!” read Jeff Lundy, vice president of the Inner Circle of The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.

A German legend has it that if a furry rodent sees his shadow on February 2, winter will last another six weeks. If not, spring comes early. The announcement was made in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, with tempera-

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tures in the 20s, on a beautiful crisp day when the weather was expected to reach the mid-40s. Perhaps, that’s why Phil made such a warm prediction, but we will never know.

The Inner Circle congratulated the mid-week crowd of about 10,000 revelers, which the group said was one of the largest for a weekday celebration. Many of those in attendance had stayed overnight and partied into the wee hours waiting for the groundhog’s forecast.

Just so you know, despite the weather being predicted by a groundhog, Phil’s handlers don’t really take his word – or shadow – for it. Instead, the Inner Circle decides on the forecast ahead of time and announces it on Gobbler’s Knob, a tiny hill near the town for which the groundhog is named.

Records going back to 1887 show Phil has now predicted more winter 102 times while forecasting an early spring just 18 times.

In Staten Island and in Wisconsin this year official groundhogs predicted an early spring. In Michigan, though, Woody the Woodchuck predicted six more weeks of winter.

I guess time will tell.

Pass the Caffeine!

Is caffeine one of your vices? If it is, don’t stress about breaking your habit (or addiction) just yet.

Contrary to the age-old belief that caffeine may cause heart palpitations that can lead to heart failure, new research in the Journal of the American Heart Association suggests otherwise.

Researchers surveyed 1,388 people with an average age of 72 about their caffeine consumption, reports NBC News. About 61% of participants said they consume coffee, tea, or chocolate every day. After looking for premature ventricular and atrial contractions in the heart, scientists resolved that there is no definitive link between caffeine consumption and heart palpitations, heart fluttering, or other irregular heartbeat patterns. This holds true even when

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A Google Minute

people consume large daily amounts of caffeine.

“Clinical recommendations advising against the regular consumption of caffeinated products to prevent disturbances of the heart’s cardiac rhythm should be reconsidered, as we may unnecessarily be discouraging consumption of items like chocolate,

coffee, and tea that might actually have cardiovascular benefits,” says the lead author of the study from the University of California-San Francisco, further defending caffeine’s reputation.

Under current AHA guidelines, individuals with extra heartbeats are recommended to avoid caffeine,

which can exacerbate the problem.

Because “this was the first community-based sample to look at the impact of caffeine on extra heartbeats,” though, researchers say further research is needed to make more conclusive statements.

How much is it worth to own Google.com for a minute? Turns out, not too much.

In October, Sanmay Ved, researcher and former Googler, made headlines when he managed to buy the Google.com domain for one minute.

He thought he was being cute but Google decided to give him a reward to identifying a small flaw in the system.

At the time, Ved declined to announce his reward, telling Business Insider only that it was “more than 10,000.”

Now, though, the word is out. On Thursday, Google announced in a blogpost: “Our initial financial reward to Sanmay – $6,006.13 – spelled-out Google, numerically (squint a little and you’ll see it!). We then doubled this amount when Sanmay donated his reward to charity,” Google wrote.

Hmmm. Seems like this is a case of Google humor, although even I was able to smile at that.

Ved didn’t keep the big bucks to himself. He donated his winnings to the educational charity The Art of Living India.

This is not the first time Google had fun with numbers. In 2015, Google parent company Alphabet bought back a bunch of stock for $5,099,019,513.59 — the square root of 26, the number of letters in the alphabet, times a billion. In 2011, Google bid $3.14159 billion, or pi billion dollars, for Nortel patents.

This week’s blogpost was intended to share the results of Google’s bug bounty program, where it pays cash to hackers for finding flaws in the search giant’s services. Google says it paid out $2 million last year to more than 300 hackers and security researchers. In one case, Tomasz Bojarski, the most prolific Google bug bounty hunter of the year, was rewarded because he found a security flaw in Google’s web form to report security flaws.

Takes one to know one.

The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

The Shopping Sea Lion

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Something fishy went on in the gift shop last week.

Around closing time, a sea lion who seems to enjoy shopping managed to climb 145 steps to reach a beachside gift shop. The store sits on top of stairs that allows visitors to descend a cliff to reach Sunny Jim Sea Cave in La Jolla, California.

As the sea lion entered the gift shop, a shocked shopper in a wheelchair came by. Other witnesses remained calm and enjoyed watching the slippery customer who was lured out of the shop by quick-thinking staff with a treat of salmon.

“He wandered around the store for nearly 10 minutes, confused and scared before I got him out the back door, through the garden gate, and heading back to the ocean,” the manager posted on Facebook.

Shopping and swimming – he sure knows how to do a vacation.

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CatGirl

She’s the cat’s meow – or so she says.

Nano claims she’s no kvinne (that’s woman in Norwegian); she insists instead that she’s a kitten trapped in a twenty-year-old’s woman’s body.

According to her, “It’s also obvious that I’m a cat when I start purring and meowing,” she said in a YouTube video that has racked up more than 300,000 views. “And walking around on four legs and stuff like that.”

Nano claims she has ultra-sharp hearing, laser night vision, and despises dogs and water. When she sees a dog, she hisses at it – proof, she says, that she’s a feline.

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PEYD360.com | info@getpeyd.com Nano first realized she was a cat when she was 16-years-old. Doctors found a “genetic defect” in her DNA, she said — which she believes proves she is a cat.

“Born in the wrong species,” she muses. “My psychologist told me I can grow out of it, but I doubt it.”

For now, despite her “defect” that

she does not elaborate on, Nano looks, well, like a person who is wearing a cat-ear headband and a fluffy stuffed tail. She likes to walk around on all fours and sleep in (large) sinks. She also meows and purrs and says she can even communicate with (real) cats.

She can also speak in meows to her catty friend Svein, who claims to have

multiple personalities, one of which is a cat. “He is human but has someone in his head that is a cat, and I am born as a cat,” Nano said.

It’s not easy being a cat, Nano claims. She says life is “exhausting,” but “I think I will be a cat all my life.”

Well, I guess life can’t be purr-fect.

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This is not the first food-centric course to be offered in college. In fact, Pizza Hut partnered with a UK university to offer apprenticeships for students in the past. And there are beer-brewing programs for those who love the smell of hops. This course, though, is the first to test on tacos and may the best burrito win.

Perhaps a class trip to Carlos & Gabby’s should be on the menu.

Taco U

What’s the right way to eat a taco?

Don’t know? Maybe you should get lessons – or take a class.

Students at University of Kentucky can now get cracking as they have the distinct privilege of getting college credits for eating tacos. The university is offering an undergraduate class called “Taco Literacy: Public Advocacy and Mexican Food in the U.S. South,” and the professor behind it wants to use tacos as an avenue for students to learn more about how people can forge social connections through food.

“This class allows our students to explore the issues of immigration, inequality, workers, intercultural communication, and literacy through the prism of food,” Steven Alvarez, an assistant professor from the school’s writing, rhetoric, and digital studies department, said.

So what do students need to do to get an A in the taco tutorial? How does writing restaurant reviews, sampling tacos, and collecting data within their communities sound? Too tempting to be true? I’d say…

Now Accepting Plastic Donations

There are around 20,000 homeless in Detroit and they are all looking for handouts. It takes an enterprising individual to stand out on the crowded streets and Honest Abe seems to be doing just that.

Abe “Honest Abe” Hagenston knows that although cash is king, the 21st century is fast becoming all plastic. Now the homeless man is taking credit cards to help people donate more to the abode-less entrepreneur.

“I’m the only homeless guy in

America who can take a credit card.

It’s all done safely and securely through square.com,” Abe boasted to CBS Detroit. “I take VISA, MasterCard, American Express,” he said.

Hagenston has been homeless for seven years. He uses a Square reader on his phone to swipe credit cards.

In total, he receives around $20 to $50 a day due to the generosity of strangers who pass him by under the highway overpass he calls home. Using a Square reader just makes good “cents.” They cost around $10, plug into phones, and charge users 2.75% per swiped transaction through a free app. Honest Abe doesn’t disclose how many supporters have trusted him with their credit card.

In case people can’t find Abe under the highway, he’s also on the information superhighway – the internet. He started a website using a computer at the local library.

“My business is being homeless, now homeless is my business,” reads Hagenston’s catchy slogan on his website.

According to the site, in order to earn money, he does “a lot of painting, computer work and yard work for people.” The site also solicits job opportunities for other homeless people in Detroit and an option for the homeless to sign up for job postings.

“Being homeless gives a person a lot of time to reflect on what went wrong, and what a person could do differently if given the chance,” Abe mused.

ohkaurhc iuhm hkct rta lu,c of,t ojbh ouenv We regret the passing of Rabbi Ronnie Greenwald, the chairman of our advisory board.

Rabbi Greenwald was a true champion and a staunch advocate for all Jews in crisis.

His love of G-d guided his every action, and his love of humanity prpelled those actions to spectacular achievement. He was instrumental in our work and inspiring to all of us.

May his family and all the mourners of Zion find comfort.

Board Members

Advisory Board

Mendy Klein

Barry Horowitz LCSW Shira Manne Shlomie Zimmerman PSY.D Dr. David Pelcovitz Ph.D

Chairman

Moshe Wolfson Adam Westreich Adam Sokol Jona Rechnitz Rabbi Zvi Gluck Change Lives. Build Futures.

Director

www.amudim.org

Keep reflecting, Abe. We’re going to think twice before handing you our credit card.

Tardy for the Work Party

Late for work? You’re not alone.

According to a YouGov poll from 2014, one in five Americans arrive late for work. 48 percent, though, actually listen to their alarm clocks and never clock in late to the office.

But what happens once you slide into your desk slightly out of breath?

Do you keep your head down and blame the weather or maybe invent a “dog ate my homework” excuse?

According to CareerBuilder, a workplace research group, over half of the tardy folks blame traffic for their lateness woes. A third say that they overslept, 28 percent blame the weather, 23 percent admit they were tired, and 15 percent say their children’s care were to blame for their lateness at the office.

There were other, more creative excuses that 2,600 human resource managers revealed to the research group from late employees. Here are the most outrageous – or truthful – ones. We’ll leave that up to you to decide.

• My hair caught on fire from my blow dryer.

I was detained by Homeland • Security.

I had to chase my cows back • into the field.

A black bear entered my car• port.

• My lizard had to have emergency surgery.

I thought of quitting today, but • then decided not to, so I came in late.

All of my clothes were stolen.

• • I was confused by the time change and unsure if it was spring forward or fall back.

• A Vaseline truck overturned on the highway.

Sounds like some slippery excuses we have here.

The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

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Around the

Community

Middos Mission members of Yeshiva Darchei Torah made beautiful posters for this month’s middah of baal tashchis

Assemblyman Goldfeder Fights Storm Price Gouging

I

n an effort to protect consumers from price gouging during emergencies, Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder has sponsored a bill strengthening state anti-price gouging laws. The new bill would classify the practice as a misdemeanor violation and expand the law to include situations outside of declared state emergencies.

“For many families, the gas can they fill or the bottled water they buy is a vital resource during their first steps in recovering from a storm like the one we saw this weekend or during major disaster like Sandy,” said Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder. “Taking advantage of our families at a time like this

is both morally and criminally wrong.

This new bill will strengthen our families’ protections against this disgusting practice and ensure prompt recovery both now and in the future.”

Assemblyman Goldfeder sponsored bill A6032 last week, which amends state general business law to strengthen protections against price gouging. Under the new bill, overcharging the public “grossly excessive prices” for “essential consumer goods” during emergencies will be classified as a misdemeanor violation. The bill also expands the definition of an emergency to include market disruptions that occur outside of official state

emergencies as declared by the governor. The bill cites as examples “strikes, power failures, severe shortages, or other extraordinary adverse circumstances.”

The move comes in light of the experiences faced by families during Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and Hurricane Irene in 2011. Goldfeder pointed to numerous instances of businesses greatly increasing prices of consumer staples in the days following these storms. In 2013, the state levied nearly $200,000 in fines on 25 gas stations across the state that raised prices two and three-fold shortly after Sandy made landfall.

The Assemblyman’s announcement also follows an unprecedented agreement between the state Attorney General’s office and ride-share companies Uber and Lyft not to engage in surcharge pricing during the historic blizzard that dumped more than two feet of snow on the city over the weekend. For Goldfeder, this most recent storm is yet another reminder of the need to protect consumers during difficult times.

“We must protect families at their most vulnerable moments,” said Assemblyman Goldfeder. “Fighting price gouging is an important and necessary step in this direction.”

see from the photo how delighted the former SKAers are – they may be in

Israel, but they are still a part of the SKA family!

SKA Reunion in Israel

T

he annual Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls reunion in Israel, held this year on January 4, is an event that alumna anticipate since their arrival at seminary!

Graduate Shani Szpigiel, who is now in Sharfman’s, emailed her appreciation for the event: “Reunion was so nice! Getting to see Mrs. Spirn and Dr. Meier and spending time with them was really special. We watched

a video of our former teachers giving us brachot and then watched Production 2016. It was also wonderful seeing all the girls in different seminaries whom I haven’t seen yet. We were all so happy to be together.”

Mrs. Spirn and Dr. Meier visited eight schools in Yerushalyim and Beit Shemesh, speaking with SKA graduates and seminary heads to get a better grasp of the learning and student growth in the schools. You can

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Around the Community

Strings Attached at YOSS

T

he sixth grade boys at Yeshiva of South Shore recently had an exciting opportunity to make their very own pairs of tzitzis. After weeks of learning the halachos in their classrooms, the boys gathered to hear inspiring words from their Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky, and proceeded to tie their very first tzitzis knots with the guidance of their dedicated rebbeim and some very helpful older eighth grade volunteers. The achdus and love for mitzvos was truly palpable, and YOSS is proud of yet another display of the enthusiasm of their talmidim for mitzvos.

Yeshiva University to Host Innovative Genetic Screening Event

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eshiva University’s Student Medical Ethics Society (MES) will partner with JScreen, a university-based nonprofit program specializing in carrier screening for genetic diseases common in the Jewish population, to host a free genetic screening event. The event, which will make screening for more than 100 genetic diseases available to undergraduate and graduate students, will take place on YU’s Wilf Campus during YU’s Annual Seforim Sale from 2-6 p.m. Sunday, February 14 in the 12th floor of Belfer Hall, 2495 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY, 10033.

Thanks to a generous subsidy from JScreen, there are no out-ofpocket costs for anyone who attends

the screening, whether or not they are affiliated with YU. Unlike most genetic screenings, the tests will also use saliva, rather than blood, to collect DNA samples, making the testing process faster and less invasive.

In addition to being tested, each participant will have the opportunity to speak with a licensed genetic counselor. With a comprehensive panel that screens for a wide range of potential diseases, Jews of any background – Ashkenazic, Sephardic or Mizrachi – will benefit from the event.

“The Medical Ethics Society has done groundbreaking work by providing genetic screenings in the past, but we want to increase our impact this year by expanding our reach

to the greater Jewish community,” said Rebecca Garber, co-president of MES. “Everyone should be tested, and we are fortunate enough to go to a school that satisfies this need for us. However, many of our peers do not have this opportunity readily available to them. We recognize this lack and hope to include as many people as possible.”

“We believe that all students should undergo genetic testing before marriage, preferably before dating or entering into a serious relationship,” said Rabbi Kenneth Brander, vice president for university and community life at YU. “Testing gives students the knowledge to make informed decisions which can diminish pain and suffering within

our community. YU Roshei Yeshiva encourage students to get tested and to speak to a trained genetic counselor and a knowledgeable halachic authority about any questions they may have.”

“Ultimately, we hope that the convenience and subsidized testing will make genetic screening an accessible reality for hundreds of people, benefiting not only the YU student body but the greater Jewish community,” said Ari Garfinkel, co-president of MES. For more information or to register, please visit JScreen.org and select “YU/Stern” from the dropdown menu. Walk-ins on the day of the event will be welcome, but pre-registration is encouraged.

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The excitement filled the air as Rabbi Friedler and his fifth grade class of Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island read the last few words of their first blatt in Eilu Mitzios last week. Dancing erupted as the class joined hands and danced into the Menahel’s office where the Menahel, Rabbi Krigsman, joined the rekida after wishing the boys a warm mazel tov. The Menahel asked a few questions about the Gemara. Hands shot up as each boy wanted to share the answer. A palpable sense of accomplishment filled the room as each question was answered fully.

The boys are eager and excited to learn their next blatt with gusto.

Inspire, Learn, and Chill

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take the time out of their busy high school schedules for some volunteer learning. It is incredible how much everyone has learned and grown in the past few months – we can’t wait to see how much more we can accomplish in the coming weeks!

Chill is grateful to Le Chocolat for hosting us every week and for making us feel so welcome! Special thanks also to our partners, Mr. and Mrs. Bernie Lisitza, TOVA Mentoring and the Jewish Education Project, an agency committed to sparking and spreading innovations that expand the reach and increase the impact of Jewish education.

z

This past week marked the end of the first semester-long session of Chill, a relaxing after-school learning program for high school girls located at Chocolat on Central Avenue and organized by Sari Babad and Ilanna Schuster. Once a week, a dozen girls gather after school to unwind, have fun, and learn. After being treated to a drink or muffin, the group gathers around for some brief entertainment before learning a lesson from the book Positive Word Power for Teens. A lively discussion invariably follows, where everyone explores the nuances of healthy social interactions, self-esteem, and self-actualization.

We stand in awe of all the girls who

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A frosty snow-woman in Kew Gardens Hills

Trees for Ezra

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u B’Shvat, the Holiday of the Trees which was just celebrated, took on a great new meaning as hundreds of people from all walks of life planted trees in memory of Ezra Schwartz in the newly established Ezra Schwartz Vineyard in Israel. Ezra was the young American yeshiva student from Sharon, MA, who was tragically murdered while learning and volunteering in Israel, and the newly created vineyard has the complete endorsement and blessing of Ezra’s parents.

The moving, one minute video on the website www.trees4ezra. org shows Ezra’s parents and grandparents talking about the vineyard and shows them planting its first trees. They encourage others to plant trees as a meaningful and supportive gesture with their hope that the vineyard will become a beautiful and everlasting tribute to the young man they lost.

People from all across the world are being asked to plant trees in this special vineyard at www.trees4ezra. org. Ezra was proud of his heritage and his land, and loved his fellow Jews, literally until his last breath. He was so young, yet his enthusiasm and vitality were infectious, sadly, even after his tragic death. This project is a way for everyone to join the Schwartz family in carrying on Ezra’s legacy.

Schools across the world have joined the effort and are sharing this opportunity with their students.

Temple, shuls, synagogues, houses of worship and religious and communal organizations have also recognized that people want to be part of this important initiative and have

opened up the opportunity to their members. Among the many schools which are involved are Striar Hebrew Academy (Sharon, MA), SAR Academy, Yavneh Academy, The Frisch School, Westchester Day School, Ben Porat Yosef, Yeshiva University High School, Nancy Reuben School of London, Torah Day School Atlanta, Mazel Day School, Denver Academy, Gross Schechter Day School, Shulamith of Brooklyn, Hebrew Academy Day School of Tampa Bay, Ida Crown Academy (IL), Solomon Schechter High School, Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School (CA), HAFTR, and NorthShore Hebrew Academy. Many others will be joining shortly.

This project, which started on Tu B’Shvat, will continue for several months. It is being run by “Zo Artzeinu – Israel Trees,” an organization that has planted 150,000 new fruit trees in Israel and whose farmers keep all aspects of Jewish agricultural law.

Visit www.trees4ezra.org and plant trees in the new Ezra Schwartz Vineyard. Israeli farmers will plant and care for the trees and the vineyard can be visited by anyone at any time.

By inviting people from all over the world to take part in this project, it will unite people who love Israel in an important way.

This project is endorsed by the RCA (Rabbinical Council of America) and NCYI (National Council of Young Israel).

For more information or to have your school or shul involved, please contact shelley@trees4ezra.org or call (516) 371-2474

The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

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The Five Towns Far Rockaway Rosh Chodesh Shiur for Women was held on Sunday at Congregation Beth Sholom in Lawrence. The presenter was Yael Kaisman, a well-known lecturer for JRC and a teacher in Bruria High School. Her topic was “There is always a light at the of the tunnel.”

PHOTO CREDIT: IVAN H NORMAN

HANC Sophomore Boys Spend Shabbat in the Wesley Hills Jewish Community

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n Shabbat Parshat Va’era, the HANC sophomore boys were treated to an all-inclusive Shabbat experience in Wesley Hills, Monsey. Prior to Shabbat, the boys were treated to a delicious pizza lunch, followed by an afternoon of physical activity that included paintball, archery, football, basketball, riding ATVs, and zip-lining. The boys were then treated to a pre-Shabbat meal of cholent and kugel and roasted marshmallows in a fire pit.

Rabbi Yisrael Chesir, a respected HANC rabbi, and his shul, Congregation Tiferes Yisrael, warmly opened up their hearts and homes to the HANC boys, hosted them for the Friday night Shabbat meal, as well as provided them with luxurious accommodations. Rabbi Chesir and his wife hosted a post-meal oneg Shabbat on Friday night, as well as a delicious lunch the following morning.

Not only was the food delicious and abundant, but the speakers’ inspiring words nourished the boys’ souls as well. The sophomore boys were privileged to hear from the great Rabbi Yaakov Twersky of Milwaukee who spoke with, and blessed each boy individually. Additionally, they were treated to words from Rabbi Chesir, Rabbi Shimon Chrein, and their fellow students, Josh Katz, Jacob Kohanim, Josh Babayev, Eli Matatov, and Angel Macagno.

After Shabbat the boys boarded their luxurious coach bus and headed home with memories that will surely linger in their hearts and minds for many years to come. HANC would like to thank the Chesirs and their community for hosting such a wonderful Shabbat event for the sophomore boys and look forward to returning in the future.

In the tradition of the Ari and the Kabbalists of 16th century Tsfat, the students of Shulamith Middle Division enjoyed a Tu B’Shvat Seder replete with the Shivat Haminim. A beautiful PowerPoint presentation, created by Morah Chana Schwartz, explained the nuances of Tu B’Shvat and the various aspects of each of the minim.

The seder provided students with the opportunity to make brachot aloud, to answer Amen to each bracha, and to appreciate the bounty of the Land of Israel.

Budding Writers at Bais Yaakov Ateres Miriam

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he second and third grade students of Bais Yaakov Ateres Miriam had the privilege of hearing Mishpacha Magazine’s Family First editor, Mrs. Bassie Gruen, speak to them about writing and how a magazine is produced.

The girls are working on their own writings in class and Mrs. Gruen’s points on how a writer can develop a good story were very pertinent to them. Their excitement mounted as they heard how the magazine is produced. They had lots of questions,

from graphics to articles and how it can all get done in one week, which Mrs. Gruen patiently answered.

As Mrs. Gruen prepared to leave, many students gathered around her with more questions. They later walked to their classrooms speaking about the ideas and points they had heard and how they would incorporate them into their own writings.

Best of all, Bais Yaakov Ateres Miriam’s writers are looking forward to publishing a second and third grade magazine.

If Only Babies Could Talk…

Rivki Rosenwald on page 130

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J. Greenstein & Co. to Host Bi-Annual Auction Featuring The Collection of Prof. Alan Dershowitz

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n February 29, J. Greenstein & Co.’s Auction House ( w w w.jgreenstein.com ), the world renowned source for antique and rare Judaica, will host its bi-annual Judaica auction devoted solely to rare Jewish artifacts. The auction, which will be held at the Cedarhurst, Long Island ,gallery and hosted by Jonathan Greenstein, chief expert and president of J. Greenstein & Company, will feature 234 rare and valuable objects, 29 items will come from prominent Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz. Items to be auctioned off include menorahs, Kiddush cups, silver Torah ornaments, spice boxes, paintings and much more.

“It is not often that two worlds of admiration come together so harmoniously,” said Jonathan Greenstein.

“Jewish ritual collectibles have been a love of mine since childhood, and I have admired Professor Alan Dershowitz since high school when I would see how his life’s mission was to protect civil rights, Jewish rights and the State of Israel.”

Items from Professor Dershowitz’s collection include, Silver Kiddush Beaker from Poland, c. 1860, estimated $3,000 – 4,000; Silver Torah Shield from Poland, c. 1802, estimated $12,000 – 15,000; Early Pewter Seder Dish from Germany, 19th century, estimated $3,000 – 4,000; Illuminated Megillah in Original Case from Jerusalem, early 20th century, estimated $4,000 – 6,000.

Additional auction items include, Chanukah lamp by Kozlo, Kielce, c.

1840, estimated $30,000-$40,000; Silver Torah Shield, Odessa, c. 1840, estimated $18,000-$22,000; Silver Chanukah Lamp, Vienna, c. 1875, estimated $25,000-$30,000; Large Silver Torah Shield by Johann August Gebhart, estimated $16,000$22,000; Silver Torah Shield, Poland, 18th estimated $18,000-$22,000; Chanukah Menorah by Bollerman, c.

1820, estimated $20,000-$30,000; Silver spice container, Venice, 18th century, estimated $30,000$40,000; Large Silver Torah Finials, the Netherlands, 19th Century,

estimated $20,000-$30,000; Silver spice tower, Germany, mid-18th century, estimated $25,000-$30,000; Silver Torah shield, Italy 1792, estimated $42,500-$55,000; Sterling Silver Torah crown by Ludwig Wolpert, New York, c. 1960, estimated $25,000-$35,000; Painting by Mane Katz, Paris, 1935, estimated $25,000$35,000; Painting by Isaac Holtz, New York, 1967, estimated $20,000$30,000; Silver Filigree spice tower, Lemberg, 18th century, estimated $18,000-$22,000; and a Silver Cohanic laver and basin, Vienna, C. 1880, estimated $30,000-$40,000.

“It has been a policy of mine for a long time to always bring a piece of Judaica back from my travels,” said Alan Dershowitz. “I truly believe that the essence of Judaica is ‘from generation to generation’ – that is, that it should be passed down so that we never forget where we came from and so that the memories and treasures of others live on through Judaism and through Jewish history.”

AUCTION DATE: March 1, 2016 LOCATION: 417 Central Avenue Cedarhurst, New York 11516 TIME: The Carlebach Sale 5:00 PM Alan Dershowitz Sale 5:45PM More information can be viewed at: www.JGreenstein.com

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AVROHOM STEINBERG DR BENJI STERN RYAN SULLIVAN RABBI AKIVA WILLIG

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FEBRUARY 4, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Touro College Graduate School of Social Work Addresses Orthodox Mental Health Professionals at Conference

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rowing old and taking care of yourself and your parents at the same time were among the topics addressed by Dr. Steven Huberman, dean of the Touro College Graduate School of Social Work, at the 19th Annual NEFESH International Conference held recently on Long Island.

NEFESH was founded in 1992 to bring Orthodox Jewish professionals and rabbis together to address mental health issues facing the community.

Caregiving was but one of the many sensitive topics tackled at this year’s meeting, attended by approximately 450 professionals and educators. Top experts in psychiatry, psychopharmacology, trauma, child development, chemical dependencies, psychotherapy and other areas talked over the latest advances in their fields.

Forums covered such delicate ground as child abuse, depression, reproductive health, divorce, and ADHD and its impact on education, employment and marriage.

L-R: Dean Steven Huberman, Ph.D., Touro College Graduate School of Social Work, with Lisa Twerski, LCSW, and Chaim Sender, LCSW, Co-Chairs of 19th Annual NEFESH International

“The meeting managed to mix religiosity, spirituality and solutions to mental health challenges in a way that appropriately presented solutions to difficult issues facing Jewish observant communities in 2016,” said Professor Elhanan Marvit, MSW, director of administrative services at

the GSSW. During his talk on caregiving, Dean Huberman observed the number of women in the Jewish community simultaneously taking care of elderly parents and their own young children is skyrocketing.

“This sandwich generation of

women frequently has to work outside of the home and be the primary caretakers for their own parents and kids.

The stresses are enormous,” he said.

In the discussion at NEFESH, attended by rabbis, medical doctors and clinical social workers, Dean Huberman warned, “Do not try to do it alone. Do not try to be ‘Superman.’

Get a support system of other family members and spend private time taking care of yourself.”

The Dean also talked about accomplishments at Touro’s Graduate School of Social Work and Touro fellowships created for NEFESH members last year in memory of Touro’s Founding President Dr. Bernard Lander and his wife, Sarah Lander, to support those committed to serving the most vulnerable and at-risk in the Orthodox Jewish community.

“In reaching out to NEFESH members with these fellowships to help them earn their MSW degrees and become social workers, we are furthering this goal,” the Dean said.

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Yeshiva Har Torah welcomed Mad Science to the school for an interactive and informative program entitled “Fire and Ice.” YHT thanks the PTA for their gracious sponsorship of this program. The students of grades 1-8 sat spellbound as the Mad Scientist blended science and chemistry into a fun-filled presentation on the unique qualities of fire and ice. Students were called on stage to participate in experiments combining different chemicals and gases, often with very exciting and explosive results! These types of programs reflect YHT’s commitment to constantly strive to be on the cutting edge of science education.

Orlando, FL – The Power of Torah

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ow do you transform a city into a makom Torah?

Orlando, FL, was one of the few cities in the United States with tens of thousands of Jews lacking a basic Jewish infrastructure. In 2010, local community members whose children were in public school at the time and in desperate need of a Jewish day school contacted Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim.

Rabbi Yehuda Schepansky and Rabbi Avraham Wachsman moved down to Orlando with their families to start Orlando Torah Academy (OTA) and lay the foundation for a Torah community. OTA, a member of Torah Umesorah’s network of day schools, has quickly grown and developed into the destination for so many of Orlando’s Jewish children.

Orlando truly is transforming into a flourishing makom Torah.

Beginning with 12 children, OTA has close to 60 students enrolled this year with a bright future for continued growth. Students at OTA come from homes spanning the spectrum of Jewish backgrounds and traditions. From a young age the children are imbued with the beauty of the Torah and its mitzvos. The impact on the students and their families is immeasurable.

Parents often relate the immense joy they feel as they hear their child make a bracha, sometimes the first bracha ever made in the home. The Torah education at OTA transforms the child, the home and the entire community.

A major challenge now looms, threatening this blossoming school

L-R Rabbi Yehuda Schepansky, Rabbi Mordechai Kaminetzky and Rabbi Avraham Wachsman

and community.

Orlando Torah Academy is a tenant in their school building and the retiring owner is

selling the building. With another cash offer on the table, Orlando Torah Academy has been given until March 15th to raise $1.8 million to purchase the building. This is a challenge beyond the capabilities of Orlando’s small Jewish community.

As members of Klal Yisroel we are all responsible for the spiritual and physical wellbeing of each and every Jew. We have the opportunity and responsibility to help secure the future of a school and the community that revolves around it. The need is too great and the stakes are too high to ignore; we must answer the call today.

A whole city is depending on us.

For more information and to make a difference in the lives of so many, please contact Rabbi Avraham Wachsman at 407-864-3375.

The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

Around the Community

Spring Summer 2016 Designer Wear

Arriving Daily

At the Learn & Live Program this week, R’ Yoni Posnik presented the melacha of tochein, “Beat the Grind.” With a pestle, blender and other such items the boys really got the grind of it. Next week, “Wake up and Smell the Humus,” part II of tochein, will be presented. For more information, contact learnandlivefr@gmail.com.

#so fresh

Five Towns Marriage Initiative A Peaceful Tongue

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he laws of shmiras halashon are discussed in this week’s parsha. Hashem says that when the Jewish people transgress He silences the accusing angels in order not to hear about it. Every time someone speaks lashon hara (negative speech or slander) it’s as if they give a voice to the accusing angels, allowing them to go up before Hashem and prosecute us – evil that is then allowed to come down to this world as a punishment for us as a direct result of the evil words we spoke.

Words of lashon hara taint our mouth. This has been compared to a delicious scoop of ice cream covered in mud. We take our mouths coated with lashon hara and then try to use these same mouths to offer a prayer.

How is such a prayer able to be heard when it comes from a mouth that is so often used to speak improperly? The speech we have sets us apart from the animals and the other creations. The ability to express our mind is what makes us human. We learn that when Hashem blew into man a living soul that this included our ability to speak.

Our speech can be used in our marriage to build. We can use it to create positive, loving and meaningful inter-

actions. We can also use it to destroy, to belittle our spouse and to create damage. Using our speech properly can help us to create a beautiful marriage. Refraining from lashon hara as a couple can make it easier for us to get into the habit of using our speech for positive reasons. It’s easy to think that we can say whatever we feel like to our spouse because we need someone that we can unburden ourselves to, but this is not accurate from a halachic standpoint. We can’t always say what we wish and by learning the laws and working on guarding our tongue together with our spouse, we can take the appropriate steps to make sure that our tongue is used as vessel for peace, and not a weapon of destruction.

Five Towns Marriage Initiative provides educational programs, workshops and referrals to top marriage therapists. FTMI will help offset counseling costs when necessary and also runs an anonymous shalom bayis hotline for the entire community Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 9:30-11p.m. For the hotline or more information, call 516-4305280 or email dsgarry@msn.com.

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The boys of the Junior High school in Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island had the zechus to hear from Rav Yehoshua Eichenstein, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Yad Aharon in Yerushalayim. After telling the boys how glad he was to see their “Yiddishe panim,” the Rosh Yeshiva went on to speak to the boys about the importance of being a nosei be’ol im chaveiro and the importance of having hakoras hatov. Rabbi Eichenstein explained how these two middos blend together. The boys listened intently and left with an important message.

Accomplished Hospital Administrator Brings Decades of Expertise to St. John’s

Bnos Bais Yaakov: Becoming a Bas Mitzvah is a Life Changing Event

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e are extremely pleased to announce that Christopher J. Parker, DNP(c), RN, NEA-BC, CHCQM, FAIHQ, has joined St. John’s as Chief Operating Officer.

He comes to St. John’s from University of Maryland, Shore Regional Health, where he served on the Executive Team since 2003. Prior to joining Shore Regional Health, Mr. Parker held executive positions at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, Maryland, at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Virginia, and at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Chris began his long career in healthcare as a critical care nurse.

Mr. Parker earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at The State University of New York in Plattsburgh in 1981 and a Master of Science in Nursing at Syracuse University in 1991. He received a Post Masters Certificate in Health Administration from Villanova University in 2003 and is currently completing his Doctoral studies at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Mr. Parker is certified as a Nurse Executive Advanced by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians and is nationally certified in Health Care Quality Management. Mr. Parker is a member of Sigma Theta Tau – the National Honor Society for Nursing.

Mr. Parker is a member of the Maryland Hospital Association Coun-

cil on Clinical and Quality Issues and was appointed in 2015 as Chairman of the Maryland Hospital Association Prime Board of Directors. He also serves on the Advisory Committees for several local universities. Mr. Parker completed Leadership Maryland in 2010. He had the honor in 2003 of being named “Innovator of the Year” and recipient of the “Health Care Heroes Award” in two state-wide Maryland competitions. These awards recognized Mr. Parker’s leadership and, in particular, his creativity in developing and designing the unique Critical Care University program for Shore Regional Health. Under his leadership as Chief Nursing Officer, Shore Regional Health was awarded Magnet Recognition by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2009 and was re-designated Magnet in 2013.

S

ixth grade is a significant one for BBY talmidos. It is the year in which many girls turn 12, marking a very special point in their lives – becoming bnos mitzvah. An enormous amount of effort and creativity is put into the Bas Mitzvah program to highlight for the girls just how meaningful this new stage in life is. Working throughout the year, Rebbitzen Altusky, Mrs. Kuessous, Mrs. Koenig, and all the sixth grade Moros make sure that the message hits home.

The Bas Mitzvah program kicked off with an initiation breakfast which centered around the theme, “Asu li mikdash veshachanti besocham” – how we can refine our own inner mikdash by improving our middos.

Folders were presented describing a middah such as tznius, anava, ahavas Yisroel, hislahavus, etc. Groups of

girls from the various 6th grades were formed to work on one particular middah. Since then, the girls have been creating projects about their middah.

Together the girls are researching and delving into the ramifications of their specific middah. Together, the girls are learning and growing.

In January, each group presented a banner and a song about their middah to their classmates, Moros, and Mrs. Kuessous. The girls also conducted interviews with people whom they felt best personified the middah they were researching.

Throughout the year different middos, mitzvos, and chassadim will be creatively explored. Becoming a Bas Mitzvah is a life changing event.

BBY makes sure that it is a positive, happy, and meaningful one.

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Yeshiva Gedolah of the Five Towns 13th Anniversary Dinner

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early two years have passed since Yeshiva Gedolah of the Five Towns inaugurated its magnificent makom Torah. While the event is now in the rearview mirror, we are continuing to appreciate and recognize the siyata d’shmaya and miracles we are zoche to receive daily and on an ongoing basis. While perhaps we won’t ever have an event as powerful as that of our grand opening, we have constant reminders of why we were zoche to build, not just a building, but also, more importantly, a yeshiva and a community.

The Yeshiva remains committed to its founding principles of keeping a warmth and closeness with each and every talmid, yungerman and community member who chooses to use its services. The mesorah of the rebbeim is felt in every act, connection and relationship with the talmidim and families. Since its inception over a decade ago, the Yeshiva has become a sought-after makom Torah for young men returning from learning in Eretz Yisroel. The Yeshiva is known for the high level shiurim given by the prominent rebbeim as well as for its energetic atmosphere and unique hashkafah. The Yeshiva struggles, thankfully, to find room to accommodate the demand for students and specifically those who dorm, due to the reputation it has earned locally and across the globe.

The Yeshiva, however, is a multifaceted institution. In addition to having become a prominent makom Torah for its talmidim and Kollel yungerleit, it also serves the Five Towns community in various ways. The eruv is maintained by the Yeshiva which

sends people to check its status on a weekly basis. The Yeshiva provides numerous shiurim to baalei batim, ranging from iyun to amud yomi and hashkafah. Its doors are open to all who wish to learn in its inspiring atmosphere. The Yeshiva’s yungerleit are available as chavrusas for interested baalei batim.

In the coming days at the Yeshiva’s 13th Annual Dinner, the greater community will once again come together to celebrate YGFT’s growing accomplishments and put faces on some of those who have graciously shared in the responsibilities towards facilitating its success. The three sets of honorees, Mr. and Mrs. Neil Thalheim, Mr. and Mrs. Yehuda Hammer and Rabbi and Mrs. Yehoshua (Shuie) Gamms, have contributed and continue to contribute towards the Yeshiva’s efforts in expanding the reach of Torah within our community, through ahavas haTorah, ahavas chesed and mesiras nefesh.

Amud Hachesed Award There are many people who give of themselves in different ways to help institutions. Few have extended themselves the way the Thalheim family has over the past few years.

Aside from the many bochurim who flock there for meals, the Thalheim dorm has been a sought-after refuge for many bochurim, who often remark at just how many amenities come with living there, where the Thaleheims are always concerned that every need is taken care of. This is all in addition to the fact that the Thalheim’s son Ben and their son-in-law, Shmuli, were accomplished talmidim in the Yeshi‫בס ס“ ד‬

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va. Shmuli and his family have now chosen to make Woodmere and the Yeshiva community their home.

The Thalheim family moved to Woodmere in 2008. Both Neil and Natallia grew up in Great Neck, where they raised their own children prior to moving to the Five Towns. Neil currently runs his own fund, Thalheim Capital, and has undertaken to train young men to learn his trade, some of them former Yeshiva Gedolah talmidim. Natalia, who graduated NYU Medical School, takes care of the family first, but finds time to partake in the myriad of chessed activities they are involved in.

Both baalei teshuva who attended public school as children, they were encouraged by their oldest son, Ben, to slowly increase their observance and appreciation for Yiddishkeit while he was in 5th grade at North Shore Hebrew Academy. They have since continued to grow in their Yiddishkeit and have built a beautiful family which is committed to the beauty of Torah and chessed. They currently split their time between Aish Kodesh, Chabad and the Young Israel of Woodmere.

The entire family can be seen on many occasions at the Yeshiva as well.

Young Leadership Award There are many ways that people contribute to the growth of an institution. In the case of Yehudah and Meira Hammer, the results are tangible.

The beautiful edifice we are zoche to call home would not have been possible without the effort of Yehudah, who used his business acumen, energy and charm to help guide the Yeshiva in obtaining its initial construction loan.

Suffice it to say, it may be the hardest loan he has ever worked on. Regardless, when it comes to the Hammer family, nothing is done or said without a smile, warmth and energy. The Yeshiva is fortunate to have them as friends and supporters.

Yehudah can be found at the Yeshiva seven days a week to learn and daven. Having grown up in Woodmere, it was an easy choice to call it home for his family, after a few short years in Kew Gardens Hills. Growing up, he davened at the Shteible, under the leadership of Rav Dovid Shpiegel, with whom he maintains a very strong connection with. After graduating from Rambam, he learned at

Shaalvim, before returning to study at Lander College. Professionally, he works for Meridian Capital, where he is a Vice President and Team Leader, sourcing debt for real estate owners across the country. Meira, who grew up in Teaneck, NJ, davening at Rabbi Taubes’s shul, studied at Michleles Mevaseres Yerushalayim, before returning to study at Stern College.

Together they have built a family of future bnos Yisroel who attend TAG and Chabad, exemplifying the Hammer spirit.

Harbotzas Hatorah Award Rabbi Shuie Gamms is one of the earliest products of the Yeshiva and was previously a talmid of Rabbi Katzenstein in the Yeshiva of South Shore in the 12th grade. After studying in Beis Yisroel for three years, he came back to be one of the Yeshiva’s first talmidim and has been there ever since. He contributes to the Yeshiva in so many ways. Aside from learning with baal habatim at night, he is involved in other community activities such as checking the eruv. His hilchos Shabbos shiur on Shabbos mornings is becoming very popular and he is a source of answers for many from the Yeshiva who come to learn, specifically in the area of halacha. He has been studying for over six years in Rabbi Forst’s kollel in the afternoon, and prior to that learned at Rabbi Rand’s kollel.

Yocheved Gamms, who is the source of inspiration for Shuie’s continued learning, grew up in Kew Gardens Hills. After graduating from SKA, she learned in Michlala for a year before returning to Stern College, eventually studying social work at Wertzweiller. Despite holding a full time job, she finds time to be a wonderful mother to their children who attend Siach Yitzchak and BBY. The entire Gamms family finds every opportunity to enter the Yeshiva’s doors, even Shuie’s parents, who are frequent visitors from their home in Flatbush.

Please join us at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, February 10th at the Sands in Atlantic Beach, as we recognize these special individuals for their tireless service to the yeshiva, the Five Towns community and klal Yisrael.

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Gedolei Roshei Yeshiva of Five Towns Grace 3rd Annual Adopt-a-Kollel Event of Bais Medrash of Lawrence

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t was a rare event. More than ten distinguished local Rabbonim and Roshei Yeshiva from the Five Towns-Far Rockaway community joined the members of Bais Medrash of Lawrence for a special reception graced by Rav Moshe Aharon Rosengarten, Rosh Kollel of the storied Brisker Kollel of Yerushalayim. What brought all of these distinguished personages to the home of Reb Dovid Safier was a third year Adopt-a-Kollel sign up event continuing the unique partnership between Bais Medrash of Lawrence and the Brisker Kollel.

The event was addressed by HaGaon HaRav Naftali Jaeger, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Sh’or Yoshuv, Harav Moshe Aharon Rosengarten, Rosh Kollel of the Brisker Kollel and Harav Dovid Fordsham, Rav of Bais Medrash of Lawrence.

Bais Medrash of Lawrence has the distinction of being the first kollel in the Five Towns - Far Rockaway area to join Adopt-a-Kollel.The fact that ninety percent of the shul’s membership attended the event is a testament to the importance that the members attach to their partnership with one of the most well-known kollelim in Eretz Yisrael where so many Americans learn.

Wellsprings of Kedusha and Tahara for Those Who Learn Torah and Those Who Support Torah Indeed, Rav Jaeger, whose own son, Rav Noach Jaeger, today a R”M at Yeshiva Sh’or Yoshuv, learned in the kollel, highlighted this with a quote from the Chazon Ish. The Chazon Ish writes that those who learn Torah bring a shefa of kedusha and a ruach tahara, a spirit of purity, on the entire surrounding community. Rav Jaeger explained that this shefa of kedusha and ruach tahara also accompanies the supporters of Torah and their communities. Thus, the members of Bais Medrash of Lawrence who have been partnering with the Brisker Kollel of Yerushalayim for three years have the distinction of being instrumental in spreading kedusha and tahara in the entire area!

The reception was graced by numerous Rabbonim, most of whom have children currently learning in the kollel or who are alumni of the Brisker Kollel. In attendance were Rav Shlomo Avigdor Altusky, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Darchei Torah, Rav Moshe Zev Katzenstein, Rosh Yeshiva of the Yeshiva Gedolah of the Five Towns, Rav Mordechai Kamenetzky, Rosh Yeshiva of the Yeshiva of South Shore, Rav Mordechai Stern, Rav of Kehal Heichal Dovid, Rav Pinchos Daniel Weinberger, a Rov in Inwood and Rav Moshe Bender, Menahel of Yeshiva Darchei Torah.

The Partnership with the Brisker Kollel was an Opportunity to Grab!

Dovid Safier, at whose home the event took place, related that “When the idea of Adopt-a-Kollel was mentioned, members of our shul felt it was an important initiative to join.

Especially when the opportunity to partner with the famed Brisker Kollel came our way we felt it was something to grab and that we would gain immeasurably from partnering with such a large group of talmidei chachomim who merit learning all day.”

One of the members of the shul is an alumnus of the kollel and numerous others have connections with the Rosh Kollel, Rav Rosengarten, or other people in the kollel, making the match an excellent one.

Rav Moshe Aharon Rosengarten gave a passionate address wherein he praised the kehillah for the tremendous role they play in enabling the yungeleit to learn with tranquility. He praised the Rav, Rav Fordsham for his spiritual leadership and gave his partner kehillah an update of what is transpiring with the more than 140 people learning in the kollel.

He was delighted to inform the kehillah that after 29 years of learning the Masechtos of Nashim and Nezikin b’Iyun the kollel added a special Kodshim Chaburah this past Elul led by the well-known talmid chochom and lamdan, Rav Simcha Maimon.

He also could not find the proper words to express his praise and simple amazement for the concept of Adopt-a-Kollel and the mesiras nefesh of its founders to facilitate the learning of Toras Eretz Yisrael on such a phenomenal scale.

Something an Outsider Will Never Understand Rav Dovid Fordsham very eloquently brought out the importance and greatness of the shul’s role in undertaking the partnership and continuing to support the kollel with such loyalty.

He explained that the power of Torah and the honor and esteem we have for Torah learning is such that we desire to support its learn-

ing even if we don’t know any of the yungeleit. That is something that an outsider will never understand because it is one of the unique things about Klal Yisrael and this kehillah.

They appreciate Torah learning and want to support it.

Picking up on the theme that Bais Medrash of Lawrence was the first community in the area to join Adopta-Kollel, Rav Fordsham hailed the kehillah saying, “The fact that the first step that this tzibbur undertook as a kehillah (even before I came) was to adopt the Brisker Kollel and the fact that they continue to do so, even increasing the monthly amount that they are sending, serves as a testimony to their priorities and their tremendous chashivus for both Torah and for what lomdei Torah accomplish for Klal Yisrael.”

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Rabbi Tzvi Flaum to be Halachic Consultant for RNSP

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he RNSP (Rockaway Nassau Safety Patrol) is honored that Rabbi Tzvi Flaum has agreed to become our halachic authority on all our procedural issues. Rabbi Flaum, present chairman of the Vaad Harabanim of Far Rockaway and Lawrence, previously served as the rabbi of Congregation Kneseth Israel (The White Shul) and before that was the rav of the Torah Center of Hillcrest. He has also been a professor of Judaic Studies at Stern College for Women and currently at Lander College for Women.

The RNSP has been actively protecting and supporting our communities in many different capacities since before Hurricane Sandy. It has grown from a handful of dedicated volunteers

to an experienced and seasoned organization utilizing the most modern and advanced technology. Our growing numbers have increased our capacity to help the community effectively, often without them even being aware of our activities.

As the RNSP has grown so has our need for halachic guidance. The complexity of some of our operations have necessitated our calling upon seasoned and learned poskim to insure that all our procedures follow halachic guidelines. When it became clearly necessary for the volunteers to carry radios on Shabbos and yom tov, Harav Dovid Cohen and Harav Benyomin Forst were consulted. They prepared halachic protocols to deal with the relevant

issurim and also to maintain the proper respect for Shabbos and yom tov.

The next step, taken this past week, has been to appoint a dedicated Rav with an expertise in the relevant halachic areas to help with the situations that come up on a regular basis. We are greatly pleased and honored that Rabbi Flaum has graciously agreed to become the posek for the RNSP. This will entail his being available to the organization as a whole as well as to the individual members at all hours for halachic guidance for pressing matters.

Rabbi Flaum attended the most recent RNSP membership meeting which included an open forum. He spoke to the volunteers about his back-

ground and experience and how his expertise can be applied in his position as posek for our chapter of the RNSP. He fielded questions from the members about potential scenarios requiring halachic decisions and discussed how these have been handled in the past and will be handled in the future. We of the RNSP look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with Rabbi Flaum.

Should you ever need the assistance of the RNSP, call its 24/7 Hotline at 917-727-7306. To sign up to receive security alerts, or to email any concern you may have, please do so through securityalerts@RockawayNassau.org.

The Spirit of Shabbat at YHT Shabbaton

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he 7th grade of Yeshiva Har Torah held their annual West Hempstead Shabbaton on January 20. The Shabbaton is always a highlight of the year as the girls anxiously look forward to a Shabbat together with friends and teachers. The Shabbaton was hosted

by Eitz Chaim in West Hempstead, with the girls staying at classmates and YHT families in the area. The meals were hosted at the Shul, where the Shabbat tables were beautifully adorned, as the girls had been hard at work designing centerpieces for the tables. This year’s theme was Emunah and was reflected in the centerpieces and divrei Torah throughout the Shabbaton.

After the meal on Friday night, the girls and their morot joined an amazing “Tish” with spirited singing, skits and divrei Torah by Rabbi Efrem Scwalb, Rabbi of Eitz Chaim, who stopped in to share a beautiful thought on the parsha. Shabbat

morning began with tefillah at Eitz Chaim followed by a lavish kiddush and parsha shiur by the Menahel Rabbi Menchel. After a delicious lunch in the Shul, the 7th grade girls welcomed back YHT alumni who now attend different local high schools.

The YHT alumni formed a panel and answered questions relating to life in high school, and of course, what

they miss most about YHT. After the dessert and alumni panel, the girls joined their morot in a hilarious and classic game of Headbanz. Later the girls walked to the Young Israel of West Hempstead to meet with Rabbi Yehudah Kelemer, who answered the girls many questions on Torah and hashkafa. After Seudah Shlishit, hosted by Dr. Fred and Huvi Cohen,

the girls joined together for an outdoor havdalah led by Rabbi Ahron Rosenthal.

To bring the beautiful Shabbaton to an end, the girls then had a “Cake War” hosted at Mrs. Yael Greenberger’s home as they enjoyed a Melava Malka and, bringing to a close, an amazing Shabbat!

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YOSS and the Significance of Krias Shema al Hamitah

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very class from first through eighth grade at Yeshiva of South Shore took part in a very special assembly at which they heard an impassioned address by Rav Dov Keilson, Mashgiach Ruchani of Mesivta Darchei Torah, on the topic of Krias Shema al Hamita. Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky, Rosh Yeshiva, introduced the topic by relating the power of learning by example from great people, just as the Yeshiva recently took inspiration from his mother, Rebbetin Tzirel Kamenetzky, a”h, for all students to focus on reciting daily brachos with kavanah.

Rav Keilson spoke to the boys, each on their grade level, about the importance of the powerful but sometimes neglected mitzvah of reciting krias shema and related tefillos each night before bed. He began by explaining to the audience what prompted him to take upon himself this campaign of spreading awareness of saying krias shema al hamita throughout Yeshivos all over the United States and in Eretz Yisrael. His mother, a”h, he explained, lived with her grandmother when she was a little child. At the age of eight she noticed her saintly grandmother “talking” in bed prior to falling asleep. “With whom are you talking?” asked the young girl.

Her grandmother replied that she is talking to Hashem! Since that day and for the next 65 years, his mother, a”h, said krias shema al hamitah every night with kavanah and passion.

It is for this reason that Rabbi Keilson along with his father Reb Lloyd Keilson decided to memorialize her by producing 10,000 laminated placards to personally give out to tinokos shel beis rabban, children studying Torah.

“This is an especially appropriate

Rav Keilson addressing the Mechina division of YOSS

focus for our older talmidim,” said Rabbi Draiman, the Menahel of the Mechina division. “Many of our boys have taken upon themselves this year to increase their focus on reciting Krias Shema daily at Shacharis and Maariv by reciting the words out loud together in unison with concentration using the Torah reading ‘trop’ as discussed in Shulchan Aruch. This practice is a beautiful enhancement to the Yeshiva’s daily kol tefillah, and it is therefore a natural next step to emphasize the important mitzvah of nightly Shema before bed with the tefilos and bracha of Hamapil to reinforce our emunah andbBitachon. It is our hope that the visit and the stirring words from Rav Keilson serve as a catalyst towards a greater appreciation of this precious mitzvah.”

YOSS thanks Rabbi Kielson and family for this meaningful opportunity and focus. May this mitzvah serve as a big aliyas neshamah for Mrs. Harriet Kielson, a”h, and a merit for the entire Jewish world.

At a time of great distress and difficulty for Klal Yisroel, this important mitzvah asking for Hashem’s protection is a meaningful focus for all of us to commit to.

Tojo by Rafi Sackville Page 88

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Around the Community

Assemblyman Kaminsky Running to Replace Dean Skelos

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urrounded by neighbors, family and supporters, former federal prosecutor Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky announced today his candidacy to replace Dean Skelos in the New York State Senate. A lifelong fighter for integrity in politics and for the residents of his native South Shore, Kaminsky pledged to clean up Albany and stand up for Long Island.

As the former lead prosecutor of the federal government’s local public corruption unit, Kaminsky won big cases against corrupt Democrats and Republicans before his election to the State Assembly. Since then, Kaminsky has delivered results for Long

Assemblyman Kaminsky with Scott Feltman

Island, winning tax relief for Sandy victims, significantly increasing education funding for the South Shore, and passing reforms to hold Albany lawmakers accountable.

“As a corruption prosecutor, I was proud of the work I did, successfully convicting both Democrats and Republicans for violating the public’s trust. But, as we’ve seen in our own community, the corruption continues,” Kaminsky said at his announcement. “We must return our government to where it belongs – into the hands of the people – so that it will deliver the results Long Island deserves.

“There is a real cost to corruption. The fight against corruption is the fight for better schools. The fight against corruption is the fight for lower taxes. The fight against corruption is the fight for a better Long Island,” Kaminsky continued.

“We are at a pivotal moment for Long Island and for New York. If we don’t fix what’s wrong with our government, we will not be able to fix what’s wrong with our cities, villages and towns. Today is when we start.

Today we stand together to bring integrity back to Albany, to take our government back, and to make it work for Long Islanders. Today I an-

nounce my candidacy for the State Senate.”

The 9th Senate District seat became automatically vacant upon Skelos’s conviction in December on charges of bribery, extortion and conspiracy. The Nassau County Democrats chose Kaminsky as their preference for the seat on January 5.

A committee to help elect Kaminsky to the Senate opened earlier this month, and raised more than $250,000 in less than one week.

Kaminsky also reported two weeks ago that he already had more than $332,000 on-hand for a Senate race.

comes the fun! Every few weeks, the girls are treated to a series of activities designed just for them. Whether it’s cake decorating, craft projects, or even color war, every activity at CSI is full of excitement and surprises!

Special thanks to all of our energetic and talented eighth-grade volunteers who dedicate their Thursday nights every single week to help out in the community, and to their leaders Elisheva Adler and Chaviva Kay!

Also a very special thank you to Sushi Tokyo for generously sponsoring sushi platters for CSI! The girls really enjoyed! CSI is grateful to all of its partners for their continued support, namely Mr. and Mrs. Bernie Lisitza, TOVA Mentoring, The White Shul, and the Jewish Education Project, an agency committed to sparking and spreading innovations that expand the reach and increase the impact of Jewish education.

Food, Fun, and Chessed at CSI

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s 2016 begins, the student volunteers of the Community Service Initiative of Far Rockaway are looking back at all they have achieved since the start of the school year and cannot help but be amazed by how much they accomplished this year! Every Thursday evening, this group of energetic eight grade girls gather at the White Shul to eat great food and have a great time – all while helping the community. In the past

few weeks, our volunteers have been involved in all sorts of community service projects, including baking cookies for Bikur Cholim, sorting Box Tops for local yeshivas, and helping JEP with their mailing! But they don’t stop there – the CSI team has also spent the past few months exploring different facets of chessed by participating in workshops and discussions that inspire them to think about what it means to be a true giver. And then, of course,

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Staycation at the Library

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his past week, so many packed their bags for vacation.

Lots of locals packed too.

Not clothing or shoes. They packed their excitement and smiles, off to the library for a fun-filled week!

The Levi Yitzchok Library was buzzing with members and visitors attending our three story times, two video presentations, enjoying handson projects, and of course the highlight, The Small Wonder Puppet Theater!

We are so glad that we were able to turn vacation time for so many into staycation lifetime memories!

We look forward to beginning our new sessions of our A Little Curious - Mommy & Me program, Homework Buddies, Sunday Centers & more.

For information about our ongoing programs, email info@Lylibrary. org or call (516)374-2665.

Community Wide Parenting Workshop at Gesher in Memory of Michelle (Psaty) Rubinstein a”h

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ur community suffered a terrible tragedy just several months ago. Michelle Rubinstein passed away at the young age of 31 after a short battle with a terminal illness that developed while she was pregnant with her third child.

Michelle’s family, the Psatys, moved to Cedarhurst when she was 20 years old. She grew up in Queens, attending YCQ, Central, and Shevach. After a year in Afikei Torah, she returned to America and began her college career at Touro.

In May 2007, Michelle married Yaakov Rubinstein, who was originally from Plainview and also moved to the area, settling with his family in Woodmere in 1996. Although she was busy raising her young family while her husband was in law school, she was committed to pursuing her dreams.

Her passion for education, specifically to help children who struggle, led her to work towards her dual Masters in Education and Special Education. She had a special affinity for early childhood and worked for one year each in the preschools of HALB and the Yeshiva of South Shore.

After graduating, Michelle began

working as a SEIT (Special Education Itinerant Teacher) and eventually found a position as a classroom teacher at the On Our Way Learning Center. Having been exposed to early childhood yeshiva based chinuch as well as early childhood special education, this reinforced her desire to see every child receive the proper support. Although On Our Way is a non-sectarian program, there are many children from frum families who attend in order to receive proper special education services.

During this period Michelle became familiar with the Gesher Early Childhood Center. Gesher serves as a transition program, providing a chinuch based curriculum while

addressing challenges that affect a child’s ability to succeed in a typical yeshiva classroom. She had several frum students who were preparing to leave On Our Way but were not quite ready to enroll in the yeshiva system.

Michelle visited Gesher and was extremely impressed by the product that they were offering to our community.

Her husband, Yaakov, recounts her feelings about Gesher. “Michelle really believed that the model used in Gesher was extremely important.

Kids very often need the extra individual attention and support before entering a Yeshiva classroom. It bothered her that Gesher was not yet big enough to take in more students and she very much wanted to see the program grow.”

The young Rubinstein family settled in Far Rockaway. With two young children and a third on the way, a job that she enjoyed, and her husband working at a law firm in Manhattan, the pieces of the puzzle seemed to be falling into place. But Hashem had other plans. Michelle was nifteres on 27 Tammuz, several weeks after the healthy delivery of their third child.

Shortly after her petira, Yaakov

contacted the Gesher administration, detailing his wife’s impressions of Gesher and expressing his desire to team together to perpetuate her memory by keeping alive her dreams to properly support all children.

One of the new initiatives at Gesher this year is to provide community-wide workshops and continuing education for parents, educators, and related service providers. It is consistent with Gesher’s commitment to provide the best and most effective resources to our community.

These workshops will be dedicated to the memory of a young mother, a teacher, who shared the same goal as the organization that will be linked to her name, Michal Ariella a”h bas Avraham Yitzchak.

The next workshop will be held on Wednesday evening, February 17 at 8 pm. The topic will be “Raising Healthy Children – the Balance Between Love and Limits” and will be presented by Dr. Naftoli Reichmann, a highly sought after Behavioral Psychologist.

For more information or to be advised of future events, please contact workshops@gesher-ecc.org or call 516-730-7377.

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OCTOBER 2015 | The Jewish Home FEBRUARY29, 4, 2016

TJH !

Centerfold

You gotta be

kidding

Over breakfast one morning, Marlene says to her husband, Isaac, “I’ll bet you don’t know what day this is.”

“Of course I do!” answers Isaac, as if he is offended.

Isaac then says goodbye to his wife and goes to work.

At 10:00 a.m., the doorbell rings. Marlene opens it and there is a delivery of a dozen long stemmed red roses. At 1:00 p.m., a foil-wrapped, two-pound box of her favorite chocolates is delivered. Later, a boutique delivers a designer dress.

When Isaac comes home, he says with a big grin, “So Marlene, how was your day?”

“First the flowers, then the chocolates and then the dress!” exclaims Marlene. “I’ve never had a more wonderful Groundhog Day in my life!”

?

Riddle me this?

Sara’s new house number has three digits.

When she challenged her friends to guess it, they guessed the numbers: 135, 780, 785, and 732.

“That’s amazing,” Sara said. “You’ve each guessed exactly one digit correctly and in its right place!”

What is Sara’s house number?

See answer on opposite page

Football Speak D I had pro offers from the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers, who were pretty hard up for linemen in those days. If I had gone into professional football the name Jerry Ford might have been a household word today. President Gerald Ford D I want to rush for 1,000 or 1,500 yards, whichever comes first. - Saints RB, George Rogers D I’ve been big ever since I was little. - Refrigerator Perry

D Most football players are temperamental. That’s 90 percent temper and 10 percent mental. Doug Plank, former Chicago Bears player and football coach D Rapport? You mean like, “You run as fast as you can, and I’ll throw it as far as I can?” - QB Jeff Kemp on his rapport with WR Jerry Rice D I feel like I’m the best, but you’re not going to get me to say that. - Jerry Rice

D Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein. - Joe Theismann D You guys line up alphabetically by height.

- Houston Oilers Head Coach Bill Peterson D Men, I want you just thinking of one word all season. One word and one word only: Super Bowl.

- Houston Oilers Head Coach Bill Peterson

The TheJewish JewishHome Home||OCTOBER FEBRUARY29, 4, 2015 2016

*

Denver-Carolina Trivia

1. How is Denver’s quarterback’s first name spelled? (Warning: If you look to any of the following questions to answer this one, you are DISQUALIFIED!) a. Payton b. Peyton c. Paiton d. Peiton

3. Which college did Peyton Manning play for? a. Ohio State University b. University of Florida c. University of Tennessee d. Virginia Tech University 4. Peyton Manning is 1-2 in the Super Bowl. Which one did he win? a. 40 b. 38 c. 39 d. 41 5. Within a one-year span, Cam Newton was awarded the

Heisman Trophy, won a national championship, and become the first overall pick in an NFL draft.

Which other current NFL players can say the same thing? a. Aaron Rogers b. Tom Brady c. Adrian Peterson d. Peyton Manning e. Ben Roethlisberger f. None 6. What is Denver’s Super Bowl record in the 7 Super Bowls that they played in? a. 6-1 b. 5-2 c. 3-4 d. 2-5 7. In their only prior Super Bowl appearance, in Super Bowl XXXVIII, the Carolina Panthers played the New England Patriots.

8. In what year did the Panthers join the NFL? a. 1992 b. 1995 c. 1999 d. 2002 Answers 1. B 2. C 3. C 4. D 5. F 6. D 7. A 8. B Game Key: 6-8 Correct – Cut it out with that victory dance…

UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT…15 YARD PENALTY! 3-5 Correct – You get a participation trophy.

0-2 Correct – Too many concussions?

Answer to riddle: 182 The first digit must be 1 or 7. It can’t be 7 as only one digit is correct in each guess. So it’s 1. The other digits in guess #1

2. Which of the following colleges did Cam Newton not play for? a. Auburn b. Blinn College c. Georgia Tech d. University of Florida

What was the final score in their Super Bowl XXXVIII appearance? a. New England 32 - Carolina 29 b. Carolina 32 - New England 29 c. Carolina 28 - New England 14 d. New England 21- Carolina 9

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(i.e. 3 and 5) must be incorrect. Therefore, from guess #3, the second digit is 8. Guess #4 has a correct digit which must be its third: 2.

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FEBRUARY 4, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Torah Thought

Parshas Mishpatim

By Rabbi Berel Wein

O

ne would perhaps have thought that after the exalted experience of G-d’s revelation at Mount Sinai, the Torah would proceed to portray the idyllic life that Torah represents both spiritually and physically. Instead, this week’s Torah reading describes a rather fractured world – one of slavery, criminal behavior, property disputes, physical

assaults and negligent behavior.

Would it not have made the idea of observance more appealing if the Torah would have described a utopian vision of peace and harmony, altruism and good will, in short, a more perfect world? But, there is a great lesson in the parsha of Mishpatim with its dark, mundane, almost resigned view of human behavior

and society.

The Torah has no illusions about human behavior. It recognizes that we were all driven out of the Garden of Eden long ago and have never been allowed to reenter that more perfect existence. The Torah does not promise us freedom from the problems of inherent human nature and resultant behavior. What it does do is to give us guidance – rules, if you wish – as to how to effectively deal with the problems that we face daily.

This view of Torah eases, somewhat, the terrible philosophic problem of why apparently good people suffer reverses, pain and defeat in life. The Torah teaches us how to deal with such situations, but it never guarantees that the situations would not arise in our lifetime experience.

A great deal of the analysis and worldview of the Talmud and rabbinic Judaism is based upon the verses of the Torah that are found in the parsha of Mishpatim. The verses in this parsha presuppose the existence, indeed the omnipresence, of the problems and conflicts of daily human existence. Family life, workplace relationships, professional behavior and malfeasance, temptations of wealth and power, hurtful words, physical discipline, etc., are all dealt with in the parsha.

There is always a modicum of preventive behavior that the Torah encourages us to follow. However, most of the Torah addresses problems and situations that already exist. It speaks of the real situations that constantly occur in life and does not in any way guarantee that life’s problems can be avoided. Even the

most righteous amongst us fall seven times. The challenge of the Torah is to rise again and continue.

Resilience is the key trait in a Torah personality. In fact, it is this trait above all others that has fashioned Jewish existence and contributed to Jewish survival throughout the ages.

Surely, many a national and/or personal tragedy along the way could have been prevented and avoided.

The Torah teaches us how to deal with such situations, but it never guarantees that the situations would not arise in our lifetime experience.

But that is all water under the bridge – a situation over which we no longer have any input or control. As Moshe so aptly put it at the end of the Torah, these are “the hidden things – the past that is no longer with us.” “But what is revealed and present before us and our generations is to observe and heed the guidelines of the Torah forever.” Torah wisdom and our resilience will always help us deal with life’s problems, issues and challenges.

Shabbat shalom.

The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

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FEBRUARY 4, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Torah Shmuz

Parshas Mishpatim Forces of the Upper World

By R’ Ben Tzion Shafier

“You shall not allow a sorceress to live.” — Shemos 22:17

T

he Sefer HaChinuch explains that the mitzvah to destroy sorcerers is based on the foundation that Hashem created a perfect world. Everything in this world has a plan and a purpose, and everything is in exact balance. To maintain a perfect physical world, Hashem created a spiritual world to guide it. From the stars and planets, down to the trees and grass, behind every physical entity is a spiritual counterpart that is responsible for its existence. Chazal tell us, “No blade of grass grows without an angel guiding it” (Bereishis Rabbah 10:6).

Hashem forbade sorcery because it throws off the balance of the upper world, thereby throwing the physical world into imbalance, too.

This Sefer HaChinuch is far removed from our experience and is difficult to relate to. A way to better understand it is to focus on an example from medical history.

CHILDBED FEVER

In 1846, the young physician, Ig-

nac Semmelweis, was appointed the head of obstetrics of the Vienna General Hospital. He was soon confronted with a very troubling issue.

The hospitals had two wards where women gave birth. One was a regular ward of the hospital, attended by physicians schooled in the most modern medical techniques of the times. The other was a charity ward, serviced by women trained to act as midwives. The strange thing was that expectant women would do everything in their power to be admitted to the charity ward instead of the regular one. The patient death rate was ten times greater in the regular ward.

Semmelweis was dumfounded.

He could find no reason for the increased death rate. He researched everything: the procedure in the delivery room, the laundry used to wrap the babies, and the air circulation. He spent months visiting other hospitals. He read everything available in the literature of the day. There was no explanation until finally one day, it dawned on him.

In those days, the only way to do meaningful research was on cadavers. Semmelweis would begin each day at the morgue, dissecting the bodies of women who had died in

childbirth. He would then go directly to aid in delivering babies. And he would do so without washing his hands or wearing gloves. This was the 1850’s; germ theory hadn’t been discovered yet.

“Perhaps,” he thought to himself, “there is something that I am carrying from the corpses to the young mothers, and that is causing the outbreak of childbed fever.” He then instituted a policy that every doctor had to vigorously wash his hands in a solution of lime and chlorine before touching a patient. Within days, the outbreak of childbed fever decreased.

Within weeks, the death rate was half of that on the charity ward.

What Semmelweis discovered was that he had been carrying invisible entities that couldn’t be seen by the naked eye, and these were responsible for the death of his patients. Sadly, not only didn’t he become a hero for making this discovery, he was mocked. No one believed him. “Impossible,” they said. “Something that can’t be seen is responsible for killing people? Nonsense!” And it wasn’t until decades later that germ theory became accepted in medical circles.

Mankind was beginning to dis-

cover a whole new world. Humans cannot see it unaided, but it is a world as real as bricks and mortar, and it has a profound impact on our lives.

AN UNSEEN WORLD

This example may help us better relate to what the Sefer HaChinuch is saying. We live in wondrous times when technological advances and scientific knowledge abound. We enjoy an understanding of the physical world that previous generations couldn’t imagine. And in that sense, modern man is advanced. There is, however, an entire other world that modern man is unaware of.

When we look at a complex and vast ecosystem, we are seeing but the tip of the iceberg. As massive as the ecosystem may be, the upper worlds that guide it are far more intricate.

Each physical entity has a conscious guiding force that directs and supervises it, and all these forces, the beings of the upper world, live in harmony and peace. Each has its set of directives and its mission, and each recognizes Hashem, knowing its place in the cosmos.

Hashem placed this world at man’s disposal. In a real sense, man is the steward of Creation. He was as-

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brings about a new fruit. To the uneducated eye, all that he has done is created a palmetto. But to someone who sees the upper worlds, man has mixed spiritual forces and created turbulence in Creation. The Torah

signed the task of building this world and nurturing it: planting seeds to grow his daily bread, harnessing forces of nature to better his life, and using this world as a tool to serve his Creator.

When man thinks that he is bettering Creation, he is arrogantly assuming that Hashem needs his help, but he is missing the complexity and depth of what guides this world.

warns us against sha’atnez — breeding different species of animal, wearing certain combinations of fabric,

Hashem gave man dramatic power. When he takes a branch from one tree and grafts it to another, he

and grafting different types of fruit — because Hashem created a perfect world that lacks nothing and needs no improvement. When man thinks that he is bettering Creation, he is arrogantly assuming that Hashem needs his help, but he is missing the complexity and depth of what guides this world.

So, too, Hashem gave man power to directly manipulate the upper world, but forbade him to use that power because it throws the physical world that depends on it out of balance. When man engages in sorcery, he disrupts the balance of Creation and convolutes the fine symmetry of the upper worlds. The Torah forbids black magic because it muddles up the underpinnings of a perfect world.

This mitzvah has a very practical message.

One of the reasons it is difficult for us to recognize the ramifications

of our actions is because we perceive this world only in concrete terms. We aren’t attuned to the spiritual world behind it. When we focus on forces beyond our experiences, we come to recognize how much Hashem put into our control and we begin to understand the gravity of our actions.

Hashem created a world in exact balance and put us in the position to use it. When we use this world properly, we are elevated, fulfilling our purpose in Creation, and the world itself is uplifted, fulfilling its purpose in Creation.

Rabbi Shafier is the founder of the Shmuz.com. The Shmuz is an engaging, motivating shiur that deals with real life issues. All of the Shmuzin are available free of chaarge at the www.theShmuz. com or on the Shmuz app for iPhone or Android.

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The Observant Jew

The Great Shopping Cart Debate

By Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz

I

t’s February again and time once more for National Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket month. It’s been some time since I wrote about people who don’t return their shopping carts after use and leave them instead in a parking spot or other place where they inconvenience others.

I guess in honor of this lesser-known seasonal observance, I’ll revisit the topic.

Many of my readers will remember the children’s book, The Pushcart War. It won many awards and revolved around the story of the big bully truck companies who pushed around the small peddlers and damaged their pushcarts until they staged a revolt and flattened thousands of truck tires with pea shooters.

The Pushcart War may be a work of fiction, but the Great Shopping Cart Debate really happened. You see, even though I don’t write about it on a regular basis, I still notice when people don’t return their carts. I still pull into parking spaces only to find I must stop my car halfway into the space and get out to move the wagon from the front or side of the space so I can pull all the way in.

Well, not too long ago, I saw a scene unfold not only before my very eyes, but

before the camera on my phone! I was pulling into a shopping strip and saw a cart slowly rolling towards the store. I could only surmise that the person in the van that was about to back up had pushed it too weakly to make it all the way to the store. As I watched, almost knowing what would happen, the driver began to back out, meticulously maneuvering around the cart which was now directly in her way.

Another car backing out had to move awkwardly to avoid hitting it as well, and a woman who emerged from the store and got about two feet from the wagon pulled herself back onto the curb.

The video I took shows all three in proximity to the cart and then all three moving away, leaving the lone shopping cart sitting forlornly in the middle of the roadway.

I posted that video online and commented, “Why I write what I write.” Three people had a chance and a reason to move the cart yet none of the three did. I didn’t mean to make any grand statement with my video, other than to share the source of my exasperation.

(I parked and then moved the wagon myself.)

That’s when the debate began. Someone commented on the video, “I think we

have bigger problems than this.” Well, I hadn’t said this was the number one crisis affecting the Jewish People, only that this was something I’d taken note of. Then the commenter remarked, “This must be in New York; people are rude there.” He maintained his position that this was not a big issue, and certainly not one worth noticing or commenting on.

My devoted wife came to my defense, stating she’d seen it all over the place and that bein adam l’chaveiro, thinking of others, was something we should train ourselves in, even through the seemingly small act of thinking of others by returning our carts.

You might think the Great Debate was over, but you’d be wrong! The commenter came back and said, “I stand strongly that maybe we need to concentrate on really really serious problems. Like children going off the derech, like the world killing Jews. So I appreciate [the] one shopping cart at a time philosophy, I just can’t relate.”

I reached out privately and asked why he had to comment that way. Did it bother him that I was making a comment on something? I pointed out to him that his comment could

undermine my writing and perhaps cause damage to my parnassa, which is patent lashon hara. I further mentioned that when my wife got involved, his persistence could make her think people don’t respect me, causing a disruption of shalom bayis and driving away the Shechi-

could use it as a means to keep us from losing our humanity. Focusing on others would give us a good start to solving our other problems.

And, February is also National Boost Your Self-Esteem Month. I bet if we think of others and act purposefully in our behaviors, we’ll start

Focusing on others would give us a good start to solving our other problems.

na. Surely that was a sufficiently big problem to warrant silence on his part? He didn’t respond, but neither did he remove his comments.

I never said that this was the biggest problem in our society, but the truth is the same outlook that causes people to be focused on themselves is what causes them to do worse things, drives people away from Yiddishkeit, and inspires the nations to hate us. If we don’t have pity on each other, why would they have pity on us?

National Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket month was intended to keep storeowners from losing money, but I think we

to feel much better about the people we’re becoming. And that would truly be something to celebrate.

Jonathan Gewirtz is an inspirational writer and speaker whose work has appeared in publications around the world.

You can find him at www. facebook.com/RabbiGewirtz and follow him on Twitter @ RabbiJGewirtz. He also operates JewishSpeechWriter.com, where you can order a custom-made speech for your next special occasion. Sign up for the Migdal Ohr, his weekly PDF Dvar Torah in English. E-mail info@JewishSpeechWriter.com and put Subscribe in the subject.

The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

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FEBRUARY 4, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Between the Lines

A Lender Be

By Eytan Kobre

A

clergyman preaching against the ills of lending money on usury contended that it is a sin tantamount to murder.

When, a short while later, the clergyman asked to borrow twenty dollars from one of his parishioners, the latter was incredulous.

“What? After declaring that lending money on usury is as grave as murder?”

“I do not mean,” explained the parson, “that you should lend it to me on usury, but interest-free.”

“That,” replied the parishioner, “would be suicide!”

Society regards money-lending as an unfeeling business transaction at best, and an unwise and unsavory proposition to be sure. Bob Hope was only half joking when he quipped that a bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don’t need it. Shakespeare offered an even dimmer view of money-lending when he opined, through the Hamlet character Polonius, “Neither a borrower nor a lender be.”

And interest-free loans?

They’re regarded as sheer lunacy – or suicide.

But the Torah perspective on money-lending could not be more different. Although seemingly phrased as optional – “if you lend money to my people” – lending money, sans interest, is an absolute commandment (Shemos 22:24 and Mechilta ad loc.).We regard lending as serious but compassionate business. G-d heeds the call of those who lend to the poor (Yevamos 63a; Yeshaya 58:9), and the reward for lending money interest-free is the equivalent of the reward for all other commandments (Tanchuma, Mishpatim 9). On the other hand, the Torah criticizes those who refuse to lend money to the needy (Rambam, Malveh v’Loveh 1:1), and one who does so is tantamount to an idolater (Devarim 15:9; Bava Basra 10a; Pele Yoetz, Halva’a). In the end, G-d publicly exposes one who possesses the means to lend but claims not to (Yoma 11b).

Of the eight levels of charity, lending money is the highest (Rambam, Matnos Aniyim 10:7). In fact, in some respects, lending money is even greater than giving it away as charity (Shabbos 63a; Avos d’Reb-

bi Nosson 41:2; Sefer Chasidim No. 1,034; Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat 97:1). Given this standing, it is no surprise that the Chofetz Chaim’s treatise on loving-kindness begins not with the laws of charity or visiting the sick or comforting mourners; it begins with the laws of lending (Ahavas Chesed, Introduction and Chapter 1).

The benefits of lending, as opposed to charitable giving, are impressive. A loan can help the borrower avoid reaching a state of poverty in the first place (Rambam, Malveh v’Loveh 1:1). A loan also is far less humiliating than a hand-out (Rashi, Shabbos 63a; see Taz, Choshen Mishpat 97). Whatever the theory, lending money is the highest form of charity because it enables the borrower to build wealth while maintaining dignity.

The third Lubavitcher Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek, merited to receive divine visions of his saintly grandfather, R’ Shneur Zalman of Liadi, who had passed away years earlier. These visions afforded the Tzemach Tzedek the unique opportunity

to have his grandfather resolve great Torah imponderables.

When the visions ceased abruptly, the Tzemach Tzedek was distraught, as he had come to rely upon his grandfather’s wisdom.

One morning, as the Tzemach Tzedek was walking to shul, he was approached by a merchant named R’ Mordechai Eliyahu, who asked to borrow a few rubles for the day.

“Certainly,” replied the Tzemach Tzedek. “Come to my house after I return from shul and I will happily lend you the money.”

The Tzemach Tzedek soon was in shul, preparing for prayer. But as he did, he couldn’t help but regret having delayed the loan. After all, he thought, our sages made it a point of giving charity before praying, and lending money is even greater than charity. Surely, then, a loan should be given before prayer! So he returned home at once and took out the amount of money the merchant needed.

The marketplace bustled in the meantime. Hordes of consumers haggled loudly, animals brayed and clucked,

and merchants fought one another for prospective customers. After much effort, he finally located R’ Mordechai Eliyahu and loaned him the requested funds.

And no sooner did the Tzemach Tzedek return to shul than his grandfather reappeared, his face beaming.

“Lending money to a fellow Jew in a wholehearted fashion has great merit,” counseled R’ Shneur Zalman, “and that merit alone can throw the gates of heaven wide open.”

But perhaps the greatest benefit in lending is not the impact it has on the borrower but the impact it has on the lender. Indeed, the commandment to lend is intended to teach us to become kinder and more caring people (Sefer HaChinuch, No. 67). After all, if the point were simply to benefit those in need, G-d wouldn’t need us; He could cut out the middle-man, so to speak, and just give the money directly. Instead, He made us His emissaries for our benefit – to foster within ourselves a deeper appreciation and love for our fellow man.

Viewed as such, the lend-

The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

er benefits as much or more than the borrower (Kli Yakar, Shemos 22:24). Indeed, when we lend money to those in need, we are told to “envision ourselves as if we are

those in need.

A stranger once asked R’ Zalman to borrow three hundred rubles for a period of 90 days. Because R’ Zalman didn’t recognize him,

able to grant the loan, the man turned to leave, tears streaming down his face.

R’ Zalman just couldn’t tolerate such a sorry sight.

“Hold on,” R’ Zalman

And no sooner did the Tzemach Tzedek return to shul than his grandfather reappeared, his face beaming.

the ones in need” (Shemos 22:24 and Rashi ad loc.; see Michtav M’Eliyahu Vol 5, pg.

49). Because, in a sense, we are.

R’ Zalman of Vilna was a learned and wealthy man, and he made it a point to offer interest-free loans to

however, he asked whether there was someone willing to guarantee the loan.

“I am new here,” answered the man, “so no one knows me well enough to act as guarantor.”

When R’ Zalman apologized that he was un-

called out. “Isn’t there anyone in the entire city who might guarantee the loan?”

“My only guarantor is G-d Himself,” shrugged the man.

Now R’ Zalman’s face brightened. “Well, why did

you say so earlier? I couldn’t ask for a better guarantor!”

Without hesitation, R’ Zalman scribbled on a piece of paper the words, “He who has pity upon the poor lends to G-d” (Mishlei 19:17), and placed the note in his loan files, handing the man three hundred rubles.

Ninety days later, the borrower returned to R’ Zalman. “I’ve come to repay the loan.”

“Oh, I can’t take the money,” replied R’ Zalman. “Your guarantor already has repaid the loan. You see, shortly after you borrowed the money, an unexpected business venture presented itself to me and I made a profit of exactly three hundred rubles.”

But the man was adamant about repaying the loan. In the end, the two agreed that the money would

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be returned to R’ Zalman and earmarked for loans to others – and they would split all future merits generated by the money. * * * Lending is about helping others but also about helping ourselves – to become more kind and compassionate people. So the next time you have the opportunity to lend a buck (or more) or some personal article, remember that you may be the principal beneficiary of your own munificence.

Lend happily. Lend generously. Ditch Shakespeare.

A lender be.

Eytan Kobre is a writer, speaker, mediator, and attorney living in Kew Gardens Hills. Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

E-mail eakobre@outlook.com.

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FEBRUARY 4, 2016 | The Jewish Home

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A Fulfilled L fe

A Just Approach to Parenting

By Rabbi Naphtali Hoff

A

few years back, Time Magazine published an article entitled, “Why American Kids are Brats (and their parents might be getting just what they deserve).” In it, author Judith Warner noted a strong contrast between the approach of American parents and their French counterparts.

Having lived in both countries for many years, she maintained that, on the whole, “French kids can be a whole lot more pleasant to be around than our own.

They’re more polite. They’re better socialized. They generally get with the program; they help out when called upon to do so, and they don’t demand special treatment.

And that comes directly from being taught, from the earliest age, that they’re not the only ones with feelings and needs.”

Where does this compliance and empathy come from? According to Warner, it is the emphasis that French parents put on demanding that their children behave respectfully toward other people. In sad contrast, parents in the U.S. often do just the opposite, assiduously striving to ensure that their children’s wants and needs came first, no matter what.

This approach to parenting was based on the notion that if you didn’t teach your child to “self-advocate” no one will,

and that your child would get left behind in the great stampede for life’s many rewards.

In Warner’s mind, even us urging our kids to say “please” and “thank you” is no more than a “feeble attempt to make our children (and ourselves) look good.”

Her proof? The fact that we too often fail to impress upon them the need to do the things that convey a deeper expression of courtesy, such as making eye contact and saying “hello” and “goodbye.”

These behaviors convey to other people that they matter and are worthy of respect. To many American parents, it’s far more important that their children be in touch with their feelings and be true to themselves than it is they create good feeling around them through “superficial” good manners.

Despite the general impression that this week’s parsha focuses almost exclusively on torts and damages, the fact is that much of Mishpatim deals with the interpersonal side of human relations, even when no physical harm has been caused.

And whoever kidnaps a man, and he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death. And one who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. (Shemos 21:16-17) Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch comments that “steal-

ing human beings is actual destruction of the dignity of a human being. Towards a father and mother one does not need to go so far, even expressing the desire for their ruin incurs capital punishment.” From here we see that damage is not always measured in quantitative dollars and cents. In fact, a person is punished more severely for cursing his parents (sekila – stoning) than for hitting them (chenek – strangulation).

Much of the 4th and 5th aliyos also deal with matters of empathy and interpersonal consideration, for such matters as not accepting a false report, not serving as a false witness, not following the majority for evil, and not oppressing a stranger.

Strangely, the second half of the fifth aliya switches focus to shemitta, Shabbos and the three primary festivals, only to conclude with the well known prohibition of cooking meat and milk together.

“You shall not cook a kid in its mother’s milk.” (Ibid 23:19) At first glance, this last dictate would appear to have no relation to anything that had appeared beforehand.

Certainly, it does not have any obvious connection with the general theme of mishpatim, the laws that govern societal relationships and civic responsibilities. However, maybe we can identify something within this mitzvah that can

help explain why it was chosen to be the one to serve as the culminating message of mishpatim. (The latter part of the parsha moves on to discuss Hashem’s plans for the Jewish conquest of Eretz Yisrael.)

The imagery of cooking a child in its mother’s milk is most striking. Milk serves as the lifeline of a young child; it is through its mother’s personal nourishment that a kid, calf or baby manages through its most delicate stage of in-

the case with many American parents). It may also take on the form of living vicariously through our children, and using them in some way to further our own stature and sense of achievement, even it is ultimately not in their personal best interest.

In order for a society to engage in true mishpat, it is necessary for us to recognize that the study and practice of economic and interpersonal civility can only emerge from a deep appreciation that we

What may appear as a service to a child may in fact be the most destructive act that we can do.

fancy. To “cook” the child in that milk is to somehow use the very life source in a way that is most damaging and destructive to the child.

In a metaphorical sense, cooking a child in its mother’s milk is akin to a parent smothering a child in his or her quest to help it grow and flourish. What may appear as a service to a child may in fact be the most destructive act that we can do. This might manifest in the form of teaching children “survival skills” at the expense of their middos and interpersonal relationships (as is apparently

are not only in it for the sake of taking what we can from others. Rather, we must work for the common good, to help each of us flourish in a way that is mutually satisfying.

“Rav Yehudah said, ‘He who wishes to be pious must fulfill the laws of Nezikin.’” (Bava Kama 30a)

Rabbi Naphtali Hoff is President of Impactful Coaching & Consulting. He can be reached at 212.470.6139 or at nhoff@ impactfulcoaching.com.

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Rabbi Chaim Yisroel Belsky, zt”l A Giant in Torah, Humble in Spirit

By Brendy J. Siev

E

very Jew has been impacted by Rabbi Chaim Yisroel Belsky, zt”l, his broad erudition, and his bold resolu-

tions.

Rabbi Belsky was the rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Mesivta Torah Vodaath, moreh d’asrah of Camp Agudah and founder of its Masmidim program, and posek for the world’s largest kashrus agency, the Orthodox Union (OU).

He was a true scholar and academic, a lover of all learning. His Torah knowledge was incomparable – a talmid muvhak says, “He knew everything” – and Rabbi Belsky needed to know how ev-

erything works. He could recall every Tosfos in Shas; he was fully familiar with all of Tanach and possessed an exceptional understanding of halacha.

When it came to learning, one talmid would often slip an obscure sefer on the Rav’s shtender.

The Rav would open it and learn it through. In teaching others, Rabbi Belsky, who gave semicha shiurim in shechita, melicha, basar v’chalav, and tarfus, strongly believed in experiential learning: he often brought animals into the yeshiva to demonstrate points they were learning. In fact, when the cook called one day with a sheilah about the yeshiva’s chicken, Rab-

bi Belsky came to pasken with 35 talmidim in tow.

When it came to kashrus, Rabbi Belsky personally entered oil tanks to see for himself and understand the complexities of the inner workings of the tank.

He did not rely on others’ scientific knowhow but studied each kashrus matter deeply on his own. He personally calculated all mathematical considerations and equations in terms of halacha and kashrus. This determination and scholarship enabled him to definitively pasken on key issues.

At one point, a woman believed that she saw bugs in the water coming out of her tap. This

led to a widespread panic in New York, and people started buying bottled water and adding filters to their homes. But Rabbi Belsky researched the issue and issued a ten-page psak refuting the claims that New York water was undrinkable and teeming with insects. His authority quieted and dampened the communal anxiety.

A similar situation erupted where people believed that all fresh fish was too wormy to be consumed. Rabbi Belsky again paskened, painstakingly researching the issue from a halachic and scientific standpoint.

At one point, an out-of-town rav stopped a chuppah mid-cere-

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mony because he claimed he had detected an issue with the kesuba.

He pulled out a pen and rewrote the kesuba, delaying the wedding.

Rabbi Belsky later reviewed the original kesuba: it had never had an issue. “Some people,” he said, “want the kavod; they don’t want the halacha. But people have to learn the sugya.”

All kashrus decisions in America ultimately rely on Rabbi Belsky’s psakim. His thoughts are expounded in the OU’s Mesorah Journal. Rav Moshe Elefant of the OU considers Rabbi Belsky “irreplaceable.”

His other psakim and thoughts are recounted by his talmid, Rav Lebovits, in Piskei Rabbi Belsky, a compilation of discourses and discussions meticulously reviewed by the Rav himself. Rav Lebovits also shares these thoughts in a weekly mailing to 10,000 people in 20 countries and has published the halacha articles in TJH. The Rav opposed people acting only for the sake of convenience.

He felt that people should look for the truth in all aspects of halacha.

He often said, “It’s easy to assur.

It takes strength to be matir.”

That was Rabbi Belsky. He had the knowledge and the knowhow in how to pasken and how to understand halacha and the Torah derech.

“He never shied from controversy,” says talmid R’ Yehoshua Teller. “He stuck to his guns.”

He was the quintessential rebbe, dedicated to each talmid’s success in learning. He spoke to talmidim and people of all ages with respect and understanding. At one point, he passed a pair of chavrusas discussing the gid hanasheh. Rabbi Belsky paused. “You’re learning it wrong,” he told them. He sat down to explain it to them clearly and to guide the talmidim to understand the Gemara properly.

His talmidim felt comfortable asking the Rav any question. His talmid, Rav Moishe Dovid Lebovits, commented, “He never said you have a bad question. He was always clear and direct.”

His talmid, Rav Moshe Berg-

man, explained Rabbi Belsky’s approach to explaining complex subjects. Unlike many brilliant people with unbelievable ability, Rabbi Belsky was able to methodically and simply explain every subject “from the bottom up.”

Rabbi Belsky was known for his wide knowledge in all four chalakim of Shulchan Aruch. His frequent “Ask the Rav” sessions covered halacha and hashkaf-

Yitzchok Gottdiener, executive director of the yeshiva, “that he couldn’t see it or be sovel it.”

Rav Bergman emphasizes Rabbi Belsky’s joy in seeing his talmidim’s success: “He felt genuine simcha when something went well in your life. He was comfortable and would be happy if any of his talmidim would have gotten ten steps ahead of him at any time. He complimented his talmi-

Rabbi Belsky, upon hearing the reason for the employee’s termination, said to his talmid, “If you really want to protect my kavod, give this man his job.” ah issues. He taught the Yoreh De’ah shiur for 15 years following Rav Pam, zt”l,’s passing. Rabbi Belsky himself presided over an esteemed beis din. Furthermore, Rabbi Belsky started to train his talmidim to become dayanim in the Choshen Mishpat chaburah as well, so that they could in turn utilize their knowledge and Gemara learning to mediate in the Jewish world.

At the same time, he loved every talmid to the extent that he could not see his wrongdoings. If the Rav heard, for instance, that a talmid had violated the law, he had “such ahava,” says Rabbi

dim and built them up so that you felt you had to perform well in the future.”

Rabbi Belsky was not simply the moreh d’asrah of Camp Agudah. He was the founder of the Masmidim program, a groundbreaking program and concept that shifted people’s perception of camp as a summer of fun to a summer of strength and learning. But, inasmuch as he spent hours learning with his talmidim and campers, Rabbi Belsky spent hours taking them on nature walks and hikes, and, most memorably, stargazing.

Rabbi Belsky was known for

his knowledge of astronomy; he spoke with NASA scientists about alterations he would notice in the cosmos. He shared this with his campers and Masmidim.

His dedication to his talmidim and their Torah was extraordinary, and he was governed by a sincere and admirable tenet about students and learning. Two weeks ago, he shared this with the rebbeim of the yeshiva when he attended a weekend of chizuk, learning, and professional development for Torah Vodaath rebbeim and their families.

Rabbi Belsky addressed the rebbeim on Shabbos morning.

His message was at once a personal declaration and a directive to others: There is no such thing as looking at a bochur except as a potential success. A rebbe must think, I can make this talmid grow and work. If the rebbe works hard enough at it, he’ll build the talmid up. A rebbe who does not believe that each talmid can grow to be the top of the class has no business being a rebbe.

Rabbi Belsky also represented the rebbeim to the Torah Vodaath board to make sure that they were cared for before yom tov and to ensure that their voices were heard.

As a true manhig, he looked out for the good of the tzibbur and the individual. When the Iron Curtain fell, Rabbi Belsky taught himself Russian. He started by focusing on nursery rhymes, the way, he said, a child would learn.

This also opened up Russian culture and cultural references and understandings. Because of this, he became the father of American Russian Jewry: they arrived on American shores, and Rabbi Belsky could understand them and their needs.

Rabbi Belsky often stood up for the forlorn people and the unfortunate. He represented agunahs and pushed strongly for their gittin. He felt for children with ADHD and supported the Jewish Association for Attention Deficit Disorder, an organization that was the first to address the is-

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sue in the frum community. His talmid, Rabbi Lebovits, further recounts that Rabbi Belsky “never said no to people knocking on his door.” The Rav did not have a “fund,” but gave his own money to others if they asked.

Once, a Camp Agudah camper confided in the Rav that he had trouble sleeping in his yeshiva dorm. Though the boy was not a Torah Vodaath talmid, the Rav immediately offered the boy a bed in the Belsky home. The boy became a family member, even taking a night shift at the Rav’s bedside when he was in the hospital.

Another camper suffered from a terrible stutter. Rabbi Belsky asked the boy to come each day in camp to work on it; the boy stopped coming after several sessions. By the next summer, though, the stutter was gone: Rabbi Belsky had worked with him over the school year.

Twenty years ago, one Masmid went on a hike with Rabbi Belsky and other campers to the top of a mountain. There, the boy dehydrated. In the days before cellphones and without radios to call for help, Rabbi Belsky lifted the boy onto his shoulders and carried him down the mountain, saving his life.

A bochur left yeshiva at 16 and became a mechanic. Rabbi Belsky called him every erev Shabbos for two years to ask him about his Shabbos plans and to invite him for a meal. In this way, the Rav kept his talmidim close even if they were not destined to stay in yeshiva.

The Belskys had an open home, and one erev Yom Kippur an irreligious woman showed up.

She was clearly unstable, raving about Communism and behaving psychotically. Rabbi Belsky insisted to his family that he could not possibly send someone out of his house. This woman spent Yom Kippur night sleeping on the Belsky couch. Such was his rachmanus.

“The people he helped,” Rav Bergman recalled, “were often the people who slapped him in the face many times over.” Rab-

bi Belsky’s son-in-law spoke of a din Torah in which Rabbi Belsky ruled against the plaintiff. The plaintiff, an employee of one of Rabbi Belsky’s talmidim, subsequently spoke loudly and disparagingly against the Rav to the point that his employer fired him.

The plaintiff then went to Rabbi Belsky to ask him to intervene and get his job back. Rabbi Belsky, upon hearing the reason for the employee’s termination, said to his talmid, “If you really want to protect my kavod, give this man his job.”

“True gedolim are able make us feel that they really care. It isn’t an act or something they feel they should do. They simply don’t know any other way to be.”

Born in America, Rabbi Belsky attended Yeshiva Torah Vodaath from childhood and received his semicha from there in 1962. He was a talmid of Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky, zt”l, and received his shimush from Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l. Later, Rabbi Belsky learned at Beis Medrash Elyon in Monsey.

Rav Berel Belsky, Rabbi

“He complimented his talmidim and built them up so that you felt you had to perform well in the future.”

R’ Mordechai Dornbush recalled that his family developed a strong kesher with Rabbi Belsky as his mother was the nurse in Camp Agudah for several years.

“He was available to help with my brother and me getting into yeshivos and was instrumental when it came to shidduchim for my sisters.” Even after the family left camp, “Rabbi Belsky would call us just to check in and see how we were doing. He would see my father and ask him, ‘How are my boys doing?’

Belsky’s father, too, had learned at Torah Vodaath. In 1918, Rav Binyomin Wilhelm, zt”l, moved from the Lower East Side to Williamsburg. At the time, Williamsburg did not have a yeshiva, and all children attended public school.

Rabbi Wilhelm decided to open a yeshiva there, despite warnings that it would not succeed. He went from shul to shul recruiting children, especially on Yom Kippur.

One boy was slated to start public school but came down with

the chicken pox on the first day of school. He recovered on Sukkos. At that point, because he had missed so much school, his parents sent him to the new yeshiva, Torah Vodaath, instead. This boy was Rav Berel Belsky and married Rav Wilhelm’s daughter. The two had several children, including Rabbi Yisroel Belsky.

Gifted with an impeccable memory, Rabbi Belsky remembered sitting on his grandfather’s knee as a three-year-old and singing niggunim. Rabbi Belsky never lost his love of song or music.

He often shared this music with campers at Camp Agudah and davened for the amud on yamim noraim in Torah Vodaath.

Rabbi Belsky considered his wife, Rebbetzin Miriam, his life partner, and indeed she is the rebbetzin behind the Rav, the woman who made his life and Torah possible. Together, they raised 13 children, the last of whom married several months ago.

Rabbi Belsky taught his children by example. One son said at the levaya, “I remember growing up, waking up Shabbos morning ... before coming to shul, my father would sit with his Gemara while we would eat breakfast, and he would learn Gemara. We would go out to Prospect Park sometimes, and he would sit with his Gemara ... He taught me to learn not by telling me to learn but by learning himself.”

His children saw his incredible empathy. “When somebody has a problem it has to become your problem,” said Rabbi Avraham Belsky at the levaya. “That was my father. If someone had a problem it became his problem.”

“He lived the yeshiva,” said Rabbi Aryeh Belsky. “He was here all the time ... He lived Torah Vodaath.”

It was therefore apt that, when the Rav was niftar this past week at age 77, his levaya was conducted at the yeshiva, followed by two other levayos in Israel, at Yeshivos Mir and Kamenetz. It was a final goodbye, at bastions of Torah, though his impact is timeless.

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9

Jewish History

Amulets, Accusations and Controversy The Devastating Polemic Between Rabbi Yaakov Emden and Rabbi Yonason Eybeschutz

Chacham Tzvi Ashkenazi, revered father of R’ Yaakov Emden, who was involved in a bitter campaign against the Sabbatian Nehemiah Hayyoun during his son’s formative years

By Rabbi Pini Dunner

Part II

I

n 1666, the pretender messiah, Shabbetai Tzvi, converted to Islam. His conversion was all it took for most of the Jewish world to realize he was a fraud. The vast majority of those who had publicly declared their allegiance to him shamefacedly admitted their folly and went back to normative Judaism, wounded and wiser. But there was a significant group who simply refused to accept that his apostasy negated his messianic identity. They were too emotionally and religiously invested in Shabbetai Tzvi and remained fiercely loyal to him. Nathan “the prophet” of Gaza, Shabbetai Tzvi’s lead publicist, came up with convoluted kabbalistic concepts to explain away his hero’s conversion and to rationalize his failure to materialize the messianic mission.

In 1676 Shabbetai Tzvi died in obscurity, having never recanted.

Devotees considered even his death a temporary setback, and there

were Jews within every community who continued clandestinely to believe he was the true messiah. What was more, it was their fervent view that they had to insinuate warped kabbalistic ideas into mainstream Judaism so that the abortive messianic mission could be fulfilled.

Surprisingly, although Sabbatians – as they came to be known – were very much a minority group, their number included many rabbis and distinguished leaders, and they were almost impossible to detect, behaving in every way like fully observant Jews, indistinguishable from any other Jew. Time after time during the decades after Shabbetai Tzvi’s death, crypto-Sabbatian activists were exposed and banished from their communities. Seemingly ordinary and faithful Jews, they had fallen under the spell of some Sabbatian propagandist but continued outwardly to behave completely normally.

One particularly notorious propagandist was an insidious Bosnian-born scoundrel called Nehemiah Hiya Hayyun, who wandered

from community to community during the early years of the eighteenth century. A scholar who was also a gifted teacher and writer, he authored a number of books that interspersed Sabbatian heresies with regular Torah interpretations.

In 1711 he arrived in Prague, where

heim. In Berlin, Hayyun gained the approval of the Chief Rabbi, R’ Aron Binyamin Wolf. With these endorsements in hand he arrived in Amsterdam in 1713, where he requested permission from the leaders of the prestigious Sephardic community to sell his books. The

He was exposed to the tenacity of Sabbatian activism and to the vicious tactics Sabbatians were willing to use to gain a foothold in Jewish affairs

he inveigled himself into the circle of the local kabbalist rabbi, R’ Naphtali Katz, esteemed author of Semichut Chachamim, a widely admired book on Mishnayot. R’ Katz was very taken by Hayyun and agreed to write an approbation letter for his new book. So did the local Chief Rabbi, R’ David Oppen-

rabbi, R’ Shlomo Ayllon, was not considered a world-class scholar, so the community leaders submitted Hayyun’s book to the rabbi of the German congregation, Chacham Tzvi Ashkenazi, who was widely acclaimed and respected, and asked for his opinion.

Chacham Tzvi looked through

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the book with his friend and colleague, R’ Moshe Hagiz of Jerusalem, who also lived in Amsterdam.

They both quickly came to the definitive conclusion that Hayyun

Hayyun posed a grave danger to the Amsterdam community. For a variety of reasons, mainly unrelated to Hayyun himself, the issue degenerated into an ugly communal bat-

His intellect was unparalleled, he was charismatic, exceptionally warm, a gifted communicator, versed in every aspect of Torah knowledge, remarkably good looking, and possessed of an inexhaustible energy.

was a closet Sabbatian masquerading as a normative practicing Jew. Chacham Tzvi reported this information back to the Sephardic committee and warned them that

tle, with Chacham Tzvi and R’ Hagiz on one side, and the Sephardic community on the other. Fistfights broke out between the supporters of both camps, and Chacham Tzvi was

The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

eventually put under house arrest by the gentile authorities, possibly for his own protection. Hayyun, emboldened by the support he was receiving from R’ Ayllon – who was himself suspected of Sabbatianism – published a number of vicious attacks against Chacham Tzvi and R’ Hagiz, and actively generated animosity towards his detractors.

With the saga spiraling out of control, Chacham Tzvi fled Holland for England in early 1714, and never returned. He was offered post of Chief Rabbi in London, but declined, and returned to mainland Europe, where he was eventually offered the rabbinate of Lemberg (Lvov) in 1717. He died in 1718, at the age of 58.

Throughout the period of the Hayyun affair, Chacham Tzvi’s family, and especially his teenage son Yaakov, were caught in the eye of a ferocious storm. Yaakov was just 15 years old at the time – an

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impressionable teenager – and the saga was an eye-opener for him on multiple fronts. He watched as his innocent and distinguished father was dragged into the foul politics generated by the controversy and how he was targeted for his honestly held views and his unshakeable integrity. Additionally, he was exposed to the tenacity of Sabbatian activism and to the vicious tactics Sabbatians were willing to use to gain a foothold in Jewish affairs, which in Chacham Tzvi’s case resulted in the loss of his rabbinic position and being subjected to incredible abuse at the hands of Hayyun’s supporters. It was a lesson the young Yaakov clearly never forgot.

Shortly after Chacham Tzvi’s escape from Amsterdam, community leaders asked Hayyun to leave the city so the controversy could die down. As he traveled through Europe, Hayyun discovered that although his opponents had failed

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to win over the rabbi and leadership of the Amsterdam community, his widely publicized association with Sabbatianism had resulted in a general revulsion towards him.

Wherever he went he found doors closed. He moved to Tzfat, in Eretz Yisrael under Ottoman rule, and opened up a Sabbatian “yeshiva.”

This enterprise failed so he moved to Constantinople where he desperately tried to rehabilitate himself.

In 1725 he resurfaced in Western Europe claiming that the rabbis in Turkey had readmitted him into the fold, but everywhere he was refused entry. Even his former defender in Amsterdam, R’ Ayllon, refused to meet him. In Vienna he was forced to stay in an enclosure reserved for Turkish Muslims. In Glogau and Berlin he found no refuge whatsoever, so in Hanover he tried to hide his identity. But he was recognized

The title page of “Sefer Hatzad Tzvi” (Amsterdam, 1714), the vicious published attack against Chacham Tzvi Ashkenazi by the Sabbatian publicist and fraudster, Nehemiah Hayyoun. The controversy generated

by Hayyoun left a lasting impression on Chacham Tzvi’s eldest son, R’ Yaakov Emden. This pamphlet, and many others relating to this affair, can be found in Rabbi Dunner’s book collection

and quickly expelled. He made his way to Prague, but there, too, was prevented from entering the city.

Soon afterwards he disappeared from sight, and was reported to have died in 1730.

Hayyun’s final abortive attempt to gain prominence was very significant in terms of the Emden-Eybeschutz battle 25 years later, as not only did it coincide with a new and even fiercer battle against the Sabbatians than the one of 1713-14, but it also generated evidence of a link between him and a brilliant Talmudic scholar and rising rabbinic superstar – a young man living in Prague called Yonason Eybeschutz.

According to R’ Moshe Hagiz, Chacham Tzvi’s erstwhile co-campaigner in Amsterdam, just before Hayyun was ejected from Hanover in 1726, community officials searched his possessions and found correspondence that were “Sabbatian in nature, including letters from Yonason Eybeschutz.” When Hayyun arrived in Prague shortly afterwards, on the last leg of what was his pathetic final journey, no Jew was willing to house or feed him, except for the wife and daughter of R’ Yonason, who brought him food and took care of him until he left.

In order to understand the magnitude of this unlikely association, not only is it important to know that Nehemiah Hayyun was a devious rogue, it is also imperative to realize just how illustrious and mainstream R’ Yonason was.

The son of the rabbi of Eybeschutz (Ivančice, Moravia), he became the star student of R’ Meir Eisenstadt of Prossnitz, author of Panim Me’irot, who was undoubtedly the most influential Talmudic teacher of his generation. R’ Yonason outshone all his peers, and in 1715, at the age of 25, he moved to Prague and quickly gained prominence as a remarkable speaker and an energetic communal activist. He engaged with local Christian leaders, and during the many absences of Prague’s Chief Rabbi, R’ David Oppenheim – who was often called away to take care of his vast business interests – R’ Yonason would fill in for him. There

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

was considerable friction between the older and younger rabbi, but R’ Yonason had a captivating personality that won him numerous allies, enabling him to withstand the senior rabbi’s hostility.

One cannot possibly overstate R’ Yonason’s qualities. His intellect was unparalleled, he was charismatic, exceptionally warm, a gifted communicator, versed in every aspect of Torah knowledge, remarkably good looking, and possessed of an inexhaustible energy. Besides for R’ Yaakov Emden, no one would ever question his superior rabbinic qualities, nor cast any doubt on his abilities as a teacher and scholar. If anything it was these sterling credentials that precipitated the widespread astonishment when rumors began to emerge in 1725 – long before the polemic with R’ Yaakov Emden – that R’ Yonason was a leading crypto-Sabbatian, engaged in the most sordid attempts to penetrate Sabbatian beliefs into the Jewish mainstream.

In the early summer of 1725 an itinerant preacher called Moshe Meir of Zolkiew arrived in Frankfurt where he fell under suspicion for being a crypto-Sabbatian.

While he was preaching at a local school, a group of rabbis raided his room and discovered a manuscript work in his luggage that began with the verse from Bereishit (24:42): “Va’avo hayom el ha’ayin” (“When I came today to the spring”). The manuscript contained a detailed heretical kabbalistic description of G-d that both denied His oneness and posited that His power was diminishing. The investigative rabbis in Frankfurt were horrorstruck.

Such ideas were utterly reprehensible to Judaism. They found Moshe Meir and forcefully interrogated him to find out who the author of this deviant material was. Under phenomenal pressure he finally revealed that he had received the manuscript from none other than R’ Yonason Eybeschutz of Prague, who, he claimed, was also its author.

The rabbis were aghast. Everyone had heard of R’ Yonason.

He was an “A-lister,” acclaimed by anyone who had ever met him.

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How was it possible that this bright rabbinic light, the rising star of the European rabbinic fraternity, could have written, or was even associated with, such a disgusting and evil composition? It was completely and utterly incomprehensible. The rabbis of Frankfurt felt that this was a bigger deal than anything they could deal with, and decided to call in the big guns. The next phase of the war against Shabbetai Tzvi’s legacy was about to begin.

NEXT TIME: In the next article we will hear of the turmoil generated by the discovery of the “Va’avo hayom el ha’ayin” manuscript, and how the anti-Sabbatian veteran R’ Moshe Hagiz led the new campaign to root out Sabbatianism, targeting R’ Yonason Eybeschutz and countless others whom he accused of heresy and other heinous activities.

We will also see how R’ Yonason reacted to these accusations and R’ Hagiz’s campaign, and how he was able to so dissociate himself from the accusations that he became a senior rabbinic figure in Prague, and was later appointed rabbi of Metz and Hamburg, two of Europe’s most prestigious communities. And finally we will discover where Rabbi Yaakov Emden was and how he reacted as his future nemesis found himself at the epicenter of this nasty battle against crypto-Sabbatians.

Rabbi Pini Dunner is the Rav of Young Israel North Beverly Hills in California.

The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

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Israel Today

Tojo

By Rafi Sackville

Metzudat Koach

T

ojo is not his real name, but his thick glasses exacerbate his Sino Eastern looks that led his friends to name him after the WWII General of the Japanese Imperial Army: the same Tojo arrested and sentenced to death for crimes against humanity.

As frail as he appeared – he hobbled with the use of a walking stick, although why wouldn’t he as he approached 90 years of age – his mind was alert as a man half his age.

We were sitting in front of a wall decorated with the portraits of 28 Hagana soldiers alongside whom he had fought to capture Metzudat Koach, the un-breachable fortress,

dreds of times, for his delivery was matter-of-fact to the point of detachment. It was as if the individuals he spoke about were wisps of memory for whom he has over time been stripped of the sadness of their loss and been replaced instead with a list of facts that could be checked against his testimony in the drawers under the photos which contained biographies of each of his comrades.

The British well understood its significance when they built the fortress. It offered a 360 degree view of the area, was constructed with reinforced concrete, and looks – even today – as if it has sprung up out of the ground. So impenetrable were

It was as if the individuals he spoke about were wisps of memory for whom he has over time been stripped of the sadness of their loss

otherwise known as the Nebi Yeshu police station, built by the abandoned British, occupied by Arabs, and sitting at the top of one of the highest and most strategic points in the Galilee. During the War of Independence the fortress was central in controlling this most sensitive of areas in the country.

Those photos are both inspiring and haunting. Inspiring because it is due to their efforts that the Galilee (where I now live) was liberated.

Haunting because they never got to witness the fruits of their labor.

Tojo must have told the story hun-

its walls that the first two efforts to breach it came to naught. In fact, it was never breached. The Arabs occupying it had gotten word during the war that all was lost and abandoned it.

The Arab revolt had broken out years earlier in 1936. For three years the Arabs rampaged through the country. By the start of World War II, the northern border of Israel was porous and through it gangs of armed Arabs infiltrated.

It wasn’t the struggling yishuv that built the fortress and others like it. Wanting to put an end to the in-

cursions across the border the British constructed dozens of police buildings, called Tegart Forts, named after Sir Charles Tegart, an expert in fighting terrorism.

As they left the country, the British handed most of these forts over to the Arabs. Only those at Metulla, Tiberias and Rosh Pina were left to the Jews. Leaving the Nebi Yeshu police station to the Arabs caused severe travel restrictions to the Eastern Galilee settlements (what is known today as highway 90). The high command sent the order out to the field to “take” Nebi Yeshu.

After it was eventually conquered, the fortress’ name was changed to Metzudat Koach, (the letters kaf-chet denoting 28 in honor of those killed.)

It is difficult for a tourist to envisage both its strategic value and the horrors of the battles. Even with Tojo as our guide I found the experience remote. Those grained photos are from another era. The accompanying re-enacted movie captured the period in looks and clothes, but suffers from a modern production that has sapped the dirt and hard grit out of what must have been a period in our history so full of suffering and want.

Then there were the sounds of Hagana tunes emanating from the walls throughout the museum: so disconnected to someone like me.

This should be read as criticism of me, not the fortress. For making Aliyah can be a complex ritual. I recall working alongside one of the founders of Kibbutz Kfar Etzion, unaware of his past, his battles or his post-war achievements. When I was awoken to my ignorance, it was difficult to know just what to feel. Part of me felt guilt for never having been part of the blossoming yishuv. Another part

Tojo

of me viewed his glory alongside my own for having made the sacrifice of coming to live in Israel even if I would never experience the tribulations of his generation, despite the fact he was only a few years older than me.

Tojo fought in battles that came to define his life, the better part of which he has spent in the Eastern Galilee.

He readily obliged when I asked if I could take his photo. I almost asked if he’d pose with me. I’m glad I quickly dispelled that notion: Tojo belongs in a photo by himself. My presence would only have lent it the air of a tourist snap. And I captured him just as I wished: looking directly at the camera with the quiet fortitude that comes with old age.

Through his thin lips he had delivered a sparing account of the horrors he lived through almost 70 years ago.

He has witnessed a life through those thick lenses, yet still his cheeks wear the hints of good cheer.

Tojo bears no resemblance nor nature to his namesake. He has carried the name as a badge of pride for most of his life. His comrades in arms had bestowed it upon him in jest. Yet he continues to carry it with him as a badge of honor, as a link to another age when, unlike them, the very friends who had given him the name never returned from battle.

Tojo is more than a connection to the past. The name is the very essence of who he is.

Rafi Sackville, formerly of Cedarhurst, teaches in Ort Maalot in Western Galil.

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Health & F tness

The Facts about Zika

By Hylton I. Lightman, MD, DCH, FAAP

T

he phone was ringing off the hook even before Margaret Chan, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), announced this week that a disease linked to the Zika virus in Latin America is posing a world health threat. In fact, WHO’s announcement puts Zika into the same category of threat as the Ebola virus.

Let’s inhale and exhale slowly while we provide you with the facts.

The Zika virus is spread to people through mosquito bites. The most common symptoms of Zika virus disease are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting from several days to a week. Severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon.

Zika virus, which is related to dengue, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, and West Nile viruses, is not new. Since the 1950s, it has occurred within a narrow equatorial belt from Africa to Asia. In 2014, the disease spread across the Pacific Ocean to French

Polynesia, and in 2015, to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and South America, where it is now reaching pandemic levels. In May 2015, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an alert regarding the first confirmed Zika virus infection in Brazil. The outbreak in Brazil led to reports of Guillain-Barré syndrome and pregnant women giving birth to babies with birth defects, especially small heads, and other poor pregnancy outcomes.

Unfortunately, there is no vaccine at present to prevent Zika nor medication to treat it.

Until more is known, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that women who are pregnant or are trying to become pregnant should consider postponing travel to the areas where the Zika virus transmission is ongoing. Women who travel to one of these areas should talk to their physician or other healthcare provider first and follow the steps to avoid mosquito bites during the trip (http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/ page/avoid-bug-bites).

Using an insect repellent is safe and effective when travelling through Zika-affected areas. This is a viable option for pregnant women and nursing mothers, provided the repellent is EPA-registered and used according the directions on the package.

What happens if you travel to a Zika-affected area and you think you may have contracted the virus? See your healthcare provider if you are pregnant and develop a fever, rash, joint pain, or red eyes within 2 weeks after traveling to a country where Zika virus cases have been reported. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider where you traveled.

Because specific areas where the Zika virus transmission is ongoing are difficult to determine and likely to change, the CDC will update this travel notice as information becomes available. Consult http:// w w w nc .c dc .gov/t ravel/page/z ika-information.

The CDC has issued guidance for physicians called the Interim Guidelines for the Evaluation and testing

of Infants with Possible Congenital Zika Virus Infection. Further, our office (Total Family Care) is in daily contact with the New York City Department of Health as well as the CDC about the latest developments.

The U.S. and international governments worldwide are pushing forward with a Zika vaccine, as are three pharmaceutical companies.

At present, no vaccine is imminent.

As always, pray. Pray for excellent health. Pray an appropriate vaccine is developed in a timely manner. No prayer goes unanswered.

Questions? Please feel free to email me at drlightman@totalfamilycaremd.com.

Dr. Hylton Lightman is a pediatrician and Medical Director of Total Family Care of the 5 Towns and Rockaway PC. He can be reached at www.total familycaremd.com, on Instagram at #lightmanpeds or visit him on Facebook.

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Parenting Pearls

A Philosophical Perspective The Home-School Relationship

By Rabbi Dani Staum, LMSW

M

alka wasn’t sure how to proceed.

Her nine-year-old daughter Chavi was coming home from school complaining that her teacher didn’t explain things, and that she was being mean to her. At first Malka encouraged Chavi to pay more attention in class, but as time wore on Malka found that when she did math homework with Chavi, Chavi didn’t know it.

Chavi claimed her teacher was throwing her out of her

class for no reason. “Three girls besides me were giggling because of a joke Rikki said in class, but only I got sent out. See, Mrs. Feinberg doesn’t like me!”

Malka was upset. She had never gotten reports before that Chavi was misbehaving. She called her neighbor and told her the story, adding that she planned to call the principal. “I can’t allow this teacher to pick on my daughter!” The neighbor listened patiently and replied,

“You know I am a teacher.

All I can say is it’s only fair that you call the teacher first. There are two sides to every story, and I have a hunch that, despite her look of complete sincerity, Chavi may be leaving out some key details.”

THE PARENTTEACHER ALLIANCE

A child is affected primarily by four relationships: Parent-Child (the level of

love and security that the child feels at home, his responsibilities and contributions to the family), Teacher-Child (being an effective student, being able to successfully learn and master classroom m material), Peer Relationships (social skills), and Parent-Teacher.

How “on par” the parents and teachers are will affect the child’s ability to learn and be nurtured academically. If they are working against each other, the

child’s ability to learn and grow from that teacher will be severely hampered.

Parent-teacher conflicts sometimes emerge because of differing philosophies about how children should be taught. Some parents believe their philosophies are better than those held by their children’s teachers. The parents may be right; the teachers may also be right.

The real problem occurs when teachers and parents are not able to respect each

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

other’s approach, because that can undermine the united parent-teacher front.

Consider that your children are sitting in the classroom and are faced with tasks or assignments – some are interesting, some not-so-interesting, some tiresome, and some repetitive. If they’ve received the message from you that these aren’t worthwhile projects, why would your children consider it important to fulfill the teacher’s expectations? They know they can come home and find an empathetic ear from their mother or father who basically agrees that the assignment was inappropriate to their interest or intelligence, their use of time, or for some other reason. They will be quick to call it boring.

Children need to hear messages which convey respect and value not only the teacher but also the material being taught. Children are extremely perceptive and can realize when their parents don’t respect or value their studies. Teachers also quickly realize when a parent has a lack of regard for what they are teaching. That child can become defiant and brazen, feeling that parental backing.

A rebbe related that years ago he was a guest at a Shabbos table and after one of the children presented something he had learned in class at the table, the father dismissed it and emphatically declared that his rebbe was wrong. Later during the meal the rebbe mentioned that in his early years as a rebbe in Philadelphia he had had one of Rav Elya Svei’s sons in his Gemara class. The host smiled, “Boy, Rav Elya must have taken you apart.” The rebbe replied, “Actually, I know for a fact that he never challenged anything I taught his

son all year, and when we met he only had the highest words of praise for me and for what I taught.” The rebbe added that the same held true for when he taught one of the daughters of Rav Shmuel Kamenesky, shlita.

“SCHOOL IS AN OGRE”

Educator and author Sylvia Rimm discusses a concept she calls, “Father is an Ogre, Mother is an Ogre”.

This occurs when one parent is made to feel powerless and like an outcast in regards to raising his/her children.

For example, a father has a temper problem and whenever he loses it, the children know they can go to their mother to complain. The mother sympathizes with her children and tells them that they need to understand that their father has a temper issue and they need to bear with him. Without realizing it she has unwittingly completely undermined his authority. This situation repeats itself until the father becomes the “negative parent,” left scratching his head about where he went wrong in regards to raising his children.

The opposite is also true, where the father turns the mother into an ogre. For example, the mother is a stickler for neatness and gets upset at the children when they leave things strewn around.

When they come to their father, he rolls his eyes and says, “Oh, you know your mother. Let’s pick it up so she doesn’t yell at us again.”

To avoid such pitfalls, parents must always back each other, even if one makes a mistake. For example, a father asks his son to clean his room and the boy does not do it. The son then comes to his mother to complain that his father gave him a whole tirade just because he “for-

got” to clean his room. If the mother says, “Oh I’m sorry.

Your father’s just having a bad day,” it will give the son permission to avoid responsibility. Instead, the mother should respond, “Your father is upset because he knows you can really do the job, and he’s disappointed that you didn’t do it. Why don’t you go out there and show him that you can do the job?

After all, you wouldn’t want your father to think you’re irresponsible. If you had done the job immediately, he wouldn’t have had to yell.”

(This is not to say that the mother cannot gently discuss the matter with her husband at a later point when the child is not present. But in front of the child, he must know that his parents have a team effort.)

This idea applies to the parent-school relationship as well. When a parent berates

very hard time with self-control and seemed to becoming progressively worse as the year wore on. At home he was completely out of control and his parents could not handle his outlandish behavior. In school his teachers worked hard to set firm limits with tough love and consequences and were starting to see remarkable improvement. But after some time, Peretz had a regression.

It turned out that Peretz’s mother, who was a softie and couldn’t handle disciplining her son, was talking negatively about the school’s rigid approach with her “sweet son.” She would constantly call the teachers to complain about their tactics with her son standing nearby.

The next day Peretz would grandly announce that he didn’t have to do the assignment because his mother had called. The mother had sabotaged the school’s

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he overheard his mother on the phone with the menahel clearly stating in no uncertain terms that the rebbe should not have potched her child. The mechanech related that his mother did not think he would overhear the conversation. Although his mother disagreed with what the rebbe did, she immediately backed up the rebbe.

Only then did she call the menahel to voice her protest. The rebbe should not have done what he did, but her son still had to respect him and learn from him each day.

As in the original story, parents should bear in mind that they are hearing what goes on in school from their child’s biased perspective. Before a parent calls a teacher or school to complain, they would be wise to investigate fully what is really happening and also to ask the teacher before drawing

Children need to hear messages which convey respect and value not only the teacher but also the material being taught.

a teacher or a school they too can create a situation where the school/teacher “becomes an ogre.” A child cannot be expected to learn from an ogre.

A mother who tells her child, “Just remember that no matter what they say/ do to you in school, we will always love you” when the school is trying its hardest to accommodate and work with the child has severely hampered the school’s ability to effectively educate her son because the child feels the school is against him/her.

Peretz, a second grader, was a sweet boy but had a

efforts because of her misplaced sympathy. What was more incredible was that she didn’t see the correlation between her behavior and his terrible behavior at home!

Just as in a good marriage, a united front between the home and school is vital.

A veteran mechanech related that when he was a child his rebbe once potched him for something that happened in yeshiva. When he came home and told his mother what occurred, she immediately reprimanded him and then sent him up to his room for disturbing class. A few minutes later

conclusions.

Malky was still debating about who to call in the school the next evening when she received a phone call from Chavi’s teacher. The teacher mentioned that she was concerned and wanted Malky’s help as the math work they were learning was becoming increasingly complicated it seemed to get harder for Chavi.

Although the teacher tried to help her, Chavi became frustrated and started to give up. She began to become restless and increasingly disturb the class. The teacher tried to overlook it

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and would send her out to get papers from the office or other things she needed. But then Chavi wouldn’t come back, and if she did, she would disrupt the class with

their help in bringing out the best in our children. Anger and threats will hardly help foster that necessary working relationship.

Parents get the best re-

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a teacher is to discuss our child’s issues and to resolve them.

Teaching can be a thankless and underappreciated job. Everyone appreciates

Like a good spouse, a school must be viewed as an eizer k’negdo – a helpmate – to bolster and boost the education process of the home. silly comments. The teacher really wanted to see if there was a way to get her back on track.

WORKING TOGETHER Parent’s often make two mistakes when talking with teachers: We tell the teacher what to do: When we demand things of a teacher the underlying message is that the teacher is not competent enough to figure this out by himself/herself.

We go in with threats: No one wants to help out when they feel they are being manipulated or bullied.

Why do parents threaten teachers? When we discuss our children we are discussing the bearers of our dreams, those who will carry on our legacies. It is hard not to become emotionally involved, especially when our child is not performing as much as he is able.

When we talk to teachers there is also an underlying component of fear emerging from within us. We are afraid for our child’s future.

But we are uncomfortable displaying fear, so we sometimes mask it with anger and blame.

We need to remind ourselves that our children’s teachers have the same goals as we do and that we need

sults with teachers when they describe! Describing is beneficial because it is nonjudgmental. Its message is “I am merely telling you what I see and my interpretation of it. You have full right to disagree.”

One of the best ways to demonstrate respect for another person’s opinions is to ask for their advice. It’s helpful to say to a teacher, “I’d like to get your thoughts about that.” That gives the teacher the assurance that we are confident in his/her capabilities as a teacher and advisor. We are able to get the best results and help from a teacher when we don’t put them on the defense. In addition, more often than not the teacher has some valuable insight into our child.

Another approach is to ask, “What options do we have in this situation?” This demonstrates to the teacher that we are open and interested in suggestions. Parents who utilize this technique find teachers to be more friendly and helpful.

Effective communication takes place only when people are convinced that the other person is truly listening to them. Both parents and teachers need to be confident that their opinions and perceptions are being heard.

Our chief mission with

compliments.

Teachers hardly get them. If our objective is to get our children’s teachers to become allies, thanking them and noting our appreciation at various points of the year will go a long way.

An educator once commented, “There should never be a vast divide between school life and home life.

Every kid is partly homeschooled and every kid is partly school-homed!”

RAV HIRSCH’S PERSPECTIVE ON THE HOMESCHOOL ALLIANCE

Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch zt”l explains that there are two forms of education involved in child-rearing: Spiritual Education and Moral Education.

Spiritual education means training a child’s spirit, infusing him with knowledge so that he knows how to act, and what is expected of him. Essentially, it is about teaching him how to live like a Jew day-to-day. This form of education is accomplished with formal education, i.e. schooling.

Moral education refers to parental upbringing. This component is far more difficult because it must be individualized. To develop a moral and ethical person you must “speak” to his soul. The

goal of moral education is to develop the child’s strengths and personality, to develop an awareness of who he is as a person, and to build his awareness of who he is as a contributing valuable member of klal Yisroel.

In short: “Spiritual education is what I know; moral education is who I am!”

Rav Hirsch adds that being “good” is not a science but rather an art; an art of control, inhibition, how one exercises his bechira and what he does.

Moral education must be informal. Writing it on the board and verbalizing it in classrooms will do nothing to infuse it into the child’s spirit. It must be demonstrated and shown by example so the child learns through observation.

Therefore, a school rebbe or teacher can never fully or adequately teach moral education. They can assist and boost an already existing process but they can’t teach it completely. That’s because it must be role modeled and taught to the person himself – not in a generic manner.

The Kotzker Rebbe once commented in his inimitable witty manner, “If I am I because I am I and you are you because you are you, than I am I and you are you. But if I am I only because you are you, and you are you only because I am I , than I am not I and you are not you!”

We have to develop our own sense of self and uniqueness and not just be superficial people who do everything that everybody else does so that we don’t stick out! That can only result from moral education.

Recently, I overheard a conversation where someone told his rabbi that our schools need to place greater emphasis on kibbud av va’aim, because there is such a dearth of respect. The rab-

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bi smiled and replied that although we can always do more, that’s not the real solution. The fact is that most schools do have such programs in place but there is a limit to how much those programs can accomplish.

The real question is how do the parents act toward their own parents? More importantly, what is the shalom bayis like in the home? How do spouses treat and speak to each other in front of their children? When parents respect each other, then the children will do so as well!

Parents often devote too much time to spiritual education. Their primary focus should be on moral education. Parents pay so much tuition and they should trust the school to educate our child. They should rather focus their main efforts on guiding their children by developing their personalities and strengths because a school cannot adequately accomplish that.

A school is a microcosm of life. Like a good spouse, a school must be viewed as an eizer k’negdo – a helpmate – to bolster and boost the education process of the home.

Parents should maintain overwhelming focus on moral education and schools should maintain their main focus on spiritual education.

Part of the problem is that today those lines become befuddled. Schools today are forced to teach more moral education because it seems to be lacking in certain homes, even though it’s not the optimal approach.

Rabbi Staum is the Rabbi of Kehillat New Hempstead, and Rebbe/Guidance Counselor in Yeshiva Bais Hachinuch and Ashar in Monsey, N.Y. He can be reached at stamtorah@gmail. com. His website is www.stamtorah.info.

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Health & F tness

Nutritious Habits for Kids

By Aliza Beer

If bad eating habits reign, they can be hard to change especially when they’ve become comfortable routines. But by keeping unhealthy foods out of your home and bringing healthy foods in, it is possible to promote better eating habits, even with the pickiest kids. Whether you’re trying to cajole your toddler to give peas a chance, or attempting your tween to drink something other than soda, the following healthy eating tips might be worth a try.

1. Don’t Ban Junk Food Completely: Once kids get their first taste of crunchy, sweet, or salty foods, it’s hard to get them unhooked. It’s better for parents to limit the number of treats that kids are allowed to eat each day rather than ban these foods completely. That way, kids won’t be as tempted to want what they can’t have.

Parents should also avoid restricting desserts or other treats as punishment for bad behavior because this can lead to an unhealthy

relationship with food.

2. Small Portion Snacks: Don’t buy the large bags of treats; purchase small, individual portion-sized ones. Also, store these snacks out of kids’ sight and reach so they will be less tempted to mindlessly graze on them throughout the day.

3. Avoid Sugary Drinks, Juice, and Chocolate Milk: To help kids develop a healthy liquid habit from an early age, give your toddler plenty of water and plain milk to avoid

getting them used to sugary juice or chocolate milk.

Make tweens and teens aware of how many empty calories are in their favorite unhealthy drinks. Also discuss the side effects of diet drinks and sugar substitutes.

Emphasize the advantages to water, like healthier skin and shinier hair.

4. Cook More Meals at Home: Eating home cooked meals is healthier for the whole family. Even moody teenagers love to eat tasty, home cooked meals!

Restaurant and take out meals tend to have a lot more of the unhealthy fat, sugar, and salt, so cooking at home can have a huge impact on your kids’ health.

5. Healthy Snacks: Keep plenty of fruit, vegetables, and whole grain snacks around and easily accessible so kids become accustomed to reaching for the healthy snacks instead of empty calorie snacks like chips or cookies.

6. Eat Breakfast: Eating a breakfast high in quality protein, such as eggs,

low fat yogurt or cottage cheese, and a high fiber carb, like whole grain toast or cereal, will help overweight kids eat less calories the rest of the day and lose weight.

It also boosts the metabolism and helps kids stay focused and perform better in school.

7. Physical Activity: Limit your child’s time using a TV, computer, cellphone, or game station. Encourage your children to do whatever physical activity interests them, like bike riding, hula hoop, jump rope, or dance.

Try to get the whole family moving together and do something fun that doesn’t feel like exercise – even a game of hide and seek will do the trick!

8. Picky Eaters: Introduce new foods one at a time, and only when your child is hungry and rested. Serve new foods with favorite foods to increase acceptance. Eat the new food yourself; children love to imitate.

9. Cut Down on Processed Foods: Such

as white bread and cakes, since they cause blood sugar to go up and down and can leave kids tired and sapped of energy.

10. Teach by Example: Let your kids see you eating a wide variety of healthy foods while keeping your portions in check and limiting fried, junk, and processed foods.

Breaking bad habits are hard, but not impossible and well worth it. The ideal is to start instilling healthy eating habits when your children are young, for these habits will stay with them a lifetime. Overweight children usually grow into overweight adults. The sooner – and younger – you teach them healthy habits, the better and more long-lasting the outcome.

Aliza Beer is a registered dietician with a master’s degree in nutrition. She has a private practice in Cedarhurst, NY. Patients’ success has been featured on the Dr. Oz show. Aliza can be reached at alizabeer@gmail. com.

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Dr. Deb

Compartmentalization

By Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.

W

e all compartmentalize to some extent. When we are at work, we are not in “mommy,” “daddy,” or “bubby” mode. Even within the family, when we are interacting with young children or certain other family members, we won’t show – or even feel – our sadness (when it’s there).

Sandy had just lost her mother three months earlier. They’d been very close but her mother had had a bright and positive attitude and Sandy was blessed to have absorbed that outlook. She threw herself into her business, her children’s needs, and being her husband’s good wife.

Yet, when an old friend unexpectedly forwarded her a lovely saying about grief and loss, Sandy burst into tears. She was surprised by her own reaction. “Was I in pain all this time and unaware of it?” she asked herself, wiping her tears.

The answer is “Yes, exactly.” We do have to go on and in that process, we can get disconnected from parts of ourselves. This is a pretty healthy and useful tool that exists within all of us. After all, how could we be expected to go on otherwise? There are always responsibilities waiting for our attention, so being able to focus

completely on the task at hand and put the grief, depression, anxiety, worries, or what-have-you on a back burner helps us to function.

But here’s a question: How much compartmentalizing is too much?

How much trips over that line from healthy to unhealthy, useful to counterproductive?

There are people, for example, who do not remember what they did or felt or thought just yesterday. Or they vaguely remember the event but not the feelings – never the feelings!

– that went with it.

And these people live right near us. They might even be you.

HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN TO US?

Let’s start with a premise: Hashem gave us feelings. We are supposed to feel them, including pain.

When we feel emotional pain, it alerts us that something is not right with the interaction or experience we are having at the moment, just as the feeling of excessive heat on the stove is “good” because it lets us know to pull our hands away before they burn.

But pain, obviously, isn’t so much fun. So we can learn a useful tool,

which is to distract ourselves from our pain.

We do this with small children all the time. The toddler falls and we say, “Baby went boom!” and we smile. This distracts the little one and he learns not to pay much attention to his possible loss of dignity when he was taken by surprise and fell over. We kiss boo-boos for the same reason. And it works.

Shiva accomplishes the same thing. All those people coming over to hear our stories are distracting us, removing us just a bit, from the terrible grief that we will feel later that night after the last person walks out the door.

So the second premise is that it is okay to distance ourselves – just a bit – from our pain at times; it’s soothing and healing.

Both feeling pain and distancing from it are normal and healthy processes.

But we do need pain, just as we need joy. Pain gives us information about the people or situation we are in that then will help us to know exactly what is the best course of action. Furthermore – and this is a big one – awareness of our own feelings of pain helps us to be more empathic

to the pain of others.

This, in turn, can be important to comfort those people but perhaps even more important, that feeling of empathy will be preventive medicine, keeping us from hurting another person’s feelings.

LET’S TAKE SOME EXAMPLES OF WHERE KNOWING OUR FEELINGS WOULD BE HELPFUL, EVEN IF IT HURTS.

• George comes home, throws down his coat, grabs a cold drink from the fridge and plants himself on the couch, lost in video games. Why? Why does he rush to the games so fast when he has a wife and kids there waiting for him?

You could say he’s trying to get away from them; it sure looks like it. But again, why? Are they picking on him for not paying attention to them? Why wasn’t he in the first place?

If you ask him, he’ll tell you it’s relaxing or that he’s tired from a long day. I don’t buy that. He’s clearly escaping and we only escape from pain, not from joy. Shouldn’t he know?

I mean, it’s his life – shouldn’t he

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know how he himself feels and why?

There must be dozens of ways people escape from interacting with their families: long phone conversations, Facebook, work, taking care of someone, excessive volunteering, among others. And those are the “kosher” ways. We won’t get into the

teractions with that individual.

• Margit reviewed in her mind over and over what the doctor said about her brother. Something did not feel right and she decided to get a second opinion.

• Jon reviewed the ledgers and although he was not an accoun-

It is okay to distance ourselves – just a bit – from our pain at times; it’s soothing and healing.

non-kosher ways here.

• Jingi has gone out on a date with someone who she decided not to see again but she couldn’t put her finger on why. On the other hand, she is very aware that she did not feel good about her in-

tant, there was something there that didn’t “balance” for him.

He called in a forensic accountant because of these uncomfortable feelings.

As you see, it isn’t necessary to understand what exactly was the

red flag that made Jingi, Margit, and Jon feel uncomfortable. The key is that they were open to these uncomfortable feelings and those feelings saved them in one way or another from something worse.

George, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to want to know that he has bad feelings, let alone why.

He doesn’t want to deal with them – or their cause. But this self-inflicted blindness can lead to catastrophe for him.

If his problem is something at work, then sorting it out in his mind could lead him to the unfortunate conclusion that he has to change jobs. While that sounds like a clear reason to avoid thinking about it, it could also lead him on a path towards a better job or even starting that business that he always dreamed about. Until he lays out the options, he is not making a free choice – and that’s a loss.

Similarly, I’ve heard many sto-

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ries of people who knew there were problems in their marriages but didn’t want to face the work and effort to make changes – until it was too late and unwanted legal papers arrived.

Where are you drawing the line in your compartmentalization? Do you know what you feel and why? If so, great! If not, a bit of cheshbone hanefesh is in order. It may save you from something worse later on.

Dr. Deb Hirschhorn is a Marriage & Family Therapist and best-selling author of The Healing Is Mutual: Marriage Empowerment Tools to Rebuild Trust and Respect—Together. Attend the Food For Thought lectures at Waffelino Restaurant at 310 Central Avenue in Cedarhurst on Tuesdays at 9:45 AM. Any questions, call 646-54-DRDEB or check out her website at http:// drdeb.com. All stories in Dr. Deb’s articles are fabricated. See Dr. Deb on TorahAnytime.com.

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Dating Dialogue

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

Dear Navidaters,

I am a twenty-year-old who is about to start dating. My older sister is 23 and unfortunately, recently moved back home, divorced with a child. I remember so clearly back to the time that she got engaged, three years ago when she was the age I am now. There was so much talk about what a wonderful shidduch she made.

The young man she was going to marry had all the necessary traits, his family was fabulous. She had an amazing and memorable vort that was the talk of the town.

Everything seemed perfect!

Now that she’s home again and depressed, I hear my parents constantly searching for the “red flags” that they missed and coming up with ideas. I also hear my sister talking about certain “red flags” that she should have noticed. All I seem to hear about lately are “red flags.”

I’m not stupid and I understand what is considered an obvious “red flag.” For instance, if the guy you are out on a date with is all smiles but then is rude and disrespectful to the waiter. Or he doesn’t think to open a door for you or be polite to strangers. We’ve all heard so much about all of these warning signs. But I’m getting the feeling now that there are probably much more subtle “red flags” that a person has to watch out for so that they don’t wind up like my beautiful sister.

As I am beginning to date, I’m feeling very nervous about this whole thing and am worried that I’m going to miss something. Can you please give me some insights into the not so obvious “red flags” that could be missed so that I am able to pick the right guy and not wind up back in my house, miserable?

The feedback from our readers has been remarkable. In order to facilitate further discussion, you can now continue the conversation anonymously on our website. Every Sunday, we will upload the weekend’s most recent edition of What Would You Do If to the dating forum at thenavidaters.com. Join The Navidaters and your fellow TJH readers in a comprehensive dialogue with regard to dating, relationships and marriage. The forum will be moderated daily for everyone’s comfort and safety. See you there!

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

The Jewish Jewish Home Home || OCTOBER FEBRUARY29, 4, 2015 2016 The

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The Panel The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

I

t’s normal for you to be gun-shy after your sister’s experience. It’s normal for your parents to second guess what the issues were that they and your sister missed. But people do move on. They move to a place of acceptance of the reality of what happened and rejoicing in the fact that a beautiful baby came out of it. Your family is going through a transition and a process of adjusting to a new situation. They feel guilty; they may be overprotective; they may be making you nervous because they are nervous. Your sister may be very bitter.

Or she may be saying boruch Hashem I got out instead of remaining an agunah in limbo. You don’t mention her much but clearly all family members are involved in the aftermath of the failed marriage.

All the family members need to deal, heal and move on. This takes time and professional help. Meanwhile, you are dating and doubting your own judgment. It is advisable for you to get help for yourself so that you can deal with the past and the present. I would hope that you have a trusted long-time mentor who you can open up to on this matter. This mentor will be someone who has watched you grow, helped you clarify things and advised you in the past. S/he has already seen you make good choices and get help when needed. Such a mentor will validate your judgment in specific situations because s/he has seen it in the past. This is someone who can help you now to begin boosting your confidence. The two of you can draw up a checklist and you can fill it in with examples as you date. S/ he can help you by being a sounding board after dates and help you deal with your parents’ and your own jitters.

I would also suggest that you date a lot after you get serious with someone and bring up your specific fears with him. You will need a lot of support then, from the chosson-to-be as well as your mentor. Remember that this is a process and will take time.

We should all go into it with warm and fuzzy feelings for our partner, a solid game plan, laying all our cards on the table, and dare I say it… hoping for the best.

You will not be doomed to second guessing yourself forever because of your sister’s experience.

Continue to daven to the Chonen Daas for help in making a good decision.

The Mother Sarah Schwartz Schreiber, PA

Y

our question concerns “red flags”; last week’s writer, also starting to date, wanted a list of “green lights” (positive signs) in a shidduch. The conversations and ruminations regarding “red flags” is a natural part of the mourning process after a failed marriage. There are a myriad of factors that contribute to a broken marriage. It’s understandable that your parents seek to shoulder some of the blame (“if we only saw the signs!”) so your sister would be spared the trauma.

As for you, on the advent of beginning the parsha, try your hardest to exude optimism and a positive attitude. Dating should not be fraught with fear, distrust and pessimism.

Yes, finding your bashert involves your hishtadlus (networking, research and listening) but it’s purely in the hands of the Ribbono Shel Olam.

Abide by the three T’s: Time – take your time getting to know the young man. Trust – your gut; if it feels wrong

or weird or forced, bow out early. Talk – to your parents (in spite of their current state of self-recrimination); they are truly looking out for you for your best interests. If they permit, expand your support group to include a trusted mentor, rav or teacher who may offer unbiased, knowledgeable advice.

Keep in mind – red flags may turn out to be red herrings – false alarms, fueled by your sister’s tragic experience. It would be a shame if suspicion and skepticism erode your confidence and prevent you from putting your best foot forward so that you can make sensible, healthy decisions.

The Dating Mentor Rochel Chafez Educator/Mentor

I

am sorry to hear about your sister’s ordeal and wish her well. The first thing I would suggest is that you all sit down together – you, your sister and your parents – and find out whether something more serious went on that may help you all in your ability to understand what happened.

There are many problems that cannot be worked out but at the same time I do feel that there are issues that have the potential to be worked on if the right therapist is found. Such a professional should have the ability to have insight into the issues and be committed to work together with the couple to figure things out and work them through. Sometimes you have to go through a few therapists to find the right one.

Not all red flags are obvious and not all red flags are red flags. Sometimes a spouse may not have a clue how to communicate or behave as a wife or a husband. Sometimes they can be modeling what they saw at home without understanding the pros or cons of that behavior.

Marriage is hard work. Couples often start out young and immature.

The couple needs to grow into the relationship. Instead of being totally stressed out over red flags, concentrate on the attributes that are posi-

tive and a desire to grow and improve.

Listen and look if the other person makes room for you, your opinions, if he is a person who talks about growth and mussar. Is there kindness? Is there softness? Is there a stubborn streak? On your dates, throw him some “what if” questions. See how he reacts. Is he set in his ways? Is he committed to lifelong avoda? And what about you? Are you willing to make room for someone else? Are you willing to be honest about what you saw within your parents’ relationship and be willing to work on it?

In this world, Hashem lets us see what he wants us to see. Do your best, daven and the rest is up to Hashem.

But you and your future husband have to be willing to work and to be committed. You also have to go with your gut, particularly if something doesn’t feel right. Then step back and evaluate.

In any marriage, it takes two. Two to make it and two to break it. One may be the initiator but the other one may be acting out the role he/she brought along with them from their childhood. Those issues and reactions sometimes reappear over and over again if they were never dealt with and worked through.

Finally, you both need to be very aware of yourselves. That’s a crucial component. Start now. Hatzlacha.

The Single Irit Moshe (pen name)

R

ed flags can come in all different shapes and sizes. Even events from a person’s upbringing can be precursors for issues as adults. Your best bet to ensure that you see clearly while dating and to help you recognize the red flags that are not so obvious is to have someone in your life who can be objective and be there to bounce off of while you are dating and sometimes unsure.

A good dating coach is perfect for such a scenario as the one you present. A dating coach will help you pick through the eligible men that are sug-

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gested to you; give you tools to work with while you are communicating with men and while you are on the dates, making sure you recognize red flags; and advise you on how to act or bail appropriately in certain scenarios,

while following up with you afterwards to help evaluate and or tweak your dating experience and choices in men.

I am not going to tell you that you will or will not end up like your sister.

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

T

he trepidation you are experiencing right now in the aftermath of your sister’s divorce is understandable. You were a spectator as your sister dated, met the one, had a fairy talelike engagement party and wedding, only to return to your parents’ home, divorced with a baby three years later. You do not share any details about what your sister and family have been through but I’ve gathered that it has not been a pleasant time for anyone.

When trauma, tragedy or unfortunate circumstance strikes one family member, the entire family is impacted.

Though your sister bears the brunt of the impact of the stone thrown in the pond, you are experiencing its ripple effect. How could you not become more vigilant and observant of “red flags” during this time? Your sister must be in a lot of pain right now and because you are sensitive and perceptive, you want to avoid the position in which she finds herself.

You wrote in inquiring about the more subtle “red flags” that people miss. Sure, we all know the glaringly obvious ones like being rude to the waiter, but what if there are elusive signs that could be your signal to run for the hills? Perhaps you and your family have concluded that had they just had their eyes a touch more open, they could have avoided this catastrophe. The panel has spoken. Rebbetzin Horowitz normalizes your nervousness and states that it will take time for the entire family to heal. Sarah Schwartz Schreiber suggests you remain optimistic. I couldn’t agree

more with her “3T” approach to processing the hurt: time, trust, and talk. Words of wisdom! Rochel Chofetz contributes that you can’t become obsessed with “red flags.” Everyone has issues (everyone!) and we can’t discard a potential husband or wife because we mistakenly believe everyone is a disaster waiting to happen. Finally, Irit Moshe suggests working with a dating coach to help keep you levelheaded while you date. All wonderful insights and suggestions.

Before I address the subtle warning signs you are interested in learning about, I’d like to make a few points.

The first is that you are not destined to manifest your sister’s fate. You are different people with different personalities and futures ahead of you. While no one has a crystal ball and certainly no guarantees can ever be made, you can’t live under the assumption that you too will be divorced, G-d forbid.

While it is important to be a supportive daughter and sister, make sure you are spending time pursuing your own interests and hobbies and spending time around people not currently in the midst of a divorce. As a caring daughter and sister you may naturally find yourself enveloped in your sister’s story. It is, however, perfectly healthy and acceptable to create personal space for yourself outside of her story. If you haven’t done so already, give yourself permission to get out of the house and spend time elsewhere.

Secondly, though learning about

But you certainly will have a healthier foundation to build a marriage upon and a much better chance of a happier ending than your sister had – with the help of a dating coach, available to help you maneuver with more clarity during your dating experiences.

In any marriage, it takes two. Two to make it and two to break it.

warning signs and more subtle cues is certainly significant, we can’t let this knowledge be a false sense of security in which we believe we have the ability to choose with one hundred percent accuracy the good guys from the bad. While it is true that sometimes people ignore the flags, or miss more subtle cues, it is also true that sometimes certain spouses reveal their true colors only after they are married. With every relationship and marriage, there is the faith factor. No one knows if they will get the “happily ever after.” We should all go into it with warm and fuzzy feelings for our partner, a solid game plan, laying all our cards on the table, and dare I say it … hoping for the best. Many people are afraid of getting burned and some are so afraid that they won’t get off the bench and get in the game. It is when our fear of getting hurt outweighs or sabotages our ability to get close to another person that therapy may be warranted.

When you do begin dating, be careful not to interpret every flaw or situation with red flag-colored lenses. Everyone has a bad day, everyone loses it once in a while, everyone has a good cry, everyone snaps every now and then, everyone is late every so often and sometimes a person can even be rude to a waiter and still be the greatest guy in the world. There is no such thing as a perfect person. What you want to pay attention to is his level of awareness, his ownership of his behaviors and the frequency of behaviors and patterns of bad behavior. If bad behavior is frequent and you begin seeing patterns (for example, he speaks poorly of multiple women in his life, he is the victim of numerous family members, he carries a grudge for his college professor, the lunch lady at his elementary school cafeteria, his father, his sister, etc.) sayonara! Look

out for whether or not he makes excuses for his behavior. A man or woman who blames everything on everyone else in his life has much maturing to do and you may very well receive the brunt of the blame if you marry him.

If he “messes up,” watch out for the time it takes him to apologize. Also, pay attention to his reason for the “mess up.” Does he acknowledge how he made you feel when his behavior was subpar? A healthy marriage entails two parties both interested and invested in the other’s mental health and well-being.

If there is a lesson available to be learned from your sister’s divorce, then certainly learn it. But we can’t let other peoples’ stories dictate our futures. Take the time you need to develop trust in your abilities to make a wise decision and the wisdom to understand that you do not have complete control over the outcome. It is my hope that when the shock subsides and the grieving period ends, both you and your sister will find happiness and fulfillment in wonderful relationships.

Sincerely, Jennifer Please note: This column is not meant to diagnose or otherwise offer comprehensive resolutions to any questions.

The Navidaters are dating and relationship coaches and therapists. Located in Lawrence, NY, their services include date debriefing, dating skills coaching, couples counseling, premarital and marital counseling. Sessions are held in the office or via phone or Skype. The Navidaters can be reached at 516.224.7779. If you have a dating or relationship scenario you would like to be featured in WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF, email thenavidaters@gmail.com.

Check out their website, thenavidaters. com for more information. Follow TheNavidaters on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

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In The K

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

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tchen

Lachmagine

By Naomi Nachman

I have just come back from a two week trip to Israel. The taste of Israel is still on my mind. The food in Israel is awesome! I spent my Fridays (and many other days too!) walking for hours around Shuk Machane Yehuda in Yerushalayim. A lot of products were available just for Shabbat only on Fridays. They had all kinds of mini appetizers known as “mezze” (meaning small bites) for sale. The origin of these dishes are from Syria and other Middle Eastern countries and they are typically served at the beginning of large-scale meals (including Shabbat meals) as a selection of assorted mini appetizers and salads. They were so delicious and so fresh tasting. I wanted to create my own version of my favorite mezze dish, lachmagine, for my first Shabbat home. It’s like a meat pizza bursting with flavor.

Ingredients 1 lb. chopped meat ½ cup prune butter ½ cup tamarind (available at Gourmet Glatt) 1 small onion, finely chopped ¼ cup tomato paste ¼ cup ketchup 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon allspice ¼ teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1 pkg 24 mini pizza rounds by Mazor 1 cup pine nuts

Preparation Mix all the ingredients together except the pizza rounds and pine nuts, and refrigerate for 2 hours to let the flavors concentrate.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread out the pizza rounds.

Spread a heaping mound of meat filling onto each dough round, making sure you spread it all the way to the edge. It shrinks as it cooks so be generous. Press down the meat firmly so it sticks to the dough. Sprinkle each piece with a few pine nuts.

Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

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?!”

The current president of the United States, when he tells us that Britain should remain in the EU … when the U.S. has an open border with Mexico, and they have a court that can overrule the Supreme Court in the United States, then maybe they can start giving us some advice.

- Former Secretary of Defense in the United Kingdom, Dr. Liam Fox

Trump is the leading GOP votegetter tonight among naturalborn American candidates.

There was more than 2 feet of snow in Washington, D.C., and New York. All nonessential federal workers in Washington, D.C., were told to stay home today. How do you know if you’re nonessential? Do they call you? “Steve, I have some good news and some bad news. Good news is you have the day off today. Bad news, you’re worthless.”

- Trump supporter Ann Coulter after Ted Cruz finished first in Iowa

In the West, we have probably hit peak stuff.

We talk about peak oil. I’d say we’ve hit peak red meat, peak sugar, peak stuff ... peak home furnishings.

– Jimmy Kimmel

-Steve Howard, head of sustainability for Swedish retailer Ikea

Particularly in American society today, but maybe business society generally, you’ve got a glorification of folks who say, “Oh, I only sleep three to four hours a night” – which is dead wrong. That’s the wrong philosophy… Those of us who do sleep should be proud of saying we sleep. It’s really important to make sure you get that sleep.

A new poll shows that in Florida Donald Trump has the support of nearly 50 percent of Republican voters. However, since it’s Florida, at least 25 percent of those voters probably won’t make it till Election Day.

.- Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson at the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos

Ben of Ben & Jerry’s has come out with an ice cream inspired by Bernie Sanders. A carton costs $3.99 but when you include tax, it’s $200 million.

– Conan O’Brien

I’m not a robot. I do the best that I can. I try to win every point but realistically I can’t. Maybe someone else can.

- Serena Williams, after losing at the Australian Open

– Conan O’Brien

Declaring war on China’s currency?

Ha ha.

— Headline in the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, warning billionaire George Soros not to bet against the renminbi and Hong Kong dollar

MORE QUOTES

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I thought one of these days we should get “none of the above” on the ballot.

- Sheldon Bergson, who had his name legally changed to “Above Znoneofthe” before announcing his run for the Ontario legislature

Donald Trump said that Ted Cruz is a liar who looks like a jerk. Not to be confused with Trump, who is a jerk who looks like a liar.

– Seth Myers

Ben of Ben & Jerry’s is coming out with an ice cream for Bernie Sanders called “Bernie’s Yearning.” It’s selling a lot better than Jerry’s ice cream for Hillary, “Pantsuit Email Crunch.”

– Conan O’Brien

I was stabbed, and now I’m going to join the army and give it my all.

–A 17-year-old Brooklyn teenager who recently moved to Israel in an interview with Ynetnews while recovering from being stabbed in a terrorist attack

Is it really necessary to immediately mention he had a Quran? Would they mention if he had a Bible?

- Tweet by John Haltiwanger, senior politics writer for Elite Daily, a leftwing website, after a Muslim man was arrested at a Disneyland Paris hotel with two handguns, ammunition and a Koran

The next president can honor the simple notion that nobody is above the law, but it will happen only if voters demand it.

- Tweet by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) , who is often mentioned as a possible replacement for Hillary Clinton if she were to be indicted

Ted Cruz has been joined on the campaign trail by former candidate Gov. Rick Perry. So in other words, Ted Cruz is the No. 1 choice of the guy who was nobody’s choice.

I think the death penalty should be appropriate for people who kill Mainers. We should give them an injection of the stuff they sell. What we ought to do is bring the guillotine back… I like French history.

- Maine Gov. Paul LePage during a radio interview, talking about what to do to people who traffic drugs in his state

Obama even appeared on Jerry Seinfeld’s show, “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.” How about less “comedians in cars getting coffee” and more “presidents in the White House getting legislation passed through both houses of Congress.”

– James Corden

If certain Muslims are to be cornered where they cannot defend themselves, except through these kinds of means, and their local religious leaders issued fatwas to permit that, then it becomes acceptable as an exceptional rule, but should not be taken as a principle.

- Imam Mohamad Adam el-Sheikh, who served for eighteen years at the mosque that President Obama visited this week, in a 2004 interview with the Washington Post about Palestinian suicide bombers

Some scientists say it’s theoretically possible that there may be a universe where time moves backwards. So finally, some good news for Lakers fans.

– Conan O’Brien

– Conan O’Brien

MORE QUOTES

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Everything you ask them is either “It’s no problem, it’s no problem,” or “No, that’s impossible.” It’s all or nothing.

- Jerry Seinfeld discussing the Israeli mentality on Comedy Central, after returning from a comedy tour in Israel

I’m the only homeless guy in America who can take a credit card.

- Homeless man Abe Hagenston (AKA “Honest Abe”), who lives under the 8 Mile overpass of 1-75 in Detroit and solicits credit card donations from passing commuters, in an interview with CBS News

There is no shadow to be cast! An early spring is my forecast! Take your jackets off, you’re not going to need them! Get your Bermuda shorts!

- The emcee at Gobbler’s Knob, PA, on Groundhog Day, after Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow

U.S. News & World Report today released their annual list of the Best Jobs for 2016. The two best jobs are orthodontist and dentist… The best part of an orthodontist’s job is when she asks you how your holidays were while you’re gagging on half a pound of cotton.

– Jimmy Kimmel

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FEBRUARY 4, 2016 | The Jewish Home

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As we come here tonight, it’s time to officially suspend the campaign. Not because of the votes, it’s because of the illness. Obviously, the voters are sick of me and I need to acknowledge that.

- Gov. Mike Huckabee, withdrawing from the Republican race after not gaining traction in the Iowa caucus

On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders is acting a little Donald Trump-y and said he wants more debates but not on Hillary Clinton’s terms, he wants them on his own terms, specifically two hours long with a half-hour break in the middle so he can watch “Wheel of Fortune.”

President Obama is planning to visit a U.S. mosque for his first time as president. When asked why, Obama said, “I wanted to go to the one place in America where I won’t see Donald Trump.”

– Jimmy Kimmel

- Conan O’Brien

Who’s going to watch a debate between the two Cuban guys?

Glenn is a failing, crying, lost soul!

— MSNBC’s liberal host Chris Matthews, on Donald Trump skipping the Fox News debate and questioning whether people will want to watch Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz debating

- Part of Trump’s tweet after Glenn Beck endorsed Ted Cruz

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Joining Us For The Sedarim

HONORED GUEST SPEAKERS:

Senator Joseph & Mrs. Hadassah Lieberman

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Political Crossfire

Trump’s Cultivation of Chaos

By Michael Gerson

D

onald Trump is often credited with distilling Jeb Bush’s main electoral challenge: that he is “low energy.” It fits Bush well enough (more accurately, he is

Trump celebrating his Wrestlemania victory over Vince McMahon

a cerebral introvert) to be damaging. But it is Bush, in turn, who has captured the essence of Trump as the “chaos candidate.” We have yet to determine if Trump’s approach

is a drawback or a disturbingly effective new method of presidential campaigning.

Since the summer, Trump has advanced in a series of taunts, outlandish statements and feuds that have kept him on the center stage of American life. It reflects the persona he developed on “Celebrity Apprentice,” but see also his “Battle of the Billionaires” against Vince McMahon at WrestleMania in 2007. “I’m taller than you,” he told McMahon. “I’m better-looking than you. I think I’m stronger than you.”

Sometimes a columnist must step back, breathe in, breathe out, and consider where the journey has brought us. Days away from the first votes of the presidential nomination process, the prohibitive Republican frontrunner is successfully applying the lessons of his pro wrestling career to dominate media coverage and prevent opponents from gaining attention and traction. G-d help us.

The feud this time is with Megyn Kelly, Roger Ailes and Fox News – illustrating the distinction between Trump’s populism and movement conservatism (a gap that Ted Cruz seeks to exploit).

But it is worth recalling how it all started. “Mr. Trump,” asked Kelly in an earlier debate, “one of the things people love about you is you speak your mind and you don’t use a politician’s filter. However, that is

not without its downsides, in particular, when it comes to women.

You’ve called women you don’t like ‘fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals.’ ... Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president?”

But a few minutes later, Bush returned and apologized to the operator, saying: “That is not the way the president of the United States should act.”

This is the word – temperament – that will eventually sink the Trump campaign, if it is eventually sunk. We are witnessing what happens when a narcissist who thinks he is at the center of the universe is actually placed at the center of the universe. There is the need for adulation. There are the fantasies of unlimited power – see Trump’s

The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

admiration for Vladimir Putin.

There is the expectation of special treatment – see his debate boycott.

There is the lack of empathy – see his cruel mocking of a disabled reporter.

Leadership is often evidenced in relatively small things. Shortly after his election in 2000, I was with President George W. Bush in the family theater at the White House where he was practicing his first address to Congress. For whatever reason, the military is charged with teleprompter operation, and the operator had messed up his job. An angry Bush said, “Call me when you get your act together” and stalked out of the room. The young man was distraught. But a few minutes later, Bush returned and apologized to the operator, saying: “That is not the way the president of the United States should act.”

A small thing, but I remember it. The office confers an awesome power to elevate the lives of those around a president, or to destroy them.

I thought of this when Trump delivered his rant earlier this month in Pensacola at a rally where his microphone was malfunctioning.

“Whoever … bought this mic system, don’t pay the [idiot] who brought it in,” he told the crowd. “I believe in paying, but when someone does a bad job like this stupid mic, you shouldn’t pay the [idiot].”

My point is not that Trump should be more polite to the help.

It is that the temperament and character of a man or woman gets magnified and amplified by the power of the presidency. There must be some inner check to avoid the abuse of power. Chuck Colson said it was Richard Nixon’s “usversus-them” mentality that led to the creation of “the plumbers” – the group charged with plugging press leaks, eventually triggering the Watergate scandal. The attitudes and leadership style of a president inspire or infect his entire administration.

It is a tribute to the seriousness of the Trump candidacy that we should be considering the real-world consequences of his

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For more information contact temperament. But his feud-seeking, his personal insults, his shock-jock transgressiveness, his mocking of those with disabilities, his clumsy

deceptions, his toxic leadership style, his cultivation of chaos should be issues in this campaign.

And they should be disqualifying in

a prospective president. (c) 2016, Washington Writers Group

Post

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FEBRUARY 4, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Political Crossfire

The ThreeCornered Fight for the Soul of the GOP

By Charles Krauthammer

I

t’s hard to believe that the United States, having resisted the siren song of socialism during its entire 20th-century heyday (the only major democracy to do so), should suddenly succumb to its charms a generation after its intellectual demise. Indeed, the prospect of socialist Bernie Sanders, whatever his current momentum, winning the Democratic nomination remains far-fetched.

The Dems would be risking a November electoral disaster of historic dimensions. Yet there is no denying how far Sanders has pulled his party to the left – and how hard the establishment candidate, Hillary Clinton, has been racing to catch up.

The Republicans, on the other hand, are dealing with a full-scale riot. The temptation they face is trading in a century of conservatism for Trumpism.

The 2016 presidential race has turned into an epic contest between the ethno-nationalist populism of Donald Trump and traditional conservatism, though in two varieties: the scorched-earth

fundamentalist version of Ted Cruz, and a reformist version represented by Marco Rubio (and several so-called establishment candidates) – and articulated most fully by non-candidate Paul Ryan and a cluster of highly productive thinkers and policy wonks dubbed “reformicons.”

Trump insists that he’s a conservative, but in his pronouncements and policies, conservatism seems more of a rental – a threestory penthouse rental with Central Park-view, to be sure – than an ideological home.

Trump protests that Ronald Reagan, too, migrated from left to right. True, but Reagan’s transformation occurred in his 40s – not, as with Trump, in his 60s.

In radically different ways, Trump and Sanders are addressing the deep anxiety stemming from the secular stagnation in wages and living standards that has squeezed the middle and working classes for a generation. Sanders locates the villainy in a billionaire class that has rigged both the economic and political system.

Trump blames foreigners, most prominently

those cunning Mexicans, Chinese, Japanese and Saudis who’ve been taking merciless advantage of us, in concert with America’s own leaders who are, alternatively, stupid and incompetent or bought and corrupt.

Hence Trump’s most famous policy recommendations: antiimmigrant, including the forced deportation of 11 million people; anti-trade, with a 45 percent tariff on Chinese goods and a 35 percent tariff on U.S. manufacturing moved to Mexico; and anti-Muslim, most notoriously a complete ban on entry into the U.S. Temporarily only, we are assured, except that the ban applies “until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on” – a standard so indeterminate as to be meaningless.

Trump has limited concern for the central tenet of American conservatism (and most especially of the tea party movement) – limited government. The most telling example is his wholehearted support for “eminent domain,” i.e. the forcible appropriation by government of private prop-

erty. Trump called it “wonderful.”

Trump has not yet called Vladimir Putin wonderful but he has taken a shine to the swaggering mini-czar who seems to run his trains on time. When informed that Putin kills opponents and journalists, Trump’s initial reaction was, “Well, I think that our country does plenty of killing, also,” the kind of moronic what-about-theCrusades moral equivalence that conservatives have railed against for decades.

Although, to be fair, after some prompting, Trump did come out against the killing of journalists.

Cruz is often lumped with Trump in the “antiestablishment” camp.

That suited Cruz tactically for a while, but it’s fairly meaningless, given that “establishment” can mean anything these days. And given the huge gulf between the political philosophies of the two men. Cruz is a genuine conservative – austere, indeed radical, so much so that he considers mainstream congressional conservatives apostates. And finds Trump not conservative at all, as he is now furiously, belatedly

insisting.

My personal preference is for the third ideological alternative, the reform conservatism that locates the source of our problems not in heartless billionaires or crafty foreigners, but in our superannuated, increasingly sclerotic 20thcentury welfare-state structures. Their desperate need for reform has been overshadowed by the new populism, but Speaker Ryan is determined to introduce a serious reform agenda in this year’s Congress – boring stuff like welfare reform, health care reform, tax reform and institutional congressional reforms such as the return to “regular order.”

Paired with a president like Rubio (or Chris Christie or Carly Fiorina, to go longshot), such an agenda would give conservatism its best opportunity since Reagan to become the country’s governing philosophy.

Unless the GOP takes the populist leap. In which case, a conservative restoration will be a long time coming. (c) 2016, The Washington Post Writers Group

The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

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Forgotten Her es

Sailing the Seas

By Avi Heiligman

The USS Nautilus

Part II After getting a lot of positive feedback from the last article on the names of ships, it seemed that a part II was in store.

I

f you ask sailors, the name of a ship has a lot to do with how it will perform at sea. There are many superstitions, like if a ship changes a name that it has a good chance of being sunk but if it is named after another sunken ship then it will do very well. Obviously this is all sailor talk – sailors have a lot of free time to ruminate – and none of it has been substantiated.

Nevertheless, for us civilian

The USNS Comfort

folk the names of ships is an interesting topic, especially the origin of some in particular.

On the morning of April 18, 1942, 16 land-based aircraft appeared over Tokyo and bombed the Japanese capital in a surprise attack.

President Franklin Roosevelt was asked where these planes came from and he replied, “Shangri-La.” The Japanese thought that this was a secret base off the coast of China. In reality, the planes came from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet and Shangri-La was a made-up name that came from the novel Lost Horizon

by James Hilton. The Hornet was soon in action and in her memory a new carrier was commissioned with the name USS Shangri-La (CV-38). On July 10, 1944, on one of her last missions of the war (she was only in battle during the last three months of WWII), the new carrier sent planes to bomb Tokyo, making Roosevelt’s claim come full circle.

Some ships have the distinction of having the names of mythical creatures that probably gave the sailors plenty of time to think of the superpowers they would possess if their ship came to life. In the last article we talked about the USS Unicorn but she was never completed. The USS Dragon was a Civil War-era steamboat that was used as a gunboat. Most of her time in the navy was spent as part of the Union blockade on Confederate ports.

The USS Fairy and the USS Banshee were steamers used to blockade the Confederates and prevent them from receiving war supplies from foreign countries.

During the 20th century, the name USS Banshee was reused for a tanker that served in both world wars.

The WWII-era of Achelous class of repair ships used mythical creatures to name the ships.

In this class were the USS Achilles, USS Atlas, USS Minotaur, USS Sphinx, USS

The USS Shangri-La

Chimera (for those Harry Potter enthusiasts out there they will recognize some of these names) and one named for the Greek god of the sea, the USS Poseidon. The British had a submarine named the HMS Poseidon that sunk in 1931 after colliding with a Chinese merchant ship. More recently, named ships in the Pegasus class hydrofoils were given mythical names.

These ships were fast attack patrol boats commissioned in the navy starting in the 1970s. The six ships were the USS Pegasus, USS Hercules, USS Taurus, USS Aquila, USS Aries and the USS Gemini.

Since 1762, the British have used the name Nautilus for ten ships while the Americans have used it five times. The name is derived from the Greek word for sailor. Two diesel-powered submarines – one American (SS-168) and one British – held the name Nautilus. The American sub had an action-packed WWII

record. During her first patrol she was assigned to the task force guarding Midway Island from a Japanese attack. While there were no sightings between enemy surface ships, the Nautilus sighted several Japanese ships including an aircraft carrier. Her spread of four torpedoes failed but the carrier was sunk by aircraft coming from American carriers. On her second patrol she was used as a special troop transport for marine raiders to Makin Atoll in the Solomon Islands. The Nautilus was active during most of the war and compiled an impressive record including sinking a destroyer and at least fifteen other ships. A third submarine was named the USS Nautilus in 1954 with this one being the world’s first nuclear submarine. She was quieter than any diesel sub and could stay below surface for years at a time if the situation arose. The USS Nautilus (SSN-571) reached the North Pole in 1958 after

The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

navigating under the Arctic ice sheet.

Wasp is the most common name for an American naval ship with it being used eleven times. The USS Ranger was used ten times with the first ship under the command of the infamous John Paul Jones during the American Revolutionary War. However, she was captured by the British in 1780 and renamed the HMS Halifax. Two aircraft carriers, hull numbers CV-4 and CV61, were named USS Ranger and were active during WWII and the Vietnam War respectively.

Over the thousands of years of marine warfare there have been many myths and legends about lost ships. Perhaps none are as famous as the Fly-

ing Dutchman. As early as the 1700s the myth started that there is a ship that is doomed to stay at sea forever floundering in bad weather and never reach port. There have been many alleged sightings including one by the future king of Britain, George V. The most likely explanation is that it is an optical illusion with the sun reflecting off another ship that really did exist, making it look like a ship in distress. Although the only known boat with the name Flying Dutchman is a class of racing dinghy, the name has been used in many movies, operas and other literature.

Ammunition ships have names that will make anyone scared if they come too close. Two different ships

were named the USS Pyro and others were named the USS Nitro, USS Firedrake, USS Rocket, USS Port Fire and the USS Spitfire.

Four American ships were named after the Italian volcano Mount Vesuvius that destroyed the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. The first two were bomb brigs that were really gunboats.

The third USS Vesuvius was commissioned in 1890 and had three dynamite guns that could send a shell one mile. The fourth one was an ammunition ship of the Mount Hood class of ships.

It is beyond the wildest imagination of this author (for my longtime readers you know that imagination can run to every parallel on earth!) why any sailor would want to serve on a

ship named after a disaster but clearly some are not fazed by history.

The U.S. Navy has commissioned several types of hospital and rescue ships, ambulance boats and casualty evacuation boats especially during WWII. Most of these have peaceful sounding names like the USS Relief, USS Refuge, USS Consolation, USS Solace, USS Haven and USS Mercy. Today there are two non-combatant ships with the name of USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy that are painted all white to reflect their status. The ships are the second largest in the navy with only the Nimitz-class super carriers being bigger.

These are just some of the more colorful names of

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ships to serve the United States. Having an interesting background can create much discussion with sailors while at sea and knowing the history behind the name of a particular ship can help the reader understand how and why ships get their names. We have barely scratched the surface here as there are many more ship names yet to be discussed like the ones named after a particular person and the ships of the Confederacy. Stay tuned for Part III in a few weeks.

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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Studying Sm

rt

Getting Credit: Maximizing Israel Learning

By Chaim Homnick

Last week’s column consisted of a step-by-step outline of the college application process. This column helps with the next step: maximizing one’s time spent in college efficiently in order to advance through the process faster.

C

ollege is a lengthy and arduous process in the 21st century. A four-year bachelor’s degree has undergone a paradigm shift in the last 25 years. A college degree alone used to be sufficient higher education to improve one’s job prospects and help them find a worthwhile career; nowadays, however, it has morphed into an expensive, time-consuming stepping stone to a graduate program.

As a result, anything that can help bridge the gap (and save money and time) from high school to a graduate program or a career is extremely useful. Receiving credits for Judaic studies done in Israel or elsewhere provides an opportunity to do just that. For a frum Jew who has already spent 12 years in a Jewish school

with a dual-curriculum of Judaic and secular studies, and who sees the value of Torah learning in yeshiva and seminary, taking advantage of these credits can prove extremely useful.

WHY DO JUDAIC/ GEMARA CREDITS COUNT IN THE FIRST PLACE?

Most colleges nowadays acknowledge the high level of learning that occurs in Jewish yeshivos and seminaries.

Many of these institutions have pursued accreditation through AARTS, the NCCRS or another accrediting agency that audits the Judaic courses in Talmud and other subjects to accredit that they are collegiate-level courses. If colleges around the country can grant credits for courses like “Underwater Basket Weaving” (University of California-San Diego) and “Harry Potter Literature” (Otis College of Art and Design), then why shouldn’t yeshiva and seminary students receive credits for intense studying? In fact, in a regular “semester,” Jewish students spend far more hours on these topics than the amount of hours a student in a regular college class like “Introductory French” would.

The history behind the early days of yeshiva students receiving credits for Judaic learning is murky.

But while there may have

been other cases, Ner Yisroel in Baltimore was one of the first institutions to begin brokering deals with local colleges to grant credit for students’ Talmudic and other Judaic learning. One argument proffered by Ner Yisroel and other institutions was based upon the fact that similar Christian Theology colleges offered all types of theology and religion-based courses that granted credits.

As a result, now most colleges will accept Judaic credits to a certain extent, presuming that the yeshiva/ seminary has a legitimate accrediting agency behind them.

HOW MANY CREDITS CAN I GET?

The number of credits a student will receive can vary widely by school and it is important to plan accordingly. Firstly, a brick and mortar school will have vastly different policies than a “quickie” online degree program might. Additionally, Jewish colleges generally grant more Judaic learning-based credits.

For example, a school like Queens College has hundreds, if not thousands, of Jewish students and so yeshiva/seminary transfer credits are an accepted part of their program. That said, Queens College generally gives a maximum of 18 credits for Yeshiva/Semi-

nary transcripts, regardless of how many credits are on the transcript. Other honors programs or Ivy League schools may accept less yeshiva/seminary credits or may not accept them at all.

Other colleges will have transfer policies as well and research should be done into whatever school one plans to attend.

Jewish schools like YU and Touro value the Israel yeshiva learning that students undergo (which is also why it is easier to defer those schools for several years), and so they often grant 3036 credits from a yeshiva/ seminary transcript that comes from an accredited institution. Meanwhile, there are some online degree programs (many of them created or facilitated by frum Jews) that will accept even more yeshiva/seminary credits as transfer credits, sometimes as many as 60-70. These degrees are usually offered in business, in Jewish history or in general liberal arts and so are generally only useful as stepping stones to a graduate program of some kind.

Keep in mind, not all graduate schools will accept such a degree so research needs to be done beforehand.

WHAT OTHER CREDITS CAN HELP ME SPEED UP MY BACHELOR’S?

Just as yeshiva and seminary credits can help speed

up an undergraduate degree program, there are many other sources of credits both in high school and after that can help a student have a head start on their college career. AP classes provide 3 credits per exam to students who score highly enough and some high schools have dual-enrollment arrangements with local colleges to provide college-level courses for their students.

Other options include college courses in 12th grade or during summers. For online degrees or lower-level schools, accepted assessment tests like CLEPs or DANTEs can provide an opportunity to take tests for credits rather than actual classes. Of course, in all these cases, the course has to fit within one’s respective degree plan to avoid redundancies or ineligible transfer credits.

WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO QUALIFY FOR THESE CREDITS?

Attending any accredited yeshiva or seminary and receiving a transcript from them will enable the student to receive those credits upon beginning at a college that accepts those credits. Attending a yeshiva or seminary through an Israel Program makes the process even easier (see below). Depending upon the yeshiva or seminary, the institution may have testing or atten-

The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

dance requirements that can affect one’s grades and overall credits.

DO THESE CREDITS COUNT TOWARDS MY GPA?

In nearly all cases where a student is transferring after their time spent learning in Israel or elsewhere, the credits will transfer as a block of grade-less credits, regardless of what the student’s grades were. So while this is extremely helpful in terms of fast-tracking one’s bachelors, it does not provide a GPA boost which is a shame for students who achieve a 4.0 GPA in Israel.

There is one critical exception, however. For both Touro and YU, if a student is accepted to either school and goes abroad under their Israel Program, the credits count

as school credits for grades rather than as blanket transfer credits. Both schools have partnerships with over 40 accredited Israeli yeshivas and seminaries which provides students with huge financial and credit benefits.

Financially, students can now receive FAFSA grants or loans towards Israel because they are going as a fullfledged member of Touro or YU. Additionally, a good transcript from Israel with a strong GPA now provides a 30 or 36 credit head start on one’s college career and college GPA. So if a student is considering either of those schools, it is important that they go to Israel under that school’s Israel program, even if they aren’t totally sure that they will attend that school when they return. Better safe than sorry.

WILL THESE CREDITS MAKE ME LOOK BAD?

Because these credits are generally replacing empty electives on one’s transcript, there should not be any stigma attached. Assuming that the grades in these courses are either good or not listed, they should just be degree fillers to complete a degree in some other major and as such there shouldn’t be any negative effects when applying to graduate school or for a job. The college that the degree is from, the major, and the GPA should be the dominant factors.

WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW?

While the above information is extremely useful as a starting point, the big takeaway should be that specific

research needs to be done for any institution that a student is considering. That begins with picking the right college program for one’s goals. For example, an online business degree would not help with a medical career as it lacks the necessary pre-requisites for any medicine-based graduate program. Likewise, before spending money on a CLEP or picking a yeshiva or a college, it is important to know each institution’s policies and what credits will or will not be accepted.

When done wrong, time and money gets wasted as students either receive credits that won’t work for them or spend more time in school than is necessary. When done right, a few dollars spent in high school or on an Israel Program can pay huge dividends in time and money

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later as these are some of the cheapest credits a student can attain while also saving significant time. While humility is a virtue, this is one case where you want to receive as much credit as possible for your efforts!

Chaim Homnick is the College Advisor at Mesivta Ateres Yaakov of Lawrence and also teaches 5 periods of Honors/AP English Literature. Chaim is the owner of Five Towns Tutoring (fivetownstutoring.com) as well as Machane Miami Day Camp of Florida (machanemiami.com).

He scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and the LSAT and tutors both extensively. He has a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration as well as an MBA. For questions, comments, or tutoring, he can be reached directly at chomnick@gmail.com.

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The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

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Charming 3BR, 2BA Col, 3BR Colonial, FDR, Eik, Legal 2 Family, 4BR, Renov 3BR, 2BA Ranch, Eik, Low Taxes..$419K Den, Patio,SD#14..$475K Low Taxes... $489K Lg Eik, MBR Ste...$599K

5BR, 2.5BA Col, Eik, Den, Great Potential Investment, Renov 6BR, 4BA Colonial, Elegant 5BR, 4.5BA Ranch, Full Bsmt, SD#14..$649K Legal 2 Family, 6BR..$699K MBR Ste, SD#14..$1.595M Set On 1 Acre Ppty..$2.2M

Susan Pugatch

Carol Braunstein

(516)

Call or Text

(516) 592-2206

295-3000

www.pugatch.com

spugatch@pugatch.com

H E W L E T T: 2 4 E v e r i t Av e ( 1 2 - 1 : 3 0 ) $649K LAWRENCE: 2 6 0 C e n t r a l Ave ( 1 2 - 3 ) R E G E N C Y VALLEY STREAM: 60 Dartmouth St(12:30-2:30)$339K

 1,400 +/- SF In Elevator Bldg  W/3 Private Offices & Full Bsmt  Ample Parking, Great Location

 4,500 +/- SF On One Floor  3 Offices & 2 Bathrooms  Can Be Divided, Convenient To All

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Classifieds classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com / text 443-929-4003 HOUSES FOR SALE

COMMERCIAL RE

COMMERCIAL RE

COMMERCIAL RE

WOODMERE: 2BR Ranch, 2 Dens, LR/DR, Finished Attic, Large Property, Close To All…$425K Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com

CEDARHURST OFFICE SPACE LOWEST PRICES IN TOWN! 500-5000 square feet very nice office space with cool conference room & Kitchen. Onsite parking Great Location. Lots of options! Will divide and customize space for your needs!

Call 516-567-0100

EAST ROCKAWAY: 1,400 +/- SF Office Suite in Professional Elevator Building, Full Basement, Ample Parking, Great Location, For Lease…

Call Arthur for More Details (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com

CEDARHURST: 500-3000 +/- SF Professional Office Space Available in the Heart Of Cedarhurst, For Lease... Call For More Details Broker (516) 792-6698

WOODMERE Magnificent Split Level 6BR, 3 Full Baths, New Eik, Formal DR, HW Floors, Lg Den W/Fplc, Central A/C, SD#14...$699K Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com WOODMERE 6 Bdrms, 2.5 Baths, new trex front porch, brick patio, in ground pool, koi pond with water fall, central A/C, gas/steam heat, wood floors, security system with cameras and remote control front gates Asking $799,000, taxes $14,800.

Please call 516-569-9042 WOODMERE NEW CONSTRUCTION 5 BR, 3.5 Bths, Center Hall Colonial.

Master Suite w/2 Walk in Closets, Guest BR wFull Bath on First Floor. Radiant Heat on First Floor, Granite Kosher EIK………………….….. $1.3M

By Owner NO Brokers 646-634-4642

CEDARHURST: 500-3000 +/- SF Professional Office Space Available in the Heart of Cedarhurst, For Lease... Call For More Details Broker (516) 792-6698 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 Commercial mixed use building + Lot. Private parking, corner property, high traffic area 1st floor offices, 2nd floor: 2 Apts. Asking 849k.

Call 212-470-3856 Yochi @ WinZone Re

FREEPORT: 1,450 +/- SF Office Storefront, Totally Renovated, Office, Bullpen Area, Empire Zone Benefits, Convenient to Major Public Transportation, For Sale…Call Alan for More Details (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com LAWRENCE: 10,000 +/- SF Retail Store On Busy, High Traffic Corner. Great Visibility. 22 Car Parking. Convenient To All. Near Parkway, Train & Buses. For Lease…

Call For More Details - Broker (516) 792-6698 ROCKVILLE CENTRE: Professional/Medical Co-Op. 3000 +/SF Space With Reception Area, 7 Exam Rooms, 2 Consult Offices, 2 Bathrooms, For Sale…Call Randy for More Details (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com

VALLEY STREAM: Office Space in Professional Hi-Rise Building, Can Be Built to Suit, Various Suites Available, $28 RSF Full Service, For Lease... Call For More Details Broker (516) 792-6698 WOODMERE: Follow The Leader To Woodmere, Now Is The Time To Act!!! No Metered Parking, Various Retail/Office Spaces Available, For Sale/Lease...Call For More Details (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com

APT FOR RENT FAR ROCKAWAY BRAND NEW CONSTRUCTION 2 AND 3 BEDROOM APTS. Granite countertops SS appliances.

Indoor and outdoor playground 2 br starting at $1600 3 br duplex starting at $2100 NO FEE call Heidi 516-514-7525

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Classifieds classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com / text 443-929-4003 APT FOR RENT LAWRENCE Large 2 Bedroom Apartment for Rent on Second Floor of Private Home Near LIRR and Shaaray $2K/month, includes heat For more information call 516-318-9153 Brand new luxury 3 bedroom 2 bath apartment in central Far Rockaway 2 Family home. Features: Private entrance, 1 car off street parking, Sukkah porch. Large eat in kitchen with new appliances, Living room, Dining room, Additional storage in attic, Separate heat, A/C, hot water, Washer/Dryer Hook Up, Walk to all Call 1-917-415-0055 FAR ROCKAWAY Recently renovated 3 bedrooms, 1-1/2 bath, first floor, great location Please call: 917-376-5948 LAWRENCE: Spacious & Updated 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bath Apartment In Great Location, CAC, Washer/Dryer In Apt, Use Of Driveway & Backyard‌$2,395/Mo. Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com

APT FOR RENT

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

CEDARHURST 500-3,500 +/- SF Beautiful, newly renovated space for rent. Ideal for Retail or Executive offices.

Prime location. Convenient Parking.

Call Sam @ 516-612-2433 or 718-747-8080

COMPUTER NETWORKING TECHNICIAN - ENTRY LEVEL Great opportunity - We are a well established IT company in Far Rockaway that currently has an entry level position open in our networking division. We are looking to fill this position with a person who has a strong work ethic, basic knowledge, is tech savvy and has an interest in learning new applications. Experience with Sonicwall, Access points, Microsoft server, Microsoft Exchange and VOIP a plus.

Please send your resume to readyvoicedata@yahoo.com

Fast-paced office in the 5 Towns seeking talented, professional, highlymotivated individuals to join our Sales team. Must be detail oriented, and thrive in a collaborative environment.

Please submit qualified resume to admin@getpeyd.com

ON SEAGIRT AVENUE 2 & 3 bedroom. Newly renovated.

Washer and dryer hook up. Granite countertops.

More info call or text 917-602-2914 FAR ROCKAWAY 3 Bedrooms – New Construction Central air, oak floors, granite kitchen, elevator building. Asking $2350 Call Yossi 917-337-6262

BUSINESS OPPNTY Five Towns Restaurant for Sale Ongoing business; Good sales; Great reputation. Perfect opportunity Email: kosherrestaurantforsale@gmail. com or call: 516-206-1100

HELP WANTED CLERICAL. Woodmere, Full time, shomer Shabbos, computer knowledge required, will train.

Call 646-634-4642 from 9 to 5.

Direct Support Professional to work with men with autism and other disabilities in a residential setting in Cedarhurst. F/T positions include: 3pm-11pm, and Overnight. High pay rate, plus benefit package. Contact OHEL Bais Ezra 718-686-3102 or www. ohelfamily.org/careers EXPERIENCED REAL ESTATE SALES AGENT needed for a HIGH Producing real estate office who is seeking an opportunity to Earn & Learn more!!!

Call Today (516) 295-3000 x 128.

All calls kept confidential.

Fast-paced office in the 5 Towns seeking talented, professional Executive Assistant. Includes administrative duties for Sales Management. Responsibilities may include screening calls and customer relations. Requires strong computer skills. Also calls for flexibility, excellent interpersonal skills, project coordination experience, and the ability to work well with all levels of internal management and staff, as well as outside clients and vendors. Please submit qualified resume to admin@ getpeyd.com DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL to work with men with autism and other disabilities in a residential setting in Cedarhurst. F/T positions include: 3pm-11pm, and Overnight. High pay rate, plus benefit package.

Contact OHEL Bais Ezra 718-686-3102 or www.ohelfamily.org/careers

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Classifieds classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com / text 443-929-4003 HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

Marketing Copywriter Wanted Marketing firm is looking for a Freelance Copywriter for creative ads and marketing literature.

Email: adwriting01@gmail.com

CATAPULT LEARNING Teachers for Title I in Boro Park andWilliamsburg Chassidic boys schools *College/Yeshiva Degree Required *Strong desire to help children learn *Excellent organizational skills *Small group instruction *Competitive salary Email resume: nyteachers@catapultlearning.com.

Fax (718) 381-3493

Social Worker For 200+ bed nursing facility in Queens Must be knowledgeable in cre planning and MDS & have prior LTC or hospital experience Please email resume promrehab@aol.com PART TIME AND FULL TIME BOOKKEEPING POSITION Fast growing accounting and consulting firm seeks a qualified individual to assist our accounting staff in providing bookkeeping services for our clients. Qualified individuals will have the opportunity to join our employee friendly culture At least 2 years working experience Working knowledge of Microsoft Office, QuickBooks a MUST Email – info@smallbizoutsource.com GREAT OPPORTUNITY Looking for class B CDL DRIVER with clutch for a heimishe lumber co.

Great pay, Call: 718-369-3141 Ext. 348 EXPERIENCED REAL ESTATE SALES AGENT needed for a HIGH Producing real estate office who is seeking an opportunity to Earn & Learn more!!! Call Today (516) 295-3000 x 128. All calls kept confidential.

Local F.T. Accounting Office Seeks P/T JR. ACCOUNTANT proficient in Q.B. knowledge of payroll tax, sales tax, business tax and individual taxes Qualified applicants should please e-mail resume to: 5towntaxoffice@gmail.com

Physical Therapist Assistants (PTA’s) & Occupational Therapists Assistants (COTA’s)For 200+ bed Nursing Home in Queens. Must have Hospital or Nursing Home experience. Please email resume to promrehab@aol.com

SITUATION WANTED Professional with over 15 years of solid office work experience, including non-profit, looking to secure an administrative position.

Please reply to penman24@yahoo.com LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE seeks position in homecare with the elderly or pediatric care. I am skilled, caring and dependable.

Please call me at 631-759-0025

Life CAPTURE

I M A G E S LTD PHOTOGRAPHY I VIDEO

GABRIEL SOLOMON

GABE@LIFECAPTUREIMAGES.COM 516.499.9620 WWW.LIFECAPTUREIMAGES.COM

MISC SPACE AVAILABLE for 3 year old playgroup in Far Rockaway. Excellent Morahs.

Please call (516) 406-2980.

Looking for TALENTED WOMEN AND GIRLS knowing how to sing and play an instrument for a MUSICAL VIDEO PRESENTATION Requirements Send resume to Bw541ny@aol.com

SHIDDUCH DATING? NEED PLACES TO GO?

TJH Classifieds Post your Real Estate, Help Wanted, Services, Miscellaneous Ads here.

Weekly Classifed Ads Up to 5 lines and/or 25 words 1 week ................ $20 $10 2 weeks .............. $35 $17.50 4 weeks .............. $60 $30 Email ads to: classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com Include valid credit card info

Deadline Monday 5:00pm

Check out Pegishaplace.com Tutors desperately needed for Zichron Etel, a gemach providing free tutoring to those who cannot afford it.

Now in Brooklyn and the Five Towns!

Kindly visit our website at www.zichronetel.com Yehalomim Shelanu Special Programming presents an after school program for the special children of our neighborhood! Every Monday afternoon from 4:45- 6:15 Fun & educational run by talented and experienced staff. Call 516-732-2949 for more info or to register

OUT-OF-TOWN GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL

seeking part-time Assistant Principal

Small out-of-town Bais Yaakov high school serving a young, growing, vibrant community.

We are seeking a woman who has solid educational knowledge and experience, and wants to be involved in shaping the Torah atmosphere of an up and coming school.

 Serve as a strong role model and provide spiritual leadership  Build meaningful relationships with the girls  Assist in leading, overseeing, and directing staff  Participate in the development and implementation of curriculum, programming and special activities Job placement assistance will be provided for spouse.

Serious inquiries only please. Send resume to rwyi@mail.com

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Your

Money

We Bring Good Things to Boston

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

W

ay back in 1889, the inventor Thomas Edison and the financier J.P. Morgan put their heads together to create the Edison General Electric Company.

Just seven years later, it was one of the original twelve companies listed on the new Dow Jones Industrial Average. Today, GE is the fourth-largest company in the world. It’s the very model of a modern “multinational,” with 350,000 employees generating $150 billion in annual revenue from jet engines, financial services, clean energy, life sciences, appliances and lighting, and railroad equipment.

Naturally, all that money sloshing around attracts the tax man’s attention. GE files literally thousands of tax returns every year, for every country in the world (or at least every one that requires a tax return), every state in this country, and more cities than you can name.

Their federal Form 1120, which is the corporate equivalent of your Form 1040, runs over 50,000 pages — and it gets audited every single year. So naturally, GE works hard to avoid paying anything more than it has to.

The New York Times reports that the company’s tax department “is often referred to as the world’s best tax

law firm,” and its staff of 975 lawyers takes advantage of every trick in the book to pay the legal minimum. And all that work pays off — from 2008 to 2012, the company paid zero federal corporate income tax.

and 800 jobs to Boston’s Seaport District neighborhood. (No word yet on whether the company’s Yankees fans will be expected to start rooting for the Sox.) The city’s concentration of elite universities and innovative

City and state officials seasoned that chowder with one of the richest incentive packages in Massachusetts history, too.

40 years ago, GE moved its headquarters out of Manhattan to suburban Fairfield, Connecticut, a WASPy town on the coast of Long Island Sound. But last year, Connecticut legislators adopted a budget that raised taxes by $1.9 billion statewide.

The very next day, GE chairman Jeffrey Immelt stamped his little foot and said, “I’m taking my ball and playing somewhere else!” Who would have expected him to wind up in the commonwealth formerly mocked as Taxachusetts?

That’s right, GE has announced they’re moving their headquarters

tech firms was the main draw. But city and state officials seasoned that chowder with one of the richest incentive packages in Massachusetts history, too.

It seems that old “Beantown” offered up to $25 million in property tax breaks. Massachusetts state officials have added up to $145 million in grants, infrastructure improvements, and help with real estate acquisition costs. But the brightest light of all is a special discount on state corporate taxes.

Massachusetts imposes a corporate excise tax of $2.60 for every

thousand dollars of Massachusetts tangible personal property or taxable net worth, plus 8.0% of net income attributable to Massachusetts.

But the state offers what they call a “single sales factor apportionment” break to three specific industries: defense contractors, mutual fund managers, and manufacturers. That break lets eligible companies pay tax solely on their in-state net income.

The state’s Department of Revenue reports that this break saved qualifying companies over $3 billion in tax from 1996 to 2011. GE has confirmed that they plan to cash in on the same break moving forward.

Now, you probably don’t have the option to simply pull up stakes and move just to save some tax dollars.

The good news is, you don’t have to move to pay less. You just need a plan — the same sort of plan that lets GE minimize its tax burden. Make sure you’re ready to pay less, and keep rooting for the home team!

Allan J Rolnick is a CPA who has been in practice for over 30 yea rs in Queens, NY. He welcomes your comments and can be reached at 718-896-8715 or at allanjrcpa@aol.com.

The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 4, 2016

Shovavim

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A Three Part Aish Kodesh Lecture Series for Women All Shiurim in Aish Kodesh Beis Medrash at 8:15pm Part I Taharas HamishpachaUpholding A Woman’s Dignity And The Sanctity Of Her Home Tuesday, January 12

by Rabbi Moshe Weinberger Morah D’asra Cong. Aish Kodesh, Mashpia Yeshiva University Part II Journey For A LifetimeStrengthening the Intimate Connection Tuesday, February 2

by Dr. Binyamin Tepfer, PhD Clinical Psychologist, Noted lecturer Part III Review of Hilchos Taharas Hamishpacha with an emphasis on most frequently asked questions Tuesday, February 16

by Rebbetzin Abby Lerner Rebbetzin YI of Great Neck, Faculty YUHS for Girls, Kallah Teacher

*Admission by Donation Aish Kodesh in Conjuction with the Grove Street Mikvah proudly sponsored

by Gourmet Glatt, Part of the Community, Partners in the Community

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Life C ach

What’s in a Name?

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

Just cause “they” had a baby, “I’m” a generation older?!

B

ut they say it’s worth the jump! The kid is like one minute old and everyone is asking me how it feels. It feels like my son and daughter (-in-law) had a baby. I’m ecstatic for them. I think the kid is delicious. But how it will actually play out to be a grandparent – now that I think I need some time to discover. Yes, it feels like my son had a baby. Yes, that’s wild.

I see him already doting, and fussing, and smiling with pride from ear to ear.

I see her rediscovering that her legs actually do exist, and yes that it’s worth going through all “that” to get this. And I see her processing that no one can appreciate this “much described indescribable experience” till you go through it yourself!

And I see her being the caring, wonderful person she is to my son and to her daughter. But me, I think I’m still just me, so far!

People are asking me what I’m going to be called.

Why? Do they have some inside information about how exceptional this baby

is (which she is) – in other words that she’ll be speaking any time soon?! Alternatively, do they need to know because they are planning to address me by my new grandparent name? I think I have some time to decide on my new title. In the interim, everyone is invited to continue to call me by the usual accolades I am used to like: hey gorgeous, amazing, etc.

I am certainly looking forward to the experience ahead. I can completely imagine it will be wonderful i”yH to have this new type of relationship but so far she’s called me nothing, though I have called her every special adjective in the book from sweet, glowing, and delicious to obviously great-natured and extremely advanced.

Now, on the other hand, has the young couple’s life changed already? Oh yes, that’s a different story. That happens within the first few minutes after giving birth.

Like when everyone leaves the room the first time and they look at each other wondering, wait who’d they leave in here to take care of that baby?!

And then there’s the experience of leaving the hos-

pital... These two energetic, proficient, on-the-move young adults have turned into two slow moving bag ladies. They need to check twenty times that they took everything – including the newborn! And though they came in with a small overnight bag, completely – optimistically – over-packed with blow dryer and lovely robe that they never had the energy to access, they are leaving with half the nursery supplies in tow.

They walked in a simple couple but left as a family.

The kid takes up like no space in the apartment. 21 more inches maybe, basically a little more than the size of a two liter Coke bottle. But with the paraphernalia they come with today you need to start thinking of buying a house – just for their stuff!

Everyone comes to see the new arrival and everyone asks me so how does it feel. Did I kvetch this child out, labor for hours, push my guts out?! Why are they asking me?! My friends call me and say, “Welcome to the club.” I’m sure they’ll be sending me a membership bill in the mail. It’s too suspicious; no entry was ever this easy.

We all have a vision of a grandparent from years ago and that was an elderly, European, little woman.

Not a young – at least in my mind – cosmopolitan, fastpaced woman (though now I realize they felt as young as ever back then too). Still,

be called “Lolly”! I kind of liked Eemee but he doesn’t want to be Abbee. So, for now, I guess I’ll just let the kid keep thinking what she’s thinking when she sees me, you know – “How did I get so lucky?!” And the wisdom of who I should be to this

But with the paraphernalia they come with today you need to start thinking of buying a house – just for their stuff!

I’m expecting to shrink any minute and to start spewing Yiddishisms!

OK, I’ll share a secret with you: here are titles I’ve considered. Mom, Mommy, Ma, but I can’t figure out what my daughter-inlaw would be called in that case. And since she is the one willing to accept all the responsibilities that come with that title, I know I have to find some other description for myself. My husband wants to be called “Pops” and since I’m his other half I’m thinking I have to

little angel, model, genius, (objectively speaking) will come to me! For now I think she can continue calling me what she’s calling everyone else...Wa wa wa!

Which I suspiciously think in my case is the start of the word (wa)...for wonderful!

Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or rivki@rosenwalds.com

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