Five Towns Jewish Home - 12-8-16 by The Jewish Home

December 8, 2016

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

Your Favorite Five Towns Family Newspaper

65 YEARS AND COUNTING

Pages 9, 10, 11, 13 & 15

Around the

Community

Rabbi Raphael Pelcovitz Reflects on his More than Six Decades as Rav in the Five Towns Community

1,100 Guests Inspired at OHEL’s 47th Annual Gala

Community Joins in Support of Shalom Task Force

75 Years Later

After Pearl Harbor, this Mail Plane had a New Mission: Find the Attackers pg100 Timeless Parenting by Dr. Hylton I Lightman

Encouraging our Injured Soldiers

– See page 3

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DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

Happy Chanukah from our family to yours.

What’s your favorite family Chanukah picture? We’d love to see it.

Draw it for us above or on your own paper

The best submission will be printed in this publication!*

the

family

CLIFTON • LAWRENCE • QUEENS • SCARSDALE • MANHATTAN • LAKEWOOD •

COMING SOON!!

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SHOP 24/6 SEASONSKOSHER.COM • INFO@SEASONSKOSHER.COM *Clip this page or use your own paper to submit your drawing, along with your name, age and city at any Seasons store, or scan and email to us at chanukah@seasonskosher.com. Submission deadline is December 23rd. The winning submission will be published on December 27th. Decisions of the judges are final. Submissions will not be returned.

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

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Will Daven On Behalf of Contributors to In countries Kupat Ha’ir In addition, will The messengers of Kupateach Ha’irname will mention each name individually, along with its Across the world be prayed for individually InThey will pray fervently accompanying request, every day. for Hashem’s salvation.

Names may be submitted until Thursday, 8 Kislev (December 8) at 16:00 Names and requests may be submitted via our 24 hour hotline:

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

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DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Dear Readers,

t’s hard to imagine that the Five Towns was once an area with just a few shuls, a few frum people on every block, and barely a kosher grocery. Now it’s hard to find a door without a mezuzah, and our yeshivos are expanding at an exponential rate. Remember when the 878 was filled with trees? Neither do I, but it was maybe twenty-five years ago when the trees were razed and the highway was paved, uniting the community. When Rabbi Raphael Pelcovitz came to the community 65 years ago, there were far less shuls in the neighborhood. In fact, you could probably count them on two fingers. But that didn’t deter Rabbi Pelcovitz from inspiring the community and building up its residents. It was his efforts that have blossomed into many more shuls, myriad shiurim, countless frum families, and schools that need to add more classrooms on a yearly basis. Rabbi Pelcovitz is truly one of the founders of our community. I wondered, how does a person start with something so small and then have the vision to build something so big? Shouldn’t it be frustrating or discouraging to begin such a significant endeavor at such an early stage? In our interview with Rabbi Pelcovitz this week, he spoke about his optimism and how essential that characteristic is for a rabbi. A rabbi’s job is to teach and to help his congregation grow. But, Rabbi Pelcovitz

points out, a rabbi’s job is to care for each of his congregants. He essentially becomes his congregants’ teacher, therapist, advisor, and supporter. And the job, although fulfilling, is demanding. So optimism is essential for a rabbi to be able help with everyone’s problems, care for them, and inspire them as well. As much as optimism is vital for a rabbi’s role, I think that the trait of optimism is essential in all areas of life. A mother has to be optimistic that her children will be able to succeed and excel in school and with their friends. That attitude will help propel her children to success. A teacher has to be optimistic that her students will imbibe her lessons, enjoy her classes, and take her words to heart. They, too, will see life with more positivity. Add optimism to any job or any role, and you’ll fill your world with more brightness. As Winston Churchill once said, “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; the optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.” Optimism, though, should not be confused with a lack of realism. We need to understand that things may not be successful and prepare for that. But don’t prepare for it with trepidation and anxiety; look forward to it with a ray of hopefulness. Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

Yitzy Halpern PUBLISHER

publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Yosef Feinerman MANAGING EDITOR

ads@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Shoshana Soroka EDITOR

editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Nate Davis Editorial Assistant Nechama Wein Copy Editor Rachel Bergida Berish Edelman Mati Jacobovits Design & Production Gabe Solomon Distribution & Logistics P.O. BOX 266 Lawrence, NY 11559 Phone | 516-734-0858 Fax | 516-734-0857 Classifieds: Deadline Mondays 5PM classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com text 443-929-4003 The Jewish Home is an independent weekly magazine. Opinions expressed by writers are not neces sarily the opinions of the publisher or editor. The Jewish Home is not responsible for typographical errors, or for the kashrus of any product or business advertised within. The Jewish Home contains words of Torah. Please treat accordingly.

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

TORAH

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TOPICS INCLUDE: The Conversion Debate in Israel Today, Family Planning in Halacha, Living in the Diaspora Vs. Living in Israel, Women and Torah Transmission, Moshe and Tzipporah’s Relationship And Marriage, Midrash: Fact Or Fable, Are Edited Embryos Kosher FEATURING Israel’s Chief Rabbi David Lau, Rabbi Hershel Schachter, Rabbi Yonasan Sacks, Mrs. Shira Smiles, Mrs. Rookie Billet, Rabbi Shalom Rosner, Rabbi Ahron Lopiansky and many more Childrens' programming: Ages 2-5 and 6-10

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

COMMUNITY Readers’ Poll

Community Happenings

NEWS Global

National

Odd-but-True Stories

ISRAEL Israel News

On the Street Where We Live by Rafi Sackville

122

PEOPLE 65 Years and Counting: Rabbi Raphael Pelcovitz Reflects

After Pearl Harbor, this Mail Plane had a New Mission: Find the Attackers

100

The Brave Men of the Marine Raiders by Avi Heiligman

120

PARSHA Rabbi Wein

Dear Editor, This is not a political comment. It’s a comment from a special educator of over thirty years. It’s calling for simple decency, privacy, and respect of children. Hands off Baron Trump. If anyone mentions that he is autistic, you are disgraceful. What difference does it make if he is? By the way, that goes for any insinuations against Obama’s kids or any other politician’s kids. The kids of politicians are OFF LIMITS. They are kids thrust into the limelight by birth, not choice. Joseph M. Varon Retired Special Education Teacher New York City Department of Education

JEWISH THOUGHT Thanks for Dropping In by Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz 78

Growing Green by Eytan Kobre

Managing Life’s Fluctuations by Rabbi Dr. Naphtali Hoff 82

HEALTH & FITNESS Reasons are Reasons, Not Excuses by Dr. Deb Hirschhorn

Timeless Parenting by Dr. Hylton I. Lightman

Portion Distortion by Cindy Weinberger, MS, RD

Dear Editor, I enjoy reading your magazine and always make sure to pick it up weekly. This week, you published two detailed articles on Fidel Castro. They were both well-written and interesting. My question to

you, though, is this: why did you feel the need to devote seven full pages of your magazine to a tyrant? Believe me, there are many other people who we can learn a lot more from. A Reader

Dear Editor, Because I was born in the eighties, Fidel Castro never struck fear in my heart. Reading about him, though, reminded me that there is true evil in this world. At one point in America’s history, children were forced to practice drills for how to be safe in case of an attack from Russia or even coming from our neighbors to the South. He may have mellowed in many people’s eyes in his later years, but Castro’s cruelty and viciousness towards America and his people have only been replaced by other groups of terror. Sincerely, Chaim H. Continued on page 12

FOOD & LEISURE The Aussie Gourmet: Ravioli with Three Sauces

LIFESTYLES Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW 95

Your Money

132

Call it the Art of Learning by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

134

HUMOR Centerfold

The Laws of Cholent by Jon Kranz

116

Uncle Moishy Fun Page

124

POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes

104

After a Mere 25 Years, the Triumph of the West is Over by Charles Krauthammer 112 Trump’s Taiwan Call Wasn’t a Blunder. It was Brilliant by Marc A. Thiessen CLASSIFIEDS

114 125

Researchers say that adults should not drink more than five 8 oz. cups of coffee a day.

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

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DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

thinking about what I said. Clearly that is something she never heard before. I am sure that this happens to each and every one of your readers at some point in their lives. Whether they’re stuck on the road, or need to ask directions, or need just a nickel to complete their purchase, they know that their fellow brothers and sisters are more than happy to help them. What a beautiful feeling! Sincerely, Y. U. Dear Editor, My memory is very short, so forgive me if I am forgetting what happened four years ago. I am amazed that even after Election Day, I cannot seem to get a break from political news. Can’t the country just settle on the fact that one person won and can we all get back to business? We no longer have to conjecture how many electoral votes each candidate will get; we no longer have to ask if certain groups will come out to vote; we no longer have to ask if he/she will be good for our country. It’s done. Whether or not he will be good for the country is a moot point because he is going to be our commander-in-chief for the next four years. Why should we all walk around with a pit of anxiety day-in, day-out? All these talking heads are doing is talking, assuming, guessing, predicting. Who cares? Let me know if my taxes go up or down, if my insurance rates go up or down, and if our country is safer. Otherwise, I want to be left in my blissful state of ignorance. So, please, stop talking. Avi S.

Continued from 8

Dear Editor, Jonathan Gewirtz’s column this week was wonderful! It just goes to show that you never know where you’ll meet a fellow neshama. And being that we’re all from one family, there’s an instant connection.

Views expressed on the Letters to the Editor page do not necessarily reflect the views of The Jewish Home. I was at an event for work one time and I saw another frum girl from another company. Of course, I introduced myself to her and we started talking. In turns out that there were a few people we knew in common. A colleague of mine came over to me and I introduced

my new “friend.” She asked me how we knew each other and I told her that we just met. “But you seem like you both know so many people and could talk for hours.” She amazed. I told her that we are both Jewish and that our religion connects us in a much deeper way. She walked away

Please send all correspondence to: editor @fivetowns jewishhome.com.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

The Week In News

did not result in jobs or economic growth to Rio,” political scientist and professor Mauricio Santoro points out. “And now the state is broken, and it has to cut salaries and pensions, so hundreds of thousands of people are going to suffer very negative impacts because of these decisions.”

No Gold after the Olympics in Rio UN Apologizes but Does Not Admit its Faults

There was gold on everyone’s mind this past summer in Rio de Janeiro, but these days residents of the Brazilian city are wondering if there are even enough pesos to go around. The state has been suffering for quite a while as Brazil’s economy hit a standstill recently. Brazil’s most abundant commodity – oil – has been hovering at record low prices, and massive corruption scandals have caused thousands of layoffs throughout the country. Rio’s attempts to stem the massive financial shortfalls have left its citizens in a state of chaos. Austerity programs which seek to eliminate part of the $30 million in debt attempt to cut public workers’ wages by more than 30 percent and to eliminate certain government programs. Art performers have not been paid for months, public hospitals have long lines at their doors of people seeking treatment, and many libraries face the threat of closure. Murders are up by over 18% and street robberies have jumped nearly 50% this year. The Olympics, which were seen as a way to bolster the state’s finances, did precisely the opposite. A federal bailout which helped Rio pay its police and staff its hospitals during the Games is now just another massive debt on the state’s books. The former governor of Rio is accused of facilitating millions of dollars of bribes from building contracts for the Games. The state also squandered close to $40 billion of would-be tax dollars in incentives for companies that chose to do business there, including Olympic sponsors. “What we can say is that it was a bad decision from a financial point of view, and that giving these tax cuts

Last week, UN Secretary Ban Ki Moon apologized to Haiti for the UN’s role in the country’s cholera epidemic which sickened 753,000 and killed 9,300, noting that it did not do enough to help the poor country. Moon’s apology, while welcomed by some as “an important day for the UN,” did not address the accusations that UN peacekeepers actually caused the outbreak – the worst in the world – by dumping a full truckload of human waste into Haiti’s major river, the Artibonite. Subsequent investigations determined that UN peacekeepers continued to dump their wastewater into vital water sources in Haiti. The UN’s original response to the epidemic was to commission a study in 2011 which determined that the outbreak “was not the fault of, or deliberate action of, a group or individuals,” thus exonerating the organization. While the authors of that study have since changed their opinion, Moon continues to reference that report. The UN has gone so far as to invoke its immunity as Haitians have come forward with lawsuits against the organization. “Our clients have lost breadwinners and gone into debt to pay for funeral costs,” Beatrice Lindstrom, an attorney representing Haitians, said. The United States has already contributed over $100 million to Haiti. The UN is now asking its member states to pony up an additional $200 million to help solve the never-ending crisis.

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Iranian Park Makes Killing Fun

Despite our recent agreement with Iran regarding their nuclear programs, the Persian regime is not a peaceful place. This year, Iran opened a special theme park in the city of Mashad for teaching children ages 8-13 how to fight wars and shoot weapons at Iran’s perceived enemies. The park is called “The City of Games for Revolutionary Children.” It operates under the Mashad municipality and is free of charge. According to Hamid Sadeghi, director of the cultural center that established the park, it is intended to teach children messages about “holy defense” and fighting Iran’s enemies, including Israel and the U.S. So how do you teach children to fight and kill? After registering, chil-

dren don military uniforms and split up into groups of 8-10. They are accompanied by a “commander” whom they pledge to obey. They then go through 12 activity stations which include simulations of the Iran-Iraq war, a “Revolution chamber,” defending various holy shrines, and traversing a minefield with barbed wire. Along the way, they are told about the directives of the Imam (Ayatollah Ruhollah) Khomeini and Supreme Leader Khamenei. “At the final station,” said Sadeghi, “the children learn that the most important elements for attaining victory are wisdom and intelligence for fighting the enemy.”

People’s Person of the Year Although TIME magazine’s infamous “Person of the Year” issue has not come out yet, the online poll results are in. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been picked in the online readers’ poll for the magazine’s annual award. While the editors of TIME magazine are the ones who pick the actual winner, the on-

line poll provides insight into how the rest of the world feels.

Modi crushed the rest of the nominees with a full 18% of the vote – that’s almost three times as many votes as the next closest contenders. Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Julian Assange all came in second place with 7% of the vote. Hillary Clinton only brought in 4% and Mark Zuckerberg came up with 2%. Modi has had a big surge in popularity in India in recent months. The TIME magazine selection goes not necessarily to the best person of the year, but rather to the one who has had the largest global impact. For this reason, the global online poll is very telling. On Wednesday, December 7, TIME magazine officially named Donald Trump as their person of the year.

Trump’s Phone Calls: Political Blunders?

Donald Trump got himself elected with his brash talk and thumbing his nose at some of the country’s most delicate relationships, particularly the one with China. During the election campaign, Trump accused the superpower of currency manipulation, land grabbing and taking advantage of the U.S.’s naiveté. But when he spoke with the Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-Wen on the phone last week, he may have stepped on a global land mine. Since 1949, when Mao’s Communists took over control of Taiwan, the U.S. has been forced to share a very peculiar relationship with the state.

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D En ec t em ry d be ea r dli 7, ne 20 : 16

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

Gourmet Glatt & the Nachum Segal Network P R E S E N T

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the negative. With this kind of move, Trump is setting a foundation of enduring mistrust and strategic competition for U.S.-China relations.” The question remains if Trump actually knew the implications of his phone call, or if it was the result of his ignorance on the matter. One of his top advisors, John Bolton, is a vocal advocate of embracing Taiwan. Vice President-elect Mike Pence has insisted it was merely a congratulatory call. On Tuesday, Taiwan’s President Tsai echoed the sentiment. “Of course I have to stress that one phone call does not mean a policy shift,” Tsai told American journalists in Taipei. “The phone call was a way for us to express our respect for the U.S. election as well as congratulate President-elect Trump on his win.” Trump also seemed to step right in the middle of another foreign policy disaster when he told the Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that he is “ready and willing to play any role that you want me to play to address and find solutions to the outstanding problems,” which the Pakistanis interpret to mean that he supports their side of the Kashmir conflict with India. He added, “You are a terrific guy. You are doing amazing work which is visible in every way.” The U.S. has also had a history with Pakistan harboring terrorists, namely the infamous Osama bin Laden, so relations between the United States and Pakistan have been strained.

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America does have a strong relationship with Taiwan and provides it with “defensive” weapons, but in deference to China, its relationship is labeled as “unofficial” and the U.S. does not recognize Taiwan’s so-called independence. In 1979, the U.S. released a proclamation that “the Government

of the United States of America acknowledges the Chinese position that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China.” Trump’s call with President Tsai, which implicitly recognized her sovereignty, is bound to anger China. “The Chinese leadership will see this as a

highly provocative action, of historic proportions,” Evan Medeiros, former Asia director at the White House National Security Council, said. “Regardless if it was deliberate or accidental, this phone call will fundamentally change China’s perceptions of Trump’s strategic intentions for

The U.S. military is well-known for its patience in exacting justice. It took years to hunt down and kill Osama bin Laden. This summer, the U.S. was waiting and ready for the second-in-command of ISIS, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, when he was forced to step out into the public. Adnani fled into hiding after becoming obsessed with his safety. The cleric, who exhorted young Muslims

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

to blow themselves up, began avoiding daylight, large meetings and cell phones in general. He hid among children in crowded tenements in the hopes of avoiding an airstrike. But U.S. forces were patient. When a weakening ISIS forced the terrorist to take a car out with a companion one day this August, the U.S. was able to promptly fire a missile through his vehicle. Not much has been said about the successful mission, although the U.S. has asserted that it was their missile that killed the murderer – not ammunition from Russia. “He was the voice of the caliphate when its caliph was largely silent,” said Will McCants, an expert on militant extremism at the Brookings Institution and author of The ISIS Apocalypse, a 2015 book on the Islamic State, referring to Adnani. “He was the one who called for a war on the West.” In the past four months, six high level ISIS operatives were killed by U.S. strikes. ISIS commander AbuBhakr Al-Baghdadi has been left increasingly worried for his own safety. “He is in deep hiding because we have eliminated nearly all of his deputies,” Brett McGurk, the Obama administration’s special envoy to the global

coalition seeking to destroy ISIS, said at a meeting of coalition partners in Berlin this month. “We had their network mapped. If you look at all of his deputies and who he was relying on, they’re all gone.” A fragmented ISIS does not mean a destroyed ISIS. The terrorist organization’s sprawling network and decentralized structure have allowed it to survive despite the loss of its leadership.

Qatar is the Wealthiest Nation

The world keeps getting smaller by the day as globalization removes geographical boundaries from the international business environ-

ment. But just because we are closer to each other technologically, that doesn’t mean that wealth is evenly distributed. By measuring a country’s Gross Net Income (GNI), which includes money made by a country through investments abroad, as opposed to the classic measurement of GDP, economists are able to get a better picture of the true wealth of countries. What this means in English is that the investment an entrepreneur makes in a foreign country – say a New Yorker who buys a building in Stockholm – can be included in the measurement of wealth of the U.S., as the New Yorker receives a check in the mail every month from Sweden. And it goes without saying that the more developed a country is and the more wealth its citizens possess, the more they are able to spread their interests across the world and reap economic benefits. Indeed, North America, which contains only 4.6% of the world’s population, holds 26.5% of the world’s wealth. Populous South Asia, which is home to 23.7% of the world, has only 3.6% of the entire wealth of the world. Oil-rich countries in the Middle East such as Qatar (number 1 in the world) and export-driven

countries such as the U.S. (number 9 in the world) are the primary beneficiaries of the new economy. Qatar is the wealthiest nation in the world with a GNI per capita of $129,076.58 and a GDP of $321.69 billion in 2015. The second wealthiest nation is Macao SAR, China, Asia’s gambling capital. Singapore, Kuwait and Norway round out the top five wealthiest nations in the world, according to their GNI.

Dachau Gate Found

This week, police in southwestern Norway recovered a part of a gate that once stood at the entrance of Dachau’s concentration camp in Germany. The iron black gate bears the grim inscription “Arbeit macht frei” and was stolen more than two years ago.

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Dachau, the first concentration camp in Nazi Germany, opened in 1933, just after Adolf Hitler assumed power. Over the 12 years it operated, it housed over 188,000 prisoners and was the site of forced labor, inhumane medical experiments, at least 31,000 deaths and mass corpse cremations. U.S. forces liberated the camp in 1945, but Germany eventually opened it to the public for observation, as it remains to this day. The 220-pound gate was stolen from under guard watch in 2014; a replica gate was installed in 2015. The gate was found in the city of Bergen, in southwest Norway, a police spokeswoman told Agence France-Presse. “It was found in the open air,” she related. “You can tell that it’s been outside but it’s in good condition.” The original gate will promptly be returned to the Dachau memorial following a judicial review. “I congratulate the security authorities on their transnational success,” said Karl Freller, Director of the Bavarian Memorial Foundation. “It is a great relief to me that this piece of original evidence of the Nazis’ cynicism and contempt for humankind has been recovered.”

bidden wherever legally possible.” Merkel’s about-face on the fullface veil swiftly drew pushback from the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “We believe everyone should be free to wear the clothing of their choice and that laws targeting the tiny minority of Muslim women who wear face coverings are an expression of increasing Islamophobia in Europe,” spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said. “Freedom is about making personal choices, not having a decision imposed on individuals by the state. Growing anti-Muslim bigotry should be repudiated, not pandered to.” Merkel has previously walked a political tightrope, expressing her desire to have women not wear burqas in an effort to allow integration, but also hesitating to support a legislative rule forbidding the garment. Germany is only the latest country to consider a burqa ban and comes on the heels of the Dutch Parliament voting on November 30 to ban face veils in its country, though the Senate must approve the measure for the Netherlands ban to take effect. France, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland and Italy also have forms of the ban already in place. A majority of Germans support a full ban on burqas in the country.

Merkel: Ban the Burqa

On Tuesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel signaled support for a nationwide ban on full-face veils worn mainly by Muslim women. As she looks to beat back challenges from her right and win a fourth fouryear term as chancellor, Merkel, who had previously opposed a burqa ban, told the Christian Democratic Union conference that prohibiting the veil was essential to stopping the development of “parallel societies.” She said such veils were “not appropriate.” “In communication between people, which is of course essential to our living together, we have to show our faces,” said Merkel, who faces opposition from the far right after leading the charge to accept nearly a million mostly Muslim asylum-seekers in 2015. “So the full veil should be for-

Massive Mosaic Revealed in Yericho

The mosaic floor of a long forgotten palace from the 8th century C.E. is bringing the eyes of the art world to Yericho. On the floor of Hisham’s Palace, seven million individual tiles – each less that one square centimeter in size – are woven together in an intricate pattern that almost defies belief.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

For many years the work of art remained hidden, but the 9,688 square foot masterpiece has now been revealed and will be put on public display in 2018. The mosaic was first found by archeologists Dimitri Baramki and Robert Hamilton in 1935. They had it covered with sand to prevent erosion. Now, following a three month excavation process, the tile floor is fully restored and set to become one of the biggest tourist attractions in the West Bank. “I have visited the place so many times with family and with friends,” says local tourist Rania Fahoum. “I have never seen it so beautiful. The mosaic adds colors and beauty to the place and gave me the feeling that there is still much to discover in this historical palace.” The palace was built by Caliph Hisham bin Abed el-Malik in the mid8th century C.E. The site was used as a winter resort until it was destroyed in an earthquake just a few years after it was built. The mosaic is on the floor of the ancient bathhouse.

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NOT SURE WHERE TO TAKE YOUR FAMILY FOR WINTER BREAK, OR HOW TO MAKE THAT DREAM GETAWAY A REALITY? It’s well-known that the Soviets viewed Israel and Zionism as a massive threat and sought to eliminate the country and the movement’s influence around the world. Recently revealed documents highlight the details of how the KGB went about infiltrating certain Zionist organizations in the 1970s in attempts to undermine them. The mission was called Operation Simon and its primary target was the World Jewish Congress (WJC). In February 1972, the KGB’s agent, a man called Chub, was easily able to gain access to the WJC headquarters in Paris and photocopy thousands of pages of organizational material which included names of its supporters and subscribers to its newspapers – close to 25,000 people in all. The Soviets used this information to set up the WJC’s members by

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those years said: “It was clear to us that someone was meddling in our affairs. Suddenly, we began receiving feedback from numerous supporters, friends, and donors demanding answers, some using harsh words. They wanted to know what had happened to their donations. We realized we

were subject to a serious campaign of disinformation. The rumors, the accusations, the stories about theft – all caused us great harm. There was a sharp drop in donations alongside an atmosphere of suspicion. Some suspected the French intelligence, while others suspected the Russians, but

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

the majority really thought it was a competing organization trying to take our place. Those were very unpleasant days.” The Soviets continued to use the stolen information to perpetrate more framing campaigns, including one which implicated the Zionists in the murder of a relative of French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing. The KGB remained obsessed with the Zionists throughout the Cold War, and later on, Israel was able to uncover over 1,000 agents who spied on the Jewish State during that time. The KGB focused on Nativ, an Israeli intelligence organization that maintained secret contact with Jews living in the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War and encouraged immigration to Israel, in particular. The Soviets were also concerned with the close relationship Israel maintained with its archenemy, the United States.

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the German company, with direct involvement of the German government, which is funding a third of the cost of the deal,” the Defense Ministry said. “Prior to the signing of the contracts, the defense establishment’s director of security carried out checks with German government officials to confirm that no classified material from the project will be transferred to any unauthorized body that has not been approved as such. It is important to note that the German shipyard builds only the body of the ships; all of the systems will be installed in Israel.” The 430 million euro deal to construct the four “Saar-6” class warships was made between Israel and ThyssenKrupp, a German company, in 2015. The ships, which are slated for delivery in 2020 to protect Israel’s offshore natural gas reserves, were subcontracted to German Naval Yards Kiel, which was sold to Abu Dhabi MAR in 2011. The contract came under even more intense scrutiny when it was revealed that an Iranian government firm owns a 4.5% stake in ThyssenKrupp. The company is also supplying Israel with the new Dolphin-class submarines.

Last week, an Israeli newspaper ran a story exposing the fact that four Israeli navy ships were being built in a German shipyard that is operated by Abu Dhabi’s MAR and owned by Iskandar Safa, a French businessman of Lebanese descent. The concern is the safety of the Israeli intelligence and combat materials that are being built into the state of the art warships. Lebanon is considered an “enemy state” by Israel and Abu Dhabi does not allow anyone with an Israeli passport to enter the United Arab Emirates. In response to the concerns, the Israeli Defense Secretary has now made clear that no classified materials are at risk because all combat and defense systems on the ships will be installed in Israel. “The contract to buy protective ships was signed with

Natan Sharansky, the Chairman of the Jewish agency for Israel, was very negative in his view of how Israel deals with Diaspora Jewry when he spoke at the conference of the Israel Democracy Institute this week. The conference was dedicated to “re-evaluating the boundaries of Jewish Identity.” The Chairman went so far as to say that the State of Israel is failing to engage in dialogue with Jews in the Diaspora and that the situation is a very serious threat to global Jewish unity. “Communities can be different but if they feel like they are part of a his-

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

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toric process then this can be the basis of solidarity,” asserted Sharansky. He underlined how many global Jews are taking up Israel’s cause on the world stage and that Israel was still not granting many of those Jews legitimacy. “The fact that until now we have managed to preserve the solidarity of non-Orthodox Jews with Israel is due to our shared history, but it will not continue forever,” he warned. Rabbi Yaakov Medan, head of Har Etzion Yeshiva, took aim at President Reuven Rivlin’s comments from last year’s conference. Rivlin had said that Israel has been chopped up into four “tribes”: charedi, religious-Zionist, secular, and Arab. Rabbi Medan explained that Rivlin has mixed up tribes and peoples. “In Israel there are four tribes: secular, religious-Zionist, charedim, and the Jews of the Diaspora. The Arabs are a different people,” he said.

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Deadly Fire in Oakland Kills 36

Mother of Murdered Boy Sues Iran and Syria

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and how the three boys were killed in cold blood. This is not the first case of its kind. Six-year-old Shira Leibowitz won hundreds of millions of dollars from Iran after being injured by a Jihad terrorist in 2003. After a 1997 Gush Katif bombing injured 19-year-old Shlomo Ben Haim, he was also awarded hundreds of millions of dollars. Despite the money, these families will always be living with an empty hole in their hearts.

Two and a half years after her son was murdered, Rachel Fraenkel will be appearing before a federal judge in Washington, D.C., to sue Iran and Syria for $340 million. The kidnapping and murder of her son Naftali, along with his two friends Eyal Yifrach and Gil-Ad Shaer, led to Israel firing upon the Gaza Strip and eventually turned into Operation Protective Edge. Both Iran and Syria are being accused of supporting acts of terrorism carried out by Hamas operatives. Because Naftali was a U.S. citizen, it is possible for Rachel to file the lawsuit. The federal proceedings will also reportedly include proof that Iran and Syria indirectly funded the kidnappings to the tune of NIS 200,000, which was laundered through a charity organization called Al-Nour, which operates in the Gaza Strip. Witnesses who will be called to the stand will be able to detail how the kidnapping was planned, how the money was raised,

On Friday night, a deadly fire claimed the lives of 36 people in one of Oakland’s deadliest building fires on record. The victims were living in the “Ghost Ship,” which some described as a collective for young artists. Leaseholder Derick Ion Almena, the man behind the Ghost Ship, was not in the warehouse when the fire started. After the tragedy, he lamented, “They’re my children. They’re my friends, they’re my family, they’re my loves, they’re my future,” Almena mourned. “What else do I have to say?” As of Tuesday, authorities still did not know the cause of the blaze, but did determine where the origins of the fire began. The warehouse had only two exits and was only blocks away from the fire department. One resident explained that there were fire codes for the building – no smoking allowed inside, no candles allowed to be burnt – although the last inspector to the building was not able to conduct his inspection due to him not being allowed on premises. The warehouse did not have the proper permits to be used as a residence. Around 20-25 artists lived there, desperate to circumvent the area’s high rents. There was a party there on Fri-

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

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DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Too Much Food– Too Little in the Wallet

Date night is making us poor – and fat. According to Principal Financial Group, Americans blow their budgets mostly on dining out. 25% of people surveyed by the company reported tripping their dining out budget this year, up from 22% last year and more than other categories such as groceries and travel. “It’s easy for our spending habits to get out of whack when we’re pressed for time,” says Luke Vandermillen, vice president, Principal Financial Group. But that doesn’t mean we should all just opt for the Kosher Delight instead of eating healthier. The average person consumes 200 more calories on days he eats out, and by doing simple things like having healthy meals frozen for times when you are in a crunch you can save dollars and pounds. If you’re still craving the ease and special feeling of a night out, try hitting up Groupon for ways to save on the bill or try eating out at times when the restaurant may have a lunch or dinner special. Perhaps all the pennies you save will add up to being able to employ your own personal chef. Kale and quinoa frittata, anyone?

9/11 Mastermind: Bush’s Quick Response Prevented More Attacks day night when the fire started. The fire spread so quickly that it was chaos just trying to get out of the inferno. Survivor Jose Avalos told CNN he was in his loft when he heard someone call for an extinguisher. Before he could get down to offer support, he heard someone say,

“Fire! Everyone get out!” He grabbed his dogs and rushed to the front door where he fell into others trying to escape, he said. “By the time I was through the front doors, I could just see the flames coming and then they just engulfed the front archway of my studio. I looked back and I just saw

smoke everywhere. I couldn’t really see anything. Got out of the building and I just saw smoke and then flames coming out the doors and the windows.” Those who survived told of their sense of loss for their friends who they felt were like family.

According to a newly released memoir by former CIA contractor Dr. James E. Mitchell, who spent tens of hours interrogating Khalid

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

Sheik Mohammed – the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks and former high-ranking al-Qaeda terrorist known as “KSM” – President George W. Bush’s response to the 9/11 attacks prevented further attacks. According to Mitchell, al-Qaeda thought that President Bush would treat the 9/11 attacks as a “law enforcement matter,” rather than a declaration of war, much as the U.S. treated the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, the 1998 U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and the 2000 USS Cole attack in Yemen. Khalid Sheik Mohammed told Mitchell that had Bush not responded with the swiftness and force that he did, al-Qaeda would have had the time to launch a second attack, which was planned. According to Mitchell, KSM told him, “How was I supposed to know that cowboy George Bush would announce he wanted us ‘dead or alive’ and then invade Afghanistan to hunt us down?” KSM also disclosed to Mitchell the chilling reason that Islamic terrorism thinks that it will ultimately defeat the U.S. He said: “We will win because Americans don’t realize … we do not need to defeat you militarily; we only need to fight long enough for you to defeat yourself by quitting.”

Religion Can Make You Happy

Judaism teaches us about “eating the fruits of our labor in this world,” and now a new study confirms just that. By taking MRI scans of nineteen devout young Mormons as they watched certain religious sermons and prayed, researchers were able to determine that religious experiences can trigger the same parts of the brain which are linked to the reward systems associated with love, music and drugs. It seems that religion can make people happy. The researchers studied the brain scans and compared them to the level

of religious experience the subjects reported at the time. Certain parts of the brain were constantly lit up while the subjects reported having a spiritual experience. These parts include the nucleus accumbens, frontal attentional and ventromedial prefrontal cortical loci, which are associated with reward, focused attention and moral reasoning. Marx was right: Religion is the opiate of the masses.

Fake U.S. Embassy Finally Exposed

A decade-long scam was run in Ghana’s capital city inside a building that flew an American flag and claimed to be a United States Embassy. The State Department has released a statement explaining that in the city of Accra, Ghanaian and Turkish organized crime rings have been getting visitors from all over West Africa to come up with up to $6,000 for fake visas and identification papers purportedly from the United States. “The criminals running the operation were able to pay off corrupt officials to look the other way, as well as to obtain legitimate blank documents to be doctored,” the statement read. Officials shut down the fake embassy after an informant tipped off the Regional Security Office. Investigators were already looking into cases of “address trafficking and fraud plaguing the U.S. Embassy and the region,” according to the statement. The government is not sure how many people, if any, actually entered the United States with what they are calling “fraudulently obtained, legitimate U.S. visas.” The scale of the scheme was very large. Advertisements for the fake papers were plastered to targets on fliers, who were then shuttled in from all over West Africa. The “customers” were put up in local hotels and then shuttled to the fake embassy, which only operated on Monday, Tuesday and Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to noon.

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

White Turkish citizens posing as “consulate officers” then issued U.S. work visas, counterfeit visas and false Ghanaian identification papers, such as bank and education records and birth certificates. Several raids took place simultaneously at the embassy and two other satellite locations this week. Counterfeit identity documents, 150 passports from 10 countries, and legitimate and counterfeit visas from the United States, the Schengen area of Europe, India and South Africa were collected. Last January, a similar operation was shut down that had been running for 13 years. In that raid, authorities found 190 passports, three printers, one camera, 75 different rubber stamps, two lamination machines and a laptop.

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retail store format, and the company’s social impact initiatives,” the company said. Being CEO for such a long time just wasn’t Schultz’s cup of tea.

Pipeline Put On Hold

The extremely controversial 1,172mile Dakota Access Pipeline has hit a wall, but protesters are not hanging up their signs just yet. For months, there’s been controversy with the pipeline’s construction. This week, though, the federal government has ruled against the pipeline being built on Native American territory. Protesters are feeling victorious, but their euphoria may not last long; Donald Trump is in favor of the line and has announced that he will review it when he takes office in January. Standing Rock Sioux Chairman Dave Archambault has announced that he hopes to speak with the president-elect about the pipeline but for now, non-Sioux protesters could go home. He does not see any changes happening until late January after Trump occupies the Oval Office. “The current administration did the right thing and we need to educate the incoming administration and help them understand the right decision was made,” he said. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has rejected the pipeline’s application to tunnel under Lake Oahe, a reservoir formed by a dam on the Missouri River. Energy Transfer Partners, the company behind the pipeline, has said they have no plans to reroute the line and that they plan on completing the project. Native Americans and activists from all over the country have been protesting the pipeline, arguing it will damage sacred lands and may contaminate huge supplies of drinking water. The entire pipeline has been completed aside from a 1 mile segment that goes under Lake Oahe. Permission from federal authorities is required to go under the lake. Energy Transfer Partners released a joint

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The Democrat Party: Party of the Old?

A large number of House members who were considered to be the next leaders of the Democratic Party have left Congress. A general trend has been noticed in Washington of young, ambitious Democrat lawmakers either falling out of favor, the spotlight or leaving politics altogether. The most public example is Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.), who was removed as chair of the Demo-

cratic National Committee after she was found to have helped arrange to have Hillary Clinton beat Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primaries. Steve Israel (N.Y.) retired from Congress this year, and Rep. Xavier Becerra (Calif.) will be leaving Congress to serve as California’s attorney general. Many are blaming the established Democratic Party leaders for not making room for young up-andcomers. Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (Md.) and Rep. James E. Clyburn (S.C) have held the top spots for a very long time. Pelosi has now been reelected to her eighth term as the party’s leader in the House. Hoyer has held the second spot in the party for just as long, and Clyburn has been number three for over a decade. This week, Pelosi insisted that the nation, despite overwhelming election results, is happy with the Democrat Party. “I don’t think people want a new direction,” Pelosi told CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “Our values unify us and our values are about supporting America’s working families.” She also insisted that the Democrats’ losses in this year’s elections were actually a boon for them. In this way, she said, those who had

been working in the government and have now lost their jobs will go back to their states and run for local and state seats for the party. Last week, Republican Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said, “I’m rooting for Nancy! She may have more support in our conference than her own conference.” Apparently she has been better for the GOP than her own party.

Dogged Jill Stein Still Calling For Recount

Just a few hours after a Green Party-backed group dropped their state court case to hold recounts in the presidential election, they announced they would begin trying to use federal courts to force a recount

in Pennsylvania. “Make no mistake – the Stein campaign will continue to fight for a statewide recount in Pennsylvania,” recount campaign lawyer Jonathan Abady said in a statement. “We are committed to this fight to protect the civil and voting rights of all Americans.” He added that the barriers to a recount are very significant and a state court is not as equipped to overcome them as a federal court. Over $7 million have been raised by Green Party candidate Jill Stein to fund recounts in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Stein claims that she is trying to determine if voting machines were hacked to manipulate election results. She does not have any evidence of hacking having taken place. Both Donald Trump and the Republican Party had asked for a dismissal in the state court case. Recounts have already begun in Wisconsin and Michigan. Recounts began on Thursday, while a recount began in Michigan on Monday. Stein announced Pennsylvania’s recount purpose was to ensure “our votes are safe and secure.” The state’s top elections official, Secretary of State Pedro Cortes, a Democrat, has said

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If You Snooze, You May Not Lose

Hitting the snooze button may actually reap large benefits. Students in Hong Kong whose high school delayed the start time by only fifteen minutes reported less latenesses and better focus, all because of those precious extra minutes of sleeping in. While teens are supposed to have a recommended 8 to 10 hours of shuteye every night, few teens get more than 7.5 hours. Researchers are pointing out that starting school later may actually be beneficial to students and teachers, even if the length of the day remained the same. The study involved two schools: one which delayed its start time from 7:45 to 8:00, and the other which kept it at the regular time. While students of the school with the later start time ended up going to sleep later than they had before, they still reported better overall mental health including better concentration in class, less dozing off and less tardiness after five months. Teachers in the delayed start time school also reported better social behavior from their students. The results are pretty clear – no reason to sleep on them.

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It’s been only a few months, but Jon Buscemi’s sneakers have been making headlines. The designer’s boutique in downtown Manhattan features five gilded pyramids, homage to the Egyptian pyramids. “Where luxury started,” Buscemi explains. “In Egypt.” But don’t get too enamored with the showcases. It’s the shoes that should be making you do a double take. The largest pyramid in the store houses a pair of diamond-encrusted white sneakers. The price tag? A mere $132,000. Buscemi insists that the price is well worth it. It’s not about the astronomical sum, he says, it’s about the quality of the shoe. According to Ana Andjelic, “Buscemi is an incredibly smart combination of modern and traditional luxury.” She is the senior vice president and global strategy director at Havas LuxHub, a consulting firm specializing in the luxury sector. “Luxury today is less about having money to buy something expensive and more about having taste to know what to buy.” Buscemi concurs. “There are brands out there that are very expensive and the quality just simply isn’t there.” Conclusion? Buy my sneakers. They may be pricey, but if you wear them (and who in their right mind will wear $132K sneakers to a baseball game?) they’ll last for a while. In fact, his store offers free resoling, should those shoes ever need a repair. The diamond-encrusted pair was one of a kind and has been sold already. His other sneakers go for more modest prices, although all hover around the thousand dollars mark. Buscemi’s sneakers come with 18K gold-plated hardware, including a decorative lock, a nod to the classic Hermes Birkin bag. “Every woman goes for this bag, and it’s hard to get,” Buscemi explains. “We wanted to have that same vibe with the shoe.” He also

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Ramen Noodles Make Safer Streets

In an effort to get older drivers off the road, police in Japan have been offering seniors a discount on the nation’s classic comfort food: ramen. Last week, Aichi prefecture in central Japan, rolled out the program in which elderly drivers will be provided discounted meals of ramen noodles at 176 outlets of the Sugakiya restaurant chain. Only those who surrender their licenses will be eligible for the 15 percent discount. The initiative comes after Japa-

nese prime minister Shinzo Abe recently pushed for action to address the rise in driving accidents (some fatal) caused by drivers 74-years of age and older. The overall number of traffic accidents involving drivers aged 75 and up has risen from 7.4 percent to 12.8 percent in the last decade. At the same time, there’s been a nationwide decline in vehicular accidents overall across the country. Japan isn’t the only country that’s considered using food as an incentive to make things safer. In June 2015, a jail in Indiana explored a program that would allow inmates with good behavior records to order pizza and takeout from local restaurants. And in August, a restaurant in Indianapolis contemplated trading free pizzas for guns handed in off the street. In Japan, officials have also used non-edible incentives to improve street safety. Many drivers can take advantage of similar incentives, including discounts at public baths, barbers and chemists and reduced taxi fares. Perhaps the senior citizens can take advantage of the taxis after eating their ramen and realizing they can no longer drive home.

Pot of Gold

Last week, someone stole something from a vehicle on a busy Manhattan street and no one even noticed. Well, the driver of the truck noticed when he came back to the vehicle and realized that an aluminum bucket full of gold flakes – valued at $1.6 million – was no longer inside the back of his truck. The truck’s back was left wide open when the driver walked away. The thief got a workout when he stole the pot of gold; the pail weighed around 86 pounds. During the robbery, the thief is seen in surveillance footage about to walk past the truck, seeing the loot, and then struggling to steal it away. But no one noticed anything was awry. In fact, two men were conversing right near the robbery and didn’t seem to notice anything amiss. Don’t they know: if you see something, you say something?

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It was going to be Melissa Kitcher’s first half-marathon and she was pumped. Sadly, though, it took her many hours to complete her run. You see, Kitcher got a bit lost running the Trail Hog Half Marathon on Sunday at the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County. “I kept thinking to myself, ‘Wow how do people run these trails?’ I can’t even walk them. When I hit the power lines I said, ‘Yes, I’m definitely way off course. I’m lost.’” How did she get so lost? Kitcher said there was no marking to properly direct her. “The website says you’re supposed to be on jeep trails. So when I came out there was a jeep trail and I figured that was the path I needed to be on,” explained Kitcher. She ended up six to seven miles off course with no working phone. Race director Thierry Rouillard

admitted. “It’s the worst nightmare for a race director. I love what I do and want everyone to be happy. That was her first half marathon. That was her first trail run. She learned the hard way.” Kitcher ran over 16 miles before the park’s department located her in the reserve around 7:30 p.m. A half-marathon is 13.1 miles. “I’m going to send her a gift package with racing stuff. A finisher’s medal and award for the longest trail hog half marathon in the history of the event,” Rouillard joked. Kitcher seems to be determined to finish a more conventional half-marathon another time. “There’s the Sarasota Half Marathon on March 19th. I already have that in my head. Everybody keeps telling me no more races, I said I’m lucky this one’s on the street.” And perhaps a working GPS would help as well.

Beard of Bees

For years, Mohamed Hagras has had a sweet hobby. The engineer-turned-beekeeper competitively wears what he calls a “Beard of Bees.” To attract the swarms of insects to his face, he has a box containing their queen’s hormones strapped to his chin. The 31-year-old may be a glutton for pain, but he grows his sticky beard to educate fellow Egyptians about the usefulness of bees. “The goal is to show that bees are not aggressive,” he told Reuters at his farm in Shibin El Kom. “On the contrary, they are helpful and produce things that help humans and agriculture.” Despite Hagras competing numerous times, the current record holder is a Chinese beekeeper who covered his entire body with more than a million bees – a combined weight of more than 240 pounds – in 2015. Hagras says that aside from the honey and pollen that bees are known for, people have come to his farm to get stung by bees to cure various diseases. I can’t bee-lieve it.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

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Around the

Community MAY Students Go Above And Beyond

xperienced educators understand that incentives and extrinsic motivation play a key role in effective education, giving students an impetus to produce beyond what they thought they were capable of doing. At Mesivta Ateres Yaakov, this theory is employed in a very practical way both in limudei kodesh and general studies. One example of MAY’s varied incentive programs is its shakla v’tarya ba’al peh program, which rewards talmidim for learning pages of Baba Kama by heart. This program has motivated many talmidim to complete this challenge on their own time, in the process focusing their attention and raising their general level of knowledge of the mesechta being learned. “The incentive definitely got me to start trying to finish the blatt,” commented one 9th grader. “But what really pushed me through was

my Rebbe’s encouragement and the fact that a lot of my friends were trying too. For the next blatt, I don’t even think I would need the incentive…but I’ll still take it!” In the general studies department contests and competitions are also used to add some additional excitement and creativity to the standard regimen. For example, last week the winners of the Fall Essay Contest were announced at the annual Dor l’Dor Thanksgiving Day Breakfast. For this annual school-wide competition, students were asked to choose a topic such as What Does Israel Mean to You, A Failure That Made You Better, or A Role Model Who Changed Your Life. The monetary prizes for best essays were awarded to three students in each grade, and it clearly served to motivate students to invest in their writing. The Mesivta takes pride in this and other investments that pay strong academic

Tenth grade essay contest winners

and self-confidence dividends. “The Fall Essay Contest is just one way we try to further motivate our students,” commented Rabbi Sam Rudansky. “We obviously never lose sight of the primary goal of

Ninth grade Shakla V’tarya ba’al peh program

developing educated, well-rounded, hard-working students, but the contests add a little spice to a rigorous general studies program and schedule.”

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

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Around the Community

Shabbos Hatzolah: Showing Hakoras Hatov to Hatzolah of Queens

he area is vast and stretches miles upon miles; the job is enormous. For you see, whether it be in Astoria, Briarwood, Flushing, Kew Gardens, Forest Hills, Jamaica Estates, Hillcrest, Holliswood, Great Neck, Rego Park, or Richmond Hills – Hatzolah of Queens is there for you. No call is deemed too big or too small. Whether you are young or old, rich or poor, working or non-working, educated or not educated, Hatzolah can be counted on. That’s why on Parshas Vayetzei, December 10, there is a Shabbos dedicated to Hatzolah. Shabbos Hatzolah has become an annual event for the over 100 shuls in Queens, to remember and show gratitude to the organization composed of our neighbors and friends who are there for us 24/7, 365 days a year, waiting and ready to drop everything they are doing in order to save our lives. The average response rate to a Hatzolah call is less than 2-3 minutes, with most calls being answered in just 60 seconds. They are unfailing. Now is

our chance and our opportunity, not to mention our responsibility, to be there for them by making a donation so that they can continue to serve our communities with the utmost of care. When a Kew Gardens Hills resident was asked, “What do you think and feel when you see and hear a Hatzolah ambulance racing down the street?” she replied, “I feel fortunate and lucky for the person on the receiving end that Hatzolah is on its way to them, and I feel safe in my community knowing Hatzolah is always there for me as well.” Ask yourself this question too. No doubt, if you have ever been on the receiving end of Hatzolah, you know the overwhelming and unforgettable feeling of safety and security that takes over when Hatzolah arrives on the scene. They are there for us, steadfast in their commitment, with our best interest in mind and heart, willing and capable to do whatever is takes to help us in our time of need. And if you have been fortunate to have not received their care personally, then

surely you can imagine this. Hatzolah is our lifeline to safety as people hover between life and death. One may ask, “Why does Hatzolah need money?” After all, the over 150 EMTs, paramedics, and volunteers receive no monetary compensation for their services. However, everyone on the Hatzolah team has to take advanced training courses, which are very costly. In addition, Hatzolah has the best ambulances in the country, possibly the world. They allow the medical crews and their patients to arrive quickly and safely to the calls and hospitals. They are fully stocked with equipment on board that is the newest, best medical equipment possible. Each ambulance is also filled with the best, most current medications and supplies. All this is prohibitively expensive: The operating budget a year alone for Hatzolah is over 1 million dollars. The difference between “okay” or “mediocre” equipment and medication is the difference between life and death. Hatzolah averages between 20-30 calls a day – well over 7,000 calls a year, and this is a low estimate! They don’t waste a second. They don’t waste a dollar. Hatzolah also doesn’t spare anything to bring us the best equipment possible. And that’s the way we should want it. But, our Hatzolah can’t do it alone. They need our help. We need to partner with them so that they can continue to be there for us with quality care. They need you! Being a member of this “army or responders” takes tremendous sacrifice. It requires leaving their Shabbos tables, their families and friends simchas, their jobs or whatever they are doing, wherever they may be to make

a difference in our lives and our families. For them, they say and feel it’s a privilege to help us. As one Hatzolah member said, “There is no better feeling for him then to turn to a child and say, ‘Don’t worry, we are going to take good care of Abba or Ima.’” Another member says, “I get home from a call feeling so grateful, knowing that I was able to make a difference in someone’s life.” Now, it’s our turn to say “Thank You” and make a difference. Every dollar raised on a Hatzolah campaign goes back to helping our community. Whenever you need, no matter who you are, no matter where you are, Hatzolah of Queens is trustworthy, devoted and loyal – bringing the emergency room to you. Please show your appreciation to them by making a donation on wwwQueensHatzolah.org or by mailing your contribution to Queens Hatzolah, 83-26 Brevoort St., Kew Gardens, NY 11415. Also, dedication opportunities are available and greatly appreciated. After all, there is no better way to commemorate a life than by saving a life. To find out more about this, email dedications@queenshatzolah.org. What Hatzolah has achieved is nothing short of a miracle. Just as we can’t take life for granted, we can’t take Hatzolah of Queens for granted either. We must give them what they need because it’s what we need. We are so grateful for their devotion. The Queens Jewish Link thanks Queens Hatzolah and all those involved. They serve us; they are here for us. Now they need our support. Written by Lorey Friedman & The Queens Jewish Link.

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Two Weeks for TAG – For Our Girls and for Our Community

incredible start. Girls were happy and learning, teachers were enthusiastic about their classes, and the school was teeming with life and vibrancy.

wo months ago, a nascent idea was formulated in the offices of Torah Academy for Girls – TAG. The school year was off to an

It was the start of a great new school year. Inside the office, there were other concerns. Over the past few years, the ‫בס“ד‬

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school has been accommodating new families who moved into town and chose TAG to educate their daughters with their spectacular chinuch. In addition to a massive building campaign, upgrades were made in several grades to ensure that teachers were using the most up-to-date educational tools for instruction and finishing touches have been made to complete the renovations in the building. These have all presented major strains to the school’s budget. Despite these challenges, our school was running smoothly with Rabbi Weitman and the entire administration at the helm. That is when the idea was forwarded – as the major building campaign was coming to a close, an ambitious new effort was coordinated to raise half a million dollars in just two weeks to cover the costs of all of these urgent needs. At first, it seemed undoable. How could so much money be raised in such a short period of time? But Rabbi Weitman and Rabbi Lovett were already energized. With the community’s support, they were determined to make it happen. The school needs the funds for the sake of its talmidos and for the sake of the entire community. As the greater community has grown, TAG has witnessed a steady increase in annual enrollment, currently in excess of 1,750 wonderful talmidos. Every summer, without fail, the phone starts ringing... another family moving into town wants to enroll their daughters in TAG. How could we turn them down? This year alone, there are more than 75 new talmidos in the school! When you receive the Two Weeks for TAG mailing this week, please take a moment to consider the critical role the school plays in the community. Everything TAG does is for the community: from chessed projects to hosting the weekly Tomchei Shabbos operation, to educating the future women of klal Yisroel. Please participate generously! To donate online, go to TAGDONATION.ORG. Checks may be mailed to TAG, 444 Beach 6th Street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691. For information, contact Rabbi Lovett directly at 917-613-1399.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

MAY Blood Drive a Huge Success Lively Learning at HAFTR

MAY talmid learns while donating

ast Wednesday, Mesivta Ateres Yaakov once again hosted an incredibly successful blood drive on their premises. The drive, benefiting Bikur Cholim of Maimonides Hospital, was organized by seniors Tzvi Messinger and Dovid Schiffer, whose outstanding efforts to encourage donations really made the event a success. In addition to the staff and talmidim from the Mesivta and Yeshiva

Gedola, the drive drew throngs of people from the community excited to donate and assist in this worthy cause. When the pints were finally tallied, the closing count was just under 75 pints. The Mesivta thanks its student organizers, Bikur Cholim, and all those who participated. This blood drive brings the total blood contributed in the past four years to over 800 pints. Yasher ko’ach!

he sounds of Torah learning filled the lunchroom at the HAFTR Lower School Fifth Grade Boys’ Evening Learning Program. Under the direction of Rabbi Dovid Kupchik and Rabbi Elisha Weiss, the boys delved deeply into the laws of the first commandment in the Torah, recognizing the new month. In pairs, the students and guests studied a textual analysis of how we celebrate the new month. After a delicious dinner from Carlos & Gabby’s, everyone organized a circle for a sing-along. Students and guests sang special songs about the

Sabbath, using tunes that they have learned in class. Guest singer Benny Amar and the Shelly Lang Orchestra accompanied the audience and were very impressed by the boys and their heartfelt singing. Lively dancing had everyone up on their feet dancing as the program came to an end. The evening was sponsored by the PTA, Estee, Danielle, Joseph, Jonah and Sari Botnick in memory of their beloved father and husband, Jason Botnick, the Gerstley Family, and Elaine & Charles Stieglitz in honor of their grandson, Sam Siri and his fifth grade classmates.

Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center Dedicates Unit to Memory Care

urwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center has announced the opening of its Memory Care Unit, a secured, 60-bed first floor unit located in the facility’s Schachne Pavilion. According to Herbert H. Friedman, Executive Vice President/CEO, “We have created a designated Memory Care Unit at Gurwin to further enhance the care provided to our residents with memory loss. It is a secured unit, with staff that has been specially trained to care for this population.” Friedman said the unit was created in response to a growing need in both the community and also among current residents at the Center. “We receive requests daily in Admissions for patients who need a secured unit,

and now we have an opportunity to accommodate that need. In addition, we have residents already in our care who will benefit from the secure environment as well as the structured setting on the unit, which caters to their specialized needs, making them feel safe, secure and oriented in their environment.” He noted that although the unit only officially opened in late summer, it is already full, with a waiting list. The Memory Care Unit at Gurwin boasts an enclosed outdoor garden courtyard, perfect for guided activities as well as wandering tendencies. In addition, two dedicated Recreation Leaders are on the unit, providing direction for small group or individual activities designed to keep the res-

idents active and engaged. Dietary needs are addressed appropriately, offering finger foods and access to food throughout the day, rather than expecting participation in a traditional meal setting. “We are pleased with the response to the unit so far,” said Dorian Froelich, LMSW, Director of Social Work

and Admissions. “With enhanced staffing, innovative programming and a comprehensive security system, our specialized unit accommodates the needs of our residents with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in a way that manages their cognitive impairments while also offering a better quality of life.”

“That sigh – that simple, sincere sigh of envy – outweighed all the laborer’s demerits, and it validated his entire existence.”

Page 80

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

MIDDOS IN ACTION. A Yeshiva that cares produces children that care.

info@fwdnyc.com

At Yeshiva Darchei Torah, we imbue in our talmidim the timeless values we hold dear by putting them into action. Our students are defined by their learning alone, but by the caring expressed and acts of kindness performed for one another. The results speak for themselves.

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JAN152017

Anniversary Dinner

TORAH IN ACTION.

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Shalom Task Force Annual Brunch

n Sunday morning, December 4, Shalom Task Force celebrated their annual Brunch at the Sephardic Temple. After enjoying an elaborate breakfast, those in attendance watched a program which opened with a vignette portraying a powerful, yet typical, call to the Shalom Task Force Hotline. The packed room was silent with all eyes and ears glued to the stage. Following introductory remarks by Esther Williams, president of Shalom Task Force, the Community Leadership Award was presented to Rabbi Aryeh and Mrs. Elana Lebowitz. Rabbi Lebowitz, in his eloquent words, expressed his appreciation and admiration for the important work of Shalom Task Force. He drew a startling connection between the recent fires in Israel and unrest in a home. Rabbi Lebowitz called for those in attendance, and for klal Yisrael in general, to act with great resolve toward supporting victims and survivors of abuse and to work toward prevention of such situations. Esther Williams presented a beautiful tribute to the memory of Mr. Gustave Jacobs z”l with the Shalom Task Force Legacy Award. Esther, who worked with Mr. Jacobs on many community projects, spoke movingly about their shared passion for helping others. Mr. Jacobs’ daughter, Judy Frankel, gratefully accepted the tribute and thanked the organization’s many dedicated volunteers.

L-R: Rabbi and Mrs. Aryeh and Elana Lebowitz, Community Service Award; Supervisor Anthony Santino; Councilman Bruce A. Blakeman; Esther Williams, President Shalom Task Force; Howard Kopel, Nassau County Legislature; Aviva Hoch, accepting the Legacy Award in memory of Gustave Jacobs, z”l, her father; Tina Machnikoff, Mental Health Services Award; Lois Raff Bieler, Legal Services Award; Laura Curran-Nassau County Legislature; Stacey Pheffer Amato, New York State Assembly, representing District 23 (NYC); Audrey Pheffer- Queens County Clerk Commissioner of Jurors; Pesach Osina, Liaison for NYC Controller Scott Stringer; and Daniel Pollack, Community Liaison for Congresswoman Grace Meng

Lois Raff Bieler was then presented with the Legal Services Award. Lois, who just recently retired from a sterling career as an attorney and liaison to the Jewish community in the office of the District Attorney of Queens, has been a supporter of the organization for many years. Her fervent remarks and appeal to the community were certainly impactful. The Mental Health Services award was accepted by Tina Machnikoff. Tina spoke of her commitment to helping members of our community, and how Shalom Task Force was an example of an organization which is actively fulfilling its mission. Finally, with enormous grace, Sharon Fogel accepted the Dedicated Service Award. Sharon embodies the

knowledge and compassion shared by all of the Shalom Task Force advocates and volunteers. The program closed with the stirring words of Rachel Marks, a Board Member. She spoke of the broad range of programs, geared both to helping victims, and to creating and strengthening healthy relationships. The individuals honored this year drew beautiful and poignant parallels to the services offered by Shalom Task Force. By honoring Rabbi and Mrs. Lebowitz, community leaders, Tina Machnikoff, a mental health professional, Lois Raff Bieler, an attorney, and Sharon Fogel, a dedicated volunteer, the organization was able to highlight many of its unique programs. Shalom Task Force prides

itself on a two-prong approach, providing crisis support through the confidential Hotline and Sarah’s Voice, our legal department, as well as preventative education for students, young adults, community members, leaders and professionals. Shalom Task Force was grateful for the overwhelming turnout by Rabbonim, political representatives and community members. Shalom Task Force is devoted to helping our community – but they can’t do it without you! Shalom Task Force is always there to answer the call. Please answer THEIR call! For more information or to make a donation, please visit www.shalomtaskforce.org.

Bikur Cholim of Far Rockaway and Five Towns Brunch

riving home from work, an overworked father worries about how he will pay $1,500 for the dental work his daughter desperately needs. Watching her three young children get on the yellow school bus, a single mother wells up as she realizes that she cannot afford the hundreds of dollars she needs to cover the therapy for her children of divorce. Sitting with the school social worker, the young parents wonder how they will afford the $3,000 for the psychological evaluation that the school requires. A young widow who has not met her deductible agonizes about how she can afford life-giving insulin for her diabetic son. The Bikur Cholim of Far Rockaway and the Five Towns helps with

these and so many other medical burdens. In addition to fixing complex problems by providing funds for those in need, volunteers of the Bikur Cholim prepare meals for families in crisis, offer smiles and conversation to shut-ins, and provide wheelchairs and other medical equipment for people who require them for short term use. Over several decades, Bikur Cholim of Far Rockaway and the Five Towns has evolved into much more than the organization’s name implies. To raise the funds to sustain the great work that Bikur Cholim accomplishes, the organization will be holding their annual community-wide breakfast that will take place

iy”H at Congregation Kneseth Israel, The White Shul, on Sunday, December 18 at 10AM. This year, Bikur Cholim will honor our dedicated volunteers: Mr. and Mrs. Sidney and Chaya Lipstein and their daughter Elanit. The brunch is chaired by Marilyn Wolowitz, Tzippy David and Esther Feigenbaum. Lori Palatnik, founding director of the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project, is the featured speaker. And hundreds of women from Far Rockaway, Inwood, Lawrence, Cedarhurst, Woodmere and Hewlett will attend. The annual brunch is an opportunity to show gratitude to our dedicated volunteers. The event is Bikur Cholim’s only opportunity to raise funds that are crucial to the proper

functioning of the organization. The brunch is a catalyst to recruit new volunteers to join in the vital mitzvah of Bikur Cholim, to assist in areas such as meal preparation and transportation. Donations pay for doctor and lab fees, surgical and natal home care, prescriptions, dental and optometry visits, mental health practitioners and therapies. Join us for an enjoyable and inspiring morning in support of a vital community organization. Even a minimal investment in time, effort and money can make a tremendous difference to those in need of Bikur Cholim services. The rewards are out of this world.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

MR. & MRS. MORDECHAI & GYLA SCHWARTZ Guests of Honor

Anniversary Dinner

TORAH IN ACTION.

MR. & MRS. ELI & BREINDI AMSTERDAM Parents of the Year

MR. & MRS. SHLOMO & BLIMY WEISS Kesser Shem Tov Award

HON. & MRS. PHIL & ESTHER GOLDFEDER Hakoras Hatov Award

RABBI & MRS. SHMUEL & CHANA ROCHEL WITKIN Harbotzas Torah Award

Rebbi of the Year

MR. & MRS. SHMUEL & RIVKY BRUDNY Alumni Leadership Award

MR. RONALD LOWINGER Dinner Chairman

MR. MENACHEM MARX Journal Chairman

MR. & MRS. YOSEF & ALIZA WARTELSKY Alumni Leadership Award

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JAN152017

info@fwdnyc.com

RABBI & MRS. ELIEZER & LEAH AMENT

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Rav Zev Leff Meets the CAHAL Yeshiva Darchei Torah Class

ast week, the boys of the CAHAL 5th and 6th grade class at Yeshiva Darchei Torah were treated to an incredibly uplifting experience. The boys had the opportunity to go to their classmate Ami Swerdlik’s home in Far Rockaway to meet, hear words of chizuk, and receive brachos from Rav Zev Leff, the Rav and Rosh Yeshiva of Moshav Matisyahu in Israel. The Rav learned with the boys and answered various questions that they asked. Together, they discussed ways to encourage each other to add to their mitzvos throughout the day. The Rav explained that each word of Torah learned is another mitzvah and that each word of lashon hara that is not spoken is also another mitzvah that they can do. It was such a special moment when each boy received his very own bracha and kiss on the head from such a gadol b’Torah. After the boys had a beautiful infusion of ruchniyos in their system, they went to Rabbi Langer’s home for an infusion of gashmiyos. The boys were treated to a lavish gourmet breakfast. All in all, the boys enjoyed a well-bal-

With Rabbi Leff

anced, beautiful outing. The boys continue to grow in their observance of mitzvos each day, as their accomplishments in learning soar. Special thanks to CAHAL long time Rebbe, Rabbi Dov Langer, and his assistant, Rabbi Shlomo Mechlovitz, for their devotion and tireless effort. It is the ongoing dedication of the CAHAL staff that enables the students to accomplish and succeed. Additional thanks are extended to Dr. and Mrs.

A unique evening of

Motzei Shabbos December 10 — ‫י״א כסלו‬

CAHAL is currently accepting students. For more information about the CAHAL program and to donate to this great community organization, contact CAHAL at cahal@cahal.org or call (516) 295-3666.

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children attend academic classes as well, with support from CAHAL to ensure success. The experienced and caring CAHAL teachers make it all happen.

Swerdlik for hosting this meaningful event. CAHAL, the local yeshiva-based and sponsored community program for children with learning challenges, now in its 24th year, provides smaller, more individualized classes in the local yeshivas catering to children’s learning styles, where all the students attend mainstream activities daily, including lunch, recess, specials, assemblies, trips and more. When ready,

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

DRS Melava Malka

he sounds of lively music and dancing filled the air at DRS Yeshiva High School’s 17th annual Parent-Son Melave Malka. In an email to the DRS family, Menahel Rabbi Yisroel Kaminetsky remarked that the goal of the Melava Malka is to celebrate “the joy, fulfillment, and meaning that there is in being a Jew,” as well as to highlight the “positive Jewish energy that [the Yeshiva] strives to inculcate in its talmidim with song, divrei Torah, food and dancing.” This annual event is the one night that the entire yeshiva family – rabbeim, parents, and talmidim

– get together to honor these aspects of the positive spirit of being Jewish. The evening commenced with a kumzitz in the Beis Midrash led by members of the DRS student band and DRS faculty. The atmosphere was lively and incredible and so much achdut and ruach were present. The parents and sons sang together in unison during a variety of songs. Videos, highlighting the events from the year, were shown as the singing and music rang through the Beis Medrash. Students were also honored with the student-voted middot and Torah growth awards for each grade and shiur.

“The melava malka really shows what DRS is all about, and it was truly a great experience,” said Harrison Chwat (‘19). This year, Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz, a long time DRS Rebbe,

was honored for his 18 years of dedication and commitment to the yeshiva. Rabbi Lebowitz has inspired hundreds of students throughout his years in DRS, turning on countless talmidim to the joy of talmud Torah. A video tribute was played in honor of Rabbi Lebowitz and he was also presented with a plaque and an award for his dedication to DRS. The melava malka continued in the gym where the parents and students enjoyed a delicious dairy buffet together. Students, parents, and the faculty then danced together for hours. “It was really great to see everyone sing and dance together and the atmosphere was incredible!” said Jakey Friedman (‘18). The students, parents, and the faculty danced together in unison and had a meaningful and enjoyable evening.

Historic Debate Tournament at HAFTR High School

n Thursday, HAFTR High School hosted the Ann Neill Memorial Debate Tournament which featured yeshiva, public and Catholic schools. This historic debate tournament is the first time such diverse teams were together under the rules of the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) and the newly formed South Shore Speech & Debate League (SSSDL). The students competed in both Lincoln-Douglas (one-on-one debate) about Qualified Immunity for police officers and Public Forum (two-on-two debate) about whether students should be afforded 4th Amendment Probable Cause rights in schools during a search. “We are very excited to bring national debate to Yeshiva high schools,” said Alex Libkind, coach of the HAFTR Debate Team. “Prior to the SSSDL all national debates were held on Shabbos which precluded

yeshiva high schools from participating. The SSSDL is committed to diversifying speech and debate and giving yeshiva students access to this NSDA honors society and via weekday tournaments.” Participating schools included Chaminade, DRS, HAFTR, Heschel, Lynbrook, SKA, Syosset, and Rambam.

“Vitamin N – saying NO to your children – is as important as Vitamins A, B, and C for a child’s healthy growth and development.”

Page 90

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Ashreinu Boys Program

n Motzei Shabbos the Ashreinu boys got together at the Agudas Yisroel of Long Island for the Ashreinu “Outings & More” program. This time it was an in-house presentation by R’ Akiva Oppen of Oppen Scrolls. The presentation was on tefillin. R’ Oppen showed the boys the behind the scenes steps from the making of a pair of tefillin till it’s ready to be worn. Most of the boys in attendance aren’t too far away from their bar mitzvahs so it had a lot of meaning to them. Of course, the boys got to touch and examine all the items that R’ Oppen brought. After the presentation all the boys enoyed pizza and as a bonus ice cream was served as well.

For more information regarding Ashreinu, please email ashreinufr@ gmail.com.

Meet the ‘Beats

his Sunday, December 11, the Maccabeats will be putting on a special concert to benefit the Levi Yitzchak Library at the home of Ian and Sophie Glastein in Woodmere. Prior to the concert, there will be a brunch where you and your fami-

ly will have a chance to meet the Maccabeats and learn about all that the Library has to offer. The event will For more information call Lisa at 917-991-0023 or Chanie at 516-6981564, email: lisa@lylibrary.org.

“Rabbi Spud Fingerling asks: What is the proper potato-tomeat ratio?” Page 116

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

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DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

1,100 Guests Inspired at OHEL’s 47th Annual Gala

capacity crowd of 1,100 OHEL friends, supporters and family members packed the grand ballroom of New York’s Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square on Sunday, November 20 to mark OHEL’s 47th Annual Gala themed, “If OHEL’S Walls Could Talk.” OHEL’s new feature film, A Life Worth Living, addressed a vital issue that until recently has been cloaked in stigma – suicide in the community. This moving film of the Roth family’s personal struggle to help their son Jonathan and their courage in speaking publicly in order to help others drew a standing ovation. Mayor Bill deBlasio who attended and viewed the film along with the guests commended Dr. and Mrs. Roth and OHEL for confronting this important community issue. OHEL also celebrated the steady progress on its new 100,000 sq. ft. Jaffa Family Campus opening in 2017. This new building in the heart of Flatbush, Brooklyn, will enable OHEL to meet the ever-increasing diversity of needs in the community. OHEL’s Co-Presidents Moishe Hellman and Mel Zachter thanked the Jaffa Family Campus Builders, one of the evening’s honorees, including: the Jaffa Family, Rubin Development and Construction Inc., Charles Schwartzapfel, Registered Architect and Chani and Mendy Schreiber of AirMark. Representing the Jaffa Family Foundation, Jack Jaffa spoke movingly about his passion in “investing not just in a building but in the community.” Harvey Kaylie, an esteemed friend and OHEL benefactor, felt investing in community is so important that he established the Harvey Kaylie $1Million Match! Mr. Kaylie will match all contributions up to $1 million toward the Jaffa Family Campus. The Gala provided a wonderful

OHEL Gala Honoree Jack Jaffa (center) receiving his award from, L-R: Councilman David Greenfield, OHEL Presidium Elly Kleinman, Irving Langer, Moishe Hellman, Mel Zachter, Jay Kestenbaum, David Brecher, and Sonny Ganger

Charles Schwartzapfel, Moishe Hellman, Comptroller Scott Stringer, Ari Jungreis, Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz, Councilman Rory Lancman and David Mandel

opportunity to remember with great love OHEL vice president and longtime board member, Rabbi Harry and Dr. Elizabeth Rieder. In their memory, their daughters Annette Rubin and Julie Pinczower dedicated the Rieder Mental Health Services Center. The Rieders were visionary advocates for members of our community with psychiatric and mental health challenges who believed that every voice deserves to be heard. The Rieder Mental Health Center will have a prominent place in OHEL’s new Jaffa Family Campus. Mr. and Mrs. Bert and Renee Gross and Mrs. Rose Pollak received the Parents Lifetime Advocacy Award for their four decades of tireless efforts on behalf of individuals with psychiatric disabilities. Together with OHEL, they helped develop OHEL’s first residential facility for adults with psychiatric disabilities creating a unique home of warmth and care for people with disabili-

ties. They broke barriers of stigma, forging a more inclusive community where people of all abilities can thrive. OHEL extends profound thanks to all who attended the Gala and contributed to the evening’s success and to those individuals who continue to provide support as OHEL moves forward to the New Jaffa Family Campus. While OHEL serves the community, it is the community that supports OHEL, and in working together, the community is strengthened. Video presentations shown at the Gala, as well as videos of the event can be viewed at http://www.ohelfamily.org/galavideos. To support OHEL’s important work transforming the lives of children and families, please visit www.ohelfamily. org/donate or call 718-972-9338.

OHEL Gala Honoree Jack Jaffa and Mayor Bill de Blasio

OHEL Gala honorees Joe Rubin of RDC (L) and Charles Schwartzapfel, architect

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

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Around the Community

Midreshet Shalhevet Gives Back

lam chessed yibaneh. Chazal tell us that the world was built through chessed. At Midreshet Shalhevet, we strongly believe that it is important to give to those less fortunate than ourselves. Our chessed program includes trips to local nursing homes, toy drives,

tzedakah fundraisers, Tomchei Shabbos activities, pairing with special needs children, and much more. In honor of Rosh Chodesh Kislev and with Chanukah upon us, Midreshet Shalhevet dedicated some class time to spend a little bit of time giving back. A school-wide chessed

trip took place, not only to emphasize the school’s commitment to chessed, but also to serve as an opportunity to further grade bonding. The ninth grade volunteered at Masbia, a no- profit soup kitchen and food pantry that provides meals for hundreds of people in desperate need of food. They also give out bags of much needed groceries every week to those with not enough at home. Masbia serves free, delicious meals for these people in a “restaurant,” with volunteer waiters serving each person with respect and dignity. The Midreshet Shalhevet girls learned about all the programs Masbia provides and helped package the weekly grocery bags. Freshman Arielle Saffran of West Hempstead shared, “It was such a good feeling to know we helped out, and that so many people would get food because of it.” The sophomores assisted the amazing staff at Bobbie’s Place, a store unlike any other. They have selection and assortment, customer service and a smile, but there is one key difference. At Bobbie’s Place, even those facing economic stress can shop stress-free because Bobbie’s Place is free. The Midreshet Shalhevet girls sorted, organized and labeled the clothing to make the shopping experience more enjoyable. Maayan Sandowski of Woodmere said, “It was so eye opening.” Eliana Hirsch of West Hempstead reflected, “There are so many ways of doing chessed. It was really inspirational to see this one.” Bobbie’s Place is a charity, but they aren’t in the business of giving out handouts;

they are in the business of making people feel like the people they are, despite their economic stature. The girls really took this message home with them. Nava Yastrab of Woodmere shared, “It was so moving to be able to do this chessed for these people.” The eleventh and twelfth grades traveled to the historic Silver Lake Cemetery in Staten Island, where they performed chessed shel emet by helping to restore the cemetery. While in poor condition both physically and financially, Silver Lake Cemetery is rich in history. It really tells the tale of Jewish immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Walking among the headstones, the girls could really learn about these people’s lives. Miri Dubrow of Brooklyn and Rebecca Wein of West Hempstead shared that they really felt they were doing a true chessed that could never be repaid, and got a much greater understanding of why it is “chessed shel emet.” The cemetery was a busy place from when it opened in 1893 until it was filled by 1909, with about 1,000 burials per year, at least half of them for infants and children. Now, the cemetery is not active and the graves are so old that very few people visit. The grounds are only requested to be opened to family around 10 times per year. The Midreshet Shalhevet juniors and seniors volunteered a few hours of time and bagged over 50 bags of leaves and debris from the floor, helping the effort to keep the cemetery respectful to the 13,000 neshamot resting there.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

Around the Community

Ethics of the Fathers Inspires American Educators at Orlando National Conference

his year’s gathering of Blue Ribbon schools from across the country heard something they never heard before. Among the 400 representatives from across the nation was the one yeshiva high school that was chosen by the Department of Education to be awarded the coveted Blue Ribbon status: Rambam Mesivta. Every year, out of a total of 37,000 high schools in the United States, .14% – about 1 and a half out of every thousand schools – qualify to be named as Blue Ribbon schools. The application process is lengthy and the standards are rigorous. Ultimately, to qualify, Blue Ribbons Schools must have average SAT scores which rank in the top tier nationally. Rambam Mesivta, of Lawrence, Long Island, was the only yeshiva in the country to thus qualify. Blue Ribbon schools were then asked to submit a topic to discuss and review at an educators’ conference. Rambam’s topic of “Teaching Values in a Challenging World” was chosen by the Blue Ribbon School committee, and Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman, Rambam’s Rosh Mesivta, made the presentation this past Wednesday morning. “I thought it would be important to share some of the insights that

CHAZAL taught us and demonstrate to those assembled the universal value of those lessons,” said Rabbi Friedman. Among other references to Biblical and classical Jewish sources Rabbi Friedman repeatedly cited Pirkei Avos in terms of the proper attitude and shared that it is the prerequisite for a successful education. “Two thousand years ago, Hillel the Sage instructed teachers to encourage students to ask questions and not be bashful and concomitantly told them not to be short tempered or frustrated with students, lest it discourage them from learning and asking,” said Friedman. Other topics covered dealt with the importance of introspection, recognizing one’s own shortcomings and developing effective strategies to correct them. “While we understand the ongoing nature of teshuva and the growth it affords us, so many others in attendance viewed this as a ‘novel ‘ idea, which they appreciated hearing about,” said Rabbi Friedman. After the lecture concluded, the room was filled with applause and admiration for the “ancient” values of Torah which remain relevant in every generation.

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

A Week in Yeshiva of Central Queens

he students at YCQ have been busy with their fall projects, afterschool activities and athletic programs. To learn about appreciation, the grade 5 students created a tree with an individual leaf from each student stating something they are thankful for. The faculty was also invited to place a leaf on the tree. Grade 4 students enjoyed their annual PowWow that coincides with their study of Native Americans and their creative research projects. The students loved watching real Native Americans dance as well as talk about their culture. In science lab, grade 2 students began their unit on weather and natural disasters. They each made their own tornado in a bottle using bottles they’ve been recycling since the beginning of the year. The boys’ hockey team began the season with a big 9-1 win: boys’ varsity basketball team beat Brandeis 55-14, boys’ JV and girls’ basketball teams began their season as well. The Torah

Bowl team participated in their first meet of the season with the boys and girls teams each winning two games. When walking through the halls after school, the sounds of music are penetrating the halls with band practice and the Mishmar groups are enjoying Torah learning through activities and skits. E2K participants are working on coding in order to build their robots and the STEM club (SET3) has been learning about pollution through experiments on how certain items that can only be broken down using harsh chemicals, instead of sitting in landfills taking up space and damaging the land. Students on the Debate Team had their first match against other area yeshivot, debating on the topic: whether or not the United States should build a wall along the Mexican Border, with Rachelle Winokur and Shira Schwartz winning first place partnership, as well as awards in individual categories.

SKA Gives on “Giving Tuesday”

L-R: Tenth graders Emma Greenbaum, Mimi Leifer, Talia Wein and Leora Fenster

he Tuesday after Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday is known as “Giving Tuesday,” which has become a global day of philanthropy. Israel Action Committee members of the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls used the opportunity to collect funds for the Neve Tzuf community in Israel which was devastated by fire. In addition to selling delicious hot potato kugel, the Committee members set up computers at the two Parent Conference evenings so that

contributions could be made directly to the fund. Over $2,000 has been raised so far! Yashar koach to SKA sophomores Leora Fenster, Emma Greenbaum, Mimi Leifer and Talia Wein for their work on this special project. Israel action and advocacy continues to be an important part of the SKA school day and our thanks go to Mrs. Helen Spirn, Head of School, and Principal, Grades 10-11, Ms. Raizi Chechik for their guidance and support.

Rebbetzin Shira Smiles Inspires Shevach High School

n Wednesday morning, November 16, Shevach High School was treated to an inspirational lecture delivered by the world renowned mechaneches, Rebbetzin Shira Smiles. With the seminary principals in town for recruitment, Shevach took advantage of the opportunity for Rebbetzin Smiles to address the student body. Rebbetzin Smiles began by equating the dor ha’mabul with our generation from the perspective that our generation prides itself on the fact that anything it wants is available at its fingertips. Likewise, the dor ha’mabul accessed anything it wanted without any ac-

countability or restriction. Rebbetzin Smiles then posed the following question: What was the middah that Noach possessed which saved him from the mabul? The passuk from Parshas Noach provides us with the secret – “V’Noach motzah chain b’aynei Hashem,” And Noach found favor in the eyes of Hashem. Interestingly, the word Noach and the word chain have the same Hebrew letters. What is “chain”? Rebbetzin Smiles referred to Rav Avrohom Schorr from his sefer HaLekach V’Halimud. What was the initial trigger that lead the dor ha’mabul down its slippery slope, and what was the

middah that saved Noach? During the dor ha’mabul the people could not trust one another – their words meant nothing. This concept was in contrast to Noach. The koach of Noach was that his speech was refined. Dibbur represents the tzelem Elokim in each of us and the minute that we do not use our speech properly everything begins to deteriorate. For example, when the animals entered the taivah, they were described as “tahor” and “not tahor.” The Torah does not use the word “tamei.” Hashem realized that the whole problem with the dor was how it spoke. If one wants to build the world, then one must learn

how to speak and express himself or herself properly. Rebbetzin Smiles insightfully explained that since we are in a mabul and need to save ourselves, we have to make sure that our tzelem Elokim stays strong and not to speak without thinking. The message that the girls left with was clear. Our speech defines us and it must be used for the good. Not only will we benefit, but others can as well. We are always in a position to create positive connections with others through our speech and it is incumbent upon us to use this strength to reinforce our relationship with Hashem.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

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Yeshiva University Lecture Explores the Rich History and Culture of Jews in Arab Lands

It’s Rosh Chodsh at HANC

ommemorating the 1948 forced exodus of nearly a million Jews from Arab countries, Yeshiva University’s Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies and Sephardic Community Program partnered with the Consul General of Israel in New York to pay tribute to the rich cultural heritage of modern Jewry in Arab lands. Held on December 5, the event featured an address by Dani Dayan, Consul General of Israel, and a lecture by Dr. Daniel Tsadik, associate professor of Sephardic and Iranian studies at YU. They spoke to a packed house at Yeshiva University’s Koch Auditorium on YU’s Israel Henry Beren Campus. “There have been Jewish refugees throughout history,” noted Dayan in his introduction to the evening, adding that he was himself the son of refugees from Europe and the pogroms of Ukraine who escaped to the safety of Argentina and then Israel. The persecution and expulsion of the Jews in Arab countries and Iran, he said, has been overshadowed by other stories and events, but these Jews and their stories need to be remembered and honored. Dr. Tsadik discussed the life and exodus of Jews in Arab lands throughout the ages. Noting the importance of remembering these Jews and the many aspects of their unique cultures, he highlighted their activities in literature, theater, cinema and sports. “There were once impressive, multifaceted, lively and creative individuals and communities that lived in Arab lands,” said Dr. Tsadik, whose research focuses on the modern history of Iran, Shi’ah Islam and Iran’s religious minorities. Beginning from the middle of the 19th century, many of the Jewish communities of the Middle East were granted equality and access to education beyond religious subjects, which helped them integrate into their host society. In Egypt, for example, Jews became bankers, merchants and government officials. They published dozens of newspa-

Dr Daniel Tsadik

pers in many languages, some of which were intended for Egyptian society at large. Jews were prominent musicians, composers, singers, actors, and athletes that competed on national and international levels, even winning gold medals for Egypt at the Olympics. But when the 1948 war broke out, Jews were suddenly seen as the country’s enemy; the government confiscated Jewish property, and bombs were thrown at Jewish homes and businesses— thousands of Jews were forced to flee for their lives. Tsadik noted that the Egyptian story is not unique. In Iraq, before they were expelled, Jews contributed significantly to Arabic literature and poetry. In Tunisia, Jews were at the forefront of music, the record industry, and theater. Legendary Habiba Msika, a Jewish performer, became a star beloved by both Jews and Muslims. “The Jews influenced the indigenous culture, and were influenced by it,” said Dr. Tsadik. “They were part of the society, which made the departure from their homeland even more painful. On one level their cultures have disappeared. But on another level, many elements have persisted over time and space, and have been successfully introduced and transplanted to other countries in the region, and way, way beyond.”

ll of the children at HANC ECC in West Hempstead celebrated Rosh Chodesh Kislev with a huge chagiga. Rabbi Sadigh, HANC 609 principal, shared with the children many

of the reasons why we celebrate Chanukah, and Morah Trudy Rubinstein, HANC ECC director, distributed dreidels to all of the children. Everyone had a great time!

Shulamith Mustangs Win First Game of the Season

he Shulamith Mustangs emerged victorious in their first basketball game of the season against Bruriah!. They beat their rivals by a very close score of 1715. Coach Temima Miller expressed pride in her team of Middle Division athletes. “All our players played very well.

We played as a team… we played hard… we supported one another throughout the entire night,” Coach T. said. The Mustangs appreciate all those who traveled all the way to New Jersey to cheer them on and hope to please their fans with another win next week against Barkai.

Some of the Mustangs celebrating their victory

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

YOSS hosts a chinuch forum for parents: Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky and Rabbi Chanina Herzberg are seen welcoming prospective Yeshiva of South Shore parents at the home of Mr. Yossi and Ahuva Feldman in Lawrence. They shared their vision of chinuch in the 21st century and regaled the attendees with fascinating personal stories that they experienced with their own Rebbeim, HaGaon Reb Yaakov Kamenetzky zt”l, and HaRav Shlomo Freifeld, zt”l.

Yeshiva of South Shore’s 5th Grade Haschalas Gemara Celebration

he fifth grade of Yeshiva of South Shore recently celebrated a milestone, a special simcha they will remember fondly for years to come. The occasion was a Seudas Haschalas Gemara, celebrating their first steps in their journey of Gemara learning. This event was extra special because this year’s fifth grade is the largest in the Yeshiva’s history. The fifth grade rabbeim, Rabbi Scharhon, Rabbi Steinharter, Rabbi Burger and Rabbi Jacobs, have the zechus of ushering the talmidim into the world of Gemara by imparting not only the necessary skills, but also the ahavas HaTorah she’baal peh required for a lifelong yearning to learn and grow. To mark the occasion the Yeshiva held a gala three generational breakfast for the boys, their fathers and grandfathers and an inspiring program that included a festive meal, learning together, a moving rendition of Lulai Sorscha and an inspiring dra-

sha by the Roshei Yeshiva and guest speaker Rav Yaakov Reisman. In addition, four talmidim, one representative of each class, Avi Burns, Jack Wisefeld, Pinny Schwerd and Dovid Halpert, told over divrei Torah during the event. It was so moving to see the young boys learning melodiously with their grandparents and even great-grandparents, some of whom had once learned at that age in the citadels of Torah destroyed in Europe. Rav Yaakov Reisman, Rabbi Emeritus of Agudas Yisroel of Long Island, explained to the large audience the fascinating diversity of the streams of Torah, pointing out the wide range of geographic locations from where the meforshim who expound upon the Gemara lived. Even the Gemara itself has two streams, the Talmud Bavli in Iraq and the Talmud Yerushalmi in Eretz Yisroel. He told the boys about the purity of learning of young chil-

dren and stressed the great potential that each of them have. He concluded with a beautiful story about the Gerrer Rebbe’s insight into the simcha of Torah learning. He spoke inspiringly and undoubtedly left an indelible mark on each talmid. During the seuda, the boys per-

formed a stirring musical rendition of Abie Rotenberg’s famous song, Lulei Sorascha. The boys sang beautifully, accompanied by Rabbi Shlomo Drebin, the Program Coordinator. Soloists included Yisroel Ackerman, Betzalel Englard, Dovid Fridman, Yaakov Meisner and Zalmen Twersky. Mordechai Ross also performed a beautiful trumpet solo. In conclusion, each talmid was called up and the Rosh Hayeshiva, Rav Binyomin Kamenetzky, shlita, who, along with his son Rav Mordechai Kamenetzky, the Menahel, and the rabbeim, presented each talmid with a personalized shtender and a photo memento of the event. It is a meaningful gift each boy will undoubtedly cherish. To top off the excitement, raffle prizes were given to five winners including the grand prize, a Shas, which was won by Eliyahu Oami. The talmidim of the fifth grade will Im yirtza Hashem be maztliach in their learning as they begin to swim in the vast yam shel Torah. Mazel tov to all of them.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Chagigat HaChumash for the CAHAL class at HAFTR

his past Sunday was a special day for the boys in Rabbi Waxman’s HAFTR CAHAL class. It was the day of kabbalat haTorah for them; the day they got to receive and hold their Chumashim. For weeks, they have been learning the songs and motions for their Chagigat Ha’chumash. What was so special and wonderful was the way

the boys blended into the mainstream second grade in every step of the process, from making their own wooden picture frames, to creating a Chumash book cover, and, of course,

performing in the final production. Preparing the songs and performance was lots of fun, but being able to find and recognize the pesukim that they have been learning in their brand new Chumashim was truly fantastic! The mainstream teachers, administration and specialty staff at HAFTR included the boys as one with their classes, enabling them to truly feel part of the whole wonderful celebration. Just as at matan Torah it was “k’ish echad b’lev echad,” so too, when the boys learn Chumash this year, they know they are part of the yeshiva, neighborhood and klal Yisroel. The boys took their Chumashim home to share with their families and friends, but come early Monday morning, those Chumashim made their way back into their classroom and their hearts. We look forward to the successes of our newest b’nei Torah. Special thanks to CAHAL longtime Rebbe, Rabbi Moishe Waxman, and his assistant, Mrs. Adina Salamon, for their dedication and tireless effort. It is the ongoing dedication of the CAHAL staff that enables the students to accomplish and succeed. CAHAL, the local yeshiva-based and sponsored community program for children with learning challeng-

es, now in its 24th year, provides smaller, more individualized classes in the local yeshivas catering to children’s learning styles, where all the students attend mainstream activities daily, including lunch, recess, specials, assemblies, trips and more. When ready, children attend academic classes as well, with support from CAHAL to ensure success.

The experienced and caring CAHAL teachers make it all happen. CAHAL is currently accepting applicants. For more information about the CAHAL program and to donate to this great community organization, contact CAHAL at cahal@cahal.org or call (516) 2953666.

Rosh Chodesh Kislev at HANC High School

By Adena Cohen, Sophomore

n Thursday, December 1, Rosh Chodesh Kislev, students at HANC High School enjoyed an elaborate breakfast set up by the Student Senate and the Student Life Department. The morning began with a beau-

tiful davening and continued with a lavish breakfast followed by a schoolwide game show. During the breakfast, senior Leora Schwadron delivered an inspiring d’var Torah which reflected on the theme of Chodesh Kislev. The game show was a huge hit.

During the show, each grade volunteered one student to hum the tunes of different songs. Four additional classmates were called upon to guess the title of the song hummed. There even was a faculty round! At the end, the seniors came out victorious and were rewarded donuts.

The achdut and school spirit were palpable throughout the event and is sure to linger into Chanukah. Thank you to the Student Life Department for organizing an amazing Rosh Chodesh event. HANC High School looks forward to upcoming Chanukah celebrations.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

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At the Learn & Live program this week, we combed through as R’ Asher Shteierman presented the melacha of m’nafaitz with a PowerPoint presentation. R’ Shteierman taught the boys the sedurei d’bgadim song. Many of the boys got a chance to hand card some wool and take some home as souvenirs. Next week will be: Let’s Get Colorful. For more information about the Learn & Live program, email learnandlivefr@gmail.com.

Orthodox Union to Sponsor Day of Torah & More

he Orthodox Union, the umbrella organization for American Orthodox Jewry, will present an unprecedented day of Torah, learning, inspiration and more. The full-day program for both men and women will be held indoors at New York’s Citi Field, Sunday, January, 15 from 8:45 am – 6:15 pm. The event will feature representatives from all walks of Orthodox Jewish life for a meaningful conversation about halacha, Tanach, hashkafa and Israel. A key component of this effort is introducing dimensions of Torah study that speak to each individual. From kashrut, women and Torah, to conversion and the role Judaism may play in American politics today, these topics and many others will be part of the dialogue for people to engage in, learn about and question. Among the speakers are Israeli Chief Rabbi David Lau, Rabbi Yonason Sacks, Mina Glick, Rabbi Shalom

Rosner, Rabbi Menachem Genack and many more. This program is a milestone for the OU, as the organization expands its focus to provide opportunities for Jews to explore the knowledge and inspiration behind their religious observance. Since 1898, the OU has provided countless services: from facilitating halachic observance through its ubiquitous kashrus certification, to serving as the Orthodox community’s advocate on both federal and state government levels, from offering educational outreach for thousands to providing inclusion programming for the disabled. Attendees are welcome to attend any part or all of the event. Admittance is $18, with free parking and kosher food available for purchase. The Day of Torah is being held indoors at Citi Field Convention Center, Queens, NY, on Sunday, January 15, 2017. Register at ou.org/citi.

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HALB Students Encourage Injured Israeli Soldiers

n Thursday, December 1, twenty-two HALB 7th and 8th graders participated in a get-together with several injured Israeli soldiers through the Belev Echad program. This program brings wounded IDF veterans to New York City for a ten day tour “to enjoy the camaraderie of those with similar experiences, and receive thanks and support” from the Jewish community. The students traveled to Republic Airport in Farmingdale where they met the soldiers. Students learned and understood firsthand “that the young men and women of the IDF are serving on the front lines, risking life and limb to ensure the safety of the Holy Land.” Zachary Sicklick, ’18, remarked that he was “inspired that the soldiers risked their lives to serve in the army.” Simon Pinter, ’17, said, “It makes me realize how much these soldiers sacrifice their own lives to let us have our homeland.” In anticipation of meeting the soldiers, the students researched the bios of the soldiers and prepared questions and comments. As the students met the soldiers and the experience un-

folded, they realized that they weren’t just talking to random people; they were talking to heroes. The students were incredibly moved and inspired as the soldiers shared their stories of how much they contributed to Israel. The injuries sustained by many of these young soldiers during their years of service forever changed the course of these soldiers’ lives. The students were enthralled by the story of Hilal Besan, who is an Israeli Druze citizen. He lost his twin brother in the tragic fire in the Carmel region 5 years ago. His uncle was also killed while serving in the IDF. Two years ago Hilal was critically wounded in a shooting incident in the course of

his service as a guard in the Rimonim Prison. Hilal has been going through intensive rehab at the Sheba hospital. He received a “Tzlash,” a medal, for his incredible courage the day of the attack. Gabrielle Isaacs, ’18, said, “It made me so much more grateful and made me feel like any problem I have is nothing compared to their experience. If the soldiers were able to keep going and walking on their injured leg, I can handle any of my problems. It made me realize how lucky I am and that if I set my mind to do something I could do it.” The students expressed their gratitude to the soldiers by bringing them

candies, chocolates, and thank you cards. Rabbi Uriel Lubetski, the middle school principal, shared with the soldiers a stack of thank you letters that students wrote and read Batya Rogoff’s letter: “Thank you so much for all that you do for Israel. You risk your lives every day to save our country and I just wanted you to know that I appreciate it so much.” The students characterized their encounter as a spiritual experience that they will never forget. In Atara Sicklick’s, ’18, words, “It showed me how amazing Israel is that people risk their lives every day for it.”

demonstrating achdut in every way. The celebration continued at the Melava Malka for the Nursery Bet and kindergarten students and their families, which took place at Anshei Sholom. Nachum the Clown performed an entertaining program full of magic tricks, juggling, and funny humor that was enjoyed by the crowd of 200 people! Following the performance, the children were treated to pizza from Hunki’s and ice cream sandwiches.

The children had a great time and everyone went home happy. If you have never seen Nachum in action, you won’t want to miss this program next year. It was truly an inspiring Shabbat, demonstrating achdut in every way. We would like to thank Rabbi Sadigh for inspiring us throughout Shabbat and thank all of the families who participated in our programs throughout the day.

HANC’s Shabbat of Achdut

ANC 609 welcomed Rabbi Yaakov Sadigh to West Hempstead for Shabbat. This special Shabbat began with a meaningful drasha that Rabbi Sadigh gave during davening at Congregation Eitz Chaim of Dogwood Park. He shared the values that his parents instilled in him and the important lesson that they taught him. When you go through your day, and you make decisions, choose to act in a way that will make your parents proud of you, and parents should make decisions that will make their children proud of their parents. The celebration continued at the Friday night oneg at the Young Israel of West Hempstead. Over 200 people came to enjoy an evening full of fun, friendship, Shabbat zmirot, and lots of sweets and delicious treats, thanks to David Yitzhaky and his staff from I and D. As each family arrived, it was a wonderful sight to see the classmates of those children rush to the door to greet them and invite them to sit with their classmates at their table! The

HANC community was also graced with the presence of Rabbi Kelemer from the Young Israel, Rabbi Soniker of Anshei Sholom, and Rabbi and Rebbetzin Greer of Eitz Chayim. On Shabbat morning, Rabbi Sadigh gave the morning drasha at Anshei Sholom, followed by a festive kiddush. As Shabbat drew to a close, the rabbi spoke again during Mincha-Maariv at the Young Israel of West Hempstead. It was truly an inspiring Shabbat,

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

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Bachurim in Acheinu Yeshiva to be Tested on the Entire Masechta Kesubos By Yosef Sosnow

“T

hese talmidim did not even know what a Gemara was two years ago and now they have learned all 113 blatt of Masechta Kesubos and are ready to be tested on the entire Masechta from cover to cover! If this isn’t a miraculous manifestation of the fulfillment of the passuk, ‘V’heishiv lev avos al bonim,’ I am not sure what is!” Those were the words of Rav Ariel Elbaz, R”M at Acheinu’s Yeshiva Hakedosha in Yerushalayim, describing the upcoming test that will be taken by more than 45 bachurim in the yeshiva next week. “The yeshiva caters to sixty

bachurim who were completely non-observant until two years ago. Through Acheinu’s network of batei chizuk these teenagers have not only become Torah observant baalei teshuva, they are on their way to becoming talmidei chachomim,” Rav Elbaz said. HaGaon HaRav Avrohom Yitzchok Kook, shlita, to Administer Test The test will be held at Acheinu’s Yeshiva Hakedosha in Yerushalayim and the special guests who are scheduled to conduct the test will be HaGaon HaRav Avrohom Yitzchok Hakohein Kook, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Me’or Hatalmud in Rechovot, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, Nasi

Acheinu talmidim learning with an avreich

of Dirshu (the umbrella organization of which Acheinu is the kiruv arm), and Rav Zev Hofstedter, Rosh Yeshiva of Acheinu’s Yeshiva Hakedosha. Showing Parents Their Children’s Accomplishments One of the features of the grand test will be the fact that all of the parents of the talmidim will be in attendance. Rav Elbaz explains that the parents who are not observant often do not realize what their children are accomplishing in yeshiva. This grand farher where the bachurim are tested publically on over 100 blatt Gemara provides the families with a tremendous feeling of nachas and accomplishment as they see that their children have accomplished a tremendous amount and great rabbanim have even come to hail their accomplishments. Two years ago, a similar siyum was made by the talmidim on Masechta Sukkah. At the siyum, one of the most powerful speeches was given by Shaul Maimon, President of the Chevel Ha’aretz Company. Mr. Maimon is a successful businessman. His son learned in the yeshiva at the time and was one of the bachurim who made a siyum. Mr. Maimon spoke openly about how it was initially very difficult for him when his son became religious but “now,” he explained, “I cannot tell you how happy we are and how proud we are of him! He illuminates our entire home. The light that he brings is the light of Torah. It was missing from our home. If I would have known before what the Yeshiva does, I would have sent all of my children here!”

True Heroes! “The bachurim in Acheinu’s Yeshiva Hakedosha are true heroes!” exclaimed Rav Elbaz. “Every Shabbos, every yom tov, they are faced with nisyonos as they go home to their parents. They are taught to have the utmost derech eretz for their parents, while they must at the same time observe Shabbos and kashrus in an environment where these things cannot be taken for granted. “There is no way to depict the degree of progress made by these bachurim over such a short period other than to realize that it is a divine smile, a tremendous manifestation of siyatta diShmaya that defies description,” said Rabbi Yisrael Layush of Acheinu. “Certainly our staff is amazingly devoted. In addition to the twelve maggidei shiur and mashgichim we have tens of avreichim who learn with the bachurim and are devoted to them with their hearts and souls. The hallmark of Acheinu is constant accompaniment and monitoring. Dealing with problems when they are still small before they become large. “Nevertheless, for these boys to finish the entire Masechta Kesubos in one year to the extent that they can be tested on the entire masechta is nothing short of a miracle!” remarked Rabbi Layush. When observing the deep respect and love that these secular parents gain for their children after seeing their success in Torah one realizes that these wonderful boys are embody the fulfillment of the pasuk, “V’heishiv lev avos al bonim!”

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DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

TJH You gotta be

Centerfold kidding

It’s Moishele Cohen’s first yahrzeit and his widow, Golda, goes to the cemetery with her family to say a prayer at the tombstone of her deceased husband. As the family walks through the cemetery they are unable to find Moishele’s tombstone. Golda, who is in her high nineties, keeps searching. Finally she points to a grave and announces that they arrived at the grave. Her family looks and sees a large tombstone with the name, “Golda Cohen.” “Momma,” says one of her children, “you are confused, this is someone else’s grave… who happens to have the same name as you; it’s not Papa’s grave.” “Oh yes it is,” replies Golda. “He always puts everything in my name.”

Riddle me this? A person travels from one place to another with 3 sacks having 30 coconuts each. No sack can hold more than 30 coconuts. On the way, he passes 30 checkpoints. At each checkpoint, he has to give one coconut for every sack he is carrying. What is the maximum number of coconuts that he can have with him at the end of his journey? See answer on next page

Text Abbreviations for the Elderly ROFL... CGU: Rolling On The Floor Laughing... And Can’t Get Up OMG: Oy, My Grandchildren! IMHO: Is My Hearing Aid On? IMHMO: In My HMO... RULKM: Are You Leaving Kids Money? GTG: Gotta Groan TGIF: Thank Goodness It’s Four (Four O’Clock, Early Bird Special) FYI: For Your Indigestion

SUS: Speak Up, Sonny GTG: Got the Gout WIWYA: When I Was Your Age ATD: At The Doctor’s BYOT: Bring Your Own Teeth CBM: Covered By Medicare CUATSC: See You At The Senior Center GGPBL: Gotta Go, Pacemaker Battery Low! TTYL: Talk To You Louder WAITT: Who Am I Talking To?

JK: Just Kvetching

WTP: Where’s The Prunes?

LMDO: Laughing My Dentures Out

WWNO: Walker Wheels Need Oil

MGAD: My Grandson’s A Doctor

LMGA: Lost My Glasses Again

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

Decembers of the Past

Across 2. Russian secret service agency

8. Benjamin Franklinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first book 10. First state to secede from the Union at the beginning of Civil War 12. Once great superpower ceases to exist 13. French ruler dies in exile 14. WWII general dies in a car crash in Germany

Down 1. 342 containers of tea dumped into the water 3. First 10 amendments to the Constitution 5. Japanese attack on the U.S. 7. Eighth U.S. president 9. First state to adopt the Constitution 10. Much of this goes on this month 11. EU currency

Down 1 Boston Tea Party 3 Bill of Rights 5 Pearl Harbor 7 Martin van Buren 9 Delaware 10 Shopping 11 Euro

6. Alcohol outlawed in the U.S.

Across 2. KGB 4. Rosa Parks 6. Prohibition 8. Poor Richardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Almanac 10. South Carolina 12. USSR 13. Napoleon 14. George Patton

4. Civil rights icon refuses to sit in back of the bus

25 71

Answer to Riddle: He will have 25 coconuts with him at the end. The trick is to reduce the number of sacks as you pass checkpoints. The first 10 checkpoints require 3 coconuts each, which empties his first sack. The next 15 checkpoints require 2 coconuts each, which will empty his second stack. Now, he is left with 1 sack and 5 more checkpoints. So, the 5 checkpoints will take 1 coconut each. Therefore, he will be left with 25 coconuts.

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

65 Years and Counting Rabbi Raphael Pelcovitz Reflects on his More than Six Decades as Rav in the Five Towns Community By Naftali Halpern

In honor of the 65th anniversary of joining the White Shul in Far Rockaway, Rabbi Raphael Pelcovitz gave us a few minutes of his time. Rather than focus on his entire life experience – which is vast – we chose to focus on his view of the rabbinate and how this community has changed since his arrival in 1951.

Rabbi Pelcovitz, thank you for meeting with us. How did you become the rav of the White Shul 65 years ago? Today people build a shul around a rabbi. In those days there were community synagogues and when they needed a rabbi they would turn to some of the major yeshivos – Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchok Elchonon, and some other smaller yeshivos, Torah Vodaas, Ner Yisroel and Chaim Berlin – that had graduates who were in the rabbinate. They would come to these yeshivos and ask them to send someone who would be a candidate for the pulpit. I was a musmach from Torah Vodaas and the rav in the White Shul had been Rabbi Selig Fortman, who was also from Torah Vodaas. So there was a connection. When you came to Five Towns

how many shuls were there at the time? When I came, as far as community shuls there was the following: The largest shul which was a community shul was Shaaray Tefilla, which was located at that time on Central Avenue in Far Rockaway. It was the major shul in the community. However, there was a new shul – relatively speaking — which started in 1921. The initial name was Congregation Talmud Torah Knesset Israel. At the beginning it met in a variety of places. The question is why they felt they needed a shul. At the time the town was relatively small. The answer is that you always have people with certain needs and they are looking for a shul where they can feel comfortable. So they decided to make a minyan… At that time, when Rabbi Fortman came to this community, he was also a teacher

of homiletics in Torah Vodaas and everything was in Yiddish, by the way. Was Yiddish your ﬁrst language? Yes and no. I was born in this country, but my parents spoke Yiddish in the house. My father, who was a rav, spoke only Yiddish. So he taught himself English? No, you didn’t have to know English. In the 1920s, the language that was the language of the majority of the people in these shuls was Yiddish. Did you ever give shiurim in Yiddish? I came in 1951 so for the first decade or so I gave my textual shiurim – Gemara, Mishnayos, Shulchan Aruch – in Yiddish. However, times

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

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down the corridors of time without any compromise, were the stories about concern and chessed. And the reason is because man is created b’tzelem Elokim. Hashem always gives. Therefore, you cannot break the mold of what is in your DNA. That is the DNA of a person, to be a nosain…

were already changing and you had more and more people who were not conversant in Yiddish. How has the rabbinate changed since you started at the White Shul? One of the major changes is that when I started at the White Shul, it was a tekufa of rabbanus when it did not grow around the individual. The individual was no different than any professional. The community had a shul and it needed spiritual leadership. So the people went looking and searching for a person who would be fitting for that position. Today it is almost the opposite. It’s almost always the case where a person comes to the community and he has people cluster around him and he becomes the focal point and then they say, “Let’s make a shul and make you our rabbi.” Is there a danger to that? Of course there is because very often a person who is not fit and doesn’t have the talent and doesn’t have the organization ability and doesn’t even have the basic skills becomes a rabbi of the community and he is not fit to serve in that position. When it works the other way around, he already has chosen to hone any skills he may have. He has worked a smaller position in a smaller town and developed skills and when he comes to a big shul he is the consummate professional. What is the key character trait that you think is necessary in order for one to be an effective rabbi? Rabbi Akiva Eiger was once asked by a young student who planned to enter the rabbinate, “How can I be a success?” Reb Akiva Eiger said to him, “People have been traveling on the high seas for thousands of years, but no one has made a highway yet.” Every rabbi knows how true this response is because ultimately each rabbi must make his own way, his own derech. He learns over time that he must choose the areas which to him are most important and then energize the people to fol-

It must be tremendously burdensome to be a rabbi. My son, David [Dr. David Pelcovitz], and I wrote two books together and it was seamless because what difference does it make whether you are talking to people and helping them as a psychologist or as a rabbi?

low him and the example he sets. Above all, he must understand that it is far more important to convince people than compel them, to mold rather than manipulate, to motivate rather than manage, and to inspire rather than to impose. The world is certainly evolving at a rapid pace. That must pose a challenge for modern day rabbis. The only thing that is true of

Briskers in general – it goes back to the Beis Halevi – planted in the minds of his children and grandchildren that besides being the teacher and the preacher, you also have to be concerned for the welfare and wellbeing of your people. Moshe Rabbeinu is the only one that we call “Rabbeinu” – he was not just the ultimate teacher and classical teacher, but he was also concerned for the welfare of the people. It all comes back to the

“It is far more important to convince people than compel them, to mold rather than manipulate, to motivate rather than manage, and to inspire rather than to impose.”

change is that it is always going to happen. You have to adapt and adjust to the needs of the people at that particular point. The successful rabbi in today’s world is going to be one who can meet the four basic areas that a rav has always had to meet: He is there to preach and to teach…and he is there to minister and to administer… Rav Chaim Brisker and the

welfare. And the welfare of the people is not something that should be looked upon as being beneath my dignity. There was a time when rabbanim’s primary concern was the welfare of their community – is there a person who is suffering? Is there a person who is sick? All the stories that you hear from gedolim, the stories that came

Do you feel that people turn too much to their rabbis to play the role of therapist and perhaps it’s over-demanding? Absolutely. There is no question that people have found out that the cheapest psychologist is the rabbi. How did you unwind from the burden? I played golf. Good handicap? No. You can’t take yourself too seriously even in golf. What was the hardest part about being a rabbi? The hardest part was that it is very hard to have a lot of close friends because when you have too many friends, you are not going to have too many close friends… It helps to have a good sense of humor. Does it surprise you how far this community has come? This community when I came to it was a different community… How many sukkahs were there in 1951 when I came? How many schools? How many yeshivos ketanos were there? How many yeshivos gedolos? How many batei medrashos? How many batei k’nessios? The answer is that you have to take everything you see today and reduce it like a good minimalist… This community when I came here had a limited number of people who were

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

shomrei mitzvos, shomrei Shabbos, who were people who knew how to learn or wanted to learn. And one of the major challenges that I found when I came here was to create in the people a desire to want to learn, to want to know more, to want to grow. What was your favorite era as a rabbi? This is true of every rabbi, he will tell you that the golden period was when he was younger… The nature of the beast changes. It’s strange to say, when I gave a shiur Shabbos afternoon in the “golden period,” the beis medrash was filled, and when I gave a lomdus shiur on Tuesday night the beis medrash was full. Today, because you have a daf yomi and people feel that they are fulfilling their mitzvah of talmud Torah through the daf yomi, the scholarship is affected in this sense because the b’iyun [in

nity and to be negative and not to be upbeat and optimistic. I have young people that I have worked with over the years as developing and growing rabbis. Some of them have it and some of them don’t. But in most cases the ones that have it are the ones that have a lot of menschlechkeit. They are people who genuinely and authentically like people and they look at the better characteristics of those that they are working with. You must know thousands and thousands of people. Yes. depth study] part has suffered. The connection and the relationship of the rav of the shul as a maggid shiur has been affected. So, it’s a twoedged sword. You seem to be an optimistic person. Is that something that you developed or is it

natural to you? I am. The character traits of a person are something that you are born with; it’s part of your DNA. And I will say to you that it helps tremendously for someone in the rabbinate to be optimistic and positive. The most difficult thing for a person is to be a rabbi in a commu-

How do you manage remembering everyone? Well, if I like you, I remember you. You must like a lot of people then. Yes… I definitely do.

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Torah Thought

Parshas Vayeitzei By Rabbi Berel Wein

aakov is forced to flee from home and family because of the threat that his brother Eisav poses. He is informed by his mother that his brother, in a moment of jealousy, frustration and anger, threatened to kill him. Yaakov is no physical weakling; he is not the pale yeshiva student, the caricature of nineteenth century Haskalah literature. In fact, we see in this week’s Torah reading the description of the great physical strength of Yaakov. He is able to singlehandedly remove the

rock that covers the well of water, a task that requires many ordinary people to do so in concert. Later in the biblical narrative of his life, we will see how he is able to wrestle with an angel and prevail and to accomplish other feats of physical prowess. So why does Yaakov flee from his home and rightful place and embark on a long journey of exile? Why does he not simply stay and fight it out with Eisav? Later, upon his return to the Land of Israel, it is apparent that he is willing to

go to war with his brother in order to protect himself and his family. So why does he shy away from confronting Eisav directly when he is threatened? He certainly has the physical ability to do so if he desired to physically defend himself against any violence emanating from his brother. Yaakov will prove himself to be a valiant warrior not only spiritually but in the physical world as well. If so, then why should he be forced to flee instead of standing his ground and justifiably defending himself against the aggression of Eisav? Yaakov was assigned the characteristic trait of truth by the prophets of Israel. This has baffled many throughout the ages because in the biblical narrative regarding his life we find that Yaakov was forced many times to resort to tactics that were understandably necessary but did not meet the bar of absolute truth. Because of this obvious contradiction between theory and reality, many different interpretations have

been given as to how to judge the truthfulness of Yaakov. The one that appeals most to me is that Yaakov remained true to himself, to his inner being and to his natural personality. Yaakov never desired to be what he was not. He never wished to be like his brother Eisav, a man of force and violence. His inner self was to be a whole and peaceful person, a scholar and a dweller in tents. Even when life forced him to use the tactics of Eisav, to be a man of aggressive prowess, his inner self always remained true to his nature of peace, harmony and perfection. Being true to one’s own inner self, not wishing to be what we are not, not aping the behavior of others – be they celebrities, political leaders, sports champions or simply a reflection of the changing mores of a bewildered society – is the greatest lesson that we can learn from the life of our father Yaakov. And that is the greatest ultimate truth that one can achieve in life. Shabbat shalom.

CHANUKAH - SHIFTING PERSPECTIVE Releasing Thoughts that Misrepresent Reality

CHANIE JURAVEL

Dynamic Torah Lecturer, Therapist, LCSW Sunday, December 11, 2016, the 11th of Kislev, at 10 A.M. at Young Israel of Lawrence – Cedarhurst 8 Spruce Street THIS MONTH’S LECTURE IS BEING SPONSORED BY:

Boruch Dovid & Shani Schreiber Uri & Esther Kaufman li”n Rifka Feiga bas Harav Shraga Feitel Hacohen Ralph & Judy Silverman li”n Yosef Elimelech ben Yissachar Mordechai B E A T E V E S S P O N S O R!

RESERVE the DATE – ASARA B’TEVES – JAN. 8th – at Beth Sholom with CHEVI GARFINKEL To sponsor a lecture email jgulkowitz@yahoo.com or call Debbie at 516-239-0494 B”H in our 28th year of unifying the women of our community!

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DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

The Observant Jew

Thanks for Dropping In By Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz

he idea of these articles is to help us notice things in the world around us, identify messages, and internalize them. This is not a new concept. In fact, most of us know the story of another famously observant Jew, Rabbi Akiva. By the age of forty, he had not learned Torah. In fact, he hated talmidei chachomim. He believed them to be arrogant and controlling, as most ignoramuses did. That was until he studied Torah, became a talmid chacham himself, and finally understood their greatness. (Remember, it was he who said the mitzvah, “Fear the L-rd, your G-d,” includes Torah scholars.) So what precipitated it? A drop of water. Not just one drop, but many drops. One day, he noticed a stone which had a hole in it. He saw that water had continuously dripped on the stone, slowly but surely wearing away at the rocky surface, both smoothing it and making a hole through it. He said, “If water which is soft can go through stone which is hard, then surely the Torah which is hard as iron can penetrate my heart which is soft.” Well, one day, I had a Rabbi Akiva moment. Not as life-changing (yet) but still meaningful. I was in a shul and noticed that the paint was sagging and wrinkled at a spot near the window. I turned to the young man next to me and asked what he saw. He said, “There was a leak.” Then he asked me what The Observant Jew saw. I said, “Yes, there was water dripping down the wall. In the places where it remained on the surface, the wall remains unchanged. But where

the water was absorbed, and got ‘under its skin,’ you can see the difference on the surface.” He got my point immediately. Torah is compared to water. When it merely remains external to the person, it doesn’t change them. When viewed as an intellectual pursuit without internalizing anything, it cannot achieve its purpose. On the other hand, when a person begins to live the Torah instead of just learning

had an idea. On the word “mirma,” guile, Rashi comments, as both Onkelos and Targum Yonason ben Uziel state: “with chochma, wisdom.” What does this mean? Well, we know that the night of the blessings was Pesach (Yitzchak’s birthday.) The two goats Rivka prepared were for the korban Pesach and korban Chagiga. When Yitzchak told Eisav he’d eaten “from everything” so he could not bless him, it was because

How could Yitzchak do that? Didn’t that add fuel to the fire to say that Yaakov came with trickery?

it, a metamorphosis ensues. That is the ideal we’re looking for. This concept gave me an insight into something that had been bothering me for years. In Parshas Toldos, after Yaakov gets the brachos from Yitzchak by dressing up as Eisav, Eisav comes in looking to be blessed. Yitzchak told him, “Your brother came with guile and took the blessings.” How could Yitzchak do that? Didn’t that add fuel to the fire to say that Yaakov came with trickery? Surely Yitzchak was careful with lashon hara and rechilus and would not say something to cause further enmity between his sons, so what is the meaning of this statement? After seeing the wrinkled paint I

he’d eaten afikomen, after which one may not eat. To whom do we tell this at the seder? To the Chacham! Therefore, when Yitzchok said, “With trickery,” he meant that Yaakov came with chochma and used the lesson of the Chacham to ensure Yitzchak could not eat from Eisav’s food. In fact, the gematria of the word b’mirma is 287, the same as afikomen! So now we know how Yaakov achieved his victory in getting the brachos, but the question still remains that it would only serve to make Eisav angrier. Why did Yitzchak bother to explain the subterfuge? Let’s go back to the rock. R’ Akiva’s insight was that the Torah could penetrate his heart. My insight was

that the water that was internalized changed the wall. Yitzchak was telling Eisav, “The reason Yaakov got the blessings is because he internalized the Torah he’s learned and made it a part of his life!” Yaakov didn’t just learn the law that one may not eat after afikomen. He understood that if he gave Yitzchak afikomen, he would not eat from Eisav’s food because Torah is a guide for living, not just philosophical discourse. Yitzchak was telling Eisav, “If you want to be blessed with success, you need to absorb the Torah and let it change you. Don’t blame your brother, because you can write your own ticket to greatness by becoming a ben Torah.” He wasn’t fanning the flames, but dousing them, and that makes much more sense and is a great lesson to us all. And to think I owe it all to a leaky window and some drooping paint. It just goes to show that there’s so much more to life than meets the eye. Too bad Eisav didn’t internalize that either.

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 Instagram @RabbiGewirtz or 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 | DECEMBER 8, 2016

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Between the Lines

Growing Green By Eytan Kobre

Envy is an insult to oneself. -Yevgeny Yevtushenko

n a 2011 study, psychologists Sarah Hill, Danielle DelPriore, and Phillip Vaughan found that people who felt envious of others possessed an increased ability to commit to memory details about the targets of their envy. Envy may be unbecoming, the study concluded, but it also has its benefits. To be sure, envy can be a dangerous character flaw (Orchos Chaim, No. 113). Not only does envy accomplish nothing (Mesilas Yesharim, Chapter 11), it “rots the bones” (Shabbos 152b; Mishlei 14:30) and drives a person from the world (Avos 4:21; Pirkei d’Rebbi Eliezer, Chapter 13). Indeed, the story is told of a man whose jealousy knew no bounds. An angel appeared to him in a dream and promised to grant his any one wish, with the proviso that double would be given to his neighbor. “Poke out one of my eyes,” came the response. But not all jealousy is so destructive. “And Rachel saw that she had not borne children to Yaakov, and Rachel became envious of her sister” (Bereishis 30:1). Rachel’s envy of Leah was acceptable inasmuch as she thought, “Were [Leah] not more righteous than I, she would not have been worthy of bearing

sons” (Rashi, Bereishis 30:1; Bereishis Rabba 71:6). Petty, destructive jealousy is born of the fear that another person’s success diminishes our own; constructive envy – like Rachel’s – is a catalyst for growth. So Margaret Thatcher was only half right when she opined that “the spirit of envy can destroy; it can never build.” Envy certainly can destroy. But it also can inspire and galvanize. “The envy of Torah scholars increases wisdom” because it fosters a positive atmosphere of competition in spiritual pursuits (Bava Basra 21a and 22a). It is specifically to promote such healthy competition that one Torah teacher may be fired in favor of another (Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Dei’ah 245:18). Indeed, jealousy over religious excellence and character refinement “is very good, and it is the attribute of the great ones” (Orchos Tzadikim, Sha’ar HaKina; see Kad HaKemach, Kina; Pele Yo’etz, Kina; Ohr Yahel, Vol. 2, pg. 27). For such envy promotes spiritual and ethical achievement (Medrash Socher Tov 37 and 73). When someone else does good, constructive envy intensifies our motivation to do likewise. The Alter of Slabodka would often ask his students what they thought of one another with the aim of channeling their natural sense of jealousy into a more constructive spiritual envy. Similarly, when the Brisker Rav opened his

own matzah bakery in Vilna, adhering to stricter standards than the city’s other bakeries, R’ Chaim Ozer Grodzinski was not concerned that the other bakeries would be looked upon with disfavor; rather, he maintained, the other bakeries would enhance their standards to compete with the Brisker Rav’s bakery. With that sort of envy, everyone wins. Still, some authorities see such envy only as a means to an end (Rabbeinu Yona and Rashbatz, Avos 4:28; see Koheles 4:4; Michtav M’Eliyahu, Vol. 1, pg. 126 and Vol. 3, pg. 185). To these authorities, academic and spiritual envy is acceptable only to gain initial inspiration. But “to remain on the level of scholarly envy, this is certainly not the proper path” (Ohr Yechezkel, Midos, pg. 290; see Maharsha, Bava Basra 21a). Envy should be used as a tool for growth to the point that it no longer is needed. And “spiritual” envy should never be exploited simply as a proxy for its more sinister, toxic counterpart. For if “spiritual” envy is rooted in the base desire to outshine others or for the sake of honor or braggadocio, is it any better than rank jealousy? A bright and ambitious young student at Stanford University was offered a summer trip to the Far East by his parents, a well-deserved reward for his academic success. There, he fell under the influence

of a group of Buddhists. They criticized his ambition, telling him he studied hard, not to learn, but to outdo his peers. The young man conceded, and he soon called his parents to tell them he would drop out of school and join the Buddhist monastery. Six months later, the parents received this letter from their son: Dear Mom and Dad, I know you were disappointed with my decision to stay here and join the monastery, but I want you to know how happy I am. For the first time in my life, I’m living in an envy-free atmosphere. This way of life is so much in harmony with the inner essence of my soul that in only six months I’ve become the Number Two disciple, and by June I think I can be Number One!

But when spiritual envy is sincere – when it is driven by a true yearning for growth – it can be utterly transformative. The Ba’al Shem Tov often related a story of two neighbors, one a wellheeled Torah scholar, the other an impoverished laborer. The scholar would wake before dawn and study Torah for several hours, after which he would pray at length, hurry home for a quick breakfast, and re-

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

turn to his Torah studies for several hours more. Only in the afternoon would he venture out to the market and engage in minimal business. After evening prayers and dinner, he would again learn Torah until deep into the night. Oh, how differently the laborer lived. He too would wake early, but no matter how hard he struggled to earn a living, he barely succeeded in putting bread on the table. His schedule simply did not allow for prolonged Torah study: he would pray quickly at daybreak, after which his labors consumed the remainder of his day and a fair amount of his night. Even on Shabbos, when he finally had the opportunity to open a Jewish book, he quickly nodded-off from the week’s exhaustion. When the two neighbors would pass each other in the street, the proud scholar would shoot a look of scorn in the direction of the “materialistic” laborer and hurry on

to his sacred pursuits. The laborer, on the other hand, would emit a weighty sigh. How fortunate is his lot; how unfortunate is mine. We’re both hurrying. But while he is rushing to learn Torah, I’m off to

things were looking good. But then the prosecuting angel placed a single object on the other side of the scale: the contemptuous look the scholar occasionally cast his neighbor’s way. The weight of this dis-

But that sigh – that simple, sincere sigh of envy – outweighed all the laborer’s demerits, and it validated his entire existence.

the mundane. The years rolled on in this manner until, at last, the two men departed this world and stood before the heavenly court for judgment. An advocating angel placed the scholar’s formidable virtues on one side of the scale of deeds, and

dainful glance at first equaled, and then outweighed, the formidable load of merits. The laborer’s reckoning was quite different. The prosecuting angel loaded the acts of his spiritually-empty life on one side of the scale, while the advocating angel had but

one weight to offer in equilibrium: the covetous sigh emitted when he encountered his scholarly neighbor. But that sigh – that simple, sincere sigh of envy – outweighed all the laborer’s demerits, and it validated his entire existence. So the next time we find ourselves admiring – perhaps even envying – the true merits of our friends, neighbors, or relatives, let’s not be so quick to chide ourselves. Let’s embrace it and use it as motivation. Let’s go green with the right kind of envy. Because that sort of envy is not, as the Russian poet Yevtushenko put it, an insult to oneself – it is a way to build oneself.

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

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

A Fulfilled L fe

Managing Life’s Fluctuations By Rabbi Dr. Naphtali Hoff

his week’s parsha opens with Yaakov Avinu’s famous vision, which he dreamt while in flight from his enraged brother Eisav. On that historic evening, Yaakov saw angels ascending and descending a massive ladder. At the top of the ladder was Hashem, who promised Yaa-

kov that he would inherit the land that he was lying on, and that his seed would become very numerous. And your seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south; and in you and in your seed shall all

the families of the earth be blessed. (Bereishis 28:14) This pledge of abundant progeny was not unique to Yaakov. His grandfather Avraham was promised that his children would be multiplied “as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore.” (Ibid 22:17) This followed an earlier assurance at the Bris Bein Habesarim, in which Hashem told his loyal servant to “look now toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them… so shall your seed be.” (Bereishis 15:5) Yaakov’s father Yitzchak was similarly promised: “And I will make your seed multiply as the stars of heaven.” (Ibid 26:4) Why is it that Hashem felt compelled to utilize multiple metaphors when describing the future growth of the Jewish people? Even if some sort of imagery was necessary to convey the true scope of their expansion, why was one example not sufficient? Moreover, what is the significance of comparing Bnei Yisrael specifically to stars, sand and dust? Kli Yakar, in his commentary to Bereishis 22:17, suggests that each example highlights a different era within the Jewish historical experience. There would be times when our nation would be “on top of the world,” like stars. During these periods, which have sadly come with great infrequency, we would enjoy peace and great success and be the envy of the world around us. Then there would be periods of challenge, in which the gentile nations would aim to destroy us, but

would repeatedly come up short. This is comparable to sand, which endures continual pounding by the waves of the sea but manages to survive with its shoreline intact. Finally, there are times when we are truly compared to dust, as we are being trampled by the collective feet of our oppressors. By utilizing these various metaphors, Hashem was promising our Avos that he would not forsake their children. What is more, he assured them that their progeny would continue to grow, numerically and otherwise, despite the many challenges that they would be forced to endure. Of course, peaks and valleys are part of our personal experiences as well. There are times when we feel that the sky’s the limit. Every day brings new opportunities and much fulfillment. At other times we experience challenges, difficulties that set us back. But the problems are manageable and we find a way to persevere. And then there are the trials that are of such magnitude that we feel as if we are being trampled upon, with no one to turn to for support and guidance. How can we manage the ups and downs and live a balanced life? The following strategies can help us navigate through the vicissitudes of life and maintain a well-adjusted lifestyle and perspective.

WHEN YOU’RE UP: 1. Relish the moment – Find ways to celebrate your successes in a manner that deepens your appreciation

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

for what you have. List some things that you can do today that would be impossible without your material or other blessing and good fortune. Then go out and cement the feeling of gratitude with some form of celebration. 2. Extend it – Identify opportunities to give, monetarily or with your time, to others in a manner that will help your high moments live on. Recognize that our abundance is not intended to be hoarded but shared. Let your rising tide raise other ships as well. 3. Stay balanced – Appreciate the fact that you’re never as good as your successes would lead you to believe. Success in life is the combination of many factors, such as talent and effort. But it also requires a healthy dose of mazal and siyata dishmaya. Keeping this in perspective will also help you recognize that you are fundamentally the same person even when circumstances change for the worse.

WHEN LIFE THROWS YOU A CURVEBALL: 1. Look for the good – At times of challenge, it becomes easy to get lost in our problems. We begin to look around us and ask why others seem to have it so much easier than we do.

that every challenge represents a growth opportunity. Hashem would not test us if we were guaranteed to fail (see Ramban to Bereishis 22:1). If we are being tested, it must mean that we possess the wherewithal to pass it successfully.

Difficult times can present opportunities to recreate oneself. Why not take that course and learn new skills?

Think about the many things that you have and acknowledge that some people lack even these. 2. Be confident – You’ve done it before and you will do it again. Remain confident in your strengths and abilities while seeking ways to expand your skills and capacity. 3. And keep the faith – Recognize

4. Get up and do – A common response to challenge is inaction and self-pity. Resist that temptation by building positive energy and momentum. Difficult times can present opportunities to recreate oneself. Why not take that course and learn new skills? Perhaps it’s time to try a new career pathway or make new social

connections. Maybe now is the time to redouble our efforts to learn more or spend more meaningful time with our family. 5. Get inspired – Read success stories and inspirational quotes. Remember that some of history’s most noteworthy achievements and achievers were born out of tough times. We are bound to experience many highs and lows in life. For some, such fluctuation will fall within a relatively tight span. For others, the range will be much wider. Maintaining a positive, balanced outlook, one that helps us to keep all of our experiences in perspective, will go a long way in providing us with the comfort, stability and true happiness that we all seek.

Rabbi Naphtali Hoff, PsyD, is President of Impactful Coaching and Consulting. He can be reached at 212.470.6129 or at nhoff@impactfulcoaching.com.

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

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DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Dr. Deb

Reasons are Reasons, Not Excuses By Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.

“I

could not believe it!” she was telling me, we’ll call her Rochel. “It’s bad enough that I have to sleep in the basement – true, it’s finished, but not very private – but when I got downstairs, the bed wasn’t made. A simple thing like that!

With all those children, surely one of them could have made the bed. I don’t feel like an honored guest!” Rochel became a widow not long ago and she now visits an array of children for Shabbos and yom tov. Here they are, burdened already

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with family responsibilities but they graciously open their home every week for their mother. Yet that wasn’t enough, it seems. The red carpet had to be rolled out too. “So why wasn’t the bed made?” I asked Rochel. At this point, Rochel looked a bit sheepish. “Well, what my daughter explained was this: Her husband was home sick from work but wanted to work anyway because some big problem had arisen at his job and he has a lot of responsibility there. So, fever and all, he went to his computer and got on the phone with work. Needless to say, the computer is in the basement and of course, no one was allowed downstairs while he was on the phone with the office. “Furthermore, with Shabbos starting so early, he was working up to the last second practically. He jumped into the shower 5 minutes before licht bentching. The children, of course, were getting ready, too, by that point. And, my daughter also pointed out, she couldn’t have had them do it Thursday night because the little ones would have definitely messed it up in 24 hours.” Now it was my turn to be perplexed. So that sounded to me like a perfectly acceptable reason to have not gotten to making the bed. What was Rochel’s problem? When I asked her, I didn’t get a clear answer. It seemed like Rochel had blinders on. She wanted to only see what she wanted to see. For some reason

what she wanted to see was how mistreated she was. Did she enjoy playing victim? (We do get benefits out of playing victim, but that’s for a different article.) All she could say was, “I understand. But, still.” I couldn’t very well say, “Still, what?” That might have felt to her like I was grilling her – not a therapist’s job. I took a slow, deep breath, something I advise my clients to do when they feel stuck and about to become stressed. I took another one. I let time pass. Suddenly, Rochel piped up. “You’re right,” she said. “I was too busy licking my wounds to think of the situation from their perspective.” “Glad you’ve come to a realization, but I didn’t say anything. You got there on your own!” I replied with a smile. So now that Rochel left my office and we can talk, let me ask you: Was the response her children gave just an excuse, or a legitimate reason? See, there’s a difference between reasons and excuses. “Reasons” take context into account. That means a reason for something happening or for not doing something is the full story of what forces were acting on you at the time. This is like in the sentencing part of a criminal case, where the person has been found guilty, there still might be “extenuating factors” that influenced his choices. Rav Dessler talks about this and calls it the bechira point. For each

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

through excuses; we don’t fall for them. The problem is that when we hear a reason, we automatically decide it must be an excuse. Then we dismiss the person and his (or her) story.

compassion you will feel is directly proportional to the degree to which you drop your pre-judgment and assumptions. Compassion is really a problem. It compels you to feel sad for anoth-

Listen with an open ear and an open mind to the whole story and allow your feelings of empathy to sprout.

And that’s unfortunate. Yes, it is a whole lot easier to stick with preconceived notions than to actually hear another person and put yourself in that person’s shoes. Because the more open your mind is when you listen, the messier and more difficult it becomes to judge the other person. In fact, the amount of

er person’s trials and tribulations. It compels you to know the struggle that person faced when he reached his bechira point. When you enter into his struggle, it starts to become uncomfortable. That’s the downside of compassion: it can drive you to tears. And who wants to cry anyway? Sitting back and judging him mi-

nus his details, his story, his context, his reason is so much easier on you. But it’s not fair. It’s not right. It’s not who we are. Tzedek, tzedek tirdof. Interestingly, to be just and fair, we must add in compassion that comes from knowing the details, the reason. So, go be uncomfortable! Listen with an open ear and an open mind to the whole story and allow your feelings of empathy to sprout. You might even feel like crying. So what? Paradoxically, the greater your compassion – and your pain for your friend’s suffering – the better you’ll feel. That’s because compassion is chessed, one of the greatest gifts a person can bestow on another person. And giving feels good. Paradoxically. Dr. Deb Hirschhorn is a Marriage and Family Therapist. She can be reached at 646-54-DRDEB or by writing drdeb@ drdeb.com.

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person the choice point in any given situation is going to be wildly different. For my skinny friend who foreswears sweets, the chocolate-topped cream pie has no allure. There would be no struggle for her to decide not to eat it at dessert time. For someone like me, it’s a big struggle and I probably would give in! Our bechira points are not set in the same place. Now, why would that be? What operated in our personal histories that took us on such different paths? When you get the full story for both of us, you’ve got the context, you’ve got the reason. Notice that having a reason, even a good one, doesn’t absolve you of the struggle not to give into your yetzer hara; it just means that for some people that decision isn’t even a struggle. For others, they get more “credit” for winning the struggle. An excuse, on the other hand, is the telling of a story without the details that would make you look bad. Generally speaking, we can see

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Health & F tness

Timeless Parenting By Hylton I. Lightman, MD, DCH, FAAP

nce upon a time, people got married, had children, and raised them to be self-sufficient, fully functioning adults. Then their children got married, had their own children and raised them to be self-sufficient, fully functioning adults. The older generation helped their young adult children learn to parent. In time, new, young parents discovered their own way, finding their own voice to raise their children. As Tevye the Milkman says in Fiddler

on the Roof, “Everyone knows who he is and what G-d expects him to do.” This may seem like a fairy tale today, but I can testify – this is how parenting worked for many generations with little fuss or fanfare. As a pediatrician, I fear that we have lost this time-proven continuity as one coddled generation is raising an even more coddled generation. What happened? I see parents treat children as their peers and equals with no

boundaries. Protracted childhood and adolescence lets people avoid responsibility – they expect to be taken care of ad infinitum. I’ve heard the current generation called the “snowflake generation.” Why? Because each person is unique. Each person is special. Each person is an individual. And when you touch one – or have some kind of expectation of them – they melt immediately. There’s a terrific video I recommend on this topic with parenting expert John Rosemond presented by Prager U called “Vitamin N.” You

authority? The venerable parenting specialist Rebbitzen Sima Spetner is uncompromising in her belief that respect for parents is the foundation for respect for G-d and awe of heaven. Parenting effectively means that often you will not rank on your child’s list of favorite people. That’s fine because you’re there for the long haul. Parenting requires boundary-setting. Using your judgement. Saying NO sometimes. When your child accuses you of being mean or unfair, smile inwardly because

Vitamin N – saying NO to your children – is as important as Vitamins A, B, and C for a child’s healthy growth and development.

can find it on YouTube. Rosemond has been talking about the lack of Vitamin N (for “No”) since the 1980s (he’s clairvoyant). His premise: Vitamin N – saying NO to your children – is as important as Vitamins A, B, and C for a child’s healthy growth and development. In fact, Rosemond said, Vitamin N is “the most character-building two-letter word in the English language.” I’ve seen children bossing their parents. It never ceases to amaze us when a parent asks their child whether he wants to see the doctor. They are in the waiting room with an appointment. Of course they are going in. When families are run like democracies, how are children going to learn to respect any higher

you’ve stepped up and acted as their parent, not their friend. As parents, we enjoy some successes in the moment. Invariably, we are going to fail in many moments. But pick yourself up and go on. You might fail again, but it will be a “good” failure. Stay the course. Your children and society will be better for it. I’m cheering you on.

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.totalfamilycaremd.com, on Instagram at #lightmanpeds or visit him on Facebook.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

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Health & F tness

Portion Distortion By Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN

ortion distortion is one of the main reasons why 70% of our country is considered overweight or obese. Restaurants and fast food joints serve food that foreigners might view as food on steroids. Try walking into a Tim Horton’s in Canada and order a size medium beverage. You will be outraged when the server passes you a cup that will pass as an XXS in a

Dunkin’ Donuts in the U.S. Americans have become desensitized to portion sizes and therefore are consuming foods in excess, leading to weight gain and obesity. A review published in the Journal of Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition showed that when people are presented with larger portions, they consumed more despite hunger levels and body cues.

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Believe it or not, all foods – even the healthy ones – when eaten in excess will cause weight gain. Thus it is vital, especially when dieting, to be aware of portion sizes. A few shocking portion sizes that will blow your mind: 1. Bagels. Today’s 6-inch bagel has 350 calories. This is 210 more calories than a 3-inch bagel 20 years ago. The proper serving size of a bagel is supposed to be about 2 ounces. A New York bagel is about 6-7 ounces; that’s about 6-7 slices of bread. And that’s before all the butter, cream cheese and mayonnaise-filled tuna. A whole wheat bagel is better in terms of fiber and whole grains but no better in terms of carbs and calories. To stick to the old fashioned and correct 2 ounce serving: start with a half of a bagel and scoop out the inside. At this point, you might as well skip the bagel altogether and go for a high fiber slice of bread! 2. Avocado. Avocado is becoming a staple at the brunch table and although perceived as “healthy,” portions are way out of control. Let’s not forget that avocado is not part of the vegetable family and is actually part of the fat family. While it may be a “healthy fat” it is still a more concentrated source of calories when compared to protein and carbohydrates. The accurate serving size of an avocado is 1/8 of a whole avocado. The main thing to keep in mind here is that there is a difference between eating healthy and eating to lose weight, and for weight loss you should be sticking to that one-eighth serving size. Next brunch outing, swap your avocado for egg whites. 3. Rice. When dieting, many

turn to brown rice and quinoa. However, grains like rice and quinoa may not be as innocent as they appear. The serving size for both rice (whether it be brown or white) and quinoa is ½ cup. This means a bowl of quinoa or rice, which generally has about 2 cups, is 4 times the recommended serving size! The secret is to fill the bowl up with vegetables and add it to the rice/quinoa. Vegetables can be roasted, steamed, and even raw for some added crunch. 4. Fruit. Because fruits are infamous for their positive health benefits, people often feel they can eat unlimited amounts, even if they’re watching their weight. However, as delicious and undoubtedly nutritious as fruits may be, they do contain a fair amount of carbohydrates and sugar. One serving of fruit is about 15g of carbohydrates. For example, the proper serving size of a banana is only half of a banana. Keep your carbohydrates in check and stick to 2-3 servings of fruit per day. 5. Muffins. Today’s 5-ounce muffin has 500 calories. That’s 310 calories more than a muffin 20 years ago – and that’s not including all the sugar and added junk. Your best bet is skipping the muffin altogether and opting for a healthier treat, or even just the muffin top.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO MANAGE YOUR PORTIONS • Use hand symbols. Not sure what a portion size should be? Make sense of portion sizes by using hand symbols for portions (see diagram). • Read food labels. Pay attention to the number of servings con-

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

tained in the package, then note the calorie and fat content per serving. If, for example, the label on a large muffin indicates that one serving has

250 calories and 10 grams of fat and the muffin contains two servings, then you’ll have eaten 500 calories and 20 grams of fat from that muf-

fin. Often, overeating is not intentional, and occurs simply because of poor serving size clarification. • Split up supersize bags. Supersize bags may be more economical, but they can also enable you to overeat. If you buy huge bags of chips or pretzels, for example, split up the contents into smaller containers or Ziploc bags so you can easily see the proper portion size. • Share a meal. Many times the entrée is enough to feed the whole table. Splitting one main course with another person when you go out for a meal is a safe way to control your portion. • Eat half or less. If you’re not sharing a meal, eat half of what you’re served and take the rest home for another meal. You might be better off asking for a container right away when your plate comes so that you won’t be tempted to eat the whole thing. • Use a smaller plate. At home, serve your meals on smaller

plates. Your plate will look full, but you’ll be eating less. • Slow down and skip second helpings. Eat one reasonable serving and don’t immediately go back for seconds. Give yourself time to digest and serve yourself more food if you are still hungry.

Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN, is a Master’s level Registered Dietitian and Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist. She graduated CUNY Brooklyn College receiving a Bachelor’s in Science and Master’s degree in Nutrition and Food Sciences. Her Dietetic Internship was completed under Brooklyn College primarily in Ditmas Park Care Center and Boro Park Center where she developed clinical and education skills to treat patients with comprehensive nutrition care. She is currently a dietitian at Boro Park Center and a private nutrition consultant. She can be reached at CindyWeinberger1@gmail.com.

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

Dating Dialogue

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

My son Jacob is lazy! There – I said it. Thank G-d he was blessed with a great brain, good looks, charm and kindness. Because of these traits, he’s always been able to sail through any situation or challenge. School always came very easily to him. Without putting inmuch effort at all, he managed to always do very well and be accepted into the best schools of higher education. He never had to work hard to make friends or be popular. People generally gravitated toward him and he never had to know what it was like to pursue a friendship – or anything else, for that matter. So, these are wonderful blessings and I’m grateful. The problem is that he always takes the easy way out of everything because the easy way out has always been good enough to accomplish whatever he wanted to accomplish. Whatever seems to fall into his lap and most of the time, good things have fallen into his lap, he’s satisfied and calls it a day. Jacob recently turned 22 and he came to me and my husband and announced that it was time for him to date and get married. O.K., we were ready and waiting for this moment to occur and I purchased my “notebook” to start doing my due diligence. Down the block from us lives a family that we are quasi-friendly with. They have children that more or less overlap with our children age-wise, and we’ve always maintained a very nice, neighborly relationship with them. From the time our respective

Dear Navidaters,

children were all young, they all got to know one another and are comfortable when they see each other. These neighbors have a daughter Pearl who has also recently started dating. From what I’ve seen of her during the years, she seems like a lovely young woman. Anyway, Jacob announced to us that he wants to go out with Pearl. He felt that he already knew her to some degree and liked her and it would be easy and comfortable for him to ask her out. The story of his life – easy and comfortable. There was no reason why we felt we had to say no to Jacob (not that he would have necessarily listened to us), and so they started dating. After the first date, however, Jacob was already talking as though Pearl was the “one” and I shouldn’t even bother checking out other women. I have nothing against Pearl and I certainly haven’t heard anything other than lovely references about her, but I feel like Jacob is pursuing marriage the way he pursued everything else in his life. Keep it easy, simple and whatever falls into his lap, without any effort, is the way to go. I’m concerned that he hasn’t met anyone else and doesn’t know yet what he might really need from a wife. We’ve told him that we believe he should slow it down, take a break from Pearl, and at least date two or three other women to make sure he’s clear on what he’s looking for. Jacob thinks this request is unreasonable and that we should just be grateful that he found someone wonderful right away and be happy for him. It’s hard to feel happy when we worry that he’s just taking the easy way through this process, as he has done in most other areas of his life. Do you agree that with marriage we have to put the brakes on this?

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

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

The Panel

The Rebbetzin

to communicate appropriately. It’s not about your notebook or you.

Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

he length of this question tells me that you are really unsure of this and need to justify your question. Comfort levels based on longtime familiarity and cultural compatibility have long been the bases of resilient marriages that weathered challenges, changes and crises. Immigrant couples, Holocaust survivor couples, and baal teshuva couples have faced challenges together and grown together to build a new life. They knew what they were facing and after they plighted their troth, they worked hard to make it work. However, your son is coming from a different position in a different age. Talk to him and talk to his mentors about his picture of marriage and its challenges. Have them suggest that he get some marriage preparation and communication skills training. From your end, suggest that he date the young lady for a long time, using the logic of his needing to have an adult relationship with a mature understanding of his former playmate. She may have changed during her year in Israel. She may not be ready for something quick. Being neighbors means you will have to see Pearl’s parents no matter whether they break up during or after a successful courtship. You can try to slow things down but do it from a perspective of being sure about the relationship, not from the perspective of him getting things easily. Leave your feelings about his record of easy success (jealousy, perhaps?) out of the picture and focus on the healthiness of his quick decision style, proximity to the potential mechutanim and his consultation with others. Be smart. You are not in charge. You can try to influence him to be prudent but you cannot impose your emotions on him. Get help for yourself from a professional or a rav to sort out your feelings and

The Mother Sarah Schwartz Schreiber, P.A.

old on a second, Mom. Am I reading you correctly? You son, Jacob, is LAZY? I would describe him, rather, as bli ayin horah, one LUCKY boy. In your words: “brains, looks, charm and kindness.” Best grades, best schools, best friends, all without you seeing him sweat or work as hard as his peers. Believe me, while you sat and complained to your mother and sisters about your lazy son, he was spending time, efficiently, at the Bais Medrash, library or till the wee hours at his desk – studying, researching and writing so that today, his G-d-given talents and focus have borne fruit and he has accomplished many of his goals. Enter shidduchim. While you were wringing your hand over his “laissez-fare” demeanor, Jacob has had his eye on little Pearl down the block. While you were hanging up the laundry, Jacob and Pearl were in their own way “hanging out.” Trust your son. He is bright and level-headed. He has always made wise choices. Without fanfare or drama. Not only is Jacob One Lucky Boy, you are One Lucky Mom. Count your blessings, shep nachas and get Pearl the most exquisite bracelet found in a Boro Park basement. That should keep you busy.

The Dating Mentor Rochel Chafetz, Educator/Mentor

irst of all, I think you should be careful how you label your son. I’m wondering if you, in a quiet way

and maybe not intentionally, encouraged that trait that you referred to. Or whether you ever called him that to his face. Or if he ever heard you speak about him in that way to your husband. If so, my heart goes out to him because it means that his parents are not the advocates that they should be toward him and the advocate that every child absolutely needs. So my first advice to you is to work on removing that attitude from within yourself and focus on the good he has. He did well and got accepted to good schools and he is popular. How lucky he is. You say that he never had to pursue a friendship or anything else for that matter. How do you know that? Are you with him 24 hours of the day? Do you really know him? I read a story about a man who lost his 20-year-old son, and during shiva the friends came in and were telling the parents stories about their son. The dad said that he thought he knew his son but in fact, he really didn’t. Moral of the story is that we don’t know everything about our children. They are one way outside and another way inside the house, and truly they are out more than they are in. So you may not know what he has had to go through with his friends. Secondly, did you ever sit down and have a nice heart-to-heart talk with your son about life and what he’s looking for and his visions and dreams? Do you know what he is looking for in a girl? Have you asked him to describe this young lady and what her great qualities are that he likes so much? Have you engaged in these discussions with him? Once you try, you may be surprised to hear that he is much more than you give him credit for. And who says that the dating scene has to be difficult for everyone? Maybe Hashem wants otherwise for him. Don’t worry if his life is easy now. Somewhere down the line it will catch up and then you will bite

And who says that the dating scene has to be difficult for everyone?

your tongue. It’s a bracha if things go smoothly, if he is not complicated, if he is happy with his lot and goes with the flow. If things get serious and they get engaged, then it would be a good time to recommend that they go to the Shalom Task Force workshop for engaged couples. Buy him some books to read so that he can become educated in what marriage and relationships are about. But it sounds to me as though he will be able to navigate the waters. If things get tough and there is some turbulence along the way, together they will figure it out and maybe he will let it ride and hopefully, they will be happier for it.

The Single Tova Wein

hat I’ve noticed over the years is that some people seem to be born under a lucky star. Maybe not forever. In fact, usually not forever. Life has a way of eventually catching up with everyone. But to believe that everyone’s life is as easy or complicated as the next person is just false. So it sounds to me as though Jacob has so far in his life been one of the lucky ones. Things come together for him without too much fuss or hardship. Wow – how wonderful that is for him. As a mother, I would think, rather than label him “lazy,” you would label him lucky and deserving of his luck, since he’s such a great guy. You mentioned that he’s kind. That’s something that he chooses to be. I’m sure he works on being kind and he deserves credit

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

and admiration for that. So what’s up with your negative attitude toward him? Did things go much harder for you during your life and you are perhaps a little jealous of him? Do you believe that nothing is worth having if you didn’t go through a ton of blood, sweat and tears to achieve it? Are you bothered by the fact that you weren’t the one to handpick Pearl for him? I’m

just thinking that there has got to be a reason why you are not jumping for joy that your son so effortlessly found someone he seems crazy about without having to jump through tons of hoops. I say, count your blessings, count Jacob’s blessings, count Pearl’s blessings and daven hard that life continues to shine down on Jacob. Mind you, it wouldn’t be a bad idea

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

to encourage him to take his time, particularly since it’s the first person he is going out with, and have some chatty, non-confrontational talks with him about the qualities he has found in Pearl that has drawn him to her. Sometimes, for some people, when things go so well, they think they have to make it complicated and hard. Try not to be that person!

Whether his life has truly been a picnic or his perspective has helped keep his life a picnic is to be determined.

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

om, You gave Jacob your blessing to start dating, you blink, and he’s in a serious relationship. Parents don’t want their children to have to date a million girls/guys, but it can also be unsettling to watch your child insist on only dating the first person they date. You are worried that he has no other experiences to compare this one to. He has never been in a relationship, never dated before. How will he know if Pearl is the one when there haven’t been any others? There is truth in people growing from their relationships, in learning from the mistakes they’ve made in the past, and about their likes and dislikes in potential mates. In other words, Jacob has no frame of reference. I hear you. Then there is your concern that perhaps Jacob is pursuing this relationship because it is easy. He grew up with Pearl and doesn’t have to go

f ur ther than his own sidewalk to pick her up for a date. Jacob is one of those people (bli ayin horah) who has never had to toil with anything. Things do come easy and comfortably for him. Whether his life has truly been a picnic or his perspective has helped keep his life a picnic is to be determined. As I see it, “lazy” would be Jacob opening his window and shouting, “Hey, Pearl, open your window… It’s me, Jacob. You know, we’ve known each other for a while. What do you say we call it a day and get married? I’m not in the mood to put in any real effort or time into getting to know someone else.” Is that what you really think is going on here? Do you really believe that Jacob’s only interest in Pearl is out of sheer laziness? I doubt he would see it that way, and it may be worth your while to try to understand the rela-

tionship through Jacob’s eyes. The panel picked up on your use of the word “lazy,” and I don’t want to beat a dead horse, so all I will say is that you may want to think about how you came to see this character trait of “laziness” in Jacob. As an outsider looking in, it seems Jacob has a certain je ne sais quoi. I’m interested in understanding where you got the idea that things falling into his lap and him making wise decisions to pursue the things that fell into his lap make him “lazy”? Maybe is lucky or blessed and a good strategist. I’m wondering if that has more to do with you and your story than him and his story. As others suggested, you can gently encourage him to take things slowly with Pearl but not through expressing your concerns that his relationship is a manifestation of his laziness. Create comfortable communication where he does not have to defend himself or his relationship. Ask him questions about Pearl. Get to know what he likes about her, what they do together,

what it’s like to date her after knowing her as a neighbor all these years. You may discover that he has good reason to adore Pearl and not want to see anyone else. You may find yourself supporting and encouraging the relationship. And, if you learn something shocking about the relationship or see a red flag other than “he really likes her,” you can write back and we can discuss. Sincerely, Jennifer

Esther Mann, LCSW and Jennifer Mann, LCSW are licensed, clinical psychotherapists and dating and relationship coaches working with individuals, couples and families in private practice in Hewlett, NY. To set up an appointment, please call 516.224.7779. Press 1 for Esther, 2 for Jennifer. The Navidaters offer Date Debriefing, Dater’s Tool Kit, Engagement Coaching, and of course Dating Coaching. Visit www.thenavidaters.com for more information. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email thenavidaters@gmail.com. You can follow The Navidaters on FB and Instagram for dating and relationship advice.

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DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

In The K

tchen

Ravioli with Three Sauces By Naomi Nachman

On a cold wintry night, there is nothing better than coming home to a piping hot bowl of pasta. It sticks to your bones and warms you up mentally and physically. One can always buy pasta sauces from the stores, but I like to make them myself – which guarantees delicious, natural ingredients. The marinara sauce can easily be doubled and frozen.

Ingredients

2 lbs. store-bought tomato ravioli (I prefer the NY Pasta Authority brand from Gourmet Glatt)

½ lb. (2 sticks) butter 1 cup fresh sage leaves (about 12–14) Salt and pepper Parmesan cheese for garnish

Preparation Cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water just until they float to the top. You can also follow directions on the back of the ravioli package. Drain pasta; return to pot. Choose one of these 3 sauces to serve the ravioli with.

Brown Butter Sage Sauce

Preparation Melt the butter and the sage in a large sauté pan over low heat and cook until the foaming subsides. The sauce should be golden brown in color and the sage leaves will be nice and crispy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the sauce looks separated or too oily, add a bit of warm water; if it looks too watery, keep it on the heat and reduce for a few minutes until it thickens. Garnish with shavings of parmesan cheese. Note: The butter cooks and browns quickly so you will need to stand by and stir it till it is ready.

This buttery sauce has a deep and rich nutty ﬂavor from cooking in the butter.

Homemade Tomato Sauce This chunky sauce has texture that provides a boost of ﬂavor to your ravioli.

Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped

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.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

3 cloves garlic, minced Coarse salt and ground pepper 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme or oregano 1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes 2 cups your favorite marinara sauce 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese by Natural and Kosher ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese Natural and Kosher

Preparation Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme, tomatoes, and marinara sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until sauce is thickened.

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Creamy Pesto Pasta For all the Alfredo sauce lovers out there. Try our family favorite with the added bonus of goat cheese and pesto.

Ingredients 5 tablespoons butter 1 clove garlic, crushed ¼ cup flour ¼ cup sour cream 2 oz. goat cheese by Natural and Kosher 4 tablespoons prepared pesto (I used Sabra’s brand) 1 ½ cups milk Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation In a deep sauté pan on low heat, melt butter and then add in clove of garlic and stir. Add ¼ cup flour and mix in with butter till it becomes a thick paste. This is called a roux. While continuously stirring, add the sour cream and goat cheese, then add pesto until it also becomes thick. Add in the milk slowly, and continue whisk till it becomes thickened which will happen at a boiling point. Toss in cooked pasta and mix well. Serve with a poached egg on top.

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DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Washington Post photo by Jahi Chikwendiu

After Pearl Harbor,

This Mail Plane had a New Mission Find the Attackers BY MICHAEL E. RUANE

The

tattered Pearl Harbor survivor looks every bit of 78, with weathered skin, rusty bones and the faded “U.S. Navy” emblem the old bird got before the war. Gray from age and years in the service, the veteran of Dec. 7 sits with other World War II antiques, weary and in need of attention. But with the 75th anniversary of the 1941 attack this week, and commemorations scheduled in Hawaii and around the country, this survivor, like most who were there that day, has a story. The ungainly Navy airplane at the National Air and Space Museum’s

Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, is one of the few original U.S. aircraft in existence that flew against the Japanese armada that day. Then painted silver and orange-yellow, with a bright green tail and red trim, it was an unlikely combatant. Designed as a small airliner – a “baby clipper” – it was unarmed and part of a unit called Utility Squadron One, which hauled mail, sailors and Navy photographers around the Hawaiian Islands. It had window curtains and a restroom with porcelain fixtures. Its top speed was just over 100 mph. With Pearl Harbor a scene of

death and devastation that Sunday morning, Plane No. 1063 – its insignia a pelican carrying a mailbag – was ordered to seek out the enemy. For armament, the 28-year-old pilot, Ensign Wesley Hoyt Ruth, and his five-man crew were issued three World War I-era rifles. Their task: Report the location of the six Japanese aircraft carriers, two battleships, assorted escort ships and hundreds of enemy airplanes that had been involved in the attack. “This is going to be a one-way trip,” Ruth later said he thought. But it wasn’t. Seventy-five years later, the

Sikorski JRS-1 amphibian, with its boat hull for the water and big tires for the runway, sits in the Udvar-Hazy Center’s restoration hangar, a venerable witness to the event that helped create modern America. The Pearl Harbor attack, which plunged the United States into World War II, killed an estimated 2,400 Americans, wounded about 1,100, and destroyed ships, planes and facilities. “The fact that [Ruth] got out and got back is . . . absolutely amazing,” Smithsonian museum specialist Pat Robinson said last month. The plane would not have sur-

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Washington Post photo by Jahi Chikwendiu

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Pilot Wesley Hoyt Ruth

vived an encounter with the Japanese fleet, which it did not find, Robinson said in an interview at the center. It was lucky not to have been shot down by jumpy American antiaircraft gunners when it returned to Pearl Harbor, he said. And it was a miracle that it was saved from the postwar scrap heap. “Somewhere . . . someone looking at the log books realized the significance of the airplane, and where it had been,” and alerted the Smithsonian, which retrieved it from military storage, Robinson said. “It’s a huge deal, to have this here,” he said. “It represents American involvement in the Second World War. It was there when it started.”

Indeed,

the airplane has a presence, and the Smithsonian would one day like to restore it. But other historic planes are in line ahead of it. The craft, constructed for the Navy in 1938 at the Sikorsky plant in Stratford, Conn., is big, with the two huge propeller engines built into the wing above the fuselage, a hatch in the nose where a photographer could stand, and porthole-style windows. Inside it, the curators found an old emergency water purification kit and the rusted keys to a lockbox in the radio compartment. The squadron was based on Ford Island, in the middle of Pearl Harbor, where the Navy’s doomed battleships were parked. Ruth, the pilot, who later lived in the Washington area and taught at the Bullis School in Potomac, Mary-

A drinking water kit found on the flying boat

land, was in his bachelor’s quarters on the island the morning of the attack. A seasoned aviator, “he could fly anything,” his son, Thomas A. Ruth II, said recently. A native of tiny De Smet, South Dakota, he was having breakfast when the Japanese planes came roaring in. He thought for a moment that it might be a drill, until he saw them dropping bombs. “Then I knew for sure that we were in for trouble,” he said. He would survive the war, but a younger brother, Thomas, who was

fell in and around his car. As the Japanese attack ended, the Americans wanted to locate the fleet from which the enemy planes had come. Ruth was ordered to go find it. “You take the first plane, the JRS,” he said a senior officer told him. He got into the plane with co-pilot Emery C. “Pappy” Geise, 35, radioman Oscar W. Benenfiel Jr., plane captain Amos P. Gallupe and two other sailors, according to the Smithsonian. Before they left, the senior officer presented them with three old

“This is going to be a one-way trip,” Ruth later said he thought.

also a Navy pilot, was shot down and killed in the South Pacific in 1943. In videotaped accounts he gave over the years, Wes Ruth said he grabbed his coat that morning, jumped into his convertible and sped with the top down for the airstrip. “I drove as fast as I could because . . . I was concerned about getting strafed,” he said. As he neared the runway, the battleship USS Arizona had just blown up about a quarter-mile away. Pellets of gunpowder ejected from the blast began to fall from the sky. “It was snowing powder pellets about as large as my finger,” Ruth said in a talk he gave in 2011. They

Springfield rifles for protection. “We would have to shoot through the windows,” Ruth said. He thought the chances of surviving were zero. The brightly colored plane took off and flew north, looking for the enemy. Hours went by. “Every second in the air was fraught with anxiety, apprehension, [and] anger,” a crewman on another search plane recalled, according to Pearl Harbor historian Craig Nelson. “If ever there was a suicide mission, this was one.” Ruth said he flew just beneath the clouds, so he could duck into the

cloud cover if there was trouble. He flew 250 miles to the north but saw nothing. He turned east for 10 miles, then headed back south 250 miles toward Pearl Harbor. Still nothing. Although the enemy fleet was still lurking north of Pearl Harbor, Ruth and his crew made no contact. But then they had to get back to Ford Island without getting shot down by their comrades. Numerous American planes were mistaken for the enemy and shot at by nervous Americans on the ground, according to historians. Again, Ruth and his men were lucky. They arrived unscathed. Following the attack, the plane was moved to a base in California and later handed over to the forerunner of NASA for testing purposes, Robinson said. After that it went into storage until its importance was noticed and it was given to the Smithsonian.

Ruth

died last year at 101 in Matthews, North Carolina. He was buried in January in Arlington National Cemetery. For his actions at Pearl Harbor, he was given the Navy Cross, the service’s second-highest decoration for heroism. “Although contact with the enemy meant almost certain destruction,” his citation reads, Ruth’s courage, airmanship and skill “were at all times inspiring and in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.” (c) 2016, The Washington Post

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DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

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Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

Trump was an entrepreneur and a businessman. He is already a statesman, he is the head of the United States of America, one of the world’s leading countries. Because he achieved success in business, it suggests that he is a clever man. And if [he is] a clever man, then he will fully and quite quickly understand another level of responsibility. We assume that he will be acting from these positions… We are ready for cooperation with the new American administration. - Vladimir Putin, in a Russian TV interview

On Saturday, the hearse carrying Fidel Castro’s remains broke down and had to be pushed. The hearse was being driven by Cuba’s minister of metaphors.

Meanwhile, Trump announced that the CEO of Disney will be advising his transition team. Thanks to him, Trump won’t have to build a wall anymore. He’ll just charge so much for admission that nobody will want to come in. – Jimmy Fallon

– Conan O’Brien

Congratulations are in order for Dr. Ben Carson. Do you remember him? President-elect Donald Trump picked him to run the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Which is going to be quite a surprise when he finally wakes up. – Jimmy Kimmel

Ben Carson, in case you don’t know, is a former neurosurgeon with no experience in Housing or Urban Development. This is the first time the phrase “Well, it’s not brain surgery” is actually a bad thing.

Once the terrorists of the Middle East are deprived of the land area, the real estate area where they can sleep ... they will wander to other places and they will come here and we have to prepare for that. Remember, these guys, they do not have an iota of what is human rights, believe me. I will not just simply allow my people to be slaughtered for the sake of human rights, that’s [crazy]. - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte

- Ibid.

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At their dinner together, President-elect Donald Trump and Mitt Romney dined on sautéed frog legs. I don’t know about you, but eating frogs’ legs with Donald Trump sounds like someone lost a bet. – Conan O’Brien

Yesterday Donald Trump sat down to dinner with Mitt Romney at the JeanGeorges French restaurant in the Trump International Hotel… If you are wondering what was on the dinner menu, Romney started by eating his words. Then for the main course he swallowed his pride, dignity, and selfesteem. – James Corden

Trump and Romney last night were dining at a four-star French restaurant called Jean-Georges… And they were joined by Reince Priebus, who is Trump’s chief of staff and not, as you may think, an item on the menu. “Would you care to start with some priebus? It has been lightly reince’d.” – Stephen Colbert

Being Jewish was, and has been, a sort of blueprint on how to live one’s life and how to raise your children. If you use that blueprint, chances are pretty good that they are going to do well and be good people… On some mornings, I’ll even walk the block or so to my shul and lay tefillin. - Now-retired Paul Shaffer, thirty year band leader of “The Late Show with David Letterman,” talking about his love for his Jewish faith at the United Jewish Appeal of Greater Toronto fundraising event

ISIS is taking credit for the terrible stabbing attack at Ohio State University by a Somali refugee who should not have been in our country. - Tweet by Donald Trump after the terrorist attack at Ohio State University last week

Our response to this situation matters. If we respond to this situation by casting aspersions on millions of people that adhere to a particular religion or if we increase our suspicion of people who practice a particular religion, we are more likely going to contribute to acts of violence than we are to prevent them. - White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest, after the terrorist attack at Ohio State University last week

Probably in some cave somewhere these al-Qaeda people are like, “What do we have to do to get these Americans to realize when we carry out terrorist attacks? Do we need to wear badges? Should we wear al-Qaeda t-shirts?” - Mark Steyn, commenting on the government’s hesitancy to call the Ohio State terrorist attack radical Islamic terrorism

The other big news is that Trump appointed Ben Carson as his secretary of Housing and Urban Development. That means Trump talked with Ben Carson and Al Gore on the same day, which is kind of like popping an Ambien before you watch the Weather Channel. – Jimmy Fallon

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Donald Trump is considering Sarah Palin to be his Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Palin says she’s great at helping veterans. John McCain was like, “Wrong.”

The United States foreign policy in the Middle East is governed by what is good or bad through a country of 7 million people. A region of 350 million all turns on a country of 7 million. Does that make sense? Is that logic? Right? When the Americans, who trace their roots back to those 350 million, get involved everything changes. Can I say that again?

– Jimmy Fallon

– Anti-Israel comments by Congressman Keith Ellison, who is the frontrunner to take over as Chairman of the Democrat National Committee, recently unearthed from a private speech he gave in 2010

In fairness, we Trump supporters don’t want to be sore winners, so we ought to set a time limit on our gloating. I propose three years. .- Ann Coulter

A Swiss company just released a new $250 drone that’s actually attached to a rope that you hold in your hand. They say it helps to control the drone. It’s great for first-time users — basically, it’s a really expensive kite.

If you go back to his positions, his papers, his speeches, the way he has voted, he is clearly an anti-Semite and anti-Israel individual. Words matter and actions matter more. Keith Ellison would be a disaster for the relationship between the Jewish community and the Democratic Party. - Prominent Democratic donor Chaim Saban, who gave millions to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, talking about Ellison at the Brooking Institution’s Saban Forum

If I do this it means his plane landed; if I do this it means his plane crashed. – A CNN producer overheard on a hot-mic preparing a reporter to report on Trump’s landing in Indiana

– Jimmy Fallon

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It’s a little mystifying to me that President Obama can reach out to a murdering dictator in Cuba in the last year and be hailed as a hero for doing it and President-elect Donald Trump takes a courtesy call from a democratically elected leader in Taiwan and it’s become something of a controversy. – Vice President-elect Mike Pence on ABC’s “This Week,” defending Trump’s call with the president of Taiwan, China’s nemesis

Well, I don’t think people want a new direction. It’s been reported that President-elect Trump has chosen four-star Gen. James Mattis for secretary of defense. When Trump was told the general had four stars, he said, “Wow, that’s a great Yelp review.” – Conan O’Brien

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– House Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi, who was just reelected to that post by her Democrat colleagues, when asked on “Face the Nation” what her party will do differently after their Election Day shellacking

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Political Crossfire

After a Mere 25 Years, the Triumph of the West is Over The end of a Cold War, President Ronald Reagan and Russia’s Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987

By Charles Krauthammer

wenty-five years ago – December 1991 – communism died, the Cold War ended and the Soviet Union disappeared. It was the largest breakup of an empire in modern history and not a shot was fired. It was an event of biblical proportions that my generation thought it would never live to see. As Wordsworth famously rhapsodized (about the French Revolution), “Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive/ But to be young was very heaven!” That dawn marked the ultimate triumph of the liberal democratic idea. It promised an era of Western dominance led by a pre-eminent America, the world’s last remaining superpower. And so it was for a decade as the community of democracies expanded, first into Eastern Europe and former Soviet colonies. The U.S. was so dominant that when, on Dec. 31, 1999, it gave up one of the most prized geostrategic assets on the globe – the Panama Canal – no one even noticed. That era is over. The autocracies are back and rising; democracy is on the defensive; the U.S. is in retreat. Look no further than Aleppo. A Western-backed

resistance to a local tyrant -he is backed by a resurgent Russia, an expanding Iran and an array of proxy Shiite militias – is on the brink of annihilation. Russia drops bombs; America issues statements. What better symbol for the end of that heady liberal-democratic historical moment. The West is turn-

dissolved, as our secretary of state repeatedly goes cap in hand to Russia to beg for mercy in Syria. The European Union, the largest democratic club on earth, could itself soon break up as Brexit-like movements spread through the continent. At the same time, its members dash with unseemly haste to reopen

States. The West’s retreat began with Obama, who reacted to (perceived) post-9/11 overreach by abandoning Iraq, offering appeasement (“reset”) to Russia and accommodating Iran. In 2009, he refused even rhetorical support to the popular revolt against the rule of the ayatollahs.

Russia drops bombs; America issues statements.

ing inward and going home, leaving the field to the rising authoritarians – Russia, China and Iran. In France, the conservative party’s newly nominated presidential contender is fashionably conservative and populist and soft on Vladimir Putin. As are several of the newer Eastern Europe democracies – Hungary, Bulgaria, even Poland – themselves showing authoritarian tendencies. And even as Europe tires of the sanctions imposed on Russia for its rape of Ukraine, President Obama’s much touted “isolation” of Russia has ignominiously

economic ties with a tyrannical and aggressive Iran. As for China, the other great challenger to the postCold War order, the administration’s “pivot” has turned into an abject failure. The Philippines has openly defected to the Chinese side. Malaysia then followed. And the rest of our Asian allies are beginning to hedge their bets. When the president of China addressed the Pacific Rim countries in Peru last month, he suggested that China was prepared to pick up the pieces of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, now abandoned by both political parties in the United

Donald Trump wants to continue the pullback, though for entirely different reasons. Obama ordered retreat because he’s always felt the U.S. was not good enough for the world, too flawed to have earned the moral right to be the world hegemon. Trump would follow suit, disdaining allies and avoiding conflict, because the world is not good enough for us – undeserving, ungrateful, parasitic foreigners living safely under our protection and off our sacrifices. Time to look after our own American interests. Trump’s is not a new ar-

gument. As the Cold War was ending in 1990, Jeane Kirkpatrick, the quintessential neoconservative, argued that we should now become “a normal country in a normal time.” It was time to give up the 20th-century burden of maintaining world order and of making superhuman exertions on behalf of universal values. Two generations of fighting fascism and communism were quite enough. Had we not earned a restful retirement? At the time, I argued that we had earned it indeed, but a cruel history would not allow us to enjoy it. Repose presupposes a fantasy world in which stability is self-sustaining without the United States. It is not. We would incur not respite but chaos. A quarter-century later, we face the same temptation, but this time under more challenging circumstances. Worldwide jihadism has been added to the fight, and we enjoy nothing like the dominance we exercised over conventional adversaries during our 1990s holiday from history. We may choose repose, but we won’t get it. (c) 2016, The Washington Post Writers Group

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Political Crossfire

Trump’s Taiwan Call Wasn’t a Blunder. It was Brilliant By Marc A. Thiessen

elax. Breathe. Donald Trump’s phone call with the president of Taiwan wasn’t a blunder by an inexperienced president-elect unschooled in the niceties of cross-straits diplomacy. It was a deliberate move – and a brilliant one at that. The phone call with President Tsai Ing-wen was reportedly carefully planned, and Trump was fully briefed before the call, according to The Washington Post. It’s not that Trump was unfamiliar with the “Three Communiques” or unaware of the fiction that there is “One China.” Trump knew precisely what he was doing in taking the call. He was serving notice on Beijing that it is dealing with a different kind of president – an outsider who will not be encumbered by the same Lilliputian diplomatic threads that tied down previous administrations. The message, as John Bolton correctly put it,

was that “the president of the United States [will] talk to whomever he wants if he thinks it’s in the interest of the United States, and nobody in Beijing gets to dictate who we talk to.” Amen to that. And if that message was lost on Beijing, Trump underscored it on Sunday, tweeting: “Did China ask us if it was OK to devalue their currency (making it hard for our companies to compete), heavily tax our products going into their country (the U.S. doesn’t tax them) or to build a massive military complex in the middle of the South China Sea? I don’t think so!” He does not need Beijing’s permission to speak to anyone. No more kowtowing in a Trump administration. Trump promised during the campaign that he would take a tougher stand with China, and supporting Taiwan has always been part of his get-tough approach to Beijing. As far

back as 2011, Trump tweeted: “Why is @BarackObama delaying the sale of F-16 aircraft to Taiwan? Wrong message to send to China. #TimeToGetTough.” Indeed, the very idea that Trump could not speak to Taiwan’s president because it would anger Beijing is precisely the kind of weakkneed subservience that Trump promised to eliminate as president. Trump’s call with the Taiwanese president sent a message not only to Beijing, but also to the stripedpants foreign-policy establishment in Washington. It is telling how so many in that establishment immediately assumed Trump had committed an unintended gaffe. “Bottomless pig-ignorance” is how one liberal foreign-policy commentator described Trump’s decision to speak with Tsai. Trump just shocked the world by winning the presidential election, yet they still underestimate him. The irony is that the hyperventilation in Washington has far outpaced the

measured response from Beijing. When American foreign-policy elites are more upset than China, perhaps it’s time for some introspection. The hypocrisy is rank. When President Obama broke with decades of U.S. policy and extended diplomatic recognition to a murderous dictatorship in Cuba, the foreign-policy establishment swooned. Democrats on Capitol Hill praised Obama for taking action that was “long overdue.” Former President Jimmy Carter raved about how Obama had “shown such wisdom,” while the New York Times gushed that Obama was acting “courageously” and “ushering in a transformational era for millions of Cubans who have suffered as a result of more than 50 years of hostility between the two nations.” But when Trump broke with decades of U.S. diplomatic practice and had a phone call with the democratically elected leader of Taiwan, he

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

was declared a buffoon. Well, if they didn’t like that phone call, his critics may hate what could come next even more. Trump now has an opportunity to do with Taiwan what Obama did with Cuba – normalize relations. There are a number of steps the Trump administration can take to strengthen our military, economic and diplomatic ties with Taiwan. My American Enterprise Institute colleague Derek Scissors has suggested that Trump could negotiate a new free-trade agreement with Taiwan. “Taiwan’s tiny population means there is no jobs threat,” Scissors says, but Taiwan is also the United States’ ninth-largest trading partner. A free-trade agreement would be economically beneficial to both sides and would send a message to friend and foe alike in Asia that, despite Trump’s planned withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the United States is not withdrawing from the region. On the military front, Trump

could begin sending general officers to Taipei once again to coordinate with their Taiwanese counterparts and hold joint military exercises. On the diplomatic front, Bolton says the new administration could start “re-

senior U.S. officials to visit Taiwan to transact government business; and ultimately restoring full diplomatic recognition.” Beijing would be wise not to overreact to any overtures Trump

Trump’s call with the Taiwanese president sent a message not only to Beijing, but also to the striped-pants foreign-policy establishment in Washington.

ceiving Taiwanese diplomats officially at the State Department; upgrading the status of U.S. representation in Taipei from a private ‘institute’ to an official diplomatic mission; inviting Taiwan’s president to travel officially to America; allowing the most

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makes to Taiwan. When China tested President George W. Bush in his first months in office by scrambling fighters and forcing a U.S. EP-3 aircraft to land on the Chinese island of Hainan, its actions backfired. After the incident, Bush approved a $30

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billion arms package for Taiwan, announced that Taiwan would be treated as a major non-NATO ally and declared that the United States would do “whatever it took” to defend Taiwan. His actions not only strengthened U.S. ties with Taiwan but also set the stage for good relations with Beijing throughout his presidency. China does not want to make the same mistake and overplay its hand with Trump. Trump’s call with Taiwan’s president was a smart, calculated move designed to send a clear message: The days of pushing the United States around are over. That may horrify official Washington, but it’s the right message to send. © The Washington Post

Thiessen, a fellow with the American Enterprise Institute and former chief speechwriter to President George W. Bush, writes a weekly online column for The Post.

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Good Hum r

The Laws of Cholent By Jon Kranz

he Jews may be the “Chosen People,” but we also are the “Cholent People.” Technical-

ly, Jews are not required to eat cholent, but many do so religiously. In fact, when synagogues give bar- and

bat-mitzvah gifts, they really should just hand each kid a pound of meat, a sack of potatoes and a crockpot. Cholent—like your proudly overweight Uncle Stewart—can best be described as “meaty stew.” It falls somewhere between goulash and chili, and usually has an aroma and a flavor that are inversely proportional to its appearance. In fact, some of the best cholent I’ve ever had looked like someone threw up in a bowl. Then again, some of the worst cholent I’ve ever had pretty much tasted like someone threw up in a bowl. The history of cholent remains a bit of a mystery. Some scholars believe that the Yiddish word “cholent” derives from the French words “chaud” (hot) and “lent” (slow). By the way, “hot-slow” sounds more like a lava flow, but that does conjure up pleasant visions of a cholent-filled volcano erupting. Oh, what a delicious disaster that would be! Other scholars contend that cholent was created by a sect of Jews known as the Pharisees (515 B.C.E—70 C.E.) who believed that it is permissible to eat hot food on Shabbat if such food began cooking beforehand. A competing Jewish sect, known as the Sadducees, refused to eat cholent or any hot food on Shabbat, which explains why that sect’s name began with the word “sad.”

Anyway, imagine if eating cholent was actually a specific positive commandment, “Thou shalt eat cholent,” or a negative one, “Thou shalt not not eat cholent.” (As an aside: Would a double negative be considered a positive or negative mitzvah? Discuss.) Anyway, wouldn’t it be fun to imagine what a theoretical cholent mitzvah would look like and how the rabbis would deal with it? In this halachic hypothetical, let’s assume that the fourth commandment was modified as follows: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy... and on this day, also remember to eat cholent.” Of course, the term “cholent” is not defined, so let’s further imagine that the Talmud, within a make-believe Mishnah, tells us that since the mitzvah of cholent is found in the fourth commandment, cholent must include four ingredients: meat, potatoes, barley and beans. (Cholent typically begins with this quartet but many people like to add a secret ingredient or two. If the cholent is a hit, the same people proprietarily refuse to divulge the secret, instead claiming that “it must be the pot.” Yeah, right. Whatever.) Now, for further explanation on the laws of cholent, let’s dig a little deeper into rabbinic commentary, Gemara-style. Rabbi Spud Fingerling asks: What is the proper potato-to-meat

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

reason, putting cholent on a hotdog is not. (Conversely, adding hotdog pieces to a bowl of chili is unusual, but a chili dog is not. Go figure.) Rabbi Multy Grayne, a/k/a the

ratio? Answer: Enough potatoes so that nobody will notice that you cheaply skimped on the meat. Rabbi Lima ben Chickpea, a/k/a the Beanbam, cautions: Don’t judge a cholent by its pot. The Beanbam also notes that cooking cholent is like having a blowout argument with your spouse: Let both simmer overnight for 12 hours and then, in the morning, come down to the kitchen and tell them how great they look and smell. Rabbi Pinto ben Kidney, a/k/a the Rambean, states that in terms of fulfilling the mitzvah of cholent, anyone who eats cholent on Shabbat is yotzei (in compliance) but anyone who is offered vegan cholent made with only pumpkins and prunes is “justzei”... as in “Just say no!” Rabbi Postramy Salamiveitchik, a/k/a the Salambam, offers the following (sau)sage advice: Cutting up hotdogs and putting them into cholent is commonplace but, for some

Rav Beerbaum then provides the golden rule of cholent: “What is distasteful to you, do not serve to your guest. That is the whole of the cholent, all the rest is commentary.”

Abar(ley)banel, commented that a tasty cholent can help the unmarried find their bashert (soulmate). So if you’re single and about to mingle, bring a pot of cholent with you on your first date. That certainly will

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leave a lasting impression (one way or another). Rabbi Eaton N. Standon notes that cholent need not be served formally at the table. You may leave it on

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the kitchen counter and let your vulturous family members and guests have at it. The meal usually is over when the cholent runs out, so for less desirable company, make less cholent.

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Finally, Rav Brew Beerbaum asks: May beer be added to cholent? Answer: Only if the beer is potato-based, like Spud Light or Yam Adams. Rav Beerbaum then provides the golden rule of cholent: “What is distasteful to you, do not serve to your guest. That is the whole of the cholent, all the rest is commentary; now go and eat.” (Babaloney Talmud, Kishke, 31a.) Bottom line: A passion, yearning or even healthy obsession for cholent is perfectly fine. But, if you go to a coffee shop and order a nondairy Salted Caramel Mocha Cholent-ccino, then you probably need a cholevention (cholent intervention), led, of course, by your uncle, Meaty Stew.

Jon Kranz is an attorney living in Englewood, New Jersey. Send any comments, questions or insults to jkranz285@ gmail.com.

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DECEMBER 8, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Forgotten Her es

The Brave Men of the Marine Raiders By Avi Heiligman

Lt. Col. Evans F. Carlson receiving a medal

ight after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor everyone in the American military and government tried to think of ways to strike back. One idea that President Franklin Roosevelt liked a lot was the creation of a quick strike commando unit that could attack in large numbers and put a dent in the Japanese war machine. Britain had commandos that were good at this lightning-style of attack, and the Americans took notice and created several units. Within the army there were several such units including the Rangers and the Marauders which penetrated deep into Japan-held Burma. The Marines created their own Special Forces unit that got its start before any of the other units. The Marine Raiders had a short but very colorful history during the war, and recently another unit was started with the same name. The lyrics to the Marines’ hymn were written in 1942, around the same time that the Raiders were being formed. One of the lines reads, “We fight our country’s battles; in the air, on land, and sea.” Marine fighter squadrons had been deployed

Carlson on the USS Nautilus

in the Pacific and just a year earlier provisional rubber boat companies had been trained in the 7 th Marine Regiment. These companies gave way to the Raider battalions in 1942. In all, there were four Raider battalions. Spit and polish Lt. Col. Merritt “Red Mike” Edson took command of the 1st Battalion, and his exact opposite, Lt. Col. Evans Carlson, was the commander of the 2nd Battalion. Carlson had served in China with FDR’s son, James, and modeled the Raiders off of successful Chinese army units. Seeing that the divide between officers and enlisted men created nothing but friction, he instilled a more relaxed attitude among his men during training. Gung-ho was a Chinese phrase meaning to work together and soon Carlson introduced it to the Marines. Edson instilled the standard Marine regulations of order for his Raider battalion. Late in 1942, the 3rd Raider Battalion was formed under the command of Lt. Col. Harry Liversedge. Lt. Col. James Roosevelt commanded the 4th Raider Battalion. In early 1943 the battalions were put under one command and

During the Makin Island Raid

led by Liversedge with Carlson as his executive officer. The men were handpicked and were asked for their reasons for joining the elite group. In the short time that they were active, the Raiders were kept busy with actions that are still studied today. On August 7, 1942, regular Marine units invaded the strategic Solomon Island base of Guadalcanal. At the same time the 1st Raider Battalion, also called Edson’s Raiders, attacked the Japanese-held Island of Tulagi as a diversionary raid. Edson’s Raiders landed on the important Japanese island in Higgins landing boats – an upgrade from rubber boats – and ran into heavy enemy resistance only when they had cleared the beach. That night the Japanese launched a suicidal banzai attack and soon most organized resistance on the island ceased. Almost all the Japanese had been killed but the Raiders had suffered 38 KIA (killed in action) of their own. The commander of the Marine Corps, General Alexander Vandegrift, was impressed by this action and said, “Edson is one of the finest troop leaders I ever saw.”

Carlson’s Raiders, the 2nd Battalion, were soon to see action themselves on another small island group. Makin Atoll in the Gilbert Islands was the home to a Japanese seaplane base. 211 Raiders crammed into two submarines, the USS Nautilus and the USS Argonaut, and in the middle of the night of August 16-17 they rowed to shore in rubber boats. While the Raiders were advancing on the unsuspecting Japanese soldiers, a Raider accidently discharged his gun and the surprise was lost. Two banzai charges and several chance encounters with the enemy wiped out most of the Japanese garrison. However, neither side knew what the enemy was up against. A dozen Japanese seaplanes tried to land on Makin and were surprised to be met with gunfire. Carlson, on the other hand, suffered several casualties and after a failed attempt to reach the waiting submarines went into survival mode. Finally, on the morning of August 18, the Raiders were able to board their ride back to base. Unfortunately, nine Raiders were unaccounted for and were left behind. They were ex-

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

ecuted by Japanese forces reoccupying the island, and after the war the Japanese commander was executed for war crimes. 19 other Raiders were killed but the Raiders inflicted more than twice that number of casualties on the Japanese. While strategically not very useful, the raid did boost both the morale of the troops and the folks at home. In the long run, the Makin Raid diverted Japanese troops that were to be sent to fight on Guadalcanal. With the loss of four heavy cruisers at the Battle of Savo Island, the Marines were themselves unable to get reinforcements. This left the Marines currently on the island to fend off the Japanese with weakened battalions and meager provisions. Edson’s Raiders was one of the battalions already on Guadalcanal, and they soon discovered that the Japanese had landed troops at the village of Tasimboko. Against higher orders, Edson attacked and after heavy resistance pulled into the village to discover a huge stockpile of weapons, ammunition, food and gear. A lot of intelligence was gathered and much of the Japanese stronghold was destroyed, including a radio station. From the intelligence that they had picked up in Tasimboko, Edson realized that they could soon be up against 3,000 Japanese soldiers. Based on his experience in foreign areas like China, Edson decided to reinforce a ridge with his Raiders and two companies of paratroopers (paramarines were another Special Forces unit that only was around during WWII). This ridge needed to be held if the Americans were to keep the strategic Henderson Field to land planes. In what became known as Edson’s Ridge or Bloody Ridge,

the 800 Marines held off over three times their number in sustained attacks. Throughout the night the Japanese sent wave after wave of coordinated attack against the Marines. Several times it appeared that the Raiders could not hold the position and the line had to be reorganized. But by the next morning over 700 Japanese had been killed with many of the survivors wounded. The Marines suffered 59 dead but most importantly held the key position over Henderson Field. Edson received the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Ridge. Carlson’s Raiders participated in another Guadalcanal operation that is remembered today as the Long Patrol. They carried rations for four days as they went after a regiment and the plan was to attack the Japanese from the rear. From November 6 to December 4, they went after the Japanese in one of the longest raids behind enemy lines of the war. On November 11 they ran into a large formation of Japanese which turned into a pitched battle. Later in the day a column of Japanese had been caught crossing a river and a company of Raiders easily took them out. Supplies had to be airdropped as the mission continued until the Japanese left the area and the Raiders returned to American lines. One of the platoon leaders described the conditions: “Enduring the living conditions was worse than the combat. My platoon went in with 30 men, one corpsman and one officer. When we came out we had one officer, one corpsman, and 18 enlisted, all of whom had malaria, worms, diarrhea, jungle rot and high morale.” Hundreds of Japanese soldiers had been killed and the rest were demoralized with most of their

equipment and food lost. During 1943 the Raiders were involved in several actions including the invasions of New Georgia and Bougainville. After several reorganizations, the Marines were disbanded entirely in early 1944 and the Raiders were sent to form regular marine units. In all, over 8,000 men served as Raiders with seven being awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. In 2014 the Marines that had been using the name Raiders since

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2006 were officially activated under the name Marine Raider Regiment. The actions of the men during WWII still resonate within the Marine community and are part of the lore that exist today.

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

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Israel Today

On the Street Where We Live By Rafi Sackville

n a recent Motzei Shabbat we heard a cacophony of excitement coming from down the street. Curious, we walked outside to discover the street’s main water pipe had burst. Most of our neighbors were watching the water shoot into the air and cascade down the steps to the street below. What an interesting group of people, I thought. I see them every day, speak to most of them, and, without becoming the main focus of my life, these people leave an imprint that is not easily dismissed. Small, oftentimes unseen, moments (the sounds and smells) help you foster your own sense of Israel. Rehov Livneh, Ma’a lot, is a street like any other; among us are immigrants, the old, the newborn, the aged, the young. Seven days a week I walk its length more than once. Yaakov, who lives on the corner, once owned huge German Shepherd that would corral me as playfully as a sheep dog. It surprisingly mated with the smallest dog in the neighborhood and gave birth to an even smaller mutt. I suddenly went from being corralled to threatened, which led Yaakov to lock both mother and mutt behind his back fence, from where she would sometimes escape. Matters came to a head when I was truly threatened by both dogs. Instead of backing off I ran towards the larger dog as fast and as noisily as I could. She didn’t jump at me. She scampered to her house with her mutt chasing her tail. As soon as both were safely behind the gate I closed it. Yaakov, who had seen this as he sat in his garden, asked if I was nor-

mal. “Watch your dogs!” I pleasantly warned him. Before walking away I placed my hand on his shoulder and whispered that I sometimes go crazy around wildlife. “Please help me keep your dogs safe,” I implored him. He sold both of them. One woman I have never spoken to is the old lady who lives opposite Yaakov. Maybe this is because she is hard of hearing. She’s a French speaker, and her television is always broadcasting French programs at a ludicrously high volume. Yaakov’s side fence looks out over Michael’s beautiful ranch villa. He’s in his fifties, has never married and owns a sports goods store in town. He gave me a fair discount on a pair of walking shoes. I’ve already walked over 400 miles in them. Zion loves barbecuing. We get along fine, more so after the discovery that we are only a few months apart in age. His family came to Israel from Morocco before he was born and named him after their dream of Aliyah became a reality. Directly opposite Zion is Kobi, a mechanic who drives a huge flat-bed truck. He’s built his own working garage, which comes equipped with a forklift. In his spare time he works on the all-terrain vehicle he occasionally takes out. When he drives out of the street he drowns out the French broadcasts. It’s from this point, however, that the street becomes a little mysterious. Mr. B, as I know him, is always courteous to a fault, yet no matter how often I try to engage him in conversation I fail. The most I have gotten from him is “Shalom” or, on the Mazal Tov I directed his way af-

ter the birth of his latest grandchild, “Todah.” He has a thick, long mane of white hair that bobs up and down as he takes his daily constitutional. I decided long ago that my natural predilection for engaging people in conversation doesn’t have to extend to Mr. B. I like the fact that he is so mysterious. Two doors away from me Dudu renovated the house he bought from the father of one of my students. I asked the father, who has since moved to Nahariya, why they were leaving. “Ma’alot is a place to live, not a place to live life,” he replied. I’m still puzzled as I have yet to figure out what Nahariya has to offer. Not long ago my next door neighbor Miki posted a sign outside his gate. He has been teaching martial arts for 30 years. In the space of a week our afternoons and evenings went from quiet to what now sounds like a constant street fight. Miki repeatedly bellows deep throated commands that sound like “kiesh” and “ikun,” commands that grate through me as easily as carrots in a vegetable grater. In his spare time Miki plays the piano, sax and drums. The neighbor on the other side is a young man who lives by himself. His brother oftentimes comes to stay. He drives a FedEx van, which I find ironic: while we were living in New York it was a constant reminder of our online purchases. In the three and half years we’ve lived here we’ve used their services once. Our house is situated at the end of the street at the highest point. Its dead end is relatively safe for kids on bikes. Dudu’s and Miki’s little children drag their plastic tricycles up to

The view from our home

our garden path and wheel their way down in a chorus of happy squeals. Our lawyer Dovi lives diagonally opposite us. He only just told me he intends to build another unit next door. Should make for some noisy days. As I sit here writing Miki is screaming karate commands to a bunch of little kids and the surveyors are measuring Dovi’s property. The only one on the street that has an unblocked view of every house is Rabbi Yagoda. Friendly and approachable, the rabbi serves as rav of our shul as well as being the Av Beit Din of the Haifa rabbinical court. When he built his house he covered his roof with over 30 glass koltim. The idea is that any extra energy generated by them is “sold” back to the electric company. I usually walk home with the rabbi after shul at night. He declined to survey the damage the burst water main had caused in the street, but most every other house had a representative (mainly kids) watching the repairs. And when it was fixed and the water supply to our homes had been restored, we went back to our daily lives. Rehov Livneh. Just a typical street in Israel that has become part of the fabric of our daily lives. Rafi Sackville, formerly of Cedarhurst, teaches in Ort Maalot in Western Galil.

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Classifieds SERVICES

SERVICES

Alternative Solutions Geriatric Care Management staff will assist you with: * Obtaining Medicaid and Pooled Income Trust * In-home Assessments, Individual and Family Counseling * Securing reliable home care assistance * Case and Care Management services Dr. S. Sasson, DSW, LCSW (718) 544- 0870 or (646) 284-6242

FINANCIAL SERVICES -Will ever be able to retire? -How do I begin saving for my family’s future? -What are long-term care expenses expenses and how do I protect myself? -If something were to happen to me or my spouse, will my family be taken care of? -How can I earn more income? Call your financial agent Chaim Friedman for personal, professional and friendly service (323) 868-8484. Located in Lawrence Specializing in all types of life insurance, including long term care, disability, and private pension plans. ~ Looking for qualified agents ~ ~ No experience necessary ~

The Children’s Clothing Gemach in Cedarhurst is fully stocked for boys/girls in sizes newborn-teen. To make an appointment please call/text 516-712-7735 Struggling with Shalom Bayis? The Shalom Bayis Hotline 732-523-1112. Caring rabbanim answering your questions for free. So far very positive results BS’D! Yoga & Licensed Massage Therapy Peaceful Presence Studio 436 Central Avenue, Cedarhurst Separate men/women Group/private sessions Gift Cards Available www. Peacefulpresence.com 516 -371 -3715 HAIR COURSE Learn how to wash & style hair & wigs Hair and wig cutting, wedding styling Private lessons or in a group Call Chaya 718-715-9009 The New revitalized Gan Katan is back and better than ever. Two year old program with extended hours available. Fully licensed, well trained staff, and a warm and loving environment. For more information text Timema Diamond at 5167322949. NEW AND EXCITING UNIVERSAL PRE-K under the loving heimish guidance of Morah Fran from Gan Ami. Now taking applications for September 2016. Reasonably priced, great central location, and extended hours available. For more information contact Fran Diamond directly at 5164266925

Reach Your Target Market

Classifieds

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

HOUSES FOR SALE WOODMERE: PRICE REDUCED All Redone 3BR, 2 New Bath Open Concept Ranch, Custom Kitchen, New Plumbing & Heating, Anderson Windows & Central Air, Low Taxes, Close To All…$599K Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com WOODMERE: Magnificent Maintained 3BR Ranch In SD#15, Eik, Formal DR, Lot Size 80 x 100, Hw Floors, Large Deck & Backyard, Fenced In Property…$649K Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com

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

COMMERCIAL RE INWOOD The Bayview Building Many options available including 5000 Square foot high ceiling 1st floor showroom/ office / mixed use space. 2nd Floor office spaces with Waterview and views of NYC skyline. 1200 sq ft, 2000 sq ft and 6000 sq ft spaces available. Parking, Mincha minyan and great neighbors. Owner will customize and design space to your needs. Call or text 516-567-0100 HEWLETT: 1,000 +/- SF Medical Suite with Ample On-Site Parking, 3 Exam Rooms, Reception Area, Waiting Room, Consult Room, Great for Any Professional Use, Near LIRR Station, Convenient To All, For Lease... Call for More Details Broker (516) 792-6698

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

LAWRENCE: Spacious 4BR On One Level, 2.5 Bath Splanch, Private Setting, Waterviews, Fin Basement, Close To All…$925K Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com LAWRENCE: Gracious & Spacious 9BR, 5 Bath CH Colonial, Huge Eik, Formal Dr, Den, Fin Basement, Set On 1/2 Acre, Prime Location...$1.279M Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com NORTH WOODMERE: NEW LISTING Prime Location, Beautiful Renovated 4BR, 2.5BA Split level, Wide FDR, Den, Backyard W/Hot Tub, New Roof , Windows, Too Much To List!!!…$849K Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com

ut Check oW our NE ! website

355 Central Avenue, Lawrence NY 11559 (Across the street from Seasons)

P: 516.791.6100 | F: 516.374.7059 www.WeissmanRealty.com

CEDARHURST

LAWRENCE

For Salet or Ren

For Rent Whole house fully renovated, 3 Bdrm, 2.5 Bth, w/ oversized kosher kitchen, Fin. bsmnt, Laundry, Central A.C., Hrd wood rs, Avail. Imm. $3,100/m Call Sherri 516-297-7995

Steps f/ the beach. Brand new fully renovated, 6 Bdrm, 3 Bth, Stainless Steel Kitchen. Open layout 1st w/ oﬃce & storage rm, laundry on 2nd r. For rent $4,000/m Sale $799K

High-end home design center in Cedarhurst looking to sublet space to related businesses. Architects, renderers, space planners, window treatments and ooring businesses welcome. Call Sherri for more information. 516-297-7995.

FAR ROCKAWAY APARTMENTS

Apt. available, Fully renovated, Rent starting at $1,300/m

FAR ROCKAWAY APARTMENT RENTALS Cedarhurst oﬃce for lease

2 or 3 room avail. 2nd r walk up on Central Ave. Call Sherri for details 516-297-7995

Far Rockaway oﬃce for lease

Cornaga location, 3 to 4 oﬃces, plus bthrm. Good for doctor, dentist or business. $1900 Call Sherri 516-297-7995

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Classifieds classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com / text 443-929-4003 COMMERCIAL RE

COMMERCIAL RE

CEDARHURST: Various Office Suites & Retail Spaces Available, Great Location in the Heart of Cedarhurst, Convenient To All, For Lease... Call TODAY!!! (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com

SPECIAL “LIMITED” OPPORTUNITY TO WELCOME OUR NEWEST ADDITION/LOCATION AT 487R CENTRAL AVENUE, CEDARHURST, NY 11516.

VALLEY STREAM : Various Sized Retail Spaces in Emerson Plaza, Up to 1,800+/-SF, Plenty of Parking, For Lease… Call Lori for More Details (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com

ROCKVILLE CENTRE: OWNER MOTIVATED!!! 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 : Various Sized Retail Spaces in Emerson Plaza, Up to 1,800+/-SF, Plenty of Parking, For Lease…Call Lori for More Details (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com WOODMERE: 1,300 SF Over 1,300SF + Basement, Free Standing Medical/Office Bldg, Private Parking + Municipal Parking Lot, Great Location, For Sale …Call Ian for More Details (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com

Call/text now for complimentary market analysis of your residential or commercial property. 516-655-3636 Cheryl “Chedva” Slansky, MBA Licensed Associate RE Broker, RealtyConnect USA The #1 Real Estate Office 2015 FY by LIBN 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 LYNBROOK: 1,500 +/- SF & Up to 3,000SF Professional Suites Available, On-Site Parking, Can Be Built to Suit, For Lease…Call for More Details Broker (516) 792-6698

In the Heart of Jerusalem!! New! For sale, fabulous boutique building with 3 huge apartments available now, on quiet cul-de-sac in classic Jerusalem. Walking distance to the Kotel, Great Synagogue, parks. Garden apt. and massive penthouse available. High ceilings, sukkah porches, smart home, central AC, sub-floor heating, ultraluxe finishes. Specially priced for the holidays!! Phone: +972.523.477.428

www.usha3.com

Reach Your Target Market

Classifieds

CO-OP FOR SALE FAR ROCKAWAY 833 Central ,1st floor, balcony, doorman Completely renovated, near LIRR 2BR/2 full bath, 2 DW/sinks, wood cabinets, granite counters $389 917-572-9644 FAR ROCKAWAY 833 Central Avenue 1st floor, balcony, doorman. Completely renovated, near LIRR 2BR/2 full bath, 2 DW/sinks, wood cabinets, granite counters $369 Call 917-572-9644 WOODMERE: PRICE REDUCED Sunny & Spacious 2 Bedroom Apt On 1st Floor, Eik, Close To All...$274.5K Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com

APT FOR SALE TO RENT: SMALL OFFICE SUITE with private bathroom in Far Rockaway on Beach 9 St. Newly renovated. Private entrance. Call 516-551-4888 for information

STUDIO APARTMENT FOR RENT in Far Rockaway on Beach 9 St. Newly renovated. Private entrance. Call 516-551-4888 for information

Large One Bedroom Apt. in Lawrence Close to train, underground parking, spacious living room/dining area. Motivated seller $118,000. Call 917-299-8082

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

Lovely 2BR Co-op, Elev, Lg 4BR,3.5BA Col, MBR Pets Ok, Near All..$165K Suite,Basement..$5,900/mo

2BR, 1st Flr Apt, Yard & Basement..$2,100/mo

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All Redone 3BR Ranch, Low Taxes.. $599K

5BR, 4.5BA Split, Eik, Spacious 4BR,2.5BA Splanch, Newly Renovated 3BR,2.5BA Colonial In Prime Loct, FDR, Den, SD#14..$879K Eik, Bsmt, Near All..$925K Gourmet Eik, Full Basement, Low Taxes...$799K

Susan Pugatch

Carol Braunstein

(516)

Call or Text

(516) 592-2206

cbraunstein@pugatch.com

295-3000

www.pugatch.com

spugatch@pugatch.com

CEDARHURST: 370 Clinton Ave (1:30-3)$799K HEWL HARBOR: 255 Bayberry Dr (12-1:30)$879K WOODMERE: 5 5 9 D e r b y Av e ( 1 2 - 2 ) $649K WOODMERE: 835 Jefferson St (12-1:30)$599K

 Up to 6,600 +/- SF Office Space  On-Site & Street Parking  Great Location, Near All

 2,200 +/- SF W/ Full Basement  Former Gym Use  High Visibility Location

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Classifieds classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com / text 443-929-4003 APT FOR RENT

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

Mazel Tov! Due to simchos, Torah Academy for Girls in Far Rockaway is seeking qualified experienced moros for our Limudei Kodesh Departments for 5th grade and junior high level. Assistants needed for Elementary school Limudei Chol department. Please email to mweitman@tagschools.org or call 718-471-8444 ext. 214.

NORTH WOODMERE: HOUSE RENTAL – Move Right In, 5BR, 3 Full Baths, Granite Countertops in Kitchen W/2 Sinks, Lg Den W/Fplc, Master Bedroom, Central Air, 2 Tier Decks...$3,995/mo (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com

HELP WANTED Occupational Therapy Center in Boro Park for children with learning disabilities is seeking to hire full time or part time occupational therapists and assistant occupational therapists. Please send resumes to avilevin22@ gmail.com or call (347)725-5574 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.

New Horizon Counseling Center is seeking a HUMAN RESOURCE SPECIALIST with 5 years experience. Highly organized and thrives in a fast paced environment. Send resume to careers@nhcc.us TELECOM TECHNICIAN Full time position available for a Telecom Technician /Installer for a growing phone service provider. Good Pay, Willing to train. Please email your information to readyvoicedata@yahoo.com or call 718-471-8604

HELP WANTED

THERAPISTS IMMEDIATE OPENINGS SPEECH THERAPIST

SEIT THERAPIST

EARLY INTERVENTION

EARLY INTERVENTION SCHOOL BASED

FULL/PART TIME

ABA EI

‫בס״ד‬

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST PHYSICAL THERAPIST

Excellent Supervision

ABA PROGRAM Licensed Position:

LICENSED BEHAVIOR ANALYST LBA, BCBA

Support Position:

PARAPROFESSIONAL Day & Evening Hours

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

Please send resume: email:

placement-FR@yeled.org YVY is an EEO

Growing company in the 5 Towns is seeking motivated, confident, out-going employee for full time bookkeeping/accounting. Must have professional bookkeeping experience, and strong teamwork skills Please submit qualified resume to admin@getpeyd.com GREAT OPPORTUNITY Looking for class B CDL DRIVER with clutch for a heimishe lumber co. Great pay, Call: 718-369-3141 Ext. 348

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

Classifieds

classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com / text 443-929-4003

HELP WANTED

ACTIVITY SPECIALIST: For senior retirement hotel in 5 Towns area. Experience preferred. Must be mature, responsible and have upbeat personality and enjoy working with seniors. Fax resume to 516-239-0358

WE ARE LOOKING TO HIRE A MARKETING/SALES SPECIALIST. Job will require your own car and being computer/internet savy. If you consider yourself a marketing professional, this is the position for you. Opportunity to make unlimited income potential, Don’t delay. Give us a call at 917-612-2300

5TOWNS BOYS YESHIVA SEEKING ELEM TEACHERS. LOCAL DAY CAMP seeking to hire a friendly REGISTRAR/OFFICE MANAGER! Must be proficient in Microsoft Office Programs. Candidate will also deal with collections and accounts payable/receivables. Knowledge of CampMinder preferred. Hours and salary to be discussed. Great work environment! Send resume to registrarcamp@gmail.com 5TOWNS BOYS YESHIVA SEEKING ELEM TEACHERS. Exc working env’t, supportive admin, exc pay Lic’d & experienced preferred. Email resume to yeshivalooking@gmail.com OVERNIGHT \WEEKEND COUNSELOR Responsible and exp’d staff to live in a beautiful group home & work 3 nights\week 7pm - 9am. Staff are not req’d to remain awake after 11pm. Staff are req’d to work two weekends per month. Free rent & food. Stipend given as well. Great for college girl. For additional info contact Frayde Yudkowsky at 732.948.4636 or fyudkowsky@evolvetreatment.com. CATAPULT LEARNING Teachers, Title I Boro Park, Williamsburg and Flatbush Schools *College/Yeshiva Degree *Teaching experience required *Strong desire to help children learn *Small group instruction *Excellent organization skills Competitive salary Send resume to: Fax: (212) 480-3691 ~ Email: nyteachers@catapultlearning.com 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

DRS HS FOR BOYS, WOODMERE NY SEEKS CHEMISTRY TEACHER (FT) FOR 2016-17. Resumes: gkirshenbaum@drshalb.org.

SITUATION WANTED CERTIFIED MALE CAREGIVER Caregiver 30 yrs experience. Specializing in expert full Time care,familiar with Kosher kitchens, honest, Reliable, experienced in NY/FL Excellent upscale References upon request Will travel Call Ralph 212-658-0542 Cell ~ 561-351-7944

TRAVEL ARUBA Marriott Timeshares for Rent Week of Yeshiva Intercession in January 1, 2 & 3 Bedrooms Call today for the best prices Rachel 917-685-0048 or Elyse 917-903-4435

MISC SHIDDUCH DATING? NEED PLACES TO GO? Check out Pegishaplace.com WIG GEMACH Everyone in our community deserves to look great! Donate used wigs and make a world of a difference. For appointments to see wigs or to donate Call Deena 845-304-6668 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 NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS Torah Academy for Girls admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs and other school administered programs.

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

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designbychantz.com

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 8, 2016

Which one of these children needs Chai Lifeline? (Hint: They all do.) Chai Lifeline is renowned for the care and love it bestows on children ﬁghting cancer. But that’s only the beginning. Chai Lifeline serves thousands of children with medical challenges that aren’t evident on the outside, everything from Crohns Disease to cystic ﬁbrosis to heart disease and illnesses so rare only a handful of children have been diagnosed. And still, that’s only the beginning. Chai Lifeline includes siblings and parents, too, with programs geared towards the entire family. We care for more than 5,000 children and their families around the world and across the street. Chances are, you know them. They just don’t look sick.

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Your

Money

McMansion, McShmansion By Allan Rolnick, CPA

hanksgiving is a time for homecoming, and some of us are fortunate to return to a place where we’ve spent decades of holidays. Who wouldn’t relish celebrating in a cozy farmhouse out of a Norman Rockwell print, with an overstuffed chair in front of a crackling fire and a warm kitchen smelling of pumpkin pie? But these days, more Americans spend their Thanksgiving in a different setting. Who wants grandma’s cramped parlor when they can welcome guests in a two-story foyer with dueling spiral staircases and a faux-crystal chandelier? We’re talking, of course, about the design mishmash that critics have dubbed “the McMansion.” A McMansion is more than just a big, new house. It’s a special breed of architectural jumble that favors sheer size and showiness over quality. You may not be able to define it, but you sure know it when you see it! Blame them, if you like, on the eager builders who sell them and the feckless zoning boards that greenlight them.

But there’s one more enabler that makes them possible, and that’s our beloved U.S. tax code. When Congress birthed the income tax back in 1913, they made all interest deductible. But the tax itself hit less than one percent of Americans. And most buyers in that day paid cash for

most personal interest, but kept the deduction for interest on up to $1.1 million of mortgage debt. Today’s code also lets you exclude up to $500,000 of capital gains from your income when you sell your primary residence. Given our progressive tax system, these tax breaks tend to favor the wealthy. Mort-

alone. So . . . combine imperfect tax subsidies with the general decline of aesthetic integrity, and what do you get? Crimes against architecture. You can love stately brick courses, homey wood shingles, and even grand stone accents, without mashing them all into a single facade.

In House of Cards, Frank Underwood gave homebuyers his own brand of homebuying advice: “Money is the McMansion in Sarasota that starts falling apart after ten years. Power is the old stone building that stands for centuries.”

their homes. So there was no specific intent to subsidize mortgage interest for the masses. Since then, however, mortgages have become indispensable to the homebuying economy and the mortgage interest deduction has become central to the tax code. In 1986, Congress eliminated tax breaks for

gage interest is deductible only for the highest-earning third of Americans who itemize deductions. And the capital gains exclusion helps the most in high-cost markets clustered on the east and west coasts. One study found that just five high-cost urban areas snagged 87% of the net tax benefit, with over half going to California

You can admire the Greeks’ taste in columns without slapping stick-on foam imitations on your bathroom wall like a suite at Caesars Palace. You don’t need to know what a hipped roof, a gable, and a jerkin-head are to know they don’t all belong on the same house. Making fun of McMansions has even become part

of popular culture. There are several websites dedicated to mocking the form. In House of Cards, Frank Underwood gave homebuyers his own brand of homebuying advice: “Money is the McMansion in Sarasota that starts falling apart after ten years. Power is the old stone building that stands for centuries.” We don’t care if your dream home is a suburban estate, a city loft, or a condo at the beach. Our job is to help you navigate the jumble of tax laws that make even the gaudiest McMansion look balanced and proportional. So call your accountant when you’re ready for a blueprint — we’ll be here to help you build the tax shelter you need!

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.

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Life C ach

Call it the Art of Learning By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

all it naïve; call it hopeful; call it pie in the sky. I saw an art class advertised that worked into my schedule. Now, mind you, this is not an area I consider a strength. But it’s always great to learn and develop your talent. Right? Also it seemed it could be a potentially relaxing pastime. Perhaps? Anyway, so I walk in, ready to learn. And she says, “OK, draw the item I placed on the table.” Wait, did I miss something? Just take your pencil and start?! Off to a great beginning. Obviously, I need to develop my imagination rather than my skills – just imagine I can do this! Oh, and relaxing? I’m pressing so hard with that pencil that half of it practically goes flying across the room. I have visions of a lawsuit on my hands. I could just see it: “Defendant embeds a flying item, containing that lethal element lead no less, in plaintiff’s forehead.” But I’m motivated. I start drawing lines and lines. So here’s where imagination really kicks in. I must imagine that these random lines look anything like the object on the

table. I realize immediately the more I can develop my imagination, and just think I’ve created the object, the less I will need to develop my skills. The glitch is I can’t control everyone else’s imagination! So here I am, “mana el mana,” with an object that alludes me. I

it happens just by trial and error. I guess as long as it’s not happening on the road, it’s safe. Hopefully my rotten art won’t kill anyone. Of course the course is still young, and there may still be instructions planned ahead. I’m actually anticipating an instruction like: next time

Hopefully my rotten art won’t kill anyone.

reach for my eraser and try once more. Then I reach for my eraser again and again and again. I realize I’m really starting to get the hang of this – erasing that is! Eventually having dabbled in line formations for a while, we move to a still life. I am really impressed. We are flying here. Gee, we must be getting good! I am stunned this has all taken place in the first class. I start to think there is a lesson here, that some learning doesn’t need instruction;

you see an art course advertised, don’t bother signing up! But for now I’m forging ahead. Listen, years ago when realism was the only art form, it might have made no sense to stick with this. But now, let’s say it never gets to look like anything. I can easily hang it up as modern art. And with that art form, it seems, the less it resembles anything the better! I may secretly be a genius in that area and just not know it yet! I am trying not to get discour-

aged. There is probably a method to the teacher’s approach, kind of like letting us find our baseline, and then she’ll help us tweak it rather than starting from scratch. Look, here’s the reality: in many areas some of us have more innate talent, while others might develop it with hard work. And sure, there are those who can recognize, well, this is just not my thing. And even that’s OK. Our world has lots of choices. But the idea is that if something speaks to you, you don’t need to be afraid to try! So, even if your results scare you a little bit (and everyone else in the neighborhood), don’t give up without giving it your best effort! In some things there is a better way that you need to learn. But in others, especially ones that don’t really affect anyone else, it’s fine to have your own style.

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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