Five Towns Jewish Home - 12-28-17

December 28, 2017

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

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93

YEAR IN REVIEW pg

See page 7

PASSOVER VACATION GUIDE See pages 113 – 132 – See page 3

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42 Rabbi Gedaliah Oppen Visits Ambassador Friedman Page 63

Celebrating Chanukah at the French Consulate

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

PASSOVER 2018 OUR 60th YEAR

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Dear Readers, The year was so much more than one person.

We want you to be able to walk down memory lane, reliving the moments of 2017. It should be a relaxing stroll, a meander through the ups and downs of the past few months. Hopefully, after reading through those 12 pages you will come away knowing a bit more about the year that just passed.

Inevitably, after our Year in Review, issue I get a few letters from readers who are disappointed that we put out a Year in Review issue at the end of December. After all, they say, isn’t your name The Jewish Home? Doesn’t the Jewish year start in Tishrei and end in Elul?

They are right. As Jews, our year starts and ends around Rosh Hashana. But I would hope that as we end our real year in Elul we will not be focused on the year’s biggest purchases or world records. I would hope we would not be talking about the bills that passed in Congress, or the latest antics of politicians and those in the media, or our taxes. So at the end of December we focus on those bits of news.

They are headlines that may monopolize a lot of our headspace during the year. But right before Rosh Hashana I would hope that we would have a lot more important things on our minds.

For now, in this issue, we hope you enjoy a stroll down the memory lane of 2017.

017 has been called by some in the media The Year of Trump. Surprisingly, it’s the left that has nicknamed it so and it’s not supposed to be a flattering moniker. Most of us have turned on the news in the morning during these past 12 months and have been inundated with headlines about Russia and Trump and collusion and protests – well, I don’t need to remind you about the never-ending cycle of stress and anxiety that the internet and talking heads have been perpetuating.

But 2017 wasn’t only about that.

Every year, as December winds down, we embark on a project that attempts to recap the news and big events of the previous year. Perhaps 2017 was The Year of Trump – after all, he was inaugurated on January 20, dominated headlines throughout the year, and then managed to push a tax bill through in the nick of time before the hourglass completely emptied – and we could have slapped a photo of the president on our cover and on ten pages inside our magazine and called it a day. But that’s not why you open TJH every week.

We hope you reach for TJH because it makes the world a little more entertaining. We hope you read TJH because you come away knowing more about different topics, subjects that are now more distilled and firm in your mind. TJH makes you think; it helps you relax; it makes you smile.

And that’s why our Year in Review feature this week is not about Trump, Trump, Trump.

Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

Yitzy Halpern PUBLISHER

publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Yosef Feinerman MANAGING EDITOR

ads@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Shoshana Soroka EDITOR

editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Nate Davis Editorial Assistant Nechama Wein Copy Editor Berish Edelman 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 Monday 5PM classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com text 443-929-4003 The Jewish Home is an independent weekly magazine.

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

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

8

COMMUNITY Readers’ Poll

8

Community Happenings

40 NEWS

140

Global

13

National

30

Odd-but-True Stories

36

2017 Year in Review

93

ISRAEL Israel News

23

My Israel Home

90

PEOPLE Benjamin Roth: The First Jew on Antarctica by Avi Heiligman

134

PARSHA Rabbi Wein

82

My Heart is in the East by Rav Moshe Weinberger

84

JEWISH THOUGHT Yisachar and Zevulun Bros. Inc. by Eytan Kobre

86

Investment Strategies by Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz

88

HEALTH & FITNESS I’d Rather Not Think About It by Dr. Deb Hirschhorn 112 Unclog Your Arteries by Aliza Beer MS, RD 116 Just an Ordinary Man

122

118

FOOD & LEISURE

Dear Editor, Excellent article by Chanan Greenwald this past week on the impacts of tax reform.

I see that many more people in our community have become aware of the ability to use the 529 plans for their yeshiva tuition. It’s great that we can now get a $10,000 tax deduction on our New York State tax returns.

However, although Chanan pointed out that there are those who will no longer be itemizing there deductions, I want to bring to attention that those who are in that circumstance should do whatever they can to advance their tzedakah into this year! I’m sure your shul or Hatzalah would be very happy to take your contribution for 5779 early. Or, if there is still time, open up a Donor Advised Fund (see Jewish Communal Fund as an example) which is charitable account for which you can contribute to and get the deduction this year and then use the funds to donate in future years.

Sincerely, Gary M. Klein, CPA Klein & Company, Inc. Dear Editor, Dr. Deb’s article this week was, as usual, thought-provoking and insightful. Although the article re-

The Aussie Gourmet: Kale and Facon Salad 120

Never Trust a Skinny Chef by Naphtali Sobel

ferred to those who are in a depression, I feel that the tips Dr. Deb provided are wonderful for anyone who is feeling down. Some days we are not as happy as on other days. But if we say a prayer, or write down good things about ourselves or our lives, or if we do one thing for ourselves – take a walk, meet a friend, get a manicure, it can help to life us out of our slump.

Thank you, Dr. Deb, once again for a wonderful piece!

Yona K. Dear Editor, The first paragraph of the letter to the editor on this topic (red necks and oil change in the centerfold) in the 12/21 issue expressed my thoughts more eloquently than I. However, I must be very sensitive to that “centerfold” article about the foibles of the DIYer (Do It Yourselfer) who seemed incapable of changing oil in the car without much cost and troubles.

However, this just seems to be shaming those who elect to DIY out of financial necessity or hobbying. It is too bad that “rednecks” were singled out, as they are noted for DIYing, et al. Many rednecks defend us in our armed forces and, for reasons that most people know, Continued on page 10

122

LIFESTYLES Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW

108

Your Money

141

Steer Clear by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

142

HUMOR Centerfold Jewish Geography by Jon Kranz

80 140

POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes

126

CLASSIFIEDS

136

Do you make New Year’s resolutions?

4

%

YES

96

%

NO

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Continued from page 8

excel at very difficult physical, mental and dangerous tasks. I knew rednecks during my Army Engineer military service in the Southern states in the early sixties. It would

Views expressed on the Letters to the Editor page do not necessarily reflect the views of The Jewish Home.

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

be terrible to shame them in such a false, humorous article.

They are very smart, resourceful and dedicated soldiers. Like all of us, they make human mistakes and suffer serious injuries, like the loss of extremities and limbs and the loss of their service as dedicated enlisted personnel. Because they are Southerners is no reason to shame them in such an article.

Just imagine if the little red-headed fellow in the corner of the page wore a yarmulke and tzitzit, and the title of the article would be anti-Semitic or implying us. How would we feel, Rabbi Hillel tells us.

Jews are known for laughing at ourselves and our foibles and are self-effacing. The rednecks make plenty of fun of themselves also, and that is easily proven. Perhaps the traditional self-effacing Jewish humor should be used in these kinds of articles. If the article was about a Jewish klutz, would it read the same? I do not believe so.

Yours, Jerry Kohn Plainview, NY

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Dear Editor, When our politicians have helped us in such a blatant manner, it is imperative for our community to show our appreciation and recognition for their efforts. In this way, we are being makir tov and are validating that we are concerned citizens who are vocal and connected to our representatives.

I urge our community to reach out to President Trump and the other politicians and representatives who were instrumental in commuting the sentence of R’ Shalom Mordechai Rubashkin. Writing a letter is easy; it just takes a few minutes online, but it is so important that we do it.

Looking forward to hearing more besuros tovos, Y. Resnick Dear Editor, I am a big advocate of getting vaccinated. My whole family was vaccinated for the flu this year. I feel that it is very important to inoculate ourselves and help prevent any diseases or illnesses. Wouldn’t

you prefer to get a small shot and not have to be in bed for days with chills, fever, nausea and worse? The flu can be fatal; it is no small, laughing matter.

There was one line in the article that I’d like to highlight. Dr. Lightman wrote about a future vaccination that will inoculate people against the flu. This vaccination will be a one-time shot. Because the flu virus metamorphosize every year, the vaccine needs to be updated every year. This new, future vaccination will be able to identify the characteristics of the virus that stay the same every season and will target those characteristics. With this vaccine, we will only need to be vaccinated once in our lifetime, like the MMR or varicella vaccines.

Hopefully the vaccine will be available within the next decade.

An interesting article on this was in last week’s Wall Street Journal.

Wishing you all a healthy winter, Adam Nigerman

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

save the date

tribute of a decade 10 YEARS OF DEDICATION 10 COMMUNITY PATRONS P AY I N G T R I B U T E T O O U R E X E C U T I V E B O A R D

thursday t h e

FEBRUARY 15, 2018 ‫ראש חודש אדר תשע"ח‬

s a n d s

1395 BEECH STREET • ATLANTIC BEACH, NY 11509

tribute of a decade

For ten years, the Greater Five Towns and Far Rockaway communities sleep better at night, thanks to the roundthe-clock dedication of Achiezer’s team of volunteers and the myriad resources, skills and services it brings together as a unified community mainstay. This decade milestone is our opportunity to reciprocate and pay tribute to the indefatigable members of Achiezer’s Executive Board through a unified show of support for Achiezer.

community patron awardees Dovid Bloom

Aron Solomon

FA R R O C K AWAY

CEDARHURST

Jay Gelman

Yakov Mirocznik

LAWRENCE

BAYS WAT E R

Moti Hellman

Moshe Schreiber

FA R R O C K AWAY

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Ben Lowinger

Shulie Wollman

LAWRENCE

FA R R O C K AWAY

Michael Krengel

Joel Yarmak

WOODMERE

LAWRENCE

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

ENT V E E OUS BLE H A L N I OPE AVA E C SPA D E IT LIM

THIS SUNDAY!!!

DECEMBER 31, 2017

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

The Week In News

Russia Blocks Putin Challenger

It doesn’t look like Putin is going anywhere anytime soon even though Russia is preparing for a presidential election. Potential candidate Alexei Navalny has been barred from running for president after Russia’s central election commission voted on Monday that he is ineligible due to past criminal convictions. Twelve members of the 13-member commission voted to bar Navalny. One member of the commission abstained, citing a possible conflict of interest.

Navalny, 41, was jailed three times this year and charged with breaking the law by repeatedly organizing public meetings and rallies.

He believes his arrests were politically-motivated, intending to prevent him from running in the election. Those with convictions on their record are barred from running for president in Russia.

Prior to the committee meeting, Navalny took the formal step of declaring his candidacy on Sunday when he gathered nearly 16,000 voters in 20 cities across the country to express their support for him.

According to Russian voting laws, in order to be nominated there needs to be at least 500 supporters gathered in one place in show of support for the candidate.

Although Navalny would most likely lose in a vote against Putin, whose approval rating is around 80%, this maneuver barring him is seen as political bullying. Polls show President Vladimir Putin is likely to be re-elected, especially if he keeps squashing all other candidates. If re-elected, he could remain in power until 2024.

Navalny threatened protests in response to what he views as unjust and corrupt. He called for a nationwide boycott of next year’s presidential election in March 2018.

“We are declaring a voters’ strike,” said Navalny in a video released after the Central Election Committee made the announcement. He added, “Going to the voting booth now is voting for lies and corruption.”

Experts do not expect that a boycott would actually affect voter turnout, but Navalny’s call is a clear attempt to strike Russian authorities’ efforts to boost turnout and strengthen Putin’s mandate for a fourth term.

Dedicated in loving memory of Rabbi and Mrs. Zev and Chashie Weiss ‫ע”ה‬ ‫זאב זעליג בן ר' יונה זצ"ל ורעיתו חשא ע”ה בת ר’ צבי זצ”ל‬

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You can help her budding home...

$6B Bail for Bin Talal

The price tag for the release of Saudi Arabia’s richest man shows just how rich he really is. Weeks after being rounded up with dozens of Saudi government officials and ten other members of the Saudi royal family, Prince al-Waleed Bin Talal ‘s price tag for release has been made public: $6 billion.

The 62-year-old head of the Kingdom Holding Co. was arrested as part of an anti-graft operation that was spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman. The operation is seen by many as a thinly veiled attempt to seize power. Bin Talal did have an official position in the Saudi government, however, he mainly focused on growing his companies and managing his many high-profile projects.

The $6 billion being sought for his release is the highest figure being demanded for the release of those captured. At the end of November, Prince Mutaib Bin Abdullah, son of the late King Abdullah, a former head of Saudi Arabia’s National Guard and a previous frontrunner to the throne, was released for the price of $1 billion.

Prince Bin Talal’s fortune is estimated by Forbes to be $18.7 billion,

lB ossom!

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Please join us at Chasdei Chashie L’Kallah’s

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In 2017, Chasdei Chashie L’Kallah delivered furniture to approximately 500 Kallahs’ homes, many from the Five Towns.

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

so he can afford the astronomical payment, however, Bin Talal reportedly thinks that the sum would be an admission of guilt and that it would require him to dismantle the financial empire he spent his life building.

The prince plans to release a large part of the Kingdom Holding Co., whose market values stands at $8.7 billion. He is reportedly willing to fight the allegations being made against him in court.

According to Bin Salman, only one percent of those arrested have been able “to prove they are clean and their case is dropped right there.

About four percent say they are not corrupt and with their lawyers want to go to court.” Time will tell which category Saudi Arabia’s richest man falls into.

A Glimpse into the Past A treasure trove of Jewish documents from before the Holocaust has been discovered in a church in Vilna.

The papers give an unprecedented look into Jewish life in Eastern Eu-

rope in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.

The cache was discovered earlier this year when a church that was used as a book repository during Soviet times was being cleaned out. “The diversity of material is breathtaking,” said David Fishman, professor of Jewish History at New York’s Jewish Theological Seminary. “It’s almost like you could reconstruct Jewish life before the Holocaust based on these materials because there is no aspect and no region and no period that is missing,” he added. Fishman called the find “the most important discovery for Jewish history since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the 1950s.”

Before the Second World War, Vilna was a center for Jewish life in Europe and was home to hundreds of Jewish social, religious, cultural, and scientific organizations.

Among the most treasured finds in the collection are several original manuscripts of poems written by celebrated Yiddish poet Avrom Sutzkever, including the haunting “To My Brother.” “We had the versions that he reconstructed from memory and published right after the war,” Fishman said of Sutzkever, who survived the Holocaust. “Now we have the manuscripts that he actually wrote in the ghetto and there are differences – that was a very powerful find.”

The collection also contains a written contract drawn up between the Jewish water carriers of Vilna and the famous yeshiva that was in the city. The water carriers were allowed to use a room in the yeshiva for davening free of charge in exchange for Chumashim and a set of Shas. There is also a ledger showing the patients of Zemach Shabad, a famous Jewish doctor and political activist, of whom there is a monument standing in central Vilna.

The collection has been transferred to Lithuania’s newly renovated national library in Vilnius. It contains roughly 170,000 pages. It is estimated that it will take five years to fully catalog.

Chinese Activist Sentenced to 8 Years

Wu Gan, better known by his online pseudonym “Super Vulgar Butcher,” was sentenced this week to eight years in prison by the Chinese government. This is one of the harshest punishments meted out to the group of lawyers and activists swept up in a major crackdown on civil society two years ago.

Wu refused to plead guilty to charges of “subverting state power.”

The sentence was intended as an unmistakable signal to anyone who would dare to challenge the state’s

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

authority.

Wu was taken into custody in May 2015 just weeks before authorities unleashed a ruthless campaign later dubbed the “709” crackdown, rounding up over 200 people involved in activities considered sensitive by the ruling Communist Party.

The outspoken social media figure had attracted authorities’ attention with performance art and caustic commentary on Chinese society and politics that he published online.

Explaining its verdict, a court in Tianjin said Wu was “dissatisfied with the current system of governance, and that gradually produced thoughts of subverting state power.”

By “hyping up hot incidents,” Wu “attacked the national system that is the basis for state authority and the constitution,” the court said. Wu also “spread fake information” and “insulted others online,” the statement said.

The prominent activist, with his recognizable bald head and glasses, became the subject of the state’s ire for using his larger-than-life online persona to draw public attention to human rights cases. He called himself “butcher” because he saw himself as taking the fight to authorities, promising to “slaughter the pigs.”

Wu’s lawyer Yan Xin said the sentence was aimed at setting “an example so other activists will say they are guilty when accused of crimes against the state.”

“It’s clear [Wu] was sentenced so harshly because he refused to plead guilty,” he said.

Several supporters traveled to Tianjin to attend the trial but they were “pursued relentlessly by police” and forced to go home.

The government’s message to dissidents was highlighted by a very different sentence passed down on the same day for another figure who was also caught up in the “709” crackdown – named after the date of the first disappearance on July 9, 2015.

In contrast to the heavy penalty for Wu, a court in Changsha exempted former human rights lawyer Xie Yang from serving a sentence after he pleaded guilty to “inciting subversion of state power.” He had worked on numerous politically sensitive cases, such as defending mainland supporters of Hong Kong democracy activists.

At first Xie had claimed that police had used “sleep deprivation, long interrogations, beatings, death threats, humiliations” on him, allegations that became the focus of a rare letter by a

number of western embassies in Beijing directly criticizing the government’s handling of the case.

But on Tuesday Xie denied he had been tortured, according to a video on the court’s official Weibo social media account.

“On the question of torture, I produced a negative effect on and misled the public, and I again apologize,” he told the judges.

The court said he would face no criminal penalties following his full confession.

Another prominent rights lawyer who was arrested during the 2015 crackdown, Wang Quanzhang, has yet to stand trial.

Sentences in FIFA Case

Manuel Burga of Peru has been acquitted of corruption charges at a U.S. trial stemming from the FIFA bribery scandal after two others were convicted last week.

The jury on Friday had said it was deadlocked on the single racketeering conspiracy charge against Burga, a former South American soccer official. The judge sent them home for the holiday weekend. Jurors reached a not-guilty verdict on Tuesday shortly after deliberations resumed.

Jose Maria Marin of Brazil and Juan Angel Napout of Paraguay were convicted on Friday on most charges but acquitted on some lesser charges.

The three had been arrested in 2015.

Prosecutors said the men accepted millions of dollars in bribes from marketing firms vying for lucrative commercial rights to major soccer tournaments controlled by FIFA, the sport’s governing body.

British Woman Jailed in Egypt Laura Plummer, 33, was arrested in October at Hurghada International Airport in Egypt when authorities found 290 tramadol pills in her suitcase. Plummer, a British tourist,

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

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the international nonprofit World Animal Protection and local police, confiscated Rangli and Sridevi, two sloth bears, from their handlers in Iharbari.

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claimed the pills were for her Egyptian husband’s bad back. She said she didn’t know they were illegal. Plummer was sentenced to three years in prison this week.

Plummer had her trial adjourned on Monday after accidentally pleading guilty due to a mix-up with her interpreter. The trial was held on Tuesday with a new interpreter, and she was jailed by a judge for three years.

Plummer had said she had no idea

the painkiller is illegal and banned in Egypt. Her lawyer Mohamed Othman reportedly said a plane ticket showing she paid twice as much for her flights as the drugs were worth is proof that she was not planning to sell them.

Her mother said Plummer’s been sharing a jail cell with no beds with up to 25 other women, adding her daughter now looks “unrecognizable.”

The End of Dancing Bears in Nepal The last two known dancing bears in Nepal have been rescued from their life of captivity and exploitation. The nonprofit Jane Goodall Institute of Nepal, along with

Bear dancing has been a traditional way of making money in Nepal for hundreds of years. The training that bears undergo is very painful, and the practice was declared illegal in the 1973 Wildlife Protection Act. The two bears were found with piercings in their muzzles that were done with hot iron rods after they were poached from the wild. The bears’ teeth had been removed with a metal saw as well.

Neil D’Cruze of World Animal Protection told reporters that bear dancing has “successfully ended” in many countries including India, Turkey, and Greece. Wildlife protection groups are working to end the practice in Pakistan as well. Unfortunately, many times the mothers of the poached animals are killed by the poachers during the bears’ abductions. The painful “training” the bears undergo was the main reason for the push to end the cruel practice.

The two bears are very traumatized, according to D’Cruze. “Both bears are in poor psychological condition, showing signs of stereotypic behavior including head weaving, paw sucking, pacing, mewling, and aggression, due to the constant cruel training they endured in captivity,” D’Cruze said. “They will need longterm, specialized care, but many bears rescued from bear dancing and baiting have been able to live out the rest of their lives peacefully in sanctuaries,” he assured. “We will work to realize this for Rangila and Sridevi, too.”

The bears are now under the care of a Nepal national park. Two of the men who owned the bears have been hired to care for them at the park in order to help the men transition from their financial dependence on bear dancing.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

Nazis: Concentration Camp a Small Town

In an effort to prove to the world that they were not twisted and sadistic, the Nazis made a “model village” for select Jews to live in to show delegations that they were treating the Jews well.

The Czech camp Theresienstadt became the location to try out the deception after representatives from the International Red Cross were invited to inspect it, with the cruel camp directors forcing the inmates to build fake homes and shops to con the delegation into thinking it was a town.

Theresienstadt was a fortress built near Prague in the Bohemia region of Czechoslovakia between 1780 and 1790, named after the mother of the Austrian Emperor Joseph II who ordered its construction as part of a series of fort defenses. By the time the Nazis invaded, the Gestapo turned it into a Jewish ghetto, with a smaller fortress within the main building also used for political prisoners.

From 1942 onwards tens of thousands of Jews were imprisoned at Theresienstadt, with the camp serving as a transit stop before they were moved on to extermination camps, including Auschwitz.

To try to dispel rumors the camp was being used to exterminate prisoners, the Nazis presented it as a “model Jewish settlement.” In order to prepare for a visit by Red Cross officials, inmates were “screened” and around 200 of the more “socially prominent” were transferred to two-bed rooms to make it appear they lived in relative comfort.

On June 23, 1944, a delegation from the Danish and International Red Cross, including doctors and civil servants, was welcomed by an SS-appointed “mayor” who gave them a tour of the “town.” Many Jews had been deported to Auschwitz in preparation while remaining prisoners were ordered to clean up the area and build fake shops and cafes to imply those

who lived there had access to everyday amenities. Jews were asked how comfortable their “stay” was during the tour by Nazi officers. They were told not to address Red Cross officials.

The delegation stayed in freshly decorated rooms in the “prominent” section of the camp for wealthy prisoners while they were also treated to a performance of a children’s opera written by an inmate.

Despite the overwhelming censorship, the delegation was said to have left with a “positive impression” of Theresienstadt.

The visit gave the Nazis impetus to produce a propaganda film nicknamed “The Fuhrer Gives a Village to The Jews,” directed by an experienced Jewish actor Kurt Gerron, who was also a prisoner. The shoot lasted 11 days in September 1944 but to ensure those who made it kept quiet, most of the cast was deported to Auschwitz while Gerron himself was executed in a gas chamber in October.

It was intended to be widely distributed as a means to quell the allegations against concentration camps. A few screenings were staged, but the end of the war prevented its full release.

Prisoners in Theresienstadt were shot and starved to death, while others succumbed to disease due to the abhorrent conditions, with around 60,000 people crammed into a barracks designed to fit 7,000 soldiers.

By 1944 the Nazis began deporting the prisoners en masse to death camps before it was liberated by Soviet troops in May 1945.

Theresienstadt has since been the subject of many plays, films and documentaries highlighting how it was used as a propaganda tool.

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him a pardon.

In a video on Facebook, Fujimori, 79, vowed that as a free man, he would support Kuczynski’s call for reconciliation, hinting that he would not return to politics.

“I’m aware the results of my government were well received by some, but I acknowledge I also disappointed other compatriots,” the ailing Fujimori said, reading from notes while connected to tubes in a hospital bed.

“And to them, I ask for forgiveness from the bottom of my heart.”

The remarks were Fujimori’s first explicit apology to the Andean nation that he governed with an iron fist from 1990 to 2000.

They came after two days of unrest as protesters slammed the presidential pardon as an insult to victims and part of a political deal to help Kuczynski survive a scandal.

The pardon cleared Fujimori’s convictions for graft and human rights crimes during his leadership of the right-wing government.

In 2000, Fujimori took refuge in Japan when faced with charges of corruption. He attempted to resign his presidency via fax from Japan, but congress rejected his resignation, preferring to remove him from office by impeaching him. Fujimori refused to go back to Peru and was arrested in 2005 while visiting Chile; he was extradited to face criminal charges in Peru in September 2007. In December 2007 Fujimori was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison for ordering an illegal search and seizure. In April 2009 he was convicted of human rights violations and sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in killings and kidnappings by the Grupo Colina death squad during his government’s battle against leftist guerrillas in the 1990s. In July 2009 Fujimori was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for embezzlement after he admitted to giving $15 million from the Peruvian treasury to his intelligence service chief. Two months later he pleaded guilty in a fourth trial to bribery and received an additional six-year term. Under Peruvian law all the sentences ran concurrently, with a maximum length of imprisonment of 25 years.

Late on Monday, Kuczynski, a 79-year-old former Wall Street banker, appealed to Peruvians opposed to the pardon to “turn the page” and defended his decision as justified clemency for a sick man whose government helped the country progress.

“I cannot keep from expressing

my profound gratitude for the complex step that the president took, which commits me in this new stage of my life to decidedly support his call for reconciliation,” Fujimori said.

China Prevents Disease by Limiting Pop Want to know how to manage “big city disease”? In an effort to prevent an outbreak, China’s financial hub of Shanghai will limit its population to 25 million people by 2035 as part of a quest to manage “big city disease,” the cabinet has said.

The State Council said on its website late on Monday the goal to control the size of the city was part of Shanghai’s master-plan for 2017-2035, which the government body had approved.

“By 2035, the resident population in Shanghai will be controlled at around 25 million and the total amount of land made available for construction will not exceed 3,200 square kilometers,” it said.

Shanghai, which sits on China’s eastern coast, had a permanent population of 24.15 million at the end of 2015, the official Xinhua news agency said last year.

The city has also said it would intensify efforts to protect the environment and historic site as part of its master-plan.

U.S. to Send Weapons to Ukraine

The president of Ukraine thanked the United States this week for pledging to provide his country with lethal weapons, a decision that enraged many Russian diplomats and lawmakers. The gratitude is being expressed after President Trump’s administration approved

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

plans to provide weapons to fight Russian-backed separatists including Javelin anti-tank missiles. More than 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict which started in April 2014.

“I am grateful for the leadership of President Donald Trump, clear position of all our American friends, and for strong bipartisan support of Ukraine,” Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said. “American weapons in the hands of Ukrainian soldiers are not for offensive [purposes], but for stronger rebuff of the aggressor, protection of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, as well as for effective self-defense. It is also a trans-Atlantic vaccination against the Russian virus of aggression.”

Sergei Ryanbkov, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, said that the United States has “crossed a line” by providing the weapons to Ukraine. “Washington has sought to cast itself as a ‘mediator,’” he said in a statement.

“It’s not a mediator. It’s an accomplice in fueling a war.” He is arguing that more weapons in the region will only further escalate the conflict.

Germany and France both urged the fighting countries to fully implement a ceasefire agreement. German

Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron issued a joint statement urging combatants to keep to the 2015 peace deal which was set up by France and Germany.

The provisions of the deal include the withdrawal of heavy weapons from frontline areas and exchanging prisoners that have been captured.

U.S.: We Will Remember this Day

The UN is ganging up on the U.S. after Trump named Jerusalem the

capital of Israel. Despite Trump’s threats to cut funding from countries that vote against the U.S. declaration, 128 countries ignored his ultimatum and rejected the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Of those countries, 121 receive a collective $21.8 billion in U.S. economic and military aid. Nine countries supported the U.S.’s decision, while 35 nations abstained from voting and another 21 were absent.

None of the countries that voted with the United States and Israel against the resolution are diplomatic powerhouses — Guatemala, Honduras, Togo and the Pacific island states of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Nauru and Palau. Many countries that voted in favor of condemning the U.S. are close allies of the United States including Russia, China, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Japan and Turkey. The abstaining nations included Canada, Mexico, Australia, Colombia, Haiti, Poland and the Philippines.

The vote was cast during an emergency session. The other governments claimed that it is unfair to declare Jerusalem as the capital of Israel until Israel and Palestine hold further peace talks. The 128 nations

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that condemned the U.S. decision believe that until then the capital move should remain undecided. The nonbinding resolution on “illegal Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of occupied Palestinian territory” declared actions that predetermine Jerusalem’s fate “null and void.”

The U.S., disappointed by the lack of support, vowed to “remember this day”.

Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said, “The United States will remember this day in which it was singled out in this assembly for the very act of exercising our right as a sovereign nation. We will remember it when, once again, we are called up to make the world’s largest contribution to the UN, and we will remember it when many countries come calling on us to pay even more and to use our influence for their benefit.”

Haley said the United States views this as a show of disrespectful aggression and that the U.S. Embassy will be moved to Jerusalem regardless.

On Monday, Guatemala announced that it plans to move its embassy to Jerusalem as well, mak-

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

ing it the second country to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Israel to Pull Out of UNESCO

tism,” he stated. “The State of Israel and the Jewish people should be the first to contribute to the organization and the last to leave it, but in UNESCO’s theater of the absurd, countries that have no connection to science, education and culture have bankrupted this important organization both professionally and budgetarily.”

Denmark Limits Payments to Palestinians Israel’s representative at UNESCO has been instructed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to officially submit an announcement of Israel’s departure from the organization. Carmel Shama-Hacohen has been told to hand the written notice to Audrey Azoulay, the organization’s newly appointed Director-General. The decision comes on the heels of the United Nations General Assembly vote last week which passed a resolution that declared that Washington’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is “null and void” and should be “rescinded immediately.”

Israel will be joining the United States, which left the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization due to its “anti-Israel bias” back in October. The rules of the organization are such that all departures take effect on the 31st of December of the year following the submission of the letter. Israel and the United States will both leave the organization by the end of 2018.

The recommendation to leave was put forward by Foreign Ministry Director-General Yuval Rotem.

The decision came after the Foreign Ministry sent Zvi Tai as a special envoy to UNESCO and Washington.

Netanyahu signed off on the decision this week.

Shama-Hacohen praised and congratulated Netanyahu on his decision. “UNESCO, led by the Arab countries and the rest of the despondent, frustrated and downtrodden parts of the world, has broken records of hypocrisy, incitement and lies against Israel and the Jewish people, polluting its noble values with politicization and political terrorism bordering on anti-Semi-

Several Palestinian NGOs (non-governmental organizations) with ties to terror groups will stop receiving aid from Denmark’s Foreign Ministry. Copenhagen has also set stricter conditions for Palestinian NGOs to be eligible for future aid in order to ensure that their charitable donations do not end up in the hands of terror groups or the BDS movement.

The Danish Foreign Ministry conducted an internal investigation after Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen was urged by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan to look closer at where their money was going. After the investigation was concluded, the Danish Foreign Ministry said it will “continue to support civil society organizations focusing on the human rights situation in Palestine, which is a priority under the Danish foreign policy,” but starting next year, “the funds will be transferred under new and stricter conditions. Donor cooperation will end at the end of the year, and the remaining Danish funds from 2017 will be used for expenses related to the administrative completion of the program.” In 2018, only 10 Palestinian NGOs will get Danish funds, as opposed to the current 24 organizations being aided.

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

individuals who suffer from PTSD, depression, and autism. Professor Ran Hassin and his group have published a new study that focuses on how the human brain subconsciously analyzes the faces of those that we meet and decides if they are threatening or trustworthy. He has found that this process takes place whenever we encounter people, without our conscious mind being aware of the analysis.

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The Danish investigation was launched after the Palestinian Women’s Affairs Technical Committee (WATC) opened a center for women last June which was named after Dalal Mughrabi, a terrorist who murdered dozens of Israelis in the 1978 Coastal Road massacre.

WATC received $500,000 through the Ramallah-based Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Secretariat, a donor program sponsored by Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland.

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Greek Group Defaces Embassy

Members of an anarchist group in Greece vandalized the Israeli embassy in Athens using bottles of red paint this week.

The group, Rubicon, filmed themselves committing the early-morning attack on Monday and posted the video online. The video shows the members of the group riding up to the embassy building on motorcycles and throwing the paint at it.

“We identify with the Palestinians, a nation that for decades has been a victim of oppression,” Rubicon said in a statement released after the attack. “In reality, the Palestinians are pressured to leave their land. This is ethnic cleansing at a low intensity level for decades.”

The statement also said: “The question that arises from the Palestinian struggle that must confront us all is the question of the nature of the Palestinian struggle for independence. It is a question of survival of a nation in the land on which it was born.”

Research: Foe over Friend Researchers out of Hebrew University are hoping that they can help

The study, which was published in the journal Nature Human Behavior, describes how the unconscious sees faces and chooses which to allow the conscious mind to pick up on. They showed that humans use two categories: faces associated with dominance and threat, and a smaller amount of faces that are associated with trustworthiness. “Previous research has already shown us what characteristics make a face more threatening or more trustworthy,” Hassin noted. “Faces with bigger eyes are perceived as more trustworthy. More feminine features in a face are less threatening.”

Hassin and his team showed subjects 300 sets of images that changed very rapidly. One eye was exposed to pictures of human faces, while the other was shown geometric shapes.

The participants were then told to press a computer key when they saw a human face. The brain takes a few seconds to process that it is seeing a face and then to transfer the image to the conscious mind, which directs the body to hit a computer key. The facial characteristics that were most quickly registered were ones that many previous studies have shown were associated with power and dominance, such as wideness and masculinity.

“Why does our brain tend to perceive threat over other characteristics?” Hassin asked. “One would assume it is because it wants a person to avoid threatening situations, but there is no data to show that yet. We are working to see if this is true.”

The next step, Hassin says, is to figure out a way to program the brain to process the information that we want. He hopes that he may be able to train people with depression, autism, and PTSD to see facial charac-

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teristics that they find less threatening and improve their quality of life.

“Depressed people tend to see other depressed faces, and that plays a role in keeping the person depressed,” he explained. “If you can train the brain of the people not to just see the depressed faces, that could help, but that is still years down the road of research.”

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madreza Djalali’s right to life,” said Magdalena Mughrabi, Amnesty’s internal deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa.

According to Djalali, he is being punished for refusing to spy for Iran while working in Sweden as an emergency medicine resident. He has been accused of providing information on 30 nuclear scientists and other high-level military personnel.

According to Djalali’s lawyers, no evidence that was presented at his trial substantiated these claims.

The death sentence has been approved by Iran’s Supreme Court for a researcher that was accused of spying for Israel in Iran. Ahmadreza Djalali has been in jail since April 2016. Djalali was shown on Iranian state TV this month confessing to providing the Mossad spy agency with information on Iranian military and nuclear scientists, two of whom were assassinated in 2010.

Djalali is a physician and disaster relief researcher. He had worked on a project for Iran’s Defense Ministry before he left Iran to study in Europe.

He said that he was recruited while in Europe to provide intelligence in return for being made a citizen of the country his handlers were from.

They told him they worked for a European government. Djalali’s lawyers say that the confession was obtained under extreme duress. Rights groups have condemned his detention and interrogation as he was not allowed to make any defense arguments in court.

Amnesty International has come out with a statement saying that the Iranian Supreme Court upheld the sentence “without granting them an opportunity to file their defense submissions.” According to his lawyers, they contacted the Supreme Court in order to present their defense arguments but were met with no response. “This is not only a shocking assault on the right to a fair trial but is also in utter disregard for Ah-

Situated right outside Jerusalem’s Old City, in the center of Jerusalem, is an impressive-looking building, the Waldorf Astoria. The hotel was recently sold for $160 million just three years after the 1920’s building was renovated and opened for business. The new owner is Michel Ohayon, a Jewish French businessman who also owns Le Grand Hôtel in Bordeaux and the Versailles Waldorf Astoria. He purchased the valuable property from the Reichmann family of Canada.

The deal’s terms require Ohayon to operate the hotel as a Waldorf Astoria for the next fifteen years, although it is officially part of the Hilton chain of hotels, which manages the Waldorf brand. The Reichmanns bought the building in 2005 for $20 million and spent a reported $150 million on a three-year renovation.

The restoration project, run by architect Yehuda Feigin, included extensive work to restore the building’s combination of Roman, Moorish and Arab architecture. The building now has 226 rooms and the largest ballroom in Jerusalem. The personal tastes of Paul Reichmann, the Reichmann family patriarch, influenced much of the hotel’s lavish interior design. Paul died in 2013. His five heirs began negotiations to sell the building last year.

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Guatemala to Move Embassy to Jerusalem

Guatemala has become the first nation to follow President Trump’s lead and agree to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week lavished praise on Guatemala’s president for doing so. “G-d bless you, my friend, President Jimmy Morales. G-d bless both our countries, Israel and Guatemala,” said Netanyahu at his weekly Knesset meeting.

The Czech Republic has also officially recognized West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. “I told you recently there would be other countries that will recognize Jerusalem and move their embassies,” Netanyahu said, after reading out Morales’s official announcement. “I repeat: There will be more, this is just the beginning.”

Guatemalan President Morales said online that he instructed his foreign ministry to move the embassy after talks with Netanyahu. “We spoke about the excellent relations that we have had as nations since Guatemala supported the creation of the state of Israel,” he wrote. “One of the most important topics [of the conversation] was the return of the embassy of Guatemala to Jerusalem.

So I inform you that I have instructed the chancellor to initiate the respective coordination so that it may happen.”

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, and Deputy Minister for Diplomacy Michael Oren applauded Guatemala’s announcement. “Viva Guatemala!

It takes courage for a superpower to stand up for justice and recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s eternal capital.

But it takes even more — immense guts — for a small nation to do that,” Oren wrote on Twitter. “People of Guatemala, the people of Israel will never forget your support and bravery.”

About 1,000 Jews live in Guatemala, which has a population of 15 million. The small country is one of nine nations that voted with the

United States last week when the UN General Assembly adopted a non-binding resolution which denounced President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

The other countries were Honduras, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Togo.

On Monday, Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely told Israel’s Kan Bet public radio that Israel is talking with more than 10 countries about potentially moving their respective embassies to Jerusalem.

U.S. to Cut UN Budget

President Trump is not slowing down as he approaches his first anniversary at the White House. His administration announced a historic reduction in the UN biennial operating budget this week. The proposal calls for a $285 million cut for the 2018-19 fiscal year.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley called the move “a big step in the right direction.”

“The inefficiency and overspending of the United Nations are well-known,” Haley said. “We will no longer let the generosity of the American people be taken advantage of or remain unchecked.”

The U.S. contributes 22% of the UN’s budget, roughly about $3.3 billion. Additionally we contribute 28% to peacekeeping efforts, a separate budget which was cut by $600 million this year.

Haley added, “This historic reduction in spending – in addition to many other moves toward a more efficient and accountable UN – is a big step in the right direction.”

Two weeks ago, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres requested $5.4 billion for the U.N.

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CHANUKAS HABAYIS DEDICATION E

BE’ER ROCHEL —

‫באר רחל‬

In memory of

MRS. RACHELA SCHEINER ‫ע"ה ז"ל‬

Recognizing our Generous Donors & Supporters

MONDAY JANUARY 1ST 11:00AM – 11:45AM • 134 GROVE AVENUE

Dedications still available:

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gence Committee for possible collusion with Russia. Details of the investigation have not been disclosed. A picture recently surfaced of Stein, 67, sitting at the same table as Russian President Vladimir Putin at a dinner in 2015. Another guest at that table is Trump’s disgraced national security advisor Michael Flynn.

A Green Party spokesman called the inclusion of Stein’s name “vengeance against Dr. Stein for running as a third-party candidate for the White House.”

Stein appeared on Fox News and was asked by Tucker Carlson if the investigation into her is political payback. “Do you see this as punishment for the crime of running for president?” Carlson asked. “Yes,” Stein asserted.

Really? The Clintons would do something like that? Who would have thunk?

Ambassador: Fake News Denial

two-yearly budget, shaving off $200 million from the 2016-17 budget.

This announcement comes after a tense week between Trump and the UN. Last week 128 countries voted in support for the UN to call upon the U.S. to withdraw its decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Trump threatened to cut off financial funding to those countries. Of those countries, 121 receive

a collective $21.8 billion in U.S. economic and military aid. The biggest recipients are all Arab countries: Iraq: $4.3 billion; Afghanistan: $4.2 billion; Egypt: $1.3 billion; Jordan: $1.2 billion; and Pakistan: $988 million. Nine countries supported the U.S.’s decision, while 35 nations abstained from voting.

Jill Stein Investigated for Russian Collusion Jill Stein, the Green Party’s 2016 presidential candidate, is now being investigated by the Senate Intelli-

The new United States ambassador to the Netherlands has issued an apology for putting his foot in his mouth during a 2015 interview.

Pete Hoekstra gave an interview on the current affairs program Nieuwsuur in which he discussed so-called “no-go” zones in Muslim communities in Europe. In the exchange with the reporter, Hoekstra directly contradicted himself two times on live television. “I made certain remarks in 2015 and regret the exchange during the Nieuwsuur interview. Please accept my apology,” Hoekstra wrote on

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Twitter.

“No-go” zones are a myth that has been debunked. The zones refer to areas that are so hostile within Muslim communities that non-Muslims cannot safely pass. Many still speak of these no-go zones, although they have never been proven to actually exist.

After the Paris terror attacks of January 2015, reporter Wouter Zwart told Hoekstra that he mentioned “in a debate that there are no-go zones in the Netherlands, and that cars and politicians are being set on fire in the Netherlands.” Hoekstra said that he “didn’t say that. This is actually an incorrect statement. We would call it fake news.” After Hoekstra was then showed a clip of him speaking of the no-go zones, he insisted that he did not use the term “fake news” in the very same interview he was giving. “I didn’t call that fake news. I didn’t use the words today. I don’t think I did.”

Now, Hoekstra issued an apology for the denial of fake news that he had espoused.

Hoekstra was born in Groningen in the Netherlands. He was a Republican congressman from Michigan from 1993 to 2011 and served as the chair of the House Intelligence Committee for two years.

The Worst Passwords of 2017

Cyber-security is not something to be taken lightly. Each year millions of Americans are hit with identity theft which often leads to thousands of dollars in loss and a whole lot of stress.

One way to protect yourself from cyber-attacks is by choosing a password that isn’t obvious or easily “guessable.”

For the fourth consecutive year, the password “123456” was the worst, easiest-to-guess password of the year.

The authors of the list, SplashData, warn that using any passwords on the “worst” passwords list is risky.

The company says it “estimates that almost 10 percent of people” have used at least one of this year’s selection of the 25 worst passwords, and “near-

ly 3 percent of people” have used the worst password of all time, 123456.

Raise your hand if you’re guilty.

“These past two years have been particularly devastating for data security, with a number of well publicized hacks, attacks, ransoms, and even extortion attempts. Millions of records have been stolen,” noted SplashData.

The 2017 edition of the list was compiled from more than five million passwords that leaked during the year. This excludes login details leaked as a result of the enormous Yahoo email breach. Most of the passwords evaluated belonged to people in North America and Western Europe.

To protect yourself, SplashData recommends using passwords that are at least 12 characters long, consisting of a mix of different character types and both upper- and lowercase letters. It also recommends to have a different password for each login, although that would require an excellent memory or the help of a password manager application.

The 25 worst passwords of 2017 are: 1. 123456 (unchanged from 2016 list) 2. password (unchanged) 3. 12345678 (up one place) 4. qwerty (up two places) 5. 12345 (down two places) 6. 123456789 (new entry) 7. letmein (new entry) 8. 1234567 (unchanged) 9. football (down four places) 10. iloveyou (new entry) 11. admin (up four places) 12. welcome (unchanged) 13. monkey (new entry) 14. login (down three places) 15. abc123 (down one place) 16. starwars (new entry) 17. 123123 (new entry) 18. dragon (up one place) 19. passw0rd (down one place) 20. master (up one place) 21. hello (new entry) 22. freedom (new entry) 23. whatever (new entry) 24. qazwsx (new entry) 25. trustno1 (new entry)

tain the gluten protein from wheat, barley or rye. But far more than one percent of the population is following a gluten-free diet, which makes it harder to diagnose real cases of celiac disease.

A new test will definitively confirm with just a blood test who has celiac disease.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects roughly one percent of people in the U.S. Those with the disease must avoid foods that con-

users who want Apple to pay for their slow phones. A proposed class-action breach-of-contract suit was filed by two consumers, via a Los Angeles lawyer, saying they never consented to allow Apple to slow down their older iPhones.

The two main blood tests used to screen for celiac disease rely on detecting an immune response to gluten, but that immune response gradually disappears in people who avoid gluten.

“Unfortunately, many persons with gluten sensitivity go gluten-free without consulting their clinician for exclusion of celiac disease,” said lead study author Dr. Vikas K. Sarna’s from Oslo University Hospital in Norway. “In such cases, guidelines recommend ... performing a gluten challenge involving daily consumption of gluten for up to 8 weeks, followed by an endoscopic procedure for a biopsy taken from the small intestine [duodenum]. Our blood test may replace such a gluten challenge and duodenal biopsy.”

The new test is designed to detect immune cells in a blood sample that are specifically targeted at gluten proteins, even when the individual hasn’t been recently exposed to gluten.

The old tests detected celiac disease in 9 out of 10 patients who weren’t on a gluten-free diet. But the old tests identified celiac disease in only 4 of the 62 patients who’d been following a gluten-free diet. The new test, by comparison, was 96 percent accurate in distinguishing celiac disease patients from people who didn’t have celiac disease but were still following gluten-free diets.

Apple Slows Down Old Detecting Celiac iPhones Disease There are several unhappy iPhone

Last Wednesday, Apple admitted that it deliberately slowed down older iPhones to prevent unexpected shutdowns when the batteries were worn out. For years users suspected that iPhones slowed down as they aged but they never expected that the deficiency was created by Apple purposely. The slowing was deliberate, an after-effect of software designed to prevent blackouts.

“Lithium-ion batteries become less capable of supplying peak current demands when in cold conditions, have a low battery charge or as they age over time, which can result in the device unexpectedly shutting down to protect its electronic components,” Apple said. “Last year we released a feature for iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone SE to smooth out the instantaneous peaks only when needed to prevent the device from unexpectedly shutting down during these conditions.”

Apple is also being blamed for not disclosing sooner that it issued software updates which deliberately slowed older-model phones, which influenced many users to buy newer, more expensive iPhones. These allegations prompted another lawsuit filed on Thursday in Chicago federal court on behalf of five iPhone owners from Illinois, Ohio, Indiana and North Carolina. All the users claim that they never would have bought new iPhones had Apple informed them earlier that simply replacing the batteries would have sped up their old ones. The suit alleges Apple violated consumer fraud laws.

If you’re curious about the status of your phone’s battery you can download a free app, such as Battery Life, or head into your local Apple Store where they can assess your device. It is difficult to replace batteries on an iPhone and costs around $79.

Cuba Seeks to Import Medical Products to U.S. Cuba believes it has something important that U.S. medical patients

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could benefit from. Recently, Cuba began to export vaccines, diagnostic kits and medicine developed by its Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) to 51 countries across the globe. Currently, the U.S. isn’t one of Cuba’s customers, but Cuba would like it to be.

Scientists at the research center in Havana’s Cubanacan section believe they can help thousands of suffering Americans by offering treatments to individuals with diabetes and various forms of cancer. If a deal could be brokered, it would be mutually beneficial for both countries; Cuba needs cash and exporting medical products to the U.S. would generate revenue.

Cuban researchers have sent the first clinical trial of a Cuban-developed vaccine for lung cancer to Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y. and they hope that this will prove their worthiness.

Since 2015, 99 patents for Cuban biotech products have been approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. However, no Cuban drugs are currently registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or sold in the United States. This is partly because the registration process is complex and expensive.

Ironically, Cuba has been experiencing domestic pharmaceutical shortages for months. It is desperate for investment in order to ramp up its pharmaceutical industry. Residents of Cuba have reported that they often get up before dawn to get in line so that they can fill prescriptions at pharmacies. A recent article in Cuba’s Bohemia magazine blamed the shortages on lack of financing for production, shortages of raw materials, “indiscipline” in the supply chain, and lack of controls at the pharmacy level.

Scientists in Cuba believe they have one of their most promising products for diabetics. The Heberprot-P is injected as a treatment for diabetic foot ulcers. More than 30 million Americans — about 9.4 percent of the U.S. population — are diabetic. One in four American diabetics will develop foot ulcers in their lifetime. Deep ulcers can penetrate to

the bone and lead to gangrene which can spread to the rest of the body or force a limb to be amputated. Each year about 108,000 Americans are required to have amputations due to diabetic complications, according to the latest report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Heberprot-P has won patent approval in at least 18 countries, including the United States. More than 50,000 Cuban patients and nearly 250,000 patients worldwide have been treated with the product overall.

In the past few years, U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) granted a few licenses to import Heberprot-P for clinical trials, but it’s unclear if any research was actually carried out in the United States.

More than 100 members of Congress signed a letter urging OFAC authorization for the clinical trials as well as a separate authorization for future sales.

Veggies May Prevent Dementia

Go ahead, order the side salad. Not only will you save lots of calories by passing on the fries, but leafy greens will also help delay memory loss in old age. According to research published this week, eating one serving of leafy greens each day can keep the brain more youthful and help it function at capacity.

The study found a significant difference between the two sample groups studied, elderly people who ate greens and those who did not. The group that ate the greens performed significantly better, the equivalent of being 11 years younger in age.

“Adding a daily serving of green, leafy vegetables to your diet may be a simple way to foster your brain health,” said study author Martha Clare Morris of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

Researchers analyzed a group of 960 people with an average age of 81 and trailed them for close to five years. None of the participants had dementia upon joining the study.

Participants periodically completed questionnaires regarding how often they ate certain foods, including spinach, kale, collard greens and lettuce. Each year, their thinking and memory skills were assessed. Individuals who consumed the most greens ate an average of 1.3 servings per day.

Those who consumed the least ate 0.1 servings per day. A serving is about a half cup, cooked.

Researchers revealed that those who ate at least one serving of greens daily “had a slower rate of decline on tests of memory and thinking skills than people who never or rarely ate these vegetables.”

These results persisted even after researchers accounted for factors like smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, education level, and mental and physical exercise.

So pile on the spinach, broccoli, kale, romaine and arugula, and keep that brain moving.

I Now Pronounce You Underwater

Thomas Mould and Sandra Hyde were meant for each other. The two met when Mould was sent for dive training a few years ago as part of his role as a sergeant in the British Army. Hyde, a U.S. citizen, was his instructor.

After dating for a few years, the couple finally wed last week. The location? The Florida Keys. And yes, it was really in the Florida Keys – underwater – next to Molasses Reef off the Key Largo coast.

Photos from the sub-aquatic nuptials were posted to Facebook by The Florida Keys & Key West official tourism account.

The couple, who exchanged vows with the help of a waterproof tablet, said they will remain in the Keys for their honeymoon before going home to England.

I now pronounce you soaking wet.

$284 Billion for Electricity

Thought your electric bill was high? Well, maybe your father was right and you should shut the lights after you leave the room.

Consider Mary Horomanski from Pennsylvania. The lady really needs some electricity-management.

Opening her bill from Penelec, her electric company, Mary was socked with a $284,460,000,000 account balance.

“If I’m not mistaken, it’s probably higher than the national debt,” Horomanski wrote in a Facebook post on December 15, adding: “So if we sell everything we own & then some just maybe in 100 years it just may be paid off.”

“My eyes just about popped out of my head,” she said.

She was told that $28,176 was due.

Turned out, the Horomanski household didn’t run up an electric bill greater than the GDP of most states. Mark Durbin, a spokesman for Penelec, said a decimal point was probably put in the wrong place. “I can’t recall ever seeing a bill for billions of dollars,” Durbin said. “We appreciate the customer’s willingness to reach out to us about the mistake.”

Horomanski’s real amount due was $284.46. Not to make light of things but that also seems kind of high.

Israeli Gives Birth to 20

There’s been a lot of simchos in a Mea Shearim household in the past few years.

Recently it was revealed that a 42-year-old woman who arrived at Hadassah Hospital was set to give birth to her 20th child.

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The woman had been pregnant 18 times previous to this birth; she had one set of twins already.

After a few hours of labor, a bouncing baby boy was born. The family now has 20 children, some of whom are married and have children of their own.

“She was very excited about every birth, every child, even the 19th and the 20th,” Aliza Altmark, the midwife, said. “It also gave me a good feeling. She has sons- and daughters-in-law, and of course she has a lot of help at home.”

Back in the 18th century, Mrs. Vassilyeva, a Russian peasant, is said to have given birth to 69 children. During 27 labors she gave birth to a remarkable 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets, and four sets of quadruplets.

Sounds like a lot of diapers.

Kosher & Hummus in Spanish Want to know how to speak Spanish? Well, aside from hola amigos

there are thousands of other words you need to know.

Here are two other words in Spanish that you already know and will help you on your next trip to Spain or Mexico. The Royal Spanish Academy recently added the words “kosher” and “hummus” to the latest update of the online version of its official dictionary.

According to the dictionary, kosher is defined as “A product, a meal, a menu, etc. 1. Obtained or prepared according to the precepts of Judaism. 2. Said of an establishment: selling or serving kosher products.”

“Hummus” is translated as “Chickpea paste typical of Arabic cuisine, usually seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, sesame cream and garlic.”

Knowing these two words will help you when speaking with lots of people around the world. Approximately 570 million people around

the world speak Spanish. The countries with the most Spanish speakers are: Mexico with 122 million, the United States with 57 million, Colombia with 48 million, Spain with 47 million, and Argentina with 44 million.

Buen provecho.

Agosto complained to officers that he didn’t want to pay for the dish he had consumed because it was “too small.”

Clam Complaint Nelson Agosto loves clams. But he doesn’t love all clams. He only likes big clams – and he also doesn’t know when to clam up.

The 51-year-old from Florida called 911 two times from a Florida restaurant after he ordered and ate a steamed clam dinner. In the calls,

The dispatcher asked Agosto to call back on a non-emergency line.

Hoping to clam him up – or calm him down – officers cited Agosto for misuse of 911.

And now he’s not happy as a clam.

Please say Tehillim for Shilat bas Louza Aliza, Daniel ben Louza Aliza, Yosef ben Ahuva Masuda May they have a refuah sheleima and know no more tzaar.

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Community Chag HaChumash at HANC

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he auditorium at HANC’s Samuel and Elizabeth Bass Golding Elementary School in West Hempstead was filled with excitement as the parents, grandparents and siblings of the second grade students waited with great anticipation for the children’s Chag HaChumash Program. Accompanied by the inspiring music of the accomplished music teacher Rabbi Mordechai Shapiro, the children marched in wearing colorful costumes and enthusiastic smiles on their faces. As the students took their places on stage, the audience was struck by the creative, beautiful backdrop that hung behind them. The magnificent, colorful flowers were created by the students as a culmination of an art lesson with Mrs. Rachel Brandler, the talented art teacher. They served as an example of how HANC integrates all aspects of the curriculum, tying art and design into our limudei kodesh and special activities.

Throughout the spirited performance, the children performed a play revolving around the days of

Creation and the gifts that Hashem made for us in his magnificent world.

They sang a series of songs praising Hashem and focusing on the importance of doing mitzvot. As each child delivered his/her individual speaking part, the children’s enthusiasm was felt throughout the room. Even though it was a standing room-only crowd, the attendees in the back of the room were able to see on the large jumbo-sized television screens that were located throughout the auditorium.

In his warm remarks to the students, Rabbi Yaakov Sadigh, principal of HANC Elementary School, told the children a meaningful story: Two friends were driving from New York to Florida. They got into the car, and the passenger said to the driver, “We will never make it to Florida.” “Why not?” asked the driver. “Because your headlights only see fifty yards ahead of us,” replied the passenger. The driver answered, “Of course, the headlights don’t see all the way to Florida. The headlights show us fifty yards ahead and when

we get to that point, it will show us another 50 yards until we reach our destination.”

The lesson conveyed in this story, Rabbi Sadigh explained, is that life is about moving fifty yards at a time towards achieving greatness. Last year, the children learned how to read Hebrew and received their siddurim.

This year, after learning so many parshiot in Sefer Bereishit, they have moved fifty yards ahead and are now ready to learn Torah from their very own Chumashim.

Barbara Deutsch, associate principal of HANC Elementary School, spoke about the parsha. She explained to the children that the lesson from Yosef is to learn compassion when interacting with others. She also expressed how compassion is taught and exemplified at HANC and noted that these lessons have been internalized by the children. This compassion and caring for each other was reflected in how the children helped their classmates to remember when to step forward when it was time for their part and to help their friends in

a caring way.

It was a truly spectacular event, and the children brought tremendous nachat to everyone who was in attendance. Many thanks to the second grade teachers, Morah Miriam Ross, Morah Michal Wasser, Morah Chavy Stern, Morah Liza Rosenthal and Morah Tami Liebman, for all of their hard work in preparing the children for this memorable occasion. Thank you to Rabbi Mordechai Shapiro for teaching the children the many meaningful songs that they sang wholeheartedly. His heartwarming music added so much to the program.

Special thanks also go to Mrs. Rachel Brandler, HANC’s art teacher, for her creative mural; Morah Tami Liebman for creating the colorful costumes that represented Hashem’s creations in the world; the HANC PTA for its continued support; the collation committee for the delicious snacks and cakes; and the generous Chumash sponsors for the beautiful personalized covers that created a truly special gift of lifelong learning for our students.

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Celebrating in Long Beach

Hakarat Ha’Tov

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hile in Israel visiting his students, Rabbi Gedaliah Oppen, principal of Judaic Studies at HAFTR, also made a trip to the Ambassador of the United States Mr. David Friedman’s home in Hertzaliya to express hakarat ha’tov and gratitude for his continued devotion and commitment to Am Yisroel and Medinat Yisroel, as well as to congratulate him on the historic proclamation of not only recognizing Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel but also on moving the American Embassy to Jerusalem.

The Ambassador worked directly with the President of the United States, Mr. Trump, Vice President Mr. Pence and the Ambassador to the United Nations, Ms. Nikki Haley, as they stood alone against most

nations in the world by proclaiming that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and the commitment to relocate the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. HAFTR students wrote letters of thanks and support to the ambassador, president, vice president and to Ms. Nikki Haley on this historical and momentous occasion.

Rabbi Oppen was greeted warmly by the ambassador and his wife, Mrs. Tammy Friedman, and was given a VIP tour of the ambassador’s home and discussed many of the political issues that Mr. Friedman faces daily as ambassador.

The HAFTR administration, students and families wish the ambassador much bracha and hatzlacha and pray for his continued success in all his endeavors.

ach year the 3rd and 4th grade boys of HALB, along with their rebbeim, celebrate Chanukah at the Sephardic Shul in Long Beach. This year the celebration continued. HALB’s Principal Mr. Altabe felt that it was necessary and an honor for the students to travel over the bridge and to be a part of the Long Beach community for the chag. Over the years, the members of Long Beach, and especially the community at the Sephardic shul, have opened their arms to HALB, and we continue appreciating the embrace.

The boys davened, sang hallel, lit the menorah, danced, and ate as members of the “Yeshiva By The Shore.”

It is a tradition HALB hopes to continue for many years to come.

those used for medicine or science experiments. When learning about colors the teacher will add food coloring to the water used in transferring activities. This lends itself beautifully to teaching about primary colors and color mixing! During transferring activities the level of engagement and concentration is high. While engaged in transferring activities a child is using his hands, his arms, his strength and coordination to have control over his environment to demonstrate his will.

From a very young age, babies begin to mimic the adults in their lives.

This is a natural way that they learn.

Montessori practical life activities at Ohr Leah are a continuation of this natural process. They allow children

to believe in themselves and develop the confidence and self-discipline needed for success in the future.

Practical Life at Ohr Leah

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t Ohr Leah Academy, a Montessori preschool in Woodmere, practical life is one of the favorite areas of the classroom.

The activities found in this area impart real life experiences to the children. These exercises provide purposeful activity, develop motor control and coordination, foster independence, improve concentration, and create a sense of responsibility.

In practical life the children use their fine and gross motor skills in real life activities that include cleaning and caring for the environment as well as preparing food. They learn how to do regular daily living activities in a purposeful way. During snack time at OLA, students peel and cut cucumbers. If there is a spill

they get the broom or mop and use it! There are real shoes to be polished with real shoe polish; a kiddush cup is polished with silver polish; cinnamon sticks are ground with a real mortar and pestle; and coffee is ground in a hand grinder. The parents especially appreciate the freshly ground coffee their children bring home! The children are thoroughly enjoying themselves while learning practical skills for everyday life.

A favorite activity for the children in practical life is transferring. This can involve pouring liquids, grains, beads, and even small pompoms. The transferring can be done using a ladle, measuring cup, pitcher, tongs, or chopsticks. There are funnels to pour into a narrow top and droppers like

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Spreading the Light with Chanukah on the Park PHOTO CREDIT: MICHAEL PERLMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

By Michael Perlman

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n the sixth night of Chanukah, over 400 multi-generational Forest Hills and nearby residents were ready to embrace the miracle of Chanukah at the third annual “Chanukah on the Park” festival in front of an 18-foot menorah near the Yellowstone Park gate.

The event was organized by Rabbi Mendy Hecht and Rebbetzin Chaya Hecht of the nearby Chabad of Forest Hills North, in collaboration with Rabbi Mordechai Hecht of Anshe Shalom Chabad in Kew Gardens.

DJ Jordan energized the crowd, playing upbeat hits including “Al Hanisim,” “Candlelight,” “Light Up The Nights,” “Ivri Anochi,” “Ma’oz Tzur,” and “I Have A Little Dreidel.”

Children and adults danced with three dreidel mascots and two Chanukah clowns, often the subject for selfies. JJ’s Holy Cow Artisanal Burgers, a full menu kosher food cart, made its way from downtown Brooklyn. Also offered were complimentary traditional powdered sugar jelly donuts and chocolate custard donuts, to continue the tradition of eating fried foods in light of the miracle of the burning oil lamps in Jerusalem’s Holy Temple. Congresswoman Grace Meng emphasized her pride in Chabad’s partnership with the community.

For the second consecutive year, the highly anticipated FDNY Tower Ladder 138 fire truck made its arrival,

hoisting up Rabbi Mendy Hecht and Rabbi Mordechai Hecht on a cherry picker. Also in attendance were police officers from the 112th Precinct and Shmira of Queens. The FDNY assisted in removing the menorah’s electrical bulbs, and converters made way for canisters with oil and wicks to light the menorah with a torch. “The shamash gives to each flame and doesn’t take away from its own, which is a lesson in giving love and kindness to all,” said Rabbi Mendy Hecht.

He continued, “This playground where we light the menorah is divine, since Chanukah means education, and what better place than where children play.” Then Rabbi Mordechai Hecht said, “Of course, everyone is going to light their menorah in their homes, but we’re going to light the menorah to help spread the miracle of Chanukah.”

When the cherry picker reached an over 30-foot elevation, both rabbis hosted a 1,500-plus chocolate coin drop, also known as Chanukah gelt.

Rabbi Mordechai Hecht said, “Are we ready? Watch your heads, watch your pockets, and pull out your plastic bags, your coats, and your hoods.

When we see you dancing, we drop coins.” Reflecting on its success, Rabbi Mendy Hecht said, “I would say we are from the first Chabad Houses to initiate it in such amounts via a fire truck, but the idea originated from our fellow emissaries somewhere around the globe.”

The evening was full of many

surprises. Rabbi Mendy Hecht said, “We had a raffle for a Razer scooter worth over $150, and it was based on all who RSVPed. The winner was a local who was present, and she was extremely excited, and didn’t even know there was a raffle.”

Stunts also made their mark.

“We had a fire show featuring Keith Leaf, who is famous for his fire stunts worldwide,” said Rabbi Mendy Hecht, who is already visualizing future plans. “To be able to pull this off is a huge miracle, and the force behind it is the Lubavitcher Rebbe, a”h, that gives us the spiritual strength and inspiration until this very day. I plan on

making it even bigger and better next year, since we can’t stay in one place.

We always have to grow.”

Rabbi Mendy always loved attending Chanukah on the Park at Caulfield Park in Melbourne, Australia, his native home. “It was something that had a big impact on me. Our goal is to continue to spread light, and bring more morals and ethics to the people of Forest Hills and set an example of goodness and kindness for others to emulate.”

The menorah was sponsored by the Fischman family and Friends of Chabad of Forest Hills North, and the menorah high-riser was sponsored by Mark Weissman. Other sponsorships included Michael Perlman Photography and videographers Leigh Harrison, Mara Cates, and Eric Schreiber.

Attendee Richard Tuschman, who participated for the third consecutive year with his wife, Ewa, said, “The rabbis’ passion for Yiddishkeit and love for the community is palpable and contagious, creating an atmosphere that is truly electric. Coming together as a community, singing the beautiful prayers, and seeing the giant menorah lit and the flames dancing into the night sky, is a moving and unforgettable way to experience the Festival of Lights.”

To keep Chanukah on the Park free, donate by visiting chabadfhn. com/donate.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Father-Daughter Breakfast at SKA

F

– were warmly welcomed by Mrs. Helen Spirn, Head of School, who spoke about each child’s individuality and how important it is for fathers to acknowledge the talents of each of their children. Fathers, she said, should help their daughters actualize their daughter’s strengths and help them cope in areas where needed. Representing the freshmen grade, Sarah

athers of ninth graders joined their daughters for a wonderful morning at the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls on Monday, December 25. During a delicious breakfast buffet, the pairs posed for portraits, which were given out at the end of the event as a memento in a frame with a tefillah.

The fathers – and their daughters

Leiderman and Ayelet Rosman delivered powerful divrei Torah.

The enthusiastic fathers and daughters then learned together b’chavruta from prepared handouts – Taking the Next Step – and heard a shiur from Rabbi Daniel Eisenbach, SKA Mashgiach Ruchani, about what they just learned. The Rambam tells us that escorting someone to the door

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The third graders at Bais Yaakov Ateres Miriam recently published “How To” informational books.

They had an exhibit where they read each other’s books and wrote compliments as part of their writing program with Mrs. Susie Garber, the school writing specialist.

is one of the highest forms of chessed, since it reflects how much you value the person. This, Rabbi Eisenbach said, is what we try to do at SKA with each of our students. The second half of the program divided the participants into groups to play an entertaining game of “Jeopardy.”

The morning was a wonderful bonding experience for all.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

A Summer To Sing About!

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Eighth Grade Visit Day at DRS

L

ast Thursday, DRS hosted over 140 prospective eighth grade applicants from 15 different elementary schools for a visit to DRS and a chance to experience what it’s like to be a DRS student for a day. Students from YCQ, HANC, Har Torah, South Shore, Yeshiva Ketana, HAFTR, HALB, Derech HaTorah, and several other elementary schools were warmly greeted at the doors of DRS by administrators and student leaders. Each visiting student received a personal schedule for him to follow throughout their day. Throughout the day, the students had the opportunity to study Gemara on a high school level in Rabbi Kaminetsky’s Gemara

Shiur, practice creative writing techniques in Mrs. Prestifillipo’s English class, solve and prove mind-bending mathematics tricks in Mrs. Doherty’s math class, dissect the inner workings of contemporary p’sak halacha in Rabbi Farber’s halacha shiur, travel the world in Mr. Levin’s social studies lesson, explore the DRS science curriculum at Ms. Rudisill’s science presentation, and meet and ask Questions to Rabbi Storch and Dr. Broder in small groups.

Following a lunch catered by Carlos & Gabby’s, the students moved to the gym where they were treated to a taste of DRS’s extracurricular student activities, during which they partic-

ipated in a multimedia trivia game challenging them in areas of Gemara, Tanach, science, math, sports, English, Ivrit, and general knowledge.

We are proud of the quality of students that will comprise our ninth grade next year!

Reba Linker Engages Bais Yaakov of Queens Students

B

ais Yaakov of Queens third graders learned about the benefits of composting. Their firsthand experience was engaging, to say the least, as Reba Linker, author of Compost Heroes, had

a conversation with the young environmentalists on the benefits of composting. The girls learned about the combination of brown and green compost and were amazed to learn that shredded newspaper, wood

chips, and dry leaves are ideal for the brown compost and that kitchen waste and grass clippings are perfect for the green compost. The students also observed firsthand how worms play an important role in the recy-

cling process. After many oohs and ahhhs, the girls examined the worms up close! The visit concluded with a book signing by the author.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

Cam p R

ist

OP

8

EN

201

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Y

ae l isr

M

a n h eh c a

ration is now

Rabbi Yitzy Rabbi Ben Jacobi Rabbi "Zezy" Rabbi Drebin Mordechai Rabbi Shlomo AJ Jacobs Mordechai Learning Director Dynanite Director Haber Camp Director Fuld Jacobs Karp Picker Camp Director Head Counselor Athletic Director CIT Director Camp Maxx!

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NOW OPEN AT

CMYFUN.COM Ends Jan 14th

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 516-962-3030 OR EMAIL CMYSUMMER@GMAIL.COM

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Flying High at CMY Reunion

W

hat’s the very best way to begin a new week? Well, for hundreds of Machane Yisrael campers it was to attend an exciting Melaveh Malka Reunion!

Though the night was cold and wet, there was a lot of warmth awaiting them as they met with counselors, friends and staff whom they hadn’t seen since summer ‘17.

There was plenty of time for reminiscing with counselors, rebbeim and camp friends about all the unforgettable programs and learning of the past summer, while enjoying the pizza and soda provided for refreshments. Attendees were treated to a brand-new, super-exciting camp

video which brought back memories of the great sports, swimming, trips, learning and much more of the summer. Needless to say, the video also jogged the memories of all the zany antics of Rabbi Haber and Rabbi Zezy Fuld.

Immediately after the video there was a grand raffle for fantastic prizes such as an electric scooter, air hockey table, foosball table and much more.

But all the attendees were winners with everyone going home with a copy of the new camp video and a super-cool color-changing cup. As promised, everyone who signs up for the coming season before January 14th will receive our amazing new

swag bags with an awesome water bottle, a warm beanie hat, a brand new football, and much more. B”H many attendees at the Melaveh Mal-

ka went home with these gifts, too.

Just as it seemed as if the evening were over, Rabbi Fuld announced that there was a surprise still in store...the Chicago Sky Squad, a high-flying, death-defying dunk team. What a thrill to watch them dunk over the campers, perform out-of-this-world trick shots, and literally fly over the basket. Everyone watched open-mouthed. The show did not disappoint and neither did this amazing night.

If you would like to learn more about Camp Machaneh Yisrael, our new division called Camp MAXX, or our amazing Dynanite program please call 516-962-3030 or email the camp at cmysummer@gmail.com.

Parent/Child Day of Learning @ YHT

A

n incredible kiddush Hashem was made at Yeshiva Har Torah on Monday, December 25 as parents of the 7th and 8th grade stu-

dents took their day off from work to learn Torah with their children in a very special Yom Iyun.

A chorus of voices was heard in

the Beit Midrash as parents and children studied source sheets together in preparation for Rabbi Menchel’s shiur.

Rabbi Menchel discussed themes about

the end of Sefer Bereshit and shared words of inspiration about the power of speaking the truth and make sure to pass that middah on to our children.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

el Yisra

A New Di vi

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f Camp Ma o c n

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...Imagine a place where for 8 weeks your son can tap into his creative, innovative and inventive side...

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This division of CMY flips the sports oriented day and allows for MAXXimum hands on activities, where your son will explore the art of woodworking, robotics and STEM and at the same time enjoy the other wonderful fun parts of CMY. CAMP MAXX 2018 will be taking the day camp world by storm--are you ready to give your son the MAXXimum day camp experience?

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 516-962-3030 OR EMAIL CMYSUMMER@GMAIL.COM

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Summer 2018 Camp Kaylie Expansion

A

s Rabbi Eli Brazil, Camp Kaylie Director, explains, “For a camp that already offers premium facilities and a beautiful camp environment, the Camp Kaylie expansions and upgrades are a testimony to our mission to continue building upon our success, improving both the Camp Kaylie infrastructure, and the incredible and dynamic sports and activities only Camp Kaylie offers! Baruch Hashem Camp Kaylie is growing every summer, and we are so excited for these new additions that will enhance our campers’ summer experience.”

From major sports field upgrades to new venues and activities, Camp Kaylie at OHEL continues to build upon its success as the destination for a one-of-a-kind, fun and friendship-filled inclusive summer camp that literally has it all – and more!

The New Jake’s Playhouse being built is a unique outdoor and indoor theater pavilion which will enable Camp Kaylie to host a diversity of creative programming and other event-type productions which can all be viewed and enjoyed by the entire camp.

In just the first few years, Camp Kaylie has already outgrown its original Beis Medrash. With the increase in Masmidim program, the numbers of staff and campers, OHEL is

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building an additional Beis Medrash that, as per Rabbi Shalom Rosner, Educational Director and Mashgiach Ruchani, “will both accommodate the increasing numbers of passionate and committed students, and provide an additional comfortable environment where our staff and campers can grow in their learning!”

Likewise, Camp Kaylie has outgrown its art room. The new larger summer 2018 art room will be equipped with many more projects in the new expansive space being built, enabling multiple bunks to engage in creative art projects, in different areas, all at the same time.

Especially during those few rainedsoaked days!

In addition, Camp Kaylie is building a new woodworking room. The new expansive space allows for more diverse projects and new woodworking tools, which will allow our campers to engage in far more ambitious and creative woodworking projects to take home.

Camp Kaylie is building a brand

new culinary area in its state-of-theart camp kitchen, known for its culinary flair, from homemade breakfast garlic rolls to delicious chocolate and cinnamon rugelach.

Camp Kaylie is also ramping up many of its outdoor sports amenities and facilities. The new outdoor hockey court is being completely redone, allowing for the most competitive and professional high-energy games complete with border patrol floor hockey barriers. We are resurfacing our six tennis courts and building three new basketball courts.

Last but certainly not least, Camp Kaylie continues to upgrade all its camper bunks in air-conditioning and other comforts, and, in addition for summer 2018, we are building another new bunk to accommodate the overflowing waiting list of campers who booked late – and still hope to have the summer of their lives!

We look forward to a very exciting summer 2018 and to see you soon.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

DIFFICULTIES EARNING A LIVING?

Put your career on the proper course.

Today’s difficult financial climate has placed an enormous burden on many families.

Realizing the need in our community, The Community Center of the Rockaway Peninsula is once again offering its much acclaimed adult vocational classes. The curriculum is designed to assist applicants in gaining and developing the necessary tools for employment in today’s volatile workplace.

COURSES INCLUDE:

REGISTER NOW! CLASSES START SOON! NOW OPEN TO ADULTS AGE 20 AND OLDER R Our graduates are actively being placed in the workforce!

R E G IS T R AT IO D E A D L IN E : N T H U R SDAY, JA N UA RY 1 8

A Community Based Continuing Education Program CLASSES ARE NOW FORMING • COURSES ARE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY AT NO CHARGE

PLEASE CALL TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION 718-868-2300 EXT. 367 OR E-MAIL: BBAIDA@DARCHEI.ORG Located on the Campus of Yeshiva Darchei Torah | 257 Beach 17th Street | Far Rockaway, New York 11691 Funded by a grant from the NYC Dept. of Youth and Community Development.

PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE • CAREER TRAINING • PERSONAL SUCCESS

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Inspiration at Ezra Academy

A

s Chanukah came to an end and most schools were switching back to regular schedules, Ezra Academy continued their extra programs. On Friday, December 22, the students of Ezra were enraptured by the story of Nissim Black. The story of how he overcame obstacles and challenges throughout his life was fascinating. It was the journey he took to becoming a religious Jew that struck an especially relevant chord with the students. Many of them joined Ezra with little or no Jewish background and constantly find themselves striving to take the next step. Seeing someone like Nissim and hearing his story reassures the students that they too can make the transition that they are striving for.

Celebrating Chanukah at the French Consulate

O

n December 19, Yeshiva University High Schools celebrated the last night of Chanukah at the French Consulate in New York City. The students participated in a Chanukah candle lighting ceremony with French Consul General Anne-

Claire Legendre and Israeli Consul General Dani Dayan. The event featured performances by the Samuel H. Wang Yeshiva University High School for Girls Stomp Club and the Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy/Yeshiva University High School for Boys Choir.

Students and diplomats were joined

by Five Towns resident and Yeshiva University Vice President for Legal Affairs Andrew Lauer, who spoke at the event and underscored its importance for the Jewish community and broader society: “On Chanukah we celebrate

the indomitable strength of the Jewish spirit and the divine light that has guided our people for millennia. May the light of this Chanukah serve as a strong reminder of humanity’s task to illuminate the darkness and create a brighter tomorrow for all.”

The Central Stomp Club with French Consul General Anne-Claire Legendre and Israeli Consul General Dani Dayan

The MTA Choir performing at the Consulate

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

‫ישיבה דרך איתן‬

Sefer Zikaron

‫ע”ש מרן רבי‬ ‫אברהם יפה'ן זצ”ל‬

Y E S H I VA O F FA R R O C K AWAY YAAKOV AND ILANA MELOHN CAMPUS

A Sefer Zikaron, dedicated

IN MEMORY OF REB YOSEF MELOHN Z”L

to the memory of Rabbi Brafman ZT”L, is being planned in conjunction with the dinner. Talmidim, chaveirim, mispallelim, and family members are invited to submit divrei Torah, articles, memoirs, vignettes, and photos. Submissions may be sent via email to zikaron@ yofr.org or mailed to the Yeshiva before January 22nd.

Please note: space constraints may limit us from including

The Rabbi

some submissions. Originals may not be returned.

Aaron Brafman

Rabbi Avrohom Boruch Brafman

TRIBUTE DINNER

Dinner Chairman

Mr. Joel Ganz Journal Chairman

C o m m e m o r a t i n g a L i f e o f B u i l d i n g Ta l m i d i m

Tribute Committee Mr. Moshe Majeski Chairman

Mr. Chaim Balter Dr. Joel Baum Dr. Tzvi Rubin Mr. David Schreiber, Esq.

Mr. Benjamin Brafman Guest of Honor L

Alumni Tribute Committee

Accepting the Rabbi Aaron Brafman Memorial Tribute

Mr. Yossi Deutsch Chairman

Mr. Yanky Kleinkaufman Dr. Yaakov Leb Mr. Aaron Martin Mr. Matis Miller

Motzei Shabbos, February 10, 2018 ‫מוצאי שבת‬ ‫שקלים‬-‫פרשת משפטים‬ ‫כ”ה שבט תשע”ח‬ At the Yeshiva Campus 802 Hicksville Road Far Rockaway, NY 11691

For reservations or journal ad placement please contact:

P. 718.327.7600 E. dinner@yofr.org W. www.yofr.org

4 9 T H

A N N U A L

D I N N E R

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Inwood Community Kollel Opens Its Doors for Shabbos Minyan

By Goldie Young

A

lthough it was a wet and dreary December Shabbos, there was an additional light of Torah that shone this week in Inwood.

After many years of tireless work, the Kollel has opened its doors to mispallelim. It was a project that took many years to produce, and the result was astounding. Those who came to partake in the simcha of this great accomplishment felt the warmth and the light of Torah in a building where it was absent for so long. Inwood is a young, flourishing community and this addition will enhance it even more so.

Shabbos began with warm singing and dancing, led by R’ Baruch Klein, as the mispallelim joined hands to welcome Shabbos. The Rosh Kollel, Rabbi Shlomo Cohen, gave welcoming remarks after kabalas Shabbos. He connected the idea of the Kollel being a makom Torah during the week and being a makom tefillah on Shabbos.

“Torah is how Hashem speaks to us.

Tefillah is how we speak to Hashem,” he said. “Rav Chaim Vologin explains that the conversation has to be mutual and that is how we sustain a lasting and meaningful relationship with Hashem. This Friday night symbolizes this special relationship and we are so happy to open it up for tefillah in addition to the learning that already

takes place here during the week.”

On Shabbos day, davening was followed by a heimish kiddush of cholent and kugel. After the kiddush, one of the Roshei Chabura of the Kollel, Rav Aaron Knobel, gave a shiur on hilchos Shabbos. Keeping in tradition with the Kollel as a place of serious learning, a Shabbos Kollel, with stipends available for yungeleit, is currently being formed. Thank you to R’ Asher Schonkops for lending the sefer Torah to the Kollel.

As Rabbi Cohen mentioned on Shabbos, the Kollel offers a home to a night kollel as well. This kollel has been opened for eight years and has been graciously hosted by the Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island, also located in

Inwood. The kollel welcomes 35 men, a combination of yungeleit and baalei batim who learn together b’achdus in a yeshiva-style learning every night.

The Kollel gives baalei batim an opportunity to learn in a way that they can’t anymore because of their daily schedule. It gives everyone a connection to Torah. The kollel operates in a way where everyone is an active participant and enthusiasm is felt throughout.

The acquisition of a building to become a home for the Kollel was not an easy road and took many years of planning and work. The building took three years to build and plan.

Historically, it was named the Jewish Community Center of Inwood led by Rabbi Reuvain Mann and Rabbi Richard Borah, and it functioned as a local synagogue for over 50 years. Since then many have moved on and moved away, but the building remained.

After much effort, the Center collaborated with the Kollel and the Kollel assumed rights to the building.

When the doors were opened for the first time there was utter disaster.

The third floor was ravaged by a fire

and had to be completely rebuilt. The first floor was destroyed by water as a result of Hurricane Sandy and had to be gutted as well. All the tashmishei kedusha were covered in mud. It was a tedious task to separate the sheimos from garbage while trying to save certain mementos belonging to the previous generation of mispallelim.

The construction, including the process of securing the permits, took almost three years. The third floor as well as the roof had to be replaced completely. The building needed new siding as well. What was a shell of beams was turned into walls, floors, with new plumbing and new electric.

Now the Kollel is a shining, new structure boasting three floors. It features convenient parking and is wheelchair accessibile. The third floor is home to a library and additional chabura rooms. The second floor is a simcha room, tastefully designed with paneling and contrast walls. The first floor is the beis medrash which is in the process of getting adorned with furnishings deserving of a beis medrash and a makom Torah.

A special thank you to Nassau County Legislator Hon. Howard Kopel, Inwood Republican leader Mr. James Vilardi, and Town of Hempstead deputy commissioner of buildings Mr. John Novello for ensuring a smooth transition into the new building.

The many years of work have finally paid off and now there is a new makom Torah in the growing community of Inwood.

For more information about the Inwood Community Kollel and stipends for learning and attending Shabbos kollel please contact Rabbi Shlomo Cohen at 347-224-1152 or at inwoodkollel@yahoo.com.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

OHEL Brightens & Warms Up a Cold Chanukah for Hundreds

F

or OHEL individuals, Chanukah at OHEL is a warm, inviting and festive time of the year.

From toy drives to Chanukah parties and cookies for public service workers, OHEL staff and individuals of all backgrounds and abilities come together during the Festival of Lights to warm up the lives of hundreds.

This year saw over 65 schools, shuls and other organizations participate in OHEL’s Annual Chanukah Gift Drive raising hundreds of toys, games, puzzles, gifts for hundreds of OHEL children in need – whether for children in domestic violence shelters, foster homes or adults challenged by disability in OHEL Bais Ezra’s many residential homes. Jennifer Gruenfeld, OHEL Coordinator of Volunteer Services, remarked, “Each year we are enamored by the number of people in the community who show their support and step forward to help the most vulnerable amongst us.”

OHEL foster children enjoyed a warm, happy and fun-filled Annual Chanukah Foster Family Party with the best food, door prizes, and presents raised through OHEL’s Annual Chanukah Gift Drive! Over 60 children and more than 40 foster parents,

together with OHEL Foster Care staff and their own children enjoyed the wonderful evening. It was particularly poignant to see some reunifications between the biological children of foster families with former foster children who had previously been in their foster care. We heard over and over again from foster parents how much their own children and their foster children look forward the whole year to this annual Chanukah party event.

This Chanukah party would not be possible without the money raised through OHEL’s Simcha Fund, which provides funding for foster children

and children with disabilities to enjoy holidays, life-cycle events like Bar or Bat Mitzvah – just like everyone else in the community!

Throughout OHEL’s many OHEL Mental Health and OHEL Bais Ezra residences, hundreds of OHEL individuals warmly lit Chanukah candles and celebrated festivities with staff, community members and family members.

Chanukah festivities culminate each year during the Annual OHEL Chanukah Party, generously sponsored by Sammy and Lea Trencher, at The Palace in Brooklyn.

lights SKA has to offer together with the warmth and energy it projects.

Mrs. Spirn, Mrs. Drebin, Ms. Flaumenhaft and Admissions Liason Ms. Fogel personally greeted all the girls they had met during the interview process and the Open House.

After refreshments, the eighth graders heard from 10th and 11th

grade student panelists from varying elementary schools who answered questions about SKA and discussed their own experiences since coming to the school. The SKA students happily described what it’s like to enter a new school, sometimes coming alone from their grade school, and how welcome they were made to feel.

Hundreds of OHEL individuals from a multitude of programs joined staff, volunteers, Board Members and elected officials in celebrating Chanukah together. While OHEL Board Member Shloime Dachs and his orchestra played lively music, everyone enjoyed delicious food, watched clowns on stilts, made balloon animals, and sang Chanukah songs.

OHEL was also pleased to welcome Councilman David Greenfield and Councilman-Elect Kalman Yeger, who shared warm words of inspiration and gratitude to the crowd, many of whom are their constituents.

Throughout the night there was also enthusiastic dancing with staff and ever engaging and passionate OHEL board members leading the way.

A noteworthy highlight of the evening was Sammy Trencher lighting the Chanukah candles together with Naftali, an OHEL individual who happily led everyone in the brachos.

OHEL thanks everyone who helped make this evening such a success and looks forward to continuing this beautiful tradition for years to come.

A Day at SKA

O

ver 140 eighth graders from many metropolitan elementary schools got a taste of what their high school experience at SKA would be like. On the last day of Chanukah, Wednesday, December 20, SKA student ambassadors welcomed aspiring high schoolers who got a glimpse of some of the high-

The eighth graders were able to sit in on classes, electives and clubs, giving them the opportunity to experience the unique and creative classes and programming that are available at SKA. We look forward to welcoming the class of 2022!

SKA Student Ambassadors with Ms. Lisa Fogel, Admissions Liaison

ANNUAL DINNER

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

‫מחיל אל חיל‬ REACHING

Great Milestones TOGETHER

SAVE the DATE 02.25.18 ‫ תשע״ח‬,‫י׳ אדר‬

Reservations:

718.337.6000 EXT. 450 EMAIL: DINNER@BBYSCHOOL.ORG WEB: WWW.BBYDINNER.ORG

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Learn & Live

“T

he Writer Speaks” at the Learn & Live Program this past Sunday. The one and only R’ Paysach Krohn came and spoke about his writing career

as well as ideas on becoming a good writer. All lefties got a special sefer that R’ Krohn wrote regarding being a lefty. Some boys received CDs as well. As all the boys were leaving they

each received the brand new L&L car magnet to be “spotted” around town.

This Sunday iy”H will be “Getting it Write.”

For more information, email us

at learnandlivefr@gmail.com or try our new hotline 641-715-3800 pin 932191#.

A Little Bit of Italy in Gan Chamesh

G

an Chamesh, Chabad’s Early Childhood Center, continues to take inspiration from the Reggio Emilia philosophy of early childhood education. Reggio stems from a small city in Italy, where young children’s education is celebrated and viewed as an incredibly important foundation for a child’s future learning and well rounded success.

Gan Chamesh has enthusiastically embraced the most important tenet of the Reggio Emilia approach – that the environment is the child’s third teacher. The parents are the child’s first teacher, the teachers are the second, and the surroundings act

as a child’s teacher as well. Children thrive and develop most optimally in a beautiful, natural and real environment, with natural materials that reflect their interests and work, while also creating the ambiance of a home.

On a daily basis, children are exposed to hands-on creative activities using authentic materials, with a great emphasis on light play. All classrooms are equipped with permanent light tables, overhead projectors for shadow play and ultraviolet lights for glow-in-the-dark fun.

All yamim tovim, parsha and Aleph Bais learning, as well as math, science, literacy and nature, are

Experimenting with colors on the classroom light table

presented through a Reggio lens.

Teachers continuously update their curriculums to include the interests of the children, and their learning is documented and reflected upon in a meaningful way.

Gan Chamesh has visitors from all over who are interested in learning more about successfully incorporating the acclaimed Reggio philosophy into their programs.

For more information about Gan Chamesh, Chabad’s Early Childhood Center, please contact Susy Adler or Suzanne Wallin, the program directors, at 516-295-2479.

Creating a homey environment

Children enjoying the Light Museum at our recent Chanukah Fun House event

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OHEL Trauma On-Call

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nfortunately, a horrific tragedy took place on the morning of December 18 in Flatbush, Brooklyn, where four members of a family died in a fire and three additional survivors are in critical condition. We are providing the information below for families and the community.

Please feel free to call OHEL at 1-800-603-OHEL with any questions.

When tragedy touches our community, it affects all of us. It can make both children and adults feel vulnerable and confused by events that are so devastating and impossible to understand. It may trigger memories of other tragic situations that similarly affected the community or losses that people may have experienced in the past. Everyone reacts differently to a trauma, and there is no right or wrong way to react. Individual reactions will vary and are based on a variety of factors including relative exposure to the event, relationship to the people most profoundly affected, personality, characteristics, past exposure to trauma and level of support available. Here are some guidelines to help both children and adults cope in the aftermath of this tragedy.

• All feelings are legitimate. There is no right or wrong to react to hearing such painful news. Some people will feel increased agitation, and other people may withdraw emotionally. Common reactions are fear, sadness and anxiety.

• Most people manage to overcome these feelings without outside professional assistance.

Putting feelings into words is very therapeutic. Parents can express their own feelings of sadness and grief, and encourage children to share their feelings with them in turn.

• Children’s coping will especially be correlated to the coping of the adults around them. Therefore, it is important for parents and teachers to pay attention to their own reactions. Young children are reading your voice, tone and body language even more than your words. Be sure you know what you want to tell them.

Preschool Reactions • Parents need to speak in concrete terms with pre-school aged children.

They do not grasp the concept of “rare occurrences” and may need reassurance that a similar tragedy will not happen to them. Parents should show increased affection and assurance to young children during this time.

• Young children may require extra reassurance at bedtime, a time when children’s fears may emerge. Allow children to sleep in your bed, or preferably a parent should stay in their room, but do so with a pre-established time limit.

• When reassuring children be particularly cognizant of your voice tone and body language which is often more attended to at this age than your words.

• Pre-school children may demonstrate distress through play and fantasy and sometimes may develop medical complaints or misconduct as a result. Pay attention to children’s play and give them room to work through their feelings through the safety of the play.

• Maintain typical routines and schedules to the extent possible as this promotes a feeling of safety and security.

School Age Reactions • Parents should tell children the truth about what occurred, using age-appropriate and concrete language. It is difficult to hide or distort information since children have access to information and feel entitled to know. Elementary school-aged children are often interested in facts, especially boys.

• Parents should assess the need to give more information and not answer more than what was asked by the child. Parents can also answer questions by saying, “I don’t know.”

• Elementary school-aged children understand the concepts of a “rare occurrence” and understand death. The message you want to give them is that what happened is rare.

• Limit your child’s exposure to media around the tragedy.

• Don’t worry if your child does not seem to be having a reaction. Everyone reacts differently and it doesn’t mean your child doesn’t care.

• Elementary school-aged children are responsive to themes of hereafter, neshama, olam haba and tchias ha’maysimin discussing the tragedy.

• Parents may want to use this op-

portunity to rehearse safety measures i.e.; fire safety plans, as a concrete way of reassuring children they are safe.

• Focus on the helpers – the people who have come to rescue and respond to this tragedy: the firemen, policemen, Hatzoloh members, first responders and community members who are helping the survivors. Give children opportunities for actionable responses such as saying Tehillim, making a get well card, taking on mitzvot for zechuyot or giving tzedakah.

Adolescent Reactions • In addition to the above, themes of “why do bad things happen to good people” may emerge, especially with adolescents. The right to have these questions should be validated and adults can agree that we don’t understand G-d’s ways.

• Adolescents may empathize with the suffering of the victims and may do so especially in groups of peers.

They may also have a contagious response that may need to be contained.

Adults • Don’t run away from mourners or treat them differently if you meet them on the street. Greet them normally and warmly. The relationship post-trauma should be commensurate with the relationship before the trauma.

• It is especially important to continue to talk about children who passed away because a parent’s greatest fear is that their child/children will be forgotten.

The coming days, weeks and months ahead will be difficult ones for family, friends and community members affected by this tragedy. Take good care of yourself by eating a balanced diet, maintaining a proper sleep schedule, and soliciting support from family and friends. OHEL’s trained trauma team professionals are available to assist you to answer questions, support you and/or your children, or provide a listening ear. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at 1-800-603OHEL.

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Shevach Students Inspired at Shabbaton

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n Friday, December 8, excitement filled the air at Shevach High Schoo, in anticipation of what promised to be an amazing weekend. Though the annual Shabbaton is always full of inspiration and fun, many agreed that this year’s Shabbaton proved to be in a league of its own. The theme of “V’ayrastich li b’emunah” was incorporated into every aspect, from the speeches, the teachers’ panel, the choir, the video, the skit, and the games. Seniors Chavi Davidowitz and Meira Fendrich even composed a special Shabbaton song describing this special connection between us and Hashem.

Upon arrival to the hotel each student was given a beautiful booklet containing uplifting articles on emunah, tips for strengthening our faith, and a message on the theme from Shevach principal Rebbitzen Rochelle Hirtz. They also received a creative magnet with an acrostic using the word emunah, which de-

scribed the essence of belief in Hashem.

As an opening to the Shabbaton, on erev Shabbos the seniors performed an original theme song written and headed by Tali Feldstein and Perel Schwartz. The song described how emunah gives us clarity, enabling us to help bring Mashiach. A video made by Menucha Avruch and Zahava Millstein was then presented which helped introduce the theme of the Shabbaton.

Shabbos was brought in with opening words by Rebetzin Hirtz, who welcomed faculty and students to the Shabbaton. To introduce the theme of V’Ayrastich li B’Emunah, she began by defining the term of emunah, based on the teaching of Rav Shamshon Rafael Hirsch, as placing one’s full confidence, guidance, and strength in Hakodosh Baruch Hu. After a beautiful kabbalas Shabbos, sung together by all the girls, Shevach students were privileged to

hear words of inspiration from the renowned speaker Rabbi Paysach Krohn, who based much of what he said on the writings of Rav Sholom Arush and Rabbi Ashear on emunah. Rabbi Krohn stressed that the essence of emunah is the knowledge that in spite of all our own efforts, Hashem controls the world. One way to become aware of emunah is to seek out stories of hashgacha pratis.

The student body then went to enjoy the first seudas Shabbos, and were greeted by tables that were set with beautiful theme-based centerpieces, designed and made by Miriam Aminov, Pnina Aranov and Elisheva Niknam. The flowers in the centerpieces were donated by Lilac Florists.

After the seuda the evening was enhanced by zemiros, a dvar Torah given by senior Esther Amsel, an eleventh grade choir headed by Tikva Ney, and skits on emunah presented by both the seniors and the freshmen. The students then attended workshops led by Shevach teachers, all of which further clarified the concept of emunah, and how it is applicable to our lives. Special thanks to Faigy Heller and Baila Neuman for the exciting workshop game that followed.

On Shabbos morning, after Musaf, the girls were fortunate to be addressed by Rabbi Akiva Grunblatt, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim. Rabbi Grunblatt quoted the Chovos Halvovos saying that a prerequisite to true bitachon is the realization that Hashem loves us even if we are not so deserving.

Following the second Shabbos seudah, sophomore Faiga Rabvogel delivered a dvar Torah which led into a teachers’ panel presenting questions written by Tamar Harooni and Gila Siyanov. The panel was an opportunity for the Shevach students to hear inspiring stories and thoughts of how emunah helped their teachers in their own personal lives. The girls then enjoyed optional workshops with their mechanchos.

After shalosh seudos, the students enjoyed hearing from Rabbi Yonoson Hirtz, Rav of Utopia Jewish Center, who explained that the goal of emunah is to recognize and be cognizant of the constant presence of Hashem. How do we achieve that

goal? It is a three pronged process: To realize that Hashem is always watching, to realize that Hashem is always listening, and to realize that Hashem only wants the best for us.

As Shabbos concluded, the girls heard a dvar Torah from junior Tikvah Ney and enjoyed a freshmen choir, followed by the entire school singing heartfelt zemiros.

On motzai Shabbos the high spirits continued as all enjoyed grade presentations, beginning with an “I Love Shevach Song” composed by sophomores Bryndel Wurem, Tova Halberstam and Chana Deitsch. The juniors then presented a takeoff of Mordechai Schapiro’s Kulam song composed by Gitty Wurem, Malka Chanales, and Bracha Rosenberg, followed by a senior dance headed by Bisi Schottenfeld and Zarine Shamilzadeh. Ahuva Portnoy and Rivka Kikov then presented an artistic banner they had created depicting the Bais Hamikdash, which we hope to rebuild in the zechus of our emunah. There was also a competitive game of Deal or No Deal run by the GO, followed by energetic dancing.

As always, the program did not disappoint.

The students boarded the buses Sunday morning feeling inspired from the “unbelievable” Shabbaton. They took home with them the desire to continue growing in their emunah. To facilitate this endeavor they were each given a spiral bound Ani Maamin booklet with lessons on each Ani Maamin.

Such an inspiring Shabbaton could not have happened without the dedicated organizing and attention to detail of Shevach staff members, Mrs. Debbie Meltzer, a beloved teacher and mentor to the students of Shevach High School, who created the theme and all that was related to it, and Educational Administrator Mrs. Devorah Kovitz who oversaw the endless technical aspects of the Shabbaton. The two spent myriads of hours ensuring that excellence was achieved in every aspect of the Shabbos. And indeed they were very successful. A yasher koach also to the senior Shabbaton heads Rivka Adler, Esti Hagler, and Adina Rennert who helped make this Shabbaton possible.

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ShulaMEET!

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n the 7th day of Chanukah, nearly 100 prospective ninth grade students crammed the classrooms and hallways of Shulamith High School, like the candles that evening that would completely fill up the menorah. They were participating in ShulaMEET, a day-long experience of visiting classes, sampling clubs, and meeting up with current Shulamith students, many of whom, serving as student ambassadors, were also guiding and supporting them. For some prospective students, who had already made up their minds that Shulamith is the high school for them, the day confirmed their choice, while for others, who are actively weighing Shulamith alongside other schools, the visit afforded yet another opportunity to take the measure of Shulamith and see what makes its educational environment distinctive.

The students had previously visited Shulamith on at least two occasions, once for the Open House, where they had experienced abbreviated, simulated classes, and another

time for a tour and interview, during which they had briefly observed real classes in action. This time, however, they attended a full morning of actual classes, where they worked alongside the high school students currently enrolled in these courses – brainstorming in small groups, asking and answering questions, writing, drawing, constructing models, and supportively critiquing classmates’ work.

In STEM class, they learned about design thinking and then put it into practice, building two iterations of chair prototypes for users with particular needs. In Halacha, they

read halachot detailing the origins of various fast days and explored the relevance of those reasons in today’s world. In geometry, they wrote proofs of triangle congruence. In Ivrit, they learned a poem about Chanukah, sang it, and then prepared skits in small groups and acted them out. In public speaking, they listened to student monologues based on characters in Wicked and gave warm and cool feedback. In Chumash, they considered, compared, and contrasted perspectives on the burning bush from five different mefarshim and explored the theological message of each. And in AP Psychology, they read about four theories of learning, applied them to challenging parenting questions, and presented their answers to each other.

Following a full morning of classes, the guests participated in a club of their choosing, selecting from an abundant array of offerings that Shulamith students participate in every week: Chopped, chess, fashion design, basketball, iMovie, dance, Israel activism, STEM, track, and jewelry making.

Michal Lipsky, an eighth grader at the Shulamith School, enjoyed her day in the high school: “It was

interesting to learn about people’s behavior in AP Psychology, and there were a lot of real-world examples. So it was cool to apply it to real life.” Eighth grader Meira Goldstein, also from Shulamith, concurred. She particularly enjoyed the Israel activism club: “We discussed all of the politics of Israel. It wasn’t just like sugar-coating it. It was like, this is what’s happening, it isn’t good, but it’s what’s happening. It definitely made me get into a club that I had been thinking about, and now I’m for sure interested.”

The high school students enjoyed the day and benefited from the encounter, as well. According to 10th grader Aliza Weizberg, a student ambassador for the day, “I really enjoyed interacting with the eighth graders in my Ivrit and chemistry classes and helping them do the same activities we did.”

When eighth grade students receive their high school acceptances in the coming weeks, those who are admitted to the Shulamith Class of 2022 will have not only a good idea, but also fond anticipatory memories of the rich and rewarding education that awaits them.

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YCQ Visits Lower East Side Tenement Museum

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n Thursday, December 21, the grade 4 students at Yeshiva of Central Queens visited the Lower East Side Tenement Museum in Manhattan. The students have been learning about immigrants and the struggles they had adjusting to a new home. This visit to the museum coincided with what they have been learning, bringing to life the struggles of people coming to a new land with different cultures and languages and often little or no money.

The students were introduced to two families who resided in a tenement through visual aids. According to Racheli Simanowitz and Rachelli Glaser, grade 4,

the first family consisted of five family members living in a one room apartment with one bed. Plumbing did not exist in the tenements at that time and the mother had to carry water from outside up and down the stairs numerous times a day. Initially there were no bathrooms indoors either and they had to use an outhouse regardless of the weather. To survive in their new home, the parents sewed clothing, both at home and in factories. The second family was the last to move out of the tenement.

By this time they were privy to both indoor plumbing and electricity.

The students also saw how the children kept oc-

Everyone’s a Critic

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ast Thursday, eighth grade students of Shulamith School for Girls traveled to the Adams Playhouse at Hofstra University to see “Encore,” a show produced and performed by Chamber Theatre Productions. The performance featured adaptations of five short stories and one poem. In the weeks before their trip to the theater, and in preparation for this educational adventure, the girls studied some of the stories in their English Language Arts class.

Knowing that they

would be writing critiques of the play, the eighth graders were mindful audience members, paying close attention to the actors, the effects, the costumes, and every other nuance of the production.

As the performance came to an end and the actors took their final bows, the theater was filled with the plaudits of every member of the audience. While opinions of the performance varied, all agreed that the outing was both fun and educational!

cupied by playing simple games like marbles, very different than all the electronics they use today. One of the most interesting parts was how when a wall was cracked it was not repaired, rather wallpaper was used to cover it over leaving remnants of layers and layers of wall covering over the years.

Racheli Glaser found this trip very interesting, “We had a chance to learn about people from the ‘olden’ days.

It made them come alive; it made immigrants more real.” It is hard to picture what people went through in the past. Visiting the museum gave the students an opportunity to truly experience what it was like before

plumbing and electricity; what it was like to be in a foreign land where you did not understand the language; and the suffering that many went through in overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions. Racheli Simanowitz said, “It was so good to have a chance to get to know how

people really lived in such hard times. This helps me understand better.”

By having students visit museums and participate in activities that go along with their current curriculum, their knowledge base is enhanced and their love for learning is encouraged.

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CAHAL Visits the Nautilus

Elegance Where

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he CAHAL Yeshiva of South Shore sixth grade class enjoyed a day of simcha and chessed with the residents of the Nautilus assisted living facility in Atlantic Beach. Rabbi Chananya Grinberg, Rabbi David Nagarpowers, Mrs. Elaine Brenner and Mr. Justin Lepolstat accompanied the boys and helped to create a memorable experience for both the class and residents. The boys had the opportunity to introduce themselves and share their backgrounds. The boys, their

rebbeim and teachers sang songs and danced, spreading simcha to all the men and women who attended the program. The highlight of the event was when the boys were able to connect with the residents in oneon-one conversations. Many of the residents shared their own stories, and the students listened attentively and asked questions. Afterward, the boys enjoyed a special lunch at Carlos & Gabby’s. The experience was mutually heartfelt and positive for the residents and the boys.

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An Inspirational Trip

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n Monday, the two fifth grade classes of Rabbi Shruly Weiss and Rabbi Mordechai Stein went on a trip to Brooklyn. The trip was in honor of the boys starting to learn Gemara for the very first time. We arrived at Yeshiva Tal Torah of Reb Moshe Ledeman, shlita, who is the longtime rebbe of R’ Weiss.

There he handed each boy their own new Gemara Bava Kama. The boys

were amazed by the wonderful words of wisdom he shared about the special gift of Torah. After receiving the Gemaras the classes headed to Amnon’s Pizza for a seudah. This was a day the talmidim will remember forever.

A special thank you goes to R’ Shmuel Roth, who is a parent in each of our fifth grade classes, for coming along on the trip and helping us in various ways.

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#DimeGivesBack to the Five Towns Community

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his holiday season Dime Community Bank offered the special #DimeGivesBack initiative to celebrate over 150 years of service to the customers and communities in which they serve. Dime Community Bank generously supported charitable organizations who participated in the #DimeGivesBack social media program. Throughout November, community members were asked, “What are you thankful for?” Each response was then shared on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram displaying the charitable organization of their choice and hashtag #DimeGivesBack logo which earned a charitable contribution per post from Dime.

Dime Community Bank donated over $22,000 among over 50 local non-profit organizations. Three prominent local organizations, Kulanu Academy, Gift It Forward Inc. and The Five Towns Early Learning Center, were among the most active with the

Dime Gives Back social media initiative.

The Kulanu Academy staff embraced this opportunity and was one of the strongest performers on Long Island. Kulanu posted 277 thankful messages on their Facebook page qualifying them for the maximum gift of $2,500.

Dime officials led by VP Regional Director Howard Keyes visited and toured the Kulanu Cedarhurst campus and presented their generous contribution. Social Media Manager Lee Guilder, Assistant VP Branch Manager Christopher Reide, and Assistant Cedarhurst Manager Sadana Singh were proud to honor Kulanu as a community partner in this project as they were all very instrumental in the success of this initiative.

On behalf of the entire Kulanu family, Dr. Raskin offered her appreciation for Dime’s commitment to the Kulanu mission and explained how

these funds will help students and clients reach their full potential.

Miriam Dure of Gift It Forward Inc., a Non-profit gift shop located at 445 Central Ave said: “Dime is truly my community bank. The #DimeGivesBack social media initiative is essentially the epitome of what my non-profit gift shop is all about, doing good and giving back to the community.” Gift It Forward also received a donation from Dime Community Bank in the amount of $2,500.

The Five Towns Early Learning Center located in Inwood has been operating for over 75 years. They teach and mold young children to develop and learn through play. Pepper Robinson, the executive director, said “Dime is committed to our community and we appreciate that. We are so thankful for Dime and this program. We can use this donation to help so many.” Dime Community Bank presented the Five Towns Early Learning Center with a

check for $2,000 for their participation in the #DimeGivesBack program.

Dime also donated toys from their Annual Toy Drive to the Five Towns Early Learning Center.

Chris Reide, Branch Manager of the Cedarhurst Branch, said, “We are excited to continue our involvement in the community. These are organizations that we know well and help build the fabric of the community. To help these non-profit organizations bring in these donations was wonderful.

Each organization can really benefit from these funds and they can give so much back to our local community. I am already thinking about next year and how we can make the #DimeGivesBack program even better.”

Dime would like to thank all of the organizations and members of the community that took part in this campaign. It was truly a way for the community to come together for a great cause.

MAY Publishes Third Volume of Creative Writing Journal

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he College Board’s National Commission on Writing surveyed 120 major American corporations, employing nearly 8 million people, and concluded that writing is the “threshold skill” for hiring and promotion among professional employees. The world is increasingly becoming more competitive, and students need to be provided with every advantage possible.

Mesivta Ateres Yaakov prides itself on preparing its talmidim for the challenges of life in both limudei kodesh and limudei chol. With this in mind, last year, the Mesivta began compiling material from students for publication

in a student creative writing journal.

Many students contributed short stories for approval of submission in this journal either voluntarily or in writing competitions. After undergoing professional editing, proofreading and layout, the Mesivta is proud to introduce the third issue of Vision: The Student Journal of Mesivta Ateres Yaakov.

A double agent. A newspaper executive with a nefarious plot to always get the scoop. A brotherly betrayal. A degenerate gambler who gambles his life away. The truth behind the JFK Assassination. This 100% student-written journal includes those electrifying stories and more!

The stories in this journal are entertaining and edifying, with tales spanning a wide gamut of genres from satire to historical fiction. This compilation of prize-winning stories by Ateres Yaakov high school students is a must-read for any fan of intriguing fiction.

Rabbi Sam Rudanky, general studies principal, commented: “Albert Einstein once stated, ‘Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.’ This journal is the collective, literary creativity and ingenuity of Ateres Yaakov’s students.

I am very proud of the students who contributed their works and the faculty advisors who expended an enormous

amount of effort on this project. I believe you will find it to be an enjoyable and edifying read.”

The Mesivta thanks Mr. Chaim Homnick, English Language Arts Instructor, and Rabbi Yossi Bennett, Assistant Menahel/Assistant Principal, faculty advisors and general editors for the journal, for spearheading this project and seeing it through to fruition.

“We’ve already begun working on the volume four!” commented Rabbi Bennett. “I believe that projects like this add an exciting element to our school’s culture while remaining within the confines of learning.”

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STEM Reshapes Education

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he National Science Foundation estimates that 80% of the jobs created in the next decade will require some form of math and science skills. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education is designed to revolutionize teaching and prepare American students to compete and succeed in the global marketplace.

A visit to the Tichon Meir Moshe (TMM) Girls’ School in Far Rockaway and Ezra Academy in Kew Gardens is to glimpse that future. The 51 young women at TMM enrolled in the 10th and 11th grade course Applied Engineering are exploring the world of possibilities offered by a STEM education. Their counterparts at Ezra Academy in Kew Gardens, Queens, NY, are also being introduced to STEM education in their Principles of Engineering course. Here 42 students, 28 boys and 14 girls in ninth and tenth grades, are learning the design steps necessary to solve engineering problems.

US ORT Operations and Bramson ORT launched these programs this fall, using an established innovative program developed by the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE). Bramson ORT is offering and funding this two-year course in Practical and Applied Engineering to Jewish Day schools that currently do not have access to this state-of-the-art curriculum. All equipment, laptops and workbooks are supplied by Bramson and

placed in a locker where materials for each experiment are individually categorized. “We are in essence leveling the playing field for those Jewish day schools unable to fund the program,” stated Dr. David Kanani, President of US ORT Operations and Bramson ORT. “Our goal is to expand our outreach to many more Jewish day schools in the coming year,” he added.

“Students at the end of their sophomore year will be able to take the Advanced Placement (AP) exams in math and science, which will of course benefit them as they apply to colleges or opt to immediately enter the work force,” commented Dr. Kanani. “Ultimately the aim of all STEM education is that students see the relationship between their studies and real-world applications in STEM related fields.”

Working in teams of three, the groups begin to problem solve. At TMM, the girls use coding to create circuits to demonstrate the principle of movement, using a fulcrum and levers. One project on display had two tiny plastic buckets attached to a tongue depressor taped across the top of a thick magic marker set in a small plastic pail. Simi Mirocznik’s broad smile showed her “aha” moment had arrived when the buckets started moving up and down!

This hands-on approach to problem solving is the key to their STEM education. The girls will eventually apply the lever principle to the human

body, where joints acting as levers lead to an introduction to ergonomics, a multi-disciplinary field of user friendly applications. “This is my favorite subject. I love the class,” said Nechma Fagin who may pursue college courses in biomedical engineering. Her grandmother suffers from Parkinson’s disease and she feels future technology could help her grandmother’s ability to function.

At Ezra Academy the team learns the theory of electric circuits. They use their breadboards to design circuitry that simulates a doorbell ringing. As each team accomplishes its goal, faces “light up” as the three lights on their boards glow in sequence, emitting a faint “buzz” sound. Once again learning is connected to the real world.

According to Sima Fish, Esq., Principal of Ezra Academy, “it is too early to tell how many students will enter STEM related fields. Many students are really excited, their interests peaked by this hands-on, challenging curriculum. They are asking for more programming and related courses and will have a leg up when taking their AP exams and applying to college. Of course, some students realize STEM fields are not for them; however, they benefit by being exposed to a new way of approaching a subject.”

“What makes this STEM program so distinctive and sets it apart from other programs is its use of specially qualified mentors,” according to

Dr. Kanani. “Trained mentors are assigned to several schools and are in constant contact with the STEM classroom teacher. Through site visits and on-going conversations with the teacher, the mentor encourages, suggests and praises teachers, establishing a personal relationship,” he added.

Adam Jerozalim, a mentor with a Masters in Mechanical Engineering and several years of employment in private industry, explained that today most high school math and science teachers are not yet trained as STEM educators and the use of this cutting-edge methodology where the typical teacher-oriented classroom is transformed into active engagement in problem solving. “The mentorship program is a win for the teachers and a win for STEM,” he said. “It is phenomenal that Bramson ORT is able to make STEM education available to schools that otherwise would not have access.”

“It is absolutely eye-opening to see STEM education in action at TMM and Ezra Academy,” commented Lynn Leeb, Chair of the Board of Trustees of Bramson ORT. Each student is exposed to a new environment where he or she learns to work collaboratively, identify a problem, develop creative solutions (using multiple disciplines), and witness its application to today’s environment. Bramson Trustees are proud that they have the opportunity to be part of this true revolution.”

PHOTO CREDIT: ERAN ABRAMOVICH

Sh’or Yoshuv Chanukah Mesiba

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

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Around the Community

Sensitivity and Sensory Integration at Gesher

A

s Chanukah has passed the faculty of the Gesher Early Childhood Center have returned their focus to the parsha and the lessons learned from Yosef and his brothers In conjunction with Gesher’s unique social thinking curriculum many of the classes emphasized the story of Serach playing the harp as a way reducing the shock to Yaakov upon learning that Yosef was still alive. The children were eager to experience the different moods that

Rabbi Gedaliah Oppen, HAFTR High School’s Principal of Judaic Studies, visited his students and alumni who are learning this year in Israel. More than eighty percent of the graduating students choose to study in Israel before going on to college.

musical instruments can create and to understand how so many factors can affect one’s emotional environment. Just like Yaakov enjoyed the good news that he received, our students also enjoyed their new surprise.

Gesher recently received a large grant to upgrade the sensory gym and some of the new equipment has been installed.

The administration at Gesher continues to provide the best resources available to give its students the richest learning environment possible.

Spelling at HALB

D

uring Chanukah, HALB Middle School held its annual spelling bee. It proved to be a most challenging and enjoyable educational experience for our students. Along with the class bees that preceded it, the spelling bee provided a unique and valuable opportunity for our students to recognize the richness of words and language. Appreciation

is extended to Mrs. Wein, our General Studies principal, who planned and conducted the bee.

We congratulate all the participants. Our first place winner is 7th grader Ari Saffra. Our second place winner is Reuben Gampel, an 8th grader. Ari will move on to the local Scripps Spelling Bee.

I am fortunate to be at a stage of life in which I can freely give tzedakah, but this was a new level of giving.

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Around the Community

YOSS ECC Announces Food Drive

I

n connection with Parshas Vayigash and the concept that Yosef Hatzaddik took care of his brothers, the Yeshiva of South Shore Hollander Early Childhood Center

kicked off a food drive this week.

The assembly began with Rebbe Eli Herzberg introducing the boys to a tzadekes from our neighborhood, Mrs. Perry Kaye, from the Marion

and Aaron Gural JCC. Rebbe Eli told the boys that Mrs. Kaye’s job “is to do mitzvos all day.” Mrs. Kaye explained how lucky they are when they go to the supermarket with their parents and they are able to get an “extra snack.” She told them that there are children whose families may not have money for that extra snack. She asked the boys how they feel about that, and one child said,

“It makes me feel sad in my heart.”

Morah Elana Fertig and two Pre 1A boys presented Mrs. Kaye with bags of barley, which were left over from when they cooked soup a few weeks ago. Each of the classes will be collecting cans and boxed food to donate to the food pantry over the next few months. The boys are very excited to “help their brothers” like Yosef Hatzaddik.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

They Made Kiruv and Ahavas Yisroel a Household Word

By Reuven Gross

D

o I believe in miracles?

It was remarkable to see several people from Flatbush reciting not two but three brachos as they lit the menorah on the eighth and final night of Chanukah. “This was certainly the first time I’ve ever seen this,” commented an observer.

“I wasn’t sure if this was a minhag I wasn’t familiar with. Who says shehecheyanu on the last night of Chanukah?” he wondered. It certainly

was an oddity. Why didn’t these individuals say the shehecheyanu on the first night – or even on the second night – if for some reason, they missed the first night?

This observer was in a special home in Flatbush and chanced upon a miracle called BJX. Perhaps not a miracle of national importance and nothing that would make Americans draw in their collective breath, but not inconsequential either. The Levis were actually hosting the annual BJX Chanukah party for unaffiliated

young professionals and collegiate.

It was at this Chanukah party, on the last night of Chanukah, that a number of BJX students (living in our very own neighborhood), were introduced for the first time to Chanukah observance. They recited these brachos for their first time.

This is nothing short of miraculous, shelo al pi derech hatevah.

BJX is defying statistics and norms.

According to social scientists this Chanukah celebration shouldn’t have happened. Pew research reports that Jewish observance amongst secular young Jewish professionals and colligate is dwindling, not growing. The work of BJX and Rabbis Fingerer is incredible because BJX is succeeding against every statistic and prediction.

The BJX Chanukah party had everything from delicious food and door prizes, to music, an amazing magic performance and a game show style trivia contest with one team of five students winning a grand prize.

They also, of course, had inspiration from Rabbi Fingerer. One young man, David, was left so inspired that he decided to try out a full Shabbos experience. The BJX office arranged for him full accommodations for the Shabbos after Chanukah. These kind of surprising repercussions from a party are actually not at all surprising to the rabbis and faculty of BJX. “Students feel inspired and they are motivated to go up a notch in observance,” explained a BJX faculty member.

The Shabbos davening at BJX this past Shabbos was, as usual, packed.

Renowned Chazan Yitzy Litvintchouk led a rousing Carlebach davening.

With hundreds of shuls in the neighborhood, why do so many Flatbush families affiliate with BJX? One of the proud mispallelim shared, “I view it as the greatest zechus to daven in the Beis Medrash of BJX. There is no

place in my mind, second to the Kosel HaMaaravi,that has more kedusha and more zechusim. I have davened in the Beis HaMedrash, almost from its inception, and have witnessed so many outstanding accomplishments, mamash miracles. We never grow immune to seeing the marvelous, amazing, or astonishing in this shul.

Where else can you daven and learn and feel that the Shechina is smiling.”

This past Shabbos there were several firsts, befitting a shehechiyanu.

There was a student who received his first aliya, another student who had his first hagbah, and yet another student who did galilah for the first time in his life. A fellow who joined for Mincha and Shalosh Seudos walked all the way from Sheepshead Bay. A now familiar face walks in every Friday afternoon from Clarendon Road in East New York.

At the halacha shiur this Sunday, one fellow (now frum for a number of years and totally indistinguishable from your average Flatbush askan) astounded everyone present when he shared a confession, that he underwent a bris milah at a much later stage in life. He became frum and was learning in yeshiva but didn’t feel the Torah learning penetrating his mind.

He realized that it was because he didn’t have a kosher bris. The other baalei batim attending the shiur were flabbergasted to know that they daven in the company of someone who was so moser nefesh for Yiddishkeit.

BJX has brought great blessing and inspiration to our community.

They have made kiruv and ahavas Yisroel front and center in our neighborhood. Our perception of unaffiliated and less frum Jews or Yidden that are in pain and in need of chizuk has drastically changed. Following the sainted ways of their revered mentors, Rav Pam, zt”l, Rav Kahanow, zt”l, and Rav Belsky, zt”l, Rabbis Fingerer have shown us what it means to emulate Avrohom Avinu and love unconditionally. There are new communities of young Jews springing up right in Brooklyn, due to regentrification, that need spiritual infusions.

Hopefully, with the heimishe community’s support, BJX will be able to ignite Yiddishkeit in these neighborhoods and transform our fellow Jews’ lives too.

Do you believe in miracles?

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

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Around the Community

Shulamith Hosts Second Annual Father-Daughter Minyan

O

n December 25, the Middle Division of Shulamith School for Girls hosted a father-daughter minyan. Why is this news? In an all-girls school, students usually pray together with lots of singing but without the additions the community adds for public prayer. Last year, when Morah Shoshana Fischman and Morah Alisa Schreier were teaching hilchot

tefilla and devarim she’b’kedusha, they came up with the idea of holding a minyan so the learning could come to life. Fathers deeply appreciated the chance to participate at an event at school with their daughters.

When the minyan was such a great success, another one was planned for a day when many dads were off from work at secular jobs but yeshivot were open. With an impres-

sive turnout, Torah reading, and father-daughter bonding at a delicious breakfast sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Ely and Elisheva Baum, the event was appreciated by all.

Many thanks to all the fathers who participated and most especially to those who served as ba’al tefilla, ba’al koreh and gabbai of this exceptional minyan.

Mr. Dov Perlysky with his daughter, Avigail, grade 6

325-Year-Old Torah Shield Sells for $62,500 in Cedarhurst

J

. Greenstein and Co., dealers of fine antique Judaica and modern Jewish art, hosted their annual Chanukah auction on December 21, 2017.

A number of items fetched impressive hammer prices, including a 325 year-old Torah Shield that was sold for $62,500 as well as a Venetian Ketubah that fetched $23,700.

The Torah shield was made in Germany, c.

1690/1720 featuring handcut lattice work laid on a gilded background and decorated with double headed eagle, portion plaque holder and a crown.

Jonathan Greenstein, president and expert-incharge at J. Greenstein and Co., was recently featured on Good Day New York with his $1 million collection of rare

Torah shield

menorahs from Eastern Europe and Israel. He said in a comment, “I’ve auctioned items from the collections of Michael Steinhardt, Sammy Davis Jr, and Alan Dershowitz. I’ve seen some incredibly expensive examples of Jewish art pass through my auction house, but every year it never seems to get old. These

Ketube

objects fascinate me. It’s an honor to find their next home, whether in a museum in New York or a private collector on the other side of the globe.”

An early and large illuminated ketubah made in Venice in 1711 was sold for $23,700. The border is richly decorated with scroll-

Megillah

ing designs, birds, flowers, the mazalot, Jonah and the whale, and other period designs.

A rare and important gilded silver filigree megillah case with its original megillah from the period of the Ottoman Empire, 19th century was sold for $16,250.

The body is made of fine-

ly spun gilded filigree wire work. The megillah section is encased in original removable cover and is topped by a crown-shaped upper portion and coral finial.

J. Greenstein & Company, Inc., was founded in 2004 by antique Judaica expert Jonathan Greenstein. For over 30 years, since the age of 14, Jonathan has been the “go-to guy” when it comes to authenticating antique Judaica. The gallery holds a number of Judaica auctions each year and has collectors, museums and other institutions that purchase these ritual objects to build their collections of Jewish art. J. Greenstein & Company, Inc. Auction house is exceptionally well respected as experts in antique Judaica and Jewish Art.

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Picking Lottery Numbers and Other Lessons from Rav Binyamin By: A Five Towns Resident & Friend

I

was new to the community. On a Friday afternoon I stopped by the home of my Rav, Rabbi Simcha Lefkowitz, where I witnessed an unusual scene.

There in the living room sat his father-in-law, Rav Binyamin Kamenetzky, next to a phone and a phonebook.

It was clear he was in middle of making some phone calls.

A man with a heavy Israeli accent,

curly long hair and a large black velvet yarmulke propped on his head (which did not seem to belong to him) was repeatedly asking in a very loud tone and a very thick accent, “Eh...Rehbbi what’s the next number?” Rav Binyamin responded, “I’m thinking,” as his leaned his head on the table. After about 30 seconds or so, he lifted his head and with a confident voice said, “I got it. 50 like the year of Yovel.”

The man finished filling out his lottery ticket, gave Rav Binyamin a big hug, kissed his hand, and left. Rav Binyamin then continued making his erev Shabbos calls.

I was amazed watching this. After introducing myself, I asked Rav Binyamin what that was all about. He answered that this is what this Yid needed in order to make him happy and strengthen his emunah in Hashem. “I pick his numbers.”

The first lesson I learned that day was that nothing was beneath Rav Binyamin’s dignity. He had no problem bringing himself to anyone’s level, especially when it involved helping another Jew. The second lesson was the way he treated the man with full respect. It appeared to me like Rav Binyamin was really thinking hard, as if there was a big decision he needed to make. In reality, he was trying to find the right answer to make the man comfortable.

I was zocheh to meet Rav Binyamin 18 months or so before he passed away. It is one of the best things that happened to me. I feel like I was zocheh to have a friend that was a gadol b’Yisrael. A leader who accomplished so much. He was a tzaddik ben tzaddik.

Later, I learned that I was not the only one who felt this way. At Rav Binyamin’s levaya, it was clear that he had a long career of befriending Yidden that needed a friend.

On another occasion, Rav Binyamin stopped by my office with a mezuzah. He said he wanted to put it up on the front doorpost. He gave us a bracha and refused to take anything in return. Rav Binyamin explained that he put up mezuzahs in several local businesses and they were all successful. I

was very happy, but didn’t understand why he decided to do this, as my business was doing well.

In the following weeks, Rav Binyamin continued to introduce me to other businesspeople whom he called his “friends.” I was a little uncomfortable as I didn’t see the need. Fast forward six months later, and I needed all the help I could get. Rav Binyamin’s contacts turned out to be extremely helpful. One had a lot of experience and was a partner in a giant company in the same industry as my business.

He told me he would never have taken the time to talk to me, but since Rav Binyamin sent me, he went out of his way to help. It was as if Rav Binyamin knew something that I didn’t. His chizuk and his promises that “all will be good” now made a lot of sense. It definitely helped me get through one of my most difficult times.

When Rav Binyamin passed away, I felt like I lost a friend. I miss his stories, his dreams, and the difficult journeys to his accomplishments.

This past Shabbos Chanukah, I made a small kiddush to celebrate a recent neis that I experienced. I mentioned at the kiddush that what Rav Binyamin taught me was never give up and Hashem can make anything happen, even if we cannot see it. Even though Rav Binyamin accomplished more than we will ever be able to in one lifetime, he was always looking for the next big mitzvah and opportunity.

Even though he was over 90-yearsold, he still had that young twinkle in his eyes, ready for the next big thing.

May we all learn from this unique gadol, Rav Binyamin Kamenetzky, zt”l, how to be a “na’ar” and not let life’s hardships and disappointments break our spirit.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

TJH

Centerfold

You gotta be kidding

Morris goes on vacation and asks Harry to watch over his house. About a week later, Morris calls home and asks, “How’s my cat?”

“Your cat died,” Harry responds.

“Oy vey! You shouldn’t have broken the news to me like that! You should have done it slowly. The first time I called, you should have told me she was on the roof. The second time I called, you should have said there was no way to get her down. The third time I called, you should have told me that you tried to get her off the roof, but she fell down and died,” Morris says.

Harry apologizes and hangs up.

About a week later, Morris calls again and asks, “How’s my dog?”

There is a long silence and then Harry replies, “Well, he’s on the roof.”

 Answers

N

ine out of the following ten words were added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2017. What is the one word that was added a long time ago, before 2017?

- Binge-watch (V.) - Face-palm (V.) - First world problem (N.) - Humblebrag (V.) - Photobomb (V.) - Safe space (N.) - Side eye (N.) - Weak sauce (N.) - Yowza (Interj) - Schlemiel (N.)

 Answer Schlemiel

A

ccording to a Marist poll, the following five words received the most votes as most annoying words of 2017. Place the words in order of the votes they received for most annoying word.

- Fake news -” No offense, but…”

- ”You know what I mean?”

- Whatever - Literally

Whatever (33%) Fake news (23%) “No offense, but” (20%) Literally (11%) “You know what i mean?” (10%)

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

2017 Sports Trivia 1. Match their

the athlete with 2017 earnings:

Roger Federer

$80 million

Lionel Messi

$86.2 million

LeBron James

$93 million

Cristiano Ronaldo

$64 million

2.

Where did Usain Bolt finish in the final race of his career? a. First b. Second c. Third d. He didn’t finish 3. Who was the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for 2017? a. Russell Westbrook b. Steph Curry c. LeBron James

d. James Harden 4. Which horse won the 2017 Kentucky Derby on May 6th, 2017? a. Lookin At Lee b. Always Dreaming c. Classic Empire d. Battle of Midway 5. Which tennis player made it to 3 singles grand slam finals this year? a. Rafael Nadal b. Serena Williams c. Venus Williams d. Roger Federer 6. Which NHL team won the 2017 Stanley Cup finals against the Nashville Predators?

a. Columbus Blue Jackets b. Ottawa Senators c. Pittsburgh Penguins d. Washington Capitals 7. Who had the highest batting average in the MLB in the 2017 season? a. Buster Posey b. Giancarlo Stanton c. Jose Altuve d. Charlie Blackmon 8. Which pitcher had an ERA of 2.25, which was the lowest in the MLB in 2017? a. Clayton Kershaw b. Max Scherzer c. Corey Kluber d. Stephen Strasburg

 Answers

 Scorecard 7-8 correct: Mike Francesa left a vacancy at WFAN! Perhaps you can get the gig.

3-5 correct: You are Kknd of in the middle, but not in the Lionel Messi type of way.

0-2 correct: You probably don’t even know that Robert Mueller was the Super Bowl MVP in 2017.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo: $93 million; LeBron James: $86.2 million ; Lionel Messi: $80 million; Roger Federer: $64 million 2. D- In the final race of his career, which was the 4x100 meter relay at the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London, Bolt injured his left leg and crumpled to the track and was unable to fin-

ish the race.

3. A 4. B 5. A- Nadal was victorious at the U.S. Open and French Open but lost to Roger Federer at the Australian Open final.

6. C 7. C 8. C

Riddle me this?

There are four people sitting at a square table.

Their names are Mike, Al, Paul, and John.

Use the clues below to figure out who sits where at the table.

See answer to the right

Paul sits on the left of John and across from Mike.

• John is at the left of Mike.

• Mike sits on the right side of the table.

• Al is on the right of Mike.

• Where does Paul sit?

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Torah Thought

Parshas Vayechi

By Rabbi Berel Wein

T

he Torah in this week’s reading records for us the end of the Egypt of our patriarchs and matriarchs. The era ends on a note of serenity, family harmony and bountiful success. The Jewish family is enjoying the best that the Egyptian civilization and economy could offer. However, nothing in human life that is physical is permanent.

In a century or more, all of this

goodness and security will disappear, to be replaced by slavery, idolatry and the crushing of the Jewish spirit and body. Yaakov is aware through the divine spirit that has been restored to him that difficult times will come to visit his descendants. Yosef is also well aware that there are bad years ahead. In effect, he is reliving the interpretation of the dreams of Pharaoh that catapulted him to greatness and power.

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There will be a period of good years for his children and grandchildren in Egypt but they will be followed by years of persecution and slavery. So much so that the good years will be forgotten and only the bitter memories will remain and be etched in the Jewish psyche forever.

However, Yaakov promises his family that they will be redeemed and restored to the national and spiritual greatness, and that when that happens they should remove his remains from Egypt and bring him home with them to the land of Israel. This poignant request marks the defining final moment of the era of our patriarchs and matriarchs.

mafia style, sank it in the Nile River.

The Egyptians were not willing to let Joseph go, just as the Ukrainians today are not willing to let the remains of Rav Nachhman of Breslov leave Uman. After all, without Umann there really is very little tourist industry active in today’s Ukraine. How ironic it is that the Ukraine with its bloody history of anti-Semitism and Jewish persecution for centuries profits from the grave of a very Jewish leader and holy man! But I digress.

Yosef’s interpretations of the dreams of Pharaoh are meant to give us an insight into the progression of Jewish history throughout the ages. Even when we forgot what

No matter how dark the night of exile may be, eventually we will all return home to our promised land It becomes the symbol for all later generations: that no matter how dark the night of exile may be, eventually we will all return home to our promised land – even the bones of the dead will be brought back.

The Egyptians thought that they would hold the Jewish people in eternal slavery and that the bones of Joseph could be held as hostage to Jewish attempts to leave Egypt.

They embalmed him, placed his remains in a lead casket, and in true

our homeland looked like, when we felt like we wanted to go home we always knew where that home was located. Even when others lived in our home we still believed that the bones of Joseph and those of his descendants would guide us to our true home.

This perhaps the greatest legacy that Jacob and Joseph have left us and for all future generations. Both Yaakov and Yosef still live.

Shabbat shalom.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

From the Fire

Parshas Vayechi My Heart is in the East

By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

T

he parsha begins (Bereishis 47:28), “And Yaakov lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years and the days of Yaakov, the years of his life, were a hundred and forty-seven years.” Unlike every other parsha where there is a space in the Torah before the beginning of the parsha, parshas Vayechi is “closed.” In other words, the last word of the previous parsha and the first word of parshas Vayechi are adjacent to one another without any space between them. Rashi says, “Why is this parsha closed?

Because when Yaakov Avinu died, the eyes and hearts of the Jewish people were closed because of the

pain of the enslavement which they began to impose upon them.”

Many commentaries ask the following question about Rashi’s explanation: We know that the enslavement of the Jewish people did not begin until some time after Yaakov’s death. According to Rashi’s explanation, parshas Shemos should have been the closed parsha because the enslavement of the Jewish people did not begin until the beginning of parshas Shemos!

We have an additional question as well. Just before Yaakov’s death, he asked Yosef (ibid. at 29) to swear to him, “Do not bury me in Egypt.”

When Yosef agreed, the pasuk said

(ibid. at 31), “And Yisroel prostrated himself at the head of the bed.”

Once he was assured that he would be buried in Eretz Yisroel, he bowed down. He was then ready to die. We see that Yaakov valued burial in Eretz Yisroel so much that he was not ready to die until he knew that he would be buried there. With this in mind, let us study a somewhat perplexing Midrash (Bereishis Raba 47:5): It once happened that Rebbi [Yehuda Hanasi] and Rabbi Eliezer were walking by the gates outside Tiveria. They saw the coffin of a deceased person who was coming from out-

side Eretz Yisroel to be buried in Eretz Yisroel. Rebbi said to Rabbi Eliezer, “What does this accomplish? Since his soul departed outside of Eretz Yisroel and is coming to be buried in Eretz Yisroel, I say about him (Yirmiya 2:7), ‘You have made my heritage an abomination’ in your lifetimes, ‘and you came and contaminated My land’ in your death.” He [Rabbi Eliezer] said to him [Rebbi], “Because he is buried in Eretz Yisroel, Hashem atones for him, as it is written (Devarim 32:43), ‘And his land atones for him.’”

This Midrash is difficult to un-

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

derstand. Why does Rabbi Eliezer prove from a pasuk in Devarim that it is worthwhile to be buried in Eretz Yisroel even when one’s neshama passed into the next world outside of Eretz Yisroel? Why doesn’t he prove it from the fact that Yaakov wanted to be buried in Eretz Yisroel although he was about to die in Egypt?

In order to make sense of the foregoing questions, we must first study a famous teaching of the Baal Shem Tov. The sefer Tzava’as Harivash (Hanhagos Yesharos 69) quotes a brief but powerful teaching, “A person is where his thoughts are.” His grandson Reb Moshe Chaim Efrayim of Sudilkov expanded on this concept when he wrote (Degel Machaneh Ephraim, Parshas Bereishis), “It is known that wherever a person thoughts are, he is entirely there.” The Baal Shem Tov’s primary student, the Maggid of Mezritch is also quoted (Hanhagos Tzadikim 27) as saying, “Whatever place a person is thinking about, he is attached to that place.” This is one of the fundamental teachings of the Baal Shem Tov. We see the same idea based on a pasuk in Tehillim (87:5) which says, “And regarding Zion [Yerushalayim], it will be said, every man is born in her.” What does this mean?

Is every Jew who will ever live born in Yerushalayim? The Gemara (Kesubos 75a) explains the pasuk as follows: “One that is born there and one that longs to see it.” According to the Gemara, one who longs to see Yerushalayim is considered as if he was born there!

We have a beautiful teaching from Rabbi Chaim ben Betzalel, the brother of the Maharal (Sefer Hachaim and Geulas Yisroel, 1).

He explains that the Gemara (Kesubos 110b) which says, “Anyone who lives outside of Eretz Yisroel is compared to one who has no G-d” is not referring to those Jews who are filled with love and longing for the land and are always waiting to see it. According to Rabbi Chaim ben Betzalel, if one is longing and waiting to see Eretz Yisroel, it is as if he is already there! That is why he is not in the same category as one who truly lives outside of Eretz Yisroel

about whom the Gemara says that he is living without G-d.

It is known that Rav Kook, zt”l, was forced to live outside of Eretz Yisroel for several years during World War I because he was in Europe working for the welfare of the those living in Eretz Yisroel when the war broke out. During this period, while Rav Kook was serving as a Rav in England, Rav Yaakov Moshe Charlap, zt”l, Rav Kook’s closest student, wrote in a letter (Hod Harim, Letter 31) to Rav Kook that someone told him the following: “The soul of your Rebbe pines exceedingly to be at the Western Wall.

Sometimes, because of his great

return, and got as far as Beis El, the earth sprang toward him.” We learn from Yaakov Avinu that when a person longs for Yerushalayim, that Yerushalayim comes to him! A person truly is wherever a person’s thoughts are.

It is told that after davening one morning, Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev came over to someone in shul and said, “Welcome back from Leipzig! It’s good to have you back in Berditchev!” Confused because he had never been to Leipzig, the commercial capital of the region, the man replied, “But Rebbe, I’ve never been to Leipzig.” “What do you mean,” Reb Levi Yitzchak re-

Sometimes, because of his great longing, when he concentrates his soul on that place, it is as if he is by the Western Wall.

longing, when he concentrates his soul on that place, it is as if he is by the Western Wall. His soul actually comes there and draws all of his ideas from that place.” These mekubalim knew through their Divine inspiration that because Rav Kook’s thoughts were entirely focused on Eretz Yisroel, it is as if he was actually there.

Rav Yaakov Moshe also wrote (Mei Marom 5, p. 84) that Yaakov Avinu paved the way for his children so that even when they were in exile, if they would only long to be in Eretz Yisroel, Mount Moria, the place of the Holy of Holies, it would come to them. And within the darkness of their exile, the shining light of the redemption would light their way. Yaakov Avinu felt that he wished he was in Eretz Yisroel at the site of the future Beis Hamikdash when he said (Rashi on Bereishis 28:17), “Is it possible that I passed by the place where my fathers davened and I did not daven there?” Rashi continues that, “As soon as he made up his mind to

plied, “Just now, during Shemonah Esrei, you were strolling through the streets of Leipzig!” A person truly is where his mind is.

We are accustomed to Rashi’s explanation that parshas Vayechi is a “closed” parsha indicates that there was some deficiency in the Jewish people because of Yaakov Avinu’s death. But perhaps we can explain, based on the above, that there is no separation between parshas Vayechi and the prior parsha for a different reason. Because Yaakov’s thoughts were just as focused on Eretz Yisroel after he came to Egypt as they were when he lived in Eretz Yisroel, there was no separation between the Yaakov Avinu who physically lived in Egypt and the Yaakov Avinu who lived in Eretz Yisroel. That is why there is no separation between parshas Vayechi and the previous parsha, Vayigash.

That is also why Rabbi Eliezer was unable to prove from Yaakov Avinu that even one who dies outside of Eretz Yisroel benefits from

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being buried in Eretz Yisroel. Because Yaakov’s thoughts were fixed on Eretz Yisroel, he never truly left.

He could therefore not be used as an example of one who is buried in Eretz Yisroel after living in exile.

Yaakov never really lived in Egypt!

Rav Kook taught the most beautiful thing along these lines (Oros, Eretz Yisroel): “The true encouragement and Jewish ideal in exile only comes from the depth of the desire for Eretz Yisroel… Longing for salvation is the preservation of Judaism in exile… And in the Judaism of Eretz Yisroel, [longing for Eretz Yisroel] is the salvation itself.”

Let us conclude this thought with a few lines from Rebbi Nosson’s tefillos (Likutei Tefilos 84, 105) regarding Eretz Yisroel, which capture the true essence of longing for Eretz Yisroel in the most powerful way: “Hashem, Hashem, merciful and compassionate G-d, patient and abundant in kindness and truth,” in Your great compassion, cause me and all of Israel to long, pine, desire, and want to come to Eretz Yisroel until I merit, in Your great mercy and powerful kindness to actualize my desire and will to go, travel, and come peacefully to Eretz Yisroel, quickly, speedily, and hastily. You know how much I must be in Eretz Yisroel, in the Holy land… Help me always desire, long, and pine to come to Eretz Yisroel. May I merit to draw upon myself the holiness of Eretz Yisroel all of the time and through this, may I merit perfect faith, to believe completely in Your providence at all times…

May even those of us who do not merit to live in Eretz Yisroel merit to desire and long for Hashem’s salvation and Eretz Yisroel so that it will be our true place now, and with the coming of Moshiach and the complete redemption, may it be soon in our days.

Rav Moshe Weinberger, shlita, is the founding Morah d’Asrah of Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, NY, and has served as Mashpia in Yeshiva University since 2013.

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Between the Lines

Yissachar & Zevulun Bros. Inc.

By Eytan Kobre

Our success has really been based on partnership since the very beginning.

-Bill Gates

I

n 1948, brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald converted their makeshift barbeque stand into the first “McDonald’s” self-service drive-thru in San Bernardino, California. Although quite successful, it was one restaurant serving one community.

Six years later, a man named Ray Kroc mortgaged his home and invested his life’s savings to become the exclusive distributor of a five-spindled milkshake maker called the Multimixer. He heard about the McDonald’s hamburger drive-thru in California running eight Multimixers simultaneously. So he packed up his car and headed west.

Kroc, who had never seen so many people served so quickly, walked right up to the two brothers and offered them a simple idea: open more McDonald’s restaurants because Kroc was sure that he could sell eight of his Multimixers to every one of them.

When the McDonald boys asked who would run the other chains, Kroc volunteered. And, in 1955, Kroc opened the first McDonald’s franchise chain in Des Plaines, Illinois.

The rest is history. Kroc built McDonald’s into a nationwide and

eventually global franchise, making it the most successful fast food corporation in the world. Today, there are nearly 25,000 McDonald’s locations in 116 countries.

Kroc understood what Yissachar and Zevulun understood thousands of years earlier: the power of partnership.

In the Yissachar-Zevulun partnership, Zevulun dwelled seaside and engaged in trade to support Yissachar, who devoted all his time to Torah learning (Bereishis 49:13; Bereishis Rabba 99:9). In exchange for that support, Zevulun receives the very reward

merited to be the third to offer sacrifices at the Mishkan’s dedication because of its role in enabling Yissachar’s Torah study; and when Yissachar later produced two hundred heads of the Sanhedrin, Zevulun was given the credit (Bamidbar Rabba 13:17).

Similarly, the Tanna named “Shimon brother of Azarya” was referred to by his brother’s name because his brother supported him (Rashi, Sota 21a; Vayikra Rabba 25:2; Zevachim 1:1; Taharos 8:7).

When R’ Chaim of Volozhin’s students were reluctant to enter into Yissachar-Zevulun agreements because

The father answered only, “Who knows who is supporting whom?”

coming to Yissachar.1 As in any partnership, one partner or the other is liable to feel put-upon or a sense of primacy – and the Yissachar-Zevulun partnership is not immune to such views.

The Zevulun partner has ample reason to take credit for the partnership’s success; after all, without support there can be no Torah learning. So in Moshe Rabbeinu’s final blessings, for example, Zevulun is mentioned before Yissachar on account of its support (Rashi, Devarim 33:18). Zevulun

they did not wish to play second fiddle to their benefactors, R’ Chaim accused them of learning Torah not for its own sake but merely for the sake of reward (Etz HaChaim 18). The Maharsha (R’ Shmuel Eidels), in contrast, famously adopted the last name Eidels from his mother-in-law on account of her support of his Torah learning.

The Torah is life not only to those who study it but also to those who support those who study it (Tanchuma, Vayechi 11; Vayikra Rabba 25:1). So when one supports Torah learning, “it

is considered as if he had studied,” and the partners “split the reward” (Rama, Yoreh Dei’ah 246:1). And not only that, the very Torah knowledge acquired as a result of one’s support will be comprehended by the benefactor in the World to Come (Shemiras Halashon, Sha’ar HaTorah, Chapter 6; Piskei Teshuvos, No. 156 n. 236).

The Chofetz Chaim related how R’ Chaim of Volozhin was particularly fond of one particular benefactor who underwrote the yeshiva’s financial commitments. In return for his support, R’ Chaim undertook to learn in his merit after the benefactor passed away. Immediately upon the benefactor’s passing, R’ Chaim began to study Masechta Taharos as a merit for his soul. But before long, R’ Chaim encountered a difficult Mishna, and, while grappling to understand it, he fell asleep. The deceased benefactor appeared to R’ Chaim in a dream and explained the difficult Mishna in brilliant manner. R’ Chaim awoke in shock. “I knew that Torah benefactors would become scholars in the World to Come – but I did not realize it would happen so quickly!”

Still, nothing can achieve the unequalled satisfaction of actual learning.

When R’ Aharon Kotler met with prominent benefactors, he would discuss the importance of, and the reward for, supporting Torah learners, describing how the “Zevulun” partner would sit beside the “Yissachar” partner in the World to Come.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

One major donor could not help but question R’ Aharon. “If the Rosh Yeshiva is correct, then is it not true that I don’t need to set aside time for my own Torah learning?”

“You are indeed guaranteed an exalted place in the World to Come,” replied R’ Aharon. “But what about this world? Don’t you want to experience the utter joy of Torah study?”

But, just as those who study Torah must never downplay the role of their benefactors, it would be an equally grievous mistake for Torah benefactors to lord themselves over the Torah learners.

Indeed, while it appeared that the Levi’im carried the Aron through the Jewish people’s desert travels (Bamidbar 7:9), it was actually the Aron that carried the Levi’im (Sota 35a).

Because, as is often the case, it seems that benefactors are supporting Torah study; in reality, however, it is Torah study that supports the benefactors.

The residents of a small town once sought a recommendation from R’

Yitzchak Elchonon Spector, the Kovno Rov, to fill the position of rabbi of their town. R’ Yitzchak Elchonon obliged.

When the townspeople approached the young scholar recommended by R’ Yitzchak Elchonon, however, the young man noted that his father-inlaw was supporting him and he would have to ask permission to leave. Not wanting his son-in-law (and his daughter) to leave for a small town post, the father-in-law promised to increase his support and insisted that the job offer be declined.

The same episode repeated itself a year later with a mid-size town seeking a new spiritual leader: R’ Yitzchak Elchonon suggested the same young scholar, who again asked his father-inlaw, who gave them the same answer: no.

Some time later, a contingent from a major city came to R’ Yitzchak Elchonon seeking to fill the prestigious position of rabbi of their city. As with the prior searches, R’ Yitzchak Elchonon sent them to the same young scholar.

But when they were met with the same answer as on the previous occasions, the wife challenged her father. “How long can you support us? The time has come for us to be on our own.” The father answered only, “Who knows who is supporting whom?”

The young couple set out for the big city a short while later. But no sooner did they reach the outskirts of town than a messenger approached with stunning news: her father had just passed away.

*

*

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Their partnership was so complete that neither considered itself primary.

They were so equal that they operated as one (Ba’al HaTurim, Bamidbar 2:7).

As in any true partnership, the question of primacy is flawed: each side ought to regard the other as the primary source of success. Because, as Italian businessman Giovanni Bisignani puts it, “If one of the partners in a partnership is losing his shirt while the other is counting his money, it is no longer a partnership.”

*

So who is the primary partner in the Yissachar-Zevulun relationship?

The “Yissachar” or the “Zevulun”? The “learner” or the “earner”?

In listing the desert encampments of the Jewish tribes, most are joined to the immediately following or preceding tribe with the letter “vav” – the conjunctive “and” connoting separation. The tribes of Yissachar and Zevulun, however, are not joined by the conjunctive “and” (Bamidbar 2:7).

1 Because it is not charity but a bona fide partnership, the arrangement is subject to detailed formalities and rules that exceed the scope of this article (Yoma 35b; Igros Moshe, Yoreh Dei’ah 4:37; Responsa of Maharam Alashkar 101; Yoreh Dei’ah 246:1; Avkas Rochel 2 [R’ Yosef Karo]).

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

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

The Observant Jew

Investment Strategies

By Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz

W

ho doesn’t want to be rich? I mean, I know, there were gedolim who didn’t want themselves or their children to have to face the challenge of having more money than they know what to do with, but most of us are ready to sign up for that test and we won’t even care that we didn’t get a chance to study.

People will always find ways that they are sure will help them strike it rich, whether it’s a lottery ticket, the right job, that fantastic product that everyone will want to buy, or the stock that’s going to skyrocket.

Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot about bitcoin. It’s very possible that by the time you read this the investing fad in bitcoin will be over, but let’s work with what we have now.

Bitcoin is cryptocurrency (I don’t know what that means) and is some sort of decentralized virtual money created by computers and agreed to by users across the world. No gold or silver, no nickel or copper, just binary digits chomping away and creating bitcoins that people are supposed to use instead of cash on the Internet. While most people would be as clueless as I am about its nature, that doesn’t stop them from trading it on exchanges and pontificating about what a great investment it is and how if you understand the market you can make a killing.

Just under $1,000 at the beginning of 2017, bitcoins grew to values of nearly 20 times that by mid-December. People have been all excit-

ed about it and, even though it just took a nosedive, folks are suggesting it’s a good time to buy more. Kind of makes me wish I’d brought my tulips (in 1643 – look it up).

The thing is, people are ready to invest in things they don’t understand and yet they don’t focus on opportunities they could understand at least somewhat that would bring them a much better return on invest-

and puts and shorting a stock. When you trade in zechusim and bitachon instead of stocks and bonds you can increase your portfolio exponentially with little effort.

I recall a story about R’ Yaakov Yosef Herman, a devout Jew who lived in America in the early 20th century, recounted by his daughter Ruchoma Shain in her book, All for the Boss.

Rabbi Herman would go to the local

The savviest of investors know how to work the system to really cash in.

ment. For example, though technically they are another invisible currency, mitzvos actually are more real than bitcoin.

We don’t know what mitzvos do to the Universe, but they are the will of Hashem and have the effect of making us better people. Many are better for society, like not murdering, moving boundaries, or stealing, while others refine our character, such as not bearing a grudge, not speaking lashon hara, and being charitable.

Then you have the added bonus that there is a reward promised later on.

Though we all know this and likely take advantage of some of these opportunities, the savviest of investors know how to work the system to really cash in. Forget about calls

bakery each morning and ask if he could light his cigarette from their oven. While there, he would throw a cigarette into the fire, thus helping to heat the oven and halachically making all the breads produced that day pas Yisroel, bread baked by a Jew. It struck me that I could use this same concept of making a small investment for a large return. Let’s say I teach someone some Torah, inspire them to do something better, perform some act of kindness, or even just smile at them and brighten their day. I’ve altered the trajectory of their life however slightly, and now any good deeds they do or Torah they learn I will have a share in!

The Gemara says that when R’ Akiva’s wife came to see him, the

students who didn’t know she was his wife tried to prevent her from approaching. R’ Akiva told them, “Leave her alone. All [the Torah] that is mine, and all [the Torah] that is yours is hers.” Why? Because she was the one who suggested to R’ Akiva that he go study Torah. This woman, who sacrificed so much to get her husband to learn Torah gets the reward for tens of millions of people learning Torah for millennia. That is quite a return on investment!

If you want to get rich with just money, I can’t suggest anything other than remembering that if you think you know how to make money, Hashem steps back to let you try it on your own. If you trust in Him, you’ll never know want. Money comes and goes and it’s decided before we’re born whether we’ll be rich or poor.

However, if you want to make a fortune that will last for eternity and be able to enjoy ongoing growth, find ways to invest in others. It will pay dividends for a long, long, time.

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 28, 2017

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

‎My Israel Home

The State of Jerusalem Real Estate

By Gedaliah Borvick

O

ver the past few months, numerous articles have been written analyzing recent Jerusalem real estate sales data. Curiously, there has been a lack of agreement regarding how to interpret the statistics.

A recent report on real estate sales activity in the third quarter of 2017 (3Q17) produced many interesting findings. This study focused on sales of 3-bedroom apartments, as they represent most of the housing units in the country. Comparing the third quarter to the previous quarter, Jerusalem home prices rose by 3%. However, 3Q17 Jerusalem sale prices were 5% lower than in 3Q16.

And to confuse matters just a bit, Jerusalem sales activity in 3Q17 slowed down by 15% compared to 2Q17, and by a whopping 45% compared to 3Q16.

The dramatic decline in transactions would lead one to believe that the real estate market is not functioning normally, and that this slowdown may reflect a slight market downturn.

However, the fact that Jerusalem sales prices have remained strong despite the significant downturn in sales volume – two seemingly incongruous results – cries out for greater analysis. Accordingly, we decided to dig down into the numbers to understand why sales volume in 3Q17 was an astounding 45% lower than in 3Q16.

Sales quarters are based on the Gregorian calendar, and the third quarter is comprised of July, August and September. The Jerusalem sales market basically shuts down for almost a month during the fall holiday season, starting a few days before Rosh Hashana and concluding after Sukkot. In 2016, Rosh Hashana fell out on October 2nd, so the holiday market slowdown affected the fourth quarter sales data. This year, however, Rosh Hashana fell out on September 20th, so the market slowdown affected two weeks in September, or one sixth of the third quarter.

That explains almost 20% of the 45% slowdown. But what about the other 25%? How do we make sense of

the disparity of sales between 3Q16 and 3Q17?

Unfortunately, there has been significantly less quality housing stock for sale in 2017 compared to previous years. In addition, fewer new projects hit the market this year, compared to the past few years. Due to this shortage of existing properties and new projects for sale, no one in the Jerusalem real estate industry was surprised to see the data verifying our collective hunch that sales volume has slowed down considerably.

Because of the dearth of good housing units for sale, we are witnessing fairly-priced quality apartments selling at a brisk pace. This correlates with our success in marketing Ramat Baka, in which about 40% of the apartments in this project that is under construction were sold before the shovel ever hit the ground. Similarly, we are just now starting a quiet presales program for a new luxury project situated in arguably Jerusalem’s best location, and our initial efforts have garnered very strong interest.

Lastly, well-priced existing apartments for sale have been gobbled up quickly, which corresponds with the advice that we are currently giving clients: If you find a property that meets your needs and is priced fairly, go for it. As demand outstrips housing supply, good deals are not hanging around for long.

One last thought about the recent data: The fact that prices have not escalated, despite the scarcity of product, indicates that the decade-long market trend of Jerusalem prices spiraling ever higher has waned, and we are happy to see this. We view the current market status, where buyers are more patient and discerning, as a welcome change which bodes well for the industry’s long-term health and stability.

Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home (www.myisraelhome.com). Gedaliah will be in the U.S. the week of January 7th, launching pre-sales for a magnificent Jerusalem project. For more information, contact him at gborvick@gmail.com.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

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YEAR IN REVIEW

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OCTOBER 29,28, 2015 | The Jewish Home DECEMBER 2017 | The Jewish Home

#

Big Numbers of 2017 2017 Y E A R IN REV IEW

$758,700,000 “I will not be coming back,” said Mavis Wanczyk, 53, of Massachusetts, to her boss on August 24 after she won the largest single lottery jackpot ever in the United States: the $758.7 million Powerball. Wanczyk opted for the lump sum payment of $480 million, or $336 million after taxes. How do I get on her holiday gift list?

(ATL) 28--(NE) 3 Score of the 51st Super Bowl in the waning moments of the 3rd quarter before Tom Brady led the New England Patriots to the largest comeback in Super Bowl history. Brady & Co. completed the stunning victory with a 34-28 overtime win, leading to an awkward moment when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had to present the MVP trophy to Tom Brady, who had been suspended for the first four games of the season because of Deflategate.

Two-hundred-andfifty-thousand The amount of people the media claims were at President Trump’s inauguration

A million-and-a-half The amount of people President Trump observed at his inauguration. “We caught [the media] in a beauty, and I think they’re going to pay a big price,” quipped President Trump the day after his inauguration, during a speech at the CIA

1Vote Margin of victory by Democrat Shelly Simonds over Republican David Yancey in the November race for the 94th Virginia House of Delegates seat. After a painstaking recount of the 23,215 votes cast, the final tally was 11,608 for Simonds to 11,607 for Yancey. You see? Every vote really counts.

Jewish Home | OCTOBER 2015 TheThe Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28,29, 2017

Big Numbers of 2017 2017 Y E A R IN REV IEW

129°F

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#

14,000

Amount of homes damaged or destroyed by the California wildfires in 2017

Temperature in the Iranian city of Ahvaz on June 29

$100,000,000,000 That’s one hundred billion – with a B. Before his fortune dipped to a meager $98.6 billion, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ worth in November skyrocketed to $100 billion when stock prices of the company he founded soared. Bezos, who surpassed Bill Gates this year as the world’s richest man, made an estimated $35 billion in 2017. Keep ordering those Amazon packages!

33 Trillion Gallons Total rainfall from Hurricane Harvey which dumped torrents of rain across the United States. This number incorporates the rainfall not only in Texas and Louisiana but also in Tennessee and Kentucky, which also experienced flooding.

$6 Billion The amount Saudi authorities are demanding from Saudi Prince alWaleed bin Talal to free him from detention on charges of corruption.

Prince al-Waleed – who is estimated to be worth $18.7 billion, making him the wealthiest person in the Middle East – is trying to negotiate his terms of release to include him staying at the helm of his company.

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Which one of these children needs Chai Lifeline?

(Hint: They all do.)

Chai Lifeline is renowned for the care and love it bestows on children fighting cancer. But that’s only the beginning.

Chai Lifeline serves thousands of children with medical challenges that aren’t evident on the outside, everything from Crohns Disease to cystic fibrosis to heart disease and illnesses so rare only a handful of children have been diagnosed. And still, that’s only the beginning.

Chai Lifeline includes siblings and parents, too, with programs geared towards the entire family.

We care for more than 5,000 children and their families around the world and across the street.

Chances are, you know them. They just don’t look sick.

Whenever, wherever we’re needed, Chai Lifeline is there.

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

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Big Numbers of 2017 2017 Y E A R IN REV IEW

5,000

185 MPH

Amount Dow Jones industrial average grew in 2017, making its biggest annual point gain ever

Hurricane Irma’s peak wind speed, making it the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the open Atlantic

113 Years Old Age of Auschwitz survivor Israel Kristal, who was world’s oldest man when he died on August 11

$587 Amount 2,000 unemployed citizens of Finland are now being paid under a two-year, nationwide pilot program, which began on January 1, 2017. The income will replace their existing social benefits and will be paid even if they find work

$13.7 Billion Amount paid by Amazon for Whole Foods. On its first day of ownership, on August 28, Amazon cut prices by as much as 43% on many products.

Love those avocadoes

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DECEMBER29, 28,2015 2017| The | TheJewish JewishHome Home OCTOBER

Came & Went in 2017 CAME

2017 Y E A R IN REV IEW

BITCOIN: Although the world’s largest cr y ptocurrency has been around since 2008, it was in 2017 that its value skyrocketed. In January, Bitcoin was trading at approximately $968 per coin. By mid-December it was $19,393 per coin. Is it a bubble? Stay tuned.

After reaching its high, the cryptocurrency shed a third of its value, but it still soared more than 1,000% since the start of the year. This is good news for Tyler and Cameron Winklevos. The 36-year-old identical twins, who were paid a $45 million settlement by Facebook after they claimed that Mark Zuckerberg stole their idea, began investing in Bitcoin in 2012, when each coin was worth $10. Today, they are “Bitcoin billionaires.”

NEIL GORSUCH: On April 8, Justice Neil Gorsuch filled the seat of conservative stalwart Antonin Scalia who died suddenly in 2016, tipping the balance of the Supreme Court back towards conservatism. According to the Martin-Quinn scores, which measures the Supreme Court justices on an ideological continuum, Justice Gorsuch falls between Justice Roberts (conservative but closer to the center) and Justice Alito (conservative but closer to the right).

NFL PROTESTS: In response to President Trump – at a rally in September – calling out a smattering of NFL protestors who made it a practice of kneeling during the national anthem, dozens of NFL players became “social justice warriors” and began kneeling during the pre-game national anthem. This display of disdain for the country that made those very “protestors” into millionaires resulted in a precipitous decline in NFL ratings.

EMMANUEL MACRON: On May 14, Emmanuel Macron took office as France’s youngest-ever president. The gap-

WENT

toothed 39-year-old is known as a centrist. According to political observers, the young leader has his eye on being one of the leaders of the free world. When President Trump pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement, a sanctimonious Macron tweeted, “Make Our Planet Great Again.” The very busy president became even busier in August when his cellphone number was leaked, and he was bombarded by calls from the public.

CONFEDERATE STATUES: After a rally in Virginia to protest against the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee resulted in the death of a counter-protestor in August, many other cities across the United States began removing Confederate statues and monuments. Century-old statues of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, Thomas, J. “Stonewall” and even the unknown “Old Joe” Confederate soldier were torn down. Statue-removal mania, predictably, has gone way beyond figures of the Confederacy and any statue that anyone deems offensive is at risk.

After New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito called for the removal of the Columbus Circle 76-foot structure honoring Christopher Columbus, Mayor Bill de Blasio assembled a task force to determine which statues around New York City are “offensive.”

BARACK OBAMA: Perhaps more important than Donald J. Trump being sworn into office on January 20 - President Barack Obama left office on that day. President Obama is responsible for the Iran deal which all but guarantees that within a few years Iran will have nuclear weapons.

According to a recent bombshell report in Politico, Mr. Obama allowed the terrorist organization Hezbollah to make billions of dollars off flooding the United States with cocaine because he didn’t want to jeopardize his relationship with Iran, which backed Hezbollah. During his years in office, Obama openly showed his disdain for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and in one of his final substantial acts in office enabled the passage of a UN resolution condemning Israel. Domestically, he passed Obamacare which is in the process of destroying private health insurance in the U.S.; he nearly doubled the national debt; and, during his years in office, the economy never had a year of 3% growth, which is the historical rate of growth for the U.S. economy.

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Came & Went in 2017

BARNUM & BAILEY CIRCUS: The “Greatest Show on Earth” — the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus — closed for good in New York on May 21, ending a 146-year run. When, due to mounting criticism from animal rights groups, Ringling Bros. phased out the elephant act, its ticket sales dropped precipitously, leading to the business decision to close down the show. “As of May the saddest show on earth for wild animals will end,” crowed People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. “Thirty-six years of PETA protests, of documenting animals left to die, beaten animals, and much more, has reduced attendance to the point of no return.” Score one for the militant left.

CAME & WENT

WENT

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JAMES COMEY: On May 9, President Trump canned FBI Director James Comey. The six-foot-eight FBI director had been in the news for the better part of a year before his firing and stuck his head into the presidential elections in a peculiar fashion. Many suspect that Comey saw himself as the new Herbert Hoover and had designs on controlling Washington from his perch at the FBI. But it turns out that he was as flakey as he seemed. After being fired by Mr. Trump, Comey, who was appointed Director of the FBI by President Obama in 2013, testified that when the president asked him not to investigate former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn because “he is a nice guy,” Comey was intimidated and felt like President Trump was obstructing justice. Comey admitted leaking information to the media which ultimately led to the appointment of Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller. Yes, you can be the six-foot-eight director of the FBI and still be a crybaby!

ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI: Scaramucci made a big splash when he was hired as the White House Communications Director on July 21. Over the next nine days Scaramucci, who refers to himself as “The Mooch,” shook up the White House and took on other officials like a bull in a china shop. He called a reporter for the New Yorker to unload on then-White House Chief of Staff Reince Preibus and then-Senior Advisor to the President Steve Bannon. In his profanity-laced call he also railed about White House leakers. During those nine days Scaramucci was so dedicated to the president’s success that while his wife was giving birth to their first child, he sent out a tweet of himself flying along with the president on Air Force One. And then, on the tenth day of his job at the White House, Scaramucci was fired, ensuring that he will forever be a question on Jeopardy: “This person had the shortest ever tenure as White House Communications Director.”

SOLAR ECLIPSE: After weeks of countdowns and hype, “The Great American Eclipse” took place on August 21. What exactly took place?

Well, if you didn’t have eclipse glasses the only thing that happened was that you spent several hours petrified that if you looked up at the sky you would go blind. And if you did have the eclipse glasses, well, you were treated to a celestial spectacular sight. The next total solar eclipse in the U.S. will be on April 8, 2024. Keep those glasses!

FIDGET SPINNERS: These germ-riddled finger-toys became the craze in the spring of 2017. Although fidget spinners have been around for years, mostly used by kids with autism or attention disorders to help them concentrate, they exploded in popularity and could be purchased at every gas station and 7-Eleven for a few dollars…or in the Five Towns for twenty dollars! And then, just like that, they were “out.” Now, abandoned fidget spinners – with their weights gauged out – sit like shipwrecks at the bottom of toy chests across the United States.

SEAN SPICER: In his maiden briefing as press secretary for the new president one day after the inauguration, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer took to the Brady Briefing Room to berate the media for claiming that there were less people at President Trump’s inauguration than at President Obama’s. “That was the largest audience to witness an inauguration, period. Both in person and around the globe,” declared Mr. Spicer. With that America was introduced to the not-so-silver-tongued press secretary who became known as “Spicey” after a satirical depiction of him on Saturday Night Live. On July 21, Spicer resigned when Anthony Scaramucci — “The Mooch” — effectively became his boss as the White House Communications Director. Hmm...if only he had held out for ten more days.

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That Cost How Much?

2017 Y E A R IN REV IEW

34,000,000 was paid for a 163-carat flawless D-colored diamond, sold at a Christie’s auction in Geneva in November.

The jewel was cut from a rough 404-carat stone discovered last year in Angola, the biggest diamond ever found in that country. The necklace is made of 18 diamonds on one side and two rows of pearshaped emeralds on the other. It took a team of 10 specialists more than 1,700 hours to create the piece of jewelry. D is the highest color grade attributed to a diamond, indicating that the stone is completely colorless, and thus extremely rare. Shhh…don’t tell my wife yet; saving it for our next anniversary.

300,000,000

The price paid for a French chateau west of Paris, Chateau Louis XIV, described as the world’s most expensive home. The 57-acre plot includes a moat with a transparent underwater chamber so that visitors can enjoy the sight of koi carp swimming past and iPhone controlled waterfalls. The mansion was sold in 2015. So why are we talking about it in 2017? Well, the mysterious purchaser was only uncovered several weeks ago. Who is it? Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Yes, the same crown prince that recently had dozens of members of the Saudi elite including princes, ministers and tycoons locked up in Riyadh’s 5-star Ritz Carlton hotel as part of an anti-corruption campaign. Seems like he can’t afford to share the wealth.

2,700,000,000 Amount Google was fined in June by the European Union for manipulating search results in favor of its own shopping service.

Google denies the allegations which led to the fine which is equal to 2.5% of its total 2016 revenue. Google search: “Is it permissible to pay EU fines in pennies?”

450,312,500

Winning bid at a Christie’s of New York auction in November for Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi, shattering the record for the most expensive artwork ever sold. The authenticity of the 26-inch tall painting is questioned by some, however, a majority of scholars believe beyond doubt that it is genuine. In 1958 the painting was sold by Christie’s for just $60. Yes, you read that correctly. At the time, it was believed to be painted by a follower of da Vinci. But in 2005, after careful analysis, documentation, and restoration by a number of scholars, it was determined that the work was unequivocally a da Vinci created 500 or so years ago. The bidding went on for a whole 19 minutes before an anonymous buyer on the phone won the bidding war. And I’m hesitant to order my Chinese food over the phone?!

17,800,000

Winning bid in October at New York auction house Phillips for a Rolex Daytona that used to belong to actor Paul Newman, setting a new world record for a wristwatch sold at auction.

The anonymous bidder will now get to tell time on the timepiece that Newman wore every day from 1969 to 1984. Um, why does my chosson watch smell like old sweat?

15,620,000 Paid at a Bonham’s auction house in August for a 1995 McLaren F1. This preowned vehicle is one of seven F1s out of a total 106 which were made that are street-legal in the United States.

The sports car, which boasts a 3.2-second sprint to 60, had less than 10,000 miles on it when sold to an anonymous buyer. I just figured that my kid doesn’t need anything more than a pre-owned 1995 car to get back and forth from school.

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Broken Records 2017 Y E A R IN REV IEW a better place!); and battling smog from forest fires. Coming soon: Bike 4 Chai, globe edition!

he was “over the moon” after the jump. He was joined on his venture by his daredevil offspring: son Bryan, age 74; grandson Roger, age 50; great-granddaughter Ellie, age 21; and great-grandson, Stanley, age 16.

The family that skydives together stays together.

Well, There’s Waldo On October 8, the largest gathering of people dressed as Waldo was achieved at a Japanese theme park when 4,626 Waldo fans showed up for the record breaking gathering dressed in red and white bobble hats, red and white striped shirts, blue jeans, and glasses. Psychologists are trying to figure what causes “Wanna-be-Waldo syndrome”

Tallest Sandcastle An international team of sand artists built the world’s tallest sandcastle in Germany this year. After nearly one month of construction, the sandcastle was complete on September 1 and was 54-feet and 9-inches high. 3,500 tons of sand was used to create sand models of tourist attractions such as Athens’ Acropolis, Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Castles made of sand fall in the sea, eventually.

Not Your Ordinary Handstand Mark Kenny, 55, of Plymouth, Massachusetts, accomplished a world record on July 27 when he walked 16.4 feet while pulling a Mini Cooper. Ow, and he was walking on his hands. He had a chain around his waist to pull the car (yeah, that’s how I do it too). The muscleman, who works for the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission, said about his ability to drag heavy things while walking on his hands, “I just kept doing it.” Hmm...I think I know what he does with that confiscated liquor!

The World in 80 Days On September 18, British ultra-endurance cyclist Mark Beaumont became the first person to bike around the globe in under 80 days when he finished an around-theworld trip on his cycle in 78 days, 14 hours and 40 minutes. To achieve this record, Beaumont biked 240 miles a day and biked an average of 16 hours a day. The 18,000-mile journey brought challenges such as riding through sub-zero temperatures; taking a fall in Russia which required emergency dental treatment (couldn’t have happened in

And I’m Freefallin’…

On May 14, Bryson William Verdun Hayes, a British World War II veteran, became the oldest skydiver ever. At 103 years and 38 days old, the free-spirited centenarian beat out the former record holder who was three days younger when he accomplished his feat. Hayes, who yelled “hooray!” upon landing, said

NEEDS HIS NUGGS.” This desperate tweet by Carter Wilkinson – for chicken nuggets – became the most retweeted tweet ever. The Nevada teenager’s tweet was retweeted more than 3,600,000 times, earning the scrawny teen free chicken nuggets from Wendy’s for a year.

In April the chicken nugget lover asked Wendy’s how many retweets it would take for him to get free nuggets for a year. Wendy’s replied, “18 million.” Although he didn’t hit that number, he didn’t do that bad and the benevolent restaurant chains granted him his free nuggets. It remains unknown how many retweets he will need to get free cardiology treatment for the following year.

A Finger-Licking Record “HELP ME PLEASE. A MAN

Look Mom, I Can do a Wheelie On May 4, Japanese stunt driver Masaru Abe rode 310 miles with the front wheel of his scooter in the air. It took Abe 8 hours, 18 minutes and 43 seconds of riding around a track to break the prior world record. He then continued for 5 more hours at his 25 miles per hour pace, refueling, eating and drinking on the go. After accomplishing his feat, Abe said, “That was the most pain I’ve ever felt. Both of my arms were numb from the pain and I had lost feeling in them. My vision was blurred ... I was only partially conscious. I was completely dehydrated. I’d never experienced that before.” A bungalow colony hero, indeed.

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Top Ten News Stories of 2017 2017 Y E A R IN REV IEW

Domestic

CALIFORNIA- The 2017 California wildfire season has ravaged the Golden State from wine country in Northern California to Santa Barbara in Southern California. To date, 44 people have been killed because of the wildfires and there has been more than $3 billion in damage. The Thomas Fire, which has devastated swaths of Southern California since it began on December 4, engulfed 273,400 acres and is the largest fire in California history.

NEVADA- On October 1, 2017, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock fired more than 1,100 rounds from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel onto concertgoers below, killing 58 people and injuring 546. Paddock then turned the gun on himself. To-date, Paddock’s motives are unknown.

TEXAS-

Hurricane Harvey hit Texas on August 25, 2017 as a Category 4 storm. Harvey made landfall three separate times in six days. At its peak, on September 1, 2017, one-third of Houston was underwater. Two feet of rain fell in the first 24 hours. At least 82 people were killed because of the storm and it caused more than $180 billion in damage. Residents are still, slowly, trying to pick up the pieces ravaged by the storm.

ILLINOIS- Chicago’s gun violence continues with more than 3,500 people being shot in 2017. Despite Chicago’s tough gun laws, the city has had over 600 homicides by gun this year, leading many to point to Chicago as “exhibit A” that even with harsh gun laws, the bad guys will always have guns.

ALABAMA-The Democrats made inroads in the deepest of “red states” when Doug Jones beat Republican Roy Moore in the special election for the senate seat vacated by Jeff Sessions when he became Attorney General. Democrats claim that this December 12th victory is a harbinger of a coming Democrat tidal wave in 2018. Republicans argue that Roy Moore was a fatally flawed candidate whose defeat proves that voters put morals over party.

FLORIDA- Hurricane Irma, which formed on August 30, battered the Caribbean and the British Virgin Islands as a Category 5 storm before making landfall in Florida on September 10 as a Category 4 storm, with wind gusts reaching 130 MPH. In the days leading up to the storm, highways were packed as 6.4 million people received mandatory evacuation orders. The death toll in Florida from Hurricane Irma is 75. In Puerto Rico, 48 people died as a result of Hurricane Irma, which slammed the island and knocked out 80 percent of its power for over a month. Large parts of the island are still without power.

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NEW YORK-

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On November 1, eight people were killed and a dozen were injured when terrorist Sayfullo Saipov, 29, drove a pickup truck he rented from Home Depot onto a crowded lower Manhattan bike path, in the deadliest attack in New York City since 9/11. “G-d is great!” the Uzbekistan native shouted in Arabic before a hero cop pumped a bullet into his abdomen. Saipov entered the U.S. in 2010 under the Diversity Immigration Visa Program, which is exactly as pathetic as its name. The radical Muslim terrorist then brought 23 relatives into the U.S. through the chain migration program which allows relatives of those in the U.S. to enter legally. Less than two months later, on December 11, Akayed Ullah, 27, detonated a pipe bomb in a walkway below the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Thankfully nobody was killed. Ullah, who pledged allegiance to ISIS, entered the U.S. in 2011 from Bangladesh through the chain migration program.

NEW JERSEY- After a budget impasse caused a government shutdown and the closure of all public parks and beaches, a NJ.com photographer flying over what was supposed to be an empty beach on July 3rd, photographed Governor Chris Christie and family members relaxing on the closed-to-the-public beach.

When asked later that day if he “had gotten out at all” the governor responded, “I didn’t…I didn’t get any sun today.” When the photographs of the lounging governor emerged, Christie’s spokesman explained that “yes, the governor was on the beach briefly today talking to his wife and family before heading into the office. He did not get any sun. He had a baseball hat on.” But New Jersians didn’t fall for that, and the outgoing governor, whose legacy already included Bridgegate, will now also have the laughable Beachgate on his resume.

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA- Multiple people were

CHARLOTTESVILLE,

VIRGINIA- Hether Heyer, 32, died on August 12, when James Alex Fields Jr., 20, of Ohio, plowed his car into counter-protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally being held in the Virginia town. The senseless death touched off a political debate about white nationalists, Antifa, and, of course, President Trump.

shot, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA), while Republican lawmakers were practicing for a congressional baseball game at a Virginia field on June 14. The shooter, James T. Hodgkinson, 66, who volunteered for the presidential campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders, purposely targeted the Republican lawmakers. He was killed at the scene. Scalise, 51, who is the third highest ranking Republican in the House of Representative, was nearly killed in the shooting. Upon his return to Congress he summed up in four words his survival and recovery: “It starts with G-d.” He explained that even as he was bleeding on the ground right after being shot, he immediately began praying.

Scalise told his fellow members of Congress that he made some very specific requests in those moments. “And I will tell you, pretty much every one of those prayers was answered. He really did deliver for me and my family and it just gives you that renewed faith in understanding that the power of prayer is something you just cannot underestimate.”

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International

M E X I C I A N E ARTHQUAKESAt least 216 people were killed when a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Mexico City on September 20. The Mexico City earthquake came a little more than one week after a magnitude-8.1 earthquake struck off the southern coast of the country, killing at least 90.

VENEZUELA IN CHAOS- This once wealthy country has been split into Chavistas – the name given to the followers of the socialist policies of the late President Hugo Chavez – and those who cannot wait to see an end to the 18 years in power of his United Socialist Party. Daily protests have led to riotous clashes with thousands arrested and dozens dead. Opposition activists are protesting against the government of President Nicolas Maduro, blaming him for a crippling economic crisis that has caused widespread food shortages for years. Maduro has responded to the chronic food shortage by declaring that citizens should breed and eat rabbits.

JERUSALEM IS THE CAPITAL OF ISRAELOn December 6, President Trump announced that the United States officially recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and that the U.S. embassy will be moved there.

Despite this biblical truth and the fact that many past U.S. presidents promised to move the U.S. embassy, Mr. Trump came under swift attack by his political opponents who argued that his move would cause a third intifada. Thankfully, to-date the region has been fairly quiet with a smattering of protests. Although Mahmoud Abbas declared that he no longer sees the U.S. as a peace broker, according to Israel’s Channel 10, Abbas was summoned to Saudi Arabia last week for an unplanned visit and was told to either accept the U.S.’s peace initiative (which has not been made public as of yet) or resign. In response to President Trump’s bold moves, 128 countries condemned the U.S. in a UN vote. Trump and his UN Ambassador Niki Haley promised that they will not forget the nations that voted to condemn the U.S. on this matter and may withhold future monetary aid to those countries.

CATALONIA INDEPENDENCE-

Located in the northeast region of Spain, Catalonia is largely independent and is one of the richest and most industrialized areas of Spain. On October 1 a referendum was held and about 90 percent of the 2.3 million people who voted chose independence from Spain. About 900 people were treated for injuries after voting turned violent when Catalan civilians and Spanish police clashed. On October 27, Catalonia’s Parliament voted in favor of declaring independence from Spain. In response to the vote, which was deemed illegal by Spain’s highest court, Madrid responded by suspending the region’s autonomy, sacking the government, and imposing direct rule. When an arrest warrant was issued for Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, he fled to Belgium. New elections were held on December 21 by the order of Spain’s prime minister who believed that since a majority of Catalonia’s citizens did not vote in the referendum, pro-Spain parties would win a majority of seats. However, exactly the opposite happened: pro-separatist parties won a majority of seats.

“The Spanish government was defeated,” declared Carles Puigdemont from Belgium. What happens now remains to be seen.

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NORTH KOREA ROCKET TESTS- In 2017, the hermit kingdom’s leader, Kim Jung Un, quickened the pace of missile and nuclear tests. On September 3, North Korea said it tested a hydrogen bomb, which reportedly triggered an artificial earthquake. On November 29, North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile which landed in the Sea of Japan. Un’s provocative actions have resulted in heavy UN sanctions, which North Korea calls “an act of war.”

ISIS DESTROYED-

Just one year ago, ISIS was on the march. It controlled large swaths of land, including the Syrian city of Raqqa, which was considered the “caliphate’s capital,” and Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city. Now the caliphate is up in smoke. In separate July battles, ISIS lost control of Raqqa and Mosul. According to Brett McGurk, U.S. special envoy for the coalition against the Islamic State group, President Donald Trump’s decision to delegate tactical decision-making authority to commanders in the field was key in the victory over ISIS.

REFORMATION IN SAUDI ARABIA -

TERROR IN ENGLAND- As England struggles with its increasing radical Muslim population, 2017 ushered in a wave of terror attacks which have become the “new normal” in Great Britain. On March 22, a radical Islamic terrorist killed 6 and injured 50 when he rammed his car into pedestrians on the Westminster Bridge just feet from the British House of Parliament. On May 22, a suicide bombing at a concert in Manchester, England, killed 22 people and injured dozens, many of them children. On June 3, radical Islamists rammed their van into pedestrians on the London Bridge before getting out and stabbing passersby, leaving 7 dead and 48 injured.

LONDON HIGH-RISE FIRE- On June 14, the 24-story Grenfell Tower in West London went up in flames, killing 79 people. Tests showed that the insulation and tiles recovered from the tower failed fire safety tests. The facility also did not have a sprinkler system and only had one stairwell.

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman on June 21st removed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, a 57-yearold nephew of the king, and replaced him with his son, Mohammed bin Salman, 31, who was previously the deputy crown prince. The new Crown Prince, who is now next-in-line to his father’s throne, has vowed to move the oil-rich country towards “moderate Islam.” In November, the prince, who is known as MBS, led a crackdown on corruption, resulting in the arrest and imprisonment of dozens of princes and elites at the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton, which was turned from a five star hotel into a makeshift prison.

PARIS ACCORD- On June 1, President Trump pulled out of the Paris Agreement on climate change based on its unfairness to the U.S. “The agreement is a massive redistribution of United States wealth to other countries,” declared the president at the time.

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Dating Dialogue

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

Dear Navidaters,

I’m a 22-year-old single woman who has been dating for a few years now. I’ve been set up with all sorts of young men. With some of the men I went out with it was immediately clear to me that we were wrong for each other. Either we had different attitudes and goals about life, or there were personality issues that became an issue, or I just didn’t like the way he behaved. Maybe he seemed too nervous or disrespectful toward people we came in contact with.

However, I also went out with a number of men who checked out in all ways. We agreed on future goals and lifestyles, they possessed fine personalities, and they were perfectly respectfully and total “mensches.” Everything on my “must have” list checked off, and I had nothing negative to say about them.

But, I never felt excited. I never felt like I couldn’t wait until our next date because I enjoyed being with them so much. I notice how my friends who have gotten engaged behave when they are getting to the point of being proposed to. There is such an excitement around them, and they can’t stop talking about the man they are about to get engaged to. I have never felt that way about anyone.

My problem and fear is that I’ll never know when it’s the right one because maybe I’m just not the type of person that gets butterflies in her stomach. I’ve asked so many friends, “How do you know when he is the right one?” Usually the response is something like, “When it’s right – you’ll know.” But I’m starting to think that maybe I’ll never know. I know that I’ve let some wonderful men slip away, because I just “didn’t know.”

Any suggestions for someone like me?

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

Our intention is not to offer any definitive

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

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The Panel The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S. irst, I want to confirm the assertion that you make. A person who checks out in terms of personality, values, goals and middos isn’t necessarily a marriage partner. There has to be attraction and warmth, both of which can turn into more. Chemistry is important but don’t confuse it with excitement.

Many young women get excited about the prospect of getting engaged but it’s not necessarily the young man that is prompting this emotional peak. In our frum culture, in which the courtship period is not that long and dating for marriage starts early, this is normal. Our Jewish life is built on the framework of families and that’s just the way it is.

Some people, however, are more cerebral and don’t respond with that type of excitement, even when they are getting engaged. They are calm and secure with the choice they have made. I have seen this and noticed it.

Think about your own emotional needs. How do I react to good news among people who are close to me?

Am I happy with them and for them with excitement or with calm joy?

How do I deal with challenges and problems? Am I emotional or do I respond with logic and lists? Look inside yourself; don’t question your own ability to judge. It could be your nature.

Another thing to think about is your idea of romance. Maybe you need to be courted.

Do not neglect the aspect of emotional compatibility, which is a key predictor in marriage satisfaction according to studies. Can the young man respond to your emotional needs when problems develop? Does his style work for your own coping style? Will he be able to give you support in the way you need? Does he really understand your needs and respond appropriately? Does he understand your need for communication, space, warmth, and encour-

F

agement? Determining this while dating a young man is going to take time, discernment, and sharing in order to properly assess.

I think if you explore these questions thoroughly, you will not doubt your reactions and feel that you have “let some wonderful men slip away.”

Self-knowledge is key.

Go on long dates; go on fun dates; go to romantic settings; go casual; visit his family; visit his rebbe. The longer you get to know a potential suitor, the more time you will give your heart to soften and your brain to give you permission to say, “I do.”

The Shadchan The Mother Sarah Schwartz Schreiber, P.A. ours is the classic Left Brain vs.

Right Brain conundrum.

I will explain. There was once a little girl, Sophia, who daydreamed of princesses and castles. She was mesmerized by kallahs in their lace and beaded finery; fantasized about her own chasuna and mentally conjured a handsome chosson to escort her down the aisle. Like your friends, Sophia babbled excitedly about the guy she was dating and told anyone with ears that “when it’s right, you just know.” Sophia, the hopeless romantic, can be characterized as a left-brain personality.

What her circumstances lack in reality, she makes up for with drama, poetic license and wishful thinking.

In contrast to the apocryphal Sophia, you sound like a practical, level-headed, right-brain-type of person. You’ve prepared a “must-have” list for a potential husband and have been set up with a number of guys who fit the bill. Sadly, you lament the fact that you have not seen stars or heard bells. And, it’s possible you never will. Even in the company of a perfectly wonderful guy, your right brain is shouting, “Stranger alert!

You barely know this guy; how can you commit your lifetime to him?”

So, the only butterflies you’re feeling are twinges of anxiety.

Happily, the antidote to your logical, analytical approach to dating is time. Take your time getting to know the next man who fits your criteria.

Y

Michelle Mond ou are combining two different things that should not be combined. There is a vast difference between being obsessed and feeling fireworks and being naturally excited to go out with the fellow again. If it is just the former that is bothering you but you do look forward to seeing him again, I would say that you ask yourself the following questions: Are you just not the excitable, decisive type?

Is it difficult for you to make decisions when you have lots of other unknown options (FOMO)? If making a simple decision such as where to attend college gives you anxiety, how can you expect the decision of whom to marry, to be a piece of (non-wedding) cake?

There are undoubtedly many women who have a very decisive and excitable nature, which makes for the perfect “when I met him, I just knew” answer for how they felt when they met their husband. However, there are also many people who had a really hard time in this exact predicament you are in.

For these women, going forward with the feeling that this is too good to pass up, albeit without fireworks, surpassed their fears and anxieties thereby enabling them to make the right decision and have been very happily married.

Don’t mistake what I’m saying: it definitely has to feel a lot more than just “it makes sense.” You should feel very comfortable with him, be attracted to him, have a mutual respect for each other, have similar goals, and be on the same page on all the important issues.

Y

Are you just not the excitable, decisive type?

If you have those things in a relationship but are feeling anxious and don’t have fireworks-level excitement, it should not worry you. However, with anyone who is marriage material, I would expect you to look forward to seeing him again.

Figure out where your hesitancy is coming from exactly. It is quite possible you just haven’t met the right one yet. If you feel that it is nerves or anxiety holding you back, seek help from a therapist to help sort through your feelings.

The Single Tova Wein

I

think it’s important to firstly point out that so much of the excitement you observe in your friends getting married isn’t necessarily about them finding Mr. Wonderful. Much of the hysteria surrounds their dreams of a beautiful wedding, a stunning gown and being Queen for the Day! Not to minimize the value of the shidduch, which hopefully is the real deal, but let’s be honest with one another. If someone is jumping for joy because they are getting engaged to someone that, in many cases, they know for less than three months, the feelings they are experiencing are not necessarily based on true love but rather a level of infatuation. True love doesn’t happen overnight. Connecting in a meaningful way with another person, rarely (I’m not saying never), happens over the course of weeks. And if it’s infatuation we’re talking about, we all know that it fades over time. Hopefully, it’s replaced by something much

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

more important and much deeper, but for the moment, it’s not what “happily forever after” is made up of.

As I was reading your question, I was wondering what type of person you are in general. Some people are very excitable and everyone they meet or everything they do is “the greatest!”

They respond to life in a full-bodied way, allowing themselves to rejoice without any restraint. Is that you? I’m kind of thinking the answer is very possible “no.” You might be that per-

son for whom it really takes a lot to get a rise out of. You don’t fake it and you don’t want to fake it. I’m thinking it’s just not your style. If I’m hitting onto something, then it’s not practical to expect yourself to react to even the greatest of guys with over-the-top exuberance. Maybe after some time you’ll feel a quieter type of happiness and satisfaction but fireworks isn’t your thing!

For both of these reasons, I think someone like you needs to date a lot longer than what is considered the

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

H

andfuls of women have met with me in your exact shoes.

How will I know when he is the one?

Or, they are actively dating someone and are trying to “figure out” their feelings. While everyone is unique with a different set of circumstances, oftentimes our work usually boils down to figuring out if their uncertainty is a result of the relationship they are in or their personality or pre-existing anxiety.

I am curious about your personality and whether or not you have some general anxiety. If you have anxiety, my recommendation is to work on your anxiety now, while you aren’t seeing anyone. Explore your fears, triggers, and the way you manage your feelings and emotions. There are wonderful, effective treatments for anxiety and some or even all of the work can be done on your own. Check out YouTube for mindfulness and breathing exercises. Find activities that take your mind off your worries and allow you to relax and enjoy yourself. Continue all these activities once you are dating someone (and for the rest of your life).

There are people who don’t experience butterflies and go on to have deeply fulfilling and romantic relationships with their husbands. That is

A-OK. These people are usually not as excitable in general. There are some women who buy a new pair of shoes and gush and emote and it puts a new pep in their step.

Other women can buy a pair of fabulous shoes and think logically, “These shoes might match my navy outfit. I will go home and try them on.” (I am not comparing a relationship to shoes, just making a little analogy.)

In my opinion, as long as a chemistry is developing and there is some connection experienced when together, I encourage clients to keep at it and see where it goes. Not every relationship develops over the course of two or three months. Some people need more time; they need to know that this person is the “real deal.” Some people need to develop a friendship first.

However, if the relationship begins to feel belabored or unenjoyable, then that is a potential signal that the relationship may be coming to an end.

Outside of religious circles, many men and women meet first as friends and then a romantic relationship develops over time. Some of these people would tell you that they would never dream of jumping into a relationship

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

norm among many. Not everyone will go along with this strategy, but hopefully enough will so that you can have a chance to grow into your feelings and comfortably identify when you’ve finally met your bashert. You may not be destined to ever feel butterflies, but it will happen from a solid foundation of truly knowing the other, observing that the two of you are on the same page and recognize a mutual compatibility and a strong belief that together you can forge a beautiful future.

because it is not in their nature. They like to take it slow and watch what happens over time.

Though it is not permissible to date this way in some Orthodox circles, I think what you can take from it is that it is normal to need more time to see if feelings develop. The formula for Orthodox dating just doesn’t mesh with all personality types. We must acknowledge this. Try to detach from your worries and take the approach of I will watch what happens. I don’t have to know anything right away.

Try to take the pressure off.

I am wondering if any of your own “hang ups” could be getting in the way of developing feelings. I’ll just throw out some common issues I have seen along the way.

• The fear of missing out, otherwise known as FOMO. Is there someone better out there?

• Comparisons; will he measure up to my friend’s or sister’s husband?

• Living in the future and missing out on the present; being fixated on all the “what ifs” even when you have so much in common.

• Nitpicking; taking the few things that aren’t perfect and examining them under a microscope…obsessively.

• Do I really want to get married right now?; somewhere inside of me, I have this feeling that I’m not ready to get married. But I’m doing it because it’s time, or because everyone else is doing it, or

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Not every relationship develops over the course of two or three months.

because I don’t know what else to do.

These are issues we work on within ourselves to make sure we don’t bring them with us into our relationships.

No man, no matter how wonderful he, is will be able to fix this for you. He will not be able to prove himself or measure up if we are dealing with any of these fixed beliefs.

The good news is that if you relate to anything I mentioned in this column, you can work on yourself! It will require some deep thought, navigating some uncomfortable waters, challenging old notions, and taking risks. The reward is that you will potentially be able to feel more confident in your ability to recognize your feelings, tolerate any anxiety, or embrace your personality. And let’s not forget to mention that it’s quite possible you simply haven’t met Mr. Right at 22, and you may very well get those butterflies with the right one.

All the best, Jennifer Esther Mann, LCSW and Jennifer Mann, LCSW are licensed psychotherapists and dating and relationship coaches working with individuals, couples and families in private practice in Hewlett, NY. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 516.224.7779. Press 1 for Esther, 2 for Jennifer. Visit www.thenavidaters.com for more information. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email thenavidaters@gmail.com. You can follow The Navidaters on FB and Instagram for dating and relationship advice.

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Dr. Deb

I’d Rather Not Think About It

By Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.

“W

ell, what’s bothering your wife?” I asked the man; we’ll call him Andy. (All stories are made up.)

“I don’t know. Why would I know?” Andy replied with a touch of irritation at me for asking an impossible question.

“You’d know because she probably said something,” I suggested. According to the August 28, 2015 issue of Psychology Today, women initiate 70% of all divorces, but the man is – get this – “pretty much ‘OK’ with the way things are; he’s content to just lope along as time passes.” In other words, he does not want to think too much about what’s going wrong.

That’s ironic too, because in life, men often take on the role of “fixers.”

Therefore, they would like to fix the marriage, no? But, no.

“You would be aware of what’s bothering her for sure!” I repeated.

Andy’s wife had walked out.

“I’d rather not think about it,”

Andy said, despondently.

People who would prefer not to think about painful subjects have a very good reason. They’re not being dense – although it certainly could appear that way. Rather, the pain is too much for them, much like the straw that broke the camel’s back.

uations so you may as well turn on the TV, get a beer and watch a football game (or run to shiur and come home when wifey is asleep). And, yes, ignore your wife’s complaints.

Don’t think about it and the problem will (hopefully) go away. Except, of course, it doesn’t.

Most people protect themselves from pain by storing their feelings in the freezer.

In such families, they not only faced overwhelming pain of their own for a very long time, but – and this is the worst part – they had no tools to handle it.

Without tools, it really doesn’t make much sense to face painful sit-

Yehudah, unfortunately, is a great example of that. Think about it: He’s confronted with his daughter-in-law who is expecting a child and he does not spend any time thinking about the odd encounter he had with a presumed zona some months before.

Luckily, Tamar was smart enough to take some items from him at the time, so she could prove to him if the situation arose just how she acquired them. And even more lucky, Yehudah did not continue down his path of not thinking about it. He not only thought about his actions with her but also with his own father.

Yehudah really had not given Yaakov the proper respect. For some reason that he couldn’t understand – and did not want to understand – his father favored his younger teenage brother, Yosef. Well, his father must be wrong! He, Yehudah, couldn’t understand what his father was thinking, so he just proceeded along the path that he thought was right.

Except it wasn’t.

A case of not wanting to think about how the world might look to someone else. The redeeming part is that Yehudah did see, finally, his several mistakes, and when he told Tamar that she was more righteous

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

than he was, it also opened his eyes to his biggest mistake of all – with his father. And he immediately set about to correct that mistake, too.

We are called Yehudim. Like Yehudah, we are expected to make mistakes, possibly from not wanting to think about the nasty stuff of our lives. But we’re expected to finally open our eyes and look. We’re expected to think. We’re expected to admit those mistakes and then do something to fix them.

When we don’t take it upon ourselves to think about the pain we may be causing others, Hashem provides for us an opportunity to learn; He gives us life lessons. When the pain that Yaakov would feel when learning that his cherished son was probably killed by a wild animal did not enter Yehudah’s mind, G-d simply provided Yehudah with an opportunity to learn by taking his own two sons.

At that point, unfortunately, he still didn’t want to think about his pain and the connection to everything else that had gone wrong in his life. That’s how we often are, too.

Hashem has to provide us with so many opportunities to get it. Yehudim.

There’s another way to “get it.”: Take control of your life and don’t wait for Hashem’s “helpfulness” in getting the message to you because that’s often more painful than stepping up to the plate in the first place and learning what has to be done.

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I’m often asked the proportion of men versus women that contact me for therapy and I’m pleased to tell them that it’s about 50-50. I’m pleased because it shows that men are, indeed, taking responsibility these days. Or at least some men.

And women. Not all the women come because of the men who hurt them; sometimes it’s the other way around.

Instead of not wanting to think about the pain they’ve caused their families, all these noble people take a deep breath and say, “Sock it to me.”

Good for them!

So what’s the magic?

Have you ever defrosted a chicken? Or anything? You can’t work with it frozen. You’ve got to bring it to a workable temperature. I help people with the arduous process of identifying their feelings. Most people protect themselves from pain by storing

16

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their feelings in the freezer. (What were they preserving them there for, anyway?) So we have to start by recognizing that very fact and teaching people to identify what’s behind the “good” or the “bad” ones. It turns out that there are many feelings there, hidden in cold storage, and they can identify them and own them.

From there we go on to tuning into the feelings of their partners and learning how to overcome gaps in their emotional responses. It’s a slow process, and, I’m told, very hard. But the connection between people when

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they’ve finally grasped the process and cannot only identify but change their habitual feelings is absolutely amazing to behold.

At the same time, people will tend to hear inner voices beating them up for every mistake they make in their families. So it’s also important to teach them how to fight those voices with serious ammunition. For this reason, it’s also important not to stop this work of reclaiming their souls too quickly in spite of how anxious people might be to quit.

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But it’s far, far better than trying to wrap one’s head around the disturbing fact that one’s marriage ended and not understanding why. Yehudah figured it out before it was too late; he’s our role model and proof that we can do it too.

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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Health & F tness

Unclog Your Arteries Tips for Heart Health

By Aliza Beer MS, RD

R

ecently, one of my patients who had lost about 50 pounds in the last few years, exercises several times a week, and is, in fact, in the best shape he has been in years had emergency bypass surgery. My cardiologist explained to me that although a person eats healthy most of the time and exercises, it is extremely difficult to undo 25-30 years of damage. In fact, his diet and exercise is what saved his life. We learn from this that you are never too young to work on heart disease prevention, and it is imperative for everyone at any age to aggressively try to halt and even reverse plaque development in arterial walls.

How do arteries get clogged?

As long as blood vessels are clear and open, blood can flow freely, but sometimes small blockages build up inside the blood vessels.

These blockages develop when cholesterol sticks to the wall of the artery. Your immune system, sensing a problem, will send white blood cells to attack the cholesterol. This sets off a chain of reactions that leads to inflammation. In a worst-case scenario, cells form a plaque over the cholesterol, and a small blockage is formed. Sometimes, these blockages can break loose and cause a heart attack or stroke. As the plaques grow, they

may block blood flow in an artery entirely. There is no natural way to completely unclog your arteries.

Losing weight, exercising more, or eating less cholesterol-rich foods are all steps you can take to reduce plaques, but these steps won’t remove existing plaques. Healthy habits, however, will help prevent additional plaque from forming.

The following is a list of hearthealthy foods that everyone of all ages should incorporate into their daily lives.

• Salmon: Salmon and other fatty fish like sardines, mackerel and herring are the superstars of heart-healthy foods.

That’s because they contain copious amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, shown in studies to lower the risk of arrhythmia (irregular heart beat), reduce plaque build-up, and decreases level of triglycerides.

The American Heart Association recommends eating fish, preferable a fatty fish, at least twice a week.

If you don’t like fish, omega-3 fatty acids are also available as dietary supplements.

• Oatmeal: Oatmeal is high in soluble fiber, which can lower cholesterol. It acts like a sponge in the digestive tract and soaks up the cholesterol so it is eliminated from the body and not absorbed into the bloodstream. Avoid instant

flavored oatmeal which often contains sugar, and opt instead for old fashioned or steel cut oats.

• Blueberries: Not just blueberries, but strawberries and also other berries as well are great for your heart. According to a 2013 study, women aged 25-42 who ate more than three servings of berries a week had a 32% lower risk of heart attack compared to those who ate less. The authors of the study attributed the benefit to compounds known as anthocyanins. They are a type of flavonoid, a class of compounds with antioxidant effects.

They may decrease blood pressure and dilate blood vessels as well.

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: In a landmark study, people at high risk for heart disease who followed the Mediterranean diet (high in grains, fruits, and vegetables) supplemented by nuts and at least 4 tablespoons a day of olive oil reduced their risk of heart attacks, strokes, and death by 30%. Olive oil is a good source of monounsaturated fats, which can help reduce both cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

• Green Tea: Green tea has been a favorite health aid in Asia for hundreds of years. A 2013 study found that people who drank 4 or more cups of green tea daily had a 20% reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke compared with

people who seldom drank the beverage. Antioxidants in the green tea, known as catechins, may be responsible for the effect. They help in several ways, including blocking dietary cholesterol from being absorbed into the bloodstream, regulating levels of blood sugar, and soothing inflammation. Try to drink 3 cups a day; let the tea steep in the water 3-5 minutes to boost the amount of catechins.

• Flax Seeds: Flax seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids and fiber. Sprinkle them into your oatmeal for an even bigger fiber boost or into non-fat Greek yogurt for an extra crunch instead of granola.

• Avocado: Like olive oil, avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats that may lower heart disease risk factors, such as cholesterol.

They are also high in antioxidants and potassium. You can slice some into your salad, blend into guacamole, or make avocado toast.

Watch your portions, they are very high in calories, so a little will go a long way.

• Pomegranate: Pomegranates contain numerous antioxidants, including heart-promoting polyphenols and anthocyanins which may help stave off hardening of the arteries. One study of heart disease patients found that a daily dose of pomegranate juice over

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

3 months showed improvements in blood flow to the heart.

Diet and exercise are both key to maintaining a healthy heart.

Exercise can improve your cardiovascular health and help prevent cardiac issues. It increases the level of HDL cholesterol, otherwise known as the “good cholesterol,”

and thereby decreases the level of the LDL cholesterol, or “bad cholesterol.” If you are not physically active now, start slowly. Go for a walk twice a week. Slowly build up your routine and stamina. Aim to get 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise at least 5 days a week. It is important to speak with

your doctor before starting a new exercise routine.

Diet can play a big role in improving your heart health and reducing your risk for a build-up of plaque. It’s never too late to eat a healthier diet. Years of bad eating will most certainly damage your body, but healthy eating will help

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heal it to some extent, and certainly prevent further damage.

Aliza Beer is a registered dietician with a master’s degree in nutrition. She has a private practice in Cedarhurst, NY. Patients’ success has been featured on the Dr. Oz show. Aliza can be reached at alizabeer@gmail.com.

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Health & F tness

Just an Ordinary Man

By David Jacobowitz*

M

y journey to kidney donation began this past summer. I spent a Shabbos at a friend’s vacation community in upstate New York so that my wife and I would be able to visit our grandson from Israel, who attended a local camp. We’d planned a nice weekend with friends and family; we didn’t realize that a single Shabbos would lead to a life-altering decision.

I strolled to shul on a languid Shabbos afternoon a few minutes before the scheduled time for Mincha. As I entered, I caught the closing remarks of the afternoon’s speaker: a man named AJ Gindi, a kidney donor representing Renewal. He finished his tale by urging those assembled to support Renewal – with funds or, more importantly, with kidneys.

His statement resonated with me. I am fortunate to be at a stage of life in which I can freely give tzedakah, but this was a new level of giving. I have a kidney, I realized…and set out to learn more.

Later that evening, I ap-

discussed it with my wife, did a bit of research, and decided that kidney donation would be worth pursuing.

A week and a half later, my wife, our grandson, and I boarded a plane to Israel together to bring

What a sensation! I felt uplifted, euphoric, and incredibly grateful.

proached a table set up to provide people with information about Renewal and inquired about donating a kidney; they gladly offered me a pamphlet and a book loaded with information. I

him back home. During our stay, I was privileged to spend time with a rav with whom I have a relationship. I told him that I was considering donating a kidney, to which he replied that it was a big

mitzvah indeed, while cautioning that it is not without risks.

With his backing and my wife’s encouragement, I reached out to Renewal as soon as we returned to the States. I had just two criteria: I wanted to donate to someone frum and to someone younger than me who would live a full, healthy life.

I completed the initial swab kit and returned it to Renewal, waiting anxiously (patience is not my strong suit) for the results. A short time later, as Rosh Hashana approached, I received the call I’d been waiting for: they’d found a match! He was indeed younger than me – 61 years old to my 66 – and had 17 grandchildren and one on the way… just like me. I found that very encouraging.

My wife and I returned to Israel for Yom Kippur and Sukkos;

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

two days after our return found me undergoing full-day testing – physical, psychological, emotional. We were able to skip some of the tests as my primary physician had administered them – and his enthusiastic support – shortly before our trip.

Once again, I waited.

My test results, to my unpracticed eye, seemed discouraging as some of them were out of range. I was afraid that a minor issue that prevented me from donating blood in the past would prevent me from donating my kidney, but much to my delight, the transplant team – who’d treated me exceptionally well throughout – approved my request. I was ready to become a kidney donor!

The scheduling was a bit tricky due to prior commitments. While I’d retired from my firm several years earlier, I now work for a smaller firm on a flexible schedule, but my Type-A personality did not allow me to interfere with previously scheduled appointments.

We also rebooked tickets that we’d had to fly to Israel for Chanukah, opting for a trip in January instead and settling on a surgery date of December 7, 2017.

I was offered a choice of transplant surgeons at the start of my journey but didn’t know which to choose. Incredibly, I got reacquainted with the son of a friend (and my son’s childhood friend) who is now a transplant specialist in another city! He recommended a surgeon and we proceeded with confidence. I was also encouraged by a woman in the community, my wife’s longtime friend, who is an altruistic kidney donor and is living her life unaffected.

On the morning of December 7, my wife and I entered Mount Sinai at 5:30 a.m. We were greeted by Renewal powerhouses Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz and David Schischa and summarily discovered that the other couple in the waiting room were my recipient and his wife.

After being prepped for surgery, I walked into the operating room and onto the table. The next

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thing I knew – though it was, in actuality, several hours later – I awoke in recovery, unable to move anything but my eyelids or think anything beyond “chasdei Hashem – I’m alive!” As my strength and functioning gradually returned, I was informed that the surgery had gone well and that my kidney was already working in its new home.

What a sensation! I felt uplifted, euphoric, and incredibly grateful.

I opted to spend Shabbos in the hospital; my pain was manageable and I felt well enough to daven in the chapel. Over the course of Shabbos, my wife and I met my recipient and his family, all of whom thanked us profusely.

As the recipient of an abundance of blessings and admiration, I only feel blessed myself; people call me a tzaddik and a hero, but I’m not – I’m just a man who was able to donate a kidney because I already have so many brachos in

my life. I am so glad that I was granted this opportunity and I encourage others to do the same, but not everyone can. I am eternally grateful – to Hashem, to my family, to Renewal – that I was able to donate my kidney.

*David is a Five Towns resident who wishes to remain anonymous

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

In The K

tchen

Kale and Facon Salad with Sweet Potato Croutons

By Naomi Nachman

This is a super wintery salad with seasonal vegetables and flavors. The miso and techina combine to create such a rich creamy dressing that will tie all the flavors of the salad together.

Ingredients Salad 1 bunch kale leaves, tough center stems removed, washed well, dried and torn into pieces 1-2 sweet potatoes 2 tablespoons canola oil Kosher salt

6 oz. package of beef/duck/lamb “bacon” ¼ cup brown sugar

6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup water

Dressing

Preparation

2 tablespoons brown miso paste (you can also use yellow or red miso) 2 tablespoons techina (unprepared)

To make the sweet potato croutons: Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash and peel the sweet potato, then shave very thinly with a mandoline into rounds or with a vegetable peeler into long ribbons. Toss shaved sweet potatoes with enough oil to coat each piece in a very thin layer. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle evenly with kosher salt. Place in the oven. Check after ten minutes and keep checking to make sure they get crispy but not burnt.

Make the dressing: Place dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

To make the candied bacon: To make candied beef fry, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add 6 strips beef (lamb or duck) fry to prepared pan. Sprinkle with a ¼ cup brown sugar. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, until crisp. Cut into small pieces and add to salad.

Prepare the salad: Take the kale and place in a salad bowl and pour in the dressing. Massage in the dressing carefully all over the kale, mixing and tossing while massaging the kale.

Garnish the salad with the potato shavings and sprinkle with the candied bacon.

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 28, 2017

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Chef

Trnare tristique. Morbi tempor eros quis eros ultricies, vitae pulvinar felis rutrum. In vitae lacus eget erat interdum vehicula quis non tellus.

Talk

a Never Trust

Skinny Chef

By Naphtali Sobel

N

ever trust a skinny chef. We all heard this cliché before, but is it a true statement?

On the one hand, when making a simcha, if the prospective caterer is skin and bones, you might leave questioning his cuisine. We assume that when one has a “bit to spare” he likely enjoys, indulges, and appreciates the finer things in life. On the other hand, there are many phenomenal chefs that don’t exactly need a nutritionist either. I have many colleagues who don’t have “much to spare” yet still

make phenomenal chefs. With this I will say, if one is big at heart and generous of spirit, even if lacking in size, they can still make a phenomenal chef.

Now that we clarified who is fitting to be a good chef, I would like to further discuss other qualities of chefs and explain the differences between chefs and cooks.

People often confuse the term chef and cook, and I would like to clarify this. The term “chef” literally means chief. It is a person who has the whole food service under his/her fingertip. A

chef is one who understands culinary fundamentals and technique. A chef is not limited to a specific framework and can use creativity and art to create beautiful masterpieces. Some chefs have undergone a culinary school curriculum while others painstakingly honed their craft through years of apprenticeship. Regardless, a culinary grad must hone his/her craft through internships and hands-on, real world experience.

Another definition of a chef is one who is classically trained in the kitchen brigade system which was defined and established by Chef Augustus Escoffier in the late-18- and early-19-hundreds. He developed a military-like hierarchy within the kitchen’s many stations to define and standardize the different roles and to create an assembly line-like process.

The term “cook” can have two connotations: one being the home cook and the other being a commercial cook. I will mainly focus on the latter. A cook is customarily one who cooks for institutions such as nursing homes, schools, fast food restaurants, and diners. Cooks usually create classic comfort food or bulk institutional meals. A good yeshiva or camp cook can literally change the learning

or camping experience by creating hearty, delicious, and creative meals.

Alternatively an institution without a proper cook might have a lot of cranky campers. The common misconception is that institutions provide inferior ingredients. Although sometimes true, often it is simpler ingredients that are used – not “inferior” ingredients.

Even though institutional cooks might not be working with prime rib and caviar, delicious meals can be created with simple ingredients.

People commonly say that chefs are artists. I often wonder if that is true or if chefs are merely craftsman. First we must understand the definition of art.

Art is the human expression of creativity in both visual and other creative forms. That being said, we can establish that chefs are truly artists. In finer dining, chefs will often add theatrical components, whimsicality, and play on words to their dishes to captivate the diner who is essentially his/her audience. A craftsman is one who uses his her/skills to make things by hand. So chefs are craftsman as well. Even so, a chef that doesn’t have pride in him or herself, doesn’t care and has no passion, or simply cooks solely as a livelihood but without excitement is definitely not an artist and at best a craftsman.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Now I ask, is it true men are better chefs or is that merely a folk lore? This is a frequent stereotype, and I wonder at its validity. For starters, the culinary world at large is male-dominated so it’s fair to say that we associate chefs with men. But that doesn’t answer the question about who makes a better chef. I would say that rather than us judging who is better let’s analyze the different traits of both male and female cooks/chefs.

On the one hand, women often view cooking more as a chore rather than a hobby. On the other hand, men often have bigger egos, which could lead to stronger competition. (These are general stereotypes; every person is truly different.) Women are more prone to following rules and recipes which will almost always yield a stable but not necessarily out-of-the-park end product. Men are more likely to break rules and ignore recipes. This pattern can result in either unbelievable results or end up in utter disaster. Then again, if you compare a clueless man

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

versus a clueless woman and compare their cooking skills, the man is more likely to burn water while the woman will probably end up with something somewhat edible. Additionally, most people look forward to visiting their mother’s and grandmother’s houses expecting wonderful aromas and flavors, which is uncommon of people to expect from their patriarchal figures.

With this I conclude: if one is big at heart and generous in spirit, regardless if they are male or female, thin or of ample girth, rest assured they will surely prepare a mean meal that will impress all.

I would like to sign off with a recipe that both the home cook and professional chef can appreciate. French onion soup is made in most houses and restaurants alike and is perfect for the cold winter months.

Naphtali Sobel is an experienced chef and food consultant. He is available as a personal chef and for consulting. He can be reached at napsob87@gmail.com.

RECIPE French Onion Soup INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SOUP ed into medium3 lb. bag of onions, peeled, slic sized strips diced 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and ter but 3 oz. unsalted 3 oz. olive oil k or broth 32 oz. car ton of vegetable stoc contain tomato not s doe t tha one (preferably product) y, but any other 1¼ cups white wine (chardonna fine) color or type of wine works just per pep k blac ch 1 heaping pin 1-2 bay leafs, optional 1 spr ig thy me, optional 2 tablespoons onion consommé FOR THE CROUTONS 1 baguet te, sliced Olive oil Salt & pepper

69

Photo by Rebecca Sobel

124

FOR

You

OF FROM THE KITCHEN

Naphtali Sobel

1-2 cloves garlic pped or dehydrated Chili flakes, oregano, and cho parsley er type of cheese Gruyere, mozzarella or any oth

P R E PA R AT I O N

e oil for 60Sauté onions in but ter and oliv d on a low lize ame car il unt or 80 minutes minutes of flame. Add garlic, the last 3-4 to medium. Add caramelization. Turn flame up vegetable wine and reduce till syr upy. Add k pepper and stock, bay leaf, thy me spr ig, blac roximately 20 onion consommé. Cook for app more minutes uet te slices To make the croutons: Place bag olive oil and rub on a bak ing tray. Drizzle with h salt, pepper, with garlic cloves. Spr ink le wit . Bake on 350°F chili flakes, oregano and parsley soup, croutons until golden and toasty. Place bowl is ceramic or and cheese in a bowl. If your t the cheese till oven-proof you can further mel for a few minutes. golden and bubbly in the oven ediately.

Otherw ise enjoy your soup imm

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

You may want to reconsider your rhetoric.

- Rep. Steve Scalice (R-LA), who was shot by a leftist and almost killed last June, responding to a tweet by Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security advisor, in which Rhodes wishes death upon the Republican leadership

President Trump had a very good day. He’s very proud – Republicans finally passed his tax bill which means Trump’s about to sign his first major piece of legislation.

Yep, his chest was puffed out so far his tie was actually at a normal length. “Wow! It’s actually at my waist!”

- Jimmy Fallon

I think they were putting together a plan to stop Donald Trump from being the next president of the United States. I think it’s amazing in spite of the fact that the Democrats were against him, the Republican establishment was against him, the mainstream press was against him. And now I believe the FBI and the Justice Department were against him. The American people still said that’s the guy we want to be the next president.

- Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) on Fox News talking about the ever-increasingly clear picture that the FBI and Justice Department planned to use the infamous “Trump dossier” to keep Donald Trump from becoming president

Does not have the same skills as the real deal.

- California police on a would-be robber that got stuck in a chimney

You heard that, Ben Rhodes, a former Obama advisor, openly fantasized about the deaths of three prominent politicians.

Ben – I mean this – try therapy. You do not seem well. Many on the left seem to have lost all sense of reality and decency.

- S.E. Cupp, addressing Ben Rhodes’ tweet

My eyes just about popped out of my head. We had put up X-mas lights and I wondered if we had put them up wrong.

- Mary Horomanski, of Pennsylvania, to a local news agency, recalling what happened when she received an electric bill for $284,460,000,000 in error with a minimum payment of $28,156 for the month of December

If there will be recommendations [to indict] — so what? Here’s a fact I doubt the public knows: the vast majority of police recommendations end with nothing. More than 60 percent of police recommendations are thrown out.

- Prime Minister Netanyahu at a rally of Likud members about rumors that he is going to be indicted for corruption

MORE QUOTES

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

27

[Mueller] should have been more careful about who he hired. He should have disclosed he had taken that FBI agent off the case after his messages came out. I think he has a credibility problem on these emails without a warrant. I think he has a credibility problem if he used the dossier in order to get national security wiretaps.

- Famed attorney Alan Dershowitz

[Mueller] has been conducting a sloppy investigation, and that’s atypical of him.

I’m surprised. When you are going after the president, you have to be Caesar’s wife – you have to be above reproach. You can’t give the other side any ammunition, and he has given the other side plenty of ammunition.

- Ibid.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said that the tax plan is “an all-out looting of America, a wholesale robbery of the middle class.” Which, incidentally, is also the slogan for Whole Foods.

- Jimmy Fallon

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio visited Iowa yesterday. He actually meant to visit Queens but the F train got rerouted.

- Seth Myers

It is time for China to start deliberating how to face up to direct competition with the U.S. Frankly speaking, China is not ready, since all it has been doing is focusing on its own development and its own growth. Chinese people believe that although the country has become the world’s secondlargest economy, a great gap still exists in regard to technology, military, education, etc.

- From an op-ed in China’s state-controlled newspaper

The United States will remember this day in which it was singled out in this assembly for the very act of exercising our right as a sovereign nation. We will remember it when, once again, we are called up to make the world’s largest contribution to the UN, and we will remember it when many countries come calling on us to pay even more and to use our influence for their benefit….This vote will make a difference in how Americans look at the UN and how we look at countries that disrespect us at the UN. And this vote will be remembered.

- U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley to the UN General Assembly ahead of its vote to condemn the U.S. for declaring that it will move its embassy to Jerusalem, which it considers the capital of Israel

They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars, and then they vote against us. Well, we’re watching those votes. Let them vote against us. We’ll save a lot. We don’t care.

- President Trump at a cabinet meeting ahead of the UN vote

This is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to write and admit: Trump is winning.

- Earl Ofari Hutchinson, Huffington Post, lamenting President Trump’s successes

I didn’t say African-Americans, I didn’t say Hispanics, I said talented young men and women.

- White House chief of staff John Kelly to reporters about diversity considerations when hiring staff for the White House

MORE QUOTES

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129

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Do you see this as punishment for the crime of running for president?

- Fox News’ Tucker Carlson talking to Green Party 2016 presidential candidate Jill Stein about now being questioned about her connections to Russia because of a picture which surfaced of her at a dinner in 2015 with Vladimir Putin

Yes. - Stein, in response

You need the prayer more than I do, I think… Maybe a good solid prayer, and they’ll be honest men. Is that possible?

Time to investigate high ranking Obama government officials who might have colluded to prevent the election of @realDonaldTrump!

This could be WORSE than Watergate!

- President Trump, allowing reporters to stay in the room for a prayer at the start of his final cabinet meeting of the year

– Tweet by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)

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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

President Trump today congratulated Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for passing the Republican tax plan tweeting, quote, “I could have not asked for a better or more talented partner.” McConnell was so touched, his neck pouch blushed.

- Seth Myers

- Los Angeles psychologist and Trump derangement syndrome sufferer Robby Strong, who left a gift-wrapped box of horse manure outside the Los Angeles home of U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, explaining why he did it

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Forgotten Her es

Benjamin Roth The First Jew in Antarctica

By Avi Heiligman

Benjamin Roth

E

xploration of new continents has been a fascination and adventure of man for many centuries. Polar regions are by far the most difficult to reach due the extreme cold and icy conditions. For the past two centuries the South Pole has been on the mind of some of the most daring explorers. British explorer James Clark Ross discovered many areas of the frosty continent that had previously been unknown.

Norwegian Roald Amundsen and his party reached the geographic South Pole in December 1911. Several other expeditions followed with some success and many failures. The first expedition led by Rear Admiral Richard Byrd is what we’ll focus on in this article. In 1928, he set out with tons of supplies and dozens of men. Among these men was a U.S. Army mechanic who made history by bringing the first talis and tefillin to the South Pole.

Flying to the Poles wasn’t a farfetched idea. In 1926, Byrd and aviator Floyd Bennett (of Floyd Bennett Field fame in Brooklyn, NY) supposedly reached the North Pole in a Fokker Tri-motor plane. Members of the press were skeptical of their claim to have reached the geographic North Pole but the American public believed the pair. Both were awarded the Medal of Honor by a special act of Congress. Two years later, while preparing for the Antarctic adventure, Byrd wanted to have Bennett as his main pilot. Unfortunately, Bennett developed pneumonia and died. A Ford Tri-motor plane was named Floyd Bennett and was present during Byrd’s 1928-1930 Antarctic trip. The other planes that were to make the Antarctic adventure were named the Stars and Stripes and Virginia.

Byrd’s flagship was the City of New York which was accompanied by

Calvin Coolidge awarding the Medal of Honor to Byrd and Bennett, 1927

the Eleanor Bolling. Ninety-five sled dogs and 650 tons of equipment and supplies were loaded onto the ships.

Their base camp was named Little America which was located on the Ross Ice Shelf. Forty-two men would make the trip from the base camp to the Pole starting in early 1929. The winter south of the equator is during what we call the summer months and since it is below the Arctic Circle the sun doesn’t make an appearance for months. Byrd and his team hunkered down during this time planning for their journey.

Some of the explorers on the team joined excursions to do scientific studies. Geologist Larry Gould, along with the Floyd Bennett’s pilot and radioman, went to the mountains for research. A blizzard tore the plane from its moorings and sent it airborne for a mile. The radio was destroyed, and Byrd realized something bad had happened. He took the Stars and Stripes for a flyover and noticed the wreck. Soon the stranded men were on their way back to Little America. Other excursions from the base camp were successful, and operations to reach the Pole were to be carried out in November 1929.

Boyd took the Floyd Bennett on November 28 to try to reach the South Pole. The pilot was Brent Balchen; his co-pilot was Harold June.

Photographer Ashley McKinley came along with hundreds of pounds of gear upon Boyd’s insistence. Extra fuel was on board as well as survival gear on the crystal clear day (it hardly snows in Antarctica). After a smooth ride over the Ross Ice Shelf they ran into trouble over the Tranantarctic

Mountains with peaks at over 10,000 feet. Supplies were dumped out and the plane was able to gain the necessary altitude. McKinley then took out his camera for the epic moments over the Pole. After Byrd made sure that they were over the right geographic location, he dropped an American flag out of the plane. The flag was weighted down by a stone taken from Bennett’s grave at Arlington National Cemetery. The flight back was smooth sailing, and the crew arrived at Little America safely.

One of the plane mechanics on the landing party with Byrd was Benjamin Roth. Roth was born in Brownsville but was orphaned when both of parents died before he turned ten-years-old. When Roth was 24 he joined the army and served during World War I. He distinguished himself as a mechanic specializing in airplane engines. Roth was selected by the army to join Byrd when the latter asked for a skilled mechanic. Even though his stint in the army was coming to an end, Roth enlisted for an additional three years so he could be part of the Antarctic expedition.

Roth became an important assistant to Byrd as the weather conditions near the South Pole were not good for airplane parts. Among the gear that he packed was a pair of tefillin, a talis, a siddur and tzitzis that were given to him by his bother. Sergeant “Benny” Roth was known by everyone in the expedition for being the only Jewish soul on the continent (and probably the first one in history), and he never sought to hide the fact. He was very popular with the

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

Radiogram sent by Roth in September 1929 telling friends that all is well at Little America

other adventure seekers in the group.

On January 31, 1930, Roth was on an ice barrier unloading supplies near the base camp. Suddenly, the barrier cracked, plunging Roth into the freezing Bay of Whales. He clung helplessly to a sheet of ice as he couldn’t swim. Another man, Harrison, was holding on for dear life to a rope dangling off of the barrier. Harrison was pulled to safety, and then their attention turned back to Roth who many thought wasn’t going to

make it out alive. Byrd jumped into the water to save Roth but was unable to reach him because of the ice.

After fifteen minutes Roth was rescued by one of the lifeboats. (From records available to the author at the time of writing this article it seems that Roth did make a trip to the South Pole.)

The expedition members were given a hero’s welcome upon their return to the United States. Byrd was promoted to admiral and made four

135

Roth being saved by a boat after Byrd couldn't reach him

other trips to Antarctica. Sergeant Roth was the U.S. Army representative on the mission and was awarded the soldier’s medal. For his contributions to science there is a peak near the Ross Ice Shelf named Mount Roth. He later served during World War II in Iceland and had seen duty in the Philippines and Panama. He called his four stations of duties “the four corners of the earth, m’arbeh kanfos ha’aretz.”

The legacy of the first Byrd expe-

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dition is an important one for science and exploration in general. Vast areas of previously uncharted land had now been mapped. Knowledge of geological, magnetic, and meteorological properties of Antarctica had been greatly advanced.

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

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Classifieds

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

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Classifieds HOUSES FOR SALE

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

Classifieds HELP WANTED CLERICAL POSITION F/T for Queens office Proper candidate will have: good computer skills, ability to multitask and office experience.

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classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com text 443-929-4003

HELP WANTED HEBREW ACADEMY OF LONG BEACH, Woodmere, NY seeks a FT Middle School Language Arts Teacher for immediate hire. Resumes to ulubetski@halb.org RECEPTIONIST NEEDED ON SUNDAY’S AT OHEL’S MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC IN FAR ROCKAWAY. Answering phones, registering patients, collecting co-pays, inputting therapist schedules into computer.

Must have typing, computer skills, excellent English communication. For more information contact OHEL Bais Ezra at 855-OHEL JOB or apply here: www.ohelfamily.org/careers Help Wanted Pugatch Realty Corp., in Woodmere, is looking to hire and train a select group of motivated Realtors. If you are looking to build a career in real estate, or looking to take your existing career to the next level, there is no better place to start that the #1 Real Estate Brokerage in the Five Towns…Call Today (516) 295-3000 x 128. All calls kept confidential.

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Good Hum r

Jewish Geography

By Jon Kranz

W

hen Jews meet other Jews for the first time they typically engage in a classic Jewish pastime known as Jewish geography. It is neither a professional nor an Olympic sport but it probably could be. It is neither a game show nor reality show but it probably should be. At its core, Jewish geography is an attempt by total strangers to figure out how they might know each other or how they might have acquaintances in common. Sometimes it unfolds through a tedious process of elimination and other times it plays out through extensive and overly intrusive personal probing. Many times the result is not a direct hit or even a significant connection and often the conclusion is a distant, tangential link that barely qualifies as interesting or relevant.

But we all still play it.

The beauty of Jewish geography is that the strength or legitimacy of the purported connection is of little importance. As long as some relationship is established, no matter how remote or inconsequential, it usually triggers a very Jewish reaction of familiarity, camaraderie, wonderment and excitement as though twins separated at birth have just been reunited. In fact, one could argue that Jewish geography is far less about the connection and far more about the reaction. If you are playing Jewish geography and the exchange does not elicit a bizarre and ear-splitting mix of hysteria and euphoria, then you simply are not playing the game correctly.

One need not sensationalize the flimsiness of some Jewish geography connections because in practice the weakness is obvious on its face. With that in mind, the following is a hypothetical example, although it may be very true: Jew #1: Hello there, my name is Hugh Dontnomey. I live in the Five Towns.

Jew #2: The Five Towns? That is incredible!

Jew #1: Why is that so incredible?

Jew #2: Oh my goodness, Hugh, this is so funny. You’re not going to believe this. Buckle up and get ready!

ied at the same yeshiva as my brother’s nephew’s friend’s former roommate whose accountant married a girl from ... the Five Towns. And you, Hugh, are from the Five Towns too!

Isn’t that unbelievable?! You’re both from the Five Towns! What are the chances? How crazy is that? Tell me, really, how crazy is that?

Jew #1: It’s crazy...

Jew #2: I know!

Jew #1: No, it’s crazy that you don’t see how ridiculous this all sounds.

Jew #2: Oh, so you think it’s a bit of a stretch?

Wrapping a tiny rubber band around a bloated Sumo wrestler would be way less of a stretch.

Jew #1: Get ready for what?

Jew #2: Just listen! My mother plays mahjong with this lady who gets her hair colored by this woman who is married to an insurance salesman who just sold a policy to a young couple who lives next door to a family whose dentist plays golf with an obstetrician who delivered the fourth child of a nice family who vacations every summer with a family who sends their kids to a summer camp where the director once stud-

Jew #1: Wrapping a tiny rubber band around a bloated Sumo wrestler would be way less of a stretch.

Indeed, Jewish geography sometimes involves a wacky, highly technical game of genealogy. Here’s an example: Jew #1: Hi, my name is Ann Cestorberg.

Jew #2: Wow, this is so weird, Ann. I think we’re related.

Jew #1: Really, how so?

Jew #2: Your great-grandmother had

a brother who had two children, one of whom had triplets, and one of those triplets had a child who got married and had a two daughters, one of whom gave birth to me, which makes me your third cousin twice removed.

Jew #1: How do you know all of that?

Jew #2: How do you not? After all, Ann, we’re family!

Of course, Jewish geography also can create awkward moments, especially when Jews are caught overreaching: Jew #1: Do you know Nancy Secretstein?

Jew #2: Of course. We’re best friends, like BFF’s, like totally inseparable. We’re basically sisters. We literally tell each other everything.

Jew #1: That’s so strange.

Jew #2: Why is that strange?

Jew #1: Because Nancy and I got married two weeks ago and I don’t remember you being at the wedding or even being invited.

Jew #2: We’re so close that she didn’t even have to invite me.

Jew #1: Huh? Jewish geography is a game that is played by Jews only. You know that famous Yiddish expression, “It’s a small world after all”? That’s what it’s all about. Wait, is that a Yiddish expression or did Walt make that up?

Who cares? I’m getting farklempt just thinking about it.

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

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

Your

141

Money

Twelve Days of Gifts

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

E

very year, PNC Bank publishes their “[Holiday] Price Index” to track the cost of “traditional” gifts. For 2017, it’s a hefty $157,558. (And you thought your holiday spending was out of control!) The index may not be completely accurate – for example, the ten lords-a-leaping are valued using the cost of male ballet dancers, rather than actual lords, and the eight maids-a-milking don’t include eight actual cows. But still, it got us wondering ... what sort of taxes are we looking at on the whole affair?

• T welve drummers drumming and eleven pipers piping make quite a racket every holiday season. Hiring all that help will stir up a cacophony of payroll taxes!

• T en lords may look perfectly happy while they’re leaping.

But surely they must pay a king’s ransom in income taxes – after all, they are lords!

• N ine ladies dancing make a

lovely sight at Christmas time — especially if they’re Rockettes. They also pay a cabaret tax for the privilege of displaying their talent.

• E ight maids-a-milking help make sure we have plenty of tasty eggnog to drink. Good thing so many states offer dairy tax credits to spur the cows on to higher holiday production!

• S even swans-a-swimming? Six geese-a-laying? If we accept the rule of thumb that two birds per acre of pond is a manageable number, then we’re looking at some serious property taxes to host our holiday flock!

• W ho doesn’t want five gold rings this year? But selling those rings can be an expensive proposition. Remember, jewelry held for personal use is still subject to 20% tax on long-term capital gains, plus an extra 3.8% “net investment

income tax”!

• F our calling birds use a lot of cellphone minutes over twelve days. (They’re calling birds, so unlimited texting won’t help.)

Naturally, that means a 5.82% federal excise tax, plus state and local sales tax too. hree French hens add a so• T phisticated “continental” touch to anyone’s holiday festivities.

But don’t forget the import duties you pay to bring foreign livestock into the country!

• T wo turtle doves are known among bird watchers for forming strong “pair bonds,” which makes them a symbol of devoted love. (That’s why they’re in the song.) Too bad that means they pay that pesky marriage penalty that hits high-income couples who file jointly!

(Okay, we know this this one’s a stretch. But we’ve got twelve days of taxes to fill here, so what can we do?)

• N othing says the holidays like a partridge in a pear tree. And our tax code is full of juicy incentives for growing pear trees.

You can deduct operating expenses associated with your crop; you can depreciate equipment and land improvements you use to manage your groves; and you can even take generous charitable deductions for rights you give up for conservation easements. Why, the tax savings alone should be more than enough to pay for the partridge!

Yes, even holiday gifts just mean twelve more opportunities for the taxman. So here’s wishing you and your family the best this holiday season. Make sure you have a plan for 2018 to pay as little tax as possible, not just during the holidays, but all year long!

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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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Life C ach

Steer Clear

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

I

’m wondering if this resonates with you at all: “Wait, stop, slow down, are you aware of the signals?” Yes, I’m in that parsha again.

No, it’s not someone dating. You know, it’s the one where you have your right foot pressed firmly, with all your might, on that invisible brake on the floor in front of you and where your heart slowly slips up and lodges itself resolutely in your throat. Your teen is learning to drive and you’re the designated study partner.

What an honor! They suddenly want to spend a lot of time with you.

Which is odd because here you are telling all your friends how they are asserting their independence and you miss them. You share that they don’t really want to spend as much time doing things with you. And then, suddenly, you are their favorite person again, except you’re not so sure that they are yours.

Just kidding – of course you love being with them but do you have to see your life pass before you to do so?!

And then there are their friends!

You used to worry, are they nice people? Do they have good values? Are

they a good influence on my child?

Now if you hear them saying, “I’m taking a road test” all you want to know is how do they drive.

The other day some young person said they were taking a road test next week. I said, “Oh, good luck.” She responded, “Thanks, I’m going to need it. I don’t know how to parallel park or do k-turns. And I’m a little iffy with intersections.” I felt a little concerned for her. But more importantly, I was thinking, “I hope this person

were turning black and blue by the second. Finally, he said, “Do me a favor. Take me back home while I can still walk.”

My mom was definitely braver.

She let me drive daily to my school, a couple of miles away, near the beach.

She would let me drive to school every morning. However, if I went faster than 15 miles an hour she would be ready to turn me into the police or to issue a speeding ticket herself.

I honestly think that at that speed I

Finally, he said, “Do me a favor.

Take me back home while I can still walk.”

is no friend of my kids.” What exactly is she familiar with about driving?!

I remember my dad flying off the seat every time I hit the brake when he first took me to drive. His knees

was closer to home after driving for ten minutes, considering the wind velocity from the beach.

I had a friend who was upset that she kept failing her road test.

She complained that they said she couldn’t distinguish between the gas pedal and the brake. Which she admitted was true, however, she claimed that it was only when she was in reverse and, after all, how often are you in reverse? Scary thinking, huh?! I’m sure my mom was not that happy that she was my friend.

It’s always a little tough ushering our children onto a new stage, especially one that makes us wish for the old stagecoach instead of a car.

So, the bottom line is this: as parents, we often can’t wait to stop driving carpools. But the price we pay to get there, teaching a novice to navigate, definitely “drives” home the message that parenting can really take a “toll” on us. Yet, honestly, ultimately, it’s all worth it, because how else will they be able to keep coming back to visit us once they’re grow up and have moved away?!

Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or rivki@rosenwalds. com

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 28, 2017

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DECEMBER 28, 2017 | The Jewish Home

YOU’RE INVITED TO

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