Five Towns Jewish Home - 7-2-20

July 2, 2020

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

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W it h U t m o s t R e s p o n s i b i li t y

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Around the

Community

Mr. Allen Fagin Reflects on His Years at the OU

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62

48 Loads of Smiles as Day Camps Open

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78

Sharing Your Business’s Story

42 Honoring Everyday Heroes

SEE PAGE 15

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70

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JULY 2, 2020 | The Jewish Home

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JULY 2, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Dear Readers,

“I

t’s a matter of trust,” my friend told me when the topic of overnight camps came up. This person knows a lot about the behind-the-scenes maneuverings that come up in government. “They said that they couldn’t trust us with adhering to the guidelines that were proposed.”

Weeks ago, when it was still not clear whether overnight camps or day camps would be allowed to open in New York, a group of camp operators worked with specialists to form a plan that would help them keep children in overnight camps safe this summer. Included in the proposal was corona testing done before camp began and no one leaving or entering camp grounds during the summer. Although the group felt that the plan was sound and would persuade the governor and his officials that overnight camps would be the best option for children this summer, it was summarily dismissed. The health commissioner announced on a late Friday afternoon that overnight camps in New York would be closed for the 2020 season.

How could such a detailed and thoughtthrough plan be rejected so cavalierly? Apparently, the state felt that Orthodox Jewish camp owners couldn’t be trusted with following through with their plans.

When I heard this, I was shocked. May-

Weekly Weather |

be I was even more than shocked – I was outraged. To think that the governor of the State of New York – which has the largest population of Jews from all the states in the nation – would presume that all Jewish camp operators would skirt the rules is audacious.

When people start lumping everyone from a group together and assign them labels or put them into certain categories, it’s called stereotyping. To say that all people from a certain country or race or age group are pretentious or untrustworthy or devious or lazy is both ignorant and dangerous.

I wonder what would happen if the governor put all people from another religion or race into a specific category because of issues he had with a small minority of them.

For the next two weeks I am doing something I haven’t done in over a decade: I am going on vacation. No, I’m not flying to Florida or driving cross-country. Instead, I am just going to catch up on everything that I always think I will get to tomorrow.

And, of course, I will read TJH – I know my colleagues will step in and do a fine job while I’m gone.

Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

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Shabbos Zemanim

July 3 – July 9

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JULY 2, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

8

COMMUNITY Readers’ Poll

8

Community Happenings

34

NEWS Global

12

National

25

That’s Odd

31

ISRAEL

58

Israel News

18

My Israel Home

60

JEWISH THOUGHT

Rabbi Wein on the Parsha

54

Your Wellsprings Shall Spread Forth by Rav Moshe Weinberger

56

What Makes Moshe’s Prophecy Unique? by Shmuel Reichman

58

PEOPLE TJH Speaks with Mr. Allen Fagin

62

Remembering Baruch Tzvi HaLevi Eisenberg z”l

66

The Heroism of Sgt. Abraham Todras by Avi Heiligman

88

HEALTH & FITNESS Care and Concern by Dr. Deb Hirschhorn

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Grill to Your Health by Aliza Beer, MS RD CDN

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FOOD & LEISURE The Aussie Gourmet: Macadamia Chocolate Chip Cookies

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LIFESTYLES Mind Your Business

Dear BLM Laffy Taffy writer, First off, I would like to state that this is a letter to you and the entire community. It is a letter without even so much of a hint of sarcasm, exaggeration or levity.

Understand, there are millions of people around our country and the world who are hurting emotionally from police brutality. You might not relate to their pain, you might not be empathetic to their pain but their deep pain exists nonetheless.

Many of these people have attached themselves to a movement called Black Lives Matters. This movement has many people, many of them performing peaceful protests and using their freedom of speech to demand justice from the system. Yes, some of them, like every group, are outliers, doing things we disapprove of, but that is a loud minority.

To mock their movement with a joke about Laffy Taffy flavors is dangerous and foolish.

Two weeks ago, I walked together with hundreds of blacks and Jews through the streets of Far Rockaway peacefully protesting to end police brutality. Jewish leaders spoke publicly at the protest, demonstrating our unity for their cause.

Let me be clear, 98% of police are hardworking and fair people who have never done anything wrong and are not prejudice at all. However,

there is a small faction of police officers who have been too violent while making arrests or too quick to pull the trigger. It is these officers that we marched against.

Additionally, this past week, Rabbi Ya’akov Trump of Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst together with Richard Altabe, our organization board chair and principal of HALB, held a community conversation with Reverend Alfred Cockfield, a minister from Bayswater. They talked publicly for over an hour about the commonality of our respective communities and steps we can take in building bridges. It was a fascinating webinar. I assume due to the levity of your letter that you missed viewing this. You should search YouTube, and watch it! Building bridges with the black community is essential to our living in a peaceful society. They are a community that has suffered atrocities like we have, and we must work together to create friendlier and stronger ties. I and so many community leaders are working around the clock to build these bridges, and we have been successful in creating more relationships than many other communities throughout NYC. In closing, you might not agree with everything Black Lives Matter stands for, but the mockery of your Continued on page 10

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Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW 72

HUMOR

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I am Not a Chicken by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS 94 Your Money

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Centerfold 52 POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes

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If Democrats Cared About Police Reform by Marc A. Thiessen

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Trump’s Rhetoric Is Driving Away Suburban Swing Voters by Marc A. Thiessen 86 CLASSIFIEDS

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Do you own an American flag?

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YES

57

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NO

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JULY 2, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Continued from page 8

letter about Laffy Taffy flavors was horrific. Imagine someone would mock one of our Jewish movements or organizations that are near and dear to us. Your mockery was insensitive, detestable, and demonstrated a complete lack of empathy.

We are a nation that is to be the light amongst all the nations. This is no way for “us” to respond to their movement.

You owe an apology to this newspaper readership, our entire community and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Thank you for taking this matter seriously, Sincerely, Moshe Brandsdorfer Executive Director Jewish Community Council of the Rockaway Peninsula, JCCRP Dear Editor, Over the past few weeks, I’ve been engaged in an extensive period of intense circumspection. After all, I’ve been told incessantly from leftist miscreants and Antifa malcontents that I possess something within the posterior of my subconscious that inherently renders me part of a privileged class, which they have designated as “white privilege.” I reckoned that if I didn’t address my white privilege and heed the counsel of my socialist overlords, it would constitute a dereliction of duty on my part, something which I could not possibly abide with. My only recourse, therefore, was to simply confess to this appalling and hideous state of privilege from which I have subconsciously benefited. But as I surveyed the situation once again, I somehow managed to extract from the recesses of my mind some obscure historical fact that Jews have had the privilege of being the most persecuted minority on Earth. If white privilege did, in fact, endow us Jews with certain

privileges over other groups, I certainly wasn’t seeing it. And that’s when I had this sudden epiphany, a revelation heretofore never experienced: I have the privilege of living in the freest, most charitable, least racist and least anti-Semitic country on Earth. I call that “American Privilege.” And I will never apologize for it, ever.

G-d bless America.

Rafi Metz Dear Editor, Baruch Hashem, the numbers of COVID-19 cases in the frum communities around NYC have dropped to very low numbers, and keep on dropping. Numbers in the greater NYC and surrounding populations have already dropped to new lows on a daily basis. Despite these steady drops in and around NYC, other countries and other states in the U.S. are seeing record high numbers associated with new outbreaks. These new outbreaks are happening because those places reopened their economies without taking mask -wearing and social distancing seriously. There’s now learning a very painful lesson.

Walking around the frum communities, I cannot understand why every single person is not wearing masks when near other people. Some people are indeed taking the proper precautions to avoid a resurgence (masks and proper social distancing) but way too many are not. We have an obligation to protect not only ourselves but others as well. The medical experts pretty much all agree that mask-wearing is a MUST to help prevent another outbreak.

In case you’re thinking that you don’t need to wear a mask, I’ll give you a few reasons to reconsider.

1) If there’s a new outbreak, our shuls may be forced to close again.

2) If there’s a new outbreak, we could chas v’shalom see another rash of hospitalizations and r”l deaths.

3) If there’s a new outbreak, you may need to stand on long lines to get

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

Please send all correspondence to: editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com.

into stores again.

4) If there’s a new outbreak, all those stores that are finally open again may be forced to close again.

5) If there’s a new outbreak, schools may not open in the fall, or may open and be forced to close again shortly thereafter. Do you really want to have all your kids home all day every day, again, despite how much you love them?

6) It’s really not that hard. Yes, it’s annoying, but the potential benefit of preventing spread of the virus far outweighs the personal inconvenience we may endure masks.

Think about this way. Which would you prefer: wearing a mask now when you’re around other people (not in your immediate family) and avoiding another outbreak and new rounds of shutdowns or would you prefer to go back to the way things were, pretend the pandemic is over, and have to endure shul closings, store closings, long lines, kids home all day, etc., all just because some people simply refuse to a mask when among others.

The choice seems very obvious to me. I cannot understand why there’s so much resistance to it. Dr. Ditchek and Rabbi Dr. Glatt, among others, have both spoken endlessly about this, and you can find their talks on YouTube. Look them up and please listen to what they have to say.

They’re just trying to protect all of us, and get us back to some sense of normalcy without c”v slidng backwards to where we were a few months ago.

Please – stop being so stubborn and just wear a mask.

Signed Respectfully, J Greene P.S. Mask-wearing means covering both the nose and mouth. Wearing it as a chin guard or leaving your nose out accomplishes nothing.

Dear Editor, B”H, we live in an active community. On a daily basis, there are people of all ages out bike riding, running and even roller blading. These numbers have only grown with the gyms being closed and the weather getting warmer.

Recently, there were messages sent out advising bike riders to maintain proper safety procedures, wearing helmets, and observing the rules of the road. Personally, I have been actively running throughout the pandemic and have witnessed another issue which I’m pleading with peo-

ple to be more careful. Car drivers MUST be aware that there are people running and sharing the roads. I have almost been hit a few times in the last few months because drivers making a right turn only look to the left to see if any cars are coming and not to the right when there’s a crossing runner that they come close to hit. In addition, runners assume that cars are going to stop at stop signs and not roll through as the runner is crossing the street. There’s nothing more frightening to a runner.

This past week, I was crossing the street knowing the other direction had a red light. Little did I know that the driver was going to make a right on red without stopping at all and almost hit me.

Please, please, please drivers.

This is an active community. Look out for us runners.

Moshe Feldman Dear Editor, I recommend to your readers to be thankful and appreciative for simple things like electricity and air conditioning which people a hundred years ago didn’t have and many around the world still don’t have. It’s good to always be thankful for simple things even if everyone around you has the same comforts and they are considered basic. You will be happier if you don’t take things for granted.

Thank you for printing this letter and thus improving your readers’ lives.

Levi Ginsburg Brooklyn, NY Dear Editor, I want to ask all of those religious Jews who are marching along with Black Lives Matter if they will be joining the planned protest against Israel as well? Or maybe they don’t know yet that the New York chapter of Black Lives Matter is working handin-Hand with the Council on American Islamic Relations (aka CAIR, which is sympathetic to terrorist organizations). Maybe they don’t know that both of those organizations are planning a “day of rage against Israel.” Maybe they don’t know that the official platform of Black Lives Matter in New York includes “to free Palestine.” Buttering up to those that hate you just makes it smoother for them to destroy you. It’s time to stop being naive.

Sincerely, Dov S.

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JULY 2, 2020 | The Jewish Home

OUR COMMUNITIES ARE IN CRISIS

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Russia has allegedly been offering Taliban militants in Afghanistan cash rewards to kill U.S. soldiers in an effort aimed at destabilizing the war-torn country.

According to a New York Times report, agents affiliated with Russia’s GRU military intelligence rewarded insurgents with cash if they succeeded in killing U.S. or British soldiers.

The program was headed by GRU unit 29155, a highly secretive outfit tasked with special operations beyond Russia’s borders believed to be behind the 2018 poisoning of double agent Sergei Skripal in England.

The bounties aimed to increase the violence and scuttle negotiations between the Taliban and the U.S., which eventually turned into a formal peace agreement between the two sides. U.S. intelligence got wind of Russia’s activities from interrogating captured militants.

The report stressed that it remains unclear when the cash rewards began and if President Vladimir Putin was aware of the GRU’s activities.

Both the Taliban and the Russian Embassy deny the allegations.

President Donald Trump was briefed on the developments, and the National Security Council (NSC) held a meeting on the issue in midMarch. During the meeting, NSC officials drafted different possible responses ranging from a retaliatory cyber-attack to a formal diplomatic complaint, but the White House refrained from deciding on any of the options.

While not denying the veracity of the report, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany insist-

ed that both President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence had not been briefed “on the alleged Russian bounty intelligence.”

“The United States receives thousands of intelligence reports a day, and they are subject to strict scrutiny,” added McEnany. “While the White House does not routinely comment on alleged intelligence or internal deliberations, the CIA Director, National Security Advisor, and the Chief of Staff can all confirm that neither the president nor the vice president were briefed on the alleged Russian bounty intelligence.”

McEnany’s account was confirmed by Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, who said in a statement that “neither the President nor the Vice President were ever briefed on any intelligence alleged by The New York Times in its reporting yesterday.”

India Bans TikTok

Noting that they pose a “threat to sovereignty and integrity,” India is banning TikTok and other Chinese apps.

India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said in a statement on Monday that it had received many complaints about misuse and transmission of user data by some mobile apps to servers outside India.

“The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defense of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures,” the ministry said, listing 59 apps including many prominent Chinese ones that will be subject to the ban.

While the Indian government’s statement did not mention China by name, the ban comes as military tensions between the two countries continue to escalate following deadly border clashes earlier this month that

The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020

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left at least 20 Indian soldiers dead.

Many Indians have called for a boycott of Chinese goods and services, particularly from China’s dominant tech industry.

TikTok, the hugely popular video platform owned by Chinese tech giant Bytedance, has an estimated 120 million users in India, making the country one of its biggest markets. Aside from TikTok, other popular Chinese apps on the list include the video

game Clash of Kings, messaging app WeChat, social network Weibo, and photo app CamScanner.

This is not the first time TikTok has run into trouble with the Indian government. The app was briefly blocked in India last year after a court ruled that it could expose children to inappropriate content, bullying, and predators. The app was reinstated a week later after successfully appealing the court’s decision.

Following the indictments of Kovrig and Spavor, Trudeau called the arrests “arbitrary” and called for their release. Trudeau’s statement enraged Beijing, who called on Ottawa to stop its “irresponsible statements” and change its “megaphone diplomacy.”

“The facts are clear and evidence solid and sufficient. The accusation of so-called arbitrarily detaining Canadian citizens is totally groundless,” said China’s Foreign Ministry. “Chinese judicial organs will continue to handle the above cases strictly in accordance with law, and protect the two Canadians’ lawful rights.”

While denying that the two Canadians are being held as bargaining pieces for the return of Meng, the ministry urged Trudeau to release her immediately. “At the same time, Canada should reflect on its mistakes in the Meng Wanzhou incident, stop political manipulation, immediately release Ms. Meng Wanzhou, and ensure her safe return to China,” said Beijing.

Meng has been accused of helping Huawei circumvent the Trump administration’s sanctions on Iran and remains out on bail pending her upcoming extradition. Earlier this month, 20 Canadian government officials signed a petition urging Trudeau to release Meng in order to bring Kovrig and Spavor back home.

China-Canada Relations Tumble Lightning Kills China has ripped Canada’s 107 in India “megaphone diplomacy” following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s remarks regarding two of his country’s citizens imprisoned by Beijing on espionage charges.

In early June, former diplomat

At least 107 people were killed by a series of lightning storms in two Indian states last week.

In Uttar Pradesh, 24 people were killed on Thursday while another 83

The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020

died in the eastern state of Bihar.

Another 25 were injured, including seven who remain in serious condition. The highest single death toll occurred in the district of Gopalganj, which saw 13 people die in a single lightning strike.

block the plans over fears that it will close off the Nile River, its main water resource.

Egypt wants the dam to be filled over a six-year period to give it time to prepare; Ethiopia insists on operating it this month.

In a virtual meeting on Monday, Egypt told the UN Security Council that it faces “an existential threat” should Ethiopia begin operating the dam in July as planned. In a speech lasting over an hour, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stressed that the dam “could endanger the security and survival of an entire nation” and called for a resolution.

“A threat of potentially existential proportions has emerged that Egypt and Ethiopia both ap- could encroach on the single source pealed to the United Nations Secu- of livelihood of over 100 million rity Council asking it to mediate a Egyptians,” said Shoukry. “This standoff over the latter’s controver- draft resolution is not intended to preempt or forestall any negotiasial dam.

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Ethiopia has dismissed Egypt’s exporter but Egypt has fought to In April, dozens of impoverished villagers died after being caught in a lightning storm in Bihar. Last summer, 39 people perished after a series of lightning strikes amid a particularly harmful monsoon season.

Controversial Dam Discussions

In announcing the tragedy, Bihar Disaster Management Department head Sandeep Kumar promised that the Indian government would give $5,300 to each survivor. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also vowed to help, tweeting his condolences “to the families of those who have lost their lives in this disaster.”

Deadly lightning storms are not an infrequent occurrence in India, especially during the monsoon season, and kill more people on an annual basis than any other natural disaster in India.

concerns and argued that the UN had no jurisdiction over its dispute with Cairo. Citing Article 33 of the UN Charter that requires nations to first work out their issues on a regional level, Ethiopia said in a statement that the standoff should be resolved by the African Union.

Egypt’s plea to the UN came after the failure of the most recent round of negotiations in early June. Following five days of talks, a resolution to the conflict appeared increasingly distant as both countries failed to even agree on the starting point for the negotiations. By the fourth day, Egyptian representatives warned that the talks were collapsing due to Ethiopia’s “intransigence,” while Ethiopia slammed Egypt’s “insistence on maintaining a colonial based water allocation agreement.”

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JULY 2, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Land clearing for agriculture, urban development, mining and forestry had been the biggest factor in the fragmentation and loss of habitat for the animals in NSW, the country’s most populous state, over several decades.

including an urgent census, prioritizing the protection of the animal in the planning of urban development, and increasing conservation funding.

It stopped short of unanimously recommending a moratorium on logging in public native forests.

Arrest Warrant for Trump

A prolonged, drought-fuelled bushfire season that ended early this year was also devastating for the animals, destroying about a quarter of their habitat across the state, and in some parts up to 81%.

“The evidence could not be more stark,” the inquiry’s 311-page final report said on Tuesday.

“The only way our children’s grandchildren will see a koala in the wild in NSW will be if the government acts upon the committee’s recommendations.”

The report, commissioned by a multi-party parliamentary committee, makes 42 recommendations,

cused Soleimani of masterminding attacks by Iranian-aligned militias on U.S. forces in the region.

Alqasimehr said the warrants had been issued on charges of murder and terrorist action. He said Iran had asked Interpol to issue a “red notice” for Trump and the other individuals the Islamic Republic accuses of taking part in the killing of Soleimani.

The killing of Soleimani brought the United States and Iran to the brink of armed conflict after Iran retaliated by firing missiles at American targets in Iraq several days later.

HK National Security Law Passed Iran has issued an arrest warrant for U.S. President Donald Trump and 35 others over the killing of top general Qassem Soleimani and has asked Interpol for help, Tehran prosecutor Ali Alqasimehr said on Monday, according to the Fars news agency.

The United States killed Soleimani, leader of the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force, in a drone strike in Iraq on January 3. Washington acBeijing has passed a wide-reaching national security law for Hong Kong, which many fear could be used to override existing legal processes and further erode the city’s civil and political freedoms.

Beijing’s top lawmaking body, the National People’s Congress (NPC), passed the law unanimously on Tuesday morning bypassing Hong Kong’s legislature.

The passing of the legislation has been clouded in secrecy, and details of the law itself remain scant.

According to Xinhua news agency, the law contains six articles and 66 clauses and will go into effect immediately.

Xinhua previously reported the law would criminalize offenses such as secession, subversion against the central Chinese government, terrorism, and colluding with foreign forces.

Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Tuesday evening that she welcomed the introduction of the legislation.

“Safeguarding national security is the constitutional duty of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). The HKSAR Government welcomes the passage of the national security law by the NPCSC today,”

Lam said in a statement.

She repeated previous remarks, saying the law “seeks to practically and effectively prevent, curb and punish four types of crimes seriously endangering national security.”

Lam confirmed that these include: “acts of secession, subversion of state power, terrorist activities, and collusion with foreign or external forces to endanger national security.”

The chief executive said that dedicated units in the Hong Kong Police Force and the Department of Justice will be responsible for enforcing the legislation.

Lam added: “I am confident that after the implementation of the national security law, the social unrest which has troubled Hong Kong people for nearly a year will be eased and stability will be restored, thereby enabling Hong Kong to start anew, focus on economic development, and improve people’s livelihood.”

In a video address to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva earlier on Tuesday, Lam said the law will “have no retrospective effect” – a major concern for many democracy activists in the city, especially for those facing charges relating to the protests last year.

The legislation has been widely criticized by opposition lawmakers in Hong Kong, human rights groups, and politicians worldwide, with many saying it will cement Beijing’s direct control over the semi-autonomous city. Many worry it could be used to target political dissidents, activists, human rights lawyers and journalists amid the central government’s continuing crackdown on civil society under Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Activists have vowed to demonstrate against the law on July 1, the anniversary of the territory’s handover from British colonial rule to China in 1997. The day has become an annual day of protests in the city, but for the first time since handover police have not given permission to protesters to hold peaceful demonstrations.

Opponents of the law say it marks the end of the “one country, two systems” – a principle by which Hong Kong has retained limited democracy and civil liberties since coming under Chinese control.

Crucially, those freedoms include the right to assembly, a free press, and an independent judiciary, rights that are not enjoyed on the Chinese mainland.

Chinese Communist Party offi-

The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020

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cials and state media have defended the law as vital to protecting national security in the wake of last year’s protests and a 17-year failure by the Hong Kong government to pass similar legislation, since the last effort was met with mass protests in 2003.

analysts predict the continuation of his authoritarian policies, including restrictions on internet freedom and oppression of regime opponents.

Putin Forever?

Israel Behind Syrian Airstrikes

Russians headed to the ballot box on June 25 to vote on a constitutional amendment that would allow 67-year-old Vladimir Putin to remain in office until 2036.

The vote was spread out over a week in order to enforce social distancing and will end on July 1. The referendum on the constitutional changes are the most significant since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 and is the final step Putin needs to cement his hold on power for another 16 years.

Putin has been Russia’s de-facto leader since 2000 but would be forced to leave after his current term ends in 2024 without the amendment.

Currently, the constitution limits the president to two consecutive terms but the changes would reset the clock on those limits, allowing Putin to run for an additional two times.

Aside from allowing Putin to remain president, voters are being asked to ratify a slew of other changes as well. This includes a measure that will increase parliament’s role in the political process and allow it to elect the prime minister and a ban on certain marriages. “Faith in G-d” will also be enshrined into the constitution.

Putin began the process in January, ousting his longtime ally Dmitry Medvedev as prime minister and appointing Mikhail Mishustin instead.

In March, Russia’s Constitutional Court approved the changes, ruling that the move was legal if ratified in a nationwide referendum.

If Putin stays in power as Russia’s president for another 16 years,

Six Iranian fighters were reportedly killed in a series of Israeli airstrikes in Syria over last weekend.

According to the Syrian Human Rights Observatory, Israeli warplanes bombed Iranian positions in al-Abbas near the Abu Kamal crossing on the border with Jordan. Four fighter jets are said to have participated in the attack and were reportedly seen flying at a low altitude on the way back from the air assault.

Those killed are said to be Pakistani and Afghani militia members who were members of an Iranian-sponsored militia operating in Syria. Four civilians were also killed in the operation.

Iranian media reports said that the bombing occurred shortly after Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) General Esmail Ghaani paid an official visit to the base. As per Reuters, Ghaani spoke out against Israel and the U.S. while at the site and accused both of funding the ISIS terror group.

On Thursday, an Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle attacked a vehicle in the city of Quneitra adjoining the Syrian-Israeli border.

The airstrike reportedly killed Imad Al-Tawil, a local Hezbollah commander tasked with building military positions in the area on behalf of Iran.

Israel has not taken responsibility for either attack, which appears to be part of its long-running campaign to prevent Iran from establishing a military foothold on its border with Syria. Such attacks have increased

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in recent months as Iran has upped its efforts to traffic weapons and personnel to the border while Israel remains busy combatting the coronavirus.

Yehuda Wachsman Passes Away

Yehuda Wachsman, father of IDF soldier Nachshon Wachsman – who was killed after being kidnapped by terrorists in 1994 – passed away on Thursday. He was 73.

Yehuda Wachsman left behind his wife, Esther, and six children.

His death was announced by Jerusalem’s Hadassah Ein Kerem

Hospital, which had been treating Wachsman for a series of serious ailments.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu eulogized Wachsman as one who “educated and taught values of Torah and love of the people and the land. For myself, my wife Sara and all citizens of Israel, I send condolences to Esther and the children,” added Netanyahu. “May his memory be blessed.”

Nachshon Wachsman had been kidnapped by Hamas terrorists while hitchhiking home from his base north of Jerusalem. The militants had been wearing kippot, placed a siddur on the dashboard, and were playing chassidic music over the sound system in order to avoid arousing suspicion.

Forty-eight hours after his disappearance, Hamas released a video of Nachshon and threatened to kill him unless Israel released hundreds of jailed Palestinian prisoners.

“Hamas captured me; they want to release their prisoners. If not, they will kill me. I ask of you to do what you can to get me out of here alive,” Nachshon told the camera.

Shortly afterwards, the Shin Bet

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internal security service succeeded in pinpointing Wachsman’s whereabouts in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Bir Nabala. After marathon consultations, then-Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin decided to order the Sayeret Matkal special operations unit to attempt a rescue.

However, the commandos failed to use enough explosives when attempting to blow off the front door, causing the terrorists to kill Nachshon immediately. Captain Nir Poraz was also killed in the subsequent firefight.

Following his son’s death, Yehuda filed a lawsuit in the U.S. against Iran for its role in funding the terrorists behind the attack. A court awarded the family $25 million in damages in 2009.

In a memorial held for his son last year to mark the 25th anniversary of the kidnapping and murder, Yehuda Wachsman emphasized the need for Jewish unity.

Escalating Virus Numbers

As the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to skyrocket in Israel, health experts warn that the country may soon lose control over the virus.

After a record number of new cases on Saturday, Israel Society for Infectious Diseases head Miri Weinberger warned that the virus was spiraling out of control. In a public letter she penned to Health Minister Director-General Hezi Levi, Weinberger contended that only a return to the large-scale closures that characterized the early days of the pandemic could avert disaster.

“We are about to lose control of the epidemic in Israel. We are close to the point of no return where there will be mass infection and burdens of severely ill patients. The window for effective action is closing. If we do not begin at the start of this week, we will miss the boat and may even lose control,” Weinberger warned.

“Over the past two weeks, we have

seen a dramatic increase in the number of daily infections of the coronavirus. In recent days there has also been a rise in the ages of those diagnosed and hospitalized,” Weinberger noted.

Apart from upping the social distancing measures, Weinberger recommended beefing up the contact tracing unit, procuring more medications, and ratcheting up fines on those caught infringing on the guidelines.

Earlier, Deputy Health Minister Yoav Kisch told Channel 12 that new measures being considered to fight the virus included limiting gatherings to 20 people, banning summer camps, and mandating employees to work in shifts at workplaces.

Weinberger’s missive comes as Israel is currently battling what many call a “second wave” of infection that has seen new COVID-19 cases break records on a daily basis. With only 300 deaths and 5,000 active cases in May, Israel was thought to have survived the worst of the pandemic and relaxed the widespread closures to repair the shattered economy.

Since then, however, Israel has seen hundreds of new cases of infection on a daily basis while the death toll passed the 320 mark. As a result, the European Union reversed its plans to allow entry to visitors from the Jewish State, while the IDF’s Home Front Command reopened its hotels reserved for coronavirus patients in moderate condition.

As of Tuesday, there had been 24,441 cases of patients diagnosed with the virus.

U.S. Amb. House for Sale

The United States is selling off its ambassador’s residence outside of Tel Aviv, which has housed envoys to Israel since the early 1960s, for what would be a record-breaking price of some $87 million, according to Globes newspaper, an Israeli business publication.

The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020

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It’s been two years since the Trump administration moved the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The compound at 40 Gali Azure St., nestled in the ritzy Mediterranean neighborhood of Herzliya Pituach, is right on the sea, with five bedrooms, a pool and a hot tub, on a street said to be the most expensive in the country because of its breathtaking views.

Until recent years, the property would have been set to host lavish celebrations over the coming Fourth of July weekend. But under President Trump, the festivities have moved elsewhere.

If the compound goes for the asking price, it would be the nation’s most expensive residential real estate sale. Russian-Israeli billionaire and Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich currently holds that record. In January, he bought a property in Israel for more than $64 million.

Although the Herzliya residence may seem like a luxurious location for a diplomatic post, the Trump administration’s push to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has made it an inconvenient place to live given the nearly 50-mile commute.

David Friedman, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, has already established an official residence in Jerusalem.

Recruiting for Hezbollah

An Arab-Israeli woman living in Lebanon was working to recruit Israeli citizens as spies for Hezbollah.

According to the Shin Bet, Beirut Hamoud sought to enlist two female residents of her hometown of Majd al-Krum, an Arab town in the Galilee. The women, whose names weren’t published, were arrested on May 2 and were granted conditional release after they were interrogated.

Hamoud was questioned by Israeli security forces in 2013 over suspicions she had contacted Hezbollah operatives and met with them at one

conference in Morocco in 2008 and another in Tunisia in 2012, after which the Shin Bet said she left Israel for Lebanon. There, she married Bilal Bizri and now works as a journalist at the Hezbollah-linked Al-Akhbar newspaper.

“Alongside her work as a journalist in Lebanon, Beirut Hamoud and her husband Bilal are run by the terror organization Hezbollah to locate and recruit Israeli citizens for operations for Hezbollah,” a statement from the Shin Bet said.

“During the investigation the contact between the two and Beirut was confirmed, as well as information about the meeting in Turkey and the way in which Hezbollah worked through Beirut and her husband to enlist additional Israelis for Hezbollah operations,” the Shin Bet said.

According to the security service, one of its agents called Bizri to warn him that Israel was on to them and to cease their efforts to recruit Israelis citizens for Hezbollah. A portion of the undated phone call was released by the Shin Bet. “Send greetings to your commander in Hezbollah…in the near future there will be a few surprises for him from us,” the agent said during the call.

Responding to the accusations, Hamoud said the two Majd al-Krum residents were childhood friends of hers and accused the Shin Bet of investigating her because she married a Lebanese national.

“In 2013 they tailed me for two and a half months and interrogated me. They found nothing, because there wasn’t anything to find, nothing but the illusions in their heads,” she wrote on Facebook.

Gazan Baby Dies Because of PA Eight-month old Omar Yaghi passed away after the Palestinian Authority refused to transfer him from Gaza to Israel for life-saving heart surgery.

Yaghi was slated to be brought to Israel on May 24 in order to undergo the operation at Ramat Gan’s Sheba Hospital. The expensive medical procedure had been covered by the humanitarian Shevet Achim organization and was expected to resolve the boy’s complex heart problems.

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under the knife after the Palestinian Authority (PA) cut all coordination with Israel in protest over the planned annexation of parts of Judea and Samaria. While several humanitarian organizations searched for ways to transfer him to Israel, Yaghi died on June 18.

The IDF’s Coordinator on Government Activity in the Territories (COGAT) said in a rare statement that it was “deeply saddened by the death of 8-month-old Omar Yaghi.”

COGAT is responsible for coordinating all civil and humanitarian issues vis-a-vis the PA and had tried to assist Yaghi, only to be prevented from doing so by the Palestinian Authority.

“In this period, there are delays and disturbances in the process of transferring requests for permits for Gaza residents to enter Israel. The disturbances are the result of the PA Civil Committee’s decision to stop

handling requests [for permits] from the Gaza Strip and to transfer them to us,” COGAT wrote.

Palestinians frequently turn to Israeli hospitals when undergoing complex medical procedures in order to benefit from Israel’s superior standards and techniques. The treatment commonly requires coordination with Israeli authorities regarding issues such as travel permits and payment.

The PA has refused to talk with their Israeli counterparts for over a month in protest of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s intention to annex parts of Judea and Samaria. This includes security coordination, with PA police refraining from stopping terror attacks or passing information to the IDF. “We do not even pick up the phone or answer emails,” PA Health Ministry official Haitham al-Hadra told the AFP. “Ninety-five percent of medical

conditions can be treated in Palestinian hospitals, whether government or private ones.”

Gantz In No Rush to Annex Defense Minister and Kahol Lavan faction head Benny Gantz told U.S. representatives that he is in no hurry to annex parts of Judea and Samaria.

During a Monday morning meeting with U.S. Presidential Envoy Avi Berkowitz and U.S. Ambassador David Friedman, Gantz said that he preferred to focus first on fighting the coronavirus and rehabilitating the economy.

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Gantz added that the target date of July 1 “is not a sacred date,” stating that “people must be returned to their jobs and the coronavirus must be dealt with.” When asked about his personal feelings regarding the move, Gantz replied that the Deal of the Century “is a historic move that constitutes the right and the best framework for promoting peace in the Middle East.”

Gantz cautioned, however, that a monumental move such as annexation could only move forward if done together with “the strategic partners in the region and the Palestinians, and reach an outline that benefits all sides proportionally, responsibly and reciprocally.”

Gantz’s personal views on the looming annexation have not been widely known, with some reports saying that he will oppose it, while others speak of his agreement if done as part of a wider diplomatic effort.

The Trump administration has reiterated that it will only support applying Israeli law to parts of Judea and Samaria if Gantz and fellow Kahol Lavan leader Gabi Ashkenazi agree.

Netanyahu had set July 1 as his target date to annex 30% of Judea and Samaria, including the entirety of the Jordan Valley. The date is anchored in the coalition agreement signed with Kahol Lavan and there is

little that the center-left party can do to halt it. Even so, the plan has faced significant diplomatic and political pushback in recent weeks from allies such as the UK, Germany, and Jordan, and annexation will not proceed as scheduled.

No Travel to EU

The European Union has decided to remove Israel from the “white list” of countries whose citizens are permitted to enter its borders after cases of COVID-19 surged in the Jewish State.

The EU intends to reopen its borders on July 1 but will limit entry to visitors arriving from countries with a relatively low rate of new COVID-19 cases. The list of safe countries was put together by EU officials after ongoing negotiations on how to reopen the borders of the 27 member states for trade and tourism after months of closure.

Travel to the EU has been blocked since mid-March due to the coronavirus but restrictions are set to be eased soon. Currently, the list of approved countries includes Australia, Canada, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Thailand, Uruguay, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Georgia, Montenegro and Serbia.

While Israel was believed to be included on the white list, the recent surge of new cases caused EU officials to have second thoughts. On Saturday, Israel recorded a record 681 new cases, causing the Health Ministry to reimplement a slew of social distancing measures.

Apart from Israel, visitors to the EU from the U.S., Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey will be banned. While EU member states do not have to admit visitors from the 14 approved countries, they are not allowed to admit anyone from countries not on the “white list.”

“International travel is key to tourism and business, and for family and friends reconnecting,” European Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said earlier this month.

The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020

Princeton Removes Woodrow Wilson’s Name

Following weeks of pressure, Princeton University announced that it will remove former President Woodrow Wilson’s name from a building on its campus.

In a vote on Friday, the Princeton University Board of Trustees approved renaming its policy school the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs due to what it said was Wilson’s racist beliefs. Wilson College, another school affiliated with the university, will now be known as “First College” to reflect “its status as the first of the residential colleges that now play an essential role in the residential life of all Princeton undergraduates.”

“We have taken this extraordinary step because we believe that Wilson’s racist thinking and policies make him an inappropriate namesake for a school whose scholars, students, and alumni must be firmly committed to combating the scourge of racism in all its forms,” said Princeton in a statement.

The change follows weeks of pressure from Princeton staff, alumni, and current students to remove all mentions of Wilson from the campus due to his now-controversial beliefs. The 28th president, Wilson served from 1913 until 1921 and led the U.S. through the First World War. Wilson was a prominent supporter of segregation and implemented the discriminatory policy throughout the federal government.

He also believed in a form of racial science known as eugenics and screened the pro-KKK film “Birth of a Nation” at the White House.

Princeton’s student body first called attention to the many honorifics dedicated to Wilson on campus

in 2015, leading the school to establish a commission to study the issue. Yet it was the recent racial protests that followed the death of George Floyd, and the hundreds of statues that came down throughout the United States, that prompted the Board to take action.

“Wilson’s racism was significant and consequential even by the standards of his own time,” said Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber. “He segregated the federal civil service after it had been racially integrated for decades, thereby taking America backward in its pursuit of justice. He not only acquiesced in but added to the persistent practice of racism in this country, a practice that continues to do harm today.”

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Attorney General William Barr has announced a plan to ratchet up the federal government’s fight against left-wing anti-government extremists.

As radicals associated with the Antifa movement topple statues of American leaders throughout the United States, the Department of Justice has formed a new task force to combat “violent extremists.” The task force, which was unveiled last Friday, will be headed by U.S. Attorneys Craig Carpenito and Erin Nealy Cox from the District of New Jersey and Northern District of Texas.

The task force will work closely with the FBI to uncover information about the people behind the spate of rioting throughout the country.

Aside from intelligence gathering, it will also coordinate with local law enforcement across the United States in order to dedicate more federal resources towards restoring law and order.

In a memo announcing the move, Barr described the rampant destruction of statues as nothing less than a full-on assault on the United

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States. “Some pretend to profess a message of freedom and progress, but they are in fact forces of anarchy, destruction, and coercion,” Barr wrote.

“We have evidence that anti-government violent extremists — including those who support the ‘Boogaloo,’ those who self-identify as Antifa, and others — will pose continuing threats of lawlessness. Some of these violent extremists, moreover, may be fortified by foreign entities seeking to sow chaos and disorder in our country,” Barr said.

“The Department of Justice will respond to these violent groups in the same way we respond to other organized criminal or terrorist networks — by disrupting their violent activities and ultimately dismantling their capability to threaten the rule of law.”

Parler Takes on Twitter More than half a million new users joined the social media site Parler as conservatives turn on Twitter over charges of censorship.

According to Parler CEO John Matze, the site increased to 1.5 million users from 1 million from only a week before. As of Friday, Parler passed fellow social media platforms Reddit and Twitter to become number 1 on Apple’s app store, something Matze credited to the site’s commitment to free speech.

“We’re a community town square, an open town square, with no censorship,” Matze said. “If you can say it on the street of New York, you can say it on Parler.”

The flood of new users comes after conservatives upped their attacks on Twitter for what they say are its one-sided suppression of right-wing thought. While such complaints have become increasingly commonplace in recent years, they have gained traction ever since the social media giant cracked down on tweets

by President Donald Trump.

Earlier this month, Twitter rolled

out a new policy that fact-checked Trump’s tweets for the first time, leading the U.S. leader to sign an executive order exposing social media companies to legal action. Last week, Twitter suspended the account of popular pro-Trump meme maker Carpe Doktum while the Trump campaign told the Wall Street Journal that it was looking for new social media alternatives.

As conservative backlash rises, a slew of leading Republican lawmakers has joined Parler and urged their followers to do the same. Unlike Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook, Parler does not intervene to block user content, including in cases of possible violence or abusive behavior.

On Friday, Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan tweeted that he was abandoning Twitter to join Parler where they “don’t censor or shadow ban.”

He was joined by fellow lawmakers Ted Cruz, Elise Stefanik, and former U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley.

U.S. Fighters Intercept Russian Jets

The Pentagon confirmed that F-22 fighter jets intercepted four Russian Tu-142 reconnaissance planes after they strayed close to U.S. airspace near the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

The faceoff occurred on Saturday and began after the Russian squadron flew approximately 65 miles off the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. The Tu-142s remained in the area for over eight hours but never violated U.S. airspace.

The interception follows a similar incident last month in which Russian nuclear-capable bombers approached Alaskan territory three separate times, resulting in dogfights with F-22 fighters. In the most recent incident, U.S. aircraft scrambled last Wednesday to confront two Russian IL-38 maritime patrol aircraft.

“This year alone, NORAD forces have identified and intercepted Russian military aircraft including

bombers, fighters, and maritime patrol aircraft on ten separate occasions when they have flown into the ADIZ,” said NORAD commander Gen. Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy.

“Despite COVID-19, we remain fully ready and capable of conducting our no-fail mission of homeland defense,” he said.

NYPD Retirement Wave

tion while Congress and the Senate have each unveiled their own police reform bill. The recent riots that injured hundreds of police officers together with the anti-law enforcement narrative have deeply demoralized cops, with many predicting a wave of resignations and retirements throughout the United States.

“It’s an all-out war on cops and we have no support,” one soon-to-be ex-police officer told The New York Post.

Cuomo Controls

The number of NYPD officers choosing early retirement has skyrocketed amid a nationwide backlash against law enforcement following George Floyd’s death.

According to Fox News, 272 police officers have filed for early retirement since Floyd’s death, a 49% jump from the year before. The number is expected to increase as NYPD members increasingly voice their frustration over the lack of support from Mayor Bill de Blasio and the anti-law enforcement rhetoric rife in the media.

Cops are also reportedly unhappy with the NYPD’s decision to disband its plainclothes unit, while de Blasio is said to be considering a $1 billion budget cut to the 36,000-person strong force.

Speaking with The New York Post, Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch warned that officers are reaching their “breaking point” due to the aforementioned factors.

“We are all asking the same question: ‘How can we keep doing our job in this environment?’” said Lynch.

“And that is exactly what the anti-cop crowd wants. If we have no cops because no one wants to be a cop, they will have achieved their ultimate goal.”

Sergeants Benevolent Association leader Ed Mullins agreed, telling the newspaper that 80 of his officers have already left while “morale is at the lowest levels I’ve seen in 38 years.”

Since Floyd was tragically killed

by Derek Chauvins in Minneapolis in early June, calls to “defund the police” have grown across the na-

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order last week restricting COVID-19 sick leave benefits from New Yorkers who travel to high-risk states.

Since March 18, the State of New York has been paying for sick leave for employees forced to remain in quarantine after having been in contact with someone infected with the coronavirus. The measure was designed to prevent people from choosing between their personal health and their job.

Now, the financial compensation will not be afforded to anyone who chooses to travel to states with a high rate of COVID-19. Such states are defined as those with more than 10 positive tests per 100,00 residents or an overall positive test rate that passes 10% for more than seven days.

Cuomo’s executive order applies only to non-essential travel and is retroactive to June 25. States on the governor’s “no travel” list include Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah, and Texas.

“If we are going to maintain the progress we’ve seen, we need everyone to take personal responsibility — that’s why I’m issuing an executive order that says any New York employee who voluntarily travels to a highrisk state will not be eligible for the COVID protections we created under paid sick leave,” Cuomo said.

The executive order comes after Cuomo, along with the governors of

The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020

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HELP US HELP THEM.

Please donate to our Emergency Fund!

Help us to continue to provide critical and essential services to our entire community.

The Rina Shkolnik Kosher Food Pantry

located at The S.H.O.P. (Sustenance Hope Opportunities Place) has seen a 40% increase of new families who are suddenly facing hardships.

Our Older Adult Department

is in touch with seniors and Holocaust survivors to check in and perform wellness checks. Activities are being shared so that they can stay healthy and engaged.

The JCC Social Work Team

is conducting remote counseling sessions with vulnerable and isolated community members who are anxious and need support at this time.

Our Special Needs Department

has been running virtual support groups for adults with disabilities and parents of children with special needs to connect, share resources and support each other.

Our Volunteer Department

has mobilized an army of volunteers to deliver food, run errands and shop for groceries to those who can’t get out especially seniors living alone.

We need your help now!

The Gural JCC remains steadfast in our commitment to serving the needs of the Greater Five Towns.

Ways to Give: Please make your tax deductable contribution today!

• Online: guraljcc.org/donate • Mail checks to: The Marion & Aaron Gural JCC, 207 Grove Ave., Rooted in the Community for Over 40 Years

New Jersey and Connecticut, issued a joint order mandating a 14-day quarantine for anyone arriving in the tri-state area from states with a high transmission rate.

AOC Targets Israel Four far-left Democratic congresswomen are demanding that the U.S. cut off all foreign aid to Israel if it an-

Cedarhurst, NY 11516, Attn: Development Department • By Phone: at 516-569-6733, ext. 201

nexes parts of Judea and Samaria.

Circulated by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and co-signed by Rashida Tlaib, Betty McCollum and Pramila Jayapal, the missive to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urges him to drastically rethink the U.S.-Israeli relationship.

“If the Israeli government moves forward with the planned annexation with the current U.S. government, we will work to enact laws that will stop or reduce $ 3.8 billion in security aid granted to Israel,” the four lawmakers

wrote.

They added that “such a law would include as a condition of helping to meet stringent human rights standards for Palestinians as well as reducing the amount of money that the Israeli government spends each year to fund settlements.”

The letter was condemned by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), who strongly rejected the call to condition the $3.8 billion in annual aid Israel gets on its willingness to establish a Palestinian state.

“AIPAC opposes the letter being circulated by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and co-signed by Rashida Tlaib, Betty McCollum and Pramila Jayapal, which explicitly threatens the U.S.-Israel relationship in ways that would damage American interests, risk the security of Israel & make a two-state solution less likely,” said the lobby.

The letter by the four progressive lawmakers comes after almost 200 Democratic House members warned Prime Minister Netanyahu last week against annexing any parts of Judea and Samaria. The missive, which was sent to Netanyahu, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, said that such a move would be a death blow to any possible peace plan and would hurt Israel’s image in the U.S. “As committed partners in supporting and protecting the special US-Israel relationship,” the missive said, “we express our deep concern with the stated intention to move ahead with any unilateral annexation of West Bank territory, and we urge your government to reconsider plans to do so.”

U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice did not sign the letter.

“I  NY” Designer Passes Away

Milton Glaser, an award-winning graphic designer who created the famed “I Love NY” logo, died on Friday on his 91st birthday.

Born in 1929 to a Jewish family in the Bronx, Glaser’s artistic talent

The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020

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lot about the way things look, and as a consequence, I try to see how much of that world I can embrace.”

Mask Exemption Dropped

was evident from an early age. He grew up studying graphic design with famed artists such as Raphael Soyer and attended the High School of Music and Art in Manhattan.

Glaser earned a prestigious scholarship to Cooper Union in New York City and established Push Pin Studios with several of his classmates.

There, Glaser would pioneer a new form of design that would catapult him into a household name in the ad industry.

At a time where advertising was dominated by conservative cam-

paigns and modernist imaging, Glaser introduced bright colors and a whimsical style in his creations.

Among his creations was the iconic “I  NY” logo, which he created as part of a 1977 campaign to boost tourism.

First scrawled on a napkin with a crayon during a taxi ride, the logo became one of the city’s most recognizable symbols and won a slew of awards over the years. It would go on to be reproduced on everything from t-shirts to coffee mugs. Following 9/11, the logo was modified to read

“I  NY More Than Ever,” with the heart sporting a large purple bruise.

“I’m flabbergasted by what happened to this little, simple nothing of an idea,” Glaser recalled in 2011.

Other Glaser creations that rocketed to stardom include a famous 1967 album cover for the singer Bob Dylan, which showed the folk singer’s hair in swirly psychedelic colors.

“I’m a person who deals with visual material whatever it is – architecture, an object, a set of plates, wallpaper — right now I’m doing t-shirts,” explained Glaser. “I know a

Oregon’s Lincoln County has dropped guidelines exempting people of color for having to wear masks after a racial backlash.

The change came after earlier plans to refrain from requiring people of color to wear the masks resulted in a massive backlash from residents. According to reports, the policy turned lawmakers into targets of a steady stream of harassment and “horrifically racist commentary.”

“The expressions of racism regarding the exception has created a ripple of fear throughout our communities of color. The very policy meant to protect them is now making them a target for further discrimination and harassment,” Lincoln County leaders said.

Lincoln County officials had passed a directive last week mandating that its residents wear masks in an indoor public setting or when unable to maintain a distance of six feet when outdoors. However, the county exempted certain minorities from the guidelines, writing on its website that the rule did not apply to “people of color who have heightened concerns about racial profiling and harassment due to wearing face coverings in public.”

Apart from racial minorities, the country also exempted those with disabilities and people suffering from ailments that made it difficult to wear masks. Children under 12 were also not required to cover their faces.

Upon announcing the exemptions, Lincoln County officials said that mask-wearing could single out African-Americans for racial profiling. “Violence and discrimination are

The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020

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a daily experience for people who are Black, Indigenous and people of color,” said the county.

“Racism and racist reactions to Black, indigenous, and people of color wearing face coverings is a reality.

And yet we know face coverings can help people stay healthy and save lives. Multnomah County does not tolerate discrimination or violence toward individuals because of their race, ethnicity or identity.”

Cool Social Distancing

Social distancing has just gotten cooler.

This week, Dos Equis is giving away coolers perfect for hanging out with friends during these times.

The “seis-foot cooler” is six feet long so socializing can take place from a safe distance.

“Just because we have to social distance doesn’t mean we have to skip out on summertime entirely,” Edith Llerena, senior brand manager for Dos Equis, said of the promotion. ”There’s a responsible way to drink responsibly throughout the summer.”

“With the new seis-foot cooler, beer drinkers can reclaim a piece of the vision they had for a normal summer, hanging out and drinking beer with friends. Just sit on opposite ends of the cooler to keep a safe distance apart.”

The extra-large chillers can hold at least 12 cans or bottles, plus room for ice.

Let’s get the party started.

Missing ID “Everyone, I need help. I found this picture on a Tel Aviv street,” Ariel Plavnik, a 43-year-old tourism salesperson from Kfar Saba, Israel,

wrote in Hebrew and Spanish in a Facebook post with the photograph.

“I want to return this old, beautiful photograph. If you share it, maybe we can find the owners! Thanks to all.”

Plavnik’s plea touched many people’s hearts. His post was accompanied by a yellowed photo of a smiling couple. More than 8,000 people shared the photo. Throughout the world, several Jewish Facebook groups devoted to genealogy posted the picture on their pages, hoping someone would remember who they were.

Some people were able to identify the couple, noting that it’s of their relatives. But none of them were correct. Indeed, the couple in the photograph were actors, who portrayed the parents of a character from the movie

“Back to the Future” years ago.

Plavnik, who immigrated to Israel from his native Argentina about 20 years ago, said he had aged the photograph and used it initially as a joke for his friends.

“Listen, I really only wanted to make my Facebook friends laugh, but then it got shared like crazy because all of these genealogy groups and it sort of took on a life of its own,” he said.

The joke works, he said, especially because “Back to the Future” is about time travel, “which is kind of

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what happened with the photo.”

Ariel, we sort of missed the punchline.

A Gem of a Find

When Beatrice Watkins visited the Arkansas Crater of Diamonds State Park last week, she thought she’d enjoy the trip with her daughter and granddaughters.

And she did. It was quite enjoyable and then became even more fun when, just 30 minutes into stay, Beatrice found the largest diamond that had ever been discovered at the park so far this year.

She was dry sifting soil near the center of the park’s search area when she saw the diamond.

“I was searching with my daughter and granddaughters when I picked it up,” Watkins said. “I thought it was

shiny but had no idea it was a diamond! My daughter Googled similar-looking stones and thought it might have been iron pyrite, so I stuck it in my sack and kept sifting.”

Watkins didn’t learn the true identity of the stone until she and her family took at break an hour later. Park staff looked over Watkins finds and informed her the rock was a brown diamond weighing 2.23 carats.

This is the largest diamond found at the park since October 2019.

Watkins named her diamond after herself, calling it the “Lady Beatrice.”

She said she will probably keep it as an inheritance for her family.

What a gem of a find.

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you! Perhaps you’ll appreciate some tips from Alyssa Clark. She’s been running marathons every day for the past few months.

Clark, originally from Vermont, had been living in Italy when the pandemic struck. As an ultramarathoner, Clark had been ready to start on her marathon schedule. But then the government shut everything down, and Clark was stuck. What to do when you’re all ready and can’t compete?

Clark took it to the streets.

On March 30, Clark decided to run marathons – on her own – outside every day as long as guidelines allowed for it.

“We were supposed to have some restrictions lifted [in Italy] on April 14, so I thought I would do about fifteen marathons,” she said. “When it was extended to May 1, the game was on…. In all honesty, there are a lot of benefits to the treadmill. In many ways it is easier to run indoors. The temperature is controlled, there’s no wind or elements to take into consideration, no need to carry water or food with you, and a bathroom is available at all times.”

She completed 30 treadmill marathons before restrictions slowly began to lift across Italy. At that point, Clark announced that she was going to chase the world record for most consecutive days of running a marathon – despite the fact that she and her husband were going to be moving back to the U.S. soon.

On the day of marathon No. 57, Clark, alongside her husband Navy Lt. Codi Clark, began their multiday move from Naples, Italy, to their next duty station in Florida, making stops in Germany; Virginia Beach, Virginia; and Charleston, South Carolina, along the way. The travel logistics alone threatened to get in the way of Clark’s challenge – but she persevered, and completed her marathons during this time.

“The most challenging aspect of the transition was the sleep deprivation and general fatigue of traveling,” she said. “In Germany, we didn’t arrive until 10 p.m., and we had to be back at the terminal at 9:30 a.m. or would risk not being allowed on our flight. Codi was a trooper and ran to the only place open at that time which was a gas station, to grab some frozen meals, and I didn’t end up going to bed until almost 11 p.m.

The plan was to start at 2:30 a.m. to make sure I finished the marathon on time, but I ended up waking up at

12:45 a.m. and decided I would start.

“It was very strange to be running a marathon at one in the morning around an Air Force base in Germany, but it is truly a memory I will never forget. I even had a local Air Force runner join me at 4:15 a.m., which was incredible to have the company and so greatly appreciated.”

After landing in Virginia, Clark and her husband drove the rest of the way to the Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City Beach, Florida, which gave the ultramarathoner plenty of time to run marathons. She covered 26.2 miles in Virginia Beach, Virginia; twice in Charleston, South Carolina; and once in Neptune Beach, Florida, before arriving in Panama City Beach.

And it was in Charleston that Clark surpassed the unofficial women’s world record for consecutive days running a marathon distance at 61 days. To celebrate the milestone, her husband called up her family via Zoom, so they could see her finish the marathon, and a friend brought a bottle of champagne to spray at the end.

Clark, who runs her marathons between a 9:20- and 9:40-per-mile pace, shared that although she sometimes maps out 26.2 for a specific route, there is a certain joy in ‘just going out to explore.’ And though her scenery changes, her routine stays the same no matter where she is.

“One of the most important parts is setting my clothes out the night before and making sure my running pack is ready for the morning,” she said, adding that she likes to make it as easy as possible to get out the door in the morning. “I have my water bottles filled, my food in the pockets, and all watches and headphones charged.” “[It] normally takes me about 45 minutes before I’m out the door,” said Clark, who also carries two watches with her to make sure her data is correct, and so she doesn’t risk losing the information. “I break the marathon into parts, and try to celebrate each part of it, and I also try to avoid looking at my watch for the first two hours or so to concentrate on enjoying my time and not being upset if the miles aren’t moving as quickly as they can.”

So far, Clark has surpassed more than 85 consecutive days running a marathon – and she’s aiming for 100.

We are not worthy.

The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020

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Around the

Community Scenes from the Yeshiva Darchei Torah Middle School/Mechina Graduation

Rabbi Yaakov Bender, Rosh HaYeshiva

Rabbi Dovid Lan, menahel of the Mechina

Rabbi Moshe Leff, principal

Graduate Moshe Chaim Keilson with his grandfather, YDT Board of Trustees Co-Chairman Rabbi Lloyd Keilson

The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020

Around the Community

JULY 2020

JOBLESS YET CONNECTED

This past Tuesday, we had a visitor at the Tehillim Kollel office.

A fine yungerman to over came personally arrange his membership. He actually was already an active member and sought to extend it for another three months.

Atara Schmeltz (5 ½ years old) from Far Rockaway recently cut off her beautiful golden hair to be donated to Zichron Menachem

The story he shared was not very dramatic, but deeply heartening, especially in these challenging financial times.

“For the last few years, I’ve had the zechus of having my name and the names of my family members on the list repeated daily by the dedicated Tehillim Kollel delegates. Throughout this time, I can attest to many wondrous yeshuos in my household, and I am certain that I can thank the deep power of Tehillim for them.

The HALB eighth graders were blessed to have the rare experience of outdoor, in-person graduation! It was so meaningful for these young men and women to finish out their HALB years sitting next to each other (6 feet away!) on the campus of their beloved school. Mazal tov to our 92 graduates – we are so proud of you!

“Just a few days ago, I lost my job and with it, the modest income I earned to support my family. Luckily, I did not allow myself to become dejected, but told my children, ‘Hashem has caused me to leave my current job because He has a much better one waiting for me!’

“Indeed, I lost my parnassah. But my connection with the Tehillim’l I will never lose, be’ezras Hashem. I myself say plenty Tehillim, yet I still wish to be a part of the pious minyan reciting Tehillim daily. I am sure that the power of this tefillah b’tzibbur will bring a shower of blessing and bounty to me very soon.”

With a cheerful disposition, this faithful young man ended his moving tale, “Even though the yeshuah is not here yet, we sing the songs of David Hamelech enthusiastically.”

Tehillim Sparks!

The segulah of writing a sefer Tehillim following the halachos of a sefer Torah has a strong halachic source. According to many poskim*, the optimal way to learn Tanach is on parchment, as befits Torah learning and the recital of Tehillim. *Levush, Orach Chaim 284; Aruch Hashulchan 284; Gra in Maaseh Rav, siman 136

Weekly column of recent episodes by Tehillim Kollel

718.705.7174 INFO@TEHILLIMKOLLEL.ORG WWW.TEHILLIMKOLLEL.ORG

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Around the Community

The Mesivta Shaarei Chaim graduation was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Nochum Aber

HANC H.S. Closing Ceremony

O

n Tuesday, June 16, HANC High School students filled the student activities Zoom for this year’s Closing Ceremony 2020/5780. The program opened with remarks from Principal Rabbi Shlomo Adelman, followed by award presentations.

The first set of recognition was a series of honors that were given to students who stand out in areas that are valued at HANC. Rabbi Adelman introduced the awards with a special

emphasis on the process of choosing recipients. Faculty members nominated candidates via a Google form for consideration and collectively selected the recipients. Each award went to one male and one female recipient and was presented by administrators.

The names of each recipient of the ten awards will be added to the plaques adorning the second floor hallway. The students who went above and beyond in their participation in chessed activities were Emily Hamer and Justin

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Rapp, who received the Rabbi Moshe Z”L & Rebbetzin Sandra Gottesman Chesed Award. The Golda Meir Community & School Spirit Award went to Rebecca Linder and the Natan Sharansky Community & School Spirit Award went to Gabe Lovy, as students who exemplify “a strong commitment to the HANC community and [work] selflessly in order to foster inclusiveness and strengthen school spirit.”

Students were also recognized for their “academic achievement, true intellectual curiosity, and a demonstrated commitment to increasing knowledge in various disciplines.” Jacob Newman received the Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook Passion for Education Award and Nava Lippman received the Nechame Leibowitz Passion for Education Award. Students with outstanding “determination and diligence and an unwavering commitment to advance academically” received The Rabbi Meyer & Rebbetzin Goldie A”H Fendel Determination and Perseverance Award; Jillian Moldovan and Jacob DiGiacomo were the recipients.

The Ateret Shem and Keter Shem Tov recognizes two students who demonstrate distinguished character and a strong commitment to leading a life of high ethical and moral standards consistent with Torah ideals and values.

The recipients were Liora Rahmani and Moshe Wieder.

HANC helps build character by ensuring that students perform acts of chessed. Although 15 hours per year are required by HANC, many students choose to continue their participation past their obligation.

Chessed honors were recognized at the ceremony. Silver awards went to students who completed more than 25 chessed hours, gold awards to students who completed over 50 hours,

and platinum awards were reserved for students who completed over 100 chessed hours.

A nostalgic year-in-review video presentation expertly prepared by Ms. Maddie Hamada was viewed and reflected upon a wonderful school year.

In addition, a special recognition and heartfelt farewell was given to Mrs. Myra Cohen who is retiring after 30 years. Dr. Steven Levey, Ms. Emily Hubbard, and Dr. Lisa DiMarco also received heartfelt farewells as they will not be returning to HANC in the Fall.

A surprise presentation was presented by students and faculty alike expressing their Hakarat Hatov to Menahel/Principal Rabbi Shlomo Adelman for all that he has done for HANC over the past eight years.

Director of College Guidance Ms. Karen Sheff, presented a series of awards recognizing students’ accomplishments. These awards were: Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award - Aviva Friedman; The Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award - Nava Lippman; George Eastman Young Leaders Award - Gabe Lovy; Xerox Award for Innovation and Information Technology Mordechai Kupferstein; Rensselaer Polytech Institute Medal Award- Sasha Isler; The Brandeis Book Award - Justin Rapp; Nassau County District Attorney Shield Award- Eitan Wertman; and the Yeshiva University Torah U’Madah Book Award - Mosher Wieder and Rena Max. The ceremony created a sense of achdut among the students as they cheered for their peers who received awards. The program concluded with a musical performance by music teacher Mr. Jacob Spadaro.

The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020

NightAcetiyvoiutyready ar 1 2 3 ?!

Night activity we are ready can't you see!!

If you can't go to camp, we will bring camp to you.

Program will be directed by: Hindy Schick, Sarah Rubin & Elisheva Benjamin

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July 13 th - aug 5 th Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays

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Around the Community

A Tree Grows in the Five Towns and Far Rockaway Be’er Miriam Tziporah Hachnosas Kallah Fund

Y

oni just proposed to Malkie, and with an unequivocal “yes!” They’re engaged. However, because of Covid-19, Malkie’s parents are out of work. Yoni’s family is at a financial standstill as well. Malkie only works part-time, and Yoni is still learning and earning a degree. How can either family afford a wedding? And how can the new chosson and kallah hope to set up a home under these circumstances? Malkie and Yoni desperately need our help.

After one phone call to the Be’er Miriam Tziporah Hachnosas Kallah Fund, Yoni and Malkie’s wedding is in the works, even with Covid restrictions. From a gown to a shaitel, flowers to a photographer, beds and a dining set, and even new dresses to make the kallah feel special and dignified, the fund steps in to help make Yoni and Malkie’s dreams come true.

Fast forward two months

and Boruch Hashem, Malkie and Yoni are now happily married and have established their first roots. It’s a beautiful beginning.

A tree is planted. As it is delicately placed in the fertile earth, watered, and provided with sunlight, it grows strong branches and healthy leaves because of its ability to cultivate and reap the benefits of establishing a solid foundation.

Each new home is a branch of a warm, vibrant community; each new couple is its nurtured leaves. Malkie and Yoni serve as only one example of how a community’s actions can contribute significantly to its own growth, facilitating its ability to thrive. At Be’er Miriam Tziporah, our sole purpose is to contribute to our communal growth and to continue to meet its increasing needs. We are planters. But we need your support. We are one community, united for one cause: Hachnosas Kallah.

Since its inception, the Be’er Miri-

am Tziporah Hachnosas Kallah Fund has helped over 1,000 families, assisting in over 200 weddings!

Dedicated in the loving memory of two remarkable “Miriams” – Miriam Tziporah Adams and Miriam Kayla Adler – the fund enables a chosson and kallah to assume their roles as husband and wife before and after the chuppah. Whether it’s helping defray the costs of a hall, catering, band, photographer, staff, gown, even hair and makeup, we continue to help a couple with their needs even beyond their wedding night. Sheva brachos, furniture, linens, pots and pans, and more, the fund serves as a means of establishing a home and the two people who are embarking on a lifelong journey rooted in a solid foundation.

In this unprecedented and unpredictable climate, our community needs to do more now than ever to support our budding homes and make them a blossoming force in

our community. Together, as one, we must find a way to move forward in cultivating our newlyweds’ fresh beginnings.

We have many ticket packages specials for our auction. This week’s extra special deal to raise money for the Be’er Miriam Tziporah Hachnosas Kallah Fund can be purchased at FAME through Sunday, July 7. If you purchase $150 in tickets, you’ll receive 10% off the package and a $25 gift card to either Gourmet Glatt or FAME. Additionally, all purchases made through July 27 will be entered into a raffle to win $500 cash!

Tickets can also be purchased by phone, email, fax, online, or by mail up until August 5 via our website: rayze.it/beerauction or be email: tickets@beer-miriam.org or phone 616-242-3796.

Be a part of the Be’er Miriam Tziporah Hachnosas Kallah Fund and watch our trees grow.

The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020

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Around the Community

Camp Shira launches another summer to sing about

Klal Yisroel’s Youngest Members Benefit From STAR-K Kashrus

By Margie Pensak

T

he importance of pairing a Jewish nursemaid with a Jewish baby can be found in Parshas Shemos. After baby Moshe was saved from the Nile River by his rescuer – ironically, Batya, the daughter of Pharoah, who mandated that all Jewish newborn males be killed – he cried profusely, refusing to be nursed by her gentile Egyptian maids. Thanks to his sister, Miriam, who happened to witness this scene by the river’s edge, Moshe ended up serendipitously receiving the nursemaid services of his own mother, Yocheved.

The Gemara [Sotah 12b] notes that Baby Moshe refused to nurse from a gentile woman, asking, “Shall a mouth that will speak with the Divine Presence nurse impure milk?” The Rama [Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 81:7] rules that a child should always avoid nursing from a gentile woman when it is possible to nurse from a Jewish woman, quoting the Rashba’s reasoning that the nature of non-Jewish women will affect the child. The Rama goes further, citing an opinion that a Jewish woman who is forced to eat non-kosher foods should refrain from nursing. He concludes that one should follow the stricter opinion of both possibilities.

Accordingly, Mrs. Chaya Millet of the Lev Rochel Bikur Cholim Milk Depot of Lakewood approached STAR-K Kashrus Administrator Rabbi Shmuel Heinemann to ensure that Jewish babies in need of mother’s milk – who for whatever reason cannot get it from their mother – obtain it from a shomer Torah u’mitzvos donor.

Explains Mrs. Millet, “As a lacta-

tion consultant, I get calls occasionally from mothers looking for milk. When you have a preemie or very sick baby in the hospital who is in need of milk, it is dangerous for the baby to get formula; they need mother’s milk. It’s really pekuach nefesh for these very vulnerable babies. Therefore, if the mother cannot produce milk at that point – or for whatever reason the mother doesn’t have milk for her baby – in order for the baby to survive, milk is needed from the milk bank which has pasteurized mother’s milk.

“When a mother would call me to say her baby is in the hospital and asks if we have kosher milk – milk from a Jewish mother – the answer was, ‘We have milk but it’s not pasteurized, so the hospital won’t accept it,’” continues Mrs. Millet. “I felt very badly about it. I thought the Jewish community is big enough today, why can’t we have that? There is enough extra Yiddishe milk for us to process and get to the hospital.”

There was a lot of bureaucratic work behind the scenes to make this a reality in a highly regulated industry; milk bank guidelines were developed in consultation with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.

“We approached the New York Milk Bank (NYMB), which was very accommodating and sensitive to our needs as a community,” explains Mrs. Millet. “In order to get it kosher certified, Rabbi Heinemann was so amazing. He gave us his time so willingly and freely, guiding us in how to get the pasteurization process kosher to STAR-K’s standards. It took more than a year from when we started, but

boruch Hashem, we had our first run in June, which was very successful.

Now, we finally have kosher pasteurized mother’s milk. Kudos goes to Julie Bouchet-Horwitz, NYMB’s founder and executive director, and Roseanne Motti, the director of operations, who were so helpful with the logistics to get this off the ground. Also, to Lev Rochel Bikur Cholim of Lakewood which houses the drop off freezer that stores the donor milk until it is sent to NYMB.” “Every production requires a mashgiach to ensure that they are only producing milk that has been proved to be kosher milk,” further explains Rabbi Heinemann, who traveled to NYMB, in Valhalla, New York, to oversee the first kosher production. “We make sure that they are only processing kosher milk for that specific production; then, we seal it. We had to figure out a way to make sure from whom we were getting the milk. The potential donor must fill out a questionnaire and submit it together with a letter from a rabbi who can vouch that she is actually shomer Torah u’mitzvos.”

The second prerequisite, after the donor mother is approved according to these STAR-K standards, is for the donor to be approved by NYMB’s fourstep screening process. This is based on the bloodwork and medical history of the donor and baby.

“Once they are approved, we send the donor special stickers which must be affixed to each individual bag of milk donated,” continues Rabbi Heinemann. “Prior to production, the mashgiach checks the individual frozen milk bags for the sticker which bears the Hebrew signature of the donor, attesting that it is indeed from a

shomer Torah u’mitzvos source, and the pasteurizer is kashered. The mashgiach watches the production through the pasteurization process until it is bottled and labeled. Each donor’s milk is produced separately; it is not mixed and bottled with that of other donors.”

The finished product is then sealed and frozen until it is distributed to hospitals and parents who have prescriptions from their doctors. Recipients include mothers of premature and sick babies; adoptive, foster, and surrogate parents; and, women with full-term, healthy babies who don’t produce sufficient milk, themselves. Donor milk is a covered benefit through Medicaid for inpatients. NYMB is working tirelessly to ensure coverage for outpatients on a case-by-case basis.

Mrs. Millet says the next hurdle is getting the word out to mothers and hospitals who don’t yet know about the STAR-K-certified donor milk, for the babies who need it, since it is a new product and not every hospital is contracted to NYMB. “STAR-K is not charging for overseeing kosher production of this milk,” notes Rabbi Heinemann. “We are providing our hashgacha, gratis, as a service for the community. We’d like to thank Mrs. Millet who has spent so much time on this project and has not taken a penny for it – she is doing it all l’shem Shamayim. It is a total chessed.”

Concludes Mrs. Millet, “There were steps along the way where I felt Hashem’s hand guiding me, telling me that we are doing the right thing…Even though there were hurdles and corona pushed us over, boruch Hashem, when we got that milk I came home and said, ‘Mazel Tov!’”

The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020

Mazel Tov!

Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island 8th Grade Graduates and Their Families!

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Around the Community

Honoring Our Educational Heroes at Gesher

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he challenges of the corona lockdown and medical demand have shaped a new image of heroes. The lifesaving and overworked doctors and nurses were at the forefront of the pandemic. The demand on medical facilities highlighted the sacrifice and importance of everyone who plays a role, from delivery people bringing much needed supplies to the custodial engineers who keep the facilities clean and safe.

The term non-essential worker gave us a new appreciation of the often ignored, but highly essential – the clerk at the grocery or pharmacy and the person whose job it is to restock the shelves. They became overnight heroes as we suddenly had to contemplate what life would be like without their dedication.

Our children had the opportunity to gain a new level of connection and valuation for a group of people whom they may have otherwise viewed as sometimes incidental – their teachers.

While the world seemed eerily quiet with no entertainment, no peer socializing, and no recreation, the morahs, rebbeim, and teachers took their

responsibility to a new level.

They were tasked with making it as normal as possible. Preparing pre-recorded lessons as well as running their zoom classrooms, making sure to give the right amount of work, not too much for the overburdened, not too little for the others. And making sure that it was prepared and shared in a timely and seamless way.

Overwhelming!

And many had their own children to support as well. It became normal, almost expected, for teachers to reach out to each other and to administrators at two o’clock in the morning.

At the Gesher Early Childhood Center, the term “above and beyond” has been in use since the school’s inception. It is the trademark, a product of dedicated and passionate educators who care to support the whole child on their path to success.

Their goal during this period was to provide the child with the most social and educationally productive product possible and to make sure that the children were happy and engaged.

The feedback from the parents was

consistently positive with many sending in pictures of smiling children learning, participating, and being encouraged to use their imaginations.

Because of Covid, Gesher’s three main campaigns were cancelled. Not only does that have a financial effect but it also limits Gesher’s exposure in the community and takes away the parents’ opportunity to express their gratitude to the staff. Gesher has initi-

ated an online Journal of Honor campaign, similar to a dinner journal, to help offset the losses and to provide the parents and grandparents a forum for displaying their appreciation.

The campaign committees encourage everyone to Honor Our Educational Heroes by participating in this vital campaign. Please visit www. gesher-ecc.org to place your ad.

Touro and Nefesh Present “Ask the Rav” Zoom Session

M

ental health professionals are often faced with issues that seem in conflict with Torah values. To help those preparing for careers in social work address burning questions, Touro College Graduate School of Social Work and NEFESH International recently hosted a Zoom Q&A session with world-renowned posek, Rav Dovid Cohen, shlita.

In an-hour long “Ask the Rav”

session, Rav Cohen discussed halachic and hashkafic ramifications of a variety of key issues. Treating clients suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder and its manifestation in overzealous religious observance, how therapists should view addicts and substance abusers, and issues surrounding marital counseling for intermarried couples were explored, among many other topics.

The session was moderated by

Did you know?

On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed a resolution creating America’s first official flag: “Resolved, that the Flag of the thirteen United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field…

Touro executive vice president Rabbi Moshe Krupka. “Touro was honored to offer the opportunity for our social work students and alumni to learn how they can infuse their professional practice with Torah values and halacha. As Mara D’Asra of Ohel and NEFESH International, Rav Dovid Cohen addresses these issues on a regular basis and is uniquely positioned to offer answers and assistance to those in the trenches.”

Rav Cohen offered practical strategies for therapists to uphold halacha while entering into a variety of client relationships. He also offered words of strength and encouragement.

“Don’t look at yourselves as ‘baalei parnasah,’” said Rav Cohen. “The term ‘making a living’ is not a Jewish concept. G-d gives us what we need to live on. We are Jews first, not therapists or doctors or lawyers. …As social workers, you are Jews who are gomlei chassadim every day. You can

literally give life to your clients.”

Rav Cohen recounted the story of two chassidim boasting about the special powers of their respective rebbeim, “One said his rebbe is mechaye maisim, brings the dead back to life, and the other said his was mechaye chaim, brings the living back to life…. This is what you are as therapists. Your role is all about breathing new life into the living – encouraging, empowering and bringing people who feel depressed and in the depths of despair back to life.”

“As Orthodox mental health professionals, we need to nurture our souls and not only enhance our clinical skill set. Reb Dovid Cohen, shlita, offered us the chizuk and guidance needed to so,” said Miriam Turk, LCSW, Outreach Liaison & Recruitment Director, Jewish Community at the Touro Graduate School of Social Work and Executive Director of NEFESH International.

The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020

Can’t wait to explore what’s “in store” this summer!

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Thank You for Uniting with Us 4Hashem

By Jen S. Zwiebel, JEP/Nageela

W

e have tremendous hakaras hatov to all who helped JEP/Nageela reach our goals of raising much-needed funds during our fifth annual matching campaign, 4Hashem. The 4X matching campaign is supported by generous matching donors in the community along with the Grinspoon Foundation’s grant.

Fans of the organization – mostly former Nageela campers and staff – came out of the woodwork to form teams and spread the word to their constituency as the “matchees.” This was a winning strategy as over 125 teams united as one to spread the word. The organization was able to raise 80 percent more than last year, even during these different times we’re living in. It just shows that when there’s a will, there’s a way for almost anything. We are very grateful to every person who contributed

to the JEP/Nageela fundraiser with their hearts and their neshamas.

The 4Hashem fundraiser is orchestrated seemingly effortlessly by Ohavia Feldman, JEP/Nageela’s Executive Director. This year we had the z’chus of using the outdoor safe and comfortable “headquarters” of The Wohgelenter family in Inwood.

We thank them for their hospitality. Rabbi Dovid Shenker and Rabbi Yitzchok Wurem worked tirelessly around the clock with Mr. Feldman, Chava Rina Stopler, Dovi Friedman, Shalvi Lantsman, Yoni Huppert and many more to pump everyone up, make calls, raise our aspirations, and make our success happen!

You can still make a difference as we gear up for Family Camp at Nageela in August. Visit campnageela.org for more information or jepli.org/donate to help support families who want to participate in our programs. Thank you for being a part of our JEP/Nageela family as we remain Joyfully Jewish together!

S

aying goodbye to our talmidos at the end of the school year is always bittersweet. This year, however, our saying goodbye including saying hello to each talmidah who was so missed during these past few months. As the cars drove by, some decorated with thank you notes, the girls had an opportunity to express their thanks personally to their principals, moros and teachers. Each girl received a special TAG cookie as well as a summer tote bag filled with

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great prizes. Both the water bottle and Frisbee carried the important message of “I’m a Bas Melech and I’m Proud!” A special pen and summer homework pamphlets were also included for grades 1-4 to help them prepare for the coming school year.

Special thanks to Morah Levin, Mrs. Feldman, all the moros and teachers, secretaries and volunteers who organized the event and who worked so hard to give our talmidos a great send-off.

Say “Cheese Please!” with Tnuva’s New Hickory Smoked Edam Slices

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By phone or private appointment

 Mattresses  Bunk Beds  Box Springs  High Risers

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nuva is proud to present its new flavor of fine cheese slices, Hickory Smoked Edam, in addition to the existing, wellloved Edam and Muenster. And now, Tnuva’s cheese slices are under the strict supervision of NSK – New Square Kosher, in addition to the Badatz Vaadat Mehadrin.

Counting calories? Tnuva’s Edam and Muenster are both available in Light versions, so that you can enjoy the same great flavor with only a fraction of the fat.

Tnuva’s quality slices are the perfect way to satisfy your cheese

cravings at any time of the day or night for a delicious, nutritious meal or snack. Delicious as part of an original sandwich creation, grilled cheese, or just straight out of the pack.

Tnuva USA President and CEO Yoram Behiri is enthusiastic about making Tnuva’s quality products available to a wider audience and said, “In these challenging times, we’re dedicated to continuing broadening our customer base and providing them with quality products that serve to strengthen the bonds of family and friendship!”

The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020

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MTA’s Epic Graduation Ceremony PHOTOS BY HEDVANDAN PHOTOGRAPHY

O

n Tuesday, June 23, MTA celebrated the class of 2020 at an epic drive in graduation ceremony. Held at Adventureland in Farmingdale, New York, the exciting event was the perfect tribute to the graduating class. Seniors were greeted upon arrival with live music, as their rebbeim and faculty cheered them on and celebrated the culmination of an incredible four years.

The program focused on each and every graduate and included a video processional where seniors put their own twist on the traditional cap and gown walk, a video highlighting each graduate’s MTA experience, and a video that featured administrators describing the class of 2020. While attendees needed to remain in their cars for most of the ceremony due to current safety regulations, the signature energy and ruach that MTA is known for was palpable throughout the entire event. Talmidim, parents, rebbeim, and faculty honked their horns, cheered from their car windows, and danced in their seats

in celebration of an amazing group of seniors.

The program opened with a stellar rendition of the Star Spangled Banner recorded by seniors Gavi Recht, Yaakov Schwartz, Tzvi Simchon, and DJ Wartelsky. Head of School Rabbi Joshua Kahn addressed the crowd and shared mem-

Did you know?

The Second Continental Congress voted to approve the resolution to legally separate from Great Britain on July 2, 1776. The approved Declaration of Independence was first printed on July 4, 1776.

ories of the senior class as well as divrei Torah and bracha. Yeshiva University President Dr. Ari Berman (‘87) also welcomed the audience via a video message. Attendees heard meaningful and inspiring words from valedictorian Nesanel Dietz and salutatorian Eitan Friedman.

Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Michael Taubes (‘76) also addressed the graduates and introduced Shua Pariser, who made a siyum on Maseches Chulin on behalf of the senior grade. Rabbi Avraham Shulman, 12th grade dean/mashgiach, led the Presentation of Candidates, where each graduate had the opportunity to receive their diploma on stage in a socially distanced manner. The program closed with a beautiful recording of Hatikvah by seniors Gavi Recht,

Yaakov Schwartz, Tzvi Simchon, and DJ Wartelsky.

“It was extremely important to us to provide the seniors with a special graduation to celebrate the unparalleled growth and accomplishments they have achieved over the past four years,” said Rabbi Kahn.

“While this certainly was not the senior year that any of us expected, we are proud of our talmidim for the patience and perseverance they have shown throughout the pandemic. We were thrilled to host this unique event, which gave every talmid in the grade the opportunity to shine and enabled us to highlight this remarkable group of talmidim, who have truly enhanced our yeshiva with their achudus, enthusiasm, and leadership.”

The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020

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JULY 2, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

At the Nikolsburger shul in Woodbourne, NY

Camp Funshine starts off another fun summer where every child shines!

The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020

Around the Community

Sen. Kaminsky, Empire Secure $5K Grant for Achiezer

S

enator Todd Kaminsky and the Empire BlueCross BlueShield Foundation awarded a $5,000 grant to the Achiezer Community Resource Center to support their work helping the Five Towns recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds were used to purchase personal protective equipment for donor plasma and antibody testing blood drive efforts.

“Achiezer is a pillar of the Five Towns, providing a myriad of crisis management and support services to the community,” said Senator Todd Kaminsky. “I was pleased to work in partnership with Empire BlueCross BlueShield to provide this grant to help fight the pandemic in our community. Day in and day out, Achiezer and Rabbi Bender have been on the front lines of the COVID-19, and I am confident these funds will further the organization’s incredible work.”

“Senator Kaminsky has shown us time and again his willingness to be there for the community in anticipating the needs and stepping up and assisting whenever necessary,” said Rabbi Boruch B. Bender, President of Achiezer. “We are truly grateful.”

“Meeting the health needs of the whole person is critical to fulfilling Empire’s mission of materially and measurably improving the health of all New Yorkers,” said Alan Murray, president of Empire BlueCross BlueShield. “That’s why it was important for us to support Achiezer, which provides a comprehensive set of services to meet the varying needs of individuals and families in times of crisis. We’re committed to the communities we serve and working with organizations like Achiezer as we improve the health of all New Yorkers.”

Founded more than a decade ago, Achiezer provides an array of services to the Five Towns community as its premier crisis management

organization. From delivering meals to making hospital arrangements to providing financial counseling, Achiezer has been tackling the COVID-19 pandemic head-on, and will use the grant funding secured

by Senator Kaminsky in partnership with Empire BlueCross BlueShield to bolster their work for the community at this difficult time.

Did you know?

Presidents Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Monroe all died on July 4

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Around the Community The fun begins at Machaneh HaKayitz

Ooh

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B

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By Miriam

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The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home JULY 2, 2020 | The Jewish Home

TJH

Centerfold 5

By the Numbers 31

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Places in the U.S. with “independence” in their names. The most populous one is Independence, Mo. (116,830).

Places in the U.S. with “liberty” in their names. The most populous place is Liberty, Mo. (population 29,149). Iowa, with four, has more of these places than any other state: Libertyville, New Liberty, North Liberty and West Liberty.

Bald Eagle Facts • Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson served on the committee that picked the eagle for the national seal.

(Franklin wanted the turkey.)

• Bald eagles have few natural enemies and live only in North America.

• Bald eagles get their white head and tail feathers about 4-5 years of age.

• Bald eagles are not, and never were, bald. The term comes from when “bald” meant “white-headed.”

• Their maximum speed is 40 mph or over 100 mph while in a dive.

• They can lift roughly half their body weight.

• The Bald Eagle is no longer considered endangered.

In 2007, it was delisted from the “threatened” list.

• The only other kind of eagle in North America is the golden eagle.

• Bald eagles mate for life.

9

Places in the U.S. with “freedom” in their names. The most populous one is New Freedom, Pa. (4,464).

1

Place in the U.S. with “patriot” in the name.

Patriot, Ind. (209).

Riddle me this?

This year’s July 4th parade has a marching band, pairs of dancers, a float of jugglers, a dozen circus clowns, a veterans troop, a Boy Scout troop, and a championship football team.

signing autographs as they marched at the end.

Read the description of each group carefully and decide how many are in each group and in what order they marched in the parade.

The 3 pairs of dancers were between the Boy Scouts and the football team.

The marching band was not the leader, but their 6 rows of 4 musicians in each row were near the front, just ahead of the veterans troop.

The football team had 2 fewer marchers than the veterans troop, and took their time

The veterans troop and the Boy Scouts were separated by the 3 groups of 4 jugglers on the jugglers’ float.

The Boy Scouts had 5 rows of 3 marchers and the veterans troop had twice as many.

Answer: The groups are listed in the order that they marched, from first to last:

35

Places in the U.S. with “eagle” in their names. The most populous one is Eagle Pass, Texas (26,248).

Places in the U.S. with “America” in their names. The most populous is American Fork, Utah (26,263).

12 circus clowns 24 musicians in the marching band 30 veterans 12 jugglers 15 Boy Scouts 6 dancers 28 football players

30 52

31 53

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020

“Happy B-Day America” Trivia B B

C- The bell cracked slightly on its first ringing. However, the large crack apparent today seems to have occurred on a later day. According to some, the large crack happened when the bell was rung to celebrate George 3) Washington’s birthday in 1846.

4)

1)

A, B, C, D – duh… in the United States’ Declaration of Independence and considered by some as part of one of the most well-crafted, influential sentences in the history of the English language.

6. In what year was the Declaration of Independence signed? a. 1492 b. 1969 c. 1772 d. 1776

5)

5. What is the official name of the July 4th Holiday? a. Fireworks Day b. Independence Day c. Barbeque Day d. Freedom Day

2)

4. “The Midnight Ride” is the story of: a. Going to Seasons Express in the middle of the night for kugel…just because. b. Paul Revere warning that the British were coming. c. The Continental Army led by George Washington sneaking up on British forces in October 1775. d. George Washington and his troops stealthily crossing the Delaware and capturing nearly 1,000 enemy soldiers at the Battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776.

D

3. In which other country is there a July 4th? a. France b. Britain c. Australia d. Canada

6)

2. Life, liberty and __________________ a. Big government. b. The pursuit of taxes. c. Freedom for all. d. The pursuit of happiness.

 Answers D- “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness” is one of the most famous phrases

1. How did the Liberty Bell get its crack? a. It was built with the crack as a symbol that all cracks in freedom must be patched together. b. Some lady was singing the National Anthem and the bell and all surrounding windows in the area cracked. c. It just happened the first time the bell was rung (rang, ringed, whichever is correct) d. A kid was visiting on a Chol Hamoed trip and, although the guard told him not to touch the bell, he just couldn’t help himself.

Wisdom Key 5-6 correct: Congrats! America is one of the best countries in the history of the world. Thanks to the wisdom of its Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence and Constitution provide freedoms the likes of which never existed before. You seem to be quite knowledgeable about these enshrined documents, which is a great thing! Stand tall! Stand Proud!

2-4 correct: Not bad, just continue your summer school classes and you will be alright.

0-1 correct: Sounds like your memory of American history is missing some stripes.

You gotta be

kidding

Towards the end of his citizenship test, Yankel was asked to spell “cultivate.” He spelled it correctly.

He was then asked to use the word in a sentence.

He thought about it for a moment and then said, “Last vinter on a very cold day, I vas vaiting for de bus, but it vas too cultivate, so I took the subvay home.”

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Torah Thought

Parshas Chukas

By Rabbi Berel Wein

T

he Jewish people find themselves in great difficulty after the death of the prophetess Miriam. Her miraculous well had sustained them with water during their long sojourn in the desert of Sinai. And now that she was no longer alive, this water, so identified with her being, also disappeared from their midst. They complain to Moshe and clamored for water. People can

go on for days without solid food but not without water, especially in a desert. Moshe strikes the rock instead of speaking to it, as he was instructed to do, but water flows miraculously in abundance from the rock and the situation is stabilized.

There will be sad consequences for Moshe from this incident, but apparently the people are not subject to punishment for their demands to

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Moshe that he provide them with water, which precipitated the entire matter. In fact, the people will break into song and poetry over this new well of blessed water. Yet, we find that when the people requested meat, the meat miraculously arrived, but the people were severely punished for their request. It seems that requesting, and even demanding, water, a necessity of life for human existence, is permissible. However, demanding meat, which is a luxury food, is inappropriate. There is a great lesson for all of us in this matter. Demanding and even praying for more than we really need and are entitled to carries with it the seeds of subsequent problems and even disaster.

were yet unaware that repentance could nullify decrees and punishment. Nevertheless, they repented sincerely without expectations of forgiveness, and their repentance was accepted. After the sin of the spies, they already knew that repentance could bring about forgiveness, so their repentance was insufficiently sincere.

The Kotzker Rebbe thought otherwise. He said that the sin of the Golden Calf had in it the seeds of searching for and serving a higher power.

They went about it incorrectly, but there was a spark of holiness in their quest for divinity. However, the sin of the spies was of a different nature.

Its motivation was that they wished

If we pray only out of selfish motives, then we have missed the mark with our prayers.

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Chassidic legend and tradition record a discussion between Rav Yitzchak Vorker and Rav Menachem Mendel Morgenstern, the Kotzker Rebbe, regarding why the Jewish people escaped immediate punishment for the sin of the Golden Calf, while for the sin of the spies and their rejection of entering the land of Israel, the punishment was immediate and harsh.

The Vorker Rebbe explained that when the Jewish people repented after the sin of the Golden Calf, they

for an easy life of luxuries, without the challenges that a nation-state automatically inflicts on its inhabitants. Such a base motive was unacceptable to Heaven.

We pray for health and prosperity to be able to serve G-d with more sincerity and more effectively. If we pray only out of selfish motives, then we have missed the mark with our prayers. This week’s Torah reading is a powerful reminder of this truth, Shabbat shalom.

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JULY 2, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

From the Fire

Parshas Chukas Your Wellsprings Shall Spread Forth

By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

T

he Jewish people experienced two miracles in the desert for which we sang a song to Hashem. The first and most famous was the Song at the Sea (Shmos 15:1-19).

The second and much less well-known is the song at the well in this week’s parsha (Bamidbar 21:17-20). The most striking difference between them is the fact that the Song at the Sea be-

gins, “Then Moshe and the children of Israel sang…,” whereas the song at the well begins, “Then the Jewish people sang this song…” with no mention of Moshe Rebbeinu. Why was he left out of this second song?

When the Jewish people sang the Song at the Sea, we were still in our infancy as a nation. “For Israel is a youth and I love him” (Hoshea 11:1).

Moshe Rebbeinu led us in the Song at the Sea because we had not yet reached a state of maturity. We could not compose our own song. He led us in the song word for word, and we repeated after him. We did not even understand the full depth and importance of what we were experiencing, so Moshe taught us how to sing.

He taught us the deeper meaning of what we went through. Moshe was the adult, and we were the children. As the pasuk homiletically says, “Efraim is a son who is dear to me” (Yirmiyahu 31:19).

But forty years later, in our parsha, just before we were about to enter the Land of Israel, our nation had matured. We were then able to compose a song to Hashem on our own.

We no longer needed Moshe to do it for us. We were then able to compose our own song, “Then the Jewish people sang this song, ‘Spring up, oh well, sing to it!’”

The Sfas Emes explains differently. According to him, Moshe and the Jewish people sang the Song at the Sea together because both were on

the same level. But at the end of the forty years in the desert, after we had done teshuva for the many mistakes we had made, we were on an even higher level than Moshe, as the Gemara (Brachos 34b) says, “Complete tzaddikim cannot stand in the place where baalei teshuva stand.” Because the Jewish people were on a higher level than Moshe at the end of our time in the desert, the pasuk says that we sang the Song at the Well without Moshe. We had surpassed him.

Four Stages We can connect the understanding mentioned earlier – that the Jewish people praised Hashem on their own, without Moshe’s guidance because we had matured to the point that we were able to compose our own song to G-d – to two beautiful pesukim written by Shlomo Hamelech. In Mishlei (5:15-16), he compares four stages in a person’s life to four sources of water: “Drink water out of your cistern and running water out of your well. And your spring will be dispersed outside and streams [rivers] of water will flow in the broad places.”

We see here four sources of water: a cistern, a well, a spring, and a river.

Each of these four sources of water has different characteristics.

A cistern is not an independent source of water. It only has whatever water people put in it. We cannot take anything from it that we did not place into it. A well, on the other hand, is

The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

an independent source of water, but it is limited. The water does not rise above a certain point. And the only way to access it is for someone to lower a bucket into the well and draw the water out. A spring is qualitatively different. Not only is it an independent source of water, but the water must find a way to come out of the ground.

It will search until it finds a way to emerge. And a river is even more powerful. It rushes across the ground in huge streams and currents and will not be stopped.

These four sources of water also correspond to four stages in an individual’s life. The cistern corresponds to one’s childhood. Before a person begins to think independently, all he has are the thoughts, information, and good qualities imparted to him by his parents, rebbeim, and teachers.

He has nothing other than what is put into him, just like a cistern only has whatever water was placed in it.

The next stage of life begins around the time of one’s bar or bas mitzvah. Some people begin to mature at a younger age, and many others do not start maturing until much later. Men, in particular, sometimes do not begin to grow up until they are in their fortie,s and others leave the world without ever forsaking their infantile thinking. Women, thankfully, generally mature at a much younger age. The well corresponds to this stage in life. It is no coincidence that this transition from childhood into adolescence is called “bar” mitzvah, which is related to the phrase “be’er mitzvah, the well of the mitzvah.” At this stage, the child begins to think independently. He asks deeper questions and starts to draw his own conclusions. But, like a well, his waters do not spring forth on their own. His parents, rebbeim, and teachers must lower a bucket down into him to draw out his own deeper thoughts, feelings, and actions.

The third stage of life is when things truly begin to get lively. At this stage, a young man or woman becomes like a spring. His or her waters, i.e., unique ideas and ideals, begin to spring forth without any coaxing from parents, rebbeim, or teachers.

This young person becomes, as the Mishna in Avos (2:8) says, a “maa’yan ha’misgaber, an ever-strengthening wellspring.” It is also no coincidence that the word for “ever-strengthen-

ing” is misgaber, which has the same letters as misgaber, maturing. A young person who reaches this wellspring stage of life cannot contain the good, the idealism, the talent, the knowledge, and the creativity he or she has inside. It must find a means of expression. It must burst forth, and it does so of its own power. Parents, rebbeim, or teachers need not coax out the waters of this person’s inner greatness.

The final stage is the raging river.

A person who reaches this stage in life has ideas, knowledge, and ideals

the Song at the Well, it was not a song praising Hashem for giving us the well for the first time. That had happened forty years earlier. We were on the cusp of entering Eretz Yisroel and we were soon going to say goodbye to the well, to the water we were given based on the merit of Miriam.

We were able to end the time in our national life when Moshe, Aharon and Miriam led us and drew out the goodness from within us. That epoch in our history was coming to a close.

So the Song at the Well was really a goodbye song. We gave thanks for

At the beginning, our parents and teachers – Moshe Rebbeinu and Aharon Hakohein – had to draw our waters, our song, out from us word by word

which he must spread as widely as possible. Someone like this is compelled to teach others, to lead, to write, and to bring major projects to fruition. His waters spread forth and cover all of the expanses of the earth.

From Rock to Water The miracle of the well was how Hashem turned a dry rock into a flowing well of water. This is similar to the wellspring of creativity, talent, idealism, knowledge, and generosity hidden within the Jewish people. At the beginning, our parents and teachers – Moshe Rebbeinu and Aharon Hakohein – had to draw our waters, our song, out from us word by word.

But over the forty years in the desert, we grew up and matured.

Like any young person transitioning from childhood into adulthood, we caused our teachers untold aggravation and pain during our time in the desert. Those were our teenage years. We were testing the limits and trying to form an independent identity from our teachers before we knew how to do so in a constructive way.

But in the end, we became a mature nation, ready to compose our own song to Hashem from our own waters, our own song at the well.

The truth is that when we sang

our teachers’ guidance when we needed it as we prepared for our national adulthood and independence in the only place on earth where we could actualize the full breadth of our inner greatness – in Eretz Yisroel, about which the pasuk (Devarim 8:7) says, “For Hashem your G-d is bringing you to a good land, a land with rivers of water, wellsprings, and deep [waters] going forth in the valley and in the mountain.” We were leaving the age of the cistern and the well and entering the time of the wellspring and the raging river.

Because the song at the well functioned as a goodbye ballad to our teachers, it contains a reference to Moshe Rebbeinu and his death. In it, we said (Bamidbar 21:20), “From the heights to the valley in the field of Moav, at the top of the summit (rosh ha’pisgah) that overlooks the wastelands.” And at the end of the Torah (Devarim 34:1), when Moshe was ascending Har Nevo as he was about to leave the world, the pasuk says, “And Moshe went up from the plains of Moav to Har Nevo [to the] top of the summit (rosh ha’pisgah) facing Yericho…” This reference to the top of the summit in the Song at the Well was therefore a hint at Moshe Rebbeinu, to whom they were about to bid

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farewell.

The chavrusa of the Sar Shalom of Belz, zy”a, was the great gaon and tzaddik, Rav Shalom Kaminka, zy”a.

One day, one of Rav Shalom’s chassidim had yahrtzeit, and, as was the custom, he planned to bring some schnapps and kichel on which the other chassidim would make a bracha in memory of the person for whom this chassid was saying kaddish. Unfortunately, he forgot to bring the bag he had prepared with the food. He panicked when he remembered and asked someone next to him, “Oh! Can you ask a young boy to run to my house to get the kichel and schnapps?” But before anyone knew what had happened, the Rebbe, Rav Shalom, threw off his talis and tefillin and ran to the man’s house to bring what he needed for the yahrtzeit. The chossid was mortified. When the Rebbe returned, he pleaded with him, “Rebbe! Please forgive me! I never meant to ask the Rebbe to get the food for me! I asked someone to get a young boy to do it!”

So the Rebbe answered him, “Let me tell you why I ran to get your kichel and schnapps. Before I became a bar mitzvah, I did not want to grow up. So I made an agreement with the Master of the World. I said I would only grow up on condition that, whenever I wanted, I could go back to being a child again. When I heard you say you needed a young boy to bring what you needed from home, I chose that moment to take advantage of the condition I made with Hashem and took it upon myself to run to your house to fetch what you needed, just like a child would.”

All of us have the ability to fulfill our own unique potential and draw from our own inner creativity to illuminate the world. But we also have the ability to do so with the freshness and exuberance of a child, just like Rav Shalom Kaminka. May we all merit to grow up to spread our inner gifts, creativity, thoughts, ideals, knowledge, and talents in the world independently while never losing that sense of childlike wonder and excitement.

Rav Moshe Weinberger, shlita, is the founding Morah d’Asrah of Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, NY, and serves as leader of the new mechina Emek HaMelech.

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JULY 2, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Think, Feel, Grow

What Makes Moshe’s Prophecy Unique?

By Shmuel Reichman

H

uman beings are creative, intelligent, and powerful, but at the same time, we are exceedingly limited. Our experience of this spectacular physical universe is limited to our five senses. We can only be in one place at any given point in time. There is a vast, almost infinite, world of wisdom that we have no grasp of whatsoever.

But what if this wasn’t the case?

Imagine a life beyond the one you currently experience – one with new senses and sensations, new colors added to your field of vision, new sounds to your range of hearing.

What if you had abilities that far surpassed anything you can imagine?

Consider a reality in which you had access to all wisdom and could experience and grasp it all instantaneously. It is so difficult to imagine this because it is nearly impossible to think about something that you have never experienced before – just try thinking of a color that doesn’t exist.

Moshe’s Prophecy The Rambam famously quotes thirteen principles of faith which he believes to be the absolute foundational pillars of Jewish belief and strongly emphasizes how every Jew must believe in these principles.

The sixth principle states that all the words of the nevi’im (prophets) are true. The seventh principle states that the prophecy of Moshe Rabbeinu is true and that he was greater than all other nevi’im, both those that came before him and those that

came after him.

The sixth principle is obviously crucial; the seventh seems redundant. If all of the nevi’im’s words were true, of course Moshe’s were true as well. Why did the Rambam deem it necessary to state this as a separate principle?

More generally, what does it mean that Moshe was the greatest prophet to ever live? What was unique about Moshe’s prophecy? We know that Moshe received the Torah from Hashem and brought it down to the Jewish People, a role he seemed uniquely suited for. The Torah itself is called “Toras Moshe,” indicating an intrinsic tie between Moshe and the Torah. Moshe was the sole person capable of receiving the Torah, to the extent that it is identified with him.

What was the greatness of Moshe’s prophecy that earned him this unique status? What was so special about Moshe’s nevuah that rendered it fundamentally different from all other nevi’im who came before and after him?

In order to understand Moshe’s prophecy, we must first develop an understanding of nevuah in general.

The Nature of Prophecy We live in a world devoid of prophecy, therefore, attempting to understand it is like trying to understand a human sense of sight by hearing someone describe it to you.

However powerfully you can describe sight, it won’t mean much to a person who has been blind from birth. Likewise, a deaf person could

read about hearing, but he has no past experience or mental construct in which to place it. Similarly, in a world devoid of prophecy, it becomes exceedingly difficult to understand or even relate to the experience.

However, we will try to paint as clear a picture as possible.

Throughout the Middle Ages, there were various attacks against Judaism by secular and non-Jewish philosophers. One area commonly targeted was prophecy, resulting in many Jewish philosophers attempting to clearly describe their understanding of nevuah. While there is variance within their opinions, the basic consensus is as follows: a prophet must be a great tzaddik, spending his entire life building to the stage where he is worthy of receiving prophecy. This includes both a mastery of Torah knowledge and commitment to its observance, as well as a mastery over one’s middos (character traits) and intellect. Once he achieves this exalted status, he is capable of receiving prophecy, and Hashem will choose whether or not to grant him prophecy.

The prophetic experience itself was an other-worldly experience.

Hashem opened and expanded the navi’s consciousness, allowing him to connect to a higher dimension of existence, one that lies far beyond the limitations of time and space, far beyond the capacity of the regular human mind. In doing so, the navi became capable of experiencing lofty ideas and intellectual truths which

The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

he would otherwise not have access to. These ideas and truths would then filter down through the navi’s intellect and get translated through his imaginative faculties, resulting in his unique and subjective experience of those objective truths. In a very deep sense, nevuah was an other-worldly and angelic experience of the spiritual world that a navi experienced while still in this world.

Building off this general understanding of prophecy, we must now ask: what made Moshe’s prophecy unique?

Clarity of Vision The most unique characteristic of Moshe’s prophecy was his level of clarity. The Gemara (Yevamos 49b) states that while all other prophets saw through a clouded lens, Moshe saw through a clear lens. In other words, we all perceive reality through our own unique lens. A tremendously developed and wise person will see the world through a much more sophisticated lens than an immature child. One of them sees many layers of depth behind every aspect of reality, while the others sees nothing more than the surface.

One of them looks at the Torah and sees layers of wisdom, while the other looks at the same Torah and sees meaningless scribbles. As this child matures, he has the ability to expand his understanding and develop a more sophisticated approach to life.

The same is true regarding prophecy; there were many different levels.

As humans, our consciousness is limited in that we only see the physical, not the spiritual. Since prophecy was a window into the spiritual world, the metaphor Chazal used was an aspaklaria, loosely translated as a window, lens, or mirror. The greater the prophet, the clearer his vision and the more he was able to understand; the lesser the prophet, the more opaque and cloudy his vision was, and the more hazy his understanding was.

While all other nevi’im’s vision had some measure of cloudiness, Moshe saw Hashem and the spiritual world with absolute clarity, or with as much clarity as possible for a human being. In other words, while other nevi’im saw a reflection of the spiritual world and its truths, Moshe saw the spiritual world itself, with no filters. As the Ramchal puts it in Derech Hashem, Moshe was looking

through a glass window, seeing the spiritual world as it is, with absolute clarity.

Rav Dessler beautifully explains that this is why the word aspaklaria also means mirror, because the prophet’s experience was a reflection of himself, as the prophecy was filtered through his own consciousness. If there is even the slightest degree of ego involved, or the smallest distance between the navi and Hashem, the prophecy will be blurred accordingly. This is why the commentaries state that each navi had their own unique style of writing. Nevuah was filtered through each navi’s unique mind and personality, then recorded accordingly. The words and ideas were completely from Hashem

their own unique way.

As a result, Chumash and the rest of Nach are on two fundamentally different levels. Chumash is absolutely pure and reflects spiritual reality in its most potent and true form. All of spiritual truth is contained within the Torah. The rest of Nach is a manifestation of Torah on a lower level, in a more limited form, reflecting the lower level of the nevi’im who received it. Interestingly, there are different episodes in Nach which describe the Kisei Ha’Kavod (the Divine Throne) and each description is different. If you look at the descriptions in Yechezkel, Yeshayah, and Daniel, some descriptions are more detailed, some longer than others.

One way to understand this is that

He experienced his prophecy without any translation, filtration, or distortion

but were received based on how they flowed through the navi’s personal consciousness.

Moshe, however, completely negated his ego. He was a transparent reflection of Hashem, and his nevuah was one hundred percent pure. He experienced his prophecy without any translation, filtration, or distortion; he received it exactly as it was given by Hashem. All other nevi’im saw an image of truth, but the words they transmitted were only a reflection of that truth, shaped by their own minds and personalities.

Moshe, however, saw the objective truth itself and was able to transmit that truth in its purity and entirety.

The words he wrote were the actual truth, not a filtered down reflection.

Moshe added nothing of his own – he was purely the medium and vessel through which Hashem gave the Torah. This is what Chazal mean when they say that “Shechinah midaberes mitoch grono shel Moshe,” Hashem spoke from the throat of Moshe.

Moshe wasn’t speaking; Hashem was. Moshe simply gave over what Hashem said, in contrast to other nevi’im who received prophecy from Hashem and then expressed it in

they all saw the same prophecy, but each of them received and transmitted it according to their own unique style and level.

This is why the Gemara often teaches the principle that no halacha can be derived from Nach that wasn’t already introduced in the Torah. Torah is the root, and Nach is its expression. There is nothing in the expression that cannot be found within the root, just like there is nothing in a tree that can’t be traced back to its original seed.

We can now explain why the Rambam separates between the sixth and seventh ikar of emunah.

The sixth ikar is our belief in nevuah itself, that it is a truthful message from Hashem. Moshe’s nevuah, however, was not only true, but of a fundamentally different category.

One could easily mistake Moshe’s nevuah as being no different from any other navi’s. As a result, if a navi claimed to have received a new Torah, perhaps he’s right, and we should replace Moshe’s Torah. The Rambam is therefore clarifying that Moshe didn’t just receive prophecy – he received the highest prophecy possible. This level of prophecy is

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Torah. Every other navi is on a lower level. Therefore, if a navi contradicts Moshe’s Torah, we know he is a navi sheker, a false prophet. This sheds new light onto why Korach’s rebellion was so severe. By challenging Moshe, he was trying to uproot the entire foundation of Torah!

Moshe as a Source of Inspiration To many, Moshe may not serve as a classic role model. He wasn’t merely great; he was practically perfect. He didn’t accomplish a lot; he accomplished everything. To some, this may be more overwhelming than inspiring, more daunting than encouraging. But I believe that we can all connect to Moshe in a very deep way.

Moshe shows us what humanity is capable of. Sometimes you need to see an example of human perfection before you can personalize it to your unique mission in life. True, you can’t be as great as Moshe, but that’s not your job; your job is to be the greatest version of you possible. Perhaps Moshe can inspire us to challenge ourselves a bit more, to add one more layer to our self-expectations, to question our own limits, to genuinely ask ourselves if we’re giving it everything we have.

Moshe was a complicated figure; when he separated from his wife, Miriam and Aharon didn’t understand or even agree with it. He was not a man of this world. But that was not his role; he serves as an eternal model of transcendent perfection, a star in the night sky guiding each of us on our own unique journey through life. In moments of selfdoubt, in moments of opportunity, in moments of fear, just think of Moshe and remember that in a very deep way, the sky is the limit.

Or is it?

Shmuel Reichman is an inspirational speaker, writer, and coach who has lectured internationally at shuls, conferences, and Jewish communities on topics of Jewish thought and Jewish medical ethics. He is the founder and CEO of Self-Mastery Academy (ShmuelReichman.com), the transformative online course that is revolutionizing how we engage in self-development.

You can find more inspirational lectures, videos, and articles from Shmuel on his website, ShmuelReichman.com.

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JULY 2, 2020 The Jewish HomeHome OCTOBER 29,| 2015 | The Jewish

My Israel Home

I’m Coming Home PHOTO BY GEDALIAH BORVICK

By Gedaliah Borvick

D

uring the height of COVID-19, we received a stream of inquiries from people who were re-examining their lives and their relationship with Israel. Then came May 25, the day that George Floyd was tragically murdered, and everything changed. In the aftermath of that heartbreaking and horrific incident, our phones have been ringing off the hook from Jews worldwide. Sadly, many people have recently witnessed the repulsive stench of anti-Semitism and are experiencing a growing sense of foreboding.

We have been approached by Jews across the globe and across the religious spectrum. From the 92-yearold grandmother buying a small apartment to serve as a family anchor in Israel, to the Lakewood family that wants to initially spend summers in the Holy Land before moving. From the Bergen County family that originally planned to emigrate in 2025 and have decided to move up their aliyah date, to the Silicon Valley senior executive looking to sell his Palo Alto house and buy a Tel Aviv apartment with a view of the Mediterranean. On a personal level, the past month has been incredibly enlightening: having met Satmar chassidim who love Jerusalem, so-called secular Jews who are highly spiritual, and numerous colorful and beautiful Jews who defy traditional categories, all of my longheld stereotypes have thankfully been smashed to smithereens.

Every person’s situation is different, but some themes tend to recur.

For example, the following is a conversation that has unfolded in several variations over the past few weeks.

The client explains that they have a $500,000 budget to buy a 3-bedroom apartment in Jerusalem and prefer a

Welcoming a new olah at Ben Gurion Airport new project under construction so that they can spread their payments over several years until they are ready to move to Israel. We then have the unpleasant task of educating them about the financial realities of the Jerusalem real estate market. You can imagine the Beechwood, Ohio, family’s dismay when hearing that their lovely 4-bedroom split-level house

lem’s bedroom communities. Situated 20 minutes away from central Jerusalem – and literally half the price of central Jerusalem housing – is a new project under construction in the beautiful Zayit section of Efrat. The complex offers valuable amenities, such as underground parking and a mall at its base. We then discuss a similarly-priced project in the latest

Will the newfound Israel fervor be a mere blip on the radar, a passing fancy that captured people’s attention for a few weeks and then flitted out of their minds?

with a huge garden and pool is worth less than a 2-bedroom apartment in a new project on the border of Baka and Arnona.

After recovering from sticker shock, the client usually inquires about less expensive options near Jerusalem, and we proceed to discuss interesting new projects in Jerusa-

Ramat Bet Shemesh community, a short walk from the successful new Mishkafayim neighborhood. The buildings offer breathtaking mountain views, plus easy access to the infrastructure and conveniences of a big city, such as shopping, educational and medical facilities, and excellent public transportation. Invariably, the

exciting new Eden Hills community near Bet Shemesh gets discussed, and the pros and cons of Yishuv living get hashed out.

What will happen when the social activism slows down, and Jews begin to feel more comfortable in their homes and communities? Will the newfound Israel fervor be a mere blip on the radar, a passing fancy that captured people’s attention for a few weeks and then flitted out of their minds? Our expectation is that some people will hold onto these feelings, but most will understandably move on – at least until the next crisis possibly shakes them up.

May we be privileged to reconnect with Israel on our own terms: “running to” the beauty and uniqueness of the Jewish homeland as opposed to “running from” a rising tide of global uncertainty and antisemitism.

Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home (www.myisraelhome.com), a real estate agency focused on helping people from abroad buy and sell homes in Israel. To sign up for his monthly market updates, contact him at gborvick@ gmail.com.

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M

r. Fagin, you have been the Executive Vice President at the Orthodox Union for more than six years. Tell me how you became involved in working for the klal.

I practiced law for close to 40 years. At the end of my legal career, I was the chairman of our law firm, which was equivalent of being a chief executive of the firm. It was a very, very large law firm, one of the largest in the world. When I retired at the end of 2013, my intentions were to devote whatever additional years G-d would give me to communal endeavor and work for the klal. As I announced my retirement from my law firm, the OU was then in the midst of a search for an executive vice president. The committee approached me and asked if I would consider taking the position. It’s not what I had thought about before retiring. I actually thought I would simply retire, but it was an opportunity to do as a professional what I had hoped to be able to do as a layperson. I took the offer very, very seriously – I had many hours of conversation with my wife about it – and ultimately agreed to take it. I told the board at that point that I would only hold the position until the following fiscal year – for a little less than 18 months.

So 18 months turned into more than six years.

The time has flown since then.

Were you involved with the community or your community before you took on the position?

I had been involved with the OU for decades in a whole variety of capacities. I was a board member; I was an officer; I had been the head

of the activity that we were engaged in.

Talking about realizations, what were the biggest surprises that you met after moving into the new position?

There were two things that I learned very, very quickly on the job.

One was the enormity of the OU operations – how many different ways we were involved in providing programs and services to our synagogue

“No organization that’s worth its salt or takes its responsibilities to the Klal as importantly as we do can afford to stagnate”

of the commission that had responsibility for our collegiate program. I had been the head of our commission that had responsibility for our youth program, NCSY. So I had been pretty active with the OU for decades, and a number of other organizations as well.

I thought I knew the OU pretty well. But when I took the job with the OU as EVP, even though I was an active and involved lay leader, I realized that I didn’t know a fraction

network and to our communities. As I said, I had been exposed to some.

But until you’re sort of in the midst of it, you just don’t have a sense of the size and scope and quality of our programming. So that hit me very, very quickly – that even as an active lay leader I knew a lot of the basics but had no sense at all of how large and far-flung the operations and programs and services are at the OU. I also had been introduced in a lay capacity to a number of members

of the staff and knew many of them quite well, but when I arrived as EVP, I got exposed to the quality and dedication of a huge number of people who constitute our staff. We have close to 1,000 employees. And they are just outstanding professionals, with enormous amounts of creativity and skill and equally enormous amounts of dedication to being servants of the klal.

Most of our employees, obviously, are employed in the United States.

And they’re employed all across the United States. NCSY, for example, runs a program called JSU, the Jewish Student Union, for public school students. We’re in over 200 clubs in public schools all across the United States, in scores of cities across the United States. Depending on the time the club is held, it could an after-school program or a program held during lunchtime – it differs from school to school. There are thousands of public school children involved in JSU. They’re spread out across the U.S. and Canada. But it’s not just here. NCSY has chapters in Argentina and in Chile. There’s a very active chapter in Israel. It’s relatively new – a few years old – but it’s growing by leaps and bounds, catering primarily to an Anglo population in Israel. It’s actually a fascinating program. Think of a family that’s made aliyah with teenage children who have never had the opportunity to sort of integrate fully as kids into Israeli society, and now they find themselves in Israel as

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At a rally for school safety in front of New York City Hall

a teen, and it’s very, very difficult for them. And so NCSY is their bridge.

It’s their connection, really, to fully integrate into Israeli society.

Yachad is also international. It has a large chapter in Israel. And of course, OU Kosher is operating in probably 80 countries around the world, in countries, in cities that not only have you and I never heard of but can’t spell. It’s unbelievable mesiras nefesh to have OU mashgichim supervising a million products and ingredients literally in every corner of the globe.

Most people associate the OU with kosher food. How do you get the word out about your other programs?

It’s such a good question. If you ask me what was the only frustration that I found in the job, that would be it. So many people who know NCSY may not recognize that NCSY is an OU program. So many people who know Yachad may not realize that Yachad is an OU program. So many young people who go on our Birthright program called Israel Free Spirit – we’re a major Birthright provider – don’t know that Israel Free Spirit is an OU program. Thousands of young men and women on campuses across the United States and now in Israel who participate in JLIC don’t necessarily realize that JLIC is an OU program.

And so on, down the line of so many of our programs. We concentrate so much on providing the service to

Speaking at the Women’s Initiative Summit

our shuls and our communities that sometimes we forget to try to make clear that these are OU activities. So it can be frustrating sometimes. But I think we’re doing a little better in making the community aware that all of these programs and services are united under a single umbrella of service.

Tell us about some new programs that have been implemented under your helm.

We’ve had some really wonderful programs. There are some that, like NCSY and Yachad, JLIC, have been around for some time. But we started several new initiatives that we’re all very proud of. One is the Women’s Initiative that brings significant learning and leadership opportunities to women across our communities.

That started just a few years ago and has had really wonderful success.

We began what we call the OU Center for Communal Research.

This is very new program, but it’s one that’s going to have enormous impact both on the OU and its programs but more generally throughout the community. It’s really designed to allow us to focus on making decisions based on real data and real objective information. These are social scientists with extraordinary credentials who are allowing us to understand our community, not just by anecdote, not just by hearing the schmooze at kiddush, but by engaging in sophisticated social science research so that

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With OU President Moishe Bane at the OU’s annual Torah New York event in Citi Field Stadium

we understand the issues facing the community and can therefore tailor our programs, tailor our policy determinations, to what we learn from sophisticated surveys and data gathering with respect to our communities. That is something that we think is going to be enormously important to us out into the future.

We also started a wonderful program that we call the Impact Accelerator. The idea was to harness the talent and the energy of young entrepreneurial folks within the community who had a great idea for a program or a service and were trying to get it off the ground. We select about six such organizations each year – we’re now in the second cohort of that program – and we provide some financial backing. We also provide a whole range of training opportunities for them so that they can learn the ropes and learn how to grow their organizations and to get them off the ground.

There are so many creative and talented people out there looking for an opportunity to contribute to Klal Yisrael with fantastic new ideas and great new programs – they just need to get them off the ground. And we see our mission as helping them to do exactly that.

No organization, I think, that’s worth its salt or takes its responsibilities to the Klal as importantly as we do can afford to stagnate. There’s always another need. There’s always something more to do. We’re always trying to evolve and grow and develop

as an organization.

Due to the coronavirus, has the kashrus part of the OU faced any challenges going into certain countries or certifying different products?

Yes. The challenge has not been so much in terms of the certification itself, but the methodology that’s being utilized. There are plants where we can’t get into.

It’s fascinating how OU Kosher has really pivoted its operations so that they haven’t missed a beat and have been employing technology and virtual visits to certain plants and manufacturing facilities. Now that travel restrictions are beginning to ease, things are going to go back to normal, and we obviously look forward to being able to resume in a traditional way. But in the interim, technology has been a savior.

Around how many kashrus supervisors do you have working for the OU around the world?

There are around 200 rabbinic coordinators and rabbinic field representatives. The number is closer to around 500, though, when you include all the mashgichim and shochtim at slaughterhouses, restaurants, factories etc. around the world.

Wow. That’s a lot of people. And they’re so dedicated to what they do.

The mesiras nefesh is just extraor-

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dinary. I remember a trip I took once going to a vineyard where the harvesting season came out in the early part of the fall. They were telling me about their OU mashgiach who came and set up a sukkah and made Sukkos there because the company couldn’t miss that piece of the season. I’ve met mashgichim who literally bring with them a suitcase full of food because they’re going to be traveling to the most remote locations of China or India or places that are just extraordinarily difficult to get to. It’s remarkable mesiras nefesh.

That’s unbelievable and so admirable. Let’s talk about the Teach NYS part of the OU. That’s a relatively new division that was started around six years ago.

The Teach Coalition, which includes Teach NYS, also includes Teach operations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Florida, and California. The Teach Coalition covers states in which roughly 90% of students who are attending yeshivas and day schools reside. We’ve concentrated our efforts on where the kids are. It’s been one of the great success stories, I think, of almost any aspect of OU programming.

When I first started supervising what was then Teach NYS, and which has since morphed into the Teach Coalition, we tried to do two things. One was to lay out a very basic strategy and philosophy that we would seek to communicate to elected officials in each of the states where we were operating. It was a philosophy based on – to use New York as an example – two fundamental propositions.

The first was the fundamental unfairness of a system in which roughly 15% of students in the State of New York did not attend public school but where only about 1% of state education funding was going to non-public schools. That disparity was so blatant, was so large, as to really shock the conscience. For instance, you’re a Lawrence resident – I don’t know if you’re District 14 or 15 – but parents in Lawrence are paying enormously high property taxes, most of which are going to support the public school system. But at the same time that

they’re paying taxes to support the public school system, they’re getting back virtually nothing from the state in respect of their own children that they have chosen, quite appropriately, to educate in the way that they deem to be the most suitable for their own children. So that disparity itself was something that we felt we needed to highlight.

The second thing that we concentrated on explaining was that, in this terribly unfair process, the state was saving enormous amounts of money. Our research indicated that the state was spending somewhere in the vicinity of $20,000 per child to educate a student in the State of New York. Now, multiply that by the hun-

was absolutely critical to their existence or critical to the constituency that they represented. We needed to have the best professionals available to us – lobbyists, public relations specialists, communications specialists.

We also needed the most skilled and highly trained professionals in the area of advocacy that we could find.

We started to build this structure six years ago.

Since then, we’ve expanded it to a number of states. The results have been extraordinary. Probably in the last six years, if we look across the Teach Coalition, at all of the different types of funding that we’ve been able to bring to the table for yeshivot and day schools, that number is probably

“If we look across the Teach Coalition, at all of the different types of funding that we’ve been able to bring to the table for yeshivot and day schools, that number is probably somewhere slightly higher than a billion dollars.”

dreds of thousands of kids who were not attending public schools, and you start to get to a huge number that the state was saving by being relieved of this burden by property tax paying parents and not having to spend this money on educating those kids. You put those two things together, and I think you have some very potent arguments to make.

The other part we needed to focus on was to approach the advocacy process in the most professional way that we could think of. What I said to our advocacy group was that the OU needed to approach this issue – which is the most important economic issue facing Orthodox parents anywhere – in the same way that any major company or any major interest group would approach an issue that

somewhere slightly higher than a billion dollars.

A billion dollars – that’s astounding.

That includes funding for STEM education, funding for technology, funding for per capita mandated services, funding for transportation, for nursing services, and, most importantly and most recently, enormous amounts of funding for security, for school security, both hard and soft, for personnel costs to hire security guards and for the ability to harden the security facilities that schools and shuls have like cameras, gates, windows, and so on.

If you put that all together, it’s been an enormous amount of money that we’ve been able to bring to the

table. But it’s still not enough. We’re not going to be satisfied until we’ve reached a point where schools are going to be in a position to seriously roll back the amount of tuition that they’re charging because they’re getting their fair share of state and local assistance.

We’ve also created a mechanism within our advocacy group, within the Teach Coalition, that we call the government maximization project.

It’s one thing to advocate for funding from state and local government.

But then there’s a whole other job to be done in educating schools about what’s available to them and how they can go about accessing the funds that have now been allocated. We have a whole unit that spends its time working with schools and school administrators to be sure that they completely understand everything that they’re entitled to. We help them with their application processes and so on so they can be able to access the funds that we’ve fought so hard to be able to bring to the table.

So, we’ve got both sides of that equation covered. I hope that now that this foundation has been created that, over time, we’re going to see more and more funds being allocated to provide some relief to parents who are under this crushing burden of ever-escalating tuition costs.

With schools, hopefully, reopening in the fall there will undoubtably be costs associated with reopening under coronavirus regulations. Do you think that’s something that the state or federal government would pay for with regards to those regulations?

Certainly we’re going to be pushing in that direction once it gets to be a little clearer what states are going to mandate. Part of the difficulty now is that schools are doing scenario planning with multiple scenarios. They don’t know what they’re going to be facing just two months from now.

Nobody knows. We don’t know if the numbers will drop precipitously, and it’ll be possible to open school essentially without social distancing. We don’t know whether the numbers are going to spike up yet again, and it’ll be

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Rabbi Moshe Hauer of Baltimore and Rabbi Dr. Josh Joseph of Lawrence will be taking over for Mr. Fagin at the OU

impossible to open schools at all on a face-to-face basis.

They have to make decisions about whether they’re going to retrofit premises, install partitions, whether they’re going to run classes on a socially distanced basis – in which case the class size is going to be much, much smaller than it’s been, which is going to mean additional space and additional classrooms; some of them may need to rent additional space and classrooms. They have to figure out how many teachers they’re going to need, if the class size is going to be substantially smaller, if they’re going to stagger schedules. All of these things are completely up in the air.

I just had a conversation this morning, literally two hours ago, with a principal of one of the larger schools in the tri-state area. They’re planning for three or four different scenarios, each of them requiring a whole different approach. You’ve got schools that provide bus transportation that are now going to have to figure out how they’re going to be able to socially distance kids on buses and how many additional buses they’re going to need.

This is a situation where not only are parents distraught about what the future may bring in the fall, but schools are equally distraught. It’s all part and parcel of this enormous uncertainty that we’re all facing.

You initially were supposed to be at the OU in this position for just 18 months. It ballooned into six years. Reflecting back,

what are the things that you’re most proud of – the accomplishments or the strides that the OU has made under your vision?

I’ll tick off a couple. One is the enormous, really explosive, growth that the OU has seen in every aspect of our functions over the last several years. We’ve been able to multiply the programs and services that we provide to our shul network and to our communities. That’s been enormously gratifying.

In that process of enormous growth, it was tremendously important for us to really professionalize our operations so that everything that we were doing we were doing as carefully and efficiently and professionally as we could. We brought to the organization a whole range of management structure that any large organization really needs to rely on to be sure that it’s operating appropriately.

We changed our budgeting process. We changed our strategic planning processes that really had not, by and large, been an important part of the OU culture; now every one of our departments engages in both shortterm and long-term strategic planning, looking at every aspect of their operations, every one of their programs, to determine whether they remain optimal and whether they need to be changed in any particular way.

We put into place a rigorous program of program and service evaluation to be sure we were looking carefully at everything we were doing and where improvements needed to be made. We redesigned our finance department.

We redesigned our institutional advancement department, which handles all of our fundraising.

We’re now embarking on a major project to redo our entire IT infrastructure. That’ll probably take us several years to work through, but we’ll then have a state-of-the-art IT capability. We’ve changed our communications function, our public relations function.

I think now we’re on a very, very solid and secure platform to continue growth into the future.

What or who would you say are your greatest influences in life?

The greatest influence on my life has been my wife. My most important sounding board in probably everything that I do is my wife, who is an extraordinary human being, an extraordinary sounding board, and a competent professional in her own right. I would put her at the very top of my list.

In terms of influence and being oseik b’tzarchei tzibbur, I think I would point to my father-in-law, a”h.

There are so many important lessons that I learned from him, the most important of which was that there was not a moment that he wasn’t thinking about the institution that he had responsibility for. He would wake up in the morning worrying about the yeshiva; he would go to bed at night worrying about the yeshiva. He couldn’t tolerate the notion that the rabbeim and moros wouldn’t get paid on time. If he had to go out and stand on the street corner with a pushka to

ensure that they got paid on time, he would do that. He was, together with his wife, incredible servants of the klal with a zeal and a dedication that was really unparalleled. My wife and I grew up watching that.

Now that you’re really going to retire – I know six years ago you were set to retire as well – but now that you’re really going to retire, is there anything on the horizon that you’re looking forward to?

Well, if you had asked me a couple of months ago, I would have said that we were looking forward to be able to do some traveling that we really had not had a chance to do, between practicing law for 40 years and its pressures and being at the helm of the OU for the last six years. The pandemic has put a little bit of a crimp in those plans. But we hope that they’ll be short-lived, and we’ll have an opportunity to spend much more time with our children, our grandchildren, and – please G-d – shortly with a first great-grandchild.

How many children do you have?

We have two sons and their wives.

And we have, ka”h, 13 grandchildren.

They’re the love of my life. We’re very much looking forward to be able to spend far more time with them than I’ve had the opportunity to do.

I’m also hopeful that I will continue to be of service to Klal Yisrael with whatever talents I may be able to offer.

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aruch, It is hard to believe you are no longer with us. Ever yone loved you. Many would say you were a “great guy,” the ultimate nondescript praise. But the truth is, you were. You were great! GREAT! Our exceptional parents, Rav Ephraim and Rebbetzin Shlomis Eisenberg, raised us to speak in a refined manner. They didn’t appreciate that expression. But Baruch, you were indeed great... and also one of the boys. You were approachable and humble and easygoing and relaxed and upbeat…and the list goes on and on.

You were everything. You never looked down on others and never thought more of yourself. With your effervescent smile, you looked to share your goodness with so many.

As your brother-in-law, Yehuda, said, “He was a ‘noach’ (comfortable) person; it was ‘noach’ to be around him, and he caused others to be ‘noach.’”

Simchas Hachaim Baruch’s demeanor was positive and optimistic. He had a deep sim-

chas hachaim. He greeted everyone with a warm smile and a wave, a firm handshake, or a hug. Always with a kind word, a positive remark, or a witty response, Baruch enjoyed a good joke and knew how to say just the right comment to make another person think to himself, “My day just got better!”

He was wholesome and genuine.

One of his sisters put it this way: “He didn’t worry about what others thought of him. Maybe that’s why he was able to focus on others.” Another sister fondly remembers the way Baruch would lift his arms and greet her and her husband with an exuberant “Baruch haba” whenever they came for Shabbos and the caring way he would answer her weekly “Gut Shabbos” texts.

He found joy and humor in places where others may have only seen ordinary happenings. He was the favorite family speaker, and even the younger kids waited for his speeches at every family simcha. Although he certainly realized that we all appreciated his terrific sense of humor, he never brought attention to himself; he was modest and unassuming. Baruch enhanced our Shabbos tables and family get-togethers with his

quick wit and interesting stories but all was given over in an unpretentious manner. He would chuckle, his eyes would crinkle, he would tilt his head back and he would nod toward us... and just like that, a closeness was created.

Acceptance Baruch was accepting of whatever came his way and happily made the best of things. His mottos of “It’s all good!” and “Life is great!” were accompanied by his trademark smile, which showed he really meant what he said. We can all testify that Baruch was never a complainer. Rav Naftali Jaeger, rosh yeshiva of Sh’or Yoshuv, mentioned his “sever panim yafos,” how he didn’t let on to others the challenges he was going through.

Why make others suffer?

He made light of his ordeals, finding humor even in difficult situations.

Who can forget that Shabbos we spent together in Passaic shortly after a procedure that left a visible scar on his forehead? He was so uncomfortable going to shul like that, but he took it in stride. When he came back and we wondered aloud how he’d handled the discomfort, his reply was classic. “I didn’t wait for anyone to ask. When

they looked at me, I told them, ‘Don’t try snowboarding; it’s not worth it!’”

With a Cheshbon But it was more than acceptance and humor. There was also the aspect of elevating his life. Our uncle, Rav Yankel Reisman, mentioned how Baruch asked him about putting on tefillin after that same procedure.

Uncle Yankel connected Baruch’s attachment to mitzvos to a vort (based on the Olelos Ephraim), about the nesiim (from Parshas Naso, the parasha of his petirah). Though they all brought the same offering when the Mishkan was set up, the Torah details each nasi’s gift separately. According to the Ramban, this is because every one of them had a different kavanah.

Our father, Rav Ephraim Eisenberg, zt”l, would say, “Lots of people do the same actions, but their intentions are individual. What each person has in mind identifies him.” And regarding Baruch, Uncle Yankel asserted, “Baruch looked like any other person who put on tefillin, but his kavanos were unique to him!”

R’ Aaron Landsberg, his brother-in-law, recalled Baruch’s aufruf, where Rav Yaakov Weinberg, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, discussed how Hashem blesses us when

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our maasim are performed with thought and deliberation. The rosh yeshiva brought a parallel to Baruch: when he did something, it was with a cheshbon. He didn’t do things automatically or follow what everyone else was doing.

This was evident in his tefillah, as well. His brother, R’ Avraham Yitzchak, enjoyed davening together with Baruch and was inspired by him.

“When Baruch davened, he was sincerely focused and intent, really connecting to the Ribbono Shel Olam.”

A neighbor noted his purposeful gait as he walked to shul each morning.

He was on a mission, centered on being mekayem retzon Hashem, in his cheerful manner.

Ben Torah Baruch learned in kollel when he first got married and then went on to support his family. However, he was always first a ben Torah, and then a baalabos. As R’ Yanky Safir, his cousin, expressed it, “Baruch was a walking kiddush Hashem in his business dealings.”

When we were sitting shivah, we learned some new things about Baruch. Here’s one: he learned Torah with almost every person he knew.

He set up learning sedarim during short trips out of town and in middle of vacations and over yamim tovim. So many people who came to be menachem avel told us, “Baruch was my chavrusa.” And one by one, these many chavrusos spoke about his intelligence, clarity, his ability to explain the Gemara concisely, and his excitement about learning.

Aviva, his wife, who was his partner in all this, spoke about how Baruch loved learning with R’ Shua Fogel in Sh’or Yoshuv, how he would join him for a seder whenever he missed the Lakewood style of learning. In R’ Shua’s words, “He was so alive and smart; it was wonderful learning with him! He enjoyed life and made the most of each moment and each day.” R’ Shua felt that he was able to glean from Baruch’s energy, that he rubbed off on him. His other chavrusos would most likely agree.

His love of Torah and passion

were evident at the Shabbos table, too. R’ Moishie Wolfson, a cousin, shared, “At the Shabbos seudos, Baruch would either enhance my vort or shlug it up completely!”

Baruch was so proud of Yeshiva Meon Hatorah, his brother’s yeshiva, and he and Aviva tried to help out whenever possible: raising funds, attending meetings, and arranging bake sales. He davened for its success, scrambled to help when things were rough, and became excited with every step of success and growth that the yeshiva experienced. This was all part of the chashivus haTorah he exhibited.

running a gemach.” Moreover, R’ Eli mentioned how discreet Baruch was; he was careful to ensure the privacy of each individual. R’ Eli shared, “I once asked Aviva why she wasn’t taking in the mail, and she answered that only Baruch collected and opened the mail because of the gemach. The gemach was never discussed between the two of them. No stories were told — even with anonymous names.”

Getting Along with All R’ Eli added, “While the gemach story reveals so much about who Baruch was, to me, his real gadlus was his ability to avoid machlokes and

“At the Shabbos seudos, Baruch would either enhance my vort or shlug it up completely!”

Integrity and Discretion Years ago, when Baruch tutored private talmidim, he meticulously noted every hour and minute he owed or what was owed to him. Aviva wouldn’t let him discard these notes even years later, as she feels it’s a great lesson to all. Entries such as “Yossi had to leave early today. I owe him 4 minutes” were common.

R’ Eli Sales, Baruch’s father-inlaw, spoke about the free loan gemach Baruch managed for R’ David Greenblatt. “He was meticulous, honest, and respectful of others. That is the kind of person who needs to be

confrontation. That takes hard work, and it was something he perfected.”

Aviva noted, “He didn’t talk about people, and he shied away from strife.” If there was an argument going on, he would quietly walk out of the room. He saw the good in everyone, so he naturally had nothing negative to say about them.

Baruch often shared his insightful opinions, but he was never strong or forceful about them. We wanted to hear what he had to say; his views were fair and straightforward. However, if we chose to differ with him, he would step aside with a smile and accept our point of view. He didn’t get

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sensitive or upset – because it wasn’t about his ego.

He took note of the people who sat quietly on the side. He’d bring them into the conversation and make them feel important. R’ Yanky Safir spoke about this point. “People wanted to be around Baruch. He would bring you up. He knew how to make you feel better about yourself.”

He was uncomplicated and openminded, easily relating to people of all stripes. Dovy, his brother-in-law, shared how the minute Baruch joined the Sales family, it was as if he’d been there forever.

Hakaras Hatov Baruch was really good at expressing appreciation for any favor shown him, whether it was the kindness of a niece who occupied his boys, a Shabbos invitation, or a business opportunity. He never had a “magia li” attitude or took others’ actions for granted. A staff member in the hospital loved going into his room because he would give her a “yasher koach,” no matter how weak he felt.

Baruch was incredibly grateful to the Wolfson families, whose relationship with him was more like that of siblings than cousins. R’ Moishie Wolfson spoke about Baruch and Aviva’s hakaras hatov for even the smallest things. R’ Moishie and his wife cherish the thank you notes they received from Baruch and Aviva, which were always written beautifully and came from the heart.

Yehuda Sales added, “Baruch would talk about the unbelievable hakaras hatov displayed by his mother, Rebbetzin Shlomis, a”h. When he would tell those stories, he would grow passionate, because he really connected to that middah.”

The rav of Baruch’s shul, Rav Aharon Stein, said, “After every drasha, Baruch would come up to me and first of all thank me. Then, inevitably, he would ask me about one point or another and then apply it to himself.

He looked for something personal in everything he learned.”

Home Life When Baruch and Aviva bought

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their house, it was a dream come true for them because it enabled them to host lots and lots of guests. That was always their greatest pleasure.

Being hosted by the two of them was also a dream come true for the guests; Baruch went out of his way for them, literally. R’ Dovid Shlomo Levin, his brother-in-law, reminisced, “He was so good to us. Back in the day, when we didn’t know our way to Far Rockaway from Brooklyn, Baruch drove all the way to Brooklyn so we could follow him back to Far Rockaway for Shabbos.”

The seudos at his Shabbos table were enhanced by a thought-provoking vort, a good bottle of wine, and uplifting zemiros; the atmosphere was light, warm, and comfortable.

Be’ezras Hashem, the atmosphere at home will continue to be one of simcha and joy; he and Aviva laid such a wonderful foundation.

Baruch was always the fun uncle, the one all the kids looked forward to seeing. He challenged his nephews to push-up contests, showed interest in what they had to say, and entertained them with interesting stories.

He and Aviva and the boys attended every family simcha — and he did so happily, making sure to compliment the hosts. And the stars of the dance floor were often Baruch and his boys.

He was an outstanding father and always wanted to do whatever was best for the family. He loved his boys, Ephraim and Yehuda, fiercely, and he was so proud of them! He recognized their individualities and appreciated their talents. He loved sharing their chochmos with us, his siblings, and we, in turn, felt and still feel like surrogate grandparents.

Always “Gevaldig” Baruch was naturally articulate.

He had an easy way with words, with jokes, with public speaking, with niggunim. When the meds slowed him down a bit, he took it in good spirit. If he forgot a word or a name, he would smoothly give us a hint without making anyone feel uncomfortable. He did it so skillfully that many people didn’t think anything of it.

The last few weeks of his life, Baruch was barely able to commu-

nicate with words. But somehow, he communicated his appreciation, his acceptance, his love. We will always remember his “I’m impressed” expression. He would open his eyes wide, set his mouth, stick out his chin, and nod his head. That simple movement meant the world to us. It was sometimes accompanied by a hearty thumbs-up. Once we sneaked him an

Thank you! Baruch Hashem! Bli ayin hara! Yasher koach!

As his nephew, R’ Shimon Charlap, articulated so well: “When the malachim ask, ‘What are they saying about him down there?’ the answer is obvious. From far and wide, people are telling themselves and their children, ‘Go in Baruch’s ways!’”

Yes, they want to emulate Baruch,

“Back in the day, when we didn’t know our way to Far Rockaway from Brooklyn, Baruch drove all the way to Brooklyn so we could follow him back to Far Rockaway for Shabbos.” illegal lick of ice cream. The smile and thumbs-up were epic! (We think he did that just to make us feel good because he knew how hard we were trying.) Sometimes he blew us kisses.

His formerly firm handshakes turned into hand squeezes (sometimes very strong ones!), which also communicated appreciation and love, while giving all of us so much energy!

Ephraim and Yehuda made him so happy when they would come to visit and hold his hand. He was extremely proud of them! When they would learn in the room or Ephraim would practice his bar mitzvah leining, they, too, received a thumbs-up and even a verbalized “gevaldig!”

It’s no coincidence that the few words that stayed with him till the very end were: Gevaldig! Terrific!

and they want their children to emulate him, too. They, as well, want to be gevaldig.

A Ben Olam Haba His brother-in-law, R’ Yanky Gruen, stated: “Parshas Naso speaks about the counting of the Leviim, along with the tafkid of each family. In this instance of counting, the shoresh of naso (to lift) is used. When a person knows his tafkid, his purpose in life, he is elevated. Baruch recognized who and what he was and fulfilled his tafkid in a heroic way: with humor, positivity, and a heart of gold. He was always interested in others and how they were doing. He made people around him feel comfortable and respected. He was loved by all.”

Incredibly, this was the subject of the speech Baruch gave at the bar mitzvah of his nephew, Yossi Charlap 20 years ago. He spoke about how Moshe Rabeinu wasn’t able to “finish the job” and take Klal Yisroel into Eretz Yisroel because it wasn’t part of his tafkid. Moshe Rabbeinu accepted that. He understood that this was the role the Eibeshter assigned him. Baruch concluded, “If a person understands what his tafkid is, he is able to have utmost simcha!”

Another brother-in-law, R’ Chaim Charlap, related in his hesped: The Gemara (Avodah Zarah 77a) tells us that before entering a person, every illness swears that it will perform the will of Hashem. The time, strength, and effect must be exactly according to Hashem’s plan. Similarly, the Gemara (Niddah 30a) tells us that before Hashem sends a neshama down to This World, it, too, takes an oath that it will do the will of Hashem — that it will be a tzaddik and not a rasha. R’ Chaim proclaimed: “Baruch can go and tell his machalah, ‘You did your shelichus, but I did mine, as well! I kept the promise my neshama made before it came down to the earth to remain ne’eman, loyal and trustworthy, to Hashem!’”

Reb Yisroel Meir, his brother, summed it up so aptly: The Gemara (Taanis 22a) records how Eliyahu HaNavi showed Rav Beroka two people who were bnei Olam Haba. When Rav Beroka approached these men and asked them, “What is your profession?” they answered, “We are happy people and we make others happy.”

R’ Yisroel Meir concluded, “Only one who is genuinely happy and content with himself is able to truly make others happy. All can testify that this was Baruch Tzvi, a true ben Olam Haba.”

Yehei zichro baruch. ______ This past Tuesday, 8 Tammuz, marked the shloshim of Baruch Tzvi Ben Ephraim Zalman HaLevi, z”l.

The family would appreciate any comments, memories and stories.

Please email: BaruchTzviHalevi@ gmail.com.

The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020

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JULY 2, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Mind Y

ur Business

James Rosebush: “Storytelling is critical to communication”

By Yitzchok Saftlas

E

very Sunday evening since July 2015, Yitzchok Saftlas, CEO of Bottom Line Marketing Group, hosts 77WABC’s “Mind Your Business” show on America’s leading talk radio station. The show features Fortune 500 CEOs, CMOs, and top business leaders where they share their business knowledge and strategic insights on how to get ahead in today’s corporate world. Since Q2 2017, the 77WABC Mind Your Business show has remained in the coveted Nielsen “Top 10” in New York’s highly competitive AM Talk Radio market. Guests have included John Sculley, former CEO of Apple and Pepsi; Dick Schulze, founder and chairman emeritus of Best Buy; Beth Comstock, former Vice Chair of GE; and Captain Sully Sullenberger, among nearly 200 senior-level executives and business celebrities. On a recent 77WABC “Mind Your Business” broadcast, Yitzchok sat down to speak with James Rosebush about the keys to becoming an effective corporate communicator. James is the founder and CEO of GrowthStrategy, Inc., an international company that advises many corporate clients with the goal of accelerating their growth. He worked as a senior advisor to President Ronald Reagan and was the longest serving Chief of Staff to Nancy Reagan. James also launched impactspeakercoach.com to help coach other leaders in effective communication techniques. He is the author of three books, the newest of which was released on April 7, 2020 and is called Winning Your Audience: Deliver a Message with the Confidence of a President where he identifies key points of communication learned from President Ronald Reagan.

Yitzchok: Tonight in the show we will talk about how you can become an impactful public speaker, how to properly communicate your message, and of course, corporate storytelling. Your new book is called Winning Your Audience: Deliver a Message with the Confidence of a President. When did you decide to communicate your lifetime of experience, lifetime serving the U.S. president, and put it into a book?

James: It dawned on me that I had to do this when I listened to a big corporate CEO try to explain what was going on in the disruption in his industry and in his company. He spoke on a Saturday afternoon. On Monday morning, the equity value of his company, a huge global conglomerate, dove ten percent. This was attributed to the fact that the CEO was not able to effectively communicate his strategy to take his company into the future.

There are two things that are necessary for speaking. You need to have content and you need to have the ability to drive it home. 75% of people have a fear of public speaking. I wrote this book because I wanted to help people gain dominion and freedom over this fear. You don’t have to be afraid. If you get trained, you can find out how to

overcome fear. If you learn about the power of storytelling, you can find success. When you look into the audience, people will be shaking their head, nodding. Ronald Reagan had this ability. He had the ability to visualize and tell a story. If you tell a

“You have to be more interested in your audience than you are in yourself.”

story, what do you visualize? The results. The best method for strategic thinking and communication is like a GPS. If you want to use a GPS to get to your destination, what do you need to do? Put in your destination! Then the GPS can take you there. But, if you don’t have an address, the GPS can’t bring you there. You need to know what you want to say.

As I said, the two things that are necessary for speaking are content and ability.

YS: You are one of the leading experts that help executives craft their corporate narrative. How critical is corporate storytelling? Is it really necessary?

JR: There is no question that every company, large or small, needs to have a contingency plan in case something happens. If there is a dip in sales or revenue, or there is some kind of catastrophe, you need to know who your spokesperson is going to be and what your message is. If you don’t know your message, you really don’t know yourself or your product. I think this is increasingly important today.

I had some millennials tell me they can’t relate to other people. I told them I can give one strategy to address that. Go up to someone and say, “Nice to meet you, tell me your life story.” I guarantee the person will respond and say: “Oh, I work in Bloomberg, or Goldman Sachs...” And then you’ll say: “No, tell me where you were born?” This starts something interesting because it will usually be a place you have visited or know someone who lives there. This is how you start a relationship. Tell me your life story. Storytelling is critical to communication.

The Jewish HomeHome | OCTOBER 2015 The Jewish | JULY29, 2, 2020 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

communicate. Everyone needs to have the confidence to speak, in their office, in their family, or a company of thousands of workers.

YS: What are some of the steps to crafting a great corporate story?

JR: Communication is tantamount to success in any venture. You need to have the contact, you need to have the product, you need to have the discovery, and you need to have the production.

But you also must be able to communicate. Today it has to be through authenticity and through storytelling. People want to hear you say it. They want to hear the creators. That’s why the people in the technology industry who had a lot to do with the discovery and manufacturing of new hardware and software would get out on stage every year.

People flocked to his authenticity. People want to know who is behind the company.

I had the honor of working in the White House for President Reagan. We had a theme for the day team, which I was honored to be a part of. In that White House, communication was paramount.

The team met every Tuesday over lunch to determine the themes for the next ten days. Companies should use this kind of strategy because then they control the narrative. If you don’t, someone else will.

The first chapter of my book is called Words Power the World. A word is completely passive.

But, when spoken, written, recorded, sung, or rapped, words are powerful. There is a very competitive marketplace for words today. Think of the millions of words spoken at every moment across the globe. It is a crowded marketplace! In order to get your message heard, it needs to be composed and thought through in a way that will support the one who will actually deliver the message. There has to be authenticity of the deliverer. This goes hand-in-hand with the solid nature and creativity of the content itself.

We talked about the importance of defeating fear of speaking. It can be combated. In this book, I talk about eight steps to get rid of fear. There are people walking up and down the sidewalk in front of this office right now that lack the confidence to

YS: As a communications specialist, is there something you can point out about President Donald Trump?

JR: This is exciting for me to talk about because Trump’s style of communication is completely different but very apt for the time. The reason he excites people at his rallies is because he is an extremely high energy speaker. The energy tells me he’s really committed to his ideas. People like that – they don’t go to the rally to hear ordinary things. He also repeats his message over and over.

Reagan was blamed for this by the media. They get tired of that. Well, the audience doesn’t! One of the keys to success in communication is repetition.

Repeat your message over and over again.

Third, Trump uses very simple language. This is also criticized by people, but the public likes it.

Churchill also spoke with simple language. He was one of the greatest orators the world has ever known. Trump employs this strategy. It is his energy, passion, force, repetition, simplicity, and body language that shows the people he loves them. He loves America and these Americans. And, if you are in an audience and you think the speaker likes you, you are not leaving. Trump has this energy, focus and passion. He has the incredible ability to figure out what average Americans are thinking about, caring about, and just say it. It may be shocking to some, but that is what is on the minds of everyday working class Americans.

YS: Why is it so critical for people to have excellent communication skills?

JR: Have you ever tried to put your kids to bed or to get them eat their dinner? It’s done by basic communication skills. When a child learns to speak, it is done out of curiosity. They are mimicking their parents. And as they learn, they learn the patterns of speech and how to use words to convince people. When a child is a toddler, that is communication 101, where they start to learn.

And then we either get pushed aside or we get encouraged.

I grew up with a dad who taught how to speak in Dale Carnegie. And then I became a student of Ronald Reagan, called the Great Communicator.

How could I not write this book?

Communication skills are fundamental to anything you do in life, whether you are in the kitchen or heading a major corporation. There is a lot at stake from what you say and how you say it.

YS: What is a final takeaway for the listeners that you can share from your vast experience? You served in the White House.

You served Nancy Reagan. You served President Ronald Reagan. You’ve flown on Air Force One. You are part of the Brandenburg Gate speech. What is a takeaway you could share with the listeners of 77 WABC’s Mind Your Business?

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JR: Well, how could I not remember Ronald Reagan’s last speech when he was wrapping up his eight years in the White House? He was sitting in the Oval Office and said to the American people, to the world: “For many years, I’ve spoken of that glowing city on a hill, the shining city on a hill.

I’ve referred to our country.” Then he said: “I don’t think I’ve ever explained what I meant when I said it.” He went on to say that this is a land of opportunity. This is a land of freedom. This is a beacon of hope to people around the world who seek freedom and opportunity.

What was he doing? First of all, he gives this inspirational quote. But then he says, do you know what? I don’t think I ever explained what I meant when I said that. You are immediately pulled in.

You want to hear the answer. Reagan was a master of asking a question of his audience and then answering it. So, all of you out there, ask a question. Think about your audience and what they are thinking. They might be asking, where is this company? Should I keep my investment in the company? Does this company have new ideas? This is where you start your speech or talk. Think about your audience.

I once said to Nancy Reagan, whenever the heart speaks, no matter how simple the words, they’re always acceptable to people who have hearts. You don’t have to be polished to be an effective public speaker, but you have to be more interested in your audience than you are in yourself.

This is the final and most important key I can give you. We’ve all heard what we would call blowhard speeches. These are people who don’t even know who they are talking to. The time Nancy Reagan really broke out of her shell communicating was when we went to a drug abuse center. All these kids were pouring out their life stories. Even the Secret Service agents were crying. She threw away her notes. What does she tell them? I love you. You have a life ahead of you. This is what they wanted to hear! Do you know why she could say what they wanted to hear? Because she heard them. Follow that rule.

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JULY 2, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Dating Dialogue

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

Dear Navidaters,

My roommate is crazy.

There, I said it. I recently found out that she has created fake shadchan identities using email accounts etc., got on some shadchan email and WhatsApp groups, and has been redting both me and her to guys in the most bizarre ways.

She thinks she is helping me, but it is really the opposite.

It all started when I got an email from a random shadchan one day trying to set me up with Yonaton (I changed his name). I tried getting a phone number I could reach this shadchan at and her correspondences were very strange, while she skirted the issue of having a phone call or to share her phone number. I liked the idea she sent so I pursued it, but this shidduch did not get past a first date – not because it was not shayach, but she seemed to drop the ball and give an elusive response such as, “he said it’s too hard to date now during corona.” Long story short, I was on her computer one day and a Gmail account for this “shadchan” popped up when I signed in, with dozens of interactions. It was hard for me to click around, but I did.

She had written the same immature-sounding email to dozens of different guys trying to set her and I up. When I confronted her, she surprisingly told me everything. She has been using fake email accounts to take charge of her and her friends’ shidduchim. She told me that she gets profiles from public shidduch email lists with her alias as this “shadchan.” What she doesn’t realize is how off she comes across via her immature-sounding emails and correspondences, and I know that having my information sent out by her aliases is terrible for me.

My question is twofold: 1) Is it even possible to be set up with this guy Yonaton again? I have a feeling that his sudden disinterest was because he was creeped out by the “shadchan’s” interactions.

2) How can I possibly get through to my roommate that what she is doing is wrong?!

Thanks, Tammy

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

Our intention is not to offer any definitive

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

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020

The Panel The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S. ou asked two questions. I don’t think it is worth trying again with Yonatan right now. You don’t know what she told him about anything. He may have been given a very different picture of you than the real you. If, in several months, you are still interested in dating him, try to get to someone else in his circle to see if you can meet in a casual environment. In other words, create some distance and find someone mature and safe to help you after giving him/her the general background of what happened.

In response to your second question about getting through to your roommate about how her creation of fake identities for the purpose of shidduchim is wrong, I say do not even bother to try. She has serious issues of severe dysfunctionality and may have several disorders.

You have probably noticed signs during your time sharing a place but you chose to ignore them. She may have been manipulative, a compulsive liar, controlling or worse. Asking yourself why you were able to function peaceably in the apartment together with someone so disturbed is important. Learn about yourself from this experience and move on. Setting her straight will not happen through your intervention. The kind of intervention she needs is therapy.

Y

antics are in the realm of psychotic.

Making up fake names and pretending to be someone else, under the guise of taking charge of one’s shidduchim, and dragging her roommates into it can only be orchestrated by a very unhealthy human being. It is likely that anything you tell her, or any way you approach it, will backfire, getting you into deeper trouble.

My advice is to not touch this situation with a ten-foot pole. Find somewhere else to live ASAP and get off her radar. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer is an appropriate adage to live by. This does not mean to keep her close physically or even emotionally. In your case, this means do not lead on that you are upset with he, because you do not want her twisted antics to become malicious against you.

From the way you make it sound, most people who get her emails will just ignore them because they sound immature and she seems to make herself impossible to reach by phone.

Leave it at that. Hashem will send you your bashert another way. In terms of Yonatan, I suggest you reach out to a shadchan whom you admire and ask her to check in and see if he would be interested in pursuing the idea now that corona guidelines have somewhat been lifted. If anything, it would be very interesting to discuss with Yonatan the background of your shidduch, and if it works out in the end, you will have one great story to tell your children!

Hatzlacha!

The Shadchan Michelle Mond f you are asking how you can convince your friend that what she is doing is wrong, you unfortunately don’t seem to understand the severity of her problem. I always encourage singles to be proactive about their shidduchim, but your roommate’s

I

The Single Rena Friedman ammy, I cannot imagine the shock, frustration, and anger you felt when you found out that your roommate sent out your resume without permission and that she dropped

T

the ball on a shidduch she suggested.

A crazy roommate is one thing but one who pulls you into her shidduchim shenanigans takes it to a whole new level.

What your roommate did is extremely inappropriate and crossed multiple boundaries. She should not be suggesting shidduchim under a fake name and posing as a shadchan.

That is absolutely unacceptable and a great way to ruin her own reputation and the lives of others. What bothers me even more is that once she had the chutzpah to try to take matters into her own hands, she let a shidduch fall through. There is serious danger when we try to take situations into our own hands when we should not.

With that being said, I understand where your roommate is coming from. The feeling of hopelessness envelopes you when you want to be married so badly and feel like your hands are simply tied. The urge to take charge and do something is strong. She needs to find productive ways to channel this energy to make a difference in shidduchim for herself, her friends, and the klal. This can be done in an appropriate way through writing articles, working with shadchanim and married couples, or brainstorming with other people who are single. If this roommate reads this or anyone who feels the same way is reading this article, please reach out to me and I can put you in touch with amazing people who have a similar mission.

So what are you supposed to do now? Find a rav or mentor that your roommate is close with and have them speak with her to make sure she understands the severity of her actions.

In a very positive and chill manner explain to her that you appreciate the intentions behind what she is doing but that you feel more comfortable going through shadchanim that you have worked with in the past. Ask her

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No one appreciates being told that their behavior is weird

to not send out your information to anyone and if she sees something that she thinks could be shayach to send the name to you and you will have a shadchan you work with reach out to the guy.

In terms of Yonaton, I would reach out to a shadchan that you know and trust and have them suggest it to him.

Have them play it as a regular suggestion and see what he says. If he says that you went out and it wasn’t shayach they can ask what didn’t work.

This will give you the opportunity to see if it was because the “shadchan” messed up or if he really wasn’t interested.

This is a lot and you are doing great. I am happy to hear that you are looking for a new apartment and getting away from this toxic person.

It’s a crazy battle out there, and I am proud of you for doing what is right.

Shkoyach for standing up for yourself and making sure that others don’t get hurt the way you did.

As always, all feedback, thoughts, and ideas are welcome: renafriedman2@gmail.com.

The Zaidy Dr. Jeffrey Galler ammy, your letter is a powerful testimonial for being exceedingly careful and meticulous in screening potential roommates.

The more I thought about it, the

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

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JULY 2, 2020 | The Jewish Home

more I realized that this is not a trivial dilemma. In fact, this problem can have catastrophic consequences for you.

At first, I was going to suggest a group intervention. You and a few of your girlfriends would sit down with your roommate and explain that although she means well, her efforts are not appreciated and that she should immediately stop what she is doing.

But then I realized that your roommate’s problems are unlikely to be solved by amateurs, no matter how well-meaning they might be.

Consequently, I was going to suggest that she seek professional counseling, perhaps with my very qualified colleagues who contribute to this “Navidater” column.

But then I realized that referring her for professional coun-

seling might likewise not be a good idea, and might backfire badly. Your roommate might bitterly resent your implication that something is wrong with her. No one appreciates being told that their behavior is weird. Her resentment might then manifest itself in even more bizarre behavior.

If your roommate becomes vindictive, she can cause you great harm. There is no limit to the amount of mischief that can be caused by a spiteful individual who has access to a laptop or smartphone. She can easily sabotage your shidduch prospects and destroy your reputation.

So, here are my five, strong suggestions: 1.

Obviously, relocate immediately. But explain to your roommate and to everyone else that you

Pulling It All Together

are moving not because your roommate is insane but because you need to live closer to your job, your school, your relatives, or your favorite shul or pizza store.

2.

Disengage from your roommate completely but amicably. No matter how hard you try, you will never succeed in convincing her that she is causing problems. Keep the separation friendly and gentle.

3.

Immediately change all of your online passwords. If your roommate persists in harassing or “stalking” you, you may also need to change all of your email addresses and accounts.

4.

Only accept dating recommendations from professionals or friends that you know well and trust.

5.

You might wish to have a third-party contact Yonatan, but you probably need to accept that his “it’s too hard to date now during corona” is his polite way of saying that he is simply not interested

A crazy roommate is one thing but one who pulls you into her shidduchim shenanigans takes it to a whole new level.

in a second date.

Were your roommate’s intentions benign and beneficial, or were they mean and malevolent? We’ll never know. But remember that George Bernard Shaw wrote: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

The Navidaters Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

D

ear Tammy, Your roommate is not well.

People like her have the potential to destroy careers, relationships and lives. The lengths that she went to

Have a question for the panel? They’re here to help you with your dating conundrums.

Email your questions for the panelists to Jen at thenavidaters@gmail.com.

and the lies that she told are outside the realm of “shticky” or “quirky.” She needs professional help which you cannot provide. I suggest you err on the side of caution and not suggest she get help in the likelihood that your good intentions will backfire on you in a dangerous way down the road. Your roommate has proven that she cannot be trusted. We simply don’t know what she is capable of doing.

I suggest that you move out ASAP.

Do not confront her about anything she has done. There is no point.

Make up a story... your parents need you, you’re ready to live on your own, etc. This must be handled quietly and delicately. Do not talk about this to a million people.

It will get back to her. Be nice and polite to your roommate while you are moving.

As for Yonatan, you must weigh the consequences of your decision to reach out to him. I don’t think it would be terrible to contact him through a different venue.

I am so sorry you experienced this. Be gentle with yourself as this unfolds. When we are lied to and violated in this way, feelings tend to emerge: shock, questioning the original relationship, anger, disbelief,

thinking maybe you took it too far by disengaging completely.

We can wish your friend well from a safe distance... but distance is necessary in my opinion.

All the best!

Jennifer Jennifer Mann, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist and dating and relationship coach working with individuals, couples, and families in private practice at 123 Maple Avenue in Cedarhurst, NY. She also teaches a psychology course at Touro College. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 516-224-7779, ext. 2. 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.

The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020

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JULY 2, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Dr. Deb

Care and Concern

By Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.

H

ere’s a question: How do you know if someone cares? How do you know if they’re con-

cerned?

Many, many sentences in homes all over start with “If you loved me, you’d—” But let me ask: is that true? Can we tell?

Well, are you sure?

And don’t tell me, “Well, I would do it if the tables were turned.”

That is sooo easy. Of course, you’d do it. That’s why you think that they ought to do it as well. But they aren’t you, and there are many reasons why they might not do it that have nothing to do with not loving or caring about you.

The best of the reasons is that they simply don’t have the skill.

“Oh,” you’re going to come back at me with, “they don’t have the skill to put their laundry in the hamper?”

Right. They might not.

Because if they have ten things on their mind from work, the kids, the house, and other troublesome, weighty items, then it takes a certain skill to switch their focus over from the important to the trivial.

Yes, I know exactly what you’re going to say next, “Am I not in the ‘important’ category?”

You are. Which is why work is important, because it pays the bills, which matters to you, too. And of course, the kids’ welfare is important to you as well. See? And when you put “laundry” up there, the other gender cannot comprehend why that

would matter so much. So, although they do do what is important, they might not have the skill to include in their thinking something that is, to them, not important.

That’s another thing. Most people can’t see the world through someone else’s eyes. So if Sam can’t see how in the world laundry could be important to Sylvia – or anyone – then wouldn’t it be Silvia’s responsibility to clarify why laundry is so important to her?

Why would laundry be important to anyone, anyway? This is not obvious.

Because I live alone and the only person to make disorder – or create order – is me, I came to understand that a neat home gives me a feeling of peacefulness inside. By the same token, a messy home creates a stressful feeling inside. I also notice that when it’s neat, my head thinks more clear-

ly. It’s as if things that don’t have to be in my head, aren’t, so I’m free to think. But that’s a discovery I only made after I was alone. I didn’t realize it all the years that my late husband would say that having things in disorder makes him happier because organizing is stressful!

Which brings me to the second reason why Sam might not understand how important it really is to Sylvia even though she says it is: Her request may be in direct opposition to his needs.

Now, there’s a problem. If picking up the laundry has some positive effect on Sylvia, what if it has a negative effect on Sam? I once knew a couple that got divorced over this, believe it or not. She couldn’t stand messes, and he couldn’t stand having to be a slave to cleaning up. She couldn’t understand this but he couldn’t understand her either.

The first couple of weeks after their separation, he giggled as he told me that he drops food wrappers in his car and won’t pick them up – just for the sheer pleasure of not having to. It was the “having to” that drove him away.

So I ask you, should a person be more caring, more concerned about their spouse or themselves? And mind you, this is not just one thing.

The list of things that one person wants from the other can be quite long. Is it quite right to unbalance it always in favor of the other person, the person we love? And if you are willing to say, yes! It’s fair! Then why isn’t the other person doing the same thing? If Sam wants to please Sylvia by always picking up and doing the other 20 things she wants, is it fair of Sylvia to always have it her way?

Just saying.

But there are also lines to be drawn.

There is a point where one person does have the absolute right to expect more from a spouse, even if they have trouble comprehending why the spouse wanted it.

Where is that line, though?

Should a doctor call back within four hours if you call the emergency line?

Should the bus driver (when school finally does get normal) see that the child he leaves off is met by a parent?

Should a teacher (speaking of school) find something good to say about a misbehaving child?

The Jewish HomeHome | OCTOBER 2015 The Jewish | JULY29, 2, 2020 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Is it ever okay if a spouse misses an anniversary?

How much money can a spouse spend without discussing it with a partner?

Do spouses need to confer with each other on rewards and punishments for the kids?

This could be a very long list. And of interest is that the answer will be completely different based on the couple – when it comes to marriages. Perhaps also based on the doctor when it comes to call-backs. And the patient.

So let’s get back to Sylvia’s thought that Sam must not love her because, in 24 years, he hasn’t picked up his laundry.

The rule is: don’t assume!

I interviewed Sam (who is imaginary) in some depth. He told me that at age 10 his mother died. It was shocking and distressing. He never

got over that loss. But within the year, his father remarried, and the new wife was a bit rule-bound. She also never heard of the rule, herself, that you don’t discipline the stepkids, you let the biological parent do

pressed. And he didn’t care a fig about the laundry. He just didn’t care about much.

So when he would hear, in a tone that was just a wee bit sharp, “Sam! Please pick this laundry up” it repre-

Should a person be more caring, more concerned about their spouse or themselves?

that. So she wanted laundry picked up.

Now, as it happens, Sam was a good kid. But, frankly, he was de-

sented to him a cold place and cold time in his life. He didn’t know it. He couldn’t articulate it. This is the sort of thing that comes out in a conver-

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sation when the right questions get asked in a tone of – yes – care and concern.

Unlike my husband who couldn’t keep his papers organized, Sam had better reasons to be allergic to laundry gathering. He’d never explained this to Sylvia, of course.

There are so many mysteries inside of us! And inside of our spouses!

Of course, discovering these, little by little is fun and exciting – when we know how to open each other up.

But when it comes to love, it’s best to assume the best.

Dr. Deb Hirschhorn is a Marriage and Family Therapist. If you want help with your marriage, begin by signing up to watch her Masterclass at https://drdeb. com/myw-masterclass.

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Health & F tness

Grill to Your Health

By Aliza Beer MS, RD, CDN

S

ummertime means barbeque time, a favorite American pastime. For years, the medical and nutrition community recommended grilling as the cleanest and leanest cooking process, since the fat drips away from the food as it cooks, but over the past several years new research has emerged alerting us to the dangers of grilling. This research has the experts suddenly changing their tune. Let’s discuss the potential hazards to grilling, and what, if anything, can be done to make it healthier.

What’s the problem with grilling food? To start off with, the charred meat. When red meat, poultry, or fish is cooked over a flame or at high temperatures, the muscle proteins react with the heat and form compounds known as HCAs (or heterocyclic amines). These HCAs are mutagenic, meaning they have been shown to cause destructive DNA changes in cell structures that may lead to certain cancers. Additionally, as the high heat releases fat from the meat, it drips down into the coals

or burners and then ignites, producing smoke, which also contains carcinogenic chemicals called PAHs (or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons).

As the smoke from the fat rises, it swirls over the food and deposits these chemicals onto your rib steak or burger. Numerous studies have shown a link between consumption of grilled red meat and an increased risk for colon, prostate, pancreatic, stomach, and breast cancers. This risk is especially prevalent if the meat is well-done. In some studies, the increased risk was as much as a whopping 60%!

Another concern is the type of meats that are usually on the barbecue menu: hot dogs, pre-packed burgers, and sausages. These come with their own cancer concerns, caused by the nitrates and nitrites that are present in these foods. Nitrates and nitrites are added to food to help preserve them and ensure a longer shelf life. When these meats are cooked over high heat, the nitrites can possibly transform into

nitrosamines, another carcinogen.

Ready to terminate your relationship with your grill? Before you pack it away, let’s explore some possible solutions.

The Leaner, the Better Always start with a lean cut of meat. Trim off excess visible fat and remove skin from poultry before grilling. This keeps grilling a lean and healthy choice for clean cooking and also minimizes the fat drips, therefore reducing flare-ups that can char meat.

Marinate Mania Marinating meats before grilling is one of the best ways to reduce the formation of HCAs by as much as 96%, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research. The reason for this is not entirely clear to researchers, but one possibility is that the marinade has a shield effect – it’s the marinade that’s getting seared instead of the meat. Marinades will also imbue meats with de-

licious flavor, add moisture, and tenderize tougher cuts. Your marinade should include three components: an acid, like lemon or lime juice, or a vinegar; herbs and/or spices; a little oil for moisture. Many of these ingredients are loaded with flavonoids, which may help reduce the formation of carcinogens. Marinate your foods in the fridge for at least 30 minutes prior to grilling – 1-2 hours would be preferable. Additionally, use a dry rub made with turmeric, garlic, and rosemary, which has been shown to cut down the production of HCAs by as much as 70%!

Grill Veggies and Fruit Fruits and veggies are full of antioxidants, and every meal should include some kind of veggie as a side.

The best part about grilling veggies and fruits? HCAs and PAHs don’t form on them! Some great veggies to grill include eggplant (slice them into “steaks” and drizzle with olive oil and kosher salt), Portobello mushrooms, peppers, red onions, cauliflower

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“steaks,” and sweet potatoes. I use olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper on almost all of my veggies, but you can experiment with herbs and spices, for there is no right or wrong way of doing it. My favorite grilled fruits are pineapple and peaches, and they make a delicious dessert.

Reduce Heat with Smaller Portions Since cooking meat at high temperatures is one of the triggers for the formation of HCAs and PAHs, you can reduce your risk by cooking at a lower temperature. Don’t overcook your meat! A multitude of studies have linked increased cancer risk

I eat fish practically every day of the week. Also, fish proteins are less inclined to produce HCAs and PAHs than poultry or meat.

Many people will wrap the fish in aluminum foil with all kinds of herbs/spices/lemon and olive oil, and place that on the grill. This way, the fish is not getting charred at all.

If you don’t like fish, then try reduce your red meat consumption and eat more chicken. 90% lean ground beef has 92 calories an ounce as compared to the 34 calories in one ounce of chicken. Therefore, a person will consume a few hundred calories more (and much more fat) in that one meal simply because he or she is

Fill up your plate with fresh colorful vegetables.

with well-done meat. A good trick is to precook the meat in a microwave for 2 minutes before grilling it. You will reduce the necessary grilling time significantly, while still getting great grilled flavor. If you reduce the portion sizes as well, you will be able to reduce time on the grill. Smaller portions cook faster, and will therefore spend less time on the grill in possibly unfavorable conditions. A great idea is grilling kebabs, chicken or meat on skewers; the small pieces will cook quickly. Another good tip is to alternate the pieces of chicken/ meat with veggies.

Flip It, Don’t Fork It! Flip your food often, about every 30-60 seconds. This will feel unnatural and may seem to go against most grilling techniques, but flipping the food often will help prevent the formation of HCAs, according to the National Cancer Institute. Turn the meat/burger/chicken with a spatula rather than a fork, as piercing the meat will release juices that may drip and smoke, contributing to possible PAH production.

Eat More Fish The American Heart Association and Aliza Beer urge everyone to eat more fish for their healthy and disease-preventing omega-3 fatty acids.

consuming meat instead of chicken.

You can grill chicken on the bone, as cutlets, or ground chicken as burger patties.

Ditch the Dogs: Hot dogs are probably the unhealthiest food one can possibly eat and are full of nitrates, fat, and sodium. Hot dogs should not be a weekly dietary staple. Mindfully indulge in a few hot dogs over the course of the summer and try to avoid them until next summer.

You can still enjoy your weekly Sunday night barbeques, as long as you are careful and take the appropriate precautions. However, don’t rely on grilling as your only cooking method – change it up with baking, roasting, and steaming. As always, watch the portion sizes of your protein, and fill up your plate with fresh colorful vegetables. You will then be able to celebrate summer, life, and the great outdoors – in good health!

Aliza Beer is a registered dietitian 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, and you can follow her on Instagram at @alizabeer

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In The K

tchen

Macadamia Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies

By Naomi Nachman

I

PHOTO BY MELINDA STRAUSS

’m nuts about nuts! I created this outrageous cookie recipe for a collaboration with @yumtee_nuts. Not only do I use nuts in cookies, I throw them in salads or grab a handful as a snack.

Ingredients ¾ cup oil ¾ cup sugar ¾ cup brown sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon kosher salt 2 cups flour 1 cup lightly chopped macadamia nuts ½ cup chocolate chips ½ cup shredded coconut

Preparation Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat together oil, sugar and brown sugar until combined. Add eggs, vanilla, baking soda, and salt, beating well to combine after each addition. Add flour; beat until combined.

Fold in nuts and chocolate.

Form dough into 1-inch balls; place on prepared baking sheets. Press down each slightly with palm of your hand.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown and set on top.

Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet.com or at (516) 295-9669.

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Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

Reality is coming for white supremacists driving golf carts.

-New York Times columnist Paul Krugman tweeting his excitement that elderly people in Florida may contract corona

I stand by that statement.

-Former Obama Defense Secretary Robert Gates, when asked

by Hugh Hewitt about a statement he made several years ago that Joe Biden had not been right “on any major foreign policy issue in 40 years”

It’s a healthy expression of people saying let’s get some priorities here, and let’s remember the sin and mistake that this nation made and let’s not celebrate it.

Where’s the police when you need them?

- Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) when she was attacked by a protester while joining a defund-the-police rally

- Gov. Andrew Cuomo when asked on MSNBC about looters tearing down statues of historical figures, including Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln

Been thinking more about it. I regret calling the police. It was my instinct but I wish it hadn’t been. I put those boys in danger of death by calling the cops.

- Mitchell Erickson of Minneapolis in an interview with the New York Times about an incident in which he called the police on two black teenagers who cornered him outside his home and robbed him at gunpoint

The world as we know it is falling apart, but my two little hands are capable of making a difference. I can’t change the world, but I can make lasagna.

- Michelle Brenner of Washington who in the past three months has made 1,200 pans of lasagna for free for anyone who requests that she make it for them

She knows that she can say that because the Democrats have a monopoly on the black vote.

- Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) responding to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi saying that Republicans are trying to cover up George Floyd’s murder with police reform legislation

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We are fully committed to having a global portfolio of skin care brands that is inclusive and cares for all skin tones, celebrating greater diversity of beauty.

We recognize that the use of the words “fair,” “white,” and “light” suggest a singular ideal of beauty that we don’t think is right, and we want to address this.

- Sunny Jain, head of Unilever’s Beauty & Personal Care, announcing that for the sake of wokeness certain names and terms will no longer be used

Abolish whiteness.

- Tweet by Dr. Priyamvada Gopal of Cambridge University which drew the ire of many, resulting in the tweet being removed by Twitter

Thanks to everyone who wrote to @Twitter: the ludicrous ban has been lifted. I am therefore delighted to share with you personally, that last night Cambridge promoted me to a full Professorship. The hate mails & threats are coming in non-stop but @CambridgeCops are following up.

– Ibid.

So it turns out that when Andy Lack said “there is no place on our air” for my discussion of blackface, it was b/c NBC was already chalk-full of shows and major stars actually wearing blackface … on the air … at NBC. - Megyn Kelly who was fired from NBC by Andy Lack after saying on-air that blackface was “OK when I was a kid as long as you were dressing like a character,” responding to the ever-expanding list of actors on NBC shows who are being outed for having worn blackface

I will thank Yehuda for my entire life.

– Gilad Shalit, who was held captive by Hamas for five years and was released in a prisoner exchange that included the release of the killer of Israeli soldier Nachshon Wachsman, speaking at the funeral of Nachshon’s father, Yehuda

You have to step back and look at this. You have a criminal justice system that is imploding.

“Imploding.” That’s the kindest way to put it.

– NYC Police Commissioner Dermot Shea talking to reporters about the current state of affairs

As a pro-life American, I also believe that all life matters, born and unborn. But what I see in the leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement is a political agenda of the radical left that would defund the police.

- Vice President Mike Pence on “CBS’s Face the Nation”

The lies & tears of White women hath wrought: The 1921 Tulsa massacre Murder of Emmet Till Exclusion of Black women from feminist movements 53% of white women voting for Trump.

White women are lucky that we are just calling them “Karen’s”.

And not calling for revenge.

- Washington Post Global Opinions Editor Karen Attiah

I wanted to do everything possible to return home. The most important thing for me was to be with my family.

- Juan Manuel Ballestero, age 47, who sailed on an 85-day odyssey across the Atlantic Ocean from Portugal to Argentina once flights were cancelled and he was unable to fly

The Chief Justice always says that he is there to call balls and strikes. Well, four years ago, he called a ball and now he got the same pitch and he called it a strike… He flip-flopped like a banked catfish.

– Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) talking on Fox News about Chief Justice Roberts casting the swing vote in a “right to choose” case

Trump has disrespected Native communities time and again.

He’s attempted to limit their voting rights and blocked critical pandemic relief. Now he’s holding a rally glorifying white supremacy at Mount Rushmore — a region once sacred to tribal communities.

- Tweet by the Democratic National Committee, claiming that the president’s plan to go to Mount Rushmore on July 4 is in order to “glorify white supremacy”

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Take the movement to defund police departments and the incessant charges of “police brutality” and “racist police.” Only those who don’t care about Blacks other than using them to advance their power — Democrats and the rest of the left, both Black and white — argue this war against the police is good for Blacks. Already the increase in the number of Blacks murdered, not to mention injured, is reaching levels unseen in decades. And there is every reason to assume, as police pull back from high-crime areas, it will get worse.

– Dennis Prager, Jewish World Review, in an article titled, “The Present Moment Has Set Blacks Back a Half-Century”

Hey, Nancy, glad to see you wanting to expunge the terrible history of White Supremacy, in the Democrat Party! Nine of 11 statues of Confederate leaders Pelosi wants removed from Capitol were Democrats…

Take the left-wing mantra that all whites are racist. If I wanted to obstruct Black progress, and especially damage Black children, I couldn’t come up with a more effective idea. To believe from early childhood that you walk through life held in contempt by all of your fellow citizens who are white is to walk through life with much more than a chip on your shoulder. It is more like a heavy boulder.

- Ibid.

- Tweet by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)

It means that you will walk through life with two paralyzing burdens: anger and victimhood. Either one is enough to ruin your life. Combined, they’re devastating.

It gives one an idea of how cynical the left is that it would want to cultivate both of these life-ruining emotions in as many Blacks as possible.

- Ibid.

While we await details of this tragic killing, it highlights capitalism’s brutality & endemic violence. Our movement rejects insinuations & falsehoods perpetuated by corporate & conservative media that this violence is outcome of CHOP or of our movement.

- Tweet by Seattle Councilwoman Kshama Sawant, blaming the second murder of a black man in Seattle’s CHOP zone on “capitalism”

It is a fatal conceit to believe any one person or small group of people has the knowledge necessary to direct an economy or dictate public health behavior. I think government health experts during this pandemic need to show caution in their prognostications. We shouldn’t presume that a group of experts somehow knows what’s best for everyone. When are we gonna tell the people the truth? That it’s okay to take their kids back to school.

- Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) admonishing Dr. Anthony Fauci during his testimony in front of a Senate panel

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Political Crossfire

If Democrats Cared About Police Reform, They Would Have Advanced Tim Scott’s Bill

By Marc A. Thiessen

W

e saw how seriously congressiona l Democrats were taking police reform when Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., the second-ranking Democratic leader, dismissed legislation introduced by Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., as a “token, half-hearted approach.” For Durbin to question the seriousness and sincerity of Scott – a Black man who has personally experienced police discrimination - was disgraceful. Scott said of Durbin’s comment, “to call this a token process hurts my soul.” (Durbin later apologized to Scott.)

Not to be outdone, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., described Scott’s bill as “trying to get away with murder, actually. The murder of George Floyd.” When asked if she would apologize, Pelosi said, “Absolutely, positively not” – though she claimed she had been referring not to Scott but to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Sure, she was.

What Democrats should be apologizing for was their shameful vote on the Senate floor Wednesday to kill Scott’s legislation – and with it any chance of passing police reform this year. Democrats knew exactly what they were doing. As Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, one of three members of the Democratic caucus who voted to advance the Scott bill, explained, “Voting against it will end the discussion of this subject in the Senate for the foreseeable future, and leave us with nothing to show for all the energy and passion that has brought this issue to the forefront of public consciousness.”

He’s right. If Democrats cared about getting something done, they would have allowed the Senate to move forward and sought to amend

Scott’s bill on the floor. There was plenty of basis for compromise.

Scott’s legislation had already incorporated a number of Democratic proposals, including: making lynching a federal hate crime, creating a national policing commission to conduct a review of the U.S. criminal justice system; collecting data on use of force by

Republicans to do to the House police reform bill. Scott promised Democrats he would filibuster his own bill if they did not get votes they sought.

As Scott explained in an impassioned floor speech, he even told Democrats he would vote to support some of their amendments, such as expanding the definition of chokeholds and

But Democrats’ failure to even try this shows they were not interested in compromise

police; barring the use of chokeholds by federal officers and withholding federal funds to state and local law enforcement agencies that do not similarly bar them; and withholding federal money to police departments that fail to report to the Justice Department when no-knock warrants are used.

Indeed, Republicans offered to allow votes on as many amendments as Democrats wanted – something Pelosi has refused to allow House

collecting data not just on serious bodily injury and death but on all uses of force by police. “We’ll stay on this floor for as long as it takes and as many amendments as it takes,” he said. With Scott’s backing, some of those amendments would have gotten enough Republican support to pass – giving Democrats the real prospect of making significant changes to the bill.

Even if Democrats didn’t fully embrace the compromise bill the Senate eventually passed, they would have

another chance to improve it in negotiations with the House. As anyone who grew up watching Schoolhouse Rock knows, the way a bill becomes a law is for the House and Senate to both pass their own versions of a bill and then negotiate a compromise they can put on the president’s desk. If, after all that effort, they still did not like the results of the House-Senate conference, then Democrats (who control the House) could still have refused to bring a final bill to the floor. But at least they could have claimed they made a real effort to reach bipartisan consensus.

But Democrats’ failure to even try this shows they were not interested in compromise. Scott says his Democratic colleagues told him “we’re not here to talk about that” and “walked out.” They voted not to even allow debate on his bill, which they knew meant police reform would not happen this year. That, Scott said, was a tragedy. “We lost – I lost – a vote on a piece of legislation that would have led to systemic change in the relationship between the communities of color and the law enforcement community.”

At a time when much of our country seems to be descending into chaos – with violence in the streets, autonomous zones being declared and mobs pulling down statues – Americans want their elected leaders to behave like adults, work together and get something done. Republicans put forward a good-faith effort to do just that. But Democrats apparently care more about using the issue to energize their base on Election Day than working with Republicans to enact police reform. (c) 2020, Washington Post Writers Group

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Political Crossfire

Trump’s Rhetoric Is Driving Away Suburban Swing Voters

By Marc A. Thiessen

I

f President Donald Trump wants to understand why Joe Biden has clear leads against him in swing states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, he need look no further than his rally in Tulsa on June 20. The president did not once mention George Floyd or express solidarity with peaceful protesters marching for racial justice. His speech was combative, defiant and, no doubt, thrilled his supporters. But it contained barely a word designed to persuade anyone who was not already persuaded to support the president.

To win in November, Trump can’t just rely on the enthusiasm of his base. He needs to win suburban swing voters. In 2016, he won the suburban vote by five percentage points, and those same voters gave him his narrow margin of victory in states such as Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina and Florida. While many of those voters defected in 2018 to give Democrats control of the House, they had been planning on coming home to Trump this year. A New York Times/Siena College poll in November found that almost two-thirds of voters in six battleground states who cast their ballots for Trump in 2016, but then voted for House Democrats in 2018, planned to back the president in 2020.

That has changed. In the wake of recent racial unrest, Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has opened a commanding 25-point lead over Trump in the suburbs. Twothirds of Americans say the president has made racial tensions worse since the killing of Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25. Trump’s uncompromising rhetoric and retweets are driving away swing voters who don’t want to be associated with a senior citizen shouting, “White power!”

There is still time for the president to turn things around, and he has one thing going for him: the economic recovery is happening much sooner than anyone expected. We were sup-

swing voters: Do you want to keep this recovery going? Or will you risk it all by putting Democrats in charge?

It’s a question that will resonate because, despite his negative poll num-

Trump’s uncompromising rhetoric and retweets are driving away swing voters who don’t want to be associated with a senior citizen shouting, “White power!”

posed to lose more than 8 million jobs in May, but instead the economy created 2.5 million. Economists predict we will see similar jobs numbers in the coming months and that the economy will grow at a 20% or even 30% clip in the third quarter and continue double-digit growth in the fall.

That means Trump will likely be riding a wave of great economic news going into November. With the economy regaining steam, Trump can ask

bers, the one area in which voters still trust Trump way more than Biden is the economy.

Many Americans who don’t approve of Trump know it is in their own self-interest to reelect him. But Trump has to give those voters permission to vote in their own self-interest. Right now, he is not doing so.

Meanwhile, Biden is giving those voters permission to defect. He is positioning himself as an inoffen-

sive moderate who has pushed back against his party’s socialist bent – saying we need to reform, not dismantle, the police, and embracing incremental change on health care by rejecting Medicare-for-all in favor of a public option.

Biden has risen in the polls not despite his isolation, but because of it. The less he speaks, the less likely he is to commit gaffes that call into question his mental acuity. Eventually, Biden will have to come out of his basement, answer media questions, and debate Trump. When he does, the race will tighten and Trump will seek to define the former vice president as a “Trojan Horse for socialism” who will wreck the economy just as it is coming back.

But making Biden unpalatable won’t be enough for Trump. He needs to make himself more palatable to reluctant voters, by leavening his tough rhetoric with expressions of empathy and compassion. Each time he rightly criticizes the mobs defacing our nation’s monuments, he needs to say that he supports peaceful protesters and their cries for racial justice.

Each time he criticizes Democrats for wanting to defund the police, he needs to talk about his support for police reform and criminal justice reform. Each time he tweets about law and order, he needs to tweet about racial reconciliation.

Last fall, when the economy was strong, Trump unveiled a new campaign theme when he declared, “Whether you love me or hate me, you have got to vote for me.” If he does not stop inflaming and start uniting, millions of Americans will say, “No, we don’t.” (c) 2020, Washington Post Writers Group

The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Which one of these children needs Chai Lifeline?

(Hint: They all do.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chai Lifeline. Comprehensive, compassionate, professional assistance for families facing illness, loss or trauma.

151 West 30th Street, New York, NY 10001 I (877) CHAI-LIFE I (212) 465-1300 I www.chailifeline.org

Regional Offices: Greater New York I Southeast I West Coast I Midwest I Mid-Atlantic I New Jersey I Canada I England I Israel I Belgium Hospital Support: Meals | Transportation Assistance | Hospital Visits | Respite Children’s Programs: Arts and Recreational Activities | After-school programs | Sibling Programs | Educational Assistance in Limudei Kodesh Counseling for patients and siblings | Camp Simcha/Camp Simcha Special Family Programs: Advocacy and Information | Retreats | Insurance Advocacy | Family Recreation | Family Counseling | Bereavement Services Community Programs: Project CHAI, support for schools, camps, and communities facing crisis or trauma.

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Forgotten Her es

The Heroism of Sgt. Abraham Todras

By Avi Heiligman

R

esearch into forgotten heroes can sometimes be quite a challenge as information on many of these heroes is scarce or hard to locate. Recently, a name came to my attention, and his achievements were incredible, to say the least. A lot of information on Medal of Honor recipients is available when looking in the right places but particulars on other decorations can be the opposite. This was the case for the most decorated Jewish servicemembers in American

history and perhaps in world history as well. Abraham Todras of the Army Air Force received at least 30 medals and citations. Here is his story from information that we are able to piece together.

One reason that facts on Abraham Todras are tough to find is that his last name is spelled in at least three different ways in documents. This author also speculates that he didn’t talk about his experiences for a variety of reasons. What we do know about

Technical Sergeant Abraham Todras’s background was that he was from Brooklyn and left college at the age of 19 in 1941 to join the army. He was serving as a bombardier on a plane in the Philippines when, on December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He flew to Leyte and then to Clark Field, which had just been bombed by the Japanese.

In the following months, the American military was fighting a defensive battle and losing ground to the Japanese. Contemporary but not readily available official accounts have Todras fighting as a bombardier during the Battle of Midway. Dozens of enemy planes shot his plane out

during their operations in the Northern Pacific Theater. They operated B-25 Mitchell Bombers and B-26 Marauder Bombers. Both were medium bombers and were suited for missions in the cold and unpredictable weather of the Aleutian Islands. On October 17, 1942, the Japanese destroyer Oboro was sunk by B-26 Marauders of the 73rd Squadron. Todras was a gunner on that mission. A direct bomb hit on the destroyer’s munitions caused a massive explosion. He was awarded the Air Medal for heroic actions that day. Over a month later, he was the recipient of the Oak Leaf Cluster in an attack of a freighter off of Attu Island.

In May 1943, Attu Island was re-

He played the part of a deaf and dumb farmer and was soon on his way

of the sky, but the crew survived and was picked up by a friendly ship. This was the second time Todras was shot down. The first was during the Battle of the Coral Sea. He parachuted behind enemy lines on the island of Bougainville. Todras then crawled through Japanese lines and made it safely to an American base.

The Japanese had landed troops on the Aleutian Islands of Attu and Kiska, and in 1943, the Americans starting preparing for operations to retake the islands. Those preparations included sending bomber squadrons in raids over the Japanese bases. Records show that Todras served with the 73 rd Bombardment Squadron

captured by the U.S. Army’s 7 th Division. Two months later, the Japanese secretly evacuated their garrison on Kiska Island. This action ended the war in the North Pacific.

The 73rd Squadron was disbanded soon after Attu fell, and Todras returned to the States. Although he was recovering from wounds he received in action, Todras requested to put back onto a frontline bomber.

Most servicemembers only served in one theater of war during World War II. A few were sent to two. Todras had the distinction to serve on three fronts (the Central Pacific early in the war, the North Pacific, and in Europe).

Trained as an engineer and gunner,

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

21 89 21

Some members of the 73rd Bombardment Squadron at McChord Field he was sent to England in the months prior to D-Day. After participating in bombing missions over Germany, Belgium and France, Todras parachuted into France. He was met by the underground and, dressed as a peasant, spent four weeks photographing key enemy positions. Once he was stopped by a German patrol. He played the part of a deaf and dumb farmer and was soon on his way. He made it back to England before D-Day with his photographs and was sent on a bombing

mission on the day of the Normandy landings. Unfortunately, the bomber he was in was shot down over Cologne, and he was taken prisoner. Along with a group of other Allied prisoners, he overwhelmed the guards and escaped on a truck.

The total decorations for Todras include: The Distinguished Service Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters (the equivalent of three such awards), the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Air Medal with nineteen Oak Leaf Clus-

ters, the Purple Heart with Two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Croix de Guerre, and a Presidential Unit Citation.

Airmen, especially those in bombers, had one of the highest casualty numbers of any assignment in the American military during World War II. This is evident in the records of decorations handed out to servicemembers as those serving in the Army Air Corps were honored for their performance on dangerous missions.

The story of Sergeant Todras is quite

fascinating, and the fact that there are no recent accounts (at least none that this author could locate after hours of research) of his adventures makes him truly a forgotten hero.

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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JULY 2, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Classifieds classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com • text 443-929-4003

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Yoga & Licensed Massage Therapy Peaceful Presence Studio 436 Central Avenue, Cedarhurst Separate men/women Group/private sessions Gift Cards Available www. Peacefulpresence.com 516 -371 -3715

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The Jewish Home | JULY 2, 2020

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HELP WANTED FAR ROCKAWAY AREA SCHOOL SEEKING AFTERNOON GENERAL STUDIES TEACHERS, 1ST, 3RD & 5TH GR., FOR SEPT. 2020.

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JULY 2, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Classifieds classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com • text 443-929-4003

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JULY 2, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Life C ach

I Am Not a Chicken

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., MFT, CLC

W

hat does the term “I am so done” really mean?!

Well, if it were said by a talking chicken, for instance, it would probably mean perfectly ready to eat.

But, if it was said by the parent of a teen, it usually means frustrated as anything because everything I try just doesn’t work.

Probably, alternatively, it’s really a good time to say: I am so interested to hear about what would work better.

After all, that’s what “I am so done” truly means most of the time.

I’m lost. I’m not getting through to someone the way I want to.

Well, only a talking chicken should truly say that kind of defeatist statement. Because chickens can’t change. But humans can!

Yes, parenting is not easy. Especially, when you encounter that truly transformed character called an adolescent.

And marriage is often quite challenging. Especially because everyone thinks it shouldn’t be!

Adolescents and spouses have

something in common. They shock the people who thought they knew them. And that is where the work starts; a big part of which is trying to understand who the other person really is and learning to respect their needs.

want to be. And role modeling for them, and supporting them through their struggles by respecting that they are struggling, are good tools for parents to use to get them there.

We should not to be cemented in our ways like an overstuffed chicken.

We should not to be cemented in our ways like an overstuffed chicken

Here’s some Torah-based wisdom that helps, too. Men need to know their job is to want to make their wives happy. Women need to know they need to respect their mate.

Parents need to know their adolescents may one day appreciate them but they can’t be obsessed with this because it’s a bonus not a requirement of these years. These kids are more absorbed in figuring out who they

We have the capacity to create movement. So, let’s look again to some more helpful Torah wisdom, which certainly assures us that we can learn to do things differently!

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 | JULY 2, 2020 The Jewish Jewish Home Home || OCTOBER OCTOBER 29, 29, 2015 2015 The

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Money

Bigfoot

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

T

his week’s story takes us to Verkhoyansk, a frozen flyspeck of a town with 1,300 shivering souls deep inside Siberia, six miles from the Arctic Circle. The local delicacy is a version of a Russian favorite called pelmeni: minced reindeer fat rolled in a thin dough, seasoned with horseradish and deep-fried on a stick.

(Editor’s note: not entirely true.) The town’s main claim to fame is its record winter cold, with temperatures dropping as low as -90 Fahrenheit.

Tripadvisor.com rates the local Pole of Cold Museum as the town’s #1 attraction. (#1 out of 1, to be precise.)

Last weekend, Verkhoyansk m ade he ad l i ne s w hen t he temperature soared the other direction to 100.4 degrees, the hottest ever recorded in the Arctic.

Children splashed in local ponds to cool off — and who can blame them, considering how far they probably are from the nearest central air conditioning. Environmentalists cite the heat wave as more reason to reduce humanity’s “carbon footprint” — the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an individual, event, organization, service, or product.

The whole thing got us to thinking: since carbon footprint is such a helpful concept for understanding the impact of our activity on our physical environment, could “tax footprint” be just as useful for understanding the impact of our financial activity on our tax bill?

It turns out that “tax footprint” really just describes the concept of taxable income — the amount of income on which you pay tax. The higher that footprint, the higher your bill. And just as environmentalists identify ways to reduce carbon footprint (use more renewable energy sources, travel more efficiently, and eat less meat), we focus our tax-planning efforts in four areas:

ing your footprint through predictable changes (such as transitioning from work income to retirement income) as well as tax “climate emergencies” like higher future rates, which many expect in the wake of trillions of new spending for coronavirus relief. We can’t control the climate, or the weather, but we can make sure you don’t go out into the Arctic heat without sunscreen!

Timing-based strategies, like traditional IRA and qualified plan contributions, involve deferring tax on that particular “footprint” to later years, when your tax rate is hopefully lower. Conventional wisdom usually recommends taking that sure thing every day and twice on Sunday, whether you need it or not.

(Of course, sometimes that conventional wisdom means paying more tax down the road!)

Shifting-based strategies, like family business gift-leaseback arrangements, involve shifting part of your tax footprint to lower-bracket family members who pay less on the same footprint. Think of this as the tax equivalent of driving your hipster daughter’s Prius instead of your usual SUV. Code-based strategies involve finding the tax code’s opportunities to convert income that would otherwise wind up in your tax footprint into nontaxable forms, like medical expense reimbursement plan benefits. They also involve opportunities to avoid tax when you sell big-ticket assets like investment real estate or a business, and charitable gifts that let you keep valuable strings on your gift. (Think of this as ditching the Prius for a Vespa or a bicycle.)

Finally, product-based strategies, like tax-efficient stock portfolios and cash value life insurance, involve positioning your investments where their return misses your tax foot-

print entirely.

Our job, then, is to help you reach your financial goals with the smallest tax footprint possible, both today and tomorrow. This includes manag-

Allan J Rolnick is a CPA who has been in practice for over 30 years in Queens, NY. He welcomes your comments and can be reached at 718-896-8715 or at allanjrcpa@aol.com.

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