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January 14, 2021

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JANUARY 14, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Dear Readers,

T

his week, Uganda is holding elections. I may not have known about the elections – after all, it’s not like I follow the news in Uganda – but a headline caught my eye: “Social media blocked ahead of poll.” Communications regulators in the country ordered telecom firms to shut down social media and messaging apps after Facebook closed what it said were “fake” accounts that were linked to the government.

How frustrating it is to live in a country where you can’t speak your mind or connect with others or even listen to messages from both sides of the political aisle.

I couldn’t help but parallel, in a small way, what is taking place in Uganda before its elections to what took place – and is still taking place – in the United States over the past few days.

Over the weekend, Twitter permanently banned the President of the United States from its platform. Movements referencing “stolen elections” or advocating the abandonment of the Democratic Party were taken off platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

As American citizens, we are fortunate to enjoy freedom of speech. Essentially, that means that I am free to speak my mind and loudly, clearly, and vociferously tell anyone who would like to hear about my ardent love of chocolate.

But there’s a limit. In an effort to protect their citizens, the Founding Fathers cautioned that we need to watch what we say and be cognizant that our words have power. Words, although intangible, can wreak very tangible damage.

But who is the one to determine which words are damaging and potentially flammable and which words are harmless at their core?

In certain cases, it’s clear-cut that certain

words or speeches are inflammatory and dangerous. But in other cases, the Founding Fathers’ directives are up for interpretation, and we usually leave those interpretations up to the courts. But this week, social media founders decided that they are the arbiters of free speech. They decided that their moral compass is the barometer by which free speech will be measured in the United States of America.

A compass always points north. You can switch this way and the other, and a compass will steadfastly point in the right direction. But a moral compass doesn’t have the same accuracy and precision. It’s guided by the morals of the person who is holding it.

Facebook and Twitter and other similar platforms became popular and were given certain allowances because they ostensibly don’t police their sites. Now, though, they are sifting through their users’ words and becoming judge and jury as to what their users can say or post.

And that makes me uneasy. It makes me uncomfortable that Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey will be the ones analyzing people’s speech in the United States and determining whether or not their words are dangerous or damaging.

I hope that the pendulum will eventually swing the other way. With so much cancel culture, there must be another way for people to express their displeasure.

Or maybe we’ll have to go back to the old way of communicating – with a pen and paper. Remember those?

Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

Yitzy Halpern PUBLISHER

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Shabbos Zemanim

Weekly Weather | January 15 – January 21

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The Jewish Home | JANUARY 14, 2021

Because Quality is Always on the Menu

California Roast Serves: 5-7 / Prep: 5 mins / Cook: 4 hrs

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

1 3-4 lb. California Roast (Chuck Eye Roast)

Preheat oven to 250° F.

1 lb. diced potatoes

Dice the potatoes.

1 cup ketchup

Place roast in 9 x 13 roasting pan with diced potatoes around it. Sprinkle with seasoning salt.

¾ cup onion soup mix 2 tablespoons dried minced garlic Seasoning salt

> California Roast

Mix the ketchup and onion soup mix and set aside.

Smear ketchup mixture over the roast.

Fill the pan with water to cover about half of the roast. Sprinkle generously with dried minced garlic Cover and bake four 4 hours. Cool completely and slice. You can reheat this roast submerged in gravy as much as possible for at least 1 hour.

AS A RO

For variations on the sauce, try adding ¼ cup soy sauce to the ketchup mixture.

F CALI

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JANUARY 14, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

8

COMMUNITY Readers’ Poll

8

Community Happenings

40

NEWS

90

Global

12

National

26

That’s Odd

38

ISRAEL Israel News

18

Israel Today

70

JEWISH THOUGHT Rabbi Wein on the Parsha

60

Belief in G-D by Rav Moshe Weinberger

62

Parsha Ponderings by Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetzky

64

The True Meaning of Greatness by Shmuel Reichman

66

The Power of Positivity by Rebbetzin Chanie Wolowik

68

PEOPLE A Lasting Legacy by Rabbi Eli Slomnicki

71

The Loss of a Giant by Naftali Halpern

73

A Tribute of Love by Rabbi Zev Schostak

76

Sheldon Adelson: From Boston to Biliionaire

78

The Role and History of Combat Medics by Avi Heiligman

102

HEALTH & FITNESS An Egg-cellent Food by Aliza Beer, MS RD CDN

86

FOOD & LEISURE The Aussie Gourmet: Granola Crunch

92

LIFESTYLES Mind You Business

80

To our Gural JCC Community: As a Jewish Community Center, caring for, sustaining and bringing together the community is at the heart of what we do. As a community, we support and respect one another.

No matter what side of the political spectrum you find yourself on, the events of last week were disturbing, unsettling and, we all can agree, tore at the fabric of our democracy. Violence is never the answer and must always be condemned.

Each and every day we, as a community, care for those in need. Most importantly, we live our lives governed by our Jewish values of tzedakah (charity) and chessed (kindness).

In these moments, I am reminded and guided by our great sages Hillel and Shamai and their followers who disagreed on many things including the very basic laws of Jewish practice. Yet it is shared that not only did they have the utmost love and respect for one another but as we are currently guided to follow the laws mostly as interpreted by Bais Hillel (house of Hillel), we will follow the interpretations of Bais Shamai (house of Shamai) ultimately with the arrival of the Moshiach (Messiah). As well, it is firmly embedded in our Jewish tradition and values that we are to respect one another because we are all created in the image of G-d (b’tzelem Elokim).

Now, more than ever, we must model this practice of respect for those with whom we disagree. We

must lead by example for our children, grandchildren, and the rest of our country. We do not have to agree but we must respect every human being. Our greatest sages have prepared us for these trying moments and our Jewish religion has embedded these important values into our core.

This has been a year of many “firsts” that we would have rather not witnessed or experienced. My hope is that the coming calendar year is filled with many other “firsts” like all of us receiving a Covid vaccine, welcoming our seniors back on site and out of isolation, the sound of the hustle and bustle of more than 1 pod at a time and parents at our early childhood center, the return of intergenerational activities, being able to look at each other in public without the obstruction of a mask, celebrating together in person, using Zoom out of desire and not necessity, being there in person at times of loss, having dinner with parents, grandparents, children and grandchildren, going on vacation out of state/country, turning on the news and listening to 30 minutes of positive stories, and no news about politics.

May this calendar year be one of health, happiness, kindness, respect and hope for all!

Aaron Rosenfeld, JD Chief Executive Officer The Marion & Aaron Gural JCC Continued on page 10

Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW 82

68

Parenting Pearls

88

JWow! 90 Your Money

Seeing I to I by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

108 110

HUMOR Centerfold 58 POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes

94

Pelosi Once Again Plays Politics by Marc A. Thiessen

98

Biden Plans to Nominate William J. Burns by David Ignatius CLASSIFIEDS

100 104

Are you planning on flying to a destination over midwinter break?

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The Jewish Home | JANUARY 14, 2021

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JANUARY 14, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Continued from page 8

Dear Editor, One of the silver lings of makkas barad was that the un-ripened wheat and spelt didn’t get destroyed. Rashi explains because they were soft and thus able to endure harsh conditions.

The lesson is powerful. If one is soft, flexible and self-effacing with his neighbor, then he will be able to endure any hardship that one directs toward him.

Steven Genack Dear Editor, With regards to the “6th Town”: We cannot allow overdevelopment in our area as our roads and other infrastructure cannot handle it. All anyone has to do is drive down Broadway between Cedarhurst and Hewlett and see how long that

distance, which should not be more than a few minutes, takes. The land, as well, is one of the last bird and wildlife sanctuaries in Nassau County.

As someone who understands the real estate industry, the idea does not have to be quantity but quality – especially if it’s an upscale area that warrants homes that are in the multimillion-dollar range. In essence, 60 homes with a huge amount of property including a private pool and every single amenity in the $5-10 million dollar range will be easily sold. Not only are these types of homes an enhancement to the environment, they will also put money into the pockets of the builders who are the ones concerned with their financial outcome.

Reuven Guttman Lawrence, NY

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.

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JANUARY 14, 2021 | The Jewish Home

The Week In News

Lost at Sea

Sixty-two people were killed after an Indonesian passenger jet plunged into the sea north of Jakarta over the weekend.

Sriwijaya Air flight 182 took off from Indonesia’s capital of Jakarta on Saturday morning and was headed to the city of Pontianak when it lost contact with air traffic controllers.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Transport announced later that day that the jet crashed near between the islands of Laki and Lancang.

According to data provided by in-

ternational tracking service Flightradar24, the doomed aircraft plunged 10,000 feet in under a minute less than four minutes after takeoff. The Indonesian Navy dispatched five warships and two diving units to the area but did not find any survivors. The fatalities included 43 adults and seven children along with 12 flight crew.

The cause of the crash is currently unknown and is being investigated by Indonesia’s National Transport Safety Board. Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency announced on Sunday that it had pinpointed the location of the plane’s two black boxes.

By Tuesday, it was able to retrieve the flight data recorder; the cockpit voice recorder has not yet been located.

Sriwijaya Airlines CEO Jefferson Irwin Jauwena said that the jet never had any mechanical trouble and recently passed its annual inspection.

“Of course, we are very concerned about what happened to us with SJ 182,” said Jauwena. “We hope that your prayers can help the search process run smoothly. We hope all is well.”

The Boeing 737-500 had been in service for 26 years and was operated

by Sriwijaya Air since 2012.

Passport Power



Not all passports are equal. With COVID-19 resulting in widespread travel bans, travel documents now determine which countries travelers may access.

The Henley Passport Index ranks the world’s passports according to how many countries the document allows its owner to access without needing to obtain a visa. Topping the index this year was Japan, whose passport offers visa-free access to 191 countries worldwide.

Coming in second place was Singapore with 190 countries; South Korea and Germany tied for third place.

New Zealand finished in seventh place with access to 185 countries, ahead of Australia with 184.

The United States also came in at the seventh spot on the list, although due to be pandemic, Americans can

in reality only visit fewer than 75 destinations.

Meanwhile, the worst passports belong to Afghanis, with their travel documents allowing them to enter only 26 countries. Ahead of Afghanistan was Iraq and then Syria, which offer visa-free travel to 29 destinations worldwide.

The 2021 index was the first to be published since the coronavirus outbreak resulted in countries implementing travel restrictions that severely limited available destinations. The pandemic devastated the aviator industry and resulted in countries reducing travel to the bare minimum.

“Just a year ago, all indications were that the rates of global mobility would continue to rise, that travel freedom would increase, and that holders of powerful passports would enjoy more access than ever before,” Henley and Partners Chairman Christian H. Kaelin noted. “The global lockdown negated these glowing projections, and as restrictions begin to lift, the results from the latest index are a reminder of what passport power really means in a world upended by the pandemic.”

The Jewish Home | JANUARY 14, 2021

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Iran unveiled a new ballistic missile base located in a labyrinth of underground tunnels overlooking the Persian Gulf.

The “strategic missile bases” were displayed in a report broadcast on Iran’s Seraph television station.

In the expose, high-ranking military officers were shown entering the complex, which featured Israeli and American flags painted on the floor for visitors to step on.

The report showcased dozens of missiles mounted on trucks, including long-range ballistic missiles accurate up to hundreds of miles.

“Our logic in defending the territorial integrity, the independence of the country, and the achievements of the Islamic Revolution is strengthening,” said Gen. Hossein Salami, who commands the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, IRGC. “Behind us, you can see a column of these missiles and their launch systems. These columns stretch for kilometers,” continued Salami, who said that the site was only one of “many” such bases. “IRGC Navy missiles today have a range of hundreds of kilometers. Their precision has improved, and they have high destructive power,” he added.

Iran’s decision to highlight its missile arsenal comes amid a wave of saber-rattling with the U.S. during the waning days of the Trump administration. Trump had warned Tehran not to avenge the death of Quds Force General Qassem Sulemieni, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad last January.

Hours before the television special aired, two nuclear capable B-52 bombers flew from their U.S. base to Iran and then back, the fourth such mission in the past month. The U.S. Air Force said in a statement that the sortie aimed to “demonstrate the U.S. military’s continuing commitment to regional security and deterrence to aggression.”

Earlier in the week, Trump instructed the Pentagon to order the USS Nimitz to return to the strategic Straits of Hormuz adjoining Iran.

The aircraft carrier had sailed out of the region a day prior in a de-escalation signal designed to reduce tensions.

Scotland Wants Brexit Comp

The Scottish National Party (SNP) is demanding that Britain compensate the island to the tune of billions for the “devastating high price” Brexit caused its economy.

The Jewish Home | JANUARY 14, 2021

In a speech in Britain’s parliament, party leader Ian Blackford called England’s long-awaited exit from the European Union an “act of economic vandalism” that ruined Scotland.

“The UK government must now provide an urgent multibillion package of compensation to Scotland to mitigate the lasting Brexit harm done to Scottish businesses, industries and communities,” he said.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson “must apologize to Scottish businesses and pay compensation to Scotland for the long-term damage they are doing to our economy – costing us billions in lost trade and growth.”

Brexit has resulted in fraying the ties between England and Scotland, with the new trade agreement devastating the latter’s fishing industry.

If Scottish fishermen were once able to send their catch overnight directly to Europe’s most exclusive restaurants, the new EU red tape forces deliveries to spend hours and even days at border crossings.

The thicket of health regulations, customs fees, and tariffs has led fishing to become economically nonviable, destroying a bedrock of

Scotland’s economy amid a surge of anti-English sentiment.

“Our customers are pulling out,” one fisherman told Reuters. “We are a fresh product and the customers expect to have it fresh, so they’re not buying. It’s a catastrophe.”

A preliminary study conducted by the Scottish government estimated the damage at UK £7 billion annually and could cause its GDP to plunge 6% over the next 10 years.

As anger mounts, Scots are now broaching the idea of seceding from the UK. While a nationwide referendum over whether or not to remain in the UK was defeated in 2014 by a margin of 55-45, the economic repercussions of Brexit have led many to argue for the benefits of Scottish independence.

“It is now beyond doubt that the only way to protect Scotland’s interests and our place in Europe is to become an independent country,” asserted Blackford. “People in Scotland have the right to determine our own future, protect our interests, and regain the full benefits of EU membership as an independent country.”

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Deadly Barge Sinking

A barge leaving Kisangani on the Congo River sank on Friday evening, with at least people dead from the incident. Six bodies were recovered since Friday; 237 survivors were found; and 19 people are still missing.

According to vice governor of Tshopo province, Maurice Abibu Sakapela, “The public prosecutor has opened an inquiry. Some people have already been arrested,” he said, blaming “overloading and the poor state of the vessel” for the accident.

Friends and family members gathered on the shore to search for their missing friends and relatives with the aid of local fishermen.

Rivers and waterways are widely used for travel in the Democratic

15

Republic of Congo in the absence of paved roads and railways.

The river is the main way to travel from Tshopo’s capital Kisangani to Basoko. The road between the two areas is so degraded, only motorcycles and bicycles can make it through.

Unfortunately, shipwrecks are common in DR Congo’s many waterways, often with deadly consequences. Many vessels are old or poorly maintained. Additionally, safety rules are often flouted, including a requirement for all passengers to wear life jackets. Few people in the country know how to swim.

Turkey-Greece Talks This week, Turkey and Greece announced that they will revive talks over disputed offshore rights in the Mediterranean. There had been silence between the NATO members since last year, when Turkey deployed a seismic survey vessel to waters also claimed by Athens. The move angered Greece and the European Union, although the ship has since

JANUARY 14, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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JANUARY 14, 2021 | The Jewish Home

returned to shore.

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday he hoped the resumption of talks between Ankara and Athens will herald a new era.

“We must stop the Mediterranean from being an area for competition and turn into waters that will serve our long-term interests,” Erdogan told EU ambassadors in Ankara.

“We urge Greece to refrain from actions that will escalate tensions.

I believe the exploratory talks with Greece that will start on January 25 will herald a new era,” he said.

The new round of talks is set to take place in Istanbul later this month.

Ankara and Athens held 60 rounds of talks from 2002 to 2016, but plans last year for a resumption foundered over the survey vessel and

disagreements over topics to be covered.

Last year, the EU threatened potential sanctions on Ankara over the dispute but has postponed any measures to March. Turkey has in recent weeks repeatedly called for better ties with the bloc.

Erdogan also said he would host EU Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Turkey at the end of January.

Ford to Leave Brazil

Ford Motor Co says it will close its three plants in Brazil this year and take pre-tax charges of about $4.1 billion as the COVID-19 pandemic wors-

ened the company’s under-utilization of its manufacturing capacity.

Production will cease immediately at Ford’s plants in Camacari and Taubate. Some parts of production will continue for a few months to support inventories for aftermarket sales. The Troller plant in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, will continue to operate until the fourth quarter of 2021.

The closures are part of a $11 billion global restructuring previously announced by the U.S. automaker.

The plant closures affect about 5,000 employees, mostly in Brazil.

Industry vehicle sales fell 26 percent in Brazil last year and are not expected to rebound to 2019 levels until 2023 with an emphasis on less profitable fleet sales.

“We know these are very difficult, but necessary, actions to create a healthy and sustainable business,” Ford Chief Executive Jim Farley said in a statement. “We are moving to a lean, asset-light business model by ceasing production in Brazil.”

Brazil’s economy ministry lamented Ford’s decision to end production in the country and said it reinforced the need for reforms to improve the business climate.

“This very hard blow took us by surprise. We never imagined that Ford could close its factories in Brazil,” said union leader Julio Bonfim.

After these closures, Ford will be left with one large factory in a region where founder Henry Ford established a presence early last century.

South America has been a money loser for Ford for most of the last 16 years. Ford retains a plant in Argentina and another in Uruguay. It will maintain its product development center in Bahia, its proving ground in Tatuí, Sao Paulo, and its regional headquarters in Sao Paulo.

IDF Threatens Syrian Officer The IDF issued a direct threat to a senior Syrian army officer, warning that it would personally target him if he continued collaborating with Hezbollah.

Israeli warplanes bombed a slew of

Iranian targets in southern Syria last week, obliterating air defense systems and weapons depots in the Damascus suburbs of As-Suwayda and Jabal Al-Mana. A day later, Syrian opposition forces published photos of leaflets IDF jets dropped in the area prior to the attack that threatened 112th Brigade commander, Brigadier General Basil Abu Eid.

The leaflets warned Eid to cease assisting the Hezbollah terror group in establishing military infrastructure on the Syrian Golan Heights. In a thinly veiled threat, the IDF wrote that Eid was endangering the lives of himself and those of his soldiers by allowing Hezbollah to operate in areas under his command.

“You are putting your life and the life of your men at risk to serve the interests of Hezbollah in southern Syria.

What is Hezbollah’s role in southern Syria? What are its achievements in training the region and the military?

Does taking advantage of the difficult situation of residents to enlist them in carrying out acts of terror serve Syrian interests? Does using underground structures and military sites to carry out acts of terror serve Syrian interests?” the leaflet asked.

“Hezbollah has brought destruction and instability to the region. You personally and the army in general will pay the price. Now is the time for Hezbollah to leave Syria. Now is the time for Hezbollah to leave the 112th Brigade.”

The letter was likely referring to Hezbollah’s “Golan File,” an elite unit tasked with constructing and operating military bases on Syria’s border with Israel. While staffed with Lebanese nationals, the unit receives full cooperation from Syria’s military, which allows it to establish operation infrastructure in preparation for the next war with Israel.

The unit is also tasked with planning terror attacks and cross-border raids into Israel that will divert IDF forces that would otherwise be sent to the front in Lebanon.

Last week was not the first time Israel threatened Eid, with leaflets

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dropped in November urging the general and other Syrian officers “to think twice” before assisting Hezbollah.

“The interests of Hezbollah and Iran is not the same as the Syrian Arab Army’s 1st Corps, the Syrian state or the residents of al-Golan and Hauran [the southern region],” the leaflet read. “Everyone who works or cooperates with Hezbollah is a target.”

Ya’alon Splits from Lapid

Moshe “Bogie” Ya’alon’s Telem faction has split from Yesh Atid and will run independently in the upcoming Knesset elections in March.

Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid announced the move on Saturday evening following weeks of rumors, confirming that Ya’alon would no longer be part of his party.

“I value and respect Moshe Ya’alon very much and wish him luck,” tweeted Lapid.

Ya’alon had run together with Yesh Atid ever since his Telem party merged with Benny Gantz’s Kahol Lavan to form a joint Knesset slate ahead of the 2018 elections. Ya’alon’s Telem remained part of Yesh Atid even after Gantz split off from the alliance last May to establish a national unity government headed by Netanyahu.

Ya’alon kicked off Telem’s campaign on Sunday evening, introducing his candidates for the Knesset that included former Science Minister Yizhar Shai, former doctor’s union head Haggai Levine, and a slew of well-known anti-Netanyahu activists.

Ya’alon vowed to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from power, calling the latter’s leadership the biggest threat Israel has faced since the 1973 Yom Kippur War. “He is taking Israel’s public agenda and our interests hostage, enslaved to his narrow interests as a criminal defendant,” said Ya’alon. “He is leading us down a path of division and incitement, quarrels and strife among us all in Israel.

“We are here to tell you, ‘Enough.’

Benjamin Netanyahu, your time is up; the citizens of Israel are showing you the door at Balfour,” said Ya’alon in reference to Netanyahu’s residence.

A former IDF Chief of Staff, Ya’alon had entered politics as part of the Likud and had been a close Netanyahu ally. As Minister of Strategic Affairs and then Defense, Ya’alon made a name for himself as a security hawk who opposed establishing a Palestinian State.

Ya’alon left the Likud in 2016 following a falling-out between him and Netanyahu and vowed to return to the political scene in order to oust his former boss. While returning in 2018 with Kahol Lavan, Ya’alon has been unable to replicate the electoral popularity he enjoyed when part of the Likud.

Revised Chometz Ban?

The charedi UTJ party is demanding that the Knesset pass a law banning patients and visitors from bringing chometz into hospitals during the Passover holiday.

UTJ leader MK Moshe Gafni collected the requisite number of signatures from fellow lawmakers to force Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin to convene the plenum. While the Knesset is currently out of session ahead of the elections in March, UTJ seeks to force a special debate allowing it to pass the chometz ban before Israelis head to the ballot box.

The legislative proposal is expected to receive the support of the charedi Shas and the Religious Zionist Yamina and would outlaw chometz from public medical centers throughout the eight-day holiday. It also authorizes hospitals to order security guards to search visitors’ belongings for such products.

UTJ’s demand came after the High Court of Justice refused to hold another debate surrounding its ruling earlier this year that struck down chometz bans as unconstitutional.

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The decision last April followed appeals by anti-religious organizations and prevented hospitals from imposing such restrictions.

Israel’s government had requested an additional hearing, leading to Sunday’s refusal and subsequent proposed law that would circumvent the High Court decision. The denial outraged Ultra-Orthodox lawmakers, who ripped “anti-religious justices” and vowed to support legislation enabling the Knesset to override judi-

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cial rulings.

“The chometz ruling is another example of how the judges are disconnected and unwilling to listen, while forcing their decision on the traditional majority in the State of Israel in the name of liberalism,” fumed UTJ MK Yaakov Asher.

Shas head Aryeh Deri added that “it is impossible that in a Jewish state, hospitals will be obligated to let chometz into their premises on Passover.”

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Controversial Building Project Approved Israel’s National Planning and Building Commission Appeals Committee gave the final approval for a large housing complex despite fears that the building boom will destroy Jerusalem’s picturesque hills.

But the new residential neighborhood is fiercely opposed by environmentalists, who decry its devastating effect on local wildlife. Reches Lavan is one of Jerusalem’s last remaining unspoiled green spaces in the area, and nature lovers fear that the project is the beginning of a construction wave on the city’s surrounding pristine hills.

Nature lovers say that, should the project move forward without a hitch, developers will target the capital’s green backyard, erasing the hiking trails and natural springs with housing developments. Adjoining Reches Lavan are other unspoiled greenbelts, including Mount Harat, Mitzpe Naftoah, and Ein Karem, raising fears that the current development is only the first step.

Environmentalists lodged thousands of objections with Jerusalem’s zoning board since the project was unveiled in 2018, along with a petition to the High Court in May that was rejected. Joining them were residents of nearby villages such as Moshav Ora who fear that the towering buildings will destroy their rural way of life.

“When I was young, I thought I’d leave Israel and live somewhere else. Now that I know it, this landscape, with its clean air and pools, is what makes me and my friends love this country,” said Maya Star, who heads the Save Jerusalem Hills NGO. “These springs are part of the culture of young Jerusalemites. To enjoy the landscape is a basic right.”

While acknowledging the environmental toll, Jerusalem officials said that additional construction is needed to secure the city’s future.

With the capital needing at least 50,000 new housing units to offset

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surging housing prices, sites such as Reches Lavan are the few places in which construction is not diplomatically sensitive.

“There is no dispute that development and construction on Reches Lavan has a very high environmental cost,” wrote the committee in its ruling. “The aim of the plan justifies the harm that it will cause.”

Two-State Solution?

The foreign ministers of Jordan, France, and Germany met in Cairo, Egypt, on Monday to discuss Egypt’s initiative to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

The four envoys said in a joint statement that the summit intended

to launch a new round of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians based on the Two-State Solution “that ensures the establishment of independent Palestinian living in safety beside Israel.”

At a press conference the foreign ministers held on Monday evening, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that the four countries aim to find a common vision that will resulting in the establishment of a Palestinian state. He added that Egypt will work with international partners to break the current stalemate between the two sides.

“The existence of an independent and contiguous Palestinian state alongside a secure state of Israel is the main guarantee for peace in the region,” said Shoukry.

Germany’s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas wrote on Twitter that he would discuss “which concrete steps” would assist in “building trust” between Jerusalem and Ramallah.

France’s Foreign Ministry said that it was hopeful the recent wave of normalization agreements between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco would give the new peace push momentum.

“It is a question of contributing,

at the same time, to a resumption of dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, with a view to resolving the conflict in the framework of international law,” read the statement.

Operation Back to Life

Israel resumed its inoculation campaign this week as 700,000 doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine landed in Israel on Sunday.

The shipment was greeted by a welcoming committee headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Health Minister Yuli Edelstein.

“This is a great day for Israel, with a huge shipment that has arrived in the framework of Operation Back to Life: a plane full of injections of encouragement,” Netanyahu said.

The shipment was the first set of vaccines that arrived following a deal with Pfizer that will see the pharmaceutical giant send between 400,000 and 700,000 doses to Israel each week for the next two months. In exchange for the accelerated delivery timetable, Israel will provide Pfizer with statistical data on its vaccination program.

The agreement will see Israel receive more doses each week than most of Europe and will likely make the Jewish State the world’s first country to inoculate all of its citizens.

The data-sharing program with Pfizer was brokered by U.S. Ambassador Ron Dermer and the World Health Organization. Israel is thought to be an ideal country for a vaccine pilot program due to its small size and travel ban, which allows Pfizer researchers to accurately study the effects of the drug.

“We will be the first country in the world to emerge from the coronavirus,” Netanyahu predicted. “The agreement that I have made with Pfizer will enable us to vaccinate all citizens of Israel over the age of 16 by the end of March, and perhaps even earlier.”

He added, “As part of the agreement with Pfizer, we decided that Israel will be a global model state for

the rapid vaccination of an entire country,” asserting that the data will “help develop strategies for defeating the coronavirus.”

Israel already leads the world in vaccinations, having already inoculated 1,870,652 citizens as of Monday morning. The Health Ministry is aiming to administer 200,000 shots a day after the previous goal of 150,000 injections was surpassed in the campaign’s second week.

On Wednesday, Israel began vaccinating those under 55 along with teachers after 70% of Israelis over the age of 65 already received the first shot. Sixty-eight percent of Israelis over the age of 60 also received the first dose as the abundance of doses following the deal with Pfizer puts to rest fears of a dwindling vaccine supply.

“Next Sunday, another huge shipment will arrive, and we will begin vaccinating the next group, those over 50,” said Netanyahu. “The health minister and I agreed that starting today, we will increase the pace to 170,000 shots a day. This is a global record.”

Attempted Ramming Attack The IDF launched a manhunt after two Palestinian terrorists perpetuated a ramming and shooting attack on Saturday near Jenin.

In the attack, a vehicle rammed into an IDF soldier manning a checkpoint near Yabed, a large Arab city adjoining Jenin. Two Palestinians then got out of the car and opened fire on the troops with a submachine gun.

One terrorist then dropped the rifle and was captured immediately, while the other fled, touching off a massive manhunt. Hundreds of IDF soldiers cordoned off the area, and special forces raided dozens of houses in Yabed. None of the soldiers were injured in the raid or attack.

“Two vehicles approached a military checkpoint near the village of Yabed in an area overseen by Menashe Territorial Brigade,” explained the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit. “After completing an inspection of the first vehicle, two terrorists in the second vehicle rushed toward IDF fighters who were at the checkpoint in an attempt to run over them. The vehicle hit an IDF fighter who did not need medical attention.”

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The incident came amid a general escalation in attacks in Judea and Samaria in recent weeks. This past Tuesday, a Palestinian man was shot and killed after lunging at IDF soldiers protecting the Gush Etzion Junction south of Jerusalem.

Earlier this month, a 40-year-old mother was seriously injured when she was hit by a volley of rocks while returning home from work. She remains in critical condition at Ramat Gan’s Tel Hashomer Hospital and is said to suffer severe brain damage.

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President Donald Trump lost his primary means of communication when he was permanently suspended from Twitter on Friday.

The tech giant said in a statement that it had removed the President’s account after he ran afoul of its community guidelines. The permanent suspension followed a temporary suspension of his personal account on Thursday, leading the President to tweet from his official government Twitter handle.

“After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them – specifically how they are being received and interpreted on and off Twitter – we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence,” said Twitter.

The decision to ban the President for life comes after five people were killed when a mob stormed the Capitol on Wednesday. The violence shocked Americans and led a host of social media giants, including Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram, to freeze the President’s accounts temporarily.

In a statement, Twitter accused Trump of inciting the mob to break

into the Capitol building and alleged that his alleged support of the riot was leading to more violence.

“Plans for future armed protests have already begun proliferating on and off Twitter, including a proposed secondary attack on the U.S. Capitol and state capitol buildings on January 17, 2021,” Twitter said.

“In the context of horrific events this week, we made it clear on Wednesday that additional violations of the Twitter Rules would potentially result in this very course of action,” the statement continued.

“Our public interest framework exists to enable the public to hear from elected officials and world leaders directly. It is built on a principle that the people have a right to hold power to account in the open.”

The ban deprives Trump of his main conduit to his supporters, complicating his plans to remain relevant on the U.S. political scene after he leaves office on January 20. For years, Trump has used Twitter as a means to bypass the traditional media and speak directly to his base, racking up 88 million followers.

But Trump began to tangle with Twitter earlier this year as the social media giant began to gradually limit his reach over accusations that the President was spreading disinformation. In May, Twitter began adding a warning label to Trump’s tweets and prevented users from liking or sharing his tweets that spoke of voter fraud.

Chicago Public Schools Reopen

Despite the threat of financial penalties, half of Chicago’s teachers stayed home this week as the city’s public school system reopened for the first time since last March.

Thousands of children returned to the classroom on Monday in the first phase of Chicago’s plan to reopen its public school system. The schools had remained closed since the initial COVID-19 outbreak due to pressure from the powerful teacher’s union, which alleged that

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restarting in-person learning was unsafe.

According to data provided by Chicago Public Schools (CPS), only 60.2% staff showed up to work, including 49.7% of all teachers and 70% of educational staff. According to CPS CEO Janice Jackson, the low rate of attendees resulted from pressure from the Teachers Union not to return to the classroom.

Now, Chicago will begin penalizing teachers who continue to remain at home. Starting from this past Tuesday, those choosing not to return to work will be subject to disciplinary actions, from docked pay to the altogether termination of employment.

According to Teachers Union lawyer Thad Goodchild, withholding pay for teachers who failed to return to work over health concerns would be illegal. Saying that “all options are on the table,” Goodchild warned that the policy was liable to result in a city-wide strike “if CPS and the mayor retaliate against the teachers who have been directed to report in person on Monday.”

The unusual move to use the threat of disciplinary action against educators is the latest escalation in a war between City Hall and the powerful teacher’s union over school re-openings. While the majority of school districts across the United States have resumed in-person learning, Chicago’s Teachers Union has kept students home over what it says are fears of COVID-19.

The school system will now reopen in stages, starting with 6,000 pre-K students on Monday along with children with special needs. An additional 70,000 students in grades from kindergarten through eighth grade will return to school on February 1 for the first time in almost a year.

“What this all boils down to is giving families the option to make the best decision for themselves,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said, “many of whom rely upon their school communities to make sure that their children get a warm meal and a safe place to be so they can fulfill their God-given talents.”

Riot Arrests

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When a mob descended upon the Capitol on Wednesday, lawmakers huddled under desks and feared for their lives. The melee resulted in the death of an Air Force vet who was

shot by a police officer. A Capitol Police officer was killed when he was struck in the head by a protester with a fire extinguisher. Three other people died as a result of “medical emergencies” on Capitol grounds.

Since last week’s bedlam, federal and local authorities have begun arresting people who they said were involved. On Friday, the Justice Department announced that it had charged 13 people. Dozens of others have been charged in Superior Court in Washington, D.C., with unlawful entry, curfew violations and firearms-related crimes.

Jake Angeli, also known as Jacob Anthony Chansley, was arrested on Saturday. He was photographed in the Capitol with his face painted red, white, and blue and wearing a horned, fur headdress. He was also carrying a spear with an American flag on top. He was charged with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

Angeli is refusing to eat while incarcerated. He says he only eats organic food, which is not being offered to him.

Adam Johnson was arrested by U.S. marshals on Friday night. Photographs of him holding Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern circulated on social media in the days before his arrest. He was charged with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, one count of theft of government property, and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

Richard Barnett of Arkansas was photographed sitting with his feet up in Pelosi’s office. He was arrested on Friday. He was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, violent entry, disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and theft of public money, property, or records.

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shown in the Senate chamber wearing a military uniform. He was arrested in Nashville on Sunday. He was charged with one count of unlawfully entering a restricted building and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, the department said in a statement.

On Sunday, Larry R. Brock was arrested in Texas. He is a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, a graduate of the Air Force Academy and a combat veteran.

More arrests are expected over the next few weeks.

“We are far from done. The rioting and destruction we saw will not be tolerated by the FBI ... We will continue to investigate all allegations of criminal activity,” said Special Agent Steven D’Antuono, who heads the FBI’s Washington office. “Just because you’ve left the D.C. region, you can still expect a knock on the door if we find out that you were part of the criminal activity at the Capitol.”

sonal accounts and calling for his resignation. The bank is pledging to no longer do business with any members of Congress who objected to the certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s election last week.

“To witness a rioter sitting in the presiding chair of the U.S. Senate and our elected representatives being told to seek cover under their seats is appalling and an insult to the Republic,” Signature Bank said in a statement. “We witnessed the President of the United States encouraging the rioters and refraining from calling in the National Guard to protect the Congress in its performance of duty.”

The moves by Trump’s banks are the clearest signs yet of looming financial blowback to his business empire as he leaves office. A growing number of major financial institutions and other corporations have spoken out against the events of last week and announced plans to cut off financial support for Republican officials.

Deutsche Bank’s break with Trump follows years of intense public scrutiny and litigation triggered by its association with the president. After winning control of the House majority in 2018, Democrats launched an investigation into the bank’s dealings with Trump, issuing subpoenas that sparked a legal battle all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

A National Hymn?

Deutsche Bank Drops Trump Deutsche Bank, one of President Donald Trump’s main lenders, announced that it will no longer do business with Trump or his company. Trump owes the bank more than $300 million.

New York’s Signature Bank also said that it is closing Trump’s per-

A U.S. representative thinks that a new national hymn should be played alongside the “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

U.S. Rep. James Clyburn,

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D-S.C., the House majority whip, says he wants to introduce a measure to make “Life Every Voice and Sing,” known as the black national anthem, to be played alongside the traditional “Star Spangled Banner.”

“To make it a national hymn, I think, would be an act of bringing the country together. It would say to people, ‘You aren’t singing a separate national anthem, you are singing the country’s national hymn,” said Clyburn, the highest-ranking black American in Congress. “The gesture itself would be an act of healing. Everybody can identify with that song.”

The song is an important part of African-American culture and history. For decades, it has been sung in black communities at school plays, awards programs, graduations and church services. Now, Clyburn says it’s time for it to also be sung in other communities.

“Lift Every Voice and Sing” was first written as a poem by James Weldon Johnson, a NAACP leader, in 1899 and later put to music by his brother, John Rosamond Johnson.

It was first performed in public by schoolchildren in 1900 at a birthday celebration honoring former Presi-

dent Abraham Lincoln.

The NAACP would later adopt it as its official song.

Clyburn noted its early label as the “Negro national anthem.”

“I’ve always been skittish about that,” he said. “We should have one national anthem irrespective of whether you’re Black or white. So to give due honor and respect to the song we ought to name it the national hymn.”

The NFL announced last year that it would play “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and “The Star-Spangled Banner” before Week 1 games.

“The Star-Spangled Banner” was officially adopted as the national anthem in 1931. Anthems are often patriotic songs. Hymns are more religious and songs of praise.

Cuba: State Sponsor of Terrorism This week, the Trump administration declared Cuba a state sponsor of terrorism , the latest in a series of actions aimed at undoing the Obama-

era legacy of opening U.S. relations with the island nation just weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office.

“The Trump Administration has been focused from the start on denying the Castro regime the resources it uses to oppress its people at home, and countering its malign interference in Venezuela and the rest of the Western Hemisphere,” said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a statement.

“With this action, we will once again hold Cuba’s government accountable and send a clear message: the Castro regime must end its support for international terrorism and subversion of U.S. justice.”

The State Department had briefed Congress on the impending move on Monday morning.

Cuba was placed on the list in 1982 under President Ronald Reagan but was removed in 2015 by President Barack Obama as part of a normalization of relations between the U.S. and Cuba. Placing Cuba back on the list before the Trump administration leaves office will present a major roadblock for efforts by incoming Biden officials to return to the Obama-era policy.

Reversing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s action would require the Biden administration to certify to Congress that there has been a fundamental change in leadership in Cuba and that the Cuban government is not supporting acts of international terrorism, has not for the previous six months, and will not do so in the future.

The designation results in restrictions on U.S. foreign assistance, a ban on U.S. arms exports and sales, controls on dual-use items that could be used for both military and civilian purposes, and the withdrawal of U.S. support for loans from global financial institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank.

The decision to place Cuba back on the terrorism list has been percolating for the past few months.

Among the reasons for the designation was Cuba’s refusal to extra-

dite Joanne Chesimard, also known as Assata Shakur, an American who fled to Cuba after being convicted of killing a New Jersey state trooper in 1973. The State Department also cited Cuba’s denial of a Colombian request to extradite members of a guerilla group that claimed responsibility for a bombing in a police academy.

The Trump administration has systematically called out the Cuban government for backing socialist Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

“The Cuban intelligence and security apparatus has infiltrated Venezuela’s security and military forces,” said Pompeo’s statement, adding it assisted Maduro in maintaining “his stranglehold over his people while allowing terrorist organizations to operate.”

Iran, North Korea, and Syria are the only nations currently designated as state sponsors of terrorism, which requires the State Department to certify a country “repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism.” The Trump administration removed Sudan from the list last month shortly after they agreed to formally recognize Israel.

Apple Store, Google Ban Parler

Social media app Parler went offline on Monday after Amazon banned it from using its servers.

Parler describes itself as a “free speech app” and has become increasingly popular with conservatives fed up with de-platforming and shadow bans from social media giants such as Twitter and Facebook.

The app had used Amazon Web Services as its host since 2018. On Saturday, Amazon informed Parler that it would boot it from its servers after witnessing a “steady increase in this violent content on your website, all of which violates our terms.”

While promising to return “soon,” Parler CEO John Matze said that the task was becoming increasingly difficult because “every vendor

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from text message services to email providers to our lawyers all ditched us too.”

“We’re going to try our best to get back online as quickly as possible, but we’re having a lot of trouble because every vendor we talk to says they won’t work with us because if Apple doesn’t approve and Google doesn’t approve, they won’t,” Matze told Fox News.

The move came after Google and Apple removed Parler from their app stores for failing to censor user content. Google said in a statement that its policies mandated platforms to moderate user content, including removing content deemed guilty of “hate speech” and banning extremist users. The company added that the decision to remove Parler came as part of its response to last week’s violent assault on the Capitol that left five people dead.

Parler refused to amend its content policy despite being removed from the two most popular app stores, with CEO John Matze vowing to never capitulate to pressure to censor his users.

“We will not cave to pressure from anti-competitive actors. We will and always have enforced our

rules against violence and illegal activity. But we won’t cave to politically motivated companies and those authoritarians who hate free speech.” said Matze.

“Anyone who buys an Apple phone is apparently a user. Apparently, they know what is best for you by telling you which apps you may and may not use,” he added.

Largely unknown before 2020, Parler recently exploded in popularity among conservatives weary of being censored by tech giants.

The platform added 1 million users in this past June alone and surged to the top of Apple’s app store after Twitter stepped up its content moderation policy following the presidential elections in November.

The ban on Parler came amid a larger de-platforming wave after last week’s Capitol rights, with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat freezing the accounts of a slew of prominent conservatives. On Saturday, Twitter took the unprecedented step of permanently banning President Donald Trump, removing his Twitter account with its 88 million followers.

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Marathon Bomber Sues U.S. Gov’t

The Boston Marathon bomber is suing the federal government over what he alleges is the frequent mistreatment he suffers at the hands of prison guards.

In the $250,00 lawsuit he filed last Monday, 26-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev decried the “unreasonable and discriminatory” acts he is subjected to at Colorado’s Supermax prison. Included in the examples the jihadist gave were the confiscation of a shower cap he purchased at the prison commissary and the prison’s weekly three-shower limit.

Tsarnaev contended that prison staff took away his hat “because, by

wearing it, I was ‘disrespecting’ the FBI and the victims” of the Marathon bombing. “There is no proof and no evidence to support (the) false accusation,” Tsarnaev wrote.

He added that the conditions were contributing to his “mental and physical decline.”

Tsarnaev had been nicknamed “White Hat” by FBI investigators for the headgear he was seen wearing on surveillance camera footage of the crime scene. The aforementioned baseball cap later became a critical piece of evidence that resulted in the terrorist being handed the death penalty.

Tsarnaev has been behind bars at the most highly protected prison in the United States since he and his brother killed three people by placing bombs in pressure cookers at the 2013 Boston Marathon. Two of the victims were killed in the blast; a police officer was murdered in a shootout with the two brothers.

The Chechen-born terrorist was then sentenced to death after being found guilty on 30 different criminal charges but had his sentence vacated on appeal in July. The Department of Justice has since appealed the decision to the Supreme Court.

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U.S. Bans 8 Chinese Apps

A new Executive Order signed by President Trump bans Americans from having any ties with companies behind eight Chinese apps.

The companies set to be blacklisted are Alipay, CamScanner, QQ Wallet, SHAREit, Tencent QQ, VMate, WeChat Pay, and WPS Office. Transactions with the aforementioned apps will be prohibited starting on March 10.

The Executive Order cites national security concerns, alleging that Chinese intelligence was exploiting the apps to collect data on U.S. citizens.

“By accessing personal electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, Chinese connected software applications can access and capture vast swaths of information from users, including sensitive personally identifiable information and private information,” read the order.

“The pace and pervasiveness of the spread in the United States of certain connected mobile and desktop applications and other software developed or controlled by persons in the People’s Republic of China... continue to threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.”

The ban is the latest salvo from the Trump administration that has been using its final months to target Chinese companies operating in the U.S. The Pentagon alleges that China routinely orders private companies to transfer their data to Chinese intelligence, enabling them to hack American targets and compromise U.S. officials.

The recent crackdown included banning video-sharing app TikTok in August, which has since been overturned by a federal judge, and blacklisting Chinese tech behemoth Huawei. In early December, the U.S. blacklisted 18 leading Chinese tech firms for their ties to the People’s Liberation Army, including drone

manufacturer SZ DJI Technology and chip-making giant SMIC. The Department of Commerce said that the bans “stem from China’s military-civil fusion (MCF) doctrine and evidence of activities between SMIC and entities of concern in the Chinese military industrial complex.”

Impeachment Round Two

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi vowed to continue with the effort to impeach President Donald Trump for the second time following last week’s riot at the Capitol.

Ignoring calls from Republican lawmakers to hold off on removing Trump as his term winds down, Pelosi said in a letter to her colleagues on Monday that the president’s actions left him unfit to remain in office.

“We will act with urgency, because this President represents an imminent threat,” Pelosi wrote. “The horror of the ongoing assault on our democracy perpetrated by this President is intensified and so is the immediate need for action.”

On Monday, House Democrats filed an article of impeachment accusing Trump of “incitement to insurrection” for his role in the assault on the Capitol. The charge came after Republicans blocked a resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to remove Trump by invoking the 25th Amendment.

The articles of impeachment were introduced by Reps. Ciciline, Lieu, and Raskin and was cosponsored by more than 200 Democrats.

“President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government. He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the people of the Unit-

ed States,” read the impeachment charge.

The measure is expected to pass easily in Congress due to the Democratic Party’s majority but would likely face pushback in the Senate.

The Constitution requires 66 senators to impeach a sitting president, an extraordinary high threshold that Democrats would have a difficult time achieving. No impeachment effort has cleared the Senate in U.S. history, with Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Trump all being acquitted.

One possibility being floated by Democratic Party lawmakers is to impeach Trump after he already leaves office on January 20. While Democrats would pass a resolution in Congress condemning the president in the strongest possible terms, they would delay the trial until after the first 100 days of Biden’s administration passed.

“Let’s give President-elect Biden the 100 days he needs to get his agenda off and running,” said Rep. Jim Clyburn, the third most senior House Democrat.

Pompeo Lifts Restrictions on Taiwan

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lifted long-standing restrictions on contacts between U.S. officials and Taiwan in a policy shift likely to infuriate China.

Pompeo announced the change on Saturday evening, saying in a statement that the State Department’s previous guidelines “created complex internal restrictions to regulate our diplomats, servicemembers, and other officials’ interactions with their Taiwanese counterparts.

“The United States government took these actions unilaterally, in an attempt to appease the Communist regime in Beijing,” Pompeo added.

“No more.

“Today I am announcing that I am lifting all of these self-imposed

restrictions.”

Taiwan hailed Pompeo’s declaration, saying via its unofficial embassy in Washington that the move demonstrated the “strength and depth” of its ties with the U.S. “Decades of discrimination, removed,” tweeted Hsiao Bi-khim, who serves as Taiwan’s unofficial ambassador to Washington. “A huge day in our bilateral relationship. I will cherish every opportunity.”

The change is likely to anger Beijing, which considers the island nation part of sovereign China and opposes Taiwanese independence. While the U.S. has never officially recognized Taiwan, it has traditionally supported the territory as a bulwark against communist China and is legally obligated to provide weapons “of a defensive nature” to the island.

The policy shift comes amid deteriorating U.S.-Sino relations that saw the Trump administration upgrade its ties with Taiwan as part of its effort to contain China’s influence on the world stage. If Washington has historically curbed its relationship with Taiwan in order to remain on good terms with China, the Trump administration has adopted the issue as a cudgel against Beijing.

WV Lawmaker Resigns

West Virginia legislator Derrick Evans resigned after being charged for participating in last week’s violent assault on the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

Evans announced his resignation in a public missive the newly-elected lawmaker sent on Saturday to West Virginia Governor Jim Justice.

In the letter, Evans apologized and pledged to “take responsibility for my actions” during the now-infamous riot.

“I hereby resign as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, effective immediately,” Evans wrote. “The past few days have certainly been a difficult time for my

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family, colleagues and myself, so I feel it’s best at this point to resign my seat in the House and focus on my personal situation and those I love.”

Evans had recently been sworn into West Virginia House of Delegates as the Republican representative from Wayne County. A fervent Trump supporter, Evans live-streamed himself on Facebook forcing his way into the Capitol last Wednesday surrounded by dozens of other rioters.

In one video, Evans can be heard shouting, “We’re in, we’re in! Derrick Evans is in the Capitol!” while walking through an open door leading into the Capitol. In another clip that has since gone viral, the lawmaker predicts “a riot” on his way to the rally.

Evans now faces charges of knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol Grounds. He appeared before a federal magistrate judge in West Virginia on Friday and was released on bail.

News that a state lawmaker took part in the assault sparked an uproar in his home state as both Republicans and Democrats demanded that he be expelled from the legislature.

West Virginia House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, a fellow Republican, called Evans’ behavior “appalling” and said that he was happy that he resigned.

“Delegate Evans was unfortunately a part of the events this week that threatened what has historically made America a beacon for the rest of the world: the peaceful transfer of power,” Hanshaw said after Evans’ resignation became public.

“Earlier today, Delegate Evans made the decision to resign from his position in the West Virginia House of Delegates. Now, we return to the work of rebuilding our nation’s political climate.”

Spacey Samosa Attempting to reach for the stars, a restaurant in Britain used weather balloons to send a samosa to “space.”

Unfortunately, due to a phenomenon called gravity, the fried pastry ended up crashlanding in France.

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Niraj Gadher, owner of the Chai Walla eatery in Bath, England, said he came up with the idea to send the samosa to space as a means of bringing some excitement to what has been a difficult time.

“I said as a joke once that I would send a samosa into space, and then I thought during this bleak times we could all use a reason to laugh,” Gadher told Somerset Live.

“The feedback is that it’s brought a lot of laughter from people, and that’s what we wanted really – to spread joy.”

Gadher and his friends attached the samosa to a weather balloon outfitted with a GoPro camera and a GPS tracker so they could follow the food item’s journey. Shortly after launch, they discovered the GPS was malfunctioning. The next day, though, the GPS started working again – and showed that the balloon had landed in Caix, Picardie, France.

Someone in France heard of Gadher’s expedition and went out to search for the tasty dish. To his amazement, he found the balloon and the box containing the GoPro and the GPS hanging from a tree in a field. Unfortunately, the samosa was no longer there. Apparently, wildlife in France enjoy British pastries.

It’s unknown how high the samosa ended up traveling, but a clip recorded by its GoPro camera shows it being passed by an airplane.

“We’ve kept in touch with the guy that found it and he’s said when the world is more normal, he’ll come over to Bath and meet us,” Gadher said.

And maybe get a sample of what the whole fuss was about.

Sandwich Seizure Food became political when customs officers in the Netherlands started seizing ham sandwiches and other food items from drivers as they attempted to enter the country from Britain. The officers nabbed the offending fare as a result of Brexit regulations that ban personal imports

of items including meat, dairy, and produce.

Due to the fallout of the food “fight,” the British Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs issued guidance suggesting drivers “use, consume, or dispose of” any personal food items in their vehicles before attempting to enter the European Union from Britain.

“From 1 January 2021 you will not be able to bring POAO (products of an animal origin) such as those containing meat or dairy (e.g., a ham and cheese sandwich) into the EU,” the department said.

Talk about stirring the pot.

Ice Swimming

Yekaterina Nekrasova is on a freezing cold winning streak.

The Moscow swimmer broke the Guinness World Record for longest under-ice swim this week when she plunged into Lake Baikal for 280 feet under the ice without surfacing for air.

The 40-year-old wore just a onepiece swimsuit when she torpedoed through the freezing cold waves in just one-and-a-half minutes.

Nekrasova beat the previous world record of 230 feet, which was set by South African swimmer Amber Fillary in Norway in 2020.

Sounds like she didn’t get cold feet while accomplishing this feat.

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Community YOSS Dedicates “Cross River Field” with Kickoff Event

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his past Sunday, Yeshiva of South Shore hosted elected officials and the senior management of Cross River Bank for a unique ceremony. Realizing that the boys need additional outlets to enhance their day and complement their day of learning, the yeshiva set a goal last year to construct a 1,600-square foot artificial turf football field on their campus. This project was spearheaded by a group of parents from the Young Leadership committee of YOSS and was completed thanks to the generosity of Mr. Yaakov (Gilles) Gade, President and CEO of Cross River Bank. With the completion of the project, the field was named “Cross River Field at YOSS.” Mr. Yaakov Gade and Hon. Phil Goldfeder, senior VP of Cross River Bank, graced the event, as well as

Town of Hempstead Supervisor Donald X. Clavin and Councilmen Anthony D’Esposito and Bruce Blakeman.

Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetzky, Director of Advancement of YOSS, remarked how Mr. Gade saw a way to enhance the yeshiva experience for the boys and then practiced genuine leadership, as he followed through and made it happen.

The short program included a gift presentation to Mr. Gade, a ribbon-cutting ceremony by elected officials, and the highlight – Mr. Yaakov Gade “kicking off” the field with a 30yard punt!

The hanhala of Yeshiva of South Shore is excited for this new addition.

The rabbeim and teachers are seeing the boys’ day enriched by quality physical exercise and enjoyment during their recess time.

Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetzky presenting a gift to Mr. Yaakov Gade (L) and Phil Goldfeder (R)

Boys enjoying the new Cross River Field

The Jewish Home | JANUARY 14, 2021

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Around the Community

A Love For Israel

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TA’s immersive Ivrit curriculum fosters a love for Israel and enables talmidim to enhance their Hebrew language skills through creative and interactive learning experiences.

Spearheaded by award-winning educator Morah Liora Haibi, the program enables talmidim to explore Israeli culture, increase their use of the Hebrew language, and strengthen their love for Israel. Morah Haibi’s innovative program-

ming includes visits from IDF soldiers who share their experiences with talmidim in conversational Ivrit, playing fun Hebrew games to reinforce lessons learned in class, and project-based learning that promotes teamwork.

Juniors in Morah Haibi’s Ivrit class have spent the past quarter learning about the Israeli election process. For their final project, the class was divided into two political parties and are responsible for creating their own elec-

tion campaigns entirely in Ivrit. The talmidim are working hard on writing campaign

ads and speeches and coming up with creative slogans.

Each party will present their

campaign to the class next week, and they look forward to an exciting competition!

Netzach HaTorah Scholarship Campaign

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n Monday, January 4, the grand prize winner of the annual Mesivta Netzach HaTorah $18,000 Scholarship Raffle sponsored by Cross River Bank was chosen. This annual raffle benefits the Mesivta’s scholarship fund supporting families in need of financial assistance. Since the launch of the raffle on Chanukah, much excitement and energy were in the air, with the eventual winner taking the grand prize of $18,000! The Mesivta invited Rabbi Dov Silver, a well-known rav, community leader and friend of Cross River Bank, to join for the ceremonial drawing of the raffle winner.

In-line with the Covid-19 restrictions, the raffle drawing was held with one in-person cohort in the Mesivta present, with the other cohorts watching via livestream throughout the building.

In thanking and introducing Rabbi Silver to spin the wheel and announce the winner, Rabbi Ahron Rosenthal, Executive Director, noted, “Rabbi, we stand here at a momentous occasion, knowing that you are about to change someone’s life!”

The wheel spun around, finally slowing to a stop and landing on

Benny Davidowitz who was now the 2020 annual scholarship raffle winner! The Mesivta wishes mazal tov to Benny on this exciting win!

“This raffle was once again a great support for the Mesivta’s scholarship fund,” said Rabbi Rosenthal. “We could not have run this raffle without the partnership of many businesses

in the community, even during this difficult time period.”

The Mesivta thanks Cross River Bank, the many corporate sponsors, and the families of Netzach Hatorah who helped make this annual scholarship raffle in support of families in need into the great success that it was.

Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehab Center Staff Receive Second Dosages of Pfizer Vaccine

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taff members at Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Commack were first in line to receive the initial doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in December, and they made history again 21 days later as those who received their first dose of the two-dose Pfizer BioNTech vaccine on December 21 received their second at a clinic run by Walgreens at the skilled nursing facility today.

The vaccine, a two-dose regimen that provides up to more than 90%

resistance to the COVID-19 virus, received Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA in December, and long-term care workers and residents were prioritized to receive the potentially life-saving vaccines ahead of the rest of the population.

“I received my second dose of the vaccine today, along with many of my colleagues and residents,” said Julia Salmon-Allen, a Certified Nursing Assistant at the Gurwin Center.

“I have been worried about getting

COVID-19 since March, and if this will protect me, my family and our residents, I’m happy to sign up.”

“I feel great physically, and also reassured knowing that this is a step forward,” said Stuart B. Almer, president and CEO of the Gurwin Healthcare System, of which the nursing and rehabilitation center is a part of.

“Our community has been on edge for months, especially our family members who have not been able to visit since March. The vaccine

is a positive step in the direction of bringing families back together with their loved ones.”

NYS mandates still require nursing homes to go 14 days without any positive cases of COVID-19 among staff or residents in order to allow visitation.

In addition to providing second doses, Walgreens staff also began vaccinating additional staff and residents with their initial dose. They will receive the second dose on the 1st of February.

The Jewish Home | JANUARY 14, 2021

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Around the Community

ELA at YOSS ECC

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he Pre1A boys at Yeshiva of South Shore ECC are immersed in creative ways to improve their literacy, reading, and writing skills.

After the boys dressed themselves as snowmen, they read a book together, called “Snowmen and Night.” The boys began to hypothesize: what they think snowman do at night. Each child wrote down his

hypothesis, and then illustrated a snowman.

They are also playing amazing games to sharpen these skills. They enjoy our new game, bowling for sight words. Another favorite game that works on fine motor skills, hand eye coordination, focus and attention, and math and building skills is our creative (an inexpensive cup stacking game).

A Covid-friendly individually wrapped birthday “cake” was enjoyed by all of William’s friends at HANC ECC in honor of William’s fifth birthday this week

Chanukah Screen-Free Initiative

HALB Lev Chana Winter Fun

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hat better way for children to develop math, science, literacy and fine motor skills than through exploring winter!

The children at HALB’s Lev Chana have been immersed in a multi-sensory exploration of winter, the season they are experiencing right now.

At Lev Chana, we know that children learn best through hands-on

activities and by being given many opportunities to explore a topic.

Our children have been involved in playing with snow, creating pretend snow, freezing and melting, learning about winter’s impact on animals, plants and people, making winter creations, reading, writing and more.

Of course, the children are enjoying every minute of their learning!

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hanukah is a time to spend focusing on the light of Torah and not other distractions that can get in the way.

Baruch Hashem, this year, hundreds of YOSS students were able to participate in the worldwide “Savor the Moment Screen Free” initiative.

Following hadlkas neiros of every day of Chanukah, the boys set aside their electronic devices and instead

focused on what Chanukah is all about. By spending time with family by the candles and discussing divrei Torah, the boys were able to experience the true joy of the yom tov. All students who participated received doughnuts and chocolate milk. Amazon gifts card were also raffled off to everyone who participated. Special thanks to TAG International for spearheading this program.

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Around the Community

It’s All About the Talmidim: Darchei Torah’s Evening of Celebration

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n Motzei Shabbos, January 16, 2021, Yeshiva Darchei Torah will join its parents, teachers, rebbeim, alumni and the entire klal in an Evening of Celebration. This year’s dinner is not a dinner in the traditional sense; it will be an event to watch from the comfort of your home. And the focus will be on the talmidim, allowing them to shine.

This Evening of Celebration will feature a unique and inspiring program, pre-

ceded by a pre-program segment at 8:40 PM EST where you can hear from the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Shlomo Avigdor Altusky. During the program which will commence at 9:00 PM EST, watch the riveting conversation with the Rosh HaYeshiva, Rav Yaakov Bender, and one of his students. Sing along with

original music videos by Joey Newcomb, Benny Friedman, Rivie Schwebel and the Darchei Choir. The music videos will also feature the voices of some of the outstanding Darchei rabbeim and students, who will be revealing additional talents.

Watch a short documentary about how the talmidim of

Darchei flourished during this unprecedented time.

It will be an event like no other, one for the entire family to enjoy.

This year’s awardees have shown their support for the Yeshiva through thick and thin. It is the Yeshiva’s honor to recognize the dedication of Mr. and Mrs. Dovy and

Devory Freund, Mr. and Mrs. Steven and Shira Stein, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew and Stephani Serotta, and Mr. and Mrs. Shlomo and Deborah Katz.

Additionally, special tributes will be made in memory of Mrs. Shoshana Strickman and Leiby Minzer, a”h.

Join the Darchei Talmidim in this special moment. Watch the live event from the comfort of your home at Darchei. org/Talmidim. No purchase necessary.

Munchy’s Feeds Woodmere FD

Gesher’s blue room enjoyed playing bowling this week

O Social Skills Come to Life

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ocial skills is not just a single period during the week at IVDU Long Island but skills that are incorporated throughout the day on an ongoing basis. Our students are constantly using what they are taught during their social skills lessons led by our clinical team and applying those skills in every interaction. Children are seen playing structured board games, taking turns, and following directions independently,

as they are able to bring their classroom lessons to life!

Our social work interns push into classrooms during recess, lunch and special activities times to support classroom staff in carrying out the lessons that are being taught. The students have learned how to initiate play amongst their peers and enjoy using their newfound skills to interactively play together from board games and beyond!

n Wednesday, January 6, “Munchy’s 24/6” was proud to sponsor a hot and tasty dinner for the Woodmere Fire Department as a thank you for their tireless dedication and commitment to the Five Towns during the Covid-19 pandemic. Following the Department’s training session, over forty members enjoyed freshly made-toorder burgers, hot dogs, French fries, chulent, potato kugel, and pasta with a hearty meat sauce.

“Munchy’s 24/6” thanks Chief Adam Slotnick and Superintendent Ed Kraus for coordinating with them to help put together this memorable unique dinner for our bravest!

Joseph Sauer commented, “The food was hot and delicious; perfect for a hungry group after an intense training on a cold night.”

“The chulent was great,” said Ste-

ven Mann. “Just the right texture, spice and taste. I definitely look forward to Munchy’s Thursday night kugel and chulent.”

“The surprise of the night was the pasta Bolognese,” said Daniel Zolty.

“No one really knew what to expect, but once we tried it, we were very impressed. Almost all of us went back for seconds on everything!”

In addition, “Munchy’s” will also be adding more menu items such as dried beef sausage sticks, soup, and salad options. “Munchy’s 24/6” is under the supervision of the OU & Tarnopol hashgacha.

“Munchy’s 24/6” is available for private events and parties. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram @ munchys246 for further information and their vending routes as they become available.

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Around the Community

TEAM Shabbos Opens Comfortable Discussions about Uncomfortable Topics

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ore than 600 communities across North America took part in the sixth annual TEAM Shabbos, an event that takes place every Parshas Vayechi.

The focus of TEAM Shabbos, a project of the National Association of Chevra Kadisha (NASCK), is twofold: to open the conversation on end-of-life matters and to empower people to take the steps that ensure Torah guides every moment of their lives, especially their last ones.

Many people find it difficult to discuss end-of-life issues, but this year, more than ever, it is imperative that we address them. TEAM Shabbos provides the venue for a comfort-

able discussion about these uncomfortable topics.

In order to bring its message to every community despite the challenges of Covid, this year, TEAM Shabbos expanded its programming to include a webinar series on many end-of-life topics, led by some of the most prominent speakers in the Jewish world.

Response to the webinars has been enthusiastic, with hundreds of viewers requesting access to webinars they missed. In response to this demand, all TEAM Shabbos videos will be available on-demand during a webinar marathon that starts this coming Motzei Shabbos, January 16,

through Sunday, January 24.

Webinar presenters include: Rabbi Chaim Aryeh Zev Ginsberg, Rabbi Paysach Krohn, Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro, Ms. Saraa Adelson, Mr. Yoel Yitzchok Bodek, Dr. Christopher Comfort, Rabbi Doron Kornbluth, Rabbi Yaakov Lyons, Rabbi Akiva Males, Mrs. Robin Meyerson, Rabbi Rachmiel Rothberger, Rabbi Mordechai Willig, and Rabbi Elchonon Zohn.

Topics include: the Value of Every Moment of Life, the Necessity of Life Insurance, the Cremation Crisis and the Frum Community, Caring for Elderly Parents, Jewish After-Life Traditions and the Soul, Sanctity of Life

and Hospice, Halachic Living Wills, and End-of-Life Decision Making, among others.

NASCK encourages everyone to view and share these informative and timely webinars on-demand between Motzei Shabbos, January 16 and Sunday, January 24.

The entire series is free to watch with registration. To view all webinar topics and register, visit teamshabbos.org/webinars.

Although Parshas Vayechi has already passed, individuals and rabbanim are still encouraged to register their shul at teamshabbos.org in order to gain access to all materials, including future webinars.

710 WOR “The Voice of New York” Now Featuring a Voice for Your Business

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or over 5½ years, “Mind Your Business” with Yitzchok Saftlas has brought you hundreds of informative interviews from Fortune 500 executives, business moguls, and marketing gurus. Now, “Mind Your Business” is proud to begin 2021 with new content, a fresh new look, and a new home on WOR 710 and on the powerful iHeartMedia network, America’s #1 audio company.

WOR 710, the “Voice of New York,” features iconic hosts such as Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Rush Limbaugh. Yitzchok Saftlas

joins this powerful lineup to bring you more business content to help you succeed in business. As always, “Mind Your Business” will continue to cover important topics such as corporate culture, sales, entrepreneurship, business coaching, and other critical business subjects.

“Mind Your Business” features top-tier business executives who

share real-life advice to grow your business. In the past, it has hosted names such as Beth Comstock, former Vice Chair and CMO of GE; John Sculley, former CEO of Apple and Pepsi; Dick Schulze, founder and chairman of Best Buy; and Joe Hart, president and CEO of Dale Carnegie. The audio and video of previous episodes are available at

MYBradio.com.

The “Mind Your Business” weekly radio broadcast and podcast is presented by Bottom Line Marketing Group “BLMG,” an award-winning marketing agency helping hundreds of corporate, political and non-profit clients since 1992.

So get ready to get ahead! Tune in every Sunday night at 10 p.m. on 710 WOR and the iHeartMedia network for “Mind Your Business,” the weekly show by BLMG, to hear from today’s top business leaders for advice, tips, and fresh ideas to help you and your business be successful!

Bach Jewish Center’s Growth

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s synagogues across the country grapple with membership and engagement challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the BACH Jewish Center has experienced unprecedented growth as new families move to the community and join the synagogue. In the past six months, synagogue membership has grown by 10 percent, a record for the 75-year-old synagogue.

The rise in membership was sparked by the hire of a new spiritual leader, Rabbi Benny Berlin, who assume the pulpit in June of 2020.

Over the past several months, the

new families, many young and with children, have moved to the beach community because of its lifestyle benefits, access to day schools, kosher restaurants, regional transportation, and access to Manhattan.

Since beginning his position at BACH, Rabbi Berlin and his wife, Sara, have started several new initiatives to safely engage the community despite COVID-related restrictions.

Among these initiatives were launching a wide-reaching social media campaign focused on highlighting Jewish life in Long Beach and supporting small businesses in the area;

performing weekly check-ins on seniors in the community to see if there is anything they need and to combat isolation; delivering welcome packages in a socially-distant manner to new members of the community; and various youth-focused events with activities and entertainment, each with significant turnouts. These efforts, along with the appealing atmosphere of Long Beach, have generated a record interest in the BACH community and have drawn new families to become members of the synagogue.

“Over the last six months, our

synagogue has developed creative programming and used social media as a way to reach perspective families and individuals to show them that while we must remain physically distant, we must be socially together,” said Rabbi Benny Berlin. “We were able to reach people from all over the country who have subsequently moved into our community to join our synagogue, including people from Seattle, Venice Beach, and others. Our warm atmosphere and close proximity to New York City make us an ideal location.”

The Jewish Home | JANUARY 14, 2021

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Meir Panim: Redefining Giving with Dignity

By Hadassah Bay

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OVID-19 has altered all our lives irrevocably, but for the Meir Panim organization, which for 20 years has been feeding Israel’s hungry, it has upended operations, forcing them to come up with creative solutions.

“We’d always received donations of fruit and vegetables, but all our cooked food came ready-made, rescued from event halls and hotels that were happy to send us their surplus at the end of the day. Today, with hotels and establishments closed, along with the shuttering of our own restaurant-style soup kitchens, we’ve had to start a whole new enterprise of cooking and packaging for delivery,” explains Mimi Rosmaryn, Meir Panim’s director of global development.

That means outfitting kitchens, purchasing raw materials and hiring cooks, without missing a beat – or a day’s worth of meals – for people who depend on it. And then, there was the Meals on Wheels delivery service that needed to be greatly expanded.

If that doesn’t sound complicated enough, consider that since last March, Meir Panim has had to triple its output, due to the lockdown and skyrocketing unemployment which suddenly thrust families beneath the poverty line.

Meir Panim’s patrons come from across the spectrum of Israeli society.

In addition to the elderly, who can’t make ends meet on their pensions, Meir Panim caters to single-parent families, people on disability allowances as well as the working poor.

“Many of our new patrons were breadwinners who, pre-Covid, had been getting by, living from paycheck to paycheck. However, being out of work after the first or second lockdown destroyed their safety net,” explains Mimi. “We’re there so that they don’t have to decide between buying groceries and paying the rent.”

Despite Israel’s growing food insecurity since Covid, Mimi and the managers of the Meir Panim branches in Jerusalem, Tiberias, Safed, Dimona and Or Akiva are gratified by the increase in volunteers among the general public.

Harvey Peretz is an acclaimed chef who had a successful career preparing gourmet cuisine at the upscale Dan hotel in Caesarea. When the corona crisis closed his hotel and left him without a job, Harvey didn’t hesitate and showed up at the Meir Panim kitchen in nearby Or Akiva.

Like the other Meir Panim kitchens, the Or Akiva kitchen was equipped to refrigerate and warm up food but not to cook whole meals. Harvey taught the staff all the logistics, including how to create a supply chain, how to order, and more. Harvey continued to work on a voluntary basis for several months, until recently when branch manager Ilanit found him a new job working for the local police department cafeteria.

Meir Panim also relies on its corps of dedicated volunteers to distribute the 2,000-3,000 meals that are prepared daily across Israel.

“When people visit us and see the devotion and caring of our staff and managers, they get energized and are

eager to support our work and take an active part in what we do,” says Mimi.

A prime example are Mrs. Miryam and Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins, a couple from Princeton, New Jersey, who recently made Aliyah. In honor of their wedding anniversary, their children sent them a check for them to give to the charity of their choice. The very day before the current lockdown, Miryam came to present the check together with the tin Meir Panim charity box they’d kept all these years in their New Jersey home. While the staff counted out the dimes, quarters and dollar bills, the couple watched, amazed and moved, by the dignity and care shown to patrons who came to pick up their meals.

Mimi Rozmaryn, originally from Manhattan, had been similarly impressed on her first visit to Meir Panim (so much so that she decided to apply for a job there!).

“As a teen, I used to volunteer at the local soup kitchen. When I came to Meir Panim, I was shocked to see people, after finishing their meal, coming to the counter with plastic containers and filling them up to take home. That could never have happened in Manhattan, but at Meir Panim it was a matter of course. Today, too, our portions are usually generous enough to suffice for more than one meal.”

While feeding the hungry comes first, the organization has widened its view to the next generation in an effort to break the cycle of poverty. Meir Panim has initiated various social programs to rehabilitate at-risk youth, provide tools for a better future and

promote social mobility. In the Gaza border town of Sderot, Meir Panim operates three neighborhood-based teen centers from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., offering workshops, leadership development and pre-military counseling.

In a community where 40% of young adults suffer from PTSD, programs like these have proved life-changing.

During the lockdowns, the centers moved all activities outdoors so that programs could continue, ensuring the youth would be productively occupied.

In Dimona, a development town with rampant poverty and crime, Meir Panim’s tireless branch manager arranged for a grant from the Mandel Foundation. At the height of the corona crisis, Meir Panim overcame all odds and organized a 24-week intensive course for at-risk teens to build a career in the food industry. With courses including a chef training program, the teens use their talents to benefit of Meir Panim’s local branch, reinforcing the culture of giving back.

“These are just a few of the programs we have for different sectors,” says Mimi. “We have a lot more in the pipeline, but we’re limited by budgeting constraints. The more help we get, the more we’ll be able to do.”

Donations can be made online at www.mpdonate.org, through our tollfree number at (1877) 736-6283, or by mail to American Friends of Meir Panim at 88 Walton Street, Suite B1 Brooklyn, NY 11206-4479. All donations made in the U.S. are tax-deductible under EIN# 20-1582478.

The Jewish Home | JANUARY 14, 2021

With appreciation to all the supporters of Makor Disability Services who made our campaign such a huge success!

THANK YOU to our inspiring and dedicated members of the Board of Directors. You led the charge to achieve our goal, and beyond. It could not have happened without you.

THANK YOU our devoted parents and families; THANK YOU to our special Team Leaders; THANK YOU to our amazing staff, alumni and friends.

THANK YOU to our generous sponsors.

THANK YOU, on behalf of our special residents, the children and adults of Makor, to all the participants for making this campaign such a success!

Elliot Brownstein Chief Executive Officer

Burton Jaffa Chairman of the Board

Jeanne Warman Founder/Executive Director Emeritus

Dovid Singer Treasurer

Tzally Seewald Chief Operating Officer

Carol Sufian Chief Development Officer

SPONSORS:

Makor Disability Services/Women’s League / 1556 38th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11218 / 718.853.0900 / info@makords.org

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Around the Community

Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholar

HALB’s Stock Market Club

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azal tov to SKA twelfth grader Priva Halpert who has been named a top 300 scholar in the 80th Regeneron Science Talent Search, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and mathematics competition for high school seniors. The scholars were selected out of 1,760 applications from 611 American and international high schools. They were chosen based on their exceptional research skills, commitment to academics, innovative thinking, and promise as scientists.

In addition to the $2,000 Priva will receive from the Regeneron Science Talent Search, SKA will

also receive $2,000 to use toward STEM-related activities.

Congratulations, Priva, on this prestigious honor!

An Enriching Torah Learning Experience

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ALB seventh grade girls in Mrs. Chubak’’ Stock Market Club are making profitable investments and are leading the way in the statewide stock market competition. They are currently number one in the region! The girls are be-

coming experts at researching stocks and investing their money. They are managing their large portfolios by buying and selling stocks. It is exciting to learn how to invest money.

The club is looking forward to a very rewarding year!

Budding Engineers

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orah is the foundation of the entire MTA experience, and talmidim are privileged to have a variety of extra Torah learning opportunities throughout each day.

From pre-Shacharis chaburahs to lunch time chavrusahs, Night Seder, dynamic shiurim and so much more, every talmid has a chance to enrich their lives through limud haTorah.

Recently, a special group of talmidim who have been learning V’Ani Tefillah with Head of School Rabbi Kahn every morning before davening celebrated a siyum together at Rabbi Kahn’s home.

“The commitment and enthusiasm our talmidim show towards learning is inspiring,” shared Rabbi Kahn. “It’s a privilege for me to learn and grow with them and we are extremely proud of all of our talmidim

for utilizing their free time to learn in such meaningful ways.”

In addition, MTA rebbeim are always creating new ways for talmidim to engage in Torah learning outside of shiur. Rabbi Gopin started an optional Night Seder on Tuesdays for talmidim in his junior shiur, in addition to MTA’s regular Night Seder program. Each week, the shiur gathers together on Zoom for 30-45 minutes of uninterrupted learning.

As an added incentive, talmidim who participate are entered into a weekly raffle for exciting prizes.

“While we only have one raffle winner each week, all of my talmidim who participate in our optional Night Seder win the greatest prize of all – connecting to Hakadosh Baruch Hu!” said Rabbi Gopin.

I

n conjunction with the science units of engineering, forces, and friction, Mrs. Kastriner’s fifth grade class at Yeshiva of South Shore was tasked with engineering bridges constructed from only spaghetti and marshmallows. Parameters for the

bridges were 5 inches off the floor or desktop and as close to 12 inches in length as possible. The boys figured out just how difficult it is to remain within the assignment’s constructs.

Despite the challenges, there are smiles beneath the masks!

The Jewish Home | JANUARY 14, 2021

Kind,CAPABLE,CREATIVE,WHOLESOME, H A P PY A N D R E S P O N S I B L E

Staff interviews are on:

SUNDAY . JAN 17 . VIA ZOOM

SUMMER

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JANUARY 14, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Teens and Screens Virtual Roundtable Discussion About Teens and Tech

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n Tuesday, January 5, Madraigos hosted “Teens and Screens,” a live-stream roundtable discussion to help parents navigate their children’s use of devices and new technology. This Parenting Matters event, sponsored

by Cross River Bank, featured Dr. Eli Shapiro, founder and director of the Digital Citizenship Project; Rabbi Moshe Taub, Mara D’Asra. Young Israel of Holliswood; and Rabbi Dr. Dovid Felt, Director of School-Based Services at Madraigos, who participated in the discussion panel. Mr. Phil Goldfeder, former NYS Assemblyman and Senior Vice President for Public Affairs, Cross River Bank, enthusiastically moderated the program and managed the questions received via the online chat. The combined professional rabbinic, clinical, and educational backgrounds of the panel led to a purposeful and thorough presentation of the many complex topics at hand.

Mindi Werblowsky, Clinical Director, Madraigos, opened the program by sharing some thoughts about the impetus for addressing the topic of technology. She expressed that while technology has been a

major challenge for countless families for many years, Covid-19 has exacerbated these issues to a level of intensity never seen before in the clinical office. For this reason, Mrs. Werblowsky aimed to provide parents with direct, live access to experts in our community for targeted advice for their individual situations.

In the end, parents took advantage of this opportunity in full force.

Hundreds of parents gained insight and hands-on advice both from a clinical, as well as a Torah, viewpoint. Numerous questions were asked via the online chat. Among the questions submitted were “When is the right time to get your child a cellphone?” and “What are the warning signs that I should be aware of regarding my child’s use of devices?”

Rabbi Dr. Felt said, “I want to thank the other panelists, the staff at Madraigos, and the people who sent in the questions. While the answers may not be suited to everyone or to all situations, they can be helpful as springboards for further discussion.”

The lively exchange of relevant

Did you know?

March 4 used to be Inauguration Day

data and case studies gave the attendees a more concrete understanding of the various aspects of gaming, social media, and technology and how it pertains to teens in today’s society. The speakers also discussed a teen’s critical need for socialization and how peer pressure plays a strong factor in their attitudes towards devices and technology. However, above all, the point most strongly emphasized by all panelists was the importance of the parent-child relationship in addressing technology in the home.

Dr. Eli Shapiro said, “It is my hope that parents came away with not only a recognition of the inherent challenges of technology in a social, psychological, behavioral, and spiritual realm, but more importantly, their crucial role in the process of management with open dialogue and setting appropriate guidelines. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to participate in this important educational community forum.”

Rabbi Taub’s insights from a spiritual context brought the discussion to a whole new level. “This Madraigos evening was a critical event; honest in its presentation, clear in its guidance, and a value to Am Yisroel. I am humbled to have taken part!” Rabbi Taub remarked.

Teens and Screens was extremely well-received by all attendees, and many inquiries were made regarding the new parenting support group in formation. One parent said, “The discussion was unbelievably inter-

esting and useful. Thank you!”

“As a father of three young children, I understand the challenges parents are facing when dealing with technology. As usual, Madraigos recognized the need in the community and arranged this timely event with leading experts. It was my greatest honor to moderate this insightful conversation and hope we can do it again soon,” commented Mr. Goldfeder.

Madraigos strives to keep their finger on the pulse of the issues facing the community by providing practical support and guidance at no charge.

Mrs. Werblowsky remarked, “We, at Madraigos, are so grateful to hear the tremendous positive feedback from the Teens and Screens event. The panel of speakers was outstanding and we want to once again express our utmost appreciation to each of them, as well as the moderator, for their time, effort and enthusiasm.”

To access the recording of the program produced by Creative1080, please visit https://youtu.be/j4FjBVTv9Sw. The conversation continues. Parents are invited to join Madraigos’ new parenting group beginning on February 8, 2021 to gain valuable parenting tips and tools. For information about the new parenting group or to inquire about clinical support on an individualized basis, contact Mindi Werblowsky at mwerblowsky@madraigos.org or call 516371-3250 x 112.

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Dirshu’s Kinyan Torah: The One Constant in Abnormal Times

By Chaim Gold

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hat I see from observing the large tzibbur here, and what fills me with awe, simcha and gratitude, is how in these very difficult times we can not only overcome the difficulties and persevere in our learning, but we can shteig even higher and reach even greater levels of learning, yegias haTorah and yedias haTorah!”

Those were the emotional words of Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita, Nasi of Dirshu, at the Dirshu testing site in Boro Park last week. Rav Hofstedter, who for so long has not visited the Torah centers of Brooklyn and Lakewood due to the corona pandemic, was visibly moved at the opportunity to reconnect with beloved chavrei Dirshu during his visits to Dirshu testing sites in Boro Park and Williamsburg as well as to numerous Gedolei Yisrael.

Indeed, it was almost a surreal sight. Klal Yisrael and the world have been through so much in the past year. Yet, from observing the Yidden at the testing sites in Boro Park and Williamsburg, it was clear that despite the turmoil, despite the tremendous disruption to life as we once knew it, one thing has remained constant. What is that one thing that has remained constant despite the world having been turned on its head, despite the fact that nothing is normal anymore?

That one thing is limud haTorah – an indescribable dedication to limud haTorah! A profound and eternal bond with learning Torah and knowing Torah! An insatiable drive to continue to learn with accountability and taking tests! That has been the one constant in the lives of Dirshu Yidden!

From the World Siyum to Lockdown to…Kinyan Torah In fact, Reb Chaim Bauer, a years’ long, devoted Dirshu adherent, remarked, “I have been just amazed by the dedication of the lomdei Dirshu to persevere, no matter what is going on in the world. I think back to the Dirshu World Siyum and its aftermath before the pandemic hit. There were so many new Dirshu Kinyan Torah learners at that time and then Covid-19 hit. Life was shut down. We were relegated to our homes.

We wondered how we could learn as normal during such times. The testing sites were also closed during the first phase of the pandemic and yet, I was amazed to see how when we were again allowed to gather for the tests in the large Spinka Beis Medrash in Boro Park, hundreds flocked to take the tests. With masks, without masks, they came and showed how their bond with limud haTorah. Limud haTorah the Dirshu way, with multiple chazaros and tests, continued.”

This past test, in particular, was a special maamad that showed, more than anything else, the tremendous kesher that Dirshu learners have with the Torah. The news that Rav Dovid Hofstedter, the nasi and visionary leader, would be coming spread through the olam. More than 500 people came on Sunday night to take the test. Some completed their tests before Rav Hofstedter’s arrival, but they felt compelled to stay so they could hear his divrei Torah and diveri bracha and express their personal hakoras hatov to him with their presence.

In Williamsburg, too, hundreds flocked to the testing site in Bnos Yaakov Vizhnitz to take the test and to greet and hear words of

chizuk from Rav Hofstedter.

After the drasha, one Dirshu learner spontaneously rose to express his hakoras hatov to Dirshu and Rav Hofstedter for having a transformative impact on his learning and his life, echoing the feelings of so many participants.

“Torah Learned in Difficult Times” The long period of separation aroused a special outpouring of ahavah as could be seen by the spontaneous, enthusiastic explosion of song that greeted Rav Dovid’s arrival.

As for Rav Hofstedter?

To him, it was clearly about the lomdei Dirshu. In his remarks, he expressed his tremendous admiration for the fact that, despite everything, thousands upon thousands of lomdei Dirshu shteiged.

“Recently, the lomdei Dirshu learned the difficult masechta of Eruvin. Even more recently, they learned the very difficult sugya of Rav Chananaya Segan Hakohanim and were tested on it.

The Dirshu olam is a manifestation of that which the Gemara says, ‘Torah shelamadeti b’af omdah li – the Torah that I learned in times of great difficulty is what preserved me.’”

“The Zechus of Torah!”

Perhaps the Rachmastrivka Rebbe, shlita, of Boro Park, put it most succinctly when, after the visit to the testing site, Rav Hofstedter visited the Rebbe in his home and the Rebbe, with remarkable love of Torah visible on his countenance, kept on repeating, “The zechus of Torah!”

Those words, “the zechus of Torah,” perhaps most encapsulate the miracles that the Dirshu extended family has experienced since the Dirshu World Siyum celebrated all over the world, just one

Rav Dovid Hofstedter meeting with HaRav Shlomo Feivel Schustal in his home

year ago.

At that point, when Shas with tests had been completed by many thousands of Yidden and Dirshu had given Klal Yisrael a massive new cadre of true Shas Yidden, the enthusiasm for the new machzor of Shas peaked.

The World Siyum showcased the ideal of not just coasting through the Daf but rather learning and chazering it to the extent that one could take a test. This standard took root among thousands of new chavrei Dirshu.

Underground Seeds, “Underground” Learning And then? The pandemic struck. No one knew what would happen. The World Siyum seemed to have transpired in a different world, a different universe, a different reality! Despite everything, however, the seeds that had been planted “under the ground” began to flourish.

Chazal share a fascinating thought about Tu B’Shevat, the time when the Siyum HaShas was celebrated and the time that we are currently fast approaching. Despite the fact that Tu B’Shevat is in the middle of the winter when no tree grows, that is when, under the ground, the sap enters the roots of the trees, the sap that will enable them to bear fruit. This is analogous to what happened during the pandemic. Everything went underground, but the sap was in the trees and the trees were poised to flourish. The Dirshu family may have been stuck in their homes, but they were learning new masechtos

and finding ways to chazer despite the turmoil, and they bore beautiful fruit, the fruits of masechtos: Brachos, Shabbos, Eruvin and now the first perakim of Pesachim. Kinyan Torah is not only alive and well but is tremendously shteiging.

In his remarks at both testing sites, Rav Dovid Hofstedter gave voice to these ideas. He asked, “Why does the pasuk say that the Yidden groaned from the avodah after Pharaoh’s death?

Shouldn’t they have been happy that he died?

“The answer,” Rav Dovid continued, “is that until then, they thought their salvation would come through nature.

Pharaoh would die, there would be a new king and finally, things would change.

Instead, now that Pharaoh died, they saw that things got even worse! Davka then, when they realized that they had no other hope, was when they truly groaned and cried to Hashem from the depths of their hearts, praying that Hashem should remember them and his covenant with the avos. It was specifically at that time that the pasuk says, ‘Hashem knew.’ There was a sense of deep attachment to Hashem.

“Now too,” Rav Dovid concluded, “during these difficult Corona times when there is no teva – the doctors don’t know and can’t help, the politicians have all been rendered powerless – now, davka at this time, we and especially lomdei Dirshu have connected with Hashem and the essence of life, ‘ki heim chayeinu!’”

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JANUARY 29, 14, 2015 2021 || The The Jewish Jewish Home Home OCTOBER

1.

TJH

*

Centerfold

Well Said, Mr. President 







Give me a one-handed economist! All my economists say, “On the one hand...on the other.” — President Harry Truman There is no pleasure in having nothing to do.

The fun is having lots to do and not doing it.

— President Andrew Jackson

  

People say I’m indecisive, but I don’t know about that. — President George W. Bush If it were not for the reporters, I would tell you the truth. — President Chester A. Arthur

I have often wondered what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress.

— President Ronald Reagan



Being President is like running a cemetery.

You’ve got a lot of people under you and nobody’s listening. — President Bill Clinton

e M e l Ridd This?

A zebra does not change its spots. — Vice President Al Gore I love California.

I practically grew up in Phoenix.— Vice President Dan Quayle



I just received the following wire from my generous Daddy: “Dear Jack, don’t buy a single vote more than is necessary. I’ll be [darned] if I’m going to pay for a landslide.” _ President John Kennedy

 

Man cannot live by bread alone. He must have peanut butter.— President James Garfield

I was America’s first instant vice president – and now, America’s first instant president.

The Marine Corps Band is so confused, they don’t know whether to play “Hail to the Chief” or “You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby.”— President Gerald Ford

Jack is taking a tour through a museum’s American presidents exhibit. The person leading the tour tells him, “We have a picture of each presidency. Currently, Donald Trump is the 45th person to hold the office.” But Jack quickly realizes that there are 46 pictures on the wall. Why are there one too many photos?

Answer below

Answer to Riddle: One president, Grover Cleveland, served two non-consecutive terms. He was the 22nd and the 24th president of the United States, hence there are two photos of him on the wall.

TheJewish JewishHome Home| |OCTOBER JANUARY29, 14,2015 2021 The

Inauguration Trivia 1. Why was President Lincoln embarrassed at his second inauguration by Vice President Andrew Johnson’s address? a. Because Johnson poked fun at Lincoln’s height b. Because Johnson forgot his speech in the middle c. Because Johnson spoke much better than Lincoln and overshadowed him d. Because Johnson was totally drunk and rambled on in a stupor 2. Which president famously said in his inaugural address: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”? a. Ronald Reagan b. Abraham Lincoln c. John F. Kennedy d. Barack Obama

Answers: 1. D- As Andrew Johnson walked into the Senate chamber, he appeared to be unsteady, and he was leaning on the former Vice President Hannibal Hamlin’s arm. Johnson rambled on until Hamlin finally gave a tug on Johnson’s coattail, and only then did Johnson end his alcohol-impaired inaugural speech. The newly inaugurated vice president was supposed to swear in the new senators but he was too drunk to perform his duties, so instead a Senate clerk performed the swearing-in of the new senators.

2. C 3. D- The Constitutional oath is: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” (Article II, Section I). However, the custom to add the words “so help me G-d” started when Chester A. Arthur, our 21st president, included them at the end of his oath in September 1881 after the assassination of President James Garfield.

4. A- The first inauguration took place in New York City; in 1923, Calvin Coolidge

6. Which president gave the longest inauguration address in history? a. Bill Clinton b. Barack Obama c. James K. Polk d. William Henry Harrison

3. Where do the words “so help me G-d” appear in the Constitutional oath? a. Article I, Section 2 b. Article 2, Section 1 c. 20th Amendment d. They don’t 4. In which of the following states has a president not been sworn in? a. Virginia b. New York c. Vermont d. Texas

a. b. c. d.

7. Which was the first inauguration to be televised?

1929, Herbert C. Hoover 1937, Franklin D. Roosevelt 1949, Harry S. Truman 1961, John F. Kennedy

5. Which president famously said at his inauguration address: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself?” a. Franklin D. Roosevelt b. Teddy Roosevelt c. Harry Truman d. Herbert Hoover

8. Which president gave the shortest inauguration address ever? a. George Washington b. Martin Van Buren c. Grover Cleveland d. Ulysses S. Grant

was sworn in as president at his family’s homestead in Plymouth, Vt., after the death of Warren Harding; on Nov. 22, 1963, aboard Air Force One on the tarmac at Love Field in Dallas, Lyndon Johnson was sworn in after the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

5. A- FDR’s inauguration on March 4, 1933 occurred in the middle of a bank panic, hence the backdrop for his famous words.

6. D- The longest inaugural address was delivered by William Henry Harrison. It was 8,445 words and delivered on a cold day in March 1841. He died a month later of pneumonia.

7. C- In 1897, William McKinley‘s inauguration was the first recorded by a motion picture camera; in 1921, Warren G. Harding became the first president to ride to and from his inauguration in an automobile; in 1929, Herbert C. Hoover’s inauguration was the first played over the radio; and in 1949, Harry S. Truman‘s inauguration was the first to be televised.

8. A- George Washington’s second inaugural address was the shortest ever, at 135 words. The following is a transcript of his speech: “Fellow citizens, I am again called

upon by the voice of my country to execute the functions of its Chief Magistrate.

When the occasion proper for it shall arrive, I shall endeavor to express the high sense I entertain of this distinguished honor, and of the confidence which has been reposed in me by the people of united America. Previous to the execution of any official act of the President the Constitution requires an oath of office. This oath I am now about to take, and in your presence: That if it shall be found during my administration of the Government I have in any instance violated willingly or knowingly the injunctions thereof, I may (besides incurring constitutional punishment) be subject to the upbraidings of all who are now witnesses of the present solemn ceremony.”

Wisdom key: 6-8 correct: Pretty good. Let me guess, you dream about being president one day.

3-5 correct: You pay a healthy amount of attention to inaugural festivities.

0-2 correct: “Ask not what you don’t know, ask what you do know.” Any other way would be too depressing.

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Torah Thought

Parshas Vaeira

By Rabbi Berel Wein

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he Mishnah in Avot questions why the world was created, so to speak, by ten statements and utterances from Heaven. It explains that this shows the importance of life on this planet, and of the infinite universe itself, that it was lovingly created when one statement alone would have been sufficient. The repetition of the statements of Cre-

ation were a sign of affection between the Creator and the created, and it illustrates the complexity and eternal importance of the human condition in the infinite universe in which we live.

I think the same type of message is communicated to us in the Torah reading of this week. We are told of plague after plague that was visited upon the Egyptians, to force them

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to free the people of Israel from bondage and slavery. Why so many plagues? The L-rd could certainly have accomplished the same result with one plague, especially the last and final plague of the death of the Egyptian firstborn. Why go through the exercise of the first nine plagues, that apparently were unsuccessful in achieving the desired goal of Jewish freedom, when one major blow apparently would have been sufficient to achieve the emancipation of the people of Israel from Egyptian bondage?

One can easily say in response to this question that it was the cumulative effect of all the plagues that brought about the decision by Pharaoh and the Egyptians to free the Jewish slaves. Nevertheless, from a

cess is something that is enormously valuable and lasting. It is not only the Egyptians that have to experience the process of the ten plagues visited upon them, but it is also the Jewish slaves that must experience the frustration and disappointment that each plague brought with it.

It is obvious from the Torah that Moshe expected a quick victory and that he had a feeling of resentment and had complaints that things apparently became worse and not better when he embarked on his mission to free the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery. The L-rd reminds him of the behavior of the founders of the Jewish people Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who exhibited patience and fortitude, in their ultimate triumph in creating

A hard-won victory is more meaningful than an easy instantaneous triumph of success.

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literal reading of the Torah text itself, there is little proof that we are speaking about a cumulative effect, but rather the one, main blow – death of the firstborn Egyptians – that brought about Jewish freedom and the exodus from Egypt.

A hard-won victory is more meaningful than an easy instantaneous triumph of success. A process that requires patience, with the ability to absorb disappointments and frustrations, all on the road to ultimate suc-

the Jewish people. This had a lasting and eternal quality to it. Easy victories are usually squandered away.

The universe that was created with ten utterances has much more meaning than one created with one statement. An Exodus and emancipation achieved by a process of plagues, of ups and downs of emotion and faith, of challenges and tenacity, remains an eternal guide for all generations of the Jewish people.

Shabbat shalom.

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JANUARY 14, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

From the Fire Parshas Vaeira

Belief in G-d, Belief in One’s Self

By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

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he beginning of the parsha is infused with the spirit of Pesach. Hashem assures Moshe that He will take the Jewish people out of Egypt. He promises to redeem them with the four expressions of redemption (Shmos 6:7-8) upon which the mitzvah to drink four cups of wine at the Seder is based. But the Jewish people were not ready to hear it (ibid. at 6:9). They had no room in their hearts for the hope for redemption. So, the pasuk says (ibid. at 6:13): “And Hashem spoke to Moshe and to Aharon and commanded them to regarding the children of Israel and regarding Pharaoh the King of Egypt to take the Jewish people out of the land of Egypt.” In other words, the Jewish people were not ready to hear about the redemption. The time for talking was over. It was time to take them out. But inexplicably, in the very next pesukim (ibid. at 14-16), the Torah interrupts the story of redemption with “These are the heads of the fathers’ houses: the sons of Reuven… the sons of Shimon… And these are the names of the children of Levi…” Why the interruption?

Rashi first gives the simple explanation for the interruption. Because the Torah is about to recount the exodus through Moshe and Aharon, it first tells us their “credentials,” their ancestry from Levi, the son of Yaakov. But it would be disrespectful to Levi’s older brothers Reuven and Shimon if the Torah would have skipped them and began recounting Moshe and Aharon’s ancestry from Levi, so the pesukim begin with Reuven and traces Yaakov’s sons’ ancestry until Levi. But Rashi offers a second explanation. He says, “I saw in Pesikta Rabasi that because Yaakov rebuked

these three tribes at the time of his death, the pasuk returns here and traces their lineage alone in order to show that they are of high esteem.”

This is beautiful, but why would the Torah emphasize that these three tribes are important here at this point in the story? Yaakov died almost two hundred years earlier!

Perhaps we can understand this by studying the Meshech Chochma on our parsha (“V’yitzavem” and “Vayitaken”). He explains that the Egyptians made the members of the tribes of Reuven, Shimon, and Levi taskmasters over the members of the other tribes who were enslaved. The members of those three tribes were not enslaved and lived a relatively easy life in Egypt. Hashem’s providence saw to it that they would not be enslaved for the following two reasons: The Meshech Chochma first explains that they were disheartened as a group because, rather than blessing

them as he did with his other sons, Yaakov Avinu’s last words to them were an expression of sharp rebuke.

In addition, none of the three tribes which came from Reuven, Shimon, and Levi inherited a proper portion in Eretz Yisroel. Reuven inherited a portion with a lower level of holiness, the trans-Jordan. Shimon did not inherit a proper portion of the land in fulfillment of Yaakov’s curse (Bereishis 49:7), “I will separate them throughout Yaakov and I will scatter them throughout Yisroel.” And Levi did not inherit the land because his descendants were the kohanim and the levi’im.

The members of the tribes of Reuven, Shimon, and Levi were disheartened by their father’s rebuke and lacked the hope for a proper portion in Eretz Yisroel to get them through the suffering of the Egyptian exile.

The Meshech Chochma explains that Hashem knew they would not have been able to withstand enslavement

like the other tribes because of the rebuke and their inability to cling to the hope for a portion in the land of Israel. Hashem therefore relieved them of the burden of slavery, and they were taskmasters instead.

With the Meshech Chochma’s explanation, we can now understand something that happened somewhat earlier. Following Moshe’s initial meeting with Pharaoh, after which he made the Jewish people’s slavery even more unbearable, the pasuk (Shmos 5:14) says, “And the Jewish taskmasters were beaten…” Soon after that (ibid. at 20), these taskmasters met Moshe and complained to him about their suffering. This affected Moshe deeply, and he approached Hashem (ibid. at 22) with the “complaint,” “Why have you hurt this people?” At first glance, this is somewhat difficult to understand. The Jewish people were unfortunately already accustomed to beatings and hard work.

What was the qualitative change that shook Moshe to the core and caused him to complain to Hashem?

Based on the Meshech Chochma, however, we can understand. The taskmasters were from the tribes of Reuven, Shimon, and Levi who felt little self-worth because of Yaakov’s rebuke and lacked the hope for the future because they would not inherit regular portions in Eretz Yisroel. In addition, as taskmasters, they were not used to the beatings.

When they began to experience the torment to which their brothers were accustomed, they were immediately broken. When they complained to Moshe, he saw this brokenness and asked Hashem, “Why have you hurt this people?!”

This is along the lines of Yirmiya-

The Jewish Home | JANUARY 14, 2021 The Jewish Jewish Home Home || OCTOBER OCTOBER 29, 29, 2015 2015 The

hu’s lament (Eicha 4:2), “The precious children of Zion, praised with fine gold, how they are [now] compared to clay pitchers…” It is bad enough when people accustomed to suffering are tormented, but it adds a qualitatively different level of affliction when those who are not used to such treatment are thrust down into the dirt with everyone else.

For human beings, who are sometimes jealous of others who experience better fortunes, it is tempting to relish the suffering of privileged people who are cast down to bear the torment which the lower classes had been experiencing all along. But Hashem and Moshe his servant have mercy on everyone, including the “privileged” who suffer even more than others when they endure trials to which they were not accustomed.

The members of all of the other tribes were at least able to hold onto the hope of redemption and a proper portion in Eretz Yisroel to get through the day-to-day suffering. They may have been able accept Moshe’s promise of redemption. But when the members of the tribes of Reuven, Shimon, and Levi heard the four expressions of redemption, they were not consoled. While the other tribes heard the fifth expression of redemption (Shemos 6:8), “And I will bring you to the land,” the members of Reuven, Shimon, and Levi heard a promise for a redemption in which they were not worthy to participate.

How would these tribes receive the encouragement they so desperately needed to survive until the fulfillment of Hashem’s promised redemption? Hashem Himself told them what they needed to hear.

Right after the pesukim tell us that the taskmasters were unable to hear any hope in Moshe’s promise of redemption, Hashem began recounting the impressive ancestry of Reuven, Shimon, and Levi “in order to show that they are of high esteem.”

Although justified, their great-grandfather left them without any words of encouragement to help them survive the exile. So Hashem Himself told them, “You are important. You are worthwhile. You are worthy of salvation.” With this, they were able to hold on through the last few minutes of exile.

This is a remarkable concept. A person can survive almost anything if he feels that he is important, valuable, and worthwhile. If he feels that his life and his service of G-d matter, he can endure virtually any external

We are not accustomed to suffering and do not appreciate how precious we are to Hashem. We do not know how valuable each of us is to Him. This is one of the major reasons we have difficulty standing up to spiritu-

A person can survive almost anything if he feels that he is important, valuable, and worthwhile.

trial, any temptation, and any evil inclination. A person is only too weak to stand up for his spiritual life if he feels deep inside that he doesn’t really matter, that he doesn’t really count.

But when a person recognizes that he is a child of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, that he possesses a Divine soul, and that Hashem loves him and watches over him and hopes that he will succeed, he can overcome any obstacle or temptation. No computer or smartphone in the world can shake a person who understands that he is important, who believes in himself.

While many people leave the path of Hashem after experiencing serious trauma that can truly break a person, there are others who leave after relatively minor difficulties. For such people, a moderately difficult parent or a tactless rebbe or teacher is enough to bump them off the path.

For people who are not accustomed to suffering and have not been infused with the feeling that they matter, even the slightest wind can blow him off course. Those of us over forty or fifty years old remember a time when a person was lucky if he had one rebbe in his entire school career who spoke to his students with sensitivity and respect. It is horrible, but one rebbe of mine in high school called one boy “shoteh, idiot,” and another boy “golem, dumb one” throughout the year. Such behavior is inexcusable but people were raised with more grit, and within a certain range, such things did not break the souls of the students.

In our times, we are like the children of Reuven, Shimon, and Levi.

al challenges. A person will not feel encouraged by all of the promises of redemption in the world if he does not believe in himself, if he does not recognize how important his life is.

Rebbe Nosson (Sichos Haran 140) relates that when he heard a certain teaching from Rebbe Nachman, he was unable to do anything but stand

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back, dumbfounded. What did Rebbe Nachman teach him that confounded him to such a great extent? Rebbe Nachman told him, “You may believe [in Hashem], but you do not believe in yourself.” There is no end to what difficulties a person can endure, what challenges and temptations he can overcome, and what he can accomplish in life if he believes in himself and recognizes how important he is to Hashem.

May each of us merit to believe in ourselves these last few minutes before the ultimate redemption in order to hold on until we can greet Moshiach and return to claim our inheritance in Eretz Yisroel with the ultimate salvation, may it come soon in our days.

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

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JANUARY 14, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Parsha Ponderings Parsha Vaeira

Listen Up!

By Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetzky

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his week, after Moshe pleads to Pharoh to free the Jews and Pharoh refuses to let them go, Hashem reinforces His promise of redemption. He instructs Moshe to go back to his people and redeliver his message of redemption. Yet, the Jewish People seemed to have given up. They no longer want to hear from him and no longer believed his message. The Torah tells us, “They did not listen to Moshe, from shortness of breath and from hard labor.”

One can understand that they did not believe Moshe and his words of hope. But the Torah stresses something else. They did not listen. Why does the Torah attribute the Jews neglect of Moshe’s message to their lack of listening?    I heard the following story from a successful principal of a boys’ school.

After seeing many boys return from recess with their shirts sloppily untucked, he decided that in order to maintain proper decorum in the school during the periods following recess, rules must be enforced.

He spoke to the boys very strongly about the importance of tucking their shirts in, and looking presentable for class. Any boy who would break these rules and walk around the halls with an untucked shirt would suffer a consequence.

One day, he saw a boy, who was usually a good student, walking in the hallway brazenly with his shirt untucked. The principal stopped him.

“Yes,” the student replied for the third time.

The principal, understanding that there was a deeper problem, paused for a moment. He then bent down and lowered his voice, “OK. So please tell me, what’s bothering you?”    My grandfather, Rav Binyamin Kamenetzky, zt”l, would often

Listening is always half the answer

“Are you aware that your shirt is untucked?” the principal asked.

“Yes,” replied the child.

The principal continued, “Are you aware that there is a rule that you must tuck in your shirt?”

“Yes.” “Are you aware that if you break the rule, you will receive a consequence?”

quote the pasuk in Yeshaya, “Hatu aznechem ulichu alai, shimu usichi nafshechem – Turn your ear and come to me. Listen and your soul will live.”

Listening is always half the answer. One can gain tremendous insight into any problem if one would listen and internalize the issues and messages found in the problem.

The Torah is alluding to this lesson. Bnei Yisroel, due to their tremendous distress of the labor, were unable to appreciate their own savior! They did not listen with a complete ear. They could not focus, and thereby missed this message of hope.

One can hear without listening.

And sometimes, one can merely hear words, without understanding the deeper message.

Sometimes, the Al-mighty is talking to you with a message just for your ears. Listen well, and you will hear it!

Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetzky is the Director of Advancement at Yeshiva of South Shore – Yeshiva Toras Chaim Beis Binyamin. He is currently compiling the Torah thoughts from his grandfather, Rav Binyamin Kamenetzky, zt”l, into print, in Hebrew and English. If you have any stories or divrei Torah to share from his grandfather, or to subscribe to receive a weekly dvar Torah from Rav Binyamin Kamenetzky’s teachings, you can email him at skamenetzky@yoss.org.

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SAVE THE DATE. H O N O R I N G : guests of honor

ARI AND ROCHEL SIMA MUNK parents of the year

YOSSI AND LEORA HAMMER keser shem tov

CHAIM SHOLOM AND RIVKY LEIBOWITZ tribute

MRS. REMA OLSHANSKY A”H

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JANUARY 14, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Think, Feel, Grow

The True Meaning of Greatness

By Shmuel Reichman

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here were once two boys who went ice skating on a frozen lake in their neighborhood.

As they were enjoying themselves, the ice suddenly cracked, and one of the boys fell through into the icy water. His friend started frantically reaching for him, but he was too late, and the boy got swept underneath the ice. Desperate to save his friend, this scrawny boy quickly looked around, saw a tree in the distance, and rushed over to try and pull off a branch. After tugging for a few seconds, he managed to crack off a huge branch and then quickly ran back to his friend.

He smashed and thrashed at the thick ice until it finally cracked, allowing him to grab onto his friend. He then dragged him back to the shore just as the ambulance arrived, and miraculously, they were able to resuscitate him.

Once the commotion had died down, one of the younger ambulance members sat on the side of the lake, looking extremely confused. He muttered to himself, “How can such a scrawny kid break through such thick ice, let alone snap off such a giant branch? It’s impossible! How in the world did he do it?”

An older ambulance member sat down next to him and smiled. “I’ll tell you how he did it,” he said.

“How?” asked the younger ambulance member.

“There was no one there to tell them that he couldn’t.”

What could we accomplish if instead of listening to the voice in our head that tells us we can’t, we listened to the voice within us that tells us we can?

As Great as Moshe Rabbeinu?

In Sefer Shemos, we are introduced to Moshe Rabbeinu, the greatest person who ever lived. In addition

to leading the Jewish People out of Mitzrayim, Moshe also received the Torah on Har Sinai directly from Hashem. He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, surpassing all human boundaries and limitations. The Torah itself testifies that no one reached the level of nevuah (prophecy) that Moshe was able to attain. And yet, the Rambam (Hilchos Teshuva 5:2) says something absolutely shocking. He states that everyone is capable of becoming a tzaddik like Moshe Rabbeinu. How is this possible? It seems improbable that all of us have the potential to become leaders, let alone the greatest human being of all time. So what does the Rambam mean by this statement?

This question arises in another context as well. In its account of our experience as a fetus in the womb, the Gemara (Niddah 30b) includes a cryptic and perplexing line. The Gemara says that just before each of us are born, we are forced to take a shavua (oath) that we will become a tzaddik. Once again, we face a problem. An oath is a promise, a guarantee. How can we promise that we will become a tzaddik? Are we all cut out to be great, to be tzaddikim? How can we explain this strange Gemara?

To understand this topic, let us

begin by returning to the beginning of this Gemara (Niddah 30b).

Your Unique Role The beginning of this Gemara is, in fact, a familiar one. It is the very same Gemara which discusses the unique journey of the fetus in the womb. As we previously explained, while we were in the womb, a malach (angel) taught us kol ha’Torah kulah, all of Torah. As the Vilna Gaon explains, this refers to the deepest realms of Torah, a transcendent Torah that lies far beyond this world, beyond the realm of space and time. This Torah is the very root of reality, and you were granted complete understanding of its every detail. Not only were you shown this level of Torah, but you also learned your specific share of Torah – you were shown your unique purpose in the world and how your unique role fits into the larger scheme of the human story as a whole.

You were given a taste of your own perfection, of what you could, should, and hopefully will become. And from this transcendent realm, you were birthed into the physical world with the mission to actualize everything you were shown in the womb, while in your primordial, perfect state.

We are each endowed with our own

unique potential, and everything in our life – down to the smallest detail – is here to help us fulfill our unique role.

Many people are unhappy with the life they have, constantly comparing their lives to those of others, always searching for a reason to complain. If we understood that we were each given a unique package, one uniquely designed for us, we would find so much more joy in life. Your body is the exact body you need to carry you through this world.

Your psychological clothing, which includes your intellect, imagination, memory, emotions, and personality, were perfectly crafted and designed for you and your unique role in this world.

You were born into a specific family at a specific time period, were sent to a specific school, in a specific community, and were exposed to a particular set of social influences. All of these things make up your unique package, setting the stage for your journey through life.

Everything in your life is there only to help you grow and become the person you were meant to become, to manifest what you were shown in the womb, to recreate your ideal self. Your job isn’t to become great – it’s to become you! That is true greatness.

Many people struggle to find their tafkid, their purpose in the world, because they’re looking in the wrong place. You can’t find your role by looking outside; you can only find it by looking deeper inside, within yourself.

True growth requires us to grow from within. We need to go into a room, by ourselves, and ask the difficult and key questions: Who am I? What drives me?

What makes me unique? What are my talents? What are my passions? What can I contribute to the Jewish People and the world as a whole? (Accordingly, self-worth and confidence should not come from comparing oneself to others. The only comparison one should make is with one’s own past self. One should ask: “Am I better than the per-

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | JANUARY 14, 2021

son I was yesterday?” or “How can I move forward and become a slightly better version of myself today?”)

With this in mind, we can now understand why comparison and jealousy are illogical and pointless. If each of us are completely unique, how can we compare ourselves to anyone else? As Einstein famously said, “If you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing it’s foolish.”

We cannot compare ourselves to someone else, as we are completely different people. If we genuinely understood this, we would never be jealous. Once we realize that everything in our life is exactly what we need to fulfill our unique potential, we would stop looking around at what other people have and start utilizing what we have.

To take it a step further, we can actually begin to be happy for other people’s success, as we will realize that we aren’t competing with each other; we’re all on the same team, we’re all

part of the cosmic symphony of life.

Our ear would never be jealous of our hand, since they’re both part of the same body; so too, if we realized that we’re all part of the same “body,” we would never be jealous of anyone else.

Like Moshe Rabbeinu We can now return to our original question.

The term “tzaddik” does not refer to an objective image of greatness.

your unique potential into actuality.

When we each made an oath to become a tzaddik, we each promised to fulfill our unique role in this world.

We each have our own unique, individual mission. Some of us will be on the frontlines, while others will make an impact behind the scenes. Both are tzaddikim, both are fulfilling their unique role. As Rav Elchanan Wasserman explains in his Ma’amarim, when the Rambam states that each of us can

Your job isn’t to become great – it’s to become you!

Rather, a tzaddik is one who fulfils his or her role and actualizes their unique potential. “Tzedek” literally means “correct” and refers to the concept of truth. Becoming a tzaddik means living your truth and bringing

be a tzaddik like Moshe Rabbeinu, he specifically uses the word “tzaddik.”

We may not be able to become as objectively great as Moshe, but we can become as great on our personal scale; just as Moshe fulfilled his unique po-

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tential, so too, we can each fulfill our unique potential.

It’s time to take the next step in our journey through life. Just like the boy from the lake story, it’s time to say, “Yes, I can.” We need to stop holding ourselves back from our own greatness. We have greatness within us, and it is our responsibility to bring that greatness to the world, for, in truth, we can all become tzaddikim like Moshe Rabbeinu.

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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OCTOBER 2015 || The The Jewish Jewish Home Home JANUARY 29, 14, 2021

The Power of Positivity

BY REBBETZIN CHANIE WOLOWIK

It

is refreshing to hear so much talk about positivity lately. We certainly need as much of that as we can get nowadays. However, I often hear people say things like “Have a positive attitude” without ever explaining what that means practically or, more importantly, how that can actually be attained. So I would like to share with you some ideas that have been extremely helpful to me in pursuing positivity in my own life.

One of books that has been most influential in my life is the book of Tanya, written by the first Rebbe of Chabad, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi. Tanya is a

book rich with so much practical wisdom, and the more I live, the more I rely on it for strength and guidance. I continue to study Tanya daily on my own and in classes, and I always gain more insight each time. I strongly recommend to everyone to study the book as well.

One big idea of Tanya is that it teaches us to distinguish between feelings and behaviors. There’s a huge difference between how I feel and what I do. I may not be able to change how I feel right now but I can always choose my behaviors. That means that I can act “as if” and do the right thing even when my heart isn’t in it.

Furthermore, Tanya even categorizes thought as a behavior. I know that comes as a surprise to many people.

But thought is an activity, something I do (albeit in my own head) and that means that I have the power of choice over it, just like I can choose my actions. No, I cannot choose which thoughts pop up into my head, but I do get to choose whether I will ruminate on a given thought or let it float by without focusing on it. The thought arises on its own, but it is I who chooses whether or not to give it any attention.

I think this distinction is so essential. It’s really been a lifesaver for me. Sometimes,

life is painful and there is nothing we can do about that. But even at those times, we can refuse to let our thoughts spin out of control.

Indeed, this is what I have come to recognize as true positivity. True positivity does not mean that I will always feel good. Not at all!

It means that even when I feel bad, I can choose where to focus my mind.

I don’t relish sharing details of my personal life but in the hope that it may help someone I am willing to do so. When I was sitting shiva for my son Levi, alav hashalom, I remember being quite understandably consumed with grief. However, along

with the visceral pain, there were also a lot of thoughts – questions like wondering if anybody could truly relate to me, how will I go on, etc. My thoughts were racing.

Then there was a moment of sudden realization where it became clear to me that although there was nothing I could do about the pain, I did have a responsibility to deal with those thoughts. I had an epiphany right then and there that I was allowed to feel the pain – there was nothing that could stop that – but I was not permitted to torture myself with negative, disempowering thoughts.

Trust me when I say that such a decision is not a one-

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | JANUARY 14, 2021

time thing. It’s an ongoing commitment, a discipline.

But like any skill, it’s something that you get better at the more you do it. Over the years, I have practiced this skill thousands of times. I can’t stop myself from feeling what I feel. But I can refuse to allow myself to focus on negative thoughts.

The best thing I have found for averting my mind from self-destructive thinking is action. When my brain starts racing, I know it’s time to get busy with something productive.

I want to be clear. I am not talking about merely distracting myself from my thoughts by keeping busy. I am talking about something much deeper than that. It’s not about distraction. It’s about taking back my power.

I don’t know about you but my negative self-talk is all about discouraging

messages that make me feel hopeless and helpless if I listen to them. The response is therefore to take my power back by focusing on the things that I have the ability to control. No matter how bad I feel, I have the power

when I am overcoming negative thoughts. I will give you an example.

After a particularly difficult pregnancy, I started feeling guilty that I had not been giving my other children the attention they de-

i decided that there was, and I decided to act on it immediately.

I turned to my husband and told him we were all getting into the car and going on a trip. When he asked me where to, I told him I

No matter how bad I feel, I have the power to do something productive for my family, for my community, or even for myself. to do something productive for my family, for my community, or even for myself.

And when I focus on what I am doing right now instead of focusing on the negative thoughts, I feel my sense of G-d-given power return.

I have also found that speed is very important. I need to take action swiftly.

Speed is always on my side

served. Of course, I had a legitimate excuse. But that didn’t do anything to stop me from feeling bad for my kids. Why should they lose out?

At that moment, I realized that I wasn’t going to get anywhere by entertaining these thoughts. What’s done is done. Was there an action that I could take right now?

didn’t know yet but that we should just start driving. In the end, we found a lovely place to stop for a few days and we had a beautiful family vacation that my children still remember fondly.

Today, whenever I hesitate to take action, I remember that story, and it gives me clarity. I can’t just wait for negative thoughts to go

away on their own. I have to take action and do so quickly. I can’t change the past, but I can make choices right now in the present.

There are many more tools that I have picked up over the years which I will be happy to share at some other time. And, of course, I am always happy to hear from you about what works for you.

May Hashem bless you all with strength and clarity.

This article is the first in a series of articles that will be published in TJH in a lead-up to a community-wide initiative, “The Power of Positivity,” to be held on Motzei Shabbos, February 13 in 18 shuls across our community.

Stay tuned for more information on this interactive workshop run

by JWLC, the Jewish Women’s Leadership Council of the Five Towns.

Miriam Jacobovits Photography Emotional Support for Unwanted Touching

MOUNT SINAI BETH ISRAEL

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CALL OR TEXT 347–572–8973 INSTAGRAM: MIRIAMJACOBOVITSPHOTOGRAPHY

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JANUARY 14, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Israel Today

Innovative Treatment “Reprograms the Immune System” to Battle Cancer

By Sharon Gelbach Dr. Ben Boursi

A

groundbreaking study led by Senior GI Oncologist Dr. Ben Boursi with senior oncologist Professor Gal Markel and MD PhD

student Erez Baruch of the Sheba Medical Center in Israel proved that it is possible to reprogram a recalcitrant immune system, compelling it to fight

cancer, by changing the patient’s gut microbiome.

The results of the study were published in the peer-reviewed journal Science.

“For the first time in the world, we have successfully fought cancerous tumors by changing the gut microbiome,” Dr. Boursi said.

Dr. Boursi and his team launched the study on terminally ill patients with metastatic melanoma who in the past had not responded to immunotherapy and who’d exhausted all other existing treatments. The idea was to stimulate patients’ immune systems by replacing their own gut bacteria with that of cancer survivors that responded to immunotherapy.

“In the first stage, we eradicated the patient’s existing microbiome, after which we transplanted gut microbiota from cancer survivors who’d had melanoma, but who had responded well to immunotherapy and who had been cancer-free for at least one year.”

The microbiome was initially transplanted via colonoscopy. Two weeks later, when it was clear that the patients had absorbed the donor microbiota, they resumed immunotherapy and received 3 months of odorless, flavorless pills containing the same bacteria. Out of the 10 study participants, two patients exhibited tumors that had shrunken

considerably, and in a third patient, not only did the tumor disappear entirely, but the patient was cured. In those patients, Boursi and his team identified an immune response on the cellular level as well as in gene expression profiles.

“Currently, immunotherapy works for only 40 percent to 50 percent of patients. We anticipate that, with the help of this revolutionary treatment, we will see as many patients as possible transforming from non-responders to responders,” said Boursi.

Additionally, while many of the participants had experienced severe side effects during their earlier (failed) round of immunotherapy, following the gut microbiota transplant, the immunotherapy caused no significant side effects. “This alone is a tremendous achievement,” said Boursi, adding that the team is also exploring the treatment’s use in combatting immunotherapy side effects.

Dr. Boursi noted that it was an emotionally charged experience for melanoma survivors to be able to donate their gut microbiota to help cure other cancer patients.

Explaining that the treatment has been shown to be “simple, safe and relatively inexpensive,” Dr. Boursi and the team at Sheba are currently employing it on melanoma patients as well as patients with lung cancer, one of the most common causes of cancer death.

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Rabbi Yehudah Kelemer, z”l

A Lasting Legacy

BY RABBI ELI SLOMNICKI

R

abbi Yehuda Kelemer, z”l, was my rav since childhood. He was the rav for five generations of my family offering guidance to my grandparents and all the way to my great-niece.

We are one of countless West Hempstead families whose lives have been molded by his angelic leadership.

While taking the NCYI training course for rabbanim, I asked the director of the program why Rav Kelemer was not included in the slate of esteemed shul rabbis who presented. He replied, “Rabbi Kelemer’s anivus (humility) precludes him from saying yes to my offers.” Juxtapose the above with a WhatsApp message sent to YU semicha students encouraging them. “Chevra – I don’t know how many of you knew Rav Yehudah Kelemer zt”l, but particularly for those going into rabbanus, pay careful attention to the stories you hear about him in the coming days.”

I imagine that the scores of YIWH alumni who have entered chinuch and rabbanus share the same dissonance that I did as I considered my venture into the sacred mission of avodas hakodesh: the drive to give to the community the way Rav Kelemer did for us, knowing we could not meet the standard that our Rav set for us.

The myriad aspects of Rabbi Kelemer’s legacy are difficult to capture, especially with much of it relegated to the nistar, the hidden. However, as I begin to absorb Rabbi Kelemer’s influence on me, my family and my efforts on behalf of the tzibbur, I find myself reflecting on the following five ideas.

Preaching was not part of Rabbi Kelemer’s way.

He simply set an example, and we followed. I find it hard to recall a drasha that contained mussar or rebuke. His drashos spoke to the beauty of values, especially inclusivity. Indeed, his very brief remarks at his installation were prophetic. He remarked that his words were the shortest of the 14 speeches that preceded his. He concluded by noting that he begins his tenure with emor me’at and then asked the tzibbur to bless him with the ability of aseh harbeh.

How prophetic!

Fidelity to mesorah and minhag: As was relayed from the many hespedim, Rabbi Kelemer often deflected psak when it related to minhag and mesorah, encouraging the one asking the shaila to follow the minhag of their family, community, or

shul. Rabbi Fendel, a YIWH alumna and son of Rabbi Mayer Fendel, a previous rav of YIWH, shared the following anecdote at the levaya. During Rav Kelemer’s first year at YIWH, Rabbi Kelemer called Rabbi Fendel to ask what the minhag was regarding the choice of Selichos at YIWH. A seemingly minor matter, but the preservation of the minhagim was paramount to Rav Kelemer.

Chinuch that is truly child-centered: Like HANC, the community yeshiva of West Hempstead, Rav Kelemer understood that education is about the individual needs of a student. Chanoch l’naar al pi darko was not a slogan or even just a pasuk to Rabbi Kelemer; it was a guiding principle. His personal and professional counsel to me always reflected

He himself carried the burdens of so many, yet always had that glowing smile, encouraging word, and positivity for all around him. that value. It is noteworthy that Rav Kelemer was the rav at the very first Yachad Shabbaton, a reflection of his understanding that each person, irrespective of their station in life, deserves a place in our community. And I must recall how every shaila asked during a shiur, regardless of its merits or lack thereof, was greeted with the utmost kavod, often twisted and reformulated to make the questioner feel golden. “That’s that kasha of R’ Akiva Eiger” was so often the response.

Humor: Rav Kelemer was legendary for his humor. He used it both publicly in his drashos with his famous Shemini shel Pesach announcement “Western Beef...Everything but—” to which the whole kehilla in unison exclaimed, “THE BEEF” as he listed which stores one could immediately purchase

chometz from that evening. Going back to his installation and the fourteen speeches that preceded his remarks, Rav Kelemer, the master of gematria, calculated that 14 was the numerical equivalent of yad, but it was also the gematria of dai, enough, which he emphatically proclaimed. He was able to inject and receive humor at just the right personal moments. I recall the vivid memories of how he and my father, a”h, would trade quips, anecdotes and jokes, understanding how to connect with people.

And finally, in the past few years, I recall hearing Rav Kelemer teach as that a chassid is one who has “avlu b’libo v’tzahalah b’fanav, pain in his heart, yet joy upon his face.” Even though I only intermittently visited YIWH in recent years, I believe I heard Rav Kelemer quote this no less than five times! It struck me each time. He himself carried the burdens of so many, yet always had that glowing smile, encouraging word, and positivity for all around him. A true chassid! Indeed, carrying the mesorah of his alta zeide, the Baal Shem Tov. In particular, I recall at my vort when he offered his divrei bracha to me and my wife Elissa, he wished my mother a special mazal tov expressing that she deserved this simcha given the many traumas of her life. I thought then, how sensitive of him to understand not only the depth of pain of my mother, but it was majestic how he uplifted her, knowing that she carries all that. But as I matured and began to realize a bit more about Rabbi Kelemer and his life, I understood that Rabbi Kelemer was not only teaching us “avlu b’libo v’tzahalah b’fanav,” but modeling it in the most profound way.

My family and I are broken. Our West Hempstead community and beyond are left without its leader. Our yeshiva, HANC, is forever indebted to the hadracha that Rabbi Kelemer offered us. We all feel alone without Rav Kelemer’s regal guidance.

Rabbi Eli Slomnicki is the menahel/principal of HANC High School.

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The Board of Directors and Administration of

CAHAL

Joins the West Hempstead community as we mourn and express our heartfelt sympathy to Rebbetzin Rochi Kelemer and her family on the passing of

Moreinu HaRav Yehuda Kelemer z"l Rav of the Young Israel of West Hempstead and Morah D’asra of the community for 37 years. He was a great leader and Torah luminary who was filled with warmth and caring for all, and who dedicated his life to helping others and building a community that continues to grow and thrive. His love of children and the CAHAL Program was an inspiration to the Administration of CAHAL May his family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Yerushalayim Mr. Avi Weinstock, President Dr. Norman Blumenthal, Chairman of the Board of Education Mr. Richard Altabe, Vice President Emeritus Mr. Moishe Mishkowitz, Vice President Mr. Paul Reinstein, Vice President Mrs. Naomi Nadata, Program Director Mrs. Alice Feltheimer, Educational Coordinator Mr. Shimmie Ehrenreich, Executive Director

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THE LOSS OF A GIANT

Rabbi Yehudah Kelemer, zt”l

BY NAFTALI HALPERN

AT

twelve years old, Rabbi Yehudah Kelemer had a unique challenge. He was living in California with his parents, but, at the time, there were no high caliber yeshivas on the West Coast.

His older brother, who was in YU at the time, agreed that the bright child belonged in a yeshiva on the East Coast. Young Yehudah knew that once he was on the East Coast, if he visited a yeshiva and wanted to learn there, his parents would consent to him learning there. But how would he get the money to travel cross-country, back then, in the early days of plane travel?

The two boys came up with a simple plan. Well, maybe not so simple for anyone else, but simple for them.

At the time, there was an international Chidon HaTanach competition for school-agestudents across the globe. This competition tested thousands of participants on their knowledge of Tanach. The winners of the competition were flown to New York for a ceremony. The brothers decided that young Yehudah would sign up for the competition and win it. This way, he would be able to get to New York.

The plan worked. Twelve-year-old Yehudah won the competition and was flown to New York.

Once he was on the East Coast, his older brother brought him to visit Ner Yisroel, and Yehudah decided to learn there, although his time there was short-lived. A few months later, he traveled to De-

troit for his bar mitzvah at his grandparents’ home.

Over the weekend, a young gaon, Rabbi Avrohom Mordechai Isbee, took notice of Yehudah and convinced him to come to Telshe Yeshiva in Cleveland, where he himself was learning.

Yehudah agreed and went to Telz, where he was from the youngest students. When the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Mordechai Gifter, zt”l, gave a test to the

Rabbi Kelemer saw the soul, not the hair. younger shiur, he quickly realized that Yehudah was a gifted young man.

“You belong in my shiur,” Rav Gifter said.

And, with that, Yehudah was bumped up to the Rosh Yeshiva’s shiur.

After six years in Telz, Rabbi Kelemer married the daughter of Rabbi Shmuel Dovid Walkin and went to Eretz Yisroel to learn in kollel in the Mir under Rav Nochum Partzovitz, zt”l, and Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz, zt”l.

Eventually, he made his way back to America and his career in rabbanus took off, with his first

major position being the rav in Brookline, Massachusetts. In 1983, Rabbi Kelemer became the rav of the Young Israel of West Hempstead, where he tirelessly shepherded his kehilla until his untimely passing last week.

TO extol Rabbi Kelemer’s brilliance is not only antithetical to who he was – pious and humble – but it also does not do justice. Yes, he mastered every area of Torah. Yes, when all of his work was done for the day, he would spend hours learning. Yes, he even had a box of seforim on the front seat of his car so that he could learn while stopped at traffic lights.

But that was all secondary to his ahavas Yisroel. For Rabbi Kelemer, caring about Yidden, sharing in the burden of others, opening his heart to others was the beginning, the end, and the middle.

“Oftentimes, there are people who are all about middos tovos, who are totally devoted to other Jews, and there is no reason to consider whether they are smart or not because their level of intelligence is not relevant to how much they do for others,” explains Rabbi Kelemer’s son, R’ Yosky. “But my father used his brilliance to figure out ways to help people and to analyze every aspect of middos tovos.”

Yosky recalls his father calling him late one night from a pay phone. Rabbi Kelemer explained that he was in Penn Station and lost his cellphone.

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He wanted Yosky to help him find a 24-hour Verizon store. Realizing that it would not be wise for his father to deal with this so late at night, Yosky suggested that his father take a train home and that right in the morning he would go to a Verizon store for his father. But Rabbi Kelemer resisted and said that he had to get to a Verizon store right away; the matter could not wait until the morning.

R’ Yosky was incredulous. It was so late at night at that point, why couldn’t his father wait until the morning. After trying to convince his father again to put the matter off until morning, Rabbi Kelemer finally explained to R’ Yosky the urgency of the matter.

“I had a few conversations this evening with people who are going through hard times,” Rabbi Kelemer told his son. “I’m concerned that if someone finds my cellphone, they may decide to have a good time and prank call the numbers that were recently dialed and, chas veshalom, I don’t want these people to have to have that tzaar. I need to get to a Verizon store to erase the phone information before the phone can be found.”

SEVERAL years back, the Young Israel decided to purchase Rabbi Kelemer a new car. Knowing that he shunned gashmius, it was a big feat to be able to give the Rav a luxurious vehicle. However, within a few weeks, Rabbi Kelemer returned the car to the shul and said that he would not use it any longer.

He explained, “There are many people who come to shul who have struggles with parnassah.

When they come to shul and see all of the nice cars, it hurts them deep down to see that other people have financial success while they don’t. They may understand that some people are more financially successful than others.” He went on, “But, if they see me driving a nice car, that would really hurt them because I’m the rabbi and if even the rabbi is more financially successful than them, that is really painful.”

With that, he gave the car back to the shul.

Rabbi Kelemer’s sensitivity knew no limits.

ONE man recalled that he was going through a very difficult time and arranged to speak with Rabbi Kelemer. Upon arriving at Rabbi Kelemer’s office, the man was so overwhelmed with his situation that he just sat in the office silently, unable to speak or even cry. Feeling the burden of the man’s pain, Rabbi Kelemer sat across from the man in silence as well, not saying a word. This went on for a whole hour. After an hour, the man got up and left.

He later explained that Rabbi Kelemer sitting there with him – in silence – and feeling his pain rejuvenated him and gave him the ability to carry on.

Rabbi Kelemer had a tremendous concern for almanos.

His son, R’ Berel, recalls when he was a young boy in Brookline, he would walk home with his fa-

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ther on Friday night and stop by several houses for cake. Only later did R’ Berel realize that there were a few almanos in the community and that Rabbi Kelemer would go to each of their homes on Friday night to make kiddush for them.

Rabbi Kelemer’s son, R’ Shmuel Dovid, recalls how, one year, on the first day of Sukkos, his father took a circuitous route home from shul. On the way, Rabbi Kelemer stopped into several sukkahs to look for someone.

Shmuel Dovid asked his father who he was looking for. Rabbi Kelemer explained that there was a widow in the community who lost her husband that year. He wanted to wish her a Rabbi Kelemer with Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik good yom tov.

“Her husband was a very popular person in the community,” he told Shmuel Dovid. Hempstead.

On many Shabbosim, the Kelemer home would “I’m sure on Sukkos there were always a lot of peobe filled with rabbonim and meshulachim from ple around their sukkah. I’m sure that now she is Israel who needed a place to stay. Rabbi Kelemer going to feel his absence the most, so I want to find made every guest feel at home – not just by providher and wish her a good yom tov.” ing them with physical comfort but also by taking an interest in who they were and where they came from.

“He would talk to one about Lubavitcher Torah and with another he would discuss a Biur HaGrah,” recalls his son R’ Shmuel Dovid. “He understood where each person came from and what they would enjoy talking about.”

Feeling the burden of the man’s pain, Rabbi

Kelemer sat across from the man in silence as well, not saying a word.

ANYONE who ever had the fortune of speaking with Rabbi Kelemer recalls how he made them the center of his universe for those few minutes. He had a laser-like focus and would draw out a person’s kochos by focusing on the person’s penimius, rather than seeing their chitzonius.

Rabbi Kelemer’s son, R’ Chaim Leib, recalls that, when he was a very young boy, a young man visited the Kelemer home sporting a very long ponytail. When the guest left the house, Chaim Leib innocently asked his father why the man had a ponytail.

Rabbi Kelemer was incredulous. “He had a ponytail? I didn’t notice that.”

Rabbi Kelemer saw the soul, not the hair.

Rabbi Kelemer’s care and concern for his community was legendary, but his love for Klal Yisroel reached even beyond his cherished Kehilla in West

RECENTLY, Rabbi Kelemer called his son R’ Shmuel Dovid, who lives in Brooklyn, and asked him to do an urgent favor for him. He explained that there was a person from Brooklyn whom he recently came across who was not making parnassah due to the pandemic. Rabbi Kelemer heard that the heat in that person’s home broke. He instructed R’ Shmuel Dovid to find someone immediately to fix the heat and said that he would pay the bill.

R’ Shmuel Dovid succeeded in the mission and called his father back later that night to let him know that the heat was fixed. “My father was so happy,” recalls R’ Shmuel Dovid. “He kept saying to me, ‘You can’t imagine. This man’s wife has a health issue, and it’s so important that they have heat.’ It was the biggest simcha by him that the heat was fixed.”

Rabbi Kelemer loved all facets of Torah. He was a descendant of the Baal Shem Tov and learned under some of the greatest Litvisher talmidei chachamim of the late twentieth century. As such, he had a great love for chassishe seforim, while being completely dedicated to lamdus and delving deeply into every area of Torah. His children recall that anytime they told their father about something they were learning, within a few days, he would purchase a new sefer for them relating to that topic.

“Despite all of his obligations, when he had a

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Rabbi Kelemer officiating at a congregant's wedding

free second, he would immediately absorb himself in learning,” notes R’ Shmuel Dovid.

Yosky recalls that on the day that the Persian Gulf War broke out, a relative was in the hospital, and Rabbi Kelemer was going to spend the night with the person. He decided to bring Yosky, who was in sixth grade at the time, to the hospital with them. As they were about to leave, the news broke that the Persian Gulf War started and that President Bush would address the nation. Rabbi Kelemer turned to Yosky and said, “Yosky, grab the sefer Dvar Avrohom which is in this-and-this shelf.”

When they arrived at the hospital, the entire waiting room was crowded around the TV listening to President Bush’s address. Rabbi Kelemer, however, sat in a corner with his face buried in the sefer. Yosky later learned that Rabbi Kelemer was learning a very complex piece from that sefer which discusses the laws of kibbush minchama (the laws about the halachos of wars and what happened when one country invaded another country). While the entire world was concerned with the sensation of war, Rabbi Kelemer was interested in what the Torah says about war.

Despite his complete absorption in Torah, avodah and gemilas chassadim, Rabbi Kelemer had a unique way of relating to the outside world as well. One of his children recalls that in the Kelemer home, if anyone ever made a pejorative statement about any person, Rabbi Kelemer would gently remind them that “all people are a tzelem Elokim.”

One time, Rabbi Kelemer was on a train and didn’t realize that it was an express train and would not stop at the station that he needed to get off. He asked one of the LIRR ticket collec-

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tors where he should get off in order to be able to eventually get to the station that he needed. The conductor was so taken by Rabbi Kelemer’s menschlechkeit that he pulled up at the station and opened one door so Rabbi Kelemer could exit at the station that he needed.

Rabbi Kelemer’s son, R’ Berel, recalls that when they were once at a mechanic shop Rabbi Kelemer noticed that the mechanic seemed unhappy. When Rabbi Kelemer asked why he was sad, the mechanic disclosed that he had just lost a child.

For the next hour, Rabbi Kelemer sat with the man and consoled him.

EVEN though Rabbi Kelemer led his flock a few miles from the Five Towns, the entire frum community feels an acute loss. Somehow, in the back of our minds, we knew that there was a giant Jew living less than a half-hour away from here.

We recognized that Rabbi Kelemer was the personification Torah and chessed, with a humble spirit and a primary concern and devotion to all Yidden.

May Rabbi Yehudah Kelemer, zt”l, be a meilitz yosher for his family, his community, and all of Klal Yisroel.

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M E M O R Y

A Tribute of Love

Rabbi Yehudah Kelemer

By Rabbi Zev Schostak

W

hen the news of the passing of their dear rabbi was announced last Friday morning, the entire community of West Hempstead was thrust into shock and mourning. When the announcement of his death over the loudspeakers in local schools was made, students in his community started weeping.

What kind of a rav could evoke such heartfelt feeling and universal love, not only from his congregants but from members of other shuls, including condolences from non-Jews in the community?

There was only one individual who was able to make such a profound personal impact on the entire community: Rav Yehudah Kelemer, zt”l.

Rabbi Kelemer had many wonderful qualities that endeared him to all. He loved all young and old in the spirit of the Baal Shem Tov. In fact, he was a tenth generation descendent of this founder of chassidut. He showed his love in a very unique way. When he met people, he was able to discern qualities that made them very special and made a point of telling them what wonderful middot they possessed. When the Rrabbi shared these insights with them, they were uplifted and felt very positive about themselves.

In the process, he lifted their spirits when they were down. He lived the teaching of our rabbis: “Who is honored? He who honors others…” (Avot 4:1) And he honored so many by dis-

covering their unique qualities and making them feel so positive about themselves.

Rabbi Kelemer had incredible devotion to his community. He was often up in the early hours of the morning to make himself available for telephone calls ranging from halachic inquiries to personal matters. He responded to his callers with his genuine personal warmth and concern, no matter what the hour.

Some have said that when it came to the people he loved, he transcended

10-minute dvar Torah chiddush on whatever topic they wished. The last 10 minutes of the hour session, the rabbi reserved for himself. After they finished, he began to weave all the divrei Torah together in a common theme that both excited and inspired these young men – an experience they would never forget!

When it came to halachic rulings, he would regularly consult with such authorities as Rav Elyashiv, zt”l. In his early years, in Telshe Yeshiva in Cleveland, he was already recognized

Imagine their surprise when they arrived and saw the rabbi davening by the baby’s crib side.

time. A poignant story is told about his unbelievable dedication. A young couple made a late night visit to the hospital to check on their newborn who was struggling to survive in the ICU. Imagine their surprise when they arrived and saw the rabbi davening by the baby’s crib side.

When it came to his mastery of the Talmud and halacha, the Rav was in a class by himself. On one occasion, he invited five serious young yeshiva fellows to a special session. He asked each to prepare a

by his roshei yeshiva as a prodigy.

Later, he learned for many years in the Mirrer Yeshiva in Jerusalem, where he became close to the legendary Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz, zt”l. His love of mussar and personal ethical behavior was enhanced and inspired by his relationship with R’ Chaim.

Just as he loved his community, his community loved him. In fact, he role modeled the qualities that many in his community personally adopted. To list a few: being open, friendly, down-to-earth, genuine,

loving humanity, and not being judgmental. These are qualities that every community could adopt, but in West Hempstead, Rabbi Kelemer was the role model. To highlight Rabbi Kelemer’s unique impact on his community, he would often walk across town on Shabbos to visit some individuals in need of his advice and support. From the moment he left his home, individuals who saw him came out and joined in a procession behind him. He never disclosed whom he was visiting because he did not want to violate their privacy. So, some time before he arrived at his destination, he would gently ask the chevrah to return home. Why did so many join with the Rabbi on his walks? They just wanted to be close with him and to realize that one could be both “to G-d and to people,” to cite the old Yiddish expression. Rabbi Yehudah Kelemer was of this world and the next throughout his life.

It has been said: Behind every great tzaddik, there is a greater tzadekes, who made it possible for her husband to become the tzaddik he became. That individual is Rebbitzen Ruchie Kelemer. In true humility, Rabbi Kelemer, following the example of Rabbi Akiva, declared, “All that I am and have achieved belongs to her.”

May his memory forever be a blessing.

Rabbi Zev Schostak is a cousin of Rabbi Kelemer, zt”l.

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Sheldon Adelson

From Boston to Billionaire

BY SUSAN SCHWAMM

It’s

perhaps not an exaggeration to say that Sheldon Adelson, who passed away this week at the age of 87, had helped to stem the tide of intermarriage in the Jewish world.

Adelson and his wife, Miriam, were the primary backers of Birthright trips to Israel. For many Jewish non-affiliated teens, the free trip to Israel was their only connection to the Holy Land and its people. For many, it awakened in them a desire to connect back to their roots – or at least, not to throw away their esteemed heritage.

FROM CABS TO CASINOS Adelson started out from humble beginnings. His father, Arthur, drove a cab in Dorchester, Massachusetts; his mother worked in a knitting store.

Sheldon became an entrepreneur at a young age when he borrowed money from his uncle to obtain a license to sell newspapers in Boston. He was 12 years old.

Since that endeavor, for 75 years, Adelson made his name in business,

using his keen eye to turn what some saw as dust into gold. His gilded hands lit up Las Vegas and Asian cosmopolitan cities with his casinos, and he turned business conventions into a rewarding, profitable industry.

“If you do things differently, suc-

At 55, Adelson started in the casino business. He was the first to build a convention hall in his Sands casino in 1989 – a move that other owners replicated – when he purchased it for $128 million. The convention hall would keep rooms full during the

“If you do things differently, success will follow you like a shadow.” cess will follow you like a shadow,” Adelson said during a 2014 talk to the gambling industry in Las Vegas.

Adelson never graduated college, dropping out of City College of New York before graduation and serving in the Army. After a series of starting small businesses, Adelson hit his stride in the ‘80s with a technology trade show, starting computer convention COMDEX in 1979 before selling his stake in 1995 for more than $800 million.

week, filling the casino’s coffers with patrons and roulette players Monday through Thursday.

Adelson expanded his enterprise into Asia, bringing casino gambling to Macao, the only place in China where casino gambling is legal. A lack of land didn’t present a problem to the entrepreneur. He built land there by piling up sand to create the Cotai Peninsula. Rapidly, Adelson’s Macao’s casino revenue outstripped profits from his Las Vegas holdings.

His success in Macao led him to expand to Singapore, where his Marina Bay Sands hotel and its infinity pool became a signature of the skyline.

GOING POLITICAL It wasn’t just slot machines and roulette where Adelson made his mark. Adelson poured money into politics as well, donating with record-breaking funds to politicians and parties he aligned with. As such, Adelson had a number of domestic and international leaders who listened to his advocacy. President Trump, in particular, was the recipient of sums of Adelson’s money. Adelson donated $25 million for Trump’s benefit in 2016 and another $75 million in 2020. In fact, Sheldon and his wife, Miriam, sat front and center at Trump’s inauguration four years ago.

In 2018, President Trump honored Miriam Adelson with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

“To protect the sacred heritage of the Jewish faith, Miriam and Shel-

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Adelson bought his first casino at the age of 55

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Sheldon and Miriam with Amb. David Friedman

Prime Minister Netanyahu with Sheldon and Miriam

Sheldon and his wife Miriam at the Trump inauguration

don have supported Jewish schools, Holocaust memorial organizations, and helped Jewish Americans visit the Holy Land,” Trump said during a reception in the White House’s East Room.

“The world has lost a great man,” President Trump said after Sheldon’s passing. “Sheldon lived the true American dream. His ingenuity, genius, and creativity earned him immense wealth, but his character and philanthropic generosity gave him his great name.”

to key places in Israel, cementing a love for the Land and instilling Jewish values at a seminal age.

The 19th-richest American used his $35 billion fortune to help shape policy when it came to Israel. It was in the ‘90s when Adelson began pour-

ISRAEL IN MY HEART Although Trump had many advocates for Israel on his team, Adelson was extremely influential in pushing for the Jewish State.

In 2017, Adelson asserted, “I’m a one-issue person. That issue is Israel.”

Sheldon and his wife, Miriam, poured at least $410 million into Birthright trips, bringing thousands of Jewish teens on trips to the Holy Land. Those trips brought youngsters

ing his money into Israeli causes. He began underwriting congressional trips to Israel run by AIPAC. When George W. Bush was president, Adelson tried to get President Bush to deter Condoleezza Rice from pursuing Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Bush told Adelson that Sheldon and his wife shouldn’t worry about Rice’s negotiations, because “at the end of the day, it’s going to be my policy, not Condi’s.”

Adelson endeavored to influence

President Obama into bombing Iran.

Instead, Obama infamously signed the Iran nuclear deal with the rogue nation. But Trump, a few years later, walked back the deal, an action that Adelson thoroughly supported and encouraged.

“Even though I am not Israeli-born, Israel is in my heart.”

Adelson was a key advocate for moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. President Trump made the record-setting move in May 2018. A few months ago, in September 2020, Adelson bought the U.S. ambassador’s palatial residence in Herzliya for a record $67 million, ensuring that future administrations would have a hard time reversing Trump’s move.

Adelson’s influence also helped President Trump and his adminis-

tration to recognize the legitimacy of settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem. In January 2019, Trump reversed long-standing bipartisan U.S. policy that saw settlements as illegitimate obstacles to peace because they make a geographically viable Palestinian state impossible.

Adelson, with a heart of gold, lent Jonathan Pollard a private plane so Jonathan and his wife could fly freely to Israel after sitting 30 years in jail in the United States.

Adelson, with his Israeli-born wife, truly felt “libi ba’Mizrach.”

In a 2010 speech, Adelson, a U.S. Army veteran, lamented that “the uniform that I wore in the military, unfortunately, was not an Israeli uniform.” He added: “All we care about is being good Zionists, being good citizens of Israel, because even though I am not Israeli-born, Israel is in my heart.”

On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Adelson “will forever be remembered” for his work strengthening ties between the U.S. and Israel.

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Mind Y

ur Business

Steven Cohen: Observe, Orient, Decide, Act

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.

TJH will be featuring leading questions and takeaways from Yitzchok’s popular radio show on a bi-monthly basis.

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n a recent 77WABC “Mind Your Business” broadcast, Yitzchok Saftlas spoke with guest Steve Cohen, also known as the “Millionaire’s Magician,” the famous host of “Chamber Magic,” a popular off-Broadway show. * * * Steve, when did you decide that you’re going to make a career out of magic?

Well, you know, it’s not the kind of job that has a career path. There’s no training program. There’s no step-by-step.

I decided when I was very young that I wanted to become a magician, but my parents always said, you have to have something to fall back on. So, that’s why I went to college.

After having graduated from college, I wanted to give this magic thing a try, but I didn’t have any money yet.

So I started working in a marketing company just using some of my Jap-

anese language skills, and then was moonlighting as a magician on the side when I realized I could make a lot more money working for myself than working for someone else.

So that’s kind of when the switch flipped, and I left that company and went off on my own and had many years of being very hungry. I decided to do some work on the side in Japanese language translating, translating Japanese documents from Japanese into English for law firms, for the U.S. government. Those are all things that I was using to kind of pad the coffers while I was really trying to make my living as a magician.

And it was very slim pickings in the beginning.

That’s a very important lesson, because there are people – many people – when they embark on the journey of becoming an entrepreneur, they say, OK, I could potentially make more money going out on my own, not realizing that

it could take one, two or even three decades for their business to become viable.

I’ll tell you how long it was for me. I came to New York in 1995. It took five years before I launched my show, and I was really living a very meager lifestyle. I remember, at one point, if I had a doughnut that was a meal. So, it was a really tough five years.

Then, when I decided to launch the show, it took another two years before it actually started to break even and turn a profit. So that’s seven years.

And that’s something that people often gloss over when they look back, and they talk about their successes and whatnot. It was a seven-year period where I was really living handto-mouth.

with an off-Broadway show.

Tell us about what it was like when you were facing that challenge.

I didn’t really think of the bigger picture. I didn’t think about how I was competing against Broadway shows for the competition for people’s time and their money. All I wanted to do was: I wanted to be a magician in New York. I thought if I could do this for 20 years, then, in my mind, I’ll have been a success.

I kind of had “bubble” or tunnel vision. I just went ahead and did my own thing, not really concerning myself with the competition. What are other magicians doing? What are Broadway shows doing? What are off-Broadway shows doing? That actually helped me, because I wasn’t really swayed by anyone else.

Going back 20 years, you entered a very competitive market. The New York theater market is highly competitive, and you decided you were going

There is a famous quote, “It took 30 years to become an overnight success.”

How long did it take for you to gain traction? Can you talk

The Jewish Home | JANUARY 14, 2021 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

about the patience that an entrepreneur needs in order to be successful?

When I began the show, in my head I thought, I’m going to run this for 20 years. So, I had patience built into the whole project. And every time that I did a show, if it was a good show, then great, I was one step closer to my 20-year mark. If I did a bad show and I got a terrible reaction, that was also one step closer to my mark. And I learned from that.

Of course, I had hopefully more good shows than bad shows. But along the way I also got very fortunate.

About three years in, I got a great opportunity on CBS Sunday morning. They did a seven-minute interview that aired nationwide. That interview then brought in over a million dollars of ticket sales in about three days. My mind was completely blown. Those shows were sold out. So, what do you do? If you’re an entrepreneur, you have to produce more supply. So, I added more shows. That basically brings me to today where I kind of had these inflection points where suddenly there was traction, but I just had to wait.

I had to be patient. There’s going to be many times where you get a media hit. Maybe you get featured in a newspaper or you get featured in a magazine or a blog. As an entrepreneur, you get very excited – like this is going to make me, this is going to be it. I remember the first time I got featured in The New York Post. It was a half a page article. I thought, This is going to make my career.

And it was a minor blip, a miniscule blip. It sold maybe three tickets. But it was an opportunity to be seen by a great amount of people. So, when you have these media hits, you may often think that it is going to change everything. There’ll be an avalanche of orders, or business, or tickets sold, or whatever you’re selling. But the fact is, you can’t assume that.

You just have to take it in stride, almost assume that it’s not even there.

How do you harness the talent of very, very talented people?

What I found is you obviously must always be acting in a professional way, but also, I like to make sure that my sense of humor loosens

the person up so they realize that I’m not pretentious. Now, I can come across as pretentious from time to time if I’m really focused on my work. But being able to break down that barrier by having some shared joke or some common little comical interchange – I’ve found that to work really well.

There are times when the pressure is really on. Let’s say, a cast member isn’t feeling well, called in sick at the last minute, or you know of something

sands of times. That’s where the practice and the rehearsals really come into play because you start to see what could potentially go wrong, and then you’re able to have a plan B and C and D ready for those eventualities.

Perhaps you can share with us a tip about practice and rehearsals. Now, of course, when you’ve been doing the show for so many years, each show is a practice and rehearsal for future shows. But from the early

“Don’t push the river.

You must let it flow.” that may or may not happen during the show, like a power outage. How do you train for these types of situations, and what are your tips on how to deal with pressure that you can cut with a knife?

I learned this from a friend of mine who’s a pilot. He called it the OODA Loop. I don’t know if you’re familiar with this. If you’re a fighter pilot, you automatically know what this is. It’s part of being situationally aware. It stands for Observe, Orient, Decide, Act. You’re always observing what’s going on, right? There might be something that went wrong that the audience hasn’t become aware of yet.

Then you have to orient yourself so that you know what to do. Then you decide what to do, and then you act on it. Then you loop back to the original O, which is observe again. You’re always looping back. You’ve probably heard the expression, keep me in the loop. That comes from this expression.

What I try to do is have situational awareness, keeping awareness of myself in three-dimensional space, plus also in the fourth dimension of time. I’m thinking ahead before you even know what’s going to happen, I’m aware of what could potentially happen only because I’ve done this show literally thousands and thou-

days, how many times would you rehearse? What was the schedule that you would put in, to practice and practice and practice in order to make sure that it would be flawless?

I practice constantly, and I practice with great dedication. There are some sleight of hand maneuvers that I’ll be performing from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to sleep. Some of these are mental tricks that I have to perhaps run through a series of memorized steps.

Other things are physical, where I have to practice with my fingers to be able to make sure that the dexterity stays intact. The idea is that the muscle memory is so intact that I can be placing my attention on the audience. And this is almost having two minds. You may have seen some great jazz pianists or classical pianists who can be playing a run on their left hand and a melody on their right hand. And it’s almost as if it’s two different people playing the same instrument. That’s what I’m doing. The technique is one hand, and the presentational skills are the other hand.

You’ve shared so many great takeaways for anyone in business as it applies to magic and as it applies to the world at large for entrepreneurs. Per-

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haps you could share a tip or two for all the small- to medium-sized business owners out there.

The best advice that I have is something that my mentor gave me when I was starting the show. Her name is Holly Pepin. She’s a poetry professor, but she also happens to be a great supporter of magic. She said to me, “Always think in real time.

Don’t push the river. You must let it flow.”

I think that’s a very poetic and a beautiful way of approaching business. Think of things in real time.

You want it to happen now, you put in all this investment and time and you want to see results right away.

That’s what everyone wants; we want instant satisfaction and results. But if you think in real time, then you understand that it’s not going to happen right away, most likely.

That’s why, when I made that 20year goal, she said, “Oh, you’re on the right track. You made a 20-year goal. That’s good thinking.”

The other part of the of the statement is: “Don’t push the river. You must let it flow.” That’s apparently a saying from an African folk story.

The river is always going to be moving, and you can’t control it. The moment that you accept that you can’t control everything, you let things happen and respond and keep moving forward in your own way, that will probably steer you into the right direction.

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Dating Dialogue

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

Dear Navidaters,

Mazal tov to our columnist, RENA FRIEDMAN, upon her engagement!

I’ve never written to a magazine before, but I have no clue who else to ask. I really like the styles of each of your panelists, and I think you could help me.

I’m 26 and have been dating since I was 21. I don’t live at home anymore, for reasons that will become obvious as I continue.

I’m dating a guy seriously – let’s call him Chaim. I am petrified to bring him home to meet my parents, because I know my parents will sabotage it. They won’t do it to his face, but as soon as he leaves, their critique will begin. Either he’s too short, too tall, not tall enough, doesn’t have a good enough family, doesn’t “look” like our family, doesn’t have a good enough job, etc. I’ve been through this before, which was why I moved out.

Chaim and I want to get engaged, and I have been putting it off because I don’t want my parents to start their negativity train. Things feel so much safer with them in the dark. Chaim knows how I feel regarding my parents.

How should I go forward with this?

Thank you, Leah*

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

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The Panel The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S. eah, I hear your dilemma. I am glad you have found your soulmate and the two of you are ready to finalize a lifelong commitment.

I am going to make some assumptions based on what you have written.

The first is connected to your relationship with your parents. The second is connected to your relationship with Chaim.

You did not move out only because your parents are hypercritical of the boys you date. There were and are other serious issues in the relationship which have not yet been worked out.

You have also been in therapy to deal with the root issues that cause this. You are living independently and have a profession by now. You also have mentors to whom you turn.

Therefore, think back to what your therapists and mentors have advised you about communicating with them.

Consider what has worked in the past.

Consider going to your therapist and mentors with Chaim. Consider telling people in their life (their rabbi/mentor/ close friend) in advance about your pending engagement so that they are ready to deal with their reaction and will feed them appropriate advice.

A strategy you may decide on is letting them know the engagement is happening and giving them a choice.

In other words, informing them of the impending news and telling them you have a choice: to participate in the simcha with happiness and dignity or not.

Whatever you decide to do together with your team and Chaim, remember not to fall into the traps and patterns of the past. Don’t let their reaction and your reaction to old patterns drive you to say things you will later regret. Don’t let old behaviors get triggered by them.

You may need to prepare scripts and practice them.

I am assuming that you have been open with Chaim about your parents, the issues that remain between you and them, and their possible reactions.

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Have you shared your personal journey in separating from them? Is your relationship strong enough to weather short-term and long-term negativity from your parents? Has he had experience dealing with toxic relationships and grown from it? Does he have mentors? Can he stick to the script you decide on? Does he have the capacity to give you what you need when you have stress? How does he deal with major stress? Do you have the capacity to give him what he needs to support him through his stress? These are important questions to work through so that you two will weather not only this stress but future stressors that life inevitably brings. Take the time to work through this looming challenge and your later challenges as a couple will be easier to handle as you will have forged a strong bond of mutual support.

B’hatzlacha.

The Shadchan

self-confidence is strong enough to use this tool to your advantage.

I can infer from details in your letter that you understand the unhealthy patterns in your parents (hence your move out of your home, etc.). Go to your childhood home with Chaim, a box of chocolates, a bottle of wine, and some red clown noses. You already recognize your parents have a problem, and you know what to expect. That is most of the battle. Now you just need to get over with it, introduce him, and create an environment where you are not taking them too seriously. You are speaking to an audience of clowns; no need to get all intimidated. You know your relationship with Chaim, and you are a self-aware young woman who can hold her own.

Your parents love you and will love Chaim. You just have to get through these next few months with a grain of salt and a sense of humor.

The Single

Michelle Mond

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s a shadchan, I have seen the scenario you describe play out many different ways over the years, so much so that I can basically predict an outcome if I have enough information.

If you and Chaim are being completely honest with each other, I would give your relationship a good prognosis. You will get through the engagement and marriage process; you will tiptoe around your parents negativity.

You might need to learn some creative coping techniques. Place the phone on your pillow while your parents go on monologues about their fears and woes regarding your new relationship. Make sure you have healthy mentors to provide you with guidance along the way.

They say the best way to battle stagefright is to pretend your audience is a bunch of clowns. Suddenly the task of public speaking is not so daunting because you are actually imagining yourself speaking to the least intimidating group of people on earth. I advise you to do the same. Hopefully your

Rivka Weinberg

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eah, I’m so happy to hear you and Chaim are looking to get engaged!

Im yirtzeh Hashem it should be b’sha’ah tova u’mutzlachas.

Bringing a boy home can be exciting, as well as scary and overwhelming. From the way you describe your situation, I can understand why you are hesitant to do so. Each family circumstance is different, and I think it’s important to remember that the words “should” and “normal” are not meant to exist in the realm of shidduchim.

One of my rebbeim once told me that people are so busy “shoulding” themselves and comparing their situations to others’ that they self-sabotage. If you believe having Chaim meet your parents too far in advance before the engagement would cause more harm than benefit, then don’t put yourself in that situation. With that being said, I think it’s important for someone whom you respect and trust to meet Chaim to get that validation we all seek from our

The words “should” and “normal” are not meant to exist in the realm of shidduchim. loved ones when we bring home “the one.” I suggest you reach out to a rav, rebbetzin, or mentor to set up a time to meet with him/her and Chaim to allow yourself the menuchas hanefesh we all crave. Once that validation has been acquired and you are fully comfortable and confident with the decision to marry Chaim, you can introduce him to your parents.

The fact that Chaim is aware of how you feel about your parents is healthy and shows a level of communication and depth in your relationship. When being vulnerable with him and sharing your feelings, watch how he responds and determine for yourself if you feel heard emotionally in the relationship.

However, keep in mind that Chaim is 50% of the relationship as well. Have you asked him what his thoughts are on the situation? Just because he is aware of your feelings towards your parents, doesn’t mean he is okay with them preventing your relationship from progressing. Have an open and honest conversation with Chaim to ensure you are both truly on the same page with regard to a timeline.

As difficult as it may be, work on being securely attached and enough for yourself to prevent your parents’ opinions from penetrating your own. I have heard that dating is a microcosm for marriage, so being able to face this challenge head-on with Chaim will allow you to build that necessary foundation which, iy”H, will guide the two of you throughout life. Most importantly, remember Hakadosh Baruch Hu has a plan and turn to Him for the strength, courage, and clarity necessary to navigate this tekufa in your life.

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The Zaidy Dr. Jeffrey Galler here’s an old joke: A young woman comes home from a singles’ weekend and excitedly tells her parents, “I’m so happy! I met the most wonderful man. We love each other and want to get married! I can’t wait for you to meet him. I’m sure you will love him.”

The parents are happy for their daughter and say, “That’s great! When can we meet him?”

The daughter replies, “I knew you’d

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

say that. I brought him home with me, and he’s standing on the porch right now!”

She opens the door and introduces her parents to her boyfriend. He’s wearing a loincloth, his body is completely covered with tattoos, his long hair is festooned with bones, his belt is adorned with shrunken human skulls, he has a live snake wrapped around his neck, and he is carrying a long spear in his right hand.

The girl’s mother shrieks, “No, no!

I told you to marry a rich doctor! Not a witch doctor!”

Okay, okay,

it’s not that funny. But the point is that parents have optimistic matrimonial expectations for their children, and it is sometimes difficult or impossible for children to satisfy those expectations.

So, Leah, ask yourself: Are your parents’ past criticisms completely offthe-wall, over-the-top, unreasonable, and unfounded? Or, do they mean well and are there some hard-for-you-to-admit truths to their past critiques?

If you feel absolutely certain and confident that this is the chosson for you, despite how your parents might feel, you need to sit down with them before the momentous meeting, and say, “Mom, Dad, I love you, and I’m looking

Pulling It All Together

Do not convince them of anyThe Navidaters thing. That is not your job. Do not Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists ask them to like him. That is not your responsibility. Don’t prepare them with a speech about how great he ear Leah, is. Their opinion of him derful! I can’t imagine Thank you for writing into our is of no importance to you. Simply what you may feeling at the column! tell them that you have met someone thought of introducing Chaim First and foremost, I think you are special and you would like to make to your parents. Chaim is preincredible for taking the difficult steps an introduction. Ask them about their cious to you. And when you bring to move out of your parents’ home. schedules and coordinate the meeting. him in front of your parents, from Living with hypercritical family has Before the meeting, I want you to your description, they will most likely the potential to make people both breathe. Deep breathing. Your body pick him apart. I can completely unemotionally and physically unwell. If may be dysregulated beforehand bederstand your hesitation! Why would you’ve tried talking with them about cause of all the times your parents have anyone want to subject herself and her it and they are unable to understand, criticized you and/or the men you have loved one to this? You may know that hear you or make changes for your brought home. It is likely that you will their words are completely beyond the emotional safety and comfort, further be feeling emotional. Your goal is to pale, but still, you are only human… talking and communication around simply regulate your body so that when and words hurt. Seeds get planted. this issue may likely be unhelpful and the criticisms begin to flow, you will reIdeas begin to sprout. To be picked unhealthy for you. It is not for me to main grounded and calm. apart and feel as if Chaim will not “be surmise what is driving your parents to You have created a safe zone for enough” in their eyes will most likely “nitpick” you, but it is my place to valyourself where you are safe from your hurt. And the realization that parents idate your very wise decision to leave. parents’ nitpicking and degrading. can be so limited is hurtful for a child You chose mental sanity and peace by And now, you are faced with the prosof any age. creating a boundary between yourself pect of going back into an emotional And yet, for good reason, I’m sure, and their hurtful words. space where you will not be protected. your parents continue to be in your You have met a wonderful man How brave of you. You need to know life and you will be introducing Chaim with whom you want to spend the rest how brave you are. This is not easy. to them. Here is my practical advice. of your life. Mazal tov! How won-

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Remember not to fall into the traps and patterns of the past. forward to you meeting Chaim. I know that you love me and want the very best for your daughter, but I am asking you, very strongly, to not say anything negative to me about him. Chaim and I want to have a long, loving, healthy relationship with you. So, no matter how strongly you feel, please never, ever express any criticisms about him.”

Good luck and best wishes.

After you meet with your parents, it will be done with. I suggest that you and Chaim do something together that makes you feel very safe. Is there a place you can visit that has significance to you? Maybe a cup of coffee or tea together would help. Or writing a poem or journaling. Maybe a conversation with a “safe” relative. Something or someone safe, immediately afterward.

Your parents may always have something negative to say about your life. Be it a life partner, your first house, the timing of your children, the career of your choice, or the way you part your hair. Or maybe it will be Chaim’s hair that is parted improperly.

When we are criticized as youngsters, we often try to please our parents (and others) for the rest of our lives. Some of us may put up walls to protect ourselves from ever getting hurt. And we lose out on being our authentic selves and feeling the liberating sensation of being an individual. The fact that you have moved out truly does speak volumes about you. For what it’s worth, you deserve to be with the man who lights up your heart; who puts a smile on your face; and who makes you happy every day for the rest of your life.

Sincerely, 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.

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Health & F tness

An Egg-Cellent and Healthy Food

By Aliza Beer MS, RD, CDN

A

n egg is a perfect food and a mainstay in my diet.

One can eat eggs for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and in a variety of ways – be it scrambled, sunny-side up, poached, or hard boiled. One egg contains a powerhouse of protein, healthy fats, antioxidants, and many essential vitamins and minerals. For many years, we were all told to shun egg yolks due to their high cholesterol content. However, in 2000, the American Heart Association (AHA) revised its dietary guidelines and gave healthy adults the greenlight to enjoy eggs once again. The AHA’s guidelines now allow one yolk a day (the egg white is pure protein, so it is a non-issue) for healthy adults, while still advising a total daily cholesterol limit of 300 mg. For reference, one large egg contains 213 mg of cholesterol, all within the yolk, about 2/3 of the recommended daily limit. After 25 years of study, it has become evident that cholesterol in food is not the culprit, but that saturated fat has a much more significant effect on blood cholesterol. Full fat dairy products and fatty meats are examples of foods that are loaded with saturated fat and which trigger the body to produce cholesterol.

Let us unscramble all the amazing benefits to be found in the egg and why it is one of the best foods we should be eating right now.

• Perfect Protein: Proteins are the main building blocks of the body and serve both structural and functional purposes. Protein consists of amino acids that are linked

together like beads on a string and then folded into complex shapes.

There are about 21 amino acids that the body needs to build its proteins.

Nine of these amino acids cannot be produced by the body and have to be obtained from the diet. They are known as essential amino acids.

The quality of a protein source is determined by its relative amounts of these essential amino acids. A protein source that contains all of them in the right ratios is a high-quality source of protein. Eggs are among the best sources of protein in the diet. In fact, a food’s biological value (a measure of protein quality) is often evaluated by comparing it to eggs, which are given the perfect score of 100.

• Eggs Protect the Eyes: Lutein and zeaxanthin are two antiox-

idants both found in the yolk. They tend to accumulate in the retina part of the eye, where they protect the eyes from harmful sunlight. These antioxidants significantly reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts, which are among the leading causes of vision impairment and blindness in the elderly. In one study, eating 1.3 yolks a day for 4.5 weeks increased blood levels of zeaxanthin by 114-142% and lutein by 28-50%.

• Weight Loss Friendly: Eggs are low in calories and high in nutrients. One whole egg is about 78 calories. I usually recommend a meal consisting of one whole egg and then the addition of a bunch of whites, as much as you need, and veggies. Add a whole grain toast or a sweet potato, and you have yourself

a very low calorie (probably under 300), yet extremely satisfying meal.

High protein foods, like eggs, have been known to reduce appetite and increase fullness, compared to foods that contain less protein.

Studies have repeatedly shown that egg meals increase fullness and reduce food intake during later meals, compared to other meals with the same calorie content. The egg will also help boost your metabolism through a process called the thermic effect of food, which is the energy required by the body to metabolize foods, and is higher for protein than for fat or carbs. This means that high protein foods, such as eggs, help you burn more calories.

Many studies have shown the significant effect of eggs on weight loss, especially when eaten for breakfast. Eggs may increase your feeling of fullness and make you automatically eat fewer calories, for up to 36 hours!

• Loaded w it h Choline: Choline is an essential nutrient and needed for various processes in the body. It is required to synthesize the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and is a component of cell membranes.

A low choline intake has been implicated in liver disease, heart disease, and neurological disorders.

This nutrient is especially important for pregnant women. Studies show that a low choline intake can raise the risk of neural tube defects and lead to decreased cognitive function in the baby. The best sources of choline in the diet are egg yolks and beef liver.

• Whole Nutrition: One

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | JANUARY 14, 2021 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

whole egg contains an amazing range of nutrients. Remember, the nutrients in the egg can become an entire baby chicken! One egg is a good source of vitamin B12, vitamin B2, vitamin A, vitamin B5, and selenium. Eggs also contain small amounts of almost every vitamin and mineral required by the human body, including calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, manganese, vitamin E, folate, and many more. It’s important to understand that almost all the nutrients are contained in the yolk, while the whites contain only protein.

The full benefits of eggs can only be realized if you store them properly, in the refrigerator, and cook them thoroughly to kill any potential bacteria.

Not all eggs are created equally.

Manufacturers and chicken farmers have taken steps to enhance an egg’s nutritional properties. There is now a whole industry devoted to

improving the dietary quality of the egg. For example, “designer” eggs come from chickens that are allowed to roam freely (free range) or whose feed is supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids. Hens given feed that is free of animal products produce

the saturated and total fat content of the egg yolk. Mariglod extract has even been used to increase the lutein content of eggs. Most of these designer eggs come with designer prices and cost significantly more than regular eggs.

Eggs are among the best sources of protein in the diet.

vegetarian eggs, while those given all-organic feed produce organic eggs. Some chicken feed is enriched with canola oil, bran, kelp, flaxseed, marine algae, fish oil, or vitamin E to increase the eggs’ healthy omega-3 fatty acid content. Certain types of feed are designed to reduce

Eggs are one of the healthiest, most accessible, and easily cooked/ prepared foods and should be incorporated as a staple in our diets. They are a wonderful protein to eat on the run (think hardboiled), or great for sneaking in vegetables like broccoli and spinach into your kids’ diets by

21 87 21

disguising them as kugels or souffles. Eggs make a super snack after exercise when your body needs complete and high-quality protein to help repair any muscle damage.

On vacation, bring along either a sandwich or waffle maker to cook eggs on, or if you have access to a burner, bring (or ship) a non-stick frying pan, and you have yourself a healthy and easy meal, anytime of the day or night.

Eggs are one food that are certainly hard to beat!

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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JANUARY 14, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Parenting Pearls

The Real Parenting Moments

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

M

any parents tend to place a lot of focus on proper punishment and how to properly give consequences for bad actions.

It is a major topic, and there is much debate on how to do so correctly. In this article, I’m not going to discuss in-depth my thoughts on punishing kids. I think that giving children a proper, relevant consequence to their actions is a fine art. I want to clarify that I’m not among those who subscribe to the belief that children should never be told “no.” I do think that giving children clear guidelines and fair expectations are crucial to their development and something that benefits the child. How to strike that fair balance will also not be the subject of this article. There are differences between punishments and consequences, but that’s not a discussion for today.

Now that I’ve devoted an entire paragraph to what we’re not discussing, let’s get to the topic at hand.

I don’t remember where I first heard this particular idea, but I remember how surprising it was to me at the time. I think it came from a book for educators but I’m not positive. The basic premise is that chinuch or educating a child doesn’t happen with punishment. Punish-

ment is to stop the bad behavior, but it’s not the ultimate lesson. The main chinuch lessons generally occur afterwards or at other times. This doesn’t mean children should be allowed to run wild because you can’t educate a child who is acting out. Additionally, nobody benefits when a child is permitted to misbehave, certainly not the child himself. But it means we need to appreciate that whatever misbehavior we see, or area that needs to be corrected, needs to be dealt with at a later time if we want to truly educate.

It is incorrect to rely on the time-out and say our job is complete.

I personally think of it as the two phases of dealing with misbehavior.

One phase is stopping the child’s negative behavior. While we commonly think of this as punishment or consequence, it can also be redirecting, calming, or distracting the child. An example would be a hungry child tantruming – he just needs to be fed. A child who is overstimulated would be best off being held or removed from the situation. Kids are young and don’t have the same ability to control themselves that adults should have.

Not every mistake needs to become a big deal.

The second phase is giving the appropriate chinuch lessons so the child

will actually learn. This can be anything from explaining what the child did wrong (they don’t always know!), to showing a better way of handling the situation. I want to point out that not every misbehavior will warrant the second phase. A two-year-old who writes on the wall with markers doesn’t need a lecture or even rebuke because the parent just needs to keep the markers out of reach (the child can help with the cleanup, though).

There is no “one size fits all” in parenting, and there are times that a consequence will very effectively match the misbehavior. I can’t say the consequence will never be sufficient to educate the child; I’m simply saying that the consequence isn’t enough in most cases.

How does this change things?

The difference is subtle and you may be wondering why this is worth mentioning. This principle changes the equation in small, yet important ways. One difference is that, depending on the behavior, you can sometimes stop what they’re doing with other methods. Not everything needs an immediate, full consequence. For example, toddlers can often be distracted and many misbehaviors by

little ones may not require the full response. There are many times that you can simply distract a child, redirect, or simply remove them from whatever is going on. I can’t tell you how many times a passing truck or construction project has saved the day. “Look kids, truck!” Suddenly, they forget whatever mischief they’re into and off they go to stare out the window.

I’ve also found that sometimes the most effective means with teens is to quickly stop the behavior and have that sincere conversation later when they’re calm. Trying to punish or yell back will just escalate the situation, and nobody benefits. It’s been my personal experience that teenagers, in particular, can remember later on what they did and think more clearly once they’re past the initial crisis.

An example of this is if a teenager is cursing. Rebuking or punishing them during that time will just cause more cursing. Finding a creative way to stop the behavior in the heat of the moment will stop the cursing and give them a chance to cool off. Later on, once they’re more receptive, you have the chance to succinctly point out that they can’t do whatever it is they did.

You may not need to say as much since they may have already thought

The Jewish Home | JANUARY 14, 2021 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

a bit about what happened. When you approach them, you can often see if they’re feeling remorse or if they require a more thorough discussion.

Older children have the ability to remember earlier events and can be spoken to in a more mature fashion.

Younger children often don’t remember their actions minutes (or seconds) later, so this particular method may not be effective with them.

It’s up to parents to use their best judgement for when these techniques can be utilized. Parents should have many tools in their toolboxes and use their discretion for when it’s best to utilize any particular tool. What will work beautifully in one situation can be a disaster in another.

While not every situation is best dealt with in this manner, there are times when an immediate consequence can be counterproductive.

Knowing your options and using your best judgment (along with lots of davening) can help you decide what to do in each situation.

Alternative options Since giving a punishment isn’t the most reliable method for chinuch, we should mention a few potentially more effective means. You’re probably already using most of them but let’s discuss them anyway. These alternative options are useful for when the negative behavior has already been stopped. The age of the child and the issue being addressed will dictate whether an immediate response is warranted or if you’re better off waiting till the smoke has cleared and the world is again at peace. Also, some methods are more effective for different ages and personalities. It’s important to note that your ability to communicate effectively is often based on your connection with that child; a connected child is more receptive.

Discussing the issues is pretty effective for many children. You can take the time to speak to your child and let them know what’s wrong with what they did and what they should have done instead. Keep it brief and relevant while avoiding lecturing. You will want to have an idea in advance of what you want to say. For a younger child, you may not want to say more than “hitting hurts” because they will

become lost after that. A long d’var Torah on Kayin and Hevel will not hit the target. With teens, you may be able to just say simply, “We don’t speak that way” or something to the point if you can tell they’ve already thought about the issue and have some regrets. On the other hand, some behaviors will require an in-

Some children may benefit from enjoying a book on the topic. There are wonderful books on various topics, and there are some children who may prefer relaxing with a book over having a discussion. Be careful how this is done so it doesn’t backfire and any potential benefit is lost. Make sure the content of the book, the tone

There are times when an immediate consequence can be counterproductive.

depth discussion and you certainly want to be prepared in advance with an effective means of communicating your concerns.

Demonstrating appropriate behaviors can often tell a child more than just saying “don’t.” Often, we assume kids understand what they should be doing when we tell them what not to do. Saying, “Don’t hit Mommy” doesn’t tell them what is the correct way to get an adult’s attention; it just tells them one way that is wrong. Demonstrating a gentle way of getting someone’s attention or how to say they need something will fill in that gap. You may need to remind them occasionally of the proper way to do something but they will eventually learn. I often try to remind myself that children are young and newer to the world. It often takes repeating the same lesson many times before it becomes ingrained. It also takes some maturity to learn to control oneself.

Try to have patience while knowing they’ll probably hit their sibling again before they can have the self-control to stop themselves.

Along with demonstrating appropriate behavior is role playing and acting out the lesson. These methods, especially for younger children, are quite effective. Taking the time to practice their various options can really bring the lesson home. Young kids naturally learn through play, and this is a gentle, natural way to teach them. Even older kids can benefit, since it makes the lesson more concrete and helps them internalize your teachings.

in your voice, and the words you use properly convey the love you intend with it.

Any method needs to come from a place of love and not anger. It’s about your child and their need to grow – not parental ego. In my humble opinion, I would say an exception

89 55

can be made if your child hurt you.

Then, I think demonstrating some hurt can be appropriate. “I was really shocked/offended/hurt when you spoke to me that way” can give over the lesson that their actions can hurt others. Yelling in anger can alienate, while displaying emotions can be effective for some but ineffective for other kids.

Parenting is complex but rewarding. It can be reassuring to know that our best parenting moments don’t need to happen when our kids are acting poorly or when they’re being penalized. The best parenting opportunities can happen when you’re both calm and you have the leisure for a warm, bonding moment.

Sara Rayvych, MSEd, has her master’s in general and special education. She has been homeschooling for over 10 years in Far Rockaway. She can be contacted at RayvychHomeschool@gmail.com.

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home JANUARY 14, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

jewish women of wisdom

When is it Time to Quit Your Career?

By Sara Brejt, Esq., CPC

H

ere are two career questions I recently received.

Identifying details have been changed, of course.

A) “My friend is nearing 70. Her husband was retired by his firm a few years ago. He is happy being retired, he learns, etc. He wants her to retire when she turns 70. They own a home in Florida. He wants to spend more time there, with her.

“She doesn’t want to. She likes waking up and having a schedule. She was laid off a few years ago, and she hated it. What should she do?”

B) “I have a very fulfilling job as a speech therapist in a public school.

None of my children live in my city.

My children want me to quit now, as I’ve turned 65, and move to the city where they live. They are concerned that I live alone – I’m widowed – and a day will come when I will need more frequent help. I want to continue working…though I’m not sure for how long. Maybe they have a point?”

Set t ing a side t he some times-complicated dynamics between spouses and between the

generations, let’s look at the main end-of-career question.

Let’s start by learning from the very beginning of a career. We know that it is best to do our own thinking about what path to choose. Basing our selection on what’s popular at the moment, or on random suggestions, even by well-meaning friends and relatives just doesn’t work. So, too, it is with when to stop working.

Although there may be reactive reasons for someone to leave a job, such as poor health, mandatory retirement age, and, yes, even outright age discrimination, in this column, we will focus on the proactive part of the equation.

Being Proactive The first step in a proactive three-step process is to examine what’s important to each individual and, if applicable, to the couple.

For the next step, identify the two or three criteria that are most important. Lastly, be creative about incorporating those most important factors into the retirement picture.

Some factors to consider in wanting to stay at work are finan-

cial concerns, including the need to retain benefits such as health insurance. The structure and daily schedule, as well as the camaraderie and friendships in the office, are elements that so many of us crave. Let’s not forget the personal identity and status that we (think we) gain from being able to say: “I am a teacher/ social worker/doctor/lawyer.” And the intellectual stimulation of a high-thinking job is a serious draw for many people.

On the other side are the criteria for wanting to stop working.

The biggest consideration is often having the leisure and the time to pursue other interests, such as travel, hobbies, community service, and chessed activities. Perhaps embarking on a different career or opening a business is what you want to do.

Sometimes the opportunity for family time (those yummy grandchildren!) is the attraction. Or simply “taking it easy.” Freedom from an unpleasant work scenario is also often an important factor.

As with many of life’s decisions, there are usually a multitude of reasons. And, just like you can’t get

everything you want in a job, you can’t get everything in this next stage of retirement. Choices need to be made.

It’s advisable to make choices as to what’s most important.

For instance, in situation A above, it sounds like money is not a key issue.

If having a schedule is what is most important to the wife, then perhaps she can retire from her job and establish a schedule in some other way, like in a volunteer situation – yes, even in Florida! The pro bono opportunity would give her structure, while retaining more flexibility to come and go as she pleases.

She could join her husband in some of the activities that are very important to him.

Let’s say that what’s most important to her is the camaraderie of her office. Perhaps she can negotiate a different position in the office where she stays connected with the people with a more flexible schedule. For instance, our children’s ophthalmologist retired at the mandatory age of 65 and continued to work in his own medical office as

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | JANUARY 14, 2021

a…file clerk! He just couldn’t give up his second family.

Or, if Mrs. A teaches in a classroom, she might re-negotiate her position to one in the resource room. That way, she’d have more flexibility to set her own schedule while retaining her connections to her friends on the school staff. And she would be able to travel more flexibly.

As I mentioned, the “call of the office” is often the intellectual stimulation. There is an understandable reluctance to exchange invigorating professional discourse for what might be seen as boring stay-athome conversation.

The personal identity aspect can sometimes be the hardest to address. Creating a new identity – as a volunteer, as a Bubby/babysitter or as a businesswoman – is one avenue.

One solution to combine the intellectual issue and the personal identity is to try new activities that

look good on you!

Today’s wealth of opportunities negates that old-fashioned look of retirement. Book clubs, travel groups (after corona, b’mehaira b’yameinu, writing workshops,

Now. Is. The. Time.

GK Chesterton famously said: “Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly…in the beginning.” Take a risk or two! Explore a secret interest!

The structure and daily schedule, as well as the camaraderie and friendships in the office, are elements that so many of us crave.

the proverbial retiree-who-became-an-artist (I actually know two) – these are all options that await you.

You know those things that you said: “I don’t have time for that but I’d love to ...”

Staying open to new options, consulting with others, and some honest self-assessment are the keys to navigating this stage.

Creativity is important, as well.

For instance, Mrs. B might explore seasonal opportunities in her cur-

9 91

rent school system – e.g., becoming the expert on end-of-the-year evaluations. She might temporarily “try out” the new city in the summertime to see if she could set down roots there.

And – just in case – have you heard the phrase “un-retirement”?

It’s used when people go back to work because they want to work.

They miss the challenges, the accomplishments, and the collegiality.

Sometimes, there actually are ways to turn back the clock.

Maybe we’ll discuss un-retirement next time?!

Whether you’d like to send questions, compliments or complaints, please do get in touch with me at sara@jewishwomenofwisdom. org. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Join the conversation and email list of JWOW! by writing to hello @jewishwomenofwisdom.org.

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JANUARY 14, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

In The K

tchen

Granola Crunch

By Naomi Nachman

I used to make this all the time when my kids were little. It’s such a quick and easy homemade snack to make and have on hand. I have even crumbled it into my salads for an extra crunch.

Ingredients

Preparation

b2 cups old-fashioned oats b¼ cup sweetened coconut flakes b¼ cup raisins b1/8 cup mini chocolate chips b½ cup chopped pecans, toasted or sunflower seeds, optional b1 ¼ tsp ground cinnamon b6 TBS applesauce b1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar b3 TBS honey or maple syrup

1.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Line 9-inch square baking pan with foil, allowing foil to extend over sides. Butter foil.

3. Mix oats, coconut, raisins, pecans (if you’re using) and cinnamon in bowl.

4.

Mix the sweeteners and applesauce.

5. Pour sweeteners mixture over oat mixture and stir until well coated.

Transfer to prepared pan. Press mixture evenly into pan.

6. Bake oat mixture until top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let it cool. Cut into 18 bars or crumble.

Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet.com or at (516) 295-9669.

The Jewish Home | JANUARY 14, 2021

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Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

Our priority will be Black-, Latino-, Asian-, and Native American-owned small businesses, women-owned businesses, and finally having equal access to resources needed to reopen and rebuild.

- President-elect Joe Biden talking about who will get government support to help them get through the Covid financial crisis

Vandalism and looting, whether it’s in D.C. or Portland, SoHo, Kenosha, Minneapolis, Seattle – it’s all bad no matter who’s doing it. So we must remain consistent. That’s what makes us different from the rest. We don’t play favorites with mobs. The other side does, but we don’t.

- Greg Gutfeld, Fox News

We simply cannot stay closed until the vaccine hits critical mass.

The cost is too high. We will have nothing left to open. We must reopen the economy, but we must do it smartly and safely.

- Tweet by Gov. Cuomo

I do believe the Capitol is a sacred place. I also believe that the guy who invested his life savings in a small business, to him, that was a sacred place, too.

– Ibid.

Brilliant strategist…It’s incredible that no one thought of this months ago!

- Response tweet by Donald Trump Jr.

You will not see Republicans bailing out those who were arrested. See, that is a vital contrast, and Americans know this.

- Ibid.

There is no example of the left – not liberals, they value free speech – no example of the left having power and not suppressing speech.

It doesn’t exist. The left does not value free speech because free speech is its dire enemy. If people can actually say what is wrong with the left, it crumbles… I think we can predict there will be more and more suppression. If you read a brief synopsis of the Reichstag fire in Germany in 1933. Fire was set to the German parliament a month after Hitler took power. He used the Reichstag fire in order to start killing communists. What we’re having now, and I’m not calling them Nazis, I’m calling them totalitarians, the use of an event to suppress liberty.

- Dennis Prager, on Fox News

It has been an epiphany for the world to see that there are people in our country led by this president, for the moment, who have chosen their Whiteness over democracy.

- Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, after the Capital riot

The Jewish Home | JANUARY 14, 2021 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

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Let it be known to the business world: Hire any of Trump’s fellow fabulists…and Forbes will assume that everything your company or firm talks about is a lie. We’re going to scrutinize, double-check, investigate with the same skepticism we’d approach a Trump tweet. Want to ensure the world’s biggest business media brand approaches you as a potential funnel of disinformation?

Then hire away.

- Forbes Chief Content Officer Randall Lane warning companies not to hire people from the Trump administration

The speech that President Trump made, I wish he wouldn’t have made it. But it is fully and completely protected by the First Amendment. Every constitutional scholar will tell you that what he did was advocacy, not incitement. Every leader goes to Washington, whether it be a labor leader… civil rights leader, and they say, “Go march on the Capitol! Show them how strong we are! We are going to fight back! We are not going to take this anymore!” That is political rhetoric that lies at the core of the First Amendment. Yet they cite that as the primary article of impeachment. It is just so inconsistent with our constitutional system.

– Alan Dershowitz on 770 WABC with John Catsimatidis

In 1801, Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter about that. He said, “You don’t go after the speaker; you go after the criminals and punish them.”

- Ibid.

Once you establish a precedent that allows censorship, it’s going to be used against everybody. “Free speech for me but not for thee” never works. If you take away free speech, you are taking it away from everybody.

- Ibid.

Meanwhile, the Taliban’s official spokesperson still has a Twitter account. As does India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, even as his government cracks down on dissent and oversees nationalistic violence. The Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte’s Facebook account is alive and well, despite his having weaponized the platform against journalists and in his “war on drugs.” The list could go on. Facebook says it has taken action against other world leaders before Trump, but it hasn’t given details.

– From an article titled, “Trump is banned. Who’s next,” in liberal-leaning Atlantic magazine

That is all white grievance. Making people believe that they have the right to do certain things because they’re entitled to it.

– CNN’s Don Lemon talking about the Capitol protestors

Imagine if the people in the Capitol today look like me, Chris. Where do you think we would have been today? We would have been in a bloodbath.

- Ibid

We have a long way to go – counting could take some time. I do not expect it to be called tonight, but we will be going through. But already, we know on the numbers that we have, we won.

- CNN’s Chris Cuomo, who claims to be a neutral journalist, reporting that it looks like the Democrats won both senate seats in Georgia

MORE QUOTES

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A lot of people are going to be super unhappy with West Coast high tech as the de facto arbiter of free speech.

- Tweet by Elon Musk

When the two images arrived at Vogue, all of us felt very, very strongly that the less formal portrait of the Vice President-elect really reflected the moment that we were living in. We are in the midst...of the most appalling pandemic that is taking lives by the minute, and we felt to reflect this tragic moment in global history, a much less formal picture, something that was very, very accessible, and approachable, and really reflected the hallmark of the BidenHarris campaign…

- Vogue editor Anna Wintour responding to widespread criticism that she put a too-informal photo of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on the magazine’s cover

We cannot leave it to American Big Tech companies to decide how we do and do not discuss, what can and cannot be said in a democratic discourse.

- Manfred Weber, the leader of the European People’s Party, the largest in the European Parliament, in an interview with Politico

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JANUARY 14, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Political Crossfire

Pelosi Once Again Plays Politics with Impeachment

By Marc A. Thiessen

H

ouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi is, once again, playing politics with impeachment. On CBS News’ “60 Minutes” on Sunday, she warned that President Donald Trump has to be removed because he poses an imminent threat to the country.

We have a “deranged, unhinged, dangerous president of the United States, and we’re only a number of days until we can be protected from him,” said Pelosi, D-Calif.

Well, if Trump is that dangerous, why didn’t she call the House back immediately to pass articles of impeachment, and then challenge the Senate to come back into session and hold a trial this week? Instead, she is waiting until Wednesday – a full week after the Capitol riot – to hold a House vote. House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., suggested this weekend that Pelosi could wait until well into the Biden presidency before sending impeachment articles to the Senate.

“Let’s give President-elect [Joe] Biden the 100 days he needs to get his agenda off and running,” Clyburn said.

“And maybe we will send the articles sometime after that.”

Pelosi is politicizing what are very serious and weighty questions: Did the president of the United States engage in impeachable conduct? And is it prudent to impeach him when the Constitution will remove him from office in a matter of days?

On the first question, the answer is clearly yes. It is true that, as some legal scholars have pointed out, Trump would never be convicted of incitement in a criminal court. As former federal prosecutor Andy McCarthy, who successfully prosecuted “blind sheikh” Omar Abdel Rahman for incitement, told me, “An incitement case is very difficult in criminal court. ... You have to

intend that a violent crime take place.”

McCarthy points out, however, that the issue in impeachment is not criminal liability, but whether the president committed what Alexander Hamilton described as political offenses that call into question his fitness for office. And by that standard, McCarthy says, what

toral college victory and urged them to march on the Capitol. He might not have intended for his supporters to storm the building, but he recklessly stoked a throng of people who did just that – and five deaths occurred.

Instead of immediately rushing to the cameras to call off his sup-

Trump played with matches and started a forest fire.

Trump did was “clearly an impeachable offense” and “a deep betrayal of his obligations as president…to protect our elections, rather than undermine them, and to protect Congress.”

For more than six weeks, Trump ginned up anger among his supporters, telling them they had reelected him in a landslide and that their victory was being stolen from them.

He then brought a massive crowd to Washington on the day that Congress was meeting to confirm Biden’s elec-

porters, Trump sat back and watched them ransack the Capitol. An hour after they had overwhelmed police barricades, Trump poured gasoline on the fire, tweeting, “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country.” (Indeed, Trump never even bothered to call to see whether the vice president was safe.) Only at 2:38 p.m. did Trump feebly tweet urging the already violent mob to “stay peaceful!” It was not until 4:17 p.m.

– nearly three hours into the assault – that Trump finally posted a video telling his supporters “you have to go home now.” Even then, he spent more time claiming his “landslide” election was “stolen” than calling for calm.

And while Trump might not have intended to provoke violence, he intended to send a crowd to coerce Pence into committing an unconstitutional act by invalidating electoral votes cast for Biden. That is an abuse of power.

Trump told the crowd that “all Vice President Pence has to do is send it back to the states to recertify, and we become president.” They swarmed into the Capitol chanting “Hang Mike Pence” when he refused.

Trump played with matches and started a forest fire – that makes him culpable for the death and destruction that ensued, even if he didn’t intend to set the fire.

The second question is more difficult. If Trump had nine months left in office, rather than nine days, there is no doubt that he should be removed from office. It is unclear, however, whether at this late date, an impeachment trial is in the country’s best interests. It would divide the country, turn Trump into a martyr, and keep him front and center for months into Biden’s term. There is also the risk that he might be acquitted, because some Republicans might decide they cannot convict a president who has already left office, while others fear alienating constituents who just voted to give Trump a second term. Trump could then claim vindication.

The best thing might be to let him simply leave in ignominy. But Pelosi seems to care more about politics and retribution than what is best for the country. (c) 2020, Washington Post Writers Group

The Jewish Home | JANUARY 14, 2021

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Political Crossfire

Biden Plans to Nominate William J. Burns

By David Ignatius

P

resident-elect Joe Biden plans to nominate William J. Burns, a former career diplomat who has served both parties and won respect at home and abroad, to run a CIA that has been badly battered by the Trump administration.

The choice of Burns is the incoming administration’s last major personnel decision, and it highlights the qualities that characterize Biden’s foreign policy team. Burns is an inside player – brainy, reserved, collegial – and loyal to his superiors, sometimes to a fault, as he conceded in his 2019 memoir.

Though a diplomat, not a spy, Burns is a classic “gray man” like those who populate the intelligence world. And he has often served as a secret emissary: The title of his memoir, “The Back Channel,” refers in part to his role as the covert intermediary in the initial contacts with Iran that led to the 2015 nuclear agreement.

For an agency that lives on personal trust, Burns is an apt choice.

As I wrote nearly two years ago in reviewing the memoir, Burns “is widely viewed as the best Foreign Service officer of his generation.” His list of mentors is a “who’s who” of diplomacy, perhaps topped by James A. Baker III, who served as secretary of state for President George H.W. Bush in the closing days of the Cold War. The choice of Burns will disappoint those who wanted a career intelligence officer to succeed Gina Haspel, the current director. Michael Morell, a career CIA analyst and former acting director, was popular among many CIA alumni, who ar-

gued that he knew the agency’s shortcomings well enough to oversee the overhaul that CIA needs for the 21st century.

Biden opted for an outsider who could bring independent judgment to running the agency. He is said to have offered the job initially to Thomas E. Donilon, a former national security adviser in the Obama administration and close Biden friend, and then to have considered David Cohen, a former Treasury official who worked for two years as CIA deputy director under President Barack Obama.

What’s likely to have appealed

technology.

The CIA has been hunkered down during the Trump years, with employees trying to stick to their jobs of collecting and analyzing secrets even as Trump made the intelligence agencies his personal punching bag. Trump’s first CIA director, Mike Pompeo, was seen by agency officers as smart and aggressive but also mercurial and temperamental.

Haspel dealt skillfully with Pompeo as his deputy, and she replaced him when he left to become secretary of state. She has kept an unusually low profile, disdaining media

To succeed at the CIA, Burns will have to be undiplomatic.

to Biden, in addition to his personal comfort level with Burns, is his reputation as a nonpartisan figure who served in hard places – Russia and the Middle East –and over the years developed close relationships with the countries that are the CIA’s key liaison partners.

His biggest challenge will be dealing with a quirky, cliquey CIA culture that is often resistant to change. CIA operatives have been masterful over the years at bending new directors to their priorities. Burns will have to surmount that – and encourage change in an agency whose fundamentals have been rocked by new

interviews and trying to avoid clashes with the volcanic Trump. Foreign intelligence chiefs came to see Haspel’s continued tenure as a key indicator that the United States was still a reliable secret partner, despite Trump’s machinations.

Haspel held her ground when it mattered. When journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered, she told Congress that the agency had relatively high confidence that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was responsible – even though the Saudi leader was a Trump favorite. Several weeks before the Nov. 3 election, Haspel signaled that she would resign

if Trump and Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe released sensitive classified information about the origins of the Russia investigation whose disclosure she believed would seriously harm national security.

Burns will inherit the job of “telling truth to power,” as the CIA’s mission is often described. His record shows that he has been a perceptive critic of policy decisions but sometimes accommodated those he thought were mistaken. He warned privately of the “recklessly rosy assumptions” that underlay President George W. Bush’s decision to invade Iraq in 2003, but asked in his memoirs, “Why didn’t I go to the mat in my opposition or quit?”

Since leaving the State Department in 2014 after a 33-year diplomatic career, Burns has served as president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Fluent in Arabic and Russian, he has less experience in what’s arguably the biggest challenge for the next CIA director – understanding a China that poses a growing economic, political and military challenge. Burns will also need to focus on the rapidly changing technologies that support intelligence – and threaten the CIA’s ability to operate in a world where every movement leaves a digital exhaust and a DNA trace.

To succeed at the CIA, Burns will have to be undiplomatic. That may not be his natural instinct, but this job requires telling people, especially the boss, things they don’t want to hear. (c) 2020, Washington Post Writers Group

The Jewish Home | JANUARY 14, 2021

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Forgotten Her es

The Role and History of Combat Medics

By Avi Heiligman

A doctor about to perform an amputation of a soldier's leg during the Civil War

T

hroughout the many battles and wars in history, when a soldier was wounded in battle not much was done to help him and increase his chance of survival.

However, as technology and medicine progressed, practices were instituted to help wounded soldiers lying on the battlefield.

In the past two centuries, doctors, nurses, medics and orderlies were often seen on the battlefield and field hospitals caring for the sick and wounded. By World War II, the role of combat medics was vital to every unit that saw action, and many of the wounded were able to rejoin their units after recovery. The history and heroics of combat medics are often overlooked, but many have gone above and beyond to save lives.

During the American Revolutionary War, knowledge of good medical practices was very primitive. There was no official organization to help the sick and wounded, and anyone with medical knowledge was asked to help. Camp surgeons were asked to perform amputations on musket and bayonet wounds that wouldn’t heal on their own. Only 35% to 50% of these patients survived the surgery due to the lack of proper sanitary conditions and the primitive knowledge

of medicine. Still, many more lives were saved during the war than in previous conflicts. Many more soldiers died from disease than from battle wounds, and the only disease the doctors knew how to prevent was smallpox.

Civil War medicine was considerably better, and a medical evacuation plan was put into place. Union Major John Letterman was known as the Father of Battlefield Medicine as he

A medic talking with a wounded soldier during World War I

frontlines while braving enemy fire.

She worked tirelessly on the battlefield to ensure that each soldier received proper care.

The Geneva Convention comprised of several treaties and protocols and established international terms of humane treatment of prisoners of war, the sick and wounded, and civilians in a war zone. Under the terms of the treaty, non-combatants aiding the sick and wounded were

Often, they would run into “no-man’s land” to treat a fallen soldier and then transport him to safety.

was the one who devised a system of first aid stations where battlefield triage was performed. Mobile field hospitals were erected with an ambulance corps transporting the sick and wounded. Medical supplies were also delivered to the frontline medical workers so that they could treat patients efficiently. Battlefield nurse Clara Barton was known as the Angel of the Battlefield for her work on the

protected. This included medics, nurses, stretcher bearers, and battlefield doctors, and it was considered a war crime if they were fired upon.

Fighting during World War I was heavy, and casualties were high.

The Army Medical Corps developed strategies to move the wounded to ambulances. These ambulances were motorized transport (as opposed to horse-drawn) and quickly proved

an efficient method of moving the wounded to field hospitals. The use of poison gasses was commonplace during the war. Medics were there handing out gas masks and were on the scene after a gas attack.

During World War II, battlefield medics were unsung heroes as they braved every type of condition and enemy bombardment to come to the aid of a fallen soldier. Medics were trained to stop bleeding, apply sulfa powder, dress wounds, treat shock, and use morphine to stabilize a wounded soldier. Their main focus was to get the wounded away from the frontlines as quickly as possible.

Often, they would run into “no-man’s land” to treat a fallen soldier and then transport him to safety.

Usually, a wounded soldier would be brought to the rear for treatment, but during the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944 they were brought forward. Intense German fire had made it impossible to evacuate the wounded so the medics brought them forward where there was some cover from gunfire. Medics were very busy from the start of the invasion and were seen pulling wounded men from the water and bringing them to safety and stabilizing them for when evacuation was possible.

TheJewish JewishHome Home||OCTOBER JANUARY 29, 14, 2015 2021 The

Desmond Doss receiving his medal of honor by President Truman

Several medics received the Medal of Honor for risking their lives to save others. Desmond Doss was a medic with the 77 th Infantry Division on Okinawa when his unit was attacked by heavy Japanese fire.

They were trapped on a 400-foothigh ridge with mounting casualties.

Disregarding his own safety, Doss helped around 75 soldiers and lowered them down a cliff with a litter supported by a rope. Later, he braved

heavy rifle to reach a wounded soldier 200 yards away. He also rescued four soldiers a mere eight yards away from the mouth of a Japanese-held cave.

These are just a few of the incidents that were cited in Medal of Honor citation when he personally received the medal from President Harry Truman in October 1945.

Modern day military medics are much better trained than those who worked in the wars of the past.

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A doctor operating in an underground bunker surgery room in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea during World War II. The soldier had been hit by a Japanese sniper

Armed with the latest in modern medicine, combat medics are essentially paramedics and EMTs on the battlefield.

Medics were almost always the first with any medical knowledge to treat a wounded soldier. They gave them comfort and bandaged up wounds as much as possible so that transportation to safety would be possible.

Over the years, there have been

many Jewish medics and doctors serving on the frontlines. In a future article, we’ll recount some of their stories and dedication in the line of duty while saving countless lives.

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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ASSISTANTS NEEDED FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AFTERNOON SESSION. Email: fivetownseducators@gmail.com BAIS YAAKOV IN FAR ROCKAWAY seeking permanent substitute for Preschool and Elementary school.

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CAHAL is seeking AM, PM or FT Assistant Teachers for special ed classes in yeshivas in 5-Towns/ Far Rock.

Send your resume to Shira@cahal.org or call 516-295-3666 for more information.

The Jewish Home | JANUARY 14, 2021

HELP WANTED

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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Your

15

Money

It’s All About Perspective

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

Helen Viola Jackson

T

here’s a saying, usually attributed to Lenin, that “nothing can happen for decades, then decades happen in weeks.”

These last few weeks certainly feel like decades happening in weeks.

The election, the coronavirus surge, and especially the violence in Washington have combined to produce a news overload unlike anything most of us have lived through. Millions of Americans who waited anxiously for 2021 to arrive are looking at the first two weeks and already wishing they could get their money back.

Sometimes, though, history’s long memory works a bit differently.

Which brings us to this week’s story: news that Helen Viola Jackson, the oldest living Civil War (!) widow, died last month at age 101.

We start in 1843, when John Tyler was president and the Whigs were a political party, not a joke.

James Bolin was born in Missouri and served as a private in Missouri’s 14th Cavalry, fighting in the Civil War and earning, like all Union soldiers, a modest pension.

Fast forward to 1936. At age 93, his neighbor, 17-year-old Helen, started making daily visits to help

him with chores and other tasks.

Bolin, who didn’t believe in accepting charity, wanted to show some appreciation. So, he married her to leave her that pension. (Think of it as the Depression-era equivalent of a “green card” marriage.) Jackson kept the union a secret, kept her last

to take advantage of him.” She didn’t miss out on much: Irene Triplett, the last person still receiving a Civil War pension at her death last June, was hardly making it rain on $73.13 per month from her father’s service.

Bolin’s and Jackson’s lives bridge the entire history of income taxes in

Millions of Americans who waited anxiously for 2021 to arrive are looking at the first two weeks and already wishing they could get their money back.

name, and continued to live on her family’s farm until Bolin died three years later.

Jackson never remarried and ironically never even claimed the pension that Bolin had married her to leave! Why not? One of Bolin’s daughters threatened to ruin her reputation if she applied for it, and “I didn’t want them all to think that I was a young woman who had married an old man

America. When Bolin was born, tariffs made up 85% of federal revenue.

In 1861, Lincoln imposed the first income tax of 3% on annual incomes over $300 (about $20,000 in today’s dollars). Congress repealed that tax in 1871 but brought it back to create the current system in 1913. When the couple married in 1936, there were 33 brackets ranging from 4% on the first dollar of income all the way up to 79%

on income over $5 million ($94 million today).

A 79% tax rate sounds high compared to our current 37%. (OK, it is.)

But at that time, there were reportedly only 46 men earning more than a million a year, and just one – John D. Rockefeller Jr. – paying that tippy top rate. Imagine being so rich that you literally get your own tax bracket!

Incredibly, Jackson wasn’t the last living legacy of John Tyler’s presidency. Tyler, who was born in 1790, fathered 15 children. Tyler’s 13th child, Lyon Gardiner Tyler, fathered three sons in his seventies. One of them, Harrison Ruffin Tyler, is still alive today at age 91.

We’re all cursed to live in interesting times. But someday…someday… life will return to a new normal. Our job is to keep taxes from making that return to normal any harder than it has to be. So, call us with your questions – to age 91, 101, or beyond!

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.

The Jewish Home | JANUARY 14, 2021

DIFFICULTIES EARNING A LIVING?

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PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE • CAREER TRAINING • PERSONAL SUCCESS

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JANUARY 14, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Life C ach

Seeing I to I Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

W

e don’t all see eye to eye.

It’s often just a height thing. But guess what? In that case, we can adjust that, by bending down or standing on a stool.

Let’s try to remember that. We can make an effort and try.

I know this may be hard to believe, but we don’t all have to agree.

Sure, it’s easier if we all do. Yet,

that’s not how we are wired.

We are not always all in the same mood to discuss the same thing, eat the same food, or do the same things.

And guess what? That’s OK! That’s our starting point. That’s where respect, consideration, and compromise take over.

When people are little, we teach these policies: this time we’ll do it

her/his way and next time we’ll do it your way. Let’s take turns. Let’s share.

Let’s work it out!

What happened to the wisdom of the book “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”?

How far are we wandering from our basic tenets of figuring it out and getting along?

Where does it say we have to think alike? We are not clones. We aren’t meant to be. We are meant to find ways to function together.

We need to learn to contort differently. Maybe bend a little lower or climb up more steps or even do a little gymnastic flexing. Do you see what kids are capable of today? Flipping backward, and then lifting their feet up over their heads, and winding up back on their feet. With practice,

differently and then work out how to move forward together even though we aren’t on the same page.

We do this from the day we have our second kid. We want to help the two of them learn to get along. We also do this, if we are smart, to make our marriages work and thrive. And we need to do this to work with other people successfully.

If we want infants to understand this, can we not try to remember it ourselves?!

There are lenses, glasses, Lasik surgery, binoculars, even microscopes to help us see better. And maybe sometimes we don’t like what we see. But it doesn’t mean it’s not there.

Our challenge is how do we live with it – not to throw away the seeing device or the view we are seeing.

What happened to the wisdom of the book “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”?

they make it look easy. They get so good at it that they literally can do it anywhere, even without a safety mat.

Can we emulate them? Stretch a bit? Be patient with others. See that they have their reasons in seeing things the way they do just as we have our reasons in how we view things.

Again, we don’t have to like the differences. Or agree with them. But we can respect their right to think

Rather, it seems, the challenge is to adjust to the reality that there are multiple details and multiple views.

And then work to find a way to work together: I to I!

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 | JANUARY 14, 2021

Announcing! ! orever f e f i l r u nge yo a h c l l i ow eim wh b b a r & friends h t i w r me ur sum o y d n Spe

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DIRECTOR

MARAH D'ASRAH

HEAD COUNSELOR

LEARNING DIRECTOR

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www.maaminim.com

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Joining us for extended periods this summer!

info@maaminim.com

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JANUARY 14, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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