November 5—November 11, 2015
Distributed weekly in the Five Towns, Long Island, Queens & Brooklyn
Your Favorite Five Towns Family Newspaper
Pages 9, 10, 11 & 13
Around the
Community
50
DRS Gives Tribute to National Honors Society Inductees
REMEMBERING
Rebbetzin Tzirel Kamenetzky a”h 74
Community Comes out for Satmar Bikur Cholim Brunch
52 pg
111
Striking Ways to Showcase this Season’s Favorite Fruit Page 5 PAGE 24
– See pages 3 & 31
SEASONS LAWRENCE
330 Central Avenue, Lawrence, NY 11559
84
A Jewish Disease?
Autumn Apples
Local Students Visit Google’s Offices
pg
pg
94
A Look at Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, Conditions that Affect the Ashkenazi Population
2
NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | The Jewish Home
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NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | The Jewish Home
ALL SESSIONS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
@ THE
AGUDAH
אגודת ישראל באמריקה
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CONVENTION
YOURSELF . YOUR FAMILY . YOUR COMMUNITY .
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6:30
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8:00
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RABBI AVI SHAFRAN
YISROEL BESSER
MARRIAGE REDEFINED: SHOULD I CARE?
RABBI RONNIE GREENWALD
CHARLIE HARARY
RABBI YAAKOV SALOMON, LCSW
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MAZEL TOV! WHERE ARE YOUR KIDS MOVING TO?
PM
THURSDAY NIGHT KEYNOTE SESSION How to Lead and When to Follow
10:15
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PM
RABBI ELYA BRUDNY
MESSAGE FROM THE MOETZES GEDOLEI HATORAH
RABBI MOSHE TUVIA LIEFF
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SHRAGE GOLDSCHMIDT
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AUDIO/VIDEO PRESENTATION IGNITING THE LEADER WITHIN
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SANDWICHED! HANDLING THE STRESS OF BEING THE MIDDLE GENERATION
MOSHE BANE
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HADRACHA IN EVERYDAY RELATIONSHIPS: WITH Q & A
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KLAL TALKS: A SYMPOSIUM – 1 QUESTION, 5 PERSONALITIES
8:30
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THE LEADERSHIP LOUNGE: A CANDID CONVERSATION
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BUSINESS LEADERSHIP: BRANDING AND FINDING YOURSELF
“I’M NOT HARAV MOSHE FEINSTEIN. I’M NOT R’ MOSHE SHERER. I’M NOT MOSHE REICHMANN I’M JUST MOSHE. CAN I REALLY BE A LEADER?”
PM
MOTZOEI SHABBOS KEYNOTE SESSION S U N D AY
10:00
SADIGURA REBBE
RABBI DAVID OZERI
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AM
PRE KEYNOTE SESSIONS
11:30
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RABBI AD MOTZEN
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THE GROWING POLITICAL FORCE OF THE ORTHODOX COMMUNITY: OPPORTUNITIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
PROFILES IN LEADERSHIP: RABBI AVROHOM PAM
HELP! I WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD BUT DON'T KNOW WHERE TO TURN
Q & A WITH THE RABBI AND REBBETZIN: IMPROVING OUR RELATIONSHIPS
AM
SUNDAY KEYNOTE SESSION
“OTD”: Why Is It Happening And What Can We Do About It?
93
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CALL TODAY FOR SHABBOS RESERVATIONS
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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
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NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Dear Readers, it on a small scale, when a person gets a paper cut. That cut—which is really very small—is so bothersome and painful. But think about the time when your fingers were smooth and unblemished. Did you ever stop to think about how valuable your skin is or how wonderful and useful your fingers are? We should spend a few moments every day thinking about the miracles that we take for granted and thank Hashem for our continued health. In the past few decades, the medical community has made tremendous strides in understanding our body and diseases and in creating medications and therapies to combat certain maladies. In one area—along with other diseases as well—doctors have yet to find a cure. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis affect hundreds of thousands of Americans and a disproportionate amount of Ashkenazic Jews. People with these conditions can be crippled by their symptoms and some have to resort to surgery to be able to function in a normal way. Doctors, though, have only been able to help manage their patients’ symptoms and although they are working on finding a cure, for now they have to experiment with the medications they have on-hand to find the right dose that fits the patient. I know that when I hear of people who are suffering from these conditions, unable to leave their homes or function in a normal way, my heart goes out to them. I only hope that one day they will benefit from a cure sent from Above to the medical community and be able to count all their blessings and appreciate all the miracles that we experience within. Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana
Dear Readers, Maybe I should have gone into the medical profession. I am not squeamish at the sight of blood, and I find the human body to be absolutely fascinating. In fact, before I got married, I would read my mother’s medical journals and try to guess the diagnosis to certain medical scenarios that they presented. Last night, before she went to bed, I read my daughter the Magic School Bus book where the class took a field trip into Arnold’s body to learn more about the human body and how it functions. It occurred to me, as she was falling asleep, that we sometimes take the miracles that take place within us every moment of every day for granted. When reading about the brain and its functions, I was struck by the fact that because of the brain’s inherent responsibilities, we truly don’t think of the miracles that are occurring within. The brainstem is in charge of the autonomous functions in our body—breathing, the circulation of our blood, digestion. These functions are vital to our existence and so Hashem made them take place without our necessary input. The body knows how to do it on its own. And yet, although it is a comforting thought that we don’t have to concentrate on breathing or moving nutrients from one end of our body to the other, it’s scary. Our existence is dependent on our bodies working in the proper way. When someone is ill or when one of their normal bodily functions is impaired, that is when they remember the miracles that are within. They look back at the times when their body was working as it should and they can appreciate all that Hashem does for them daily. Think about
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NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
8
COMMUNITY 8
Readers’ Poll Community Happenings
46
NEWS Global
13
National
30
Odd-but-True Stories
40
ISRAEL Israel News
20
PEOPLE
87
Remembering Rebbetzin Tzirel Kamenetzky a”h
84
Submarines: Ruling the Ocean’s Depths, Part I by Avi Heiligman
93
PARSHA Rabbi Wein
86
The Shmuz
87
JEWISH THOUGHT Fallback Position by Rabbi Jonathan 88 Gewirtz JEWISH HISTORY The Curious Tale of Lord George Gordon, Modern History’s Most Unlikely Convert to Judaism, Part I by Rabbi Pini Dunner
90
PARENTING Parenting Pearls: Anger, Part II by Rabbi Dani Staum, LMSW
103
HEALTH & FITNESS Can Wisdom be Taught? by Deb Hirschhorn, PhD
98
Finding the Significance in the Routine by Mindi Werblowsky Saketkhou, LMSW 100 Ten Things to Never Eat by Aliza Beer, MS RD
Dear Editor, Last week you extolled the virtues and the importance of voting in our wonderful, democratic country. Today, I heeded your words and I went to vote. But I came out of the polling booth frustrated. You see, I walked up to a table, told someone my name, scribbled my signature on a paper, and cast my ballot for the people who I think would best represent me. And I wondered: why are we so trusting? Why do the people working at the voting booths believe me when I say my name is Shimon Hollander or Chaim Levy? I am an honest, upright citizen. I vote because I feel that it’s my duty and my right. But there are other, not-so-honest individuals who can take advantage of our naiveté. Over 200 years ago cries of “No taxation without representation” flooded the cobblestone streets of the New World. We fought a bloody war with the British because we wanted to establish a country where everyone was allowed to vote. Now, yes, we all can vote—men, women, blacks and whites. But when we don’t oversee the system, then the system can become corrupt. People can vote for others who are not interested in voting. People can take advantage of those who just recently passed away or are still
registered to vote but are not available to do so. I dare to say that a flawed, crooked system puts us on par with countries like Turkey, where they just held elections and suddenly a party that gained numerous seats months ago is now nowhere near victory. Is it because people lost interest or because people were cowed into voting another way? We need to find a way to keep people from taking advantage of our right to vote. Some say that the need to show identification when voting is discriminatory. Do you know that there are many buildings in the city that will not let you into their lobby without producing ID? Is that discrimination? How about my gym or even my workplace? I need to produce my membership card in order to procure entry. Discrimination? I say no. It’s to make sure that I am supposed to be there and no one has come in my stead. Our country was founded on the principle of a fair representation for all. If we don’t make sure to keep it honest and fair, then what is our country truly based on? Sincerely, Yonatan W. Continued on page 12
101
FOOD & LEISURE Autumn Apples by Blimy Wassertheil
111
A Slice of Something Nice
115
115
LIFESTYLES A Jewish Disease? A Look at Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis by 94 Tamar Sullivan Primary Colors by Rabbi Mordechai Kruger 117 From My Private Art Collection
122
Your Money
124
Those Lost Minutes by Rivki Rosenwald, Esq., CLC
126
HUMOR Centerfold Uncle Moishy Fun Page
82 116
POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes
104
Pretending Victory Doesn’t Make it So by Michael Gerson
108
Skip the Investigations, Win the Election by Charles Krauthammer
109
CLASSIFIEDS
118
How many languages do you speak?
10 54 % % 22 14 %
%
One
Two
Three
Four or more
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
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NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Sale Dates: November 8th - 14th 2015
Weekly Best Select Croutons
Coke, Fresca, Sprite, Dr. Pepper
Post Honey Bunches of Oats All Flavors - 13 oz - 18 oz
1
......................................................
$
.................................................
.................................................
All Varieties 13 oz
All Varieties 15 oz/16 oz
Wolff’s Kasha
Wesson Oil
Canola, Corn, Vegetable 48 oz $ 49 ......................................................
1
2
5 lb $ 99
1
Skippy Peanut Butter
5
8 oz - 8 Pack $ 99
1
Except Low Sodium 2.75 oz
5.5 oz
.................................................
.................................................
64 oz
64 oz
20 count
Celestial Seasonings Teas
399
$
.................................................
.................................................
.................................................
14 oz
399
$
.................................................
.................................................
All Flavors - 64 oz $ 49
Assorted - 54 oz 8 Pack
Assorted 8 Count
All Varieties 7.2 oz
1
5
1
Turkey Hill Iced Tea
La Yogurt
1 ......................................................
2/$
All Flavors - 64 oz
All Flavors - 6 oz
1
5
5/$
99¢
3
All Flavors- 5.3 oz
5
2/$
Ha’olam Shredded Mozzarella Whole Milk Only - 8 oz
4
$ 99
2/$
.......................................
.......................................
Assorted 16 oz
16 oz
Friendship Sour Cream
1
$ 49
1
$ 99
10
10/$
Tabatchnik Soups
Edy’s Ice Cream
NY Pasta Tortellini or Ravioli
All Flavors - 15 oz
All Flavors - 48 oz
3
99 . . .2 ......................................................
2/$
13 oz
.......................................
.......................................
$
Mendelsohn’s Pizza Original Only - 36 oz
399
$
Golden Flow Cauliflower Florets
6
$
Assorted - 4 oz
Axelrod Cottage Cheese
All Flavors - 6 oz
2/$
Chobani Greek Yogurt
Skinny Pop Popcorn
1
Mehadrin Leben
Assorted - 7 oz
......................................................
.................................................
Assorted 59 oz
.......................................
Sabra Hummus
699
$
Tree Ripe Orange Juice
$ 99
.......................................
Snack Factory Pretzel Crisps
Assorted - 1 lb
3
Dozen
1
Stonyfield Organic Yogurt
1
$ 99
2/$
Extra Large Eggs
All Flavors 6 oz
$ 49
Quaker Chewy Granola Bars
2/$
$ 99
Rice, Coconut or Soy Dream
.................................................
.................................................
Apple & Eve Brick Pack Juices
................................................. Except Non-Enriched Original or Vanilla Soy Dream - 32 oz
......................................................
Snapple Iced Tea
5
5/$
Lieber’s Chewy Gourmet Glatt Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies Covered Mini Pretzels
4
79¢
Wacky Mac Mac & Cheese
2/$
5
Mott’s Applesauce Green Giant Whole Kernal Corn, Cut Green Original, Natural or Cinnamon 46 oz/48 oz Beans, Sweet Peas 14.75 oz/15.25 oz 2/$
Crystal Geyser Sports Cap Water
.................................................
Goodman’s Onion Soup Mix
3 .................................................
2/$
5
.................................................
3/$
Kedem Grape Juice
5.5 oz
2/$
2/$
4
......................................................
1
Mauzone Mania Fruit Tarts
$ 99
$ 99
Nature’s Own Apple Juice
Hecker’s Unbleached Flour
3 Pack
399
4/$
5
$ 99
Hershey’s Chocolate Milk
Assorted - Original or Whole Wheat - 9 oz/15 oz
2 Liter
99
.........................................................
16 oz
McCain French Fries
399
All Varieties - 20 oz - 32 oz
5
499
$
All Flavors - 6 Pack
299
$
.......................................
All Flavors - 14 oz
14 oz
5
99
Luigi’s Italian Ices
.......................................
2/$
16 oz
$
20 oz
Eggo Pancakes
Ta’amti Potato or Vegetable Cigars
3
$
Noam Gefilte Fish
Chef A Yam Tilapia
349
$
2/$
New Items This Week!
Makabi Fruit Potes
NOW 2 locations!
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(516) 569-2662
SUN -TUE: 7 AM-9 PM WED: 7 AM-11 PM THURS: 7 AM-12 AM FRIDAY 6:30 AM-2 HRS. BEFORE CANDLE LIGHTING
In The Freezer Aisle
Woodmere STORE HOURS
Norman’s Greek Pro Yogurt 1030 Railroad Avenue
pro-biotic! (516) 295-6901
SUN - THURS: 7 AM-9 PM FRIDAY 7 AM UNTIL 2 HRS. BEFORE CANDLE LIGHTING
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
Specials Neck & Skirt
Silver Tip Roast
NAVEL PASTRAMI
949 lb.
$
$ 99 8 lb. Ground Beef
.
4
$
49
Super Family Pack
...................
Rack of lb. Veal $ Roast
Corned Empire $ 49 Beef Chicken $ 89 8 lb. Frozen $ 99 3 lb. Deckel Cutlets 2 lb. BBQ ................... Super Family Pack Turkey Seasoned ................... Beef or $ 99 Pastrami 5 lb. We carry only premium Boneless Burgers $ 49 quality USA beef Fillet 9 lb. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steak 1st Cut $ juicy 99 Family Pack 11 lb. tender, Brisket & delicious!
CHICKEN LEGS
2
49
lb.
...................
Untrimmed
$
10
(Chuck)
...................
99
lb.
Super Family Pack
Post 11 oz Cocoa or Fruity Pebbles; 12 oz Alpha Bits or Honey Comb; 14 oz Golden Crisp
1
$ 99
wow!
......................................................
Tuttorosso Tomatoes
Peeled, Crushed, Puree, Sauce - 28 oz/29 oz
5
5/$
......................................................
Barilla Pasta
Barilla Marinara & Pasta Sauce
(Except Plus, Jumbo Shells, Lasagna, Manicotti, GlutenFree) - 16 oz
24 oz
5
5
3/$
4/$ Crispy Broccoli
Slicing Tomatoes
Fresh Eggplant
79¢ lb.
79¢ lb.
4
2/$
Red Delicious Apples
Mini 99¢ lb. Peeled Carrots
Brussels 99¢ ea. Sprouts Cup
1 Lb Bag
......................................................
Miller’s American Cheese White or Yellow- 3 lb
999
$
Sleeve Celery
4
2/$
3
2/$
..........................
..........................
..........................
Large Red 2/$ Pomegranates
Jumbo Cantaloupe 2/$
Red Onions
Spaghetti Squash
..........................
..........................
..........................
..........................
4
Bosc Pears
99¢ lb.
5
69¢ lb.
3
Red Potatoes
Chicken Fingers with Taco Chips
11
1499lb.
Cream of Potato Soup
99 lb.
BBQ Beef with Jack Daniels $ Sauce
499ea. $ 99 4 lb.
$
Lentil Vegetable Soup Quart
Wild Rice Blend
King Salmon $ 99 lb.
monday only! Apple Turnovers
24 VARIETIES! SPECIAL OF THE WEEK:
Salmon Burgers $ 99 lb.
Bunch
Mixed Bouquets
749ea. 699 $ 99 9 & Up $
order@gourmetglatt.com
1
$ 49 ea.
1
Table Arrangements
495
............................
Giant Vegetable Roll $ 50
5
5
............................
Lion Roll
1095
$
............................
Black Dragon Roll $
1195
399ea. $ 99 Mushroom Dip Pre-Packaged 2 ea. $ 49 Shwarma Dip Pre-Packaged 2 ea. $ 49 Cabbage Noodle Kugel new! 4 ea. Pre-Packaged $ 99 Diet Pizza La Zucchini Kugel 4 ea. Pre-Packaged $ 99 5 ea. Spinach Pasta Pre-Packaged We reserve the right to limit quantities. No rain $ 49 checks. Not Soup responsible for Pre-Packaged ea. Quinoa checks. Not responsible for typographical typographical errors.5 new! errors. $ 49 Pre-Packaged Mushroom Salad 6 ea. Sesame Dip
Sweet Onion Pumpernickel Rolls Package of 4 $ 49 ea.
Cymbidium Orchid Sprays
Spicy Salmon Avocado $ Roll
Cooked Salmon Roll $ 95
all our cabbage is greenhouse grown!
8
Small White Bread
450
$
............................
799ea.
Quart
$
order your shabbos platters early!
$
Go Green Vegetable Soup
Assorted
Carnation Bouquets
99
Aliza Beer Nutritional Meals
Mondel Bread
99¢
Bunch
Quart
14
19
10 $ 99 5
$
6 Pack
Peppered Tuna $ 99 lb.
999
$
Crunch Roll
Cheese or Potato Blintzes
$
2 lb
69¢ lb.
Deli & Takeout
/
Of Tov Chicken Nuggets
..........................
Sliced 49¢ lb. Mushrooms 2/$
Green Cabbage
69¢ lb.
wow!
......................................................
1999 $ 3499& Up
$
/gourmetglatt
Pre-Packaged
$
We reserve the right to limit quantities. No rain checks. Not responsible for typographical errors.
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NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Continued from 8
Dear Editor, Rafi Sackville’s article this week was both frightening and an eye-opener for me. Living in the United States, I have to say that I don’t really come in contact with missionaries. I put myself in Rafi’s story and wondered if I would have “seen the light” and realized what a fraud Ari ben Canaan was. I probably would have chalked up the different things about him as him being from out of town or coming from a different upbringing. What’s even scarier to me is that he and his wife are still living in the yishuv where he has access to so many Jewish people. I hope and pray that none of them will fall prey to his plot to convert Jews, chas v’shalom. I also want to point out that I sometimes find pamphlets dropped on
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.
my porch by young missionaries (they look like clean-cut boys wearing polos and chinos). The brochures or even the tapes that they give out may look innocuous but they are full-fledged missionary propaganda and should be thrown out immediately. The pamphlets and Rafi’s story highlight to me how we are truly in galus. Eisav is still trying to stifle Yaakov, even though the Inquisition took place hundreds of years ago. Sincerely, C. Weider Dear Editor, Thank you to Cindy Weinberger for giving me the go-ahead to take a spoonful of peanut butter once in a while. It’s always been my guilty pleasure and now I don’t have to feel so guilty. M. B. Dear Editor, Your article on Judge Martin Ritholtz was both comprehensive and well-written. I know that being a judge requires one to have a clear, logical way of thinking and a broad understanding of so many areas of law. I applaud Judge Ritholtz for being able to get two warring parties together and come to an agreement where both
sides feel that they are not getting the short end of the stick. It is also clear that he is respected by all members of the court and on both sides of the bench. Sincerely, Barry Gross Brooklyn, NY Dear Editor, The most recent extension of the National Highway Trust Fund authorization expired on October 29. Congress passing another temporary extension for three weeks is not the answer. This vital funding source is used to pay for both highway and transit projects. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is counting on $6.275 billion from Washington to help fund the proposed 2015 - 2019 Five Year Capital Plan. MTA agencies including New York City Transit, Long Island Rail Road, Metro North Rail Road, MTA Bus and MTA Capital Construction all have capital transit projects which are dependent on these funds. Past presidents and Congress have been more interested in winning another term in office. They have repeatedly kicked this can down the road. The national gasoline tax is used to support the Highway Trust
fund. It was last raised to 18.4 cents in 1993. With gasoline at record low prices (under $3.00 per gallon), this a good time to raise the federal gas tax by just pennies per gallon. This action could fully fund the national Highway Trust Fund and its Mass Transit Account on a permanent basis for years. Most Americans, whether city, suburban or rural residents, Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, benefit from good roads, bridges and public transportation. It is one of the best investments we can make. With continuing gridlock and partisan bickering in Washington, renewal of the Highway Trust Fund and accompanying Mass Transit Account could be the one issue everyone can agree on. What a great start for new Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, if he could reach across the aisle and work with Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and President Obama in passing a multi-year long term funding bill. Sincerely, Larry Penner Great Neck
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
The Week In News
Russian Plane Crashes in Sinai
said the claim that terrorists brought down the plane by using an anti-aircraft missile “cannot be considered reliable.” Egypt has been battling insurgents in the Sinai aligned with the terrorist group ISIS. But experts say that ISIS in the area does not have weapons with the range necessary to shoot down a plane at that altitude. German air carrier Lufthansa and Air France have decided to reroute aircraft due to fly over the region. “We will keep that measure in place as long as we are not sure of the circumstances and the reasons of the Metrojet crash,” said a Lufthansa spokeswoman.
Iran to Weigh in On Syria’s Future A Russian passenger plane tragically crashed this week in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 people aboard. Russian state media reported that many of the 217 passengers on Kogalymavia Flight 9268 were Russians returning from vacation. The airline is more commonly known as Metrojet. While the official manifest included 17 children, Russian officials said there were 25 aboard. The cause of the crash is still unknown, but it is most likely due to a technical failure that occurred at 30,000 feet, and there is no evidence of any terrorist action. Egyptian Airports Co. chief Adel Al-Mahjoob confirmed that the Airbus A321 had a routine check before flight, showing everything was OK to proceed. The so-called black boxes – the flight data recorder and voice data recorder – have been recovered and transported to Cairo for analysis, Egyptian Civil Aviation Minister Hossam Kamel said. “There was nothing abnormal before the plane crash,” he related. “It suddenly disappeared from the radar.” Air traffic control recordings did not show any distress calls, Kamel added. The plane departed the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, near the southern tip of the Sinai, on a flight to St. Petersburg, Russia. It vanished from radar 23 minutes into the flight, at 6:20 a.m. local time. Islamists militants in the Sinai linked to ISIS claimed responsibility for the crash, according to an online statement. However, Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov
After being invited by Russia, Iran has announced that it will attend the international talks on Syria’s future this week in Vienna. Iran’s presence marks Tehran’s first appearance at such a gathering. The invitation to the talks came after the United States declared itself ready to engage longtime foe Iran if it might help halt Syria’s four-year civil war. Iran is a key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad and has provided his government with military and political backing for years. Tehran admits that its Revolutionary Guard officers are on the ground in Syria in an advisory role, but denies the presence of any combat troops in the country. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Deputy Foreign Ministers Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Abbas Araghchi and Majid Takht-e-Ravanchi will attend the conference. “We believe the solution for Syria is a political solution. Americans and foreign players in Syria have no choice but to accept the realities in Syria,” Abdollahian told reporters. He added, “Assad … has the necessary readiness for talks with insurgents who are committed to a political path.” U.S. Secretary of State John
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Kerry, Russia’s Sergey Lavrov, and several top European and Arab diplomats, including those from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, will be attending the talks. Iran’s attendance could be a game-changer. Iran has backed Assad’s government throughout the conflict and the Syrian opposition may balk at Iran’s inclusion in any discussions on what a post-Assad Syria should look like. Tehran’s attendance would also mean that traditional Iran-Saudi regional rivalries could surface at the negotiating table. All previous international efforts have failed to stop the war, now in its fifth year with over 250,000 dead and millions displaced from the conflict. Washington is trying to unite all sides with influence in the Arab country around a common vision of a peaceful, secular and pluralistic Syria governed with the consent of its people. Beyond Iran, this week’s gathering will expand to include countries such as Britain, France, Germany, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry also said he would attend. Amid all the talking, Syria’s fighting goes on. Since last month, Russia has launched hundreds of airstrikes targeting what it says are the Islamic
State and other terrorist groups. The Obama administration, NATO and others say most of the bombs are landing on moderate rebel militias, some backed by the CIA. Meanwhile, violence continues to rage between Syria’s rebel groups and the Islamic State and in the Kurdish region in northern Syria, even drawing in Turkey.
Ban on Kosher Slaughter Proposed in Holland
Troublesome for both Jews and Muslims, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority has advised the government to ban the ritual slaughter of animals, citing
pain and suffering caused to them in the process. The recommendation appeared in a report by the authority’s risk assessment bureau last week. “Ban, from a point of view of animal welfare, the killing of conscious animals and especially cattle,” the recommendation reads. “If the slaughter of conscious cattle continues anyway,” the recommendations authors wrote, then slaughtered animals must not be handled as long as they display signs of life. In 2012, the Dutch senate scrapped legislation passed the previous year that amounted to a ban on kosher and halal slaughter because it required all animals be rendered unconscious before they are killed. Both Muslim and Jewish religious law requires animals be conscious when they are killed. The law had been submitted by the left-leaning Dutch Party for Animals supported by the right-wing Party for Freedom, which is opposed to Muslim immigration to the Netherlands. The authority said it opposed ritual slaughter because it means that animals may take more than 45 seconds to die, during which time they may be subjected to stress and pain. The Dutch Israelite Religious Community, or NIK, has argued that the strict rules of shechita assure minimum suffering that does not exceed that of non-kosher slaughterhouses.
Iran Blocks U.S. Imports
If you thought that relationships were beginning to thaw between Iran and the United States, the Persian country has made it clear. Despite U.S. President Obama beginning to lift sanctions on the regime in the wake of the nuclear deal, Iran has come out to initiate an economic step of its own: a blockade of U.S. imports. Iran’s Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade announced on Saturday via the official PressTV that it has begun acting on Iranian Supreme Lead-
er Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s orders issued in a letter last month and is implementing the blockade. Minister Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh, who is tasked with the ministry, said in the announcement, “We will implement the blockade on imports of American goods in a directive.” That directive was issued by Khamanei in a letter in late October to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Nematzadeh noted the letter included an outline for creating an “economy of resistance” and blockading of U.S. goods to be economically independent as part of Khamenei’s conditional approval of the nuclear deal. Khamenei ordered the Iranian government to avoid “unbridled imports” and fastidiously monitor U.S. imports. In response, Rouhani wrote back that he would follow Khamenei’s orders. However, there appears to be at least two major American companies that won’t be affected by the blockade – Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Both “have local bottlers and distributors in Iran, but they say they have nothing to do with the American brands,” according to the Iranian state press. U.S. State Department officials did not comment on this revelation. On Monday, the Iranian parliament voted to continue “Death to America” rallies held nationwide on Fridays. At least 192 out of 290 voting Iranian parliamentarians voted for the rallies. “The martyr-nurturing nation of Iran is not at all prepared to abandon the slogan of ‘Death to America’ under the pretext of a nuclear agreement,” said a group of the parliamentarians in a statement. The nuclear deal was in fact sealed in July just days after “Death to Israel” day in Iran, during which American flags were also burned by millions in cities throughout the Islamic regime amid chants of “Death to America.”
Turkish PM Declares Another Victory Ahmet Davutoglu has declared victory as Prime Minister of Turkey. In the recent election that took place this week, preliminary election results showed his ruling party
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
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some 130 people, apparently carried out by an Islamic State group cell, also increased tensions. Following the vote, small clashes broke out in Diyarbakir in the Kurdish southeast between protesters and police. Some have called the elections “unfair,” saying that the clashes brought unfairness and fear to those who would be voting.
President Erdogan hailed the election results, saying: “The national will manifested itself on 1 November in favor of stability.” He addressed critics, who have attacked the veracity of the voting process. “Now a party with some 50% [of the vote] in Turkey has attained power... This should be respected by the whole world, but I have not seen such maturity.” Turkey is a key U.S. ally in the fight against ISIS and, since it hosts more Syrian refugees than any other nation in the world, a crucial player in efforts to end the war in Syria and resolve Europe’s massive immigration crisis. Davutoglu had called on voters to choose stability and give AKP a new majority, while opposition parties had hoped to force him into forming a coalition. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus of the AKP said the preliminary result indicated that voters wanted stability. “The people wanted calm, they wanted security, they didn’t want their peace disturbed,” Kurtulmus said.
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restoring its majority in parliament. The Justice and Development Party, or AKP, won just above 49 percent, which would comfortably restore its ruling majority. “Today is the day of victory but it is also a day for humility,” Davutoglu said, addressing supporters in his hometown of Konya, where he voted. The preliminary results suggest that the ruling party’s gamble to hold new
elections has paid off. Supporters at the party’s Ankara and Istanbul headquarters were already waving flags in celebration. Crowds outside President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s home in Istanbul were shouting, “Turkey is proud of you.” The vote is a rerun of a June election in which AKP surprisingly lost its one-party rule due to a strong showing by a Kurdish party. This
time around, AKP’s vote tally jumped nearly nine percentage points. The secularist CHP was hovering around the same result as in June. Following the June vote, renewed fighting between Turkey’s security forces and Kurdish rebels left hundreds of people dead and shattered an already-fragile peace process. Two recent massive suicide bombings at pro-Kurdish gatherings that killed
Obama Sends Ground Troops to Syria Up until the very end, President Obama promised he would keep American boots off of Syrian soil. Even when Obama reluctantly sent U.S. troops back to Iraq and ordered the military to stay in Afghanistan, he insisted Syria would remain off limits for American ground forces.
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
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And what is America’s next move in the war against ISIS? Yes, the Pentagon has sent troops onto Syrian soil. On Friday, Obama announced that he was deploying up to 50 U.S. special operations troops into northern Syria to assist in the fight against the Islamic State group. It seems that the Obama strategy is to take baby steps instead of diving into a sea of never-ending chaos like former Republican President George Bush. The military campaign against IS is far smaller in numbers and scope compared to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Obama repeatedly referred to the costly and unpopular Iraq War as an example of what he’s tried to avoid. However, experts do not feel that this is an effective strategy in winning a war, particularly against a ter-
rorist group. “Deploying a handful of U.S. special operations forces to Syria will not change this situation significantly,” Frederic Hof, Obama’s former Syria special adviser, pointed out. “It is a Band-Aid of sorts.” Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said the latest escalation “is unlikely to succeed in achieving our objective of defeating IS and instead threatens to embroil the United States in Syria’s civil war.” This marks the first time that the U.S. has openly sent forces into Syria, expanding the geographic reach of Obama’s military efforts in the Middle East. Washington has no partners in the Syrian government and few good options among opposition leaders, making it choppy waters. However, the crisis has become unavoidable for Obama, particularly since IS crossed the border into Iraq. A civil war that Obama once could pin on Syrians to settle has now threatened to upend the entire region. Obama’s first move was to send a few hundred U.S. troops to Iraq to train and assist local forces fighting IS. That was a return to Iraq for the U.S. military after the 2011 withdrawal, which was a fulfillment
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Venezuelan Prez Threatens U.S. Lawsuit
a campaign condemning the decree earlier this year, didn’t give further details. He made his comments hours after Mr. Obama’s nominee for undersecretary of state, Thomas Shannon, told lawmakers in Washington that crucial Decembe 6 elections in Venezuela would determine whether Washington will take further action against the country. Polls suggest that President Maduro’s ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela could lose control of the parliament for the first time in 16 years as citizens penalize incumbents for an economic crisis marked by triple-digit inflation and chronic food shortages. Last week, Venezuela’s government also turned to the U.S. legal system to help ease its economic troubles. The country’s central bank filed a lawsuit seeking the shutdown of a U.S.-based website called DolarToday, which is allegedly run by Venezuelan exiles and publishes the black-market value of the country’s collapsing currency, the bolivar. Tensions between Venezuela and the U.S. have risen since Maduro’s administration put down a wave of nationwide protests in 2014 with the help of pro-government paramilitary groups and jailed political rivals.
Guantanamo Bay Prisoner Returns to England
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of Obama’s campaign promise to end the war he inherited from President George W. Bush. However, over the past year, the number of U.S. troops in Iraq has expanded to about 3,300. Additionally, the U.S. began airstrikes against IS in Iraq and Syria. The airstrikes are said to have killed as many as 12,000 militants, however IS remains a tremendous threat throughout the region. The White House did not provide a timeframe as to how long American forces will remain in Syria but Obama has said he predicts that the fight will be long and he expects it to carry over beyond his presidency. Just a couple of weeks ago, Obama said he was reversing course and keeping American troops in Afghanistan beyond next year. That means the president who inherited two military conflicts will likely hand his successor three.
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Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has announced that he will be suing the Obama administration in an attempt to lift an executive order signed earlier this year that declared the South American country an extraordinary threat to U.S. national security. “We can’t have that decree around. It’s like the Sword of Damocles here,” Mr. Maduro said on national TV, pointing to his neck. “We’re going to file a lawsuit in the U.S. against that decree.” He said the suit would expose the “international illegality” of President Barack Obama’s March 9 order, which also slapped sanctions on seven Venezuelan government officials accused of committing rights abuses during a clampdown on protesters last year. Mr. Maduro, who said he collected 11 million signatures during
A 13 year Guantanamo Bay prisoner and suspected al-Qaeda member has returned home to England. Shaker Aamer was first cleared for release in 2007 and had become a cause taken up by many human rights activists in the U.K. A spokeswoman for the British Prime Minister David Cameron said the British leader “welcomes his release and that people should be reassured that everything necessary to ensure public safety — those measures have been put in place.”
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
The spokeswoman added that there are no plans to detain Aamer, 46, a former British resident and a Saudi national whose family lives in London. Congress was notified in late September that the Pentagon planned to transfer Aamer to the United Kingdom, the last detainee at Guantanamo Bay who was a British citizen or former resident. Cori Crider, an attorney with Reprieve, a human rights organization, said the group was “delighted” that Shaker was freed. “It is long, long past time,” Crider said. “Shaker now needs to see a doctor, and then get to spend time alone with his family as soon as possible.” Aamer was captured in Afghanistan in 2001 and brought to Guantanamo Bay in February 2002. He was suspected of being a “close associate of Osama bin Laden” who fought in the battle of Tora Bora, according to U.S. military files disclosed by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks. Aamer claims he was in Afghanistan working for an Islamic charity when Afghan forces arrested him. Aamer was considered a leader among the detainees at the prison and was seen by Pentagon officials as someone who encouraged hunger strikes and other forms of protest.
Former and current U.S. law enforcement and intelligence officials also said he was suspected of playing a role in the suicides of three Yemeni detainees in 2006. The British government had agreed to accept Aamer years ago, but not without reservations, a former U.S. official said. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because details of the discussions remain secret, said elements of the British government, including the country’s counterterrorism officials, were reluctant to take Aamer. On the American side, U.S. officials were equally concerned about the activities of former Guantanamo detainees living in Britain, including Moazzam Begg, who was released in 2005. “The activities of former detainees were factored into the discussions,” the former official said. Begg, who traveled to Syria in 2012, was later charged with attending a terrorist camp in the war-torn country. The charges were eventually dropped in 2014. A U.S. official said the British authorities will continue to monitor Aamer. “They asked for him and now they got him,” the U.S. official said. “They’ll do what they need to do to watch him.”
Muslim Extremists Attack Freedom of Speech in Bangladesh
Muslim radicals have taken responsibility for the murder of a publisher of secular books and the wounding of three other people in fresh attacks in Bangladesh’s capital. The latest violence followed the killings of four atheist bloggers this year; the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for three other attacks. Two of these newest victims had published works of Bangladeshi-American blogger and writer Avijit Roy, who was hacked to death
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on the Dhaka University campus while walking with his wife in February. The local Islamist group Ansarullah Bangla Team had claimed responsibility for the blogger killings and recently threatened to kill more bloggers. Another militant group, Ansar al-Islam, the Bangladesh division of Al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent, issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attacks on publishers Faisal Arefin Deepan and Ahmed Rahim Tutul, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist online postings. Amnesty International called on the Bangladesh government to “act urgently” to ensure the protection of others in the country, calling the attacks “a deliberate assault against freedom of expression.” Ansar al-Islam accused the “secular and atheist publishers” of putting out books by blasphemers that dishonored the Prophet Muhammad and threatened more attacks. Bangladesh has been rocked by a series of attacks this year claimed by Islamic extremists, including the blogger killings and, more recently, the killings of two foreigners — an Italian aid worker and a Japanese agricultural worker. An October 24
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bomb attack on Shiite Muslims in Dhaka killed a teenage boy and injured more than 100 other people. Although the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks, Bangladesh’s government denies that the terrorist group has any presence in the country. Instead, the government has blamed domestic Islamist militants along with Islamist political parties for orchestrating the violence to destabilize the already fractious nation.
Khamenei: Death to American Policies
Iran has some explaining to do. It seems that when we take offense
when we hear the slogan “Death to America” chanted in the Persian country we are mistaken. You see, it’s not America they want to kill; it’s American policies. On Tuesday, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made this clear. While meeting with Iranian students ahead of the anniversary of the takeover of the U.S. embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979 in which militant students stormed the compound and took 52 Americans hostage for 444 days, Iran’s supreme leader made sure to clarify this phrase. The “aim of the slogan is not death to American people. The slogan means death to U.S. policies and arrogance.” He added that the slogan has “strong support” In Iran. The two countries have had no diplomatic relations since the taking of hostages during Jimmy Carter’s administration. However, current President Hassan Rouhani has made efforts to improve relations, including a landmark nuclear agreement reached with world powers this past summer. Khamenei and hard-liners in the Iranian government, though, remain deeply suspicious of the United States and view its policies a threat
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nally to debriefing. Planning for the drills started nearly eight months ago with an IAF representative contacting each participating country and initially asking, “What do you want to train for?” Those requests came together to form the plan for “Blue Flag,” which sent Israeli and American F-15 squadrons, along with Israeli, Hellenic and Polish F-16 squadrons, flying through nearly all of Israel’s air space, firing simulated weapons against fictional enemy missile launchers, convoys and aircraft. Though the drill was intensive and demanding, it was designed more to test the mettle of the men and women behind the controls than to test the technical capabilities of the fighter jets themselves. “We wanted it to be challenging for the airmen, rather than for the machines,” said the IAF captain in charge of the drills, who cannot be named for security reasons. In order to “put the airmen through their paces,” he explained, the people running the exercise tried to surprise them, putting them in situations where “the pilot doesn’t know where their target is coming from.”
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to the country. The supreme leader reiterated his warning that the U.S. is not to be trusted despite the nuclear deal reached with the U.S., Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany. The agreement promises Tehran relief from crippling economic sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. The U.S. “will not hesitate” if given a chance to destroy Iran, said Khamenei. “The nature of the U.S. attitude is continuation of the same hostile aims from the past, and the nation will not forget this,” Khamenei reiterated.
Parts of the normally quiet Arava desert have been extremely noisy and exciting for the past two weeks as air forces from around the world have gathered to take part in “Blue Flag” exercises with the Israeli Air Force. The event has been the largest aerial exercise in the history of the Israeli Air Force. Blue Flag sets pilots of the Israeli Air Force, the United States Air Force, Greece’s Hellenic Air Force and the Polish Air Force against a fictional enemy state. A number of other countries, including Germany, also sent pilots and officers to observe the exercise, but did not take part. This joint drill is the second “Blue Flag” exercise. The first took place in 2013 and was the largest multi-lateral exercise the IAF had ever hosted. The various air forces collaborated closely through every step of the current exercise, an IAF captain said, from planning to execution and fi-
An Israeli space company is developing a new satellite for Facebook with the goal of providing free internet to millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa. Spacecom has joined Facebook’s Internet.org non-for-profit initiative of providing affordable or free Internet to countries with limited or no access. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg describes the program as “the knowledge economy.” The satellite is called the AMOS6 satellite. It will be equipped with 36 beams, enabling it to cover the Middle East, Central East Europe and much of Africa. It will also contain enhanced backup capabilities in order to provide the highest service reliability. Omri Arnon, Vice President of
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Business Development and Strategy at AMOS-Spacecom, explained that Israel’s interest in the initiative was not merely related to economics. In fact, the decision had much to do with the vast opportunity which can be afforded to the millions of new recipients who will, in the near future, be able to explore much of the world that has thus far been closed to
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them. “Connecting people that have no connectivity to the Internet is one of the fundamental challenges of our time. When people have access to the internet, they can connect with their friends, family and communities,” Arnon said. Moreover, the satellite will enable residents of sub-Saharan Africa to reap the economic and political ben-
efits that will inevitably be generated with access to the Internet. Indeed, Arnon stated, the Internet service would enable “access to sources of information to help find jobs, start businesses, access healthcare, education and financial services, become part of the national and global economy, and have more influence on their societies.”
Facebook’s choice of Israel as the satellite developer will come as no surprise to some, with Israel already having proved that the geographical size of a country need not reflect the innovative capacity of its inhabitants. Alluding to Israel as a leading international technological developer, Arnon said that Facebook’s choice of the AMOS-6 for its new initiative reflects the quality of the satellite and demonstrates confidence in Spacecom and in Israeli technology. “We are looking forward and are proud to take part in contributing to the success of this tremendous venture,” he said. In 2015, Israel was ranked fifth place on the Bloomberg Innovation Index which tracks the highest levels of the world’s research and development. This marked a huge climb from 30th place last year, setting Israel ahead of the UK, France and the U.S.
Egypt Votes for Israel at UN
In a monumental occasion, Egypt voted in favor of Israel at the United Nations. This is the first time Egypt has voted in favor of the Jewish State since its establishment in 1948. The vote came during elections for membership in the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) late last week. Egypt’s preference did not go unnoticed; it triggered a round of criticism among Arab social media users, with some even creating a hashtag “Egypt votes for Israel” to criticize the vote. In the face of the backlash, Egyptian officials scrambled to clarify that they had only voted for Israel in order to enable the election of several Arab states as well. “Egypt’s commitment to support the candidate of the Arab countries is the main motive behind the vote in favor of the resolution,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid assured The Cairo Post on Saturday. According to The Post, Egypt and
W TH EE IS K !
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
In memory of Mrs.
Miriam Yormark v�g, Memphis, Tennessee
w e l c o m e s p r o s p e c t i v e pa r e n t s f o r a
with our Menahel,
RABBI NOSSON NEUMAN
and our Principal,
MRS. LEAH ZYTMAN
Please join us at one of the following locations throughout Far Rockaway and the Five Towns
NEIGHBORHOOD Far Rockaway Inwood Bayswater This Wee k! Cedarhurst Woodmere Lawrence
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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
other Arab General Assembly members requested to vote for each of the six states on the list individually. That request was denied amid fierce opposition from the U.S. delegation, and countries had to vote for the list in one go. The list of new members – which was accepted with 117 votes for and only one (Namibia) against – also included El Salvador, Sri Lanka, the United Arab of Emirates, Oman and Qatar. 221 countries abstained from the vote, including 10 Arab countries openly hostile towards Israel: Qatar, Tunisia, Syria, Mauritania, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Kuwait, Iraq and Algeria. Israel and Egypt signed a historic peace deal in 1979, but despite the official and high-level security and economic ties between Jerusalem and Cairo, anti-Semitism and fierce antiIsrael sentiment is still widespread among the general public, where “normalization” with the Jewish state is still seen as taboo. That taboo may be gradually breaking, however, as a small but growing number of Egyptian figures call for an end to hostility, noting the two countries’ common fight against Islamist terrorists in Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula.
Abbas Trying to Prosecute “Israeli War Crimes”
Palestinian officials have been urging the International Criminal Court to speed up its probe into accusations of “Israeli war crimes.” A delegation led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas asked ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda “to expedite” a preliminary inquiry, after handing over a dossier that supposedly documents the crimes that allegedly took place in the past 40 days, PA Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki told reporters.
Abbas and Maliki met with Bensouda last week. This was the first time Abbas and Bensouda have met since the Palestinian Authority sparked controversy by joining the tribunal in January. The preliminary ICC probe aims to establish if there are grounds to open a full-scale investigation. It is unclear when it will be completed, but Maliki has repeatedly said he wants the court to finish quickly. There was no immediate response from Israel on the Palestinians’ actions. The Palestinian leader, who is in the Netherlands as part of a European tour, was to visit Bensouda “in the context of the grave Israeli escalation in occupied Palestine,” a Palestinian official said earlier. Israel has accused Abbas of helping fuel the terror surge, in part by peddling lies about purported Israeli “plans” to change the status quo at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount site. Meanwhile, Abbas assured Dutch Jews last week that he neither intends to abandon the 1993 agreements signed by Israel and the Palestinians nor insist on the absorption of millions of Palestinians into Israel. “We never said we were going to cancel the Oslo Accords,” Abbas declared at a meeting near The Hague with members of the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel, or CIDI, Dutch Jewry’s main pro-Israel advocacy group and watchdog on anti-Semitism. Ten Israelis have been killed in a spate of near-daily attacks by Palestinians since October 1 and dozens have been wounded. Earlier this year, the Palestinians formally asked the ICC to investigate Israel for alleged war crimes during last summer’s Operation Protective Edge in Gaza, drawing Jerusalem’s ire. Israel lost 66 soldiers and six civilians and a Thai agricultural worker in the month-long conflict, while Hamas officials in Gaza said the Palestinian death toll surpassed 2,100. Israel said about half of the dead in Gaza were gunmen and blamed Hamas for all civilian deaths because it operated against Israel from residential areas, placing Gazans in harm’s way. Bensouda has officially opened a preliminary inquiry into the Palestinian allegations to see whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed to a more formal investigation. Israel, which has not signed up to the ICC, has opposed the Palestinian attempt to trigger a full investigation
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NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | The Jewish Home
a
Great Day starts with a
for war crimes, but Jerusalem has said it will engage with prosecutors. The Palestinian move to join the ICC in January also angered the United States which denounced it as “counterproductive.” The court was set up in 2002 to investigate and try those responsible for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, where national authorities cannot or will not prosecute.
More Violent Stabbings in Central Israel
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Within a couple of hours, two Israelis were stabbed by knife-wielding Palestinian terrorists on Monday evening. One victim was a 71-yearold man who was seriously wounded in Netanya. He was taken to a hospital in serious but stable condition. Police shot and wounded the terrorist, a Palestinian resident of Tulkarm. Earlier, a Palestinian stabbed three people in an attack that began on a bus and continued into the street in Rishon LeZion at the end of the afternoon. The terrorist stabbed a 35-year-old man on a street corner, seriously wounding him. He continued to a commercial area on an adjacent street, where he stabbed another person, who was lightly wounded. He then attacked an 80-year-old woman outside a cosmetics store, severely wounding her. Passersby got hold of the terrorist, a 19-yearold resident of Hebron, and brought him into the store, where he was held down until police arrived and arrested him. Dozens of people gathered at the scene following the evacuation of the wounded, holding images of Meir Kahane with signs reading, “Jewish blood is not cheap.” Earlier in the day, a terrorist was shot and killed after he attempted to stab a group of soldiers near Jalame crossing in the Gilboa. A force from the Bedouin Desert Reconnaissance Battalion arrived at the gas station and noticed two suspicious men. One of the men attempted to stab one of the soldiers and was shot. The attempted attack follows a week of unrelenting violence in the West Bank, mostly centered on the city of Hebron, which has a notable presence of Hamas supporters.
PA Tortures Their Own
Aside from the terror that Palestinians commit against the innocent Jewish civilians of Israel, there are many abuses committed against Palestinians by the Palestinian Authority. The rampant human rights abuses committed by the Palestinian Authority (PA) have seldom merited public attention due to the PA’s crackdown on the topic. However, one resident has raised awareness on the issue by bringing a lawsuit against the PA over the torture he was subjected to. The Palestinian Arab Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) received 1,274 complaints of “violations of the right to physical safety” by detainees in 2014 alone, with 287 of those cases coming from Judea and Samaria and another 996 from Gaza. One Arab resident of Samaria, 22-year-old Ahmad al-Deek, decided to stand up against the abuse and told reporters about his ordeal of five days of torture by PA Security Forces. Al-Deek is suing the PA for $1 million in damages, in the first such case against the PA. He is being represented by ISTIQLAL, an independent team of lawyers and human rights activists, which says many people have contacted them since the launch of the case asking if the group will represent them in similar cases against the PA. Al-Deek’s brutal torture was brought about by a Facebook post he wrote against the PA government on July 3. Three days later, his brother, an intelligence officer with the PA, was told by a superior that al-Deek was requested to arrive at a local police station for an investigation into the post. His brother told al-Deek he would get a maximum fine of $30 and a lecture before being summarily released. But when al-Deek arrived at the northern village of Salfit in Samaria, he was transferred over to PA intelligence services who accused him
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
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NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Shevach High School INVITES YOU TO ITS ENGAGING AND INFORMATIVE
Open House TO BE HELD אי“ה SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2015 |
ג‘ כסלו תשע“ו
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of burning a local politician’s car before beating him. During his five days of detention, interrogation and torture, al-Deek insisted on his innocence regarding the arson charges, and told the security personnel, “If you’re so sure it was me, why don’t you charge me and try me in a court with evidence?” In response, he says, they beat him even harder. Aside from the beatings, he reports being the subject of sleep deprivation and being put in forced-stress positions, all of which are classic means of torture that are reportedly widely used by the PA. According to his attorneys, a medical report from a hospital in Shechem found that his injuries were indeed the result of torture, adding additional evidence to his case. “The medical test, x-rays, and other needed tests showed that the patient had several bruises on his feet, abdomen and back, but no broken bones or serious wounds,” the report said. The case highlights the rampant abuse under PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who promised to address the topic of torture after signing the Convention Against Torture (CAT) on April 2, 2014 in a unilateral move breaching the 1994 Oslo Accords that formed the PA. Despite his promises, ISTIQLAL reports that at least 70 new complaints of torture have come in since the convention was signed.
Israel Returns Terrorists’ Bodies Controversy has arisen over whether the bodies of terrorists should be returned to their families. Early in the week, Palestinians in Hebron held a massive funeral for five Palestinian attackers whose bodies were returned by Israel to the PA for burial. The funerals drew tens of thousands of local Palestinians who celebrated the “martyrs” with processions, a direct violation of Israel’s stipulation that the funerals be held quietly. As the funerals were taking place, riots erupted when protesters began hurling rocks at Israeli security forces near Hebron’s Ayush Square. Some were seen waving Palestinian flags and chanting, “We will die but Palestine will live on” during the processions.
A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said the decision to return the bodies was made by Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan. “Defense officials recommended to release several bodies with the understanding that holding them would serve to stir up the West Bank,” the statement said. Ironically, their funerals seemed to produce riots as well. Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman criticized the decision to return the bodies, calling the move appeasement. “The return of the bodies in contravention of a cabinet decision is an unacceptable step aimed at appeasing terrorists, and is tantamount to a ransom payment for threats against Israel,” the former foreign minister said. “Such a shameful surrender to Palestinian threats will not only fail to bring calm, but rather will merely lead to an increase in terror,” he added. A Palestinian official in Hebron said that the return of some of the bodies was an Israeli step aimed at restoring calm in the city after a wave of daily violence. The official said that the rest of the bodies would be handed over only if quiet is restored to Hebron and no more attackers came from the area.
Dr. Deb on how to get through to your children Page 98
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
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tuv lurc ausevk vtsuvu jca curc
vjna tkn ckcu
Kehillas Ahavas Yisrael is proud to welcome Our new Morah D’Asrah
HaRav Daniel
Glatstein t""yhka We warmly welcome Rav Glatstein and family to our shul and to our community. Rav Glatstein’s popular weekly Parshas HaShavua shiur will be moving permanently to our bais medrash beginning Rosh Chodesh Kislev, Wednesday November 11, at 8:30 PM.
Rav Glatstein’s Parshas HaShavua shiur Weekly Shiur Starting
Wednesday, November 11th at 8:30
Broadcast live on TorahAnytime.com, Rav Glatstein’s dynamic Parsha shiur is seen and heard by thousands weekly. The installation of Rav Glatstein at Kehillah Ahavas Yisrael Shabbos will take place iy’h in December. We wish Rabbi and Rebbitzen Glatstein and their family brochah and hatzlacha and continued strength to lead our kehillah for many years to come.
Kehillas Ahavas Yisroel 568 Peninsula Boulevard Cedarhurst (Entrance to Kehillas Ahavas Yisroel is from the parking lot in rear)
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NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Former House Speaker Admits to Lying to the FBI
Although the storyline stays the same, this week, the politician in the hot seat is former House Speaker Dennis Hastert. Last Wednesday, Hastert, 73,
pleaded guilty to evading banking laws in a hush-money scheme. There has been speculation that this move was to avoid a potentially shocking trial that could have dredged up other criminal allegations. By agreeing to a deal with prosecutors that recommended he serve no more than six months in prison, Hastert dodges any further scrutiny. The plea agreement has a sentencing range from no prison time to six months. U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin could also decide to put Hastert on probation or home confinement. Before accepting the plea, the judge warned that by law he could technically go beyond the recommendation and give Hastert up to five years behind bars when he is sentenced in February. In the written agreement, the Illinois Republican directly acknowledged for the first time that he sought to pay someone $3.5 million to conceal his misconduct against that person. The incident occurred several decades ago, when the GOP leader was a high school wrestling coach. Hastert, who was charged with the banking violation and lying to
the FBI, also acknowledged in the plea deal that he lied to the agency about the reasons for the bank withdrawals. When the judge asked Hastert to describe his wrongdoing in his own words, he read his statement, telling the court that he had been withdrawing cash, $50,000 at a time. Speaking in a halting voice and losing his place in the text at one point, he described why he lied to officials: “I didn’t want them to know how I intended to spend the money.” A May 28 indictment accused Hastert of handing as much as $100,000 in cash at a time to Individual A. Hastert made 15 withdrawals of $50,000 from 2010 to 2012. It’s what he did later in 2012 that made his actions criminal. After learning withdrawals over $10,000 are flagged, he began taking out smaller increments, eventually withdrawing $952,000 from 2012 to 2014, according to the indictment. At the height of his career, Hastert held the nation’s third-highest political office. During his eight years as speaker, Hastert was second in the line of succession to the presidency.
Senate Passes New CyberSecurity Laws
Each year cyber-crime costs an estimated $110 billion, and each day there are about 1.5 million victims of the shadowy crime. Seventy-three percent of Americans say they have encountered an attempted wrongdoing on the internet. Due to its rapid growth and destructive nature, the Senate has passed a bill in attempt to improve cybersecurity. The proposal suggests that companies should share information about threats with the government. The bill was passed last week; it took approximately six years to win approval. The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act passed by a 74-21 vote. It
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
Something
AMAZING is rolling into town!
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overcame concerns about privacy and transparency from some senators and technology companies, such as Apple and Yelp. The Senate rejected amendments, including one addressing concerns that companies could give the government personal information about their customers. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who opposed the bill, offered an amendment addressing privacy concerns, but it failed to pass. It would have required companies to make “reasonable efforts” to remove unrelated personal information about their customers before providing the data to the government. “You just can’t hand it over,” Wyden said. “You’ve got to take affirmative steps, reasonable, affirmative steps before you share personal information.” The bill’s co-sponsors, Senators Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Richard Burr, R-N.C., said the measure was needed to limit high-profile cyberattacks, such as the one on Sony Pictures last year. “From the beginning we committed to make this bill voluntary, meaning that any company in America, if they, their systems, are breached, could choose voluntarily to create the
partnership with the federal government. Nobody’s mandated to do it,” Burr said. Companies would receive legal protections from antitrust and consumer privacy liabilities for participating in the voluntary program. Presidential candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., had opposed the bill, although Paul and fellow presidential candidates Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., each did not vote on Tuesday. The White House has said it supports the information sharing bill.
Math and Reading Scores on the Decline There has been major controversy surrounding state exams, as a recent study has doubted their effectiveness. According to National Assessment of Education Progress scores released on Wednesday, American students’ achievements in math and reading are on the decline. The National Assessment of Ed-
ucation Progress (NAEP), commonly referred to as the Nation’s Report Card, is an exam given to fourth grade and eighth grade students throughout the country by the National Center for Education Statistics, a branch of the U.S. Department of Education. Since the 1990s, students’ scores have increased but recent results show a slight decline between 2013 and 2015.
Only 36 percent of fourth grade students and 34 percent of eighth grade students in 2015 scored high enough to be considered proficient or above in reading. In math, 40 percent of fourth grade students and a measly 33 percent of eighth grade students scored proficient or above. Peggy Carr, acting commissioner of NCES, said the drop in scores was “an unexpected one. ... This isn’t a pattern that we saw coming.” “One downturn does not make a trend, and that’s what we’re comfortable in saying about the data. We’re trying not to read too much into a decline at this point,” Carr assured. When looking at the data by state, most states’ averages remained the same or declined in 2015. Mississippi showed an increase. Washington, D.C., saw a noteworthy rise in reading and math scores, as did the Miami-Dade schools. Achievement gaps between white and minority students did not change significantly in 2015 nationwide. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan similarly pushed for caution in interpreting the latest scores. He also noted that even though scores dropped in 2015, high school graduation rates have been on the rise.
World Series Comes to a Close: Royals Rejoice, Mets Mourn There were many tears shed by Mets fans on Sunday night when the
Kansas City Royals defeated the Mets in game five of the World Series in Citi Field. The disappointment was deep and naturally people began speculating as to what went wrong. (Yankees fans don’t say a word!)
But Terry Collins, New York Mets manager, quickly stepped in and accepted the blame for his team’s loss. Collins said he regretted leaving starting pitcher Matt Harvey on the mound into the ninth inning after he kept the Royals scoreless for eight innings and scattered only four hits as the Mets led 2-0. “It was my fault,” Collins admitted. “I’ve got one of the greatest closers in baseball. I got him in the game a little late. That’s inexcusable for me.” Harvey begged to stay in and the crowd rallied behind him and Collins agreed. “Sometimes you let your heart dictate your mind,” Collins said. “Matt will tell you different because he’s a tremendous human being. He’s going to say how he wanted to be out there and should be out there. But if you put Jeurys in and he would have gave up the two runs, ‘Well, you should have left Harvey.’ I know how it goes. I won’t be sleeping much the next couple of days, I’ll tell you that.” He recalled, “I told him that was enough. And he just came over and said, ‘I want this game. I want it bad. You’ve got to leave me in.’ I said, ‘Matt, you’ve got us exactly where we wanted.’ He said, ‘I want this game in the worst way.’ So obviously I let my heart get in the way of my gut. I love my players. And I trust them. And so I said, ‘Go get ‘em out.’ When the double hit, that’s when I said, I’ve got to see if we can get out of this with only one run. And it didn’t work.” While many blame the crowd for pressuring Collins into his decision, he insists it was just his own heart that made the final decision. “When you looked in this kid’s eyes, when he came off that inning, and I mean, he has been through a tough summer. He has been beaten down, and I just trusted him. I said, ‘You got it. You’ve earned this.’ So it’s my fault. It’s not his. That’s who he is. I know better than that. I know that
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
he wants the ball. He never wants to come out and he was pitching great. This was my fault,” he repeated. The last time the Mets won the World Series was in 1986. Before this year, the last time the Royals took home the title was in 1985. Last year, the Royals found themselves in a similar position as the Mets; they made it to the World Series but lost to the San Francisco Giants. Collins said that the Royals route to victory is an inspiration for next year and he is hoping for a similar outcome for his team come next fall. “They learned what it’s like to play in October and they’re going to be a lot better because of this experience,” Collins said.
Disability Insurance Overpays Recipients Billions Disability Insurance is one of the government’s largest cash assistance programs for workers with disabilities. It’s designed to help workers and their family members when the disabled person can no longer work but had previously worked long enough and paid Social Security taxes. Another program run by Social Security called Supplemental Security Income pays benefits to the disabled based on financial need.
The average benefit for Disability Insurance in June was $1,165 a month, or $13,980 a year. Individuals on the program are allowed to earn small amounts of supplemental income and keep their benefits. However, they are required to report any changes in income or wages immediately. Of course, within these rules there is room for abuse, and according to a recent claim, between 2005
and 2014, the average work-related overpayment was almost $12,000. In the past nine years, $11 billion in payouts have been overpaid by the government. In most cases it was because the recipients earned too much money. The Social Security Administration, which runs the Disability Insurance program, gave up on recovering $1.4 billion of the excess payments because they were found to be the agency’s fault, not the workers’, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found. The program is on track for significant reforms in the two-year budget deal reached by Congress last week, changes designed to increase oversight and reduce fraud. Auditors for GAO discovered poor oversight by employees who did not properly monitor the incomes of workers. Basic procedures, such as providing workers with a receipt when they report any change to their income, are not in place. And even if an overpayment of up to $1,000 is discovered, the government does not attempt to get it back. It’s automatically waived, auditors found. “Despite the importance of avoiding overpayments, SSA’s multi-faceted processes for handling work reports contain internal control weaknesses and other vulnerabilities that may result in [the agency] not taking prompt action to adjust benefits and avoid overpayments,” GAO wrote in a report released late last week. Auditors say the overpayments — which came to $1.3 billion in fiscal 2014 alone — “represent an avoidable drain on the nation’s dwindling [disability insurance] trust fund.” Social Security officials fumbled to excuse the discrepancies, saying in an e-mail that although the overpayments “look substantial expressed as real dollars, they represent a very small percentage of the $80 billion in payments we make each year.” “That translates to a very high overall accuracy rate,” their statement said. “That said, we are committed to preventing overpayments and we are continually refining our processes and seeking new and innovative ways to leverage data,” the agency assured.
Members of KKK Unmasked Although they hide behind white masks, the Ku Klux Klan has been
exposed thanks to hacktivist group Anonymous. It has been publishing the personal details of members of the KKK as its campaign of cyberwar against the white supremacist group escalates.
Anonymous threatened to reveal the identity of 1,000 members of the KKK after accessing the records with private information through a compromised Twitter account associated with the group. Details published on Sunday and Monday are only a small percentage of the total information gleaned by the group and included email addresses and phone numbers which the hacktivist group claims belong to members of the KKK. Anonymous hackers have so far published four separate listings on text-sharing website Pastebin, including 57 phone numbers and 23 email addresses of
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members of the hateful group. This is just the beginning. Anonymous has promised to reveal the full identities of up to 1,000 members of the KKK by Thursday, November 5 to coincide with Anonymous’ global protest movement, called the Million Mask March. Some official KKK Twitter accounts have reacted angrily to the publication of members’ details, with one suggesting the white supremacist group carry out its own rally on November 5 alongside Anonymous’ Million Mask March. Anonymous and the KKK have been at each other’s throats since the KKK threatened to use “lethal force” against anyone protesting on the streets of Ferguson. In response, Anonymous took control of the official Twitter account of the KKK chapter and published details of some members’ identities. The group also claimed evidence of a connection between the Ferguson police and the KKK. In its statement addressed to the members of the KKK, Anonymous wrote, “After closely observing so many of you for so very long, we feel confident that applying transparency to your organizational cells is the right, just, appropriate and only
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course of action. You are abhorrent. Criminal. You are more than extremists. You are more than a hate group. You operate much more like terrorists and you should be recognized as such.”
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“But I understood the course. I know New York. Many times I’ve come to New York, and I know about the course. So I was very excited after crossing the line again being the fastest. So I thank G-d for that.” American Laura Thweatt, 26, from Boulder, Colorado, finished seventh among the top 10 women finishers with a time of 2:28:23. In the men’s race, 40-year-old American Meb Keflezighi, the 2009 champ, was also seventh. There were 50,229 participants in the race.
Fred Thompson Dies at 73
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On Sunday, the Big Apple hosted its 45th Annual TCS New York City Marathon. Kenya’s Stanley Biwott and Mary Keitany swept the titles at the race that ran through New York City’s all five boroughs. Biwott won his first major marathon title after placing second in London last year. He finished in 2 hours, 10 minutes, 34 seconds, beating countryman Geoffrey Kamworor by 14 seconds. Reigning Boston Marathon winner Lelisa Desisa was third and defending champion Wilson Kipsang was fourth. Keitany finished in 2:24:25, beating Ethiopia’s Aselefech Mergia by 67 seconds for the largest margin of victory since Radcliffe’s 2008 title. She pulled away around the 21-mile mark to become the eighth woman to win more than once in New York. Keitany won last year by just 3 seconds. The mother of two became the first female runner to repeat as champion of the race since Britain’s Paula Radcliffe accomplished the feat in 2007 and 2008. “Maybe what I can say is that I was very confident in coming to the New York City Marathon. When I was at home, my training was OK. It was perfect. I wanted to come and try to defend my title,” said Keitany. “I knew the field was very tough because we had the London champion [Tufa] and also the 2013 champion [Kenyan Priscah Jeptoo]. So I knew already the race was tough.
He was an American politician, actor, attorney, lobbyist, columnist, and radio host. This week, Fred Dalton Thompson passed away at the age of 73. “Fred once said that the experiences he had growing up in smalltown Tennessee formed the prism through which he viewed the world and shaped the way he dealt with life,” his family statement read. “Fred stood on principle and common sense, and had a deep love for and connection with the people across Tennessee whom he had the privilege to serve in the United States Senate. He enjoyed a hearty laugh, a strong handshake, a good cigar, and a healthy dose of humility. Fred was the same man on the floor of the Senate, the movie studio, or the town square of Lawrenceburg, his home.” Standing at least 6 feet, 5 inches with a booming voice, Mr. Thompson and his larger-than-life persona played a role in several key moments that shaped the U.S. and Tennessee political landscape. As an attorney, he helped lead to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. As an actor, he starred in some of the most prominent films and television series of his time. And as a politician, he served the state of Tennessee in the U.S. Senate from 1994 to 2003, before making
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
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a brief run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. Thompson was born in Alabama and was known to be the class clown. Although he was good at sports, his high school banned him from basketball after marrying at the age of 17. Thompson wasn’t necessarily an impressive student, but after reading the autobiography of Clarence Darrow, the famed attorney from the
Scopes trial in Dayton, Tennessee, he set his sights on law school. “I just knew it. I was 17 and I wanted be a lawyer. It’s the only thing I considered for five minutes,” Mr. Thompson told the Globe in 2007. “Until I was 17, it never occurred to me I had to be anything, but at 17 I knew I wanted to be a lawyer.” Thompson attended Vanderbilt University and started working as
an assistant U.S. attorney, where he met current U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee. Alexander introduced him to longtime U.S. Sen. Howard Baker. Eventually, Thompson served as Baker’s campaign manager during his successful 1972 run. That relationship brought Mr. Thompson to Washington, D.C., and to a role within the Watergate investigation.
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Thompson’s route to Senate was unusual. He had never before held public office, but he overwhelmingly won a 1994 special election for Al Gore’s old Senate seat after connecting with voters. In 1996 he easily won a six-year term. Thompson was recognized during the campaign by his red pickup truck that he used to crisscross the state throughout the race. In the end, Thompson captured 60 percent of the vote against then-Democratic Rep. Jim Cooper. After retiring from the Senate, Thompson took a role on the TV show “Law & Order,” playing the part of the district attorney. After retiring from politics, Thompson hosted a conservative radio talk show between 2009 and 2011 and became a TV advertising pitchman for American Advisers Group, a reverse mortgage financial company. Mr. Thompson announced a bid for president in 2007 but dropped out in January 2008 after faring poorly in the early part of the race. He then campaigned extensively for presidential nominee John McCain.
Republicans Ditch NBC over Debate
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The Republican National Committee (RNC) announced on Friday that it is suspending its relationship with NBC News following the third GOP presidential primary debate last week at University of Colorado’s Coors Events Center in Boulder on Wednesday evening. RNC Chairman Reince Priebus wrote a letter to NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack saying that the organization’s sole role in the primary debate process is to ensure that its candidates are given a full and fair opportunity to outline their vision for the future of the United States. However, candidates and their constituents did not feel that this was the case. “The CNBC network is one of your
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
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media properties, and its handling of the debate was conducted in bad faith,” the letter reads. “We understand that NBC does not exercise full editorial control over CNBC’s journalistic approach. However, the network is an arm of your organization, and we need to ensure there is not a repeat performance.” According to Priebus, the business news channel did not deliver on several promises: (1) The debate did not focus on key issues that matter to voters, such as job growth, taxes, technology, retirement and the national economy; (2) candidates did not receive opening questions on the economy or finance; and (3) speaking time was not monitored carefully to ensure fairness. The conservative leader characterized the questions at the debate as “inaccurate or downright offensive.” He cited the first question directed to party frontrunner Donald Trump as to whether he was running a “comic-book version of a presidential campaign” as an example. “While debates are meant to include tough questions and contrast candidates’ visions and policies for the future of America, CNBC’s moderators engaged in a series of ‘gotcha’ questions, petty and mean-spirited in tone, and designed to embarrass
our candidates,” the letter continues. “What took place Wednesday night was not an attempt to give the American people a greater understanding of our candidates’ policies and ideas.” Priebus said he respects the First Amendment and freedom of the press but also expects the media to host a “substantive debate on consequential issues.” In response, NBC News released this statement that read, “This is a disappointing development. However, along with our debate broadcast partners at Telemundo, we will work in good faith to resolve this matter with the Republican Party.” The tension was obvious during the debate as the candidates and the moderators shared several heated moments. At one point, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz reprimanded the moderators for the tone of their questions. “This is not a cage match,” Cruz said, when asked about the national debt. “Look at the questions: ‘Donald Trump, are you a comic-book villain?’ ‘Ben Carson, can you do math?’ ‘John Kasich, will you insult two people over here?’ ‘Marco Rubio, why don’t you resign?’ ‘Jeb Bush, why have your numbers fallen?’ How about talking about the substantive issues people care
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about?” New York Times television writer James Poniewozik wrote about his opinions regarding the debate. He thought the debate rapidly devolved into a match between the candidates and CNBC and that the network “lost in a rout.” He said moderators came across as both aggressive and underprepared, which proved a “fatal combination.” “There are plenty of reasons CNBC fell short. That it angered Mr. Priebus is not among them. A debate team’s job is not to keep the talent happy as if they were actors whose contract riders need to be fulfilled but to challenge the candidates — firmly but fairly,” he wrote. “That is the general principle, but CNBC did not make itself easy to defend with its execution. It could have used its stature as a specialized business network to dig down into economic issues. Instead it got derailed with trivia, needless fighting and good-in-theory questions with botched execution.” The next Republican presidential debate scheduled to air on an NBC network was slated for February 26, 2016. Its sponsors were NBC/Telemundo and the conservative magazine National Review. A debate is still ex-
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pected to take place on that day, with details to be forthcoming.
Budget Deal Reached
A miracle occurred this week on Capitol Hill: Congress and President Obama reached an agreement to forge a budget deal to prevent yet another debt-ceiling crisis that could have potentially shut down the government. These big decisions impact our wallets as well. Practically, it means no more double-dipping in Social Security. The way Social Security is organized, Americans who hold out before col-
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lecting Social Security receive a larger monthly check, with the maximum benefit achieved by waiting to file until age 70. Until now there was a “file and suspend” strategy that allowed couples to start collecting benefits even as they continued to accrue credits that would make their monthly payouts bigger. Typically, the higher-earning spouse would file for Social Security and immediately suspend their benefits. The other spouse would then be able to immediately start collecting a spousal benefit, while the filer was able to increase the size of his or her eventual payout. Ex-spouses and spouses who care for grown disabled children could also benefit from the strategy. But in the new deal this will no longer be allowed. Another effect to everyday Americans is on Medicare costs. Recently, Medicare recipients received steep increases in their premiums and deductibles to cover funding shortfalls in the program. The deal prevents a 52 percent increase in deductibles for all Medicare beneficiaries. Additionally, it keeps a 52 percent hike in Part B premiums from kicking in next year for 30 percent of Medicare beneficiaries. Another practical effect will yield more annoying phone calls across the nation. Americans who are past due on their taxes or government-backed student and mortgage loans may get more robo-calls from debt collectors thanks to the budget deal. It allows debt collectors, on behalf of the government, to automatically call cellphones for delinquent borrowers. That comes after the Federal Communications Commission ruled in July that private debt collectors who robo-call cellphones without permission are violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. Fortunately for the disabled population in the U.S., they will continue receiving disability benefits from Social Security and they won’t see a 20 percent cut in their benefits next year as feared.
17 and Working at NASA At four months old, he pointed to the sky and said the word for airplane in Chinese. At 11, he graduated
from community college. Four year later, he received his bachelor’s in math. And now, Moshe Kai Cavalin, boy wonder, is working for NASA. He’s only 17.
Oh, and that’s not all. Cavalin flies airplanes. He just published his second book. And he started online classes to get a master’s in cybersecurity through Brandeis University. Those classes, though, were put on hold while he helps NASA develop surveillance technology for airplanes and drones. Despite his accomplishments, the teen from San Gabriel, California, claims he’s more ordinary than one would think and credits his parents for years of focused instruction along with the freedom to choose his afterschool activities. “My case isn’t that special. It’s just a combination of parenting and motivation and inspiration,” he said after a recent shift at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. “I tend to not compare myself that often to other people. I just try to do the best I can.” His parents insist that he’s not a genius, although they admit that he was always a quick study. Cavalin agrees: “One word I don’t take too kindly is genius,” he said. “Genius is just kind of taking it too far.” But Cavalin’s rapid rise hasn’t been without twists. Early in college, he dreamed of being an astrophysicist. When he started taking advanced physics classes, though, his interest waned. His fascination in cryptography led him toward computer science. That has been a better fit, Cavalin said. He was surprised when NASA called to offer work after rejecting him in the past because of his age. Ricardo Arteaga, his boss and mentor at NASA, says Cavalin was perfect for a project that combines math, computers and aircraft technology. “I needed an intern who knew software and knew mathematical al-
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
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gorithms,” Arteaga says. “And I also needed a pilot who could fly a Cessna.” After he finishes his master’s from Brandeis, Cavalin hopes to get a master’s in business at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Later, he wants to start his own cybersecurity company. For now, though, he’s counting down the days until his 18th birthday, when he’ll be able to get a full driver’s license under California law. Living away from home to work at NASA, he relies on his landlord for rides to the grocery store or he takes a taxi. His older colleagues drive him to work every day. There must be some sort of algorithm he can use to find a solution to that problem.
The Aging Alumnus On the other side of the age spectrum, Margaret Thome Bekema is finally walking down the aisle. On Thursday, the 97-year-old received an honorary diploma from a Michi-
gan high school, eight decades after she was forced to drop out to help her family. School administrators from Catholic Central High School in Grand Rapids presented the nonagenarian with the diploma at the Yorkshire and Stonebridge Manor senior community in Walker.
Bekema would have graduated with the Class of 1936, but she left during her junior year to care for her three younger siblings because her mother was ill with cancer. She said leaving school at age 17 broke her heart and she’s thankful for the recognition. It’s never too late to graduate.
Selfie Secrets
Don’t look that good in selfies? No problem, just stop taking them. In all fairness, though, selfies are not going away. Andrej Karpathy, a computer science graduate student at Stanford University, recognized that the phenomenon is here to stay and he used a data mining network to determine how to take the perfect selfie. It turns out that it’s easy—and it won’t take all day to learn. Karpathy used a computer program to collect millions of images that were tagged #selfie. He then analyzed the number of likes per followers; the ones with the most likes were deemed more successful. Using those selfies, he analyzed what made for a better selfie. Rule number one: be a woman. Yes, females come out better in selfies. The next rule is called the rule of thirds. “The face always occupies about 1/3 of the image, is slightly tilted, and is positioned in the center and at the top,” he pointed out. Long hair also helps when it comes to taking photos of yourself. And using filters and borders around your photos also help enhance your pictures. Now you can look as good in your pictures as you do in real life.
Flying Fast
Need to head to Buckingham Palace right away? Desperate to take a ride on the London Eye or maybe grab some Yorkshire pudding? This piece of news is perfect for you. A Canadian engineer recently unveiled a concept for a supersonic scramjet that could zip from London
to New York City in just half an hour, traveling at 10 times the speed of sound. Four wings, two rockets and a liquid-oxygen burning system would allow the scramjet to hit more than 7,600 mph, blowing the Concorde out of the water. That gives you barely enough time to try to get comfortable for the flight. The Skreemr jet was designed by inventor Charles Bombardier, who explained how it would allow about 75 passengers to fly between continents at record speeds. Bombardier admits that for now the jet is being tested for the military, and passengers can only dream to fly on the jet in the “distant future,” if at all. Hey, we can always dream. To infinity and beyond!
Car with a View
Joyce Kingsley may have always wanted a Mustang. And now the 83-year-old has it. But it’s not sitting in her garage. The classic car parked itself on her roof one day when its driver lost control along Interstate 69 in Michigan. Kingsley’s home is built next to a hill, and the roof is nearly level with the ground. “I was just watching TV inside. I had it up pretty loud — but this was much louder,” Kingsley said after she heard a loud “kaboom.” The Mustang went through several bushes, trees and a fence before landing on the roof. “The driver is extremely lucky,” Trooper Ben Rowell said. “It could’ve been a lot worse,” the thoughtful senior said. “I’m glad everyone is all right.” The car, though, may need to find a new home.
A New Ride For the past month, John Joyce has been pushing his lawnmower to work. The 83-year-old from St. Petersburg, Florida, is retired, but he
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
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mows lawns to earn extra cash. When his pickup truck broke down, and with no money to repair, Joyce started pushing his lawnmower the twoand-a-half miles to work every day.
Beyond the need for extra money, the question was asked as to why the 83-year-old chose to push his lawnmower such a vast distance to keep up with his shifts: “It helps keep me going,” he says. The experience and the kindness of strangers was overwhelming to the hardworking man. “I feel like a millionaire,” Joyce kept repeating as he climbed aboard his new ride.
Meet Your Dopplegänger Seeing Joyce pushing his mower for the hour-long walk galvanized Robert and Nikki Horton to help. In just two weeks, their Go Fund Me page raised $13,000 – enough to buy Joyce a 2004 Nissan Titan, cover his insurance, supply some gas and even some newer lawn equipment. “I just couldn’t bear to see you showing up at my house and pushing that lawnmower and not having a vehicle, and I didn’t think you were going to have the means to get one,” Robert told Joyce.
Hey, don’t I know you? You look exactly like… Yes, I get that all the time. I know I look like ten other people, but I also know that I don’t look exactly like them. Do you have a “twin stranger”? This week, while sitting on a plane,
people thought they were seeing double. Two men – who had never met previously – were sitting next to each other, both sporting orange hair and beards and large grins. A photo of the look-alike strangers buzzed through social media and then another “twin” of them was found online. Seems like they are “triplet strangers” and people were seeing triple.
Story Dispenser
It’s been said that the French are slightly snobby. It’s also been said that French women are generally thin. And this may help us understand why they are able to keep their weight down. In Grenoble, France, a city known as the capital of the French Alps, instead of dispensing candy, pretzels and soda in vending machines, the
highbrow French are giving out short stories. It seems that people are hungry for words and not salty snacks. Perhaps that’s their way of dieting. Short Édition, a publishing startup, has installed eight free story-dispensing vending machines in some of its most popular public spaces. The strange, screen-less contraptions are the brainchild of Christophe Sibieude (the co-founder and head of Short Édition) and Grenoble’s mayor, Éric Piolle. The pair hope that commuters and bystanders will make use of these stories to expand and enrich their minds while waiting around, rather than tapping their way aimlessly through Facebook or Twitter. Stories are dispensed according to how much time you’ve got to spend reading (one, three-, and five-minute options are available), and the stories are printed out on long receipt-like paper. “The idea came to us in front of a vending machine containing chocolate bars and drinks,” Sibieude related. “We said to ourselves that we could do the same thing with good quality popular literature to occupy these little unproductive moments.” Hey, I’m all for reading but I’d like to buy some snacks, too, s’il vous plait.
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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
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NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | The Jewish Home
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AT THIS WEEK’S LEARN & LIVE PROGRAM, R’ YEHUDAH DEUTSCH PRESENTED THE MELACHA OF ZOREAH WITH HUMOR AND LOTS OF HANDS-ON PROJECTS. NEXT WEEK, THE BOYS WILL BE HEADING TO LOWES FOR THE SECOND PART OF THE MELACHA OF ZOREAH.
Local Leaders Lead Interagency Meeting on Route 878
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iting the need for urgent action to repair vital evacuation routes and ease daily traffic nightmares, Assembly Members Phil Goldfeder (D - Far Rockaway) and Todd Kaminsky (D - Lawrence) and Nassau County Legislator Howard Kopel (R - Woodmere) led an interagency meeting of transportation officials to urge movement on long-anticipated repairs to the heavily-deteriorated Route 878-Nassau Expressway. “NY878 is in dire need of a comprehensive solution to its many issues,” said Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky. “I am glad that we were able to bring together all of the relevant stakeholders to discuss a plan for the future of this vital commuter and evacuation route.” “The longer we delay repairs to Rockaway Turnpike, Rockaway Boulevard and the 878, the more our families are put at risk during our commutes and in the event of major storms,” said Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder. “This roadway is one of only three evacuation routes for thousands of families on the Rock-
away Peninsula. I am encouraged by the state Transportation Department’s (NYSDOT) commitment to explore ways to fix Route 878 and will continue to work with my colleagues at all levels of government to ensure that something is finally done.” “This area is subject to intense and crippling congestion during standard current rush hour, holiday, and rainy conditions,” said Nassau County Legislator Howard J. Kopel. “It is the only evacuation route for tens of thousands of residents of the Five Towns and barrier islands. Construction of a viable evacuation route from this corridor is overdue and critical. The most important thing we do as elected officials is ensure the safety of our residents.” “Route 878 is the main thoroughfare for thousands of residents both in Rockaway and on the barrier islands,” said Nassau County Legislator Denise Ford, who also attended the meeting. “I appreciate the efforts of Assembly Members Goldfeder and Kaminsky, and my colleague Legislator Kopel in encouraging positive improvements to our local roadways.”
Meeting last week at the Atlantic Bridge administrative building in Lawrence, Assembly Members Goldfeder and Kaminsky and Legislator Kopel sat down with officials from the city and state Transportation Departments, as well as Nassau County Department of Public Works to review potential repairs to Route 878-Nassau Expressway. The elected officials joined state transportation representatives in discussing plans under the state’s 2012 study of the major roadway. Responding to concerns from Goldfeder, Kaminsky and Kopel, the state officials agreed to consider possible actions in the study that could be expedited, vowing to follow up with their conclusions. This was welcome news for the officials, who have long fought to improve conditions along the roadway, which handles nearly 40,000 vehicles per day. Last year, Kopel, Kaminsky and Goldfeder joined dozens of elected officials, first responders, and irate commuters in a rally to expedite repairs to Route 878-Nassau Expressway Most recently, Goldfeder and
Kaminsky wrote to the state Department of Transportation urging for Route 878-Nassau Expressway to be included in the state’s Accelerated Repaving Projects list. The officials’ most recent push has taken on added urgency following the near-miss of Hurricane Joaquin late last month. The roadway, which regularly sees flooding after rainstorms, would have been ill-prepared for the major storm, they have noted. NYSDOT has proposed a Nassau Expressway Operational Improvement Project to address traffic operational and safety issues, poor pavement and drainage conditions, and aesthetic issues along the route. However, this project isn’t expected to begin until 2023, with an anticipated completion date in fall of 2025. “It was imperative that every agency sit in the same room to eliminate finger-pointing and encourage cooperation,” concluded Goldfeder. “While the future is still unclear, we will continue to do everything possible to bring much needed traffic relief to our families.”
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
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NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | The Jewish Home
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Open House at Central
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t Central’s Open House, we welcomed interested parents and students from all over the tristate area in our biggest turnout to date! Guests to our building were greeted by our entire faculty, as well as students who volunteered their Sunday mornings as an expression of how much they love their school. As our guests mingled in the gym, they were able to converse with teachers and students while viewing a slideshow of photographs that documented the wealth of activities encompassed in a single Central school year. Associate Principal Ms. Beverly Segal opened the formal portion of the program by introducing our freshman representative, Five Towns native Meira Saffra, who enthusiastically conveyed to our audience the warmth of the Central community and the bounty of opportunities available to the student body. We were then privileged to hear from Mrs. Miriam Goldberg, President of the Board of YU High Schools, before Head of School Mrs. CB Neugroschl captured what makes the YUHSG experience so special. She discussed the school’s dedication to the ideals of Torah U’Madda L’khatchila and
the academic and spiritual experiences, both in and out of the classroom, that provide our students with the skills to navigate the twenty-first century as well-informed Modern Orthodox Jews; and she expressed our commitment to educating the “whole” student as an individual with unique talents and interests to be nurtured. As Mrs. Neugroschl said so eloquently, “This is a school where we are always learning.” We then enjoyed a video replete with interviews of students recounting their diverse Central experiences at a school where no two students are the same! To give her account of life at Central, senior Shira Levy reflected on how YUHSG met and exceeded all of her expectations for high school. Visitors then moved to individual classrooms, where they were all treated to three mini-lessons from our renowned faculty, one from the Judaic Studies Department, one from the Humanities, and one from the STEM fields. Our visitors were impressed with the enthusiasm and expertise of our teachers. Parents moved to the gym for a video of parents’ testimonies of the Central experience and a speech by Mrs. Ruth Fried, Chair of
the Science Department and proud mother of three Central graduates. Downstairs, our future Central students were getting a taste of extracurricular life at Central. At our “Grand Central Station,” a spotlight highlighted individual girls, planted throughout the audience, talking about their extracurricular involvement. Students represented our academic and chesed clubs, athletics teams, and other initiatives, such as the Ulpana Exchange Program. Our visitors especially enjoyed the live
dance performance from Dance Captains Shira Levy and Elianna Sharvit! Everyone was then reunited in the gym for our curriculum fair, where guests could learn more about our course offerings and speak to our faculty one-on-one. Thank you to the many individuals who made the morning such a success and who demonstrated what makes a Central education so indispensable and one-of-a-kind!
a subtle nuance. In the question, the student was to read a passage and identify the best main goal in the text. The question is not merely testing the minimal comprehension level of identifying main ideas, but is requiring the student to evaluate and determine the best main goal supported by key details. The testing is able to define for us the rigor that is expected through the
Common Core State Standards. With the end now in mind, our ELA teachers are armed to set the bar during instruction to meet the true expectations of the state standards. By embedding these ideas in their ELA instruction throughout the year, our students develop critical thinking skills.
Bnos Malka: Leveraged Learning By Mrs. Shuly Zuckerman, Assistant Principal, middle school “Keeping the end in mind” has become a popular phrase. The idea
The Unlikely Story of an English Protestant Page 90
is to make sure that all the steps we take are consistent and constructive towards our goal. It is true in all facets of life as well as the classroom. This is highlighted in the work on “Leverage Leadership” by Paul Bambrick-Santoyo. In one of the most telling passages of his book he discusses building rigor in curriculum and how to raise the standards. He says that by carefully analyzing questions posed on state tests you can break down the specific skills that students need in order to succeed on the test. This sensitivity to the end goal informs what teachers will emphasize during their instruction. At Bnos Malka we have taken this idea and incorporated it into our program. At our staff collaboration meeting this month, our ELA (English Language Arts) teachers analyzed grade level questions on the 2015 ELA test. By looking at the questions, they were able to identify the exact rigor that each standard is truly demanding. One example had
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
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NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
District Representatives Visit Gesher
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his past week the Gesher administration had the privilege of hosting a select group of representatives from the Lawrence School District. Superintendent of Schools Gary Schall, School Psychologist Elise Danzger, and Mr. Jeremy Feder welcomed Gesher to the district. During its first three years Gesher was located in neighboring District 14. As many of its students have come from within the boundaries of District 15 Gesher has always appreciated its strong relationship with the district. That association was an important
factor in the decision to relocate. Mr. Schall has been an effusive admirer of the Gesher Early Childhood Center. His steady praise of the program has helped to advance the growth that Gesher has seen this year. “The District really understands and appreciates the requirements of our student body,” says Mrs. Chava Bodner, Director of Gesher. “The mutual respect that we have for each other is crucial. They value our assessments and observations and are eager to provide the appropriate resource for each student.” The District representatives were
31 Students Inducted into National Honors Society at DRS
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CHDUT, the DRS Chapter of the National Honor Society, is affiliated with the National Association of Secondary Schools. On Tuesday night, DRS inducted 31 students into the Achdut chapter of the National Honor Society. These students were selected for admission on the basis of having a minimum of a 90 academic average, as well as middot befitting this esteemed honor. The induction ceremony began with words of welcome from both Rabbi Yisroel Kaminetsky, Menahel of DRS, and Dr. Gerald Kirshenbaum, Principal of General Studies. The keynote speaker for the program was Mr. Allen Fagin, Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union (OU) and former Chairman of Proskauer Rose LLP. Mr. Fagin spoke to the students about their unique Jewish heritages and the unity of the Jewish community. Following Mr. Fagin’s speech, pairs of inductees delivered short vignettes about famous Jewish personalities from Tanach as well as from the secular world who have also made tremendous contributions to society and who exemplify the middot and characteristics of ACHDUT: character, leadership, scholarship, service, persistence, integrity, compassion, courage, dignity and vision. The pairs presented their famous personality to an audience of over 200 staff members, parents and rel-
atives. An honorary award was delivered to Mrs. Toula Kominos, a long time mathematics teacher at DRS, who was honored for her many years of service to our Yeshiva. Mrs. Kominos is a special individual who possesses all of the qualities that were spoken about by our students.
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT GARY SCHALL AND OTHER DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES VISIT WITH GESHER ADMINISTRATION
very impressed with the new expanded facility that Gesher currently occupies. Their enthusiasm reinforces the observations made by Mr. Schall at a recent Gesher event. “The Gesher Early Childhood Center is an extraordinary institution
and is distinguished from the many institutions that I have seen. The moment you walk into the door you feel the warmth and supportive environment that addresses the needs of various learning styles for the students that attend.” PHOTO CREDIT: IRA THOMAS CREATIONS
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
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Fighting to Learn, Learning to Fight: A Message to Rambam Mesivta from Rav Sheinwald
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n October 28, Mesivta Rambam was honored by a visit from the Rosh Yeshiva of Modiin’s Hesder program, Rabbi Eliezer Sheinwald. Recently, Rabbi Sheinwald has begun working closely with Magen David Adom to start a paramedic’s Beis Medrash in Ofakim. The students learn Torah half a day and study to be paramedics the rest of the day. Rabbi Sheinwald firmly believes that one must take responsibility in life and live up to one’s potential. He himself has a degree in electronics and firmly believes that one must be able to “do something.” Rabbi Sheinwald, in addition, is a well-known figure in Modiin. He is particularly known for his acts of chesed. He inaugurated a program in Modiin in which he gives Bar Mitzvah lessons to any boy who needs them, no matter what his religious affiliation might be. Rabbi Sheinwald learned at Yeshivat Merkaz Harav Kook, whose principles are harbatzat Torah and Religious Zionism.
Rabbi Sheinwald, in his talk to the talmidim at Rambam, used the timely portion of Lech Lecha to highlight an important lesson. He referred to the Alshich and explained that when Hashem told Avram to “Lech Lecha.” His commandment was not only for Avram to leave for a new place, but also to look within himself in a new way. Hashem was telling Avram to take responsibility. This is the primary message Rav Sheinwald was giving over: One must learn to take responsibility in life and live up to one’s ideal. At the outset of his army career, the Rav was in charge of a small number of soldiers when a problem came up. He went to his commander for help and the commander said, “You figure it out.” He learned that he had to take responsibility and couldn’t rely on other people. Subsequently, the rabbi became the commander of thousands of soldiers because of his strong belief that, “You have to be willing to make sacrifices on behalf of Klal Yisrael.”
Next, Rabbi Sheinwald spoke about the matzav in Israel, “The current situation is a war. It is not about land. Both PLO and Hamas have proclaimed loudly that their goal is nothing less than the destruction of all Jews.” It is not accidental that many victims in the recent stabbings and attacks are religious Jews and soldiers. What is happening is a religious war, which they have openly depicted as jihad. What must a Jew do to respond to this violence? According to Rab-
bi Sheinwald, one must learn Torah, daven and be prepared to fight. One must take responsibility for oneself and become a leader. As Hashem told Avram, “Lech Lecha,” so must every Jew take responsibility and look to himself and rise to the challenge to become a leader as well as work for the betterment of others. The boys of the Mesivta were clearly inspired by Rabbi Sheinwald’s talk and “Lech Lecha” will have a special meaning for them now and in the future.
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NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Local Students Visit Google’s New York Headquarters
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ore than 200 ninth and tenth grade Jewish day school girls participating in the CIJE-Tech High School Engineering Program enjoyed a behindthe-scenes visit full of innovation and insight at Google’s New York headquarters. Students attended from the following New York schools: Bnot Shulamith School in Woodmere; Tichon Meir Moshe and Torah Academy for Girls in Far Rockaway; Yeshiva University High School for Girls in Queens; Prospect Park High School and Shulamith High School in Brooklyn; and from New Jersey: Ilan High School in Deal and Bruriah High School in Elizabeth. Craig Nevill-Manning, founder
Judy Lebovits, Five Towns Resident, Director and VP of CIJE (Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education)
of Google, New York, welcomed the girls and discussed the past, present and future of Google. Rachel Geisler, a Bruriah High School graduate and Google software engineer, organized this amazing and memorable event. Geisler discussed her schooling and how fortunate she was to combine “being a dedicated wife and mother as well as a successful ‘Googler.’” As part of the activities, the girls were able to virtually “travel” to different destinations using Google virtual reality inventions including new Google Cardboard. Google Cardboard is an affordable virtual reality viewer that works on mobile devices. Equally captivating, however, were the six orthodox Jewish “Googlers” who addressed the CIJE-Tech group.
“The girls were rapt in attention as they listened to each Googler recount how they handle their roles as software engineers and religious Jewish women,” remarked Judy Lebovits, CIJE vice president and director. “This was an amazing opportunity for our young ladies to learn from Jewish and STEM career role models. They asked great questions and learned that through their CIJE-Tech coursework there is a successful path for the future that is being placed before them.” According to Ilan High School CIJE teacher, Natalie Aryeh, “The women described their journeys to becoming engineers and the struggles they faced as being women in a predominantly male field. It was inspiring for our students to see Jewish mothers and wives go against the grain and succeed in attaining prestigious engineering positions all while keeping strong to their religious beliefs and practices.”
From the Wives of the Victims of the Har Nof Synagogue Massacre
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n advance of the first yahrtzeit (anniversary of one’s death) of their beloved husbands, several of the wives of the victims of the Har Nof synagogue massacre issued an impassioned plea to world Jewry via the National Council of Young Israel (NCYI). Nearly one year ago, four holy Jewish souls – Rabbi Moshe Twersky, Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Goldberg, Rabbi Kalman Levine, and Rabbi Aryeh Kupinsky Hy”d– were brutally massacred by Arab terrorists in a Har Nof synagogue while wearing tefillin as they prayed during Shacharit services. In addition, a fifth victim, Rabbi Chaim Yechiel Rothman, succumbed to his wounds last week, almost a full year after he was severely injured in the attack.
Soon after the carnage, as they were grieving for their loved ones, some of the widows sent a special request to the National Council of Young Israel. They asked the NCYI to call on Jewish men to put on tefillin on the Shloshim (the 30th day after one’s death) of their husbands’ murders. In addition, they asked the NCYI to urge Jewish women to light Shabbat candles along with their Chanukah lights. As the first yahrtzeit approaches, (November 7 / 25 Cheshvan), the widows wish to honor the memories of their husbands by making the following request: To Jewish Men 1. Attend the daily minyan, especially on the Sunday after the yahrt-
zeit, November 8, to remember their fallen husbands. 2. If you do not regularly don tefillin, please do so on Sunday, November 8 to commemorate the yahrtzeit, which actually falls on Shabbat when tefillin is not worn. 3. If you regularly pray at a daily minyan, try to influence a fellow Jew who doesn’t do so to attend on the yahrtzeit and/or to put on tefillin. To Jewish Women 1. If you don’t usually light Shabbat candles, please do so on Friday afternoon, November 6 before sundown, preceding the yahrtzeit. 2. If you already observe the mitzvah of Shabbat candle lighting, in addition, please recite five chapters of Tehillim (psalms) in their
husbands’ memory. You may choose from the following suggestions for such appropriate times: Psalm numbers 16, 20, 25, 38, 54, 81, 85, 86, 87, 102, 130, or 142. The recitation of Tehillim should be done on Friday afternoon as well. 3. Ask someone that doesn’t usually light Shabbat candles to do so on this occasion. “The widows want to express appreciation and thanks to everyone who remembers their murdered husbands with prayers and mitzvot,” said NCYI President Farley Weiss. “Their heartfelt hope is that there will be no more such tragedies and that in the future we will know only smachot. May the memories of these holy Jews be a blessing for all of us.”
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
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NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | The Jewish Home
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SKA Seniors “Escape the Room”
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t’s not all work for the twelfth graders of the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls! On Thursday night, October 22, over seventy seniors went to Mineola to “Escape the Room,” an interactive mystery puzzle. Divided into several groups and placed in differently themed rooms, the SKA students had 60 minutes to find hidden objects, figure out clues, and solve the puzzles to earn their freedom. Making their own pizzas at Hunki’s in West Hempstead put an ex-
tra topping on the evening. Thanks go to Mrs. Ralbag and Mrs. Braun, SKA’s Senior Grade Level Advisors, and Madrichot Yakira Fruchter and Sarit Schreier who accompanied the students. “This was a great way to get senior year started,” said 12th grader Rachel Silvera. “It was so much fun working together and was an incredible bonding experience. We really had to think outside of the box.” Ms. Silvera’s group won first place!
Queens Jewish Center Yahrtzeit Lecture Series
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he Queens Jewish Center, 6605 108th Street, Forest Hills, NY 11375, invites everyone to the 1st Annual Yahrtzeit Lecture Series in memory of Rav Joseph Grunblatt zt”l on Shabbos, December 4-5, 2015. A Scholar in Residence program will feature noted speaker Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter, formerly Rabbi of The Jewish Center, Senior Scholar, YU Center for the Jewish Future and Professor of Jewish History and Jewish Thought. Rabbi Dr. Schacter will speak at a catered Friday night dinner on “Menorah: From the Bet HaMikdash to
the State of Israel”; give the Shabbos morning Drasha on “The Contemporary Significance of the State of Israel: Reshit Zemichat Geulatenu?”; and speak at a special Seudah Shlishis (following 3:30 pm Mincha) on “To Be an Erev Shabbos Jew: Act and Emotion in Judaism.” Reservations for the Friday night dinner are $30 for members / $35 for non-members / half price for kids under 12. RSVP deadline: Monday, November 23. To reserve: call the office 718-459-8432 or go to http:// www.myqjc.org/event/Grunblatt-SIR.html.
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island joins the community in deeply mourning the passing of
Rebbetzin Tzirel Kamenetzky
v"g
We extend our heartfelt birchos tanchumim to her esteemed husband
HoRav Binyomin Kamenetzky To Her Children And Entire Family of,t ojbh ouenv ohkaurhu iuhm hkct rta lu,c Hanhalas HaYeshiva Rebbeim & Faculty
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NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | The Jewish Home
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Five Towns Marriage Initiative The Importance of Gratitude
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here is a Tosfos in Gemorah Avodah Zara 5a that teaches us a powerful lesson in gratitude. In Devarim the pasuk asks: “Who can be sure that their heart will be strong to fear Hashem and follow His commandments?” At this point the Jews could have responded to Hashem by promising their ongoing fear of heaven, yet they remained silent. Moshe later told them that this was an error on their part and for this they were called “ingrates.” Tosfos asks why the mere failure to answer a question regarding their own perceived capabilities and willpower would be deserving of punishment. How is a lack of a willingness to commit to an estimation of one’s abilities justification for holding one accountable? Tosfos explains that at that point the Yidden realized they could have asked Hashem to give them the strength to have the fear of Hashem and requested this fear of heaven as
a gift to be able to answer the heavenly question in the affirmative, but the mere concern for the ongoing obligation of the resulting need for gratitude once granted this request actually held them back from ever making the request in the first place. We learn from this, that if it’s within our power to even ask for help, but we don’t out of concern for the extra effort, or worse for the extra obligation of mere gratitude and appreciation for the fulfillment of that request, we bear tremendous accountability. Marriage obligates us to our spouse. It puts us in a position where we have no choice but to be on the receiving end. Usually that’s viewed as something positive but it’s important to keep in mind that our receiving obligates us to become skilled in the art of gratitude. Many of us think that we can just pass off our obligation of gratitude with a simple “thank you.” If we wanted our spouse to go shopping for us
we would take the time to text a clear detailed list of what we wanted them to buy, but when it comes to thanking our spouse we manage to suffice with a mere generic “thanks.” We can’t even bother most of the time to expend the extra energy to write out both words let alone begin to specify all that we truly have to be grateful for. Our response to receiving from others should be a willingness to go out of our way to please them, not mere words, but rather a demonstration of our appreciation by way of reciprocal actions of giving. Our gratitude should obligate us to be there for those who help us, in return, not simply to utter words and feel like we have satisfied our obligations. The ability to accept help and then show gratitude is a fundamental theme within our marriages and a critical aspect of shalom bayis. Ideally we want to always make our focus on giving of ourselves knowing that by placing the other person first
our own needs will always be taken care of. Rav Eliyahu Dessler in his Michtav M’Eliyahu says clearly that we all must work to emulate Hashem who is the ultimate giver. Even when we find ourselves on the receiving end we should still approach these times as opportunities to give – and we see that when we aren’t busy giving to our spouse we still have the opportunity to give thanks for that which we receive, turning even what we get into another act of giving by giving thanks. Five Towns Marriage Initiative provides educational programs, workshops and referrals to top marriage therapists. FTMI will help offset counseling costs when necessary and also runs an anonymous shalom bayis hotline for the entire community Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 9:30-11p.m. For the hotline or more information, call 516-4305280 or email dsgarry@msn.com.
י בה ד ר ך ששי מרן רבי אברהם יפה’ןאזיצ’’תן ’’ע ל
Yeshiva of Far Rockaway
MesivTa OPen HOuse For Parents and 8th Grade Talmidim Wednesday, november 11, 2015 | חשון תשע"ו 802 Hicksville Road, Far Rockaway, new York
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Rabbi Yechiel Perr Rosh Hayeshiva
For more information please contact our office at: (718) 327-7600 | info@yofr.org
Rabbi Aaron Brafman Menahel
Rabbi Eli Goldgrab General Studies Principal
Rabbi Chaim Shlomo Metz Rabbi Aharon Perr 10th Grade Rebbi 9th Grade Rebbi
Rabbi Avi Weller 10th Grade Rebbi
Rabbi Eli Braunstein 11th Grade Rebbi
Rabbi Yoel Genuth 12th Grade Rebbi
Rabbi Yehoshua Kalish 11th Grade Rebbi
Rabbi Moshe Perr 12th Grade Rebbi
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NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Madraigos Takes Action for October’s Bullying Prevention Month
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s part of an ongoing effort in partnership with various schools in our community, Madraigos visited HANC (Hebrew Academy of Nassau County) Middle School on Tuesday, October 27 to administer a Bully Awareness Workshop. The workshop was administered by Chanie Delman, LCSW, Clinical Director of Madraigos; Mindi Werblowsky, LMSW, Director of Adolescent Programming of Madraigos; and Danielle Kopel, an MSW intern at Madraigos. All of this was made possible with the help of Dr. Levey, Director of the Counseling Department at HANC. The workshop was administered
to a couple different groups. Mindi Werblowsky conducted a separate girls’ group for both seventh and eighth graders. Chanie Delman led a separate boys’ group for seventh and eighth graders. The workshop focused not only on awareness, but
also on providing students with the tools for action when they see bullying happening in their school or if they themselves are being bullied. Part of what made the program so successful was that it mixed many various interactive methods to allow the students to truly understand the information given. The workshop featured a slideshow throughout, with various pictures and cartoons to demonstrate bullying, define bullying, and teach anti-bullying tools. The workshop leaders focused on statistics and facts to make it a more real and pressing problem including “every 7 seconds a student is getting bullied,” or “1 in 4 families has a child suffering from bullies.” The students discussed the wide array of suffering that “bullying” can apply to such as physical bullying, emotional bullying, verbal bullying, cyber-bullying, and exclusion bullying. The students helped to define these terms and how they manifest in their own lives. The students were also shown pictures of a bullying scenario and asked what the bully and the victim may be thinking and going through. Through this exercise the students learned that bullies often go after a weaker person and that bullies only have as much power as the person gives to them. One of the tools given to the students to combat bullying was to seek help by finding an adult they could speak to. Dr. Levey explained that the best part of these workshops is that “after these workshops it opens the doors for the kids to come and ask questions...” The students were
taught the benefits of standing up for themselves and being assertive, treating the situation with humor so the bully sees the victim is not bothered, and not becoming friends with bullies because it will just give them more ways to hurt them. The Madraigos staff also spent much time emphasizing cyber-bullying and its effects. Some tools to combat cyber-bullying were “blocking” the bully, deleting that social media account, or changing user settings so they are more private. The message most pressed was that students should never blame themselves if they ever suffer from bullying. As part of making the workshop interactive, the girls made their own “anti-bullying” stickers to be worn that day. The boys took turns with a bullying scenario role-play and types of humorous reactions one can have to deter the bully. For example, the bully would say, “You are so short, when are you going to grow already?” and the person would respond with, “True, but I am already taller than my grandma” or “Yeah, sometimes my neck hurts from needing to look up all the time.” These role-plays got all the students involved and thinking, as well as helping to define and recognize all the various types of things that can fall under bullying. Madraigos is looking forward to partnering with HANC and other schools in the area to continue bully education in our schools, as well as education for other hot topics that our schools will be addressing this year.
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Chai Lifeline Annual Gala
11.23.15 Marriot Marquis, NYC
Honoring
Kami and Dina Kalaty
Chai Heritage Award in memory of Sarina Kalaty (Sara Ruth bat Ephraim)
Cross River Bank
Community Service Award
Kevin McGeachy, FACHE
Executive Director Cohen Children's Medical Center
Maimonides Medical Achievement Award
Dani and Nini Ross
Camp Simcha Appreciation Award
Yehuda and Mati Alcabes Camp Simcha Appreciation Award
Illness robs children of so much. No more hopes. No more dreams. No more future.
Chairs
Marc and Shavi Bodner
Dr. Steven and Marjorie Kellner
Joseph Sprung
Jonathan and Anat Stein
Dinner Chairs
Dinner Chairs
Menachem and Mariam Lieber
Mordy Rothberg
Dr. Mark R. Sultan
Ezzy and Chavi Dicker
Dinner Chairs
Dinner Chair
Eli Rowe
Dinner Chair
Chai Lifeline gives it all back. Illness limits children. Chai Lifeline helps them see that life is limitless.
Join us on November 23.
The possibilities are endless.
151 West 30th Street, New York, NY 10001
Dinner Chair
phone 212.699.6658 fax 212.465.0949 www.chaidinner.org
Dinner Chairs
Dinner Chair
Alumni Chairs
Stephanie Levit Alumni Chair
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Rebbetzin Sara Meisels from Eretz Yisrael Inspires Shevach High School Students
O
n Monday, November 19, Shevach was privileged to hear from the Bobover Rebbe’s daughter, Rebbetzin Sara Meisels. Fourteen years ago, while returning from a trip up to Meron
for her son’s upsherin, Rebbetzin Meisels’ daughter, Alte Nechama Malka Wachsman, was tragically killed in a car accident. Rebbitzen Meisels wanted very much to start a worldwide initiative which would be
a very special zechus for her daughter’s neshama. Upon realizing that the initials of her daughter’s name comprise the word Amen, she spearheaded a campaign to teach the world about the awesome power of
Amen. Through powerful words and a captivating visual presentation, she brought her message home. She clearly portrayed how Amen is compared to the signature on a check. It is that which gives the koach to a bracha to soar directly to the kisei hakavod and nullify bad decrees. Furthermore, Rebbetzin Meisels explained how we should use Amen to strengthen our emunah. She explained how Amen is the acronym for Kel Melech Ne’eman. Kel represents the rachmanus, the mercy of Hashem. Melech, that we are mekabel ol malchus Shamayim, we accept Hashem’s rule upon us, and ne’eman, that we have in mind ein od milvado, there is no one other than Him. If we would have these ideas in mind every time we say Amen, our emunah would reach new heights and im yirtzeh Hashem we will have the shmirah we need everywhere, and in particular nowadays in Eretz Yisrael. The Shevach students not only took Rebbitzen Meizels’ message to heart, but decided to act upon the inspiration. Every morning a sizable number of students voluntarily come to school earlier than required in order to daven brachos out loud rather than quietly to themselves, to allow others to answer Amen. May this be a z’chus for all of Klal Yisrael.
In the Dating Scene? Stay tuned for our upcoming column featuring experts on dating, relationships and marriage
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Standing Room Only at the MAY 2015 Open House
PARTIAL VIEW OF THE OVERFLOW CROWD ENGROSSED IN THE VIDEO PRESENTATION
I
t was standing room only at the Mesivta Ateres Yaakov Open House this past Sunday, as the Yeshiva hosted over 100 prospective students, along with their parents, all eager to learn all about the “MAY experience.” In the yeshiva’s beautiful facilities and with the faculty and staff present to answer questions, the day’s program was an opportunity to educate parents and students about the mission of the Yeshiva. It was a busy, exciting and educational experience that included
informative panels, video displays, passionate presentations, engaging dialogue, Torah brainteasers, team building exercises, raffles, a gala luncheon, prizes, an elaborate Student Fair, slushies, competitions and more. Upon arrival, attendees were warmly greeted by the MAY hanhalah, its talented and dedicated faculty and scores of student and parent volunteers. Guests were ushered into the elaborate Student Fair, where a multitude of booths, manned by current Ateres Yaakov talmidim who de-
THE PARENT PANEL
scribed the school’s myriad extracurricular programs. Following the Student Fair, the Menahel, Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe, addressed the standing room only crowd in the Mesivta’s expansive Bais Medrash. He explained that “the goal in a yeshiva high school extends far beyond the high school years” and that “the ultimate purpose is to build better husbands, fathers and ovdei Hashem. Therefore, literally everything that occurs within the yeshiva is aimed at facilitating that goal.” Rabbi Yaffe concluded his remarks by clearly explaining each phrase of the Mesivta’s slogan, “Rabbeim for Life. Education for Life. Torah for Life.” Rabbi Yaffe’s address was followed by an emotionally charged, informative video presentation that immersed the guests virtually in the Mesivta experience. Following the video presentation, the students then enjoyed a mad science presentation with MAY’s award winning master science teacher Joseph Malizia; team building activities with Director of Student Activities, Rabbi Tsvi Greenfield; stimulating, brain-teasing shiurim delivered by 9th grade Rebbe, Rabbi Avi Schulman, and 11th grade Rebbe, Rabbi Yehoshua Robinson; and a Q & A about MAY moderated by Assistant Menahel/ Assistant Principal Rabbi Yossi Bennett. The afternoon concluded with a delicious Chinese buffet and Moishy Scharf winning the grand raffle. Parents attended panel discussions focusing on limudei kodesh, general studies, MAY parents, and MAY alumni. Prospective parents asked current parents and panelists a variety of questions and received enthusiastic responses. These included: Are the rabbeim really involved in the lives of the talmidim even “after” graduation? Alumni talked about
their many experiences receiving weekly calls in Israel from multiple members of the faculty, about daily conversations and weekly chaburos or Shabbos meals with rabbeim, about rabbeim helping them with challenges after marriage, about rabbeim making their shidduchim, and more. Mark Gold, Co-President of MAY, noted, “When I wanted to know how any of my many MAY graduate sons were doing in Israel, all I had to do is ask one of the senior rabbeim, who invariably had just spoken with him and was always up on his progress.” How will MAY help a student who does not yet have good writing skills? A parent panelist noted that “MAY has adapted the curriculum to assign frequent essays and other writing assignments to build basic as well as advanced skills and to provide constructive criticism to facilitate revision. They also have numerous extracurricular writing outlets both in limudei kodesh and limudei chol. My son started out unable to write a quality essay and he ultimately he met with tremendous success as a result of the MAY curriculum.” How does MAY compare to the other Yeshivos in our community? A member of the hanhalah responded, “There are many excellent local options. Each school has its own emphasis and areas in which it excels. MAY is uniquely outstanding in that it excels in limudei kodesh, limudei chol, and in extracurricular activities, and its relatively small size facilitates the extra attention and long-lasting relationships that help students of all capabilities succeed.” One parent noted, “It’s clear that the rabbeim I spoke with have a very strong emotional connection with their talmidim and truly care about their success.” Another attendee’s
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Around the Community
RABBI MORDECHAI YAFFE ADDRESSING THE ATTENDEES
comment really summed up the MAY Experience: “MAY seems to have a lot to offer in limudei kodesh, general studies and also in extracurricular activities. It’s a challenging high quality program that is very student-centric.” The yeshiva’s talmidim really made the event a success. Visitors to the Ping Pong Club’s display could challenge sophomores Baruch Kunstler and Yosef Hillel Kail. Visitors to the basketball courts contested some of Ateres Yaakov’s All Stars. The Me-
sivta’s numerous Chesed opportunities were represented by blood drive coordinators, JEP and Ohel Bais Ezra volunteers and many other student representatives. Attendees picked up the Mesivta’s Chesed Directory, listing the ample opportunity for different chasadim available to its talmidim. The Mesivta Publications booth was represented by the student monthly newsletter’s editor-in-chief, junior Baruch Eisenberger, editor of the popular weekly student Torah publication
Ateres HaShavua, senior Yaakov Eckhaus, and authors and editors of the Mesivta’s creative writing journal, Vision. Athletics and Competitions were represented by various members of the Mesivta’s football, basketball, softball and Torah bowl teams, as well as participants in the Mesivta’s intramural hockey program, who were happy to show off the school’s many championship pennants! The ample Torah L’shma opportunities were represented by regulars of the Pre-Shacharis
Cocoa Club, Post Shacharis Mishnayos Shiur, 12th grade Additional Bikiyus and Night Sederim, Shnayim Mikrah Program, Shakla v’Tarya Ba’al Peh Club, Bein Hazmanim Learning Program and voluntary Monday Night Seder. Applications for the 2015-2016 z’man are now being accepted. For more information, contact the yeshiva at (516) 374-6465 or visit their website at www.ateresyaakov.com.
Bnos Malka Academy
Open House
November15, 2015 10am-12pm Education. Hashkafa. Warmth. 71-02 113th Street Forest Hills, NY 11375
(718) 268-2667
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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
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Rabbi Tzvi Flaum Dr. Martin Grossman, MD • Mr. Al Balko 12:30PM - 1:15PM
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Dementia: Understanding the Complexity & Navigating Challenges Dr. Elliot Salamon, DO Mrs. Hennie Friedman, RN 1:30PM - 2:15PM, 2:30PM - 3:15PM*
Financial Planning: Strategies for the Future
Mr. Ronald Spirn, JD, CELA 11:30AM - 12:15PM, 12:30PM - 1:15PM*
Caring for Yourself: The Caregiving Spouse Dr. Rachel Lowinger, Ph.D. 2:30PM - 3:15PM
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How Do Medicare Advantage Plans Work? Mrs. Lea Gould, RN 3:30PM - 4:15PM
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Unprecedented Demand for November Poland Trip with Rabbi Paysach Krohn
T
his is your last opportunity of the season to go on the renowned Project Mesorah Trip to Poland Describing the emotions felt on Project Mesorah’s recent trip to Poland is hard to put into words. In fact, all 120 attendees all said the same thing, that “they never experienced anything like it in their entire lives.” The truth is a trip to Poland with Rabbi Paysach Krohn through Project Mesorah is a special experience unlike any other. Project Mesorah, led by the inimitable R’ Ari Scharf, has become the go-to-place for inspirational and all-encompassing trips to Poland. While 120 people made it to the
past trip, Project Mesorah was inundated with calls from people who wanted to attend the Mesorah trip to Poland. In order to accommodate the many people who called, Project Mesorah has arranged a new trip to Poland with Rabbi Paysach Krohn this November 24-29. Rabbi Krohn’s inimitable ability to weave inspirational stories coupled with life-changing Torah messages make this trip one
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Classes for boys and girls 4th Grade through 8th Grade
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you will not want to miss. Come on the Mesorah trip and you will have the rare opportunity to visit Warsaw, Ger, Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin, Majdanek, Schindler’s factory, Auschwitz-Birkenau, and spend an uplifting Shabbos in Krakow. As this year’s trip marks the 70th year since the Liberation, walking on hallowed ground promises to be an emotional and transformative experience. You will be able to daven at the kevarim of such great tzaddikim as Reb Elimelech of Lizhensk, Reb Chaim Brisker, the Netziv, Sarah Schenirer, the Remah, the Chiddushei Harim, Sfas Emes, the Chozeh of Lublin, the Tosfos Yom Tov, the Bach, the Megaleh Amukos and many more. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for yeshuos in all
areas of our lives. While the trip is an inspirational as well as spiritual journey, Project Mesorah ensures that all other aspects are covered in the highest quality. Gourmet meals, luxury coach busses as well as lodging in upscale hotels ensure that you will have the ultimate all- encompassing experience. Seeing firsthand the mighty destruction as well as the visible kiddush Hashem sanctified by our forefathers will leave an indelible impression on you, inspiration to last a lifetime. Space is limited and there are only a few rooms left. To make a reservation or for information call Project Mesorah at 845-642-3819 , visit www.projectmesorah.org or email poland@projectmesorah.org.
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The yeladim at HANC ECC West Hempstead learned all about Parshat Vayeira last week. They made tents in their individual classrooms in order to recreate how Avraham and Sarah lived. They “set the table” to invite guests over to “eat” and play in the tents.
Congratulations to the following politicians on their victory at the polls on Tuesday, November 3 Nasrin Ahmad: Town Clerk Bruce Blakeman: Councilmember for 3rd District Donald X Clavin, Jr: Receiver of Taxes Howard Kopel: County Legislator, 7th District Anthony Santino: Supervisor for Town of Hempstead Madeline Singas: District Attorney
Bais Yaakov’s First Graders Publish
I
t is only the beginning of the school year and yet Bais Yaakov’s first graders already published their first book! While the entire grade will work on this project, Mrs. Masha Ginian and
Mrs. Peri Schonfeld, two teachers of the outstanding first grade teaching team, introduced the unit on,
“What can we learn from a friend?” The lively discussions about what a friend can teach you after reading Taro Gomi’s My Friend were something to hear! The girls broke into groupings and discussed their ideas with each other. The activity that followed was adorable as the girls published individual 3D books!
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YEARS Rambam Mesivta
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Motzei Shabbos, November 7, 2015 at 8:30 PM 25 Cheshvan 5776 at 2:00 PM Sunday, November 11, 2012 For those unable to attend, there will be a Mini Open House on Wednesday, November 11, 2015 at 8:00 PM
26 Cheshvan 5773
Pre-Register at: www.Rambam.org
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Stepping Out for a Cause By Tammy Mark
L
ast week on a beautiful fall night, fashionable women from the Five Towns and beyond stepped out in their finest for Couture for a Cause’s fifth fundraiser. Complete with a spectacular runway show, award ceremony and red carpet designer Christian Siriano sitting front row, the evening provided lots of glitz and glamour, yet was ultimately about more than the clothes. Held at Temple Israel of Lawrence, the sold-out event benefited breast cancer support organization Sharsheret. October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, organizers paid tribute to Sharsheret founder Rochelle Shoretz, who passed away earlier this year. Executive Director Elana Silber spoke about the importance of emotional support in illness, expressing how dressing up and looking good can be an important factor in feeling well. CFAC was initially founded by Esther Coco Berg and Michal Weinstein
as a fun way to raise funds for a childhood friend’s cause. Struck by the outpouring of support of their friends and donors, they soon realized they could further use their talents and passions towards the goal of making a difference in people’s lives. The CFAC team has grown to over 30 volunteers, including co-chairs Breezy Schwartz and Sharon Langert, each bringing their own skills to help create more engaging and noteworthy events. CFAC’s last event attracted the attention of the late comedienne Joan Rivers, who donated her time to participate in a VIP event. The higher level of exposure brings additional funds and awareness to the chosen charities. Co-chairs Berg, Weinstein and Schwartz opened the evening’s program. The Designer of the Decade award was presented to Christian Siriano, originally of Project Runway fame. Now dressing A-list celebrities, Siriano’s exquisite fashions typically tend to be ladylike and modest. Next up was the Insta-style Award, pre-
SOVRI HELPLINE Support for Orthodox Victims of Abuse YOU CAN HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE! We are looking for dedicated and responsible orthodox women to work on a confidential and anonymous helpline for survivors of various forms of unwanted touching. The training is scheduled to begin Sunday, December 20, 2015. To participate, volunteers will be required to complete 40 hours of training, followed by a one year commitment on the helpline.
For more information, or to schedule an interview, please email sovrihelpline@gmail.com! *The training and helpline are both located at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in Manhattan
The SOVRI Helpline is open Monday – Thursday 9:305:30pm Friday 9:30- 1:30pm The Phone Number is 888-613-1613
sented by “Fashion-isha” stylist Sharon Langert. Frumee Taubenfeld was chosen the winner from among 13 fashion bloggers, voted upon by fans in an online contest. The music pulsed as little girls with hair teased high came down the runway in adorable dresses by Zoe, followed by ladies sporting Shevy wigs and designs by Pink Label. The finale featured a sampling of the best of Christian Siriano. The breathtak-
ing runway scenery created by Birch Designs with staging from New York Fun Factory and music by mix master Azamra DJ all came together to bring the entire gala to Fashion Week levels. With donations still coming in, this year’s event is on track to surpass all previous totals. This year’s Couture for a Cause proved to be bigger and better than ever, and the CFAC team is ready to start planning again.
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Madraigos Presents Healthy Mindsets and Skills at SKA
S
tudents of the Stella K. Abraham (SKA) High School for Girls were treated to ten workshops presented by Mrs. Chanie Delman, LCSW, Clinical Director at Madraigos, coaching them to develop healthy mindsets and skills in responding to two different sets of challenges facing today’s teenagers. Each 9th grade class received workshops on social media/ internet safety, while workshops on body image issues were presented to each 10th grade class. In view of Madraigos’ greater goal of improving and maintaining good mental health among the teenage population, it was natural that SKA High School invited Mrs. Delman of Madraigos to deliver a presentation on these topics. Teenagers are becoming more and more connected through technology. Approximately 75% of all American teens have a profile on a social networking site and many of them visit social networking sites every day, some of them multiple times each day. While there are some distinct benefits of the easy availability of being connected, there are also many dis-
advantages and risks associated with this activity. Because of teenagers’ high impulsivity level, teens are more prone to post thoughts, stories and/ or pictures before giving a chance to consider the potential consequences and negative repercussions on them. Undesirable consequences can range from developing dependence on social media/internet and/or cellphones, embarassment arising from poor choice of words or photos shared, to becoming ensnared in the nefarious designs of cyber-criminals and predators perusing popular social networking sites. After advising the students of the risks and potential pitfalls of engaging with social media and internet, Mrs.
Delman provided the 9th graders with guidance on appropriate safety measures to take when engaging social media/internet. Included in this were instructions never to give out personal information, photos or physical location to people/users they were not familiar with. Students were reminded that once the information leaves one’s private domain, it becomes totally and permanently public within seconds; shared information or photographs can never be retrieved. Lastly, students were strongly urged never to meet in person anyone that they “met” on social media/internet. Teenage girls in particular are more likely than the general population to have an unhealthy body image, often wishing that they could change their body size or shape to match an idealized body image, based on messages from the media, advertisers, social media and pressure applied by family and peers. People with a negative body image continually compare their bodies to others they view as the “popular crowd,” feel shame, anxiety and self-consciousness about their bodies, and may have a distorted perception of their shape and size. The impact of such negative body images on a teenager’s mental and physical health runs deep, leading to low self-esteem, depression and eating disorders. Mrs. Delman helped the 10th graders understand the importance of challenging these self-defeating thoughts by understanding that they are often a product of unhealthy messages preaching the preeminence of looking “pretty” and being thin, over all other personal attributes that have far greater relevance for bettering society. Mrs. Delman showed the students a teen-savvy slide presentation which depicted some of the sources of these unhealthy messages. These include pressure applied by family and friends who harangue or tease the teenager about her appearance, insisting that she will not be successful or happy unless she “measures
up” to an impossible “gold standard.” Being continuously bombarded by these messages can cause a teenager to buy into the notion that “if I looked like her (i.e., a model or actress etc.), I, too, would be loved by the world,” or “I will enjoy more happiness and fulfillment in life.” The students were taught to view themselves using healthier barometers of one’s worth such as friendliness, ability to love, loyalty, inner wisdom and creativity. This presentation triggered intense discussion among the students, some of whom maintained that they had positive body images which helped them adjust to life’s vicissitudes, while other students expressed an interest on working to improve their body images. It is evident that Madraigos’ work with the high school students has the potential to have long-lasting positive effects on their body image, self-esteem and associated mental health. The social media/internet safety workshop and body image workshop are just two examples of the suite of services offered through Madraigos’ School-Based Services Program. In this program, Madraigos team of professionals and social work interns assist local Yeshivas and High School staff in meeting the social and emotional needs of their students. Additional services that Madraigos provides include the after-school “Lounge” program, year-round events, in-school programs, as well as parent and community education. For teenagers struggling with substance abuse, Madraigos provides a myriad of life-saving clinical intervention services that ensure that the young adults and their families receive caring and comprehensive support and guidance during their most difficult times. The mission of Madraigos is clear: To provide all of its members with the necessary tools and skills to empower them to live a healthy and productive lifestyle and become the leaders of tomorrow.
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Satmar Bikur Cholim Brunch at the Regency
M
any members of the Far Rockaway and the Five Towns community came out on Sunday in support of Satmar Bikur Cholim and joined in the brunch held at the Regency in Lawrence hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Reuven and Esther Guttman. Satmar Bikur Cholim is a nonprofit 501C3 organization founded in 1947 with a mission to provide the sick, elderly and homebound with food, monetary assistance, medical referrals and health guidance. The organization is run by volunteers who cook hundreds of meals daily and deliver with a smile to NYC hospitals and patients that are homebound.
ASSEMBLYMAN PHIL GOLDFEDER WITH REUVEN AND ESTHER GUTTMAN AND MRS. SARAH STERN, CEO AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ASSEMBLYMAN GOLDFEDER WITH SATMAR BIKUR CHOLIM HOST AND VOLUNTEER TANIA HAMMER AND MRS. SARAH STERN
Singing for Israel
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n November 1, Yeshiva University students hosted a moving kumzitz [concert] in support of Israel on the Red Steps in Times Square. Led by student Aryeh Tiefenbrunn on his guitar and the Y-Studs, YU’s student a cappella group, on backup vocals, they were joined by more than a thousand fellow Jews, students, friends and passersby, flooding the heart of Manhattan with songs of peace and love for the land of Israel. “At such a critical time for Israel, it is imperative to show the world that we support our brethren there and show them that although we are not physically there, we are thinking
of them, praying for them, and hoping that this wave of terror ends very soon,” said Shlomo Anapolle, president of the YU Israel Club. “We hope that students gained a sense of belonging and connection to Israel, our indigenous homeland, by uniting through song and prayer.” The diverse crowd consisted of students, parents and their children, Jews of all denominations, and non-
PHOTO CREDIT: SHIMON LINDENBLATT
Jews as well, all singing and dancing to celebrate Israel. Some found themselves drawn to the music and dancing
as they passed through Times Square. Many stopped to take pictures and record the moment for friends. “Yeshiva University’s greatest asset is our student body, and when they mobilize in so many different ways to support Israel we all realize that we are working with the next generation of our people’s leaders,” said Rabbi Kenneth Brander, vice president for university and community life at YU. Ilan Swartz-Brownstein, a senior majoring in marketing at Sy Syms School of Business, contributed to this article.
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Lev Leytzan Open House
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ith increasing research highlighting the importance of laughter in the healing process, Lev Leytzan, a local Medical Clowning program, is holding an Open House to introduce interested teens in becoming heroes to the sick and bring joy to those who need it most. Taking place on Sunday, November 8 in Woodmere, the training program is open to teens, age 12-17 from the Five Towns, Far Rockaway, Great Neck and Queens. “We bring compassionate clowning to hospitals, nursing homes, seniors’ centers, special-needs camps, and private homes in the United
States and abroad,” said Dr. Neal C. Goldberg, founder and director of Lev Leytzan. “Last year, Lev Leytzan clowns provided therapeutic healing to nearly 8,500 people, including special trips to nursing homes in Israel, Budapest, Hungary and Bucharest, and Romania. We look forward to welcoming new teen volunteers and teaching them how not only can they help others, but they can learn so much about themselves in the process.” For more information about the training program, visit www.levleytzan.org.
Large Unity Rally for Israel Held in Great Neck
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undreds of residents of Great Neck gathered on Sunday, October 25 at Firefighters Park on Grace Avenue in Great Neck Plaza for a unity rally in support of the State of Israel. The participants included a diverse group of Great Neckers of all ages and many different backgrounds. Ashkenazic and Sephardic residents, from Orthodox, Chabad, Conservative, Reform and the non-affiliated – in addition to some non-Jews – gained much chizuk from the powerful speeches, including two in Persian, and tefillos, delivered by community rabbis and local politicians. The Israeli Consulate sent a representative to address the assemblage. Cantor Ze’ev Kron of the Great Neck Synagogue sang a beautiful rendition of “Aveinu She’bashamayim.” Besides the dozens of Israeli and American flags that were energetical-
ly waved by the enthusiastic crowd, an oversized Israeli flag was displayed, presented by SHAI, the Sephardic Heritage Alliance Inc. Energetic and inspiring musical entertainment was professionally delivered by Dr. Meyer Abittan, accompanied by Noam Segal and “Mr. Shabbos,” Josh Alpert. Farshad Dror provided exciting mixes of Israeli and Chassidic music, resulting in small groups bursting out into Israeli circle dancing on several occasions. All musicians and singers volunteered their time. A teenage boy approached the stage on the gazebo and blew the shofar expertly. Kudos to Rabbi Yamin Levy who spearheaded the event and to Dr. Paul Brody who served as the emcee. When the crowed finally dispersed after about 2 ½ hours, everyone was re-energized to continue to stand up for our brethren in the State of Israel.
(L-R) NOAM SEGAL; RALLY EMCEE DR. PAUL BRODY; SONG-MIXER FARSHAD DROR; AND SINGER DR. MEYER ABITTAN LEAD THE CROWD IN SONG FOR ERETZ YISRAEL
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Around the Community
Kalever Rebbe to Visit Queens
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f late, we have all witnessed the phenomenon of the Queens becoming a magnet for increased kedusha. With the rapid growth of yeshivot, more new synagogues and shtiebelach springing up on every corner, and seemingly endless opportunities for learning — it’s apparent that the level of spirituality sought by our community’s residents continues to expand. For more and more people, there is an insatiable thirst to learn, grow and work towards infusing various aspects of our lives with ever-greater levels of holiness. Part of this movement has of late included the visitations of a few very special tzaddikim to our community. While many bemoan the lack of gedolim in our generation, we here in Queens have been graced in the past years with several visits from truly righteous leaders. Returning this to Queens, is the Kalever Rebbe Shlita. The Rebbe will be hosted by the Beth Gavriel
community on Sunday, November 15. During his visits in recent years, he met with thousands of people individually and bestowed brachos, inspiration and advice to everyone. Unfortunately, the Rebbe has been ill recently and unlike every year that the Rebbe visited Queens during the Holy days, this year the Queens community was not blessed to have the Rebbe with us. Thanks to Hashem, the matzav has stabilized and is now able to come continue his holy life-mission with helping Jews around the globe. The Kalever Rebbe is continuing the holy chain of 234 years of his forefathers, the righteous leaders of the Chassidic community in Hungary, Rumania and Poland. Following the Holocaust in Europe, he arrived in New York with his parents. His holy father led his students and his Chassidim until his death in 1978, and then the Rebbe took his father’s place as their rabbi and light of the Kaalov Chassidim.
The Rebbe has invested much of his precious time – leaving his students and Chassidim – to wander throughout the world in order to reach every Jewish community. During the past approximately thirty years he has visited hundreds of schools and Jewish communities within 66 countries! In order to strengthen, encourage, bless from the bottom of his heart and advice
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men, women and youth from all circles and of all ages. During the past 40 years thousands have come to the Rebbe with their problems and sorrows. Following a short and personal conversation with the Rebbe that penetrates the recesses of the soul, these people are filled with happiness, hope and solutions to their problems. All of this without taking donations.
眀眀眀⸀唀渀搀攀爀挀漀瘀攀爀圀愀琀攀爀眀攀愀爀⸀挀漀洀
㐀 ─ 伀䘀䘀 䔀嘀䔀刀夀吀䠀䤀一䜀 匀甀渀Ⰰ 一漀瘀⸀ 㠀 ⴀ 吀甀攀猀Ⰰ 一漀瘀⸀ⴀ
倀䴀ⴀ㐀倀䴀 䈀刀伀伀䬀䰀夀一Ⰰ 一夀 匀唀一ⴀ吀䠀唀刀 ㌀㈀㌀ 伀挀攀愀渀 倀欀眀礀
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䴀漀搀攀猀琀 匀眀椀洀眀攀愀爀 䘀漀爀 䰀愀搀椀攀猀 愀渀搀 䜀椀爀氀猀
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Around the Community
At Bnos Bais Yaakov Becoming Bas Mitzvah is Happy, Positive and Meaningful
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ixth grade is a significant one for BBY talmidos. It is the year in which many girls turn 12, marking a very special point in their lives – becoming bnos mitzvah. An enormous amount of effort and creativity is put into the bas mitzvah program to highlight for the girls just how meaningful this new stage in life is. Working throughout the year, Rebbitzen Altusky, Mrs. Kuessous, Mrs. Koenig, and all the sixth grade moros make sure that the message hits home. The program kicked off with an initiation breakfast which centered around the theme “Asu li mikdash veshachanti besocham” – how we
can refine our own inner mikdash by improving our middos. With tables bedecked in lovely cloths and magnificent centerpieces, the very room spoke volumes of how the event was valued. The excited sixth graders were treated to a cocoa bar with all the trimmings and delicious muffins. They were taught the beautiful bas mitzvah theme song; enjoyed a stirring speech by eighth grade teacher, Morah Petegorsky; participated wholeheartedly in a hartzig kumzits led by the talented Ilana Keilson; and finally, the girls played a game called “get to know your group.” But these were the external markers of a deeper message. Yes, all the activities con-
tributed to the atmosphere, but the crux of the bas mitzvah breakfast lay in the folders placed on the tables. Each folder described a middah such as tzinius, anava, ahavas Yisroel, hislahavus, etc. Groups of girls from the various sixth grades were formed to work on one particular middah. Together, the girls will create projects about their middah. Together the girls will research and delve into the ramifications of their specific middah. Together, the girls will learn and grow. Throughout the year, different middos, mitzvos, and chassadim will be creatively explored. Coming up next month is the mitzvah of hachna-
sas kallah. The girls will celebrate a mock shower amongst themselves with the very real gifts going directly to a very real and needy kallah. At last year’s mock shower, six suitcases worth of valuable houseware gifts were sent to a needy kallah in Eretz Yisroel who broke down in tears when viewing the treasures she received. Becoming a bas mitzvah is a life-changing event. BBY makes sure that it is a positive, happy, and meaningful one. Special thanks to Faigy Herskovits’ mother, Pessi Rubin’s mother, and Devorah Walfish’s mother for arranging this beautiful event.
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Shalom Task Force Evening of Awareness of Domestic Abuse: Learn to be a Helper, Not a Rescuer!
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n Wednesday night, October 28, at Congregation Oholei Torah in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Shalom Task Force hosted an evening of empowerment and education. The rainy weather didn’t dampen the spirits and interests of the hundreds of women who came out to hear Lisa G. Twerski, LCSW, dispel the myths of domestic abuse and learn about vital resources available to the community. The evening began with an introduction by Avital Levin, LMSW, Director of Women’s Education for Shalom Task Force. Levin remarked on how both the broken and intact luchos were placed in the aron (ark): “It is clear that the Crown Heights community has formed an aron here tonight, within which to make a space for the shivrei luchos, the brokenness of domestic abuse that plagues our communities and our homes. This message is one of support and love for the victims of domestic abuse; your isolation need
not continue. We have a place for you in our aron, in our holiest of spaces.”This was followed by some inspirational words of Torah by Bronya Shaffer, a Crown Heights based lecturer on Jewish women’s issues who serves as a personal counselor and mentor for women, couples, and adolescents.“The focus of the lecture was to try to empower individuals in a domestic abuse situation, giving a voice to the silent victim,” explained Levin. “Lisa also explained what makes someone an abuser, how a victim suffers, and the proper way for friends and family to support her.” In her powerful keynote address, Twerski defined the different types of domestic abuse and clarified the distinctions between a dysfunctional relationship, an abusive relationship and a healthy one. The highlight was an informative and emotional presentation on how to properly provide support to a friend in an abusive relationship. While one usually feels obligated to go above
AVITAL LEVIN, LMSW, DIRECTOR OF WOMEN’S EDUCATION FOR SHALOM TASK FORCE
and beyond to help, Twerski shared a counterintuitive concept: that a friend in an abusive relationship should not be pushed to do anything. “By being pushy instead of supportive, you are replicating the abuse that is happening at home,” explained Twerski, the author of I’m So Confused, Am I Being Abused? A rescuer believes that the victim is helpless and needs someone to think for her, said Twerski, while a helper reaffirms the ability of a woman to make her own decisions. The program was a collaboration between Shalom Task Force and a group of women from Crown Heights who were dedicated to bringing this kind of event to the community. “One of the most important parts of dealing with issues of domestic violence is community awareness,” said Esther Williams, one of the founders of Shalom Task Force. “I was so impressed with how the community rallied to such a degree, with close to 500 women coming to learn and support women who are victims. It’s always been the case that after an event we get an influx of calls to our hotline, and this event was no exception. It helps people to know that there’s an address to turn to when they need help.” The presentation left the audience feeling empowered by their new knowledge. “The program generated a lot of interest because there’s always going to be someone who knows someone who’s suffering,” commented one attendee. “People want to learn more and know what to do to help victims and support them in the right way. It’s
about empowering women to educate themselves and their children, to create healthy relationships, and to feel confident that they can make the right choices.” The program also included a riveting video presentation highlighting how Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski was a pioneer in bringing the topic of domestic abuse, a previously shameful and hidden problem, to the attention of the observant community. The night was capped off by a buffet and a resource fair of representatives from communal organizations which cater to women and serve as vital resources on topics such as parenting, relationships, education and abuse. The event also received support from over a dozen local businesses, schools and individuals. “Our goal is organizing a resource fair was to incorporate a practical aspect to the program so people could recognize the accessibility of so many of the organizations that are out there to support individuals and families in fostering healthy relationships. Increasing awareness makes a tremendous impact,” added Levin. Founded 20 years ago, Shalom Task Force promotes peaceful family resolutions and healthy marriages for Jewish families. Shalom Task Force offers legal services and maintains an anonymous Hotline (718 337-3700) that has received thousands of calls. The organization also provides workshops for engaged and married couples to give them tools for better communication, and sends staff members to speak about relationships to Jewish high schools across America and seminaries and yeshivas in Israel. For more information, please call (212) 742-1478 or visit www.ShalomTaskForce.org.
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Centerfold
10 Pizza Facts (For those who are not interested in marathons) • October is National Pizza Month (we were busy with other things though…and besides, for the TJH Centerfold Commish every month is National Pizza Month) • Each person in America eats about 46 pizza slices a year. • Over 5 billion pizzas are sold worldwide each year. • Scott Wiener of Brooklyn (where else!) has over 750 pizza boxes in his pizza box collection (and I thought my collection was big). • Competitive eater and Centerfold fave Joey Chestnut holds the record for eating 45 slices of pizza in 10 minutes. (How do I get that job?) • More pizza is consumed during Super Bowl week than any other week of the year. • The Italian Pizza Makers Association is pushing for legislation in Europe requiring pizza makers to obtain a license. The association’s president noted, “It’s in the interest of the consumer too: I don’t want to eat a pizza made by someone who doesn’t know what they are doing.” (I, of the Cedarhurst Pizza Makers Association, agree whole-wheat heartedly.) • Americans eat approximately 100 acres of pizza each day, or 350 slices per second. • The record for the world’s largest circular pizza was set in South Africa in 1990. The gigantic pie measured 122 feet 8 inches across, weighed 26,883 pounds, and contained 9,920 pounds of flour, 3,968 pounds of cheese, and 1,984 pounds of sauce. • According to what economists call “The Pizza Principle,” from the early 1960s the price of a slice of pizza has matched the cost of a New York subway ride.
Riddle me
this?
You are standing over a table that has 4 envelopes. You are told that there is a $500 David’s Pizza gift certificate in one of the envelopes. The inscriptions on each envelope read as follows: Envelope A: It’s in B or C Envelope B: It’s in A or D Envelope C: It’s in here Envelope D: It’s not in here Three of the statements are false, and one is true. In which envelope will you find the gift card? See answer below
Answer to riddle: The card is in envelope D.
TJH
If the card is in envelope A, then both B and D are true. If the card is in envelope B, then both A and D are true. If the card is in envelope C, then A, C, and D are all true. If the card is in envelope D, then the statements on all the envelope are false, except for that one envelope B. This matches the rules, and therefore, the card is in envelope D.
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Marathon Trivia 1. Rosie Ruiz finishes first in the women’s division of the Boston Marathon with a time of 2:31:56 on April 21, 1980, but was stripped of her title. Why? a. She had taken steroids before the race b. She pushed a competitor during the race c. She entered the race one mile from the finish line. d. She lied about having ran two other marathons that year, which qualified her to enter the Boston Marathon. 2. Over a one year period, ending in February 2011, how many marathons did Belgian runner Stefaan Engels run? a. 10 b. 25 c. 52 d. 365 3. How old was Fauja Singh when he completed the 2012 London Marathon in under seven hours?
a. b. c. d. e. f.
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4. Who created the NYC marathon? a. Fiorello LaGuardia b. Nelson Rockefeller c. Hugh Carey d. Fischel Lebowitz 5. What did the winner of the first NYC marathon get? a. A recycled bowling trophy b. A key to New York City and a parade (which 47 people attended) c. A pair of running shoes d. $25,000 6. Which country was the winner of the 2015 NYC Marathon from? a. Kenya b. Kenya c. Kenya d. Kenya
You gotta be kidding A man wakes up and finds himself in an isolated hospital room, one with only himself in it. He has no recollection of how he got there. While pondering it, his bedside phone rings, and he answers it. A doctor on the other end identifies himself and tells the man: “I have really bad news. You’re very sick. After your collapse yesterday, we ordered several tests, and got the results back this morning. I’m afraid you have Avian flu, Ebola and polio.” Stunned, the man asks, “Well, what’s next!? What are you going to do?” The doc replies: “Well, for starters, we’re putting you on a strict diet of only pizza.” The patient asks: “Will that really help me, doctor?” “No”, the doctor responds. “But it’s all we can fit under the door.”
Answers: 1. C- Once Ruiz was exposed as having joined the race near the finish line, they looked back at her 1979 NYC marathon race, which she allegedly ran in 2 hours and 56 minutes. Turns out she rode the subway to the finish line. 2. D- Engels, who ran a marathon every day for a year, said that he “wanted to inspire people by showing that if I could run a marathon a day for an entire year, that anyone could run or bike a little each day or do something about their weight problem.” (OK, sir, I will take that under advisement.) 3. F 4. D- Fischel Lebowitz was a Hungarian Jew who survived the Holocaust. After coming to America he changed his name to Fred Lebow and attended the Fashion Institute of Technology. He became known as “king of knock-offs,” an expert in making cheaper versions of expensive clothes. In 1970, he put up $300 and created the NYC Marathon. 5. A 6. Hmmmm… Scorecard: 4-6 correct: You are a marathon champ! Congratulations, Mr. Zombizzido Mumbagabmbzgzzido! 2-3 correct: You made it through the marathon…but you are still way out of shape. 0-1 correct: So how long did you spend on trying to figure out the right answer to question 6? These multiple choice questions are killer, huh?
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R E M E M B E R I N G
Rebbetzin Tzirel Kamenetzky a”h By Susan Schwamm
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e recalled how her father one time called her over before she was about to go shopping and told her, “Do you think the styles in France are nice? What the chachamim say is nice is nice— tzinius and shainkeit.” Her brotherin-law, Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky, shlita, described the purity of her home, “She was raised in a home in which you could feel the kedusha in the air.” In 1947, Rebbetzin Kamenetzky married Rabbi Binyomin Kamenetzky, shlita, the eldest son of Rav Yaakov zt”l. “What were the malachim thinking, a chassidisher rebbe and a litvisher gadol are going to make a shidduch?” said her brother, Rabbi Dovid Spiegel, at the levaya. “But the Ribbono Shel Olam knew that [Rav Binyomin] needed someone who is honest and strong and capable.” The newly married couple settled in East New York, where Rav Binyomin served as a rebbi in Yeshivas Toras Chaim. But then came time for the “Lech Lecha.”
While teaching in Yeshivas Toras Chaim, Rav Binyomin had two students from Cedarhurst. As Rav Binyomin once recalled during a conversation with TJH, “I was so confused. Where was Cedarhurst? I asked the boys why they came from Cedarhurst. There is no yeshiva for boys there, they said. I asked them if there was a shul. They said that they have to walk across the tracks to get to shul. I had no idea what they were talking about. What tracks? What is this Cedarhurst place? Their father invited me to visit.” On Chol HaMoed Sukkos of 1955, Rav Binyomin came to visit Cedarhurst—which had eight Orthodox families living there at the time—and helped arrange for the first minyan to take place in the area. After a few months, the baalei batim asked Rav Binyomin to move to the neighborhood. Rebbetzin Tzirel stood by her husband’s side as he immediately began the momentous task of starting a boy’s school and a girl’s school, while simultaneously
PHOTO CREDIT IRA THOMAS CREATIONS
Rebbetzin Tzirel Kamenetzky was born in Poland in the early 1920s. She was the daughter of Rav Pinchus Eliyahu Spiegel, the Ostrove-Kalushiner Rebbe, z”l, and the granddaughter of Reb Naftali Aryeh Spiegel, z”l, who was a descendant of the Chozeh of Lublin. When she was three years old, the Speigel family moved to America and her grandfather established a beis medrash in the Bronx. At the time, there were no Bais Yaakov schools and she had to attend public school. But, as her brother Rav Dovid Spiegel, shlita, said at the levaya, her real chinuch came from her home.
With her granddaughter and her chosson at their Sheva Brachos
starting a shul, the Young Israel of Woodmere. Although the then-fledgling neighborhood was not what Rebbetzin Tzirel was used to, she was uncompromising in her values. Her son, Reb Tzvi Kamenetzky, recalled at the levaya how one time when he was a child he was invited to a birthday party which consisted of going out for pizza and a movie. Rebbetzin Tzirel refused to let him go to the movie and
At the wedding of Rabbi Binyomin and Rebbetzin Tzirel Kamenetzky
even called the birthday boy’s mother—with whom she was close friends—to make sure that Tzvi would be dropped off at home before they went on to the movie. To her son Tzvi she said, “You’ll thank me later… You’ll thank me later.” As Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky noted about his mother, “Her goal in life was to bring that level of kedusha” that she saw by her parents into her own home.
In his hesped, grandson Reb Shaya Yosef Lefkowitz pointed out that right before the Akeida the Torah tells us about Sara sending Hagar and Yishmael away from her house. He pointed out that the prelude to the Akeida was that story because the only way Yitzchok had the ability to give himself up totally for Hashem and be willing to be sacrificed was because he had a mother who stood firm and withstood all of the other
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“She was raised in a home in which you could feel the kedusha in the air.”
forces in the world. Rebbetzin Tzirel’s ability to be strong and hold onto the mesorah of her past did not damper her traits of love and kindness. “Her gutskeit was indescribable. She was always ready to give and do for others,” noted Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky, shlita, at the levaya. Over the years, she raised tens of thousands of dollars for kollelim and poor people in Israel. Grandson Reb Naftali Aryeh Wilhelm noted that despite her great accomplishments and the fact that she was someone who was from a previous generation, when her grandchildren would sit
with her, “the first thing that you got was a bubby,” with a good piece of kugel or a sweet treat. And, there was nothing that she enjoyed more than hearing over a dvar Torah from a grandchild. As Reb Naftali Aryeh noted, “That got you three kisses.” This fusion of strong character coupled with kindness and an attachment to the mesorah of her past produced tens of Torah observant grandchildren and great-grandchildren who cherish where they come from and constantly strive to live by the high standard of their forebears. Last week, our community lost a jewel who helped establish and strengthen our kehilla. May Rebbetzin Tzirel Kamenetzky a”h be a meilitz yosher for her family and the entire Jewish nation.
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Reb Yaakov Kamenetsky and Rabbi Pinchus Eliyahu Spiegel dancing at their children’s wedding
Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky with his parents
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Torah Thought
Parshas Chayei Sara By Rabbi Berel Wein
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he entire cycle of human life is portrayed for us in this week’s Torah reading. The first part of the parsha deals with the inevitable reality of human mortality. The Torah teaches us the concept of Jewish burial – its simplicity and honesty and the restorative treatment of grief. Avraham mourns the loss of his life’s companion and support. The Torah does not tell us what he said in detail but it does tell us that he did eulogize her, for eulogies are for the benefit of the living
as much as they are for the honor and memory of the deceased beloved one. The Torah also records for us that Abraham wept at the loss he sustained. Weeping is not so much in style in our modern society. The funeral parlors in the Diaspora usually do all in their power to mask the reality of their business. Funerals are now called celebrations of life and other such phony euphemisms. In the medieval world death was real and a constant presence in life.
Anyone who has visited Prague as a tourist will have the tower clock struck by the Angel of Death every hour indelibly etched in his mind and memory. But a life spent dwelling on death is pretty much a wasted life. The Torah instructed us to choose life. So, all of Judaism is life-centered. The true celebration of life never takes place at a funeral. It takes place in the everyday activities of life, in purposeful endeavors and in the promotion of the inestimable value of life. Our current enemies celebrate death – suicide missions, hatred and murder. We have to continue to choose life, no matter what. The bulk of the parsha deals with marriage and the process of finding the proper mate for life. Such a process is so complicated and fraught with significant possibilities of error and sadness. Therefore Judaism traditionally invoked Divine aid in seeking a mate in marriage. And that it is what Eliezer, Avraham’s servant and agent, does in at-
tempting to find the right wife for Yitzchak. But, he also tests her to see what her character truly is. How much compassion and kindness is within her persona and what type of wife would she make for the heir to Avraham’s vision of monotheism and humanity are the issues that Eliezer has to address in his search for a mate for Yitzchak. If the beginning of the parsha deals with the proper and healthy attitude towards human mortality, the other part of the parsha deals with life, family and nation building. It teaches us that proper, moral, compassionate people are necessary for G-d’s work to be accomplished in this world. It also teaches that one must be willing to commit in order to build a successful marriage and an eternal family. Lack of such committed courage and fear of the unknown are the enemies of the continuity of the Jewish family and the survival of the Jewish people generally. This parsha has very important lessons to impart to us. Shabbat shalom.
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Torah Shmuz Parshas Chayei Sara
Everyone Views Things Just as I Do… By R’ Ben Tzion Shafier
“And I asked her and said: ‘Who is your father?’ and she said, ‘I am the daughter of Bisuel…’ and I placed the bracelet on her hands.” — Bereishis 24:47
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liezer, the loyal servant of Avraham, was charged with the mission of finding a wife for Yitzchak. Before sending him out, Avraham Avinu cautioned him, “Only take a girl from my family and my father’s house.” Eliezer then asked Hashem for a sign: “The girl who, when I ask her for water, responds, ‘Not only will I give you to drink, but your camels as well,’ is to be the girl that You have chosen for my master.” (Bereishis 24:14) Her response was to be the indication. If it happened exactly as he outlined, then it would mean that this was the woman intended for Yitzchak. No sooner did Eliezer finish this request than Rivka appeared at the well. Eliezer said the words, “Please give me to drink,” and Rivka answered, “I will give your camels as well.” She then moved with such alacrity and enthusiasm that Eliezer was astounded. He was so certain that she was the right one that he immediately gave her the golden bracelets, formally engaging her to
Yitzchak. Only later did he ask her name to find out that she was, in fact, from Avraham’s family. When Eliezer met Lavan and Besuel, he told over the events exactly as they transpired, but with one change. He said, “First, I asked her name and then I gave her the bracelets.” Rashi, in explaining why Eliezer changed the order, explains that Eliezer was afraid that Lavan would never believe him if he said that he first gave the bracelets and then asked her name. He would assume Eliezer was lying. Therefore, Eliezer reversed the order, “First, I asked her name and then I gave her the bracelets.” This becomes difficult to understand when we recall that just a few moments before this, Eliezer told Lavan of a striking miracle that had occurred to him. When he began telling over the events, he started with the expression, “Today I left, and today I arrived,” recounting a startling phenomenon. Avraham lived many days’ journey from Charan. Eliezer had said that he set out from Avraham’s house that very morning and arrived the same day. It was physically impossible for Eliezer, who was traveling with ten camels laden with goods, to have covered that distance in such a short time. Chazal explain that he had a kifitzas ha’derech. The land
literally folded under him like an accordion so that his few steps took him over vast distances, something so supernatural that it is hard to imagine. Apparently, he wasn’t afraid to tell this to Lavan. He didn’t assume that Lavan would call him a liar. Yet he was afraid to mention that he trusted that Hashem had brought him to the right woman for Yitzchak. The question is — why? If Eliezer felt that Lavan could believe that Hashem did miracles for him, why couldn’t Lavan believe that Eliezer trusted Hashem?
SEEING THE WHOLE WORLD THROUGH MY EYES ONLY
It would seem the answer is that Lavan lived by the golden rule: Do onto others before they do you in. Lavan was devious, deceitful, and lived a ruthless existence. Because he was untrustworthy, he didn’t trust anyone else, either. Lavan assumed that since he was too smart to trust anyone, then anyone who “had brains in his head” would never be so foolish as to trust others. He saw the whole world through his eyes. The idea that someone could trust Hashem was something he couldn’t accept. Miracles, as unlikely as they may be, he knew could happen. But for someone intelligent to actually trust — that couldn’t be. Lavan was engaging in what is known as projection: projecting his worldview onto others, assuming that the way he was, the way that he approached life, is the same way that all others do. He could never accept that someone would let his guard down and actually trust. Therefore, Eliezer was afraid to mention that he acted with complete trust in Hashem. He knew Lavan wouldn’t believe him and would assume he was lying. This concept has great relevance to both the way that we relate to oth-
ers as well as the way we relate to Hashem. If a person is a giving and caring individual, it is easy for him to see the good in man. If I am a giver, then intuitively I see that in others. I assume their motivating force is generosity. However, if I am self-centered, then I tend to see that as the driving force in others, and the nature of man appears to me to be dark. This concept applies to our relationship with Hashem as well. Oftentimes we find it difficult to discern the kindness of Hashem. Where is the chessed? Where is the loving generosity that Hashem is reported to exhibit throughout Creation? The more that I practice doing for others without expecting anything in return, the more I can see that quality in the way that Hashem created and runs this world. The more that I train myself to be a giver, the more accurately I learn to see giving in Hashem. Quite simply, my character traits and personal bias shape not only the way that I act towards others, but the very way that I view the world. My view of people, my view of those close to me, and ultimately my view of my Creator are based on my perception. My perception is based on me — who I am, how I act, and how I think. The more that I adopt the nature of a giver, the better a person I will become, and additionally, the more easily I will identify that same trait in others and in Hashem. The whole world takes on a different view.
Rabbi Shafier is the founder of the Shmuz.com. The Shmuz is an engaging, motivating shiur that deals with real life issues. All of the Shmuzin are available free of charge at the www.theShmuz. com or on the Shmuz app for iPhone or Android.
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The Observant Jew
Fallback Position By Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz
Daylight Savings Time is the product of the procedure in which the clock is moved an hour forward in the spring to afford more daylight hours after the typical workday. That’s why you have to fight with your kids in the summer to come in from outside or to go to bed even though “it’s still light outside.” When we had an agrarian society that worked sun-up to sundown, that rationale might have worked, but when we run our lives by the clock, it…it…well, it’s not that pleasant sometimes.
W
hile some have attributed it to Benjamin Franklin, known to have been a practical joker, the real credit for this phenomenon goes to an amateur entomologist from New Zealand named George Hudson who wanted more free time after work to collect insects. Maybe that’s why it bugs so many folks. Another proponent of the plan
was an Englishman named William Willet. (His parents had a sense of humor when naming him. It couldn’t be James or Edward or Thomas. No, “Let’s call him Willy Willet!”) He hated ending his golf games at dusk and introduced a plan to have longer afternoon hours by moving the clock ahead and utilizing more daylight hours. I guess there are good and bad things about it, but I wish that they wouldn’t have made it that the clocks change at 2AM. I get so tired waiting up to change the clocks! Why not make the change at 7AM? But I digress. Now that we’ve got all that great daylight in the summer, we’ve got to even it out in the shorter days, and suddenly, we change our minds about Daylight Savings Time. Come autumn, after we’ve sprung ahead, we have to fall back. Changing the clock any time leads to confusion, but in the fall it’s downright jarring. You see the sunset creeping earlier and earlier and then! BAM! It’s nighttime in the middle of the day! If we’d been steady the whole time it would have been one thing, but making it artificially later and then in one fell swoop making it earlier is like holding your breath to fit into a dress or a pair of pants and then exhaling and trying not to bust a zipper. It’s downright nerve wracking! However, I did find a glimmer of hope in the “Fall Back” position – mornings. You see, all of a sudden, sunrise is now earlier and when we wake up it’s not dark out anymore. It’s easier to get moving. Plus, the
morning after the big change, once you’ve changed your smoke detector battery (you did that, of course, didn’t you?) you seem to awaken earlier since you’re used to getting up at a certain time. This year, that’s exactly what happened to me. I woke up inexpli-
correct time through the built-in GPS system and it was updated without any involvement on my part. I realized that sometimes, when we think we’re doing everything, Hashem sends us reminders that it’s not all on us. He’s taking action behind the scenes, putting things into
I wish that they wouldn’t have made it that the clocks change at 2AM. I get so tired waiting up to change the clocks! cably early, especially since I was up so late the night before (see above). I decided to go to an earlier minyan for Shachris and when I did I had an eye-opening experience. As I pulled out of my driveway, I noticed a van outside a neighbor’s home. He honked lightly (being considerate of everyone who had stayed up to change the clock, I assume) and then he drove away. I didn’t see my neighbors’ kids get in the van and chuckled to myself as I imagined the fellow had forgotten to turn his clock back and was there an hour early. I know it’s happened to many people and we can all commiserate, though we’d never admit it. It turned out that he was there at the right time but that’s when I noticed something. I looked at my watch, then at the clock in my car. The clock in my car was correct, even though I hadn’t changed it. I realized that my car somehow accessed the
motion, and setting things straight, right down to the clock in my car. As it turns out, I didn’t just change my clocks, I changed myself. So now, my fallback position is reminding myself that even as the days get darker, and it gets harder to see what’s really going on, we can relax a little more because we can see that Hashem is still in charge, making things happen – one day at a time.
Jonathan Gewirtz is an inspirational writer and speaker whose work has appeared in publications around the world. You can find him at www.facebook.com/ RabbiGewirtz and follow him on Twitter @RabbiJGewirtz. He also operates JewishSpeechWriter.com, where you can order a custom-made speech for your next special occasion. Sign up for the Migdal Ohr, his weekly PDF Dvar Torah in English. E-mail info@JewishSpeechWriter. com and put Subscribe in the subject.
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Jewish History
The Curious Tale of Lord George Gordon, Modern History’s Most Unlikely Convert to Judaism By Rabbi Pini Dunner
The story of Lord George Gordon, firebrand political agitator turned pious Jew, is one of the most curious episodes of early modern Jewish history. A British aristocrat whose anti-establishment views irritated his peers, his involvement in the violent riots that bear his name was extremely controversial. But much more stunning was his unexpected subsequent conversion to Judaism and imprisonment for libel. In this two part series we will discover the origins of this eccentric aristocrat and follow the twists and turns of his rollercoaster life.
Part I
A
bout ten years ago I selected as part of my summer vacation reading the recently published biography of William Pitt “the Younger,” Prime Minister of Great Britain for some twenty years during the latter part of the eighteenth century and the early part of the nineteenth century. The book was excellent,
written by William Hague, the youthful former leader of the UK’s Conservative Party and Parliamentary opposition, who later served as Britain’s Foreign Secretary. In describing the background to Pitt’s remarkable ascent to the position of Prime Minister at the tender age of 24 in 1883, Hague mentioned the notorious Gordon Riots of 1780, the worst outbreak of civil unrest in modern British history. The riots were named for
a man called Lord George Gordon, a young, devoutly Protestant, anti-Catholic agitator, who, as a member of the British parliament, was trying to reverse the recent repeal of the anti-Catholic laws. His role as the actual instigator of the riots was dubious, as we shall see, but the effect of a week of widespread uncontrolled violence was extremely significant at the time, whoever was ultimately to blame. I recalled having previously heard about Lord George Gordon in some kind of Jewish context, but could not quite remember the details. In those pre-WiFi days I was unable to instantly turn to Wikipedia to pin it down, so I made a mental note to research Gordon when I returned to London after our vacation in Israel. That was August. For one reason or another I never checked him out and now it was the month of November. Finally I began my research and what I discovered was utterly remarkable. Lord George Gordon, the Protestant firebrand of the eponymous Gordon Riots, later abandoned Christianity
and converted to Judaism to become a fully-fledged, mitzvah observant Jew, even adopting the beard and clothing of the Polish Jews of his day. More remarkably, he died in jail relatively young, after being incarcerated for five years for the ridiculous crime of insulting the French queen, Marie Antoinette. I was so intrigued by this story that I began to look for any books that could better inform me about Gordon and his background. Charles Dickens wrote a fictionalized account of the riots called Barnaby Rudge and a number of political history books describe Gordon during that period. But his conversion to Judaism, which is what really interested me, always seemed to be a footnote. There was, however, one book that caught my eye. Written by his faithful secretary, Robert Watson, it was published just two years after his death, in 1795, but was never subsequently republished. I scoured book dealer websites to see if I could get my hands on a copy and eventually found one at a rural secondhand bookstore for £125. I called
the owner to ascertain the condition of the book, and we agreed a slightly lower price, but I told him I needed to think about it and that I would call back to confirm or to cancel. Just to be sure I wasn’t being overcharged for this obscure eighteenth century biography, I telephoned a Hasidic book dealer in Stamford Hill, North London. This was a man who had been dealing in antiquarian books for fifty years, and knew every aspect of this murky trade. I trusted his judgment and integrity and wanted his nod before I made the purchase. He answered the phone and I asked him if he had ever heard of Lord George Gordon. There was a long pause at the other end of the line. “Yes,” he replied, “why do you want to know?” I explained how I had become intrigued by Gordon and wanted to buy this book about him and was calling to check that the price made sense. “But why today?” he asked me. “Why specifically today?” “You’re right,” I responded, “I should have done this in August when Gordon’s
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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
name first cropped up, but you know how it is – between one thing and another, it has taken me until today to finally look him up. That’s why it’s today.” This time the pause was a little longer. “That’s really very strange,” he said finally, “because today is Lord George Gordon’s yahrtzeit, and this morning I was part of a minyan that went out to the site of his burial in Central London to say Tehillim and Kaddish.” I was totally speechless. After a while he added, “Buy the book – it’s a good price – and say some Tehillim today for his neshama. His Hebrew name was Yisrael ben Avraham Avinu.” Reb Yisrael ben Avraham Avinu Lord George Gordon. Who exactly was this enigmatic convert to Judaism? What was his background? How did he come to be identified with the violent insurrection that bears his name? Why did he become a Jew, and when did it happen? And last but by no means least, how was it that he ended up dying in jail? Lord George Gordon was born into privilege; the Gordon family was a ducal dynasty from Scotland. The first duke, also called George Gordon, was originally known as the Marquess of Huntly. A Catholic, he supported James II, the last Catholic monarch of Great Britain. His grandson, the third duke, was Cosmo Gordon, and he was our protagonist’s father. Cosmo married his first cousin, Catherine Gordon, a feisty woman, and the entire Gordon family was widely considered to be eccentric. George was their fourth son, born in 1751. Cosmo died the following year, and Catherine was soon remarried to someone seventeen years her junior. The young George was unsurprisingly a neglected child, and at the age of 11 he was packed off to boarding school at Eton. He never re-
Rioters burning down the Newgate Prison
turned home. After Eton his mother arranged for him to become a commissioned officer in the British Navy, and within a year he was at sea. By nature a social activist and very outspoken, the new young officer made himself unpopular with his seniors by trying to raise the general conditions for ordinary sailors, and the admiralty board concluded that he was “wholly unsuitable for promotion.” On shore leave in the American colonies he became fascinated by the social conditions of the blacks, both slaves and freed slaves, whom he concluded were very badly treated by the whites. Gordon was an indefatigable and tireless fighter for causes he believed in and was full of energy, initiative, innovation, and a capacity for hard work and long hours. So it was, at the age of 22, he left the navy and become a member of the British parliament. He began to campaign for a seat in Scotland, endearing himself to local voters by learning to speak Gaelic and to play the bagpipes. He also threw lavish and quite raunchy parties that were open to all, and as time progressed it looked as if things were going his way. The sitting member for that constituency was a man called General Fraser, who was pretty unhappy at the prospect of losing his seat,
so he put some pressure on George’s eldest brother, the Duke of Gordon, and the younger Gordon was forced to withdraw his candidacy. Instead, he stood – unopposed – for another constituency in southern England, and joined the House of Commons in 1774. It didn’t take him long to become embroiled in controversy. In speech after impassioned speech he railed at what he saw as the British government’s obsession with subduing restless American colonists through military force. Bitterly opposed to the lack of real democracy in Great Britain because of the direct involvement of the monarch, King George III, he became a vocal supporter of the colonists in their fight against British imperialism. He quickly established a reputation as a great parliamentary performer – a role he truly enjoyed. The trouble was, although he was a fierce critic of the administration, he could be equally critical of the opposition. As a result, in spite of the fact that his approach was independent and refreshing, it was not politically effective – in politics you need allies, and he had none. As the 1770s drew to a close, the political “hot-potato” was the proposed repeal of the Anti-Catholic Laws. It wasn’t that Catholics were
particularly persecuted anymore, but the law needed to be changed so that the wording of the oath for soldiers entering the army – which was desperately in need of soldiers for the war in the American colonies – could be changed. The law was drafted, proposed and quietly passed in the late spring of 1778. As the details emerged, however, radical Protestants began to vigorously protest on the basis that Catholics had dual loyalties because of their allegiance to Rome. Gordon became the leading campaigner against the new law, mainly because he realized that the whole thing was a charade to get more men to fight in the American War, to which he was ideologically opposed. His notoriety and family ties were valuable to radical Protestants, and they appointed him President of the London Protestant Association, a position he gladly accepted, despite advice that he should not. This marriage of convenience would set off a chain of events that would prove to be a disaster for Gordon. In early 1780 the Association began to compile a petition for the repeal of the detested law. Notices went out inviting the public to come and sign the petition at Gordon’s home in Central London. Despite warnings that he was being used by peo-
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ple with less than honorable motives, he refused to resign his position. When the Prime Minister, Lord North, refused to present the petition to King George III, Gordon exercised his right as the son of a Duke to demand an audience with the monarch. He met the king three times, but by the third meeting his behavior had become so offensive, that when he attempted to arrange a fourth meeting he was politely but firmly turned away. The king – by nature a tolerant man who was quite happy to do away with England’s outdated laws against Catholics – refused pointblank to recommend the petition to Parliament. But the petition kept on growing until it had 100,000 names. The political establishment began to sense danger. The prime minister called in Gordon and tried to bribe him with a significant sum of money and a senior government position if he deserted the Association, but Gordon could not be bought, and instead he called for a public protest on the morning of Friday June 2, 1780. Fifty thousand people turned up to march towards the Houses of Parliament. Initially the rally was peaceful, but the unusual heat that day and the crowded streets resulted in the mood changing from peaceful to disorderly, and within a few hours the protestors were out of control. Government officials leaving Parliament were forced out of their carriages and beaten up and their carriages were destroyed. Demagogic speakers ranted against the Catholics and the government. Gordon was in the House of Commons where he got up to speak with the noise of the demonstrators outside clearly audible as he began. He produced the rolls and rolls of paper containing the signatures of the petitioners and demanded that the pe-
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tition’s demands be adopted by the elected members. A heated debate ensued. Without exception every speaker opposed Gordon’s suggestion, the petition, and the unseemly protest in the
But by midnight gangs of drunken violent men began a rampage across London. The violence would last an entire week, and as each day progressed, the anarchy increased and the carnage es-
had been killed. While all this was unfolding, Gordon came to the realization that his plans had badly backfired. But his attempts to quell the riots as the week progressed were ignored
“That’s really very strange,” he said finally, “because today is Lord George Gordon’s yahrtzeit, and this morning I was part of a minyan that went out to the site of his burial in Central London to say Tehillim and Kaddish.” streets below. The debate lasted for over six hours and a vote was finally taken in the late evening. Gordon’s motion was soundly defeated 190 to 8, with no abstentions. Troops were then called in to disperse the demonstrators, and everyone went home thinking that the saga was finally over.
calated. The homes of leading politicians were burned the ground. Catholic churches and homes of leading Catholics were attacked and looted. Prisons were broken into and prisoners freed. Eventually the military were mobilized with shootto-kill dispensation. Within hours hundreds of rioters
by the mobs marauding through London. He had become irrelevant. A week after the original demonstration, on June 9, Gordon was arrested and taken to the Tower of London. Several of the leading rioters were also arrested that day and summarily executed for treason. But
Gordon’s trial did not materialize for months. Then, in late December, he was charged with High Treason, a crime punishable by the gruesome execution of being hung, drawn and quartered. But Gordon was no common criminal. Although not a respected politician, his aristocratic origins and wealthy family meant that he would be properly defended, despite the grave misgivings over his role in the affair. With financial help from family, friends and sympathizers, Gordon hired the top trial lawyer of the day, Lloyd Kenyon, and his brilliant assistant, Thomas Erskine, to defend him at the trial. Erskine was a devout protestant and a gifted orator. Nevertheless he later wrote that he had advised his client that acquittal was unlikely. The attorney general himself led the prosecution team and the judge was the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Mansfield,
whose house had been burnt down. The bets were not on Gordon walking free.
NEXT TIME: In Part II of this series, discover how Lord George Gordon escaped the death penalty and walked free, only to be later rearrested for insulting the French queen and the British judiciary. The amazing story of this unusual British aristocrat gets even more remarkable as he morphs into a pious Orthodox Jew. Rabbi Pini Dunner is the Rav of Young Israel North Beverly Hills in California.
MESIVTA ATERES YAAKOV WISHES A HEARTFELT MAZEL TOV TO OUR 12TH GRADE REBBE,
RABBI ELYSHA SANDLER, שליט‘‘א UPON HIS APPOINTMENT AS MORA D’ASRAH OF KEHILLAS BAIS YISROEL.
WE WISH RABBI SANDLER TREMENDOUS HATZLACHA IN THIS ADDITIONAL ROLE.
יהי רצון שיפוצו מעינותיו חוצה ויזכה להרבות חיילים לתורה ולעבודה וליר''ש
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Forgotten Her es Part I
E
arly naval strategists were always looking for an advantage over their enemy in battle. For centuries an idea was floated around about inventing an underwater boat that could sneak up on ships with the hope of sinking the enemy. Most early versions were one-man submersibles that had buoyancy problems. The major difference between a submersible and a submarine is that a submarine can survive without surfacing for extended periods of time. It wasn’t until the age of nuclear submarines in the 1950s that true submarines came into existence but the term submarine is generally used for any type of underwater boat. The first successful submersible was during the Civil War but it wasn’t until WWI that subs became a feared weapon of war. British inventor Cornelius Drebbel is credited with the first underwater boat. There were other boats that never left the drawing or were unsuccessful but this rowboat with tubes to allow the oarsmen to breathe actually worked. Three prototypes were made and two were tested on the Thames River. It took until the 18th century to convince militaries that submarines could be used in warfare. Physics got in the way of many early submarines as inventors had to grapple with buoyancy, water pressure, underwater maneuverability, and other problems. Adding to the myriad of things that needed to go right, militaries in the 1800s wanted to add an offensive weapon, like a cannon or explosive charge, which could be used to sink enemy ships. Russian, French, British, German and even Ecuadorian inventors experimented with submarines but most failed due to the waning interest of their governments who were sinking (pun intended) a lot of money and seeing little in return. Two American attempts in sinking British ships failed. The one-manned Turtle couldn’t get close to the HMS Eagle in the Revolutionary War, and in 1814 Silas Halsey died trying to sink a British warship. The first ship sunk by a submarine was by an unlikely candidate – the Confederates during the American Civil War. The CSS Hunley was a man-powered boat
Submarines Ruling the Ocean’s Depths By Avi Heiligman
The sinking of the Lusitania brought the United States into the war
A German U-boat in World War I
The Hunley, suspended from a crane during its recovery from off of Charleston Harbor, August 8, 2000
that sank twice before approaching the Union blockade in Charleston Harbor. It approached the USS Housatonic and slammed an explosive charge mounted on a long pole called a spar torpedo into her. The Union ship was the first to be sunk by a sub in history but the Hunley sank again for a third and final time. After the Civil War, submarines went through several stages including adding electric power and diesel engines. Batteries and conserving their power became an integral part of submarine warfare until nuclear subs made life underwater much more pleasant. The dawn of modern submarine warfare started with the Russo-Japanese War in 1904. Five American-built submarines were shipped to the Japanese Navy but were delivered too late in the war to see any action. Russia bought their subs from Germany and formed the world’s first submarine fleet. They went on the first patrols in submarine history and even made contact with
Japanese ships. Both subs that made contact with enemy torpedo boats had to back off when they couldn’t get favorable firing positions. Commanders worldwide realized that new tactics were needed for submarines and these were tested during the next war. World War I was the first war that subs had any type of impact. The German subs were called U-boats while the other countries had several classes of boats. These boats were hot, stuffy, smelly, slow and dangerous as the diesel engines could be prone to failure without notice. Six British K-class submarines had a disastrous day on January 13, 1918. During the Battle of May Island, two subs were lost and three others sustained heavy damage when a cruiser collided with the K17. The other subs had a hard time maneuvering and collided with one another. In total from all countries that operated subs more were lost in accidents and mechanical failures than by enemy action.
Despite these setbacks, submarines packed a lethal punch. At first sub captains were trying to figure out how to position their boats to fire their torpedoes at an angle that would strike the ship. Generally they would fire a “spread” of torpedoes so that if one missed another still had the chance to strike the ship. The German sub U-9 did just that in September 1914 and sank three British cruisers. Even though they were old ships, the British wanted to fight back and finally developed an anti-submarine device called a depth charge. These were dropped on the water where the sub was thought to have been submerged and the explosive charge would detonate at a predetermined depth or upon contact with the sub. They weren’t very effective during the First World War but did manage to sink a few subs. The British had for three years tried to persuade the Americans to join the war but it was a U-boat that propelled them into action. A German sub sank the liner RMS Lusitania with over a hundred American citizens on board. In total the Germans had 360 U-boats and lost 178 of them. The British, Russians, Italians, French and Americans all had significant number of submarines participate in the war. In a short period of time, the half century between the Civil War and WWI, submarines went though dramatic changes. From a primitive hand-powered underwater boat that was prone to sink if anything went wrong to a feared weapon of war that could fire a warhead thousands of yards away, the submarine certainly came of age. During the next century of combat the sub went through many more changes that besides the aircraft carrier made it the deadliest ship in the ocean. In the next part in this series, we’ll talk about subs during WWII where it took center stage in several important battles and campaigns.
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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A Jewish Disease? A Look at Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, Conditions that Affect the Ashkenazi Population By Tamar Sullivan
Libby Lane of Baltimore, Maryland, was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at the age of 24 and has been living with the condition for 10 years.
“I
t would be very hard to manage alone without the help of friends and family. I can’t imagine not having support. I’ve had to learn what I can and cannot do and how to say no to overexerting myself. Being open about it with my friends really helps.” Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are the two most common Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) and are estimated to affect as many at 1.6 million Americans, with 700,000 new cases diagnosed yearly.
Men and women are equally likely to be affected, and while they can occur at any age, they are most commonly diagnosed in adolescents and young adults between the ages of 15 and 35, with a second smaller peak of incidence occurring near 50 years of age. Research has shown evidence of a genetic predisposition to a chronic Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IDB) among Ashkenazic Jews. Crohn’s and colitis are both chronic, life-long conditions that cause inflammation and damage of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which is normally responsible for digestion, nutrient absorption, and waste elimination. Although both diseases share many similar symptoms, they target different parts of the digestive tract. Crohn’s disease can cause inflammation in any area of the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus,
and often spreads deep into affected tissues, while ulcerative colitis causes inflammation and sores (ulcers) specifically in the innermost lining of one’s large intestine (colon) and rectum. The causes of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are not well understood. While diet and stress may aggravate it, they do not cause it. Both conditions tend to run in families, but researchers have been unable to establish a clear pattern of inheritance. According to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA), studies have shown that five to 20 percent of affected individuals have a first-degree relative (parent, child, or sibling) with one of the diseases. Not surprisingly, the risk is higher when both parents have IBD. The risk is greater with Crohn’s disease than with ulcerative colitis, and both are most common among people of
eastern European backgrounds, particularly Jews of European descent. Interestingly, unidentified environmental factors also seem to play a role. Crohn’s disease is more common in developed countries than in undeveloped countries, in urban than in rural areas, and in northern than in southern climates, but researchers have not been able to pin down why. At this point, most doctors believe that the presence of susceptibility genes coupled with unidentified environmental factors triggers the immune systems of IBD patients to initiate a harmful and inappropriate inflammatory response to benign or beneficial cells. Without intervention, the inflammation does not subside, and it leads to chronic inflammation, ulceration, and a thickening of the intestinal wall, eventually causing the patient symptoms. Shared
symptoms of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis include persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, weight loss, fever, and fatigue. Symptoms of IBD vary from person to person and alternate between active and inactive periods. Dr. Erica Sneider is a board-certified colon and rectal surgeon at Colon and Rectal Surgical Associates in Lake Success as well as Huntington. According to Dr. Sneider, Ashkenazi Jews have a higher prevalence of Crohn’s disease than any other ethnic group, and, in Western countries, are three to five times more likely to be diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. Why do the conditions discriminate? No one is really sure. The most accepted explanation, explains Dr. Sneider, is that Jews are predisposed to these conditions because of the “found-
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er effect,” which in short is the loss of genetic variation when a new population forms from a very small number of individuals. Ashkenazi Jews generally originate from a population that was genetically isolated from the larger population for many generations, and even very small mutations can amplify over long periods of time. Furthermore, Dr. Sneider points out, people in underdeveloped countries who move to developed countries are at a significantly higher risk for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and the risk is far higher for Ashkenazi Jews. Their first generation children are even more at risk. While Israeli Ashkenazi Jews have a higher incidence of IBD than Sephardic Jews, they have an overall lower incidence than Ashkenazi Jews in the U.S. and Northern Europe. Because there are so many unidentified factors,
Dr. Sneider doubts that a geneticist could predict the risk of IBD for a couple’s offspring. While there are genetic markers of susceptibility, many of the carriers will never develop IBD. Little, if anything, can be done preventatively. Diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease is made through a number of tests including colonoscopy, upper endoscopy, imaging of the small bowel, blood tests, and pathology. Once a diagnosis is made, a lot can be done to treat the symptoms and the underlying condition in the hope of going into remission. According to Dr. James George, M.D., a renowned gastroenterologist practicing in Manhattan, treatment should include exercise, stress management, and a healthy diet in addition to medication and/ or surgery when medically necessary. Because IBD is a chron-
ic condition like diabetes or hypertension, he explains, there are many different ways to feel better and improve, but everyone’s disease is unique and what might work for one person might not work for another. For example, he continues, there are many different drug and drug combinations
of patients, so sometimes it takes awhile to find what works. One thing Dr. George makes very clear is that stress is “probably the most important factor in instigating an attack… Stress promotes an exacerbation of the underlying IBD.” It follows, then, that stress management may be as important as any other medical therapy available. Most IBD experts also agree that changes to patients’ diets have been studied extensively but that all studies have resulted in inconclusive outcomes. Some patients have turned to a particular diet known as the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) and believe it was what put their IBD into remission. One NY-based food store, Wellbee’s, has made it its mission to provide SCD-approved foods to customers nationally. “The SCD is a very restrictive diet outlined by Elaine Gottschall in her book, Breaking the Vicious Cycle. It’s staunchly sugar-free, gluten-free, starch-free, yeast-free, and lactose-free,” explains Esther Russ, a longtime staff member of Wellbee’s. The premise of the diet is to starve and kill the
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to show evidence of mucosal healing and an objective reduction of inflammation. Additionally, according to world-renowned IBD expert William Sandborn, MD, there is a very poor correlation between symptoms and objective evidence of inflammation. Any symptomatic improvements achieved through diet may not correspond to a decrease in inflammation, which ultimately is the greater danger for patients. Therefore, the effectiveness of the diet is not supported by scientific studies and should be used only in consultation with gastroenterologists and in conjunction with proper medical therapies. Additionally, and especially with pediatric patients, one needs to consider and weigh the psychological impact of imposing such a restrictive diet on a child. As it is, children with IBD often feel isolated, as they may no longer relate to their peers. While their peers are concerned with age-appropriate worries, children with IBD often have more mature concerns, including pain, hospitalizations, and surgeries. Adding a diet that largely will separate them from their peers and families may
Ashkenazi Jews have a higher prevalence of Crohn’s disease than any other ethnic group, and, in Western countries, are three to five times more likely to be diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. that could help IBD patients. They all work differently, all have a different set of side effects, and many suppress the immune system’s inappropriate assault of the GI tract. Any given medication works for about 40 to 60 percent
bad bacteria in the gut that feeds on sugar and complex carbohydrates, allowing the intestines to recover from their chronic inflammation. Despite anecdotal evidence and a quieting of symptoms, the SCD has yet
significantly exacerbate their sense of isolation. In fact, because of the life-altering changes IBD brings with it, there is a huge psychosocial component to these conditions for adults as well.
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“You look completely fine on the outside, but on the inside you feel exhausted and weak.”
Aliza Rosenbaum was diagnosed with colitis three years ago when her youngest son was two. No one in her immediate or extended family has it. Coping was and still is a challenge for her. “When you’re flaring – that means when you are in an active period – you’re suffering from this invisible disease. You look completely fine on the outside, but on the inside you feel exhausted and weak. You’re running to the bathroom every ten seconds, your nutrients are being depleted, and you feel like you have the flu constantly. You don’t get sympathy or support if you aren’t open about it, but because it’s such an embarrassing condition, it’s hard to talk about it, especially with people who don’t have it.” Aliza finds it challenging to function and do fun activities with her children with her limited amount of energy. Even carpool and getting kids out the door in the morning is challenging. “It’s hard not to be negative about it. I always have the fear of flaring in the back of my mind, wherever I go. It affects how we make vacation plans and what we do as a family.” The need for patient-to-patient and group support is one that Marci Reiss, LCSW, virtually singlehandedly addressed through the founding of the LA-based IBD Support Foundation (IBDSF). “At the IBD Support Foundation, our
goal is to prevent IBD patients from ever feeling alone because of their disease.” IBDSF provides a wide range of services aimed at easing the anxiety and social isolation that often accompanies Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, including providing medical referrals, connecting patients to one another, engaging in school advocacy, and offering support groups, nutritional education, and hospital visitations. If a patient can connect with other patients in his peer group, the debilitating loneliness, embarrassment, and isolation of living with IBD can be minimized. IBDSF’s services extend nationally and internationally, and there is even an IBDSF Chapter at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem. Ms. Reiss stresses that one of the most important determinants for living successfully and healthily with IBD is treatment by IBD experts. There is a difference between a general gastroenterologist who cares for all gastrointestinal diseases and an IBD expert, who has spent additional years of training focusing on Inflammatory Bowel Disease and whose practices consist largely of complex IBD patients. “There is a very broad range of expertise in IBD,” she explains. “Going to an IBD expert can make all the difference in the world.” IBDSF works closely with a number of excellent IBD Centers nationally, including University of California San Diego, the Mayo Clinic, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Other excellent centers include University of Chicago and Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. If you are not close to an IBD Center, one should consider being evaluated
at an IBD Center for a confirmation of diagnosis and a treatment plan, and then utilize a local gastroenterologist for monitoring and routine care. In the frum community in particular, the psychosocial hardships of living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are magnified because of the communal stigma of speaking openly about the disease for fear of possible shidduch rejections. In order to maintain some anonymity, some patients are connected with others for support outside of their immediate community. The issue of disclosure in shidduchim is a delicate one and one that Ms. Reiss deals with on a regular basis, consulting regularly with Rabbi Gershon Bess in California for halachic shailos. “Parents are concerned when a prospective shidduch has Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. I tell them that if the condition is well-managed by IBD experts and the patient is in a healthy place hashkafically and psychologically regarding the condition, they are in a good place. IBD becomes much more significant in marriage if a patient is irresponsible or in denial about his or her condition and is not following proper medical treatment.” Dr. Chaim Abittan, a gastroenterologist in Great Neck, has had patients refuse to take medication or admit that they have IBD because they are in shidduchim. “I think people are scared when they hear that they or their prospective shidduch has Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis because all they hear are horror stories and hospitalizations,” the doctor relates. “What they don’t hear about are the many, many responsible IBD patients who can and do live long and happy lives.”
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Dr. Deb
Can Wisdom be Taught? By Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.
M
They say that parenting isn’t easy. I agree. And one of the elements to good parenting is using good judgment, having wisdom. Can that be taught?
aybe it can. Let’s take a look at how to learn to “read” your child – or other people for that matter. Here’s an excerpt from a textbook by the “mother” of attachment theory, Mary Ainsworth. It’s about a parent who is not in synch with his or her child: “Such a parent would have moments of intrusiveness that were generally not hostile in nature; a parent
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might suddenly grab a happily playing child and shower him with excited hugs and kisses without warning, disrupting the child’s focus of attention and state of mind.” This parent is not on the same page. Parents have to move over to their child’s page, not the other way around, starting in infancy. Parents who have no history of being treated with sensitivity will have a hard time with this.
HOW TO GET IN SYNCH
But – here’s the clincher – giving up is not an option! That’s one more job of a parent. Here is how to practice getting more and more able to “read” what page someone is on: Step 1: Be an observer. Don’t just act on your own feelings. Watch what your child is doing. Take your time. This is a thrill for a parent, once you stop and make that switch to seeing the world from the child’s perspective. You notice how the baby is fascinated by what we take for granted and it renews our sense of wonder at the Universe. Step 2: Guess what they’re thinking/experiencing at the moment and explain to yourself why you think so. Ask yourself: What would that child like from me by way of response right now? And focus on the child’s perspective. Step 3: Check it out with the older child or adult. In a very casual way, just say, “You know, I want to be a more aware person. I’m trying to understand you a little better, so I hope you’ll help me. What I’m trying to do now is guess how you feel and why. Can I run by you what I came up with?” Step 4: Be open-minded about the answers you get. In other words, if you were way off, don’t go crawl into a corner and say, “Oh, I’ll never get this.” Just write down in a notebook reserved for this purpose their expla-
nation and what you missed in your thinking the first time. Let the correct answer sink in so that you truly understand where that person came from. Step 5: Try out your new learnings slowly. As you begin to “get it,” don’t assume you always will. Take slow steps in implementing anything. Think ten times before you react. In the Ainsworth case above, the parent was actually selfish. He or she was in the mood to bestow hugs and kisses, but was the child in the mood to get them? Well, if the child is concentrating, then the answer is clearly, “No.” Would you like to be interrupted by your child when you’re working on that important project for work? No. Well, the child, even a new infant, doesn’t either.
ANOTHER ASPECT TO WISDOM IS SHARING YOURS
There are two ways to share your wisdom: One is to drone on about your experiences – something your child can’t relate to since they haven’t “been there” – and the other is to ask good questions. If you have taken the time to get in synch with your child, then you have established a relationship. A relationship is a capital asset. You can draw on it – as long as you give back, too. That means that open questions such as, “What did you think of — ?” or “How are you finding 10th grade?” will be well received. You see, anything your child says can then be the basis for a discussion. You can offer your two cents as long as you don’t sound like Moshe Rabbeinu coming down from Mt. Sinai with the Tablets. It would be more of a low-key set of comments or concerns. Getting in synch and sharing your wisdom are for long before things have gotten out of hand. This is about starting off right. What if you started off wrong and now you
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
want to repair that? It is possible!
HOW TO MEND FENCES
You should be forthright. Arrange ahead of time a stretch of time to talk. That’s right, I’m saying make an appointment with your child. Why? First, because it is respectful of his time which teaches him to be respectful of yours and it demonstrates your new, respectful approach. Second, it clears a block of time so that things can get done. And, third, it gets him thinking about what the topic might be. You’ll get much more interest and attention that way. When you do talk, admit you have been insensitive or whatever it was and tell the child you are earnestly working on changing and being a better parent. That means you may still give punishments (when deserved) but will also try to be a better listener, more present, kinder, etc. Apologize for hurting your child in the past. The only way he or she will understand what not to do is if you label those things that you’ve done wrong as wrong. Then, create a team spirit. Tell him or her you want to work together and
would appreciate feedback. When you get that feedback, accept it graciously. Of course, that opens the door for you to – graciously – give feedback as well.
HOW TO INVOKE THE RULES
What if the child really messed up and you have to invoke “the rules”? The rules should have been made up ahead of time, not when there’s already trouble. After all, how will the child know what is a violation if they are never laid out? Further, the consequences should have been made clear at the time the rules were made. You can see that each and every suggestion here requires both you and your child to think. It’s not about “because I say so.” Thinking leads to wisdom. Another thing: Always deliver your message calmly and respectfully even when you’re saying that you totally disapproved of the behavior. Ask the child if he or she knows what they did wrong. Help him or her to fine-tune the answer. This is very important. Ask, again, if the child understands what the consequence for such an infraction is, and let him answer. All of
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this creates self-discipline in the child. Asking a question is like throwing the ball to your team and now they have to make the most of that opportunity; it’s in their court. Furthermore, when you are calm, your child’s brain will be able to re-
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when people have family dinners regularly together, their children have a lower likelihood of getting involved with undesirable peers or using illegal substances. On the positive side, you can make a case that fun – in combination with
“I want to be a more aware person. I’m trying to understand you a little better.” ceive, think about, and respond intelligently to your message. The latest neuroscience research shows that your child’s brain literally develops through calm and positive interactions with you.
STAY POSITIVE – BE HAPPY
Finally, fun communication, play, and being positive are part of the package. Not necessarily compliments, just being happy together, sharing time together, joking around, even shopping are ways to share. Research over the years has consistently shown that
the other elements described above – also develops the child’s brain. And that leads to wisdom. Dr. Deb Hirschhorn, is a Marriage & Family Therapist and best-selling author of The Healing Is Mutual: Marriage Empowerment Tools to Rebuild Trust and Respect— Together. Attend the Food For Thought lectures at Traditions Restaurant in Lawrence on Tuesdays at 12:30 PM. (There is a lovely optional lunch menu for $12 cash.) Any questions, call 646-54-DRDEB or check out her website at http://drdeb.com. All stories in Dr. Deb’s articles are fabricated. See Dr. Deb on TorahAnytime.com.
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Madraigos
Finding the Significance of the Routine By Mindi Werblowsky Saketkhou, LMSW
Many people I know do not look forward to this time of year. The yomim tovim have ended, school is now in full swing, and with the ending of Daylight Savings Time, winter is beginning. One of my clients told me recently that this is the longest stretch of the school year without breaks. I remember when I was in school my mother used to tell me to pick out milestones throughout the year. My mother would say that if I counted down from one major event to the next it would help the year pass by more quickly. Although this was great advice and it worked, this was never a trick I needed to employ during the summer!
I
n graduate school I took a class in which I studied the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Mental health pro-
fessionals are currently using the 5th edition of this manual to diagnose and treat clients with mental health disorders. One of the disorders listed in the DSM is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which is a form of depression. In laymen’s terms, SAD is “winter depression.” There are people who are clinically diagnosed with a form of depression only in the winter season as they are exposed to less sunlight. It is much harder to remain in a positive mood when you wake up in the dark and come home in the dark. In the spiritual realm as well we are in a time without any major holidays. In fact, the month of Cheshvan is called Mar (bitter) Cheshvan because it is devoid of any specific days of simcha. The two major events of Cheshvan were the mabul and Rochel Imeinu passing away. However, as with everything in this world, there is a specific purpose to Cheshvan and a unique task for us during this time. While it may seem like Cheshvan is a time of destruction, it is actually a time of opportunity and renewal. The mabul destroyed most of the world but it also laid the groundwork for a new and better world to be built. Rochel Imeinu passed away but by burying her in Kever Rochel, Yaakov Avinu ensured that Klal Yisroel would be able to weep at her Kever on their way to galus and utilize her specific kochos to arouse the Divine mercy. Even today when Mearas Hamachpeila is not completely open to us, we have Kever Rochel. It is brought down that there are no yomim tovim during Cheshvan
because it is during this time that we are meant to take all of our pledges and promises that we made during Tishrei and concretize them into actions. Cheshvan is supposed to be the actualization of Tishrei. During Tishrei we all feel an elevated level of closeness with Hashem. We have days of tefillah and simcha and special times of holiness. During Cheshvan we are meant to learn how to live with Hashem during the mundane times of the year. We have to focus on how to have a relationship with Hashem throughout our every day routines. As Jewish people we have to find the positive in the every day. We have to live in the here and now and take advantage of every moment. Although this is an important lesson, it is one that is especially hard for teenagers to actualize. Teens spend most of their days in school dealing with homework, tests, extracurricular activities, ongoing relationship dramas and raging hormones. In my work with some of the girls at Madraigos, I find that they particularly dread this time of year and are already feeling more stressed and overwhelmed. To help address this difficulty, Madraigos is beginning a new program. The program, called GNO (Girls Night Out), is an offshoot of the successful summer program that takes place at Madraigos. GNO is geared towards mainstream yeshiva high school girls in the community. Madraigos understands that there is a need for mainstream girls to have something to look forward to and to call their own in the hectic bustle of
homework, tests and chessed hours. GNO takes place on Tuesday nights in the Lounge at Madraigos. The program is from 8:15 to 10:15 PM. There will be an exciting activity and dinner from various vendors which will be provided to everyone at Madraigos. The kickoff event for GNO was a free kickboxing class with Studio Inna. Studio Inna will be returning to GNO once a month to provide free kickboxing and dance classes. Additional activities will include karaoke, challah baking, creative art projects, sushi making, manicures and more. GNO is a completely free program and girls will take part in the activities and dinners at no cost. The last part of the program will be a group discussion that is led by the girls. The group comes together as a whole unit to discuss everyday challenges that teenagers across every school are facing. This discussion provides the teenagers with the opportunity to form new friendships with girls from other schools and to discuss openly and honestly their every day challenges in a relaxed forum with other teens. GNO will continue throughout the school year as a place where these girls can come unwind. For more information regarding GNO please contact Mindi Werblowsky, LMSW at mwerblowsky@madraigos. org or at 516-371-3250 ext. 113.
Mindi Werblowsky Saketkhou, LMSW is the Director of Adolescent Programming at Madraigos.
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Health & F tness
10 Foods to Never Eat By Aliza Beer, MS, RD
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rop that spoon! Everyone deserves the occasional indulgence, but before you dig in, there are a number of foods you should steer clear of to avoid damaging effects on your body, skin, and waistline. The following list of foods pack on the pounds, zap energy, trigger inflammation, and crowd out the more nutritious foods in your diet. 1. Margarine: Most brands of stick margarine are loaded with trans fat, the toxic fat that increases bad cholesterol, lowers good cholesterol, promotes clotting, and damages blood vessels. And, at 100 calories per tablespoon, this isn’t doing your waistline any good either! As an alternative to stick margarine, you might use a “soft tub” variety of one of the reduced-calorie, trans-fat-free brands. If you prefer the taste of butter, use a small amount of whipped butter sold in tubs, because the more air means the less calories and fat. 2. Soda: One hundred percent of the calories in regular soda come from sugar or high fructose corn syrup. These empty liquid calories are largely responsible for fueling our nation’s
obesity epidemic. Drinking soda also damages your teeth and promotes cavity formation. Instead of guzzling soft drinks to quench your thirst, try good old-fashioned water or naturally flavored seltzers. 3. Bagels: Starchy white bagels, and all the flavored varieties, are made from refined wheat and have been stripped of the fiber and nutrients that give whole grains their health benefits. Refined white flour is linked to weight gain, heart disease, and diabetes. Another big issue is their size! Bagels have grown in size over the years and are very dense, which means they are very caloric. The standard bagel is about 400 calories, equal to about 4 slices of junky white bread. Opt for a whole grain English muffin or a mini bagel instead. For the times when nothing else but a real bagel will do, choose whole wheat or oat bran and scoop out the insides really well. 4. Dairy: Whole milk is loaded with saturated fat, the type of fat that raises bad cholesterol levels, promotes inflammation, and may contribute to clogged arteries. Switch to skim (fat-free) or one percent milk and dairy products. Making this switch
helps, but you’re still not escaping a few other unhealthy things, namely recombinant bovine somatotropin, or bovine growth hormone. This hormone is a genetically engineered synthetic hormone given to cows to boost their milk production and may introduce health risks not only to the cows, but to the humans consuming these dairy products. Try switching to organic dairy products when possible. 5. Microwave Popcorn: Movie theater popcorn may be bad for you because of the oils it’s popped in, but at least it doesn’t cause “popcorn-lung,” otherwise known as bronchiolitis obliterans, which is an inflammatory obstruction of the lung’s bronchioles caused by chemical particles or respiratory infections. Butter flavored microwave popcorn doesn’t really get its flavor from butter, but from chemicals and flavoring agents. Diacetyl is one such agent that has been linked to respiratory risks and Alzheimer’s disease. Popcorn itself is an OK snack, but the chemicals coating the inside of the bag are not. These chemicals also produce perfluorooctinoic acid, which the EPA considers a likely carcinogen. Try this healthy version instead: toss popcorn kernels in a brown paper bag, double fold the top of the bag, and pop as you would the processed stuff. 6. Artificial Sweeteners: While we love our artificial sweeteners because they are zero or low calorie, the reality is, we don’t really know
how bad they are us. They can significantly increase our risk for health problems, such as weight gain as well as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and heart disease, in addition to possible risk to our GI tracts. Basically, the less the better of these sugar substitutes. 7. Shelf Stable Condiments: There’s a reason these foods can skip the refrigeration, they have been engineered not to deteriorate with preservatives and additives such as food coloring, sweeteners, salt, trans fats, and chemical agents. Any fiber, good fats, and nutrients are stripped out in the process. 8. Anything Deep Fried: One of the problems with eating deep fried foods is that cooking foods at such high temperatures may cause them to form toxic chemical compounds that we then eat. Too many French fries will not only increase your waistline, they will increase your risk of a stroke and certain cancers, including breast, esophageal, head and neck, lung, pancreatic, and prostate. Men who eat fried foods once or more a week increase their risk for prostate cancer as much as 30-37 percent! 9. Processed Baked Goods: Those pre-packaged mini muffins, doughnuts, cookies, and cakes will add tons of calories and loads of unwanted sugar to your diet. Plus, they are not easy for our bodies to digest. They are filled with preservatives and sugar, which increases inflammation in the skin and
can make you look puffy and bloated. It will also spike your insulin level, leading to a host of other issues. 10. Processed Meats: According to researchers, eating processed meats will lead to an early death. Processed meat, including hot dogs, salami, bologna, have been found to increase your risk for cardiovascular diseases as well as certain cancers. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found that people who regularly eat about 2 oz. of processed meat, equivalent to one hot dog or 1-2 slices of deli meat, have a 42 percent greater risk of heart disease, as well as a 20 percent risk of developing diabetes. Processed meats have 4 times more sodium than unprocessed meats and 50 percent more nitrate preservatives. So there you have it – the top ten worst foods you could possibly eat. Following nutrition guidelines and eating healthy foods does make a difference. People who eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day live longer than people who don’t. If you must eat the aforementioned foods, keep it to a very rare occasion, and purge your diet and pantry from these unhealthy offenders.
Aliza Beer is a registered dietician with a master’s degree in nutrition. She has a private practice in Cedarhurst, NY. Patients’ success has been featured on the Dr. Oz show. Aliza can be reached at alizabeer@ gmail.com.
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Parenting Pearls
Anger By Rabbi Dani Staum, LMSW
Part II In our previous segment we noted that the first step to helping a child deal with anger is for the child to recognize that he has an anger problem and wants to be helped. It’s also important to give a child hope that he can learn to control his anger and not vice versa.
A
nger can never be used as an excuse or justification for misbehavior or for lashing out at anyone else verbally or physically. The rule also is that no matter how angry someone is, he is always responsible for his actions! The fact that he acted out of anger only reinforces his need to work on learning how to control his anger. We may tell a child who was really angry, “You may be completely right, but you still cannot act that way.” 1 There are two components to dealing with anger. One is how we guide the child himself to better deal with his anger. The other is how we as parents and educators deal with the angry child. We will first discuss what we can do to try to help the child. The key to managing emotions lies in recognizing and ultimately controlling one’s thoughts. In a nutshell, the key to anger management lies in being able to identify one’s negative raging thoughts that one automatically thinks when angry. Those ruminating thoughts serve to fuel the anger and he needs to recog-
nize those thoughts before he can begin to challenge them. Although it’s far easier said than done, it can be accomplished with guidance, practice, and effort. There are certain companies that advertise “anger pillows” or similar products. If a person is angry at another individual he can put a picture of the person he is angry at inside the pillow. Then he can punch and beat the pillow with all his might as a way to vent his anger. Dr. Yitzy Schechter, PsyD, director of the psychology department at Bikur Cholim in Monsey and a personal mentor, noted that he does not feel such tools are helpful. The goal of anger management is not accomplished by merely venting the rage inside like an out of control beast. Rather, it is accomplished by learning how to work through the inner rage and to release the explosive emotions in a productive manner. Exercise, going for a walk, playing sports, etc. are all productive ways of channeling that negative energy. Mindless venting on the other hand, may help for the moment, but definitely won’t help him in the long run. One of the keys to helping children deal with their anger is by helping them become more aware of their anger. Volcanoes serve as an excellent model to help children understand this point. When I work with children who have anger control issues I have a conversation with the child about what a volcano is. This includes how the lava rises from a fissure in the earth and slowly rises through the volcano. As long as the lava remains below the surface it must be monitored, but it is not yet dangerous. Once it explodes, however, nothing in its path is safe. I then discuss with the child in what way anger is like lava. Usually they un-
derstand and appreciate the analogy quite well. Not only does the volcano model help the child conceptualize his anger and its toxic impact, it also helps the child consider where his own “lava level” is at any given time. I often give the child a picture of a volcano with scale markings next to it, marked 10 to 100. 10 represents when the lava level is low and the child is almost perfectly calm, 100 represents losing his temper. The child needs to recognize when his lava level is rising so he can work on calming techniques before he loses it. The lava model is a great way for the child to conceptualize how he is doing at any time. It’s important to note that the “lava level” automatically rises when the child is tired, not feeling well, or simply grumpy. So if a child is not feeling his best he needs to be wary of the fact that he is more vulnerable to being triggered. A child can have different “lava levels” in different locations and with different people. Certain classmates who the child perceives as a threat will automatically trigger the child’s lava level, as can certain classes or teachers. What can a child do if he begins to feel his temper rising to “dangerous” levels? How can parents/teachers react to an angry child? We will address those questions in the next segment iy”H.
KEY POINTS • A person is always responsible for his actions
and comments – even when he is angry • The key to managing emotions lies in learning to recognize and control one’s thoughts • The volcano model is a great way for a child to conceptualize and measure his anger level at any time 1 A few years ago I co-authored a compendium called “Anger: A guide for parents and teachers.” At that time I asked a few gedolim if we must teach children that anger is wrong or if we should teach them that despite the fact that they may sometimes feel angry they must always be responsible for their actions. All of the responses I received agreed that we cannot teach children that they must never feel anger. That is a level for such incredibly and unusually righteous individuals such as Hillel. But for us our goal is that we not allow our anger to consume us and dictate how we act. Despite the anger we feel we need to maintain our composure and proceed rationally. Whenever Chazal warned about the severity of anger, they were referring to one who acts out of anger, not one who merely feels angry.
Rabbi Dani Staum, LMSW, is the Rabbi of Kehillat New Hempstead. He is also fifth grade Rebbe and Guidance Counselor in ASHAR in Monsey, and Principal of Mesivta Ohr Naftoli of New Windsor, NY, and a division head at Camp Dora Golding. Rabbi Staum offers parenting classes based on the acclaimed Love & Logic Program. For speaking engagements he can be reached at stamtorah@ gmail.com. His website is www.stam torah.info.
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Notable Quotes “Say What?!”
One thing that really [upset me] was how he would flippantly toss a club in the general direction of the bag, expecting me to go over and pick it up. I felt uneasy about bending down to pick up his discarded club – it was like I was his slave. - Steve Williams, long-time caddy of Tiger Woods, in his newly released tell-all memoir
The U.S. Air Force announced today their new model of stealth bomber will cost half a billion dollars each. And, even worse, it uses a different charger than the old model. – Seth Myers
They have these ozone machines, apparently, that you can detoxify the environment [with], but I’m going to have to work on the carpeting in here. You know if you go to a hotel room or get a rental car that’s been smoked? That’s what this smells like. - Newly elected Speaker of the House Paul Ryan on Meet the Press talking about the stench in his office, left behind by his chain-smoking predecessor John Boehner
If I really wanted to be president, I would have run in this cycle for the presidency. .- Ibid, on CNN
The third Republican debate was held last night, and RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said he was extremely disappointed with the coverage. And he understands disappointment, because his parents named him Reince Priebus.
A Canadian burger chain is now offering hamburgers stuffed with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. So to answer your question: Yes, there is a wrong way to eat a Reese’s. – Jimmy Fallon
We made a mistake and are very sorry. - University of Louisville’s President James Ramsey apologizing for his staff insulting Mexicans by wearing mustaches and sombreros at a recent costume party
– Seth Myers
Happy birthday to Hillary Clinton, who turned 68 today. When asked what her favorite gift was, she said, “Donald Trump.” – Jimmy Fallon
Last week Democratic candidates Lincoln Chafee and Jim Webb announced that they are dropping out of the race. Which raises the question, what if two trees fall in the forest and there’s nobody there to hear it? – Jimmy Fallon
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Daylight Saving is one of those things we do for no reason. Like signing up for a gym membership, it makes no sense. – Jimmy Kimmel
David said some nice words about [Scott] Walker and that was written up that we were given millions to his campaign. Do you know how much we’ve given to his campaign? … Zero. – Billionaire Charles Koch in a rare interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe talking about the misconceptions regarding the political contributions of him and his brother
Joe Biden announced that he will not be running for president. He made the announcement with President Obama right by his side, and you could tell it was an emotional moment because at one point, Obama actually gave Biden a shoulder rub. – Jimmy Fallon
On “60 Minutes,” Vice President Joe Biden said he chose not to run for president because he couldn’t win. After hearing this, Bobby Jindal said, “Since when is that a reason not to run?” – Conan O’Brien
They say, “When I talk to Putin, he’s going to straighten out,” and then it turns out they can’t handle a bunch of CNBC moderators. If you can’t handle those guys, I don’t think the Chinese and the Russians are going to be too worried about you. - President Obama at a Democratic fundraiser mocking Republican presidential candidates as thin-skinned for lashing out at CNBC over the network’s handling of last week’s primary debate
I take a vitamin every day—it’s called a steak. - Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh on his weekly radio show
Jeb Bush is trying to get momentum going by releasing a new book. It’s a collection of emails he sent and received when he was governor of Florida. The book is called “Reply all.” Because nothing gets people excited like group email. – Jimmy Kimmel
According to a new report from the World Health Organization, bacon, sausage, hot dogs and other processed meats significantly increase your chance of getting cancer, which is an ugly way of saying I’m probably going to die doing what I love.
Can’t read the article because I don’t have a subscription. – Tweet by Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) responding to a New York Times editorial suggesting he drop out of the presidential race
– Jimmy Kimmel
One of the top Halloween costumes this year is Donald Trump. Which is why this year, the phrase “trick-or-treat” has been replaced with “gimme a Kit Kat or I’ll deport you.” – Conan O’Brien
So many friends in Israel, they don’t know what happened, they actually think Obama hates Israel. I think he does. – Donald Trump at a rally in Nevada
Analysts are saying that after last night’s dismal performance at the debate, Jeb Bush’s donors are in “full panic mode.” Apparently, last night Jeb Bush called his two biggest donors and said, “Calm down, Mom and Dad.” - Conan O’Brien
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Donald Trump said in an interview this weekend that Iraq is the “Harvard of terrorism.” And he’s got a point: The only reason George W. Bush got into Iraq is because his dad went there.
I had to do what I had to do to win and to support my family. – Former Met Lenny Dykstra, who led the MLB in walks in 1993, disclosing to Fox’s Colin Cowherd that – in his effort to get a huge contract – he spent $500,000 to hire private investigators to turn up dirt on Major League Baseball umpires, and then used that intel to coerce them into giving him a favorable strike zone
– Seth Myers
Paul Ryan finally agreed to run for Speaker of the House even though he’s repeatedly said he didn’t want to run. So basically, Paul Ryan is that guy at karaoke who just pretends like he doesn’t want to sing. – Jimmy Fallon
On Monday, former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson endorsed Donald Trump. Tyson joins Trump’s biggest group of supporters: “People Who Have Been Hit in the Head a Lot.” – Conan O’Brien
“Did you cover [the spread] last night?” They’d call a strike. “Oh, I don’t think you heard me. Did you cover the spread last night?” – Ibid, recalling how he used to bribe the umps while batting
Everybody here is not going to worry about their sick dog, or no money in the bank. They are going to say: “You better make that pitch!” Or, “You better make that out!” Or, “The Mets better win!” That’s the beauty of spectator sports. - Laurence Leavy, the conspicuous fan who always seemed to be seated behind the home plate ump at every important baseball game this post-season, explaining to the New York Post why he loves going to baseball games
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Donald Trump said yesterday to supporters, “If I lose Iowa, I will never speak to you people again.” He added, “But if I win, I will never speak to you people again.” – Seth Myers
Tonight was the World Series and the Republican debate. In other words, two events with completely different attitudes toward Latino immigrants. – Conan O’Brien
I have a plan to break the record. I’m not going to tell you exactly what it is, but I’m going to try to partner with a particular airline … on one of their flights that lasts over an hour. I’m going to try to hold a note for the whole flight. So I’ll sit in the back and I’ll hold the note, and they’ll take off and hopefully I can hold the note all the way through takeoff to landing. – Saxophonist Kenny G who uses a key holding technique called circular breathing, disclosing to Huffington Post what his next project will be
There are reports that a movie is in the works based on the game Monopoly. They say the movie will be just like the game because it’s four hours long and it ends with your family fighting. – Jimmy Fallon
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Political Crossfire
Pretending Victory Doesn’t Make It So By Michael Gerson
Break out the nametags and Styrofoam-flavored coffee; it is conference season for Iran.
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ran’s foreign minister will attend the Vienna talks on Syria’s future for the first time, effectively ending his country’s regional diplomatic isolation. Supporting terrorists, brutally repressing human rights, making a play for regional hegemony, propping up a dictator guilty of mass atrocities, and doing as much as anyone to destroy Syria’s future are no longer disqual-
At that event, it may be hard to pick among the sessions. Even if you consider the Iran nuclear deal a good thing, everywhere else in the region is likely to be markedly worse when President Obama leaves office than when he took it: Iraq in pieces; Syria in ruins; the rise of a terrorist state with unprecedented reach and resources; Yemen in civil war; Egypt under repressive military rule; Libya in chaos; Afghanistan with unraveling security; poisoned relations with Israel and the Sunni powers. Obama’s chance for a positive legacy in the Middle East depends entirely on the nuclear deal. Many
The situation points to the administration’s ultimate pose: Obama has claimed to conclude a war that he has continued to fight – just not adequately or competently. ifications. The nuclear deal is evidently Iran’s all-access, backstage diplomatic pass. And let’s not forget the annual “Death to America” events in Iran surrounding the November 4 anniversary of the 1979 American embassy takeover. Also the second annual “End of America” confab in February, featuring academics explaining American decline.
of his other policies in the region are really more like poses. The administration still says that President Bashar al-Assad of Syria must go – but everyone knows this is another meaningless red line, with Russia and Iran now intervening heavily to save the Syrian dictator. The administration insists that the nuclear deal is separable from confronting and isolating the Iranian regime on
other issues like proliferation and terrorism – but containment already seems to be collapsing. The administration pledges to “degrade and ultimately destroy” the Islamic State – but has produced a strategy of stalemate, in which the U.S. military is struggling to fight within the political boundaries of Obama’s claim to be the ender of wars. So, no “boots on the ground,” but boots on the ground. No combat mission, but combat missions. And now Defense Secretary Ashton Carter is promising a new stage of direct American attacks in Iraq and Syria to help turn the tide in Raqqa and Ramadi. So what does this improved military strategy actually mean? Does it reflect a new set of national goals that Obama has set and will be held accountable for achieving? If so, why didn’t the president announce these goals himself? Carter, for all his virtues, is not the commander in chief. Why isn’t Obama leading the public and the military into this new phase of the conflict and potential sacrifice? Or was this announcement just a CYA maneuver, in case there are more casualties in America’s nonwar against the Islamic State? Or maybe it was the military trying to remind an insular White House staff that they are actually in a desperate fight and need more leeway and leadership to win? Who knows? But the situation points to the administration’s ultimate pose: Obama has claimed to conclude a war that he has
continued to fight – just not adequately or competently. This fight continues because Sunni radicals want to destroy American allies and proxies and establish a terrorist kingdom. At the same time, Iran and its Russian ally want a tired and humiliated America to retreat from the region, leaving an open field for Hezbollah, the Quds Force and the Russian air force. Into this strategic snake pit came the Obama administration, utterly convinced of a few things: That America has been too focused on the Middle East and too prone to ill-considered commitments. That our friends and allies have often been freeloaders, and that America should pull back and take off their training wheels. And that a nuclear deal with Iran was pretty much worth any price, and that it might lead to a strategic rebalancing, in which Iran and the U.S. could cooperate against Sunni radicalism. The results? A vacuum filled by the worst people in the world. A massive humanitarian disaster, which Obama will be forced to explain for the rest of his days. An emboldened Iran, with an infusion of legitimacy and cash. An emboldened Russia, preening on the global stage. Friends and allies who feel betrayed. The cynical abandonment of human rights and democracy promotion in America’s approach to the region. And still for Obama, the pose of victory. (c) 2015, Washington Writers Group
Post
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Political Crossfire
Skip the Investigations, Win the Election By Charles Krauthammer
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t a certain point, you have to realize you can’t hit a fastball. House Republicans don’t quite get that they are hopeless at oversight hearings. They keep losing – and now the chairman of the House Oversight Committee has just introduced articles of impeachment against IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. I’m sympathetic to the GOP motive, given how the Obama IRS has consistently obstructed and misled Congress in the tax-exemption scandal. But impeachment is no ordinary move. No agency chief or Cabinet officer has been impeached since 1876. And even proponents admit that there is no chance of Koskinen being removed from office because the Senate will never convict. Instead, says Chairman Jason Chaffetz, the purpose is public education, “to demonstrate to the American people” that the IRS “will be held accountable” for violating the public trust. I’m all for demonstrating malfeasance. But the GOP House has given a five-year display of its inability to successfully demonstrate anything. From Benghazi all the way back to Operation Fast and Furious, its hearings’ impact on public perception has been either zero or negative. Take the IRS case. The House Oversight Committee, led at the time by Darrell Issa, blew it, allowing the IRS’ Lois Lerner to deliver a statement proclaiming innocence and then claiming Fifth Amendment
protection from having to answer any questions. Committee member Trey Gowdy nearly flew out of his seat to point out that she had just forfeited her immunity. Too late. She got away with it. That failure is what brings us to impeachment today. But impeachment was never intended to be a mulligan. Or consider the recent Planned Parenthood hearings where the Republicans had a very strong hand – videotaped discussions of the buying and selling of body parts…, a shocking exposition of what actually lies behind such antiseptic terms as “choice” and “women’s health.” Yet the head of Planned Parenthood, so initially defensive that in July she apologized for the callous tone of those involved, ran rings around the committee. Yet as a PR disaster for the GOP, nothing compares to Benghazi, in which the select committee, armed with truly damning evidence against Hillary Clinton, handed her instead a major victory. Scattered amid those 11 hours of hearings (which in and of themselves lent Clinton an air of heroism and victimhood) was a powerful indictment of the administration for what happened both before the Benghazi attack (600 requests for more protection, all denied) and after, namely, the concocted fable of a demonstration-gone-bad caused by an offensive video. Yet the outcome of the hearing is the current conventional wisdom
that the committee presented nothing new and never laid a glove on her. How could the Republicans have blown it so badly? They had in their hands very new information: a just-obtained email from Clinton to daughter Chelsea the night of the incident saying that it was an attack by an al-Qaeda-like group and, even more damning, a conversation the
prima facie evidence of mendacity and political expediency. But why make it so easy for them? Why bury the lede? Instead of highlighting this stunning new evidence, the committee offered endless questions about the emails of Sidney Blumenthal, someone the public has never heard of. In each of these cases, Republicans had the facts and the
How could the Republicans have blown it so badly? They had in their hands very new information: a just-obtained email from Clinton to daughter Chelsea the night of the incident saying that it was an attack by an al-Qaeda-like group very next day in which Clinton told the Egyptian prime minister, “We know that the attack in Libya had nothing to do with the film. It was a planned attack – not a protest.” This evidence was presented at the hearing, but why not at the very beginning with every camera and microphone running, guaranteeing front-page coverage? To be followed by clip after clip of Clinton, Susan Rice and the president himself blaming the attack on a film and a protest, a fraud that went on for two weeks. That would have changed the entire proceedings. True, the media played their part in overlooking and ignoring this
argument. And yet in every one, they failed. What makes them think that they will fare any better in the next iteration, the impeachment of a minor official in an expiring administration? Chaffetz says that the purpose is to rein in the IRS. I’m all for that. You know how you do it? Win the presidency. Appoint honest new IRS leadership. And get your own Justice Department to do a real investigation. It’s a harder road to accountability. But it gets you to where you want to go. (c) 2015, The Washington Post Writers Group
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Autumn Apples By Blimy Wassertheil
Recently I came across a sheet of math homework.
apples.) Honestly, this one was totally beyond me.
The assignment involved many word problems, one
All I could think was what in the world are they
of which I’d like to share with you. It read as follows:
planning to do with all these apples?! If I’d be there,
You have been given the task of transporting 3,000
I would just keep them all in Appleland and make
apples 1,000 miles from Appleland to Bananaville.
caramel apples!
Your truck can carry up to 1,000 apples at a time. Every time you travel a mile towards Bananaville
There’s no better season for caramel apples than
you must give away 1 apple to pay tax but you pay
early fall. Apples are at their very best: crispy,
nothing when going in the other direction (towards
crunchy, perfectly colored, and deliciously flavored.
Appleland). What is highest number of apples you
So grab a bushel of them (or the whole 3,000), pick
can get to Bananaville after all taxes? (Answer: 833
your toppings, and enjoy!
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CARAMEL APPLES Ingredients 2 cups sugar ¼ cup light corn syrup ½ cup water ½ cup heavy cream 1 T. unsalted butter 1 tsp vanilla extract Pinch of salt 6 large apples at room temperature Assortment of toppings (see options) Supplies Candy thermometer
Wooden sticks Parchment paper Directions Combine first three ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Cook until it’s an amber color and a candy thermometer reads 320°F. (Approximately 8-10 minutes). Remove from heat and slowly add next four ingredients. Return to low heat and whisk until smooth. Let cool until the cara-
The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
mel is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Wash apples well, removing all wax and shine. You may even want to use fine grit sandpaper if you have it on hand. Insert wooden sticks into apple centers pushing ¾ way into the apple. Dip the apples into the caramel and allow the excess to drip off. Coat in toppings and place on parchment paper until it hardens. Bon appetite! Shortcut: If you don’t
want to bother making your own caramel, you can buy ready wrapped caramels and microwave until melted. Proceed from step #3. Toppings Bar Add to the deliciousness by coating the apple in one or more toppings. Here is a list of options with some inspiration: Sprinkles, mini M&M’s, mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts, crushed Oreos, toffee bits, shredded coconut, Chopped Viennese Crunch, butterscotch chips, peanut butter
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chips, mini marshmallows, crushed crunchy cereal, crushed graham crackers, pretzel pieces, melted chocolate for drizzling, chopped dried fruit—are you drooling already? Variation If your children won’t finish a whole apple or if you like miniatures, try making these cute little baby caramel apples. Using a melon baller, scoop apple circles out of an apple and insert sticks. Proceed with directions above for a mini delight.
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APPLE ROSE “TART” If you still have some of those 3,000 apples left when you’re done with the caramel, try this gorgeous apple rose dessert. It can be done as individual mini portions
or as big as a whole pie. It’s easy to put together and the results are beautiful. Ingredients Frozen pie dough, defrosted Custard Cortland or Granny Smith apples
Directions Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut apples in half and remove the core. Slice apples thinly and place on baking sheet. Press pie dough into pie pans and prick bottom with a fork.
Place the pies and apples into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until pie shells are golden. The apples will have softened in this time. Fill pie shells with custard. Start designing your
rose! Roll up one apple slice and place it into the center of the pie. The custard will hold it in place. Take another apple slice and, bending slightly, put it behind the rolled center. Keep on placing apple slices all around in rows until rose is complete.
NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | The Jewish Home
F u y n a d d a n t i a o r n t s f i o g r e r S y e g u s n i s k i o a nI S t Now
For girls in kin
rou h t n e dergart
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Bi rd e n d s November 9th
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t r a ory
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Call or text Sary Email
516 655 7855 Baila 516 225 4521
campfunshine2015@gmail.com
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In The
K tchen A Slice of Something Nice Sweet Potato Pie
Sweet Potato Pie Ingredients 2 cups peeled, cooked sweet potatoes 1- ¼ cups sugar ½ stick melted margarine 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground ginger 1 cup soy milk 9-inch unbaked piecrust 3 egg whites Directions Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the sweet potatoes, 1 cup of the sugar, margarine, eggs, vanilla, salt, and spices. Mix thoroughly. Add the soy milk and continue to mix. Pour the filling into the piecrust and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the pie on a rack and cool to room temperature
before covering with meringue. For the meringue: using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form; beat in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is glossy and stiff, but not dry. With a rubber spatula, spoon the meringue onto the pie, forming peaks. Make sure the meringue touches the crust all around. Sprinkle with a pinch of granulated sugar. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until delicately browned. Cool and serve.
Pumpkin Pie Ingredients 1 ready-made graham cracker piecrust 4 tablespoons melted margarine 1-3/4 cups pumpkin puree 3 eggs 1-3/4 cups soy milk 1 cup dark brown sugar
Pumpkin Pie
Easy Classic Apple Pie
1-¼teaspoons cinnamon ½ teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon allspice ¼ teaspoon cloves ¼ - ½ teaspoon salt Directions Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine the margarine, pumpkin puree, eggs, soy milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, all spice, cloves and salt and mix well. Pour the mixture into the piecrust. Place the filled pie on a cookie sheet (to catch any dripping). Bake for about 50 minutes, until knife inserted into center comes out clean.
Easy Classic Apple Pie Ingredients I box refrigerated piecrust, softened 6 cups thinly sliced, peeled apples
(approx. 6 medium apples) ¾ cups sugar 2 tablespoons flour ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 tablespoon lemon juice Directions Heat oven to 425°F. Place 1 piecrust in ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate. Press firmly against side and bottom. In large bowl, gently mix rest of the ingredients; spoon into the pie shell. Top with second crust. Wrap excess top crust under bottom crust edge, pressing edges together to seal; flute. Cut slits or shapes in several places to let air escape. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Cover edge of crust with 2- to 3-inch wide strips of foil after first 15 to 20 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. Cool before serving. Serve with scoop of vanilla ice cream.
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Hire
Education
Primary Colors By Rabbi Mordechai Kruger
E
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very parent thinks his children are special. But there’s one way that I always knew my kids were different, because back when they were in school, they would come home and tell me about it. Unlike just about all the other kids, they knew what their parents did for a living. Through the years that my kids were small, I was a middle grade yeshiva rebbi; my wife was (and still is) a nurse. Both are professions that small children understand because they’re part of a child’s world. But when teachers would ask the class, as they often do, “What does your mommy or daddy do at work?” most of the kids would give a little shrug and say something like, “I don’t know…they go to work.” There is a serious downside to this naiveté, which seems to endure even through high school. It masks one of the most important things that anyone entering the workforce needs to know: that “going to work” means using specific skills, thinking about certain things, and working towards defined goals. Without this knowledge, our children don’t have a framework for thinking about their own skills and goals. That makes it unlikely that they will ever think about how they might combine those skills and goals in some way that produces value for an employer and financial and personal satisfaction for themselves. And because their parents, indeed, most of the adults around them, aren’t accustomed to talking about what their life at work is really all about, an ongoing conversation that could help young people make one of the most important decisions of their lives gets lost. Many of our young people choose the career they want to pursue soon after finishing high school or upon
returning from a year in Israel. At that point, they survey the offerings available to them, or ask a few classmates, and they choose whatever seems current or popular. Because no one ever talked about the idea that a job should fit the person who does it, they follow the latest fad, go along with the herd. Picking what’s popular is a reasonable strategy at a pizza shop. In shopping for a career, it can lead to a lifetime of workplace frustration and dissatisfaction which can overflow and ruin all areas of life. It would be far better if parents had a way to talk to their kids about what they, and other people they know, do at work. But we all know what hap-
Picking what’s popular is a reasonable strategy at a pizza shop. In shopping for a career, it can lead to a lifetime of workplace frustration and dissatisfaction. pens when parents decide to “have conversations” with their kids. So what can be done to help young people gain a better understanding of the world of work? In my work with young career choosers, I have noticed that there is one group of parents that frequently
talk about their work to their children, their spouses, and to anyone else that will (at least pretend to) listen. They are, unfortunately, the ones who are very dissatisfied with their jobs. They speak often and at length about the people that they work with, the clients they serve, and the work that they don’t like. Too often, their kids get the idea that all jobs are dreary slogs through the mud, killing their motivation and any hope for future success and satisfaction. There is also a group of parents who don’t talk much about their own work, but they often talk about the work done by others. Or more accurately, the income brought home by others. Sometimes the talk has a tone of respect, even admiration, for someone who has worked hard, used his talents well, and been blessed with success. But more often there are notes of jealousy, cynicism, even character assassination, all of which convey the message that the system is rigged, unfair, and pointless. I recently spoke to a group of young men, most of whom expressed their future aspirations as “marrying the daughter of someone really rich and doing nothing.” They explained that hard work doesn’t help anyway, so they would prefer not to bother. When we hear the effects of having the wrong conversations, it becomes really important to think about how we can have the right ones. There is a program which takes place at many businesses and workplaces across America called “Take Your Sons and Daughters to Work Day” which is intended to spark conversations about the world of work. Of course, an official “Day” is not enough to make a difference, but the goals that the organizers outline can help shape ongoing discussions that are productive. Those goals focus very little on helping children understand the workplace. They focus on helping children understand themselves. When children understand and are able to articulate their talents and goals, they do a remarkable job of matching them to a job description that fits them well. Like the three primary colors which can be mixed to produce all the others, every career involves mixing three elements. All three
are always present, but the differing degrees are what make each job different. The three primary work elements are working with people, with information, and with things. One of these is the focus of the work, the other two will always be involved in some way. So our discussion with our
children can start there: do you feel most satisfied when you spend your time with people, information, or things? And what goals do you aspire to accomplish? If we want our children to be able to give real answers to these questions, we need to give them opportunities to experience all of these elements. A generation or so ago our communities were blessed with youth organizations like Pirchei and Bnos that attracted a majority of our children to a variety of activities. (I urge you to read the biography of Mike Tress, a hero of rescue during World War II and see the effect that youth groups had on his development.) Those groups seem to have faded; I don’t think we have done a good enough job of replacing the benefits that they created for our children. But without a way to experience the “primary colors” of their own creativity, it is hard for our children to develop the multi-hued palette that prepares them for future success.
Rabbi Mordechai Kruger is the Director of Pathways to Parnassa, an organization dedicated to educating our community in all aspects of career choice and job search. Individual coaching is available. He can be reached at myparnassa@gmail.com.
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Classifieds classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com / text 443-929-4003 SERVICES
SERVICES
HOUSES FOR SALE
HOUSES FOR SALE
Alternative Solutions Geriatric Care Management staff will assist you with: * Obtaining Medicaid and Pooled Income Trust * In-home Assessments, Individual and Family Counseling * Securing reliable home care assistance * Case and Care Management services Dr. S. Sasson, DSW, LCSW (718) 544- 0870 or (646) 284-6242
The Children’s Clothing Gemach in Cedarhurst is fully stocked for boys/ girls in sizes newborn-teen. To make an appointment please call/text 516-712-7735
NORTH WOODMERE: Price Reduced!!! Spacious & Bright 4BR Brookfield Split, 3 Full Baths, Eik, Formal DR, Lower Level Den W/Brick Mantle & Fplc, Lg Bedrooms All on one Floor, SD#15…$639K Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com
North Woodmere: All on one level 3BR, 2 Full Bath Ranch with great potential, SD#14, LR, Kitchen, FDR, MBR Suite, CAC, Rear Deck…$429K Call Carol Braunstein - (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com
Buying or Refinancing a Home? Pre-Approval letters that brokers trust! Put as little as 3% down. Borrow up to 90% with no MI! We can beat any written offer! Specializing in very difficult scenarios Call Daniel at Landmark Funding Group. NMLS#367291 at 718-663-7202
SHEITELS WASH AND SET $20 for short sheitels $25 for long sheitels Located in 5towns/ far-rockaway area Call: Shlomit H. (516)-233-0633
All loans arranged through 3rd party lenders.
Do you need cleaning, babysitting or care givers? Cheap rates. Call 718-304-4348 Experienced Bar Mitzvah teacher available. Very patient and encouraging Can teach all levels Extremely reasonable rates. References available. Email teachbmitzvah@gmail.com GAN KATAN Where Fun and Learning go Hand in Hand. 2 year old playgroup located in Woodmere 9:00-1:00 (option till 2:00). Friday till 12:00 Call Morah Malka: (917) 608-0739 Leah’s Beauty Concepts Experienced Makeup Artist and Skin Care Specialist Makeup for all occasions Conventional and airbrush Wake up looking beautiful with permanent makeup Relaxing deep cleansing European facials Laser hair removal-electrolysis Leah Sperber 917-771-7329 “Kosher” Yoga & Licensed Massage Therapy Peaceful Presence Studio 436 Central Avenue, Cedarhurst Separate men/women Group/private sessions, Martial Arts... Gift Cards Available www.peacefulpresence.com 516-371-3715
PIANO/GUITAR LESSONS By Yisroel Ament (First lesson buy one get one free!!!) 347-357-7797 Y isroelament@gmail.com
Personal chef, menu planning, grocery shopping, cooking, will stock your freezer with prepared meals, customized meals, every day, holidays, dinners, Naphtali Sobel 516-732-1729 Struggling with Shalom Bayis? The Shalom Bayis Hotline 732-523-1112 Caring rabbanim answering your questions for free. So far very positive results BS’D! HAIR COURSE Learn how to wash and style hair and wigs Hair and wig cutting, wedding styling Private lessons or in a group Call Chaya 718-715-9009
HOUSES FOR SALE Don’t Get Stuck With a Two Story House Ya Know, It’s One Story Before You Buy It But a Second Story After You Own It! Call Dov Herman For An Accurate Unbiased Home Inspection Infrared - Termite Inspection Full Report All Included NYC 718-INSPECT Long Island 516-INSPECT www.nyinspect.com
LAWRENCE: Traditional 5BR, 3.5BA Colonial With Gourmet Eik, LR W/Fplc, Den W/ Skylight, Family Rm, Library, Lux MBR Suite, Breathtaking Views...$1.8M Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com
WOODMERE: Lovely 5BR Expanded Ranch on Lush Oversized Property, LR, FDR, Den, Freshly Painted, All New Carpet, Many Upgrades, Prime Location…$479K Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com WOODMERE: Completely Renovated 3BR, 2BA Ranch, Updated Eik, Formal DR, MBR Suite, Den W/Fplc & Vaulted Ceiling, Lovely Property, SD#14…$625K Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com
989 EAST BROADWAY BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED, ONE OF A KIND HOME IN OLD WOODMERE 4 B/R, 2.5BA Cape. Approx. 2420 sqft of living space nestled on 9167 sqft of beautifully landscaped property. Located in Old Woodmere, HewlettWoodmere school district. Attached 1 car garage, enclosed front porch, deck, 3 working fireplaces, custom cabinetry and built-ins throughout. Partial basement and attic, CAC, IG sprinklers, lovely yard. Low taxes. Walk to Worship. Walk to transportati Asking price $699K Contact Mike 516-509-7489
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Great Potential Investment, Gracious 5BR, 3.5BA Col, Mint 6BR, 3BA Split, New Lovely 4BR, 3BA Hi-Ranch, Eik, Den W/Fpl…$699K Eik, Den, IG-Pool…$569K Legal 2 Family, 6BR..$749K Den, Fin Bsmt…$699K
Bright 5BR, 3BA Hi-Ranch, Charming 3BR, 2.5BA Col, Pvt Setting Over 1 Acre, Well Maintained 3BR, 2.5BA IG-Pool, Deck…$999,995 Fin Bsmt, SD#14…$435K 3BR, Waterview..$899K Tudor Col, SD#15...$679K
Carol Braunstein
Susan Pugatch
(516) 592-2206
295-3000
Call or Text
cbraunstein@pugatch.com
(516)
www.pugatch.com
spugatch@pugatch.com
5BR, DR, Eik, Den 4BR, 2.5BA, Lg MBR 3BR, 2BA, Yard, 3BR, 2BA, Eik, FDR SD#14..$2,995/mo SD#14..$3,000/mo SD#14..$3,200/mo Suite..$3,250/mo
6BR, 3BA, Eik, Den, FDR..$3,995/mo
Renov 4BR, 2.5BA, 1BR-2BR Apt’s From 2BR, 1.5 Bath, Eik, Bsmt..$3,600/mo $1,595-$2,895/mo SD#14..$2,800/mo
HEWLETT: 1235 Herbert Pl(12-1:30)$435K LAWR: 115 Lawrence Ave(12-1:30)$999,995 N.WDMR: 470 Hungry Hrbr(12-1:30)$569K N.WDMR: 626 Flanders Dr(12-1:30)$639K WOODMERE: 511 Allen Rd(12-1:30)$625K
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NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Classifieds classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com / text 443-929-4003 HOUSES FOR SALE
COMMERCIAL RE
COMMERCIAL RE
COMMERCIAL RE
WOODMERE 6 Bdrms, 2.5 Baths, new trex front porch, brick patio, in ground pool, koi pond with water fall, central A/C, gas/steam heat, wood floors, security system with cameras and remote control front gates Asking $849,000, taxes $14,800. Please call 516-569-9042
Far Rockaway: Development Property in the Heart of Bayswater, Investment Opportunity, 1 Acre Land For Sale …Call Lenny for More Details (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com
WOODMERE: Follow The Leader To Woodmere, Now Is The Time To Act!!! No Metered Parking, Various Retail/Office Spaces Available, For Sale/Lease...Call For More Details (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com
INWOOD Commercial mixed use building + Lot. Private parking, corner property, high traffic area 1st floor offices, 2nd floor: 2 Apts. Asking 849k. Call 212-470-3856 Yochi @ WinZone Re
WAREHOUSE SPACE IN INWOOD 25K-40K of Beautiful Warehouse space. 25’ ceilings, 10 interior drive in Loading Docks, drive-in Ramp. Adjacent Office Space Available, Plenty of Truck & car Parking available. Call 516-567-0100
APT FOR RENT
Woodmere New Construction 5 BR, 3.5 Bths, Center Hall Colonial. Master Suite w/2 Walk in Closets, Guest BR wFull Bath on First Floor. Radiant Heat on First Floor, Granite Kosher EIK………………….….. $1.3M By Owner NO Brokers 646-634-4642
COMMERCIAL RE CEDARHURST: 3,400+/-SF Restaurant with Basement on Central Ave, Municipal & Street Parking, Great Location, For Lease...Call Lori For More Details (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com CEDARHURST: 500-3000 +/- SF Professional Office Space Available In The Heart Of Cedarhurst, For Lease... Call For More Details (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com
HEWLETT: 900 +/- SF Nail Salon, Ready To Go!!! Great Location, Near LIRR Station, Turn Key Salon, No Key Money, Low Rent, For Lease …Call Lori for More Details - (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com HEWLETT HARBOR: Waterfront Property, Great Location, Best Waterfront Lot, Deep Waters, Macy’s Channel, For Sale …Call for More Details (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com Lynbrook: PRICE REDUCED!!! 10,000 +/-SF Combined Two Buildings, Many Upgrades, Great Location, Can Be Divided, For Sale …Call Ian for More Details (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com VALLEY STREAM: Turn-Key Deli in Busy Shopping Center, No Key Money, $3500/Mo. For Lease...Broker (516) 792-6698
355 Central Avenue, Lawrence NY 11559 (Across the street from Seasons)
P: 516.791.6100 | F: 516.374.7059
www.WeissmanRealty.com CEDARHURST
FELTER AVENUE
Only
1 Left!
4 Houses. Brnd New Const. 4 rs. 5BR, 3 full bths + 2 half bths. EIK, LR/DR, den area off kit. Lndry on 2nd r. Full bsmnt w/ half bth. 4th r has prvte brs and bth. Prvte drvwy. Call Chaya Moller for a showing. 516-506-3347 $625K
HEWLETT
Lovely 2 bdrm 1 full bth co-op with washer/dryer. Light and bright apt comes with an underground parking spot and a storage unit. Call Sherri 516-297-7995
FAR ROCKAWAY APARTMENT RENTALS
Newly renovated colonial 5/6 Bdrm, 3 Bth split. Hi-end nishings & xtures. Granite kosher kitchen, Full nished basement & attic $899K
INWOOD
Clean and kept 4 bdrm, large kitchen, LR, Den, enclosed porch, beautiful backyard, bsmnt with laundry. Over 2,000 square ft. Great for a family. Asking Call Moshe 516-697-2504 $550K
5 TOWNS & CEDARHURST OFFICES
1-2 Rm executive offices available all utilities & internet included. Varied conference room. Locations & pricing. Call Sherri 516-297-7995 Large 4 room suite 2,250 Sq. Ft. 4 private offices, kitchen and reception, Cedarhurst location. Call Sherri 516-297-7995
#1 Far Rockaway and 5 Towns Rental Specialists
INWOOD OFFICE SPACE LOWEST PRICES IN TOWN! 500-7000 Square feet gorgeous office space with WATERVIEW in Inwood! Lots of options. Tons of parking. WIll divide and customize space for your needs! Call 516-567-0100 CEDARHURST OFFICE SPACE LOWEST PRICES IN TOWN! 500-5000 square feet very nice office space with cool conference room & Kitchen. Onsite parking Great Location. Lots of options! Will divide and customize space for your needs! Call 516-567-0100
*House Rental–NORTH WOODMERE: Spacious Mint 6BR, 3Fbth Hi-Ranch, Lg Eik, Den, Formal DR & LR, Private Cul-De-Sac ...$3,995/mo Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295 3000 www.pugatch.com *House Rental – WOODMERE: Lovely 5BR Exp-Ranch, Lr, Formal DR, Eik, Den, Lovely Property In “Academy Area”, SD#14...$3,200/mo - Call Carol Braunstein - (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com 4 bedroom, 3 full bath, duplex on Beach 12 Street. Renter controls Central A/C and heat, Washer Dryer Hookup $2,600 Available immediately. Please call or text 516-668-8199
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Classifieds classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com / text 443-929-4003 APT FOR RENT Brand new luxury 3 bedroom 2 bath apartment in central Far Rockaway 2 Family home. Features: Private entrance, 1 car off street parking, Sukkah porch. Large eat in kitchen with new appliances, Living room, Dining room, Additional storage in attic, Separate heat, A/C, hot water, Washer/Dryer Hook Up, Walk to all Call 1-917-415-0055 *House Rental – WOODMERE: HOUSE RENTAL – Lovely 5BR Exp-Ranch, Lr, Formal DR, Eik, Den, Lovely Property in “Academy Area”, SD#14...$3,200/mo Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com CEDARHURST 500-3,500 +/- SF Beautiful, newly renovated space for rent. Ideal for Retail or Executive offices. Prime location. Convenient Parking. Call Sam @ 516-612-2433 or 718-747-8080 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom single family condo $2,400 / month. Newly renovated, newly refinished hardwood floors throughout entire house, living room, dining room, large eat in kitchen with pantry, lots of windows, new porcelain flooring, laundry room with washer / dryer, garage, backyard with space for sukkah, access to communal pool, Central Air/heat, parking space, Near Darchei and beach. Call / txt 323-314-8773 or email rivkalock@gmail.com ON SEAGIRT AVENUE 2 & 3 bedroom. Newly renovated. Washer and dryer hook up. Granite countertops. More info call or text 917-602-2914
FOR SALE Oriental Rug in Excellent Condition 10X13 FT $600 Small Antique Breakfront Excellent Condition 516 569 2468
SELLING BEAUTIFUL MAHOGANY AND GOLD DINING ROOM SET. Includes 13-ft. table (which opens up to 16-ft. and is 48in. wide); 14 chairs; 9-foot breakfront; and 8-foot buffet. All in excellent condition. Will enhance your dining room. Asking $7,500 for the set. Call 516-551-4888.
FOR SALE SELLING WHITE AND BEIGE DINETTE SET. Dinette table, 84x42, with 8 chairs for $600. In excellent condition. Call 516-551-4888.
HELP WANTED EXPERIENCED BOOKKEEPER needed for local organization near Brooklyn/5Towns A/R, A/P, Payroll etc. Min 3 years experience& knowledge of QB, Hours 9:00 to 2:00 – with the possibility of full time. Email Resume: Jobhunt613@gmail.com Preschool and afternoon elementary assistant teachers needed for a Bais Yaakov in Far Rockaway. Emailteachingpositions1@gmail.com Dry cleaner looking to hire EXPERT SEAMSTRESS / TAILOR to work in dry cleaning store asap. Main Street (Queens) location. Established clientele. Generous compensation split and opportunity to make extra money. Set your own hours. If interested please call Marc 917-612-2300 ACCOUNTANT/BOOKKEEPER Growing company in the 5 Towns seeking motivated employee for Full Time accounting/bookkeeping. MUST have professional accounting experience previously to be considered, strong teamwork skills required. Submit qualified resume to admin@ getpeyd.com for details. SALESPERSON Seeking Full Time sales staff to join our 5 Towns sales team. Must be highly-motivated, detail-oriented, and a quick learner. Experience in outside sales a plus. Submit qualified resume to admin@getpeyd.com for details. Seeking dedicated and motivated Elementary School General Studies Teachers, PM Sessions Email: fivetownseducators@gmail.com Seeking teacher assistants for special education pre-school in Far Rockaway. Email resume to scohen@onourwaylc.org Licensed Practical Nurse seeks position in homecare with the elderly or pediatric care. I am skilled, caring and dependable. Please call me at 631-759-0025
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
Physical Therapist Assistants (PTA’s) & Occupational Therapists Assistants (COTA’s)For 200+ bed Nursing Home in Queens. Must have Hospital or Nursing Home experience. Please email resume to promrehab@aol.com
Afternoon teachers’ assistant needed, Brooklyn school, immediate opening, email: fivetownseducators@gmail.com
Assistant – no experience necessary. Capable, reliable person with computer skills needed for data entry, scanning, filing, project coordination and follow-up. Helping out where needed with opportunity to grow. Please email your resume to FTSadresponse@gmail.com
SALES POSITION $1000/week (based on exp) Unlimited commission potential. 3 positions available Call: Fidelity Payment 516-262-3134 Or apply online: www.fidelitypayment.com/ salescareer CATAPULT LEARNING Teachers for Title I in Boro Park andWilliamsburg Chassidic boys schools *College/Yeshiva Degree Required *Strong desire to help children learn *Excellent organizational skills *Small group instruction *Competitive salary Email resume: nyteachers@catapultlearning.com. Fax (718) 381-3493 Seeking a warm, capable Preschool Teacher for Preschool in Port Washington (near Great Neck) Good pay, beautiful facility and atmosphere. Please email your resume sara@chabadpw.org
MISC Tutors desperately needed for Zichron Etel, a gemach providing free tutoring to those who cannot afford it. Now in Brooklyn and the Five Towns! Kindly visit our website at www.zichronetel.com Found stroller on Central Avenue. If anyone has lost their stroller or knows someone who has, please contact me at SL11691@yahoo.com Senior Jewish looking to rent a garage for storage in or near Far Rockaway ASAP 646-657-3131 Yehalomim Shelanu Special Programming Presents An after school program for the special children of our neighborhood! Every Monday afternoon from 4:45- 6:15 Fun and educational run by talented and experienced staff Call 516-732-2949 for more information or to register
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NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | The Jewish Home
C U S T O M F A U X L E AT H E R TA B L E C L O T H S A N D CHALLAH COVERS
L O C AT E D I N C E D A R H U R S T, N Y CALL/TEXT TO ORDER: (845)-323-6616
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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
M
ary Cassatt was born in Pennsylvania on May 22, 1984 and lived until June 14, 1926. She was both a photographer and an Impressionist painter who loved portraying pictures of women and children. Mary came from a well-off family. Her father was a land speculator and stockbroker. Her mother came from a family involved in banking. Mary’s brother, Alexander, to whom she remained close, was the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Her mother placed an emphasis on the importance of being educated. In those days, education meant travel as well. Mary traveled through Europe studying. She learned many languages while abroad for five years as a young child. At the World’s Fair of 1855 in Paris she was exposed to the artwork of various artists. As written by one of her friends in a memoir: “Anyone who had the privilege of knowing Mary Cassatt’s mother would know at once that it was from her and her alone that [Mary] inherited her ability.” At the age of six Mary began her education. At the age of fifteen she attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and began her study of painting. The idea of becoming a professional artist was intriguing to Mary but not to her parents. The percentage of female artists at the time was maybe twenty percent of the students. Much of her studies were self-directed as she was determined to learn despite the fact that this was not the norm for women. In 1866 Mary went to Paris with her mother and began studying art privately, as women were not allowed to attend classes at Ecole des Beaux-Arts. She spent day after day at the Louvre copying the works of famous art-
From My Private Art Collection
The Mysterious Mary Cassatt By Rebbetzin Naomi N. Herzberg
The Boating Party by Mary Cassatt
Portrait of an Artist by Mary Cassatt
ists. Mary took the initiative to take painting classes with numerous artists. In 1868, her painting titled, A Mandolin Player, was placed in an exhibit and was selected by the jury as a winner. It is one of her only paintings which can be documented from that particular era of painting. In 1870, there were wars in Europe and so she returned to the United States. Her family was not supportive of Mary’s desire to make a livelihood out of becoming an artist but she was determined. They would not buy Mary art supplies but did take care of her basic needs. Mary, unfortunately, had decided to go Chicago and
The Tea by Mary Cassatt
somehow ended up being there during the Chicago fire of 1871. Some of her paintings were lost in the fire. Upon returning to Europe, she continued persevering, and her paintings became recognized, acknowledged, and well-liked. Mary was one of the few known female artists of her times. She became a popular person to know. The Tea by Mary Cassatt of 1880 is an oil on canvas which can be found in the Museum of Fine Arts located in Boston. Her artworks are hanging in the Smithsonian and National Museum of American Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago. Mary admired the work
of Edgar Degas ever since 1875, when she saw his pastel pictures. “I used to go and flatten my nose against that window and absorb all I could of his art,” she later recalled. “It changed my life. I saw art then as I wanted to see it.” She started to use pastels as a medium for her work and became rather good at it. Mary began carrying a sketchpad and would capture an image and draw spontaneously what she saw. Her parents kept on telling her that she had to make a living from her art and cover costs such as her materials and her studio, and so she continued creating art and selling. Mary was determined
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to create paintings for an upcoming Impressionist exhibition. The year 1878 was a good one for her. She created a Little Girl in Blue Armchair, the portrait of her mother called Reading Le Figaro, and a self-portrait called Portrait of an Artist. She made many portraits for members of her family. Mary Cassatt was a trained woman artist, but unfortunately never got married. She did create many pictures depicting a mother and child, such as The Child’s Bath in 1903, which is hanging in the Art Institute of Chicago. Mary Cassatt was an inspiring person who inspired other women to persevere with their artwork. Her famous painting titled, The Boating Party, was used as the picture on a US postal stamp in 1966, followed by other pictures she painted. Her paintings have skyrocketed in value over the years to over four million dollars. The creation of art in the adult years can prove to be a relaxing, rewarding and beneficial experience. Tap into your own creativity, develop your own unique style, learn interesting techniques, stimulate your mind, socialize and gain from a sense of satisfaction. Please email nherzberg@ hotmail.com or contact me at (6035 -337 )718 or ()917 7474 -886 to participate in a unique pilot project consisting of art classes for female adults and senior citizens. Space is limited. Reservations required. Rebbetzin Naomi N. Herzberg is a professional art educator, artist and designer. Among her known artwork is a floral sculpture presented to Tipper Gore, Blair House, Washington, D.C. Please feel free to email nherzberg@hotmail.com with questions and suggestions for future columns.
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Your
Money
No Extra Credit Here By Allan Rolnick
Paying your taxes is one of those responsibilities that most of us accept when the time comes. Sure, we grumble about it. But we pay, then get on with the day. We don’t expect to get brownie points just for doing our duty. In fact, if you give yourself too much credit for doing it, you might get yourself in trouble, as one tonedeaf tech company recently found out.
A
irbnb (shortened from “AirBed & Breakfast”) is an online marketplace for short-term rentals that lets people list and find accommodations across the world. Are you visiting the company’s hometown of San Francisco and don’t feel like checking into a hotel? Check out www.airbnb.com, where you can find everything from a spare guestroom in someone’s house to a fully furnished three-bedroom condo overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. The concept has definitely caught on — the company currently offers over 1,500,000 listings in 34,000 cities and 190 countries,
and boasts a $25.5 billion valuation. However, many of the temporary innkeepers who list their homes on the site don’t know they should be paying local hotel or occupancy taxes, which typically range from 5-15%. Airbnb has stepped in to help their users comply with these rules, reaching agreements with cities including Portland, San Jose, Chicago, and even Amsterdam to collect the taxes and pay them over to the right places. In San Francisco, the company collects and then pays about a million dollars a month in tax. But city residents are about to vote on a ballot initiative that would limit shortterm rentals to 75 nights per year. At a time when rents in the city have shot insanely high (the average studio apartment rents for over $2,800 per month), the goal of the initiative is to discourage landlords from reserving properties for tourists, which limits the housing stock and puts even more upward pressure on rents. Airbnb has committed $8 million to defeat the initiative, which is more than all 14 mayoral candidates together spent in the last election. But here’s where Airbnb took things a little far. Last week, the company irritated the City by the Bay with a snarky series of ads on billboards and city bus kiosks. “Dear Public Library System,” read one. “We hope you use some of the $12 million in hotel taxes to keep the
library open later. Love, Airbnb.” Others urged the city to build more bike lanes, plant more trees, put escalators up the hills, keep parks clean, and keep art in schools. The
So here’s the moral of the story. You don’t get brownie points for paying your taxes — so why pay more than you have to? Companies like Airbnb spend millions on plans to
“We hope you use some of the $12 million in hotel taxes to keep the library open later. Love, Airbnb.”
company also told tax collectors not to spend the $12 million all in one place (unless they spend it on burritos). Good stuff, right? Well, maybe not so much. One resident crunched the numbers on the library ad and calculated the hotel tax might contribute as much as 78 cents per employee per day — hardly enough to keep the libraries open longer! Others commented that the ads were good at going viral, but not much else. Airbnb has already admitted the ads took the wrong tone, apologized to anyone they might have offended, and pledged to take the ads down.
keep their tax burden as low as possible. But you can do the same thing for a far smaller investment — and with December 31 fast approaching, now is the time of year to plan. So start today and see how much extra you might save!
Allan J Rolnick is a CPA who has been in practice for over 30 yea rs in Queens, NY. He welcomes your comments and can be reached at 718-896-8715 or at allanjrcpa@aol.com.
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NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Life C ach
Those Lost Minutes By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS
So there I was, surrounded by hundreds of specimens of humanity from all different walks of life and countries of origin. Walking, limping, leaning, all cloaked in bright blue capes as they marched down the avenues of Manhattan.
T
hey had just completed a tour of the 5 boroughs, though with no time to take in the sights! What kind of tour is that?! About the most they probably saw was the back of at least 1,000 people outrunning them. Discouraging at best! Unless, of course, they turned around, then they’d see themselves outrunning a few thousand other people. But who had a second to turn around? 55,000 runners converged on New York City to participate in a 26 mile run through the streets of New York. Seriously, if they have no time to stop and shop on 5th Avenue, why bother being there? They just kept going and going. Hey, when I walk a mile or two, I think like I’m some kind of an exercise aficionado. Five miles, I’m Hercules! What keeps them going?! It’s not like there’s even like a prize at the end...
Wait except ... for cramps, soreness, and fatigue! And … the need to keep walking once you’re done to make sure your body remembers how to work in slow motion again. That’s just what I want to do after running 26 miles – walk another one or two! So why was I there? We spent the day downtown and decided to walk up to Central Park. We battled the onslaught of runners and families leaving the finish line. We came to understand we were not getting anywhere near the park. So finally we made our way to the subway and onward to the railroad. We boarded the Long Island Railroad in the nick of time and, fortuitously, my husband and I got one of those four seaters, with no one opposite us. What a luxury, plenty of legroom! That feeling started setting in, you know, the euphoria of a really sprawled out, comfy ride ahead of you. That was until the train was about to depart. Then two tall, endless legged, young foreigners made it onto the train. Though there were other seats available, they eyed our two extras. How could we say no? They had their medals dangling, they had just finished the marathon. Could we ask these poor tired souls to keep walking?! Can you deny a seat to two people that likely just spent the last 5 to 10 hours pounding the pavement, literally? Of course now that I rethink it, with legs that long maybe they cover twice the distance with each stride? Maybe they only ran like 13
miles? I, on the other hand, had walked from SoHo to Central Park – maybe they should have been catering to me. After all, I didn’t even train for that! Well, we, of course, being gracious New Yorkers, as all New Yorkers always are (!) made place for them. The problem was there was no space left for us. Their legs were right up our gullets. We practically had to hang our feet out the
much sooner – in only two hours and about five minutes! What a bummer! All that time wasted in New York. So with my feet wrapped around my ears for an hour on the train, I learned an invaluable lesson. If I ever have the inexplicable urge to run 26 miles in one day without being motivated by someone in hot pursuit of me, I certainly would be smart enough not to do it in New
Of course now that I rethink it, with legs that long maybe they cover twice the distance with each stride? Maybe they only ran like 13 miles?
windows to survive. They were like 30% body and 70% legs. Clearly not something that we’re used to! But, every cloud has a silver lining, and here’s the valuable information I learned from them. The New York Marathon is a much harder race than any other. Apparently it’s very hilly and therefore it changes your whole performance time. The fastest runner can’t do it in less than 2 hours and about 9 minutes, while in all the other easy cities, he/she is done apparently so
York City, where’d I’d lose all that valuable time! So don’t get discouraged anymore when you are running late. Apparently it’s living in New York – and not anything that you’re doing – that’s slowing you down!
Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach. She can be contacted at 917-7052004 or rivki@rosenwalds.com
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015
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NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | The Jewish Home