Five Towns Jewish Home - 12-27-18

December 27, 2018

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90

YEAR IN REVIEW pg

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Dear Readers,

N

puts out a special issue that details what happened over the past 12 months in the non-Jewish calendar. I would think, though, that it would be especially inappropriate to talk about politics in our pre-Rosh Hashana issue. Rosh Hashana, our new year, is a time for introspection and reflection. What we print in Elul and Tishrei are articles that are meant to give readers the insight and impetus to pause, reflect on the past year, and resolve to be better in the coming one. Putin, Merkel, Trump, and even Netanyahu should not factor into our personal resolutions to become more wholesome, more Torah-true Jews.

As the Gregorian calendar comes to a close, though, taking stock of what happened over the past 12 months is – in an ironic sort of way – perhaps a bit soothing.

Yes, there were events in 2018 that shook us to the core. And we’re still affected by those events. But we have been able to move on.

What felt so catastrophic then is so small in our minds now that we realize that we can’t get mired in the stresses of life. Time passes so fleetingly. There’s a Creator in charge Who knows what’s best for us, and He’s running the world. If we leave it up to Him and focus on the blessings He bestows upon us daily, then our journey through life will be more thoughtful, more enjoyable, and so much less about the blaring headlines.

ewsflash: 2018 wasn’t all about Trump.

Perhaps it seemed to be throughout the year, when all you could hear when you turned on the radio was predictions of doom and gloom for the president and how he’s running the country into the ground.

It’s funny – the media calls Trump narcissistic (I don’t know him personally, so I have trouble giving a diagnosis) and yet they can’t stop talking about him. It’s as if he really is the center of their universe and they can’t seem to get off his roller coaster. Perhaps if they looked at other events in the world, they would feel a little less anxious and not fall over every tweet generated from the Oval Office.

So, 2018 was not just about the president.

There were so many other events and occurrences that took place around the world in the past 12 months.

In our Year in Review issue, we try to give readers a synopsis about what happened this year in a way that entertains and yet intrigues our audience. You’ll see some pieces of news that you never knew even happened (perhaps you were napping that day) and other tidbits that seemed so cataclysmic when they occurred but are only a blip on the screen now. It’s a stroll down memory lane, with all its bumps and curves, bridges and tunnels.

Every year, inevitably, I receive emails from readers after our Year in Review issue decrying the fact that a Jewish publication

Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

Yitzy Halpern PUBLISHER

publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Yosef Feinerman MANAGING EDITOR

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editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Nate Davis Editorial Assistant Nechama Wein Copy Editor Berish Edelman Adina Goodman Mati Jacobovits Design & Production Gabe Solomon Distribution & Logistics P.O. BOX 266 Lawrence, NY 11559 Phone | 516-734-0858 Fax | 516-734-0857 Classified: Deadline Monday 5PM classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com text 443-929-4003 The Jewish Home is an independent weekly magazine.

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

Shabbos Zemanim

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

8

COMMUNITY 8

Readers’ Poll Community Happenings

44 NEWS

40

Global

12

National

28

Odd-but-True Stories

39

2018 Year in Review

90

ISRAEL

Israel News

24

My Israel Home

84

PEOPLE The Wandering Jew

86

Wars: Strange But True by Avi Heiligman

130

PARSHA Rabbi Wein

78

The Preciousness of Life by Rav Moshe Weinberger

80

Parsha in Four by Eytan Kobre

82

HEALTH & FITNESS Myth: Couples Work Needs Two People by Dr. Deb Hirschhorn

112

Your Shabbos Guide to Healthy Eating: Dips by Cindy Weinberger, MS RD CDN 114 FOOD & LEISURE The Aussie Gourmet: Lentil Vegetable Soup

116

LIFESTYLES Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW

108

Amazon: Good or Evil?

128

Fail Fast or Push Forward by Rabbi Dr. Naphtali Hoff

132

Your Money

138

Owning the Road by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

140

Dear Editor, I was interested to read your article entitled “George H.W. Bush in the Navy” by Avi Heiligman. I wish to note a photographic error. The article was accompanied by three photographs. The two pictures to the right were correctly those of George H.W. Bush during World War II. The third picture, however, is of his son, George W. Bush, during the latter’s service as a member of the Texas Air National Guard beginning in 1968.

Mark Borten Merrick, NY Dear Editor, I appreciated your article Rav Chanina Herzberg, z”l. Rabbi Herzberg was a mechanech who knew how to balance warmth and discipline. His talmidim knew that he loved them, yet they respected him and revered him.

I was recently speaking with a principal of a school in another community. She told me that a student recently told her that she couldn’t listen in a certain class because the teacher wasn’t “fun” enough. This was a high school student. Apparently, all through elementary school, she was trained to learn with teachers who were also entertainers. There was no straightstyle form of learning, the classic way that children learned years ago. Now, I’m not denigrating our school system. Children are different than what they were years ago and we have grown in education to

understand that a child needs to be stimulated in order to incorporate the material. But for a high school student to say that she can only pay attention if a class has all the bells and whistles is sad. In this case, I yearn for the days of old, when a student pays attention because she has to and because the material itself is interesting.

Rabbi Herzberg was a person who represented true Torah learning. He didn’t grab any new-fangled ideas that came his way. Instead, he worked with the tried-and-true principles that he saw worked for his talmidim. And his students are so much better prepared for life and the rest of school because of his mehalech.

Sincerely, Debbie T. Dear Editor, Great piece by Yisroel Besser in your paper this week! I missed the article on Rabbi Kakon when it was printed in Mishpacha. Fortunately, your paper gave wonderful coverage and I was taken to read it through. It did not disappoint. What an inspiring couple – and what an inspiring yeshiva!

Chaim Fischer Dear Editor, I feel for the parent who wrote into TJH this week about homework taking up his children’s and his nights. To you, I say, this is a hard period in your life. You come home Continued on page 10

HUMOR Centerfold

76

POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes

80

Trump is About to Repeat Obama’s Mistake in the Middle East

by Marc A. Thiessen 124

U.S. Withdrawal from Syria is a Risky Mistake by David Ignatius CLASSIFIEDS

118

126 134

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Continued from page 8

From a

from work and have numerous obligations at night. Your children are worn out from a long day at school and are forced to spend more hours doing their homework. It’s not easy.

And yet, as a teacher, I have to say that homework is important. I do not give my students overwhelming amounts of homework each day, but I know that math requires practice. And so does spelling and handwriting, etc. Apply this to any area of study and you’ll know that students need time outside the classroom to absorb the information given to them during the day. So please, encourage your children to do their homework. There is no way that the grammar, math, spelling, or handwriting will instantly be perfect without practice. And, l’havdil, chumash, halacha, Gemara, etc.

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also need constant review. A few minutes on each subject every night is imperative for their success.

In my house, my kids know that they come home from school to a yummy snack – muffins, popcorn, apples, grapes – and they tell me about their day. Then we start homework. Some kids finish faster; others take their time. And some of them need a break in between their Hebrew and English subjects. That’s OK. But I keep encouraging them and keep a positive attitude – it will only work that way!

I have also found that if a child has a hard time, a chat with the teacher to help lessen the load and a chart rewarding their positive attitude during homework time go a long way.

Best of luck, Morah Chana Y.

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.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home

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Sometimes Claas Relotius’ articles in Der Spiegel seemed too good to be true. Turns out, they weren’t – true, that is.

Last week, the award-winning journalist who worked for Der Spiegel, one of Germany’s leading news outlets, left the weekly magazine after evidence emerged that he committed journalistic fraud “on a grand scale” over a number of years.

The red-faced outlet published a lengthy report on its website on Wednesday after conducting an initial internal probe of the work of Relotius, a 33-year-old staff writer known for vivid investigative stories.

The magazine said Relotius resigned on Monday after admitting some of his articles included made-up material from interviews that never happened.

The Hamburg-based magazine said Relotius contributed almost 60 articles published in print or online since 2011, first as a freelance writer before being hired full-time last year. The reporter previously worked for other German and Swiss publications and won numerous awards, including CNN Journalist of the Year in 2014.

Spiegel said Relotius acknowledged fabricating parts of at least 14 stories, including a piece about an American woman who he said volunteered to witness the executions of death row inmates, such as one in Texas at the beginning of the year.

The case, which is still being investigated, “marks a low point in the 70-year history of Der Spiegel,” the magazine acknowledged.

Concerns about Relotius’ work first were raised in November by a fellow reporter who worked with him on a story about a border militia in

Arizona and discovered that supposed interviews had never taken place.

Further fabrications by Relotius included a phone interview with the parents of American football player Colin Kaepernick, who protested police brutality by kneeling during the pre-game singing of the national anthem, Spiegel said. Another was reporting that a sign on the edge of a Minnesota town read “Mexicans Keep Out.” The magazine said Relotius told editors the fabrications were an attempt to avoid failure and that he was aware of his deceptions.

The paper is also saying that it is looking into donations that Relotius asked of readers to help orphaned Syrian children who were homeless and living on the streets of Turkey.

The paper suspects that Relotius used the money for his own purposes instead of giving it to those he was allegedly collecting for.

The German Journalists’ Union DJU called the case “the biggest fraud scandal in journalism since the Hitler diaries” that Germany’s Stern magazine published in 1983 and were later found to be forgeries.

Spiegel’s revelations echoed past instances of journalistic fraud by reporters elsewhere, including Jayson Blair of The New York Times, Christopher Newton of The Associated Press, and Janet Cooke, whose 1980 piece about a child addicted to heroin won The Washington Post writer a Pulitzer Prize before it was exposed as untrue.

Polio-Like Illness in UK

At least 28 cases of a rare and potentially debilitating condition called acute flaccid paralysis – AFP – have been reported in the United Kingdom this year. Most of the cases were discovered in September.

A record number of cases of a similar condition, acute flaccid myelitis or AFM, had been seen in the United States this year. The U.S. Centers for

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Disease Control and Prevention reported 165 confirmed cases of AFM in 36 states, up from 35 confirmed cases in 2017. There were 149 cases reported in 2016; the condition peaks in the fall every other year.

Now, public health officials are investigating the causes of the diseases.

AFP includes a number of conditions characterized by a sudden onset of limb weakness, such as myelitis and Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Despite the increase in numbers this year, citizens in the UK were told not to be too concerned. “AFP is very rare,” Dr. Mary Ramsay, head of immunizations at Public Health England, said. “We are investigating potential causes and working hard to build better awareness amongst health-care professionals about how to test and manage patients with AFP.” The condition is typically associated with a virus infection affecting the central nervous system. Epidemiologist Dr. Shamez Ladhani of Public Health England said the most common of these is the enterovirus, of which there are more than 100 types.

“The vast majority of those with enterovirus infection, and especial-

ly young children, either develop no symptoms at all, or they develop mild self-limiting respiratory illnesses,” he noted.

The U.S. CDC says the cause of AFM cases in the U.S. is still unknown. Last month, the agency said evidence suggests a “viral association” and noted that more than 90% of patients with AFM experienced mild respiratory illness or fever before weakness or paralysis began.

Lebanese Take to the Streets

Thousands of angry Lebanese citizens swarmed Beirut’s Riad alSolh Square on Sunday to protest the country’s deteriorating economy and nonfunctional government.

Clad in the yellow reflective vests

that have become ubiquitous in France and other countries in recent weeks, protesters chanted, “The people want to bring down the regime” and hurled garbage at police. Security forces responded with roadblocks and arrested scores of protesters.

The military said in a statement that it would keep the peace and pledged not to allow the destruction of property.

Protesters demanded cheaper food, free health care, and called on the government to slash taxes.

“There is corruption and theft of state funds,” one protester told the AFP. “We are governed by a political class of corrupt thieves who rule with sectarian fanaticism.”

The gatherings had been organized on social media and purposely mirrored the yellow vests protests that had rocked France in recent weeks. The reflective vests sported by demonstrators in Beirut were identical to those worn by their French counterparts except for the large cedar tree adorning the front. The cedar tree is a national symbol of Lebanon and appears on its flag.

Anger towards the Lebanese government increased after a deal that would have formed Lebanon’s first

government since the May elections fell apart on Saturday, keeping the country without a government for more than seven months.

Demonstrators were also concerned by Lebanon’s collapsing economy that shows no sign of turning around. In a sign of the worsening outlook, the World Bank recently found that almost 35% of Lebanese citizens live below the poverty line and threatened to yank the $1.1 billion in loans it had approved for the country.

Tsunami Kills Hundreds in Indonesia

Hundreds of people were killed after massive tsunami waves smashed into the Indonesian coast-

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home

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The official death toll was 429 on Tuesday, although officials said that they expect it to rise in the coming days as more bodies are recovered.

At least 1,400 people were injured in the angry waves; 128 still remain unaccounted for. With no warning, ten-foot waves had struck Indonesia’s Sunda Strait on Saturday evening, smashing homes, overturning cars, and ripping up electrical lines.

The waves are said to be a result of an eruption by the Anak Krakatau volcano, a small mountain located between Java and Sumatra. Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency warned Indonesians to stay off the coast as more tsunamis are expected in the upcoming days.

“We are cautioning the people to remain cautious,” said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, who serves as a spokesperson for Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency.

“Agencies are still continuing to analyze the root cause... The Krakatau volcano continues to erupt, which could potentially trigger another tsunami.”

Following the disaster, Indonesian President Joko Widodo ordered the government to acquire new tsunami early warning systems as experts blame the lack of an effective alert system for the high number of fatalities. A lack of early warning systems also led to the death of 2,000 Indonesians in October when a tsunami battered the coast at the time.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency also blames the country’s defunct tsunami buoy network, which has not been operational since 2012.

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A painting that was stolen during World War II and later spent decades in a Connecticut home will be returned to an art museum in Ukraine, according to U.S. and Ukrainian officials.

The FBI seized the painting after a retired couple in Ridgefield transported it to Washington, D.C., to be

auctioned last year. The couple, David and Gabby Tracy, had long cherished the painting but figured it was a copy, not the signed original.

Standing nearly 8 feet tall (2.4 meters), the painting depicts the 16th century Russian czar Ivan the Terrible looking crestfallen as he flees the Kremlin on horseback.

It had been left behind in a Ridgefield home that David Tracy bought in 1987. The previous couple in the home said the painting was already there when they purchased the house from a Swiss man in 1962.

When Tracy and his wife moved to a different house in the area, they paid $37,000 to add a sunroom big enough to display the painting.

“This painting was a beautiful painting, and we treasured it,” Gabby Tracy, 84, told The Associated Press on Saturday. “You couldn’t help but admire the fine painting, what detail was in Ivan’s face.”

But as they made plans to move to a condominium in Maine last year, they realized the painting wouldn’t fit. They hired an auctioning company near Washington to sell the work, which was appraised at about $5,000.

After the auction house added the painting to its catalog, though, an employee received an urgent email from an art museum in Ukraine. “Attention! Painting ‘Ivan the Terrible’ was in the collection of the Dnepropetrovsk Art Museum until 1941 and was stolen during the Second World War,” the email said, according to court documents.

“Please stop selling this painting at auction!!!”

The museum identified the painting as a 1911 work by Mikhail Panin, titled “Secret Departure of Ivan the Terrible Before the Oprichina.” It was a permanent exhibit at the Ukrainian museum until 1941 but disappeared during Nazi occupation of the city.

FBI officials took custody of the painting and later traced it to the Swiss man who sold the Ridgefield home in 1962. Officials didn’t release his name but said he moved to the U.S. in 1946 after serving in the Swiss Army. He died in 1986. Gabby Tracy said it’s unknown how he obtained the painting.

After learning it had been stolen, the Tracy couple agreed the painting should be returned to Ukraine.

The story particularly moved Gabby, who was born in Slovakia and survived the Holocaust. Her father, Samuel Weiss, died in a concentra-

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home

tion camp.

Federal officials filed paperwork on Thursday formally passing the painting from the FBI to the U.S. District Attorney’s Office in Washington, which is turning it over to Ukraine’s embassy.

“The looting of cultural heritage during World War II was tragic, and we are happy to be able to assist in the efforts to return such items to their rightful owners,” U.S. Attorney Jessie Liu said.

Amazon: Good or Evil?

Page 128

A New Constitution for Cuba?

Lawmakers in Cuba’s National Assembly have voted to approve a new constitution that would eliminate some of the island state’s Communist nature.

The 229-article document will now be voted on by Cuban citizens in a February 24 referendum. According to Cuban law, the document must earn support from the majority of the country’s citizens for it to become binding law.

“This process is a genuine and exceptional demonstration of the practice of power by the people and therefore of the markedly participative and democratic nature of our political system,” President Miguel Diaz-Canel said following the approval by parliament.

The new constitution comes as Cuba moves to implement some social reforms following the death of Fidel Castro and includes several tenets that would have once been unthinkable. While the constitution enshrines the Communist Party as the state’s main influence, it allows ownership of private property and sets a ten-year term limit on Cuba’s leader.

President Miguel Diaz-Canel responded to criticism that ownership of private property violated Cuba’s Communist regime by arguing that the country’s weak economy required the government to relax its tight control of the economy.

The proposed constitution was formally unveiled in July and was slowly modified via input by Cuban citizens. Cuba’s current constitution was written in 1976 and had been amended in 1978, 1992 and 2002.

Notorious FARC Commander Killed Walter Patricio “Guacho” Arizala Vernaza, one of the most infamous

leaders of the FARC paramilitary group, was killed in a shootout with Colombia police on Friday. He was 29.

Colombia’s President Ivan Duque announced his death in a televised press conference in Medellin. “Colombia deserves to breathe more freedom every day,” said Duque. “Today many communities in Colombia are going to sleep calm because one of the most horrendous criminals that has known our country has fallen.”

Arizala Vernaza had been an 11year veteran of the notorious Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC, an armed militia that fought the Colombian government via guerilla warfare from 1964 until 2017. Arizala Vernaza was one of the holdouts who refused to abide by the agreement FARC signed with the Colombian government in 2016 that put an end to the 50 years of violence between the two sides.

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Instead, Arizala Vernaza joined the estimated 2,000 FARC rejectionists and formed Oliver Sinisterra Front, a violent gang that trafficked cocaine from the northern Columbian province of Narino. Arizala Vernaza’s long string of murders and abductions turned him into what Columbian officials called “one of the most wanted delinquents in the Ecuador-Colombia border area.”

The Colombian government stepped up its manhunt for Arizala Vernanza after he killed two Ecuadorian journalists and their driver last March after they were snatched by his men while reporting on the Esmeraldas region’s flourishing drug trade. Javier Ortega, Paúl Rivas, and their driver, Efraín Segarra, were last seen dead in photos that were released by the Oliver Sinisterra Front.

Arizala Vernanza reportedly personally killed them.

Following the killings, the Ecuadorian government pressured their Colombian neighbors to bring the drug lord to justice. “I told the Ecuadorean people that the crime against the three journalists would not remain in impunity,” Duque said. “This is an accomplishment by the entire country.”

The families of the three dead journalists condemned the decision not to capture Arizala Vernanza alive, saying that Colombia had blown the chance to find out what happened to their loved ones. “After his death, the chances of learning what he knew about what happened with Paúl, Javier and Efraín are now gone,” lamented their relatives. “This in no way means that justice has been served in the kidnapping and murder of Diario El Comercio’s journalists.

There are still many questions that have not been answered and many doubts that neither Ecuador nor Colombia have been willing to clear.”

Mexican Governor and Senator Killed in Crash The new governor of the Mexican state of Puebla and her politician husband were killed on Monday in a helicopter crash in central Mexico, according to the head of their political party.

Puebla governor Martha Erika Alonso and her husband Senator Ra-

fael Moreno Valle died in the crash, as did the pilot, co-pilot and a fifth passenger, according to Public Security and Civil Protection Secretary Alfonso Durazo. Moreno was a senator and governor of Puebla from 2011 to 2017.

The crash occurred at 2:40 p.m. local time about ten minutes after takeoff. Communication with the aircraft was lost, and a crash was then heard.

The helicopter pilot and co-pilot were identified as Captain Roberto Cope Obregon and Captain Marco Antonio Cabera Romero.

Durazo said the aircraft was found in the town of Santa Maria Coronango. The helicopter was an Augusta Westland AW109, which was owned by the Puebla-based company Servicios Aereos del Altiplano. It was found at the edge of a cornfield, still smoldering.

The couple was headed to Mexico City.

Alonso had assumed the governorship of the east-central Mexican state on December 14 after narrowly defeating her opponent. She was the state’s first female governor. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s Morena party had challenged the validity of Alonso’s election in July.

She was sworn in 10 days ago after independent electoral authorities dismissed the challenge.

Moreno was a prominent figure in the opposition National Action Party who had vied unsuccessfully for the party’s presidential nomination and its internal leadership. He was a federal senator for the party at the time of his death. Opponents had alleged that he had manipulated the election to hand power to his wife.

The government has vowed to investigate the crash to determine what went wrong.

Arrest Warrant for Grace Mugabe Zimbabwe’s former first lady Grace Mugabe is a wanted woman.

South Africa has issued an arrest

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

warrant for Mugabe in relation to an alleged assault on a woman in a hotel in Johannesburg last year.

Gabriella Engels had accused Mugabe of beating her with an electrical extension cord in a room at the Capital 20 West hotel in Johannesburg’s Sandton district. After the alleged assault came to light in August 2017, the South African government granted Mugabe diplomatic immunity. That immunity was overturned by a court this year after Engels, a model, challenged the decision.

The two countries have an extradition agreement, but Zimbabwe’s deputy minister for information, Energy Mutodi, said that Harare would not extradite Mugabe.

“I believe the government of Zimbabwe will not tolerate any harassment or degrading treatment on the former president Mugabe and his immediate family members,” Mutodi said, adding that he would need to consult with President Emmerson Mnangagwa on a final decision.

Grace Mugabe, 53, was seen as a potential successor to her 94-yearold husband, Robert Mugabe, who ruled Zimbabwe from 1980 until he was ousted in a coup late last year. She has denied assaulting Engels with an extension cord, saying an “intoxicated and unhinged” Engels attacked her with a knife at the hotel.

The South African advocacy group AfriForum, which represented Engels, has accused Mugabe of lying.

Mugabe has retreated from the limelight in Zimbabwe since her husband was ousted. Elections in August were won by Mnangagwa, his former righthand man in the ruling Zanu-PF party.

U.S. Aids Central American Countries

The United States has announced that it will invest billions into Central American countries and Mexico in an attempt to reduce illegal immigration.

The U.S. says that the increased aid will energize the economy in

distressed regions such as southern Mexico and Honduras, decreasing F TJ Hto the local motivation to immigrate United States. The aid includes $5.8 6 5 ” X El billion in investment 4 in.Honduras, Salvador, and Guatemala, with an ad5.875” ditional $4.8 billion going to Mexico.

The initiative was rolled out in a press conference hosted by Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard in Mexico City. Ebrad said that the aid would drastically improve the lives of the country’s poorer citizens, calling it “good news, very good news for Mexico.”

“This declaration reflects the importance that both countries place on our bilateral relationship,” Ebrard added. “The spirit of cooperation between our countries is strong as seen in institutional, economic, family and cultural links that unite Mexico and the United States.”

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador praised the incoming U.S. aid, which he said would cause Mexicans to cease attempting to emigrate to the United States. “I have a dream that I want to see become a reality ... that nobody will want to go work in the United States anymore,” said Lopez Obrador.

Mexico said that it will use the funds to boost agricultural programs and restore forests in the country’s poverty-ridden south. The State Department said it will decide which projects to fund based on their viability.

The aid money will be channeled through the Overseas Private Investment Corp, which is the U.S. government’s financial development corporation. The estimated $2 billion provided by the corporation is not taxpayer money and does not need congressional approval.

The U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation said in a statement that it “is prepared to invest and mobilize $2 billion in additional funds for projects in southern Mexico that are viable and attract private sector investment. This amount is in addition to the $2.8 billion in projects for Mexico through OPIC’s current investment pipeline.”

The expanded aid comes as the Trump administration is struggling to get an estimated $5 billion approved for the president’s border wall.

Trump has put an emphasis on stopping illegal immigration. This initiative marks a less confrontational approach for Trump in what he says is the “battle to secure America’s borders.”

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home

State of Israel for the 21st Knesset will be characterized by a desire to present to the voters the things that really matter to the people, and not an attempt to attack the opponent.”

Israel Heads to Elections

The State of Israel will be heading to elections after coalition faction heads decided in a joint decision to dissolve the government this week.

Prime Minister Netanyahu announced on Monday that elections will be held on April 9 and said that he wanted the current coalition “to be the nucleus” for the next government. “With G-d’s help, we will win,” said Netanyahu.

The coalition was already on shaky footing ever since the Yisrael Beytenu faction’s departure left the coalition with a razor-thin majority of 61 lawmakers. However, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid’s announcement on Monday afternoon that his party would vote against the charedi enlistment bill sealed the government’s fate.

Netanyahu needed all 61 MKs to support the bill in order for it to pass ahead of the January 15th deadline mandated by the Supreme Court.

The charedi Agudat Yisrael party refused to support the legislation, leading Netanyahu to dissolve the coalition after four years.

“As usual, I held consultations with all coalition heads and opposition factions, and asked in wake of the publication of the desire to dissolve the Knesset to determine the closest date possible for elections to the 21st Knesset,” said Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein.

The veteran MK added that he hoped the next government would tone down the catcalling and verbal insults that characterized the 21st Knesset.

“I’d like to say to the citizens of Israel: we’re leaving a Knesset that was characterized by verbal violence and offensive discourse,” said Edelstein. “I’m full of hope and prayer that the election campaign in the

Yariv Levin Appointed Absorption Minister

Prime Minister Netanyahu announced this week that Likud MK Yariv Levin would become the next Aliyah and Absorption Minister, fulfilling the premier’s promise to lighten his workload by giving up one of the multiple portfolios he controls.

“I decided to appoint Tourism Minister Yariv Levin to the additional position of immigration minister. Good luck Yariv!” Netanyahu wrote on Twitter after revealing the appointment on Sunday evening.

In addition to his new portfolio, Levin also serves as the Tourism Minister and the Ministerial Liaison to the Knesset.

Levin thanked Netanyahu for appointing him to the position, saying that “it is an honor to deal with Zionist missions like encouraging aliyah and absorbing immigrants.”

Levin promised to “do my best to increase aliyah and improve absorption in the short time I have in the post.”

As an acting minister, Levin’s appointment will not need to be confirmed by the Knesset and is restricted to a three-month period.

Netanyahu has been serving as acting Aliyah and Absorption Minister ever since former Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman resigned in November. Alleging that the government’s lack of action towards Hamas constituted a “capitulation to terror,” Liberman pulled his Yisrael Beytenu faction out of the coalition, which included then-Aliyah and Absorption Minister Sofia Landver.

Netanyahu had promised to appoint a lawmaker to head the Ali-

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home

yah and Absorption Ministry amid rising criticism over the many portfolios he controls. Other than his prominent role as prime minister, Netanyahu currently heads the Foreign Ministry, the Defense Ministry, and the Ministry of Health.

Levin was a surprising choice for the position as former Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren and Likud lawmaker Tzipi Hotovely were said to be favorites for the job. Both Oren’s Kulanu faction and Oren himself had lobbied hard for Oren to replace Landver and Kulanu leader Moshe Kahlon had earlier demanded that his faction be entrusted with the ministry.

“I am the person most qualified for the position,” Oren had told the Times of Israel hours before Netanyahu’s announcement. “If the appointment is made on just a professional level, I don’t think there is really much of a choice to be made.”

Contending that he has “been working throughout my term in the Knesset on issues relating to immigration and absorption,” the American-born Oren said that “no one else has done as much work as I have on these issues.”

Last Veteran of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Dies

Simcha Rotem, the last living veteran of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, passed away in a Jerusalem hospital at the age of 94 on Saturday.

Born in Poland as Kazik Ratajzer, Rotem was only 15 years old when the Nazis invaded his country. After being sent to the Warsaw Ghetto in 1943, Rotem joined the Jewish Combat Organization, an underground group that was determined to battle the Nazis by force.

After the Nazis started shipping the ghetto’s remaining Jews

to the death camps in 1943, Rotem and other Jews revolted against the German war machine using weapons they smuggled into the Warsaw Ghetto via the drainage system. Rotem was responsible for smuggling weapons and food from the group’s non-Jewish allies into the ghetto.

At the height of the fighting, Rotem escaped the ghetto in order to round up more supplies for the armed revolt. The decision saved his life, as the Nazis attacked the partisans’ Warsaw Ghetto headquarters while he was gone, killing everyone inside. The uprising ended with 17 German soldiers killed and over 70,000 Jews either killed immediately or sent to Treblinka.

Rotem later returned to the ghetto to participate in the failed 1944 Warsaw Uprising against the Nazis, which was crushed by the Germans in just 63 days.

“Right at the beginning, when I saw the mass of German forces enter the ghetto, my initial reaction — and I guess I wasn’t alone in this — was one of hopelessness,” Rotem later recalled in an interview with Yad Vashem. “What chance did we have with our miserable supply of fire-

arms to hold off this show of German force with machine-guns, personnel carriers and even tanks? With masses of infantrymen, hundreds if not thousands, of soldiers on motorcycles and ambulances and more… An absolute sense of powerlessness prevailed,” Rotem recounted.

Rotem added that he and his compatriots never expected that they would be able to expel the Nazis from the ghetto entirely. “We’d kill as many of them as we could [but] we knew our fate was completely clear,” said Rotem.

Rotem later moved to Israel in 1946 and managed a supermarket chain until his retirement in 1986.

In 2013, Rotem was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, Poland’s highest honor, for his role in battling the SS during the Holocaust.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu eulogized Rotem as someone who “fought the Nazis, saved Jews, made aliyah after the Holocaust, and told the story of his heroism to thousands of Israelis. His story and the story of the uprising will forever be with our people,” said Netanyahu.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

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Abbas to Dissolve Palestinian Parliament

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced on Saturday night that he would dissolve the non-functional Palestinian Legislative Council.

“We resorted to the Constitutional Court and the court decided to dissolve the PLC and called for parliamentary elections in six months and we have to execute this (decision) immediately,” Abbas said at a conference in Ramallah.

The council had not met since rival Hamas won the plurality in the 2006 elections. Following Hamas’ shock victory, Abbas refused to respect the results, and the parliament has not convened since. Abbas’ Pales-

tinian Authority and Hamas remain bitter rivals and fought a week-long civil war in 2007 which ended with Hamas taking over the Gaza Strip, where it continues to rule today.

Hamas rejected Abbas’ recent announcement and said that the move was part of the president’s campaign against the terror group. Hamas lawmaker Yehiha Mousa told the Associated Press that dissolving the Palestinian parliament “destroys the political system and opens the door to chaos in the Palestinian arena” and called Abbas’ decision “a readymade recipe for chaos.”

Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum added that dissolving the parliament is “unconstitutional and irresponsible” as it shows that Abbas is not respecting the will of the Palestinian people. “Hamas confirms its readiness to run in the general elections of the legislative and national councils in conjunction with national consensus,” said Barhoum During the meeting with his Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) faction in Ramallah, Abbas also blasted Israel for permitting Qatar to give Hamas $15 million a month to pay salaries for Gazan civil employees and alleged that the cash ‫בס״ד‬

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contributed to the recent wave of terror in the West Bank.

“Netanyahu is transferring money to Hamas and the Palestinian Authority is paying the price,” charged Abbas, adding that the PA would reject any peace plan proposed by President Donald Trump that did not make East Jerusalem the capital of Palestine. “We will not sell Jerusalem and will remain the eternal capital of the Palestinian people,” vowed Abbas.

UN Cuts Services to Palestinians

The United Nations Food Program has announced that it will be significantly cutting back the services it gives to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza amid a budget shortfall.

“WFP has been forced, unfortunately, to make drastic cuts to the number of people that we support across Palestine,” director Stephen Kearney told Reuters, saying that his agency needs an additional $57 million to restart operations.

“It’s not just WFP, it’s across the whole humanitarian community as donor contributions significantly fall,” Kearney added.

The cuts will start on January 1 and will affect both the West Bank and Gaza. Services are slated to cease entirely in the West Bank and will be reduced in Gaza by 65%.

The UN’s various agencies that cater to the Palestinians have been particularly hit hard after President Trump slashed funding earlier this year. From the annual $500 million that the UN Food Program and the United Nations Refugee Works Association (UNRWA) had been getting previously, the aforementioned agencies have received almost nothing from the U.S. and are begging the international community for funds.

The Trump administration had said that UNRWA and its sister organizations perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by defining

the Palestinians as the only world population that has maintained its refugee status for more than three generations.

The UN had called on donor countries around the world to fill in the $350 million gap, warning that it could stop operating in Israel and Gaza entirely should the goal not be met. The UN says that the lack of funds has forced it to consider shuttering all of its schools and clinics that serve 1.4 million Palestinians.

Following the appeal, the European Union (EU) pledged to donate an additional 20 million euros ($23 million) to UNRWA, bringing the yearly total it gives to the organization to 153 million euros. The EU’s increased funding makes it now the biggest donor to UNRWA. “The EU additional financial support to UNRWA, which is a factor of stability in the region, will allow the Agency to continue to provide essential services to vulnerable Palestinian refugees,” said Johannes Hahn, who serves as the EU Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations.

U.S. Withdraws Troops from Syria

President Donald Trump caused a storm of controversy last week after abruptly announcing that he will withdraw 2,000 U.S. military personnel from Syria.

Trump said in a video he shared on Twitter that the ISIS terror group was defeated and that it was “time to bring our boys home.”

“We have won against ISIS,” Trump declared. “Our boys, our young women, our men — they’re all coming back, and they’re coming back now. We won, and that’s the

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

way we want it, and that’s the way they want it.”

The troops had been deployed in northern Syria for years and served as a spearhead in the battle against ISIS. The military presence also prevented Iran from establishing itself in Syria as the bloody civil war winds to an end. Allies such as Israel have long pressured the U.S. not to remove the troops from the region.

A senior White House official said that all U.S. diplomatic personnel would leave Syria immediately while the troops would return to the U.S. within the next 100 days. The official added that the U.S. would cease its airstrikes in Syria following the pullout.

The announcement caused criticism to erupt from Trump’s Republican Party, who said that the president was making a serious geopolitical mistake that handed Russia and Iran a major victory.

South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who is seen as a key Trump ally, said that the withdrawal “would be a huge, Obama-like mistake” and that it “will also be viewed as a boost to ISIS’s desire to come back.”

He added, “An American withdrawal at this time would be a big win for ISIS, Iran, Bashar al Assad of Syria, and Russia. I fear it will lead to devastating consequences for our nation, the region, and throughout the world.”

The decision also reportedly blindsided Defense Secretary James Mattis, who reportedly rushed to the White House in a failed effort to change Trump’s mind. Mattis announced his resignation on Thursday following Trump’s decision and said in his resignation letter that deep differences between him and the president were behind the decision.

“Because you have the right to have a secretary of defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position,” wrote Mattis.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he regretted Trump’s decision but reiterated that Israel would continue to fight Iran’s activities in Syria.

“We will continue to act in Syria to prevent Iran’s effort to militarily entrench itself against us,” Netanyahu said. “We are not reducing our efforts; we will increase our efforts.

I know that we do so with the full support and backing of the U.S.”

Secretary of Defense James Mattis Resigns

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Citing deep differences with President Trump over policies that “malign actors and strategic competitors,” Secretary of Defense James Mattis abruptly resigned his position on Thursday.

Mattis’ resignation was supposed to take effect on February 28 in order to give the president time to select his successor but Trump announced on Sunday that Mattis would be replaced by Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan.

Patrick Shanahan’s appointment to the position of defense secretary is unusual, as he doesn’t possess any military experience. The newly-minted secretary of defense had spent the majority of his career as an executive with the aviation giant Boeing and had served in a variety of senior roles, including shepherding the 787 Dreamliner to market.

Shanahan only joined the Defense Department in 2017 and was said to be a driving force behind President Trump’s decision to create a Space Force.

Shanahan said in an interview early this year that he was attempting to implement management techniques he learned in the business world on the often-cumbersome Department of Defense. “Too often we focus on process, or budget, or level of effort,” Shanahan told Defense News. “The Pentagon should focus on outcomes and outputs — our performance. This focus on performance should drive us to field unmatched lethality, execute on our modernization plans and achieve this affordably.

“It’s all about the system and then the reinforcing mechanisms to make that change enduring. Without a system, things fall apart when the leader moves on,” added Shanahan. “The

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home

system or the environment shouldn’t be dependent on the leader’s presence.”

Mattis’ sudden resignation came after Trump announced that he would withdraw all U.S. military forces from Syria along with rumors that he would reduce the amount of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan by 50%.

Mattis had vehemently opposed both moves, arguing that removing the special forces currently deployed in northern Syria would grant Iran a foothold in the region. Mattis had reportedly rushed to the White House on Thursday in a failed last-ditch effort to convince Trump to reverse his decision.

In his resignation letter, Mattis urged Trump to be “resolute and unambiguous” when dealing with U.S. foes such as Russia and China.

“One core belief I have always held is that our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships,” Mattis wrote. “While the U.S. remains the indispensable nation in the free world, we cannot protect our interests or serve that role effectively without maintaining strong alliances and showing respect to those allies.

“Similarly, I believe we must be resolute and unambiguous in our approach to those countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with ours,” Mattis added, hinting that he differed with the president over how to treat Russia and China.

“My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues,” Mattis contended. “Because you have the right to have a secretary of defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position,” concluded the defense secretary.

Mattis, a decorated four star general, was viewed as a stabilizing influence on the often-erratic administration, and his departure rattled many in Washington.

Mattis becomes the latest high-profile member of the Trump administration to resign his position, joining other influential figures including Chief of Staff John Kelly and U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley.

RBG Undergoes Surgery

ment would likely sway the bench to the right for decades to come.

“Many people have asked me: ‘Well, when are you going to step down?’” said Ginsburg last year. “As long as I can do the job full steam, I will be here.”

2018 Winners & Losers Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent surgery on Friday at Manhattan’s Sloan Kettering Hospital to remove two malignant nodules from her lungs.

Doctors had discovered the nodules during a pulmonary lobectomy they performed on the court’s oldest justice after she suffered broken ribs in a fall last month. The nodules were defined as malignant, and Ginsburg will remain hospitalized for the next days.

A statement released by the Supreme Court said that the operation had been successful. “Post-surgery, there was no evidence of any remaining disease. Scans performed before surgery indicated no evidence of disease elsewhere in the body. Currently, no further treatment is planned,” said the press release.

The procedure is not Ginsburg’s first bout with cancer. In 2009, doctors removed a lesion on her pancreas and had implanted a stent in her arteries in 2014. Ginsburg also broke two ribs in 2012. Despite her frequent medical complications, Ginsburg has never missed an oral argument during her time on the bench.

Appointed to the nation’s highest court in 1993 by President Bill Clinton, Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen as the Supreme Court’s most liberal justice. Democrats have been eyeing her health scares with concern out of fears that President Donald Trump will get a chance to appoint his third Supreme Court justice. The president has already appointed Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to SCOTUS during the two years he has been in office.

Reports said that Ginsburg had been pressured by the Obama administration to retire in order to ensure that she was replaced by a liberal justice during his tenure but she refused. Conservatives currently have a 5-4 majority on the Supreme Court and another Trump appoint-

2018 was a volatile year for the economy. Starting off with record unemployment, a soaring stock market, and a GDP that hit 4% in the second quarters, the year ended with the Dow shedding 600 points to close at 22,000, a low not seen since 2008’s Great Recession.

For the world’s richest, 2018 was a year where some earned unfathomable amounts of wealth while other tycoons had billions of dollars vanish from their bank accounts.

Among 2018’s winners is unquestionably Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

According to Forbes, the founder of the tech behemoth pocketed an additional $27 billion to bring his fortune to $127 billion. 2018 also saw Amazon continue its explosive growth as it announced that it would expand to two new headquarters in New York and Washington, D.C. This past year was also a good one for entertainment mogul Rupert Murdoch. Fueled by a merger between his 21st Century Fox Studios with Disney, Murdoch’s wealth grew by $4.6 billion despite his flagship News Corporation’s suffering from tumbling share prices. Worth an estimated $18 billion, Murdoch is now the world’s 34th richest person.

While many people wish they could be the world’s 34th wealthiest individual, nothing beats being number one. That’s where Bill Gates finds himself atop the list of the world’s richest for the 16th time. His considerable shares in Microsoft earned him an additional $2.9 billion this year, increasing his net worth to an astonishing $93 billion.

Microsoft’s rising shares probably

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

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caused Gates’ successor at Microsoft to smile as well. Steve Ballmer’s net worth rose from “only” $3.4 billion to a jaw-dropping $40.7 billion in one year alone, an astonishing amount of money for someone who began his career making $50,000 annually as a gofer for Bill Gates.

Yet not everyone was so lucky.

Take a look at Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who is coming off a nightmarish year heading the world’s biggest social media network. Battered by a non-stop stream of negative sto-

ries regarding Facebook’s lax privacy policies, Zuckerberg’s fortune shed $18 billion and now stands at $52.5 billion. The taciturn CEO lost $15.4 billion in one day alone after announcing lower than expected second quarter results in July.

Jorge Paulo Lemann probably wishes that more people drank and bought beer. Disappointing sales at his Anheuser-Busch InBev brewery continued to slide as traditional beer drinkers turn to microbreweries. The brewing giant, which makes Budweis-

er, Corona, and Bud Light, was recently forced to lay off 4,000 employees at its St. Louis headquarters. The decline in sales is the main reason that Lemann lost $9 billion, almost a third of his entire net worth, in 2018.

U.S. Govt Shutdown The U.S. federal government ground to a stilted halt at midnight

Democrats refused to support a bill that would include the $5 billion Trump had demanded for his wall on the southern border. Despite marathon meetings on Saturday at the White House, lawmakers couldn’t reach an agreement, leading the federal government to temporarily suspend operations.

Trump blamed Democrats for refusing to support any wall funding and reminded Americans that he had vowed to shut down the government should the spending bill not include the needed money. Trump had earlier vetoed an agreement the Senate had reached last week for a temporary spending bill after it did not earmark funding for the wall.

“We’re going to have a shutdown,” Trump predicted hours before it took place. “There’s nothing we can do about it because we need the Democrats to give us their votes. Hopefully it will not last long,” he added.

Earlier in the week, Trump had told Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and incoming House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi that he would be “proud” to shut down the government if he did not receive funding for his “great barrier.”

“I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down. I’m not going to blame you for it,” said Trump during a televised press conference at the White House.

The shutdown will affect the paychecks of hundreds of thousands of federal workers right before the holiday season. An estimated 420,000 federal employees are expected to work without compensation while an additional 380,000 will be put on unpaid leave. In the past, the government paid those workers after the shutdown ended.

Federal employees were outraged by the shutdown, with American Federation of Government Employees president J. David Cox Sr. calling the move “a dereliction of duty by Congress and the president.”

Responding to the plight of the

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home

federal workers who had their paychecks frozen, the Senate passed a bill on Friday ahead of the shutdown promising to pay federal employees “at the earliest date possible after the lapse in appropriations ends, regardless of scheduled pay dates.”

Meanwhile, senior lawmakers said that the shutdown was not expected to end before December 27 at the earliest as both Republicans and Democrats blame each other for the impasse. Schumer and Pelosi blasted Trump during a joint press conference, saying that he “threw a temper tantrum and convinced House Republicans to push our nation into a destructive Trump shutdown in the middle of the holiday season.”

According to Schumer, “Democrats have offered Republicans multiple proposals to keep the government open, including one that already passed the Senate unanimously, and all of which include funding for strong, sensible, and effective border security — not the president’s ineffective and expensive wall.”

Pelosi added that “if President Trump and Republicans choose to continue this Trump shutdown, the new House Democratic majority will

swiftly pass legislation to re-open the government in January” when the Democratic congressional majority is sworn in.

Comprehensive Criminal Justice Reform

The most comprehensive criminal justice reform bill in U.S. history officially became law after being signed by President Donald Trump last week, a few days after the House voted 358-36 to advance the legislation. The U.S. Senate had already approved the bill 87-12, which received bipartisan support from a diverse coalition that ranged from progressive activists to civil libertarians.

“Thanks to Leader McConnell for agreeing to bring a Senate vote on

Criminal Justice this week! These historic changes will make communities SAFER and SAVE tremendous taxpayers dollars. It brings much needed hope to many families during the Holiday Season,” tweeted Trump after the bill passed in the Senate.

The First Step Act directly affects 30% of the U.S. federal prison population and could lead to the early release of 53,000 of the 181,000 currently behind bars. The bill does not include state prisons, however, which account for the majority of prisoners in the U.S. Included in the bill are provisions giving judges higher discretion when sentencing and lowering prison mandatory prison sentences for drug offenders under the “third strike” policy from life to 25 years. The legislation also expands rehabilitation efforts for released felons and enables more prisoners to serve out their sentences in halfway houses instead of federal penitentiaries.

In addition, the First Step Act mandates all prisoners be housed in jails no further than 500 miles from their homes. Prisoners can also now earn “Good Time Credits” that can be used towards their early release.

With over 2.1 million prisoners, the U.S. leads the world in prison population. For years, activists had contended that over-sentencing and mandatory minimum sentences implemented during the Clinton administration unfairly affected minorities and were a fiscal burden on the federal government.

“It seems like a minimum step, but getting five years of your life, being able to know you have an opportunity, we believe that changes a lot within the prison system,” prison reform advocate Michael Deegan-Mccree said. “It’s also something members on both sides of the aisle have said they are very interested in coming back to and possibly even lessening mandatory minimums even more, and so that’s something we’re really happy about.”

Utah is Tough on Drunks The State of Utah will adopt the toughest threshold for drunk driving when it lowers the permitted blood

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home

alcohol level from the national standard of .08 to .05 on December 30th.

The lower threshold will be adopted following pressure by the Mormon Church, which makes up a large percentage of Utah’s population and forbids the consumption of alcohol.

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The new law dramatically limits the amount of alcohol one may drink before getting behind the wheel. According to the Cleveland Clinic, an 0.5 blood alcohol content (BAC) means that a 170-pound male can only consume up to three drinks within an hour of driving, while a 140-pound female can only take in two before going behind the wheel.

All other states in the U.S. mandate that drivers have a BAC under 0.8. However, The New York Times reports that a slew of other states, including New York, Washington, Hawaii and Delaware, are considering lowering their alcohol threshold as well. 10,874 Americans were killed by drunk drivers in 2017, comprising 30% of all motor vehicle-related fatalities.

Utah’s move to clamp down on alcohol consumption is supported by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which first recommended that states lower the maximum BAC to 0.5 back in 2013.

The NTSB says that cognitive impairment that endangers drivers can begin with a 0.2 BAC, pointing to the 2,017 alcohol-related deaths in 2016 in which the driver had a blood alcohol content below 0.8.

“The scientific evidence shows that impairment begins with the first drink, and any alcohol consumption associated with driving reduces safety,” said a NTSB report. “A review of research findings from laboratory and driving simulator studies concerning the effects of alcohol on driving-related skills, such as divided attention, vigilance, tracking, perception, and reaction time, found that several types of performance are affected by BAC levels as low as 0.01.”

U.S. Goods Made

by Slaves?

The United States said it would review shipments of apparel that were reportedly produced in Chinese forced labor camps.

The review comes after an explosive Associated Press report contended that sweaters, shirts, and other apparel ordered by North Carolina-based Badger Sportwear were produced by Muslims forcibly held in Chinese internment camps.

Following the report, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) said that “for the first time it appears to link the internment camps identified in Western China to the importation of goods produced by forced labor by a U.S. company.”

It is currently illegal under U.S. law to buy or import goods made by slave labor. The CPB said it had ordered the review “to protect individuals from forced labor and our nation’s economy from businesses profiting from this form of modern slavery.”

China has imprisoned over 1 million of its Uyghur Muslim citizens in concentration camps scattered all across the country. Beijing says that the camps are needed to fight against religious extremism. Called “re-education centers,” the camps force Muslims to eat pork and drink alcohol, both strictly banned under Islamic law.

The recent Associated Press report had found that thousands of prisoners were being forced to work in the manufacturing industry for both state-owned and private corporations. An unnamed reporter described how inmates were forced to work long hours without pay to produce furniture that would be sold all over the world.

“The camp didn’t pay any money, not a single cent,” said the reporter, whose name was not published for his own safety. “Even for necessities, such as things to shower with or sleep at night, they would call our families outside to get them to pay

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for it.”

Calling the report “a malicious attack that severely distorts the fact,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying angrily denied the reports and said that the camps were actually “vocational education centers” that were teaching Muslims trade skills.

However, Human Rights Watch Deputy Asia Director Phil Robertson said that “China really is not convincing anyone with these hysterical denials of serious allegations of forced labor in the Uyghur detention camps. Why?” he asked. “Because China has a long history of using the forced labor of political prisoners and persons out of favor with the government for its own purposes.”

He added, “If Beijing wants people to believe their narrative, they should throw open the doors of these camps and let UN and other international investigators conduct an independent and impartial investigation.”

Combatting Sickle Cell Disease

start treating sickle cell disease as a serious and debilitating illness and allocate adequate resources to monitoring, researching, and treating it.”

Sickle cell disease is a lifelong disorder that affects 100,000 Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and predominantly affects African-Americans, Latinos and other minority groups.

One in 13 African-American babies are born with the sickle cell trait, an inherited blood disease in which red blood cells that are normally round and disc-shaped are instead crescent or sickle shaped.

These sickle-shaped cells are not flexible, and they can stick to the walls of blood vessels, causing blockages that stop the flow of blood to organs or tissues. This is the hallmark of the painful, sometimes debilitating, sickle cell pain crises that often require an emergency room visit or hospitalization. The crises can occur without warning or can be triggered by stressors such as cold weather, dehydration or pregnancy.

The National Institutes of Health was funded an estimated of $115 million in research of the disease this year, $6 million more than in 2017.

Chinese Hackers Indicted

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A bipartisan bill aimed at fighting sickle cell disease was signed into law

by President Donald Trump last Tuesday night.

The Sickle Cell Disease and Other Heritable Blood Disorders Research, Surveillance, Prevention, and Treatment Act of 2018 was introduced by Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Tim Scott, R-S.C., in February and passed in the Senate in October.

The bill also reauthorizes a current sickle cell disease prevention and treatment program for nearly $5 million each year over the next five years.

“Even though sickle cell disease is the most common inherited blood disorder in our country, research and treatment lags behind that of other chronic illnesses,” Booker said. “Our legislation will help find new ways to improve the lives of people suffering from sickle cell disease. It’s time we

On Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department filed charges against two Chinese citizens who it says were responsible for a massive hacking operation that stole sensitive information from the U.S. government and private corporations.

In the indictment, prosecutors accused the hackers of stealing information in an effort that has been ongoing since 2006. The two hackers reportedly stole sensitive documents from a slew of industries, including banking, pharmaceuticals, aviation and hi-tech. In a breach authorities say is particularly brazen, the hackers accessed the personal information of over 100,000 Navy personnel and penetrated NASA’s

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

Jet Propulsion Lab and Goddard Space Center.

In total, Zhu Hua and Zhang Shillong breached 45 databases in over 12 states in what is seen as one of Beijing’s most widespread cyber espionage efforts. The two, who are not in custody, face charges of conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, wire fraud, and aggravated identity.

The hacking targeted U.S. corporate secrets and intellectual property in order to give Chinese companies a competitive advantage.

Following the indictment, FBI Director Chris Wray said that “China’s state-sponsored actors are the most active perpetrators of economic espionage” and promised that his agency would crack down on Chinese hacking.

“While we welcome fair competition, we cannot and will not tolerate illegal hacking, stealing or cheating,” asserted Wray. “China’s goal, simply put, is to replace the U.S. as the world’s leading superpower, and they’re using illegal methods to get there.”

Wray later said that the victimized corporations were a “who’s who

of the global economy.”

Noting that the vast majority of hacking in the U.S. is traced back to China, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said that Beijing needed to cease its nefarious espionage efforts vis-a-vis the United States.

“We want China to cease illegal cyber activities and honor its commitment to the international community, but the evidence suggests that China may not intend to live up to its promises,” said Rosenstein.

China rejected the allegations as “slanderous” and called on the U.S. “to immediately correct its erroneous actions and cease its slanderous smears relating to internet security.”

While China’s hacking has gone on for years, the Trump administration has promised to crack down on the activity as part of a broader effort against Chinese malfeasance. In October, Vice President Mike Pence vowed to combat China’s cyber campaign of “malign influence and interference” and accused Beijing of mobilizing “covert actors, front groups, and propaganda outlets to shift Americans’ perception of Chinese policies.”

Dermophis Donaldtrumpi

Donald Trump’s name will forever live on as his name is now being used for a newly discovered amphibian. The Panamanian creature likes to bury itself in the sand.

UK company EnviroBuild paid $25,000 for the rights to name the creature in an auction to benefit the Rainforest Trust.

Its new name?

Dermophis donaldtrumpi.

“As Demorphus donaldtrumpi is an amphibian, it is particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate

39

change and is therefore in danger of becoming extinct as a direct result of its namesake’s climate policies,” the company said in a statement, adding that it named the amphibian after the U.S. president in protest for Trump’s denial of climate change.

The group also noted that the creature can only differentiate between light and dark, which they compared to Trump, who is “capable of seeing the world only in black and white.”

“The amphibians live almost entirely underground, believed to have lost their limbs [many] years ago, as an adaptation to burrowing. Burrowing its head underground helps Donald Trump when avoiding scientific consensus on anthropomorphic climate change,” EnviroBuild said.

Although the company is officially not political, “we do feel very strongly that everyone should do everything they can to leave the world in a better way than they found it,” the company said, explaining their decision to buy the naming rights.

Continuing to swipe at the U.S. president, the company moved along to take shots at Ivanka and Jared

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Kushner, the president’s daughter and son-in-law.

“The dermophis genus grows an extra layer of skin which their young use their teeth to peel off and eat, a behavior known as dermatrophy,” the statement said. “As a method of ensuring their children survive in life Donald Trump prefers granting them high roles in the Oval Office.”

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Lost & Found

Despite the busyness that goes on in the subways, New Yorkers are vigilant travelers. Richard Taverna is one of them.

On Thursday, Taverna spotted a blue Chanel bag at the subway station in Lincoln Center in Manhattan. Hoping to connect the purse with a person, “I picked it up just to see if there was, maybe, some kind of information, identification, inside that I might be able to get in touch with the person,” he said.

But inside, Taverna found a note, written in Russian, a language he couldn’t read. Not finding a subway agent, he took the bag home and continued his search.

“I opened the envelope [inside the purse], and there was a big stack of money,” he recalled. One hundred $100 bills were stacked neatly inside.

Thinking of the agita the person who lost the money was having, Taverna did “something most people would have done” and took the bag and its contents to the NYPD’s 20th Precinct.

It was the same place a Manhattan woman went to file a report about the blue bag she’d lost as she headed off on a vacation to Russia, police confirmed to the station.

“I don’t really think I did anything that extraordinary,” Taverna shrugged. “You feel good when you do the right thing.”

We feel good just hearing about it.

Lost at Sea

Almost three weeks ago, two fishermen set sail from Costa Rica.

As they slept overnight, their boat drifted away from their fishing gear due to the bad weather. The two ran out of fuel trying to get back and had been adrift at sea for days, eating whatever fish they could catch and drinking from their dwindling supply of fresh water.

But a miracle in the form of a cruise ship took place on Friday morning.

The Royal Caribbean’s Empress of the Seas cruise ship discovered the two stranded mariners halfway between Grand Cayman and Jamaica after the cruise ship was rerouted due to inclement weather. The cruise ship lowered smaller boats called tenders to rescue the men.

Talk about a change in scenery.

The two men were whisked from their tiny fishing vessel onto the massive cruise ship – a ship with 11 decks, a dining room, café, four bars, a “vitality spa,” and a rock-climbing wall.

One of the fishermen was so weak he could not walk, so the crew carried him to the tender and then on board.

The sailors were taken off the ship at Ocho Rios, Jamaica, for medical attention. The cruise ship’s crew gave them $300 to buy clothes and food as they left the hospital.

“Had we not changed itinerary to get to better weather, we would never have been in that spot at that time.

Sometimes a little luck is all you need for a miracle,” James Van Fleet, Royal Caribbean’s chief meteorologist, tweeted.

Sounds like their ship came in.

ICEHOTEL Love winter? Wish you can wear boots and gloves all year-long? Consider heading to colder climes on your next vacation. Sweden’s ICEHOTEL

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home

may be the right place for you.

As the annual Arctic deep freeze gets underway, the ICEHOTEL opens its frosty doors. The hotel opens every year as the winter blows in. Since 2016, part of the hotel has remained permanent due to solar-powered cooling technology, but still, there are many parts of the hotel that are redone for the winter. This year, 15 new suites have been created by 34 artists and designers from across 13 countries. The designers are chosen out of a deep pool of artists who submit their designs for the hotel. The winners travel to Sweden to help make their frozen visions a reality, aided by experienced ice artists.

Many of this year’s suites are inspired by the natural world. Among this year’s creations is “The Living Ocean Suite,” by Jonathan Green and his daughter Marnie from England.

It’s an icy underwater haven complete with coral and fish. The ice for the hotel is sourced from the nearby Torne River, Sweden’s northernmost and the biggest national river.

“I … thought the idea of using frozen water from a river in northern Sweden to create an ocean with shells, fish, and corals is exciting,” Green said.

8

Other designs are more mythical.

A team from Sweden, Spain and Slovakia designed “Haven,” a supposed magical ice portal attended by imposing creatures.

clad forests, reindeer, cloudberries, kettle coffee, and much more.”

Sounds really cool.

There are warm cabins available for those who are faint – or cold – of heart. The ICEHOTEL will be open for the season until April 13, 2019.

Rooms for two adults start at $170 for a warm room and $260 for an ice room. You probably are going to want to bring a few sweatshirts if you go.

Her Hair’s Feat – in Feet “We are inspired by the meeting of people and want to create an experience that invites curiosity, creativity, and collaboration,” says one of Haven’s designers, Jonas Johannson.

Roughly 70,000 guests a year visit ICEHOTEL, where a survival course is offered to help guests adapt to their frozen surroundings. According to its website, the ICEHOTEL is “a place to discover silence, northern lights, glistening snow-

th

Let’s hear it for her hair.

Nilanshi Patel of Gujarat, India, has been awarded the Guinness World Record for the world’s longest

hair on a teenager. The 16-year-old boasts brown locks that measure 5-feet, 7-inches long. Yes, her hair is longer than her.

After a bad haircut ten years ago, Patel swore off haircuts and has been growing her hair ever since then.

“I got my hair cut, a really bad haircut,” she said. “So, then I decided that I won’t cut my hair. I decided that when I was 6 and have not cut it since.”

Patel, whose friends nicknamed her Rapunzel, said her parents are supportive of her style.

“People think that I face so many problems with my hair, but I don’t face any problems. I do sports and all the things with my hair. It’s a lucky charm for me!” she said.

She added, “I style it is as a long braid or as a bun on the top of my head. When I am going to an occasion, or when I am playing table tennis, I bun my hair on my head so that it is comfortable for me.”

Patel only washes her hair once a week and says that it takes only a half-hour to dry her long locks.

Combing it, though, takes an hour.

Her mother helps her with that.

We’re happy to hear that.

Dinner Reservation & Ads Ad deadline: Monday, December 24 Phone: 718-506-1110 Fax: 646-352-0650 dinner@bnosyaakov.org www.bnosyaakov.org

Please Join us

Sunday, December 30, 2018 ‫כב' טבת תשע"ט‬

Kol Yaakov Hall 1703 Mcdonald Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11230

Guests of Honor

Mr. and Mrs. Leon and Rachel Goldenberg

Keser Shem Tov Award

Rabbi and Mrs. Ilan and Masha Ginian

Reception at 6:30 pm Dinner at 7:00 pm

Audio-Visual Greeting

HaRav Shmuel Kamenetsky ‫שליט"א‬ Rosh Yeshiva of Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia

Amud Hachessed Award

Mr. and Mrs. Shuli and Pamela Halpert

Parents of the Year

Mr. and Mrs. Aron Tzvi and Briendy Robinson

Chinuch Award

Rabbi and Mrs. Yisroel and Basya Ungar

Guest Speaker

Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser ‫שליט"א‬

Featuring

Bnos Yaakov Slideshow

Dinner Chairman

Mr. Chaim Goldbaum

Executive Board Members Mr. Yankie Elbogen Mr. Avi Schron Mr. Yitzchok Stern

If the repairs to your vehicle cost 75% of the car’s total value, your insurance company MUST pay you the FULL value of your vehicle and NOT repair it. Don’t allow the insurance company to negotiate a lower-priced repair in order to save themselves money!

We work for you, not your insurance company.

If your vehicle is involved in an accident, bring it to us FIRST to ensure that we negotiate fairly on your behalf and don’t repair a vehicle that should not be repaired.

Don’t gamble with your safety or risk your investment in your vehicle.

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R ION E N MM N REU U P S LL NTEE – CAM U F 0 FF EE C A BER 3 O 0 R M $10 LUS F DECE P BY R (IF

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Around the

Community BYAM Celebrates Kabbalas Chumashim

L

ast week, the second graders in BYAM had a very special day.

The girls arrived at school full of joy and anticipation for their Kabbalas Chumashim. Rabbi Ament, a beloved rebbe in Yeshiva Darchei

Torah, spoke to the girls about the crown of all seforim, the Chumash.

The girls were transfixed during his story and listened as mature young ladies. The lesson will no doubt be deeply ingrained due to his vivid

delivery. After Rabbi Ament spoke, the girls received their Chumashim from Rabbi Neuman. The girls had a beautiful party with a gorgeous Mazel Tov cake. They were so excited to start learning from their very first

Chumash.

B’ezras Hashem this excitement will stay with them as they continue learning limudei kodesh in the coming years.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

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‫בס“ד‬

FOR 1ST GRADE AND UP

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Around the Community

BYQ is Abuzz

B

ais Yaakov of Queens is buzzing with bees!

Grades 5, 6, 7 and 8 recently held their annual class spelling bees. Each class held its own spelling bee and submitted a class champion to compete in the runoff spelling bee.

Fifteen fantastic spellers competed over Chanukah. Congratulations to each of the classroom winners! Hatzlacha rabba to Abby Harris who will represent Bais Yaakov of Queens on January 15 at the Jewish Education Spelling Bee.

The YCQ girls’ Torah Bowl team competed against Manhattan Day School, Yeshiva of Flatbush, and Ramaz on November 11 and won both their competitions against MDS.

MTA Hosts Annual Yeshiva Fellowship Shabbaton

Mind, Body and Soul at YI of Plainview

O

n Sunday, December 16, the Young Israel of Plainview hosted a mind, body, and soul event for women only. The program began at 10 a.m. and lasted until 2:30 pm. The day was broken down into four sessions, starting with a mindfulness practice and discussion about the Power of the Pause led by Maddy Ellberger and Dr. Liz Gellman, who both practice at the Center for Cognitive and Dialectical Behavior Therapy in New Hyde Park. The next speaker was Sara Fins, a local certified health coach and culinary nutrition expert who focused on Mindful Eating Habits. This was followed by d’var Torah focusing on tefilla as meditation by the Young Israel of Plainview’s Yoetzet Halacha and Co-Chair of the event Avital Weissman. The program ended with a yoga session led by Elyce Neuhauser, who is the creative director at Absolute Yoga in Woodbury and also teaches classes at Equinox.

In the opening remarks, Francie Goldberg, a co-chair of the event, shared how it came to be. Last April, the OU put out a call for proposals for women’s leadership programs at shuls around the country. The Young Israel of Plainview sent in a proposal for this amazing Mind, Body, Soul Day that focused on women’s inner strength and self-care, which in turn builds up confidence and empowerment to

be leaders of the Jewish community.

The shul did not receive the OU grant but Yoetzet Avital Weissman felt it was important to have this event anyway.

Co-Chair Lynda Last brought CCDBT to the program, stressing that “mindfulness helps you stay focused and in the present. It helps keep you grounded when your mind starts to wander and to shift yourself back to the present. As women, we are constantly multitasking, and learning to stay present is a key skill that women and men, young and old, can benefit from.”

A healthy lunch of salads and wraps was catered by the local ShopRite in Country Pointe. The day was really enjoyed by all the attendees.

Ora Fryman, an attendee, shared that she really loved the event. She said, “The mindfulness session was extremely helpful. I loved the examples people gave from their own lives about challenges and how to be mindful about it.”

Swag bags were given out and were filled with goodies including stress balls, a 3-day guest pass to Equinox, a free yoga class at The Yoga Shack, and personal business cards of the presenters to reach out to them and continue the conversations started at the event.

It was truly an inspiring and empowering day.

By Elishama Marmon (‘20)

O

n Shabbos, December 1415, MTA’s Yeshiva Fellowship program, an exciting initiative that provides talmidim with additional opportunities to grow in Torah learning and develop both communally and individually, hosted their annual Shabbaton in Teaneck. The event kicked off with a Friday afternoon football game, where talmidim and rebbeim from across all grades enjoyed some friendly competition.

Talmidim

then spent an inspirational Shabbos with their Yeshiva Fellowship mashgichim, filled with beautiful tefillos and zemiros, divrei Torah, lively seudos, and learning. They also welcomed 8th graders to the Friday night tisch, where they experienced the ways in which MTA’s Yeshiva Fellowship talmidim motivate each other to achieve higher levels of learning and spirituality. The Shabbaton culminated with an incredible Shalosh Seudos at Head of School Rabbi Kahn’s home, followed by Maariv and a meaningful havdalah.

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Around the Community

The yeladim in Morah Caryn and Morah Sharona’s Nursery Bet class at HANC had a pajama party in honor of Parshat Vayechi. They all wore their pajamas and sang “Hamalach Hagoel” together

A First Chumash

By Dassie Jaffe

I

n Yeshiva of Central Queens, the second grade students recently received their first Chumash.

For a few weeks, the students along with their morot and music teacher and practiced songs to perform for their families. They began learning beginning of Bereishit in prepara-

tion for their big days.

Shimmy Orenbuch, class 2-205, said, “I learned that before Hashem created the world, there was nothing but darkness. The world was

in no order. Then, Hashem created plants, animals, water, humans and light. Now it is good.”

Some of the students dressed up in costumes representing the days of creation of the world. Chaim Peled, class 2-207, said, “My class learned about when Hashem created the moon and it shrunk…. I really liked singing on stage for my parents.” One class did a play on Bnei Yisroel accepting the Torah from Hashem.

After performing for their families, the students learned the first pasuk in their own personalized Chumashim with their principal, Rabbi Landsman, and assistant principal, Rabbi Ribalt. Volunteers from the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) organized a coalition to help the children celebrate this huge milestone in their yeshiva education.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

Y E S H I VA O F FA R R O C K AWAY

Celebrating a

YOVEL FIFTY YEARS OF HARBOTZAS TORAH ‫אות הכרת הטוב‬ HAGAON HARAV

YECHIEL YITZCHOK PERR SHLIT”A

ROSH

H AY E S H I VA

GIVING THE ROSH YESHIVA THE GIFT OF A MORTGAGE-FREE CAMPUS

‫שע"ט‬

‫ ת‬-‫תשכ"ט‬

BENJAMIN BRAFMAN HONORARY DINNE R C HAIRMAN

JONAH LOBELL YESHIVA of FAR ROCKAWAY ⋅

‫איתן‬

‫דרך‬

‫ישיבה‬

⋅

MOLDING TALMIDIM BUILDING GENERATIONS

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2019 THE SANDS ATLANTIC BEACH

For reservations or journal ad placement please contact:

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

DINNER CHAIRMAN

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Around the Community

CMY Reunion

I

f you missed it, then you might have missed the event of the year. On Motzei Shabbos, hundreds of Machaneh Yisrael campers rushed to attend the annual Melave Malka. Yes, it was cold and wet outside, but there was plenty of warmth awaiting them. They were greeted by their counselors, staff and friends, some of whom they haven’t seen since the summer.

There was great time to reminisce with counselors, rebbeim and friends about the unforgettable programs, the trips, the camp craziness and the learning at camp, all while enjoying some warm pizza, cold soda, and room temperature nosh!

It was great to see everyone’s reactions when they realized that this was not like any camp reunion they had ever attended. There were ridiculous prizes up for grabs at the Chinese

auction. Eight separate prize packages including drones, huge Lego sets, full-size ping pong tables, remote control cars, and much, much more.

When everyone sat down for the main event it became obvious that Monday Madness in camp was brought to a new level! Donny of “The Shnitzel Guys” joined Rabbi Haber and Rabbi Zezy Fuld for a “Let’s Make a Deal” style show that had boys choosing between boxes filled with all types of prizes. Some walked away with loads of candy, stuffed bananas, gift cards, 8-foot aliens and even with a ginormous teddy bear. Nobody walked away with the HUGE chair, but that just means we will have to find another time to give it out!

After the show, attendees were treated to a brand-new reunion video which brought back great memories of great sports, swim-

ming trips, and much more of the summer. Needless to say, the video also jogged the memories of all the zany antics of Rabbi Haber and Rabbi Zezy Fuld. As everyone left, they grabbed their new CMY frisbees, their brand new car magnets, and the swag bags full of amazing gifts including the new CMY towel, an amazing fidget spinner pen, and a super cool water bottle. As prom-

ised, everyone who signs up before January 14 will receive their very own swag bag. This was an event that did not disappoint!

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

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Around the Community

Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island Annual Dinner

W

ith much anticipation, we are preparing for the YKLI Annual Dinner on Monday, January 7. This evening has proven to be a delightful event, where our parent body has the opportunity to express hakaras hatov to the rebbeim, teachers, and staff members who invest their kochos in the shared mission of raising b’nei aliyah. At Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island, every student is recognized for his individuality, and thrives in the personalized attention provided by our team of educators. The Dinner evening provides a glimpse into the daily experiences of the talmidim and an opportunity for the beneficiaries of our exceptional faculty to share their appreciation.

As we celebrate our 23rd year of chinuch habanim, we reflect on the growth and development the yeshiva has undergone in becoming a premier Torah institution. A trademark of Yeshiva Ketana is that we are never static, as we continually seek to advance and improve. For over two decades, while we have set an example of excellence, we have never rested on our laurels or been satisfied with the status quo.

The Journal Dinner, at the beautiful Sands Atlantic Beach, is the ultimate experience of achdus. By joining us for the cocktail hour at 7PM, enjoying the Dinner and Honoree Presentations at 8PM, and remaining for Maariv and dessert, you will be conveying your appreciation for the individuals who are directly responsible for your child’s chinuch. The program promises to be an exciting one, and your participation as well as your presence will contribute to the evening’s success.

Rabbi & Mrs. Menachem Bornstein Rabbi Menachem Bornstein has been an esteemed part of our limudei kodesh staff for 11 years. He runs his classroom with high expectations, organization, and structure, displaying the refined dignity of a rebbe. His illustrious partner in all his pursuits, Mrs. Menucha Bornstein, grew up in a family committed to chinuch as well.

Her father, a yeshiva day school principal, was a master mechanech and the family moved around the United States throughout his career. She now continues in the derech she learned at home, as a tremendous support

for her husband and a beloved fourth grade teacher at TAG for 15 years.

Rabbi Bornstein teaches with creativity and enthusiasm, and his talmidim learn skills and find excitement in Torah learning that remain with them as they advance in the grades. He reaches all types of students, creating activities uniquely designed for visual and kinesthetic learners. His Smart Board parsha lessons are so enjoyable that past students return during their recess to learn them again. Rabbi Bornstein has developed activities that bring his lessons to life and help his talmidim truly experience what they are learning. As the developer of the Vocabulary Initiative Program (VIP), he has the nachas of seeing multiple grades learn independently with the confidence that they can translate any pasuk they encounter.

As a tremendous role model, Rabbi Bornstein impacts his talmidim through his passion for Torah and the responsibility that he encourages in them. We take great pride in presenting him with the Harbotzas Torah Award.

Mr. & Mrs. Nesanel Feller Mr. and Mrs. Feller are an integral part of the community and long-standing parents in the Yeshiva Ketana family. They have been a part of the school for nearly two decades, since their son Chaim, currently a 3rd year Bais Medrash bachur at YFR, was a preschooler. Their availability and active presence as parents in the yeshiva has been their trademark. They are excited to keep past teachers and administrators up to date about their sons’ milestones.

As an altruistic kidney donor, Mr. Feller graciously took the time to speak to our JHS students about his experience.

He has been giving of his time and kochos to others in the neighborhood for over three decades, since the early days of Yad Yeshaya when he began delivering weekly Tomchei Shabbos packages. As a former president and current co-chairman of the board of the White Shul, Mr. Feller was a driving force behind revitalizing its impact in the community. Mrs. Feller, a graduate of Columbia Law School and current senior officer at a prominent bank, is a walking kiddush Hashem and a true role model as both an akeres habayis and working mother. She is known for her hachnosas orchim, creating a warm environment where guests are

welcomed and nurtured and ultimately forging ongoing relationships with her guests who are uplifted by her simchas hachaim. As a couple, the Fellers are loving and funny, fine, thoughtful, and growth-oriented. Both Mr. and Mrs. Feller use their experience in the legal field to assist individuals and organizations in the community as necessary.

They are raising their children in their path, as baalei middos with excellent values, whose many kishronos are dedicated to Klal Yisroel. Given their contributions to YKLI and to the community at-large, it is a privilege to name Mr. and Mrs. Feller as the recipients of the Kesser Shem Tov Award.

Mr. & Mrs. Binyomin Ganz The Ganz family is a fixture in Yeshiva Ketana, their sons literally spanning 1st through 8th grade. As a member of the Board of Directors, Mr. Ganz has contributed myriad hours ensuring the smooth functioning of the Yeshiva, operating as the chairman of the finance committee. Mr. and Mrs. Ganz started their lives together living in Eretz Yisrael, where Mr. Ganz attended kollel and received s’micha from Rav Zalman Nechemia Goldberg. Mr. Ganz is incredibly involved with Agudas Yisroel of Long Island, where he sits on the Board, and the Davis Memorial Fund where he helps local needy families before Pesach. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ganz are long-standing members of the Five Towns/Far Rockaway community who are known to jump at chessed opportunities but always do so under the radar. They inconspicuously offer their time and talents to anyone in need, despite managing a bustling household of young children. Mrs. Ganz is often spotted at yeshiva. Whether it’s picking up one of her many carpools, volunteering to set up the dor l’dor melave malka on an early erev Shabbos, or helping to transport her son’s class on a local trip, Mrs. Ganz is ready to participate. She makes it look effortless, dedicating herself to her boys and the yeshiva and seamlessly fitting all these extras into her busy schedule. Mr. and Mrs. Ganz embody what it means to live with integrity and derech eretz and

imbue those middos in their children.

It is an honor to recognize those who shy away from the spotlight, preferring to be active in the community quietly, and we appreciate that the Ganz family gave us the opportunity to publicly thank them by accepting the Hakaros Hatov award.

Mr. & Mrs. Charlie Harary YKLI is proud to present the Avodas HaKodesh Award to Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Harary. Mr. Harary, a native of Brooklyn, attended Yeshiva of Flatbush, Yeshivat HaKotel, Queens College, Sh’or Yoshuv and Columbia Law School. At Sh’or Yoshuv, he established lifelong relationships with the rebbeim and talmidim, and through such relationships he met and created a relationship with Rav Moshe Weinberger of Aish Kodesh, where the Hararys have davened for close to 15 years. Mr. Harary, a prominent lawyer and businessman, actively advises and invests in companies. However, his passion lies in the Jewish community and he spends as much time as he can sharing his passion for Yiddishkeit. Mrs. Harary, a native of Manhattan, attended Manhattan Day School, Shulamith High School, Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalayim and Stern College, earning her masters in Speech Pathology and Audiology at Long Island University/CW Post. She spends her days raising her children, including Moshe, a YKLI alumnus, Yehuda, a third-grade student at YKLI, and Binyamin, a, iyH, future YKLI student, amongst others.

She is active in the community, attends multiple shiurim weekly, and is there for everyone who needs her. In their words, “YKLI’s approach is to uplift the boys; to make them love Yiddishkeit; to make them feel the geshmak and warmth of Torah and to ensure that when each child graduates, the Torah they learned ennobles them to be a true prince of Hashem.” Mr. & Mrs. Harary’s dedication to a Torah way of life is evident in everything they do. It is the Yeshiva’s pleasure to give this much deserved Avodas Hakodesh Award to Mr. & Mrs. Harary.

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Around the Community

DRS for a Day

Rav Aryeh Malkiel Kotler with Rav Yaakov Bender at Yeshiva Darchei Torah last week

L Dr. Abish Mendel, Chairman of the Board of Yeshiva Nishmas Hatorah, speaking to the Mesivta bochurim and encouraging them to make the most of their years in yeshiva

MTA Juniors Bring Halacha to Life

J

uniors in MTA’s Yeshiva Fellowship program brought halacha to life on Monday, December 17, as they toured Mikvah Yisroel in Flatbush with their Mashgiach, Rabbi Mendelson, and Dr. Shlomo Neuhoff, whose mother the mikvah is named for. Talmidim learned how a kosher mikvah is built, including where the mikvah water comes from and how it is distributed. They saw the two waterways that fill the main pit of the mikvah with rainwater and

the pit itself that contains 67 gallons of rainwater. After the tour, they enjoyed lunch before returning to yeshiva.

The Yeshiva Fellowship program is unique to MTA and provides talmidim with additional opportunities to grow in Torah learning and develop both communally and individually.

Each grade has their own mashgiach and participates in additional Talmud Torah programs and educational trips.

ast Thursday, DRS hosted nearly 130 prospective eighth grade applicants from 15 different elementary schools for a visit to DRS and a chance to experience what it’s like to be a DRS student for a day.

Students from YCQ, HANC, Har Torah, Yeshiva of South Shore, Yeshiva Ketana, HAFTR, HALB, Derech HaTorah, and several other elementary schools were warmly greeted at the doors of DRS by administrators and student leaders. Each visiting student received a personal schedule for him to follow throughout their day. Throughout the day, the students had the opportunity to study Gemara on a high school level in Rabbi Kaminetsky’s Gemara Shiur, practice creative writing techniques in Mrs. Prestifillipo’s English

class, solve and prove mind-bending mathematics tricks in Mrs. Flynn’s math class, dissect the inner workings of contemporary p’sak halacha in Rabbi Farber’s Halacha Shiur, travel the world in Mr. Levin’s social studies lesson, explore the DRS science curriculum at our science presentation, and meet and ask questions to Rabbi Storch and Dr. Broder in small groups. Following a lunch catered by Carlos & Gabbys, the students moved to the gym where they were treated to a taste of DRS’s extracurricular student activities, during which they participated in a multimedia trivia game challenging them in areas of Gemara, Tanach, science, math, sports, English, Ivrit, and general knowledge. We are proud of the quality of students that will comprise our ninth grade next year!

Dating Dialogue Page 108

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Around the Community PHOTOS BY MHB

Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka, spoke at Yeshiva Darchei Torah last week

Rav Hirsch, flanked by Rav Yaakov Bender, Rosh HaYeshiva; Rav Moshe Bender, associate dean; and Rav Shlomo Avigdor Altusky, Rosh Yeshiva

Local Miracle in Brooklyn: Another Day at BJX

By Tzion Kohn

T

he Brooklyn Jewish Xperience (BJX) is defying statistics and norms. Pew research reports that Jewish observance amongst secular young Jewish professionals and collegiate is dwindling, not growing.

This Chanukah BJX held two events for our less affiliated brothers and sisters. The work of BJX and Rabbis Fingerer is incredible because BJX is succeeding against every statistic and prediction. They are bringing back Jews of all backgrounds to their roots.

Reb Bunim of Peshischa explained that the way to grow closer to Hashem is based on a well-known Talmudic dispute between Bais Shammai and Bais Hillel. Bais Shammai said that on the first night of Chanukah, one lights eight candles and is pocheis v’holech.

Bais Hillel maintained that on the first night, one lights one candle and is mosef v’holech. According to Reb Bunim, Bais Shammai teaches that the first thing one must do to draw closer to Hashem is to banish the negative; pocheis v’holech. Bais Hillel teaches that to grow in avodas Hashem one must be mosef v’holech; add holiness to life. BJX follows Bais

Hillel’s prescription based on Reb Bunim’s understanding. While BJX brings more holiness into Brooklyn all year long, Chanukah is an especially propitious time for BJX to increase programming and events for unaffiliated and less affiliated Jews living in Brooklyn.

The BJX Chanukah party had everything from delicious food and prizes, to music, and an amazing speech by world renowned boxing champion Yuri Foreman. They also – of course – had inspiration from Rabbi Yitzchok Fingerer. In addition to the Sunday night event graciously hosted by the Levis, BJX had a second Chanukah event on college campus with more food and inspiration!

Arthur, a young professional, summed up the extraordinary evening: “It was another amazing night for BJX. The light of the Chanukah candles was glowing on everyone’s faces. Being involved with BJX is the most inspiring experience.”

It’s amazing to see that people who had no connection to Judaism are now passionate about their Judaism and are learning and growing. BJX has seen tremendous growth in their students both in Torah learning and in shemiras ha’mitzvos. A secular BJX student (who attended Murrow public high school, etc.) couldn’t read a word of Hebrew at last year’s Chanukah party. “Do you want to talk about miracles? This year he couldn’t join us

because he had night Seder in Yeshiva Sh’or Yoshuv, where he’s now learning full-time!” shared Rabbi Moshe Fingerer.

On Shabbos, a “regular” BJX Beis Medrash mispallel challenged himself to complete an entire Tractate of Talmud in memory of the 11 Pittsburgh Jews who were killed. Mr. Rovt carefully studied every line of Gemara, Rashi and Tosfos in their memory. “I give the Rav and the BJX Beis Medrash all the credit for my new passion for learning Gemara,” he said.

The shul had a beautiful Shabbos Chanukah siyum in their memory with a hot kiddush and kaddish recited. Later that evening, the shul was again packed with children for the annual Avos uBanim Chanukah program. The children enjoyed delicious doughnuts, pizza and fries, nosh, prizes, Torah trivia with the rav and were treated to a grand magical performance by a renowned performer.

Rabbi Moshe Fingerer was the guest rav at the Meisner’s Chanukah program at the Coco Keys Hotel. All the guests enjoyed his heartfelt and riveting divrei Torah. He also led an inspiring Oneg Friday night with renowned singer Benny Amar.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

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Around the Community

Mapping the Land

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AFTR’s fifth grade students gathered around an enlarged map of Israel to learn about Yehuda and Shomron and its importance to the Jewish people. Dressed as characters from Tanach, students helped to introduce cities in this region from ancient and modern times. As Avraham Aveinu, Yaakov Aveinu, Rachel

Imenu, Yosef, and Chana described the famous city that is connected to their story, students identified the location on their own map of Israel as well as the source in Tanach. The activity was a wonderful way to travel through the Land of Israel, learn more about the history of the Jewish people, and develop map skills.

All the World’s a Stage

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ast Wednesday, the eighth grade class of Shulamith School for Girls traveled to Queens College to see “Encore,” a show produced and performed by Chamber Theatre Productions. The performance featured adaptations of five short stories and one poem. In the weeks before their trip to the theater and in preparation for this educational adventure, the girls studied

some of the stories in their English Language Arts class.

Knowing that they would be writing critiques of the play, the eighth graders were mindful audience members, paying close attention to the actors, the effects, the costumes, and every other nuance of the production. While opinions of the performance varied, all agreed that the outing was both fun and educational!

Help on Wheels: Chaverim Answers Your Call

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ou’re ready to go. You get in your car, turn the key, and the engine doesn’t start. With no other driver around to help you out with jumper cables, what do you do? You dial 718-337-1800 and ask Chaverim for a boost. Day or night, you know there’s someone to call for hope.

If you’ve made that call on a Friday some time in the last nine years, it’s likely you’ve talked to me. After using Chaverim’s service a couple of times, I committed to a regular shift as a volunteer dispatcher.

I’m one of 21 in that category.

We’re the ones who put your information into the system to get it out to the 79 members who will come out to help you get on the road in Far Rockaway, the Five Towns, Valley Stream, Atlantic Beach, Long Beach, Belle Harbor, Great Neck, and the area around JFK Airport.

Residents of and drivers through these neighborhoods generated over 3,300 Chaverim calls this year. Most

calls – 1,127 – are for help with flats, and boosts were another 1,076. We also had 370 car lock outs and 102 house lock outs, as well other help requests like retrieving keys that fell down a sewer or help getting a car unstuck from sand. Chaverim even responds to calls to send a man over to make a minyan!

Most calls get a response in under 20 minutes -- much better than the 45 minutes to 2-hour wait for AAA or other roadside assistance. True, some calls do not get answered. Though we do our best, we can’t guarantee that there will always be a volunteer available at the time of your call. But we are striving to get the number of responses up. To achieve that goal, we need your help. If you have the interest and the time to volunteer either as a dispatcher or member, please email info@chaverim5t.org or check out our website, chaverim5tdispatch. org. Another thing you can do on the site is click over to the donate page to make a tax-deductible contribution

with a credit card.

Why a does a volunteer organization need to ask for donations? While the labor is free, the equipment needed to help you costs about $500 per member. That’s just to maintain the current level of service.

Now Chaverim wishes to be able to do even more for our community.

That’s why we have a wish list that includes the following: a) Upgrading all our members’ flat equipment to a 2-ton jack with a high-powered impact wrench – cost $15K b) Air compressors and plug kits – cost $4K c) Upgrade booster packs – cost $2K d) Safety vests for all members who don’t yet have them – cost $6K e) Gloves, stripped lug nut sets, lock picks, and various other types of equipment that members can use to help people out with their tire changes and locks – cost $5K and up

g) Update communications and app development for faster, more seamless communication between those who need help and those who will deliver it – cost $10K-20K h) When we have enough funds (as in $20-40K) we’d really love to equip a command vehicle with a winch, industrial air compressor, spot lighting, replacement batteries, and spare tires.

You can help Chaverim make these purchases by making a donation directly on the site. You can also mail a check in to: CHAVERIM, P.O. Box 701, Lawrence, NY 11516.

In addition, you can select Chaverim as your charity of choice on Amazon’s Smile program, so that it benefits from your purchases at no extra cost to you.

Help Chaverim do more for you next year and gain a tax deduction for this year by making your donation before the end of 2018.

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On the Road to Success at TAG

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lowers, ladybugs and frogs, oh my! Follow the yellow brick road to the Torah Academy for Girls’ unbelievable Resource Room and Related Services Department!

The Department is located in a dedicated wing, which contains over 30 private therapy suites and a state-ofthe-art sensory gym. Thanks to the Warner Fund, TAG has added sensory equipment, additional treatment tools, technology and the latest evaluations to help meet the needs of all our students.

Last week, to enhance our ability to help our TAG talmidos reach their goals, a 70-foot sensory path was installed in the Resource Room and Related Service Wing. The sensory path in its first week has already been used by every discipline including Hebrew and English resource room providers, occupational

MotherDaughter Events in BYAM

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his past week, the BYAM PTA held two beautiful successful events. The first grade enjoyed a Mother/Daughter/ Grandmother brunch on Sunday morning. Rabbi Neuman addressed them with a beautiful dvar Torah, and they had a great time doing different craft projects. There was also a plentiful brunch buffet with all sorts of delicious food.

The second grade had a fun Mother/Daughter Paint Night Melava Malka on Motzai Shabbos. The girls created beautiful canvas paintings together with their mothers, under the direction of BYAM’s art teacher, Mrs. Faige Kobre. The relaxed setting was perfect for mother-daughter bonding, and they all enjoyed pizza and sushi together with their friends. Both events left everyone feeling proud to be part of the BYAM family.

therapists, speech therapists, physical therapists and P3 providers. The girls have worked on gross motor strength, sensory motor processing

skills, following directions, spelling, shorashim and much, much more!

The possibilities are endless and our caring, dedicated and creative staff

is looking forward to using the sensory path to expand our ability to help meet the needs of all our unbelievable students.

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Yeshiva Darchei Torah Prepares for its January 13th Dinner PHOTO CREDIT: NAFTOLI GOLDGRAB PHOTOGRAPHY

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eshiva Darchei Torah, the trailblazing local yeshiva serving Far Rockaway and the Five Towns while making an impact on the entire chinuch world, is preparing to celebrate its 46th anniversary with a dinner on its campus.

Showcasing this year’s campaign theme of “The Darchei Way,” hundreds of real-life stories have been submitted to the Yeshiva office by parents, alumni and total strangers who have been personally affected by Darchei Torah rabbeim, teachers and talmidim. (A selection of those stories is available online as well as by request from the Yeshiva office.)

This year’s dinner will pay tribute to four outstanding families. Each in its own way exemplifies the values at the heart of The Darchei Way. Mr. and Mrs. Dov and Esther Karfunkel, Guests of Honor In Memory of His Father, R’ Mechel Karfunke,l z”l

Dov Karfunkel

R’ Mechel Karfunkel z”l

The Yeshiva will be privileged to salute Dovie and Esther Karfunkel as Guests of Honor in memory of his father, Reb Mechel Karfunkel, z”l.

Mechel Karfunkel embodied the

ideal Jewish Renaissance man: talmid chacham, brilliant businessman, devoted husband and father, and munificent philanthropist. He was born into a World War, raised under Communism, and smuggled out of Hungary alone. By the time he was a teenager, he had crossed a border under threat of gunshots and landmines, found his way to a new country, and brought his family to America.

The son of a talmid chacham, Mechel enrolled in Yeshivas Chasan Sofer, where Rav Shmuel Ehrenfeld, zt”l, the Mattersdorfer Rebbe, took him under his wing. He would maintain a lifelong connection to Rav Ehrenfeld and later to his son and successor, Rav Simcha Bunim, zt”l. While Mechel later pursued a career to support his family, the indepth study of Torah would remain one of his chief sources of joy. Even when his business had grown to the point where it demanded an increase of his time and attention, he maintained a rigorous learning schedule and could always be counted on for a clever, learned vort. His fellow mispallelim in shul remember his exceptional davening and talent as a ba’al tefillah. Later in life, he joined a part-time kollel comprised of advanced talmidei chachamim.

Mechel retained a deep, constant sense of gratitude to the Ribbono Shel Olam for all the blessings in his life. To Mechel and his devoted wife Leah, tlc”t, the greatest enjoyment was their family – and they cherished their moments together. Family seudos on Shabbos and yom tov were imbued with a sense of kedusha and gratitude to Hashem. Mechel was thrilled when he became a great-grandfather shortly before his unexpected passing in 2016.

Today, Yeshiva Darchei Torah is proud to include Mechel’s grandsons – Menachem, Yaakov, Yehuda and Mordechai – among its talmidim; b’ezras Hashem, they will continue on the path of hasmadah and ahavas haTorah their grandfather exemplified.

It is a special kavod for Yeshiva Darchei Torah to honor Mechel’s children Dovie and Esther Karfunkel at this year’s dinner.

Mr. and Mrs. Meir and Malka Fried Parents of the Year

Meir Fried

Meir and Malka Fried, pillars of the burgeoning North Woodmere (Valley Stream) community, stand out as exceptional parents whose supreme focus is on creating an atmosphere of growth in Torah and avodas Hashem within their home and their community.

Meir was raised in a home that was focused on Torah values and the paramount responsibility to one’s family and to the tzibbur. He carried this directive, instilled in him by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Avrohom and Chaya Fried, as he grew up and moved on.

After attending Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin’s elementary school and Yeshiva of Far Rockaway for parts of high school, Meir continued his ruchnius growth at Yeshivah Shaar HaTorah-Grodno, where he learned under Rav Sholom Spitz, and subsequently in Beis Yosef Novardok in Flatbush for kollel. During those years, Meir received semichah from Rav Chaim Yisroel Belsky, zt”l. Today, Meir specializes in property management and real-estate investments at J. Wasser and Co. He is fortunate to have forged a close relationship with Rav Aharon Lopiansky, Rosh Yeshivah of the Yeshivah of Greater Washington, and maintains an established learning seder with him.

Malka credits her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Dovid and Ruchie Blaivas, with imparting an appreciation for constant Torah learning in the home, as well as the value of an excellent educational framework. A native of Lawrence, Malka attended TAG, fol-

lowed by a year at Michlalah seminary in Yerushalayim. Today, she is a registered nurse who, through her position as director of patient services at Rockaway Home Care, has positively impacted many vulnerable members of the community. She balances her professional responsibilities with her role as a very involved mother to her growing family.

Meir and Malka have settled in the rapidly growing North Woodmere kehillah, and with the guidance of their rav, Rav Shmuel Witkin, mara d’asra of Kehillas Bnei Hayeshivos, the Frieds have dedicated themselves to bringing the dream of a new shul building to fruition.

Meir and Malka are devoted parents to their five children: Ali, Goldie, Baily, Izzy and Seeley. The Frieds are, baruch Hashem, reaping much nachas as they watch Ali thrive as a talmid at Yeshiva Darchei Torah.

They look forward to seeing their younger sons eventually benefit from the same exceptional chinuch experience.

Meir and Malka Fried have created a home that is singularly focused upon Torah learning and ideals. Yeshiva Darchei Torah is proud to acknowledge their sterling example with the Parents of the Year Award.

Mr. and Mrs. Pinny and Tamar Heskiel Young Leadership Award

Pinny Heskiel

Helping others has always been an integral part of Pinny and Tamar Heskiel’s lives. What began over a decade ago with a commitment to outreach and chinuch has evolved into an outlook of giving and caring that is today benefiting numerous

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Around the Community families in Far Rockaway and the Five Towns.

A native of Flatbush, Pinny, a son of Mr. Avi and Mrs. Debbie Heskiel, learned at Yeshivas Mir Yerushalayim, where he developed a close kesher with Rav Chaim Zvi Senter, then a maggid shiur in the Mir and currently Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshiva Aderes HaTorah. After his marriage to Tamar, the daughter of Far Rockaway residents Mr. Moshe and Mrs. Sara Ibsen, Pinny trained in the Ohr Lagolah program, a division of Yeshivas Ohr Somayach. During that time, he also learned with bachurim at Ohr Somayach and at Aderes HaTorah. Upon the Heskiels’ return to the United States, they spent two years sharing their love of Yiddishkeit with the residents of Harrisburg, PA, with Pinny serving as a rebbi at the Yeshiva Academy.

When their oldest son reached school age, the Heskiels set their sights on relocating to Far Rockaway so that he could attend Yeshiva Darchei Torah. For the Heskiels, who had already formed a very close kesher with the Rosh HaYeshiva, Rav Yaakov Bender, joining Darchei felt like joining family.

Today, the Heskiels are the proud parents of Avi, Racheli and Yehuda and are gratified to watch their sons thrive in the warm, inclusive atmosphere at Darchei. They are involved and loving parents who put their children’s education and development above all else.

As the founders of Pin-It Realty, Pinny and Tamar have made it their mission to match every family looking to purchase a home with the dwelling most suited to them.

Those who have had the pleasure of working with them appreciate their personal concern for every client. Pinny has helped many of the Darchei Torah rabbeim find a place to call home. The Heskiels are literally helping to build the Inwood neighborhood, house by house, into a thriving, vibrant community – and

Pinny’s work now extends all over Far Rockaway and the Five Towns.

Tamar is the anchor of the Heskiels’ home and is active in numerous chessed and communal projects.

When a new family moves to the area, she is invariably involved in making them feel welcome and helping them get acclimated and settled.

Yeshiva Darchei Torah is pleased to recognize their dedication and achievements by presenting them with the Young Leadership Award.

Harav Shmuel and Rebbetzin Chaya Feldman Harbotzas Torah Award

own right, Kollel yungerleit, and learned baalei batim whose commitment to Torah, learning skills, and lomdus were solidified in large part during the ten months they spent absorbing his derech halimud, hashkafah, and infectious enthusiasm. Many of those alumni still maintain a connection with him today, long after graduation, including a group of working men who gather to learn sugyos with him every second week.

A talmid of the Mirrer Yeshiva in Brooklyn and the Brisker Yeshiva of Rav Berel Soloveichik, zt”l, in Yerushalayim, Rav Feldman taught at the Mesivta of Yeshiva Tiferes Elimelech in Brooklyn before coming to Mesivta Chaim Shlomo.

Rav Feldman’s full partner in Harbotzas Torah is his eishes chayil, Rebbetzin Chaya Feldman. The pillar of their Flatbush home, she is wholly devoted to the success of her husband’s talmidim. She is a daughter of Rav Chaim and Rebbetzin Devorah Charnas, zichronam livracha, and grew up in a home built on chinuch and zikui harabim. Her fa-

ther founded and led the Mesivta of Yonkers, a trailblazing out-of-town yeshiva that was ahead of its time.

Rav Feldman’s own parents were Rav Hirsh Feldman, the legendary mashgiach ruchani of the Mirrer Yeshiva in Brooklyn, and Rebbetzin Miriam Feldman, zichronam livracha, who was a beloved mechaneches of girls at the Yeshiva of Brooklyn, Masores Bais Yaakov, and other schools.

Together, Rav Shmuel and Rebbetzin Chaya Feldman have and continue to lovingly transmit the treasured mesorah that they received from their forbears and rabbeim to their children and grandchildren – and to the grateful talmidim. It is altogether fitting that Yeshiva Darchei Torah is presenting them with the Harbotzas Torah Award.

For more information about the dinner campaign, to make a reservation, or to place an ad in the dinner journal, please call 718.868.2300 ext. 301; email dinner@darchei.org; or visit Darchei.org/dinner.

Rav Shmuel Feldman

Harav Shmuel Feldman joined the faculty of Mesivta Chaim Shlomo just over twenty years ago, as a maggid shiur for the Mesivta’s very first twelfth-grade class. Over the ensuing two decades, he has invested his energies, his wisdom, and his neshama into teaching, molding, and inspiring hundreds of talmidim.

Twelfth grade is a critical year in the life of a yeshiva bachur, as his high school years come to a close and he stands on the threshold of yeshiva gedolah and intensive, fulltime learning. To his talmidim, Rav Feldman is more than a maggid shiur; he is their personal rebbi, mentor, and living role model of gadlus in Torah and yirah.

Today, the alumni of Rav Feldman’s legendary shiur include marbitzei Torah and rabbeim in their

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MikdashVR at HAFTR

A Day at SKA

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s a culmination of a unit about the Beit Hamikdash, the eighth grade girls at HAFTR Middle School were able to experience the Beit Hamikdash through virtual reality. MikdashVR came with virtual headsets to give our students a walk-through simulation of the Beit Hamikdash. With a kohen as their guide, they got to see all the keilim in the Beit Hamikdash as well as the kohanim doing their service. Shouts of “cool!” and “woah” could be heard through the

experience.

Thank you to the Einstein family for sponsoring this incredible experience.

JNF at HANC

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ver 130 eighth graders from many metropolitan elementary schools recently got a taste of what their high school experience at the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls would be like. On Thursday, December 20, SKA student ambassadors welcomed aspiring high schoolers who got a glimpse of some of the highlights SKA has to offer, along with the warmth and energy it projects. Mrs. Elisheva Kaminetsky, Principal, Judaic Studies, Mrs. Bluma Drebin, Principal, General Studies, Ms. Elana Flaumenhaft, Associate Principal, Rabbi Yosef Zakutinsky, Director of Student Programs, Ms. Lisa Fogel, SKA Social Worker, and Admission Liaison Ms. Machi Steinberg personally greeted all the girls they had met during the interview process and the Open House.

After refreshments, the eighth graders heard from SKA panelists from different grades and varying elementary yeshivot who discussed their own experiences since coming to the school. The SKAers happily described what it’s like to enter a new school and how comfortable they were made to feel. Each panelist mentioned how eager everyone was to make new friends and how

hard the administration and faculty worked to make them feel at home and cared for.

Seats at each table at the delicious and informative lunch were filled with SKA ambassadors, enveloping the eighth graders with their enthusiasm. This was also another opportunity for the visitors to familiarize themselves with the many SKA activities and events offered.

The incoming students were then able to attend several core and elective classes, giving them the chance to experience the unique and creative academics and programming that are available at SKA. The day provided a wonderful preview of what an incredible high school experience at SKA could be.

We look forward to welcoming the Class of 2023!

T

he Jewish National Fund conducted an innovative and interactive program with fourth grade students at HANC Elementary School in West Hempstead on the importance of developing the State of Israel. The children discussed the connection they felt to the Jewish and Israeli community. They shared their thoughts and feelings about Eretz Israel. Students shared personal stories about trips to Israel. Some shared their connection to Israel through relatives who live in Israel.

Some students know about a family member who served in the Israel Defense Force.

On the floor there was a big map of Israel. The presenter explained the history behind the beginning of The Jewish National Fund, which includ-

ed a brief history on the birth of the Jewish State of Israel and the organization’s mission there.

Through the interactive map activity, the students began to understand that there are some locations in Israel that are heavily populated and other regions that are sparse. HANC students also identified key cities and landmarks around Eretz Israel in order to recognize the drastic change in demographics from the north to the south. The students discussed Israel’s resourcefulness despite their short water supply as well as the importance of cultivating the land with trees and other natural resources.

It was a fun and educational lesson for our fourth graders as learned about the value of populating and cultivating the land of Israel.

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Touro College Dedicates Flatbush Campus in Memory of Major Donor’s Parents

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he flagship campus of Touro’s Lander College of Arts Sciences on Ave J in Flatbush was renamed in memory of Simon and Lenke Roth, parents of donor Dr. Alex Rovt. The dedication ceremony drew numerous public officials including Ingrid Lewis Martin , senior advisor to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams; New York State Senator Simcha Felder, a Touro College alum and professor; Pinchus Hikind, special assistant to NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer; and NYC Councilman Kalman Yeger, also a Touro alum.

Dr. Robert Goldschmidt, Executive Dean of Touro’s Lander College of Arts & Sciences, thanked the donor for his gift and pointed out that it will help “build productive citizens who will contribute to the Jewish and larger community for years to come.”

Dr. Alan Kadish, president of the Touro College & University System, spoke of Mr. Rovt’s remarkable life and path to success. “Born in Munkacs, Hungary, Rovt remains a devoted Munkacser chassid until this day.

From humble beginnings, he distinguished himself as a successful student and later used his smarts, hard work and faith in G-d to become extremely successful in international business and real estate.”

Beyond his success in business, Kadish described Rovt as a leader of the Jewish people. “Yosef Hatza-

L-R: Daniel Retter, Esq., Touro Board of Governors; Dr. Alan Kadish, Touro president; Alex Rovt, donor; Dr. Robert Goldschmidt, dean of Touro’s Lander College of Arts & Sciences in Flatbush; Rabbi Moshe Krupka, Touro Executive vice president; Dr. Stanley Boylan, Touro vice president of Undergraduate Education; David Weisz, cousin of Alex Rovt; Maxwell Rovt, son of Alex Rovt; and Alfred Weisz, cousin of Alex Rovt

dik described two essential qualities leaders must possess – that of a chacham and a navon. A leader must be one who cares for others, and he also must possess the savvy necessary to create and maintain systems that work for the community. Alex Rovt has demonstrated this kind of leadership through his roles as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for One Brooklyn Health Systems, founder of the Zvi Dov Roth Academy in memory of his grandfather, and as member of the Touro Board of Governors. He has the winning

combination of caring and concern for others and business know-how,” said Kadish.

Rovt described his background and his parents’ values that shaped his life. “I am so honored to dedicate this building in memory of my parents who truly valued education and community service,” said Rovt.

“They taught me that writing a check is not enough. We all must give of ourselves to help others. In the old country, my grandmother used to travel by bicycle daily to bring food packages to the needy. My moth-

er went through the Holocaust and Soviet regime and lost her parents and numerous family members at a young age. Both my parents worked very hard at menial jobs when they came to this country, but despite that, their focus was on helping others and they passed that passion on to me.”

Touro’s Lander College of Arts & Sciences opened its doors 40 years ago. The school moved into the current campus building in 1995, and Rovt’s gift will help sustain and upgrade the facilities at this location.

Helping Hands

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ast Thursday, a group of eighth graders headed to “The Shop” in Maple Plaza to volunteer for the Marion & Aaron Gural JCC. The Shop offers residents in need the opportunity to shop in a dignified way for food and clothing. The food pantry is set up like any grocery store, and an array of clothing is available to patrons. The girls were thrilled to give of their time to help sort winter coats and other garments so that those in need will be able to benefit from this very special resource in the Five Towns community.

Gitty Sharf, Ora Zeitlin, Noy Edery, Rebecca Schoenfeld, Tamar Pilevsky, and Anat Ebbin

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R’ Feivish Rotbard presented the melacha of borer at the Learn and Live program on Sunday Joseph Tavella, from Tavella’s Landscaping, came to HAFTR’S Early Childhood program to plant bulbs with some future landscapers. The students learned about the planting process and discussed what the flowers will need to be able to grow. They can’t wait to see the beautiful flowers arrive in the spring.

Central Juniors Get a Taste of College Life

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he junior class at Central, with junior grade dean Mrs. Karen Lavner and College Guidance counselor Mrs. Keren Weinberger, visited Stern College on Wednesday. They had the opportunity to hear mini-classes from some of the exceptional professors and also to hear from Central alumnae who are currently studying at Stern. Students were treated to a tasty lunch, compliments of the Stern Admissions Office, and received a full tour of the vibrant city campus. The juniors ended their day with some free time to explore midtown Manhattan and get a sense of Stern’s exciting neighborhood!

It is with great pride that Central wishes a heartfelt congratulations to our Early Action/Decision senior admits. Leah Goykadosh, Tamar Levine, Tehila Rothbart, Eytana

Schick, Yael Teitelman, and Emily Zrihen were all admitted to the S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program at Stern College. Ita Futran was admitted Early Action into MIT, and Meira Saffra was admitted Early Decision into Barnard. Rachel Aronov was admitted Early Action into St. John’s, Adelphi, Hofstra, and NYIT. Elisheva Ezor, Danielle Ganchrow, and Emma Haynes were admitted Early Action into Binghamton. Shirah Solyemani and Ariella Shifteh were admitted Early Action into St. John’s. Danielle Ganchrow was admitted Early Action into Rutgers and St. John’s.

Ilana Rouhani was admitted Early Action into Rutgers. We are so proud of you. We wish you much success.

This is an exciting and anticipatory time for all our seniors, and we look forward to hearing and celebrating continued good news.

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Central Attends YU student Medical Ethics Society Conference

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rs. Ruth Fried and Central’s AP Biology class attended the 12th annual YU student Medical Ethics Society Conference, “The ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology) of Parenthood: Exploring the Future of Fertility” on Sunday, December 16. The conference was in honor of Rabbi Dr. Moshe D. Tendler and sponsored by Community Synagogue of Monsey.

The goal of this year’s conference was to arm attendees with deeper scientific and Jewish perspectives on groundbreaking infertility technologies. Students were particularly intrigued by a presentation on artificial wombs. They found the scientific particulars fascinating and relevant to what they were learning in class but they were even more captivated by the discussions of the ethical and moral dilemmas surrounding the

technology.

Senior Leah Goykadosh was inspired by Rav Tendler’s idea that “in these issues of medical ethics we must always stay educated, relying heavily on both Torah and science; for without both, we ultimately have neither.” She reflected, “That really resonated with me, especially as a Central student who loves that we live by the slogan of Torah u’maada.

We truly could not advance in the world uneducated in either aspect, and I really value the idea that we as Jews can pride ourselves on doing our best to make educated and thoughtful decisions. This is evident in our rabbis choosing to take years to understand the complexities and scientific aspects of a question, and the fact that we were even able to attend a Medical Ethics Conference run by Yeshiva University students.”

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Around the Community

My Beloved Boss, Rabbi Chanina Herzberg, zt”l

By Mrs. Monika Weinberg

O

ver two decades ago, when I began working at the Yeshiva of South Shore, I was hired to do general secretarial work. At the time, Rabbi Herzberg did not have his own secretary. One day, another menahel came to visit him and exclaimed, “How can you run a school without a secretary?” The following week I became his assistant.

Once I learned that my office would be connected to his, I was less than delighted. Little did I know that this would be one of the best things to ever happen to me. I quickly realized that I had the best boss one can have; he was kind, smart, fair – and a mensch.

Going down memory lane, I vividly remember a seventh grader who was uninterested in celebrating his bar mitzvah. When word finally reached Rabbi Herzberg, his eyes lit up and we secretly started planning this boy’s bar mitzvah. On the big day, Rabbi Herzberg postponed the regular lunchtime for the seventh grade.

After all the other classes had cleared the lunchroom, we called in the entire seventh grade. Gourmet lunch and a huge cake with the words “mazal tov” were served. Another unexpected surprise: the boy’s parents and brothers were there to celebrate the simcha.

The boy was in total shock – the look on his face was priceless. After the seudah, Rabbi Ross played music, and everybody danced and had a fantastic time. A surprise bar mitzvah that was orchestrated by Rabbi Herzberg, who knew just how important it would be for that boy to celebrate his bar mitzvah in his own special way.

Once I got a call from Israel for Rabbi Herzberg. The caller asked, “Can I speak to my Rebbe?” I replied, “Who is your Rebbe?” He responded, “Rabbi Herzberg – he took me into his yeshiva in middle school when I was not the best boy. He saved me, and ever since then he is my Rebbe. I owe him everything.”

There were times when boys applied to our yeshiva who had been rejected from everywhere else. If it was at all possible, Rabbi Herzberg accepted them. His motto was, “All kids need to be educated.” It was a motto that he truly lived by.

When the days became too long for some of the more energetic stu-

dents, rather than sit through the last period of English classes, they came to visit RCH, just to schmooze! Rabbi Herzberg did not send them away. He listened to them, joked around with them, and built the kesher.

A student once told me that when Rabbi Herzberg asked someone to fold his tallis or to get his glasses, it felt like he had won the lottery. Rabbi Herzberg was special to them. They loved him, and they feared him. If he walked into a room and requested quiet, there was not a sound to be heard. He had it all – the love and the respect.

If he happened to see a boy in the hallway, he asked the boy, “Is your Rebbe behaving?” That was MY favorite question. In all these years, that sentence never got old for me!

On so many occasions, I saw the wisdom in his decisions. Frequently, he would sit in his office and think through the best way to solve an issue.

So many times he had meetings with parents just to explain to them the reasons for his decisions. If a mother called and started to tell me that she is calling to discuss with Rabbi Herzberg what to do, often I would simply advise, “Just listen to Rabbi Herzberg.”

All of my boys went to Yeshiva of South Shore. As a mother, I was very happy that I chose it as the yeshiva for my children. YOSS is a warm, caring place with a good education that was led by my boss, Rabbi Chanina Herzberg, zt”l. Rabbi Herzberg was even more involved in the life of one of my boys – not only was he his menahel in Elementary school but he was also the mesader kedushin at his wedding.

I will miss Rabbi Herzberg. It was an honor and privilege to know him and work with him.

Someone at his funeral told me, “You were a great team.” Yes, we were.

Mrs. Monika Weinberg is the School Secretary, School Mother, School My Son Has a Boo- Boo, School He For-

got Lunch, School Unofficial Psychologist, School Drier-of-Tears, School Sharer of Smiles, School Special Envoy to the Rosh Yeshiva, School Special Liaison to Wrongly Parked Parents, along with being the Administrative Assistant to Rabbi Chanina Herzberg, zt”l, for over 20 years.

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

An Inspiring Davening

M

TA’s Shacharis minyan on Asara B’Teves was enhanced by the presence of RIETS Roshei Yeshiva Rav Hershel Schachter and Rav Herschel Reichman, who joined talmidim and rebbeim from all grades and helped set the tone for the fast. According to the Chasam Sofer, Asara B’Teves, the day the siege on Yerushalayim was laid, was also the day that Hashem decided to destroy the Beis Hamikdash. He continues to explain that each year on Asara B’Teves the Heavenly court convenes and decides if the Beis Hamikdash will be rebuilt.

May all of our tefillos be answered, and may we be zoche for the Beis Hamikdash to be rebuilt b’meheira v’yameinu.

The 2018 Hoops for Heroes Yashar LaChayal Yeshiva Day School 8th Grade Boys Basketball Tournament Grand Finale took place on Sunday, December 16 on the campus of Yeshiva Har Torah in Little Neck, NY. The HALB all-star Isaac Solomon is pictured here with tournament co-director Judah Rhine

Dedication of Achiezer Gala in Memory of Dr. Richie Friedman, A”H

A

chiezer Gala season is electric.

It’s a time for the community to join together in unison, to celebrate achievements and to demonstrate support going forward.

This year, the community has been thrown off course, derailed, by the shattering loss of Dr. Richie Friedman, a”h. Dr. Friedman was the ultimate community man, and so it is not surprising that the entire Achiezer Board unanimously agreed that we cannot move forward with our Gala

without dedicating it in memory of Dr. Friedman.

Richie was dedicated, heart and soul to his community, to Hatzalah, to Achiezer, to whoever needed his help and whoever could benefit from his expertise. With the urging and guidance of his wife Cheryl, we have made a commitment to keep Dr. Friedman’s legacy a part of this community for a long time to come.

It is with heavy hearts that we dedicate this year’s Gala to Richie’s

memory in lieu of his participation.

But we know that Richie would have wanted to remain a part of our community’s devotion to chessed.

Over the last few months, this community has experienced some very painful tragedies, including the loss of Dr. Friedman. Now is the time for us to join as a community in support of one another, in recognition of what Richie accomplished in his lifetime, and in a united effort to emulate his ways.

May our efforts be mechazek his wonderful wife, Cheryl; his children, Shoshana and Asher Gross, Elana and Moshe Feiner, Adina and Avi Schuster, Tzipora and Shmaryahu Ryback, Shmuel Aryeh, Michal Dena, Devora, and Yosef Shlomo; his grandchildren, Ahron, Akiva Eliyahu, Hinda Sarah, Shmuel Yosef, Rachel, Binyomin, Rikki, and Avraham Baruch; our community; and all of Klal Yisrael and serve as an aliyah for his neshama.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

O U R

2018

M O S T

300

families counseled through the Westwood Financial Management Division

1,200

84

900

children sent to camp through our Summer Camp Fund

2

individuals enrolled in health insurance

EMPLOYEES.

ACHIEZER.ORG

120

INDIVIDUALS SEEN BY OUR LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST

|

1

BRAND NEW RESPITE ROOMS CONSTRUCTED AT LOCAL HOSPITALS

BUDGET.

3 3 4 C E N T R A L AV E N U E

|

1.3

Y E T

3,000

MEDICAL REFERRALS

PIECES OF MEDICAL EQUIPMENT LOANED

homes visited by Zichron Dovid Chesed Shel Emes Volunteers in the immediate aftermath of a death

Y E A R

11,000

1,500

2,300

18

A C T I V E

mental health referrals

taharos completed through the Zichron Dovid Chesed Shel Emes Chevra Kadisha

2,100

meals cooked, prepared and delivered to families stuck spending Shabbos in the hospital

1,400 calls answered between 11 PM and 9 AM including weekends, Shabbos and Yom Tov

MILLION DOLLARS.

L AW R E N C E , N Y 1 1 5 5 9

|

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Comm

THE ACHIE

DEDICATION OF THE EDITH LOWINGER A”H ACHIEZER VOLUNTEER NETWORK

To be installed by

THIS YEAR’S ACHIEZER GALA IS DEDICATED IN LOVING MEMORY OF

DR. RICHIE FRIEDMAN A”H

The Lowinger, Keilson, Rosenman & Zafir Families

PILLARS OF CHESED AWARD

Yossy & Miriam Lea Ungar

As we prepare for our upcoming Gala, we would be remiss if we did not recognize the untold loss that we all feel with the recent passing of Dr. Richie Friedman A”H; a beloved friend of and senior advisor to Achiezer.

Richie was synonymous with Community – he gave of himself to the community, selflessly at any time of day or night.

It is for this reason that, together with his wife Cheryl, their children and grandchildren, we will be dedicating this year’s Gala in Richie’s memory.

We hope and pray that the outpouring of chesed, achdus and Community that result from this year’s Gala will serve as a measure of comfort to the entire Friedman family, the community at large, as well as an aliyah for his neshama.

EXCELLENCE IN MEDICINE AWARD

Dr. Martin Kessler Dr. Ari Hoschander

Partners, KH Plastic Surgery, P.C.

MAN OF THE YEAR

Michael H. Goldberg

Executive Director, Long Island Jewish Medical Center Northwell Health

YOUNG LEADERSHIP AWARD

Shalom & Leah Jaroslawicz

DINNER CHAIRMEN

Uri Dreifus | Dr. Azriel Hirschfeld | Adam Okun

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Queens-Wide Visit by the Kalever Rav, on Behalf of His Father, the Kalever Rebbe, Shlita

W

e have witnessed the phenomenon of Queens becoming a magnet for increased kedusha. With the rapid growth of yeshivot, more new synagogues and shtiebels popping 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 visits of a few very special tzaddikim to our community. While many bemoan the lack of gedolim in our generation, we in Queens have been graced with several visits from truly righteous leaders.

Returning to Queens is the Kalever Rav, shlita, who is coming on behalf of his holy father the Kalever Rebbe, Rabbeinu Moshe ben Raizel. The Rav will be hosted by various shuls and schools. During the Rebbe’s 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 in previous years, the Rebbe did not visit Queens during the High Holy Days.

Now the Rebbe has instructed his son, the Kalever Rav, shlita, to visit the community on his behalf.

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 Kalev chassidim.

The Rebbe has invested much of his precious time – leaving his students and chassidim – to travel throughout the world in order to reach every Jewish community.

During the past 40 years, he has vis-

ited hundreds of schools and Jewish communities within 66 countries in order to strengthen, encourage, bless from the bottom of his heart, and advise 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.

Stories of the Kalever Rebbe The Dream Josef Weisman is an accomplished philosopher who has received the highest degrees from UCLA. As a younger man, he wasn’t religious, but spiritual. During his quest for spirituality, he spent many years in India learning with monks, gurus, and even joining cult-like groups. Now, Josef is a teacher of history and theology at YULA. Last year, while the Rebbe was visiting the school, Josef was extremely interested in meeting with the tzaddik if for nothing more than the experience itself.

When he walked into the room to meet with the Rebbe, the first thing the Rebbe asked him was, “Where do your children go to school?” Stunned, Josef went on to explain that currently his children go to public schools.

But for the last several months he had wanted to move his children into YULA. After all, he explained, there was a clear difference between the kinds of students in public schools and the students in yeshiva, and the education at YULA was superb. However, his wife was vehemently opposed to the idea of her children attending a religious school. “You have no choice,” responded the Rebbe.

“Your children must receive a proper Jewish education. It’s essential. Go home and tell your wife these exact words: ‘G-d gave her very special children with very unique character traits and personal qualities. They are refined. They will continue to develop into unbelievable people as long as they receive a Jewish educa-

tion. If they don’t, they will lose all their talents and uniqueness. They will lose their future.’”

Knowing what his wife’s reaction would be, Josef went home nervous and unsure. But, the Rebbe told him to do something, and who was he not to do it? After dinner, he sat his wife down and said everything that the Rebbe told him. She had only one word to say afterwards: “Fine.” Josef was shocked. He blurted out, “What?

For months you were against this idea and now you just say ‘fine’?”

“Let me explain,” answered his wife. “Last night I had a dream.

There was a man in my dream with a long beard. He looked so holy. And this man in my dream said the very same thing that you just did.”

A year later when the Rebbe returned to YULA, Josef was a different-looking man: he had long peyos and a beautiful beard. His two children were both in YULA and were distinguished in their personalities.

Now, instead of history and theology, Josef teaches Tanach and the differences between the philosophy of mussar and chassidus.

Shabbos is the Source of All Blessings While the Rebbe was at Yeshivat Rambam in Brooklyn, there was a

bookkeeper who was anxious to meet the Rebbe. When she approached the gabbaim, their response was typical: the Rebbe is here to see the students. If there is time afterward the adults can get a bracha too, or they can make an appointment and go see the Rebbe in Williamsburg.

But this woman was determined, and she started begging. The gabbai agreed and she went in. A week later, the gabbai received a phone call from this woman. She explained that the Rebbe had demanded that her husband keep Shabbos. As they were a struggling family that had only recently moved from Israel, she tried explaining to the Rebbe that they needed the money to survive.

“Shabbos is the source of all blessing in this world. Your husband must not work on Shabbos,” the Rebbe told her.

“But we don’t even have our green cards yet and no one else will even hire us.”

“If you keep Shabbos, you will receive your green cards too,” the Rebbe said.

A week later the husband decided to quit his job and keep Shabbos.

That Monday the mailman dropped off a letter. Inside were the green cards!

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

The entire Queens Jewish Community Welcomes The Kalever Rav Shlita Son of the Great Tzadik The

Kalever Rebbe

Shlita

World renowned for his inspiration, wisdom, advice and blessings for Chinuch Habanim (child rearing), Shalom Bayis (marital harmony), Parnassah (livehood) and all other pressing issues of today.

The Rav will be sharing his valuable time with all individuals (men and women) & families.

Briarwood

Rego Park

Kew Gardens

Tuesday, December 25 1:00 – 4:00pm Young Israel of Briarwood 8475 Daniels St

Tuesday, December 25 4:30 – 9:30pm Ohr Natan 98-81 Queens Blvd

Wednesday, December 26 4:30 – 9:30pm Ner Mordechai 8233 Lefferts Blvd

Jamaica Estates

Fresh Meadows

Forest Hills

Sunday, December 30 1:00 – 4:00pm Bet El 180-01 Union Tpke

Sunday, December 30 4:30 – 9:30pm Beit Eliyahu 71-52 172nd St

Monday, December 31 4:30 – 9:30pm Beth Gavriel 6635 108th St

Kew Garden Hills Tuesday, January 1, 2019 1:00 – 4:00pm 4:30 – 9:30pm Young Israel of Od Yosef Chai Kew Garden Hills 141-56 73rd Ave 7011 150th St

TOU T

The Rav will not accept donations

mail@kaalov.org 718-384-9877

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home

TJH You gotta be kidding A drunk man comes into a bar and says, “Happy New Year, everybody.”

The waiter looks at him and says, “It’s June, you drunkard.”

The drunk guy replies, “Oh man! My wife is going to kill me! I have never been so late in my life!”

Riddle me this?

Two people are trying to figure out what day of the week it is.

“When the day after tomorrow is yesterday,” says one of them, “then ‘today’ will be as far from Sunday as that day was which was ‘today’ when the day before yesterday was tomorrow!”

On which day of the week did this conversation occur?

See answer to the right

Centerfold Well Said “Now there are more overweight people in America than average-weight people. So overweight people are now average…which means, you have met your New Year’s resolution.” – Jay Leno “May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions!” – Joey Adams “Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account.” – Oscar Wilde “Many years ago, I resolved never to bother with New Year’s resolutions, and I’ve stuck with it ever since.” – Dave Beard “He who breaks a resolution is a weakling; he who makes one is a fool.” – F.M. Knowles “I can’t believe it’s been a year since I didn’t become a better person.” – Unknown “Every New Year’s I resolve to lose 20 pounds, and I do.

The problem is that I gain 30.” – Melanie White “If you make a New Year’s resolution to eat a healthy diet, and you keep it, you won’t actually live longer, but it will seem longer.” – Greg Tamblyn “Youth is when you’re allowed to stay up late on New Year’s Eve. Middle age is when you’re forced to.” – Bill Vaughan “My New Year’s resolution is not to shovel snow. Since I’m gonna be in Florida, I feel pretty good about it.” – Greg Tamblyn “I see no need to make more New Year’s resolutions when the ones already on the books aren’t being enforced.”

– John Lyon

Answer to Riddle Me This: Sunday.

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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

Remembering 2018 in Sports 1. Match the salary with the athlete: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Floyd Mayweather LeBron James Connor McGregor Matthew Stafford Lionel Messi

A. B. C. D. E.

$85.5 million $99 million $59.5 million $111 million $285 million

2. Match the country with the number of medals won at the 2018 Winter Olympics: 1. United States 2. Netherlands 3. Norway 4. Canada 5. Germany

A. 39 B. 31 C. 20 D. 23 E. 29

5. Who won the 2018 Cy Young award for the American League this year? a. Jacob DeGrom b. Blake Snell c. Justin Verlander d. Corey Kluber 6. Which golfer won the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open this year? a. Patrick Reed b. Francesco Molinari c. Brooks Koepa d. Tiger Woods 7. Who won the 2018 Tour de France?

3. Match the player with number of homeruns hit in 2018: 1. Aaron Judge (NYY) 2. Mike Trout (LAA) 3. Khris Davis (OAK) 4. Bryce Harper (WSH) 5. Michael Conforto (NYM)

A. 28 B. 48 C. 39 D. 27 E. 34

a. Geraint Thomas b. Lance Armstrong c. Chris Froome d. Julian Alaphilippe

4. Match the player with the number of touchdowns thrown in the 2017-2018 NFL season:

ďƒž Answers 6. C 5. B 4. 1-E, 2-C, 3-B, 4D, 5-A 3. 1-D, 2-C, 3-B, 4-E, 5-A 2. 1-D, 2-C, 3-A, 4-E, 5-B 1. 1-E, 2-A, 3-B, 4-C, 5D

A. 40 B. 24 C. 28 D. 33 E. 34

7. A

1. Russell Wilson 2. Drew Breez 3. Cam Newton 4. Ben Roethlisberger 5. Tom Brady

ďƒž Wisdom Key 6-7 correct: You are a world class player. Next time you go into salary negotiations, demand at least $85.5 million a year.

3-5 correct: You are mediocre, like every New York team.

0-2 correct: What happened?

Did Mayweather use you as a punching bag in practice?

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

3

Torah Thought

Parshas Shemos

By Rabbi Berel Wein

T

his week’s portion records for us the beginning of the career of the great teacher of Israel, and, in fact, of all of civilization, Moshe. We are told of his miraculous salvation as a child from the River Nile and of the fact that he was raised by the daughter of the pharaoh in luxury and security.

However, when he reaches an age of maturity, he realizes that the Egyptians are enslaving the Hebrews, and his sense of justice overwhelms him.

When he sees an Egyptian taskmaster unmercifully beating a Jewish slave, he kills the Egyptian.

The next day, however, when he sees that Jews are beating Jews themselves, he becomes rapidly disillusioned. And he’s forced to flee because the Egyptian authorities are looking to arrest him and kill him for murdering the Egyptian taskmaster. He disappears from our radar screen for decades and becomes a shepherd for the high priest of Midian. When he reemerges in our story, he is called to his great mission by the Angel of G-d and is entrusted with the task of taking the Jewish people out of bondage and elevating them into being a holy nation, a kingdom of priests, a special group of people that would influence all of civilization from that moment onwards. If we think about this, it is a very unlikely story.

Why would G-d choose someone with as checkered a past as Moshe to be the leader of the Jewish people when his brother, Aaron, whose background was spotless and holy and who stayed with the Jewish people for the entire time that Moshe was gone, apparently is overlooked? And why would G-d

om Me. Don’t try to know My name.

Don’t try to understand Me. Your job is to obey Me.” This becomes the matrix and pattern for Jewish life – in fact, for all civilized human beings throughout their history. Unlikely things always happen. Things never happen the way we

Human beings are like fish that are caught in the great net.

choose the Jewish people if they were guilty of murderous faults and, according to the opinion of the rabbis, were even pagans during that period?

It’s a question that the Moshe himself asked of G-d. “Who am I, that you should send me?” And then he asked, “And who are they,” meaning the Jewish people, “who are worthy of being saved?” The L-rd did not answer him.

The L-rd speaks in mystery. The L-rd says, “I am who I am. I will be who I will be. Just do what I say, and go forth with the mission, and don’t try to fath-

think they should happen. The people who lead us are not always the people who we think we should lead us. And the events that occur are sometimes so unlikely that we cannot fathom as to why they happened and what we should do with them, yet it is the will of the L-rd that pervades all human history.

Human beings have freedom of choice; they can do whatever they want. However, there is a broad parameter that surrounds all human history, and that is the guiding force of Heaven that dictates events.

The rabbis and the Talmud succinctly put it in a metaphor. They say that human beings are like fish that are caught in the great net. I remember that once I saw how tuna fish were being captured by the fleets off the California coast. There is a net that is spread mechanically for miles, and in that net are thousands of fish. They are all swimming around, unaware that they’re in a net. Only when the net is full, and the boats draw the net up to the decks of ships, do the fish realize that they are caught in the net.

Similarly, with human beings and with human events and, if I may add, especially in Jewish history and with Jewish events when we look at the whole pattern we realize that it is only the story of the fish that are trapped in this great wide net, which Heaven has set for us, which becomes the story of the Jewish people.

I think that this narrative that we read in this week’s portion is a great example of this for it sets the scene for everything else that will occur in Jewish life throughout the centuries. It is the lesson that Moshe himself learns and attempts to communicate to us through his immortal words and through the events that he himself will experience and that will guide the Jewish people throughout their existence.

Shabbat shalom.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

FRESH OFF THE PRESS:

MIRI and AVIGAIL ARE BACK FOR SUMMER

2019

CAMP DIRECTOR: LEEBA BRISK PROGRAM DIRECTOR: ELISHEVA SEGELMAN phone: 718.324.6724(ORAH) EMAIL: ORAHDAYCAMP@GMAIL.COM W E B S I T E : O R A H D A Y C A M P. C O M

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

From the Fire

Parshas Shemos The Preciousness of Life

By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

I

would like to speak about life, which, admittedly, is a big subject. I was being me’aver sedra, going over the parsha, this week and noticed the pasuk, which related the story of how Moshe was born to Amram and Yocheved (Shmos 2:1): “And a man from the house of Levi went and took a daughter of Levi.”

The Gemara in Sota 12a explains where Amram “went” in the pasuk.

He had, after all, already married to Yocheved earlier. According to the Gemara, Where did [Amram] go? Rav Yehuda bar Zvina says: He “went after” his daughter’s advice. The Tana says: Amram was the great scholar of the generation. When Paroah decreed that every baby boy would be thrown into the river, he said, “We are working for nothing.” He stood up and divorced his wife. Then everyone stood up and divorced their wives as well. His daughter said to him,

“Abba, your decree is worse than Paroah’s decree. Paroah decreed only against the boys, and your decree is also against the girls.

Paroah only made a decree in this world. But your decree is in this world and in the next world.

We can understand Miriam’s argument that, under Paroah’s decree, only the boys would be deprived of life but that under Amram’s decree, no girls would be born either. But her second argument – that under Paroah’s decree the boys would at least have a share in the World to Come and that under Amram’s decree the boys would not have a share in the World to Come – is more difficult to understand. Rashi on the Gemara in Sota explains that under Paroah’s decree, the boys would still have a share in the World to Come because “they are born and then die and then come back to life in the World to Come.” Amram apparently agreed with Miriam’s point since

he remarried Yocheved. But why did he agree? How do these children acquire a share in the World to Come after only a few hours of life? They would never have the opportunity to do mitzvos or learn Torah. On what basis can they have a share in the World to Come?

In addition, the Gemara in Eiruvin 13b concludes that “it would be easier for man not to have been created than to have been created.”

If this is the case, how could Miriam have argued, and how could Amram have agreed, that it would be better for the boys to be born and then immediately killed than not to have been born at all?

In addition, the Alter from Slabodka has a fascinating pshat in the well-known Gemara in Nida 30b, which says, “They teach [the fetus] the whole Torah, and when he comes into the air of the world, an angel comes and smacks him on the mouth and he forgets the whole Torah.”

The Alter explains that man’s life in this world is filled with challenges, problems, and suffering.

This world itself is the smack that makes a person forget the Torah, forget why he is in this world, and forget the World to Come. If that is the case, how can Miriam and ultimately Amram maintain that the baby boys will acquire the World to Come by entering into this world? It is precisely this world and all of the suffering they would endure in their short lives that would cause them to forget the World to Come!

I recalled a beautiful teaching of one of the great baalei mussar of our generation, Rav Chaim Zaichik of Novarkdok, in his sefer Ohr Chadash. Rav Zaichik was explaining the purpose of a newborn baby’s life. He pointed out that a newborn baby has no daas, no intelligence. He does not make any choices or have any conception of what is happening around him. He cannot see or hear

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

very much for the first few days of life. What, then, is the quality, purpose and nature of that life? Rav Zaichik answered, “Nevertheless, [a newborn baby] is fortunate by virtue of his very existence in the air of this world, the world of free choice, in the air of the marketplace in which one acquires the World to Come.” Rav Zaichik explains that merely being in the air of the world of free choice, the infant acquires a share in the World to Come. Although a newborn is the subject of others’ choices at the beginning, rather than being an active participant in the process, his mere presence in this world gives him a connection with the shuk ha’bechira, the marketplace of free choice.

Life in this world is so precious that even a one-day-old baby, who accomplishes nothing on a conscious level, acquires the World to Come through his very existence in the world of free will. If a one-dayold child’s life in this world is so precious, then our time which we can use to do mitzvos in this world must be even greater. Our entire life in the World to Come is built from the mitzvos we accumulate in this world.

In fact, the World to Come is also called Gan Eden, the garden of delight. When we do mitzvos and learn Torah, we are planting seeds which grow into the beautiful garden which is our life in the World to Come.

Miriam told her father, and he ultimately agreed with her, that it is kedai, worthwhile for a child to live for just a few hours in this world as opposed to not being born at all. The suffering he experiences and breathing the air of the world of choice for even a short time will give that child a place in the World to Come.

Rav Moshe Feinstein once wrote to a woman who had lost a baby that she should know that in the time of techiyas ha’meisim, the resurrection of the dead, the baby will come back to life and she and her husband will have the opportunity to raise him.

Even though the child had lived for a very short time, that was enough for him to acquire his “ticket” into the next world where they would be together again.

In the Chofetz Chaim’s yeshiva in Radin, there was a young man who

was very sick. The bochurim in the yeshiva decided that they would take a collection and give time from their own lives to extend the sick bochur’s life. One boy gave one day, another offered two days, and some even gave a week or two of their lives. A group of bochurim went together to ask the Chofetz Chaim to see how much time he would give. The Chofetz Chaim was the first person to tell them that he had to think about it and that they should ask him again the next day. When they came to the Chofetz Chaim the next day, he answered them, trembling, that he was giving five minutes of his life for this young man. The bochurim were disappointed that the gadol hador had not offered more time. Some of them assumed that he did not give more because he was already at least ninety years old and that he could not afford to spare any time at his age.

The mashgiach of the yeshiva, however, explained to the bochurim that they did not understand. The Chofetz Chaim used every single second of his life to the fullest. Every moment was so precious. The tzaddik understood the value of every ounce of “merchandise” in this marketplace of free choice. For him, the mashgiach explained, five minutes was an unbelievable sacrifice.

There is a story about the tzaddik, Reb Moshe Leib Sosover. Early in his marriage, his father-in-law supported him while he learned. He was, however, not happy that Reb Moshe Lebi was still learning and wanted him to go into business. Finally, he told Reb Moshe Leib that he could no longer support his learning and that he had to go out into the business world. Although Reb Moshe Leib was not happy about it, he agreed but explained that because he had no business experience he did not know what to do. His father-in-law gave him a considerable sum of money and told him to go to the trade show in Leipzig, where he should take buy merchandise at a low price and then sell it at a higher price.

Reb Moshe Leib agreed and went with the sum of money to Leipzig.

When he got there, he headed straight for the bais medrash and

was approached by a few meshulachim who needed tzedaka, so he helped them out. He did not have much left, so he went to some other merchants who, as it turns out, were not very honest, and asked them what he should buy. They gave him bad advice, and in the end, he had to return home to his wife and father-in-law with nothing. When he finally reached home, his children answered the door expecting him to have brought them gifts as the other fathers who returned from Leipzig were accustomed to doing. They opened the door and said, “Welcome home, Tatty! What did you bring us?” He saw his children, his wife, and even his father-in-law waiting expectantly to see what he brought home. He looked at them and admitted, “I brought nothing” before he fainted and fell to the floor.

Everyone was very concerned, and when he came to, he began to cry, and he said: “When I was sent from heaven into this world, I was sent to collect Torah and good deeds,

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but what do I have? When I return back to my Father in heaven and he asks me what I brought back, what am I going to answer him!?”

Every second in this world is so precious. What are we going to bring back to the next world? Are we busy collecting silliness and worthless trinkets? Or are we filling shopping bags full of Torah and mitzvos to bring home from the shuk ha’bechira, the marketplace of free choice.

We should all realize how precious every second of life is, and we should grab every single opportunity for more Torah and more mitzvos and not waste our lives with shtussim v’havalim, nonsense and vanity.

With that, may we be zocheh to b’yas Moshiach tzidkeinu, b’mheira b’yameinu. Amen.

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

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Parsha

in 4

Parshas Shemos

By Eytan Kobre

Weekly Aggada And Pharaoh said, “Who is Hashem that I should listen to His voice to send the Jewish people? I do not know Hashem, and also the Jewish people I will not send” (Shemos 5:2) When Moshe and Aharon demanded, in the name of Hashem, that Pharoah free the Jewish people, Pharaoh reviewed his Scroll of Gods. In it, he read of the “gods” of Edom, Moav, Amon, Tzidon, and the other nations of the world – but he found nothing about Hashem. Hence, Pharaoh remarked, “I do not know Hashem.”

R’ Levi compared this episode to that involving the foolish servant of a kohen. Once, in search of his master the kohen, the servant stood beside a graveyard. “Has anyone seen my master, the kohen?” he called out. “Fool!” passersby mocked. “You won’t find a kohen in a graveyard!”

So, too, Moshe and Aharon responded to Pharaoh: “Fool! One does not search for the dead amongst the living, nor for the living amongst the dead. The ‘gods’ you read of are dead; our G-d is ‘a living G-d, and King for eternity.’ You will not find Him amongst the roster of the dead gods” (Tanchuma, Va’era 5).

Weekly Mussar And it was on the way, at an inn, and G-d confronted him and sought to kill him (Shemos 5:24) After Moshe accepted his fate as the redeemer of the Jewish people, G-d told him to leave Midyan, return to Egypt, and tell Pharaoh to free the Jewish people. Moshe, his wife Tzipora, and their two sons began the journey to Egypt. En route, however, Moshe was confronted by an angel,

who tried to kill him for not yet having circumcised his son, Eliezer (see Rashi, Shemos 5:24).

But it seems unfair to punish Moshe so severely for not having circumcised his son. After all, if Moshe was lax in doing so, was it not because he was busy fulfilling G-d’s directive to rescue the Jewish people? Certainly that monumental task would excuse a delay in circumcising his son. Indeed, “one who is busy performing a commandment is absolved from performing another commandment” (Sukka 25a and Aruch LaNer ad loc.). So why the harsh punishment?

Rav Elazar Menachem Man Shach explains that whatever the enormity of the great commandments we might fulfill and monumental projects we might undertake, we must never neglect our personal obligations (Meirosh Amana, Shemos). No matter how important our great deeds – even saving the entire Jewish people – we must never neglect the obligations we have to ourselves and to others. Those come first.

Weekly Halacha And Tzipora took a rock and cut the foreskin of her son (Shemos 4:25) While women are exempt from performing a bris milah (Kiddushin 29a), there is some disagreement as to whether a woman is permitted to perform one: Rav holds they may not (because a woman does not receive a bris milah, she is not among those who may perform a bris milah); R’ Yochanan holds they may (a woman does not receive a bris milah, but is not lacking one) (Avoda Zara 27a).

But if a woman may not perform a bris milah (Rav), how then could Tzipora have circumcised her son, Eliezer? Either she directed a man to

perform the circumcision or she commenced the circumcision and Moshe completed it – either one of which, presumably, would have been permitted (Avoda Zara 27a).

While many rule that women may indeed perform a bris milah (Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deiah 264:1; Rambam, Mila 2:1; BaHaG [cited in Tosfos, Avoda zara 27a]), others disagree – and the prevailing custom is to try to find a man to perform the bris milah (Tosfos, Avoda Zara 27a; Rama, Yoreh Dei’ah 264:1). Some even go so far as to prohibit a woman from performing a bris milah even if there is no man available to do so (Bach, Yoreh Dei’ah 264:1).

Nor should a woman serve as the sandek at a bris milah, either out of modesty (Rama, Yoreh Deiah 265:11) or because it is tantamount to performing the bris milah itself (Divrei Malkiel, Vol. IV, No. 86) or because it is tantamount to offering incense in the Bais HaMikdash (which may be performed only by men) (Rav Pa’alim [Ben Ish Chai], Part IV, Sod Yesharim, Responsa 11). A minority opinion maintains that the mother of the child being circumcised, but not other women, may indeed serve as sandek (Yosef Ometz 85 [Chida]).

And the daughter of Pharaoh descended to bathe at the Nile, and her maidens walked along the banks of the Nile, and she saw the basket amidst the reeds, and she sent her maidservant and she took it in (Shemos 2:5)

mark Jewish trait of mercy (Yevamos 89a) – she saw the baby Moshe and just had to save him.

Beginning in 1755, R’ Yosef Chaim Dovid Azulai (the “Chida”; 1724-1806) traveled Europe extensively, leaving his mark on nearly every community he visited. The year 1777 found him in France, where he spent months examining collections of manuscripts of rabbinic literature (later documented in his work, Shem HaGedolim).

One day, the Chida was walking along the banks of the Seine River in Paris, when, suddenly, he heard shrieking in the distance. Looking upstream, he spotted a young boy who had tumbled into the river and was unable to swim. His desperate mother shrieked in terror as her young son barely kept his head above water as he was rushed downstream.

As the drowning boy approached, the Chida dove headfirst into the raging river to save the boy. After a brief struggle, he managed to grab hold of the boy and drag him ashore, unconscious but alive. The boy soon came to, as his frantic but grateful mother rushed to his side.

As it turns out, the young boy was none other than the prince of France; his mother, the Queen.

“Tell me, Rabbi,” asked the Queen, after thanking the Chida profusely.

“Why did you put yourself in harm’s way to save my boy? Is he not a gentile and are you not a Jew?” “Pardon me, my lady,” replied the Chida, “but to save someone drowning is an obligation incumbent upon all mankind – Jew and gentile alike – for we were all created by G-d and made in His image” (Avos 3:14).

The daughter of Pharaoh was immersing herself in the Nile River as part of her conversion to Judaism (Sota 12b). Immediately upon becoming Jewish – and acquiring the trade-

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

Weekly Anecdote

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My Israel Home

Eilat More Than a Vacation Destination

By Gedaliah Borvick Eilat in 1963

S

omeone recently contacted me expressing interest in moving to Eilat, the holiday resort town on the southern tip of Israel. That interesting request caught my immediate attention, and I peppered him with many questions: are you in the hotel industry? No. Are you an avid scuba diver, windsurfer or sailor? No, no and no. So, what is the allure of Eilat? Simon explained that he works for a start-up firm in travel tech, and the company wants him to open an office in Eilat, a city which is making great strides in this field.

Israel is a trailblazer in the travel technology industry and is home to more than three hundred travel tech startup companies. Due to Israel’s expertise, Booking.com, a world-leading website and search engine for travel and lodging reservations, recently opened a research and development center in Tel Aviv. Although travel

tech firms are found across the country, Eilat is gaining traction due to its ranking as Israel’s top travel destination. A vacation oasis on the shores of the Red Sea, Eilat has over 11,000 hotel rooms – followed by Jerusalem with 10,380 rooms and Tel Aviv-Jaffa with 7,900 rooms – and provides an ideal environment for startups to test their products and technologies.

Eilat is also a leader in tourist accessibility. Eilat’s new Ramon Airport, situated ten miles north of the city, will open in early 2019 and offer an impressive new international gateway to southern Israel and the Red Sea. The Ramon Airport is set to initially handle up to two million passengers a year and can be expanded to double its capacity. In addition, Eilat has an international seaport, which hosts cruise ships.

After learning about Eilat’s business appeal, in addition to its re-

nowned tourist industry, I now understood why Eilat is in rapid growth mode, with plans to triple the population from almost 50,000 to 150,0000 residents. The fact that housing prices are lower than in central Israel, coupled with Eilat being a free trade zone – which means that purchases are exempt from the 17% value added tax (VAT) – are significant selling points in attracting young families to the city.

Simon, an observant Jew, needed help to identify the right neighborhood for his family’s religious, social and educational needs. Eilat offers many synagogue options, and the schooling options reflect this wide spectrum of religious diversity, offering a broad array of educational choices from preschool through high school. The city also boasts numerous post-high school programs, including a satellite Ben Gurion University

campus as well as a Hesder yeshiva, which combines Judaic studies with military service. The yeshiva is a driving force behind the city’s religious institutions and programs, and many of its alumni hold key positions in the municipality’s educational system and social services programs.

Postscript: We helped Simon find a lovely apartment in the ideal neighborhood for his family, who quickly acclimated to their new surroundings. Like true natives, they have gone nautical and are enjoying sailing and scuba diving lessons in the Red Sea.

Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home (www.myisraelhome.com), a real estate agency focused on helping people from abroad buy and sell homes in Israel.

To sign up for his monthly market updates, contact him at gborvick@gmail.com.

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home

The Wandering

Jew

Leningrad – USSR 1979

By Hershel Lieber

I

t’s hard to explain, but I was always fascinated with Russia. The fact that everything about the Soviet Union was so mysterious made it more intriguing. Was it the combination of the despotic rulers, the communist party, the harsh winters, and by contrast, their beautiful music, spirited songs, and familiar ethnic foods that captivated my interest? Who knows?

In any case, as I was growing up, I was sort of hooked on Russia. When I was about twelve or thirteen years old, I wrote a complimentary letter to Premier Nikita Khrushchev about their space achievements. I received a response from his office, that said that he saw my letter and that he told his staff to send me stamps about their Sputnik program, which were enclosed.

As I grew older, I became more acquainted with the overbearing difficulties of being a Jew in Russia. Life in the Soviet Union was difficult for everyone.

Things that we in the United States take for granted – a decent standard of living, constitutionally guaranteed rights

and privileges, and the freedom from fear – did not exist there. For Jews, the government’s anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic rhetoric made life very painful, to say the least. For believing Jews,

a very limited dollar amount of possessions. This was the background of the USSR – and that was going to be our destination in 1979.

When I was about twelve or thirteen years old, I wrote a complimentary letter to Premier Nikita Khrushchev about their space achievements. the atheistic structure was an added prejudice against living a life with Yiddishkeit. In the 1970s, some Jews were finally allowed to leave, but many others were refused emigration. They were known as “refuseniks” and were harassed for just applying to leave.

Those who were allowed to leave had to pay an exit tax and could take along

Pesi and Hershel in Russia on their important mission

After my first trip to Poland in May of 1978, my desire to travel and see the world only grew stronger. My mother called it wanderlust, and my wife, Pesi, referred to me as having “ants in my pants.” However, you categorize it, I was itching to go on another trip. This time I wanted Pesi to come along, and we set our destinations as Prague, Bu-

dapest, Moscow and Leningrad. We both realized that the two Russian cities would not sit well with my in-laws, who spent many long years in Siberia, so we decided to tell them that we were only visiting the Czech and Hungarian capitals.

In February, I started planning the trip for after Pesach by applying for visas, ordering tickets, and booking hotel rooms. In the Soviet Union, this was all taken care of by a government tourist agency. We waited patiently, and after a few hitches and much time, everything fell into place. We made plans for my mother and mother-in-law to care for our three daughters, and we were set to leave on Sunday, April 29.

Originally our plans included the regular tourist sights in all those cities, as well as visiting synagogues and places of Jewish interest. We were to stay the first week in Prague and Budapest, of which I will write about in the future. The following week we would be in Leningrad for three days, and the final four days, including Shabbos, we were set to spend in Moscow. We were excited about this unusual trip and could not wait until we would leave.

What we did not expect, though, was that this trip would propell us towards a lifetime of involvement with Jews behind the Iron Curtain.

Rabbi Yakov Pollak, who was the rav of the Shomrei Emunah shul, lived on my block. At most, we would greet each other when passing with a “gut Shabbos.” What I did know was that Rabbi Pollak had traveled many times on assorted missions to the Soviet Union on behalf of the Al Tidom organization. A week before leaving on our trip, I passed Rabbi Pollak on Shabbos and stopped to tell him that we were

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018 The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

Hotel Leningrad

Hershel and Pesi with Dovid Rifkin

going and asked him for some tips. He immediately told me to come over the next morning to his house without any further explanation.

When I came over the next day, we spoke for over two hours, and not only did he give us some practical tips, he assigned us numerous missions to accomplish on behalf of Yidden in Russia.

At the core, our mission was to provide them with chizuk and support and to show empathy for their suffering.

The Choral Synagogue in Leningrad

Inside the Choral Synagogue in Leningrad

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There was one overriding mission that Rabbi Pollak hoped we would undertake. The mission would mainly

involve Pesi.

There was a frum, elderly Yid in Leningrad from a prominent Lubavitcher family by the name of Dovid Rifkin. His family had already emigrated to the United States, and he too received an exit permit to leave. As mentioned earlier, the Soviet Union would not allow him to take along possessions in excess value of $900.

His wife, who died earlier, left a pair of expensive diamond earrings which originally belonged to Dovid’s mother which he did not want to leave in Russia. The problem was how to get it out.

Here is where Pesi could help. The proposal was that Pesi would buy a fake pair of diamond earrings, wear it when arriving to Russia, and fill out a declaration that its value is $5,000. This way, she could take out the real pair of valuable earrings when leaving Russia.

Although there was risk involved, it seemed that our ruse could go through undetected. After thinking about it for a short while, we agreed that we would do it. Not knowing what the original earrings looked like, Pesi bought a cheap pair of rhinestone earrings with a stone in the center surrounded by a circle of smaller stones to wear on our trip.

Our arrival from Budapest on Sunday evening into Leningrad Airport was surprisingly uneventful. Our personal religious paraphernalia (tallis, tefillin and seforim) were not confiscated.

Our kosher food was questioned, but allowed to be brought in. Pesi declared the earrings in order to be able to take them out without any complications. A car provided by Intourist took us to the relatively modern looking Hotel Leningrad on the Neva River. The rooms were decent, with cheap modernish furnishings, but with an old-fashioned bathroom. On each floor of the hotel there was a “key woman,” who would return our room key every time we arrived. This was done mainly to keep

tabs on our comings and goings. We were told to never have any sensitive conversations in our room as the rooms were bugged. Also, we were cautioned not to make telephone calls to Yidden from the room. Nor, should we order a taxi from our hotel and give them our destination if we were meeting other Jews, they warned us. These rules would protect them, as well as us. We understood the rules, and we were meticulous about being careful.

At night, went out into a blistering cold wind blowing from the Neva River.

We crossed a bridge and found a public phone. I called to the home of Dovid Rifkin to make the connection and plan where and when we would meet.

The person who answered our “shalom” was not him, and we could not communicate. I didn’t speak Russian, and he did not know English, Yiddish, Hebrew or German. Then Pesi took the phone from me and asked him, “Parlez vous Francais,” and lo and behold he answered, “Oui.” With her best memory of high school French, she found out that Dovid would be home soon and would call us back at the hotel. Although we were worried about him calling the hotel, we had no other choice. He did call us a short while later, and we made up to meet at the Choral Synagogue the next morning.

We came to the synagogue early – a huge, ornate building slightly dilapidated whose main chamber was used only on Shabbos and yom tov. We davened in a small weekday bais medrash, where almost everyone was at least sixty years old or older. The men were friendly, but cautious, when speaking to us. We met many of the people Rabbi Pollak told us about. Then we noticed Dovid Rifkin, who was waiting patiently for us at the doorway. Dovid was a very friendly and warm person and spoke with a heavy Russian-accented Yiddish. He said that it was not safe to

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The streets in Russia decorated for Victory Day

talk in shul and asked that we come over to his apartment later that day.

Most of the day Pesi and I spent touring, first the Peter & Paul Fortress, then the Summer Gardens of the Czars, and later, walking on the Nevsky Prospekt, the main thoroughfare. Late in the day we took a taxi to Dovid’s apartment. We intentionally gave the driver an address a few doors away and waited awhile until he left before entering the dark hallway of Dovid’s building.

He welcomed us graciously, and we talked about life in Russia. He reminisced about his late wife and about his deceased mother. He told us of the difficulties he encountered until he got the exit visa. When we broached the subject of the earrings, he said he was hesitant about our plan to take them out. He said that he was mostly afraid for our security and was also worried that the earrings, which represent his whole life savings, would be confiscated. I tried to talk him into going through with our plan and reassured him that it was safe. I also cautioned him not lose this opportunity. We ended our visit with his commitment to think it over and to meet me in shul tomorrow.

When I arrived next day, Dovid told me that he resolutely decided against sending the earrings out. I tried again to convince him, and he promised to call me at six in the evening with his final decision. Later, he called punctually at six and told us that after taking advice from someone who has more knowledge about these issues, he decided to go ahead with the scheme.

We met at 10:30 at night at the bridge across the hotel where Dovid handed over to Pesi the true gems.

Pesi gave him the fake ones, so that we should not be caught with both. It was interesting to note that the bridge was by the corner of the KGB headquarters, the place the Lubavitcher Rebbe was held in prison. Under their noses

this exchange took place. Dovid and I hugged and kissed, and there were tears running down his cheeks. The earrings, his last connection to his late wife and mother, would soon await his arrival in New York.

Postscript: Although the earrings were so different in size and style from the ones Pesi wore when she arrived in Russia, we encountered no difficulties when we departed. When we returned home, we met Dovid’s sister and family and we gave them these personal and valuable gems which once belonged to her mother. Again, there were tears amidst the joy of recovering this treasure. We were repeatedly blessed for undertaking this successful mission.

Post-Postscript: Dovid Rifkin never made it out of Russia. Just before he was supposed to leave, he became sick and, soon after that, he was niftar.

These earrings are a memento to his courage in sending them out and reuniting them with his family.

Hershel Lieber has been involved in kiruv activities for over 30 years. As a founding member of the Vaad L’Hatzolas Nidchei Yisroel he has traveled with his wife, Pesi, to the Soviet Union during the harsh years of the Communist regimes to advance Yiddishkeit. He has spearheaded a yeshiva in the city of Kishinev that had 12 successful years with many students making Torah their way of life. In Poland, he lectured in the summers at the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation camp for nearly 30 years. He still travels to Warsaw every year – since 1979 – to be the chazzan for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur for the Jews there. Together with Pesi, he organized and led trips to Europe on behalf of Gateways and Aish Hatorah for college students finding their paths to Jewish identity. His passion for travel has taken them to many interesting places and afforded them unique experiences. Their open home gave them opportunities to meet and develop relationships with a variety of people. Hershel’s column will appear in The Jewish Home on a bi-weekly basis.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

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PLACES in the SPOTLIGHT // 2018 Year in Review HELSINKI After meeting for extended faceto-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 16, President Donald Trump and Putin emerged to face the press in what many consider not to have been Trump’s finest hour. Mr. Trump declined to confirm the assessment of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia meddled in the U.S. elections. Putin seemed to toy with Trump and even gave him a FIFA soccer ball and quipped, “Now the ball is in your court.”

The Secret Service quickly secured the ball and flagged it as a security risk.

PARADISE, CALIFORNIA This Northern California town was devastated by the wildfires that raged in November, killing at least 87 people, burning 153,336 acres, and destroying 13,972 homes and 528 commercial buildings.

HAWAII’S BIG ISLAND After a series of earthquakes, Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupted on May 3, opening fissures which caused ash plumes as high as 30,000 feet above sea level to spew out of the summit and sent lava pouring into residential areas, destroying 700 homes.

WINDSOR CASTLE, ENGLAND 18 million people in the United Kingdom and 28 million people across the pond in the U.S. tuned into this year’s royal wedding when Prince Harry took American actress Meghan Markle as his princess on May 19. The wedding, which cost an estimated $45 million, was attended by 600 invited guests as well as 2,640 members of the public who were present to witness the wedding procession on the grounds of Windsor Castle. After the wedding, more than 100,000 well-wishers gathered on the streets of Windsor to watch the newlyweds’ carriage procession.

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JERUSALEM On May 14, the United States officially moved its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Despite a 1995 U.S. law that requires the United States to move its embassy to Jerusalem, there hadn’t been a U.S. president since then who had the moxie to formally move the embassy from Tel Aviv.

When Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel last year and then moved the embassy in May, he made lifelong friends with Jews and Israelis around the world. The Palestinians, though, were none too happy. The U.S. president noted that the embassy move took Jerusalem, “the toughest part of [peace] negotiations, off the table.” Signs in Hebrew and English thanking Trump were plastered on buses and walls around the Israeli capital during the embassy’s opening.

THAM LUANG CAVE, THAILAND On June 23, twelve boys and their soccer coach went exploring in a cave when monsoon rains flooded the cave and trapped them. They were presumed dead.

Nine days later, they were all miraculously found alive, 2.5 miles from the cave’s entrance.

But getting the boys out of the cave proved challenging due to rising water filling sections of the cave. Numerous options were considered, including teaching the boys to swim out with scuba gear or leaving them with supplies to wait until the water drains away after the monsoon season would end four months later.

Various countries – including Israel, which sent communication technology which was used throughout the rescue effort – joined together, and within 17 days all the boys and their coach were rescued. The extraction was fraught with danger, with each boy being accompanied by professional divers, who guided them through flooded areas while wearing full scuba gear.

SENTOSA, SINGAPORE

MARS On November 26, NASA’s InSight lander landed on Mars with the goal of giving the Red Planet its first thorough checkup. Since landing, it has been providing photos of Mars, including a selfie which it took by using a robotic arm.

After months of preparation President Trump met with North Korean dictator Kim Jung Un, AKA “Little Rocket Man,” on June 14. After meeting with Kim for approximately five hours, the two agreed to denuclearization in North Korea but the terms were vague. “Today is the beginning of an arduous process; our eyes are wide open,” declared President Trump. Kim said, “Many people in the world will think of this as a form of fantasy from a science fiction movie.”

The two seemed to click, with Trump quipping to photographers at one point, “Getting a good picture, everybody? So we look nice and handsome and thin and perfect?”

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INTERNATIONAL order UPENDED // 2018 Year in Review

MEXICO // Swept into office with 53% of the vote, Mexico’s new president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, took office on December 1. The left-leaning populist promised to change the strategy on Mexico’s decades-long failed war on drugs and to take on corruption by government officials. Although he penned a tome titled, “A New Hope for Mexico: Saying No to Corruption, Violence, and Trump’s Wall,” since taking office, he has worked closely with the Trump administration, shocking many. “We are in constant communication, and the communication is good. Relations are good,” he told reporters about his relationship with Trump.

“It is very likely that in coming days we will talk with President Donald Trump about this issue in particular, the immigration issue,” he added. Keep Chuck and Nancy out of that meeting.

FRANCE // In 2017, President Emmanuel Macron won almost two-thirds of the national vote. Now, his approval ratings are in the low-twenties. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to weather the daily “yellow vest” protests, which were triggered by a new fuel tax and have festered due to anger over a combination of low wages, high taxes and high unemployment that have left many people in the country struggling financially. Clad in their emblematic luminous yellow safety jackets, protesters have set fire to cars, burned barricades, and smashed windows in pockets of violence across Paris and beyond. After weeks of largely ignoring the protests, Macron finally addressed France on December 10. In a short speech, Macron declared that he would increase France’s minimum wage and slash overtime and some pension taxes. He also scrubbed the new carbon tax. It remains to be seen whether France will give their young leader a second chance.

ISRAEL // As the longest-serving prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu may be Teflon. But whether he can weather the latest corruption storm remains to be seen. In June, his wife, Sara, was indicted on charges that she allegedly used state money to pay for $100,000 worth of meals at the prime minister’s residence. That case is known as the “Meals Ordering Affair.” Netanyahu himself is a person of interest in two corruption investigations, known as cases 1000 and 2000, and Israeli police recently recommended indicting him on charges of bribery and corruption in a third case. At a rally for Likud party members, Netanyahu quipped, “If there will be recommendations [to indict me] – so what? The vast majority of police recommendations end with nothing.” Despite being mired in multiple scandals, Netanyahu remains popular and, when early elections are held on April 9, the Likud – with Netanyahu at the helm – may win the most seats by far. Whether that is enough to evade the long and notso-steady hand of Israeli justice remains to be seen.

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ENGLAND // In July of 2016, Theresa May became Britain’s prime minister after the UK voted in favor of leaving the European Union in a vote known as “Brexit.” With Britain nearly evenly split on Brexit, Prime Minister May’s main task as leader is negotiating her country’s exit from the EU by March 29, 2019. The European Union is not doing her any favors: England’s economy is deeply intertwined with the EU, and the EU leadership in Brussels has put forth terms that would require England to continue to be bound by rules on taxation, competition policy, environmental policy, etc. Brexit supporters see May as weak, and, although she survived a no-confidence vote in early December, she remains very much against the ropes.

SAUDI ARABIA // Since being selected in 2017, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, age 33, has been hailed as the face of reform who would usher western values into the protective Islamic society of the Saudi Arabia and beyond. With his diversification of Saudi Arabia’s economy and close relationship with Jared Kushner and the Trump administration, MBS, as he is known, was quickly becoming a powerbroker in the Middle East and the world. Not only does he share America and Israel’s view on the dangers of Iran, but he also is the first to imply a changing attitude towards Israel in general. But one decision may cost him a seat on the world stage. On October 2, a Saudi Arabian death squad of 15 assassins killed well-known journalist and critic of the Saudi government Jamal Khashoggi while he was in Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Although it can’t be said in this case that the cover-up was worse than the crime – chopping up an individual and making a body disappear in the Saudi Arabian consulate is pretty gruesome – the cover-up was messy as well. A few days after the murder, MBS denied the killing, telling Bloomberg that Khashoggi left after “a few minutes or one hour” after entering the consulate. After dancing around the issue in the face of mounting evidence, Saudi Arabia finally admitted that Khashoggi was killed in their consulate in Istanbul after a fight broke out with the people he met there. By October 24, MBS had called Khashoggi’s killing a “heinous crime that cannot be justified,” and in November Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor announced that five of those involved in the murder will face the death penalty. Although it is obvious that responsibility lies with MBS, and the U.S. Senate has even passed a resolution condemning him, he continues to deny personal involvement. Perhaps he can join OJ in the search for the real killers.

GERMANY // As President Trump threatened to shake things up on the world stage, many turned to German Chancellor Angela Merkel as the “new leader of the West.”

But throughout 2018, her CDU party suffered repeated losses, and on December 7, 2018, she stepped down as leader of the CDU party after 18 years as party chief. Although she will remain chancellor of Germany until the end of the parliamentary term in 2021, Merkel’s power on the geopolitical stage has been diminished.

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WINNERS by the NUMBERS // 2018 Year in Review

26

30,000 Number of Big Macs that Don Gorske, 64, of Wisconsin – who runs marathons and boasts of low cholesterol and perfect blood pressure – ate as of May 4 of this year, after having gone only 8 days over the past four decades without having eaten a Big Mac.

The amount of watermelons that A shr it a F ur ma n sliced on his own stomach in one minute on July 12th, earning him a new Guinness Book of World Records title for, well, amount of watermelons sliced on one’s own stomach in a minute. He broke the record by six watermelons, which is real surprising…because it means that there’s someone else out there who is also really bored.

$400,000 The amount that Victor Amole won on February 3 when he purchased four tickets to Virginia Lottery’s Cash 5 game, all with the same numbers, winning $100,000 for each ticket - after he saw the winning numbers in a dream - he claims.

Amount won on October 25 in South Carolina by for the largest ever lotto. The winner has yet to come forward.

$1,537,000,000

The 27, 2015 2018 TheJewish JewishHome Home| DECEMBER | OCTOBER 29,

4 minutes and 43.2 seconds

Number of medals, 14 of which were gold, that Norway won in the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, dominating the other 92 countries, including the U.S. which finished fourth in the medal count with 23, nine of which were gold.

39

74 Amount of hot dogs Joey Chestnut chomped down in 10 minutes winning his 11th Nathan’s Fourth of July Hot Dog-Eating Contest on Coney Island.

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Amount of time that it took Boston University student Zach Prescott to run a mile while juggling a trio of lacrosse balls on May 23, setting a new world record for that “sport,” I guess.

Score of the World Cup final between France and Croatia on July 16, earning France its second World Cup title.

4-2 Days it took Ross Edgley, 33, to complete his record-making 1,791-mile swim around Britain. Along the way he sustained 37 jellyfish stings.

He consumed between 10,0 0 0 a n d 15,000 calor ies each day to f uel his daily 12 hours of swimming.

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

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the YEAR in ART // 2018 Year in Review Going, Going, Gone

Obama in the Field In February, President Obama’s official portrait was unveiled at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery to oohs and…uhhhs?!! Well, rather than describe the portrait, take a look for yourself. Artist Kehinde Wiley, who is famous for his depiction of African-Americans, said at the unveiling, “You don’t hire Kehinde Wiley to have a tame painting.” Mr. Obama quipped at the reveal of the portrait, “I tried to negotiate less gray hair but Kehinde’s artistic integrity would not allow it. I tried to negotiate smaller ears and struck out on that as well.” Hopefully Obama doesn’t have allergies.

The ever-elusive artist Banksy’s “Girl With Balloon” painting was auctioned off Sotheby’s in London on October 12 and fetched $1,400,000.

Moments after the auctioneer’s gavel fell, though, alarms sounded, and the canvas depicting a girl reaching out for a red, heart-shaped balloon suddenly slid down into a shredder hidden inside the picture frame, leaving most of canvas in strips and the crowd aghast. After a few moments of chaos, everyone realized that they had been “Banksy’d.” Banksy summed up the stunt on his Instagram account: “Going, going, gone,” he wrote, alongside an image of stunned onlookers watching the painting shred. The unidentified buyer chose to proceed with the $1.4 million purchase of the now-shredded painting which was renamed “Love is in the Bin.” Sotheby’s proudly declared, “This unexpected piece of performance art became instant art world history, making it the first time a new work had been created in the course of an auction.” As Van Gogh said about art, “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” Seems like it helps to have a shredder as well.

Pool with Two Figures Although 2018 was not a record year for art sold, there were some hefty sales. In May, Sotheby’s New York broke its own sales record selling Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani’s “Nu couché (sur le côté gauche)” measuring 58 inches across, for $157.2 million. In November, Christie’s made David Hockney, age 81, the most expensive living artist after his “Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)” was auctioned off for $90.3 million. In May, the art collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller became the most expensive estate in history after a Christie’s New York auction garnered $646 million for the couple’s collection. Included in the 44 pieces sold was a $115 million sale of Picasso’s “Fillette à la corbeille fleurie” (1905) and Monet’s “Nymphéas en fleur” (1914–17), which went for $84.7 million.

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all GOOD THINGS must come to an END //

2018 Year in Review

FIRED //

Megyn Kelly //

Roseanne Barr //

ABOUT FACE

BLAME IT ON AMBIEN

After bolting from Fox News for NBC, Megyn Kelly was slated to be the new face of morning TV. Armed with her own morning show and a three-year $69 million contract, she took to the airwaves…to sluggish reviews. It all came to a crashing end a little more than a year into her new gig when on October 23 – during a discussion about Halloween – the topic of using blackface to dress as an African-American celebrity came up. Kelly opined, “You do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface for Halloween, or a black person who puts on whiteface for Halloween, but back when I was a kid, that was okay as long as you were dressing up as, like, a character.” The PC police sent out a Mayday signal, and within a week Kelly was sayonara.

“I want to begin with two words: I’m sorry.”- Megyn Kelly, on her show the next morning, making an apology which the PC police did not accept.

“Roseanne” was an instant hit when it returned to TV in March 2018 after a two-decade hiatus, with 18.4 million viewers tuning into its first episode. But in a flash, it was gone. Its demise came on the heels of a tweet by the show’s biggest star and namesake, Roseanne Barr, when she oddly wrote on May 28 that former Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett, who is black, is like a cross between the Muslim Brotherhood and the “Planet of the Apes.” ABC immediately canceled the show. “Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show,” said ABC in a one sentence statement axing the show.

Barr blamed her comment on “Ambien tweeting,” indicating that she was using the medication as a sleep aid and that caused her to tweet incoherently at 2AM. “Not giving excuses for what I did (tweeted) but I’ve done weird stuff while on Ambien,” she said. Ambien’s parent company rejected Ms. Barr’s excuse and noted that “racism is not a known side effect of” Ambien.

NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman // NEW YORK’S ABUSER IN CHIEF Until his abrupt resignation on May 7, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman was seen as one of the “Me Too” movement’s strongest advocates. Eight years into his tenure as the chief law enforcement officer of New York State he was not only seen as a formidable politician but also was hailed by many, including Politico, as the “emerging leader of the Trump resistance movement.” Schneiderman was the pillar of virtue who would take on the vain and vulgar commander-in-chief. But a mere three hours after he was outed by the New Yorker magazine as a serial domestic violence abuser and a drunk, Schneiderman saw the writing on the wall and abruptly resigned from office. The salacious details – the night before Trump’s inauguration he got so drunk out of desperation that he slipped on glass in his home and ended up in the hospital –were quickly pushed under the rug and rarely spoken about again by the media.

Les Moonves // HE TOO Les Moonves, who made $650 million as CEO of CBS, was the world’s top media executive, earning a cool $69.3 million in 2017. Now he is out of a job, after it was disclosed that he too was an abuser of women. As part of his termination agreement with CBS, the company said it would conduct an investigation into the extent of the allegations against him, with a $120 million payout put in a holdover trust pending the results of an investigation. Of course, the media company said that the results of the investigation into their 15-year head will remain confidential. This week, though, it was decided that Les will walk away with no money from his severance package, although we’re pretty sure his bank account isn’t crying.

TheJewish JewishHome Home| DECEMBER | OCTOBER 29, The 27, 2015 2018

LOST // New York Mets On August 1, the New York Mets suffered their worst defeat in their 57-year history when they were defeated 25-4 by the Washington Nationals. After getting off to a 11-1 start, the Mets season felt more like their August 1st loss. They ended the season with 77 wins and 85 losses.

There’s always next season, fans…or the one after that.

Andrew McCabe // LANDMINE LAYER STEPS IN LANDMINE On March 17, two days before his retirement – when his pension would have kicked in— Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, ending the career of an official who had risen to serve as second-in-command at the bureau. Although McCabe claimed that his firing was “part of a larger effort not just to slander me personally, but to taint the FBI, law enforcement, and intelligence professionals more generally” by the Trump administration, his firing was recommended by the Office of Professional Responsibility after it was revealed that he had lied to investigators regarding leaks to the media. According to some, McCabe’s demise is poetic justice: it was recently revealed that he was integral in snaring former Trump National Security Advisor General Michael Flynn into lying to federal investigators in early 2017 when he urged Flynn to meet without FBI agents without White House lawyers present, claiming that a limited meeting would be the “quickest” and that “they wanted Flynn to be relaxed.” Flynn was charged with lying during that meeting, leading to his demise.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg In a year of data breaches, bad press and stock decline, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg lost an estimated $15 billion in 2018, making him the billionaire who lost the most money in 2018.

Before you start a charity fund for him, keep in mind that he’s still worth approximately $55 billion.

Michihito Matsuda In pursuit of a better, less corrupt political structure, a robot named Michihito Matsuda ran for mayor in Tokyo’s Tama City. The robot’s bid to become the world’s first artificial mayor was financed by two men with links to two of the biggest technology companies in the world: Tetsuo Matsumoto, vice president of global software provider SoftBank, and former Google Japan employee Norio Murakami. While Matsuda lost to the incumbent, the robot still managed to get 4,000 votes.

The worst part about it is that Michihito can’t bury its woes in a bowl of ice cream.

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all GOOD THINGS must come to an END //

2018 Year in Review

CLOSED // Toys ‘R’ Us 142 Sears Stores Another casualty of declining brick and mortar stores, the once-dominant retail chain that changed how Americans shopped and lived filed for bankruptcy in October. The 132-year-old company, which was the first “everything store” stocking everything from jewelry to clothing, from hardware to prefabricated homes, has been in steady decline over the past decade. In 2009, there were 3,921 Sears stores; now there are approximately only 700 left.

Experts put the chances of Sears surviving at slim-to-none. Aside for grappling with a pension of roughly 100,000 retirees that is underfunded by at least $1.5 billion, the money generated at the stores is insufficient to pay the company’s bills. Some vendors, like Whirlpool, stopped supplying to Sears altogether.

To-date, Sears has spun out 250 of its best properties into real estate investment trust offshoots known as Seritage. If Sears’ recent history is an indication, it’s “Searsyonara” to Sears.

This closing strikes close to the heart of anyone who ever sang the “I don’t want to grow up. I’m a Toys ‘R’ Us kid” jingle. In the age of Amazon, e-commerce and facing competition from Walmart and Target, the toy store buckled under its debt and filed for bankruptcy in September, closing 744 stores in the U.S. The store may be gone, but the jingle – and Geoffrey –will live in our hearts.

Brookstone Next time you are in a mall and feel like you need to sit down for a quick massage, you won’t have the Brookstone store to head to. The store of quirky gadgets filed for bankruptcy in August and is closing all 102 of its mall stores. Brookstone will still keep its 35 airport locations open.

So, if you have a sudden need to purchase Golf Ball Finding Glasses that can morph into a pocket drone, you will just have to go to the airport. Once you’re there, enjoy the massage chair!

600 Mattress Firm Stores After restructuring its debt in bankruptcy proceedings in October, Mattress Firm closed 600 stores. Although that sounds like a lot of stores, they still have 2,600 open Mattress Firm stores across the U.S. And, for today only, they are running an 11-hour mattress sale… Hurry! This sale ends fast.

TheJewish JewishHome Home| DECEMBER | OCTOBER 29, The 27, 2015 2018

RIP

DIED //

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN // August 25, age 81, Vietnam War hero and U.S. Senator for Arizona

BARBARA BUSH //

PRESIDENT GEORGE H. W. BUSH //

April 17, age 92, wife of President George H.W. Bush; mother of President George W. Bush

November 30, age 94, 41st President of the United States

“At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent.”

“Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people – your family, friends, and coworkers, and even strangers you meet along the way.”

“You must read to your children and you must hug your children and you must love your children. Your success as a family, our success as a society, depends not on what happens in the White House, but on what happens inside your house.”

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“Read my lips: no new taxes.”

“I do not like broccoli. And I haven’t liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I’m President of the United States and I’m not going to eat any more broccoli.”

“Never ask anyone over 70 how they feel.

They’ll tell you.”

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER // June 21, age 68, Pulitzer Prize winning conservative author and columnist

“If only we remember that and give each other the benefit of the presumption that we all love our country, we’ll get through these challenging times. We will come through them stronger than before. We always do. Ten years ago, I had the privilege to concede defeat in the election for president. I want to end my farewell to you with heartfelt faith in Americans that I felt so powerfully that evening. I feel it powerfully still. Do not despair of our present difficulties, we believe always in the promise and greatness of America because nothing is inevitable here.

Americans never quit, we never surrender, we never hide from history, we make history. Farewell fellow Americans. G-d bless you, and G-d bless America.” – Ending of his final statement

ANTHONY BOURDAIN // June 8, age 61, celebrity chef and host of iconic food and travel show, “Parts Unknown”

“You’re betraying your whole life if you don’t say what you think – and you don’t say it honestly and bluntly.”

“You’ve got to learn the texts, you have to know Talmud, you have to be able to read Rashi, you have to know what’s there.”

“Israel is the very embodiment of Jewish continuity: It is the only nation on earth that inhabits the same land, bears the same name, speaks the same language and worships the same G-d that it did 3,000 years ago.”

“I leave this life with no regrets. It was a wonderful life – full and complete with the great loves and great endeavors that make it worth living. I am sad to leave, but I leave with the knowledge that I lived the life that I intended.”

– The ending of his parting article

“The way you make an omelet reveals your character.”

“When dealing with complex transportation issues, the best thing to do is pull up with a cold beer and let somebody else figure it out.”

“I learned a long time ago that trying to micromanage the perfect vacation is always a disaster. That leads to terrible times.”

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all GOOD THINGS must come to an END //

2018 Year in Review

TRUMP’S REVOLVING CABINET DOORS // DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY ECONOMIC COUNCIL

OUT

Larry Kudlow A Reagan Administration veteran and an advocate of supply-side economics and deregulation, Kudlow built a cult following as a TV economic commentator and host. Although he differs with Trump on tariffs (in a tweet before joining the administration he declared “Trump’s steel tariffs are a ‘crisis of logic’ – and the equivalent of a tax hike”), he is bullish on Trump and the U.S. economy.

“Right now, the U.S. is carrying the ball. I don’t see an end to it. With all due respect, I don’t think this is anything resembling a sugar high. President Trump has changed the incentives in the economy. The war on business is over,” he recently declared.

Gary Cohen A former Democrat, he was a free trade advocate in an America First administration. Cohen resigned on March 6 after President Trump announced steel and aluminum tariffs that he opposed.

SECRETARY OF STATE

OUT Rex Tillerson Trump and his outsider-pick for secretary of state, former Exxon-Mobile CEO Tillerson, butted heads from the start of the administration, resulting in Trump giving Rex the ax on March 13. The feud continues with Tillerson recently dishing that Trump is “pretty undisciplined, doesn’t like to read, doesn’t read briefing reports, doesn’t like to get into the details of a lot of things, but rather just kind of says, ‘This is what I believe.’” Trump tweeted in response that Tillerson was “dumb as a rock, and I couldn’t get rid of him fast enough. He was lazy as [anything].” Sharpen those knives.

NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR H.R. McMaster Although McMaster looked the part and had a storied career as a highly decorated military official, he was seen as a “deep stater” within the Trump administration. Many, including Breitbart News and Carolyn Glick of the Jerusalem Post, accused him of harboring anti-Israel sentiments and believed that he worked to get rid of pro-Israel personnel on the National Security Council. On March 22, McMaster was asked to resign his post.

OUT

John Bolton The mustached Bolton, who served as George W. Bush’s UN ambassador, is fiercely pro-Israel and is known as a hawk. Moments after being picked as the new national security advisor, he noted, “If you want peace, prepare for war.” While in Israel, shortly after taking his post, Bolton declared, “We’ve got great challenges for Israel, for the United States, and for the whole world. The Iranian nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs are right at the top of the list.”

Mike Pompeo When he was transferred by the president from leading the CIA to head the State Department, Pompeo became the first person to have served as both CIA director and secretary of state. Pompeo, who graduated first in his class at West Point Military Academy, hit the ground running as secretary of state and has quickly become a Trump fave, leading the initiative to change the status quo with North Korea. He is a fierce defender of the president and has crisscrossed the globe visiting hotspots from Pyongyang to Saudi Arabia and beyond.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Jeff Sessions It can be argued that nobody has done more harm to the Trump administration than Jeff Sessions. Although he was an early backer of then-candidate Trump and was awarded with the prestigious position as head of the Department of Justice, he quickly stepped in “it” and recused himself from anything to do with the “Russia investigation.” That decision ultimately paved the way for the appointment of Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller. Trump never forgave Sessions for that and couldn’t get rid of him soon enough – on the morning of November 8, the day after the midterm elections.

OUT

William Barr Trump initially replaced Sessions with acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, whose appointment caused many on the left to have conniptions because of his vocal and unabashed critique of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. Last week, Trump nominated William Barr, who previously served as attorney general from 1991 to 1993 under President George H.W. Bush, to be the next attorney general.

Barr, who is a hard-liner on immigration, is seen as a good choice to take over for Jeff Sessions who, despite his ineptitude when it came to the Mueller investigation, was also strong on immigration.

U.N. AMBASSADOR

OUT

Nikki Haley The former governor of South Carolina was the perfect Trump voice in the United Nations. For two years she called out the hypocrisy and folly of the nations of the world who gather and scheme against Israel and the U.S. On October 9, Haley announced that she would leave her post at year’s end. Sitting alongside the president while announcing her resignation, Haley sang the praises of the Trump White House, especially Jared Kushner, whom she called “such a hidden genius that no one understands.” Trump joined in the choir and sang Haley’s praises and predicted that she would at some point return to his administration in some capacity. In the meantime, he predicted, she’s “going to make a lot of money.”

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VETERANS AFFAIRS SECRETARY David Shulkin As the only holdover from the Obama administration to serve in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet, Shulkin fell out of grace when a damning governmental oversight report criticized him for wasteful and unethical actions during a 10-day official Veterans Affairs department trip overseas. During a Congressional hearing, Shulkin admitted that he wrongly accepted Wimbledon tickets and airfare for his wife and acknowledged that the “optics of this are not good.” On March 28 he was shown the door.

OUT

Robert Wilkie Wilkie, who was plucked from the Pentagon where he served as Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, was Trump’s second choice for the position. His first choice was the presidential doctor, Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson. But Dr. Jackson’s nomination was hampered by a flurry of allegations about Jackson’s professional conduct. Although he vehemently denied the allegations and said, “If they had any merit, I would not have been selected, promoted and entrusted to serve in such a sensitive and important role as physician to three presidents over the past 12 years,” Jackson withdrew his nomination. Wilkie was chosen instead.

Heather Nauert Nauert is new to government service and foreign policy after a career as a commentator at Fox News, but she has performed well in her current role as State Department spokeswoman.

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all GOOD THINGS must come to an END //

CHIEF OF STAFF

OUT

John Kelly On December 8, it was announced that Chief of Staff John Kelly will be leaving his post at the end of 2018. Kelly, who is a retired general, is credited with bringing order to the West Wing after he took over for the inexperienced Reince Priebus.

But according to reports, though, Kelly fell out of the president’s good graces over the last several months.

2018 Year in Review

INTERIOR SECRETARY

DEFENSE SECRETARY

Ryan Zinke Zinke faced multiple inquiries by his department’s inspector general and congressional investigators since he took office, including into his travel and whether he was improperly involved in a real estate development in his hometown. After top House Democrat Rep. Raul Grijalva called for Zinke’s resignation in November, Zinke responded, “It’s hard for him to think straight from the bottom of the bottle. This is coming from a man who used nearly $50,000 in tax dollars as hush money to cover up his drunken and hostile behavior.” On December 15, it was announced that he will leave his post at year’s end.

James Mattis Just days before the sun set on 2018, Defense Secretary James Mattis handed in his resignation letter to President Trump – perhaps as a twisted holiday present? Mattis handed the commander-in-chief a two-page letter on Thursday, December 20. “Because you have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position,” Mattis wrote. Ouch. A much-decorated military general, Mattis had been part of a group within the Trump administration who viewed their roles in the administration as a duty to the country.

OUT

No replacement yet

OUT

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Dating Dialogue

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

Dear Navidaters,

This is not your typical shidduch question, but I feel like I have nowhere else to go to get a variety of objective opinions to my situation, which is quite bleak. So I’ll try to get to the bottom line, even though my story could fill a book.

I got married very young, and I blame myself and my parents for doing very little investigating into the boy’s background. I think had any of us asked a few basic questions, we would have realized that we were dealing with someone unstable from a very questionable past. But I was naïve and I guess my parents were even more naïve and so I married someone with a terrible past who was terrible to me. I had a child very quickly, but knew right away that I had to leave. I began my divorce proceedings while I was still pregnant. I don’t know how I survived all of that, and I think it’s taken so much out of me that I’m not the same strong person I once was.

Fast forward three years, and I was set up with Yosef. I tried to ask a lot of questions and really thought that I was being smart this time around and did enough research to guarantee a successful marriage. After Yosef and I were married for about six months, he lost his very high-paying, respectable job. At first he was confident that he would find something equally prestigious, but somehow that hasn’t happened. After being unemployed for close to a year, and I think this might be hard to believe, his personality has completely shifted. He has become depressed, irritable, and constantly angry at me. I feel like I’m married to a stranger who is making my life beyond miserable. It feels like my first marriage! And again, I find myself pregnant. Yosef refuses to go for therapy, says we can’t afford it and even if we could, he’s not interested. Every day of my life, I feel as though more and more of myself is being ripped to shreds, and, if depressions were contagious, I’m catching it from him.

My question is so basic: I’m not sure I have the energy to go through with another divorce, but if I could, would anyone set up a two-time loser like myself? Would there be any hope for me to ever meet anyone “normal” and kind? The thought of spending the rest of my life alone, raising two children, is so scary it’s hard for me to go there. And yet, I feel like I’m married to a miserable stranger who is constantly dragging me down and doing his best to destroy me.

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

Our intention is not to offer any definitive

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

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The Panel The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S. am not going to answer your question directly without first addressing some core issues. It is normal for someone to become depressed, irritable and short-tempered when they are unemployed.

This is human nature. The fact that the two of you are newlyweds and are soon to become parents places additional stress on Yosef. Moreover, you viewed his previous position as prestigious and that obviously means a lot to you. He is no longer in a job that you respect, and he has ample reason to feel insecure not only about his employment situation but about his relationship with you.

You should be supportive and investing in building him up instead of considering your chances after getting divorced a second time.

You seem to have very little commitment to this marriage despite your research and your decision to have a child together. Professional help for support for yourself and how to support him is in order.

Even if he does not want to go into therapy, you need to go on your own and work at this. Therapy can be very helpful even if only one partner participates. You will learn strategies for dealing so that you can stay sane while things are sorted out. Be aware that therapy can be accessed at community clinics on a sliding scale basis. If you are low income, your Medicaid will be accepted. A local social service agency can direct you to no-cost or low-cost therapy options.

You, however, are personalizing things and not understanding how worthless people feel when they lose their jobs. You are saying he is angry at you, and you are catching depression from him. He is making your life miserable, you say. Take responsibility for your own misery.

Taking action by going for therapy

I

will change your mood as well.

It is notably absent in your query that you haven’t consulted mentors and stakeholders, yet are considering a divorce while you are pregnant. You need to do your due diligence before throwing in the towel.

And now to answer your question at the end of this query. Yes, it’s hard to get set up after being divorced twice. But no one “normal” and “kind” is going to be interested in someone who did not behave “normal” and “kind” to a spouse who lost his job. No one likes a taker, and that’s what you sound like in this situation. Get some help and learn to be a mature mensch – for your own sake, for your spouse’s sake, and for your future child’s sake.

vorce and remarriage? I’m talking therapy: eye-opening, ego-building, consciousness-raising mental rehabilitation. It matters not that Yosef is not joining the sessions; you need the tools to help you deal with the pain of a failed marriage(s), to validate your self-worth and to empower yourself as a capable woman and mother.

Yes, you’ve had your quota of rotten luck. Still, to paraphrase the words of a wiser man: happy people find a way to live with their problems; miserable people allow their problems to stop them from living.

Learn how to get happy, and today will be the first day of the rest of your life.

The Shadchan The Mother Sarah Schwartz Schreiber, P.A. y. I’m going to pretend I just met you...um, actually, I just did. I’m listening with utmost sympathy to your life story: how you have been pummeled by two miserable husbands. How you are no longer a strong person, courtesy of husband number one. How you are currently ripped to shreds and driven to depression by husband number two. How you managed to get pregnant at, shall we say, inopportune times in both marriages. I commiserate; you are too young to have suffered so much.

But wait, as I hand you the Kleenex award, what’s that you say?

With all the gloom and doom you have endured, your main concern lays in Your…Next…Marriage?

Call me cold and callous, but between the blame game you played in your first marriage (your parents should have done more investigating) and the starring role of Victim in your current marriage, shouldn’t you be doing some serious homework before you contemplate di-

O

Michelle Mond t sounds like your first marriage was with a very unstable man who treated you extremely horribly. It was smart that you got out of that marriage when you could and moved on when you were ready. Before even thinking about a two time divorcee back in shidduchim, I urge you and Yosef to get help. I understand that he refuses due to monetary constraints, but that should not stop a couple going through a rough time from getting help.

Find out the options you have in your community for local gemachs that will help you with therapy or find an organization that will take on clients in dire situations for free.

The Torah says that the highest form of tzedaka is giving a man a job – now you understand why.

Your husband lost his job, and now he is depressed and feels worthless.

You are not married to a stranger, as you describe. You are married to the same husband you spent hours looking into, making sure everything was perfect, but the one thing you could not look into was the future.

I

Happy people find a way to live with their problems; miserable people allow their problems to stop them from living.

Now you are living in the future where things look bleak due to the trauma caused by your husband losing his job. Have you done your best to be his partner, show him love, and help him through this time? Do you try and help him network so he can get a new job and get back on his feet?

In any future relationship or marriage these types of nisyonos can pop up. Who is to say that your next relationship won’t have its own surprise nisayon creep in? Find out which organizations can help you two get through this together before you are left divorced again with two children.

To answer your question about whether you have any hope of finding a normal guy as a 2X divorcee with two kids, the answer is that the world is run by Hashem and anything is possible. If you feel that you must get divorced, do it for yourself and your kids to live a happy, healthy, stable life. Do not get divorced for the sole purpose of getting married again.

The Single Tova Wein ’m perplexed over your ultimate question. You are jumping right

I

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into concerns about being marriage material for the third time, rather than taking the time to figure out why you have been unsuccessful in managing your first two marriages.

It’s got to be very difficult to be living with a person who is unemployed and subsequently depressed over his situation. He’s not handling all of his fear, anger and disappointment well, and, as

his wife, it seems you are the brunt of his moods. That can’t be easy for you (or for Yosef, for that matter).

But it seems to me you have a pattern of running away from hardship rather than figuring out a way to make things work for the sake of your children and with an eye toward a calmer future.

If you’re not great at dealing with

Pulling It All Together

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

the stress of your present situation, my concerns about a third marriage are enormous. Most people will agree that marriage is not easy and often involves great challenges. A third marriage would no doubt involve marrying a man who has also been through one or two marriages with numerous children of his own.

If you think your life is complicated now, you have no idea what might be in store for you when it comes to surviving the challenges of a blended family. You ain’t seen

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The one thing you could not look into was the future. nothing yet!

Therefore, as someone who is not great at hanging in there for the long haul, through thick and thin, I would advise you to forget about a third marriage altogether. Your track record is not looking good.

The Navidaters Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

B

efore you make any decisions, my recommendation is that you begin and commit to a six month course of therapy immediately.

My second recommendation is that you join a support group for spouses of depressed individuals. Be sure to consult with your OB and let him/her know if you are feeling stressed. You are in a very difficult situation, and you need lots and lots of support right now, both from professionals and from support group members who will understand and contextualize your feelings instead of judging them. “Normal” feelings of spouses in your shoes include sadness, abandonment, anger, rage, feeling numb, feeling guilty for having these feelings, and sometimes hating the depressed spouse. Some people have a fantasy of leaving the depressed spouse because the loneliness is palpable. You might be longing for Yosef. He is there physically but emotionally he has been gone for a year. While this is not his fault, your feelings deserve a safe space to be expressed and explored.

I want to address everything you’ve touched upon so please bear with me as I break this down with the hope of helping in you in some way.

First and foremost, I am so sorry that you are going through this. To have left one miserable marriage, only

to find yourself in another one with two small children to boot, is immensely painful, stressful and I’m sure at times intolerable. My heart goes out to you. The second thing I must mention is that all I have is your e-mail, so if I don’t understand something or completely miss, I apologize.

Your first husband was a bad man with a bad past who treated you terribly. I congratulate you for leaving. I noticed you used the word “blame.”

You blame yourself and your parents for that relationship. Could be just a word, could be something you’d benefit from exploring in the therapy you are beginning soon. You then found yourself married to Yosef, a wonderful man who fell upon bad times.

People often say: Having a depressed spouse is like having a physically ill spouse. Would you leave your husband if he were physically sick?

The problem with this comparison is that it does not account for Yosef’s anger and the hostility that he directs at you.

For what it’s worth, your former husband and Yosef are not the same guy. If you have already grouped them together in your mind as your two

awful husbands, this is an area of thought and feeling that should be explored in therapy, if it applies. Your ex was “terrible” with a terrible past. Yosef is a good guy who became depressed when life gave him a terrible hand.

It concerns me, as it did the other panelists, that you are writing in asking about a third marriage. Is there any sort of pattern here? Moving on, fantasizing about the next relationship, the next man, before you have sorted out how you got here, or any actions you can take toward self-discovery and to strengthen yourself before you leave (if you do).

The fact that Yosef is refusing help is devastating to himself, to you, to your child, and his child you carry.

Unfortunately, this is often typical of people suffering from depression. Does Yosef have supportive parents, siblings or friends that you could reach out to during this time for help? Sometimes we are in trouble and need help. There is no shame in needing help and asking for it.

Have you thought about setting up a session for him with a psychiatrist or therapist? Sometimes, when a person is depressed, he cannot make rational, healthy decisions or take initiative.

Would you be willing to make this decision for him and then offer him the option? I love you. You can’t go on like this. I can’t go on like this. Our children can’t go on like this. I’ve made you

an appointment with so and so on this date and time. I can drive you there if you’d like; I can also join you if you’d like. (Some people who are depressed are secretly yearning for a spouse to get tough with them, take charge and/ or save them because they can’t do it themselves right now! If you have been posing it to him as a suggestion or choice, maybe it’s time to lovingly take the reins.)

Please take good care of yourself now. Eat well, get fresh air, exercise (if doctor approved), see friends, go to the movies, enjoy your child, read a book, nourish yourself, and relax. If you have the fortitude, commit to six months of therapy with an empathic therapist who is going to make you work, help you reach new insights, and challenge you. I don’t think you will regret it. It may change your life.

All the best, Jennifer

Esther Mann, LCSW and Jennifer Mann, LCSW are licensed psychotherapists and dating and relationship coaches working with individuals, couples and families in private practice in Hewlett, NY. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 516.224.7779. Press 1 for Esther, 2 for Jennifer. Visit www.thenavidaters.com for more information. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email thenavidaters@gmail.com. You can follow The Navidaters on FB and Instagram for dating and relationship advice.

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Dr. Deb

Myth: Couples Work Needs Two People

By Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.

I

myself used to subscribe to the myth that it requires two people present together to save a marriage. After all, I am a marriage counselor. How do you do marriage counseling with only one person?

That was until, we’ll call him Joey, came to see me, insisting that his wife wanted no part of therapy. We worked slowly together for a couple of years.

It was a long, drawn-out process because, well, that’s how therapy can be.

But here’s the point. The wife came in one time to get very angry with her husband (well-deserved because he was rude). A second visit I had with her was by phone where she blasted me that her husband “needs” to be on medication. I could not get a word in edgewise, and I told Joey that he was right: his wife would never come in for therapy.

Besides, she had her own therapist. This is common. People like to have their “own” therapist: someone they can vent to who understands them to the core.

Joey and I worked on his victim thinking, his immediate tendency to flare up at anyone, even innocent bystanders like his poor wife, just because he could not control the horrible feelings he had inside.

We worked on his skills at get-

ting people to listen to him without being forceful, dominating, angry or controlling. He had lost friends and alienated people whom he’d known for a long time because it just took him a long time to “get” the skills.

So some years went by.

But the funny thing is, he “got” the skills he needed. Oh, and he was refusing medication the entire time.

What mattered to me was to see if he could learn the skills he needed to get permanently calm – to literally not be affected by events the way he used to.

Also to “read” his wife and come out of his pit of confusion about why people, particularly women, but men as well, say what they say and do what they do and what it all means.

And he did.

Amazingly enough, he did. He did it so well that he and his wife became friends. Everything changed radically. Not only that, he started to win friends of the male persuasion and was doing very well at work.

He became my poster boy that you could go it alone. So when I created my program I started to accept people all by themselves. It seems many people out there are so alienated that often they aren’t even living under the same roof. Therefore, for all intents and purposes, the people who found

me were alone even though they were hoping that that would change.

The magic of the program is that it accomplishes in three months what used to take three years.

Lest you think that the only ones this happens for are men, that is not so. Women can work on themselves and bring their man back simply by being different. In fact, many, many marriages have been saved by one heroic woman or man working on their own issues first.

What makes it work when one person starts alone?

The simple answer is that the pressure is completely removed in the marriage. Once one person, anyone, is working on and looking at themselves the other person no longer feels pressure. Let’s take three examples, just for fun.

Susie has always been a nag. She wants more attention, more time, and feels terribly lonely. Her husband is now out the door. Susie learned that she needs to love herself first because then she won’t be so needy. Once she does that, the pressure is totally off of her husband who starts to become curious as to why she isn’t after him multiple times a day.

Pete is very, very laid back. Too much for his own good. His wife is a

workaholic because the money has to come in the door somehow and Pete is not doing it. Well, he is, but not to her requirements. He has been used to someone else thinking for him. It’s not that he likes it that way, but that’s all he knows. Maybe because his wife is such an alpha sort. He learns, however, how to take responsibility, why he originally allowed himself to be bossed around, and how to assert himself. His wife likes that, actually.

That was her secret desire because she is plum tired.

Sharon has been a really quiet, shy person, afraid to express herself and ask for what she wants. To her man, she looks cold. They’ve drifted apart. She was watching, devastated, as it all unfolded. But she learned to connect with who she is at the core – and like, no, love, that person. The more she shined, the more attractive she became to her husband and he returned home.

I used to think that the real problem in marriages was that one person was playing victim. In fact, I wrote a book on it. And while I don’t disagree with that point, I think the important step that needs to be taken is a positive rather than a negative. Instead of “don’t play victim,” it ought to be “love yourself.” This little change from neg-

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

ative to positive makes all the difference in the world.

We all need to love ourselves, and even if we think that we do, we can do it better. We can take care of our Souls better. This I can tell you because I’ve seen it again and again. So if one person is working on that alone, it has the power to turn everything around.

And in the very worst-case scenario, where the spouse is blind or unwilling to believe that Life can be good and therefore can’t believe that the spouse has, indeed, made permanent changes, the person who did all this self-work is now armed to face life and start over.

But there is a strong caveat here.

Statistics show that when one person enters counseling when the marriage is falling apart, the divorce rate goes up. That’s quite the opposite of the stories above and a huge caution against entering individual counseling when the marriage is on the rocks.

So how to explain the contradiction?

The answer is: what is the purpose of the counseling or program?

If the individual enters a traditional counseling relationship, then

spouse because they rarely meet. And even if they did meet, the therapist has now been biased. It’s really hard not to be when you’ve heard so many bad things. Therapists are human, and worst of all, very few are well-

In fact, many, many marriages have been saved by one heroic woman or man working on their own issues first.

the purpose of that counseling is self-exploration and possibly a few tools to feel better about oneself. But often, in the course of such sessions, the client will talk badly to the therapist about the spouse. The therapist has no way of verifying for herself what she (or he) would think of that

trained in couples work beyond a course or two.

On the other hand, if the individual enters a program where the work on self is for the purpose of bringing their best self to the marriage, then the entire experience is different. And that is especially true when what is

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being offered goes beyond traditional therapy to include learning exactly which tools are needed for the development of that “best self” and how to apply them.

In that case, the process is not random the way it is in the usual counseling scenario. (Usually, whatever the client wants to talk about is the topic of the day.) Rather, the focus is on skill building and its application to the marriage. It’s a radically different approach and gets results a whole lot quicker.

Dr. Deb is a Marriage & Family Therapist.

Book a consultation with her to get clarity on the issues in your marriage and learn about her innovative program at: https:// drdeb.com/book. To book a call with Dr. Deb, go to her scheduler, https://drdeb. com/book, but if you want more information about her new program, please first watch the Masterclass on “Getting The Marriage You Want” at http://drdeb. com/myw-masterclass.

WITH AN EMPHASIS ON

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EAT BETTER.FEEL BETTER.

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Health & F tness

Your Guide to Healthy Shabbos Eating: Dips

By Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN

S

erving dips at the Shabbos table have become a trend in the past few years. If you walk into your local supermarket or grocery store, you will find an entire aisle of just dips.

Many supermarkets have started their own brand of dips and create new and unique dips on a weekly basis. Sure, it’s exciting to always try new dips, and it’s definitely a great idea on the business side of stores, but for the consumer and the health-conscious eater, dips are dangerous.

The problem with dips is that they are not eaten alone. Generally, you don’t just take a bite of a dip on a spoon.

If you do, we have other things to talk about. Dips are usually consumed with a thick piece of challah. And another one. And another one. And another one. If you have to try every dip, you’ll need at least five pieces of challah.

Then you go back and have seconds on your favorite ones. This portion of the meal can alone contain 900 calories (assuming you limit yourself to five slices of challah and a tablespoon of five different dips). It can definitely add up to a lot more. And the worst part is that it has absolutely no nutritional value.

On the bright side, there are some dips that are better – meaning, less fattening – than others. And if eaten in appropriate portions, and with the right challah/bread (as discussed in the last issue), dips do not have to be completely eliminated from your meal.

One of the healthiest dips out there is hummus. Hummus is a nutrient-dense food made from a blend of

chickpeas, olive oil, tahini, lemon juice and spices. It offers calcium, magnesium, folate, and other vitamins and minerals. This blend of nutrients can also stabilize blood sugar and help prevent heart disease, says Los Angeles-based registered dietitian Lindsey Pine. Hummus also contains what she calls the “trifecta of macronutrients” – healthy fat, protein and fiber – that keep you full and satisfied, which is key to maintaining a healthy weight and managing diabetes. Just like beans, lentils, peas and other legumes, chickpeas are a good source of protein and fiber compared to other plants. A two-tablespoon serving of hummus contains two grams of protein and one gram of fiber. This is great for a snack, but not enough for a full meal and definitely not enough for a whole day. So don’t rely on hummus alone as your protein source.

The daily recommendation is about 50 grams of protein per day for an average adult. Furthermore, chickpeas are not a complete source of protein, meaning they don’t have all of the essential amino acids that meat, fish, dairy and eggs do. You can make your own hummus at home for optimum health.

Another healthier choice in terms of dips is tehina. Tehina is a paste made from roasted sesame. Obviously, if you’re allergic to sesame, stay away from tehina (and possibly hummus as well). Tehina is a good source of protein as well, however, it’s not so low in calories. One tablespoon of tehina contains approximately 90 calories. The fat found in tehina, though, is mostly mono-unsaturated fat, which is considered

to be heart healthy. Additionally, tehina is a good source of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and iron. Sesame seeds also contain more phytosterols than all other nuts and seeds. These are important for their cholesterol-lowering and cancer-blocking effects. There are many other nutrients in sesame seeds, but it is difficult for the body to absorb them due to their hard outer layer. Consuming sesame seeds in tehina allows the body to absorb the nutrients they provide more efficiently.

You can buy a bottle of tehina paste and follow the instructions on the back of the bottle to prepare your own tehina at home. Making your dips at home allows you to visualize what is actually inside them so that you’ll realize what you’re eating. Plus, you’re avoiding all the preservatives by making your own dips at home. They will definitely be much healthier, not to mention much cheaper.

Hummus and tehina are both great dip options that have health benefits, however, keep in mind that the the serving size for these dips is 2 tablespoons. After you eat 2 tablespoons, stop. Ideally, skip the dips altogether, but if you feel that you absolutely need the dips, go with hummus or tehina and remember to limit the challah as well. Even better, skip the challah and use raw, crunchy vegetables to dip into the hummus and tehina at your Shabbos meal.

Stay far away from any dip based in mayonnaise. Spinach dip, mushroom dip, dill dip, olive dip, pickle dip, onion dip, jalapeno dip, garlic dip, and baba-

ganoush are all mayonnaise with a little bit of flavor. Don’t even buy them.

Other versions of dips that are healthier are roasted peppers or roasted eggplant. Roast red peppers or eggplant with onions, oil, salt, and pepper.

You can even add a pinch of sugar and lemon juice. Once they’re roasted, puree the vegetables to a creamy consistency. Roasting whole cloves of garlic is also yummy and has great health benefits. If you’re more adventurous, make your own matbucha. Tomato dip is another easy and healthy dip.

If preparing dips at home is not an option for you, then you can buy roasted peppers, roasted eggplants, Turkish salad, tomato dip, or matbucha to serve at your Shabbos meal.

In summary, skipping the dips course altogether is ideal. Serve salads and/or fish instead. If dips are something you can’t go without, make your dips at home. The top healthy choices are hummus, tehina, roasted eggplant, roasted pepper, tomato dip, or matbucha. It might be hard work, but it will be better for your health and will definitely impress your guests!

Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN, is a Master’s level Registered Dietitian and Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist. She graduated CUNY Brooklyn College receiving a Bachelor’s in Science and Master’s degree in Nutrition and Food Sciences. She is currently a dietitian at Boro Park Center and a private nutrition consultant. She can be reached at CindyWeinberger1@gmail.com.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

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In The K

tchen

Lentil Vegetable Soup

By Naomi Nachman

I’ve always been a big fan of soup.

It not only warms my body, but also invigorates my soul. This soup is the ultimate comfort food, with vegetables and lentils making it hearty – warming me up in the cold and staving off my hunger. This soup freezes well and doubles easily.

Ingredients 2 TBS canola oil 4 stalks celery, diced 2 medium onions, diced 2 large carrots, diced 2 medium zucchini, diced 1 tsp salt ½ tsp ground coriander ½ tsp ground cumin 1 pouch precooked Gefen lentils 4 cups vegetable stock

Preparation Heat oil in a medium stockpot. Add onion and sauté till soft, then add celery and carrots. Cook sauté on low for 5 minutes and add zucchini and spices and mix well. Add in lentils and stock.

Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for an hour.

Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet.com or at (516) 295-9669.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

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Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

Why would you vote to name a street after a man who was best friends with Osama bin Laden and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood? Yes, he was murdered…but this was not some saint and champion of democracy. His last article for Washington Post was about the need for theocracy and supporting the Muslim Brotherhood.

- Former Trump administration official Sebastian Gorka, on C-SPAN, slamming the ongoing effort in Washington, D.C., to rename the street in front of the Saudi Arabian consulate after slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi

Wouldn’t it be ironic if it was Donald Trump who fixed the problems created by the “three strikes, you’re out” rule passed by Bill Clinton?

Wouldn’t it be ironic if it was Donald Trump … that allowed just thousands of African-American and Hispanic males a second chance for nonviolent offenses?

- Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), on Fox News, talking about Trump’s prison reform plans

Not sure how many lizards we found, but the snakes were large enough to give anyone crawling through a smoke-filled house a heart attack.

- Caney Creek Fire Chief Raymond Flannelly, on saving more than 100 snakes and lizards from a house fire in Texas

“Pastor buys his wife this expensive car.” First of all, it wasn’t a pastor who bought the car, it was a husband that bought the car.

Get that in your spirit.

What awaits the Palestinian people with a peace agreement are the prospects of a massive improvement in the quality of their lives and far greater control over their political future. It is time we faced a hard truth: both sides would benefit greatly from a peace agreement, but the Palestinians would benefit more, and the Israelis would risk more.

- United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, in one of her last speeches at the UN before she leaves her post at the end of the year

I hope you slow down. I hope that when your mom tells you to “drive safe” you make a promise to her, and yourself, that you will. I hope you can envision me sitting in your kitchen telling your screaming mother that you have been killed.

-An Ohio police officer, who wrote an emotional letter to a teenager after ticketing him for driving 100 miles per hour

- Pastor John Gray, of a South Carolina megachurch, defending the purchase of a $200,000 Lamborghini Urus for his wife as an eighth wedding anniversary present

I am sick and I need to get help.

I got a bad haircut, and it was really bad for me.

- Nilanshi Patel, 16, of India, explaining in her official Guinness World Book of Records video why she has not cut her hair in 10 years, resulting in her setting a record for a teenager for world’s longest hair. Her hair is almost 6 feet long

— Claas Relotius, former CNN Journalist of the Year who contributed around 60 articles to Der Spiegel, after he was busted for fabricating dozens of stories

MORE QUOTES

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

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We been getting that Jewish money.

Everything is kosher.

- Words from a rap song that LeBron James quoted on his Instagram account

Apologies, for sure, if I offended anyone.

That’s not why I chose to share that lyric.

I always [post lyrics]. That’s what I do. I ride in my car, I listen to great music, and that was the byproduct of it. So I actually thought it was a compliment, and obviously it wasn’t through the lens of a lot of people.

My apologies. It definitely was not the intent, obviously, to hurt anybody.

- Ibid., on ESPN

The New York City police, they’re killing us, but they’re being trained by Israeli security forces. They’re being trained — New York City police and in other cities as well. So here’s a connection between the two. I can’t stop one without the other, there’s a relationship. Remember I ain’t talking about Jewish people, I’m talking about the Israeli state.

- Marc Lamont Hill, a tenured professor at Temple University, who recently lost his contract as a CNN commentator for comments denounced as anti-Semitic, blaming Israel on Friday for police violence in the United States, while speaking on “The Breakfast Club” radio program

Attention all shoppers, associates and management, I would like to say, to all of you today, that nobody should work here – ever.

I cannot stay at home. I’d get very, very bored.

- Founder of Pacific International Lines Chang Yun Chung, of Japan, who at 100 years old is the oldest living billionaire, in an interview with CNBC

Every day, I write down all my activities in my diary, everything.

Every department comes to see me.

– Ibid.

I looked around at senior centers to see what they were doing, and they were knitting and crocheting and that wasn’t for me. I said, I know what I am going to do … I am going to try to go back to school.

- Janet Fein, age 84, who just graduated from University of Texas, telling Inside Edition why she returned to college when she was 78-years-old

- Announcement made over the intercom at Walmart in Grande Prairie in Alberta, Canada, by Jackson Racicot, 17, immediately after he formally quit his job at the store

It’s ridiculous that it’s unconstitutional for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to run for president. Immigrants, young people, and everyone else should be allowed to run.

- Matthew Yglesias, in Vox, positing that the U.S. Constitution is unfair

Everyone’s laughing at me. Yes, it’s a fish, I know, but…it was my pet. And just because it wasn’t a cat or dog, it wasn’t as important?

- Lanice Powless, a sophomore at the University of Colorado, who was not allowed to board a Southwest Airlines flight from Denver to National City, Calif., with her pet fish, talking to local TV in Colorado

MORE QUOTES

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

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I don’t want to get old.

- John Carter, 91, of British Columbia, explaining in a TV interview why he backflips off a 10-foot diving board several times a week

“Hey Mr. Carter, your teeth are down by the bottom of the pool.”

- Ibid., recalling what a lifeguard told him when he lost his dentures once while diving

As I know too well, it’s not easy when you stand up and put yourself in contention for a role that’s only been sought by boys.

- From a letter that Hillary Clinton recently wrote to an 8-year-old girl who ran and lost the race for class president

I don’t really think I did anything that extraordinary. You feel good when you do the right thing.

- Richard Taverna of New York, telling reporters why he turned in a purse containing $10,000, which he found in the Lincoln Center train station in Manhattan

P.S. Be sure to say your prayers. I do every day.

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Political Crossfire

Trump is About to Repeat Obama’s Mistake in the Middle East

By Marc A. Thiessen

D

uring his time in CIA custody, 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed told his interrogator something prophetic. The United States may enjoy some fleeting battlefield successes, Mohammed declared, but in the end “we will win because Americans don’t realize ... we do not need to defeat you militarily; we only need to fight long enough for you to defeat yourself by quitting.”

President Trump should ponder Mohammed’s words as he prepares to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria – a move that will bring a smile to Mohammed’s face.

Trump knows the consequences of suddenly withdrawing from a country.

The Obama administration “created this huge vacuum” in Iraq in 2011, Trump correctly observed during the presidential debates, adding, “we should have never been in Iraq, but once we were there, we should have never gotten out the way they [did].”

Once Trump was inaugurated, he changed former President Barack Obama’s restrictive rules of engagement and freed up our military to drive the Islamic State from the territory it had seized. He deserves enormous credit for this achievement.

But just because the Islamic State controls no territory does not mean it is defeated. In 2011, the group controlled no territory in Iraq, yet, thanks in no small part to Obama, it soon grew to establish a caliphate the size of Britain. Not only did the Islamic State re-

vive itself, but the resurgent terrorist network also spread its murderous tentacles farther around the globe, establishing cells in 29 countries that have carried out 143 terrorist attacks that have killed 2,043 people and injured many thousands more. We are still living with the deadly consequences of Obama’s catastrophic mistake.

On December 13, authorities in Bari, Italy, arrested a Somali man named Omar Moshin Ibrahim, believed to be

our troops out they had only about 700 fighters. According to the Institute for the Study of War, the Islamic State “was able to smuggle as much as $400 million out of Iraq and reinvest it into legitimate businesses across the wider Middle East.” With the loss of its caliphate at Trump’s hands, the Islamic State has gone back to its roots as a terrorist insurgency. It remains dangerous and well-funded and has global reach.

A U.S. withdrawal from Syria will

“We will win because Americans don’t realize ... we do not need to defeat you militarily; we only need to fight long enough for you to defeat yourself by quitting.”

a member of the Islamic State, who was threatening to bomb St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Christmas Day. Today, the Islamic State is much stronger than it was when Obama withdrew from Iraq in 2011. The Defense Department estimates that the Islamic State retains about 30,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria and is “more capable” than its predecessor group al-Qaeda in Iraq was at the latter’s peak in 20062007. By contrast, when Obama pulled

not only remove the pressure on the Islamic State, it will create a vacuum in Syria that will be filled by the world’s worst actors. Al-Qaeda, which has been rebuilding its capabilities while watching the United States weaken its Islamic State rival, will now also have a haven.

Iran and its terrorist proxy, Hezbollah, will establish forward operating bases in southwestern Syria to threaten Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu has declared that Israel will not tolerate this and warned that Israel could retaliate against Iran proper. So, a U.S. withdrawal could precipitate a disastrous regional war.

Turkey will go after the Kurdish fighters we recruited and trained to fight the Islamic State. In Iraq, Obama could at least rationalize that the United States had left behind Iraqi security forces to keep the Islamic State remnants down. If Turkey takes out our Kurdish allies, there will be no one left on the ground in Syria to fight the Islamic State.

Finally, the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will resume its campaign of atrocities against innocent Syrian men, women and children. If we thought the refugee crisis provoked by Obama’s failure to act in Syria was bad, imagine the flood of Syrians seeking refuge in the West if Trump repeats Obama’s mistakes.

Trump was right to denounce Obama for declaring victory against the Islamic State and withdrawing U.S. forces. So why is he now doing exactly what he criticized Obama for doing?

The president needs to ask himself: Who is celebrating this decision? Answer: Iran, Russia, the Assad regime, Hezbollah, the Islamic State – and, in his prison cell at Guantanamo Bay, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

When your enemies are cheering, you have made a mistake. It’s not too late to change course. (c) 2018, Washington Post Writers Group

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Political Crossfire

U.S. Withdrawal from Syria is a Risky Mistake, But Trump Did It Anyway

By David Ignatius

P

resident Trump’s abrupt decision to pull American troops from Syria is riskier than it looks. It ends a low-cost, high-impact mission and creates a vacuum that will be filled by one of a series of bad actors – Iran, Russia, Turkey, Islamic extremists, the Syrian regime – take your pick, they’re all dangerous for American interests in the Middle East.

Trump’s withdrawal from northeast Syria will end a campaign that was never really seen or understood by the American people. It was a small-footprint, low-visibility war carried out by U.S. Special Operations forces, in partnership with a Kurdish-led militia.

Because most Americans didn’t watch the conflict on television, they didn’t appreciate the unlikely fact that it was successful. It destroyed the Islamic State; it stabilized northeast Syria; it blocked Iranian expansion; it checked Russian hegemony; it gave the U.S. some bargaining leverage for an eventual political settlement in Syria.

But none of that evidently mattered in the end to Trump. He was elected to end wars in the Middle East, even successful ones. On this, as on so many issues, he was determined to fulfill his campaign prom-

ises, consequences be damned. His Syria decision was opposed, near as I can tell, by the Pentagon, the State Department and key regional allies.

Trump did it anyway.

This decision scares me partly because I’ve seen with my own eyes the hard-won gains we may be giving up, in visits to the secret bases where this war was waged. It’s hard to describe the competence of American troops in Syria without sounding corny. Suffice it to say that they found a way to project American power with maximum damage to the enemy and minimum cost for America.

We can grant some of Trump’s larger points, even as we assess the potential costs of his decision. Every war must end, as strategist Fred Ikle once remarked about Vietnam, and the war against the Islamic State had all-but-ended. As the terrorist threat receded, so did the legal rationale for deploying American troops – the overstretched “authorization to use military force” against terrorists passed on Sept. 14, 2001.

The White House shouldn’t be faulted, either, for stressing that America’s national military strategy now focuses on the threat of great-power competitors, Russia and China, rather than terrorists.

U.S. strategy became lopsided after 9/11, misallocating resources, and now it’s time for a rebalancing. I get all that.

And finally, analysts who’ve followed Syria knew that at some point, the U.S. would have to retreat from its all-in support for the Syrian Kurdish militia that fought so bravely, to the last man and woman, to liberate eastern Syria from the torture chamber of the Islamic State. The Kurds want a mini-state east of the Euphrates, but as special envoy Jim Jeffrey said this week at the Atlantic Council, “we do not have permanent relationships with substate entities.”

America was going to have to break the Kurds’ hearts eventually (as we seem to with so many of our brave allies). But not now, not when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was threatening an invasion, trying to jawbone America into abandoning its allies. This kind of bullying shouldn’t work against a superpower. But sadly, it just did, with lasting cost to American credibility.

Senior administration officials try to put the best face on Trump’s mistaken decision. “This will be a measured, step-by-step withdrawal,” says one. “It will be conditions-based, with the timeline mov-

ing left or right depending on force protection and other factors.” That’s what you’re supposed to say about a pullout, but I doubt it will convince many people in Tehran, Moscow or Ankara.

What’s truly distressing is that until Trump’s sudden turnabout, the United States had something of a virtuous cycle going in the region.

Not only was the Islamic State almost extinguished, but U.S. power was creating conditions for future stability. The new Iraqi government was eager to be a partner; Iran was realizing it had overreached in Syria; Sunni Arab allies such as Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates wanted to help contain Turkish power and create a more stable Syrian state.

Trump aborted this positive momentum. He ceded power in northern Syria to Turkey and its proxies, which have made a ruinous mess everywhere in Syria they’ve tried to control. He abandoned a Syrian Kurdish ally that had imagined that sacrificing lives at America’s request would count for something. It didn’t.

Trump’s Syrian legacy: he has proved even more irresolute than his predecessor, Barack Obama. How does that feel, Mr. President? (c) 2018, Washington Post Writers Group

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

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Business

Smarts

Is Amazon Good or Evil?

By Chaim Homnick

I

n the aftermath of the HQ2 sweepstakes, Amazon seems to be going through a similar identity crisis that companies like Uber, Facebook and Google have endured in recent times. The more prosperous and high-profile a company gets, the more detractors it inevitably accrues. With Black Friday in the rearview mirror and the peak holiday shopping season upon us, hot takes about Amazon are as prevalent as deals on Kindle tablets. Here in New York, protestors recently took to the streets over the issue of Amazon selecting New York as the location for half of its new headquarters.

Many of America’s largest corporations struggle to straddle the fine line between maximizing profits for investors while trying to remain ethical. Some are more successful, while others see their reputation tarnished by consistent issues or gaffes. Uber’s CEO is hardly the first to desire profits over ethics, but he may have been among the most open about it as under his watch Uber engaged in corporate espionage and other unsavory business practices that made their competition look saintly by comparison. Meanwhile, Google’s slogan famously is “Do no evil” but Google has not been exempt from public condemnation lately over privacy and point-of-view discrimination concerns.

Recently, Amazon and Jeff Bezos have endured criticism from Trump

on one side of the aisle and from leftist pundits on the other side.

While that is the inevitable cost of success, it leads to an important conundrum for consumers who consider themselves socially-minded: is Amazon good or evil? And should that affect our shopping decisions either way?

THE CASE AGAINST AMAZON Amazon’s critics proffer a few key arguments in support of their anti-Amazon rhetoric. Some of the contentions are baseless but others have merit. From a political perspective, as democratic socialism has become popular, companies like Amazon have been decried by Bernie Sanders’ Democrats as greedy capitalist pigs, the epitome of “the 1%.” Jeff Bezos being the world’s richest man? Clearly evil. However, that is a partisan argument and one that many people disagree with. Amazon has over 100 million Prime subscribers shelling out $119 annually and spending an average of $200 per month on their site – and those aren’t all conservatives.

Working Conditions Amazon recently announced it would offer a minimum wage of $15 per hour to all employees. This came in the aftermath of numerous reports denouncing Amazon’s working conditions and strict employee

metric goals that led to workers going to the bathroom in water bottles to not slow down their fulfillment numbers. However, Amazon didn’t just make this move for PR reasons; its fulfillment centers have already been trending towards increased automation and Amazon needed to pay more to improve employee retention and hire enough seasonal workers in a tight job market. Critics therefore allege that this decision was more about PR and business strategy than a sudden ethical desire to treat employees better.

Putting Competitors out of Business Amazon doesn’t just beat out other companies with their price points and convenience, Amazon also controls the market for certain products. Because Amazon is the first stop for many consumers, Amazon can make everything from diapers to batteries and undercut the prices of the third-party sellers on Amazon. So Amazon isn’t just hurting traditional retailers, they also undercut many of the sellers who utilize and depend upon their platform. Plus, Amazon isn’t just a shopping platform, or a tech company, or a media company; it is all of the above and more so it affects myriad sectors and markets.

Privacy Concerns This category is one that affects

almost all tech companies. However, Amazon may be unique in the variety of industries it dominates in. Amazon Web Services is the top cloud provider, beating out Apple and Google easily. Amazon is on track to surpass Walmart as the top clothing retailer. Amazon spent $5 billion on content last year and will soon be outspending Netflix on original content. Plus, Alexa devices are becoming increasingly ubiquitous.

Having one company who knows what you shop for, watch, read, and even say inside your own house can make some consumers uneasy.

Tax-Dodging Another common criticism of Amazon is that they do not pay their fair share of taxes. These attacks seem to come from both sides of the political aisle, and the accusation isn’t unwarranted. From 2008 to 2017, Walmart paid $64 billion in income tax while Amazon paid a mere $1.4 billion.

There are a few strategies that Amazon has employed to minimize their tax burden. Firstly, sales tax regulations didn’t adapt fast enough to account for the internet so companies were only charged sales tax in a state if they had a physical presence in the state. Therefore, Amazon shipped products from warehouses in states with small populations and managed to spare consumers sales tax on Amazon purchases for years

TheJewish JewishHome Home| DECEMBER | OCTOBER 29, The 27, 2015 2018 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

until states implemented new laws – and even then, Amazon negotiated with states to delay or defer those sales tax collections.

Secondly, Amazon has shown minimal profits for years, which meant less profits for shareholders but a faster growth trajectory as they gained market share and overall dominance. Many retailers paid an effective income tax of 30-40% while Amazon has been essentially paying about 11%.

Lastly, Amazon’s HQ2 sweepstakes leveraged their new headquarters to solicit bids from different cities promising all sorts of tax benefits and perks. But then Amazon settled on New York and D.C., likely their original targets, but with significant tax savings and concessions in hand.

THE CASE FOR AMAZON Fans of capitalism point to Amazon as a sterling example of the power of the free market. An online bookstore becoming a massive employer, a tech giant and a retail platform for millions of third-party sellers is a sterling example of capitalism spawning innovation and enriching our lives. Amazon supporters believe Bezos has earned every dollar of his massive net worth, and point to the many positive attributes of Amazon as an American success story.

Job Opportunities Massive tech companies have a substantial financial footprint. Amazon employs over 600,000 people and provides job or sales opportunities to thousands more. When combined with Amazon’s recent commitment to pay a minimum wage of $15 per hour, Amazon provides employment to both techies and warehouse workers alike.

Expanded Marketplace Massive retail chains like Walmart have been crushing mom and pop operations for years. Ironically, Amazon’s platform has led to a resurgence in third-party selling. A small clothing company or a regional specialty company can’t get their products into Walmart, but they can utilize Amazon as a way to acquire

customers and fulfill sales. Amazon has provided a vehicle for compa-

cost to consumers decreases. Amazon isn’t a monopoly (yet) because

Having one company who knows what you shop for, watch, read, and even say inside your own house can make some consumers uneasy.

nies to generate sales and compete with big-box retailers.

Convenience Amazon saves consumers time and effort. Convenience has a value, as Amazon’s many satisfied Prime customers can attest to. Amazon’s one-click shopping, Dash buttons and Prime Now have attempted to make the shopping experience as simple as possible. They’ve placed millions of products at our fingertips and maximized efficiency to maximize convenience. The more efficient we are, the more time we have for work or leisure.

Innovation Amazon is a major innovator in so many categories. Technological advancement is a net positive for society, and Amazon has been a major player in the tech arena. Amazon has made very few missteps in the last two decades, and the companies they launch or acquire seem to churn out new inventions, systems and products constantly.

Healthy Competition While it may seem like Amazon is taking over every industry, that also means it provides competition to companies that might otherwise dominate unopposed. Every time another media company or phone provider merger occurs, competition in America decreases. And healthy competition is the backbone of innovation and affordability. Each time Amazon elbows its way into another industry, it causes the quality of the industry to increase while the

they don’t run 100% of any one industry. Instead, they are a power player in a variety of industries, all of which leads to better results for consumers.

U

ltimately, Amazon is a lot like us as a society. It aspires to be good but is flawed and occasionally falls short of expectations. While Amazon’s

51 129 51

influence and power have grown exponentially since its origins as an online bookseller, its benefits to society have multiplied as well.

Yes, Amazon tries to minimize their tax bill and wring every ounce of efficiency out of its employees, but it is responsive to social pressure and is also a major catalyst for innovation that improves the world for all of us. So next time you pre-order a novel through Alexa or hit your Tide Pods Dash Button to reorder, you shouldn’t feel guilty about it.

Chaim Homnick is the owner of Kids Kamps LLC and the owner of Five Towns Tutoring. Chaim is also the College Advisor at Mesivta Ateres Yaakov of Lawrence and teaches 4 periods of Honors/AP English Literature. He has a Masters Degree in Business Administration and a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration.

For questions or comments, he can be reached directly at KidsKampsLLC@ gmail.com.

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OCTOBER DECEMBER29, 27,2015 2018| The | TheJewish JewishHome Home

Forgotten Her es

Wars Strange but True

By Avi Heiligman

General Santa Anna, who fought in the Pastry War

H

istorically there isn’t any one particular reason why wars are fought. Countries have fought over land, rights, freedom, honor, glory, religion, and politics, as well as a myriad of other reasons.

Sometimes the causes are a bit murky, while others have been fought over strange reasons such as a pastry dispute or the outcome of a soccer game.

The length of wars differs immensely.

Wars can be as short as 38 minutes and as long as hundreds of years. The case of the 335 Years War was even more peculiar in that not a shot was fired. Here are few of the more bizarre wars and situations that have taken place over the past few centuries.

The Long and the Short of It Three wars took place in the past 60 years that were completed in just six days or less. Of course, we all know about the Six Day War between Israel and her Arab neighbors. In just six days in 1967, the combined forces of Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Jordan were

defeated by the numerically inferior IDF. Two years later, existing tensions between Honduras and El Salvador flared during a World Cup qualifying match that took place in Mexico City. This was a culmination of three matches that had resulted in fans fighting after the soccer game was completed. On the day of the third match, El Salvador severed ties with Honduras and attacked them with their air force. An invasion followed, with the war lasting four days. A ceasefire was eventually called, and the war was aptly called the Football (Soccer) War or the 100 Hours War. The Russo-Georgian War in 2008 was over in just five days, making it the third war to be decided within a week.

Even shorter than the Soccer War, the Anglo-Zanzibar War took a whopping total of 38 minutes to be decided (some accounts have it as 45 minutes).

On August 27, 1896 the East African nation of Zanzibar went to war

General Santa Anna’s leg on display

with Great Britain over who would succeed pro-British Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini after his death. Khalid bin Barghash seized power, and anti-British forces had surrounded the palace. After trying to send messages to Barghash to stand down with no success, the British decided to attack. The Royal Navy under Admiral Sir Harry Rawson opened fire on the palace at 9:02 AM. By 9:40 AM, three Zanzibar boats were sunk, 500 defenders were dead or wounded, and the firing ceased. Only one Briton was injured during the war. The British then placed their choice for sultan on the throne, where he ruled for the next six years.

On the other side of the hourglass, the 335 Year War was a long, drawnout war which did not see a single casualty. Started during the English Civil War in 1651, the Isles of Scilly off the coast of England was in dispute between the isles and The Netherlands. English Royalists had their backs up against the wall in Cornwall,

and their navy was soon forced to retreat to the Isles of Scilly. The Dutch Navy, trying to settle a score with the Royalists for sinking some of their ships, demanded that the isles be turned over to The Netherlands. They then declared war over the isles which soon was devoid of Royalists as they had surrendered to the Parliamentarians. The Dutch forces then sailed for home without firing a shot. This left the Isles of Scilly in an in-between state for the next 335 years. After an historian from Scilly wrote to the Dutch Parliament in 1986, peace was finally declared.

A Pastry Fight Eight years before the Mexican-American War, Mexico was involved in another conflict, this time with the French. The Pastry War arose from the claims of a French pastry chef named Remontel, who said that Mexican Army officers damaged his shop near Mexico City.

Remontel demanded that he receive

TheJewish JewishHome Home| DECEMBER | OCTOBER 29, The 27, 2015 2018

The 335 Year War was fought over the Isle of Scilly without any casualties

60,000 pesos for the damage. Mexican officials didn’t care what he had to say but the French king added the chef’s complaint to a list of other “atrocities” committed by the Mexican government. France demanded 600,000 pesos from Mexico, and when they received no answer from Mexico, a French fleet was dispatched to blockade Mexican ports.

Mexico brought back General Santa Anna from retirement, who led troops at the Battle of Vera Cruz.

Mexico lost the battle, and Santa Anna lost his leg which had to be amputated after it was severely damaged by cannon fire. (Santa Anna’s leg received a military funeral, and his artificial leg was captured by the 4th Illinois Infantry during the Mexican American War. It is now on display at the Illinois State Military Museum.) In March 1839, peace was restored after Mexico agreed to pay the 600,000 pesos in a deal brokered

by British diplomats. The money, though, was never paid, and the two countries didn’t have diplomatic relations again until 1880.

War Dogs Following World War I, tensions between two formerly friendly countries, Greece and Bulgaria, had grown sour because they had been on different sides of the conflict. It had gotten so bad that Bulgarians murdered their own prime minister

in 1923 for trying to ease tensions between the neighboring countries.

The people that had killed the leader were living in an almost independent city called Petrich, which was on the Greek-Bulgarian border.

On October 18, 1925, a Greek soldier’s dog ran towards the Bulgarian side. The soldier ran after his four-legged friend but was shot and killed by a Bulgarian border guard.

This provoked the Greeks to start firing into Bulgaria, and a firefight ensued. A Greek captain ran into noman’s land with a white sheet hoping for ceasefire but was killed by the Bulgarians. This incident made it into the papers, and the Greek government demanded an apology along with compensation money to pay to the victims’ families. Bulgaria refused, and Greece sent troops to occupy Petrich. Bulgaria eventually appealed to the League of Nations, which decided to side with the aggressor. Greece accused the League of hypocrisy but accepted the ceasefire. Bulgaria won the political victory, and thus ended the War of the Stray Dog. Warfare is ancient way of settling disputes. Over time, wars have become more sophisticated and, in some ways, diplomatic (depending on who is having the dispute). However, the reasons for fighting have rarely changed, and, as we’ve seen, sometimes an all-out war can erupt

131 33

Salvadoran soldiers during the Football War

from something as petty as a pastry shop being damaged. There are some interesting battles that have taken place that we will take a look at in a future article.

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

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

A Fulfilled L fe

Fail Fast or Push Forward?

By Rabbi Dr. Naphtali Hoff

R

ecently, I was out driving on the highway during a rainstorm. I signaled right and started to switch lanes. The problem was that, due to low visibility, I failed to see a van that was moving into the same space. Its tail swiped the front side of my car.

For the next few days, I drove around with increased hesitation.

Before turning, I would double and triple check. My driving speeds were down a few miles. In general, I was more cautious. After a while, however, I was back to my New York driver self, navigating the streets with (semi) reckless abandon.

It’s common for people who experience a setback to be more cautious the next time. The problem is, many folks will often view a single failure as an indictment on past efforts and not try again. For example, they make a large number of sales calls that don’t convert. Or they produce a product, service or program that they believe will sell and get almost no response.

So, they quickly throw in the towel and give up.

While there is merit to failing fast, which encourages us to quickly identify when an approach won’t work and move on before investing large quantities of time, capital, and other resources, we also need to be able to persevere in the face of adversity and try again when the situation calls for it.

In Think and Grow Rich, author Napoleon Hill tells the story of a man who traveled from his home in Maryland to Colorado in pursuit of gold.

After weeks of labor, he was rewarded by the discovery of the shining ore. He needed machinery to

bring the ore to the surface. Quietly, he covered up the mine, retraced his footsteps to his home, and told his relatives and a few neighbors of the “strike.” They got together money for the needed machinery and had it shipped. He and his nephew went back to work the mine.

The first car of ore was mined and shipped to a smelter. The returns proved they had one of the richest mines in Colorado! A few more cars of that ore would clear the debts. Then

drilling. That is exactly where it was found.

The “junkman” took millions of dollars in ore from the mine, because he knew enough to seek expert counsel before giving up.

The question is, how do we know that we need to buckle down and give it another go or when it’s time to cut our losses and move on?

Here are some questions that can give you clarity: 1. Do you offer a product people

His calculation showed that the vein would be found just three feet from where the others had stopped drilling.

would come the big profits.

Down went the drills. Up went the miners’ hopes. Suddenly, the vein of gold ore disappeared. They drilled on, desperately trying to pick up the vein again, all to no avail. Finally, they decided to quit.

They sold the machinery to a junkman for a few hundred dollars and took the train back home. The junkman called in a mining engineer to look at the mine and do a little calculating. The engineer advised that the project had failed because the miners were not familiar with fault lines. His calculations showed that the vein would be found just three feet from where the others had stopped

are willing to pay for? If you’ve done your research and people said that they would pay for what you’re making/selling, then you may be closer to succeeding than your initial sales indicate. Try to determine what prevented them from stepping forward the first time and adjust your approach accordingly.

2. Are you making progress? Use the business goals that you set and measure your progress. The benchmarks you set for your venture should give you an idea of your progress.

3. Are you/can you be better than your competition? You don’t have to be much better. Just 1 or 2% will suffice. And it can be in your service as

much as your product.

4. Have you cultivated die-hard fans? If you can’t even get a small group of people to love your product, there is almost no chance that your business will succeed.

5. How passionate are you about your business? Without passion, you will most likely fail. If you are not getting pleasure out of your business, it may be time to try something else. No matter how much you love your business, there will be ups and downs.

Passion helps you get over the downs, and there are many.

6. Is your business relationships-based? The more that your product or service depends on how much trust people need to have in what you’re offering, the longer it will typically take for you to gain traction.

7. How would you advise someone else? It’s often much easier to look at your situation objectively when you take a step back and remove the emotional triggers, such as how much time, effort and emotion you’ve already invested.

8. Is it in you? Much of success is based on your capacity to push ahead.

If you don’t have the skills required, can you build the team that does? If you don’t have the right connections, can you hustle to open the right doors?

Rabbi Naphtali Hoff, PsyD, is an executive coach and President of Impactful Coaching & Consulting. For a free, no obligation consultation, please call 212-470-6139 or email nhoff@impactfulcoaching.com. Check out his new leadership book, “Becoming the New Boss,” on Amazon. Download his free eBook for understaffed leaders at ImpactfulCoaching.com/EPIC.

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Your

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A Holiday Toast

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

H

oliday season is in full swing, and millions of Americans are celebrating with their favorite libations. Breweries are rolling out their winter brews. Wine stores are stocking up on champagne. And somewhere in a gentrifying warehouse district near you, a hipster bartender in a flannel shirt and man bun is crafting his favorite seasonal cocktail.

But alcohol can be a mixed blessing. Alcoholism is a disease; public intoxication is a crime; and drunk driving is epidemic. If a plucky Silicon Valley startup invented a new product called “Booz” or “Hüch,” the Food and Drug Administration would surely shoot it down.

So, could taxes play a role in helping Americans drink more responsibly? Last week, Vox analyzed the issue from a public health perspective and came to some pretty sobering conclusions. (No lawyers and lobbyists spinning loopholes here!)

First, some perspective. Uncle Sam collected about $9.7 billion in alcohol taxes in 2017. These generally run $16 per barrel of beer (with a special rate for your friendly neighborhood brewpub), $1.07-3.40 per gallon of wine, and $13.50 per

“proof gallon” of hard liquor. State governments add their own taxes, ranging from 2 cents/gallon of beer in Wyoming to $35.22/gallon of the hard stuff in Washington.

Epidemiologists have concluded that boosting those taxes by 10% – about 50 cents for a six-pack of Bud Light – would cut deaths from alcohol-related diseases by 2,000-6,000

raising alcohol taxes punishes responsible drinkers? The American Journal of Preventative Medicine reports that “higher-risk drinkers would pay nearly 83% of an effective tax increase of 25 cents per drink.” And responsible drinkers would benefit from reducing the crime, drunk driving, and health problems they’re already paying for

“The single most effective thing you can do to reduce crime right away is to raise the price of alcohol.”

per year. Raising taxes would also cut deaths from car crashes, violence, crime, and STDs. Professor Mark Kleiman of New York University says, “The single most effective thing you can do to reduce crime right away is to raise the price of alcohol.” It wouldn’t even mean hiring new cops or building new prisons.

What about the argument that

without a higher tax.

Of course, raising taxes requires political will – a quality that seems to be in short supply in Washington.

63% of Americans drink. Licensed beverage establishments employ millions of Americans. It’s hard to see Congress shunning beverage lobbyists just to satisfy a bunch of lab rats.

There’s one way to avoid booze taxes entirely, and that’s to just quit drinking. Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, who turned 75 this week but appears likely to live until the sun explodes, just announced that he’s given it up. Richards has a long history of enjoying controlled substances, so the alcohol he consumed faced a crowded pharmaceutical environment anyway. But now he’s down to just coffee and cigarettes. (Of course, with the pickling effect gone, will everyday diseases of aging realize Richards’s body is a safe space for them now?)

If Uncle Sam can’t seem to get his act together to help save Americans from over-drinking, we hope that you can use your own will to cut down on alcohol. A little bit here or there is OK – after all, we need some for kiddush, right?! – but when it becomes a booze-fest, it’s no longer a holy pursuit. So stay off the hard stuff, and enjoy spending time with your family in a more sober way this season. L’chaim!

Allan J Rolnick is a CPA who has been in practice for over 30 years in Queens, NY. He welcomes your comments and can be reached at 718-896-8715 or at allanjrcpa@aol.com.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

THE COMMUNITY-WIDE Motzei Shabbos Tanach Shiur Please join us for the 21st season of the Community -Wide Tanach Shiur

SCHEDULE FOR DECEMBER • 7 PM December 8, 2018 December 15, 2018 December 22, 2018 December 29, 2018

‫פרשת מקץ‬ ‫פרשת ויגש‬ ‫פרשת ויחי‬ ‫פרשת שמות‬

Chanukah Break - No Shiur Rabbi Pinchos Chatzinoff - Perakim 48-49 Rabbi Eliezer Cohen - Perek 50 Rabbi Zvi Ralbag - Perek 51

PROGRAM HOSTED BY: Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst 8 Spruce Street v"g jubn rzghkt ,c kyhb ,nab hukgk Sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Mordy Kriger in memory of their beloved parents:

k"z rhtn cegh "r ic ctz 'r wv"g kmrv hk,pb 'r ,c gmbj vhj ,rn wv"g ehzhht ejmh 'r ,c vsbhv vbj ,rn

Co-Sponsored By:

Agudah of the Five Towns Rabbi Yitzchok Frankel Agudah of West Lawrence Rabbi Moshe Brown Bais Haknesses of N. Woodmere Rabbi A. Lebowitz Bais Medrash D’Cedarhurst Rabbi Dovid Spiegel Chofetz Chaim Torah Center Rabbi Aryeh Z. Ginzberg Cong. Bais Avrohom Rabbi Osher Stern Cong. Anshei Chessed Rabbi Simcha Lefkowitz Cong. Bais Ephraim Yitzchok Rabbi Zvi Ralbag Cong. Bais Tefila Rabbi Ephraim Polakoff Cong. Beth Sholom Rabbi Kenneth Hain Cong. Kneseth Israel Rabbi Eytan Feiner

Cong. Shaaray Tefila Rabbi Uri Orlian HILI Bais Medrash Rabbi Dov Bressler Kehillas Bais Yehuda Rabbi Yaakov Feitman Cong. Tifereth Zvi Rabbi Pinchas Chatzinoff Y.I. of Bayswater Rabbi Eliezer Feuer Y.I. of Far Rockaway Rabbi Shaul Chill Y.I. of Hewlett Rabbi Heshy Blumstein Y.I. of Lawrence-Cedarhurst Rabbi M. Teitelbaum Y.I. of North Woodmere Rabbi Yehuda Septimus Y.I. of Woodmere Rabbi Hershel Billet

A Priority-1 Community Initiative

For more information or dedication opportunities, please call Priority-1 at 516.295.5700.

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Life C ach

Owning the Roads for a Day

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., MFT, CLC

T

oday, the road is our road.

Most of the time they’re looking at us and saying, Oh, sure, another day off! And we are

thinking, If they only knew?!

We’re cooking, cleaning, preparing, and spending half the day or longer in shul and then the other half exactly

where we spent four hours the night before. Exactly! Right at the dining room table. They’ve got visions of us, dancing, relaxing, traveling, or whatever “being off” means to them. But whether we’re enjoying it or not, we’ve got very specific guidelines to follow. And very little of their imagined day going on.

Well, finally we’ve got the one day they think we are having all yearround. But the funny thing is that it’s on their holiday, not ours. We can do exactly as we please! No guidelines and no rituals. We can just wake up and live the day. We can hang out at home or

a kid that any time you get too much unstructured time, you start to wonder, what should I do now?

So, hooray for this one day.

And hooray for the guideline of how to spend our other days off because that makes them so repeatable and enjoyable. And though it doesn’t look like the ones they think we are having, it sure feels like the ones we should be having: food, family, friends, and fun! And even fine wine.

I’ll take that guideline, yes, prep and all, all year-round. Wait a minute, I do!

And the roads are as open and clear as a newly glazed ice rink.

go wherever we like and get there in record time. All the public entertainment spots are all ours. And the roads are as open and clear as a newly glazed ice rink. All we need to do is step outside, and the world is our oyster. Even the schools cooperate and stay open to babysit our kids. And we kind of like it – for that one day.

But it’s probably good that it’s just one day. Because we know from being

So enjoy your real days off this week and the next, whether you’re eating Chinese, going ice skating, shopping for clothes, or driving on that open road.

Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or rivki@ rosenwalds.com.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

LAWRENCE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE WINTER 2019 SCHEDULE OF FREE REGENTS REVIEW CLASSES, OPEN TO ALL RESIDENTS OF THE LAWRENCE SCHOOL DISTRICT COURSES WILL INCLUDE: Algebra 1 Geometry Earth Science Global History II English

Algebra II/Trig Chemistry Living Environment U.S. History

CLASSES WILL BE OFFERED ON: Saturdays - January 5, 12, & 19 - 8 AM - 12:30 PM Sundays - January 6, 13, & 20 - 8 AM - 12:30 PM For updated schedules & more information, please visit: http://lawrencehighschool.lawrence.org/ Classes will meet at Lawrence High School: 2 Reilly Rd, Cedarhurst, NY 11516 All District #15 students may attend. No reservations required.

ID is required for admittance to Weekend Academy.

e info@pickpurple.org w www.pickpurple.org We now accept clothing, shoes, accessories, linen and towels in usable condition

201.47.purple

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DECEMBER 27, 2018 | The Jewish Home

The Herzberg and Maslow Families

would like to thank the following individuals who have helped us and our father

Rabbi Chanina Herzberg zt’l over the last several months:

Dr. Meyer Abittan, Mrs. Sara Adelson, R’ Boruch Ber Bender, Dr. Joey Berezow, Mr. Momo Brecher, Rabbi Yehuda Brecher, Mr. Tzvi Bokow, Mr. Yoni Dembitzer, Dr. Jay Fenster, Dr. Ritchie Friedman z’l, Mr. Shimon Fuerst, Dr. Ari Ginsberg, Dr. Mikey Goldman, Mr. Louie Greenspan, Mr. Aharon Horowitz, Mr. Hillel Jakobowitz, Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky, Mr. Shaya Novak, Dr. Jason Ostreicher, Mr. Chaim Rosen, Dr. Peter Steinherz.

The following organizations were at our side constantly providing assistance:

Achiezer, Hatzalah, Satmar Bikur Cholim, The Friendship House

May Hashem repay you all in kind with continued health and success.

Please visit chinuchdaily.com for inspirational stories shared at the shiva

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 27, 2018

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