Five Towns Jewish Home - 10-28-21 by Yitzy Halpern

October 28, 2021

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68 Racing Towards the Finish Line at MAY 5K

71 Rabbi Dov Landau Visits Yeshiva Darchei Torah

74 Inspiring Challah Bake

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OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT OVERDEVELOPMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY IMPACTING TRAFFIC AND OUR QUALITY OF LIFE?

ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY?

ARE YOU AWARE THAT YOU CAN VOTE ON BALLOT PROPOSALS THAT WILL GREATLY IMPACT OUR FUTURE?

Your vote is our future. Vote on Election Day, November 2nd, Then go to KlalVote.org & add your name to your shuls page

Klalvote.org is not affiliated with any candidate or campaign @klalvote

ARE YOU NERVOUS ABOUT THE SAFETY OF YOUR FAMILY IF LESS POLICE ARE ON THE STREETS?

OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home

‫בס"ד‬

is pleased to announce that preschool registration is now open for the 2022-2023 school year Give your child an education that will stay with her for a lifetime. Experience chinuch with caring and warm moros and teachers, where every talmidah is appreciated for who she is. Rabbi Nosson Neuman Menahel

Mrs. Leah Zytman Principal

Morah Chana Leah Bitan Asst. Limudei Kodesh Principal

Morah Deenie Schuss Preschool Director

Dr. Rivka Gutkind PhD Learning Center Director

Morah Shani Stadtmauer Preschool Curriculum Coordinator

Avraham Mayer Executive Director

Call or email for an application

12-14 Heyson Road Far Rockaway NY 11691 info@baisyaakovam.org | 718-868-3232

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

‫בית יעקב ﬠטרת מרים‬

‫בס"ד‬

With much gratitude to the Ribbono Shel Olam, Bais Yaakov Ateres Miriam

High School

for the

Under the warm and caring leadership of

Rabbi Nosson Neuman, Menahel Mrs. Ruchie Sokoloff, Principal Their kindness and compassion for every talmidah, combined with their quest for excellence in education, are legendary in our community.

High School ENTRANCE EXAM Sunday, November 14th

10:00 am Bais Yaakov Ateres Miriam Elementary School 12-14 Heyson Road Far Rockaway, NY

718.868.3232 ext. 214 Mr. Isaac Zaﬁr President

Rabbi Nosson Neuman Menahel

Mrs. Ruchie Sokoloff Principal

6 6

OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Dear Readers, Readers, Dear

or those of you who already voted, you are ahead of the game. But for those of you who haven’t voted yet, there’s still time. Election Day is on Tuesday and there’s early voting through Sunday, in case you want to avoid the Election Day rush. Every year, when Election Day rolls around, we talk about the importance of voting. I know that many people nod their heads and roll their eyes when they hear the schmoozes and see the WhatsApps going around about getting out the vote. What is one vote – my vote – going to do to turn the tide in my community? You’re right. One vote isn’t going to make a difference. But one vote, plus one vote, plus one vote…well, those are ripples that can form a tsunami. And the tsunami that it can create can move buildings and build bridges. It can make your community safer and lower your taxes and decrease traffic and make your drive to work smoother. Of course, that’s putting things simplistically. Surely, your vote is not a magic potion that will automatically produce a more utopian society. But it can help to effect change that will make your community a better place to live. I was recently speaking with someone

who is one of the heads of a union. As I walked away from our conversation, I marveled at the power this gentleman has with regards to voting. Every politician, every political leader, is desperate for his union’s vote. They will do everything they can to help sway his union’s opinion of them to earn their votes. If only politicians will view us in the same way. If only they would be so desperate to earn our community’s favor that they will listen to our concerns and really hear them and do what they can to help us. We’re large enough to help sway an election. And we’re smart enough to understand why it’s important. We just have to be motivated enough to take a few minutes in our day to vote. All it takes is one vote, plus one vote, plus one vote. Make sure that one of those votes are yours. Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana P.S. When you vote this time around, there are 4 proposals on the ballot as well. Our community leaders have advocated for voting NO on propositions 1, 3, and 4 on the ballot.

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OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

8 COMMUNITY Readers’ Poll Community Happenings

8 42

ELECTIONS 2021 Jews Love to Complain, but What Are We Doing About It? by Jonathan Katz 76

TJH Speaks with Anne Donnelly, Candidate for Nassau County District Attorney 90 TJH Speaks with County Executive Laura Curran

TJH Speaks with Leg. Denise Ford

TJH Speaks with Leg. Howard Kopel

104

TJH Speaks with Elaine Phillips, Candidate for Nassau County Comptroller 108 NEWS Global

National

That’s Odd

ISRAEL Israel News

My Israel Home

Middle East Musings by David Billet JEWISH THOUGHT

PEOPLE

Rabbi Wein on the Parsha

Blood, Sweat, and Tears by Rav Moshe Weinberger

Fear of Falling; Fear of Flying by 84 Rabbi Shmuel Reichman Delving into the Daf by Rabbi 86 Avrohom Sebrow

Early Israeli Intelligence by Avi Heiligman

134

HEALTH & FITNESS The Cost of Not Divorcing, Part II by Dr. Deb Hirschhorn

116

Pass the Salt, Please by Cindy Weinberger, MS RD CDN

118

FOOD & LEISURE The Aussie Gourmet: Amy’s Stoup

123

Dear Editor, I find the recent articles and letters on the topic of parental alienation in our local print media terribly painful to read. Earlier, we read about agunos. Equally painful. The divorce rate among our young couples is rising. We can’t just sit back and do nothing. I humbly suggest that we must invest much more effort in marriage preparation. Truth is, marriage prep ideally begins when a child is born, not when he/she becomes engaged. But certainly, a late start on marriage prep is better than no prep at all. From the very start, parents are modeling for their children what a healthy marriage looks like. Young parents must be mindful of that fact. If the marital relationship is lacking, seek help. Children learn communication skills by observing the interactions in their childhood home. Husband and wife may need help in learning how to communicate properly. There are healthier ways to disagree. Raised voices should be taboo in our homes. This is very serious, not to be taken lightly. And inadvertently, outside influences from the secular world are constantly bombarding our homes and our communities. We must be proactive in protecting our sacred family life. For those on the cusp of marriage, there are many books available today on the topic written by our most venerable, reputable rabbanim, mentors and teachers. Visit your local Judaica shop and have a look. In various Hassidic groups it is mandatory to attend a series of class-

es on shalom bayis before embarking upon marriage. Additionally, in certain groups, the young married men are assigned a mentor to help them through the initial years. We, too, must take action in order to ensure the successful marriages of our young couples. Rav Shlomo Wolbe, zt”l, the Mussar giant, had written a guidebook for chassanim which covers all pertinent topics. This sefer is being taught each week, Wednesday evenings, in a local shul, by a talmid of the Mashgiach, actually, myself. This series of classes, at no charge, is appropriate for those contemplating marriage in the near future as well as for those already married. For further info, email calllieber@gmail.com. Heshy Liebermann Dear Editor, Socialists are notorious for their lack of originality. Their arguments are trite and pedestrian, typical of people who are in want of any critical thinking skills. It seems like eons ago when I became the recipient of one of their most infamous arguments – one that socialists utilize frequently, and it follows this essential pattern: if you oppose the government doing something, then you are opposed to the thing itself. If you oppose socialized medicine, then you are opposed to healthcare itself. If you oppose public schools, then you are opposed to education itself. If you oppose to climate change, then you are opposed to the climate itself, and so on. Continued on page 10

LIFESTYLES Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW

112

Parenting Pearls

120

JWOW! 122 Your Money

140

My Phone and Me by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

142

HUMOR Centerfold 78 POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes

126

Biden Wants You to Believe Shortages and Inflation by Marc A. Thiessen

130

The Ice Between the U.S. and Russia by David Ignatius

132

CLASSIFIEDS

136

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Curly

Straight

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

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Continued from page 8

So imagine how elated I was when I discovered (a while ago) that this argument has been utilized by socialists for over a century and a half. I made said discovery as I was reading The Law, a famous essay authored by French philosopher and economist Frederic Bastiat in 1850. I have frequently referenced and quoted Bastiat in my letters and editorials, as he was an extremely proficient economist and an astute philosopher. The following excerpt from his essay is nothing short of amazing: “Socialism, like the ancient ideas from which it springs, confuses the distinction between government and society. As a result of this, every time we object to a thing being done by government, the socialists conclude that we object to its being done at all. We disapprove of state education. Then the socialists say that we are opposed to any education. We object to a state religion. Then the socialists say that we want no religion at all. We object to a state-enforced equality. Then they say that we are against equality. And so on, and so on. It is as if the socialists were to accuse us of not wanting persons to eat because we do not want the state to raise grain.” Case closed. Rafi Metz Dear Editor, Policies and results are perceived as separated when, in reality, they are part of one narrative. Supporting different healthcare initiatives as an example might help many people in future diseases. At the onset, such a result might not have been anticipated but is nevertheless an ideal sought. Since the disastrous Afghanistan exit, the question of the relocation of migrants has been a subject of conversation. For many Americans, their view has been to relocate them to countries nearer to Afghanistan, as it’s more similar in culture than relocating them to the USA. Others want to relocate them to the USA. Regardless of what side is correct, the Biden administration has taken a different approach. According to video footage obtained from the New York Post, Joe Biden has been flying thousands of migrants, including those who entered the U.S. illegally from the U.S.-Mexican border, into the USA in the middle of the night. Last week, Biden flew 2,000 illegals into New York, despite local

curfew rules forbidding flights at the time. Joe Biden’s lack of respect for the nation’s immigration laws is not from a lack of knowledge; instead, it is a purposeful plan to add more Democrat voters in the future. Over 30,000 illegals have been released into the country without a court date since Joe Biden took office. Democrats claim that pointing out such facts is racist unless they are the ones saying it. Democrat Dick Durbin recently said about changing demographics in the U.S. that “the new voters in this county are moving away from them [Republicans], away from Donald Trump, away from their party creed that they preach.” Democrats are saying the secret out loud while labeling Republicans racist for pointing out the obvious. Joe Biden is too busy importing new Democrat voters to America instead of trying to save the hundreds of Americans still stranded in Afghanistan because of Biden’s purposeful incompetency. Joe Biden might not be all there, but his administration knows exactly what they are doing. Sincerely, Donny Simcha Guttman To The Editor: Between the letter from fellow reader Donnie Simcha Goodman that was untethered to reality to Marc Thiessen’s inflammatory school board piece to the Lee Zeldin puff piece by Susan Schwamm, this week’s edition needs a thorough response. Donny - He ignores the fact that the COVID recovery was due to the robust vaccine distribution plan developed from scratch by the Biden Administration. The Delta spike resulted from GQP governors more loyal to Trump than the health of their constituents. And yet more jobs have been created under the Biden presidency than any other in our lifetimes. Every time I go to Costco and the grocery stores, I find shelves filled to the brim, unlike in 2020 when Trump was rejected by America. Our economy has recovered over a year ahead of schedule thanks to President Biden. And if Donny believes “equity” is divisive then yes, that is racism. Marc – Apparently, he believes that astroturf groups and violent militia members coordinating a terrorist campaign threatening the lives of school board members (and their families) is covered under a warped

view of the First Amendment. I applaud Attorney General Garland for being a mensch, protecting those who voluntarily care for the wellbeing of our children. Susan - I have no idea how Rep. Lee Zeldin (GQP - Trump) can be called his own man, except in an April 1 edition. Lee defied the wishes of New Yorkers by twice refusing to vote to impeach Trump. Lee participated in the insurrection by refusing to accept the votes of 81 million Americans as well as dozens of rulings of state and the U.S. Supreme Court that Joe Biden won all of his electoral votes legitimately. Lee had the audacity to join with the seditionist terrorists when he challenged electors AFTER the murderous coup attempt inspired by Trump. Then he voted against funds for vaccines, funding for police, aid for families with children, stimulus checks, and funds to repair failing roads. Lee voted against protecting the Capitol Police from further attacks when he refused to investigate the murderous coup attempt (so much for supporting the blue). He even voted this week against the rule of law, when he decided that Trump ally and fellow insurrectionist Steve Bannon should not have to obey a duly issued Congressional subpoena (which would land anybody else in prison). Lee even supported hammering Long Islanders with his support of Trump’s repeal of SALT deductibility. It is shocking and disappointing that his feet were not held to the fire on any of these issues. I invite Lee to come to Southeast Queens to answer our concerns on these and other vital issues that he is out of step with the majority of New Yorkers. But I’m not holding my breath. David Pecoraro Rosedale, Queens, NY Dear Editor, The comprehensive front page article “Speaking Up for Rochel Imeinu,” in your October 14, 2021 issue, was most interesting, particularly for us. Our two eldest daugh-

ters, Tali and Liat, were cited as the first American Bnot Mitzvah who “twinned” with Israeli girls at Kever Rochel. Having occurred during the Second Intifada, we thought it would be meaningful to bring a modicum of happiness to Israeli Bnot Mitzvah whose parents were victims of Arab terror. This was arranged by the Kever Rochel Heritage Fund, headed by Rebbetzin Miriam Adani, assisted by Aviva (Schonfeld) Pinchuk. Aviva is the daughter of Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld, zt”l, of the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills, where I (Paul) grew up.

Reading your article brought back memories from 18 years ago, so we searched for photos of that momentous event. In the center of the photo shown, in front of Rachel’s Tomb, are our daughters, Tali and Liat, flanked by (from left) Iska Lieberman, daughter of Hillel Lieberman, Hy”d, who was killed on the way to Kever Yosef trying to rescue Torahs; and Yehudit Kahane, the daughter of Binyamin, Hy”d, and Tali, Hy”d, Kahane, the granddaughter of Rabbi Meir Kahane, Hy”d. We were extremely inspired and moved by the four Bnot Mitzvah, and, indeed, by all their classmates from Itamar, and by the highly organized ceremonies. Your readership should strongly consider contacting Rebbetzin Miriam Adani at www.KeverRachelHeritageFund.org to inquire about the possibility of “twinning” their daughters or granddaughters with an Israeli Bat Mitzvah, at Kever Rochel, for an unforgettable celebration. Dr. Paul and Drora Brody Great Neck, NY

Make your voice heard! Be part of TJH’s weekly poll. Email the editor to be included in the weekly poll at Editor@FiveTownsJewishHome.com

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

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The Week In News

Cyberattack Targets Gas in Iran

A cyberattack crippled gas stations across Iran on Tuesday, leaving angry motorists stranded in long lines. For now, it is unclear who is behind the attack. It is similar in some ways to another attack that took place a few months earlier that seemed to challenge Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The attack this week rendered the government-issued electronic cards that many Iranians use to buy subsidized fuel at the pump useless. Iran is facing worsening economic problems as Iran deals with world powers with regards to re-entering the Iran nuclear deal. Lines of cars snaked around blocks as people attempted to get gas. Pumps and gas stations were closed. People, though, waited in line for when they anticipated the stations to reopen. The semiofficial ISNA news agency, which first called the incident a cyberattack, said it saw those trying to buy fuel with a government-issued card through the machines instead receive a message reading “cyberattack 64411.” That number is associated with a hotline run through Khamenei’s office that handles questions about Islamic law. ISNA later removed its reports, claiming that it too had been hacked. Such claims of hacking can come quickly when Iranian outlets publish news that angers the theocracy. The number “64411” was also used in an attack in July that targeted Iran’s railroad system. Israeli cybersecurity firm Check Point later

attributed the train attack to a group of hackers that called themselves Indra, after the Hindu god of war. Indra previously targeted firms in Syria, where President Bashar Assad has held onto power through Iran’s intervention in his country’s grinding war. Cheap gasoline is practically considered a birthright in Iran, home to the world’s fourth-largest crude oil reserves despite decades of economic woes. Subsidies allow Iranian motorists to buy regular gasoline at 15,000 rials per liter – about 20 cents a gallon. After a monthly 60-liter quota, it costs 30,000 rials a liter.

Fatal Floods in Nepal

Flooding and landslides in Nepal caused the deaths of at least 104 people since Wednesday evening,

Phanindra Mani Pokharel, spokesperson for Nepal’s home affairs ministry, said. By Friday, the death toll across Nepal and India’s states of Kerala and Uttarakhand had rose to 201. In Uttarakhand alone, at least 70 people have died of the flooding, the state’s director general of police Ashok Kumar said. The state’s Nainital district was the worst-affected, accounting for approximately half the deaths. Most of the state’s rescue operations are complete, but helicopters have been deployed to rescue trekkers in remote areas. The heavy rains destroyed bridges and swept away homes in the area. Dozens were reported missing. The disaster wiped out crops as well, dealing a blow to families already grappling with the devastating fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Nepal, the Ilam district was hardest hit, with 36 deaths recorded. Rescue and recovery operations are ongoing in that country. The flooding began on Monday during the Chardham yatra, a Hindu pilgrimage, and several pilgrims were caught in the floods. The rainfall has since receded, and the pilgrimage has

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resumed in some areas, where the roads have been cleared of debris. In February, flash floods killed nearly 200 people and washed away houses in northern Uttarakhand state in India. In 2013, thousands of people were killed in floods there. Nepal borders India in the south, east, and west.

drug trafficker. Dairo Antonio Usuga, 50, also known as Otoniel, was arrested on Saturday during an operation in a rural area of Colombia’s Uraba region, in the country’s Antioquia province.

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The city of Paris, France, will become completely cyclist-friendly by 2026. The new infrastructure plan, announced this week, aims to prioritize “green” forms of transportation and increase cycling tourism, as well as make the entire city bike-friendly. It will cost a total of 250 million euro ($291 million). The plan also encourages teaching all of Paris’ elementary school children to ride bicycles, as well as creating bicycle schools to teach any adults interested in learning. It would also include the creation of a bike self-repair workshop in every district. Under the new plan, dubbed the Bike Plan, an additional 112 miles of bicycle paths would be added to the existing 621 miles of bike lanes. In addition, tens of thousands of new parking spaces would be created to accommodate cyclists. David Belliard, spokesperson for Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who is also a presidential candidate and a member of the country’s Socialist Party, tweeted: “This bike plan is one of the essential pillars of the ecological and social transformation that we are leading in Paris.”

Colombia Captures Most Wanted Trafficker Security forces in Colombia have captured the country’s most wanted

According to President Ivan Duque, Otoniel is accused of killing police officers, recruiting minors, abusing children, and sending dozens of shipments of cocaine to the United States, among other crimes. In a broadcast video message, Duque said, “This is the biggest blow against drug trafficking in our country this century. This blow is only comparable to the fall of Pablo Escobar in the 1990s.” He added that one police officer died during the operation. Pablo Escobar was a Colombian narco-trafficking kingpin. A reward of up to three billion pesos (around $800,000) had been offered for information regarding Otoniel’s location. The U.S. government had offered a reward of $5 million for help locating him. Intelligence provided by the U.S. and UK led over 500 Colombian soldiers and special forces members to Otoniel’s jungle hideout, which was protected by eight rings of security, authorities said. The capture, Duque noted, was “the biggest penetration of the jungle ever seen in the military history of our country.”

Mossad Agents Allegedly Arrested in Turkey

A Turkish man allegedly working for Israel’s Mossad described how he was recruited and trained in how to

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

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encrypt and transfer files. According to Turkey’s Sabah, 15 men who allegedly spied for the Mossad intelligence agency were arrested by authorities on October 7. The arrests were not officially confirmed by Turkey. In an interview with Sabah, one of the detainees, identified as M.A.S., said, “I met face to face with a Mossad official. He taught me to encrypt files on the laptop.” The man, who has a company which provides consulting services to students arriving in Istanbul from abroad, told Sabah that he had first been approached by a man claiming to represent an Arab in Germany, who was interested in studying in Turkey. Initially, he was sent hundreds of euros for providing information on how Palestinian Authority Arab students entered Turkish universities and what support they received from Turkish authorities. He also said that he provided his client with details on a Palestinian Authority NGO operating in Turkey. Over the course of three years, the agent received $10,000 in exchange for providing information. Some of the money was handed to him in an Istanbul market, and some was sent via Western Union. He was also brought to Switzerland to meet his alleged handlers, receiving a visa sponsored by the European Student Guidance Center. In a visit in which all his expenses were paid, he met with two separate men, one of whom taught him to encrypt Word files on Protonmail. Sabah added that the man and his handler continued contact through Protonmail. During a second visit to Zurich, M.A.S. met the two men again, as well as a third man named “John.” At one point, he became suspicious and asked if they were intelligence agents, to which they replied that they worked for “an intelligence-like organization with the duty of doing research for EU institutions.” It is not clear when he came to the conclusion that he had been recruited by the Mossad. According to Sabah, the arrested suspects are of Arab descent and operated in five groups of three, in different areas of the country. Some had met with Mossad agents in Croatia and Switzerland, the report added. It also claimed that they had also received orders in Bucharest and Nairobi. They provided the Mossad with information on students studying

in the country, some of whom were foreigners – including from the Palestinian Authority – and others who were Turkish citizens, the report said. The main targets of their espionage were Palestinian Authority Arabs in Turkey and the facilities hosting them.

Erdogan Targets Ambassadors

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday said that he had ordered 10 foreign ambassadors to be declared persona non grata. The ambassadors had called for the release of an imprisoned philanthropist who had been imprisoned wrongly for four years. Earlier this week, the envoys issued a statement calling for a resolution to the case of businessman and philanthropist Osman Kavala, who has been imprisoned since 2017 despite not having been convicted of a crime. Last year, Kavala, 64, was acquitted of charges connected to anti-government protests in 2013, but the ruling was overturned and was joined to charges related to a 2016 coup attempt. Among the envoys issuing the statement were U.S., French, and German representatives to Ankara. Erdogan responded by saying the statement is an “impudence.” During a rally in Eskisehir, the Turkish leader added, “I gave the instruction to our foreign minister and said, ‘You will immediately handle the persona non grata declaration of these 10 ambassadors.’ “They will recognize, understand and know Turkey. The day they don’t know or understand Turkey, they will leave.” The list of diplomats also includes ambassadors from Canada, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden, who were summoned to the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. In a statement, the U.S. State Department said, “We are aware of

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home

these reports and are seeking clarity from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

Princess Marries Commoner

There was no royal wedding in Japan this week, as Princess Mako gave up her royal status on Tuesday after marrying Kei Komuro, a commoner. Many in Japan opposed the marriage. The nuptials, though, were three years in the making. The couple will start their new life together in New York “For me, Kei-san is a priceless person. For us, our marriage was a necessary choice to live while cherishing our hearts,” Mako said.

Mako and Komuro, both 30, met at Tokyo’s International Christian University and announced in 2017 that they intended to marry. However, they postponed the wedding because of a financial dispute between Komuro and his mother. The former princess has taken her husband’s surname – the only family name she has ever had. She also rejected a $1.23 million payment for leaving the imperial family, citing criticism of the marriage as her reason. She is the first person since World War II to reject the money. Komuro returned to Japan last month after spending three years studying law in New York. Mako will join Komuro in New York permanently. “There will be different kinds of difficulties as we start our new life, but we’ll walk together as we have done so in the past,” Mako said. Mako is the niece of Emperor Naruhito and the daughter of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko. Mako also leaves behind a brother and a sister. Because of a “males-only” line of succession, only Crown Prince Akishino and his son Prince Hisahito are in line to succeed the emperor.

Afghanistan Heading Towards Chaos and Collapse

Afghanistan will soon collapse into chaos if the international community does not step in to prevent it, ministers from Sweden and Pakistan warned over the weekend. The forewarning follows a takeover by the Taliban in August, which ended billions of dollars and many years of international aid. Speaking to Reuters in Dubai, Swedish development minister Per Olsson Fridh predicted, “The country is on the brink of collapse and that collapse is coming faster than we thought.” He added that Sweden would not transfer money through the Taliban but would increase humanitarian contributions to the country. Other

countries have taken similar steps. On the other hand, Pakistan’s Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that direct engagement with the Taliban is the only way to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and urged the release of billions of dollars frozen overseas. “Are we going to push Afghanistan into chaos or are we going to try and stabilize the country?” he asked. Urging major powers to set a framework for recognizing the Taliban and removing United Nations sanctions, as well as providing economic assistance, he warned, “The watch on this bomb is already clicking.” Pakistan has deep ties with the Taliban and was often accused of supporting the group as it battled the U.S.-backed government in Kabul for 20 years – charges denied by Islamabad. Fridh noted the Taliban had so far failed to prove they had shed the oppressive policies that marked their previous period in power from 1996-2001. He also said conditions were not right for European countries to reopen embassies in Kabul. Instead, more diplomatic activity would take place in Qatar, an important interlocutor between the West and the Taliban.

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Fire on Container Ship

A fire broke out on Saturday on containers on a cargo ship carrying mining chemicals. The MV Zim Kingston was off the coast of British Columbia, Canada, when the incident took place. The Canadian Coast Guard confirmed that it was working with the U.S. Coast Guard to assess the situation, including environmental hazards that may be posed by the flaming cargo. Five crew members remained aboard the vessel to fight the fire, while 16 others have been evacuated. According to the Canadian Coast Guard, ten containers were burning, and that while the fire continued to spread, the ship itself was not aflame. The two Coast Guards are work-

ing to track 40 containers which fell overboard, due to the risk they pose to mariners, the agencies said, adding, “Mariners are advised to stay clear of the area. Currently there is no safety risk to people on shore, however the situation will continue to be monitored.” On Friday, the Maltese-flagged Zim Kingston said it encountered rough weather west of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Sudan: Coup is Preventing War

On Monday, the leader of a coup in Sudan said that the military seized power this week to prevent “civil war.” Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan added that the deposed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was being kept at

the general’s house “for his own safety” and would be allowed home soon. Sudan has been in turmoil over the past few days. Protests are continuing for a second day in the capital, Khartoum, with roads, bridges and shops closed. Phone and internet links are also disrupted. At least 10 people are reported to have been killed since the unrest began. “The dangers we witnessed last week could have led the country into civil war,” Burhan told a news conference. He added that he had dissolved civilian rule, arrested political leaders, and called a state of emergency as political groups had been inciting civilians against the security forces. Troops are reportedly going house to house, arresting those who have been organizing local protests. Despite Burhan’s assertions and assurances, the coup has drawn global condemnation. The U.S., the UK, EU, UN, and African Union, of which Sudan is a member, have all demanded the release of all arrested political leaders which includes members of the cabinet. Civilian leaders and their military counterparts have been at odds since long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in 2019.

An agreement between civilian and military leaders was designed to steer Sudan towards democracy but has proven tenuous with a number of previous coup attempts, the last just over a month ago. Burhan, who was head of the power-sharing council, said Sudan was committed to the transition to civilian rule, with elections planned for July 2023.

Another Conviction in Hong Kong

On Monday, Ma Chun-man became the second person to ever have been convicted for violating Hong Kong’s national security law. Ma had chanted, “Hong Kong independence, the only way out” 20 times between

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A Saudi Arabian dissident is claiming that the country’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman boasted of killing a former monarch. Speaking on CBS News, Saad alJabri said, “He told him, ‘I want to assassinate King Abdullah. I get a poison ring from Russia. It’s enough

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August and November 2020. Before his conviction, Ma had previously been arrested multiple times for partaking in similar chants. His sentencing is set to take place on November 11, and he could face up to seven years in jail. Last July, Tong Ying-kit, who was the first person convicted under the law, drove his motorcycle into a group of police officers while holding a flag that said, “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times.” As a result, he faces nine years in jail for inciting secession and terrorism. The national security law prohibits secession, subversion of state power, terrorism. and foreign collusion. However, the law loosely defines “national security” and has been used to suppress freedom of expression and assembly in the country, according to Amnesty International. Most well-known, pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong have been arrested as a result of unauthorized assemblies. Other groups have stopped operating in the city altogether. Amnesty, an international human rights group, was one of the organizations that stopped operating its Hong Kong office as a result of the law which they said made their work “effectively impossible” to complete. Since the national security law was enacted in June 2020, more than 120 people have been arrested under the rule and at least 35 other groups have also stopped their operations.

a hospital. It was later declared that his death was due to natural causes. In the past, al-Jabri, who now resides in Canada, has accused bin Salman of plotting to kill him. AlJabri has also described the Crown Prince as “a psychopath, [a] killer.” He has not provided evidence for his claims against the Crown Prince. Speaking to CBS News after the interview, Saudi Arabian authorities described al-Jabri as “a discredited former government official.”

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ISIS Woman Convicted of Crimes Against Humanity A German court has convicted the wife of an ISIS fighter for “crimes against humanity and attempted war crimes” in the death of a 5-yearold Yazidi girl.

OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Jennifer Wenisch, a 30-yearold German citizen, was sentenced to 10 years in jail after a Munich court ruled that she did not intervene when her husband left the girl chained in the desert heat to die of thirst. Wenisch travelled to Syria in 2014 to join ISIS and later married Iraqi national and ISIS fighter Taha al-Jumailly. Wenisch and her husband bought the child and her mother as domestic slaves to take care of their house in Fallujah in 2015. After the child fell ill and wet the bed, Wenisch’s husband chained her in the hot sun outside their home and left her to die of thirst. The child’s mother testified at the trial for over 11 days and recalled being “forced to witness the child’s death.” In her defense, Wenisch told the court that she was “afraid” that her husband would “lock her up” if she tried to save the girl. Her husband is currently on trial in Frankfurt. This case is one of the first trials to prosecute a war crime against the Yazidi community. “This conviction will mean a lot to ISIS survivors especially the ones

who have shared their statements with us in the hope that they will see justice one day. It is also very encouraging for our organization that has been tirelessly collecting evidence since the first months of the Yazidi genocide,” Natia Navrouzov, legal advocacy director at the global Yazidi non-governmental organization Yazda, said.

Iran Leads in Executions

Iran executed more than 250 people, including at least four child offenders, in 2020, and so far this year has carried out 230 executions that included nine women and one child who was executed in secret, the UN independent investigator on human rights in Iran said on Monday.

Javaid Rehman told the UN General Assembly’s human rights committee that Iran continues to implement the death penalty “at an alarming rate” and said “the absence of official statistics and lack of transparency around executions means that this practice escapes scrutiny resulting in serious abuses preventing accountability.” According to Amnesty International, Iran was the top executioner in the Middle East last year, accounting for more than half the region’s 493 executions, followed by Egypt, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Amnesty’s annual figures exclude China, where executions believed to number in the thousands are classified as a state secret, and omit executions from some countries marred by conflict like Syria. The report highlights serious concerns over the grounds Iran uses for imposing the death penalty, such as “vague national security charges.” Iran also has “deeply flawed judicial processes, where even the most basic safeguards are absent,” Rehman noted. “These elements, and the heavy reliance by courts on forced confessions extracted under torture and

other fair trial violations, lead me to conclude that the imposition of the death penalty in the Islamic Republic of Iran constitutes arbitrary deprivation of life,” he added. Rehman, a Pakistani-born professor of human rights and Islamic law at Brunel University in London, called it “imperative” for Iran to undertake criminal law and justice reforms, starting “most urgently” with a moratorium on the death penalty for child offenders. Beyond executions, the overall human rights situation in Iran “remains grim.” He pointed to “persistent impunity for serious violations of human rights law,” including those committed by people in powerful positions and “at the highest level of public office.” “The presidential elections in June this year clearly highlight this point,” Rehman said. Iran’s new president, Ebrahim Raisi, led Iran’s judiciary in recent years. As a prosecutor early in his career Raisi served on a so-called “death panel,” deciding who would live or be executed in a purge that activists say resulted in the killing of as many as 5,000 people in 1988.

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Thirteen people were killed in Israel during the fighting – 12 civilians and one soldier; more than 250 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip, roughly half of them terrorist operatives.

IDF Launches “Southern Storm” Mughar to Be Drill Israel’s First Druze City

The IDF launched a two-day exercise simulating war in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, to test how well the military learned the lessons from May’s conflict against terror groups in the enclave. The drill – dubbed Southern Storm – will include a variety of scenarios for Israeli forces to counter, including surprise attacks by terror groups from the Strip, in order to better prepare the IDF Southern Command and Gaza Division for war, the military said. “As part of the exercise, there will be noticeable movement of security forces and vehicles, explosions will be heard in the area, and roadblocks will be set up on a number of roadways in the area near the border,” the IDF said, clarifying that these would be simulated checkpoints only and that the roads would be open to civilians. The military said the exercise was planned in advance as part of the 2021 training schedule but with a focus on May’s conflict, known by Israel as Operation Guardian of the Walls. “The exercise is meant to improve IDF troops’ preparedness to defend the area around the Gaza Strip, and it will test the way in which the lessons from Operation Guardian of the Walls were integrated, while putting troops through many possible offensive scenarios by terror groups in the Gaza Strip, including surprise scenarios,” the IDF said. Israel fought a punishing 11-day conflict with Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other terror groups, in the Gaza Strip in May, after Hamas fired six rockets toward Jerusalem in response to clashes that took place in the city at the time.

Mughar, located near Tsfas and Tiveria, is set to become Israel’s first officially Druze city. Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked announced the development of the town into an official city on Tuesday. Mughar’s current population is 24,000, but plans have been approved for it to grow to 30,000 in the coming years. Its local authority developed and implemented a number of economic, infrastructural and organizational processes and thus earned the Western Galilee Geographical Committee’s recommendation, which Shaked accepted. The importance of a town becoming a city mostly lays in increased attractivity for government and private companies to invest in it and to generate general and commercial development as well as employment options. “In my view, any local authority that proves itself in development, organizational efficiency, economic growth and an increase in internal revenue will receive from us assistance in growing and creating new capabilities,” Shaked said. “Mughar has proved itself and deserves to become an important Israeli city. This is another proof of the courageous and strong bond between the Druze community and the Jewish people. This partnership is not restrained to the military but also exists in civil life,” she concluded.

Bennett Meets with Putin Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met with Russian President

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Vladimir Putin for approximately five hours on Friday.

The extensive visit, which ran longer than originally planned, forced Bennett to spend Shabbat in Russia. According to the report, Bennett had planned to leave for Israel three hours after the meeting, which was scheduled for 10:00a.m. and expected to last just two hours. In a statement, Bennett’s office said, “The meeting was warm and positive and dealt with a series of issues of importance to the two nations.” It added that Bennett and Putin “went outside to speak on the balcony of the residence and then walked through the paths of the grounds toward the sea.” Bennett added that Russia “is a very important player in our region, a kind of neighbor for us in the north.” Housing Minister Ze’ev Elkin, who accompanied Bennett on the trip to serve as translator, said, “It

was decided to keep policies vis-à-vis Russia in place [regarding airstrikes] in Syrian territory.” He also said that the talks were “among the warmest and most intimate held this decade.”

Israel Designates 6 “Palestinian” Groups as Terror Orgs.

International organizations and leftist U.S. politicians have criticized a decision by Israel’s Defense Ministry to designate six “Palestinian” organizations as terror groups. At least two of the groups have denied the terrorist charges. According to Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz (Blue and

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White), the organizations “were active under the cover of civil society organizations, but in practice belong and constitute an arm of the [PFLP] leadership, the main activity of which is the liberation of Palestine and destruction of Israel.” Meanwhile, the United Nations Human Rights Office in Ramallah said, “Counter-terrorism legislation must not be used to constrain legitimate human rights and humanitarian work.” It also slammed Israel’s “extremely vague or irrelevant reasons, including entirely peaceful and legitimate activities.” “These designations are the latest development in a long stigmatizing campaign against these and other organizations, damaging their ability to deliver on their crucial work.” The organizations are among the most prominent in Palestinian Authority Arab society, and many receive considerable funding from the United Nations and from European Union (EU) member states. In Israel, both military and civilian law prohibit supporting or joining a terror group. In a statement, an EU spokesperson said, “Past allegations of the misuse of EU funds in relation to some of our Palestinian [civil society organization] partners have not been substantiated. EU funding to Palestinian civil society organizations is an important element of our support for the two state solution.” Palestinian Authority (PA) leader Mohammad Shtayyeh said the decision is a “grave violation of international law.” The PA spokeman for its department for foreign affairs said, “This fallacious and libelous slander is a strategic assault on Palestinian civil society and the Palestinian people’s fundamental right to oppose Israel’s illegal occupation and expose its continuing crimes.” Congress members Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Mark Pocan, both Democrats, also slammed Israel’s decision. Omar tweeted, “There must be immediate consequences from the U.S. and the international community for this brazen act.” “Israel should rescind their blanket decision to label Palestinian civil rights organizations as terrorist groups. Many of these organizations are working to bring peace in the region and are vocal critics Hamas & the PA,” Pocan tweeted. Leftist group J Street said, “This

is a deeply repressive measure that seems designed to outlaw and persecute important Palestinian human rights groups. The Biden Admin[istration] should make clear to the Israeli government that this is totally unacceptable and anti-democratic, and call on them to reverse the decision.”

UAE Affirms Its Close Ties to Israel

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has distanced itself from a plan to channel oil from the Gulf to Europe via an overland pipe running through Israel. On Thursday, an official said the government is not a party to the agreement and that its cancelation would not negatively impact the UAE’s ties with Israel. The deal, which was made last year as part of the Abraham Accords, has faced criticism within Israel due to environmental concerns. A senior official at the UAE’s Embassy in Israel said, “We have clarified to the Israeli government that this is not a government project. There’s very close communication at the highest level. Israel is aware that this is not a UAE government project but rather a private commercial deal.” He emphasized that the deal had nothing to do with the Abraham Accords. The UAE official also added that Abu Dhabi supports Israel’s right “to do what is best for Israel.” The Europe Asia Pipeline Company (EAPC), one of the parties to the deal, said on Thursday, “Implementation of the agreement ensures the security and energy independence of the State of Israel, breaks the Arab oil boycott for the first time, increases the immediate supply of crude oil, and thus reduces the fuel costs paid by Israeli citizens.” It added that canceling the deal with the UAE would cause “significant harm” to Israel and its citizens.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

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Union. We hope that it will serve as a model for the rest of Europe.”

Ahmad Majdalani, a longtime Abbas aide, who currently manages the PA’s social affairs, told Wattan, “Ann Linde is our personal friend, and a long-time member of the Social Democratic Party, who are our comrades and partners in the Socialist Internationale… It is impossible that she would make such a statement.”

First Fallen Paratrooper to be Buried in Israel

Swedish FM Slams “Corruption in Palestine” Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde slammed the Palesitnian Authority (PA) for corruption following a meeting with its leaders in Ramallah.

Ahead of the Tuesday meeting, Linde told Sweden’s public broadcaster, “If we are going to be able to completely support economic development, we, of course, cannot have corruption on such a level as there is in Palestine.” Sweden currently allocates approximately $180 million in development aid to the PA between 2020-2024. The country also funded millions in direct budget support through the European Union.

Linde met PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, PA leader Mohammad Shtayyeh, and foreign affairs representative Riyad al-Malki. In a statement following the meeting, Abbas’ office said that Linde “stressed that Sweden will continue to provide support to the Palestinian people to build the institutions of the Palestinian state.” Shtayyeh said, “We are proud of our relationship with Sweden, whether bilateral or as part of the European

The remains of Martin Davidovich, the IDF’s first fallen paratrooper, will be brought to Israel for burial. Davidovich, born in 1927 in Częstochowa, Czechoslovakia, was killed 73 years ago at the age of 21, during a training accident in that country. His remains are being brought to Israel this week by a delegation from the Defense Ministry and the IDF, which traveled to Prague on Sunday. On Wednesday, IDF paratroopers will join the delegation, carrying Davidovich’s coffin to the plane which will bring his body back to Israel for burial. Davidovich did not officially serve in the IDF, but he died during an IDF course and was mentioned by name in a report submitted at the time to Israeli authorities by the parachuting instructor team. In 2001, the IDF decided to recognize him officially as a fallen solider.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

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Davidovich was active in the Hashomer Hatzair youth movement. He was sent to Auschwitz in April 1944, and then on to the Mauthausen concentration camp. He lost many of his family members in the Holocaust. After the war ended, Davidovich returned to Czechoslovakia and joined the Czech Brigade, a military unit established in July 1948 with the goal of training future soldiers for the State of Israel. Volunteers in the brigade underwent military training with the Czech army, in coordination with Israeli officials, the Chaim Herzog Museum of the Jewish Soldier in World War II said. The museum added, “The idea was basically to establish a military force consisting of Jewish volunteers, to be trained in Czechoslovakia, that would emigrate to Israel and help build the IDF and be a fighting force within it.” Davidovich was killed during an August 1948 training exercise practicing the takeover of a sentry post. During the practice, the Czech officer guarding the post grabbed Davidovich and shot him in the head. Later, the officer said he did not think his weapon was loaded. The officer was suspended for 24 hours following the murder.

Israel Announces Construction of Over 1,300 homes

Over 1,300 new homes will be built in Judea and Samaria settlements, Israel’s Construction and Housing Ministry said on Sunday. In a statement, the Ministry said, “Tenders for 1,355 homes in Judea and Samaria have been published.” The new homes will be constructed in seven settlements, including Ariel, Beit El, Elkana, and Adam. This is the first announcement of new construction in the area since U.S. President Joe Biden took office in January. Construction and Housing Minister Ze’ev Elkin (New Hope) on Sunday said, “Just as we promised, we are now following through. Strength-

ening and widening the settlements in Judea and Samaria is a necessary and very important part of the Zionist enterprise.” He emphasized that the construction follows “a long period of stagnation in building in Judea and Samaria.” Last week, Hebrew media outlets reported that over 3,000 new homes are expected to be advanced this week, together with 1,300 homes for Palestinian Authority Arabs in Area C of Judea and Samaria. Jews are allowed to live only in Area C, while Arabs live in Areas A, B, and C. Separately, Elkin on Sunday announced that his ministry would work to double the number of homes in the Jordan Valley, aiming to reach 3,000 families in the area by 2026.

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A federal judge on Friday sentenced a Kentucky couple to the largest fine yet in any of the cases against the January 6th protesters at the Capitol. In the ruling, U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton sentenced Thomas and Lori Vinson to five years of probation, 120 hours of community service, and $5,000 each in fines for their participation in the January 6 riot. “I know that’s a lot, but I want the sentence to hurt,” Walton said. The fines imposed on the couple are the largest so far. The Vinsons pleaded guilty in July to charges of entering and remaining in a restricted building, as well as to disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building, violent entry and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Cap-

itol building, They were arrested in Owensboro, Kentucky, in late February – two of over 600 people to be arrested following the riot. In an interview with WFIE after she was fired from her position as a nurse, Lori said she “would do it again tomorrow” and was not sorry. Thomas, in his first interview with law enforcement, said that they went to the Capitol as a “peaceful bunch of people there to express their views to Congress” and that they were mostly “chanting and talking.”

Room Freshener Linked to Illnesses

A rare tropical infection sickening people in the states of Minnesota, Kansas, and Texas has been traced to an aromatheray room spray. The first patient to get sick, in Kansas in March, died. In June, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health alert, after discovering that the cases in Minnesota, Kansas, and Texas were linked. But by the time they found the source this month, four people had become infected and two of them had died. The four had been infected with a bacteria known as Burkholderia pseudomallei, which caused the disease known as melioidosis. Melioidosis is characterized by common symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, shortness of breath, weakness, and cough, and is most often seen in Northern Australia, Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia. It is found in contaminated water and in soil. In the U.S., most cases are associated with travel and with those coming back from countries in which the disease is prevalent. However, in these cases, none of the affected families had traveled. In July, after a patient died of melioidosis in Georgia, genetic testing linked the case to the other three cases, and the CDC began going through all the products they could find which

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

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OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home

might be the source of the bacteria. CDC epidemiologist Dr. Jennifer McQuiston, who helped lead the investigation, said, “It really was a fishing expedition because we didn’t have any early clues to guide us in any direction. The teams really looked at personal care products, lotions, soaps, food items, vitamins – things they might have been exposed to. Cleaning products – all of those sorts of things.” She added, “The thing about Burkholderia pseudomallei is it really needs a moist or wet environment in order to survive. It can survive in some types of moisture that you would not normally think of a bacteria surviving in, so even hand sanitizers. “They had tested several hundred specimens, and it looked like it was coming to a dead end,” she added. Then the team went back to the home of the last patient, “And in that particular second search, they collected a specimen from an air freshener bottle that had not been collected the first time around, and this week that we got positive PCR results out of that air freshener bottle for Burkholderia pseudomallei.” The product, Better Homes &

Gardens Lavender & Chamomile Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones, had been manufactured in India. Walmart, which sold the product, issued a recall on Friday. McQuiston added, “We were all so relieved to have something that pointed to a source of infection because our biggest worry was that whatever had caused infection in those four previous cases might still be out there posing a health risk to people. This showed us that that was true – our instincts on that were right because there are households in America that have this bottle of air fragrance in their homes, potentially spraying it.” At the same time, it is not yet clear which ingredient in the spray is responsible for the infections. Other scents from the manufacturer which use “gemstones” will also be examined by the CDC.

COVID Brain Fog Lasts for Months Cognitive impairment, commonly known as “brain fog,” can persist

for months after a COVID-19 infection, a new study shows. This is true even for patients who were not hospitalized. The research, published on Friday in JAMA Network Open, showed that nearly 25% of COVID-19 patients at the Mount Sinai Health System registry experienced memory issues following a COVID-19 infection. Hospitalized patients were more likely to suffer from brain fog, but some outpatients suffered from it as well.

tioning, and category fluency. For memory recall, 39% of hospitalized patients suffered imapirment, compared with 12% of outpatients. In the area of memory encoding, 37% of those hospitalized suffered impairments, compared with 16% of outpatients. “The association of COVID-19 with executive functioning raises key questions regarding patients’ long-term treatment. Future studies are needed to identify the risk factors and mechanisms underlying cognitive dysfunction as well as options for rehabilitation,” they concluded.

No Mandate Monday

In the study, Jacqueline Becker and her colleagues at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York wrote, “In this study, we found a relatively high frequency of cognitive impairment several months after patients contracted COVID-19. Impairments in executive functioning, processing speed, category fluency, memory encoding, and recall were predominant among hospitalized patients.” “This pattern is consistent with early reports describing a dysexecutive syndrome after COVID-19 and has considerable implications for occupational, psychological, and functional outcomes,” the researchers added. The new study included data collected between April 2020 and May 2021, on 740 COVID-19 patients with no history of dementia and whose average age was 49. Researchers assessed cognitive functioning for each patient, analyzing the frequency of cognitive impairment among them. They found that 15% showed deficits in phonemic fluency in their speaking, 16% showed deficits in executive functioning, and 18% showed deficits in cognitive processing speed. In addition, 20% showed deficits in their ability to process lists and categories, 23% showed deficits in memory recall, and 24% showed deficits in memory encoding. Hospitalized patients were more likely to suffer impairments in attention, memory, executive func-

Students at a high school in California are chafing at the rules imposed on them by the state. As such, they instituted “No Mandate Monday” this week. The loosely organized protest was put into place as a reaction to Sacramento’s mask mandates and as a way for students and staff to stand up for a senior who was removed from campus last week for refusing to wear a mask. Video emerged from inside Ponderosa High School that showed maskless students taking part in the protest who had been placed into a “non-compliance room,” according to one parent. Michael Wilkes, 38, a teacher at the El Dorado County high school, was put on administrative paid leave after spending the day teaching lessons without a mask. He said the district is conducting an investigation, and he will likely lose his job after five years. “I have tremendous peace of mind knowing that I’m living true to my heart,” he told Fox News. California has a statewide mask requirement that affects about 6.7 million students. The state’s largest teachers’ unions support the mandate, as does the California Association of School Boards.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Should MD Counties Join W. Va.?

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice said on Friday he would welcome three Maryland counties with “open arms.” Maryland’s Allegany, Garrett, and Washington counties – all with Republican legislators – sent two lettters this month asking West Virginia’s top Republican legislators to consider allowing them to join West Virginia. In one of their letters, the Maryland lawmakers wrote, “We believe this arrangement may be mutually beneficial for both states and for our local constituencies. Please advise

on next steps.” The signatories are House Minority Leader Jason Buckel, Sen. George Edwards, and Dels. William Wivell, Wendell Beitzel and Mike McKay. “Absolutely, without any question, the invitation is wide open. We want everyone to always know that we’re absolutely standing here with open arms, we welcome these counties and would be tickled to death to have them,” Justice, a Republican, said, calling the proposal an “unprecedented opportunity.” He also said he intends to put the issue to a vote in a special legislative session. State legislatures would have to approve the change, and the U.S. Congress would need to take action.

money-saving habit. According to a press release from the FBI, the agency found fake coupons in “every crevice” of the house belonging to Lori Ann Talens and her husband, Pacifico Talens, Jr. The falsified savings were worth more than $1 million. They also found designs for coupons for more than 13,000 products on Lori Ann Talens’ computer.

Extreme Couponing to the Extreme

“She trained herself in the different techniques she needed to manipulate barcodes to make these coupons work,” said Special Agent Shannon Brill in the FBI release. Talens, who is considered the mastermind of the scheme, would create fake coupons with discounts “near or even over” an item’s retail value. Talens didn’t use the fraudulent coupons for herself. The FBI said she sold them to subscribers that found her on social media and communicated with them using an encrypted messaging app. Talens was paid more than $400,000 in digital currencies such as bitcoin and sometimes “exchanged coupons for stolen rolls of the special paper stores use to print out coupons,” the agency said. The three-year scheme was discovered by the Coupon Information Corporation, which received a tip that someone was making and mailing fraudulent coupons. One group of manufacturers said it lost $125,000 from fake coupons linked to Talens. In September, Talens was sentenced to 12 years in prison for “perpetrating a counterfeit coupon fraud scheme” that amounted to $32 million in losses for retailers and manufacturers, according to the Department of Justice. Her husband was sentenced to 7 years in prison because he was aware of and profited from the scheme. The couple was accused of using the money for high-end home renovations, including building a new pool and remodeling their kitchen.

A Virginia Beach couple took couponing a little too seriously and are now languishing in jail for their

A CHAMPION FOR OUR COMMUNITY Todd Kaminsky announcing a grant that includes resources to protect our shuls.

“On November 2, join us in voting for Todd Kaminsky.” — Cal Nathan and Ed Farbenblum Community Leaders

Todd helped create New York State’s security grant program, which has provided more than $100 million in funding for our local shuls and schools. Todd fought to make our synagogues eligible for anti-hate crime funding and got critical police resources allocated to protect our shuls. Todd wrote tough laws to punish anti-Semitic hate crimes and secured a grant for license plate

readers around the Five Towns to help police catch criminals. Todd led the fight to bolster and expand Holocaust education while ensuring every child in New York is taught about its atrocities and the dangers of anti-Semitism. Todd unequivocally stands with Israel. He wrote legislation to dismantle BDS and deny taxpayer funding to anti-Israel groups on college campuses.

PAID FOR BY KAMINSKY FOR NASSAU

FL to Divest from Ben & Jerry’s Company

Florida is set to begin divesting from conglomerate Unilever over the boycott of West Bank settlements announced several months ago by its subsidiary, the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream company. The move will take effect on Tuesday, three months after Governor Ron DeSantis ordered the State Board of Administration to add the London-based Unilever to its list of “scrutinized companies” that boycott Israel. This meant that starting 90 days from his order, if the position on Israel was not reversed – and it has not been – Florida will no longer invest in or contract business with Unilever or its subsidiaries. “I have not seen any meaningful response from Unilever, period,” Florida’s SBA executive director, Ash Williams, said at a September cabinet meeting. “It’s a small part of our overall portfolio as you might imagine.” According to the WFLA news site, the SBA’s investments in Unilever total about $139 million, out of its approximate $200 billion portfolio. In July, Ben & Jerry’s announced that it would no longer distribute its products in the “Occupied Palestinian Territory,” apparently referring to West Bank settlements and East Jerusalem. Ben & Jerry’s boycott policy will only come into force when its agreement with the local manufacturing and distribution licensee expires at the end of 2022. Following the company’s announcement, Israeli Ambassador to the US Gilad Erdan sent letters to the governors of the 35 U.S. states that have enacted legislation against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, requesting that they sanction Ben & Jerry’s over the decision.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

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Last month, Arizona became the first state to pull the trigger on divesting from Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s, in response to its settlement boycott. Texas has officially added Ben & Jerry’s and its parent company Unilever to a list of companies that boycott Israel, a further step on the path to the state divesting some $100 million from the companies. New Jersey has announced that it is on the path to follow suit, while New York, Illinois, Maryland, and Rhode Island have launched formal proceedings.

Did you know? Pumpkins are technically considered a fruit

Something Special at Spanx

If you are working at Spanx, a company that produces shapewear, you are now $10,000 richer and are on the way to a great vacation. This week, Spanx founder Sara Blakely surprised employees when she spun a globe and then revealed that she bought each of her employees two first-class plane tickets to anywhere in the world. Not only that, but the tickets came with a really special added bonus.

In a video posted to her Instagram account, Blakely said, “If you go on a trip you might want to go out to a really nice dinner, you might want to go out to a really nice hotel, and so with everybody’s two first-class tickets to anywhere in the world, you are each getting $10,000.” Her employees’ cries of joy were posted on the site as well. “I really want every employee to celebrate this moment in their own way and create a memory that will last them a lifetime! Cheers to 21 years of magic and many more to come,” she wrote on Instagram. Last week, private equity firm Blackstone said it would take a majority stake in the brand. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the firms noted the eight-figure valuation in a news release. Blakely has said that when she founded Spanx in 2000, she did so with $5,000 in savings. The free tickets and employee bonuses were ways for Spanx to say thanks to their valued workers. Sounds like this company is in really good shape.

Trash Talking

In Israel, even the garbage cans have an opinion. Last week, a garbage receptacle installed near a bus stop in Jerusalem thanked those who used it for their good manners. When garbage is dropped into the can, a child’s voice rings out, “Thank you very much!” The receptacle relies on sensors and solar panels to determine when trash is dropped in and to emit the words of gratitude. Of course, because it’s the Holy Land, a volunteer switches off the device every Friday afternoon before Shabbos. Just another thing to remember before you light candles.

Mazal Tov Times 4

Madison Collier’s family grew by leaps and bounds last month. Madison and her husband Justin were surprised when they learned that instead of welcoming one new family member, they were going to be welcoming four new babies into their home. “I don’t think I’ll ever fully get over the shock,” Collier, who’s also mom to 4-year-old Isla, said about learning she was expecting quadruplets. Justin, actually, started to feel faint. According to Jackson Health System, the chances of naturally conceiving quadruplets is one in 700,000. When Collier noticed that the technician was quiet during her exam, she asked him if everything was OK. “He said, ‘Yeah, the baby’s OK.’ And then he said, ‘There’s just more than one,’” Collier recalled. “I started kind of panicking,” Collier said. Then, she said, she told the technician it wasn’t a funny joke. “He was like, ‘I’m not joking.’ And he counted them on the screen for me,” Collier added. “And there they were.” Big sister Isla took it all in stride. “Well,” she said, “that gives me lots of kids to play with.” Collier gave birth to the quadruplets on September 3, three months before her original due date. The two boys, Calloway and Wilder, and two girls, Iris and Eliza, are still at the hospital where they’ll be until November. The family can’t wait to bring home their four bundles of joy – and their carriages, and cribs, and diapers, and high-chairs, and bassinets. Oh, you get the point.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

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OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

BESTSELLING JUST LOVE THEM... NOW FOR KIDS! NEW!

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ens of thousands of readers were riveted by Just Love Them, the biography of Rabbi Dovid Trenk. Now we can share stories of his overflowing Ahavas Yisrael with our children. Bestselling author Shmuel Blitz, a talmid of Rabbi Trenk, invites all children to join him as he brings us Rabbi Trenk’s remarkable world of chesed, caring, and love.

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OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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Community Rambam Mesivta Announces Plans for a Beautiful New Home

ambam Mesivta thrilled its talmidim with a surprise announcement that they will soon be housed in a brand-new building, which is being built just a few blocks away. The new site is also located in Lawrence, an approximately six-minute walk from the present location. We feature an interview with the Rambam administration about this new exciting project. Rumors are swirling around that you have begun construction and are soon planning to move into the new building. What can you tell us? Rabbi Friedman: Many times, rumors are unfounded but this one is, in fact, true! The news is exciting and will greatly benefit our students. It has been in the planning stages for two or three years, and baruch Hashem all the pieces fell into place to make this dream a reality. Will the new facility be bigger and what will be different? Rabbi Friedman: Our goal is to serve the needs of an ever-growing community. Our new facility, which is more than double the size of our existing school, will enable us to offer even more opportunities for excellence in both Limudei Kodesh and college preparatory studies, while still maintaining the small and warm class sizes. Rabbi Eliach: Excellence in education is enhanced with state-of-the-art facilities. Although we take great pride in what our students and faculty have accomplished together since Rambam’s inception, imagine how much more we can achieve with a beautiful larger state-of-the-art facility! Mr. Hillel Goldman, Associate Principal added: Rambam has become a premier destination for the student who wants to take a leadership role and accomplish great things, both inside and outside the classroom. At Rambam’s current location, we have scores of clubs and a variety of ever-expanding, student-run extracurricular activities. I’ve seen the plans for this new building and know that with a state of the art, 21st century building, our empowered student body will take the school’s teams, clubs, and tournaments to the next level.

Rabbi Herschman has been working directly on this expansion and revealed some details on the new features. Rabbi Herschman: Let me say, I share the excitement of our faculty, parents, alumni, and student body and look forward to everything the new facility will offer. Among the many exciting features, our building will have a larger Beis Medresh, brand new STEM lab, an additional science lab, 13 large classrooms, an upstairs Beis Medresh for the Sephardic minyan, state-of-the-art gym, and a Holocaust Center. Can you elaborate on the Holocaust Center? Rabbi Friedman: Over the past 30 years, we have incorporated the lessons of Zachor into the DNA of our educational program. It is imperative that Torah Jews understand the challenges and sacrifices that were made by the survivors and Kedoshim of the Shoah. I feel strongly that everything we have today is built on the sacrifices and inspiration they provided for us. The Shoah Center will have some historical artifacts and touchscreen interviews of survivors which will enable our students to get a glimpse into preWorld War II Jewish life, anti-Semitism, and Torah commitment. The spirit of resilience and rebuilding

is an important one for young adults to hear and learn not to give up when faced with challenges. Rabbi Eliach added: Teaching the establishment of Jewish sovereignty in the land of Israel after 1878 years of Diaspora in conjunction with the ingathering of exiles after the Holocaust is a pivotal piece with teaching the students to play an active role in the strengthening and growth of Medinat Yisrael. When do you expect to move in? Sometime in the year 2022, assuming there are no snow delays! We look forward to inviting our parents, alumni, students, and community members to a celebration once we firm up a date! Can you sum up the reaction of supporters and alumni? Rambam has appropriately named its Capital Campaign “Chazak! Strong and Getting Stronger,” representing the enormous accomplishments of the Mesivta. We are beginning to speak to community philanthropists and alumni. Dedications have already been reserved. Rabbi Friedman: We have gained chizuk and been humbled by the goodwill and support of the community.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

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OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Yeshiva Ketana rebbeim at the recent Torah Umesorah Convention enjoyed a private audience with Rav Aharon Feldman, shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Ner Yisroel. Seventeen rebbeim and their families joined the 1,250 rebbeim and moros at the convention to network, hone their skills and receive divrei chizuk v’hadracha from Gedolei Roshei Yeshiva and leading mechanchim.

BYAM High School Open House a Phenomenal Success

he room was set, and it was apparent that much care and thought had been given to every detail. The refreshments were laid out on the striking black tablecloths, including the personalized cookies, replete with the new High School logo and unique design. The school banner was elegantly draped in the middle of the room, announcing the launch of the new high school. The video screen was set to the side – ready to display the presentation that had been meticulously prepared. The reception table in the lobby was set with cards, where attendees could enter their contact information, so that follow-ups and updates could be sent. There was a separate room, dedicated to the prospective high school students, complete with BYAM High School journals, to be used in a game prepared by Mrs. Ruchie Sokoloff. Mrs. Sokoloff wanted every eighth grade girl to have the opportunity to express herself and to share what her

hopes and dreams are for her high school years. The girls were also entered into a raffle for a prize uniquely designed for Bais Yaakov Ateres Miriam High School. The anticipation and excitement were palpable as the room started to fill. Every parent and eighth grader who walked in were warmly greeted by the Menahel, Rabbi Nosson Neuman, and the Principal, Mrs. Ruchie Sokoloff. Familiar and new faces began to fill the room at Beth Sholom, which was at standing-room-only capacity once the program began! Opening remarks were delivered by Mr. Isaac Zafir, Chairman of the Board of BYAM High School. Mr. Zafir then introduced Rav Eytan Feiner, who spoke brilliantly about the role of our nashim tzidkanios and how, without schools for girls, there is no Klal Yisroel. Rabbi Feiner was followed by Mrs. Ruchie Sokoloff, who shared with the crowd her excitement about this new venture. Mrs. Sokoloff’s hopes and dreams

for what she plans to accomplish in her new position were shared with pride and enthusiasm. Her genuine passion forgetting to know each student, and guiding every girl who crosses her path, was apparent. Following Mrs. Sokoloff’s speech was a short video presentation featuring Rabbi Neuman, Mrs. Leah Zytman, principal of Bais Yaakov Ateres Miriam Elementary School, Mrs. Sokoloff, and several of Mrs. Sokoloff’s past alumni. Each person on the video expressed how he or she felt that this was a tremendous opportunity for any family that would choose this school, as they detailed what they felt was unique about the Bais Yaakov Ateres Miriam brand. The overall message was that the school is a family, and the parents and students are treated as such. It’s about the one-on-one attention given to every individual, appreciating who she uniquely is, and who is the best person that she can become. Rabbi Neuman ended the night

with his signature warmth, as he expressed his deep passion for chinuch. He said that he has been asked many times how he juggles all that is on his plate: From an elementary school to an overnight camp for girls, and now a high school?! Rabbi Neuman’s answer was that he doesn’t see it as a juggle. It is all under one umbrella. “I believe in every student. I believe and see each one as an incredible individual. If you believe in people, and it comes from your heart, they in turn will believe in themselves. I live for opportunities to give that over to talmidos. Hashem has sent me many opportunities to express this to others, and I am grateful for every single one of them. Thank you to all our friends, family, and community members who joined us at the Bais Yaakov Ateres Miriam High School Open House. Please see our ad for information about our upcoming entrance exam.

4.5” x 11.25”

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

Around the Community

Chai Lifeline November 16 Gala Offers Inspiration and Entertainment

‫בס״ד‬

hai Lifeline will celebrate its 2021 Annual Gala on Tuesday, November 16, at Pier Sixty in New York City. The program, titled “An Evening on the Hudson,” will highlight the critical work of Chai Lifeline, the Jewish community’s leading children’s health support network, and benefit families living with serious illness, crisis, and loss. The event will feature worldclass entertainment and inspiration. Renowned chef Wolfgang Puck will present a one-of-a-kind kosher culinary experience and Israeli singer-songwriter Ishay Ribo will perform. Jorge Capote, vice president of patient relations at Memorial Sloan Kettering, will be honored with the Maimonides Medical Achievement Award for his dedication, advocacy, and work on behalf of patients and families. The Gala will also include the dedication of The Dr. Leon and Frances Gersten z”l National Counseling Program at Chai Lifeline and pay tribute to the Evan Levy z”l Fund, recognizing its five years of life-changing impact through financial support to families in medical crisis. “The Gala is an opportunity for

OCTOBER 2021

What the Doctor Cannot Do Answering the phone at the Tehillim Kollel oﬃce, I thought the caller had made a mistake. It sounded more like the panicked call of someone in need of Hatzalah. The yungerman on the other end of the line could hardly catch his breath and it was hard to understand what he was saying. He wanted his baby of ﬁve and a half weeks put on the Tehillim list, and we acquiesced immediately.

the community to come together to celebrate the important work of Chai Lifeline and show its support for the more than 6,000 children and families that rely on our services and programs,” said Rabbi Simcha Scholar, CEO of Chai Lifeline. “From counseling and mental health support to emergency financial assistance, Chai Lifeline is there to help alleviate the pain families face during the most challenging of times.” To reserve a seat or a table, donate, or place a journal ad, please visit www.chaidinner.org or call 212-699-6658.

Soon, Tehillim Kollel’s exceptional minyan was davening earnestly for this tiny newborn who was suddenly on life support. The baby had only begun displaying some unusual complications and the parents took him to their local pediatrician. They tried to remain calm, hoping this was a passing phase, but the doctor had them rushed into the ER instead. Before they knew it, they were inside a wailing ambulance as it made its way to the intensive care section of the hospital. The newborn was immediately hooked up to oxygen and life support machines. The situation seemed so bleak. The young parents were totally shocked and overwhelmed, and then they thought of calling Tehillim Kollel. It was a relief to have more teﬁllos on their side. The father shares: “Just two days later, the head doctor walked into the room. He asked me, ‘Tell me, can I join the Jewish nation?’ The doctor couldn’t hide his shock and amazement over the miracle that happened, as our baby crawled out of his situation so quickly. In the doctor’s words, ‘What the Jewish nation could facilitate with their prayers, we cannot possibly accomplish!’”

WEEKLY COLUMN OF RECENT EPISODES BY TEHILLIM KOLLEL Sign up for our annual mermbership:

718.705.7174 Info@TehillimKollel.org www.TehillimKollel.org

OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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Warmth, Energy, and Excitement at MTA Open House

TA welcomed more than 700 people at its Open House on Motzei Shabbos, October 23. Participants reflected the many geographic locations that make up the MTA community and hailed from Monsey, Riverdale, Queens, Manhattan, West Hempstead, the Five Towns, Brooklyn, Highland Park, Passaic, Teaneck, Bergenfield, and Elizabeth. Throughout the Open House, eighth graders discovered how they can choose their own journeys at MTA, which offers talmidim a small, warm, family feel as well as endless opportunities to pursue their passions and expand their high school experience. They also explored the yeshiva’s strong Torah, academic, and extra-curricular programs and learned more about what makes MTA so special, including the rebbe-talmid relationship, leadership opportunities, location on the Yeshiva University campus, experiential learning, unique programs, new electives, and lifelong friendships. The

interactive and engaging sessions allowed eighth grade families to hear directly from a variety of rebbeim, faculty members, administrators,

parents, and talmidim. Prospective families enjoyed meeting MTA’s warm and caring rebbeim, expert faculty, and friendly parent and stu-

dent ambassadors, as they learned more about the inspirational Torah learning, strong academics, amazing extracurriculars, and unique programs that MTA is known for. The event captured the excitement and energy that MTA talmidim, rebbeim, and faculty experience every day and enabled participants to share these feelings. Prospective families also had the opportunity to check out the yeshiva’s extensive array of extracurricular activities and academic initiatives at the interactive Curricular Fair. The achdus, ruach, and warmth of the MTA community were truly palpable. MTA’s rebbeim, faculty, and talmidim look forward to spending more time getting to know eighth grade families over the next few months. Prospective families are encouraged to visit yuhsb.org/apply to submit an application from now through December 15. Questions? Contact Rabbi Yoni Stone, Director of Admissions, at ystone@yuhsb.org or 646592-6101.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

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Remembering the Wisdom of Rav Pam, zt”l

HAFTR Club Fair

eshiva Ateres Eitz Chaim continued their Yemei Iyun Gedolim curriculum this week, hearing words of chizuk, wisdom and inspiring stories from Rabbi Yisroel Pearl, Menahel in the Mirrer Yeshiva in Brooklyn, who had a very close kesher with Rav Avrohom Yaa-

AFTR High School offers a vast array of clubs and extracurricular activities that appeal to the varied interests of its student body. Last Tuesday, HAFTR held the annual club fair on the school’s spacious front lawn. With many activities to choose from, students were given the opportunity to research their options. Prospective participants visited the student leaders and faculty advisors of each club as they browsed beautifully decorated tables designed to reflect the club or team.

HAFTR High School offers an extracurricular option for everyone and is inclusive of all interests. With almost 100 options, the choices are dizzying, and include: NCSY Jump, dance, HAFTORAH Torah publication, creative writing, robotics, mock trial, film, globalization, Israel advocacy, game development, YACHAD, Baal Koreh club, and more. With the new year come new hobbies and passions, and HAFTR High School extracurriculars offer students the time and guidance to develop and foster their interests in a meaningful way.

kov HaKohen Pam, zt”l. The talmidim will be visiting and davening at the kever of Rav Pam, zt”l.

Mrs. Nussbaum introduced her students at Yeshiva Darchei Torah to their science curriculum. The boys made “cell cookies” to learn about the various parts of the cell

Chessed at SKA

hessed opportunities took up much of Wednesday, October 20, and Thursday, October 21, when all the grades of the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls experienced different ways of giving back to the Jewish community. The eleventh and twelfth grades of the school did the ultimate chessed shel emet when they volunteered at the Staten Island based Hebrew Free Burial Society which buries Jews who have no funds. After learning the halachot of the importance for caring for Jewish burial grounds, the girls raked thousands of leaves to clean up the cemetery. They also said Tehillim for the neshamot of those who were buried there. SKA’s ninth graders divided into groups to share their energy and abilities with three different dynamic organizations in Brooklyn. The clients of Otsar, a social service organization

for adults and children with developmental disabilities, enjoyed the visit from the SKA freshmen who crafted art projects and joyfully danced with them. Another group of ninth graders showed off their culinary skills at Masbia, a non-profit soup kitchen providing hot nutritious meals for hundreds of New Yorkers in need of food. At Bobbie’s Place, where brand

new children’s clothing is available for free to families in need, the SKA girls assisted in setting up the merchandise and preparing the store for customers. Tenth graders brought their enthusiasm to the girls of IVDU, where special needs students are offered a nurturing educational environment. The SKA sophomores entertained the

IVDU students with games and arts and crafts and participated in sensitivity training workshops with IVDU staff members. Many SKA students believed they made a real difference in their chessed; the more they gave, they noted, the happier they felt. Chessed at SKA is an integral part of the school!

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

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Igud HaRabbonim and NCYI Explore Collaboration

n Tuesday, October 6, Igud HaRabbonim — Rabbinical Alliance of America — convened its monthly Rosh Chodesh (Cheshvan) conference at the Young Israel of Woodmere. The Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan conference was sponsored l’zecher nishmas HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Ben HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Noach Borenstein, zt”l, father of Igud HaRabbonim members, Rabbi Mendy Borenstein and Rabbi Yitzchok Noach Borenstein, and father-in-law of the Igud HaRabbonim’s Administrative Director, Rabbi Moish Schmerler. Rabbi Shmuel Borenstein, zt”l, was a Rosh Mesivta at MTA YUSHB for close to half a century. Rabbi Shalom Axelrod, Mara D’asra of the Young Israel of Woodmere; Rabbi Dr. Aaron Glatt, the Associate Rabbi of the Young Israel of Woodmere; and Rabbi Shay Schachter, the Rosh Bais Medrash of the Young Israel of Woodmere, warmly welcomed Igud HaRabbonim to the shul. Rabbi Axelrod, on behalf of the Young Israel of Woodmere and the National Council of Young Israel, gave the keynote re-

marks about the concept of collaborative ventures that are beneficial to Klal Yisrael. Rabbi Axelrod opened his presentation by acknowledging the decades-long relationship between the National Council of Young Israel, a premiere Orthodox synagogue association, with the Igud HaRabbonim, a distinguished Orthodox rabbinical organization. Rabbi Axelrod anchored his remarks in a Dvar Torah on Parshas Noach. He concluded, “Recently, I have become involved with many rabbis to reconnect with the National

Council of Young Israel and with many important organizations like the Igud HaRabbonim. I do this in order to add benefit to Klal Yisrael, and in particular the National Council of Young Israel and our over 150 branches and thousands of member families, through collaboration and joint effort. For us to be successful in our Tzay Min HaTeiva we cannot and will not be frozen. We will engage and embrace with emunah, and with the help of Hashem succeed in the spread of Torah and mitzvos.” Rabbi Mendy Mirocznik, executive vice-president of the Igud HaRabbonim, thanked Rabbi Axelrod for

his “inspiring, motivating and heartfelt speech.” Mirocznik added, “We at Igud HaRabbonim look forward to continuing this important discussion that started tonight and implementing collaborative and complementary activities that will be a true credit to the American Jewish community. The Igud HaRabbonim wishes the National Council of Young Israel, its President Rabbi David Warshaw, and its board of directors much success and we look forward to collaborating with the National Council in a meaningful way.”

Hidden Sparks Program Will Help Jewish Day School Teachers

idden Sparks, the leading nonprofit focused on providing Jewish day school teachers with the tools to support struggling students in mainstream classrooms, has opened enrollment for its highly acclaimed Learning Lenses Course. The four-day focused seminar, which will take place on December 8, 9, 15 and 16 in Manhattan, will provide educators with a holistic framework for improving the learning experiences of students with a wide range of social and emotional needs. This course, which will consist

of in-person experiential sessions and group discussions, takes a deep dive into the core elements of learning, behavior, and the most essential strategies for effectively engaging a broad spectrum of learners. “There is much research that demonstrates that teachers who feel more equipped for teaching experience greater self efficacy and job satisfaction and both influence student outcomes,” said Hidden Sparks Executive Director Debbie Niderberg. “Over the years, thousands of Jewish day school educators have benefitted from our courses with top

Did you know? Mathias Willemijins of Belgium grew the world’s heaviest pumpkin. It weighed it at 2,624.6 pounds

learning experts, and we are grateful that once again this winter we will be able to offer the in-person program in New York.” The program provides participants with a robust toolkit of strategies for better understanding and advancing students with learning differences, and how to efficiently develop an educational experience that has been personalized for every single child. Topics covered in the seminar will encompass child neurodevelopment (including topics such as attention, memory, social skills, language, higher order thinking and sequencing), ecology (the ways in which the child’s home life, classroom culture and community impact their experience) and temperament (their innate personality traits). Through enhancing educators’ understanding of their student’s strengths and challenges, attendees will emerge with a new shared language, and the ability to address student issues through

identification of their root cause rather than with a superficial label. “I cannot express fully the impact that Hidden Sparks has had on me and on the work that I do,” said Aliza Scharf, a teacher and trainee from the Shulamith School in Cedarhurst. “It was the best thing that happened to my career! The learning has helped me grow as a teacher, and in such, has benefited my students and fellow teachers as well.” Those looking to register for the Learning Lenses Course can follow the application instructions at https://www.hiddensparks.org/pd. Close to 4,000 educators have participated in previously held Hidden Sparks programming in order to better identify and provide the appropriate support to students with learning differences, enabling their advancement in mainstream classrooms. Last year, due to the pandemic, the programming was held virtually.

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OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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A Special Siyum

n Sunday night, October 24, a very special Siyum Hashas was held on Branch Blvd. Steven Farbman, Rambam alum and honors of class 12C, celebrated completing 7 1/2 years of learning Daf Yomi. With the encouragement of his wife Michelle and friends like Uri

Burger and Stevie Fruchter, Steven began his Daf journey on the LIRR. While inconsistent at first, Steven was inspired by a Shabbos Hagadol Drasha given by Rabbi Moshe Weinberger of Aish Kodesh. Steven became more and more consistent, leading to the completion of Shas. Amazing!

Steven learned the Daf, mostly listening to Rabbi Shalom Rosner of Beit Shemesh. To everyone’s surprise, Rabbi Rosner came to celebrate live and in-person! The seudas mitzvah was also attended by Rabbis Shalom Axelrod, Shay Schachter, Eliyahu Wolf, and Yossi Ungar. In a packed house, Steven’s fam-

ily enjoyed much nachas. Mazal tov to Steven, Michelle, Tzvi, Avi, Mordy, and Eliana Farbman, as well as to Dr. and Dr. Lawrence Kraut and Mrs. and Mrs. Milton Farbman. We should be zoche to celebrate again in Yerushalayim!

Four MTA Alumni Named to Prestigious Kollel Elyon

TA is proud of its alumni, Rabbi Ben Zion Feld ‘13, Meir Finkelstein ‘13, Rabbi Shai Kaminetzky ‘13, and Noah Shapiro ‘13, who were named to the prestigious Bella and Harry Wexner Kollel Elyon at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) this year. “RIETS is thrilled that so many of its future stars hail from MTA and are strengthening the mesivta while gaining valuable experience as mechanchim. To see so many Kollel Elyon fellows starting in MTA is a testament to the strength of our high

school,” said RIETS Dean Rabbi Menachem Penner. “My rebbeim at MTA were the first people who exposed me to high level learning. They helped open my heart and mind to the depth, beauty, and joy that truly characterizes what learning Torah is all about,” shared Rabbi Feld. “Throughout our time at MTA, we had so many amazing rebbeim and role models who actively emphasized the importance of Talmud Torah and its central role in our lives as young b’nei Torah. This not only facilitated us learning quan-

titatively more while in the halls of yeshiva but motivated us to continue our love and passion for learning, and avodas Hashem in general, for years to follow,” Rabbi Kaminetzky explained. The Bella and Harry Wexner Kollel Elyon is an intensive four-year learning program that trains talented young men to become the rabbinic leaders of the next generation. In addition to their high level Torah study, guided by Rosh Kollel Rabbi Mordechai Willig and Rabbi Michael Rosensweig, there are two other major components of the Kollel which

enable Kollel Fellows to flourish: coursework and internships. Fellows take intellectually stimulating courses where they master an area of contemporary relevance and prepare to present their own ideas on that topic at a public conference which will be held in May. Additionally, Fellows receive hands-on experience through internships, where they are guided by experienced, successful pulpit rabbis and educators. They hone their skills by teaching in prestigious New York Synagogues, and in preeminent New York area schools.

JOWMA Launches Teen Health Committee

he Jewish Orthodox Women’s Medical Association (JOWMA) is proud to launch its new Teen Health committee, committed to educating teen girls and helping their families navigate adolescence. Course content will cover topics ranging from pubertal changes, substance use, mental and reproductive health to body image and eating disorders. It will also serve as a guide for parents on ways to speak to teens during this time, engaging experts in the field and incorporating the highest standards of evidence-based medicine. Teen Health’s upcoming two-part

webinar series will take place on Sundays October 31 and November 7. Part I, “Your Daughter’s Changing Body,” will educate parents, healthcare professionals, and mentors of young women on puberty, and address the hormonal changes associated with pubertal development. Part II is for teenage women and their guardians and will incorporate the same content covered in Part I. Registration for Part I is mandatory to attend Part II. Panelists for both webinars include Reproductive Endocrinologist Dr. Bat-Sheva Lerner Maslow, and Pediatrician Dr. Yardaena Osband,

with OB/GYN Dr. Elissa Hellman (@theconfidentkallah) moderating Part I, and Adolescent Medicine Fellow and Co-Chair of the Teen Health Committee Dr. Gail Gutman moderating Part II. Introductory remarks will also be given by the Executive Director of Shalom Task Force, Dr. Shana Frydman. “Growing up in the frum sector, the topic of pubertal development was oftentimes taboo,” says Dr. Mira Hellmann-Ostrov, Gynecologic Oncologist at Hackensack University Medical Center and JOWMA Board Secretary and Teen Health Advisory Member. “This resulted in a se-

vere vacuum of knowledge, leading to significant misinformation. As a gynecologist, and equally important, a mother of girls, I feel it is our mission at JOWMA to arm teenagers and their guardians alike with accurate scientific information that will nurture proper adolescent development.” Teen Health joins JOWMA’s robust lineup of medical committees including Pre-Med, Wellness, Women’s Health, Grand Rounds, and its COVID-19 Task Force. For more information and registration, visit https://www.jowma.org/teenhealth.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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YCQ Celebrates Oneg Shabbat

“O

neg Shabbat at Yeshiva of Central Queens is an exceptional part of its Early Childhood Program,” relates Morah Michelle Bloom, YCQ kindergarten teacher. “All the kindergarten students come together in the shul and daven. They sing Shabbat songs and listen to a story by Rabbi Landsman, principal of YCQ. It’s so important for the yeladim to see and experience this sense of achdut.” Why is this so important? When examining the enthusiasm and spiritual inspiration unique to YCQ students and faculty, it is clear that Early Childhood Education participation is a strong indicator of future Jewish observance. YCQ emphasizes yirat Shamayim, middot tovot, and love for Eretz Yisrael. These values are carried throughout life, as thousands of YCQ alumni can attest. Harvard University Center on the Developing Child, The Science of Early Childhood Development, writes, “A balanced approach to emotional, social, cognitive, and language development will best prepare all children for success in school and later in the workplace and community.”

Mrs. Sharon Korn, Director of YCQ’s Early Childhood Program, reports, “Early Childhood Education is the foundation upon which the child’s academic and social experiences are formed. When Judaic studies are started early, the children begin to learn who they are, and the beauty of Yiddishkeit. They come to love their Jewishness and know they are part of a very special people.” Rabbi Mark Landsman, principal of YCQ, notes, “For many years, our outstanding faculty in the YCQ Early Childhood Program have inspired the children to be excited about living a life dedicated to Torah and mitzvot. We look forward to having the privilege of connecting with your children, so that we may transmit our holy heritage to the next generation, confident that the knowledge we impart will have a long-term impact.” The YCQ Early Childhood Program Open House will be held on Sunday, November 7, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. For more information, please contact Mrs. Sharon Korn, Director of the Early Childhood Program, at skorn@ ycq.us., 718-793-8500, ext. 313. Space is limited. Please register ASAP.

Parsha Comes Alive at Gesher!

n honor of this week’s parsha, Morah Elisheva Spitz taught her Pre1A students at Gesher about Rivka Imeinu’s well with an exciting, hands-on activity. Each child got

the opportunity to draw water from a make believe well just like the tzadekes. We have some strong Pre1A children!

Reaching New Heights with the Teens of Oceanside

ast Shabbat, October 16, the Young Israel of Oceanside Youth Committee hosted the first ever Leadership Training Shabbaton. The goal was to provide our community teens the tools to lead and instruct Shabbat groups in an organized and professional manner. Teens were invited Shabbat afternoon to multiple sessions given by educators of the community. Topics ranged from Classroom Management and What Makes a Good Leader, to Reading Emotions of Young Kids, and How to Change Up the Games. Leadership teen Max Grossman summed it up as “different people giving their different perspectives about group leading and how to manage the kids better.” Youth Chairperson and local educator Rivky Markowitz commented,

“It was wonderful to see how all the teens were engaged and interested in the What, Why, and How of leading a group of children in our weekly Shabbat groups.” The Shabbaton included a Friday night Oneg at Rabbi and Rebbetzin Muskat’s home and a leadership lunch. “It was so inspiring to see the teens talk, play, run groups, and learn together,” Rabbi Muskat remarked. With all the great feedback from both teens and parents alike, Youth Director Daniel Stroock is sure to repeat this beautiful Leadership Shabbaton again. If you are interested in learning more about Oceanside, please visit our website, yiooceanside.org or email Office@yiooceanside.org.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

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OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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Chessed “Hits the Road” at Shevach

hevach High School is well known for its Chessed program, which promotes student involvement in hessed on a weekly basis, both in the immediate community and beyond. They dedicate time to Menucha V’Simcha, Jill, Jep, ChillZone, Help-A-Mom, Tomchei Shabbos, and much more. The program, under the direction of Shevach Assistant Principal, Rebbetzin Chani Grunblatt, was launched this year in an innovative and inspiring manner, with the goal of instilling in the students the importance of chessed as the “driving force” of the world. On Thursday, October 20, the students came into their multi-purpose room to find it transformed by Chessed heads: Henna Baila Goldish, Aviva Keller, Faiga Lind, Tova Ribowsky , and Sara Malka Weinberg. In line with their theme of “Kol Orchos Hashem Chessed,” and “Oh The Places We Will Go,” the walls and pillars portrayed many travel related ideas and eye-catching slogans such as “Chessed Is A Two Way Street,” and “There Is No Limit to Chessed.” The program was opened by Shevach Menaheles, Mrs. Shulamith Insel, who, with her engaging persona, underscored the lessons of chessed we can learn from Avrohom Avinu and how we can apply them to our lives.. This was followed by an original song and video produced by the Chessed heads, that depicted in a fascinating manner, how impactful

their acts of chessed are to our community. Shevach students were then treated to an address by noted speaker Rabbi Meir Simcha Sperling. Through inspiring stories and his trademark wit, Rabbi Sperling drove home the idea that chessed is the foundation of the world. Humanity cannot exist without it. Moshe Rabbeinu is referred to in the Torah by the name given to him by an Egyptian woman, Bisya bas Pharoah, which is from the root of “drawing out.” Moshe was drawn out of the water, but also drew the Jewish people out of their suffering, as much as he could at that time. Reaching out to others is part of the DNA of the Jewish people, and that is what this chessed program stems from. Often it requires sacrifice of self, and of time, certainly, but it is a priority in our lives. A value that will protect us in this world, and accompany us to the next, is chessed. And as Rabbi Sperling powerfully said, “Through your acts of chessed, Shevach may be the driving force in bringing Moshiach!!” Students left with a feeling that going forward, through their acts of chessed, they can and will make a difference, and will be an integral part of the good that is shared not only within the Queens community, but with all of Klal Yisrael, with bi’as goel, b’mheira b’yameinu, amen.

Central’s Challah Bake

he Central community had an amazing time at last week’s Challah Bake event. The evening began with a dinner sponsored by NY NCSY 4G and many Central parents, followed by an inspiring shiur led by Mrs. Michal Horowitz on the mitzvah of challah. Students, faculty, alumnae, and Central families then made challah in honor of the Shabbos Project, the organization that originated the “Great Big Challah Bake” events that are now held worldwide. The evening was in honor of Sharsheret, an organization that supports breast cancer patients and their families. Additionally, 36 extra challot were made and donated to “Loaves of Love,” an organization that distributes challah to homebound elderly and Holocaust survivors on a regular basis. Thank you to Mrs. Marci Karoll for organizing

the donation! The evening served as a kickoff event for “Positively Pink” week at Central, highlighting October as Breast Cancer Awareness month. Central Senior and G.O. Vice President for Chesed Talia Hazan said that students should look forward to more exciting events, fundraising and chessed opportunities in the coming weeks to raise money and awareness for Sharsheret. This event could not have been possible without the coordination and dedication of Cooking Club Heads, Aviva Ciment and Hannah Pianko, the Central G.O., and the guidance and leadership of Mrs. Yael Axelrod and Mrs. Aliza Gewirtz. Thank you to all of our sponsors and the other volunteers who made tonight possible, beautiful, and fun! Please join us at our Open House on Sunday, November 7! Register @ yuhsg.org/OpenHouse.

treatment, consultation, ethics, and diversity. Touro PsyD degree graduates will be prepared to work as general psychologists, but also have the specialty training to work within a larger medical environment and on the frontlines of a healthcare system that is increasingly interdisciplinary and integrated. They will be ready for careers in academic settings, medical centers, community mental health settings and private practices. The five-year program begins with a series of courses that provide a foundation for later clinical training. Second and third years are a balance of fieldwork and coursework. The fourth year includes both coursework

and dissertation research, while the fifth year is spent in a full-time clinical internship. Graduates will be licensed by the State of New York. Touro’s faculty have professional expertise in diverse areas like sports psychology and integrative community health care. They bring their practical knowledge and experience into their classroom teaching. Faculty members also conduct research in areas that include treatment of anger and violence, technology’s impact on health awareness and health disparities, and how to improve support services for families. Touro’s PsyD program accepts fifteen students each year. For more information visit www.shs.touro.edu.

Touro’s New PsyD Program

he challenges of the past year have brought mental health issues to the forefront. From social media to social change to the impact of Covid-19, Americans are increasingly requiring more from mental health professionals. Touro College and University System is launching a PsyD program that responds directly to these and other changes in mental health care. The new five-year program combines academic, research and clinical experiences to prepare graduates to become licensed clinical psychologists in the State of New York. It is based on the premise that psychologists working in both mental and physical healthcare settings need a strong founda-

tion of clinical and research skills. “Students will have a chance to work directly with diverse populations across the life span. Ultimately, our graduates will have a significant influence on the health of their communities,” said program director Frank Gardner, Ph.D., ABPP. Touro’s PsyD program is unique in its emphasis on health and healthcare. Students will be trained to address mental health issues in both medical and behavioral health settings. The curriculum includes courses in healthcare and aging, the healthcare system, neuropsychological assessment, and clinical health psychology/behavioral medicine in addition to courses in assessment,

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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YSZ Delves Deep into Rashi

he art of learning Rashi is being analyzed on a multitude of levels in the sixth grade girls’ classroom at Yeshiva Sha’arei Zion. The “Question on Question” rule hones their skill of identifying Rashi’s answer as well as Rashi’s

occasional refutation with another question. The goal is to teach depth and glean insights that are not apparent at a quick glance. The Chavruta study partners first learn the information on their own, building independent thinking skills.

Pre-1A students at Yeshiva Darchei Torah’s Harriet Keilson Early Childhood Center mailed their own letters in honor of their introduction to the letter “M” this week

Put A LID On It (Lock, Inventory, Dispose)

n Sunday, October 24, the Saving Lives Five Towns Drug and Alcohol Coalition, under the auspices of the Marion & Aaron Gural JCC, partnering with Northwell Health, the Nassau County Police 4th Precinct Police Department and Hatzalah of The Rockaways and Nassau County held its first Prescription Drug and Over the Counter Medication Take Back Day to collect unused and/or expired medications from the community. The day turned out to be a tre-

mendous success, with over 73 pounds of medication being collected in just three hours and lots of prizes distributed! People came from all over Long Island to safely dispose of their medications. The Saving Lives Five Towns Coalition would like to thank the Greater Five Towns Community for all of their support in preventing youth access to prescription medications. We could not have done this without you! We would also like to thank

Hatzalah of The Rockaways and Nassau County for allowing us to use their Station as location for our drive through Drug Take Back event and their volunteers who helped facilitate the day. We are also thankful to Northwell Health and the Nassau County 4th Precinct for their participation and support in this initiative. Thank you as well to the Hewlett Woodmere Business Association for their participation and to Tempo Group for sending in wonderful volunteers to help us with this vital

campaign. We look forward to future Take Back Events and continued multi level campaigns as a Community Coalition to address youth mental health and youth alcohol and substance misuse thereby Saving Lives! For further information, or to find out where permanent medication drop boxes are located please go to our website: savinglives5townscoalition.org or call 516.569.6733. http://savinglives5townscoalition. org/.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

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OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Rav Binyomin Carlebach, shlit”a, Rosh HaYeshiva of the Mir Yeshiva in Eretz Yisroel, visited the bochurim at Mesivta Ateres Yaakov last week and shared divrei chizuk with them. Boys then had the opportunity to give shalom and receive brachos from the Rosh HaYeshiva.

Exciting New Kriah Program at IVDU LI

Parsha comes alive at HALB’s Lev Chana

Names, Not Numbers at HANC

VDU LI has brought in a new and exciting Kriah program, AlephBais.org, created by Mrs. Tova Rottenberg, that allows the students to learn Kriah in all different modalities. This week, Mrs. Goldstein’s class played a fun and interactive game on the smartboard, using a randomizer to choose the letters and nekudos that the students need to read. Each

student had the opportunity to come up to the smartboard and use a microphone to identify the sounds of the letter and nekuda combination chosen by the computer. By using all different modalities and hands-on activities, students are able to experience the learning in new ways and increase their ability to retain their kriah skills.

n Monday, October 25, the eighth grade at HANC began a project called Names, Not Numbers. In the program, students interview Holocaust survivors and edit the interviews, which are in turn made into a documentary. The program began with powerful words from Rabbi Hecht, Middle School Principal, who spoke about the magnitude of a project like this. He explained that it is so crucial for the students to participate and internalize the stories so that they can pass them on to the future generations. He explained that some things you need to forget in order to move on. On the other hand, something like the Holocaust can never be forgotten. The next speaker was Mrs. Tova Rosenberg, the creator of Names, Not Numbers. Mrs. Rosenberg gave an inspirational speech

about how important this project is and how lucky we are to get the chance to participate in this program. After Mrs. Rosenberg, the students watched a 20-minute clip of an interview with Dr. Moshe Avital, z”l. The students sat spellbound watching his story. It is something which will stay in their memory for a very long time. Next, there was a presentation from Ms. Shoshana Soroka, editor of The Jewish Home. Ms. Soroka gave the students tips and techniques on how to talk and interview Holocaust survivors. She went through the interview process and explained how there would be questions for the survivor about before the war, during the war and after the war. She then noted what types of questions would be best to pose to the survivor to help elicit their story for the documentary. The grade is looking forward to participating in this project.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

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OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Learning about fire safety at HALB’s Lev Chana

Encouraging Jewish Programming

ep. Kathleen Rice sent letters this week to seven major cable companies to encourage the availability of Jewish programming. The letters are being sent to the CEOs of AT&T, Inc., Comcast Corporation, Charter Communications, Inc., Dish Network, Cox Communications , Inc., Altice USA, and Verizon. Members of Congress co-signing Rice’s letter are Brad Sherman (CA-30), Grace Meng (NY-06), Ted Deutch (FL-22), Ted Lieu (CA-33). Here’s a sample of one of the letters that were sent:

Dear Mr. Goei: As Members of Congress who represent Jewish communities across the country, we have seen the impact of making programming specifically tailored to these communities widely available. Culturally specific programming fosters community and, for those outside of the community, exposure to Jewish programming can be an important and effective antidote to the scourge of hate and bigotry against Jewish people. Altice is a communications company with a powerful platform, and we believe you are uniquely positioned to play a central role in elevating Jewish programing. To that end, we would like to further understand the steps your company is taking to

increase Jewish programming on television. Specifically, we are requesting that you answer the following questions regarding your commitment to carrying Jewish content: 1. What Jewish themed English language content do you provide on your expanded basic tier? 2. What obstacles do you face in providing additional Jewish themed English language content? 3. In the last 24 months, have you entered agreements to carry and/or expand Jewish themed English language content? 4. What plans do you have to increase Jewish themed English language content? We would appreciate your thoughtful response to these questions by November 9, 2021. Sincerely, Kathleen M. Rice (NY-04) Member of Congress Brad Sherman (CA-30) Member of Congress Grace Meng (NY-06) Member of Congress Ted Deutch (FL-22) Member of Congress Ted Lieu (CA-33) Member of Congress

At YOSS, Kindness is Catchy

hat does kindness mean at Yeshiva of South Shore? What is one way to show kindness? These questions were posed to the students in Mrs. Yeres’ 2nd grade class. After a thoughtful conversation, the class read several books about kindness. The class favorite was Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli. It tells the story of a man named Mr. Hatch whose life seemed boring and lonely. He eats the same foods each day and makes the same stops after work. Even though Mr. Hatch never smiles, one day everything changes. The postman arrives with a package for him. In the package is a heart shaped box filled with chocolates and a note

that simply says, “Somebody loves you.” After opening the package and reading the note Mr. Hatch begins to smile. That smile was just the beginning. Knowing that someone, anyone, cared about him was enough to help Mr. Hatch open himself up to the people around him. Seeing how much a few kind words can do inspired the boys. The boys decorated hearts with beautiful patterns and messages of kind words. Those hearts will be hung all over the walls of South Shore. The boys hope the hearts and notes will help spread kindness and smiles throughout the day for both the staff and students. After all, a smile is worth a thousand words – or a small message!

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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Mesivta Netzach HaTorah Open House This Sunday

ver the past five years, Mesivta Netzach HaTorah has quickly grown into a premier boys’ high school in the Five Towns community and beyond. This vibrant and exciting Mesivta continues to hold true to its founding mission in which every student is inspired to, “Learn Torah and live Torah.” Under the leadership of the Menahel, Rabbi Yitzchok Yurman, the Mesivta was proud to graduate their very first class this past June, with 100% of the boys continuing their learning in Eretz Yisrael next year. “We could not be happier with what our boys have achieved this year, in particular, but really over the last 4 years, in their learning, middos and personal development. As a new Mesivta, we are honored to have our talmidim be accepted into the finest Yeshivas in Eretz Yisrael to continue their growth next year,” said Rabbi Yurman. The result of all this is clearly visible in our graduating class. Each boy displays a healthy self-confidence and is a strategic thinker, self-driven and growth-oriented. These middos

are not just internal; they are apparent to everyone around them, compelling and motivating others. With the tremendous growth of the Five Towns and Far Rockaway Jewish communities in recent years, Netzach HaTorah was founded by visionaries to meet the needs of both the growing community as well as provide families with the opportunity to join a warm and close knit Mesivta experience. What began as only a dream, quickly turned into a reality with families in the Five Towns, Far Rockaway, Queens and Brooklyn joining the Netzach family. As the Mesivta added grades over the years, the Mesivta brought in additional dynamic and experienced rebbeim along with a top-tier General Studies department run by the principal, Rabbi Yirmiyahu Lebowitz. Providing an immersive and intensive Limudei Kodesh focus, coupled with a thorough academic program, the talmidim graduate ready for Kollel and college. Netzach looks to meet the entire needs of every student without compromise. From trips, Kumzitzes, chessed

partnerships, sports teams (defending champions of both Varsity football and basketball!) as well as many other opportunities inside and outside of the classroom and Beis Medrash, Netzach focuses on building the students with the mindset and responsibility of personal growth and helping others. Walking through the building one can find smiling and confident boys who are building relationships with their rebbeim, teachers and peers, and most importantly, developing into true bnei Torah and aliyah. The Mesivta believes in building the talmidim and rebbeim as a family, and on

a recent 2-day trip to Camp Kaylie, the boys had the unique opportunity to learn, play sports, sing, and enjoy quality time together as a Mesivta. As the Mesivta prepares for its sixth incoming ninth grade class next year, they will host an open house for prospective families. The open house will allow parents and future talmidim to hear from the Mesivta hanhala, teachers and current parents and talmidim. To register for the open house this Sunday, October 31, at 3:00 PM, please visit netzachhatorah.com/ openhouse.

Prestigious Honors at HAFTR

ive HAFTR High School seniors have been awarded National Merit Scholarship Letters of Commendation. Shirly Gottleib, Devorah Gottesman, Lulu Morse, Abby Rabinowitz and Ethan

Rabinowitz earned this award based on their exceptional scores on the 2020 PSAT Exam. HAFTR High School is so proud of these students’ scholarship and academic promise.

Did you know? Pumpkins produce around 500 seeds

Ethan Rabinowitz, Abby Rabinowitz, Lulu Morse, Devorah Gottesman and Shirly Gottlieb

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

Times are changing. It’s never been tougher for our girls. How do we insulate them and motivate them to truly connect to our mesorah, to their mission? How do we shape them to be frum, healthy, and well-adjusted members of our community, to flourish as wives, mothers, and professionals in the workforce?

Heart.Works

We know our girls need more today.

What does a girl really need in 2022?

You are cordially invited to join us as we explore the Shevach approach to education with Mrs. Shulamith Insel Menaheles, Shevach High School

The Bais Yaakov High School of Queens

Open House Sunday, Oct. 31 11:00am–1:00pm 75-09 Main Street Queens, NY 11367 Office: 718-263-0525 admissions@shevachhs.org

OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

4th Annual FM Home Loans MAY 5K

he countdown began at 1:00 this past Sunday afternoon with more than 175 runners waiting at the starting line of the 4th Annual FM Home Loans MAY 5K. Expertly organized by the MAY Student Government, the event got underway with past G.O. President Yudi Gross sounding the airhorn. The run began in exciting intensity, as MAY talmidim, alumni, rabbeim, teachers, fathers, grandfathers, brothers, coaches, and friends took off down the Far Rockaway Boardwalk. The preparation for this incredible 5K started over the summer, when the incoming G.O. board members began to plan the year’s events. The competitions, tournaments, and events they envisioned to enhance the day-to-day MAY Mesivta experience were focused on providing pure, competitive fun, while trying to also raise funds for the yeshiva’s many programs and scholarship awards. “This is a perfect example of a healthy, kosher outlet that our Yeshiva prides itself in providing,” commented Rabbi Yossi Bennett, S’gan Menahel. “Our Student Government did a phenomenal job organizing this event. A big yasher ko’ach!” Student involvement in G.O. ac-

tivities – from the incoming freshman class to the seniors – is always encouraged as one aspect of MAY’s goal to build and nurture well-rounded b’nei Torah. Under the guidance of MAY’s Director of Development, Rabbi Josh Zern, the G.O. built inter-

est and anticipation for the MAY 5K with incentive programs, individual fundraising pages, and phenomenal giveaways to make this an event to remember. Each registered runner received an FM Home Loans MAY 5K Knapsack, which held additional

MAY-branded swag, including a drifit shirt (to which the runners pinned their race bib with number and chip tracker), a portable charger, car magnets, a warm beanie, and a Swell water bottle. The run was a tremendous success, bringing in much-needed funds for tuition scholarships and student activities, while providing the opportunity to enjoy a meaningful afternoon of camaraderie and exercise. “It’s incredible to see our students work so hard to help the Yeshiva provide scholarships for their peers,” noted Rabbi Zern. “It really reflects the middos that MAY works to inculcate in its students.” Through the music, the cheering, and the pictures, MAY staff and alumni proudly presented finisher medals and trophies. First to cross the finish line was MAY Senior Moishy Zern, followed 50 seconds later by MAY 9th grade Rebbe, Rabbi Avi Schulman. “It was an honor to keep up the tradition that was started 3 years ago,” remarked G.O. President Shmuel Jacobs, who placed 3rd. “Raising money for scholarships, while enhancing the experience for our fellow students, is a formula for a great event!”

Ezra Academy’s New Parent Engagement Program

ast Monday evening, Ezra Academy unveiled a new parent engagement program. The goal of the program is to invite the parent body multiple times throughout the year to come and enjoy the same exciting blend of Torah classes and extra-curricular activities that their children receive on a daily basis. The program debuted as a moth-

er-daughter event in commemoration of Rachel Imeinu’s yahrtzeit. The women gathered in the multi-purpose room where they were greeted by several of the Limudei Kodesh teachers. After a little socializing and light refreshments, the official program began. Tzivia Kay, a well-known and extremely talented artist, led a candle making activity.

The women chose from an array of molds and began to color the wax. As the candles were forming, those in attendance were enraptured by words of chizuk from Ms. Meira Zakutinsky, one of the morahs at Ezra. She spoke of Rachel Imeinu’s deep-rooted strength which she passed on to each and every one of us, the ability to keep our accomplishments a secret.

With maamarei Chazal and stories woven so beautifully together, the women were left wanting to hear more. The women finished making their candles, which were then put into a beautiful candle holders. These candles will likely remain intact as a reminder of a beautiful evening of bonding and growth.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

Hebrew Academy of Long Beach Lev Chana Early Childhood Center

Community Parlor Meetings Join us in Your Community! OCEANSIDE AND LONG BEACH

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9TH AT 8:00 PM

At the Home of Libbie and David Binkiewicz 3427 Frederick Street, Oceanside FIVE TOWNS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17TH AT 8:00 PM At the Home of Shaindy and Justin Diller 342 Warren Drive, Woodmere QUEENS

MONDAY, DECEMBER 13TH AT 7:45 PM Bais Medrash Zichron Shalom 7041 Main Street, Flushing FAR ROCKAWAY

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21ST AT 8:00 PM The Beach Shul 150 Beach 9th St. Far Rockaway

Tours of the beautiful HALB campuses take place for each individual family upon their school visit/interview.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: EMAIL: RGREEN@HALB.ORG

OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Annual Rambam Shabbaton at Camp Seneca Lake

ver the Shabbos of Parshas Vayeira, the talmidim of Rambam Mesivta took part in the school’s annual Shabbaton at Camp Seneca Lake for a weekend that highlighted leadership, learning, chevra, swimming, sports, Homerun Derby/Gold Glove Tournaments, the Varsity Quest for the Cup, a Flag Football Tournament, and tremendous singing and zemirot! This year, the school sent the freshmen and the sophomores up a day early on Thursday with the entire senior class to act as “Big Brothers.” This allowed for the juniors to have Thursday to themselves, and they were taken on a special junior bonding trip, “Junior Journey.” They were, accompanied by Rabbi Avi Herschman and Rabbi Ariel Rosensweig, and they played three rounds of laser-tag and unlimited videogames for an hour at Laser-Bounce. They then went to Eisenhower Park for lunch and played ball for a few hours before concluding their day at the movie theatre with the latest Marvel film. Meanwhile, at Seneca, the seniors were guiding the 9th and 10th graders along and connecting with them, forming friendships that will allow the underclassmen to seek out the seniors for advice and mentorship in the months that come. Following a delicious lunch at Seneca, the boys went swimming, played basketball, hockey, soccer, football, and softball.

The videogame room and boardgame rooms were also packed. There was something for everyone! In the 9th Annual Homerun Derby and Gold Glove Tournament, freshman Avi Wollner was crowned 9th Grade Champion while Mendel Rosenberg took 1st Place in the Sophomore Division. After a day of sports and a BBQ, the freshmen were introduced to an activity on perspective by Associate Principal, Mr. Hillel Goldman, who asked them to “Zoom” in and out when making decisions. The night concluded with a competitive and friendly game of “Crazy Dodgeball: Senior Advisers (and Mr. Goldman!) vs. Freshmen and Sophomores.” The game went on until 12:45AM with the Seniors holding their ground despite being outnumbered. On Friday, a session was led by Mr. Goldman for the sophomores. Using the film Dead Poets Society as a trigger, they discussed the dangers of peer pressure. A few hours later, the juniors arrived, and the whole school was reunited. Everyone was playing volleyball, or swimming, or playing softball. The Flag Football Tournament also began with the advent of the juniors. Over 65 students played in this epic tournament! This year also featured the “Varsity Quest for the Cup,” as the Annual JV Quest for the Cup was postponed last year due to COVID. This year’s Varsity basketball team sought to

continue their streak against Varsity hockey in a neutral sport, but hockey was ready for them. In a classic game of soccer, the hockey team, led by birthday boy and tournament MVP, Akiva Lader, won a decisive 4-0 and took back the coveted JV/Varsity Cup. Kabbalat Shabbat featured the singing of senior Dovid Bluth and a moving dvar Torah from Rosh Mesivta, Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman. The meal was delicious, and the students were singing and enjoying themselves. Rabbi Ariel Rosensweig also shared words of Torah, and the singing and dancing continued at a postmeal tisch led by Rabbi Yossi Ziskind. Shabbos morning davening featured a special dvar Torah from principal Rabbi Yotav Eliach who spoke after a Kiddush. At the Kiddush, sounds of “Happy Birthday” were heard as Aryeh Pam and Mendel Rosenberg were served birthday cakes. Lunch was also a raucous affair with meaningful singing and a dvar Torah from Rabbi Ephraim Meth. After some Shabbbos Menuchah, talmidim reassembled in the shul for optional learning, Mincha, and a shiur from Rabbi Friedman The achdus displayed at Seudat Shlishit highlighted the weekend’s goal of bringing the school together. Led by Rabbi Yossi Ziskind, the singing went deep and words of chizuk from Rabbi Eliach, Rabbi Avi Haar, and Mr. Goldman helped frame the

significance of the weekend and the growth they hoped it brought to each and every talmid. Motzei Shabbos continued with the talmidim once again swimming, playing ball, and having a great time. The Flag Football Tournament concluded with senior Sam Korman leading the way and Zevi Herskowitz, a sophomore, winning the MVP trophy. Special thank you to Joseph Masri, Azaria Sussman, Yaacov Lazar, and Jay Cohen for running this Tzedakah Tournament. At around 11:15PM, it was time for the Melave Malka with pizza, ice cream, and ruach, provided by worldclass guitarist, and 9th and 12th grade Rebbe, Rabbi Ari Boiangiu. The place was rocking! The night ended with the final round of the Homerun Derby which started at 12:15AM following a senior bonfire. It was a close game with tough fielding, but senior Ezra Feder won 1st Place while Moshe Rosenthal was the runner-up. Boaz Duftler was named Gold Glove winner. Big thank you to Hillel Schuck and Zachary Sicklick for making this charity tournament such a success! The Rambam Mesvita Shabbaton was a weekend where the school came together as one over shared values, ruach, and achdus. It was not just a weekend that happened, but a weekend that set the tone for what will happen: friendship, learning, achdus, and meaningful moments.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

Around the Community

Hagaon Rav Dov Landau Addresses Massive Crowd at Yeshiva Darchei Torah

pproximately 1,000 bnei Torah from throughout Far Rockaway and the Five Towns converged at Mesivta Chaim Shlomo of Yeshiva on Far Rockaway on Tuesday to welcome one of the senior, illustrious sages of Klal Yisrael, Rav Dov Landau, shlit”a. Rav Landau serves as the rosh yeshiva of the Slabodka Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, having taught and developed countless talmidim throughout his life, and his influence extends throughout the global Torah community. Already from his youth he was respected by giants such as the Chazon Ish, who recognized the greatness and potential of the budding talmid chacham and future manhig. The purpose of this trip, believed to be Rav Landau’s first-ever to the United States, was to be mechazeik and encourage the Yeshiva and Kollel

PHOTOS BY YOEL HECHT

movement in America. His shiur at Darchei Torah was on a sugya in Perek Chezkas Habatim in Bava Basra, the current mesechta being studied by the Mesivta, Beis Medrash and Kollel. A recording of the shiur is available on request: news@darchei.org.

Visible from R-L: Rav Yaakov Bender and Rav Shlomo Avigdor Altusky of Darchei Torah, Rav Moshe Brown of the Yeshiva of Far Rockaway, Rav Pinchus Wachsman of Darchei Torah (partially obscured), Rav Naftoli Jaeger of Sh’or Yoshuv, Rav Shia Neuberg of Darchei Torah, and Rav Yaakov Furman of Shaarei Chaim

Did you know? Morton, Illinois, is considered the “Pumpkin Capital of the World.” Morton is home to Libby’s, the producer of 85% of the world’s canned pumpkin

OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

On Sunday, the youth department at Shaaray Tefila hosted master juggler Keith Leaf for an entertaining event. The many children who came were enthralled by the cool tricks that he performed, involving knives, fire, and an assortment of other objects.

Shabbat Project at HANC

he halls of HANC’s Samuel and Elizabeth Bass Golding Elementary School in West Hempstead were alive with the sound of zemirot and the scent of delicious Shabbat food this past week. In anticipation of the international Shabbat Project, the students and staff participated in a myriad of events all week long and created magnificent projects to enhance their family’s Shabbat. The week began with the kindergarten students creating beautiful besamim holders that were enhanced by colorful beads. The first grade students decorated picture frames which held the text of Hadlakat Neirot. The second grade students did a very special chessed project, preparing Shabbat food packages that were donated to the Bruce Wenger Food Bank of West Hempstead. Each package contained a large bottle of grape juice, two large challot and a babka cake, all of which were generously provided by the HANC PTA. The packages were delivered to local families who could really use them, and they surely enhanced the Shabbat celebration in those homes. The third and fourth grade classes selected their favorite Shabbat zemer and practiced singing it so that their class would shine in the Thursday afternoon Zemirot contest. The singing contest was so spirited, that the classrooms above the auditorium could enjoy hearing the zemirot as well. In addition to singing the zemirot, the teachers choreographed creative dances that enhanced the whole per-

formance. This created a sense of great anticipation for the rapidly approaching end of the week assembly. Congratulations to Morah Garfinkle’s third grade class, winners of the contest, for their enthusiastic singing of “Yom Zeh Mechubad.” In addition to the sounds of Shabbat, the hallways and classrooms were filled with the culinary scents of Shabbat. The fifth and sixth grade classes participated in a cholent cook off, chopping onions and potatoes and filling six slow -cooking pots that cooked through the night in anticipation of the taste testing contest that would take place during the enhanced Shabbat assembly at the end of the week. When the students and teachers arrived the next day, the scent of cholent could be smelled in every inch of the school building. As Friday approached, all of the students were busy learning the classic song by Journeys, “It’s Time to Say Good Shabbos.” This created a sense

that Shabbat was coming closer and the big event of the week was about to begin. On Friday morning, the entire school gathered in the playground under a magnificent sunny sky for the enhanced Shabbat assembly. During this school-wide gathering, after some very exuberant singing of Shabbat songs, the moment came to taste test the cholent. The panel of judges tasted each cholent and, after much deliberation, declared the cholent prepared by Rabbi Bronstein’s fifth grade boys’ class as the cholent champions. Rabbi Ouriel Hazan, Head of HANC’s West Hempstead campuses, then introduced the school’s theme for this year: DREAM BIG. The children were encouraged by the important message that even if you experience challenges in life when you may not feel successful at that moment, dream big, hold onto your dreams, and with hard work and determination you can make your goals and dreams come

true. To kick off the theme of the year, each student received an official HANC “pop it” emblazoned with the words “Dream Big.” At the conclusion of the program, the whole school stood and sang, “It’s Time to say Good Shabbos.” It was a beautiful conclusion to a very meaningful week of Shabbat preparation, chessed and fun. Before the children returned to their classrooms, each child was presented with a Shabbat snack bag that was donated by Barbara and Bob Deutsch in memory of Bob’s father, Mr. Emery Deutsch, and a game that can be played on Shabbat. In addition, each staff member received a delicious challah as a gift of appreciation from the PTA. HANC wishes to thank Mrs. Daniella Hirt, Director of Student Activities, for coordinating this magnificent week of Shabbat activities, as well as the PTA for their generosity, which enabled the students and staff to enjoy preparing for Shabbat all week long.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

Around the Community

MAY Goes Smartphone-Free

his year, in Mesivta Ateres Yaakov, the entire student body is smartphone-free while in Yeshiva. The Rosh HaYeshiva, Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe, explained, “As we begin to reacclimate our talmidim to regular life after almost a year and a half of Covid, it is critical for their social, emotional and ruchniyus develop-

ment to wean them from dependency on electronic devices. As a yeshiva, we fully recognize the challenge this presents as we guide them to healthy social interactions and relationships.” In recognition of talmidim who are working together to create a more wholesome environment in Yeshiva, each grade was guaranteed a full day, all expenses paid trip. The 10th

grade had its trip this past Thursday and was treated to a full-day, whirlwind trip to South Jersey. Travelling by coach bus, the day began in Edison, NJ, with a pizza and French fries lunch, followed by an hour and a half at Topgolf driving range. They then traveled further south to Howell, NJ, to Climbzone indoor rock and wall climbing where MAY

had exclusive use for two hours. After a fleishig dinner at Glatt Bite in Lakewood, the trip was capped off with unlimited video games at Dave & Buster’s in Woodbridge, NJ. The trip served primarily as a recognition to the talmidim but also further strengthened the bonds between the talmidim themselves and with their rabbeim.

OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Op- d

Jews Love to Complain, but What Are We Doing About It? By Jonathan Katz

t goes back all the way to Yetzias Mitzrayim and the time we spent together in the desert all those years ago. Our People love to complain about the conditions that we find ourselves in. While there was little individuals could do to remedy the water situation in Marah, we live in a time and a place where we have a voice and the opportunity to express ourselves in a way most of our grandparents and the generations before them never dreamed possible – we can vote. That being said, our community just doesn’t turn out when given that chance. While the reason often given is “I live in New York, my vote doesn’t matter,” that couldn’t be further from the truth when it comes to local elections. Take the most recent Hewlett-Woodmere School Board election – roughly one in four eligible votes were cast in this past May’s school board and budget vote, yet there is broad-based outrage about rising school taxes and lack of services and representation for nonpublic school students compared to District 15. Or how about the most recent 2020 general election? Down-ballot races for Congress (Rice vs. Tuman), State Senate (Kaminsky vs. Johnson) and State Assembly (Miller vs. Marks) turned out just 2/3 of eligible voters. The last Nassau County Executive election in 2017 was decided by fewer than 8,000 votes in an offyear election that saw less than 30% voter turnout in a County of almost 1 million registered voters. We have the numbers to come out and sway elections in our community’s favor, and even if an election isn’t swayed, officials can see who shows up. If our community doesn’t even show up, why would they listen to us when we complain? Going back to just prior to the on-

set of the COVID pandemic, I started the HALB Political Awareness Council with the support of our Board and with other motivated parents. The mission is simple: 1) Identify the issues that impact our Yeshiva that can be addressed by local and state politicians and educate our parent body on those issues; 2) Meet with both local elected officials and candidates for office to express our cares and concerns; 3) Maximize voter turnout to ensure these issues are being addressed by our elected officials. In the time since, we have met with police and county officials to secure crossing guards to keep our students safe, we were added to the Nassau County Health Department’s COVID-19 school task force (via representation from Richard Altabe, our Lower School Principal), and we have been hosting a series of Town Halls and Fireside Chats with incumbent and challenger candidates in the weeks leading up to Election Days to raise awareness on key election issues. In October of 2020, we hosted meetings with Rep. Kathleen Rice and her challenger Doug Tuman,

State Senator Todd Kaminsky and his challenger Victoria Johnson, and Assemblymember Missy Miller (her challenger did not return out outreach). This year, we spoke with County Executive Laura Curran, Councilman Bruce Blakeman, Leg. Howard Kopel, State Senator Todd Kaminsky, and Anne Donnelly, candidate for Nassau County District Attorney, to ensure our parent body was well informed of critical issues ahead of Election Day. The discussions were nonpartisan, and questions to the candidates were both direct and objective, aimed at addressing issues critical to each race. There is also a constituency from HALB, and other yeshivot in our community, that have been working closely with the OU’s Teach NYS, which is a nonpartisan, single-issue grassroots movement devoted to advocating for government funding and resources for nonpublic schools. These efforts have led to more than $4.2 million in STEM funding over the last three years for Long Island yeshivot, with the annual allocation set to rise in the coming years as well as expanded security funding. This

is real money that has had, and can continue to have, a real impact on tuition costs. Wouldn’t we like to have our state legislators fighting for issues and dollars that directly impact our community’s livelihood and wallets? It’s not an impossibility – but we need voter turnout, and better yet voter engagement, to even begin to consider that. In the current election on November 2nd, residents of the Five Towns will be voting on Nassau County Executive (Curran vs. Blakeman), Nassau County District Attorney (Kaminsky vs. Donnelly), their Nassau County Legislator (Kopel vs. Daniels or Ford vs. Lovas), Town of Hempstead Supervisor (Clavin vs. Abelove), and a few other local officials. Issues on the ballot in this election include local tax policy, zoning/overcrowding, roads and traffic, crime and policing, and the criminal justice system. These are the things that arguably impact our daily lives even more than the national issues. I encourage others to join me (us) in these efforts – whether it be leaders at other local yeshivot, yeshivos (sometimes the difference between a “t” and an “s” can seem pretty big), shuls or any other community organizations. To be somewhat cliché, we know this will be a marathon and not a sprint, but we need to start somewhere. Please remember to vote on (or before) November 2nd so our elected officials know that our community’s needs should be their priority. Also, feel free to contact me at jonathankatz4@gmail.com if your local institution would like to join these efforts in a more organized way.

Jonathan Katz is the founder of the HALB Political Awareness Council. He lives with his family in Woodmere, NY.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

Some honest media outlets have been warning Americans about the nefarious plans of the radically liberal Democrat party, to get DA’s elected who will allow criminals loose — through a revolving door — only to commit more serious crimes. Every day we hear horrific stories out of New York, San Francisco, Philadelphia, etc. of criminals running free — without any bail and engaging in violent criminal activity all because Democrat DA’s are hell bent on destroying America.

We cannot let the radical left destroy Nassau County. Stand up to liberal destruction! Every vote really counts! Your vote will ensure a safe future for Nassau County.

This Coming Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 2nd

Vote for Republican

Anne T. Donnelly Paid for by Five Towns friends of Anne Donnelly

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OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

TJH

Centerfold

Aarrrrgghhh! Pirates can be strange!



The classic pirate’s eye patch is not just to make pirate costumes look scary; pirates often



Bartholomew Roberts, a well-known pirate in the early 1700s, had a Pirate Code

wore them because they would often fight on

for his crew which included an 8PM curfew.

the deck of a ship (in the light) and below deck

But he also gave them a good time – there

(in the dark). By keeping one eye “in the

was a band onboard that had to play ev-

dark” pirates could go from light to dark

ery day on deck. They were given off on

and still be able to see. (Exactly why I wear

Saturday “to have rest on the Sabbath

an eye patch at home every night.)

Day.” (If they only would have known about cholent back then, these pirates



Stede Bonnet was an early eighteenth-century

Barbadian

would have really had a good time!)

pirate,

sometimes called “The Gentleman Pirate” because he was a moderately wealthy landowner before turning to a life of crime. Ac-



Many pirates were superstitious. One common superstition that

many pirates shared was that whistling

cording to legend, Bonnet snapped one

was bad luck. Many pirates thought that if

day as a result of his wife’s constant nag-

you whistled while on board, the wind

ging. At that point, he decided he’d had

would send unlucky breezes that could

enough so he bought a sloop and outfitted it with

disrupt the ship’s course. (Hmmm…maybe my grand-

weaponry, hired a crew, and headed out to the high-

mother used to be a pirate because she also has an

seas. (Another option would have been investing in

issue with whistling.)

some stress balls.)



Pirates often wore earrings. That wasn’t because they were trying to look good. Rather, it

was because they believed that it helped them with seasickness. (How about Dramamine?!)



Ancient pirates didn’t just plunder ships for gold, alcohol, and similar valuables. They also

searched for maps because that gave them additional

Riddle Me This A ship is packed with 5,000 people on it, yet not a single person is on the ship. How can this be?

knowledge about the high-seas and routes. (NowaAnswer to Riddle: They are all married.

days, we have Waze. Think about how lucky we are!)

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

All Hands On Deck 1. Which one of the following is the largest package shipping company in the world, by earnings and volume? a. United Parcel Service of America b. Hapag-Lloyd c. Zim d. Fed Ex 2. The Shanghai Port is the busiest port in the world. Which port in the busiest port in the U.S.? a. New York and New Jersey Port b. Los Angeles Port c. Seattle-Tacoma Port d. Houston Port 3. How many twenty TEU containers (20 feet long, generally 8 feet wide and 8.5 height) can the largest container ships carry at one time? a. 1,500 b. 4,000 c. 24,000 d. 100,000 4. Most cargo ships are designed to travel at approximately

what speed (transferred from knots to miles per hour)? a. 27.5 MPH b. 40 MPH c. 60 MPH d. 80 MPH 5. In 1992, a container went overboard (an estimated 1,000 shipping containers go overboard every year) in the Pacific Ocean and its contents washed ashore for more than 15 years afterwards. The container contained approximately 30,000 of which of the following items? a. Tuna fish cans b. Plastic ducks, frogs, and turtles c. Sony Walkmans (if you are under 20, you probably don’t know that those are) d. Pirate costumes 6. What distance does the average container ship travel each year? a. 50,000 miles b. 150,000 miles c. 360,000 miles d. 1 million miles

You Gotta Be Kidding Me! Why are shipping jokes so funny? It’s all in the delivery.

Answers 1-A 3-C 5-B

2-B 4-A 6-C

Wisdom Key 5-6 correct: You know everything there is to know about shipping. Can you please fix the supply chain problems? My Amazon Prime account went from “one day” shipping to “one year” shipping! 2-4 correct: You know the ABCs of shipping, but not much more than that. 0-1 correct: Your mental supply chain is a bit backed up.

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OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Torah Thought

Parshas Chayei Sara By Rabbi Berel Wein

he Torah records for us the years of the life of our mother Sarah. It is done in a lengthy fashion counting one hundred years, twenty years, and then seven years, instead of merely stating that she lived for 127 years. Rashi, in his famous commentary, states that this teaches us that that all her years were good ones. At ﬁrst glance, this is diﬃcult to understand and accept. In reviewing

the life of our mother Sarah, we are aware of the difficulties, dangers, and frustrations that marked her experiences in life. Always threatened to be taken and abused by powerful kings, a woman who is barren and longs for children, a wife who has a concubine living in her home and presents her with a stepchild who is uncontrollable, and one who is finally challenged by the fact that her only miraculous child is going to be sacrificed by his

Low Cost Quality Insurance Our Specialty Free Consultation

own father. One could hardly conclude that she had a so-called good life. In fact, I would say that most people would not wish such a life experience upon themselves. Yet, we ﬁnd this to be the pattern in the experiences of all our forefathers and mothers, with very diﬃcult lives. Rashi will later comment that when Jacob wished to have a more peaceful and serene existence, only then did the dispute regarding Joseph and the brothers blossom and explode. Rashi explained there

tions always bring about disappointment and frustration. Low expectations can allow us to overcome the unavoidable vicissitudes that inﬂict all human beings during one’s lifetime. Sarah has no illusions about life and about the challenges that she will face, having embarked on the path of her husband Abraham and the founding of the Jewish people. She will view all the occurrences of her lifetime, even those that apparently are negative and dangerous, if not

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There is a higher goal that she is striving to achieve, and this goal is always present in her assessment of life.

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that Heaven somehow is saying that the reward for the righteous is in the eternal world, and that they are, so to speak, not entitled to a leisurely and tranquil life in this world. And yet, in our parsha, Rashi states that all the years of our mother Sarah – her entire lifetime – can be summed up as a good life. Over the ages, many thoughts and ideas have been devoted by our great commentators to try and explain this statement and attitude. One of the main ideas is that a person can have a good life only if he or she learns the secret of accepting life in its basic terms and as it occurs. Lofty expecta-

even tragic, with equanimity and fortitude. There is a higher goal that she is striving to achieve, and this goal is always present in her assessment of life. No matter what occurs in life, it somehow can push her forward on that path towards her ultimate goal. This notion transforms everything that transpires in her life to point towards good and eternity. In her eyes, all her experiences in life had a purpose, a noble one, that transforms the fabric of her life, and enables her to become the mother of Israel for all generations. Shabbat shalom.

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From the Fire Parshas Chayei Sara

Blood, Sweat, and Tears By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

t is very diﬃcult to understand why Avraham insisted on paying so much to buy Me’aras Hamachpela, the cave of Machpela, in which to bury Sara. Efron had offered to give it to him as a gift (Bereishis 23:11). The people even called him a “prince of G-d” (ibid. 6). Why not accept their gift? Hashem had already told him (ibid. 15:7) that he would inherit Eretz Yisroel. Avraham knew that Me’aras Hamachpela would ultimately be his in any case. While it is true that “one who hates gifts will live” (Mishlei 15:27), since Me’aras Hamachpela had already been promised to Avraham, it was not truly Efron’s to give. It is especially diﬃcult to understand according to the Gemara (Bava Metzia 87a) which explains that the 400 shekalim paid by Avraham Avinu were not ordinary shekalim. They were large shekalim worth about 100 times the value of regular shekalim. According to this, Avraham paid the equivalent

of 40,000 shekalim. Why was this necessary? Perhaps we can understand Avraham’s motivation based on a teaching by Rav Aharon Soloveitchik, zt”l. Rav Aharon quotes the Mishna (Bava Metzia 38a): “If one deposits his produce with his friend [to guard], even if they will be lost, he may not touch them.” In other words, the Mishna teaches that if someone is guarding another person’s produce, and that produce begins to rot, he may not sell the produce in order to give the proceeds to the owner, nor may he exchange the produce for a fresher replacement in order to return non-rotten produce to the owner. Why is this? Rav Kahana, in the Gemara, explains: “A person wants one portion of his own [property] more than nine portions of his friend’s [property].” Rashi explains that one wants his own portion more than another’s because “it is more precious to him

because he toiled for it. He wants the one portion that remains from it [that did not become rotten] more than nine portions of others that would have been purchased with the proceeds of his produce which would have been sold [before they became rotten].” What does Rashi’s comment add to Rav Kahana’s explanation of the Mishna? Rav Aharon Soloveitchik explains that Rashi was bothered by the following question: Even if the guardian had exchanged the produce for money or for fresher produce, it would still be his, not another person’s! Whatever produce or money one receives in exchange for his own produce still belongs to him. It would not be considered part of the “nine portions of his friend’s.” Rav Aharon therefore explains that Rashi answers this question by showing that there are two types of ownership: (i) legal title and (ii) emotional ownership.

In the first type of ownership, legal title, it makes no difference whether one has the produce he grew himself, money obtained in exchange for that produce, or fresher produce. It all belongs to the person and is considered “his own portion.” If one assumes that Rav Kahana is discussing this type of ownership, it would be very diﬃcult to understand why a person would distinguish between the produce one grew himself or money/produce one obtained in exchange for such produce. But Rashi’s explanation of Rav Kahana makes it clear that Rav Kahana was discussing the second type of ownership: emotional/spiritual/psychological ownership. This is created when one toils to earn something. After a person has invested months preparing the ground, plowing his soil, planting, watering, and harvesting his crop, the produce he obtains is precious to him became he poured his blood, sweat, and

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tears into it. A small portion someone worked for with his own effort is worth more to him that nine portions grown by someone else even if he has legal title to it. That is why Avraham Avinu insisted on purchasing Me’aras Hamachpela himself even though he already had legal title to it. He longed to have a portion in Eretz Yisroel to which he had emotional title, not just legal title. He wanted to ensure that the land of Israel would always be so precious to him, his children, and his grandchildren that they would never be willing to relinquish it. This is reflected in the double meanings of the two words for money: damim and kesef. Damim means money, but it also means blood. A person pours his blood, his very lifeforce, into earning a living. So when he spends that money on something, it is very precious to him. He has emotional title to it. And in addition to meaning “money,” kesef means “longing.” A person feels a stronger longing and connection to the money he worked to earn, and those things he has purchased with that money, than things which are much more valuable that he never purchased himself. Avraham wanted to spend his hard-earned money to acquire Me’aras Hamachpela so that the Jewish people would have an everlasting bond with Eretz Yisroel that is emotional and spiritual, not simply economic. The Kedushas Levi, zy”a, teaches this same concept in remarkable way, commenting on the pasuk (Bereishis 21:10), “G-d [Elokim] has made joy for me.” He asks why Sara used the name of G-d which implies strict justice, Elokim, when she said that Hashem gave her joy with the birth of Yitzchak after so many years. She should have said that Hashem (using the four letter name of G-d which implies His attribute of kindness) gave her joy! The Kedushas Levi answers that normally, when young people have children immediately after marriage, they feel a moderate level of joy. But when a person prays and cries for children year after year and then Hashem finally gives him or her children, the joy is immeasurable. Sara was saying that G-d’s attribute

of strict justice, which caused her to wait many years to have children, ultimately caused her to have tremendous joy which she never would have felt if Hashem had originally exhibited His attribute of kindness and given her children at a young age. A person values and rejoices in that which he acquired through great toil, effort, and tears much more than anything he obtained easily. When someone has davened for something for years, his stake in it is so much greater. That is why Chana’s prayers for her son Shmuel Ha-

zt”l, the previous Gerer Rebbe, had become Rebbe. At that time, he was still the rosh yeshiva in Yerushalayim. Leibish was recognized by everyone as the top boy in the yeshiva. He had exemplary character traits, and he was the brightest and most diligent student, a pride to his parents and the yeshiva. At one point in the year, his parents went to visit the yeshiva, and Leibish’s father went to speak to the rosh yeshiva, the Pnei Menachem, looking forward to the praises he would surely hear about his son.

A person values and rejoices in that which he acquired through great toil, effort, and tears much more than anything he obtained easily.

navi were so powerful. The Gemara (Brachos 31b) teaches that Shmuel became ill because he had shown some level of disrespect to Eli, the Kohein Gadol, by teaching halacha in Eli’s presence. While Shmuel was at death’s door, Chana pled with Eli Hakohein to intervene in the upper worlds to save her son. He told her there was nothing he could do but pray that G-d grant her another child after Shmuel’s death. But she refused to hear of this. She told him (Shmuel I 1:27), “I prayed for this child.” Chana had invested years of prayer and tears into Shmuel Hanavi’s birth. No other child could have possibly acted as a substitute. Chana’s love, prayer, and insistence allowed Eli Hakohein to draw down salvation from above, and Shmuel lived. We know Shmuel grew up to anoint Dovid Hamelech as king. So in the end, Moshiach, great-grandson of Dovid Hamelech, will ultimately come into the world in the merit of the prayers and tears of Shmuel’s mother Chana.

A Mother Needs to Cry A young Gerer chassidic man named Leibish from New York went to study in the Gerer yeshiva in Eretz Yisroel before the Pnei Menachem,

When he met the Pnei Menachem, he introduced himself, but the rosh yeshiva simply acknowledged his greeting and said that it was good to meet him. Thinking perhaps that the rosh yeshiva had not realized who his son was, he added that his son was Leibish. The Pnei Menachem responded, “Yes, I know. Very good to meet you.” Brokenhearted, this father was at a loss. He knew how great his son was. Why was the rosh yeshiva not singing Leibish’s praises to him?! He therefore asked the rosh yeshiva, “Rebbe, please tell me if there is some problem with Leibish. I do not want you to protect me from any negative news. If there are any issues, please tell me what they are, and I would be happy to speak with Leibish about it.” But the Pnei Menachem answered: No, do not worry. There are no problems. He is doing very well. But let me tell you a story: I have a step-brother (the Pnei Manachem’s father, the Imrei Emes, zy”a, was widowed several times, so the Pnei Menachem had a number of step-brothers). At one point, he received notice that he would be drafted into the Polish army. This

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was horrible news, so his mother, my father the Imrei Emes’s Rebbetzin, approached her husband to ask him to intercede on behalf of her son, my step-brother. But the Rebbe simply said, “Nu, what can we do? Hopefully G-d will help.” Dumbfounded, the Rebbetzin left, wondering why the Rebbe would not help her son from the horrible fate that surely awaited him in the Polish army. The next day, her mother, the Imrei Emes’s mother-in-law, came to the Rebbe determined not to take “no” for an answer. When she approached the Rebbe, he told her, “Do not worry. Your grandson will not be drafted.” Confused by the difference between what the Rebbe had told her daughter and what she had just heard, she asked, “But why did the Rebbe not tell my daughter the good news yesterday?” The Rebbe answered, “A mother needs to cry.” He did not want to give her too much hope the day before because it was her tears after she spoke with the Imrei Emes that brought down her son’s salvation from Heaven. When the Pnei Menachem finished telling this story to Leibish’s father, he concluded: “Why do you think your son is so successful in everything he does in yeshiva? It is because of your and your wife’s tears and davening for his success. If I told you how well he was doing, you would stop worrying and stop davening. A mother needs to cry. Leibish needs your davening in order to continue succeeding.” Our people are still crying, suffering, davening, and dying in order to acquire Me’aras Hamachpela and Chevron. May all of the tears and davening of all of the generations finally constitute full payment for Eretz Yisroel and Yerushalayim. May Hashem clear away all of the filth so that every street, every alleyway, of Yerushalayim will be ours and ours alone in which we will be able to fully reveal the honor of Heaven with the coming of Moshiach, may he come very soon in our days. Rav Moshe Weinberger, shlita, is the founding Morah d’Asrah of Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, NY, and serves as leader of the new mechina Emek HaMelech.

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Self-Mastery Academy

Fear of Falling, Fear of Flying Why Don’t We Become Great? By Rabbi Shmuel Reichman

n our previous article, we laid down the groundwork for our underlying question of “why don’t people become great?” We discussed the importance of developing an empowering identity that clarifies the path towards achieving our unique greatness and inspires us to begin the journey. However, even among those who have a clear path and genuinely want to achieve their greatness, many never begin the journey because of three common reasons:

Lack of Self-Worth The first step on the journey towards greatness is developing and choosing a strong sense of identity. However, even those of us who have chosen an identity may realize that the identity we have chosen is limited, unempowering, and not a true reflection of who we really are. Just think about it for a moment: have you ever been inspired by someone extraordinary? Maybe they were brilliant, had an amazing marriage, were healthy and full of energy, or

were simply achieving their unique greatness in life. For an instant, you’re inspired and you think to yourself, “What if I achieved that…?” Your mind goes racing as you imagine what your life could be like. But then another voice speaks up in the back of your head: “What makes you think you can accomplish that? Have you ever achieved anything like that in your past? You’re just ‘normal.’ You’re not destined for greatness. You’re destined to watch from the sidelines as others strive after their dreams and achieve the spectacular.” Oftentimes, this negative voice is a reflection of someone else’s limited belief in you, perhaps an echo of your friend, parent, or teacher’s negative comments. Their negativity, which often stems from a limited belief in themselves and their own value, becomes our inner voice. We adopt their negative perception as our own; they convince us that we’re not capable of achieving anything, and we ultimately come to believe them. Once we believe that we are incapa-

ble, we are free to live mediocre lives. Even though, deep down, we know we’re capable of more, we convince ourselves that we’re comfortable with being OK, with being “normal.” When we look in the mirror, we say: “This is just who I am.… There are great people, and there are people like me. And you know what? I don’t even want to be great. I’m OK with being OK. As long as people think of me as a ‘pretty good person,’ that’s enough for me.” We try to convince ourselves that we are happy living this way, that we are content with being mediocre, that we are happy to just be “OK.” But deep down, we know this is a lie – we know that we really want more from life, that we are capable and destined for more. But thinking about this makes us uncomfortable, so in order to sleep better at night and deal with our inadequacies, we convince ourselves otherwise. However, life does not have to be this way. There’s a story of two boys who went ice-skating on a frozen lake in their neighborhood. As they were

enjoying themselves, the ice suddenly cracked, and one of the boys fell through into the icy water. His friend started frantically reaching for him, but he was too late and the boy was pulled underneath the ice. Desperate to save his friend, this scrawny boy quickly looked around, saw a tree in the distance, and rushed over to try and pull off a branch. After tugging for a few seconds, he managed to crack off a huge branch, and he raced back to his friend. He smashed and thrashed at the thick ice until it finally cracked, allowing him to grab onto his friend. He dragged him back to the shore just as the ambulance arrived, and miraculously, they were able to resuscitate him. Once the commotion had died down, one of the younger ambulance members sat on the side of the lake, looking extremely confused. He muttered to himself, “How can such a scrawny kid break through such thick ice, let alone snap off such a giant branch? It’s impossible! How in the world did he do it?”

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An older ambulance member sat down next to him and smiled. “I’ll tell you how he did it,” he said. “How?” asked the younger ambulance member. “There was no one there to tell them that he couldn’t.” What could we accomplish if instead of listening to the voice that tells us we can’t, we listened to the voice that tells us we can? Whether that negative voice comes from inside our head or from someone outside, we need to learn how to stand up and say, “No. I will not let you crush me and my dreams. I can and will go after my greatness.” It’s time to say, “Yes, I can.” We need to stop holding ourselves back from our own greatness. We have greatness within us, and it’s our responsibility to bring that greatness to the world. (In future articles, we will develop some of the best strategies for accomplishing this.)

Fear Even for those of us who have worked on developing an empowering identity, there is often still a powerful force that holds us back from beginning the journey towards our greatness: fear. In some way or another, we have all let fear hold us back. Fear blinds us, it paralyzes us, it stops us from chasing after our dreams. While fear is universal, there are various forms of fear, and each is responsible for killing dreams. The most common is fear of failure. Any genuine journey towards greatness risks the possibility of failure, and we are so scared of failing that we become scared of striving for greatness itself. We can’t convince ourselves to step into the unknown, to try, because we are afraid of being vulnerable, of putting ourselves out on display; we are paralyzed by the possibility of failure. We’re afraid of what other people will think if they see us fail; perhaps more importantly, we’re afraid of what we’ll think of ourselves if we fail. We’re afraid that if we fail, we’ll become a failure. So we never push past our comfort zone, we never bet on ourself, we never take a leap of faith, trusting that Hashem has something great designed for us. Others fear the pain and struggle that comes with striving for greatness. Learning is difficult; exercising

and giving up junk food can be painful; getting out of a bad relationship can be heart-wrenching. We fear the pain that comes with the journey, the discomfort of progress, the instability of growth. We convince ourselves that the complacency of OK is “OK,” the stagnancy of average is “just fine” and that being good enough is “good enough.” But if we can be better, then

tend that we aren’t capable of that incredible dream that we’ve tucked down somewhere deep inside of ourselves. But this is the greatest tragedy of all. As the quote goes, “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark. The real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” The greatest shame is not aiming too big in life and missing; it’s aiming too low and hitting. So

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

good enough is not good enough, and if we can be great, then being OK is not OK! The ultimate pain of staying where we are will always outweigh the pain of growth, the struggle of progress. The pain of growth is meaningful pain, and meaningful pain is the most enjoyable pain imaginable. The pain of staying where we are is existential pain – the pain of wasted potential. Suffering is meaningless pain and therefore unbearable. But when we give meaning to our pain, it becomes bearable. When someone at the gym lifts weights, they are ripping their muscles, a painful and strenuous experience. But they know that this pain is the source of their growth, the source of their progress. Growth only occurs in the face of resistance and pressure. There is no growth in the comfort zone. You can only grow muscle when you rip your muscle fibers; you can only grow existentially when you rip yourself out of your comfort zone. Growth in our life, learning, middos (character traits), career, and relationships only happens when we push ourselves to the limit. The last form of fear is perhaps the most surprising. Deep down, we’re afraid that if we strive for greatness, we might just succeed; we might just become extraordinary; and what if we’re unable to handle it? What if it’s too much for us? What if we fall apart? So we take the easy road; we don’t push, we don’t strive, we simply pre-

many of us are pretending like we’ve succeeded when we know deep down that there’s so much more that we’re capable of, so much more that we can contribute to the world.

Desire to Be Ordinary and Fit In There is another reason that holds us back from our greatness, an obstacle that touches the very root of our identity and how we see ourselves in the world. We want to fit in; we want to be “normal”; we want to have friends; we want everyone to like us. This is because, at root, we are all part of something bigger than ourselves. Hashem created all of us as a single interconnected self, and single soul; we are each individual selves that are part of this bigger self. Because of this common root, we all yearn to feel connected to, and accepted by, those around us. And what will happen if you start striving for greatness? What will happen if you start valuing your time, the words that come out of your mouth, the thoughts you think about, the impact and importance of every single decision you make? You will start to become different. You’ll start to stand out. Why? Because most people are not doing that. By default, the people in your life will start to see you differently, treat you differently, act differently around you; mostly because you will start to become…you. And while

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many will be happy for you, support you, even encourage you, others will judge you, discourage you, or even hate you for it. They will assume that you assume that you’re better than them; they will think that you think that they are a failure. By becoming you, by not blending into the crowd and being a nobody, you will, by nature, stand out. But we don’t necessary want all this. We don’t want to lose any of our friends or relationships. We don’t want to be judged or singled out. And while the ideal is to strive for our greatness while balancing these potential struggles, such a path is difficult and requires tremendous balance and nuance. So we hide our dreams, we cripple our ambitions, we stifle our drive for greatness, we crush our hopes and aspirations…and we pretend like we don’t want what we want. We live as a shadow, a skeleton of our true selves, and pretend like we’re happy with who we are. We know we’re destined for something more, but we prefer the companionship of people who we have just admitted to ourselves don’t want us to strive for greatness over the challenging but extraordinary path into the unknown, towards our true selves. In our next column, we will delve deeper into this topic and finish exploring the factors that hold people back from striving after their greatness.

Rabbi Shmuel Reichman is an author, educator, speaker, and coach who has lectured internationally on topics of Torah, psychology, and leadership. He is the founder and CEO of Self-Mastery Academy, the transformative online self-development course that is based on the principles of high-performance psychology and Torah. After obtaining his Bachelor’s degree from Yeshiva University, he received semicha from RIETS, a Master’s degree in Jewish Education from Azrieli, and a Master’s degree in Jewish Thought from Revel. He is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Chicago and has also spent a year studying at Harvard as an Ivy Plus Exchange Scholar. To find more inspirational content from Rabbi Reichman, to contact him, or to learn more about Self-Mastery Academy, visit his website: ShmuelReichman.com.

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Delving into the Daf

Rosh Hashana in a Cemetery By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

he Gemara in Brachos (18b) records a particularly interesting incident. A pious man gave a poor man a dinar on Erev Rosh Hashana during years of famine. The pious man’s wife was incensed at his extravagant expenditure during the difficult times. In order to escape the incessant bickering, he went and slept that night (on Rosh Hashana!) in the cemetery. That night, he heard two spirits conversing with each other. One said to the other: “My friend, let us roam the world and hear from behind the Heavenly Curtain [pargod], which separates the Divine Presence from the world, what calamity will befall the world.” The other spirit said to her: “I cannot go with you, as I am buried in a mat of reeds, but you go, and tell me what you hear.” She went, and roamed, and came back. The other spirit said: “My friend, what did you hear from behind the heavenly curtain?” She replied: “I heard that anyone who sows during the first rainy season of this year, hail will fall and strike his crops.” That year, the pious man went and sowed his seeds during the second rainy season. Ultimately, the crops of the entire world were stricken by hail, and his crops were not stricken. The commentators note that, as a rule, when the Gemara refers to a pious man without identifying who it is, it refers to either Rebbe Yehuda ben Bava or Rebbe Yehuda the son of Rebbe Ilai. (The latter was made “famous” by a recent popular song.) The commentators are perplexed as to why either of these great sages would sleep on Rosh Hashana night in a cemetery. Why couldn’t he stay by a friend’s house? The Iyun Yaakov suggests perhaps it was precisely because it was Rosh

Hashana. We do so many things as good omens on Rosh Hashana, getting angry would be the exact opposite. Nevertheless, he did not want to sleep at a friend’s house. One can imagine if the Gadol HaDor would ask to sleep by your house, you would immediately wonder why. If someone guessed there was an argument, no one would blame the Gadol HaDor. Likewise here, Rebbe Yehuda was forced to leave the house to get some sleep, but he didn’t want anyone to cast aspersions at his wife. He decided to spend an uncomfortable Rosh Hashana night in the cemetery, where no one would find him, to save his wife from embarrassment. Hashem rewarded him, and he was blessed that year with bountiful crops. This incident is cited by the commentators at least twice in Rosh Hashana. Most recently, it was cited by Tosfos on 16a. The Mishna says that there are four times the world is judged: On Pesach for produce, on Shavuos for fruit, on Sukkos for water, and on Rosh Hashana all the inhabitants of the world are judged. Tosfos cites the aforementioned story in Brachos which seems to indicate that on Rosh Hashana the world is judged on crops. After all, Rebbe Yehuda heard one spirit saying to another that she heard from behind the Heavenly Curtain the decree about crops. Moreover, the Tosfos HaRosh notes that we say in Mussaf on Rosh Hashana, “And on the countries, it will be said, which is to war, which is to peace, which to famine, and which to plentifulness, and the fate of creatures will be decided to life and to death.” This seems to also indicate that the fate of crops is decided on Rosh Hashana. The Ritva resolves these questions by declaring that the halacha

does not follow the Mishna. In fact, all matters, even decisions regarding crops, are decreed on Rosh Hashana. However, Tosfos differs and reasons that the story and the text of Mussaf can be explained even according to the Mishna. Those sources do not actually say that the decrees regarding crops took place on Rosh Hashana. The running of the world is a giant puzzle. As part of Hashem’s decrees regarding individuals, the decrees regarding crops and countries are mentioned on Rosh Hashana. Indeed, the Turei Even asked how it is possible for a person to be judged on Rosh Hashana and crops to be judged on Pesach. Isn’t a person’s situation dependent on the food supply and inextricably linked? The Turei Even explains that a person is judged on Rosh Hashana according to the framework that was already decided about the world’s food supply. There will be a finite amount of crops, but how much of those crops each person is entitled to is decided on Rosh Hashana. Therefore, in Mussaf we say, “It will be said…. Which to famine,” not “it will be decided which to famine.” The previous decrees will be cited on Rosh Hashana so that a person’s individual’s fate can be decided now. Tosfos’s explanation also clarifies another anomaly. The Gemara states (8b) that Hashem does not judge His people until Beis Din declares the day to be Rosh Hashana. Beis Din convenes only during the daytime. How could it be that Rebbe Yehuda heard the decrees regarding the crops on Rosh Hashana night? The decrees are only promulgated by the Heavenly Court on the day of Rosh Hashana. (This question was asked by the Gi-

lyonei HaShas.) According to Tosfos, the answer is simple. There weren’t any new decrees made on that Rosh Hashana yet. However, the decrees made previously on Pesach regarding the crops were mentioned on the night of Rosh Hashana. If a person, Heaven forbid, was issued a bad decree on Rosh Hashana/Yom Kippur, can it be changed? Tosfos (16a) opine that public prayers are effective even after a bad decree is issued. Moreover, a prayer that includes the public is considered a public prayer. Hence, when davening for sick people, r”l, we always plead that the sick person should be cured “together will all the sick people of K’lal Yisrael.” The Gemara concludes that according to Rebbe Yitzchak, any prayer can be effective to annul a bad decree. (Ritva 17b) It is worthwhile to mention that the above explanations notwithstanding, many commentators opine that the story that took place with Rebbe Yehuda was actually a dream. The Noda B’Yehuda explains that Rebbe Yehuda’s mind was always focused on spiritual matters. However, due to the fight with his wife, his mind was preoccupied with matters about his livelihood. He dreamt about the spirits in the cemetery. Ultimately, he was rewarded for his charity by having the secrets of the world revealed to him.

Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow is a rebbe at Yeshiva Ateres Shimon in Far Rockaway. In addition, Rabbi Sebrow leads a daf yomi chaburah at Eitz Chayim of Dogwood Park in West Hempstead, NY. He can be contacted at ASebrow@gmail.com.

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My Israel Home

Aliyah and Purchase Tax Savings PHOTO BY GEDALIAH BORVICK

By Gedaliah Borvick

Newly constructed building in Beit Shemesh

was recently strategizing with attorney Yair Givati regarding how to best guide my client – we’ll call him David – who wants to make aliyah and purchase multiple properties. David wanted to buy a primary home in Jerusalem plus a pied-a-terre in Netanya near the water, and our conversation centered on devising a strategy to have him pay as little tax as possible. Let’s first examine the various “mas rechisha” – acquisition or purchase tax – rates. Keep in mind that all numbers quoted in this article are approximates and that they get updated annually to account for inflation. Non-residents buying an apartment and Israelis acquiring a second unit pay purchase taxes at the rate of 5% for the first 1.3M NIS, then 6% for the portion of the price between 1.3M NIS and 3.9M NIS, 7% up to 5.3M NIS, 8% up to 18M NIS, and 10% above. Israeli residents, and overseas buyers planning to become residents within two years of contract signing, purchasing a single residence (defined as either acquiring a first home or a new home and selling their existing home within the allotted time

required by law) pay 0% for the first 1.8M NIS, then 3.5% for the next 300K NIS, 5% up to 5.3M NIS, 8% up to 18M NIS, and 10% above. Finally, there is an Oleh rate of 0.5% for the first 1.85M NIS and then 5% above. If you are planning to make aliyah within twelve months after signing a

Returning to our friend David, who plans to make aliyah imminently and wants to purchase two apartments, Yair Givati suggested that he buy the first property using the single residence tax rates and then acquire the second unit using the aliyah tax rate, as the latter rate can be used by an oleh for up to seven years after

Yair Givati suggested that he buy the first property using the single residence tax rates and then acquire the second unit using the aliyah tax rate.

contract to purchase an existing home, you can pay the lower of either the single residence or the aliyah tax rate. If you buy “on paper” in a project under construction, you can take advantage of the lower Israeli rates if you make aliyah before receiving Tofes Arba (certificate of occupancy) or within three years, whichever comes first.

making aliyah even if they already own another apartment in Israel. One caveat: property acquired using the discounted Ooleh rate must be used by the purchaser and cannot be rented out to another family. Heeding Yair’s creative guidance, David bought two apartments and achieved significant tax savings.

Let me mention, parenthetically, a tax loophole for your consideration. Overseas buyers acquiring homes in communities in Judea and Samaria – such as Maale Adumim, Efrat, and Hashmonaim – can receive a full exemption from paying the purchase tax if they are neither an Israeli resident or citizen, nor are they planning on making aliyah for minimally two years. Therefore, purchasing a home in Yehuda and Shomron prior to making aliyah can save you significant money. I highly recommend that clients retain an experienced attorney to guide them through the complicated Israeli tax system. Yair Givati is one of the outstanding real estate attorneys we recommend to overseas purchasers. If this article inspires any follow-up questions, please contact him at yair@ givatilaw.co.il.

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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Anne Donnelly: I Will Stop Nassau County from Becoming Like San Francisco Anne Donnelly on Why Nassau County Needs Her as District Attorney BY SUSAN SCHWAMM

You’ve been at the District Attorney’s office for more than three decades. I’ve been in the Nassau County District Attorney’s office for 32 years. I went right after I graduated law school. DA Denis Dillion hired me. And then I stayed on under Kathleen Rice and got promoted. I stayed on under Madeline Singas and got promoted. It’s been my life’s work, my passion – it’s what I do. I have been in almost every bureau in the office, touched upon every bureau, from trying misdemeanor cases to 12 years as a violent felony prosecutor. Then I became the deputy chief in Financial Crimes, where we did really interesting investigations of credit card fraud, elder fraud, etc. I then became the deputy chief in the Organized Crime and Rackets Bureau, where we worked long-term investigations hand-in-hand with the detectives. In that bureau, you take the case from the beginning and work together to build the best case against an organized group of people committing crimes, instead of working a case from after arrest.

That sounds like taking down the mafia for financial crimes as opposed to murder. Yes. But it’s not just the mafia. We went after an organized group of burglars, who were burglarizing high-end homes on the North Shore. They had committed twelve burglaries and had stolen everything – safes and jewelry – one man had his father’s ashes stolen. They had come here from Chile and purposely been recruited by a mobster in Chile to come and do these burglaries. They were told, “Don’t worry if you get caught,

because you’ll be let out without bail.” But we did catch them.

When did this happen? Well, this was right after bail reform came out. I was the ADA on the case. I went to court, and I said to the judge, “We have to put bail on them. They’ve told us they’re going to flee.” But the judge told me, “My hands are tied with the new bail law. I can’t put bail on them.” And so the five of them walked out of the courtroom, laughing at me, laughing at everybody. They got in a car and drove to Texas, went across the border, and went back to Chile. They were never to be seen again. There was no justice for the poor families that went through these robberies. Sometimes we have a chance to get some of the stolen goods back, if the perpetrators are in jail and they decide they want to talk to us. In this case, we didn’t have an opportunity to do that for anybody – we weren’t able to speak with them before they were sprung.

Talk to us about the bail reform law. How did it come into play and which crimes does it affect? It came into play in the beginning of 2019. In essence what it affects is the ability to look at anything outside of the four corners of the crime that was committed when it comes to asking for bail. Danger to a community? Doesn’t matter. Prior record? Doesn’t matter. Failure to appear in court? Doesn’t matter. If it’s not X crime that you can ask for bail on, they get released. And the problem with that is, of course, the history of a person who’s committing crime tells us a lot. With bail reform, they also said that when it comes to violent crimes, we can ask for bail, but for non-violent crimes, we can’t. But what they don’t mention is in the penal law. Crimes that have violent effects are not always categorized as violent crime. So, for example, there are certain degrees of arson we cannot ask for bail on. Arson is a dangerous and violent crime. There are certain degrees of assault we can’t ask for bail on. Certain degrees of manslaughter, when you kill somebody, we can’t ask for bail on. DWIs – you could have three or four DWIs – and you can’t ask for bail. But the biggest thing they took away with bail reform was a judge’s discretion. As you know, prosecutors don’t set bail; the defense attorney doesn’t set bail. We make an argument, and the judge, who is fair and impartial, listens to both sides and makes a decision. Now, the judge does not have discretion to say, in the case of the Chilean burglars, “These guys we have to hold because they told us they’re going to flee the country.”

I know you can’t speak for him, but what

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was your opponent Todd Kaminsky’s role in connection to bail reform? Senator Gianaris, who is the deputy majority leader, stood on the floor after the passing of the bill and stated, “I would like to thank Senator Todd Kaminsky for putting words to paper for this bill.” That, to me, means that he supported it and voted for it. In my opinion, anyone who truly believes in the world of criminal justice and prosecution, and wants to be the head law enforcement person for the County – because that’s what the District Attorney is – should have stood up and said, “No, I am not voting for it,’ even though he tries to say it was wrapped in with the budget. On principle, it should have been, “No, I am not voting for this, I know it’s not right. I know it’s going to hurt the community and hurt people.”

What officially was the Democrats’ motive for passing bail reform? I think they had a more progressive agenda. There was one example of a young man in Rikers Island, who was in on $300 bail for nine months, because he couldn’t afford the bail. They used that example to help pass bail reform. I don’t think anybody who commits a $100 petty larceny should sit in jail. But to make a blanket rule because of one person’s bad experience – it just doesn’t work. Certainly, after bail reform was put into practice, the Democrats saw the problems with the law. And so they tried to come back and make amendments, which my opponent likes to say, “I led the charge on the amendments.” Well, first of all, the amendments didn’t do enough. It was really like putting lipstick on a pig. What they tried to say is, “OK, we’ll give you discretion back on X crime and what.” And my opinion is, you have to look at the circumstances surrounding it, the circumstances of the person, the circumstances of the person who committed the crime, where they were in their life, what was going on in their life that this happened. Are they a career criminal? Or was this a one-time, one-off burglary because of a drug addiction? We treat people differently. It used to be that, on drug cases, we would recommend that they would go into a program and give them an opportunity to do 90 days in a program. If they could get clean and stay clean, then we would reduce the charges and let them out. We had a drug diversion program, where we could put someone in, and the judge could say, for one year, I want you to do 90 days in-patient, and then at the end of the year, I’ll reduce everything, you won’t have a criminal record. And it worked. We helped a lot of people. Now, we can’t ask for bail on any drug crime – except a drug trafficker, which is the highest drug crime there is. To prove trafficking is one of the most difficult crimes. For many drug abusers now, they’re not forced to face their addiction. In some cases, they’ll end up overdosing or moving onto higher crime because they’re so desperate for drugs. It’s a vicious cycle. The bail

reform act took away the opportunity we had to help people. That’s one ripple effect that no one is talking about.

When he was in office, Donald Trump spoke a lot about gangs, and especially about MS-13 on Long Island. Is MS-13 still a problem on Long Island? Yes. They are still around because gangs don’t go away. We did a great job in making a dent in the upper echelons of the gangs, and that weakens

We need stand up and say, “We’re going to prosecute these crimes. No, we’re not going to allow this to happen.”

them. The problem is, now that we’re sitting back, we’re starting to see they’re waiting for an opportunity. Shootings, unfortunately, in Nassau County are up 39% since 2020. About a month ago, there was a shooting at the McDonald’s in New Hyde Park. It’s a miracle that no child or parent was hurt during that shooting. What this shows is that there are more guns in the hands of criminals on the streets of Nassau County. We need to form a task force with the police department and work on stopping the guns from coming into the county and getting them out of the hands of people who are possessing them.

What can you, as DA, do to make Long Island a safer place? Well, I believe the first thing we have to do is we have to examine the arrests that are made. Sometimes there’s a different charge that we can

put on someone or that we can ask for bail on. Or sometimes we can at least ask for a supervisory release. Gun crimes are not necessarily a crime we can ask for bail on. But if we can at least get the gun off the street, we’ve made a little bit of progress. And if we can get to that person who’s trafficking and bringing them in, we will be able to hold them on bail and stop the flow, wherever it’s coming from. Also, the District Attorney becomes a member of what’s known as the District Attorney’s Association. Every District Attorney in the state is a member. The District Attorneys all went to Albany in 2019, and they lobbied against this bail change. And to my understanding – I spoke with a number of DAs – they were not even given a seat at the table to talk about the bill. Now, people are seeing the ripple effect of the law, and we hope we can help to make changes in certain parts of the law. Another thing with the bail law involved a discovery change. Discovery is what we have to hand over to the defense. They put certain time limits and certain restrictions on it that has just it made it unmanageable. Madeline Singas, who was District Attorney before she got elevated to the Court of Appeals, went to Albany and said, “This is never going to work. This is a disaster. You’re going to backlog the courts.” But she couldn’t get a seat at the table, nobody listened, and that’s exactly what’s happening now . We have misdemeanor cases piling up at a rate that we cannot possibly keep up with. So what’s going to happen? The DA’s offices are going to have to start dismissing these cases without any judicial review. And that makes us less safe.

Do you feel that what’s going on in New York City in terms of crime is going to filter into Nassau County? Yes, because how can it not? You can only commit a certain number of burglaries. Do you know that commercial burglaries are up in Queens? At night, they break into these mom-and-pop businesses, and they steal anything they can get. But then they’re arrested and released without any bail. We had a guy who did this 12 times in Nassau County at different businesses. We would arrest him, and he would just be released because we couldn’t ask for bail on him.

Speaking of burglaries, what really makes people feel vulnerable in our community is when they come to their cars in the morning and find out that someone had rifled through their car during the night. What could the Nassau County District Attorney do to prevent this from occurring? The message we need to send out is that we’re prosecuting these people. In California and in Brooklyn, we’re not going to prosecute anybody for larceny under $1,000. Well, then, what’s to stop me from going to Walgreens every day and

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stealing $900 worth of stuff? As DA, I’m going to prosecute those crimes, because that gives the message to criminals: No. Don’t come here. I’m going to send you to jail. There will be punishment and consequences for your crimes. You’ve probably seen the videos in California of a person riding on a bicycle in Walgreens and clearing off all the items on the shelves and putting them into bags and driving off. Walgreens stores there are closing at an alarming rate because they can’t keep up with the petty theft. A detective in Hempstead was telling me yesterday that he sees the same type of thing in Home Depot. Every day they’re hit with credit losses because people come in, they grab a power washer, and then they run out. No one is stopping them because they don’t want to get into a violent confrontation. The police arrest them, and then they’re out on an appearance ticket, if they can catch them. This happens every day. But we need stand up and say, “We’re going to prosecute these crimes. No, we’re not going to allow this to happen.” We need to stand up against crime.

The past few District Attorneys in Nassau County have been Democrats. How do you feel you will be able to win the race as a Republican? It’s not about what party; it’s about your message. And my message is: I’ve been a prosecutor for 32 years. All I want is the safety of our residents. That is paramount to me. I have three children. They were raised here in Nassau County. I was raised here in Nassau County. I don’t want to worry every time my kids leave the house to go somewhere. That’s not a feeling any mom should have. My son, he’s the oldest, is autistic, so I worry about him in certain aspects, about how he’s going to be treated. But not just because he’s autistic. I worry about all kids, because they’re walking into the unknown. If anyone thinks these incidents in New York City of shoving people in front of the subways and clocking people in the back of the head isn’t going to come here, well, if we don’t start standing up, it is going to happen here. That’s what I’m trying to stop. I want Nassau County to say the safest community. One thing I want to do when I get into office is have a unit set up for hate crimes. Hate crimes are just the worst of the worst. To commit a crime against somebody because of their religion, their race, their ethnicity – it’s an added layer on top of a crime. There are signs up on the North Shore in some of the areas that say, “Hate has no home here.” I would like that to be a message to be able to send out. Hate has no home here, for anybody. Your child should not have to worry when they walk to the bus stop about getting attacked or targeted because of what they wear on their heads or across their face.

You have a strong relationship with the police department.

Your siblings are also involved in the community.

Yes. The only way we can serve and do justice is working together. Our police keep us safe on the street. They make the arrest, and it’s up to us to stand behind them and to prosecute those crimes. It’s up to us to work together to build long-term investigations. I would sit with detectives for six months to a year building a case that would take down 10 or 12 people at the end, who were committing serious crimes. The detectives know that we always have their backs.

The former DA of Nassau County, Madeline Singas, is a female. Kathleen Rice, a previous DA, is a female. You’re a female. Do females bring certain, necessary characteristics to the position? Now, that’s an interesting question. I certainly think a woman who’s also a mom – and Madeline

I became a prosecutor because in our house, it was always about giving back – giving back to your community and doing for your community. Singas is and I am – has a different, kind of motherly instinct towards young people and children, especially with regards to things that hurt our children and our young folk. We tend to want to help more, which is not a bad thing. Madeline Singas started some great programs with our youth court. You’re talking about taking a 15-, 16-, 17-, 18-year-old and giving them an opportunity to not have a criminal record, to answer to their peers, and for their peers to decide what the punishment should be. Youth court is a little-known, but very well-used tool in the District Attorney’s office.

My parents were not college-educated. But my father always encouraged us to go to school and get an education. My older sister became an FBI agent. She was an agent for 25 years. Most people don’t know that every case in the FBI, no matter how many agents work on it, has one case agent. My sister is the case agent for 9/11. I became a prosecutor because in our house, it was always about giving back. Giving back to your community and doing for your community. My brother became a United States marine and became a fighter pilot. And my younger sister decided she didn’t want to follow in our footsteps, so she’s helping out in another way. She is a hematologist in California. That’s how we were raised. My father was in law enforcement; my mother was a stay-at-home mom, making the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before we went to school. But she always volunteered. That’s what we saw all around us. And that’s what I think is missing in a lot of places now, that feeling that we owe something to our community. But we do, if we want the community to be that beautiful community that we want for our children – we have to work on it. It doesn’t just happen on its own.

What do you do when you’re not on the campaign trail? Take care of my kids. I’ve been married for 30 years. My husband Dave is a tax accountant, so we try, if we have some free time, to spend a little time together and catch up on each other’s lives. And taking care of my children, of course, is also a real priority for me.

How old are your children? My son is 26. Our daughter is 23 and our other daughter is 21. She just started her last year of college, so it’s going to be a big June for us. My other daughter graduated in 2020, and it was a virtual graduation. It was heartbreaking for her and for my husband and me. We said, “This is our first college graduate, and we’re watching a computer screen.” She actually put on a cap and gown, and when they announced her name, she said, “That’s it,” and we turned it off and she enjoyed her bottle of champagne.

There are only a few days left until Election Day. The only way we make a change, the only way we make a difference, is getting out to vote – no matter who you are going to go out and vote for. You have to exercise your right to vote. And typically, in these off-year elections, a lot of people decide to stay home. Don’t stay home. Have a voice. Have a say in your community and come out and vote. And I think I’m the best candidate. I’m the person who should be District Attorney. I know the office after 32 years. I know every aspect of it. I know what it takes to be a good DA, as opposed to my opponent, who is a politician.

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“Where the Rubber Meets the Road” Nassau County Executive Laura Curran on Managing the Pandemic, Keeping Us Safe, and Connecting with the Community BY SUSAN SCHWAMM

There are so many layers of government in Nassau County. When I try to explain to people what the County Executive is, I tell them that the County Executive is like the mayor of Nassau County. How would you describe your role to readers? That’s a very good way to put it because County Executive is not a very well-known title. If Nassau County was a city, I would be the mayor. That’s the comparison. But it does get confusing because we’ve got villages and we’ve got towns in the County. You can have three levels of municipal government before you even get to the state level, if you’re in a village, that’s in a town, that’s in the County. I think the County’s functions were really highlighted during the pandemic because it’s the County health department that was managing through COVID. We were the ones doing the contact tracing, getting the word out about testing and vaccinations. We’re the ones with the Office of Emergency Management that helps coordinate all of our localities together to deal with these kinds of emergencies. We have most of the medics – they are the ones on the frontlines – and the ambulances that were dealing with this during the pandemic, really more than anyone. We’re the ones with the police, corrections officers; we have the jail. Obviously, all of those had to be recalibrated during COVID and those aren’t the kinds of jobs where you can Zoom from home; you have to actually show up. We also have extensive outreach offices. We have Asian affairs, Hispanic affairs, minority affairs… who really communicate with all of our communities. Dr. Larry Ei-

else in terms of the pandemic that we should be anticipating in terms of the County?

senstein [Commissioner of Health for the Nassau County Department of Health] and I spent a lot of time speaking with the Orthodox Jewish community and advocating for minyans to be allowed during COVID. You may remember at the beginning of this pandemic when everything was shut down, even minyans weren’t allowed to take place. We also worked to make sure that mikvehs could be reopened so life could continue. I felt it was really important to be in touch with all of our communities, especially our business communities, to be in touch with what it was that they needed. We have a pretty strong, a small but mighty, economic development operation that’s run out of the County as well, that was getting the PPE out there. We were working on all cylinders during the pandemic. Even something that may not seem important like our

IT department, well, that had to be recalibrated to do blast texting in different languages, to make sure that our website was up-to-date with the most efficient information, interfacing with the state as much as we could on all that data that we had to share. That’s sort of one, major and important example of why County government is so important. It’s really where the rubber meets the road. Don’t forget that in addition to what went on with COVID, we’re in charge of most of the major arterial roads. We ensure the sewage runs correctly. We are in charge of about 6,000 acres of parks and open space. So the day-to-day stuff too is also just very important for day-today life.

We are all feeling a sense of relief since the chaos that started in March 2020. Is there anything

Right now, things look really good. I think something we’ve learned in the past couple of years is you never know what’s going to happen and what curveball is going to come next, so you want to be as prepared as possible. But I’ve always thought that the more we can keep things running as normally as possible, keep kids in school or keep businesses running as safely and as much as possible, the better it will be when it’s time to recover. I’m very proud of the fact that we have the number one vaccination rate of all 62 counties in New York State. We approach it from a positive perspective, making it accessible, speaking to everyone in our communities. We talk about hesitancy but don’t want to make it punitive. I think that’s the reason why we’re winning. If you want to talk about it that way, we’re number one in New York State and we’re number two in the country among large counties in terms of vaccinations. And that’s also what’s powering our recovery.

You’re the third Democrat to hold this seat. Has that affected your relationship with the Legislature and the other branches of government in the County? We live in a political world, and I think sometimes when we’re talking about things on the national level, it becomes so super-partisan. One of the things that I love about serving on the local level is that it’s about solving day-to-day problems. It’s about public safety and keeping our communities safe, and we’ve been named the safest community in America for two years in a row now

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021 The Jewish Jewish Home Home || OCTOBER OCTOBER 29, 29, 2015 2015 The

by US News and World Report. It’s about making sure the roads are paved. And I’ve been paving the roads, at least the County roads, at a record-breaking pace. And we’re not letting our foot off the gas. We’re going to keep doing that. We have a lot of infrastructure that we’re in charge of. Things like drainage. Making sure that our infrastructure is up to climate change. Making sure that our businesses get the support they need to succeed. I lead with a very business-friendly approach because we need our businesses to do well. We want to attract more businesses here. It’s that really concrete, nuts and bolts stuff that I am passionate about. I know people like to pontificate about partisan philosophies and all of that, and that’s all very well, but in my job, I don’t really have the luxury to indulge in that. I just got to get stuff done.

You mentioned that we were voted safest community in the U.S. for two years in a row. But residents have been seeing car break-ins and package thefts occur at a record rate. It’s those petty crimes that make people feel very uncomfortable. Is there anything that could be done on a County level to help that? I don’t take petty crimes lightly because they can often lead to bigger crimes. One thing I do have to encourage – and this is something I talk to the police commissioner and our communities about all the time – people need to lock their car doors. I know it sounds silly, but a lot of these kinds of crimes are because people don’t lock their car

doors. We are asking our communities to be partners with us in this. If there is something going on in your neighborhood that is concerning you, please call 911. Don’t feel like it’s an overreaction. We work really hard to build bridges with communities. When there were – at the beginning of 2020, end of 2019 – incidents of swastikas being painted up in the North Shore and anti-Semitic crimes as well, we really reached out to the faith leaders in the Jewish community and to civic leaders in the community. Police Commission-

and sometimes forget. It’s those few times when you forget, and you come to your car the next day and realize that your car had been vandalized, that it’s very aggravating. It’s disconcerting to know that someone comes around and tries your car every night to see if they can break in. On that note, let’s talk about bail reform. I believe you were publicly against bail reform when it came out. Yes. I was. When this all first was going down, I spoke out very early and very strongly that I felt

“We’re here for the people who put their trust in us.” er Pat Ryder and I visited the shuls on Saturday, talking about what measures we had put in place to keep people safe. And the community really has embraced that, which is great. It’s that kind of partnership that keeps us safe. I have actually tripled the number of community affairs officers and added three extra POP [Problem-Oriented Policing] officers, so we have four times as many now in each precinct. They deal with the faith leaders, the civic leaders, and the schools, solving those small problems and nipping those kinds of things in the bud.

I agree that we need to lock our doors at night – and we all try to do so – but we are human

that this went way too far. And I was on the news. I was on Fox News. I wrote an op-ed for the Daily News about it. My number one job in everything that I have to do is public safety. So I’m going to speak up when I feel that there is something that could jeopardize our safety. I put together a common-sense coalition made up of law enforcement professionals from all over the island, Nassau and Suffolk, to come up with solutions to this bill. They came up with some very good solutions, such as lengthening the discovery time because it’s way too short now; the system can’t really accommodate it. And also giving judges more discretion in the bail process. These are just things that make sense.

So again, not to be partisan, but when something really interferes with what my number one function is – and that’s to keep our community safe – I’m going to speak out about it.

A few years ago, President Trump spoke about the gang MS-13 on Long Island, which brought our area into national headlines. Now, there’s not much talk about MS-13. Is there still a problem with MS-13 on Long Island? The cases of MS-13 crimes have gone dramatically down, I have to say, across Long Island. And I will, especially, brag about Nassau County. Our police department and our district attorney’s office has really eradicated so much of this kind of gang activity. Now, we have to know that you never rest on your laurels. There are new challenges all the time, so we have to be on top of it. That’s part of the reason why I stress intelligence-led policing, making sure that we’re monitoring social media, making sure that we’re keeping in touch with young people, that we have positive interactions with young people before they get lured into joining a gang. That’s why we opened up the first new three PALs in decades. That’s why we are really actively recruiting for our Explorers’ program, which is for young people aged 14 to 20. It’s those kinds of relationships that can really prevent a young person from joining a gang in the first place – giving them something else, something positive to belong to.

You have three children, correct? Yes. They’re 13, 16, and 21.

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I’m sure you are very proud of them. I am. What I find difficult is that I don’t have enough time with my kids. But I hope that they see me as a role model – that if you work hard and your intention is good, you can achieve things in this world. Being the first female County Executive, I hope to be a role model for all our young women and girls.

How do you juggle it all? How are you a mom and a public figure? Every day I feel that you have to prioritize. First of all, it helps to have a wonderful and patient husband, which I do, so I’m blessed with that. And honestly, when my kids were little, I don’t know if I could have done this. It’s great that they’re a bit older. But when I’m home, I really try as much as I can to make time for them, to spend time with them, to put the phone away as much as I can. Especially during COVID, when everyone was scared, I would take a lot of the more challenging phone calls out on the porch, away from them, when I was getting the bad news, learning about the harm that was happening in our communities, dealing with the medical examiners, and all of those sort of things. I really try to separate my work as much as possible from my family life because the job is really 24/7, but you have to carve out time for your family.

What do you do to relax? Well, I love going to the gym and I love running. That’s my two ways of therapy.

That is excellent therapy – both

physical and mental. Let’s talk about the Nassau County assessments. The Nassau County Assessment System has been a mess. Everybody knew it, for a very long time. The people before me really wanted to just avoid the whole issue. And like with any problem that you avoid, it just got worse and worse. When I finally got into office, the values were so wildly out of whack, they bore absolutely no resemblance to reality. So I embarked on a reassessment, and I knew that it would be difficult. I knew that it would be logistically difficult because the whole operation had just been shut down for years. But I believe that if you’re a leader, you cannot be afraid to do the difficult thing if it is the right thing to do. It was challenging. We had to restart the office. There was nobody there. We had to update all the software because it was way out of date. And we got the engines going again. I will be honest with you – it was very challenging. But the thing that makes it all worth it was the fact that Newsday did an independent study, State did an independent study, experts looked at it as well, and all of them agreed that you cannot get closer to accuracy than we got. I believe that our residents deserve fairness and accuracy, and they also deserve someone who’s not afraid to do something even if it’s difficult. It took us a long time to get into this mess. It is going to take us some time to get out of it, but we are absolutely on the right track.

How much more work needs to be done in order to get it com-

pletely correct? Or is that a goal that’s not even attainable? So, it is a goal. There is no such thing as objectively correct because it is always a subjective thing, and people will always have a right to grieve, which I support. But this is always a work in progress because the market changes. In fact, I paused the reassessment for a period because of the volatile market. Right now, we’re seeing that our housing prices, with such a hot market, really spiked. Meanwhile, our commercial properties were all over the place. Some businesses were rocking and rolling. Some were dead. They were all over the place, so it makes sense in this volatile market to pause. In any case, this is something that you must continue to update regularly. Otherwise, we’ll get back into the situation that we were in when I took office.

You’ve been in office for four years. Aside from your accomplishments with regards to COVID, what are other successes over the past few years that you’d like to highlight? Firstly, we’re the safest community in America under my leadership for two years. We have the number one vaccination rate in New York State, number two in the nation among large counties. And number three, we’ve been taming the beast of Nassau County finances. For far too long, Nassau County has been synonymous with shoddy, irresponsible, reckless budgeting. And we had been in the red for a long time. The year that I ran, 2017, we ended the year in the red with a deficit of $122 million. So by being

fiscally disciplined and being smart with the budget by 2019, my second year in office, we had flipped that deficit to a surplus. We had a surplus of about $120 million. We actually ended COVID, 2020 year, with a surplus as well. We were able to refinance our debt. And I had to get that moving. I had to get it through the Legislature. I had to get it through NIFA, through Albany. We refinanced our debt at really perfect rates, so we’re saving the taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars with that. I’ve proposed a tax cut of $150 million over the next four years because of the position that we’re in. So those three things are accomplishments that I’m very proud of. But we’ve got challenges ahead. We have to stay safe. That’s very, very important. We have to continue to invest in the police and other law enforcement. We have to maintain that fiscal discipline. We can’t let up on that. And we also have infrastructure issues. We have a changing climate. We have more rainfall than we’ve had. We’ve had more storms coming – those in the coastal communities really see that. So we’re hard at work making sure our infrastructure is up to the challenges of a changing climate.

Aside for COVID, what were some of those challenges that you didn’t expect when you came into the position? I did expect a little bit more of a bipartisan approach. And it was clear very, very early on that that wasn’t going to happen. But I am a firm believer in keeping conversations open, keeping relationships open, not taking anything personally, and not holding a grudge. And I think that has made my leadership more effective.

Have you been able to reach across the aisle to get things done? At times, yes. And I would say some more than others. But I will always have an open door. I will always pick up the phone. I think relationships are important to getting things done. We don’t have to agree on everything all the time. We need to recognize that we’re not here for ourselves, we’re not here for our party. We’re here for the people who put their trust in us. We always

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have to remember that they come first. We serve the public, not the other way around.

Absolutely. What about on a national level? Have we become so partisan that it’s almost like we can never work together anymore? It sometimes feels that way when you read the news, and it’s very discouraging. And that’s why I do really feel blessed to serve on the local level, because I don’t need to get caught up in all of that. All that’s very ugly. But it is discouraging, and I am concerned that it encourages good people from getting involved in politics in the first place. And that’s a real shame.

school board where I live in Baldwin, and it just really made me so interested in serving my community in a larger way. So you never know where one road might lead. But there are some similarities. You have to know how to talk to

Nassau County is home to over a million people. How do you manage to connect with all the different communities? It’s a big county, 1.3 million people, so it’s very diverse, with many different faiths, and cultures, and

“I feel it’s important to be on the ground with real people as much as possible because what I hear from folks helps inform my leadership.”

You were a journalist at one point and worked for the Post and the Daily News, correct? Yes. I never had planned to get into politics. I loved covering politics. I loved reading about it and writing about it, but I never thought I would enter into the fray. I got involved when I ran for my local

people. You have to know how to synthesize a lot of information in a short period of time. And you have to know how to then communicate that information. So there are a lot of similarities between the two.

cuisines, and so much geographical variety. But I have a love of people. I love different communities and try to learn as much as I can about them. I feel it’s important to be on the ground with real people as much

as possible because what I hear from folks helps inform my leadership. It helps inform what we do for people. If I’m not out and about and talking to people, there are problems that I might never learn about. So it helps me become a better leader the more I am out there. As such, I make it a priority to be out there as much as possible and talking to real people as much as possible. I am so happy that I’ve been able to spend so much of the last four years in this community, visiting the shuls, speaking to people, understanding their concerns, working on public safety. I am very grateful for the warm welcome that I always have when I visit. It’s a wonderful, vibrant community, and I’ve made great friends. Right before the world shut down in February of 2020, I was able to join Rabbi Billet and another friend for a visit to Israel, which was fantastic. Getting to know Rabbi Kamenetzky and so many of the other faith leaders and community leaders has been a real blessing for me. So I appreciate the community, and I appreciate the friendship.

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Taking Residents’ Concerns to Heart TJH Speaks with Leg. Denise Ford BY SUSAN SCHWAMM And because of these guys, the union started to look into candidates and what they stood for, as opposed to just blindly standing behind Democratic candidates.

You’ve been in the Legislature for a while now. Tell us a bit about your background. I grew up in Howard Beach and went to high in East New York. My father was a New York police officer in the 4th Precinct in East New York. I went to an all-girls Catholic High School; I remember that my parents had to shell out money for our tuition, but it was very important to them that we got that education and those values. That’s why I truly understand and feel for parents who choose to send their children to parochial or private schools. I believe they should have some sort of consideration when it comes to taxes. When I was raising my children, we chose to send them to Catholic school as well. My son, Gerard, is a great kid. He loved going to Catholic school; wearing the uniform every day, the structure. My other son, Harry, is a New York City firefighter. My husband and I made a vow that we would send our children to Catholic high schools. But my husband, who was a firefighter, died in a fire when Harry was in middle school. And Harry really didn’t want to go Catholic school. But he ended up going. And it was the best thing for him. He could have been the kid that would have joined with the “louder” group in school. Catholic school gave him structure and discipline.

Where do you live now? I live in Long Beach, on the West End.

You’re a registered Democrat but you’re running on the Republican ticket. I’m at that age that I wasn’t able to register to vote when I was 18. The legal age at the time was 21. It was probably one of the first times when you saw massive protests and you were able to help sway legislation, even though you weren’t old enough to vote for the people who were making the legislation. It came out from the Vietnam War. Some very young men were being drafted, and they couldn’t vote. Here, they could carry a gun, they could die for their country but they couldn’t vote. It seemed rather strange. They were able to garner enough

Isn’t that what every educated voter should do?

support from Congress during the ‘60s to change the legislation. I believe it was 1970, I think I was 20 years old, before I was allowed to vote. I remember that I registered to vote in Queens College. They did a mass registration. They had tables set up in the cafeteria, they were probably there for a week. But I registered as a Democrat, being in Queens and all. When I came to Long Beach, I remained a Democrat because I worked for the phone company at the time. I was a shop steward. But I guess I didn’t always adhere to the Democrat Party principles. When I worked in the garage, I remember the union would come around for money for their PAC for their political candidates. A couple of guys stood up and said we don’t want to give money because you just back Democratic candidates and we believe they don’t work always in our best interests. Some guys said that Peter King and other people like him were more inclined towards their values.

Absolutely. So I was a Democrat, but I was head of my West End neighbors and I was in the League of Women Voters at that time. Our group had over 30 women who were involved in the League. We came from all walks of life. And they were the most dynamic group of women. You talk about a golden era. This, to me, was a golden era, sitting with these women who were older than me. We never knew which party people were affiliated with in our group. But we got involved in different issues. At the time, it was brought to our attention that the way voting was being held in nursing homes was counter to proper voting procedures. When you ask for an absentee ballot in a nursing home or assisted living facility, the ballot is supposed to come to your room so you can vote in private. That had been not the case. They did a big investigation. And they saw that the managers of the nursing homes would keep all the ballots and they would bring the women and men, primarily women, down to a big room and they would basically be told who to vote for. They didn’t even try to hide the vote fraud. All the ballots from these homes would go to just one candidate. It was really terrible. So we went to the Board of Elections. And we asked them to mandate that the ballots go to the residents’ rooms but also to allow voting to be conducted on a certain day, so observers can come down – a Democrat and a Republican – and they can watch the proceedings to make sure that everything is being done in the right way. It was funny because the Republican commissioner agreed to this, but the Democratic commissioner did not agree to it. And so, we had to go to New York State to get this resolved. That’s one of my early instances in being involved in politics.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

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same way for those same policies that brought in the crime. But that, of course, is ridiculous because if you keep on doing the same thing over and over again, you shouldn’t expect a different outcome. If they vote the same way, they’ll see the same problems again here.

So when did you decide to run for office? There was a group of people, at the time, who was concerned about the way the city was going and about the corruption. This was probably in 1999, in 2000. A good friend of mine, Mona Goodman, ran for City Council. She said to me, “Would you like to come and have coffee with a group of people?” The group was called We The People. We held meetings and would talk about different issues affecting the city. I wasn’t in politics yet. I was working for the phone company, and then I retired, so I was at home. But I got to understand how things worked. When Tom Suozzi decided to primary Tom DiNapoli, I met with Suozzi. And I was very impressed with him. And so, I started carrying petitions for Tom Suozzi as a Democrat to get him on the ballot. And then, unfortunately, I lost my husband. He died suddenly in a fire; he was a firefighter. Of course, then, 9/11 took place, and they had to stop the primary that day. But eventually, DiNapoli lost and Suozzi won. Then, in 2003, Mona told me that they were looking for someone to run for county legislator. They asked me if I wanted to run because I had name recognition at the time. So I said, “Sure. I’ll run. Why not?” Believe me, I never expected to win.

Was your opponent a formidable candidate? Yes, he was. Michael Saxon was in office. Lucky for me, a lot of people didn’t like him. And I went around and started campaigning and I walked door to door every day getting votes.

Is that the way to win an election – to really go out and connect with the people? Yes. in the past, I always walked door to door. Since the pandemic, it’s a completely different experience. I remember, in the past, people would open their door, and they’d say, “What are you doing here?” I would say, “I’m campaigning. I’m here to say hello. Don’t you have an issue?” It was nice that people knew me But that first time I ran, nobody paid attention to my campaign. I had my ragtag group of friends, and we walked around and nobody paid attention to me. He didn’t think that I would win. Two weeks before the election, they took a poll to see where the candidates stand. And I was neck and neck with this guy. Well, all of a sudden, I started getting phone calls from Republican headquarters. Then they started doing negative mailing on me. I remember the first negative mailing that I got. I looked at it, and I was so hurt. It wasn’t true. I felt so bad that they could say these things about me. My neighbor, who was a captain in the fire department and who was helping me, saw me, and said, “This is good news.” I couldn’t believe he told me “Well,” he said, “that means that they’re scared of you.” The biggest mistake that Michael Saxon made was when he sent out a postcard to voters. On the postcard was a picture of him – taken years before – with a group of firefighters. And he was wearing bunker gear – a fire hat and a jacket. One day, I came from campaigning, and my daughter told

You’ve been in the Legislature for 18 years. Tell us about what you’re most proud of over the years.

me, “Michael Daly from the Daily News is on the phone for you.” Michael Daly was so incensed. He had gotten a copy of the postcard – I hadn’t seen it yet. He was so angry because I was the widow of a firefighter but I didn’t campaign on that. Everybody felt it was an insult that he would wear bunker gear that my husband died in – and my opponent was never a firefighter. When I saw it, I was so taken a back. I felt bad for the firefighters in the picture. Traditionally, when firefighters lose somebody, they do a t-shirt for them. And two of the firefighters in the photo

I looked him in the eye and I told him, “If it’s important to you, it’s important to me”

with Michael Saxon had my husband’s t-shirt on. So those two guys were mortified. The next day, in the Daily News, Michael Daly wrote a big article blasting Michael Saxon. I ended up winning the election by 192 votes.

It sometimes comes down to just 192 votes. How do you get the people to the polls? There has to be some sort of passion for people to want to fight against whatever they see is wrong or to come out in support of something. There needs to be a passion within people, something they truly believe in. When you look at New York City, how it goes to the left, well, the people who come out to vote are those who are impassioned to swing it to the left in New York City. And that’s why their policies are swinging towards the left.

Do you feel that Nassau County is turning in the direction of New York City? I think it can. I really do. I’m afraid that people are coming in from other areas – they’re escaping crime, etc. – but then they come here and vote the

I’ve always cared about the environment. When I was first elected, I got a visit from Dr. Sarah Mayland, who worked for May Neuberger, the assemblywoman. May was concerned about the water because we’re a coastal community and we get our water from the Lloyd Aquifer. Sarah was telling me that the Suffolk County Water Authority was seeking to get a permit to be able to drill a new well. May had passed legislation that unless you’re a coastal community you cannot draw a new well. She asked me if I could help prevent the Water Authority from drawing the new well because she knew I lived in Long Beach. So I researched and read about it. And I said I couldn’t do it alone, so I decided to ask my fellow legislators. I wrote a letter all the legislators in Nassau County and in Suffolk County. The legislators in Suffolk, then reached out to the Suffolk County Water Authority, and they took offense over my letter – how dare I try to keep them from drilling this well, which they needed. Judy Jacobs was the presiding officer at the time. She called me in, and I told her, “Judy, I’m so sorry that I did this.” And she said, “Forget about that. I’m going to join you.” Together, we decided to fight the Water Authority and we won. That made me realize the importance of our water. I also sponsored the legislation to ban the sale of Styrofoam products in Nassau County. I’m very proud of that. Our water supply is so important. I always tell people. It takes 500 years for the water that is at the surface to filter down through the earth and the bedrock and get into the Lloyd. So right now, think about this. What was on this island 500 years ago? Nothing. No cars, nothing. That water that we’re drinking is so pure. There were no contaminants. This is why we need to make sure that we work with environmental groups to pass laws about certain types of weed killers or when we can use certain insecticides.

Let’s talk about taxes. What can you do in the Legislature to ease the tax burdens on families? This is the hardest thing – to try to figure out how did we get here, where we’re paying so much for everything and how to best achieve paying less. I work together, many times, with Leg. Howard Kopel. We looked at the various options that we have. We saw all the money that we got from the American Cares Act. We felt that it was better spent on boosting up our businesses and infrastructure, because the balance of property taxes is your sales

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

I told the representative from Schumer’s office that they should come down and meet with us and see what we’re dealing with. This is a safety issue. You never know when an emergency is going to happen.

tax. When you have a more vibrant sales tax, you don’t have to rely as much on the property taxes from residents. And so we wanted to spend the money to boost up businesses in the districts. But the county executive and NIFA went and said that we need to refinance the debt that we have in the County. While it saved us money now, in 2023 and in 2024, it’s going to balloon. We knew in our heart of hearts that in the end, it will hurt us.

The Republicans have the majority in the Legislature. It’s 11-8.

Is this election one that can tip that balance? Yes, we are concerned. No one takes it for granted that they are going to be re-elected. I hope that the Republicans retain the majority in the Legislature. Rich Nicolello, the presiding officer, has proven himself to be very fiscally conservative. We don’t know who is going to be county executive, though.

Is that race tight? I think it’s much tighter than people realize. Bruce Blakeman will still retain his seat if he loses the race. Just like Todd Kaminsky will retain his seat if he loses the DA seat. For me, I always got along with Senator Kaminsky, but in this case, my son is a NYC police officer, so my feelings are my feelings. My son is a fifth generation New York City police officer. My great-grandfather came over from Ireland and became a police officer. Once he got established, he sent for his family. My grandfather came over from Ireland, and he became a police officer as well. Then my father, my brother, and now my son. My husband was a firefighter. We are civil service family. My other son is a firefighter. My daughter is a schoolteacher. We proudly serve. As chairperson of the Public Safety, I was tasked with working with the police reform bill that we had to send to Governor Cuomo. We were required by executive order by Governor Cuomo to come up with a police reform plan for the police department. This was after bail reform and as result of the George Floyd riots. Police Commissioner Ryder and Laura Curran set up a committee to work with. When we presented it, there were some people at the time in the audience who had been part of the group and who had separated from them. They were from the NYC Liberties Union, etc. They wanted the plan to be more progressive. In all fairness to them, we decided that we would have a hearing where they could present their people’s plan. We kept it open for six hours. It was a really long session. But I believe that if you are going to make changes that are going to impact your constituents and a group of people, especially our police officers,

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Let’s talk about the building Amazon is putting up.

it should not be one-sided and it should not be done in a silo. It has to be done where it’s open and where people could voice their concerns and their issues. We listened to every element of their plan. And then we commissioned Pat Ryder to put some of these recommendations into his plan.

Give me some details of the plan. Well, the body cameras – that the police need to wear body cameras and they have to start recording all their data at all traffic stops. We never did that in Nassau County. They also need to tell people why they stopped them and to let them know why they are being let go or why they’re getting a ticket. In some cases, some people have mental issues when they call 9-11. There are questions that 9-11 operators can ask to determine if the person calling is having a mental breakdown. And if so, they send for social services who go to that person’s residence with the police to help diffuse the situation and get the person the help they need. We are going to have a hearing soon so we can evaluate the implementation of the plan since the six months it’s been instituted. Some of the plans that they wanted to implement were really not common sense ideas. They wanted to have non-police officers conduct traffic stops, which could be a major disaster. They also wanted to eliminate POP cops – Problem Oriented Police – who help at schools and are on the ground with teens and with the community.

Let’s talk about the 878. I know it’s a state road. That is something that Mayor Edelman has been in touch with me about. The traffic signals there are not coordinated and it’s a big problem. The traffic signals from the shopping center at Lowes over to Brookville Blvd are operated under New York City. The ones further south are under Nassau County. But there’s no communication between the two. We reached out to Senator Schumer’s office and Kathleen Rice’s office to let them know that we need to have them oversee all of this. Everyone needs to come to the table to talk about it and figure it out. You can’t tell me, that with all the technology that we have, we can’t get two different computer systems to communicate and be in sync.

I don’t understand why our state representatives didn’t tell us about it. They must have known about it because Amazon needed to go for state approval before they started building. When you’re planning something – a housing development or a commercial development – you need to start considering everything. We don’t live in a vacuum. Here it’s in a spot with significant traffic. We have traffic signals not lining up. And we have residents who can’t get out. It’s also a major thoroughfare to an international airport. There’s a whole bunch of things. But there’s an added impact that many people don’t consider. We know that Amazon is going to provide jobs. But here, at the County, the DPW, we have trouble getting drivers with CDL licenses to move equipment and drive trucks to dredge the canals and move the snowplows. Instead, people are just driving for Amazon. It’s easier for them, and they get good pay and benefits. We’re competing to get these drivers, and now it’s only going to get worse for us because so many people will have more opportunities to drive for Amazon. I have to give credit to our commissioner, though, with regards to this problem. He is starting a program to bring in young people and train them for a year so they can get their CDL license and drive for the County. It’s the same thing with the development in Woodmere that they are proposing. There are always considerations and effects to every development. Aside from the environmental issues, imagine the traffic that is going to clog the streets on Broadway. It will be unbearable. Residents need to speak up. I remember a developer who wanted to build 15-story towers on the boardwalk in Long Beach. They were going to get a $125 million tax break. Well, that didn’t sit well with me. I fought it and we won. We were able to stop it.

You have a diverse constituency. How do you connect with all the residents in your district? When I was a phone technician, years ago, I went into people’s homes and businesses in many different areas. My father, when I was growing up, was strict with us. We had to say, “Yes, ma’am,” “No, sir.” We couldn’t say, “Yeah” we had to say, “Yes.” My father told us to treat everyone with respect, regardless of who they were. I am one of six kids. Having that upbringing gave a basis to me and my siblings that regardless of where you went, and who were you meeting with, you came upon a person

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with respect. When I went to someone’s home, regardless of race, religion, gender, once I said, “sir,” or “ma’am” they knew exactly where you stood – that I would treat them respect. I always thought it was a great icebreaker, so to speak. It showed them that I respected them, and I had a job and I wanted to do my best at it. I always had a good work ethic, and I was also the shop steward at the time. I dealt with all the people in my garage – we came from everywhere – and I always treated them with respect. I value that experience. When I became a legislator, I realized that I was still serving people. I was helping to pass legislation for them. I was listening to their concerns. I look at each person and listen to them and treat them with respect. I have a lifelong friend, who came over to me one time. He said, “I know you’re so busy, so this may be very insignificant to you.” He said that when I looked him in the eye and I told him, “If it’s important to you, it’s important to me” that showed how much I cared. And I got it done for him. It was a simple thing, but he realized that I truly meant it. And that’s how I feel. When people call me up, I go down to their homes. My assistant will follow through. My block growing up was 50% Jewish and 50% Catholic. When we were young, religion had no play. We were all friends. I remember the Marks, who lived across the street from us;

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

they were Jewish. We knew that on Yom Kippur we never watched TV, because the Marks kids couldn’t watch. We would sit with Fran Marks, and we wouldn’t eat because if she couldn’t eat, we wouldn’t eat. We were very respectful. That was how I was brought up. We relished everyone. We

Broadway. We’re doing drainage, paving, better crosswalk – we’d love new curbs. Truthfully, this will take time – like many government projects – but we keep working at it. And we’ll get it done. We will not stop until we deliver the road that we promised we would deliver.

You sound very dedicated to your constituents. What do you do to relax?

You realize that you have to look for what you have in common, not what makes us different.

were all important to one another. We were just good friends. You realize that you have to look for what you have in common; not what makes us different. That’s the basis. Initially, I didn’t know a lot about Orthodox customs. But I learned quickly. I listened. You don’t want to come into a community and say, “Here I am.” You want to show respect to their customs. I take to heart the title of public servant. I’m not elevated above anyone else. My purpose is to be here to serve the people. And to do the best job that I can. I fight for my people. Now, we’re working on a road program on West

I like to ride my bicycle. My friends joined a Pilates club, and I want to do that, too. To be honest with you, I do pray. Growing up Catholic in a religious household, made me very centered. At one point, I was feeling doubt, not believing in myself, so I sat down and I prayed; I have my rosary beads. All of a sudden, I got a phone call from two people who told me that they wanted to help me with the election. And I was just stunned. They were like the answers to my prayer. I went to a dinner that night, and I was telling people about the power of prayer. There was no doubt in my mind that my prayers were answered. And that’s why, I tell my children, that they have to thank G-d for things and say their prayers. I also find that, as women, we’re able to juggle and multitask. Regardless of how diverse my district is, I love it all. It makes it exciting. I don’t know what challenges are going to face me every day and I don’t know what I can do each day. But I’m here to do my best for the people who I serve.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

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Demanding Fiscal Responsibility from the County TJH Speaks with Leg. Howard Kopel BY SUSAN SCHWAMM

Leg. Kopel, you are up for reelection this year. This is a position that you need to run for every two years, correct? Yes. And it’s important that the community makes sure to vote in this election, as with every election, even if it’s an off-year. There are many important seats up for election now. With regards to the Legislature, I want to bring to your attention to something interesting that passed last week. This was in regards to the repeal of certain fees that were imposed on various real estate transactions. These were really high fees that were imposed under Mangano. The vote when they were imposed, to begin with, was 18 to 1, with me being the 1 against it. Everybody was afraid to oppose him. The budget now is crazy. The budget that Laura Curran has out there is a lie. She showed a surplus for 2020, but when you take away the federal money that the county got, there is no surplus because she used $90 million or something like that for our salaries. NIFA, the control board, forced a tremendous refinance down our throats.

What’s NIFA? NIFA, Nassau County Interim Finance Authority, is the control board. Nassau County uniquely has a control board that was imposed many, many years ago. They refinance all their outstanding debt. In other words, they borrow money on behalf of the

county since it’s a state agency. They get a little bit better rates than the county directly would get, and so, they get to refinance a lot of their stuff. Sometimes, the county files directly, sometimes through them. In the course of refinancing, they deferred $84 million, I think, of payments that were due now. So all of a sudden, you’ve got about $84 million extra in the budget, right? But what happens in 2022 when you’ve got $160-something million due? And in ‘23 and ’24 – ‘23 it goes up by 86%, over $300 million… How crazy is this? She can show off now about the budget, but if you kick the can down the road and worry about things later, you’re going to have big problems. That’s one of the reasons why we need a Republican majority in the Legislature. The County Executive, who is a Democrat, and the administration are doing a lot of things, like the budget, that are not transparent and true. I voted against distributing the $100 million of federal funds. Why? Because if you distribute it and don’t use it for other things, then we’re going to have problems. We should use it for certain projects for the community. We should use it for drainage repairs, which we need in the Five Towns. We shouldn’t just drop it from a helicopter; we need to use it for the residents of the county. You know, if you just distribute it, it will mean that each resident will get maybe $200-$300 each, but if you use $100 million in chunks for cer-

tain projects it will certainly be able to create tangible results for the residents of the county.

What sort of projects or funds can you, as the legislator that represents parts of our community, bring home for our community? Well, about two years ago, I was able to secure funds for a new Hatzalah ambulance. I’m able to secure certain grants for certain things. We are going to be working on certain projects in Cedarhurst soon. I was able to obtain an ambulance for East Rockaway. There were other safety projects, other beautification projects, that I was involved in. You know, people ask me, “What does the Orthodox community want?” They don’t understand something. They think that we’re different. But we want the same things that everybody else wants. We want lower taxes. We want the roads to be clean. We want them to pick up our garbage on time. We want the streets to be safe. And that’s what we want like everybody else, right? I’m also able to help in situations where people from other communities don’t understand some of our traditions. For example, a few years ago, someone called me up in a panic. There was a situation where they wanted to perform an autopsy on an individual. They couldn’t understand why it would be an issue. But I was able to help them understand why we couldn’t have that done. There aren’t many Jewish Republicans in the Legislature. In fact, in our neighborhood, there are many people who are registered Democrats but who vote Republican. It could be that their parents and grandparents were registered as Democrats, and so they registered as Democrats as well.

That shouldn’t be a problem for Republicans in Nassau County, should it? I would think that, in a way, that would actually help them. No, it’s not a problem. But the thing is, we are Republicans. We should have more people out there. And this is something I’ve told you before. I’ve told other people as well. The fact is that our community knows how to make noise when we need something. But when it comes to getting involved in politics, there are two currencies. There’s money for the campaigns and so forth, and there’s votes. An election like this year is an off-year. There’s no president running. There are no senators running. We could wield such power in Nassau County if we would all go out and vote. We would have tremendous power if we would actually participate, and we don’t.

Why do you think people don’t get involved? Well, I don’t know. I mean, take the 878. You and I have spoken about that before. A few months ago, I held a rally and barely anyone showed up. No one will pay attention to us and our issues if we don’t show up. And certainly, if we don’t vote, and if we don’t participate in political activity. There’s no reason for them to pay attention to us if we don’t participate, right?

Is this just us? Or do other communities also have this reputation of not being involved?

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Well, no. There are other communities that vote less. What I am saying is that we don’t vote the way we ought to. Look at certain communities in Brooklyn. Their participation is enormous, and they vote as a bloc. But if another community has a 30% participation rate, and our rate is 50%, is that great? No. We should be at 85%. Sometimes elections are decided by 1,000, 2,000 votes or even just a hundred votes.

How many people live in your district? 70-something thousand.

And where is your district specifically? People think that I have the Five Towns, but it’s not true. It is most of Rockville Centre, most of Oceanside, East Rockaway, and parts of the Five Towns. Most of Cedarhurst is in my district but only parts of Lawrence, parts of Woodmere, and parts of Hewlett.

Was the district always divided like this? No. They redrew the districts around 10 years ago, and eight years ago it went into effect. We’re going to have redistricting soon. And that’s another reason we need to participate. The redistricting is going to take place probably in the next few months. It’s going to happen certainly after the election and probably after the new year.

Is there a way for us to get back our community as a whole into one district with the new redistricting? Yes. And I intend to lobby very forcefully for it, and to the point where I am going to tell them that if they don’t do it, I won’t be able to participate anymore. Denise Ford is the other legislator who represents most of our community. And when it comes to our community, she votes almost always the same way as I vote. She’s a really good person. She lives in Long Beach. I don’t think she would object to her district moving back there to allow more of our district to include the Five Towns. That was a big issue last time. I was just a beginner then, and I really did not have leverage. Right now, I am deputy presiding

officer and hopefully I should be able to get it done.

What committees are you on? I’m on two at this point. The two most important ones, actually. I am chairman of the Finance committee and vice-chairman of the Rules committee. The Rules Committee is basically the committee that handles everything. There are many other committees. And after it goes through any other committee, then it goes through Rules. Everything runs through Rules. In addition, Rules considers all county contracts, which none of the others do. It gets to approve or disapprove contracts for the County Executive. I have a reputation in the Legislature that I’m a “numbers” guy. I always want to see how the math works when it comes to certain things.

“We could wield such power in Nassau County if we would all go out and vote.” You’ve been in the Legislature for 12 years so far. What can you say are the accomplishments you’re most proud of? Certainly, it’s forcing the county to actually pay attention and be somewhat more fiscally responsible. Right now, I’m taking on the issues concerning the assessment, of course. The County Executive has power, but we’re advocating and forcing changes, slight changes, but we’re keeping a spotlight on it and trying to make sure she’s honest about it. I was in Rockville Centre last week at a gathering there, and I asked for a show of hands about who is happy with the reassessment on their house, and not a single person raised their hands. No one is happy, which tells me that something is wrong. I think it was done badly.

How could an assessment be done badly?

Well, they didn’t actually do anything on the ground. They used a lot of statistical computer modeling, and that is only as good as: A, the information that you feed into it; and, B, as good as the model that you’ve built, to the extent that the information you give the computer is bad, then your results are going to be bad. And so, the results, I think, speak for themselves. It’s bad.

You mentioned the 878 before. What can be done about that? It’s a New York State issue. It’s not a Nassau County highway; it’s not a New York City highway. But what can we do? I’m planning a push, again, after the elections together with Leg. Denise Ford, and maybe I’ll try to get some other people. I did it for a while with Phil Goldfeder a couple of years ago. The question is really getting enough people to participate. We have a new governor, Kathy Hochul. She’s going to want to run again next year for a full term. So that is probably a good time to hit her with thousands of signatures, and a big rally, and a lot of publicity. That’s the time to do it. The only way they will pay attention to us is if they know it’s going to cost them in votes. So we need to vote and we need to reach out to Gov. Hochul hard. The land is there; it’s owned by the state. There’s no reason why they shouldn’t be able to fix this problem. It’s not only a terrible inconvenience, but it’s a terrible hazard. You saw what happened when a tanker truck overturned a couple of months ago. Remember, the entire neighborhood was completely closed, everything, everywhere, for a day or two. And what if, G-d forbid, there’s a disaster or a fire engine needs to get through? It’s a real hazard.

So how do we get the Governor’s attention? It all starts next week, with Election Day. If we show up on Election Day, and attend rallies, and send out petitions, and make phone calls, and participate in the process, then we show her – and other politicians – that we are a force that needs to be answered to. They only pay attention to us if they know that it will cost them votes in November.

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Experience & Integrity TJH Speaks with Elaine Phillips, Candidate for Nassau County Comptroller BY SUSAN SCHWAMM

Elaine, you’re running for Nassau County Comptroller. Tell us a bit about your experience as it relates to the position. Firstly, I have an MBA in finance from Penn State University. I then spent the next 25 years in the financial service industry, starting out at Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, then at JP Morgan Securities, and spent the bulk of my career at Goldman Sachs. I then became the mayor my community, the Village of Flower Hill, and I was reelected twice. During that time, I never raised taxes. During that time, we covered some amazing environmental issues. And during that time, I shored up our ethnics committee, and I had to deal with the state audit. The state had come in and audited the village on a time period when I wasn’t even live in the village. But I was the one, as mayor, who had to cure the issues that were at hand. There were some sensitive issues, some money issues, that had to be dealt with and you had to have some backbone to take care of it. And I was able to tackle that. Additionally, as mayor, I dealt with Superstorm Sandy. That was huge. Residents were without power for 14, 15 days. At the time, I was new as mayor, and we really had to dig in and work to get things done. LIPA was going around saying that they had boots on the ground. And we were in Flower Hill, and I’m telling you, there were no boots on the ground. Eventually, the more I learned, the more I realized that we were

going to be out of power for days, if not weeks. I started knocking on doors of our senior residents, contacting their loved ones if they didn’t live here on Long Island to say, “Don’t believe what you’re hearing on TV down here. The fact is, you need to come and get your loved one or you need to tell us so we can go over to your loved one’s home.” I remember one particular resident, Mrs. Rubin. Every day we would go over to her house and knock on the door, “Mrs. Rubin, you OK in there?” and she’d never come to the door, but she’d answer us. “Yeah, I’m there. I’m OK.” Eventually, her daughter was able to come down and get her, but we worked to make sure that no one was left stranded.

That was a very challenging time for many of us. Yes. But I felt that I worked hard for my residents and made sure to be their best advocate and representative. And my staff and I did a great job being there for them. After my terms as mayor, I had the opportunity to represent the 7th Senate District here in northwestern Nassau County. I was only there for two years, but I will tell you a couple of things that I did accomplish that I think demonstrate my independence because county comptroller has to be independent. It’s a job that, once elected, you have to be agnostic and ignore any party affiliations. As State Senator there were a couple of pieces of legislation that I got passed.

Firstly, the one that got passed and actually signed into law was a domestic violence piece of legislation. There’s a very large organization here on Long Island that deals with domestic violence. The director told me something surprising: that somebody convicted of domestic violence gets to keep their firearms. It seems a little counterintuitive, doesn’t it? Someone thought I can never get this passed because I’m a Republican. But this really isn’t a Republican versus Democrat issue; it’s an issue of safety for families and children, women and men. During my second year in the Senate, it got brought up and I said that I’d like to lead this legislation. We ended up getting it passed the Senate. Now, for individuals convicted of domestic violence there is now a procedure to remove their firearms once they’re convicted. There’s also procedure to give their firearms back once they serve whatever justice they need to serve. That was a big deal, and I was very proud of that. The other couple of pieces of legislation I was involved in got passed in the Senate but were never picked up by the Assembly. We were able to pass, by majority vote, anti-BDS legislation. Prior to the legislation in the Senate, there was an executive order by the governor, but it has never been put into law. So that was something that was very important to me. Another piece of legislation focused on teaching the Holocaust. The Holocaust is written into the New York State education curriculum but there was

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a teacher who was teaching AP World History who assigned his class a project in which some students had to defend the Holocaust. That horrified me. The legislation that we worked on said that the State Education Department had to go out and survey and report on if the curriculum was being taught.

Tell us about the role of the comptroller. The comptroller has a few responsibilities. First and foremost, the comptroller is the taxpayer watchdog. You make sure that the taxes that the hardworking people of Nassau County paid to the county are being used the way that the county administration and the county legislature have said they’re going to use it. That’s first and foremost. You’re making the county government accountable for their actions. There is also an administrative role, where you pay the people of Nassau County. You oversee the payroll of the employees of Nassau County, and you have a whole staff. There are around 75 people who work in the comptroller’s office. They are civil servant employees who do not leave the office if the comptroller changes. So, the comptroller is also a management leadership role. Let’s talk about the payroll. It’s an extremely important role that has to be done effectively because each of the different unions have negotiated out their own different pays, the way they’re being paid, what benefits they get, health benefits, having sick days – all the details. You have the County Corrections Department or contractors for road paving or social services contractors – all these have different ways of getting paid. It’s important that these organizations get paid efficiently, because if not, they’re carrying the debt of the county on their payrolls. That’s a huge issue right there: making sure that payments to our vendors get expedited. So, as comptroller, you have this payroll, you have the administration side, you have the claims which comes under county vendors, and then you have the accounting side. The comptroller’s office also closes the books of the county. There are two reports: a mid-year report and an end-of-year report. Probably the area that gets the most attention is the field audit, which is an extremely critical function of the Office of Comptroller. That division performs both financial and performance audits. This audit function is there to weed out waste, fraud, inefficiencies, and abuse that cost the taxpayers money.

Jack Schnirman is the current comptroller. In this election, it’s an open seat. Jack Schnirman was investigated by the Nassau County District Attorney for payment that he took when he was the city manager of Long Beach. And if you’ll just allow me to read what Newsday wrote about it. They quoted Madeline Singas, who was our district attorney until two months ago: “Investigators cited egregious incompetence. He took money that he was not permitted to take.” When he left the city office, Schnirman took a payout for his sick days and vacation days that was well beyond what he was permitted to take. And

his defense was, “I didn’t understand.” Well, one, he was the city manager; two, he was then elected and his is now our comptroller. The comptroller’s job is to weed out fraud and abuse and waste. Now, they didn’t actually indict him, but Madeline Singas said that during his tenure as county manager of the City of Long Beach, he allowed millions of dollars in improper payments to be made, personally accepted a payment much more generous than provided for by the plain language of his contract, and waited more than one year to return that payment while under state and federal investigation. Madeline Singas said the taxpayers of Long Beach deserved better. Schnirman is our current comptroller, and his party never asked him to step down. He is still, my

“I know how to make the hard decisions. I’m a fighter. But I’m also ‘strong on the inside, soft on the outside.’” understanding, under federal investigation. But he is not running for re-election. He has done many good things during his tenure, but this particular situation is really egregious. And the fact that he was never asked to step down is shocking. I started getting calls from different people that I’ve known for years in both the public and private sector encouraging me to run for the office. This has to be somebody who can be independent. When I was a mayor, I appointed five of the six trustees on my board. I never asked them their political affiliation because I didn’t care. I believed that they were the best individuals to serve our village. And all of them, I believe, are still serving. In the State Senate, I was known for being independent and for getting things done. I have the endorsement of all the law enforcement agencies, the Nassau County PBA, the Nassau County Superior Officers, the Nassau County Detectives, the Nassau County Corrections Officers, and the Nassau County Fire Marshals. I have the endorsement of the largest environmental organization here in New York State, the New York League of Conservation Voters. I have the endorsement of CSEA, the largest union that we have in New York state. My opponent does not have those endorsements. I did not get these endorsements because of my political party. Believe me, the labor unions did not endorse me solely on my party affiliation. They were watching me, and they saw that they want to

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endorse the person who always has an open door. Two, they wanted someone who was a good listener, who will hear them out. Three, they want the person who will always be open and honest. And four, they know I’m a problem solver. My opponent has never even been a library trustee. He’s never been a PTA president. I’m on the boards and finance committees of Island Harvest and SCO Family of Services. It sounds like my opponent is a good lawyer, but who has the experience? I can hire good lawyers, but somebody has to demonstrate to these unions and to the taxpayers of Nassau County that they could be independent, they will put their interests first, they will work hard for them, and they will do the right thing. And that’s me.

This is an off-year election. Do you think that will help or hurt the Republicans in this race? Well, I’m going to hope that it helps the Republicans in this race. But I’m just going to simply say – and I say this all the time – it is our civic duty to get out and vote. And you do get complacency, especially in off-year elections. In Garden City, for example, you will get 6, 8,000 people that will vote in a presidential election, but that’ll drop down to 2,000 people who will vote in a non-presidential year. I hope people will look at my record and my constituency services and what I did for all the school districts here in my Senate district because I’m proud of that record. I’ll put my record against any elected official on what they accomplished in a short period of time. And I hope that the voters in my district and in the county will look at my record and vote for me based on my experience.

I know you’re a busy mom. How many children do you have? Can I brag for a second?

Please go ahead. I have three daughters. My oldest will be defending her dissertation for her PhD in Clinical Psychology this spring. She is getting married in the fall of ‘22, so that’s exciting. My middle daughter is a third-year medical school student at Stony Brook Medical School. And my youngest daughter is in the sports and entertainment agency. I also always say that we have two “Israeli daughters.” These two wonderful girls stayed with us for a while during the 2006 Lebanon War when Hezbollah was terrorizing northern Israel with rocket attacks. When we visit Israel, we visit them, and it’s always so emotional and thrilling to see them again.

You must be very proud of all your girls. I know you’re very enthusiastic about karate and you give classes to young individuals. I don’t teach children anymore. But I have trained for 25, maybe 26, years in a Korean martial art, Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan. I am now the regional examiner for the art – that involves New

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York State, New Jersey, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. The concepts that we believe in in martial arts –honesty and respect of our country, respect for our parents, respect for our elders, respect for our spouse, respect for our teacher, humility – those are values that I live by. I’ve been going to some senior centers and giving our seniors some tips on how to defend themselves, how to be more aware, and sharing my art with them. It’s a big part of me. I’m a fifth-degree black belt now.

Have you been seeing more people turning to karate and to the concepts of humility and

respect recently? Believe it or not, we saw a huge inflow of students during COVID. At first, of course, it was rocky – just like any other business. Now, there are a lot of students, and it’s just beautiful to see the students of all walks of life coming in. I think parents are concerned about their children not getting those same values in schools, and so they’re coming here to help give them those values. I always said to parents, “I don’t know if I’ll get your kid to black belt. But what I do know is your child will be able to look their teacher in the eye. They will say, yes, ma’am, yes, sir. They’ll stand up straight. They’re going to be taught how to dis-

engage and hopefully deflate a conflict if needed. They will have self-confidence,” and that’s both in boys and girls. They will understand that “soft on the outside, strong on the inside.” As for me, I know how to make the hard decisions. I’m a fighter. But I’m also “strong on the inside, soft on the outside.”

If elected, you will be the first female comptroller in Nassau County. It’s time. But it’s more than that. I have the experience to do the right thing and make the hard decisions and get what needs to be done done. I know I’m the right person for the job.

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Dating Dialogue

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

Dear Navidaters,

My sister, who’s a year younger than me, has a friend/ neighbor who is a great girl. I’ve known her since she was little. We actually have a picture together as toddlers

playing together in our family picture album. Our families are super close, and I am worried to bring up the shidduch idea because my sister says it might ruin our family’s relationship with them if it doesn’t work out. My sister also doesn’t think it’s a good idea for me (but she basically says no to all the ideas people give her anyway, so I don’t take her very seriously). I mean really? Is this a reason not to pursue an idea? Out of fear it won’t work out? I don’t believe that should be a consideration. We decided we’d bring this question to you guys at the Navidaters. What do you think?

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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A RAMBAM MAN Never leaves a supermarket wagon in the parking lot. ♦ Recognizes the “Don’t” in “Don’t cut the line.” ♦ He is the one who offers the “first sip” through which he gives more than a soda. ♦ The first 10 in minyan. ♦ A Rambam Man is the one campaigning, not complaining. ♦ He doesn’t ask, “Is that everything?” he is the one asking, “What else can I help you with?” ♦ He is an idea which leads the chabura, davens for the amud, and gives shiur. ♦ He is the “r” that protects the word “Friend.” ♦ Recognizes the “Don’t” in ”Don’t forget the milk.” ♦ He is the one who wears a scarf to make his mother happy. ♦ Knows that you never take the last cookie. ♦ A Rambam Man celebrates a victory by shaking the other player’s hand first. ♦ He doesn’t ask, “Where’s the exit?” he knows where the fire extinguisher is. ♦ He is the husband who is present when he is there. ♦ Recognizes that you don’t just love Israel, you represent it. ♦ He is the space between “nowhere” and “now here.” ♦ Helps clean up after the simcha is over. ♦ A Rambam Man is first to be asked and the last to demand. ♦ He cheers for the other team too. ♦ The one calling at 12:00AM to wish you a happy birthday. ♦ Recognizes that you look for the pass before the shot. ♦ He helped pump out the basement regardless of whether the house had a mezuzah. ♦ A Rambam Man doesn’t ask, “Can I do it later?” he asks, “How about right now?” ♦ The one who reads the word “untied” as “united.” ♦ He calls his friend when he sees he isn’t in school... and photocopies his notes for him. ♦ The one who is always standing on the subway because he always gives up his seat. ♦ He is the idea that you put your siddur and chumash back after davening. ♦ He is the husband who turns around to check on you. ♦ The one doing the “don’t” favor. ♦ The one who carried the bags but refused the tip. ♦ A Rambam Man never leaves shiur without thanking the Rebbe. ♦ A Rambam Man never leaves class without thanking the teacher. ♦ He is an idea which makes partner, starts a company, heads a practice, and chairs a committee.

Open Houses October 30th November 1st • November 3rd November 8th • November 10th

A team for every talent. A club for every curiousity. A place for every person.

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The Panel The Rebbetzin

The Shadchan

Rebbetzin Lisa Babich 5th Ave Synagogue

Michelle Mond

hank you for your question. I think this seems like a no-brainer. Here is a girl whom you know and whom you like. You want to date her, so some type of attraction and interest already exists. This is already a step ahead of a lot of first dates. I understand that the families are close and if things do not work out or if the girl is not interested that it can become uncomfortable, however, if everyone in the scenario is mature and acting with middos tovos there is no reason why things should get too messy or complicated. You will either go out and end things mutually, or you will like each other and things will work out. In both those cases, there is no reason for things to end awkwardly. The only time a problem may arise is if you have a long, drawn-out dating experience that ends with someone feeling hurt. Even in that case, most people eventually end up moving on and starting their own lives. The awkward and residual feelings tend to dissipate over time. I think overall, when you weigh out the cross-ratio-benefits, it is worth it to pursue a date. In today’s day and age where it is so hard to find someone and young people are struggling to find their other halves, it’s worth it to try with someone that you already feel excited about. The fact that you found pictures from when you are young shows that this is something you are clearly thinking and excited about. Be aware that she may not want to go on a date and feelings may not be reciprocated but at least you will know that you did your hishtadlus and tried to do your part in starting a relationship that can have potential for success. Once you do your part, the rest is up to Hashem. Hatzlacha with your endeavors!

guy I once dealt with had a very similar dilemma. I remember where I was when I got the call. I was sitting at the MVA waiting for a new driver’s license when a guy I helped with shidduchim called for advice. He was extremely close with a family, practically a ben bayis. The family’s daughter came home from seminary – this was a daughter he’d never met before and was immediately enamored. He called me with so much confusion in his voice. On the one hand, dating their daughter was all he could think about; on the other hand, he did not want to do anything to ruin their close dynamic. He refused to do anything that might shake things up. They were so close that he already called this girl’s mom, “Mamma”! I remember walking outside the MVA so I could raise my voice and not sound like a lunatic. “Are you crazy? For sure you should go for this shidduch! This is the best of all worlds! DO IT!” Two months later, this adorable couple was engaged. Now, years later, they are raising a beautiful family bringing nachas to both their families. How grateful he is to have pursued an idea even though it was uncomfortable. Nothing great comes from those who are too scared to take risks in life. Just do it! And of course, don’t forget to update us on the ending of this story.

The Single Rivka Weinberg

couldn’t agree with you more. Unfortunately, in life we allow our fears to drive our decisions instead of allowing ourselves to face the inevitable con-

cept of vulnerability. If I’m scared to get rejected by an employer, should I not apply to the job? What if he takes a different candidate instead of me? I’ll be crushed. Although I wouldn’t recommend it, that’s certainly one perspective. However, what I would recommend is the following thought process: “I’m going to apply to the job and put myself out there because there’s an extreme amount of potential for good and I have many special qualities. If I don’t give it a shot, then I’ll never know what opportunity I could have had. Worst case scenario, I get rejected, feel that pain, and I apply to other jobs.” So, think about it, would you rather shut the idea down yourself before giving it a shot and never know what the girl truly thinks, or do you want to take the leap and put yourself out there? What if this girl has the same exact thought process as you and doesn’t want to say anything because she’s nervous you would say no and ruin the family friendship? Rather, think about how cute it would be if your families were related! Don’t listen to the stories you’re making up in your head about all the “what if’s.” Vulnerability is the only way to build a strong foundation in any relationship, so if you are not willing to take the shot, then of course you’re going to miss.

The Zaidy Dr. Jeffrey Galler

h, for the good old days…when a boy could walk over and talk to the girl next door, and when we used actual photo albums instead of flash drives. Do we really need levels of intermediaries to determine who we should be dating? Do we really need a shadchan to check what kind of hat the boy’s father wears or what kind of tablecloth

Do we really need a shadchan to check what kind of hat the boy’s father wears or what kind of tablecloth the girl’s mother uses on Shabbos? the girl’s mother uses on Shabbos? Is a shadchan, who reads your resume and meets you for a half-hour, better qualified than your own good, common sense and good judgement? It’s true that in this week’s parsha, Yitzchok needed the services of shadchan Eliezer. But, in a few weeks, we’ll read how Yaakov found Rachel, all by himself, at a local watering hole. And, several generations later, Moshe met Zipporah in the very same way. (But, then again, Yaakov was 70 years old and Moshe was 80 years old at the time. Perhaps they had simply outlived all their contemporary shadchans.) But, I digress. I suggest you bypass everyone and simply send a text to the girl next door and ask when it would be a good time for you to call her. (Apparently no one cold calls anymore – every call needs to be preceded with a text asking if it’s OK to call. She’ll probably suspect why you want to call her.) Meanwhile, reassure everyone in your family. Explain to them that if the girl says, “No, thank you” or if you go on a date and it doesn’t work out, everyone can still remain friends, the Earth will keep spinning on its axis and revolving around the sun, and the universe as we know it will not cease to exist.

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Pulling It All Together The Navidaters Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

hank you for writing into us! I understand the delicate and sensitive nature of your inquiry. When two friends try to make a go of a romantic relationship, there is always the trepidation that if the romantic relationship doesn’t work out, the friendship will be lost. The friendship is so special, and the thought of losing it can make the prospect of romance seem like a bad idea. You are wise to take pause before acting

on your feelings. There is much to consider. How would you feel if you did not act on this idea? Would you always be left wondering what if? Would you have regrets for not having taken action and at least tried? In my opinion, I don’t think it is a crazy idea for children of family

friends to date. Two mature families can handle a breakup without pointing fingers in the case that things don’t work out. And two families who are friends can handle a simcha and all future simchas to come. If you do decide to pursue dating, approach your parents gently, tending to their feelings. Mom, Dad, how would you feel about me dating Aliza? Show your parents through kindness and sensitivity that their feelings are important to you. If you get any pushback or general concerns, validate those concerns and then ask how you can work together to ensure

Don’t listen to the stories you’re making up in your head about all the “what if’s.”

everyone’s comfort in this process. If everyone is mature and reasonable, I don’t see a reason why you can’t go on a date. All the best, Jennifer

Jennifer Mann, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist and certified trauma healing life coach, as well as a dating and relationship coach working with individuals, couples, and families in private practice at 123 Maple Avenue in Cedarhurst, NY. She also teaches a psychology course at Touro College. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 718-908-0512. Visit www.thenavidaters.com for more information. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email JenniferMannLCSW@gmail.com. You can follow The Navidaters on FB and Instagram for dating and relationship advice.

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Dr. Deb

The Cost of Not Divorcing Part II By Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.

couple of weeks ago I wrote an article about a couple that badly wanted therapy help yet hesitated right on the brink of it. Many people do that out of fear. Actually, it’s often fear of success. Meaning: how can I adjust to a good life when I’ve been so used to a bad one? And more. According to experts in the field of domestic abuse, it is hard to give up the title “victim” because if the couple finds peace and happiness, then what was all the previous pain for? Even people used to thinking of themselves as “having a temper” or “being irritable” believe that is their identity. Who are you when you master your emotions? Change is not easily, let’s face it. Then again, it could be they’re afraid of getting their hopes dashed once again. Many people have gone to therapists, sometimes many therapists, and gotten nowhere. When people list for me all the reasons why they want to work with me – such as “I know that my wife and I fighting is not good for our kids,” or “We don’t have the energy to keep this up; we need to make changes!” – but

then they back out at the last minute, I start to think they simply may be afraid to take that scary first step. One of the excuses they may give is that they can’t afford it. I say “excuses,” when the couple has a steady job, and could easily use credit which they can later pay off, especially credit with no interest charge for a set period of time. (I am not talking about people who genuinely do not have the means. To those people, I have often given my time and my care pro bono.) I realize the idea of using credit can be scary in and of itself. So, I followed that article last week with an article getting into the weeds on the financial and emotional cost of divorce to show you the balance between spending money on therapy vs. divorce. Divorce costs hundreds of times more. What we need to have next is a clearer picture of what marital pain looks like inside the body and outside the person. This will explain the push for divorce.

The Eﬀect of Marital Stress on Your Body and Mind Let’s start with wound healing.

Poor wound healing is a signal that the body is not producing enough pro-inflammatory proteins. We are used to thinking of inflammation in the body as bad, but actually, inflammation is like a river that rushes repair cells to the site and damaged cells, pathogens, and bacteria from the site of a wound. We need that within our bodies, not just for external wounds. Now, apparently, marital conflict causes the levels of stress that reduce these proteins, and that, in turn, leads to “a variety of diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, arthritis, type 2 diabetes, and depression,” according to a review of an article in Archives of General Psychiatry in WebMD. Another factor to look at is cortisol, the hormone that increases under stress. In a 2006 study, researchers discovered that “attributing responsibility to the partner for negative behaviors predicted slower cortisol recovery following a conflict discussion.” This is a fancy way of saying that blaming each other raises cortisol levels. Cortisol accumulation can lead to weight gain, fatigue, and Cushing’s disease. A 2003 study found that “greater

displays of negative affect are related to biological mediators including cardiovascular and neuroendocrine reactivity.” There’s more: martial hostility or negativity towards one another also affects the immune response and depression, A National Institute of Health review in 2014 of 50 years of research on this topic backed up the conclusion that marital stress negatively affects health in all these areas. On an emotional level, studies show that miserable marriages also lead to elevated measures of anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, and suicide ideation. Not only that, research has shown that the effect on children of parents fighting or not being present is devastating. Children often find support in peer groups, and this can be a good or bad thing depending on the aims of the group. From fighting parents, they do not learn how to solve differences through logic, compromise, and understanding. They certainly learn that marriage is bad, so they put off their own marriage as they get older. Finally, a 2005 longitudinal re-

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view covering 12 years of research published by Oxford University Press not only backed up everything else stated above but came to the astounding conclusion that people remaining in their unhappy marriages are worse off emotionally than those who divorce. Wow. So a person in a miserable marriage seems to have the choice of literally becoming sick if they stay in it as it is or spending tens of thousands of dollars over a lifetime to divorce while risking the emotional toll that divorce itself takes on the couple and the children. Let’s put this in human terms. People in painful marriages will say they have lost themselves; they no longer know who they are. Because the marriage is so punishing in so many ways, they may feel they deserve it, as well. After all, this person they married once loved them. And now…? “So I must be an awful person,” they conclude.

If both people came from a home in which they did not feel valued or at least they felt they weren’t good enough or didn’t measure up, then they understand one another; they can relate to each other. That’s the

wants to know that. They simply hold expectations of one another that can’t be met. Then they are either devastated or angry or both. The marriage becomes a place of pain and disappointment.

People in painful marriages will say they have lost themselves; they no longer know who they are.

good part. The flip side is that when neither one of them is capable of relieving the internal suffering that each feels, there is a sense that, indeed, “my partner does not measure up.” The reality is that it is not possible for a partner in a marriage to wholly make up for what was missed growing up. But neither person knows or

It’s easy to see why so many people in this state rush to divorce. It’s not that they want divorce, per se, but they are suffering too much to maintain the status quo. Some of them go to therapy, and for some, it works out well. For others, it simply becomes a way to gain the therapist’s approval for their “side.”

This is totally unhelpful. It’s not about who was right; it’s about regaining happiness – even with each other. This cannot be done without first healing the wounds of the past. Any other avenue towards reconciliation is bound to leave each person thinking, “OK, my spouse suffered, but what about me?” So if staying is not an option, and divorce is a terrible option, and therapy hasn’t worked, what then? It is precisely because nothing else is a strong option that I designed a therapy program that is nearly guaranteed to not only heal the past wounds but bring the couple together in a new way. And I will cover that for the first time in some detail – and why it works – in my next article.

Dr. Deb Hirschhorn is a Marriage and Family Therapist. If you want help with your marriage, begin by signing up to watch her Masterclass at https://drdeb. com/myw-masterclass.

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Health & F tness

Pass the Salt, Please By Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN

ypertension is a serious public health challenge in the United States with its prevalence drastically on the rise. Hypertension exists in approximately 29% of adults aged 18 and older. Among the older population, aged 60 and older, hypertension prevalence increases to approximately 60% of

the population. Given that the prevalence of hypertension is on the rise, and the threat it poses is a leading cause of death in the United States, the American Medical Association is concentrating its efforts to modify cardiovascular disease outcomes by addressing the initial cause: hypertension treatment. More than 4 in

10 American adults suffer from high blood pressure and reducing sodium intake has the potential to prevent hundreds of thousands of premature deaths and illnesses in the coming years. High salt consumption has been linked to high blood pressure, which is a leading cause of heart attacks and strokes. Therefore, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is targeting the source and trying to lower Americans’ intake of sodium. Recommended treatments to prevent hypertension include the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, weight control, regular exercise, and most importantly, minimizing daily sodium intake. Sodium recommendations are <2300mg/day and <1500mg/day for those at high risk (51+ aged, African Americans, those already diagnosed with hypertension or other comorbidities such as diabetes or chronic kidney disease). Research has shown a strong positive correlation between sodium intake and cardiovascular disease, and thus, limitation of sodium intake is crucial. Salt is a key ingredient in almost every food. The agency focused on 163 categories of processed, packaged, and prepared foods, including different types of cheese, pickles, nuts, sauces, deli meats, crackers, and poultry products – all the things Americans like to eat. The majority of sodium consumed comes from processed, packaged and prepared foods, and not from table salt added to food when cooking or eating, making it difficult to control the amount of sodium consumed, the FDA said, and is therefore targeting

the food production companies. On October 13, the FDA issued new guidance that aims to cut salt levels by an average of 12% in foods ranging from packaged meats to cheese in an effort to thwart preventable health issues. “We are going to monitor this as we go along.... Watch who’s doing well, what food groups are getting there and when,” Janet Woodcock, the acting commissioner of FDA, said. “Hopefully before we get to the end of the two-and-a-half-year period, we will have a good idea of what our plan should be for the next iteration.” The FDA feels that by targeting the main source of the average American’s sodium intake (the production companies of prepared, packaged, and processed foods), there can be a significant reduction in sodium intake and thus prevent possible hypertension and heart disease in the American population. For those who generally shy away from processed foods to begin with, it is still a good idea to be aware and check nutrition labels for sodium content. When preparing foods at home, limit the addition of salt to your foods, and instead use spices and herbs to add flavor.

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 private nutritionist. She can be reached at CindyWeinberger1@gmail.com or at 917-623-6237.

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Parenting Pearls

Parsha and Your Child By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

e’ve officially started Sefer Bereishis, and the weekly parsha is full of stories of our illustrious Avos and Imahos. While there are amazing lessons to learn from every parsha, there’s no doubt that the parshiyos of Bereishis and Shemos contain the easier stories to tell over. These parshiyos are the best time to begin to engage your child and make parsha a part of their Shabbos. While the schools do teach parsha, you don’t want to miss out on sharing the “parsha experience” with your child personally. Go beyond the take-home sheets and bring it to the next level. Take the discussion up a notch and elevate it from typical to fascinating. I debated for a while over whether or not it was worth doing an article on teaching parsha since it’s considered so basic, but that was exactly what eventually compelled me to write this article. It’s a misconception to think that Torah she’bichtav is “simple”. Nothing about Torah is elementary, and it’s a mistake to underestimate learning the weekly parsha.

Parsha at Home Yes, schools teach parsha. Why

teach parsha at home when they already learned it? There are several reasons you want to include parsha in your home, specifically at your Shabbos table. Depending on your child’s age the parsha is covered in different ways. While each teacher and school teach differently, different grades cover more parsha than others. While it may be the main weekly event in preschool, it may be a mere mention in later grades as there is so much other material to cover. You wouldn’t want your teen to have a mere child’s understanding of the parsha. Sadly, after a certain age, we don’t always give learning the Chumash the respect it deserves. Parsha is such a wonderful part of our mesorah, and you deserve the simcha that comes from sharing it with your child. Every family has their personal hashkafos, and learning with your child at home gives you the chance to pass on your personal mesorah and values. It’s the springboard for incredible discussions, and you can add far more of your family’s traditions to the topic. For example, many families have been known to incorporate their own grandparent’s flights to freedom during the conversations of Yetzias Mitzrayim.

Parsha merges the comfort of the familiar with the excitement of change because while the parsha is learned every year it also switches each week. It’s the perfect blend to add some lively discussion to your Shabbos table. Parsha is also something that can easily be taught to a child using storytelling while simultaneously containing deep insights to challenge the teens and adults. It adds variety and enjoyment to the table discussion. Torah should be a source of bonding with your child. If you don’t learn with your child, you deny yourself, and your child, that incredible opportunity that learning Torah together provides you. Even if your child knew every word of parsha, you still wouldn’t want to miss out on connecting in this special way.

Beyond the Sheets Parsha sheets are wonderful but think of them as a springboard and not the end goal. There is so much to the parsha that few teachers have the time to cover everything; this is all the more so when you consider that Torah is infinite. Each teacher/school creates different parsha sheets geared to their students. Some parsha sheets are an in-depth

discussion of various aspects of the parsha, while some just touch on a number of points here and there. This gives you an idea of how much was covered and where you should discuss further. Use the sheets to show you what your kids already know and as a guide where you should go further. You may choose to delve deeper into the topics they already covered or share with them something completely new. Whichever you choose will give them knowledge they didn’t have before.

Teaching Ideas There are many ways to teach parsha, and I’ll include some options here. Use the one that best suits your child and your personality. We know that some children learn better using some methods over others but don’t always recognize that some parents teach better using some approaches over others. Use the technique that best fits your personality and talents. The more comfortable you are teaching, the better job you’ll do. It’s more important for you to focus on the lessons you want to cover and not your discomfort trying to educate. As parents, we are our child’s natural educator. We don’t always think of

ourselves in this way, but our children are learning from us each day. Prepare in advance some ideas. During the week, you can think of interesting topics to discuss. You don’t need to be a talmid chacham or expert to find something of interest. The key is to have some basic game plan before you get to the table, even if that strategy is having a book prepared. Parsha books are wonderful. The work is done for you, and you can read, summarize, or highlight what the book says. The books geared towards younger children tend to have engaging pictures. Take full advantage of those illustrations. One of our children was not at all interested in learning parsha. After weeks of frustration, we brought out My First Parsha Reader, and our son enjoyed the pictures so much that he began to look forward to parsha each week. Use the pictures to teach the parsha and allow your little one to relax with the drawings as they soak in Torah.

You can read from the book or summarize what you think will most interest your child. Ask questions that make your child think. I’m not talking about “yes or no questions.” I mean questions that require deep thought and discussion; questions that bring out

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thing the Torah says Rivka did?” The discussion became intense, and the kids had to think beyond their initial assumptions. This led to other questions, and we all learned far more than I expected. Skits are fun for a lot of kids and a great way to bring the story to life.

Ask questions that make your child think.

lively conversations and maybe even a bit of energy. I remember last year when my husband intentionally asked the innocent question of how old Rivka was when Eliezer came to her house. He knew the answer he would get (the kids would answer “three”) but he then asked, “How did Rashi get to that answer?” “Do you think a three-year-old is capable of every-

Don’t be afraid to act out the parsha. You can allow your children to freestyle or guide them as they go but either way it’ll give them a lesson they won’t soon forget – you may also get a couple of laughs to go with it. Be creative and put yourself out there. While there are some adults who don’t enjoy these things, there are many adults who are at their best when they let the creative juices flow.

If this sounds like you, then don’t be afraid to think out-of-the-box and bring the story to life using whatever you can think of. Fake tents, stuffed animal korbanos, or dressing up are all ways to add fun and joy to the lesson. There are a tremendous number of resources available, and you should avail yourself of each one that will appeal to your family – I only named a few above. Parsha is a special way to weekly connect to your child and to connect to the Torah together. With a bit of forethought, the weekly parsha can become the highlight of your Shabbos table discussions. Have a wonderful Shabbos!

Sara Rayvych, MSEd, has her master’s in general and special education. She has been homeschooling for over 10 years in Far Rockaway. She can be contacted at RayvychHomeschool@gmail.com.

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jewish women of wisdom

Dance on Graceful Swallow By Miriam Liebermann, MSW

inth grade summer found me in Camp Tubby, Tikun Bais Yaakov oﬃcially. Although I was there for only four weeks then, and did not return for subsequent summers, I did have a

fabulous time and these four weeks were most memorable. There are many vivid memories still ﬂoating in my head. I remember teenage girls “wrapping their hair,” using orange juice cans instead of rollers, parad-

ing around with hair as straight as sticks! I remember the great canteen and the fresh rolls every morning. I remember the moving songs we sang that summer, many pertaining to the plight of Soviet Jewry. I cherish the dear friends I made that summer. But most of all, I remember the graceful swallow. Staﬀ presented a musical rendition of Oscar Wildes’ “The Happy Prince,” a most poignant short story. The main protagonists are the

“Oh Miriam,” she sadly remarked. “I’m certainly not any sort of graceful bird any more. I’m overweight and ungainly. Nothing to look at.” I did not agree with her. I responded, “You once played that role so magniﬁcently well. It’s still within you...becomes part of whom you are today. In my mind’s eye, you will always be the beautiful, graceful swallow!” And I meant every word I had said to her. All the roles we’ve ever

“In my mind’s eye, you will always be the beautiful, graceful swallow!”

“happy prince,” who is really a statue perched high above the city, and the dedicated swallow who cares for the prince with incredible tenderness. In the camp production, the swallow was played by a lovely young woman who danced around the statue so gracefully. She was so light on her feet and so beautiful, she was a picture of perfect loveliness. I was thrilled when I actually managed to track her down several years ago. She has been living in Eretz Yisrael for decades. I shared my memories with her, of the magniﬁcent swallow who still danced on in my memories.

played in our lives, on the many stages that comprise the drama of our lives, we incorporate them all into one entity. We’re each composed of so many diﬀerent facets. Our role is to appreciate and celebrate each sparkling facet; the facets that sparkled during our youthful years, as well as the facets that emerge during our more senior years. May the graceful swallow dance on! Join the conversation and email list of JWOW! by writing to hello @jewishwomenofwisdom.org.

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

In The K

tchen

Amy’s Cabbage Stoup By Naomi Nachman

On my recent cooking show, Sunny Side

Up on Kosher.com, I asked my friend and

fellow cookbook author, Amy Stopnicki, who wrote Kosher Taste, to share her famous STOUP recipe. Amy explained to us that

“stoup” is a cross between a soup and a stew. It’s

thick and chunky like a stew, but has liquid in it, making it soupy, too. She came up with the recipe after finding all these leftovers in her freezer (including bits of leftover meatballs and roast from Shabbat, sausages from the prior Sunday’s BBQ, etc.). You can use any meats you find in your

freezer or you can pick up some second-cut brisket and cook it up in the stoup. You can also watch the recipe being made on Kosher.com on my cooking channel, Sunny Side Up. Ingredients ◦ 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil ◦ 1 onion, diced ◦ 3 to 4 sticks of beef pepperoni or sausages ◦ Two packages of shredded cabbage ◦ 35 oz. tomato sauce, approximately 4 cups ◦ One bottle of classic borscht, about 2½ cups ◦ ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

Preparation

1. In a six-quart pot, heat oil on medium-high heat. Sauté onion for a few minutes, then add pepperoni and cabbage for ﬁve to six minutes.

2. Add tomato sauce, borscht, cider vinegar, and sugar, and bring to a boil. 3. Add meatballs, cup of meat, and water, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

◦ 4 tablespoons sugar

Cook’s note: If the meat is raw, season it with salt and pepper and then sear

◦ 20 meatballs, already cooked

it for a few minutes on each side. Then add remaining ingredients and cook

◦ One cup leftover roast

for 2 hours on low. Make sure to keep an eye on the liquid and top up a bit if

◦ Water to cover

it runs too low.

◦ Salt and pepper to taste

Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet.com or at (516) 295-9669.

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COVID- 1 9 COMMUNITY HEALTH UPDATE - SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

URGENT MESSAGE FROM YOUR COMMUNITY PHYSICIANS: The more contagious COVID- 1 9 Delta variant is currently circulating throughout the world with a rise in cases and hospitalizations throughout the USA. Exposure to COVID- 1 9 is imminent.

COVID-19 vaccination in all eligible age groups remains the SAFEST and most EFFECTIVE method to reduce your risk of becoming infected or severely ill from SARS-CoV2. We ask you to consider these important points when making your decision regarding vaccination: 5 BILLION DOSES of the COVID-19 vaccines have been administered throughout the world. The mRNA technology has been studied for over two decades and the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines have been studied in humans for over a year. The Pfizer mRNA vaccine has received full FDA licensure for ages 16 years and up. The majority of current COVID-19 HOSPITALIZATIONS, ICU cases and DEATHS are '& occurring in UNVACCINATED patients. Although rising cases of the Delta variant has caused breakthrough infections in vaccinated individuals, the course of COVID-19 is generally milder in those who are vaccinated. Ages 12 to 16 years old are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines. While severe COVID-19 disease is rare in children, adverse events including myocarditis are much more likely to occur from infection itself than from vaccination. Very few risks have been linked to the various COVID-19 vaccines (collectively including anaphylaxis, blood clots, Guillain-Barré, myocarditis). They are exceedingly rare and often treatable. In contrast, many of these same adverse events as well as severe disease, long COVID, and death are much more likely to occur from COVID-19 infection itself. The vaccine does not cause infertility or harm pregnancy. In contrast, pregnant women and unborn babies remain at increased risk of complications from COVID-19 infection. Third dose vaccines are currently recommended for the immunocompromised and other high-risk individuals and may soon be recommended for the general population.

IN PEOPLE WITH A HISTORY OF COVID-19 INFECTION OR ANTIBODIES, THE COVID-19 VACCINES SAFELY PROVIDE A BENEFICIAL BOOST IN IMMUNITY, REDUCING THE LIKELIHOOD OF REINFECTION AND SEVERE DISEASE. We are "( for a ' "& to all &' and for a decrease in suffering from this " .

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

COVID1 9 COMMUNITY COVID-19 COMMUNITYHEALTH HEALTHUPDATE UPDATE- -SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER 2, 2, 2021 2021 Because of the pikuach nefesh, we we have released this statement with urgency. Because ofinherent the inherent pikuach nefesh, have released this statement with urgency. We apologize to alltothe whowho wanted to be of this statement but are not listed We apologize all physicians the physicians wanted to a bepart a part of this statement but are not listed

We the undersigned unanimously support the above statements: CALIFORNIA

MISSOURI NEVADA NEW JERSEY

COLORADO CONNECTICUT

OHIO

DC FLORIDA

PENNSYLVANIA

GEORGIA

NEW YORK

ILLINOIS

MARYLAND

TENNESSEE TEXAS

IRGINIA CANADA

ISRAEL

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Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

We will take, literally, millions of automobiles off the road. Off the road. – President Biden talking about his plans to fight global warming

We have deleted a tweet that implied wealthy neighborhoods should have less crime. We apologize for the tone on that post and adjusted our copy to more accurately reflect that crime can happen anywhere. - ABC News affiliate WJLA apologizing for a story about rising crime rates in wealthy Washington neighborhoods

Her Majesty believes you are as old as you feel. – Queen Elizabeth II’s secretary on why the monarch declined the “Oldie of the Year” award

As one of my colleagues, Senator Lummis, says, whether you buy a couch or a cow, the IRS is going to know about it. I don’t know about you, but it gives me the creep vibes… But this is one more example why at least in my state, President Biden is about as popular as a fever blister.

It’s their right, but we are asking them to steer clear of our home. We have a different viewpoint. - Russian President Vladimir Putin talking about the cancel culture phenomenon engulfing the West

Wait, now Dave Chappelle can have white privilege? I’m really confused now. - Bill Maher, responding to NPR accusing black comedian Dave Chappelle of “using white privilege” because they found his latest comedy not politically correct

- Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) blasting the Biden administration’s “squid-brained” proposal for the Internal Revenue Service to begin monitoring Americans’ bank accounts

This stuff is crazy. President Xi would be proud. – Ibid.

So if I understand this, in San Francisco, you need proof of vaccination to eat at In-N-Out…unless you shoplift the burger, and then it would be illegal for anyone to stop you. – Tweet by Frank Flemings pointing out the irony that in the city where they refuse to prosecute shoplifting, they shut down restaurants for not fully complying with their draconian Covid rules

I didn’t instigate the split. That was our Johnny. I am not the person who instigated the split… Oh no, no, no. John walked into a room one day and said, “I am leaving the Beatles.” And he said, “It’s quite thrilling, it’s rather like a divorce.” And then we were left to pick up the pieces. - Sir Paul McCartney, in a recent interview with the BBC, talking about how John Lennon actually caused the Beatles’ breakup, something that he had for decades refused to discuss

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While Stacey Abrams and the MLB stole the All-Star Game from hardworking Georgians, the Braves earned their trip to the World Series this season and are bringing it home to Georgia. Chop On, and Go @Braves! -Tweet by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp after the Braves won the National League Championship, bringing the World Series to Atlanta, despite the All-Star game being removed from Atlanta earlier this year because leftist Stacy Abrams didn’t like the voting bill that was passed

Murdered in the Beilinson Hospital coronavirus ward… May G-d avenge her blood. – The epitaph on the headstone of an unvaccinated woman who died last month of Covid in Israel, a picture of which went viral, resulting in the hospital threatening legal action to get it removed

Now we see inflation becoming more widespread in a wider range of products, spreading to the housing and labor markets. I have been alarmed for a long time, and I’m more alarmed now.… We’re in more danger than we have been during my career of losing control of inflation in the U.S. - Larry Summers, a former top economic adviser to President Barack Obama, on CNN

A group of U.S. news organizations last week began publishing a series of stories based on internal Facebook documents showing that the social media platform spreads misinformation, incites violence and facilitates human trafficking. Even worse, it gives people from high school a way to get in touch with you.

Facebook is planning to rebrand the company with a new name. This comes as the company continues to expand its services beyond traditional social media. Facebook’s aim with the rebrand is to, quote, “confuse the [daylights] out of everybody’s parents.” — James Corden

Facebook is planning to rebrand the company. They’ve been plagued with scandals around misinformation, hate groups, selling people’s data, but they’re like, “Yeah, we’ll change the name. That’s the problem, the name.” — Ibid.

First, I don’t think the name is really the problem that people have with Facebook. Society is like, “Yo, you are destroying democracy” and Facebook is like, “We hear you — what if we went by Bookface?” — Trevor Noah

— Seth Meyers

[Mixing vaccines is] kind of like mixing alcoholic beverages — you can do it, but should you? Just remember the rule of thumb: Moderna before Pfizer, always wiser. Pfizer before Moderna, some concern-a. — James Corden

Violent crime in New York is one problem, but the larger problem is the grooming ground, is the disorderly behavior. No district attorney wants to effectively prosecute anybody for minor crimes. - Former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton, on 770WABC, talking about how Democrats are causing a “total collapse” of the criminal system in New York, resulting in surging crime

MORE QUOTES

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OCTOBER The Jewish Jewish Home Home OCTOBER 28, 29, 2021 2015 || The

If you hoped grocery stores this fall and winter would look like they did in the Before Times, with limitless options stretching out before you in the snack, drink, candy and frozen foods aisles, get ready for some disappointing news. - From a CNN report about nationwide merchandise and food supply shortages

Mr. Attorney General, as someone who was born in the Soviet Union, I am disturbed, very disturbed, by the use of the Department of Justice as a political tool and its power as the police state to suppress lawful public discourse. The FBI is starting to resemble old KGB with secret warrantless surveillance, wiretapping, and intimidation of citizens. School board [monitoring] is the latest example. – Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN) to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland at a Congressional hearing

Would I arrest them for doing it? No. I think it’s dumb and disrespectful. I would have the same answer if you asked me about flag burning. I think it’s a terrible thing to do, but I wouldn’t lock a person up for doing it. I would point out how ridiculous it seems to me to do such an act. If they want to be arrogant, there’s no law that prevents them from that. What I would do is strongly take issue with the point of view that they are expressing when they do that. - Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in a 2016 interview with Katie Couric when asked about players kneeling for the National Anthem (Couric edited the question and answer out of the interview)

[She] was elderly at the time and didn’t fully understand the question. - Couric, in her new memoir explaining why she edited Justice Ginsburg’s answer out of the interview

The tragedy of the treadmill that’s delayed. - White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki when a reporter pointed out that because of the supply chain crisis “people couldn’t get dishwashers and furniture and treadmills delivered on time, not to mention all sorts of other things”

If you think that Election was fair, put down Hunter’s Crack pipe. - Arizona GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

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Political Crossfire

Biden Wants You to Believe Shortages and Inflation are Another “Extraordinary Success” By Marc A. Thiessen

emember when President Joe Biden declared his Afghanistan withdrawal an “extraordinary success”? Well, now the Biden administration is trying to convince Americans that the supply chain crisis and inflation we are experiencing is an extraordinary success as well. “Demand is off the charts,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg declared this weekend. “And if you think about those images of ships… waiting at anchor on the West Coast… every one of those ships is full of record amounts of goods that Americans are buying, because demand is up, because income is up, because the president has successfully guided this economy out of the teeth of a terrifying recession.” Got that? You should be grateful to the president when store shelves are bare. You should be grateful to be paying $1 a gallon more at the pump,and 30 percent more on average for your home heating bills this winter (with some households’ bills spiking nearly 50 percent). And your kids should definitely be grateful on [the holiday] morning when they don’t get the G.I. Joe with the Kung Fu grip because it’s still sitting on a cargo ship parked off the California coast. It’s all a sign that the Biden administration’s brilliant economic policies are working. In fact, the opposite is true. The Biden administration’s policies are exacerbating the inflation and extreme labor shortages we are experiencing. There are 10.4 million unfilled jobs in the United States, and the number of unemployed workers for every open job is also at a record low.

Why are we experiencing such a massive worker shortage? Simple. Workers can afford to be on the sidelines. That’s because during the pandemic the federal government handed out trillions of dollars to help people get through the lockdowns. But when the lockdowns ended, the government spending didn’t. Biden’s first act as president was to pass an additional $1.9 trillion pandemic relief – sending millions of Americans stimulus checks, the largest child tax credit payments ever, and extending absurdly generous unemployment supplements that paid most Americans more to stay home than to work. With all that free money from Washington, personal savings rates soared. The Wall Street Journal reports that in August American households were sitting on $1.7 trillion in savings. That means millions of Americans are flush with cash to spend, but also less eager to return to

work. Some are not returning at all, as retirements have more than doubled from pre-pandemic rates. As a result, the demand side of the economy is overheating, while the supply side can’t keep up because of a lack of workers – which means shortages and higher prices. Knowing this, the smart move would be to stop shoveling government money into the economy and let the supply side catch up to demand. Instead, the Biden administration is trying to pass a multitrillion dollar social spending bill that will further fuel demand and discourage people from working. “Right now, we need less demand and more supply,” says Michael R. Strain, director of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute. “And what the Democrats want to do is have more demand and less supply.” Worse still, in the midst of a historic labor shortage, the Biden

administration is pushing vaccine mandates that force many employers to fire unvaccinated Americans who are willing to work – even if they have natural immunity from previous infection. This will push more Americans out of the labor force, at a time when employers can’t find workers to replace them. Biden’s war on fossil fuels is also exacerbating the supply chain crisis. Not only is the transportation industry facing a shortage of long-haul truckers, the cost of transportation is skyrocketing. Crude oil prices have doubled since Biden’s election to $84 per barrel and are expected to continue rising through the end of the year. When you announce your intention to tax and regulate the fossil fuel industry out of existence, the result is supply shortages, higher prices, and transportation delays. And finally, there is Biden’s infrastructure fiasco. Buttigieg says that “the supply chain disruptions we’re experiencing reflect demand roaring back far faster than decades-old infrastructure can handle.” If that is the case, then why did Biden encourage progressives in the House to take his $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill hostage until there is a deal on a separate multitrillion dollar reconciliation bill? The president is delaying infrastructure investments to pass policies that will make the labor shortage worse. If this is what “extraordinary success” looks like, I’d hate to see failure. (c) 2021, Washington Post Writers Group

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Political Crossfire

The Ice Between the U.S. and Russia May Be Thawing – For Now By David Ignatius

modest thaw appears to have begun in the Biden administration’s relationship with Russia – including agreement on a little-noticed joint effort at the United Nations on the contentious issue of cybersecurity. The Russian-American relationship, overall, remains a “mixed picture,” with sharp disagreements and suspicions on many issues, a senior State Department official said in an interview Tuesday. But the administration feels it’s making slow progress in some parts of the security agenda that President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin set in their summit in Geneva in June. The joint cybersecurity initiative was packaged in a resolution submitted to the U.N. General Assembly last Friday. The language is mostly diplomatic boilerplate, but it commits the two countries to support two U.N. cyber efforts, one Russian-backed and the other American, that a year ago were on a collision course. The resolution has been co-sponsored by 55 countries and will likely pass overwhelmingly before year-end. Russia and the United States, in essence, have agreed to seek a common set of “rules of the road” to prevent malicious cyberattacks. The two nations differ sharply about what those standards should be – and intense competition will continue in the trenches of the organizations that oversee global telecommunications. But in principle, there’s now a shared commitment to cybersecurity. Andrei Krutskikh, a top cyber adviser to Putin, recently hailed the joint resolution as a “historic moment,” according to the Russian newspaper Kommersant, which termed the resolution “a real diplomatic

breakthrough.” U.S. officials say that overstates the significance of the resolution, which State hasn’t announced formally. “What we are doing is to lean into setting norms, standards and rules of the road for cyberspace through the U.N. and other international bodies,” said the senior State official. A year ago, Washington had been pressing its cybersecurity agenda through a report by the U.N.’s Group of Governmental Experts, while Russia had backed recommendations of a rival forum known as the “Open-ended Working Group.” The joint resolution embraces both. “Despite our serious differences, the United States worked with Russia…to develop a resolution that welcomes these two reports and calls on states to be guided by them,” explained the senior official. “If the United States and Russia had put forward competing resolutions…Russia would have likely pushed forward (and likely passed) a resolution that would have doubled down on promoting authoritarian control of the Inter-

net,” the official argued. Russia also helped derail a Chinese proposal for a new U.N. working group to regulate data security, though that may have been more about Russia protecting its own turf than cooperating with the United States, according to independent experts. Russia didn’t want a possible competitor to its own working group, and Beijing ending up withdrawing the proposal. Russia hasn’t yet delivered on curbing ransomware attacks by cybercriminals operating from its territory, a subject Biden discussed with Putin in a July phone call. Moscow agreed to form an expert group to assess the threat, but the State Department official said it hasn’t yet taken aggressive action against Russian-based hackers. “We’ve made it clear that if they won’t act, we will,” the U.S. official warned. A Biden-Putin initiative at Geneva for new talks on strategic stability is also moving forward, but slowly. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman met her Russian counterpart, Sergei Ryabkov, in Geneva on

September 30 for a second round of follow-up discussions. They agreed to form two working groups, one dealing with objectives for future arms control talks and the other with new strategic capabilities. At a time when technology is transforming the future of warfare, the two sides are commendably groping for language with which to discuss arms control efforts in an age with new arsenals of weapons. Russia has also been helpful on some other issues, officials say. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged his counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, to press Iran to return to nuclear talks, and Lavrov did so promptly, the State official said. And though Moscow is aggressively pursuing its own interests in Afghanistan, it has also worked with the United States on some issues after the withdrawal of American troops. The most ominous issue ahead is the still mysterious question of the “Havana syndrome” affecting U.S. diplomats and intelligence officers abroad. Russia is a prime suspect for what many believe are deliberate attacks using directed energy systems that have caused medical problems, sometimes severe, for about 200 U.S. government personnel. When confronted by U.S. officials, the Russians deny any involvement – but that’s hardly conclusive. U.S. officials need stronger evidence than they’ve gathered so far. But if they find it, the current thaw could return to a deep freeze – or worse. If Russia is found to be deliberately targeting U.S. officials, a severe crisis lies ahead, recent cooperation notwithstanding. (c) 2021, Washington Post Writers Group

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Forgotten Her es

Early Israeli Intelligence By Avi Heiligman

Members of Hashomer in 1909

he Mossad is known throughout the intelligence community for its daring operations and its effective ways of obtaining intelligence. The beginnings of Israeli intelligence, both the military and civilian branches, stem from Haganah operations during the British mandate. In fact, Jews living in Eretz Yisrael during the Ottoman Empire were gleaning intelligence information from the Arabs. During the Israeli War of Independence, when resources for the military were scant, early Israeli intelligence played an integral part in the victory against the invading Arab countries. Just before the fall of the Ottoman Empire, a group called Hashomer was formed to protect the Jews living in the Yishuv. The group carried out intelligence operations including missions to prevent the government from enacting decrees against the Jews as well as to protect citizens from thieves and murderers. They also collected information on potential Arab uprisings and terrorist activities against the Yishuv. In 1920, the organization was disbanded, and the Haganah was formed. The Haganah had several branches; their information service branch, called Shai (Sherut Yediot), was established in 1940. Before Shai, Haganah had operators collecting information. Aaron Chaim Cohen was one such agent and would dress up as an Arab.

This Persian Jew who knew Arabic would enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque Plaza and listen to Arab conversations. He obtained a lot of information this way and passed it on to his superiors. He spied on Syria and Lebanon during World War II and later became involved in politics as well as a noted lecturer. Other operators such as Jewish policemen serving with the British Mandate police force were great sources of information. One of the commanders of Shai was David Shaltiel. Born in Germany, he immigrated to Eretz Yisrael in 1923 and then joined the French Foreign Legion to gain combat experience. The Haganah sent him back to Germany in the 1930s, but he was captured by the Nazis and spent eight months in Dachau and Buchenwald. The Nazis released him in 1937, and he was sent back to Eretz Yisrael. In 1940, Shaltiel was made the commander of the military intelligence branch of Shai and during World War II was sent to Europe as an undercover agent. There, he posed as an art dealer and made contacts with high-ranking Nazis. After World War II ended in 1945, he continued with intelligence gathering and helped with recruitment and assisting Jewish refugees make aliyah. In 1948, he was appointed commander of the Etzioni Brigade and continued serving in the IDF until 1952. At one point, the Afrika Korps led

David Shaltiel in 1949

Reuven Shiloah

by German General Erwin Rommel had pushed back the British 8th Army, and the German Army was in Egypt, poised to start an offensive in Eretz Yisrael. The Jews in the Yishuv knew the dangers if the British weren’t able to hold the Germans back, and the Haganah secretly built up its defenses to fight. One of Shai’s founders, Yehuda Arazi, came up with plans to sabotage German positions and managed to obtain British weapons to help the Jewish defenders. They were able to breathe a sigh of relief when British General Montgomery defeated the Germans at El Alamein, and the danger to Eretz Yisrael was no longer imminent. During the years between 1945 and 1948, the British Army was generally not friendly to the Jews, and it was important that Shai was able to gather intelligence as to their future plans. They did this through several methods including deciphering secret codes. Another method of intelligence gathering was analyzing aerial photographs taken by Palmach pilots. As it became clearer that a war was inevitable between Arab neighbors and the soon-to-be established State of Israel, the Palmach and Shai went into overdrive to gain intelligence on their soon to be foes. Using his contacts within the Arab League, Reuven Shiloah managed to get a copy of the Arab’s plans to invade Israel. David Ben-Gurion had served

as the head of the Jewish Agency and was very familiar with Shiloah’s work and dedication to the land. During the War of Independence, Shai was disbanded, and after the war, the Mossad was officially formed under the leadership of Shiloah. Calling intelligence a “most essential political tool,” he focused on several areas including using technology on clandestine missions to gain information. A rift between agencies in the Israeli government was an issue that took a long time to resolve. Even though the Mossad was founded in 1949, due to interdepartmental arguing, it wasn’t until April 1951 that it became operational. Early intelligence efforts that came before the Mossad were vital to protect the Jewish population that was under constant threat. Many members of Shai and other intelligence units became soldiers in the IDF and were influential in defeating the invading Arab armies. While many of their stories are classified due to sensitive nature of the missions, the intelligence that these men obtained saved countless lives.

Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comments and suggestions for future columns and can be reached at aviheiligman@gmail.com.

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Classifieds classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com • text 443-929-4003

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HELP WANTED

Frum national publication seeking writer for feature articles. Experience required. Send sample articles and resume to layoutdesignersearch@gmail.com EXPERIENCED GRAPHIC DESIGNER WANTED Must know how to use a MAC very well. Must know Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop & Indesign. Full days Monday & Tuesday. Wednesday & Thursday are very flexible. Must come to the office in Flatbush for an Interview but can work at one's own home or office. Please email resume to: graphicdesigner613@gmail.com or call 917-701-8012 MDS REGIONAL NURSE: 5 Towns area Nursing Home management office seeking a Regional/Corporate level MDS Nurse to work in our office. Must be an RN. Regional experience preferred. 2-3 years MDS experience with good computer skills required. Position is Full Time but Part Time can be considered. Great Shomer Shabbos environment with some remote options as well. Email: officejob2019@gmail.com PURCHASING ASSISTANT For Nursing Home Management Company in Mill Basin. JOIN OUR TEAM! Will train. Graduates welcome. Purchasing experience a plus. Frum environment. Excellent growth potential. Great salary & benefits Email resume to: resumes.tyty@gmail.com Please put position title and FTJH in subject line RECEPTIONIST Nursing Home Management Company in Mill Basin is seeking a Receptionist/Secretary. JOIN OUR TEAM! Will train. Graduates welcome. Frum environment. Excellent growth potential. Great salary & benefits Email resume to: resumes.tyty@gmail.com Please put position title and FTJH in subject line

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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021

HELP WANTED

Torah Academy for Girls seeks a vendor to provide breakfast, snack and lunch for our students for school year 2021-2022. To submit a proposal, contact Mrs. Obadia at nobadia@tagschools.org for bidding criteria. Respond by Friday, October 29, 2021

DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT A multi-tasker needed for general office work. The ideal candidate is someone who is detail-oriented, responsible, and can take ownership. Looking for someone who is eager to learn, and expand his/her skill set while possessing the ability to work independently and as part of a team. Experience with Excel required. Five Towns location. In-office position only, not remote. Please send resume to 5tpart.timecareer@gmail.com

Nursing Home Management Company in Brooklyn Looking to fill the following positions: Administrative Assistant MS office suite proficiency required Administrative Assistant experience required WE ARE LOOKING FOR AN EXPIERENCED FULL TIME BOOKKEEPER Excellent growth potential Frum environment Excellent salary & benefits Email resume to: resumetfs1@gmail.com Please put position title and FTJH in subject line ASSISTANT TEACHERS CAHAL is seeking Assistant Teachers. FT or PT, AM or PM. Flexible Hours. Work with skilled Rebbeim and Teachers in small Special Ed classes located in yeshivas in the Five Towns/Far Rockaway. Send Resume to shira@cahal.org or call 516-295-3666 for information. SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS CAHAL is seeking Permanent AM and PM substitutes for 2021-22 school year. Also, Secular and Judaic Substitute Teachers to cover Maternity leaves in the fall months. Send resume to shira@cahal.org. Call 516-295-3666. SHULAMITH EARLY CHILDHOOD is looking to hire a full time teacher assistant for the current school year. Please email resume to earlychildhood@shulamith.org

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Your

Money

Beam Me Up, Scotty! By Allan Rolnick, CPA

ifty-five years ago, NBC debuted a new series that producer Gene Rodenberry called “a Western in outer space — a so-called Wagon Train to the stars.” Star Trek starred a journeyman Canadian actor named William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, helming a crew of comically diverse stereotypes (the Russian! The Scot! The Vulcan!) aboard the Starship Enterprise. Shatner went on to play the defining role of his career throughout the series’ three-season run, as well as an animated spinoff and seven feature films. Today, Shatner is still going strong at age 90, famous mostly for being William Shatner. And last week, he got to boldly go where few men have gone before, strapping on a spacesuit, and joining three other passengers to the edge of space. He didn’t use a transporter, or reach warp speed nine, or reach the Romulan neutral zone. He did it on a Blue Origin rocket owned by lifelong Trekkie Jeff Bezos; he topped out at just 2,235 miles per hour; and he climbed just 66.5 miles above the west Texas plain. But that was enough for him to describe it as “the most profound experience I can imagine.” Celebrity has its privileges. In Shatner’s case, he paid for his flight with publicity. But two of his fellow

passengers, both tech entrepreneurs, paid for theirs with cash. Blue Origin claims to have booked $100 million in ticket sales. Richard Branson’s competing company, Virgin Galactic, has sold 600 tickets to space at roughly $200,000 each. And Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which launched a Tesla into orbit, charges an estimated $50 million to ferry passengers all the way to

Taxing individual astronauts is easy. Here in the U.S., you pay on all your income wherever you earn it. Now, you can exclude up to $107,600 of foreign income from your tax return, and you can claim a credit for foreign taxes you pay. But those rules assume you’re paying tax somewhere else. In 2008, the Tax Court ruled that a married couple

Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which launched a Tesla into orbit, charges an estimated $50 million to ferry passengers all the way to the International Space Station.

the International Space Station. Right now, those tickets are just defraying the cost of shooting people into space. But someone, someday, will finally turn a profit on space travel. (Will it happen before or after someone, someday, finally turns a profit on ride-sharing?) At that point, the sci-fi fans at the IRS will perk up and start paying attention.

couldn’t exclude wages they earned in Antarctica. Why? Because it isn’t a “country,” so there’s no government, so there’s no tax. While that may sound like the ultimate libertarian paradise (minus, y’know, the weather), the same precedent applies to astronauts earning income in space. Taxing space businesses like Blue Origin presents tougher challenges.

Corporations are infamous for shifting income to places like Bermuda or Ireland with lower rates than our own 21%. What happens when corporations argue the nexus of their income is space, where the marginal tax rate is lower than the force of gravity? The real losers here are likely to be the states, which have no reach beyond their own borders. Elon Musk has already announced he’s moving himself and Tesla to Texas to avoid California’s maximum 13.3% tax. Who doubts he would move to Mars if he thought it could mean paying even less? Someday, one of you reading this article is going to visit space. We don’t know when and we don’t know where, and you’ll probably have to wait a while for it. But all of you can make smarter choices with your business and taxes. That’s where we come in. So beam yourself up to our office, and let’s talk. It may not be as profound as traveling to space — but we’re pretty sure you’ll appreciate the results!

Allan J Rolnick is a CPA who has been in practice for over 30 years in Queens, NY. He welcomes your comments and can be reached at 718-896-8715 or at allanjrcpa@aol.com.

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Life C ach

Me and My Phone By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

veryone worries about social media influencing us badly – too much exposure to too many issues that can be problematic. For young people, it’s often the lack of censorship. For older kids, it could be the obsession with FOMO or the challenge of being exposed to other people that make their experiences feel insignificant. But does anyone ever worry about the fact that every bit of our lives is now consolidated into these tiny, hand-held apparatuses? Is anyone concerned that if you forget a password, you are locked out of your life?! Or that all your information, including cherished pictures, your financial info, etc. are floating around in a “cloud”?! Honestly, I don’t like being up in the clouds when I’m on an airplane, even for just a few hours. So, imagine having to retrieve all my information from the clouds. The turbulence alone might keep me pinned there for the duration. Hey, did you ever think about this? Clouds always seem unclear and elusive. Should we assume that Apple cunningly built in a disclaimer by calling their information storage system “iCloud.” Wouldn’t it seem that depending on a cloud just doesn’t seem to hold water?!

Then, sometimes, I can’t locate my phone. Does that ever happen to you? Isn’t there this sudden terrible feeling of being completely lost?! Yet doesn’t that seem absolutely ridiculous, when you are exactly where you were a minute ago?! Sometimes, I dictate a text message. And then when I read it back not only does it have no resemblance to what I said, it doesn’t even sound like

house and spoken to you directly! And how about these group texts? Suddenly everyone and their uncle is in your living room. And you just wanted an intimate little conversation. Or what about WhatsApp chats? If you don’t stay up-to-date on them, you have to travel back at least a mile to discover what everyone is commenting on. Who has the time?! But if you don’t do some time-traveling, you

Wouldn’t it seem that depending on a cloud just doesn’t seem to hold water?!

any language I’m even familiar with. Oh, and then, of course, I inadvertently hit “send”! But rather than simply explaining what occurred to the recipient of my message, I try the old “my dog ate my homework” approach – you know “whoops, sorry, my little kid got hold of my phone!” Afterwards, I resend a more coherent message – which takes me another half hour to get perfectly right since the phone has its own opinion about how things should come out and keeps putting in its own two cents. In that time l, I could have driven over to your

remain lost in the twilight zone. My worst experience is that I seem to send out a dozen obituaries a day. I’m forever writing “dies” when I mean to write “does.” My phone is far from my best friend. I’d say it’s more like my best enemy. Can’t live with it. Can’t live without it. I still happen to keep a house phone, though, I’m not sure why. Nobody uses it except some random solicitors and my family to find me once in a blue moon. Oh, and yes, me, to track down my cellphone.

But I like to see my house phone and remember a phone can be just that – a phone and nothing more. Because, using it as a calendar, phonebook, “to do” pad, filing system, alarm clock, camera, Fitbit, encyclopedia, stereo, TV, tape recorder, etc., is just too much power to give to one device. Especially, since that device has the potential to elude me on a pretty regular basis. Last week, I couldn’t find that little power hoarder, AKA my cellphone. So I grabbed my house phone. I tried to shove it in my pocket and run through the door. Well, suddenly it ricocheted me back since it’s connected to the wall. I flew back through the door, fell on the floor, smashed my head, bruised my whole left side, and I still felt more powerful with it than my cell phone. Because, I realized with comfort, it could only mess me up physically. Yes, me and my phone! Another one of life’s great dilemmas and compromises.

Rivki Rosenwald is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist working with both couples and individuals and is a certified relationship counselor. Rivki is a co-founder and creator of an effective Parent Management of Adolescent Years Program. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or at rivkirosenwald@gmail.com.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 28, 2021 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Are you behind on rent due to the pandemic and live in Queens? We are here to help Queens residents who are behind on their rent and at risk of becoming homeless to access the NYS Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). ERAP can also provide temporary rental assistance and help with unpaid utility bills. Eligible residents must meet the following criteria: • Household gross income at or below 120 percent of area median income, which varies by county and household size. • A member of the household received unemployment benets or experienced a reduction in income, incurred signicant costs or experienced nancial hardship, directly or indirectly, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. • The applicant owes past due rent at their current residence For help applying in Queens or to talk to a representative, visit ccbq.org/ERAP or call 347-464-0485. Tenants and Landlords can get info and apply by going to otda.ny.gov/programs/emergency-rental-assistance or call 844-NY1-RENT (844-691-7368).

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OCTOBER 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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