Five Towns Jewish Home - 6-25-20

June 25, 2020

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Your Favorite Five Towns Family Newspaper

CLOUDS OF SILVER An Interview with Rebbetzin Chanie Wolowik

pg

44 County Executive Laura Curran Visits the Five Towns

76

Taking on Albany TJH Speaks with Rabbi Yeruchim Silber pg

Graduations Driving By

56

38 Ending Off a Sweet Note

Dr. Hylton Lightman on Summer 2020

80

pg

92

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JUNE 25, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Dear Readers,

N

ow that school is over, summer is about to begin. Part of the summer fun is about spending time outdoors – biking, swimming, running, rollerblading.

Based on what my block looks like many afternoons, I see that most children are excited for summer to start.

But I also know that summer is more than just outdoor activities. For children, summer is about the camp experience, where they can enjoy the season with their friends and counselors. There’s a certain freedom and happiness that children experience while in camp. Perhaps it’s the lack of pressure when it comes to schoolwork or the friendships that they make or the activities that they partake in – in any case, the camp experience is unparalleled and vital for a child’s wellbeing.

This year, more than ever, children need camp. They’ve been cooped up for far too long, staring at screens for school and missing their friends. They’ve missed the socialization that they need to grow and mature.

And they’ve missed the relationships that are so vital for their emotional and social growth.

Two weeks ago, Governor Cuomo threw a wrench into our children’s summer plans.

While doctors were predicting that day camps would be harder to keep safe from outbreaks and that overnight camps would be able to safely quarantine campers as a unit, the governor decided that overnight camps would be

Weekly Weather |

barred from opening this year. Asked for the logic in his decision – a decision cowardly announced by the health commissioner and not the governor – the governor floundered.

It’s no wonder why he couldn’t come up with a logical reason for his decision. His decision was made without logic – or at least logic pertaining to the medical world’s understanding of the virus.

Last week, Agudah and the Association of Jewish Camp Operators sued the governor for his latest edict. Noting that social distancing measures were not enforced during the many protests that rocked New York, the group asserted that the governor is picking and choosing when he enforces certain protocols. Additionally, overnight camps in the frum community are places where parents choose to send their children for continued religious education. Camp is the perfect place for children to grow spiritually in a relaxed, no pressure environment.

For now, nothing has yet changed because of the lawsuit. Still, overnight camps are to be commended for the innovative ways they are attempting to give our children an exciting summer despite the restrictions that the governor shackled them with.

Despite Cuomo’s draconian rules, our children will, iy”H, have a wonderful summer.

Wishing you a great week, Shoshana

Yitzy Halpern PUBLISHER

publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Yosef Feinerman MANAGING EDITOR

ads@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Shoshana Soroka EDITOR

editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Nate Davis Editorial Assistant Nechama Wein Copy Editor Berish Edelman Adina Goodman Mati Jacobovits Design & Production Gabe Solomon Distribution & Logistics P.O. BOX 266 Lawrence, NY 11559 Phone | 516-734-0858 Fax | 516-734-0857 Classified Deadline: Monday 5:00PM classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com text 443-929-4003 PAYMENT VIA CREDIT CARD MUST BE SUBMITTED ALONG WITH CLASSIFIED ADS

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Shabbos Zemanim

June 26 – July 2

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Friday, June 26 Parshas Korach Candle Lighting: 8:11 pm Shabbos Ends: 9:21 pm Rabbeinu Tam: 9:42 pm

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

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JUNE 25, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

8

COMMUNITY 8

Readers’ Poll

38

Community Happenings NEWS

92

Global

14

National

26

Odd-but-True Stories

34

ISRAEL Israel News

22

World Builders

74

JEWISH THOUGHT Rabbi Wein on the Parsha

66

Where Our Staffs Blossom by Rav Moshe Weinberger

68

PEOPLE The Wandering Jew

70

Clouds of Silver: An Interview with Rebbetzin Chanie Wolowik

76

Taking on Albany: TJH Speaks with Rabbi Yeruchim Silber

80

Law and Order in the Military by Avi Heiligman

99

HEALTH & FITNESS Tips From a Homeschooling Mom, Part VIII by Sara Rayvych, MSEd 86 Do-It-Yourself Therapy by Dr. Deb Hirschhorn

88

BBQ Under 500 Calories by Cindy Weinberger MS, RD

90

Summer 2020 by Dr. Hylton I. Lightman

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FOOD & LEISURE

Dear Editor, In response to last week’s letter from a reader regarding the prior week’s poll declaring banana the most popular Laffy Taffy flavor: I take strong offense to the writer’s hateful and discriminatory language. Let’s get one thing straight here. BLM! Bananas Lives Matter!

How, in 2020, can someone be so insensitive and racist to say “I can’t stand that flavor” is beyond me. Talk about privilege! Claiming to respect us bananas-lovers, but then claiming we’re in the minority is tantamount to voter suppression. Keeping us down through systematic injustices (strawberries always placed in better view in all the candy stores, for starters) can’t be tolerated either.

While the writer doesn’t divulge their flavor of choice, I would imagine that their privilege and bias against us banana-lovers puts him/ her in some fringe extremist taffy flavor group (coconut maybe?).

Calling The Jewish Home “fake news” for supporting BLM deserves to be called out for what it is...Taffy Flavor Supremacism.

Signed, BLM Founder, June 2020 Dear Editor, In this article, “The High-Flying Rabbi,” you write that JFK Air-

port is the only shul in an airport in the Western Hemisphere. “If you guessed Ben Gurion and Istanbul as the two only others in the world, you’ve won the prize,” the article says.

But what about (my native) Brussels Airport in Belgium? There are three terminals and each have a shul (after passport control for traveling passengers).

It pays to make a note of it!

Elchonon Weiss Dear Editor, I thought these concepts might be helpful for parents to discuss with their kids prior to the summer: Identify an adult that you will go to with any concerns or issues.

Be a leader, not a follower, do what you know is right.

Being kind trumps being cool.

Be positive – don’t say, “It’s so stupid” or “It’s so boring” Be reliable and keep your word.

Be loyal – don’t forget your old friends in the excitement of finding new friends.

Be inclusive – don’t purposefully leave other kids out.

Trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel or seem right, it isn’t. Listen to your inner voice.

Respect other kid’s space and Continued on page 10

The Aussie Gourmet: Chickpea and Avocado Salad

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LIFESTYLES

90

Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW

82

Your Money

102

Zoom by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

103

HUMOR Centerfold 64 POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes

96

The Agonizing Sports Withdrawal of 2020 by George F. Will

98

CLASSIFIEDS

100

Do you enjoy playing Sudoku?

43

%

YES

57

%

NO

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

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JUNE 25, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Continued from page 8 JUNE 2020

AT THAT CRITICAL MOMENT

The chashuva representatives of Tehillim Kollel who recite Tehillim daily at the tzion of the Ribnitzer Rebbe, zy”a, almost know the names by heart. They are the names of a large heimishe family, sent in by their devoted mother who wanted her children – both the married and unmarried – to be reminded every day during their heartfelt recital of Tehillim for life and peace, health and success.

“I don’t have any specific request,” the mother explained. “I have the custom of saying the entire Tehillim daily, and I would like to have Tehillim recited for my family at the Ribnitzer’s kever as well, in times of both joy and challenge.

Until one morning, when the mother received that dreadful phone call. “Your son was in a terrible accident. A speeding truck crashed full-force into the car he was traveling in and he is being transferred by ambulance now for complete examination.”

With pounding hearts the family began to daven, hoping to hear a good report. It wasn’t long in coming. The unbelievable happened! That very night, the patient was already home, healthy and strong without the slightest effects.

“A mother’s heart doesn’t fool her,” the overjoyed mother expressed. “How can I thank Hashem enough that my precious child had the wondrous protection of “Tehillim in Ribnitz,” being said for his benefit by the special yungerleit just then – during his most critical moments!”

Tehillim Sparks!

One of the nicest parts of the Tehillim on Klaf initiative is the fact that it will be written for the merit of the hundreds of Tehillim Kollel Members who are part of the great power of Tefillah every day of the year.

property. Ask permission before using stuff or sitting on someone else’s bed.

Accept a no from someone. Don’t be a nudge. If you ask twice, that’s enough. Let it go.

Be part of the group. Don’t sit things out even if you’d rather not do the game, activity etc.

Give things your best shot. It’s OK not to win. Remember to have fun.

Mean kids have issues – it’s not you.

Be on time. Don’t be the last one so that your whole bunk is waiting for you.

Evaluate problems. Don’t tattle on other kids for minor infractions.

Encourage your child to say if something wrong has been done unless it’s a danger issue.

Safety. Don’t go off with one other kid or staff into a secluded area. Review unwanted touching.

Be careful with your own tzinius and avoid looking at what shouldn’t be seen if other kids are loose.

Remember who you are and where you come from. Be true to our family’s values and hashkafos. Make Hashem, your parents, and yourself proud of you!

S.B. Dear Editor, Dr. Deb’s article this week reminded me of a poem with a great lesson.

The poem is written by Dorothy Law Nolte and is titled, “Children Learn What They Live.” I have included it here because I think that people can never read it enough times.

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.

If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.

If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.

If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.

If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.

If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.

If children live with shame, they

learn to feel guilty.

If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.

If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.

If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.

If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.

If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.

If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.

If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.

If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.

If children live with fairness, they learn justice.

If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.

If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.

If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.

Sincerely, Chana Weinreb Dear Editor, Based on a friend’s recommendation, I took my kids to the 4th Police Precinct (near Grant Park) to show our appreciation to the cops in these trying times. We baked some cookies and brought them some candies.

I must say, I am so happy that I did it. The officers were so touched, and it was a real kiddush Hashem. They are very good in these situations, and one female officer wrote down each of my kid’s names so that they can send us a thank you note.

I would recommend this as a great activity to do with your children which will teach them to respect police and be makir tov to them. It will also show them that much of the crazy stuff that they hear about police (because the media is certainly making sure to get that message out) is completely false and that they are mostly wonderful people working to keep us safe.

Sincerely Chana L.

Weekly column of recent episodes by Tehillim Kollel

718.705.7174 INFO@TEHILLIMKOLLEL.ORG WWW.TEHILLIMKOLLEL.ORG

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

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

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JUNE 25, 2020 | The Jewish Home

The Week In News

Dump Diplomacy

North Korea is coming up with a new type of warfare: dumping millions of propaganda leaflets across its neighbor to the south. The printing shops in North Korea have been working overtime to achieve this objective.

The tit-for-tat move was announced on Monday by the North, which has become incensed by leaflets ​ that defectors from the North have sent from the South to their Communist home country in recent months, the North’s official news agency said.

North Korea said it was preparing 3,000 balloons to carry the leaflets across the border, along with cigarette butts and other trash. The defectors have continued their propaganda efforts despite protests​from Pyongyang​and inter-Korean agreements to stop them.

“The largest-ever distribution of leaflets against the enemy are almost complete,” the North’s official Korean Central News Agency reported,​ adding that publishing and printing houses in Pyongyang had printed 12 million leaflets, with those in provinces preparing to print millions more.

“The time for retaliatory punishment is drawing near,” it added.

“South Korea has to face the music.”

The plan by the North to retaliate presents another threat to the fragile détente on the Korean Peninsula.

Since the second summit meeting with Kim Jong Un and President

Donald Trump collapsed in February of last year, North Korea has been expressing its frustration with South Korea and the U.S. This month, Pyongyang seized upon the leaflets sent by activists in South Korea to start reversing the détente, cutting off all communications lines with South Korea and blowing up a joint liaison office it had operated with the South in the past two years. ​​Leaflets​ have been a common psychological warfare tool ​ used by both Koreas since the 1950-53 Korean War. The two nations had agreed to stop such cross-border propaganda, including loudspeaker broadcasts along the border, several times since the 1970s.

But anti-North Korean activists in the South ​have resumed sending propaganda balloons into the North in recent years as inter-Korean relations have soured, especially over the North’s nuclear weapons program.

The balloons carried dollar bills, transistor radios, ​ computer thumb drives containing ​South Korean soap operas, and leaflets that called Kim Jong Un ​a “bloody pig” ​toying with nuclear weapons and cruel enough to kill his own uncle and half-brother.

This month, South Korea vowed to use the police to stop any attempt by the activists to send propaganda balloons to the North​.

On Monday, the North said​the leaflets from the South were “an intolerable insult” about the North Koreans’ “most sacred mental core.” It said the South Koreans would stop sending the​ ir​balloons only when​ they saw North Korean leaflets falling from the sky and experienced “how painful and how irritating it is to dispose of leaflets and waste.”

Heatwave in Siberia

If you thought it’s hot in New York, be grateful you don’t live in Siberia.

On Saturday, temperatures in the

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

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JUNE 25, 2020 | The Jewish Home

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small Siberian town of Verkhoyansk hit 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s a record-high temperature for a generally frigid town.

Siberia tends to experience large swings in temperature month-tomonth and year-to-year, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), a program affiliated with the European Commission. But it’s unusual for warmer-than-average temperatures to continue for so

long – temperatures in Siberia have stayed well-above average since 2019.

Verkhoyansk sits on the Yana River in the Arctic Circle and, during the winter, is considered one of the world’s coldest towns – in 1892, temperatures dropped to -90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Average June temperatures in Verkhoyansk reach a high of 68 degrees Fahrenheit, so the new re-

cord-high temperature is alarming.

The heatwave has led to wildfires in the area. Ice in the rivers broke up exceptionally early – in May, which was the hottest May on record there since records began in 1979. Also in May, permafrost that melted beneath tank supports resulted in a “massive” diesel spill in the region, which could spill into the Arctic Ocean.

According to the United Nations, in 2018, nearly 260 million children around the globe had no access to school. In a report that came out this week, the agency blamed poverty and discrimination for educational inequalities that are being exacerbated by the coronavirus outbreak.

Children from poorer communities as well as girls, the disabled, immigrants and ethnic minorities were at a distinct educational disadvantage in many countries, the UN’s Paris-based education body UNESCO said.

In 2018, “258 million children and youth were entirely excluded from education, with poverty as the main obstacle to access,” the report found.

The astounding figure represented 17 percent of all school-age children, most of them in south and central Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

The disparities worsened with the arrival of the coronavirus crisis, which saw over 90 percent of the global student population affected by school closures. Children from poorer homes suffered even more than those with means, as children from higher income brackets were able to learn via laptops, cellphones, and the internet.

“Lessons from the past – such as with Ebola – have shown that health crises can leave many behind, in particular the poorest girls, many of whom may never return to school,” UNESCO’s director-general Audrey Azoulay wrote in a foreword.

The report noted that in low- and middle-income countries, adolescents from the richest 20 percent of households were three times more likely to complete the first portion of secondary school – up to age 15 – than those from poor homes.

Children with disabilities were 19 percent less likely to achieve minimum reading proficiency in 10 of these nations.

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

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In 20 poor countries, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, hardly any rural girls complete secondary school.

UNESCO urged countries to focus on disadvantaged children when schools reopen after coronavirus lockdowns.

“To rise to the challenges of our time, a move towards more inclusive education is imperative,” Azoulay said. “Failure to act will hinder the progress of societies.”

Japan Renames Islands

Taipei – officially the capital of the Republic of China – consider themselves the rightful rulers of both the Japanese-controlled islands and China as a whole. The result has been a diplomatic dispute that the Communist-ruled mainland has steadily won since their civil war ended in 1949.

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On Monday, lawmakers in the southwestern Japanese city of Ishigaki voted to change the name of the East China Sea administrative area of Tonoshiro to Tonoshiro Senkaku

by October 1. The change was said to prevent confusion with the similarly named Tonoshiro district in downtown Ishigaki but adds a reference to the Japanese name for the contested isles, which are also claimed by China and Taiwan. Both nations expressed frustration with Japan’s move.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a press briefing in Beijing that “Diaoyu Dao and its affiliated islands” – the Chinese name for the tiny, uninhabited land formations – “are China’s inherent territory, and China is determined and resolved in safeguarding its territorial sovereignty.”

He added, “Japan’s adoption of the so-called name-changing bill is serious provocation against China’s territorial sovereignty, which is illegal, null and void. It cannot change the fact whatsoever that Diaoyu Dao belongs to China. We firmly oppose this move taken by Japan.”

In Taiwan, the islands are known as Diaoyutai, and the foreign ministry there called them “an inherent territory of our country” in a statement published on Monday. “The fact that our country has sovereignty is indisputable. The one-sided claims and actions taken by any other parties cannot change this fact.”

Beijing – officially the capital of the People’s Republic of China – and

Watch out, Jeff Bezos. Mukesh Ambani may be coming for you.

Ambani is Asia’s richest man.

Now, he’s also among the world’s ten wealthiest individuals.

Ambani is the chairman and chief executive of one of India’s most valuable companies, Reliance Industries. His net worth recently surged to $64.5 billion, edging out Oracle’s Larry Ellison and French L’Oreal heiress Francoise Bettencourt Meyers for the No. 9 spot on the list, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Ambani is the only person from Asia on the list.

Under Ambani’s leadership, Reliance has grown from an oil and energy company into a sprawling conglomerate that includes retail shops, a mobile and broadband carrier, digital platforms and more.

This new milestone comes shortly after Ambani amassed more than $16.5 billion in investments in just around three months for Reliance’s digital technology arm, Jio Platforms, and despite challenges to the oil side of Reliance’s business.

According to Bloomberg, Ambani got his start in the family’s business in the early 1980s, when his father, Dhirubhai Ambani, brought him back to India to oversee construction of a polyester mill after a year at Stanford Business School. The Ambanis began to buy up suppliers as well as petrochemical plants and oil refineries and eventually built the company into a fabrics, textiles and energy empire. Dhirubhai died of a stroke in 2002 without leaving a will, triggering a feud between Mukesh

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

Shas Yiden Kollel Opens In London!

With the blessing of Sar Hatorah and Nasi of Shas Yiden, the UK takes a giant step forward as Torah study is being restored to its pristine glory.

On Rosh Chodesh Tammuz (June 23), Shas Yiden opened its first Kollel outside of Israel in Stamford Hill, London.

This momentous occasion is accompanied by a special brocho and wishes from the Nasi of Shas Yiden, Sar Hatorah, Maran Hagaon Harav Chaim Kanievsky, shlit”a:

Over the last 11 years, Shas Yiden has completely changed the approach of the Torah world to the idea of learning and mastering the entire Shas (Talmud). In yesteryear, such a feat was indeed rare and very few individuals became a bona fide ‘Shas Yid’ and spent many years mastering tractates, many of them not regularly learned in yeshivos.

When the Pozna Rov, Hagaon Harav Avrohom Eisen, shlit”a, founded Shas Yiden, many across Israel and abroad scoffed at the idea of each of the resident scholars completing the entire Shas every year. After being tested annually by Harav Chaim Kanievsky, shlit”a, followed by his publicized lavish praise, the Torah world sat up and took notice.

Then, some three or four times a year, these avreichim are put through their paces by the leading talmidei chachomim geonim of the Torah world with open, public oral examinations.

The Brocho of Sar Hatorah

…the Founder of Shas Yiden Kollelim Network who already responded to my request and opened additional kollelim in Eretz Yisroel where groups of incredible and outstanding talmidei chachomim have merited to study and complete the entire Shas every year with extraordinary diligence and clarity.

They have visited with me numerous times and I tested them on Shas, and they were amazing in their exceptional knowledge of the Shas in depth and entirety. And now he has merited to open a new Kollel in the capital city of London where the scholars will maintain the same study regimen and load as they do here at Shas Yiden in the Holy Land.

The avreichim not only fielded questions on both known and obscure topics from the entire Shas, but were expected to be able to recite the page and context of each answer. To a man, those testing them said that in all their years they had never witnessed such a phenomenon as Shas Yiden, where the entire student body were so proficient and all knew the entire Talmud, Rashi and Tosfos by heart.

At the most recent Siyum Hashas in last December, Maran Hagaon Harav Gershon Edelstein, shlit”a, Rosh Yeshiva of Ponevez, declared that the method of study at Shas Yiden and their accomplishments was indeed the correct way of Talmudic study for the true mastery of Talmud.

At Shas Yiden, acceptance is based on each avreich passing a detailed exam on at least 450 blatt, and who is prepared to adhere to the very demanding daily regimen.

Each day they have to master 8

full Talmud folios with 4 revisions – totaling 40 blatt a day, which translates into 13,555 blatt per year. Already 4 Kollelim with 62 unique and outstanding Talmud scholars have changed the Torah landscape in Israel, and now Shas Yiden has begun its first foray into the Diaspora in London.

There are 12 hand-picked avreichim metzuyonim (outstanding scholars) who were tested by the Rosh Hakollelim, Hagaon Harav Moshe Isaac Samet, shlit”a, under whose direction the London Shas Yiden Kollel will operate. They, too, will undergo monthly in-depth tests on 225 blatt.

An official opening of the London Shas Yiden Kollel will be scheduled later in the year. To witness the prowess of the Shas Yiden avreichim, please click on www. shasyiden.com and then on ‘watch live farher’.

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Could a volcanic eruption years ago have led to the rise of the Roman Empire? It’s possible, scientists say.

In the years following the assassination of Julius Caesar in ancient Rome, people faced periods of unusual cold, food shortages, disease

After analyzing ash trapped in ice and other records, an international group of scientists and historians now think that an eruption of Alaska’s Okmok volcano more than 2,000 years ago was responsible.

The massive explosion created a 10-kilometer-wide crater that is still visible today.

“To find evidence that a volcano on the other side of the Earth erupted and effectively contributed to the demise of the Romans and the (ancient) Egyptians and the rise of the

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Volcano Leads to Roman Empire

and famine that accompanied a pivotal moment in Western history.

Attempting to explain the phenomena, historians have long suspected that a volcanic eruption could have been to blame but had a hard time pinpointing where and when such an eruption would have taken place.

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and his brother, Anil.

In a settlement brokered by their mother, the brothers split the family business. Mukesh retained control over the refining, petrochemicals, oil and gas, and textiles operations, while Anil took the telecommunications, asset-management, entertainment and power-generation businesses. In 2013, the brothers announced a $220 million pact to share a fiber-optic network, their first deal since splitting the Reliance empire. Parts of Anil’s operations have since struggled, with a unit of his Reliance Communications Ltd. filing for bankruptcy last year.

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Roman Empire is fascinating,” said Joe McConnell, a research professor of hydrology at the Desert Research Institute in Reno, Nevada, and an author of the study, which was published on Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“People have been speculating about this for many years, so it’s exciting to be able to provide some answers,” he added.

Caesar’s stabbing by Rome’s senators triggered a power struggle that ultimately ended the Roman Republic, leading to a shift from a more democratic governance to the dictatorship of the Roman Empire. It also ultimately led to Egypt coming under Roman rule.

The study said that crop failures, famine, and disease resulting from the eruption likely exacerbated social unrest and contributed to political realignments at this “critical juncture of Western civilization.”

“While we can’t actually prove how the extreme weather and resulting crop failures, food shortages and epidemic disease contributed to the downfall of the Republic 2,000 years ago, it seems only logical that it must have played a significant role,” McConnell noted.

The team analyzed volcanic ash, known as tephra, found trapped in Arctic ice cores taken from Greenland and Russia to link the period of unexplained extreme climate in the Mediterranean with the massive eruption of Okmok volcano on Umnak Island in the Aleutian Islands chain.

The eruption produced volcanic fallout that lasted two years, the study said, lowering temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere by up to 7°C.

On Monday, the annual midsummer Festival of Music, which generally brings millions of people into the streets for impromptu concerts, saw thousands thronging to Canal Saint Martin and the Marais districts of Paris. Despite social distancing measures that should have been in place, there was nary a mask to be seen.

“The Festival of Music is important, it’s a national event,” 28-yearold reveler Violette told AFP as she boogied to a band in northern Paris.

Not everyone agrees.

A senior doctor at the Pitie-Salpetriere hospital in Paris, where many COVID-19 sufferers are still being treated, criticized the decision to let the festival go ahead.

“This is not what a gradual end to the lockdown looks like,” said Dr Gilbert Deray. “I understand that the Festival of Music is something of a liberation, but did we really have to have it this year?”

Cinemas also reopened in France on Monday for the first time since the lockdown began in March.

“There are no words to describe what I feel. I have been waiting for this for 99 days,” 5 Caumartin cinema manager Louis Merle told the 120 people who had lined up for their first big-screen experience since March 17.

Regulations for attending the cinema include a 50% max capacity with an open seat on either side of each attendee. Additionally, masks need to be worn in line and in the hallways.

Even so, pollsters estimate that 18.7 million French people – almost a third of the population – plan to go see a film in the next month.

There have been 29,663 fatalities due to the coronavirus in France.

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It’s been months since the coronavirus hit France, and Parisians are getting tired of being locked up.

Officials in southern England are treating a stabbing attack that left three people dead as a “terrorist” incident.

The spree took place on Saturday around 7 p.m. in a park in the town of Reading. Three people were killed in the attack, and three more were seriously injured. A 25-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder.

“Incidents of this nature are very rare, though I know that will be of

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little comfort to those involved and understand the concern that this incident will have caused amongst our local community,” Chief Constable John Campbell said in a statement on Sunday.

One of those murdered in the attack was American Joe Ritchie-Bennett, 39. Joe worked for a law firm in London before taking a job about 10 years ago at a Dutch pharmaceutical company that had its British headquarters in Reading.

The attack is the deadliest terror attack in Britain since 2017, when eight people were killed after three men in a van drove into pedestrians on London Bridge before stabbing people in a nearby market.

Britain has seen a string of recent attacks classified as terrorism. In February, a man who wore a fake explosive device strapped to his body was killed by police in Streatham, in South London, after he stabbed two people. Earlier, in January, inmates stabbed staff members at a prison in Cambridgeshire, while two people were fatally stabbed near London Bridge in November.

In an interview on Sky News on Sunday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised the police for their bravery and said he was “appalled and sickened” by the assault.

“If there are lessons that we need to learn about how we handle such cases, how we handle the events leading up to such cases, then we will learn those lessons and we will not hesitate to take action when necessary,” he said.

the first time in modern Saudi history that foreign visitors have been barred.

“It has been decided that Hajj for this year will be held whereby a very limited number of pilgrims from various nationalities who already reside in Saudi Arabia would be able to perform it,” the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said in a statement released Monday.

“This decision is taken to ensure Hajj is performed in a safe manner from a public health perspective.”

Those within the kingdom would be able to attend the pilgrimage, provided they are under 65 years of age and test negative for coronavirus.

A group representing about 250 companies in Indonesia that organize Saudi pilgrimages said it understood that the five-day event, scheduled for the end of July, would be “too risky” at the moment.

The Hajj is a requirement for all able-bodied Muslims to perform at least once in their lifetime. The event usually sees millions of people packed into congested religious sites.

In 2019, 2.5 million pilgrims descended on Mecca to perform the Hajj, with 76% (1.9 million) of those coming from outside Saudi Arabia, according to the General Authority for Statistics.

Averting Tragedy

Saudi Arabia Scales Back Hajj

This week it was announced that the Muslim Hajj pilgrimage would be scaled back due to the coronavirus pandemic. Riyadh made the announcement on Monday, saying it would be “very limited,” with only pilgrims already in the country allowed to perform the ritual, marking

Border Police officers sprung into action on Tuesday afternoon when a Palestinian man attempted to run over officers with his car.

Police shot and killed the terrorist.

One Border Police officer was lightly injured when she leapt out of the way to save her life.

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

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The attack took place in the West Bank town of Abu Dis east of Jerusalem.

Palestinian media identified the driver as Ahmad Mustafa Erekat, 27, and claimed that he was traveling to Bethlehem on his sister’s wedding day to help his mother and sisters prepare for the wedding.

The man “drove his vehicle quickly towards the direction of a female border police officer who was injured lightly,” police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.

The incident took place days before a possible Israeli annexation of some as-yet unspecified portion of the West Bank, as the Israel Defense Forces prepares for a wide range of scenarios for potential regional fallout – up to and including a largescale wave of terror attacks.

According to a Channel 12 news report on Sunday, the IDF is preparing for three possible violent reactions to annexation.

The first would see mass protests

by Palestinians; the second, shooting and car-ramming attacks in the West Bank; the third, a return to the waves of suicide bombings seen during the Second Intifada in 20002004.

Tax Benefits Approved for Bibi

The Knesset Finance Committee voted to approve controversial retroactive tax benefits worth hundreds of thousands of shekels for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The measure passed 8-5 on Tuesday, with one abstention from opposition Yamina MK Bezalel Smotrich who protested the “unfortunate timing” of the vote.

Lawmakers from the Blue and White party, partners in the prime minister’s coalition, did not vote.

The party was reportedly caught unawares by a clause added by Likud in the draft proposal of the unity deal sent to the committee, which stated that “income tax imposed on the prime minister between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2017, for

income derived from payments, services and benefits, outside of salary and stipends, will be at the expense of the state treasury.”

The benefits cover the cost of income tax Netanyahu owes due to upgrades to his vehicle, renovations at his private home in Caesarea, and other expenses dating back to 2009.

The clause effectively means Netanyahu will be absolved of all taxes not related to his salary or allowance, with Channel 12 noting that this could potentially include taxation on profits he made from stock trading and other private ventures.

Likud has denied that Netanyahu would seek reimbursement for taxes he paid on private investments and insisted that the tax benefits would only relate to expenses he incurred in his duty as prime minister.

Netanyahu ally MK Miki Zohar told the committee that the taxes would have left the prime minister, who last year the Israel edition of Forbes magazine estimated to be worth NIS 50 million (approximately $14 million), “financially crippled.”

The unity government has faced criticism for placing additional financial burdens on the state while the economy is struggling due to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak and lockdown measures aimed at stopping its spread.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid of the Yesh Atid party slammed the move, saying that “while businesses collapse and hundreds of thousands of people are unemployed, the Knesset Finance Committee deals with one thing: tax benefits for Bibi.”

In 2018, the Knesset passed legislation that absolves the prime minister of taxes for many of his private expenses. The law gave Netanyahu, one of the wealthiest lawmakers in the Knesset, an effective raise of NIS 200,000 per year.

The latest legislative clauses pertain to the period prior to the passage of that bill.

Likud previously responded to reports about the Netanyahu tax clause by saying that the prime minister was not asking for anything that had not been granted to previous holders of the office.

Slowing the Spread As corona cases rise in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

is expected to announce that certain cities will be named red zones. Additionally, if the infection rate continues to rise, the Shine Bet may be used to help contract trace.

The cities under consider for lockdown are Bat Yam, Tiberius, and Elad.

“The second wave of coronavirus is marked by a widespread, non-targeted outbreak of the virus,” said Dr. Erez Barenboim, director of Samson Assuta Ashdod Hospital. “The attempt to reduce the spread through closing one or the other community is less effective in this round than before. As long as there is no vaccine, the most effective tool is personal responsibility: wearing masks, social distancing, and hygiene.”

He added that much more discipline and enforcement is needed.

“It is a matter of life or death,” Barenboim concluded.

As of Tuesday morning, there were more than 5,000 Israelis sick with the coronavirus, the Health Ministry reported. If the rate of infection – which holds at about 8% per day – continues, then Israel could have around 10,000 coronavirus patients by early July, according to a report by the IDF Intelligence Unit.

So far, 21,467 Israelis have been infected.

Based on the number of tests taken on Monday, the percentage of people testing positive is around 2.9%.

The locations with the highest number of infections continue to be Jerusalem, Bnei Brak, and Tel Aviv.

The Coronavirus National Information and Knowledge Center, which is overseen by the IDF Military Intelligence Division in cooperation with the Health Ministry, released a new report on Tuesday that reviewed technology opportunities for tracking coronavirus patients and stopping the infection chain.

The report highlights the opportunity to use a voluntary app that the user downloads and lets them know if they have been in close proximity with a sick patient. In Israel, the Health Ministry developed Magen.

Recent reports indicate Magen 2 is in development, which would operate

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[threat] is no longer the only threat.

“Iran also holds conventional weapons,” he continued. “It is supporting and financing our enemies in the first circle and chiefly Hezbollah, it influences and supports Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, and it is behind attempts at terror actions against Israel in a variety of dimensions and arenas, near and far.”

According to Kohavi, just as there is a major general whose primary mission is overseeing the fight against Hezbollah – head of the Northern Command Maj. Gen. Amir Baram – and one for countering Hamas – Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi – so, too, should there be a major general responsible for Iran.

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Yad Vashem Chairman Resigns

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using Bluetooth technology.

Another idea is to use a QR code at businesses or other establishments. The code would be scanned on entry. This is recommended, the report said, since most infection occurs in closed spaces.

Other options include surveys or asking sick patients to reveal their location history in their phones once a diagnosis is made.

The government is meant to debate use of Shin Bet surveillance next week. The security agency does not want to be involved in patient tracking but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing for its support to help stop the coronavirus spread.

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According to Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi, Iran is now the most dangerous country in the Middle East. Kohavi maintains that its treachery is not just because of its nuclear program but also because of its conventional weapons and support for terror activities against Israel.

Kohavi warned that Iran’s influence reaches into the first of the three circles of threats against Israel, the first being small terror groups on Israel’s borders, like Hamas; the second being larger threats, like the Syrian army and Hezbollah; and the third being countries that do not share a border with Israel, like Iran and Iraq.

“Iran has become the most dangerous country in the Middle East,” Kohavi asserted at a ceremony to install a new head of the IDF Planning Directorate, held at the army headquarters in Tel Aviv.

“True, it is in the third circle, but it is most influential in the first and second circles,” Kohavi said. “It has made considerable progress in its nuclear program, but the nuclear

After nearly 30 years on the job, the chairman of the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center resigned on Sunday.

In a letter to staff at the Jerusalem memorial-museum, Avner Shalev, 81, said he had notified Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister for Higher Education Ze’ev Elkin “of my decision to conclude my period of service here, by the end of 2020.”

“Clearly, it was not easy for me to reach this decision, which has entailed thorough self-examination,” he wrote. “Of course, I will share with you further details relating to my retirement once they are known, including regarding a transition to my successor, yet to be designated.”

With Shalev at the helm, the museum established its International School for Holocaust Studies and the International Institute for Holocaust Research, both in 1993. The Holocaust History Museum, the main exhibition hall at the site, underwent a major refurbishment and reopened in 2005.

In 2003, the museum won the Is-

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JUNE 25, 2020 | The Jewish Home

versary of the Red Army’s liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, were widely criticized as overly fawning toward Putin.

“The videos…do not portray the [full] complicated picture,” the museum later admitted to the Haaretz daily.

Soldier Sent Info to Neo-Nazi Group

rael Prize for its contribution to the state and society. Shalev has been personally honored with awards from Spain, France, and former president Shimon Peres.

However, recently the museum has run into financial difficulties due to the coronavirus pandemic and has also faced controversy over its handling of politically sensitive issues regarding Russia’s and Poland’s involvement in the Holocaust.

Last month, Yad Vashem said it

was putting 107 workers on unpaid leave for four months due to the coronavirus outbreak’s impact on its finances. The museum said senior managers were taking a wage cut and that it had cut back or canceled many activities.

In February, the museum was forced to issue an apology for “inaccuracies” and “partial” facts presented at the World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem the month before, after being criticized for overly

emphasizing Russia’s role in ending the war and avoiding information Moscow finds unpalatable.

Videos presented at the ceremony attended by dozens of world leaders, among them Russian President Vladimir Putin, focused almost exclusively on the Soviet Union’s role in defeating the Nazis, while downplaying the role of the United States, Britain, and other countries.

The events of the Forum, which was organized to mark the 75th anni-

According to federal prosecutors, a U.S. soldier is accused of sending information to a neo-Nazi group as part of an alleged plot to facilitate a “mass casualty” event on his Army unit.

The FBI arrested the 22-year-old soldier, Ethan Melzer, of Louisville, KY, on June 10 after the FBI and Army thwarted his alleged plot in late May. Melzer shared information about his Army unit, including its location, with members of a neo-Nazi group, Order of Nine Angles, or O9A. They had planned what they called a “jihadi attack” with the goal of causing “mass casualty.”

“Melzer declared himself to be a traitor against the United States, and described his own conduct as tantamount to treason. We agree.

He turned his back on his county and his unit while aligning himself with members of the neo-Nazi group O9A,” William Sweeney Jr., the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York field office, said in a release. “Today, he is in custody and facing a lifetime of service – behind bars – which is appropriate given the severity of the conduct we allege today.”

Melzer is charged with conspiring and attempting to murder U.S. nationals, conspiring and attempting to murder military service members, providing and attempting to provide

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

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materials support to terrorists, and conspiring to murder and maim in a foreign country.

Officials said members and associates of O9A have espoused violent, neo-Nazi, anti-Semitic, and satanic beliefs.

Before being deployed abroad, Melzer had read up on multiple extremist groups, including O9A and ISIS. After Melzer was informed around April 2020 of plans for further foreign deployment by his unit, he used an encrypted application to send messages to members of O9A regarding sensitive information related to this unit’s deployment.

Baseball’s Back

Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks. Baseball is back! !!!‫בס"ד‬

This week, Major League Baseball announced that clubs have unanimously voted to proceed with the 2020 season under the terms of their agreement with the MLB Players Association from March.

Commissioner Rob Manfred will decide how many games will be played. For now, the league wants to know if the players could be ready to report for spring training camp by July 1 and if the union will agree on health and safety protocols. Supposedly the league is aiming for a 60game regular season provided that the players consent to the health and safety protocols.

It’s been weeks of negotiations between the MLB and the union in which the two sides could not agree on terms for a 2020 season.

“In order to produce a schedule with a specific number of games, we are asking that the Players Association provide to us by 5:00 p.m.

(ET) tomorrow with two pieces of information,” the league said in a statement on Monday. “The first is whether players will be able to report to camp within seven days (by July 1st). The second is whether the Players Association will agree on the Operating Manual which contains the health and safety protocols nec-

‫לא תרצח‬ DON’T MURDER!!!

essary to give us the best opportunity to conduct and complete our regular season and Postseason.”

“While we had hoped to reach a revised back to work agreement with the league, the Players remain fully committed to proceeding under our current agreement and getting back on the field for the fans, for the game, and for each other,” the MLBPA said.

The union’s last proposal to the league had been for a 70-game season with full prorated salaries.

According to the March agreement, if a partial season is played, players would receive a prorated salary. The March agreement also said that both MLB and the MLBPA would make their best effort to schedule as many games as possible for the 2020 season.

Outspoken Cincinnati Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer took to Twitter to express his displeasure at the continued gridlock in negotiations between the two entities.

“I believe there is a deal to be had here that is beneficial for everyone involved, and I’m honestly not sure what the hold-up is,” Bauer said, adding that fans, a vast majority of players, and the owners all want baseball.

“It’s absolute death for this industry to keep acting as it has been. Both sides. We’re driving the bus straight off a cliff.”

Bauer went on to say that these stalled negotiations are “doing irreparable damage to our industry right now over rules that last AT MOST 16 months.”

Two weeks ago, police evacuated the Seattle Police Department precinct in the neighborhood as riots reigned during George Floyd protests. Since then, the zone has been occupied by protesters, many of whom have resorted to violence.

This past weekend saw three nighttime shootings in the area. Durkan notes that officials are especially looking for protesters to vacate the area during the overnight hours.

“We can still accommodate people who want to protest peacefully,” Durkan said “But the impact on the businesses and residents in the community are now too much.”

The three people who were shot in the area over the weekend include a 19-year-old who was killed.

First responders were prevented from quickly reaching the victims because they were met by a “hostile crowd,” Mayor Durkan said.

Police Chief Carmen Best noted that there have been reports of assault, arson and property destruction throughout the area.

“We cannot walk away from the truth of what is happening here,” the police chief said. “This is about life or death.”

More Work Visa Restrictions

Texting – while driving – kills!

Texting while driving has caused the death of many in the last few years.

An End to the Chaos?

• It is extremely, extremely dangerous.

• It is prohibited by law everywhere.

Because of actual tragedies, Rabbonim and Poskim shlit"a have ruled that anyone that texts while driving even momentarily - is transgressing a severe prohibition as outlined in the Rivash and R. Akiva Eiger (Yoreh Deah 334:43) putting him/herself automatically into the category of n e z i f a a n d n i d u y ( e x c o m m u n i c a t i o n ) ‫ נזיפה ונדוי‬until such activities are stopped. T h e r e a r e n o c i r c u m s t a n c e o r emergency that allows it.

This

is

a

grave

matter

that

must

be

treated

with

utmost seriousness by every G-d fearing Jew, anyone who accepts this will be blessed. ‫לע"ל נשמת ר' שמואל יוסף ב"ר‬ ‫ראובן ע"ה‬

On Monday, Seattle’s mayor told protesters at the city’s “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone,” also known as CHAZ, that “it’s time for people to go home.”

Mayor Jenny Durkan assured that demonstrators would not be removed by force but that the city will be working with community organizations to persuade protesters to leave the area.

In an effort to save American jobs, the Trump administration is introducing a series of new restrictions on visas that allow immigrants to temporarily work in the United States.

In April, Trump signed an immigration proclamation targeting people outside of the U.S. seeking to legally migrate to the U.S., with some exceptions. That order, which was set to lapse, will be extended until the end of 2020 and expanded to include some guest worker visas.

“The President is expanding that measure in light of the, frankly, the expanding unemployment, and the number of Americans who are out of work,” an official said.

The new visas included are L-1 visas for intracompany transfers,

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

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H-1Bs for workers in specialty occupations as well as the H-4 visa for spouses, H-2Bs for temporary non-agricultural workers and most J-1 visas for exchange visitors.

Like the April order, the latest proclamation only applies to people outside the U.S. They are set to take effect on June 24.

The Migration Policy Institute, a think tank in Washington, D.C., estimated that the new restrictions would block 219,000 temporary workers.

Taking on China

This week, the Trump administration announced that it will designate four more Chinese media organizations as foreign diplomatic missions, noting that they are under the control of the Chinese Communist Party.

David Stilwell, the State Department’s assistant secretary for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, said that China Central Television, China News Service, People’s Daily and the Global Times would have to report details of their U.S. staffing and what their U.S. real estate holdings are to the State Department.

“These entities are not independent news organizations; they are effectively controlled by the Chinese Communist Party…also known as propaganda outlets,” Stilwell said.

“Furthermore…our action will increase transparency on the control of information, not just among their state propaganda outlets but also amongst legitimate journalists and news gatherings in China.”

This is the second time the U.S. has designated Chinese media outlets as foreign entities, requiring them to submit to the rules and regulations that cover diplomatic missions.

U.S.-China ties have been mired in acrimony over trade, the future of Hong Kong, and the coronavirus pandemic.

“While the Chinese Communist Party has always tightly controlled China’s state news agencies, its control has tightened in recent years, decades, particularly under” Xi, Stil-

well said.

“These people are doing more than just propaganda, and to understand exactly what that is we have to know who they are. It’s about understanding what’s going on inside your own country; we’re a free nation,” Stilwell added.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized the U.S. for its “political suppression of Chinese media” and argued it would undermine their reporting activities.

“It also further exposed the hypocrisy of the so-called freedom of press and speech boasted by the U.S.,” said Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for the ministry. “We strongly urge the U.S. to abandon the Cold War mentality, ideological prejudice, and immediately stop and correct this practice that does harm to both sides.”

Earlier this year, the U.S. had designated five other Chinese outlets as foreign missions and capped the number of Chinese journalists working for those outlets in the U.S. China has expelled journalists from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, in what some says was retaliation for the U.S. moves.

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Jean Kennedy Smith, the last surviving sibling of President John F. Kennedy and a former ambassador to Ireland, died last week at the age of 92.

Smith was the eighth of nine children born to Joseph P. and Rose Kennedy. Her siblings included older brother Joseph Kennedy Jr., who was killed in action during World War II; Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy, who died in a 1948 plane crash; President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963; and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who was slain in 1968. Senator Edward Kennedy, the youngest of the Kennedy siblings, died of brain cancer in August 2009, the same month their sister, Eunice

Kennedy Shriver, died.

Smith, who married Kennedy family financial adviser and future White House chief of staff Stephen Edward Smith in 1956, was viewed for much of her life as a quiet sister who shunned the spotlight. In her memoir, The Nine of Us, published in 2016, she wrote that for much of the time her childhood seemed “unexceptional.”

“It is hard for me to fully comprehend that I was growing up with brothers who eventually occupy the highest offices of our nation, including president of the United States,” she said. “At the time, they were simply my playmates. They were the source of my amusement and the objects of my admiration.”

Though she never ran for office, Smith campaigned for her brothers, traveling the country for then-Senator John F. Kennedy as he sought the presidency in 1960. Three decades later, she was appointed ambassador to Ireland by President Bill Clinton, who called her “as Irish as an American can be.”

Rhode Island to Change its Name?

One state in the U.S. may change its name because of connotations of slavery.

On Monday, Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo signed an executive order taking the “first steps” to change the state’s full name: “The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.”

The “plantations” part of the name has come under increased scrutiny following recent widespread protests.

The order will change the name to just “Rhode Island” in official communications from the governor’s office – including future executive orders, citations and stationery letterheads. It also calls on all state executive agencies to remove the “plantations” reference from their websites.

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The order, though, does not change the state’s official name permanently – that will require voters to amend the Rhode Island Constitution.

“Whatever the meaning of the term ‘plantations’ in the context of Rhode Island’s history, it carries a horrific connotation when considering the tragic and racist history of our nation,” Harold Metts, the state’s only black senator, said in a statement to the Providence Journal.

Previous attempts to change the state’s name have failed after the issue was put on the ballot. In 2010, almost 78 percent of voters opposed a constitutional amendment removing “Providence Plantations” from the state’s name.

Mosquitoes Love You Think that mosquitoes love you more than other people? You may be right. According to researchers, some people are more attractive to the blood-sucking insects.

Mosquitoes will feast

on any human, but only female mosquitoes bite people “so that they have enough protein to produce eggs,” explains entomologist Roberto M. Pereira, Ph.D., an insect research scientist with the University of Florida. “Males never bite people, but they do need sugar for energy. That’s why they eat the nectar of flowers.”

Mosquitoes also have the unique ability to smell carbon dioxide, which you breathe out, and are “very elegant” at sensing things like humidity and moisture, which you also exhale, notes Edward Walker, Ph.D., a professor of entomology at Michigan State University.

Scientists are not clear as to why mosquitoes prefer one person over the other, but there are some theories out there that may explain why you’re itching all over.

People who sweat a lot may be

more prone to mosquito bites since mosquitoes like lactic acid, an organic acid that can be produced in your skin, along with other areas of your body. Some people simply produce more lactic acid than others, luring in more mosquitoes, but you also tend to give off more lactic acid when you sweat.

It’s not just about sweating. In addition to lactic acid and carbon dioxide, mosquitoes are also attracted to various body odors, which are emitted through your skin after eating certain foods or exercising outdoors.

Bacteria on your skin can also play a factor in this itching attraction.

Scientists also opine that those with a high metabolic rate will attract more mosquitoes. Your metabolic rate is measured as the amount of carbon dioxide your body releases while it burns energy.

Being pregnant or overweight, drinking alcohol, and physically exerting yourself can all raise your metabolic rate, Walker says.

Additionally, some say that mosquitoes are more drawn to people with type O blood type.

In any case, a spray of OFF! has definitely been proven to help keep those pesky insects away.

Founding Fathers’ Statues Torn Down

Recently, a mob in Portland, Oregon, tore down a statue of President George Washington and then burned an American flag.

In response, on Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell slammed the “far-left’s” push to pull down statues of historical figures, saying the monuments are being roped to the ground “like they are Saddam Hussein.”

McConnell recalled his comments earlier this month when he noted that civil discourse in America “faces a crossroads.” Since then, protests against police brutality had escalated into riots, and mobs have been pulling down statues of those connected to the Confederate South. ‫בס״ד‬

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But it’s not just Southern leaders who have been tumbling down. Rioters have pulled down figures of everyone from Christopher Columbus to Ulysses S. Grant.

“Well, recent days have reminded us it is not just our present-day debates that far-left radicals want to overwhelm,” he said. “They also want to rewrite our past.”

While speaking about what happened to the statue of the first president of the United States, the Senate Majority Leader noted that a mob “graffitied a statute of our first President, pulled it down, and burned an American flag over his head. This is George Washington.”

He noted that another statue of George Washington was defaced in Baltimore, a statue of Thomas Jefferson was ripped down in Portland, and others were targeted as well.

“This is the general and first president who built our nation, and the author of the Declaration of Independence. Genius statesmen who helped begin this grand experiment that has brought freedom to hundreds of millions and saved the world a few times for good measure,” McConnell said. “And yet a crazy fringe is treating their monuments like vanity statues of tinhorn tyrants.”

He added: “Our Founding Fathers are being roped to the ground like they were Saddam Hussein. The list goes on.”

President Trump declared on Tuesday morning that anyone caught vandalizing monuments or any other federal property can be subject to arrest and face up to 10 years in prison.

The president’s statement followed an attempt to take down a statue of Andrew Jackson in Washington, D.C.’s Lafayette Square near the White House on Monday night, a second incident targeting the nearby St. John’s Church, and prior vandalism of the Lincoln Memorial and World War II Memorial.

“I have authorized the Federal Government to arrest anyone who vandalizes or destroys any monument, statue or other such Federal property in the U.S. with up to 10 years in prison, per the Veteran’s Memorial Preservation Act, or such other laws that may be pertinent,” Trump tweeted. “This action is taken effective immediately, but may also be used retroactively for destruction or vandalism already caused. There will be no exceptions!”

$45M Home

If you need to be the person who has the most expensive house on the block, move to Singapore. A house, currently lived in by Raymond Ng, is selling for more than $45 million.

And that’s just for the structure. If you want to keep the more than 500 Chinese artifacts inside, you’ll have to fork over a few million more.

For the over-the-top price, your new home’s exterior walls are fitted with display panels showcasing centuries-old marble relics from China. A custom-designed tea room inside features vintage pots and tea bricks that cost $7,000 apiece. Perched on platforms near the swimming pool at the sprawling residence are two imposing 15-ton stone lions.

The house, modeled after the seventh-century Tang Dynasty capital of Chang’an, is literally a private museum, showcasing the collections of Ng, who is the executive chairman of Enviro-Hub Holdings Ltd., a Singapore property and recycling business.

Ng, who’s lived in the house for more than five years, bought it in 2010 for $12.4 million and spent another $8.6 million designing and renovating the property.

Ng is a Chinese artifact aficionado, with pieces in the basement of an annex building that include an armillary sphere from the Ming Dynasty and two rare bone sculptures of which there are just four in the world. There are also silk paintings by Giuseppe Castiglione, known as Lang Shining when he lived in China as a painter for emperors in the Qing dynasty.

Lest you think the house (can we call it that?) is stuck in the past, note that it sits on a plot of land more than 26,000 square feet and includes a car elevator and basement garage that can accommodate up to 12 vehicles and a wine cellar arch that holds 2,000 bottles of your finest vintage. There’s a

two-story walk-in closet with a spiral staircase.

Interestingly, in Singapore, homes such as this one are referred to as “good class bungalows.” The term was first used in a government master plan in 1980 to attract high-net worth people to contribute to the city’s economy. In land-scarce Singapore, where 80% of the population live in public housing, there are only about 2,500 of these lavish private properties, typically located in prime districts and ensconced behind dense foliage to maintain privacy. Some are more than 100 years old, dating to colonial times.

Bungalows are modest homes in many parts of the world, but in Singapore, the plot of land must be at least 1,400 square meters to meet the standard. The house can’t take up more than 35% of the area or be more than two stories high. Each comes with an eye-watering price tag that can easily run into the tens of millions.

The record price for a bungalow is $165 million, in a sale last year to Facebook Inc. co-founder Eduardo Saverin.

Yoga Pods

Downward dog never looked so good.

In Toronto, a literal pop-up event lets yoga enthusiasts enjoy socially distanced yoga classes – thanks to individual geodesic domes.

Spaced evenly apart on the grounds of Lake Ontario-front Hotel X, these 50 clear bubbles measure more than 7 feet tall and 12 feet wide – and include built-in heating systems to mimic the warmth of a hot-yoga studio. After each class, the domes get sanitized by certified cleaners.

“The domes are our design. We actually fabricate them in Canada here,” Steve Georgiev, the organizer of the event, said, adding that they were repurposed from another one of his businesses. He shared that it takes about 146 pieces, and nearly eight hours, to put together.

“Everybody’s been really cooped up for the last few months and haven’t

been able to go out,” says Georgiev. “[This] allows us to do this in a safe and responsible way, where people get to enjoy…a group fitness activity in a private environment.”

Namaste.

Who’s Your Daddy?

Kris Hedstrom is headstrong about finding out about her goats’ lineage.

Hedstrom bought five Nigerian dwarf goats from her neighbor, Heather Dayner, in December. Recently, Hedstrom filed a lawsuit that demands that Dayner provide a sample of DNA from the goats’ purported father to prove their lineage. If it turns out that these goats are just plain-old goats, well, then, Hedstrom wants her $900 back.

Hedstrom’s lawsuit alleges she was under the impression that she would be able to register the goats’ pedigrees with the American Dairy Goat Association.

Dayner owns Baxter Land Farm.

She allegedly told Hedstrom that she could register the goats with the American Dairy Goat Association since their father, Country Caprese Ace, was registered with them as well. Since then, the association rejected the registration because Dayner isn’t an active member.

Hedstrom wants 40 hair follicles from the papa goat.

Hedstrom and Dayner have butted heads in the past. Dayner said that Hedstrom has repeatedly trespassed on her property and called the police on her. She said the other woman sent her a message in March telling her not to contact her again, and that was the last she heard until the lawsuit was filed this month.

This is goat-ing crazy.

Plant Party It’s hard to play music to an empty house. And so, unable to fill its audience with people, an opera house in

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

Barcelona came up with a greener idea.

The Teatre de Liceu held a concert on Monday featuring the UceLi Quartet playing to a full house – all 2,292 seats were filled with potted plants. Although no humans were present in the audience, the concert was livestreamed on YouTube.

The Liceu said the plants were purchased from local nurseries and will be donated to healthcare workers from Hospital Clinic of Barcelona.

The best part about the innovative plan? No talking from the audience.

Aroma Evacuation

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HELP US HELP THEM.

Please donate to our Emergency Fund!

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

The Rina Shkolnik Kosher Food Pantry

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

Our Older Adult Department

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

The JCC Social Work Team

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

Our Special Needs Department

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

Our Volunteer Department

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

We need your help now!

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

Ways to Give: A post office in Germany was suffering from a pungent odor coming from one of the packages in the building. Workers were forced to receive medical treatment – six going to the hospital – after becoming overwhelmed by the smell.

“Due to the unknown content, it was initially unclear whether the suspect package posed a greater risk,” Schweinfurt police said.

Thankfully, police were able to ascertain where the off-putting smell was coming from: a fruit.

The fruit in question, a durian, is a Thai fruit that is famous for its strong odor, often being compared to rotten food, dirty socks, or even vomit. Despite the horrific scent connected to the fruit, its flavor is quite delicious.

Thankfully, after determining that the fruit was the culprit, postal workers were able to deliver it to its intended recipient.

Sounds like this fruit made these guys go bananas.

Please make your tax deductable contribution today!

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

Life Master at 8

Most players of the card game bridge are over the age of 50. Now, though, the title of Life Master has been given to someone a lot younger.

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

Andrew Chen of San Jose is only 8 years old. He was granted the title of Life Master by the American Contract Bridge League just three days after his eighth birthday.

According to the organization, it normally takes players decades to accumulate 500 masterpoints by playing at tournaments and accredited clubs. Andrew was able to earn his points in just two years by participating in local games and playing online.

His final points toward the Life Master title came in a May 27 online game hosted by Palo Alto bridge club Think Slam.

“I’m totally thrilled,” Andrew said. “I feel like my hard work has paid off, and I want to thank everyone who helped getting me there.”

Andrew, the ACBL’s Rookie of the Year in 2019, and his brother, Charlie, 10, won the Art Weinstein Trophy Pairs Event at the 2019 San Mateo County Sectional Tournament.

He said he is particularly drawn to the puzzle-solving element of bridge.

“Every bridge hand is like a puzzle to solve,” he said. “I like working things out.”

Sounds like he has some cards up his sleeve.

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JUNE 25, 2020 | The Jewish Home

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Around the Community

Open Streets for Far Rockaway

T

he Jewish Community Council of the Rockaway Peninsula (JCCRP), Rockaway Nassau Safety Patrol (RNSP), Pesach Osina and the New York City Department of Transportation announced that after numerous community conferences, Reads Lane from Cornaga Ave to Jarvis Ave and Beach 12th Street from Dinsmore Ave to Central Ave will be closed to vehicular traffic on Saturday to allow for pedestrians to use the roadbed while maintaining social distancing.

New York City Open Streets are available daily, 8 am to 8 pm. No through traffic is permitted while Open Streets are in effect. Vehicle traffic is limited to local deliveries, pick-ups/drop-offs, necessary city service vehicles, utility vehicles and emergency vehicles only.

“My son, Elchonon, approached me one morning while listening to the mayor’s COVID-19 updates expressing the idea of shutting some streets during Shabbos. He explained that the Eruv does not encompass the boardwalk, and

families need a place to walk and socialize on Shabbos,” said Pesach Osina “I commend the Mayors office, Department of Transportation, NYPD 101st Precinct and all the community partners that helped im-

plement this plan to allow for space where families can interact with each other while social distancing.”

“We thank the Department of Transportation and the local officers of the 101st Precinct for working

hand in hand with the community.

Our children will gain emotionally from going out and interacting with their peers in these closed streets,” said Moshe Bransdorfer, executive director of the JCCRP.

As a fourteen-year-old boy from Woodmere, this goal was ambitious, but he managed to pull it off. However, although the website was originally created for people in quarantine, Gerstley says that “I’ve always wanted to have something like this,

regardless of the pandemic.”

Therefore, Gerstley and his team of nearly ten other kids in the community will likely continue their goal of growing an online community of Jews, with tremendous online features such as a forum, news, a

short podcast hosted by Rabbi Zev Schostak, a software meant for pinning your own notes to the texts of Tanach, and much more.

To visit his site, go to mytorahlife.com, and discover greatness in the online Jewish world.

My Torah Life

W

ith the coronavirus pandemic forcing us to stay in our homes and away from our institutions such as school, shul, and more, many people were looking for an uplifting platform to inspire them during those trying times.

Well, that desire was received by an aspiring 14-year-old boy in Woodmere. He quickly got on his laptop and spent the next two months designing a superb website that allows its users to pin their personal notes to Tanach. He began adding creative features to the webpage such as a Torah forum. The forum has been praised by its users as the “best online way, to share wonderful words of Torah, and to keep in touch with the Jewish community during these trying times.”

In an on-the-phone interview, the founder of this platform, Moshe Gerstley, said, “I wanted to keep people together spiritually even when we couldn’t be together physically.”

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

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JUNE 25, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

BBY’s First History Olympiad

O

n Tuesday, sixth graders competed in BBY’s first-ever History Olympiad. Every class was its own team and was divided into groups. Each group was given a topic to study such as geographical features, names of historical figures, and famous landmarks.

Questions were culled from the entire year’s curriculum on ancient

history, including ancient Greece, India, China, Egypt, Rome, and the Fertile Crescent. Despite the difficulty of learning remotely, our sixth graders took on the tremendous challenge to study and review in-depth the entire sixth grade social studies curriculum and display just how vast their knowledge is through this History Olympiad.

After weeks of preparation, the girls competed in a Jeopardy-style game, answering dozens of questions. The girls showed outstanding levels of knowledge and retention of facts, as nearly every question was answered correctly. We take enormous pride in our girls and their thirst and love for learning.

Thanks to Curriculum Director

Dr. Golda Gross, who always encourages our girls to raise the bar; principal Mrs. Surala Koenig, who enabled the Olympiad to proceed despite the challenge of distance learning; and Morah Daniella Zar, who created and ran the Olympiad, the girls had fun and felt a great sense of accomplishment.

Global Women’s Concert to Benefit Neve Yerushalyim

A

group of visionary minds and talents are coming together to create an unbelievable experience for women throughout the world. Never before has a production been put on at this level, where women can showcase their abilities and gifts to inspire Jewish women worldwide.

Virtually Limitless - A Night of Music and Chizuk will be held on Sunday, June 28 at 6:30 p.m. EST. Produced by Eli Gerstner productions and co-hosted by Charlene Aminoff and Shimi Adar, Virtually Limitless includes jam-packed performances from your favorite female singers and speakers to benefit Neve Yerushalayim and The Family Institute.

For the past 50 years, Neve has offered women the opportunity to learn about Judaism and their heritage in an open-minded environment engaging in meaningful study, finding the answers to lifelong ques-

tions. While corona has created new obstacles to the world of kiruv, Neve fully instituted an initiative that provided both education and support to all of their alumnae and current students throughout the world. In addition, the Neve Family Institute whose main focus is to help everyone who needs mental health counseling and suffering from various crises and challenges including domestic violence and childhood trauma, drastically stepped up their services.

During the current corona pandemic, these lifesaving services are needed more than ever!

As a creative twist of reaching their fundraising goal, Virtually Limitless is changing the raffle model by hosting the first ever LIVE Sweepstakes Game Show, which rewards donors with a chance to win high ticket prizes. On the night of the event, twelve lucky winners will be chosen LIVE ON AIR to Spin the Neve Wheel

of Fortune.

Musical performances include: Bracha Jaffe, Shaindy Plotzker, Tanya Trestman, Ayden Crispe, Chaya Kogen, Dalia Oziel, Bari Mitzmann, Julia Blum, Shaindel Antelis, Nechama Cohen, Mindy Blatt, and Sorah Shaffren.

“As Jewish women, we have standards and boundaries, but our potential is limitless. We can do anything we set our minds to,” as quoted by Charlene Aminoff. Abbey Wolin, Marketing and Creative Director of Virtually Limitless said, “We are seeing a rise in Orthodox Jewish female singer/songwriters. Never before has there been a concert produced at such a high professional level, showcasing the wide range of women’s talent. We are excited to be at the forefront of this movement.”

Neve Yerushalyim, U.S Director of Development Mimi Uvsitzky remarked, “This event is needed more

than ever as our young women and girls are in need of uplifting chizuk while their schools and camps are closed. Neve Yerushalayim’s mission is to empower the next generation of women, and it is our hope that this event will be a catalyst to further spread unity amongst women in K’lal Yisroel.”

A number of companies have partnered with Virtually Limitless and its mission. The set will be designed by Birch Events, video and media production by Vision and Hart, graphics and branding by 14 Minds, photography by EstyBPhotography events sponsors include: Eli Gerstner Wedding Division, Lilac and Cream, Hair and Blush Academy, Shabsai’s Art, JCN, Flash of Design, Abbey & Co., TYHashem, Gateways, Sary Wigs, and Kosher.com.

Tickets are available NeveEvents.com.

at

www.

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

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JUNE 25, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community PHOTO BY LIFECAPTURE IMAGES

MTA Welcomes Class of 2024

On Monday, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran gave her daily press briefing at the S.H.O.P. in Maple Plaza in Cedarhurst

Chai Lifeline Unveils Camp Simcha Without Borders

A

fter months of quarantine, lockdown, and isolation, children with serious illnesses will have an exciting summer to look forward to thanks to Chai Lifeline’s new Camp Simcha Without Borders initiative. Camp Simcha and Camp Simcha Special, Chai Lifeline’s flagship summer programs for children with cancer, blood disorders, and all forms of chronic illness, will bring the magic of Simcha to communities across the country.

“Over these past few months, our kids have had their worlds turned upside down as they have adjusted to life during COVID-19 while simultaneously confronting their own medical issues,” said Rabbi Simcha Scholar, CEO of Chai Lifeline. “Chai Lifeline has adjusted its approach as well, turning challenges into opportunities and finding innovative methods to continue supporting our children and their families throughout this pandemic. We are committed to helping these children and are confident Camp Simcha Without Borders will help restore some sense of normalcy and joy in their lives.”

For the first time in its history, Camp Simcha will run day camps in cities across the United States,

giving children who are unable to travel the opportunity to enjoy Simcha in their own hometowns. Chai Lifeline has been working closely with health and government officials to create and implement an exciting summer program that will conform with all local state regulations. In addition, two modified sessions of Camp Simcha Special are expected to take place on Camp Simcha’s beautiful 125-acre Glen Spey, NY, campus in a reduced capacity to accommodate proper social distancing and medical precautions.

“The safety and wellbeing of our campers and staff are our top priority,” said Rabbi Scholar. “Though Camp Simcha 2020 may not operate or look like it has in previous years, we are committed to providing our kids with an unforgettable and much-needed experience, be it in Camp Simcha or in their hometowns. No camper will be left behind!”

Chai Lifeline is an international children’s health support network providing social, emotional and financial assistance to children with life-threatening or lifelong illnesses and their families. To learn more, visit www.chailifeline.org.

M

TA welcomed the Class of 2024 with surprise visits to each talmid and an exciting grade-wide orientation.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Class of 2024 to the MTA family,” said Freshman Grade Dean Rabbi Eli Cohn. “Visiting each boy personally was a really special opportunity. It was great to spend time with every boy individually and we truly enjoyed getting to know them better.

Our freshman experience is not only tailored to the needs of the grade as a whole, but also to the needs of each talmid. This was the perfect way for our incoming talmidim to meet our freshman team one-on-one and start building what will become lifelong relationships.”

The freshman team also delivered a limited edition Class of 2024 MTA kippa, and the incoming freshmen are already wearing it to show their MTA pride!

The excitement continued on Zoom with a fun-filled freshman orientation, featuring games with DJ Dov and getting to know the entire MTA team, including administrators, grade deans, and rebbeim.

Incoming freshmen also had the opportunity to spend time with their Cub2Lion Senior mentors, who are a great resource for the boys during their freshman year and beyond.

MTA can’t wait for the Class of 2024 to join the entire yeshiva in the fall!

Ending on a Sweet Note

A

fter not seeing each other except for on Zoom for the last three months-plus, the students of Cheder Chabad Girls of Long Island had a short and sweet (literally) gathering for their last day of school.

Meeting at the plaza across the street from their building and wearing masks, each class gathered with their teachers for a quick reunion as well

as a farewell. The girls were also given their hardearned Tzivos Hashem medals and received their promotion books reflecting their new ranks in the Army of Hashem.

An extra bonus was the sweet treat provided for them with the arrival of the Cholov Yisroel ice cream truck! Each girl received a delicious large cone with sprinkles. The day was sweet on all accounts!

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

Brigadier General Amir Avivi is founder and CEO of the Habithonistim Movement (Protectors of Israel), which supports Sovereignty via the Trump Plan. During his army service in the Engineering Corps Avivi filled various positions including Brigade Commander, Deputy Division Commander and head of the Military School of Engineers. He concluded his military service as Head of the Auditing and Consulting Department of the Israeli Defense Establishment and, as the aide-de-camp for then Chief of the General Staff, Lt. General Moshe “Bogie” Yaalon, was heavily involved with policy making.

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JUNE 25, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Gan Chamesh’s Uplifting Gratitude Graduation Parade

G

an Chamesh, Chabad’s Early Childhood Center, ended off the year with an exciting walk-through graduation parade centered around the theme of gratitude to Hashem. The children and their families marched to the music of Gary Wallin, and went from station to station, while making sure to adhere to all social distancing guidelines. There was a personalized introduction of each and every graduate.

The children held decorated banners, pinned notes expressing gratitude to Hashem on a pretend Kosel, and found their own pictures within the unique, personalized Gan Chamesh

benchers they received. They also received their yearbooks and diplomas, a Gan Chamesh tote bag, bubbles and a refreshing ices treat.

The graduation was a meaning-

ful experience that gave the children a sense of closure and the opportunity to express their gratitude to their teachers. Mazal tov to all the graduates!

BBY Preschool Ends Off With a Bang!

Drive-In Gesher End-of-the-Year Parties

H

H

ow to carry out preschool graduations during a pandemic? That was the question plaguing (sorry!) Bnos Bais Yaakov preschool’s Morah Yehudis Oppen as endless possibilities were discussed and considered. In the end, it was decided that the girls would graduate in small groups in order to maintain proper social distancing. And graduate they did, over the course of two days, in twenty-four (!!!) shifts.

Last Sunday, Pre-1A students put on their graduation performances, in two shifts per class, in the Nechama Liba Simcha Hall. They had practiced only over Zoom and not once with musical accompaniment! Remarkably, thanks to their moros’ dedication and expert conducting, the girls nevertheless performed confidently and flawlessly. Though only two guests per child could be accommodated, the event was streamed-live for grandparents and siblings. After their performances, the girls adjourned to the basement where they watched a special show by Rabbi Yitzy Haber and received their graduate photos, a CD slideshow of their year, fabulous gifts and yummy treats.

On Monday, kindergarten and nursery students, half a class at a time, watched a special performance

in Bnos Bais Yaakov’s circular driveway. There, they were able to say goodbye to their moros in person and have closure for the year. Then they received yummy treats and a camp bag filled with goodies.

As if all this wasn’t enough, this Monday, the preschool had special programming for their final day of school which was wrapped up with a special Rosh Chodesh ice cream cone from the ice cream truck for each girl.

It’s so hard to say goodbye, but we’ll be back be”H before you know it!

aving completed the educational portion of the school year in a most amazing way, the Gesher Early Childhood Center had the opportunity to give each student the attention that they deserved at an end of year drive in party.

Due to the partial easement of COVID-19 restrictions, this was not a simple drive thru, where cars kept moving throughout. The idea of the drive-in party was to give the children of each class the chance to spend time together with their morahs, even while social distancing.

Carefully planned, each group of cars formed a circle around the perimeter of the parking lot, allowing the students to stand outside their cars safely for a class event.

The children were ecstatic, having only seen their peers and morahs together on Zoom for so many months. They finally had the chance to spend time together in person.

In the middle of the parking lot was a loudspeaker playing the Gesher theme song and other popular music and a small stage bedecked with a special Gesher balloon arch.

Each child was called up to receive a special award or recognition and to receive their new Gesher water bottle filled with treats. The small stage

was the perfect setting for a picture of the students flanked by their morahs.

Many of the children were seen sporting their new Gesher hats, with the “Realize your Potential” theme proudly displayed.

It was a cherished event as many of the students will be transitioning to their new schools in the fall. The Gesher administration wishes everyone a safe and healthy summer and is looking forward to see much nachas from their children.

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

Open For Business Menu

LASER TAG WAX HANDS KANGOO SHOES DRUMFITS CERAMICS SPA ZUMBA SLIME

PAINTING COCOLATE MAKING SCRAPBOOKING PHOTO BOOTH QUILLING ART

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JUNE 25, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Ending Off the Year at HAFTR

By Ariana Wolfson National Junior Honor Society On May 19, the HAFTR Middle School chapter of the National Junior Honor Society, known as the MAOR chapter, held its annual induction ceremony. Nomination to MAOR is based on high level of academic achievement as well as exemplary middot. Approximately 50 students, from 7th and 8th grade, were inducted this year. The Zoom ceremony, officiated by Principal Josh Gold and MAOR Chairperson David Rose, included the official candle lighting ceremony which highlighted students’ excellence in leadership, scholarship, leadership, citizenship, character, and Torah. We are so proud of all our inductees.

Yom Hashoah and Yom Hazikaron The Yom Hashoah program was an extraordinary program led by Mrs. Einat Rabinovich. Mrs. Rabinovich met with the students through Zoom in the weeks leading up to the event, and the results were amazing. The program, done mostly in Hebrew, included poems and speeches from Holocaust victims. A week later, Mrs. Rabinovich ran another amazing program for Yom Hazikaron. In addition to these programs, Mrs. Rabinovich put together a choir to sing “Shevet Achim ve Achayot.”

For Yom Ha’atzmaut, the teachers of HAFTR Middle School celebrated Israel’s birthday with three different activities for the students. The students started off with a tutorial by Chef Mike on how to make a delicious Israeli lunch which included falafel waffles and Israeli salad. The lunch was not only delicious, but so easy to make! The students then played a Kahoot! on the history of Israel led

by Rabbi Kirsch and Rabbi Siff. To end the program, the students played a Scavenger Hunt: Israel Style led by

Ms. Ariana Wolfson where they had to run around their house looking for various objects connected to Israel.

HAFTR Debate The HAFTR Debate team, led by Ms. Ariana Wolfson, has done an incredible job this year. While the third meet was canceled, the students were thrilled to be given the opportunity to have one last final debate, albeit through Zoom. The skills that one needs to debate can be challenging, and those challenges were doubled when debated over Zoom. We are all so proud of our incredible debate team and all of the hard work and dedication that they have put into the team this year. A special shoutout to our team members who debated this round: Kaitlin Pollack, Michal Mari, Joey Cohen, Avi Mermelstein, Mo Motechin, Naima Lavian and Elana Frank.

Lag B’Omer Lag B’Omer is always the highlight of the year with so much always going on, and this year was no different. The day started off with a music video created by the HAFTR Middle School staff to the song “We Go On” by Simcha Leiner. The video, which was shared through the HAFTR Facebook and Instagram page, had over 900 views and was even shared by Simcha Leiner himself! Make sure you check out the HAFTR pages to see the video!

The HAFTR Middle School staff did not stop there. We continued our annual tradition of the 8th grade student-staff basketball tournament.

This year, the 8th graders and staff were tasked with seeing who could shoot the most baskets from the foul line in thirty seconds! With the help of Ms. Alyson Jacobs and basketball star Abby Kammerman as our M.C.s, the students watched and tallied to see which side would come out victorious. Congratulations to the HAF-

A Davener of the Year awardee

TR teachers who took home the win in this year’s Lag B’Omer Basketball Tournament.

8th Grade Washington Trip The 8th grade trip to Washington is always the highlight of the year for our seniors, and while they were not able to attend the trip in person, they still had a blast touring our nation’s capital. On Wednesday, June 3, the 8th graders participated in the Escape the Zoom: Washington, D.C., Edition, created and led by Ms. Alyson Jacobs and Ms. Ariana Wolfson.

The students were split up into different breakout rooms and “toured” Washington, D.C., and Hershey Park while looking for principal Mr. Gold.

The students made stops at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the F.D.R. Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the White House and, of course, it all ended at Hershey Park. Our students truly enjoyed this experience and many parents had commented that they hadn’t seen their children laughing with their friends this much in weeks.

Daveners Of The Year Every year HAFTR Middle School chooses select students as Daveners of the Year. This year, Ms. Alyson Jacobs, Ms. Ariana Wolfson, Mrs. Nechama Landau and Rebbetzin Sori Teitelbaum decorated their cars and drove around to hand-deliver a special gift to those students who are this year’s Daveners of the Year. May Hashem continue to listen to your tefillot.

Names Not Numbers The Names, Not Numbers program at HAFTR Middle School had its finale on June 9. After a year of researching and learning how to conduct an interview, the students and survivors watched as their work was displayed on YouTube. After watching the video, everyone was invited to log onto vimeo to watch the closing ceremony. This program, coordinated by Ms. Ariana Wolfson, is unique, as HAFTR Middle School is the only yeshiva to participate in this program in conjunction with public schools Lawrence Middle School and BELL Academy. In September, the students who were chosen to participate in the program began taking weekly courses on the Holocaust. In addition to these classes, the students were brought into seminars given by Mrs. Miriam Wallach and Dr. Gary Lelonek who taught them how to prepare and conduct an interview. As the months went on, the students researched their survivors and created a list of questions.

In February, the students excitedly met their survivors and had a once in a lifetime experience. Leaving their interviews with knowledge that cannot be taught in a classroom, the students then edited their interviews in preparation for the documentary. The final movie included segments of the seven survivors’ stories and the students’ testimonials.

“This was just incredible!” said one parent who witnessed the beauty of the program and saw how the students not only learned about the Holocaust from survivors themselves, but also learned compassion and the importance of listening to others and being appreciative for what they have in life. We would like to give a special thanks to our seven survivors who took the time to speak to our students and tell their stories: Eta Batallion, Jean Chapnick, Joseph Hecht, Thomas Platschek, Mira Rosenblatt, Sheldon Seidman and Frydreka Shabry.

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

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Around the Community

Ezra Academy Hosts Middle School Challenge

A

s schools have made the switch to “Zoom learning” during the pandemic, there were many obstacles that students and teachers had to face on a daily basis. One of these issues was Zoom fatigue, becoming tired of staring at a screen for hours just to make it through a day of learning.

Ezra Academy stepped in to help give local middle school students a way to shake that fatigue and give them something to get excited about. This was evident by the overabundant enthusiasm for the Middle School Hanger Challenge from schools and students alike.

Students were asked to get their creative juices flowing by creating something from the excess wire hangers found in their closets at home. They were able to participate in one of two categories: “inventors,” in which students invented objects with a meaningful function, or “artistic,” where the students were able to display their artistic abilities. Not only did the students come up with amazing ideas, but some of the teachers themselves began brainstorming ideas on how they can reuse the hangers in their homes for other purposes. The projects were all submitted with a video explaining to the judges the function and purpose of their creations.

This added so much to the projects and made the job of the judges so much more difficult as the “presentations” revealed even more to each project. Every submission was so well thought-out and executed.

We would like to thank all the schools that participated in this exciting program and look forward to the next challenge competition.

An amazing job was done by all the participants and we would like to wish a mazal tov to the winners in both categories. Sarah Leah Cohen of Bnos Malka Academy won first

place in the “inventors” category for her painting easel. Aviva Hochster, also from Bnos Malka, and Rami Kessock from HANC tied for second place. They were followed by Zachary Aminoff and Yehuda Bol-

som of Yeshiva Ketana of Queens.

HANC won the “artistic” component with a “sweep,” winning all three places. This was led by Sigal Holtzman’s wire and string art of a Magen David and the map of Is-

rael merged together as one. Emily Mark and Leora Peyser were right behind with second and third place, respectively.

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JUNE 25, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

HANC HS Celebrates Top Honors

T

he Hebrew Academy of Nassau County is proud to announce the Class of 2020 valedictorian and salutatorian.

HANC High School’s Menahel, Rabbi Shlomo Adelman, proudly remarked, “Adam Speiser and Alexandra Lenefsky embody the core values of our yeshiva. Each of them in their own unique way personifies excellence as scholars, leaders, and ba’alei middot. The HANC community is incredibly proud of these well-deserving honorees who excel in their academic and religious studies.”

Valedictorian Adam Speiser is truly a gentleman and a scholar. His teachers rave about him and praise his endearing concern for his peers, often seeing him offer his free time to others to aid them in their comprehension of topics after class. He is a divergent thinker who welcomes a challenge; he does not shy away from tough assignments. He welcomes the opportunity to “think” and tackles his assignments with passion and conviction. He is a mature, focused, and insightful young man whose intellect has earned him many accolades.

Adam is a member of the National Honor Society, also named to both the General and Judaic Studies Honor Roll every quarter of his high-school career. He was selected by the administration as the recipient of the University of Rochester’s Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award. While this award was earned for his excellence in the sciences, he has also been consistently honored with awards and recognitions such as the Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook Passion for Education Award, and the Rabbi Meir & Rebbetzin Goldie Fendel Determination & Perseverance Award, which exemplify the

Adam Speiser

Ali Lenefsky

quality of character he brings to the school and community. Adam has been named as an AP Scholar for his performance on his AP exams. He is also a student of the challenging and prestigious Bet Midrash program.

Adam is a mensch in every sense of the word. While rising to the occasion in his academic classes, he still found time to pursue a diverse multitude of extra-curricular interests. Currently, he is co-chair of the Bikur Cholim committee where he is hard at work on a “Letters to Essential Workers” initiative that will collect emails from students to show appreciation for those who are putting their lives on the line during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is also a founder of the Ju-Jitsu club, cochair of the astronomy club, opinion editor of the HANC Herald, as well as member of the Torah Bowl, Mathletes, College Bowl, and Chess club… just to name a few. Adam is also an accomplished pianist, as well as a black belt in Ju-Jitsu.

Adam has a demonstrated passion for computer science and plans to pursue it as a major in college.

He has taken steps to gain exposure into the field both locally and glob-

ally. He previously participated in the Cooper Union Summer STEM Makerspace, a six-week immersive program utilizing cutting-edge technology on design and research. He also took part in NCSY Next Step, an Israel-based summer internship.

The combination of his real-word experience with engineering and AP Computer Science classes align Adam to be a well-versed contributor to his field.

After a year at Yeshivat Migdal Hatorah in Israel, Adam will be attending University of Maryland as a member of the Scholars Program.

Salutatorian Alexandra Lenefsky is a teacher’s dream. Known affectionately as Ali to all, she is an eloquent young lady who conducts herself with grace and class.

Her grace is matched equally by her intelligence. She is insightful, organized and has an innate drive to excel. She works thoroughly and selflessly, often keeping the bigger picture in mind. Teachers and peers alike regard her as a role model. She was selected by her classmates and administration to become co-president of the National Honor Society.

She consistently challenged herself throughout her high school career with a slew of scholars, honors, and AP courses. Additionally, she was named to both the General and Judaic Studies Honor Roll every quarter of her high school career and is a student of the Bet Midrash program.

Throughout the halls of HANC, Ali is known for her kindness, humility, approachability, and infectious smile. She is a student who can always be counted on, always willing

Did you know?

Robert Peary cut up the American flag and left pieces of it scattered at the North Pole. He was honored for doing so

to learn and jotting notes with vigor; her mind like a sponge carefully absorbing information. She has the uncanny ability to apply complex concepts to modern day movies and situations.

Her intellect, creativity, critical thinking, and quality of character has earned her many accolades over the years. She was selected by the administration as a recipient of the Ateret Shem Tov Award for distinguished character and a strong commitment to leading a life of high ethical and moral standards. She was also a recipient of the University of Rochester Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award for her combination of strong grades, rigorous coursework, community service, leadership, and demonstrated commitment to understanding and addressing difficult social issues. Ali was also a previous winner of the Moshe Flescher Holocaust Scholarship Essay Contest.

Despite her academic time-constraints, Ali still manages to find time to help those around her. In spite of a fear of blood and needles, she consistently served as the chairperson for the blood drive. She considers it an incredible act of chessed to be able to organize something that will have a direct, positive impact on a large group of people in need. Ali has also devoted her time to working with young children at Friendship Circle, as well as working with the young adult population as a member of the Yachad Committee.

Aside from her love of chessed, Ali also has a passion for dance. As the captain of the dance team she poured her heart onto the dance floor, choreographing exquisite routines week after week and captivating the audience at the annual Rekudiah Dance Competition. She is also co-captain of the volleyball team. Additionally, Ali was a member of our competitive Torah Bowl team, peer tutoring program, HPAC, and weekly contributor for the Midreshai HANC newspaper.

After a year at Sha’alvim for Women, Ali plans to study psychology at Queens College.

Mazal tov to our awardees and to the entire Class of 2020.

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

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Around the Community

Rav Yaakov Bender with Tzvi Sussman and his son Shua at the Middle School graduation of Yeshiva Darchei Torah

SHS Celebrates a Successful Year

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n lieu of a banquet celebrating a successful year, Shulamith High School planned two events. The first, on Tuesday afternoon, took place on Zoom. The program opened up with Principal Mrs. Sara Munk and was followed by a pre-recorded video in which specific students and student groups were introduced by faculty and recognized for their noteworthy accomplishments this year.

SHS’s NCSY Jump team, which was awarded a grant for their incredible project, was acknowledged for their achievement. Sophomore Ariella Forhman was announced as a top ten nationalist in Chidon HaTanach – placing third in the country, an incredible feat! Freshman Shira Deil earned her recognition for placing in a scholastic national art contest, with honorable mentions earned by juniors Ellyana Pilevsky and Talia Ben-Simhon. Middot Heads and Chessed Ambassadors were thanked for their dedication and creativity in planning events throughout the year.

The Middot Heads, 11th grader Chaya Warren, 10th grader Gizzi Gestenter, and 12th grader Tzivie Scharf, were chosen by faculty to head the new middot program, which was a great success.

“Chessed is a huge part of our school,” Director of Student Activities Ms. Esty Munk began, “...our Chessed Ambassadors further instilled the importance of chessed, in big ways and small, through weekly hours and larger events… Thank you Chessed Ambassadors Noam Maman, Leora Goldstein, Ellyana Pilevsky, Gabriella Grossman, Chaya Gelbstein, and Chaya Warren.”

Subject Scholars, a new independent study program at SHS, was a huge success. Students had an opportunity to choose an area of interest and were assigned a faculty mentor as they completed a research project. A virtual museum was created to showcase their learning and projects as a live presentation was not possible. Michal Betzalely, Gabriella Grossman, Melissa Zalisky, Talya Sharoni, Shira Deil, Meira Goldstein, Leach Chaya Gluck, Noam Maman, and Basya Vishnepolsky wowed the school with their displace of intellectual curiosity and academic motivation. Finally, the GO was recognized, though it is impossible to articulate how hard this year’s GO worked and creating and executing the numerous programs at SHS. Even throughout Zoom there were nightly and weekly events. Co-presidents Tamar Davies and Adina Lazar, vice president Talia Ben-Simhon, and secretary Elisheva Jaffa worked closely with Ms. Esty Munk this year, working late nights and early mornings to ensure an incredible year, before and during quarantine.

Before the concluding montage, two students from each grade earned an award as voted by faculty and students – one middot award, and, elected by teachers, one academic award. Freshman Michal Moskowitz, sophomore Chanie Hertz, and junior Ellyana Pilevsky earned their middot awards with their consistent displays of kindness and gratitude, modeling middot tovot in their behavior and heart. Michal, Chanie, and Ellyana, the entire SHS was so proud to give you this well deserved

award! For showing a love of learning, a desire to succeed and grow in academics, freshman Michal Betzalely, sophomore Meira Golstein, and junior Talia Ben-Simohn were all given academic excellence awards.

This award means more than just earning good grades – it recognizes these students’ inquisitive minds and commitment to education. A video montage followed, which included picture and video clips of the whole year, bringing to mind the freshmen retreat, pre-1st day Achus trip, chagigahs, trips, surprise events, and more. Emotional and bittersweet, the pictures reminded everyone of something that did not need reminding: SHS is our home. Just when faculty thought the meeting was adjourned, students surprised everyone with their own montage. Writing messages of how SHS teachers are unique, students “passed” their messages from one to the other, in a montage of video clips. Messages included, recognizing and thanking teachers for their “constant care and con-

sideration,” “hard work,” “showing constant positivity,” “teaching for inside and outside the classroom,” “be available on ‘off hours,’” and, of course, “caring about each individual student.” Before signing off, students were reminded that SHS has planned – once Phase III officially begins – an in-person summer farewell for students. Following guidelines, it will have staggered attendance, but would still be the best kind of way to end the year.

Before concluding, SHS would like to take a special moment to thank juniors Tali Hertz and Leora Walfish for creating and arranging our Mishmaar program. Both Tali and Leora took this extra learning program upon themselves arranging the speakers, flyers, and food. These incredible students modeled a source of pride of SHS – the ability of students to advocate and create what they want.

Surprises are in store for SHS students at the summer send off!

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

SHULAMITH GRADUATES AND THEIR FAMILIES

THANK FOR MAKING OUR

DRIVE-IN GRADUATION

A SUCCESS!

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Honors at Rambam

Uriel Sussman

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Avi Balsam

he Rambam Mesivta Class of 2020/5780 is represented by three standouts who exemplify the highest values of Torah, middos, and excellence.

Uriel Sussman, the valedictorian, is captain of the Rambam Torah Bowl, Robotics, and Debate teams, though he says that his proudest accomplishments are the weekly Hamasmid publication and Semichat Chaver in Basar B’Chalav and Maachalei Akum.

Uriel is also a member of the Chess, College Bowl and Math Teams and participated in the Jerusalem Science Competition, Torah Bowl at City Field, USACO, ACSL, as well as the Math and Science Olympiads. He has an insatiable thirst for knowledge and a passion for learning Torah and languages – programming, musical, spoken or otherwise. In his free time, Uriel enjoys attending shiurim, explaining complex concepts, and engaging in rigorous debate. Uriel plans on spending the upcoming academic year engaged in personal growth at Yeshivat Har Etzion - Gush. He will afterwards attend Yeshiva University, from where he hopes to obtain semicha and devote his life to the Jewish community.

For his entire high school career, Avi Balsam, this year’s salutatorian, has been committed to teamwork, leadership, and personal achievement. He has participated in most of the extracurricular activities the school has to offer, and he has taken a leadership position on many of those teams. Avi is one of the captains of

SKA’s Graduation Ceremony Lights Up the Night

Avrum Klein

Rambam’s Debate team, and he has won multiple awards at regional Debate tournaments. He is also an assistant captain of the Mock Trial team, where he participated as a lawyer to bring the team to the playoffs. He is also an active participant in the Robotics team, the Math team, College Bowl, History Bowl, Soccer, and a host of other clubs and activities.

Avi hopes to continue his active extracurricular schedule and academic achievements even after high school.

He plans to eventually pursue a career in software engineering, where he will use his aptitude for computer programming in a practical setting.

Rambam Mesivta is pleased to recognize Avrum Klein as this year’s Keter Shem Tov awardee. Avrum is a constant presence at the school’s extra learning Masmidim Program and keeps the beat for the Rambam Choir, The Harmonides, as the squad’s resident beat-boxer. A stalwart member of the Chessed Committee, as well as a member of the Model Bais Din and Torah Bowl, and a writer for Hamasmid, Avrum is always there to help, give words of encouragement, or serve as the humble moral compass.

His kindness and commitment to others makes him the ideal recipient of the Keter Shem Tov Award.

Despite the challenges faced this year due the pandemic, these students continued to exhibit the best in Torah learning, academic excellence, and the desire to give back. They are fitting representatives of the Class of 2020/5780.

Did you know?

The tune of “The Star Bangled Banner” comes from old English drinking song

G

raduation for the Class of 2020 of the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls took place on Thursday evening, June 17, at the Sands in Atlantic Beach and, despite the nod to our present reality, was a rousing success!

Graduates and their family members sat in cars festooned with balloons and signs and listened to the inspiring words of their principals, Mrs. Elisheva Kaminetsky and Mrs. Bluma Drebin, Director of Student Programming Rabbi Yosef Zakutinsky, Associate Principal Ms. Elana Flaumenhaft, and Assistant Administrator Mrs. Sandi Pomerantz. Valedictorian Atara Shtern, salutatorian Elisheva Glatt,

and Keser Shem Tov Awardee Rivka Bennun addressed the gathering from the podium. The program continued with many seniors receiving awards for academics, middot, and community service after which diplomas and gifts were presented.

Our thanks go to HALB Chairman of the Board Mr. Lance Hirt, HALB Presidents Mr. Mitch Kirschner and Mr. Nathaniel Rogoff, Executive Director Mr. Richard Hagler, Operations Manager Mr. Chaim Hollander, SKA Parent Council Presidents Mrs. Etty Hershberg and Mrs. Bailey Sigman and SKA Board Liaison Mrs. Rachel Laufer for their constant outstanding assistance and support.

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

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YOSS Drives Home Timeless Lessons with Drive-Through Graduation

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o commemorate and celebrate the Yeshiva of South Shore Graduating Class of 2020, YOSS hosted a very unique first-ever celebration – a drive-in graduation ceremony at the Sands of Atlantic Beach parking lot!

Lively music pumped out of the thousand-watt speakers in the parking lot as the graduates and their families pulled up. They parked in designated spots, opened their windows, and socially distantly mingled, waved to and greeted their friends, and congratulating each other on this exciting milestone.

Four extra-large video screens around the parking lot provided a perfect view for all the attendees, and the audio of the entire event was carried over the FM airwaves. It was also livestreamed for those unable to attend.

The rosh yeshiva, the menahelim, the general studies principals and the rabbeim took their seats on the outdoor stage, and Rabbi Shlomo Drebin, YOSS Program Coordinator, played Im Eshkocheich and G-d Bless America.

Mr. Daniel Winkler, General Studies Principal of The Abraham and

Sara Silber Middle School, opened the ceremony with his message to the graduates. In his opening remarks, Rabbi Zev Davidowitz, Menahel of Mechinas Toras Avraham, praised the talmidim for their outstanding accomplishments, especially during the past few months.

Honorable Bruce Blakeman, Councilman of the Town of Hempstead, graced the event and addressed the students. He wished them a hearty mazal tov and encouraged them to continue learning and studying.

The three valedictorians, Aiden Buchbinder for Limudei Kodesh and General Studies, Aharon Grossman for Limudei Kodesh, and Daniel Klein for General Studies, captivated the audience with beautiful tributes to the yeshiva, thanking their rabbeim, menahelim, and teachers, as well as their parents and friends. The salutatorians, Daniel Klein, Yitzy Lowe, Yakov Meisner, Gavriel Ostreicher, Mordechai Ross and Daniel Roth were also recognized.

The Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky, gave the commencement address. Drawing a correlation from the men who approached Moshe Rabbeinu to bring the Pesach Sheini, he suggested that the talmidim inspire their rabbeim to teach Torah n the highest level.

He thanked the talmidim for being the catalyst through which their rabbeim can inspire all the talmidim for further growth in Torah and avodas Hashem.

The eighth grade rabbeim, Rabbi Moshe Shonek, Rabbi Yaakov Rosenwasser, Rabbi Yonah Stern, Rabbi Chananya Grinberg, called each talmid by name to come up and receive their diplomas and awards.

Rabbi Yaakov Pressman, the beloved veteran eighth grade rebbe, was recognized for his dedication although he could not attend in person as he recovers from an illness.

Rabbi Shonek then installed the students as official graduates and alumni of Yeshiva South Shore Bais Binyomin.

In addition to the diplomas, each student received a gift bag with two sefarim and a book, “Footprints,” along with a complete camp package, including a lounge chair, blanket, overnight bag, water bottle, and other gifts.

A unique event, the graduation was both inspiring and fun. It was an evening that will be surely be remembered forever.

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Mesivta Ateres Yaakov Class of 2020 High Honors Yosef DiGiacomo Valedictorian Yosef DiGiacamo excels in all areas of his life and has been quite busy since he entered MAY. He enrolled in all Honors classes, served as secretary of the Student Government, and was the president of the MAY Arista chapter in his senior year. An extremely bright student, Yosef has always been willing to lend a helping hand to anyone in need and can often be found helping other students preparing for exams. Yosef’s talents are not limited to the classroom: he was a member of the soccer team and a senior member of the soccer club. Yosef’s positive spirit, calm demeanor and acute sense of derech eretz lifts the spirits of everyone around him, no matter the circumstance. He will surely continue to accomplish amazing things and be successful in any path he chooses. Yosef is graduating with an overall 99.11 GPA and will be heading to Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim in Yerushalayim next year.

Yosef DiGiacamo

Chaim Weiss Salutatorian Chaim Weiss is an individual who values education, achievement and chessed. He has a kind and calm demeanor, combined with a razor-sharp intellect that enabled him to skip a grade into the Honors shiur and all Honors classes. Chaim has maintained an above average academic record with top grades, while simulta-

Chaim Weiss

Aaron Enayatian

neously being down-to-earth and always available for friends: whether to help them understand a difficult sugya, prepare for a test, or just to chat and give guidance. Chaim is always eager to learn more and make new friendships and his character stands out above all else. As captain of the bowling team, he has shown his leadership skills. Whatever path Chaim chooses in the upcoming years, we remain confident that he will shine and lift others with him. Chaim is graduating with a 98.42 overall GPA and will be heading to Yeshivas Toras Moshe in Israel next year.

Aaron Enyatian Rav Yaakov Binyomin Kamenetzky Middos, Character & Academic Excellence Award Aaron Enayatian is a compassionate, kind and good-natured individual who is always looking out for the success of those around him.

Whether it’s a serious conversation or just a good time, he’s always there for friends. Aaron has the ability to evenly balance all aspects of his life, a skill that is rarely found in someone his age. He excelled academically, was an officer of the MAY Arista chapter, and a key member of both the Varsity Basketball and Softball teams. Aaron is a tremendous ba’al chessed and has grown enormously

Aryeh Singer

in all areas of his life since arriving at MAY – demonstrating maturity beyond his years. It is clear that Aaron’s amazing personality will assist him in continuing his development into a true ben Torah and success in life.

Aaron is graduating with a 94.38 overall GPA and will be heading to Yeshivas Merkaz HaTorah in Israel next year.

Aryeh Singer Rav Pesach Oratz Hasmodah & Overall Excellence Award Aryeh has been an exemplary talmid in so many areas: academically, on the basketball court and as someone highly regarded by his peers. Whatever Aryeh does, he gives 100% of himself, 100% of the time, while trying to put others before himself. He is soft-spoken and humble despite his many accomplishments: a top student, captain of the Varsity Basketball Team, and officer of the MAY Arista chapter. He has shown genuine success and growth in his time at MAY, from the development of his sterling middos, to his devotion to learning and becoming a ben Torah. Aryeh will surely be successful in whatever the future holds for him, and he will do so with a smile on his face. Aryeh is graduating with a 94.57 overall GPA and will be heading to Yeshivas Toras Chaim in Israel next year.

Did you know?

A vexillologist studies flags and their history

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

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A Graduation to Remember

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AG graduations have always been special. A time for parents, grandparents, and extended family to join together to celebrate a talmida’s achievements. It can be the Early Childhood Pre1A performance featuring songs and Tehillim or the junior high school level where the girls are poised to move on to their next level of education in high school, or the graduates from Machon Sarah TAG High School leaving the confines of TAG ready to go forth to the next milestones of their lives.

Enter Covid19, and everything normal has faded to a new reality. But even in this new environment, how could TAG provide our graduates with a memorable event in recognition of their years here, as well as their accomplishments?

Baruch Hashem, TAG, its administration, and principals would not give up and found a way, a little off the beaten path to be sure, to accomplish this. Enter the Graduation Drive In. Both our high school and junior high school graduations took place under

the stars in the parking lot of The Sands in Atlantic Beach. Each family was allotted one car to drive in, with their graduate, to enjoy what was to become a truly special and moving event. As each car entered, they received a beautiful graduation magnet to put on their cars. The program was livestreamed for those who could not personally be there, and the audio portion of the program was aired on FM radio for those in their cars.

At the Machon Sarah TAG High School graduation, which took place on Tuesday, June 16, the following young ladies spoke eloquently about their kesher to TAG and expressed their heartfelt hakaras hatov, and recognizing the mesira nefesh of their moros and teachers especially during this challenging time. The young ladies included Miss Orly Bakhshi and Miss Esti Wachspress, who served as salutatorians, followed by the valedictory address presented by Miss Roche Leah Ungar; Miss Dina Travis served as grade representative. The graduates were addressed by Morah

Aliza Kadosh, the limudei kodesh principal, Rabbi Michoel Shepard, the general studies principal, and Rabbi Meyer Weitman, TAG’s dean.

Rabbi Weitman made a moving presentation to Mrs. Barbara Cinamon upon her retirement. Mrs. Cinamon has spent close to four decades in TAG both as a popular teacher and more recently in her capacity as assistant general studies principal.

Her devotion and dedication to her students was keenly felt, and she impacted upon thousands of young ladies. She will be sorely missed.

A video, prepared by Miriam Leah Deutsch, featured the students providing their favorite memories of their years at TAG. Their appreciation for what they had received during that time was felt by all. The presentation of the class and diplomas was directed by Rabbi Baruch Lovett as the girls came up one by one to receive their much deserved diplomas and gifts. Organizing this event was no easy feat, and many people were involved in making it happen. Spe-

cial thanks to Dr. Shmuel Reisbaum who handled the technical aspects and to Mr. Yaakov Berger for his assistance.

Likewise, the junior high celebrated their graduation the following night, with bli ayin hara, 134 graduates. Mr. Chesky Newman presided and the grade representatives included the following young ladies who spoke so beautifully and who truly represented their grade. For Limudei Kodesh, Anaelle Cohen and Efrat Shalom addressed the crowd and Limudei Chol featured Dina Halberstam and Aliza Herzberg. Rabbi Meyer Weitman, dean of TAG, imparted an important message to the graduates. Mrs. Batya Krasnow, the limudei kodesh principal, presented the class, and they received their diplomas as well as gifts from the Women’s League.

As the cars left The Sands parking lot, the happy graduates and their proud families were indeed grateful that this turned out to be a graduation that they will always remember.

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HANC Graduation

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n Wednesday Evening, June 17, the 25 of Sivan, HANC High School seniors graduated before an audience of 130 Hondas, Nissans and Toyotas filled with proud family members and faculty members. The ceremony took place in the parking lot at Christopher Morley Park in Roslyn Heights, NY. As the cars drove up through the arches of festive balloons and accompanied music, students and guests were greeted by faculty. They were presented with a graduate gift box which included the book Unlocking Greatness by Charlie Harary, hurricane slides, this year’s color war t-shirt, and a cookie with the class picture. Food fit for a drive-in movie such as popcorn, Twizzlers, milk duds, and the like were enjoyed by all.

The program opened under unique circumstances as it complied with the COVID-19 guidelines, making it the first ever drive-in movie graduation at HANC High School.

Following the pre-recorded processional of graduates and the anthems sung by Mr. Jacob Spadaro, Rabbi Shlomo Adelman, principal of the High School, welcomed guests and graduates and introduced salutatorian, Ali Lenefsky, who delivered the Invocation.

Mrs. Marie Palaia, associate principal, greeted the graduates with an upbeat congratulatory message. She reminded students to strive for excellence, find balance in life, and laugh and smile each day.

In his outstanding valedictory address, Adam Speiser encouraged his classmates to continue making positive choices based on the foundations each student received while at HANC. Additionally, Adam expressed his hakarat hatov to his beloved school, family, and friends and thanked Hashem for bringing the class to this milestone.

Dr. Ruchi Kushner, HANC’s president, congratulated the class on their accomplishments and reminded the graduates that they will always remain beloved members of the HANC family.

Then, the faculty honored the Class of 2020 with a poignant video presentation filmed from the comfort of their homes, as they reflected on their most meaningful memories throughout the four years of high school.

Ms. Tziporah Zucker, assistant principal, addressed the graduates emphasizing the unique qualities of the Class of 2020 and how each individual has impacted their school.

She also complimented the class on their valuable leadership, especially during these unusual times. Ms. Zucker then introduced the class speaker, Stephanie Hoch who reflected on the four years of high school and the memorable experiences they shared as a grade.

Seniors members of the HANC Band, BlüSøul, accompanied by Music Teacher, Mr. Jacob Spadaro, performed “Yom HaShishi” by Omer Adam in a riveting music video.

A surprise and heartfelt tribute video was created by the Class of 2020 to outgoing Menahel Adelman, entitled “Thank You Rabbi Adelman,” which reflected their admiration for their beloved principal.

Rabbi Shlomo Adelman, in his charge to the graduates, recognized his special bond with the graduates and encouraged students to always stay close to Hashem.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, followed by the blooper reel, faculty lined the “parade route” in a socially distant way waving to the graduates as they drove through in their decorated cars. This, of course, was a way of carrying on the wonderful longstanding tradition at HANC, greeting the graduates as they came off the stage. At the end of the parade route each student was handed his/ her diploma by Rabbi Adelman.

Mazal tov to all the graduates and their families!

OU Launches “Project Community”

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ith camp, travel, and NCSY Summer programs canceled as a result of the pandemic, the Orthodox Union (OU) has created Project Community 2020 (PC20), a summer initiative focused on engaging teens, college students and Yachad members.

Launching across the U.S. and Canada on July 6, in conjunction with the OU’s NCSY, Yachad and OUJLIC, PC20 offers teens recreation combined with the Jewish learning and volunteer opportunities to bring support to local communities.

“During a time like this, the OU’s mission of supporting the community’s needs is more critical than ever before. Project Community looks to do this by engaging our teens, college students and Yachad members to help our community respond to

this crisis. Our youth will be critical players in meeting the needs of others and experience the incomparable taste of making a difference in the lives of our community leading, hopefully, to a life of such service,” added Orthodox Union Incoming Executive Vice President Rabbi Moshe Hauer.

“The closure of summer camp programs this summer has left thousands of teens across North America with a desperate need for structured programming, and there is a desire from both these teens and their parents to participate in Torah learning opportunities as well as help the community prevail over this unprecedented disruption,” said Orthodox Union President Moishe Bane. “The OU is proud to have brought together all of our departments to develop

Project Community 2020 as both a way to engage our teens and address our community needs as we rebuild after this pandemic.”

The New York program will include versions of Kollel and Michlelet, both based in Five Towns and aimed at providing teens with morning religious programing including prayer and learning, similar to the way the NCSY Summer programs bearing the same names operate in Israel. The programs will both also include sports and recreational activities in the morning and two nights of activities each week that will be planned dynamically as the area continues to re-open.

In the afternoons, teens will have a variety of volunteering opportunities, including having teens participate in building a house in Long

Beach with Habitat for Humanity.

Weekly programs will also operate in Queens and Brooklyn.

“Our goal is fairly simple, to provide opportunities for our teens to come back together as a community,” said NCSY Summer Director David Cutler, who is overseeing the state’s programs. “Our hope is that the program maximizes our participants’ ability to have fun together, learn together, volunteer together and ultimately grow together as our communities re-emerge from our shutdowns.”

All programs will be run in accordance with state and local health requirements. For more information, please visit https://www.pc20.org.

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

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IVDU Long Island Spectacular Summer Send Off

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n Thursday, June 18, IVDU Long Island’s School for Special Education celebrated the end of a unique and successful school year. From September to mid-March, IVDU students and teachers benefited from the plentiful materials and resources available in our school building. When we transitioned to remote learning, teachers and therapists continued to provide the signature individualized IVDU education on Zoom. Parents received hands-on materials, lesson plans and activities. Teachers provided individual live sessions tailored to each student and offered at-home activities as well. Therapists continued to service students through live sessions and at-home activities.

To promote school spirit and spread joy at this challenging time, Ivdu staff invited students for a drive thru Lag B’Omer celebration! Students joyfully greeted their masked and gloved teachers and excitedly received a package with a DIY smores kit, complete with easy to follow visual instructions. Treats and car decorating completed the festive at-

mosphere. Although social distancing was firmly in place, the positive energy and love between the staff and students was felt by all.

In honor of Shavuos, our school secretary traveled to Far Rockaway, Five Towns, and Queens to personally deliver a themed flower cookie decorating kit to every IVDU student! In addition, families received a floral centerpiece in gratitude for their partnership and support of their children’s learning.

In celebration of the culmination of our school year, students gathered with their teachers on Zoom to share end of the year goodbyes and watch a beautiful slideshow of memories of activities and events held throughout the year. At 1 PM, excitement began to build as cars pulled into the IVDU driveway! Staff greeted students and handed a custom IVDU backpack filled with summer themed treats to each child. Students received individualized summer homework packets carefully prepared by their teachers.

Each packet included plenty of prizes and incentives to encourage important summer review of learning. To

add to the fun, students and their siblings were treated to ices. Goodbye wishes were exchanged with fervent hopes to meet in September in our beloved school building once more!

For IVDU staff, the day continued. Staff gathered for a delicious individually wrapped staff appreciation lunch. Teachers and therapists held a planning meeting to share reflections of the school year and plan exciting activities for the upcoming year. At IVDU, the dedicated staff continues to work on behalf of the students, even when school is not in session.

The success of this past school year is truly due to the incredibly devot-

ed team of teachers and therapists at IVDU who went above and beyond to create a sense of stability throughout these trying times. Together with the incredibly devoted IVDU parents who partnered in their child’s education, this year ended off on a high!

vised parents about the 3 P’s – to be sure to take care of themselves as a person first and as a partner in order to be good parents. Additionally, she counseled parents to avoid overburdening their children by acting as their child’s teacher and forcing formal schoolwork on children at home.

Instead, she recommended informal learning opportunities and experiences to enrich children’s vocabulary and provide the foundation for comprehension when learning to read.

Dr. Feldman suggested that we look to Pirkei Avot (1:6) for wisdom in dealing with these unsettling times: Asei Licha Rav, don’t be afraid to ask for guidance; Knei Licha Chaver, we need social interaction now more than ever (in safe ways, of course); and Hevei Dan Et Kol Adam Lekaf Zechut, if you see people doing things you wouldn’t do, don’t judge them – you don’t know the whole picture. Accept that people are different and react to situations differently. And that is OK.

At the same time as the parents of Shulamith ECC Pre1Aers were getting their guidance, the fantastic Pre 1A morot carefully prepared a curriculum to give the children guidance and ease their concerns about the big transition to first grade. The teachers elicited a list of questions from the children about first grade. Then they invited the first grade teachers to a Zoom session to answer the questions and describe how much fun they will have in first grade. The teachers took the children on a virtual tour of “Big Shulamith” including a fun virtual ride on the LIRR. The children were thrilled to meet the principal, Mrs. Yarmak, and see the current first graders having a wonderful time in school.

Shulamith ECC will certainly miss our Pre1A graduates. We wish them a wonderful summer and a successful year full of fun and learning in first grade.

IVDU has staff opportunities available for teachers’ assistants and paras for the 2020-2021 school. Join a thriving, growing special education school right here in the Five Towns!

To apply, please contact Dr. Sara Seplowitz, principal, at seplowitzs@ ou.org.

A Big Transition

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ig changes can be exciting but also frightening. Parents of children who are finishing Pre1-A and getting ready to enter first grade always have many questions about how to ease their child’s transition to the “big school.” This is especially true in today’s COVID climate where there is no longer a standard

called normal.

In order to offer parents guidance and reassurance, Shulamith ECC invited noted educator and Covenant award winner Dr. Ruth Pinkenson Feldman to share her many years of experience with incoming first grade parents. In a session called “From Worry to Wonder,” Dr. Feldman ad-

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Around the Community

Innovative Highlights from Shevach

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s everyone adjusted to the new normal of remote learning this spring, it became clear that the absence of physical classrooms or typical schedules would not stop the dedication and creativity of Shevach teachers or students. Under the guidance of Shevach Principal Rebbetzin Rochelle Hirtz, and Associate Principal for General Studies Mrs. Nechama Mirsky, the staff reworked extracurricular events to meet the changing realities. Classes were dynamic, collaborative experiences, and in place of several traditional assessments, teachers designed fabulous projects which enabled students to learn through heartfelt writing, high-tech science, and solid teamwork.

When an anticipated in-person speech by Mrs. Rachel Geisler had to be cancelled due to the mandated school closures, Mrs. Geisler happily agreed to “meet” with the Shevach students and mothers on May 20 through…Google Meet. This was a perfect venue for the event, as Mrs. Geisler has worked at Google for over fourteen years. She was able to provide an “inside scoop” on some of the exciting happenings there, especially with the surge in use due to Covid-19 related school and office closures around the world. Through her speech and the question and answer session that followed, Mrs. Geisler enthusiastically discussed her schooling and her work at Google, as well as the incredible ways computer science is changing the field of medicine and so much more.

As one student, Gitty Howitt, expressed, “Mrs. Geisler showed me that there is much more to technology than my laptop.” Mrs. Geisler shared poignant and humorous lessons about not giving up, the importance of listening to your mother, and the incredible privilege making a kiddush Hashem. Mrs. Geisler’s clear devotion to her family, her love for Torah, and her positive energy made for a highly memorable evening. A special thank you goes to Mr. Barry Grossman and Mrs. Temima Baum for coordinating the event!

As Regents examinations, regular in-person final sessions, and extracurricular trips also had to be cancelled, Shevach teachers came up with new ideas to build a success-

ful and enjoyable spring semester.

Mrs. Paula Berger’s eleventh grade Earth Science class developed technology-based presentations on environmental issues. Students created films and detailed slideshow presentations of graphs and charts to demonstrate their knowledge and research of topics such as renewable energy, water resources, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis. The girls did an exceptional job incorporating graphic design, music, and other tools into their projects.

Students in Ms. Sara Nasirov’s tenth grade Global History course created a documentary about India’s struggle for independence in the 20th century, crafted imagined correspondence between family members in Europe in the 1930’s and 1940’s, and wrote newspaper articles about the Cold War. Seniors in Ms. Nasirov’s Economics class created a matching game about taxes, children’s books about investments and insurance, and a trivia game about GDP and the economic cycle. Students reflected that their final projects allowed them to gain a greater understanding of their topic while enjoying the opportunity for creative expression.

Mrs. Rena Hall’s eleventh grade pre-calculus students created magic mirror graphing books and Spot It! games to share the fun of mathematics. Instead of final exams, the girls presented videos and slide shows on analytical trigonometry, graphing, limits, permutations, combinations and more using graphics and music. The advanced math students in Mrs. Hall’s ninth grade geometry class became teachers themselves as they designed review sheets, exam questions, and shared unique presentations on topics such as circles, density, and coordinate geometry.

Rabbi Nachi Sonnenblick posted a dvar Torah for his senior college credit mathematics class each Friday, and he expressed that in some ways the challenges of the past semester created a greater sense of teamwork and purpose in the class.

A cancelled museum trip prompted Mrs. Tzivia Meth to bring some of the artwork related to her modern Jewish history class to her students via computer instead. This sparked great analysis and discussion, all without having to deal with

traffic into the city. Mrs. Regina Fischbein’s English students wrote about their experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic through poetry and daily journal writing. The experience of not being able to get together with friends or physically attend school, as well as being “cooped up” with family (who can sometimes be annoying), more seriously coupled with news of tragedies and feelings of fear, were all elements of The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, which the ninth grade had read prior to the pandemic. Despite the clear differences between Anne’s much more tragic situation during the Holocaust and their own situations during the pandemic, the girls were able to recognize and relate to some of the thoughts and feelings Anne had while she was in hiding. The girls’ own writings reflected maturity, compassion, longing, and hope.

No one anticipated a semester like the one that just concluded. Mrs.

Shari Weiss, whose students presented projects on major American policymaking, explained that teachers also learned new skills these past few months. Learning how to teach virtually through Google Meet and Zoom, and brainstorming new ways to motivate students, certainly were challenges. Yes, live debates on human rights are more exiting, but Mrs. Ahuva Bondi’s English students were able to articulate their stances and engage in lively debate from the comfort of their homes, with great success.

The descriptions above are just a few examples of the creativity and care of the Shevach faculty. Baruch Hashem, the flexibility, optimism and dedication of all of the Shevach teachers and students have enabled great accomplishment and growth this spring in unexpected but wonderful ways.

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1

Torah Thought

Parshas Korach

By Rabbi Berel Wein

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here are always differences within a team regarding the role and efficacy of leadership and leaders. All leaders are subject to criticism and second guessing. It comes with the job, and there is no escaping it. Nevertheless, when the criticism descends to the level of personal abuse, and when it is obviously motivated by jealousy and other susceptible causes, then the criticism crosses the line of acceptability and becomes almost slander.

We see in the Torah reading of this week that Korach had criticism of Moshe and Aaron regarding their leadership roles. This criticism, as the Torah indicates to us very clearly, stems from personal motives of jealousy and because Korach was convinced that he and his family were entitled to many more privileges of leadership than they were given. So, it became a personal vendetta. But no one likes to mount a personal vendetta without having some sort of ulterior super-cause by which to justify it. It was not possible for Korach to say, “I want more power, therefore, give it to me.” Instead, he says that Moshe and Aaron are lording it over the Jewish people unnecessarily. They have no mandate to do so. All people are holy, and, therefore, everyone is entitled to their say and their share of the privileges of leadership.

This is a populist demand. It is common throughout all human history that the road to obtaining power is to cloak it in some great moral cause. In human history, there have been instances when the moral cause was present. All those rebellions and revolutions were justified and necessary. However, I believe that in many instances in human history, it

was simply a power grab. People felt they were entitled, and they resented that others had the power. And, for them to gain that power, they would resort to any means possible. We can see that this plays out in our current

Moshe is taken aback by the ferocity of the attack against him.

Moshe, who is the most humble of all human beings, who shirked power and begged the L-rd to allow someone else to lead the Jewish people,

The road to obtaining power is to cloak it in some great moral cause

world as well. During political election campaigns, especially on the national level, it is no longer simply a question of ideas or policies. It has deteriorated into being a question of personalities and the hunger – the insatiable hunger – for power.

this Moseh is deeply wounded and aggrieved by the slanderous accusations against him. He feels that these accusations must be refuted. If Korach, so to speak, escapes unscathed from this incident of an open personal power grab, then he will set a prec-

edent for others in the future. And then Jewish leaders will always be subjected to such vendettas and personal acrimony. So Moshe responds, not in order to justify himself, even though he’s upset as well. “I have not taken anything from anybody,” Moshe says. “I have not lived at the public troughs, I am not guilty of any corruption, I have been as selfless as I can.”

But that is not the issue. The issue is whether an individual can mount an attack on the leadership of the nation based solely on personal desire and political arrogance. And that, Moshe feels, must be rejected and refuted in a miraculous and painful way. He asks the L-rd to create what had already been created in the six days of creation, the mouth of the earth that would swallow up Korach and his cohorts, and prove once and for all that a person has to be careful to separate noble causes from personal greed and avarice.

This is reinforced when the staff of Aaron blossoms in the Tabernacle while the other staffs remain dead wood. Again, Aaron is the last person that can be accused of wanting power or privilege. He is the lover of peace, the gentle arbiter between families and communities. He is the symbol of godly service and of concern for his fellow human beings.

The attack on him is doubly unjustified. It is abundantly clear that Korach is acting out of personal motives.

This is a power grab, which has no place in Jewish life, and the L-rd, so to speak, performs miracles that prevent it from happening. It should remain a lesson and paradigm for all future generations as well.

Shabbat shalom.

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From the Fire

Parshas Korach Where Our Staffs Blossom

By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

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t the end of the parsha, Hashem performs a miracle (Bamidbar 17:17-23) wherein the names of each of tribes were written staffs which were placed in the Holy of Holies in the Mishkan and only the staff with Aharon’s name sprouted almond blossoms. It is not entirely clear why Hashem must perform this miracle. The complainers had already witnessed the fire that consumed the souls of the 250 people who improperly brought incense, the earth open up to swallow Korach, Dasan, Aviram, and their families, and they had heard the voice of the sons of Korach from the depths, “Moshe is true and his Torah is true!” (Bava Basra 74a). If they were not impressed with any of those miracles, they will probably not be swayed by a few almond blossoms either. What exactly did this miracle add?

I heard a beautiful idea in the name of Rav Shneur Kotler, zt”l, the Rosh Yeshiva of Lakewood until 1982, which may help us answer this question.

Rashi comments on the pasuk, “And the children of Korach did not die” (Bamidbar 26:11) as follows: “At the time of the dispute, they contemplated doing teshuva in their hearts.

Therefore, an elevated area was set aside for them in Gehenom and they stay there and sing [songs of praise to G-d]” (also based on Sanhedrin 110a).

Rav Kotler explains that Korach’s fundamental mistake was that he believed the only true servant of G-d is a Kohein Gadol in the Beis Hamikdash.

Only such a person can give Hashem any satisfaction. Based on that attitude, it is understandable why Korach and his cohorts were upset that they were excluded from being kohanim gedolim. They saw that as the only path to spiritual heights, and they were upset because they were barred from attaining such heights themselves. Maybe they would have been satisfied as kohanim who could at least work in the Beis Hamikdash.

But regular Jews, even Levi’im, who are engaged in living their regular prosaic lives, were virtually written off in their eyes as having any ability to achieve spiritual heights. They claimed that Moshe had hijacked G-d so that only he and his brother could come close to G-d, leaving everyone else out.

But the reality is somewhat akin to any country or government today.

There is a president, prime minister, or king. And there are cabinet ministers, advisors, and high government officials who work in close proximity to the seat of government. But there are also concentric circles of other officials, representatives, and government officers of all types, all the way down to local politicians and legislators. And even on the periphery of the country or in foreign lands, there are soldiers who work to keep the country safe and gather intelligence. All of them are important. All of them are necessary to maintain the safety, prosperity, and security of the entire country. The president and his cabinet are not the only ones who count.

Similarly, among the Jewish people, there are kohanim who work in the Beis Hamikdash and the tzaddikim and gedolim who lead us. But there are also simple soldiers, Jews who fight their evil inclination, fight to study another Mishna, or to understand a Gemara with the commentaries of Rashi and Tosafos. All of them are involved in serving the King, even if some of them must do so at what seems like the “edge” of Hashem’s kingdom, like Manhattan or some faraway place on a business trip.

Unlike Korach’s mistaken philosophy, Hashem feels untold satisfaction with the efforts made by simple Jews all over the world to serve Him in whatever life circumstance they find themselves. We cannot imagine the pleasure Hashem has from every little bit of effort such Jews exert in order to serve Him. According to Korach’s belief, a Jew living very far from the Beis Hamikdash, doing his best to learn from a sefer or keep his eyes where they belong on the train, means nothing to Hashem. That is not real service of G-d. But at the last moment, Korach’s sons did teshuva and realized their mistake. As a reward, Hashem gave them a place to stay at the opening of Gehenom until Moshiach comes, where they can sing Hashem’s praises. This is incredibly appropriate.

Because they learned the truth, that there are an infinite number of ways G-d wants His servants to work for Him, they merited to demonstrate this to the world by singing Hashem’s

praises at the mouth of Gehenom, certainly the furthest place on can imagine from the Beis Hamikdash!

Their very lives now teach us that even in those places that seem the furthest from G-d, one can still serve Him and make Him proud.

Perhaps a person has done something he regrets, perhaps when he wakes up the next morning, he feels he is so low, like he is sitting at the opening of Gehenom. He may feel so undeserving, he does not even know whether he can motivate himself to put on tefillin. But the sons of Korach teach us that no matter how far from the Beis Hamikdash, from holiness, we find ourselves, we are not too far away to sing Hashem’s praises. We can still give G-d pleasure and satisfaction from our efforts, wherever we are.

We read the Song of the Day every day but do not often pay close attention to its meaning. Rav Kotler concludes by explaining the Song of the Day for Mondays (Tehillim 48), which begins, “A song, a psalm of the sons of Korach,” as a reflection of Korach’s initial mistake and his sons’ ultimate realization of the truth. At the beginning of the Song, the sons of Korach say, “Hashem is great and exceedingly praised in the city of our G-d, on the mountain of His holiness… G-d is in its palaces, He is known as a stronghold… We hoped, G-d, for your kindness in Your sanctuary.” They initially believed that Hashem can only be found “in the city of our G-d, on the mountain of His holiness,” in the Beis

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Hamikdash. He is only in the palaces of Yerushalayim, only in “Your sanctuary.” But they thought that one cannot feel the greatness of G-d or become close to Him anywhere else.

But the sons of Korach finally realized, “According to Your name, so is Your praise, till the ends of the earth…” Standing on the edge of Gehenom, they finally realized that even at the ends of the earth, one can still compose Tehillim and come close to G-d. This is what the children of Korach finally realized, as the Song continues, “in order that you may tell a later generation.”

Now we can understand the need for the miracle of the almond blossoms on Aharon’s staff. The complainers thought that it was possible Hashem took revenge upon Korach and his follows to avenge the honor of Moshe. But they were not convinced Korach’s fundamental mistake had been disproven. Perhaps it was still true that only the Kohein Gadol and the kohanim were precious in Hashem’s eyes. Perhaps regular Jews truly were relegated to a secondary spiritual status.

Hashem therefore performed the miracle of the almond blossoms to demonstrate that everyone’s flower blossoms in a different place. The Jewish people should not make the critical error of thinking that they would blossom in the Beis Hamikdash if only they were allowed inside.

G-d showed them the fallacy of this idea by placing all of the tribes’ staffs into the Holy of Holies so that every-

followers. It is not only those whose profession involves revealed holiness who can give Hashem pleasure and satisfaction. Those of us fighting at the borders, far from the beis medrash, for a little bit of holiness, to fight off a little bit of darkness here and there, give G-d untold nachas.

The Baal Hatanya, zy”a, teaches that the harried storekeeper who sighs when he realizes that the sun

A Jew can build a Beis Hamikdash on the Long Island Railroad.

one would see that only Aharon’s staff blossoms in the Holy of Holies. But the other tribes’ staffs would blossom elsewhere.

By performing this miracle, Hashem demonstrated to us for all times that anyone who thinks there is only one way to be holy is committing the same mistake as Korach and his

has almost set and he cannot daven with a minyan and therefore catches a lighting-fast Mincha in between customers gives Hashem untold pleasure. He may feel like his store is at the opening of Gehenom, like he so far from G-d. But the Baal Hatanya teaches us that the heartbroken sigh of the storekeeper, which express-

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es untold longing for holiness, gives Hashem as much pleasure as the korbanos of the kohanim in the Beis Hamikdash. A Jew can build a Beis Hamikdash on the Long Island Railroad.

In his store. In his delivery truck. A woman can build a Beis Hamikdash in her house. At her job. At her college campus. In her kitchen.

No matter who a person is or where life’s circumstances have brought him, he can serve G-d and draw Hashem’s presence down into his world and his life.

Let us not make the same mistake Korach made. Let us realize that our staffs will blossom wherever Hashem has sent us in our own lives. We need not all be devoted to obviously G-dly activities to bring Hashem pleasure.

May Hashem enlighten our eyes so that we see how to serve G-d through our own lives and not dismiss our own service as worthless as Korach did.

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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The Wandering

Jew

Heritage Journey with the Boys Part I

By Hershel Lieber

Packing the food with my brother-in-law Gedalya

Leaving on our journey

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t began in the spring of 2004.

My seventeen-year-old nephew, Mechel Jacobovits, was in the eleventh grade at Mesivta Ohr Shrage Veretzky in Flatbush. He and his classmates were trying to plan a class trip during bein hazmanim in August. They could not come up with an idea that everyone would agree upon. In addition, many of their parents were not comfortable with the idea of eleven yeshiva boys traveling without supervision and without a definite itinerary. At one point, Mechel asked his mother, who is my sister, for a solution to their dilemma. My sister immediately thought that, not only could I propose a solution, but that I could be part of the solution as well.

My nephew called me, and I offered him several travel ideas, but I really recommended that the group do a heritage trip to Poland. When Mechel proposed this to his friends, they were far from satisfied. They wanted a trip that would be excit-

ing and entertaining. To them, Poland represented sadness and seriousness, and they were reluctant to go. I remember the meeting I set up with the class one evening where I presented the positive nature of this type of trip. I promised them that, contrary to their perceptions,

them the assurance that their children would be well cared for and that their activities would be supervised. It did not take much time to get them on board, and I began the time-consuming work of making arrangements for this ten-day journey. Airline and train tickets, hotel

The boys were hypnotized by this marvelous sight.

this journey would provide them with fulfillment at every level. I also stressed that we would have lots of fun! I successfully sold them the idea, and they bought in.

To the parents and to their rosh yeshiva, Rabbi Sholom Noach Landau, the fact that I would be leading this trip together with Pesi gave

accommodations, local transportation, entrance fees, guides and above all Shabbos plans were all part of my responsibilities. One of the most difficult aspects was preparing food for the trip. There were no reliable kosher establishments in Poland at the time, so we had to take along all the food for the ten days of the trip. My

brother-in-law, Gedalya Jacobovits from Ateres Chaya fame, was an unbelievable help in providing the delicious frozen dinners which we could heat up at our hotels. The breakfast and lunch meals, snacks and paper goods were put together by Pesi and me. As my lifetime partner, Pesi, was always at my side assisting with so many of the tasks that were needed, both before we left and during our travels.

I also invited my son, Mechel, who was learning in Eretz Yisroel at the time, to join us. Since he was about five years older than the boys, he would be able to serve as a counselor to the younger yeshiva boys.

The fact that together we comprised a group that was over ten adult males made it possible for us to daven with minyan throughout our trip. In addition, I allocated time within our busy schedule for the boys to continue learning as a group or with chavrusos, which was especially important to the parents and to the rosh yeshi-

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The magnificent shul in Lancut

At the sole remaining wall of the Warsaw Ghetto

va. The weeks and days before we left were especially hectic, but I was on a continuous high with the anticipation that we would have an amazing journey.

original Ghetto wall. We proceeded to the Gensia Cemetery, one of largest Jewish beis olams in the world.

Some of our greatest rabbanim and Admorim are buried there. The caretaker, Yisroel Szpilman, gave us an extensive tour with an opportunity to say Tehillim at the kivrei tzaddikim. We wound up our day at the Nozyk Shul where we davened and made up Monday’s krias haTorah and were addressed by Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich.

The next morning, after Shacharis and breakfast, we checked out of our hotel. We had an intense day ahead of us. We were traveling in a minibus and heading to Gura Kalwalria, which was the hometown of the previous Gerrer Rebbes. We had the opportunity to say Tehillim at the kevarim of the Chiddushei HaRim and the Sfas Emes, as well as visit the shul of the Imrei Emes where thousands of chassidim came

We arrived in Warsaw early Monday afternoon on August 9. We were met by Wojtek, who made most of our arrangements in Poland. I had several meetings with Wojtek when I was in Poland during the previous month, and we constantly kept in touch as plans were being finalized.

We were blessed to have him make our preparations as he was very experienced working with Jewish tourists and was deeply knowledgeable of our special needs and interests.

Our first stops included the Warsaw Ghetto Memorial, the Umshlagplatz (from where Jews were sent to the death camp, Treblinka), Mila 18, a memorial to the Ghetto uprising, and to a remnant of the

The boys pitched in when they could

to spend the yomim tovim with their Rebbe. From there, we headed towards Lublin. As important as it was to present the places associated with the Holocaust to these young bochurim, I felt that correct timing and proper spacing of those sights would have a greater impact in realizing the enormous tragedy. Our first stop in Majdanek, where 360,000 Jews were murdered, was especially difficult for the boys to bear. The graphic presentation of the horrors that our ancestors went through was visible in the faces of their descendants. We recited many kapitlach Tehillim, and many tears were shed on behalf of those unfortunate souls.

We reluctantly left with feelings of guilt, ever conscious that we were spared the Final Solution.

For our next stop, I needed to bring about a change of mood and to generate a positive spirit for our group. To this end, we visited the

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The kever of Reb Meilech of Liznesk

famed Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin of Rabbi Meir Shapiro. There, I made a siyum of Meseches Bechoros, and we sang and danced and then davened Mincha. To be in this historic building where the daf hayomi movement had its origins was an extraordinary experience. To top off the day, we went to the beis olam where we davened by the kevarim of the Maharshal, Rav Sholom Shachne and the Chozeh of Lublin.

We then checked into a hotel and ate a hearty supper, which was followed by most boys coming down to the lobby and learning with their chavrusos. Having my son Mechel with me gave me a built-in chavrusa as well. By this time, I had somewhat gotten to know the boys and was extremely impressed with their middos and their willingness to follow the guidelines I set up for the trip.

They all pitched in to help, and their upbeat dispositions made everything

Feliks Karpman, the only Jew left in Ger, talking to the boys

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At the Majdanik Death Camp

we did together into a pleasurable event.

Wednesday again was a combination of Jewish and general historical sights. Being by the kever of the Rebbe Rav Meilech in Lizensk is a highlight for anyone that has chassidic

At the Yeshiva Chachmei Lublin

At the Potocki Palace in Lancut

roots. Lighting candles, reciting Tehillim and placing kvitlach with the names of family members on his hallowed tomb was a spiritual high for everyone present. With devotion, we beseeched Hashem’s help “that we appreciate each other’s qualities and

not recognize each other’s faults” in the special tefilla that the Holy Rebbe created. We all left with feelings that our prayers were accepted, and that our wishes would be granted.

We continued on to Lancut and davened by the kever of the Ropshitzer Rebbe. We visited one of the most magnificent shuls in all of Poland. The intricate carvings and colorful artwork are on all the walls and ceiling of the interior sanctuary, as well as around the bimah. I personally had a hand in this project. When I was in Lancut in the late eighties I entered the shul while it was in the midst of being restored to its prewar glory. A Polish artist standing high on the scaffolding noticed me and called out that I should wait. When he descended, he showed me the over-thirty decorated murals that contained either complete chapters of Tehillim or passages from the tefillos – most of them were barely readable. He was trying to fill in the missing letters and words but had no idea what they were. I told him that

there was no way I could help him immediately but that I would take photos of every mural and send him back photocopies of the full texts from a siddur or Tehillim. This I did, and he used my photocopies in restoring the entire shul’s magnificent murals. The result was mesmerizing, and the boys were hypnotized by this marvelous sight.

To balance our day with some general sightseeing, I took the group to see the nearby Lancut Palace, which was the home of the famed Count Potocki. Although this is basically a Polish historical sight, the Potockis were the forbearers of the famed Ger Tzedek of Vilna, who is buried in the same ohel as the Vilna Gaon.

We were in Poland less than forty-eight hours, and we had achieved so much! There were still many hours left during that day and many more days ahead of us. We were on a roll, and we all were looking forward to more adventures…

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

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World

Builders

Springing into Action Raphael Poch Tom Eisenman, together with his wife, Nechama, after they responded to a call together

O

ne Monday, at 3:58 p.m., Tom Eisenman, who works as the director of business development for Cause Match Israel, was sitting in the company’s Jerusalem office. He was preparing for a 4 p.m.

Zoom meeting with a new prospective client in the U.K. Tom’s office is located on Agrippas Street, a busy

thoroughfare that serves as one of the main roads for public transportation through the downtown corridor.

All of sudden, Tom heard a horrible cry from the street below. He peeked out the window and saw that a 5-year-old boy had been run over by a bus.

Tom, who volunteers as a United

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Hatzalah EMT, immediately sprung into action. He grabbed Moshe Schieber, a Cause Match Israel salesman who is also a United Hatzalah volunteer EMT, and together they rushed out to help the boy.

Within 20 seconds, Moshe and Tom were on the scene. As Moshe started to administer first aid on the boy’s injured leg, Tom ran down the block to his parked car and grabbed his medical kit.

Tom, running the entire way in both directions, quickly returned

Tom finally returned to his office, took a minute to clean up, and then got on his Zoom meeting with the prospective client. One of his staff had explained to them why Tom was late, and Tom was greeted with understanding and support for his actions by those he was supposed to meet with a few minutes prior.

“The explanation of why I was late actually served as a great icebreaker for the meeting and showed a really human side of both myself and the company I work for,” Tom

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Within 20 seconds, Moshe and Tom were on the scene

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with the kit and pulled out a number of personal bandages. The pair of EMTs staunched the bleeding and wrapped the boy’s leg as other volunteers began to arrive. Moshe and Tom stabilized the boy and stopped the bleeding before the ambulance arrived. When the ambulance made its way to the scene, Tom and Moshe assisted in loading their now-stable young patient onto the ambulance so that he could be rushed to the ER. Tom and Moshe’s company, Cause Match Israel, issued a statement on the Facebook page expressing their proud support for the actions of their staff members: “Cause Match Israel – helping people isn’t just our business model. It’s our way of life!”

noted. “They were very understanding and even wished the boy well.

Hopefully, we’ll be able to close the deal with their non-profit organization and help them, too.”

Tom added, “I really love volunteering with United Hatzalah and having the knowledge and tools necessary to help others. This ethos goes beyond just me, as my wife and two of my brothers also volunteer as first responders with the organization.

Having the equipment nearby certainly helped save this boy on Monday. It is important to keep it close by, and it is important to be in good shape so that you can run when you need to, in order to help as quickly as possible.”

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-d gave each of us a soul, which is a candle that He gives us to illuminate our surroundings with His light. We must not only illuminate the inside of homes, but also the outside, and the world at large.

-The Rebbe

The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory, passed away on June 12, 1994, the third day of the Jewish month of Tammuz. The Rebbe was the seventh leader in the ChabadLubavitch dynasty, who lived a life immersed in Torah teachings and shared his most unique clear Torah perspective for many thousands of hours to the masses. Hundreds of volumes of his teachings were published, and many more have yet to be published. He sent many thousands of emissaries around the world, often to remote locations, to bring Jews closer to Judaism and to assist Jewish communities worldwide in their needs. The Rebbe is considered to have been one of the most phenomenal Jewish personalities of modern

times. All of the Chabad emissaries, or “shluchim,” rely on the teachings of the Rebbe in order to selflessly serve their fellow Jews with love and to meet the particular needs of their communities and those around them.

As June 2020 marks the 26th yahrtzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, we reflect on how our Five Towns Chabad shluchim managed to pivot and provide for their community during the coronavirus pandemic.

---------------------------Rabbi Zalman and Chanie Wolowik have been serving the Five Towns community since September of 1995, with love, joy and enthusiasm, filling both their shul and their table with as many people as possible. Partnering with them in this work are Rabbi Meir and Hadassah Geisinsky, who, as members of the Chabad team, are responsible for much of the programming and community-building that are the hallmarks of Chabad of the Five Towns.

This year, with no communal Pesach seder, Lag B’Omer bash or Shavuot Torah reading, the Wolowiks

and Geisinskys reimagined some of the most festive times of year during an unprecedented and devastating situation. They managed to adapt, maintain and grow their regular comprehensive programming while offering support to a community that was one of the hardest hit by the pandemic.

While the ability to adapt to the community’s needs as necessary is constant priority for the Wolowiks, Geisinskys and all Chabad houses, the stay-at-home order and unforeseen shutdown of shuls and social gatherings required a greater level of ingenuity than ever before. They had to close the Gan Chamesh preschool and interrupt their youth programs, as well as the vital programming for senior members and special needs children. Though the worst of the virus seems to be behind us and shuls optimistically begin to reopen their doors, there is still so much to be done. Rebbetzin Chanie shares a look back at how their Five Towns Chabad family navigated, and continues to navigate, their way through some of the most trying times.

“It was very painful that every-

thing shut down so abruptly, but we tried to transition with it,” recalls the rebbetzin. “Our Chabad view is to spring proactively into action right away and to see what we can do as a positive. We started virtual Shacharis on Zoom right away. We had to immediately be supportive of so many people.”

With schools shuttered and therapy programs halted, supporting those with special needs was a very high priority. The Friendship Circle organization for children, teens, and young adults with special needs, coordinated by Batsheva Borenstein, had full Zoom programming through the support of their 235 active volunteers, who hail from 13 local private and public high schools. They serviced 166 families, some with more than 1 child in the program. Seventy-six children had weekly virtual playdates with volunteers, and over 100 packages were delivered to homes every other week.

The Smile on Seniors senior citizen programming continued with the help of devoted coordinators Lisa Pockriss and Michele Justic, as they personally walked every senior

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A DIY Shavuos box

through the steps to get onto Zoom.

They provided comfort and company to the community homebound with games, speakers and engaging programs.

The Gan Chamesh preschool, with the direction of school heads Susy Adler and Suzanne Wallin, shifted to a virtual platform providing multiple classes a day, playdates via Zoom with teachers and friend,s and special holiday programming with prepared packages for each student. Chabad’s Hebrew school continued as well, with 40 students continuing their full curriculum via Zoom under the leadership of Rabbi Meir and Hadassah Geisinsky.

Two Torah classes were added per day with Rabbi Shais Taub offering classes with practical guidance from the Rebbe leading up to Pesach, as well as classes addressing topics such as how to view a pandemic according to the Torah and how to deal with anxiety.

“We definitely had growth in adult education during this time – many more people who are learning and even our ‘davening’ was very active with everyone encouraging each other to daven,” says Rebbetzin Chanie.

The Chabad team worked tirelessly to reach out in meaningful new ways. Some weeks they delivered parsha treats, as they would normally do in shul, to the houses of all of their regular youth group children.

For Lag B’Omer they prepared care packages with s’mores and bows and arrows. They hosted many programs for women on Zoom to offer a chance to see each other and connect, including fun themes like a virtual vacation with Chabad in Hawaii who took

Delivering flowers

them on a “tour” – with sweet treats delivered to participants in advance.

Rebbetzin Chanie expressed gratitude and appreciation for the members of the Chabad team, particularly Rabbi Meir and Hadassah Geisinsky, to make it all happen as smoothly as possible. She is also grateful to be able to rely on additional support from the Chabad organization, for both materials and camaraderie.

There is fortunately a very big network. The Chabad Shluchot had an online fahbrengen gathering each week, providing encouragement or entertainment – both of which were needed. For Pesach, there were “Seder to Go” kits, which were coordinated by “Merkos Suite 302,” the educational branch of Chabad that also helps support programming like CTeen, CKids and Jewish Learning Institute programs of Chabad.

“The Seder to Go kits were really well received,” Rebbetzin Chanie notes. “They provided the materials which were beautiful – everything needed to do the seder by yourself.

We had a lot of people, with limited Jewish knowledge or homebound, who were only able to make the seder by themselves thanks to the Chabad Seder to Go kits. The JLI-Jewish Learning Institute had prepared a state-of-the-art course, and a lot of the classes we gave were given all around the world.”

The Geisinskys and Wolowiks also checked in regularly with community members to see how they could help them on a personal level.

“We coordinated hundreds of shopping trips for seniors and homebound, and we’re still doing it. At the beginning, it was literally nonstop,

Spreading cheer

and we were getting teenagers and adults in the community to help do the shopping. It was all coordinated by Goldie – shopping lists, prescriptions, many were sponsored by Chabad – so many different needs.

We raised money and gave out hundreds of gift cards to those in need.

Unfortunately, Rabbi Wolowik performed many funerals for Covid patients. There were friends who lost a

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Rabbi Wolowik with a young visitor

parent and some who lost both.

“This is an unprecedented trying time,” Rebbetzin Chanie says, “and I think the hardest part is not being able to physically be there for people and not being able to give that hug to somebody who is going through a hard time – and not having enough hours in the day to really be able to reach out to everybody. The amount of people you get to see on a Shabbos

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Lag B’Omer lights up the night

in shul and genuinely ask ‘how are you doing?’ and catch up with them – that could take a week of phone calls.

It’s just not possible to be there all the time for everyone…

“We really, really miss everybody and look forward to greet everyone in person very soon.”

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hanie shared a bit about her unique personal experience of being home with the family over the past three months.

Unfortunately, throughout all the adapted programming and community service, much of Chanie’s personal time and energy during this period was devoted to helping families in the community directly who were hard hit by the virus and are very ill.

“That was 95 percent of my energy.

You would have seen Chabad doing even more, but that’s where we had to be and that’s where we still are, unfortunately.”

Rebbetzin Chanie was the only one in the Wolowik family who was stricken with coronavirus symptoms, lasting for about two weeks. She was gratefully not to have been hit too hard since she is never one to sit still.

“I pushed myself to be there for everybody – but there were a couple of hours on different days that I really had to stay in bed. We quarantined and were absolutely insular. I think one of the positives was that our entire family quarantined together for all this time. I literally did not leave my house for weeks.”

She adds, “We had eight kids in the house with us, and we’ve never experienced a time like this when we were just family for such a long time. We genuinely missed having

Rabbi Meir Geisinsky

guests and physically being there for people, but we did utilize the time to strengthen our family connections, and it was really special.

“Our two youngest made puppet shows every single meal with different stories of tzaddikim that they learned. It was very different than what we usually have, which is tables filled with guests and which is what we all prefer, but we did love this time together.”

Though the children did miss the guests and their friends, they all kept busy and were happy to have

Rabbi Zalman Wolowik with the Rebbe

that the Lubavitcher Rebbe, zt”l, used during the Torah reading when Chanie was named 48 years ago and that her father had kept. All the boys got to “lein,” and the girls got to daven and say hallel together.

“It was very important that we made a set space for the shul to enter a different environment for davening three times a day,” says Rebbetzin Chanie. “It was very special to be able to do that. We never anticipated a time when all the kids would be home together, and everybody really enjoyed it and didn’t take it for grant-

“Even if you just push your setback a little bit away, you’re going to see silver and find the good.” each other. All had successful online learning through their Chabad schools. Three of the Wolowik sons came home from their yeshivas out of town, and within four days of school they received school-only iPads and continued full school. “The online Zoom school worked for my family,” Rebbetzin Chanie shares. “It really did. We set up a place for each child and their schools were fantastic.”

Even though praying with a minyan was not an option at that time, the Wolowiks dedicated one room in their house to be set up as a “shul,” with set times for davening and assigned “gabbai” duties for the children. They read from a Chumash

ed.”

They were recently reunited with their married son and daughter-in-law as well, who just recently returned from being quarantined in Santa Fe. Pesach this year was like no other. It is almost unheard of for the Wolowiks to have a Shabbos or holiday without a table full of guests; it is a part of their lives that is cherished by their children as well. For the past 24 years, the first seder night has been held at the Chabad center with hundreds of people, while the second night is generally more intimate, at home with a few guests on a smaller scale. This year, though, the

Wolowiks they had both sedarim at home with their children only. Over yom tov, Rabbi Wolowik took the opportunity to walk to different members’ houses and knock on doors for a socially distanced visit, simply to say hello and connect with the congregants that were missed so dearly.

“We genuinely miss having our guests always, because our guests are our family,” Rebbetzin Chanie says. “So many people that come to us really are an extended family.

“The Rebbe taught us to always to find the positive in every situation, that any step back is for a leap forward and that you have to always increase. Maybe for a moment we were in shock, and then it was like proactively ‘what can we do more?’

“The Rebbe continues to inspire us because the Rebbe looked at every single person at their core, and at our core we’re all one unit and if one person is in pain, then we are in pain,” explains Chanie. “So we really have to try to tap in and reach out to everybody as much as we can and not to let something bring us down and always try to find the silver lining. We say a cloud has that silver lining, but where is that silver lining? The vision is that the entire cloud is lined in silver, so no matter what you push away you’re always going to find silver. Even if you just push your setback a little bit away, you’re going to see silver and find the good.

“We have to believe that Hashem takes us on the quickest path to something better, so if this is the quickest path, there has to be something much better waiting for us as we are all waiting for Moshiach – may we merit to experience this speedy in our times.”

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JUNE 25, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

n Friday, June 12, as most people were closing their computers for the weekend, New York State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker announced that overnight camps in New York State would not be able to open for the season. Immediately after the news was announced, Agudath Israel issued a scathing statement expressing its “deep disappointment in New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and his administration for shuttering overnight camps for tens of thousands of children.”

Agudah noted that the announcement came at a time when cases of COVID-19 had plummeted in the state, adding that the risk among children is extremely low.

Prior to the announcement, Agudah and the Association of Jewish Camp Operators (AJCO) had put together a detailed plan for overnight camps to adhere to minimize any risk to campers. The proposal had included input from pediatricians and infectious disease doctors and was extremely comprehensive. The governor’s administration, though, rejected the plan put forth.

Agudah noted, “This is not the only troubling use of Governor Cuomo’s executive authority, and we have noted this before. Governmental power has also been used as a sword against religion, instead of the shield the Founding Fathers intended it to be.”

Less than a week later, on Thursday, June 18, Agudah and AJCO filed a lawsuit in federal court to overturn the Governor’s decision.

“Camp is essential to children and families,” Agudah’s statement noted, adding that the “importance of camp is especially great this year.”

The lawsuit describes how barring overnight camps would take away parents’ right to provide religious immersion to their children and notes that the state had allowed protests, in which social distancing was flouted, to proliferate.

This week, TJH spoke with Rabbi Yeruchim Silber, Agudah’s New York Government Affairs Director, to learn more about the behind-the-scenes story.

Rabbi Silber, what is your position at Agudah?

I’m the Director of New York Government Affairs.

That must be a fun job these days. What is the status of the relationship these days with Governor Cuomo?

We don’t agree with everything that he is doing.

Tell us about the lawsuit that was just filed against the Governor.

We are trying to get a Temporary Restraining Order which, if granted,

will presumably prevent the Governor from enforcing the no sleepaway camp order.

How quickly can the Temporary Restraining Order be granted?

We hope to be in court with the full legal papers this week. If it’s granted, we hope to have it by the end of the month.

Rabbi Yeruchim Silber

I noticed that in the complaint there is no challenge to the Governor’s general right to issue executive orders regarding corona at this point. The complaint is merely arguing that he is not giving equal treatment.

Why is there no challenge to his ability to issue executive orders in the first place?

I think that’s more of a legisla-

tive thing because they give him that power. It came up in one of the discussions but it wasn’t really contemplated. It would have been too much of a reach.

What is the backstory to this situation? Did you approach Cuomo with a plan prior to the lawsuit being filed?

Absolutely. This really started right after Pesach. A group of camps got together and realized – during the height of the pandemic – that they had to figure out a way for camps to open safely. There was a group of a few people, including Rabbi Shlomo Pfeiffer of Camp Romimu, Yoel Rosenthal from Bobov, Heshy Rosenberg of Satmar and Rabbi Hecht from Camp Emunah along with Rabbi Meir Frishman, who is director emeritus of Camp Agudah.

Rabbi Frishman actually started AJCO [Association of Jewish Camp Operators] on behalf of the Agudah, so this came under the auspices of AJCO. They spoke to various infectious disease specialists and came up with a 20-page manual of safety protocols that was reviewed and approved by up to eight leading infectious disease specialists and leading pediatricians who went through it and thought it was a good plan to present to the governor and to keep children safe in sleepaway camps this summer.

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020 The The Jewish Jewish Home Home || OCTOBER OCTOBER 29, 29, 2015 2015

What, in a nutshell, did the plan entail?

The basic premise of the plan was isolation and testing. Every camper and staff member would be tested prior to coming to camp and, once coming to camp, the campus would essentially become a lockdown zone with no one coming in or going out.

It would be a contained bubble. In addition, there would be regular symptom checks, temperature checks, extra sanitizing, and smaller group sizes. Deliveries would be brought to designated areas, not on actual camp grounds. Of course, there would be no visiting days etc. That was the general idea.

This was presented to the Governor?

I got involved about a month ago when they came to the Agudas Yisroel for help in lobbying the government.

We had a number of phone meetings with very high-level government officials. We met with Beth Garvey – she is a senior advisor and chief counsel to the Governor. We had Robert Mujica, who is the NYS budget director, a very close advisor to the Governor, and Dr. Zucker, the NY State Health Commissioner himself who was on one of those calls. And, of course, Michael Snow, who is the Governor’s Jewish liaison, was very helpful in putting this all together, and Senator Simcha Eichenstein was also helpful and on some of the calls with us.

We had three calls. The first call was very encouraging because it was obvious that Beth Garvey had read through the protocols. We made a presentation, and she asked very pointed questions. She saw the work that went into it, and she asked questions and listened. She said that she would follow up and get back to us with any additional questions.

Then, after Shavuos, we had the second call, which was discouraging because they weren’t asking us questions or responding to our proposal.

The final call was held on Monday, June 8 with Dr. Zucker himself. I must say that was a very discouraging call. We had two doctors on the call who did the talking. Dr. Moshe Lazar, who is a pediatrician, and Dr. Daniel Berman, who is an infectious disease doctor. We were astounded because

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the Orthodox community?

There are things that we disagree about. He will say that we have a good relationship. But he has done a series of things…look at shuls. They only allow shuls to open with 10 people and in phase II only at 25% capacity.

Meanwhile, beaches are allowed to open; horseracing is allowed to open at 50% capacity; professional sports training at 50%. Why is a shul only at 25%? We feel like this is an assault on religion.

Governor Cuomo flanked by Health Commissioner Howard Zucker and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio

[the Governor’s people] were really not listening.

Sol Werdiger, our chairman of the Board, and Rabbi Chaim Zweibel were also on the call. Sol was very passionate – he said that he has grandchildren and wouldn’t send them to camp if it wasn’t safe. Additionally, all of the campers’ parents were confident that the camps would do all they can to keep things safe.

People were ready to come.

It’s interesting. The Governor at his press conference on Friday, at about 12:30 p.m., was asked about it and said that there was no decision yet. Friday is usually when news dumps take place. Then, at 5 p.m., in a press release from Dr. Zucker it was announced that sleepaway camps will not be allowed to open. It’s interesting – since this thing started, the Governor has made every announcement on his own. He is micromanaging ev-

“Put it this way, it was pretty obvious that he wasn’t even paying attention.”

Did Dr. Zucker have any valid points against the plan that he presented in the phone calls?

No. He kept repeating his line: “If kids catch it, they will go home an infect their parents.” Put it this way, it was pretty obvious that he wasn’t even paying attention. He did not give any credence to what we submitted.

He didn’t respond to any of those points. He just kept saying, “Well, there’s going to be an outbreak and it’s too many kids to quarantine and they will go back home…”

Look, I’m not a doctor but we had two doctors on the line who thought that there was no logic there.

How did you find out that that they denied your request?

erything. But with this one announcement about the camps not only did he not announce it but it was done in a press release on Friday afternoon.

Then, on Saturday morning, which is not a popular day for people to watch, he had Dr. Zucker speak about the decision to cancel sleepaway camp.

Which local legislators were involved in helping to lobby the Governor?

Senator Eichenstein was very involved. In your area, Sen. Joe Addabbo was with us all the way.

Assemblywoman Helen Weinstein, Assemblywoman Stacy Pfeffer Amato – they were all very supportive.

What is the relationship now between Governor Cuomo and

It clearly seems that way. It seems like the frum vote doesn’t matter to him because all he has to worry about is the primaries and we don’t vote much in the Democratic primaries.

I’m not going to speculate on his motives, but I will say that it certainly comes across now as a lack of respect and empathy for religion.

I know that the Agudah is very diplomatic, but does there come a point that you have to push back hard?

Well, look at the Agudah’s statement from last Friday. That was a pretty strong statement.

Why is there not a rally in front of his Manhattan office with 10,000 Orthodox Jews protesting his policies?

Over the years, the Agudah has never done rallies. We have done Yimei Tefillos and Atzeres Tefillos but we have never done this kind of rally. Whether it helps or not, I don’t know. But it’s not something that the Agudah has done.

It seems like this is turning into an autocracy with Governor Cuomo calling all of the shots.

Well, I’m not going to go with that characterization, but it’s concerning.

What is your feeling about the way certain camps are getting around this order with 72-hour camps and with other innovative ideas?

Each camp is doing what they need to do after consulting with their own lawyers, and they will figure it out. But let’s hope the Temporary Restraining Order is granted.

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JUNE 25, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Dating Dialogue

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

Dear Navidaters, I’ve always been the type of person that does not like being out of control. One of my problems with dating has always been being in the passenger seat – literally and figuratively.

Although nothing came of my Zoom dating, I had a few good experiences that could have led to something if it had been the right person. I felt much freer because I wasn’t under the control of a stranger that I was meeting for the first time, who was deciding where and when we’d meet and how long our date would be.

I’ve been dating for a while (I’m 27 years old), and the thought of going back to conventional dating is frightening. Why shouldn’t the new normal be “meet via Zoom” once or twice just to see if something will come of it? That would make me feel so much more comfortable but I’m afraid that if I suggest that to shadchanim or boys, that would come across as weird… What are your thoughts?

-Rebecca

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

Our intention is not to offer any definitive

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

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

The Panel The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S. ebecca, it’s high time for you to confront the issue of control. It’s probably an issue that has come up at work and in social situations, as well when you date. It’s good that you are aware of it but you haven’t finished the work of dealing with your nature in relationships. The fact that you are frightened to go back to conventional dating is a signal that you have to deal with this now. You may have some social anxiety or find carrying conversations and relationships forward a problem. Get a skilled social skills coach or therapist, and work on this. It will take a while. Talking about your fears as well as developing skills through practice will take some time but it will be worth it. This is probably why you haven’t had positive dating experiences. I think that it’s more important to work on this matter than “coming across as weird” to shadchanim or boys by suggesting Zoom dating for starters.

In any case, there is nothing wrong with suggesting beginning with Zoom dating young men who are currently out of town. It’s the equivalent of having a cup of coffee and taking it from there.

But you have much work to do before going back to shadchanim and dating. Get started on learning to feel comfortable communicating with others in various situations and handling light socializing. You need this social skills growth process to start before you can successfully date.

R

The Shadchan Michelle Mond hat I hear you saying is that you feel more in control being physically separated from the person you are going out with. To you,

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talking through the screen gives you more control over the situation – you can end the meeting and it will all be over. No more waiting until the end of an in-person date! To me, this is an indication that you are not currently in the place you should be while dating. Dating for marriage is much more real and intimate than the ease of talking through a screen because it is in your comfort zone. There is so much about dating that is uncomfortable. Like anything worthwhile, the struggle in the process prepares you for the ultimate reward. Opening yourself up to potential hurt is part of the process. Risking the possibility of having bad dates with the wrong people is part of the process. Relinquishing control to Hashem, The Ultimate Shadchan, is part of the process.

You describe your feelings going back to in person dating as “frightening.” Can you work through those feelings of fear? Can you use self-talk to mentally soothe this social anxiety? Do you have the self-confidence to go out on a date and give it your all?

These are all things you should work on because meeting a person face-toface will always be the most efficient.

With newfound self-confidence and a lack of social fear, you will not only be able to date face-to-face again, but will likely be a better candidate to the other person. Either work with a therapist, or do research on your own about social anxiety to get past this fear.

Hatzlacha!

The Single Rena Friedman ebecca, it is extremely difficult to be in a situation where you have absolutely no control and that is all you desire. I, too, have personally struggled with this throughout dating, and I can feel your frustrations.

It is very hard to let go.

Ideally, it is best to meet someone

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in person. Zoom might appear to be a good option at first, but it leaves too much to the imagination. I have reiterated this point multiple times over the last few weeks, so I want to hone in on the element of control that you mention. I believe that is an area where I can offer personal insights on.

While we both have the desire for control in common, the source of where the outside control comes from is different. Why do you feel like you are under the control of the stranger you are meeting for the first time?

What are the underlying reasons behind this? I urge you to reflect on that, as well as why it seems so frightening to go back to dating the regular way.

Nothing has inherently changed when it comes to dating itself.

Warning: you are going to roll your eyes at what I am about to say.

I’ve rolled my eyes to this too, and perhaps it was really just adjusting them. Hashem runs the world.

You do not. It is His world, and until you can internalize that and live by it your life as a whole, especially dating, is going to be extremely difficult. You need to find a way to let go and let Hashem run His world or you are going to suffer tremendously because you are carrying Hashem’s HUGE burden on your very tiny shoulders.

I know that was harsh. Again, I only say this because I went through that transformation and am now unable to recognize the person who stares back at me in the mirror. So, what did I do? Talk to Hashem all the time, whether in formal tefillah, hisbodedus, Tehillim, or just a regular conversation, and tell Him what you are experiencing. Tell Him how difficult dating is for you, and ask Him to help you find the right person for you. Include Hashem in your life and speak to your friends and family about Hashem as if He actually exists and is there. Read hashgacha pratis stories before you go to bed. At first this all might seem awkward, but the more you do it, the more you will gen-

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On a shidduch date the young man is, literally and metaphorically, in the driver’s seat.

uinely believe it.

My favorite pasuk in Tehillim is “Hashlech al Hashem yehavcha, v’hu yechalkelecha.” This means cast your burden on Hashem and He will sustain you. It is as simple as it sounds, although very hard. Put it on Hashem, tell Him that you need Him and His help and that you cannot do it alone. Place the burden on Him and let Him take care of it. I have experienced it myself. Yes, there are still times that I panic and worry, but I always go back to Hashem and I truly believe He needed me to have those experiences that shaped and molded me to get me to the exact place I am in today.

I really would be happy to discuss this more with you and hope you reach out. As always, all feedback, thoughts, and ideas are welcome: renafriedman2@gmail.com.

The Zaidy Dr. Jeffrey Galler t’s not surprising that you are far more comfortable with Zoom dating than in-person dating.

If you’re on a live date and realize after ten minutes that you can’t stand the young man, you are, nevertheless, stuck for a few hours while smiling politely and praying for the evening to end.

By contrast, on a Zoom date, af-

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ter ten unpleasant minutes, you can smile sweetly and exclaim, “Oh, I’m so sorry! I have to go now. I just realized that I forgot to feed my goldfish,” and click “End meeting.”

I actually like your suggestion to first “meet” a prospective date online, and then decide if you’d like to meet in-person. Unfortunately, I don’t think this novel proposal will be generally accepted in our contemporary culture. Note how the very idea of exchanging pre-shidduch photographs is not viewed favorably by many.

Rebecca, you have been dating for a good

number of years now and sound like you are somewhat jaded, exasperated, and frustrated by the whole scene. Repeatedly going through the time and effort that it takes to prepare for a date, only to discover that, once again, you have not yet found “Mr. Right” can be very dispiriting.

But, as long as you’re sure that your expectations are realistic, be persistent and don’t let setbacks dampen your enthusiasm. Remember that JK Rowling’s Harry Potter was initially rejected by 12 different publishers; nevertheless, she persist-

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

I

have been hearing your very sentiments from so many men and women who enjoyed all the freedoms that Zoom dating offered. First and foremost, there have been Zoom dating groups with men and women allowed to virtually socialize in a kosher, structured setting. Let’s face it... there’s something exciting about being with the opposite gender.

You see a cute girl or a guy, someone piques your interest... that actually is

Have a question for the panel? They’re here to help you with your dating conundrums.

Email your questions for the panelists to Jen at thenavidaters@gmail.com.

so much better than reading a resume. It’s a real, live person!

Then, there is the freedom that Zoom dating afforded to so many. Not “having” to sit in the car at someone’s mercy (if you don’t like him) is kind of great! And you could wear pajama bottoms and no one would be the wiser! So, I understand the allure of Zoom dating.

We don’t know what the future holds. We never did, but we are all feeling the truth now more than ever.

We just don’t have a clue. One thing I know is that shidduch dating cannot be stopped. The clever and creative lengths people went to meet and date show the human spirit and drive to connect.

While Zoom dating is wonderful,

ed, didn’t get discouraged or give up, and her books have now sold over 500 million copies.

Finally, you are absolutely right with your comments about not being in control. Although we all claim to believe in egalitarianism and female equality, on a shidduch date the young man is, literally and metaphorically, in the driver’s seat.

My advice is for you to remember the line from the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding: “The man may be the head of the household. But the woman is the neck, and she can turn the head whichever way she pleases.”

I recently sent coffee cup presents to my brother and sister-in-law for their

it is not the future of relationships. Relationships require two human beings, off screen.

It’s important to date in-person in my opinion.

Zoom dating is nice and has its benefits but you must be around another person as well.

There is an entire science around people being attracted to each other based on pheromones and scent.

There are elements of being around someone physically that simply can’t be captured through a screen.

One thing I personally hope we take from the Zoom shidduch groups moving forward is that it’s nice for men and women to be able to be together and meet in a kosher environment. It’s nice for people to become more than a resume and have the ability to say, “I’d like to go out with her/him!” I think a lot of people felt the chore-like nature of dating disappeared as they became excited to have interaction with men/women.

There’s something so human and natural about that that many of my clients have enjoyed.

I’ve rolled my eyes to this too, and perhaps it was really just adjusting them.

54th wedding anniversary. The inscription on his cup reads, “54 years of wearing the pants in the family.”

The inscription on her cup reads, “54 years of letting him think that.”

If you asked your question to a shadchan, I have a hunch you wouldn’t be the first. Far from it.

But I don’t believe it is the future of dating. You may benefit from a few sessions with a dating coach/therapist or mentor about the journey you have been on. It isn’t an easy one.

Sometimes talking to someone can help ease the heavy load.

Dating isn’t easy. But G-d willing it will be well worth it!

All the best, Jennifer Jennifer Mann, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist and dating and relationship coach working with individuals, couples, and families in private practice at 123 Maple Avenue in Cedarhurst, NY. She also teaches a psychology course at Touro College. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 516-224-7779, ext. 2. Visit www.thenavidaters.com for more information. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email thenavidaters@gmail.com. You can follow The Navidaters on FB and Instagram for dating and relationship advice.

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

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JUNE 25, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

TIPS FROM A HOME SCHOOLING MOM PART VII: END-OF-THEYEAR REVIEW

BY SARA RAYVYCH, MSED

I

t’s the end of the year. As a homeschooler, like all educators, this means I close up this school year and prepare for the next. This past year was wild and bizarre for all of us. I evaluate our learning throughout the year but at the end of the year is when I really take a long look at what’s working, what’s not and what changes I want to make. Now, since your kids are in school, you don’t need to buy a math curriculum, pick your readers or decide on history topics. I also know that our local schools are run by experienced and loving mechanchim that have their pulse on the situation, a situation that is ever-changing. Really, none of us can plan too much for September because we don’t know what the world will look like then. We hope schools will be able to open as usual but we know that realistically there may be some changes.

WHAT IS AN END OF THE YEAR REVIEW? At the end of each year I take the

time to evaluate each child separately.

What I’m looking for is to see where they’re holding in each school subject.

I also try to evaluate their emotional needs, as these are no less important, particularly during these times.

Personally, I want to see what worked, what hasn’t worked, and what changes I can make to help them succeed next year. As an example, for one child, her separate reading, spelling and grammar workbooks were a great combination for her. Alternatively, another child’s science curriculum was hard to understand, and I’m ordering him a more user-friendly textbook.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? Obviously, an end-of-the-year review will look different for a child in school. You want to evaluate how your child is doing for the various subjects.

Were there any particular subjects your child had problems with? Can you pinpoint what helped your child in a given subject? Despite our hope that school will be back to normal,

next year may still involve some remote learning. How did remote learning work for your child? Did being in a particular room or setting help the child? Did the child benefit using one device over another? Was there something in particular that eliminated distractions? These are just some sample questions. The questions and concerns will look different for each family and for each child.

Don’t forget to take the time to focus on what has worked because you want to capitalize on that past success. Perhaps you noticed that your child worked better when they were in a quiet room or, alternatively, that they were more focused when you were around. Sometimes you accidentally stumble on something that really helps.

WHY DO THIS? With all the uncertainty, it almost seems silly to ask you to think of the next school year now. Additionally, with your child enrolled in a school you might say this isn’t your job.

I’m going to disagree with both

points. In regards to the timing, right now is the perfect time since the year is still fresh in your mind. In addition, the summer is the best time to address any issues from the previous year. If you feel your child has fallen far behind the class, September is a little late to start catching up. The summer gives you time to prepare a game plan, along with your child’s school, if necessary, and address any delays. You certainly don’t want extra, last minute stress in September, an already hectic month.

Regarding the second point, you know your child best and your child needs you to be there for them.

As a child’s advocate and biggest cheerleader, it’s important that parents know their child’s needs, their strengths and weaknesses. Parents of children that need special education services are usually already experienced in this from all the hours they’ve spent researching and advocating for their child.

The schools know where their classes are holding, and the staff knows this year has had its unique

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

challenges. The school and your child’s teacher are your partners in building your child. They want to work with you. I’ve worked in the schools, and I’ve often said that teachers only go into teaching because they care about the children.

Even so, there is no one that knows your child like you do. The teachers can only see what they can see. This year, especially, they couldn’t see everything that happened in your home.

They couldn’t see if your child cried from frustration after a class, and they couldn’t see if your child danced around the house for 30 minutes after they won the spelling bee. These are insights that only you have. Take note of these insights and the knowledge you have gained over the past year to help your child.

THE NEXT STEP What you do with this information depends on what you find out. I am certainly not suggesting you call your child’s school with a list of de-

mands or criticisms. If you feel that everything went well, then there’s nothing to do other than be extremely grateful. If you feel that your child is

and have a more guided approach.

There are many options available, whether it’s tutoring, targeted summer work, or a different intervention.

AS A CHILD’S ADVOCATE AND BIGGEST CHEERLEADER, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT PARENTS KNOW THEIR CHILD’S NEEDS, THEIR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

behind or struggling, it’s time to see what you can do about it. If it’s something that can be adjusted at home, then you have two months of summer to work through those changes. If you need the school’s assistance or advice, you can at least speak to them with greater knowledge of the situation

You’ll be able to deal with the issue proactively, calmly, and with time to intervene. As in all life situations, take a few minutes to daven for your child to succeed.

We don’t know how the next school year will look. Everyone did an incredible job making remote

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learning work; despite little time to prepare. We know there exists a real possibility of some remote learning next year. You now have two months – take advantage of that time to plan how your home can be set up to ensure remote learning success, should it become necessary.

This has been an incredibly challenging year, and the schools know it.

As the parent, you have the chance to give your child the best start to the next school year by reflecting on the previous one. Take the time to thank your child’s teachers; they’ve worked incredibly hard. Take the time to pat yourself on the back; you’ve worked incredibly hard. Take a few minutes to evaluate your child’s school year; he/she has worked incredibly hard, too.

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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JUNE 25, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Dr. Deb

Do-It-Yourself Therapy Does Work

By Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.

I

wanted to sing. I love singing.

Except, apparently, I would sing off-key. As an eleven-year old, I was expelled from the Hebrew School choir because I was off-key. Can you imagine how crushed I felt? Can you

imagine how bad I must have been?

But that was the part I didn’t realize.

As a college grad, I got a job in the lovely New Hampshire mountains.

We were kind of hippies in those days. So I bought a guitar. I found a

teacher. And she told me after a short while that she couldn’t work with me because – and I still remember her words – “to play guitar, you have to be able to sing. And I don’t know how to teach you to sing.”

Par for the course.

The problem was, I sincerely could not hear my off-key-ness. You can’t correct the problem if you can’t hear it.

Fast forward: right here in the Five Towns, I became friends with a kindly voice teacher who wanted to show me that I could sing. On key.

And she was right. Not only could she hear the notes and correct my off-key-ness, but the amazing thing is that she started to get me to hear it, too. When someone can hear the problem, they can teach you to hear it. Usually.

See, that lovely young teacher in New Hampshire could hear the problem but didn’t have the skills to get me to hear it, too. So that’s why I say “usually.” It’s one thing to have the hearing ability and another to teach someone else to have it.

I have no idea how I could have learned all this without the right teacher.

Yet, people often want to fix their marriage problems themselves or to some extent they cave into and admit their not knowing and they buy a book to help them. And I get that.

They feel like normal human beings ought to know how to get along and shouldn’t have to have an outside

party helping them. That makes sense. Theoretically.

But the reality is that people brought up in the wrong home did not learn how to get along, how to be supportive, kind, generous, and not in need of winning. So if their parents couldn’t teach them, how would they know?

And here is the insidious part, the part that no book can address: even if you can learn what you’re missing, that doesn’t stop your automatic reactions, your feelings. We have feelings! We can’t pretend we don’t, and we can’t pretend they’re not important. We do, and they are. Research shows that feelings play a huge role in all decision-making. And feelings are embedded throughout the brain, tied in with memories and experiences.

We will often react emotionally when we don’t want to and we just can’t seem to prevent it.

Take Sarah, for instance. She is a smart lady, rational, logical, organized, and careful. She’s respected at work and by those who have worked with her on committees. She gets the job done.

What happens to her at home in the midst of a “discussion” with her husband can really irritate her. All of a sudden, from nowhere in particular, and in a most unwanted way, she will feel overcome with tears. Where did they come from? She doesn’t know and doesn’t want to know. She just wishes she could control them.

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

But for some odd reason, she can’t.

Jason has a similar problem. He is known for his good ideas and respected for getting the job done, no matter what it is. But in the middle of a conversation with his wife, something will make him angry, and all of a sudden, anger is spewing out of his mouth. He catches himself way too late. The horses are out of the barn.

And he’s just appalled at what he has done.

But this is human. We can be triggered by words, gestures, music, a similar appearance of another person to someone else, or even the implications that we may incorrectly read into someone’s words.

So, how can a book help with that?

A book can talk about the existence of triggers but a book can’t identify your triggers. A book can’t help you with your reactions, either.

Jason could take an anger management class but that will not address the pain he feels underneath the anger which triggered his anger in the first place.

Or take Bev. Bev is pleasant; she doesn’t get triggered to anger, sadness, or worry; she’s even-keeled.

She lives a good life. She just can’t understand why her husband, Daniel, is not happy in the marriage. Can a book open her eyes?

Here’s my guess: Daniel has already shared a bit of what makes

gap in experience and understanding between them.

So if he has tried and she still doesn’t connect to what he’s saying, why will a book connect her better?

Bev’s case is the opposite of being triggered. She is unable to be moved emotionally. It’s not her fault, I hasten to repeat. Perhaps growing up

Feelings play a huge role in all decisionmaking.

him unhappy, and Bev doesn’t get it.

It’s not her fault; she simply has not had any experiences that help her see how Daniel sees the world. When he relays to her how he feels, she can’t quite connect to what he says because she has never been there. So he tries and she tries but there is just a

Ooh

she was protected from pain; perhaps she was isolated too much from peers or from parents who were too busy for her. It could be she buried her head in her books and didn’t want to access her feelings. It could be she partied too much so as to block out feelings. Who knows? But

the end result is she is not too clear on her own feelings and she certainly doesn’t understand Daniel’s. So she needs to be taught, slowly and patiently, to interpret feelings. And that won’t come out of a book.

It might be possible for her to learn with a smart and sensitive therapist, but it will be most beneficial with a therapist who can have both people present at the same time and will not be judgmental of either person.

So what is the proper place for self-help books?

They’re a great adjunct to therapy especially when recommended by a therapist. I wrote one myself, and many people have expressed to me how helpful that one was for them.

But a book will never replace the honest feedback and tools of a caring clinician.

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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JUNE 25, 2020 | The| The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 Jewish Home

Health & F tness

BBQ In Under 500 Calories

By Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN

T

he past few months have been unusual, to say the least. Where has the school year gone? Zoom graduations are behind us, and social distanced day camp awaits us. The governor and mayor might be controlling a little too much in our lives right now, but one thing they cannot control is our freedom to barbecue.

In my family, we have the tradition to barbecue every single Sunday night without fail. Even if you are not so stringent with the weekly barbeques, I’m sure you have at least one coming up on the Fourth of July. Whether you have a BBQ with only your immediate family, or socially distanced with friends and/or extended family, a BBQ can be challenging for the health conscious eaters. Even though grilling is considered a healthy cooking technique, the foods that comprise our barbecue meals, such as hot dogs, burgers, steaks, French fries, onion rings, potato salad, and cole slaw, can easily pack 2,000 calories (our total daily needs) into one meal! One barbecue meal can cost a whole day’s worth of calories.

Watching what we eat doesn’t necessarily mean we have to sacrifice quality and flavor. Here’s how to still enjoy a barbecue while being healthy!

Choose chicken. All meat and poultry – chicken, chicken breast, hamburger, hot dog, smoked turkey, pulled brisket, pulled beef – when served with minimal sauce and controlled portions can fall within the 300-500 calorie range. The higher in fat, the smaller the portion size. Aim for 4 ounces portions of all kinds of red meat. The ideal protein source for a barbecue would be chicken, chicken breast, and turkey. Turkey can get you a bigger portion – up to 8 ounces – and still be less than 300 calories.

Chicken does not have to be boring. And you don’t have to feel sorry for yourself for not enjoying a piece of red juicy steak. Barbecue chicken legs are just as juicy and delicious on the

buns with cole slaw, potato salad, and pasta salad, try some Israeli salad, sauerkraut, or even a little guacamole, which is much lower in calories since it’s lacking the heavy mayonnaise dressing. If potato salad, cole slaw, and corn salad are a must, use low-fat mayonnaise, and use half of what the recipe calls for.

grill. Chicken kabobs are also delicious and juicy and really fun on the BBQ. You can even buy pre-seasoned chicken kabobs that look so pretty, are so easy, and are super tasty!

Instead of beef hot dogs, use chicken hot dogs, which are lower in calories and sodium.

ments to no more than 2 tablespoons in total!

Make sure chicken skin is removed.

Skin can add 100 calories per ounce.

If you prefer cooking the chicken with the skin on, make sure to remove the entire thing before eating! Chicken on the barbecue is so juicy that it does not

Add lettuce, tomatoes and onions into your sandwich for an added crunch and juicy flavor.

Substitute ground beef with ground chicken and ground turkey for hamburgers, or use extra lean ground beef.

Skip the sauces. Use minimal barbecue sauce to coat the meat for flavor.

Or you can get a flavor just as delicious by rubbing spices onto your meat as well. A popular barbecue spice favorite is Trader Joe’s coffee rub. Montreal Steak Seasoning is another popular choice. There are many yummy spices out there that add plenty of flavor without any calories to your meat or chicken. Ketchup packs a lot of sugar, so try to skip the ketchup. Mustard and relish are healthier options in terms of condiments. Limit condi-

even need the skin, which is usually kept on while baking chicken to preserve the juiciness.

Bypass the buns. If you absolutely cannot eat a hotdog or a hamburger without a bun, only have one bun and make it whole wheat. To be even more adventurous, instead of regular buns, try sandwich thins, which are 100% whole wheat and are only 100 calories per sandwich. You can also use any whole wheat bread or whole wheat pita bread. The best would be to eat the hotdog or hamburger plain or to cut it up and throw it in salad.

Slash the side dishes. Instead of stuffing your hamburger and hot dog

Focus on fresh vegetables. Instead of the above-mentioned salads in your hamburger and on your hot dog, add lettuce, tomatoes and onions into your sandwich for an added crunch and juicy flavor. And, of course, don’t forget about a fresh salad as your side dish. Grilled vegetables are also a great, easy, healthy side dish for BBQs that are low in calories. Eggplants, peppers, onions, zucchini and, of course, corn on the cob are delicious fresh off the grill!

Forgo the French fries and onion rings. If you absolutely need French fries, cut up sweet potatoes into ¼-inch thick strips and drizzle olive oil and a drop of salt on them. Bake them at 400°F for about 45 minutes, or desired texture.

And dessert?

Only fresh fruit! That’s right, no ice cream, cake, or cookies. You ate enough at the meal. If you really behaved and watched what you ate, you can treat yourself to a sugar-free ices as a reward!

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 nutrition consultant and conducts nutrition workshops in assisted livings, senior centers, and nursing homes.

She can be reached at CindyWeinberger1@ gmail.com or 917-623-6237. Follow us on instagram @EatBetterandFeelBetter.

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

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JUNE 25, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Health & F tness

Summer 2020 We have our work cut out for us more than ever before

By Hylton I. Lightman, MD, DCH (SA), FAAP

W

e know summer as beach time. Playing in the sand and swimming in natural water. Sports. Hiking. Travel programs. Art programs. Learning programs. Pools. Barbecues on Bubby’s and Grandpa’s deck.

Sadly, summer 2020 is being truncated programmatically. This means many kids will be home this summer with plenty of time on their hands.

Plenty of time on their hands = idle time. Idle = Nothing’s happening, nothing’s doing.

This is not a good thing.

This is due to circumstances beyond our control. Perhaps with honesty, planning and creativity, we can help to make sure that our teens do not fall into any kind of physical, psychic, emotional abyss from which it will be difficult, if not nearly impossible, to climb out.

What do I mean?

Let’s put it bluntly – idle time can lead to negative behavior such as underage drinking, drug use, and promiscuity.

Over 15 years ago, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) published “Seasonality of Youth’s FirstTime Use of Marijuana, Cigarettes or Alcohol.” There is a 40% increase in first time marijuana use during the months of June, July and August as compared to the rest of the year.

First time marijuana users typically number about 1,100 per day the rest of the year, according to this report.

In July, it peaks to nearly 2,000 users. I have not (yet) located research on this regarding drinking and other activities but I would not be surprised

if these kinds of behaviors escalate during the warmer months. I shudder to think about vaping and juuling.

Yes, my dear readers, this kind of behavior transpires in the frum world. Organizations such as Madraigos, Amudim and the Saving Lives Five Towns Drug & Alcohol Coalition are among the organizations dedicated to preventing the ills of society from spreading and wreaking further havoc than they already do within our world.

Teenagers are wired to explore, learn and have fun, and to seek adventure and even danger. When drug and alcohol use becomes available to them and there is nothing better to do, they may succumb to the internal and external pressures. And voila, they have found a new form of entertainment.

Research has shown that the greatest predicter of whether a teen will drink or do drugs is the social

group. In other words, are there kids in the group who are “indulging”?

The answer is most groups have kids who are “indulging.” Seeking acceptance and friends is a powerful factor for kids. Their age almost dictates that many act on impulse without thinking about the short-term and long-term future and consequences.

They are adolescents, which means they are less likely to think before they act.

This is how teens act during “regular” times. But it could be exacerbated, G-d forbid, this summer.

Summer 2020 is frontloaded with potholes that could lead to a slippery slope down an abyss and then landing with a thud, rock bottom.

Why? We have been “locked up” the last several months. While some kids have done well and even thrived through Covid-19 and Zoom learning, many have not. These kids have pent

up energies and emotions that need outlets. Yet many overnight summer camps are not happening at all. So these adolescents will be home and I’m not so sure that there is enough programming at the present time to keep them meaningfully occupied and busy.

A shomer Shabbos professional who works in the local public school system said recently that, based on her observations and listening to kids, there is, at best, a negligible gap between the local public school kids and the “vulnerable” kids within our community. It would take just a slight beckoning for one of our kids to fall prey to what’s out there. It’s painful to contemplate, especially the domino effect it would have in “recruiting” other kids.

So what’s a community to do to prevent problems from happening?

There needs to be some fast action.

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

First, I urge educators and rabbanim to meet with Shomrim and the local police precincts to identify spots where teens gather without supervision and “plug” them up and even shut them down. In our community, for example, some of the spots include the Woodmere docks as well as the docks near the Lawrence Country Club. Close Cedarhurst Park and other parks at nightfall. Increase patrols

by Shomrim and the auxiliary police in these areas as well as in places like the “cave” near David’s Pizza.

Parents must educate their children about drugs and other ills. It is well within the realm of possibility that your teen will say they know drugs are bad and will then announce they are not discussing the topic further with you. Don’t let that deter you from sitting your teens down and looking at the statistics on drugs and alcohol use among teens. Ask questions to make sure your children understand how this behavior has

only negative consequences and can mess up and derail their lives. It is not uncommon that, when faced with drugs, alcohol or whatever, teens will remember these conversations and

do while cutting down on boredom.

Some kids might thrive with some of the online classes that are offered.

Others might benefit from a sports league run by older teens. As long as

The greatest predicter of whether a teen will drink or do drugs is the social group.

will draw strength from them to resist temptation and peer pressure.

In addition to identifying our communities’ “vulnerable areas” and shutting them down and parents proactively speaking with their teens, we need to seriously step up the programming for these kids. This means keeping teens busy with productive activities that give them something to

they are involved in something that interests them and may contain a goal they wish to attain, they are less likely to throw away their lives.

Perhaps the schools that have gyms can be open to their students to become legitimate teen hangouts.

The numbers can be worked out as social restrictions are lessening.

Again, organizations like Madrai-

93 31

gos are needed more than ever this summer. We must keep idle time this summer to a minimum.

Adequate supervision of our teens is important as well, from screen time and what’s on their phones to making sure that they check in with us or we with them. A rule in our home has always been that when Mommy or Daddy calls, you must answer the phone.

Not all parents supervise in the same way. That will be an interesting topic of conversation with your teen.

Clearly, summer 2020 will have its challenges. Let’s put our collective efforts together to assure a win-win for our teenagers.

As always, daven.

Dr. Hylton I. Lightman is a pediatrician and Medical Director of Total Family Care of the 5 Towns and Rockaway PC. He can be reached at drlightman@totalfamilycaremd.com, on Instagram at Dr.Lightman_ or visit him on Facebook.

g t

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JUNE 25, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

In The K

tchen

Chickpea and Avocado Salad

By Naomi Nachman

T

his salad came about on a Friday night when I started to panic, thinking that I didn’t have enough food for our guests. Although my daughters assured me that I did, I rummaged through my pantry and found chickpeas. There were two avocados in my fridge and – voila! – a fabulous salad was born. My girls were thrilled, and this salad has become a staple.

Meat Yields 6 servings

Ingredients 2 avocadoes, cubed 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed 4 scallions, sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 tablespoons oil Juice of 2 limes 1 teaspoon za’atar

Preparation Add all ingredients to a large bowl. Toss well to combine.

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

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

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JUNE 25, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

In 2016, two matters primarily worried me about Donald Trump: his character and his policies.

Nearly four years later, Trump’s character still troubles and repels me. If anything, his egotism, disloyalty and bombast exceed those vices when he was a mere candidate.

I would just ask if that’s done just please do not quarantine any Floridians in the nursing homes in New York.

- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis taking a swipe at New York Gov. Cuomo after Cuomo (who forced nursing homes to take corona positive patients, resulting in thousands of deaths) declared that New York is considering mandating a quarantine period for people coming to New York from Florida

But, to my unending surprise, he has governed as a resolute conservative. His policies in the areas of education, taxes, deregulation and the environment have been bolder than Ronald Reagan’s. His judicial appointments are the best of the past century (thank you, Leonard Leo). His unprecedented assault on the administrative state proceeds apace, ignoring predictable howls from the Washington establishment.

Even his foreign policy has been conservative: demanding that allies contribute their fair share, confronting China and Iran and singularly supporting Israel. Ironically, as David Harsanyi notes, a potential character flaw actually works to our advantage: “Trump’s obstinacy seems to have made him less susceptible to the pressures that traditionally induce GOP presidents to capitulate.”

- Daniel Pipes, a self-described “former never Trumper,” writing about why he will support Pres. Trump in 2020

If it’s going to end, it is when somebody very powerful...I think probably white, affluent, progressive, calls up 911 and gets a busy signal. And then, then we’re going to see something just like with #MeToo. Once they went after liberal progressive celebrities and they denied them due process, statutes of limitation, cross-examination, suddenly we ended up with nobody believing [anyone] anymore.

- Victor Davis Hanson on Fox News

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

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I’m back from 75 days in silence. Did I miss anything?

- A viral tweet by Daniel Thorson who spent 75 days alone totally disconnected from the world in a remote Vermont cabin

The world is now shocked – shocked – to discover that President Trump’s private style is no different than his public style. He flatters foreign leaders (Xi Jinping is “the greatest Chinese leader ever”), the better to disarm them; he cares more about pleasing his constituents, for example, American farmers and industrial workers, than about the neoconservative illusion about exporting democracy; he has a temper (certain annoying people “should be shot”); he has a diverse cabinet (“panda-huggers” like Mnuchin, free-traders like Larry Kudlow, and China hawks like Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Secretary of State Pompeo).

That’s the brunt of John Bolton’s tell-all White House memoir. My estimation of President Trump went up after I read the excerpts published in the Wall Street Journal (I won’t buy the book). Trump is flexible, pragmatic, unpredictable, effusive, and committed to fulfilling the promises he made to the voters in 2016.

– David Goldman, PJ Media

My father would have said, “They ain’t nothing but devils.” My father said, “All lives matter.”

- Muhammad Ali Jr., in an interview with the New York Post, stating that his father, famous boxing champ Muhammad Ali, would not have supported the Black Live Matter movement

To be clear, I’m 100% against punishing comedians for jokes, even bad jokes from unfunny hack comedians like Jimmy Kimmel…but according to the left’s own woke rules that @jimmykimmel wants to force others to live by, it’s hard to see how @ ABCNetwork allows him to keep his show.

– Tweet by Don Trump Jr., after video and audio was unearthed showing wokester Jimmy Kimmel wearing blackface and using a racial slur

Officers attempted to locate a shooting victim but were met by a violent crowd that prevented officers’ safe access to the victims.

- Seattle Police Department spokesman talking about what happened when police officers tried to get into the area taken over by anarchists in Seattle (which Seattle’s mayor called “a block party”), when two people were shot, resulting in one victim dying

Many of you might not know that I am a huge fan of all things Jewish. I have a mezuzah in my office. I take very seriously the Torah, the word of G-d. I believe it’s an inherent word of G-d that is meant to be followed and, if followed, enables us to live life the way it was meant to be lived, and I take very seriously what it says.

- Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins in a video message to graduates of the Jewish Student Union, a program run by NCSY

I find myself constantly wanting to get around Jewish people because of how sharp they are, how funny they are, how successful they are. And I say, “These people know how to do life. They know how to do it right.” And I want to do life right so I just wanna get around them and learn.

- Ibid.

Don’t let any area of your life to be unaffected by the Torah.

- Ibid.

I did what I had to do, and I hope word gets out on the street that I’m fed up and I’m not taking it anymore. You’ve got to stick up for yourself sometimes.

- Nashville liquor store owner May Boyce, an 88-year-old widow, who shot at a guy trying to rob her store, explaining to the New York Post why she did it

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JUNE 25, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Political Crossfire

The Agonizing Sports Withdrawal of 2020

By George F. Will

M

edicalizing unpleasant character traits or bad behaviors by blaming them on “addictions” worsens the modern tendency to minimize individual responsibility. However, about your sports addiction...

Imagine your brain on sports. It is not a pretty picture. The most wondrous thing in the universe is the human brain, and for decades yours has devoted much (most, to be honest) of its bandwidth to games. Now you are suffering something akin to delirium tremens. The agonies you are going through during this withdrawal are evidence that spectatorship is addictive. During baseball’s regular season you overdose on 2,430 games, your synapses firing away, sending pleasure pulses through you. But now, with the suddenness of a walk-off home run, all sports, and the firing, have stopped.

And you find yourself mystified by your surroundings, which you last really noticed when you were about 7. Now you resemble the man who in mid-March posted this: “Day 3 without sports. Found a lady sitting on my couch yesterday. Apparently, she’s my wife. She seems nice.”

Day 4 without sports. Began reading Proust.

Really? No. Fortunately, the Major League Baseball channel is methadone for those forced to go cold turkey. In the wee small hours of the morning you might be able to watch, say, Game 7 of the 1992 National League Championship Series. (Spoiler alert: Sid Bream still slides in safe at home, the Braves still beat the Pirates 3-2.) It is 3 a.m. and time for one of those argumentative panels ranking the “10 Best Middle Relievers from Southern North Dakota.”

Sports exemplify what Walt Whitman called America’s “stir.” Civil War historian Bruce Catton called baseball America’s greatest conversation piece. Now that the stirring by games has stopped, so has a sub-

Mets broadcaster and amateur physicist, explaining how cold weather can shorten by 25 feet the distance a fly ball travels: “If the fence is 338 feet [away] and you hit the ball 338 feet, you’ll be 25 feet short.”

“Day 3 without sports. Found a lady sitting on my couch yesterday. Apparently, she’s my wife. She seems nice.”

stantial portion of the nation’s conversation. Think of the many memorable aperçus that baseball always generates but that will not be uttered because baseball is dormant. There will not be gems like this from former Braves manager Dave Bristol: “Only trouble I ever had with chewing tobacco was that the orthodontist said my daughter was going to have to give it up because of her braces.”

Or Ralph Kiner, Hall of Fame slugger,

Admit it, you are not even ashamed that your first – yes, first – thought when COVID-19 caused the shutdown of everything was not “this is going to leave tragedies in its wake.” Rather, you thought: “Mike Trout will miss a chance to make his career numbers even gaudier.” Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci notes that Trout’s loss will not be as great as that suffered by Ted Williams, a Marine aviator who lost his age-24, -25 and

-26 seasons to World War II military service and all but 43 games of his age-33 and -34 seasons to the Korean War. “Williams,” Verducci calculates, “lost about 154 homers, finishing with 521 instead of 675.”

Bob Feller’s loss was larger. In 1936, the soon-to-be high school senior from Van Meter, Iowa, made his debut with the Indians at age 17. He was the youngest in history to win 100 games and had 107 wins when, two days after Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the Navy. Unhappy with a safe stateside posting, he became chief of an anti-aircraft gun crew on the battleship Alabama. It steamed 175,000 miles, participated in eight Pacific island landings and was off Saipan when U.S. forces shot down 400 enemy aircraft.

In the 1939, 1940 and 1941 seasons, Feller won 24, 27 and 25 games, respectively, and he won 26 in 1946, his first full season back. He ranks 37th among pitchers in terms of wins (266). But for the war, he might have passed Grover Cleveland Alexander and Christy Mathewson, who are tied for third (373), behind only Cy Young (511) and Walter Johnson (417). But, then, how many symphonies were not composed and vaccines not developed because, in A.E. Housman’s words, “The saviors come not home tonight: / Themselves they could not save.”

Vin Scully, the mellifluous voice of baseball during his 67 years broadcasting Dodgers games, once said, “Andre Dawson has a bruised knee and is listed as day-to-day. Aren’t we all?” Yes, we are, and it will be nice when we again have baseball to banish that fact to the attic of our brains. (c) 2020, Washington Post Writers Group

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

99

Forgotten Her es

Law and Order in the Military

By Avi Heiligman

I

n any society, there needs to be a sense of law and order to maintain the safety and uphold the law. Law enforcement agencies within or connected to a military are called military police. The Military Police Corps in the United States is just one of several law enforcement agencies operating within or in conjunction with the American military. Today, all branches have their own police force, with the first military police dating back to the Revolutionary War. The Military Police Corps is actually not very old and dates back only to 1941. However, the concept of having a police unit in the military was conceived in 1776. General George Washington appointed William Maroney as the Continental Army’s provost marshal, which is the term for military police and is in charge of keeping order for their assigned unit(s).

Discipline was sometime difficult to maintain back then, and in 1778, Congress gave approval for Washington to create a provost corps, which became known as the Marchausee Corps.

It was comprised of 63 men under Prussian-born Captain Bartholomew Von Heer. Their job was to be on the lookout for deserters, rioters, drunks and anyone not following the rules of the army. Among their duties was to protect supplies and lines of communications and identify and arrest spies.

During battle, they joined ranks and fought during the Battle of Yorktown.

The unit was disbanded at the end of the war.

In the subsequent years and wars, commanders had different units and men available to keep order and discipline but no formal unit in the army was established until the mid-19th century.

Military police, often referred to as MPs, resurfaced during the Civil War. The Union Army under General

Irvin McDowell was suffering from a lack of discipline, and reports of thievery were making it to the highest ranks. As a result, in July 1861, each regiment was tasked with appointing a provost marshal and ten men to restore order. Soldiers guilty of wrongdoings were to be sent to jail. General George McClellan was appointed commander of the Army of the Potomac, and he, in turn, appointed Colonel Andrew Porter as provost marshal of his army. Porter had 1,000 men in his command and was tasked with stopping looting, gambling and marauding while the army was camped in the vicinity of the nation’s capital.

The Veteran Reserve Corps under the Provost Marshal Bureau was established in 1863 and was comprised of soldiers who were not fit for front line duty. Their main duties included rear area security and law enforcement.

After the conclusion of the Civil War, the army did not maintain a formal military police unit. Until the U.S. became involved in World War I (1914-1918) the military did not have a permanent unit to deal with law enforcement and discipline. Rather, units came and went as needed to perform these tasks and were seen

on a greater scale during the Spanish American War (1898) and the Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902).

The American Expeditionary Force during World War I was the largest force the U.S. had sent overseas until World War II. This brought along a lot of logistical challenges, including how to deal with large groups of prisoners and keeping order with the vast amount of supplies and troops moving throughout the area of operations. Two positions were created, with one being stationed stateside and the other in Europe with expeditionary force. Major General Enoch Crowder was appointed as Provost Marshal General of the Army and was known for his role in administering the Selective Service Ac of 1917. Overseas, General John Pershing appointed Lt. Col. Hansen Ely as Provost Marshal General. Later that position was given to Brigadier General Harry Bandholtz. Bandholtz created a Military Police Corps to prevent criminal acts within his area of operations.

Military police battalions were created for each army, and the Escort Guard companies were responsible for the tens of thousands of prisoners.

MPs were also responsible for traffic control as the transport systems

were constantly falling apart due to weather and enemy bombardment.

After the war, Congress allowed MP units to be established in the Army Reserve but it didn’t become a permanent branch of the army until the U.S. was about to enter World War II. The United States Army Military Police Corps was established in September 1941— just two and a half months before Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese. Schools were set up; Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana became operational in early 1942. Over a quarter of million soldiers became MPs during World War II and were among the first to be sent to Europe. They were sent to all theaters of war and landed on the shores of Normandy on D-Day to support the landing troops. Prisoners of war were managed by the MPs and helped keep the Red Ball Express (a truck convoy along the supply route to the front lines) rolling after the breakout from the Normandy Beachhead.

The Military Police Corps remained operational after World War II and have since been involved in the major conflicts involving American troops including the Korean War, Vietnam War, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Today, there are military police in each of the major services. These soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen and coastguardsmen can be called for front line duty in addition to their function as the police. Even in the current political climate, these men and women in uniform are there to serve and protect the law for the American military.

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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JUNE 25, 2020 | The Jewish Home

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101

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JUNE 25, 2020 | The Jewish Home The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Your

37

Money

Taxcutoseum!

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

O

n June 27, 1997, an unknown British author rolled out her first novel, which she wrote in longhand because she couldn’t afford a typewriter. The book was a success beyond imagining: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone stormed the world and made author J.K. Rowling richer than the Queen.

(Seriously, you can look it up.) Rowling’s world of magic and muggles, Hogwarts and Hagrid, enchanted a generation of readers, inspired high school and college quidditch teams, and grossed billions at the box office.

You probably don’t associate

Harry Potter with taxes. But if you draw a Venn diagram with circles representing Harry and the tax man, you’ll find a surprising sliver of overlap. It has nothing to do with the millions of pounds of taxes Rowling paid on her book royalties, movie rights, and subsidiary sales. Instead, it’s all about the invisibility cloak.

In Harry Potter’s world, an invisibility cloak is a rare and valuable garment that makes its wearer, well… invisible. Skilled seamstresses spend hours weaving them from the hair of the demiguise, a magical creature whose coat renders it invisible. Alter-

GET YOURS TODAY! “Naphtali Hoff has achieved the implausible: a new management book that is fresh, novel, and highly-readable. Dr. Hoff draws on current industry trends and his own rich leadership expertise to deliver a book that has actionable insights and strategies for organizational leaders. While marketed to “the new boss,” I believe that this book is equally valuable for veteran and aspiring leaders, too.”

natively, a wizard can enchant an ordinary cloak with a Disillusionment Charm or Bedazzling Hex. In the tax world, clever accountants and attorneys work (and bill) even longer hours trying to weave invisibility cloaks for their clients’ income. Skilled writers weave them from obscure Latin phrases, fancy SAT words, and legal shell games. Alternatively, they can enchant an ordinary business or investment asset with a powerful Offshorium Charm or Expellitaxus Hex. Sometimes, the tax wizard’s spell is just intended to pay less, along with maybe cutting audit risk. For example, restructuring your sole proprietorship to an entity taxed as

ship as hard to find as a prophecy hidden in the Vaults of Mystery. But if you don’t report the income from your dividends and sales, the Sorting Hat can still send you to Azkaban.

Sadly, invisibility cloaks don’t last forever. In Harry Potter’s world, the magic wears off over time, and the cloaks themselves are vulnerable to damage from spells. The same is true with taxes. For decades, Switzerland reigned as the lord of numbered bank accounts paying what some account holders treated as magic tax-free interest. (The “magic” turned out to be a simple frauduloseum spell, but who’s counting?)

In 2007, a disgruntled UBS banker named Bradley Birkenfeld start-

If you don’t report the income from your dividends and sales, the Sorting Hat can still send you to Azkaban.

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an S corporation can minimize employment tax and cut your audit risk from as high as 2.4% (for sole props with revenue from $100-200,000) to just 0.2% (for S corps). And you can sometimes do it simply by filing a three-page form, which is as close to magic as you’ll find in the IRS’s woefully-underfunded bureaucracy.

Some tax wizards go even further, trying to hide income forever.

Tucking your stocks in a British Virgin Islands corporation, then owning that entity through a Cayman Islands LLC, then making that LLC the beneficiary of a Cook Islands trust, then making a Maltese corporation the trustee, can make your owner-

ed blowing the whistle on his U.S. clients, which eventually shredded Switzerland’s secrecy cloak.

Go ahead and lift a pint of butterbeer to Harry Potter on his anniversary. But don’t ask the wizard and his Hogwarts pals to hide your income. Instead, bring it to us. Our strategies won’t impress the Ministry of Magic. But they win House Cup points where it really counts — with the IRS! 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.

26

The Jewish Home | JUNE 25, 2020

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

103

Life C ach

Zoom

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., MFT, CLC

“Z

oom golly golly golly; zoom golly golly!”

I grew up with this being a song that people sang together.

Now it’s the way people actually get together, no song necessary!

Classes – Zoom Meetings – Zoom Bar mitzvahs – Zoom Even weddings – Zoom Sure, that’s not new when it comes to weddings. We used to Zoom all the time for them. Zoom here, zoom there! Zoom to pick out a hall, a dress, a wig. But now it’s just Zoom to show up!

“June is busting out all over!”

That’s another song. I think from the show Oklahoma.

But June use to be a repressed month. So packed, it was hardly able to bust out. Now, look at June this

much as they claim their kids need it, maybe someone else does too!

Yes, it’s delicious to be together 24/7, in theory. But the reality is every adult needs to get a little time for themselves, and yes, every kid needs some time for peer bonding too.

Hey, it might be interesting to take a little peek at what day camp may look like for kids this year. *Counselor: OK, you’re captain.

Choose a team.

Camper: Well, who am I allowed to choose from?

Counselor: From the four people you are allowed to be with.

Camper: OK, I choose them.

Counselor: And who are your opponents?

Camper: The four people we’re not allowed to be with.

Counselor: Well, that was easy!

But now it’s just Zoom to show up!

year. We kind of got our Sundays back. No events to drive to. When it comes to graduations, bar mitzvahs, and weddings, just show your face on a computer and you’re good!

And take note of this: men are not sitting inside watching sports, either.

So, June is busting out all over!

Families actually have more family time. People are more present than ever!

The thing is, though, maybe they’re a little too present?! Parents may be somewhat ready for a drop of space. Maybe, even praying a bit that day camps keep working out ‘cause as

*Camper: Hey, what are they serving for lunch today?

Counselor: Well, what did you bring?

Camper: A sandwich and a juice box.

Counselor: You got it! Well, that was easy! *Camper: Do I need to bring anything special for trip day?

Counselor: No way.

Camper: Wow, great! Where are we going?

Counselor: Nowhere!

Camper: That doesn’t sound too good.

So, camp will definitely be simplified and a bit different. But the good news is keeping your kids busy will hopefully be someone else’s problem – at least for a while.

So, let’s all zoom into action and appreciate the last few days of this June. Because who knows what July may look like?

I’m betting it will be awesome!

Why not?

In any case, we can make it that

way – as long as we use our gift of seeing everything from more than one angle. And if we haven’t perfected that gift, maybe it would be good for us to try and zoom in a little differently!

Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach.

She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or rivki@rosenwalds.com.

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104

JUNE 25, 2020 | The Jewish Home

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