Five Towns Jewish Home - 12-9-21

December 9, 2021

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Dear Readers,

I

am embarrassed to say that I never heard of Aristides de Sousa Mendes before last week.

It was just a few days ago that I read an article about him in Smithsonian magazine. But now that I know of him and his courageous deeds, I feel a deep sense of gratitude towards him and consider it an obligation to share his story.

Sousa Mendes’ early days don’t foreshadow the courage and valor that would epitomize his later years. He was born into an aristocratic family in Portugal and enjoyed affluence his whole life. He was careless with money, often needing to borrow funds from his twin brother. His nobility earned him a series of diplomatic posts around the globe, including Brazil, Spain, and San Francisco. But it was in France that Sousa Mendes was forced to face the harsh realities that life sometimes presents.

Sousa Mendes served as the consul general for Portugal in Bordeaux, France, in 1940, when the Nazi swastika was unfurled over France one day after the French government signed the armistice with Germany. Soon, thousands of refugees – Jews and non-Jews alike – were scrambling for their lives, moving south to escape the Nazis, desperate to avoid almost-certain death.

Months before, Portugal’s prime minister had issued a directive that no Portuguese representative issue any visas to escaping Jews, Russians, or “stateless persons.” But as consul-general, Sousa Mendes was faced with thousands of people desperate to save their lives – with him holding the pen that could be the rescue vessel that could secure them passage to safety. Seeing these refugees tugged at his conscience.

But meeting Rabbi Chaim Kruger made Sousa

Mendes understand the import of his position.

Sousa Mendes met Rabbi Kruger one day while passing by the synagogue in town. When offering Rabbi Kruger and his family visas to Portugal through Spain, Rabbi Kruger declined the papers. “It’s not just me who needs help,” the rabbi said, “but all my fellow Jews.”

Faced with the enormity of the decision that was presented to him – to risk his position or to save these refugees – Sousa Mendes sequestered himself in his room, finally emerging with a burning desire to save whom he could. Frantically signing visas, Sousa Mendes issued thousands of papers to the throngs of refugees desperate to leave Nazi-occupied France. For days, he forwent sleep, knowing that his supervisors would soon try to stop him from issuing these visas.

When Bordeaux became unsafe, Sousa Mendes traveled to other cities, signing visas and, at one point, persuading border guards to open the gates for refugees holding his visas.

Although it’s hard to know, it is said that Sousa Mendes saved at least 30,000 people – 10,000 of whom were Jews.

What did Sousa Mendes get for his righteousness? He was summarily forced to retire ignominiously, lost his pension, suffered from a stroke, had his children dispersed, and died in poverty.

Perhaps the only thing that Sousa Mendes did leave this world with was his integrity and valor.

“I would rather stand with G-d against man,” he once said, “than with man against G-d.”

Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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COMMUNITY Readers’ Poll

8

Community Happenings

34

NEWS

76

Global

12

National

24

That’s Odd

31

ISRAEL Israel News

20

My Israel Home

84

JEWISH THOUGHT Rabbi Wein on the Parsha

72

Listening by Rav Moshe Weinberger

76

FEAR: False Evidence Appearing Real by Rabbi Shmuel Reichman

78

Delving into the Daf by Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

82

PEOPLE Josh Aryeh: Granting Wishes and Spreading Smiles

86

Medal of Honor Recipients in Lesser-Known Battles

by Avi Heiligman

110

HEALTH & FITNESS Stockholm Syndrome by Dr. Deb Hirschhorn

96

Natural Diuretics by Cindy Weinberger, MS RD CDN

98

FOOD & LEISURE The Aussie Gourmet: Kale, Apple, and Sausage Vegetable Soup

103

LIFESTYLES Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW 92 Parenting Pearls

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JWOW! 102

102

Your Money

Dear Editor, Recently, I received an email from a friend who is deaf. She explained how difficult mask mandates have been for her. When she goes to a grocery store, she has to hold a sign or pass a note to the store workers say-

ing, “I am deaf, but I lip-read very well. Please remove your mask so that I can understand you.”

She says that many people are afraid to remove their masks and instead write their answers to her.

She finds this scenario extremely frustrating, as it takes far longer to write the answer, and it is unnecessary to behave this way. I have heard similar stories from school students who cannot understand professors or classmates when they won’t remove their masks.

I request your readers and their friends and contacts: please think about and be sensitive to someone else’s needs. Please remove your mask when speaking to a deaf or hearing-impaired person. You can stand six feet away and have your conversation with your mask off and still be safe. During the short time that you converse, you are at minimal or no danger with your mask off. You will make a deaf person’s life much easier by making this small adjustment to your mask routine.

Daniel Feldman Woodmere, NY Dear Editor, In the spirit of appreciation and gratitude, I am writing this to tell you that our family truly appreciates The Jewish Home every week. So much so, that my wife brings home two copies each week, so there’s no fighting amongst us.

In any case, I appreciate that you keep us informed of important topics.

Continued on page 10

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Just Relax by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS 118

HUMOR Centerfold 70 POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes

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The Goodness of Bob Dole by George F. Will

108

At the Ukrainian Border, Putin Stands on the Edge of a Precipice by David Ignatius 109 CLASSIFIEDS

Dear Editor, In a hypothetical, if one were to have to choose between taking a fulltime job where the work could end at any moment or a part-time job where there is a guarantee of non-ending work, it would seem logical to take the part-time job.

Thankfully, this hypothetical doesn’t exist within the spiritual realm, because there is no limit of work that’s needed to refine oneself.

The Mishna in Avot (2:20), in not so many words, conveys the notion that there is a lot of work to do and the work is great, and the Owner is knocking. Indeed, within the spiritual arena, there is no shortage of work.

Another Mishna in Avot (2:2) notes that all Torah without work will be nullified. We may posit that one explanation of this Mishna is that all Torah that is not accompanied by spiritual work, makes the Torah an empty idea.

As the book of Genesis comes to a close, it’s hard not to be moved by the Avot’s spiritual work. To chase their example, the work needed is immense but exists within us to apply. Whatever kind of work you have and no matter how busy you are, in another workplace, the spiritual one, the work never runs out.

Steven Genack

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In which seat do you prefer to sit on an airplane: Window or Aisle?

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Continued from page 8

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This week, you wrote about the redistricting issue. I enjoyed reading about your interview with Rabbi Silber of the Agudah and the efforts of activists Nachman Mostofsky and Chesky Moskowitz.

I understand that redistricting is an important issue that can and will affect our strength when it comes to voting. But one thing puzzled me: what should we, as a community, be doing about it? It doesn’t sound like we can call our local officials about it.

Or even call our state officials.

So what, exactly, should be our role?

Sincerely, Chaim Rotenberg Dear Editor, With regards to Sara Rayvych’s article this week on educational testing: if a parent refuses to test their child because they are concerned about stigma, then – dare I say? – they are akin to abusing their child.

When a child needs services and is denied those services, that is abuse.

Imagine a child who needed antibiotics. Would you deny them their medicine? Speech therapy, physical therapy, early intervention – these are essentials for children who are B”H IN OUR ST SEASON! suffering.

Parents, please don’t put your “shidduch concerns” before your child’s health. You are hurting your child and abusing your role as their protector.

Sincerely, A Reader

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Dear Editor, According to Dr. Deb Hirschhorn, there is a massive government conspiracy to control us by manipulating Americans into getting unnecessary Covid-19 vaccines, keeping social distance, and wearing masks inside – all of it for no reason except to maintain absolute control over all of our lives not to actually save our lives. We accept it because of cognitive dissonance. Also, hypnotic induction “distancing” and “denial.” Her proof?

Meredith Miller, a trauma recovery coach, says so and has studies that seem to indicate this. Other panelists agree. In order to maintain this massive conspiracy, however, you would have to believe that not only the CDC and WHO are in on it but 90% of all of our doctors. Not only the notorious Dr. Fauci but our own beloved Dr. Glatt is in on it, too. The vaccines that have been developed have been

proven to be effective. Instead, we should follow Dr. Zelenko and use his unproven treatments. There is also the inconvenient death of nearly 808,608 Americans, including many we each know and the fact that many thousands are still getting new cases of Covid-19 every day. Maybe that is fake news generated by the manipulating government, too.

Believing conspiracy theories and promulgating us to accept them is irresponsible and dangerous. It could cause people to avoid getting the vaccines which are saving lives.

The Torah tells us v’nishmartem meod l’nafshoteichem – we are enjoined to be very careful with our lives. Almost all our parents made sure we got the Salk and Sabin polio vaccines. Those of my generation got the smallpox vaccine. Most parents get their children the MMR vaccine.

Follow the Torah and listen to what most scientists, epidemiologists and doctors tell us. Get the vaccines and maintain at least some vigilance indoors. And don’t listen to conspiracy theorists.

Samuel Kosofsky Hillcrest, Queens Dr. Deb Responds: Samuel, what I wrote in my article is not “according to Dr. Deb.” I cited sources for what I wrote.

Secondly, the doctors do not have the time to check original research and take advantage of what they are told. Naturally, they trust the CDC and the WHO. Thirdly, the many unfortunate deaths due to Covid came before there were effective treatments – when given early. There are zero deaths when treatments are given early, according to numerous studies that do not make their way to the common media. Why aren’t they being reported?

Additionally, when it comes to vaccines, why do we keep needing boosters?

We’re getting new cases of Covid, but we now have treatments. We shouldn’t obsess over the illness; it’s not good for our mental health. Instead, we should focus on the treatments at hand.

I’d like to point out that the polio vaccines were tested for years before they were brought to market. Now, why are there so many cases of people getting the virus who already got the shot?

The bottom line is that the trauma is fear. Why are officials pumping up fear?

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

The Week In News

MAKOR DISABILITY SERVICES Women's League Community Residences

Makor Mothers Committee invites you to a

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U.S. to Boycott Beijing Olympics

This week, the United States announced a diplomatic boycott of February’s Beijing Winter Games. In turn, China accused the U.S. of violating the Olympic spirit.

The U.S. is attempting to interfere with the Beijing Winter Olympics “out of ideological prejudice and based on lies and rumors,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters at a daily briefing.

The boycott “seriously violates the principle of political neutrality of sports established by the Olympic Charter and runs counter to the Olympic motto ‘more united,’” Zhao added.

“The U.S. will pay a price for its practices. You may stay tuned for follow-ups,” Zhao vowed.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Monday that the administration will fully support U.S. athletes competing at the games but won’t dispatch U.S. diplomats or officials to attend. She added that the U.S. has a “fundamental commitment to promoting human rights” and that it “will not be contributing to the fanfare of the games.”

The diplomatic boycott comes as the U.S. attempts to stabilize turbulent relations with Beijing, even as it maintains a tough approach toward trade and conflicts over China’s actions on Taiwan, Hong Kong, the South China Sea, and the treatment of ethnic minorities, particularly Muslim Uyghurs.

The dispatching of high-level delegations to each Olympics has long been a tradition among the U.S. and other leading nations. Then-President George W. Bush attended the opening of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Summer Games. First Lady Jill Biden led the American contingent to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo this year,

and second gentleman Doug Emhoff led a delegation to the Paralympic Games.

Pakistan: Mob Kills Sri Lankan for Blasphemy

Over 100 people were arrested in Pakistan after a Sri Lankan factory manager was beaten to death and his body set aflame, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Saturday.

The manager was killed by a mob accusing him of blasphemy.

Khan called it a “day of shame for Pakistan” and said he had spoken with Sri Lanka’s president about the incident. He added that those arrested would be “prosecuted with full severity of the law.”

In a tweet, Khan wrote, “Spoke to Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today in UAE to convey our nation’s anger & shame to people of Sri Lanka at vigilante killing of Priyantha Diyawadana in Sialkot.”

The killing took place on Friday in the Punjab province’s Sialkot, around 125 miles southeast of Islamabad. Local police officials said that rumors claimed Diyawadana had “torn down a religious poster and thrown it in the dustbin.” According to police, up to 120 people had been arrested.

Tahir Ashrafi, a religious scholar and special representative of the PM on religious harmony, confirmed the arrests, saying that employees had complained of the “very strict” manager.

“Police experts are investigating this case from various angles, including that some factory workers played a religious card to take revenge on the manager,” Ashrafi said.

Punjab government spokesman Hasaan Khawar on Sunday said that the body will be handed over to the Sri Lankan Embassy in Islamabad.

Nearly all of Pakistan’s parties condemned the attack. Sri Lanka’s president and PM demanded that Pakistan punish those involved.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

UN Defers Decision on Allowing Taliban and Junta to Join

A decision on whether to grant the requests to join the United Nations (UN) by the Taliban group which rules Afghanistan and the Junta ruling Myanmar have been deferred to a later date.

The deferral, made by the UN’s nine-nation Credentials Committee, may mean that a decision on who represents Afghanistan and Myanmar may not be made before the September 2022 General Assembly gathering.

The Taliban and Junta had applied to replace the ambassadors of their countries’ deposed governments.

Following the decision, Commit-

tee Chairwoman Ambassador Anna Karin Eneström told reporters that the Committee “defers its decision of the credentials in these two situations.”

Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen slammed the deferral as “an unfair decision,” claiming, “Political considerations of some countries that want to impose their wills on the people of Afghanistan have influenced this decision.”

Diplomats said that the Committee would recommend the deferral in a report to be submitted next week to the General Assembly.

will withdraw from politics.

At 35, Kurz was Austria’s youngest leader.

He resigned his position both as parliamentary group leader and as party leader and will be replaced as party chair by Interior Minister Karl Nehammer.

Kurz is being investigated for giving false statements and a breach of public trust. He firmly denies the claims of bribery and corruption.

In a statement, Kurz said he was resigning in order to focus on his family. His announcement follows the birth of his son.

Austria’s Kurz to Withdraw from Politics

Spider Seizure

Austrian ex-Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced last week that he

rantulas, 67 cockroaches, nine spider eggs, and a scorpion with seven of its young, all of which were seized at the country’s El Dorado airport, a statement from Bogota’s environmental authority said.

The bugs were kept in over 200 plastic containers hidden inside a suitcase.

Officials stated that two German citizens who claimed the specimens were for academic purposes were detained and will be prosecuted.

Carolina Urrutia, Bogota’s environmental secretary, emphasized that specimens intended for scientific research still require approval before they are removed from the country.

No More Iran Nuclear Deal?

Hundreds of insects and wild spiders were seized by Colombian authorities last week. Officials say that the bugs were on their way to Europe at the time the authorities confiscated them.

The haul included at least 232 ta-

The Iran nuclear deal may never again see the light of day, as the United States announced over the weekend that Iran had backed away from all its previous compromises on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.

The U.S. says it will not allow Iran to “slow walk” the international negotiations, while at the same time ramping up its atomic activities.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

The day before Washington had said that Tehran “does not seem to be serious” in returning to the accords.

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Iran came to Vienna “with proposals that walked back anything – any of the compromises Iran had floated here in the six rounds of talks, pocket all of the compromises that others, and the U.S. in particular, had made, and then asked for more,” a U.S. senior official said.

He added that Washington was “preparing for a world in which there is no return to the JCPOA,” the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Russia and China “also were quite taken aback by the degree to which Iran had walked back its own compromises and then doubled down on the requests that it (made),” he said.

“They do share a sense of disappointment, to put it diplomatically.”

More sanctions against the Persian regime would likely come if Washington concludes that Iran had killed the negotiations.

In Vienna, “Iran did not show the posture of a country that is seriously thinking of a rapid return” to the accord aimed at putting curbs on its nuclear program, said the official.

The seventh round of nuclear talks ended on Friday after five days in Vienna, with delegations returning to their national capitals and expected to go back to Austria next week.

Iran’s lead negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani said the talks were paused “since the opposite side needed to consult with their capitals to provide a documented and reasonable response to these [Iranian] proposals.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that the negotiations were halted because “Iran right now does not seem to be serious about doing what’s necessary to return to compliance.”

The landmark 2015 nuclear accord – initially agreed between Britain, China, France, Germany Iran, Russia and the U.S. – began unraveling in 2018 when then-U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of the deal and reimposed sanctions. Iran then turned around and started to exceed limits on its nuclear program the following year.

Anti-Israel, Anti-Apartheid Activist Dies

Ebrahim Esmail Ebrahim, who fought against apartheid in South Africa and spent years imprisoned on Robben Island, died on Monday at 84.

According to the African National Congress (ANC), Ebrahim, who was imprisoned alongside Nelson Mandela, passed away at his Johannesburg home following a lengthy illness.

In a statement, ANC praised Ebrahim as “a longstanding member of the ANC, a patriot who served his country in different capacities with humility, dedication and distinction.” Ebrahim joined the fight against the white-minority rule as a young teenager and became an ANC youth activist in 1952.

He later joined the ANC’s armed wing and was arrested in 1963 for sabotage. Ebrahim was then tried together with 18 others and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment on Robben Island, where Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years. Ebrahim was released in 1979, only to be re-arrested ten years later, in 1989, and sentenced to two decades in prison.

Ebrahim was soon released in 1991, and in 1994, he joined South Africa’s first democratic government.

In 2001, Ebrahim met with arch-terrorist Yasser Arafat, who at the time represented the Palestinian Authority.

According to Independent Online, in 2002, Ebrahim was part of a group of South African organizations which urged their government to cut ties with and sanction Israel; at the time, he reportedly called Israel a “racist” state.

In 2010, he demanded an end to “the cleansing of Palestinians from Jerusalem.”

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

End of a Merkel Era

For sixteen years, Angela Merkel has been the face of Germany.

She took over the position of chancellor on November 22, 2005, becoming the country’s first female to take on that role. On Wednesday, she quietly said goodbye to her citizens, leaving office at the age of 67 with high praise both at home and internationally.

Olaf Scholz took over the reins this week.

Over the years, Merkel raised

Germany’s profile and influence. She worked to hold together the European Union and championed different causes, being a role model to women.

Merkel, a former scientist who grew up in communist East Germany, bowed out about a week short of the record for longevity held by her one-time mentor, Helmut Kohl, who reunited Germany during his 19821998 tenure.

She served alongside four U.S. presidents, four French presidents, five British prime ministers and eight Italian premiers. Her chancellorship was marked by four major challenges: the global financial crisis, Europe’s debt crisis, the 2015-16 influx of refugees to Europe, and the coronavirus pandemic.

“Undoubtedly, she’s elevated Germany’s image in the world,” Sudha David-Wilp, the deputy director of the German Marshall Fund of the United States’ Berlin office, said.

Merkel was a driving force behind EU sanctions against Russia over its annexation of Crimea and backing of separatists in eastern Ukraine, and also spearheaded so-far-unfinished efforts to bring about a diplomatic solution there. She was regarded as being “able to have a dialogue with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin

on behalf of the West,” David-Wilp said.

Merkel was named “The World’s Most Powerful Woman” by Forbes magazine for the past 10 years in a row.

Khashoggi Killer Arrested

French police arrested a suspected member of the team that murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 outside the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul. The murderer was picked up at Paris’ airport on Tuesday.

Khalid Alotaibi, 33, was detained by border police on the basis of an arrest warrant issued by Turkey just before taking a flight to Riyadh from

Charles de Gaulle airport.

A Turkish court in 2020 began to try in absentia 20 suspects over the murder of Khashoggi, including two former aides to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Turkish prosecutors then indicted six more Saudi suspects over the killing later that year, but no Saudi official has ever faced justice in person in Turkey over the killing.

In September 2020, a Saudi court overturned five death sentences issued after a closed-door trial in Saudi Arabia, sentencing them to 20 years in prison instead.

Khashoggi – a prominent Saudi who lived in self-exile in the United States and wrote for The Washington Post – entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018 to file paperwork to marry his Turkish fiancée. But instead of emerging with the documentation, Khashoggi was met by a Saudi hit squad that strangled him and then dismembered his body.

The gruesome murder sparked international outrage that continues to reverberate, with Western intelligence agencies accusing Prince Mohammed bin Salman of authorizing the killing.

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Queen Elizabeth’s Aide Dies at 101

in 1994.

In 1980, the Queen made the Duchess a Lady Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.

FitzRoy was married to Hugh FitzRoy, 11th Duke of Grafton and formerly Earl of Euston. Hugh died in 2011.

Myanmar: Junta Sentences Kyi to Prison Ann Fortune FitzRoy, the Duchess of Grafton, who served as Queen Elizabeth’s Mistress of Robes, died last week at the age of 101.

As Mistress of Robes, FitzRoy was in charge of all matters relating to the Queen’s clothing and jewelry, as well as arranging attendance of ladies-in-waiting, and other state duties. She occupied the role from 1967 until her death on Friday.

Prior to her position as Mistress of Robes, FitzRoy was a Lady of the Bedchamber, serving in that capacity from 1953 to 1966.

FitzRoy was the Queen’s “most loyal friend and aide” and accompanied her on numerous tours. These included Nigeria in 1956, France in 1972, Morocco in 1980, and Russia

Myanmar’s Junta rulership has sentenced a 76-year-old Nobel laureate to prison.

Aung San Suu Kyi, whose government was toppled nearly a year ago, was sentenced on Monday to four years in prison.

According to state television, her sentence for incitement was reduced to two years. However, there are a dozen charges against Kyi, including corruption, violating coronavirus

restrictions, and violation of a state secrets act, all of them laid by the commanders who deposed her and her government in February.

Kyi will remain in custody until all cases against her have been decided. She has denied all charges against her. Her lawyers are not allowed to speak publicly about the case, and her trial was held behind closed doors.

United Nations Special Rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, said that Kyi and deposed President Win Myint – who was also sentenced to prison – are “hostages, not criminals.”

“This proceeding should not be confused with an actual trial – it is theater of the absurd and a gross violation of human rights,” Andrews said.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken added that the “unjust conviction of Aung San Suu Kyi and the repression of other democratically elected officials are yet further affronts to democracy and justice.”

Following the fall of its government last year, mass protests were held in Myanmar, which the army then tried to repress.

Human rights groups believe over 700 people were killed in the protests.

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Tel Aviv has been ranked – for the first time – as the most expensive city in the world, jumping from fifth place to first in this year’s ranking.

The Worldwide Cost of Living index released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), includes 173 cities and over 200 products and services.

According to the EIU, the rise is due to increases in grocery and transportation costs, as well as the shekel’s increase in strength against

the U.S. dollar.

Following Tel Aviv and tied for second and third place are Paris and Singapore. Zurich holds fourth place, followed by Hong Kong in fifth. Spots six through ten are occupied by New York City, Geneva, Copenhagen, Los Angeles, and Osaka.

Tehran, Iran, made the most significant rise, from number 79 in 2020 to number 29 in 2021. Damascus, Syria, came in as the cheapest city to live in.

Meanwhile, the EIU noted that average prices for goods and services listed in its index rose by 3.5% this year, compared to 1.9% last year.

Escaping Ramallah by “Miracle”

Two Israelis who accidentally entered downtown Ramallah on Thursday after following bad directions may face criminal charges.

Michael Sharabi and his friend were attacked and their car was set on fire by a crowd of Palestinian Authority Arabs when they wandered into Palestinian territory, but the pair “miraculously” escaped the Arab capital unharmed and were handed over to Israeli authorities by Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces.

Police are still investigating the incident and determining how the pair was able to wander around Ramallah, despite signs warning that it is illegal for Israelis to enter areas under the Palestinian Authority’s control. It is in this context that Channel 12 News reported that officials are mulling charges against the two Israelis.

Speaking to reporters last Thursday afternoon, Sharabi explained that he and his friend were surrounded by a mob after entering Ramallah’s Manara Square.

The mob began hurling cinderblocks at their vehicle, he said, adding that after the car’s windows were smashed, the two Israelis decided to try to escape on foot.

“We managed to open the door on one side, we trembled with fear, and I started saying Shema Yisrael,” Sharabi recalled. “I started running in the

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

middle of the street which was full in all directions of people glaring at us.

Another miracle that happened to us is that we did not lose each other in the middle of the angry crowd.”

He added, “They threw cement blocks and everything and thank G-d we came out without a single scratch; it was a miracle,” he said, adding that he and his friend were attacked, hit, and had objects hurled at them and that their car was also set on fire.

Sharabi also told Channel 12 that he and his friend were chased for 10 minutes before PA security forces offered aid.

According to the IDF, “The citizens left accompanied by Palestinian security forces in coordination with the [Israeli] security forces in the area.”

Sharabi and his friend, both Breslov chassidim, were interrogated by Israeli police and may face charges.

Sharabi reportedly told police that he and his friend had asked an Arab driver for directions to Chashmona’im, but the Arab “directed us to continue straight and to go past all the traffic circles. Somewhere along the way, I realized we were not going in the right direction, and then what happened, happened — cinderblocks and stones.”

Defensive Wall

The IDF has completed a 30-foothigh concrete wall that they say will keep out intruders. The barrier runs along the length of the Gaza Strip and protects Israel from both above and below ground.

The NIS 3.5 billion ($1.1 billion) project has taken over three years to complete and is meant to end the threat of cross-border attack tunnels from the Palestinian enclave, which the Strip’s Hamas rulers have utilized to deadly effect.

“This barrier, a creative, technological project of the first order, denies Hamas one of the capabilities that it tried to develop and puts a wall of iron, sensors and concrete between it and the residents of the south,” Defense Minister Benny

Gantz said at the ceremony on Tuesday afternoon.

Construction of the barrier was a massive industrial undertaking, requiring some 1,200 workers, the removal of 330,000 trucks’ worth of sand, dirt, and rocks, two million cubic meters of concrete, and enough rebar that if laid out in a single line would reach Australia, according to Brig. Gen. Eran Ofir, who oversees construction of defensive barriers for the Defense Ministry.

The 40-mile barrier lies all along the Gaza border and extends out to sea in order to ensure that terror groups in the Strip do not dig underwater tunnels, as they have attempted in the past.

The barrier is made up of several components: an underground reinforced concrete wall that is studded with sensors to detect tunnels; a 20-foot (six-meter) steel fence; a network of radar arrays and other surveillance sensors; and remote-controlled weaponry. There are also a number of command centers along the border as part of the project.

The decision to construct the barrier arose after the 2014 Gaza war, known in Israel as Operation Protective Edge, which focused primarily on countering the tunnel threat.

The concern in the IDF has long been that Hamas or another terror group would use cross-border tunnels to send fighters into an Israeli community near the border, where they could kill those inside, and, even if only for a short while, conquer a portion of Israel.

Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, used tunnels to carry out deadly attacks for the first time in 2004, digging under Israeli positions within the enclave and detonating powerful bombs beneath them. In 2006, Hamas members tunneled into Israel, killing three soldiers and capturing a fourth, Gilad Shalit, whom it kept captive for five years before a swap deal with Israel.

The tunnels, both border-crossing ones and those within Gaza, were used extensively during the 2014 Gaza war, though in recent years Hamas has seemingly stopped relying on them to the same extent as Israel has gotten better at discovering them.

“The barrier is reality-changing.

What happened in the past won’t happen again,” IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi said in his speech at the ceremony this week.

Less Support for Temple Mount UN Resolution

A United Nations (UN) resolution on Jerusalem which ignores Temple Mount’s Jewish history lost the support of 19 countries last week.

The resolution, which still passed with an overwhelming majority, is part of a trio which is brought before the UN General Assembly each year, in various forms. The other two resolutions in the group call for “Israelis and Palestinians” to end conflict and implement a two-state solution and condemn Israel’s presence in the Golan Heights, which it conquered in 1967.

The Jerusalem resolution, which calls for “upholding unchanged the historic status quo at the Haram al-Sharif” site, passed with 129 countries voting in favor, 11 voting against, and 31 abstentions. Last time the resolution was voted on, in 2018, the resolution passed with 148 countries voting in favor. “Haram al-Sharif” is the Arabic name for the Temple Mount.

In a press release, the U.S. Representative to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said, “It is morally, historically and politically wrong for the Assembly to support language that denies both the Jewish and Muslim connections to the Temple Mount and Haram alSharif.”

At the same time, the British representative to the UN said the UK’s stance on Jerusalem had not changed but that his delegation abstained due to the “unbalanced” language used in the resolution.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan stated, “The automatic majority in the UN that votes in favor of pro-Palestinian decisions is shameful and makes the UN irrelevant and without real influence.”

Erdan added, “But the fact that 19 other countries made the right choice and realized that a distorted and false resolution could not be supported is a positive development that we must encourage. There is still a long way to go, but the change in last night’s vote

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

was important and there is no doubt that it will also affect more votes in the future.”

Ramming Attack at Samaria Checkpoint

An Israeli security guard suffered serious injuries early Monday morning when an Arab terrorist rammed his car into him at the Te’enim checkpoint in Samaria.

Security forces at the scene fired at the teenage terrorist, who was later pronounced dead. The terrorist was later identified by Arab media as Muhammad Nidal Younis; the Defense Ministry said Younis was 16 years old and from Nablus.

The Defense Ministry also said that at about 1:20a.m. Monday morn-

ing, Younis rammed his vehicle into another vehicle at the checkpoint, hitting the security guard in the process.

The guard, 34, sustained injuries to his head and chest but was in serious but stable condition and fully conscious, Magen David Adom (MDA) said. The victim was evacuated to Sheba Medical Center, and his condition later improved from serious to moderate.

In a statement, Defense Ministry Director-General Amir Eshel, who visited the scene, said, “This is a serious attack, and we all wish the wounded security guard a speedy recovery.

The security guards acted quickly, just as we train them — striving for contact, hitting the terrorist, and ending the incident within seconds. We are investigating the circumstances of the incident and will consider further steps to improve security for security guards.”

Spy Plane Forced Flight from Israel to Dive A U.S. spy plane forced a civilian aircraft to dive in order to avoid a

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mid-air collision over the Black Sea, Russia said this week. The aircraft had taken off from Israel.

In a statement, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency said that on Friday morning, a NATO CL600 reconnaissance aircraft with 142 people onboard rapidly descended 500 meters across the planned route for an Aeroflot plane from Tel Aviv to Moscow.

A second, smaller plane CL650 en route from the Black Sea resort Sochi to Skopje in Northern Macedonia was also forced to divert to avoid the spy plane, the Agency said on Saturday.

“The direction and altitude of the commercial flights were immediately altered,” the Agency added, noting that the unknown plane did not respond to air traffic control’s calls.

On Sunday, a spokesperson from the Russian Foreign Ministry indicated that the unknown craft belonged to the U.S., writing on Telegram that “the actions of the U.S. Air Force have

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created a threat to civil aviation. If now a catastrophe in the airspace over the open waters of the Black Sea has been averted, this does not mean that the United States and NATO can continue to risk people’s lives with impunity.”

The Federal Air Transport Agency also said it would lodge a diplomatic protest, explaining, “Increased activity by NATO aircraft near Russia’s borders, including above the Black Sea, creates a risk of dangerous accidents involving civilian aircraft.”

3 Children Killed in Car Accident

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driver’s license and driving a vehicle unfit to be on the roads made an illegal U-turn in a no-passing zone.

Tov-Re’I was pronounced dead at the scene, and Halleli was pronounced dead after arriving at a hospital.

The children’s parents, Yaniv and Hodaya, are hospitalized in serious condition: Yaniv’s condition is stable, but he is still unconscious and on a respirator; Hodaya’s condition has not yet stabilized, and her condition is critical.

Hodaya, 34, was pregnant at the time of the crash. The fetus did not survive and was buried together with Halleli and Tov-Re’I on Saturday night; the funeral was held in Rehovot.

The Me’oded family moved to Brukhin in Samaria from Rehovot just days prior to the crash.

AWOL Weapons

A Marine Corps demolition specialist stole 13 pounds (6 kilograms) of C4 plastic explosives from the training ranges of Camp Lejeune a few months ago. Supposedly, the move stemmed from the specialist’s concerns that there would be a civil war following last year’s presidential election.

In a seven-page statement to military investigators, the specialist had explained, “The riots, talk about seizing guns, I saw this country moving towards a scary unknown future. I had one thing on my mind and one thing only: I am protecting my family and my constitutional rights.”

In a separate theft, the explosives he stole ended up in the hands of high-schoolers.

An ongoing investigation by AP shows that hundreds and possibly thousands of weapons and explosives have been lost or stolen by U.S. armed forces over the past ten years.

At times, troops falsified records to cover up for thefts, while in other cases they did not report explosives as missing, and in yet other situa-

tions they failed to safeguard the explosives in the first place.

According to military officials, thieves represent a small minority of servicemembers, and the amounts lost are minuscule.

Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Uriah Orland noted, “We want to get the number to zero, so there is no loss, but it doesn’t mean that we don’t take seriously losses that happened.”

Meanwhile, AP’s AWOL Weapons investigation highlighted poor accountability and insider thefts, which are at fault for the loss of over 2,000 military firearms since 2010.

Congress will now require that the military provide annual reports detailing losses and thefts.

According to Army spokesman Lt. Col. Brandon Kelley, the amounts of missing explosives are negligible, and over the past decade, the Army “has maintained proper accountability of 99.999984% of munitions.”

No More Artifacts for Billionaire

U.S. hedge fund billionaire and philanthropist Michael Steinhardt will not be able to purchase any more antiquities. He was forced to surrender $70 million of stolen antiquities that he had in his possession by Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance.

The ban on Steinhardt acquiring more artifacts is a first-of-its-kind method to resolve a criminal probe.

Vance said his probe, begun in February 2017, found “compelling evidence” that the 180 antiquities owned by Steinhardt were stolen from 11 countries, with at least 171 passing through traffickers before Steinhardt’s bought them.

“For decades, Michael Steinhardt displayed a rapacious appetite for plundered artifacts without concern for the legality of his actions, the legitimacy of the pieces he bought and sold, or the grievous cultural damage he wrought across the globe,” Vance said in a statement.

Steinhardt denied criminal wrongdoing in resolving the matter,

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

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which ended a grand jury investigation into him.

Steinhardt, who turns 81 on Tuesday, built his wealth running the hedge fund Steinhardt Partners, which he closed in 1995 to focus on Jewish philanthropic issues. He is worth $1.2 billion, according to Forbes magazine.

Vance said the antiquities will be returned to their rightful owners in Bulgaria, Egypt, Greece, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, and Turkey. Law enforcement in these countries assisted in the probe.

According to a 142-page statement of facts, 138 of the antiquities came from Greece, Israel, or Italy, with Steinhardt once acknowledging that a majority of items he bought from one dealer “did not have provenance.”

Vance formed an antiquities trafficking bureau in December 2017. He leaves office after 12 years at the end of the month.

So That’s What That Smell Was

Residents of Carson, California, have been suffering from noxious smells for months. Over 4,600 complaints had been filed since October 3. More than 3,200 residents had temporarily moved to hotel rooms paid for by the county. Those who remained in their homes were given air purifiers.

For close to two months, investigators puzzled over why the gas smell was overwhelming the Carson area. Officials knew the stench was the product of a colorless and odorous gas called hydrogen sulfide produced by decaying organic material – and that it was probably emanating from the Dominguez Channel that runs through Carson. But they could not identify what had changed conditions in the channel to cause the smell.

Finally, on Friday, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, an agency that oversees the area’s air conditions, announced that its investigation had pinpointed a culprit: A three-alarm fire that

erupted on September 30 at a Carson warehouse storing wellness and beauty products.

After the fire – which took days to control – was extinguished, the chemicals contained in the products, including ethanol, flowed into the sewer system and into the Dominguez Channel. The chemicals caused organic material in the channel to decay and release abnormally high hydrogen sulfide levels.

At its worst, the hydrogen sulfide levels in the air reached nearly 7,000 parts per billion – 230 times higher than the state’s nuisance standard, the management district said.

The warehouse had stored “large vats of ethanol.” An L.A. County fire inspector noted that the blaze spread among rubbing alcohol wipes stored in crates.

As a result of its investigation, the management district issued violations to four companies, as well as L.A. County, for their roles in contaminating the air. Virgin Scent, doing business as Art Naturals and Day to Day Imports, had stored “large quantities” of wellness and beauty products in the warehouse, the agency said. The warehouse is owned by Liberty Properties Limited Partnership and its parent company, Prologis. Los Angeles County manages the channel.

As of last week, L.A. County has spent $54 million on cleaning up the channel, as well as paying for hotel rooms and air purifiers, according to the Los Angeles Times. If the cleanup continues until March, those costs could reach $143 million.

“The gas has caused and is continuing to cause physical injury to residents and is interfering with [their] ability to use and enjoy their properties,” states a class-action lawsuit, filed on November 12 in Los Angeles Superior Court. It adds: “The full extent of exposure is unknown.”

Bob Dole Dies at 98

Senate leader and presidential hopeful Bob Dole died this week. He

was 98.

Dole had announced in February that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. He had used his voice and wit during his 36 years on Capitol Hill, becoming one of the nation’s most influential legislators and party leaders.

Dole shaped tax policy, foreign policy, farm and nutrition programs, and rights for the disabled, enshrining protections against discrimination in employment, education and public services in the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is due to Dole’s efforts that national parks and government offices are handicapped accessible. And it is because of him that there are sign language interpreters at official local events.

During his later years on the Hill, he devoted his efforts to the cause of wounded veterans.

Dole ran for president three times. He sought the Republican ticket in 1980 and 1988. In 1996, he won the party’s nomination only to see President Bill Clinton reelected.

More Vaccine Mandates in NYC

New York City is now requiring children ages 5-11 to be vaccinated.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said one of the main reasons he expanded the city’s vaccine mandate to include children aged 5-11 is because he wanted to “give parents a sense of urgency” as the Omicron variant emerges.

“For the older kids—12 and up— it’s over 80 percent now, vaccinated.

So I think we’re going to get there with the younger kids, but I’m trying to give parents a sense of urgency,” De Blasio told CNN’s New Day on Tuesday. “We’re dealing with a new reality—this is not the fall. This is the winter. We see COVID go up in the winter. Big holiday gatherings, Omicron, it’s time to get vaccinated.”

So far, seven cases of the Omicron variant have been detected in New York City.

New York City currently requires people 12 and older to show proof

that they have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in order to participate in indoor dining, indoor fitness, and indoor entertainment.

On Monday, De Blasio announced that, beginning December 14, the city’s “Key to NYC” mandate would expand to include children aged 5 to 11.

The requirements will expand again starting December 27, when those 12 and older will be required to show proof that they are fully vaccinated with either two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Because they only became eligible for the vaccine last month, kids aged 5 to 11 will only need to show proof of at least one dose.

As of Tuesday, at least 47.1 percent of children in NYC between the ages of 5 to 17 have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine and 36 percent are fully vaccinated.

For now, de Blasio has not yet mandated the vaccine as a requirement for children to attend school.

“We love it when people go to our restaurants or our movie theaters but those are obviously for fun, for enjoyment,” De Blasio explained.

“School is absolutely basic to a child and their development and their future. I don’t want to hold it against a child if their parent doesn’t take the time to get them vaccinated or, for some reason, hesitates. I don’t want that child to miss their education.”

He added, “Some kids went a year and a half without being in a classroom. That’s an extraordinary setback for those kids. We can’t let that keep happening,” he said.

“That’s why I thought it was important. Every child welcome, but let’s really push vaccinations.”

Skid Row Arrests in LA

On Friday, the Los Angeles Police Department announced that it has made 50 arrests with 16 additional

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

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Mr. & Mrs. Shumy & Rivkah Reichmann Hakoras Hatov Award

Rabbi & Mrs. Shimon & Chanie Dachs Leadership in Chinuch Award

PARTNERS E V E N I N G

S PEC I A L PRES E N TAT I O N RECOGNIZING

rabbi joel beritz Mr. Menachem Marx Dinner Chairman

Mr. Nesanel Goldman Journal Chairman

O F

C E L E B R A T I O N

H O N O R I N G

O U R

PARENTS PARENTS

H O N O R I N G

O U R

& OUR SHARED MISSION & THEIR SHARED MISSION

J A N U A R Y 8 , 2 0 2 2 | ‫אור לז׳ שבט תשפ״ב‬

7 1 8 . 8 6 8 . 2 3 0 0 E X T. 3 0 1 • D I N N E R @ DA R C H E I . O R G • PA R T N E R S . DA R C H E I . O R G

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

arrests pending after its two-year investigation into narcotics sold on the city’s notorious skid row in downtown L.A. The investigation focused mostly on drug sales to the area’s large homeless population — particularly dealers who prey on homeless individuals after they receive public assistance payments at the beginning of each month.

“This investigation showed us there are people living in the suburbs, some with violent criminal histories, who wake up every day and make the conscious decision to commute to the Downtown area and sell dangerous and highly addictive drugs on the streets,” Drug Enforcement Agency L.A. Field Division Special Agent in Charge Bill Bodner said in a statement.

He noted, “Their target customers in many cases are people experiencing homelessness. With drug-caused deaths up nationally over 30% from last year, and the signs of mental health struggles and substance use disorder becoming more and more evident in our city, we must continue to take steps like this investigation to stop this callous exploitation and victimization of our most vulnerable communities.”

During the investigation, the police department seized 5 kilograms of cocaine, 857 pounds of methamphetamine, 5 pounds of heroin, 1 kilogram of fentanyl, more than 46,000 fentanyl pills, six firearms, and approximately $250,000 in cash from narcotics sales.

Defendants could face up to 10 years in prison if they are convicted of serious charges, police said.

The Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority estimated in 2020 that there are about 4,700 homeless individuals living on skid row.

A January 2020 count by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority reported that there were more than 66,400 homeless people living in L.A. County — by far the largest single concentration in the state — though experts have pegged a much higher number.

Last “Band of Brothers” Officer Dies at 99 Edward Shames, a World War II veteran who was the last surviving

officer of the “Easy Company,” which inspired the “Band of Brothers,” died on Friday at 99.

Shames was a member of the Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, and fought in some of the war’s most important battles. He was the first member of the 101st Division to enter the Dachau Concentration Camp days after it was liberated.

his brother, then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was fighting harassment allegations that eventually led to his resignation.

On Monday, Cuomo also announced that will “no longer be doing” his SiriusXM radio show, “Let’s Get After It with Chris Cuomo.”

Cuomo said that he needed “to take a step back and focus on what comes next.”

Chris Cuomo is also being accused of acting inappropriately towards a colleague at another network.

Chicago: Bus Driver Beaten According to the obituary, Shames “made his first combat jump into Normandy on D-Day as part of Operation Overlord. He volunteered for Operation Pegasus and then fought with Easy Company in Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne.

“When Germany surrendered, Ed and his men of Easy Company entered Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest where Ed managed to acquire a few bottles of cognac, a label indicating they were ‘for the Fuhrer’s use only.’ Later, he would use the cognac to toast his oldest son’s bar mitzvah.”

After the war ended, Shames took a job with the National Security Agency, serving as an expert on Middle East Affairs. He also served in the U.S. Army Reserve Division, later retiring as a colonel.

Shames is survived by two sons, four grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.

Chris Cuomo Cancelled

CNN fired anchor Chris Cuomo on Saturday, after new details emerged about his efforts to help

A Chicago public bus driver was hospitalized on Saturday night after being beaten on the streets by a 15-year-old boy. The teen was arrested after the incident.

The 49-year-old bus driver was inspecting his bus at about 9:00p.m. when he heard a loud noise. He was then pushed and punched by two people, a male and female, police said. An unidentified 15-year-old male was charged with a felony count of aggravated battery of a transit employee and disorderly conduct in connection to the assault.

According to Second Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins, police have evidence that large groups formed due to social media influencers who organized a flash mob. It was during that chaos that the bus driver was beaten.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot declared, “We are going to take significant, swift action to quell any issues.

There were a large number of children that were down at Millennium Park. We followed the protocols that we put in place from the summer of 2020. When it was time for them to leave the park, we made sure they left the park without incident.”

She added, “These kids have to take responsibility, but I’m going to say the parents have to take responsibility. Do you know where your kid

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

is? Are you making sure that you’re talking to your children about how they should act in a large crowd?”

Netflix Engineer Jailed for Insider Trading

A former Netflix engineer and a friend were sentenced to prison on Friday for an insider trading conspiracy.

Sung Mo Jun, 49, was handed two years in prison for masterminding a scheme which continued even after he left the company. The scheme used secret information about the company’s subscriber numbers to profit from stock trades.

Junwoo Chon, 50, received 14 months in prison, as well as a $10,000 fine, after prosecutors said he coordinated with Jun to execute trades, paying him with kickbacks.

“You had no reason to pursue this additional wealth, and yet you chose to engage your brother and best friend in this scheme. There is just one reason: greed,” U.S. District Judge Richard Jones noted.

“What I did was foolish, wrong, illegal,” Jun admitted. “I have no excuse. I disappointed many people.”

According to prosecutors, Jun obtained additional secret information about subscriber data from another Netflix employee after he had left the company.

Between April 2017 and July 2019, Jun made a profit of $434,086 by trading in Netflix stock and options with the inside information. His co-conspirators also brought in six-digit profits. The insider trading attributable to Jun in Netflix securities totals $1,170,905.

Two co-conspirators will be sentenced next year.

Meanwhile, the Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a separate civil enforcement action against the defendants, each of whom has entered into settlements with the Commission but still face potential penalties.

‫בס״ד‬

DECEMBER 2021

Money Moment

A plumber found more than used tissues behind the walls of a megachurch in Houston, Texas.

Nearly 500 envelopes stuffed with cash and checks were found last month hidden behind a wall at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church.

The discovery was made by a hired plumber, who called into a local morning radio show and stated that he had uncovered the money while working at the megachurch on November 10.

“There was a loose toilet in the wall, and we removed the tile,” the plumber told KILT-FM radio. “We went to go remove the toilet, and I moved some insulation away, and about 500 envelopes fell out of the wall, and I was like ‘Oh, wow!’”

It is not known how much money was found, but police are wondering whether the funds are connected to a seven-year-old cold case.

In 2014, $600,000 was stolen from the Lakewood Church in a brazen heist. A mix of monetary items, $200,000 in cash and $400,000 in checks were stolen from a safe, as well as secure credit card information from members of the church.

At the time, Crime Stoppers Houston offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest, but the case went unsolved.

The megachurch is one of the largest in the United States, with over 50,000 people reportedly attending its weekly services. It is run by pastor Joel Osteen, a televangelist.

Perhaps this money is the answer to all their prayers.

Fake It Till You Make It Well, at least he tried.

An Italian man, in an effort to get a vaccine card without actually having to get the shot, tried to play the system by offering healthcare work-

In Clear View As important as our eyesight is to our general well being and functioning, it is so easy to forget its existence. But when something goes wrong and our vision is not as it should be, it can affect every aspect of life...

That is exactly what happened to young Bentzy*.

He suffered from a serious eye condition that disturbed his learning in cheder and caused him untold suffering.

Understandably, his devoted parents spared no money and effort and tried their best to help him.

They took Bentzy to top doctors and experts, but unfortunately, their salvation was not in sight.

Bentzy was in indescribable pain and for years, all his family members could do was feel along with him.

Then, his parents signed up his name with Tehillim Kollel. They hoped that the merit of daily Tehillim would accompany their child and alleviate his suffering.

It didn’t take long. It was clear to them that it was orchestrated from Above when they found the right doctor. From the first moment of their appointment, they noticed that the doctor displayed strong knowledge and medical expertise in this exact area.

The complicated healing process began.

With much siyata d’Shmaya, the child’s vision improved drastically. Bentzy’s parents continue to anticipate his full recovery. *Not his real name.

WEEKLY COLUMN OF RECENT EPISODES

BY TEHILLIM KOLLEL Sign up for our annual mermbership:

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

ers a fake arm to have jabbed.

Despite the realistic skin color, nobody was fooled by the silicone limb, and the man — in his 50s — was reported to local police following the incident on Thursday night in Biella, northwest Italy.

“The case borders on the ridiculous, if it were not for the fact we are talking about a gesture of enormous gravity,” the head of the Piedmont regional government, Albert Cirio, said on Facebook.

Cirio added that such an act was “unacceptable faced with the sacrifice that our entire community has paid during the pandemic, in terms of human lives, the social and economic cost.”

The fake arm incident comes ahead of a tightening of the rules in Italy for people who have not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Starting this week, indoor dining and visits to museums and theaters are limited to only those who have recently been vaccinated or have recently recovered from Covid.

Sounds like officials are throwing their arms up when it comes to this guy.

A Mountain of Treasure

Back in 2013, a man climbing on France’s Mont Blanc stumbled upon a treasure box filled with emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. Now, his excitement is soaring to new heights, as he has been handed half of the trove of precious stones.

The mountaineer had handed the valuable box over the authorities when he discovered it some eight years ago. Since then, police had been trying to locate the family of the owner of the box. They believe the owner of the jewels had been on a plane when his aircraft crashed into

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the mountain.

Now, police are sharing the wealth, worth around $170,000, with the lucky climber. The rest of the sum is going to local authorities.

Chamonix mayor Eric Fournier praised the climber’s “integrity” for handing the treasure trove in to authorities.

Two Air India planes have crashed into Mont Blanc. The crash in 1950 killed 48 people. In 1966, 117 people were killed. Police believe the treasure came from someone on the plane in 1966.

Looks like this treasure came out of thin air.

Sleepover at Ikea

Well, if you’re going to be stuck in a store overnight, you might as well have a bed to sleep in.

Customers and employees at an Ikea store in Denmark spent the night on the furniture store’s beds after they became stranded by a snowstorm.

Peter Elmose, the manager at the Ikea store in Aalborg, said 31 people slept at the store on Wednesday night when a snowstorm blocked the nearby roads and brought public transport to a standstill.

The fun sleepover didn’t involve merely trying out all the furniture.

The group watched movies and soccer games on TV and enjoyed delicious snacks.

“Our kitchen staff have made sure there is hot chocolate, risalamande, pastries, soft drinks, coffee and the odd beer for us in light of the occasion. So we’ll be able to keep warm,” Elmose said.

He added, “We slept in the furniture exhibitions and our showroom on the first floor, where we have beds, mattresses and sofa beds.”

According to Elmose, the sleepover went “super well.”

“It’s been a good night. All fun,” he concluded.

Thankfully, the group was able to leave the store in the morning.

Because, you know, the showers don’t really work in Ikea. They’re for display only.

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the

Community Ohel’s 52nd Annual Gala Celebrated Going Forward in Strength

Mel Zachter and Jay Kestenbaum, Ohel co-presidents

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Moishe Hellman, President Emeritus and Ombudsman, Rozi Hellman, and Shavy and Mark Schlossberg

ore than 700 supporters gathered to celebrate the impact of Ohel’s Children’s Home and Family Services at the New York Marriott Marquis on Sunday, November 21th.

Mark and Shavy Schlossberg, of Lawrence, New York, were Ohel’s Guests of Honor; Asher and Tziporah Pollak of North Woodmere received the Mrs. Rose Pollak, A”H, Young Leadership Award.

Liberty One Group was the corporate honoree.

The event was masterfully emceed by MODI, one of the most sought-after comedians in New York City who regularly regales crowds across the U.S. He skillfully interwove his trademark comic observations with a series of genuinely heartfelt moments.

The meaningful evening included a special tribute to Miriam Weiss, A”H, our beloved development director of over 20 years who passed away last May. The loss left a deep void not only on our professional team but in the hearts of all those who worked with her, knew her, and were inspired by her unfailing passion for Ohel’s critical work in the greater Jewish community.

This critical work includes navigating the unprecedented and ongoing crisis of a global pandemic as we continue to offer the vital programs and services to those most vulnerable that people rely on. From providing remote crisis counseling to those in quarantine to keeping our residential homes for adults with disabilities open and stocked with food, medicine, and other resources, Ohel has never wavered in the face of upheaval

and turmoil and adapted to fit the needs of the community we serve.

“I’m thrilled that we were able to host our gala celebrating the theme Forward in Strength in person after last year’s virtual event,” declared David Mandel, Ohel’s Chief Executive Officer. “Our honorees, Mark and Shavy Schlossberg and Asher and Tziporah Pollak, have generously demonstrated real support of and appreciation for Ohel’s Camp Kaylie and Ohel’s residences for adults who cannot safely live on their own.”

Senator Charles Schumer spoke of his persistent work to enable Ohel and other nonprofits to qualify for the important federal PPP loans.

Additional politicians attending to support Ohel included Assemblymembers Simcha Eichenstein and David Weprin; New York City Councilmember Kalman Yeger; and New York City Councilmember-elect, Ari Kagan, and representatives of Inna Vernikov and Rita Joseph.

In addition to Camp Kaylie and residentials homes for adults with disabilities, Ohel’s other programs include caring for foster children placed in Jewish homes and supporting the mental health needs of children, teens, and adults.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible gift by December 31, 2021, in honor of Ohel’s multifaceted and essential services for those most vulnerable in our community, or in memory of Miriam Weiss, A”H, you can do so at www.ohelfamily. org/donate.

Asher and Tziporah Pollak, with their children, Efraim, Esther, and Aliza

Ushi Shafran, co-founder of Liberty One Group, with Gala Emcee MODI and Ohel CEO David Mandel

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

Save the Date

Open hOuSe QueenS

bOyS prOgram Short sample shiur

Sunday EvEning dEcEmbEr 19, 2021 | 7:00 pm At Bais Yaakov of Queens Hosted by Rabbi and Mrs. Simcha Noble 124-50 Metropolitan Ave, Kew Gardens, NY

Q&A with the rebbeim Hear about a day in the yeshiva Meet the rebbeim and staff Mingle with current local boys

parentS prOgram Meet the staff behind the vision Understand the YOT philosophy

Come meet the Hanhala and hear about the Yeshiva!

Looking forward to greeting you personally,

Q&A with the Menahel Hear first hand what your son can accomplish in 4 years

Rabbi Chaim Pechter, Menahel

450 West 250th St. Riverdale, NY 10471 | P: 718.432.2600 | E: office@ohaveitorah.org | Experience Ohavei on the web: www.ohaveitorah.org

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

An Exciting Month at CAHAL

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rs.

Shoshana Ayzin’s 3-4 grade CAHAL class at Shulamith has been very busy this month. In honor of Thanksgiving, the students read the book Balloons Over Broadway and then designed their own balloons for the Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The balloons were accompanied by a persuasive paragraph about why Macy’s should use their balloon designs in the parade. The class also made Thanksgiving turkey cookies.

In honor of Chanukah, the girls made dreidels out of candy. Mrs. Ayzin gifted each girl with a watch as a Chanukah present, since they

recently began working on telling time. As part of their clock studies, the class made clocks out of paper to practice telling time, played “Clock Bingo,” and did a cutting and matching clocks activity.

Students also began learning keyboarding this month. They made colored keyboards to show where the fingers should go and which letters each finger is responsible for typing. The class just got Chromebooks, and everyone is looking forward to learning how to type on actual computers.

Students in the Shulamith 3-4 class are excited to learn and grow.

Aryeh Smith brought doughnuts to the local police department on Chanukah in appreciation for all that the NYPD does for the community

Rabbi Moshe Shonek of Yeshiva of South Shore with some alumni on Chanukah

Makor Men Make Magical Memphis Memories What does it feel like to hold a sefer Torah for the first time?

You might notice the tactile sensation: smooth velvet starkly contrasting with the weave of thick gold braid. Perhaps the earthy smell of parchment, or the light dancing across the keter as you turn around and around. Maybe you experience that transcendent awareness that the scroll you are holding connects you with something cosmic and divine.

Maybe you notice none of these things, or you have never even held a sefer Torah before.

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or individuals with developmental disabilities, dancing with the Torah is a rare occurrence that many may never get to experience. But in a small shul, nestled in the heart of blues country and rock ‘n roll, five residents aged 15-52 from Makor’s residential homes did just that. It was an unforgettable experience that they will cherish for a lifetime.

The innovative and exciting road trip from Brooklyn to Memphis was the brainchild of Mark Gersten, a native of Memphis and the very

able manager at the East 5th Makor Home.

“Traveling and seeing new interesting places is such a ‘normal’ part of life that we all take for granted,” explains Mark. “But if you can’t travel on your own, it’s hard to have those experiences. At Makor, we want our guys to have the same experiences as any neurotypical person would.”

The idea occurred to Mark when he realized that bringing his beloved residents along with him to his hometown local shul for yom tov would be mutually beneficial: the

additional guests would enhance the small community’s simchas yom tov, while exposing the Makor men to a very different venue and culture than their Brooklyn hometown.

Mark and two additional staff members – Sruli Teitelbaum and Pinchas Schwarzbaum – made the 16-hour road trip from Brooklyn to Memphis, driving through the night.

They arranged for a spacious AirBnb located close enough to his parents’ shul in Memphis, while also providing the space to enjoy the full travel experience like any other tourist.

“I am so grateful to Makor for backing my idea in the first place and allowing for this kind of creativity,” says Mark. “When you’re encouraged as a staff member to share ideas and solutions, you become more of a co-creator of the bigger mission, rather than just going to work and following orders. It’s empowering.”

Although Simchas Torah was

unarguably the climactic highlight of the trip, the group enjoyed several days of touring and enjoying the many interesting and exciting sights that the city has to offer including the Memphis Zoo and the Mississippi Mid-South Fair.

The trip culminated in the twoday celebration of Simchat Torah, where the residents brought along their buoyant spirit and smiles to this small community. Here, each of the residents was integral to making the minyan in Memphis, and they felt that importance: they knew they were needed and valued by the families they celebrated with.

As the trip co-leader, Sruli Teitelbaum, shares, “This was the most exciting part of the trip for our guys. They loved knowing they were bringing joy to other people and being such a big part of the celebration.

They are still talking about it over a month later!”

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Chanukah at Yeshiva Ateres Eitz Chaim

and riding roller coasters at American Dream Mall. On Wednesday, students connected to history by holding coins from the times of the Chashmonaim followed by an awesome Chanukah mesiba!

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fter learning the mystical reasons of the customs we have on Chanukah, Yeshiva Ateres Eitz Chaim went behind the scenes to observe the detailed process of how sufganiot are made for Chanukah. The following day, students enjoyed their time ice skating

Chai Lifeline’s i-Shine Chanukah Party

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ore than 300 children and families from across the Five Towns took part in i-Shine Chai Lifeline’s annual Chanukah Party in Beth Sholom in Lawrence on December 1. Participants were treated to an evening of fun featuring a photobooth, basketball, air hockey, cookie decorating with Sharona Hoffman from Make It Too, and entertainment by the Schnitzel Guys. Kids and families

alike enjoyed a delicious dinner catered by Upper Crust and music by DJ Jon. The night ended with each child receiving a gift as well as an Amazon gift card. The party was generously sponsored by SMC Re-

turns and by an anonymous donor l’zecher nishmas Moshe Mordechai ben Eliezer, a”h. i-Shine is Chai Lifeline’s afterschool program for children impacted by illness or loss. Founded 12

years ago in Long Island for the Five Towns Jewish community, it now serves approximately 800 children annually across the U.S. To learn more or to make a donation, visit www.chailifeline.org/ishine.

rah, games, and gift exchanges.

The highlight of the week’s events was a lively and leibedik concert with the one and only Joey Newcomb in the DRS gym.

On Friday, students competed against their rabbeim in a first ever

“Rebbe-Talmid Knee Hockey Tournament.” Finally, on the last day of Chanukah, each student visited their rabbeim from their previous year in school in the annual “Zeidy Day” for a chance to reunite and keep up the connection with past rabbeim.

Chanukah at DRS Chanukah

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n the weeks leading up to the joyous yom tov, one can already feel Chanukah in the air when walking through the halls of DRS. Chanukah decorations and posters adorn the school’s lobby, setting the tone for the festive atmosphere to come. Each

day of Chanukah, DRS students were treated to a special breakfast to celebrate.

On Wednesday evening, rabbeim opened their homes to their students for parties with great food, singing, divrei To-

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Joey Newcomb at HANC

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ast Wednesday, a true Jewish music superstar came to Uniondale, NY. The students were treated to a Joey Newcomb concert. The students came in and sat in their seats. They were eagerly anticipating Reb Joey’s arrival.

First, Rabbi Hecht told them about how he always wanted to be a singer, but unfortunately his face was not like that of his father, a”h. Finally, Rabbi Hecht introduced Joey and the crowd went

wild. Joey sang, “Thank you Hashem.” The students got up and started dancing. Students and faculty really got into it. The ruach in the room was palpable. In fact, Joey mesmerized the audience with his famous kumsitz songs. The students were swaying back and forth in unison. There was a tremendous sense of achdut in the room. Students really enjoyed dancing with their classmates and teachers.

Many of the students felt that this was the best concert ever.

At Mesivta Shaarei Chaim’s Chanukah mesiba, the talmidim were privileged to hear divrei bracha from HaRav Chaim Rennert, shlita, of Yeshiva Derech Chaim

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

At the Mesivta Sha’arei Pruzdor Chanukah mesiba

YCQ Healthy & Wise Program

MTA Celebrates Chanukah

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he Healthy & Wise Program at Yeshiva of Central Queens (YCQ) offers students a positive message about living a healthy lifestyle through hands-on, multidisciplinary lessons, focused on nutritious eating habits, physical activity, germs, and personal hygiene. Mrs. Aliza Solomon, assistant teacher at YCQ, has a bachelor’s degree with honors in Family Nutrition and Exercise Science (FNES) from Queens College and a master’s degree in Public Health from Grand Canyon University in Arizona. She developed the comprehensive curriculum based on her interest in health and nutrition, and eventually expanded the program to include all aspects of living a healthy Jewish life.

Noted Mrs. Solomon, “The idea for the Healthy & Wise Program arose from a homework assignment I was working on for school. I try to change the lessons periodically, to keep health subjects interesting

and exciting for the students, and teaching topics in a unique way.

New lessons were developed to cover Covid-19 concerns, and our new lifestyle of mask wearing and social distancing. I have been conducting the Healthy & Wise Program at YCQ for about eight years.

“I enjoy working with our younger students because you can see the excitement and interest in their eyes.

Children, especially preschoolers, love to copy their teachers, family members, and peers. They mimic table manners, willingness to try new foods, and food preferences. They try different exercise activities if they see their friends doing it at recess. I love when students approach me outside, or in the hallways, or even at the supermarket, to tell me that they are eating a healthy snack (favorites are apples and carrots), or that they rode their bike after school,” Mrs. Solomon continued.

TA celebrated Chanukah with LionsLight, an exciting week of events, activities, and surprises! The funfilled celebrations included an incredible Chagiga featuring Simcha Leiner with tons of MTA’s signature ruach, achdus, and energy, sports tournaments, Chanukah Jeopardy,

Let’s Make A Deal complete with costumes, Minute To Win It, and so much more! Each shiur also enjoyed a Chanukah seudah, and rebbeim opened their homes to their talmidim and hosted Chanukah mesibahs.

It was the perfect way to celebrate Chanukah together as a yeshiva!

‫@חנוכה‬HAFTR

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

Math Sorting PTA Chanukah SWAG

DJ Raphi Chanukah Chagiga Sponsored by HAFTR PTA

Drum Experience Sponsored by: Mr. & Mrs. Jason & Danielle Bokor

Menorah Lighting & Ruach

Chanukah Performance

Teacher Chanukah Parties

Chanukah STEM Fun

In the Spirit

High School Color War!

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Students Cash in their Torah Miles at YOSS

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he Torah Miles Auction was recently held at Yeshiva of South Shore. The program focuses on Bachurei Chemed, Vacation Learning, and excellence on parsha. As usual, the most sought out item at the auction was the Shas.

Special thanks to Rabbi Greenberg’s shiur for running the auction. Congratulations to all the auction winners, including Shimmy Ackerman (Shas winner), Avi Selmar (Collapsible Shtender), Sammy Wechter (Lego set), and many others.

Keep racking up those Torah Miles as we look forward to the Torah Miles Sale in the spring!

Model Congress Tournament

Chanukah at SHS

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By Daniella Hoffman

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alling all senators! Model Congress tournament is in session.

HAFTR High School skillfully competed against Katz, Lynbrook, Lawrence, Ramaz, North Hall, DRS, and Flatbush High Schools.

On Wednesday, November 17, HAFTR challenged these seven schools in a Model Congress tournament on Zoom. After intense research and practice about certain bills and resolutions, members of the HAFTR Model Congress team placed first,

second and third. Junior Meir Farkas and senior AJ Solinsky placed first; sophomore Kaitlin Pollack placed second; and junior Deborah Becker, sophomore Dasi Well and senior Jesse Muller placed third.

With around 65 participants, this was the largest model congress session held on Zoom so far; the rooms were filled with fierce competition and well-rounded debates. Our HAFTR students took the lead and captivated the rooms with their astonishing speeches. We can’t wait for many more tournaments and more competitions to win!

Did you know?

60% of grapefruits come from Florida

ast week, our amazing Chanukah programming made us feel very SHS proud! We lit it up with a different aspect every day of Chanukah. Whether it was Torah, chessed, ruach, or achdus, students at Shulamith High School really felt the Chanukah simcha all week long.

We started off the week by lighting it up with Torah, with Chanukah chaburas and doughnuts galore.

We then had an uplifting kumzitzturned-concert with Eitan Katz where we felt the Chanukah spirit through song and dance. Tuesday was all about ruach. Seniors spent the day setting up for our “FINtastic Under The Sea Chagiga.” Everyone came pumped with ruach for an EPIC intergrade Nerf gun war, followed by full school dancing. You could feel the floor shaking and see the friendships forming, as girls partnered up to upbeat songs like Cotton Eye Joe. Everyone enjoyed lighting up the DEEP DARK CAVE under the sea.

On Wednesday, we all enjoyed a late start as each grade davened and ate brunch with their grade advisor, followed by a school-wide mystery

Maccabee gift exchange. We loved seeing the girls’ faces as they got their presents and made connections with students from other grades.

Thursday was all about chessed. We held a book drive, blood drive, and, finally one of the highlights of the year, our annual Chanukah bowling with Friendship Circle. Every girl was paired with a special friend, and you could see the glowing smiles on everyone’s face. We loved dancing, bowling, singing, and coloring as we tried to “brighten up” their Chanukah experience. To add a special element to the day, we spent our club period infusing olive oil in honor of the Chanukah miracle of the little jug of oil. We enjoyed some delicious latkes, and teachers made a point of connecting their lessons and bringing the Chanukah spirit into class.

Finally, we enjoyed our two day vacation – but I’m sure if you ask any student, they would say they would have prefered two more days of our awesome Chanukah programming.

Thank you SHS for connecting us to Chanukah and making the chag relatable to us all.

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Chanukah at Ezra Academy

A

s Chanukah is an exciting and uplifting time, Ezra ensures that comes through in school, too. The very first day of Chanukah saw a grade competition where each grade was given a “team name.” Each team was then responsible to make and perform a nursery rhyme and create a mini skit and a poster. Unleashing their creativity, the students really gave it their all.

Ultimately, the sophomore class under the leadership of Rabbi Fink and Morah Sarah won and were awarded special edition Ezra T-shirts. On the second day of Chanukah, the famous Chanukah mesiba took place. After Mincha, the students and staff sat down for a beautifully catered meal, which was followed by lively and energetic dancing with music provided

by DJ Yumi. Finally, when everyone ran out of steam, the students were given the opportunity to win a plethora of raffle prizes ranging from electronic to Judaica and everything in between, all of which was sponsored or donated by alumni. When this was done, the students were in for an an-

nual treat, the infamous Ezra Chanukah rap performed by Rabbi Diamond. The evening was capped off with school student body president Ben Shimunov lighting the menorah and Maariv.

The following day, each class held its own unique Chanukah activities which included making doughnuts and dreidel contests, to name a few.

The last day of school before Chanukah break was a trip to Urban Air. Nothing gets you ready for some rest and relaxation like bouncing around a trampoline park for a few hours. In addition to the in-school activities, several rabbeim and morot hosted Chanukah parties after school for their students.

At Ezra, we are very involved in our alumni’s lives and continued growth. Therefore, we decided to give them all a Chanukah present, too. We were fortunate to share videos of divrei Torah from our former rabbeim: Rabbi Moshe Weinberger, Rabbi Binyomin Cherney, Rabbi Yaakov Sadigh, Rabbi Shmuel Ismach and graduate Rabbi Yaakov Jelen.

Rav Ilan Meirov of Chazaq delivering a shiur with the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rav Yitzchak Yosef, last week

YOSS STEAMs Ahead

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rs. Kastriner’s class is running “Full STEAM Ahead” with the fifth grade Chanukah makerspace. The boys are working cooperatively in groups of four and creating, constructing, and decorating either a menorah or a dreidel from school-supplied standard Home Depot boxes, plastic grommets, zip ties, and safe-to-use corrugated cardboard cutters. The boys’ responsibilities were to provide the tape, glue, scissors, and decora-

tions (wrapping paper, stickers, etc.) for their project.

The Yeshiva of South Shore is certainly curating and inspiring their boys’ creativity, innovation, and communication skills.

Boys at YSZ Complete their Gemara Learning 101 Times

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he entire Yeshiva Sha’arei Zion administration and faculty wish a tremendous mazal tov to a group of dedicated sixth grade boys that have accomplished a spectacular feat. On their own, without any promise of grandeur or prizes, the boys committed to and completed a review of all of the Gemara they’ve learned thus far 101 times.

On Tuesday, November 23, Rabbi Rabinowitz, who passionately spoke at the Hatchalat Gemara event about the importance of reviewing Torah learning, returned to speak to the boys.

In recognition of this amazing accomplishment, the YSZ hanhalla and their teacher Rabbi Wyszkowski presented each of the boys with their own travel-size Gemara that they can always keep handy to review. The boys have committed to continue their learning, and many other boys in the class have taken upon themselves the same goal.

More than half the class has already reviewed the Gemara 40-50 times.

May we all continue to have much nachat from all our children and see them accomplish amazing feats in Torah!

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Around the Community

Annual Reception for Mosdos Munkacs This Sunday

T

he accomplishments of the Munkacser Mosdos are world renowned, and the Far Rockaway and Five Towns communities have always considered it a privilege to be involved in their holy work.

Once again, the community excitedly looks forward to the Annual Breakfast in benefit of the Munkacser Mosdos. Supporters are marking the date of Sunday, December 12 to join in the great honor of assisting the Munkacser Mosdos and basking in the presence of the esteemed Munkacser Rebbe, shlita.

As in years prior, the esteemed Munkacser Rebbe, shlita, will be in attendance during this much-her-

alded event, delivering words of inspiration and chizuk to all participants. Many cherish the chance to meet with the Rebbe, as he presides over this celebrated occasion in benefit of Mosdos Munkacs – Yeshiva and Kollel Chaim V’Shalom Zichron Tzvi. Since the Rebbe, shlita, rarely appears outside of his “hoif” in Boro Park, this is an exceptional opportunity for members of the community to meet and hear divrei torah from the Rebbe.

The Munkacser Torah institutions worldwide are a continuation of the vast and elaborate network inaugurated by the previous Munkacser Rebbes. They are expanded and proliferated by today’s esteemed Munkacser Rebbe, shlita, Grand Rabbi Moshe Leib Rabinovich. The Rebbe, shlita, is an illustrious Torah personage, whose wisdom and eminent leadership have imbued the Torah world with grandeur and greatness. The Rebbe is a grandson of Grand Rabbi Chaim Eluzar Spira, zt”l, renowned author of Minchas Eluzar.

Chaim V’Shalom Zichron Tzvi,

one of the jewels in the crown of Munkacs Torah Institutions worldwide, flourishes under the dynamic governance of the Rebbe’s son-inlaw, HaGaon HaRav Yosef Horowitz, shlita. The Rosh Yeshiva, following the guidance of his father-in-law, is completely devoted toward the spiritual success of his talmidim. This towering edifice of Torah and yiras shamayim has gained much admiration as an establishment that cultivates excellence in each of its students.

The event will be hosted once again by Mr. and Mrs. Yussie Ostreicher in their Lawrence home at 184 Wildacre Avenue. The Kollel Chaim V’Shalom Zichron Tzvi is named in memory of Yussie’s beloved father, the legendary R’ Hershel (Tzvi) Ostreicher, a”h, and the Ostreichers have opened their home for this benefit for many years. The Ostreicher family is deeply rooted to Munkacs by generations of heartfelt devotion, stemming all the way back to the glory days of pre-Holocaust Europe.

Yussie’s paternal grandfather, Reb Menachem Ostreicher, a”h, served

as one of the Roshei Kehillah in Munkacs and helped spearhead the community under the direction of the previous Munkacser Rebbe, Rav Chaim Eluzar Spira, zt”l, the revered Minchas Eluzar. That warmth and close bond continue to this day.

Yussie and his family maintain a special relationship and a singular connection with the Munkacser Rebbe, shlita.

The featured keynote guest speaker will be Rabbi Leibel Rand, Rosh Kolel Avreichim of Lawrence-Far Rockaway. The event begins at 9:30 AM, and a delectable repast will be served. What better way to spend a Sunday morning than by helping a great mossad of Torah, while enjoying a delicious meal with like-minded friends? The Ostreicher family looks forward to greeting you personally.

At HALB and Lev Chana, Blended Learning Enables Individualized Instruction

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ver the last seven years, HALB and its Early Childhood Program, Lev Chana, have fully integrated “Blended Learning” as their driving educational model, moving away from desks and frontal teaching. The HALB Lev Chana Blended Learning model successfully integrates academics and technology while enabling our students to get a personalized educational experience of small skill groups. Mr. David Marks, Director of Blended Learning and Education Analytics, emphasizes the benefit our children receive from an increase in teacher/student interaction, positive feedback, support, and ongoing informal assessment. Additionally, Mrs. Felecie Akerman, co-director of Lev Chana ECC, notes that Blended Learning enhances the teacher’s understanding of our children, enables teachers to make stronger, more valuable connections with children,

and helps to build confidence in our children as they successfully complete the skills. The teachers think about their students’ needs as well as their underlying skills as they plan their groupings. While half of the class is working on specific skills with their teachers, the other half is fully engrossed with one of the four educational technological programs.

An initial diagnostic assessment de-

termines the level at which the student will begin the program. Teachers have the ability to go into the program and reassign skills based on the child’s performance and the inhouse developed custom reports that assess the child’s performance: their strengths and areas of concern.

HALB is not content with sitting on its laurels and is looking “Forward to Normal.” They are addressing the

unfinished learning that resulted from the pandemic, using data to flag students who may be missing core skills and knowledge, and they have begun to integrate Blended Learning in Limudei Kodesh in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade. They have already seen success and look forward to watching the students reach even higher levels of learning.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

‫בס”ד‬

Five Towns Reception To Benefit

MOSDOS MUNKACS

Yeshiva And Kollel Chaim V’Shalom Zichron Tzvi Dedicated to the memory of Reb Hershel Ostreicher ‫ע"ה‬

at the home of

Mr. & Mrs. Yussie Ostreicher 184 Wildacre Avenue, Lawrence, New York

on

DECEMBER 12, 2021

Sunday

‫ ח' טבת תשפ"ב‬- ‫א' ויחי‬

at

9:30 a.m.

‫הרב הגאון רבי לייב הכהן ראנד שליט"א‬ ‫ פאר ראקאוועי‬- ‫ראש כולל אברכים ד‘לארענס‬ OF

‫כ"ק מרן אדמו"ר שליט"א ממונקאטש‬ THE MUNKACSER REBBE ‫שליט"א‬

We Look Forward To Greeting You Personally

The Committee

RABBINICAL COMMITTEE RABBI YAAKOV BENDER RABBI MEIR BRAUNSTEIN RABBI MOSHE BROWN RABBI EYTAN FEINER RABBI YAAKOV FEITMAN

RABBI TZVI FLAUM RABBI AVROHOM HALPERN RABBI ELISHA HOROWITZ RABBI NAFTALI JAEGER RABBI YEHOSHUA KALISH

RABBI MORDECHAI KAMENETZKY RABBI CHAIM MORDECHAI KATZ RABBI SIMCHA LEFKOWITZ RABBI URI ORLIAN RABBI YAAKOV REISMAN

RABBI YANKEL RUBIN M'SULITZA RABBI DOVID SPIEGEL RABBI MORDECHAI STERN RABBI MOSHE WEINBERGER

COMMITTEE BARRY BOKOW ALEX EDELMAN DAVID FRIEDMAN BERISH FUCHS SHABSE FUCHS YITZCHOK GANGER DANNY GERBER YUSSIE GROSS

HESHY GRUNBERGER NOSON JOSEPHY MENDY KLEIN MICHAEL LOPIANSKY DAVID LYONS DAVID MALEK BENNY MANDEL DAVID MANDEL USHER MANDEL

HILLEL MOERMAN BERNIE NAGELBERG CHESKY NEWMAN ARI OSTREICHER DOVID OSTREICHER EPHRAM OSTREICHER TZVI PERL JUDAH PERLSTEIN

MUTTY RIBOWSKY ASHER SCHONKOPF SENDER SCHWARTZ SHYA HERSH SCHWARTZ YITZCHOK STEG YOAV TAUB DAVID VEGH ROBBY VEGH SHALOM VEGH

YAAKOV VEGH DOV WARMAN MOSHE WEISS ELI WILAMOWSKY SHLOMO WILAMOWSKY ZVI WILAMOWSKY SHULIE WOLLMAN KENNETH ZITTER

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community On the seventh night of Chanukah, in honor of all that the NYPD does for the community and in recognition of his 30 years of service to the community, NYPD Chief Jeffrey Maddrey lit the shamash of the largest menorah in Brooklyn. The menorah stands 33 feet tall in Grand Army Plaza. The historic ceremony was hosted by Rabbi Shimon Hecht of the Chabad of Park Slope.

MTA Hosts Community-Wide Thanksgiving Learning Program

M

TA hosted a community-wide learning program in Bergen County, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Monsey, Passaic, Queens, and Riverdale on Thanksgiving Day. Members of each community joined MTA talmidim, parents, and rebbeim for Shacharis, followed by breakfast and a shiur given by

MTA rebbeim.

The Bergen County program was hosted at Congregation Beth Abraham with a shiur from Rabbi Ezra Wiener, the Brooklyn program was held at Khilah Marine Park with a shiur by Rabbi Mordechai Brownstein, the Manhattan program was hosted by the Koznitz Shteeble of the

Upper West Side with a shiur by Rabbi Evan Genachowski, the Monsey program was hosted by Kehillat New Hempstead with a shiur by Rabbi Shimon Kerner, the Passaic program was held at Kehilas Beis Shalom with a shiur by Rabbi Avraham Shulman, the Queens program was held at the Young Israel of Kew Garden Hills

with a shiur by Rabbi Danny Konigsberg, and the Riverdale program was held at the Riverdale Jewish Center with a shiur by Head of School Rabbi Joshua Kahn.

MTA talmidim were excited to share the incredible learning they experience at yeshiva every day with their communities.

On the eighth day of Chanukah, the middle school girls participated in doughnut wars. Each group received different toppings to make a doughnut that had to be in line with the theme assigned. Each theme had two groups of five that were competing against each other. The themes were: nature/animals, Shabbat, fruits and vegetables, and breakfast. Each team had to best represent their theme on a doughnut with the toppings and such. It was so special and fun!

The girls were judged by Jackie, Mrs. Steiner, Mrs. Morey and Benci.

The judges loved to see all the spectacular doughnuts that the girls created. All the girls are so happy at this event, especially to eat the doughnuts at the end. Each girl had an iced coffee and a creatively decorated doughnut to begin the morning.

Thank you Morah Klein, Morah Jaeger, Morah Arnet, and Morah Pollack for planning this incredible event.

Chanukah Parties at HANC

O

n the fourth day of Chanukah, the boys at HANC middle school played a competitive game of Scattergories. The first ones to play were the eighth grade boys who were taken from their first class to the Beit Midrash.

They played four games of Scattergories with Rabbi Harris and Rabbi Dworetsky. The games were very fun and really showed the kids how to work together when confronted with a hard challenge.

There were six teams, and most of

the teams consisted of six people. On the teams one person was in charge of writing the answers, and the other team members would tell him what to write. For the four games, there were six teams but only three teams won.

The prize for winning was 5 points on either a Gemara test or Mishna test.

The games showed the students how to work together when facing problems and the creativity of the students. The rabbis also had fun judging their students and awarding points.

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

‫בס״ד‬

F I R S

T

F O

R

T

Y

Annual

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29, ‘21

‫כ”ה טבת תשפ”ב‬

THE SANDS ATLANTIC BEACH

RABBI AND MRS. SHMARYAHU

WEINBERG

HARBOTZAS TORAH AWARD

MR. AND MRS. EPHRAIM

HERSKOVITS

KESSER SHEM TOV AWARD

MR. AND MRS. ELIE

WALDMAN

PARENTS OF THE YEAR

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Gesher’s annual Chanukah workshops were a smashing success. Workshops included wonderful performances, sand art, edible menorahs, color by numbers, photo booths and so much more.

Opening the Eyes of the World

F

or the fifth year running, Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman was invited to present at the National Conference of Educators of Blue Ribbon schools. Rambam Mesivta, which was chosen as a school of excellence, has historically been the only boys yeshiva high school in the country to have been so named. Last month, Rambam was pleased to learn that they were chosen once again and are part of the few elite schools in the country that have won twice!

Rabbi Friedman’s talk centered on the universal values of a Torah education. Citing sources from the Torah and supplementing them with the Mishneh Torah of the Rambam, he explained the importance of mentoring young adults in a non-judgmental and effective manner.

“If there is even a scintilla of personal motivation, the message will oftentimes get lost because the criticism is seen as being personal,” he explained.

Rabbi Friedman recounted the message of the Dubner Maggid who was once asked by a newly successful man, “Rebbe, years ago when I had no money, I had a lot of friends and people liked me. Today I am wealthy, but I have very few friends. What can I do and why is it?”

The Maggid, in his wisdom, replied, “Look out the window and what do you see?”

“People,” he answered.

The Maggid continued, “Now look in the mirror and what do you see?”

“Myself,” was the reply.

“Ahh, when you see others and engage with people, you have friends, but when you line the window with a bit of silver you only see yourself.”

Rabbi Friedman quoted the Rambam and emphasized three important points in mentoring others. Firstly, in general, all criticism should be done privately. Secondly, it should be done with a caring voice, and lastly, it is important to be motivated by care and concern to help others correct their behavior. The focus is to send a message to the person you are speaking to that the discussion is only being had for THEIR benefit.

The lecture was met with enthusiastic nods of agreement, and many in the audience raised their hands to share personal experiences. The participants walked away with an appreciation of Torah values and principles. After a brief question and answer period, the lecture concluded with “thank yous” and a round of applause.

A kiddush Hashem, indeed!

HANC at American Dream Mall

C

hanukah has been extremely festive at HANC Middle School. After a vacation day on Monday, the week started with a full school trip to the American Dream Mall. The students got off the busses filled with excitement and eager to spend some money. They entered the spacious mall and were able to walk around and shop. Unofficially, the most frequented stores were Cinnabon and Dunkin’ Doughnuts. Other stores that the students visited included: It’s Sugar, Lululemon, H & M, Bath and Body Works.

Next, the students and many

faculty members (not Rabbi Hecht, Mrs. Morey, Rabbi Dworetsky or Mrs. Seeno) went into Nickelodeon Universe. Baruch Hashem, there were no lines, so the students were able to go on all of the rides many, many times. Right before the students boarded the busses, they davened Mincha.

Upon arrival back at school, they davened Maariv and lit the Chanukah menorah, which was donated to the school in honor of Rabbi and Mrs. Moshe Gottesman. This was very fitting as it was Rabbi Gottesman’s, A”H, yahrtzeit. By all accounts, the students had a fantastic time.

Did you know?

The name for grapefruit was created by a Jamaican farmer when he noticed the fruit grew in clusters similar to grapes

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

JAKE COOPER ‘22 Studying Team & Project Management and Communication President of Bryant Hillel, Student Affairs Fellow Beverly, MA

BE REAL WORLD READY bryant.edu At Bryant University, students reach higher and achieve more.

Our students create their path by selecting studies at the intersection of business, the liberal arts and STEM. Bryant’s close-knit campus community provides nationally ranked academic programs and a vibrant student life with personal attention in an energizing atmosphere of purpose. Students graduate with real-world ready skills in high demand and are prepared to make a difference in organizations around the world.

Bryant University Hillel represents an active, growing and engaged group of Jewish students from varied backgrounds.

Our Jewish Campus Ministry offers a wide variety of religious, cultural, social, educational and other programs throughout the year including Shabbat services and dinner, Jewish holiday observances, and formal and informal Jewish education. There is a full-time rabbi on campus who works as Director of Campus Ministry and university lecturer, Jewish Chaplain and Hillel Director, as well as a faculty advisor to Hillel.

Smithfield, Rhode Island

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

YOSS Mechina celebrates Chanukah with The Shnitzel Guys

Celebrating Chanukah SKA Style

T

he email sent to the students of Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls on the second night of Chanukah read, “Dress warmly.”

When the SKA students entered the building on Tuesday, December 1, no one knew what to expect. After davening, the girls boarded buses for a truly enjoyable Chanukah Winter Wonderland, bonding with each other and teachers at an ice skating rink in Great Neck. For those who needed a break, there were games, coloring books, hot cocoa, and snacks. It was a wonderful way to start the festivities of Chanukah at SKA. Of course, it wouldn’t be Chanukah at SKA without chessed, and each grade had the opportunity to share in the mitzvah. On Wednesday, while the ninth graders baked for a chessed Bake Sale, the eleventh graders packed clothing to send overseas.

The tenth graders entertained IVDU students with Chanukah projects and games in the SKA auditorium, and

the seniors went to Queens to share yom tov simcha with Gymnasia students.

Chanukah was felt throughout the day on Thursday SKA’s Chanukah Across the Curriculum ensured that each class in every subject connected Chanukah to the day’s lesson in a creative and meaningful way. Graphing menorahs as linear functions in Math, yeast fermentation and donuts in Biology, and light source and shading in Forensics were some of the concepts explored in addition to Maoz Tzur and Al Hinism in Tanach and Ivrit and the real history of Chanukah in Torah Shebeal Peh, among others.

The eagerly awaited annual Chanukah Auction also took place on Thursday; in the “bowling alley,” long rows of colorful boxes offered opportunities to bid on class parties, lunches and outings with faculty members and Shabbat invitations. Since the funds raised go to tzedaka, this has always been a very popular event and

At the SKA Chanukah Winter Wonderland

Sophomores enjoying Chanukah at the home of faculty member Ms. Sydney Daitch

bidding is friendly but fierce. To cap off the day, the school hosted a lovely Chinuch luncheon to show appreciation to SKA faculty and staff, many of whom opened their homes to students for Chanukah parties and mesibot.

Friday’s faculty pareve Cholent Competition was a beautiful send off to erev Shabbat Chanukah as was the special ruchniyut of Chanukah that was shared every day. SKA’s Beit Midrash Fellows, together with SKA student contributors, published IGNITE: LEARNING BY THE LIGHTS

each evening of Chanukah with halachot, stories and suggestions for bringing light into the darkness.

SKA’s Lasting Lights Campaign, designed to help students disconnect from technology and connect with something more meaningful, entered participants into a raffle, and there were many entries submitted.

The annual SKA Chagiga on Zos Chanukah culminated the Chanukah week with spirited dancing and ruach. We hope everyone had a freilichen Chanukah. The students and faculty of SKA certainly did!

SKA seniors spreading Chanukah cheer at Gymnasia in Queens

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

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Around the Community

Scenes from the White Shul Concert Extravaganza with Joey Newcomb

YOSS Students Spend Their Gelt

The girls at Yeshiva Shaarei Zion enjoyed an immersive Rosh Chodesh assembly this month

Chanukah Extravaganza Exceeds Expectations

W

hat better way to celebrate the last day of Chanukah than buying awesome prizes? PBIS is a school-wide program at Yeshiva of South Shore that promotes positive behavior in all areas of the school. As part of the program, the General Studies department, led by our principal, Mrs. Leah Girnun, rewards boys with school money when they demonstrate middos tovos – a hallmark of the Yeshiva of South Shore. Every Rosh Chodesh, students have an opportunity to purchase priz-

es from our school store.

This Chanukah, we raised it up a notch! A special Chanukah store was created to allow the boys to choose from a large array of prizes.

The boys’ smiles were shining bright, knowing the gelt they spent was money they had earned! Thank you to the YOSS teachers for promoting an atmosphere of positivity and recognizing the best in our boys every single day. Thank you to the YOSS PTA and parents for helping make the day extra special!

Did you know?

The first grapefruit tree grew in the Florida in 1823 and was mostly grown as a novelty for tourists

H

undreds of people filled the Young Israel of Far Rockaway on the Sunday before Chanukah with smiles and laughter as they came together to celebrate Chanukah at the Young Israel’s Chanukah Extravaganza. With a bouncy house, giant slide, balloon art, face painting, cookie decorating and carnival-style games there was some-

thing for everyone to enjoy. Best of all, every child was a winner, choosing from fun prizes and receiving chocolate gelt at the door. Latkes were served to bring the true spirit of Chanukah to the day.

With the excitement still brewing from that amazing day, the Young Israel of Far Rockaway Sisterhood continues to plan other exciting events.

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Chanukah with Chabad

T

urn an 8 on its side, and it becomes the infinity symbol.

Chabad of the Five Towns, led by indefatigable Rabbi Zalman

and Chanie Wolowik and Rabbi Meir and Hadassah Geisinsky, live this ideal, bringing light to the community in infinite ways throughout the

8 days of Chanukah, and the entire year. Cedarhurst Mayor Ben Weinstock recognized Chabad’s contribution to the community in an official

proclamation declaring Chanukah as Chabad Week.

With the help of dozens of Mitzvah Ambassadors, hundreds of free PHOTO CREDIT: ARIELLA FELDBERG

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

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Around the Community

menorah kits were distributed to local homes in preparation of Chanukah. They spread the warmth and joy of Chanukah, enabling every home in the Five Towns to have a menorah.

The giant menorah has become a welcome fixture in Andrew J. Parise Cedarhurst Park, drawing oohs and aahs all day and attracting hundreds from the community together at night for lighting events. Friend of Chabad and Chanukah co-sponsor Mr. Ben Brafman got things started on the first night. Honored leaders for subsequent nights included Mayor Ben Weinstock, HaRav Weinberger of Aish Kodesh, and Rabbi Zakutinsky of Mevakshei Hashem, along with Morad Shema representing Chabad Young Professionals, Rabbi Horowitz, and CJ Srulowitz, Friendship Circle representatives, and brothers Justin and Steven Shnayder as CTeen representatives.

Following Shabbos, Cantor Mendy Herz led a musical Havdalah at glow-night at the park.

When you tell your children money doesn’t just fall from the sky, you might have to correct yourself once a year at the beloved gelt drop at Cedarhurst Park. This year, bar mitzvah boy Aharon Feinberg led the ceremony on the second night, followed by parachutes with dreidels, menorahs and chocolate coins raining down.

A special miracle happened on the third night: people did not complain about Five Towns traffic as a parade of 50 cars topped with menorahs lit up the Five Towns.

This year, in partnership with the Town of Hempstead, Chabad rocked the fourth night with singing sensation Joey Newcomb. Over 350 cars filled the parking lot of North Woodmere Park, and 1,500 people danced to the music and enjoyed glow giveaways.

On the fifth night, the Gural JCC, proud partner of UJA Federation of NY, and The Jewish Women’s Leadership Council partnered with Chabad for a magical night at the grand menorah with magician Sam Jacobs and DJ Gary Wallin.

Rabbi Meir and Hadassah Geisinsky draw CTeens – Jewish students in public school – to gatherings on a regular basis. Throughout Chanukah, the teens cherished the special time as the Geisinskys hosted three Chanukah parties for CTeens and Hebrew School families.

On the other end of the age spectrum, the Smile on Seniors group, led by volunteer coordinators Lisa Pockriss, Michele Justic, and Rivka Jawitz, has grown to over 30 participants each Tuesday. This year, they hosted a festive concert with international singing star Sholom Jacobs and Yaakov Chesed performing at the Levi Yitzchak Library.

For children with special needs, Friendship Circle is a welcome part of their lives. The annual Chanukah Bowl at Woodmere Lanes with Batsheva Borenstein and volunteers from Shulamith High School is always a hit. While pins get knocked down, spirits get lifted.

While many would list Chanukah as their favorite holiday, preschool-

Did you know?

Grapefruits are the official state fruits of Texas

ers at Gan Chamesh Chanukah Funhouse take a unique joy at all the wondrous activities planned by directors Susy Adler, Suzanne Wallin, and the beloved morahs.

Most people think of fire for Chanukah, and this year Chabad of the Five Towns, Chabad of West Hempstead, and Chabad of Oceanside joined Chabad of the Beaches for their annual Chanukah on Ice at Long Beach Ice Arena for skating, gelt launching, ice menorah, and more.

As the eighth night of Chanukah was beginning, our newest public menorah outside the new ko-

sher eatery, La Pizzeria and Bagel in North Woodmere, dedicated in loving memory of Izak Cohen, was inaugurated. Ori Cohen, Izak’s beloved son, kindled all 8 candles on the new menorah, spreading the warmth of Chanukah to the greater Five Towns community.

It was an especially joyous Chanukah following a year of pandemic.

Though it’s sad to say goodbye, the light of Chanukah should carry us through for a long time. To partner with Chabad of the Five Towns on their many projects and services and to participate in upcoming events, visit ChabadFiveTowns.com.

DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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Around the Community

#HANCSpreadsTheLight

T

he anticipation of celebrating Chanukah began early in HANC’s Samuel and Elizabeth Bass Golding Elementary School in West Hempstead. Before the holiday officially began, the students were busy creating magnificent Chanukah decorations and projects and even had a chance to shop for personalized gifts for their parents, siblings, and grandparents in the PTA Chanukah gift shop. The excitement was building each day, as the exciting week chockfull of fun activities was soon approaching.

This year, a new program was instituted to spread the joy of Chanukah: #HANCSpreadsTheLight was an opportunity to learn Torah together as a family and combat what the Greeks tried to take away from us so many years ago. Each HANC family was provided with a packet of family-friendly pages of learning, one for each night of Chanukah. The goal was for each family to devote the half hour of candles burning to take a moment of calm and tranquility and infuse kedushah into each home before jumping right into opening the presents.

Back in school, the chil-

dren were treated with a myriad of fun activities and Chanukah -related learning experiences. The fun week began with an entertaining performance by the ventriloquist, Jonathan Geffner. The kindergarten through third grade students participated in Wacky Races and the third through sixth graders enjoyed the “Light Up the Night” dancing and playing Kahoot vs. HANC Plainview. The children also had a school-wide dreidel spinning contest, with the final round taking place during lunch time on the last day of Chanukah. Mazal tov to fifth grader Becca Abramovitz on being this year’s dreidel spinning winner.

In addition to schoolwide events, there were many interesting lessons

that centered around Chanukah themes. To better understand oil’s properties and the miracle of Chanukah, the kindergarten students conducted experiments and participated in experiences involving oil.

In the third grade, on a particularly rainy day when recess needed to be indoors, the students in Morah Tallit’s class designed and built a menorah out of building blocks. They proudly placed it in the window for all to see and to add to the Chanukah atmosphere in the classroom.

In Morah Sadeh’s Ivrit class, the children were given the opportunity to learn about candle lighting and the different occasions when candles are lit.

In math classes, the children honed their math skills

by solving Chanukah related riddles and playing Chanukah themed math games.

In fifth grade, the students did logic brain teasers figuring out based on clues how many latkes each character in the story ate on Chanukah. In 4th grade, the students investigated the topic of probability in regard to the four sides of the dreidel.

The biggest event of the week was the Chanukah Auction. The students bought tickets that could then be used to bid on over thirty prizes. The options included being a staff member’s assistant, challah baking with Morah Jacobs, a candy platter, Mets or Yankees t-shirts, being a guest story reader in a kindergarten class, Amazon gift cards, and a make-your-own-sun-

dae party for the winner’s class. All of the money collected will be donated to two organizations in Israel: Keren Hashviis, an organization that directly supports farmers and their families during the year of Shmittah, and Keren Hatzadik, which provides food and other services that assist needy families in Yerushalayim.

Kol haKavod to the students in HANC who collectively raised close to $5,000 for these donations.

HANC wishes to thank Mrs. Daniella Hirt, Special Activities Coordinator, for all of her hard work in planning and leading the schoolwide events, and the HANC PTA for their generous support to help make these events even more joyful.

Camp Marabu Mesivta

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he summer of a lifetime. It sounds like a dream, but it is the reality at Camp Marabu Mesivta!.

Imagine a camp that is based in some of the most beautiful parts of Hashem’s world. A place where tefillah comes alive as each boy sees and feels the gadlus haBorei amid His awesome creation! A makom Torah where experienced Mesivta rabbeim further the growth of talmidim as they learn each morning and evening.

An opportunity to make new friends with bnei aliyah from yeshivos across the country. A place for learning,

growing, and building self-esteem and character. A camp infused with superb ruach, singing, kumzitzes and united as one large extended family.

A camp where there are day trips to wade in the Narrows of Zion Canyon, to view the astounding beauty of Bryce and the grandeur of the Grand Canyon. The chance to see the geysers, hot springs, and wildlife of Yellowstone and to bike in the shadows of the Grand Tetons.

A camp full of adventures, including: whitewater rafting down the Snake River, canyoneering amongst towering cliffs, tubing and motor

boating in Lake Powell. We enjoy zip-lining, alpine slides at Utah Olympic Park, exciting jeeping, unique sand dunes, and magnificent hiking.

A camp which is based on amazing properties: a desert home in Utah with a pool, waterslide and an indoor gym, dual mountain top lodges in Idaho with game rooms, and camping in luxury tents at Bear Lake. The food is catered, delicious, plentiful, and fresh.

Camp Marabu Mesivta is under the leadership of the camp director Rabbi Raphael Mendlowitz and the Rosh Mesivta Rabbi Elyakim Mili-

kowsky. Rabbi Mendlowitz has been leading, inspiring, and guiding bachurim on trips throughout the west for over twenty years, with a special focus on growth in tefillah. Rabbi Milikowsky is the Rosh Mesivta at the Yeshiva of Greater Washington during the year and carries over his dedication to his talmidim and their growth in learning through the summer months. Assisted by an exuberant and dedicated staff of rabbeim and yeshiva bachurim, they truly provide the opportunity for the summer of a lifetime at Camp Marabu Mesivta.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

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Around the Community

HANC HS Lights Up the Nights

H

ANC High School had a spirited Chanukah filled with daily celebrations and lots of ruach. Students started off their week with an in-school Chanukah arcade by Gary Wallin and Sufganiyot. Our freshmen girls had a treat-filled Mystery Maccabee and the sophomore girls played Chanukah Jeopardy. Each grade enjoyed parties at the homes of their morot and rabbeim complete with divrei Torah, doughnut decorating contests, and lots of other good food!

The Student Senate led teacher-stu-

dent competitions, which were videoed where students voted on the winners in advance and captured HANC talent.

The annual Chanukah auction, where teachers auctioned off amazing prizes, raised over $4,000 for Ohel and the West Hempstead Food Bank. A highlight for the entire school was the incredible chagiga with Joey Newcomb and our very own Rabbi Hulkower on drums!

Thank you to the Student Life Team for organizing an amazing Chanukah 5782.

Parenting from the Same Page

By Rabbi Dr. Dovid Felt

W

e are in an age of distraction and soundbite messaging, leaving us pulled in numerous directions. For parents raising children, it is especially challenging to convey their expectations when it competes with so many other messages. The following is a dialogue between a parent and a member of the Madraigos clinical team that addresses this issue:

Parent: Recently my eldest, a ninth-grader, started making arrangements to go out with friends Motzei Shabbos. In the past, my husband would take him to the Avos U’Bonim program at our shul, and they would learn together. Following the program, we had Melava Malka and played games with the entire family until bedtime.

I am concerned that my son may be spending time with friends that may not be the best influence, and I am sad that he no longer joins us for family time. My husband feels that he is at the age when adolescents start exploring and looking for independence. He encourages our son to spend time with friends and has relaxed enforcing a curfew for him on Motzei Shabbos. I believe that not having a specific time to be back home is not healthy, and when I tried discussing my concerns with my husband, he made light of them.

How can I protect my son without alienating him or antagonizing my husband?

Doctor: Adolescence is a period in a child’s development where they are indeed exploring. It is a time when a child is in the process of creating their own identity. Any restriction they feel that prevents them from navigating this journey may be viewed as controlling, even if the opposite is true. At the same time, they are prone to making choices based on outside factors such as peer pressure and not on what is right.

For most parents, adolescence is a period that is very difficult to parent and when having a unified message is imperative. As much as it seems that adolescents don’t want their parents’ advice, their decisions are greatly influenced by what they perceive their parents’ expectations of them to be. Without parents having a unified position, ther children won’t know what is expected of them, leaving them to look for other sources to give them direction.

Getting on the same page with one’s spouse begins with clear communication. Your spouse may not be aware of the seriousness of your position. Sharing it should be done using the following pointers: *Choose a quiet time where both of you are relaxed. *Ideally, this discussion should occur before it becomes an issue.

If, as in our case, it is after the fact, then be extremely careful not to make it personal by having it revolve around a specific situation or behavior. *Set the tone so your spouse

recognizes that the goal is to understand each other’s position and collaborate to find a solution.

Parent: Thank you, Dr. Felt, for clarifying the struggle adolescents are grappling with. We are having a difficult time parenting, and your recommendation to have a unified message hits home. I struggle with having a conversation with my spouse when I feel I won’t be listened to. How do I set the tone so that we can share each other’s positions?

Doctor: When creating a collaborative environment, you want to ensure that the other person knows that you truly understand their position. You can begin by asking your spouse to share his perspective, followed by questions to help you clarify their position. Any questions you ask at this point should be focused on your spouse’s perspective. When your spouse feels that you know where he is coming from, he will be more receptive to hearing and understanding your perspective. Once you know each other’s perspective, find areas you both agree on and use the common ground you have identified as the catalyst to move forward and develop a unified solution.

Getting on the same page may take an adjustment; however, it is essential to view compromise as gaining the ability to parent together.

Parents are individuals with a common goal of raising their children. It is unlikely that they have

the same background, experiences, ideas, and thoughts. Achieving their common goal is paramount.

When conveying their expectations to their children, parents should be consistent and share the same message. Doing so allows their children to know what is expected of them and prevents confusion.

At Madraigos, our clinical team specializes in helping parents get the support they need during challenging times. Regardless of severity and complexity, Madraigos is there to assist and guide.

For more information, please call Madraigos at 516-371-3250 or email info@madraigos.org.

Rabbi Dr. Dovid Felt is the Director of School-Based Services at Madraigos.

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

The JCCRP Needs You

T

homas Jefferson once said, “I believe that every human mind feels pleasure in doing good to another.” This idea lies behind so much of what happens when you volunteer at the JCCRP. Whether it is packing up food boxes for pantry pick-up, delivering packages to Holocaust survivors, participating in a Chanukah toy drive, or helping out with the bat mitzvah project, there are always opportunities at the JCCRP for volunteers to lend a hand.

Let’s take a closer look at the important work that goes behind the scenes of the Virtual Pantry of the JCCRP. Using a modern online system, participants choose in advance which food items they need in their homes. Including chicken, meat, produce, and dry goods, there is an extensive list of foods they can choose from. Volunteers at the pantry receive these orders and fill each one by hand. Customizing orders for the participants protects their dignity and reduces waste. It also means

no one has to wait in line for food and for quality products. At the same time, this system relies heavily on volunteers to pack up the orders and to pre-fill the dry goods boxes. At least six volunteers are needed every single day for this program to run smoothly!

Other events, like back-to-school backpacks and the Chanukah toy drive, provide opportunities for volunteers to help out on a one-timeonly basis. Only requiring a few hours of commitment, having the right amount of helping hands makes these programs come together quickly and efficiently. These events are a great way for a family to spend an afternoon together, while doing an activity that teaches kids about giving to others.

In order to maximize the time and the talent of its generous volunteers, the JCCRP has welcomed Tzahala Tewel to its staff as the new Volunteer Coordinator. Her responsibilities include recruiting volunteers and

prepping them for their work. Tzahala hails from Toronto, where she began her career in non-profits as a volunteer throughout high school.

Eventually working in the non-profit world as a professional, Tzahala was the Family Events Coordinator for Chai Lifeline Toronto before moving to New York and joining the JCCRP. Now, in her new role at the JCCRP, Tzahala is excited to be focusing her talents and love for helping others by doing great things for the Rockaway Peninsula community.

“I grew up in a home that was dedicated to giving. Here in my role at the JCCRP I can continue my fam-

Scenes from Siach Yitzchok’s Chanukah mesiba and dreidel drop

ily’s tradition on a larger scale, and I am honored to be a part of this great organization,” shared Tzahala.

The JCCRP relies on the manpower of volunteers like you in order to help the community with its many incredible programs. To help out on a regular basis, or for a one-time commitment, call or text 516-7545556 or email volunteer@jccrp.org.

As Jefferson said, doing good for others is the best way to feel good about yourself.

The JCCRP volunteer program is generously funded by the UJA Federation of NY.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

NING TO YO UR MEA G DA N RI Y B

Get Involved. Give Back.

The JCCRP is there for the community for anyone who needs. You can make a difference and join us in helping your fellow community member.

Volunteer today.

GET IN TOUCH

Tzahala Tewel, Volunteer Services Volunteer@jccrp.org • 516-754-5556

Mesage to be added to WhatsApp volunteer group

Volunteer opportunities include: Packing food in food pantry Delivering food/care packages to Holocaust survivors Career Mentoring Financial mentoring Klal Vote Pro Bono Professional Services Shul Liaison

For more info:

www.jccrp.org

For more info 718-327-7755

1525 Central Avenue, Far Rockaway, NY 11691

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Little Friends Gan – A Magical Chanukah

L

ittle Friends Gan hosted a Chanukah Magic Show by Syltig the Magician at both of their campuses. The children loved the funny, magical show and they then enjoyed Chanukah crafts.

In North Woodmere, the parents were invited to join, and they really enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with their children and see their classrooms. In Far Rockaway, the program was built into their schedule and enhanced their Chanukah.

Little Friends Gan of Far Rockaway is a legal, professional UPK provider that serves 2-4-yearolds year-round while Little Friends Gan of North Woodmere offers a legal and top-notch 3-year-old

Nursery program. The North Woodmere campus is a favorite among Moms in North Woodmere and Woodmere as it provides a warm, small Nursery program that is geared entirely towards 3-year-olds, and it allows parents to stay local be-

fore sending their child to a larger school.

The Far Rockaway program can be contacted at littlefriendsgan@gmail.com, and the North Woodmere program can be contacted at littlefriendsganNW@gmail.com.

Achiezer Online Fundraiser Puts Community’s Support on Display

“A

chiezer, by sheer volume, is probably the busiest Jewish resource organization in the country…and maybe the world.”

This comment was made by a leading community activist amid Achiezer’s recent global online fundraiser, and from the response of thousands of people all over the world, apparently the Jewish world at large agrees.

Achiezer is, simply, unparalleled in its scope and reach.

In lieu of its annual dinner, due to lingering medical concerns among Achiezer’s medical advisors, the organization held an online fundraiser. And the response was absolutely incredible. In just 36 hours, over $2 million was raised. These funds will go directly to fund Achiezer’s wide range of services.

With all of its varied departments, Achiezer, in essence, has multiple organizations operating under one roof.

Community members benefit from Achiezer’s one-of-a-kind insurance program, its mental health department, its eldercare programs, its legal

network, its 24-hour emergency community hotline, its Westwood Financial Management Center, its comprehensive hospital meals food program and numerous respite rooms, its specialty medical equipment program, its home repair assistance program, its volunteer drivers, its renowned medical-referral program, and its Zichron Dovid Chesed Shel Emes Division.

“It’s hard to fathom what comes out of this one organization on a daily basis,” says Achiezer President Boruch Ber Bender. “Achiezer is available literally 24/7, doing anything and every-

thing when called upon. The number of people who rely on Achiezer is extraordinary.”

Boruch Ber notes that the success of the recent online campaign was not just due to several people who gave large donations.

“We received thousands of donations of all denominations from people all over, including those well beyond the confines of Far Rockaway, Bayswater and the Five Towns,” he observes. There were even bands of groups from out-of-town cities who wanted to give back because of their

own Achiezer experiences. “This, to us, was such a beautiful statement of support and encouragement. It means that people realize what we’re doing and what we’ve accomplished. It’s a huge source of chizuk for our entire team and board of directors.”

Celebrating the phenomenal success of the campaign, the day after the fundraiser, Achiezer held a hakoras hatov event for its staff and volunteers. Chevra kaddisha members and lawyers sat side by side with doctors, therapists, and others who have stepped up in truly special ways to be there for the community through thick and thin, during the height of Covid and in its aftermath.

“Despite whatever all these people were personally dealing with at the time, they were always ready and willing to drop it all for others,” said Boruch Ber. “They have demonstrated that the unity and altruism of Klal Yisroel are on a different level.”

Meanwhile, with the fundraiser having just concluded, Achiezer isn’t resting on its laurels, hard at work on several community-wide initiatives for the winter.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Teen Open Mic Night at Madraigos

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oung musicians can’t showcase their talents easily in our community but teen musicians and music lovers in the Five Towns and Far Rockaway communities can do so at Madraigos’ Open Mic Night programs, run free of charge throughout the year. On Wednesday night, December 1, the fourth night of Chanukah, Madraigos ran an Open Mic Night for teen boys in a space in their own facility known as “The Lounge.” The strong turnout of enthusiastic teens as well as Madraigos’ dedicated friends proved the evening to be a great success.

Some performed their own songs, while others sang popular songs recorded by famous musical artists.

Without a doubt, all in attendance enjoyed the opportunity for creative expression and time with friends in a warm, safe environment. Professional musicians, sound system, concert lights, and special effects smoke enhanced the program and

created the perfect backdrop for this special musical evening. Great food catered by Carlos & Gabby’s and fun prizes rounded out the program for a truly memorable experience and Chanukah celebration.

“It was so great for the guys to come together to sing, relax, and just enjoy themselves. It was an amazing

bonding experience in a fun atmosphere. All the guys loved it and I’m very excited about how the program is really taking off,” said Avromi Meyer, LMSW, Director of the Guys Lounge, Madraigos.

These special evenings are an outgrowth of the Carry On project, in memory of Binyamin Zwickler,

a”h, to bring his spiritual messages of emunah and resilience to the world through music. Menachem Katz, a good friend of Binyamin, commented, “Music was a form of self-expression that Binyamin Zwickler connected to on a deeply emotional level. It was a way for him to digest life’s ups and downs in a healthy manner. The Open Mic Night that Madraigos has arranged in memory of Binyamin enables teens in our community to come together and share their music, inspiring one another at the same time.”

Jewish music podcasts are planned in the near future to share the music of the Carry On project and continue the inspirational legacy of Binyamin Zwickler, a”h. Stay tuned for details.

For further information about the Open Mic Program, please contact Mindi Werblowsky, LCSW, Clinical Director, at 516-371-3250 x 112 or mwerblowsky@madraigos.org.

Trying To Stay O.K.A.Y. During Challenging Travel Times

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hen our children move to Israel, we are filled with many emotions. Pride is often number one and excitement is up there too, but as parents we also worry and are sometimes disappointed. Our joy is frequently bittersweet. We’ve raised independent children with a love of Eretz Yisrael.

Isn’t their moving to Israel something we admire and encourage?

Yes, but it’s complicated. We miss them daily, and especially holiday times when we frequently aren’t able to be together. If they’ve left with children – our grandchildren – it’s further challenging.

Almost five years ago, O.K.A.Y. (Our Kids Abroad in Yisrael) was formed at the Marion and Aaron Gural JCC as a networking group for moms whose kids had moved to Israel. The purpose of the group was to share information, travel tips, things to do with your kids when you get to the Holy Land, how to ship packages efficiently to our children, insights on travel agents, health insurance, car rentals, etc. Although the aim of the group was to be positive and to encourage each other and not to

bring each other down, understandably, we also became shoulders to lean on and moral support in tough situations. And we became friends.

Over the years, we have gone through many ups and downs, but nothing compared to the struggles we dealt with once the pandemic hit. We faced all the same fears, setbacks and trauma as our neighbors and friends, but we had the added component of worrying about our families in Israel and not being able to see them for nearly eighteen months.

We constantly joked that we were “OKAY,” but it was not easy. This was when many of us “met” Ariella Bernstein, an original Five Towns resident, who made aliyah in 2009 and who has become a strong and reliable voice on Covid travel. Ariella has been a guide to many of us, especially when having to fill out ishurim and dealing with both the New York consulate and the Israeli Misrad Hapnim.

This past November, when travel bans to Israel were finally, briefly lifted, OKAY moms got together for a pre-Chanukah celebration. Spirits

were high and the mood was festive.

We met some members who joined our group during Covid on Zoom for the very first time in person. We had gotten over the hump and were still okay. And then a new strain of the virus appeared, and Israel shut its doors to travelers once again. Some lucky members of our group made it in before Chanukah but those of us waiting to go until after the chag, winter break or for a celebration taking place later in December or January were now stumped.

Hearing that Ariella was back in the Five Towns visiting her parents, we invited her to speak to our group. Before making aliyah, Ariella spent nearly 20 years in federal sector labor law in the United States. In Israel, she has held a variety of positions in the nonprofit sector. Her work with olim stems from her book “Aliya: Home, Hope, Reality,” which bridges the emotional impact of aliyah and narrows gaps between olim and their families left behind.

She has experience and knowledge and sees the picture from both the American and the Israeli lens.

Ever since Covid hijacked air

travel, Ariella voluntarily assists anyone seeking to navigate Israel’s entry rules. Inquiries come from Facebook’s Reunite Olim group, and from Ariella’s personal website, and from Yad L’Olim where Ariella works closely with the founder Dov Lipman. While the current travel news from Ariella was not the most encouraging this week and we are all waiting to hear what happens on December 12th, after the two-week travel ban will be reevaluated, it was great for our group to gather together to finally meet Ariella in person and to hear her views. The evening strengthened our ties to each other and also to our brave and wonderful children in Israel. We know that come what may we will have each other, and we will be OKAY. The OKAY group is just one of many programs offered at the Marion and Aaron Gural JCC. For more information about this or any other program or service we provide, call the JCC at (516)569-6733. The Marion and Aaron Gural JCC is a proud non-profit member of UJA Federation-New York.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

FAR ROCKAWAY AND FIVE TOWNS COMMUNITY

Motzei Shabbos Tanach Shiur Please join us for our our 25th season!

DECEMBER 11, 2021 7:00PM

‫גש‬hu ,arp e"amun

PROGRAM HOSTED BY: Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst 8 Spruce Street

Rabbi Mordechai Sitorsky will be learning

Perek 86 of Tehillim v"g jubn rzghkt crv ,c kyhd ,nab hukhgk

Dedicated in memory of Rabbi Mordy Kriger z”l Founder of the Tanach Shiur

Co-Sponsored By: Agudah of the Five Towns Rabbi Yitzchok Frankel Agudah of West Lawrence Rabbi Moshe Brown Bais Haknesses of N. Woodmere Rabbi A. Lebowitz Bais Medrash D’Cedarhurst Rabbi Dovid Spiegel Chofetz Chaim Torah Center Rabbi Aryeh Z. Ginzberg Cong. Bais Avrohom Rabbi Osher Stern Cong. Anshei Chessed Rabbi Simcha Lefkowitz Cong. Bais Ephraim Yitzchok Rabbi Zvi Ralbag Cong. Bais Tefila Rabbi Ephraim Polakoff Cong. Beth Sholom Rabbi Kenneth Hain Cong. Kneseth Israel Rabbi Eytan Feiner

Cong. Shaaray Tefila Rabbi Uri Orlian HILI Bais Medrash Rabbi Dov Bressler Kehillas Bais Yehuda Rabbi Yaakov Feitman Cong. Tifereth Zvi Rabbi Pinchas Chatzinoff Y.I. of Bayswater Rabbi Eliezer Feuer Y.I. of Far Rockaway Rabbi Shaul Chill Y.I. of Hewlett Rabbi Simcha Hopkovitz Y.I. of Lawrence-Cedarhurst Rabbi Yaakov Trump Y.I. of North Woodmere Rabbi Yehuda Septimus Y.I. of Woodmere Rabbi Hershel Billet

A Priority-1 Community Initiative

For more information or dedication opportunities, please call the office at 516.295.5700 x108.

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1.

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Centerfold

Heavy Lifting

M In 2017, Canadian strongman Kevin Fast pulled a 40-foot

M In 2018, Marek Dzienisiuk of Poland visited 14

MTA bus weighing 33,400

countries by bike in one week. (He’s also about the

for 16 feet on a Manhattan

only person who never asked me to sponsor him in

street in under 2 minutes.

a bike-a-thon, so that works out great for me).

(It’s probably the quickest a

M In 2021, Daniel Scali of Australia created a

MTA bus moved in years.)

record by staying in plank position for 9 hours, 30

M In 2019, Jenny Doan of Chicago set the record

minutes, and 1 second. (No big deal…I can also stay

for hula-hooping when she hula-hooped for 100

in the same position for 9 hours, 30 minutes, and 1

hours. Pursuant to Guinness World Record rules,

second…every night when I sleep!)

she was allowed a 5-minute break for every hour of

M In 2010, Steve Schmidt of Missouri broke the Guinness World Record when

hula-hooping. (I hope her father took the Shabbos afternoon nap of a lifetime while she was hula-hooping.)

he used his teeth to lift 220 halfpounds 60 times. (I bet you he’d still have a hard time with the

Charles

Servizio

Massachusetts

holds

ran 350 miles across Northern California for 80 hours, 44 minutes without taking a break.

Pesach Bazooka gum.)

M

M In 2005, Dean Karnazes of California

of the

(Run Karnazes, run!)

M Joey Motsay of North Carolina in 2009 jumped

record for most pushups when

rope without taking a break for 33 hours and 20

he did 46,001 pushups in 24 hours in 1993. (I

minutes. (The people who lived in the apartment

once ate 46,001 french fries in 24 hours!)

below him must have really enjoyed it.)

Riddle Me This?

An eyeball

Answers to riddle:

What type of ball can be rolled but can’t be thrown or bounced?

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

My Post-Chanukah Exercise Regiment  Jumping to conclusions

Real Exercise Tip Begin with a five-pound potato bag

 Climbing the walls

in each hand. Extend your arms straight

 Beating around the bush

out from your sides, hold them there for

 Swallowing my pride

a full minute, and then relax. After a few weeks, move up to ten-pound potato

 Passing the buck  Throwing my weight around

bags. Then try 50-pound potato bags, and eventually try to get to where you

 Dragging my heels

can lift a 100-pound potato bag in each

 Pushing my luck

hand and hold your arms straight for

 Making mountains out of molehills

more than a full minute.

 Hitting the nail on the head   

Wading through paperwork

confident at

Bending over backwards

that

Jumping on the bandwagon 

Balancing the books



Running around in circles



Eating crow



Tooting my own horn

 Climbing the ladder of success  Pulling out the stops  Adding fuel to the fire  Opening a can of worms  Putting my foot in my mouth  Starting the ball rolling  Going over the edge  Picking up the pieces  Diddly squat

Once you feel level,

put a potato in each bag.

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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

3

Torah Thought

Parshas Vayigash

By Rabbi Berel Wein

A

s the story of Joseph and his brothers reaches its dramatic climax in this week’s Torah reading, we are left with many unanswered questions regarding this unique narrative. One unanswered question is how much did our father Jacob really know about the events previously described in the Torah readings?

There are various streams of

thought regarding this matter. Rashi and the Midrash seem to believe that Jacob, by the end of his life, certainly was aware of the entire drama and of the participants in the story. He indirectly refers to it on his deathbed, especially regarding Shimon and Levi, for their aggressive behavior towards Joseph.

Jacob also seemingly compliments Yehuda for his original mod-

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eration in dealing with Joseph and for his later courage and heroism in defending Benjamin and confronting Joseph. It is, perhaps, safe to say that even if Jacob was unaware of all the details of the story, he knew the general facts of the narrative, and was able to piece it together for himself.

Jacob’s reaction is seen in the blessings he gives to his children, his final words to all the participants in this drama. It is difficult to believe that Jacob would not have asked Joseph how he came to live in Egypt and how he rose to such a prominent position of power and influence. One

informed about. Sometimes, in family matters, ignorance is truly bliss, and in his golden years, surrounded by family, Jacob felt comforted. There also is a natural tendency among children to attempt to hide unwelcome news, evil tidings, and unnecessary aggravation from their parents.

Now that the family has been reunited in Egypt and is living in the land of Goshen in comfort, if not even luxury, of what purpose would there be to retell the bitter story of family discord? The Torah seems to indicate that the last 17 years of Jacob’s life were truly his golden years,

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Jacob will go to his final resting place emotionally whole.

of the hallmarks of the relationship between Jacob and Joseph was the fact that, more so than the usual relationship between parent and child, they understood each other and were sensitive to all the nuances of character that they possessed There are other sources and commentators that seem to feel that Jacob never really knew the entire story that led Joseph “to cover the eyes of Jacob with his hand” so that he would never know the rift in the family and the consequences that eventually brought the children of Israel to the exile in Egypt.

All parents know that there are things about their children and their progeny that they do not wish to be

surrounded by family, and respected and honored by the society it in which he now found himself living.

Why burden the old man with a story that would only reopen wounds and create unnecessary anxiety and even regret?

Jacob will go to his final resting place emotionally whole, reconciled even with his brother Eisav, and certainly at peace with his children and family. Whichever of the narratives we choose to follow, the Torah has told us all we need to know about Joseph and his brothers and the descent of the Jewish people into Egyptian society and their eventual slavery and their redemption.

Shabbat shalom.

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

From the Fire Parshas Vayigash

Listening

By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

T

here are many surprising things about the reunion between Yosef and his brothers in this week’s parsha, which is one of the most dramatic episodes in all of Tanach. One of the fascinating aspects of the reunion is the meeting of Yosef and Binyomin when they finally meet after so many years. The pasuk says (Bereishis 45:14), “And [Yosef] fell on his brother Binyomin’s neck and he cried, and Binyomin cried on his neck.” Why does the pasuk focus on the fact that Yosef and Binyomin cried on each other’s necks specifically?

Rashi explains that Yosef cried on Binyomin’s neck “for the two Temples which will be built in the portion [of Eretz Yisroel] belonging to Binyomin and which will ultimately be destroyed,” and that Binyomin cried on Yosef’s neck “for the Tabernacle in Shilo which will be in the portion [of Eretz Yisroel] belonging to Yosef and which will ultimately be destroyed.”

It appears then that when the Torah compares the Beis Hamikdash to the neck, such that when it says that someone is crying on someone’s neck, it means that he is crying over the Beis Hamikdash. We see this in the pasuk in Shir Hashirim (4:4), “Your neck is like the tower of David built with turrets.” Chazal (Medrash Raba Shir Hashirim 4:11) explain that this pasuk compares the Beis Hamikdash to the tzavar, the neck.

The most obvious reason why Chazal compare the Beis Hamikdash to the neck is that the neck connects the higher part of the person, the mind, with the lower parts of the person, the rest of the body. Similarly, the Beis Hamikdash connects the upper world to this world. We can, however,

offer an additional explanation.

The Gemara in Yuma 12a says, “What was in Yehuda’s portion? The Temple Mount, the offices, and the courtyards [including the Mizbeach].

And what was in Binyomin’s portion?

The Antechamber, the Holy, and the Holy of Holies.” Why did only Binyomin and Yehuda merit to have the Beis Hamikdash built in their portions of Eretz Yisroel?

The most well-known reason is that given by the Medrash that Binyomin was the only one of the brothers who did not bow down to Eisav because he had not yet been born when Yaakov and his children met Eisav and bowed down to him. According to Reb Yerucham Levovitz, the Beis Hamikdash cannot be built with the attitude that we must bow to the desires of the nations of the world.

There is another explanation as well. According to another Medrash (Yalkut Shimoni V’Zos Habracha Remez 957), “Why did Binyomin merit that the Divine Presence dwelt in his

portion [of Eretz Yisroel]? All of the brothers were involved in the sale of Yosef, but Binyomin was not involved in the sale of Yosef. The Holy One Blessed be He says: ‘I say to those who will build the Beis Hamikdash, is it not so that they will pray to me and I will fulfill their requests with mercy?! I will therefore not allow My Divine Presence to dwell in the portion of those who did not show mercy to their brother.’” ( See also Yalkut Shimoni Yisro Remez 284.)

The Beis Hamikdash serves a dual function which can explain both the comparison of the Beis Hamikdash to the “neck” and why the Beis Hamikdash must be built in the portions of Binyomin and Yehuda.

The neck has a dual function. As those who recently learned Chullin in Daf Yomi know, the two primary organs in the neck are the trachea and the esophagus. Just like the Beis Hamikdash, the trachea serves the below-to-above function by bringing a person’s words of prayer from within

himself to Hashem. And the esophagus serves the above-to-below function by bringing the food, Hashem’s blessing, into the person’s body.

Similarly, the Beis Hamikdash serves as a medium from below-toabove, as the conduit through which our prayers ascend to Shamayim, the heavens. As the pasuk in Divrei Hayamim 2:6:32, says, “And they will come to this house [the Beis Hamikdash] to pray.” That is also why the Beis Hamikdash is called a “teil talpiyot” (Shir Hashirim 4:4), which literally means “built with turrets.” The Medrash (Yalkut Shimoni Melachim 1, Remez 184) explains that pasuk as follows: “[The Beis Hamikdash is called] banui l’talpiot, built of talpiot, because it is built on a mountain, teil, to which all mouths, piyos, turn in prayer.”

The Beis Hamikdash also serves as the conduit through which Hashem responds to our requests with rachamim, mercy, from above-to-below.

As the pasuk in Tehillim 133:3 says about the Beis Hamikdash: that the Har Hermon is compared to the Har Tzion [the place where the Beis Hamikdash is located] because it is the place where blessing and eternal life descends into the world. It is therefore compared to the neck, which also serves a below-to-above and above-tobelow function.

The Gemara in Shabbos 151b teaches us that “anyone who has mercy on other people is shown mercy from heaven, and anyone who does not show mercy for others is not shown mercy from heaven.” In other words, when someone hears others’ cries and has mercy on them, Hashem hears his prayers and has mercy

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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

on him when he requests it. Conversely, when someone turns a deaf ear to the suffering of others, Hashem turns a deaf ear, so to speak, to his prayers and cries for mercy. The Beis Hamikdash, the place where all prayers ascend to heaven, must therefore be built on the portion of those brothers who showed mercy to others.

The majority of the brothers were disqualified because, as they themselves said (Bereishis 42:20), “Indeed we are guilty regarding our brother whose suffering we saw as he begged us for mercy and we did not listen.”

Only Binyomin qualified to have the Beis Hamikdash built on his portion of Eretz Yisroel because he was not involved in the sale of Yosef and showed great mercy to Yosef by giving his children names which caused him to recall Yosef’s suffering (see Rashi on Bereishis 43:30). As the Yalkut we quoted above said, Hashem will not allow the Beis Hamikdash, where Hashem’s mercy is meant to descend into the world, be built on the portion

of those who did not have mercy on their brother.

Yehuda also had part of the Beis Hamikdash built on his portion of Eretz Yisroel because he also showed a measure of mercy when he convinced the other brothers to sell Yosef rather than kill him. In addition, he

showed self-sacrifice, he merited to have the Mizbeach, the altar whose whole essence is sacrifice, built on his portion.

According to the Gemara in Sota 17a, “If a man and woman merit, the Divine Presence dwells between

They must be people who listen to and have mercy on others.

showed mercy for Binyomin when he took responsibility to bring him back to their father Yaakov. He also showed mesiras nefesh, self-sacrifice, by giving up his life in this world and in the next for Binyomin’s sake. Perhaps this is why he merited that the courtyard, which contained the altar where sacrifices were brought, was built on his portion of Eretz Yisroel. Because he

them.” The goal of a chosson and kallah is to build their home into a mikdash me’at, a little Beis Hamikdash. But as the Gemara says, not every single home merits to be one in which the Divine Presence dwells. It is only if the couple is zocheh. What must people do to merit that the Shechina, the Divine Presence, in their home? They must be people who

listen to and have mercy on others.

It is very easy for even spiritual people to become caught up in their own world and not listen to what is happening with others. Hashem says, however, that He only dwells with those who listen. A husband and wife must therefore also listen to one another. When a chosson and kallah listen to each other and to the pain of others, then they will merit to build a little Beis Hamikdash in their homes in which Hashem’s Presence will dwell.

We should all be zocheh to listen to and have mercy on others so that “it will be heard in Yehuda and in the open places of Yerushalayim the sound of the joy of the chosson and kallah,” b’geulah sheleima v’amitis b’mheira b’yameinu. Amen.

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

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Self-Mastery Academy

Fear False Evidence Appearing Real

By Rabbi Shmuel Reichman

H

ave you ever let fear stop you from doing something you really wanted to do? Did fear stop you from taking the next step in your personal growth, your relationships, your career, or your connection with Hashem?

While speaking in communities across the world and coaching numerous clients, the number one response I get when I ask people what they are struggling with is something along the lines of “I’m scared.” Fear is one of the biggest dream killers.

Some are scared of failing, others are scared of what their friends or family will think, while others are scared of succeeding and not being ready or able to handle the weight of it all.

Beyond observing the impact that fear has had on other people’s lives, I know the impact it has had on my own life. For what seemed like forever, I let fear stop me from striving after my dreams and goals; I let it cripple my vision; I let it shackle me to stagnancy.

I used to be terrified of public speaking, so I turned down the big invitations; I used to be scared of creating genuine and deep relationships,

so I pushed off dating; I used to fear not being good enough for everyone else, so I never shared my thoughts or published my content. Learning about the underlying principles of fear, through both research and experience, allowed me to transform my own life and the lives of countless others. My goal in this article is to share the essential tools and strategies that you can implement to confront and overcome your fears, with the hope that this will help unleash you from a life governed by fear and help launch you towards your true greatness. At the end of our lives, we don’t want to look back and wonder, “What if I had learned how to overcome my fears?”

So let’s start journeying towards our greatness together.

The Truth About Fear The strange truth about fear is that most fears are not based on reality. On the one hand, there is rational fear of danger, pain, and death, such as the fear of heights when walking along a cliff edge. The fear of falling off the cliff to your death is a rational, healthy, and productive fear. But most fear is a matter of perception, such as

the fear of uncertainty or vulnerability, or the fear of taking risks and getting outside of our comfort zone.

Fear can also be read as an acronym for “False Evidence Appearing Real” – fear is often a misrepresentation or illusory view of reality.

There’s a story of a man who took a roundabout route home from work each day. Why? There was a bulldog that lived on the direct route, and he was terrified of it; every time he walked by that house, the bulldog would bark ferociously, and several times it had even chased him. He was so scared of being bitten by those sharp, angry teeth that he designed his entire life around avoiding that house. After three years of this tiresome routine, it all came to an end one fateful night. After a long and stressful day, his head still focused on his work, he found himself walking right past the bulldog. One look at the bulldog, and everything became a blur. He ran as fast as he could, but the horrendously loud barking got louder and louder, and he could feel the bulldog gaining ground. Tired and out of breath, panting and wheezing, he bent down and held onto his knees.

As he turned around, he saw the bulldog getting ready to pounce. He awaited the painful impact of teeth to skin, beast to prey – but it never came. All he felt was a warm, wet slurping sensation; the “beast” was licking him. And as he looked closer, he nearly passed out. Not only wasn’t the dog able to bite him; it couldn’t.

This ferocious bulldog didn’t have a single tooth. All these years, he was running away from a toothless dog!

This is the essence of fear: a toothless bite. We create unimaginably terrifying images in our own mind and then direct our entire lives around the goal of avoiding a bite that has no teeth, no sting. Fear is often an excuse we make to remain inside our limited comfort zone – and when we make excuses for our limitations, we get to keep them. The key is recognizing that fear is a mental construct that we create; it’s an illusion that we generate within ourselves. Once we begin to confront our inner fears, we realize that fear was simply a cage holding us back from our greatness. And as soon as we have this eye-opening revelation, overcoming a life-long fear that we thought was legitimately holding

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us, we begin to wonder: “What else am I holding myself back from? What else have I convinced myself I can’t do?”

Two Types of Fear Before developing strategies for overcoming our fears, which we will discuss in the next column, we need to understand the two main categories of fear. Because fear is internally generated, breaking down the two different types of fear can help us see what we personally allow our minds to grasp on to.

The first type of fear is outcome-oriented, the second type is process-oriented.

A) Outcome-Oriented Fears In contrast to process-oriented fears, outcome-oriented fears relate to the destination or final result. For example, we may fear that we are not capable of accomplishing our goal; or, we may fear what other people will think of us if we strive after our goal; or, we may fear that even if we accomplish our goal, perhaps our goal wasn’t even worth striving for in the first place.

Let’s delve deeper into some of the most common outcome-oriented fears. Identifying and understanding these three specific fears will give you tools for identifying and understanding which outcome-oriented fears you struggle with most.

1. Self-Doubt So many of us struggle with selfdoubt. Whenever we consider setting a new goal, entering a new relationship, or beginning a new project, we often question ourselves and whether our vision is possible. Often, the first thought that goes through our mind is, “Who am I kidding? Am I really capable of this?” We all struggle with self-doubt to some degree; we question ourselves and doubt our capabilities. We’re scared of failure, convincing ourselves that we’re not capable of succeeding, that we don’t have the tools or strength to accomplish our goals.

We also get so overwhelmed by all the moving pieces, all the various ingredients that we’ll need to succeed, and all the unknowns. We often don’t have the self-confidence to venture into the unknown, out of our comfort zone, and risk failing along the way to

our ultimate greatness.

2. Public Perception In addition to self-doubt, we also worry about our public image. We begin pondering what other people will think of us. What will our friends, parents, our spouse say? If I fail, what will they think of me? If I succeed, what will this mean for our relationship? If I go down this road and give it my all, will this change how they see me?

There’s a famous Seinfeld joke: According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking.

to hear this small voice in the back of our mind ask, “Is it really worth it? What if after all of this, I actually succeed, but it’s not as good as I thought? What if I don’t like the outcome? What if the grass isn’t greener on the other side?” This thought can be paralyzing, because the underlying drive behind our journey to greatness is the belief that our destination – our goal, our future – is better than our current state. The moment we begin doubting the quality and value of our dream, we risk destroying it from its very roots.

We create unimaginably terrifying images in our own mind and then direct our entire lives around the goal of avoiding a bite that has no teeth, no sting.

Number two is death. This means that the average person who goes to a funeral would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy.

Why are people so terrified of public speaking? A large part of it is self-doubt. We have an overwhelming fear of messing up, forgetting what we prepared and drawing a blank, and feeling foolish. But our deeper fear lies in the very fact that we are going to be judged by everyone. When a person gets up to speak in public, the spotlight is on them, and they are sharing “themselves” with the audience. Everyone in the audience is listening, watching, judging, assessing the person who’s speaking.

The moment we step out on the stage and open our mouth, everyone will see who we are, what goes on in our head, our opinions, our thoughts. And for most, the idea of being seen by everyone is unbearable, the thought of being so vulnerable is unthinkable, because it brings our public image, and our inner identity, into question.

3. Disappointment Beyond the fear of failure and vulnerability, many of us fear disappointment. When we know how much time, energy, and effort it will take to strive after our dreams, we tend

In addition to questioning the value of our dream, we might also question our ability to handle it if we manage to succeed. After all, what if we’re not cut out for greatness? What if the responsibility is too great, and the pressure crushes us? How are we supposed to know if we’re capable of handling it?

B) Process-Oriented Fears In addition to fearing the outcome of our journey, we also tend to fear the journey itself; the day in and day out process or steadily improving ourselves and working towards our goals. The moment we begin thinking about our dreams, dread and doubt begins to crawl in. A voice in the back of our mind pipes up: “So you have a dream? Good for you! But are you sure you’re ready for this journey?

Are you sure you’re willing to sacrifice the comforts of your current lifestyle and embark on this quest for greatness?” We begin to realize that to live our dream, we’re going to have to live a very different type of life and give some of the comforts we can’t imagine living without.

• You want to start a business?

What about all the time, energy, and money you’re going to have to spend? What about the secu-

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rity and stability you’re going to lose by giving up your current “safe” job? What about those sleepless nights?

• You want to get in great shape?

What about the delicious foods and drinks you’re going to have to give up, the painful and strenuous exercising that you’ll have to endure, or the healthy foods that you’ll have to eat?

• You want to learn and develop yourself so you can become a Torah scholar? Think about the sheer time, energy, and effort it will take. Think about the endless sea of Torah; it seems impossible to master without devoting every moment of your life towards this pursuit. Are you really willing to commit to something like this?

• Can you really be expected to give up your addictions, whether it’s to junk food, TV, or something else?

We naturally turn towards ease and pleasure, while shying away from pain and difficulty, so we fear the arduous and difficult journey that stands between us and our dreams.

Deep down, we know that all growth and progress require pain, but we fear what lies ahead if we venture outside of our comfort zone and engage in the difficult, worthwhile journey towards our greatness.

The Greatest Fear of All Beyond our fears of the outcome and process of the journeys that we choose to undertake, we all have abstract fears of the things we don’t have control over. We fear old age, death, and sickness – realities that we have much less control over. But the greatest fear of all, the one that can powerfully affect our lives in a positive way, is the fear of failing to fulfill our potential. When taken to an extreme, this fear can destabilize and hinder our journey, preventing us from enjoying the journey of self-development. But this fear can also help us overcome our other fears, ensuring that we push ahead and strive passionately towards our ultimate destination.

In Jewish thought, there are two main types of fear, two types of “yirah.” The first is a lower, base

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fear, where we fear punishment or the negative consequences of our actions; we fear the embarrassment and shame of being seen as a failure.

But in addition to fear, the Hebrew word “yirah” also means awe – this is because the higher form of fear is awe. This is how we feel when we enter the presence of someone who is truly great, who is the absolute best at what they do, who has devoted their entire life towards mastery and greatness. Whether this person is our personal role model or a universal model for greatness, we have a paradoxical feeling towards them.

While we are magnetically drawn to them, feeling an unconquerable pull and drive to get closer to them and their greatness, we simultaneously tremble and shudder when we see them, distancing ourselves from them, because we feel inadequate compared to them. We are in awe of their immense greatness and our relative smallness. We not only want to get physically closer to them, but

we also feel a need to draw closer to their greatness; we want to become great as well, to bridge the gap between our current state and the greatness they model. We want to model their greatness. And while it would be inappropriate to simply replicate their greatness, the appropriate use of this awe-inspiring experience would be to utilize this awe to find our own unique greatness.

At the root of these dual feelings caused by awe lies a simple, abstract fear: not living up to our incredible potential. When we see someone who has achieved greatness, we are reminded of what we, too, are capable of, and begin to question whether we are actualizing our own unique potential.

The Ramchal (Mesilas Yesharim, 24) beautifully articulates how these two forms of yirah can be applied to yiras Hashem, loosely translated as “fear of G-d.” The first is a lower, base form of yirah, where we fear the punishment and consequences

of not listening to Hashem’s commands. This fear is rooted in shame – of being inadequate – and our desire to avoid pain. It’s a fear that creates distance between us and Hashem.

The second form of yirah is the loftier of the two: awe. This experience of awe requires us to acknowledges the distance between us and Hashem, while also inspiring us to journey towards Him, bridging the gap between us. Our awe for Hashem’s greatness, and the potential for our own greatness, inspires us to strive towards our greatness and closeness with Hashem.

As we can begin to see, fear is not always as bad as we think. Even fear has the potential to be used for the good. Sometimes we need to overcome fear, but sometimes we need to learn how to use it. After identifying and analyzing our various fears in this article, in our next article, we will develop the underlying strategies that will help us overcome our

inner fears and achieve the extraordinary.

Rabbi Shmuel Reichman is an author, educator, speaker, and coach who has lectured internationally on topics of Torah, psychology, and leadership. He is the founder and CEO of Self-Mastery Academy, the transformative online self-development course that is based on the principles of high-performance psychology and Torah.

After obtaining his Bachelor’s degree from Yeshiva University, he received semicha from RIETS, a Master’s degree in Jewish Education from Azrieli, and a Master’s degree in Jewish Thought from Revel. He is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Chicago and has also spent a year studying at Harvard as an Ivy Plus Exchange Scholar.

To find more inspirational content from Rabbi Reichman, to contact him, or to learn more about Self-Mastery Academy, visit his website: ShmuelReichman.com.

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Delving into the Daf

The Simcha of a Siyum

By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

The author with Reb Joey Newcomb. “Everyone agrees that the completion of a masechta is a cause for celebration”

T

he Mishna at the end of Taanis (26b) quotes Rabban Shimon Ben Gamliel who declares that the most joyous holidays on the Jewish calendar are Yom Kippur and Tu B’Av. The Gemara states that Yom Kippur was joyous because the nation was forgiven for its sins.

However, the Gemara wonders what was so special about Tu B’Av. A variety of reasons are offered by various Amoraim. The Rashbam (Bava Basra 121a) says that the Amoraim are not arguing with each other. Rather, each one is simply declaring the reason that he heard from his Rebbe.

Rabba and Rav Yosef (Taanis 31a) explain that on Tu B’Av they stopped cutting wood for the altar.

From Tu B’Av and onward, the summer heat is less intense. Hence, any wood gathered from then on would be more moist and not optimal for burning. Furthermore, moist wood may become wormy. Wormy wood may not be placed on the mizbeach.

It is similar to offering a blemished sacrifice. Some suggest burning

wormy wood on the altar is akin to offering a non-kosher creature as a sacrifice.

It is not immediately clear what Rabba and Rav Yosef’s intent was.

Why is the fact that they could no longer cut wood a reason for celebration? Just the opposite! There is a mitzvah that they are no longer able to perform. They should be sad!

Rabbeinu Gershom explains that those that were previously occupied in the mitzvah of gathering wood are now able to learn Torah. Embarking on an intense period of Torah study is cause for celebration. In fact, the Gemara continues that the nights start becoming longer from Tu B’Av and on. In an agricultural society, most work was limited to the daytime. Once the nights start becoming longer, everyone is expected to learn more Torah at night. The Shulchan Aruch rules that a rebbe should learn with his talmidim during the day but also learn some at night. The Vilna Gaon says that his source is from this very Gemara. Children should not be trained

that the mitzvah of learning Torah is a daytime pursuit. Just the opposite – when they enter the workforce, perhaps their only free time to learn may be at night. Incidentally, my Rosh HaYeshiva, Rav Henoch Leibowitz, zt”l, remarked that as a youngster in Europe he used go the local shul to learn Torah at night.

However, there were generally no seats available. Everyone from the town came to learn Torah at night.

He was forced to sit on the leg supports of his father’s shtender!

Rabbeinu Gershom’s position is that the cause for a celebration was the beginning a new mitzvah. The Rashbam disagrees. He says the celebration was because they just completed a mitzvah. For many months, they were gathering wood for the altar, from Nissan until Tu B’Av. To finally bring this great mitzvah to its conclusion is cause for celebration.

Our Sages teach us that the credit for a mitzvah goes to the one who completes it. Although all the participants in a mitzvah get reward, there is something unique about

being the one who completes the mitzvah. Similarly here, although gathering wood was a mitzvah that lasted for months, bringing it to its completion is cause for celebration.

In fact, this idea is codified by the Misha Berura in midst of a discussion about Simchas Torah (669:6).

He writes that indeed completing a mitzvah is cause for celebration, although he does not specifically state what mitzvos he is referring to.

The most famous application of this Gemara was stated by the Nimukei Yosef. He writes that this passage is the source that one should make a seudah when he completes learning a masechta, The Rema states in Yoeh Deah (246:26) that it is a mitzvah to rejoice and make a seudah upon completion of a masechta. In fact, the poskim write that one can likewise make a siyum on the completion of Tanach. Rav Vozner, zt”l, writes that if one studied a sefer of Navi and completed it on Erev Pesach, he can make a siyum and that will exempt the firstborns from the need to fast. Rav

Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, famously told a student to make a siyum on a daf Gemara! A student used to study Gemara with his father every time he went home for Shabbos. After some time, they finished a daf of Gemara.

Rav Moshe instructed the talmid to make a siyum and informed him that he would personally attend!

The Maharshal was so convinced that a party upon completion of sefer is a seudas mitzvah that he ruled that during benching at a siyum one should recite, “Blessed is our G-d shehasmicha b’mono.”

This phrase “[Hashem] Whose abode is this celebration” is recited at betnching at a sheva brachos or a wedding. The Maharshal reasoned that certainly the phrase should be recited at a siyum which certainly brings “joy” to Hashem. However, at the first siyum when the Maharshal was ready to put his new ruling into practice something terrible happened. The Maharshal does not go into detail about what exactly oc-

curred but needless to say it was not pleasant. The Maharshal attributed the occurrence to a punishment for inventing a new halacha which had no source in the writings of the earlier poskim. Already in Masechta Shabbos (118), Abaye states that he

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sheva brachos or a wedding.

Rabbi Yosef (“Joey”) Newcomb of Yeshiva Ateres Shimon suggested that perhaps even Rabbeinu Gershom agrees that theoretically one should make a seudah upon completion of a mitzvah. However,

Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, famously told a student to make a siyum on a daf Gemara!

made a siyum whenever a talmid completes a masechta. Certainly, the idea of making a siyum dates back to then, yet no Rishon mentioned this halacha of reciting “shehasmicha b’mono.” Therefore, the Maharshal retracted his ruling and states that the phrase should only be recited at

in this situation, where the mitzvah is no longer available because wood can no longer be cut for the altar, it may seem like one is celebrating freedom from the burden of doing a mitzvah. Therefore, it is better not to celebrate the completion of this mitzvah. Hence, he offers an

alternative logic, namely that the celebration is for the beginning of an intense Torah study program.

However, by a siyum on Torah, there is always more Torah to learn, and no one would misunderstand the nature of his celebration. He certainly can’t be celebrating that he is done and finished with a mitzvah. Rather, he is celebrating the accomplishment that he finished one segment of Torah. Therefore, even Rabbeinu Gershom would agree that making a simcha upon the completion of a sefer is meritorious.

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

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1

My Israel Home

Like Father, Like Son

By Gedaliah Borvick

I

srael enjoys a strong relationship with the Czech Republic and Slovakia, two countries that comprise the former Czechoslovakia.

To understand the root of this special relationship, let’s go back over 130 years and focus on Thomas Masaryk.

The name Masaryk may ring a bell, as streets in over half a dozen cities across Israel – including a block in Jerusalem’s German Colony, a kibbutz near Haifa, numerous town squares and even a major forest – have been named in his memory.

Thomas Masaryk was a renaissance man: a sociologist, philosopher, politician and statesman. He worked tirelessly to help Czechoslovakia gain its independence after World War I and served as the country’s first president.

Masaryk was a strong friend of the Jews. Growing up exposed to many anti-Semitic influences, he freed himself of bigotry through positive encounters with Jews and through his studies of religion, philosophy and sociology. A classic example of Thomas Masaryk’s compassion and courage was his defense in 1899 of Leopold Hilsner, a Jew accused of ritual murder and condemned to death. Standing practically alone in the face of overwhelming public hostility, Masaryk defended Hilsner and railed against the shameful anti-Semitic behavior of the masses.

After the 1917 Balfour Declaration gave a major boost to the Zionist movement, and soon after his election as president, Masaryk declared that Czechoslovakia would support a Jewish homeland. Masaryk put his words into action and, in April 1927, was the first head of a democratic state to visit Palestine and meet with members of the Yishuv.

Thomas’s son Jan Masaryk had a different worldview than his father, but concerning the Jews and Israel,

he and his father were in full agreement. Starting before World War II, Jan lived primarily in London, first as his country’s envoy and then as the government-in-exile’s minister

torial claim in Europe, and Europe naively celebrated that they averted a major war. The following night, Jan Masaryk visited Chaim Weizmann, who was president of the World Zi-

Standing practically alone in the face of overwhelming public hostility, Masaryk defended Hilsner and railed against the shameful anti-Semitic behavior of the masses.

of foreign affairs. He was exposed to many Jews and those relationships influenced him greatly.

For example, in September 1938, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy signed the catastrophic Munich Agreement, permitting German annexation of the Sudetenland in western Czechoslovakia. Adolf Hitler announced it was his last terri-

onist Organization and would later become Israel’s first president.

“I shall never forget,” Masaryk recalled, “how tactfully Weizmann and his Jewish friends expressed their condolences. If I did not lose my faith in mankind at that time of my life, I owe it to this evening at the Weizmanns. That night I realized what Jewish wisdom is based on.

Jews don´t think in days or months – they think in centuries, in millennia.”

Immediately after the war, Czechoslovakia, under Masaryk’s guidance, allowed thousands of Jewish refugees from Eastern Europe to cross its territory on their way to Palestine. In 1947, Czechoslovakia voted in favor of the UN partition resolution recommending the establishment of a Jewish state. In addition, defying a UN embargo, Czechoslovakia provided crucial military support and also trained Israeli pilots, which was critical for Israel’s victory in its War of Independence.

Prime Minister David Ben Gurion didn’t mince words in recognizing the significance of Czechoslovakia’s assistance: “They saved our country.

I don’t doubt it. The Czech weapons were the most important help that we got. They saved us, and I doubt very much that we would have survived the first month without them.”

Jan Masaryk eagerly anticipated the establishment of the State of Israel. Unfortunately, he died two weeks after the Communist Party came into power, a mere two months before Israel declared its independence. The Communist government reported that he had committed suicide, but forensic experts later determined that the cause of death was murder – which, unfortunately, made perfect sense, as Jan Masaryk would not kowtow to the Communist Party, whose interests were anathema to his values and beliefs.

Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home (www.myisraelhome.com), a real estate agency focused on helping people from abroad buy and sell homes in Israel. To sign up for his monthly market updates, contact him at gborvick@ gmail.com.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Granting Wishes and Spreading Smiles

By Tammy Mark

If you’ve ever thought that you’ve seen Batman driving a Batmobile around town, it’s not your imagination playing tricks on you. That “Batman” behind the wheel is actually Josh Aryeh, a modern-day superhero of sorts. Aryeh is the founder of the nonprofit organization Smiles Through Cars, and the Batmobile is just one of the many creative and unique methods Aryeh and his team employ to bring smiles and encouragement to children facing illnesses and other challenges.

Born out of his personal life experiences and his passion for exotic cars, Aryeh’s mission is to bring joy and hope to those in need by granting fantastical wishes and sharing his need for speed. Today, with hundreds of volunteers and an ever-expanding network, Aryeh’s vision has grown into a full-blown phenomenon.

A little bit Bruce Wayne, a little bit Batman, and a whole lot of heart, Aryeh likes to try to remain somewhat anonymous and is always sure to credit his whole Smiles Through Cars team. In cliché superhero form, Aryeh at first attempted to stay under the radar, but his conspicuous costumed characters are now gaining more and more positive attention and even shut down Gotham City – aka Times Square – to grant one epic wish.

While Aryeh has managed to flip the typical model for himself by making philanthropy his day job, he firmly believes that any small act of kindness can have an immeasurable impact on the world.

The 9, 2021 The Jewish Jewish Home Home || DECEMBER OCTOBER 29, 2015

Josh, tell us how Smiles Through Cars began.

I started the nonprofit in 2018, but I’ve been doing this since about 2007.

I started off just visiting sick children but then things evolved.

I grew up loving exotic cars – it’s always been a passion – and I became friends with wealthier people who owned them. In the beginning, I was able to take a car and do errands for them and then eventually take it home. One day I had an idea that just as I grew up loving these kinds of cars, there had to be sick and underprivileged children who had that same desire to go in these cars. I was young, like 17 or 18, and I didn’t have a lot of money to donate to charity but I was able to donate my time. I started calling up different charities, saying that I have access to exotic cars and if they ever had a child who wanted to ride in one, they should let me know.

Eventually, I got a call back that there

who’s that sick – I’ve always been involved with chessed and volunteering and helping at different programs – but it was the first time in a one-onone setting.

I look at the mom and I say, “If I said something or did something insensitive. I didn’t mean it.” She said, “You don’t get it. My daughter was diagnosed with cancer at the age of four. She had over 20 surgeries. She got an infection which caused her to become partially paralyzed, which is why she was in the wheelchair. This is the first time I’ve seen my daughter smile in four years since she was diagnosed with cancer.”

For me, at that moment, I’m a huge car enthusiast but I realized if I could have such a huge impact with such a “stupid” thing, I wanted to dedicate my life to doing that.

That’s how it evolved, and then through social media and growing the following and the demand and all

“This is the first time I’ve seen my daughter smile in four years since she was diagnosed with cancer.” was an eight-year-old girl who lived in Queens who was battling stage 4 cancer, and her wish was to drive in a Lamborghini. It was perfect – I knew of someone in Great Neck that had a bright yellow convertible Lamborghini; he let me borrow it, and this was literally the moment that changed my life.

Can you share what that first visit was like?

This little girl – her family knew I was coming but she had no idea -- was looking down at the ground and she was all so sad. Then she looked up and saw this bright yellow convertible Lamborghini, and her face lit up and she was all smiles.

They bring her out, get her out of the wheelchair, and get her into the car. I put the top down and drive around for 15-20 minutes. After that, we take her picture and get her back the wheelchair and bring her back in the house. As soon as she gets in the house, her mom starts hysterically crying – like nonstop bawling.

This is the first time I truly had a one-on-one interaction with a child

that, eventually we said we’ll have our own nonprofit to help others.

tal. Literally. He hasn’t been home in about five years. Ever. He has a rare lung disease, and we’ve been visiting him for years. My team – it’s not just me. I started the nonprofit, and now we have a lot of volunteers.

How many people are involved with the organization?

Hundreds. We have people who come once or twice and other people who come consistently.

We did one surprise for a child who was in the hospital in Valhalla in Westchester. A five- or six-year-old child named Hugo was battling cancer, and they said, unfortunately, he was going to be terminal and had two weeks left to live. His final wish was to go in a red convertible Ferrari. The hospital called me because I had been there many times in the past, and they asked if I could fulfill him wish.

Immediately, I responded, “Let’s get it done, I’ll be there next week – tell me the date and the time we’ll make it happen.”

Through social media and all the volunteers that I called, we brought more than 70 exotic cars to the hospital – Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Porsches, Rolls Royces, McLarens – anything and everything as far as the eye could see for this one child.

Do you train the volunteers?

Do you work with other nonprofits?

We work with tons of other nonprofits – we deal with children that are bullied, we deal with special needs, rare diseases, cancer, when parents pass away, and they’re having other issues. There are people who are unfortunately suicidal, and we get called to the house to deal with the children when they are going through these situations. Even though they may already have a therapist and the family members are there, it’s just more of a family-friendly figure and less of an authority. We create that relationship of just being good friends.

We don’t do a “one a nd done” – there are k ids we’ve been visiting for more than 10 years.

One child named Anthony*, he lives in the hospi-

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We don’t do official training seminars but we kind of get a feel of who they are and what they’re like. We’ll do smaller events to see how they are, and we always do it together as a group.

How can people reach out – either for a visit or to get involved?

A lot of people go onto our website – SmilesThroughCars.com – and they can either refer a child, request to volunteer or make a donation – it’s all on there. It’s a very detailed form where they talk about the family, the conditions, the history, and everything, so we have all the information and then we reach out. Sometimes, we

have the hospitals, social workers, family members or other support systems reaching out to us and providing information.

We work with organizations such as Kids of Courage, Chai Lifeline, Make a Wish, Camp Simcha, you name it, and people that aren’t affiliated with an organization, or somebody that just finds me through social media and they have a sick child and don’t know where to go.

Also, there are people who have exotic cars and want to do a kind deed and then we do it that way.

What is your professional experience?

I work in real estate. I chose professions that I would be able to spend time volunteering – because it’s not typical for someone to say I’ll be out volunteering between the hours of 9-5 every day of the week most weeks. Like in October, for example, since we help Jewish and non-Jewish children, we’re donating thousands of costumes in New York and New Jersey. They’re all hand-delivered. So we’ll do some type of event, we’ll do a pop-up in underprivileged areas, and we’ll go to the hospitals. This is really what I call my full-time job, even though I don’t get paid for it.

I also work with a restoration company, ASAP Restoration, they do fire and flood restoration and they do all of the cleanup. That company actually donated two of the cars that I have; they actually donated the Lam-

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borghini and the Rolls Royce. They’ve been our main sponsor for almost everything we’ve done for the charity, and they’ve funded to enable us to do stuff for the children and even come to events as well – it’s not just the check, they’ll dedicate the time, too.

So I really had to meet like-minded people but also how to figure out how to do it. It’s tough because you’re working mostly off of commission base sales in real estate, but at the same time it is the only way to be able to do something like that full-time and be able to volunteer.

You live in the Five Towns.

When you’re bullied, you’re bullied 24/7, so the bullying has gotten a million times worse than it was. Unfortunately, people are taking their lives a lot more often as well as a result of bullying.

“We brought more than 70 exotic cars

It sounds like you had good support system growing up.

– anything and everything as far as the

Thank G-d, I have a very, very close family. My parents, my siblings, my sister-in-laws, and all my cousins are all very close -- which made it a lot harder when my sister passed.

She was the only girl in the family and the youngest child, a double whammy, and so sudden. If someone has been battling an illness for years it’s always sad, but you’re somewhat prepared. This was just a complete shock – so thank G-d I did have the support system.

Part of the reason why we do this is because there are a lot of people in the world who don’t. There are children whom we visit in hospitals who literally were abandoned by their parents. Their parents have not visited them in years. There are children 7 years old and under who were checked into the hospital, and they’ve been there for years since and the parents have not visited once, like at all. When we talk to the nurses, they tell us this openly.

Yes. I grew up in the Five Towns and have always lived here. I have a very, very close family, and this is one of the reasons why I’m so empathetic towards this. When I was about 19 years old, my younger sister Aviva Rachel was in Michlala for the year in Israel and was coming home for Pesach.

She came home with a little bit of a cold, and she really didn’t feel well.

Unfortunately, within seven days of coming home, she ended up passing away. Literally, Erev Pesach we got up from Shiva. She was 18; she had no history, no medical conditions, no allergies, nothing. She just had this infection, and they couldn’t figure out what it was, and unfortunately, she passed away.

I think being through that and That is so heartbreaking to hear. physically seeing it firsthand, being Yes. It is. But we go in, whether in the hospital every day praying for it’s Chanukah or another holiday, and a loved one to get better, and then to bring them presents. The hospitals be there and see the effect it has on reach out to us, the volunteers, or the the family, that’s part of the reason doctors or nurses tell us the informawhy I was willing to dedicate my life tion. We try to spend time with them. to helping other people in these situOne thing we do every year with ations and put myself in their shoes. the police department in the month What would the family want for of December is that we hand-deliver them if I was their family member?

15,000 toys to children who are either That’s kind of how we treat people. It’s sick or underprivileged. not just me, it’s all the volunteers, and For that, we go with a whole team it’s not just about having nice cars, we have tons of volunteers that don’t have a car or an exotic car – but they have a good heart.

Also, when I was younger, I was bullied in school, so I think that’s why I have that empathy. Now it’s so much worse than what it was when we went to school. If you were bullied back then, it was only in school and that was it – there was no social media, there was none of that. But now, it doesn’t stay in school. Bringing smiles to a child in the hospital

to the hospital – Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Porsches, Rolls Royces, McLarens eye could see for this one child.” of superheroes and princesses. We go with about 30 people in costume – these are like the authentic costumes – and we go out all day for like 8-10 hours a day, every day consecutively. Every day we’re going in, and just giving out toys to people. For the December event, it’s me along with the NYPD and our volunteers.

When did you first “become” Batman and bring in the other characters?

I did like Batman when I was younger, but I was not always a Batman fanatic. The way I really got into that was in 2015. In 2012, I had heard about a guy in the news, Lenny Robinson from Baltimore, a Jewish guy in a black Lamborghini convertible dressed in a Batman costume. He got pulled over by the police department, and it went viral that he was going to visit some sick children. Until that point, I never heard of anyone else in the entire world using the exotic car for a greater purpose than themselves. In August 2015, Robinson was coming home late at night when the Batmobile broke down. A car didn’t see him, and unfortunately, he got hit by the car and died on the highway.

I remember hearing heard about that and I thought it was such a horrible thing –this guy was out there trying to make a difference and make the world a better place and he died. I didn’t want to let his legacy die with him, so even though I never met him, I said I wanted to become Batman and continue his legacy.

That’s when I decided to put on the costume and to put on the Batman decals and get the “Batmobile” and all of that.

Until then, it was just the exotic cars and visiting people, bringing presents, cards and gift cards and taking them out to bowling, a movie or pizza – but it was never in

costume, so that’s when I finally really “became Batman” and started doing it that way.

Does every event or wish involve a car?

Sometimes we go in as a prince or princess or superhero, sometimes visiting in the hospital or just going to spend time with them in the house. It really depends on the kid.

The car’s more to enhance the visit if they want it.

A lot of the girls don’t enjoy seeing an exotic car – it’s typically the boys – so we’ll do something special for them or take them out to do something special.

I’m sure you’ve had very moving experiences throughout the years.

We’ve had our fair share of final wishes of children who know they are going to pass away within a short period of time. We had one girl, about seven years old, and her three final wishes were to graduate from school, to get married, and to become a police officer. One of my main volunteers, Yesenia, was able to get in touch with the local public school and got the girl her middle school and high school diplomas – and they came down and actually awarded her with the diplomas. We made her a mock wedding in the police precinct, where she had a sermon, an aisle with flowers, a DJ, food and drinks. She got married to “Prince Charming,” and they walked her down the aisle and her mother came in a gown and everything. The third wish was to be a police officer and we had the police department make her her own uniform with her own badge in her own name. They actually came in with a plaque and they swore her in as a police officer – so all three wishes came true for her.

Yesenia actually sat with the mother and the daughter and planned out the child’s funeral. She knew she

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was going to pass away, and they sat with the seven-year-old girl planning her own funeral – what was going to happen, who was going to speak, where it was going to be. They knew it was going to happen within the next month. Fast forward about two to three years later – she is 100% cancer-free. She has no cancer at all.

I remember last summer we had a local pool party for the families of the kids, especially needed after Covid when people didn’t go out. We had a special pool party and barbecue for the children at a house in Woodmere, and she came and she went swimming in the pool. It was such a happy thing to have her acting like a normal healthy child and to have her port taken out and her hair growing back – it was just like a miracle! So we get to see a lot of sadness but there are so many miracles that we get to see as well.

I first met our volunteer Yesenia because she’s a single mother of three children and her youngest child Bella had cancer. She had retinoblastoma, tumors in her eye, and she still is unfortunately blind from the cancer.

They found me through social media, and I went to visit her at the hospital.

We went in and basically from day one the volunteers and I treated them like we were their best friends. That impact Yesenia said helped them so much that she joined the organization and has been volunteering ever since and has helped introduce us to a lot of other children and in facilitating a lot of stuff. So what we did for someone else ended up coming in full circle to help us as well.

You’ve really pulled off some really big wishes it seems.

We did one for a child from London who flew in from Europe. He unfortunately was very, very sick, and he wanted to be a police officer so we arranged to have that wish fulfilled, and he also wanted to meet Batman.

I literally met him in Times Square – we shut down part of Times Square for about two hours. We had the Mounted Unit, which is the NYPD on horses, there too. We had the Canine Unit, we had the cars, and we had me coming in with the Batmobile dressed as Batman with

An outdoor event the police escort with lights and sirens blaring. We did all that and drove off and did it all in Times Square for the child. I’m still in touch with them since. Even though they’re back in Europe, they came back again since then and we visited him again – we keep in touch.

It must be nice and uplifting for the parents as well to see you.

It’s nice for them to see their child happy and smiling and getting treated like a normal child – because they are and that’s the main thing. I know your child is sick but at the end of the day, your child’s a person and at the end of day we just want to make them smile.

That was really the thought process behind Smiles Through Cars because I started off using exotic cars to make people smile – but it’s not about the car, it’s more about the good heart.

We care more about treating the person and making them feel loved and appreciated in that moment.

How did Covid impact your organization?

Covid was very interesting because it just literally popped up. During Covid, we did more than 600 drivebys because in the beginning we were so fearful of being near someone, let alone children that don’t really have an immune system or have a suppressed system, therefore we were doing it socially

distanced. The kid would be at their window and I would drive by in the car and kind of wave at them – it could be me or it could be 50 cars with me, it all depended on the day and how many people were available. It was such a weird time.

Especially because people were home from work, it was a very interesting period of time. We shifted out of the hospital visits, because even now it’s really tricky to get into a hospital to do a visit. So some would come to the window and we’d wave, and for others we’d have to improvise and do home deliveries. For families that had a child battling cancer, a lot of the family members wouldn’t go out at all, because of the severity of what we thought Covid was. So we would kind of do deliveries for them. We would pick up food for them, pick up medication, and be a delivery service for them. We’d bring them toys or gifts or stuff to the house, or dress up in a costume and wave to them from the window – things to make them feel appreciated. We would do FaceTime visits with the kids who were in the hospital like Anthony – we would FaceTime them in costume and visit them that way.

It was an adjustment from what we normally did, but yeah, it was busy!

That does sound busy! How many cars do you have at your disposal and how do you acquire them?

We have about five in the charity in total that we own for the children. Cars really

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come from the people – we don’t use the donors’ money to purchase cars.

ASAP Restoration literally wrote out a check to buy the car, so the money that comes in is really used for the events and the kids – unless someone says they want to sponsor the car money.

Other cars I borrow from people and others are just from volunteers who come out and want to join in and own some sort of an exotic car. I have people who say they don’t have the time to do it, but we can pick up the car and use it, or they’ll donate to the organization and say they want to pay for part of it or want to pay to rent a car. We might have a Rolls-Royce but let’s say I don’t have one that a child wants as a final wish and you want to grant it; it could be three thousand dollars to rent the car for a day.

Sometimes, people want to be a part of it but don’t have the heart to see a child like that. It’s not easy to see a child that’s so frail and weak and in pain. There are times we’re there and the kid is screaming and crying in pain but they can’t give more medication because they reach the legal amount. There’s a lot of stuff that we see that’s really tough, so someone might say, “I don’t have the heart to see it, but I want to support it” – they’ll donate money and say that’s my contribution.

There are people we visit who are one years old…it’s tough to go in there, it’s tough to see a child literally born with a disease or with cancer or something like that. Or if there’s a single parent, they’re really struggling, or if the kid has cancer, one parent is in the hospital with the kid the whole time and the other is home, so even though they’re married they’re kind of separated because one is there the whole time. Especially during Covid, they couldn’t be near the rest of the family, so they quarantined from each other. It’s tough to be there.

When you see a child that has all these tubes and machines attached to them, sometimes they’re just lifeless, there’s no emotion, but you’re there to try and make them smile.

That’s why the cars come into play, because if you can take them for a ride in the Lamborghini, even if some of them don’t know what the car is, when you turn it on and they hear the sound of the engine and you rev it and they see the cool color and the doors opening upwards – they appreciate that.

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love. It’s not about the gift, it’s how you give it to them. More importantly than just giving something, it’s treating somebody like a human being.

We do a lot with the homeless as well. We go into Manhattan with other friends, and we give out food and clothing; we set up tables and give out hot drinks. We even had an ice cream truck that was rented come to the location, and the homeless people got to line up and order from an ice cream truck. They got to feel like a human being. When was the last time they may have gone to an ice cream truck and ordered like a normal person?

We get different things like lightly worn sneakers given to them, and then you’re just talking to them like a normal person.

What are some of the ways you feel you’ve made an impact?

A lot of these children really struggle, whether it’s illness or suicidal thoughts or they’re really going through a tough time, and you want to give them something to really look forward to. We may say something like, “Today you’re having a hard day, but if you can get through the next two weeks without really talking about that, then we’ll take you for a helicopter ride and go for a ride around New York City.” You can kind of incentivize them by saying, “I know it’s tough, but I want to help you.” I’ve had children throughout the years that grew up since we’ve done the visits that openly told us that we’re the reason why they are still alive.

I remember the first time I heard it. I looked at the boy and I said, “What do you mean?” And he explained that when he was in the hospital for years battling cancer, going in for these chemotherapy treatments and taking pills and all that, getting the IVs and the ports and all these painful things and being sick from it and having to inject himself on the off days with shots to boost the white blood cells, it was just horrible. He just wanted to give up.

But I always came into the hospital and talked to him and told him that when he gets out, we would take him for pizza, or to a restaurant, and we’ll him up in a Rolls Royce… We kind of gave him something to look forward to, and he said that experience was just so enjoyable that it helped him push forward.

So you don’t even realize the impact you’re having – there’s no such thing as a small kind deed.

Did you ever have a hard time when you saw some things that were difficult? Does it weigh on you a lot?

I talk openly about it – I go to therapy once or twice a week. I say it openly. I didn’t for a long time, and it was eating me up inside, because it’s really not easy experiencing these things and seeing it, and someone told me that I should be going to a therapist to talk.

At the beginning, I was very against going to therapy because of the stigma.

It’s not like the first day you go and you see results. It’s like when you first go to a gym. If you had a six-pack the next day, the gyms would be packed!

It takes a lot of dedication and work, and you have to find the right therapist. But I go once or twice a week to

Stopping traffic in Times Square talk to somebody about what we see, because it’s not easy to see a child in that much pain.

Unfortunately, a lot of children we visit for years in a row pass away. It’s not easy knowing a kid from the ages of 2 to 7 and then they die. You’re visiting them once a week, once a month, for years in a row and you’re FaceTiming them, you get connected to them.

You become part of the family. Some of the kids call us “Uncle Batman” or “Uncle Whatever.” You become their uncle in a way because you become more of a family figure to them.

So I talk openly about going to therapy. It’s important to go to therapy for whatever you’re feeling, to get things off your chest, because keeping it all in, even if you don’t notice it, eats you up inside. The stress, the anxiety, the sadness – it’s important to get it out. For a while I didn’t talk about it all, but I see it’s important especially now post-Covid.

That’s the purpose of my social media accounts. There are messages saying that my page and what my team is doing has helped them with what they’re going through. Also seeing the random acts of kindness, even though they’re in other parts of the world – you don’t know the ripple effect that you have with someone you never met. You don’t know the impact that you could be having.

I didn’t reveal my name until 2019 because I wanted it to be more about the mission than the person behind the mask. But then people said if you talk about the experiences and the struggles that you’ve had, it will enable people to understand more and maybe feel more at peace with their

own. That’s why I’m starting now to actually talk. I want it to be more about the charity – it’s a team effort and I’m only one guy. Without the sponsors and the volunteers, I’d never be able to have an impact without all of them, and without their ideas and their guidance and all that. I’m only as great as the team. I need everyone’s help to be able to continue doing it.

My ultimate goal is global awareness. I want this initiative in every city across the world.

What else are you hoping to do with Smiles Through Cars?

I want to be able to do more. My worst feeling is when a child has a wish, and we’re limited with how much we can do for the child. If a parent passes away and they have younger children at home, you want to be able to go in that week and bring presents, so that could be hundreds of dollars for one family.

You can’t think of it from an outsider’s perspective – if you were in that situation, if it was your family member, what would you be doing for them? And that’s kind of what we do for every child. There’s kind of no limit. I want to do whatever that kid needs to be able to have that push to be able to smile, to get through. You could be the reason why they battled cancer; you don’t know, even though their prognosis can be that they live for two months, a lot of these children beat cancer.

There are multiple children that we visited who were on hospice care who beat cancer – and there’s no medical explanation. So there’s no limit when we want to show them

Any advice to those who want to help others but don’t have much time or resources to do so?

Do acts of kindness – if you want to call it a small kind deed – just do something to help the world.

There is no such thing as a small kind deed – to them, it could be that they were having the worst day of their life and you doing something, even holding the door open, can make the world a difference to that person.

To you, it’s just something simple; to them, it was something that was like a world of a difference.

If you don’t have the time, if you have a full-time job or you’re a parent, people do have responsibilities and not everybody has the luxury of time. But if you see somebody, treat them like a human being — hold the door open, say “good morning”, smile — to you it might just be a “good morning” but you have no idea the impact it has on the other person.

You don’t know the affect you can have. It could save a life.

To donate, volunteer or find out more visit www.smilesthroughcars. com, @smilesthroughcars or @batmanrealaccount *Update from Josh: Anthony lived in the hospital for four years.

Finally, at the age of 7, he was just discharged from the hospital. He needed a double lung transplant but thankfully his condition has improved. He has been removed from the waitlist to receive a new pair of lungs. After visiting him with my team for nearly 3-4 years, it was one of the happiest moments to be there when he was being discharged!

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Dating Dialogue

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

Dear Navidaters,

I finally met the family of a guy I’m dating and suddenly feel so torn.

He’s a great guy and has a lot of the qualities I’m looking for in a husband – but his family is so different from mine. His siblings are more hippy-ish, his parents are baalei teshuva (which is not bad, but so different from what I’m used to). We were sitting together at the Shabbos table when the family dog came running around eating scraps and leftovers. I just wanted to cringe!

I always saw myself with a more baalabatish type of in-law family. Do I sound so immature?

Even typing these words makes me doubt myself. Please help...

-Rivka

Disclaimer: This column is not intended to diagnose or otherwise conclude resolutions to any questions. Our intention is not to offer any definitive conclusions to any particular question, rather offer areas of exploration for the author and reader. Due to the nature of the column receiving only a short snapshot of an issue, without the benefit of an actual discussion, the panel’s role is to offer a range of possibilities. We hope to open up meaningful dialogue and individual exploration.

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The Panel The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

R

ivka, you are bringing up a concern which is valid. If it bothers you, then it is valid in terms of a permanent relationship which is marriage. It is not immature.

Family fit or comfort level plays a role in observant matches because of the many chagim we celebrate and the role of mesorah in how we address values and practices. Halacha is one thing but minhag matters to many frum daters because of the long-term implications, not just the immediate comfort level. There is a lot more to it than style and the presence of a dog at the table.

This is something you are going to have to explore further in your relationship with the young man. This is his family, and you are going to have to accept them fully and embrace the family culture. You will have to come to a place of openness and love for them even if it is not what you are used to. A joyous, informal Jewish family does have appeal.

Therefore, keep dating and exploring to see if your relationship can develop to the point that it can handle significant family differences in outlook and practice. If yes, the two of you should have discussions about these matters and discuss them as a couple with religious mentors/teachers. Negotiating these differences and willingness to include a mentor will tell you about the sustainability of this relationship.

It can work but you will have to invest additional effort and thoughtfulness, which can strengthen the two of you.

where you are dating a guy whom you finally feel is husband material.

As you and I both know, that does not come along often, and it is something for you to feel gratitude for.

When singles are dating someone seriously, worrisome thoughts pop up. Issues arise, and that is to be expected. What is also to be expected is making mountains out of molehills because this is going to be the biggest decision you ever make.

The first step is to acknowledge how normal it is to be suddenly feeling these feelings. Secondly, accept that every guy you will ever be at this stage with will come with his own package. Perhaps his family will be more baalabatish but you might feel intimidated or judged. Perhaps the family will be the type to expect their daughter-in-law to walk out of the hospital after having a newborn baby wearing a freshly washed sheitel, 3-inch heels, and dressed to the nines. (I actually had a mom describe what her son was looking for using that specific example, so realize there are people like this out there.)

Every person is a package, wrapped up with middos, character traits, and inborn nature instilled by the environment he/she was brought up in. Right now, you are experiencing a different kind of in-law family meal than you would have otherwise wanted. Your concerns are valid – if they are concerning to you. But you must make a decision about whether this is something you can handle with the broader knowledge that every person comes with his/her own pekelah.

The Engaged Single Rivka Weinberg

The Shadchan Michelle Mond irstly, remember to count your blessings. You are in a position

F

R

ivka, I can understand why this is overwhelming and may cause fear and doubt. Your family acts one way, and now you are introduced to a family with an entirely different mindset and behavior.

To answer your question: no, I do not think you sound immature at all.

The dating process is one big bubble of change. At times, it can feel like everything is simply going out of control and you can’t get a grasp on anything. You imagined it would go one way, and Hashem throws you a curveball and it goes another. To be in the dating scene means you have to get used to being vulnerable and uncomfortable, because if not, the process will be that much more difficult.

We have no idea what is in store for us, but we turn to Hashem with high hopes of clarity and answers.

You must keep in mind that you are dating the boy and not his mother, father, siblings, or dog. How did he handle the dog situation? Was he uncomfortable as well? Oftentimes, peo-

The dating process is one big bubble of change. ple don’t necessarily agree with their parents’ ways and would do things differently in their own home, and even if he didn’t see anything wrong with the situation, that can be OK, too.

I suggest you speak to the guy you’re dating and understand his perspective. Does he hear you out and validate you even if he doesn’t exactly agree with what you’re saying?

While I believe it’s important to look into a family with regards to

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shidduchim, we must keep in mind that no family is perfect, and unless it’s a severe situation, we cannot hold an individual accountable for his or her parents’ actions. Of course, if a family situation impacted a child, it should be looked into, but everyone needs to decide for themselves how much research is required around various topics. If we held every parent’s actions against a child then no one would be married, because isn’t everyone’s mother-in-law crazy?

The Zaidy Dr. Jeffrey Galler

I

have three thoughts to share.

First, interestingly, you do not discuss what you like about the boy,

merely what you do not like about his family!

Do you feel a strong attraction to this young man, or does he simply satisfy the check marks on your shopping list? You write that, “He’s a great guy and has a lot of the qualities I’m looking for in a husband.”

If you really liked the young man, if you really felt strongly attracted to him, and if you really felt that he could be a loving, life partner, that fact that his family comes from a different background shouldn’t be so problematic.

Second, let’s discuss why it’s a good idea to meet a prospective mate’s family. Meeting the family allows you to observe: are family members sociopaths? Do family members hate each other? Do they abuse drugs or alcohol? Do they floss their teeth right at

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

D

ear Rivka, Thank you for writing!

When the in-law family is so different from our own, or not at all what we had envisioned, it can leave some people feeling confused.

Envisioning yourself at the Shabbos table with Sparky wasn’t a part of your plan, and it clearly makes you uncomfortable. The hippy siblings and his baal teshuva parents are simply not within your comfort zone.

As with all things in life, no one can tell you what to do, and you will have to trust your intuition. Here is some food for thought as you work out your

decision-making process.

We do not control all the variables. We do not get to choose our in-law families. We don’t even get to choose our own families. We do, however, get to choose a spouse. When someone comes from a very dysfunctional or toxic family, we may wonder if we can spend the rest of our lives dealing with these people. And that is understandable. In my opinion, a dog near the table is not a reason to give up a man you want to marry. It is

the dining room table?

The purpose of meeting the family is NOT to see if you come from the same background. That’s not so important. What is important is to make sure that you and your boyfriend have the same values, dreams, aspirations, and plans for the future.

Third, Orthodox Judaism is a large tent that can lovingly accommodate folks from very different backgrounds. It is not healthy for all of us to cloister exclusively with tribe members who are exactly like us.

I strongly believe that it is very healthy for the future of Judaism for Ashkenazim to marry Sephardim, for Chassidim to marry Litvaks, for FFBs to marry BTs, Jews of Polish descent to marry Jews of Hungarian descent, and for Yankee fans to marry Met fans.

(On the other hand, if your family members are cat-lovers, and his are dog-lovers, that could pose a serious problem…)

something you deal with when you visit his parents. It is something you discuss with your partner privately and decide together whether or not you will have your own dog in your own home. I’m not sure how serious you are about this relationship if you are considering breaking up because of this.

If you really have feelings for your guy, and you want to proceed, you are going to have to let go of the in-law Shabbos table you had always dreamt of. You can take a little time and allow yourself the process of letting go.

Whenever we let go of something, there may be a little grieving involved. That is OK. Allow yourself your feelings without judging yourself (i.e., wondering if you’re

Perhaps the family will be the type to expect their daughter-inlaw to walk out of the hospital after having a newborn baby wearing a freshly washed sheitel, 3-inch heels, and dressed to the nines.

immature. Shaming yourself won’t help.) Letting go will allow you the space you deserve. You will need to fully embrace your partner and your potential new life. And as long as Sparky isn’t up on the counter serving chulent out of the crockpot, or invited to sing zemiros at the table, you may find yourself coming to enjoy the love and affection of a family dog. Loosen up your vision, see if there is any wiggle room within yourself to truly let this dream of the perfect baalabatish family go, and try to make room for the potential beautiful life Hashem has presented to you.

If you really can’t do it, that is OK, too. But I would advise speaking with a professional to make sure you are comfortable with your decision.

All the best, Jennifer

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

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Dr. Deb

Stockholm Syndrome

By Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.

I

n 1974, bank robbers took employees captive in order to be able to escape unharmed. Someone pushed the silent alarm, however, and police came immediately. The robbers made several requests of the police, all of which were granted – a getaway car, ransom money, and the release of a fellow convict. The police refused the last request, however, which was to allow their getaway with the captive employees. This led to a six-day standoff.

What was strange to police and citizens was the warm connection that the hostages eventually formed with their captors. For example, one woman urged police not to shoot the men because “they have been very nice.” At another point, the gunman wanted to shoot one of the captives in the leg to motivate the police to take action to release them. The captive felt that was “kind” because it was “only” in the leg.

What in the world happened?

To understand this more clearly, let’s take a detour into the world of applied behavior analysis. Are you familiar with B. F. Skinner, the creator

of the “Skinner box”? Skinner was all about understanding the world of reinforcement. You may have heard of positive and negative reinforcement as well as punishment.

But there are some interesting findings as to the level of control that reinforcement will have on behavior depending on the schedule in which the reinforcement is administered.

So, to take a case we are all surely familiar with, a child nags a parent for some toy, treat, or late bedtime – whatever. The parent says “no” multiple times, but eventually, the parent is worn down and gives in. What just happened? The parent inadvertently put the child on an intermittent schedule of reinforcement. This means that sometimes the reinforcement is not administered and sometimes it is. What’s more, depending on how much sleep the parent got or how much stress at the office, the number of times the child has to nag for the desired treat may change before the parent caves.

Now, guess what?

Research has shown that this

manner of reinforcement makes it the hardest – the most difficult – to extinguish (stop) the whining and nagging behavior of the child! So much so that if the parent had been giving in right away, the very first time the child asks, and had done so for months, but one day took a parenting class and stopped cold turkey, the child would “get it” far more quickly (and therefore stop demanding the treat) than when the parent sometimes gives in early and sometimes late.

Why is that?

Because the child knows that if he persists, he will get it – eventually – in our case. But in the case where the parent gives in immediately, the child “knows” he will get it immediately. So if he didn’t get it, there is something wrong and he simply does not persist.

This pattern has been replicated thousands of times in animals as well as humans. The research is over half a century in the making.

So what happened with the bank robbery scenario? The captives were under the gun, quite literally, but every once in a while, the convicts were

“nice.” For example, at one point, one of the employees was feeling claustrophobic, so the robber said she could leave the vault where he had imprisoned them – on a 30-foot rope. She felt that was “very kind.”

Intermittent reinforcement.

There’s another part to this analysis. We always want to find a human connection to others because it makes us feel safer. The more the hostages could dig for and find the human being underneath the criminals, the better they would feel emotionally – even if it was not realistic. That is, the moments of humanity of the captors did not mean that they couldn’t or wouldn’t also hurt the bank employees; the employees simply denied that in their own minds.

Furthermore – and this is a kicker – the more highly attuned to the captor’s mood the hostage is, the more likely the hostage will stay safe.

In fact, the best outcome would come from completely disregarding one’s own anger at the situation – or at the captors – and make their hostage-takers’ will and wishes their own.

We can see this, too, in abusive families. Often, the boy child in the family will identify with an abusive father. Since the girl doesn’t have a chance, she may not even try, especially if the father rewards his son for the imitation by showing him favoritism. The same dynamic holds where the wife is the abuser, and, of course, different children may be the favorite or the imitator.

So, although the Stockholm Syndrome is quite rare when the specific requirement is to notice the behavior of captives toward the criminals holding them hostage – Patty Hearst comes to mind – if we relax the definition to see how similar dynamics play out in society, it suddenly is not so rare.

The Relaxed Definition: The change in behavior of people with very little or no power vis-à-vis those holding power over them such that people begin to disregard their own inner voices and identify with the

power-holders, see the humanity in them, and even reach out to protect them against adversaries.

In 1997, Patrick Carnes published The Betrayal Bond in which he point-

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religious abuse.” [from the Amazon description] In fact, there is a plethora of websites on the subject of abuse that not only refer to Carnes and the “trau-

Depending on how much sleep the parent got or how much stress at the office, the number of times the child has to nag for the desired treat may change before the parent caves.

ed out this very phenomenon in the most ordinary of places: “Divorce, employee relations, litigation of any type, incest and child abuse, family and marital systems, domestic violence, hostage negotiations, kidnapping, professional exploitation and

ma bond” but also compare it to the Stockholm Syndrome. In other words, it is a highly common experience in society and it comes from the low level of intermittent reinforcement that a powerless person has from those in power over the person.

This same power dynamic could apply to teachers as well. The unfortunate truth is that many people over the years have been humiliated by their teachers. When you think about it on a societal level as I did last week, the phenomenon is not at all so strange. It has happened often in history, and it may be happening here, now. Instead of reacting viscerally (which is human), consider all the evidence – and if that evidence has not been easily available on the common social media platforms, dig a little. Yes, it is hard to swallow. That may be true for many people now, just as it is for abuse victims who will not leave their abusers. That is the power of an intermittent reinforcement schedule.

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

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Health & F tness

Natural Diuretics

By Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN

A

diuretic pulls water out of the body and is used as treatment for certain medical conditions such as renal insufficiency, congestive heart failure, edema, and hypertension. When the body has an imbalance of fluids, too much water can be detrimental, and thus it must be pulled out of the body. Extra fluid in the body makes it hard for the heart to work properly and can make breathing difficult. A diuretic will help release the excess fluid from the body through urination, hopefully balancing the fluid shift.

A physician will prescribe a diuretic most often in a capsule form, or commonly referred to as a water pill.

Yet, in extreme cases, the diuretic will be intravenous. Common names for diuretics are Lasix, Bumetanide, Bumex, Hydralazine, Hydrochlorothiazide, Aldactone, and Spironolactone.

However, for those not suffering from an above-mentioned condition and who simply feel bloated, a diuretic can help you, too. I wouldn’t suggest a prescribed diuretic, although a natural diuretic can be helpful.

Many are aware of the phenomenon that salt retains water. Thus, when eating a high sodium meal, other than feeling thirsty, you may feel extremely bloated and full of water. To reduce the bloating, a natural diuretic can do the trick. Below is a list of nat-

ural diuretics.

• Fruits and vegetables: Aside from offering loads of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, most fruits and vegetables are water-based, which provide hydration as well. Believe it or not, they can also be a natural diuretic. Lemons, celery, garlic, onions, bell peppers, watermelon, cucumbers,

rate herbs into your meal, rather than taking herbs in a pill or liquid concentrated form. Herbal tea is another great option.

• Caffeine: As you may know, caffeine is a natural diuretic as well.

Caffeine is found in highest concentrations in coffee and tea. Black and green teas are the best diuretic drinks.

Exercise is one of the easier natural diuretics for your body since increasing your heart rate will help circulate the excess fluid in the body.

ginger, grapes, asparagus, and pineapple are all considered to be natural diuretics.

• Herbs: Certain herbs such as parsley and dandelion are considered to be natural diuretics as well. Some herbs can interact badly with medication though, so check with your physician before taking any herbs as a natural diuretic. However, sprinkling parsley in a salad, rice, sauce, soup, or adding it to a juice or smoothie is a great way to be safe and get the diuretic effects. The best way is to incorpo-

Chocolate, soda, and acai contain caffeine as well.

• Exercise: Now what isn’t exercise good for?! Exercise is one of the easier natural diuretics for your body since increasing your heart rate will help circulate the excess fluid in the body. Moving the fluid around will help the body get rid of all that excess fluid.

• Weight loss: Another magical answer to everything! Since your body is made up of 60% water, weight loss is a great way to release the excess fluid.

• Reducing salt intake: As mentioned above, salt retains fluid, thus by consuming less salt, you will be retaining less fluid. Stay away from high-sodium foods such as pickles, lox, cold cuts, processed foods, and sodas.

Believe it or not, all processed foods and sodas have lots of sodium; the sweet taste masks the salt.

Of the above-mentioned natural diuretics, all are safe and healthy ways to release excess water from the body.

No diuretic pills or other forms should be taken without a prescription from a healthcare provider.

Diuretics should not be used to achieve weight loss!! If you notice fluid buildup on a consistent basis from bloating or edema, contact a medical professional. If it is circumstantial bloating, like after a big meal, a menstrual cycle, or swollen feet from pregnancy, a natural diuretic as listed above should do the trick and release the excess water from your body, leaving you more comfortable and happier.

Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN, is a Master’s level Registered Dietitian and Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist. She graduated CUNY Brooklyn College receiving a Bachelor’s in Science and Master’s degree in Nutrition and Food Sciences. She is currently a private nutritionist. She can be reached at CindyWeinberger1@gmail.com or at 917-623-6237.

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Parenting Pearls

Valuing Privacy

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

T

here are so many articles to be written on the topic of privacy. Respecting the privacy of others is a strong Torah value. It’s also in serious decline in today’s society. For example, social media has made publicizing our private lives into an art. While the Torah praises “ohelecha Yaakov” and our innate right to familial privacy, social media made peeking into other family’s homes the new standard.

I think I was in fifth grade when I received a surprisingly mature response from my classmate. He (I was in a coed school) must have asked me about something but then immediately said something similar to “but you don’t need to tell me if you don’t want to.” I recall being absolutely shocked but truly appreciative that I didn’t need to divulge my problems.

While he was mature for his age, knowing his parents, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were responsible for his respect of the privacy of others. This hands-on lesson has stuck with me, and I’ve been grateful for it ever since.

Every coin has a second side. Before Pesach, our family had COVID. While we tried to avoid the virus, it still got in and I ended up being hospitalized. As our local Hatzalah members loaded me into the ambulance that Friday evening, I noticed a group of frum teenage boys walking in the street close to the ambulance.

I will admit I was a bit uncomfortable being seen in that state but even more uncomfortable that it didn’t seem to bother them. Not only did they not seem upset that someone was sick enough to be transported in an ambulance on Shabbos, but they didn’t even feel the sensitivity to look away or walk at a slight distance.

This is similar to the common phenomenon that when Hatzalah or other emergency workers show up, people come to stare and watch.

Curiosity is normal, but it needs to be balanced. From a practical angle, bystanders can get in the way of

emergency workers as they do their job. From the perspective of being sensitive to others, not everyone wants their personal business, especially when things are at their worst, to be in full view of everyone. Thank you to all our Hatzoloh and Shomrim members and their families for their avodas hakodesh and, specifically, those who came to help us when we needed help.

There are two aspects of privacy I’d like to focus on now: respecting the private lives of others and maintaining privacy in our own family’s lives.

Teaching Respect for Privacy Respecting the privacy of others is a part of good middos and no less a part of chinuch than Gemara and speaking truthfully. It, too, should be actively taught. Children need to learn to respect the privacy of their parents and grandparents, siblings, neighbors, and friends. They also benefit when they learn to respect their own privacy.

Private matters include medical information, finances, relationships, personal matters of any kind, and nearly anything behind closed doors.

If someone doesn’t want to share, then their feelings should be respect-

ed and we don’t pry. If someone puts something in their bag or any closed space, it’s unlikely they want others to see. It’s best to give children concrete examples and demonstrate actual cases, when possible. Role playing is another great strategy. It isn’t enough to say “respect other people’s privacy,” as that’s often too vague for youngsters to understand.

It’s important to point out that children are naturally curious and want to know what’s going on – this is completely normal. Children learn from their curiosity, and this is part of growing up. As they mature, they can begin to recognize that just because they’re interested in knowing something doesn’t mean they are privileged to that information.

Social Media I will confess that I don’t have most social media, so I am limited in my experience. There is so much to say about the role of social media in our lives, but privacy alone is a big enough topic. We’ll have to leave the other issues for another time.

Social media is a previously unknown way to show the world our private lives. Everything from status updates to photos tell everyone where we’ve been, what we’ve bought, and even what we’re eating. The flip

side is that we’re seeing everyone else’s private lives – even what they enjoyed for breakfast. We get a very skewed version of reality from social media that is unhealthy for any of us, certainly for still-developing minds.

(Please note that in this section I am not in any way encouraging routine social media use for children; I’m simply acknowledging the reality that many of our youth are already exposed.)

It’s important to remember that what we see is what others choose to show us; this always applied, even before social media. When people share parts of their lives with you, they share what they choose, and this easily leads people to get a distorted view of others and their personal lives. For example, you may see what your neighbor buys, wears, and drives but you don’t see their actual bank accounts. You may deduce they have a certain wealth based on their late model sports car but that can be very misleading. It’s easy to see how another couple acts in public and make assumptions about the strength of their relationship. This, too, can be deceiving as couples may adjust their behavior to give a certain positive impression.

It’s human nature to get jealous of what we see but it’s crucial to remember that what you see isn’t always what truly exists. This problem is only exacerbated by social media where people very carefully choose what they display.

Teaching children to understand this reality is part of their chinuch, as well. Explain to your children how to interpret what they see in person and on social media, if they use it. Allow them to understand that not all that glitters is gold. Simultaneously, encourage your children to think carefully before they put anything on social media or show off something in school. Not only is there a bracha in keeping things hidden but there are serious safety concerns when children give out too much information.

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Rabbeinu Gershom Rabbeinu Gershom, in his wisdom, banned the reading of other people’s letters. It seems prudent to discourage our children from reading other people’s digital correspondences, as well. I’ve seen it in action and know it’s a tremendous yetzer hara for kids to read a text when they hear someone’s phone make that sound. To be honest, adults have a similar problem when they hear that ring. Kids need to learn that other people’s business is theirs alone, and we don’t read text messages, emails, or any other form of correspondence that isn’t addressed to us.

that their tefillos matter.

There are times when a friend or neighbor needs help, and children can be taught to distinguish between when they can be helpful and when they’re just being curious. While a

Don’t Ignore Pain Privacy has its limitations. For too long, people pretended unhealthy situations didn’t exist and they wouldn’t get involved. They felt it wasn’t their business or gave other

We get a very skewed version of reality from social media that is unhealthy for any of us, certainly for still-developing minds.

During Emergencies When we see Hatzalah on the job, I try to specify to my children two things: daven for those needing help and we only go out if we can practically assist. Everyone benefits from davening, and saying a brief tefilla is a way we can meaningfully help.

It also allows children to appreciate

child will rarely be the one to provide this assistance, it’s helpful as a part of their chinuch for them to become aware of this distinction.

For example, perhaps the family has a young child that needs to be watched while a parent accompanies their sibling to the hospital.

reasons; abuse and other unhealthy or dangerous circumstances were ignored. While it’s important to respect the privacy of another person, this is not to imply you shouldn’t get involved when someone else needs help. If you see someone is being hurt, particularly children, there

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are organizations in our community to guide you. There is a time to respect privacy and a time to intervene.

Reach out for guidance and see what you can do to be there for others in need.

Proper middos is an ongoing lesson. Teaching children to appreciate the gift of privacy is one of the many middos to add to the list. Rather than building unpleasant walls between us, privacy is a barrier that generates respect for ourselves and for those around us. As a nation that thrives on kedusha and separateness, we can readily pass this teaching onto the next generation.

May our homes merit to fulfill the tremendous bracha of being “mah tovu” as “ohalecha Yaakov.”

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

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jewish women of wisdom

Leaning into the Changes

By Miriam Hendeles

A

recent study performed on people over the age of fifty found that they were less anxious than younger people in dealing with COVID restrictions. By contrast, younger people resisted the rules of quarantine, pushing back against the regulations. Reasons given for these results were that older people have gone through previous challenges in their lives and have developed grit for overcoming adversity. Whether dealing with COVID or in other life situations, resilience is a valuable quality. Tolerating changes and going with the flow is a skill that we can generalize to life in general.

One of the most challenging transitions for many of my peers is dealing with empty nests. Their resilience shows in their ability to bounce back after setbacks of sadness, worry, and loneliness. The struggles are real, although some experience them more than others. For me, personally, the difficulty crept up slowly, seeming almost non-existent in the early years after my kids left home. I was thrilled that my kids had found lovely women to marry and was excited to have the big house to my husband and myself. I didn’t identify so much with my friends who spoke of empty nest

and midlife woes.

I read the heartfelt prose written by fellow empty nesters, describing empty bedrooms with baseball bats and mitts sitting on dressers and tugging at their heartstrings.

I read these pieces and thought, “Nah, that’s not me. It’s great the kids moved out. Time to declutter and redecorate.” I wrote my own articles, declaring proudly about

This past summer, my grandson went to sleepaway camp for the first time. Seeing the photos of him in front of his house with his suitcases and duffle bags brought back memories of several decades ago when my children went to camp. I remembered the pride of sending a child to camp, seeing them off, the delicious letters received from them, the joy of watching them grow and interact

Now is the time for us to gather those resilience skills and embrace the stage we are in – the good and the not-so-good.

my joy at the empty nest and how I coped when my newly married couple didn’t call me for the first week after sheva brachos. Little did I realize that the sentiments of my friends in the early days of our kids moving on were a harbinger for what I was going to experience just a bit later.

I eventually followed my peers into this stage of “what do I do now?” I was a late empty nest bloomer.

with their peers, and finally the realization when they came home (with tons of laundry and missing items) how tall they’ve gotten and how much they’ve matured.

But those memories are selective, just giving the rosy outline for the more realistic detail. The real story of back in the day consists of my anxiety wondering if my child was happy. The full story holds the

concern I had when a child called up homesick.

I realize now that it’s time to lean into the newness and roll with the changes. Time to realize that every stage has its positives and negatives; prideful feelings and angst.

As much as we seem to remember the past being perfect, we know that it’s not true. Nostalgic feelings are wonderful to have but if it holds us back from moving forward, it’s time to look closely at the faded pictures in our minds and see them for what they are.

Now is the time for us to gather those resilience skills and embrace the stage we are in – the good and the not-so-good. Rather than pine for the past, let’s live in the present.

Let’s embrace our role and pride as grandmothers of growing grandchildren. Leave the raising kids, the hecticness, and dirty laundry for the younger generation. Let’s flex those resilience muscles and move forward with joy for the blessings and courage during the struggles. Let’s look forward, not back, because we’ve been there and done that. Done!

Join the conversation and email list of JWOW! by writing to hello @jewishwomenofwisdom.org.

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

In The K

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tchen

Kale, Apple, and Sausage Vegetable Soup PHOT O BY MIRIA M PAS CA L

Meat / Yields 8 servings / Freezer friendly

By Naomi Nachman

As soon as December hits and the temperature

plummets, I pull out my big soup pots. Every night, I create some sort of hearty soup to warm our bodies after a long day of school and work. My husband loves this soup because it’s super chunky and has pieces of delicious sausages.

Ingredients

◦ 1 teaspoon cumin

◦ 1 tablespoon olive oil

◦ 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

◦ 1 large onion, diced

◦ 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their

◦ 1 large jalapeño pepper, seeded, ribs removed ◦ 3 stalks celery, diced ◦ 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed ◦ 3 Gala apples, peeled and chopped ◦ 1 (6-oz) package dried, cooked sausage, sliced into ½-inch rounds (see Cook’s Notes, below) ◦ 1 bunch kale, chopped (about 6 cups), stems and

liquid ◦ ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste ◦ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper ◦ Dash sriracha, optional

Preparation

1. In a large (8-10 quart) soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, pepper,

translucent, 5-10 minutes.

2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add kale, garlic, and cumin; cover. Cook for 2 minutes.

3. Add broth, diced tomatoes with their liquid, salt, and pepper. Cover; cook for 15-20 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

4. If using, add a dash of sriracha to the bowl just before serving.

Tip: Add a can of Great Northern beans along with the broth and canned tomatoes.

center ribs removed

celery, sweet potato, apples, and sausage.

Choose your favorite dried salami, cabanossi, or

◦ 2 cloves garlic, minced

Sauté, stirring occasionally, until onion is

other sausage to add to the soup.

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

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Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

I was reading the news and discovered that the LeBron James’ one game suspension will cost him $284,000. At our starting salary, that would take an officer 4.8 years (or 10,143 working hours) to earn the equivalent of him playing just one basketball game. My thoughts – good for him. He is very talented and can play basketball extremely better than I can.

However, did you know the Canal Fulton Police are hiring?

- Canal Fulton (Ohio) Police Chief Douglas Swartz turning to humor to try and recruit police officers via social media

Well, guys, Pfizer and Moderna both say that they’re already working on vaccines for the Omicron variant, while Johnson & Johnson is cheering them on.

— Jimmy Fallon

Yeah, Johnson & Johnson is like, “Guys, I thought we promised we’re not doing vaccines this year — why would you embarrass me?”

Could be that all of these [Covid] mutations that sound so scary turn out to be not that big a deal, you know? Like when Apple acts like it is making tons of changes to the iPhone and we’re like, “I need a new iPhone! I need a new iPhone!” and you get it and you’re like, “Wait — it’s just a slightly different camera? I killed a man in line for this thing!”

— Trevor Noah

— Ibid.

How’d they start working on this so fast, too? It’s like when a team wins the Super Bowl, and the first commercial is, “Buy your Buccaneers championship hat now!”

— Ibid.

I don’t think (any of us) feel that old.

- Julia Kopriva, age 104, who joined her sister’s 100 year birthday celebration in Kansas last week, along with their middle sister, age 102

I’ve seen Dr. Fauci more than I’ve seen my wife. Who’s president?

Fauci. But all kidding aside, I sincerely mean it.

– Pres. Biden, at a press conference with Dr. Fauci last week

It does not make sense to take the job of capital allocation away from people who have demonstrated great skill in capital allocation and give it to an entity that has demonstrated very poor skill in capital allocation, which is the government. Government is simply the biggest corporation, with the monopoly on violence.

- Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, at the Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council Summit, slamming Pres. Biden’s domestic agenda

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I have known every — every prime minister, well, since Golda Meir, including Golda Meir. And during the Six-Day War, I had an opportunity to — she invited me to come over because I was going to be the liaison between she and the Egyptians about the Suez, and so on and so forth.

And I sat in front of her desk…. And she had a guy — her staff member — to my right. His name was Rabin. And she kept flipping those maps up and down. She had that bevy of maps — sort of kept it — and it was — it was so depressing what she was — about what happened. She gave me every detail.

And all of a sudden, she looked at me and she said, “Mr. Ambassador, would you like a photograph?” And I thought, “Okay.” We got up. We walked out. And the three of us are standing in that — that rectangular area outside the office.

And we — the photographer, she was taking pictures and the press. And, Chuck, without turning her head, she looked straight ahead, but, talking to me, she said, “Why…” She said, “Why do you look so sad?” And I said — and I almost turned. And I said, “Well, Madam Prime Minister,” I said, “you’ve painted such a dismal picture.”

She said, “Oh, no, no, no.” She said, “Don’t worry. We have a secret weapon in our battle in this area.” And I almost turned again. I said, “What’s that?” She said, “We have no place else to go.”

– Pres. Biden at the White House’s menorah lighting ceremony (in the following days it was clarified that Biden was not in Israel during the Six Day War and was never involved in Israel’s relationship with Egypt)

To be honest, Chinese are relieved to hear the news, because the fewer U.S. officials come, the fewer viruses will be brought in.

- Tweet by the Global Times, China’s state-affiliated media outlet, after the U.S. announced that it will not send diplomats to the winter Olympics in China

Trump got press coverage as favorable as, or better than, Biden is getting today. Sure, Biden has had his troubles, with the delta variant, Afghanistan, and inflation. But the economy is rebounding impressively, he has signed major legislation, and he has restored some measure of decency, calm, and respect for democratic institutions.

- Dana Milbank, Washington Post, in an article titled, “The media treats Biden as badly as — or worse than — Trump. Here’s proof.”

G-d made me like this. There is nothing that can be done in this situation. I learned to live in peace with my physique.

- Mehmet Ozyurek, 71, who was recently verified by Guinness World Records as having the longest nose on a living person (3.46 inches from the bridge to the tip)

I say, “There is a smell here.” Other people say, “We don’t smell that smell.” I say, “You may not smell it, but I can.” For example, I enter my house ... I can immediately tell which dish is cooked.

- Ibid., talking about his superior sense of smell

Nothing will convince China to change their ways like not sending the secretary of agriculture to the Olympics.

— Jimmy Fallon after the United States announced a diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games

[Biden’s] not about to fly across 12 time zones to watch a bunch of Norwegians sweep an ice rink.

— Trevor Noah

MORE QUOTES

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

I’m lucky to be alive and to still have the limb. I’m very grateful that someone upstairs was taking care of me ...

(Amputation) was on the table.

- Tiger Woods, revealing at a press conference that he almost lost his leg following his car crash earlier this year

The White House said it would take two weeks to have definitive data on the new strain. That’s right – even our Covid information has shipping delays.

Unbelievable!

— Jimmy Fallon

I think that they’re not very good because I’ve personally been able to shoplift from here with relative ease.

- A shoplifter at a Safeway in San Francisco’s Castro District in an on-air interview with a local TV station about new measures that stores are taking to try curb the shoplifting pandemic plaguing San Francisco

I had kind of a freak-out and I was like, “Honey, do you want me to pull over? What do I do here?” And she’s like, “No, keep going, we need to get to the hospital.” The baby started coming out, so I just … caught the baby.

- Ryan Emge of Cincinnati, Ohio, talking to a local TV station about the delivery of his new baby girl

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Political Crossfire

The Goodness of Bob Dole

By George F. Will

H

is voice, flat as the prairie from which he rose to prominence, proclaimed what Bob Dole was: a Midwesterner, a man of the middle of the country and of the political spectrum. Like another Midwesterner – a contemporary – Hubert Humphrey, Dole was a senator who came agonizingly close to seizing the presidential brass ring of politics.

Dole, who could have become the United States’ 41st chief executive, was born in Russell, Kan., 270 miles west of the Missouri birthplace of the 33rd, Harry S. Truman, another plain-spoken son of the Middle Border. Elected to Congress in 1960, when Dwight D. Eisenhower was president, Dole served during eight other presidencies.

If he had won the Republicans’ 1988 nomination, he almost certainly would have won the White House because Americans then wanted something more like a third Ronald Reagan term than a first Michael Dukakis term. Dole probably would have won that nomination if he had won New Hampshire’s primary. And he could have, if he had campaigned as what he really wasn’t – a fervent conservative. He might have won anti-tax New Hampshire if he had made a “no new taxes” pledge, the making of which later helped his opponent, George H.W. Bush, win the presidency, and the breaking of which helped Bush lose it.

Dole finally won a Republican nomination too late, in 1996. He then would have been the oldest person – 73 – ever elected to a first term.

Dole was never one of those puffed-up politicians who constantly act as though they are unveiling statues of themselves. He had a Midwestern cheerfulness – see Ronald

Reagan, of Dixon, Ill. – about the United States’ possibilities, but his mordant, sometimes acidic wit fit a man with some grievances against life’s close calls.

If he had been a few yards away from where he was on that Italian hill on April 14, 1945, or if the war

rhetorical – almost anti-rhetorical.

In one of his three campaigns for the Republican presidential nomination, an earnest grade school pupil asked him a question about acid rain. Dole’s full answer was: “That bill’s in markup.” The child must have looked dazed, but Dole could

Dole was never one of those puffed-up politicians who constantly act as though they are unveiling statues of themselves.

in Europe had ended 25 days earlier, he would have escaped the severe wound that left him in pain the rest of his years. A few thousand more Ohio and Mississippi votes in 1976 would have made Dole vice president.

But his aptitudes were not those of an executive. The presidency is a fundamentally rhetorical office; rhetoric can make mighty its rather meager de jure powers. Dole was un-

not help himself. Long acculturation in the legislative branch rendered him fluent in, but only in, Senate-speak, a dialect unintelligible to normal Americans. Uncomfortable with a text, he spoke easily only in the conversational, sometimes cryptic discourse by which colleagues in a small, face-to-face legislative setting communicate with each other.

List the most important American public servants who never be-

came president. Two, perhaps the top two, were named Marshall: John, chief justice for 34 years, and George, soldier and diplomat. Others were jurists – Roger Taney and Earl Warren, were, Lord knows, consequential – as were some legislators, such as the Great Triumvirate: Henry Clay, Daniel Webster and John Calhoun.

But few congressional careers loom large. This is because legislative accomplishments are collaborative, the result of blurry compromises presented in pastels rather than sharp pictures painted in bold strokes of primary colors. Dole’s legislative life was the political life as Plutarch described it: “They are wrong who think that politics is like an ocean voyage or a military campaign, something to be done with some particular end in view, something which leaves off as soon as that end is reached. It is not a public chore, to be got over with.

It is a way of life. It is the life of a domesticated political and social creature who is born with a love for public life, with a desire for honor, with a feeling for his fellows.”

The melancholy dimension of Dole’s life was not that he failed to attain the presidency, for which he was not well-suited, but that in 1996 in quest of it, he left the Senate he loved and where he excelled. When Democrats considered offering their 1948 presidential nomination to Eisenhower, taciturn Sam Rayburn, House speaker, said of him: “Good man, but wrong business.”

Rayburn’s words were wrong about Ike but would have been right about Dole the presidential aspirant. Two of those words are especially apposite: good man. (c) 2021, Washington Post Writers Group

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

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Political Crossfire

At the Ukrainian Border, Putin Stands on the Edge of a Precipice

By David Ignatius

P

resident Vladimir Putin’s career of pursuing revenge and redemption for Russia converges on this moment, as the United States presents him with a path off the ledge that he’s stepped onto along the border with Ukraine.

The dangerous standoff over Ukraine appears to continue after Tuesday’s virtual summit between Putin and President Joe Biden. The initial White House readout was terse and opaque. The statement said Biden had expressed “deep concerns” about Russia’s actions and warned that the United States and its allies “would respond with strong economic and other measures in the event of military escalation.”

Biden also “called for de-escalation and a return to diplomacy.” U.S. officials have said that means a new attempt to implement the 2014 and 2015 Minsk protocols, signed after Russia seized Crimea and sponsored a proxy war in eastern Ukraine. This diplomacy will require “follow up” discussions, the White House said.

Will Putin take this path over the next few weeks and months? Or will he continue to threaten invasion if he doesn’t achieve his demand for a formal pledge that Ukraine will never join NATO – something Biden has ruled out? Putin’s wisest strategy would be to take a Minsk exit ramp and claim it as a victory. But stubborn, self-infatuated leaders sometimes do stupid things.

Let’s imagine that despite Tuesday’s phone diplomacy, Putin is reckless enough to press into Ukraine with the 175,000 troops U.S. intelli-

gence says he is ready to bring into the battle. What would happen then?

Putin in the first days would face a messy war in Ukraine itself. Ukraine’s military isn’t a match for Russia’s, but it’s a lot more potent than the military he faced when he seized Crimea in 2014. Ukraine has better training, equipment, electronic-warfare skills, and battlefield experience than before.

Putin, strangely, has abandoned the stealthy approach that worked for him in 2014. By massing nearly 100,000 troops on the border, he disdained the gray-zone tactics of hybrid war – the “green men” that swiftly seized key targets in Crimea.

He can’t play this hybrid game now because U.S. intelligence has outed his secret plans for a full-scale war.

Ukraine also has an aggressive military intelligence service, commanded by Brig. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov. He planned a bold sting operation last year to capture Russian mercenaries who had fought inside

Ukraine. Though it failed, it was a taste of what Ukrainian covert operators could do in a real conflict.

Beyond the battle against uniformed troops and intelligence operatives, Putin would probably face a prolonged guerrilla war from Ukrainian militias. Knowledgeable sources estimate that more than 400,000 pro-Kyiv Ukrainians have received at least some training since Russia’s 2014 incursion, and that there are at least a million weapons in private hands, including AK-47s and other automatic weapons looted from government stores. As many as 15 militia groups are spread throughout the country – some virulently right-wing, but all capable of causing havoc for Moscow (and probably Kyiv, too).

“Beyond the response from the U.S. and allies, the Ukrainians will fight fiercely,” says William B. Taylor, a former U.S. ambassador to Kyiv. He predicts “guerrilla war for sure if the Russians invade and try to stay.”

Putin would face immediate bat-

tlefield risks, but the longer-term consequences could be far worse, even if he installed a government subservient to Moscow. If Biden follows through on his threats, Russia’s economy would be wrecked. Never strong under Putin, it would become feeble as a united Europe and the United States imposed sanctions that sources tell me might include cutting Russia off from the SWIFT system of international payments – literally turning it into a pariah state.

A Russia that went to war in Ukraine would have only China as a reliable ally. That might console Putin, but it should panic Chinese President Xi Jinping. The China-Russia axis would cement a “decoupled” world in which the United States and the technologically advanced democracies would have a huge, and probably lasting, advantage over Moscow and Beijing.

And, finally, there is the X-factor: the danger that a war in Ukraine would blow back into Russia and Belarus. Polls conducted by the Levada Center in Moscow show that Putin’s campaign to suppress Ukraine doesn’t appear to have majority support in Russia. As the casualties mounted, so would the political pressure on Putin and his authoritarian friends.

Going into Tuesday’s virtual summit, many commentators saw Putin in the driver’s seat against a weakened United States. Biden has his problems, but Putin would be very foolish if he imagined that a Ukraine war would be a cake walk. (c) 2021, Washington Post Writers Group

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DECEMBER 9, 2015 2021 || The The Jewish Jewish Home Home OCTOBER 29, OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Forgotten Her es

Medal of Honor Recipients in Lesser-Known Conflicts

By Avi Heiligman

T

he curriculum of American history classes usually includes the main wars with U.S. involvement. The Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican-American War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf, War on Terror, and the Iraq War are the main focus of the military aspect of these classes. However, the United States has been involved in hundreds of missions since 1776, and many people have been decorated for bravery in lesser-known conflicts. Here are the stories of some of the recipients of medals of honor in these smaller operations.

The Battle of Little Bighorn, also known as Custer’s Last Stand, took place in Montana on June 25, 1876.

The battle has been studied by historians for the past 140 years, and still there are many unknowns about what went on. What is known is that Lt. Col. George Custer split the 7 th Cavalry into three detachments and his group was ambushed by an overwhelming force of Indians and was completely annihilated. There were 24 Medal of Honor recipients for bravery awarded in this battle, including one to a Jewish soldier from Ohio who was not in Custer’s detachment. Sergeant George Geiger, a Civil War veteran who spent time at the notorious Andersonville POW Camp, and three other marksmen from the 7 th Cavalry were in a position outside the main line of defense protecting a water source. For four hours, the men were in the vulnerable position, acting as decoys and laying down protective fire. Their bravery saved fifteen men who ran from the cavalry encampment to fetch water for the men in the detachment led by Major Marcus Reno. Geiger was awarded the Medal of Honor for these actions.

The U.S. had been very busy in

William Seach

Daniel Daly receiving a medal of honor

the last decade of the 19th century, but they weren’t expecting to get involved with an uprising in China. Chinese revolutionaries, known as Boxers, detested Western influence, and some local governments and started an uprising. An Eight-Nation Alli-

with six other Americans when they came across 300 Chinese soldiers and held off the enemy attack with a bayonet charge. A week later, Seach ran across open ground to clear out machine gun nests, and the next day he successfully defended gun

When the retreating marines lost their only machine gun, Daniel Daly went back and retrieved the gun while fighting off several Haitians with his knife. ance including the U.S. sent tens of thousands of soldiers to China during the Boxer Revolution (1899-1901).

The American contingent wasn’t so large, but 59 servicemen earned the Medal of Honor in the conflict that saw the Alliance win over the Boxers.

William Seach was born in London and entered the U.S. Navy in 1898. He was sent to China with the relief expedition as an Ordinary Seaman. On June 13, 1900, Seach was

emplacements from a Chinese cavalry sabre attack. On June 22, he was with a unit that breached the walls of a fort and turned the fort’s cannons on the defenders. He was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Theodore Roosevelt who said to him, “I would rather have won a Congressional Medal of Honor than be President!”

Seach stayed with the navy and during World War I was on a trans-

port ship that was sunk by a German submarine. He was injured in the sinking and was captured by the U-boat before being released. The French picked him up, and soon he was stateside recovering from his injuries.

There have been nineteen servicemen, including seven marines, to have been awarded the Medal of Honor twice. Sergeant Major Daniel Daly from Glen Cove, New York, was one of these recipients and served in three wars. During the Boxer Revolution, he was with his captain during an intense firefight that had driven allies from their position. Daly and Captain Hall climbed the wall, and while Hall went to get reinforcements, Daly defended the position singlehandedly. Around 200 Chinese repeatedly attacked the position but Daly held firm until more soldiers came and drove off the enemy.

The United States sent forces to Central America and the Caribbean to protect their interests from 18981934. Known as the Banana Wars, it involved several operations and subsequent wars. The Battle of Fort Diptie took place in October 1915 in Haiti when 41 marines under Major Smedley Butler (who also was a Medal of Honor recipient from the Boxer Revolution) were attacked while on a reconnaissance patrol. The attack continued through the night, and when the retreating marines lost their only machine gun, Daniel Daly went back and retrieved the gun while fighting off several Haitians with his knife. Daly received his second Medal of Honor for this action, and later in the next day the marines captured the fort.

Daly went on to serve during World war I and was recommended for a third Medal of Honor for actions during the Battle of Belleau Woods.

He was awarded the Navy Cross in-

The 9, 2021 The Jewish Jewish Home Home || DECEMBER OCTOBER 29, 2015

A depiction of Custer’s Land Stand

peacekeepers. During the battle, two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters were shot down, and two Delta snipers who had been monitoring the radio went to secure one of the crash sites.

Master Sergeant Gary Gordon and Specialist First Class Randy Shugart inserted into the crash site, pulled the crew from the wreckage, and set up a perimeter. A mob of hundreds of angry Somalis descended on the site, while the two snipers, now using assault rifles, inflicted major casualties.

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stead for singlehandedly capturing a machine gun nest with grenades and a pistol.

Most of the Medal of Honors that were awarded after World War II were for actions during major war wars, although two were posthumously awarded to two Delta Force operatives for actions during the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. Army Ranger and Delta Force operators were on the ground to capture forces of a Somali warlord that had attacked

U.S. marines in the Boxer rebellion

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Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon fought together and died together

Gordon was killed first and Shugart held out for another ten minutes before he was shot and killed. Gordon and Shugart were posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for their bravery on the battlefield.

Relatively few soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines have been awarded the distinguished Medal of Honor since the end of the Vietnam War as the process to award one has to go through the chain of command

or one has to be nominated by a member of Congress. Most who receive the Medal of Honor for actions taken place in little-known conflicts are usually not talked about and are Forgotten Heroes.

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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WOODMERE NEW TO THE MARKET 4 bedroom 3 new full bathrooms in SD#15 on a cul-de-sac features a renovated gourmet eat in kitchen with 2 sinks, granite countertops ,new stainless steel appliances, leading out to a new deck, elegant formal dining room, new wood bannister leading to the bedrooms, Spacious Master bedroom suite with a jacuzzi tub, separate stall shower and large walk in closet, generously sized den leading out to a magnificent backyard with a new pergola, new flooring and moldings, high hats throughout, new front walkway, new front windows, gas heat and central air conditioning, close to railroad, shopping, and houses of worship.

P.O.R. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

LAWRENCE NEW TO THE MARKET MOVE RIGHT IN!!!

1st Floor apartment, elevator and doorman building, underground parking, in-ground pool.

2 Full bathrooms, CAC, terrace facing courtyard, laundry room, storage. Close to railroad, shopping & houses of worship.$399k Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS SIGN W E’RE ALWAYS READY TO MORTGAGE

T HAT ’S W H Y W E ’ R E T H E # 1 R E F E R R E D BROK E R

As soon as you're ready to make a move, it's our turn to get it done.

Our Mint Capital agents will guide you through the process, so all you need to do is sign.

COMMERCIAL RE

APT FOR RENT

LOWEST PRICES IN TOWN! 500-7000 Square feet gorgeous office space with WATERVIEW in Inwood! Lots of options.

Tons of parking.

Will divide and customize space for your needs!

Call 516-567-0100

CEDARHURST 1 AND 2 BEDROOM APARTMENTS, TOTALLY RENOVATED NO FEE private entrance , central air conditioning, hardwood floors, washer/dryer, garage parking,dishwasher, recessed lighting, private playground, close to railroad, park, shopping and houses of worship. call for more details Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

STORE OR OFFICE USE Bayview Ave. 600SF. Private Bathroom.

Reserved parking. $1600.

516-206-1100 or info@mbequitygroup.com OFFICES FOR RENT Cedarhurst Ave 2nd FL Multiple offices available. $550 and up.Next to LIRR. All utilities included.

516-206-1100 or info@mbequitygroup.com.

A R I L I CH T MA N LOA N OF F I CE R

HELPING PEOPLE, THEN HOMES. NMLS # 1628334

929.369.0003

alichtman@themintcapital.com

The Mint Capital Inc - 24 Gilbert St Ext. Monroe NY 10950 – 845-419-8000 - Registered Mortgage Broker – New York State Department of Financial Services. Licensed Mortgage Broker NJ, CA, PA and FL Banking Departments. Loans Originated through third party providers. NMLS: 1628334

EAST ROCKAWAY: Retail Stores on Busy Corner, 1000SF& Up Available, Great High Visibility Location, For Lease…

Call for More Details Broker (516) 792-6698 SF MEDICAL OFFICE SPACE Available, Reception Area, Waiting Room, Kitchenette, 2 Consult, 4 Exam Rooms, 2 Bathrooms, 30 Car On-Site Parking, For Lease …Call Ian 516-295-3000 www.pugatch.com OFFICE FOR RENT - INWOOD Corner Bayview-Lawrence Newly Renovated. Individual AC. High ceilings. Parking.

Across from LIRR. $1350 516-206-1100 or info@mbequitygroup.com.

INVESTORS WELCOME GREAT DEAL IN WOODMERE, amazing location, double lot, low taxes ,SD 14 Asking $599, won’t last 25 CONKLIN AVE, WOODMERE Call Alexandra at Realty Connect 1-516-784-0856

APT FOR RENT FAR ROCKAWAY APARTMENT FOR RENT $1700/MONTH Caffrey Avenue-Groner Area, 2nd floor of House 2 bedroom apartment, nice sized kitchen, outdoor deck, Nice sized backyard with swing set. Ideal for Young Couple New floors and just painted Call 917-620-0917

WOODMERE JUST LISTED Stunning 2 Bedroom 2 bathroom apartment in Woodmere on a cul-de-sac with water views.

Totally renovated, use of yard, CAC, Radiant Heat, Recessed Lighting, Kitchen with Quartz Countertops, Dishwasher, Warming Draw, Washer/Dryer Move Right In. $3,500 monthly Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com WOODMERE: BEST BUY Spacious 2BR Apartment, Washer/Dryer In Bldg, Elevator Bldg, Open Floor Plan, 1st Floor, Close To All...$199K Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 FAR ROCKAWAY APARTMENT FOR RENT-1700/MONTH Caffrey Avenue-Groner Area, 2nd floor of House 2 bedroom apartment, nice sized kitchen, outdoor deck, Nice sized backyard with swing set Ideal for Young Couple New Floor and just painted CALL 917-620-0917

VACATION RENTALS VACATION IN JERUSALEM: Beautiful Short-term rentals in Jerusalem (Sharei Chesed, Romema, Hanevi'im – City Center) Contact today for great service: Shisha Realty 718-408-8070 vacation@shisharealty.com VACATION IN JERUSALEM: Beautiful 3 bedroom apartment with porch and view available for short term in the Kaduri – Jerusalem Heights project on the 8th floor.

Shisha Realty 718-408-8070 vacation@shisharealty.com

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

5 TOWNS BOYS YESHIVA SEEKING ELEM GEN ED TEACHERS Excellent working environment and pay. Only lic/exp need apply.

Email resume to yeshivalooking@gmail.com

BUSINESS MANAGER P/T (mostly) Remote Legacy 613, a dynamic Jewish outreach organization based in the NYC metro area, seeks a Business Manager.

The successful candidate will be responsible to oversee the budget.

We are looking for a dynamic selfstarter with excellent people and organizational skills.

Experience in not-for-profit Jewish organizations is a plus.

Excellent part-time opportunity with competitive hourly compensation.

Candidate will work with the director in developing budget and fundraising initiatives and generating reports to present to our Board of Directors.

Send resumes to info@legacy613.org

MDS REGIONAL NURSE: 5 Towns area Nursing Home management office seeking a Regional/Corporate level MDS Nurse to work in our office.

Must be an RN. Regional experience preferred. 2-3 years MDS experience with good computer skills required.

Position is Full Time but Part Time can be considered.

Great Shomer Shabbos environment with some remote options as well.

Email: officejob2019@gmail.com

NEW YORK-BASED ORGANIZATION SEEKING ASSISTANT EDITOR. Administrative and organizational skills. B.A. in journalism, English or related field and 1-2 years of editorial experience.

On-site attendance.

Email: renee@ou.org TAG JH looking for Math teacher starting in January Secretary - must be warm, efficient and flexible - afternoon hours m-th.Please email tackerman@tagschools.org Hebrew Academy of Long Beach, Woodmere NY seeks Limudei Kodesh and General Studies substitute teachers for grades 1-8.

Send resumes to hweiselberg@halb.org

CERTIFIED MALE CAREGIVER FOR OVER 25 YEARS Expert full time care. Experienced with many conditions. Upscale references available. Will travel.

Call Ralph (212) 658-0542.

(561) 351-7944 (cell)

SHULAMITH EARLY CHILDHOOD is looking to hire a full time teacher assistant for the current school year.

Please email resume to earlychildhood@shulamith.org General administrative support needed for busy Five Towns office.

Part-Time, in-office position.

Flexible hours.

Looking for someone who is detail-oriented, dependable, and dedicated. Proficiency in Excel/ Word a must.

Please send inquiry/resume to flexiblestaffpositions21 @gmail.com

115

HELP WANTED Nursing Home Management Company in Brooklyn Looking to fill the following positions: Administrative Assistant MS office suite proficiency required Administrative Assistant experience required WE ARE LOOKING FOR AN EXPIERENCED FULL TIME BOOKKEEPER Excellent growth potential Frum environment Excellent salary & benefits Email resume to: resumetfs1@gmail.com Please put position title and FTJH in subject line TAILOR WANTED KGH dry-cleaners is seeking a tailor for p/t or f/t work.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday preferred, other days available.

Call or text 917-435-9753

116

DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

PURCHASING ASSISTANT (FULL TIME)

Nursing Home Management Company in Mill Basin Interacting with the staff at facilities to review/place, approve orders. Liaison between suppliers and facilities. Experience with Oncare preferred.

Salary commensurate with experience.

JOIN OUR TEAM!

o Purchasing experience preferred o Graduates welcome o Frum environment

o Excellent growth potential o Great salary & benefits

Email resume to: resumes.tyty@gmail.com

Pls put Purchasing Assistant & FTJH in subject line

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

Looking to hire a female with a lively and outgoing personality that is experienced with children and musical. P/T or F/T. Great Pay. Call 929-322-4202

Torah Academy for Girls seeks a vendor to provide breakfast, snack and lunch for our students for school year 2021-2022.

To submit a proposal, contact Mrs. Obadia at nobadia@tagschools.org for bidding criteria. Respond by Friday, October 29, 2021

Seeking Administrative Assistant for a busy healthcare company in Woodmere. Candidate should be organized and have good communication and computer skills. Email resume to info@integravascular.com Special Care seeks patient Male or female com/hab worker 5:30-7:30 P.M. for 7-year-old boy with autism in Bayswater, full or partial coverage.

718-252-3365ext:102 or renay@specialcarefor.com Looking for a worker to entertain a 5-year-old boy with special needs Shabbos, Sunday after 12:30, Monday -Thursday after 4:00.

Please call 718-854-2747 ext 1110 Seeking a worker in Far Rockaway to take out a 6-year-old girl twice a week from 2:30PM-5:00 PM. Please call Faige at 718-854-2747 extension 1110 ASSISTANT REBBEIM and TEACHERS CAHAL, the community Special Ed program in Five Towns and Far Rockaway yeshivas has immediate openings available for: AM ASSISTANT REBBES for a 4th-5th grade class and a 6th grade class PM ASSISTANT TEACHERS for a 2nd-3rd grade class and a 6th grade class We have small classes and flexible hours.

Email resume to shira@cahal.org or call 516-295-3666.

SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS CAHAL is seeking a secular studies MATERNITY SUBSTITUTE for February for a small boys 6th grade class and a PERMANENT AFTERNOON SUBSTITUTE. Email resume to shira@cahal.org or call 516-295-3666.

Local yeshiva seeks a permanent substitute for limudei kodesh in grades 1 through 5.

Please call Rabbi Avrohom Bender at 718-868-2300 extension 490 Or email abender@darchei.org DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT A multi-tasker needed for general office work. The ideal candidate is someone who is detail-oriented, responsible, and can take ownership. Looking for someone who is eager to learn, and expand his/her skill set while possessing the ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Experience with Excel required.

Five Towns location. In-office position only, not remote.

Please send resume to 5tpart.timecareer@gmail.com NEW YESHIVA IN QUEENS SEEKING SECRETARY Must be detail-oriented, have great organizational skills, able to multi-task.

Experience in school programs a plus.

Send resume to: office@yeshivatbneitorah.org or call/text: 347-351-4573

MISC Gemach Zichron Yehuda In memory of R’ Yehuda Aryeh Leib ben R’ Yisroel Dov We have a library of books on the subjects of loss, aveilus, grief, & kaddish. We have sets of ArtScroll Mishnayos to assist with finishing Shisha Sidrei Mishna for Shloshim or yahrtzeit.

Locations in Brooklyn, Far Rockaway, & Lakewood.

Email: zichronyehuda@yahoo.com

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14

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021 OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Your

117

Money

Duck!

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

R

oughly 180 million miles into space, between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, astronomers have found millions of asteroids — solid rocks that failed to form a planet. Most of the time, those asteroids coexist quite peacefully with Earth. However, occasionally one drops out of the belt to check us out a little closer. If one hits us, it could literally mean the end of civilization. So it behooves us to learn as much as we can about these celestial companions.

Years ago, the dinosaurs failed to plan — we all know how that turned out!

Last week, NASA launched an unusual probe towards one random rock. Next September, the probe will hit the asteroid at approximately 15,000 mph to test the limits of kinetic impact deflection. In other words, we’re trying to nudge it out of orbit just slightly enough to see if that could protect us from a planetkiller heading straight towards us.

The test can’t come soon enough. In August, scientists announced that the asteroid Bennu, the size of the Empire State Building, has a 0.037% chance of making September 24, 2182, a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

You can guess by now that the news made our mind wander to where

our friends at the IRS would be if one of those game-changers decides to ruin our day. And we know you’ll be pleased to discover that our friends at the IRS have planned for that sort of disaster and more!

The first level of IRS emergency preparedness deals with day-to-day disasters like hurricanes and earth-

also generally pushes back filing deadlines in affected areas to give taxpayers more time to recover.

But the real action for IRS planners involves “continuity planning” for existential threats like biological warfare, nuclear winter, or an asteroid strike. IRS officials have been planning since the Cold War

In August, scientists announced that the asteroid Bennu, the size of the Empire State Building, has a 0.037% chance of making September 24, 2182, a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

quakes. These responses focus on helping taxpayers manage business as usual until things return to normal.

They include predictable strategies like helping protect and reconstruct records, documenting valuables and equipment, checking fiduciary bonds (to protect yourself if your payroll processor goes bust), and updating your emergency plans. The Service

days for solutions to help restart tax collections within 30 days of the emergency. These include stationing government agents in the usual hollowed-out mountain bunkers to hand out cash to restart the economy and deciding which pre-disaster taxes to give up trying to collect.

The ultimate “Plan B,” in case an asteroid makes its way through our

defenses, involves ditching income taxes altogether in favor of a sales tax, probably in the 20% range. Sales taxes would certainly be easier to collect in a land with no more 1099s or expense reimbursement forms. And, like any consumption tax, it would encourage survivors to save as much as they can, which they could use to help rebuild the country. Just think — rooting for Team Asteroid might finally mean the end of those annoying Black Friday mall crowds!

Until then, you’re just going to have to suck it up and pay under the regular system. But there’s good news, too. For starters, about half a penny out of every tax dollar goes towards NASA, including their efforts to defend us from killer space invaders. And second, you don’t have to launch a rocket to nudge your tax bill down, sometimes by a lot. So, call us before the air raid sirens start blaring, and let us help you prepare for some more predictable financial threats!

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

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

43

Life C ach

Just Relax

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

“Just relax till he warms up to you.”

R

elax! Relax! Just relax!

Don’t you want to scream when someone tells you this?

As if you couldn’t have thought of it yourself?

Or maybe it’s more like if you could relax, you would. So why are they telling you this?

Maybe, just maybe, a little help here would do better than this frustrating advice.

It’s not always easy to change the situation for the other person who is in a state. But saying “relax” rarely relaxes anyone! It’s usually just another thing you’ve put on their head. They’re thinking, “So, besides for being anxious, stressed, worried, and/or in pain, you want me to RELAX? I don’t think so!”

It’s as good as saying to them things like: *“It’s no big deal!” (Where the listener just thinks, Sure, it’s no big deal for you!) *“Take it easy! (Where the listener just thinks, I probably could take it easy if you’d give me a hand) *“Don’t worry” (Where the listener just thinks, Why shouldn’t I worry?

Are you going to worry for me or help it go away?)

The one thing they don’t think when you tell them to relax is: “Wow, what helpful advice. Now I can relax!”

Perhaps sometimes giving a person more support or hope would be better in their unrelaxed moments. For instance, saying, “I see this is so hard for you”; “I’m here for you”; “I’m here to help” “Can I do anything for you?”

wants to hear someone say to her, “Relax”?

Exactly, you, in the room, may be waiting for a baby to come out but you will cause steam to come out of the mother first if you try saying the “R” word.

I guess the person who developed the Lamaze delivery training support

The one thing they don’t think when you tell them to relax is: “Wow, what helpful advice. Now I can relax!”

But saying “relax” just usually increases the lack of relaxation.

Think about a woman. There she is, with a lot more to her than she had nine months ago. And in a lot more pain, too. She’s expecting an increase in her family members any minute now – and they are not coming by way of the doorbell!

She’s lying there, uncomfortable, maybe even miserable, some might even say tortured. Do you think she

system might have said one too many of that “R” word and realized they had better come up with something more constructive to help someone struggling if they valued their lives.

An anxious person seems to get more anxious when someone tells them to relax. Honestly, it’s not really a bad idea. It just doesn’t work! The thing is, advising it usually adds to the anxiety.

Maybe, originally, it was part of a

phrase such as, “relax your muscles.”

Which at least gave someone some direction to go in. But the more they shortened the phrase, the more they increased the tension.

When we want to help change the situation, to be helpful or calming, that word seems to come to our lips. Yet, the outcome is that it does change the situation – except the change is now they are screaming at us, too.

But, relax, LOL, I have some good advice for you: as that R word is about to sneak out of your mouth, try stretching it instead and turning it into phrases like: “RRREEally hard for you” or “RRRReeealize this is tough for you, and I’m here for you!”

And RE-member you cannot always fix a situation for someone else, but you can try to help them relax by doing something other than telling them to do so!

Rivki Rosenwald is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist working with both couples and individuals and is a certified relationship counselor. Rivki is a co-founder and creator of an effective Parent Management of Adolescent Years Program.

She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or at rivkirosenwald@gmail.com.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 9, 2021

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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home

much

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in all of g in ic r p y a Best everyd ng Island! o L & s n e e u Brooklyn, Q DAY!

S EVERY T C U D O R P NEW

Free Parking Over 150 Spaces!

Prices Good Sunday, December 12th through Friday, December 17th, 2021

Bowl & Basket Mayonnaise

SR Ketchup

1

$ 89 38 oz

Shufra Real Chocolate Chips

Reisman’s Brownie Bars Lorem ipsum or Danishes

$ 99

69¢

Marshmallow Fluff

Pri-Avot 7-9 Pickles

3

1

2/$

$ 99 16 oz

Norman’s Greek Yogurt All Varie�es

3

7

$ 99

Assorted

4

2/$

6

Assorted

3

$ 49 16 oz

6 oz

Chuck Eye Roast

Chicken Breast Wing On

9

$ 49 LB

2

$ 49 LB Ripe Bananas

Crispy Kirbies

2

89¢

Sole Fillets

Salmon Sliders

$ 99LB

$ 99 EA

8

Sharon’s Sorbet

Mozzarella, Cheddar or Original Muenster Only

$ 99 EA

$ 99LB

2

Ha’olam Slims

LB

Frozen

2 Pack

2

Sweet Honeydew

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99

$ 99 10 oz

1199

1

2

$ 29 23 oz

$ 49 24 oz/28 oz

$

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1

Plain or With Lo�on $ 99 120 Pack/144 Pack 5 LB ¢

Gusto Buono Pizza

Family Pack

Jumbo Red Peppers

Avenue A Flour Paperbird All Purpose or Unbleached Facial Tissues

Sonny & Joe’s Hummus

Rib Steak

8

.7 oz

Ta’am� Bourekas

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$ 49 LB

$ 99LB

1

23 oz

$ 79 52 oz

Mehadrin Mini Navel Pastrami

1

4/$

Avenue A Flour All Purpose or Unbleached Nesquick Chocolate $ 99 5 LB Syrup

Tree Ripe Grove Select Orange Juice

$ 29 32 oz

Mighty Peanut Puffs

$ 49 5 oz

4

Endico Whole Green Beans

2

$ 99 16.9 oz

1

15 oz

Assorted

5.3 oz

24 Pack

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8 Pack/11 Pack

Viennese Crunch

1

$ 99 14.1 oz

PR Chick Peas

5

Bowl & Basket Spring Water

Chocolate or Vanilla

1

3

2

$ 69 12 oz

5.5 oz

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$ 79 9 oz

$ 99 32 oz

10

5

4/$

2

$ 69 30 oz

(Not Broth)

Wholesome Pantry Farro

Wacky Mac Mac & Cheese

Regular or Light

Imagine Soups

10/$

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TM

8

6 Pack

59¢

LB

All Wraps

5

$ 99 EA

LB

1 LB Poppers + 1 LB Rice Pilaf

1499

$

LB

Keilim Mikveh on Premises | Pre-Shabbos Buffet Every Thursday & Friday!

Savings Plaza | 11 Lawrence Lane, Lawrence, NY | (516) 371-6200 | info@kolsavemarket.com | /kolsavemarket Hours: Sunday-Tuesday: 7am-8pm | Wednesday: 7am-10pm | Thursday: 7am-11pm | Friday: 7am-2 hours before Shabbos We reserve the right to limit quan��es. No rain checks. Not responsible for typographical errors.