November 30, 2017
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Around the
Community The UK’s Biggest Kibbitzer Chats with TJH
48
Ohel Annual Gala Draws Packed Crowd
pg
74 Local Students Win TD Ameritrade’s Trading Competition
Squash Weight Gain with Healthy Winter Fruits and Vegetables pg
108
George F. Will: A Nod, and a Nodding off, to Another Year of American Hilarity
46 Rambam Joins Historic Reenactment of UN Vote – See page 3
SEASONS LAWRENCE
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NOVEMBER 30, 2017 | The Jewish Home
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NOVEMBER 30, 2017 | The Jewish Home
Dear Readers,
I
n an article published by The Washington Post in March, it was revealed that in a 2002 interview with The Hill Mike Pence said that “he never eats alone with a woman other than his wife and that he won’t attend events featuring alcohol without her by his side, either.” Of course, the media picked out this one sentence in an article thousands of words long – and the headlines that ran were not too flattering. “How Pence’s Dudely Dinners Hurt Women,” blared The Atlantic; “Why it Matters That Pence Won’t Have Dinner with a Woman Who Isn’t His Wife,” squealed Huffington Post; “Mike Pence’s Marriage and the Beliefs That Keep Women from Power,” wailed the New Yorker. Women – well, I should say, some women – felt slighted by the future vice president’s morals. They called it disrespect; others called it discrimination. The New Yorker wrote that Pence was avoiding women “as a group and as a rule.” Shocking, they said, and oh, so demeaning. As religious Jews, though, we cheered that the United States, a country sliding deeper and deeper into an immoral abyss, was being led by someone whose senses were so finely tuned to the nuances of morality. After all, we lead our lives with safeguards to ensure that we don’t, G-d forbid, slip into forbidden territory. Nowadays, Pence’s morals are front and center on my mind as I turn on the radio or read the news. Every day seems to bring revelations of another man who abused his power and has been thrown from his position. But sometimes I wonder if we have done it to ourselves. With society’s constant whine over “bias” and its need
to continuously blur certain lines, we call it “discrimination” when someone doesn’t want to dine alone with someone of the opposite gender. Marriage, once viewed as sacred, is being redefined or tossed out the window. Men and women are now only being referred to as “people.” When society starts removing boundaries, safeguards, and definitions that have held for thousands of years, where does it end? Are we left with any values? Is there anything or anyone of value anymore? We end up being left with a crumbling culture, disintegrating at a dizzying pace. As frum Jews, we are fortunate that our values are still intact. We can look at those around us and still be shocked by the drivel that they espouse. And we view them with pity as we see the chasm that threatens to engulf them. Sometimes it seems that after this episode will be put behind us there will be only a few men left standing – and they will be the ones who clung to their values in a tsunami of depravity. Chanukah is a holiday that reminds us how few we are in comparison to the other nations of the world. Hearing that should strengthen us and give us hope. Our small number is not indicative of the potency of our power. Thousands of years ago, the few were victorious over the many, the pure conquered the impure, and the holy vanquished the depraved. If we continue to cling to our boundaries, beliefs, and yes, “our religion,” we will prevail – and perhaps be the last ones remaining standing. Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana
Yitzy Halpern PUBLISHER
publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com
Yosef Feinerman MANAGING EDITOR
ads@fivetownsjewishhome.com
Shoshana Soroka EDITOR
editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com
Nate Davis Editorial Assistant Nechama Wein Copy Editor Berish Edelman Mati Jacobovits Design & Production Gabe Solomon Distribution & Logistics P.O. BOX 266 Lawrence, NY 11559 Phone | 516-734-0858 Fax | 516-734-0857 Classifieds: Deadline Mondays 5PM classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com text 443-929-4003 The Jewish Home is an independent weekly magazine. Opinions expressed by writers are not neces sarily the opinions of the publisher or editor. The Jewish Home is not responsible for typographical errors, or for the kashrus of any product or business advertised within. The Jewish Home contains words of Torah. Please treat accordingly.
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NOVEMBER 30, 2017 | The Jewish Home
Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
8
COMMUNITY Readers’ Poll
8 44
Community Happenings NEWS Global
13
National
28
Odd-but-True Stories
39
ISRAEL
92
Israel News
25
Building Worlds
96
The Makuya of Japan: Friends of Israel
98
PEOPLE Ashley Blaker, a Frum Funnyman
102
Shlomo Erell, a Hero of the Sea by Avi Heiligman
128
PARSHA Rabbi Wein
82
All Alone with Our Essential Name by Rav Moshe Weinberger
84
JEWISH THOUGHT Solitary Refinement by Eytan Kobre
88
Can You See Me Now? by Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz
92
Practically Speaking by Rabbi YY Rubinstein
94
HEALTH & FITNESS Squash Your Weight by Aliza Beer, MS RD
108
FOOD & LEISURE The Aussie Gourmet: Fried Green Tomatoes
110
LIFESTYLES Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW
104
Dear Editor, In regards to the dating column in your paper this week (November 23, 2017), I wonder if his communication was actually so clear about where they would meet. You casually say the location was there in your conversation “at one point.” You say she is intelligent and on her game, so why didn’t she know where to meet you if it was, in fact, so clearly agreed upon? I’m curious if there’s some miscommunication and frustration that’s holding her back from knowing how to deal with it in the moment. I’m suggesting perhaps in this case she understood that you would go to the location she had to be at for her meeting. This could be the reason she was upset at you and didn’t want to accept blame. Try shifting your focus of pointing a finger by proving a fault and instead identify if you can discuss and resolve the miscommunication together (alone or with a therapist to facilitate the discussion). Sincerely, Boruch N. Dear Editor, Thank you for printing my letter last week about the dating column but unfortunately the shidduch website somehow was printed incorrectly. It was printed as shidduch.org instead of shiduch.org (with one d). I just checked and there does seem to exist some kind of site shidduch.org but it seems to not be functional.
Can you let the writer know of this correction? Thank you, Chaim Sunitsky Dear Editor, I wish to explain and apologize for the following incident. Perhaps my actions can be understood and helpful to others. This past Thursday, we stopped in Starbucks on the way to Baltimore for a wedding. Since parking is usually full, I let my wife off and waited on the street in my car. I found a spot right next to a handicapped spot. I saw a young girl pull into the handicapped spot and go into Starbucks. It bothered me that she used the spot because if someone does not need a handicapped spot, they should not use it, especially since a person who needs the spot may not have it when they need it. I, sadly, did not let the famous expression of “Give the benefit of the doubt” to the person. I wrote a note, telling her she should not be using the spot, and placed it on the windshield. Thank Hashem if you do not need a handicapped spot. Well, in a way I am happy that she came out before I left. She saw the note and was very upset, to say the least. Whatever the issue was, she did have rights to such a spot, as she had a cast on her leg. During the entire trip to BaltiContinued on page 12
So Many Banks, So Few Medallions 124
HUMOR
120
Your Money
133
What’s it Worth to You? by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS
Centerfold Beautiful Beets by Jon Kranz
134
80 122
POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes
112
A Nod, and a Nodding off, to Another Year of American Hilarity by George F. Will CLASSIFIEDS
120 129
Do you like to ice skate?
58
%
YES
42
%
NO
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
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Celebrate Rosh Hashana L’Chassidus, The New Year for Chassidus & the redemption of the Baal HaTanya with a farbrengen featuring inspirational talks, stories & songs. Rabbi Lipskier will introduce, sing & give the meaning of classic Chabad melodies.
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Continued from page 8
more, I could not get this incident out of my head. I believe I wrote the note for the right purpose, so others will have this spot if needed and that people should learn to thank Hashem for not needing it. I realize that I caused more hurt and pain to this person then she has or even needed. I apologize more than I can ever verbalize and hope you can forgive me, even though I may have meant only good. Binyamin Clapman Dear Editor, What a great article on author David Adler this week! I have been reading his books since I was young and now I’m older and reading them to my children. He’s a great author and clearly loves doing what he does. I never knew he was Orthodox – what an added bonus! Chani Heilbern Dear Editor, I really appreciated Dr. Deb’s article last week in The Jewish Home, “Can Bad Habits Really Be Broken?” Dr. Deb was pointing out that true change can only occur when someone loves themselves. I have found that when people need to lose weight
if they can see themselves as people worthy of being healthier, then they can start on the voyage of dieting and exercising. Of course, once they start shedding pounds they will feel better about themselves and see how worthy they are of being healthy. But to start off, they need to see how wonderful they are and how they and their families deserve a father or mother who will be healthy for many years to come. A Reader
Views expressed on the Letters to the Editor page do not necessarily reflect the views of The Jewish Home. Please send all correspondence to: editor @fivetowns jewishhome.com.
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
The Week In News
A Not-So-Secret U.S. Army Base in Australia
Where you’d least expect or where you’re least likely to stumble upon it, there is a U.S. top-secret U.S. military base in the outback of Australia. The base, known as the Joint Defense Facility Pine Gap, controlls satellites that gather information used to pinpoint airstrikes around the world and target nuclear weapons, as revealed in leaked National Security Agency documents. Hundreds of Australians and Americans head to Pine Gap every day to work. Last year, Australian antiwar protesters demonstrated at the facility located in the middle of the desert and were arrested. Six of those arrested were convicted of breaching the site’s security perimeter by Australian courts and face seven years in prison. Recent headlines have thrown the facility back into the spotlight although the Pentagon would rather it remain in the shadows. The facility was originally revealed in documents leaked by Edward Snowden, the American intelligence contractor turned whistle-blower. Pine Gap is described as playing “a significant role in supporting both intelligence activities and military operations.” Together with the NSA, Pine Gap has been used as a command post for two recent missions. One of them, named M7600, involved at least two spy satellites and was said in a secret 2005 document to provide “continuous coverage of the majority of the
Eurasian landmass and Africa.” This initiative was later upgraded as part of a second mission, named M8300, which involved “a four satellite constellation” and covered the former Soviet Union, China, South Asia, East Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and territories in the Atlantic Ocean. The satellites are described as being “geosynchronous,” which means they are likely positioned high in orbit at more than 20,000 miles above the Earth’s surface. They are equipped with powerful surveillance technology used to monitor wireless communications on the ground, such as those sent and received by cellphones, radios, and satellite uplinks. They gather “strategic and tactical military, scientific, political, and economic communications signals,” according to the documents, and also keep tabs on missile or weapons tests in targeted countries, sweep up intelligence from foreign military data systems, and provide surveillance support to U.S. forces.
Int’l Hacker Extradition Battle
A young Russian computer hacker has landed in the middle of an extradition battle between the United States and Russia. Yevgeniy Nikulin, 29, was arrested in Prague in October 2016 after an international arrest warrant was issued for him by the United States. Nikulin, who was on vacation with his friend, was indicted on grand jury charges of computer intrusion and aggravated identity theft, among other offenses. He is alleged to have masterminded a massive hacking of multiple social networks including LinkedIn and Dropbox. Nikulin has denied all charges. If he is convicted, he could face up to 50 years in jail and over $2 million in fines. After he was arrested, Russian authorities also sought his extradition back to Russia. Nikulin is alleged to have stolen $3,450 from an
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online money transfer company in 2009, and Russia wants him returned home to face justice before facing any other foreign charges. Although the Russian charge is almost non-existent in comparison to the LinkedIn hack which may have compromised the credentials of 100 million users, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow has said that it is “actively working with the Czech authorities to prevent the extradition of a Russian citizen to the United States.” Nikulin has spent the past 13 months inside Pankrac prison in Prague. A Czech High Court rejected his lawyer’s argument that he should not be sent to the United States and so the burden of where to send him now falls on the justice minister, Robert Pelikan. Pelikan will now decide whether to send him to the United States or Russia and will likely have to face the wrath of the losing party.
Missing Crew of Argentinian Sub A submarine went missing from the Argentinian navy more than a
week ago. The ARA San Juan and its crew of 44 members have not been heard from since November 15. They were supposed to be at the Mar del Plata naval base, about 250 miles southeast of Buenos Aires, but have not been seen by radar or any other means of detection.
Officials have reported that a sound was detected about 30 miles from the submarine’s last known location which is consistent with an underwater explosion, although there is no definitive proof that the submarine had any sort of complication or damage. Enrique Balbi, a spokesman for the Argentine navy, said that the sound was “singular, short, violent and non-nuclear” and “consistent with an explosion.” He also said that there is no evidence the vessel was attacked.
Relatives of those on board have already begun to mourn the crew members. The submarine would only have enough oxygen to last one week without surfacing. “At this point, the truth is I have no hope that they will come back,” said Maria Villareal, the mother of one crew member. Many countries, including the United States, Britain, Brazil, and Chile, sent search and rescue help. The search had been held up by winds near 50 MPH and 20-foot waves. According to a navy spokesman, water entered the snorkel of the submarine and caused one of its batteries to short-circuit before the vessel went missing. Additionally, the captain had reported an electrical problem in a battery compartment. He had later communicated by satellite phone that the problem had been contained.
Hundreds Killed in Mosque Attack A deadly attack in the Al-Rawdah mosque in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula left 305 people dead last week.
Another 128 people were injured in the carnage. It is now known that the Islamic State had previously warned the elders of the village that incurred the attack that they should suspend Sufi rituals or there would be a price to pay.
Local ISIS operatives consider Sufis to be heretics and demanded of the local elders that the villagers refrain from holding Sufi rituals on Muhammad’s birthday. ISIS considers Sufis to be heretics and their punishment for those who bear that label is death. Many accounts are now coming out detailing how ISIS had been planning the attack for some time. Militants had warned residents days before the attack that they should not cooperate with local security forces. They also gave out pamphlets several times ordering villagers to abandon
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Sufism and not to cooperate with security agents. Despite the obvious signs that ISIS is behind the attack, the terror group has not officially claimed the recent attack. Egyptian military and security forces have been battling ISIS in the northern Sinai region at great cost. Thousands have been arrested for being Islamists and critics of the government. ISIS has fought back by bombing multiple churches in Cairo and other cities, killing dozens of Christians. ISIS is also believed to be behind the downing of a Russian passenger jet in 2016, which crippled the tourism revenue of Egypt. On orders from President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Egypt observed three days of mourning for the slaughter that unfolded just as an imam was about to deliver his sermon. Shouting Allahu Akbar, or G-d is great, 25 to 30 militants had opened fire and tossed grenades at the estimated 500 people inside the mosque. In a televised address, the Egyptian leader vowed to use “brute force” against the attackers, who fled the mosque as they fired shots at ambulance workers arriving on the scene to help the victims of the attack. “The armed forces and police will forcefully take revenge for our martyred sons and restore security and stability in the short period ahead,” Sissi said. He ordered a mausoleum be built in memory of the victims of the attack. The attack on the Al-Rawdah mosque is the first major militant attack on a Muslim congregation in recent years. Over 500 men and boys were in the mosque during the attack. 27 of the dead were children.
Papua Immigration Camp Emptied
relocated. For the past three weeks, asylum seekers have been refusing to leave a closed immigration camp out of fear that they would face violence under alternative accommodations. Police Chief Superintendent Domonique Kakas announced that police and immigration officials were able to remove all 378 men from the Manus Island camp that they were staying in. “Everybody’s gone. Everybody got on the buses, they packed their bags and they moved over,” Kakas announced. Critics of the police say that force was used to make the asylum seekers leave Manus. Videos have been leaked showing officials using wooden sticks in the camp to “motivate” the residents. Water, power, and food supplies have stopped coming into the camp, as it officially closed on October 31. Papua New Guinea houses thousands of asylum seekers who were hoping to gain entry to Australia. The continent-country has a policy of not accepting any refugees by boat as it hopes to deter people from making the dangerous ocean voyage from Indonesia. Australia pays Papua New Guinea and the small nation of Nauru to hold the thousands that are seeking asylum in Australia. Australian authorities have had many problems with the refugees that are seeking to live there. Australian Immigration and Border Protection Minister Peter Dutton accuse asylum seekers of sabotaging backup generators and water infrastructure at the new accommodations provided by Australia in Lorengau. “What is clear is that there has been an organized attempt to provoke trouble and disrupt the new facilities,” Dutton said.
Lebanese PM’s Resignation on Hold
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The resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri was “suspended” two weeks after it was announced. Hariri said last week
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was made in Saudi Arabia because the Saudi Arabian government pressured him to resign in order to bring about the collapse of the Lebanese government. Saudi Arabia and Iran are at odds with each other and Lebanon is now seen as a key battleground in the dispute. In his resignation address, Hariri accused Iran of sowing “discord, devastation and destruction” in the region. He also said he feared an assassination attempt was being plotted against him.
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that President Michel Aoun had asked him to “put it on hold ahead of further consultations.” The two men spoke after Hariri returned from Saudi Arabia, where he had announced his resignation to the world on November 4. After resigning in the kingdom, Hariri remained there for two weeks amid swirling rumors and also traveled to Abu Dhabi, Paris, and Cairo. “Today I presented my resigna-
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tion to his Excellency the president, and he asked me to temporarily suspend submitting it and to put it on hold ahead of further consultations on the reasons for it,” Mr. Hariri said after his meeting at the Baabda presidential palace. “I expressed my agreement to this request, in the hope that it will form a serious basis for a responsible dialogue.” Hariri then said that Lebanon needs “exceptional effort from ev-
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Months ago it was revealed that U.S. diplomats stationed in Cuba were being assaulted by acoustic attacks, hearing loud, high-pitched sounds and subsequently suffering from hearing loss and headaches. Since then, the U.S. has pulled non-essential diplomats from Havana. No definitive source was found to be responsible for the attacks. Now it has been revealed that a USAID officer based in the American embassy in Uzbekistan suffered from at least one acoustic attack similar to those in Cuba. The revelation points fingers that the attacks may be coming from a source in Russia. The first Cuba attacks began in November 2016, and the last report of an attack was in August 2017. Victims of the attacks in Cuba describe hearing a loud, high-pitched sound often described like a hiss of cicadas or crickets in unusual places—often in their homes. Victims of the attacks in Cuba were diagnosed with hearing loss, brain injuries, cognitive issues and other conditions. USAID, a U.S. government agency that provides foreign assistance in more than 100 countries, maintains its Uzbekistan headquarters office at the American embassy in Tashkent. Its work focuses mainly on agriculture and trade. Although USAID is an independent agency, it works
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
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Yosef look ed at his parents, 8:50. It was perplexed. at 8:30. I ‘‘No. The know beca make sure explosion use I had I had eno was not at just look ugh time and still ed at my to get off be at choi watch to the train r practice would not to buy a on time. be alive now cup of coff If I had not ee .’’ Now his gotten off father look the train ed confuse I explosion d. ‘‘But we happened hea at 8:50 rd Yosef look on the new .’’ ed at his s that the watch. He still said 8:30. He could not realized believe his would not that if he eyes have left . The had known the train. him, by mak it had been watch He underst ing his wat 8:50, he ood that ch stop wor Hashem king. had save d Later that day, he visi miraculous ted his Rav story. He , Rabbi Far was over hi, and told ‘‘Take a pict joyed. him this ure of this watch now ever wan ,’’ Rabbi t to be sure Farhi told Yosef. ‘‘If that look at you the picture Hashem runs this world, just remember.’’ of your watch. The n you will Hashem has man y way take care of us. Som s to etimes, we do not realize it right away, but He is with us every second of every day .
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NOVEMBER 30, 2017 | The Jewish Home
closely with the State Department. The Central Asian country was once part of the USSR. It declared independence in 1991 during the collapse of the Soviet Union, Although it maintains strong ties with Russia. The two countries held joint military drills in October, their first together in 12 years. Uzbekistan is also considering re-joining the Russian-led military bloc Collective Security Treaty Organization, from which it withdrew in 2012 under long-time President Islom Karimov who died in 2016. Russia has sought to capitalize on relations with Karimov’s successor, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, at the expense of the U.S. Russia has denied any role in the acoustic attacks.
The Future is Here
If you want to know where the world’s richest will be living in 2025, listen up. A recent study based on data from McKinsey & Company reveal which cities are most likely to dominate the world in the future, financially speaking. So-called megacities are cropping up globally, becoming major centers of growth and population. London takes the top spot at the predicted biggest mega-city in 2025; its population is expected to increase from 14.8 million to 16 million. Its total GDP, which is thought to account for almost half of Britain’s total, will soar from $752 billion to $973 billion. Paris takes the second spot, as investors clamor for a piece of the city that the Eiffel Tower calls home. Randstad came in at number three and it’s made up of the Netherlands’ four largest cities: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Den Haag and Utrecht. Rotterdam in particular is an area to look out for. Just an hour’s drive from Amsterdam, the port city is becoming the hub for international business, with many companies setting up their European offices there. On the number four spot on the list comes Germany’s Rhine-Ruhr,
which is also made up of different areas, including Koln, Dusseldorf, Dortmund, Essen, Duisburg, Bochum and Wuppertal. Interestingly, while its population is expected to decrease by 2025, its GDP will be rising. The top 10 megacities predicted for 2025 are: 1. London, England 2. Paris, France 3. Randstad, Netherlands 4. Rhine-Ruhr, Germany 5. Greater Istanbul, Turkey 6. Moscow, Russia 7. Chongqing and Chengdu, China 8. Shanghai, China 9. Bohai Economic Rim, China 10. Pearl River Delta, China
Ravaged Boat from N Korea Lands in Japan
A ship carrying the remains of eight would-be North Korean defectors washed onto Japan’s shores this week. The grisly scene on the boat is a sign of the desperation defectors feel and the risks they are willing to take to escape Kim Jong Un’s brutal dictatorship. The ruler of the Hermit Kingdom has clamped down on those looking to escape in the past months. A Japanese resident spotted the 22-foot wooden boat floating near Miyazawa Beach in the Sea of Japan. Officials searched the ship and found the remains of several escapees. The bodies had been there for so long that it is unclear whether the unfortunate passengers were male or female. Although there are no obvious clues showing that the boat came from North Korea, its location and lack of national markers are good indicators that the vessel came from there. It has been a busy couple of months for North Korean sailors. Last week, a boat with eight North Korean fishermen was found by police in the seaside town of Yurihonjo. They said they were not lost and that they were returning home after their fishing expedition. Two weeks ago, a capsized boat with three North Koreans on it
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
was rescued in the Sea of Japan. The survivors were sent back to North Korea on a North Korean vessel. At least nine other bodies have drifted to Japan’s shores this year from North Korea. Three other boats have been collected on the coastline as well. Japan and North Korea have no diplomatic ties and tensions between the two nations often run high. Kim Jong Un has threatened to “sink Japan” many times in his career. North Koreans usually defect through China. Since the Korean War, approximately 30,000 people have escaped the brutal country.
According to police reports, no injuries were reported in the capital of Belgium. Local reporters say that those arrested during the violence were between the ages of 15 and 18. Among the charges are the destruction of a police car and the throwing of projectiles.
Protests in Brussels
The protests were in response to footage that was aired by CNN which shows North African buyers bidding on black men at auction. The international community has expressed its outrage at the auctions, and many organizations have rallied to seek justice done in that part of the world. Brussels also saw violence two other times in the past few weeks. On November 15, a young social media star organized an unauthorized rally which escalated when police tried to break it up. Four days before that,
Authorities arrested fifty people in Brussels after police officers were attacked and shops were damaged by protesters. The groups were demonstrating over the recent revelation of slave markets in Libya. The protests started out peacefully but a group of people broke away from the march and donned masks and turned violent.
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there were violent outbreaks across the city when Morocco qualified for the 2018 football World Cup.
Volcano Threatens Bali At least 40,000 people have already moved away from the area surrounding Mount Agung in Bali, as Indonesian officials warn residents that an eruption from the volcano can be imminent. Mount Agung has been spewing volcanic ash with increasing intensity since last Tuesday, but after heightened seismic activity and confirmation the volcano is shifting into the magmatic phase, authorities raised the warning level to the maximum level 4 alert on Monday morning. Officials extended the evacuation zone to an 8-10 km radius surrounding the volcano. Mount Agung rises about 3,000 meters above Bali’s Karangasem district, in the island’s east. Bali lies within the so-called Pacific ring of fire, an area of high seismic and volcanic activity where thousands of tremors occur each year.
Mount Agung’s last major eruption in 1963 killed about 1,100 people and razed many villages. More than 50,000 Indonesians were evacuated in September this year when experts warned an eruption was imminent. About 25,000 people have been unable to return to their homes since then. On November 21, a minor eruption from the volcano sent a plume of ash and steam hundreds of meters into the air. Four days later, on November 25, three minor eruptions coated nearby villages with ash. Some flights were diverted or canceled after that event. Authorities predict that the spewing of ash could continue for a month. Dangerous mudflows could also occur. People were told to stay away from rivers because mudflows could move rapidly and become a frequent killer during volcanic eruptions. Bali is Indonesia’s top tourist destination, with its Hindu culture, surf beaches and lush green interior attracting about 5 million visitors a year. Bali’s governor, Made Pastika, said he was urging hotels on the island to allow stranded foreign tourists to stay free of charge, especially cashstrapped backpackers. “Yes, I’m ask-
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The Royal Family is celebrating a wonderful event, as Prince Harry became engaged to Meghan Markle earlier this month. The new couple will wed in St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle in May. The Royal Family will be paying for the wedding, including the service, music, flowers and reception. A spokesman for the prince said the pair would make sure the wedding “reflects who they are as a couple.” Markle is an American actress who met the prince last year. She is 36-years-old; Prince Harry is 33. He is fifth in line to the throne, although he will become sixth in line when Prince William and Kate Middleton welcome their third child in April. The couple said that the prince proposed to Markle as they made “roast chicken” at home earlier this month. Markle is divorced; the Church of England agreed in 2002 that divorced people would be allowed to remarry in the church. She is also biracial; her father is white and her mother is black. Before proposing, Harry needed to obtain approval of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. Harry presented Markle with an engagement ring of yellow gold. The prince designed the ring of three diamonds. The large, middle stone is from Botswana. The other two stones are from a collection from Princess Diana. “It’s incredibly special to be able to have this, which sort of links where you come from and Botswana, which is important to us, and it’s perfect,” Markle said to Harry during an interview with the BBC. They both spent time in Botswana.
A 95-year-old woman is being investigated by the Australian government for looting artifacts from Egypt, Jordan, and Israel many decades ago. Joan Howard, who has been dubbed “Indiana Joan” by the Australian media, traveled throughout the Middle East during the 1960s and 1970s as the wife of a UN diplomat. Ms. Howard would regularly volunteer on archeological digs and was allowed to have unfiltered access to active digging sites. The Australian media has reported that she has an extensive collection that includes “Neolithic ax heads, Phoenician pottery and weapons, Roman coins, seals and a precious funerary mask from Egypt.” The report explains that “through her husband’s UN connections, over 11 years she was given carte blanche to travel between Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, and Israel. She used her diplomatic freedom to search for antiquities before laws changed and it became legally difficult to do so.” Since the report was published, a group of Egyptian archeologists are demanding that Howard return whatever findings and artifacts she stole from Egypt years ago. “We want to investigate how these pieces made it out of Egypt illegally,” said Shaaban Abdel Gawad, the director-general of the Retrieved Antiquities Department at Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. “The theft of antiquities and their subsequent sale is not a new phenomenon and we are interested in retrieving those that belong to our country wherever they may be,” Gawad added. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is now investigating the matter. “Australia implements its obligations under the UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
(1970) … This includes the return of foreign cultural property which has been illegally exported from its country of origin and imported into Australia,” a department spokesman said. Of her time volunteering on archeological dig sites led by British and American experts, Howard told the West Australian, “It was all good fun. Dirty work, of course. But as it turned out, very, very rewarding.” The collection is estimated to be worth over $1 million.
Pence: Trump Considering Embassy Move
On Tuesday, Vice President Mike Pence announced before a gathering of UN diplomats that President Donald Trump is “actively considering” moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Pence made the remarks in a keynote address at an event in New York commemorating the 70th anniversary of the UN vote for partition of Palestine, which led to the creation of the State of Israel. “President Donald Trump is actively considering when and how to move the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” Pence told the gathering of UN ambassadors, diplomats and Jewish leaders, hosted by Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon. The UN General Assembly on November 29, 1947 passed a resolution adopting a plan on partitioning British-mandated Palestine to establish
a Jewish state. Of the 56 members of the UN at the time, 33 voted in favor, 13 against and 10 abstained, enabling the establishment of Israel the following year. In keeping with Jewish tradition, the celebration was held on the eve of the historic date. “Israel didn’t need a resolution to call for its existence, because its right to exist is self-evident, and timeless,” Pence said. “While Israel was built by human hands, it’s impossible not to see the hand of heaven here, too.” The U.S. vice president received a standing ovation from the audience at the Queens Museum, site of the original United Nations vote in 1947. Congress passed a law in 1995 making it U.S. policy to move the embassy to Jerusalem, symbolically endorsing Israel’s claim on the city as its capital. But the law contained a clause that has allowed each president since to issue and renew a sixmonth waiver on implementing the move. Trump signed the last waiver on June 1. In early December he will have to decide whether to postpone the move for another six months. Pence affirmed the strong ties between the U.S. and Israel. “As President Trump says, ‘If the world knows nothing else, let them know this: America stands with Israel,’” he said. “Under our administration, America will always stand with Israel.” He added, “Under President Trump, the U.S. will not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons,” he vowed. “This is our solemn promise to you, to Israel and to the world.”
Israel to Open Embassy in Rwanda
This week, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with dozens of heads of African nations in Kenya he pledged to open a new embassy in Kigali, Rwanda. He also said that the Jewish state is weighing direct commercial flights to the East
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African country. “This is part of the expansion of Israel’s presence in Africa and of the deepening cooperation between Israel and African countries,” Netanyahu said after a meeting. Currently, the Israeli ambassador to Ethiopia deals with Rwanda-related affairs. Israel recently agreed to pay the Rwandan government $5,000 for every African migrant in Israel it is willing to accept, as the Jewish state steps up efforts to deport the largely Sudanese and Eritrean population residing in the country illegally. Netanyahu arrived in Kenya for a whirlwind visit to celebrate the inauguration of President Uhuru Kenyatta and for a marathon session of bilateral meetings with African leaders. Netanyahu was seated next to Kenyatta — who won a contested election critics say was rigged — and Kagame at a luncheon in Nairobi’s Presidential Palace. The event, at which Netanyahu delivered brief remarks, followed Kenyatta’s inauguration in the city’s Kasarani Stadium. At the sidelines of the luncheon in Nairobi, Netanyahu also met the presidents of Gabon, Uganda, Tan-
zania, Zambia, South Sudan, Botswana and Namibia, and the prime minister of Ethiopia. “Our intention is to deepen ties with Africa also by forging links with countries that we do not have diplomatic relations with,” he said earlier on Tuesday, before boarding the plane to Nairobi. In the last two years, four African countries have opened diplomatic missions in Israel, and he was inviting others to follow suit, Netanyahu added. In recent years, Rwanda has been a staunch ally of Israel, notably abstaining in 2014 vote on a resolution advancing the Palestinian statehood bid at the United Nations Security Council.
Terrorist Receives 2 ½ Life Sentences Murdering terrorist Mohammad Zkharna was sentenced to two life sentences plus 40 additional years in prison for recruiting and operating the terrorist cell that killed Gregory Rabinowitz in May of 2009. The
three members of the cell were also given life sentences for committing murder seven years ago. Rabinowitz, 56 at the time of his murder, was found in a field in the Shfela region of Israel approximately 24 hours after he was determined to be missing. The three members of Zkharna’s terrorist cell – Mahmoud Ouda, Muhammad Khaledi, and Ahmed Abu Hanini – had come to Ashdod to try to hail a cab in order to rob and kill the driver. Although many drivers would not take the three terrorists who could not produce an ID, Rabinowitz agreed to take them. While on their way to Gan Yavne, they had him pull over and then robbed and killed him. The three murderers were arrested and admitted to having killed Mr. Rabinowitz. They had entered Israel illegally and said that they killed him because he was Jewish and in retaliation for the death of one of their relatives, senior Islamic Jihad terrorist Mohammad Abu Jahin. Jahin had been killed by Israeli security forces in February 2007. Zkharna was also convicted of killing a Palestinian that he suspected of collaborating with Israeli authorities along with 37 other security offenses.
Iranian Throws Match to Avoid Israeli
On Sunday an Iranian wrestler intentionally lost a match to avoid facing an Israeli opponent in the next round. Alireza Karimi was beating Russian Alikhan Zhabrailov in a match at the U-23 World Championship in Poland when coaches instructed him to throw the match. Karimi was leading 3-2 with one minute left and lost 14-3. He would have had to face an Israeli, Uri Kalashnikov, on the next round. Iran does not recognize Israel, and Iranian athletes are strongly discouraged from competing against Israelis at national competitions.
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The Yeshiva University Student Medical Ethics Society and Yeshiva University’s Center for the Jewish Future present the
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Iran’s wrestling federation praised Karimi for his sacrifice in a statement on Monday. Despite the praise Karimi was annoyed that he had to throw the match. “I do accept that Israel is an oppressor and commits crimes,” he said. “But would it not be oppression if our authorities undermine my hard work again?” Earlier this year, two Iranian soccer players took the field for a Greek team against Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv and were strongly condemned by Iran’s soccer federation. The New York Times reported that one of the players, who was the captain of the national team, was subsequently kicked off Iran’s team while the other was allowed to return after publicly apologizing. The issue of the treatment of Israeli athletes at international sporting events made headlines last month after Israeli medal winners at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam judo tournament were prohibited from displaying the Israeli flag, and the national anthem was not played for the Israeli who won a gold medal. A judoka from the United Arab Emirates also refused to shake hands with his Israeli rival after losing a match.
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Great Britain has purchased a missile defense system from Israel in order to protect the Falkland Islands. The £78 million Sky Sabre system is part of a £280 million defense investment that was announced by then-defense secretary Michael Fallon in 2015. The defense shield used by Sabre utilizes the same technology that drives Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system that has shot down hundreds of rockets fired from Gaza. The technology basically uses radar
to track short-range missiles and rockets, predicts its trajectory, and then shoots it out of the sky before it can reach its target. The Sky Sabre is made by an Israeli company called Mprest. The company is a subsidiary of the Israeli defense technology company Rafael and was founded by former Israeli military officers. The shield will be fully installed and operational by early 2020. The Iron Dome has reported a success rate of 90%. A report was leaked last month which showed that the U.S. Department of Defense is considering buying an Iron Dome defense system to protect U.S. forces stationed around the globe.
Cyber Monday Biggest Ever
If you bought something online on Monday you were one of thousands who spent a record $6.59 billion, making Monday the largest online shopping day in U.S. history. The booming numbers mark a 16.8 percent increase from a year ago. Purchases on smartphones on Cyber Monday reached $2 billion for the first time. “This year, mobile shopping was dominant both in the morning and afternoon, and desktop only staged a comeback in the evening when people were home,” Taylor Schreiner, director of Adobe’s Digital Insights division, said. From November 1 through November 27, $50 billion has been spent online thus far, on track to reach $100 billion by the New Year. A record $5.03 billion was spent online during Black Friday, an increase of 17 percent when compared with last year. Top-selling items that day included the Nintendo Switch, Hatchimals, L.O.L. Surprise, and ride-on cars for kids. Meanwhile, Small Business Sat-
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
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Rabbi Bender extends himself with his whole heart and soul. Let's do the same for him. www.darchei.org/dinner
The Aviator B r o o k ly n , n E w yo r k
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אור לכ"ח טבת תשע"ח
January 14, 2018
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Avi Weinstock Campaign Chairman Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz National Chairman Dovi Safier Alumni Campaign Chairman National Tribute Committee in formation Elisha Brecher
Yaakov Rajchenbach
Rabbi Avrohom Fruchthandler
Dovid Scharf
Yitzchok Ganger
Eli Schron
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Harry Skydell
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Ben Lowinger
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Ronald Lowinger President
Lloyd Keilson . Motty Klein Chairmen, Board of Trustees
For dinner reservations and journal dedication opportunities please contact Yeshiva Darchei Torah 237 Beach 17th Street Far Rockaway, New York 11691 p 718.868.2300 ext.237 e dinner@darchei.org w darchei.org/dinner
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urday and Sunday delivered a combined $5.12 billion in online sales, up 10 percent from a year ago.
Cities of Happiness How happy are you? Are your neighbors happy too? In order to compile a list of America’s happiest cities, residents were asked to rate their life satisfaction on a scale
of 0 to 10. They were asked specific questions regarding how often they smiled, laughed or felt joy during the previous 24 hours. Additionally, questions regarding well-being and purpose were included. Participants were asked whether they “learned or did something interesting yesterday.” The research showed that having enough money for food, shelter, health care and education is a huge factor in happiness. However, the study did not find that happiness increased with more money beyond the point of basic needs being taken care
Together with National Geographic, based on 250,000 interviews in 190 metropolitan areas across the United States, author Dan Buettner put the results into a book, The Blue Zones of Happiness. In the happiest cities in the United States, people feel safe and secure, have a sense of purpose and have joy in their day-to-day lives. The data also showed that people tend to be happiest when they’re living close to water and when they have access to nature, green spaces, and fruits and vegetables. Keep smiling! The happiest cities in the U.S. are: 1. Boulder, CO 2. Santa Cruz, CA 3. Charlottesville, VA 4. Fort Collins, CO 5. San Luis Obispo, CA 6. San Jose, CA 7. Provo, UT 8. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 9. Barnstable Town, MA 10. Anchorage, AK
of. In fact, cities with incomes higher than average did not necessarily score higher on the happiness scale. Similarly, cities that suffer from poverty, with basic needs not being tended to, ranked low on the happiness scale. A recent Gallup study pinpointed Denmark, Singapore and Costa Rica as the happiest countries in the world. Within these three and other happy countries in the world, the World Happiness Report researchers isolated six common factors: strong economic growth, healthy life expec-
Holocaust Survivor Gives Back
Bernard Darty, 83, is one of the few Holocaust survivors still alive today. Now, seventy years later, he wants to show his deepest appreciation for the heroes who saved him from Germany – the U.S. Army.
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
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existed. I think of that every time I look at our family photos…In giving this donation, I want to thank Americans with all my heart for coming to rescue us in our hour of need. But I also want to make a public stand in support of America. I hope that my donation can trigger a movement and lead others to take action. My story shows it’s never too late to give back, especially for a cause that’s close to your heart. If it wasn’t too late for this octogenarian, it’s not too late for you.”
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To show his gratitude, Darty, retired co-founder of Darty Group, an electrical retailer operating more than 340 stores in three European countries, pledged $1 million to organizations that assist American veterans, the Wounded Warrior Project and the Services for Armed Forces program of the American Red Cross. In a self-authored article on FoxNews.com Darty wrote, “Since World War II, I’ve felt a deep connection to
American troops for saving my life – a feeling that resurfaces every year on Veterans Day and throughout the holiday giving season.” Darty was a child when World War II broke out and he spent his early years on the run from the Nazis in France after his parents fled from Poland. He explained how many Jews were sent to Nazi death camps from Paris when the Germans invaded France and deported 13,000 Jews on July 16, 1942, including his
parents. Darty stayed with an aunt who was married to a French soldier and thereby protected. He had been separated from his family at the age of 7. By June 1944, American troops landed in Normandy and the liberation of the concentration camps had begun. Darty wrote, “The gratitude I feel to these men is beyond words. They freed our country and they saved our lives. Without American troops, my family and I simply would not have
A new trend is showing that many more millennials are willing to get their hands dirty in exchange for hours at a desk in front of a computer screen. There is a growing movement of educated, ex-urban, firsttime farmers who are capitalizing on flourishing consumer demand for local and sustainable foods. Experts are predicting that this movement can have a significant impact on the food system. The number of farmers under the age of 35 years is rising, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest Census of Agriculture. More interestingly, of those surveyed, 69% have college degrees, significantly higher than the general population – 33.4% of Americans had a college degree in 2016. Farming is rapidly losing many to age, and although this group isn’t enough to fill the gap, it will help sustain the fields. According to the USDA, from 2007 to 2012, agriculture gained 2,384 farmers between ages 25 and 34, but lost nearly 100,000 between 45 and 54. “We’re going to see a sea change in American agriculture as the next generation gets on the land,” said Kathleen Merrigan, the head of the Food Institute at George Washington
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veterans suffered, dealing with debilitating wounds and grappling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Now, almost 50 years later, many more veterans are facing medical complications stemming from the time they spent in Vietnam. A new study revealed that many veterans are dying from a slow-killing parasite that has been living in their bodies for decades. Liver flukes, parasites that infect a human when raw or undercooked fish is eaten, are being looked at as the cause of a rare bile duct cancer among veterans who served in the Vietnam War. The symptoms can take years to surface, and oftentimes by the time there is a diagnosis the victim is left with tremendous damage, in a lot of pain, and with just a few more months to live.
University and a deputy secretary at the Department of Agriculture under President Barack Obama. “The only question is whether they’ll get on the land, given the challenges.” This demographic is expected to bring a new dimension to farming. Being that they are highly educated they are more likely than the general farming population to grow organically, limit pesticide and fertilizer use, diversify their crops or animals, and be deeply involved in their local
food systems via community supported agriculture (CSA) programs and farmers markets. These young farmers generally operate small farms that are less than 50 acres. Between 1992 and 2012, the country lost more than 250,000 midsize and small commercial farms, according to the USDA. During that same period, more than 35,000 very large farms started up, and the large farms already in existence consolidated their acreage. Midsize farms are crit-
ical to rural economies, generating jobs, spending and tax revenue.
Vets Suffering from Fatal Parasite A half century ago, hundreds of veterans returned from Vietnam, grateful to be alive. Post-war, many
The study was instigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs after many similar cases were reported. Shockingly, more than 20% of the 50 blood samples submitted to the study came back positive or bordering positive for liver fluke antibodies, said Sung-Tae Hong, the tropical medicine specialist who carried out the tests at Seoul National University in South Korea. All those who tested positive were alerted, Northport VA Medical Center spokesman Christopher Goodman said. The parasite is extremely common in Asia, where there are about 25 million cases of the infection, but it is very rare in the United States. Gerry Wiggins, 69, who served in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969, agreed to participate in the study although he didn’t have any symptoms. Wiggins already lost friends to the disease, and, to his astonishment, liver fluke antibodies were detected in his samples. Further tests showed two cysts on his bile duct that could develop into a cancer known as cholangiocarcinoma. They were removed and Wiggins is doing well. “I was in a state of shock,” he said. “I didn’t think it would be me.” If detected early enough, the parasites can be killed in infected humans with medication. However, the
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5 Kislev 5778 • Vol. VI No. 45 (#237)
QueensJewishLink.com • 718-880-2622 • QueensJewishLink@gmail.com
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parasites can host on a human body for years without symptoms. Eventually, the parasites cause swelling and inflammation of the bile duct that can lead to cancer. Jaundice, itchy skin, weight loss and other symptoms appear only when the disease is in its final stages. The purpose of the VA study is to establish a correlation which would help veterans that suffer from cholangiocarcinoma, or bile duct cancer, receive better benefits. There is currently a warning on the U.S. government website establishing that veterans who ate raw or undercooked freshwater fish while in Vietnam might be at risk. “We are taking this seriously,” said Curt Cashour, a spokesman with the Department of Veterans Affairs. “But until further research, a recommendation cannot be made either way.”
Long Live H.W. He hasn’t been in office for decades, but this week he made headlines. On Saturday, former President George H.W. Bush became the longest-living president in U.S. history at
93 years and 166 days old. Bush, born on June 12, 1924, beat the previous record held by former President Gerald Ford, who died in 2006 at 93 years and 165 days old. Behind him is Ronald Reagan, who died in 2004 at 93 years and 120 days old.
year, however, he has faced health complications, twice going to the hospital for pneumonia and chronic bronchitis. Gabe Fleisher, who runs the political newsletter Wake Up To Politics, was the first to point out the milestone on Twitter.
Convicted Councilman Sues NYC Jimmy Carter, the second-oldest living president who was born on October 1, 1924, is a little more than 100 days behind Bush. The senior Bush originally served as Reagan’s vice president in the 1980s and then went on to succeed Reagan as the 41st president of the U.S. He was 64 years old when he entered office in 1989. Bush celebrated his 93rd birthday on the coast of Maine and has remained active over the past few years, boating with his family and even skydiving to mark his 90th birthday. This
Former Queens Councilman Ruben Wills is suing the very city he once served. After committing a crime, getting convicted and sentenced to prison, the former politician is attempting to sue New York City for mistreatment. Wills served his sentence at Riker’s Island this past summer after a jury found him guilty of stealing $33,000 in campaign funds and grant money in July. He was immediately expelled from the Council after a Queens criminal court judge handed down a two to six year sentence. Wills was required to serve four days’ stay at Riker’s Island before being transferred to a more “friendly” prison. He claims that during his short stay the guards left him in agonizing pain and confined to a wheelchair. His medications were allegedly misplaced by prison staff, and they refused to transport him to the infirmary for close to three days, causing him such pain that he couldn’t walk. Wills filed a notice of claim with the city controller’s office that he intends to sue for $10 million in damages. “Mr. Wills felt compelled to sue the city of New York for the sole purpose of holding the city Department of Corrections accountable for its well-documented and repeat failure to provide the appropriate level of medical care for inmates in their custody,” said his attorney, Natraj Bhushan. Amid his legal troubles, Wills suffered a setback with a botched med-
ical procedure in January 2016. His condition caused him to miss 69 City Council meetings over six months. When Wills’s first trial occurred a year later, his physician sent his medical records to the court, and Queens Supreme Court Judge Ira Margulis allowed him to sit on a chair with a soft surface and take several breaks throughout the 11-day proceedings. When Wills returned to court in August for his second trial, Margulis ordered him to “be housed at [North Infirmary Command] on Rikers” for “medical and psychological attention.” Ironically, prior to his legal woes, Wills had been an advocate to close Riker’s Island after Mayor Bill De Blasio proposed the shutdown by 2027 after politicians pressured him to end abuses in the city’s jail system.
Three Navy Sailors Lost in Plane Crash
Last Wednesday afternoon, a U.S. army airplane crashed in the Philippine Sea. After an exhaustive search and rescue effort to locate three missing soldiers, the U.S. Navy ended their search. The C-2A Greyhound aircraft had eleven people on board. Eight sailors were rescued within 45 minutes of the accident, the 7 th Fleet said in a statement. They are all in good health. Three of the sailors were missing, and their families were notified of their missing status. They have been identified as Lt. Steven Combs, Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) Airman Matthew Chialastri and Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Apprentice Bryan Grosso. Lt. Combs and Grosso were from Florida; Chialastri was from Louisiana. At the time of the crash, the plane was conducting a routine transport flight carrying passengers and cargo from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni to the USS Ronald Reagan. The crash remains under investigation. “Our thoughts and prayers are
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
with the families of these Sailors,” Vice Adm. Phil Sawyer, commander of U.S. Seventh Fleet, said. “Their service and sacrifice will be lasting in Seventh Fleet and we will continue to stand the watch for them, as they did bravely for all of us.”
Alone? Get Creative!
Time alone can be a good thing. While a frequent desire to be alone when you’re young can be a cause for concern, it may actually be a sign of creativity. Researchers at the University of Buffalo interviewed 295 privacy-valuing individuals who reported a variety of reasons for their tendency to spend a lot of time alone, ranging from feeling fear or anxiety around others to preferring to use spare time working on a craft. While many people automatically assume that an individual that prefers to be alone might suffer from depression, this new study claims that anti-social behaviors can be linked to creativity. “We have to understand why someone is withdrawing to understand the associated risks and benefits,” explained Julie Bowker, the study’s lead author. “When people think about the costs associated with social withdrawal, oftentimes they adopt a developmental perspective,” she continued. “During childhood and adolescence, the idea is that if you’re removing yourself too much from your peers, then you’re missing out on positive interactions like receiving social support, developing social skills and other benefits of interacting with your peers. “Although unsociable youth spend more time alone than with others, we know that they spend some time with peers. They are not antisocial,” Bowker emphasized. “They don’t ini-
tiate interaction, but also don’t appear to turn down social invitations from peers. Therefore, they may get just enough peer interaction so that when they are alone, they are able to enjoy that solitude. They’re able to think creatively and develop new ideas — like an artist in a studio or the academic in his or her office.” The source of the desire to withdraw is important. Social avoidance or fear of crowds are concerning but needing time to connect to nature or get a better sense of self can be constructive, the researchers found. “Over the years, unsociability has been characterized as a relatively benign form of social withdrawal,” Bowker concluded. “But, with the new findings linking it to creativity, we think unsociability may be better characterized as a potentially beneficial form of social withdrawal.”
Buggy Bread
The Finns are definitely not finicky eaters. Recently, one of Finland’s largest food companies announced that it is selling a most unusual food: insect bread. “Finns are known to be willing to try new things,” Markus Hellstrom, head of the company, said. According to a new survey, Finnish customers want “good taste” and “freshness” from their bread. They are also known to have “positive attitudes toward insects,” said Juhani Sibakov, head of the bakery innovation department. And so, the company has launched a product that they say marries the concepts of good taste and insects: buggy bread. Each loaf contains around 70 dried house crickets, which are ground into powder and added to flour. The crickets represent three percent of the bread’s weight. “We made crunchy dough to
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in an illegal or questionable act, especially with others.” The word has been named Dictionary.com’s word of the year.
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The word made headlines after First Daughter Ivanka Trump was interviewed by CBS’s “This Morning” and said that she “doesn’t know” what complicit means but that if complicit means “wanting to be a force for good and to make a positive impact,” then she’s complicit. Even before she was interviewed, a TV show produced a satire commercial for a perfume by Ivanka called Complicit. Both the show and the interview helped to drive look-ups for the word by 10,000 percent. Dictionary.com chooses its word of the year by analyzing spikes in look-up data that correlate with noteworthy events. Other words saw a spike in lookups this year including horologist (a clockmaker), totality (the spike came after the solar eclipse), and tarnation.
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enhance taste,” Sibakov shared. The result was “delicious and nutritious,” he said, adding that the Fazer Sirkkaleipa (Finnish for Fazer Cricket Bread) “is a good source of protein and insects also contain good fatty acids, calcium, iron and vitamin B12.” “Mankind needs new and sustainable sources of nutrition,” he added enthusiastically. The first batch of cricket breads
were sold in major Finnish cities on Friday. For now, there’s not enough cricket flour available to sell the crunchy cricket loaves nationwide but the company aims to have it sold in 47 bakeries around Finland. Finland is not the only country to be selling insects as people food. In Switzerland, supermarket chain Coop began selling burgers and balls made from insects in September. Insects can also be found on super-
market shelves in Belgium, Britain, Denmark and the Netherlands. These foods are bugging me out.
Complicit Know what that means? Well, now that they’ve looked it up, thousands of Americans know that complicit means “choosing to be involved
She’s not even born yet, but I bet I know what her favorite restaurant is. Recently, a couple with a great sense of humor and not-such-great taste in food said they will be naming their daughter-to-be Olivia Garton. Yes, the name sounds like an Italian restaurant – and that’s because she’s named after the restaurant Olive Garden.
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
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Justin and Jordan Garton of Arkansas said they have decided to name the baby, due in December, after the restaurant where they once ate every day for seven weeks after buying a “never ending pasta pass” in 2015. “We committed to eating there every day for six or seven weeks to get our money’s worth,” Justin Garton, 28, said. “It saved us several hundred
dollars when we really needed it.” Wanting to name their child after the diner but not wanting to make it too obvious, they rejected the name Olive. Olivia, they decided, sounded better. “We were able to make the joke, but a little more subtle, and it’s still a pretty name,” said Jordan Garton, 26. “It was definitely an easy decision.” Making the name even more
adorable is the baby-to-be’s middle name: Michelle. Yes, her initials will be O.M.G. “I guess we just have to be those hashtag millennial parents,” Jordan said. Anyone looking to buy a baby present for the family should perhaps consider a family pass to Olive Garden. Hey, you’re never too young for breadsticks.
A yarmulke that retailers are calling the world’s most expensive kippah has gone on sale for $167,000. The head covering is capped with a two-carat Russian diamond enclosed within a Star of David, encrusted with more than 3,500 crystals, and has been created just in time for Chanukah. High-end skullcaps are being designed for wealthy clientele who may want to sport a luxury piece of headwear at a Jewish religious ceremony, such as a wedding or a bar mitzvah. “Whilst I was a youngster in Nigeria, Jews had a rather exotic image. The more I have since been exposed to Jews and Judaism, the more I have become enamored with its rituals, principles and aesthetics,” designer Toks Daniel told Britain’s Jewish Chronicle newspaper about his creation. “My yarmulke design is a manifestation of my enchantment with the religion.” Marcel Knobil, founder of VeryFirstTo, the online store that is selling the yarmulke, said, “This remarkable yarmulke is simultaneously a spectacular item of headwear and a scintillating work of art. “However, we can’t guarantee that it enhances the likelihood of one’s prayers being answered!” he quipped. Lest you get turned off by the high price tag on this kippah, keep in mind that there are other, more expensive yarmulkes out there. Retailer ModernTribe announced in October that it was selling a $36,000 skullcap, made with 873 diamonds, white gold and Italian leather that it called “a Chanukah present for the person who really has everything.” Except for some class.
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
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Around the
Community “V’ha’arev Nah” Retzufah Seder at MAY
I
t’s been three years since Rabbi Yehuda Orlansky, 12th grade rebbe at Mesivta Ateres Yaakov, introduced the “V’ha’arev Nah” program to his talmidim. The program, which was highlighted in Mishpacha a few years ago, encourages talmidim through a variety of methods to engage in a tremendous amount of chazarah until they truly “own” a masechta. As one of the components to the novel approach to bekiyus learning, talmidim participate in a number of “retzufos sedarim” throughout the year. Aside from the delicious fare that is provided before and after the seder, the primary goal is for talmidim to learn completely uninterrupted for an extended period of time. Last Tuesday, both 12th grade shiurim – all 44 talmidim – remained in Yeshiva after a full day of learning and engaged in the first retzufah seder of the year, learning uninterrupted for two hours straight. The seder concluded with live music and leibidik singing and dancing that lasted till 11:00 PM! “Much of the success we are seeing from our talmidim has to do with the time and energy our senior rabbeim, Rabbi Yehuda Orlansky and Rabbi Yonason Sprung, expend for their shiurim,” commented Rabbi Yossi Bennett, Assistant Menahel. “They give over lev v’nefesh for our talmidim, and the bochurim feel that.” Rabbi Yonasan Sprung, the first Honors Shiur Rebbe to have adopted the “V’ha’arev Nah” program into his bekiyus shiur, commented, “My goal is that my talmidim gain skills
in lamdus and a geshmak in learning during our iyun shiur, and another geshmak in mastery of a masechta during our bekiyus shiur.” The talmidim from both shiurim took a trip a few weeks ago to visit Rabbi Dovid Neuman, the mastermind behind this groundbreaking movement, and inaugurated the program for this z’man. B’siyata d’shmaya, talmidim are learning b’hasmodah rabah and loving every minute of it! The Mesivta thanks Mr. and Mrs. Yankee and Tammy Hirsch, Stop, Chop & Roll and Hapina Grill for sponsoring the refreshments for the evening.
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Around the Community
Rambam Joins Historic Reenactment of UN Vote on Partition Day
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n November 29, 1947, the General Assembly of the United Nations voted 33-13 to allow for the formal creation of the State of Israel on land which was previously under the control of Great Britain. Notably, 10 members, including England, abstained from the vote. The Arab members of the General Assembly stormed out in staunch opposition. Months later in May of 1948, Israel proclaimed its independence and the Arabs wasted no time in launching an attack to invade Israel. Fortunately, Israel vanquished its enemies and remains a viable and Jewish state. Fast-forward 70 years to November 28, 2017. The Queens Museum, which served as a temporary quarters of the UN in 1947 when the vote took place, hosted a reenactment of that historic vote. Israel’s ambassador to
the United Nations, Danny Danon, organized this event and invited political leaders, college students, and various high schools to be part of and witness the reenactment. Rambam Mesivta, well-known for is pro-Israel advocacy and anti-BDS activism, was fortunate to receive an invite. They joined two other Jewish schools (both from Manhattan) in attending the program. Vice President Pence, Malcolm Hoenlein, and many dignitaries were present. When the program was initially announced, the Queens Museum initially rejected it for a few hours as they thought it might risk offending Palestinians. However, because of the overwhelming positive sentiment expressed by many political leaders and the official anti-BDS stance which has been taken by the New York State Legislature, the museum acquiesced
and allowed the event to take place. Rambam students were proud to participate and learn about what took place 70 years ago, while also joining others in making a strong statement against the BDS movement as they took up the ambassador’s invitation.
The Rambam participants that represented the entire school were Itai Eliach, Zev Granik, Eliyahu Levy, Yitzy Lisker, Yidi Reiss, and Benjie Wiener. They were accompanied by the principal of Rambam Mesivta, Rabbi Yotav Eliach, a world-renown Middle East expert.
hear from this year’s guest lecturer. This year’s speaker was Rabbi Yitzy Haber, who spoke of his incredible life story and the importance of appreciating what we have in life. After some fun game show activities by grade, it was time for one of the highlights of Shabbat, the Friday Night DRS Tish led by Rabbi Kaminetsky. All 230 students packed into a section of the ballroom and the inspired singing went on well past midnight. On Shabbat Day, students were treated to a fabulous kiddush fol-
lowed by parsha time with their rabbeim. The Seudat Shabbat included more lively zemirot and divrei Torah from various students. After an incredibly inspiring shalosh seudot and havdalah, the students headed to the dining room for a spirited Melava Malka with lively dancing. The Shabbaton was a great way for students of different ages to strengthen friendships, as well as their relationships with their rabbeim.
DRS Schoolwide Shabbaton
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t is perhaps the most anticipated event of the DRS school year: The Annual Schoolwide Shabbaton. This past Shabbat, DRS sophomores, juniors, and seniors, accompanied by their rabbeim and their families, spent the weekend at the Mountain Laurel Hotel in White Haven, Pennsylvania. Students eagerly boarded the buses bound for the Shabbaton on Thursday evening. Upon arrival at the hotel, the students were treated to a lavish BBQ and then boarded buses to head to H2OOO Indoor
Water Park. On Friday morning, after Shacharis, a shiur by 10th grade Rebbe Rabbi Friedman, and a hearty breakfast, the students traveled to a nearby park to partake in the annual Shabbaton Flag Football Tournament, where 13 flag football games were played simultaneously! The pre-Shabbat festivities came to an end as students returned to the hotel to prepare for the holiness of Shabbat. After an inspiring Kabbalat Shabbat and spirited zemirot during dinner, students were privileged to
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NOVEMBER 30, 2017 | The Jewish Home
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Capacity Crowd of 1,100 Show Their Support at OHEL’s 48th Annual Gala
Guests of Honor, Miriam and Irving Langer
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n Sunday, November 19, over 1,100 friends and supporters of OHEL Children’s Home and Family Services filled the grand ballroom at New York’s Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square for OHEL’s 48th Annual Gala. This year’s theme was “A New Chapter Begins: OHEL is Home” and encapsulated OHEL’s expansion of services under one roof at The New
Sign of Strength Award, Pinky and Miri Friedman
OHEL Jaffa Family Campus in Flatbush. The New OHEL Jaffa Family Campus will be enable OHEL to effectively meet the ever increasing and diverse needs of a growing community, and write new life stories for those who yearn for new beginnings. The evening’s honorees were Irving and Miriam Langer, Guests of Honor, in celebration of the open-
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ing of the Irving and Miriam Langer Center for Developmental Disabilities; Yossi and Deena Eisenberger, awarded the Community Leadership Award; Pinky and Miri Friedman who received the Sign of Strength Award for their passionate support of OHEL’s new groundbreaking initiative, SignofStrength.org, to raise awareness of anxiety and combat the stigma of mental health in the community; and Shalom and Zahava Hurwitz who were named Foster Family of the Year. Toshiba, a long-standing vendor of OHEL, graciously displayed the names of our honorees on their giant Times Square billboard, thanking each honoree for their efforts on behalf of OHEL’s Children and Families. The evening could not have been as successful without the leadership of David Brecher, this year’s OHEL Gala Chairman, who is also president of Camp Kaylie. His passion and tireless dedication to OHEL and Camp Kaylie sets the standard for us
Foster Family of the Year, Zahava and Shalom Hurwitz
all. OHEL’s 48th Annual Gala also paid a moving tribute to Asher Fogel, a”h, the former Chief Operating Officer of OHEL, whose leadership and influence on the entirety of OHEL and transformative impact on thousands in the developmental disability community and beyond cannot be overstated. Asher was a dedicated employee for over 28 years, building the residential, day, and employment programs. His vision for integrated medical and mental health services will be another lasting legacy at the New OHEL Jaffa Family Campus. OHEL rose on the shoulders of a giant and his fatherly presence will never be forgotten. OHEL premiered several videos at the Gala, highlighting the impact the honorees have on OHEL, their families, and our communities. In addition, the video OHEL’s Impact Near and Far highlighted OHEL’s comprehensive, award-winning services nationwide, and introduced many to the expansive new services
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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
Around the Community at the New OHEL Jaffa Family Campus. This year’s feature film, “A Sign of Strength: Confronting Anxiety in Our Community,” followed the stories of two courageous individuals, a child Shani and an adult Yitty, who shared their transformative life experiences with their respective OHEL therapists in proactively confronting and effectively managing their anxiety. This powerful film can be seen at SignofStrength.org. The underlying message of this new OHEL campaign is that that talking about emotions and mental health, should no longer be seen as a sign of weakness, but a Sign of Strength. The evening’s program was concluded with a live musical performance by Lipa Schmeltzer, who introduced a new song developed with OHEL entitled Let it Go! a powerful new single that challenges the stigma of mental health. OHEL thanks all who attended this year’s Gala and contributed to its success. Together, your support enables OHEL to Begin a New Chapter at The New OHEL Jaffa Family Campus and write new chapters,
Jack Jaffa and Irving Langer
David Brecher, Gala Chairman
Irving Langer, guest of honor, with Community Leadership honoree Yossi Eisenberger
new stories of strength, hope and inspiration to those in need. All of the videos shown at the Gala can be seen at here at http:// www.ohelfamily.org/galavideos and you can download the new Lipa song Let It Go! for FREE at http:// www.signofstrength.org To support OHEL’s important work, or access an OHEL services please visit http://www.ohelfamily.org, or call OHEL Access at 1800-603-OHEL, or email access@ohelfamily.org.
OHEL President Moishe Hellman, Sign of Strength honoree Pinky Friedman, and Lipa
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Around the Community PHOTO CREDIT: IRA THOMAS CREATIONS
YOSS Celebrates Haschalas Gemara
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t a multigenerational event on Thanksgiving morning, the 5th grade talmidim at Yeshiva of South Shore celebrated their Haschalas Gemara. The boys were joined by their fathers and grandfathers for an inspiring morning that included a festive breakfast and special learning program. The talmidim reached this milestone under the guidance of their rabbeim, Rabbi Scharhon, Rabbi Steinharter, and Rabbi Burger. Rabbi Chanina Herzberg, Menahel HaYeshiva, welcomed the crowd. The event also featured a dvar Torah from Rabbi Mordechai Kamentzky, Rosh Yeshiva, who spoke about his father, zt”l, Rav Binyamin’s, joy at events
such as this one. Three talmidim, Avi Slomnicki, Elazar Schwartz and Yechiel Livshits, captivated the audience with beautiful divrei Torah and insights into their personal experiences in learning Gemara. Rabbi Eliezer Feuer, the Rav of YIWB, Sha’ar Hashomayim, gave the keynote address. He imparted the theme that when one begins a jour-
ney with good intentions, the Ribono Shel Olam will always be there to help him along. He charged the boys with a mission to forever grow in their learning and strive to one day finish all of Shas. The highlight of the event was when the boys showcased their musical talents with a performance of Abie Rotenberg’s famous song, “Lulai Sorascha.” The boys sang beautifully, accompanied by Rabbi Shlomo Drebin, the program coordinator. Soloists included Moshe Baron, Moshe Farkas, Yeshaya Grunstein, Eliezer Kamenetzky, Eliyahu Kramer, Ezra Shilo, Sruly Siegel and Binny Szlafrok. The event was dedicated in memory of Rav Binyamin Kamentzky, zt”l, YOSS’s
founder and former Rosh Yeshiva. Rabbi Kamenetzky noted that by establishing the Yeshiva, his father set the Torah foundation for generations of Five Towns families. Announcing the Legacy Campaign, that will highlight continued growth and renewal in memory of the Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Kamenetzky invited the three generations to join the mission to keep the great
legacy thriving. At the close of the event, the rabbeim presented each talmid with a personalized shtender and a photo memento to mark the occasion. Four sets of Shas were also awarded to lucky raffle winners. Rav Mordechai said, “Today is the first step on a journey of your own legacy of Torah study. Mazel tov!”
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NOVEMBER 30, 2017 | The Jewish Home
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here was a “fold up” at Learn & live this past Sunday! R’ Nochum Dinowitz presented the melacha of m’sartait very handson. Yossi Keilson (who runs the hotline) introduced some new features on the L&L hotline. The evening ended by giving out to all the boys our very own pickles that the boys made two weeks ago at L&L for the melacha of m’abaid). “Question of the Week” winner was Yosef Frishman. This coming Sunday iy”H will be “The Cutting Edge.” For more information regarding L&L please email us at learnandlivefr@gmail.com or call our allnew L&L hotline, 641-715-3800, pin 932191#, for all the up-to-date L&L info.
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
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Ruach and Achdutat HANC H.S. Shabbaton in the Five Towns
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ast Shabbat, Parshat Toldot, the senior girls at HANC High School were privileged to spend a Shabbat in the Woodmere community. The theme for the Shabbaton was “decisions” as it connected to many of the experiences of the Avot and Imhahot that are mentioned in recent parshiot. This represented the stage of life that the senior girls are currently in. For Friday night dinner, the girls enjoyed the hospitality of their respec-
I wonder whether any of you feel the way that my parents do – that his lack of driving makes him odd and not someone to consider getting serious with. Page 104
tive hosts. Afterwards, they joined together for a lovely tisch at the home of their rebbe, Rabbi and Mrs. Weingot. The girls were inspired by the stories told by renowned mechanechet Mrs. Suri Wiengot. On Shabbat day, the girls made their way to Shul at Aish Kodesh, and then walked to a hearty, spirited lunch hosted by their mechanechet, Mrs. Adina Waldman. The students continued spending the afternoon there enjoying each other’s company while participating in thought-provoking and fun activities. The girls then went to the home of their principal, Rabbi Shlomo Adelman, who, together with his wife Chany, hosted a beautiful seudat shlishit. During the meal, students were introduced to Mrs. Ashley Cohen who shared her uplifting story of her personal journey as a baalat teshuva. Shabbat ended with unified singing and ruach among the girls. On Motzei Shabbat, the girls had a blast working together in an exciting and creative cooking competition of
“Chopped.” It was a fun and unifying experience for everyone. Thank you to the mechanchet, Mrs. Adina Wald-
man, for organizing this amazing Shabbaton and to all the teachers who hosted.
Beautiful Mikveh Being Built at Ramat Givat Zeev
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beautiful women’s mikveh is now being constructed for the residents of the new Ramat Givat Zeev residential project in metro Jerusalem. The women’s mikveh, which is being built in memory of Avraham Zeev Olive, zt”l, is destined to be the most impressive of its kind in the region and will feature two dipping pools based on the Chabad method, which is the accepted norm. The women’s mikveh will also highlight a gorgeous kallah suite and ten shower rooms. The women’s mikveh, like the rest of Ramat Givat Zeev, is being built with the highest building standards. At this moment, the entire up-
scale residential neighborhood is being primed to welcome the first 150 families within the next few months. The builders are working extra hard to put the finishing touches not only on their new homes and apartments but also the new roads, green parks, beautiful gardens and trees, shopping center, country club and sports complex. “Soon, the first residents of Ramat Givat Zeev be able to enjoy all of the first-class amenities that Ramat Givat Zeev has to offer, which is unprecedented in Israel’s real estate marketplace,” said a spokesperson for Chish Nofei Israel, which is building the new neighborhood.
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NOVEMBER 30, 2017 | The Jewish Home
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Getting To Know You: SKA’s Big and Little Sisters visors, Mrs. Ash, Mrs. Engel, Mrs. Leibtag, Mrs. Shmulewitz and Mrs. Dennis, and Rabbi Yosef Zakutinsky, Director of Student Programs, and staff members Mrs. Yafa Storch, Mrs. Jorge Mallin and Mrs. Shana Leben, for this awesome activity.
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Ninth and eleventh grade Big and Little Sisters join together
ne of the many ways the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls works to ensure that each student is comfortable during their high school years is the annual Big Sister/Little Sister event. In a special program that kicked off this
year on Wednesday, November 20, each ninth grader was paired with an eleventh grader who can help them further transition into high school, answer any questions they may have, and be an extra friendly face. The event gave the eleventh and
ninth graders the opportunity to get to know each other in a very creative way. Both grades had a wonderful bonding experience creating ice cream mad-libs and then delicious ice cream with their new “sisters.” Thanks go to the Grade Level Ad-
Ninth Grader Molly Sigman with her Big Sister eleventh Grader Esther Miller
Modeh Ani: Perspectives in Life and History at Shulamith High School
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istory came to life at Shulamith School for Girls on the day before Thanksgiving, when the students of 8th-11th grade participated in a mind-expanding and interactive History Day, designed and coordinated by Ms. Seffi Schofield. Based on the insight that a key habit of mind of historians is to consider the perspectives of different historical actors and the assumptions of the authors of both primary and secondary sources, the guiding question of the day was, “How do our experiences and assumptions change our perspectives?” To frame the day, the high school students viewed and discussed one of the 25 most-viewed TED Talks, “The Danger of a Single Story,” by Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Adichie. The students observed
that single perspectives, such as stereotypes, are dangerous not because they aren’t true, but because they are true and yet, in the words of the speaker, “incomplete.” Workshops on a number of historical events followed, each of which promoted an awareness of the multiple assumptions and perspectives that different groups brought to the event: women’s suffrage, racism and segregation in the South, Jamestown Colony, and, of course, the first Thanksgiving. The multiplicity of perspectives within Judaism was explored in a session on the history and development of minhagim. Handson sessions on cooking and jewelry making gave physical expression to the idea of the differing cultural perspectives of European settlers and
Native Americans. Lunch continued the theme of multiple perspectives on Thanksgiving, as teachers and students prepared dishes that they contributed to the communal meal. The students then reflected on aspects of gratitude that are meaningful to them, and shared them with each other. After lunch, the high school students were joined by the eighth grade, and together they participated in interactive workshops which used engineering, debate, math, art, and
economics to exemplify the cultural differences between Native Americans and Pilgrims. Working with primary sources in order to understand what life was like for the original Pilgrims and Native Americans in 17th-century Plymouth Colony, the students assumed the identities of particular characters, approached the challenge from that perspective, and found ways to collaborate and solve the challenge with others with similar and different perspectives. At the end of the day, the students gathered in the school auditorium to hear a presentation by Mrs. Chaya Willig-Levy. Mrs. Willig-Levy recounted personal experiences that exemplified how life events can be viewed in different ways. She encouraged the students to adopt a perspective which reveals Hashem’s hand guiding their lives and to cultivate a sense of gratitude and awe. In many ways, History Day was an ideal preparation for Thanksgiving.
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
36th Annual Brunch for Women to benefit
S U N DAY M O R N I N G D EC E M B E R 1 0, 20 1 7 1 0 : 0 0 AM T H E WH I T E S H U L CO N G R EGAT I O N KN ES E T H I S R AEL
GU E S T S O F H O N O R C HAVI MAN D EL BAU M • DAN I EL L A WO L F SO N GU E S T S PE AK E R C HAR L EN E AM I N O FF
From Near Tragedy to Open Miracle A FAS C I NAT I N G STO RY
T E H I L L I M R E C I TA L SAR IVK A FO R D S HAM Beis Medrash of Lawrence
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CHAIRPERSONS T ZI P PY DAVI D • EST H ER F EI G EN BAU M • MAR I LY N WO LOWI T Z B I KU R C H O L I M O F FA R R O C K AWAY A N D T H E F IVE T OWN S P.O. B OX 2 94 , L AWR EN C E , N Y, 1 1 5 59 7 1 8 . 32 7. 59 8 9 • 51 6 . 3 7 1 .96 62 • W W W. F R 5T B I K U R C H O L I M .C O M
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Around the Community
On Tuesday, November 28, Senator Todd Kaminsky spoke to the fourth grade class of Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island. The boys were intrigued to hear how the state government works and what Senator Kaminsky does to help the constituents of his 9th Senate district. The senator is pictured with the fourth graders and with Rabbi Shlomo Dovid Pfeiffer, S’gan Menahel, and Rabbi Tzvi Krigsman, Menahel of Yeshiva Ketana.
Honors Society Induction Ceremony at DRS
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CHDUT, the DRS Chapter of the National Honor Society, is affiliated with the National Association of Secondary Schools. On Monday night, DRS inducted 34 students into the Achdut chapter of the
National Honor Society. These students were selected for admission on the basis of having a minimum of a 90 academic average, as well as middot befitting this esteemed honor. The induction ceremony began
with words of welcome from both Rabbi Yisroel Kaminetsky, Menahel of DRS, and Dr. Hillel Broder, Principal of General Studies. The keynote speaker for the program was newly appointed president of Yeshiva University, Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman. In perhaps the first speaking engagements in our community, Rabbi Berman spoke to the students about their unique Jewish heritages and the values of being a Jew. Following Rabbi Berman’s speech, pairs of inductees delivered short vignettes about famous Jewish personalities from Tanach as well as from the secular world who have also made tremendous contributions to society and who exemplify the middot and characteristics of ACHDUT: character, leadership, scholarship, service, persistence, integrity, compassion, courage, dignity and vision. The pairs presented their famous personality to an audience of over 200 staff members, parents and relatives. An honorary award was delivered to Morah
PHOTO CREDIT IRA THOMAS CREATIONS
Elisheva Biderman, a long time Ivrit teacher at DRS, who was honored for her many years of service to our Yeshiva. Morah Biderman is a special individual who possesses all of the qualities that were spoken about by our students.
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
BAKE SALE & CHINESE AUCTION all proceeds to benefit
Yad Eliezer’s Baby Fund At the home of
Martha and Howie Hershkovich
102 Woodmere Boulevard Woodmere, NY Wednesday, December 6
7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. le’zechus refuah sheleimah yisrael amichai ben sara
Thursday, December 7
9:00 a.m.-8:00p.m. Committee: Elisheva Baum Esti Berman Layala Bobker Chayala Feigenbaum Julie Feinberg Suzanne Feit Debbie Fogel Jenny Gerber
Dawn Goldstein Sheri Hammer Etty Herschberg Shari Klammer Suri Lazar Barbara Simon Daphne Stern Penina Weiner
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Rabbi Nosson Greenberg Addresses Shevach Students
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The Mezuzah Doctor came to HANC ECC in West Hempstead this week and taught the students about how a mezuzah is written and the laws relating to mezuzot
Bentching Initiative at BYAM
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he girls at BYAM are working on improving their bentching to make it more meaningful and beautiful. They are learning to be meta-cognitive; instead of looking to an adult for affirmation of how they
bentch, each table of girls rate themselves. This helps them realize that they are in control of how they bentch. They know that Hashem is listening to their every word and they are striving to do their best.
I came running through the door, and in my haste, threw my flanken in the closet and my new boots in the crockpot with the chulent beans and potatoes. Tell you the truth, it still actually tasted pretty good. Page 134
n honor of Rosh Chodesh Kislev, Shevach students were invited by their G. O. to a “royal” breakfast in their multi-purpose room. The room was transformed into the courtyard of a palace with imposing black gates around the four sides of the room and gold palace doors gracing the front wall. The theme of the event was “Kol Kevudah Bas Melech Pnima,” paying tribute to the inherent royalty of all the “princesses” in the room. The Shevach G. O., which is headed by Avigayil Kramer, Shoshana Moskowitz, Toby Feder, Avigayil Marcus, and Etty Langer, under the guidance of Shevach Educational Administrator and G. O. Coordinator Mrs. Devorah Kovitz, did a superb job of bringing the theme to life. Many details were incorporated, such as a décor of pink and gold tables, which further enhanced the atmosphere of royalty in the room. The girls enjoyed bagels and spreads and little pink and gold cookies, after which they were treated to a choir, orchestrated by sophomores Tova Levinger and Bryndel Wurem, and sung by the entire 10th grade. The song beautifully conveyed the thought that all bnos Yisrael are true princesses. The highlight of the breakfast followed in the form of an address given by Rabbi Nosson Greenberg, Rav of Khal Machzehei Torah in Far Rockaway, who connected their theme to Rosh Chodesh Kislev. He captivated the audience with his distinct style, which included real messages, a bit of humor and his telltale English accent. Rabbi Greenberg spoke about the role that Jewish women have as the princesses of the Jewish people. He noted that it is interesting how Shlomo Hamelech describes the bas melech—as the daughter of the king. The bas melech comes from a lineage of royalty. The queen herself may be a commoner married to the king, but the princess by definition stems from royalty. So too the Jewish people trace their heritage way back to the forefathers and are therefore rooted in the highest form of “royalty.” The daughter of the king is unique and special on the inside. She feels the world is hers. She can do what she pleases and make choices that befit her. On the one hand she needs to
maintain humility, and on the other hand she functions in a world that is at her feet. So it is also with the Jewish young lady today. She has unlimited potential and the world is hers. She is humble when necessary but pushes herself to attain goals when possible. The power comes from within her. That is why Shlomo Hamelech uses the expression “penimah,” internal. Life is not only what is seen on the outside. Rabbi Greenberg connected his lessons at the end with the concept of winter, which on the outside looks bleak and cold and unyielding. But we know that spring comes soon after, when the inner potential blossoms again. We all have a little “winter” within us. But we have the ability to improve and blossom to our vast potential. His words were enjoyed by all, and he left the students with much to think about and take with them. The breakfast culminated with a humorous skit created by freshmen Shifra Gewanter, Ilana Adler, Hodaya Alcoby, Shoshana Mandelbaum, Bracha Mirsky, Sara Press, Rachelli Robinson, and Rina Steinberg. The skit was performed by freshmen Goldy Max, Nechama Ribowsky, Miriam Romm, and Leah Scheiner. In a surprising twist the skit “broke out” the exciting news of Shevach’s upcoming Shabbaton at The Lakehouse Hotel. Kudos to the Shevach G.O and Mrs. Kovitz for putting together this special morning. The event was a smashing success and everyone truly had a “ball!”
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
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NOVEMBER 30, 2017 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Dear Residents of the Lawrence School District,
T
he Peninsula Public Library is moving forward with our previously announced plans to build a new library and community center. For years, we have heard
and shared your concerns about the limitations of our library facilities. Our building currently has the least square footage per patron of any library in the Nassau County Library
System. As your Board of Trustees, we realize our library has long outgrown its ability to serve the growing and diverse needs of our community. We are excited to work together to
You Are Cordially Invited To
CHAZAQ'S
THIS Y! DA MON
Monday, December 4, 2017
Reception 6:30 pm | Dinner 7:30 pm
Leonard's Palazzo
555 Northern Blvd, Great Neck, NY 11021
Many Special Appearances Including A Musical Performance By
Mordechai Shapiro Dinner Chairmen Shalom and Victoria Zirkiev R' Yitzchok and Michal Oelbaum
o Rav Ahr n Walkin
Mr. and Mrs. Gad Elbaz
Mr. and Mrs. l Michae Gendin
Mr. and Mrs. Adam Suionov
Dinner Committee Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Abraham Esq. Mr. and Mrs. Roman Aminov Esq. Mr. and Mrs. Issac Aharonoff Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Babayev Mr. and Mrs. Moshe Boruchov Mr. and Mrs. Manny Behar Mrs. Nechama Biderman Dr. and Mrs. Paul Brody Ms. Jan Fenster Dr. Joseph Frager Mrs. Debbie Ginsberg Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gurgov Mr. and Mrs. Richard Harris Mr. and Mrs. Elisha Hisiger Mr. and Mrs. Nechemia Hoch Mr. and Mrs. Emanuel Inoyatov Mrs. Odeliya Jacobs Mr. and Mrs. Levi Katanov Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Khodgiev Councilman Rory Lancman Mr. and Mrs. Meshulam Lisker Mrs. Rivkah Mierov Mr. and Mrs. Simcha Musheyev Mr. and Mrs. Shimmy Pelman Mr. and Mrs. Mark Plaine Esq Mr. and Mrs. Yaakov Serle Mr. and Mrs. Bernie Shafran Mr. and Mrs. Baruch Shamayev Mr. and Mrs. Eliezer Szrolovits Mr. and Mrs. Benny Yunatanov
R.S.V.P. Chazaq Office 718-285-9132 Yaniv 917-617-3636 | Victoria 718-644-5550 Fax: 718-255-5803 Info@Chazaq.org • www.CHAZAQ.org Couvert $250 per person
Mr. and Mrs. Noach Deutsch
Mr. and Mrs. David Koptiev
Mr. and Mrs. iamin Sdayeb Ben
Councilman Eric Ulrich
bring to fruition our shared vision for the future. In September, we entered into a contract with the Village of Lawrence to purchase approximately 30,000 square feet of land next to Zion Park. It is our vision to turn this property into a vibrant state-of-the-art library and community center that will offer expanded programs and services to all our patrons. It will also serve as a welcoming venue for community gatherings and events and become a source of pride for our school district. Planning is currently underway. We have conducted meetings with our architects and are working together to design a library and community center that will be at least twice the size of our current building with more dedicated parking spaces for library patrons, while maintaining and preserving the existing park and green space. Commuter parking spaces will be relocated closer to the train station alongside the tracks for the added convenience of LIRR passengers. To support this project in the most cost-efficient manner, the Board of Trustees anticipates presenting a bond referendum for voter approval by the residents of the Lawrence School District sometime in the fall of 2018. The amount of the bond will be determined once the final plans have been drafted and the associated cost estimates have been compiled. As we move forward, we plan to invite the community to participate in a survey to give you an opportunity to share your ideas and opinions. You can also speak to us when you visit the library or send us an email at newlibrary@peninsulapublic.org. The Board of Trustees welcomes and encourages your input, which we will take into consideration before any plans are finalized. As your Board of Trustees, we believe the success of this project depends on hearing from you. We hope you will join in our excitement about the future of our library. In the meantime, we look forward to seeing you at our many upcoming events. Sincerely, Your Peninsula Public Library Board of Trustees
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
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Around the Community
A True Thanksgiving Experience at the Gural JCC
G
rowing up, Thanksgiving celebrations included several consistent elements. A couple of welcome days off from school, traditional handprint arts and crafts projects brought home in briefcases, and, of course, a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. It was an American holiday that commemorated the Pilgrims’ arrival in this country and their ability to establish new homes and a new life. For many of us whose parents and certainly grandparents were pilgrims of a sort, arriving on these shores from foreign lands in the hopes of finding freedom and peace, Thanksgiving was a holiday we related to and greatly appreciated. However, as the years pass, families grow and obligations multiply. Thanksgiving often becomes an opportunity to take a vacation or visit out-of-town relatives and, of course, to shop. Get-togethers are sadly not as frequent or well-attended and the origin of the holiday is at times forgotten. This year the Marion and Aaron Gural JCC decided to bring back the true meaning of Thanksgiving and to remind us all of what Thanksgiving really is all about. In a first-ever event the JCC hosted a community-wide Thanksgiving lun-
cheon inviting those without a holiday plan to join us at our Grove Avenue location in a neighborhood holiday meal. If you were fortunate enough to stop by you would have seen our warmly decorated social hall filled to capacity with JCC staff and their families, volunteers, board members, and a heart-warming array of nearly one hundred JCC friends and clients ranging from single parents and their children to frail Holocaust survivors, from individuals of all ages with no family around or plans, to families who heard about our invitation and were thrilled to join the festivities. It was an experience that brought joy to everyone who was privileged to attend.
The luncheon program began with opening remarks by Gural JCC social worker Judy Goldberg who warmly welcomed the participants and expressed her own feelings of gratitude at being able to enjoy this special day with so many. Judy read the meaningful poem “Be Thankful,” which reminded us that even struggles and challenges are opportunities to grow, learn, improve and appreciate. In a surprise visit, Senate member Todd Kaminsky stopped by and shared inspiring thoughts with our guests. With volunteer pianist Eleanor Feingold playing a wide array of cheerful tunes as background music, a delicious traditional meal, catered
by Traditions Eatery in Lawrence, was served. JCC guests were seated in the order in which they arrived creating a diverse and beautiful assortment of personalities and personal histories at each table. It was an uplifting and heartwarming experience to see children, seniors and participants of every age in between mingling and sharing stories and smiles. The Marion and Aaron Gural JCC invites you to give us a call or stop in to find out about the many programs and events we make available to all members of the community. As one client put it, “It’s hard to believe the amount of creativity and chessed that goes on in that little blue house.” The Thanksgiving luncheon followed on the heels of a screening of “Not the Last Butterfly,” a Holocaust-themed film and lecture and, shortly before that, an important Prescription Drug and Substance Abuse professional panel community workshop. The Marion and Aaron Gural JCC is a Proud Partner of UJA-Federation of New York, a member agency of the United Way of Long Island and an affiliate of Community Chest South Shore. For more information or to receive our brochure call (516)5696733.
HANC Boys’ Shabbat in the Wesley Hills
O
n Shabbat Parshat Toldot, the HANC sophomore boys were treated to an all- inclusive Shabbat experience in Wesley Hills, Monsey. Prior to Shabbat, the boys enjoyed a delicious pizza lunch, followed by an afternoon of physical activity that included paintball, archery, football, basketball, riding ATVs and relaxing in a hot tub. Rabbi Yisroel Chesir is a HANC rebbi and rabbi of a shul, Congregation Tiferes Yisrael. The congregation warmly opened their hearts and homes to the HANC boys, hosted them for the Friday night Shabbat meal, as well as provided them with luxurious accommodations. Rabbi Chesir and his wife hosted a postmeal oneg Shabbat on Friday night, as well as a delicious lunch the following morning. Not only was the food delicious and abundant, but the speakers’ inspiring words nourished the boys’ souls as well. The sophomore boys
were privileged to hear from the great Rabbi Yaakov Twersky of Milwaukee, who spoke with and blessed each boy individually. Additionally, they were treated to words from Rabbi Chesir, Rabbi Shimon Chrein, and their fellow students, Dov Lowenthal, Amiel Wiener, Eitan Zar,
Adam Speiser, and HANC alumnus Shlomo Amsellem. After Shabbat the boys boarded a coach bus and headed home with memories that will surely linger in their hearts and minds for many years to come. HANC would like to thank the Chesirs and their com-
munity for hosting such a wonderful Shabbat event for the sophomore boys and look forward to returning in the future. Hakarat hatov to sophomore boys’ mechanech Rabbi Shimon Chrein for organizing the Shabbaton.
NOVEMBER 30, 2017 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Shaaray Tefila Youth Department
Sunday Funday for Girls
SKA Debate Team’s Record Win
$10 PER SESSION OR $35 FOR ALL 4 SESSIONS 10:30 - 11:30 AM Dec. 10, Dec. 24, Dec. 31 & Jan. 14 for girls 1st - 5th grade RSVP to join the fun: shaaraytefilayouth@gmail.com Candy Sushi ~ Candle Making ~ Dance ~ Sand Art & Much More! 25 Central Avenue, Lawernce ~ (516) 239-2444
Flyer Design by G. Solow
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M
azel tov to the members of the SKA Debate Team! The Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls Debate Team swept the awards at the debate tournament held at Ezra Academy on Tuesday, November 21st. Best Team! Best Individual Speaker! Best Second Place Speaker! Best First and Second Team Awards! The topic of the debate was “All professional football players who refuse to stand with their team for the playing of the National Anthem at any NFL game should be fired.” SKA won First Place Team! Congratulations to Tehilla Bitton who won First Place Speaker and Rivka Bennun who won Second Place Speaker. SKA also came in First and
Second Place for team awards! Kudos to Tehilla Bitton and Bracha Bayla Erlbaum of the First Place Team and Meira Steinberg and Rivka Benun of the Second Place Team. Team members Zehava Graff, Shoshana Reichmann, Regina Saada and Shoshana Schwartz each won a round which contributed to our overall First Place School win. Congratulations to all the debaters on a job well-done! As Mrs. Helen Spirn, Head of School, noted with pride upon hearing the news, “What a special win for SKA and our students!” Much hakarat hatov goes to the team’s wonderful coach, Mrs. Shani Butler, for all her help and support.
Midreshet Shalhevet Preps for Mary Poppins
T
he Midreshet Shalhevet Theatre troupe has been working in full swing the last few weeks! Under the guidance of director Mrs. Rina Hirsch and choreographer Maggie Dror, the cast and dancers have been working hard to prepare for the upcoming production of Mary Poppins. Maggie and the dance crew have already mastered “Jolly Holiday” and are currently working on
“SuperCalaFragilisticExpealadocious,” while the cast have been practicing the first scenes. Junior Eliana Hirsch, who will be playing Winifred Banks, shared, “The play is practically perfect; it just needs a little more tweaking.” Although it will be an intense few months, the end result will be amazing for sure! The only unsure thing at this point is who Menahelet Mrs. Eisenman will play!
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
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NOVEMBER 30, 2017 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
At Home with Rabbi Libman
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n Motzei Shabbos, Rabbi Dovid Libman, fourth grade rebbe at HALB, had his talmidim over to his house for a melava malka to review for their upcoming test upon finishing the first perek in Mishnaot Rosh Hashana. School principal Rabbi Richard Alt-
abe also attended the event to shep nachas from the students and to hear the boys as they eagerly answered all of their rebbe’s questions. Reb Shua Schwartz, assistant 4th grade rebbe, also attended the seudat mitzvah. Pizza and French fries from David’s Pizza in Cedarhurst were served. PHOTO CREDIT: IRA THOMAS CREATIONS
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
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NOVEMBER 30, 2017 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Fourth Rambam 5K & Family Day Huge Success
The runners take off down Broadway
R
ecently, Rambam students, parents, rebbeim, teachers, alumni, and children in strollers were off on a scenic run of the Five Towns in Rambam’s fourth 5K and Family Day! While the race was underway, Rambam students volunteered to stay back with the little brothers and sisters of the Rambam student body and supervise their fun. An enormous bouncy house was set up in the Raven’s Nest and Rambam students dished out cotton candy and led a parachute activity with the assembled children.
After just 19 minutes and 44 seconds senior Sam Sicklick made it across the finish line winning the coveted “Fastest Student” trophy and the “Fastest Raven” Trophy. Adam Orlow took home the “Fastest Dad” trophy for the second year in a row while Tamar Sicklick earned the “Fastest Mom” trophy. Young Shimon Sprei, brother to Yossi and Yidel, won the “Fastest Kid” award. While everyone was competing for individual honors, there was another sub-tournament going on: The Fastest Raven Team! Each team was out-
Judah Orlanski and family joined in for some 5K family fun
fitted with different colored shirts and the respective times of all of those on basketball, hockey, and flag football were averaged together to determine, once and for all, which Rambam team was the fastest. In the end, separated by just a few seconds, Rambam hockey took the prize and the glory! This event, which was a tremendous display of achdus, and helped raise thousands of dollars for scholarships, could not have been successful without the tireless dedication of the Women’s League. Special thanks to Mrs. Tamar Sicklick and Mrs. Batshe-
va Aaron for being the driving forces behind this event. They spent hours and hours of their time ensuring the event would be successful and run smoothly. Thank you also to Mrs. Carolyn Deutsch and Mrs. Renee Friedman for all of their hard work as well. Aaron Friedman, Rambam’s Director of Operations, also deserves a shout-out for all of his contributions to the event. And, as always, thanks to the Village of Lawrence and the Nassau County Police Department and Auxiliary Police for their help making the race possible.
Children love learning about Chanukah and the special mitzvos that they will soon perform. Dreidel projects and giant menorahs are be-
ginning to appear. And, of course, the preparations have begun for the upcoming Chanukah performances.
Learning Comes Alive at Gesher
W
alking through the halls of the Gesher Early Childhood Center seems like traveling in a time machine. As the various classes learn the many stories of Yaakov Avinu and about Chanukah the lessons are reinforced in many ways. Art projects, classroom decorations, and dramatic play activities give the children a deeper understanding of these foundations of chinuch. Taking a closer look one can see how the Gesher morahs are weaving the kriah curriculum into the day. Beginning with shaping skills in the nursery through the aleph beis and word formation lessons in kindergarten and Pre-1A and skill-based kriah in first grade. The general studies curriculum is also in full swing, with reading activities for all grade levels and a strong
emphasis on the foundations of math. For sure, everyone’s favorite math lesson this time of year is counting from one to eight.
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
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NOVEMBER 30, 2017 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
MAY Dor L’Dor Breakfast
invites you to a:
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L
ast Thursday, Ateres Yaakov held their annual Dor L’Dor Breakfast. Fathers joined their sons at the Yeshiva for an enjoyable morning of growth in ruchniyus and gashmiyus. The morning began with a warm, yeshiva Shacharis followed by a lavish, catered breakfast. To begin the program, the Rosh HaYeshiva, Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe, addressed the over 400 fathers and sons in attendance. Yosef Hillel Kail, an alumnus of the Mesivta and a talmid in the Yeshiva Gedolah, then spoke about the importance of mesorah in Klal Yisroel and the significance of the transmission of Yiddishkeit from one generation to the next. Senior Chaim Portal, representing the Mesivta student body, delivered divrei Torah as well and discussed his and his peers’ roles as links in the chain of the mesorah of Klal Yisroel. He concluded by thanking the rabbeim of the Mesivta for their warmth, care and guidance throughout his years at the Mesivta. The event also featured the Mesiv-
ta’s annual Fall Essay Contest, with excerpts being read from the four 1st place essays. Awards and prize money were distributed by Rabbi Sam Rudansky, General Studies Principal, and Rabbi Yossi Bennett, Assistant Menahel/Assistant Principal. The highlight of the breakfast was a visit from Rabbi Pesach Krohn, shlit”a, noted author and speaker, who spoke about achieving goals. He prefaced his remarks by alluding to the Shabbaton he spent together with the Mesivta last year in Camp Romimu and how impactful it was for him. In his trademark fashion, employing incredible stories and poignant anecdotes, he empowered the talmidim by describing that their own growth in ruchniyus provides inspiration for their fathers and rabbeim and encouraged them to continue inspiring themselves and others. The program concluded with the Student Government raffle of various prizes, including a gaming system, a restaurant package, multiple gift cards, and some very happy winners.
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
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Around the Community
Mesivta Yam Hatorah: The Menahel’s Point of View By Rabbi Eli Zoldan
D
uring our recent parent teacher conference, I was approached by a ninth grade parent who said to me, “What did you do to my son?” The parent continued, “I have never seen him this happy or this devoted to school. He is doing shnayim mikrah every Shabbos as well as reviewing Gemara nightly. He loves school.” We tend to believe that a student needs to love school to succeed. Throughout my years in chinuch, I have discovered that the opposite is true. A student needs to succeed in order to love school. In the same vein, a student needs to feel successful in Gemara to love learning Gemara. Our limudei kodesh department is designed to facilitate this love of learning. First and foremost, the students are taught by warm and caring rabbeim, who live by the principle that students need to know that you care in order for them to care to know what you are teaching. In our mussar and hashkafa shiurim, students are taught about middos through the viewpoint that each of us is created in the image of Hashem. Our “G-dliness” requires a higher ethical standard and moral behavior. They are taught how to have a relationship with Hashem, through the understanding of the power of bitachon and hashgocha pratis. In Iyun shiur, the rabbeim encourage the students to participate and offer their own unique understanding. Students are constantly shown how their thoughts and analysis are discussed by the Rishonim and Achronim. Seeing this, results in a deeper love and appreciation for Gemara. The Bekius shiurim place a strong emphasis on students learning how to make a leining of the Gemara on their
“Of course I believe in G-d, Rabbi, but you have to be practical!” Page 94
own. The goal is that every boy should leave the mesivta able to open any Gemara and be able to read Gemara, Rashi and Tosfos on their own. This is ensured through a daily chavrusa program that has the students honing their reading skills daily.
So when a parent asks me, “What did you do to my son?” the answer is simple: We gave him an opportunity to see his own strengths. We gave him an environment where he feels valued. And we showed him that he can be a leader in Klal Yisroel.
For more information join us at our Open House/Melave Malka, December 9, 8:15 p.m., at our Bais Medrash Campus, 1213 Bay 25th street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691 or contact us at 718-471-7471 or by email mesivtayamhatorah@gmail.com
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NOVEMBER 30, 2017 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
A Thanksgiving feast at HANC ECC in West Hempstead
History Day at Shulamith
H
istory came to life at Shulamith School for Girls on the day before Thanksgiving, when the students of 8th-11th grade participated in a mind-expanding and interactive History Day, designed and coordinated by Ms. Seffi Schofield. Based on the insight that a key habit of historians is to consider the perspectives of different historical actors and the assumptions of the authors of both primary and secondary sources, the guiding question of the day was, “How do our experiences and assumptions change our perspectives?” To frame the day, the high school students viewed and discussed one of the 25 most-viewed TED Talks, “The Danger of a Single Story,” by Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Adichie. The students observed that single perspectives, such as stereotypes, are dangerous not because they aren’t true, but because they are true, though, in the words of the speaker, “incomplete.” Workshops on a number of historical events followed, each of which promoted an awareness of the multiple assumptions and perspectives that different groups brought to the event: women’s suffrage, racism and segregation in the South, Jamestown Colony, and, of course, the first Thanksgiving. The multiplicity of perspectives within Judaism was explored in a session on the history and development of minhagim. Handson sessions on cooking and jewelry making gave physical expression to
the idea of the differing cultural perspectives of European settlers and Native Americans. Lunch continued the theme of multiple perspectives on Thanksgiving, as teachers and students contributed dishes they had prepared to the communal meal. The students then reflected on aspects of gratitude that are meaningful to them and shared them with each other. After lunch, the high school students were joined by the eighth grade, and together they participated in interactive workshops which used engineering, debate, math, art, and economics to exemplify the cultural differences between Native Americans and Pilgrims. Working with primary sources in order to understand what life was like for the original Pilgrims and Native Americans in 17th-century Plymouth Plantation, the students assumed the identities of particular characters, approached the challenge from that perspective, and found ways to collaborate with others with similar and different perspectives to solve the challenge. At the end of the day, the students gathered in the auditorium to hear a presentation by Mrs. Chaya Willig-Levy. Mrs. Willig-Levy recounted experiences from her own life that showed how events can be viewed in different ways, and from a particular perspective, we can see and appreciate Hashem’s hand guiding our lives. In many ways, History Day was the ideal preparation for Thanksgiving.
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
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Around the Community
Bikur Cholim of Far Rockaway and Five Towns Brunch
D
riving home from work, an overworked father worries about how he will pay $1,500 for the dental work his daughter desperately needs. Watching her three young children get on the yellow school bus, a single mother wells up as she realizes that she cannot afford the hundreds of dollars she needs to cover the therapy for her children of divorce. Sitting with the school social worker, the young parents wonder how they will afford the $3,000 for the psychological evaluation that the school requires. A young widow who has not met her deductible agonizes about how she can afford life-giving insulin for her diabetic son. Bikur Cholim of Far Rockaway and the Five Towns helps with these and so many other medical burdens. In addition to providing funds for those in need, volunteers of Bikur Cholim prepare meals for families in crisis, offer smiles and conversation to shut-ins, and provide wheelchairs and other medical equipment for people who require them for short term use. Over several decades, Bikur Cholim of Far Rockaway and the Five Towns has evolved into much more than the organization’s name implies. To raise the funds to sustain the great work that Bikur Cholim accomplishes, the organization will be holding their annual community-wide brunch that will take place, iy”H, at Congregation Kneseth Israel, The White Shul, on Sunday, December 10, at 10AM. This year, Bikur Cholim will honor Chavi Mandelbaum and Daniella Wolfson for their outstanding success in organizing and implementing Ladies ‘n’ Lattes events throughout the year. The brunch is chaired by Marilyn Wolowitz, Tzippy David and Esther Feigenbaum. The featured speaker will be Charlene Aminoff, sharing her story, From Near Tragedy to Open Miracle. Hundreds of women from the Greater Five Towns and Far Rockaway Community will attend. The annual brunch is an opportunity to show gratitude to our dedicated volunteers. The event is Bikur Cholim’s only opportunity to raise funds that are crucial to meet
the financial medical needs in the community. The brunch is a catalyst to recruit new volunteers to join in the vital mitzvah of Bikur Cholim, to assist in areas such as meal preparation, visitation and transportation. Donations pay for all medical-re-
lated expenses, such as doctor and lab fees, surgical and natal home care, dental and optometry visits, mental health practitioners and therapies, and more. Join us for an enjoyable and inspiring morning in support of a vi-
tal community organization. Even a minimal investment in time, effort and money can make a tremendous difference to those in need of Bikur Cholim services. The rewards are out of this world!
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NOVEMBER 30, 2017 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Woodmere Fire Station Visits Ohr Leah Academy and Ganoni
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ith Chanukah coming soon, everyone is learning about fire safety. In a joint program between the two schools, Ohr Leah and Ganoni had a visit from firefighters Mel (Melanie/Chevi Kail) and Mike (Michael Benzakein). Mike showed the children how he puts on all of the gear that he would wear to fight a fire. Each time he put on another piece of gear Chevi reminded us that he was still Mike! When he was done getting “dressed,” it was hard to tell that it really was still Mike! She explained to the children that if they are ever in a house where
there is a fire and they see someone who looks like Mike they should not be worried that he looks scary and run away. Instead, they should come to him when he calls them so that he can help them out of the fire. Chevi showed us how to “stop, drop, cover your face, and roll” if we are running and find there is fire on our clothes. We practiced together a few times to get the hand of it. Chevi also reminded us (teachers!) that we should all have fire extinguishers in our houses in case of a small fire! Thank You Chevi and Mike for the very informative visit.
Queens College Students Win TD Ameritrade’s Virtual Trading Competition
T
hree students from Queens College, City University of New York turned in an impressive 427 percent total portfolio gain in four weeks, outperforming nearly 930 other teams to win the fourth annual thinkorswim Challenge by TD Ameritrade, Inc. This year’s virtual trading competition had a record number of participants: 2,507 teams of students from 327 colleges and universities across 49 states. “The thinkorswim Challenge is an amazing opportunity for a younger generation to learn about investing through practical application,” said Lee McAdoo, managing director of education at TD Ameritrade. “The competition is more than just learning to navigate the markets, it gives students the opportunity to trade different products in a virtual environment and teaches them to consider risk management, portfolio allocation and diversification across sectors and industries.” The team of three students from Queens College, who placed the most trades during the competition – 942 – took first place with a 427 percentage portfolio gain and an ending portfolio value of $2,636,000. The team of Queens College undergraduate students included: senior Max Fruchter, an economics and finance double major; junior Shlomo Sandler, an accounting major; and ju-
nior Daniel Baruch, an applied physics major. There were three teams from Queens College competing in this year’s Challenge. Fruchter resides in Woodmere, Sandler lives in Cedarhurst, and Baruch lives in West Hempstead. “What made the thinkorswim Challenge interesting was being able to track our performance against other participating teams,” said Daniel Baruch. “It was fun when we would perform better than other schools locally and across the country.” Similar to last year’s Challenge, participants in the 2017 Challenge showed a preference for options. All virtual trades placed by the winning team were options trades, resulting in “profits” of over $200,000 for underlying symbols including Alphabet Inc. (GOOG), and Expedia Inc. (EXPE). A similar return was seen from options trades on Amazon. com, Inc. (AMZN), which accounted for five percent of the team’s overall trades. The Queens College team was optimistic about the market overall and their trading strategy, with 52 percent of trades being bullish. “When deciding our trading strategy, we understood we needed to have a higher risk appetite than normal with the competition being only four weeks long. Trading options allowed us to push our risk boundaries, while still properly managing
L-R: Max Fruchter, Queens College President Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, Shlomo Sandler, students’ faculty mentor Professor Luc Marest, and Daniel Baruch
our portfolio’s overall risk,” said Max Fruchter. “Before the competition I had never traded options, only equities with longer investment horizons. The competition opened my eyes to new products, and I’ve since explored trading options on my own.” Each member of the Challenge’s overall winning team – CUNY Queens College – received $3,000 to be deposited into individual TD Ameritrade brokerage accounts. As the school affiliated with the overall winning team, Queens College received $30,000 from TD Ameritrade for its role in educating students on the importance of investing. A staggering $1,300,000 in virtual trading profits separated the competition’s overall winner from the second place team, which was from Columbia Law School. With its 289 percent gain and a paper portfolio valued at $1,947,000, the team
brought in $20,000 for its school and each team member won $2,000 deposited into individual TD Ameritrade brokerage accounts. Third place went to a team of undergraduate students from King’s College, which ended up with a 224 percent gain and a virtual portfolio value of $1,622,000. The team won $10,000 for its school, and each team member won $1,000 for placing third in the competition overall, deposited into individual TD Ameritrade brokerage accounts. TD Ameritrade developed the program in 2014 to help students prepare for the real world of personal finance by giving them the ability to put classroom theory into real-life investing practice. The firm believes that access to leading-edge investment resources and education is the first step in helping young people form investing habits that can last a lifetime.
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Around the Community PHOTO CREDIT: IRA THOMAS CREATIONS
On November 29, 1947, the UN General Assembly voted in favor of Israel being recognized at the Jewish homeland. The students at HALB attended an assembly which focused on the people who were at the UN at the time of the vote. The students learned about the different conversations and discussions that went into the vote and how each representative played an important role. The program concluded with the Hatikva and the tefillah for our Medina.
At the annual intergenerational day at Lev Chana at HALB last week
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Around the Community
Pairing Latkes and Donuts with Wine in Style By Gabriel Geller
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ow! Chanukah is almost here again. It really feels like I just wrote last year’s article. L’havdil, however, just like learning the Shas for the second, third or fourth time or repeating the same parsha every year, there are new chiddushim every year. Each new vintage is different from the next. Speaking of vintages, 2015 was an exceptional vintage in Bordeaux. There have been some other great vintages over the past 20 years, specifically in 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010 as well as 2014. There were, however, very few kosher Bordeaux wines from those vintages. With 2015, we are blessed to have an impres-
sive and extensive selection of wines and at all price points. While red Bordeaux wines are not necessarily the ideal wines to pair with the traditional dishes of Chanukah, namely latkes and donuts, the new releases can make great gifts for wine lovers. Those who would like to indulge and enjoy now should consider Château Le Crock. Available now in a Mevushal version, which makes it more accessible, it’s a wine worthy of any self-respecting fine dining kosher restaurant. It features notes of crushed blackberries, tobacco and menthol with a rich, velvety texture as well as caressing tannins with
enough of a bite to cut through a juicy ribeye steak. One cannot recommend wines for Chanukah without having in mind the traditional deep-fried fare such as latke and donuts. It may sound challenging to pair wine with latke but it actually is pretty easy. A dry, crisp white wine or a sparkling wine will work wonders with almost anything deepfried. Latke are no exception. Koenig, the famous producer from the Alsace region of France, has just released its delicious and affordable Crémant d’Alsace Brut. Produced with the méthode Champenoise, it showcas-
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es medium-sized bubbles as well as delightful aromas and flavors of green apples, toasted bread and sour cream. Can’t beat that. A tart, flavorful white blend from Israel such as the Tabor Adama II Zohar would be an excellent alternative for those who do not appreciate bubbles in their wine. The blend includes unusual varietals such as French Colombard, Roussanne and Viognier and is fascinating with its potpourri of floral and exotic aromas. With donuts, and especially those filled with jelly or chocolate, I would suggest only suggest a sweet wine like an original wine like the Zion Mihamartef. While
it is not inexpensive by any means, it is worth experiencing, especially since it can be recorked and sipped over many months like a liquor. The Mihamartef is a sweet dessert wine which was aged for 35 years (!) in oak barrels in the cellars of the winery, in Israel. It has a thick, almost syrupy texture with notes of caramelized walnuts, dried figs, cinnamon and candied orange peels. According to a few experts, it has some similar characteristics with some very old sweet German Riesling which do not exist in a kosher version. It is always a great deal of fun to pair wine with food and perhaps even more so with our customary Chanukah treats! Chag Chanukah sameyach. L’chaim!
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Torah Thought
Parshas Vayishlach By Rabbi Berel Wein
T
he long-awaited confrontation between the brothers Eisav and Yaakov occurs. At the onset Yaakov is quite concerned over the meeting. He fears that his brother, who is arriving with a band of 400 men, will undoubtedly intend to do him harm. And he knows that his brother is capable of slaughtering innocent women and children. There must have been a great feeling of relief that overcame Yaakov when Eisav takes the gifts that were meant to mollify him. Yaakov is aware that this is only a temporary reprieve and that deep down in his heart Eisav has not yet accepted the fact that Yaakov is entitled to the blessings given to him by his father Yitzchak. Nevertheless, a temporary reprieve is also an accomplishment and the heart of Yaakov certainly must have felt lighter when Eisav departed richer than when he arrived. This struggle with Eisav is representative of the struggle of the Jewish people with the nations of
the world over our long and painful history. There are ups and downs in the story, great tragedies and unbelievable suffering mixed in with lighter moments of tolerance, freedom and achievement. But, deep down in the hearts of all concerned, there is the fear that the last chap-
society. And it may seem that Eisav cannot be easily bought off this time. Yet, after all of the encounters that we have endured with the different forms of Eisav in our history, the rejuvenation of the Jewish people in our generations, especial-
It is better to be alone with truth and faith than to be part of the crowd of mockers and sycophants.
ter in this struggle has not yet been written. The unreasoning hatred, of some in this world, of the Jewish people is one of the great mysteries of the human story. It is the oldest social disease and unfortunately it is still virulently present in today’s
ly in the world of Torah and in the achievements of the state of Israel, is apparent. To a great extent we are witnessing a decline in the influence and power of the Church and of Western society generally. Eisav is losing whatever moral perspective is still retained from the house
of his parents and from their connection to the Jewish people over all of the ages. As such we are witness to the fulfillment of the verse that Yaakov remained alone. There are no longer many who think as we do, that view the world and its history through our lens and perspective. Yaakov is accustomed to remaining alone. He has seen too many fads, ideas, and theories – social and economic – shine temporarily and then fade into the darkness of the past. It is better to be alone with truth and faith than to be part of the crowd of mockers and sycophants. The final chapter will show that the brothers would unite but under the banner of the faith of Yaakov. This is a process that requires patience and wisdom, items that are always in short human supply. But the promise made between the brothers long ago regarding the judgment of Mount Zion gives us hope and vitality to pursue their dream and make it come to reality. Shabbat shalom.
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From the Fire
Parshas Vayishlach All Alone with Our Essential Name By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Dvora Margolis
I
t is quoted in many sources including Reishis Chochmoh, Kitzur Hasheloh, Sefer Eliyahu Rabbah, as well as in the poskim, that when a person leaves this world after 120 years, he will be asked a series of questions, the most important of which is “What is your name?” The seforim say that righteous people will remember their names, while evildoers will forget them. If a person is unable to answer this question, angels of destruction will seize him and bring him to a world of chaos (tohu) where he will suffer intense disorientation. A person’s name defines his essence and the root of his soul, his purpose in this world and what he is expected to accomplish. The Shelah Hakadosh offers a segula to remember one’s name when asked this all-important question. He recommends that before stepping back three steps at the end of Shmoneh Esrei, a person should recite a pasuk that corresponds to his name. Many siddurim contain lists of these verses in alphabetical order by name, so that the first and last letters of the pasuk correspond with the first and last letters of the person’s name. The Shelah is telling us that by delving into these verses in a deep and meaningful way, a person will come to understand the root of his identity and what he should be focusing on in his life. The Shelah and others such as R’ Menachem Mendel Vitebsker, zy”a, and the Meor Enayim explain that the question “What is your name?” is not a simple test of memory, but rather, an inquiry as to whether a person has accomplished and fulfilled his life’s purpose which is hinted at and
embedded in his name. The pasuk says (Bereishis 32:25) “And Yaakov was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.” (There is a popular song that contains these words. Fortunately, we still have music that enables us to at least know some pesukim by heart!) Yaakov Avinu had forgotten some small jugs and gone back across the river alone to retrieve them. He was then confronted by “a man” whom we are told was the angel of Eisav, an otherworldly power who fought with him until daybreak. This epic battle had tremendous repercussions regarding our future exile and redemption. The Gemara (Chullin 91a) describes how this battle caused a tremendous commotion in the world and that the particles of dust generated by it rose up to the heavenly throne. Bereishis Rabbah (77:1) states, “Just as it says about Hashem ‘The L-rd alone shall be exalted on that day’ (Yeshayahu 2:11), so too does it say about Yaakov, ‘And Yaakov remained alone.’” The commentaries are extremely disturbed by this comparison. Hashem is unique in His Oneness. Even though we may refer to Yaakov as a great person, how dare we compare a human being to Hashem, who is unknowable and alone in His Essence? Rav Yeruchem Levovitz, zt”l, offers a beautiful explanation that is very relevant to a test many of us face in today’s turbulent times. Hashem, for whatever reason, decided to create the world and to surround himself with a multitude of holy angels who often function as messengers to carry
out His commands. But despite being surrounded by throngs of angels, it is obvious to any believing person that Hashem is still the One and Only. So too, Yaakov Avinu was an extremely busy person, surrounded by the two camps of his large family. He had many possessions and was deeply engaged in the task of “And you shall gain strength westward and eastward and northward and southward” (Bereishis 28:14). He had many appointments and people to see. Yet, despite all of this, the Torah tells us that he was utterly alone. Yaakov states, “For with my staff I have crossed this Jordan” (ibid. 32:10). The word for staff in Hebrew, “makel,” is a derivative of three words: mei’olam kivenu lach, meaning, “Forever, in You (Hashem) I place my hope.” He was on one side of the river, and everyone else was on the other side. The Hebrew term for river is nachal, a derivative of “nafsheinu chiksa l’Hashem, Our souls pine for G-d” and “l’hadlik ner Chanukah, To light a Chanukah candle.” Although Yaakov was surrounded by a multitude of family, friends, acquaintances, and students, at the end of the day he was still alone. His essence was unknown even to those closest to him. There was a “Holy of Holies,” an inner sanctum within himself that no one was allowed to enter. The pasuk says “Yaakov became very frightened and was distressed, so he divided the people who were with him…into two camps” (ibid. 32:8). What did Yaakov Avinu fear most? He wanted to make sure that although his strength, time and energy were dis-
persed and divided, he should never forget his name, his essence, his self. This is one of the main tests we face. When our soul was created in Heaven, a part of it crossed over into this world. It is so easy to forget our soul’s source and true identity. In today’s busy world, a person could be learning Torah and doing mitzvos and still forget his essence, his name. When Hashem created Man, he created him as an individual. He did not come into the world together with a family, a community, a town or a village. These things only form later. But the original existence of Man, which is woven into the structure of each and every one of us, is not a dual structure. We were not created with an iPhone, a computer, a chat group, or a network of acquaintances, friends, or even a wife. The Torah clearly emphasizes that Man came into existence alone. After his initial creation, we see the division begin. This is similar to what the pasuk states regarding Yaakov, “and now I have become two camps.” Marriage was the beginning of Adam’s division, the way Hashem wanted it to be. Within each person there are two distinct forces. The first is the power of connection, the natural tendency and drive for a social being to live in a world among others. We desperately long for companionship, marriage, family, friends, and community. We need to develop connections and to network with others. A second, deeper force exists in a person prior to the drive for connection, the need to be alone. The need to understand one’s essence and identity
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
ב"ה
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Annual Breakfast To benefit the
Levi Yitzchak Family Center Chairmen Ben and Lynda Brafman
Library Ambassadors Avi and Danielle Aronovitz Alan and Helene Gerber Jamie and Rachel Stahler Please join us as we say farewell to our Program Director
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We wish Bracha and her family much success as they set out to establish a new Chabad Center in Virginia Beach, VA.
Sunday, December 3, 2017 15 Kislev,5778 • 9:30am
at The Levi Yitzchak Family Center 564 Central Ave., Cedarhurst, NY 11516
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is accompanied by a fear that we may forget our individuality due to the distraction of others. As children we are dominated by the need to be connected. We are totally dependent on friends and will ingratiate ourselves to others. A classic example of this might be: “I’ll be your best friend if you give me some of your potato chips!” As teenagers, we are trying to decide who our real friends are, and we yearn for the affirmation and approval of others. As we mature and marry, marriage represents a deep essential connection, in which our spouse becomes our closest friend and the need for other friends diminishes in significance. But another level of maturity that Hashem desires from us is the ability to be alone. A person must first reach a level of “and Yaakov was left alone” where he comes to understand his true essence. Only then can he form a true connection with Hashem as is stated, “And Hashem alone will be exalted on that day.” Hashem does not want us to be alone by abandoning our family or friends. He wants us to achieve a healthy balance between being alone and connecting with others. There were a few exceptional tzaddikim who actually lived alone, but most did not. One notable exception was the Vilna Gaon (the GRA), who spent all week alone and only was with other people on Shabbos. In the world of today, it is too easy to forget the wonderful world of self, of being alone. It is one of the greatest tests of our generation. The prophet says, “Hashem was not found in the wind… Hashem was not found in an earthquake…Hashem was not found in fire” (Melachim I 19:11-12). Rather, Hashem is found in a “still small voice.” I believe that this refers to the power of being alone, still and quiet. The kumzitz and the comradery and brotherhood and are holy and wonderful tools when it comes to serving Hashem, but they are not the end purpose. We were not meant to be stuck in chat rooms, even when using them for holy purposes! The Midrash (Shmos Rabbah 20:29) says, “When Hashem gave the Torah, a bird did not chirp, fowl did not fly, bulls did not make sounds, Ofanim angels did not fly, Seraphim angels did not say, ‘Holy, Holy,’ the oceans stood still, no creation spoke, the world was
utterly silent and a voice proclaimed, ‘I am the Hashem your G-d.’” The only way the Torah was originally received was in silence and solitude and this is the only way we are able to receive it today. “And a man wrestled with him.” This battle between Yaakov and the angel of Eisav is the life battle we all face of trying to maintain our selves, our essence, while living a life with others. There are tempting and even seductive forces trying to pull us away from being alone, causing us to forgot our names, our essence, and our entire life’s purpose. Now we can understand why the
vital work of self-reflection and the power of solitude. This is hinted to in the words, “Your name shall no longer be called Yaakov.” The angel of Eisav wants us to forget that Adam was created alone, as an individual. The pasuk in Shir HaShirim (1:6) states: “They made me a keeper of the vineyards, my own vineyard I did not keep.” We often become so busy with everyone and everything around us that we neglect our own “vineyards.” It is essential for a person to set aside time for himself, especially during the long winter Friday nights. In general, Shabbos is a time connected to this idea of the power of self, and Shabbos
In the world of today, it is too easy to forget the wonderful world of self, of being alone.
angel of Eisav asked Yaakov (Bereishis 32:28, 29), “What is your name? And he said, ‘Yaakov.’ And he said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called ‘Yaakov’ but ‘Yisroel’ because you have commanding power with [an angel of] G-d and with men, and you have prevailed.” The Gemara distinguishes between our patriarchs Avraham and Yaakov. When Avraham’s name was changed from Avram, we are no longer allowed to refer to him by his former name. In contrast, even after the Yaakov’s name is changed to Yisroel he is still sometimes referred to as Yaakov. Why? Perhaps we can explain this in the following manner. The name Yisroel refers to a powerful person who is in control in relation to others. This name represents the power of connection. It is the name with which the world knows a person. However, the name Yaakov was his original name, his essential name, and represents the ability to be alone. The angel of Eisav wants nothing more than for us to forget our essential name! He wants to push us away from living in our own thoughts and towards constant merging with others. He wants us to be so busy with others that we neglect the
is also specifically associated with Yaakov Avinu, as we say in Kiddush (based on Yeshayahu 58:14), “And I will feed you with the heritage of Yaakov your father.” The angel fighting with Yaakov is the battle we face all week in our interactions, texting, phones, and email. It is essential for us to have time for “And Yaakov remained alone,” especially on Shabbos. Yaakov Avinu asks the angel, “What is your name?” and the angel has no response. An angel does not have this power of being alone. We, the Jewish nation, have this power as alluded to in the events of Chanukah. We had to locate a single jug of oil, untainted by others. The Chashmonaim won the battle of “the few against the many.” On Chanukah, one must have times set aside for himself, to put himself on one side of the river, while everyone else is on the other side, as our forefather Yaakov did. “Shall he make our sister like a harlot?” (Bereishis 34:31). Hashem sees us texting and using other social media with great abandon, interacting improperly with whole world. This is the opposite of what the Chashmonaim fought for. They were fighting against intermarriage and assimilation. The Greeks were attempting to
remove our uniqueness, our solitude as a nation who dwells alone. A story is told about the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneerson, zy”a (1880-1950). He lived in Russia at the time of the Bolsheviks and the communists. At that time, it was illegal to teach any religion, and especially Judaism. Every time the communists made a decree against Judaism, the Rebbe would counter by opening more Jewish institutions, yeshivos, and mikva’os. The Rebbe was arrested and brought to a local jail. As they led him out to a wagon in chains to be brought to a big prison in Petersburg, the chassidim watched in horror and tears. They feared that they would never see him alive again. He looked up and, seeing his chassidim, he stood up and screamed, “Yidden! These evil men are not the ones putting me in prison! They are not capable of putting any Jew in exile! Hashem sent us here and put our bodies into this exile but the soul of a Jew is never in exile. Build more yeshivos! Build more mikva’os!” This is the power of one individual, the power of being alone. A person can change the whole world for the better, but first he must know his true self. Hashem called out to Yaakov as he is going into exile, “And Hashem said to Yisroel in visions of the night, and he said, ‘Yaakov, Yaakov!’” (Bereishis 35:10). Hashem repeated his name twice to emphasize to all Jews in exile, never to forget our names, our essence. There is one part of a Jew that can never be violated by any person, just as the single jug of oil with the seal of the Kohein Gadol was left alone and unadulterated. This challenge is extremely difficult in our times because of the common desire to be in the company of others, and never alone. But this is crucial, and if we don’t address this, Hashem will ask us, as He asked Adam, “Where are you?” (Bereishis 3:9). What has become of the essential you? May Hashem help us all to be Jews who remember our names, and may this be our last Chanukah in exile. Rav Moshe Weinberger, shlita, is the founding Morah d’Asrah of Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, NY, and has served as Mashpia in Yeshiva University since 2013.
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Between the Lines
Solitary Refinement By Eytan Kobre
I never found a companion that was so companionable as solitude. -Henry David Thoreau
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n 1832, French diplomat and engineer Ferdinand de Lesseps was traveling in the Mediterranean Sea when one of the ship’s passengers took ill and the ship was quarantined. As a particularly active man, the confinement was terribly frustrating for de Lesseps. But the many long hours aboard the isolated vessel afforded him time to read the memoirs of Charles le Pere, who had studied the feasibility of building a canal between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. During this period of isolation, de Lesseps devised a detailed plan for the construction of such a canal, which, some 30 years later, was realized in his monumental project: the Suez Canal. His solitude had proved invaluable. When “Yaakov remained alone and a man wrestled with him until
dawn” (Bereishis 32:25), his aloneness was no trifling matter. It paralleled and mimicked G-d’s “aloneness”: Just as G-d will “alone be exalted” (Yeshaya 2:17), so too Yaakov “remained alone” (Bereishis Rabba 77:1). Aloneness, it seems, is a divine attribute – and one worth emulating. Our forefathers chose to be shepherds because it gave them the opportunity to spend time alone and solitude (see e.g. Rabbeinu Bachaya, Seforno, Kli Yakar, and Haamek Davar, Shemos 3:1; Rambam, Yesodei HaTorah 7:4; Ramban, Devarim 13:2; Malbim, I Melachim 22:10; Radak, II Melachim 1:7; Ralbag and Metzudas Dovid, II Melachim 19:11; Malbim, Yechezkel 3:22). Indeed, “pious ones and men of great deeds would meditate in seclusion and concentrate in their prayers until they divested themselves of their physical form” (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 98:1; see Berachos 5:1; Ya’aros Devash, Part 1, Derush 14). It was through seclusion, for example, that R’ Shimon Bar Yochai and his son attained unsurpassed growth (Shabbos 33b).
Measured solitude is endorsed not only as a means to avoid sin and draw close to G-d (Pele Yoetz, Hisbodedus) but also as an instrument for self-perfection and refinement. It is “the most proper means to acquire perfection” (Mesilas Yesharim, Chapters 15 and Chapter 26), and it is “a catalyst for good character traits” (Chovos HaLevavos, Gate of Cheshbon haNefesh 3:17). So “it is proper for every man who fears Heaven to establish set times, day and night, to seclude himself and to search and investigate his ways” (Sha’arei Teshuva 2:14). Through solitude, we discover not only G-d but our true selves (Michtav M’Eliyahu, Vol. 4, pg. 282). It is said that Sir Isaac Newton, Pablo Picasso, and Dr. Seuss attributed their respective successes to working in solitude, with Picasso even observing famously that “without great solitude, no serious work is possible.” Following the untimely passing of his wife, R’ Yosef Yoizel Horowitz divided his children among relatives and secluded himself in the backyard shed of a Kovno tin-
smith. There he remained for a year and a half without emerging. To guarantee his solitude, he blocked the entrance to his quarters with a brick wall, which contained two small windows – he accepted dairy food through one window and meat through the other. In 1881, after publishing a series of articles in which they ridiculed this seclusion, members of the “enlightenment” movement tossed a bundle of forged banknotes into the yard adjoining R’ Yosef Yoizel’s shed and informed the police that a counterfeiting operation was being run out of the location. R’ Yosef Yoizel’s mother got wind of the plot and burned the banknotes. When the police arrived, they found nothing but nonetheless forbade him to live in seclusion. A short while later, R’ Yosef Yoizel remarried, but only on the condition that he be allowed to seclude himself all week and return to his family only for Shabbos and yom tov. And that’s what he did for the next twelve years. When he finally emerged in 1893 at the urging of R’ Simcha Zissel Ziv (the Alter) of Kelm, R’ Yosef Yoizel was so ener-
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gized that he founded a network of yeshivos and kollels in 20 Polish and Russian towns – including in Novardok, where he enrolled more than 300 students and ultimately gained renown as the Alter of Novardok. He later credited his period in solitude for his explosion in productivity. Solitude is an opportunity to connect with G-d, without distraction or interference. Solitude allows us to reboot. Solitude improves concentration and increases productivity. Solitude gives us an opportunity to discover ourselves. Solitude provides time for us to think deeply. And, ironically, solitude even enhances the quality of our relationships with others. R’ Gedaliah Aharon Kenig (a Lubavitch follower) and R’ Chaim Baruch Tarnovsky (a Breslov follower) once journeyed together to a remote field to practice solitude. Standing alone in the tall grass, R’ Gedaliah could hear his friend in
the distance, crying out to G-d. After about an hour of this solitude, the two met up again and walked home together. R’ Chaim Boruch’s
R’ Gedaliah then understood that solitude facilitates not only an attachment to G-d but also enables us to engage in the mundane and
Solitude is an opportunity to connect with G-d, without distraction or interference.
face glowed as if he were returning from the Garden of Eden. But when he opened the door to his cramped apartment, he came upon an exceedingly mortal scene: his wife was contending with several crying children and the house was an absolute wreck. Without flinching, R’ Chaim Boruch picked up a broom and swept the floor with the same excitement he had exhibited just after his period of solitude.
connect with others with greater consciousness and focus. Solitude is not about becoming a hermit or being lonely. Solitude is a description of the fact that one is alone; loneliness is the harmful emotional response to that fact. On the contrary, we were not meant to spend life alone (Bereishis 2:18). “A life of seclusion,” wrote R’ Samson Raphael Hirsch, “is not Judaism” (Nineteen Letters, No. 15). And we
decry those who make a habit of studying Torah alone (Ta’anis 7a), with the Chazon Ish expressing his disbelief that “by being isolated from everyone you can acquire a true acquisition of Torah” (Pliskin, Love Your Neighbor, pg. 240). Because we weren’t meant to live as islands. But in our hyper-connected and frenzied lives, it is all too easy to lose sight of those moments of solitude that can be so enriching. So set aside time every so often to spend alone. It will recharge you. It will make you more creative. It will keep you from bad company. And it will foster a closer attachment with G-d – and yourself.
Eytan Kobre is a writer, speaker, and attorney living in Kew Gardens Hills. Questions? Comments? Suggestions? E-mail eakobre@outlook.com.
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The Observant Jew
Can You See Me Now? By Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz
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f you’ve ever taken a small child to a park or swimming pool, you know that you’re going to be expected not just to watch him or her, but to look at him as he slides down the slide or at her as she jumps into the water – Every. Single. Time. “Watch me!” they shout, as they get ready to prove their bravery or skill or gracefulness. Though you may not want to spend the whole time staring at every little movement, you do it (or pretend to) because it makes them happy and you know they will keep screaming, “Watch me!” if you don’t. What would happen if the boy yelled, “Watch me!” but you waved him off because you were busy with a phone call, or reading a book, or even a sefer? You know it would hurt him and possibly remain in his memory for many years. I don’t think it’s as much the fact that he really needs you to testify that he can go down the slide in 3.4 seconds or sitting backwards while crosslegged. It’s more because if you’re watching him he knows you care. The desire for that approval doesn’t change all that much as we age, and it doesn’t have to be a parent. We want people to take notice of us and see us. Let me give you some examples: While driving with my daughter, we came to a traffic light. I saw a man coming the opposite way. He was in the turning lane and I real-
ized he wanted to turn into the bank I was about to pass. I stopped early, leaving him room to turn his large SUV into the driveway, and flashed my lights to let him know he could turn. I even gave him a gracious wave of my hand, directing him to go where he wanted, as I’d appreciated his need to turn and had given him room. Without a wave, nod, or smile, the identifiably Jewish driver turned, eyes focused on the road ahead of him as he entered the park-
daughter back to the car to retrieve a receipt I needed. When she returned, she related, “I smiled at a chassidish woman as I came in and her eyes instantly looked down to my skirt.” Here is a girl who is fulfilling the words of Chazal to greet everyone with a “seiver panim yafos,” a nice face, giving a smile which is more nourishing than milk (Kesubos 111b), and instead of seeing her or the love she emanated, the woman only saw a judgment call she had to make, whether she could ac-
The desire for that approval doesn’t change all that much as we age
ing lot – and it hit me. “He didn’t even see me!” I mean, of course he saw my car and he saw the flash of the headlights and the space for him to turn, but he didn’t see me. He didn’t see a person in the other car who had seen him as someone with someplace to go; he just saw my car as an obstacle in his path and when it was clear he took advantage of the chance to make his turn. I must admit that though I don’t know the fellow, it hurt that he didn’t care enough to see me. Later, at the store, I sent my
cept the length of the other person’s skirt. Now, my daughter’s skirt was fine, but even if it wasn’t, would that be a reason for this woman who ostensibly wants to be close to Hashem to not see a person there before her? Judgment is G-d’s department, the Torah tells us, so why do we often choose to see others only in reference to ourselves? The Baal Shem Tov said, “If only I could love the greatest tzaddik as much as Hashem loves the greatest rasha.” Hashem looks at us and doesn’t see sinners or people who do
mitzvos or people who sometimes do some of each. He sees us – the whole package, with all our hopes, fears, dreams, and good intentions. People are more than their looks, their clothes, the size of their peiyos, yarmulkes, or bank accounts. They are not limited to what you can see about them because it takes much more effort to see them for themselves. It also means seeing others as important and necessary to our own existence, not as a barrier to our happiness or just something to be dealt with. It means understanding that they want to be seen, though maybe not when they’re falling short of their best selves. Then it’s OK to pretend you didn’t see them, because it means you truly saw them. So wave at others, return their smiles, and make sure you’re recognizing that to them their need to be seen and respected is as important as your own. Jonathan Gewirtz is an inspirational writer and speaker whose work has appeared in publications around the world. You can find him at www.facebook.com/ RabbiGewirtz, and follow him on Instagram @RabbiGewirtz or Twitter @ RabbiJGewirtz. He also operates JewishSpeechWriter.com, where you can order a custom-made speech for your next special occasion. Sign up for the Migdal Ohr, his weekly PDF Dvar Torah in English. E-mail info@JewishSpeechWriter. com and put Subscribe in the subject.
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Another L
k
Practically Speaking By Rabbi YY Rubinstein
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few weeks ago I was speaking at a Shabbaton. My host was the rabbi of a large shul of committed Torah Jews and in his introduction he told a story that had just happened. A woman had come to see him with a problematic shayla. Her daughter was scheduled to go out with a boy. It was a perfect match. She already knew the “other side” a little and liked and respected the parents. She and her husband were very excited and hopeful that it would all work out. There was only one cloud on her horizon and that is what she had come to discuss with the rabbi. This woman’s family possessed a secret. She described what the problem was explaining that she was scared that if it becomes known, the shidduch would be “dead in the water”. Did her daughter have to share it with her potential husband? The rabbi listened and then replied, “Tell me, Mrs. Cohen, how long have you known me and my wife?” The answer came back that they had been acquainted since the daughter had been born, some nineteen years before. “I think my wife and I know you really very well,” the rabbi went on, “And in all that time we have always been impressed with your emunah and bitachon.” The lady smiled. “I recall when we running out of funds to finish building the mik-
vah, it was you who were mechazek the committee and reminded us that Hashem has an infinite amount of funds and we shouldn’t ever consider throwing in the towel.” The lady looked a little embarrassed at such praise, as the Rabbi recalled other occasions she had reminded people not to give up and that b’ezras Hashem or im yertzei Hashem, a solution would be found. At this stage the lady was smil-
and his family, it would not succeed. The lady shook her head in disbelief at what she was hearing. “But you don’t understand!” she replied, “If this thing gets out, no one will marry my daughter or any of our other children either!” The rabbi simply repeated what he had said before pointing out that the same went for all her other children too and gently posed the same question, “So tell me, even though
A small smile appeared on his lips as he replied, “Perhaps you are a phony!”
ing broadly now, and then the rabbi asked her, “Tell me Mrs. Cohen, can I just ask...do you actually believe in G-d?” Her smile instantly disappeared. “What do you mean?” she demanded. The rabbi went on to point out that if this shidduch is the one Hashem has in mind, then even if the issue that concerned her was revealed, then nothing will stop it from going ahead. If this was not her daughter’s bashert, then no matter how much she and her husband wanted the boy
you always say, ‘b’ezras Hashem’ or ‘im yertzei Hashem’...do you really believe in G-d?” This proved too much for the lady who became quite indignant, looked at the rabbi with frustration and anger, and told him, “Of course I believe in G-d, Rabbi...but you have to be practical!” This answer elicited smiles and laughter from the people in the shul listening to the rabbi’s story, including me. I thought that the reason we all found the story so amusing was because it was so familiar. Not that
we had heard others saying it before; we had heard ourselves saying it before...often many times. One of the most challenging words that Rabbi Dessler, zt”l, writes appear in page 126 of the fifth volume of Michtav MiEliyohu: “It is profoundly difficult to realize the truth about ourselves. Much of who and what we truly are lies hidden in the depth of our beings. It is possible for a person to live his entire life without discovering their real nature unless they experience some truly dramatic event that brings it to the surface.” Confronted with her fear over her children’s futures and with her maternal instincts in overdrive, an uncomfortable revelation in self-discovery emerged. For this woman, and for so many of us, “b’ezras Hashem” or “im yertzei Hashem” are secondary to that other phrase, “But you have to be practical!” Being practical in this sense, of course, means relying on your own plans, effort and strategies, which the Torah and Chazal repeatedly condemn as being an expression of another phrase, “Kochi v’otzem yadi, My strength and the might of my hand.” Giving up your confidence in your ability to arrange things and produce the outcome you desire is hard work. Sometimes it is the hard work of an entire lifetime. It might even be that we spend our time on
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this world completely unaware that our belief and trust in Hashem is, in fact, very weak or even absent altogether. I recall many year ago going to see Reb Matisyahu Salomon, shlita, in Lakewood. Something had gone very wrong with my plans and I was upset and very worried. More than the problem itself, though, was a creeping awareness of my reaction to it. That was what I had come to discuss with the Mashgiach. “I think I am a baal bitachon,” I told him. “But if that is so, why am I so upset and so worried?” I looked at Reb Matisyahu and confessed, “I feel like a complete phony.” A small smile appeared on his lips as he replied, “Perhaps you are a phony!” In Michtav MiEliyohu, Volume 1, page 180, Rabbi Dessler discusses various levels of those who believe themselves to have faith in Hashem. The first level are those who believe in Hashem but believe that at the same time you have to be practical. They deploy the strategies and put in the work to achieve their goals. At the same time they ask Hashem to help them in making sure their plans work out and that nothing like illness derails them. Essentially, they see Hashem as their “partner” but with Him as a “junior” partner in the relationship. The second level are people who realize that everything comes from Hashem but that you are still required to take practical steps or your ambition will not be realized. This level is, of course, better than the first but it is still flawed. You still believe that without those crucial practical steps things won’t work out. The third level is to realize that although we are expected to put in efforts to achieve our goals, they don’t produce them – only Hashem does. The fourth and highest level is realizing the danger posed by those very “practical” steps and how they can so easily blind us to the fact that, actually, it is those steps that we really believe in. That was the question that the rabbi posed to the woman who considered hiding a crucial piece of information from a potential sonin-law and his family. That’s the question Reb Matisyahu invited me to consider when I went to ask him why I was so upset and worried.
& JY
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If it really does take dramatic events to allow ourselves to discover how hollow relying on “my strength and the might of my hand,” there really could not be a more dramatic example of that than the story of Chanukah. Practically speaking, the Jewish people had no chance against the mighty empire that controlled their lives. From a practical point of view they should never even have considered challenging it. Practically, they could only have anticipated one result from their insurrection and that
was complete and total defeat. It was then they discovered something about themselves that they would never have seen, but for the dramatic events of Chanukah – they didn’t have to be practical after all. “In the days of Matisyahu, Kohen Gadol...You, in Your infinite mercy, stood up for them at the time of their pain. You fought their fight...handed the mighty into the hands of the weak. You gave many into the hands of the few and the impure into the hands of the pure...” It stands as a message for all the
generations: The Jewish people’s shidduchim, solutions to our worries, and even our military successes don’t come from being practical; they come from by being completely impractical and really meaning it when we say the words “b’ezras Hashem” and “im yertzei Hashem."
Rabbi Y Y Rubinstein is a writer and author who speaks all over the world. He lives in Inwood.
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World
Builders
EMS Doctor Builds Bonds by Saving Lives By Raphael Poch
Dr. Aviram Zeiler (in vest) and Aharon Atlas at the gymnasium where the incident occurred
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n the spring of 2017, Aviram Zeiler, a doctor and United Hatzalah volunteer, saved the life of Aharon Atlas, who had collapsed while watching a sporting
event in Tel Aviv. Atlas was at the Hadar Sports Center when he had a sudden heart attack and fell unconscious on the floor. Recently, Atlas and Zeiler met up again when Atlas
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donated two new defibrillators and a medical kit to the organization whose volunteers were instrumental in saving his life. Atlas, who is married with four children, was 49-years-old when the heart attack occurred. He was attending his son’s sporting match at the sports center together with his wife and other children. “We sat in the back row,” Atlas recounted. “My eight-year-old daughter was sitting on my lap and my wife and eldest
her, I still had all of the medical equipment with me when Mr. Atlas collapsed. I ran over to where Aharon was seated and I saw his son and another adult begin to perform CPR on him. I took it all in. I saw his eight-year-old daughter terrified, his older son attempting to revive his father, his other son who was participating stop what he was doing and begin to climb through the seats, and Aharon’s wife standing there in shock. I told myself that I
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son were sitting right in front of us. At a certain point, I just blacked out and don’t recall anything from that point onwards.” Doctor Zeiler, who at the time was also in the auditorium, heard the cries for help and rushed over to help. “Just a few minutes prior to the incident, I was sitting in the auditorium as a spectator when I was called upon to treat a young woman who had broken her leg as part of the competition,” said Zeiler. “As I had just finished treating
was not letting this man die in front of his children, not like this and not today. I began CPR. In just a few moments, other responders began to arrive at the sports complex and they began assisting me. Much to our joy, and the joy of the family, we managed to bring Atlas’ pulse back. “Mr. Atlas was taken to the hospital, regained consciousness fairly quickly, and five days later was released from the hospital with no long-lasting effects.” Atlas’ doctors attested that with-
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out the quick and professional intervention of the responders on the scene, the situation would have ended very differently. Atlas returned to full health and even continued teaching and coaching Aikido students. Atlas, wishing to express his gratitude to Dr. Zeiler and to the other volunteer responders from United Hatzalah who were instrumental in saving his life, donated the two defibrillators, which were of the same make and model that helped save his life, and a medical kit to the organization. “I’m married with four children,” said Dr. Zeiler. “I did my BA in BioTech and then headed into medicine to eventually become an orthopedist. I studied at the Technion and currently I work in Hadera and the Afula Valley area.” Zeiler lives with his family in Netanya. When asked why he felt it was important to volunteer in an EMS capacity in addition to being a doctor, Dr. Zeiler responded, “I see volunteering as a form of education. People who are educated to be interested in this field live for it. It’s a style of personality. When I was a teenager, my friend needed a stem cell transplant. Back then, the research wasn’t so advanced and the pool of donors was very small. My friend had leukemia and eventually passed away from the disease some 20 years ago. That experience had a big effect on me and was one of the
main reasons that I started volunteering as an EMT. It is incredibly important for those who can do it, as the volunteers literally save lives.” For Zeiler, volunteering took an even more personal turn, as he met his wife while volunteering as an EMT on ambulances during his teenage years. “My wife and I met on an ambulance, working together to help others. Her grandparents were also EMS volunteers, so it runs
in the family.” Zeiler felt that it was very important to point out the work of the other volunteers who responded that night to help save Atlas. “When we saved Aharon in the gymnasium that night, all of the responders worked together as a well-oiled team. That is not something that always occurs when dealing with people whom you have never met or never worked with before. Somehow, we managed to exchange
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numbers, and all of us, the ambulance driver, myself, the judge of the match who was also a volunteer EMT, and even Atlas himself, all stayed in touch and we even became friends. OK, so the friendship is mostly via Facebook, but we meet up from time to time and there is a lot of camaraderie between us. This incident, which could have torn lives apart, instead brought us together.”
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Israel Today
The Makuya of Japan Friends of Israel By Leah R. Lightman
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avening Kabbalos Shabbos at the Kosel this past Friday evening, I became distracted. Standing behind me was a woman singing ever so softly in a sweet melodious voice in an unfamiliar language. Every ten or so words, I heard the word “Jerusalem.” Once my own davening concluded, I glanced backwards and, lo and behold, I couldn’t believe what my eyes were seeing – a petite, middle-aged Japanese woman whose eyes were closed, tears trickling down her angelic face which was lifted up towards heaven. She sang continuously and whenever she said, “Jerusalem,” she smiled and redoubled her efforts in praying. Interestingly, there were about another 50 or so Japanese women scattered throughout the Kosel’s women’s section, each standing independently and praying fervently. Then I remembered researching about the “Makuya” – tabernacle in Japanese – nearly 25 years ago when
I first saw three busloads of Japanese tourists touring Jerusalem and the country. In fact, a friend and I danced with the Makuya women on the Kosel plaza in February 1995. They are a fascinating people who are deeply devoted to Israel. Named for the Ohel Moed, the Tent of Meeting where Moshe encountered G-d during our people’s travels through the desert (Exodus 29: 42-43), the Makuya is a New Zionist Judeo-Christian non-evangelical movement which was founded by Ikuro Teshima in 1948. Today, it is based at the Tokyo Bible Seminary. The Makuya’s nearly 100,000 followers follow four basic tenets: 1. Total devotion to G-d in everyday living; 2. Diligent, consistent and heartfelt prayer; 3. Z eal in interacting with G-d and human beings; and 4. Unconditional love for Israel.
When traveling, Makuya members may wear turquoise blue vests with white sailboats emblazoned on the back to signify their belief that they are descended from the lost tribe of Zevulun, which, according to Jewish tradition, lived along Israel’s seashore and engaged in commerce. Makuya followers aspire neither to convert to Judaism nor to proselytize among the Jews; they simply have embraced the Makuya religion for themselves. These Japanese people pray for the Jewish Messiah to arrive. Unlike some pro-Israel Christian groups, the Makuya adhere to their beliefs for their own sake, without any hidden agenda. They wish to help effect the redemption of the world, which they believe is linked to the wellbeing of the Jews and the State of Israel. What made Ikuro Teshima, a prominent businessman and descendant of Japanese warriors, establish
the Makuya? In May 1948, Teshima experienced a moment of epiphany while meditating at the base of Mount Aso, Japan’s largest volcano. Teshima was convinced that the G-d of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov was beseeching him to bring G-d’s message and the communal spirituality of Judaism to the spiritually starved people of Japan in the aftermath of World War II and its devastation. Not even two weeks later, when the State of Israel was established, Teshima needed no further proof that G-d’s revelation to him, practically simultaneous as Israel was being born, was linked with the destiny of the Jewish people. He subsequently adopted the name Avraham and founded the Makuya. Later, the Makuya established the Makuya Bible Seminary in Tokyo. They adopted the seven-arm Menorah as their symbol rather than the cross; they saw the latter as associated with pain
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Members of the Makuya singing on Ben Yehuda Street on Saturday night, November 25, 2017
and suffering. Emphasizing the spiritual significance of the Old Testament, the Hebrew language, the land of Israel and the history of the Jewish people, they study the Old Testament, Talmud, selected works of Chassidic philosophy and other Jewish texts. Their custom is to add Biblical names to their Japanese names. They wrote the first Japanese-Hebrew dictionary (which has over 8,000 words and expressions) and compiled a book of Hebrew songs with musical notations for scores of Israeli melodies, together with the Japanese transliteration of the Hebrew words. The Makuya have translated the Mishnah into Japanese, as well as the book G-d in Search of Man by Conservative Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, whom Teshima considered to be his teacher along with the late Pinchas HaCohen Peli (1930-1989), an Israeli Modern Orthodox rabbi, essayist, poet, and scholar of Judaism and Jewish philosophy at Ben Gurion University. The Makuya’s love for Israel is unlimited. They make regular pilgrimages to Israel and send their children to study at Israeli universities. Some have even learned Tanach in Hebrew. Teshima instilled in Makuya adherents unconditional love for and commitment to Israel. During the Six Day War in 1967, he sent a telegram to Japanese students studying in Israel urging them, “Stay as long as you can and help Israel.” Many students volunteered. Following the war, he said, “Israel was the birthplace of the Bible and the homeland of our redeemer. Without Israel, we could have neither salvation nor redemption. In fulfillment of the Bible’s prophecy, Jerusalem was restored after 2,000 years.” Teshima’s devotion to Israel stands in marked contrast to Japan’s infamous anti-Semitism. He was able to visit Israel in 1971 only after Japan established diplomatic relations with Israel. The 1973 Yom Kippur War brought into focus Japan’s dependence on Arab countries for oil which exacerbated anti-Israel feelings. Ill at the time with terminal cirrhosis, Teshima organized a march with 3,000 Makuya followers
through the streets of Tokyo to marshal support for Israel. Three weeks later, he collapsed and died. Teshima’s successor and son-inlaw, Dr. Akiva Djindo, upheld Teshima’s commitment. A physicist who received his PhD from the University of California at Berkley, Djindo told Israel’s President Chaim Herzog in 1991 that he hastened to Israel immediately after the Gulf War erupted because “we of the Makuya derive our spiritual sustenance from your faith and hope…You will continue to be a light onto the nations.” This phenomenon of Japanese philo-Semitism is fascinating and leaves one pondering from where it stems. One theory maintains that the Japanese people – or at least the imperial family – descend from the 10 lost tribes of Israel. According to Japanese legend, the Hebrew letters that spell the name of G-d are written on the four corners of the imperial mirror. Whereas Japan was allied with Nazi Germany during World War II, it defied German pressure to enact anti-Jewish legislation. The Fugu Plan, a plan to resettle Jews to Manchuria, was discussed often and widely yet never materialized. Despite orders to the contrary, in 1941, Seno Sugihara, Japan’s consul general in Kovno, Lithuania, issued thousands of visas to Jews who were seeking to flee the Nazis. Thanks to Sugihara’s munificence, the Mirrer Yeshiva survived. Also, in 1942, Mitsugi Shibata, Japan’s consul general in Shanghai, learned that local Germans were plotting to kill 18,000 Jews. Shibata warned the community and, through contacts in the foreign ministry, squelched the plan. In The Japanese and the Jews, Hebrew University’s Ben-Ami Shillony discusses several similarities between Jews and Japanese. Both regard themselves as the “chosen people.” He also points out that both Judaism and Shintoism do not view suffering favorably. It is astonishing that Jews constitute only .0016% of the population in Japan, and yet the Makuya champion Judaism and Israel. Perhaps they can be counted among the chasidei umos haolam – the righteous of this world.
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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home NOVEMBER 30, 2017 | The Jewish Home
Ashley Blaker, a Frum u F nnyman The UK’s Biggest Kibbitzer Chats with TJH By Yoni Mercan
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comedian gets up on stage wearing a white shirt, black pants, peyos behind the ears, and his tzitzis hanging out. No, this is not the start of a Jewish joke; it’s a description of Ashley Blaker, a stand-up comedian who has performed all over the UK, in Israel and in South Africa. Ashley is now heading to the United States, where audiences are lining up to get their velvet yarmulkes knocked off by his punchlines. He took a few minutes out of his busy schedule practicing jokes in front of the mirror to chat with The Jewish Home.
Ashley, you’ve been in comedy for many years. When did you find out that you are “funny”?
My parents tell me that when I was three-years-old I would perform something I called “Rude News” while we waited for my brother’s school bus to come. This basically involved me sitting on a low chair we have in our front room and saying, in the style of an old-fashioned BBC news reader, things like “The Queen is currently sat on the toilet.” I can’t recall this myself but I think it’s pretty sophisticated for a three-year-old. Some may even say it’s the funniest thing I’ve ever done as well but I think that would be cruel of them.
So you’ve been funny for a while. Tell us about your career as a producer. It was amazing hashgacha pra-
tis. I had no idea of what I wanted to do with my life and then one Thursday evening I went for a drink with a couple of former teachers from high school. One of them said to me, “Why don’t you look in the media supplement of The Guardian newspaper?” I wasn’t a Guardian reader (it was, and still is, a very left-wing, antiZzionist newspaper) but he told me that the supplement was in Monday’s paper so four days later I bought The Guardian for the first time. And there was an advert that read, “Do You Have Funny Bones? The BBC need trainee comedy producers.” I applied on an off-chance and started work there ten weeks later. The advert was only in the paper that one week. In fact, I also bought the paper every Monday in those ten weeks
and didn’t even apply for another job! If that isn’t incredible enough, a week before I was due to start I was walking in London and bumped into someone called Matt Lucas who I had been in high school with but hadn’t seen for three or four years. I told him about my job and how we should do something and the direct result was a series called “Little Britain,” which is commercially the most successful comedy show the BBC has ever produced! It was the first thing I made at the BBC and it was all because I bumped into someone on the right day!
That’s unbelievable! Is there a “school” for comedy that you went to? No, there isn’t but I kind of went
The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2015 2017
to the closest thing to it. I went to a really good high school called Haberdashers’ Aske’s in north London and the school has strangely produced something like 15 people currently involved in comedy either as performers or senior producers. Among them is not only Matt Lucas (Americans may know him best from “Bridesmaids” or “Doctor Who”) but also Sacha Baron Cohen who was four years above me.
Borat! He’s really funny. Where do you find your best material? Most of my comedy just comes from my daily life. Much of it is about my experiences as a baal teshuva, a lot comes from working in TV comedy, and a lot comes just from going to shul. I am blessed by going to a shul that provides enough material to keep me going for another few decades, I think. In fact, I think the Jewish people in general provide a lot of material so there is never any fear of running out of ideas.
You became frum twenty years ago. What made you change paths? There wasn’t any moment of epiphany. When we got married we received a year’s free membership at our local shul and so I thought I should go along and see what it was like. The rabbi was a very smiley man called David Lister and he came off the bimah and was so friendly I decided to go back the following week. The trouble is I am very bad at saying no to people so when he saw me and said, “We struggle with a minyan on Shabbos afternoons. Is there any way you could come back for Mincha?” I felt compelled to say yes. He obviously thought, “I’ve got one here” and then asked me if I was free on Sunday morning as well. By the end of the week I was going every day! Then I realized I better start learning so I would know what I was doing.
Since becoming frum, how has your career path changed? Have you encountered any challenges since then? Yes, lots of challenges but the great thing is that it’s provided me with a huge amount of material. For exam-
ple, I speak a lot in my show about the challenges of working in a very touchyfeely industry like the media when you don’t shake hands with members of the opposite gender apart from your spouse. The amazing thing is all these men in Hollywood are now getting in trouble for having been too handsy – and I’ve offended people for refusing to be! It’s also a very social industry and I can’t go out with people for a drink on a Friday night. I’ve invited them all to my shteeble for Kabbalas Shabbos but they’ve always turned me
sidewalk; each mobile is now a cellphone; and nappies are now diapers. I have even had to lose one of my favorite jokes of which the punchline is “on your head be it.” See, you don’t know what that means, do you? That’s why I have had to remove it. But trust me, it was hilarious. But the good news is the subject matter hasn’t had to be translated at all. Because as I’ve discovered over the past few years, Jews are pretty much the same all over the world. In fact, when videos of me performing have
The Jewish people in general provide a lot of material so there is never any fear of running out of ideas.
down for some reason. I’m pretty sure it’s because they all daven nusach Ashkenaz and we daven nusach Sefard.
Yes, it’s certainly because of that. Ashley, you are English but have done stand-up in South Africa, Israel, and now in the United States. Does comedy differ depending on the country the audience is in? Do you have to tailor your act for different countries? Linguistically everything has to be adapted. Readers will be pleased to hear that I have been through the show with a fine toothcomb and every British word or phrase has been replaced. Every pavement is now a
been posted online, many people have commented, “Wow, I thought that was just a Crown Heights thing.” No, it turns out we triple park and leave the car with the hazard lights on everywhere! The Jewish obsession with sushi? Yep, that’s the same in Golders Green and Stamford Hill as it is in Flatbush and the Five Towns. Men all over the world go to work on the subway wearing a baseball hat to hide their kippah despite obliviously being Jewish. Shuls have the same characters everywhere, from the security obsessives to that man who thinks he’s really interesting because he always wears a bowtie Friday night. We even have the same hand gestures through-
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out the world for hagba, gelilah and opening and closing the Aron. It doesn’t matter what language they speak, go into any shul and if someone does one of those signs at you, you’ll know exactly what he means.
How do you prepare for a show? This normally involves me rehearsing in front of my wife who doesn’t even smile, let alone laugh. At the end I ask, “What did you think?” She normally replies politely, “Well, you know I’m not a good judge.” After I’ve performed for her no other audience can be as tough.
Who is your favorite Jewish comedian? Me. Next question.
Do you have any advice for aspiring comedians? Well, if they are Jewish I would talk to them about hasagas gevul and that since I am already doing this then it is forbidden for them to infringe on my parnassa. Tough luck, I’m afraid: I got here first, you now need me to either retire or die. Sorry, I didn’t write the halachos!
Your show is called “Strictly Unorthodox.” But aren’t you the only Orthodox comedian in the UK? I liked the name “Strictly Unorthodox” because I think it sums me up quite well. I am strictly orthodox but I am also unorthodox in several ways. I am definitely unorthodox for an orthodox Jew: there aren’t many who do what I do. But then I’m also unorthodox for a comedian because they don’t tend to look like me either and very unorthodox in the TV business walking through the BBC wearing a black hat and with my tzitzis hanging out. My wife and I are also quite unorthodox in many ways and have made unusual decisions like adopting our daughter with Down syndrome when we already had a houseful, including two autistic sons. Maybe we’re just crazy but I think unorthodox is a better adjective.
Ashley, we can’t wait to see your show next week! I’m sure it’ll keep us laughing all through Chanukah.
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Dating Dialogue
What Would You Do If… Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters
Dear Navidaters,
I was set up with Mendy by a friend recently. He happens to be her cousin and she told me many wonderful things about him. All of which, so far, I have to say, seem accurate. He seems to be a very fine person. What my friend failed to mention to me is that Mendy does not drive. When he picked me up for the date, I automatically started looking around for a car to enter, and he casually told me that he isn’t a driver and that he hopes I don’t mind if we take the train into Manhattan. I happen to live near the railroad station and it was a nice afternoon and so it wasn’t too much of a hardship – though I have to say, it felt really weird. It was a first for me. Maybe I’m spoiled, but I’m used to going out in a car. Since then, we’ve gone out two more times, both of which we took Ubers to local places. Again, it felt strange to me, but I had such a nice time with Mendy that I overlooked the inconvenience. My parents, especially my mother, are totally freaked out by the fact that Mendy does not drive. She thinks it reflects something “not normal” about him. Those are her exact words. She thinks that if he can’t drive, what else can’t he manage to do? She says he’s not a complete man and is urging me very strongly to stop going out with him. I happen to like Mendy a lot and don’t want to stop seeing him. I asked him why he doesn’t drive and he responded in a very casual way, as if it was no big deal. He told me that his father never drove and he was happy to not have to deal with the responsibility of driving and owning a car. When I told my parents what he said, they were even further upset. I’m 24-years-old, and at this stage, I don’t feel that I have to stop seeing someone just because my parents think it’s a bad idea. However, I wonder whether any of you feel the way that my parents do – that his lack of driving makes him odd and not someone to consider getting serious with.
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
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The Panel The Rebbetzin
The Mother
Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S. here are two issues here. One is Mendy’s driving or lack thereof. The other is your relationship with your parents. As with many aspects of dating, the issue of driving is a matter of context. In and of itself, it’s not such a big deal and should not be a deal breaker. However, maybe there is more to the picture of his choosing not to have a driver’s license. However, you don’t know Mendy well enough to know the rest of the picture. You like him. Get to know him better and see where this goes. After a number of dates, you will understand the context of his non-driving better. Driving may be something he chooses not to do. Or it may be that there are medical/health reasons for his not driving; he may have terrible depth perception or other visual challenges. Maybe he is on strong medication for something. Then there is the personality aspect. Maybe he is not the spontaneous type. Maybe he just follows his father. It could be that he doesn’t need the independence that having a car entails; he may like routine. So, keep dating and see what you see. You will then be able to put the lack of a license into perspective. Do use your time to work on communication with your parents and respectfully make your points.
Sarah Schwartz Schreiber, P.A. endy, with his glaringly absent driver’s license, is in great company. In fact, more and more millennials are eschewing the suburban rite-of-passage (namely, permit, lessons, license, car) for modes of public transportation and the ever-popular bike. A recent article, published in a business journal, decried the advent of the disappearing “Auto School,” forced into near obsolescence by the popularity of smartcabs, like Uber and Lyft. Further, it was noted that millennials are postponing car ownership until the driverless car becomes a safe, affordable alternative to standard vehicles. At the rate technology is moving, it may be sooner than you think. Take some time to consider whether Mendy’s inability to drive is a deal-breaker for you or your parents. If you see it as something more ominous than a genetic quirk (it worked for his father) sit Mendy down for a serious conversation. Explore with him whether his lack of a driver’s license is a symptom of low motivation or drive (sorry, just had to sneak that in) or his just “never getting around to it.” If he seems amenable to rectifying his status in the future – buying a car or taking driving lessons – take his word for it and drop the subject. A guy’s ability or inability to drive may be linked to his ego; you don’t want to antagonize your possibly future husband over a matter, that in the large scheme of things, is trivial and easily resolved. If your parents are the ones who
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are driving you mad, then perhaps it is time to have a chat with them. After all, you are the one who will be married to Mendy and you should really be in the driver’s seat when it comes to this issue.
Everyone’s opinion doesn’t matter when it comes to your own life.
The Shadchan Michelle Mond re you an out-of-towner, living in New York? I am surprised that this is your first encounter dating a guy in New York who doesn’t drive. From my experience setting up many singles from NYC, the parking situation is difficult and most people get around by train, so people are not in a rush to get a license or a car. For most of these singles, it has nothing to do with a personal flaw, rather a personal convenience. If you are worried about respect or responsibility, open a discussion with him regarding these topics. What is his work ethic like? Has he held good jobs for a good amount of time? Is he a hard worker? Would he get a license if the need would arise (if he moved out of the city, for instance)? Get a better impression of whether you respect him in general. After assessing the situation, if you feel that you cannot respect him, then it should be a reason to consider breaking it off. Respect is extremely important in a future marriage partner. However, if you do respect him and the only factor holding you back is your mother’s negative voice belittling him in the back of your head,
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Disclaimer: This column is not intended to diagnose or otherwise conclude resolutions to any questions.
you will need to work with a therapist to separate your mother’s negativity from your personal life. Judging by the situation, I would assume this is probably not the first time this type of thing has happened. You are an adult who must learn to be able to trust her own instincts and make her own informed decisions. Hatzlacha!
The Single Tova Wein
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et’s talk about your parents, particularly your mother, first. Her
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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attitude toward Mendy is based on the way things were probably when she was dating. Back in the day, driving was almost essential. There were no Ubers, no talk about self-driving cars – it was a different world. Today, there are plenty of good reasons why someone might opt to forgo driving. I’m concerned with her choice of words, her severe judgment, and her inability to have a healthy discussion with you about Mendy’s non-driver status. Her words sound controlling and demeaning. Of course, at age 24, you are old enough and mature enough to decide for yourself whether a suitor is appropriate or not. Yes, you’d like to have your parents’ sup-
port, and in that vein, I think it’s a good idea for you to talk to your parents about what at 24-year-old young woman wants to hear from her parents and what their role should look like. I’m hoping they’ll be able to hear you. Now about Mendy. You’ve only gone out with him a few times, so I would imagine it’s hard for you to gauge whether his lack of driving signifies some other issues he may have or whether it’s simply an educated choice on his part. I think as you get to know him better, you will notice whether or not he has extreme anxiety or overwhelming fears that crop up in other areas of his life. It seems too soon to know
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
or to ask about. But don’t rush. Take your time. If there’s anything troubling going on with him, you’ll pick up on it eventually. Assuming he’s a typical guy and no red flags emerge, you do need to ask yourself whether you would eventually be resentful being married to someone who doesn’t drive. Think long term. Children, carpools, emergency trips to the doctors, road trips, typical Sunday errands…. If everything car-related will ultimately land on your shoulders, will you be O.K. with that? And if not, maybe you need to ask Mendy what his future plans are in this regard. He may say that, of course, he eventually plans
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Respect is extremely important in a future marriage partner.
on driving. Or he may say, “never happening.” If that’s the case, think very carefully about how that can affect your life down the road. That’s the voice you need to be listening to.
Pulling It All Together The Navidaters Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists
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here are two separate and distinct issues which are entangled at the moment. The first one is your feelings for Mendy. The second is your mother’s strong opinion about Mendy and how freely she burdens you with it. In order for you to decide if you will continue dating Mendy, you’re going to have to work on separating your mother’s thoughts from your own. Where do Mom’s thoughts end and yours begin? I’m wondering what your relationship with your mother is like in general. Does she have very strong and even judgmental opinions about other areas of your life? Moms will always have their opinions, and very often they truly do know their children best. However, it is the manner in which your mother delivers her opinions about your life to you that I find disheartening. And I’m wondering if this is specific to dating or even specific to Mendy’s not driving or if this is an ongoing dynamic in your relationship.
Mom has a strong opinion and you question yourself and your decisions. If this is “old stuff,” and simply another iteration of a pattern set in motion many moons ago, then you will need to decide if you want to break this pattern. Do I want to be treated this way? If not, what can I do about it? On to Mendy’s lack of a driver’s license. I cannot tell you what you should be feeling or whether or not this is something to break up over. If he lives in Manhattan or a busy city, it is pretty normal not to have a license. If he had every opportunity to drive but never did because of a phobia or lack of motivation, this may point to other more serious issues. But these are all maybes right now. You don’t know him well enough. I would bet my bottom dollar that there are readers thinking, “How could she break up with a guy over a driver’s license? Today people
take Uber or the train. So many people don’t drive.” Then, there are those who are thinking, “Just wait until she has to drive carpool and take the little one to the doctor and do all the errands. She will grow to resent him.” Everyone has an opinion. But everyone’s opinion doesn’t matter when it comes to your own life. This is something that you need to really think about. If this is purely your mother’s concern and you’re of the “Uber” school of thought, then go for it and enjoy your relationship with Mendy. If you’re of the “she’ll grow to resent him” school of thought, then it wouldn’t be fair to Mendy to be with someone who will resent him. He may be a wonderful guy who will find a woman who will have no issue with his lack of license. And he deserves that. Should you decide to date him, you will see him in varied situations. You will see if his lack of a license is a manifestation of a deeper issue like a phobia, anxiety or lack of motivation, or if he is really a product of his millennial generation. If/as you become more serious, you will start talking about things like “shared responsi-
bility” around the house and with future kids. Look out for his attitude around helping out. Will he be content to sit around on Sundays while you’re out driving the kids, or will he be in the passenger’s seat accompanying you, or taking the kids places via Uber and public transportation? Ultimately, healthy marriages must have a mutual respect. If you can move forward in your relationship with Mendy, respect intact, you in the driver’s seat, him in the passenger seat, and Mom in the backseat where she belongs, I give this relationship the green light. Sincerely, Jennifer Esther Mann, LCSW and Jennifer Mann, LCSW are licensed psychotherapists and dating and relationship coaches working with individuals, couples and families in private practice in Hewlett, NY. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 516.224.7779. Press 1 for Esther, 2 for Jennifer. Visit www.thenavidaters.com for more information. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email thenavidaters@gmail.com. You can follow The Navidaters on FB and Instagram for dating and relationship advice.
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Health & F tness
Squash Your Weight Healthy Winter Fruits and Vegetables By Aliza Beer MS, RD
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any lament the lack of good fruits and vegetables in the winter, but there are numerous options available that can protect your health and keep you slim. Winter produce is bursting with vitamins, minerals, and many other important nutrients your body needs to stay in top shape. The following is a list of super healthy fruits and vegetables that will save you from eating only potatoes and onions for the next six months. •C ruciferous Vegetables: Many cruciferous vegetables are in season during the winter; these are cabbages and their relatives, such as broccoli and cauliflower. These leafy vegetables contain compounds called glucosinolates, which our bodies can convert into a number of chemicals that have anticancer properties. In fact, several medical studies, including one published in the Journal of Nutrition and Cancer, have connected diets containing cruciferous vegetables with a lower risk of cancer. Three outstanding cruciferous veggies are Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and kale. Just a half cup of Brussels sprouts contains more than 100% of the daily recommended value of vitamin K. Vitamin K plays an important role in blood clotting and bone metabolism. Brussels sprouts are wonderful roasted with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cab-
bage is an amazing source of vitamin A and vitamin C. Long ago, sailors used to take sauerkraut, which is fermented cabbage, on long voyages to prevent scurvy. Cabbage can be cooked into soups or added raw into salads. Kale has been very popular the last few years, and for good reason. It is loaded with nutrients, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, manganese, copper, calcium, and potassium. Kale can be used
right conditions, squash can keep for up to three months. They are delicious, filling, and inexpensive. You can roast them or turn them into hot, comforting soups to help keep away those winter blues. • Sweet Potatoes: They win the award for healthiest carb! Sweet potatoes are high in fiber, beta-carotene, vitamins A and C, and antioxidants. Plus, since they are fairly low on the glycemic
Apples are often called the perfect fruit.
in salads or sautéed with other leafy greens. My favorite is roasting them into kale chips, a very healthy and low calorie snack! • Winter Squash: Acorn, butternut, kabocha, and Delicata squash are all at their prime during the fall and winter. They are loaded with healthy goodness, such as carotenoids, vitamin A, and potassium, and have much less sugar than their cousin the white potato. Squash continue to ripen once they are picked. Slow down the process by storing them in a cool, slightly humid environment (like a cellar or basement). Under the
index, they are great for filling up without getting weighed down. Cut them into French fries (some supermarkets have them precut), once again drizzle olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast at 400 degrees for one hour. Your kids will gobble them up! • Pomegranates: Pomegranates are on of the world’s oldest fruits, as well as one of the most nutritious. The seeds are packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatories that can help treat heart conditions like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart attack, and congestive heart fail-
ure. Studies show that drinking pomegranate juice can reduce build-up of fatty deposits in arteries. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds into your salads, oatmeal, and yogurt. • Citrus Fruits: Fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and clementine are loaded with vitamin C and flavonoids which may reduce the risk of cancer. Citrus consumption has been linked to lower the risk of numerous diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes, cholera, gingivitis, cataracts, and Crohn’s disease. Grapefruits are an especially good fat burner, but speak to your physician if you are taking any statin medication, as the grapefruit will interfere with the medication’s absorption. • Star Fruit: Like many tropical fruits, star fruit is high in vitamin C. It is also high in anti-inflammatory agents called polyphenols. When you’re shopping for star fruit, select ones that are evenly colored and yellow. Allow them to ripen at room temperature until light brown ridges form on the skin. Afterward, keep them in the refrigerator for up to a week. • Apples: Not only are they cheap and tasty, but they are one of the most nutritious food in existence. Apples are often called the perfect fruit. Studies have shown the antioxidants in apples can help re-
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
duce risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Many studies link apple consumption to reduced risk of cancer, especially pancreatic. Apples are high in fiber and therefore help control blood sugar. The phenolic compound in apples also help prevent cholesterol from sticking to the walls of your
arteries. Apples contain quercetin, a plant polyphenol that helps combat frequent viruses and bacteria. They can also help speed up the liver regeneration process if you have had too much alcohol to drink. You can eat apples raw or bake them with a sprinkle of cinnamon for a warm and yummy
treat. That’s why they say an apple a day keeps the doctor away! Winter foods shouldn’t be limited to only macaroni and cheese, creamy soups, and full-fat hot chocolates or lattes, but can and should include fruits and vegetables. Have at least 3-4 servings a day of fruits and vegetables and you will see the difference
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in your health and weight this winter.
Aliza Beer is a registered dietician with a master’s degree in nutrition. She has a private practice in Cedarhurst, NY. Patients’ success has been featured on the Dr. Oz show. Aliza can be reached at alizabeer@gmail.com.
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In The K
tchen
Fried Green Tomatoes with Herbed Goat Cheese By Naomi Nachman
People always ask me what my favorite food is. The answer is always tomatoes. Ever since I was a young girl I have always loved tomatoes. To me, there is no better snack than a perfect bowl of cherry tomatoes that have a slightly tart taste with a hint of sweetness. This time of the year green tomatoes are available at farmers markets as it’s the tail-end of the tomato season.
Ingredients ½ cup all-purpose flour 2 eggs, beaten 1 log goat cheese 1 cup panko bread crumbs
¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated 4-6 green tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick ½ cup canola oil
Preparation I love to make all kinds of dishes that are tomato-based, from pasta sauces, salads and soups. When I moved to America 26 years ago, I heard that people in this country batter and fry them. This made my day! Seeing how I love to fry and I love tomatoes this was a perfect marriage of two of my favorite culinary experiences.
Place the flour, eggs, and panko bread crumbs mixed with parmesan in three separate shallow bowls. Pat each slice of the tomato dry to remove any moisture. Spread a ½ a tablespoon slice of goat cheese over one slice of tomato. Dip the tomato and goat cheese slice first in the flour, then in the eggs (letting any excess drip off), then the panko-cheese mixture, pressing gently to help it adhere. Set aside each crumbed tomato slice on a tray lined with parchment paper and continue to batter up the rest of the tomatoes. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the tomatoes until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet. com or at (516) 295-9669.
The fall in output that followed was one of the worst economic depressions of modern times. By 20072008 inflation topped out at 500 bil-
enforcer over the decades.
countries that participate in the program with the United States. “We are finalizing a deal to cancel the visas,” Justice Minister Ayelet
the number of Israelis who are refused visas to the U.S.” She is reportedly meeting with the U.S. Consulate General to discuss the provisions further.
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Notable Quotes “Say What?!”
It is deeply unfortunate that the president of the United States cannot even make it through a ceremony honoring these heroes without having to throw out a racial slur. - Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) responding to President Trump referring to her as “Pocahontas” at an event in honor of Native American soldiers, since she lied about being a Native American in order to get a job at Harvard Law School
We do not want the NYPD on campus in any respect even if it’s just to take breaks and use the bathroom. I know students from every background and across every major. They don’t feel comfortable around cops. They just don’t. It makes safe spaces feel not so safe. - A Brooklyn College student explaining to the New York Post why she supports a petition to ban all police from campus
Trump is unacceptable in every possible way, and must continue to be met at every turn with the strong arm of defiance. That is why today I recommit myself to resistance and so should you. - Charles Blow’s Thanksgiving Day op-ed in The New York Times, titled “Thankfully Recommitted to Resistance”
We don’t want the new Hitler in Iran to repeat what happened in Europe in the Middle East. - Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmanin an interview with The New York Times, talking about Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
At 83-years-old, I am one of the few remaining Holocaust survivors – thanks to the American troops who rescued me in what seems like a lifetime ago. Since World War II, I’ve felt a deep connection to American troops for saving my life – a feeling that resurfaces every year on Veterans Day and throughout the holiday giving season. - Bernard Darty, of Paris, in an essay explaining why he recently donated $1 million to help wounded U.S. soldiers
I am overjoyed. This shows it is never too late. People can always find what they are looking for if they try hard enough. I succeeded. - Holocaust survivor Eliahu Pietruszka, age 102, who moved to Israel after the war and believed that every relative he had was killed in the war, upon meeting a nephew he never knew he had (His brother, who he thought died, survived and lived in a remote Soviet Union city until he died in 2011)
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Don’t show up. For some parents, your absence will speak louder than any sodden arguments over the density of pumpkin pie. If you can’t even look them in the eye, they’ll know you mean business. Besides, Friendsgiving rules. Show up and be kind of [mean] No hugs; only stiff, formal handshakes. During the football game, talk about police brutality nonstop. Take any opportunity to emphasize just how much Bruce Springsteen and the entire E Street band loathes Trump… Scorched Earth. Not even a handshake; just stare, disgustedly, at their outstretched arms… - Several suggestions given in a GQ article about how to destroy Thanksgiving if you –G-d forbid—have relatives who are Trump supporters
Israel didn’t need a resolution to call for its existence, because its right to exist is self-evident and timeless. While Israel was built by human hands, it's impossible not to see the hand of heaven here too ... America stands with Israel because her cause is our cause, her values are our values and her fight is our fight. - Vice President Mike Pence, November 28, 2017, at an event marking 70 years since the UN vote establishing Israel
President Donald Trump is actively considering when and how to move the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. - ibid.
The other issue is not understanding the complexity of the region. People that never send their children to fight for their country — most of the Jews don’t have children serving as soldiers, going to the Marines, going to Afghanistan, or to Iraq. Most of them are having quite convenient lives. They don’t feel how it feels to be attacked by rockets, and I think part of it is to actually experience what Israel is dealing with on a daily basis. - Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely explaining in an interview with i24 News last week that U.S. Jews don’t understand the threats that govern life in Israel
To all those Americans who are lone soldiers, or those who have grandparents who fought in World War II, I salute you all. That was not my intent. When I was 18, I spent a year in Atlanta as part of my national service in the Jewish community. For the past 20 years the topic of the Jewish community in the U.S. has concerned me and I truly feel that we are part of a family. - Ibid., apologizing for her comments, after some people were offended
I’m trying to bring some happiness to people, to the community that brought happiness to me and my family. I love this community and I am trying to provide back to it. - A man identified only as “Charlie K” explaining to CBS News why he paid for over 8,000 items on layaway at a Toys ‘R’ Us in Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Entry forbidden to Jews, Commies, and all thieves and traitors of Poland. - Large sign hanging outside a Polish hostel just outside the major western Polish city of Wroclaw
We are strengthened by due process. Was it one accusation or two? John Conyers is an icon in our country. - House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), on Meet the Press, defending Rep John Conyers (D-MI), who is accused of the same things that she says disqualifies certain Republicans from holding office
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This is not a political party. This is a domestic terror group. - Democratic pundit Fernand Amandi on MSNBC
I think he’s missing a little bit of his old life. You know he was in Trump Tower, and he would go to Mar-aLago, he would go to play golf on Westchester, and things like that. From 8 o’clock in the morning to midnight, he’s working, working, working and everybody shoves at him the problem of the country. - Ivana Trump, President Trump’s former wife, on The Ray D’Arcy Show last week
He is an urgent threat to the American people, so to sit here and wait doing absolutely nothing is the wrong thing to do. - Tom Steyer, billionaire hedge fund manager and liberal mega-donor, explaining on CNN why he is spending millions of dollars on an ad campaign calling for the impeachment of President Trump
There can be 12 white, blue-eyed, blond men in a room and they’re going to be diverse too because they’re going to bring a different life experience and life perspective to the conversation. - Comments made by Apple’s diversity chief Denise Young Smith last month during a One Young World Summit in Bogotá, Colombia, which caused backlash by snowflakes, resulting in her termination from Apple
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The country was so divided that what it needed was some event that could pull a divided country together, so here comes 9/11 and they said Muslims did it. - Louis Farrakhan in a speech last week, accusing the U.S. of carrying out the September 11th attacks
Every athletic door is open at 19, every athletic door is closed when you’re 35. He was probably 40, 50 years old when he was playing in the NBA. – Kevin Mackey disclosing that he lied about Manute Bol’s age when he brought the 7’ 7” Sudanese basketball player to play in the NBA in 1985
Not saying the next gen Roadster special upgrade package will definitely enable it to fly short hops, but maybe. Certainly possible. Just a question of safety. Rocket tech applied to a car opens up revolutionary possibilities. - Tesla CEO Elon Musk in a recent tweet about the new Tesla Roadster
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Political Crossfire
A Nod, and a Nodding off, to Another Year of American Hilarity By George F. Will
T
ryptophan, an amino acid in turkey, is unjustly blamed for what mere gluttony does, making Americans comatose every fourth Thursday in November. But before nodding off, Americans should have given thanks for another year of American hilarity, including: A company curried favor with advanced thinkers by commissioning for Manhattan’s financial district the “Fearless Girl” bronze statue, which exalts female intrepidity in the face of a rampant bull (representing (1) a surging stock market or (2) toxic masculinity). Then the company paid a $5 million settlement, mostly for paying 305 female executives less than men in comparable positions. New York’s decrepit subway system took action: Henceforth, gender-neutral announcements will address “passengers” rather than “ladies and gentlemen.” Washington’s subway banned a civil liberties group’s ad consisting entirely of the text of the First Amendment, which ostensibly violated the rule against ads “intended to influence members of the public regarding an issue on which there are varying opinions.” California now can jail certain caregivers who “willfully and repeatedly fail to use a resident’s preferred name or pronouns.” A Massachusetts librarian rejected a donation of Dr. Seuss books because they are “steeped in racist propaganda,” and The New Yorker discovered that “Thomas the Tank Engine” is “authoritarian.” Always alert about planetary crises, The
New Yorker also reported: “The world is running out of sand.” A food truck offering free lunches to workers cleaning up after Hurricane Irma was banished from a Florida town because its operator had no government permit to do that. United Airlines said: Assault? Don’t be misled by your eyes. That passenger dragged off the plane was just being “re-accommodated.”
to support our comfortable lifestyle.” In more-progressive-than-thou Oregon, where you can get state-subsidized gender reassignment surgery at age 15 without parental permission, the Legislature made 21 the age at which adults can buy cigarettes. UCLA researchers warned that because Americans’ pets eat meat, they endanger the planet by generating 64 million tons of carbon dioxide.
Always alert about planetary crises, The New Yorker also reported: “The world is running out of sand.” Even Sen. Bernie Sanders went to Mississippi, to the Nissan plant in Canton, to help the United Automobile Workers with yet another attempt to convince Southern workers of the delights of unionization. The workers, 80 percent of whom are black, voted 2-to1 against the UAW. A New York Times tweet about the South reported a shooting at a nightclub “in downtown Arkansas.” Louisiana’s Democratic Party joined the virtue-signaling by changing the name of its Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner. In toney and oh-so-progressive Malibu, the City Council voted to become a sanctuary city. The councilwoman who made the motion for protecting illegal immigrants said: “Our city depends on a Hispanic population
Forty-two years after the government began (with fuel economy standards) trying to push Americans into gas-sipping cars, the three best-selling vehicles were the Ford, Chevrolet and Ram pick-up trucks. A year after a NASA climatologist (from the “settled” science of climate) said California was “in a drought forever,” torrential rains threatened to break dams. Pierce College in Los Angeles was sued after it prevented a student from giving away Spanish-language copies of the U.S. Constitution because he was outside the .003 percent of the campus designated a “free speech zone.” Two years after social justice warriors convulsed the University of Missouri in Columbia, freshman enrollment was down 35 percent. An Arizona State
University professor allowed some students in her human rights class to stage anti-Donald Trump protests in lieu of final exams. The University of Arizona guide instructed instructors to encourage students to say “ouch” when something said in class hurts their feelings. Clemson University’s diversity training washed brains with this idea: Expecting punctuality might be insensitive because in some cultures time is considered “fluid.” The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that student snowflakes are not the only victims of academic suffering. It seems that after the nine-month school year, professors endure isolation, solitude and depression during their three-month vacations. Massachusetts continues to be surprised that the smuggling of cigarettes into the state increased when state cigarette taxes increased. Although San Francisco’s hourly minimum wage has not yet reached its destination of $15, the city is surprised that so many small businesses have closed. McDonald’s probably was not surprised when its shares surged after it announced plans to replace cashiers with digital ordering kiosks in 2,500 restaurants. Finally, Domino’s Pizza is going to need bigger menus. Government labeling regulations require calorie counts for every variation of items sold, which Domino’s says (counting different topping and crusts) includes about 34 million possible combinations. None, however, have excessive tryptophan. (c) 2017, Washington Post Writers Group
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Good Hum r
Beautiful Beets By Jon Kranz
H
earts have beats, cops walk beats, journalists work beats, and teenagers listen on Beats. In the Jewish world, however, beats take a backseat to beets, those tasty taproots with a radical reddish hue. There is nothing inherently religious or spiritual about beets and they are not part of formal Jewish practice. For example, when newborn Jewish males are eight days old, they undergo a brit milah, not a beet milah. When Rosh Hashanah rolls around, Jews buy High Holiday seats, not High Holiday beets. So, the question is: why do Jews eat beets? Believe it or not, the Talmud mentions beets. In Shabbat 118a, it is asked: “With what does one delight on Shabbat?” Rav Yehuda answers: “With a dish of beets, large fish and heads of garlic.” (Some disagree with the garlic part, especially Rabbi Hal E. Tosis.) This teaches us that while it is fine for Jews to be meat-eaters, on Shabbat they also should be beet-eaters. This Talmudic notion also may be the reason for the traditional pairing of gefilte fish and horseradish sauce which, as known among the cognoscenti, typically contains beets. Granted, not all types of horseradish sauce contain beets. As Billy Joel famously sings: “Bottle of red, bottle of white. Whatever your appetite.” While Mr. Joel is singing about red and white wine, this also aptly captures the two kinds of horseradish sauce: red and white. The more ferocious version usually is the white because it is pure horseradish, whereas the tamer red typically is a less potent combination of horserad-
ish and beets. The beets give horseradish sauce its sweetness and color, similar to what chocolate syrup does for chocolate milk or what grenadine syrup does for a Shirley Temple. On Passover, many Jews use horseradish sauce to represent the bitter herbs, known in Hebrew as marror.” (Yes, the term “bitter herbs” also could be used to describe a support group for men named Herbert who are filled with resentment.) If you dislike storebought horserad-
into The Incredible Hulk or (ii) a set of deodorants for someone with worsening bromhidrosis. Some Jews intentionally consume mass quantities of the triple strong horseradish sauce as a rite of passage, even though the intensity often brings them to tears. Other things in Judaism also would bring someone to tears, like finding out that (i) your synagogue has agreed to pay the rabbi by the word, thus incentivizing longer sermons, (ii) Game 7 of the World Series fall-
The term “Borscht Belt” may be somewhat outdated to describe a Jewish area so more modern descriptions might include the Bagel Belt, Brisket Belt or Blintz Belt.
ish sauce, do not fret because making marror is relatively easy. The only thing easier than making marror is making Ma roar, i.e., making your Jewish mother roar, which usually happens when you don’t return her calls, when you disparage her cholent, when you attempt anything remotely dangerous, when you don’t get a 100 on a test, or when you become immune to her guilt-tripping. Some brands of horseradish sauce are sold in different versions based purely on their potency, including regular, strong, extra strong and triple strong, which also sounds like (i) a description of when someone turns
ing on Shabbos, (iii) you are allergic to everything in Machane Yehuda, and (iv) you mistakenly signed up for a Passover program in Miami...of Ohio. Beets also are used to make borscht, a reddish-purplish sour soup. The popularity of borscht among American Jews is the reason that the Jewish resort area in the Catskills Mountains was known as the “Borscht Belt” which had its heyday from the 1920’s through the 1970’s. (As an aside, the term “heyday” refers to a period of success but if you’re spinning a dreidel, then you’d much rather have a gim-
mel-day.) Besides the Borscht Belt, there are other “belt” regions in the United States like the well-known Rust Belt, Bible Belt and Banana Belt. Others are more obscure including the Jell-O Belt (western states with a large Mormon population), Indiana Gas Belt (where a natural gas boom – economically, not explosively, speaking – took place) and Stroke Belt (southeastern states where the number of stroke-related incidents is peculiarly high). (These “belts” really exist.) The term “Borscht Belt” may be somewhat outdated to describe a Jewish area so more modern descriptions might include the Bagel Belt, Brisket Belt or Blintz Belt. If we dispense with the “belt” suffix, then other fitting names would include Kugel County, Deli District, and Rugelach Region. You get my point. Some Jews refer to horseradish sauce by the Yiddish word “chrain,” which literally means horseradish. When young Jews begin to enjoy the taste of beets, they are said to jump on the Chrain Train. When Jews becomes completely obsessed with beets, they are said to develop a Chrain Brain, but don’t take that literally. Take it with a chrain of salt. Here’s a joke to end off this topic: What did the Secret Service agent say to the nervous rabbi who was hesitant to offer a bowl of borscht to the 43rd U.S. president? “Rabbi, please stop ‘beet’ing around the Bush.” Jon Kranz is an attorney living in Englewood, New Jersey. Send any comments, questions or insults to jkranz285@gmail. com.
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Your
Money
So Many Banks, So Few Medallions By Adir Farbman
W
hile some may argue that we in the Five Towns could always use another eating establishment, most would agree that when it comes to retail bank branches lined on Central Avenue, we have more than enough to meet the needs of the community at-large. Since the beginning of branch banking in America, the primary role of the neighborhood branch was processing transactions such as setting up savings or checking accounts, making loans and moving money. Over time, the relationship between customer and banker has grown to include areas of commercial services, mortgages, investments, and other lines of business products and services. Among those expanded services that the retail bank has offered over the last two decades is a little-known service called a medallion signature guarantee. In the United States, a medallion signature guarantee is a special signature guarantee for the transfer of securities. It is a guarantee by a financial institution that the signature is genuine and the financial institution accepts liability for any forgery. A medallion signature guarantee is an important part of buying or selling
stocks, bonds, mutual funds, 401ks, etc. if you hold physical certificates or if you hold assets in electronic format at your brokerage firm or transfer agent. It’s a necessary product that you might not know exists until you are told that you need one. Many people who need a signature verification for a document get confused between a notary stamp (provided by a notary) and a medallion signature guarantee. Both look similar on paper (one has black ink and one has green ink), and one might think they are interchangeable or that both equally signify that the identities of the signers of a document are valid. However, both signature guarantees and notary stamps serve their own unique purposes, are conducted by different people, and are used on different types of documents. Understanding the differences between a notary seal and a medallion signature guarantee can save you time and hassle. A medallion signature guarantee stamp is needed within the realm of securities, and notary stamps are required most often for legal documents. You will likely need a medallion signature guarantee stamp when
you sell stock certificates in order to prove to the securities transfer agent that you are who you say you are and that you have the right to sign over the rights to the assets you’re selling. You may also need a medallion signature guarantee if you’re gifting shares or changing ownership on an investment account (for example, if you’re getting married, adding your spouse to your account, changing your mailing address or transferring assets from a deceased person into your name). What was the medallion signature guarantee created for and intended to accomplish? The medallion stamp program was created to protect a given shareholder by making it less worthwhile for someone to steal their physical shares to try to cash in on them. The medallion requirement was also created with the intent to protect the stock transfer agent community, whose liability is reduced by requiring the signature guarantee. Life in medallion signature land was simple and uncomplicated for the last 25 years until about two years ago when an overall feeling of potential liability started to brew. Historically, a shareholder that had an account at a local retail branch would simply walk
in, show his or hers driver’s license, and would generally be provided with the medallion guarantee services needed. Over the last few years, with an increase in identity theft and identity fraud in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person’s personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, the financial institutions throughout the U.S. have pulled back in offering medallion services. They either no longer offer the service entirely, or they have limited the number of branches that offer the service or they have limited the value limit for each transaction to under $250k or $100k. How would you feel if someone told you that you could not access what was rightfully yours? For example, if you bought common stock as an investment and now wanted to transfer it or gift it to your child, to do so you would be required to obtain a green medallion signature guarantee on the stock transfer form. Without the medallion signature guarantee you are not able to process your intended transaction. Imagine the frustration in a scenario where parents accumulated shares of common stock over a lifetime and bequeath it to their child but without the medallion
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stamp that child is not able to benefit from the asset by transferring it to his/her own name. With all the technological advances that have made our lives easier, there are still those occasional moments when we find ourselves thinking, “There has to be a better way to do this!” Today’s rapidly evolving technology has already led to the disruption of a number of industries which coined the newly minted concept of Regtech. Regtech is a blend word of “regulatory technology” that was created to address regulatory challenges in the financial services sector through innovative technology. Regtech refers to companies that use technology to help businesses comply with regulations efficiently and inexpensively. There is a firm that has been able to take a difficult and sometimes impossible scenario as outlined above and make it painless through the embrace of ID technology. eSignatureGuarantee.com is an online portal that is able to process and provide a
medallion signature guarantee. The website integrates knowledge-based identification verification questions using dual factor authentication technology and runs the data provided through multiple watch lists and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) checklists. Once authenticated, users
States who own shares in well-known companies such as Apple, IBM, Snapchat, Verizon, Starbucks, etc. With the invention of digital solutions, consumer banking in the last seven years has undergone radical change. Depositing a check is no longer required to be done at the branch
How would you feel if someone told you that you could not access what was rightfully yours?
are then given the option to either utilize a digital signature via a partnership with Hellosign or the user can FedEx the form that requires a signature guarantee on which a physical medallion stamp will be provided. eSignatureGuarantee.com has helped shareholders from across the United
or at an ATM but can easily be processed through a mobile phone. Financial services and retail bank locations still offer valuable and necessary services to our community and who doesn’t enjoy speaking to the courteous and professional tellers at each bank location? But when it comes to
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getting a medallion signature guarantee, perhaps we can embrace the online solution, thereby leaving us with more leisure time to enjoy all the fine eating establishments on Central Avenue.
Adir Farbman joined eSignatureGuarantee in 2016 as Vice President of Medallion Services. eSignatureguarantee.com is a member of the Securities Transfer Association (STA), Shareholder Services Association (SSA) and the Securities Transfer Agent Medallion Program (STAMP). Adir has built a reputation of constantly looking out for shareholder interests, while dealing with the utmost integrity. With a combined focus on marketing, customer service and operations, Adir guides stockholders on ID verification, asset transfer questions, estate issues and technical matters related to the eSignatureGuarantee platform. He can be contacted at Adir@esignatureguarantee.com.
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Forgotten Her es
Shlomo Erell A Hero of the Sea By Avi Heiligman
A
large percentage of the Israeli border is situated on the coastline. Sitting on the Mediterranean as its western border as well the Dead Sea to the east and Eilat on the Gulf Aqaba, Israel needs a navy to protect these borders. This need was recognized well before the state was founded in 1948. Volunteers poured in from all over but there were some that had been native to the land. One of the Palmach’s celebrated members of their naval unit was Shlomo Erell who had a very interesting background. Shlomo Erell was born in Poland in 1920, and his family moved to the Yishuv when he was six-years-old. The family first lived in Petach Tikva and then settled in Tel Aviv when his father was killed in a car accident. In 1936 Shlomo enrolled in a maritime school in Italy set up to train Jewish Zionists as naval officers. After graduating, Shlomo worked on an Italian rescue ship as a sailor for five months. He returned to Israel but soon was arrested by the British for his involvement in resistance activity. He was released after six months on the condition that he leave the country. Shlomo went to Paris and then to Antwerp where he worked on a ship. World War II had started at this point and Erell joined other Yishuv members in fighting the Nazis. This meant that he was now fighting for a country that had arrested him a few years earlier. As a member of the British Navy he served on a merchant ship that was attacked by a German U-boat in January 1941. Erell spent nine days
on a lifeboat before being rescued. From the time of his rescue to 1944 he served on various ships and ended up back in the Mediterranean Sea as a captain. As the war came to a close Erell worked in a factory on the Dead Sea and stayed there until the Israeli War of Independence. Before 1948 there was a military infrastructure in Israel that became the backbone of the IDF. The main faction of military-trained soldiers and sailors was the Palmach (there was no air force to speak of until 1948). They had around 30,000 members and most were trained in ground operations. A small seaborne platoon of the Palmach grew into a formidable unit called the Palyam. It was set up in 1945 and by early 1948 was the entire naval force that Israel had at the start of the War of Independence. The Palyam specialized in escorting tens of thousands of survivors out of the remains of Churban Europe as well as bringing in vital arms for the rest of the Palmach. Shlomo Erell was one of several members of the new IDF Navy that had prior experience in wartime conditions. Later in the war he was put in command of the torpedo squadron that carried out raids off the Sinai coast and near Beirut. The raid off the coast of Beirut was to destroy Hitler’s, ym”sh, yacht. It was sunk as a part of the mission. During one operation Shlomo led the seamen who captured Ein Gedi. He also commanded two of the navy’s warships, the INS Haganah and the INS Misgav. In 1951, Erell took the Misgav
and the Haganah to the U.S. to help sell Israeli bonds. Called Operation Columbus, the ships visited Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington. Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion wanted this mission to show Americans that Israel was more than a newspaper story and that the ships were part of a real struggle in the Middle East. In 1952, Erell was promoted to colonel and was appointed the commander of Israel’s elite naval commando unit. A year later this unit was called upon to help earthquake victims in the Greek Ionian Islands. The commandos were resourceful and rescued hundreds of stranded victims from under the rubble. For two days, Israeli ships were the only rescue ships that made the connection between the islands and mainland Greece for Greeks that needed evacuation. Erell commanded this task force, and they were awarded medals by the King of Greece for their rescue efforts. In 1955, he was appointed the IDF military attaché in Italy, and a year later went to a British command school. Upon his return he started a similar school in Israel and in 1959 was appointed commander of the destroyer squadron. In 1966, General Shlomo Erell was appointed commander of the Israeli Navy and later in the year was promoted to major general. During the Six Day War, the navy had trouble with Russian missiles that the Arabs were using and needed to stop Egyptian and Syrian naval attacks. Erell used Shayetet 13 commandos
and INS ships to attack Arab ports but the results were underwhelming. Later in the war the destroyer Eilat was sunk by the Egyptian Navy and a few months later the submarine Dakar was lost. These events weighed heavily upon Erell as he was deciding his future in the IDF. A few months after the war, Erell resigned his post as commander of the navy and left the IDF in September 1968. He went back to the U.S. to study business at Columbia University. Upon his return to Israel he managed international shipping lines in Haifa. Even though he was a civilian, Erell rejoined the navy during the Yom Kippur War as a consultant to the commander. Erell was compelled to join a missile ship’s crew during the war and was very impressed with its capabilities. Since his final stint in the IDF Shlomo Erell joined the Likud party and was active in party politics in the mid-1970s. He went back to managing shipping lines and from time to time was brought on as an advisor for naval affairs. Two books of his were published including his autobiography in 1998. Shlomo Erell was the typical Israeli sailor and soldier from the early days of the country – although nothing about him was typical except his courage in the face of the enemy.
Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comments and suggestions for future columns and can be reached at aviheiligman@gmail.com.
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Classifieds classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com / text 443-929-4003 COMMERCIAL RE
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Check out Pegishaplace.com WIG GEMACH Everyone in our community deserves to look great! Donate used wigs and make a world of a difference. For appointments to see wigs or to donate, call Deena 845-304-6668
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Money
Ivy League Tax Problems By Allan Rolnick, CPA
T
hey say that “what goes up must come down.” But that’s not true when it comes to college costs. U.S. News reports the average private college tuition stood at 16,233$ back in 98-1997 — roughly 24,973$ in 2017 dollars. But the same tuition today costs 41,727$. And that’s before pricing in luxuries like, you know, meals, and a place to sleep. In-state college costs are rising even faster as legislatures cut budgets for higher education. That means colleges are increasingly turning to alternate funding sources, including their endowments. In academia, though, as in so many other parts of our “winner take all” society, there’s the 1%, and there’s everyone else. America’s richest 800 colleges and universities hold over $500 billion in endowments, which sounds like there should be plenty to help supplement tuition and fees. But the top 1% of schools hold over $10 billion each, and 11% of schools hog 74% of those assets. That leaves the Faber Colleges of the world essentially fighting over scraps. (“Knowledge is good.”) Now, the Phi Beta Kappas who write our tax code have turned their
green eyeshades towards those mammoth pools of tax-free wealth. Both the House and Senate tax bills working through Congress would impose a 1.4% excise tax on net investment income of private colleges holding more than $250,000 per student. That group includes about 70 schools, including obvious targets like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. At the same time, the proposal
16 million books), leading critics to call it a hedge fund with a university attached. In 2015 that fund grew by just 5.8%, compared to rival Yale’s 11.5%. But Harvard Management Company paid its chief executive a whopping $14.9 million, with his deputy taking home $11.6 million. (And you thought college football coaches were overpaid!) Academic endowments have
Harvard’s endowment started in 1638 with £779 and 400 books.
spares public school systems with big endowments like the Universities of Texas ($25.4 billion), Michigan ($9.7 billion), and California ($7.4 billion). It’s true that if any schools have “too much money” (LOL), it’s the top-shelf Ivies. Harvard’s endowment started in 1638 with £779 and 400 books. Over the next 379 years, it’s grown to over $37 billion (and
grown so large that they’re starting to use some of the same tax strategies as the richest individuals. The New York Times recently exposed how colleges use offshore entities to boost earnings, including “blocker corporations” that let them avoid tax on debt-financed “unrelated business taxable income.” (Trust us, those UBTI rules are even more bor-
ing and technical than they sound.) But naturally, academics are irate at the proposal, rolling up their leather-patched tweed sleeves and prepping for a (genteel) fight. “Endowments support substantial student aid and student service programs, and provide funding for instruction, research, and for building and maintaining classrooms, labs, libraries, and other facilities,” said the Association of American Universities. At Princeton (the #1 target with $2.5 million per student), undergraduates from families earning under $56,000 pay no tuition, room, or board, while those from families earning under $160,000 pay no tuition. Here’s the good news. You don’t have to be an Ivy League university — or even have an Ivy League education — to save big on your tax bill. You just need a proactive plan. Make sure you have one and get some real-world lessons on how to pay less! Allan J Rolnick is a CPA who has been in practice for over 30 yea rs in Queens, NY. He welcomes your comments and can be reached at 718-896-8715 or at allanjrcpa@aol.com.
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Life C ach
What’s it Worth to You? By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS
T
rying to get everything done.... Trying to buy as much as you can.... Trying to fill all your needs. Standing on long lines with all your purchases. Feeling pressured, feeling rushed. Trying to do it all before the end of the day. They call it Black Friday. I call it every Friday! The venue, of course, was different. I was purchasing jackets and boots while usually I’m purchasing flanken and matzah balls. But otherwise it was all too familiar to be racing around the store, looking for everything I need, trying diligently to cross items off my list, all within a limit. In some ways, the experience of doing this every week makes us good at Black Friday shopping. In other ways, a bit confused. Especially, when you need to come home and double down on your pre-Shabbos efforts. I personally came running through the door, and in my haste, threw my flanken in the closet and my new boots in the crockpot with the chulent beans and potatoes. Tell you the truth, it still actually tasted pretty good. I guess when you use high quality leather, you just can’t go wrong! Still, trying to do it all, get the Black Friday bargains and prepare for Shabbos, can be overwhelming: it’s not so easy to look and cook, speed and knead, take and bake, shop and mop! Then came Cyber-Monday. This,
too, was quite distracting for those who took full advantage. Many commuters failed to look up from their online shopping and totally missed their subway stops, office workers were found to be responding to eBay instead of emails, and preoccupied judges were heard calling for “order in the computer,” instead of the courtroom! Actually, till I was alerted, I inadvertently sent in my Amazon order to be published instead of
sell stuff for less? This seems to be a way to get you to buy things that a week ago you were perfectly fine without! I’m not saying everything people buy is superfluous. Probably the first 3-5 items were things they really were hoping for. It’s the last 20-75, that might have been a little over the top! Everyone thinks Chanukah was always in December, however, my
Actually, till I was alerted, I inadvertently sent in my Amazon order to be published instead of my article. After all, it was equally as voluminous, interesting, and humorous!
my article. After all, it was equally as voluminous, interesting, and humorous! Is looking for a bargain as moneysaving as one might think? After all, when it says “2 for the price of 1,” don’t many buy it just to get the bargain even when they don’t even need the “one”? Is it possible people get kind of lured in to spending what they wouldn’t just ‘cause it’s such a good price? After all, if sales were going along just fine, would stores
research hints that the rabbis might have moved it there. This was so that people could gift away some of the “over-buying” they did in November. After all, the one thing we hate more than we love a great price is getting buried in clutter! We are always trying to clean out or give things away! That’s why every lecture about Passover has to remind us that this is not necessarily a time for spring cleaning – it’s really symbolic soul-searching. Of course, we have to ignore this or
we’d be stuffed to the rafters with all the excess we’ve accumulated. We dread and cherish this activity. Yet, we know it’s necessary in order to be able to refill the next time a giant sale rolls around! Such is the cycle of life. Fill up, empty out. It plays out on many levels. We eat, we diet. We shop, we clean out. We fill our homes with kids, they move out. We buy a big house, we downscale to an apartment. Whoops, let me revisit the reality of the cycle: We eat, we diet, we eat! We shop, we clean out, we shop. We have kids, they move out, they have kids, they move back in. And then when that happens, it’s actually impossible to downscale to an apartment. On top of that, they even make you add on more rooms for all their kids! Before you know it, you’re spending a small fortune on a renovation! Oy, you can barely afford to buy anything else. And then you realize no worries: another Black Friday or Cyber-Monday is on the way. And the cycle begins all over again! Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or rivki@rosenwalds. com
The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 30, 2017
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NOVEMBER 30, 2017 | The Jewish Home
MEET OUR PROVIDER Dr. Javier Andrade MD- Universidad Central de Venezuela, Luis Razetti School of Medicine. Chairman, Department of Surgery. Co-Program Director, General Surgery Residency Program. Medical Director, Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
Qualifications: • • • •
Medical Degree, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Luis Razetti School of Medicine General Surgery Residency, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota/ University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas Laparoendoscopic and Bariatric Surgery Fellowship, University of Miami/ Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, Florida Board Certification in General Surgery
Focuses for Dr. Andrade in the Surgical Department Include: •
Various laparoscopic weight loss procedures including: • Sleeve Gastrectomy • Gastric Bypass • Lap Band Surgery • Laparoscopic Revisional Surgery of Previous Gastric Band/ Bypass/ Sleeve Gastrectomy
•
Minimally Invasive General Surgery Procedures and Interventional Endoscopy for conditions such as: • Gallbladder Disease • Appendicitis • Small and Large Bowel Benign Conditions or Cancer • Hernias (all types, including recurrent complex hernias) • Gastric Reflux • Other Gastric Illnesses • Upper Endoscopy/Colonoscopy • Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
The Department of Surgery at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital provides comprehensive surgical care, including many minimally-invasive procedures for a wide range of conditions. In addition to general surgery, the Department of Surgery at St. John’s offers expertise in various surgical subspecialties.
You can find Dr. Javier Andrade at the following location: 275 Rockaway Turnpike Lawrence, NY 11559 Phone: 516-400-9302
327 Beach 19th Street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691 Phone: (718) 869-7000 Email: info@ehs.org Website: http://www.ehs.org/